Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
[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’d love to be a shapeshifter!
Such a tough decision, but if I had to choose I think I’d go with flying. It’s such a boring answer but I mean, can you imagine how awesome it would be to fly? You could visit places all over the world in a snap. Or if things got to stressful or you just needed a break, you could take a leisurely fly in the skies. Yeah, definitely flying 😀
Flying would be cool but I’m going to have to go with shapeshifting. Don’t even want to think about the horrors one would encounter reading people’s minds. Too, too frightening, especially in the current political environment.
I would choose to have the ability to heal myself. I’m a bit of a hypochondriac so it would work out great lol.
I would choose shapeshifting. I’d love to change into animals and see the world through their eyes
I would want to be invisible or to be able to shift into any form that I chose — I would love to be a fly on the wall at the next board meeting at work!
I would love to have telekinesis!! I’m sometimes very lazy and this ability would be handy!
great contest and giveaway!!
I’d like to be a shapeshifter. Sometimes that would be really great!
Shapeshifting would be really great !
Hard choice. Healing ability would be the best to hellp others , but shapeshifting would be oh so cool.
I’d like to be able to manipulate time. Very cool power to have.
I see I am not the only one who would love to shapeshift but who is prompted by my conscience to say ‘No, that’s selfish being a healer would be less selfish’. However, as with all things, there would be a whole load of ethical issues to confront if I could heal people, so maybe I’ll leave miraculous healing up to God and stick with saving people with my badass shapeshifting skills!
That’s a tough choice but I think I would go with invincibility. Unless, there were other people with powers in the world. Then I would want the power to keep and mimic their powers.
So many possible cool choices and shape-shifting would be supercool, I’ll admit that but I’ll go with teleportation at will. Just imagine being able to get where you wanna be in an instant or getting away from any uncomfortable situation in an instant. That would truly be a nice ability to have. 🙂
Having telekinetic powers would be great! 😀
telekinesis!
I would want the power to heal and read peoples minds.I have always wanted to help people. Tore923@aol.com
I love to be invisible.
I’d like to know what others thought and did behind me.
I just want to see other’s true color. 🙂
I had idolized Wonder Woman since I was a kid. I would love a lasso of truth and an invisible jet.
I’d love to be able to see into a persons soul. What life would I lead then? Avenging angel or manipulative monster?????????
I would LOVE to be able to fly.
teleportation would be awesome, imagine never being late again!!
There are so many I would love to have but I’ll pick teleporting. It would make my life easy =) Thanks for the contest. I LOVE Jeaniene Frost.
I’m going to have to go with pyrokinesis, but it’s a pretty difficult decision to make!
I would like to look good so people wouldn’t make fun of me. Also, be a shape shifter.
I’m going to say I would want to fly! Less travel time. 🙂
Liz ^_^
Flying! Then I wouldn’t care how much gas was.
I would choose teleportation – Houston traffic stinks!
It is really hard to choose just one. I would love to fly, it would be great to be able to know when someone is telling the truth. Although this is not one of the better known super powers, I would love to be able to make things grow (teen super hero movie – Sky High) 😉
I would definitely choose flying. Not only would it make my commute to college easier and less expensive, it would be great for calming my mind. Just getting out, boosting into the sky and milling around with no walls to stop me would be so very relaxing.
And then you’ve got the whole “I want to help people” thing, too!
Hmmm this is a tough one…I’m stuck between flying and telekinesis but I think I will go with telekinesis. Being able to move things with my mind I think would be sooo great!
I think i would choose MIND CONTROL… that would be cool… 😛
If I was going to be a super hero – i would have to assume there are other super hereos – so i would like to be able to mimic their skills – that way i could do a little of everything (or maybe be like Cat & get their powers by drinking from them) – if we are going with a world that has no super heroes – i would like to move things with my mind. I have 2 small children and would really be able to ulitize that skill.
i would want my power to be mindreading. i’m a gossipy kinda girl and i think that would be hella fun
I would want to be able to shapeshift. That wold be awesome!
I would like the ability to fly and the power to give it to one other person so I could recreate the love scene of Cat and Bones getting their groove on while flying over the corn fields. That was just crazy hot. I would probably even give the extra power to my hubby or Gerard Butler if he was so inclined. just kidding, well maybe I could give the power to two people!
Can I chose all of them? If I had to pick one it would be shapeshifting. Who wouldnt want to be able to turn into anyone or anything at will..
i like if i can have a mind control
I would have to say telekenesis. Like Kira said lord have mercy on any who cut me off while driving.
I would love to fly but i wouldn’t like getting bugs in my teeth and eyes.. umm gross. I would like to be an empath (the ability to feel what other are feeling, an example would be Karma girl Jennifer estep) so i could help or predict what they intended to do. Throw in some strength and awesome reflexes and i would be set!!!
Hmm hard choice…but i’d have to go with shapeshifting.
Shapeshifting!
I would have to say telekenesis would be my first choice! Boy that would be awesome!
Invisibility
I personally have always seen myself as a vampire…I love the night lights!!
my power would be the ability to time travel and the first person i’d travel to see is Jane Austen followed by Anne Boleyn my 2 favorite people from history. Then I’d go back to my teenage self and slap the shit out of her lol.
If I could choose any supernatural ability, I would choose mind control! That would make me feel much more powerful that I really am; it’d be a great feeling.
Thank you very much for the giveaway!
I would like the ability to make myself multiply. With being a signal mother it feels like there needs to be more of me. That way I could go to work and spend the day with my daughter.
I think teleportation would be a super cool power, especially if you could bring someone along with you. (I really love sleep and resent anything, including commuting, that takes away from my REM time.)
I cannot WAIT for this book – Vlad has always been a favorite character for me and I love that we are going to get more of his story. 🙂 Thanks for being such a great writer, Jeaniene!
The ability to fly. If i have to go through airport security one more time, I just might scream!!