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In The Blood - Rick Reed
In The Blood
Rick Reed
ISBN-10: 1932300901
ISBN-13: 978193230902
Regal Crest Enterprises
Reviewed By Whitney White
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
In The Blood is an intriguing exploration into the supposed "real world" of vampire life. Along the way, many misconceptions and preconceived notions are dismissed - and a clever swipe at the lore of Anne Rice novels is even slyly taken.
Elise Groneman, artist by day and hooker by night, bemoans the tepid routine of her everyday life. Surrounded by the residue of urban dilapidation, she longs for something more, something real, something lasting - anything that can take her away from the dregs of her muted existence. A chance pick-up one night of what appears to be a random John finally makes all that possible - but in ways she can't even imagine.
She soon finds herself slowly becoming more acquainted with the likes of Terence, Edward, and Maria, ultimately discovering the truth of their existence as vampires. Rather than kill her, as is their wont to do, the trio - at Maria's behest - attempts to ingratiate Elise into joining their inner circle, roaming with them throughout all eternity. Maria's reasons? Purely selfish: she has fallen deeply in love with Elise and refuses to dispatch her beautiful soul to the nether regions.
This decision, of course, infuriates Terence; in his opinion, she knows too much about their true nature, and her indecision regarding joining their circle makes her a threat to their long-term security. He insists upon destroying her for once and for all and stops at nothing to make it happen, putting him at odds with his two compatriots.
Blinded by his rage, though, Terence doesn't realize that there are more important things in life than the maintenance of proper order, and the end result of his actions leaves him wishing he had learned that lesson quite a bit sooner.
Rick Reed's endearing tale is a unique, fresh retelling of the power of true love. One would not think that such a task would be possible through the machinations of cold-blooded vampires, but Reed does an admirable job of tugging at the heartstrings nonetheless. His testament to the insuperability of the spirit is inspiring, regardless of the medium he employs.
In The Blood may not be action-packed or intricately layered - but it doesn't need to be. It is a straight-ahead tale of the eternal dance between forces of nature at their worst and best, one that readers of all types will surely appreciate.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Rick Reed (In The Blood)
Apex Reviews: Rick, thanks for joining us for this interview. We truly appreciate having this opportunity to learn more about your writings.
Rick Reed: You're welcome. And I appreciate your having me (which is a line some of my vampire and serial killer victims would NOT utter).
AR: Your books cover a range of different issues, from vampire tales to suspense thrillers. Where do you get your ideas?
RR: There's a dollar store down the street from my house that sells novel ideas in packs of ten and I usually stock up on those. I figure I have enough ideas now to last me through 2010. But seriously, inspiration comes from a multitude of places, some as fanciful as actual dreams or snatches of imagery and others more prosaic, like reading the newspaper and thinking how something could translate into a good story. For IM, the whole rise of online predators and online "hooking up" was the seed of inspiration for that book. IN THE BLOOD actually was insprired by a series of art photographs I saw once of goth looking models in seedy locales...thus, the characters were born and from them, sprung the tale.
AR: Where does Elise get the inspiration to create such beautiful paintings, given all the ugliness surrounding her?
RR: You hit the nail on the head when you said "ugliness surrounding her." She takes that ugliness--scenes of murder or horrible car crashes--and through her art transforms them into something beautiful and something that makes a statement on the fragility of human life. I think Elise is doing what all artists do: filtering reality through her own unique perceptions.
AR: Is it that same quality that prevents Terence from killing her the first time they meet?
RR: Terence is part of a trio of vampires who love art almost as much as they love blood. When he sees that Elise is a truly gifted artist, he can't destroy her...at least not right away. Terence is all about destruction, while his two partners elevate art above carnage.
AR: Please explain how it's so natural for Elise and Maria to fall in love, and where that passion really comes from.
RR: I think that Elise, like most artists, is trying to communicate with her work. And because her work is so twisted, disturbing, and severe, her voice is probably mute to many people. When someone comes along who completely understands her and her gift, it's cathartic and enough to make love bloom. For Maria, the dark visions Elise creates complement her world view so well, she knows she has found the partner she had searched for throughout eternity. Of course, it also helps that they're both startlingly beautiful women.
AR: Where does your writing versatility come from?
RR: I get bored. That sounds like a pat answer, but it's true. Writing from different perspectives and style help me get into the tone of whatever piece I'm writing as well as individual character voices. I also like to think it gives readers more of a richly textured experience, whether it's in a single work or several by me.
AR: What's next for you?
RR: In January, a novel I'm really proud of will be published: DEADLY VISION. It's another thriller about a small town single mom who, through a head trauma, becomes a reluctant psychic and caught up in the web of two viscious killers, who are preying on teenage girls in her small Ohio River town. I think it's not only the best suspense I've ever written, but also has a lot of heart and pathos. Also coming up for 2008 will be two other novels: HIGH RISK, a thriller about the secret life of a housewife who gets daytime kicks through a series of pick-ups until she meets the a very handsome--and very rage-filled--sociopath; and ORIENTATION, a novel that explores gender, sexual orientation...and reincarnation.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
RR: Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me.
AR: Thanks again, Rick, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
RR: You're welcome! Same to ya!
