Ravenous is days away from being released!
Have you pre-ordered your advanced copy at the special price yet?
As we count down the days until release, some of the contributors wanted to share some further insight into their stories and tempt you with a peek.
Today Tiffany Michelle Brown tells us more about “A Taste of Revolution.”
From Fairy Tale Retelling to Romantic Bloodbath
“A Taste of Revolution” did not start out as a politically charged vampire romance featuring a kick-ass, blue-haired heroine. Nope, it started out as a fairytale. Well, my attempt to marry the Cinderella story with a band of ruthless, power hungry, we-like-to-prey-on-humans-because-it’s-fun vampires.
What can I say, I like a challenge.
While there are not-so-subtle remnants of the Cinderella story embedded throughout “A Taste of Revolution,” this isn’t your childhood bedtime story trussed up with mild aesthetic and thematic shifts. The changes go deep. Real deep.
The world of the story, the world of New Vampyrium, is dark and dreary, full of vamps that have been scared into submission by a brutal 
regime—imposed by both humans and their own kind. The main character, Jules, is far from demure or well-mannered, and I wouldn’t exactly call her kind-hearted. Instead, she’s a smartass scientist with a viper’s tongue, tons of opinions, and a motorcycle.
The royal prince? Jules couldn’t care less about winning his heart—but she does wonder why he’s so different from the man she encountered years ago, in a different place, during a very different time. There’s a royal ball and a shoe in “A Taste of Revolution,” but neither are what you’d expect.
I wish I could humble brag and say that I’d planned all of this. To be completely honest, I started writing one thing, but the characters took charge by, oh, the third page and decided how they wanted to tell their story. I learned quickly that they were very opinionated, and it was their way or the highway. Turns out, it was a wild and windy highway, full of twists and turns I didn’t expect.
“A Taste of Revolution” is a lot funnier than I originally intended it to be. Despite constant threats of death and destruction, Jules is sarcastic and always ready with a one-liner, sometimes to a fault. The romance that develops between Jules and her sexy counterpart is awkward at first, alight in the inherent embarrassment that comes with a newfound crush—and then completely smoldering when it catches and turns into something more.
I don’t usually write a lot of battle scenes, but what’s a revolution without a fight or five? I credit my foray into Aikido and my resulting obsession with movies like John Wick and Atomic Blonde for my love of characters who can throw a punch or wield a sword. Dear reader, you’ve been warned. You may want to don some combat gear before barreling into the fray.
There’s a character in this story named Lavinia who was originally intended to round out a menage a trois, but, well, you’ll have to read to find out exactly what happened to her.
During the editing process, the fabulous Ariel Jade pushed me to render the world of New Vampyrium even darker, the plight of my lovers that much more dangerous, the stakes (pun totally intended) sky high, and the story changed even more. My lovers were pushed to their limits and start behaving in unpredictable ways. I created a whole new character during the editing phase, and I hope he scares the crap out of you. The climax of the story—yeah, I completely rewrote it.
So somehow, a fairytale retelling transformed into a political, romantic, blood-soaked adventure.
Writing “A Taste of Revolution” was just…insanity. And I loved every second of it. Because that’s the joy of writing—watching a kernel of an idea change into a tale you never planned for. I traded Cinderella’s glass slippers for bloodthirsty fangs, an unorthodox love story, and a very important lesson—vampires certainly don’t belong in cages. I’d do it again in an undead heartbeat.
Excerpt From “A Taste of Revolution”
*Note: course language is used in the following excerpt*
Sitting in front of the television with arms crossed, Jules thought Prince Fabian looked like a pretentious asshole. He was gorgeous but a pretentious asshole nonetheless. Beneath the hot whispers of camera flashes, a sensuous smirk painted his lips. He executed little choreographed waves for the camera that made him look like he was screwing in a lightbulb. A gray suit jacket hugged his broad shoulders, and he wore a paisley green cravat around his ice-pale neck. His eyes glittered, Jules imagined, from the thrill of attention.
Who the fuck wears a cravat anymore?
Politicians. Important figures. Sellouts. Devastatingly handsome yet immoral vampire princes hosting press conferences.
Jules knew the royal family—whom she was supposed to feel subservient to as a vampire herself—hired personal stylists, and she was sure that stupid green cravat decorating Prince Fabian’s neck was all strategy. King Yanis and Queen Belinda’s nod to the old world. Pure nostalgia. Meant to imply the old vampire way of life wasn’t completely defunct while the hadn’t-lost-that-new-regime-smell rulers slowly, subtly squeezed the life out of them, all the while kowtowing to humans who’d corralled all the world’s vampires in what used to be Romania. Prince Fabian was a royal show pony, all pomp and circumstance, meant to distract, while King Yanis and Queen Belinda ruled their bullshit excuse of a kingdom with iron fists and a hefty dose of violent dictatorship. Jules wanted to choke the prince with that goddamn swatch of silk.
About the Author
Tiffany Michelle Brown is a native of Phoenix, Arizona, who ran away to live near sunny San Diego beaches. She has been published by Electric Spec, Under the Gum Tree, Romance Magazine, and Shooter Literary Magazine. When she isn’t writing, Tiffany can be found drilling Aikido techniques, sipping whisky, or reading a comic book—sometimes all at once. Follow her adventures at tiffanymichellebrown.wordpress.com. Also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Dark. Brooding. Tortured. Sexy.
Vampires are a mystery, morphing through history from maligned villains to sparkling saviors and back again. They can be the ultimate bad boys, the supreme seductresses, or the evil monsters. They fascinate and repel us at the same time. What other creature can steal into your bedroom in the depths of the night to stalk or protect? What other ancient being is so accessible yet so powerful? What other enigma is desired as much as feared?
Cross the threshold into a world of insatiable heroes and voracious heroines. RAVENOUS explores saucy, sexy, and sweet tales: of forbidden vampire/vampire hunter love, vampire threesomes in space, kink as only a vampire could enjoy it… and so much more.
