Okay, so my next post was supposed to be about lycans…but this is too exciting not to share!!
On a day that started like any other Wednesday – me bleary eyed and gulping down coffee whilst stumbling around getting myself ready for school – I was greeted by a fabulous email from my publisher…Blood Shadows is back at the top!
In the Summer, I was bouncing off the walls with excitement when Blood Shadows hit the No. 1 spot in the U.S. Amazon Gothic Romance chart. Not convinced I’d ever get that close again, I made the most of the moment. But now today, Blood Shadows is back – and at No.2! 😀
Not just that but No. 6 in the Vampire Romance Chart on Amazon.com… 😀
My home country is being equally as supportive, with BOTH Blood Shadows and Blood Roses in the Top 4 in the Gothic Romance Chart on Amazon UK! 😀
Convincing readers to try your books is tough, really tough – especially when they have no idea who you are. Sometimes comparisons help. I get compared to J.R. Ward more than any other author. Some readers are in agreement, some are not. I’ve only read one of Ms Ward’s books so I’m nowhere in a position to comment, but I do know what an incredible author she is. So when I stumbled on this comment yesterday, I was beyond flattered – even more so because it was posted by the awesome Ilsa Madden-Mills, author of the Amazon bestseller Very Bad Things:
“…holy hell, I stumbled across a vampire book by a British author Lindsay J. Pryor. It’s layered and deep and riveting and sexy all rolled into one. It reminded me a little of the Ward books, although…and this is hard for me…I think they are better. Yes, I said it. Don’t get me wrong, Ward is my all-time fav paranormal romance writer, but Lindsay managed to combine the dark with MORE sexy…”
So, as I’m sure this recent chart peak is no fluke, I want to say a MASSIVE thank you to Ilsa Madden-Mills for her public declaration of fandom for Blood Shadows and to the equally fantastic Maryse of Maryse’s Book Blog for posting Ilsa’s comment on her blog. Ladies, you’re wonderful!
And, of course, to everyone who has recently bought a copy of Blood Shadows (and Blood Roses), I want to say HUGE thanks to you too – this doesn’t happen without you. Welcome to Blackthorn!
A year ago yesterday, I signed a three-book deal with Bookouture for my Blackthorn series. That contract is almost at an end, with the first two books published and Blood Torn in the process for publication over the forthcoming weeks. I’m not sure where this year has gone.
I have to be honest, my call never worked out as I’d imagined it would. Bearing in mind I’d resolved at the age of thirteen that I was going to become a professional author one day, I’d certainly had plenty of daydreams about how it might eventually transpire.
There was the ultimate fantasy, of course: One pristine submission targeted at the right editor/publisher at exactly the right time. They’d be in touch the next day, in awe of my talent. I’d be signing a multiple-book deal. We’d be talking of a life-long relationship between publisher and author. Never would I have to face the slush pile again…
Then there was the more realistic dream: Preparing the best submission I could with my limited synopsis and pitch writing talents, trying to convince an editor in some distant publishing house that my book really is worth a read. Several submissions later, no doubt into double (if not triple) figures, I’d finally snag someone’s interest and they’d give me a chance. Better still, I’d sell enough copies that they’d request the second book, maybe even a third.
I most certainly hadn’t expected the stuff of fairy tales – for a publisher to find me instead of the other way around! I’d not long had a rejection for Blood Roses after waiting eighteen months for a definitive answer from a competition I had entered it into. Despite a round-up of support from readers and fellow writers who had read my entry, a part of me had resolved that I’d been right to keep Blackthorn tucked away for so many years. After all, if I couldn’t convince an editor from the publishing house where Blackthorn had finalled in their competition twice, what hope did I have?
Only I’m not very good at giving up, especially when it comes to my writing. Because after three decades of ploughing away, I know that, talent and luck aside, one thing every author needs is grit determination.
I mention this now because a handful of my writer friends entered ‘So You Think You Can Write’ last month – the sister competition to the one I was a finalist in back in 2010 and 2011. Last week, those friends found out they hadn’t got through. And I know that gut-wrenching feeling of disappointment only too well. It was certainly rife eighteen months ago – something I managed to suppress only by focusing my attention on preparing submissions.
