Author Spotlight: LunarSiren
with Saluki
I had the pleasure of interviewing LunarSiren, author of Cauchemar Vivant, for this edition of Author Spotlight. As you know, MVF auctioned off several Author Spotlights as part of The Fandom Gives Back. GreatChemistry purchased this spotlight for LunarSiren, so we want to give her a big shout out for her contribution.
Cauchemar Vivant is a story unlike anything I’ve read so far. Basically, vampires have taken over Forks, Washington and Bella is part of the Resistance. She has been raised by Charlie to never, ever trust a vampire. But, what happens when her life is saved by one? And, when these same vampires can provide the Resistance with the help they need, can Bella turn her back on everything she was taught to believe?
If you read this story for no other reason that to enjoy a portrayal of a kick-ass Bella Swan, it is well worth it. Unlike most fics out there, Bella isn’t a damsel in distress just waiting for Edward Cullen to save her. No, this Bella would as soon cut off his head than let Edward save her. Edward is also a darker character in this story, which provides an interesting change of pace. The humans are given much bigger roles, so we get to know Charlie, Tyler and Mike better, and in a much different light than they are portrayed in the Saga. LunarSiren did a great job of keeping the characters mostly in canon, yet giving them that extra twist to add to the darkness of the story.
The plot is incredible, the action is intense, and it has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. I really think everyone should read this story – it will open your eyes to the characters we all know and love in such a different light.
I had tons of questions for LunarSiren after finishing CV. She was gracious enough to answer them all, and I’m excited to share them with you.
Saluki: Did Great Chemistry tell you that she was going to bid on an Author Spotlight for you, or was it a surprise?
LunarSiren: Yeah, she told me.
Saluki: I thought it was really sweet of her.
LunarSiren: No kidding. That woman is always doing something incredibly sweet for me. That’s why I love her so much; she never lets me down, ha ha!
Saluki: Whenever I get discouraged about the fandom, I just think about all the awesome people I’ve met. I’ve made a whole group of friends that I know will be around long after the fandom is over.
LunarSiren: Yeah, me too. There are tons of good people in the fandom.
Saluki: How did you discover Twilight? What was your favorite book?
LunarSiren: It was October 2006 when I first heard of Twilight. An old friend of mine was blathering on about this new vampire romance. I had no idea what she was talking about, and we’re both bookworms, so I definitely wanted to know what the big deal was. That Christmas, guess what showed up in the mail for me? A beaten up, cracked, well-read copy of Twilight. It took me a day and a half to go through it and realize, “Wow, this is kinda cool.” So I waited for the next one, and the next one, and by Breaking Dawn I wondered why I kept reading. Around the middle of Breaking Dawn, I was cringing and ranting and thinking to myself, “She wouldn’t seriously go there, would she?” I knew what was coming thanks to the quotes Stephenie Meyer posted up on her website, counting down to the release. Sure enough, she went there . . . and it was like a huge train wreck. I just could not look away. So needless to say, Breaking Dawn is not my favorite book. I could whine about all the many things wrong with it, but enough people do that already.
I’d have to say that New Moon or Eclipse, or even the good ol’ original Twilight, is my favorite. Okay, so mix up all three and you have my favorite. I like Twilight because it’s so innocent, things are just starting off, and it’s good. Throw in a dash of New Moon because, although Bella is ridiculously stupid to mope around like that, eventually we see some—and I use the term lightly—SOME character development. Eclipse because we get a fight! . . . Oh wait, that’s just in the movie. Oops!
Saluki: I am one of the people who actually liked BD. Was it the imprinting that turned you off?
LunarSiren: Nope, it was the fact that Bella could get pregnant at all and that SM pulled out, “He’s an incubus” to justify it. Edward is the farthest thing from incubus! That, and Bella’s quick adjustment to the transformation. Prepared or not, there should have been some struggle.
Saluki: Yeah, I have to admit that so many things in the books were way too convenient. But, being in the realm of vampires and shape shifters sort of let me forgive her for some of that stuff. While we’re being totally unrealistic, what’s a bit more? I mean, there are plot holes you could drive a truck through, but for some reason, I still love the series.
