S.C. Parris's Blog: News and Information, page 4

Excitement in an Old WiP & Black Faces in Fantasy Literature

I recently dug up an old WiP, tentatively titled JUDGEMENT, and I've been enjoying writing it more than my current (contracted) WiP, DRACULA.

JUDGEMENT if you're new here or haven't heard of the project, is my attempt at writing an urban fantasy as years ago, I went through a phase of wanting to write more than just my overwhelming epic fantasy series, and wanted to peer into romance and a closer-knit fantasy world.

Well, at the age of, fourteen or sixteen I believe, I sat down and started to write this urban fantasy, enjoying the world I was creating (it's set in contemporary New York City and Long Island for obvious reasons), and naturally, not realizing I could do any different, made the two main characters, a man and a woman, white. There was a reason for this.

They are magical beings, one of them knowing their history more than the MC whose eyes we see the story through for the most part, and that history is largely based in Irish lore (which I've devoured, enjoyed, and studied for a large part of my life), so I thought "why not?" in regards to the lore I would use and adjust for this story.

But upon coming back to it the other day I did, I remember reading over my work and thinking, "Why isn't she [the MC with all the knowledge and power], black?" There was no reason she couldn't be after all, and I'd been inspired by all of the covers with black protagonists I'd seen in the fantasy section of Barnes and Noble, understanding an apt confusion for readers when they would see my DARK WORLD series and not see any black characters on the covers, though there are black characters in the world.

With this in mind (and because I wished to avoid any more conversations with hopeful readers about the lack of blackness and representation on the covers), because

I immediately changed her to black. I changed her long black hair (a previous staple for my characters for some reason) to shoulder-length black, tight curly hair. I kept her eyes their beautiful green, made no mention of "mocha" or "caramel" but simply called her skin "dark." And I kept her heritage intact. Why couldn't there be Irish-born black women with a penchant for magic trying to avoid vampires in a vampire-run New York City?

It infinitely made the writing process that much more interesting--a WiP I had abandoned because I couldn't get past chapter two, I was now on Chapter Four with.

I kept the male MC a white male (as there's no reason we can't include white men who talk to black characters [especially women] like they're people), but already have it in mind to color the fictional world in JUDGMENT with my friends, family, and peers in the real world.

Incredibly honored to be inducted into the National English Honor Society. I feel renewed and invigorated to write more honest, personal fantasy stories integrating my own experiences (and those of my friends and loved ones) into them from now on. Retweet from @silvia_blood.

— S.C. Parris (@writingvampires) April 17, 2018

All said and done, I'm super excited to write this novel (which may or may not be a series), but I am putting my focus on DRACULA for the time being because that's something I have to get finished (and I'm quite excited to see that story end thank goodness). And I'm quite happy to explore the interracial relationship therein as well. (I have a thing for vampires and witches getting it on okay?)

You can snag a copy of any book in THE DARK WORLD SERIES on Amazon or B&N or in-store at your local B&N, as well as my Etsy (limited copies still available).

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

Hiatus

A point of contention for me is keeping up with this website and updating both it and this blog.

I know I've been utterly terrible in doing so, and I'm not so sure I understand the 'blogosphere' or how things are meant to work on it.

All I do know is that I have written posts sporadically, except for when I attempted to do "Blood Talk" series on the different types of Dark Creatures that litter the pages of my series. But alas, I stopped after getting to the "Phoenixes" post--why? Because school or work probably got in the way or I was in the position of going through lots of changes--which is always true for me.

I'm not sure why, truly.

All I know it was something I meant to do and never accomplished it.

Meanwhile, in the real world, I've been writing much more as of late (thanks to Spring Break this week), and hope to at least get to the middle of DRACULA before the end of March. Something of a lofty goal as I stare at the current date, but writing again has reminded me how much work this is, how much fun it is, and how much more I have to learn about it or remind myself about it.

As lethargy and (some kind of) depression rears its ugly head, I shall sign off on here, only to continue writing the last book in this series. (Perhaps that is what has me so lackadasical and procrastinating on the project.)