I had only just started the process when out of the blue came a request from Bookouture. Ironically, they had discovered me through the competition I had failed to snag publication with. In less than a month, I was offered a three-book deal. A month of contract negotiations followed that – a scary thing when you don’t have an agent! After lots of research and help from the Society of Authors, I ecstatically signed on the dotted line, entrusting my launch as an author as well as the beginnings of Blackthorn with Bookouture. And the series couldn’t have found a better home.
Needless to say I have loved every moment. Fifteen months ago, I’d never have believed that within a year I’d be working with a top-notch editor, or have Henry Steadman designing my first two book covers. I certainly wouldn’t have believed that a Hollywood film executive would compliment me on my world building, or that I’d hit number one in Gothic Romance on Amazon.com, let alone have such fantastic reviews. Even more than that, I wouldn’t have believed it possible I’d receive emails from readers thanking me for writing Blackthorn. Because that’s what matters more than anything else – that readers want to read about Blackthorn and it’s inhabitants.
So, for all my amazing supporters, my contract might be coming to an end, but I can assure you Blackthorn is far from over. Whilst you’re awaiting Blood Torn’s release, my head is already focused on the rest of the series.
This time last year, I had notebooks upon notebooks of world-building, plot lines and character information with year-on-year developments and amendments scribbled all over them. Over the past twelve months, in-between edits and writing Blood Torn, I set myself the task of gradually condensing and updating my notes – primarily to ensure that each book being published contained all the right elements at the right time. It’s been quite a task as some of the original aspects have undergone a natural evolution while the characters have taken hold.
And I’m so glad I started to plan ahead because Bookouture has already asked to see outlines for further Blackthorn books!
The rest of Blackthorn – just a few more notebooks to condense!
So now I’m tasked with condensing the rest of the series into a meaningful few paragraphs. It’s like being in an interview, when the introduction begins with: “Tell us something about yourself.” You know exactly what’s happened the last twenty-plus years of your life, but summarising it isn’t quite as easy as you first think. Only I’ve got eight lives, so to speak, to somehow make comprehensive to those who live outside of my head. It’s most definitely the biggest challenge I’ve faced this year, so please keep your fingers crossed that I do it justice. I don’t know about you, but I’d love another year of Blackthorn ahead.
And as for my friends – as well as other writers – still on the road to publication, please know you’re in good company. Make the most of every opportunity, because one risky submission back in 2010 changed things for me in a way I never saw coming. Just as I never saw, back in the Autumn of 1996, that getting lost would lead to Blackthorn being created. Sometimes life truly is stranger than fiction – not that you ever get away with that in a synopsis. 😉
In my last post, I shared my visit to the Minack theatre in Cornwall (South West England) where I indulged in my love for Wuthering Heights.
We only visited our neighbouring county for a couple of days unfortunately, but Cornwall is full of myths, legends and prehistoric sites. Particularly famous are the 4,000 year-old Standing Stones which can be found throughout the county – sometimes alone and sometimes in groups or circles. Not unlike the famous Stonehenge, the true reasons for their construction has been lost over time but have been attributed to both Christian and pagan influences.
Cornwall is most notably renowned for its association with the legendary King Arthur. A while ago, I wrote a post about Tintagel being his acclaimed birthplace – but the legend stretches far beyond that small town.
The night after visiting The Minack, we travelled a few more miles to reach the most westerly point of England. There, surrounded on three sides by sea, is Land’s End.
The famous Land’s End sign post…er, slightly photoshopped for Blackthorn purposes. 😉
One of the most famous features of Land’s End can no longer be seen. In fact, it disappeared some nine centuries ago. Midway between Land’s End and the Isles of Scilly beyond is the rumoured English Atlantis – the mythical lost land of Lyonesse. Mentioned in Arthurian literature as the home of Tristan, it was inexplicably engulfed by the sea.
The only claimed survivor was a man called Trevilian, who rode a white horse before the waves. Even now, sailors claim they can sometimes hear ghostly bells from the church beneath the water.
A mocha – and the lost land of Lyonesse hidden beneath the waves beyond?
It was at Land’s End, over a decade ago, that I bought two silver rings (which you can see hints of in the photos) hand crafted by a real pirate! Well, he flies the flag (as you can see below) and certainly looks like he could be. It was from these, all those years ago, that I first developed the idea of Leila’s protest rings as featured in Blood Roses.
And talking of Blackthorn, if you follow me on Facebook you would have seen that I promised a very exciting opportunity coming soon for one lucky Blackthorn fan. More news of that in my next post! 🙂
Batty flying the flag for British Gothic paranormal romance.
