Character of the Week! Tom from Obsidian: Mystic Stones Series #1

Character of the Week

Tom Walker

Books Tom appears in:

Obsidian: Mystic Stones Series #1

 by Kayla Curry

Male

225 (at the beginning of Obsidian)

Vampire

Short description of Tom:

Dark hair, dark eyes, usually wears a suit. He has a sly smile that usually crosses his face when he's thinking something evil.

Five words that describe Tom's personality:

Two-faced, cold-hearted, professional, manipulative, calculating.

A quote from Tom:

"I suppose I should be glad your eyes looked at the ring on the night stand and not the dagger on the dresser."

 

 Links to Obsidian:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Goodreads
Barnes& Noble | Smashwords

Official Book Website

Vampire Month! Featuring Obsidian: Mystic Stones Series #1

Vampire Month wraps up this week!

Okay. I admit it. I interviewed myself. I am doing some self-promotion this week. I feel like I deserve it everyonce in a while, so that is what I'm doing. Today, you get to find out about the vampires in Obsidian. Tomorrow, there will be another post about Obsidian and the series in general. Then, on Wednesday, you get to meet Tom Walker for Character of the Week!

I asked myself the same questions I asked Rebecca Hamilton, Wynne Channing, Beck Sherman and Thomas Winship. You see, Obsidian and the upcoming books in the Mystic Stones Series are like these other books I've featured because they are all different takes on vampires. The aforementioned authors all have a unique view on the way vampires should be. That is the beauty of fiction--you can make anything you want! So, here are the vampire specs of Obsidian and the Mystic Stones Series.

How are the vampires in your world different from others?

The vampires in Obsidian can only be killed by obsidian piercing their heart. Obsidian anywhere else will only wound them temporarily. They are also unable to harm a human wearing a protective ring carved from a seashell with an obsidian dagger that has killed a vampire. Vampires are in a sort of training stage for the first two years of their vampire life. During this time their eyes are bright green. Once the vampire is about two years old, their eyes change to either blue or brown.

 

As vampires get older they develop more powers. I can only reveal two of those powers right now, because I don't want to spoil Moonstone for you. First comes the ability to drink animal blood--no sooner then 75 years old. Then the ability to see through walls--no sooner than 100 years old. Seeing through walls, or x-ray vision, works somewhat like bat-sonar. The vampire uses reverberating sounds to get a picture of what is going on in the next room.

Do the vampires in your world possess any of the traditional vampire traits? No reflection? Burning in the sun? Being immortal? Aversion to crosses, holy water and/or garlic? Turning into a bat? Killed by a wooden stake? Fangs? Other?

My vampires are immortal, they have fangs, but other than that, they are pretty non-traditional. They are pale-skinned. Their skin gets more and more pale as they age. This is because the sun does not effect them as it did when they were alive. Along with developing powers, all vampires come equipped with super strength, hearing, eyesight, speed, taste and smell. In return they lose they are not as alert to changes of temperature, which could be good or bad.

Why did you choose to write about vampires?

I like writing about vampires and other beings who hold something magical about them. I think it's fun to write about characters who not only have human emotions, but also have the added stress of dealing with being different in some way.

Do you remember the first vampire story you read in a book or watched on a movie or television show?

I don't remember the very first one. It must have been a book I read in my early childhood, because I've always been drawn to the dark and unknown. Vampires, witches, and ghosts have always been interesting to me.

What makes vampire stories appealing in today’s pop culture?

I think the vampires in today's literature and media are part of a phenomenon that takes us to another world. By watching or reading about these creatures, we leave are mundane life for a more exciting world, even if it's only for a short period of time.

If someone were to see one of your vampires on the street, what would their reaction be? Fear? Attraction? No unique reaction from that of seeing a human?

