Monday, November 7, 2011

This Week's Special Guest Marie Treanor

This week at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut, Marie Treanor's is stopping by to talk about her release BLOOD ETERNAL, book three in her Awakened By Blood Series and how hard it was to end her trilogy.

Marie was born and bred in Scotland, but for some years moved around the UK working and studying. Now she's back home and happily married with three young children. Having grown bored with city life, her family lives in a picturesque village by the sea where, instead of working for a living, Marie is lucky enough to be able to enjoy herself writing stories of romance and fantasy.

She draws the inspiration for her books mainly from the people around her and from Scotland's rich history and culture - with, of course, large helpings of fun and imagination!

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Awakened by Blood… How can it end?
By Marie Treanor

For some time now, I’ve found these words echoing around in my head. More recently, as the release date of Blood Eternal has come and gone, it’s been in the sense of, “How can I bear to leave this world and these people?” Because obviously, after two years and three novels, the main characters of the Awakened by Blood trilogy are almost like family to me!

But the question was bothering me long before that. Obviously, I want readers to be intrigued enough to wonder how it will all end. However, as I began to think out the details of the final book, I found myself scratching my head and thinking, “How can it end?” As in how can I make the ending work? How can I resolve all these impossible situations? Because I already knew the ending I’d originally planned just wasn’t going to happen. Elizabeth and Saloman wouldn’t allow it.

In case you’ve no idea what I’m rambling about – and who could blame you? – I’d better begin at the beginning, and explain that Awakened by Blood is a trilogy of vampire romances/urban fantasy novels featuring a powerful, sexy, enigmatic hero - the vampire Saloman - and his strange love affair with Elizabeth Silk, the young academic who accidentally awakens him from a death-like sleep that’s held him captive for three hundred years.

Blood on Silk opened the trilogy last September, followed by Blood Sin in April this year; and the finale of the series, Blood Eternal, released on 4th October.

As enemies, allies and lovers, Elizabeth and Saloman have fought their way across Eastern Europe, Scotland, New York, and other exotic locations, trying to resolve their turbulent passions while facing down the threats to the world of both vampires and rogue humans. And now, just as the secret of their relationship is out, the secret of vampire existence is also erupting, and Saloman has to confront his painful past in order to save Elizabeth and ensure his future.

However, I deliberately set Saloman and Elizabeth up to oppose each other. Saloman needs to kill Elizabeth in order to gain the mystical strength of his Awakener, which will help him take his revenge on his betrayers and rule the world. Elizabeth needs to kill Saloman to stop him from ruling the world, and from doing all the dreadful things vampires do in the process.

Elizabeth is a little shy, a little introverted and naive, when she first encounters Saloman, but she has to grow very fast into her role as unofficial hunter, just to stay alive when all the vampires in the world want to kill her. Plus, she has to deal with the mind-boggling notion that Saloman, who makes no secret of his attraction to her, sees nothing wrong in making love to her one night and killing her in the morning. In fact, he believes that in giving her a little happiness first, he’s being kind. Saloman just isn’t human.

In addition, Elizabeth’s a good person, and recognizes her duty. So even when she falls in love with Saloman – after all he is fascinating and incredibly sexy - she still knows she has to kill him. Only, of course, she can’t. And as it turns out Saloman’s obsession with her sees him finding ways around his need for her death.

By the beginning of Blood Eternal, this unlikely couple is in a recognized relationship, however troubled, and things are spiraling out of control. Saloman’s rule is having unforeseen effects on both vampires and humans. The vampire hunters who’d become Elizabeth’s closest friends no longer trust her, now that she’s sleeping with the enemy. And of course, Elizabeth and Saloman haven’t really resolved their differences. Saloman is still hell-bent on ruling the world, although he may have adjusted his tactics, and Elizabeth is equally determined not to let him.

Elizabeth has always known she’d never accept immortality, even from Saloman. But now, troubled by prophecy, destiny, mysterious illness and acute temptation, Elizabeth re-examines her options, with and without Saloman. Events force both of them to choose sides and make difficult decisions.

And yet I couldn’t let either of them just give in! It isn’t in Elizabeth’s nature to roll over and follow Saloman blindly, just because she loves him. And would the mighty Saloman really give up his dream of world domination just to please a human woman?

