Exclusive Interview with D.L. Atha, Author of ‘Blood Reaction’

Author D.L. Atha took a different approach to the world of vampires when writing her debut novel, Blood Reaction. Being a physician she used her own medical knowledge and combined it with classic myths and created something entirely her own. I was lucky enough to chat with the author on her new book, her views on vampires and more. Check it out:

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
An avid reader, I’m a mother of three and a practicing physician who finally gave in to my lifelong desire to write. The paranormal has always held an interest for me and I find myself drawn to such legends.

Can you tell us about your book Blood Reaction?
Blood Reaction is the story of a single mother who suffers a supernatural home invasion.  She is forced to bargain for her daughter’s life. It’s a love story but not the typical love story, it’s a mother’s love for her daughter.

How does Blood Reaction differ from other novels about vampires?
In Blood Reaction, I wanted to create a vampire tale that brought in all the aspects of classic vampire legends but also tie in modern medicine and science. It was also important to me to form a female character that was strong, a real survivor.  I wanted her to be someone the readers could relate to, a person they felt like they actually knew.

Where did you get the idea for Blood Reaction?
I was at the theater watching one of the Twilight movies.  I don’t even remember which one but I kept noticing Edward breathe.  For anyone who has read the Twilight saga, you know that he is ice cold. So as a physician, I couldn’t get past that.  Of course, it’s just a movie and they couldn’t make the actor “non-human” so it couldn’t be helped but as a doctor, I was trying to justify the reasoning. I kept thinking the only way that Edward could have breathed out air that condensed was if he had warmed up and was no longer the atmospheric temperature. So that is where the idea was born.  I went home that night and wrote about 8 paragraphs where the vampire Asa hunts down a human and the lack of condensation is how the human recognized that his pursuer was not human.  After the vampire fed, of course, he “fogged” like any other human.  Then I built the story around that idea.

What is one thing you would like people to take away from their experience of reading Blood Reaction?
I hope anyone who reads Blood Reaction feels like the science and story line is plausible. I hope it makes a few people stop and rethink the old legends.

Given the current vampire craze, people feel especially attracted to vampires, why do you think that is?
I’ve thought quite a bit about this particular question during the year that I spent writing Blood Reaction.  I think the usual answer is immortality which most of us are probably interested in.  But I think it goes farther than that just living forever.  It’s a control issue.  In most vampire stories, the vampire has the upper hand. They no longer have to answer to the usual issues that rule most of us “ordinary” humans. Concerns for personal safety, the economy, the government, along with death and disease go right out the window.

Who is your favorite fictitious vampire (other than your own)?
My all-time favorite vampire is the original Dracula followed closely by Louise de Pointe du Lac in Interview With a Vampire.

What is your favorite vampire book, movie, and/or show?
I love the Sookie Stackhouse series.  They’re a great combination of thriller and comedy.  My favorite TV show is Supernatural. The first three seasons were killer! I’m a big Star Trek fan. JM Dillard wrote a few vampire/Star Trek books. How can you get better than combination?

Tell our readers why they should check out your book –  in 3 words: (bwahaha)
Really BAD vampire!

And finally, what other projects are you currently working on? Any goodies we should watch out for?
I’m currently working on a vampire thriller set in Alaska at the time that the Russian’s were settling the southeastern coastline.  The Russian Orthodox Christians had some very interesting ideas regarding death and burial which have fascinated me.

Find D.L. Atha here:
Official website

– Moonlight

By Moonlight

Moonlight (aka Amanda) loves to write about, read about and learn about everything pertaining to vampires. You will most likely find her huddled over a book of vampire folklore with coffee in hand. Touch her coffee and she may bite you (and not in the fun way).

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