LunarSiren: I guess so. But SM really needs to work on her plot devices; can’t pull a deus ex machina whenever she wants. That bores readers.
Saluki: What sparked your interest in writing fan fiction?
LunarSiren: I’ve been writing ever since I could hold a crayon. Fanfiction was just another part of me as I grew up. I had trouble coming up with my own ideas for stories, so I would take from the anime I watched, or even the annoying children’s stories I read, and create stories around them. So I guess my lack of imagination sparked my interest for fanfiction. Then I quit writing fanfiction when I finally gained my sense of imagination, and with it came my own characters. I decided to run with them for a while.
Saluki: Was the need to shape your own Twilight world, more as you saw it, part of the reason for jumping into Twific?
LunarSiren: Yeah, that’s probably it, ha ha! I mean, I’ve always been a writer and I’d been in a slump for some time before I picked up Twific, and the thousands of “Bella falls in love in the first chapter” fics out there really renewed something in me, so I just jumped right in.
Saluki: How did you come up with the idea for CV? It is such a different story than anything I’ve read so far, which I love. The idea that Bella would get caught up in a situation which would cause her to hate vampires, and then be put into a situation where she was forced to trust them was fascinating to me.
LunarSiren: My years of reading Twific is what produced CV. Okay, okay, let me explain. I spent a few good years lurking in the fandom, reading all kinds of different fics, watching the trends come and go. But I noticed one thing never changed about all the fics that I read. Bella always fell in love with Edward, basically, in the first chapter. Sure, that’s how Twilight goes, but that doesn’t mean all fics should be like that as well. It’s like every fic had a Bella that had unsuccessful relationships, and suddenly Edward shows up, and she’s magically in love with his brooding eyes and “sex hair,” yet he’s a total jerk. She doesn’t care, though. She’s totally willing to let him tread all over her. Oh, but don’t worry. She changes him. Because that’s how life goes, right?
Anyway, that’s what motivated CV. The fandom’s need of a strong Bella. A Bella that wasn’t going to take any crap from Edward, no matter how mean or how nice he was. Where the plot and character interactions come from? I’m still trying to figure that out myself, ha ha!
Saluki: Speaking of Bella, she was really a conflicted soul in this story. She had to form a thick skin and learn to defend herself from such a young age, which IMO caused her to be pretty jaded. What was your thought process about developing her character?
LunarSiren: I knew that in order for Bella to go through this, she couldn’t be the damsel she was in Twilight. Something had to be different. But honestly, in the end, she’s still an eighteen-year-old girl trying to live her life, and she still has insecurities. I admit, she is seriously cynical, and just a tad bit insane, but we do get to see her without her reinforced wall now and then. We see that she’s conflicted about her situation and how she feels about killing, losing her friends, her family. But she knows there’s no room for that thought process on the battlefield, or even in the face of the enemy . . . which means no breakdowns in front of the Cullens. Charlie taught her that mental strength is her greatest asset, but at the end of the day, Bella’s still wishing she could just relax on the couch or hang out (normally) with her friends. Would it ever be possible for her to do that? Probably not. At this point in her life, after about nine years of sleeping with one eye open, adjusting to a normal life seems impossible. I’m as curious as Charlie to see, when this is all over, how Bella holds up mentally.
Saluki: That’s one of the things that really drew me in to your story. There was no googly eyed Bella falling for Edward, the tortured vamp.
LunarSiren: Exactly! You get it! Sure, Edward is still quite tortured, but he doesn’t put it on display. And with Bella’s upbringing, falling in love with a vampire? No, no, no; the whole town would disown her.
Saluki: It was such a different dynamic and I found it really refreshing. And I loved bad ass Bella. Sure, she’s pretty screwed up, but she is strong; none of that wishy washy crap.
LunarSiren: She knows what she wants and how she has to get it, and she’s willing to do anything to make sure it happens in her favor.
Saluki : I felt such sympathy for her through the whole story. She was dealt such a shitty hand in life, but by god, she took that lemon, put some vodka in it and shook it up!
LunarSiren: Oh yes, ha ha! Unfortunately, I sometimes worry how that shaken treatment will effect her. You noticed she’s not exactly stable.
Saluki : Right, I think she would need some serious therapy after the dust settles.
