Life's Seductive Beauty

Tag: vampires

  • The Vampire Path to Rebirth and Wonder

    “I was a newborn vampire, weeping at the beauty of the night.“

    Anne Rice, Interview with a Vampire

    The Vampire Path to Rebirth

    A “newborn vampire”—when I saw this quote out of context, the term newborn struck me. Being newborn is to experience everything anew, with wonder. It’s to be present, in the moment. We hold on to that ability in childhood and often lose it as adults. Maybe a vampire provides a path to rebirth, whether good or bad.

    Is the vampire’s path to rebirth part of their lasting appeal?

    Rebirth As Passion and Wonder

    I hear the terms melodrama and purple prose often used in critiques of vampire novels, and the critiques aren’t incorrect. However, isn’t that, at least for one segment of the vampire genre, sort of the point? I know it’s why I read vampire novels—for the chance to experience the lushness of life, the miracle of things we hardly see anymore, the chance to be naively poetic and to wonder at everything.

    New love—whether love of another person or love of history or art or cooking or mathematics—is infused with passion, focused and dedicated, wondering at each new feature learned. Emotions are intensified, senses in tune.

    Is the vampire’s path a rebirth of knowledge or love?

    It was for me when I first read Anne Rice’s novels as a teen. And it is for me as I write my vampire short stories and novels now. I’ve also heard the appeal of melodrama attributed to escapism. I don’t deny luxuriating in the sensual world might be escape from daily living and even from finding refuge in something grander. But I find that often in vampire stories, vampires do come to find something beyond themselves, turn to something ethical or sublime. It’s a journey this rebirth.

    Of course, vampires appeal to writers and readers for other reasons too: power, immunity, vengeance, immortality. But for this moment, I’m looking at these particular words from Anne Rice, reassured that vampires in fiction are still around for a reason.

    Beside the Darker Shore is available in ebook or paperback at most online retailers. Universal Buy Link.

  • Five-Star Review for Vampire Novel

    Tom Olbert gives a five-star-review to the vampire novel Beside the Darker Shore.

    “Esposito has a vivid and delicious power of imagery reminiscent of Ray Bradbury; every dewdrop sliding off every blade of grass and the crackle of every autumn leaf resonates in a narrative that flows like sweet, dark wine. The story takes us from the streets, harbor-side parks and alleyways of Boston to the villas and forests of Spain in a tale of political ambition, moral conflict, love and insatiable animal passion.”

    “Complex and unpredictable, this one will keep you guessing, like an on-going nightmare landscape of sultry silver moonlight. Go buy this one.”

    Read the full review on Goodreads!

    [Author’s note: The review is so beautifully written, and I’ve found the author has many of his own works out. You might like to check those out too! I know I’m going to.]

    Universal Buy Link

  • Five-star review for vampire novel

    Five-star review of Beside the Darker Shore

    Excerpt:

    “Beside the Darker Shore is different. It is not your usual vampire tale. There is no sex in the book, per se, but it is one of the most powerfully sensual books I have read. When humans offer their blood to vampires, the eroticism of the bloodletting has no need for sex. When Stephen is in the throes of his addiction for donating, he is lost to everything but that act in that moment. Ms. Esposito beautifully conveys the addiction and the yearning for the giving through her words…I liked the characters. While there are villains in Beside the Darker Shore, they are not the stereotypical villains of vampire novels…I hope Ms. Esposito is planning a sequel or prequel. There are many unanswered questions and these are characters that have not left my mind since I finished the book.”

    Available at all major booksellers. Universal Buy Link.

     

  • A seduction

    From the peach tree, ripe fruit drops to the dark hillside. Under his cool lips, her skin is tender and ready to be pricked. Full-leafed branches tremble at the wind. With her shiver, a rain of ready fruit drums to earth, thunder in her gut, her blood ready to pour.

    More vampire writings at

  • Five-star review for new vampire novel!

    Two Lips has given my vampire novel Beside the Darker Shorea five-star review, saying “It is not your usual vampire tale. There is no sex in the book, per se, but it is one of the most powerfully sensual books I have read. When humans offer their blood to vampires, the eroticism of the bloodletting has no need for sex.”

    Of the four men struggling for happiness, she says, “While there are villains in Beside the Darker Shore, they are not the stereotypical villains of vampire novels. There was no right or wrong. …For the pain each of these men brings to the other, it is hard to dislike any of them. Each is fighting for what he believes.”
    She ends saying the characters remained with her well after the reading, which makes me happy, since I do intend a sequel!

  • Commonly Misused, Misspelled Words and Phrases

    Spell check doesn’t necessarily catch words that are spelled correctly but chosen incorrectly. Here’s a list of some of the most common I’ve found in my editing experience. (Written in a certain vein, because vampires need proper grammar too.)

    accept/except:

    Of course I’ll accept (agree with, allow) your tongue at my throat. After the summer drought, I thirst for everything except (excluding, omitting) the thought of your departure.

    affect/effect:

    What will be the effect (result) of this dry, hot summer? More than these lost barley rows, the drought will affect (influence/cause a response) the substance of my blood, my ability to quench your constant need.

    (Usually, “effect” is the noun, and “affect” is the verb; however, “effect” is sometimes used as a verb, as in, The drought effected (to bring about) great change in my body. And sometimes “affect” can be used as a noun, as in, He affected (assumed) a wry humor that belied his concern at the loss of blood.)

    capitol/capital:

    On the stairs of the old capitol (the building only), we waited for the sun to rise over the state’s capital (town or city holding government), and for a moment, we forgot our impending death, content with the joy of last night’s capital (financial assets) blood gains.

    ensure/insure:

    If she were to acquiesce to his demand, Emily would first ensure (make certain) the well-being of her family and insist the vampire insure (plan money payment for loss) her against the loss of her royal blood.

    farther/further:

    I will not go one step farther (physical distance) if you speak any further (abstract quantity) about my own lust being greater than yours; we are the same.

    its/it’s:

    It’s (it is) the memory of sun on new green leaves and its (possessive/belonging to) bright heat on the farmhouse porch that keeps me at the window past dawn’s torturous waking.

    lightning/lightening:

    Although the heavy storm clouds were lightening (lesser in weight) beyond his black cape blowing, the horizon sparked with lightning (electrical force).

    principle/principal:

    The principal (main, foremost) goal of our midnight meeting was to establish the principles (rule, truth) by which our passion could be sated without offending the now sterile principal (chief person, head) of our vampire coven.

    proceed/precede:

    The wedding party will precede (to go or come before) the vampire bride, who will then proceed (to go on or move forward) into the reception hall to taste the guests.

    stationary/stationery:

    Before composing my letters of consolation on this vibrant green stationery (writing paper), I must find a table more stationary (motionless, unmoving) than these skeletal remains of my month-long feast.

    their/there/they’re:

    They’re (they are) forever dancing up there (in a place), all these black and starless nights, in their (possessive, belonging to) translucent skin and ghostly gauze dress.

    who’s/whose:

    I hope that the vampire who’s (who is) dancing above my ceiling knows whose (possessive, belonging to) black heels and heart have danced there once too.

    you’re/your:

    With all these rules you devise for self-protection, you’re (you are) still left no choice but to follow what most ignites your (possessive, belonging to you) absolute and undeniable need.