Pandora #Paranormal Box Set Author Showcase: Peter Dawes

One of my favorite authors is joining me in Pandora! Peter Dawes. He's decided to stop by and share some insight into the world of vampirism.

Ask a Vampire – Turning Celebrities

Today, on a special guest blog rendition of ‘Ask a Vampire’ I have been asked to field a question on vampire turnings. Oh heavens, you thought to ask me about the subject? Well, this should be fascinating.

Dear Vampire Flynn,

I know you’re not the biggest fan of people, but haven’t there been celebrities you’ve wished could be immortalized? Literally. Like, for instance, I’m a huge Doctor Who fan and keep thinking David Tennant would make a fantastic vampire. Or maybe I just want him to live forever. One of the two. Anyway, tell us who you would turn if you were given the opportunity.

William D,, Las Vegas, NV

Well, William, I have to say that you have epitomized what I have come to expect from humanity. While some of you, I am certain, would do the noble thing of assuming one should preserve a great scholar or brilliant artist, those who would actually have a say in the matter would probably reduce the dark gift down to vapid starlets. I shall attempt to contain my shock for the remainder of my response.

Now, while I was not certain who Master Tennant was prior to fielding your question, an internet search suggests you are already wasting the opportunity. For one, it would appear his demise has already taken place. And secondly, he seems to be a race of creatures that live on by adapting their appearance and taking a new form. What in the heavens he would do with vampire immortality defies my understanding, doctor or not, especially considering he is not human. But you inquired as to my tastes and so, I shall give them to you.

I cannot say there is any celebrity I would take on the task of mentoring. Could you imagine accommodating the egotism of somebody who might have a more inflated sense of self-worth than I do? Considering becoming a vampire seems to amplify that which we were as humans, I can already foresee the demands. Certain types of humans to feed on with particular blood types. Ones who only consume organic goods and exercise twice daily and have a beauty regiment rigorous enough to make Patrick Bateman seethe.

Please, count me out of that. They would not live past their first month and that would tend to betray the purpose of turning them in the first place, would it not?

Immortality is something not to be offered lightly. And by that, I mean I do not intend to slice my wrist open for somebody simply because they know how to pretend better than I do. Could you imagine the competition while we were out hunting? Or the insufferable method acting I might be subjected to in the process?

I need enough pampering on my own, thank you kindly.

So, William, perhaps you might experience the immortal kiss yourself and be in time to rescue whomever Master Tennant has become by the time you are ready to form your own branch of the bloodline. I shall stick to being the star of my own show in the meanwhile.

Perhaps you might try persuading Peter. He does have a soft spot for the medical profession.

Best Regards,
Flynn

***

Ask a Vampire, and other columns featuring the characters of The Vampire Flynn Series can be found on the Vampire Flynn website. If you want to learn more about Flynn, he can be found in the book EYES OF THE SEER which is available for a limited time in the Pandora box set.

Blurb:
It all started with a murder. Two victims lay dead at the hands of Peter Dawes, but what laid in wait for him was not the sound of sirens or the banging of a gavel. It would turn a doctor into a killer and a man into a monster.

Follow Peter as he exchanges his blood-stained clothing for tailored suits, his scalpel for fine-crafted daggers, and is reinvented as the newest vampire-child in a coven of decadent sophisticates. He even takes on the name ‘Flynn’ – a child of red – in honor of his new-found devilish side and to further distance himself from his human past.

For four years, Flynn embodies every bit the bloody immortal he was sired to become. Under the reign of his maker, Sabrina, he establishes a reputation as the most feared assassin to ever terrorize the covens of Philadelphia. But the surefooted-steps and quick hands that make him a virtuoso when it comes to killing humans and vampires alike are attributes of the mortal destiny which haunts him even beyond death. And despite all efforts, Peter’s humanity is not as dead as some would prefer.

On the verge of completing their vie for power, Sabrina’s ‘dark-killer’ will suddenly find himself wrestling his devotion to his mistress when an impish sorceress named Monica awakens the hidden powers he was destined to possess. In this world of macabre and shrewdly practical immortal beings, will Flynn’s supernatural gifts be used to orchestrate the wicked deeds of his maker? Or can the cold-blooded nature of a vampire be warmed by the compassion of a Seer?

Review:

The Good:

The Vampires: If you have read my blog (http://noreecosper.blogspot.com/2012/...) about vampires you know I am wanted to see vampires as monsters depicted in novels again. Or if they want to hold onto their humanity, I want to see a struggle. This book gives me both is spades. Though the vampire mythos is standard, because they are depicted as monsters makes it even better.

