Interview: Brian Rowe

Brian Rowe, author behind "The Vampire Underground"

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1. Tell us a little about yourself?

I'm 27 years old and currently live in Reno, Nevada, where I work as a substitute teacher and videographer, and of course, a writer. I'm taking English Grad School classes up at the University of Nevada Reno and will be applying for MFA Creative Writing programs in the fall. I love writing my novels and work every single day on a project. Currently I'm working on the second draft of my Vampire Underground sequel, The Zombie Playground. I also love hiking, biking, and golf, and I love to read books! I always have a book on me, and lately I've been trying to read more YA fiction. In a few weeks I'm going to start Divergent, which I've heard is one of the better ones of late. I've written seven novels (which includes my forthcoming Zombie Playground) and am prepping a new novel that is unlike anything I've ever written.

2. What inspired you to write The Vampire Underground?

I've been a fan of vampire movies and vampire fiction for some time, and I'd been itching to put my own spin on the vampire formula. Ten years ago I visited Bodie Ghost Town in California and was immediately inspired by the spooky place. For the last few years I've been thinking of writing a story that takes place there, and when I came up with the idea for this book, vampires came to mind as being the villains in the story. I was also interested in bringing back scary vampires. I feel like in the last five years anything to do with teen vampire fiction has the sparkly, nice, caring vampires, and while there's one character like that in my story, I wanted the majority of the vampire clan to be terrifying and uncompromising. Overall though I wanted to tell a good story, and create memorable characters that the reader will care about. This novel is only the beginning—I'm planning on writing seven books in this Grisly High series—and I want the reader to connect with these characters because they're going to be around for a while.

3. Who would you cast for leading roles, if your book was being made into a movie?

I actually haven't thought about this for The Vampire Underground yet, so I welcome the question. One of my favorite younger actresses out there is Chloe Grace Moretz, who was in Let Me In, Kick-Ass, Hugo, and the upcoming Dark Shadows. I think she would make a perfect Brin. She has the strength, the vulnerability, the sarcastic wit, the beauty. She'd be perfect. For Ash, I see more of a geek—how about that kid from Diary of a Wimpy Kid? Of course he may be only 12 or 13 now, but if the movie were made in five years or so, he'd be the right age, as would Chloe. I have no idea who could play Anaya, but Chace and Lavender could be played by actors in their late teens, early 20s, that are extremely attractive. And for Paul? How about Dylan Minnette, also from Let Me In, as well as the new NBC show Awake? Not only is he attractive in an unusual sort of way, but he looks like the kind of guy the character of Brin could fall for.

4. Favorite Starbucks Drink?

I think it's seasonal, but my favorite Starbucks drink has to be that Caramel Salted Hot Chocolate. Yowsa, that's delicious! 

                            Thank you Brian for your time!