Cathrina is the author of Wickedly They Come (and the upcoming sequel Wickedly They Dream) and Tallas. Find Cathrina at her blog, Twitter, and on Amazon.
Thank you for tagging me, Cathy!
What is the name of your character? Is s/he fictional/historical?
My character is Vasyl Dzubenko. He is totally fictional.
When and where is the story set?
The story is set in 1917 in a railroad camp in Alaska. Vasyl and his wife Lara run a saloon called The Turnagain Arm in the camp. The saloon is named for a nearby waterway, which is a real part of Alaska.
What should we know about your character?
Vasyl is a middle-aged man who moved to Alaska after moving across Russia while working on the building of the Trans-Siberian Railway. He is originally from Ukraine which was part of the Russian Empire at that time. Vasyl is devoted to his wife but he has a very big secret that even she doesn’t know. Vasyl is a witch, but he hasn’t practiced his craft since leaving Ukraine. The last time he practiced things went very bad very quickly.
What is your character's goal?
He simply wants to run his saloon in peace with his wife at his side. He is happy in his adopted home of Alaska and is thrilled that Lara is pregnant. He can't wait for his child to be born.
What is screwing up your character's life (main conflict in writerly speak?)
Unfortunately for Vasyl, a Russian vampire named Aleksei Nechayev turned up at his saloon. The peaceful camp has never been the same since Aleksei arrived.
What is the title?
The book is called The Turnagain Arm and it is available on Amazon Kindle. It is a novella and a prequel to my novel Polar Night.
I am really bad about tagging for a hop because I can never decide who to tag. So anyone reading this who would like to participate, consider yourself tagged!
I hope everyone had a great weekend. :)
Something tells me Vasyl will have to start practicing again.
ReplyDeleteA great introduction to Vasyl. Hope the book's doing well :-)
ReplyDeleteOooo, sounds like you had to do some research for this one! Interesting premise, characters.
ReplyDeleteVampires do have a way of screwing up one's life, hehe. This is a fun hop - I just may tag myself!
ReplyDelete@Alex, good guess.
ReplyDelete@Annalisa, thanks!
@Bish, thank you! I love history so the research was fun.
@Nicki, I hope you do! :)
I don't think you should ever trust a vampire. It could turn out bloody awful. :)
ReplyDeleteI have to get this book. Still need to read Polar Night though. It's patiently waiting on my Kindle.
ReplyDelete@T.Powell, cute! :D
ReplyDelete@Shelly, thanks so much for getting it. I know what you mean, I have so many books on my Kindle I don't know when I'll catch up.
Ooh! Trouble is coming. Loved this little look into the story, Julie. It sounds totally awesome.
ReplyDeleteUnleashing the Dreamworld
I loved learning more about this story. It's on my Amazon list.
ReplyDeleteYou had me at "witch." I've always been such a huge fan of witches! :)
ReplyDelete@Crystal, so glad you liked it, thanks!
ReplyDelete@Carol, thanks!
@Heather, LOL, witches and vampires are my faves. :)
Julie, I'll say it again, I loved reading The Turnagain Arm!!! It was fantastic!!!!!! Looking forward to your next book!
ReplyDeleteThose damned Russian vampires, always out to ruin a good time. I can say damned, because aren;t all vampires damned?
ReplyDeleteOh! A good but nervous witch vs an evil vamp. That's awesome! :)
ReplyDeleteI like 'meet the character' posts, they make a writer's book come alive for the reader. Camps or even very small towns/villages can take on a life of their own and in Alaska with it's long months of darkness, it makes a great setting. . .
ReplyDeleteVasyl sounds like such a cool character!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm with you on not knowing who to tag . . .
I was already intrigued by your prequel, now, even more so!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read about their face off!
@Cathrina, you're so sweet, thank you!
ReplyDelete@Stephen, LOL, damn them all.
@Lexa, thanks!
@DG, I think they are fun too, I always enjoy them. And I've had such a great time learning about Alaska as a setting, such a fascinating place.
@Tyrean, it's so hard, isn't it? I get stressed about trying to decide LOL.
@Yolanda, aww, thank you!
I LOVED this book. It has me on the edge of my seat for the next one!
ReplyDeletePolar Night was FABULOUS, so I can't wait to read this!
ReplyDelete...and I'm also looking forward to the sequel of Polar Night!
Thank you so much Melissa and Michelle! You're awesome. :)
ReplyDeleteOoh vampires. I wasn't expecting that, actually! Although I did have a feeling it was something spooky as I was reading along with your answers.
ReplyDeleteVasyl and his wife are fantastic characters. I rooted for him!
ReplyDeleteYou know you have trouble when vamps show up.
ReplyDeleteVasyl sounds like an intriguing character, and I look forward to reading his story. :)
ReplyDeleteLove anything to do with witches!
It sounds like Vasyl just wants a peaceful life. I hope he gets it.
ReplyDeleteI loved learning more about your book. Happy National Cat Day!
ReplyDelete1917. I LOVE period pieces. And I really like the name Vasyl. May he find his way into the hearts of millions. ;)
ReplyDelete@Christine, so glad you liked them, thanks!
ReplyDelete@Elizabeth, no doubt LOL.
@Trisha, I do too. :)
@Shannon, Aleksei makes it difficult to say the least.
@Vanessa, oh, I didn't even know about cat day! Nate will never forgive me. Thanks!
@Michael, oh, that would be nice. I love period pieces as well. Thank you!
I can't wait to delve into this story, especially because you and I seem to be on a similar track in research lately. So I'm really eager to read this.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading it. I like that you went back into your character's history to come up with this story. Perfect for this time of year too! Who knew you were writing about witches and vampires and ghosts when we met? (by the way, my current side-project is a witch story too. :D )
ReplyDeleteGreat and unique way to introduce witches and vampires :) I like this blog-hop!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such a good book and love the Q & A.
ReplyDelete@Mary, yeah, whenever you talk about your research of women in the West it definitely gets my attention! I love history. Thanks!
ReplyDelete@LG, LOL, I wouldn't have believed it myself. Cool that you have a witch story in the works!
@Liz, it was fun to do, thanks.
@Birgit, glad you liked it, thank you!
spooky premise! :) i hope your book does really well!
ReplyDeletethanks for your kind comment tonight. really appreciate it! happy halloween and happy autumn!
I learned something new today. I thought male witches were called "warlocks, " and was surprised when you referred to Vasyl as a witch. I found out that "warlock" was an "offensive" word used to describe a male or female witch who was locked out of the coven. Thanks for setting me straight after all those years of watching Bewitched! It was fun learning more about the prequel!
ReplyDeleteJulie
@Tex, thank you for coming by and for your comment, so glad again to meet you.
ReplyDelete@Julie, I didn't even know that! I just kind of hate the word warlock so I was happy when I learned that in Russia and Eastern Europe there was more history with male witches than female, they had their own version of Salem only men were targeted, etc. I didn't even know warlock was offensive but now I'm glad I didn't use it LOL. Thanks!