That is the beauty of my vampires. They have already incorporated (quite literally) themselves into society. You might notice that they are exceptionally good looking, or that the new vampires have the brightest green eyes you've ever seen, but you won't know they are vampires until they show their fangs. The fact that they have a very large and well-known corporation that has a staff consisting only of vampires, will tell you just how easily they can blend in to society. This corporation—Psytech--ends up being the very company that people of the modern world look to for the latest technology. Once the satellites are down, they look again to Psytech for guidance, but it doesn't come. Instead, society will be presented with a most daunting proposition from Psytech.

Some links to Obsidian:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Goodreads
Barnes& Noble | Smashwords

Official Book Website

Character of the Week! Cassie from Vaempires!

Character of the Week

Princess Cassandra Rich’rds

 

Books this character appears in:

Vaempires: Revolution, Vaempires: White Christmas and Vaempires: Zombie Rising by Thomas Winship

 

Female

15

Vampire

Short description of Cassandra:

Vampire Princess of Tarados

Tall, with long, curly, auburn hair, high cheekbones, bright blue eyes, dewdrop nose, porcelain skin, and pink lips.

 

Five words that describe Cassandra's personality:

Strong, intelligent, brave, compassionate, fierce.

A quote from Cassandra:

We will fight you to every last woman, man, and child among us.

www.vaempires.com

Vampire Month! Featuring Thomas Winship's Vaempires Series!

This week we are featuring Thomas WInship and his books, Vaempires: Revolution, Vaempires: White Christmas and (releasing TODAY) Vaempires: Zombie Rising!

All three are totally awesome, so after you read the interview below, you will see my reviews of each book.

How are the vampires in your world different from others?

My world has two races of vampires—vampires and væmpires. Neither completely conforms to the usual stereotypes, because I chose not to follow any particular vampire mythology or mode of thought in creating my world.

Certainly, my vampires have some similarities to “traditional” vampires in that they are undead creatures with enhanced abilities and senses, they require human blood for sustenance, and that sunlight kills them.

However, they differ from traditional vampires in that they were created from the radioactive fallout from WWIII, new vampires are born (not made), and they age naturally (although they are immortal). Additionally, the creation of synthetic human blood frees them from the need to feed on humans and provides protection from the sun. This slightly diminishes their abilities and senses. This isn’t an issue when dealing with humans, but becomes significant when facing the might of væmpires.

On the other side of the conflict are the væmpires. Væmpires are mutated vampires. No one knows why the mutations occur or how to stop them. Each væmpire is a bigger, stronger, faster version of its former self, with a second thumb on each hand and an altered physical appearance, to boot.

While this may sound advantageous, it is not without a price—those who mutate end up as warm-blooded beings who must feed on vampire blood to survive. Attempts to create a synth-blood variant have been unsuccessful.

A percentage of væmpires also have special powers. Some don’t simply feed on vampire blood; they are able to pull memories from the person they are feeding upon. There aren’t many of these “Readers,” and the majority of the world’s population writes their reported existence off as urban legend or fearful conjecture. However, when the væmpires rise up in revolution they reveal a darker truth—not only do “Readers” exist, but there are also væmpires who can teleport, walk through walls, create a wall of flames, etc.

Do the vampires in your world possess any of the traditional vampire traits? No reflection? Burning in the sun? Being immortal? Aversion to crosses, holy water and/or garlic? Turning into a bat? Killed by a wooden stake? Fangs? Other?

As I said earlier, in my world, vampires have some similarities to “traditional” vampires: they are undead creatures with enhanced abilities and senses; they feed on human blood to survive; exposure to the sun kills them.

My vampires may be immortal, but that doesn’t mean they are invulnerable. Decapitation, stopping the heart, bleeding them dry, or even causing injuries that overwhelm their healing abilities can kill them, of course.

 They don’t sleep in coffins or dark basements. They don’t turn humans into vampires. They aren’t susceptible to garlic, crosses, or holy water, although they don’t have much use for any of them, either—with the exception of garlic, perhaps. It’s an essential ingredient in so many recipes that it’s hard to swear off entirely.

Of course, both races have fangs. How else can I write scenes about penetration and other barely disguised sexual references without fangs?