I was beside myself with excitement this morning when my wonderful publisher Bookouture, emailed to let me know Blood Shadows has hit the top spot.
For the first time ever, Blood Shadows reached number 1 in the Amazon.com Gothic Romance chart.
Not just that, but number 3 in the Amazon.com Paranormal Romance chart.
As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Blood Shadows hit number 103 on the entire Amazon.com kindle charts!!
It’s even at number 6 in the UK Amazon Gothic Romance chart!
Rankings forever fluctuate so, yes, I’m making the most of the moment. 🙂
Thank you so, so much to everyone who has helped spread the word about my Blackthorn books – let alone Bookouture for working so hard to get my books into the hands of readers. And for everyone who heard this news earlier today, thank you for your amazing comments of support on Twitter, my Facebook page and your messages by email. This is SO much more fun having Team Blackthorn to share it with. Xx
I’ve tried not to be mean by making you wait this long for an update, but I’m a little bit superstitious – at least when it comes to my writing.
I have a habit of not talking about my books in too much detail until they’re finished. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve always been the same. Of course, the biggest advantage over this past year has been that both Blood Shadows and Blood Roses were written before I signed with Bookouture. I could happily ramble away about them weeks in advance because the entire story was already on the page.
Blood Torn wasn’t written. In fact, like with the other books to come, Blood Torn was a mass of notes and a partial write in the abyss I call ‘The Blackthorn Pile’. But it’s written now! 🙂
Yesterday, I officially typed the last line. And I beamed. In fact, the first thing I did was email my editor and publisher to let them know I’d finished – I was that excited.
And the excitement wasn’t just because I’d written another book (although that’s an amazing feeling in itself as all writers out there will know), it’s because Blood Torn was my first ever book written under contract. Yesterday was the first time I’d finished a book and, instead of turning into a self-depreciating bundle of nerves and sliding it into the pile to start another, or a short story, or make more notes, I knew it was actually going to see the light of day. That in itself was a journey…
I was fine clapping my hands in glee at signing my three-book deal all those months ago – after all, two books were already sewn up with some straightforward editing ahead. But book three, as I realised when the nerves hit, was a whole different ball game. I’d never written to a deadline. I’d never even written with any expectations – let alone those of waiting readers and a publisher with equally high standards. That can put pressure on a writer. I had one other minor complication too. When the time came for me to start working on Blood Torn, I’d only been back in work for few short months. I’d been poorly for most of the year before and was technically still in recovery. I knew I was going to have to manage it all very carefully – the writing, the social media, my day job, rest times and, of course, launching Blood Shadows and Blood Roses too. But I’ve done it (yay!), and have loved every moment.
It has been a lot of work, but with that has also come the readers, the friendships that I’ve formed, the contagious excitement, my dream continuing to evolve, the sense of achievement and, not least, the sheer pleasure of writing. Once again, creating Blood Torn has reminded me why I do this. Quite frankly, it’s because I love this job with a passion. And here’s a huge thanks to Team Blackthorn who, thankfully, also regularly let me know they love what I do too. I know you’re itching to know more.
So now Blood Torn is finished, now that the edits are soon to be underway, I can let you in on a few things. Not today though. But you might want to keep next week free. 🙂
Yesterday, I had my first birthday as a published author.
Those who have been following me for a while might remember a post I wrote around this time last year. I included a picture of the electronic typewriter I’d had for my 13th birthday after resolutely announcing I was going to be an author one day. It’s strange to think that less than 12 months ago, my hopes were still a bundle of dreams.
Well, it’s taken 26 years (why rush?) to get there, but I’m finally wearing the official badge. And it’s no longer my electric typewriter I’m willingly glued to for hours on end… (can anyone spot Batty?)
(No, my books never leave my side when I’m writing. Yes, the pile of paperwork in the left hand corner are my Blood Torn notes.)
And I couldn’t have asked for a better lead-up to my birthday this year. After announcing last week that I’d reached the top 10 in Amazon’s Gothic Romance chart in Germany, I then reached the top 20 here in the UK.
On the weekend, I was thrilled with an awesome review for Blood Roses from Lindsey Clarke, which then got picked up by local online newspaper The South West Artists’ Daily.
