Book Blurb & Info
Robin Dashwood, a handsome and charming British vampire with long gone aristocratic connections, is about to be thrown into an epic adventure that will shine light upon the rise of the vampire. This is the last thing he could imagine himself doing. Robin prefers to hide in plain sight, having devised a quiet life for himself in New York as a history professor in hopes of avoiding other more powerful vampires and their dangerous, decadent political machinations.A chance encounter in a Manhattan art gallery introduces him to the beautiful Lady Caroline DeBarry and reveals a vicious murder from Robin’s human past. In search of answers to this historical mystery, he returns home to England and to Caroline who has captured his heart. As Robin uncovers the truth, he finds traces of a far more ancient and shrouded realm than even that of the vampire. This will shake the foundations of vampire lore and its brutal hierarchy, placing Lady Caroline in terrible danger and setting in motion events that will lead to a final bloody confrontation between a revenant army and humankind.
Hawkesmoor is the first book in a trilogy that will continue the eerie adventures of Robin Dashwood — a very British vampire.
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Toot's Review by Betty Bee
As far as I'm concerned, this book was everything a good vampire story ought to be. Atmospheric, sexy, a little scary and just overall delicious! Robin Dashwood is a vampire, a college professor and a former Earl to an English estate that has recently fallen on hard times. Despite attempting to live as a normal man in New York City for hundreds of years, when Dashwood accidentally finds out that his ancestral home, Hawkesmoor is auctioning off most of its antique furniture and belongings, he feels a stab of guilt. After all, three hundred years earlier, when he was the only true heir to the estate, he disappeared under mysterious circumstances on the night of his betrothal party. After he vanished, the estate went to his alcoholic and womanizing cousin, Ambrose, who also married Dashwood's betrothed, Elizabeth.
After hearing what transpired since he disappeared, Dashwood begins to feel guilt not only for Hawkesmoor, but for the death of Elizabeth, who he begins to suspect was actually murdered by Ambrose. Of course, Dashwood decides that he must finally return to Hawkesmoor to set things right and discover what actually happened to his former love.
Anne Merino writes like she has as much love for vampire books as I do, and that's saying something! This one has a lot of heart and, if you'll forgive the pun, a lot at stake. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in this series and find out what happens to Dashwood. I came to love him as a protagonist both for his dark, brooding sexiness and his intelligent, quick-witted mind. I can't wait to read more of his adventures and more of his flirtatious relationship with the new owner of Hawkesmoor, Lady Caroline. Make sure that you don't miss out on this one! I give it 4.5/5 stars.
Author Interview
Interview with Betty Bee and Anne Merino
What’s draws you to the paranormal genre and why?
First, it is great fun to create a character who has
unearthly powers like Robin Dashwood! He and Hawkesmoor were born of the things that I absorbed growing up with
parents who were both intrigued by things paranormal. Their library had a large
collection of books about ghosts, cryptozoology and all things speculative.
My father, despite being a classical philosopher and the
author of scholarly books, never met a horror film he didn't want to watch.
Often at the dinner table, he would suddenly announce something like “Blood on Satan's Claw is on the late
show tonight! Who's up for it?” I was always up for it and together we sat
through many spine-tingling adventures.
There is just something incredibly enticing about the
possibility of the paranormal – a glimpse of a secret world existing alongside
our own. As a writer, it's a thrill to pull back the veil and allow the reader
a look into these hidden realms.
Can you tell us a little about your novel Hawkesmoor?
Hawkesmoor is a
unique and refreshing take on the vampire novel, and is the first book in a
trilogy. Book one begins in present day Manhattan – happily, a non-Coronavirus
afflicted present – and shifts to the wild beauty of Yorkshire in the U.K.
The hero of the story is Robin Dashwood, a handsome
and charming British vampire with long gone aristocratic connections. He has
created a quiet life for himself as an NYU history professor in an attempt to
avoid more powerful vampires.
A chance encounter in a Manhattan art gallery
introduces Robin to the beautiful Lady Caroline DeBarry and reveals a vicious
murder from his human past. In search of answers to this historical mystery, he
returns home to England, and to Caroline who has captured his heart. As Robin
uncovers the truth, he and Caroline are thrown into an epic adventure that will
send them both spinning through time and space, dream and reality.
The book is named for Robin Dashwood’s historic
home, Hawkesmoor Castle. While not a
huge border castle such as Warwick Castle, is a very beautiful and noble
residence filled with fascinating furniture and décor.
Are you a full-time writer or do you also work in another
field? If so, what field?
In addition to writing, I am also the artistic director
of a regional ballet company.
Describe a typical writing day. Are you a morning,
afternoon, or night-owl writer?
Before having children, I was a night owl writer. I had
ballet company class in the morning, followed by rehearsals and when our season
was up in the theatre, performances as well. I would write long hand chapters
on yellow legal pads during the day, between rehearsals, then go home to
transfer the paragraphs onto the computer. Then I’d go on with the story until
two or three in the morning. Children change everything! Suddenly I had to
write whenever I could find a spare moment in between ballet and child care.
Now, years later, I find that's become my modus
operandi.
Who or what inspired you to
become a writer?
I think – if I had to winnow it down to one major
influence – it would be my mother. Mum was such a lovely, lively and
fascinating person with many interests. She always made life seem fun and full
of intriguing possibilities.
My mother is Welsh and our family's bloodline is from the
island of Anglesey in North Wales. Our recorded family tree begins in 60 AD
after the brutal massacre of the Druids at Menai by the Romans. Our ancestors
were part of a small group of Druids who, having survived the slaughter, fled
deep into Anglesey and became farmers. Although they gave up the Druid nomadic
life, they kept alive the ancient legends of Celtic elementals such as the Moon
goddess, Ceridwen, the horse goddess, Rhiannon and the Tylwyth Teg – elemental
spirits who guarded inter-dimensional portals in Wales. All of this rich
background is woven into my writing in Hawkesmoor.
