Bonnie Vanak lives in sunny Florida. She is the author of Egyptian historicals and paranormal romance. She has been writing since childhood, when she penned adventure stories and poems. After receiving a journalism degree from the University of Florida, Bonnie worked for several years as a journalist. She left newspaper reporting behind when she took a job writing for a large international charity. A few years ago, she discovered that she needed a diversion from the emotional strains of traveling to poor countries and encountering horrific suffering. She has been writing romance novels ever since.
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Who says a vampire can’t live in sunny Florida in winter?
My editor.
When I submitted my proposal for Unwrapped, a novella that was released last year in HQN’s Christmas with a Vampire anthology, I envisioned a lonely, scarred vampire named Adrian living in an oceanfront mansion in posh Palm Beach. There, six green gremlins dressed as Santa Claus give Adrian a doll that turns into Sarah, the heroine. Sarah is the werewolf he needs to restore his lost honor and return to his clan.
My editor thought the premise was great. There was one problem. She wanted the location changed because Florida and vampires seemed incongruous to winter holidays. So Adrian and Sarah ended up shivering on the rocky shores of snowy Maine.
Unwrapped was a fun story. A Christmas story with a hot, sexy vampire. But you know what? I still wanted a vampire in Florida. I live in Florida. I know there are vampires here, especially in South Beach. I may not see their fangs, but they’re here, lurking in the shadows, eyeing the super models and the stylish people, thinking how nice and yummy their blood would taste after a long night of fashionable club hopping. Well, maybe not a super model. They might be too anemic. But there are lots of tasty people for vampires to graze upon in Florida.
South Florida is a smorgasbord for vampires. International cuisine! The fanged ones have a choice of American, Latin American, Asian, European, you name it. Even Chinese, though a vampire may get thirsty an hour later.
Why should vampires be limited to frozen, wintry climates?
And thus, when I agreed to write a trilogy of novellas called The Ancients for Nocturne’s new, sexy Cravings line, I decided to write a vampire story set partly in South Beach.
Bitten by the Vampire is a novella about Lucian Marcello, a vampire who knows it’s his destiny to claim Mara Fuller as his own. She is a Darklighter, half demon and half angel, and has sworn to destroy the man who almost killed her. If she succeeds, her demon side will take over and she will turn evil. The only way to save Mara is for Lucien to mate with her and absorb her dark powers. But though tempted by a shared erotic vision, Mara is resistant to his charms. It will take all Lucien’s powers of seduction to make her surrender to his dominance and desire. For if he fails, her life will be forfeit.
Now, although Lucien DOES make his home in Michigan, he comes to South Beach to claim Mara as his mate. She’s a Florida gal. He has to take pills to tolerate sunshine. When she quips that she thought vampires sparkled in the sunlight, he responds, “We haven’t sparkled since the era of disco lights and mirrored balls.”
Lucien likes Florida. He stays at a swanky South Beach hotel, where he plans his seduction of Mara. And to wear down her stubborn defenses about mating with him, he shows her the pleasure of sunbathing by a sparkling pool. Lucien teaches Mara to unleash her passion, using his considerable talents as a lover.
The heat between them isn’t merely the burning Florida sun. Lucien craves Mara in his bed, but the sexy combination of sweet innocence and devilish passion tugs at his heart. He’s in danger himself… of falling in love with her, as what happens in this scene from Bitten by the Vampire.
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“Another crack shattered his cold heart. Lucien smiled, melting at the adorable expression on her heart-shaped face. Damn, she was lovely, and sexy and so tempting. Mating her was dangerous because she had the power to unravel his cold restraint. Mara was getting to him.
“I usually bite their neck. I am a vampire,” he teased.
A pulse beat wildly at the side of her long, slender throat. His fangs ached as he longed put his mouth on her, mark her by taking her blood. She’d taste hot and sweet sliding down his throat.
He toyed with a strand of her silky hair, his gaze heavy-lidded as he regarded his charge. He envisioned sinking his fangs into her soft skin as she clung naked to him, screaming as they copulated in lusty, sweaty sex on his feather mattress.
Or the floor.
Or this sofa.
Those blue eyes pierced his. “Vampires are supposed to be powerful. I’ve heard stories about Lucien the Ancient, who can kill with a single thought. And no one can kill him.”
“No one is totally invincible.”
“You seem so strong.”
He felt a fragile bond of trust grow between them. “Not when I’m headless,” he attempted to joke. “Or facing fire. Both can kill me. Which is why I keep the dinner knives locked up and many fire extinguishers handy.”
“I’m feeling kinda hot myself. Very hot.”
Mara wrapped her arms around his waist. Startled, he realized she pulled his shirttails out.
Her palms slid up his bare back. Lucien’s body tightened with pleasure as she touched him.