And, they can certainly see their reflections in the mirror—how else can they ever be humanized, if they can’t wrestle with self-doubt and self-loathing?

You could say that the dynamic between væmpires and vampires parallels the traditional dynamic between vampires and humans. After all, if the literary world is going to insist on humanizing vampires, then I believe vampires should discover what it means to be human.

In other words, to be prey.

Why did you choose to write about vampires?

As a writer, there are few subjects or topics that don’t interest me in at least some small way. I can read a news article, overhear a conversation, or even see another book, and it will trigger a creative “hot flash” that burns for a few minutes. So, if I hear about werewolves, then I think about werewolves and a few idea bubbles float around my head—or someone mentions fairies and the same thing happens … you get the picture.

Most of the time, however, such an idea cools off because there isn’t really enough fuel to sustain it beyond that initial burn. Occasionally, something lingers in my mind—a creative branding, if you will—forcing me to give it more attention. I’ll make some notes, jot a few ideas down, perhaps sketch a few things—but the gravitational pull of my current project (or the realistic pull of a deadline) will inevitably pull me away.

I didn’t make a conscious choice to write about vampires, so it wasn’t a matter of selecting vampires and rejecting other subjects. The idea for Væmpires came to me and, over time, demanded my attention, so I ran with it.

Do you remember the first vampire story you read in a book or watched on a movie or television show?

While at a cousin’s house for a barbeque, I stumbled across a copy of ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. I don’t know why I started reading it when I should’ve been outside playing ball or swimming, but I did. I couldn’t put it down. I spent the whole day inside, eschewing food, activity, and anything else besides the book. I finished it before we went home and haven’t looked back ever since. Stephen King changed my life.

I’m not going to wax philosophical about that, though.

As best as I can recall, ‘Salem’s Lot was my introduction to the world of vampires. I’m sure I must’ve watched on old movie or two along the way, but nothing that made an impression. King’s vampires weren’t old and stuffy and black and white (although, technically, they were black words on white paper), they were realistic, they seemed possible, and they were awesome.

In the interest of full disclosure, however, I must admit that I didn’t find them frightening as much as I found them unsettling. Frankly, they creeped me out. The thought of vampires hiding beneath floorboards or lurking in darkened spaces played tricks with my mind. The fact that vampires could multiply—and didn’t discriminate—turned those tricks into mean, dirty tricks. A ten-year-old’s imagination can run rampant with the idea of an undead horde of women and babies after his blood.

What makes vampire stories appealing in today’s pop culture?

Let’s face it—most people want to live forever. The only drag about that dream coming true would be dealing with the infirmaries of old age. Vampirism takes care of both. Live forever and be sexy as hell the whole time? Who wouldn’t want that?

Live forever. Look good. That’s the appeal of vampires in a nutshell. 

Anything else is pop psychology at its worst. Oh, wait … so is what I said. LOL

Live Forever. Look Good. No one cares about personality or brains.

If someone were to see one of your vampires on the street, what would their reaction be? Fear? Attraction? No unique reaction from that of seeing a human?

Mindless, shameless attraction. Loss of all self-control. Behavior akin to what you see at the typical all-you-can-eat buffet.

As I’ve said in earlier interviews, the vampires of Væmpires are inhumanly attractive, on average, although they tend not to flaunt it. In fact, the models used for the covers of all the paranormal romance novels are either: a) humans pretending to be vampires; b) teenage vampires determined to shame their parents c) adult vampires determined to shame their children; or d) the cryogenically-preserved remains of a certain Mr. Pattinson (proving that he did, in fact, “live” forever. Ms. Stewart, alas, faded from the public eye after an ill-advised cameo in 2032’s “Twinlight,” the first of an intended series of movies based upon the misadventures of Jacob and Renesmee’s conjoined fraternal twins. One twin is a dhampir/wolf hybrid with amazing abilities, affectionately named “Dampy” because her fur is always, well, damp. The other twin, Kenny, is a normal human afflicted with debilitating cases of aquagenic urticaria and an allergy to pet dander. When the movie flopped, Kristen supposedly sought refuge in a “Team Jacob” commune in upstate New York and was never seen again.).