I will attempt, as I always do, to keep up with this blog, but I'm not sure what exactly one woudl want to read from me?

More writing process posts?

More personal posts?

More book-only, character-driven posts?

Academic posts about an English Major near graduation?

Let me know in whatever avenue you see fit? (I'm all over social media.)

Writing Amidst Doubt

Like any writer, I face doubt. Not often, as I choose to focus on my work and what I'm doing and contributing to literature (not much lol), but as of late, the doubt has crept in and is, for the moment at least, here to stay.

I am at a loss as to what to do, as what I usually do (just keep writing and pushing past it, looking at past reviews or talking to current readers), doesn't seem to be settling.

It doesn't help that I'm friends with other authors on FB who seem to be posting books every month, at their leisure, fashioning marketing toolkits out of thin air in order to coincide with these releases.

And here I am, a book a year or so it would seem, struggling to find a marketing tool that will help me reach more eyes, and in turn help me reach more would-be readers.

I know, I know, comparing is the start to one's downfall, but one cannot help but look and see what their peers are doing.

I suppose I should stop once again and just focus on myself? But where is the line between a bubble-like focus on ones doings and other's accomplishments? I know it wrong to separate myself from them as we're all in this together, but it's so easy to get caught up in the negatives.

I am overlooking how one woman who bought my first book from me in store came back last week and exclaimed how much she loved it (so much so I was dazed and confused as to what she was talking about), and I am overlooking how other readers are steadily making their way through the books, the plots, and the so-so editing (that's another blog post).

That said, it is good to focus on one's goals and check off when those goals are met.

As for me?

I saw the interior for The Goblet: Book 5 (sans map as are the few previous books in the series, unfortunately),

This is the Dark World series map.

and it keeps in line with the rest of the books.

The book jacket, however, doesn't.

Here, see for yourself.

Do you think that looks better or worse than the first book jacket (which the subsequent book jackets followed if only not as pretty)?

I was told I got a different designer for Book 5 when I saw the full cover. And though I like it, I like continuity in plot, design...etc. even more. It just looks nicer and makes things seem even more complete no?

Ah well, I've one more book to write in this series (just hit Chapter 4; small miracles), and I hope the lack of continuity in the design of the series doesn't deter would-be readers.

It bothers my perfectionist mind.

But what can one do?

Continue writing, of course. Chucking on fearlessly, as always, in the midst of doubt, and yes, I suppose it is the right answer altogether: focusing on one's goals and one goals alone.

Happy writing and reading!

The Goblet: Book V is available for E-Book now, btw. The physical release is still slated for Nov 28th, 2017.

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

Writing and B-Fest and Editing, Oh My!

Forgive me, once again, for shirking my duties in continuing this blog. Funnily enough, now that school is back, I find myself more compelled to write.

Write DRACULA: BOOK 6, write essays for my classes (nearing ever closer to that degree, you see), and write future projects I started way before THE DARK WORLD SERIES was ever published.

Writing this was quite challenging. My most challenging book to date.

Besides all of this writing, I've been asked to speak on a panel at my local Barnes and Noble for B-Fest, the YA-oriented festival where YA authors speak at bookstores and hold events for readers. While I don't write YA, I couldn't pass up the chance when asked to talk about the creative process, that is, my characters, plot, and connecting plots in a series. And who doesn't love talking to complete strangers about their work?! :D

It will be my first panel ever and I'm beyond excited to speak on it! I'll try to get someone to take pictures and record so everyone can see it on my Instagram and Facebook and be apart of the delicious madness.

Now, though this isn't a "Blood Talk" series post, I will interrupt the updates on my projects to talk a bit about the editing process of my most recent book. Now, if you're friends with me on Facebook, you undoubtedly know about my frustration with the editing process, which I chalk up, ultimately, to my naivety on the subject. This is my first series and I will only get better. That said, in my humble opinion, THE GOBLET is the absolutely best-edited book in the series and I'm beyond proud of its addition to my lovely readers' (Dark Creatures') shelves in November.