Rick Reed
ISBN-10: 1932300901
ISBN-13: 978193230902
Regal Crest Enterprises
Reviewed By Whitney White
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
In The Blood is an intriguing exploration into the supposed "real world" of vampire life. Along the way, many misconceptions and preconceived notions are dismissed - and a clever swipe at the lore of Anne Rice novels is even slyly taken.
Elise Groneman, artist by day and hooker by night, bemoans the tepid routine of her everyday life. Surrounded by the residue of urban dilapidation, she longs for something more, something real, something lasting - anything that can take her away from the dregs of her muted existence. A chance pick-up one night of what appears to be a random John finally makes all that possible - but in ways she can't even imagine.
She soon finds herself slowly becoming more acquainted with the likes of Terence, Edward, and Maria, ultimately discovering the truth of their existence as vampires. Rather than kill her, as is their wont to do, the trio - at Maria's behest - attempts to ingratiate Elise into joining their inner circle, roaming with them throughout all eternity. Maria's reasons? Purely selfish: she has fallen deeply in love with Elise and refuses to dispatch her beautiful soul to the nether regions.
This decision, of course, infuriates Terence; in his opinion, she knows too much about their true nature, and her indecision regarding joining their circle makes her a threat to their long-term security. He insists upon destroying her for once and for all and stops at nothing to make it happen, putting him at odds with his two compatriots.
Blinded by his rage, though, Terence doesn't realize that there are more important things in life than the maintenance of proper order, and the end result of his actions leaves him wishing he had learned that lesson quite a bit sooner.
Rick Reed's endearing tale is a unique, fresh retelling of the power of true love. One would not think that such a task would be possible through the machinations of cold-blooded vampires, but Reed does an admirable job of tugging at the heartstrings nonetheless. His testament to the insuperability of the spirit is inspiring, regardless of the medium he employs.
In The Blood may not be action-packed or intricately layered - but it doesn't need to be. It is a straight-ahead tale of the eternal dance between forces of nature at their worst and best, one that readers of all types will surely appreciate.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Rick Reed (In The Blood)
Apex Reviews: Rick, thanks for joining us for this interview. We truly appreciate having this opportunity to learn more about your writings.
Rick Reed: You're welcome. And I appreciate your having me (which is a line some of my vampire and serial killer victims would NOT utter).
AR: Your books cover a range of different issues, from vampire tales to suspense thrillers. Where do you get your ideas?
RR: There's a dollar store down the street from my house that sells novel ideas in packs of ten and I usually stock up on those. I figure I have enough ideas now to last me through 2010. But seriously, inspiration comes from a multitude of places, some as fanciful as actual dreams or snatches of imagery and others more prosaic, like reading the newspaper and thinking how something could translate into a good story. For IM, the whole rise of online predators and online "hooking up" was the seed of inspiration for that book. IN THE BLOOD actually was insprired by a series of art photographs I saw once of goth looking models in seedy locales...thus, the characters were born and from them, sprung the tale.
AR: Where does Elise get the inspiration to create such beautiful paintings, given all the ugliness surrounding her?
RR: You hit the nail on the head when you said "ugliness surrounding her." She takes that ugliness--scenes of murder or horrible car crashes--and through her art transforms them into something beautiful and something that makes a statement on the fragility of human life. I think Elise is doing what all artists do: filtering reality through her own unique perceptions.
AR: Is it that same quality that prevents Terence from killing her the first time they meet?
RR: Terence is part of a trio of vampires who love art almost as much as they love blood. When he sees that Elise is a truly gifted artist, he can't destroy her...at least not right away. Terence is all about destruction, while his two partners elevate art above carnage.
AR: Please explain how it's so natural for Elise and Maria to fall in love, and where that passion really comes from.
RR: I think that Elise, like most artists, is trying to communicate with her work. And because her work is so twisted, disturbing, and severe, her voice is probably mute to many people. When someone comes along who completely understands her and her gift, it's cathartic and enough to make love bloom. For Maria, the dark visions Elise creates complement her world view so well, she knows she has found the partner she had searched for throughout eternity. Of course, it also helps that they're both startlingly beautiful women.
AR: Where does your writing versatility come from?
RR: I get bored. That sounds like a pat answer, but it's true. Writing from different perspectives and style help me get into the tone of whatever piece I'm writing as well as individual character voices. I also like to think it gives readers more of a richly textured experience, whether it's in a single work or several by me.
AR: What's next for you?
RR: In January, a novel I'm really proud of will be published: DEADLY VISION. It's another thriller about a small town single mom who, through a head trauma, becomes a reluctant psychic and caught up in the web of two viscious killers, who are preying on teenage girls in her small Ohio River town. I think it's not only the best suspense I've ever written, but also has a lot of heart and pathos. Also coming up for 2008 will be two other novels: HIGH RISK, a thriller about the secret life of a housewife who gets daytime kicks through a series of pick-ups until she meets the a very handsome--and very rage-filled--sociopath; and ORIENTATION, a novel that explores gender, sexual orientation...and reincarnation.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
RR: Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me.
AR: Thanks again, Rick, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
RR: You're welcome! Same to ya!