Carole Gill has left the building!

Yes, my pretties. Carole has left Blogspot for... that other place (in stage whisper) wordpress.
No, I did NOT kill her off. 

Hey! Where'd that come from! Move it, please....

As I was saying, Carole has moved to... that other place. She is a very dear, sweet friend of mine, and we have shared this blog for the past--oh, wow. I think it's been 2 years, now. She still has her books up, and a new blog addy. So it you wish to follow her there, you are encouraged to do so. 

As for me, I'm sticking around, so if you still want vampires, well, we got vampires up the wazoo. Yup. That's why I renamed this blog 

Because, well... I'm a huge fan of vampire anything. And if you are too, you'll want to stop by. I plan on doing a few new posts, the first of which I will re-introduce myself, so that you know exactly what you will get with my posts.

For starters, I am not a new-comer to the vampire scene. 

I will return with another post soon to tell you more about myself, what I enjoy reading, or watching, and what sort of vampire novels I write.

Until then, do let the vampires bite!

Lorelei Bell's Twist in the Tale Vampire Story!

Just had to write this review. This is a  really cute story that I had the pleasure of reading recently.

Vampire fiction author, Lorelei Bell (the other half of this blog) really outdid herself on this one!

She's got her own style and it's great. I've read other stories and (she's famous for teasers) that I've loved.

I don't think there are too many stories about vampires that are this entertaining. 

Here's my review:

I really liked this light-hearted story. I found it well done and engrossing. The heroine was likeable too; the setting of the cemetery was vividly done. There wasn’t too much description, just enough I’d say, leaving the reader with a real sense of setting and of time and place.

And then there was the twist in the tale. I hadn’t expected it and found myself smiling with delight. I love to be surprised like that.

Yes, this is a tasty little treat of a vampire story!

PURCHASE HERE:

http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-My-Own-ebook/dp/B009FAXUP8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1350752600&sr=1-1&keywords=lorelei+bell+vampire+my+own

Real Horror Inspiring Fictional Horror

Sometimes I don't think we are aware of the real horrific events that often inspired great horror fiction and film.

Here are some cases that were the inspiration for some great novels and films:

Burke and Hare at their trial
Edinburgh 1829


William Burke and Willaim Hare were two Ediburgh residents who discovered a real money spinner. When a lodger (an old man) happened to die owing Hare money (Hare and his lady friend rented to lodgers), Hare along with Burke decided to give the body over to the medical institute run by Dr. Knox.

They were delighted wtih the money paid for the corpse. Corpses were much sought after for medical research as the only ones available came from executed criminals. Thus a new business was born with two eager entrepreneurs ready to make a go of it.

Now they were not actually grave robbers. They were more like grave fillers as they began to kill for money. Burke by 'burking' (smothering and compressing the chest) and Hare by helping him.

Of course they got carried away and when a popular, very young and very healthy lady turned up dead on the dissection table their numbers were up.

Dr. Knox was a dubious character himself for never once questioning how they were able to get so many bodies for him, but nothing was ever done to Knox.

Burke was hanged and Hare cut a deal and testified against Burke. He was released and was last seen leaving Edinburgh. I personaly don’t think Hare got very far!

Their story and their hideous crimes are thought to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Body Snatcher.


The Mary Rogers Murder

The Mary Rogers Case was infamous in New York, there have been books about it and it is still spoken about.

Employed in a cigar store, she was a popular young lady, much admired for her looks. Among her admiring customers were literary greats: James Fennimore Cooper and Washington Irving.

In July 1841 she disappeared. Her body was found three days later, floating in the Hudson River near Hoboken, New Jersey.

Her face was badly battered, her clothes torn. The coroner said there was evidence of a 'man's thumb mark' on her neck. She had been gagged and choked and he concluded she had been 'outraged.'

He did also say there was no evidence of pregnancy which is interesting because there were rumors that she died as a result of a failed abortion.

Her fiance committed suicide by poison which many people felt was telling.
The case was never solved however.


Is Edgar Allan Poe’s sequel to The Murders of the Rue Morgue.

In the story, the body of Marie Rogêt, a perfume shop employee, is found in the Seine River and the media take a keen interest in the mystery.

It features the Detective, Dupin who eventually, unlike the real Rogers case solves the murder.

As Poe wrote in a letter: "under the pretense of showing how Dupin... unravelled the mystery of Marie's assassination, I, in fact, enter into a very rigorous analysis of the real tragedy in New York".

He situated the narrative in Paris using the details of the original tragedy.


Deacon William Brodie

Deacon William Brodie was a respected member of Edinburgh's society, a skilled cabinet-maker and Deacon. What few people knew was Brodie led a secret life as the leader of a gang of master burglars.

He was married but he had two mistresses and a number of children by them that he supported by nefarious means.

As a sideline to his cabinet making he repaired locks which helped him in his thievery!

Brodie's last crime was an armed raid on the King’s Excise Offices. It went wrong. Yet Brodie escaped to the Netherlands, but was arrested and returned to Edinburgh for trial.

There wasn’t any evidence to incriminate Brodie until a search of his house revealed the tools of his thievery. The jury found Brodie and an accomplice guilty.

Both men were hanged.

Brodie was supposed to have bribed the hangman but it didn’t work and he is buried in an unmarked grave.

His unusual double-life might indeed have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson, whose father had had furniture made by Brodie. Stevenson included aspects of Brodie's life and character in his story of a split personality, 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'.

Vlad Dracul Tepes ruled an area of the Balkans called Wallachia in the mid 15th century. He was also called by the names Vlad III, Vlad Dracul and Vlad the Impaler. The word Tepes stands for "impaler".


His was a turbulent life lived in cruel times. He fought against the Turks and is considered a hero in his native Romania because of it.

He was engaged in constant battles with the Turks. At one point the Sultan launched a massive invasion of his native land of Walachia.

Vlad finding himself without allies burned his own villages and poisoned the wells along the way, so that the Turkish army would suffer.

