Playing amongst Vampires and Angels with ...

Stephani Hecht

Your Drone Vampire Chronicles series is set to begin in October.  Can you tell us a bit about the first books Blood Lust and Blood and Holy, and what the series holds in store for readers? 
The series revolves around three Pure Born vampires who were at one time the most elite soldiers in vampire society.  Framed for a crime they did not commit, they endured ten years in a paranormal prison. Now free, they just want to leave their demons behind and rebuild their shattered lives.  However, they find themselves embroiled in a vampire civil war that threatens all of society.

Can you tell us about your Archangel series?  Who are the angel warriors and what are they fighting for?  
Everyday, unknown to the human race, the ultimate battle of good versus evil takes place.  Demons, lurk in the shadows, waiting to attack mankind.  One thing stands between these beings from Hell and total the destruction, an elite group of protectors, the angel warriors.  Handpicked from birth, the angel warriors take a sacred blood vow to protect Earth from Lucifer and his followers, even if it means they must make the ultimate sacrifice.

Your stories are part of a series, so readers get to learn about many different characters.  When you are plotting out a new story, do the ideas for additional books appear immediately or come up unexpectedly?
I am a total pantser.  I know who will be in the story and have a general idea where it will lead before I start.  Then the angels completely surprise me with all the twists and new plotlines in their stories. They all have a voice of their own and they’re not afraid of making themselves heard.

Your stories include angel and vampire characters.  What draws you to these characters?  What dynamics are added to a story through the use of vampires?  Besides the obvious, how is writing angels different from writing vampires?
What draws me to my characters?  They come to life and I have no choice but to share them with the world, be they angel, demon or vampire. You know, there weren’t as many differences as I thought there would be.  They both want to protect the innocent and fight evil. I would say the biggest difference would be the vampires are a bit more frisky.

What is your favorite published story?
My favorite story is Angel’s Blood, but that doesn’t come out until November 15 of this year.  I think my favorite published story so far is, Rogue Angel.  That’s the book where you really get to meet Bear and Tiffany and they are two of my favorite characters.  She is such a twit, but he sees through that to the smart, plucky female she really is.

If you could bring one of your characters to life, who would it be and why?
Without a doubt, Cam.  Ever since I first put him to paper, he has held a special place in my heart.  In Captive Angels he is captured and taken to Hell.  When I wrote his torture scenes, I had to have a box of Kleenex nearby because I balled like a baby.  Cam is the character who goes through the most changes throughout the series and I have loved every different side of him, even the darker ones.

When you start writing, do you already have the story plotted out or do you let the characters dictate what will happen?
I have long resolved myself to the fact this is their story and I am just the fortunate one who gets to write it.  If I dare to try to take things my way, they shut up and won’t talk to me anymore.

Do you draw inspiration for your characters from real life?
Yes, but it’s not from celebrities on TV or movies.  Each of my characters are bits and pieces of real people from my life.  Except for the vampire girl, Misty, from the Drone Vampire Chronicles. She is a carbon copy of my daughter.

Tell us about “the ugliest cat in history”.
What can I tell you about Peep?  She is a Devon Rex that I got used through Pet Finder.  Almost devoid of fur, she had four bowed legs and a rat tail. Her whiskers are a mass of tangles and she’s bucktoothed.  When she runs down the hallway, she looks like a Muppet.  To add insult to injury, she has the worst breath.  Even the dog cringes when she breathes on him.

Name one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about you.
 am a kung-fu master and I am pretty good with a bo-staff. LOL Seriously, I live the most boring life imaginable.  My day-job is as a bank teller.  Can you get any duller than that?

Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Reality TV shows.  When Survivor or The Amazing Race come on, I drop everything to watch it. I even scream at the TV like an idiot.

What are you currently working on?
My Christmas story, Have a Harpy Holiday.  It features a harpy named Cadean and a justice angel, Emmanuel. Several of the Archangel Series angels and demons pop into this book and I have been having a blast writing it.

Where can readers find Stephani Hecht?
My books are up at eXtasy Books, Fictionwise, and Amazon.  Make sure you visit my website www.stephanihecht.com.  There are character pictures and bios up and we add new ones every couple of weeks.