Character Interview: Angus Campbell

Character Trading Card - Angus Campbell in Midnight Hunt - Book 3 of the Bonded By Blood Vampire ChroniclesMany of you have requested an interview with Angus Campbell, the villain of my Bonded By Blood Vampire Chronicles, and a few have even submitted some questions for him. Since I premiered this interview in a newsletter promoting Midnight Hunt, Book 3 of my series, I thought it would be fitting if I took a little trip in my time capsule and went back to 1636 – the time setting for Midnight Hunt.

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I have arrived in the small city of Vollstadt, where a portion of the novel takes place. Broderick has moored his ship, Knightly’s Refuge IV, at the docks. Angus will be meeting me at The Red Stag in the center of the German town. I right the coffee-colored shawl on my shoulders to stave off the chill of the evening and, lifting a handful of my woolen skirts to avoid tripping, I trot through the darkness. A small list of questions for our interview are clutched in my hand.

The cobbled streets are quiet as I navigate between the moonlit buildings. For those of you new to the series, Angus is a vampire – or Vamsyrian as I have dubbed them in my books (click here to read why) – and can be burned by the sun. As such, I wouldn’t be able to meet him in the daylight.

Blazing sconces adorn the exterior walls of the Red Stag, an impressive two-story wattle and daub inn and tavern.  Considering how late it is, a surprising cacophony of voices float out of the open entrance as I step inside. This little establishment does well. Customers hunch over their meals in conversation, while a blonde serving girl bustles around carrying an armload of steaming plates and a fistful of beer mugs. But no sign of Angus yet. I pick a small square table in the corner and settle myself in to wait.

Only a few moments pass before Angus’s imposing figure fills the doorway. Very much like his brother Broderick, Angus is tall and his shoulders broad, his hair a deep, fiery auburn. But where Broderick’s emerald green gaze has a sparkle of mischief, Angus’s surveys the room with suspicion and wariness. Without looking my way, he heads in my direction, his eyes still darting about the room. Knowing the villain in my novels as well as I do, I know Angus is assessing every angle, listening in on thoughts and taking in as much information as possible.

Finally, his eyes settle upon me and the corner of his mouth turns up in a devious grin. “Guten Abend,” he greets in German.

I grin. “And a good evening to you.” I motion for him to sit.

Angus yanks the chair opposite me and lounges – his long, muscular legs intersected at his booted ankles, his arms crossed over his broad chest covered in a dark-brown woolen vest. He cocks an eyebrow and I’m subtly startled at how similar his mannerisms are with Broderick’s. I often wonder if such things are genetic or learned behavior.

“What is this genetic thing?”

Yes, my vampires annoyingly read the thought of mortals. I frown. “Nothing. You’ll learn about it when you’re older.” Funny, since at this time in the novels Angus is 178 years old.

He chortles. “Go on, Scribe. Ask me your questions. I’m a busy man.”

I open the crumpled piece of paper in my hand, where I had hastily scribbled some of the questions my readers submitted for our villain. I glance at the first question by Susan Hurst: Boxers or Briefs? I quirk my mouth to the side as I ponder the question. There were no such thing in this time period as men’s undergarments were very different. Some didn’t even wear any at all.

“Your readers are curious about what I wear under my clothes?” He tosses his head back and enjoys a hearty laugh. “Saucy little wenches!”

I suppress a smile.

“Nothing.” He unfurls a rakish grin.

“Right.” I glance at the next question. “Aline Pack would like to know if you’ve ever been in love.”

The smile drops from Angus’s face, replaced with a frown. A tick throbs along his cheek as he clenches his jaw. “No,” he says quietly.

Midnight Hunt - Book 3 of the Bonded By Blood Vampire ChroniclesSo quietly I strain to hear him. “Do you ever hope to find love?” I elaborate softly.

“I suppose you already know that answer to that question, Scribe.” He glares at me.

I smirk. “You’re dodging the question.”

Angus narrows his eyes and leans forward, planting his elbows onto the table. “Revenge is my first love,” he snarls. “And she’s a jealous lover. Until she is satisfied, I shall love no one else.”

