Interview With The Vampire (Hunter)!

For those of you who have read my Young Adult urban fantasy novel, Blood Family, you will know that it features a whole host of vampire hunters, including Logan DuPris, her father, Quenton DuPris, and reluctant vampire tracker Pastor Nathan Dark. But that is fiction. What about reality? Are there really – I mean REALLY – vampire hunters in this world? Well, I tracked one down and have interviewed him for Written Worlds! Get your crosses and garlic ready, and read on…

Bishop Seán Manchester

You will be more than a little amazed by his blood-curdling accounts of Bishop Seán Manchester.

Bishop Manchester has specialised in the ministry of exorcism for four decades, having entered the Minor Order of Exorcistate in early 1973 and acknowledged by many as one of Britain’s foremost authorities on demonology (including vampirology) and exorcism.

He has appeared on Coast to Coast radio and has written several books, including The Vampire Hunter’s Handbook.

I am very happy (and a little intimidated!) to be interviewing him for Written Worlds…

Mark Knight: You came into the spotlight with the Highgate Vampire case in the 1970s, but your interest and knowledge of vampires no doubt goes back further in time. When did you first start researching this unusual subject?

Seán Manchester: Serious introduction to the subject came about in the 1960s (I cannot recall precisely when) with my reading The Vampire: His Kith & Kin (1928) and The Vampire in Europe (1929), both by Montague Summers, prior to which the supernatural had always held a fascination since early childhood. Summers led me to read more obscure vampirological works from earlier centuries. I have the good fortune to know quite well someone who themselves knew Montague Summers and received from Summers a “vampire protection medallion” (referred to and illustrated in The Vampire’s Bedside Companion anthology published in 1975 where I also make a contribution). The medallion has been bequeathed to me by its owner.

Mark Knight: How much of the current vampire lore is generated by Hollywood and how much of it is genuine? Or is any of it genuine?

Seán Manchester: I am unfamiliar with much of the current culture appertaining to vampires and vampirism, but I suspect it has little bearing on the lore of centuries past. My knowledge, albeit supplemented by experts from yestercenturies, is based more on experience than it is on speculative consideration and contemporary culture.

Bishop Seán Manchester

Mark Knight: Among your fields of research are the areas of demonology and demonaltry. Please can you explain the meaning of these two terms?

Seán Manchester: The word “demonology” refers to the study of demons whereas the word “demonolatry” covers the study of those who practice diabolism and the minutiae of their darkly occult ritualism. Since the late 1950s and early 1960s the word has also been adopted by diabolists themselves as a reference to describe their demon worship. When I use the word it is in its older meaning, that is, pertaining to studying and researching about diabolists and their sinister practices.

Mark Knight: What would you say to someone who insists that vampires and demons do not exist in the real world?

Seán Manchester: I think you will find that most people not only dismiss the existence of demons (vampires are predatory demons) in our largely atheistic, secular society, but all things supernatural. I would merely say that I hope they are never confronted by the demonic whilst I pray they encounter the angelic. To those who do not believe, no amount of words from me will convince them of anything supernatural, whereas no words or convincing are required from me to those who already believe.

Mark Knight: Would you recommend anyone who is interested in vampirolgical research and demonology to get involved and if so, what advice would you give him/her?

Seán Manchester: I would not advise anyone to “get involved” unless they absolutely know they have a definite calling to the ministry of exorcism. Then I would advise them to seek out a traditionalist branch of their Church. Otherwise, study the subject by all means, but do not dabble in it or otherwise become involved.

Self Portrait with Stake

Mark Knight: Lastly, what are your current interests and projects? Who is Seán Manchester in everyday terms, outside of all things clerical?

Seán Manchester: I do not like to talk about projects where I am only a consultant or contributor (and there are several) or where I have been asked not to discuss the project until it is in post-production and closer to release. Where I am solely in control I would feel free to engage in that conversation and only then where it does not compromise the integrity of the project or any confidences placed in me by other people.

Outside of all things clerical, I am a portrait artist (oil on canvas), a photographer, poet, musician and composer. I am a collector of antique objects ranging from sacred relics to Byronania, rare books, paintings, phonograph cylinders and 78rpm records, daguerreotypes, Victorian and Edwardian photographs, artifacts, curiosities and miscellany. I have a number of old cameras, my favourite being a 19th century Thornton & Pickard brass and mahogany plate camera. The majority of my antiques are 19th century and earlier with only a few specific items of more recent vintage.

