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WORK TITLE: Choosing a Master
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://smperlow.com/
CITY: Austin
STATE: TX
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Former entrepreneur.
AVOCATIONS:History, travel.
WRITINGS
Author of novel Golden Dragon, Gilded Age, and of short stories.
SIDELIGHTS
S.M. Perlow is the author of the fantasy series “Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose.” In the world of his novels, there are two types of vampires. The Spectavi vampires. who are united in a global organization, consume synthetic blood, and try to protect humans from the Sanguan vampires, who operate independently of one another and consume human blood, sometimes against humans’ will but sometimes with their consent, and through it absorb the mortals’ memories. Both types, though, interact freely with humans and often form relationships with them. Perlow had published four books in the series before deciding to write a new opening volume, Choosing a Master. “I wrote Alone, as the first book in the series, back in 2011,” he told an interviewer at the Sci-Fi & Scary website. “I thought it was a great first book in the series, and along with its sequels, Lion, Hope, and War, I loved the story as a whole.But I had long wondered if I could start the series off even better. I’m confident I have, with Choosing a Master.”
Choosing a Master is set in 2006, partly in New Orleans and partly in Europe, and predates the appearance of the eponymous Erin Rose. One of the primary characters, Ethan, is a Sanguan vampire trying to save the life of his human lover, Ellie, who is in a coma. She can recover only if treated with a special type of blood that has restorative capabilities. The human who possesses this type of blood is John Breen, who is traveling through Europe, seeking to cheer himself up after his divorce.He learns of his special status when he meets Vera, a Spectavi scientist who works in a secret laboratory. The Spectavi and the Sanguan are competing for access to his blood, which is not only healing to mortals but addictive to vampires. The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Ethan, John, and Vera.
Several critics described the novel as an unusual and fascinating vampire tale. “Choosing a Master is fun vampire fare, with surprisingly deep relationships and a uniquely twisted mythology,” related John M. Murray in Clarion Reviews. He noted that “tense plotting and pacing complement strong characterizations,” although he thought the ending “feels a bit forced.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor found the book “genre-reviving … cleverly paced and plotted with serpentine flourishes and enough action and romance to satisfy fans of Anne Rice as well as fantasy readers.” An online reviewer at Joyful Antidotes commended Perlow’s character development and “how well he captured the sensuality of the vampires,” concluding: “If you are also a vampire lover, I would totally recommend picking up a copy of Choosing a Master.“
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Clarion Reviews, November 20, 2017, John M. Murray, review of Choosing a Master.
Kirkus Reviews, January 15, 2018, review of Choosing a Master.
ONLINE
Joyful Antidotes, https://joyfulantidotes.com/ (March 20, 2018), review of Choosing A Master.
Sci-Fi & Scary, http://www.scifiandscary.com/(January 21, 2018), “Indie Zone: Talking with S.M. Perlow, author of Choosing a Master.“
S.M. Perlow website, http://smperlow.com (June 14, 2018).
S.M. Perlow is the author of the dark fantasy series, Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose. A longtime entrepreneur, he’s now focused on writing fiction, where his creativity can be both fantastical and deeply human. He loves history and traveling, and brings elements of each into his novels. He lives in Austin, TX, the setting of his new satire, “The Girl Who Was Always Single: A Short Horror Story for the Dating App Age.” Get the story at smperlow.com.
No bio
Quoted in Sidelights: “I wrote Alone, as the first book in the series, back in 2011,” he told an interviewer at the Sci-Fi & Scary website. “I thought it was a great first book in the series, and along with its sequels, Lion, Hope, and War, I loved the story as a whole.But I had long wondered if I could start the series off even better. I’m confident I have, with Choosing a Master.”
Indie Zone: Talking with S.M. Perlow, author of Choosing a Master
Posted on January 21, 2018 by Lilyn G
S.M. Perlow is the author of the dark fantasy series, Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose. A longtime entrepreneur, he’s now focused on writing fiction, where his creativity can be both fantastical and deeply human. He loves history and traveling, and brings elements of each into his novels
Find him on Twitter: @smperlow
On the web at: http://smperlow.com
Talking with S.M. Perlow
After you read, make sure you enter the Rafflecopter for a free e-copy of Choosing a Master!!
