Author Spotlight: Immortal Relations Series by G.D. Ogen

Indie-author, G.D. Ogan, is visiting today. Guy has a series of vampire books that started from a personal, and fascinating, place. Please help Guy feel welcome!

 

I love that you’re getting into the writing biz at the age of 72! What inspired you to start now?

Well, I actually wrote the first book in the series when I was 69. What got me started was I found an old black & white picture of my late father in front of a strange looking, very old building, that had a large clock-face on the side of the building. The picture was taken right after WW-II and, had I just put the picture back in the envelop and not turned it over I would have never written that first book in the series, “Immortal Relations.” However, I did turn it over and saw on the back, in my father’s bold script: “PRAGUE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA“, but it was what was on the bottom of the back that got my attention. In a very feminine hand was written, “I’ll always be waiting here“. Seeing that “love note to my father” caused me to remember some things my mother had said all those decades earlier when I was not more than five or six years old (too young to understand what she was talking about at the time). However, she was so distressed that what she had said imbedded itself in my subconscious. She had said things like, “he’s over their with that woman” and “he has had a child with that woman!” Later, she had asked what I would do if she divorced my father? At that time, although I didn’t know what was going on, I loved my mother enough to tell her that if he had hurt her she should divorce him! I’m not sure I even understood what divorce really meant at the time, but it was advice “out of the mouth of babes” I guess…because I really believe it valid for any woman who suffers abuse from a man! After finding that photograph and realizing what it meant, I couldn’t sleep that night and felt compelled to write. The first part of “Immortal Relations” starts out with that story, complete with a copy of the photograph of my late father in front of Prague’s Old Town Hall with the clock-face. In the storyline, the event happens to Gary Logan (my alter-ego in the book).

 

What started your love of vampire lore?

I’ve always loved to read and had read Bram Stoker’s Dracula and seen some of the old vampire movies, but always felt something was wrong with the stories. Why would someone who had been attacked by an evil vampire want to turn and attack others. Personally, I would want to retaliate against the vampire who attacked me.

 

What is your twist on the vampire/human relationship (or does that give too much away)?

I think it important for potential readers to understand that the “Immortal Relations” series is a totally unique story about a group of vampires devoted to safeguarding innocent humans from not just the blood-crazed type of vampires, but from human criminals and evil politicians. I had trouble with an editor who told me “I was violating the genre’ by having good vampires who fought to safeguard innocent humans and animals.” But I don’t like to lump all those in any group as only acting in negative ways, so I went the Indie route to stay true to my convictions.

 

Will you have more books from this series? A spinoff perhaps?

I have three more covers ready to go for the series to continue and the title for book number four is “Vengeance.” I have the story outlined in my head but feel I need to get more readership for the first three novels before continuing the storyline. Also, I’ve been doing some preliminary work on a book to be read to children about time-travel back to the age of dinosaurs. It is a project I want to do for my seven year old granddaughter who is totally infatuated with dinosaurs. In the story she and I join with a paleontologist friend of mine who has the idea of building a time machine. Knowing a good bit about vehicle design I help him build a very rugged diesel-electric powered “dune-buggy” that is both armed and armored similar in some respects like ones used by the Navy SEAL’s.

 

Please share one random fact about you:

I have and enjoy a couple of classic cars that have been updated to operate like modern vehicle but with the body-styles of the 60s. We have a 64 Studebaker Station-Wagon with new style power steering, suspension and disc brakes along with a modern Hemi V-8 and automatic transmission. It looks stock from the outside but has plenty of get-up-and-go. I also have a beautiful 66 Mustang Convertible similarly fixed-up.

 

What genre would you like to write that you haven’t tried yet?

The one I’m currently working on, a book to be read to children; maybe too many big words for them to read themselves.

 

Someday I want to:

Drive one of our older cars to one of the big national car events. Perhaps the one for old Studebakers – if they won’t think the upgrades we’ve done are sacrilege.

 

What fictional character would you like to be? And why?

Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan” comes to mind. He is a brilliant professor at the Naval Academy in “Hunt for Red October” but it is his later exploits in “Debt of Honor”, “The Bear and The Dragon” and “Executive Orders” where his love of the United States really shines. I love patriotic themes where good triumphs over evil.

 

If you could choose any superpower, which would you pick?

Of course, as a fan of vampires (good vampires that is) IMMORTALITY would be the one, and to be immortal one has to have the invulnerability to most if not all weapons that would be deadly to mortals. The only thing that concerns my good vampires is fire, other vampires and shape-shifting werewolves (a young shape-shifter werewolf is introduced in book three of the series). He quickly learns that our good vampires are not his enemy and he quickly falls in love with a lovely hybrid-vampire.

