Author Interview with A.J. Harrison

We are so fortunate at I Love Vampire Novels, to meet new and upcoming authors.  Today we bring you an interview with a newer author, A.J. Harrison, who is talking about his new book, Old Scores.  

Hi A.J.! Welcome to the I Love Vampire Novels Family.  Tell us a little bit about yourself.

AH: I’m A.J. Harrison. Born and raised in Woodstock, IL, I’ve been a teacher, policeman, factory
laborer, and U.S. Army judge advocate as well as an author. My debut novel, Old Scores, is an
urban fantasy that embraces horror, romance, and action elements.

ILVN: How long have you been writing or when did you start?

AH: I’ve loved creative writing since middle school—the very earliest fragments of what would, much
later, evolve into Old Scores came to me then. I finally flung the baby bird from the nest to see if
it would fly last year; Old Scores released 1 October 2023.

ILVN: Why urban fantasy? What drew you to the genre?

AH: The breadth of the genre that could have been a weakness—it really only demands a modern city
setting and something super- or preternatural—is instead its greatest strength for me. Old
Scores has horrific elements, but it isn’t devoted solely to chills and unnerving the reader; it has a
romantic plot, but romance isn’t the whole plot; it has plenty of action, but it’s nothing like a
sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Instead, it merges elements into a whole that fits poorly in any of
those genres, but perfectly in urban fantasy, and as a Chicagoland native, Chicago fit perfectly for
the setting.

ILVN: We agree and LOVE Chicago!  What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?

AH: Generally the plot, but that comes with a major asterisk: once I’ve written the characters enough
to have a real sense of their personalities and motivations, I occasionally find myself needing to
retool a scene or a whole plot angle I envisioned previously because it’s become apparent the
characters would not actually do what I wanted them to do without painful contrivance. The
core plot forms the characters, but the characters drive the plot thereafter.

ILVN: That’s a unique method.  What’s your favorite type of paranormal creature and why?

AH: Unsurprisingly, vampires. I’ve loved them since I was a little kid; apart from the incredible
breadth of characterization available (from the truly soulless and monstrous ultimate enemies of
Count Dracula in the eponymous work and Barlow in ‘Salem’s Lot, to the moral complexity of a
vampire with a soul in Buffy, to the sparkly superheroes who also drink blood in The Twilight
Saga), I like most the inherent tension between the sophistication and dark allure of the
immortal and the bestial savagery of a natural predator. It makes for an eternally fascinating
dichotomy.

ILVN: Tell us about your heroine/hero. What inspired her/his quirks and struggles?

AH: On the immortal side, Simon is a classic vampire, but with a persistent curiosity about humans
that leads him to occasionally engage with as well as prey upon them. That very grace/savagery
dichotomy I mentioned above features heavily in Simon’s struggles and motivations.
On the human side, Anita is a good-hearted person with personal struggles and self-doubt
influenced by a number of friends throughout the years. Anita and Simon serve as natural foils
for one another, which raises the stakes in their budding relationship.

ILVN: We always want to know, would you and your main character get along?

AH: Simon, probably (assuming he didn’t kill me); he’s a relatively solitary guy, and introversion is my
native state.

Anita…well, it’s hard not to like Anita; she has a gift for bringing out the best in people around
her, even if she isn’t always aware of it.

ILVN: Which of the characters do you relate to the most and why?

AH: Probably Simon, if only because most of what he “says” takes place in his head rather than
voiced aloud. His mentor Salem has my snarky sense of humor, though.

ILNV: What is a significant way your book has changed since the first draft?

AH: After completing the first draft in 2004 and unsuccessfully shopping it to agents, I actually flayed
the whole thing down to the skeleton (deleting at least 80% of the content) and rewrote nearly
from scratch. Old Scores 1.0 provided a solid foundation for the true finished product, but
greater life experience (and a lot of improvement in writing dialogue) made 2.0 a vast
improvement upon its predecessor.

ILVN: Sounds like you and Old Scores have had quite the journey.  If they want to know more and keep up on the story, where can our readers find you?

AH: Apart from my website, www.immortalvendettas.com, I’m on:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/immortalvendettas/
 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/immortalvendettas/
 X: https://twitter.com/imvendettas

ILVN: Fangs so much for hanging out with us today!