October, Halloween, and Vampires….


October, Halloween, and Vampires….
A Guest Post by  Tamela Quijas

Hmmm, the mere thought is scrumptious, on all counts.

I never really paid attention to vampires prior to a few years ago.  Up until about 2005, I had steered clear of the entire genre-inducing vamp.  Honestly, did you ever look at the men from the helicons of Hollywood?  Take a gander at the images of Nosferatu, Bela Lugosi’s Dracula, the vamps in Van Helsing, or even Mel Brook’s Dead and Loving It.  You’re stomach will churn, you’ll clutch your pillow close, and you’ll close your eyes in horror.  On the other hand, in Mel Brook’s case, you’ll laugh until you can’t breathe.  Neither one is sexy or very appealing.

Granted, if I were male, I would have loved every second of breast revealing, fang gnashing, gossamer dressed creature of the undead.  There’s a ton of buxom beauties in various states of undress in just about every horror film ever created.  Remember Salma Hayek in Dust Till Dawn?  I think she made a million male fans with one shot of her…ample assets.

Being female, the options were nothing more than gruesome, vomit inducing, and disgusting.

With the turn of the new century, Gerard Butler stepped into the role of Dracula 2000.  Yes, I know, the movie was a total bomb but….bear with me, ladies….have you really looked at him as a vampire?

Damn!  It was about time the cinema decided to put a HOT man in the leading role of the king of the undead!

So, 2005 sent that little spiral of hmmmm running through my mind.  The undead male could be just as sexy as the female creatures of the night and just as lethal in his entirely rippling muscle, penetrating gaze way….

And it was nice to see one with a bit more of a toned torso than Gary Oldman.

Let’s fast forward to what inspired me to write about the secret world of blood and passion…

Blame it all on Mick St. John, CBS’ golden boy vampire from Moonlight.  He was a vamp with a heart—hungering for blood and hating every moment of it.

What was it about Alex O’Laughlin that caused him to have millions of adoring fans?

It was those soul-searching eyes, an everlasting love that would endure eternity, and his deliciously wicked undead charm.  Mick didn’t need to use any of his powers to change a person’s mind, to alter their perception of events.  He was Mick…pure despite the evil curse and woman that had stolen his soul, repentant despite his damnation, and an all out good-looking good guy.

Yeah, that’s what I’ll call it…It was his charm, his finesse, and his outright humanity.

Did I happen to mention he was something else to look at?  Smooth, elegant…goodness, the list could go on for hours!  Just finding all the adjectives to describe him makes me wipe at my chin…LOL

So, like a million other star struck fans who watch rerun after rerun of Mick and Beth, I became addicted to the entire vampire legend.  Before I knew it, my own vampires were spiraling from my overactive mind, and they were the type that made me cringe in disgust.  Vampires could be a little bit more human in personality. 

They could care, ache, and feel…

They could be filled with regret, longing, and a desperation that could last centuries…

Above all, they could love someone for eternity…

The Russian vampire Demetri emerged from the depths of those musing, inspired by Moonlight, seeking his own stalker in Blood of the Beast. 

One tale led to another, as only vampires can do among mortals, and The Blood Chronicles were born. 




Blood of the Beast and Blood Moon are available at 1 Place for Romance, All Romance EBooks, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Smashwords.


4 comments:

Lorraine Pearl said...

I shouldn't have been taking a drink of water when I read this. I was at the part about Mick St. John, my inspiration for starting to write vampire novels, too, just as I took a sip. It almost wasn't pretty. I reacted that way because when I talk to most people, they don't know a thing about Moonlight.

That said, I did realize before Moonlight that vamps could be sexy--how could we forget Lestat--but Alex O'Loughlin does drive the point home quite well.

If Mick was what inspired you to write, as he did me, then I am going to have to take a look at your books.

Tamela Quijas said...

Same here, Lorraine! I absolutely loved Mick and still sit through the reruns, star-struck and teary eyed when he gazes at Beth with those darling eyes of his. I will always tilt my glass to a vamp with a heart :)

Dana's Blah Blah Blog said...

Oh yeah, Mick was yummy! Thanks for sharing, Tamela. Great blog. Hope you had a fabulous Halloween!

Anonymous said...

Same to you, Dana! Thanks for dropping in :)

About The Author

Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.

Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.

In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.