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 will keep entering these till I win a copy lol! I would love to be able to time travel not change crazy things and rewrite but see past events I was never able to be around for, interact w/ people loved ones who are gone or that I have never met.
I think some type of power over air would be what I would want. That way you have the ability to fly and do other fun things.
I’d love to be able to teleport. Traveling would be soooo much cheaper ;).
Thanks for making the contest internationally and Jeaniene for being so generous!
I think I’d like to be able to shape-shift, especially if like Denise, I could shift into something mythical like a dragon.
That way I could still help my friends in a fight. But, telekinesis would be pretty cool too!
I would love to have to ability to read and/or control minds. That would be absolutely amazing!!
I would love to fly, that would be so amazing. God a can’t wait for this book, I’m wishing my life away, just to read it.
I love love to fly. That would be amazing!! I can’t wait for this book i’m wishing my life away just to read it
Definitely flying.
Being able to heal myself and others would be my super power.
I would pick telekinesis
If I could have been born with any supernatural ability, then I would choose my super-power to be the ability to heal no matter what damage my body would obtain from any source. This would include damage that the sun or even ways my body would suffer from getting older. This supernatural ability would keep me at my very best forever. I would have no issues with weight, wrinkles, or even the common cold. If I were to be injured in any way then my body would heal itself instantly. I could think of no other superpower that would be more important than this one.
I should add that I would be able to share this ability–either completely so that my loved one would always be at their peek as well, or in a smaller way to help someone I don’t really know who might have a sound of some sort. Ok, that about covers it, lol….
The ability to relive other people’s memories would be pretty cool. See what life is like for someone else, and view events you never would have been able to see otherwise.
Can’t wait for Once Burned!
I’ll love to have mind crontrol. I think is really coo!
Can’t wait for once burned!!!
I wish I could teleport my husband back from deployment when he is gone so he could help deal with our 4 kids 🙂
If I were to have super powers I chose understanding and telepathy. I would help people, by having them help themselves. This would would happen by being able to read their minds and being able to “manipulate them” if you will, to come to peaceful solutions benefitting them, the community, and the world as a whole. As for my form, I would be able to take on many forms. As people, inadimate objects, sounds…anything to get the other’s mind to think and come up with positive solutions. This may sound generic and even a little simple, but, perhaps through a very positive Super Hero, you could make audiences think and want to take action to make our world a better world.
I want super-speed! This way, I can do my homework in minutes. 😀
I read a lot of paranormal romance and fantasy and you see tons of different supernatural abilities. I always liked the empaths, mind control or glamour as some call it, the power of witch craft, mediums, those who could read auras, telepathy and those that have a combinations of a couple. I have always said if I could combin it would be being an empath with telepathy. Overall… I’d go with telepathy. I’d rather know who has ill will towards me and also know the things I should that people have the tendancy to hold back.
While I’m tempted to say mind control….just think of the time saved getting the kids ready for school in the morning….I think I’d like to have Taskmaster’s ability. Taskmaster has only to see something done once to master it. Just imagine…no more worrying about how to program your cable remote for your tv! Lol. And cooking! No more false fire alarms from smoke filling the kitchen. Lol. Anyway, that’s the ability I’d want 🙂
I guess I keep changing my mind, but I would like to fly as a beautiful shapeshifting dragon.
I would like to control time…not travel in it like “Time Machine,” but control it…stop it, slow it and if you could have two, I would want to control gravity…no more sagging anything for me…lol
I would love to shape shift. I think it would be a great way to get around and think of all the different species you could try out. As long as it isn’t painful, this would definitely be the super power I would love to possess.
Plus, I think it would be so awesome how you seem so normal but you have the ability to be anything you touch. The only insect I probably would never shape shift into would be a cockroach or anything in the roach family. Yuck!!!
I think I’d love to have the power of telekinesis. To be able to move things around with my mind…wosh! I wouldn’t even have to turn the pages on my books!
I would like to have the power to heal people so I could save the people I love…if not then the power to teleport so I could go anywhere in an instant and save others.
