‘You
know those vampire myths? Holy water, entry by invitation only and sodding
crucifixes?
Bollocks
to them.
Because you know what? There are no
monsters and no immortals. There’s
just us: the Lost.’
(Rebel
Vampires Volume 1: Blood Dragons)
Firstly, thank you Roxanne for
having me on your blog!
My name is Rosemary A Johns and I’m
a fantasy fanatic and music junkie. I’m a traditionally published author of
short stories and a playwright.
Blood Dragons is my debut novel. It’s the first
in the new fantasy series Rebel Vampires.
It’s out now at: http://getbook.at/BloodDragonsKindle
It’s also available in paperback and
Large Print.
Before I started writing I had two
questions: what book was I desperate to read – but couldn’t find? And what was
it about vampires I both loved and hated?
That’s where the ‘bollocks vampire
myths’ comes in.
Blood Dragons explores
a hidden paranormal world in London, where vampires are both predator and prey.
It’s a story of redemption and love in a divided world beneath our own. Blood
Lifers are a camouflaged species, who use venom to paralyse and mimic heart
attacks in First Lifers (humans). Yet they fear the First Lifers they prey on.
Until one Blood Lifer rebels – against his family, species and century old love
- to save both their species.
My main character - Light – is a
Rocker with a photographic memory. As part of a real, evolutionary species
that’s camouflaged from humans, he has to struggle with real life difficulties.
But also the prejudices and stereotypes created by the ‘vampire myths’ we’ve
all been brought up on. Except, of course, some of them are true. Like Blood
Lifers needing to drink blood to survive. Only it’s not quite as simple as
that…
What
‘bollocks vampire myths’ would you have reinvented?
The first question – what book was I
desperate to read but couldn’t find – was even more important.
I
knew I wanted something dark. Subversive. Intelligent. Romantic and thrilling,
with a vein of dark humour. And for adults, not YA. So that’s what I’ve
written. A vampire book truly for adults.
I was
also eager for the main vampire to be British. Not just because I AM British.
Although this means it’s more authentic.
I’ve always loved British vampires. But they
always seem to be the sidekick. The villain. Or the love interest. They’re not
allowed centre stage. To be the complex anti-hero, who struggles through to be
redeemed.
I
loved the idea of a book from a British vampire’s perspective – and one, who
didn’t sound like Hugh Grant.
Dracula by Bram Stoker is often considered a
famous English vampire novel – but Bram Stoker was from Dublin and so Irish (as
were my ancestors – also Italian, Scottish and Londoners, so I’m pretty
mixed!). Dracula was from Transylvania. So no prizes there.
Three
brilliant British vampires (although none are sole leads):
1. Hal in Being Human. This is the best urban fantasy show British TV has
seen. Mitchell was the original in the trio of vampire, werewolf and ghost just
trying to survive in an ordinary world. Fantastic as he was, he’s Irish (so
many genius Irish men). Hal, however, is all English – adorable bumbling and
yet terrifyingly powerful. The writing on this show is to be worshipped.
2. Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Need I say more? OK, so I know James
Marsters is an American. But his character isn’t. One of the most dizzying
character arcs ever. I could add Jeaniene Frost’s Bones here…no one can miss
the similarities…but then does anyone care?
3. Lamia and her seductresses from Neil
Gaiman’s Neverwhere, who ‘suck the
warmth’ from their victims. Freaked the hell out of me when I was young.
Who
would you have chosen?
Between
the desire to see a British vampire lead, as well as a fantasy book for adults,
which twisted the usual myths, the series Rebel
Vampires was born.
Blood Dragons is not just another vampire novel.
Here’s
an exclusive excerpt:
‘We’d set up our crib in
Liverpool, behind the Mersey docks in the shadow of the cranes, hulking ships
and the whiff of general decline. I’d salvaged what we needed from boneyards.
When
Ruby had returned one night, however, from her lone wanderings, which had
become frequent now, she’d told me that we were moving back to London.
I’d
just been out and nicked Ruby a pair of blinding ruby earrings to go with her
pendant. I’d noticed a few weeks back that this dead posh jewellers had opened
in the city centre. I’d been secretly planning a lay to surprise Ruby. I
couldn’t wait for her peepers to light with fire, as she put them on for me.
Yet
when I’d passed the earrings to Ruby with a smile, she’d tossed the box aside,
like I’d picked them up at the market. ‘We need to make haste and put away this
idleness. They want us at their side. There are…important undertakings of our
kind. We must go; after all, they are our cater-cousins.’
