Book 3 of The Martyr's Vow series
Horror/Paranormal
Date Published: 12-15-2024
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
A bloodline curse haunts monster hunter Armand Tarkanian, granting him the ability to summon the dead. But the more spirits he channels, the more supernatural energy threatens to tear him apart.
An unexpected invitation from distant relatives gives him a chance to learn more about his curse. What Armand finds in their moldering mansion is an odd assortment of Armenian traditions, dark secrets, and personal grudges.
Besides a history of genocide and tragedy plaguing his kindred, things aren’t what they seem: paintings shift and change, bones hang from trees, and the family’s elusive patriarch is a dakhanavar – a vampire from Armenian folklore.
When his undead host hungers for vengeance, Armand finds himself trapped between worlds.
He must choose: either take the Martyr’s Vow and pledge to sacrifice himself, or succumb to the dark impulses that claimed his ancestors.
Blood Family is a harrowing tale of generational trauma, folk magic, and ripping free from the past.
Interview with Eric Avedissian
Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
When I was a teenager, I read Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five. That was my gateway into Vonnegut. His style was so basic, yet under the layers of absurdist humor lurked something profound and beautiful about humanity. Vonnegut did things with prose that hooked me.
How do you select the names of your characters?
There’s that old writer trick of looking up baby name websites and picking names. Or I use names of people I know from my life. Or I conjure them out of thin air.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
There are Easter eggs not every reader will find. I sprinkle a few in each book for a lark. I also use symbolism in my books on occasion. I’d like my novels to be read in literature classes or book discussion clubs and have people pick them apart. “What did the author mean by that? What did he REALLY mean by that?”
What was your hardest scene to write?
Scenes where emotion runs high are always difficult. You really want the emotions to be convincing and real and organic instead of forced. There’s one moment where a family member reveals he’s a pain eater- that he devours the pain of his dying mother, prolonging her life but at a great personal cost to himself. There’s plenty of emotion there about losing a parent, letting go, and growing up.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I’d like each book in The Martyr’s Vow series to stand on its own, even though the entire series is an overarching narrative about the protagonist, Armand Tarkanian (“Tark” to his friends). Readers can enjoy each book separately or read them in order and understand how Tark changes and matures as the series unfolds.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
My ultimate intention for the series is to showcase Armenian culture and folklore in speculative fiction. It’s tough writing about your culture, particularly if your culture isn’t popular or mainstream. Even in Armenian circles, pre-Christian mythology and folklore aren’t well known, especially in the diaspora. Stories about gods, goddesses, heroes and monsters filled the ancient world and ancient Armenia was no different. They have their own myths and legends, like Spandaramet the Goddess of the Underworld, the dakhanavar, and the Aralez. I wanted to take these ancient myths and bring them into modern times and have them interact with Armenian characters. I don’t know if these cultural touchstones will resonate with non-Armenian readers. It’s a big risk, but I’m interested in representation in literature, particularly in speculative fiction, so here we are. I’d like to think that all readers will find this series enjoyable and engaging, because it’s about change and discovering who you are. If that means listening to a winged dog from ancient Armenian mythology, then so be it.
What inspired you to write Blood Family?
I wanted to examine the nature of family and why some traditions and stories endure. What do people find important enough to preserve? Does culture and ethnicity matter anymore or are we becoming blended into a homogenized mass of common experiences with no link to the past?
Can you tell us a little bit about the next books in The Martyr’s Vow series or what you have planned for the future?
The fourth and final book in The Martyr’s Vow series is tentatively entitled The Door of Mher and will be published in December 2025.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Blood Family?
In Blood Family, Armand visits his mother’s family in Watertown, Massachusetts, a place with a large Armenian community. The Barsamians live in a decrepit mansion where strange things happen. Paintings shift and change, bones hang from trees, and strange noises shake the attic. As far as characters, Antranig is the aloof editor of an Armenian newspaper in town. His sister Silvie is a fear catcher who uses folk magic to trap people’s fears. Zada is adept at slaughtering sheep and cooking Armenian delicacies. Nooshig is a jaded student tired of her family’s adherence to Old World traditions. Ara is a gambler more comfortable around the racetrack or a poker game than his own family. Vahe is a lumbering giant with his own sorrows. Krikor is the family patriarch who harbors his own deadly secrets. Armand must navigate this eccentric family and learn more about a bloodline curse that lets him communicate with the dead, but he gets more than he bargains for with the Barsamians.
About the Author
ERIC AVEDISSIAN is an adjunct professor and speculative fiction author. His published work includes the novels Accursed Son, Mr. Penny-Farthing, Midnight at Bat Hollow, and the role-playing game Ravaged Earth. His short stories appear in various anthologies, including Across the Universe, Great Wars, and Rituals & Grimoires. Avedissian received a 2024 Fellowship in Prose from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and a ridiculous number of books. Find him online at www.ericavedissian.com if you dare.
Contact Links
Twitter: @angryreporter
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