Category: Morganville

Rest In Peace Roxanne Conrad aka Rachel Caine

11/13/2020

I’d like to pay tribute to Roxanne Conrad aka Rachel Caine, who sadly lost her battle with cancer on 1st of November. Writing under the name Rachel Caine she has sold an incredible 58 million books worldwide and created a number of series for both adults and young adult readers.

The Morganville Vampires is one of Roxanne/Rachel's most loved series. The Morganville Vampires spans an amazing 15 books and tells the story of Claire Danvers who arrives in the dusty Texas town of Morganville to go to college and quickly discovers that it is filled with vampires. Whilst initially aimed at young adult readers it has fans of all ages. Despite the fact that The Morganville Vampires sold millions of copies worldwide it had not been adapted for film and television the way other hugely successful book series have been.

In 2013 Roxanne/Rachel decided to change that and announced plans to adapt Glass Houses the first Morganville Vampires novel into a web-based TV series with a little help from fans via the crowdfunding website Kickstarter.

Amber Benson was delighted when Roxanne/Rachel asked her play the role of Morganville town founder Amelie. Morganville The Series premiered in October 2014. I was lucky enough to meet Roxanne in person when I attended the UK premiere of Morganville The Series she was very kind and generous with her time and offered me encouragement when I told her I’d like to become a writer. I will always treasure the copy of Glass Houses which she was kind enough to sign for me.

Amber paid her own tribute via her official Twitter account following the terribly sad news of Roxanne's passing, click here.

Her husband R. Conrad, Lucienne Diver her friend and literary agent and her friend and trusty assistant Sarah Simpson-Weiss released messages and I have included the link here.

My friend Trista Holmes who helped me create this website interviewed Roxanne/Rachel for another website she was building. Trista was kind enough to let me post the interview here in which Roxanne/Rachel discussed The Morganville Vampires, her writing process and more. Click here if you would like to read it.

To find out more, click the hyperlink to visit the official Morganville The Series website and because of the partnership with Geek and Sundry you can watch it for free via their official YouTube platform, click the link here.

The second is to Rachel Caine’s official website which has details of all of the books she has written for both young adult and adult readers. I'm betting there is a book in there that you would like to read. Click here to find out more.

My condolences to all of Roxanne's family and friends. Rest in peace Roxanne and thank you for all of your wonderful books and your kindness.

Joe

Morganville The Series Starring Amber Benson Is Now Available To Pre Order On DVD

2/18/2015

Here is the news that Morganville fans can really sink their teeth into Morganville the series is now available to pre order on DVD.

If you are hearing the name Morganville for the very first time don't worry let me get you up to speed. Morganville is the setting for Rachel Caine's phenomenally successful MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES series of novels. Morganville is a town in Texas like no other in that it's run entirely by vampires. The series spans 15 books and has millions of devoted followers. Unlike other similar series, however, (such as the ever popular Harry Potter series), Morganville has never been made into a film or TV series.

In the summer of 2013 Rachel decided it was time for this to change she announced ambitious plans to produce a series of TV quality webisodes to bring the world of Morganville from the page to the screen for the first time. To help make her dream a reality Rachel enlisted the help of Blake Calhoun to direct the series and Amber Benson to play the leading role of Morganville Town Founder Amelie, after so many years of Buffy under her belt, it appears to be a case of "If you can't slay them, join them". Now of course we all know that it won't be Amber's first time playing a vampire. Who could forget her brilliant performance as Lenore on the hit television show SUPERNATURAL, or her voice over capabilities as Vampire Tara in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds?

Rachel launched a Kickstarter campaign with the aim of raising the funds she needed to turn a dream into reality. Thanks to the dedication and generosity of Morganville fans worldwide it smashed through its initial $75,000 target raising an impressive $81,752. This meant the series could go into production and was filmed entirely on location in Texas. Rachel also announced a partnership with online TV channel and multimedia platform Geek and Sundry who provided additional funding for the series as well as screening for free to fans worldwide.

Morganville the series had its world premiere at London's MCM Comic Con on 25 October 2014 and I'm very proud to say I was lucky enough to be there and have the opportunity to meet Rachel and Amber along with fellow cast members Robert Picardo “Oliver” Lindsay Seidel “Claire Danvers” Jordan Farris “Shane Collins” and Ben Easter “Michael Glass”.

