Fu Sheng Returns | AstraDaemon

BLOOD BONDS by Laura A. Ellison features the Chinese vampire, Fu Sheng, from the short story, A FOREIGN BODY. As with the short story, this novella is also a mix of crime drama, science fiction and preternatural characters, as well as multiple alien species.

An ancient vampire family makes their way to the New Galaxy (not an easy journey for vampires, who still have yet to make their species known to anyone), with news of in-fighting between the older and younger generations of vampires. The young ones are sick of hiding, but the older ones believe the humans will hunt them to extinction, even on other planets. The threat of exposure follows them to their new home. Unfortunately, the humans have spread throughout the known universe, much to the displeasure of the aliens.

You don't have to read the short story to enjoy this one, but I highly recommend reading A FOREIGN BODY first for context about the alien culture, as well as background about Fu Sheng and his few acquaintances.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Halloween With Blood and More [Interview]

We’ve discussed monsters throughout this month, but the reason for the season is Halloween. Some folks get old-school and celebrate Samhain, while others celebrate All Saints Day. Of course, there are those who not only celebrate all three, but also get into the dark holiday spirit as soon as Autumn begins.

I thought I’d bring back Ruth Miranda, author of the Blood trilogy, to discuss the holiday most horror fans live for…

---

When do you begin celebrating, and how do you celebrate?

I actually don’t quite celebrate Halloween - shocker! - in the common sense. I do put up some witchy decor because I love marking the seasons this way and I love to surround myself with evocative reminders of the seasonal changes, we occasionally bake pumpkin pie for dessert on the 31st and we do tend to have a bit of a celebratory dinner between the 3 of us. But most of my celebrations happen inside me, does this even make sense?

October is a month that means family to me, from start to end. My father’s birthday was in October, so is mine and my husband’s. My niece and nephew too, some of my best friends along the years have October birthdays, so to me this is all about honouring the hearth, the family ties that don’t always have to be blood ones, and the ancestry running in my veins. My grandfather passed away on my 13th birthday, so I feel a deep connection to his spirit, his heritage, as deep as I felt the connection with him while he was living. I find myself thinking about my ancestors a lot during this month and finding traces of them in my children, my sister’s children, so I celebrate this link, this tie to the past, to those who came before me and made me who I am. I cherish and honour their lives and their memory, but it’s something that happens inside me.

You are currently residing in Portugal. How is the European view of Samhain/Halloween different from the American view?

Wouldn’t know about what happens in the rest of Europe, to be honest, only here. Portugal is a MASSIVELY catholic country, but it’s also a place so prone to fall under what’s commercially sold. Halloween was NEVER a thing round here when I was growing up, though I knew it from watching American films and Peanuts - best Halloween ever! - but here people celebrate All Saints’ and the 1st of November tends to be sombre and sad, folks going to the cemetery to place flowers on their departed ones’ graves.

Imagine my surprise when my kid started school and I was suddenly drowned by Halloween parties and the need for a costume for all those parties… Of course I would never deny him the experience, so he did celebrate a few Halloweens like that, but he has never celebrated All Saints because we’re not catholic. I think the religious weight has been lifted off the date a lot with the younger generations, but the older ones are still frowning upon such a pagan party as Halloween...

Do you know of any unusual Halloween traditions, such as matchmaking or soul cakes?

All I know are certain Samhain rituals...

Do you think the horror community keeps Halloween relevant or do you think Halloween gives a boost to the horror industry?

Neither, actually, for me Halloween goes beyond horror and I don’t view it as an horror prone date, but I do confess to watching a horror film or ten on Halloween!

What do you think of people trying to change the date of Halloween?

Why would they? It’s silly. Then again, the 1st of November is a bank holiday in Portugal, maybe that’s why I find it stupid that people would change the date. We get to party hard - and I sure did, back in my 20s, 30s! - and rest the day after.