Artifacts most precious to me are the relics of saints and those awaiting canonization, that is, the venerated and the beatified. These are housed in reliquaries installed at my private retreat. I have written a memoir which I doubt I shall ever offer for publication. My current instruction is to have it burned to ashes upon my demise.

If you want to delve deeper into the supernatural world of Bishop Seán Manchester, then open the vault to his website and Facebook page.

Don’t forget your Holy Water…

Vampire Hunter’s Handbook

Highgate Vampire

Author Roy Huff!

My blog tour for Blood Family – Quest for the Vampire Key has come to an end, but it goes out with a bang! Today I am very happy and honoured to be featured on OwenSage.com – the website of YA author, Roy Huff! Roy has written a spectacular interdimensional tale – Everville.

About the book:

Everville

Owen Sage is the emblematic college freshman at Easton Falls University. With all the worries about his first year in college, he was not prepared for what would happen next. His way of life was flipped upside down when he mysteriously crossed into another dimension, into the beautiful land of Everville. His excitement was abruptly halted when he discovered that there was a darkness forged against both the natural world, which he knew well, and the new land which he discovered, Everville. He must devise a plan to save both worlds while joining forces with the race of Fron and The Keepers, whom both harbor hidden secrets he must learn in order to gain power over the evil that dwells in The Other In Between.

With a race against time to save both worlds, his short time at Easton Falls did not quite prepare him for the evil, dark forces he must fight in order to conquer The Other In Between.

About the author:

‘Everville’ Author, Roy Huff

Roy Huff is the author of Amazon’s #1 international bestselling epic fantasy novel, Everville: The First Pillar. This is the first installment in the remarkable Everville series which combines elements of epic fantasy and young adult fiction in a form that nearly anyone will enjoy reading, young or old. He is a man of many interests including but not limited to science, traveling, movies, the outdoors, and of course writing teen and young adult fantasy fiction. He holds five degrees in four separate disciplines including liberal arts, history, secondary science education, and geoscience.

Roy Huff’s background includes work in art, history, education, business, real-estate, economics, geoscience, and satellite meteorology. He was born on the East Coast but has spent more than half his life in Hawaii, where he currently resides and writes his epic fantasy sagas.

Solomon Grimm and the Well of Souls – Next by Mark Knight

Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up about my next Young Adult paranormal urban fantasy, Solomon Grimm and the Well of Souls. This will be released in a few months, and tells the story of fifteen-year-old British foster kid, Solomon, and the gypsy curse that transforms him into one of the walking dead. There is a cure, but finding it means the most perilous of journeys…

My inspiration for this tale came from not only my years in Ireland, but also from living in England, which is a very mystical place in itself. In researching Solomon Grimm and the Well of Souls, I personally contacted Dr Bob Curran, an author of many books on Irish folklore, often interviewed on Coast to Coast AM radio and countless others programs.  His gracious and highly detailed input has given this book the authenticity I required, and therefore I have given him a special acknowledgment. Have a look at my interview with him here on Written Worlds!

Blurb

Solomon Grimm is a pretty average teen. He goes to school. He hangs out with friends. He plays guitar in a band. There’s a lot to look forward to—new friends, playing gigs around the country, and hopefully a special girl to become part of his life.

All that is about to change.

While on Easter vacation in Ireland, Solomon falls foul of a gypsy woman. He is cursed and joins the marbh bheo—the living dead. Never to breathe, or grow, or love, and now able to see every supernatural being once invisible to him, his fate is to wander the fog-shrouded hills of Shanvarra for eternity… never to return home.

Solomon tracks down the woman who cursed him. She makes a deal with him. If he will bring her abducted daughter, Tara Danan, back to her, she will reverse the spell and restore Solomon to his old self. Solomon now has a terrifying task ahead of him. For Tara has been taken to the Underworld, a place reachable only through the forbidden Well of Souls. Along with his new friend, the incurably curious Mungo, Solomon must brave the darkening depths of this hidden world, where the slavering, flesh-eating Savage Dead search endlessly for a way to the surface. If Solomon’s bravery—as well as a whole host of undead powers—holds out, he might just find Tara Danan before becoming trapped in the Underworld forever…

As with Blood Family, I have asked artist David Rabbitte to do the cover art for me. Here is a sketch of the cover, with possible fonts – subject to change. The final artwork has actually been finished; you may just find it on his website!