As for the day itself, there came the arrival of some vamptastic custom-made biscuits courtesy of the lovely Tracey Rogers (they taste as good as they look, Tracey!).
And these were followed by a plateful of scrummy choc-chip Blackthorn birthday cupcakes organised by my wonderful husband. Even the icing is edible!
As well as spending the best part of the day on the North Devon coastline with my better half, I also managed to squeeze in some time with Henry Cavill – albeit it on the big screen. Being a sci-fi and fantasy geek, I was really excited to see the new Superman film.
For those who follow me on Pinterest, you’ll know I picked out Henry Cavill when I had to find some Kane lookalikes as guidance for my book cover designer. Having no idea who he was, but now having finally seen in him action, I know I chose well – he has the perfect Kane scowl if ever I’ve seen one!
I think it was finally confirmed when Superman and Lois were alone in the interrogation room (sound familiar?).
I leaned across to my husband and whispered, “Definitely works as Kane.”
My husband nodded, even though he’s only read the opening chapters of Blood Shadows. “I can see why.”
This was promptly followed by Lois asking Superman, “What’s the ‘S’ for?”
Hubbie instantly leaned back across and whispered, “Soul ripper.”
I stifled my giggles. Obviously. He might not have read the books yet, but clearly I talk about them more than I realise! Hmm, that’s become something of a habit lately.
Some of us have waited a few weeks, some a few months, New Voices fans of Blood Roses have been waiting almost three years. Me? Well, it must be over a decade since I first had thoughts of serryns and the darkest of vampires…
Thanks to the AWESOME Bookouture (and I will continue to sing their praises no matter how excessive because, sincerely, they are THE best publisher) – my dream of bringing Blackthorn to readers continues.
And it is those readers who are already making this an incredible launch day for me. Quite simply, without them, days like this don’t happen. For months now, some have worked really hard in the background – commenting on my posts here and on other sites, leaving messages and likes on Facebook, sharing and retweeting, dropping me supportive emails and, let’s not forget, writing those all-important reviews. ALL of it makes a difference – not least to me personally. I can’t thank you enough.
So, what’s happening today?
The two main things are…
1) The Bites are spreading!
If you have time to peruse, check out some of these fantastic bloggers who very kindly jumped on board to spread the word about Blood Roses. For all their relentless support these past few months, I offered them exclusive access to the bank of pending Blood Roses Bites so they could pick their favourite to share. But these are Blackthorn readers we’re talking about – and this passionate bunch always go the extra mile. Do please take a look at some of these fab sites from Australia, South Africa, USA and the UK, (in alphabetical order!!)… Fiona Chapman, Lindsey (aka Linzi) Clarke, Aimee Duffy, Amity Grays, Jane Hunt, Tima Maria Lacoba, Tracey Rogers and Michelle Smart to see what they have to say. Gee, you lot have brought tears to my eyes!! Really. And coming a little later: Incy Black, Alison Lodge and Rae Rivers. I also want to say a massive thanks to Martine Lamerton who doesn’t have a blog, but is spreading the word on Facebook, as well as my lovely fellow bloggers on the Hot Pink Typewriter who are letting me put up a Bite later today. And not least, I want to say a HUGE thanks to my wonderfully supportive husband who is not only spreading the word to EVERYONE he knows, but even took the day off to share my launch day with me.
My personal favourite Bite?
2) Exclusive Interview!
I’m also doing an exclusive launch-day interview with Bookouture at 3 pm today (UK time). I’d love you to come and say hi if you can! Oliver Rhodes knows what questions to ask to get me to talk… this really is a MUST-READ for curious Blackthorn fans.
There could be more things happening too – which I’ll post on Twitter and Facebook later.
So, that’s it! The book’s out, it’s being downloaded and posted through letterboxes even as I write this. The reviews are already coming in – and, unlike Blood Shadows, they’re a mixed bag so far! Some are loving it, some are slightly more ‘cautious’. But that’s okay – as long as I continue to do my Blackthorn fans proud. Fingers crossed I will!
So to finish off, here are reviews I’ve seen this morning and have totally made my day so far:
Welcome to my final Beneath Blackthorn post – a series of posts aimed at avid fans of Blackthorn who want a little extra insight.
BEHIND BLACKTHORN
Blood Shadows has been out for five months, Blood Roses will be available within days, Blood Torn is well underway and I’m already plotting book four in the background.
