Heatseeker: A Story of the Vampire Alex Chance follows a former FBI agent turned vampire, investigating a gruesome serial killer who has to navigate the murky line between human law and vampire justice. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

This story was greatly influenced by a short story I wrote in my writing group back in 2015 when I came up with an idea of a modern-day lawman hunting an elusive and brilliant serial killer and getting exposed to the secret world of vampires. That short story was only five pages long and featured only two main protagonists, Alex Chance, who was a police detective in that story, and vampire boy, Jake, who hunted down child molesters with lethal precision. I later modified the story several times, and many years later, came up with a broader tale involving more characters that had enough material to turn it into a novella. And so, the Heatseeker book was born.

What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?

Emotional and moral guidelines in any story are important. I always loved the detective genre and introducing a supernatural element into it made it more interesting and added more depth to the story. Alex Chance is an FBI agent, trained to be strong, honorable, and devoted to his duty. The vampires are creatures of the night, who have their own codes of honor and justice system, only they operate without human bureaucracy and red tape, which makes them far more efficient. Alex Chance follows his personal and moral code even after he becomes a vampire, which I think makes him very likable. The vampire boy, Jake, on the other hand, is driven by an ancient hate for people who hurt and abuse children and his moral compass can only be affected by the elements of human law, which he breaks often in pursuit of justice.

What intrigues you about the horror and paranormal genres that led you to write this book?

Horror and paranormal genres are very intriguing because as a writer, I do find them very stimulating for the creative process. There were movies and shows that played a great part in its development, such as the vampire series Forever Knight and Moonlight, where vampires and humans must find common ground and ways to coexist. The horror element derives from the vampires’ ability to instill in morals great fascination and fear. In traditional vampire stories, the immortals are often depicted as killers, who justify their way of life by their constant need for human blood. The supernatural genre is even more fascinating. In my vampire story, I described vampires as complex beings with their own secret civilization that had evolved alongside humanity in parallel evolution. So in a way, both human and vampire worlds mirror each other.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the following story?

Heatseeker is a stand-alone novella that features Alex Chance as the main protagonist. It is set in a world of vampires that were introduced in my previous vampire novels, Beyond Sunlight, Before the Dawn, and Eighteen Forever. Heatseeker is the fourth book that is related to them but follows its own path. My fans can expect a few more stories about vampires, which are currently resting on the development shelf, waiting to be picked up, analyzed and selected. Currently, I am at work on a new post-apocalyptic story that features human survival after a devastating asteroid impact.

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