Sci-Fi & Scary: Your new book, Choosing a Master, involves two different factions of vampires. Can you tell us a bit about them both?
S.M. Perlow: First off, thanks for inviting me for this Q&A! I’m excited about the book, and am excited to be answering these questions.
Choosing a Master is the first book in the series, Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose. In the series, there are Spectavi Vampires and Sanguan Vampires. Physically, both are the same. They only rise from their coffins at night, they can live forever, they’ll heal from most any injuries, and they have superhuman strength and speed. But there are two big differences between them.
First, Spectavi vampires are all part of a single, unified, worldwide organization. They work to protect humans from Sanguan vampires who prey on unwilling mortals, or at the worst, drink mortals dry and leave them for dead.
Sanguans, on the other hand, aren’t part of any official organization. They’re free and on their own. Some follow the law and some don’t.
Second, another hugely important distinction is that Spectavi vampires drink factory-made synthetic blood to live, while Sanguan vampires drink the blood of humans.
Sci-Fi & Scary: How did you choose the name Spectavi for the vampires in Choosing a Master?
S.M. Perlow: Spectavi comes from a Latin word, Spectare, meaning “look at”, “see”, or “watch”.
The book takes place in 2006, but the Spectavi, under the leadership of Edmond Duchart, have been protecting humanity’s interests since the Dark Ages. The Spectavi have watched over humanity, ensuring it hasn’t been oppressed by Sanguan vampires and their superhuman abilities.
Sci-Fi & Scary: What made you decide to set the book in New Orleans? Do you think natives of New Orleans will recognize their city in Choosing a Master?
S.M. Perlow: New Orleans has an energy to it. It’s palpable. And especially at night, in the French Quarter, the constant supply of people makes it the perfect place for one of my characters, Ethan, to search for the cure for the woman he loves. It’s also a dark city, and a diverse one, which fits the events there.
New Orleans is also very different from cities in France, where a large part of the book is set. I enjoyed writing about the Old World with all its history, and juxtaposing that with the New World, across the Atlantic Ocean.
I do think natives of New Orleans will recognize their city, especially the vibrant French Quarter.
Sci-Fi & Scary: Your book is written as each chapter being a POV from one of the characters. Did you write certain characters chapters in spates, or did you do it in the order found in the book?
S.M. Perlow: I wrote the chapters in the order found in the book, the first third while visiting New Orleans, and the French portions drawing on my experiences from trips there.
Sci-Fi & Scary: What was the hardest part of writing Choosing a Master?
S.M. Perlow: Choosing a Master is book 1 in the series, Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose. But before I wrote Choosing a Master, there already was a book 1.
I wrote Alone, as the first book in the series, back in 2011. I thought it was a great first book in the series, and along with its sequels, Lion, Hope, and War, I loved the story as a whole.
But I had long wondered if I could start the series off even better. I’m confident I have, with Choosing a Master. Alone is now book 2 in the series.
It was an interesting challenge to write without giving anything away from Alone, or the other books. Instead, I had to write to provide an even stronger foundation for Alone and the rest of the series. I believe I’ve accomplished that.
Sci-Fi & Scary: Vampires play a strong role in most of your fiction. What exactly is it about them that inspires you to write about them so much?
S.M. Perlow: In a lot of ways, my vampires are more human than humans.
A human might live eighty years or a hundred, but a vampire can live hundreds of years, thousands, or forever. Vampires face many of the same dilemmas as humans, but the consequence of their choices and actions can stay with vampires for lifetimes that span the millennia.
Most humans crave companionship—a husband, wife, partner, or good friends. But vampires who drink mortals’ blood don’t merely crave it, they need that human connection.
My vampires do have superhuman strength and speed. Yet those are human abilities, simply taken to an extreme. Likewise, that my vampires will heal from almost any injury is an extreme. People heal, just not like vampires.
So vampires are not exactly the same as humans, but in some of the most fundamental ways, they’re even more human than humans. They’re humans to extremes.
Those extremes, and all they make possible in romance, action, and lifetimes stretching back through ages of history, make vampires fascinating to imagine and write about.
Sci-Fi & Scary: Outside of your books, of course, who is your favorite vampire in fiction?
S.M. Perlow: Lestat de Lioncourt, from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Especially in her older novels, I love Lestat’s rebellious attitude, how he wrestles with big questions (like what is his place in the world?), and how he demands answers, however hard they are to achieve, whatever the cost.