Voice/Writing Style: One word comes to mind: elegant. It flows so easily that my eyes devour the next sentence and the next. I can never call my style elegant, but I truly admire those that can achieve this.

Characters: This was defiantly a character focused story and not plot focused. Every character is well defined, even the tertiary characters. I could see their own motivations and. even though the story was in first person, I felt that each character acted like they were the hero in their own story. Peter takes me down to the pit of depravity and then brings the light with his quest for redemption. Monica was sassy and smart and I loved Robin.

Point of View: The story is really a psychological journey of Peter, so I like that is is written in first person. I takes so deep into Peter that we can feel his struggle. Though, i'm a big fan of First Person anyway.

Themes: This book really explores humanity, and the struggle of one's self. Peter struggles reconciling the man and the monster throughout most of the book. Also, on a more subtle level is the question of freedom. Are you responsible for the deeds you have done if you were manipulated? The author presents both of these theme beautifully.

Action: Vampires fighting vampires. Let me just say that this is not a book you should let your kids read. It is dark and it is violent. I love it.

The Bad: I really don't have much to say about this. Yes, the beginning started off a little slow, but it built up to the end, which was well worth it. When I got to the last few pages I wanted more.

Overall: You should buy this book! Seriously this is a hidden jewel that needs more

Excerpt:

“So, he speaks to himself now as well. Your descent into madness is almost complete.”

I turned my head at the sound of Michael’s voice, seeing him standing behind me with his hands tucked inside the pockets of his fine linen pants. The regal, pompous bane of my existence was clad in a suit, his hair tied back again as though the Victorian era came and departed while leaving him behind. “I’m sorry,” I said. “Was that directed at me?”

Michael raised an eyebrow. “I don’t see who else I would be talking to, unless you have imaginary people to accompany the voices in your head.”

I shrugged and looked back toward the wall. “Doesn’t matter either way. I plan on ignoring them now.”

“You don’t have the resolve to accomplish that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re weak. I’ve known that from the start, when you were writhing on that bed like we’d set you on fire. And you have been slowly unraveling ever since.”

“Oh, I see,” I said, smirking. The mocking tone had finally found me on a night I was not apt to endure it. Pivoting to face him fully, I folded my arms across my chest. “So, I take it that you rose and immediately became the king of all vampires.”

“I didn’t scream like a stuck pig.” He crossed his arms behind his back in return and walked two, measured paces around to my side as if sizing me up. “Utterly useless,” he repeated, eyes surveying me from head to foot. “Nothing more than a deathless mortal. You will be nothing but a burden to this coven for all of your short, miserable existence.”

“You have a lot of room to talk, you reject from an antique store.” I shook off a wave of irritation as it surfaced. “You call me a madman? Well, what does speaking with a madman make you?”

Michael huffed. “As if your words could wound me. You are no better than our prey, Peter the Blind.”

I felt my fangs start to peek from their hiding place, and clenched my jaw to hold them back. “I’m going to love having a new identity and telling you to shove that pet name up your ass.”

“A new identity?”

I stepped closer to him. “Yes, I’m choosing another name. Figured it’d make for a good change of pace.”

“So we can mock another moniker instead?” Michael smirked.

“No, so I can show you just how little you actually know about other people. You’re nothing more than an arrogant prick.”

He laughed and I saw his fangs slumbering inside a sea of porcelain. “Bold words for an ignorant neophyte afraid of his own shadow. Do you think me just weaned from my mother’s breast? I have lived for many years while you have barely left a footprint on this mortal coil.”

The corner of my mouth curled. I closed our distance with another stride. “How old does that make you, then?” I asked.

Michael’s blue eyes steadily held mine behind the sunglasses. “One hundred and one years, with thirty-two mortal years prior to that.”

An eyebrow rose in defiance. “And in all those years, you never checked the calendar?” Tension filled the space between us. “You look like you haven’t left the last century.”

“And you speak as though you were not educated in this one.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” I spat.

“Allow me to enlighten you,” Michael said, his smirk growing until it enveloped his countenance. His words dripped with malice, smugness evident in everything from his expression to the posture he assumed. “I can tell you have no clue what you are now. That you have no notion of what it is to be an immortal despite what others have attempted to teach you, and as such, do not deserve that title.” He paused. “I can tell one other thing, too.”

“Oh?” I asked. I held his gaze and reciprocated it measure for measure. “What would that be?”

Michael’s grin broadened. “That I have a coward of a being standing before me, not having the strength or the genitalia to keep his mortal girl happy. Little wonder she sought greener pastures. I would have as well.”

