Marie Treanor - Guest blog and Contest

PVN is delighted to welcome back Marie Treanor author of the sensuous Awakened by Blood trilogy including Blood on Silk and the soon to be released sequel Blood Sin (April 5, 2011). Blood Eternal will be published in October or this year. Today Marie discusses the vampire as created in her imaginative world. She is also offering one of her current titles to a lucky reader. [See end of post for details]

[Read an interview with Marie.]
 

Vampires Behaving Badly – or are they?

by Marie Treanor

Like everyone else around here, I love vampires. I love reading about them, and I love writing about them. To my way of thinking, there’s room in the literary world for all varieties and characters of the undead, and I can enjoy all of them. But… I confess to a sneaking preference for vampires who  behave rather more dangerously than humans with a dietary requirement. In my own writing, I have great fun with this.

When I began Blood on Silk, the first of my Awakened by Blood trilogy, I knew my vampires would behave badly. Even my hero, Saloman, behaves badly – in fact he’s better at it than his fellows – but what makes him stand above the others is that he has a mission beyond his next meal and the kudos of bossing around a few weaker vampires. It’s not exactly a selfless mission, since he wants to rule the human and vampire worlds, and in Blood on Silk we’re never very sure whether it’s even a benevolent mission. Elizabeth Silk, my heroine, doesn’t think it matters, since she’s against tyranny of any description.
 
Now that Blood Sin, the first sequel, is about to hit the bookshelves on 5th April, I’ve been thinking again about what’s changed for my characters and their world; are my vampires still behaving as badly? Blood on Silk was all about discovering the vampire world and my characters’ places in it. Blood Sin is about developing these things.  And to be honest, this development was the hardest as well as one of the most exciting parts of writing Blood Sin.

Elizabeth, the academic, who has discovered she can fight as well as think, wasn’t so difficult: she’s faced up to her responsibilities as an unofficial vampire hunter while still pursuing her academic career. And of course, she’s been learning to live without Saloman, whom she loves and can never be with. Or so she believes until she unexpectedly walks into his arms at a party of celebrities, and all her old conflicts of love and loyalty are given increased edge when she agrees to work with him to find Saloman’s missing sword - which could be a devastating weapon in the wrong hands.

Saloman and the vampires required a bit more thought to develop. I had fun getting to know some of Saloman’s friends and enemies. But most of all in Blood Sin, I had to get deeper into Saloman’s head, and show him in a more revealing light to both Elizabeth and the reader. Working together could teach him and Elizabeth the value of each other’s views… or it could lead to greater tragedy and death.

Saloman is re-organizing the chaotic vampires of the world, forcing them to live by his rules, ruthlessly squashing opposition and extracting allegiance from their petty leaders. It was tempting, since he is such a strong and irresistible character, to let him overcome the vampires with ease, but somehow this didn’t ring true. My vampires are independent, hedonistic and selfish; they just wouldn’t submit without very good reason. And so, while I made it easier for him in Europe, where he is based and where his past and present reputation is strongest, I’ve given him a harder job globally.

Take America - divided between two powerful vampire factions - which still refuses to bow to Saloman. Although this gives the vampire hunters hope of a halt to Saloman’s inexorable power grab, there is also new danger in the inevitable vampire clashes – people get caught in the cross-fire of New York street battles. A politically powerful human wants to become a vampire. The vampires all still want to kill Elizabeth, the Awakener, and will do anything to gain the power of Saloman’s sword.

So, yes: my vampires are still behaving badly!
When, in the midst of this mayhem of battle and blood-drinking, Elizabeth allies with Saloman, the hunters’ relationship with Elizabeth must also surely change. Can she keep her love for Saloman a secret from her friends, who would consider it betrayal? And walking this tightrope of divided loyalties and conflicting aims, can she maintain her own principles in the face of Saloman’s powerful and seductive persuasion?

Well…
I’m not going to tell you here. Blood Sin is out on 5th April. I hope you’ll read it and find out for yourself!

Marie: I’ll leave you with a question: how flawed do you like your heroes? How badly can they behave before they lose you? 

Contest

* Marie is offering a copy of Blood on Silk or Blood Sin - winner's choice

 

* Leave a comment on Marie's question for a chance to win. 

* Be sure contact information is included with your comment. 

 

* Contest ends April 11, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

 

* Contest is international.



Blood on Silk, Awakened by Blood 1, is available now.
Blood Sin, Awakened by Blood 2, will be released on 5th April. It is available now for Pre-order.
Blood Eternal, Awakened by Blood 3, will be published in October 2011.