 

Something you can’t resist (your kryptonite?)

DARK CHOCOLATE!!

 

And now for the speed round (ala Actor’s Studio). One word answers to the below:

• What turns you on? The Constitution and Bill of Rights of the United States of America
• What turns you off? Politicians who seem determined to destroy this great country
• What is your favorite word? Togetherness
• What is your least favorite word? Destruction
• What sound or noise do you love? The noises our dogs make when greeting us at the door
• What sound or noise do you hate? Hearing the lies of politicians
• What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? Return to the military
• What profession other than yours would you NOT like to attempt? Politics
• What is your favorite swear word? Oh S…
• If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say to you as you enter the Pearly Gates? “Well Done, my good and faithful servant!”

IMMORTAL RELATIONS

This novel turns human vampire lore on its head, creating a symbiotic relationship between the two species that deepens emotional connections to astonishing effect. But a coven of evil vampires bent on destroying the guardian vampires in order to feed at will upon humans have other plans. Cooperation between the good vampires and human military forces begins an ever-increasing relationship between vampires and humans as they fight to save mankind. Probing the gray areas inherent in sexuality, family and legend, Ogan weaves an amazing tale that examines the very nature of existence. An unrelenting thrill-ride of passion and action, Immortal Relations will leave you breathlessly awaiting the series’ second installment.

Immortal Relations | Immortal Relations Love & War | Immortal Relations Coming Out

EXCERPT:

“They get a thrill from the hunt and then, as the life drains from their victims, it provides a rush in feelings of power over the living.”

“If I may be so bold, have you had such feelings in the past?”

Vlad smiled and nodded slowly, “It was a very, very long time ago Gary. We were fighting what you would call ‘an asymmetrical war’ against Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and his Muslim invaders who outnumbered us at least three to one. I was looking for anything to slow them down. I guess you would say I used psychological warfare by building the ‘forest’ of impaled enemy soldiers we had defeated in previous battles. While we had numerous successes against units of the invaders we unfortunately were unable to hold off so large an invading army. It was about this time I was changed into what I am today. I was always in the front lines of battle and routinely soaked in blood. Perhaps that is what changed me into a vampire. One of my own Generals saw me surrounded by enemies and saw blood spurting up in the air. Thinking it was my blood he sent word that I’d been killed. My dear wife was distraught and threw herself from the heights of our Poenari Castle into the Arges River below.

Then my second cousin, Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, from whom I had sought help in prosecuting the war, imprisoned me. Locked away, I soon became crazed with the desire for blood I would have otherwise found on the battlefield. Many fellow prisoners died because of it and after my escape I was a plague on the land. It took all too long before I regained some sense of my lost humanity.”
 
With downcast eyes Vlad thought, “Which is where the myths, legends and stories about me started – I’m afraid I earned them all.”

I reached over and patted him on the arm saying, “I’m sorry I brought up a topic that has induced clearly painful memories for you.”

Vlad smiled at me, “No, it is alright. If you haven’t heard the story before I think you need to know the type of vampire you follow. I hope it won’t detract from our relationship.”

“Never fear of my continued admiration and respect for you. You were a great leader fighting to free your people from an oppressive invader. Since you had no one to guide you after you were changed, as a ‘newborn’ vampire you did what came naturally. However, it begs the question, how did you stop?”

“I married again and she helped me overcome the constant thirst, giving me some of her own blood, and she brought me back to God.”

With tears in my eyes I thought, in reply to Vlad, “Women are clearly the superior gender, without them we men would be little better than wild beasts. “

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Washington D.C. during the early stages of WW-II, Guy & his mother moved to Texas while father went off to WW-II as a member of the Office of Strategic Services later to become the C.I.A. After the war, mother and child returned to Arlington, VA to join father back in Washington. Father later went off on “temporary duty” in spots around the world. Guy was interested and involved in long-distance running, which he continued when the family moved to Northern California in the late 50s. He graduated from Los Altos High School, obtained an Associate of Arts from Foothill Junior College and Transferred to Texas Christian University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission in the U.S.A.F. while in the military he obtained a Master of Arts from the European Campus of Ball State and upon his retirement from the service completed a second graduate degree, Master of Education, from Hardin-Simmons University. While in this program he taught undergraduate Psychology, Sociology and Counseling at local colleges as well as wrote a book on the assessment and treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder. He was then employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TX Prison System) writing treatment programs for inmates with addictions, later serving as an Associate Clinical Psychologist. He retired early, on the death of his father, to care for his disabled mother. He and his wife have two children and four grandchildren as well as three Pomeranians. Guy says: “Dogs are God’s gift to mankind to teach us about love and loyalty and they deserve our love and loyalty in return.”

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