Thursday, August 27, 2009

Susan Squires Guest Blog and Time for Eternity Giveaway


Fellow Friends of the Fang:

As I can see the approach of Autumn, my thoughts turn to vampires (actually, I think about vampires a lot--but Halloween always seems to give those thoughts a special "bite") I've been into vampires forever. First there was Barnabus Collins as a child (and yay! they are going to put out a remake!) My interest was reinvigorated by Frank Langella in the late 70's. The first book I ever wrote was an historical vampire romance, SACRAMENT. So vamps have been in my soul for quite a while. When I first tried to sell SACRAMENT, several publishers and agents just didn't want to hear about it, because the vampires are the good guys (well, most of them). SACRAMENT was published much later by Dorchester. I used the world I built in SACRAMENT to start a vampire series with St. Martin's Press, beginning with THE COMPANION set in Regency England.

I think what gives vampires such appeal is that they have both paranormal attributes and human problems, too. They have a foot in each world. My vampires have a parasite in their blood which gives them unusual properties, including eternal life and heightened sexuality, along with some pretty big down-side consequences. They are alienated from humanity, victims of boredom and cynicism who have to drink blood to survive and never see the day. If they don't go mad, they are tortured heroes and heroines who have sought meaning in their lives under difficult circumstances. 'So how different are they than we are, really? Some survive their struggle with soul in tact, some don't. One quality all my vampire heroes and heroines have in common is that they can be redeemed by love. One of the most interesting questions out there is how a person continues to believe in the power of love, even after they have learned all the worst about humanity. How do you continue to trust? All my books explore that, one way or another.

That's why I love Charlaine Harris's books--I've been reading them for years. She uses her books to explore big questions of morals and religion and prejudice, though she buries it in a darned good vampire story. And her vamps are characters who struggle with their nature, just like we all do. Then there's the "yum" factor.

Well, I've also always been a time travel fan. So, it shouldn't have surprised me when time travel started sneaking into my vampire books. I had a character I really liked in ONE WITH THE SHADOWS. Publisher's Weekly named that one a Best Book of the Year--really unusual for a romance, let alone a paperback romance. Donnatella was a woman who had lived since the Roman empire as a vampire. She regretted forever not making her one true love, a barbarian slave, vampire too. She watched him age and die. So in ONE WITH THE DARKNESS, I decided to give her a chance to go back and change her life. Of course, it's not as easy as it seems (is anything ever?) Her friend Leonardo daVinci gives her a wonderful machine, and she uses it to try to get what she wants.

I had such fun with that book (and it WASN:T just because of the barbarian slave--though I loved Jergan), I decided to use Leonardo's machine as the center of a series of time travel books. In the first, TIME FOR ETERNITY, out in September, Donnatella gives the machine to Frankie, a vampire bartender in modern day San Francisco, who hates what she is and wants nothing more than to go back to the French Revolution and kill the wicked duke, Henri Foucault, who made her a vampire and abandoned her. But once back in time, she merges into the sweet innocent Francoise she once was, and finds herself falling again for Henri's strange vitality. This time, with Frankie's experience, she begins to realize that Henri had secrets she never suspected. The problem may be to get out of Revolutionary France alive, since the mob is hot on their heels.

So, is time travel ready for a comeback? I hope so. It's been out of favor for a while. And vampires and time travel together? Why not?

Leave a comment telling me what you think about time travel and vampires to be entered for a chance to win one of two copies of Time for Eternity that I am giving away to a couple lucky Fang-tastic Books readers.

Susan Squires
ONE WITH THE DARKNESS, June 2008, St. Martin's Press
DEAD AFTER DARK, anthology, December 2008
TIME FOR ETERNITY, September, 2009, St. Martin's Press


Publishers Weeekly Gave Time for Eternity a Starred Review:


The heroine's dual nature is exquisitely executed, and Squires's lush writing skillfully entwines the dramatic story of an aristocratic smuggler's resistance to corrupt revolution with the romantic tale of lovers drawn together across time. (Sept.)

Publisher’s Weekly, July 20, 2009


30 comments:

Ellz said...

Time travel and vampires, two of MY favorite topics. This is a great idea, as each has been done on its own, I have never read anything together. I am adding this to my wish list!

Anonymous said...

Time travel & vampires make for very good reading!
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

Unknown said...

I have and love all your books and can't wait for this release. I list your vampire books in my booklist for the series name "Sacrament Sensuous Vampires" is there a more official series name to your series books?
Have a Great Day, Stephanie
Stephmartin71 at yahoo.com

soche said...

I like time travel and vampires too. I'd buy books with that combo.

tetewa said...

