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V2: B4 The Vampire Vignettes Prequel
By G.L. Giles
I was able to get this book thanks to Alex of AEA zine. Hmm.. should I read this? I was hesistant since I felt that I should have read this before the V3! Ok, shouldn’t make a big deal out of this, I will just think it’s a blast from the past that I must read. I know, I make a big deal out of small things! But after reading her interview from AEA zine, fuck it, I will cover myself with the invisible cloak and enter this books’ world again.
Undoubtedly this book never fails to enchant me. From the Witch narrator Georgiana and her sister Jameson, they will take you on their journey full of some interesting entities like the vampyre and vampire characters (yes, Vladina, Ernesto, Carlotta, etc), the Jennstari (vampire whores), palm readers, various important Pagan or religious symbolisms and beliefs, astrology and so on. Truly, I wonder how she brings these characters to life! And having the setting of the place in her own hometown, it’s no wonder that she can be specific in locations.
Having a short-term memory, I needed to browse back to some of the characters again. You must focus in order to not get lost while reading this. One cannot judge the characters being portrayed here, you can put yourself in their situation which will make you think there is no such thing as evil… what they havr been through made them to be that way. Sympathy and despise is something you will feel at the same time. A beauteous gore, full of the supernatural, magic, ESP’s and anything that will make you get more hooked with the story.
G.L. Giles has her own style in making a Vampire book, you can never compare her to other Authors. She is equipped with knowledge and imagination that will surely makes you crave for more of her books. ~ Fonda
Ok, how interesting it was that this book landed in my tiny strong hands. I never have been hooked on a vampire book besides the works of Anne Rice. And no problem, G.L. Giles has her own style of writing that you will surely love reading more of her books.
Surely, I was impressed on how she created these characters. It’s like I am educating myself in knowing the difference between vamypre and vampires, new entities like water vamps, vampire with wings, vampire who takes synthetic blood, and a lot of interesting things for you to pounder. And besides that, it’s not all vampire/vampire characters. You have witches, Wolfsnake, addicts, bastards, you name it. And, this book has artworks done by various artists for you to admire.
A book filled with thrills, mystery, bloodlust, adventure, wit, a bit of brutality, compassion, among other things, that a reader will find himself wanting to read it non-stop. With Celtic and Goth metal music on my headphone as I read, I can’t wait for the V4 to come out. ~ Fonda
'A-C-Z' - Greetings G.L! Would you mind if I ask you what your name initial stands for? (I’ve been deciphering the code of your name for a long time) What exactly were you doing before you decided to answer this E-interview?
'G.L. GILES' - Hey Fonda! I oftentimes answer that G.L. stands for “Good Luck” when asked, but I’ll come clean with you: G.L. stands for Georgia Lee---not like I was born in the South or anything( I like my name, but I thought people might mistake my books for period romance novels if I went by Georgia Lee Giles. I was working out before answering these questions. My husband and I have really been into physical fitness again recently. So, I was lifting weights.
'A-C-Z' - Let’s begin with the blood question! You had a skin cancer at 23 which stopped you from going out under the sun. But you are ok now, right? Was that how reading vampire/vampire books became your past time? First vampire novel or book you read.
'G.L. GILES' - Yes, I’m fine. I just can’t go out in the sun for long periods of time, and sun block is my best friend( I empathized with other creatures that also couldn’t go out in the sun much after I was diagnosed myself with skin cancer. Though many vamps, both supernatural and real, have no problem with the sun. I think the first vampire novella I ever read was John Polidori’s The Vampyre.
'A-C-Z' - You became a Cum Laude at the College of Charleston. You took English and Art Major? Were you an introvert? (I can picture you with your Gothic look, and hanging out at the library!) Will the students find your books at the library shelves today?
'G.L. GILES' - Yes, I graduated cum laude from the College of Charleston in 1993 with a B.A. in English. I was pretty much an introvert, except when it came to asking lots of questions in class and participating in group discussions. I hung out at the library a lot…lol…shhhh, I’m a big nerd at heart! Thankfully, many libraries now shelve my books.
