Laura Patricia Rose: Guest Post with Jane Lovering, author of The York Vampire Series

Today I am delighted to welcome Jane Lovering to the blog with a guest piece on A Day in the Life of Vampire, which ties in with her latest book, Falling Apart.

Synopsis

In the mean streets of York, the stakes just got higher - and even pointier.
Jessica Grant liaises with Otherworlders for York Council so she knows that falling in love with a vampire takes a leap of faith. But her lover Sil, the City Vampire in charge of Otherworld York, he wouldn't run out on her, would he? He wouldn't let his demon get the better of him. Or would he?

Sil knows there's a reason for his bad haircut, worse clothes and the trail of bleeding humans in his wake. If only he could remember exactly what he did before someone finds him and shoots him on sight.

With her loyalties already questioned for defending zombies, the Otherworlders no one cares about, Jess must choose which side she's on, either help her lover or turn him in. Human or Other? Whatever she decides, there's a high price to pay - and someone to lose.

A Day in the (Long) Life of a Vampire

I do not need to sleep, but usually lie in bed until around twelve thirty for the look of the thing. Everyone knows that only losers are up before lunch; losers and people who have to work for a living. I set up my company in 1912 and it runs perfectly well without me having to dance attendance on it all the time – I mean, really, what else are humans for? So, I arise, maybe have a bottle or two of that synthetic blood...it’s almost as good as the real thing if you don’t think about it too closely, seriously, all those additives? Fresh is Best is my motto, organic preferably, but only from official sources, I know the rules...

Then I dress. This can take some time, since I have several rooms of designer clothing and must perfect the ‘Look’ I have decided on for the day. Sometimes I feel ‘Pale, Interesting and Intelligent’ and choose something Byronic to wear (that’s Byron by way of Giorgio Armani, of course, that eighteenth century look is so...well, eighteenth century), other times I feel Cutting Edge and might go for a nice Paul Smith suit. I favour the long hair look, it adds a certain something to the cheekbones, I feel, and we vampires have our own built-in fragrance, so I don’t need to patronise the perfume markets.

Hopefully, by this time it is dark. Oh, we can go outside in the daylight, of course we can, we would never have become nearly so successful if we’d only been able to go out at night, I mean, look at bats! Night time only, and where are they on the list of the nation’s top earners? Nowhere, of course, and I rest my case. But night adds to the ‘dark and mysterious’ aura which the human females just cannot resist...show them a well-cut figure in a good suit by day and they will dismiss him as a salesman, yet show them the same figure after dark and they are putty in my immaculately manicured hands. Within the strictly defined terms of the Treaty, of course...

So I may just go down to the clubs by the river, possibly meet a willing young lady, my tastes are for those who are petite, brunette, who wear their clothes stylishly, like to dance, are well read and, of course, are not squeamish. We may have a bite...or, at least, I may, and then there is the possibility of a pleasant night of debauchery. Then I return home, catch up with my recordings of the evening’s viewing, since Midsomer Murders is something no self-respecting vampire would want to miss, and lie down until the following day.

Sometimes I miss the old days...