How do you think the preternaturals in your stories would celebrate? Or do you think they’d find human customs ridiculous?

There’s a Samhain celebration occurring in Avalon Hall complete with a little ritual as well, and seeing that the story is set in the same preternatural universe as my previous books, I feel that a lot of the characters would celebrate in a similar manner. Except for Rune Sanderson and his gang, that is, he’d been out and about hunting witches for their blood back in his younger days!

Do you think you would ever write a story which takes place around this holiday?

Like I said, Avalon Hall reaches its climax during Halloween!

Will you come back later this year to discuss your new fantasy series?

Would love to return and talk about the Heir of Avalon Trilogy!
https://indiepublishauthors.wixsite.com/ruthmiranda

---

Tomorrow I announce the winner of the Kody Boye giveaway, and I have a special review planned for Halloween, so keep checking back this week.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Life After Death

I AM THE NIGHT by Ruth Miranda is a companion story for her Blood trilogy. You don't need to read the entire series to enjoy this novel, but you'll get more out of it, if you read the first Blood book in advance. I Am The Night is narrated by Marcus, offering fans of the series his perspective on events leading up to his confrontation with Caius, as well as the beginning of his relationship with Marianne.

I already liked the character Marcus in the trilogy, but after reading his personal experiences as an abuse victim and a vampire, he is now my favorite character from the series. I wouldn't mind another companion book centered on Marcus, taking place after the third novel in the trilogy.

Last but not least, Miranda once again touches on current social issues with her preternaturals, examining how people identify themselves in various situations and the way they choose to interact with others. I found the vampire's epiphany about love to be quite a revelation, after everything he has had to overcome by himself. Additionally, the supporting characters impart significant discoveries within the journey Marcus undertakes.

Fans of the series definitely need to add this one to their Blood collection!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Baby Back Ribs

Children are disappearing from the streets of West Hollywood. The police are clueless, but Christopher Driscoll suspects he might know who is responsible. The trail leads to a local new hot spot that has become THE place to eat. Has the owner been serving up finger-licking good baby barbecue, or has there been a HUGE misunderstanding?

TOLERANCE: A WEST HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRE NOVELETTE by Hal Bodner immediately grabbed my attention with the preternatural characters scattered among the human characters. About halfway through the story, the fate of the missing children becomes a bit predictable, but this is one of the rare times a little predictability provides a shocking reveal at the end.

On a more personal note, I found Christopher to be one of the most annoying vampires I've come across in modern fiction. While I'd love to read more about Bodner's version of West Hollywood, I hope the author gets rid of Christopher.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Karma Is A Witch

After being thrown to a time portal by Nora Bell’s magic, Marianne finds herself face to face with her own past, one she must now share with Marcus. Will witnessing the life events, that led to having met her at Stuart Harlow’s mansion, change the way he sees her? And will his worry about having left Cai alone, back in their own time, allow him to stay focused and clear headed, around a woman who once held such allure over him?
Will Cai and Nora find a way to bring Marcus back from the past?
And will they condemn Marianne to stay locked there, with her own demons?

Marianne by Ruth Miranda is the third book in the Blood trilogy.In the first book, Blood, Caius realizes his family has been keeping several secrets from him, only to be faced with blood, teeth, lies and deceit, as Cai attempts to find the truth behind his many "gifts." Scars, the second book, jumps ahead two years, as Caius and his twin brother Marcus search for their negligent father. Using preternatural characters, Miranda addresses family drama from physical abuse and traumatic loss to issues such as self-cutting, depression and addiction throughout her trilogy.

Marianne, a witch with her own twisted secrets, adds yet another complication to the lives of the brothers. However, in a twisted way, she strengthens the bond between the twins. I had a strong dislike for Marianne, until this book. Once her backstory is revealed, she didn't strike me as the evil narcissist I took her for. Suddenly, everything about her made sense.