'A-C-Z' - It seems like you’ve been doing a lot of other writing contribution and activities. From “Blood from the UG” short story compilations, doing interviews or reviews for zines, etc! Were do you get your motivation and inspiration in doing this? What makes/ drives you to work non-stop?
'G.L. GILES' - I’ve become somewhat of a workaholic because I’ve found that I’m truly passionate about writing. And, not just my own. I love reading and reviewing other authors, too, because I’m also a big Fangirl at heart( Plus, I’m fortunate to work with other creative individuals, who both support and stimulate me (artistically). It’s been a big honor writing for: Dave Wolff of “AEA,” Ellen Eldridge of “Target Audience Magazine,” Mystikka Jade of “MetaCreative Magazine,” Donna of “Psychic Times International,” “Infernal Dreams,” “The Witches Digest,” etc.
'A-C-Z' - I’m curious, what kind of music do you listen to? Is there a specific song that you keep on playing before you start your day? (or night?). Can you give me a band that you love a lot?
'G.L. GILES' - My musical taste is very eclectic. Right now, I can’t get enough of Red Queen Theory, Sopor Aeternus, Gojira, The White Stripes, Combichrist, Jace Everett, Beltane, Marduk, Grosstadtgefluster and Music of Bercilak. I like a lot of “Indie” groups, as well as major label bands. I like, probably not surprisingly, Gothic, Trance, Metal, Americana, Classic, etc. Right now, I don’t really start my day off or end my night with Red Queen Theory’s “Of Ravens and Blood,” but I generally listen to it at least once a day.
'A-C-Z' - It seems like the whole vampire sagas or schemes became trendy now especially in Hollywood. Would you like your book to be shown in the theaters? What if they make a lot of editing from the book?
'G.L. GILES' - I would love my novels made into major motion pictures with me having lots of say in how they’re presented.
'A-C-Z' - I had read V2 & V3 except V1 (uff!), how did you come up with these characters? From water vamp, psychic vamp, vamp with angel wings, and many others. Do you do a thorough research on past histories and cultures before writing a book? Because it seems you equipped yourself with knowledge about paganism, symbolism, religion, beliefs…
'G.L. GILES' - The Vampire Vignettes, my first novella that lots of people now refer to as “V1,” went out-of-print about three years ago. So, I re-worked it, along with its prequel (V2:B4: The Vampire Vignettes Prequel) , to create the stand-alone V3: The Vampire Vignettes ReVamped. So, really V3 is all you need! Numbering my novels has become one of my trademarks, but it doesn’t refer to the order in which they should be read. Yet, I did change the storylines somewhat and the illustrations are different, so many people still like reading V2:B4 and The Vampire Vignettes, too. V2:B4 can be easily ordered athttp://www.xlibris.com/GLGiles.html but it’s harder to find The Vampire Vignettes at a good price since it’s out-of-print. The best prices I’ve seen for it are on E-bay (through Mystery Hobbitt). I’ve always had a great imagination, so I frequently start with a “real” life circumstance and go on to create my dark fantasy. Charleston, S.C. is a peninsular city, meaning it’s surrounded on three sides with water. I love the water! Water Vamps grew out of my fascination with that element~~~My Yatveys (Young Adult Turned Vamps), which will make their appearance in my Special Edition Compendium and in a short story titled “Sin-dromes” which I’ve written for the next issue of “Autoeroticasphyxium” (Issue #16), etc. sprung from the fact that I personally have extra bone growths in my mouth called Mandibular and Palatal Tori. They’re of no use in “real” life, but they’re quite useful for my fiction. You see, when the bloodlust is upon my Yatveys, their extra bone growths (Mandibular and Palatal Tori) become fangs. Psychic Vamps do, indeed, exist in real life; however, I embellished some of their traits for the Special Edition Compendium. I wanted some of my vamps to be more like fallen angels with feathered wings and some to take after their Dragon ancestors (in my mythology) with more leather-like wings. I have created many sub-species, and the list keeps growing. I won’t go into them all here. I do some research, but I like to create a lot on my own, too. I was born into an Episcopalian family, so I know of Christianity through both my upbringing and study. I became a Contemporary Pagan (Hedgewitch specifically) later, by choice, and I’ve studied many Pagan ways, etc.
