Can't Find a Bookmark: Blog Tour Stop! Pack of Lies by Vanessa Vaughn

I have the immense pleasure to be apart of the Pack of Lies Blog Tour! Pack of Lies was my first M/M novel and I am officially hooked to the genre. To check out my review click HERE! And in honor of this months celebratory tour, Vanessa agreed to do an interview!

Me: Tell us a bit about yourself!

Vanessa: I began my writing career by publishing erotic short stories in my spare time. I am so happy to finally have the chance now to devote myself to writing and to do what I truly love! My debut novel Pack Of Lies just released, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! This is an erotic M/M werewolf novel that is very intense and very hot! It is the first book in a new series.

Me: I know you have two dogs. What breeds are they?

Vanessa: A Maltese named Sebastian (who is a little white fluff ball) and a huge black Great Dane named Belladonna. They look like complete opposites, but they are both the most calm, lovable, wonderful dogs you'll ever meet!

Me: When did you know you wanted to write as a career?

Vanessa: As soon as I submitted my first story and got my acceptance letter, I was hooked. Seeing my words in print was amazing! The first short story I wrote was accepted to the Best Women's Erotica series, and it quickly continued from there.

Me: What did you love to read as a kid/teenager?

Vanessa: I grew up loving gothic classics by greats like Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and Bram Stoker, and I was also a rabid fan of classic black and white horror films. I was always an awkward goth little kid growing up. In middle school, Wednesday Addams was my idol.

Me: Do you have a special place you go to to write?

Vanessa: Anywhere with my laptop in front of me and my two dogs sleeping at my feet.

Pack of Lies was turned into a movie, who would be your dream picks for Jack and Marcus?

Me: If

Vanessa: Marcus is the strong silent type, trying to act tough to mask his vulnerabilities. He is a tall muscular man with blonde hair. I would love to cast Daniel Craig in Marcus' role! He would be absolutely perfect!

The character Jack is a little younger and more carefree. He has dark hair and drop-dead-gorgeous looks. I think someone like Jonathan Rhys Meyers would be incredible.

Me: What attracted you to writing erotica vs. another genre?

Vanessa: I always love stories full of drama and sexual tension. Even when there is no explicit sex in a book, I'm imagining it and filling in the blanks myself. (laughs) I think the erotica genre is a natural fit for me.

Me: I really adored Marcus's character. He has to maintain the image of an Alpha, yet hides the fact that he is gay. He is really one of a kind in terms of character types. Was his perspective difficult to write?

Vanessa: Marcus was the most difficult character to write, definitely. He is trying so hard to be swaggering and tough and strong, but he's full of turmoil inside. It was hard to make the hero part of such a vicious pack but still likeable and easy to love.

Me: At the beginning of the story, Jack doesn't think of himself as gay. Did he honestly not know his sexual preference or did Marcus just convert him? Lol.

Vanessa: That's a difficult question. I tend to see sexuality as very fluid, but I'm probably just projecting because I'm bisexual myself. I think in this story it was a combination of a lot of things that drew Jack to Marcus. Jack might not have been attracted to any other men, but Marcus' bite bound them together in a powerful inescapable way. Jack also realized that this handsome man was the only one out there he could trust, and their relationship grew from there.
Vanessa: I like the idea of there being something special about a person that pulls them into the paranormal world, that drives them to be different. I like the idea of it not being the right place for everyone. You have to on some level not feel comfortable in human society to really be able to adjust to life with the wolves. It has to call to you.

Me: The idea that you already had to have an inner animal to become a werewolf if bitten is very unique. What gave you the idea?

Me: It is hinted at that there are other shifter packs to be feared in the book. Will we get to meet these other packs in the sequel?

Vanessa: Yes, indeed. In fact, I'm finishing up the sequel right now.

Me: If you could be any supernatural creature, what would you be?

Vanessa: I would want to be a werewolf, mostly because that would mean I could find a hot Alpha of my very own!

Don’t get me wrong. I love vampires as much as the next girl. Vampires are elegant and beautiful. Their haunting stares make us forget ourselves and give in completely to our darkest desires.

But sometimes we want a man who is a little more raw, and that is where werewolves come in.

Werewolves are controlled by a powerful urge to mate, just as vampires are controlled by a powerful urge for blood. But while the vampire’s urge is symbolic of sex, the werewolf’s urge is sex itself. What the werewolves feel is primal and savage. It is unstoppable.

Where vampires are elegant and pale and sensual, werewolves are all hard muscle and brute force. Both are the ultimate bad boys. Both make us to do kinky twisted things we never thought we would. Both can bite us savagely and make us part of their world. Both can even go too far and kill us. But only the werewolf is truly transformed by his hunger. Only the werewolf loses all control and utterly forgets himself. That complete loss of control is what sets werewolves apart. For the werewolf, absolutely everything is permitted and nothing is held back. What he wants, he takes.

If that isn’t a recipe for hot sex, I don’t know what is!!!

Me: Tea or coffee? Vanessa: I love sitting outside on a hot summer day in my bare feet with a tall icy glass of sweet tea Vanessa: Impossible to choose! I love writing and then reading the finished product. It gives me an amazing sense of accomplishment.

Me: Flowers or chocolate? Vanessa: Flowers. But I l prefer planting them instead of cutting them.

Me: Reading or writing?

Me: Crossword puzzles or sudoku? Vanessa: Um...Guitar Hero? (Me: Lmao)

Me: Comedy or Horror?

Vanessa: I love dark comedies--movies that are deliciously twisted like Secretary, Election, Brazil, The Young Poisoner's Handbook, and Dr. Strangelove.

Thanks so much for your time Vanessa! I loved talking with ya! Be on the lookout for Pack of Lies! You don't want to miss this steamy thrill ride! And make sure to check out the other blogs on the tour. Full list below!

Here is the current Blog Tour schedule:

July 1 - Wicked Readings http://wickedreadingsbytawania.blogspot.com/

July 2 - Strange Candy Reviews http://strangecandyreviews.blogspot.com/

July 3 - Obsidian Bookshelf http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/

July 4 - Stuff Of Myth and Men http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com/

July 8 - Leilani Loves Books http://www.leilanilovesbooks.com/

July 9 - Urban Gypsy http://nyc-urban-gypsy.blogspot.com/?zx=8b581faf00bcd899

July 10 - Paranormal Haven http://www.paranormalhaven.com/

July 11 - Not Really Southern Vamp Chick http://not-really-southernvampchick.blogspot.com/

July 12 - Marilyn's Room http://blog.marilynjayelewis.com

July 14 - The Book Vixen http://www.thebookvixen.com/

July 16 - Kristina Wright http://www.kristinawright.com/

July 17 - Larissa's Bookish Life http://www.larissaslife.com/