If I had one power, it would definitely be telekinesis. Handy for lazy days, saving lives, getting back at rude people, etc.
I would have the ability to keep people out of my mind…like Bella from Twilight! What a convenient ability!
I would want the ability to teleport from place to place and through time as well. Place to place would allow me to visit grandkids that are spread from New Hampshire to Washington while I’m in Wyoming. Through time would allow me to flash to June 26 and have Once Burned in my hands already before I go entirely insane waiting for it!
I would like the ability to heal others with my hands.
Teleportation – so I’d never be late again. 🙂 Preferably without huge distance limitations or too many restrictions on bringing other people & things – bringing along anyone/anything I’m touching or whoever/whatever I can fit through a portal. It would make moving easy, I could ensure a group of friends or family were all on time when going someplace, and I’d never have to deal with airplane lines & security ever again!! Possibly I could even make a living at it – instant, simple travel from coast to coast or country to country would be worth paying for if I wanted to set up a business.
I would totally love to be able to teleport as I hate flying but don’t want to miss out on seeing the world.
At first I would have thought empathy, but I imagine you would have to be a special person to handle all the pain and anger and resentment that you would feel.
So I think I would like to have intuition/reflexes aka spideysense, knowing that something is about to happen and the ability to maybe do soemthign about it.
or super metabolism so I can eat cheesecake and a double cheeseburger and not gain 20 pounds…
I would love to be able to see/change the future
I would love to have the ability to teleport
I would be a shapeshifter. I would love to be able to run as an animal and eat whatever I wanted and not gain weight.
I would love to be a shapeshifter. How cool would It be to turn into a wolf, or a leopard? Amazing!
I would love to be able to read minds, i would really want to know people’s real intentions, and shape shifter would be great thing to do also, no one has to recognize me unless i want them to.
I think the ability to read minds would be cool!
I love animals, and believe, that they do leave a profound impact on every individual, at some point of time.Hence i would like to have the ability to understand them and speak with them and also be able to enter their minds and alter emotions(calm their nerves if they are afraid,make them feel safe etc)
I would like to have the ability to emotionally heal people,make it easier for them to move on in life.
Another useful ability to have would be to go back into the past and have the power to ALTER / UNDO events ,situations etc.
I would like to have the ability to teleport and take people with me for the ride! I can’t imagine the possibilities !
PS: Love Jeanine’s books! ty for sharing the arcs 🙂
I would love to have the ability to heal either by touch or by the use of vampire blood (Well I guess I would have to be a vampire to have use my blood for healing)
But regardless, it would be one of those traits that I would like to have.
Teleportation. Go places in a quickness. Be able to see the world and travel won’t cost you a thing!
i would like lots but this is my order! 1. telakinesse(i suck at spelling no pun intended Next mindreading/control(no im not evil) #ed shapeshifting (teaher my dog ate my homework See See) $th would be controling time i cant thik of a lot of cool things right now ohh ohh Fliying who haset wanted to FLY
I would like telekinesis. Although i might need to add morphing to that so I can make my butt slimmer when it gets huge from me sitting on it all day using my telekinesis power. 😉
I would love the ability to control the weather like storm. Sometimes you just don’t wanna go to work. 😛 perfect power.
I would love to be able to teleport, thru time and space, maybe if the law of physics doesn’t allow me to go forward, at least backwards!! I would love to be able to go anywhere in the world that I want at a moments notice.
I would love to be able to time travel. To be able to go back in time to see great historical moments and to then be able to see what the future holds would be amazing! I can’t wait to get ahold of you book. 🙂
Definitely telekinesis — Judd Lauren (Psy-Changeling Book 3) totally rocks with it.
With gas prices the way they are, I think that the power I would want currently would be to either fly or teleport. Beam me around Scotti!
I love idea of being a sort of supernatural leech, for lack of a better term. Sort of like how Cat can temporarily borrow the powers of those she feeds from, except mine would be from something as simple as touch, or it being used against me. That way I would never really be at a disadvantage. 🙂