But, seriously, here’s a related excerpt from Væmpires: White Christmas:

Daniel had the greatest parents in the world, and he knew it. His mother, a famed author of adventure novels, was the single greatest influence in shaping Daniel’s life. She was everything a boy wanted his mother to be and then some.

She looked radiant that evening. Her lustrous black mane was swept back in a jeweled headband that glittered with the room’s decorative lights. A pair of simple diamond earrings dangled from her earlobes, and a multifaceted diamond pendant adorned her neck. Red lipstick and a black dress made her white skin appear even whiter. She was a classic beauty.

Of course, most vampires possessed inhuman good looks. It posed one of the biggest ongoing problems for vampire-human relations. Simply put, humans were far too susceptible to vampire appearances for their own good. For the average vampire, it was rather embarrassing. For his mother, who was even more of a public figure than his father, it was a perpetual headache. At any moment of the day, a love-struck human—male or female, it didn’t matter—was likely to profess undying love for her.

Forget the fact that she had found her one true love decades earlier. Forget even the insurmountable differences in life expectancy or physiology. Humans cornered the market on irrational impulses.

Of course, a human would run upon encountering a væmpire. Not because the væmpire is any less attractive than a vampire, but because væmpires advocate ending the existence of humans. That makes it a little tough to become BFFs.

My Review of the Vaempires Series:

 

Vaempires: Revolution

Vaempires is a truely original novel with characters that will hold you attention and a plot that takes you on a ride.

I've shelved this as new adult because the characters, aged 15 and 16, are forced to grow up during the beginning of this war and act more like they are 18-22. They are now the rulers of this changed world.

The action scenes in this book are second to none. If you are a fan of action, you need to read Vaempires. The hand-to-hand combat is described expertly by Winship.

The world of Vaempires has similarities to our own, yet quite a few differences. The futuristic society of humans, vampires and vaempires all struggling to coexist is the perfect backdrop for the other smaller issues the characters face.

I can't wait to read Vaempires: White Christmas and Vaempires: Zombie Rising.

 

Vaempires: White Christmas

This was a great backstory to Vaempires: Revolution. The love story captures you and doesn't let go til the very end. Daniel and Cassie are young and trying to find their way in the world Winship has created. They are both expected to be very powerful when they mature, yet it seems their worlds are so far apart at the beginning of White Christmas. The political backdrop adds to the tension between them. It seems the universe keeps causing problems for these two young vampires, but they fight thro...moreThis was a great backstory to Vaempires: Revolution. The love story captures you and doesn't let go til the very end. Daniel and Cassie are young and trying to find their way in the world Winship has created. They are both expected to be very powerful when they mature, yet it seems their worlds are so far apart at the beginning of White Christmas. The political backdrop adds to the tension between them. It seems the universe keeps causing problems for these two young vampires, but they fight through it with the help of their parents. Yet another great story from Thomas Winship. Vaempires: Zombie Rising What can I say? Winship delivers again! This one is action packed and a cool look at the end of Vaempires: Revolution from a different POV. Ray and Linq are great characters. Its so nice to get to know their part of the story. I love Cassie. She's the kind of girl I love to read about. This story is all action and Winship does a great job describing the fight scenes while capturing the thoughts and emotions of the characters that are fighting. The scenes feel like they are straight out of a Jason Statham movie--choreographed to perfection. Can't wait to read the next one! I need it now!

Vampire Month! Featuring Beck Sherman's Revamp!

Vampire Month continues here on Paranormal Lounge!

This week I'm featuring Beck Sherman's Revamp! You can pick it up on Amazon for only $.99!

The same questions asked of my last two guests, Rebecca Hamilton and Wynne Channing, were asked of Beck Sherman, so here we go! A look into the vampire world of Revamp:


How are the vampires in your world different from others?