The anger bubbling up inside me burst into a glorious spectacle of fist meeting face. I punched Michael across his jaw before he could dodge the blow, sending him sprawling onto the floor. Blinking in surprise, I glanced quickly to my hand, but had no time to process what had just occurred. Michael came to his feet, blood running from a cut on his lip, and hissed at me with fangs elongated.

He wished a fight?

I hissed in return, more than willing to oblige.

About Peter:

Peter Dawes is the author of The Vampire Flynn Series, published by the micro-press Crimson Melodies, and the upcoming historical fantasy release, Death Spell. His serial story, “A Maker and His Child” appears on the BloodTideZine website and short “Lost Highway” has been featured in the Nocturnal Embers anthology, also by Crimson Melodies. While primarily a novelist, he has also contributed to the story cycle Red Phone Box, and has several novellas in the works. Always working on something new, Peter leaves it up to the reader to decide if it’s by sunlight or candlelight.

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Coven and Coffin Blog Hop: From One Shore to the Next

Gather round and hold your lovers tight for this next haunting tale.

From One Shore to the Next

By Peter Dawes

Lady Liberty stood guard over us just as I had been warned she would, her distant gaze peering out across the harbor as though she could connect with some other soul standing across the ocean. The thought caused me a moment’s pause, distracting me from a rousing conversation happening near me centered on the technological marvel which was the boat we stood upon. Just like that, I had been captured by a wistful notion and sent back to the shore from where I had departed.

She had forced me to leave her. Love could find no way of sugarcoating this truth no matter how hard I tried to be gracious to my darling Anneleise. While she had attempted every practical reason under the sun to convince me it was for the best, I bought them just as readily as I did the thought she actually wanted me to go. Our affair had been complicated at best, convoluted at worst, and while I was a man of questionable morals from the start, even I struggled to define us.

Especially when our first tender moments together fell under rank deception.

My darling Anneleise. I could not fight the frown her memory summoned. She had been exquisite, her beauty something which defied mere aesthetics. Whatever gods had crafted Annie took care to imbue her with the graciousness of a noble, the patience of a saint, and the wisdom of a sage. As one could expect, this meant she fell into a relationship with a man who could see none of these attributes. After she failed to become pregnant three years into their marriage, she had been relegated to servitude. Nothing more.

When she thought herself alone, though, her true self shone through. She sang whilst cleaning the modest house she shared with her brother-in-law. Lithe feet twirled across the wood floors and the first time I caught her mid-spin, I wondered if she might have been a pixie. Even the brute she had wed could not kill such a carefree spirit, one which simply settled into demure when he returned from work. He’d grunt out a greeting and from there, would sit in his chair, waiting for dinner. Annie would return to the kitchen and hum the rest of the melody he had interrupted in softer, dulcet tones. For the most part, they carried out their separate existences with little incident. Until the night he made her cry.

I stood by as an unwitting bystander, my words trapped in my throat when Annie caught her foot on the rug and spilled his dinner. They both stared at the mess for several seconds, Annie too horrified to move and her husband seeing more than wasted food spattered across the floor. I winced when he breathed a heavy sigh and as he stood, feared he might raise a hand to strike her. What followed encompassed such a harsh upbraiding, however, that I believed Annie might have preferred being beaten. Through her tears, she dropped to her knees and wiped at the stained fabric.

It happened so quickly, I could not bring myself to stopping it. He had been on his way out the door when suddenly he paused, taking a deep breath and turning to look at her. She failed to notice it at first. Through sobs and sniffles she continued collecting food back onto a plate.

Annie startled when he finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Schatzi.” The tough, booming voice sounded calmer, and much more composed than it had several minutes ago. He shut the door, tossing his coat aside and walked to close the distance between them. Her eyes widened when he crouched beside her. “We’ll clean this up together. No more tears.” The corners of his mouth curled in an apologetic grin.

Nodding once, she remaining quiet whilst his hands reached for the plate. Hers shook as she handed it over, but she did, and seemed not apt to question the miracle. Perhaps that was the moment I should have said something, but I remained mute and allowed the rest of the evening to play out, even when her husband returned to his normal senses and failed to bring up what he had just done. We might have fooled Annie, but the woman bore more intellect than her simple demeanor suggested.