LunarSiren: I agree, but knowing Bella, she’ll ignore it until it completely overcomes her.
Saluki: I’m starting an AU story where I want to keep Edward canon, but amplify his characteristics a little closer to the evil mark. I’m finding it difficult to do at the moment. Was it difficult to write canon, but not cannon Bella? If that makes any sense.
LunarSiren: There were times when I was ready to throw some personalities out the window and do something else entirely, but I have a great beta. She definitely helped me keep them canon.
Saluki: Bella and Edward do not end up falling in love and living happily ever after in this fic – was that hard for you to write?
LunarSiren: Not at all. I’m a fan of happily-ever-afters, but I don’t believe they’re necessary all the time. Cauchemar Vivant certainly doesn’t seem the HEA type, but you shouldn’t judge a murderer by his weapon, but how he uses it. Wait, that came out wrong. Just remember this: CV is full of twists and turns. You never know what the end will produce!
Saluki: You did an amazing job of keeping the characters in canon. Since the story was so different than anything in the Twilight Saga, was that hard? Who was your favorite character to write? Were there any that gave you difficulty?
LunarSiren: Ha ha! Any that gave me difficulty? I’m still fighting with them! However, Charlie, Carlisle, and Aro come very naturally to me. So that’s always good. One of the things I wanted to do with CV was keep everyone in character; of course, Bella is the one exception. She kept traits of her canon counterpart, some of them brought to the forefront (for example, her stubbornness has doubled), but otherwise she’s kind of out there. The Cullens, I think, are nicely in character, so new readers should feel right at home. And the human cast has expanded personalities, especially since they play a huge part in the story. Of course, these characters are all driven by their own purposes, and once you start to get some back-story on them, you realize they’re not just placeholders like they were in the books, but actual people.
Oh right, back to the question. My favorite to write, well, there are two. I love writing for Aro—hands down, he is my most favorite out of any in the saga. I don’t really get to go into his story and personality, but I try to get his unstable character across as best as Bella will pick up on it. And my second favorite is Embry. He’s very unexpected, and I just love his personality.
Saluki: If someone were to ask you what it was about, in one sentence, what would you tell them?
LunarSiren: A chick with guns kicking vampire ass. That’s basically all you need to know, ha ha!
Saluki: lol – if that isn’t enough to get a reader interested, I don’t know what is!
LunarSiren: Well, there’s also a slightly deviant Edward. People might like that too.
Saluki: The ending of CV left things open ended. Bella received some shocking news, Charlie was still missing, the Volturi were still in power…so many strings left untied. Why did you end the story in that way? Are you perhaps planning a sequel (which I would love BTW). Or, did you want the reader to draw their own conclusions as to what happens next.
LunarSiren: It’s not the end! It’s not the end! It’s not the end! I know CV hasn’t updated for quite some time, but it’s definitely NOT the end! We still have the finale and the epilogue to go! When that will happen? I’m hoping very soon. Life bogged me down and now I have to fight to get back through to the characters and where we left off, but it’s looking good. As for if there’s a sequel, well, you’ll just have to keep reading CV to find out.
Saluki: YAY! I”m dying for the finale and epi. I just did not see that last chapter coming at all.
LunarSiren: That’s CV for you. Driving along at a nice pace and suddenly you’re spinning out of control. I have to tell you, I’m a little worried about the finale’s reception. I know that I’m awful for making everyone wait as long as I have, but there’s a certain thing called real life demanding my full of attention. BUT! In a few weeks, I’ll have my freedom back, and I CAN’T WAIT to dive back into my fic life! I’ve been dying to write this finale for so long, it’s going to be explosive!
Saluki: I hope there is more Aro; I flove him, and you totally nailed is crazy personality.
LunarSiren: Aww, thank you! I can’t help it, I absolutely adore Aro. You can’t really tell he’s all that crazy on the outside, but once you get inside you realize what a sick, twisted man he is. I hope to show this during my missing scenes/outtakes bit.
Saluki: The Volturi are so neglected in Twific, so I’m really glad to hear you’re going to explore him a bit more.
LunarSiren: If I had my way, all my fics would be Volturi. No doubt about that, ha ha!
