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Tuesday, July 03, 2012

E.S. Moore: Opposites Attract?


Violence and blood. Guns and motorcycles. Vampires and werewolves. Foul language and a woman’s point of view?


These are all things present in my Kat Redding series, which wouldn’t be such a big deal if it wasn’t for the fact that I know so little about any of them, it’s almost laughable that I actually wrote a book with all of them. Outside of what I’ve looked up, I know nothing about guns and motorcycles. I don’t like them, don’t use them, and probably never will. I don’t read a whole lot of books with vampires or werewolves in them. In fact, I prefer the horror versions of the monsters to friendlier kind. I’m probably the least violent person a lot of people know and I never curse. And in case you weren’t sure, I’m not a woman, yet I wrote the series from the point of view of a woman who is about as far from like me as you can get.

So what gives?


Sometimes a book or an idea calls to you and you can’t help but be drawn in. For whatever reason, despite how I live my normal, everyday life, I am drawn to the macabre. I love horror novels and movies—when I can find a good one, that is. And while I might like to read fast paced violence, I’m not a big fan of movies that are nothing but explosions (I’m looking at you Michael Bay.)


But why would I be drawn to such a thing? Wouldn’t it be better for me to read (or write) books about people more like me? Kat and I have almost nothing in common, and that goes for pretty much every character in the book outside of Ethan. I could have written the book so that it is full of failed one-liners and people sitting around at their computers all day, which would have been closer to how I actually live.


Personally, I think I like these sorts of books because I want an escape. I want to see the characters go through a hell I hope never to experience and come out even stronger than they were going in. I think there is an evil part of every writer who wants to torture characters just to see if they can come out of it with their head on straight. It’s something we would never do to a real person, but to those imaginary people that look to us to guide them, it’s game on.


I’ll admit that I’m not all sunshine and ponies all the time. No one can be and it is a fruitless exercise to try. Still, I’m going to try to be the best person I can as often as I can, while feeding my darker side through the books I read and write. It’s probably what keeps me sane. I guess, in some ways, opposites do attract.


So what draws you to certain books and characters? Is it because you see something familiar in them? Is it because you see in these characters something you long to be? Or perhaps you just want to see what it is like on the other side? Once you are finished with the book or movie or whatever it is, you can safely tuck it away and go on about your way, happy with living vicariously through someone else’s make-believe life.  Leave a comment to share your thoughts and one reader will win a copy of Tainted Night, Tainted Blood! 



E.S. Moore is the author of the Kat Redding series, beginning with To Walk the Night. Tainted Night, Tainted Blood, the second book in the series, hits shelves July 3, 2012, and will be followed up with Blessed by a Demon’s Mark in 2013. 


***Erin's name was drawn as the winner of E.S. Moore's Tainted Night, Tainted Blood!  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your full name and mailing info!***

11 comments:

Mary Preston said...

I think you hit on it exactly when you mentioned living vicariously. I don't want to just read about what is familiar, that would get old very quickly. Thrill me. Excite me. Enchant me.

emaginette said...

I’m not a big fan of movies that are nothing but explosions (I’m looking at you Michael Bay.)...OMG lmao.

You sound a lot like me. I like monsters, that are monsters. Why? Because I like jumping when I hear a sound, or feel my heart thump loudly in my chest. It's fun.

Great post. :-)

erin said...

Thanks for a great post and congrats on the newest release! I'm like you, I read for an escape from reality and I want something fantastic and completely against the norm. I love books and movies that flip reality on it's head or introduce new worlds/entities.

*yadkny* said...

For me it's all of the above that you mentioned:) It's the easy escape, it's the relatability of the characters, and the living vicariously through someone else that are the biggest draws for me. This is why I keep coming back to certain series.

yadkny@hotmail.com

Barbara E. said...

I enjoyed the post, it's something to think about. I'd say what draws me to certain books and characters is definitely the chance to live vicariously through someone else's life. I can identify with a character's tenacity and will to succeed and I feel a connection to them, but books are a way for me to escape my every day life and have fun, at least in my head. :D

Lil said...

I read for many reasons. Mostly, I wish to be entertained. Sometimes I want characters I can identify with, other times I want to see how a character completely unlike me might deal with situations. It is great fun for me to open a book and see where an author will take me.

little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

Dina said...

different things attract me to books, I love covers, the characters or just something to catch my eye

Na said...

I'm drawn to characters that I can connect with. I may not have experienced what they have but I know where they are coming from and are going. I like seeing a character grow and for them to have traits that fit with their personality and situation. Also there are some characters who are just memorable and I want to live their life for a bit.

Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

Chrisbails said...

I am draw to all different kinds of characters. I like rogues, fighters, paranormal beings, sexy men and women, and funny & comical people. I also love the secondary characters. They usually make a series. Reading takes you to another place. You get to fantasize about what it's like for someone else. Almost like escaping your own life for someone elses. I love to read, any author, any genre.
Both books sound great and would love to win and read.
Christinebails@yahoo.com

Pat Cochran said...

I think for me it is the connection, though temporary, which pulls me into the story. Yet, when I finish the
last page, I can close the cover and go back to my
everyday life!

Pat C.

Maureen said...

It's usually the plot that makes me want to read a story and the characters who have me flying through the pages and really enjoying the story.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com