Revamped by Ada AdamsA simple mission turned deadly.
Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.
When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.
Here's what all she had to say...
1. Give us a little synopsis of your debut novel, Revamped.
“ReVamped” is a YA Paranormal novel, with a little bit of romance, and a lot of action, adventure and humor. It tells a story about a vampire girl, Dawn, who is responsible for revamping a group of misfits and training them to become official protectors of a small town of Angel Creek. However, upon Dawn’s arrival in Angel Creek, things go awry. She must not only struggle to train the misfits (who are a far cry from strong, dazzling vampires in both capability and attitude), but she also has to deal with some very big mysteries surrounding her past. Throw in a couple of cute guys, and poor Dawn has a plate full of drama!
2. What is your inspiration for this book?
I wanted to put a bit of a humorous, pop-culture twist on a wonderful genre that we all love so much. There is no denying that in today’s society, vampires are idolized. I drew inspiration from that idea and decided to explore what would happen if vampires actually came out of the darkness and started coexisting with humans. We would treat them like celebrities, wouldn’t we? However, what if those vampires weren’t so perfect? What if they were a bunch of misfits who bore little resemblance to the vampires we so dearly love? From that, began a TV script about a strong vampire chick who was responsible for revamping these misfits. After writing the pilot, I came to the conclusion that the story would work better as a novel. At Dawn’s insistence (she often woke me up in the middle of the night!), I began writing.
I have a very long and detailed post on the birth of the book on the “ReVamped” Blog: www.revampedthebook.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/revamped-background
I also have an even longer post on how the Angel Creek setting came about:
http://revampedthebook.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/revamped-setting-angel-creek
3. Do you feel you are personally connected to any one character especially? Who and why?
I care for each of the characters (the non-villainy ones at least!) very deeply. Throughout the book, I have grown to love them all—even the ones that drive me crazy sometimes. I’m always rooting for Dawn, because she has not only been through a lot, but there is still so much that she needs to learn about herself. I’m really looking forward to watching her grow as the series progresses and truly come into her own (she’s doing pretty well with the kick-butt vampire part of her personality, so we’ll be working “Dawn - The Girl” aspect).
4. When can we expect the next installment of The Angel Creek Chronicles?
“ReAwakened”, the second book in the Angel Creek series, will be out in the summer of 2012. An exact date will be announced later this spring. I’m very excited about the story so far. We will get to learn more about the misfits’ pasts, as well as see the romance between Dawn and the boys develop on a much deeper and more exciting level. We will also meet a few new characters who are causing some havoc in Angel Creek!
5. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
I always felt drawn to creative fields like writing and acting. I have enjoyed writing ever since I could read. I have a great desire to express myself, especially when it comes to dealing with words. Writing is a wonderful way to create worlds that only exist in our minds, as well as bring unique characters to life. I love the power that writing provides me with. Even when I’m just writing for myself (and not intending to publish), I take great pleasure in creating stories. It’s almost like magic!
6. Have you ever, or do you plan to use your education degree to maybe teach others how to write?
I love to encourage children to express themselves through writing, so I do hope that I will be able to spend more time working with kids. I’m currently volunteering in a reading recovery program in an elementary school. It’s a wonderful way to learn about great new children’s authors. I recently spent some time teaching a unit on fairytale writing to a grade two class, and they wrote such incredible stories! Kids are so imaginative, so I enjoy cultivating that creativity.
7. You’ve been writing for a long time, is there more projects currently awaiting publication?
While I do have other written work, as well as tons of new ideas in my head, my main goal at this point in time is to tell Dawn’s story and finish the “Angel Creek” series. This comes from my own experience as a reader—I get so antsy while waiting a year or two for a new book in a series to come out, so I have chosen this route in order to not make my readers wait too long. I’m already getting threatening emails about the fact that summer is too far away for some! :)
8. What is the idea you would like your readers to most get from your writing?
Ideally, I hope that they enjoy the story and have fun while reading it!
9. What is your favorite way to write? (place, typed vs. hand-written, etc).
I like to brainstorm ideas outside, using a pen and paper. I love to be in the sunshine, lie comfortably on the grass, and listen to the sounds of nature. However, when I sit down to write, I prefer to be in the office, in front of the computer, and work best in complete silence.
10. Any advice for all those aspiring writers out there?
Keep writing and don’t give up! If you have the passion for creating stories, do something about it. Start a journal or a blog, enroll in a workshop, join an online community of writers, do whatever it takes to motivate yourself to achieve your writing goals. I also believe that you should always take great pleasure in each piece of work you create. Be proud of yourself and your love for the craft. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Taking a chance on something unique can be risky, but it can also turn out to be very fun and extremely rewarding. These are just a few of my personal thoughts. What works for me may not work for everyone else. Find your personal inspiration and use it! Happy writing!
Thank you, Ada, for all of the wonderful answers and the time you spent to let your readers get to know you a bit better!!
If you are as interested as I am, you can buy the book by clicking the title above, or learn more about her by clicking some of the links below..
Happy Easter my dear friend. Hugs from Rio de Janeiro/Brasil
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