Click on the image to visit Virgil's Meet & Greet at VBT Cafe.
Virgil
Allen Moore has been writing for seventeen years. He began as a poet and
eventually turned to long fiction. In his words "My pen wields visceral
morality as I write. I use my poetic knowledge to woo and satiate the minds of
the world." His books are written for their vivid imagery and well defined
storytelling. He blends old world refinement with a modern feel in a way that
gives strength to the core of his novels. With his books, you are left not just
with a sense of accomplishment, but a moral choice. The reader has choice over
how they feel through the story. The ordeals of the characters are transmuted
to the reader, lending a direct sensation of emotion that only the best novels
can evoke. When you read his words, you will be rewarded. As he says, "If
you enjoy vampires, you will be enthralled by mine."
Brenda & Steve: Virgil, welcome to our blog and thank you for stopping by on your VBT pit stop. We’re so
excited you could join us for a chat. When did you first decide to submit your
work to be published? Tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.
Virgil: I submitted it in March 2011. 187 Letters returned a
total of three return requests. Most didn't like the idea of a 242,000+ word
book. The publisher that took me in wasn't my first choice, but it was my best
option at the time. From the start, October 19th, 2009, I had
planned to get the book to as many people as possible. A year of writing, a few
months of editing, and more time waiting resulted in the book that is out
today.
Brenda & Steve: Please tell us a little about your new
release Demon Vampire.
Virgil: It follows the storyline of the demon vampire that
has possessed Zack Giver, a 14 year old Vampeal (half-vampire) that has just
found out what he is. The book covers over 6,000 years of history and the lives
of over 30 characters. What you read in the beginning may be a little hard to
track for most readers because of the grand scale of the novel, but it pays off
through the rest of the book. If you enjoy intricate books, this is your
favorite book. It asks if given the choice, would you trade your memories, the
parts that make you who you are, equivocally your soul, for power and
immortality? It's a hard decision when Zack wants to protect everyone he knows
and still remain somewhat human in the mess that is his life.
Brenda & Steve: Great cover Virgil and I love your hat. Gives you a sinister look! Do you plan all your characters out
before you start a story or do they develop as you write?
Virgil: Both. The main characters were developed from a
need. I set up the basics of the story in the initial stages and carried on to
the need for certain types of interactions in the main plot. From there, the
personalities of the characters came about. Beyond that, I mapped out everyone
they knew. Finding out if their parents were alive, what they were like, and so
on. Of course I had to decide who was a vampire and who wasn't as well. Most of
the other characters came from this need of sorts.
Brenda & Steve: How much research do you do for your
books? Have you found any cool tidbits to share?
Virgil: I had to look up ancient Mongolian maps from the
thirteenth century, that was the trickiest research I did. However the date I
used for when the Ottoman Empire declined is more of an observation. Instead of
using the historical date given on Wiki, I used the characters point of view to
reference a date when most of the empire retreated to the island of Damascus,
the end of the empire itself. It added a personal touch to the story that I
believe made it feel more real.
Brenda & Steve: What is your writing process? Do you
outline, write by the seat of your pants (Pantser) or a combination of both?
Virgil: Kind of both, but a little different. I try using
outlines. I didn't at all for Demon Vampire book one. Each chapter came out of
a need. It worked out because the timing fit very well throughout the whole of
the story. Book two, which I'm currently writing, I did actually outline.
Granted that lasted about fifty pages before the outline was trashed. I find
that I spend a lot of time building the real person instead of the character. I
base them off of traits I have encountered in personal experience and
interaction with others in my own life. Now one person is someone from my past,
they just have borrowed qualities. In writing, I only give the characters a set
up and them let them carry it out as they normally would. I equate it more to a
game of the SIMS than traditional plot based writing. If I've defined my
characters enough, I don't need to force them to do something. I only need to
give them some tools and then let them loose on a certain topic or scene. At
times, I must admit, the dialogue writes itself because it's more normal of a
reaction for the characters.
Brenda & Steve: Do you write full time? What did you do
before you became a writer or still do?
Virgil: That's a difficult question. I do have a day job,
however, I don't feel comfortable mentioning what it is exactly. My work is
very touchy about talking of it. All I can say is that I have a heavy medial
background and most of the horrific scenes I speak of in the book are based on
actual injuries that I have personally witnessed. I've held flopping shattered
bones in my hands, been up to my elbows in blood, and seen brain matter oozing
my places no human being should ever lay eyes on.