It's an excellent reminder to not get oneself down and to keep pushing on, no matter what your goals. Especially in writing. To all of you writing that new or next book, you can do it. If a 16-year-old girl can do it, trust me, you can too!

And I'm always here for a chat; you can shoot me a message anywhere and I will drop what I'm doing and respond as soon as I can. We're all in this together and there's no need to get lost in the throes of dark thoughts (however much I love darkness and death in a literary sense, I don't quite favor it in real life). I'm a firm believer that we can get through anything as resilient as we humans are.

Now, I'm off to continue DRACULA.

What are you off to do? Read anything amazing lately? I want to know all about it!

Stay wonderfully broody my lovely Creatures, and remember,

With Blood and Love,

I'm S.C. Parris

Blood Talk: Creating New Worlds

So in a lot of the new reviews regarding TDW series, readers have mentioned the world-building and how alive the world feels, or at least, interesting--its own character, in a sense, and on that, I have to say I'm proud.

Proud that my attention to detail is being recognized by readers, and proud that people care enough to share how much they liked (or disliked) my creation.

But I didn't start off thinking about the world itself, contrary to the series' title, I focused, instead, on the characters, and as the dialogue and story progressed, asked myself the following:

What would this character do?Why would this character do that?Who does this character answer to and why?What limitations and freedom do these characters possess and why?

The answers to those questions created the Dark World you call can read about at your leisure, but I wanted to get this out there for those that continually ask me how I'm 'able' to craft such a world. The answer is simple: It just comes to me.

With everything I do, I follow a simple line of thought process that helps herald advancement toward my end goal. I like my characters to experience things as they happen and as such, their emotions, attitudes, and physical gestures and expressions all add up for whatever's happening in that moment.

For example, in The Two Swords, there's a scene that goes:

Christian Delacroix stared at her within the red carriage, feeling her eyes burrowing into him, feeling their judgmental, pressing gaze. "Paint a portrait," he said after a time, "it will last longer."

As we can see, everyone's favorite Vampire isn't happy (when is he, really?), and though we don't know why, unless we've read the books, we can just infer from these two sentences, alone, that he is upset, feeling judged for something this woman he's looking at has seen him do, perhaps in a previous scene, and his snide comment afterward further accentuates this defensiveness.

We needn't paint obtuse colors of expression on our character's faces all the time (I was a fan of this when I first started writing), their dialogue and small mannerisms can help paint a picture that can, with every little nuance, create a greater, more believable world.

You can see more reviews on The Dark World series here and buy the books here.

The Goblet: Book 5 is available for pre-order now, and is releasing November 28th, 2017.

With blood and love, 

S.C. Parris

The Dark World & Reviews

This is going to be kind of short as I'm in my library at school and want to get back to writing before I head to my next class (stay in school kids!), but I just wanted to share some reviews with you guys that I've received for THE DARK WORLD: BOOK 1 recently.

"Wicked good book. Looking forward to seeing where this world continues" - AJ/Sloan (She's making an awesome Dragon pendant for me to wear because she loved the first book so much!)

"S.C. Parris tells a magnificent tale of Vampires and Werewolf unlike any other I've read. This story reminded me well of Underworld from the beginning, but with the introduction of a new Dark World creature, it became a tale all in its own. Absolutely riveting!!" - S.L. Perrine

"S.C Parris takes everything we know about vampires and gives it a delightfully dark refresher, each of her characters is unique (and dangerous!) and a have a story they're dying to tell. From the first chapter I was hooked, I felt plunged into this dark world of Vampires, Lycans, and Dragons, and I loved it." - Cassandra McDonald

"SC Parris' debut novel has many Pros and Cons for me, which makes it hard for me to rate.
There are many different Points of View and a ton of characters which made it difficult to follow at times.
The story and worldbuilding and especially the characters are very interesting but in the end feels a bit like a Prologue to an entirely different story." - Elena

As you can see the reviews that are available (on Goodreads, mostly), are insightful, and the criticisms are duly noted and only give me the chance to make Book 5 better (as 2-4 are already done), but I love the feedback all the same.

