SPECIAL GUEST: Caridad Pineiro, Author of BLOOD CALLS

We have a very special guest today at Boomer Chick! Caridad Pineiro, author of the spine-tingling vampire romance, BlOOD CALLS, is stopping off on her virtual book tour!

Caridad is a multi-published author whose love of the written word developed when her fifth grade teacher assigned a project - to write a book that would be placed in a class lending library. She has been hooked on writing ever since.

Her fourteenth novel, DEVOTION CALLS, was released by Silhouette Nocturne in January 2007. THE CALLING vampire series, based on characters from Caridad's first vampire book in March 2004, DARKNESS CALLS, debuted with DANGER CALLS in June 2005 and TEMPTATION CALLS in October 2005. Due to overwhelming fan support and reviews, the fourth book in the series, DEATH CALLS, helped Silhouette launch its new Nocturne paranormal line and Caridad was one of the authors featured by Harlequin at this year’s BookExpo America in Washington, D.C.

THE CALLING vampire series will continue with BLOOD CALLS in May 2007. Additional books are planned for the series.

For more information on Caridad, please visit http://www.caridad.com/ or watch her interview at www.romancenovel.tv.

To meet Caridad, please check http://www.caridad.com/ for her appearance schedule and also, drop by the Harlequin booth at BookExpo on June 1.

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Boomer Chick: I'd like to ask you the general question of what your book is about to start us off. Can you tell us what Blood Calls is all about?

Caridad: Blood Calls is book #6 in THE CALLING Vampire series, although each book in the series stands alone. It’s a sexy and dark paranormal romantic suspense and here’s a quick blurb about it: Diego Rivera became a vampire during the Spanish Inquisition and recently lost his vampire lover. The experience of so many years of life and loss has Diego thinking that becoming a vampire elder may not be all that it’s cracked up to be. Diego is currently the owner of an art gallery in Soho and Ramona Escobar is a young artist that he has been supporting. Ramona is beautiful and passionate, but she has a life filled with hardship and secrets. She recently made copies of some Old Masters and now finds that those copies are being passed off as the originals. Ramona is determined to find out who is behind the art fraud, but is challenged by two things – the millionaire behind the art fraud is out to stop her and her health is failing since Ramona is suffering from a rare form of anemia. When her life is threatened, Diego comes to her assistance and passion flares between them, but can their passion survive the secrets that both Diego and Ramona have hidden from each other?

Boomer Chick: Why prompted you to write about vampires?

Caridad: I’d always liked supernatural stories. When I was younger, my mom, sister and I would regularly watch horror movies together and the vampires were always the scariest to me, but also the most interesting. I think it’s the appeal of the immortality, but the fear of sharing something as intimate as blood. When I decided to try something dark and otherworldly, it was definitely the vampires that were first on my list.

Boomer Chick: What's the latest dish on vampires? I mean, is NY still buying them or is it starting to wane down?

Caridad: The dish is that there are too many vampire novels out on the market. Actually, the talk is that there are too many paranormals, but NY still seems to be buying them and the readers still seem to be eating them up. I think that if the market starts to cool, like it did with chick lit, it will be because in the rush to fill demand, there are too many bad paranormals published which will turn readers off to the genre and/or new authors.

Boomer Chick: Do you have more in the series planned?

Caridad: Yes, we do. In December there will be another novella in the series – FATE CALLS – in an anthology titled HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE. (There is a free novella – DESIRE CALLS – online at eharlequin right now!). Then in 2008, THE CALLING vampire series will continue with FURY CALLS, ARDOR CALLS and VENGEANCE CALLS. I’m really excited that I’m getting to continue this series of my heart.

Boomer Chick: Do you have an agent and, if so, would you like to tell us who she/he is and what it took to grab her/him? Acquiring an agent is like pulling teeth sometimes! If you do not have an agent, have you thought about acquiring one?

Caridad: My agent is Caren Johnson and she’s wonderful. It was very tough to find an agent – almost has hard as it was to get published. My first agent was awful and that old saying is true – A bad agent is worse than no agent at all. I actually sold ten books without an agent. My first agent sold none for me, but with Caren, we’ve been on a roll and I just sold my 25th book! Caren is a go-getter and is always keeping abreast of marketing trends. I’m hoping we’ll sell a lot more books together.

Boomer Chick: I understand you went to the Romantic Times convention recently. Can you tell us about that trip?

Caridad: I did recently attend the annual Romantic Times convention. This was my third time at the convention and there’s been a decided turn toward highlighting erotica and e-publishing at the convention. Then of course, there’s the parties and cover models. The parties are fun and the young men are handsome, but it’s a little disconcerting to see the reaction of many of the women toward these young men.

Boomer Chick: When you're not writing, what do you do?

Caridad: I still have my full-time job as an attorney and I’m a mom and wife. Combined with my writing, I do a lot of juggling to keep things going.

Boomer Chick: What is your most favorite place that you have visited?

Caridad: That’s a tough question! I’ve been blessed with a career that has let me travel to dozens of places in Latin America and Europe. Of all the cities, I’d have to say that Paris was the most amazing in terms of how much there was to see. London is in a dead heat, though. There are almost as many places to see and the people are absolutely charming.

Boomer Chick: Booksignings. Love'em or hate'em? Serious!

Caridad: Book signings are an iffy proposition. There are so many things that can keep readers away. Good weather, bad weather, a busy weekend. I love them when they work and I can get to meet new people or long time fans. I hate them when we all just sit there with no one to meet. In terms of selling books and saving time, stock signings are likely more effective. What’s stock signing? You go from store to store and just ask the manager to sign the stock that they have. Most managers will then place the autographed books up front since many people like to but autographed books.

Boomer Chick: What's next on your agenda? New book? Radio? TV?

Caridad: I just finished a few TV spots for a show on the public access channels in New York City. Nothing else like that planned right now, so for the moment, I’m working on books that are under contract and also researching a new single title romantic suspense that I’d like to write.

Boomer Chick: Thank you for coming, Caridad, and I wish you much luck on your virtual book tour!

Sandi's tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours! If you are an author and you would like us to set up a virtual book tour, click here for more information!

Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, online book promotion, author publicity, virtual book tour, book promotion, Caridad Pineiro, Blood Calls