Earlier this month, I reviewed a fantastic paranormal romance called Bite Somebody, which was equal parts adorable and hilarious. Tomorrow, the sequel comes out! To celebrate, I’m interviewing author Sara Dobie Bauer today, but be sure to check back here tomorrow for my review of Bite Somebody Else, which is currently available for pre-order.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Imogene helped her newbie vampire friend Celia hook up with an adorable human, but now Celia has dropped an atomic bomb of surprise: she has a possibly blood-sucking baby on the way. Imogene is not pleased, especially when a mysterious, ancient, and annoyingly gorgeous vampire historian shows up to monitor Celia’s unprecedented pregnancy.
Lord Nicholas Christopher Cuthbert III is everything Imogene hates: posh, mannerly, and totally uninterested in her. Plus, she thinks he’s hiding something. So what if he smells like a fresh garden and looks like a rich boarding school kid just begging to be debauched? Imogene has self-control. Or something.
As Celia’s pregnancy progresses at a freakishly fast pace, Imogene and Nicholas play an ever-escalating game of will they or won’t they, until his sexy maker shows up on Admiral Key, forcing Nicholas to reveal his true intentions toward Celia’s soon-to-arrive infant.
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Vampire fiction comes close to overwhelming the urban fantasy genre these days. What unique spin do you put on “vampirism” in your books to keep things fresh?
My unique spin is comedy. I don’t take anything seriously. Like, anything. I’ve been reading vampire literature since I was too young to be reading vampire literature. (I’m pretty sure my twelve-year-old teenage girl hormones were unleashed via Interview with the Vampire.) I love the old tropes — the charisma and mystery of classic vampires. Because I love the tropes, I had fun tearing them apart. Imogene and Celia are totally insane, ridiculous, and non-mysterious vampires. They get into awkward messes and have stupidly hilarious adventures. There’s even a semantics discussion: “Are we dead or undead?” I had a blast writing this series, and people have a blast reading the books. It’s escapism in the most snort-laughing of ways. Oh, and there’s a bit of sex — although even the sex is filled with miscues, accidental feet to the face, and broken fingers.
Sunny Florida is not the first place that comes to mind when I think of vampire stories. What inspired you to set your books there?
The Bite Somebody series was born and developed over the course of two trips to Longboat Key, Florida. Longboat has been my family’s vacation destination for decades, but I really got into it once I was old enough to drink. I love the quirky, beach bar vibe, and the Longboat area is overrun with awesome dives — and some cool classy joints. While slurping a rum punch on the beach, I just remember thinking, “This would be a very silly place for vampires to live,” what with all the sunshine and tourists wearing pastel Capri pants. Therefore, I created silly vampires who lived in Florida, although I changed the name Longboat Key to Admiral Key in the books. You gotta protect the innocent. (Except The Drift Inn. Imogene frequents The Drift in Bite Somebody Else, and that is indeed a real place. If you’re ever near Longboat, look it up. It’s an epic dive bar. You can even smoke inside.)
Tell us about your favorite vampire inspirations in popular fiction! Who would Celia and Imogene love to have a drink with?
As I mentioned, I really got started with Anne Rice’s world of vampires, but she got a little too angsty for me. I’ve since moved on to Christopher Buehlman and, recently, Claire Cray’s Merrick series. Oh, and I have to mention Jim McDoniel. He wrote a book called An Unattractive Vampire, and it’s everything. Celia and Imogene would have drinks with David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. Obviously.
How has your experience writing fanfic contributed to your skills as an author?
Writing fan fiction has taught me how to write great sex and how to edit really quickly. All my fan fiction is BBC Sherlock based—either Sherlock with Irene Adler or Sherlock with John. In both cases, I’ve really honed the art of sexual tension, bedroom dialogue, and general sex scene logistics. (Who’s leg goes where, et cetera…) In regards to editing quickly, this is something we fan fiction authors often impose on ourselves, and it’s fantastic. A great example of this is my fan fiction, “Care for You.” I intended this to be one chapter, but readers started shouting at me, so I wrote more… and more… until people were harassing me about “When is the next chapter?” Not only did I have to edit fast, I had to plot quickly and find dedicated time to write. It’s amazing how writing fan fiction can make a person so dang disciplined, all thanks to bloodthirsty fans.
What is your favorite Benedict Cumberbatch role, and why?
Sherlock. Sherlock a million times. Probably because I like his black, floofy hair, but also because of the costumes. God bless Cumberbatch’s tailor. His clothes are, like, painted on in that TV show. I don’t even need imagination to picture that man naked. Plus, I like Sherlock’s sense of humor and general bad ass-ness. Maybe I’m a little nostalgic, too, since Sherlock was the first time I saw my British crush. I heard him talk, and all the blood rushed from my head. (PS: Nicholas is Bite Somebody Else might bear a passing resemblance to… well. You’ll see.)
And finally, leave us with a short excerpt from Bite Somebody Else that shows us why we should check out this series!
Imogene hid behind her sunglasses and a rum punch as Celia extolled the virtues of not biting one of Ian’s brothers at their wedding. “I really don’t want any open wounds at my nuptials,” she said over the clatter of beer bottles and disorderly conduct at their favorite Florida dive bar, The Drift Inn.
“What if I have to punch someone in the nose?” Imogene asked.
“You won’t.”
“Except maybe my brother Randall. Nobody likes Randall, but I don’t even know if he’s coming,” Ian said from his bar stool. He sat there, in shorts and a t-shirt, reading Modern Bride. He flipped a page and said, “Ooo, pretty!”
“Okay.” Imogene held up her palms and shook them like jazz hands. “I won’t bite any of Ian’s brothers.”
“Or anyone else.”
Imogene rolled her eyes, which Celia couldn’t see behind the red, plastic sunglasses. “Or anyone else,” she mumbled.
“You can have sex with my brother Tommy.” Ian turned a page in his magazine and gestured for another beer from the bartender known as “Angry Santa”—a grumpy old guy with a white beard who always wore a sombrero.
Imogene crossed her arms on the bar but pulled back when her elbows stuck to days-old spilled liquor. “Yeah, what’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing. He’s kind of a pothead, but he looks a lot like me.”
“Mm, yes, that could work,” Imogene said.
Celia turned to face her very soon-to-be husband. “You’re okay with Imogene sleeping with one of your brothers?”
“I assume Imogene’s an animal in bed,” Ian said. “I would never stand between one of my brothers and a fantastic lay.”
“Thank you, Ian.” Imogene winked.
“You’re the only animal I’ll ever need.” Celia grabbed Ian’s face and planted a big, wet one on her dream guy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sara Dobie Bauer is a writer, model, and mental health advocate with a creative writing degree from Ohio University. Her short story, “Don’t Ball the Boss,” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, inspired by her shameless crush on Benedict Cumberbatch. She lives with her hottie husband and two precious pups in Northeast Ohio, although she’d really like to live in a Tim Burton film. She is a member of RWA and author of the paranormal rom-com Bite Somebody, among other ridiculously entertaining things.
What an author photo! Wow!
Great interview! 🙂