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.
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