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jl_merrow
This is a question I’ve been asked quite a few times. And the short answer is no, it isn’t. But while there are no recurring characters from Camwolf in Midnight in Berlin, the two novels are set very firmly in the same universe. And it’s one where the nightlife in Germany often steps out in fur and fangs. (I’ll be writing about why Germany and werewolves are often linked in my mind in the March edition of The Big Thrill, the magazine of International Thriller Writers—watch my blog for details when it’s out).
Although Camwolf is set in Britain, all the werewolves have some connection with Germany. Nick, the hero of Camwolf, was infected by his ex boyfriend Carl, who was bitten by a man he’d hooked up with while spending a year studying in southern Germany. Julian, Nick’s lover, is German, and was deliberately infected by his father, the leader of a pack of werewolves.
Leon, my American protagonist and narrator in Midnight in Berlin, is about to find out for himself the hazards of casual sex in a foreign country. If you’ve read Camwolf, you may be a little surprised at what Leon finds himself confronting in Christoph, but there’s a definite reason for this. Notice I don’t say it’s a good reason! I’d love to tell you what it is, but sorry—no spoilers!
Just for fun, here’s a couple of snippets to compare and contrast:
Nick & Julian from Camwolf:
Julian drew in a sharp breath. “If you change more frequently, the pain lessens. Considerably. I can’t believe you didn’t know that.”
“Well, forgive me for not having been brought up by werewolves!” Nick regretted his temper immediately, as Julian’s face took on that closed look he’d seen all too often. “Look, I’m sorry,” Nick forced himself to say. “It’s just a little galling—I’ve been a werewolf for three years now, and here you are, telling me I’ve been doing it wrong all this time!”
Leon & Christoph from Midnight in Berlin:
“Say, you, uh, you wanna keep your eyes on the road? In fact, you know what? I can walk from here. You can set me down anywhere now.”
“I don’t think so,” Christoph told me, his voice so damn cold I started to shiver…
“I won’t tell, okay? I’ll keep your secret, I swear it; you can let me go,” came out of my throat in a stranger’s voice. I felt sorry for the stranger. He sounded like he was on the edge of blubbing like a baby. Me, I was thinking, right, let’s talk our way out of here and then we can get the cops onto the psycho beast-guy, let them deal with the werewolf shit.
I guess I thought that a little too loud.
“I’m sorry,” Christoph said. The crazy thing was, I actually believed him for a moment, but then his face warped again and the teeth grew and his hot breath was on my face and I was thinking, oh, God, Mom, I’m sorry—then he lunged to tear out my throat.
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Date: 2012-02-17 08:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-17 09:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-17 09:53 pm (UTC)(ticks off on fingers: 17, 18, 19, 20, 21!)
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Date: 2012-02-17 11:10 pm (UTC)Just for you (shh! Don't tell anyone!) here's a snippet of Hard Tail, which will be out in May (no paranormals, just an ordinary cat *g*):
***
When I got home, Wolverine was in the kitchen glaring pointedly at the empty food bowl. “Who’s a cute little pussy-wussy, then?” I crooned, hoping it might wind him up. He didn’t even dignify me with a disdainful look. “All right, all right. It’s coming.”
Feeling smug because I’d remembered to get some cat food at Asda, I grabbed a fork and opened up a can.
Ye gods, that stuff hummed. It was worse than the tuna first thing in the morning. “You actually eat this stuff?” I asked Wolverine in disbelief, trying to hold my breath while forking the glutinous mass out into the bowl. He miaowed at me. Maybe he was annoyed at me for dissing his dinner.
Then again, maybe not. It turned out Wolverine didn’t believe the stuff was edible either. He took one sniff and then backed away hurriedly, turning to me and miaowing again, this time with a definite note of reproach. “It’s all you’re getting,” I warned him. He hissed, and it was my turn to back off. Then I felt a bit ridiculous. “If you think you’re going to bully me into giving you tuna again, you can think again. I’m going to have a shower,” I said firmly.
***
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Date: 2012-02-18 11:55 am (UTC)I sometimes wonder who's the boss, me or Lucas the Lucky Cat. He's quite demanding but he makes up for it by being sweet and funny.
Wolverine on the other hand, doesn't seem to be paying the rent by being cute and cuddly. *LOL* I hope Wolverine gets some tuna, or this might turn into a murder mystery; death by cat!
Thanks for the sneak peek. Love you!
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Date: 2012-02-17 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-18 05:41 pm (UTC)Hope you'll enjoy it!