Interview with a character from Hawkesmoor, A Novel of Vampire and Faerie by Anne Merino

As winter is fast approaching, are you a book lover looking for your next book fix? Do you enjoy Paranormal Mystery? Then, you need to check out this interview with a character from Hawkesmoor, A Novel of Vampire and Faerie by Anne Merino.

Hawkesmoor, A Novel of Vampire and Faerie by Anne Merino is suitable for readers aged 18+ and has some scenes with adult themes. It was published by Rivercliff Books and Media and is currently available as a Paperback (ISBN 978-0-9971416-8-9, date published 05.18.20), an Ebook (ISBN-13 978-0997141689, date published 05.18.20) and an Audiobook (ASIN B087YRM4VZ, date published 05.18.20).

Synopsis of Hawkesmoor, A Novel of Vampire and Faerie by Anne Merino

Robin Dashwood, a handsome and charming British vampire with long gone aristocratic connections, is about to be thrown into an epic adventure. This is the last thing he could imagine, as he prefers to hide in plain sight. Living a quiet life in New York as a history professor, he hopes to avoid other more powerful vampires and their dangerous, decadent political machinations.

A chance encounter in a Manhattan art gallery introduces him to the beautiful Lady Caroline DeBarry and reveals a vicious murder from Robin’s human past. In search of answers to this historical mystery, he returns home to England and to Caroline who has captured his heart. As Robin uncovers the truth, he finds traces of a far more ancient and shrouded realm that even that of the vampire. This will shake the foundations of vampire lore and its brutal hierarchy, placing Lady Caroline in terrible danger and setting in motion events that will lead to a final bloody confrontation between a revenant army and humankind.

Hawkesmoor is the first book in a trilogy that will continue the eerie adventures of Robin Dashwood — a very British vampire.

Name of character to be interviewed:

Robin Dashwood

Why was this character chosen for this interview?

Robin Dashwood is the central character of Hawkesmoor. His human and vampire past are the catalysts for the book’s twists and turns.

Question 1: Robin, you have lived through almost three centuries. Do you have a favourite time period?

Answer: Oh, that IS a very difficult one! (Robin laughs and hands me a cup of tea. Then he settles onto a lovely William and Mary high-backed chair opposite. We are talking in a sitting room within his family’s ancestral home, Hawkesmoor Castle, where he resides with his wife, Lady Caroline) There’s much to recommend in every era, I feel. The 18th century, for example, was very vibrant — incredibly lively with fresh ideas in science, design and the arts. Also, it was so quiet! I wish modern people could know the peace of a time without constant noise. That being said, I live in the present with my wife and daughter. Absolutely the best days of a very long existence. No century is perfect. Every era is fraught with its own tragedies and mistakes. In the aforementioned 18th century, only the upper classes really got to experience the joys of its great art and intellectual progress. Today, the wonderful American notion of the “pursuit of happiness” is available to everyone. I am very happy to call the 21st century home.

Question 2: Speaking of your daughter, it’s commonly believed vampires are incapable of having children. Not true?

Answer: (For a moment, Robin looks pensive as if the question has caught him a little off-guard. Then he lets out a breath and relaxes a little) The old legends about vampires are often based in fact. Vampires are not able to produce a bloodline of their own. But I am not fully vampire. I’m a fusion of revenant and Tylwyth Teg — elemental beings who inhabit other more complex dimensions. This hybrid nature presents certain distinct advantages. One of them is my daughter. Unfortunately (Robin looks tense again), modern vampire society is ossified in its traditions, clan rivalries and jealousies. My family is not looked upon with undiluted pleasure by the vampire kings — powerful and dangerous creatures.

Question 3: Tell us about Lady Caroline. Why a human and not a paranormal/supernormal such as yourself who could share memories of the distant past?

Answer: (Robin lights up at the mention of Lady Caroline. It’s clear that he genuinely adores her) My wife is all things past, present and future. She’s the daughter of the Earl of Hawkesmoor, as you probably know, and has the very good sense to love country life — horses, dogs and all that. She and her family has cared for this castle, keeping it from crumbling into ruin unlike other, less fortunate historic sites. I am forever in their debt (he pauses, thoughtful for a second and then literally shakes it off with a laugh). I don’t you to imagine that I married my wife because of Hawkesmoor! I married her because she’s incredibly bright, witty and beautiful. Also, a very good sport (he almost winces). One needs to be a good sport married to me. Things … strange things always seem to pop up (Robin coughs slightly) unexpectedly.

Question 4: Is Hawkesmoor Castle haunted?

Answer: (Robin laughs out loud) Is Hawkesmoor Castle haunted? Is the night sky littered with stars? Yes, we have several infamous ghosts who walk the halls and grounds of the castle. Hawkesmoor has seen a lot of beings come and go over nine centuries. Some never leave. Look at me — the ultimate revenant!

Question 5: Can you guess at the future? Where do yo go from here?

Answer: (Robin leans back in his chair and thinks for a moment) My preference would be for a quiet future here in this wild but wonderful Yorkshire countryside with my wife and family. But creatures such as myself are rarely granted peace.

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This interview with a character from the paranormal mystery Hawkesmoor, A Novel of Vampire and Faerie by Anne Merino is submitted by and with permission of the author.

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