I guess you could say that you wouldn’t go to bed with a vampire from Revamp. Unless you wanted to wake up (not wake up?) without a head, your blood a Jackson Pollock on the wall.

They bite, they plunge, they tear, they rip, they drink, they are to be feared.

The hermits are the worst offenders. Vampires that “missed a step” while changing from human to undead. My heroine, Emma, refers to them as “special needs” vampires, but limb-less, thought-less, your blood is the only thing that drives them. And what they’re lacking in body parts and smarts, they make up for in insatiable thirst. That’s how they’ll get you.


Do the vampires in your world possess any of the traditional vampire traits? No reflection? Burning in the sun? Being immortal? Aversion to crosses, holy water and/or garlic? Turning into a bat? Killed by a wooden stake? Fangs? Other?

I wanted to model the main Revamp vampires after the archetypical vampire. When I say that, everyone probably automatically thinks of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, though, funny enough, Dracula and his fanged consorts could go out in daylight without bursting into flames. However, Revamp vampires must avoid the sun, are immortal, have a distaste for crosses and holy water, a piercing of the heart kills them, whether by stake or hollow-point bullets or something more creative. Revamp vampires are also shrouded in a bit of mystery. The reader learns with the characters what these monsters are capable of, and just when you think you got them pegged, they surprise you.


Why did you choose to write about vampires?

Well, I had a dream. A vampire floating in cobwebs of mist. And when I woke up, there was a bit of blood on my lip. I had bitten it while asleep. I got a tissue and wiped the blood away and that’s when I knew. Then and there I knew that the world just had to meet Emma and Cooper. Kidding. The whole “I dreamed about this book” really did take off with authors, though, didn’t it? As an avid horror fan, vampires have always intrigued me. In my opinion, vampires are the #1 monster, and then serial killers, the real monsters, which is what my second book is about.


Do you remember the first vampire story you read in a book or watched on a movie or television show?

The Lost Boys was my portal into the world of vampires. After I saw that movie, I needed to get my hands on anything and everything vampire. Of course, back then there wasn’t as much out there starring the undead. You had to really dig for it. But maybe that made it more worth it in the end, when you found something really good. Like Salem’s Lot by Stephen King or They Thirst by Robert McCammon.


What makes vampire stories appealing in today’s pop culture?

People are fascinated by death and the mystery surrounding it. In the same way, they’re fascinated by life. To have this being that’s kind-of dead but lives forever, and, in essence, is cheating death, there’s mass appeal there. Throw in a bit of eternal love with a pale, angsty bad boy vamp and women swoon. Revamp isn’t that type of vampire book, though.


If someone were to see one of your vampires on the street, what would their reaction be? Fear? Attraction? No unique reaction from that of seeing a human?

If you see a Revamp vampire on the street, you’d better have a weapon or human reinforcement. If not, you better run. Run fast. And don’t look back. Because it’s likely, and highly unfortunate, that that one vampire has just turned into fifty.
And Now My review of Revamp!

Revamp was a great read.

Beck Sherman has well-developed characters, an action-packed story with great plot pacing and it's also well-written.

Now, the length might scare you a bit, but let me tell you that it shouldn't. The story is artfully broken up with flashbacks from some of the main characters. Each flashback could potentially be a stand-alone, well-written short story.

By breaking up the story with these flashbacks, Beck Sherman has successfully written a long book that keeps you interested til the very end. The insight into the lives of each character and how they had to deal with the what was going on around them was brilliant.

Oh, and the horror element is so awesome. This isn't just horror this is HORROR. This book is not for the faint of heart.

There are few things that make me cringe, and some of those things are in this book. Beck has set up a few triggers throughout Revamp that will appeal to your deepest fears.

There are some true horror scenes in this book and it's definitely not "soft" horror either. If you love horror, pick this book up now!!!!

Here are some Links to Beck Sherman and Revamp!

