Eyes Like Blue Fire (A gothic horror novel) is the story of Katja, a vampire who has lost sense of herself and her value in the world. Lost, broken and damaged she wanders the streets of Europe hoping to find some sense of purpose beyond the death and tragedy she has always known. Betrayed by her sire and left alone in the night she is startled to discover herself forming a connection to a young man who shares a close resemblance to her master and lover. Though everything in her begs her to stay with him she flees only to come running back to save him when a monster from her sire’s past comes to destroy the only hope she has had in 300 years.
Author Interview
What are the main themes of your book?
Getting trapped in your past and realizing that agonizing over mistakes or sad events won’t change them. In fact, it not only hurts you, it hurts everyone you shut out as a result. Face the future even if it means battling the demons you create, or who were created by your actions, in order for that to happen.
Who or what inspired your story?
Me actually. I was a lonely teen when I first got the idea for Eyes Like Blue Fire and initially it was about loneliness and wanting someone to fill that void. Over time I found the details of the book changing and becoming clearer. In the end I realized I was telling myself I wasn’t that person anymore, and that I had the courage to build a future where my past was no longer a crutch for my poor choices in the present.
What do you like best about your primary characters?
Both Raven and Katja are strong people despite their crazy pasts. They can handle a great deal more than many would under the circumstances.
What are their worst peculiarities?
Unfortunately, they both have a habit of letting the sadness in their lives overtake the good. This is part of what draws them together in the beginning, but it is also what makes it possible for them to be manipulated during the course of their lives. This is especially true when the villain Marie appears. She loves nothing more than to use that kind of weakness or sensitivity to hurt others.
How does your main character evolve?
At the beginning of ELBF, Katja is introverted and spends all of her time thinking about the past and the sad things that hurt her there. Chief among them, her relationship with her sire Anton, her daughter, and the husband she had as a human being. In that past, it’s she who needs everyone else and gets little from anyone. As the book progresses, she is pulled out of that mindset by people who require her to focus on the present and their needs instead. After years of focus on herself she is forced to think of others, and through that begins to fulfill her need for a future.
What’s the principal message you want to send to your audience?
We are what we make of ourselves. If you can’t let the things that hurt you go they most certainly won’t let go of you. Face those fears and threats in your life, move on; you need and deserve it.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has said about your book?
There are a couple of things I could reference. One came from a friend a few years back when I asked him about ELBF. He told me that my writing was very like a fairy tale, that the style of it made him think of the way dreams are when you’re having them, very surreal and dark.
Where can we purchase it?
It’s currently available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats.
About the Author
A longtime fan of horror and fantasy Ms. Lyons writes character driven novels that while influenced by her darker interests, can also be heavily laced with fantasy, romance, history and magic. Amanda M. Lyons has lived her whole life in rural Ohio where she lives with her fiance and two children. Eyes Like Blue Fire is her first novel.
