Aphrodite's Hunt Guest Post

Aphrodite's   Hunt

“When a vampire gets involved in a werewolf mating ritual, you know there’s going to be blood . . .”

Gia is a werewolf with a mission: to have a submissive mate who will never threaten her dominance. For years she has ruled as the lupa of her pack with just such a mate. Then one night her perfect little arrangement comes to an end when her mate betrays her with another woman. Outraged at the insult to their lupa, the pack calls for one of their most sacred rituals: Aphrodite’s Hunt. For three nights Gia will be the prey, hunted by the eligible males of her pack until one proves himself worthy by finding her and claiming her as his own. If Gia wants to escape the erotic ritual that even her own wolf longs for, she will have to find someone to protect her not only from her pack . . . but from her own carnal desires.

Sorin is a vampire with a secret. Haunted by the macabre sins of his past, he has sworn off blood, determined to stick to a diet of siphoned energy that leaves him too weak to pose a threat. When Gia comes to his door, possessed by a heated desire and desperate to make a deal, Sorin quickly turns her away. But he soon finds out that Gia is not a werewolf used to taking orders. One bloody kiss is all it takes to awaken the beast he has kept trapped inside of him for so long and suddenly Sorin finds himself swept up by a renewed hunger for the warmer things in life.

Now Gia wants out of the deal and Sorin wants . . . her.

Jennifer Blackstream

Tired of the Same Old Vampires? Try Some New Blood . . .

Personally, I never get sick of vampires. Classic vamps, new fanged vamps, I love ‘em all. Still, I know there are a lot of readers out there who are either sick of vampires, or who want vampires, but yearn for a new twist. Thus, when I sat down to pen my own paranormal romances, I decided to dig a little deeper into vampiric mythology.

You know the saying “Every poodle is a dog, but not every dog is a poodle,” yes? Well, that’s how I looks at vamps. Not as poodles, mind you, that would be silly. However, I look at the term “vampire” like the word “dog.” It is an umbrella term used to refer to a plethora of species. This has opened up my world to hundreds of “breeds,” if you will. I’d like to introduce them to you now in a little post I call “Vampires From the Black Stream . . .”

Vukodlak

Origin: Slavic

Alternate names: kudlak, vrykolakas, vukodlaci

What makes them different from the traditional vamp: They are werewolves who become vampires after they die.

In Slavic folklore, a person who was a werewolf in life was believed to become a vampire after death. The term “vukodlak” means “wolf hair.” In Yugoslavia, “vukodlak” still means werewolf, but in other regions, the word has come to mean vampire. These vampires rise from the grave 40 days after their death, when a demonic spirit enters the corpse. They are known for returning to their homes to fornicate with wives/girlfriends they left behind. When they return to their graves, they sleep with one eye open.

Interesting facts:

·         A boy who is born with teeth is said to become a vukodlak.

·         A sorcerer may turn a man into a vukodlak, especially if that man is on his way to a wedding. In these cases, the man will be trapped in wolf form until he can find someone to help him force the sorcerer to undo the spell.

·         The offspring of a human and a vukodlak is said to have no bones and a body with a jelly-like consistency.

·         In Istria, a vukodlak was said to be attached to every clan. These vukodlaks were evil and would attack the clan at night. It was opposed by a creature called a krsnik.

·         In Serbian folkore, the vukodlak is most active in the winter between Christmas and Spasovdan (about 40 days after Easter).

Mara

Origin: Slavic

Alternative names: Mora

What makes them different from the traditional vamp: The mara only drinks the blood of someone she has fallen in love with. With everyone else, she causes nightmares and drains their energy.

Mara comes from the Anglo-Saxon verb “merran” meaning “to crush” and is also the root of the word “nightmare.” She is a living being whose soul leaves her body at night, making her flesh seem dead. Her soul goes out among men, sending them into a peaceful sleep and then frightening them with nightmares and draining their energy. Like an incubus/succubus, she may also sit on the chest of her victim to suffocate him. If she falls in love with her victim, she drinks his blood (or, conversely, if she drinks a man’s blood she will fall in love with him). A mara can take on a variety of shapes and can also become immaterial (which is how she enters a bedroom through a keyhole).

Interesting facts:

·         A soul may enter a mara that already has a soul. In this case, one soul remains in the body while the other leaves at night.

·         A baby who is not baptized can become a mara.

·         If a mara’s victim awakes during the attack, the mara will become an apple, a ball of wool, or a mass of hair. Then it will vanish.

·         Swearing at the mara, filling the keyhole of the bedroom door with wax, and pointing one’s shoes away from the bed are all said to be protections against the mara.

Iara

Origin: Brazil

Alternative names: mcboiacu

What makes them different from the traditional vamp: They are half-snake.

The iara is a fearsome creature blamed for the loss of many individuals who walked out into the dark jungles of Brazil and never returned. They can be the undead, a living person who sold their soul to the Devil, or the spirit of someone who died violently. Iaras have a glowing red hypnotic stare that they use to ensnare their prey, luring them closer so they can wrap their snake-like lower halves around them and drink their blood and/or semen.

Interesting facts:

·         Like the siren of Greek mythology, the iara has a beautiful voice. Singing is one way she lures her prey closer.

·         Some stories describe the iara as a mermaid with green hair and light skin. In this version, she lures men closer with her beautiful voice and then caters to his every need for the rest of his life. Still, the story never ends well because the iara is immortal, and so she is forced to watch her lovers eventually grow old and die.

If these creatures intrigue you, you may enjoy reading more about them in my paranormal erotica series “Revenge in Vein” or my erotic paranormal romance “Aphrodite’s Hunt.” To find out what creatures are in what book, visit each book’s page on my website www.jenniferblackstream.com

Thank you so much for having me.

Warm regards,

Jennifer Blackstream