Saluki: Well, we totally need more authors like you to get out there and show readers that there is a whole world out there outside of E/B.
LunarSiren: I agree, let’s make CV the most popular fic in Twifandom! Ha ha! Just kidding, just kidding.
Saluki: As authors, it’s so fun to write the Volturi. You can pretty much create their back stories from scratch. I wrote an Alec o/s and had a blast coming up with his past. The Volturi really let you be creative, without the same constraints as writing the Cullens.
LunarSiren: Oh definitely.
Saluki: People just have a really hard time breaking out of that box. Not that I can talk, most of my writing is E/B. But, they just start talking to me…I can’t help it!
LunarSiren: Ha ha! I know the feeling. I prefer to write canon couples, but not E/B all the time. Although I admit that I’ve played with the idea of a Jasper and Bella fic.
Saluki: I really enjoy a well written Jasper Bella fic. I’ve read some Edward/Rose, which just blew my mind.
LunarSiren: Edward/Rose? Really?
Saluki: Yep – the dynamic is explosive, kind of like Rose/Jacob. That’s another pairing I’ve come across that made me go whoa.
LunarSiren: Ah, now those I’ve seen. But Edward/Rose is something I’ve never seen… or never noticed, ha ha!
Saluki: I really love when writers are creative and take chances like that. There are so many stories that are just recycled versions of other fics out there.
LunarSiren: I know, trust me, I know. And that’s something I didn’t want for CV. I know there are several actiony fics out there, but I have to be honest and say that I have never read any of them, so I can’t really compare plots.
Saluki: Well, I’ve read a few, and I have to say that yours is among the best.
LunarSiren: Thank you so much! I was so nervous when I first posted CV and started noticing other fics with “violence/gore/action” in their summaries… I was worried I accidentally copied someone without knowing!
Saluki: Do you have a particular process that you follow when you write? I just sit down at my computer and start writing, no outline or anything like that. I find that if I try to outline my thoughts, they just end up changing once the characters start talking to me. But, in a story as detailed as CV, I could see where an outline would be helpful.
LunarSiren: I’ve never been one for outlining, but for CV, I kind of have to keep track of the time line. Which hasn’t gone over very well, ha ha! I still have trouble remembering what day and what time it is in CV.
How I write is that I get a general idea and run with it. Sometimes it comes out the way I imagined, other times it’s completely different. Like my one-shot, So Two Vampires Walk Into A Library, it was going to be really light and fluffy, but Jasper and Emmett had a different idea. Suddenly I had two people deeply concerned for their brother and his fiancee, comparing their story to other romantic tragedies. It was the first time in a long time that the characters took control, which is what I usually prefer. Left to my own devices, my writing is very stiff. I like when the characters take over and talk freely. Basically, when I’m writing, I become the reader and just follow along with the characters. It’s like I’m not really writing at all, yet I still translate the thoughts to words. Does any of that make sense? Ha ha! That’s what I love about writing like this; the characters just spill their secrets, one at a time, to create such an amazing world for everyone to enjoy .
Saluki: You’ve written several stories – is this the one you’re most proud of?
LunarSiren: What can I say? Cauchemar Vivant is my pride and joy. I’m entirely too proud of it, ha ha! Not only because it’s the first fic I’ve put so much effort into, but because it’s so different from the rest of the fandom. Since it is different, I still can’t believe how many people love it, and I honestly can’t thank them enough! All of you readers are so special to me, putting a smile on my face with every good word. I wish I could send you all a muffin basket or something, ha ha!
Saluki: Are you working on anything else?
LunarSiren: Several things, actually. After Cauchemar Vivant is finished, I’m picking up my other fic, Succubus Games, to give it a huge face lift and continue it. Then I have several one-shots I want to get done, along with a full-length lycanthrope fic. In between all of that, I hope to do some missing scenes/outtakes from Cauchemar Vivant. There’s so much that happens behind the scenes, it’ll give everyone a better understanding of the fic to get out of Bella’s mind. Look for lots of scenes from Carlisle and Edward ;)
Saluki: Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what do you listen to?