Over the next few weeks, the boorish man experienced rare moments of humanity, which shone through just as another upbraiding seemed eminent. One second, he would have his pipe lowered from his mouth, the insults dancing on his tongue, and the next, he would issue a compliment instead, and resume smoking. The ice thawed in such gradual stages, I thought she might remain ignorant of the changes. He kissed her again after having not touched her in months. He made her smile ear-to-ear, where only he had managed to conjure soft, determined grins onto her lips. One evening, their kisses had turned heated and his strong arms carried her into the privacy of their bedroom.

In the dark, in the still of the night, she finally called his bluff.

“Who are you?” she asked, her fingers tracing down the hand which had settled onto her stomach.

The inquiry spurred him to laugh. “Schatzi, what kind of foolish question is that?” he asked, stopping her gentle strokes by moving his hand.

Annie froze for a second, and then turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised in a dare. “You call me that. Schatzi. He never did. Not even on our wedding night.”

Those eyes – that crystal blue gaze which had managed to penetrate into my soul – would not look away and in that moment, I found my voice again. It might have sounded like her husband’s, bearing his timbre and diction, but the words which emerged were mine. “It’s still a foolish question. Shouldn’t it be what has gotten into you?”

The arched brow relaxed. Annie failed to blink. “No amount of drink or food or comfort would have made Wilhelm this tender, stranger. It never has. And I had accepted that a long time ago.”

“Should you have?”

“What business is that of yours?”

“I suppose I’ve made it my business.” I frowned – using his lips to frown – and nodded when Annie continued holding me hostage with her eyes. “If you think me a stranger, why have you let me into your bed?”

“That isn’t your business, either, especially if you won’t tell me who you are.”

“My name is Christian,” I said, “And I’ve come to protect you.”

The comment had been intended to be heartfelt. It prompted an uproarious amount of laughter from Annie, however, and as she asserted I was the one who needed protecting, I could not help but fall into hysterics with her. A night of visceral honesty followed, as did twenty-one blissful years of lapses on her husband’s part.

But she had sent me away. And I would be lucky if I ever saw her again.

I felt a tug, disrupting my thoughts and bringing me back to Lady Liberty, and what would be my new home. After five hundred years, I had been taken away from the continent on which I had lived and died, where I had experienced both love and loss more times than I dared to recount. The young lady who peered in my general direction smiled warmly as she clutched her purse and motioned to follow a young man dressed in uniform.

“Come, Papa. I don’t want to leave you behind,” she said. In her voice, I heard the delight of a child. In her laugh, I heard the tinkle of wind chimes, reminding me that while the world could still hold beauty, even if her mother had captured more than a fair share of it.

I sighed good-naturedly. “Very well, Marjorie,” I said, my steps lighter than air, my form passing through the obstacles stopping me from following along.

“Promise me you’ll stay with our daughter. I’m growing old, and don’t want you to be stuck with me while I die.”

“I promise,” I had said to Annie. Even if it had meant saying goodbye.

Peter Dawes is the author of The Vampire Flynn Series, published by the micro-press Crimson Melodies. His serial story, “A Maker and His Child” appears on the BloodTideZine website and short “Lost Highway” has been featured in the Nocturnal Embers anthology, also by Crimson Melodies. While primarily a novelist, he has also contributed to the story cycle Red Phone Box, featuring the work of fellow authors Warren Ellis, Dan Wickline, and more. Always working on something new, Peter leaves it up to the reader to decide if it’s by sunlight or candlelight.

You can follow the author on any of these sites…

·         Twitter: http://twitter.com/peterdawes

·         Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorPeterDawes

·         Wordpress: http://peterdawes.wordpress.com

The Vampire Flynn Series

Blurb:

As the moon rose over Philadelphia, on January 20, 1983, nobody could have known what was about to happen. Inside a coffee shop, a meeting between a young resident doctor and a redheaded vixen would end with a night of bloodshed. Two people would lay dead inside an apartment near Fairmount Park. A third victim would be claimed when their killer ran into the waiting arms of a vampire.

Rather than being met with eternal condemnation, however, Dr. Peter Dawes would wake several days later as a new creature. No longer possessing a pulse and with sharp teeth itching for purchase on human skin, Peter’s first days as an immortal would blossom into five years of decadent, sadistic killing. Exchanging the scalpel for a dagger and the scrubs for a suit, the man who once sought to heal would come to be known as the deadliest vampire ever to wield a sword. The covens referred to him as the Black Rose Assassin. To his maker, Sabrina, he was known as Flynn.

Her instrument in an ambitious struggle to gain control of the city, Flynn amassed a collection of conquests. All the while, secrets circled around him, speaking of special gifts and a human destiny left behind upon his turning. It would take an immortal named Anthony, a mysterious pendant, and a human sorceress named Monica for Flynn to learn the truth behind his turning. And what resulted would send a shockwave from the City of Brotherly Love outward to the rest of the world.

