How Blood Dolls Hold the Real Power

What if everything you thought you knew about power was wrong?

In most vampire stories, the power dynamic is clear: predator and prey, hunter and victim, the one who takes and the one who gives. But what if the real power doesn't lie with the one who appears strongest? What if true strength comes from the most unexpected place—vulnerability itself?

In "Blood Money," I wanted to explore a question that had been haunting me: why do things have to die for other things to live?

Even a cow eating grass kills the plant to survive. Okay, if you're going to be technical, yes, the cow doesn't eat the roots and the plant can grow back, but still, they can pull out the roots and they do kill a part of the grass that grows.

So a better question might be, why does survival require destruction?

What if there was a way to sustain life without taking it? What if that created an entirely different kind of relationship between giver and receiver?

The Science Behind the Connection

This question led me down a fascinating path of biological reasoning. Blood carries oxygen to our bodies, flowing through the heart, the brain, delivering chemicals where they're needed. As it moves through these vital organs, wouldn't it also carry emotion? What if vampires (my Dracules) feel these emotions when they drink from a donor?

Suddenly, the traditional power dynamic flips entirely. The one who appears to be the victim (the blood doll) becomes the one who truly controls the experience. They don't just give sustenance, they give their entire emotional landscape. The vampire doesn't just take blood, they take on everything the donor feels.

Miles' Moment of True Power

There's a pivotal scene in "Blood Money" where Miles realizes the full extent of her power. She has Warren exactly where she wants him. He's bound by the blood connection to obey her commands. She could ask for anything, demand everything she's ever wanted. The information about her missing mother, protection, resources, it's all within her grasp.

But she doesn't take it.

Miles understands something profound: things taken by force only cause pain.

True power isn't about what you can force someone to do, it's about choosing not to use that force. She recognizes that Warren is compelled to obey her, and in that recognition, she finds her real strength—the strength to choose compassion over control.

The Vulnerability Paradox

This mirrors something I've discovered about writing itself. When we write stories, we're in the most vulnerable state possible. We're revealing parts of ourselves, exposing our thoughts, fears, hopes, and experiences for everyone to see. It can be terrifying to put that much of yourself out there.

But here's the paradox: that vulnerability becomes our strength. When "Blood Money" went out into the world, I felt proud of it because I'd done my research, measured my own experiences, and crafted something authentic. Even though it's part of me exposed for everyone to see, I do what I can to deliver an experience that resonates with readers. The vulnerability of sharing becomes the power to connect.

Redefining Strength

Society often teaches us that strength means being invulnerable, untouchable, in control. But Miles shows us something different. Her strength lies in her willingness to feel deeply, to remain open despite being hurt, to choose kindness even when she has every reason to choose cruelty.

The blood dolls in my world aren't victims. They're the ones who hold the real power because they understand something the vampires have forgotten. True strength comes from connection, not domination.

When you can feel everything someone else experiences, when you carry their emotions in your blood, you develop an empathy that becomes unbreakable.

The Power of Choice

What makes Miles truly powerful isn't her ability to control Warren through the blood connection—it's her choice not to abuse that control. Power without restraint is just tyranny. Power with compassion becomes something transformative.

This is why blood dolls hold the real power in my world. They've learned to find strength in vulnerability, to create connection through openness, to choose love over fear even when they've been given every reason to choose otherwise.

The Real-World Application

We see this same dynamic in our own lives. The people who seem most powerful, who dominate, control, and take what they want, often end up isolated and empty. But those who dare to be vulnerable, who choose connection over control, who find strength in their willingness to feel deeply, they're the ones who create lasting change, meaningful relationships, and authentic impact.

Miles could have used her power to force Warren into compliance. Instead, she used it to create understanding. She could have demanded everything she wanted. Instead, she chose to earn it through trust.​

The Author's Vulnerability

Writing "Blood Money" required me to explore my own relationship with power and vulnerability. After losing my husband Donald, I had to examine what real strength looked like in the face of devastating loss. Miles' journey became a reflection of my own. Learning that surviving trauma doesn't mean becoming invulnerable; it means learning to be strong enough to remain open to love, and living on.

Every time we share our stories, we're making the same choice Miles makes. We're choosing to be vulnerable in service of connection. We're trusting that our openness will create understanding rather than exploitation.​

The Revolution of Empathy

In a world that often celebrates dominance over compassion, Miles represents a quiet revolution. She shows us that the real power lies not in what we can take, but in what we choose to give. Not in how much control we can exert, but in how much understanding we can create.

Blood dolls hold the real power because they've mastered the most difficult skill of all: being strong enough to stay soft, powerful enough to choose kindness, and brave enough to remain vulnerable. 

I have found that when you expose your openness, most people respond positively. I think the key is to present that vulnerability authentically. You might get rejection, but when you say this is who I am, my experiences have lead me here, people identify with it. 

The Choice Is Ours

Miles' story asks us a fundamental question, what kind of power do we want to wield?

The power that dominates and controls, or the power that connects and heals? The strength that builds walls, or the strength that builds bridges?

In "Blood Money," the answer is clear. True power flows not from the one who takes, but from the one who chooses how much to give.

The blood dolls hold the real power because they understand the strongest force in any relationship is the choice to love despite the risk of being hurt.

And perhaps that's the most revolutionary idea of all.

Until next time...
...happy reading!

​~ Stephy

P.S. Blood Money is available at all the retailers and you can find your favorite one here: 
books2read.com/BloodMoney-PennScripter