Guest Post: Lauren Hammond on fitting an eternity into Love Sucks

We recently discovered the novella Love Sucks about a vampire, who after centuries of slumber and under the belief she’s the last vampire left, seeks out her fated love. Collette over at A Buckeye Girl Reads told us we get to experience the journey to love from this 18th century vampire’s point-of-view, and that’s a good thing.

So, when Lauren Hammond, author of the just-released Love Sucks, offered to do a guest post, we said absolutely. We wanted to know how you manage to squeeze an eternity into novella. And, with that thought in mind, we turn the post over to Lauren.

We always imagine eternity is something beyond our conception, something vast. – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Trying to sum up eternity in any type of novel can be a difficult task. Eternity, for Cara Jones, begins in the early 18th century. Why a period piece, you ask? Because it’s important to go back to where it all began. It’s important for you to go back in time and see how the character came to be. For Cara Jones, her journey begins the year 1710.

I chose to begin Love Sucks in the 18th century because of the time frame. There is so much mystery and nostalgia to that era. I have always been fascinated by the unknown. What would it be like for a vampire during that time? During the 18th century, modern technologies were absent. There was no light, no running water, no cars. Things that we often take for granted these days weren’t around back then. The world was also less populated. It would be easier to pick out someone who was a bit different. If you think about it, if I began Love Sucks in the present day, what obstacles would Cara have to overcome? She wouldn’t have to walk anywhere, and day-to-day life would have been somewhat easier to her.

Cara tells her story from the beginning of her life in 1700s to her awakening in 2010. I felt it was necessary for her story to be told completely from her point of view. I wanted my readers to feel her fear, love, and even heartbreak. And if the character created is a great one, I feel the readers can put themselves in her shoes. What would they do if they were in her situation? How would they react? What they do if they woke up, buried six feet under not knowing who or what they had become. I also wanted to show what it would be like for a vampire who awoke to a completely changed world. The world has evolved greatly in the past 400 years.

How would you react if nothing you knew and loved was the same?

Love Sucks will take you on the journey of a lifetime, literally. Now I only have one thing left to say…. Are you ready to be sucked in?

Vampire Book Club: You can get in touch with Lauren on Twitter (@NovelistLauren) and learn more about her book on her Facebook fan page.

You can purchase Love Sucks at Punkin Books or Amazon.