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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 want to be a shape shifter! But not just any shape shifter, I want to be the ultimate shape shifter and be able to shift into anything or anyone.
I would like to be able to go inside books. And not in the shrink down and physically hide in the pages! I want to go into the plot itself and meet the characters. Even though the wieght of the secrets would be tremendous, the irony would be hilarious! Ohhh if you grant me this power i promise not to mess up the plot!!!…….much
I love Amandas response! What a cool concept, but I think I would like Cats ability to absorb everybody else power. Imagination, wow, takes you everywhere!
This is a.tough one…….I think I’d be a shifter but one that can change into anything .
Thank you very much for the competition. Can’t wait for Once Burned.
The Avengers was awesome. So much action and tension, and those one liners really helped relieve some of that tension without making the movie into comedy.
I thought through a lot of the powers I would like to have like shapeshifting or control of elements or flying but it come down to the ability to absorb others powers. That way i can have them all! If not all at once 😛
If I any supernatural ability it would have to be bringing people to me from anytime or place.
Since when I was little I would always loved to fly, to feel the amazing sensation to be weightless, the speed, the fresh air on your skin, to be everywhere you want…
Totally a shapeshifter! I’d love to be a wolf or some fast animal and just be able to run free.
I think i’d like to be telekinetic and shapeshifter.
I would want the power of invisibility because my opponent won’t be able to tell when or where I will be attacking from lol!
Having those supernatural abilities would be really fantastic, but I would love to have the ability to fly.I can go anywhere I want without the hassle of waiting for available transportation anytime. 🙂
i would probably like a combo of Cat and Bones. I would like to be able to absorb other’s powers and mind control. and i promise not to abuse the mind control, well except for a couple of my ex’s…..muhahahaha
mind control thats what i would like
I would want mind reading and telekenisis
I believe I would like the ability to create legal tender. Not only would money cease to be an issue, think of the impact one could have on governments. Of course for the good. Of course one would also need to be unkillable so those same governments didn’t assassinate one.
Steph from fangswandsandfairydust.com
steph@fangswandsandfairydust.com
I would fly. I’ve had dreams of flying since I was a kid–I just think it would be all kinds of fun.
Mind control, all the way!
Thanks for the chance to win this fantabulous book!!
I think if I was to have a superpower, it would be dematerialization. I want to be able to think about where I want to be, and go in the blink of an eye. No more hour-long commute!
Oh, and anyone I am touching or anything I’m carrying/touching would also be dematerialize with me, and reform just as it is.
Flying shifter! I so love this series and am looking forward to reading this book. thanks for the giveaway
fingershankins@yahoo.com
Although mind control would be awesome, I think it would be something I would come to resent.
So I’m going with telekinesis. It has fun, practical and protective uses 😉
Can’t wait to read Vlad’s book!!!!!!!
Francesca
Hmm, I think it would either be the ability to read minds, or pyrokinesis! Vlad’s ability is just awesome. Hes my favourite character in the night world series 🙂
Thanks for the chance to win this! 😀 goodluck to everyone! (Even though I kinda hope I win! :P)
Oooo I’d want to be a telekinetic, mind-reading werelion that can fly in human form 😀
If I had a superpower, I’d want to have time travel. That way I could just jump all over the timeline and find out everything, and keep redoing things too, maybe.
I would wanna read minds and be a shapeshifter
I would like to have the powers of a Mage. Being able to materialize anything out of thin air, telekinesis, fly, cast spells, immortal lifr,and maybe travel on the astral plain. These are all things a Mage can do all rolled into one. So instead of just one power, I could have many.
I would have to say .. Immortality with the ability to summon ghosts.. Knowledge is power and the past affects the future . So being able to call on an encyclopedia of past and present would be ultimate .
Would absolutely have to be flying…. would save so much time getting to work that i could spend and extra hour and a half every day reading vampire books! lol
I think flying would be the most useful for me-even though I’m terrified of heights LOL
I’m not a very agressive person so a passive power would suit me better 😀
I would so love the ability to absorb others powers and keep them instead of only getting one at a time. Then I could do it all 😉
I would love Kat’s ability’s, but would rather the ability to absorb others powers, and keep them, instead of getting just one at a time, and then loosing them, but ONLY if you can choose which to get of course. BUT if i had to choose just one, i would say telekinesis would be pretty cool. Also need that Immortality with it, (but stay young kind of course)
It would be great to shapeshift into any animal, ore into a shadow, to be able to go anywhere I want… what a nice idea… to be able to enter a book would be nice to – but sometimes quite dangerous! LOL
Mind Control would be awesome!! 🙂
MIND CONTROL!!!! And I wanna blow stuff up — with my mind
ok – so – I want to RULR the world = insert evil chuckle here 🙂
um that would be RULE the world – OOPS!!!
Mind control is pretty cool…but really, I’d think I’d want something like telekinesis. I’ve read so many fight scenes where the hero/heroine lost their weapon, or needed to grab something, and it was too far away – but with telekinesis, you could just zap that mofo right over to you and BAM, you’d win. Plus, it’d be handy when relaxing at home and you don’t feel like moving off the hammock to get another drink 🙂
I would have to chose shapeshifting because I would love to fly as well and also
and change into several other animals as well to try out different abilities. Telekinesis
would be my other one running a close second.
Of all the super powers available, the one I’d most want is flying. Being able to fly would rock.
Oh, It would have to be Mind Control. You can control anyone have them do anything. My own personal assistant. Yeah…That sounds great.
My personal second would be Flying. I didn’t pick it as #1 as too many UFO sightings around and I would be afraid someone would try to shoot at me.
I have always wanted to fly ever since I was a little kid! Since I can’t then I settle for flying inside planes instead, regardless of cramped space and recycle air 🙂
Ugh..there are too many to choose from. Shapeshifting would be awesome! Flying would be amazing. Can I be a vampire? I suppose that doesn’t count. I usually come back to wanting to fly. That would be priceless.
I would say a shapeshifter I can’t wait to read this book!
Thank you very much for the great giveaway!
tishajean@ charter.net
Thanks for the great contest Jeaniene!
CANNOT WAIT FOR THE VLAD BOOK!!!!
I would love to have the ability to shapeshift, into anything or anyone. Imagine being able to swim as a dolphin, change right into a wolf, then fly as an eagle all withing a day…….oooo yeah!
I would love the ability to read minds and “nudge” them. The ability to know what others are thinking could be SO useful.
Teleportation – instantaneous transportation. Traveling from place to place takes too much time!
i would like telephonekanesis..lol. that was a line from the movie shorts.
i think i would like storms power of controling weather. i would not like to read minds at all
I though I wanted healing powers like wolverine, but then I thought about and he is pretty much immortal, but then I thought about it and I would have to either be isolated or fake my death and leave loved ones…so changed my mine I decided I would love the power to teleport from place to place. That way traveling around the world is hella cheap and I can visit all the places that I always dreamed of visiting.
Wow! This is amazing.. I can’t wait to read this book!
Thank you very much for the great giveaway;)
Wow! This is amazing.. I can’t wait to read this book!
Thank you very much for the great giveaway;) I though I wanted by a shapeshifting,
Mmm, teleport and flying would be fun! Thanks so much!
There are so many to choose from! However, I think the greatest power wold be the ability to absorb and/or drain others powers indefinitely. This could be used to both defend myself and others, but also to temporarily weaken the bad guys;-)