Want to know what everyone's talking about?

Get THE DARK WORLD: BOOK 1, here.

I'm off to write.

And yes, the Phoenixes' Blood Talk Blog Post is coming soon!

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

Blood Talk: Elves!

Hello my lovely Dark Creatures!

Getting right into it, the Elves of the Dark World are not the most revered of Creatures.

There are different kinds of Elves, but the ones I focus on the most in the Dark World series are the Etrian Elves.

These Elves were banished to beneath the Etrian Hills by Dracula for their attack on the Vampire City some 3 years from the first book's start. They are very ridiculed and have had their weapons taken from them, but they are still granted their magic by Dracula and the Council of Creatures.

Many Elves are Members of the Section of Powers Sect in the Enchanting world, as they work alongside Enchanters in enchanting jewelry and weapons for the Vampires, though they are given little else in way of jobs.

They have their own magic system, slightly different from the Enchanters whom received magic from them in the first place.

Elves' magic is based on the Earth, as all their spells are ended with the adage, 'Nam Cora,' which means, 'of the Earth,' or 'to name the core.' The core of their power is pulled from the trees, the air, the dirt, the water, the elements...etc. It is because of this they feel themselves better than the Enchanters and other Creatures in general, as they do not believe that taking energy from the mind, as Enchanters do, is viable magic.

I've only gotten the chance to expand upon the Elves of Etria in The Phoenixes of the Nest and am continuing their story in greater depth in Book 5: The Goblet (yet to be released). Reducing word count for the first 3 books has caused me to pull everything back and change much around, as such the story has headed in a different direction than I had planned.

But such is life!

Here's an excerpt from Book 1:

The fireplace bright and warming the room shone a flickering light over the faces of the people who stared at each other, no one saying a word. Those closest to the fire rubbed long hands together before it, warming themselves as they cast weary glances towards the stoic looking Vampires across the room who sat around a large wooden table near the tall arching windows.

“Well,” the Vampire said, staring at the Elves coldly, “let us begin this little meeting at last, shall we?”

The Elves clicked their tongues together, an odd barrage of noise issuing from before the fire as they turned from it and eyed the Vampire behind his desk in interest.

The Vampires started, their bored expressions dissolving with the Elves’ movement.

With a swift hand, Dracula ran his fingers over the paper presented to him previously by the Elves and eyed the words:

The Elves of Etria
Request for Freedom

He looked up at them. “Is this not tiring?”

“Alinneis refuses to give up, as you can see, Dracula. Which is why we are constantly sent here.” He looked around the room with slight disgust. “And we will continue to be sent here to regain our freedom, until you see it through. Alinneis’ orders, I’m afraid,” a charming Elf with a higher nose than his brothers said coldly.

“Of course,” Dracula said stepping from behind the desk, his long white hair swaying along his back. He leaned against the dark wood, his light brown eyes scanning the room, a small smile upon his lips as he eyed the Vampires within their chairs.

Turning his gaze back toward the Elves, he said, “I’m afraid our dear friend Alinneis will never regain the freedom he so desperately seeks, as I have told you all time and time again. Really, these ‘surprise’ visits are getting rather routine, aren’t they? You all come in with your papers,” he gestured to the paper behind him, “and your requests, and you are sent home empty-handed.” He eyed the Elves once more and recalled this being the twentieth time he’d had to entertain them. “Time and time again.”

Tittering angrily amongst themselves, the Elves turned to each other to discuss what must be done, surely, when what appeared to be the Head Elf, a very tall, red-eyed Elf with a malicious sneer, lifted a long white hand to silence his comrades and stepped forward.

“With all due respect,” although his voice was the last thing one would call respectful, “Dracula, this has gone on for far too long, do you not think? Alinneis is growing angrier and angrier and these trips to this godforsaken City are wearing on my nerves. I grow tired of having to venture here, and I’m quite sure you grow tired of having to look at us. Do you not think that all of this would be solved once and for all,” and his tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth, “if you would just grant us our freedom and we could resume our lives, never having to lay eyes on each other again?”