Brenda & Steve: Do you have a ritual when it comes to
writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.
Virgil: Comfy place. I have a large U-shaped desk that fills
the majority of my computer room. Although I still use a tiny 10” netbook to
write on. I sit on my tall backed “Big and Tall” over sized chair and place my
ear-buds in. It's a routine that lets my drown out everything else going on in
my house.
Brenda & Steve: Describe a typical writing day for you.
Virgil: My writing is sporadic at best. I'll write two or
three days in a row one week, and not touch the novel for three weeks some
months. However, when I do, I tend to write 2,000 – 4,000+ words at a time over
about three hours. I find the time to write in weird moments. It can be 4:00am,
or noon. It all depends on when I get into the mood to write and am able to set
myself aside for it.
Brenda & Steve: Please give us a sneak peek at your
future books. What’s on the horizon?
Virgil: Demon Vampire: Redgold is the second novel in the
main storyline, a direct sequel to Demon Vampire. It takes place immediately
after book one ends and the readers find out what actually happens to Zack.
Beside that, there is the side novella I am planning called Demon Vampire: The
Elder Ritual. It's the full story of Salas, the demon that is inside of Zack.
It covers all twenty incarnations over the last 6,000 years and the people he
was able to meet that turned him into the monster he is when you first meet him
in book one. Besides that, I have more than a dozen other books that will be in
the series. This is all figured from the amount of characters in the book and
those who still need to be introduced and fully brought to a close eventually.
It will be a long, bloody road for everyone, especially the reader.
Brenda & Steve: What is your favorite genre to read and
who is your favorite author?
Virgil: Dark Fiction, specifically Vampires. Anne Rice was
the best in this. I still hold her novels in the highest regard. I try to model
the power and grace of my characters after hers, except with my own flare of
course.
Brenda & Steve: Is there anything else you would like to
tell the readers we have not touched on?
Virgil: Remember that Dreams Create Reality. Everyone has
the power to shape their world, but they first have to think of how. Ten years
ago, I didn't know I would be where I am. A dream and the desire to see that
dream in person is what has driven me to the life I know now.
Brenda & Steve: Where can the readers learn more about
you and find your books on the web?
Virgil: The main blog is where you can find out more of the
book and the characters.
To buy the book, you can find it on Amazon.
You can read more reviews on the book on Goodreads.
I would love to give an eBook copy of Demon Vampire as a giveaway to one lucky commenter.
Brenda & Steve: Virgil, thank you again for visiting with today. Good luck on sales and your future projects!
Reader's, be sure to leave a comment. This is one Vampire book you'll want to read.
Excerpt:
His eyes closed. The red apparition
somehow soothed and calmed him. It was speaking directly now. It was murder. He
could hear it above the raging storm coursing through him. It forced upon him
glimpses of her dead body, a sight of torment.
“The vast ocean of power I can grant you. The encompassing absolution of
being I offer, to walk without equal as an abomination among monsters. To be
feared as no other.” The voice sighed inside him. It's breath warm on the back
of his thoughts. “Am I truly so disgusting? Is this not what you asked for? Do
I not tempt you? Offer you what you need? Do I not wet your tongue with my
invitation?”
Fear swept him, his choices were not
sovereign. His gut knotted in indecision. The hot blanket of seduction that had
cloaked him was convincing. It was generously welcoming. He hesitated, not
knowing the demon's destination or his own. He could feel his soul slipping, a
grip once tight, now failing him.
“Let it happen, give yourself to
me. All you ever have to do, is acknowledge me. Your soul will satisfy my
desires, my requirements.” The voice was commanding. It spoke as a god dwelling
in the recesses of his senses. It continued. “Rip, tear, rend, and swallow the
blood like milk.” The demon inside beckoned with a sadistic suggestion.
He was unsure, the deal was tempting, even
acceptable in a sick flight of fancy. The power was enthralling. His confliction
was disturbing, he was not a murderer. He knew as much, as he doubted his own
integrity. It was tempting, wet in his mouth, keen on his fingertips. Absolute
strength on a level unrivaled. The knowledge that no other being would ever be
able to contest him. It was a spectacular promise. It was seductive.
The voice posed its question a
final time. Its confidence was unrelenting. “Is my simple price so steep, so
dire, costly, that you would die a fool's death to deny me the path fate has
allowed me to etch in the stars?”
