The review was mixed, and contained at least one glaring factual error (the book was not originally released by Night Shade; they’re thinking of The Sword-Edged Blonde)*, but they did give me this jewel: “Bledsoe . . . employs a suave, creepy style that suits the story.” Suave and creepy. I’ll take that. It is a vampire novel, after all. … Read More
You can’t go home again (and really, who’d want to?)
Recently a family emergency required me to return to my tiny West Tennessee home town. How tiny? The population is roughly 300, and around 250 of them are related to me at some level. Later, doing research for a novel set in the region, I came across this vintage (1970) description written by Donn (sic) Munson in SAGA magazine: West … Read More
Enter to win an advance paperback edition
Tor kindly sent me a box of ARCs for the mass-market paperback edition of The Sword-Edged Blonde. This hits stores in June, and includes as a teaser the first chapter of the sequel, Burn Me Deadly. If you’d like a signed copy, leave a comment here sometime before the end of February and you’ll be entered in a random drawing … Read More
A Vampire Fit for Kids: Rewriting Dracula
There are many stories that would fascinate children, if told in a way they could understand. What little boy wouldn’t love a story about a mad sea captain battling a monster whale, yet try reading Moby Dick to a child and see how fast their eyes glaze over. Tania Zamorsky faced this reality when, as part of Sterling Publishing’s “Classic … Read More
First review in on Blood Groove
The first pre-publication review of Blood Groove has hit the Net. Read Patricia Altner’s comments here; she calls it, “an intoxicating brew of mystery, humor, and horror.”
Are You William Faulkner? Check Yes or No
An article in the current issue of The New Shetlander made me recall a writing teacher in college who, when asked about composing in the vernacular, gave this response. “You should ask yourself one question: Am I William Faulkner? If the answer is ‘no,’ then you should never write in the vernacular.” I’m not sure where the contempt for writing … Read More
JUST IN: New cover art for Blood Groove
So the good people at Tor have completely redone the cover for my upcoming vampire novel Blood Groove. And while I liked the original art (at posting time still visible on Amazon), this new cover does a much better job capturing the book’s atmosphere: So what does everyone think?
Underworld’s Hero
With the upcoming release of the latest vampire vs. werewolf film, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, I’ve been pondering my inexplicable affection for the first two Underworld films. By all rights I should hate them: at first glance they’re surface-intense, drama-light, filled with inconsistencies and missed dramatic opportunities. They use the tattered trope of sexy, leather-clad vampires and sexy, hairy-bodied … Read More
"That’s the way of the world, baby."
My next novel, Blood Groove, is set in 1975 for a couple of reasons. Since it’s a vampire novel, I wanted it to be free of the influence of Anne Rice; her landmark Interview with a Vampire came out in 1977. I also wanted it to take place in a time when it was still possible to exploit cracks in … Read More