Carrie Clevenger's Traitors

To some of you, the vampire Xan Marcelles is no stranger. If you're really savvy, you'll remember him from the verrrry early days when his creator, Carrie Clevenger, wrangled him as a blog serial. Then I sank my editorial fangs and claws into her, and we whipped the lad into shape and brought you Crooked Fang.

Somewhere between all that, Carrie and I still collaborated. The first time as a freebie download off Smashwords called Just My Blood Type. But then we figured we had so much fun together, we brought out Blood and Fire, which feature her Xan teamed up with my Ash of Inkarna fame. Fireworks ensued. I wouldn't go so far as to call what happened a bromance, but it was more fun than a barrel full of monkeys on amphetamines.

Well, Carrie's had a whole lot happening in her life but she's got her pack of zombie cheerleaders who were begging for her to bring out more of Xan's story, and she's finally obliged by releasing Traitors which pretty much picks up where Crooked Fang left off.

To give you a brief summary: 
Vampire Xan Marcelles and his band, Crooked Fang, have been sitting idle for almost two months when Xan's given a job offer he can't refuse. Only it is not a music gig -- it's a multiple hit in a Texas town called Bartlett. Given no details except six names and a location, Xan hits the road. He's always worked alone at this sort of job, but now there's no way but to have Nin riding shotgun. Can Xan take out his marks and keep Nin out of trouble or have the years out of circulation blunted his edge?

Okay, so that's it in a nutshell. I managed to duct tape Carrie to her seat today for a brief Q&A... So thank you, Carrie.

How has Xan developed as a character since you started the journey with him in Crooked Fang?

Xan started out as a rather naive creature, with simple needs that were easily being met. Now that his old life as a vampire continues to pick at him, he's finding that this comfort he had is almost an illusion. What would his boss, Charlie, say to him if he should find out that Xan is a vampire?

Xan has grown wiser to the wiles of the women. Sort of. Okay, I hope he does. But women tend to be his weakness.

Xan seems to be cast from the template of the reluctant hero. Why is this, in your mind?

I never expected Xan to take up the mantle of reluctant hero. I just wrote his story and after he goes through the first mystery in Crooked Fang as a response to an old girlfriend's murder, his propensity to protect and assist shined through the smoke and black leather. His words remain fairly much the same. Asshole. Slacker.

The reader can clearly see he's not much of anything he says and seems to not recognize what he really is at times.

Xan doesn't get along with vampires in general. How is it that he and Nin work well together (or not)?

Xan doesn't *trust* vampires in general after his experiences with his kind from before he returned to live in Pale Rider among the humans. With Nin, his unfulfilled need to fit in with someone, anyone, is partially given a small showing. He finds something with her, albeit brief, that he wasn't aware of looking for in the first place.

Xan bitches about being selected by people to help, but he seems to not give much resistance. He finds out in Traitors some of the reasons why.

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So that's it from the mistress's mouth. Now, go add Traitors on your Goodreads TBR pile, or even better, feed your Kindle. Then make this editor extremely happy by leaving your review once you've had a chance to get better acquainted with Xan.