Dracula glared at the Elf as the words reached his ears. “I’m afraid, Swile,” he said, “your words, as usual, will not change my mind about this matter. Your freedom should’ve been thought about when your men were ambushing my City.” He threw their request at the Elf’s feet. “It’s taken us three years to rebuild our army to what it was ever since you greedy Elves decided to attack us—for a reason, to this day, I still know not—and until I feel like it, you Elves shall never get your damned freedom.”

Victor and Lillith shifted in their seats, causing two Elves to eye them with disdain, yet Swile remained focused upon the only other standing Vampire in the room besides Xavier. His voice was quiet as he spoke, yet still alive with seething anger. “Alinneis has asked for forgiveness for that rather foolish matter that has, as you have pointed out, taken place several years ago. Is it his fault that you would not accept this forgiveness? Or is it the fault of you, dear Dracula?

“We have learned from our mistakes and we have groveled at your feet for what any King would require as the amount of time needed to repent. Are you not a ‘King,’ Dracula? Are you not selfless?”

Without looking at him, he spoke tersely, his voice commanding, “You will be grateful that I have allowed you Elves to continue your rather useless existence. Stripped of your powers, you are nothing, but men—men with unusually large ears. I could have ordered your deaths right then and there, but no, back then, with the deaths of my men on your shoulders, it would not be the clear course of action for any ‘King’,” he sneered, “so I sent you all away to live out your days away from other Creatures. Can you not be happy with that?”

Swile’s tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth once more, the anger building in his red eyes. He made no attempt to keep his voice low, as he was clearly past the point, “Had that Vampure,” he pointed to Damion, who looked as if his mind was elsewhere, “not held us back, we would have surely taken this underground City! Your armies were no match for us then—!”

“But they are a match for you now, Swile. Is it you who forgets that my Vampire,” and he gestured to Damion who eyed Swile with red eyes, “took all of your men on singlehandedly. An attempt both foolish,” Damion looked up at him then, “but all the same, acknowledged by me as an act of grand loyalty to his City, and his own kind, and for that he has been greatly rewarded, and rightfully so.”

See what I mean? That was one of the funniest scenes to write as it showed (to me) what kind of world I was creating.

Well, I'm off to finish writing my dears.

Be sure to check out the other installments in the Blood Talk Blog series below:

Vampires!

Lycans!

Enchanters!

Phoenixes are next to coincide with the release of THE PHOENIXES OF THE NEST tomorrow! 

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

Blood Talk: Enchanters!

Good evening beautiful people!

ICYMI: Blood Talk: Vampires! & Blood Talk: Lycans! are the previous installments leading up to this one.

What are we discussing today?

Enchanters!

They are my version of witches and wizards, though they simply Enchant things to benefit the other Creatures. They enchant rings for the Vampires to use in order for them to walk upon the surface, and be amongst humans, and they enchant other objects for other Creatures to use though that isn't really shown in the series, just barely touched upon.

Now, compared to the Vampires and Lycans they sound pretty dull, don't they? I thought so too while writing the first three books (as they are immensely Vampire and Elite Creature heavy), but I knew it was time (in writing the fourth book: The Phoenixes of the Nest), to showcase their true power and what they can really do.

Though it is hinted at in one of my favorite scenes in the entire series in Book 2: THE IMMORTAL'S GUIDE that MOST if not ALL of the Enchanters in the World are NOT happy about their lot in life, taking care of the Vampires essentially and this unhappiness, as it is wont to do, boils over to epic proportions later in the series.

