Blood Bank
by Zoe Markham
Genre: YA Fantasy/Horror
Release Date: July 2017
Summary from Goodreads:
Benjamin is a programmer moonlighting as a security guard at Dystopia, a seedy club that caters to the down-and-outs, the desperate, the addicts. He's been building his reputation, saving for a way out - but when he rescues a young woman from the nearby estate, he may just have stepped too far out of line...
Lucy is ordinary; a girl with a deadbeat boyfriend, a normal life and college studies. But when her world takes an odd twist, she starts to wonder about the people she's meeting, the situations she's in, the odd aversions and attacks happening around her. They're just coincidences...aren't they?
And Zack is in deep trouble. He's losing his girlfriend, drowning in debt, and has dwindling job prospects - and that's not the worst of it. His debt is to people who won't ever forget it, and who want the things closest to Zack's heart: his blood - and his life. In the heart of Swindon, an ancient order hides in plain sight, spreading their influence through the streets like a disease. But despite their widespread power they are catching up with the modern world: the vampires are going online, and the Order is about to become more powerful than even they would have dreamed...
Genre: YA Fantasy/Horror
Release Date: July 2017
Summary from Goodreads:
Benjamin is a programmer moonlighting as a security guard at Dystopia, a seedy club that caters to the down-and-outs, the desperate, the addicts. He's been building his reputation, saving for a way out - but when he rescues a young woman from the nearby estate, he may just have stepped too far out of line...
Lucy is ordinary; a girl with a deadbeat boyfriend, a normal life and college studies. But when her world takes an odd twist, she starts to wonder about the people she's meeting, the situations she's in, the odd aversions and attacks happening around her. They're just coincidences...aren't they?
And Zack is in deep trouble. He's losing his girlfriend, drowning in debt, and has dwindling job prospects - and that's not the worst of it. His debt is to people who won't ever forget it, and who want the things closest to Zack's heart: his blood - and his life. In the heart of Swindon, an ancient order hides in plain sight, spreading their influence through the streets like a disease. But despite their widespread power they are catching up with the modern world: the vampires are going online, and the Order is about to become more powerful than even they would have dreamed...
Vamps
& ’choons – a Blood Bank Playlist!
Unlike most authors I know, I never listen
to music while I write. It’s not that I don’t love music, I do! It’s just that
I can’t listen and type at the same time for love nor money. My mind can’t
process the two activities simultaneously. In fact, a lot of the time when I
write, particularly in the summer when everyone’s outside and all the windows
are open, I tend to write wearing earplugs. It’s my weird way of completely
immersing myself in my made-up world.
Although I don’t listen while I’m actually writing,
a lot of my ideas for characters come when I’m out walking, usually backwards
and forwards to the supermarket or traipsing out the school run. I pretty much
always have my headphones in, so there’s still a relationship there, even if
it’s maybe not quite so obvious as actually belting out tunes while I write.
In Blood
Bank’s case, music features quite prominently in the novel itself. There’s
Ben’s 90s Indie fixation alongside the Grime soundtrack to life on the estate
and in the club. Both genres of music that I enjoy, and that have the ability
to make me feel like two different people when I listen to them.
There are always songs in my head for each
of my characters, whether the songs themselves inspire them, or a new song on
the radio makes me think of them. I’d love to know what you think of my
choices, and whether you hear anything different when you read the book!
Blood Bank Playlist
(There are a couple of tracks featuring
‘explicit’ lyrics. As with the book itself, this isn’t one for younger
readers/ears.)
1.
Fools Gold - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSD11dnphg0
This is what I imagine Ben listening to as
he walks through the estate and tries to block out all the sounds around him. A
character out of his time, his taste in music just one more thing that alienates
him.
This track’s the one I think of when I see
the estate, and most of the people around Ben. Energy, anger and passion. An
easy-going humour on the surface, with a dangerous aggression sitting just
beneath.
3.
Shut up (Explicit) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqQGUJK7Na4
As above. Pure Penrill. There’s an almost
tribal fury in this one. A sharp, showboating warning.
4.
Take Me To Church - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVjiKRfKpPI
Every time I hear this playing I imagine
Zach driving to church, thoughts churning over and over in his head, desperate
to see a way out for himself.
5.
Human - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3wKzyIN1yk
Pure Zach.
6.
No Good - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svJvT6ruolA
I always imagine Lucy playing this one, so
angry at Zach before she has any idea what he’s going through.
7.
Don’t Look Back In Anger - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8OipmKFDeM
Ben’s anthem. I think he tries so hard not
to, but he wrestles with the still-human part of himself so hard…
8.
Master of Puppets - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnKhsTXoKCI
This one’s all Viktor. I’m not sure he’d
like the style, but I do think he’d appreciate the sentiment J
Feel free to contact me on Twitter if you have any other
suggestions, and I’ll happily create a definitive playlist and make it public!
About the Author
Mild-mannered editor by day,
puppet-master of broken souls by night.
Author
Links:
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I am looking forward to reading this story.
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