Morganville series made its worldwide debut on 27 October 2014 via Geek and Sundry's YouTube channel. I'm happy to say that the entire series is still available to watch in full via the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7atuZxmT954TvdqgzNfYdQ-btKcAKvWU

Now the DVD version is set for release, a must for any fan and is loaded with extras including behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, audio commentaries and much more. To celebrate the launch of the DVD Rachel has decided to produce two special edition DVDs only available via the official Morganville website and crucially only available for a limited time.

Option One: Morganville DVD with all the extras signed by Rachel Caine herself

Just – $15 plus shipping

Option Two: Morganville DVD with the extras and signed by Rachel it also includes an exclusive Morganville short story penned by Rachel in e book and audio versions.

Just – $25 plus shipping

Click Here to pre order your DVD now

As I said this special preorder offer is only available for a very limited time you have to hurry, you only have until 28 February 2015 to take advantage of this preorder special.

I am a huge fan of Morganville and I encourage anyone to check out the series and catch these DVDs while you can. Just remember if you're planning on visiting Morganville "it's their town we just die in it".

Joe

Disclaimer Morganville The Series is the property of Rachel Caine and Pen Ultimate Productions LLC and their partners. AmberBenson.TV owns nothing and is not involved in any way with the production of this series we are simply spreading the word about another exciting project involving Amber Benson.

A New Look For The Official Morganville The Series Website

11/12/2014

Following the world premiere of Morganville The Series on Saturday, 25 October at MCM London Comic Con and its worldwide release on Geek and Sundry on the 27th. The official Morganville website morganvilletheseries.com has a fresh new look where you can view all six episodes of season one together with character profiles, news about the show and even the brand-new Morganville store.

The Morganville store offers fans the chance to get their hands on some exclusive and official merchandise. You can find amongst other things a full range of exclusive Morganville T-shirts and bags, a Common Grounds coffee mug and even an exclusive range of jewellery including Amelie on a Founder’s Ring and much more.

It also has the official social media feeds built into the site together with the latest news section detailing any new exciting goings-on in the world of Morganville.

If you haven't yet had a chance to watch the series for yourself please do yourself a favour and check it out not forgetting of course the amazing novels that first brought us the town of Morganville and garnered millions of fans worldwide.

Fans are already asking when and if a second season will be made, for now Rachel is asking fans to spread the word and help season one get as many views as possible to prove there is a demand for season 2.

So to watch the series and find out a whole lot more about the Morganville universe please visit morganvilletheseries.com. Just remember: “It’s their town. We just die in it”.

Joe

Disclaimer Morganville is the property of Rachel Caine and Pen Ultimate Productions LLC and their partners. AmberBenson.TV owns nothing and is not involved in any way with the production of this series we are simply spreading the word about another exciting project involving Amber Benson.

Morganville The Series Is Finally Here

10/27/2014

It's the day fans of both Amber and Rachel Caine's phenomenally successful series of novels the Morganville Vampires have been waiting for as it makes it’s long-awaited on-screen debut.

Following a successful Kickstarter campaign a total of $81,752 to help Rachel Caine achieve her dream of taking her Morganville universe from page to screen for the first time.

Earlier this year the online TV channel and multimedia platform Geek and Sundry announced they were partnering with Rachel’s Pen Ultimate Productions to provide the remainder of the funding needed for the series and then show it in full and for free on their YouTube channel.

Morganville enjoyed its world premiere this past weekend at MCM London Comic Con where lucky guests were not only treated to the first two episodes of the series in full but series creator Rachel Caine was also in attendance for a panel with cast members:

Amber Benson “Amelie”

Robert Picardo “Oliver”

Lindsay Seidel “Claire Danvers”

Jordan Farris “Shane Collins”

Ben Easter “Michael Glass”

There was a Morganville screening and panel on both Saturday and Sunday I was lucky enough to attend the Saturday panel and along with other fans got the chance to meet Rachel, Amber, Robert, Lindsay, Jordan and Ben it was a great event and I’m so glad I got a chance to be part of it. I just returned from London last night and I hope to be able to post a photo or two from the panel tomorrow.

