BLOGGING WITH BEVERLEY: Meet Tony-Paul de Vissage and His Latest Book

A writer of French Huguenot extraction, one of Tony-Paul deVissage's first movie memories is of being six years old, viewing the old Universal horror flick, Dracula's Daughter on television, and being scared sleepless—and he’s now paying back his very permissive parents by writing about the Undead.

TP currently has 22 novels published with Class Act Books. His novel The Night Man Cometh was voted one of the Top Ten horror novels of 2011 by the Preditors & editors Readers Poll for that year, and in 2013, the first entry in his Second Species series, Shadow Lord, was awarded the same honor for that year. The Last Vampire Standing was placed second as Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by the Paranormal Romance Guild.

Author Interview
Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?
Tony-Paul: I usually write horror, mostly about vampires. I’ve always liked the appeal of vampires. My Authors Bio explains the reason for that. I guess I was a weird little kid, watching late night horror shows, then having to sleep with a nightlight afterward. I remember my dad once said to me, “I suppose there’s an odd one in every family and you’re the one in ours.”
Thanks, Pop.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Tony-Paul: I had some very good teachers. My seventh grade teacher encouraged everyone in our class to write. We’d compose short stories, then read them aloud to the class. She didn’t restrict the subjects, so there were many horror stories as well as westerns and animal stories.
In college, I had two very good instructors, Dr. Wilson Snipes and Dr. May McMillan. One taught Shakespeare and the other Romanticism and they gave me a great literary background full of imagination and plenty of questions and answers about why characters acted the way they did.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Tony-Paul: Anything…a word, a phrase, the fact I didn’t like the ending of a movie or a TV show… I’ll decide to write my own version and make it end the way I want it to, or I’ll take a phrase I’ve heard and expound on it because it’s given me an idea. I once wrote a novel based on a fragment of a dream.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Tony-Paul: Shrek’s friend Puss in Boots. He’s just so cool. I love that line where Fiona realizes Shrek’s been transformed into someone else and she mistakes Puss for him and says, “Shrek?” and he answers, “For you, I could be.” I’ve got all the DVDs Puss is I, including Puss in Boots and the Three Diablos.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Tony-Paul: I haven’t the foggiest. I’ve sometimes fantasized about meeting various “celebrities” but I always ask myself, “What would I say to him/her?” I imagine they get tired of all that gushing and “Oh, I love your last film/TV series/book,” so I’d try to be cool and talk to them about something other than their chosen profession. Actually, I’d probably be so tongue-tied I’d simply stand there like a dunce and not say a thing.
I did that with Gene Roddenberry once. I was sitting on a bench at the back entrance to a lecture room and this guy came dashing up the stairs, heading for that door. I looked up. His eyes met mine, and he nodded and said, “Hello.” I managed a “Hello,” he opened the door and disappeared inside, and I missed my Big Chance to say something profound. Didn’t even get his autograph. I’ve often wondered what would’ve happened if I’d stopped him and asked for it. Would he have said, “I’m late and don’t have time?” or “For a fan? Anything!”
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
Tony-Paul: If it were summer, I’d get my lazy self into gear, go to a nearby park and photograph the flowers. If it’s winter, I’d settle down with a good book, or watch a movie I’ve DVR’d.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Tony-Paul: For three years now, I’ve been struggling with a sequel to The Last Vampire Standing, which was published in 2012. So far, I have 2 chapters and 5 fragments. Maybe in another three years, I’ll get it done. J

Blurb for Dark God Descending:
All grad student James Tucker Upchurch wanted was to earn summer credit on an archaeological dig to Central America…and to marry his fiancée.
All Semris wanted was to escape the monotony of a millennia-old life, and the burdens the son of the Mayan God of Death, have placed upon him.
For five thousand years, the misplaced Dark Lords of Hell have been trapped in ourworld, ruling the Mayan city of Nikte-Uaxac. While civilizations rise and fall, they and their subjects remain unchanged, until Twenty-first Century intruders appear, stealing from them their most precious possession, the Emperor himself…
Tuck never expected to lose his girl to a demon nor to be given immortality, and Semris never thought he’d experience mortal love, but when the current world meets a more ancient one, everything and everyone they know will be changed.
Forever.

