Confessions of an Average Half Vampire - Lisa Shafer

My name: Lisa Shafer

My blog link:  http://lisashafer.blogspot.com/

My book link on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Average-Half-Vampire-ebook/dp/B005JM03XI/

Book Price: 99¢

Cover art: attached as jpeg file 

Bio blurb: Lisa Shafer is a junior high school English teacher who writes YA fiction.  Her writing dreams began when she won a prize in 6th grade with a humorous story about a vampire.  Later, the first short story she ever got published in a "big name" magazine was also about a vampire.  Naturally, her first published novel is also about -- you guessed it -- a vampire.  Or at least about a half-vampire, anyway.

Contrary to anything her students may tell you, she does not really drink blood.

Book blurb:  

Lurking in the nuclei of a few rare human cells is an as-yet unstudied gene. It is a gene that makes the inheritor crave mammal blood and faint in bright sunlight. It is a gene that prevents the bearer from appearing normally in digital or mirror images.
It’s a gene that makes life heck if you’re in junior high and trying to fit in.

Eric Wright is a half-vampire with a problem. Several problems, actually. He can’t tell bloodlust from his rollercoaster adolescent hormones. The cutest girl in first period English wants him to become a vegetarian. And the assistant principal suspends him when he refuses to explain why his skin appears translucent in a school security video.

Then Eric’s non-vampire mom, who’s definitely not telling everything she knows, takes him with her on a business trip. To Scotland, where it never stays sunny for very long. The perfect hang out for a vampire. Or several. If only Eric can find one to talk to before he makes any more stupid mistakes....

What do readers like about the book?  It's funny.  It's got vampires that boys like, too, since they don't sparkle or brood over women.  Most kids tell me that they like Eric because he does such real things and gets into such odd situations that make them laugh.

Why did I go indie?  Well, I tried the traditional approach, but agent after agent told me they LOVED the book but didn't want to try "another vampire" book right now.  Then I realized I really WANTED to design my own cover and try selling my own book, so indie was a natural choice.  (The only thing I don't like about indie is doing my own formatting.  Ick.)

My favorite YA author is JK Rowling, of course.  My favorite vampire author is Bram Stoker -- of course.  Honestly, if I gave you a complete list of favorite authors, it'd take up a whole page.