My guest today is
Anne Barwell! She shares her thoughts about urban fantasy and some information on her WIP. Enjoy!
--
Urban Fantasy - a brief tourists' guide to The Sleepless City.
A
big "thank you" to Hayley for the invitation to visit her blog today.
Why
urban fantasy? When I was growing up,
the term was virtually unheard of, although there were some stories out there set in cities with characters who were
supernatural beings such as werewolves, vampires, ghosts and the like, if you could find them. But then, during
that time it was difficult to find much in the way of fantasy, as science
fiction was more popular.
Today
the shelves are full of fantasy, and a large number of those are urban fantasy.
Why the attraction to the genre?
I
can't speak for others but I really like the idea of something different
lurking out there amongst the city streets, of there either being another world
amongst the cracks in the concrete or one which co-exists alongside our own
without our knowledge. I'm a big fan of
finding the extra ordinary in the ordinary, and especially of a scenario where
someone wanders into this kind of world and has to adapt to it quickly and
become a part of it themselves, either to survive or if they want to be with
the person they love.
I've
always enjoyed a good vampire or werewolf story, and thought why shouldn't
these beings live alongside humans? Urban fantasy explores that, and what it
means to be different. In most stories the supernatural pass themselves off as
humans for the most part, except for when their talents are needed to bring
down what is often referred to as a 'big bad'.
And yes, I am a fan of Buffy the
Vampire Slayer, why do you ask?
Of
course there's the flip side of it all as being a vampire, a werewolf, or a
ghost does have its downside. What happens when a vampire falls for a human who
is going to age and die while the vampire keeps living physically unchanged,
for centuries? I think that's the real curse, watching everything and everyone
around you change while you don't.
I
wrote a series of short stories a few years ago about a photographer who fell
for a vampire, the irony of it that he would never be able to capture the man
he loved on film. I really liked these characters, and the scenario and wanted
to do something further with them, so when Elizabeth Noble and I were
discussing vampires one day – as one does -
and she said she had a vampire character she'd like to write more of
too, our series The Sleepless City
was born.
So
far we have five books planned, and we're having a lot of fun with it. The
first book is Shades of Sepia, which
is my current WIP, and Elizabeth is writing book two, Electric Candle. The main
characters are vampires, werewolves, ghosts and the photographer I mentioned
before, although his character has morphed a bit since then, as they all have.
We're going for a slightly different take on vampire and werewolf lore, and
it's led to some very interesting conversations.
I'll
leave you with the blurb for Shades of
Sepia, and a brief excerpt to whet your appetite. Keep in mind though, that
this is currently a WIP... Stay tuned.
Blurb:
A
serial killer stalks the streets of Flint, Ohio. The victims are always found
in pairs, one human and one vampire.
Simon
Hawthorne has been a vampire for nearly a hundred years and he has never seen
anything like it before. Neither have any of others who make up the team of
supernaturals he works with to keep the streets safe for both their kind and
the humans who live in this city.
One
meeting with Simon and Ben Leyton finds himself falling for a man he knows is
keeping secrets, but he can't ignore the growing attraction between them. Ben
has only recently arrived in Flint, and finding it very different from his
native New Zealand, but there's something about Simon that makes Ben feel as
though he's found a new home.
After
a close friend becomes one of the killer's victims, Simon is torn between
revealing his true nature to Ben, and walking away and avoiding the reaction he
fears. But with the body count rising and the murders becoming more frequent is
it already too late to prevent either of them from becoming the next
victim?
+++
"Cool.
I knew you guys were like the Justice League or something."
Lucas
laughed. "I was going more for the Legion of Super Heroes actually."
"Yeah
but the League has Batman in it," Blair began, "and the Legion
is―" Luckily whatever he was going to say was interrupted by the sound of
a telephone ringing. Once he and Lucas
started on one of their comics' conversations they'd go for what seemed
forever.
"Aren't
you going to answer that?" Forge asked Simon.
"What?"
Simon glanced around for the source of the ringing. He didn't get telephone
calls, and had presumed the noise was coming from wherever Blair was.
"You're
the only one around here who insists on that horrible ringtone," Forge
pointed out, "so it's obviously your phone." He'd complained about it ever since Simon had
explained―quite logically he'd thought― that if he was to carry a telephone it
made sense for it to at least sound like one.
"Try
your pockets?" said Lucas helpfully.
"Oh
right." Simon fished his telephone out of his pocket. Its screen was
flashing with the name of the caller. Simon stared at it.
"You're
supposed to answer it, not stare at it," Forge said. "Or have you
forgotten how to again?"
"I
know how to answer it." Simon poked at appropriate button then held the
telephone up to his ear. "Simon speaking. How can I help you?"
Forge
snickered. Simon glared at him, thought for a moment about retreating to
somewhere more private then realised it would be a waste of time. Damn vampire
hearing. Not that werewolves and ghosts were much better.
"Hey,
Simon. It's Ben."
Perhaps
he was calling to say he'd thought twice about meeting for coffee. But why
would he take the time to do that? Surely if that were the case he'd just not
contact Simon again at all?
"Hello,
Ben." Simon took a couple of steps
toward the door, half turning his back on the other occupants of the room.
"I
rang to apologise," Ben said, his words tumbling out over each other.
"Apologise?"
Simon frowned. "Why?" If anyone should be apologising for the way in
which their conversation had ended, it should be him.
"I
obviously upset you, and I'm sorry."
"You
didn't," Simon reassured him. "I overreacted. I do that
sometimes." He reached for his glass of milk and took a long draught.
Feeling a little calmer, he collected his thoughts before breaking the silence.
"Would you still like to meet for coffee?"
Lucas
and Forge high fiving was something best ignored, as was the smug expression on
both their faces.
"Yeah,
sure, that would be great." Ben answered Simon very quickly. "When
and where? I'm working a long shift tomorrow so that won't work but I don't
start until eleven on Thursday."
After
mentally consulting his calendar, Simon nodded. "That would be fine. I
don't have lectures on Thursday mornings. Do you know Hunter's on West 13th
Street? We could meet at there at nine."
"I
haven't been there but I'll find it," Ben said. "See you at nine then
on Thursday?"
"Yes.
Goodbye, Ben."
"Bye,
Ben," called out Lucas.
"Bye
..." Ben trailed off. "Hey, who is that?" His voice took on a
rather suspicious tone. "Simon, is there someone listening in on us?"
"Unfortunately,
yes," Simon said. "I share
my... building... with some friends who don't understand the concept of
privacy. That was Lucas. I'll explain on Thursday."
"Okay. Bye."
"Goodbye,"
Simon said again, this time to a darkened telephone. He shoved it back in his
pocket.
"He
sounds cute," said Lucas. "I like the accent." He grinned.
"Can I come too? I want to hear how you explain me."
+++
Anne
Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand, sharing her home with her twin
daughters, at least during the holidays, when one of them isn't away at
university. Her son has left home and started his own family, although she
claims she is too young to be a grandmother already. Her three cats are
convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing
"discussion," and to date it appears as though the cats may be
winning.
In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor
of Teaching and has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and a
librarian. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction club and plays
piano for her local church and violin for a local orchestra.
She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too
many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such
thing as "too many." These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent
cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of "spare
time" is really just a myth.
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