I discovered I’d written myself into a bit of a corner with these characters. Because no matter how strong their feelings for each other, if one of them doesn’t give way, where the hell is the “happy ever after”? In parting and new loves? In “true death” for both of them? As the forces stack up against them, this becomes a genuine possibility.

So how did I fight my way through this morass of tragic impossibilities and find the ending to Blood Eternal?

I didn’t. Elizabeth and Saloman did it for me J. I let them fight it out on paper, with themselves and each other and their friends and enemies, and Blood Eternal is how it ends. For the time being, at least J

But I would love to know your opinion. Can you understand a strong hero or heroine who “gives in” for the sake of love? (I mean, of course, on more important issues than whose turn it is to wash the dishes!). Is it justified, or would it annoy you? Let me know!

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WIN - Tell Marie your opinion on her topic this week and your name goes in the hat for an autographed copy of one of the books in her Awakened by Blood Trilogy. Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you are this week's winner - Good Luck!

11 comments:

  1. Welcome to the Tiki Hut Marie, great post and wonderful insight into your trilogy.

    It had to be really difficult to say goodbye to these wonderful characters. Now that all three books are out, have you taken the time to sit down and read your trilogy as a reader? To enjoy it the way we have?

    To answer your great question - I think everyone who falls in love with someone "gives in" to a degree - at least I think they should.

    For me personally, I was going to join the US Air Force right after I graduated from High School. I had taken my test, picked out the job I wanted, set the date I was going to leave for camp, all I didn't do was sign the papers yet.

    I had met a boy the summer before my senior year who was going off to college in 6 days and we started dating. Didn't think it would last...me, in my senior year, him, heading off to college hours away.. but we stayed together all through my senior year and come time to sit down and sign on the dotted line...I just couldn't do it because at 18, I thought this guy just might be my one true love.

    That was almost 30 years ago...(OMG, has it been that long?) and well, here we are still together, with a beautiful 16 year old daughter and a wonderful life together, so I guess I was right.

    It would have been nice to see the world, retire by the time I was 38 and had my college education completely paid for. But I've never regretted it for a minute!

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  2. What a romantic story, DeNita! And I think you;re right that some compromise has to be present in any lasting relationship.

    Anyway, thanks for the welcome and the kind words! To answer your question, no I haven't sat down and read them as a trilogy although I have re-read bits for particular purposes :).

    Marie

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  3. Congratulations Marie on the release of Blood Eternal and getting to finish your trilogy for now.
    About whether or not I can understand a strong heroine/hero giving in for the sake of love, I think it really depends on what they are giving in on. I do think there are some issues you can't give in on no matter how much you love the other person- will other people be hurt and that sort of thing. I don't believe the ends always justify the means. I wish it did but the sad reality is it doesn't.

    maria63303(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. Thanks, Maria!

    I think you're right, you can't compromise on everything. Some things are just too important, and this has to be understood. Though obviously you can't dig your heels in over everything :).

    Thanks for dropping in!

    Marie

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  5. It all depends on how it's written. Is the one giving in getting what they really want in the end?? Giving in to love is different than giving in to Ok I'll do the dishes like you said. It wouldn't bother me if both were able to keep their own values after doing the giving in.
    luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com

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  6. Hi Julianne! That makes sense. I just didn't want either giving in to the extent that it altered their character :).

    Marie

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  7. Congrats on the new release Marie! I think for two strong-willed people to be together someone always has to give in. You have to decide if you want to be right and alone or sometimes wrong and together. I think that is how relationships work. Compromise.

    geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com

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  8. Thanks, Stacie! And you're right, of course, though maybe there are some things you just can't compromise on... Thanks for coming by!

    Marie

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  9. Endings are just as important as beginnings. The ending to a series needs to answer all my questions. It great that you get how important endings are.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  10. Thanks, Marybelle. You're so right, and for some reason this ending seemed particularly important!

    Marie

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  11. Congrats on the release Marie. I can't wait to read this series. I usually try and wait to get the books in a series together so I can sit back and read them back to back. :)I believe that no matter how strong willed any of us are we have to concede, give in or adapt if we want that HEA with someone we love. It's like a compromise from both parties.For me it's okay as long as it doesn't go against certain moralities to do so.Anyone who is a parent learns early on how we can compromise and give in many times for our little ones, without wanting to. lol
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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