Confused,
I’d collected the earrings from the floor, fidgeting with the box. ‘Who are,
luv?’
Ruby
had turned away. ‘Pack up.’
I’d
grabbed Ruby by the shoulder. ‘Who are these pillocks? What’s going on?’
‘Fie,
remove your hand or by heaven…’
I’d
hurriedly snatched away my fingers. Ruby had looked at me, as if calculating my
reaction. ‘My brothers. The twins.’
‘What?’
I’d stared at her.
Ruby
had family? Decades of life lived
together as one, but not a single word she had blood relatives?
Our
connection had been beyond words or blood, in the trembling of the world and
our lives’ fever. Yet now I’d wondered, in one cracking jolt, if all I’d been
to Ruby was a distraction. Nothing but a toy to while away the decades or her idleness..?
Was
that all any Blood Lifer could be to each other?’
(Rebel Vampires Volume 1: Blood Dragons)
Rebel Vampires Volume 1: Blood Dragons is out now.
Buy it at: http://getbook.at/BloodDragonsKindle
It’s also available in paperback.
Click here: http://getbook.at/BloodDragons
For the Large
Print Edition click here: http://getbook.at/BloodDragonsLarge
To pre-order Rebel Vampires Volume 2: Blood Shackles
click: http://getbook.at/BloodShackles
Blood Shackles is
released in November. Welcome to the Blood club
– where the predators become the prey…
Rebel
Vampires Volume 3: Blood Renegades is out spring 2017. Light has
only two weeks to give his witness, on trial for his life, before he’s burnt at
the stake – because who wants to hear the truth?
Blood Dragons
Rebel Vampires
Volume 1
Rosemary A Johns
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Fantasy Rebel Limited
Date of Publication: 14th August 2016
ISBN-13: 978-1533679819
ISBN-10: 1533679819
Large Print Edition:
ISBN-13: 978-1533681362
ISBN-10: 1533681368
Number of pages: 294
Word Count: 80,000
Cover Artist: JD Smith
Book Description:
There are three people in this affair – and two of them aren’t human…
A hidden paranormal London lies beneath our own. Escape into the supernatural world of the Blood Lifers – where vampires are both predator and prey.
1960s London. Light is a rebel Rocker Blood Lifer with a photographic memory. And a Triton motorbike. Since Victorian times he’s hidden in the shadows. Both predator and prey. His venom is deadly. He feeds on blood. Human, of course. But when he discovers his ruthless family’s horrifying secret experiments, he questions whether he should be slaying or saving the humans he’s always feared.
Ruby is a sexy but savage Elizabethan Blood Lifer. She burns with a destructive love for Light. But he’s keeping something from her. Something that breaks every rule in Blood Life. When she discovers the truth, things take a terrifying turn.
Kathy is a seductive singer. But she’s also human. Light knows his passionate love for her is reckless but he’s enchanted. Yet such a romance is forbidden. When the two worlds collide, it could mean the end. For both species.
What dark revelations will Light reveal at the heart of the experiments? Will he be able to stop them in time? The consequences of failure are unimaginable. Unless Light plays the part of hero, he risks losing everything. Including the two women he loves.
A rebel, a red-haired devil and a Moon Girl battle to save the world – or tear it apart.
*EXCLUSIVE LIMITED-TIME OFFER*
Special launch price ONLY $0.99 for five days from 14th to 18th August
About the Author:
ROSEMARY A JOHNS is a traditionally published author of short stories under the name R. A. Johns. Blood Dragons is Rosemary A Johns’ debut novel.
Rosemary A Johns wrote her first fantasy novel at the age of ten, when she discovered the weird worlds inside her head were more exciting than double swimming. Since then she’s studied history at Oxford University, run a theatre company (her critically acclaimed plays have been described as "uncomfortable, unsettling and uneasily true to life"), and worked with disability charities. When Rosemary’s not falling in love with the rebels fighting their way onto the page, she heads the Oxford writing group Dreaming Spires
@RosemaryAJohns
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2 comments:
Thanks Roxanne for having me on your blog - I enjoyed writing about British vampires...but then I always enjoy chatting about vampires! It's fantastic that Blood Dragons is finally released today - can't wait to dive into Blood Life again with my second book either. Hope you all have a great day!
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