Interview with Rachel Van Dyken, Author of Empire

Empire is the seventh book in the Eagle Elite series, all of them are interconnected stand alone mafia stories. Think Hogwarts meets The Sopranos 😉 Empire follows Sergio Abandonato, heir to one of the largest mafia dynasty’s in the world, that is, if he wants it, but after the death of his young wife, the last thing he wants is to fix a crumbling empire and marry the girl he needs to in order to claim it. Marriage again sounds like a death sentence. This book is basically the story of his healing, loss, and ability to find love again amidst a new war that is brewing between the Italians and the Russians. It’s one of my favorite of the series, Val, the love interest is really innocent but also super brave and strong, I love female leads who can hold their own.

How many books are you planning for the Eagle Elite series?

Honestly, if people keep reading them, I’ll keep writing them. I know a lot of people don’t like to read series that are ongoing but I feel like this is one of those series you can jump in with at any point and not be lost.

Who is your favorite leading man from the Eagle Elite series? Favorite leading lady?

It’s always the guy that I’m writing, so right now, it’s Sergio 😉 Mil will always be one of my favorite leading ladies because she’s amazing with a knife and can take any of the guys down if she wants.

If Empire was turned into a movie, who would you pick to play Sergio?

Thats a really hard question! I honestly haven’t thought about who would play him, I cast the rest of the guys but hadn’t cast him yet, I would want someone really intense and dark, someone who could bring to life the character that I have in my head.

Which of your characters, from any of your books, would you most like to meet in real life?

I think I would like to meet Frank, he’s the boss of the Alfero family. Not only does he have lots of secrets but he’s seen a lot of things. I bet he’d be really interesting–that is if he would actually talk about any of it.

What is your favorite quote or scene from Empire?

“Because when I kiss you I forget all about the pain of loss and remember the joy of being found.”

Rachel Van Dyken is the author of the new book Empire.

Connect with Rachel
Author Website
 Twitter