Like your vampires hot? The Savannah vampires are all that and more - and one lucky commenter will get a copy of the latest Raven Hart book and a pair of Raven Hart earrings!
Hello all. Raven Hart here. Thanks for inviting me to guest blog, Sharon.
The topic is regional settings, very appropriate for me since I can’t imagine my Savannah Vampires series working anywhere else. When you write fiction you want to use all the tools in the box, and one of the most powerful and fun is the setting. You want to make the best use of it you possibly can, to use it almost as a characters in and of itself. So you might ask why I decided to set my series in Savannah, Georgia.
I actually live in northern Georgia and had only visited Savannah a couple of times when I decided to set my series there. Savannah has much fascinating history—a lot of it violent—so there’s a lot for a paranormal/horror writer to work with. The fact that it’s one of the most haunted cities in the world is a bonus. Savannah’s “spooky” quotient is off the charts.
In addition, there are countless little details about the city that make it perfect for vampires. For example, the tunnels I mention in my books—the ones the vamps use to move around in daylight hours—are real. They’re a result of the city streets being raised by the height of an average building story in order to protect it from hurricanes. How perfect is that? If there really were such things as vampires (and who are we to say there are not?) they couldn’t live in a more ideal place than Savannah.
Then there’s the overall look of the place. There’s nothing like walking the sidewalks of the lamp-lit squares after dark, a breeze swaying the Spanish moss and making the ancient oaks overhead sigh. As you walk and walk the lights behind the gauzy parlor curtains of the mansions go out one by one and you realize that the squares are becoming more and more deserted. You’re meeting fewer and fewer fellow walkers until you realize you’re alone. As you look to your right to cross the street, you see something out of the corner of your eye and then it’s gone, or is it? And what’s that scraping sound that’s grown louder in the last couple of blocks? You glance over your shoulder but there’s no-one there except the statue of the long-dead general in the middle of the square. Odd how his eyes seem to follow you on your journey. . . . Oops! Seemed to have gotten carried away, there. Guess it’s just the writer in me.
If you haven’t been to Savannah, you should visit some time. Now is actually a fine time to go. In a few weeks they’ll have a nifty tour of the antebellum homes decorated for Christmas and the off-season rates give you a chance to stay in a nice place at affordable rates. And while the azaleas might not be in bloom, you’ll get to skip the heat. Believe me, Savannah is HOT in the summertime.
While you’re there, you should visit Jack’s garage on Victory drive. Can’t find it? Just close your eyes, click your heels together and say to yourself, “There’s no place like Savannah!”
The Savannah Vampires series: “The Vampire’s Seduction,” “The Vampire’s Secret,” “The Vampire’s Kiss,” “The Vampire’s Betrayal,” “The Vampire’s Revenge.”
Subscribe to Posts 
Hi Raven,
I love your vamp series and the covers are so pretty!
Thanks for the awesome post and now I want to visit Savannah!
by Terri W. October 14th, 2009 at 1:00 amHi
by RKCharron October 14th, 2009 at 6:25 amThank you for having Raven Hart here today. I love her descriptions of Savannah. It definitely makes me want to go there.
Is Raven Hart on Twitter?
All the best,
RKCharron
xoxo
Hi, RK. I am on Twitter, but I can never remember to tweet.
by Raven Hart October 14th, 2009 at 8:03 amThanks for the kind words!
Thanks, Terri! You should definitely visit Savannah!
by Raven Hart October 14th, 2009 at 8:04 amWelcome to Silk and Shadows, Raven!
I love your descriptions of Savannah. I’ve been to Atlanta, but no where else in Georgia, but now I want to visit!
by Annette McCleave October 14th, 2009 at 8:17 amThanks, Annette. Savannah is awesome. Lots of history and great food! Paula Deen’s restaurant is in the historic district and hard to get into.
by Raven Hart October 14th, 2009 at 8:20 amWelcome, Raven! It’s great to have you here!
by Sharon Ashwood October 14th, 2009 at 9:53 amVery cool interview. Adding Raven to my big bad to be bought list!
by Natasha October 14th, 2009 at 9:59 amTHanks, Sharon and Natasha. I have a to-be-bought list too.
