Magic Monday Interview with Chantilly White

Welcome to Keira’s Corner, where there is always chocolate, and lots and lots of coffee. Thanks so much for having me, Keira!

Keira: You have a story that just came out, entitled Pearls of Pleasure. What is that about?

Pearls of Pleasure is the story of a married couple, Gwen and David, working through a very traumatic event in their past. I'm always interested in the ways married couples sustain their relationships and keep their love for each other as tight a bond as when they first fell in love, especially through difficult times. This is an exploration of what happens after the initial "happily ever after," when everything that was perfect gets turned upside down by life, and how they cope with those circumstances. 

Keira: What do you wear, to write?

Ahh, well. . . Usually pajamas, if I'm honest. Whatever is most comfortable. I have threatened to start wearing one of my tiaras—I collect them—to signal to family that I'm working and not to be disturbed, but they're not that comfy for long-term wear.

Keira: Is writing your only talent?

I paint a little—a very little—and play the flute and piccolo. I used to dance—ballet, tap, jazz—and was a cheerleader in high school, so I started a cheerleading business when I lived in Wisconsin. I taught cheers and dance to kids from about three years old to junior high age and we performed at community events and high school halftimes. I still miss that business and the kids I got to work with. They were awesome!

Keira: Where in the Hell did you find time to write?

Finding time to write is a daily struggle for me, because I am excellent at wasting time, and I'm lazy. I love to cuddle up on the couch with a great book and not move for hours. With three kids, a husband who travels a lot, and three cats who need constant supervision (they are SO destructive!), it's been even tougher. But I finally had to have a heart-to-heart with myself and delineate what I really want to accomplish. I had to ask myself the serious questions. Did I want to be an author? A published author? Or just play around at writing for the rest of my life. The answer was "published author" so I had to then get serious about my time. I still waste plenty of it, but now that comes after the writing!

Keira: Why are you a writer?

I'm a writer, honestly, because I just can't help it. I've always written, since I could first hold a pencil. I wrote my first two-hundred page novel when I was eight. It's what I love. There's nothing better than tearing my hair out over the just the right phrase, creating the perfect mood in a story. It's hard sometimes, but I wouldn't want to do anything else. Besides, if I didn't write the stories the characters in my head demand, they'd torment me unmercifully. I'd probably wind up in a padded cell, sucking my thumb and talking to myself.

Keira: If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?

That's a tough question because I have an excellent mentor already, and several other people who have helped me tremendously over the years. If I could keep them and add someone else to the mix, it would have to be Nora Roberts or JK Rowling. Their work ethic and business savvy is incredible.

Keira: How many hours a day do you dedicate to writing?

 I don't set a specific amount of time, other than wishing I could write every day. With my family life, that's not realistic, so I write as often as I can. I've also been using writing sprints for the past year—half an hour of hardcore writing, no stopping, no researching, no staring into space, just fingers moving on keys until the timer goes off. That has really helped me, because if I allow my internal editor to sit on my shoulder, nitpicking everything I do, I wind up editing the same paragraph for hours and making no progress on the book as a whole. By setting a timer, the internal editor gets stuffed in a trunk. There's no time to listen to her carping! I've been able to write up to 1500 words in thirty minutes, and doing that a couple of times a day really boosts the overall word count.

Keira: Do you use a particular writing method?

 No!! LOL I tried. I really did. I took all sorts of classes beyond my degree in writing, which didn't deal with the nitty gritty of writing a novel at all. I read every book on plotting, went through all the methods. I made up gorgeous storyboards, very detailed, very thorough. Then ignored them completely when I actually wrote the stories. I'm not a plotter. I wish I was, because it seems like such a clean, linear process, and mine is such a mess. I start in the middle, write scenes out of order, write the end before the beginning, you name it. It does require a lot more revision in the end than a novel that was carefully plotted from the beginning, but I've made peace with it. It's just the way I write. It works for me. Trying to be overly structured took all the fun out of writing, and if a writer isn't having fun, what's the point?

 

Keira: What advice would you give to an unpublished writer?

Get all the information about the business you can find, decide what you want and go for it.

Publishing has changed so much in the past few years, the landscape is unrecognizable. My original dream was always very specific. New York contract or bust! There's part of me that still wants that, but contracts are tricky right now. Plus, I'm a control freak. Going through New York, you get a lot of great benefits and the chance to work with some really amazing people. But you give up some things to do that, too, including creative control over a great deal of your work. And the waiting. . .

