Interview with author Ioana Vișan

  Bună dragilor. A trecut ceva timp de la ultimul interviu, prea mult din punctul meu de vedere, asa ca sper să vă facă plăcere. Eu una le ador pentru că este un mod minunat să aflu mai multe despre scriitorii preferați și cărțile lor. Am rugat-o de data aceasta pe Ioana Vișan să îmi ofere un interviu pentru blog și vreau să îi mulțumesc că a fost atât de drăguță să îmi răspundă la întrebări. Am obiceiul să traduc interviurile, de aceea o să revin cu varianta în limba română. Enjoy!   

Dreams*Link: Ioana, can you please share with us a little about yourself?

Ioana Vișan: Hi, I’m a writer, and I live in Iasi. I prefer to let my stories speak for me, and there are quite a few available for you to try. Since my debut in 2008, I published short stories in several on-line magazines and Romanian anthologies, as well as my short story collection “Efectul de nautil” published by Millennium Books this spring.

In English, I have three titles available: an apocalyptic novella “Human Instincts”, a paranormal short story collection “Blue Moon Café Series: Where Shifter Meet for Drinks”, and a vampire novella “The Impaler’s Revenge”. The Romanian edition of “Human Instincts” will be published by Millennium Books and launched at Bookfest at the end of May.

DL: Can you please tell us about your latest book, The Impaler’s Revenge?

IV: Like the title suggests, The Impaler’s Revenge is a vampire story, a novella actually, the first in The Impaler Legacy series. The action takes place in Romania, sometime in the current century, and the heroine is also Romanian. As a member of the Little Council, Liana Cantacuzino’s job, and some might say main purpose in life, is to keep all vampires out of Romania.

Enter Maximilien Hess, a thousand year old vampire who doesn’t care about their rules and is brought in by presidential invitation. To make things worse, Liana is appointed to supervise his staying in Bucharest so from killing vampires she has to switch to babysitting one.

Beyond the fantasy label, this is a story about trust, how our upbringing shapes our beliefs, what makes us humans, how we can be hurt without using stakes and blades, and how we evolve and survive in a world that we can’t control.

DL: How did you come with the idea for this story?

IV: The vampire myth has been associated with Romania, and Transylvania in particular, for way too long. It was time to get a new spin on the story. I wanted to write something different from all the vampire stories out there, not one of the ‘girl meets vampire and falls madly in love’ typical scenarios. And I wanted us to be the good guys for a change.

DL: Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

IV: I’m in the process of writing the final draft of The Impaler’s Revenge sequel. Hopefully, it will be available on-line this summer.

DL: What do you find the most difficult about writing?

IV: Writing is not the most difficult part, waiting to hear back from the editors can be worse. That and deciding what to write next when there are no deadlines. And sometimes, badly wanting to write a story, but having to finish another one first.

DL: Do you have a special routine you like to do before you write?

IV: No, nothing like that. I just sit down in front of the computer and write. It usually works better if it’s quiet and sunny outside, but I’m not picky.

DL: Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

IV: This will sound weird. There are several authors I admire, and I’ll happily read their books, interviews, and everything they want to share with the world, but I don’t think I would go as far as meeting them. At the end of the day, they’re just people, and it would feel too much like sticking my nose in their business.

DL: Can you choose one book everyone should read before they die?

IV: There’s no such thing. I think everyone should read what they like, and since we’re all different, it’s normal to enjoy different things. It wouldn’t be fair to make everyone read the same thing.

DL: What is your favorite time of year and why?

IV: Summer, summer vacation more exactly. I like it because it’s hot, and the days are long, perfect for long trips. The only good thing about winter is Christmas and the skating season.

DL: Tell us one thing you’d like to change at people from nowadays.

IV: I’d like them to be more kind and culturally inclined. 

DL: Is there a moment in your life you’d like to live again?

IV: There are several happy moments I wouldn’t mind reliving, but a certain vacation in South of France back in the mid 90s particularly comes to mind.

DL: Would you like to say something to your readers?

IV: Thank you all for accompanying me on this journey. I hope you’ll stick around because there are more surprises coming.

DL: Thank you for your time.

IV: Thanks for having me.