Today saw the release of episode one (The Glass House) and episode two (Bite Me) on the Geek and Sundry YouTube channel. Click the link below to watch both for free now. Geek and Sundry will show new episode(s) each day as part of their “Halloweek” celebrations.

Here is the direct link to Geek and Sundry’s Morganville page on YouTube where all the subsequent episodes will be posted throughout the week for fans to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7atuZxmT954TvdqgzNfYdQ-btKcAKvWU

I also plan to post direct links to the new episode(s) each day this week on the AmberBenson.TV Twitter feed and Facebook page to help you find them even faster.

Having already seen episodes one and two I can tell you this series looks fantastic and is sure to be a hit with fans. The entire AmberBenson.TV team would like to congratulate Rachel, Amber and the entire cast and crew on working so hard to bring the series to the screen. I'd encourage anyone to check out the series for themselves whether you're a long time Morganville fan or a newcomer to watch the series and spread the word. As I said above I was lucky enough to meet Rachel and she was also quick to thank every single person who contributed to the Kickstarter campaign for making the series possible.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to watch episodes one and two again I could swear I've seen that man on one of those missing persons posters somewhere before. ;)

Joe

Disclaimer Morganville is the property of Rachel Caine and Pen Ultimate Productions LLC and their partners. AmberBenson.TV owns nothing and is not involved in any way with the production of this series we are simply spreading the word about another exciting project involving Amber Benson.

Important News About Morganville The Series Panel At MCM Comic Con London

10/17/2014

I have some exciting news for anyone planning to attend the Morganville the series panel and premiere at MCM comic con in London later this month some of the screening times have now been confirmed.

After some initial confusion earlier in the week we can confirm that there will be Morganville screening on Sunday, 26 October between 2 - 2:30 PM in VidFest UK area.

It was later confirmed via the official London MCM twitter account that they are planning a Morganville panel on Saturday however the time and location are yet to be confirmed.

Saying:

“Quick note for #Morganville fans coming to MCM #London #ComicCon

There is a Saturday panel time & stage TBC :)

@rachelcaine @MV_The_Series”

I will be attending MCM London Comic Con so I asked if anyone wishing to attend the Morganville panel would need a separate ticket along with the one they purchased for the event.

They responded via Twitter to say that and I quote:

"@AmberAddict @rachelcaine @MV_The_Series MCM panels are not usually ticketed :)”

They confirmed however that if the situation changes they will update their website. When and if I have any more information to bring you on this and/or the time of the panel on Saturday I will do my very best to update the site ASAP.

Joe

Disclaimer Morganville The Web TV Series is the property of Rachel Caine and Pen Ultimate Productions LLC.

AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with the production of this series.

We are also not involved in any way with the MCM London Comic Con event.

AmberBenson.TV is simply spreading the word about another exciting project and appearance involving Amber Benson.

Amber Benson To Attend The World Premiere Of Morganville The Series At MCM London Comic Con In October.

9/23/2014

Morganville the series creator Rachel Caine announced yesterday that she will be hosting a panel dedicated to the upcoming web series set to make its debut on Geek and Sundry. The panel will include Amber who plays Morganville town founder Amelie she is joined by her co-stars Lindsay Seidel (Claire Danvers), Jordan Farris (Shane Collins) and a special surprise guest. As if all that was not enough the panel will include the world premiere of the first two episodes of the series.

Morganville the series is a web television adaptation of Rachel's own bestselling series of novels Morganville Vampires which has fans worldwide. The series was made possible after a successful Kickstarter campaign in which fans rallied round to fund the series.

For more information see their official website morganvilleseries.com, AmberBenson.TV also has its own dedicated Morganville page click here

MCM London Comic Con will take place between the 24th – 26th of October 2014 at Excel, Royal Victoria Dock, London, United Kingdom. The exact time and place of the Morganville panel have not yet been released but as soon as we know we'll let you know. For more information on MCM London Comic Con, how to buy tickets and much more please see their official website:

http://www.mcmcomiccon.com/london/ along with the page dedicated to the

Morganville panel: http://www.mcmcomiccon.com/london/2014/09/22/comic-con-invites-vamps-in-for-morganville-premiere/

I'm delighted Amber is returning to the UK and thrilled that we will play host to Morganville's world premiere. I hope to be there myself, fingers crossed I will see you along with Amber of course.