But there was more, for the Sultan saw the hundreds of stakes holding the carcasses of Turkish captives, a horror scene which was ultimately nicknamed the "Forest of the Impaled."

This worked and the Sultan withdrew.

Note: Victor Hugo, in his Legende des Siecles (Legend of the Centuries) recalls this particular incident).

Yet Vlad's younger brother, Radu, was persuaded by the enemy to take the Walachian throne.

At the head of a Turkish army and joined by Vlad's detractors, Radu pursued his brother to Poenari Castle on the Arges River.

Vlad’s wife in order to escape capture, committed suicide by hurling herself from the upper battlements, her body falling down the precipice into the river below, a scene depicted in Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula.

Vlad, escaped the siege of his fortress but was assassinated in 1476.

But even when fighting no one he meted out terrible punishments for arbitrary reasons.

He is credited with killing between 40,000 to 100,000 people in this fashion.

Bram Stoker it is thought based his Count Dracula on Vlad and gave us the classic, Dracula.

What has always struck me about Vlad’s staking of victims was that the stake and the idea of staking a vampire through the heart is used in Dracula and in so much vampire viction. I think that is an amazing connection.

Elizabeth Báthory, also known as the Blood Countess was a sadistic sexual murderer, she tortured and killed servants and reputedly bathed in their blood because she thought it beneficial to stay looking young.

The killings and tortures finally caught up with her and she was put on trial.

A servant testified at her trial that the Countess made incantations to her mirror and would gaze into it "for over two hours at a stretch."


Elizabeth's old nurse testified that about 40 girls had been tortured and killed. In fact, Elizabeth killed 612 women -- and in her diary, she documented their deaths. A complete transcript of the trial was made at the time and it survices today in Hungary

In the traditional tale (the non-Disney version ) of the Snow White story, the Queen asks that Snow White's heart (or lungs and liver) be brought to her. When the man ordered to murder the young lady returns with the same items from a deer, the Queen commits what she thinks is an act of cannibalism.

When her crime is discovered she is forced to wear red hot slippers and dance until she drops dead.

That is I believe is a reference to Bathory’s proclivity of burning people for slight infractions.

Ed Gein

Yup old Ed is Plainfield, Wisconsin’s infamous one-time resident.

Ed was into necrophilia and murder. Although not a serial killer by police standards as he is thought to have ‘only’ murdered two women, Ed is still considered a murderous deviant.

He murdered two women in his town and had one gutted and hanging in his farmhouse, the other woman was murdered and used to make some trophies.

Ed’s mother Augusta instilled a frightening fear of women in Ed and it is thought that set poor Ed on his road to perdition. Ed’s brother by the way is thought to have been murdered by him although it was never proven.

Ed was arrested and died in the insane asylum.

Within three years of his arrest the novel Psycho written by Robert Bloch was published and the brilliant film by Hitchcock based on that book was released.

The irony here is Ed Gein’s crimes were far worse than Norman Bates’ crimes. His story was far more horrific than the novel, Psycho.

Real horror, fictional horror--horror nevertheless because horror is horror, but I think it is safe to agree that non-fictional horror is by far the worse because it is real!

I think it is quite obvious as to why horror fiction and film exists, if there wasn't horror and evil in the world we as writers could not write about it.

Peter Kurten: Vampire of Dusseldorf

“After my head has been chopped off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sound of my own blood gushing from my neck? That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures.”

― Peter Kurten 1883 - 1930

Peter Kurten, known as 'The Vampire of Dusseldorf,' committed a series of sex crimes and murders against adults and children, although it is his crimes against children that have made him infamous.

Kurten was born into poverty and witnessed violence. His father, a violent alcoholic, sexually abused Kurten’s mother and sisters.

While fairly young, Peter began committing various offenses for which he served some time. When released he began torturing animals. He soon graduated to attacking humans.

He served eight years in prison for strangling a ten year old girl. He was released in 1921 and returned to Dusseldorf where he began the series of crimes for which he is best known.

From February 1929 through November 1929, Kurten went on the attack and viciously murdered six people.

Then in early 1930, Kurten began a series of attacks with a hammer. None of his victims died. His last one reported him to the police.

Kurten confessed to nine murders and seven attempted murders and in April 1931, he was convicted and sentenced to die by guillotine.

 "I had a small but sharp pocket knife with me and I held the childs head and cut her throat. I heard the blood spurt and drip on the mat beside the bed. It spurted in an arch, right over my hand. The whole thing lasted about three minutes. Then I went locked the door again and went back home to Dusseldorf."

~Peter Kurten

Fritz Lang directed the classic film 'M'—formerly entitled: Murderers Among Us.

Lang was asked to change the title by Nazi officials as they thought the film referred to them. Lang and the star of the film, Peter Lorre left Germany for Hollywood soon after.

If you haven’t seen the film, you should. It is creepy, atmospheric and very powerful and for a film, that old—well that tells you something.

The direction is superb and Lorre’s performance is memorable. However, as compelling as the film is, nothing could have properly portrayed the hideousness of Peter Kurten and his crimes.

Real Vampires: The Need For Bad Science by Horror Author Neil Benson

Undead Vampires, ranging from Dracula, created by Bram Stoker, to the more urbane Lestat, created by Anne Rice, all share two basic characteristics. They are dead, and they need to ingest blood from mortals to continue to exist. They also share common traits with mortals. They stand, talk, move, run, and carry out all usual physical activities done by mortals.

How do vampires carry out their active physical existences? Humans, mortals, have complex biological systems that provide energy to the muscles, tendons, bones, etc. that enable us to carry out activities. Vampires are dead: their hearts don't beat; their lungs don't breathe; and their former biological energy producing systems are no longer functioning. What is the source of energy for their muscles? Dr. Katherine Ramsland wrote an entire book, The Science of Vampires, speculating about how vampires function and think. Dr. Ramsland could only speculate, because neither she nor anyone else has examined a "real undead vampire."

