Sexy… and Dead? By Marie Treanor
For some reason, vampires and erotica go together like chocolate and ice cream. Don’t ask me why.
Actually, do ask me why! Because I have several ideas.
First of all, although vampires do suffer the disadvantage of being dead, the edge is taken off this disability by the undead thing. And, thanks to Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi and many subsequent portrayals, vampires are often seen as attractively suave and sophisticated as well as evil.
Even the evil can be a turn-on – who doesn’t love a bad boy? And vampires are the ultimate in badness. Personally, I draw the line at gore all over the place (messy eaters, not sexy), but if the vampire concerned has the civilized veneer mentioned above, then this wouldn’t be a problem. And a powerful, ruthless, unfeeling vampire who’s suddenly vulnerable for your (I mean the heroine’s) sake, is all the more attractive.
Then, perhaps most importantly, there’s the neck-biting thing. Most people find the neck a highly erogenous zone and have no objection to attention being lavished upon it. Or to reading about it! Likewise, the actual biting, the blood drinking, whether from the neck or other body parts, can be very erotic, especially if it’s described well. Partly, it’s the element of giving life, through blood, of the vampire taking these things, and its parallel to sex, that’s important. And if the biting is part of the sex, it intensifies the whole act for the reader.
Plus, power attracts. And the vampire is inhumanly powerful, with all the endurance, stamina and ability to protect that this implies.
And finally, now that the vampire is undead, he’s immortal to all intents and purposes. The idea of a love that doesn’t die, that’s stronger than ordinary human love, is immensely appealing. So our heroine has a bigger and better love, a stronger and more powerful lover who’ll never part from her, and can give her the fabulously intense sex that a mere human male can’t.
Not that I believe graphic sex is necessary to make a good vampire novel or even a good vampire romance, but it certainly doesn’t hurt J. My own vampire novels are pretty steamy in places, and my latest vampire hero, Maximilian in Blood Guilt, is a deeply sensual being, who’s forced himself to abstinence for over a century through guilt. He’s one of the strongest vampires in existence, with a dark past of sexual obsession and betrayal. Steamy sex seems to flow naturally from his character, and from his effect on my heroine, the vampire hunter Mihaela.
So, yes, sexy and dead works for me! What about you?
*****
The first of a new vampire romance series, a sequel to the Awakened by Blood trilogy.
Natural enemies, deadly attraction…
Mihaela, a fearless vampire hunter secretly haunted by loneliness and childhood tragedy, finds it difficult to adjust to the new world order where vampires are not always the bad guys. She’s taking a much needed vacation in Scotland when she sees a little boy being chased through the streets of Edinburgh. Rescuing him brings bigger problems – two vampires from her past: Gavril, who killed her family; and the reclusive and troubled Maximilian, gifted Renaissance artist and one-time overlord of the most powerful undead community in the world. Maximilian once saved her life and now needs that favor returned.
The earth moves for Mihaela in more ways than one. From Scotland to Budapest and Malta, she races against time to prevent a disastrous, vampire-induced earthquake and save an innocent yet powerful child – all while fighting a dreadful attraction to Maximilian, her only ally, whom she can’t afford to trust. For Maximilian, the hunter becomes a symbol of renewed existence, as he struggles to accept his past and rediscovers his appetite for blood and sex – and maybe even happiness.
Available from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Barnes & Noble
*****
Marie Treanor lives in Scotland with her eccentric husband and three much-too-smart children. Having grown bored with city life, she resides these days in a picturesque village by the sea where she is lucky enough to enjoy herself avoiding housework and writing sensual stories of paranormal romance and fantasy.
Marie Treanor has published more than twenty ebooks with small presses, (Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Changeling Press and The Wild Rose Press), including a former Kindle bestseller, Killing Joe. Blood on Silk: an Awakened by Blood novel, was her New York debut with NAL.
Website: www.MarieTreanor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Treanor-Paranormal-Romance/105866982782360
Newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marietreanornewsletter
Blog: Marie Treanor’s Romantic Theme Party:
Just want to say hello to everyone! And Lucy, thank you so much for having me on your blog!
Marie