It's a tradeoff. I'm still interested in pursuing New York with the right project for the right publishing house. For now, I'm happy indie publishing my work, but that was not a decision I took lightly. It's important to be honest with yourself about what you want and why. If contest wins and industry awards are important to you, indie publishing is not the way to go. It's a lot of work on the business side—I make my own covers, format my work for publication, find beta readers and editors, upload it to all the retailers, do all the promotion, and had to learn to do each of those things, which did not come naturally to me. Luckily I have a lot of patient friends and colleagues who are always willing to help. It's time consuming, but also satisfying.

Let’s get personal… 

Keira: What is your favorite food?

 

Pizza! And chocolate.

Keira: What is your guilty Pleasure?

 

My jet tub, full of hot water and yummy bubble bath.

Keira: What is your favorite Smell?

 

Chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven.

Keira: What is your favorite color?

 

Red. And pink. I can never decide.

Keira: What is your favorite favorite animal?

 

A great big fluffy cat.

Keira: Can you tell us a secret?

 

Yes. But no. J

Keira: Do you have pets?

 

Three insane (and great big fluffy) cats.

Keira: What do you consider a household staple?

 

Diet Pepsi.

Keira: What are you reading?

 

A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant, and it is fabulous.

Keira: Can you share your blurb with us?

 

Absolutely!

Pearls of Pleasure

Gwen Coffey's marriage is collapsing. When her fireman husband, David, nearly died in a blaze that took the lives of his friends, she devoted herself to his long, painful recovery. Three years later, he's healthy and back to work—but now, panic attacks send Gwen spiraling into a dark abyss of terror every time they make love.

His marriage turning to ash around him, David struggles to help his wife. Gwen's pain tears him apart. But despite her attempts to shut him out, he won't give up on her, or their relationship. Desperate, he convinces her to see a therapist.

As Gwen and David strive for a solution, one question burns in their minds—will the doctor's treatment plan save their once fiery passion, or will the flames of Gwen's fear devour their sex life and incinerate the bonds of their marriage?

My weblinks:

Website - http://ChantillyWhite.com
Twitter - @ChantillyWhite
Facebook

Buy Links:

Pearls of Pleasure

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
All Romance Books

Pearls of Wisdom

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
All Romance Books

Pearls of Passion

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
All Romance Books

Hugs,

Keira Kroft
www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/keirakroft
http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66

Terrifying Tuesday: Brett Williams

 Interview between Keira Kroft and Brett Williams

Keira: You have a story coming out soon though Gallows Press entitled From Murky Depths. What is that about?

 From Murky Depths about a troubled man looking to be a Good Samaritan after massive flooding hits Southeast Missouri. David Miller trolls his boat to help people in a tiny neighboring town. There he finds houses and businesses constructed on stilts, the town unscathed, pasty-skinned denizens unfriendly. However, David befriends a local couple on the outskirts of the town, and unwittingly becomes part of an epic struggle between good and evil—a struggle that will leave him questioning his faith…if he survives.

Keira: Is writing your only talent?

Heck no. I’m a pretty good cook, too. I’m pretty mean with a George Foreman Grill.

Keira: Where in the Hell did you find time to write?

Sometimes it’s tough. You’ve got to make time. And when you can’t make time, don’t beat yourself up too bad, if it’s not that often. In fact, I’m looking forward to my upcoming schedule change at my day job. I’ll be returning to a four day, ten hour shift again. That should help.

Keira: Why are you a writer?

The more I read, the more I want to write. For me, the two go hand-in-hand. I guess I just want to put a little Brett flare on the types of stories I like reading, as well as writing the more of the kind that are hard to come by. Plus I get stories stuck in my head. Writing is the only way to get them out.

Keira: If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?

Richard Laymon, without a doubt. That man could spin a tale. He plays with his readers, screws with them. Reading a Richard Laymon tale you know that guy was having a blast. I have fun writing my stories, and I want my readers to have just as much fun. So I suppose he has taught me a thing or two. =)

Keira: How many hours a day do you dedicate to writing?

It varies widely. The minimum I can write is an hour—and that’s pretty tough. I typically start by rereading (editing) what I wrote the day before. I believe that helps with pacing.

Keira: Do you use a particular writing method?