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Goodreads Author Page | Amazon Authors Page

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)
Goodreads | Lulu

For even more info on Beck and other great authors, visit The Fiction Bookshelf!

Character of the Week! Zee from What Kills Me!

Character of the Week
Axelia, aka Zee

Book Zee appears in:

What Kills Me by Wynne Channing



Female



17...Forever



Human, then vampire but one that is unlike any other.



A short description of Zee:

The immortal nation calls her the “demon vampire.” An ancient prophecy warns that a human girl will be reborn a vampire and she will cause the extinction of the vampire race. So when Zee falls into a well filled with blood and emerges a vampire — one with mysterious strength and immunity to sunlight — the nation will stop at nothing to destroy her.

 



Five words that describe Zee's personality:
Funny. Curious. Talkative. Compassionate. Brave.


A quote from Zee:
I leaned over, put my hand against my pants to scratch my shin and my palm covered something under the fabric—hard and the size of a thumb. What the...? I shook my pant leg and a shiny brown cockroach tumbled out. It landed on its back, its spiky legs pumping the air. I screamed. Lucas ran into the kitchen, his swords drawn, and Kinman was close behind him. I looked up at Lucas and Kinman. No one spoke. I relaxed my expression. “Sorry,” I said. “It tried to get into my pants."







Buy What Kills Me

 Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads



Connect with Wynne

 Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 Google+ | Pinterest |YouTube |Amazon Author Page

 

Learn more about Wynne and other awesome authors on the Fiction Bookshelf!

Vampire Month! Featuring Wynne Channing's What Kills Me!

It's Vampire Month here on Paranormal Lounge!

This week I asked Wynne Channing the same questions I asked Rebecca Hamilton last week. Wynne's YA Paranormal Romance What Kills Me is available now! Grab it on Amazon US or Amazon UK  and take a look at what vampires are like in What Kills Me:


How are the vampires in your world different from others?

My heroine Axelia is a very different vampire. She is impervious to sunlight, super strong and very special. "Most unholy," as the vampire general says upon learning of her existence. But more on her later.


The vamps in What Kills Me are pretty traditional bloodsuckers. They fight, they burn and they die. However, the vampire society is a special place — a world governed by duty and ancient tradition. Though they worship Gods, a single empress has total control. She governs what they eat and who can become vampires. Immortals are "selected" and transformed by a strict ritual. Then Axelia enters the picture, the first vampire ever to be turned without permission — born out of a well of blood.



Do the vampires in your world possess any of the traditional vampire traits? No reflection? Burning in the sun? Being immortal? Aversion to crosses, holy water and/or garlic? Turning into a bat? Killed by a wooden stake? Fangs? Other?


My vampires burn in the sun. They consume nothing but blood (human food makes them extremely sick — cake and garlic will have the same effect). If you're trying to kill one, a good beheading should do the trick. However, they don't turn into bats and they can see their reflection (how else would you ever do your own hair if you didn't have a reflection?).



Why did you choose to write about vampires?



I've always been fascinated by these lonely monsters. I think you can't live hundreds of years without being seriously messed up — which makes for interesting stories. I recently interviewed Neil Jordan who directed Interview With A Vampire and he said that vampire stories are often emblematic of a number of themes: sexuality, death, etc. There's so much you can say through these pale creatures.


Do you remember the first vampire story you read in a book or watched on a movie or television show?

The first vampire story that I saw was a Chinese horror movie. Chinese vampires or zombies jump around and you have to slap a piece of paper to their foreheads to keep them from attacking you. Sounds super weird but when you're a little girl, it scares the crap out of you.


What makes vampire stories appealing in today’s pop culture?


In a society so obsessed with youth and beauty, the immortality aspect is mega attractive. Of course, no one remembers the part where you crave blood and watch all of your friends and family grow old and die. For lack of a better word, that sucks.


If someone were to see one of your vampires on the street, what would their reaction be? Fear? Attraction? No unique reaction from that of seeing a human?


