Vampire Books and Southern Culture

Long before the arrival of Sookie and company in True Blood, another set of vampire books arrived on the scene set in the Deep South. Although superseded by Marilyn Ross’s Barnabus Collins as a modern interpretation of the sympathetic vampire, Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire, the first of her Vampire Chronicles series of vampire books, was the real beginning of the current wave of supernatural beings that walk amongst us. When it came out the reaction was anything from pure love of this new storytelling to outrage. It was dark; it was sensuous and just reading them felt dangerous. You couldn’t ignore the books, their impact was too big. For many of us the biggest disappointment was when you came up for air and realized that Lestat and company weren’t real and you would just have to live in a world without the undead until the next installment of the series of popular vampire books came out.

That particular series went on to spawn a whole genre of popular vampire books. Of course, most of us are familiar with The Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris, but there are plenty of other stories that play in the vampire books playground. Another one of the popular vampire books in that genre that also went on to be a hit on TV is Stephanie Meyers Twilight series. It has more vampires, more undead and lots of teenage girls getting into trouble with the undead. Seems to be a pattern here. But vampires weren’t the only thing happening in the land of books when it comes to supernatural stories. There were more than a few books about witches. Witches have their following too.

Books About Witches Thrive Also

But even with these, popular vampire books are not alone. There have long been books whose main characters were witches; it has always been a popular field to play in for many fantasy writers.  I remember reading Andre Norton’s books about witches called the WitchWorld series when I was a teenager, it has stayed with me ever since. If you haven’t read it, you should check it out because it has become a classic of the genre. But books about witches have been in and out of fashion for years, and the definition of witches in fantasy writing has moved around over time.

Just this past year we have seen a resurrection in books about witches starting with the immensely popular book by Deborah Harkness called A Discovery of Witches. More than a dramatic mystery and certainly far from your run of the mill fantasy, this is the story of a witch who wants to walk away from the world of magic, but somehow cannot. It is delightful, imaginative and completely compelling.

Witches of East End is a witch story of a different sort. Author Melissa De La Cruz calls it a witch story for adults. A story with murders, mystery and plenty of magical spells, it will fascinate readers of all ages for the wonderful women characters who happen to have some very special talents.

And for books about witches let’s not leave out Smith’s The Secret Circle, which is responsible for the show of the same name. The book took the genre by storm and it was no real surprise when this cadre of teenage witches who are seeking to recreate the powerful circle that once almost destroyed their families was rumored last year to be in development for TV. Vampires were doing well, fantasy had never been stronger and television had finally developed the technology to have witches do more impressive things then wiggle their noses. Witches on TV returns and the season of the witch had come at last.

The Arrival of Vampires on TV

When Charlaine Harris started her Southern Vampire books series in 2001, the shift began to take place of creating a creature that was sexy in a more traditional mode for a romance tale. The horror aspects were still there, but the sexual nature of the vampire began to really emerge. These popular vampire books were tales that gripped young girls hearts, with vampires that made you swoon. It was only natural that someone realized that vampires, at least the kind that Sookie hung out with, were the perfect creature for television. We began to see that these vampires on TV could work. There was plenty of soap opera drama, a bit of horror but not too much and with the violence never feeling real, and plenty of titillation. With these vampires on TV, young women flocked to the show in droves, filled websites with discussions everything from plot twists to who looks best without a shirt and introduced a whole new kind of television show. Then we knew that vampires on TV, these new kinds of vampires, would work and successfully.

With the success of the show came more vampires and other supernatural beings until it feels as if today’s television shows are either reality shows or stories with some kind of supernatural or paranormal element in them. For a fantasy fan like me, all the better! Then with the fourth season of True Blood, witches began to appear. Of course, they were in the book the season is based on, Dead to the World, and the author does say that to her the witches represent life as opposed to the vampires who are dead. But it is uncanny how witches show up on True Blood and now we see them everywhere!

Welcome to Witches on TV

Of course, we have had witches on TV before, but there is something different about these witches. In True Blood the witches are there to do battle with the vampires. Well, we are of course going to want our favorite vampires to succeed, so the witches become the evil ones who must be killed. Of course, it is a lot more complicated than that, but let’s leave that for another blog. Suffice to say that the witches in True Blood are not like the ones in say, Charmed. These are witches on TV of a different sort.

Enter The Secret Circle, a new show that is based on a set of novels by Vampire Diaries creator L.J. Smith. When teen Cassie Blake is orphaned and sent to a strange new town, she discovers she is a witch, descended from witches, and that the town is filled with other witches. Some of whom become her friends, because otherwise how could they form a coven err I mean the secret circle? Well, that last part is from me, but the idea is pretty basic, and I can see why teenage girls would love the idea of it. Much like with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the teen queens are here to fight evil, and of course to command power because what teenage girl doesn’t wish she had that? But there is plenty of mystery and dark happenings and the show is intense but never over the top. In fact, in many ways it is just a continuation of the wish fulfillment fantasy type show that started with True Blood: Teens with power hanging out with dangerous folks.