You want me to tell all my tricks, don’t you? Ha ha… Just kidding. Not sure if it is a bad habit or not, but I do tend to count words. I think that helps me with pacing, too. I’m dead-set against writing a character sheet. I keep reading that writers, especially new writers, should write a character sheet. Bullshit. You got a character sheet written up, the first thing you’re going to be tempted to do is info dump. Yep, you’ll take a big ole crap right in the middle of your story. You don’t need to know much more than the basics about your character until the time comes. Your character stumbles across an M16, then you decide if your character retired from the military or lost a relative in the war. Maybe her older brother taught her to shoot while on leave. Who knows? A good writer shouldn’t, in my opinion, until the time comes. Characters develop much more organically that way.

Keira: What time of day, do you write best?

When inspiration hits! Although morning is better. I believe writer’s block is just a form of stress. If you run errands, meet with your kid’s teacher, etc. before you write, you are much more likely to get things on your mind besides what you are trying to write. At least that is how it seems to work for me.

Keira: Please share a particular detail about one of characters, please.

Typically I write a sex into my stories. In From Murky Depths I didn’t really do that. In fact, the protagonist, David Miller, is on the outs with his wife. Had the flood not hit, it’s very likely they would have separated. That’s one of the reasons he goes to help the people of Clayton, to delay following his wife to St. Louis.

Keira: Are you currently running any contests? What are they?

Yes I am. Thank you for asking. From Murky Depths just came out. The first three people to post reviews on Amazon will receive a signed copy of 2011 Erotica Quarterly (Halloween edition) featuring my erotic horror story “Cambion.”

Also, everyone who posts a review is automatically entered to win a copy of my novel, Family Business, coming soon from Gallows Press.

Don’t miss out!

Keira: What advice would you give to an unpublished writer?

Keep reading, keep writing, keep improving. Cast a somewhat wide net with your submissions until you find a market that works for you. Meanwhile, network with readers. One avid fan with good connections can make a world of difference.

Let’s get personal…

Keira: What is your favorite food?

A great cheeseburger.

Keira: What is your favorite Smell?

Freshly washed hair.

Keira: If you could change one your physical feature? Would you? What would it be?

Longer legs.

Keira: What is your favorite favorite animal?

Dogs. I’m a real dog lover. That’s one of the main reasons I wrote Family Business, a novel that aspires (and does a fairly well job, if I may say so myself) to put the atrocities of puppy mills in human terms. Coming soon from Gallows Press.

Keira: Do you have pets?

Yes. A miniature schnauzer named Fritz. He turns 13 this month.

Keira: What do you consider a household staple?

Tabasco sauce.

Keira: What are you reading?

I just finished Red: My uncensored life in rock by Sammy Hagar. Amazing book. This dude shows that you’ve got to have business sense to build a career, not just talent.

Reviews for From Murky Depths

Brett Williams is a writer who hooks the reader from the first sentence and holds that interest until the last.  With Williams, you are guaranteed to be entertained.

—Mark Allan Gunnells, author of Sequel

 

You can find Brett Williams at:

Brett Williams Fiction
Brett Williams on facebook

You can find From Murky Depths at:

Amazon.com

Keira Kroft

www.keirakroft.blogspot.com

Magic Monday: Fat Chances

Magic Monday, the day of Romance presents...

Fat Chances by J.S. Wilsoncroft

 

A little bit about Fat Chances

After twenty years of marriage to her high school sweetheart, Tess Malone thought she’d married the perfect guy. When Darren dies in a horrific car accident, Tess soon learns that her marriage wasn’t so perfect after all. On an unexpected trip to New York, she discovers that her ate husband had been living a double life. Bitter and heartbroken, Tess and her best friend hit the clubs in New York, where she literally falls in the arms of a young prince charming, Greg Thomas. Will Greg’s charming, seductive smiles and romantic French quotes be enough to open her heart to love again? Or will he, too, shatter what’s left of it?

 

Here's what People had to say about it

J.S. Wilsoncroft has a knack for writing very realistic and believable characters. 

I couldn't put the book down until the end and then I wanted more!!!

Buy it Now for 99 cents:) Amazon

 

A little something about J.S. Wilsoncroft

J.S. Wilsoncroft was born and raised in the small town of Curwensville, Pennsylvania. Her mother and father taught her to be strong and never give up on her dreams, even though as a teenager she wasn’t sure what those dreams were. It wasn’t until she was older that she decided she wanted some kind of job working with animals. So, at the age of 23, she got her dog grooming license and has been grooming puppies ever since. It wasn’t until five years ago that she started writing. She woke up one morning with this story on her mind and as the day grew on, so did the story. She finally decided to sit down at her computer and started typing. That’s when her first book, “Roller Coaster Love” was born. After that, writing stories came to her as easy as grooming dogs. Now, Wilsoncroft has her hands full being a wife, mother of two children, and three yappy dogs, full-time dog groomer, and as a part time writer.

