Thursday 12 May 2016

Blog Tour: A Glimpse Into the True Vampire World by Kate Baxter

I am very excited to be welcoming Kate Baxter author of the Last True Vampire series to the blog.

A Glimpse Into the True Vampire World
World building is one of my favorite parts of writing. The rules are mine to make. The characters, creatures, setting, social hierarchies, and systems of magic. I am the god—well, goddess—of my world. The puppet master. The creator! (Insert maniacal laughter) Okay, so I got a little intense there, but all kidding aside, world building is where I let my creativity loose and it’s where I feel like I shine as an author. So I thought I’d pull back the curtain and give you a little rundown of the true vampire world.

Vampires

My vampires share many similarities to the common mythos. Sunlight will kill them (Except for Claire, Mikhail’s mate. She’s special.), they need blood to survive, they’re preternaturally strong, and exude power. They can compel humans and sometimes other supernatural creatures. Unlike other vampires, though, mine aren’t technically undead. They’re long-lived, and once they’ve consumed blood, their hearts begin to beat again, their lungs and body functions return to normal, which makes it possible to eat food. How could I deny them a slice of pizza every once in a while? *grins* Likewise, once a vampire is turned, they become fertile which means they can make cute little dhampir babies! Because my vampires can’t be born. They can only be turned by being drained of blood and drinking the blood of a vampire. I can’t make it too easy for the race to replenish itself. LOL!

Dhampirs

These not-quite-vampires are just as complex as their counterparts. Like vampires, they group into covens. Safety in numbers and all that. They have the ability to live just as long as a vampire, but they’re not quite as strong or powerful which makes them more fallible. Also, my dhampirs rely on vampires to survive. Through a bond that connects them all, dhampirs siphon the life force of vampires in order to subsist. They need blood, but only three or four times a year. They can go out into the sunlight and only have one set of fangs as opposed to the two sets of a vampire. They’re easily mistaken for humans. Unlike vampires, dhampir males are infertile so they can’t reproduce.

The Sortiari

(Sore-tee-are-ee) AKA, the bad guys. Or are they…? In the true vampire world, I like to think that there are no truly good or bad characters. Rather, they serve their own agendas. How the reader chooses to interpret that is up to them. I’m a fan of that gray moral area. The Sortiari are a secret society of mundane and supernatural creatures who’ve appointed themselves the guardians of fate. They do what they can to shape the world around them for the better. At least, they think it’s for the better. But just like all of us, they’re not without fault.

Berserkers

These immortal warlords are the bad-asses of the true vampire world. Immortal, and virtually unkillable, the only way to send them to the afterlife is by lopping off their heads. They share the least in common with humans and are more in touch with their animal natures than even vampires or werewolves are. Without giving too much about their history away, I will say that the only berserkers in existence are male, making reproduction a tricky issue. They’ve got a serious grudge about that, too and are bound and determined to make someone pay for it. I can’t wait to reveal more about their history and backstory to readers!

The rest of the supernatural world

Though so far readers have met only a few supernatural creatures in the true vampire world, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t others out there waiting to be discovered! Werewolves, witches, seers, mages, faeries, and more are waiting for their time to make an appearance. I’m so excited about this world and the creatures/characters in it. With every new book, new opportunities to expand the world present themselves. Like I said, this is my world and I’m ready to explore it!



I for one am keen to see what else Kate Baxter will bring to the series and to read The Dark Vampire very soon! Be sure to check out the other stops on the Blog Tour below!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

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