I enjoyed this installment more than the second one, but not quite as much as the first. Miranda included a lot of sex and graphic violence not present in Blood and Scars. I understand the necessity, but I felt like the author lost some of what sets her apart from other writers in this genre by using overdone plot devices. Ironically, much like Marcus, I can't get enough of the witch.

The ending is an absolute shocker. I felt like the author burst into my living room and kicked me in the face...I could not have been more caught off guard. Thankfully, Miranda included an author's note to dull the pain. I can't wait to read more from this author!

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Blood Trilogy Continues

"SCARS", the second novella on the BLOOD Trilogy, takes off two years after the events of "BLOOD". Caius Nilsson is back to being a rock star, the search for his father forgotten now he is reunited with his twin brother. But a darkness lurks inside him, and threatens his life. Now the brothers must take up the search for Titus McFee again, to understand the disease taking over Cai and a find a way to save him. But how far is Marcus willing to go only to assure his brother is safe?

Scars by Ruth Miranda (read April 2018 interview here) takes a slightly different route from the first book in the trilogy. While both the first and second stories center on the family drama surrounding the twin brothers, Marcus and Caius, the storyline moves on from physical abuse and traumatic loss to issues such as self-cutting, depression and addiction.

The author once again addresses real-life issues using preternatural characters, giving both the supernatural and psychological aspects of the story far more depth than what would be possible with just one or the other. By mixing in the brothers' search for their negligent father, Miranda also incorporates the suspense of a mystery-thriller as well.

Unfortunately, I take issue with the writing style this time around. The inner-thoughts dialogue of Marcus and Caius, set apart by italics, are too long, often unnecessary and mostly disruptive to the overall flow. I also disliked the lack of growth displayed by the brothers. The second story jumps ahead two years, but there is not much in their interactions to suggest they've spent such a long period of time getting to know one another, aside from Marcus' concern for Caius' health.

I am still looking forward to the third book in the Blood trilogy. Miranda has a true talent for taking headlines, such as the battles with addiction and tragic overdose deaths of those in the music industry, and turning inner demons into supernatural creatures struggling with the same afflictions.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Alien + Human + Vampire = Sci-Fi Crime Drama

Fu Sheng, a 900 year old Chinese vampire, comes out of the seclusion of his high-rise apartment to investigate the unsolved murder of an alien medical student on Pharaoh Moon II's Desert City, part of the New Galaxy that has been colonized by humans and aliens. Fu Sheng, using his vampire powers, learns more about the victim, a Lost species of alien, and her murderer, who was willing to kill to know her mysteries.

A Foreign Body by Laura A. Ellison is a science fiction murder mystery, told from the POV of a vampire who has chosen to relocate from Earth to a society of humans and aliens in the New Galaxy. While the cultural tensions between species is fascinating and the investigation is full of twists, the setting crafted by Ellison is worthy of its own series.

As much I love the idea of a detective series with Fu Sheng, I would be happy with any stories taking place in the New Galaxy. Even though this story was originally published in 2013, I sincerely hope Ellison considers returning to this mix of genres: crime drama, science fiction and preternatural.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Blood and Food [Interview]

I've been on Instagram for just over two years (@astradaemon) and it's been the most positive experience I've had with social media to date. I've met people from all over the world, viewed countless amazing photographs, but, most importantly, I've found more authors!

One such author is Ruth Miranda from Portugal. She liked something I posted, so I viewed her gallery to see what she is about...the lady has a great mix of food and books. (Who wouldn't be interested in that combination?) I traveled from her IG account to her Amazon Author page and one story caught my eye...

'Chaos' Nilsson has it all: a successful career in the music industry, fame, money, the girl.

He also has a monkey on his back, brought about by the visions that plague his mind and haunt his every waking moment; visions that will only be quietened when he numbs himself with generous amounts of alcohol and drugs.

After an accident that nearly costs him his life, he embarks on a journey of self discovery, in search of his roots and the secret to the blood coursing through his vein.

