Today we welcome author Charles Yallowitz and his character, master vampire Clyde, from the series War of Nytefall.
An imposing gentleman pauses at the top of the staircase. He is garbed all in black, a short sleeved shirt and trousers, except for a flowing crimson cape that does not appear quite attached to his shirt. Wisps of crimson rise from his skin, creating an aura of sinister power. Darting eyes take in the glittering assembly of fey creatures, assessing their might compared to his own. He nods a brief appreciation of the sumptuous ballroom and its furnishings. It would be good to “acquire” something expensive back for Mab, his consort. It also gives him something to think about besides the discomfort at having to behave like a diplomat instead of a vampiric warlord.
Character Questions
Are you an insider or an outsider in your homeland? That’s a more complicated question than I realized because I’m technically both. As a vampire, I’m an outsider in the eyes of most of civilization. People are afraid I’ll eat them, which is understandable. Yet, I’m also an insider since vampires have their own shadow society. Well, I’m kind of an outsider in there too since I’m a Dawn Fang. Guess I’m only an insider when it comes to the kingdom of Nytefall, which I rule over. That’s rather sad.
Has your homeland known long periods of war or of peace? What has this meant for people living there? Let’s say my homeland is Nytefall for the purpose of this question. We’ve only known war because everyone has wanted to kill Dawn Fangs since they emerged. The other vampires want us dead because they fear being replaced at the top of the food chain. Those who follow the Sun God want us destroyed since that’s their thing. You have vampire hunters, various monsters, rogue Dawn Fangs, and other enemies as well. All my people have known is war, which is why we hold out hope that we can know peace one day. That’s the reason we fight or hide. It’s all to achieve the goal of perfect unity with our mortal neighbors. Yeah . . . That sounded regal and leader-like. I think I’m getting the hang of this ruler gig.
Author Questions
Fantasy has many genres. How did you choose yours? In the case of War of Nytefall, it was by accident that it became vampire fantasy. Originally, I had my main fantasy series and a separate vampire series on Earth. As I began sorting through my story ideas, more of them were being swallowed by my fantasy world of Windemere. The adventures of Clyde were moved over as an experiment to see if the Dawn Fang vampires functioned better in a fantasy setting. Magic filled in all of the plot holes I had been suffering with for years. I had to give up motorcycles, chainsaws, and modern skyscrapers, but the series was finally solid.
Why do you write? I write because it’s what I enjoy doing. It helps me relax and gives me a chance to escape reality for a while. My hope is to create something that will give readers the same sense of escapism that I feel when I’m writing. When I was younger, I thought my stories could help make the world a less stressful place. Now, I’d be happy to bring a smile to even one person who is having a bad day.
War of Nytefall: Savagery
For the first time in over a century, Clyde will know what it means to feel powerless and weak. Headless bodies appearing across Windemere is only the beginning as Clyde faces the terrifying vampire hunter, Alastyre. Able to match the Dawn Fang leader in power and ferocity, this new menace shows no signs of weakness or mercy. With both friends and enemies getting dragged into the battle, Clyde will have to find a way to become stronger. For that, he will have to accept an ancient challenge and pray that those he cares about and trusts can hold Alastyre at bay. Which monster of Windemere will claim the top of the food chain?
About Charles E. Yallowitz Charles E. Yallowitz was born, raised, and educated in New York. Then he spent a few years in Florida, realized his fear of alligators, and moved back to the Empire State. When he isn’t working hard on his epic fantasy stories, Charles can be found cooking or going on whatever adventure his son has planned for the day. Truthfully, his tales of adventure are much more interesting than his real life, so skip the bio and dive into the action.
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[…] War of Nytefall: Savagery (Queen Titania’s Court) […]
I love the description of Clyde! He makes a good interview subject too.:-)
Thanks. 🙂
Great post, Charles. I need to do some sharing.
Thanks. 😊
Nice interview! Please tell Master Clyde I hope he finds peace.
As for the fear of alligators, I remember being at the zoo when a zookeeper was offering a crocodile a chicken held on a long stick over the water. I was standing next to the “glass” of the tank, so was literally about two feet away. The crocodile moved extremely slowly, barely moving, toward the raw chicken. Then, suddenly, it leaped into the air! It had the chicken in its mouth almost instantly. I couldn’t believe how fast that huge reptile moved.
I like large crocodilians–when I’m on the other side of the glass….
I’ll let him know. Though, I’m not sure how well he would take to real peace since he’s kind of cursed with a ‘battle lust’. He could very well usher in a world that he no longer fits into, which will be awkward.
I lived in Florida for a few years in my 20’s and went to an alligator farm. I remember seeing them leap high out of the water for chicken. I was already nervous about them, so that didn’t help. Think the real cause is from when I was a kid and put on the TV, which happened to have a horror movie on. A kid was tricked into jumping into a pool while blindfolded and they didn’t know a large alligator was in there since it was night. I freaked out when it showed the kid getting swallowed. The days before parental controls.