It’s hard to think that when I started writing Blackthorn, I had no idea where I was going – which, ironically, is not unlike that fateful night which first inspired the series. But it never really mattered because the prospect of publication was nowhere in sight. Sometimes you just have to write because there’s a story to tell, and I wrote Blackthorn purely out of enjoyment. I was taking myself on an adventure and the more I wrote, the deeper I got.
Blackthorn certainly never started out as a plan for an interwoven series of books. My intention was a collection of independent love stories all within the same world – individuals fighting through conflict to cross barriers and learn something about others as well as something about themselves.
What quickly transpired though was something much more intricate than that. I experimented with many Blackthorn stories over the years until piles of notebooks became filled with ideas not only about structuring individual novels but a series. Over time, certain characters and their stories rose to the surface as I started to see where Blackthorn was heading. Those romances developed from short stories and novellas to become full-length novels – stories you have come to know, so far, as Blood Shadows, Blood Roses and Blood Torn.
Whilst developing the Blackthorn series, it remained important to me to keep an individual identity for each romance – for each story to vary in accordance with the characters, the circumstances and their own personal battles. It was also essential to be consistent in creating a dark, sexy and complex read that the reader would feel is building up to something.
And it’s that ‘building’ that is core to the series and all the stories contained within. After all, I think any story, first and foremost, should be a journey – whether a stand-alone book or a series, you have to go somewhere. I’ve been on quite the journey over sixteen years of constructing Blackthorn. It was my companion through some of the darkest, most terrifying times of my life. But I think that’s what makes it so important to me. I’ve always believed writing isn’t just about spilling words onto a page – it’s about feeling something as you write, because that’s how you connect the fantastical with the real. Get caught up in it. Enjoy it. Be entertained. Smile, cry, hide, drool, shake your head in frustration, yell at the page, roll your eyes, ask questions – that’s what it’s all about. I’ve certainly had plenty of those moments! All I hope is that the stories continue to intrigue you enough to keep coming back because one way or another, there’s a lot more to come!
But I can’t end these posts without acknowledging that Blackthorn wouldn’t be in readers’ hands if it wasn’t for one very special publisher. Bookouture not only ‘got it’, but subsequently decided it could be worth taking a risk on a debut paranormal romance author enthused with an overspill of ideas for a new PNR series in an already ridiculously competitive market. And for everyone who has bought into the series, you’ve proved that was a risk worth taking.
Huge thanks for taking the time to read these posts, let alone everyone who has taken the time to read and review Blood Shadows. Your responses have been so unbelievably encouraging and mean an incredible amount to me.
But is there anything I haven’t covered? Is there anything you’re still itching to know? Is there a blog post you’re desperate to see? Send me a message and let me know. When I say I love to hear from readers, I mean it. And for those who have already been dropping hints, I have some fun posts coming your way very soon – not least with Blood Rosesjust around the corner.
Welcome to my new series of posts aimed at avid fans of Blackthorn who want a little extra insight.
Being Different
Some readers and reviewers have already picked up on and commented on the social and political underpinnings of Blackthorn and have quite rightly made comparisons with some aspects of our own culture. There is most definitely a theme in my Blackthorn series that deals with prejudice and stereotyping and, not least, the judgments and assumptions we make about others. After all, the creation of Blackthorn was triggered by one simple thought – segregation.
Avid followers will already know I was inspired to create Blackthorn when I got lost in a city I’d only lived in for a matter of weeks. Finding myself alone at night in a run-down, isolated area with reinforced doors, boarded-up windows and an eerie sense of disquiet evoked all sorts of possibilities on that frightening walk home.
By this point, I’d already been writing paranormal romance for about five years – random, handwritten stories that piled up under my bed. After that night, a world started to form and, with it, a structure. And, as barricaded societies were forged, forbidden romances based on that conflict became inevitable (more of that in another post).
There’s nothing like segregation to bring out the raw instincts intrinsic to our nature. Humankind needs to control threats to its wellbeing or, more relevantly, what it perceives to be a threat. It is inherent to our survival. If that threat cannot be destroyed, at the very least it needs to be contained or monitored. Our very existence is structured on this principle. Even basic things such as locking our front door and checking over our shoulder on a dark night is evidence enough that, by nature, we don’t trust our own kind, let alone those we deem ‘different’. And if those outsiders are a potential threat against those we love? There’s no greater catalyst to intensify and justify that instinct ready to erupt inside us.
