Author Tammy Battaglia has just released her first-in-series, urban fantasy novel titled Vampyre Hypothesis. This novel introduces us to Dr. Elizabeth Ramsey who tangles with some sexy vampires thereby mixing Mad Science with Paranormal Romance. We had a chance to chat with the real doctor and author, Tammy Battaglia and think you’ll find her story pretty fascinating.

ILVN: Great to meet you! Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and story.

TB: My name is Tammy Battaglia. I am a retired doctor who specialized in pathology (think autopsies). I was born,
raised and educated in Southeast Kansas and worked in a community hospital for 22 years. I was a
huge nerd as a kid and would rarely be seen without a book and often a dictionary in hand. I
learned to dribble a basketball with each hand while not looking so I could practice but still keep
reading. True story. I write urban fantasy with a medical bent.

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

TB: I have been writing for years including short stories, some really bad poetry and even some songs. My day job didn’t allow for a lot of
downtime and my writing time was limited so this first book took far longer to finish than it should
have. But now that I am retired, I have more time to focus on writing and am already 20K words
into book 2 in the Elizabeth Ramsey, MD Series which I hope to have out in a few months. I love all
kinds of crafting and once made jewelry for a contest. The theme was Superheroes and Villains. I
made a necklace, called Wither. I wrote a short origin story for my villain and included it as the
description for the piece. The necklace didn’t win (I think they were expecting jewelry about
already existing superheroes and villains). But I got some good comments on the short story!

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

TB: The monsters, most definitely the monsters. In film and books, I can never get enough of the mythical creatures. Some part of me
imagines that they are real and we just need to keep looking until we find them. They have always
been my escape from reality which is what I’m seeking when I read.

ILVN: What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?

TB: That is a difficult question because they often come together. For this series, the broad strokes of the plot came first but
mental images of Beth and Luc were close on its heels. Master, the villain, was also quick to
emerge along with his origin story. It sometimes feels like they are just waiting, already living in
my imagination, for me to see them and introduce myself.

ILVN:  What’s your favorite type of paranormal creature and why?

TB: While I love them all, vampires have always been at the top and the reason they are the focus of my first series. Stephen King’s Salem’s
Lot, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula were some of the early
ones that made me fall in love with them. They are both good and evil and often turned without
their choosing. They have immense powers and equally immense weaknesses. In most worlds they
are turned and not born which implies that any human could follow the same path. I could be
next. They also heal rapidly. And since I am clumsy, this could be very helpful to me.

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

TB: Beth is a forensic pathologist (medical examiner) who works the graveyard shift. She is compulsive, logical and
driven to find the truth but also naïve and idealistic in many ways, especially in relationships. She
is an avid runner, finding it an excellent way to blow off steam. While completely trustworthy, she
does not return that trust easily. She sees herself as a loner and has all but given up on finding
someone to share her life with. As a pathologist, I have known many others in the same field and
some of Beth’s quirks are drawn from them along with life experiences of my own.

ILVN: Would you and your main character get along?

TB: Yes, I believe we would. Her stubbornness would match my own so I am sure there would be a few disagreements but we would settle on the
logical. We may have some difficulty starting a conversation since neither of us are particularly
comfortable with small talk but we would eventually find common interests. And we could discuss
cases from work without either of us being grossed out.

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

TB: As a physician, I would best relate to Beth. I think we share the same innate curiosity and love of learning. I would like to get her thoughts on werewolves and sasquatch. I am sure there is some interesting science explaining their physiology.

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

TB: It would have to be the pacing. My ideas for how the story would play out remained the same but the first draft was
significantly more drawn out. The current version, I think, is much faster-paced and serves to ramp
up the tension as it moves forward.

ILVN:  Where can our readers find you?

TB: Readers can find me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTammyBattaglia and can email me directly with questions or
comments at [email protected]

ILVN: Thank you Tammy.  You have a very interesting background and story to tell.