Judge Maya
Tyler’s A Vampire’s Tale By Its Cover
A picture
is worth a thousand words so let me
paint you a picture with my words.
As
independent and strong women are today (versus the pre-feminist movement), we are
still drawn to a heroic partner. I think it’s human nature to crave connection
with other humans. The feminist movement was really about women gaining
equality with their male counterparts and addressing discrimination against
women. It was about choice. Being a feminist does not equate with being a
man-hater. That said, if you’re a woman, whether you seek a male companion or a
female one, you’re most likely looking for a person to share your life with, to
have a family with, to grow old with.
I dreamed
of falling in love, getting married, and having children. I also realized the
importance of having marketable skills in order to support myself, if need be.
I worried about not finding the right person. I worried about being alone and
never having children. Then I met my husband-to-be. In high school, of all
places. Fate has a way of working its magic. It was my destiny to meet my
husband. His high school closed the year before and he was bused to the next
town over for his final year. I had just moved to the next town over and
started high school at the same school. We were both new. We became good
friends and the rest is, as they say, history. Here we are, over twenty years
later, happily married with two amazing sons.
I believe
in romance and happily-ever-afters. I am an avid reader of such novels. Life
doesn’t always come with a happy ending, there are always obstacles and
conflicts with uncertain outcomes. Fiction also manoeuvres through a mine field
of issues, but there is a happily-ever-after or, at least, a happy-for-now type
ending to look forward to. Unless, you’re a follower of Stephen King’s “kill
your darlings” philosophy.
“Kill
your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little
scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”
That’s a
whole other story.
My
independent and strong heroine Marisa Clements has broken society’s mold of how
she should live her life. She leaves college and a good job, against her
parents’ wishes and despite her friends’ misgivings, to pursue the career she
wants. She follows her passion and risks the chance of failure. She seems
alone. But, the truth is, she has never been alone. Someone has been watching
over her, guiding her, behind the scenes. When she meets the vampire called
Corgan Halton, she feels an immediate connection. They share a unique bond. He
makes her feel safe, yet not.
Corgan
lives in isolation. His home is in the country, surrounded by an expanse of
forest. As a vampire, he spends all of his time in darkness. He is ancient. He
has existed long enough to feel both irritation and empathy toward humans. He
decides to tell his story with the intention on educating the humans who
believe the Hollywood version. Then, considering his “life” complete, he plans
on meeting the sun. He is drawn to Marisa in a way so strong he cannot ignore
it. He gives into his weakness and convinces her to write his story.
The cover
for A Vampire’s Tale is dramatic with
bold font and contrasting colors. The blue cast on the forest makes it seem
mysterious. The look Marisa and Corgan share is too intense to describe in mere
words. Hence, the visual. They are staring at each other as if nothing or no
one, other than them, exists. Everything has faded into the background, like an
inconsequential shadow disappearing with the rise of the sun. Corgan holds
Marisa in his arms like he has just swooped in and saved her.
What women
doesn’t dream of her very own hero sweeping her off her feet? Such a romance
novel cliché, but one that rings true and passes the test of time. Whether it’s
a literal or a figurative swoop, the feeling the action conveys catches your
breath and sends your heart into overdrive. Be
still, my beating heart. Caution: strong potential for swooning up ahead.
A book
cover advertises the book within. The cover speaks to a perspective reader in
different ways. I look at A Vampire’s
Tale’s cover and I see passion and intensity between the man and woman. I
see them surrounded by mystery. I see his protective nature. I see her trust in
him. I see a connection between them so intense it is practically tangible.
Go ahead
and judge this book by its cover, you won’t be disappointed.
I didn’t
use quite a thousand words, but
hopefully enough to pique your curiosity… Look at the cover. What is it saying
to you?
He emerged from the darkness to speak the truth.
A
Vampire’s Tale
A Vampire’s Tale
Author
Maya Tyler is excited about her upcoming paranormal romance
novel, A Vampire’s Tale coming
from Tirgearr Publishing on March 22, 2017. Available for pre-sale now at Amazon, Smashwords, Apple, and Kobo.
__________________________________________________
The best laid plans…
Marisa Clements was never
satisfied writing the ‘gossip column’ in the local paper and
she quit her job to follow
her dream of writing fiction. Floundering in an unforgiving
industry, she wrote about
vampires, a popular subject she considered fascinating but as
real as unicorns, to pay the
rent.
Corgan was tired of human
misconceptions about vampires and ‘living’ as a vampire.
He planned to tell Marisa his
story and end his existence. It was no coincidence Corgan
selected Marisa to write his
story. With the ability to see the future, he knew she would
be a major part of it. He
knew if they met, she would help him die, but in doing so, she’d
be doomed to the same fate.
Once they met, their futures would be irrevocably
intertwined.
Corgan began to care for
Marisa and finally revealed the truth to her. He admitted his
quest to atone for his past
sins had put her in grave danger from a nest of revenge seeking
vampires. Corgan must claim
her for her own protection. But claiming her is not
enough, he must ask for help
from his wizard friends and his maker in order to destroy
his enemy or Marisa will
never be safe.
