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Revenge Of The Damned - Erin Pugh
Revenge Of The Damned
Erin Pugh
ISBN: 9781934938287
Langdon Street Press
Reviewed By Renee Washburn
Official Apex Reviews
Rating: 
A bloodthirsty vampire
with psychopathic urges, Zane Moore has a burdensome chip on his shoulder –
namely, an inescapable desire for revenge against his sworn nemesis, Darius
Kesslemen. Possessive of a vampiric nature himself, Darius – nee Andrew Carter
– has reformed his ways and embarked on a new life as an entrepreneur, husband,
and father to infant Jerrod. Zane, though, refuses to let bygones be bygones,
and in his quest to avenge the memory of his dear departed friend, Reginald
Carter – a fellow vampire who was also Darius’ father – he leaves no stone
unturned when he finally puts his well-developed plan for Darius’ demise into
motion.
After wreaking
considerable havoc in Darius’ life, Zane ultimately manages to kidnap Jerrod in
an effort to bait him into a final climactic showdown – what he doesn’t
realize, though, is just how far Darius is willing to go to protect the life of
his only son, even if it means succumbing to his baser instincts and reverting
back to his dark vampiric ways. Supported by the sudden return of an old friend
he thought long dead, Darius becomes consumed with a vengeance of his own as he
wages the deadliest of mortal combat against a foe who will accept nothing less
than his complete destruction…
Riveting and
action-packed, Revenge Of The Damned is an eye-opening tale of the fraternal
twins of rage and retribution. In it, author Erin Pugh conveys to the reader
the equally impactful effects that both love and hate can leave in their
respective wakes. Driven by blind anger and loyalty, Zane refuses to compromise
in his destructive crusade – but Darius is just as driven, only by the blind
loyalty and obligation to protect those that he holds most dear. Both men are
just as consumed in their individual quests, but only one victor emerges when
they finally meet in a most fateful clash. In the denouement of their battle,
Pugh does a commendable job of conveying to the reader just which of the two
forces is destined to prevail without coming off as preachy or pedantic in
expressing such a universal sentiment.
Official Apex
Reviews Interview: Erin Pugh (Revenge Of The Damned)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Erin. We're looking forward to learning more about your book.
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Erin. We're looking forward to learning more about your book.
How does Darius manage to
suppress his vampiric nature for the sake of his everyday life?
Erin Pugh: Well, firstly,
Darius' will is very strong, and his nature has remained as decent, as moral
and as absolute in his "living death" as it was in his mortal
life. Add to that, he is a man who knows all too well what will happen if he
lets the darkness of his vampire curse take control. He has so much to lose,
too much, really. His wife, his child, his ability to reconcile, to live
with his actions.
AR: Is Jerrod, Darius'
son, at risk of becoming a vampire himself, given that his father is one?
EP: Not by his father's
hand, no. Absolutely not. Jarrod would have to be fed on and then feed on that
vampire in turn to be turned into a vampire.
AR: Stefan is a
healer by trade, so how does he reconcile that fact with his status as a
vampire?
EP: I suppose he finds it
ironic, but he isn't as troubled, or as tortured as Darius about his
existence as a vampire. He doesn't resort to violence to feed, to
exist. His "life" as a doctor is over. It wasn't his choice
to become a vampire either, but he sees his fate more philosophically, I
guess. A sort of "Why bemoan what you can't change" philosophy.
AR: Why is Zane so
consumed with exacting malicious revenge on Darius?
EP: It's fairly cut and
dry with Zane. Darius, a.k.a. Andrew Carter, is responsible for the death of
both his and Darius' maker. Unfortunately, their maker, Reginald Carter,
is also Darius' father. There is no gray in Zane's diabolical mind, so Darius
Kesslemen must pay the price a vampire must pay when he kills the vampire who
made him. The belief that there is a mortal price to be paid when a son
commits patricide is just icing on Zane's nasty little cake of craziness.
AR: Given how much he
wants to hurt Darius, why does Zane not harm Jarrod after he kidnaps him?
EP: Zane is obsessed with
his end-game. Jarrod is thought of as bait, as a means-to-an-end and
nothing more to him. He'd want to be face to face with Darius before
he hurt his son. He had to be sure Darius would come for his son, and
in doing that, he would come to him.
AR: Much notice has
been given lately to books and movies about vampires. What's your general
take on all the recent attention that the genre has received?
EP: I think people
appreciate what intrigues them. What's more intriguing than the dark, forbidden
world of the living dead, right? I began writing about vampires more than a
decade ago, before vampires made such a powerful comeback, before the movies,
which I think are great, and everything else. I think vampire
popularity is great. It certainly fuels creativity.
AR: Do you plan on writing
more vampire stories?
EP: Well, I'm currently
writing what will be the third in the trilogy I envisioned when I finished
Forever Damned. After that, who knows…I write so many different types of
novels. I could see myself revisiting vampires at some point in the future.
AR: How has your
publishing experience been thus far with Langdon Street Press?
EP: Wonderful, really, I'd
recommend them highly. My experience is one of enjoyable ease. The company
has smart, edgy, eager people ready to roll up their sleeves and dig in to make
the books they put the Langdon
Street name on a success.
AR: Please share more with
our readers about your first book, Forever Damned.
EP: Forever Damned was my
first book in the planned Damned trilogy. FD was a true labor of love for me,
although the publishing experience with it was far different, (It was published
by a now defunct, and rightfully so, publishing company. There were some
editing issues.) The story was so enjoyable to write. FD is where it all began.
It tells the story of Andrew Carter, of how he became an unwilling vampire,
of how he met the woman who changed his life forever, of how his vampire nature
destroyed his life, and caused death and destruction. In FD you get the
full back story only hinted at in Revenge of the Damned.
AR: What's next for you?
EP: I've written many
other novels, so while I'm writing the third in the Damned saga, I plan to
introduce one of my favorites "Failures of the Fathers" next. It's is
a sweeping story that follows two very different people through twenty-five
years. Jeremy and Christina struggle to be together, fall apart, try
to build new lives without each other, and ultimately learn just how powerful
destiny and love can be.
AR: Do you have a website
where our writers can learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?
EP: Yes. It is www.revengedamned.com.
This site really concentrates on Revenge of the Damned, but I’m working
with a site designer to branch out as a full fledged site.
AR: Any final thoughts
you'd like to share?
EP: Just that I hope
everyone gives their all to their dreams. I did, and I've never regretted it.