Solomon Grimm Cover Sketch by David Rabbitte

Solomon Grimm Cover Sketch by David Rabbitte

Get Ready for The Crimson Clan!

The Crimson Clan

Today I am very happy to host author David R Bennett!
His new novel is The Crimson Clan, a Destiny Phoenix adventure.

Destiny Phoenix Saga: Destiny Phoenix is a young 16 year old girl who gains powers from here Angelic ancestors. Then, a prophecy comes about revealing that she and her new family are prophesied monster slayers.

Protagonist Destiny Phoenix Interviews the Author!

I see Destiny walking into the room with a huge grin on her face. I wonder what she is grinning about. Undoubtedly, she’s here to interview me.

Destiny Phoenix: Tell me a little about yourself.
David R Bennett: Well, I am an author hailing from Spring, Texas just north of Houston. I was raised here and here I still remain. Also, I am a husband and father of 1. I love the paranormal works of fiction as well as sci-fi, fantasy, and mysteries. Well, mysteries are a part of most novels written, in my opinion.

DP: David R Bennett is that pen name or your real name?
DRB: It is pen name that came about from the rearranging of my real initials. I’ve always liked the name David and the last name Bennett seemed to have an ominous sound to it (probably since watch Heroes).

DP: How long have you been writing?
DRB: Probably my whole life in one fashion or another. I have always woven a tale or even penned poems.

DP: What’s the hardest you find when creating your story?
DRB: Probably creating the background for the characters involved, if the first novel in a series. Otherwise, the not knowing what’s going to happen to my characters.

DP: I assume that when you start you have some idea of what’s going on?
DRB: Rarely, unless I create a bunch of title names and create small blurbs for them. I did do this for the Destiny Phoenix series. So I have a hint of what’s going to happen in the series. Exactly how that all comes about is another thing entirely.

DP: Interesting. What method, if any, do you use to curb writer’s block?
DRB: I’ve talked with other authors about this same thing. And, like myself, quite a few feel that having various projects running at the same time helps to prevent writer’s block. I have a highly active imagination. Sometimes it’s hard to curb, so I always have more than one project going on at the same time.

DP: What’s next on your plate?
DRB: Always love to share this part. Always promoting my latest work with those I know. Right now, I am in the beginning of Alien in the Midst (a sci-fi story about an alien crash landing on Earth), preparing to tackle Destiny Phoenix and the Cry of the Wolf, and starting Mind Games about children who gain superpowers after being left for dead in car crash.

DP: Wow. That’s a lot on your plate. How long do you think that the Destiny Phoenix series is going to run?
DRB: At least twelve books from what I can figure. Possibly, most likely, more. As for my others, who knows. Life is difficult and so is everything my characters will go through.

DP: Where does your inspiration come from?
DRB: My inspiration comes from multiple sources. I watch movies, TV, and read books. So from all of that. And sometimes just right out of thin air on some things.

DP: What genre does your work fall under?
DRB: Trying for YA paranormal fiction. But, really, I try to make the books where everybody will enjoy it. That was the mission of JK Rowling and I like it.

DP: What genres do you read?
DRB: I probably have something from most genres out there from YA to horror to mystery-crime to action/adventure to fantasy to space operas to paranormal to sci-fi to romance. Mostly I read sci-fi / fantasy.

DP: Who is your favorite author?
DRB: There are several that have inspired me over the years Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance series), Michael Stackpole, Timothy Zahn, Stephanie Meyer, JK Rowling, and even a few contemporaries of mine such as Ann Snizek, Michael Knight, and Stephen C Ormsby.

DP: What advice, tips, do you have for others getting into the business of writing?
DRB: Write what you want to read, not because it’s the in thing. And use the social media as you marketing tool and networking with other authors. And, above all, of course, write, write, write until your story ends. That is the main thing before publishing your work.

The Crimson Clan Excerpt

“I hope it won’t take too long to find, Sandra,” Destiny says.

“That depends on the power of Sandy’s cell, Des.” Chris mutters. “Try calling her.”

I do as my hunky boyfriend suggests. I dial Sandra’s phone on my brother’s cell.

“Hello?” I hear from the other side of the phone with some panting in between the words. Quickly, she seems to stop. “Destiny?”

“Yeah, Sandra,” I say. I can hear her gasping for breath. “Where are you?”

“What the hell is going on?” She screams into the phone frantically.

“We’re on the way to pick you up.”

“Can you kinda hurry,” Sandra asks me. “I’ve got these weird pasty freaks on my tail. For what?  I don’t know.”

