Discussion: I'll Be Slaying You by Cynthia Eden

DQ 1:

Doing movie quotes every couple of weeks has got me to thinking about my favorite lines (and scenes) from the books I'm reading, and one of the reasons I love reading Cynthia Eden is because of the wit and sarcasm. Here are just a few lines from I'll Be Slaying You--

*Should have seen that one coming. You just couldn't trust killers these days. (Simon, pg 13)

*Some women collected figurines, Dee- Instruments of Death. (Simon, pg 99)

*"Um, yeah? Well, here's a tip. Flowers work well. They say, 'Hi, here's a present.' Fire, ummm, not so much." (Dee, pg 144)

*"I'll f&^%ing love you forever." Bald. Flat. No hesitancy. Just stating a fact. (This is part of a great, and pivotal, scene beginning on page 229.)

So what were some of your favorite lines and/or scenes? Did you like the sarcasm and dialogue? How did you feel about Dee and Simon as a couple?

DQ 2:

Creating vampire lore is one way that an author can showcase creativity and make their world unique. Some of the highpoints for me were--

*Dying (quoted from page 56): When vamps were staked they didn't age or shrivel or explode into dust. Their bodies stiffened, hardened immediately so that when an ME looked later, the TOD was never right. Their skin whitened, not slowly turning ashy and yellow like a human's. No, the skin drained of color until the flesh was the starkest of whites, and the drain was nearly instantaneous.

*Weakness to fire (from page 148): Many folktales include a weakness to fire but Eden went so far as to explain that vampire skin burns too quickly. I imagined parchment paper.

*The Link (quoted from page 105-6): A Born Master took a victim, and formed a psychic connection with his prey. But if the Master turned that Prey into the Taken, and the new vampire took another victim, the Born Master's connection would trickle into the new prey, and keep trickling down through every blood exchange. Like freaking tentacles, reaching out for minds and spirits. 

I love when an author includes all the rich details and really makes the vampire world new and exciting. It also helps when the explanations aren't boring, which wasn't a problem here at all.

What areas of the vampire lore did you like? How important are the explanations?

DQ 3:

Jason Pak created the Night Watch Agency as a bounty hunting business that deals with Other. His hunters include a variety of 'races'- Dee is human, Zane is half-demon, Jude is shifter, and charmers are also on hand. Night Watch also works with local law enforcement in secret- Tony knows that Others exist. 

Which of these secondary characters would you like to know more about? Jude has his mate but it appears that Zane and Catalina have some unfinished business. Pak is a mystery and I'd love to know what female is capable of snaring him. Bet the sparks really fly then!

DQ 4:

This is the curiosity section of our questions. Do names affect how you feel about the characters? Do you prefer realistic names, like Simon and Dee, or would you rather names like Grim? Do you like to know why the author chose names?

The sex scenes in this book were super hot and managed to fit in well with the story. How would you rate them- Too graphic? Tame?

For more information about this or any other Eden title, please visit her website.

Jude's story can be found in Eternal Hunter.













And Zane's story will be told in Eternal Flame which comes out on my November 30th (my birthday)

Interview with Cynthia Eden

 *This month BC has been hosting author Cynthia Eden and I had such a great time working with her on the guest post, contest and now, this interview. It's always nice to learn more about the authors we love and find common interests. So I hope you enjoy this Q&A and be sure to come back on September 7th for our discussion event!

The Craft

1. What is your writing process like? Do you keep organized notes? Do you designate a set time for
writing each day?

Each day, I set a page goal for myself (usually between 10-15 pages). I write my pages, and I make sure that I don’t sleep until I make my goal. I also keep notes in a journal near my computer, just in case I need to go back and check out character details or major plot points.

2. Do you have music that you listen to for inspiration?

I like to listen to hard, driving music before I write. To better get me into a darker mood. But, while
I’m writing, I just like silence—I can get deeper into my story when I have that peace and quiet.

3. How do you celebrate finishing a book?

With chocolate! Chocolate is always the best way to celebrate! I also reward myself with reading time.

4. Why did you choose the vampire as a character for your book?

I love vampires. I’ve loved them for years. When I watched Dark Shadows years ago, I loved the vampire hero. When I watched Buffy, I wanted her to appreciate the awesomeness that was Spike. Vampires are such wonderful (and eternal ) characters—how could I not write about one?