Of course, there are more witches in the wings – the Evil Queen in Once Upon A Time could be called a wicked witch. But she isn’t you know, she is the Evil Queen we all know from Snow White. But she is so close to a witch, and she does wield some wicked power when she gets all evil and mad. So it would be fair to put her in the camp of witches on TV at this point. She is deliciously evil, the way an Evil Queen should be, and I hope we get to see plenty of her in the show.

And then there is Grimm, a detective show that also plays in the world of fairy tales, but with a far darker viewpoint. So far I have not seen anything about TV witches on this show, but with the retelling of many of the tales from the Brothers Grimm, we are bound to run into one sooner or later. It will be interesting to see how they would portray, let’s say Hansel and Gretel’s witch in this show. It takes a far more imaginative spin on the concept of good and evil than they do with Once Upon A Time, and a far darker one.

More Supernatural Witches and Vampires to Come?

It does seem safe to say that instead of thinking of witches as being the new vampires, I would say that witches, vampires, werewolves and all manner of paranormal characters may be here on television and in our books for a good while to come. We will continue to have popular vampire books and plenty of tales about witches.

There has always been a place in the literary world for both witches and vampires; they are mythical creatures that stand in for the unattainable power we yearn for in our lives. For many, there will always be a pull towards these characters, demons of the night that are drawn to our light but can never be a part of it.

True- some of what is bringing the supernatural along with similar elements such as the flood of comic book based stories, science fiction shows and others like this is that we finally have the technology to show on film what we can imagine in our minds. Because we will always be able to imagine having the elemental power of a witch or can dream of a lover who is so dangerous that one bite would damn us forever, we will probably always have some kind of paranormal storyline in our entertainment. Whether we connect with our vampires and witches in books, on film or at home watching our television, it is still ultimately our own dreams that bring them to life.

A husband, a family, a comfortable life: Theodora Lestrange lives in terror of it all.

With a modest inheritance and the three gowns that comprise her entire wardrobe, Theodora leaves Edinburgh—and a disappointed suitor—far behind. She is bound for Rumania, where tales of vampires are still whispered, to visit an old friend and write the book that will bring her true independence.

She arrives at a magnificent, decaying castle in the Carpathians, replete with eccentric inhabitants: the ailing dowager; the troubled steward; her own fearful friend, Cosmina. But all are outstripped in dark glamour by the castle’s master, Count Andrei Dragulescu.

Bewildering and bewitching in equal measure, the brooding nobleman ignites Theodora’s imagination and awakens passions in her that she can neither deny nor conceal. His allure is superlative, his dominion over the superstitious town, absolute—Theodora may simply be one more person under his sway.

Before her sojourn is ended—or her novel completed—Theodora will have encountered things as strange and terrible as they are seductive. For obsession can prove fatal…and she is in danger of falling prey to more than desire.

An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness…and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he’d seen it all. Then Kira appears – this fearless, beautiful….human who braved death to rescue him. Though her burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction. Check out Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost.

I’m happy to say that there’s one group of books that hits it on both counts: they’re incredibly well written and the cover art is awesome:

The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. The cover art is provided by Dan Dos Santos.

Check out some of Dan’s work:

This is the book cover for the new Mercy Thompson book titled “Silver Borne” by Patricia Briggs. It’s due to hit the streets in March 2010.

Isn’t this awesome!

I could stare at this illustration for hours.

Here’s an illustration for the movie Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

This illustration won the 2009 Chesley Award for Best Product Illustration! Yea Dan!

Here’s the cover art for the book Ancient Bloodlines.










Dan is an awesome artist isn’t he? Check out more of his art in his gallery at DanDosSantos.Com. Enjoy!

Some people have called his illness “allergies” but whatever his condition, it causes him to sleep all day and eat a very restricted diet. His unique medical problems also cause irritability, so much so that a mental institution has become his home. At the institution, Zack is given the attention and the exclusive strawberry smoothie diet that he needs to thrive – all under the special care of Nurse Ophelia – a woman who has become like a mother to him.

After spending eight quiet years in the mental institution with Nurse Ophelia, Zack’s life is about to change. In a big way.

To start, Zack meets a man claiming to be his long lost uncle. Through this man he’s told about his parents and their demise; stories Zack has a hard time believing.

