VAMPIRE MANIA Talks With Terrie Leigh Relf

VAMPIRE MANIA

by Michael McCarty

Hello, my name is Michael McCarty and I’m the author of the vampire book, LIQUID DIET.

For GravesideTales.com, I’ll be writing this column, VAMPIRE MANIA, in which I will interview vampire writers and review vampire movies and books.

For this first installment, I’ve interviewed Terrie Leigh Relf, co-author of the vampire book, BLOOD JOURNEY (with Henry Lewis Sanders), which was published by Sam’s Dot Publishing (http://www.samsdotpublishing.com). Terrie is also the editor of HUNGUR MAGAZINE, a vampire magazine also published by Sam’s Dot Publishing.

INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE WRITER:      

BLOOD JOURNEYS WITH TERRIE LEIGH RELF

Vampire Mania: What was the first vampire book or movie that had a major impact on you?

Terrie Leigh Relf: I grew up watching DARK SHADOWS, SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE, and shows like that. All in black-and-white, too. Bela Lugosi and all he spawned. I actually forget which book hooked me…. I know I read Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, but it was probably something by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro or Tanith Lee that totally sold me. I’ve always been a fan of dark supernatural literature, and by the time I’d graduated from high school, I’d already read thousands of books — and comic books, too.

VM: Are you a fan of TRUEBLOOD, TWILIGHT or any of the Laurell K. Hamilton books? Why is vampire fiction so hot these days?

TLR: I’ve read TRUEBLOOD and the TWILIGHT series as well as several Laurel K. Hamilton books, and would have to say there are probably as many reasons for vampire fiction being “so hot” these days as there are people reading it. I think the TWILIGHT series was/is popular due to it being more accessible to the YA crowd — not that they aren’t sophisticated readers … but given that the vamps, etc. are teens, brings it into that realm. As to TRUEBLOOD and Hamilton’s work: Since Anne Rice stopped doing vampire fiction, there has been a gap … people who read her wanted more.

VM: You are the editor of the vampire magazine, HUNGUR. How did you get that editor gig?  How many issues have you edited so far? How can vampire fans get the magazine? And, what kind of vampire fiction are you looking for?

TLR: HUNGUR was actually born out of an ongoing dialogue with Tyree Campbell, the Managing Editor of Sam’s Dot Publishing. If I remember correctly, we were both kvetching about the lack of markets for vampire fiction and poetry, and since SDP began as a science-fiction venue back in the late 90’s with ProMart, when our friend and mentor James B. Baker was still on the planet, we discussed expanding the paradigm, which was something we both wanted to see. The speculative aspect of “What if there were vampires from other worlds?” expanded into our guidelines, and HUNGUR was born. I’ve been the editor since its inception, and while Tyree Campbell is managing editor, I get to “do my thing” with interjections by him. I’m currently reading for Issue No. 9, so since there are two issues per year, we’re going on year five.

Vampire fans can purchase HUNGUR at www.samsdotpublishing.com. When a new issue is available, you can click on the table of contents icon. An alternate way, which leads to the same place, is to click on the “Purchase Center” icon.

What am I looking for? Don’t you just love editors who respond to that question with an “I-know-a-HUNGUR-story-when-I-see-it”?  Seriously, though, we want people to stretch their imaginations beyond the usual tropes. While we want ancient vampires, it’s more that we want vampires from ancient cultures than just vampires who have lived a long time. Sumerian vampires. Vampires from ancient China and Japan. Vampires of folklore and legend from non-western cultures. That sort of thing. We also want alien vampires. That would be vamps from outer space. They don’t need to be humanoid … they can be writhing masses of tentacles and such. They can live on energy, too — not just blood. They may be shapeshifters, too.

I receive a lot of excellent stories set in current or historical times that just don’t fit with our mission. Many writers — and I include poets here, too, as we also publish five to eight poems per issue — will email me with an idea, and I’ll say “run with it.” Humor is good, too. Even satire. Van Helsing material isn’t usually accepted unless it has an unusual twist.

VM: You co-wrote the book BLOOD JOURNEY with Henry Lewis Sanders. What was it like, writing with another author? Do you have plans to write a sequel?

TLR: Ah yes, BLOOD JOURNEY. I loved working with Henry, and we’re actually working on the next book in the series, which will probably be published by SDP in 2010 or so. Hopefully. We’re also planning a third volume — maybe more.

One of the great things about Henry is that he is one of the first people to publish my work, along with ProMart, back in the late 90’s.

Collaborating is awesome when it works well, like it always has with Henry. I’m also collaborating on a novel with Edward Cox, but it’s on the backburner at the moment. Then you and I have collaborated … I think for those of us who are “chameleons” it is “easier” than with other people. We are able to get into each other’s heads, mimic each other’s style, etc. Each writer brings a skill set to the table, and in my case, I find that I’ve learned new skills in the process. It’s challenging, but energizing, too. Sharing minds and words like this.