Where to find J.S. Wilsoncroft

Website
Facebook
Blog
Twitter@jswilsoncroft

Hugs,Keira Kroft

www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/keirakroft

http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66

Terrifying Tuesday: The history of Halloween

The History of Halloween

The ancient origin of Halloween began as the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in).

2000 years ago, the Celts (pronounced Kelts) inhabited the areas now known as Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France.

They celebrated their new year on November 1st, which ended the summer/harvest season and began the long cold winter season.

The Celts believed that on the night of Samhain the ghosts of the dead returned to earth to cause great mischief and destruction.

Celts also believed that their Druid priests were able to communicate with the dead on this particular night and with the help of the dead-predict the future.

The Druid priests were the educated class amongst the Celts and were deeply religious.

They wore many hats in their culture such as; lawmakers, judges, scientists, poets and scholars.

Read more in Holidays

« Sexiest Halloween Costumes to Wear This YearChristmas: All That Effort for One Day »The celebration of Samhain began with every home owner extinguishing their hearth fires, which symbolized the winter season/or dark half of the year. Later during the same night they were all relit from a community fire. This rekindling was symbolic of the spring season when life would return.

The Celts knew nothing of Christianity and held their own beliefs about death and the world beyond. They believed that when a person died they went to a place called Tir nan Og and became young again and happy. Some Celts believed that the dead lived with the fairies in Scotland and Ireland.

Contrary to a lot of Christian beliefs, the Celts didn’t believe in demons, nor did they sacrifice humans to any evil gods. They did however believe in gods, monsters, elves, witches, giants and spirits.

The Celts were the first to bob for apples but it wasn’t a game to them. They believed that the first one amongst them to bite into an apple would be the first to marry in the upcoming new year.

Peeling an apple also held meaning and beliefs. The longer the peel-the longer ones life was destined to be.

The Scottish placed nuts or stones in their hearths before going to bed and believed that if they somehow moved during the night that it was an omen of death.

Some believe that the Druid priests sacrificed virgins during the Samhain festivals but there is no proof of this anywhere. The Celts did execute criminals and prisoners of war but it wasn’t done as a celebration and not during their festivities of Samhain. Rather, it was done as punishment, much like today.

There is also no known proof that the Celts dressed in costumes and begged one another for food during the festivities.

During the American Depression, it is said that poor children in some areas went door to door begging “anything for the poor?” but that this was practiced on Thanksgiving day not Halloween.

During the 1800’s in the U.S. both Irish and Scottish immigrants played pranks on Halloween night and then laid the blame on the elves, fairies, goblins and witches.

The phrase “trick or treat” is an American one and became popular in the late 1930’s when the door to door begging was introduced nationwide in an attempt to stop the “tricking” practice of the holiday which had become quite violent. What had started as simply knocking over outhouses, soaping windows and removing gates from fences, soon became more destructive and dangerous to property as well as animals and humans.

Now let’s fast forward to modern day, what do you think? Is Halloween is all about costumes and candy or do you believe that the dead really walk the earth? Should we paint our faces in fear?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Magic Monday: The Unfaithful Widow

Magic Monday, the day of Romance presents...

 

The Unfaithful Widow

Synopsis: After twenty years of marriage to her high school sweetheart, Tess Malone thought she’d married the perfect guy. When Darren dies in a horrific car accident, Tess soon learns that her marriage wasn’t so perfect after all. On an unexpected trip to New York, she discovers that her ate husband had been living a double life. Bitter and heartbroken, Tess and her best friend hit the clubs in New York, where she literally falls in the arms of a young prince charming, Greg Thomas. Will Greg’s charming, seductive smiles and romantic French quotes be enough to open her heart to love again? Or will he, too, shatter what’s left of it?

 

Here's what People had to say about it

Raise your hand when you're done and tell me you would love to see more of these fun, amazing characters.  

Their instant and completely consuming love brings out a heart that Tess has long hidden.  

If you enjoy a character driven romance with some great twists and a lot of fun and a big dose of sexy, this book is for you!

