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!***