Joe

Disclaimer Morganville The Web TV Series is the property of Rachel Caine and Pen Ultimate Productions LLC.

AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with the production of this series.

We are also not involved in any way with the MCM London Comic Con event.

AmberBenson.TV is simply spreading the word about another exciting project and appearance involving Amber Benson.

A First Look At Morganville The Series Starring Amber Benson

8/2/2014

This is what fans of both Amber Benson and Morganville Vampires had been waiting for our very first look at Morganville the series. The first trailer that gives fans their first chance to see Amber and the rest of the cast in character on screen for the first time.

If you are hearing the name Morganville for the very first time don't worry let me get you up to speed. Morganville is the setting for Rachel Caine's phenomenally successful MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES series of novels. Morganville is a town in Texas like no other in that it's run entirely by vampires. The series spans 15 books and has millions of devoted followers. Unlike other similar series, however, (such as the ever popular Harry Potter series), Morganville has never been made into a film or TV series.

In the summer of 2013 Rachel decided it was time for this to change she announced ambitious plans to produce a series of TV quality webisodes to bring the world of Morganville from the page to the screen for the first time. To help make her dream a reality Rachel enlisted the help of Blake Calhoun to direct the series and Amber Benson to play the leading role of Morganville Town Founder Amelie, after so many years of Buffy under her belt, it appears to be a case of "If you can't slay them, join them". Now of course we all know that it won't be Amber's first time playing a vampire. Who could forget her brilliant performance as Lenore on the hit television show SUPERNATURAL, or her voice over capabilities as Vampire Tara in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds?

Now that Blake and Amber were on board funding had to be secured to achieve this, Rachel decided to use Kickstarter offering fans of the series exciting rewards in return for their donations and the chance to be part of this exciting project. The campaign was a huge success it smashed its initial target raising $81,752 meaning the series was a go.

The series was filmed on location in Texas throughout April 2014 and joining Amber in bringing Morganville residents to life is Stargate star Robert Picardo as Oliver and an exciting roster of young acting talent including:

Lindsay Seidel, Jordan Farris, Ben Easter, Haileigh Todd, Afomia Hailemeskel, Chase Ryan Jeffery, Gregory Connors, Nikki Donley, Jessi Mechler &Taylor Murphy.

It was also announced that Geek and Sundry the online TV channel, multimedia platform and production company co-founded by actress Felicia Day announced it would be adding Morganville to its line-up of shows including Tabletop and Caper from the summer of 2014.

This exciting partnership meant that Geek and Sundry played host to a Morganville The Series panel at San Diego Comic Con on 25 July. This brings us neatly back to the trailer I mentioned at the top of this post, the following video was given its world premiere at Comic Con and then released to everyone who had backed the Kickstarter campaign. These fans were able to enjoy it exclusively for the last week. Rachel has now released the trailer today so everyone can enjoy it. AmberBenson.TV is delighted to help spread the word about the series as we take our first look at Amber in the role of Amelie.

For more information on Morganville The Series please visit morganvilletheseries.com or our own dedicated Morganville page click here

So without further ado here is the trailer.

Enjoy

Joe

Disclaimer Morganville The Web TV Series is the property of Rachel Caine and Pen Ultimate Productions LLC. AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with the production of this series we are simply spreading the word about another exciting project involving Amber Benson.

Amber To Be Part Of The Morganville The Series Panel At San Diego Comic Con

7/18/2014

Rachel Caine the creator and writer of Morganville the series recently confirmed that not only will there be a Morganville the series panel at the upcoming San Diego comic con but that Amber will also take part.

If you are unfamiliar with the name Morganville and are hearing about the series for the first time let me get you up to speed. Morganville The Web TV Series is an adaption of Rachel Caine’s bestselling series of novels. The story is set in the fictitious Texas town of Morganville, which is unique because it is owned, ran and operated entirely by vampires. The series currently spans 15 novels but despite this success it has never being adapted for television or film. Rachel decided it was time for this to change and the time was right to take the world of Morganville from page to screen. To make this happen in the summer of 2013 Rachel launched a Kickstarter campaign with the aim of raising $75,000 to put the series into production. Thanks to the devoted Morganville fan base around the world it smashed this initial target raising a grand total of $81,752. This means that six TV quality webisodes of approximately 10 minutes each will now be made written by Rachel herself. The series was produced and directed by Blake Calhoun responsible for a number of successful web series including Pink the Series. Rachel has assembled a superb cast alongside Amber including Robert Picardo as Oliver. The filming of the series took place on location in Texas throughout April of this year.

