Alexandra Ivy – Interview

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Thank you for stopping by today to talk to us about your books. I will get the gushing out of the way first. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your Guardians of Eternity series!!!

Yeah! Thank you so very much, Lucy!! I have to admit that they’ve been so much fun to write. When I first started I never dreamed there would be a chance for crossing my love for romance with my love for fantasy. I still have to pinch myself. 🙂

Your Deborah Raleigh (alter ego) website indicates your first book was published in January 2000. Was this your first story or had you written any stories before that?

Oh, I wrote several manuscripts before Lord Carlton’s Courtship. I was definitely the tortoise, not the hare. In fact, I wrote for almost ten years (and acquired an entire stack of rejections) before finally selling. At the time it was painful, but to be honest it was probably for the best. Not only did I have to polish my craft, but I learned how to be self-disciplined and more importantly, to believe in myself. If writers are searching for validation from editors or reviews or readers, their bound to be disappointed. Motivation has to come from within.

You have over thirty historical romance titles under the name Deborah Raleigh. Why did you switch from historicals to paranormal?

At the time it was a fluke,  🙂   I love, love, love Buffy and I really just wanted to try to write a story for myself that could combine the horror, the humor and the romance. It wasn’t until it was almost finished that I even mentioned it to my editor. Thankfully, he was willing to take a risk and the Guardians of Eternity were born!

Your “My Lord Vampire” is being re-released in February 2012. This is the first book in a historical vampire trilogy. Can you tell us more about this trilogy? Was this your bridge between the historicals you previously wrote and your Guardians of Eternity?

This trilogy centers on three vampires who are forced to return to the mortal world to retrieve a precious Medallion that has been stolen. I do have a female vampire, Nefri, who appears in my current books (I love having immortal characters!!) but I do want my readers to know that these books are regencies which means they are set in London in the early 1800s and that they are far ‘sweeter’ than my current series…the sex and violence were definitely a no-no when I first wrote these. 🙂

Let’s talk Guardians of Eternity. Your latest book which will be released on November 29th is Bound by Darkness. This book features Jaelyn, a vampire warrior and Ariyal, who is a sylvermyst, a dark cousin to the fey. We met both of them briefly in Devoured by Darkness. Can you tell us a little more about this new creature the sylvermyst and why every time Jaelyn caught Ariyal, something she’s very good at, he kept getting away?

I loved the idea of a ‘darker’ fey, and when they first made their appearances as the bad guys I knew I would have to have at least one become a ‘hero’. I also love the idea of a ‘kick-ass’ female (sort of a Lara Croft character). But she had to have someone who was not only strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with her, but understood how to get past her rigid training to become a Hunter to the female beneath. Ariyal was wounded by Morgana le fey, and he truly understands how hard it is for her to trust her emotions. I also liked the fact that she is always chasing him…not the other way!! He had to be very good at escaping her clutches. 🙂

Will we be learning more about the mysterious baby that Laylah had with her in Devoured in Darkness?

Absolutely! It will be pivotal in future books.

In Devoured by Darkness, we also spent time with Caine, who was featured as the antagonist since Darkness Unleashed, and has…I don’t know if I’d call him good, but he is cleaning up his act since he met Cassie and is overwhelmed with is need to protect her. Cassie is the missing daughter of Sophia (we’ll get to her in a moment). Cassie is a shifter who was genetically altered not to shift and she is also a prophet. Pleeeaaassse tell me we will be getting to their story soon!

Yes, yes, yes! Fear the Darkness will be out next September. I had intended to do their book after Devoured, but I didn’t think Caine was nearly reformed enough (of course, you never want him to be completely reformed!) I think you’ll like their story. It ties up a whole bunch of loose ends.

Your short story in Real Werewives of Vampire County featured Sophia, who is a shifter. When we first met Sophia in Darkness Everlasting, she was heartless, conniving, self-centered, evil – just EVIL! Yet you performed two miracles in Real Werewives, the first, short stories usually leave me feeling short-changed, but this was a very interesting and complete story and the romance between Sophia and Luc flowed well and wasn’t forced or rushed, and the second, was that you made me actually like Sophia. What made you decide to turn Evil Sophia around?

When my editor first mentioned doing a Housewives antho I knew that I would at last have an opportunity to bring back Sophia! She was the perfect shallow, vain, self-centered female. 🙂  Of course, once Luc came to life I knew she would have to become worthy of his love…he’s just so yummy! I’m hoping maybe I can bring in some of Luc’s brothers to future stories.

I have heard you say the Levet, everyone’s favorite gargoyle, might even get a story and a love of his own. Is that still in the works?

He’s being a true pain about this! Just when I think I have a female that will work with him, he finds some way to screw it up. 🙂  I’m beginning to wonder if he’s at the right place for a committed relationship…you know it takes longer for men to grow up.  🙂  So, I’m waiting like everyone else to see if he can find the ‘perfect’ mate.

One final question, where can I find Dante and Jagr? And how would be the best way to capture a vampire for personal use? Gonna make me a vampire sandwich! Wait – who said that?

LOL. I can’t imagine a better job that spending my days with delicious vampires and Weres, with an occasional Sylvermyst to add a dash of magic. 🙂 It makes me forget all about those men in my house who leave damp towels on the floor and dirty dishes in their bedrooms, and would rather toss their clean clothes in the laundry than bother to hang them up (yes, I have two sons who live with me).

Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for us. We will all look forward to many more stories in the Guardians of Eternity series.

Thanks so much, Lucy, for inviting me. And a huge thanks to all my readers! Without you the Guardians wouldn’t be possible.

Happy holidays, and wishes for a joyous, healthy, wealthy New Year!!

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About Alexandra

I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library.
Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.

Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy.
For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

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This giveaway is closed.  

Thank you to Kensington Books for the giveaway!

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Check out some of my reviews on her latest books:

When Darkness Comes

The Real Werewives of Vampire County

Supernatural