'A-C-Z' - What I like about your book is that, there’s actually no villain there. Just a misunderstood person- I mean vamp. Do you always felt like this? Can you give one situation that really made you feel down that if you have “Juracia” on your hand, and then there will be human mastication?
'G.L. GILES' - That’s great that you see Vladina (a.k.a. Augusta Lee Legare Middleton) as misunderstood and not a villainess! I’m fond of her character, too( If I had her sword Juracia in tow, then I’m pretty sure I would have already been incarcerated for manslaughter on more than one occasion. Good thing I don’t! LOL…no, generally, my aggressions are typed out via the fiction I create. I was enlisted in the U.S. Army back in the day, so I was trained to physically fight, but choose not to now.
'A-C-Z' - Involving your hometown Charleston as the location of your storyline was obvious. Are there lots of strange events happening at your town? And the whole circus scenario (I hate going to those places), do you personally believe that there are creepy things happening behind those curtains?
'G.L. GILES' - First of all, I know Charleston, South Carolina quite well since I was born and raised here. Second, it’s known for being a sunny coastal city in many ways, but I was always intrigued with the more mysterious, sometimes sublime side: the craggy rocks along the Battery, the Spanish Moss in the trees, the old graveyards scattered throughout, etc. Plus, it has its share of obvious horror in the form of huge palmetto bugs (big flying cockroaches), some class division still, etc. Charleston is filled with ghosts and ghost stories, and yes, I’m a believer in the spirit world as a whole. The Fair isn’t creepy to me in “real” life, but I’m glad it kind of scared you in my storyline…that’s what I was going for.
'A-C-Z' - Crazy stunts sometimes happen on book signings. Can you give us an obnoxious situation you experience?
'G.L. GILES' - I’ve had some Bible thumpers attempt to raise a ruckus at some of my signings in the past, but I kind of expected that with signing primarily in the Bible-belt with me being the author of evil vamp lit….lol….I think you’ve got to have a thick skin if you’re going to make it in the public eye; I knew what I was getting into. After all, I’m from the Bible-belt( Now that vamp lit. has gone more mainstream, thanks to Stephenie Meyer, Charlaine Harris, etc., I haven’t really had many problems. Regardless of whether it was better or not kept in the underground, I’m thankful that my signings have been less challenging.
'A-C-Z' - Do you agree that the Countess of Transylvania Elizabeth Bathory, was the original vampire? Ever wanted to be immortal?
'G.L. GILES' - Not really. I think there are some “real” vampires who probably pre-dated her. As far as immortality goes, I believe we are all immortal in a sense as energy is neither created nor destroyed.
'A-C-Z' - Tell me, who is G.L. Giles behind that success. Any shocking revelation that we should know about you? What makes you frustrated & happy the most?
'G.L. GILES' - It may shock some people to know that I’ve been a Vegetarian for over 2 ½ years now since I write bloody vamp tales( However, it makes sense to me because I have no problem writing a gruesome, bloody scene knowing I won’t be eating something like a bloody steak afterwards. I love being a Vegetarian! And, I’m an animal rights activist as well. To me, this also fits in nicely with being the author of many vamp tales since humans are the ones being fed upon---not animals( My girls, my husband and my furkids make me the happiest. I’m the most frustrated by those who don’t do what they say they’ll do.
'A-C-Z' - Great! That’s about it! Thank you sooo much for your time in sitting and answering this! Your book V4 will be out soon! And how about your 2 new releases “ “, busy promoting that one lately? For the upcoming years, what will be your plans and what can we expect from you? Thanks again! All the best!
'G.L. GILES' - Right now, I’m busy promoting Mind Your Ps and Qs (Poetry & Quotes), Days and Nights in Summerville, and V3: The Vampire Vignettes ReVamped ~~~the least expensive way to order them is through my publisher’s website at http://www.xlibris.com/GLGiles.html
As far as future plans go, I like the idea of my novels being picked up and made into major motion pictures (with me having lots of input).
Thanks Fonda! You literally and figuratively ROCK!!