Today's Topic: Love Fantasy Sci-Fi Novels -- A Statement of Being, or an Imperative Command?
*"Shake Me Down" by Cage the Elephant plays*
My name is Jaz Primo, and I'm tickled pink to be here to chat with you today!
*pausing*
Okay, full disclosure: First, I haven't been tickled recently, though I'm open to the idea if the opportunity presented itself. Second, I'm not pink...more of a pasty white in a need-to-get-out-in-the-sun-more kind of way. I am, however, a big fan of Pink!
*wink*
*clearing my throat gently*
So, if you're still reading, you're left wondering just who the hell I am. Am I right?
Well, if you guessed "escaped mental patient" you'd be partly right. I'm an author who has escaped the boundaries of a normally hum-drum existence to bring some remarkable vampires to life. My debut novel, Sunrise at Sunset, was released in October 2010. It's the first novel in the Sunset Vampire Series, and it has received some very thoughtful, glowing reviews since its debut.
Here's the teaser from the back cover:
“We vampires are focused and tend to shape our own realities.”
My name is Katrina Rawlings, and I am a vampire. I declare that with neither pride nor ego. I am simply nature’s most dangerous predator. On occasion, it’s a very valuable quality. It helped me
protect Caleb Taylor one day when he was very young. But that single, traumatic day is behind him now; wiped from his memory, or so I hope.
Caleb has finally matured into a rather striking young man, and believe me, I like what I see. I’ll readily admit that there are issues for us to confront and overcome, though a sense of mutual commitment isn’t one of them. I’m feeling hopeful for our future together, in fact. But an adversary from my past has returned to haunt me, and she’s trying to get back at me through Caleb. That was her first...and last...mistake. I’ll protect my Caleb at all costs, and I’ll make her regret the day she was born.
So, I suppose that I’m not just a vampire. I’m about to become someone’s worst nightmare!
Perhaps you'll consider checking out the book trailer sometime soon?
*grinning slyly*
All right, moving on...
*"Syracuse" by Pinback plays*
I'm actually a big fan of Love Fantasy Sci-Fi Novels already. In Facebook, this was one of the first book clubs to take an interest in my novel. The review helped to establish my presence as a new writer sponsoring a quality story. Siobhan has been very kind and supportive to me as I've stepped onto the world stage, of which I'll always be particularly grateful. She's an awesome lady who rocks!
*warm smile*
Last year, Love Fantasy Sci-Fi Novels began a contest to judge differing novel covers against each other. For some odd reason, oftentimes there are stark differences between U.K. and U.S. novel covers of the same name! It's one of the things that continues to intrigue me. Are Brits and Yanks so different as consumers that we require separate novel covers just to sell a book to us?
In the immortal words of Kenan Thompson from Saturday Night Live: "What Up Wit' Dat'?"
*pursing my lips*
I'm someone who has always viewed novel cover art as more than just visual marketing techniques to entice someone to purchase a book. It's every bit a creative statement about the written work of art waiting inside. Frequently, it visually captures a bit of the emotion behind the storyline or its characters. It's not so much a miniature advertisement, but rather an instantaneous bridge into your mind. Admit it...in mere seconds after picking up a novel and glancing at its cover you determine whether to turn it over and read the teaser on the back cover. Something inexplicable touches you in that moment, and you're literally compelled to investigate further.
*pausing* Okay, well maybe not with Twilight. The apple being held in the person's open palm didn't really do much for me, though I distinctly identify it as the herald to the Twilight series. And actually, I wanted to read the novel well before I ever saw its cover. All it took was to hear friends talk about Edward and Bella to know that it was something special.
*wink*
So, coming full circle, I was impressed by the dialogue that got started once Love Fantasy challenged its readers to vote on which covers were better: U.K. or U.S. What surprised me most was how there was actually no continuity or easily discernible pattern to the differences in each country's covers. In some instances, there are symbols but no person on the U.K cover while a person appears on the U.S cover. However, the situation is quickly reversed on another novel for a different author. In the end, I wasn't able to correlate how or why the differences in cover even mattered. What do you think?
Hmmmm....
Meh...I dunno, really.
*shrugging*
*"Obstacle 1" by Interpol plays*
Ahhh, I just LOVE the classics, don't you?
*grinning*
Let's talk about vampires, shall we?
I'm always impressed by how vampires manage to transcend genres of literature and be uniformly accepted. They're central figures in romance, urban fantasy, young adult, horror, and even mystery. Yes, folks, Sookie Stackhouse's vampires appear in the mystery genre because that's where Charlaine Harris was first published in when she got started...so it kind of stuck after that. Funny, isn't it?
But I digress. (I'm actually very good with digression...)
Add to that the amazing spectrum of vampire characteristics that bring new flavor and depth to those undead fanged beings that go bump in the night. Although in my series, the vampires aren't actually animated dead; they're quite alive, though no less spectacular in their physical characteristics and phenomenal abilities. Oh, and who can forget fangs! Sorry, they're not real vampires without fangs...dead or alive. By the way, did anyone ever notice that the vampires in True Blood have their fangs set unusually close together?
*shrugging*
Hey, I'm just sayin'!
Anyway, in the past there were finite periods of popularity regarding vampires. They were widely popular, but only for brief periods...brief windows of opportunity. The fad of their presence lasted a few years, and then the fanged wonders settle into the shadows again for years on end. We're in unique territory today in that the vampire phenomenon has maintained a prolonged popularity across the spectrum of literature, cinema, and television. And now I'm left wondering: Is the wave of popularity preparing to crash against the shore, or is it still propelling valiantly forward?
*pausing*
*smiling fondly*
I, for one, think that we're in new and untrodden territory here, folks. The wave continues...and frankly, I couldn't be happier!
*"Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine plays*
You just KNEW that I had to end things on that tune, didn't you?
*smirking*
My thanks to Siobhan for permitting me an opportunity to reach out to each of you today.
*Waving and smiling at Siobhan in Glasgow from my perch here in Oklahoma, USA*
I've certainly enjoyed our little visit, and hopefully you have too!
And if it's not too much trouble, perhaps you'll consider looking into Sunrise at Sunset? It's in trade paperback and eBook formats, including Kindle on both Amazon.US and Amazon.UK. Wow, time flies! Before you know it, it will be May, and the sequel will be out. I'm already excited about the prospect. Oh, and did I mention the title?
*arching my eyebrows*
A Bloody London Sunset
*smiling*
Oh, but before I go, there's something left to settle: Love Fantasy Sci-Fi Novels...a command or state of being?
Both, of course! You should absolutely LOVE fantasy and sci-fi novels! And yes, I'm also smitten with Love Fantasy Sci-Fi Novels. Given that it's such a great blog site, who wouldn't be?
*grinning*
Peace.
Jaz
Order Your Copy Now
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Thank you Jaz for a great Post.
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