An icy chill scampers down my spine.

Angus settles back into the chair once more and crosses his arms.

I clear my throat. “Aline would also like to know—

“What would you like?” the barmaid interrupts in German, thankfully breaking the tension.

Angus inclines his head toward the blonde and winks, dropping his scowl in favor of a wolfish sneer. Angus’s changes in mood are always astounding to me, as they were to Cailin in Book 2. She had a much more brutal experience with this phenomenon, though. (Sorry, Cailin! Says the guilty writer.)

The barmaid returns his greeting with a seductive smile. “Beer…or something else?”

He chuckles at her suggestive question. “Beer…for now.” He waves a dismissive hand in my direction. “And whatever she wants.”

“Nichts, Danke,” I decline.

The barmaid saunters away, a lingering hand slipping off Angus’s shoulder.

I clear my throat again. “As I was saying, Aline was wondering, ‘What is the best thing about being immortal?’”

He sneers. “Being able to read thoughts and sense someone’s fear.” Angus tilts his head to the side, regarding the ceiling with his eyes as he ponders. “Having the strength of twenty men is rather convenient.” His eyes level on me again, piercing…intense. “The thrill of the hunt.”

Goose pimples flutter over my arms and up my shoulders. Angus grins, obviously sensing my fear. But I’m determined not to let him get the best of me. “One final question, ‘Will you ever reconcile with your brother?’”

“Reconcile?” Mirthless laughter rumbles from him and he leans forward, stabbing me with his gaze. “I’m here to kill Broderick MacDougal, not make peace.” Angus rises from his chair. “Tell your readers to say farewell to their hero.” He saunters off after the barmaid to claim his beer and her time, effectively ending our interview.

Hrmmm…Angus Campbell is certainly a tough nut to crack. But I promise you one thing, my devoted fans…you will eventually come to love this guy. Oh…I can hear your protests now, but those readers who have read further into the series will testify they once felt as you do. Mark my words…Angus Campbell will win many of your hearts.

Thanks for reading this interview and a special thank you to those who contributed to the questions. If you’d like to see my villain in action, you can read Midnight Hunt for free on Kindle Unlimited! And if you'd like a sneak peek…scroll down a bit.

8 thoughts on “Character Interview: Angus Campbell

  1. Thanks for the interview. I myself would be scared to meet him, but that was earlier in the stories…now I’m not sure. He is an interesting man and yes so much like Broderick…whom I adore! (And lust after) lol

    1. LOL! Yes, he is rather delicious, isn’t he? I’m glad you liked the interview. I don’t control those much. The characters come to life as I’m writing them! Thanks for stopping by!!

  2. I always felt sorry for Angus. It was sad what happens when he was young plus all thru the books one minute you hate him then another you want to slap him and say let the pride go bud…but I love to love him and hate to hate him. I didn’t get to recommend a person to interview, so maybe some time you can get to the first Davina and ask her is she upset or jealous that she has the same soul but not the same body. Idk if I could love a person so many times without them always looking the same.. Wow so I’m gonna sit here and think about that for an hour. Love you Ariel you rock.

    1. YOU rock, Roxane!! Thank you so much for your feedback on Angus as a character. He is probably one of those most complicated of all my characters. Poor guy has been through hell and he’s got a lot of anger inside. You should check out the song “Going Under” by Evanescence. That’s Angus’s song, always feeling like he lived in the shadow of Broderick.

      I think I’ll be waiting to do an interview of Davina for the release of Book 6. I won’t say why, though, but she will certainly answer your question. *Arial scribbles a reminder to include this question*

      I really appreciate you stopping by, Roxane! Mwah!! Hugs to you!!! 😀

  3. Enjoyed the interview. Thank you for all your hard work and having the strength to do the interview. I adore Broderick, but I’ve always had a thing for bad boys. And they don’t come any badder than Angus. I’m only just starting Midnight Eclipse, so I’m still getting to know him.

    The song “”Going Under” is one of my favorite songs. I love Evanescence, Amy Lee rocks and so do you Arial. Blessings and Hugs )O(

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