THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

Werner A. Lind was born in Minneapolis, but raised in eastern Iowa. A graduate of Clinton (Iowa) Community College and of Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, he also holds master's degrees from Eastern Mennonite Univ. in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and from Indiana State Univ. Formerly a college teacher and public librarian, he and his wife Barb now live in Bluefield, Virginia, where he has been a librarian at Bluefield College since 1992. They have three daughters. His short fiction, book reviews, and scholarly articles have been published in various periodicals, and he has twice won prizes for his work in fiction. Lifeblood is his first novel:

All Ana Vasilifata ever wanted was a simple life, with a good husband, children, and a happy home. What she found was a vampire who made her his "bride." And when she fled to England, in the winter of 1665 she found a stake at the hands of a fearful and angry mob.

Over three hundred years later, an accident reanimates Ana in the quiet town of Meriwether, Iowa. She flees to an abandoned house where she meets Joshua Davidson, a kind-hearted carpenter who helps Ana adjust to this strange place and time. As her friendship with Joshua deepens, Ana begins to hope that she can finally find the peace she has always sought. But dangers still haunt her, for even now there are some who believe in the stories of vampires. This time she is not friendless; but, she wonders, would Joshua continue to help her if he knew what she is? And even if he would, can he protect her from all the danger lurking in the shadows?

How long did it take to complete your first novel?
Was it basedon on an idea that you had in mind for many years? or did you decide quickly on plot?

What are you working on for the future? Do you plan on any fantasies? I really enjoyed Lifeblood, by the way.

Rick, thanks for including me in one of these forums (which I think are a wonderful idea)! I started to write Lifeblood back in 1981; it was published in 2004, but the draft the publisher accepted had been complete since about 2001. So you could say it took 20 years to write (and then the publisher and I made some revisions to create the published version). The long writing time resulted from several revisions as I reworked various drafts to change and refine the various elements of the plot (with my writing skills hopefully improving all the time, from the practice!).

But though I obviously didn't hammer out the final version of the plot very quickly, the basic idea was one I'd had ever since around the mid-1970s. I've always been a fan of the literature and drama of the supernatural, including vampires; and I became a Christian back in high school. Those two things came together for me as a result of reading an article in Christianity Today on the Christian background that the writers of both older and modern "horror" literature and films draw on. The author's discussion of the Christian symbolism in Dracula really intrigued me, and gave me the idea for a premise that would, I felt, convey the symbolic message in an even more direct way. Even though I had to work out the exact way the plot would unfold in the book, I had the two main characters and the ending in mind right from the get-go.

Steven, glad that you enjoyed Lifeblood! I'm currently working on a second novel, which will be set in Appalachia. Technically, it isn't supernatural fiction; it will be science fiction that draws on motifs from Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, but it will have the basic flavor of supernatural fiction.

Although I'm an avid reader of the fantasy genre, and have great respect for its practioners, I don't have any plans to write any fantasy myself. Inventing a fantasy world would take a lot of work; I guess I'm too lazy for that! It's easier to take this world as a setting --but to imagine that its inhabitants can include vampires, werewolves, alien Great Old Ones, etc. :-)

It's a good book. I look forward to the next, Werner.

Thanks, Jim! I've really appreciated the response the book has gotten from readers here on Goodreads (and elsewhere). That's mainly what we authors write for --for a dedicated writer, the money is very secondary, unless he/she is depending on it for income. (And it's a poor thing to depend on, since there's going to be very little income if your publisher's a small press!)

My current novel, Terror by Night, is about half finished. The wait for it will still be pretty long, though. I can only work on it in my meager spare time (eventually, I plan to be a "full-time writer" --but only after I'm old enough to retire from the work force :-)), and even when I finish the manuscript, I'll still have to find a publisher; that might take years. I'm sure that Silver Lake, the publishers of Lifeblood, would have published it readily; but, alas, they're history. So it'll be back to the drawing board for that quest!

