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[From VBC: We’re very excited to have Jeaniene Frost on the blog again today. And we’re so anxious for Once Burned, her spinoff book featuring Vlad. It comes out in June and at the end of this post there’s a chance to win advanced copies. With that, we turn it over to Jeaniene.]
I’m fresh off a superhero high after seeing The Avengers this weekend, but aside from my new found love for The Hulk, the movie also got me thinking about the attributes of larger-than-life heroes and heroines. If you haven’t seen The Avengers yet, I’ll describe the members of the team. There’s Ironman, a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” named Tony Stark who fights evil while wearing an incredibly high-tech suit; Thor, demi-god of the planet Asgard, whose hammer-wielding badassery is only eclipsed by his mighty biceps; Steve Rogers’ Captain America, a formerly brave yet scrawny man who was transformed into a superhuman through breakthrough genetic tampering; The Hulk, whose non-mean-green-and-ready-to-ream personality is mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner; Black Widow, former Russian spy Natasha Romanoff who uses her looks, wit, and lethal fighting skills to save the day; and Clint Barton, nicknamed Hawkeye, a S.H.I.E.L.D agent whose skill with a bow and arrow makes Legolas look like a child playing cowboys and Indians. Although not a fighting member of the Avengers, the mastermind behind them is Nick Fury, human director of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D.
What I particularly loved about The Avengers is that three of the six superheroes are regular humans. See, my books feature supernatural creatures – in this case, vampires – fighting evil and finding love with humans. I get asked a lot about compatibility issues in a human/nonhuman relationship and I think the movie gives a great example of how being compatible has more to do with will, perseverance, and bravery than with matching supernatural abilities. Black Widow doesn’t have any otherworldly abilities – or a high-tech Super Suit – yet she’s critical to the success of the Avengers because of her other strengths. Same goes with Hawkeye. Tony Stark, even without his Ironman suit, is still instrumental to the team because of his intelligence. Sure, having the ability to withstand injuries that would kill a normal person (Captain America), or a huge magical hammer (Thor), or enough strength to throw a demi-god around like a rag doll (The Hulk) are also critical, but they’re not enough to defeat the villain and his army without those extraordinary yet “regular” Avengers.
As I said, I’ve played with the same themes in my books. My vampires may have abilities like super strength, telekinesis, mind control, or the ability to fly, but that doesn’t make their human counterparts less extraordinary, in my opinion. Take my upcoming novel, Once Burned. In it, my heroine Leila is a human whose exposure to a massive dose of electricity left her with some unusual abilities; namely, her body gives off voltage and she picks up psychic impressions through touch. While those abilities initially throw her together with my hero, a pyrokinetic vampire named Vlad (yes, that Vlad :)) it’s her mental fortitude that impresses Vlad the most. Without that, Leila would have been merely another tool he used against his enemies. But her inner strength proves so captivating that even the uncrowned Prince of Darkness ends up drawn into the most high-stakes battle of all: falling in love.
I’m going to assume that everyone agrees mental fortitude is important, but just for kicks, if you could have any supernatural ability (flying, mind control, pyrokinesis, telekinesis, shapeshifting, a big magic hammer, Hulking-out, etc.) what would it be? Everyone who answers will be entered to win one of two advance reading copy of Once Burned.
CONTEST DETAILS AND RULES
1. To enter, you leave a comment on this blog post answering Jeaniene’s question above.
2. You do not need to follow Vampire Book Club to be entered, but we sure do like it.
3. This contest is open internationally.
4. Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. CST on June 3, 2012.
5. The winners will be selected using Random.org. Then each will be contacted via email and given 48 hours to claim her prize. If we do not hear from the winner(s) within that time, a new winner will be selected.
6. Entrants must be at least 18 years old or have their parent’s permission to enter. Please review our privacy policy, if you have any questions as to how Vampire Book Club uses your information. (Short version: we’ll only use it to contact you for this contest.)
7. Though unlikely, Vampire Book Club has the right to change or cancel any giveaway at any time without prior notice.
8. Vampire Book Club is not responsible for prizes lost or damage in transit.
9. Big thank you to Jeaniene Frost for providing the two ARCs of Once Burned.
I would really love to be able to see the future !
I would love to be able to “blink” or “shimmer” (for the old tv show Charmed followers), meaning I could travel from one place to another with a thought.
I would definitely like to have the power of telekinises. I have wanted it ever since I read Anne McCaffrey’s Rowan series. Ideally I would like it paired with telepathy and be a “Prime” lol V””V
I would love the ability to fly.
Mind control! With that, no worries about grades/unemployment/whatever else life throws our way…
Being mild mannered and a bit geekish (is that a real word?) I would like to become invisible ! Sneak in and out and knock the bad guy unconsious without being seen.
I think I would most like to be able to fly… But only if I could fly faster than an airplane…make traveling south cheaper!
I would like mind control. It’s a great way to keep the piece and help people achieve there goal, and erase anything bad that has happened to them, that holds them back from there ultimate potential.
