Author S. T. SANCHEZ: Interview with Shari Sakurai author of Demon's Blood

Today I'd like to offer a warm welcome to author Shari Sakurai. Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Shari Sakurai and I am a British author of paranormal, horror, science fiction and fantasy novels that almost always feature a LGBT protagonist and/or antagonist.

When I’m not writing I enjoy reading, going to the cinema, listening to music and spending time with my friends and family. I’m fascinated by other cultures, in particular Japanese culture, which has also influenced my work.

I understand your fascination with other cultures. There is so much beauty in other parts of the world. What brought about the idea for this book?

I’ve always been obsessed with all things paranormal, especially vampires. I have so many books exploring the origins and myths in various cultures, but noticed that whilst Japan have some monsters with vampire-like traits there aren’t any actual vampire stories originating from Japan. So it got me thinking about my own origin stories for Japanese vampires and Demon’s Blood came about mainly because of this.

I understand your obsession with Vampires. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I plan to keep writing. I have so many ideas for novels that I’m excited to share and hopefully will have more time to do this over the next few years.

Shari, currently, what are you working on?

I’m currently working on my sequel to Demon’s Blood. This will pick up where Demon’s Blood left off and will further explore the origin story in the first novel as well as focus on Thane’s search for Taku’s sire; the only vampire with the knowledge to save him.

What has been the most difficult thing you have struggled with since you began a career in writing?

Finding time to write is the most difficult thing for me. I have quite a demanding full-time job so I really struggle to find the time to do much in the week. I try to get at least a paragraph written each night but weekends are mainly my only time to do a lot of writing.

Consistency is the key, even if it's only in small bits. I hope to one day be able to write full time. Tell us a little bit about your main characters

The main two characters in Demon’s Blood are vampires Taku Kokawa and Thane Bremen. Taku and Thane are lovers, and Taku is also Thane’s sire.

Taku seems over-confident, short-tempered, arrogant and detached. These traits are ones that are seen primarily by those who do not know him well or who cross him. Taku has little compassion for humans and makes no secret of his loathing for other vampires. He feels that most humans are not worth his time and he is wary of his own kind. This natural isolation makes it difficult for anyone to get to know the real Taku and he is generally guarded when it comes to forming relationships. Hidden by the confidence there are insecurities, fears and doubts that Taku is afraid of even acknowledging as he believes that doing so would be a form of weakness. Despite not being able to show it as often as he perhaps should, Taku loves Thane very much and everything he does is ultimately motivated by his desire to keep Thane safe.

Thane is the opposite of Taku personality-wise. He’s compassionate and has a lot of empathy for their victims. Thane hates killing and only does so out of necessity. He’s not afraid of his emotions and often gets upset at Taku’s inability to understand them. Thane tries his best to remain similar to the person that he was before he was turned into a vampire and dislikes using his supernatural abilities. Thane can be quite naïve and prefers to see the good in others rather than the bad. Thane’s kind nature is a rarity, if not unique in their kind, and Taku, against perhaps his own best judgement, tries to shield Thane from the darker sides to their existence as much as possible.

What was your favorite scene to write?

The scene in Silver Park just before Taku and Thane are attacked by a vampire hunter. Thane’s concern for Taku and Taku’s response makes him realise for the first time that something is terribly wrong with his lover.

What kind of research do you do before you start a new story?

For Demon’s Blood I did a lot of historical research into the Edo period in Japan’s history and also brushed up on my knowledge of Victorian times in England. I also researched monsters similar to vampires in Japanese mythology.

Shari, how do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?

Constructive criticism rarely bothers me. I find it helpful in a review for a reader to tell me if there was anything that didn’t work for them or they found confusing so I can take their comments into consideration when working on future novels.

Which do you find more challenging inventing the hero or the villain? Why?

I’d say the hero. With a hero there are certain lines that you cannot cross, whereas with a villain they can go as far as their character will let them.

How many times do you think you read your book before going to print?

I read it at least ten times. I’m a complete perfectionist and I probably read it too many times if I’m honest, but ten times is the minimum that I allow myself before hitting print!