Ian Hall's Blog, page 2

Accuracy: Getting the Facts Right

Yes, for once there's no pic of old, dead people..... just me, with one of my young fans (Shayne) at a great book-signing.
You see, when I read a book, or watch a movie ('film', sorry folks back home) I'm constantly drawn out of the plot by bad continuity, bad acting, stupid plot-lines, or by the bane of my existence... inaccurate history. It wastes the film/movie for me.
Yes, I'm a writer.
Yes, I write historical fiction.
But I'm also a fan of FACTS.
In any of my books, from the 600 page book in the picture above to our Vampire High School series... accurate facts are researched for almost every paragraph.
In my latest book, currently at 60,000 words, "A Connecticut Vampire in King Arthur's Court", I bring the two together... vampires and history.
But just because I'm writing in a genre that a lot of people dismiss as 'mush', doesn't mean that the story isn't good, or that the history is not researched.
On the contrary, I think I over-research it.
Apart from the vampire... every main or sub-character in the book is real; researched, and actually existed. Every town is real. Every historical fact, every action, every house, palace is real. The timeline of my plot is historically accurate to the day, even the hour.
I maybe write for an hour, and 'research' for another.
Yes, Wikipedia is fantastic, but I've also got an extensive library at home, with many books on the period.
And when it comes down to it, I want you to be so immersed in my books that you never want them to end.
And that makes it all worthwhile.
Okay, my rant is over, I'm going back to Christmas Day, 1501.
Have a great day. http://www.ianhallauthor.com/

Queen Isabella: Columbus Backer and Mother of Catherine of Aragon

Taken from a larger painting, this is Queen Isabella of Spain, quite a woman by all accounts.
She backed the voyage of Christopher Columbus.
She forced the Muslims and Jews either out of Spain, or to convert to Christianity (the invading Muslims gave the Spanish a similar choice, centuries before, but their alternative wasn't exile, it was death.)
And she gave birth to Catherine of Aragon, the wife of both Prince Arthur, and his brother, King Henry the Eighth.
I've been doing a fair amount of research for my new novel "A Connecticut Vampire in King Arthur's Court", and I can only marvel at the lives these powerful people led.
And let's face it, compared to many portraits of the day, Queen Isabella is portrayed as a good looking woman.

Her daughter, Catherine, above, takes that beauty and drapes it in mourner's black for the untimely death of Prince Arthur, Prince of Wales.
In my book, I find Prince Arthur a sickly fifteen year old, but with a name meant to unite England again, and a marriage to the top Princess in Spain, this union was meant to cement relationships, not hinder them.
By the time Prince Henry was fifteen, he lusted after his old sister-in-law so badly, he had to marry her.
Despite King Henry's many affairs, Catherine was pregnant six times, but only once did the child pass the six-day mark; the Princess Mary, who ruled England after Henry's death; the original Bloody Mary.
Research unearths many nuggets, and good books are made of them.
Come see me at; http://www.ianhallauthor.com/

Vampire High School; Free Download

The Turning of Alan Rand is now a FREE download on most eBook sites.
Alan is the main protagonist in the early books of the Vampire High School series.
But, to let you get your teeth (did I really write that?) into our Vampire High School series, and see what we write, and how we write, we decided to add FOUR free chapters to the FREE Alan Rand Download.
So... if you're looking for a new Vampire series to get your fangs into, here's where to go...

Alan Rand, with FOUR FREE chapters of Vampire High School...
http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-High-School-Turning-ebook/dp/B00BK9TQ8M/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1365688023&sr=8-5&keywords=alan+rand

and our website, Vampires Don't Cry...
http://www.vampiresdontcry.com/

Have a great day, and "long may your blood run warm...."

Small Step... Vampire Trilogy to Vampire Series

Yes folks... technically it was just another book, but from a trilogy, it moved the number of Vampire High School novels to four, and that's 'officially' a SERIES.
We kept the format exactly the same; the fist page carries on from the last page of book 3.
Excitement high, fever pitch plot-lines, and a climax to die for..... literally.
It also put the number of vampire High School words to over a quarter of a million.
We gave the whole series (man that 'series' word sounds real good) a brand new look, with a new 'themed' cover set.
April and I are also busy at work on book 5.
Join us at;
http://www.ianhallauthor.com/ for my books.
http://www.vampiresdontcry.com/ for our vampire books.