In the movies and in novels, vampires share blood with humans to turn them into vampires. How is this possible? Without hearts that beat, what keeps vampire blood flowing? Vampires are always depicted as being cold to the touch, quite logical since they are dead. Vampires are also depicted as being impervious to the cold. However, if they are cold-blooded creatures and they are outside, or even inside, in freezing temperatures their blood would thicken. That issue has never been addressed to the best of my knowledge. It's not a matter of unanswerable questions as much as it is illogical possibilities.

We've also seen, or read about, vampires turning into some kind of dust or smoke. The transformation of matter from one form, a solid, into another form, gaseous, requires heat or a chemical process. Modern science has no means by which it can instantaneously turn a solid object into a gaseous one with the exception of a nuclear explosion. There's a lot of bad science going on when it comes to the undead vampire. The stories of these creatures arise from folklore and are given life not by some magical process, but by the creative imagination of writers. The reader also has to participate, because more than a little suspension of disbelief is required to go along with the idea. However, judging by the current popularity of vampire books, movies, and now television shows, science and logic are the furthest things from the minds of readers and viewers. A link to my vampire novel is provided below. I can write about vampires even if I don't think they exist.

http://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Embrace-book/dp/B003O2SE0O/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1339627753&sr=1-1

 About Neil:

Neil Benson: Retired early after working thirty-seven years as a psychologist in mental health and behavioral managed-care healthcare to become a full-time writer. Unholy Embrace is his first published novel.

His short story, "A Problem with Werewolves", appeared in the October, 2010, issue of Night to Dawn magazine.

Neil lives with his life partner just outside north of Atlanta, Georgia.

He has a great website that he founded on the strong recommendations from several writers. Hope you visit it:


http://neilbenson-horrorandfantasyauthor.blogspot.com

The Marriage of Gothic Romance with DARKEST, BLEAKEST, MOST FRIGHTENING HORROR.

I'm just repeating this post because it's so timely! My novel, The House on Blackstone Moor is out and the sequel will be out very shortly.

Now, this post originally discussed gothic romance with dark horror.

As a matter of fact there is a warning about the horror level in the next book (due out this summer)!

(THE WARNING IS AT THE END OF THIS POST)!

Here's the post:

That's right. You read it correctly--with DARKEST, BLEAKEST, MOST FRIGHTENING HORROR.

I'm not speaking of the great gothic horror novels of the past. I'm talking Jane Eyre with vampires, okay?!

So the question is boys and girls, can these two narratives be happily married and produce successful novels?


I think they can!


I happen (aside from my husband) to be in love with the gothic narrative!
And here’s why:


"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me..."

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier

***

“They used to hang men at Four Turnings in the old days. Not any more, though…”

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier

***

“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been
wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but
since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold
winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre and a rain so
penetrating, that further out-door exercise was now out of the question...”

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

***

“During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the
autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the
heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a
singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself,
as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the
melancholy…”

Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

***

The gothic narrative is to my mind the greatest narrative ever written. We are from those very first lines pulled into another world—one that is distinctly and irrevocably different from our own.


Perhaps we read those lines and sensing the danger we might find within this world wonder if we should continue!


But those of us, who enjoy the thrill of the unknown especially when there is the possibility of serious danger, will happily proceed!


These authors write of dark dreams, of sadness and of death and of love too, but even in those novels that depict love there is often mystery and frightening evil as well.


I think books define who we are, when I was a young girl I was drawn to these books with their haunting narrative.


I don’t know why, nor do I know why as a pre-teen I was addicted to the morose prose of Edgar Allan Poe to the point where my parents called me Edgarina!


“Her writing is morbid.” My mother admitted worryingly to my eighth grade teacher.


“Let it come out!”


They did and it did!


I still am in love with this narrative and I always will be, not to imitate it but to redefine it in my own way.


My favorite fiction to read and to write is horror. Not paranormal romance as interesting as it may be, but utter inescapable, heart-throbbing, toe-curling, chills-down-your-back-horror!


And horror is terrifying or they would not call it horror!


Madness, obsession, devil worship—vampirism—these are the themes I use in my writing because they are part of the great and grim world of horror, because in the last analysis if it doesn’t scare the living daylights out of us, it isn’t horror.


And if there is dark horror in my first novel in THE BLACKSTONE VAMPIRE SERIES, wait until you read what the second, Unholy Testament is like. That will be released this summer.


You won't believe the darkness in that book, I can tell you!
I have Satanic sacrifices, orgies, devil worship (lots), and dare I say it--flesh eating vampires!

Well no one's perfect, right?

I mean it's dark, it's so dark that you might need to read it sparingly. But inasmuch as it is the confession of a demon, you will also be moved for he has penned this confession to the woman he loves!

Watch for updates on this and my author blog:



http://carolegillofficialauthor.blogspot.co.uk/

Download The House on Blackstone Moor For Free JUNE 14 - 16!

I'm one of the authors participating in the Great Indie Authors Readers Event.

From June 14th - June 16th you can get my book FREE!

http://www.amazon.com/House-Blackstone-Moor-Vampires-ebook/dp/B00804XJBA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339595085&sr=1-1

Blurb:

"They say my father was mad, so corrupted by evil and tainted by sin that he did what he did. I came home to find them all dead; their throats savagely cut. My sisters only five and eight were gone as well as my brother who was twelve. My mother too lay butchered in her marriage bed. The bed her children were born in…"

 Young Rose Baines discovers the savage murders of her family by her mad, incestuous father.

She is plunged into a nightmare of hell and is incarcerated in two madhouses after which she is helped to obtain a position as governess at Blackstone House.

 The house is located on haunted moorland. Nothing is as it seems for Blackstone House and its inhabitants have hideous secrets. There is unimaginable horror there but there is love too--love that comes at a terrible price.

 The story is as haunting as it is terrifying and will remain with the reader long after its disturbing tale has been told.