We have to wait until you 'grow up'?

;-)

No, Jim --I hope to have this particular novel finished well before I retire! But I've got ideas for a couple more. :-)

Werner, Thanks for sharing your accomplishments and insights with us.

I'm particularly interested in reading and writing development that focuses on the use of allegory.

You mentioned the influence of christian faith in the horror genre and that you tried to put that into your own novel.

Did you draw from any specific examples or did you already have something in mind when starting out?

Tod, thanks for stopping by here; and I want to wish you all the best with the Erinia Saga! My novella, Lifeblood, isn't a full-blown allegory, in the way that The Pilgrim's Progress or Animal Farm are; but the symbolism is strong enough in places that you could say it has allegorical features.

The magazine article (in case anyone's interested in it) that triggered my conception of the storyline was "Of Heroes and Devils: The Supernatural on Film" by Paul Leggett, in the Nov. 18, 1977 issue of Christianity Today, pp. 19-21. Leggett's main focus was movies, but to discuss those, he had to discuss the genre's literary roots, and one book he gave attention to was Dracula (which until then, I'd read only in a dumbed-down kid's version). I'd already picked up on the inherent Christian symbolism of the vampire's fear of crosses, holy water, etc.; and I grasped the idea of vampirism as a metaphor for original sin, and the significance of the spiritual tug-of-war between Dracula and Van Helsing for the soul of the bitten-but-not-turned (yet) Mina. But as I read and pondered the article, it came to me that the symbolism could be pursued in a deeper way. What if a full-fledged vampire, not just a bitten prey, could be the object of Divine grace? Of course, to imagine that, you'd have to view vampires as having moral volition and will, to make choices about their actions and respond to grace. I'd always felt that one major weakness of the traditional vampire portrayals was the total absence of that element; becoming a vampire always supposedly totally erased the person's conscience and values, and turned him/her into a ruthlessly evil automaton with a blood thirst. Probably it's my Arminian tendencies coming out, but I've always valued free will highly enough to think that even vampires should have some! :-) Fortunately, vampires like Barnabas on Dark Shadows gave me an Undead model of that sort.

So yes, in starting out, I already knew the role my symbolically-named hero would play; that my vampire character would be female, and that the question of her redemption would be the focus of the book; and what the climax and denouement of the story would be. (To avoid spoilers, I can't say any more. :-)) It was how the story would play out to reach that point that presented the challenge, and took work. And no, I didn't really draw from any specific examples. My reading in the supernatural genre (I prefer that term rather than "horror") had been sporadic, so I hadn't encountered any of the work of Christian writers in that field; and during the years I was writing Lifeblood, I purposely didn't read vampire fiction, so I wouldn't be overly influenced by other writers. (Except that I did read the original version of Dracula --I felt I owed myself that!)

I don't know if that helps to answer your question or not, but I hope it does!

Hi Werner,

When you are writing a novel, how many hours would you say you spend a day writing on average? Is it tougher some days more than others and if so, how do you get past it?

Thanks, Werner. I'd like to find that article and will search for it.

Please don't take offense at this one, but I am wondering - How would you argue that your story is different or deeper than those copying the more recent sales phenomenon of Meyer's Twilight?

I think all writers struggle to take certain plot frameworks, like the Heroe's Journey in Fantasy Fiction (with a magic sword or a lost bloodline), and make it something unique.

Did that kind of thinking impact you in your writing and how did you overcome it?

