Interview with Rebecca Maizel

Rebecca Maizel, author of Infinite Days, has been kind enough to stop by Reading with Tequila to answer some questions.

Rebecca Maizel graduated from Boston University and the Rhode Island College master’s program. She teaches community college in Rhode Island and is studying to receive her MFA from Vermont College.

Reading with Tequila: Your book, Infinite Days, takes the average vampire story and twists it completely backwards making it both familiar and completely unexpected. What sparked the idea for you?

Rebecca: I connected to my main character, Lenah’s voice. It was so strong; and sinister and tragic. I wanted to tap into that sorrow and darkness. I wanted to bring this person, whoever she was back out to light. It turned out that she was a vampire and thematically, it worked. Every person out there has done something they aren’t be proud of. And whatever that thing is, they have to live with it - forever. That’s Lenah but times about a million!

RWT: Your vampires are much harder emotionally than most we see today. Why did you chose to make them not only not have much emotion, but also unable to feel much physically? Was this just your vision of vampires, or is there a deeper message here?

Rebecca: Oh wow, I think they feel a LOT of emotion. That's part of Lenah's torture - she feels so much pain that she longs to escape it. Love, the one respite from the misery is the only other happy emotion that vampires can feel. I thought about the story and what I would need for Lenah's motivation to be human to work. If I took human touch and taste away from her it would be that much more of a reason for her to want to be human.

RWT: Lenah is a 600 year old vampire who after a 100 year sleep becomes a 16 year old human girl. How do you even begin writing a character that has no idea of the last century but needs to be able to fit in with modern day life?

Rebecca: Research! 100 years ago the world was very different. We don't think about that much living in a world as technologically advanced as we are but 100 years ago transportation, medicine, entertainment, even books were fundamentally different. Librarians are your friends.

RWT: Rhode made a huge impact on me for the short amount of time he was alive. I'm still holding out hope he'll return in later books. Can you tell us anything more about him?

Rebecca: He narrates the prologue in the opening of book 2 which you can find in the back of the final copy of Infinite Days. I won't say anymore!! :)

RWT: There was a very unexpected death in Infinite Days. Without revealing anything spoiler-like, can you shed any light on why this character needed to die so soon?

Rebecca: Nothing in Infinite Days happens by happenstance. Every single event leaves major ramifications on the campus as well as on Lenah. :) Again....that's all I'll say (muhahahaa...laughing maniacally into the distance).

RWT: Can you give us any hints as to what readers can expect from future books in the Vampire Queen series?

Rebecca: Rhode.

About the Book

"Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you...no one."

Those were some of Rhode's last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.

It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.

Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust.

I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn't Rhode.

But Justin was...daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.

I never expected to be sixteen again...then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me...

Reading with Tequila's review of Infinite Days