Romancing Your Dark Side - Amber Scott Interviews Jaz Primo

This interview was conducted by Amber Scott,  author of Fierce Dawn,  and she is interviewing Jaz Primo, author of Sunrise at Sunset

About the Author, Jaz Primo:

Jaz Primo is an author, history aficionado, "pun-master", and all-around fan of things vampire and urban fantasy. Fueled by an active imagination, cold Coca-Cola, and chocolate, he strives to bring a new voice to today's array of vampire fiction. He's an avid book worm, resulting in the constant tug-of-war between reading and writing his next novel. When not pouring over a keyboard or Kindle, Jaz can be found tending a veggie garden or casting a variety of colorful lures into bodies of water as he urges the bass to bite, often using his best fish puns. He has enjoyed a fulfilling background and career in higher education, including his passionate hobby of teaching U.S. History classes during evenings. He is a native of Oklahoma where he lives with his wife and a talkative, long-lived cat. Visit his website at www.jazprimo.com and his blog is at primovampires.blogspot.com.

About The Book, Sunrise at Sunset:

We vampires are focused and tend to shape our own realities. My name is Katrina Rawlings, and I am a vampire. I declare that with neither pride nor ego. I am simply nature's most dangerous predator. On occasion, it's a very valuable quality. It helped me protect Caleb Taylor one day when he was very young. But that single, traumatic day is behind him now; wiped from his memory, or so I hope. Caleb has finally matured into a rather striking young man, and believe me, I like what I see. I'll readily admit that there are issues for us to confront and overcome, though a sense of mutual commitment isn't one of them. I'm feeling hopeful for our future together, in fact. But an adversary from my past has returned to haunt me, and she's trying to get back at me through Caleb. That was her first...and last...mistake. I'll protect my Caleb at all costs, and I'll make her regret the day she was born. So, I suppose that I'm not just a vampire. I'm about to become someone's worst nightmare!

The Interview:

1) What does your writing routine look like?

Um, total chaos, actually. *grinning* My writing routine has always been somewhat erratic, which is strange because I consider myself a really organized person; bordering on OCD. I realize that the proper technique is to set aside a daily regimented time to write. However, I still find that I write "when I can," which is typically around other obligations. The vast majority of my writing opportunities occur during the weekends.

2) If I was stalking you, where would I find you most often?

Well, if you were stalking me, I wouldn't tell you! *wink* Actually, you'd likely find me either in my office or classroom at the community college where I work full-time, or perched before a computer in my "retreat" at home. Now, my question is: If you WERE a stalker, and you knew what I just told you, wouldn't you merely grow bored and stop stalking me? *smirking* Yeah, I thought so.

3) What character has been the hardest to write so far? Easiest?

The hardest character to write so far has been the vampire Alton because he's so mysterious. He's always working on multiple objectives simultaneously and is frequently hedgy regarding his plans and motivations. Conveying a sense of mystery to the reader in a balanced manner that is both intriguing and meaningful can sometimes be challenging. The easiest character to write has been the vampire Katrina. Her nearly-benevolent love for Caleb and protective nature makes it very easy to determine what her primary concerns or agendas will be. At the same time, she's almost like a superhero, like Xena or Wonder Woman, so it's relatively easy to convey her self-assured and commanding personality.

4) If your book hit the big screen, who would play your characters best?

Are you saying there's a manuscript floating around out there for Sunrise at Sunset?! That's awesome! *pausing* You're just toying with me, aren't you? *sighing with my arms folded before me* Well, IF my novel was a film, I suppose that Alton would be played by either Gerard Butler or Colin Firth. Caleb could be played by either Max Irons or Josh Hutcherson. I can't think of any actresses that would be a good fit for Katrina or Paige. 

5) What songs would the film version's soundtrack include?

The soundtrack would include a number of songs mentioned in Sunrise at Sunset. Garbage's "Temptation Awaits" and "You Look So Fine", Gram Rabbit's "Devil's Playground", Muse's "Map of the Problematique", Poe's "Angry Johnny", Radiohead's "Karma Police", Mogwai's "Auto Rock", Jem's "Come on Closer" and "24", Portishead's "Sour Times", and Hole's "Malibu." Those are songs that I repeatedly played while writing specific segments in the novel.

6) What genre would you be least likely to ever write in?

Poetry.

7) Have you ever had a paranormal experience in real life?

Yes. When I was a teenager, I came home from school and distinctly heard my Mom call my name in the house. I went through the entire house only to discover that I was completely alone! I called my grandma, who lived nearby, and discovered that my Mom was there visiting with her. Upon further query, Mom said that she had just been talking about me at length, which coincided with the time that I had heard my name being called. Weird, huh?

8) What do you do to recharge your writing batteries?

I like to listen to music, watch films, and generally do things that don't have anything to do with creative writing. My imagination usually "wakes up" on its own during such respites, which reenergizes me for more writing.

9) What is one thing sure to trip you up while writing?

You mean, aside from an impending tornado? Phone calls.

10) If you had a magic writing wand, what would you use it for?

*Laughing heartily* I'd use it to write novels that literally everyone wanted to read! *pausing* You know, I'd also use it to reveal the true answers to all the questions that people have asked for years, such as: Why do bad things happen to good people? Is there really a God? If there is a God, is He or She pissed off that religions take His or Her name in vain to do horrible things to innocent people? What is the cure for all cancers? Is there intelligent life in the universe on other planets besides Earth? What did actually happen to Amelia Earhart? Why does time seem to go faster when you're having fun? *pausing* Hey, going back to that God stuff...is God male or female?! Okay, so maybe that should be higher on my list. Damn, I'm really bad at this!

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