Buy it Now :) Amazon

 

A little something about J.S. Wilsoncroft

J.S. Wilsoncroft was born and raised in the small town of Curwensville, Pennsylvania. Her mother and father taught her to be strong and never give up on her dreams, even though as a teenager she wasn’t sure what those dreams were. It wasn’t until she was older that she decided she wanted some kind of job working with animals. So, at the age of 23, she got her dog grooming license and has been grooming puppies ever since. It wasn’t until five years ago that she started writing. She woke up one morning with this story on her mind and as the day grew on, so did the story. She finally decided to sit down at her computer and started typing. That’s when her first book, “Roller Coaster Love” was born. After that, writing stories came to her as easy as grooming dogs. Now, Wilsoncroft has her hands full being a wife, mother of two children, and three yappy dogs, full-time dog groomer, and as a part time writer.

Where to find J.S. Wilsoncroft

Website
Facebook
Blog
Twitter@jswilsoncroft

 

Hugs,

Keira Kroft

www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/keirakroft

http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66

Welcome to Six Sentence Sunday! :D

Here is an excerpt of Glow in the Dark, on sale now!

 

“How is Molly?” asked Mel.

With a sob, Corey threw her arms around Jake.

Melanie stumbled backward. “No, no, that little angel can’t be dead. She can’t be dead.”

Buy it now :) http://www.amazon.com/Glow-in-the-Dark

Check out other awesome Teasers :) Six SentenceSunday.

I have seen a huge increase in sales since I started Six Sentence Sunday. Thank you to the Triple S ladies and everybody that stopped by, and the buyers. I love you :)

Have an awesome Sunday!

Cheers,
Keira

Freaky Friday: Scorned

Freaky Fiday presents...Scorned: A LeKrista Scott, Vampire Hunted Novel by Tyffani Clark Kemp. 

 

A little something about Scorned

"LeKrista Scott has killed a vampire, and now his lover wants revenge.

After months of watching her from the shadows, Lucretious, a millennia old vampire, finally makes his attack during a party thrown by his maker, Roman - a party where Roman proclaims his protection over LeKrista. Roman steps in and saves her life, but not before she deals Lucretious the true death in front of his lover, Perdita. Now LeKrista is running for her life and Roman is trying to save it, but she’s not sure if he really cares or if he has some underhanded reason for keeping her alive. She seeks help from Mages but they refuse to help her, even though she exhibits high potential as a Mage herself. In a last ditch effort, Roman whisks LeKrista away to his Colorado home, but Perdita finds them. In an amazing display of magical ability, LeKrista eliminates Perdita by absorbing her - magic, essence, and all."

Excerpt from Scorned, by Tyffani Clark Kemp

 "Where is Edgar?" Parashie asked. I would never tell her that I thought her accent was beautiful.

 I motioned to the office. "He’s having a private meeting."

 Parashie rolled her eyes and stalked to the office door. Her stilettos thumped on the carpeted wood floor, making it sound hollow underneath, and it probably was.

 I didn’t try to stop her from opening the door. I have no qualms about letting her and the others know just how little I care for them. It would serve her right for calling me "common girl" for so long if she got in trouble.

Eddy looked up when the door opened and his client whipped his head around. Shock and fear rolled off of him and filled my head. My heart sped up like I was experiencing his fear. I could feel his eyes locked on me. They were full of a power I didn’t understand. I felt a niggle at the base of my skull and my head ticked to the right in a sort of shiver. The man frowned at me, blinked, and then it was gone.

Eddy was livid, his face flushed with anger. He shouted something at Parashie in Russian and rose out of his chair to block any view of his guest. Eddy looked and sounded the most manly I’d ever heard him. I realized, if he wasn’t such an ass I might be attracted to him.

"I didn’t know you spoke Russian," I said quietly, mostly to myself than anything, but it seemed the wrong thing to do. Eddy heard me and, when he turned to look, his face had blanched to a creamy white. He looked sick, like he might pass out.

"Shut the door!" Eddy shouted one last time, enunciating each word like Parashie was stupid.

 Parashie screamed something in her native tongue and slammed the door like a spoiled child. Then, she turned on me and shouted, "Don’t you have some work to do?"

 "I have to get my pills from my car," I said and hurried out of the building. I wasn’t in the mood for a fight, and she was wearing stilettos, too? No, thanks. She could keep them.

