You know how I love vampires. TVC is forever in my heart as some of my favorite fiction of all time. (Not to mention how much I adore Dave2′s cartoon TVC.) I not only write it while wearing my author persona Lex Valentine, but I read it. Voraciously. When two of my favorite paranormal authors offered to come by here and talk vampires on their blog tour I jumped at the chance! Despite the fact that a guest blogger is pretty much unheard of here at Sunlight Sucks, I couldn’t pass up this chance to introduce you all to Mandy M. Roth and Michelle M. Pillow.
Big thanks to Lex Valentine for letting us come here and play today! We’ll get started with our first Q&A.
Dead and Totally Doable
Q: Do we bite? Do we like the idea of being bitten by others? What is our take on vampires?
A:
Michelle: Yes. No. Yes. Wait, what was the question again?
I don’t bite. It’s Mandy you have to look out for. With me you’re generally safe unless you’re a giant plate of pasta… mmm…pasta. Wait, darn it!, I got distracted again.
In real life, I don’t really like to be bit. You know, mouth germs and all. But in novel life I think the idea of vampires needing your blood to survive, that thing that is primitive and vital to our own lives, is very intimate. Vampire represent those things most humans long to be. They’re immortal and we’re generally afraid of death or at least fearful of the unknown. Vampires are (depending on the version) beautiful and alluring. We age and have bad hair days. They’re powerful, beyond mortal law, and intense. Plus, they have the age = knowledge thing happening because they’ve been there, done that. As a woman, being chosen by a vampire is like being chosen not only above all others in your time, but all others over *enter the vamp’s age here*.
Of course, this isn’t counting the horror version of the vampire. With that version some of the same things still apply. They’re powerful and primitive. I think they represent those parts we’re not allowed to express…with good reason. Whether horror movie or romance novel versions, Vampire live beyond societal restraints. It’s a fun world to play in.
As for my books, I tend to like the darker vampires—brooding, bored, arrogant, with a god complex. They’re not all saints. Some struggle with their curse. Some think it’s a gift. In the coming month’s I’ll be re-releasing Tribes of the Vampire through The Raven Books (www.TheRavenBooks.com). Much of my world building is based on extensive historical research and vampire myths from all cultures—not just the typical Victorian view of vamps. Now that it has a new home, I hope to add to the series very soon.
Mandy: Do I bite? Hell yeah! Hard. Really hard. I love, love, love the idea of vampires and being bitten. I wish I could fully explain it but I don’t understand it myself. All I know is Dark Shadows did it for me in a big way. The very idea of a timeless, immortal bad ass who needs something from someone weaker (human) is a turn on to me. I think it gives them a layer of vulnerability and empowers the human within the story—unless of course your vampires are evil blood-lusting crazed maniacs who drain everything they see until it’s shriveled.
Vampires are what first inspired me to write fiction at all. Daughter of Darkness has a master vampire named Pallo in it who owns and operates Necro’s Magik World & Supernatural Theme Park. Think of Victor Victoria—but here you have a vampire, pretending to be a man, pretending to be a vampire who owns a supernaturally themed amusement park. The idea came to me while on vacation with my family at Sandusky, Ohio’s Cedar Point—Hallow Weekends. So, yes, to answer the question, dead is totally doable and I bite.
Featured M&M Book of the Day:
Raven Books
Raven titles are available on Amazon.com as well as other third party sites
Mandy M Roth
Michelle M Pillow
Thanks for letting us hang here, Lex! Everyone, remember that to be entered in the contest at the end of the tour, you need to comment on the posts. You can enter as much as you like.
Join us tomorrow when we visit Shelley Munro where we answer the question Who Are You Again? ? (Shelley’s url Blog: http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/ )
Many thanks to Michelle and Mandy for coming by and talking vampires today. They sure made having a guest blogger totally painless. I already have a bunch of their books, but I must check out Daughter of Darkness since I don’t have that one. Oh, and here’s Dave2′s TVC, just to titillate us this Tuesday! LOL
Wishing you all a very TVC Tuesday!
23 Aug
10:44 pm on August 23rd, 2010
I have to ask…is there a sequel to Silk? That Korbin is a hottie. And I want more Silk and Nick! Waaaah!
11:17 pm on August 23rd, 2010
Lil’ Throbbing Vampire Cock… the dick who sucks YOU… is even more adorable when shrunk to mini sized!
Ummm… not that I would know anything about mini-sized cocks, mind you…
4:47 am on August 24th, 2010
Hi ladies,
Great tour start. Any of the books you both write will gladly be read.
I’ll have to see how many are going on my TRL. Hell to my book budget. lol
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com
6:26 am on August 24th, 2010
Dave – No, I wouldn’t expect you to know anything about little dicks.
6:43 am on August 24th, 2010
Winter, You know, I’ve been asked that a few times. I might have to consider it now that it’s re-released. Right now I’m working on the futuristics, Dragon Lords, Lords of the Var, ect. But I’ll definately put Silk on my list.
Dave, I think you have yourself a book start. lol
Carol, Book BUDGET?! Whoever heard of anything so cruel, lol.
8:18 am on August 24th, 2010
HAHA Dave, was on your site. The little “Daves” on the http://www.blogography.com/event.html page are so cute! “Dave Francisco 2″
8:20 am on August 24th, 2010
I loved the Q & A. Vampires are my favorite and will be added to my TBB list.
andrea. infinger@gmail.com
8:22 am on August 24th, 2010
Mandy, I totally agree with you about the whole biting and being bitten thing – nothing beats a vampire, though a werewolf is a pretty close second
Michelle, I’m so glad to hear you’ll be re-releasing Tribes of the Vampire – something to look forward to.
