Set your phone alarms and program your DVRs, book lovers, because Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst has been made into a Lifetime Original Movie, and it’s making its TV premier this weekend! (Saturday, September 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT) While you wait, check out Sarah’s own list of things to look forward to in the small-screen version of Drink, Slay, Love, and if you haven’t already, get yourself a copy of the book (because we all know the movie is never exactly the same) or you can enter to win a copy here. 

Never before have I teared up while setting the DVR…….

In July 2009, I started brainstorming a quirky story about a kickass vampire girl who reluctantly develops a conscience.  In September 2011, that story became a book.  In May 2015, I got a call from my agent that a producer wanted to option that book for film.  In August 2016, to my amazement and giddy joy, they actually started filming it.  And this week, I got to set my DVR to record it.  Surreal, absolutely surreal!

The Drink, Slay, Love movie premieres on Saturday, September 16 at 10pm ET/PT on Lifetime.  And here are the top 10 reasons why you should set your DVR, too:

1. Pearl, the vampire girl with a conscience

The fabulous Cierra Ramirez plays Pearl, a typical 16-year-old vampire — fond of blood, allergic to the sun, and generally pretty evil.  But after a mysterious attack, she discovers she’s able to survive in the daylight, and her family sends her to hunt in (shudder) high school.

Creating an evil character…  It was pretty much the most fun writing experience I’ve ever had.  Essentially, to write an evil character, you just think of what you’d never do or say, and write that.  Very cathartic.

And Cierra Ramirez brings Pearl to life with butt-kicking, neck-chomping sass.

2. Every time Pearl and Jadrien spar

Mid-kiss, she yanked his staff out of his hand, hooked her foot around his ankle, flipped him to the ground, and pinned him down with his staff pressed against his throat. 

“Surrender?” she said.

“To you,” he said.  “I surrender my heart and soul.”

She rolled her eyes.  “Very romantic, considering you have neither.”

I’m a sucker (no pun intended — really, it just slipped out) for fight scenes, and I can’t wait to see Pearl and her vampire boyfriend, Jadrien (Gregg Sulkin), spar!

3.  The Vampire King’s voice

I saw an early clip of the scene with the Vampire King (Victor Zinck Jr.) and…  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!  His voice!  This is his voice in the book:

His voice was like silk.  It unfurled through the room, soft on the ears.  Pearl suppressed a shudder.  His voice caused her bones to ache.

 I’m telling you, the movie nails it perfectly.  His voice will haunt your dreams.  (Possibly in a good way.)

4. Jadrien’s white suit

The fact that he wears a white tux delights me.  I have no explanation why.

5. Matt and Zeke and their tag-team banter

Michael Delleva and John C. MacDonald play Matt and Zeke, a pair of wannabe-vampire hunters who befriend Pearl.  Matt and Zeke were two of my all-time favorite characters to write.  Here’s my favorite exchange from the book:

Behind her, she heard two voices.

“Dude, you ask her.”

“Nuh-uh, you ask.”

“Rock paper scissors?”

“You cheat, man,” Matt said.

“How is it possible to cheat at rock paper scissors?” Zeke asked.

“You game the system,” Matt said.

“It’s not my fault you always choose rock.”

“My manly strength will not allow me to choose a less unyielding material,” Matt said.  “I have rocks for muscles.  You fear my strength.”

“Whatever,” Zeke said.  “You never choose scissors.”

“Sometimes I choose paper,” Matt said.  “You can’t predict me.  I’m cagey.”

“You always choose rock or paper,” Zeke said.  “So long as I always choose paper, I can’t lose.”

“See, I knew you gamed the system.”

Pearl did not turn around.

“On the count of three?” Zeke asked.  Together, they said, “One.  Two.  Three.”  There was a brief pause.  “You should have chosen scissors.”

“That would have been too obvious,” Matt said.  “You just said I never choose scissors so you had to know I would choose scissors so I couldn’t choose scissors because you’d know it.  Hence, the rock.”

“Hence the paper, covering your rock.  You ask her.”

“Well played, my friend,” Matt said.  “Well played.”

I can’t wait for people to meet them!!!

6. Minerva and her etiquette class

Drink Slay Love has snarky vampires, kickbutt vampires, sexy vampires, and also out and out you-really-don’t-want-to-meet-them vampires.  Minerva (Barbara Wallace) teaches an etiquette class for the young vampires who are preparing to meet the Vampire King at an upcoming feast.

Minerva does not tolerate tardiness.

You seriously don’t want to be late to this class.

7. Sweet Bethany and romantic Evan

Bethany (McKaley Miller) and Evan (Zack Peladeau) play two humans who are pretty much the opposite of vampires in every way.  You’ll want them for your friends.

8. First sunlight

Imagine you’ve never seen sunlight before.  One of my favorite moments in the movie is when Pearl revels in the feeling of sun on her face.  The lake and the mountains are spread before her, and she spreads her arms wide and soaks in the light.

Here’s Pearl’s first encounter with the sun, as described in the book:

Pearl screamed and threw her hands in front of her face as a sliver of sun appeared on the horizon.  She felt her skin…  Okay, wait, she didn’t feel anything.  She felt totally fine.  Pearl lowered her hands.  She should have burst into flame like any self-respecting vampire.  But to the shock of everyone (Pearl, the boys, and quite probably the sun itself), she didn’t.

And her first sunset:

On the roof of her house, Pearl drank in the sunset.  She watched the light paint the sky colors she’d never known existed.  As the sun dipped lower, it darkened to a burnt orange, and the clouds around it were streaked with rose and purple.  Above her a few stars poked through as if someone had pricked the blue with a needle and caused it to bleed light.

I can’t wait to watch Cierra Ramirez’s Pearl feel the sun on screen!

9. The Okanagan region of Canada

The DRINK SLAY LOVE movie is set in California, but it was filmed in the Okanagan region of Canada — and wow, is it gorgeous!  Lakes, mountains, vineyards…  Just a little vampire problem.

10. Mint chocolate chip ice cream

You’ll want to be eating mint chocolate chip ice cream while you watch.  According to Pearl, it makes your blood taste minty fresh!

Hope you’ll be watching with me!!!