“Pasty freaks?” I say aloud. That’s when I hear Brandon mutter some curse word and floor the gas pedal.

“Where are you at?”

“Near the Dillard’s entrance by Four Oaks Drive.”

“Okay, Sandra. Stay calm. We’ll be there in five. Meet us at the west entrance of Dillard’s.”

“All right. Hurry.” I hear the panic in Sandra’s voice.

“Stay calm and peruse the store not to give any suspicions to the workers.”

“K. See ya soon.”

“Certainly.” I say hanging up the phone.

“Destiny, what’s going on?” Chris asks me as I can see the worry in his face. “Are the same ones after Sandy that invaded my home?”

“The exact same creatures. They want us. You, me, Brandon, and Sandra. They don’t know about Little Michelle here. Let’s keep it that way.”

“Why?”

“We’re the chosen slayers to bring balance back to this world,” Brandon states. “I was sent to a boarding school for my protection when I was nine just after the birth of Destiny.”

“That sucks, bro.” Chris says as we reach the Mall.

It did not take us long to figure out where Sandra was. People were rushing out the doors of Dillard’s in fear. Obviously, these pasty creatures were in the store and have yet to find Sandra.

However, we spot Sandra easily. She managed to mix in with the crowd that rushed out of the store. We screech to a halt. Brandon pops open the back door for Sandra to jump in.

“Sandy, get in,” Brandon says to his sister.

“Your car?”

“Forget it. We can come back for it.”

The dark haired brown-eyed best friend of mine, who stands at five-foot- four, an inch shorter than me, hurriedly, gets into the Tahoe. Sandra, quickly, jumps in and shuts the door.

“Chris, Miki, what’s going on?” She says trying to catch her breath.

The white pasty creatures see us peel out around the Mall ring road as we make our escape after helping Sandra out.

“Hang on!” Brandon screams as one of the wraiths jumps out in front of our car. We run over it leaving a partially body badly squished all over the road.

“I’ve only heard if these guys before,” Brandon tells us. “I don’t know how to defeat them.”

“Oh, great, we’re screwed,” Chris mutters.

He, then, gets slapped on the shoulder as their little sister sits zoned out holding her legs. Michelle is totally out of it. This is out of her level of comprehension. Or so I thought.

“Don’t worry, I know to defeat these wraiths.” I calmly, and confidently,  say. Where did that come from?

About David

Author David R Bennett

David R Bennett is an author from Spring, Texas in the United States of America. He lives with his wife, Brandy, and his son, Ethan. David R Bennett is a pen name that comes the reordering of his initials real initials. He, also, thinks the name has a ring to it. Not only is he an author, he, also, is an illustrator. His real name is what is credited with the cover art to his novels.
He attended Rocky Mountain College if Art + Design in Denver, Colorado where he earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Advertising Graphic Design. The graphic design techniques he learned in college he uses to design his covers.
He, also, reads a lot of sci-fi / fantasy / paranormal books. Some of his favorite monsters are vampires, mummies, zombies, goblins, ghouls, werewolves, etc. He has plans to write a long string of novels in the Destiny Phoenix series and a series about an alien coming to Earth in the Alien Survivor series. Both of these series are planned as Young Adult novels.
His favorite horror flick is Resident Evil because it is scary to think that biological warfare could one day result in human extinction by undead creatures. And his favorite series of films is Star Wars and is excited about the next film coming out in 2015.

David R Bennett Blog

David R Bennett Goodreads

Crimson Clan Blog Tour

Passing Time: Nine Short Tales of the Strange and Macabre FREE

Passing Time Short Story Collection

Free on Kindle from May 13th to 17th.

Celebrate! My good friend, author Ellie Garratt, is giving away her superbly scary short story collection Passing Time for free from May 13th to the 17th. Tell your friends, enjoy a free copy, and leave her a great review on Amazon – make this great writer very happy!

Book Blurb

Nine dark fiction stories that may just give you nightmares.

A man lives to regret Passing Time. A father will do anything to save his son in Expiration Date. An author finds out her worst nightmare is back in The Devil’s Song. A woman gets more than the claim fee when she takes out vampire insurance in Luna Black.

In Dining in Hell, the Death Valley Diner becomes the wrong place to stop.

A serial killer wants to add another file to his collection in The Vegas Screamer. In Eating Mr. Bone, an undertaker could meet an unfortunate end. A con man meets his first ghost in Land of the Free. And will truth finally be set free in The Letter?