 From Amazon Reviews:

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It is one of the best vampire/demon stories I have ever read and I look forward to reading her next incarnation.
Lisa McCourt Hollar

A highly recommended read.
Michelle Wright

The amount of twists and turns this book takes will leave your head spinning and guessing until the end...epic journey
Lee Pletzers

The moods of great works such as Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, even Dickens (a la Oliver Twist and David Copperfield) surface throughout. Carole Gill presents great narrative, well-drawn characters, and has a marvelous ear for dialogue.
DK Trellis

It has been quite a while since I have read a paranormal love story mixed with horror, and this is one that should not be missed!
For the Love of Film and Novels

This story is beyond what one could imagine a nightmare of demons, vampires, and more. A must read for any one wanting more of a edgy tale.
BJ Gaskill Inside BJ’s Head

A real page turner. Carole Gill is a gifted author keeping the reader intrigued until the end...
Lisa Burnett

The sheer magnificence of the Gothic scenes and language; the characters playing off each other, every one bidding for his or her time to shine; the blending of the physical with the psyche; and the age old battle between good and evil, but with a whole new twist added to the evil, makes this a must read, don't put it down masterpiece. 
Robert Nelson

The House on Blackstone Moor never relinquishes its spellbinding hold on its readership; from the first sentence to the last, a beguiling work of fiction, leaving the reader wistfully anticipating a sequel.
Quinn Cullen

I like stories with class -this is one of them. Don't let the categorization as "gothic romance" or "gothic horror" fool you. If any of this is not your cup of tea, try it anyway. There's much more to this story than meets the eye.
Natalie Guillaumier-Owens "book-lover"

I read The House on Blackstone Moor in two days and from the beginning I was hooked!
My Cozy Corner Book Reviews

`The House on Blackstone Moor' blew me away. This book is so intensely dark and twisted and will take you on a journey that will change you forever.
C. Scarlett

I was really surprised at how well written this book is. It was spooky and creepy right from the beginning
Natasha

The House on Blackstone Moor is a wonderfully written gothic romance that fans of Carole Gill's other works will surely appreciate as will fans of dark gothic romances and paranormal romance.
Stephanie Ward

This is a terrifying and evil filled book. Rose endures so much pain her 19 years of life that most don't experience in a lifetime. Full of demons , spirits , fallen angels , and Satan himself
Crystal Trent Dotson

I would recommend the book to those who like gothic horror, vampires and evil men. There is also a sequel in the works which will focus on Eco, the very evil demi-demon, the guy you love to hate!
Spot (Stacey Turner)

Fast-paced tale that takes the protagonist through the depth of depravity and tragedy, into insanity, recovery and apparent salvation, until her salvation turns into another kind of hell
Thomas D. Cooke

The twists and turns came at me from out of no where, i never saw them coming, and that just added to the beauty of this book. i would recommend this story to everyone, even if you dont think its your type of book, try it, i promise you'll fall in love with it as i did!!!
Donna West

This is truly an outstanding horror tale that provokes deeper thought even as it scares you out of your wits.
Laurie Jenkins

What Carole Gill has achieved with this Gothic novel is to transport the reader into the time-warped plight of a heroine whose sense of doom underlies a dark journey through twisted depravity and tangled horrors.
Lori Lopez

This is a book for people that like me love the paranormal seeing combined with a good historical story. I loved to read how this two elements were combined, they worked so well together. This is by far one om my favourite books this year.
Annabel Blootshofd

It's haunting and scary and the ending will totally blow you away!
Natasha


The book over all is of the subtle kind of horror, nothing gratuitous or gory - until all hell breaks loose near the end, which I won't reveal.
Rebecca Treadway

I for one found this gloriously gothic, refreshingly brutal, honestly horrific and a great read. I look forward to the sequel.
Taliesin Meets the Vampires

~*~      

Read it now! It is part of the 4-book series,

THE BLACKSTONE VAMPIRES.

The next, Unholy Testament will be out later this summer!

Vampire Children, a Strange and Haunting Allure!

Claudia, the child vampire in Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire is, in my opinion, the most haunting character I have ever seen portrayed in film or fiction.

She is a child that will not age, she is like an angel, but being vampiric, she is also a demon, for a monster dwells within that doll-like child, and it is that much more frightening because she looks angelic.

Her story is sad and so poignant. But I am not focusing on that. I am, instead, thinking about the portrayl of other child vampires.

I have two in my novel, The House on Blackstone Moor. They are different than Claudia, having perished during the witch hysteria that seized 16th Century France when they were raised from the dead.

And as the point is made throughout my novel, whether they be raised or created, no two vampires come back the same. That brief sojourn through hell affects each differently.

That's my take on vampire fiction. But truly, whether they come back monsterous or not, they are, because they are children, haunting.

It is so troubling. These tragic monsters, condemned to exist forever undead. Forever that is unless they are, somehow, destroyed.

And what of their memories and feelings. Do they know fear? Can they know fear? Mine do, they greatly fear the vampire destroyers for they have seen the horrific carnage left in the wake of a destroyer attack. Being undead does not mean they are not, sometimes, afraid.

Yet they have pleasure too. They enjoy sleeping for instance. They so like to dream, my Ada and Simon.

But what do they dream of? Do they dream of their living lives and also of their terrible deaths? Do they dream of hell? Do they see in their dreams Satan's own demons reaching out to draw them back?

Do they dream of an impossiblitly, a way to regain their living lives, or do they just exist from one eternal moment to the next as best they can?

And when the fierce thirst strikes, what then? Can they pretend to not feel it or do they not bother and rush headlong out in search of their sustenance?

That is their reality. Truth is truth after all, even to one who is a child and is also, sadly, a vampire.

Nosferatu's Star WAS A Vampire (according to Shadow of the Vampire)!

PRESS THIS IMAGE TO WATCH TRAILER!

Max Schreck was either a vampire or he wasn't.

A lot of people in Germany thought he was, so convincing was he with his highly developed persona.

Personally, I think he was a very clever man who knew exactly how

to make a great deal of publicity for himself.

He was the incomprable star of Nosferatu.
And please consider the fact that Schreck in German means fright!

