Friday, November 16, 2012

Guest Blog: Ashley Nemer Author of Blood Purple + Giveaway



Where Dreams Come From…

Do you close your eyes at night and have visions pass before your eyes, your heart races, your body sweats. Your deepest and wildest adventures become reality. Of course, we all experience dreams and the many sensations that brings to us. But what inspires those dreams? Where do we come up with the material to keep dreaming about?

My dreams come from my escapes. What escapes do you have? Mine come from books, movies, friends and my imagination.

The earliest dreams I remember having were flying on the broomstick with the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. She was the start of my obsession with an amazing antagonist. I require no less than the best.  My world, the Algula world, has these amazing men and women who are horrible beings. They take what nightmares are made of and spew onto the pages. But they also leave you wanting more, wanting to know why, wanting to know how they came to be.

The Wicked Witch of the West gave me the ideas that even the bad guy needs to be loved. All she wanted were the slippers that her sister had. Is that so bad? Sure, she wanted to rule the munchkins and make them her slaves, but what antagonist doesn’t like that.  What I was lacking from that movie/books is the why, why is she the way she is, why is she green why is she so hateful. I NEED TO KNOW!

Because of my incisive need to know WHY I made sure that my villains in The Blood Series had their voices heard too. What’s better than knowing the inner workings of evil and what makes them tick.

Take Dominic for example. He is one cruel and demented vampire. But those of you who have read the book know that he’s the way he is because of his father Haydar. Haydar resented him for his wife dying in childbirth up to the point of saying he was the actual cause of death. Never mind the fact that the Algula have a low birthrate and survival rate. That it is just part of their make-up to have fertility issues. No Haydar took it to an extreme. My readers feel sorry for Dominic. The want him to get help, feel loved, have that approval he sought out for hundreds of years.

I think being able to identify with all of the characters is important, even if they are the ‘bad guys.’ I think that is how a reader can really become vested in the author and the series. Especially if the bad guys are a constant figure in the books.

Example: Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Stryker. One Silent Night is not only an excellent book but it is there to help us the reader dive deeper into Stryker’s Psyche. He’s leader of the Daimons and they are a revolving evil in her world. To me, it’s great knowing WHY they do what they do. Don’t you feel bad for them; don’t you want him to seek revenge on Apollo and what he had done to his own people? I know I do.

So this is my two cents on why I love making bad guys the way I do and why I LOVE a good book bad guy.

And…for a future FYI, Author Stacy Moran is working on her debut novel Blood Myth and there is a bad guy in there that will make you shiver, your core wet and your heart go pitter patter. Stay tuned for Tanerk Rau.





 
"In a world we think we know, live other races entirely hidden from the mortal perspective. Creatures of legend, of fable and myth, their very history and nature have allowed them to walk side by side with humans since time immemorial. They are warriors, they are hunters, and they are Algula Vampire. And in their own midst, a battle is brewing for supremacy, for dominance, that can and will affect all around them. Old hatred never dies and vengeance is a fiery sword that cuts a bloody swath."



About the Author:

Ashley is married and lives in Houston with her husband Tony. They have two dogs named Toto and Doogie. They have been together for almost 8 years and he brings her more joy than she could ever imagine as a child. She loves to read and has been hooked on the romance genre ever since her lifelong best friend Laura gave her "Ashes to Ashes' by Tami Hoag to read when they were younger.


Ashley finds her strength through her family, especially her parents. They always support her in life and they push her to strive for greatness. There once was a motto that Ashley heard in her youth through her Taekwondo life 'Reach for the Stars' and that is what Ashley has always done. It was through her upbringing that the values Ashley has and display's came from. With her Parents always cheering her on in life she was able to grow up having faith in herself and her ability to conquer the world.




Ashley Nemer is giving away one ebook copy of Blood Purple to one random commenter!!

1 comment:

  1. This is great! Thanks for the giveaway!!

    mestith@gmail.com

    PS- I like the cover!

    ReplyDelete