LunarSiren: Yes, I always listen to music. Normally it doesn’t inspire any scenes, it’s just white noise, but sometimes I get lucky. I listen to all kinds of things. I’ll start the night with Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed, Metallica, Killswitch Engage, and Kamelot. I’ll go through my techno play list after the rock and heavy metal. Then it comes down to Charlotte Church, Celtic Woman, She & Him, Chopin, Vivaldi, and Bach.
Saluki: Who are your favorite fan fic authors? What are you reading now?
LunarSiren: I haven’t read a whole lot recently, but I have a huge list to get through after I finish CV. My beta-turned-wifey-turned-author, Great Chemistry. So far she’s only written drabbles (for the Twilight 25 challenge), but I swear you can’t even tell. In only 100 words, she paints a surprisingly vivid picture, you’d think she came into this world with a pen in her hand!
Pemberly Rose’s COMPLETELY canon, post-Breaking Dawn fic, Life in Technicolor. It focuses on Jacob and Renesmee’s budding relationship, and she actually puts the whole imprinting thing in a good light. Oh, and don’t tell anyone, but there are rumors in the fandom that Pembs is actually Stephenie Meyer herself continuing the saga…
Pemberly Rose’s COMPLETELY canon, post-Breaking Dawn fic, Life in Technicolor. It focuses on Jacob and Renesmee’s budding relationship, and she actually puts the whole imprinting thing in a good light. Oh, and don’t tell anyone, but there are rumors in the fandom that Pembs is actually Stephenie Meyer herself continuing the saga…
Another good J/N fic is todream’s all-human fic, Hold On. It’s captivating from the get-go, but be warned that you might hate daddy Edward.
Other good fics include Twinned by Conversed; so far it’s been a huge mind fuck, which I enjoy immensely. All of Me by flibbins, which is following in the popular BDSM trend, but she doesn’t overdo it. It’s actually enjoyable. There’s a lot more meat on her characters than some BDSM fic writers.
Saluki: Are you a fan of any other books in the vampire genre?
LunarSiren: Where to begin? I guess I can pick a few to touch on here.
The root of most vampire mythology today, Anne Rice. I love the Vampire Chronicles! I mean, who could possibly hate Lestat? He has such charm, such grace. Her books inspire my writing quite a bit. With all the vivid imagery, it’s easy to get lost in the tale. Her character development, the way she pays attention to every little detail—it’s astounding.
Another good series happens to be by my writing idol, Laurell K. Hamilton. Her Anita Blake series is tremendously good. Although some people might disagree, often saying Laurell “jumped the shark,” it’s absolutely not true. I see why certain things had to happen, and I applaud her for staying true to her characters through it all. This series is all about action, getting your heart racing, and then you come into the later books where it takes a much different approach to get your heart racing. Ladies, the men in this series are a hundred times more charming than Edward . . . and there’s no “fade to black” like in Breaking Dawn. Just sayin’ ;)
Other series I recommend, though I can definitely give you a longer list if you’ve got the time, are the Morganville Vampires (Rachel Caine) and Vampire Academy (Richelle Mead). The Morganville Vampires series is all about the monster side of vampires. The Vampire Academy series is just a seriously darn good read with a mix of action and romance thrown in.
LunarSiren: Would you ever consider writing fan fic in another genre?
Saluki: Of course! As a writer, there’s no way I’d be happy sticking with one genre. I might be better in one genre more than another, but I’m willing to expand my boundaries. You never know what I’ll write next. Heck, I don’t even know! I plan for one thing, but something else pops up and I have to see where it goes. That’s how many of my one-shots are born.
As my writing motto goes, “Exploration is the name of the game.” So I’ll keep exploring the wonders of writing until I can’t possibly write anymore (:
Saluki: Is there anything else you would like readers to know?
LunarSiren: I don’t think so. Besides the fact that I want all the readers to know that despite real life kicking my behind, CV is still rampaging inside my head, and true to my word, I’m not giving up on it. Watch for the finale! And, I woud be remiss in not thanking Great Chemistry for purchasing this interview as part of Fandom Gives Back. I have to send her a muffin basket or champagne or something, ha ha! She’s done so much for me, I’ll be thanking her until my last breath.
Now that you’ve read the interview, click here immediately and read Cauchemar Vivant.
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