Excerpt for Dark God Descending:
    Tuck walked over to the cage. As far as he could tell, Semris hadn’t moved.
    Did that last shot kill him?
    When he saw the slow rise and fall of the bare chest, he felt abrupt relief. He also saw the golden amulet, recognizing it as the twin of the one that had started all this unpleasantness in the first place.
    The fruit hadn’t been touched, was rapidly darkening, the sweet, overripe smell permeating the cellar, attracting flies. How the Hell had they gotten in here, anyway? Several big bluebottles were buzzing around inside the cell, hovering over the peaches, a couple crawling along the edges of the plate. One was floating in the water glass, wings fluttering and making little splashes.
     Tuck knelt and opened the little flap, reaching inside to remove the glass. It happened. so fast he didn’t even realize Semris had moved until he felt the iron grip upon his wrist, saw the fangs drop and the dark head covering his hand.
    He screamed as twin razor slashes struck through his wrist...knowing no one could hear, struggled desperately to get away. Frantic, disbelieving thoughts whirling through his mind.
    Oh, God, this is why he didn’t eat the fruit. He’s a vampire! Sweet Jesus, he’s going to kill me! Help someone, help me! Why should they? I didn’t help him.
    The pain went away, his arm numb from wrist to fingertips. He knelt on the floor, watching the pale body crouched so near he could have reached out and touched his shoulder...his bare, wingless shoulder. Where did his wings go? What happened to them? All he could do was watch those shoulders heave with the strength of each deep swallow, feeling his life ebb away, and a vague surprise that it didn’t hurt at all.
    Eyes rolling up, Tuck gave a little sigh and collapsed against the bars. He was barely conscious as he saw Semris raise his head and release his arm. In spite of being only slightly aware, he felt a stab of surprise as the quiet voice whispered, “Gracias. Gracias por su sangre.”
    He’s thanking me? Thanking me for letting him kill me?
    With an effort, he made himself withdraw his wounded arm, cradling it against his chest with his other hand. Forcing his eyes open, he stared at his wrist, fighting the wave of blackness floating before his eyes. There was no bloody ripped-away flesh as he’d imagined, only four deep punctures. Two of the five little veins had been pierced, but the wounds were clean and already clotting. Tuck forced himself to take a deep breath, then let it out, and repeated the procedure.
    Keep breathing! Don’t pass out. He might decide to have a second helping.
    “I took too much. I am sorry. I was too hungry.”
    There was such concern in Semris’ voice that Tuck found himself replying, “That’s all right. I-if I’d known, I… Oh, God, what am I saying?” He fell silent, feeling a bout of hysteria galloping toward him.
    Something was thrust into his hand. One of the peaches. Semris’ hand, between the bars, holding it out to him.
    “Aqui. Come. Pronto.”
    So he took the peach and bit into it, choking slightly as the rich, sweet juice slid down his throat, but forced himself to keep chewing and swallowing. As the fruit sugar hit his stomach, he began to feel better.
    “That was good.” With a sigh, he tossed the peach pit aside.
    Through the bars, hands helped him to his feet. He leaned against the door, hanging onto it to keep his balance as dizziness flooded back. He looked up, meeting Semris’ green eyes, startled at the concern in them.
    “Again, I am sorry. It has been so long since I have had the living wine.”
    Living wine…what a beautiful way to describe it. Tuck still felt a little groggy, wondered if he was now under the vampire thrall. He decided to find out.
    “Am I your minion now?”
    “Why would you think that?” Semris sounded genuinely puzzled.
    “Well, you’ve taken my blood. Generally, when a vampire—”
    “Vampiro! Donde?” Semris looked around quickly, arms crossing over his throat in a protective gesture.
    “You.” Tuck answered, feeling he’d made a mistake. “Aren’t you a vampire?”
    “Of course not!” The answer was disdainful that Tuck might mistake him for such a vile creature. “I am a Dark Lord. Un demonio.” The pale chin lifted proudly. “Los vampiros are creatures accursed.”
    Tuck thought that over. “And you’re not?”
    “No.” Semris shook his head, the dark hair swinging. “I am not.”
    Tuck realized he must be feeling better, to be able to marvel at the absurdity of this conversation.

Buy Links for Dark God Descending

Paperback from the Publisher’s website: http://classactbooks.com/cat-romance/cat-romance-paranormal/dark-god-descending-10-detail