5. What is easier to write- the hero, the heroine, or the villain?

Tough question! Getting into the head of the villain can be tricky, especially when I’m trying to
understand his/ her motivations. So my answer will be that it’s a split between the hero and heroine—
they are my main characters and the words always flow easier for them.

6. Favorite character that you have written?

I think my favorite (so far!) is the demon Niol from MIDNIGHT’S MASTER. Niol is a very bad demon, and
he didn’t magically turn good in the book. However, I hope I showed readers a new side to my demon,
and that they enjoyed his tale.

7. What vampire mythology do you use in your writing?

In my books, I say that there are two types of vampires: The Born (or the Blood) and the Taken. Born/
Blood vampires are born as humans, but in their early twenties, their bodies change as the bloodlust
burns through them, and they become vampires. The Born spread the “disease” of vampirism. They bite others, and those vamps can then be “Taken” (the name for those who become vampires only after a blood exchange).

My vampires can go out in the sunlight, though they are weaker during the day. They need human blood to stay strong. When a human undergoes the change and becomes a vampire, he/she dies for only a brief moment, and then that person rises as a vampire (but a vampire who has a heart that beats and a vampire who needs oxygen to survive).

General Vampire Questions

1. Looking back in history, who is the one person you'd expect to find out was really a vampire? Why?

Elvis Presley! Come on—those Elvis sightings are still going on! The King is eternal.

2. What would you want to say if you met a real vampire?

I’d ask just how long he/she had been living—and then I’d probably run away, quickly.

3. If vampires existed should they stay hidden, or reveal themselves?

Stay hidden. I think folks have too much of a tendency to attack things they don’t understand. It would
be safer for the vamps to just stay in the shadows.

4. Would you make a good vampire?

Oh, no, I’d be a terrible vampire. I faint at the sight of blood.

Speed Round

1. Vampires- fangs or no fangs?

Fangs—but only at snack-time.

2. Blood- fresh, bottled, or synthetic?

Fresh—it would taste better.

3. Romance or Horror?

Why not both?

4. One thing readers would be surprised to know about you?

I’m an ex-Catholic school teacher. Really.

5. Favorite vampire book? Movie?

Another tough question. There are so many to name…okay, my favorite vampire book is Christine
Feehan’s Dark Fire. Love those Carpathians! My favorite vampire movie is Love at First Bite.

What's on Tap

1. Any projects in the works? Sneak peeks you'd like to share with BC?

Lots of new projects coming up! (I’m very excited to say that!) My romantic suspense series has just
launched from Grand Central Publishing (Forever). The first book in the series, DEADLY FEAR, released at the beginning of August. My “Deadly” books follow a group of FBI agents as they track and apprehend serial killers (because not all monsters are vampires and demons—some monsters are the killers who hide in plain sight).

I am also very excited to say that I am working on a Fallen Angel series for Kensington Brava. The
first book in the series (sorry, it’s still untitled), focuses on an Fallen Angel of Death who wants to
regain his wings. To earn redemption, he just has to do one small thing…kill the vampire heroine.

Thank you so much for interviewing me! I’m happy to be participating in your Bite Club!

Winners

We had a varied response to the contest question asking about following authors across genre lines, but the consensus seems to be that most readers aren't as concerned about the genre and will follow a good author to whatever they write. I know I do! And now for the 5 lucky winners of I'll Be Slaying You by Cynthia Eden are...

Paranormal Bites said... Absolutely! Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lynsay Sands, Kresley Cole and Kelley Armstrong are just a few that come to mind right away. I start reading an author because of the particular genre that I prefer - PRN - and if I like their writing I'll read anything else that they have written as well.

Zita said... Absolutely! Once I start reading an author and like them I want to read everything they've ever written. Well, not grocery lists, that's just creepy, but stories, you know. =)

Hilda said... Hmm, I can't say I've tried. I like to stick to the genres I know because I don't like being disappointed but if a book in a different genre really called out for me I would read it. I have read books in genres I don't usually pick up.... but not from authors I follow.

Dot S. said... Sure I'll read anything my fave authors write, no matter the genre. A good read is a good read.

Jessica Rabbit said... I do. One of those I follow is Lynsay Sands and Katie McAlister.