 I keep my Clonidine in the console of my beat up Honda Civic. I suffer from Epilepsy and a mild case of Tourette’s Syndrome. I haven’t had a seizure in years and I keep the tics at bay with the pills. I don’t have vocal tics, the kind where you shout random words for no reason. Instead I have motor tics and sometimes my body will just shudder. It starts with the weird feeling at the base of my skull then travels my spine like a shiver. Those are mostly gone too, except for special occasions.

I popped the pill and swallowed without water before I headed back inside. I ignored Parashie, who sat sulking in the corner, not doing any work whatsoever.

 The meeting was over before I made it to the backroom. Eddy walked out first, his head down and his tail tucked between his legs, so to speak. The client came next, hands in his pockets, head held high. He was attractive, too attractive.

"I will speak with you again soon, Eddy," he said in an accent I couldn’t place. Accent whore that I am I loved it.

 Eddy nodded. We all watched the man leave, even Parashie was enamored with him. Eddy seemed to come out of the stupor first, though he speared me with a look and said, "Back to work, Mizz Scott."

Where to find the rock'in Tyffani Clark Kemp
Facebook
Facebook Fan Page
Blog
Twitter: @moviestareyes
Goodreads


Hugs,
Keira Kroft
www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/keirakroft
http://twitter.com/#!/KeiraKroft66

BITTWT: Anne Rice's Armand

Welcome to Blood is Thicker Than Water Thursday.

I am a huge Anne Rice and Lestat fan. However my favorite has always been Armand. Then again Ringo was always my favorite Beatle, so maybe I just root for the underdog, none the less...I love Armand. And here is why...

The Vampire Armand (1998) is the sixth novel in Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series.

With Lestat still in slumber after his adventures in Memnoch the Devil, the vampire coven is united around the "brat prince" (a nickname for Lestat given by Marius), and the vampire David Talbot takes the opportunity to request that Armand tell David his life story. Armand, who first appeared in Interview with the Vampire, agrees to tell his tale.

Born somewhere in the eastern European state of Kiev in the late 15th century, Armand (at this time called Andrei) becomes an icon painter in a monastery. He is forcefully taken out of this life of prayer and devotion by slave traders, who take him to Constantinople and then to Venice, where he is destined to work in a brothel. Soon after his arrival in Venice he is purchased by the vampire Marius de Romanus (whose life story is told in Blood and Gold), who names him Amadeo.

In Venice, Marius lives the extravagant life of a respected Renaissance painter, and mentors many boys who serve as his apprentices. Marius provides his apprentices with education, shelter, food, and he assists them in finding respectable positions once they are grown. Life in Marius' villa is a stark contrast to the poverty, hunger and disease described elsewhere in the city. Over time, Amadeo's relationship to Marius develops and they become much closer than Marius is with any of the other boys. In addition to developing a sexual relationship, Amadeo sleeps in Marius' bed, is privy to special privileges, and becomes something of a 'head boy' in the household. Still, Marius maintains strict control over Amadeo, and expects industriousness from him in all things.

When Amadeo comes of age (the book is not specific, but he is most likely 15 or 16 at this point), Marius begins Amadeo's education in sexuality and coupling. He takes Amadeo to a brothel, where Amadeo remains for several days. Amadeo later visits a male brothel for several days, and while there makes several observations about the difference in sexual activities with the different genders. There is a distinct bisexuality to Amadeo's nature, as he enjoys activity with either sex. He later has a brief affair with an Englishman called Lord Harlech. Harlech becomes obsessed with Amadeo, but his love is not returned. During this period, Amadeo also befriends Bianca Solderini, a wealthy debutante and courtesan whose primary role in life seems to be to throw nightly parties. Amadeo ultimately seduces the willing Bianca.

Marius eventually divulges his vampire nature to Amadeo, who almost immediately begins asking to be made a vampire. Marius shows Amadeo some of what it means to be immortal, and allows him to join him in the hunt on several occasions. He tells Amadeo that they must always focus on killing evildoers. They assist Bianca by murdering her kinsmen who force her to poison those they have borrowed money from.

Eventually, on a night when Marius is out of the country, Lord Harlech breaks into Marius's palazzo and attacks Amadeo, murdering two apprentices in the process. Amadeo kills Harlech, but not before the Englishman wounds him with a poisoned sword. Amadeo falls critically ill, and over several days falls into fever and delusions. Upon returning and finding Amadeo on his deathbed, Marius heals Amadeo's external wounds, cleans and grooms him, then gives him the Dark Gift, turning him into a vampire.