As he sank into the yearning in her blue eyes, he only wanted to hold the moment between them, like a glass snow globe. Mara with her angelic sweetness and her demonic passion…”
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Eventually, Mara and Lucien work things out and make their home in Michigan, where they will live happily ever after. Michigan is a great state. I have good friends in Michigan. The summers are lovely and in the winter, the snow sparkles like diamonds. But you know what? I bet Mara and Lucien sneak back to Florida for winter visits.
Because vampires do love Florida. We have fun and sun. And face it, where else could a vampire find such an international feast for the palate and get in a little beach time as well?
(To find out more about Bonnie Vanak’s sexy vampire and werewolf romances, visit http://www.bonnievanak.com
Web site: http://www.bonnievanak.com/
Vampires and Florida are great combination for me, because I love Vampires and I know Florida pretty well. So I have a better way to imagine things while reading the book
Florida sounds like quite a habitat for a vampire! Who says a vampire needs to live in the cold?
Sounds wonderful! I love holidays and vampires. A great combo :)
I Love holidays and vampire stories !!! :)
Who would have thought a vampire in Florida? But why not? I love vampire books!
books4me67 at ymail dot com
I love Bonnie’s Draicon Werewolves series but didn’t know about her vampires. Thanks for the introduction to this new (to me) series. I would very much like to get introduced to them by winning this book.
I love vampire books. They make you think all kind of possibilities in life. Sounds like a great series.
i love the cover of the book, it’s gorgeous and the excerpt was great. i can hardly wait to read the rest of it and see what happens next. :)
trvlagnt1t@yahoo.com
I agree, they should be able to live wherever :). Love the eyes on the cover.
vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com
Of course vampires would be in Florida! I think they would be attracted to the variety of people there. My goodness Bonnie that is a HUGE flamingo in your photo! LOL
geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com
I’ve had these in my TBR PIle. Would love to sink my fangs into them sooner rather than later. *winks*
Vamps in Florida = Tangy, citrus blood… yummy!
I love the eyes on the cover, very captivating.
~Poison
pickedbypoison@gmail.com
Vampires and Florida sound wonderful. Would love to be in Florida right now. It’s darn cold in WI. LOL.
Hi everyone! Wanted to stop by and respond earlier, but I was busy with editing the book due in 3 weeks. Sue, my sympathies…sending you warming thoughts from Florida to Wisconsin (a great state, BTW.) Poison Rose, I do love that cover as well! Stacie,there is a story behind that huge flamingo… it was on our lawn the day all the repairs were made from Hurricane Wilma. DH put it there as a celebration (we had a tree go through our back porch). So you see, Florida isn’t all a tropical paradise. There are hurricanes. Awk!
Viki, Tammy, Brenda, thanks for stopping by!
Wildaboutbones…so glad you enjoy the Draicon books! The book I’m writing now features a military Draicon werewolf.
Books4Me and Ebony and JK, I like vampire stories as well, and the holidays, too!
Joanne…I swear, there MUST be vamps living down here. I think they come out at night when the dancing starts.
Danny, if you know Florida, you know that it’s a very interesting place that harbors all kinds, so why not a vamp? Thanks for stopping by!
I like reading vamps all year long so vamp holiday stories are perfect for me .
flanagan@mebtel.net
Thanks for the interview!
Bonnie, even if it is the Sunshine State it could be the perfect home for Vampires. LOL
What a great idea! Besides loving the excerpt, I feel compelled to buy this book because my real name is Mara and I’ve never met a heroine with that name!I was named after the family that owns the NY Giants football team – The Mara family – and yes, my father is a Giants’ fanatic and my mom loved the name. How did you come to use it in this book?
MJB a.k.a. Mara
Loved that excerpt! Would love to read more. I’ll have to add it to my wishlist!
Happy Holidays!!!
yadkny@hotmail.com
I love the premise and the excerpt. Of course vampires would Love Florida, you’d have to be dead not to love it, and their well…Undead. So it only logical that they would love it too!
right????LOL
Merry Christmas
Hi Bonnie! I love sexy vampires no matter where they live. I’m sure the do exist in Florida. Bitter By The Vampire sounds delicious. I love holiday vampire stories.
kscathy@yahoo.com
Good for you, Bonnie! They always say write about what you know. Well you know that vampires can live in Florida or Albuquerque for that matter.
Thanks for the excerpt! The story sounds good.
I think, depending on how you want to write your series, vampires can live or visit anywhere. I have read stories where even a little sun is deadly, others where vamps can tolerate the sun. I have read stories where vamps drink synthetic blood, bagged blood, or straight from the source. I think that it is great when the author creates their world and characters that are unique to their series.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Great excerpt! And who DOESN’T love Florida? Besides…who knows, maybe Mickey is one of those sunlight tolerant vampires…he’s been around an awfully long time…hmmm?