Make Vampires Great Again!

When I think of vampires, I think of the all-time greatest DRACULA!

But times have changed, and, let's face it, we want the vampire to have more fun than just stealing a woman from another man and carrying her down to his crypt.

Sure, he was something to fear... but the women found him irresistible.

Back when I was growing up, it was Johnathan Frid in Dark Shadows, who caught my interest and held it, and I became hooked on anything vampire--which was not easy to find back in the 60's or 70's. 

Who knew the roll would be revisited in 2011/12 and Barnabas Collins played by Johnny Depp--yum!

At any rate, my interest in vampires never faded, and when I began to write, I had to write about vampires.

Over the dozen years from my teens into my twenties the vampire took on a slightly different cast. Sure, the vampires are still horrific blood-suckers, but here in a newer version of Dracula, Frank Langella came off as (at least to me), the underdog who only wanted his wife back. I felt it really captured the romance in the story.

And then Gary Oldman was cast in the roll, and I had an even firmer grasp on why I loved the story and why it could be retold as a love story.

Then, of course we should never forget about Ann Rice who wrote Interview with the Vampire(1994) who would forever change how we look at vampires. It wasn't Dracula running around trying to find his re-incarnated wife, but the chronicles of a man turned into a vampire and his life there after. What she did for everyone, writers of books or movies, changed the whole dynamics of the vampire from that point on.

Aside from the vampires that sparkle in Twilight, 

there have been a sea of movies and TV shows with the vampire in the lead rolls. Some are detectives, such as in Moonlight, and in Forever Knight. I can't possibly list all shows and movies, and so wont here.

We've also had the southern vampire, created by Charlaine Harris

which became an HBO series (and didn't adhere very well to the actual books, I might add, but hey, she made her money).

The truth of the matter is vampire stories still sell. Why?

Because women have turned to these paranormal romances for escapism.

Back in the day, there were no such thing as paranormal romances or urban fantasies with vampires thralling the women. It was under the heading Horror. Now books and shows with a woman becoming the vampire hunter.

And we have Buffy to thank for that...

Of course I refer to 1990's TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a very original idea by Joss Whedon. It was smart, hard-hitting action with great story lines, and hooked a whole generation on vampires. (Thank you, Joss!) 

We'd never go back to the traditional vampire who so repulsed us in the beginning of the long, long reign of the vampire.

The concept of vampire's getting lucky with women, or being unlucky and being staked, has matured. I know what sort of books are out there, still trying to peddle off a basic romance plot (boring, because you know the main characters of woman and man--which ever is the vampire--will come together in the end), with at least one vampire in the lead who will either fall in love with the opposite sex, or at least fall into bed with them.

They always have a sexy/suggestive-looking cover with a juicy title and captivating hook.

With that in mind, my publisher felt that a sexy-looking woman on the front cover would help the sell, with some city-scape in the background--because the stories sometimes take place in the city (Chicago), along with a full moon (because Sabrina is bitten by a werewolf in beginning of first story, and I follow that in each book).

Where do my books fall in this area?

Although they may be listed as a paranormal romance, they're far from the normal idea of a romance novel.

I went about writing this series with a touch clairvoyant as the main character, who learns she is the sybil and must eventually give birth to a half-vampire, half-human, but not with any old vampire--and there are plenty of vampire males lining up for the job. Sabrina is "picky" and during the course of the series isn't nuts about getting pregnant, no matter who she settles down with.

However the powers that be (demons), are adamant about her becoming pregnant, and when she doesn't, they go ballistic and begin attacking her at every opportunity, and with everything they've got.

In all there will eventually be 8 books in the series. At this time there are 6 in the Sabrina Strong series. Ascension is the first book, and from the link you can catch the full description and an excerpt from the book, along with some reviews.

partial from editorial review of Ascension from Readers' Favorite

 Bell doesn't just show the surface of the characters, she digs deeper and shows different sides to the characters. Sabrina's relationship with Tremayne is probably the most complicated. He takes an automatic interest in her, so he begins to sway her with glitzy presents and seduction, while also maintaining the fact that he's a super powerful and dangerous vampire. Nicolas is the first vampire she meets and, though he has a definite connection and flirtation with her, he assumes a protective role toward her. Dante is a shapeshifter shaman that acts her partner and bodyguard, who forms a strong connection and friendship with her. Her relationship with Heath is probably the sweetest, because he's laid back and always seems so genuine, an easily likable personality, and he never seems to have an agenda. A thrilling start to a series, Ascension is equal parts vampire romance and equal parts murder mystery; a story that's charming and endearing with a strong-willed heroine that will captivate you.

Now that I've chronicled the vampire fiction/movie/TV in a nutshell, and hope you've enjoyed it, I'd like to ask one last thing of you today before you depart. 

