#NewRelease #CharacterInterview - "The Hidden" by Augustina Van Hoven

I love when characters stop by for a chat, especially when they are delectable vampires. Sorry, but I have a weakness for fangs.

Let's get started... 

What’s your name?

I am Valerian DuCharme, enforcer for House Tenshire. House Tenshire is one of the three vampire houses that rule over the Community.

Where did you grow up? 

I grew up on my father’s small vineyard in the Loire Valley in France. 

During what time period does your story take place? 

This story takes place in real time. 

What’s your story/back story?

I was born in 1778 in the Loire Valley in France. I lived there until I enlisted in Emperor Napoleon Buonaparte’s army. I was turned into a vampire at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. I am currently the enforcer for House Tenshire, one of the three vampire houses that rule of the Community. The Community is made up of the mythical creature that humans don’t believe in. 

What’s your goal in this story? 

I am trying to keep the members of my house safe. I have been assigned to kidnap a horror story writer and question her concerning something that she has written. 

What conflicts are you facing? 

The greatest law in the Community is to remain hidden from the humans. There is information being leaked that is putting all of us in danger. I have to find the leak and stop it. 

Do you have a plan for resolving them? 

The plan to resolve the problem is very simple…find the leak and eliminate it. I have found out things are not what I thought they were. It will take all everyone working together to solve the crisis we are facing. 

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you? 

Being turned into a vampire was the last thing I ever wanted. It destroyed my old life and forced me to make a new one. I will never forgive the creature who did this to me.

Blurb

The monsters are real
For most of her life, Lily Montgomery had thought the creatures that inhabited her dreams lived on only in the pages of the horror novels she wrote. Until she was kidnapped by a vampire and forced to go on the run from werewolves and other shapeshifters. And from her emotions. For, against all reason, her heart was also at risk of being captured by the vampire.
Valerian DuCharme had been turned into a vampire against his will. But in the turning, he did not lose his charisma or his caring. Now the enforcer for one of the princely houses of the Community, he tried to ensure the safety of anyone who came within range. And of many who didn’t. But it was all reflex, until he met Lily. And emotions he hadn’t felt for hundreds of years surfaced.

Excerpt

As soon as Valerian cleared the doorframe, a large, gray wolf leapt toward them, jaws wide. Lily must have seen it because she screamed, tightened her grip around his waist, and buried her face in his back. A second wolf came around the corner of the house and went headlong after Valerian’s leg. He swerved the bike away from the wolf’s teeth and opened the throttle.

He raced the bike along the dark road. Another wolf ran across a field and joined the other two in pursuit. The road curved and continued under a line of coast live oaks.

Valerian glanced around. He couldn’t assume that the three wolves were the only ones pursuing them. He had no way of knowing the size of their pack and how many they had brought with them. He swerved around a pothole.

How are they tracking this woman?

He adjusted the speed of the bike against the conditions of the road, which was covered with debris from the rainstorm three nights ago. Branches had fallen, and a few larger stones had slid down the raised bank on the left side.

Valerian glanced along the tree line. Nothing yet. He had to get to a more populated area of Santa Barbara. He could lose the wolves there. They wouldn’t risk being spotted by humans. He swerved the bike to avoid a large branch.

With his sharp night vision, he noted a problem ahead. Gravel was strewn across the road, the remnants of a small mudslide. The bank was unstable, and he would need to slow the bike. A quick glance behind him confirmed the three wolves were still on the hunt. He turned around in time to see a fourth wolf break the tree line in front of him and lunge for the bike. The bike’s rear tire slid on the gravel, and Valerian turned the front tire into the slide.

Lily screamed.

The fourth wolf snapped at Lily, trying to latch on to her and drag her off the bike.

Valerian reached back and grabbed the front of Lily’s jacket while he struggled to keep control of the sliding bike. He let the back tire slide toward the wolf, and clipped it.

The wolf gave a blood-chilling cry, echoed by his pack members.

The bike wobbled. Lily lost her balance and slipped to the right. Valerian swore and jerked her back into position. He shifted to a lower gear and again opened the throttle.

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0852T1L3Z/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2KPLZSCQ5AO3P&keywords=augustina+van+hoven&qid=1582564196&sprefix=augustina+v%2Caps%2C306&sr=8-9
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1500280915
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hidden-augustina-van-hoven/1136528401;jsessionid=8408FDF3ACB5A1A901BA323B5B9AAFD5.prodny_store02-atgap13?ean=2940163897896
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-hidden-32

Author Bio

Augustina Van Hoven was born in The Netherlands and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, dog and two cats. She is an avid reader of romance, science fiction and fantasy. When she’s not writing she likes to work in her garden or in the winter months crochet and knit on her knitting machines.

Website: https://augustinavanhoven.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/augustinavhoven
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Augustina-Van-Hoven/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/augustinavhoven/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=augustina+van+hoven&i=digital-text&crid=UB2V9AGQJ51D&sprefix=Augustina%2Cdigital-text%2C346&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9
Bookbub page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/augustina-van-hoven