Bec McMaster: Fancy a bite?

Vampires are in, right? Everybody knows that. They’re hot, they’re dangerous, they’re sparkly. The ultimate alpha, they’re obsessive and protective and basically, they’re the bad-boy redemption story we readers just can’t resist. Can any woman (or man) save them from the darkness within them? It’s easy to see why everyone loves a good vampire.

When it came to writing Kiss of Steel, the first in my London Steampunk series, I knew vampires were going to be involved. I had this idea about a virus from the Far-East turning the British aristocracy into blood-drinkers, but one of the things I wanted to do was give the vampire myth a twist. Blame it on the fact I’d recently been watching a lot of horror (30 Days of Night etc.), but I didn’t want my vampires to be the heroes. They’re the horror in the dark, a blood-thirsty predator that is almost mindless with the craving.

Stricken by the craving virus, the Echelon (the aristocracy) refer to themselves as blue bloods. Stronger, faster, almost immortal, with only the blood craving to hold them back as they rule London with an iron fist. What isn’t spoken of in polite company, is what the virus makes them evolve into.

My blue bloods are slowly turning into the very thing they despise, though it might take decades. It’s their ultimate fear. To lose control, to develop, to evolve… They might be predators already, but they’re predators dressed in silk waistcoats and carrying blades. To become little more than a monster, mindless, consumed by the craving, well it’s not to be born.

In Georgian times, a spate of vampires drove the city to mad riots and cost over ten thousand lives. So now, law dictates that the blue blood’s monitor their virus levels and when they hit dangerous heights, they’re executed.

           

But what happens when there is no cure? And when you’re standing dangerously close to that line where you’re no longer human? That’s the question my hero, Blade, asks himself every day when he stares in the mirror. Every day he measures his craving virus levels and every day the answer fills him with dread. Once his levels hit 80 %, he’s asked his verwulfen lieutenant, Will, to execute him before he slaughters them all.

One of the themes I wanted to explore in Kiss of Steel was fear and facing it. My heroine has her own fears to confront, but as for Blade, his are seemingly impossible to overcome. Or are they? There has to be a happy ending of course, as this is romance. I’ll let you find out how though.

So what’s your worst fear? I’ll be honest, mine are sharks (hey, I live in Australia), but I have this insane urge to learn to dive. I look at pictures of the Great Barrier Reef or shipwrecks and I desperately, desperately want to learn. I also have this hankering to cage-dive with the Great White Shark’s off Cape Town in South Africa. Call me a sucker for punishment.

So do you run from your fears, or do you confront them?  One lucky commenter will go into the draw to win Kiss of Steel (open to international entries)

KISS OF STEEL

A brilliantly creative debut where vampires, werewolves, and clockwork creatures roam the mist–shrouded streets of London…

When Nowhere is Safe…

Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it's the last safe haven. But at what price?

Blade is known as the master of the rookeries—no one dares cross him. It's been said he faced down the Echelon's army single–handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood–craving he's been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.

When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She's so…innocent. He doesn't see her backbone of steel—or that she could be the very salvation he's been seeking.

“Kiss of Steel is an enthralling debut with rich steampunk and vampire elements, and a leading man as wicked as he is irresistible. McMaster has crafted a hero and heroine who are intellectual and emotional equals; their love affair is heart-wrenching, redemptive and stirringly passionate. Expertly rounded out by pulse-pounding adventure, dastardly villains and complex secondary characters, this is a series opener to be read and savoured.” – RT Book Reviews

Award-winning author Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds. For more information, please visit http://www.becmcmaster.com/ or follow her on Twitter, @BecMcMaster.

***Bec's winner is Stefanie! Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing details!***