I’d like to welcome my friend and fellow NineStar Press author, M.D. Neu, to my blog. He has an amazing paranormal book that I asked him to stop by and share a bit about with all of you. So, without further ado…
Thank you to Casey for having me here today to share a Top Ten list about my novel The Calling.
What are the Top Ten reason’s you wrote The Calling?
- I’ve always loved vampires and vampire stories, but I never understood how vampires could live in our modern world. All it would take is one video on YouTube, or bodies piling up around town drained of blood and the media would be all over it. So, I wanted to tell a story that addressed some of these issues in a real way, while still having the allure and mystic.
- I wanted to show my Immortals, or vampires, living with technology. What better place to showcase them and technology then in the heart of the technology world; San Jose, CA.
For this story, I wanted to show an ‘every person’ type of hero. A character that could be anyone you see on the street. He could be your brother, neighbor, or stranger you pass every day and don’t give a second thought to. I wanted to show that anyone could have an exciting, albeit paranormal adventure.- With respect to my vampires, I created them living and interacting with humans. I didn’t want them hiding in the shadows or lurking in abandoned places. My Immortals needed to adapt or die.
- When it comes to the antagonist for the story, I wanted to go for something different. I didn’t want the foe to be a typical human. And I’m happy with how it all worked out.
- Another difference I wanted to highlight, in my story, was the process of becoming an Immortal. We’ve been raised with a bite on the neck and the next thing you know you’re a vamp, well in this story I wanted to explore that idea and make the process feel more believable.
- Even though, in The Calling, I do have magic and powers; I wanted them to feel real, it other books vampires have all these abilities that make them superhuman and I’m not sure that could actually work in our world, so I wanted to figure out a way to still have some of there powers but have it not be a crutch.
- In crafting this story, it was important to show a full range of characters, as much as I love traditional vampire stories I wanted to reflect or broader world. So you are going to see vampires of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds which I believe makes the story more believable.
- For the world building, I wanted to show my Immortals not as good and bad, but in the grey area. We all have good and bad inside of us, so why not the Immortals? In my case I have the Light and the Dark, but just because an Immortal is ‘of the Light’ doesn’t make them a good person. The opposite is also true, ‘being of the Dark’ doesn’t make you a bad person. And I don’t think we’ve seen a lot of that for vampires.
- Lastly, I wanted to craft a story that wasn’t romance or erotica. Yes, there are some adult moments in the novel, but that is not the focus of the story. This book is about the people who inhabit it, not about jumping from bedroom to bedroom, or on the flip side, it’s not a gore fest. There are a few brutal scenes but again its part of the story and not the focus of the story.
Those are my Top Ten reasons for writing The Calling. Before I head off, I would like to share that the sequel to The Calling, which will be titled The Called, has been writing and is in the editing stages. The sequel will conclude the story which I’m excited about, and I’m delighted to be able to share the blurb here:
The world is changing quickly for Chris now that he’s part of the Immortal Community. The events of his past behind him. But, true magic is gradually taking hold in the world and nothing in the Immortal community is what he thought. Now enemies must work together and longtime friends may not be trustworthy. Who is lurching in the shadows? What does this mean for witches, immortals and humans?
I hope folks are excited to read the sequel, as they were to read the first book. With luck this blurb wets your appetite a bit for the second book.
Also, I’m thrilled to announce my upcoming Urban Fantasy novel T.A.D.-The Angel of Death coming out the end of September 2019.
When Tad pushes the boundaries of his duties too far, his angel wings are stripped, and he is sent to New York City to live as a human. Lost and alone he meets Doug, and the two start a friendship that will last a lifetime. But nothing is simple when you’re dealing with a former Angel of Death and a Drag Queen. Could these two cause our world to end or will they manage to keep the future secure?
Thanks again to Casey for allowing me to stop by. I appreciate the opportunity and the chance to share this Top Ten List with you all.
Find The Calling and the rest of M.D. Neu’s books here:
M.D. Neu is a queer Fiction Writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Specifically drawn to Science Fiction and Paranormal television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, Stephen King, Alice Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, Harvey Fierstein, Anne Rice, and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but one that has influenced his writing.
Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.
When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a non-profit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic, Eric his husband of twenty plus years.
Casey Wolfe 
Thanks for having me Casey. This was a lot of fun.
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