Now, without further ado, let me show you guys an excerpt of Book 1: THE DARK WORLD just to give you a little taste of my witches and wizards and how they operate in this anxiety-driven world I've created:

The whooshing of the wind claimed his attention and he looked up just in time to see two large figures flying overhead, their blue and black cloaks flapping wildly.
They landed with no sound at all upon the pavement.
“This is not normally our job—”
“Never been asked to do it before—”
“But General Vonderheide requests your presence at his
manor—”
“Instantly, it would seem—”
“Rather important—”
“Very grave—”
Xavier stared at the Vampires, the words, “Mess-Cleaned
Section of Powers” emblazoned on the badges pinned to their cloaks.
“Victor requests my presence?” he clarified. It was hard to understand them. They jumped on each other’s sentences, finishing the previous one for the other.
“Most grave,” the taller of the two repeated.
“Of what priority would you say this is?”
The shorter of the two, with a small face and short red hair, pulled out a small piece of paper from his cloak. He cleared his throat, reading it with the air of someone addressing Dracula himself:

“Is it not something I can discuss in front of the Erasers, Xavier, but you must go to my home the moment the Erasers have read you this note. Lillith will be there, filling you in on what has happened. I, after acquiring the Erasers to locate you, am heading to Damion’s manor. I fear the human woman is in grave danger. And yes, she’s been found Xavier. All will be explained by Lillith, I’m sure.
“General Victor Vonderheide,
“Secondary Lord of the Vampire Order”

The Eraser folded the small piece of paper and stuffed it back into a pocket of his cloak, and the taller of the two said, “I would imagine, Lord Xavier, that it is of grave urgency that you arrive at Victor’s manor. According to the note, of course.”
His green eyes flashed and he was just closing them when the shorter of the two spoke, “No my Lord, you must not transport there! We will fly with you. We are not able to transport under Code Twelve of Dracula’s Distinct and Direct Orders for all Vampires.” Then, as if being pressed to recite Code Twelve, the short Vampire said, “The Erasers, who reside on the surface, are not to transport—it requires a vast amount of blood not to be expended with exception of dire emergency.”

Enchanters sat beneath the Fae, and his eyes lingered there most of all: He had never seen so many in one place. They wore long gowns made of unidentifiable fabric, a mixture of men and woman, their eyes all a misty black, much different from the color that existed within the Enchanters’ eyes back at the bar. They were not speaking to each other as the other Creatures were; they were all very stoic and stone-faced, perhaps rathern uncomfortable at the fact that Vampires sat several benches below.

Enchanters are easily one of my favorite Creatures, (aside from Vampires) but are only seconded by my love for Dragons.

Calm down, Dragons are coming next week!

But for now, I'll leave you with a Vampire Dracula had magic taught to in order to give himself a leg up against the Lycans: Nathanial Vivery.

I absolutely adore this character and think it so poignant that the first time Xavier Delacroix meets him, Nathanial merely smiles down at him with a steady coolness that Xavier once possessed before all these secrets and madness is revealed to him.

When he reached them, they swung open, a hard-looking man standing there, hands splayed against the wood of the doors, his deep, golden eyes narrowing: He looked out beyond the falling snow, apparently searching for something. His short red hair flew every which way atop his head, a bit of it moving over his eyes despite his persistence in finding whatever it was he was looking for out in the snow.
Xavier cleared his throat.
The man looked down, his golden eyes widening. “Xavier Delacroix?” he asked, his voice fairly light, but filled with something else Xavier couldn’t make sense of.
“I am,” he said.
The man stepped aside, allowing him entry, and he jumped up onto the hard floor. “Dracula’s been here for a few minutes, now, wondering when you’d arrive.”
Xavier paid no heed to his words, for he was far too busy staring at the multitude of Creatures that walked around the modest hall:
An Enchanter swept past, his flowing dark-purple robes leaving a faint trail of what looked like dust in his wake. A Satyr hobbled by on its hind hooves, its black eyes gleaming in the light of several torches placed around the room.
The strange man led him deeper, passing a couple of Garden Gnomes fighting amongst themselves over what looked to be a seed.

As you can see, I absolutely adore fantasy and am looking to always read more of it where I can (when work and class doesn't get in the way that is!).

With my love of fantasy, I've included everyone's favorite Creatures, Elves, in my series. But these Elves are not much liked by the Creatures in the Dark World, though that wasn't always the case...What happened to cause the Elves to fall out of favor with the other magical Creatures? You'll have to read my next blog post to find out!And don't forget THE PHOENIXES OF THE NEST: BOOK 4 is releasing November 29th! Don't forget to pre-order your copy today!