__________________________________________________
Maya Tyler is a romance author, blogger, wife, and mother.
She has a degree in Commerce. Over the past few years, she decided to unleash
her creative streak and get serious about writing. So far, she has published a
short story “Just for Tonight” in an anthology called With Love from Val and Tyne and her debut
paranormal romance novella Dream
Hunter. Her
second paranormal romance novel A Vampire's Tale releases on March 22, 2017.
Writing mostly paranormal romances, all her books have a common theme – happily
ever after. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing with Lego and
watching superhero movies with her husband and sons.
You can find Maya on the web
at the following locations:
Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog
__________________________________________________
Why a book about vampires? Maya has been watching vampire
movies for years… from Dracula to Twilight… Hollywood has taken a unique
approach on the paranormal creature called vampire. If vampires were real, what
would they really be like? Maya took careful stock of the many different
theories out there and devised a version of her own. Meet Corgan Halton.
__________________________________________________
Excerpt:
Under the cover of dusk, the city
lights came alive. Her view, slightly obstructed by the rickety fire escape,
did not keep her from seeing the flashing neon signs lining the street below. That’s
it. She’d wasted hours on this novel, immediately deleting every word she
typed. The cursor blinked mockingly on the otherwise blank page of her
document. Write something. Anything.
With her apartment now shrouded in
darkness, intermittently illuminated by the street lights, Marisa Clements lit
the white pillar candle on her desk. Its orange flame cast long shadows against
the wall. So I can see what I’m not
writing. An eclectic mix of music serenaded her from the neighborhood, a
reminder of Lincoln Park’s active nightlife, a distinct contrast to her quiet
Friday night at home.
The candle flickered and a cold
shiver travelled down her spine. Then it came to her. Fingers poised over the
keyboard, she typed.
And his eyes glowed with unholy
flames.
She squirmed in her chair. Marisa
could see the dark stranger, clad in black, standing before her like a real
being. He blended with the shadows, the dim room serving as apt camouflage,
except for his eyes. They bore straight through her.
What
do you mean “like a real being”?
She jumped in her seat. Yikes. A
little too real. Alone in her apartment, the voice could only be a figment of
her imagination. She shivered with anticipation as her fingers flew over the
keys of her beloved laptop. This would be her best story yet. To hell with all
the non-believers—her wealthy, socialite parents who’d disowned her when she’d
left business school, and the “so-called” friends who told her to get a real
job. This was a real job… It paid the bills, after all. Sort of. It paid the
minimum balance on her credit card.
Why did people choose the mundane
office job—she shuddered—plastering themselves to a desk from nine-to-five?
Sitting at a desk to write was completely different. No boss, no stress… No
money, if she didn't get her head out of the clouds and back to her latest
vamp.
He didn't have a name yet, but he
had a face. A dark, mysterious face with a century's worth of secrets. Secrets
he would tell her, only her, if she would listen.
Marisa took a deep, calming breath.
“I’m listening.” She closed her eyes, waiting. A cool breeze shifted her hair
and her eyes popped open. The old floorboards creaked, and she spun her chair
around. “Who's there?” The candle blew out. “What the—”
Time—and her heartbeat—stood still.
Paranoia set in, the consequence of writing too many vampire stories. She
must've left a window open. Or something. She re-lit the candle and turned her
attention back to her laptop, staring at the last words she'd typed.
Corgan
Halton.
She didn't remember typing that.
“Corgan Halton.” She said the name
slowly. “I like that.” She'd written a dozen vampire stories and this would be
her best name yet. It had an old-worldly feel to it. Like a real name. She'd
better look it up to make sure it wasn't a real name; she didn’t need a
lawsuit. Did people sue for name infringement?
“Okay, Corgan Halton. Are you real?”
She typed the name into a search engine.
“As real as you are.” The
distinctive male voice resonated in the otherwise quiet room.
Marisa froze. She didn't dare turn
around. It was her overactive imagination at play. There was no one there. She
hoped. Maybe one of her friends? Is this
a joke?
“Not a joke, Marisa.”
Gasping, she stood and spun around
toward the sound of his voice.
As he stepped out of the shadows,
she took in the man before her. Pale with black, curly hair, dressed in an
impeccable suit. Dark and intimidating, he stood in her living room, shrinking
the already small space.
Exactly as she’d imagined. She
conjured him from her imagination? No…
This is not happening.
She rubbed her unbelieving eyes. There
couldn't actually be anyone there. When did she last eat? Did low blood sugar
cause hallucinations?
He smiled at her, and the
temperature in the room dropped several degrees.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
“Corgan Halton.” He gave a courtly
bow. “At your service.”
No…
She stared at him in shocked silence. It
isn't possible.
“I assure you, my dear, it's
entirely possible.”
“Do you read minds, too?” She held
her breath and waited for his reply.
“You tell me. You're the vampire
expert.”
Vampire? He’s
a vampire?
I'm hooked...
Thanks for hosting me today!
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