Tuesday 23 October 2012

Serena Zane and the Vampire Mythos!


Hi everyone;

Being the total vampire geek I am, I couldn't be happier today than to be able to welcome the wonderful Serena Zane! She has a terrific, and may I say totally hot, new book called Bane, Book 3 in the Dark Warrior series. Check out that awesome cover!

But before Serena talks to us about her book, she's going to talk to us about the vampire mythos. I love how she breaks it down for us, so please read on and enjoy!

Serena, talk to us!





Vampire mythos classic vs. modern

 

Serena Zane
"Passion to die for"

 

Over the centuries the mythos of the Vampire has both fascinated and disgusted us. Like a car accident, we just can't look away. The thought that something so beautiful could be so dangerous is almost irresistible for the human race.

 

As a person, I have a love of all things paranormal: vampires, werewolves, witches, etc... As a writer, the history of each has taken on a sort of morbid fascination for me. Due to the fact that there are so many different legends that have been created about the Vampire, I took what I loved most about each and then added my own twist on the vampire vs. werewolf wars of legend.

 

Zaniac vampires, as I like to call them, are created. In their own sub-culture, a priestess in Egyptian times fell in love with a young warrior. However, he spurned her affections, and as a curse she created the first vampire. Each vampire after that was created from this first 'original'. Zaniac vampires can shape-shift, fly, have heightened senses, mind-control, and telepathy. Silver can kill them. As is traditional, they cannot be exposed to sunlight, are effected adversely by Holy Water, and a good old fashioned stake will take them out. While they can 'fall in love' and do so intensely, there is no such thing as a 'lifemate' unlike in my favorite novels by Christine Feehan.  They do have a marriage ceremony that ties them for life and vampires do not believe in open relationships once married. Adultery is punished by death. However, before marriage, they are rather promiscuous. Zaniac vampires are immune to drugs, or disease, and are of course immortal.

 

The legend I have created to make this my own is a twist on the old vampire vs. werewolf wars. In Zaniac history werewolves were held as slaves by the vampire race. Werewolf blood is like a drug for vampires, creating a sense of euphoria. It is highly addictive. The werewolves rebelled back in the Middle Ages and a great war was started creating a rift between the two species. In the Dark Warrior series, vampire Damon Blake falls for Nikki Adams, who is part-werewolf. This creates numerous issues that Zaniac's can experience throughout this ongoing series. My newest release, Bane, explores how old grudges and beliefs can effect one's life.

 

Just for fun, I have included a comparison chart below of some of my favorite vampire legends. Check it out, and let me know what you think!
 
Vampire Mythos Comparison Chart
 
Authors
Bram Stroker
Dracula
Christine Feehan
Dark series
Anne Rice
The Vampire Chronicles
L.J. Smith
Vampire Diaries
Stephanie Meyer
Twilight Saga
P.C. Cast
House of Night
 
Serena Zane
Dark Warriors & Hunter Diaries series
Pros
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shape-shift
*Fog, bats
*Any
 
 
 
 
*Any
Invisibility
*
*
 
 
 
*
*
Compulsion
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Telepathy
 
*
 
 
*
*
*
Magical Abilities
*
*
 
 
 
*
*
Flying
*
*
*
 
 
 
*
Preternatural Speed
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Cons or causes Death
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sunlight
*
*
*
*
 
*
*
Wooden Stakes
*
*
*
*
 
 
*
Holy Water
*
 
*
 
 
 
*
Silver
 
 
 
 
 
*
*
Crosses
*
 
*
 
 
 
*
Decapitation
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Fire
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Starving
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Dependent on Lifemate
 
*
 
 
 
 
 
Loss of Emotion
 
*
 
*
 
 
 
Sleeps in Coffin
*
 
*
 
 
 
 
Sleeps in Ground
 
*
 
 
 
 
*
Created
*
 
*
*
*
*
*
Born
 
*
 
 
*
*
 
 
Blurb:

Strife has found the Pack in Boston. A young woman is murdered in an abandoned warehouse. and three other girls are missing . Detective Nikki Adams gets a whiff of something off about the whole case as she struggles to find the killer before more girls end up dead.

