Esmae Browder is an ex-catholic school girl who loves romance and vodka tonics. When not reading a spicy novel, she enjoys creating them by combining elements of well-known tales and updating them for our modern world. She is the author of the Naughty Shakespeare series, as well as, the paranormal romance Bite Thy Neighbor—a sexy Dracula meets Wisteria Lane style novel.
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About the Book:
Some neighbors suck…literally.
Quirky Maisy Harker spends her time daydreaming about her sexy husband, Jensen Helsing. Though their marriage is one of convenience, Maisy wishes the sparks of heat she feels around him were reciprocated. Sexually starved, she also lusts after her mysterious neighbor, Adam. True, his incisors do look a bit sharp, and he never seems to drink or eat anything—but hey, maybe that’s how he keeps that yummy, drool-worthy physique!
Yet Maisy knows something’s not quite right, and it isn’t long before she learns Adam is a centuries-old vampire embroiled in a gypsy curse placed on the women of her family. All her female ancestors have been drawn to the vampire and bound by his desires, experiencing a terrible side effect of the curse and resulting in death.
It’s up to Maisy to find a way to break the curse once and for all before she, too, falls under his spell.
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Would you call yourself a born writer?
Absolutely!! However, I would say that I’m a born writer, but not a born storyteller. I love writing, always have! Something about putting words on paper and shaping them into an amazing tale that could potentially influence a reader’s feelings has always been very attractive to me. However, I am not an oral storyteller. I get tongue-tied and full of self-doubt if I have to verbally tell a story about myself or about a plot I’m working on.
What was your inspiration for Bite Thy Neighbor?
Have you ever lived someplace where the neighbors started out as great people, the kind you want to hang out with on Friday nights, but then they turn out to be psychotic, drug users who yell at each other in the street so that the cops have to be called? Yeah, that happened to me. Several times. Neighbors have certainly been the inspiration for this quirky little vampire tale about neighborhood wives gone bad. No, I’ve never had experience with actual vampires, but on more than one occasion, I have wished for one to swoop in and carry off one or two neighbors that no one would miss. Seriously though—this novel is dedicated to the neighbors in my life who keep things interesting.
What themes do you like to explore in your writing?
I love exploring the idea of perception in my writing, the idea that what we believe to be true isn’t always. I think most of the novels I write explore this theme at some point in the story line. Even an erotic, paranormal romance like Bite Thy Neighbor plays with the idea that not every story you’ve been told about the bad guy is accurate.
How long did it take you to complete the novel?
About six months to write and then another six months once my editor at The Wild Rose Press got her hands on it.
Are you disciplined? Describe a typical writing day.
A typical writing day is getting up by 7:00am, forcing down coffee in order to be human, and then checking all my social media accounts. Once that’s done, I spend about two hours working on whatever project is on the books. I take a break and do all my social media checks again. Then I dive back in and start editing, writing, or doing whatever needs to be done. I don’t work on the weekends, preferring to spend time with my husband.
What did you find most challenging about writing this book?
I think the most challenging thing about writing Bite Thy Neighbor was keeping the backstory timeline correct while juggling the present story timeline. This book required some research into Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, and I wanted to make sure that his frightening vampire came across as powerful, but sympathetic. Not just your typical bad guy, but someone more complex.
What do you love most about being an author?
I love being able to get the stories in my head out into the world. It’s cheaper than therapy and way more fulfilling!
Did you go with a traditional publisher, small press, or did you self publish? What was the process like and are you happy with your decision?
I elected to publish with The Wild Rose Press. They have a solid reputation for putting out excellent work and are easy to work with. I adored my editor, Trish Owens, and loved all the input I had on my book cover. TWRP is the kind of place where you feel supported and are given lots of marketing information. I have published with a traditional publisher, but did not find it to be a great experience. I’ve also self published and enjoy doing that. I really liked to keep a foot in lots of different publishing worlds in order to grow as a hybrid author.
Where can we find you on the web?
Please come visit me at www.esmaebrowder.com or follow me on Twitter @esmaebrowder.