I would love to be able to travel in time. I’d love to visit Rome and see a chariot race, or watch the Pyramids being built.
i think it would be telekinesis, i’ve always dreamed about that ^^
Rogue from X-Men has always been my favorite character, so I would love to have the same powers she does and that is to absorb the powers of others and be able to use them.
I would be a shape shifter or a telekinetic. Actually, I want to be a were-dragon, so I can fly and be rather badass without other super powers.
I’m really into Christina’s suggestion of being able to absorb the power of others and use them. But for some reason I feel like it’s kind of cheating, so I’m gonna say it’s a tie between shapeshifting and mind-reading (preferably with a on-off switch ;])
Second place is being able to control the elements
I love the idea of shape-shifting. I want to be a large jungle cat of some sort. Maybe not practical but I love the idea. I think it would be awesome!
I think I would want to be able to absorb other powers from people like Kat does. I could read mines one week, talk to ghosts the next. It would be fun to be able to do it all especially if you were helping people in the process.
minds not mines
I would love shape-shifting or to be able to control time and space (like Hiro from the tv show Heroes)
I will love to be telekinetic
I think I’d like teleportation best ^^
I would like to have the ability to speak all the languages in the world.
That’s easy a shapeshifter! That would be a lot of fun!!
I will be seeing the movie this weekend. Can’t wait.
I would love to shape-shift like Tessa Gray from the Infernal Devices
I would love to have the ability to heal. My second choice, though, would be to have telekinetic abilities.
I’m going to make up a superpower. I’d like to have the power of physical and mental shielding, so that I could protect others from both physical and mental harm. I wouldn’t want to be immortal, just a fairly indestructible human who has a normal lifespan.
There is so many to choose from. It would have to be Mind reading with the added bonus of being about to manipulate emotions.
My super power would defentely be healing of body and soul. I sould suck it upp in to my body and fight the desice in my own body and win the fight. I would love to shapshift to a wolf and run around in the woods that would be cool. I would end up saving people but it would be at a cost otherwise it is no game. But what will it cost me to heal somebody. Exruciating pain and desorintetion. To much makes me mad in the end. What a horrible choice to make hwo to save. Will the goverment hunt me down if they knew? Would people around me force me to heal even if it means my own death. Will it be worth it? Healing would be awsom.
I think that I would like some form of voodoo control. Don’t know what it would be called, but you would have complete control of someone’s mind, body, and actions. That way you would be able to be a little like Mystique, but you would have complete access to the person’s memories and never really have to put yourself in harms way. 🙂
I`d like to make plants (re)grow – that would really come in handy as my own potted plants desperately need some help while I`m busy reading. And I would love to reed the new book by Jeaniene Frost ‘Once Burned’.
Teleportation…
I would love to think of a place and then SNAP… I’m there. That would be the best power I could think of.
I would like the gift of telekinesis- being able to truly discern and know the people around you, their personal views, sentiments, negative or positive, about myself. Also I’m sure it would come in handy in tests, truly trusting people, relationships, work and life in general. 😀
be a SHAPESHIFTER!
Take the calories out of chocolate….. and cheesy pasta.Maybe replace them with a bit of Vitamin a (i hear i don’t get enough of that). I love me a bit of chocolate and cheesy pasta after a week of university that results in making me more stupid if anything :)… ok maybe add some brain cells to the chocolate and cheesy pasta as well. (i hear i don’t have enough of those either)
If I had a supernatural ability it would have to be teleporting oh how much handier would it be to be able to teleport to foreign countries or even to just be lazy and go to the local shops!! yep typical first thing I thought was wow it would be so much easier to get the kids to school! Lol
Want to be have the gift to give immortality to whoever I want! (includes, obviously, myself!)
I would love to be able to shapeshift!! yep be able to shapeshift so if a guy is annoying maybe use some claws!! Lol
I would love to be able to be a wolfshifter and run free in the night though growling at guys would be funny! 😀
I think for me it would come down to being able to fly.
I would have to go with flying. When I dream up supernatural powers it is the one most often represented.
I would love to become invisible and sneek in anywhere…[for good reasons, of course]…then sneek back out with no one knowing–as I save the world annonomously!! ♥
ok… I would like to speak to and understand animals… I know weird right ? kid’s dream… but that’s it !
I would love to be able to shape shift into a fox. As they are so versitile and to experince the world through new senses would be amazing!
Hmmm. I think I’d love to have mind powers – telekinesis or empathic senses or something like that. Thanks for the opportunity for winning an ARC! Can’t wait to read!
I want the ability to travel back and forward through time.
mind reading !
Personally id love the ability of sue storm from the fantastic four… Call me the Invisible Woman baby! Great review thanks for the chance to win. Jessbiggers@gmail.com.
Would absolutely love to be able to teleport myself around. Save so much time.
I would love to be able to absorb knowledge from people and books.
I would have to choose shape-shifting!
Thanks so much for the opportunity! I cannot wait for Once Burned!
Nat.
I would definately love to have pyrokinesis. Vlad is my favorite character and am so excited for Once Burned to come out in June.
Immortality!
I would love to have the ability to visit with and see the dead as though they were actually with me alive.