UFI welcomes Author Megan Cashman. Thanks for Joining us!!
No two vampires are the same. What I mean by that is, it seems like vampires
in each book, movie or TV show have their own appearances, powers, and blood
drinking requirements. Sometimes these characteristics are based on folklore
(the Eastern European of the vampire has had a big influence on how we see
vampires these days) or at times, the author creates their own version (I never
heard of vampires sparkling before "Twilight").
So I say it is safe to say writers of vampire stories got their ideas from
various sources - as did I. In this post, I will discuss where the
characteristics of my vampires in my book, "The Dark Proposal", came from.
Firstly, let me lay out what those characteristics are:
-
very pale skin that turns into a healthier tone after feeding,
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the ability to read minds and erase thoughts,
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move at a very quick speed (think True Blood),
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turn into mist,
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no need to sleep in coffins,
-
being able to walk around in daylight or even overcasts after many
centuries,
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superhuman physical strength,
-
heightened hearing and seeing,
Some of my vampires also have difficulty stopping themselves from consuming
blood from a person, which leads to suspicious deaths among humans.
So how did I come up with these traits? Allow me to explain:
Very pale skin that turns into healthier tone after feeding: Almost white
skin I think is one of the hallmarks of a vampire. Having one without pale skin
is like not giving a vampire fangs. It also comes from Slavic folklore that a
vampire was spotted by its pale skin that turned ruddy after feeding. Plus, for
my trilogy, there needs to be something suspicious about their appearance.
Without the skin issue, there's no hint that something is off someone.
The ability to read minds and erase thoughts: Many vampires have done this
and I think it can come from the heightened senses these undead creatures have.
If they can hear and see things humans cannot see, why not human thoughts? And
since I have my vampires inherit supernatural abilities, why not also erase
human thoughts if necessary? If you are wondering why my vampires do not
hypnotize people, like Dracula did or the vampires on True Blood, well, I did
think about that. But it wouldn't have worked for my book. If Daniel was able to
make Claire say and do things through hypnosis, then my story had no point,
would be boring, be done in 50 pages, with the whole idea down the drain. Plus,
I didn't want my vampires to be too much like their True Blood counterparts.
Speaking of True Blood...
Move at a very quick speed: Honestly, I gave my vampires this skill because I
think it is so cool to see them zip around a room in a blink of an eye. Also,
when I wrote the scene where Daniel proved to Claire that he's a vampire, I just
had to have him to do that. It worked so perfectly.
Turn into mist: Comes in handy, basically. I loved the 1992 flick, "Bram
Stoker's Dracula" by Francis Ford Coppola, and the way it showed Dracula turning
into green mist. While the mist in stories aren't green, it is still a
fascinating ability to have. It adds to the mystery and fear of the vampire.
No need to sleep in coffins: I really didn't like the idea of a vampire
sleeping in a coffin, even if it is basically a dead creature. It was just too
archaic for me. I was also inspired by one of my favorite vampire books as a
young teen, Christopher Pike's "The Last Vampire" series. His vampire heroine,
Sita, didn't use a coffin and slept in a bed like anyone else.
Which leads to the next trait inspired by Mr. Pike's books...
Being able to walk around in daylight or even overcasts after many centuries:
This was something Sita was able to do, although not every single day since the
sun would exhaust her after a while. I also had always wondered if a vampire
could walk around during a cloudy, rainy day. After all, there is no sun to fry
him, right? But I do think being able to deal with some sunlight is best for
more mature vampires because age does make them stronger. At least for mine.
Superhuman physical strength: Because my vampires got their traits from
ancient tribal gods, why wouldn't they have the power and strength of those
deities? Same goes for
heightened hearing and seeing. Vampires are supposed to
be, to me at least, creatures that we fear. We fear them not simply because they
can kill or torment us, but because they have the supernatural ability to hunt
us down easily, get us to do things other humans aren't able to, and go mostly
unnoticeable in everyday life. It's hard to fear something or someone who isn't
two notches stronger or skilled than you.
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Born and raised on Staten Island, NY, Megan Cashman currently lives in Brooklyn,
where she can be seen checking out the borough’s numerous coffee shops to work
on her writing projects. She has a Masters’ degree in journalism, and has worked
for cable news, both local and national, as well as a major New York newspaper.
She is currently a freelance journalist and an adjunct professor at the City
University of New York (CUNY). When she’s not writing or teaching, Megan can be
seen taking nature photos with her iPhone, crocheting, doing yoga and Pilates,
and trying out new dinner recipes.
Find Megan and her books
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The Dark Proposal
The End of Eternity #1
Amazon Smashwords
A young woman copes with being forced to become a vampire as the man she loves reveals he is more evil than she can comprehend.
Claire
McCormick has graduated from college and is eager for her new life to
begin. She thought it would happen when she began dating Daniel
Bertrand, who was everything she wanted in a boyfriend. But just as her
dreams are about to come true, Claire’s life is turned upside down when
Daniel reveals to be a bloodthirsty vampire, with the intent on making
her his eternal companion. Frightened, Claire desperately tries to rid
herself of him, but Daniel is too evil to defeat. She has to come to
terms with reality, as she faces a vampire world fighting to survive in
modern times, with many of them unaware of how devious Daniel can be.
The Dark Proposal is the first book in a trilogy that follows what becomes of Claire and the vampires.
WARNING: contains thematic elements, explicit content and some strong language
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/zw7ih2c9GN4
Excerpt:
There was a pregnant pause with both waiting for the other to speak or make
the first move. For a second, she wondered if this was going to be the moment he
would make her like him or kill her instead.
“No, Claire,” he spoke suddenly. She jumped, startled. “It’s up to you to say
yes. And remember I did tell you I can read your thoughts.”
“Then please stop, because you’re freaking me out,” she said.
He arched one eyebrow, and for a moment, she feared he would attack her. But
instead, he crossed one arm across his chest and put the opposite hand under his
chin, as though contemplating something.
“I see you’ve accepted somewhat of what I revealed to you,” he finally said.
“A little.” She felt like she was preparing for war.
“What?” He sounded curious. “Is there something else you can’t comprehend?”
“Yeah,” she said in a shaky voice. Her eyes were downcast, and when she was
ready, she lifted them to look right at him. “I did some research while in New
Jersey. There’s a lot of websites about real vampires.”
“Yes?” Daniel raised his eyebrows.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “I think you killed Colin Willis.”
His face expressionless, he lowered his arms and closed his eyes, shaking his
head. He ran one hand over his face as Claire continued.
“I read a blog about his murder. There are rumors going around that he had
two holes on the side of his neck. There was no blood in his body.” She
swallowed and asked, almost pleading, “Did you really do it? Honestly, Dan?”
Removing his hand, he looked right at her and said, “I think you know the
answer to that question.”
She did, and whatever hope she had that he did not murder Willis quickly
dissolved. She began to pant in horror at first, but then in anger. “I mean, you
knew as everyone else that there was no evidence of foul play,” he was saying,
nonchalantly watching her. “Plus, there were no suspects -”
Claire suddenly pounced on Daniel, arms flailing as she hit him in the face
and chest. She was screaming about him being a murderer and how evil he was.
It didn’t last long because he soon caught her flying fists and held a tight
grip on her wrists, holding them away from him. His grip was beyond solid, like
a steel machine, and his eyes were hollow with rage. For a moment, she thought
he was going to attack her again. No, he was going to kill her. She dared to hit
him, dared to defy him and now she would pay the price.
He held her in his harsh eyes for a moment, and then shoved her hands away,
practically pushing her away from him. “Honestly, who else would’ve done
it?”
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