Interview with Chloe Neill - author of Chicagoland Vampires series and a Giveaway

Today we have Chloe Neill the author of the Chicagoland Vampires series (see my review for Some Girls Bite here and my review of Friday Nights Bite is coming up tomorrow). As you can tell from my review I am a big fan of the series and recommend everyone to check it out! So please read Chloe's interview and answer the question below to be entered to win some Twice Bitten swag (open to US/Canada). And don't forget Twice Bitten comes out July 6th!

Chloe: Hi, everyone! *waves*

Darkly Reading: In the Chicagoland Vampires series, the vampires are part of society's elite, they even have paparazzi that follow them - why did you decide to make your vampires part of the elite rather than have them part of the dark underbelly of society?

Because I thought the elite and celebrity aspects were more in keeping with what the reality might look like. If vampires really existed under the radar for so many years, I think they would have slowly worked their way into the political system and the financial system in order to protect themselves from humans. Whereas, if they were part of the dark underbelly, the police and such would be more apt to look at them. And in our society, the new and different often becomes celebrities, so it made sense to me that (after some initial panic) vampires would, as well.

I love the idea of the vampire houses in the series. Besides the house emblems and fancy Armani "uniform" do the houses have any other traditions, secret handshakes, or special dances we'll learn about in future books? Do we get to read about Merit's adventures as the social chair in Twice Bitten?

Actually, crises keep Merit from truly diving into the social chair aspects, but we definitely see her becoming more involved with the other House vampires. We also learn about an important Cadogan House tradition in Twice Bitten, and we discover what the "RG" cards in Friday Night Bites referred to. So, yes, some House secrets will be revealed!

Talking about Merit, I admire a girl, or vampire, with a whole drawer in her kitchen devoted to chocolate. What's up with Merit's chocolate stash? What are her favorite and chocolate non grata for the drawer? Do you have a similar drawer as well (I have a chocolate shelf in my kitchen cabinet)?

Thanks!! Merit loves chocolate, and collects it a bit obsessively, I suppose. :) She loves dark chocolate, and I think she'd be all about the chocolate-and-bacon fad. She'd probably have four or five of those bars.

I don't have a chocolate shelf of my own right now, although I do have a few favorites in my snack bowl- including the dark chocolate Moose Munch bars from Harry & David. And I always have a bag of snack size Kit Kats in the freezer. (They're even better cold!)

One of my favorite parts of the Chicagoland Vampire series is the men! Ahh Catcher, Morgan, and Ethan (sometimes) are equal parts deliciously sexy and infuriating (especially Ethan). Did you realize when you wrote the books that your readers would form "Teams" for your characters and on-line battles would ensue? Do you have a favorite or do you find it changes as the series goes on?

I actually figured readers would form teams around the Houses--which are teams in and of themselves. But I guess we don't see too much of the other Houses initially, so it makes sense there's a Team Ethan and a Team Morgan. I even made T-shirts in my Cafepress store! I love all my leading men in different ways, although I'm definitely rooting for one to ultimately win Merit's heart. But we'll have to see if he can rise to the challenge!

Since I mentioned my favorite - mmmhh Catcher - I'm wondering if you have any plans to write any books or short stories based on some of the side characters in the books?

I would love to write some short stories--and I think Catcher, Mallory and Jeff would be perfect for that. It's just a matter of having the time to do it! :)

Are we going to need any new "Team" jerseys after reading Twice Bitten?  With the shifters coming to town I can already see Gabriel becoming a favorite!

I suppose you "Team Jonah" t-shirts might be popular. :) And that's all I'll say about that. Gabriel is definitely a fun character; I have a lot of fun writing about him.

I love Chicago and was wondering how you decided on setting your series there? Do you ever find yourself somewhere in the city and think "Merit would love this store!" or "Ethan wouldn't be caught undead here"? Any late night Cubs games in the future for the series?

I also love Chicago--the history, architecture, politics and food. I thought all of those things created a fabulous--well, I almost said "background," but the city really is its own character in the novels. (I think someone said that about NYC in Sex and the City, and I feel the same way about Chitown.)