And I have a second place: Selene from the Underworld movies. She’s strong, she’s beautiful, she knows how to fight, and she seems consistently smarter than her foes. It’s a powerful combination. My one disappointment with Selene is that we never get a fully fleshed out backstory for her. I want to know how she got to be the way she was. It takes more than brief flashbacks for that. Especially as my series goes on, I make every effort to avoid that pitfall for my characters.
Sci-Fi & Scary: Do you think the vampire subgenre is yet recovered from the sparkles that Stephanie Meyer dusted over it?
S.M. Perlow: I certainly hope so. My vampires are darker. They don’t go out in the sun, and they most definitely do not sparkle!
Sci-Fi & Scary: How long did Choosing a Master take to write from initial idea to final draft?
S.M. Perlow: My initial ideas go back farther, but from first keystrokes on a blank page on my laptop to final version ready to be sent out for formatting, about 9 months.
Sci-Fi & Scary: How did you get the idea for Choosing a Master?
S.M. Perlow: As I mentioned, I had been wondering if I could write an even stronger beginning for Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose. I had also been kicking around a few different ideas for storylines in the series, but none of them felt like a complete novel on their own. In the end, I was able to combine some of those different ideas into the story that ended up becoming Choosing a Master. I’m really excited about how it turned out.
Sci-Fi & Scary: If you could collaborate with any author, who would it be?
S.M. Perlow: My first thought wasn’t another author, but I would love to work with an illustrator to turn Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose into graphic novels. I’ve always thought the series, with all its action and vivid scenes, would work well in that format. It’d be fun to make that happen someday.
Sci-Fi & Scary: What are you currently working on? Anything you can tell us about it?
S.M. Perlow: Lots of planning at the moment. I have ideas for novels later in this series, I have a high fantasy series that will need a next book at some point, or I could go in a completely new direction. Nothing concrete to report, but I’ll always share the latest on my webpage (smperlow.com) and in my newsletter.
Quoted in Sidelights: “Choosing a Master is fun vampire fare, with surprisingly deep relationships and a uniquely twisted mythology,” related John M. Murray in Clarion Reviews. He noted that “tense plotting and pacing complement strong characterizations,” although he thought the ending “feels a bit forced.”
Choosing a Master; Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose
John M. Murray
Clarion Reviews. (Nov. 20, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 ForeWord
https://www.forewordmagazine.net/clarion/reviews.aspx
Full Text:
S. M. Perlow; CHOOSING A MASTER; Bealion Publishing (Fiction: Horror) ISBN: 9780999285800
Byline: John M. Murray
Choosing a Master is fun vampire fare, with surprisingly deep relationships and a uniquely twisted mythology.
A human with a unique gift threatens the status quo in the straightforward, engaging urban fantasy Choosing a Master by S. M. Perlow.
In the world of Choosing a Master, vampires are not only real, they coexist with humans. Vampires have split into two factions: Spectavi vampires drink synthetic blood and work with humans on a daily basis; Sanguan vampires are less concerned with morality and do as they please. In between this cold war, humans continue to thrive.
A recent divorce and other setbacks send John Breen on a journey to Europe, where he willingly allows vampires to feed on his particularly special blood. He crosses paths with Vera Clark, who works for the head of the Spectavi in a secret lab. Each of Vera's projects has the sole purpose of protecting the Spectavi leader.
Ellie is a human in a coma with no hope of awakening, and her high school sweetheart turned obsessive boyfriend, Ethan, a Sanguan vampire, is driven to extreme lengths to save her. He chases down a clue that may lead to a cure. Ethan, John, and Vera find themselves in pursuit of the same goal -- one that may shatter the uneasy cold war.
This is the first book in the Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose series. Erin Rose is not yet present, so this personage's importance is unclear. The major conflict in this title is between the two factions of vampires; it proves to be lackluster, with very little happening to highlight their war. Most of the tension comes from the seemingly universal desire to control John Breen's unique blood.
John's blood is an interesting addition to typical vampire lore. Though he is mortal, if any mortal drinks his blood, they are healed of all ailments and can be brought back if very recently deceased. Vampires also become addicted to it. John struggles to do the right thing, healing as many people as possible while protecting himself and his loved ones; that struggle is one of the highlights of the book. The fact that he's safe from no one serves as a compelling narrative drive.
