Spotlight & Giveaway: A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Sarah Hawley to HJ!

Hi Sarah and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire!

 
Thank you, and hello to all the lovely readers!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire is a lighthearted paranormal rom-com featuring a kind-hearted werewolf with anxiety and the feral vampire succubus assassin he accidentally bought on eBay, who is cursed to obey his every command. Together, they set out to break the curse and free her. Along the way, they deal with a heated mayoral campaign, misbehaving kitchen appliances, and some very strange theatrical performances—and, of course, they fall in love.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

Here’s one I love that sums up the theme of the book. Even though it’s a funny story, Ben and Eleonore are both struggling in different ways—Ben with an anxiety disorder and Eleonore with the aftereffects of a traumatic past.

“If progress was a straight, easy line, we’d all be much less interesting people. This isn’t simple, and it won’t be simple going forward, and that’s okay.” He kissed her forehead again. “I’m here no matter what.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• I got the idea for this book when I was scrolling eBay. I wanted to know if anyone was trying to sell ghosts online, and if so, how affordable they were. It turns out I could not afford any haunted armoires, but then I saw a listing for a $0.99 plastic rock that was supposedly possessed by a vampire succubus who would fulfill all my erotic dreams. I thought that was hilarious, so I put in a winning bid (the only bid) and became the proud owner of my very own $0.99 vampire succubus. I immediately started writing a book about who was and how she got trapped in the crystal.
• Another fun fact is that Eleonore and I are both Trekkies. I grew up watching Star Trek and absolutely love it. My favorite captain is Picard, followed by Janeway.
• Ben is a knitter, which I am not, so I had to ask friends for help on those details. And I had Ben wear sweater vests because—and I mean this with all my heart—they are devastatingly attractive. Give me that hot librarian aesthetic!

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Ben is attracted to Eleonore because she is not only beautiful but terrifyingly assertive. She’s the type to throw knives first, ask questions later. She’s also direct, honest, and endlessly surprising. As someone who thrives on routine and is afraid to make waves, Ben is very much drawn to his opposite.

Eleonore is angry with Ben initially, thinking he plans to force her to work as an assassin again. What wins her over is his gentleness and acts of service. He tries his best never to order her around, he respects her consent, and he cooks her dinner. As someone who’s always had to be hostile and paranoid, she finds his kindness incredibly appealing—once she can learn to trust it’s genuine.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

There were so many funny scenes to write for Eleonore. She’s from the medieval era, so she’s unfamiliar with modern customs and technology, which allowed me to indulge in a lot of fish-out-of-water comedy. I laughed writing this one, where she navigates modern dining for the first time:

They placed their food orders, and Eleonore realized that somehow over the course of their discussion she’d drained the entire glass of IPA. Her mouth tingled and there was a bitter aftertaste resting on her tongue, but Ben was right—the flavor had grown on her, and it imparted a pleasant haze to her surroundings.
“Wait,” Eleonore said as the server started to back away. She raised the empty glass, then dashed it against the floor. “Another ale, wench!”
The girl jumped and nearly fell into a neighboring table. Conversation on the terrace stopped at the sound of breaking glass, and the other customers stared at her with jaws agape. Ben’s hand was pressed to his mouth, and he was cringing with what seemed to be his entire body.
Apparently she had done something out of the ordinary. Eleonore leaned across the table, lowering her voice. “Is that no longer the custom?” She had not dined outside of private assignations since being taken from her father’s keep.
“Ah, no,” Ben said. “I was unaware it ever was.”

Readers should read this book….

If they want a whimsical mix of fantasy and romance set in a magical version of our contemporary world. It’s also good for Trekkies, readers looking for high levels of steam in their romance, and anyone who wants to read about characters with mental health challenges being loved just the way they are.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

My next release is SERVANT OF EARTH, the first in a dark and sexy Fae romantasy series coming from Ace Books on November 12, 2024! I’m currently drafting the second book, and I’m so excited to branch out into writing high-stakes fantasy novels.
 
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: 1 giveaway print copy of A WEREWOLF’S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A VAMPIRE by Sarah Hawley, US only

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: If you could buy anything supernatural or magical on eBay, what would it be?

 
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Book Info:

Ben Rosewood never meant to be bound to a vampire succubus, especially one as sexy-yet-terrifying as Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux, but he has to admit there are some fang-tastic perks….

Werewolf Ben Rosewood is happy with his life. One hundred percent. Everything is fine. His business, Ben’s Plant Emporium, is thriving, and he’s even expanding the shop. His anxiety disorder is…well, it’s been better, but that comes with the territory of running a business and having beastly urges every full moon, right? As for romance—who has the time? Though his family is desperate to see him settled, Ben is fine approaching forty as a single werewolf. But after drunkenly bidding on and winning a supposedly-possessed crystal on eBay one night, he finds himself face-to-face with a beautiful yet angry vampire.

Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux is a rare breed—a vampire succubus born from two elite European bloodlines during medieval times. Thanks to an evil witch, she’s been stuck in a crystal since she was thirty, forced to obey orders from the possessor of the rock. Eleonore’s been dreaming of breaking the spell and severing the witch’s head for centuries. But did this witch really sell her to someone new, and for only ninety-nine cents?

Eleonore would claw this werewolf’s heart out and eat it, if only the binding spell would allow her to. But Eleonore and Ben soon realize they can help each other with both vengeful and less hostile needs. And why not have a little fun along the way?