BryonySeries First Blog Tour Sue Midlock Vampires
1. What makes your vampires different from those that you've read?
The characters are well-developed and three-dimensional. No doe-eyed teen romancers. No mindless, senseless blood debauchers. All four vampires (John Simons, Henry Matthews, Kellen Wechsler, and Ed Calkins) were once "real" people and are now undead.
2. Are your vampires completely fabricated or do you follow the mainstream...typical vampire? If by mainstream, you mean: super-violent and gory, romantic, misunderstood, vegetarian; and/or alive and infected with a virus...then no. If you mean created from existing vampire lore, then yes. Here's what 1970s teen protagonist Melissa Marchellis learned from her library book: Creatures of the Night: Witches, Werewolves, and Vampires. All of these elements appear in the BryonySeries. * By day, vampires repose in their burial places; at night, they rise to feed, either to kill or control. * Once under the vampire’s power, the victim joyfully welcomes the attack. The vampire may now come and go, as he pleases. * Vampires by murder or suicide retain human traits, most notably a certain passion for life. * Sharp teeth appear only when feeding. *Bright red blood may trickle around the mouth. * Vampires may consume solid food, but must expel it later. * Experienced vampires tolerate small amounts of sunlight, although it decreases their abilities. * Vampires travel silently. * Vampires are expert shape-shifters. Common manifestations include wolves, bats, rats, other humans, and mist. (Denise's note: especially this last). * Sometimes, vampires penetrate dreams. * As predators, vampires possess keen senses, formidable strength, and fantastic speed, enabling them to teleport to other eras and locations. * Vampires are wise. * They exude sexual charm, control animals, and read minds. * For a reliable slaying, drive an oak stake through a vampire’s heart and sever its head with a silver dagger.
3. What are the roles your vampires play in your novel? Predators seeking their own gain, whether that be food or favors.
4. Is he/she intrigue by a human? If so, how? Nope. Rather, Melissa is intrigued by two of the vampires. And she annoyed by and frightened of a third. And plain annoyed by a fourth.
5. Are your vampires' clothing period or up to date? All characters, including the vampires, wear clothing appropriates to the periods in which they appear. Times periods in the entire series range from the seventeenth centuries to the 1990s, so lots of clothing variations. One exception is Ed Calkins. When he appears in the nineteenth century, he always wears a kilt.
6. Whom do they compel and why? John: Melissa, for her blood. But he doesn't want her blood for food ("I dine later," he tells her). And he doesn't want her blood for love (which she hopes is really the case) Henry: His victims. For food. But also for fun. Kellen: His victims. For food. Unless they're rich and powerful. Then he lets them live, in exchange for wealth and influence (and the occasional snack to keep them in line). Ed Calkins: Anyone who will listen.
7. Do your vampires have a hidden agenda? Other than blood? No and yes. No, in that the vampires make it clear from the beginning what they want. John wants a return to human life. Henry wants pleasure. Kellen wants power, control, and wealth. Ed wants fantasy and validation. Yes, in that the agendas appear hidden to Melissa who has a "true love will save the man" agendas of her own.
8. Do your vampires have a conscience? As vampires, no. Vampires are dead, and the dead have no conscience. However, a sufficient amount of blood (over time or all at once) from one human source (the "legend" John is testing) can create a type of "faux" humanism with hints of elements that makes one human. And that includes twinges of conscience.
9. If you were to compare your vampires to any other one that was written, which would you say your vampire comes closest to? The vampires in Bram Stoker's Dracula as a first, Sheridan Le Fanus's Carmilla for a second, and E.F. Benson's Mrs. Amworth for a third. All three feature distinct characters that appear normal during normal interactions and chillingly scary under the veil of darkness and nightmares. As John tells Melissa when she catches a glimpse of reality and is terrified by it, "Always look forward or backward; never allow a peripheral glance, or you will view them in stark reality. Understand?” And Melissa, preferring to see vampires as they want to be seen, complies.
10. Why do you think that vampire novels haven't died yet? Because they appeal to our basest parts (pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth), parts we bury but forever lurk, parts we can never fully eradicate. Add fear of that which our senses can't perceive, and you have a recipe for a magnetic story. Or as Kellen told Melissa, "One act satisfies all the appetites. It's so efficient. I quite prefer it." Such is the power of a good vampire story.
