Open Book Society had the pleasure of reviewing the humorous and refreshing cookbook ‘Love at First Bite: The Complete Vampire Lover’s Cookbook’ by Michelle Roy Kelley and Andrea Norville. Recently, we got the opportunity to sit down and interview the two authors to find out more about them and the story behind this fabulous book.
Is this your first endeavor into the realm of authoring a book?
ANDREA: This was my second book. My first was called An Indulgence A Day: 365 Simple Ways to Spoil Yourself
MICHELLE: This is my first experience working on a book that was my own concept. I have co-authored or ghostwritten several reference books in the past.
What inspired you to pen a cookbook based on vampires? Tell us about the process.
MICHELLE: Ironically enough, the idea occurred to me when I was out to lunch with a bunch of my coworkers. Our waitress was new and very bubbly and as she was explaining all the new additions to the menu, she pointed one item out in particular and suggested that once you tried it, it would be “love at first bite.” This was at the beginning of the vampire craze and I jokingly said that the phrase “love at first bite” would make a good name for a vampire cookbook. I went back to the office and decided to start pulling together a book proposal, and the rest is history.
Between you and Andrea Norville — with whom you collaborated on this book — who contributed what to the cookbook?
MICHELLE: Basically, we divided the work 50-50.
After watching the film Julie and Julia and seeing how a cookbook takes so much effort to get published, did you find it easier since the genre of Vampires is “hot” right now? What was the biggest obstacle in getting this cookbook on the shelves? If any?
MICHELLE: Actually, it was harder to get this type of a cookbook published since it is geared toward such a niche group of readers. A vampire enthusiast may not necessarily be interested in buying a fun cookbook, and a person who buys cookbooks may not be interested in one with a vampire theme.
What was your favorite part about putting this book together? What was Andrea’s?
MICHELLE: Taste testing the Red Velvet Vampire Cake (page 222)!
ANDREA: Coming up with the names for the recipes and taste testing.
I see you pulled heavily from the TV Series True Blood for naming the recipes, is this your favorite show?
MICHELLE: Dark Shadows is actually my favorite vampire-themed television show but most people are more familiar with True Blood.
Which is your favorite recipe from the book?
ANDREA: Impaler’s Delight (page 229), it’s perfect summertime dessert
MICHELLE: You can’t go wrong with a Black-Magic Steak (page 154), rare of course. Also, the Blood Orange Mimosas (page 247) are fantastic!
What are your favorite type of foods?
ANDREA: Eggplant Parmesan
MICHELLE: I love Spanish tapas and Thai food.
If you could eat only one thing for dinner for for the rest of your life, what would it be?
ANDREA: Thanksgiving dinner
MICHELLE: I don’t even want to think about that.
For all the folks who claim they can’t cook, what do you think is the most important thing to consider when cooking a dish? What tips do you have for them?
ANDREA: Don’t be afraid to add your own twist to the recipe. If the recipe calls for pecans and you prefer hazelnuts, go for it. The best part of cooking is making it your own.
MICHELLE: Cooking should be fun. If cooking stresses you out, ORDER IN 🙂
Who are your favorite authors and why?
ANDREA: Stephen King because the man seems to have endless creativity and Anne Rice for her detail and depth of character.
MICHELLE: J.K. Rowling and Neil Gaiman are my favorite contemporary authors. They both have brilliant imaginations are are able to create magic with words.
What are you currently reading?
ANDREA: I just finished Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson about a group of kids who are stuck in Disney World once it closes.
MICHELLE: Right now I am re-reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
Do you have any cookbooks coming out in the future?
MICHELLE: Nothing planned right now but you never know…the world may need a Zombie Cocktail Guide in the near future!
We want to thank Michelle and Andrea for taking the time out to interview with us and we wish them good luck with ‘Love at First Bite: The Complete Vampire Lover’s Cookbook‘. You can see our review for the cookbook here and we cannot wait for a Zombie inspired cookbook in the future!
Get your copy of ‘Love at First Bite: The Complete Vampire Lover’s Cookbook’ today!
