Guest Post and Giveaway: Blood Lust by Jessica L. Degarmo

Today I have the pleasure of hosting author Jessica L. Degarmo

Scare Factor
 
I scare easily. I rarely watch horror movies because I like to be able to sleep at night. The only types of scary movies I can watch are ones in which I know the plot is unlikely or impossible. Take zombies, for example. I’m pretty positive we’ll never have a zombie outbreak, so watching zombie movies is no issue, which is a good thing, because my husband is just as certain that a zombie outbreak is inevitable. He watches those movies all the time, not for entertainment, really, but for research!
 
It’s amusing to me that I was actually able to write a book in the horror genre. I actually never considered it to be a horror book. I always called it my BSDM Vampire novel. Vamp lit is a genre all in itself, I thought, but according to my publisher, it’s a horror story.
 
Breaking it down, I guess he might be right. People are scared of vampires. They’re terrified of being bitten and condemned to an eternity as a blood-thirsty monster. There are a lot of great horror movies and books that deal with vampires. Nosferatu, Dracula, The Lost Boys, are just a few great horror flicks dealing with blood suckers. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a famous horror book. There are all sorts of books and movies that portray vampires as evil beings that are ravaging towns across America. So, in that regard, Blood Lust is a horror book, simply because it contains a vampire. Actually, it contains several vampires. Obviously, not every vampire book is a horror book based on that criteria alone, but we’ll go with it for Blood Lust.
 
I think that violence is an earmark of horror movies and books as well. Consider your favorite horror movie or book. It’s scary because there is the threat of violence or murder. Recently, there’s been an influx of torture movies, films designed to scare people with a disturbing reality. We place ourselves in the victims’ shoes. We scream when they’re attacked and wince as they’re mutilated in front of our eyes. Books have the same effect on us. A Clockwork Orange, anyone? Blood Lust, my vampire novel, definitely has its share of violence, considering Nexess, my vampire, is an assassin for an Italian street gang called Nuove Leve. In that regard, Blood Lust would be a horror book, or at the very least, an action novel due to the graphic fight scenes and bloodshed.
 
Horror books and films usually contain twists and turns that wrong-foot the readers or viewers, leaving them gasping at the conclusion, simply because they didn’t see it coming. Blood Lust contains that element. If you think you know what will happen next, chances are you’re wrong. Nexess is forced to confront some unpleasant truths about her creation and existence, and what she discovers rocks her world. I think Nexess realizes that she’s been living a horror story, so it’s almost a story within a story, and it’s safe to say that the conclusion is just the beginning.
 
Of course, the plot itself has to contain earmarks of the horror genre. People have to die. Something bad has to happen. The remaining characters have to make choices and fight their way to freedom or safety. In Blood Lust, those boxes can safely be checked off as Nexess has to fight her way to the truth and to a decision.
 
Surprisingly enough, I wrote Blood Lust, even though I generally dislike being scared. In fact, I’m a scaredy cat! But I had fun writing in a genre new to me, and I hope people who are afraid like me can pick it up and find something that allows them to finish reading it wihout having nightmares afterwards! Happy Reading!
 

More about Jessica and Blood Lust

 

Blood Lust
The Lust Trilogy Book One
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Taylor Street Books
ISBN I1480101567
978-1480101562
 
Book Description:
The beauty is the beast.
Meet Nexess. She is a vampire and gang leader Antonio’s assassin and slave, whom he keeps in chains for everyone’s protection, and his pleasure, until he needs her to go out and kill for him.
And if she disobeys him, he locks her cold, hungry and alone in a cage to face her demons until she once again bows to his brute force and craves his touch.
Then she meets Jace, a vampire from the rival gang, another killer and, as her body tells her, one she has an irrepressible urge to devour, maybe in love, maybe in war.
It’s going to be a bloodbath. Then again, it already is.

 

About the Author:
Jessica Degarmo grew up in Upstate New York and now lives with her husband, children and dog in rural Pennsylvania. When she is not writing, she is an insurance agent, the lead singer in a classic rock band, and an avid collector of gemstones.
Her publishing credits include:
How to Meet a Guy at the Supermarket (Taylor Street Publishing, November 2010)
Hooking Up (Taylor Street Publishing, May 2011)
Decisions (Silver Publishing, July 2011)
The Storm Within, A Johns Creek Second Chances Novel #1(Taylor Street Publishing, September 2011)
Six Weeks (Taylor Street Publishing, October 2011)
Historically Yours, A Johns Creek Second Chances Novel #2(Taylor Street Publishing, August 2012)
She is currently working on several other projects. Visit Jessica's website for more information at www.jessicadegarmo.com
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