The two together sounds great to me! tWarner419@aol.com

chey said...

I enjoy reading about time travel and vampires. So much more is possible in those kinds of stories. Both together will be sensational!

Susan said...

Steph.... The vampire series from St. Martin's Press is called The Companion Series after the title of the first book in the series.... my website lists the books in order (though it probably needs updating!-note to self--better get on that!)
Susan

CrystalGB said...

I enjoy books about vampires and about time travel. Your book sounds good. Nice cover.

Jane said...

I've only read a few time travels, but I do love vampire stories. Sounds like a great combo.
janie1215 AT excite DOT com

Maija said...

I really hope there would be more time travel books. Spicing it up with vampires is an interesting idea. I've read one book by you already and liked it a lot!

SharonJM said...

I love the idea of time travel and vampires. I wonder how many vampires would be willing to go back in time and choose not to become vampires? Time for Eternity is going on my to buy list.

Susan said...

I'm glad you guys are thinking that time travel and vampires aren't too much together. I admit I did have a few misgivings. That said, I loved showing how the modern heroine goes back and gets merged into the young girl she once was. Showing the vampire's age and experience slowly coming through to "see" all the things she originally missed about the hero was really fun. Plus, I got to research the French Revolution. That was a blast.
Susan

Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews said...

Time travel & vampires are both of my favorite subjects. I wish there were more time travel books with paranormal elements.

L said...

Time travel and vampires makes a good combo. I would definitely want to read something about that.

lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com

Heather B. said...

I love Susan's books. I have read all of them. I love her take on vamps because it is something all together different from what everyone else is doing.

Time travel and vamps are a very good combination.

I can't wait till the new book comes out.

Cybercliper said...

Time travel and vampires make a great combination. I love both but I haven't seen them together much. Sometimes I've seen authors send a vamp backwards to a certain point in his/her life, but not often.

mrsshukra said...

I enjoy reading about time travel and vampires! First time I read about these two together: Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series! Looking forward to Susan Squires' Time for Eternity!

delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

Pam P said...

Hi Susan, besides being a fan of vampires, I love time travels, any genre, so this one I definitely won't miss.

throuthehaze said...

time travel + vampires = awesomeness
throuthehaze at gmail dot com

kalynnick said...

I think time travel and Vampires make a good book combination.


kalynnick AT yahoo DOT come

LORETTA CANTON said...

I love time travel and vampires and will love to see some of these books. Good luck with the book.


lorrettaC,
lbcanton@verizon.net

WK said...

Ohh I love Time-Travel books and vampires. I think the appeal of time travel for me is it allows me to imagine going back to a time I may love without really having to face the dangers they did. And vampires, I think Susan hit it why we love them.

A great great post!!!
hugs,
WendyK
highlandlovesong at yahoo dot com

Estella said...

Time travel and vampires together sounds great.
Will be putting this book on my To Buy list.

Susan said...

Wendy,
I am so with you about time travel. I love going back in time, WITH a few edits. I have written historicals (vamp and non-vamp) and I always have some excuse why the heroine likes to or feels obligated to bathe.... There are just some things about history we don't want to know. I went to a Viking village re-creation in York (once the Viking town of Jorvik) and they put in people's real clothing, and artifacts, and they re-created the smell. Yikes. Think privies and body odor! In TIME FOR ETERNITY, I put in the uncomfortable clothes that were never really cleaned and the wigs that had ratted snarls and powder and sweat in them. Just not for my heroine!
Susan

donnas said...

I love stories about vampires or with vampires in them. I haven't really read anything that had substantial time travel incorporated into the story so I dont have a definite opinion. But I would love to read about the two together.

bacchus76 at myself dot com

gbogh said...

I read the Sacrament a couple of weeks ago and immediately put Time for Eternity on my list at the library. I can't wait to read more of your books.

Judy said...

My first love is vampires!! I also enjoy time travel. The subject fascinates me. My favorite movie is Somewhere in Time. I could watch it daily.

Susan said...

Judy! I almost mentioned Somewhere in Time in the blog (along with Diana Gabaldon and Connecticut Yankee in King ARthur's Court). I love that movie too! Part of the fun of writing time travel is that it's like writing a mystery that all has to fit together. Your characters change history but it still has to LOOK like it happened in the history books. I always have a good time with that.....
Susan

Anonymous said...

I like the Idea of time travel and vampires together. It sounds like it could be a lot of trouble that they could get into. I read Karen Chance books and it has the combo. It makes for a wonderful read.

Ms. Asphyxia said...

Vampires + time travel = awesome. Especially if one could go back and meet an old French gentleman vampire.

Valorie
morbidromantic@gmail.com

 
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