Congrats to the winners and thanks to everyone that stopped by to enter the contest. I will try to get an email out to each of the winners but if you see this first, please email me with all your mailing information at vampchixreadbooks@gmail.com 

Guest post: Cynthia Eden

*My thanks to Cynthia Eden for stopping by and sharing her thoughts on what makes a monster. Don't forget to enter the contest for your chance to win a copy of I'll Be Slaying You (originally posted on 8/19) and be sure to check out the Q&A with Cynthia that will be up next week!

And now, let's hear it for Cynthia Eden....

Keeping Track of The Monsters

Hi, everyone! I am so happy to be with the Bite Club—thanks for having me! Today, I want to talk to you
about monsters…ah, monsters—they inspire so many stories for me!

When I write my paranormal romances for Kensington Brava, I get to write about any sort of
supernatural monster that I can imagine: vampires, demons, charmers…heck, one time, I even wrote
about the Boogeyman (though I called him a soul-eater). I can take these monsters, and I can make
them compelling, strong, sexy. The monsters aren’t always the bad guys in my paranormals; instead,
they are often the heroes.

In my “Night Watch” series, my monsters chase killers. The bounty hunters at Night Watch spend their
nights catching supernaturals who have crossed that thin line between good and evil—and they sure
enjoy that hunt!

But, in my romantic suspense stories (my romantic suspense series launched recently with DEADLY
FEAR, published by Grand Central’s Forever line), my monsters are very, very different. In these books,
my monsters are humans. They’re serial killers, arsonists, and kidnappers. These “monsters” look just
like your next-door neighbors. They seem normal, but beneath that calm surface, a strong bloodlust
waits.

You don’t have to be a supernatural in order to be a monster. And humans, well, we can certainly be
very evil.

So what scares you more? The vampires that may wait in the darkness? Or the quiet neighbor down the
street…the one that has who strange smell coming from his backyard?

Thanks for checking out my post!

Cynthia Eden

www.cynthiaeden.com
I'LL BE SLAYING YOU--Available now from Kensington Brava
DEADLY FEAR--Available now from Grand Central Publishing (Forever)

Contest: I'll Be Slaying You

This month we are featuring wonderfully talented Cynthia Eden's I'll Be Slaying You as our book club selection and she has generously agreed to donate 5 copies to 5 lucky readers!

Did you know that not only does she write paranormal romance, she also has a romantic suspense series- Deadly Fear (available now), Deadly Heat (2/11), Deadly Lies (3/11)? Now personally, I enjoy when an author spreads their wings and writes a variety of different books, but I know that some people stick to one genre only.


So to enter this contest just leave a comment answering the following question: Do you follow an author across genre lines?


Contest rules:
*contest open August 19- August 25
*must answer the contest question to be entered
*Leave an email if your profile does not have one listed (so that I have a way to contact you should you win)

Our next book club selection is...

I'll Be Slaying You by Cynthia Eden!

This is one of those fangirl moments for me because I really enjoy all of Cynthia Eden's paranormal romance titles- Midnight Sins is my favorite to date, although I am sincerely looking forward to trying her non-paranormal suspense title, Deadly Fear. So needless to say, I am so excited to be hosting Cynthia here at Bite Club and having the chance to discuss I'll Be Slaying You.

Book Description (from website):

Cynthia Eden returns to the realm of the Other, where the supernatural bounty hunters of Night Watch work hard and play harder…

Sandra “Dee” Daniels is a vampire’s worst nightmare. Sure, she couldn’t get up to five-six in the highest heels money can buy—not that she ever wears heels. But the monsters in her past and the stake in her boot are enough to keep most bloodsuckers interested in staying undead out of Baton Rouge.

But there are changes afoot on her turf. Rumors of a Born Master in town—a vampire so powerful he can make the streets run with blood. And a new face in Dee’s dive bars and alleyways—Simon Chase, a strong, sexy shadow with a haunted past of his own. Simon knows a lot about the dark side of Dee’s work. He knows even more about how to make her body spark with desire. But the hot lust shimmering between them is only the beginning. Because Simon also knows a secret that will change Dee’s life—if she can live long enough to uncover it.

To read an excerpt, click here.

Important dates to remember:

*Contest- August 19
*Author spotlight and guest post with Cynthia Eden- August 24
*Q&A with Cynthia- August 31
*Book club discussion- September 7