With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris

and Happy Thanksgiving!

Blood Talk: Lycans!

Hello lovelies! I'm S.C. Parris and this is a continuation on my Blood Talk Blog series: Vampires, where I talk more about the mythical creatures/monsters that appear in my series, and today's topic are those vicious, blood-fueled beasts we all love (or love to hate for me), Lycans.

Now, when starting to write THE DARK WORLD: BOOK 1, I was ready to merely name the Vampires' antagonists 'Werewolves,' as, in my sixteen-year-old brain that's who the Vampires always fought in various books and movies I'd consumed before then. No?

Yet it was my mom and older sister that stopped me when I went to write about werewolves and told me, "No, they're Lycans." It made sense to me, then. We all heard of Lycanthropy right? And in this massive world I was building at the time, it made sense to call them as such: Man turn into wolf. Man not fully wolf, yet not fully man.

My Lycans walk on hind legs as beasts, sometimes reverting to all-fours in the beastly form as well, but when this form, they are definitely heightened, very vicious, and react instinctively. The only two Lycans in my series that have (yet) to portray this inherently monstrous thinking and form (even while in Lycan form) are the Lycan King Lore and his son, Thomas Montague.

To explain any more about them would be to spoil great parts of the story, so I'll leave you with this excerpt of the first chapter in THE DARK WORLD:

His gaze was pulled from the woman as the Lycan staggered to its rear legs, its head jerking erratically, and he had the strangest feeling the Creature knew he was there.

It was not long before it sniffed the air deeply, and growled low, turning its head toward him, a moment of remarkable fear marring the bloodlust under that bemused gaze.

“A Vampire?” the Lycan growled.

The voice snaked into his mind, almost mesmerizing in its horridness. He felt as though he were being pinned to the ground with that voice, but his blood boiled, his desire to kill higher than it had ever been—

He was flying through the air before he knew it, mind gone. His only focus was the large, snarling beast—

And he was brought back down to Earth with the intense pain of terribly sharp teeth, the rip and crack that sounded in his ear quite loud as he felt a sudden release. He felt the ruinous tear, and he flew backwards through the air, the vision of blood, hair and clothes flying before his face amidst the maddening pain—

His senses turned black when he came to an abrupt halt, the smack of his back against a rough, hard surface issuing a scream from his lips. He felt his body crumple to the ground, slack against a tree. A pain still pulsed at his right shoulder. He could not look to see the damage done, but knew it vast. His side, as well as the ground, was slick with wetness, and he could smell the blood in the air. His blood.

Damn.

A fresh burst of wind blew past his face next. The thick scent
of Lycan reached his nose, causing him to cough, and against all
thought—against all reason indeed—he opened his eyes against the
disturbing pain.

The dancing figure of the large, hairy beast stalking toward him
seemed impossible, if only for a brief moment. Yet a raucous laugh
filled the air after he thought this, and he was returned to sobering
reality with the sound.

Although through the eyes of a Vampire facing a Lycan, I believe we can glimpse the steady bloodlust of the Lycan, the way it subdued the Vampire with its teeth, cracked its spine against a tree, rendered it immobile, unable to move, to defend itself from a most certain end. This particular Lycan is almost strategic in its movements, though I must tell you, not all are. A special case, as it were.

Why is he special?

You'll just have to read BOOK 1 to find out! :)

 

 

Check back here for the next installment of Blood Talk: Enchanters!

Jourdan Dunn photographed by Hans Feurer for Antidote S/S 2013

With blood and love,

S.C. Parris

Blood Talk: Vampires!

As I write this from my car in my school's parking lot, the thought of vampires and my YouTube show--Blood Talk--and the recent horror-themed podcast I've done with J.A. Ironside and M.E. Vaughan has brought to light (ha! puns!) my love for vampires and all fantastic creatures/monsters.  