I think if someone were to see Axelia, they would simply think she is magnificent. Beautiful. Full of life. (But she was all of those things when she was human.) If someone were to see the general of the vampire army or its soldiers, well, they'd better run. Not that you'd get very far.


And now, my review of What Kills Me

Loved this book!

The writing is well thought out and carries a wonderful style that really goes with the story and genre.

The characters are well written and interesting. I definitely cared about Zee and her journey to becoming who she was meant to be. The relationships are complicated and have meaning.

The story is paced just right, I really enjoyed the flow of it. The action and adventure were amazing and I enjoyed the way Wynne ended it. The ending is seriously the best ending ever.

I can't wait to read the next installment! I recommend this to anyone who likes vampires, action and paranormal with a splash of romance.

Here are some links where you can find Wynne and What Kills Me:

Goodreads | Wynne Channing’s Website

 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

 

 

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

For more info on Wynne Channing and other awesome authors visit the Fiction Bookshelf.

Vampire month: Vampire Sensationalism

In literature today vampires are everywhere.  They're also in movies and TV shows.  What is our fixation on vampires about?

What started it all?  Was it Anne Rice with all her Vampire Chronicles?  It is far more likely that it was Bram Stoker and his classic novel Dracula.

What started the frenzy of modern times?  Was it Stephanie Meyer's Twilight?  Sure there were others before her and after her, but was the sensational success of Twilight the reason we are so enthralled with vampires right now?

Some people say that vampires are "out," but I say that there are people out there who will remain fans for the rest of their lives. These fans will forever seek out the next vampire story that they crave so much.

So what is it about vampires that we can't get enough of? Is it the fact that they represent the ultimate danger? Or is it just the allure of the unknown?

For me, vampires are the pinnacle of Bad Boys. I am a sucker (no pun intended) for Bad Boys.

Now, there are a few types of vampire out there. Personally, I'm a fan of all of them.

There is the true vampire or traditional vampire. The ones who burn in the sun and are harmed with crosses and don't have reflections. These are in the middle of the Troublesome to Terror scale. They can be sexy or scary or both. A good example of these are the vampires of the original and the re-make of Fright Night. Dracula and Anne Rice's vampires would also be good examples. These vampires know what they are and don't care. They embrace the lifestyle.

Next we have the modern vampire. The vampire that thinks he's a monster and is constantly trying to cling to their humanity. They don't want to drink human blood or be killers. Of course there are modern vampires who embrace the lifestyle, but those vampires are usually not the center of the stories.

Lastly, the vampires of horror.  These vampires are true monsters who have left all traces of humanity behind.  You can find these types of vampires in the past and present.  These are the monsters that give you nightmares. A good example of these are the vampires of 30 Days of Night and the vampiric beings of I Am Ledgend (one of my most hated movies).

There are vampires that fall between these lines, of course, and there are those that don't fit into any of these categories. That's the beauty of it. We can read or watch all sorts of vampires til we can't take them any more.

Character of the Week! Sophia from The Forever Girl

Before I hop right into Character of the Week, I just want to let everyone know that Rebecca Hamilton's Her Sweetest Downfall is available for FREE right now. That promotion ends today so get your copy now!

Character of the Week

Sophia



Picture of Sophia, voted on by fans of
The Forever Girl on Facebook.

 

Book Sophia appears in:

The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

 Female

 22

Human

 A short description of Sophia:
Sophia is a young Wiccan (both in age and journey). She’s an outcast in her home town, and has a complicated family history. A hissing noise in her head has been a constant annoyance for the fast four years, and when it finally becomes too much to handle, she decides to turn to her Wiccan faith to find a cure.

 Five words that describeSophia's personality:
Contemplative, Cautious, Self-Deprecating, Conflicted, Quirky


A quote from Sophia:
“Who you are means more to me than what you are…”


Please visit www.paranormalfantasybooks.com for all purchasing options!

For more information on Rebecca Hamilton and other awesome authors visit The Fiction Bookshelf!

