Guest Blog & Giveaway: Emma Cornwall, author of Incarnation!

Incarnation
Author: Emma Cornwall
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy/Steampunk
Release Date: September 18, 2012

Description:

In the steampunk world of Victorian London, a beautiful vampire seeks out the author of Dracula–to set the record straight . . . If one is to believe Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale, Lucy Weston is Dracula’s most wanton creation, a sexual creature of the night who preys on innocent boys. But the real-life Lucy is nothing like her fictional counterpart—and she demands to know why the Victorian author deliberately lied. With Stoker’s reluctant help, she’s determined to track down the very fiend who transformed her—from the sensual underworld where humans vie to become vampires, to a hidden cell beneath a temple to madness, and finally into the glittering Crystal Palace where death reigns supreme.

Haunted by fragmentary memories of her lost life and love, Lucy must battle her thirst for blood as she struggles to stop a catastrophic war that will doom vampires and humans alike. Ultimately, she must make a choice that illuminates for her—and for us—what it means to be human.  

People often ask where writers get their ideas. I’ve always tried to come up with answers that are helpful to those seeking inspiration for their own work. But in the case of “Incarnation”, I’m just going to tell the unvarnished truth: I wrote this book out of pique.
As much as I enjoy Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, I despise the character he dubbed Lucy Westenra, who became Lucy Weston in the first movie version. In my opinion, she’s boring, insipid, and annoying. About the best that can be said about her is that she sheds light on Victorian/Edwardian attitudes toward women. But she could have been so much more! She undergoes an amazing transformation yet she’s treated as nothing more than a vehicle for the titillating horror of the men around her.
So, with all respect to Mister Stoker, I decided to see what I could do about rehabilitating Lucy. While I was at it, I thought it would be a good idea for her to confront him and demand an accounting for his version of her life. The explanation he offers shocks her and sets off a train of events that threaten to bring about a catastrophic war that neither humans nor vampires will survive.
Of course, my Lucy needed an appropriate setting. Where better than a steampunk London in which elements of our own world have shown up early? Under the eye of surveillance drones, haunted by rumors of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, Lucy finds her way through a secret world in which nothing is quite what it seems and danger lurks around every corner.
Through it all, my Lucy is brave, resourceful, and very focused on regaining her lost humanity until, that is, she begins to perceive the advantages of her new existence. Ultimately, she has to make a choice that illuminates for her--and for us--what it really means to be human. 

 ~By Emma Cornwall

I want to thank Emma for writing up a guest post for my blog! I always find it so interesting to get a peek inside an author's mind. I can't wait to read Incarnation - make sure to stop back soon for my review!

 

The publisher has generously offered one (1) finished copy of Incarnation for my giveaway. Open to US residents only!

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