I don't have to elaborate on the magnificent post Lorelei did last week. I only want to discuss the film, Shadow of the Vampire which is a fictional account of the making of Nosferatu.

The performances are amazing, with John Malkovich as FW Murnau, the gifted Expressionist German filmaker.

A lot of poetic license comes in here, but you know what?! It's a hell of a lot of fun and it makes for one damned bloody good take on Nosferatu's

star, Max Schrek as well as FW Murnau. 

Schrek is played by Willem Dafoe. You have to see it to believe how riotious he is! It's delicously over the top and will have you amazed.

Not to be outdone is the terrific John Malkovich starring as director, FW Murnau.

The gist:
The director and his crew arrive to begin filming with Schreck already there waiting for them.

They start filming and a lot of very peculiar things begin happening. The implication is that Schreck is not acting the part, that he is in every way a vampire!

In one scene Murnau shouts: "Why did you have to kill the cameraman, why couldn't it be the script girl?"

Schreck responds: "I'll eat her later!"


Yikes! But fun yikes, right?


This is pure entertainment and it is really good fun. But it's more than that because it also provides great insight into the making of Nosferatu.

Purists will say that Murnau was not at all like the somewhat nutty character Malkovich portrays. So what? This is a fictionalization of the making of that classic. It's satirical and damned clever in my opinion.

Why not see it and decide for yourself. And be sure to tell us about it, because we'd love to know what you think!

Tales From the Vampire Vault: Blood Madness!

They were occupying a disused church, the master and his coven. He thought they'd be safe there and they were but he had to warn them.

"Do not feed on tainted blood, no matter how hungry you are or what terrible thirst you have do not taste it, for it will drive you mad."

It was The Black Death of 1348 when Europe was ravaged by plague. Plague carried by the infected fleas that fed on the rats. The rats were everywhere. They dwelled within the thatch and straw of the buildings, in alleyways and cellars. They were the plague and the plague was them and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Death was all around--in the filth and contagion, beside the diseased ravaged ships in the harbor, moving up from the docks with the scurrying rats—!

And when the people began to fall ill, they perished fairly quickly, so marked were they with the signs of their contagion. No one was safe. Not the old or the young, not even babies.

People went into hiding if they could to wait it out. Yet thousands died in their supposed havens. And still the bodies piled up. The cart men weren’t even coming any more. Most of them had sickened and died.

There were those that were immune to the plague, such as the Master and his coven.

The Master was their lord and they, his coven of vampires were gathered around him many of them weeping.

“Do not fear, it will not help!”

They were male and female, nearly all of middling age. But of course that depended on their age upon creation.

He loved them all, for they were like his children. His woman, his favorite wench was weeping, so frightened was she.

“There, there, nothing can be gained by that! Dry your tears and listen to what I say!"

The room was bathed in the shadow of flickering candle light for he didn’t wish anyone to know they were congregated there.

Funny they should seek safe harbor in a church. But they did for there were few places they could hide.

He looked at each of them before he spoke. They waited for they knew it was important. And so he began, his rich voice speaking to each of them:

“Whatever you do, however thirsty you become, do not taste tainted blood!”

They began to murmur and whisper. Many of them sounded frightened.

"What shall we do, Master? We shall perish if we do not feed!"


The vampire nodded for he was tolerant with them, yet he wished them to understand.


“You will have to be patient, to wait until I can provide for you. Remember, tainted blood will drive you mad."


Some of them gasped, others wept.

“If they see one of our kind, and never forget, with careful scrutiny they can tell. If they identify you as a vampire that has fed on the dying, they will turn you over to the destroyers.” He shook his head sadly. “You do not know what a painful death that is for our kind. The pain is unimaginable. And all the while you suffer, your destroyer’s laughter will ring in your ears.”


When they were at rest, for they rested during the day, one of them began to move. It was a woman. A wench who thirsted for a fresh kill. She had dreamt of it, of the taste, of the sweet saltiness darkening her tongue and sliding down her throat.

She began to recall recent feeds she had, the white flesh of a young girl, the exhilaration of her teeth tearing that flesh apart—and then the first taste of the feed!

When she could no longer stand suffering, she crept out of the domain—hardly breathing for she was fearful that the master would discover her and reprimand her.

She’d have been far better off if he had.

She waited until dusk, whereupon she ventured outside. A young man was coming along; the vampire smiled and closed her eyes for already she could taste his blood.


She waited until he came closer. And because there was a full moon, she looked him over, just to make sure he looked well.


He didn’t cry out, he collapsed under the terrible strength of her touch.


And she fed hungrily.


What she hadn’t seen, was the terrible buboe under his right arm. It had already burst, and though he still looked fit, he was already dying.

The madness set in almost at once as she hurried back to the coven.  She saw a great black bird dive at her, shrieking loudly. She brushed it away, but there were more. Hundreds more and she screamed.

But because she walked alone and there was nothing attacking her, it was quite clear to all who saw her that she was mad.


“There’s one!”

A man had come to look at her, to examine her carefully. Holding his torch he had seen the caked blood on her teeth and her chin as well as the drained corpse nearby.

The Master saw it all; he had ventured out trying to find the girl but hadn’t come in time.

Yes, he said to himself. The plague kills all, both human and vampire alike, but whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad!

© copyright 2012 Carole Gill

Watch out for more tales from the vampire vault!  

 

Jonathan Frid and a Dark Shadows Tribute

I think I went into shock when I heard that Jonathan Frid was gone. Who would have expected that? I mean he was Barnabas Collins as far as I was concerned. Besides, everyone knows that vampires can’t die!

He created Barnabas as any vampire is created. He gave him his undead life. We knew it; we felt it because we believed it.

It was all so real because of Jonathan Frid’s consummate acting ability. Every expression and movement along with that beautiful voice, gave Barnabas his undead ‘life.’ His swirling cape, his smooth movements, and his wonderfully romantic menace spawned a genuine affection for all things gothic horror.

He thrilled and scared us and made us dream dark dreams of vampires and romance! Yes, that's right! Fiction and film is where it is today, I think because of that.

