Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Today, we’re turning the blog over to Kristina Douglas. In her The Fallen series, she manages to make fallen angels with a taste for blood just as delicious as vampires. She was kind enough to tell us about making her angels sexy. The second book in Demon hits shelves today (find it at Simon & Schuster, Book Depository or Amazon).
At the end of this post, we have four copies of the series opener Raziel to give to VBC readers. And with that, we’ll turn it over to Kristina:
“Blood is life, lackbrain. Why do you think we eat it? It’s what keeps you going, makes you warm, makes you hard, makes you other than dead. ‘Course it’s her blood.” Buffy the Vampire Slayer – “The Gift”
For some reason I have a thing about beauty and decadence, about contradictions. Modern mythology tends to think of angels either as darling little cherubs or beautiful, harp-playing women. If they’re grown males at all they’re as sexless as when Alan Rickman played one in Dogma (and it takes a lot to make Alan Rickman sexless).
I like the idea of traditionally asexual creatures possessing a fierce sexuality, and the notion of fallen angels seemed like an oxymoron, perfect creatures fallen from grace, heavenly beings prey to the sins of the flesh.
In fact, according the Book of Enoch, which never made it into the bible for obvious reasons, the angels fell when they lusted after human women and decided to sleep with them. Just the kind of plot point I like.
Vampires have the same tarnished, elegant appeal. To make my fallen angels blood-eaters made their curse even stronger. Being kicked out of heaven wasn’t bad enough – there are a lot of very enjoyable things about being semi-human, and the Fallen are that. While essentially immortal, they are prey to a number of things, such as fire and the Nephilim, who in my universe are the second wave of fallen angels, the flesh eaters.
But even more important, the Fallen need the blood of their mate to survive, and there’s something inherently erotic in the act of drinking it. It’s coded sex, both oral and otherwise, it’s the taking and acceptance of the most elemental part of human life, and in the world of the Fallen it’s an essential part of the bond that keeps them alive. When there’s no bonded mate available and the Fallen must make do with their leader’s mate, kind of a universal donor, the act is performed as a religious rite. Between a Fallen and his mate it is sexual.
To have a creature of celestial beauty and power be also prey to strong sexual urges and the craving for blood as well as sex makes the results incredibly compelling. Death and life, sex and blood, beauty and pain, all wrapped up in a delicious, messy bundle.
It’s the giving of life, far more immediate and direct that the passing of sperm.
What I have yet to explore, except superficially, is what happens when the favor is returned, when the chosen one drinks the blood of the Fallen. The possibilities of that are endless.
First, a big thanks for Kristina for indulging us by talking about talking about angels’ sexuality. Her publisher Pocket Books has been kind enough to offer up four copies of Kristina’s novel Raziel to Vampire Book Club readers. Entry is easy: Just leave a comment on this blog letting us know you want to read Raziel.
CONTEST DETAILS AND RULES
1. You must leave a comment on this post. This contest is now closed and winners have been emailed.
2. Because we love our readers, let us know if you follow Vampire Book Club in some fashion (Google, RSS, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and get one bonus entry.
3. This contest is open to those with U.S. or Canadian mailing addresses only.
4. Contest is closes at 11:59 p.m. CST on Wednesday, June 15.
5. Winner will be selected using Random.org. Then she 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 items being lost or damaged in transit.
9. Thanks to Pocket Books for providing the books.
I would love to read Raziel. Thanks for the giveaway.
Crystal816[at]hotmail[dot]com
I think I found a new author. This book is right up my alley. I follow Vampire Book Club on Twitter.
OH MY GAWSH! I want, need, love this! EEEKKK! thank you so very much for this awesome amazing wicked cool giveaway =D
I follow through GFC-tfalick
through Twitter-tfalick
Facebook- Tiffany Falick
through email-tfalick(atyahoo(dot)com
Wow! would love to win a copy! Sounds amazing! Thank you for the chance!!
following on Twitter and Facebook -hipchique
wow!! this book seem amazing! its a must have for me! hopefully i win! 🙂
i follow via facebook and twitter (@karlitas13)
I LOVE this series. THanks for the contest 🙂
This book sounds awesome. I love books about fallen angels.
this sounds like an amazing book and i can’t wait to read it.
What a great giveaway thank you so much this book sounds so good!
Im a GFC follower/latishajean
Twitter follower/latishajean
Facebook follower/latisha D
Email and RSS feed subscriber
tishajean@ charter.net
sounds awesome! really want to read this!
shadow_kohler(at)att(dot)net
sooo curious to read this book..
thanks for the giveaway..
i’m following on FB
sunnystream96@ymail.com
Love the cover! Sounds like a good read. Thanks for the giveaway!
The book sounds really good. It has a little bit of a JR Ward feel yet different. Cannot wait to read the book. I follow Vampire book club via Twitter.
This book sounds awesome. DEF will give it a try. The cover is gorgeous! Thanks for the giveaway.
I am a full blooded follower. Haha. Thanks
Dpbussie (at) yahoo (dot) com. @okmom43. GFC – dpbussie.
I would love to read Raziel, especially since I just bought Demon last week. And I am now following you on Twitter. I wish I had done it sooner.
Count me in!! These seems really awesome ^^
sandymanga(@hotmail.es)
Sounds entertaining
Wow! The concept sounds interesting. I haven’t heard about this series before. I will definitely need to try it out.
I follow on google (Neri) and twitter (Neri0724) 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway!
I follow through GFC- prettyandpink2
through Twitter-_prettyandpink_
Facebook- Randi WIlkins
through email- prettyandpink2@gmail.com
I followed you on Twitter and I love books!
I want to read Raziel!
I follow you through GFC, Twitter and Facebook. Cuz I’m a stalker like that!
Mmmm… sexy angels FTW.
I follow on twitter and GFC. 🙂
Would like to read Raziel.
Follow on GFC.
Yes please!
Thanks for the giveaway! I follow on twitter!
Sounds like a great book! hope to win
follow on twitter bluesun1218
follow on facebook
Would love to read. I follow vampire book club on twitter
I want to read Raziel! I am a twitter follower! 😉
Katie W
Katiewalthall AT ymail DOT com
I am a google follower and I would love to read Raziel!
I am a facebook follower. I wanna read this!
I am following you on Twitter! @myopenbook
thanks for this giveaway!
Kindly
Anna
They found the Ark of the Covenant where Moses placed the 10 Commandments, in a cave under Golgotha.
http://arkofthecovenant2.blogspot.com/