L.A. Freed The Vampire Chronicles October 22

Tempting Blog Tours presentsThe Charleston Vampire ChroniclesBy L.A. Freed

Write What You Know.

When I first became a writer I was introduced to the mantra “write what you know.”  Most beginning writers take this quite literally and think they must write about a hobby they enjoy, or their families, or kids, career, etc.  What it really entails is much broader, and as a writer you have carte blanche to spread what you know throughout all of your writing.
I don’t really know anything about vampires. I’ve never met one. All I have to work with is what I’ve read in other books, or watched in movies.  And, let’s face it, vampires aren’t real, but by writing what I DO know, I make them real.
All writers do this. We inject ourselves into our characters. It may be something as subtle as the way a character wears their hair, the color of their eyes, the tilt of their head.  More likely it goes beyond subtle to include our emotions, needs, and desires. By digging down deep into our own existence, we create our make-believe worlds to be rich with details for both our characters and our readers.
I will admit that in BLOOD THIRST, the first of my Charleston Vampire Chronicles, I patterned Ainjul after myself.  I was her. She was me. Of course I embellished her somewhat. She’s much prettier than I am. But who she is, her persona, her backstory, even most of her mannerisms are me. Or, I guess I really should say she WAS me. I wrote that story in 1989 when I was in my 20’s. When I read her today, I cringe. I don’t like her anymore, but that’s because I’m not that same person. But what I’m trying to impress upon you is that I wrote what I knew. I knew who I was, and that became largely who she was. Being a vampire was just icing on the cake because when we are twenty-something we are all immortal.
Moving onto BLOOD DIVIDED, the second book of the Charleston Vampire Chronicles – this one is Matthew Trenton’s story.  I can’t say I was Matthew. I wasn’t. But there are certain traits that I passed to him from my list of things I wanted to be – rich, powerful, adventurous. And the history - I love history, so once again I wrote what I knew, injecting things that I love onto my character and my story. There is one scene in particular when he is staring out the window watching a single snowflake fall to the ground - that is definitely me, something I do all the time (well, not so  much in South Carolina, LOL!)
And finally, BLOOD FEUD. This one brings it full circle. I have once again grabbed all the stuff I know and pushed it off to my main character, Kate. I am very much like Kate, from her love of photography to her wit and even her foul mouth, I definitely have written what I know. And what’s so much fun about this book is that we (Kate and I) are both older. We look at the world differently. My experiences in life have transferred to her. She has a certain confidence and grace that I think I possess. She’s a go-getter and rolls with the punches. I like Kate. But then again, I like myself at this point in my life.
What this boils down to is… write what you know, inject yourself into your characters and they will blossom and grow into real people that you will love and hate and can share with your readers. And if you happen to be a reader and not a writer, rest assured that you are truly getting a personal glimpse into the author’s personal life when you crack open the pages of a new novel.
L.A. Freed

Author BiographyL.A. Freed, author of The Charleston Vampire Chronicles, is a true renaissance woman and lives, works, and plays in Charleston, SC. She is employed full time and works nights at The Post and Courier. It's highly unlikely that she sleeps in a coffin during the day because she's too busy training dogs to compete in AKC, USDAA and CPE agility and obedience. She also dabbles in photography and art, and has won numerous awards for her work. In a past life she trained, showed and boarded horses. She is a life member of the AQHA and owns two Quarter Horse mares.


My heart slammed inside my chest as I fought him. My fear became anger; I knew I would die before I'd let him violate me. I squirmed beneath him and bucked violently, nearly knocking him off. He retaliated by driving his weight harder against me and shoving his knee into my belly. Vomit rose in my throat.Cold pain pierced my neck, and I drew in a strangled gasp as I realized he must have a knife. Wet warmth slid across my throat. He pressed his face against me and locked his mouth over the source of my pain. Warmth spread through me and grew into the heat of need. I found myself pushing into him as my fear dissolved. My heart slowed and matched each pull as he drew the very life out of me. Pounding. Pounding. Pounding. It was ecstasy, and I wanted it to go on forever. Then the sound of my heart grew faint, and he pulled away from me.He lifted his head and turned to look at me. Blood colored his lips like the grease paint smile of a clown, and ran in a jagged line from the corner of his mouth to the tip of his chin where it hung in a small, clotted drip. He smiled. The sight of the small, sharp fangs shocked me back into fear. THIS IS DEATH.


Overwhelmed with guilt at the sin that was his undoing and the monster he's become, the vampire, Matthew Trenton, stows away on a ship bound for the New World in an attempt to start over.     Through sheer perseverance, he survives the hardships and savagery of the untamed shores of Charles Town. Then, vampires begin to come to him to die, and he realizes what an enigma he is among them, but why? What makes him so different?     He needs mortals for blood, but also depends on them for companionship and verification that his existence has reason.  He has an overwhelming need to guide them, protect them, and sway them with his ideas for the future of his new country.      As his mortal companions die, and his country begins to tear itself apart in war, he faces despair so deep that he contemplates his own end … until he sees his sister's child on the docks.      Filled with a new reason to exist, he watches his family grow.  Time comes full circle when Angela Trenton is born. She not only carries his family name, but is the very image of his beloved sister. He falls hopelessly in love with her. And he knows in order to keep her with him forever he will need to discover why his blood is divided.


Fifteen years ago, an auto accident killed Kate Delwen’s husband and son. In an instant, her life changed forever. Little did she know then, their deaths were no accident.Tonight, her life will turn upside down again, just as the immortals intended so many years ago. She will die, be reborn and emerge as a reluctant hero amid a world of powerful vampires embroiled in an ancient Blood Feud.



Purchase Links Blood Thirst ~ Amazon Blood Thirst ~ SmashwordsBlood Divided ~ AmazonBlood Divided ~ SmashwordsBlood Feud ~ AmazonBlood Feud ~ Smashwords

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