Tracey Bateman, author of Defiant Hearts, Leave it to Claire, and The Freedom of the Soul, just ventured into new territory with her recent novel, Thirsty. As the latest addition to CBA’s growing collection of vampire lore, Thirsty joins the ranks alongside Eric Wilson’s Jerusalem’s Undead Trilogy and John Olson’s Shade—cutting edge fiction that depicts both the monster and the myth, as well as the spiritual elements below the surface. Bateman’s contribution to this fledgling Christian genre also deals with another monster many of us may recognize, up close and all-too-personal: addiction. Both themes twine together throughout the book, and Bateman has created an interesting tale with believable characters—a feat not easy to achieve when one of your characters also happens to be an immortal beast with a penchant for blood.
Today, we have an interview with the author. A review of Thirsty will be posted on Friday. Meanwhile, I suggest you grab a glass of your favorite beverage and make yourself cozy before you begin to read…well, as cozy as possible when the topic of discussion is the creation of an undead vampire, as lovely and charismatic as Edward Cullen or Stefan Salvatore.
MERRIE: How did you come up with the concept for Thirsty?
TRACEY: The idea to write a vampire novel was presented to me by my editor. But I had to write a proposal and still go through the process of committee and all that. At first I thought along the lines of the same old vampire stories that have been around forever. It felt safe and familiar to me. But as I presented it to my editor, she pushed back and challenged me to think a little differently and it allowed me to open up to this idea of the vampire as a metaphor. Well, what would he be a metaphor for? And then I knew. Alcohol.
MERRIE: It was a great metaphor, by the way. How long did it take you to write this book?
TRACEY: I wrote and rewrote it a few times, so it took a year. But I didn’t write on it all that time. The process of writing, I’m learning (after almost 40 books!) is as much about the mulling over and thinking about characters, period as it is about the writing itself.
MERRIE: The themes of addiction, obsession, and heredity seem intertwined in this story. Which came first when developing this story: the vampire or the addiction/obsession?
TRACEY: Oh, well I sort of answered this already, but the vampire came first. The IDEA of vampire, I didn’t know this one specifically until I added the element of alcohol, then came the idea of generational curses or heredity.
MERRIE: Do you see Markus as a tragic character?
TRACEY: As tragic as any addict. That doesn’t mean pathetic. Let me make that distinction. Anyone in the throes of their addiction is in a tragic place of suffering.
MERRIE: Do you plan to write more speculative fiction?
TRACEY: I’m writing the next book that will take place in Abbey Hills. I very much would like to write more speculative fiction. I honestly never would have been gutsy enough to propose it if I hadn’t been handed the opportunity to try, but now that I have I am determined to write more and get better.
MERRIE: I think there are a lot of speculative fiction readers who would love to see you write more in that genre. What is your favorite vampire story?
TRACEY: Interview With a Vampire. Dracula scares me!! I also love The Lost Boys and Salem’s Lot.
MERRIE: Excellent answer! Lost Boys and Salem’s Lot are two of my all-time favorites, too. How did you come up with the back story/legend of your vampire? Did you base it on pre-existing legends or did you create your own?
TRACEY: A little of both. While it would have been easy to create my own from the ground up, I felt that vampire fans would be disappointed with a vampire that didn’t have familiar elements. I tweaked the lore a bit to suit my addiction storyline. For instance, vampirism is inherited, but chosen. Like any addiction.
MERRIE: I really liked that part of the story. Legends change with each retelling, and I enjoyed your version. Was there a particular scripture that you used as a basis for this story?
TRACEY: Not really. I have several scriptural themes represented but not an actual word for word verse.
MERRIE: Have you ever had anyone close to you struggle with alcoholism?
TRACEY: Yes. Many family members, extended and immediate. I have also struggled with addiction. This story is very close to my heart.
MERRIE: I’m going to talk a bit about alcoholism during my book review on Friday, but for now, suffice to say, it’s a theme close to my heart too. Do you think CBA will be opening up to more vampire stories in the future?
TRACEY: I don’t know. Eric Wilson’s Field of Blood and Haunt of Jackals are out there with one more to come. I have one more to follow Thirsty. If the market supports them, we’ll see more. Like prairie romance and Amish stories. If we can’t win over the Christian audience to accept vampire stories, we won’t be seeing anymore. The bottom line is the bottom line.
MERRIE: Who was your favorite character in this story and why?
TRACEY: Nina. Because she is so messy and so real and wants to do better. Just like me and everyone I know.
MERRIE: What three tips do you have for other writers?
TRACEY:
1. Work hard at loving your family and letting them know they mean more to you than your computer. Especially if your children are too young to rationalize that mommy has to work so they can have a better future. Their future is when is Dora coming on TV. They just want you.
2. Read a lot of really great writers and don’t stick with what is familiar and comfortable.
3. Brand early and stick with it. I didn’t do this and it has hurt my career. One of my friends had two proposals being shopped at once. A suspense and an historical. The publishers chose the suspense and her agent wouldn’t shop the historical because brand was a focus. It has paid off hugely and this author is a best seller. After ten years she is NOW publishing the historical suspense series and I have no doubt it will be huge.
MERRIE: Great advice! What is your writing ritual? [Do you write 1,000 words a day, write for 5 hours every day, etc.]
TRACEY: I wish I had a better ritual. I’m actually in the process of looking for a life coach to help get me better focused. Got any suggestions?
MERRIE: LOL! Well, I wish I had a writing therapist to walk me through the dilemma of ‘Which version of this book is best?’ Maybe there’s someone out there right now who does both. If so, contact us! Do have anything else you would like to add?
TRACEY: Just that writing a vampire novel is a big risk, but probably the best chance I’ve ever taken. I’ve learned more from my current editor than I’ve ever learned in terms of growth as a writer. Also, I knew going in that it could flop as easily as soar and time will tell which is going to happen, but I also knew I was following my heart. I believe totally that God led me to write this and no matter what happens, I won’t regret it. And I don’t say that in a defensive way. More surrendered.
MERRIE: I personally think it was a risk well worth taking and I look forward to the second book in this series. Thank you so much for stopping by and answering all of my questions. Just a quick note for my blog readers, you can both purchase and read an excerpt of Thirsty on Amazon.com. I recommend you take a look at it. It’s a great book!