It was also announced in April that Geek & Sundry TV channel and multimedia platform and Production Company co-founded by actress Felicia Day announced it would be adding Morganville to its line-up of shows including Tabletop and Caper from the summer of 2014.

For more information on Morganville the series check out their official website morganvilletheseries.com or to view our own dedicated Morganville page click here

The Morganville panel will take place on Friday, 25 July between 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM at: Geek & Sundry Lounge  Jolt 'n Joes  374 4th Ave. San Diego, CA 92101.

Joining Amber on the panel will be Rachel herself, producer and director Blake Calhoun, Ryan Copple from Geek & Sundry and the panel will be introduced by Felicia Day.

To find out more about the panel visit Morganville The Series official Kickstarter page click here

I hope everyone who is able to attend as a fantastic time!

Disclaimer Morganville The Web TV Series is the property of Rachel Caine and Pen Ultimate Productions LLC. AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with the production of this series we are simply spreading the word about another exciting project involving Amber Benson.

Morganville: The Series - Open Auditions

1/30/2014

If you are a regular visitor to AmberBenson.TV you may well have seen some of my posts in the “Latest Amber News” section regarding the highly anticipated Morganville The Series which will see Amber Benson take on the role of Amelie.

For those who haven't had an opportunity to check out my previous posts and are not familiar with the Morganville Vampires series here is a recap.

Morganville The Web TV Series is an adaption of Rachel Caine’s bestselling series of novels. The story is set in the fictitious Texas town of Morganville which is unique because it is owned, ran and operated entirely by vampires. The series currently spans 15 novels but despite this success it has never being adapted for television or film. Rachel decided it was time for this to change and the time was right to take the world of Morganville from page to screen. To make this happen in the summer of 2013 Rachel launched a kickstarter campaign with the aim of raising $75,000 to put the series into production. Thanks to the devoted Morganville fan base around the world it smashed this initial target raising a grand total of $81,752. This means that six TV quality webisodes of approximately 10 minutes each will now be made written by Rachel herself. The series will be produced and directed by Blake Calhoun responsible for a number of successful web series including Pink the Series.

Since then Rachel and her team have been hard at work preparing to bring the series to the screen. Pre production continued this week with some very exciting news as Rachel announced that they will be holding open auditions for the parts of CLAIRE DANVERS & EVE ROSSER, meaning that you could be joining Amber as a key member of the cast. The first stage is a video casting call where those auditioning will submit a video of themselves reading for the part. This means it's open to Morganville fans from around the world not just inside the United States.

All the audition information you need for the parts of both Claire and Eve are available to download now from morganvilletheseries.com. These PDF files will contain the audition piece you will be reading and a full list of terms and conditions that MUST be followed for your audition to be considered.

Two important points to note here:

1) Due to legal and logistical reasons all applicants for both roles must be 18 years of age or older.

2) The closing date for all auditions is MIDNIGHT US CENTRAL STANDARD TIME FEBRUARY 14, 2014.

AmberBenson.TV would like to wish everyone auditioning the very best of luck!

Joe

Disclaimer Morganville The Web TV Series is the property of Rachel Caine and Pen Ultimate Productions LLC. AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with the production of this series we are simply spreading the word about another exciting project involving Amber Benson.

Trista interviews author Rachel Caine.

11/4/2013

My friend and co-creator of AmberBenson.TV Trista Holmes recently had the opportunity to interview author Rachel Caine for her own website spinecrackers.com.

Rachel is a bestselling author and creator of The Morganville Vampires series of novels and soon to be a web TV show starring Amber Benson as Morganville town founder Amelie. Rachel talks about The Morganville Vampires novels and the successful Kickstarter campaign which made the web series possible. Rachel also talks about how she started her career, advice for any aspiring authors out there and what we can expect to see from her next.

This is an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable read thank you to Trista for allowing me to repost the interview here and remember for more interviews, information on books and much more please check out spinecrackers.com.