Here's something: I didn’t realize there is an amazing array of Dark Shadows fiction.

  

http://www.darkshadowsonline.com/books.html

If you’re a fan of the original show, please visit the above link. It contains a veritable treasure trove of Dark Shadows fiction written over the years.

From Dark Shadows Collectibles:

    In her introduction to Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark, Lara Parker writes, "Dark Shadows was always destined to become a series of novels, if only to release those mesmerizing stories which so enraptured audiences into the imagination of the reader. For as lavish as the settings, as clever as the props, as lovely as the costumes all were, the power of the written word on the reader's dreamscape offers an even more exhilarating experience."

Also from the site:

    “Starting in 1966, Paperback Library published a successful series of Gothic-themed novels based on Dark Shadows. The 32 novels (plus the novelization of the film House of Dark Shadows) were written by Canadian author Dan Ross, using the pen name Marilyn Ross…”

I hope you check out this site. I’m glued!

As for me, I remember running home from school to watch this show Monday to Friday. I was thrilled by the music, the mood, and the storylines as well as the acting and the characters.

Jonathan Frid, for me was the real draw but there was an unforgettable cast as well: Joan Bennett, Grayson Hall, Kathryn Leigh-Scott and Lara Parker as the beautiful but wicked Angelique.

And what about those scenes between Angelique and Barnabas? I mean they were thrilling!

I know really that is why I write gothic romance with a strong horror element in it. They inspired me as well as a generation of other young people.

But there were the adult fans too. Parents loved the shows. As Lorelei wrote, her mom liked to iron and watch it. So did mine! I even caught my dad watching it on the occasion he was home during the day.

Dan Curtis and his wonderful show created a sensation and like any great sensation, sparks flew and started a conflagration that is the horror genre today: fiction, film and music I think has all been inspired by this show.

And do you know what else I think? I think we were early Goths, too! If we were, I’m proud of it!

We lost Jonathan Frid but we will never lose Dark Shadows or the excitement it gave us!

Jonathan Frid
1924 - 2012
Thank you.

   

Blood Is Their Wine, Feeding Is Their Desire!

They covet it, drink it--exist because of it. Were they not to sup on blood they should be destroyed.

It is their staff of life, the sole reason they go on. It can come from any living creature, but it is sensual with a human victim.

It is a pleasurable thing for a vampire. Feeding is sexual in nature, if not for the victim, it is for the vampire at least in my fiction and especially with the character Eco who appears in two novels.

Feasting on blood while sexually enjoying someone is the height of erotica I think. The victim may pass from life to death, yet as depicted in much vampire fiction, that victim is beguiled and bled to death at the same time!

And yet, as the vampire feeds he suddenly becomes aware of his victim's mortality. Should he or shouldn't he? How great to be like a god! A demon of the underworld permitted to make such a decision: creation or not.

Existing undead or to lie forever mouldering in the worm-ridden earth.

The victim sinks to the floor and the vampire follows. Then raising one, nearly bloodless hand up to its mouth the vampire kisses it.

"I shall not destroy you!"

The vampire tears his own flesh open and reddens the victim's white lips with his own blood.

Eyelids flutter open and the vampire can see his own kind staring at him.

"Come forth to dwell in the world of the undead!"

And so the newly created kinsman goes forth to seek the blood and the sin of its new heritage, to dwell amongst the undead, never aging, ever young, forevemore...!

Lorelei Bell's Take on Vampires: Her Debut Post!

So pleased to welcome Lorelei Bell, on to this blog!


My interest in vampires came in my teens watching the old horror classics of “Dracula” on TV late at night. I never did like that Dracula (or vampires in general) was the heavy, or villain. The one who inspired terror in all the living folk in the village, to be hunted down like a rabid dog, beheaded, staked etc. in his own coffin. I'd ask myself, “Why couldn't Dracula get the girl—the woman of his desires?”


Later, in adulthood, when I took up the pen and strove to put down my vampire stories, there was no such genre as “urban fantasy” or “paranormal romance” where vampires were hunks and women sought their attentions. Vampire works went under the heading of “horror”. Eventually, though, Anne Rice came to the rescue and brought a different type of story to the vampire genre. Whether she intended it or not, we all began to look at vampires differently. They have a story, each and everyone of them; they have different personalities, and their own motives and desires—just like everyone else on this planet.


In Vampire Ascending/Sabrina Strong Series I wanted the vampire to be more multi-dimensional, have more on his list of things to do than to drink blood, and I'll admit sex was part of this mix.




Furthermore, I wanted to create a heroine who has to learn who and what she was throughout the series, rather than plopping my readers somewhere after the beginning of the story and doing a lot of back story.



When it came to my vampires, I wanted to expose a large array of personalities, and they include the twins who were Beatles fans when they were turned, and Vasyl, who was a priest during the first century of Christianity when he was a human, and has continued his vigil for the sibyl. And, of course my seven-foot 1,000+ year old Viking, Bjorn Tremayne, owner/CEO of Tremayne Towers in Chicago. And then there is Nicolas who becomes Sabrina's romantic interest in the first book... but can she really trust him?




In my books, my vampires do have a reflection. They also have a heartbeat, but it's rather slow. Most of them can't go out into direct sunlight, and most of them sleep—not in a coffin, but in a bed. Depending upon their religion when they were alive, they shun those religious symbols, are unable to walk onto hallowed ground, or a church—but again if they were pagan, this wouldn't bother them at all. However, I've kept the “holy water” in tact for all vampires, as well as demons.




I felt that my vampires had to have their own hierarchy and governing system. Ba'al Demons are the enforcers of the vampire laws. In the first book, “Vampire Ascending” it is against vampire law for them to hunt humans. Instead, they've set up a donor program that works well, and do have their own bottled blood—some is 100% human, others are human and animal mix and depending upon the price there's less human blood in the mix. Bjorn has something he calls the “sanguine team” made up of elves—because their blood is not desired by the vampire. Thus they pay humans who choose to become their blood donors... and sometimes their bed partners. Sex and blood are both important to my vampires. They are a lusty lot!