I couldn’t work with a control freak or someone who had a vision and just brought me along for the ride. It’s effortless effort when it’s a good match — but don’t get me wrong, there are still plot and character issues to resolve, lots of back-and-forth about what works and what doesn’t. I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t meaningful to me, or to the other person. It’s a discovery process, too. Like we’re taking each other on an exploration of the caves of Io and don’t know what we’ll find there — or create. I like that. Synchronicity. Serendipity, etc.

VM: BLOOD JOURNEY is truly a blood journey, which travels through England, the United States and Greece. Why did you choose the locations in the book?

TLR: Good question. I think they just popped into our heads…. Seriously.

VM: What is it about vampire literature that you like writing?

TLR: It’s a compulsion, really. It’s funny, though, as I love to read crime thrillers and so forth, but I don’t have any desire to write them. With vampire fiction, I HAVE to write it. Not only vampires, but other proverbial supernatural characters. The supposed immortality quotient, for one, appeals to me as I have enough poetry, story, and book ideas to keep me busy for several lifetimes. Also the personal growth aspect. I believe that some vampires may have considerable wisdom. I’m big with ghosts, spirits, beings from alternate dimensions because I’ve “danced” with them my entire life. Monsters fascinate me … the human monster, too.

VM: What are the origins of The Church of the Dark Mother in BLOOD JOURNEY? How important is it to the novel? 

TLR: What?! You’ve never heard of it? You never know, you may have a priestess of the goddess Hecate, or Hekate, living next door to you. The dark arts exist, as do those based on the light. Yin-yang. Remember in THE WIZARD OF OZ, when Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, asked Dorothy: “Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?”

VM: Do you allow your characters the luxury of taking the story in an unexpected direction, or do you stick to the original outline?

TLR: Actually, I’m a character-driven writer. I believe plot emerges from the characters living it. While I do get plot ideas independently, the characters emerge and take over. So, recently, one of my biggest challenges was to plot out two novels for presentations. My usual modus operandi is to write the book and deal with plot “issues” as I go along or after the draft(s) are “done”. Sometimes, though, the entire plot unveils before me. Usually, I just “take dictation” from the voices in my head.

VM: What advice would you give to beginning vampire writers?

TLR: I should write a book about this…. Okay, here’s a short non-hierarchical list. There are always exceptions, though, as sometimes people will just think, hey, I want to write a vampire story, and voila, they write an awesome one with no specific preparation. Sometimes, all that study and research can disguise itself as procrastination…. Or, perhaps procrastination hides itself in study and research. Avoidance, etc.

1. Trust your process.

2. Watch all the movies — yes, all — and not only in English or subtitled.

3. Read all the books, stories, graphic novels and comic books you can get your hands on.

4. Subscribe to HUNGUR and buy BLOOD JOURNEY (shameless promotional soundbite!).

5. Consider what you can bring to the ongoing discussion/genre. In other words, how do you view vampires that may be different than others — trust that process! At the end of a recent HWA con, both Yarbro and another author were asked a similar question, and while I don’t remember who said what, as they were both offering their thoughts and going back-and-forth, it was something like the following: Don’t copy anyone’s work — and especially don’t copy your own. Innovation, etc.

6. Join a writer’s group — online or face-to-face — or both

7. Develop a thick skin — and not just because vampires often have fangs … but because it’s essential to share your work with others and while some new writers get accepted right off the bat (no pun intended), and may never receive a rejection, rejection is the norm.

8. One of my many mentors told me this (sorry, I forget which one as I’ve been blessed with a long line of them): Successful writers may have talent, but they also have persistence. I tell people that every rejection brings you closer to acceptance.

9. Focus on expanding your horizons as a writer all the time. One of the reasons I love being a writer is, there’s always something new to learn.

10. Be humble, but be honest. If you’re a good writer, admit it…

11. Sketch out your characters. Play games with them. Invite them into your mind … to cross your mental threshold.

12. Read legends and history and such.

VM: Who was your favorite character to write in BLOOD JOURNEY?

TLR: I’m afraid to say, as the other characters may have their feelings hurt. Seriously, though, since Henry and I both worked together on all the characters, I got to know each one rather intimately. When we were “finished” with the book, though, I think I really missed Guenther the most. He is the character who offers parting words at the book’s close, too, so perhaps it’s because his words lingered for me. Having a favorite character to write is often a complex scenario as we may not like them at all. Like Cassandra, one of the High Priestesses, for example. I did not like her at all. I LOATHED her, but writing her was rather fun. Hatshepsut still remains a mystery to me — but that is her nature. She is also a High Priestess, but of another sort. Truth be told, I did not like Henry’s girlfriend, Sarena, that much.

To find out more about Terrie and her work, visit www.myspace.com/terrieleighrelf.

Michael McCarty’s websites are:

www.khpindustries.com

www.myspace.com/ottochurch

www.myspace.com/monsterbook

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