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST!

THANK YOU!

What Makes A Heroine?

Well, last week I wanted to find out what makes a hunk for you ladies. I was surprised what the answer was and still, it was a great way to find out what women find attractive in a man. If it means he does the laundry or dishes, while looking good doing it, why not?

But today I'm going to answer my own question: What Makes a Heroine?

No one likes a dim-witted woman. I don't like seeing a woman walk out alone at night, unless, of course they're Buffy Summers, of course, and I know she can whip anybody's ass.

Buffy fighting Angel in season 2

When I created my Sabrina Strong, I needed her to have some realistic issues--like money issues--so that it made perfectly good sense that when offered to work for vampires, she couldn't turn it down. I mean, her biggest problem is keeping or even gaining employment. It would you too, if you were a touch clairvoyant and anything you touched, or came in contact would put you into a coma for a week.

While I enjoy other books in my genre, Sookie Stackhouse comes to mind. She has virtually the same problem as she is a telapath, and every man she might try to date she can hear their very thoughts. Sort of kills the moment when you know exactly what a guy is thinking about you.

I like Buffy because she did have a couple of falts, like falling in love with a vampire. Well, who wouldn't fall for Angel? And then she had to kill him because he became evil. That was a thrilling show, let me tell you. The build up of how they fell in love, had a few fights along the way, she had to fight and kill him. I got all tied up in the overwhelming grief over the fact she had to kill her boyfriend. And, of course, save the world, at the same time. That Josh Whedon, gotta love how he can blend humor with  horror, and know exactly how to hit the emotional bar juuuust right.

Sookie Stackhouse Books:

With Charlaine Harris's character, Sookie, we find a young woman who never has gone on a date, let alone had sex, and is introduced to both through Bill, the vampire. Their on/off relationship is steamy, wild, and at times she's fed up with it because she just winds up in the hospital, or gets beat up, or is staked. I think her first novels, Sookie is black and blue and bleeding all over the place. Sookie eventually goes from Bill to Eric, and then she's in and out of relationships with a werewolf, a tiger-were, and then back to Eric. NOTE: I have not read the last book, so do NOT tell me what happens, please!

Sabrina Strong Series:

My heroine of this series had to be strong willed enough to resist the vampires the best she could. In the first book Vampire Ascending, she certainly meets up with some handsome vampire dudes (Vasyl, Tremayne and Nicolas), and one shapeshifter dude (Dante Badheart). Who wins her heart in the end? Well, she falls for Dante. Resisting and later on rejecting Nicolas for the things he has done, or was part of abducting her best friend, Jeanie, who almost dies, and she asks the vampires to save Jeanie by turning her.

Sabrina is hired to find out who has killed Tremayne's life-time mate, in the first book. In the second book, she's involved in learning more about Vasyl, who has been seeking her--the sybil--for centuries. He saves her from a car wreck, takes a bullet out of her and proceeds to tell her all about why he has been waiting for her. And, because Dante has distance himself from her (because Tremayne has forbidden him from being intimate with her any more), she naturally becomes infatuated with Vasyl.

Her mission in this second book, Vampire's Trill, is to rescue Tremayne from imprisonment, and get him to his trial on Dark World. Easy? Not really. While there she makes a few enemies. Well, she sort of kills a designer pet and cuts the tails off a demon (he grows them back, but he's pissed). But they all return to Earth okay. But she is later abducted and tortured because Jeanie's mother wants to know where her daughter is. Jeanie's brother just wants to cut her up. Sabrina winds up in the hospital at the end of this book, and the two Mrs. Woodbine and son, Mark, are put in jail.

Meanwhile, Sabrina's guy troubles have mounted. New guy across the road, Bill, Gannon, wants to date her. Vasyl proposes, and Dante has died.

The third book, Vampire Nocturne, continues with Sabrina becoming Vasyl's bride, and then because she is still mourning her loss over Dante (who she still loved), he gives her time to grieve. But she learns that her cousin, Lindee, has disappeared, and when she goes to investigate, Sabrina winds up on a totally different world where vampires rule, in fact, Drakuyla (Vlad Teppes), is king and a number of other men want to become her lover, or taste her blood. I enjoyed witing this one where I place Sabrina into a world stuck in the Victorian age.

In each book I've manage to put Sabrina up against some nasty vampires who want to do her in, or taste her blood. I've always wanted to put the real Dracula into a story and Vampire Nocturne has him in there as the unlikely hero in the end, and my little surprise ending cures readers curiosity as to what is going on with Dante and that stone he gave her.

More adventures for my heroine is in store, so either check out those you've missed, or stay tuned for updates on the next book in the Sabrina Strong Series.

Curently, Lorelei is working on
fourth book in the series.