Guest Post by author Derek Clendening {& Giveaway for a Kindle Fire!}

Very often I’m asked why I would a story about vampires. Granted, the people asking also like to ask why I write horror at all. I write horror because I must. Vampires . . . well, let’s just say they have a broader scope than other genre creatures like werewolves and zombies. As much as they seem done to death, countless new stories are possible. To me, only ghosts have a broader scope.
     Now for a confession: The Vampire Way was nothing special at its conception. I was very young when I began writing it and I first tried to tell a run of the mill vampire tale. As I matured, the story blossomed into something much greater. Immortality has long been a word used in vampire fiction. I wanted the novel to endeavor to truly explore and understand it. To do that, I ramped up the role of the vampire depicted in the novel, and even gave some ‘Sympathy for the Devil’, so to speak. I doubt I ruined anything by doing so. Really, I gave vampires a different dimension, a reason to side with the vampire who doesn’t sparkle. 
     Rick Thompson, my protagonist, is a human in the midst of a vampire attack, and has long yearned to understand immortality. Thanks to the vampire attacks, and the ensuing emotional fallout, he is able determine what immortality is.
     No spoilers here. Rick endures an entire process to learn what immortality is. To do that, Rick faces some very dark circumstances. I’m often questioned about dark topics too. My response is that everyone encounters dark circumstances in their lives and fictional characters are no exception. By fighting vampires, Rick embarks upon a journey of self-discovery, maturity and strength. You could say that he couldn’t have become a better person had a vampire not walked into his life.
     The good news is that the novel has a little something for everyone. For readers who demand a scary vampire I have given them . . . well, a scary vampire. The novel offers heady doses of emotion for the Twilight crowd. For those who love series books, this is the first of a three book series, so stay tuned.
     The concept’s freshness is what you as a reader will have to decide. I love to hear from readers and I always respond to e-mails. Let me know if The Vampire Way uncovered new ground for you.

    To enter to win a Kindle Fire, leave your name and e-mail address in the comment form below. You can enter once per blog stop. Visit each blog stop to increase your odds of winning. If I crack the Kindle Top 100, I will give away another Kindle Fire. E-mail me for the tour newsletter including a full listing of tour stops at derek(dot) r (dot) clendening (at) gmail (dot) com.
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