I write about vampires, immortals. So I got to thinking about what a New Year’s Eve might mean to them. Not much actually. Of course they notice the passage of time. But in big gulps, not in nibbles. Take Glory St. Clair, my vamp in the Real Vampire series. She was turned in 1604. Now she’s coping with 2011. Hmm. The girl’s seen some serious changes in her long lifetime. Think about it. As a woman, she’s gone from an illiterate chattel to an independent business owner. Now that kind of change could give you whiplash if it had happened overnight. Fortunately she’s had over four hundred years to get used to high heels and a checking account with her name on it. Luckily she was smart enough to survive and thrive.
That’s the fun in writing about paranormals. I can put myself in the fantasy and imagine what it would be like to have lived that long, done so much, and, best of all, known so many hot guys. Speaking of… What about the men who are just as ancient as Glory? We’ve all known men who we think of as macho chauvinists. But one who actually wore a kilt and fought with a broadsword hundreds of years ago? This guy is tough, sure he’s always right, and not exactly a laugh riot. Well, take that back. He could be fun if he’d been changing like Glory had. But a man is always a man. He has pride and a habit of wanting to save the day. Doesn’t exactly track well with our newly independent heroine, now does it? So maybe New Year’s Eve fireworks are between the two immortals, squaring off as they each try to figure out what the coming year will mean in an often taut relationship.
What I do know is that I have fun trying to figure these things out. And that the kiss and make up sessions never fail to steam up my computer screen. Because one thing never changes, whether you’re writing about vampires or Betty and Bob from Idaho–people need each other. And the beginning of a new year can be a perfect time to examine a relationship and decide if needs are being met. Even an immortal sometimes has to stop and decide if what they’ve been doing is working. Because if you’re going to live forever, wouldn’t it be a shame to do it with the wrong person by your side? Yeah, that’s what I thought. So Glory has a real problem with tying herself permanently to one man, even when her instincts shriek he’s probably the right one. Probably. Hmm. Forever is a long, long time.
If you’re not familiar with Glory St. Clair and her gang of friends, comment here for a chance to win your choice of the first three books in the Real Vampires series: REAL VAMPIRES HAVE CURVES, REAL VAMPIRES LIVE LARGE and REAL VAMPIRES GET LUCKY or a $20 gift card to the book store of your choice (B&N, Borders or Amazon only). What to comment on? How about this: If you were going to live forever, would you tie yourself to one man or eternally play the field? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Good luck and Happy New Year!
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