Join Flynn on his journey from ruthless assassin to immortal seer. In a mission which takes him to Chicago, Seattle, and the darkest corners of the globe, a vampire will reconnect with his humanity and a villain will become a reluctant hero. Along the way, wicked immortals, unlikely allies, and a society of gifted humans called the Supernatural Order will test the mettle of the reformed killer. In the end, a man divided will be forced to reconcile with his darkness, and two beings shall emerge from one.

Tomorrow we return with another story sure to raise some goosebumps. Be sure to visit the other blogs for some more festivities.

Peter Dawes: Stormy Night Flash Fiction
Jessica Fortunado: Halloween Treats and Recipes
Kayleigh Grian: Characters in Costume
M. R. Graham: Tributes to Those We’ve Lost
Kalya Curry: Murder Mystery Party

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Review: EYES OF THE SEER

I first met the author in a twitter discussion that inspired my "Lusting for Bloodsuckers" post.  If you are not, you need to follow @PeterDawes on Twitter. Yes, the author has penned his books under the name of the main character. He said once that Peter felt he needed to tell his own story. Also, check out his blog. It's an excellent read, and an easy way to distract yourself from writing, which I have been guilty of.

Premise (Takend from Goodreads): 

It all started with a murder. Two victims lay dead at the hands of Peter Dawes, but what laid in wait for him was not the sound of sirens or the banging of a gavel. It would turn a doctor into a killer and a man into a monster. 

Follow Peter as he exchanges his blood-stained clothing for tailored suits, his scalpel for fine-crafted daggers, and reinvents himself as the newest vampire-child in a coven of decadent sophisticates. He even takes on the name ‘Flynn’ - a child of red - in honor of his new-found devilish side, and to remove one of the last tethers to his human past.

For four years, Flynn embodies every bit the bloody immortal he was sired to become. Under the reign of his maker, Sabrina, he establishes a reputation as the most feared assassin to ever terrorize the covens of Philadelphia. But the surefooted-steps and quick hands that make him a virtuoso when it comes to killing humans and vampires alike are a mark of the mortal destiny which haunts him even beyond death. And despite his efforts, Peter’s humanity is not as dead as some would prefer.

On the verge of completing their vie for power, Sabrina’s ‘dark-killer’ will suddenly find himself at odds over his devotion to his mistress when an impish sorceress named Monica awakens the hidden powers he was destined to possess. In this world of macabre and shrewdly practical immortal beings, will Flynn’s supernatural gifts be used to orchestrate the wicked deeds of his maker? Or can the cold-blooded nature of a vampire be warmed by the compassion of a Seer?

EYES OF THE SEER is a gripping tale conspicuously authored by Peter Dawes - years later, he's decided to put the story of his life to paper, albeit listed as 'fiction'. (Vampires can't really claim to exist, after all. It would ruin the whole gig.)


The Good:

The Vampires: If you have read my blog about vampires you know I am wanted to see vampires as monsters depicted in novels again. Or if they want to hold onto their humanity, I want to see a struggle. This book gives me both is spades. Though the vampire mythos is standard, because they are depicted as monsters makes it even better.

Voice/Writing Style:  One word comes to mind: elegant. It flows so easily that my eyes devour the next sentence and the next. I can never call my style elegant, but I truly admire those that can achieve this.

Characters: This was defiantly a character focused story and not plot focused. Every character is well defined, even the tertiary characters. I could see their own motivations and. even though the story was in first person, I felt that each character acted like they were the hero in their own story. Peter takes me down to the pit of depravity and then brings the light with his quest for redemption. Monica was sassy and smart and I loved Robin.

Point of View: The story is really a psychological journey of Peter, so I like that is is written in first person. I takes so deep into Peter that we can feel his struggle. Though, i'm a big fan of First Person anyway.

Themes: This book really explores humanity, and the struggle of one's self. Peter struggles reconciling the man and the monster throughout most of the book. Also, on a more subtle level is the question of freedom. Are you responsible for the deeds you have done if you were manipulated? The author presents both of these theme beautifully.

Action: Vampires fighting vampires. Let me just say that this is not a book you should let your kids read. It is dark and it is violent. I love it.

The Bad: I really don't have much to say about this. Yes, the beginning started off a little slow, but it built up to the end, which was well worth it. When I got to the last few pages I wanted more.

Overall: You should buy this book! Seriously this is a hidden jewel that needs more light.