 

Vampire Month! Featuring Rebecca Hamilton's The Forever Girl and Her Sweetest Downfall!

Vampire Month!

It's Vampire month on Paranormal Lounge! All month long I'll be featuring authors of vampire books and their work with interviews, reviews and more! I'll be wrapping it all up with an in-depth feature on Obsidian, my debut novel! So, sit down and read all about those bloodsucking creatures we love to hate!
 
First up for Vampire Month we have Rebecca Hamilton and her books, The Forever Girl and Her Sweetest Downfall.  I interviewed Rebecca about the type of vampires she writes about and I have a review of each one after the interview!

Before I jump into the interview, I have to tell you that Her Sweetest Downfall is available for FREE October 1st - 3rd!

The Forever Girl is only $2.99 so grab them both!
 
How are the vampires in your world different from others?

The Cruor in my novel are most like the legends of vampires that we know today. They can be killed by direct sunlight, staking, and decapitation. Where they differ are in their myths. For example, that the first Cruor were humans who were mistakenly buried alive. Or that they narcissus is a good vampire repellent, and how this knowledge came to be know :)Do the vampires in your world possess any of the traditional vampire traits? No reflection? Burning in the sun? Being immortal? Aversion to crosses, holy water and/or garlic? Turning into a bat? Killed by a wooden stake? Fangs? Other?
Traditional traits include immortality, burning in the sun, fangs, and being killed by staking.Why did you choose to write about vampires?
Because I'm a lemming! No, but really, I have no idea. I didn't really "choose" to do it so much as I sat down to write and that is what came out.Do you remember the first vampire story you read in a book or watched on a movie or television show?
Yes.What makes vampire stories appealing in today’s pop culture?
I think they're just fun. They can be sexy or terrifying, or sometimes both. They can create a sense of danger in a story just as easily as they can create a sense of lust and desire (not always sexual, but hey, sometimes that too!) I think those things are fun and fascinating to read about.


If someone were to see one of your vampires on the street, what would their reaction be? Fear? Attraction? No unique reaction from that of seeing a human?

Depends WHEN they saw them on the street, but in general, most times they wouldn't know what they'd seen, though they might still have a sense of fear that they can't explain.


And now, my review of The Forever Girl:

The Forever Girl is a great book that does a great job at showcasing Wicca as the emerging religion that it is. It's easy to see that Wicca is conceived as a cult religion, but the author shows us that it is in fact a nature based religion. I also thought that her take on vampires was incredibly unique and the fact that she pulled from each of the five elements to explain the beings in this series is great.

The story line is exciting and original, and everything eventually comes to light at the end. I saw no plot holes, which is wonderful and the romance in the novel is subtle yet strong--just the way I like it. I like novels that have a good deal of romance, but aren't completely consumed by it.

The characters are well-developed and fun to get to know. You can invest in their problems and care about them easily.

The story follows Sophia and has good pacing. Twists and turns keep you interested. I read this book very quickly because I just didn'y want to put it down. It's great for any fan of the paranormal.


Lastly, my review of Her Sweetest Downfall:

I loved The Forever Girl and I loved Her Sweetest Downfall.

Her Sweetest Downfall is a wonderful story that gives a behind the scenes look at The Forever Girl. It follows different characters in a different time but it will all tie in to Hamilton's master plan.

The characters are well-developed, the plot is paced perfectly for a novella, and the romance in this book rings true.  I almost cried at one point, that's how real the romance feels when reading Her Sweetest Downfall.

The characters fit their time. Often you see characters that seem too modern to be in the past, but that is not the case here, Hamilton takes you back in time.

I can't wait for the next book in this series, I am a true fan.

Tune back in on Wednesday when Sophia from The Forever Girl makes an appearance for Character of the Week!

Website | Forever Girl Series | Paranormal Books

Twitter | Rebecca’s Facebook | Forever Girl’s Facebook | Pinterest

YouTube | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Learn more about Rebecca Hamilton and other awesome authors on The Fiction Bookshelf!