My mother grew up to become a notable modern dance
choreographer in the UK and unsurprisingly, her signature pieces were
examinations of various mythologies. She remained fascinated by Celtic
mythology and all manner of things eerie. She enjoyed telling me all about the
secret world of Anglesey. She was a voracious reader of murder mysteries, history
and paranormal research. I remember lovely evenings in which she would read
children's mystery stories out loud before I fell asleep – delightful
diversions such as Barbara Willard's The
Richleighs of Tantamount. (Incidentally, there is a little homage to
Barbara Willard secreted in Hawkesmoor.
I wonder if anyone will notice it!)
Mum taught me to see the world as an endlessly
interesting place with secret universes and all sorts of mysterious things
happening just below the surface. She encouraged me to write and was very
patient about reading my first effort. When I was seven years old, I wrote a fifty
page mystery story, Secret of the
Thirteenth Pharaoh. My lead characters were the thirteen-year-old twins,
Chip and Judy Powers. I thought those names were very modern and hip. Their
father was a well-known archaeologist who worked for the government for reasons
unclear even to the author. Chip and Judy had special licenses that allowed
them to drive a car despite being thirteen. My seven year old self thought that
was the living end in cool! Anyway, my mother made her way through all fifty
handwritten pages and finally pronounced that I had talent. I was elated!
“But,” Mum added, “Before you break open the bottle of
Coca Cola, you need to learn to write great, punchy opening and closing
sentences.” She then fetched a number of good mystery stories and showed me how
these crafty writers wrote a powerful opening and closing. To this day, I spend
a lot of time pondering the opening and closing sentences of my stories.
Thanks, Mum!
If you were
casting the part of Hawkesmoor hero Robin
Dashwood for a movie, who would?
What a fun
question to answer!
It would be an
interesting project to cast because Robin Dashwood has genuine presence derived
from great physical beauty, keen intelligence and a kind of courtly
grace from another era. My original inspiration for Robin Dashwood's aquiline
appearance was – in my head – a breathtaking fusion of the young Peter O'Toole
and David Bowie. I wanted a kind of fragile, pensive beauty that would belie
his strength of character.
In 2020, I
would look to English actor, Tom Hiddleston, who could absolutely bring all the
elements of Robin Dashwood's complex requirements to life. I also think the
wonderful Irish actor, Domhnall Gleeson would be terrific in the role. He has
both a melancholy air and wry humour. I will also toss Benedict Cumberbatch
into the ring. Over my lifetime I have seen dozens of Hamlets on stage and on
the screen. His Hamlet for the National Theatre is, without question,
the finest portrayal of this notoriously difficult role I have ever had the
pleasure of viewing.
How long have you been writing? How
long as a published writer?
Well, the aforementioned Secret of the Thirteenth Pharaoh happened many years ago and I've
been writing ever since. For a long time it was purely for pleasure and to fill
time between rehearsals. Other dancers liked to knit or crochet legwarmers
while waiting, but I was utterly hopeless at that. All those short stories and
novel fragments taught me a lot about writing, helping me to find my own style.
Finally I published serious theatre criticism for Salem Press and that
emboldened me to write some plays that were produced on Los Angeles stages.
Then I thought I might actually tackle a novel and again and wrote a few for
the experience of finishing an idea and to discover what genre I really enjoyed
writing. Hawkesmoor is my first
published novel. I’ve found the process of moving from wannabe author to
published author absolutely thrilling – the culmination of a dream.
What’s your favorite vacation spot?
Any place with a great historical story attracts my
attention. Extra points if the story contains melancholy apparitions or
mythological creatures!
When I can get away from rehearsals or writing deadlines,
my husband and I like to find such storied locations to spend the weekend. My
husband is a film director and he’s passionate about the history of the film.
On our honeymoon, we explored the Hollywood Forever cemetery and Forest Lawn,
seeking out the grave sites of some of our favourite theatrical personalities –
Peter Lorre, Darren McGavin, Tyrone Power, Maila Nurmi (Vampira), Douglas
Fairbanks Sr. and Jr. among many others. There is something profoundly strange,
I feel, about the silence of these final resting places of such enormously
vibrant personalities. Almost as if we, the living, can still sense the vacuum
that was created after they bowed off this mortal coil. There are some
paranormal Mt. Everests on my bucket list – the infamous Magnolia Plantation,
the Lizzie Borden house, Leap Castle, Ireland, Glamis Castle, Scotland and Mt.
Pleasant where The Mothman reportedly holds court. One day!
What are your favorite parts of Hawkesmoor?
Oh, gosh – that's an interesting question! I admit that I
really like the historical sequences and in particular, one in which the hero
Robin Dashwood has a vampire's version of a nervous breakdown in 19th century
London. I'm also very fond of the
romantic relationship between Lady Caroline and Robin. She's such a good sport
– not whine-y or prone to hysterics, despite all that she comes to learn about
Robin. And he, unreservedly, adores her. They are a great team and a truly
romantic couple.
Author Info
Author Links
Website: https://rivercliffbooks.com/hawkesmoor-a-novel-of-vampire-faerie-anne-merino/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annemerino7
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hawkesmoor/
YouTube: https://bit.ly/2UCXWk1
~Giveaway~
This giveaway is for the winner’s choice of print or ebook however, print is open to the U.S. only and ebook is available worldwide. There will be 2 winners. This giveaway ends July 1, 2020,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
~To Enter~
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