Book Links

• Amazon.com
• Amazon.co.uk
• Goodreads
• Facebook
• Book teaser

 About The Author

Author Ellie Garratt

A life-long addiction to reading science fiction and horror, meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to be an extra in The Walking Dead. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online. Passing Time is her first eBook collection and contains nine previously published stories. Her science fiction collection Taking Time will be published later this year.

Author Links:  Website   Amazon   Facebook   Goodreads  Twitter

Good News Comes In Twos!

I have been invited to appear on two more wonderful websites as a part of my ongoing blog tour.

May 6th, 2013:  Jimena Novaro   ‘Come explore the unknown with me’

May 12th, 2013:  Kristy Centeno  Avid reader, blogger, part-time author, full-time mommy. I love to read, write, and blog about what I read and sometimes write too.

Thanks again to the indefatigable Jodie Pierce for all her help, organization, and just plain good-eggedness (new phrase for you Mr Webster).

Ten Questions with…

Today it’s Ten Questions with… Mark Knight on Mia Darien’s Blog!

Find out my answers to questions like this:

• What five words describe you?
• What was the first story you ever wrote?
• What would your characters say about you? Be honest!

 

A little about Mia…

Mia Darien has lived in New England all of her life and knows that no matter where she goes from here, New England is always going to live in her. Presently, she still lives in the land of snow and fast talkers, with her husband, her son and her pets. She writes a bit of everything genre fiction (horror, romance, mystery, fantasy and science fiction) and thinks it sounds like an odd joke: a unicorn, a space monster, and a pair of zombie lovers walk into a murder investigation…

http://www.miadarien.com

Twitter: @MiaDarien

Goodreads Author Profile

Confessions of the Paranormal

Confessions of the Paranormal

Thanks to Cheree Crump for featuring me and Blood Family ~ Quest for the Vampire Key on her paranormal blog, Confessions of the Paranormal!

From Cheree:

I started Confessions of the Paranormal Blog to do something that I love…Help promote authors, specifically Indie Authors, but I support them all! I love to read and I read all different genres of books. The people I have met over the last few months since I started my Facebook Book Adventure are all AMAZING and most have helped me in one way or another whether they know it or not! I am so thankful for being brought into this world of books I didn’t even know existed!

Check out the feature HERE

Guest Blog: Listen to the Heartbeat of Liliana Soare!

Listen to the Heartbeat by Liliana Soare

Today I am very happy to host author Liliana Soare on Written Worlds!

Liliana is the author of romance novel, Listen To The Heartbeat. When not writing books, she posts to her blog, A New Beginning.

About Liliana Soare:
Liliana Soare is the author of Listen to the Heartbeat, a romance novel that brims with sensuality, snappy dialogue and non-stop action. A page turner with an unexpected ending that will leave the readers wanting for more. Listen to the Heartbeat  has been reviewed six times so far, all six reviews being FIVE STARS.
The author is planning to self-publish a second novel in June-July, while a third is to be released by Musa Publishing later this year.
BLURB

Andrew Langston focuses his life on taking care of his mega-business, hence his irritation when he must become the legal guardian of orphan Lucy Whitfield for five months until she turns eighteen. But his discontent melts away when he meets his beautiful pupil.

Not even the fact that Lucy is madly in love with business tycoon, Peter Randall, will stop Andrew from attempting to reach his goal. He takes advantage of the guardianship agreement provisions to keep the two lovers apart.

His efforts eventually start turning the wheels until one day Lucy realizes that she’s in love with two men. They both desperately want Lucy and are not willing to back away. Their goals will turn her life upside down when they clash. But while one’s personal interests will endanger her life, the other’s will keep her alive.

One of them will ultimately achieve what he wants. But which one?

Listen to the Heartbeat excerpt:

One

The stale air steamed in the room, which was saturated with a week’s worth of humidifier mist.

Lucy fought back the urge to wipe the sheen of perspiration that coated her forehead. A quick dab with her silky handkerchief would do. But that would definitely qualify as a slap on father’s face and would most assuredly stick her with an hour-long sermon on her miserable failure to have turned into a refined beau monde mademoiselle. “Educated young ladies never display disrespect for the basic needs of the ill and frail,” he would say, struggling to breathe as the humidifier only provided small relief. Her father had made a considerable investment in her expensive education, and expected—no, demanded—a high standard of behavior as part of the dividend.