Now over to Trista and Rachel:

In 2006, I was at a local bookstore, pilfering through the selections that were presented before me in the young adult section. Yes, I am entirely a big kid, and still am. As I looked through the shelves, my eyes lit on a book that I hadn't seen before.

Now, typically, I'm not one to read the back cover of a book, because I've learned that you can't judge a book by its cover, OR by the synopsis on the back, so I never even bothered wasting my time. This book was different. I loved the cover, and I even flipped it around and read the bit on the back.

I bought it, and read it in about a day, caught up in the story of Claire Danvers, a student attending a university in Texas, living in a town called Morganville. A town ran by vampires.

From that day forward, my love of the Morganville series, and author Rachel Caine was born.

Now, Morganville is going onward to some pretty awesome things, as it is being formulated into a web series, written of course by Rachel Caine herself.

Rachel was gracious enough to agree to do a little interview with Spinecrackers, despite her slightly chaotic convention and busy schedule. I hope you guys enjoy getting to know this pretty amazing woman!

SC: First off, I really appreciate you taking the time out of your crazy schedule to do a quick interview for Spinecrackers. Just in case there is anyone out there reading this, who doesn't know the name Rachel Caine, tell us in which genre you primarily write and why you chose that particular one.

RACHEL: I mostly write these days in Urban Fantasy and Young Adult, but I have written in mystery, suspense, romantic suspense, paranormal and horror! (You’ll notice that these all have shared elements. What I write tended to shift from one category to another, but it never was all that different no matter what the label put on it.)

I write suspense and action/adventure because it’s what I adore reading … and I almost always have some eerie supernatural or paranormal element. So it ends up being classified (for now!) as Urban Fantasy on the adult side, and generally in paranormal on the Young Adult side.

SC: All writers have their fun little quirks. What would you say are some of yours?

RACHEL: Hmmm. Well, I need my coffee, and I need my laptop, and that’s kind of it. No funny hats or special stuff.

WAIT I LIE. I need music. I make playlists for each book – when can be an interesting search when you’re writing a Shakespearean book like the upcoming Prince of Shadows. (The answer to the question in your head is that there is a very splinter section of music called NEW MEDIEVAL. It’s not classical, or folk, or pop, but it’s kind of a melding of all those things.)

SC: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

RACHEL: Hybrid. I started out a pantser but realized that in order to keep up with the schedule I was writing under, plotting was essential to avoid wasted time. So I still outline, even though I still kind of hate it. But it helps. No doubt.

SC: You pretty well answered this in one of the previous questions, but...Do you find it easier to concentrate on your writing while listening to music(or some kind of background noise), or complete silence?

RACHEL: MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC. All the time. And if I’m in a busy place, even better.

SC: You have delved into both the worlds of adult fiction and young adult fiction. What would you say is the biggest difference between the two?

RACHEL: I’d say there’s no difference in the writing process at all, but there’s a huge difference in the audience. YA audiences tend to be wildly enthusiastic and very outgoing, which is super fun for an author. They haven’t learned restraint, and I love that about them! Also: they make fun videos and fanfic and fanart like crazy. All so wonderful.

SC: While doing my homework for this interview, I've noticed that you've written under a few different pen names. Is there any particular reason for that, or are you just trying to keep things interesting?

RACHEL: Well, see, I’m often on the run from the CIA and … okay, no, it’s not that exciting. See, I started writing as Roxanne Longstreet (my unmarried name) because that was my name at the time. I ran into some marketplace troubles because horror generally stopped selling well, so I changed my name to my new, shiny married name (Roxanne Conrad) to start writing romantic suspense. That wasn’t where I needed to be, so after two not terribly successful books, I moved again to Urban Fantasy, where I again needed a reinvention (this time as Rachel Caine). Other names I’ve written under include Julie Fortune (for fanfiction and later a Stargate: SG-1 novel, so even my fanfic identity turned pro) and (as a one-time-only) Ian Hammell, for the reprint of my first book, Stormriders.

SC: What inspired you to begin writing, and what continues to inspire you?

RACHEL: I remember an assignment in school where the teacher gave us a prompt sentence – and it really made my imagination go wild. I don’t think I stopped writing after that one assignment – little stories, then longer ones. Notebooks filled up. Once my parents bought me an old typewriter, I was absolutely unstoppable. (Even more so, once I bought my first computer!)