Ethan and Ellie's story is equally engaging. Ethan seems immoral, drinking blood at whim, though he does so for the sole purpose of chasing down a cure for Ellie, who refused to become a vampire. In this novel, when a vampire drinks blood, they receive the memories of their victims, an effect that Ethan uses to seek out a cure.
Tense plotting and pacing complement strong characterizations. Chapters rotate between the major characters' points of view, providing well-rounded looks at action and scenes. The conclusion feels a bit forced; a dramatic showdown in Africa ties things up, still leaving threads for future sequels.
Choosing a Master is fun vampire fare, with surprisingly deep relationships and a uniquely twisted mythology -- a promising series introduction.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Murray, John M. "Choosing a Master; Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose." Clarion Reviews, 20 Nov. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A515851049/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=12abf56d. Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A515851049
Quoted in Sidelights: “genre-reviving … cleverly paced and plotted with serpentine flourishes and enough action and romance to satisfy fans of Anne Rice as well as fantasy readers.”
CHOOSING A MASTER
Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose
by S.M. Perlow
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KIRKUS REVIEW
A vampire yarn combines passion, melodrama, and a legacy of bloodlust.
In this opening installment of his vampire saga, entrepreneur and prolific fantasy novelist Perlow (Golden Dragons, Gilded Age, 2015, etc.) finds inspiration in the Gothic environs of New Orleans, creating a world where two factions dominate. Spectavi vampires are a well-organized cabal, led by overlord Edmond, who drink synthetic blood, while the Sanguans are hunters, purely liberated, who crave the real thing. Sanguan vampire Ethan roams the streets, quenching his thirst. The love of his life, Ellie, a mortal who refused to become a vampire, lies dying in a coma, and he is determined to find a cure through a unique blood type that has curative, regenerative properties. This extraordinary blood belongs to recently divorced John Breen, a tall, thin mortal traveling across Europe to soothe his broken heart at Sanguan nightclubs, where he enjoys the bites of random vampires who relish his exclusive plasma. He becomes known in vampire circles as the man with “blood like that of a god,” and there’s a race between factions to access his lifesaving fluid. He meets Vera, a Spectavi scientist, who becomes embroiled in his situation, which turns complicated once he learns of his “savior” status and the medical impact his blood could have on the terminally ill. In a singular twist, blood drinking also affords vampires the ability to absorb the host’s memories, which adds tension to the frantic intent to obtain John’s blood. Character-driven and written with brio and an obvious love of everything vampiric, this tale does an expert job of conjuring a fantasy world, incorporating the eternally warring factions—with vivid tidbits about sexless, coffin-dwelling vampires—and tracing the moves of a population that harbors centuries of rich, dramatic histories and for which love and life still reign supreme. An intriguing back story embellishes the main plot with lush details and centuries-old lore about blood lineages, long-held animosities, and the struggle for social dominance. As the story evolves, Ethan turns violently desperate to save his true love, as other characters become enmeshed in the plot with their fangs out. This genre-reviving inaugural entry is cleverly paced and plotted with serpentine flourishes and enough action and romance to satisfy fans of Anne Rice as well as fantasy readers.
A solid, enduring, addictive vampire epic with great potential that readers should be thrilled to sink their teeth into.
Pub Date: Jan. 16th, 2018
Page count: 302pp
Publisher: Bealion Publishing
Program: Kirkus Indie
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6th, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15th, 2018
Note from Trudy: This is the same review as in Clarion, which is apparently a Foreword publication. Not using in Biocrit.
Choosing a Master
Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose
S. M. Perlow
Bealion Publishing (Jan 16, 2018)
Softcover (419pp)
978-0-9992858-0-0
Clarion Rating: 4 out of 5
Choosing a Master is fun vampire fare, with surprisingly deep relationships and a uniquely twisted mythology.
A human with a unique gift threatens the status quo in the straightforward, engaging urban fantasy Choosing a Master by S. M. Perlow.
In the world of Choosing a Master, vampires are not only real, they coexist with humans. Vampires have split into two factions: Spectavi vampires drink synthetic blood and work with humans on a daily basis; Sanguan vampires are less concerned with morality and do as they please. In between this cold war, humans continue to thrive.