After his uncle leaves a crazed man crashes through the window to his ward, yells at Zack to run for his life and then proceeds to help him escape from the institution. Once outside the institution, the man takes him to a safe house. Through him Zack finds out more about his odd disease and about the secrets kept from him by his family.

But Zack isn’t sure who to trust.

However, his best friend Charlie has always been faithful and trustworthy so Zack contacts him and they go on the run together, trying to figure out what the heck is going on in Zack’s life. Through their adventures Zack meets a girl (the first girl his age he’s ever met) and begins to learn about the world outside his old institution.

This particular fantasy novel really caught my attention because it’s unique and has such an original storyline. I casually picked it up, looking for something to help me go back to sleep one night and ended up staying up half the night reading it until I was finished. Max Turner took the story of a fifteen year old boy finding out he was a vampire and made it realistic. As such, regardless of your age, you’ll have an easy time identifying with Zack, his feelings and his actions. The pacing was good, the characterizations were realistic and the suspense and intrigue kept the story moving forward quite well. Max Turner has written a thoroughly entertaining and believable fantasy story and I hope he’s busily working on a sequel!

Get Night Runner while it’s on sale!

Let me begin by introducing you to the vampire slayer team:

Breisi: a kick butt fighter and Dawn’s father’s girlfriend
Kiko: a little person with pretty powerful psychic abilities
Dawn: a former Hollywood stuntwoman and the newest member of the team
The Voice: a disembodied “voice” that calls the shots and directs the team

The story begins with Dawn being a bit upset with the man referred to as The Voice, also known as Jonah. She feels that he betrayed her with the deception he used to get her to Los Angeles (in the first book) in search of her father. As such, she no longer trusts him and believes Jonah is only interested in finding the Underground so he can destroy it. She’s sick of his secrecy and she’s sick of his ability to manipulate her through sex. Instead, Dawn begins focusing her attention on Matt, an investigator who intrigues her with his straightforward and seemingly honest manner. Although Matt may have some secrets of his own, Dawn is determined to be done with Jonah – or so she thinks.

In the meantime, the team is busy working to solve a series of murders. These murders mimic the previous slayings of a serial killer, Lee Tomlinson. Problem is, Lee is already in prison. However, Lee is still a person of significant interest to the team because of his link to the Underground. And it’s pretty obvious that the Underground is involved because the throats of the victims are torn out and the victim’s bodies are drained of blood. Could Lee know the identity of the copycat killer?

To complicate matters, as they continue their investigation it becomes clear that the vampire leader of the Underground is intensely interested in Dawn. What methods will he use to lure her to him?

This fantasy story keeps you guessing about the characters, how they are related, and how Dawn will deal with all the men who not only want her, but who also want to control her. But let’s be clear: Dawn is not a girl who is easily controlled. Chris Marie Green has written an excellent sequel to her first fantasy novel and if you like a strong female lead who holds her own, this is a book for you. If you read the first one, you’ll be thrilled that there are additional books in the series. If you haven’t read any of Ms. Green’s work before, I envy you for the great read you have ahead of you.

Check out Midnight Reign – you’ll thank me for it later . . .

Curse The Dawn by Karen Palmer

As such Cassie has to defend her life all the while trying to navigate the waters of How To Be A Pythia 101. Her predecessor’s untimely death has left her in the dark about her new duties and without any details about her new job. Details that would come in handy considering the substantial opposition she faces.

To add fuel to the already burgeoning flame there is an all powerful ancient evil that is intent on ushering in death and destruction that will take most of Cassie’s own uncertain powers to fight the impending doom. Fortunately she has some very influential and powerful friends: John Pritkin is a highly skilled war-mage with a wild side and a solid weapons background; Mircea is as deadly as he is handsome and debonair and belongs to the formidable Vampire Senate. With their help Cassandra may live to see another day.

Curse The Dawn starts off with immediate action when an on-the-job training session evolves into a dangerous gunfight. It isn’t much later that Cassie is brought into negotiations that once again put her life in peril and produces the biggest magical catastrophe in centuries. The drama in Cassie’s life never seems to let up and chaos, intrigue, and full out battles ensue. This book is the fourth in the Cassie Palmer vampire books series and it lives up to its predecessors as an energetic and highly entertaining read. Curse The Dawn has everything a good action fantasy should have; gunfights, explosions, high drama and in house magical temper tantrums.

The chemistry that Cassie has with John and Mircea propels the book along at a perfect speed. The readers really get a sense of what motivates the characters and will readily invest in their lives. The plot is ripe with underlying tensions and an intricate supernatural world. Fans of the genre and of Karen Chance will be satisfied with the action and energy Curse The Dawn delivers. Curse The Dawn is a hard book to put down and one that will leave the readers wanting more.