Isabel Sterling wrote the queer vampire romance novel of your dreams, and she’s here to answer your questions! Scroll down to read an interview with the author of The Coldest Touch, a paranormal romance for fans of Richelle Mead and Stephenie Meyer.

A Q&A with Isabel Sterling

Q: In case anyone’s completely new to The Coldest Touch, can you tell us a little bit about the book and what readers can expect?

The Coldest Touch is a mashup of all my favorite things: murder mystery, paranormal conspiracy, and slow-burn sapphic romance! There are also great friendships, big twists, and more than a little blood (it is a vampire novel after all!).

Q: Did we hear queer? vampire? romance? AND a twist of mystery?! Where did the idea for The Coldest Touch come from, and did you have any key inspirations while writing?

The concept for Elise’s power (being able to see the death of anyone she touches) came to me first. I knew right away I wanted to explore how isolating that kind of power could be and then the sudden relief of meeting someone without a death. As soon as I realized a vampire would make the perfect death-free counterpart, I let myself throw in all the things I love: queer romance, magical worldbuilding, and plenty of mystery.

Q: From witches to vampires! What was the biggest difference in switching from one beloved paranormal category to another? 

The biggest difference in switching from These Witches Don’t Burn to The Coldest Touch is the relationship the characters have with their power. For my witches, their power was an integral part of who they are, a part of them they loved. Claire and Elise have a very different take on their abilities. Claire never asked to be a vampire, and she’s desperate for revenge against the vampire who turned her. Elise has spent all summer trying to figure out what caused her ability, cycling through all the possible medical options before deciding she’s been cursed and coming up with a plan to break said curse.

Q: We’re already in love with Claire and Elise. What is your favorite part about writing each character?  

I loved being able to write from both of their points of view! Elise is grieving the loss of her brother at the outset of the novel, yet despite everything she’s going through, she’s determined to find a way to change her future. I also loved her journey of realizing she is truly over her ex and can remain friends with him while discovering feelings for a certain vampire . . .

Meanwhile, Claire keeps telling herself that she’s driven by revenge, but deep down, what she really wants to genuine connection. She also has to work through some self-loathing, which I think a lot of us have to deal with at some point. It takes time to embrace who we are, especially if the prominent message from society is that being who we are is not okay.

Q: Describe The Coldest Touch in three words? 

Well, I’ve called it my #LesbianVampireBook for a while now, but if I wanted to pick three new words… Slow-burn sapphic romance!

About The Coldest Touch:

Elise Beaumont is cursed. With every touch, she experiences exactly how her loved ones will die. And after her brother’s death—a death she predicted but was unable to prevent—Elise is desperate to get rid of her terrible gift, no matter the cost.

Claire Montgomery also has a unique relationship with death, mostly because she’s already dead. Technically, anyway. Claire is a vampire, and she’s been assigned by the Veil to help Elise master her rare Death Oracle powers.

At first, Elise is reluctant to work with a vampire, but when she predicts a teacher’s imminent murder, she’s determined to stop the violent death, even if it means sacrificing her own future to secure Claire’s help.

The trouble is, Claire and Elise aren’t the only paranormals in town—a killer is stalking the streets, and Claire can’t seem to shake the pull she feels toward Elise, a romance that could upend the Veil’s mission. But as Elise and Claire grow closer, Elise begins to wonder—can she really trust someone tasked with securing her loyalty? Someone who could so easily kill her? Someone who might hold the key to unraveling her brother’s mysterious death?

Preorder your copy here!

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