Girls*Heart* Books: Reign of Blood by Alexia Purdy Blog Tour: Review, Interview & Giveaway

"Never tease anything that wants to eat you. My name is April Tate and my blood is the new gold. Vampires and hybrids have overrun my world, once vibrant with life, but now a graveyard of death shrouded in shadows. I fight to survive; I fight for my mother and brother. The journey is full of turns that I am quite unprepared for. And I'm just hoping to make it to the next Vegas sunrise..."

In a post-apocalyptic world, a viral epidemic has wiped out most of the earth’s population, leaving behind few humans but untold numbers of mutated vampires. April is a seventeen-year-old girl who lives in the remains of Las Vegas one year after the outbreak. She has become a ferocious vampire killer and after her family is abducted, she goes searching for them. What she finds is a new breed of vampire, unlike any she has seen before. Unsure of whom she can trust, she discovers that her view of the world is not as black and white as she once thought, and she's willing to bend the rules to rescue her family. But in trying to save them, she may only succeed in bringing her fragile world crashing down around her. (from Goodreads)

Reign of Blood, the first book in a new series by Alexia Purdy, takes place in a dystopian future Las Vegas where vampirism is a sickness that has ravaged the world and mutated all its inhabitants in some way. A new and interesting take on the vampire genre, this book was phenomenal. I read it in one evening.

The story is told from the point of view of our main character, April, a kick-ass girl with a determination to survive and save her family in a world gone crazy. It's a fast-paced thrill ride told with humor and compassion. The plot is really different from your run of the mill vamp books and it grabs your attention from the very start and never lets go. The action is non-stop and helps to ratchet up the suspense.

I really love the characters in this book, and not just our heroine. Rye, one of the 'new' vampires April comes upon while looking for her family is probably my favorite character from the book. He is what every paranormal male lead should be in my opinion; sweet, protective and lethal all at the same time. April is a survivor, without a doubt, but she's also funny and smart. I really love that even though she is able to take care of herself she isn't too proud to take help that's offered to her, even when it comes from someone she believes to be her enemy.

Action, suspense and romance makes this the perfect book for me. I love Purdy's writing style, it had me engrossed from the very first page. This book is a must read for lovers of the vampire genre!

My Rating:

Excerpt from Reign of Blood:

"I rounded the corner and came to dead stop. Before me stood a woman, dirtied and with wild hair. Her face was streaked with grime and rips ran through her clothing. Blood had dried in dark red and brown splats on her shirt and pants and the large Rambo-like knife that she fingered in front of me. She was ready to pounce, slowly shifting on her legs as she narrowed her eyes at me. Sucking in my breath, I instinctively reached for one of the machetes strapped to my side.

I was too slow."

And now, our interview with Alexia Purdy!

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I live in Las Vegas, where I have dwelled for 21 years. I am a mother of four and they keep me plenty busy. I love to read and have been reading a long time and always wanted to be a writer. I read a lot for fun, sing, and enjoy trying out new foods and experiences. I still dream of traveling the world.

What made you decide to tackle the vampire genre?
Well, I am actually a big zombie fan. I read all the Resident evil novels that were based on the video games and it sparked the idea of writing something like that. I loved the action and the intensity of it all. When I had a dream one night of zombie-like vampires, I woke with the whole premise of Reign of Blood floating in my head and I was eager to write the story down.

Do you ever get annoyed with your characters as you’re writing?
Oh yes, I get annoyed when they change the direction I was planning for them without notifying me first. Sometimes they are stubborn and put their foot down, not wanting to do what is next. I negotiate and attempt to move past it. It is also annoying when new characters keep pushing to be heard when you know it’s not the right time for them.
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what were you listening to while writing ‘Reign of Blood’?
I listen to a lot of music when I write, I can’t write without it. I change up my music depending on what kind of a scene I’m writing. I listen a lot to Linkin Park, Evanescence, Anna Nalick, Nine Inch Nails, William Control, Lisa Hannigan, and a ton of contemporary instrumental, such as you find in many movie soundtracks. I have a huge, varied playlist.

If you could recommend one book to us, what would it be and why?
I would recommend reading anything by Alice Hoffman, her writing is magical and dreamy. If I had to pick one it would be The Third Angel, one of my favorites from hers.
I adore April; her spunk and determination really set her apart, is her character based on someone in your life?
No, she is based solely in my mind. I could only aspire to be as tough and as fragile as she is. I tried to make her genuine in her reactions to the stuff going on around her.

Can you tell us a little about what’s coming next for April?
Oh gosh yes! I am making this an ongoing series, not only based on April but also on secondary characters. April has a lot of growing still to do and a lot more ahead of her to get resolved. I am pretty excited about the direction her life is going. I hope everyone joins me for the ride, it’s going to be a wild one.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions! I’m really looking forward to reading your next book!

And up for grabs in the giveaway!!

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About the Author:

Alexia currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada–Sin City! She loves to spend every free moment writing or playing with her four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been her dream and she has been writing ever since she can remember. She loves writing paranormal fantasy and poetry and devours books daily. Alexia also enjoys watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and Italian food. She is the author of Ever Shade: A Dark Faerie Tale, published by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing and Whispers of Dreams (A Poetic Collection), both available via Amazon.com. Ever Fire: A Dark Faerie Tale #2 will be released in October of 2012. She is currently working on Ever Winter, the third installment of the Dark Faerie Tale series.

For more on Alexia Purdy:

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