So what if vampires (as well as other third species) came out into the open? What if they did so claiming they weren’t a threat at all? That they were subject to centuries of misunderstandings fuelled by rumour and media? If instead of hiding, they wanted to become an active part of our society? What would the powers-that-be do? More to the point, would you give them a fair shot at proving themselves? Would you agree to one living next to you or your family? (Kane fans need not respond to that one!) Doubtful. Even the empathetic humanitarians amongst us would probably have alarm bells ringing. Accept them maybe, but at arm’s length surely?
Thus segregation would be put in place – at least in the first instance until more could be learned. This is even more likely if the powers-that-be hear of whispers that the third species coming out was, in fact, due to an ulterior motive. With that in the mix, those walls are going to be reinforced.
And so the Blackthorn district was created – a neglected and rotten core in a human-controlled locale from which there is no escape (you can learn more about the structure of the locale by checking out ‘About Blackthorn’ in the tab bar). I wanted a world that was dark, unfair and oppressive to maximise the conflict, enhanced by borders that, for some, could never be crossed. A locale not only prejudiced against the third species, but some humans too. No one has a right to equality in the newly structured locales – everyone has to earn it. An equality that, if the powers-that-be continuously alter the goalposts, will never be achieved by some.
In that respect, the Blackthorn series is about vampires as the underdog. I wanted the so-called predator controlled by the prey. Whether the predator will succeed in living up to its name, whether it’ll overcome its oppression, is one of the core questions of the stories. As to whether it even deserves to, whether the powers-that-be are actually right and justified in their approach, well, that’s wide-open at the moment.
But before I delve a little deeper into the human-orienated Global Council’s regulations, I’ll tell you about the principles they base those regulations on. I’ll be back with Beneath Blackthorn #3 on Friday, where I’ll share what is meant by ‘third species’ and why I’ve given them all ‘shadows’.
The most exciting aspect of writing fantasy is artistic license. There is no right or wrong, only what those before you have created. If you love fantasy, you’ve probably already got that switch in your brain that is willing to accept that, when it comes to fiction, anything is possible. And, if you’re anything like me, you like your writers to create a few new slants and concepts here and there to keep the subject fresh.
I always wanted Blackthorn to be an intricately built, complex world that included my own creations. I’ve lived with it a long time now. Avid followers will know it’s been sixteen years, in fact. That’s sixteen years scribbling away in the background creating things just as I wanted them, without subjecting them to scrutiny or reviews or trends. Soon, various stories became a series as I interwove naturally occurring threads that increasingly bound these standalone romances together towards an eventual conclusion.
Both of these elements – creating an unfamiliar world and developing a series – became a challenge when I needed to switch Blackthorn from being my stories to being suitable for an audience. For the first time, I had to think how I developed my world and its characters for my reader, especially with a lot to reveal, whilst avoiding painful info dumps that come hand-in-hand with having fantastical elements and concepts. And how, when I already have the bigger picture in front of me, to choose what to reveal where, when and how. It takes faith on the part of my reader that they’ll find out what they need to know when they need to know, and it takes patience on the part of me, as the author, not to spill too much too soon. It’s a very delicate balancing act.
But I know there are some readers already itching to know more – sneaky peeks into how I created the world of Blackthorn and why I have done things the way I have. So, for avid fans of Blackthorn who want that little something extra, I decided to slot in this series of posts between now and the launch of Blood Roses.
Do you need to read all these posts to enjoy the books? Are they an essential guide? No. The heart of Blackthorn is not fantasy, it is romance. Take the backdrop and subplots away, my intention from the very beginning has always been to create dark and intense, sometimes claustrophobic, character-driven romances about two individuals colliding and how they get through the conflict inherent between them. Even the series element comes out of the impact their love is going to have on the other relationships and subsequently how all the romances are going to meld to eventually shape the fate of Blackthorn. The love developing between the central characters will always be at the core, and everything you need to understand that will be right there on the page.
Instead these posts are an addition as you await my next release and I work on book 3, which I can reveal is called Blood Torn (do let me know what you think!). No other spoilers yet!!
So, if you’d like to know why Blackthorn vampires don’t ‘turn’ humans, why they bite with incisors and not canines, why I refer to them as the ‘third species’ and what the underlying themes in the series are, please come and visit every Tuesday and Friday – what triggered the creation of this series is up next.
