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That Which Bites - Celis Rono
That Which Bites
Celis Rono
ISBN: 9781602643840
Virtualbookworm.com
Reviewed By Chelsea Perry
Official Apex Reviews
Rating: 
The Gray Armageddon has decimated the ranks of humanity,
and in its wake vampires have risen to the top of the food chain. As a result,
the remaining vestiges of mankind are considered “cattle,” good only for the
sustenance of the new rulers of Earth. Even worse: those who are not
immediately destroyed are relegated to the ranks of lowly servants until the
time of their appointed deaths.
All hope is not lost, though, for out of the ashes emerges
the most unlikely of saviors: Julia Poe, an intrepid eight-year-old heroine who
survives the brutal massacre of her family with the sole mission of destroying
every single vampire that crosses her path. Joined by a gentle giant and a nun
with a bite that would put a pit bull to shame, Poe embarks on her crusade for
the vindication of mankind – but her quest is thrown for an unexpected loop
when she encounters the charming, alluring Sainvire. Ironically, Sainvire
serves a major leadership role in the New World Order of vampiric rule;
however, he takes a particular shine to Poe – even preserving her life when it
is threatened by fellow members of his undead ilk.
As their intriguing “entanglement” ensues, Poe is forced to
reconcile her strengthening feelings for Sainvire with her allegiance to her
vanquished comrades, and Sainvire finds his own loyalty tested time and again –
with potentially disastrous consequences.
In That Which Bites, author Celis Rono has crafted a
remarkable, revealing story of fantasy and imagination, easily setting it apart
from the more hackneyed, predictable vampire tales currently flooding the
mainstream. Furthermore, Rono infuses Poe, Sainvire, and every other character
of her narrative with such unique authenticity that they bring her tale to
inimitable life, a task that would be impossible were the story populated with
flat, one- and two-dimensional caricatures.
Perhaps the most salient aspect of Rono’s tale, though, is
the impressive creativity that she displays in constructing a vampire story
unlike any other, past or present. For example, rather than take a single bite
to their necks, her vampires convert their victims through multiple bites over
several days – or simply puncture a single hole in their foreheads. Also,
rather than drink their blood only once, her fanged predators exsanguinate
their victims intravenously for days. Refreshing and original, the vampiric
world of Rono’s imagination will hopefully serve as the new model for tales of
the undead in the months and years to come.
An exciting, fast-paced read that will hold your attention
completely captive until the very last page, That Which Bites deserves to be
hailed as the masterful instant classic that it is. Highly recommended.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Celis Rono (That Which Bites)
Apex Reviews: Celis, thanks for joining us for this interview. We're looking forward to learning more about your book.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Celis Rono (That Which Bites)
Apex Reviews: Celis, thanks for joining us for this interview. We're looking forward to learning more about your book.
Celis Rono: It’s a
pleasure.
AR: What inspired you to craft this quite imaginative, unique tale?
AR: What inspired you to craft this quite imaginative, unique tale?
CR: I’ve
always loved the concept of the undead.
I wanted to create something completely different…a world without lace
and leather – the clichés rampant in vampire books these days. I envisioned physically flawed anti-heroes
that try to make a difference.
AR: How did you come up with the concept for your post-apocalyptic world, as well as how mankind and vampires fare/interact in it?
AR: How did you come up with the concept for your post-apocalyptic world, as well as how mankind and vampires fare/interact in it?
CR: I grew up
not far from downtown Los Angeles. While some people think it’s dangerous, I’ve
long considered downtown beautiful and culturally alive. I figured since I know the place so well, it
would be a great setting for a vampire story.
I added some authoritarian/Nazi-like elements, like the remaining humans
penned up and minorities enslaved, and the perfect world was created.
AR: Vampire stories of all types are currently flooding the mainstream. Were you ever afraid that your title would be overlooked or seen as just "more of the same"?