Thanks, Tod

Gary, I'm ashamed to say that I don't write every day, and don't spend nearly as much time on writing as I'd like. Of course, I wrote Lifeblood over quite a long period of time, and my schedule varied greatly during that time. But currently, I work fulltime, with two days off a week (Friday and Saturday, during the regular school year); getting any writing done on days that I work is usually a lost cause, and my wife and I try to spend Saturday together, because with our conflicting work schedules it's the only day we have to get quality time. That leaves Friday; but unfortunately, writing isn't the only thing I need to do on Fridays. I'm lucky to get in anywhere from 1/2 to two hours on writing in the afternoon. (Of course if I'd sacrifice the time I spend reading and on Goodreads, I could a LOT more writing done; but I'm not willing to make that tradeoff. :-))

When I am writing, though, yes --there are days when it's more difficult than others to figure out exactly what I want to say, and how to say it. At those times, about the only way I know to get past it is to just sit there, think about the storyline and the situation, or the possible vocabulary for saying something, and work it through in my mind. If I'd give it up until some time when it seems to flow more easily, I have a feeling that time wouldn't come. :-) It takes discipline to get over the hump.

Tod, I'm not offended; that's a natural question. The need for uniqueness was one reason why I didn't read much in the way of other vampire literature while I was writing the book. (Of course, you have to realize that the Twilight series hadn't even been written at that time.) It's a hard question for me to answer, though, because I haven't read any of Meyer's imitators, and have only read the first two books in the Twilight series. There are probably other comparisons/contrasts that I could draw more successfully. For instance, my portrayal of vampires is one of the more traditional ones in terms of their characteristics (more so than Meyer's, since mine have fangs, fear crosses, can shapeshift, are in a cataleptic trance during the day, and don't glow in sunlight, etc.) But it departs from the traditional Polidori/Le Fanu/Stoker/Stephen King model in that my vampires can make moral choices about whether or not they prey on humans --Ana is a "vegetarian" vampire (like Meyer's Cullens), and also doesn't have any particularly intense thirst for human blood per se, though she has to feed on some kind of blood to survive. In that respect, she's more like Rice's vampires; but my writing doesn't have the morally dark tone that Rice herself says characterized her vampire books. Also, it doesn't have the eroticism that characterizes a lot of modern vampire fiction (what someone has referred to as the "let's go to bed with a vampire" school). A romance develops in the book, but it's chaste (as it is in Meyer's works, as well). To distinguish it from the Twilight tradition specifically, I'd say probably the most obvious difference is that my main characters are older --in their early 20s, not teens. That, I think, gives it a different feel. Also, in modern Iowa, Ana is an outsider in other ways than being Undead; as a newly reanimated vampire, she's been out of circulation since the 17th century, and is clueless about the modern world. This makes for quite a bit of culture shock (which I had some fun with :-)) --sort of a time travel plot in addition to the vampire aspect. I also portray vampirism itself as more of a negative thing than comes across in the Twilight books I've read (where Bella doesn't view it as a bad option for herself --and Meyer's portrayal does make vegetarian vampirism rather attractive).

All of this speaks to the question of how the book is different from some other examples of vampire fiction, but that doesn't address the question of whether or not it's "deeper." On that, I don't know. All I can say is that it is very definitely meant to convey a serious message; there is a very strong element of Christian symbolism here, more marked than in other vampire fiction I've read, and that lies at the absolute core of what the book is about. So it's meant to be more than entertainment (though hopefully it entertains). But I'm sure other authors in the genre have serious messages to convey, as well.

Most of the differences above arise out of the basic conception I had for the story itself, or from the ingrained elements of my personality that shape how I write. I didn't generally think in terms of "I want to do X differently than writer A did it" (and I usually didn't have a clue how writer A did it! :-)).

I've given you both a lot longer replies than you probably wanted! I hope that, somewhere in there, I managed to successfully answer what you meant to ask. :-)

That was fantastic! I especially like the twist with Ana having been out of it for a long time. It adds to her dilemma and makes her choices harder...I like that!

Werner wrote: "Gary, I'm ashamed to say that I don't write every day, and don't spend nearly as much time on writing as I'd like. Of course, I wrote Lifeblood over quite a long period of time, and my schedule va..."

Werner- I was facinated by your last post- it contained so much excellant info!!