There are definitely places the characters would love--Merit would adore Greer and Lou Mitchell's (which I also love). Ethan, not so much Lou's. He's more of a prix fixe kind of guy.

Will we be seeing a published version of Canon of the North American Vampires - I thought that chapter 2 about servicing your lord looked particularly intriguing?

I would LOVE to write a Canon. I have an outline, and there are a couple of snippets online. Again, it's a matter of finding the time, as I have a dayjob that I very much love. There just aren't enough hours in the day!

Lastly are there any hints you can give us about what's coming up in Twice Bitten? How many books are you hoping to publish in the Chicagoland Vampire series?

I'll keep writing as long as folks keep reading them. I'd originally planned eight, but things escalate somewhat in TB, so I'm currently reimagining the timeline. :) (Does that count as a hint??)

Thanks for visiting Darkly Reading Chloe!

Thanks so much for having me! It was an absolute pleasure.

Places you can find Chloe Neill:
Her blog: Daily Snark
Website: ChloeNeill.com
Twitter: @ChloeNeill

(note: images from www.chloeneill.com (Cadogan House & Cadogan emblem or Lou Mitchell's website)

Now onto the Giveaway: How important is location to you in your books? Do you like the location being a city that exists or a fictional town?

To Enter: Answer the question above and leave your e-mail address in the response. Please remember that this is a US/Canada giveaway only for Twice Bitten Swag. You have a week to enter. And since you're stopping by please feel free to follow me and Chloe's blogs or twitter accounts!

Review of Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill - Vampires + Chicago = Awesome!

Title: Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires #1)
Author: Chloe Neill
Pages: 341 pages, paperback
Genre: urban fantasy
Standalone/Series: series
Release: already out
Publisher: NAL Trade
Purchased by me
Author info:  www.chloeneill.com
Spoiler Alert: In the clear
Good Reads Blurb: First in a brand new series about a Chicago graduate student’s introduction into a society of vampires. Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead. Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude— and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood. 

I don't know what I love more about this book - the heroine was a graduate student that now wields a katana or that it takes place in Chicago and has so many awesome Chicago details from Cubs, to hot dogs with green relish and peppers, and the Loop. Merit is heading across the campus of University of Chicago late at night when a violent attack changes her life forever. Merit's savior, and maker, turns out to be Ethan Sullivan, the head of Cadogan House, one of the four vampires houses in Chicago. Merit has to deal with issues of being turned a vampire without consent, losing her position at the univerersity, and having to swear allegiance to an arrogant and rude Master vampire. Merit also finds out that her attack wasn't the only one perpetrated by a vampire in her city and she ends up tangled up with a larger plot and mystery that might resolve in her second death.

Merit is thrown into the world of vampires and expected to accept and adapt to her new world immediately, but like any good graduate student she questions - the rules she is now bound by and the motivation for the attack and her change by Ethan. The vampires in Ms. Neill's world have recently come out to the human world following the lead of one of Chicago's other house masters - Celina of Navarre House. Thankfully, Merit doesn't have to face her new life as a vampire alone, she has her quirky and humorous roommate Mallory to help her out with her new blood requirements (bagged blood with some Tabasco sauce and celery on the side) and new extreme sun allergy. Mallory also gets tied up in the supernatural world and gets entangled with the ridiculously sexy sorcerer Catcher. (Go Team Catcher!) I must also mention the other guide to Merit's new supernatural life - The Canon of the North American Vampire Houses - which has such winningly titled chapters as Servicing your Lord and Vampires - who's on top?

I can't tie up this review without mentioning the incredibly handsome and incredibly arrogant Master vampire - Ethan. Ethan definitely has the "Mr. Darcy" complex going on when it comes to his attraction to Merit and man am I a sucker for a potential love interest who is arrogant and aloof yet having a dark and hungry passion burning just below the surface for Merit. The sexual tension between Merit and Ethan is a burning thing but can Merit really give herself to someone who hates the fact that he is attracted to her? Thankfully for Merit, now that she's dropped the books and been changed into a super strong vampire the boys seem to be lining up for her.

Overall this book is a 4.5 out of 5 stars for me, Merit has emerged from the library stacks to kick some vampire ass!