Blog Tour: Interview with Blood Vine author, Amber Belldene & Character Andre Maras + A GIVEAWAY!!!

Title: Blood Vine
Author: Amber Belldene
Publisher: Omnific Publishing, January 8th, 2013
Add to: Goodreads

NOTE: This is an ADULT Title.

Synopsis: In Blood Vine, bites are an inconvenient bliss, exiled vampires are wasting away, and the fate of their kind depends on the perfect PR campaign.

When public relations pro Zoey Porter arrives at an enchanting California winery, she discovers her sexy new client is the almost one-night stand she can’t forget. After her husband’s suicide, Zoey has vowed never to risk her heart again. But can she walk away from the intriguing winemaker a second time?

Driven from Croatia by his ancient foes, vampire Andre Maras has finally made a blood-like wine to cure his fellow refugees. Now he needs Zoey’s PR expertise to reach them. After his wife’s death, Andre has a vow of his own—never to risk another painful blood bond. And one taste of the tempting Zoey would bind him to her eternally.

His secrets stall her PR plans. Her jealousy is stoked by the blissed-out beauties leaving his bedroom. At every turn, he utterly fails to resist her. When she discovers he is a vampire, will she be lost to the golden-eyed Hunters, or lose herself to the emptiness in her heart, before she can help him save his kind?

Interview -

Last week, I discussed Blood Vine’s imminent release with its hero and my good friend, vampire Andre Maras.  I could hardly refuse when he offered to interview me about writing Blood Vine.

Andre Maras: Since you have insisted on baring my personal life to the world, it is only fair that I ask you to reveal some of your secrets.

Amber Belldene: Andre, I don’t have any secrets.

AM: I very much doubt that. However, I will begin with an impersonal question.  You know that I consider the popular fascination with vampires absurd.  The literature makes us out to be ridiculous creatures.  Please explain your interest in my kind.

AB: Impersonal, huh?  And a please, even?  Are you trying to make a good impression on your potential readers?

AM:  Kindly answer the question, Amber.

AB: I wish I could say it’s only you, handsome. But you’re right, I do have a thing for vampires.  Your hunger for humans, your lonely immortality spent in the dark, the idea of a happily ever after that lasts forever—these things capture my imagination.

AM: But the truth is much less dramatic than the fiction—we bear no evil curse; we have souls; we are not, in fact, dead.   Having met us, did we live up to your expectations?

AB: Absolutely. I’m fascinated by your biology and your history, especially your persecution by Hunters—that’s juicy stuff.  It makes for a great star-crossed love story between Pedro and Lucas.

AM: Hmph.  And as a romance novelist, juicy stuff is your forte?

AB: Yep.  And I’m really grateful you and Zoey gave me full access to yours.

AM: Yes, well, when it comes to Zoey, my judgment often fails.  And speaking of poor judgment, do you expect to ruffle feathers when Blood Vine is released and the juicy  stuff that happens in my bedroom becomes public?

AB:  Why should it?  Blood Vine is only as racy as any other hot romance novel.

AM: Yes, but most other romance novelists are not Christian ministers, and you Christians can be rather stiff about sex.

AB:  I will resist the dirty joke that comes to mind and admit I’m not quite sure what to expect.  Blood Vine is not a religious book at all, but still, your story is about love—romantic, sexual, familial—and so it is perfectly in line with my beliefs and values as a Christian.  Still, I know some people might be uncomfortable with the idea of a minister who reads and writes sexy books.

AM: Indeed.  Now, for another question.  What was your favorite part of writing Blood Vine?

AB:  You mean besides the sex scenes?

AM: Davo, I can already hear the feathers ruffling.

AB: Language Andre!  And too bad for them, they will miss out on your fabulous story.

AM: You are chiding me about language? You are as impossible as Zoey, and you have the attention span of a gnat.  Let me repeat the question.  What did you enjoy most about writing Blood Vine?

AB: I loved watching the characters interact—from your hilarious banter to your heartfelt chats, the relationships between everyone at Kastel stole my heart. I also enjoyed describing the bonds between a vampire and his homeland.  As I came to understand your connection to Croatia, I fell in love with the place myself.  My husband has promised to take me there, as soon as our toddler twins give us permission.

AM: Perhaps, if this crisis with Hunters resolves itself in time, Zoey and I will join you.

AB: Really?  That would be wonderful.  You’d be the perfect tour guide for all the ancient sites.

AM: Yes, I would, and I look forward to it, friend.

AB: Me too.  Let’s finish this series and book our tickets.  Only two more books to go!

Amber, Andre... thanks for sharing this highly entertaining interview with me and the readers of my blog. It's always fascinating getting a chance to eavesdrop per-say on an author and her characters and their "conversations". Such a pleasure having you both here today.

Author Bio:

Amber Belldene grew up on the Florida panhandle, swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees and diving for scallops…when she could pull herself away from a book.  As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church bulletin and read mysteries during sermons—an irony that is not lost on her when she preaches these days.

With a B.A. in comparative religion and an M.A. in theology, Amber is a Christian minister and student of religion.  She believes stories are the best way to explore human truths.  Some people think it is strange for a minister to write romance, but it is perfectly natural to Amber. She believes the human desire for love is at the heart of every romance novel and God made people with that desire.

Amber is addicted to vampire stories, but loves to read all kinds of romance and literature.  Her favorite books examine history and cultural origins, like Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle, Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent, or Salmon Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses.  And, yes, she was named after that Amber, of the classic romance novel Forever Amber.

From the wine country of Sonoma County to the foggy neighborhoods of San Francisco, all of Amber’s fiction is set in Northern California, where she lives with her husband and two children.

Find Amber Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Order Online: Amazon Kindle

GIVEAWAY!!!

Enter to win an eBook of BLOOD VINE!!!

• ONE winner will receive an eCopy of this title.

Rules and how to enter -


Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter this giveaway.
Name & Email Address must be provided. (Easy Entry, just click the form & it does it for you!)
You must be at least 18 years old to enter.
This giveaway is open: INTERNATIONAL!!!
Giveaway ends: January 23rd, 2013 (12:01AM EST)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the rest of the tour at the blogs below -


Monday, January 7th, 2013:

A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books (Excerpt/Teaser),  DforDarla's Definite Reads (Guest Post)

Tuesday, January 8th, 2013:

Confessions of a Bookaholic (Interview/Guest Post), HERE! A Life Bound By Books (Author/Character Interview)

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013:

Midnyte Reader (Guest Post), Open Book Society (Excerpt/Teaser)

Thursday, January 10th, 2013:

Good Choice Reading (Interview - Author), The Unread Reader (Excerpt/Teaser)

Friday, January 11th, 2013:

Read-Love-Blog.com (Excerpt/Teaser), The Itzel Library (Guest Post)

A HUGE thank you to Omnific for providing the eCopy of Blood Vine to giveaway.