Monday, October 31, 2011

Vampire Monday: Jae Lynn Davies


Why Vampires Will Always Be Popular

First, I want to thank Lynda for inviting me. It’s such a pleasure to be here!

Let’s talk about my favorite paranormal creature . . . Vampires.

Why will vampires always be popular? Variety.

The fanged creature of the night has come a long way since the days of Nosferatu. What’s not to love about them? Sure, they’re attractive, immortal, and deliver the promise of supreme sexual fulfillment, but it seems as though we’ve been witnessing a sort of vampire evolution. No longer do vampires come in one shape and size.

There are still the standard vampires who are unable to withstand sun exposure, fear garlic, crucifixes, holy water, etc. The brutal monsters of old are still present in literary fiction and film, but there are some with little or no limitations. In fact, the more modern vampires come equipped with some amazing abilities.

Some examples of evolved vampires:

In the film, The Lost Boys, the vampires slept hanging upside down in humanoid form by attaching a sort of talon to metal piping — no coffins for those bad boys. And they could fly. You’re under the impression they could take flight without completely shifting into a winged animal.

In Blade 2, the vampire race initiated an experiment that backfired. While attempting to find a pseudo drug that would allow vampires to walk in the light, things went terribly wrong. The injection transformed the familiar vampire into a more grotesque genetically altered vampire. We also see a rare occurrence. These mutant vampires sustained themselves by feeding on the blood of other vampires rather than humans. I have to admit, this concept grabbed my attention pretty quickly.

Last, in the widely popular HBO series, True Blood, vampires are out of the proverbial closet! The fanged exist amongst society and demand equal rights, because of readily available synthetic blood beverage designed for their consumption rather than the need to feed exclusively on human blood. Society’s knowledge of this product allows for the vampires to attempt to co-exist with humans. We even see vampire blood being sold as an illegal narcotic.

In my latest novel, Mythic, the vampire race is based on standard concepts (drinking human blood for sustenance, avoiding sunlight, strength, speed, etc), but there are some who don’t have a sun allergy and most of my vampires cast reflections. I’ve also added a new variety of vampire . . . The human/vampire hybrid — the result of humans and vampires breeding.

So long as there are stories about vampires, they will have a constant audience. You’ll always find a plethora of vampire novels in my reading queue, and that isn’t likely going to change. After all, where this immortal paranormal creature is concerned, there’s something for everyone.

What is your idea of the perfect vampire? Does he/she possess any special abilities? Do you prefer the tortured soul with the need to be saved from the curse of immortality, or the leather-donned badass who uses his gifts for a greater cause? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject! One lucky commenter will win an eBook copy of my vampire novel, Mythic!

Want to learn more about the Mythic series? Hop on over to my website, http://www.jaelynnedavies.com%20and/and see what I have in store for my vampires!

Mythic blurb: Centuries after the death of her family, human/vampire hybrid, Gianna Marino is determined to shed the blood of the vampire responsible.

Disguising herself as a human wanting to be turned, she infiltrates the enemy’s coven with the hope of bending him to her will and destroying him from the inside.

But when a handsome stranger enters the scene and is lured into their seductive game that results in a heated love triangle, she discovers a secret that blurs the lines between good and evil, forever changing the course of her existence, and destiny will soon determine on which side she’ll stand.

Now available at All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mythic-513518-139.html

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Jae Lynn will choose one commenter to win a copy of her book. Leave your email address with your comment and she'll be in touch.




16 Comments:

Blogger hopew said...

It is so nice to hear someone put it all in easy terms. I dont think vamps wil ever leave the scene. There is just so much you can convey with them, from enraged monsters to tortured souls looking for redemption. They are here to stay! Also, how do we enter the drawing for her book?
Hope williams
Massagehope@yahoo.com

9:44 AM  
Blogger Lynda Hilburn said...

hopew: You already entered by commenting! Thanks for that. After Jae picks a winner, she'll be in touch. She'll also announce the winner in the comments.