I just got a Sony reader and I really like it. I’m making a list of ebooks I want to buy.
by Raven Hart October 14th, 2009 at 10:02 amI’ve only started reading Southern vampire books this year, but I love the whole mood - the setting really seems to complement the theme. Will be keeping an eye out for your series!
by Foz Meadows October 14th, 2009 at 10:29 amHi, Foz. I love those moody southern settings too. Savannah, New Orleans, Charleston, you can’t beat it for atmosphere.
by Raven Hart October 14th, 2009 at 11:02 amA book’s setting can definitely halp with the atmosphere of your story and with how your characters are perceived. A good example is Sookie Stackhouse, I can’t imagine her living anywhere else. She’s the perfect Southern belle for me.
by Jody F. October 14th, 2009 at 1:05 pmRave,n
by Andrea I October 14th, 2009 at 1:29 pmI’m glad I saw your interview. Your books are definitely on my TBR. Even though I live in GA, I’ve never been to Savannah.
I’m looking at a summer vacation to Tybee Island with our primary sightseeing and tours in Savannah.
Jody, I like Sookie too.
by Raven Hart October 14th, 2009 at 2:20 pmAndrea, you’ll like Tybee Island. It’s only a hop and a skip from Savannah.
Thanks for being here today, Raven. Those gorgeous covers all lined up like that make me long for the colors of the South. The Pacific NW rains have just closed in so now our usual green is gray-green.
by Jessa Slade October 14th, 2009 at 4:37 pmThanks for having me Jessa. Y’all’s covers are beautiful. I do love the Pacific NW. Those redwood forests are so peaceful, cool, and silent. The one time I got to go there, wandering amongst the giant trees and ferns made me feel like a hobbit.
by Raven Hart October 14th, 2009 at 5:03 pmI have not read this series as of yet but I do look forward to starting soon. Thanks for posting all this great info on the series.
by Barbara Kelleher October 14th, 2009 at 5:07 pmThanks, Barbara. Hope you like it.
by Raven Hart October 14th, 2009 at 5:08 pmWow this series looks awesome. I have not had the good fortune of reading any of your work yet but after seeing this post and looking at the smoking hot covers I cant wait to get my hands on them. Congrats and best of luck in future success.
by sara hurt October 14th, 2009 at 5:53 pmThanks, Sara!
by Raven Hart October 14th, 2009 at 5:58 pmOhhh, Savannah sounds like a great city to set your vampire series in. I haven’t had a chance to read any of the series yet, but I do have several on my TBR pile. I guess I’ll have to bump them up to the top to get started on this great series.
by Barbara Elness October 14th, 2009 at 6:47 pmThanks, Barbara. My TBR pile just keeps growing. I wish I had more time to read!
by Raven Hart October 14th, 2009 at 6:51 pmI’ve wanted to see Savannah for some time, but when I was younger it was because of the name. I kept picturing windswept plains with lions and giraffes and elephants. Are there many there? Keeping the streets clean must be a problem
by Zita October 14th, 2009 at 7:59 pmWow that sounds like a hot series I’m amazed that I don’t have it yet defiantly butting it on my list of books to get.
by stacey smith October 14th, 2009 at 8:03 pmsasluvbooks@yahoo.com
Raven,
Thanks so much for visiting the Silk & Shadows blog today! Savannah sounds like a beautiful and INTERESTING place (especially for Vampires!)
Kim
by Kim Lenox October 14th, 2009 at 9:03 pmZita, no lions, giraffes, and elephants. But thanks to me, plenty of zombies, shape-shifters and blood suckers.
by Raven Hart October 15th, 2009 at 9:46 amTHanks, Kim and Stacey.
by Raven Hart October 15th, 2009 at 9:46 amSounds like my kind of series!
by Teresa W. October 16th, 2009 at 7:19 pmAny idea when book 5 is going to be released? I’m in need of a Jack and Seth fix.
by Daelith October 17th, 2009 at 8:38 amI meant book 6.
Too early to be typing.
by Daelith October 17th, 2009 at 8:39 amDaelith, I still don’t have a release date for book 6, but thanks for asking! If you sign up for mynewsletter on my web site (www.ravenhartbooks.com) I’ll email you when it’s available. I like my Jack and Seth too.
by Raven Hart October 18th, 2009 at 12:29 pmThanks, Teresa. I hope you like it!
by Raven Hart October 18th, 2009 at 12:30 pm[...] Raven Hart, author of The Vampire’s Seduction, at Silk and Shadows [...]
by Shades of Loving Souls | Literary Escapism October 18th, 2009 at 8:22 pm