AR: Vampire stories of all types are currently flooding the mainstream. Were you ever afraid that your title would be overlooked or seen as just "more of the same"?
CR:
Yes. I actually still have that fear. People ask me on myspace if my
book is
similar to Laurell K. Hamilton. I have
to say not quite. My heroine is pretty
innocent, thrust into an impossible situation.
Hamilton’s
writing is very sensuous in nature; mine is more character driven.
Then there are those who try to compare my
book with Twilight. My book is quite
violent and there are a couple of explicit sex scenes…so no. I don’t
want to get pidgeonholed. I just hope my book will stand on its own
merit.
AR: To be so young - and to have been thrust in such a daunting position - Poe is remarkably brave and heroic. Where does she draw her inimitable strength and courage from?
AR: To be so young - and to have been thrust in such a daunting position - Poe is remarkably brave and heroic. Where does she draw her inimitable strength and courage from?
CR: Poe has
had the instinct to survive since she was eight years old. While people in downtown are penned to become
blood cattle, Poe escapes the clutches of vampires. It wasn’t until her teens that she meets up
with the shotgun-toting Sister Ann and the giant of a man named Goss who
teaches her guerilla warfare. This is
when Poe starts learning her talent – being a sure shot. I believe the guidance from her friends gives
her a sense of purpose and much needed courage.
AR: What made you decide to craft Sainvire as such a departure from the typical malicious, evil, cold-hearted prototype for villains?
CR: In my
opinion, vampires are often the bratty Goth…Lestat…or the really macho heartthrob
that makes women swoon with a raise of a brow.
Kaleb Sainvire has a purpose.
He’s always been idealistic. He
cares about his cronies and may even care for the welfare of the humans under
his care. He’s not macho, but he exudes
strength. He’s not boastful, but
contemplative and tries to see both sides of a dilemma. I tried to create a character that’s unlike
any other and I believe I succeeded. I
mean, the man is friends with a civil rights leader…
AR: How were you able to infuse Poe, Sainvire, and all of your other characters with such genuine energy and authentic personalities?
AR: How were you able to infuse Poe, Sainvire, and all of your other characters with such genuine energy and authentic personalities?
CR: Some
characters are drawn from different personalities of people I know – like the
character of Joseph. Poe and Sainvire had
been living in my mind for so long that I almost see them as being real. I believe my forte is writing dialogue and it
does add a lot to bringing out the quirks of the characters I created.
AR: What kinds of reactions has the book generated thus far?
CR:
I have
over 12,000 friends on myspace. Many have
bought the book and read it within a day or two. The verdict so far
has been positive. Many say that they’ve never read anything
quite like That Which Bites and they love it.
On Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com, I’ve gotten five stars from each
reviewer.
AR: Is a sequel in the works?
AR: Is a sequel in the works?
CR: Yes. I’m actually halfway done. There’s a long road ahead of editing and
re-writing.
AR: Please share more with us about your publisher, Virtualbookworm.com.
CR: My
publishers are based in Texas
and they’ve done a good job with laying out the books. It was better than I expected.
AR: What are your future writing/publishing plans?
AR: What are your future writing/publishing plans?
CR: I’ve
actually written five books. That Which
Bites was an experiment while the other four are not-vampire related. My vampire book is the first to be published
out of the five. After writing the
sequel, I plan on fine-tuning and promoting my other books.
AR: How can our readers learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?
AR: How can our readers learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?
CR: I’m on
myspace and Facebook. They can
communicate with me or share their thoughts on the book.
AR: Also, how can they contact you directly?
AR: Also, how can they contact you directly?
CR: They can
email me at: celistrono@yahoo.com
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
CR: I’ve been
working on this book for years. I do
believe there’s nothing quite like it out there. The characters are stellar…if anything, buy
the book just to get to know these people.
They’re wonderful. You also might
fall in love with downtown Los Angeles.
AR: Thanks again, Celis, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
AR: Thanks again, Celis, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!