8:23 am on August 24th, 2010
Thanks Devon. I love that series, mostly for Jiri, but the research was so much fun.
8:31 am on August 24th, 2010
Lil’ Throbbing Vampire Cock. I think I just found the title of my next book. Think it will sell or do I need to tweak it. *coughs*
Carol–thanks!
Andrea–Thanks!
Devon–mmm love me some werewolves too. Clearly, I’m all about the alpha male. LOL
8:53 am on August 24th, 2010
Okay. Now I gotta get this book. Just gotta get it. “dragging out abused credit card*
8:59 am on August 24th, 2010
I absolutely totally agree with the being bitten Mandy!!! I love a good bite! That could be the reason I love yours and Michelles books lol.
9:44 am on August 24th, 2010
Sexy vampires are what orginally drew me to paranormal romances, and now I am totally hooked on all the creatures that fill that world. I read the original story about Gwen many moons ago, is there new content or a tweaked story in the newer version?
caity_mack at yahoo dot com
9:54 am on August 24th, 2010
Michelle – Dave has the best toons ever! I have a lanyard with Dave Diego on it, my name, and blog.
9:55 am on August 24th, 2010
Mandy – TVC RULES! You should see Dave’s cartoon about it!
10:10 am on August 24th, 2010
Cathy – I agree with you! They are what drew to read paranormals and then to write them as Lex Valentine. Paranormal authors are my personal faves, which is why it was so easy for me to host Michelle and Mandy today.
I love their books!
10:11 am on August 24th, 2010
Desiree – I love their stuff! You won’t be disappointed!
10:35 am on August 24th, 2010
Thanks Winter
I went web surfing over to a couple sites.
1:22 pm on August 24th, 2010
*note to self, wear turtle necks around Mandy* lol
I love the idea of Pallo, a vamp, pretending to be a human who’s a vampire, lol
2:06 pm on August 24th, 2010
Ali— Pallo is great, but I’m a Kerrigan girl. (MANDY PLEASE write me into Kerrigan’s story. He needs a queen, I’m tellin’ you!) Then there are the Caleb girls and the Giovanni girls. LOL Daughter of Darkness series can turn into bit of a fight sometimes on the boards.
2:40 pm on August 24th, 2010
*shakes head* someone, take away Michelle posting privileges. Pretty please? LOL
Desiree–Whoohoo! That’s what I like to see!
Hope–Girl I have mad love for you. Soon I’m going to snap a pic of me in a gift Hope had made for me.
Winter–a cartoon about it? OMG, I need linkage.
Ali– lol thanks hon!
Lex–THANK YOU for having us here today!
3:38 pm on August 24th, 2010
For those who wish to see Dave2′s cartoon about TVC, here’s the link to his site where he talks about the story behind TVC (which has to do with him teasing me about writing erotic vampire stories under my pen name) and where you will find a link to the actual cartoon which he did as a guest post on Puntabulous.
http://www.blogography.com/archives/2009/08/puntabulous.html
Enjoy!
4:29 pm on August 24th, 2010
I don’t know why but I find the whole vampire biting thing extremely erotic. There’s nothing like a sexy, brooding vampire. Michelle i’m happy to see that your Tribes of the Vampires will be released again. This is the series that got me started reading your books. I loved them.
mizztuts AT bellsouth DOT net
7:02 pm on August 24th, 2010
Thanks Tara! I hope to add to the series as well. It will be fun to revisit my old friends.
Mandy, What did I do? I tried to tell you someone took over my machine and typed that thing about Kerrigan. But, while we’re on the subject… lol. Is it wrong that I think James and Car and Nic and et al needs a good woman who is blonde, blue eyed and, um, and, ah, utterly and completely charming? Is that too much to ask? I think not! I mean, you wrote secondary characters so you could give them to me, I mean give them a book, didn’t you?
…. you’re taking away my net privileges again, aren’t you? *sighs*
8:05 pm on August 24th, 2010
Hey Michelle & Mandy,
I love the idea of a blog tour, I look forward to seeing where you end up each day.
8:35 pm on August 24th, 2010
Next stop : http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/
Thanks for having us Lex and everyone for playing along! You can still comment for your chance to win. Full contest details here: http://ravenhappyhour.com/ravenblog/?p=1973
8:53 pm on August 24th, 2010
This going to be a grear blog contest. Just reading the blog make the day better.
loretta
lbcanton@verizon.net
11:57 pm on August 24th, 2010
I can tell this will be a fun tour to follow. I’m enjoying it so far.
6:00 am on August 25th, 2010
Thanks ladies!!
Thanks Winter for posting the link to the artwork
6:20 am on August 25th, 2010
Many thanks to Mandy and Michelle for coming by. This is the most fun we’ve had here in awhile. Hopefully, all the female attention hasn’t gone to Dave2′s head.
11:56 am on August 25th, 2010
No question about it, vampires suck! They also continue to rule supreme in fiction. Always interesting to hear a new twist on an old theme that still seems to fascinate fellow readers and writers.
Best,
Jacqueline Seewald
TEA LEAVES AND TAROT CARDS, new release from Five Star/Gale
1:03 am on August 26th, 2010
Yes, vampires suck. But I love them…really I do. I can keep reading that genre over and over again even when I think I have seen and read it all. Thanks for blogging today Michelle and Mandy!
9:15 am on August 28th, 2010
Thanks everyone for stopping by!!