I guess in terms of continued inspiration – I just love telling stories. And I love the writing process, and the people I’ve met along the way … I think what inspires me is mostly just the possibilities of saying something new, every day.

SC: Let's talk a little bit about the Morganville Vampires, which is one of my favorite series. You have crafted such an intricate character development and plot twists throughout the series. Has there ever been a turn in the series that has taken you by surprise?

RACHEL: Pretty much all twists in my books take me by surprise. I surprise myself, and by surprising myself I think I tend to surprise readers, too. Often my subconscious is crafting it all along, of course, but my conscious mind isn’t necessarily aware of it until I suddenly feel that little nudge and think, “Ooooh, what if THIS happened instead?” (And yes, I’m aware this violates my “plot first” rule, but a synopsis is really a suggestion, not a road map. :o)

SC: What gave you both the inspiration for the character of Claire, and the idea to create a town run by vampires?

RACHEL: I grew up in West Texas (in El Paso) and driving to and from that fairly large city, it always struck me how utterly empty the country was for hundreds of miles around it – desert and little, isolated towns that seemed to never grow or shrink. I was fascinated by the idea of how these towns sustained themselves, and why people would choose to live in them … and I decided that one of the reasons they would was that they literally couldn’t leave. From there, the idea of the vampires owning the town came, and then why the vampires themselves would choose to isolate themselves in such an inhospitable place. So, a bit of a spiral out.

SC: There was a pretty awesome Kickstarter campaign launched a few months back to make Morganville into a web series. Congratulations on you guys making your goal! Can you talk with us a little about the web series, and tell us what the most challenging part of going from prose to screen has been thus far?

RACHEL: Thank you! We’re so excited by the rally and support of our readers around this, and I won’t lie, it was hard, and continues to be hard as we get the last of our Kickstarter incentives shipped out. (When you have over 800 sponsors, and about 450 packages and boxes to pack and mail all over the world, it does get time-consuming!)

BUT, I’m delighted to report that our scripts are final, and we’re only awaiting some green lights on things on the back pre-preproduction end to make our official production announcements.

I guess in terms of what’s been the most challenging, it’s the time frame … people did warn me that it never goes as fast as you think it will, and they’re 100% right. This is a very slow, time-consuming process that will go very quickly once we get moving and filming. But it seems glacial getting to that point.

SC: GLASS HOUSES is probably my favorite out of the series, so far. If you had to choose, which Morganville book was your favorite one to write?

RACHEL: I usually say either FEAST OF FOOLS or LAST BREATH. Both of those were extremely fun to write, because they just flowed straight out of my head without any hesitations or problems. Basically, like all writes, I grade a book on how hard it was to write … not necessarily whether or not it was the best one I’ve written. Sometimes, the hardest ones are the most rewarding, ultimately … but I think that LAST BREATH was a win on both sides of that equation.

SC: Over the course of your career as a writer, which work are you the most proud of?

RACHEL: I think the upcoming book PRINCE OF SHADOWS, simply because it was such a huge left turn for me, an utter departure from the modern-day work I’m known for, and it was a passion project for me. I really, really wanted to do it, and I’m really excited about how it turned out. Had I allowed myself to think too much about what would happen when it was measured against the source material of ROMEO AND JULIET, I probably would have freaked out and stopped, but I’m so glad I continued.

SC: What should we be expecting to see from you next?

RACHEL: DAYLIGHTERS, the last Morganville Vampires novel, is coming out November 6. After that, PRINCE OF SHADOWS is out on February 4. I’m still considering my next series!

SC: From your experience, what should aspiring writers consider from the beginning of their writing careers? Are there any pearls of wisdom that you can leave for other writers out there that have yet to make it into the publishing world?

RACHEL: One thing I have absolute faith in: you have to do the work. That means sitting down and working your craft – if not every day, then as often as you can. I was sitting with someone the other day whose sister is an Olympic hopeful, and there are no days off. No breaks. No holidays. There is a bit of the same level of commitment in all the arts if you want to break into the top ranks … it takes serious and continued work.

That’s of course no guarantee of success; it’s a bit of a recipe, which has a large helping of luck and a tablespoon of enthusiasm and a cup full (or more) of dogged determination. Garnish liberally with passion!

Thanks so much for having me in for the interview. Best wishes to everyone!

Rachel Caine