9:58 AM  
Blogger Bobbi A. Chukran, Author said...

Very interesting blog post, Jae. I've always loved vampire movies, books, stories and have often pondered why it's been such an ongoing interest of mine. Perhaps the idea of living so long/forever, and all the interesting things one would live through in history also peaks my interest. I recently published a vampire spoof play based on DRACULA (the Journal of Mina Harker), but leave the romantic vampires to others. :-)

Looking forward to reading your books. bobbi c.

10:08 AM  
Blogger Na said...

I agree. Vampires are great with evolving over the years, whether they are romanticized, modernized or something elese. They have always been appealing to me even when they were pasty white creatures of the night who slept in coffins. Now there are so many types -those who conform to traditional beliefs and those who don't. I like learning new things about them and seeing them in a new way.

Cambonified [at] yahoo [dot] com

10:56 AM  
Blogger Dawn Chartier said...

I agree, Jae Lynne.
Vampires will be around for a long time to come...

Great blog post.

2:59 PM  
Blogger kel_p said...

I don't have a huge collection of books yet but don't think there's more than half a dozen that don't have vampires in them - they'd have to be my favourite paranormal character & i think they'll definitely been around forever - i don't think paranormal books/movies or anything would be the same without them :)
I like the tortured ones that the 'damsel' has to save in order to turn from monster to perfect man type thing - i'm a sucker for the sappy endings!

6:42 PM  
Blogger Rhapsdyb said...

Personally, i like the story lines where there are good vampires (the sexy ones in leather) who protect the humans from the pasty white ones who want to drain us dry. The angst is ok as long as they are doing something to redeem themselves. Nothing worse than a whiny vampire, lol. Please enter me in this contest because I LOVE winning books.
rhapsdyb@yahoo.com

6:58 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Hopew!

Thanks so much for commenting. I don't think vamps will ever leave the scene, either. There's so much mystery and attraction, I feel it will never grow old.

10:42 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Bobby C.!

I've often wondered why I'm so drawn to vampires, myself. I agree about immortality playing a large role. I mean, do you have any idea how much I could do if I lived forever? *grin*

I also find their entire presence intriguing. The way they can control with so much as a look, able to call to a human's desires, and bring about surrender in a variety of manners, earned a raised brow a time or two.

Thanks for stopping by!

10:49 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Na!

Thanks so much for commenting with your thoughts on the matter. I've been intrigued by vampire lore since I was a child. I've seen them portrayed in a number of different ways and I never tire of them. I agree. They're here to stay!

10:52 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hey Dawn!!

Nice to see you here. Vamps will always have a place in fiction, film, and other media. I just think the world finds them fascinating enough to dig a little deeper.

Thanks so much for dropping by!

10:53 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Kel!

Thanks for commenting. There's nothing wrong with a sappy ending! In fact, you're in the majority. However, I like a little conflict in a darker setting, myself.

10:55 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Rhapsdyb!

Thanks for dropping by. Oh, my favorite kind of vamps. The tortured souls who are mistaken for badass anti-heroes, and want one chance at redemption. It's nice to see a little ass-kicking along the way, too.

10:57 PM  
Blogger kel_p said...

yeah i will agree with the conflict in the darker settings although i am yet to read a book where the ending isn't exactly how you expect it to be, well they always end happy anyway.....
Perhaps someone should write about the tortured soul of a vampire & the woman who can save him only to have her be VERY wrong & him act on his animal instinct & eat her? Ok might be a little twisted but still, it wouldn't be like any other i've read :)

7:02 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

After quite a long week, I've had a chance to pick the winner.

The winner(chosen at random)is kel_p!

Congrats Kel!

Thanks so much to all of you for stopping by and check out my site for more opportunities to win!

5:58 PM  
Blogger Cindy said...

I couldn't agree more...our beloved vampires are here to stay. Thanks for the interview...I'm finding more and more great reads to add to my TBR pile.
Cindy

11:16 AM  

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