I'll start with Vampires as that's what I write/talk the most about:

People often ask me why I chose to write about Vampires, and my answer always is: I didn't choose to write about Vampires; they chose me. Cliche, I know, but true.

As I've said on this blog before, my mother is to blame (or thank) for my avid interest in all things Dark. She would watch all the old horror movies while pregnant with me, and I guess some of it rubbed off on the little premature baby inside. 

Anyway, Vampires are hypnotic, sexy, cruel, damned, monstrous, needy, and, I think, necessary.  

I believe that's why I enjoy writing about them so much: I see myself--and other people--in their monstrous, damned, blood-needing ways. It's easy to relate to them, at least to me, and I draw from everyday experience as I write my brand of Vampire. 

What is my brand of Vampire? Take a glimpse with An excerpt from BOOK 1: THE DARK WORLD:

He smelled her. The rich scent of lilac and freshly drawn blood reached his nose in the cold air, the ever-lingering scent of putrid beast... He turned just in time to see the door swing open, and there she stood, a hand wrapped around the old handle, a strange, dark blue cloak over her shoulders. She stared through the night, and her brown eyes found him the smile slow to grace her lips. “Alone?” she whispered, her voice reaching his ears quite easily as he stepped into the clearing.

Her beauty, her hunger... Yes, she was quite the formidable Vampire, Eleanor Black.

Xavier understood immediately why Dracula had sent them to her. “I believe so,” he said softly, stepping forward into the cabin as she turned and walked toward two tattered armchairs that faced a small fireplace, the fire burning low within its grate.

He watched as she took a seat in one farthest from the door and closed her eyes. She waved a hand, allowing the door to close behind him, but how curious it was the smell of the cold night air dispersed as she did this, but the horrid stench of Lycan did not.

“Xavier... Christian wished to feed?” she whispered, bringing his mind back to the here and now.

He gazed upon her, seeing her closed eyes, her long wavy black hair resting against her shoulders and chest as her head remained back against the chair, exhaustion radiating off every pore. What on Earth had she been doing to cause such utter depletion? Did she not acquire blood?

“Yes,” he said after a time of staring, knowing full well she could have heard their entire conversation if she so chose.

“It’s for the best…he would not take kindly to the news I have prepared....”

“And that would be?”

She opened her eyes, and yes, even against the small light of the fire, her weakness could not be denied: she was starving. “What we need to fight these beasts that threaten our quiet existence with the human world,” she answered.

He stepped forward, stopping just beside the vacant armchair, mind rapt with just what that would be, when she said, “Forgive me. I haven’t fed all night. I am feeling…a bit out of sorts.”

“A Lycan... Did you fight one, Eleanor?” he asked. Surely, a Lycan had remained here—the smell was quite overpowering now.

She stared at him, the disbelief within her eyes apparent as she sat up in the old chair. “No,” she breathed, “no, I didn’t. I just... I haven’t fed, that is all.”

Xavier’s mind rang with her words, before he decided that she had to be telling the truth; Eleanor Black never lied. “Very well,” he said. He moved to sit in the free armchair beside her, pulling back the sleeves of his cloak and white shirt. The pale of his skin illuminated further by the orange light of the low fire, he rested it over the chair for her to see. “Take my blood.” 

They are blood drinkers, they do not deny that, and they move forward as best they can--but most importantly, being the creatures they are. They never shy away from their nature.

And that's an important distinction to make, at least for me. They do not try and hide behind whatever vestige of humanity they may have lost in their transition. They are monsters--and it makes me love them more.

Not a "love" kind of love, more of a "these maddening assholes are damaged, ruined, and messing everything up!" ;) 

And I'm enjoying the reviews of The Dark World: Book 1 so far where the reviewers have said they enjoy the "otherness" of the Vampires and the other creatures, which just thrills me that it is gotten at all. 

I guess as an "other," myself, it comes easy. 

Whatever the case, tune in soon for another post on those monsters Vampires hate: Lycans!

*Credit to artist

 With Blood and Love,

S.C. Parris