My vampires all have their own personalities; you will not find a cardboard baddie among them. They each have their own needs, wants, and desires, and do fall in love—in other words are capable of human emotions.




When it came to creating my story, and my heroine in this series, I chose not to go with the kick-ass chick who went after vampires, demons or whatnot. I did not want her to work in some sort of newly created bureau (as in Karen Chance, Keri Arthur, and Kim Harris novels). I didn't want to do a lot of back-story. I wanted to begin at the beginning with my reluctant hero, Sabrina Strong, a sometimes quirky twenty-one year old who has this unique problem where she can't hold a job because she is a Touch Clairvoyant. Thus, when her father dies, she is forced to take something she can actually do. So when she answers the add for a clairvoyant, she isn't expecting to work for vampires. However, she is quite aware that they exist—even though most people don't believe it, or know that vampires, shift changers, werewolves, and demons do exist right along side them.

LINKS:


Vampire's Trill: http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-Trill-eBook/dp/B006GSS29Q/ref%3dsr_1_?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323540900&sr=1-1



Vampire Ascending: (this is a site which will take them to wherever they need to buy) http://vampireascending.copperhillmedia.com/

My Blog: http://loreleismuse-lorelei.blogspot.com/

The Talented Mr. Porter!

Before I begin I want everyone to feast their eyes on Brian's books! Fantastic!

Firstly I want to say how delighted I am to interview Brian L Porter!

Brian not only is a talented author, he is a devoted husband and father and committed animal lover. He was recently voted The Preditors & Editors ‘Best Author, 2009’ in their annual Readers Poll. Under a pseudonym he also won the ‘Best Children’s book’ and ‘Best Artwork’ Awards, and his thriller Legacy of the Ripper achieved 5th place in the Thriller category, surely an incredible performance by anyone’s standards.

How many dogs have you rescued?

Well, Carole, we currently share our home with 12 rescued dogs. In the past we’ve had others and two or three didn’t work out as we’d hoped and we had to sadly re-home them Usually, those instances are rare and caused simply by a particular dog finding it hard to adjust to and live with a fairly large pack of dogs.

Your book, or should I say, Tilly’s book, Tilly's Tale published by
4RV publishing company is so poignant and moving. Please tell us for those who don’t know what the book is about and what it means to you.

Tilly’s Tale is probably the most special book I’ve written because it tells the true story of Tilly, the little dog who shares my office and even has her own blog at http://tillyrescuedog.blogspot.com/

The book is told in Tilly’s own words, as though she herself is speaking to the reader. Tilly is a very special little dog.

She was unwanted, unkempt and barely recognizable as a dog when we first found her. Her story is a canine tale of a triumph against the odds. From being a 'scruffy mutt' in a rescue sanctuary she has become a star at agility and search and rescue work and is 'pack leader' to our family of rescued dogs.

I hope her story will go some way towards raising awareness of the plight of abandoned, abused and neglected dogs around the world and also the wonderful work performed by those who staff the various rescue centers and dog sanctuaries who care for them and help to find them loving caring homes.

I was very proud when Tilly’s Tale won the ‘Best Children’s Book’ and the ‘Best Artwork’ Awards in the recent Preditors & Editors readers Awards for books published in 2009. I have to thank the hugely talented Mandy Hedrick for her wonderful illustrations in Tilly’s Tale. She has captured the ‘essence’ of Tilly perfectly.

And there are others to follow, beginning with Dylan’s Tale I believe. Please tell us about that!

Dylan is our Bedlington Terrier who also had a very hard start to his life. He’d been abused, beaten, hit, and generally mistreated throughout his puppyhood and was just 11 months old when he came to live with us, almost five years ago. The change in him has been tremendous and he is now a happy and contented dog.

Like Tilly’s Tale, Dylan’s Tale will be related to the reader in Dylan’s own words and I hope that it will achieve something like the success of Tilly’s book.

Now for the writing side, Mr. Porter: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

To be honest, Carole, I don’t know. I’ve always written poetry and had quite a lot published and then my wife saw an advert in our library for a short story contest and she encouraged me to enter it even though I’d never written a story in my life. I didn’t win , but I so enjoyed writing the story that I began writing short stories regularly and I was so lucky because every one I wrote and sent off was published in one form or another by a number of different publishers.

It then became a matter of logical progression I suppose, to move on to full length novel writing and the first of those books, A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper did so well, that I sort of never looked back.

Speaking of A Study in Red, I understand the book won an award recently?

Yes, Carole. It won The Preditors & Editors ‘Best Thriller Novel Award’ in 2008, and I’m very proud of that. The reviewers at CK2S Kwips & Kritiques also gave it ‘Recommended Read’ status, which they also awarded to the sequel, Legacy of the Ripper.

Where do you get your ideas from?

Er, this could be embarrassing, but I get a lot of my best ideas while I’m shaving, honestly. I can be standing staring at myself in the mirror and all of a sudden an idea hits me, and it’s not just a vague idea, but the full storyline for a book. Oh yes, I also often get ideas while out walking the dogs!

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I love to be out walking with the dogs, and of course, I spend a lot of time researching for my books as I always try and make the novels as ‘factual’ as possible in terms of events and procedures. Apart from that there doesn’t seem to be much time left over for anything else.

What does your family think of your writing?

The children love Tilly’s Tale of course and the whole Dog Tales series. They have of course read all of the manuscripts I’ve completed so far which are currently with the publisher, 4RV Publishing.

They also love Alistair the Alligator my latest children’s release, also from 4RV, and aimed at much younger children. This book is in full colour and is illustrated by the talented Amanda Sorensen.

My wife, although she doesn’t usually read dark psychological thrillers, reads all my books as they are written chapter by chapter and is my fiercest critic. She is always honest with me about my work and the fact that she manages to read my books from start to finish and actually enjoy them says a lot to me.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

Without a doubt the most surprising aspect is that people actually like reading my books. I still find it hard to believe that people enjoy sitting down to read a novel I’ve written, perhaps with their feet upon the sofa, or in bed last thing at night. That makes me feel very humble and very proud at the same time.