Thank you Denise for taking time out to answer a few questions of mine. I was very much intrigued by the answers and I'm sure everyone else was too!
Here is her book;
2. Are your vampires completely fabricated or do you follow the mainstream...typical vampire? If by mainstream, you mean: super-violent and gory, romantic, misunderstood, vegetarian; and/or alive and infected with a virus...then no. If you mean created from existing vampire lore, then yes. Here's what 1970s teen protagonist Melissa Marchellis learned from her library book: Creatures of the Night: Witches, Werewolves, and Vampires. All of these elements appear in the BryonySeries. * By day, vampires repose in their burial places; at night, they rise to feed, either to kill or control. * Once under the vampire’s power, the victim joyfully welcomes the attack. The vampire may now come and go, as he pleases. * Vampires by murder or suicide retain human traits, most notably a certain passion for life. * Sharp teeth appear only when feeding. *Bright red blood may trickle around the mouth. * Vampires may consume solid food, but must expel it later. * Experienced vampires tolerate small amounts of sunlight, although it decreases their abilities. * Vampires travel silently. * Vampires are expert shape-shifters. Common manifestations include wolves, bats, rats, other humans, and mist. (Denise's note: especially this last). * Sometimes, vampires penetrate dreams. * As predators, vampires possess keen senses, formidable strength, and fantastic speed, enabling them to teleport to other eras and locations. * Vampires are wise. * They exude sexual charm, control animals, and read minds. * For a reliable slaying, drive an oak stake through a vampire’s heart and sever its head with a silver dagger.
3. What are the roles your vampires play in your novel? Predators seeking their own gain, whether that be food or favors.
4. Is he/she intrigue by a human? If so, how? Nope. Rather, Melissa is intrigued by two of the vampires. And she annoyed by and frightened of a third. And plain annoyed by a fourth.
5. Are your vampires' clothing period or up to date? All characters, including the vampires, wear clothing appropriates to the periods in which they appear. Times periods in the entire series range from the seventeenth centuries to the 1990s, so lots of clothing variations. One exception is Ed Calkins. When he appears in the nineteenth century, he always wears a kilt.
6. Whom do they compel and why? John: Melissa, for her blood. But he doesn't want her blood for food ("I dine later," he tells her). And he doesn't want her blood for love (which she hopes is really the case) Henry: His victims. For food. But also for fun. Kellen: His victims. For food. Unless they're rich and powerful. Then he lets them live, in exchange for wealth and influence (and the occasional snack to keep them in line). Ed Calkins: Anyone who will listen.
7. Do your vampires have a hidden agenda? Other than blood? No and yes. No, in that the vampires make it clear from the beginning what they want. John wants a return to human life. Henry wants pleasure. Kellen wants power, control, and wealth. Ed wants fantasy and validation. Yes, in that the agendas appear hidden to Melissa who has a "true love will save the man" agendas of her own.
8. Do your vampires have a conscience? As vampires, no. Vampires are dead, and the dead have no conscience. However, a sufficient amount of blood (over time or all at once) from one human source (the "legend" John is testing) can create a type of "faux" humanism with hints of elements that makes one human. And that includes twinges of conscience.
9. If you were to compare your vampires to any other one that was written, which would you say your vampire comes closest to? The vampires in Bram Stoker's Dracula as a first, Sheridan Le Fanus's Carmilla for a second, and E.F. Benson's Mrs. Amworth for a third. All three feature distinct characters that appear normal during normal interactions and chillingly scary under the veil of darkness and nightmares. As John tells Melissa when she catches a glimpse of reality and is terrified by it, "Always look forward or backward; never allow a peripheral glance, or you will view them in stark reality. Understand?” And Melissa, preferring to see vampires as they want to be seen, complies.
10. Why do you think that vampire novels haven't died yet? Because they appeal to our basest parts (pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth), parts we bury but forever lurk, parts we can never fully eradicate. Add fear of that which our senses can't perceive, and you have a recipe for a magnetic story. Or as Kellen told Melissa, "One act satisfies all the appetites. It's so efficient. I quite prefer it." Such is the power of a good vampire story.
Thank you Denise for taking time out to answer a few questions of mine. I was very much intrigued by the answers and I'm sure everyone else was too!
Here is her book;
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