Lucy stole a quick glance at him. Edward Whitfield looked a lot frailer today than any other day in the past few weeks. His thin body, once athletic and stalwart, now was that of a wrinkled child. It would not be long before the cancer would consume the last part of him, but Lucy had no doubt that the very last part claimed would be his caustic tongue. His eyes were glazed by fever, and he’d just finished spilling his guts into an enamel bowl. But even at this very moment, Edward still had enough breath left in him to huff at his team of doctors over poor medication choices. At his current tempo, there seemed to be only two options left, she mused. Either spend his fortune on the creation of a new anti-spew potion, or find a new medical team overseas after having sacked all available U.S. oncologists.

“Strength is derived by ignoring the weaknesses of the human physique and relying on the infinite power of the human mind,” Descartes had once said. Maybe that’s how her father’s spirit was still strong as a bull, even though he had one foot in the grave and the other one firmly on the edge. Her father quoted those damn Descartes teachings day in and day out. Additionally, he had her read them aloud to him, what seemed like one hundred and one times a day. The motto of existentialism, he called it: “Je pense donc je suis. Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am.” No wonder she woke up in the middle of the night, chanting like a lunatic.

“Je pense donc je suis.” “Cogito, ergo sum.” “I think, therefore I am.”…

“Je pense donc je suis.” “Cogito, ergo sum.” “I think, therefore I am.”…

“Je pense donc je suis.” “Cogito, ergo sum.” “I think, therefore I am.”…

That must be how cults hypnotized people and turned them into lifelong puppets.

~~~

Where to find Listen to the Heartbeat:

Amazon,  Barnes & Noble, Shelfari, Musa Publishing

Discover out more about the author:

Website, Blog, Facebook

Twitter, Goodreads

A Message From The Vampire Queen!

The Vampire Queen (author Jodie Pierce)

The Vampire Queen herself has descended from out of the gray and stormy clouds, alighting upon your roof, waiting to ensnare you in your mesmerizing stare!

She is also known – in another life – as my good friend Jodie Pierce, author of the popular Vampire Queen series of books ( The Vampire Queen, Demise of the Vampire Queen, Condemned by a Vampire, and The Vampire Chronicles) and other tales with bite.

Before her message, a little bit about Jodie …

Jodie Pierce lives with her hubby, John in Cleveland, Ohio along with four beautiful step-children. She has been writing since high school where here English teacher took an interest in her and started mentoring her. Jodie has had a fascination with vampires since they were introduced to her as a child and has had a long history with them. It wasn’t until she started reading the Anne Rice vampire books that she was truly inspired to write about them.

Jodie was an exchange student in Brasil in high school so you can find some of her experiences from there in her stories. Many of her stories have historical or researched facts as she also enjoys research and learning about new places.

She has published five short novels (Eternal Press), a short story in “Midnight Thirst 2“, an anthology (Melange Books), has two self-published books and has several short stories that she still works on. She has a new charity anthology with various authors where all the proceeds go to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital due out Halloween 2013. She’s always busy with the next great vampire story as her mind is non-stop and even plagues her dreams.

An important message:

In Vein

Hi all!

I just wanted to give you an update on what I’m working on.

It’s a collaborative effort with various other authors and myself. Over a year ago I decided I wanted to write a book and donate all proceeds to a charity. I’d seen other authors do it and thought it would be a great idea. The commercial is on TV for St. Jude’s, the ones with the celebrities, always seemed to touch my heart, thus the book idea was born.

All the benefits of “In Vein” will go to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. It’s a vampire anthology, a series of vampire mini-stories by so many great authors. I have already read a couple of the stories and they are turning out great! I’m excited about putting this book together which will be available on Amazon, B&N and Smashwords.

I know my own story, though vampire-related, was an emotional one. I wrote about a vampire who helps Cancer patients with his ‘gift’ after living through so much loss in his own life due to the illness. It’s called Spontaneous Remission which is my reference to the ‘gift’ giving of the vampire to the Cancer patients and their transformation.

I’m still inviting people who would like to have their short vampire story told in my story to go to my website (www.vampiricallyrical.blogspot.com) and leave me a comment stating your intent and/or ask questions about the book. Submissions are not due until August 1st, 2013.

The stories don’t have to be written by accomplished authors. If there’s someone out there who just wants to try out their hand at a vampire short story are welcome as well. The book will be released on Halloween, October 31, 2013.

Jodie