Meanwhile Damon Blake, Nikki's boyfriend and full-fledged vampire, finds a medallion with the insignia of the Nostre Dames, his own clan, inscribed on the surface at the crime scene. Slipping it into his pocket he stashes the evidence before a war breaks out between the races, again. The tenuous truce he recently forged with the Pack is in danger.

Nikki knows Damon is hiding something from her as the case escalates, but he won't tell her what it is. She is faced with the fact that he might not trust her after all, even though she has given him her heart.
The Dark Warriors is a series of serial short-stories that continue to drive deeper into the world of the unknown for Detective Nikki Adams. This is the first in a series of steamy, fun, and fast reads that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Bane-Dark-Warrior-Series-ebook/dp/B009D0JR9S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350941375&sr=8-1&keywords=bane+by+serena+zane

Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bane-serena-zane/1112937954?ean=2940015680430

Reader Store:
http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/serena-zane/bane/_/R-400000000000000829777

Manic Readers:
http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=bookDetail&bookid=29659
 
 
Serena Zane lives with her husband and son in the Northwest. She works hard, plays hard, and spends her free time studying the Middle Ages in a re-creationist organization called the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc (SCA); and writing her novels.
Zane started writing at an early age with short stories, and poetry inspired by her mother, a strong independent woman who loves to help others, and writes as well. In 2009, she became a member of Romance Writer’s of America. She fell in love with the idea of writing a contemporary action/adventure romance while she attended college to study Criminal Justice. After months of working on homework assignments late at night that made her want to turn on every light in the house, she combined both her knowledge of Criminal Justice and her love for all things paranormal.
To check out what Serena is up to via Twitter friend her @serenazane or check out her website: www.serenazane.com

13 comments:

  1. All you had to say was vampire and you had my attention.

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  2. Who doesn't like a good vampire book? Count me in.

    Great post.

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  3. @rosannaleo Thanks for having me today. I love talking about vampires or really anything paranormal. @Savannah Me too! My reading shelves are full of nothing but paranormal books. One morning I woke up and asked myself, "Why would I be writing anything else?" That said, I do have a few sweet romance and an action/adventure romance series out as well, but my first love are vampires. @Lorrie My mom actually! Funny, my mother does not like vampires or anything she calls "yucky", but she has purchased several of my short stories and admits that if she were into "that sort of thing" she would love them. Thanks for the comment. There are so many good vampire authors out there, it's fun twisting the legend around.

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  4. OMG! The book cover for Bane is AMAZING! Great blurb too. Serena Zane is a new to me author. Thanks so much for introducing her to me, Rosanna!

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  5. Wow. I'm caught! I love anything vampire. And I LOVE reading how authors put their own spin on such an old legend.
    Bravo!
    Oh, and LOVE your cover.

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  6. @Sandy Thanks! The cover is one of my favorites so far. Bane is part of a continuing serial of paranormal romance. Imagine CSI meets TrueBlood. @Brenda Lol. Me too.

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  7. What a fascinating chart, Serena - thank you for this! A very interesting and entertaining post.

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  8. @Melodie Thank you. I actually had to pair it down to some of the more traditional vampire authors. However, there are so many different takes on the Vampyre that I would have to do a whole non-fiction novel to get them all in and, frankly, I just don't have time for that. Lol. I'm on Goodreads as well if you are interested in what I'm actually reading. ;)

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  9. I'm really late getting on the computer today. Love the cover and series. You did a great job on laying out the vampire worlds.

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  10. @Lavada Thanks. I appreciate it.

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  11. @Rosanna It's been a crazy day, thank you for having me on your site. I look forward to Hopping with you on Natasha Blackthorne's Wicked After Dark Blog Hop.

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  12. I'm late, too, but I had to take a moment to agree with everyone. That cover is hawt! :)

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