Interview (and Giveaway) with Giovanni Vecchio from This Same Earth

 A Hidden Fire and This Same Earth by Elizabeth Hunter

The Elemental Mysteries, Books 1 & 2

Today is a very exciting day here at Better Read Than Dead. I have the pleasure of welcoming the sexy fire-vampire, Giovanni Vecchio, to my little home on the web. We are going to see if we can find out what drives the enigma that is Gio. Hopefully, he will let us in on a few of his secrets. In case you haven't met Gio before...check out my reviews of A Hidden Fire and This Same Earth. This series is intriguing, mysterious, and sensuous.

Kristin: Welcome to Better Read Than Dead Dr. Vecchio. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and tell us a little about yourself and possibly give us some insight into the enigma that is Giovanni Vecchio.

Giovanni: Thank you for having me, Kristin. It's a pleasure to be here. I've heard a few of your readers may be considered...fans. I'm very flattered that they have read Beatrice's and my first book. (My assistant, Ms. Hunter, is also quite pleased.)

Kristin: I want to talk a little about Beatrice’s journals she wrote you in Chile. How did you feel when you read the things she wrote – especially the parts about her love life or her deep hatred for you that seeped out at times?

Giovanni: I respect Beatrice enough to know she is entitled to her own life and her own opinions, and I expected her to be angry with me. Whatever romantic interests she had in the time we were separated are inconsequential. I am more interested in her future.

Kristin: I know you believed you were doing Beatrice a favor by leaving her for all that time. Do you still believe it was the right thing to do or do you regret not having that time with her?

Giovanni: I regretted every day we spent apart. But it is often necessary to think of the future instead of...indulging in immediate pleasures.

Kristin: Tell us the truth…how often did you spy on her?

Giovanni: I'm not sure I know what you are talking about. Whatever security I hired to guard Beatrice in the time we were apart was for her protection. She is, after all, under my aegis. It will always be my responsibility to protect her.

**Hmmm…I wonder if you’re not a tad bit in denial. I believe there is more to this than you aegis.

Kristin: Was there ever a point that you thought you had lost her for good? That she wouldn’t forgive you?

Giovanni: I'm a confident man. And I've been told I can be very...persuasive. (Incidentally, my assistant just rolled her eyes at me. She pretends she is immune to my charms, but I know better.)

Kristin: Some horrific things happen to Carwyn and his family. Do you believe he will ever be the fun-loving jokester we all love or has this trauma been too much?

Giovanni: I have known Carwyn for hundreds of years. He may be fun-loving, but he's also extremely wise, resilient, and far tougher than many people realize. I'm very confident he and his family will recover from their loss. On a lighter note, I've ordered the Best of Wrestlemania DVDs for him as a Christmas present this year. That and needling me about my love life are sure to cheer him up eventually.

***You two and your Wrestelmania. I feel for Beatrice and Ben. Of course, Ben is a boy so he will probably join in all the hoopla. Poor Bea.

Kristin: So you scoured the world, looking for Beatrice’s father. You adopted Ben. Obviously you missed Beatrice greatly. What else can you tell us about your adventures?

Giovanni: Hmm, I don't believe in “showing my hand,” but let's just say that I plan for the future. Especially when those I care about may be at risk. I take the protection of those I love very seriously.

Kristin: Lorenzo is a sore subject, I know. However, I wonder if there would ever be a way you could forgive him? Is there a chance he could change for the better?

Giovanni: Carwyn would say that there is always a chance for redemption. I, however, believe that the past best predicts the future. Judge a man, or a vampire, by his actions. That's all I'll say about Lorenzo.

Kristin: I would like to know a bit more about Gemma. Did you believe Beatrice when she revealed Gemma’s true feelings for you? Did it change anything for you, knowing?

Giovanni: I trust Beatrice’s judgment implicitly. She's very perceptive about human nature. Gemma has been a friend for hundreds of years; I still consider her one. Whatever...other feelings she may have do not affect me. (Kristin, my assistant just muttered something about “oblivious men.”)

***I’m thinking your assistant may be on to something. Just saying…

Kristin: Can you sum up your feelings for Beatrice in three words?

            Giovanni: I'm a man of few words; I can tell you in two. Tesoro mio. She is my treasure.

Kristin: Being a vampire, I’m not sure of your traditions; but, is there a chance you would ever marry Beatrice? If so, what would your ideal wedding be?

Giovanni: There is as much variety of tradition in the vampire world as there is in the human one. I may be a vampire, but my best friend is a priest. What do you think? As for ceremonies, I have no opinion on them. It is the act, not the ceremony surrounding it that is important.

Kristin: I know you are a very busy man. You have monsters to hunt, a nephew to take care of, and a beautiful woman craving your attention. One last question…can you tell us anything of what we should expect in The Force of Wind which is expected to make an appearance in March 2012?

Giovanni: I think you should expect the unexpected for our next adventure. We'll travel somewhere you might not have predicted. Also, a very old friend of mine might be playing a much larger part in our mystery. Incidentally, I've heard the next book has been called quite “steamy” by some of Ms. Hunter's readers. That, of course, is their opinion.

***Ah, steamy. That is definitely something to look forward to.

Gio, thank you so much for stopping by my home on the web. Also, please send a great big thank you to your assistant for typing these answers so you didn’t fry her computer. I have a feeling she is very fond of it…if I know anything about authors. (Gio and electricity don't play well together.)

Synopsis:

"No secret stays hidden forever."

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he’d abandoned years before.  He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract.  Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.

A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers.  It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series.

Synopsis:

Beatrice De Novo thought she had left the supernatural world behind…for the most part. But when the past becomes the present, will she leave her quiet life in Los Angeles to follow a mystery she thought had abandoned her? Where has Giovanni Vecchio been, and why has he returned? Giovanni has his own questions, and he’s looking to her for answers.

The sequel to A Hidden Fire will reunite Beatrice and Giovanni to continue their search through the past while both wrestle with the future. When the world as you knew it has changed forever, is there any way you can turn back?

This Same Earth is the second book in the Elemental Mysteries series. It is a paranormal romance/mystery for adult readers.

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