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I think the total, including my children’s books is around 17 books now, of which it would be hard to pick a favourite. If you pinned me down I would have to say that of my children’s books, Tilly’s Tale is without doubt the one that means the most to me on a personal level and the emotions contained within the book are as genuine as it is possible to imagine.

Of my thrillers, I think I’d have confess to a soft spot for A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper as it was the book that started the whole process of successful publication for me.

For plot alone however it would be hard for me to separate my two latest releases, Purple Death and Pestilence, both of which are packed full of twists and turns and surprises for the reader. By the way, my dear wife has a preference for Glastonbury, due to appear in the near future from 4RV Publishing, and I have to admit, it also ranks high on my list too.

Do you have any suggestions to help writers become better writers? If so, what are they?

Oh, Carole, that’s a question and a half, and I’m sure one I’m not really qualified to answer. Perhaps the best advice I can give is to believe in yourself and your work, be prepared to accept rejection as an everyday ‘occupational hazard’ and not to lose faith in your abilities.

Having said that, there are a lot of people out there who have been trying for years to have a book published, without success, and I think there is a time when all of us have to realise that perhaps a particular book or story is not quite as good as we, the authors, believe them to be.

It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that as the author, we simply ‘know’ a piece of work is great, but we can be wrong. Finally I have to mention research. I can’t stress how important it is to research the background to any story as thoroughly as possible.

Most of my novels for example have a connection to ‘real’ events in the past, and every one of those events has to be researched in detail so that I don’t get caught out by someone saying, “Ah, but it didn’t happen like that in real life.” I know my books are novels, but as I nearly always mingle fact and fiction together to weave my storylines together, I need to try and make the reader believe in all of it, not just the ‘factual’ so by researching the subject first I’m then able to create a plausible fiction to sit side by side with the facts, if you see what I mean.

What do you think makes a good story?

For me, it has to have a believable plot, one that can draw the reader into the story so that they feel as though they are taking part in the action themselves. The characters should be strong and very ‘human’ and not cardboard cut-outs.

I always try to produce characters that readers can identify with in some way. Also, and this is of course a personal thing because of the type of books I write, I love to ‘misdirect’ the reader so that they fully believe they have ‘solved’ the mystery only for the truth to be revealed at the end as something completely different. I think my readers love the element of surprise that comes from that ‘twist in the tale’.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I always wanted to grow up to be in the Royal Air Force. Luckily, I achieved that ambition!

And now for your books!

The Ripper Trilogy:
A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of the Ripper Double Dragon Publishing
http://www.amazon.com/Study-Red-Secret-Journal-Ripper/dp/1554045274/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239355927&sr=1-2
Legacy of the Ripper Double Dragon Publishing
http://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Ripper-Brian-L-Porter/dp/1554046904/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
Requiem for the Ripper (Coming Summer 2010 from Double Dragon Publishing)

Pestilence Double Dragon Publishing
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554047234
Purple Death Moongypsy Press
http://moongypsypress.com/porter.php
Kiss of Life (Vampire Thriller) Mythica Publishing
Coming in Feb/March 2010. Please see http://www.mythicapublishing.com/
The Voice of Anton Bouchard Mythica Publishing
http://www.amazon.com/Voice-Anton-Bouchard-Other-Stories/dp/190710805X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266429417&sr=8-1
Murder, Mayhem and Mexico Eternal Press
http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Mayhem-Mexico-Brian-Porter/dp/1926640500/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239224086&sr=1-11

Dracula Doesn’t Live Here Anymore Eternal Press
http://www.amazon.com/Dracula-Doesnt-Live-Here-Anymore/dp/192664025X/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238678599&sr=1-7
The Nemesis Cell (Currently in e-book from Stonehedge Publishing but coming soon in paperback from Mythica Publishing)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Nemesis-Cell-ebook/dp/B000SCHAFS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266429584&sr=8-1
Avenue of the Dead (Also in e-book from Stonehedge Publishing and coming soon in paperback from 4RV Publishing)
http://www.amazon.com/Avenue-of-the-Dead-ebook/dp/B000SCHAFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1266429650&sr=8-2
Glastonbury 4RV Publishing
(Coming in paperback in Feb/March 2010)
A Binary Convergence (With Graeme S Houston) A sci-fi short story e-book collection from Stonehedge Publishing
http://www.amazon.com/A-Binary-Convergence/dp/B00140IU1G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212698726&sr=8-1">
Tilly’s Tale 4RV Publishing
http://www.amazon.com/Tillys-Tale-Harry-Porter/dp/0981868592/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257702764&sr=1-3
Alistair the Alligator 4RV Publishing
http://www.amazon.com/Alistair-Alligator-Harry-Porter/dp/0982588615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266687584&sr=1-1-spell
Arcadia 22 Heavy – Mayday Mythica Publishing
http://www.mythicapublishing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=62

And there are films in the works! Please tell us about those.

Just before Christmas, 2009, I received an email from a movie company, (I thought it was a joke at first, truly), asking about the Movie/TV rights to my novel A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper.

After they’d convinced me they were genuine, and after I’d done some research on them myself, we entered into negotiations and on Christmas Day we signed the agreement that would see Thunderball Films (L.A.) produce the movie version of the book.

They have since signed a collaborative deal with Masterplan Films (UK), and the joint venture is now progressing with the screenplay almost completed. Soon afterwards the CEO of Thunderball Films asked to see some of my other work and he loved my books so much that he offered me a deal that would see Thunderball Films turn a number of my novels into either TV or Movie adaptations.

So, at some time in the future you may just see TV or movie adaptations of Pestilence, Purple Death, Legacy of the Ripper, Avenue of the Dead, Glastonbury, Kiss of Life, The Nemesis Cell, and The Voice of Anton Bouchard.
Thanks so much for coming along and talking to me Brian.

You’re welcome, Carole, any time!