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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 so want to shapeshift.
If I could have any supernatural ability, I’ll definitely like it to be telekinesis!!
I would like to be able to see the future.
I totally want teleportation powers, so beam me up Scotty. I could get so much done with that ability.
I cannot wait to read on Vlad. Fantastic times ahead for us. Thank you for the creation of this awesome series.
I think I would choose flying. Because that would be awesome
Flying would be the most fun, but there are times when I would do anything for the ability to read my son’s mind. He’s such a mystery to me.
I would like to be a Shapeshifter can you imagine how much fun it would be to take on another identity
I want to be able to run at super-fast speed! What monster could catch me if I went at supersonic speed? 😀
I’d want to be able to manipulate the energy around me! Like, for defence, or offence, or healing myself or somebody else… It gives way to an infinity of possibilities, doesn’t it?
I want to have super-strengh! (just, possibly, to not look like hulk, while I’m at it!!!!)
I want to be telepathic! no problems for the rest of my life…
I think it would be great to have telekinesis!!! lol…
Teresa
tess102063@yahoo.com
I might be cheating but I would like to have the ability to touch someone who has a special power and be able to “borrow” it (kind of like what Rogue from X-men does but without the side effects). But if I had to chose from the list it would be shape shifting.
Flying would be awesome!
I would love to have mind reading abilities!!! 🙂
I would be a shapeshifter, a werelion. I would love the strength and healing abilities, plus lions are just incredibly beautifully deadly!
I would like my superpower to always find my size in clothes on sale at huge reductions and the ability to find an empty parking space closest to wherever I’m going – they’d be awesome and would make the world a much happier place for everyone around me!
mind control would be awesome. sometimes I wish I can swipes someone’s mind from what I’ve said especially when I put my foot in my big mouth!
hmm..I would like my superpower to be “body multiplication/cloning”..lol
Thanks for the giveaway
Sometimes my imagination catches up and I envision some scenarios where I have powers. Mind Control seems very cool to me and I always try to make it work but my imagination isn’t so carefree as I would like it to be and commonsense and second guessing gets the better of me. I have these amazing things I would like to do if i have the mind control power but silly doubts like ‘is it really working?’ what if the magic fails me when the tech wave hits and I lose control? I don’T want it to bite me back in the ass when I get caught’. So for this I think i’ll go with Telekinesis. Very physical results to clear the doubts. 😀
I think I would have to choose super strength!
I would want teleportation that way i could be in las vegas instead of in class right now.
If I had to choose just one off a very long mental list of powers I want it would be to ability to freeze time. Think of all the stuff I could get done, I would never be late for work again, and I could read Once Burned the second I got it and not have worry about prior engagements. 😉
It would have to be pyrokinesis 🙂
time and space manipulation
I’d be one BA shape shifter. 🙂
A syphon like cat so i could have any power i want just from drinking from someone
SUPER STRENGH!!
Invisibility! You wouldn’t have to be strong to win…go invisible and bop them over the head. They can’t kill you if they can’t see you. The quiet achiever is the invisibility power. Ninja stealth without being a ninja:D
Michelle
novels on the run
Teleporting – I’d love to be able to wish my way anywhere!
Can’t remember if I entered this yet – but just in case, I would like to be able to read minds; secrets and true intentions/feelings will be out in the open!
Thanks,
Leanne
Teleportation definitely!!! I could see all the countries and sites I’ve dreamed about visiting!!! 😀
I want to be able to compel others with my gaze..handy for getting my first graders to follow the rules. Lol!
The best ability would have to be the ability to walk through walls. That way no one could say you can’t enter a room and it would save so much time opening doors!
I want to be able to change my appearance at will. It would be so cool as a disguise pretending to be another people and it could really confuse everyone. You could make a person think they’ve found a long lost twin lol
Of all the amazing and incomprehensible powers we’ve encountered in our love of the paranormal, I find it hard to go with anything other than the power Mencheres commands with his telekinesis. I mean – to be able to freeze an entire jungle before launching himself out of an airplane to protect Kira – come on…
Can’t wait for Once Burned!!!!
I would love to be about to teleport with a single thought. 🙂
Damnit…able* not about.
I want to be able to use compulsion, and make anyone love and like me! 🙂
I want to have the ability to become invisible! (Invisibile Woman :D)
I would love to have mind control…then I could bend others to my will! Especially people that are douchecanoes…I can make them do whatever I want! Ha!
I think shape shifting open tons of possibilities. I would probably enjoy freaking people out LOL.
I must say, of all the characters in Jeaniene’s Mancheres is the one that have made a bigger impact. I don’t know why but I always end up comparing other characters to his qualities. WEIRD I know lol.
Teleportation for sure! Never needing a car again. No insurance or car maintenance or repairs…! Gas prices a thing of the past. No more worries about parking…woohoo. And it certainly would be great fun to be able to visit anywhere in the world anytime I wanted.
I would want to shapeshift.
If I could have any choice I would love to be able to teleport time. That would be the most fascinating thing.
Bend people’s will! Make them do as I want!!!
I’ve actually thought about this! I’m greedy and don’t just want one ability, I want several — I want to be Dr. Jon Osterman; also known as Doctor Manhattan. He possesses many desirable abilities – superhuman strength, telekinesis, teleportation, and near-total clairvoyance – but by far the best, full of the most awesome, is his control over matter at a subatomic level. Can you imagine? This. Would. Be. Epic.
I would take shapeshifting!
Shapeshifting!
I dont like bugs so my superhero power would be that any bugs that get within a 50 yard radius of me would die instantly! mwhaha!
Legolas was my fave for the longest till…ooh Hawkeye showed up.