Marius sets out to train Amadeo, and sets up a coffin in a secret basement with his own. Marius retains high expectations of Amadeo, and forces him to continue his education in the arts. Amadeo's transition to vampire is relatively easy for him, although the Dark Gift brings about nightmares of his childhood. Marius and Amadeo return to Russia, where Amadeo visits his old school and home. He finds his elderly mother and father there, reveals that he is alive, and says farewell to them, leaving them with all the money and jewels he has with him. This is generally a happy reunion, as Amadeo is able to let go of his mortal background and his parents are able to see that their beloved son is alive (so to speak) and thriving. Though this reunion allows Amadeo to let go of his mortal background, discovering that his father is alive (Amadeo believed he was dead) and a drunkard hurts him deeply.

Shortly after returning to Venice, the vampire Santino and his coven (the "Children of Darkness") attack Marius' home, kidnap Amadeo and the apprentices, and burn the villa. Marius is burned and thought to be destroyed; his boys are taken to a bonfire that the coven has created and thrown in one by one as Amadeo watches. Santino spares Amadeo and educates him in the laws of the Coven. Amadeo later goes to Paris, changes his name to Armand, and creates his own coven under the Cimetière des Innocents, which Lestat would years later drastically impact thus resulting in the creation of the Théâtre des Vampires (featured in the earlier novel Interview with the Vampire).

Armand also shares with David his version of some of the events recounted by Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with the Vampire: the end of the Théâtre des Vampires and the time that Armand and Louis shared together. The book also chronicles Armand's feelings about several of the major vampire characters from the previous books. It is also revealed that Armand thinks he saw Bianca in Paris in the 18th century, and has wondered ever since if Marius made her a vampire.

In the final segment of the book, Armand explains what occurred to him after the final chapters of Memnoch the Devil. At the end of Memnoch the Devil, Armand rushes into the open daylight and appears to be destroyed in a conflagration. Armand explains to David that by some means beyond his understanding he survived, and ended up on a rooftop in a stairwell protected from further exposure to the sun. However, he is badly burned and unable to move or fully function. While in this delirious state, he makes a mental connection to two children in a nearby apartment - Sybelle and Benji. The connection is forged through Sybelle's constant piano playing.

Eventually, Armand is able to reach out to the children and lead them to him. They believe he is an angel, but are moderately unsurprised when Armand divulges his true nature to them. Armand cannot hunt, so the two agree to trick a drug dealer up to the apartment so that Armand may feed on him. The plan works, and ultimately Armand is fully healed. He becomes friends with Sybelle and Benji and ultimately falls in love with them, showing to a certain degree a lolita complex. He shares his wealth with them without limit, mirroring the relationship Marius had with him to a certain degree.

Armand brings them to see Lestat, which he has some concerns about since vampires are traditionally not safe for mortals to be around. After trying to wake Lestat from his catatonic state, Armand returns to Marius's house to discover that Marius has given Benji and Sybelle the Dark Gift. Armand is at first furious at Marius because he wanted Sybelle and Benji to have full, mortal lives. The fact that Benji is ecstatic about the prospect of eternal life, only serves to fuel his anger. Marius explains to Armand that he did it since Armand never could without the two coming to hate him for it. Marius is willing to take the burden of Sybelle and Benji's eventual anger.

Sexual themes

Like many of Rice's novels, The Vampire Armand deals with various aspects of human sexuality. Although the vampires themselves can not have intercourse, they do have a sexuality about them and practice their version of homosexuality, bisexuality and sadomasochism. Such seems to be a recurrent theme throughout Anne Rice's books, as well as pederasty, as Armand is just past puberty when Marius first takes him as a lover. Another example, is instances where Armand is visiting brothels, and gives a detailed description of the "pleasure" he obtained at the hands of "beautiful boys". The mortal human characters are also largely portrayed as bisexual, both in the medieval and modern day periods covered in the novel.

Sex is used throughout the novel as both a reward and a punishment, and to a large extent drives some of the conflict between characters. An example of a such a relationship, is that between Marius and Armand. There are also recurrent themes of BDSM within the novel, as well as disambiguous references to "sleeping beauty" awakening from her slumber, perhaps a reference to Anne Rice's earlier work, the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy.

And the best part for me, is that he was portrayed by Antonio Banderas in Interview with the Vampire.

Hugs,
Keira Kroft
www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com
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