Interview with Abigail Gibbs author of The Dark Heroine

 

The teenage author of a vampire fantasy novel who is a vegetarian with a morbid fear of blood has become the latest internet sensation to land a global publishing deal.

British-born Gibbs first posted her story online at age 15, under the pseudonym Canse12 on wattpad.com. It tells the tale of Violet Lee, who witnesses a mass murder at Trafalgar Square in London and is kidnapped into the world of old vampire royalty, where she is drawn to Kaspar, the heir of the Vamerpic Throne.

 

 

I have read the book and its epic. You Can read my review here. The Dark Heroine is now available as ebook on both sides of the pond, but the paperback is available in the UK from the 11th of October (my birthday WOOP). I have a little surprise for you! Abigail answered a few of our questions and here they are:

 

What sparked the idea for your novel?

I read the Twilight Saga, and though I enjoyed it, I found it a little too tame for my tastes. I wanted to write something with bloodier vampires; with a protagonist who better reflects how a teenager behaves in this day and age – at the very least, a character who reflects what I saw of adolescence. Being in school and constantly mixing with teenagers helped with that a lot! So that is exactly what I did. Sitting down to write chapter one, I killed off thirty men.

 

How personal is your writing?

In terms of trying to make the characters realistic teenagers, my writing is personal. I am a teenager, after all. However, I tried very hard in The Dark Heroine: Dinner With A Vampire not to base any characters on real people, and I certainly don’t know any vampires, so the situations truly are products of my (interesting) imagination. In contrast, the sequel, TDH: Autumn Rose(which I am currently writing) is deeply personal and the main character’s emotions and mindset are very much lifted from my life.

 

So what inspired you to write a character like Kaspar?

Nothing in particular. I liked reading about bad boy characters and so that is what I aimed to create in my leading man. But I was also going for a dark, unapologetic vampire, and so he formed himself as I tried to stay in line with his I-kill-and-don’t-care attitude.

If you could have "dinner" with any of the characters from your book who would that character be?

Well, I’m sure Kaspar would be delectable company, but I would prefer to dine with the King. I should like to know what he plans to do with the Vamperic clauses of the Terra Treaties when they come up for renewal. I doubt he’ll tell me, but...

 

How different would you say The Dark Heroine is now from when you first started writing it? Did it turn out the way you always pictured it?

It actually became darker than I originally intended. I didn’t envision some of the more adult, macabre scenes when I was writing the first ten chapters or so, and I didn’t intend to involve any prophecy or dimensions. However, I posted The Dark Heroine serially online, on a site called Wattpad.com. My fans there very much shaped the story: they called for older YA, so that’s what I gave them.

 

What is your favourite scene in your novel?

Many scenes were very dear to me, and many of them were actually cut and never made it to the final published edition – the birthday scene, for example. However, fans of The Dark Heroine should keep their eyes peeled regarding news about these cut scenes...

However, my ultimate favourite scene is the very last one, just because I don’t think it ends where people expect it to. It also means I can play around with the continuation of Violet and Kaspar’s story in the sequel.

 

You started to write The Dark Heroine when you were 15 years old. There are some very hot and steamy scenes in it. Tell us what that was like to write. Was it difficult for you?

Not at all. It’s the 21st century.

 

Are you excited for what the future holds for your novel?

Definitely! The Dark Heroine already has a large, loyal following from Wattpad, and it’s great to see that fan base growing now the book is published. There are lots of exciting things going on concerning Book 1 (watch this space), and of course, I’m focusing on the sequel, which I am halfway through.

 

SO there is a sequel and deleted scenes to come? OHHHHH

 

Thanks Abigial x