Thanks, Rick, and Tod! In my original draft, I didn't start out with the "time-travel" angle --but the idea, and its possibilities, came to me early on, and I was glad it did. :-)

Werner wrote: "Thanks, Rick, and Tod! In my original draft, I didn't start out with the "time-travel" angle --but the idea, and its possibilities, came to me early on, and I was glad it did. :-)"

facinating how ideas can simply come to a writer- who can then put them into words for all to enjoy

Well, a lot of the time ideas don't come very easily or simply --you have to sweat to get them. :-) But it's a neat experience when they hit you out of the blue!

THE AUTHOR FORUMS HAVE BEEN GOING SO VERY WELL- I HAVE DECIDED TO KEEP THEM OPEN UNTIL 12/19- AND THEN BEGIN NEW ONES
I HOPE EVERYONE HAS GOTTEN AS MUCH OUT OF THEM AS I HAVE

How nice to find Werner Lind among the forums here! He is one of the most interesting persons at Goodreads. I admire his academic approach and his analytical abilities. A great contributor at Goodreads. His posts are always interesting and thought-provoking.

I enjoyed Werner's book, Lifeblood, the first and only vampire book I've ever read. A wonderful story.

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "How nice to find Werner Lind among the forums here! He is one of the most interesting persons at Goodreads. I admire his academic approach and his analytical abilities. A great contributor at Goodr..."

Yes Joy
Werner has been a great asset to our Group!

Oh, now you've got me blushing and hiding my head! :-) I appreciate all the kind words (I just wish I did more to deserve them).

Joy, it's great to have you in this group, too. This one and your Glen Falls group are two of my favorite groups on Goodreads (besides the ones I started, of course!) and have some of the most interesting and worthwhile discussions on the site. I think the fact that you and Rich are top-notch, active and genial moderators, who encourage and bring out the best participation from people, must have a lot to do with that. Kudos, and keep up the good work!

Werner, thank you for your support and kind words. I guess we are our own "Mutual Admiration Society". Remember that good old song? I found it being sung at YouTube: ===>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGsSAy...
Great lyrics.

I appreciate your encouragement.

"If you would lift me, you must be on higher ground." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Two-thirds of help is to give courage." -Irish proverb

Love that link! love CAR 54- Fred G. and Joe E Ross- what a great show- wish it was on DVD!!!

Rick wrote: "Love that link! love CAR 54- Fred G. and Joe E Ross- what a great show- wish it was on DVD!!!"

Well, there's this:
"Car 54, Where Are You?" (1994) (A Netflix DVD):
(Not quite the same thing, but based on it.) ===>
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Car_54_W...

TRUE BUT NOBODY CAN REPLACE JOE E ROSS AND FRED GWYNNE

In one of the other forums, we recently got into a side discussion of the merits/demerits of the Twilight series. That opened up the broader topics of the role of a writer's faith (or lack of it) in fiction, and the proper relationship of new vampire fiction to the established tradition of the genre. I was afraid, though, that it might hijack the thread where it was going on! :-)

Since we've pretty well exhausted the discussion of my book itself, I think, and since my book is vampire fiction by a Christian which potentially opens up all of these topics, hijacking won't be a problem here. So, I'll invite you all to make this thread your headquarters for discussing and debating all issues pertaining to vampire fiction (including Twilight), and the role of Christian faith in fiction. Looking forward to some energetic commenting!

Wow, it's been a long while since we've posted on this thread! In case anyone's interested, I just wanted to post the link to an interview I was recently granted on the blog hosted by Goodreads author M. R. Gott: wherethedeadfeartotread.blogspot.com/... . (You can also access it at M. R,'s Goodreads profile page, which is linked to his blog.) It focuses on Lifeblood, as well as some other relevant questions about my writing and influences.

Werner wrote: "Wow, it's been a long while since we've posted on this thread! In case anyone's interested, I just wanted to post the link to an interview I was recently granted on the blog hosted by Goodreads au..."

quite a splendid link Werner

Thanks, Rick!