Q & A with Lily Luchesi

1) Tell us about your book.

My latest release is called Paroled From Heaven. It is the finale of a series and sees our heroes Angelica and Danny Mancini facing their most vicious foe all while operating under unusual and often painful circumstances.
Here is the official blurb:
Death is not the end.
The Lieutenant of Hell is dead. The vampiric Empire has fallen, and the Paranormal Investigative Division is barely surviving. With no one controlling the demons and humanity left vulnerable, it's about to become a literal Hell on Earth.
But Heaven has a plan. Angels can't step in to fight, and only humans can save humanity. With a little grace, and a lot of power, there's one way to stop the demonic onslaught and impending rise of Lucifer: a temporary parole from Heaven. Who says death is forever?
 
2) What makes your vampires unique?

There are a few myths about vampires I disliked, like turning into smoke and wolves, so I removed those abilities from them, while keeping and modifying others. In my world, which I call the Underworld of Chicago, vampires can only be killed by decapitation or sunlight. Holy water and garlic can kill them, but both of those have antidotes a vampire can take to heal. Though my vamps can turn into bats, most refuse to do so, out of an inborn hatred for shapeshifters.
They can run at fast speeds, and are the only species able to do so, and my favorite thing about my vampires are their claws. They resemble those of a bat, but on them they are nearly a foot long and can slice through most materials, even some metals and stone. I love writing fight scenes where Angelica gets to use her claws!
Vampires also have dampened emotions, which most take to be a blessing, considering all the blood and death they see.
 
3) If you could have a vampire ability what would it be and why?

I’d love to turn into a bat! They’re one of my favorite animals and have been since I was a little girl. Plus, I’d be able to fly!
 
4) Is your book standalone or part or a series?

This is the eighth and final novel in The Paranormal Detectives Series. It began with following Detective Danny Mancini as he discovered that things that go bump in the night are real. Initially, it was supposed to be a standalone novel (Stake-Out, which is book one), and have a vastly different ending.
As I was writing, I got the idea for book two, Miranda’s Rights, and then decided to make it a trilogy. The trilogy turned into five books, which I thought was fore sure the end. And then I got an idea for three more books, and here we are.
I freely admit that I put my characters through the emotional and physical wringer, and some readers still haven’t forgiven me for certain scenes and character deaths!
Somehow, Danny became a slightly secondary character to Angelica, who was supposed to be the villain in book one, causing a major plot twist. Instead, she became an antihero, fighting for the lives of the very humans who would destroy her if given half the chance.
It is amazing where this series took me, and I am grateful to my readers for sticking with me through it all.
 
5) What is next for you?

After PDS ends, I have two more novels in my YA dark/UF series, The Coven Series. Book four releases on August 27th, and book five is coming in early 2020, as well as a companion novella that will seal and officially the series.
Coven is a slight spinoff of The Paranormal Detectives, and you will see some PDS characters pop up in all five books somehow. While it is YA, I found that my adult readers love it just as much as the teenagers do, which brings me great joy.
I also have plans for a YA/NA vampire trilogy called The Devil’s Kin in 2020.
For adult readers, I recently launched a pen name called Samantha Calcott. As Samantha, I write contemporary BDSM and erotic romance. I have two more releases from her this year, and a few slated for 2020 as well.

About the Author:
 
Lily Luchesi is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of the Paranormal Detectives Series, published by Vamptasy Publishing. She also has short stories included in multiple bestselling anthologies, and a successful dark erotica retelling of Dracula.
Her Coven Series has successfully topped Amazon's Hot New Releases list consecutively.
She is also the editor, curator and contributing author of Vamptasy Publishing's Damsels of Distress anthology, which celebrates strong female characters in horror and paranormal fiction.
She was born in Chicago, Illinois, and now resides in Arizona. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things "dark". At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle. She is also an out member of the LGBT+ community. When she's not writing, she's going to rock concerts, getting tattooed, watching the CW, or reading manga. And drinking copious amounts of coffee.
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