Tuesday 5 March 2013

For Vampire Book Lovers Only

Welcome to my first blog post of 2013!! Can’t believe I have left it so long to write something, so today I am going to do something that I don’t usually do, and that is shout about a book I recently came across by an indie author named Jez Strider who has written and published a series of Vamp Life novels. The first one is the one I am shouting about. It’s called Vampire’s Eve, and I was attracted to download it onto my Kindle when it was on a one day promotion to download for free. The thing that attracted me to it first and foremost was the brilliant cover. I read the synopsis, read the reviews and downloaded it, and am so pleased I did. It is quite different to the usual vampire stories doing the current rounds, and what I particularly liked about it is how Jez takes a modern look into the history of vampires, and even throws in some eroticism that is completely different. Instead of what you would expect, Jez very cleverly conveys emotions without slipping into the erotica category, and yet it remains very erotic.

I decided to catch up with Jez, and ask her about her writing and her book. She told me her love of writing came from her love of reading. ʻMy mom had bought me books at the grocery store for as long as I can remember and my dad was active in taking me to the library. I didn't start writing much until high school when I worked on the newspaper staff. And the first entertainment with vampires I saw was The Lost Boys. I watched it about a million times! After that I read books by Michael Romkey and Anne Rice. And it's just grown from there to me reading all sorts of vampire books and watching vampire movies and television. The lure of eternal life is very appealing, so I decided to write about it.’

In Jez’s own words, Vampire’s Eve is the story of a woman that despite many years as a vampire, thrives among humans. She's been reluctant to open her heart to love, but the right man is changing that. Things are going well until an encounter with her first love turns her world upside down. As if deciding between the two men isn't enough, her sadistic maker is determined to possess her once again.

To wet your appetite, Jez has given me a teaser excerpt to share, which she tells me is one of her favourite moments from the book...

I leaned up to start painting my toenails when my mind finally returned to the present. Before I could begin, a gloved hand covered my mouth. A normal intruder I could have easily bested. There had been more than one time when I’d been cornered in an alleyway. Oh no, but this was no normal deviant. He was stronger… far stronger than I was. My fangs extended and dug into his hand. Blood began to trickle from the wounds. Unfortunately, the attacker didn’t seem fazed by the bite. I knew it was another vampire. My maker, I just knew, had finally found me and was meeting out punishment for my rebellion.

The attacker had me pinned on my back and straddled me as I fought with every ounce of strength I had. The smell of expensive leather assaulted me. I kept my eyes closed at first, beating my fists against the man. My last thought before I opened my eyes and saw the other vampire face to face was of thanks. I was so thankful that I had sent Marcus home when I did. When our eyes met, we both froze.

The look was one frozen in time across vast centuries. This vampire was not my maker. I knew him immediately, as if I had kissed him only yesterday. I knew every inch of this man. I knew that perpetual tan and short brown hair that curled up slightly on the ends when he went too long without a haircut. His expression contorted into one of confusion as his amber eyes took in the woman before him.

If you enjoyed that teaser, then you will certainly enjoy the rest of the book. You can get your hands on the rest of the story from Amazon UK and Amazon US. And if you have a Kindle Fire, the book comes with the new X-ray feature which allows you to explore the bones of the book on any page to find chapters and locations that mention ideas, characters, and important places, as well as background info and biographies!