Blood by Ruth Miranda is so much more than a horror story with supernatural creatures. This novella is a family drama centered around a young man named Caius, who has recently survived an extremely traumatic experience and he now requires therapy. During his sessions, Cai reveals he is suffering from brutal visions...memories of life he's never lived. He soon realizes his family has been keeping several secrets from him, the kind of secrets that tear apart loved ones and destroy lives.

Miranda alternates between the visions and Cai's sessions, creating the right amount of suspense to lure readers in, only to be faced with blood, teeth, lies and deceit, as Cai attempts to find the truth behind his many "gifts." The story pours along rather quickly with the visions continuing, even as the young man travels far from home.

The cast of characters and the detailed lore behind each one is making the wait for the sequel excruciating...so I decided to kill some time by inviting Ruth Miranda to the Lair...

---

Q. Where did the idea for Blood come from? Did you do any research for your characters’ special traits?

It actually came from the photo used for the book cover. I was playing around with ideas for another book cover when I happened upon that image, and suddenly, a story came into my mind, the main characters already very defined. I did not research any traits, used mostly my own life experience.

Q. There are so many layers to this story…do you have a specific message you are trying to get across to your readers?

I don’t think so. My main goal with Blood was to entice the readers into start making up assumptions in their minds, as to what was going on. I actually started doing that before publishing the novella, by sharing teasers on my Instagram that really helped spike up curiosity. But in the end, maybe what I am trying to say with this story is that perhaps nothing is thicker than blood?

Q. Why did you choose to write within this sub-genre of horror? Is this also what you prefer to read?

I read everything, except sappy romance. My favourite authors are Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Donna Tart, Anne Rice. But I mostly write in the Paranormal genre, usually Paranormal Romance, or Paranormal Fantasy. I do like to mix up several sub-genres, but to be honest, I never looked at Blood as horror, to me it was a Paranormal Urban Fantasy, very much like my previous novels, The Preternaturals Series – although these are very much romance infused, and Blood lacks that.

Q. For some reason, many of the authors I know are chefs, bakers, etc., even if they write in different genres. Do you think this is a coincidence or do you think there is a serious connection between food and the written word?

I see books and writing as food for the mind, so yes, I think there’s a bit of a connection there. I love cooking, but I mostly love eating, and I have a slight obsession with feeding my family balanced meals with the occasional treat. I’m also very much of a wine lover, which goes together so well both with books and food, doesn’t it? I think they all come together in the end. The first novel I published actually delves a bit more into food, it’s a Mystery Romance and food does play an important part in it.

Q. You seem to be equally passionate about cooking and writing. How do you find time for both?

Well, I am a stay at home mom, so I can indulge in writing all day long while my son’s at school. And seeing that my husband works full time, I think it’s only fair I get to do the cooking on work-days. Most of my food is every day, simple fair, and because I can afford the time, I usually spend a bit playing around with food, so I get to serve something that is nourishing but also delicious and interesting to eat. As for my writing, even when I’m lying down to sleep, I find myself coming up with stories, or lines, sentences and even whole chapters that end up in paper the next day, after they’ve stewed in my head. But not working outside the home does provide me with time for all this.

Q. The Lair has a lot viewers who will enjoy your new Blood series. Is there anything else you would like them to know about your writing? What do you have planned for the rest of this year?

I plan to write another two novellas related to Blood this year, focusing both on events that come after those taking place in Blood and those before it. I am also working on an Arthurian saga, two volumes are already written and am on the third and hopefully final one, but I don’t think these will be published before the end of the year, probably only by 2019. These also connect with Blood in a sense that some characters overlap, and the “universe” created for them is the same, as it is with The Preternaturals Series. So there’s still a lot of work ahead for me, which is great, I love what I do!

Thank you for visiting the Lair!

---

I will be keeping track of Ruth Miranda as the new titles come out, so readers can expect to see more of her work here in the future.

As always,
AstraDaemon