A recent divorce and other setbacks send John Breen on a journey to Europe, where he willingly allows vampires to feed on his particularly special blood. He crosses paths with Vera Clark, who works for the head of the Spectavi in a secret lab. Each of Vera’s projects has the sole purpose of protecting the Spectavi leader.
Ellie is a human in a coma with no hope of awakening, and her high school sweetheart turned obsessive boyfriend, Ethan, a Sanguan vampire, is driven to extreme lengths to save her. He chases down a clue that may lead to a cure. Ethan, John, and Vera find themselves in pursuit of the same goal—one that may shatter the uneasy cold war.
This is the first book in the Vampires and the Life of Erin Rose series. Erin Rose is not yet present, so this personage’s importance is unclear. The major conflict in this title is between the two factions of vampires; it proves to be lackluster, with very little happening to highlight their war. Most of the tension comes from the seemingly universal desire to control John Breen’s unique blood.
John’s blood is an interesting addition to typical vampire lore. Though he is mortal, if any mortal drinks his blood, they are healed of all ailments and can be brought back if very recently deceased. Vampires also become addicted to it. John struggles to do the right thing, healing as many people as possible while protecting himself and his loved ones; that struggle is one of the highlights of the book. The fact that he’s safe from no one serves as a compelling narrative drive.
Ethan and Ellie’s story is equally engaging. Ethan seems immoral, drinking blood at whim, though he does so for the sole purpose of chasing down a cure for Ellie, who refused to become a vampire. In this novel, when a vampire drinks blood, they receive the memories of their victims, an effect that Ethan uses to seek out a cure.
Tense plotting and pacing complement strong characterizations. Chapters rotate between the major characters’ points of view, providing well-rounded looks at action and scenes. The conclusion feels a bit forced; a dramatic showdown in Africa ties things up, still leaving threads for future sequels.
Choosing a Master is fun vampire fare, with surprisingly deep relationships and a uniquely twisted mythology—a promising series introduction.
Reviewed by John M. Murray
November 20, 2017
Quoted in Sidelights: “how well he captured the sensuality of the vampires,” concluding: “If you are also a vampire lover, I would totally recommend picking up a copy of Choosing a Master.“
Book Review: Choosing A Master by S M Perlow
March 20, 2018
joyfulantidotes
I am so into vampires at the moment. I got the Buffy the Vampire Slayer box set for Christmas and the Angel box set for my birthday. And, to top off my recent obsession, I just read a really great vampire story.
Choosing a Master by S M Perlow tells the story of three main characters. First is Ethan, a young vampire in New Orleans whose only quest is to save his terminally ill, mortal girlfriend. Vera is a scientist at a Spectavi laboratory where synthetic blood was created. She is devoted to the Spectavi leader and will do anything to complete the projects he has set her. Finally, John has an unusual encounter in a nightclub with a female vampire, which results in his life changing forever.
The first question I asked myself before picking up this book was “Will it be a cool original vampire story or will it ruin the old school stuff I love?” Choosing a Master certainly has some elements of the older vampire stories. There the brooding Ethan and the pain he feels for dying girlfriend Ellie. The charm and persuasion we have come to associate vampires with over the years. The coffins and the need to chop a vampire’s head off in order to kill it. The book had all the older elements but also brought in modern aspects of the vampire story, as well as some original points from the author, and it worked very well.
Some of the vampires in this book have the evil ways of their ancestors and kill humans for the sport of it. On the other end of the spectrum are the Spectavi who not only drink synthetic blood, but work to defeat the Sanguan vampires who kill humans. There was also a really interesting middle ground where humans actually let vampires drink from them – and enjoyed it too. I found this an area I would like to see further explored in future books.
Let’s talk more about the writing style of Perlow. This book was so easy to read as the flow of the story was kept at a steady pace throughout. The chapters go between the three main characters. Sometimes this bothers me but in this case it took nothing away from the story. The character development was great too and each character, even the more minor ones, had a distinct personality. However, what I appreciated the most in Perlow’s writing style was how well he captured the sensuality of the vampires. This is something that is often lacking in present day vampire stories.
When I got to the last page and saw “End of Book 1” written, I was happy to know that there is more to come from this new vampire world. If you are also a vampire lover, I would totally recommend picking up a copy of Choosing a Master.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.