Featured Novel: 'Omnipotent Blood' by C.M. Michaels

C.M. Michaels recently released Omnipotent Blood, the second volume of his Sisters in Blood series. You can read our book review here. Here's the plot synopsis: 

Having survived the attack inside the Natick Mall, Brooke dreads the thought of spending decades in exile while she waits for the media firestorm from the superhuman brawl to run its course. But soon after fleeing Boston, she discovers the battle caught the eye of forces far more lethal than humans. Captured by the dark Goddess Lilith, Brooke is transformed into her greater demon General, and finds herself tasked with converting the rest of her family to form the advisory council she’ll need to lead the largest demonic uprising in history.

But not even Lilith could have anticipated the powerful bond Brooke has formed with her family. Seeing her resist even after losing her soul, Angels soon take interest, as Brooke’s unfettered access to Hell and greater demon abilities could shift the tide in the age old war if she were to fight against her dark queen. Her love for Sienna, her sisters and her now girlfriend, Sandy, is all that prevents her from fully embracing the darkness, and the demon spirit inside her is claiming more control of her mind with each passing day. Will the power of love be able to save her?

Interview with C.M. Michaels: 

What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to write a series geared toward a more adult audience that took the reader inside a coven of female vampires, letting them get to know each of central characters intimately rather than just focusing on the protagonist and her love interests. I was eager to share my unique take on the origin of the vampire myth, and to put together a storyline that weaved in mystical elements while being firmly anchored in science. As the series progresses the supernatural world expands, much to the surprise of the protagonist and her new family. Events unfold throughout the series that none of the main characters can explain, which is a fresh change of pace from the “supernatural creatures educate the human protagonist” mold. And unlike most of the books in the vampire genre, there is no popping open a can of O- or feeding on animals. People die. The challenge I took on as an author is to make the reader fall in love with my characters in spite of what they must do to survive.

Tell us about an interesting character or group of characters in your novel

Setting aside the protagonist, Brooke, I think Travis from Dangerous Waters is a very interesting character due to his conflicted nature. The deep seeded guilt that he harbors from accidently killing his parents while still a child, and the sense of obligation he feels for protecting his now orphaned sister, Teresa, allow her to manipulate and control him. He’s no saint in his own right, but she leads him down far darker paths than he would have ever ventured on his own. It’s easy for me to sympathize with him, which is rare for villain characters. As for Omnipotent Blood, my favorite supporting character is Lilith. Being the daughter of the imprisoned Lucifer and the ruler of hell, she has unparalleled power that makes even her demon princes cower before her, but she develops almost maternal feelings for Brooke, which gives her character a surprising amount of depth for someone who is basically evil personified.

Dangerous Waters is the first novel of the Sisters in Blood series by C.M. Michaels

You said that you wanted to develop characters that readers could fall in love to. How do you accomplish this in your work? 

By taking the reader inside the walls of the coven, they are provided with an uncommon degree of intimacy with all of the central characters. They get to know each of them as unique individuals with their own personalities, flaws, interests and pasts rather than just ancillary, supernatural creatures there to interact with the human protagonist. And by instilling several redeeming qualities into each of the characters, I challenge the readers very notions of good and evil. Emily’s coven is into charity on an unimaginable scale; they do research that benefits all of mankind. And yet they are forced to kill, something that is inexcusable on the surface. Nothing is as black and white as it seems.

What other supernatural beings do we expect to find in the 'Sisters of Blood' series? 

Angels, demons and witches all come into play in the second installment in the series, much to the surprise of the central characters, who discover the existence of these mythical beings right alongside the reader.

What are the most prevalent themes that you want your readers to grasp from this series? 

The Sisters in Blood series deals with several complex issues such as faith, sexuality and our underlying beliefs on morality. At its heart, it is a story of self discovery, rallying to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges, learning the value of sacrifice, and embracing the fact that life can take us in totally unexpected directions if we are only brave enough to jump in with both feet. We all have hidden aspects of ourselves inside of us that will never surface if we are too afraid to explore and try new things.

You mentioned that heaven and hell play an important part in your novel. Do the characters travel between various dimensions, across worlds? 

Some of them do, yes. In my series, heaven and hell are physical worlds that exist as alternate dimensions to earth. While human spirits are routinely pulled into these dimensions after death, angels and demons are the only beings capable of crossing over from one plane to another in physical form. When Brooke first enters hell, she discovers that the gruesome, millennia-long war with heaven has transformed what was once a beautiful, vibrant planet into the fire and brimstone image we now picture when we think of the underworld. Billions of creatures whose only crime was being born on a war-torn planet have perished as a result. Walking across the savannah-like, wildlife-filled fields of heaven with her guardian angel is equally as transformative for her.

Without giving too much away, can you describe how you depict vampires in the Sisters in Blood series? What makes your take on the mythology unique?

As I mentioned above, my explanation for the origin of vampirism is firmly based in science, building on the principles of evolution. The plausible series of events that is shared with Emily while her family is hypothesizing about the origin of their kind is the result of hours of meticulous research. I do preserve a few of the common perceptions about vampires, weaving these desirable characteristics into the explanation of their origin, but most of the tired stereotypes are avoided altogether.      

Check out our review of Omnipotent Blood by C.M. Michaels.