FREE Vampire story on Amazon Kindle

"Behind the Masque" FREE download, Valentine's Day 14th Feb.
YES! The legend of Cinderella is re-worked in a new vampire story, then shamelessly given away for free to coincide with a commercially based excuse to sell greetings cards, chocolate, and furry teddybears holding red hearts.
(Wow, Ian, why don't you get off the fence and tell it as it really is?)
You'd think we'd thrown away our literary pride, burned our university robes, and sold our souls to the very devils we write about... but you'd be wrong.
You see, giving away our Cinderella-esque vampire story for free on Valentines weekend (14th, 15th, 16th Feb) is actually a fiendish plot to introduce a new strain of flu vaccine to an unwary public, far too interested in Beyonce's newest boyfriend to notice or care.
(Whispers from off-stage... "Ian you can't introduce flu vaccine with this FREE vampire story giveaway.")
("Why not?" I ask. "After all, we're hoping to give away thousands of FREE giveaways and get the flu vaccine to millions of countries!")
(Whisper from off-stage... "Because it's an electronic download, Kindle, eBook, you freaking lunatic/idiot/magalomaniac!!")
(I straighten my tie, do the flexy/clicky thing with my fingers, clear my throat, and continue...)
But we have a fiendish plan. Not quite as fiendish and cunning as Baldrick's plans, but we have tried to work 'turnips' into the blog more than once.
"What?" I ask you. "I've only mentioned 'turnips' ONCE so far? Curses!"
But back to the FREE vampire story giveaway.
We've added the first FOUR chapters of our Vampire High School series to the FREE vampire givaway.
"What value!" You chortle. "These guys are amazing!" You enthuse...
(You are the nicest audience!)
So, to conclude... this weekend... 14th, 15th, 16th Feb 2013, there's a FREE vampire Cinderella redux Kindle giveaway. With four FREE chapters from our Vampire High School series.
Available here;
http://www.amazon.com/Behind-The-Masque-ebook/dp/B00AIQENGI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1360686503&sr=8-4&keywords=behind+masque
You'd be crazy to miss it.

Vampire High School New Cover Set

Vampire High School has its first anniversary.
A year since the launch of the very first Vampire High School novel, the series now has a full set of new, vibrant covers.Those of you who have followed the growth of the series will undoubtedly notice that there are four covers... yes, book four will be available shortly. April is putting the final touches to her parts and we'll have book 4 out very soon.

Blood Red Roses takes our intrepid duo (Lyman and Mandy) to California looking for a small vampire coven near San Diego. But, as usual, not is all as it seems, and the encounter new friends, new allies in their struggle against the vampire horde.

To get four novels out in one year is a mighty feat, and we hope you'll keep reading, because we've already started the plans for book five.

We've also a new website where you can share all our vampire works.
http://www.vampiresdontcry.com

Modern Zombies Only Please, Pre-1929 Need Not Apply.

Having done a fair amount of research for our book "The Zombie Bible", I'm quite amazed that popular culture has fed us with so much dis-information regarding the ominous and shuffling "Living Dead".
So to clarify, here's the history;
"Zombie" is a modern adaption of a Haitian word (Zonbi or Nzumbe). Time magazine claims the original official use of the 'modern' word to be in William Seabrooke's 1929 novel, The Magic Island.
When Victor Halperin directed The White Zombie, in 1932, the name was permanently etched into modern Hollywood history. The film starred Bela Lugosi, of course.
So, the Victorian grave above, so often labeled with a 'Zombie' tag, is far removed from any such possible references to the modern view.
As a preventative against vampires, maybe.
As a precaution against corpse re-animation, Mary Shelley-esque, quite possible.
But as a definitive defense against 'Zombies', sorry, the facts don't pan out.
In actual fact, the headstone in the picture seems to be quite ornate, so the addition of a cage to prevent thievery is far more plausible.
Anyway...
For a modern take on Surviving the Zombie Holocaust as a Zombie, take a look at "The Zombie Bible". Only 99c on eBooks, and available on paperback on Amazon Stores.

Modern Vampire Warning in Serbia

A Blood-lusting Vampire is on the loose in Serbia.
Yeah, when local papers carry stories about vampires, they’re laughed at, or at least given a polite condescending smile. But when a story makes it all the way to the AP (Associated Press) and is on the USAToday website, you’ve got to give it a closer look.
In Zarozje, western Serbia, the town council has given out an official vampire warning.
The story of Sava Savanovic is a Serbian legend, a fairy tale, like Robin Hood or King Arthur. But the Serbs take Sava very seriously indeed, indeed claiming that the man was the very first vampire.
Centuries ago, Sara lived in a mill, and drank the blood of those who came to mill their corn.
The mill was bought by an enterprising man who showed tourists round the ruins in daylight. No one dared stay there at night. The mill owner never maintained the property, fearing that any alteration would curse him forever.
People in the region have indeed died in strange circumstances, but none have claimed to have seen the vampire at work.
When the mill fell so far into disrepair it fell down, the warning was raised.
Sava Savanovic was on the loose, driven from his home, in search of new digs.
Full story here;
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/wo...

Vampire's Don't Cry; Our Vampires Don't Glitter

Vampires Don't Cry is our new website for our vampire writings.
www.vampiresdontcry.com
But, please be careful, the books come with a bit of a disclaimer; if you're younger than fourteen, please don't read. If you were my fourteen year old, you'd have to read them under the covers with a flashlight (torch). (Yes, I do know eBook readers now have shiny screens, but I'm old school, get used to it)
Pay attention...
Our vampires don't glimmer, shimmer, shine, sparkle or glitter.
Our vampires bite hard, bite often, and are known to tear heads off, just to make a point.
Our vampires are NOT all good-looking twenty-year-old models.
We don't write romance, smut, porn or soap opera.
Our vampires don't spend all day 'making out' or 'hooking up'.
Our vampires spend their days looking over their shoulders, because a Helsing is never too far away.
Our vampire hunters (Helsings) are armed to the teeth; they have to be, and they only take prisoners so they can execute later in style.
Our plots are real, sometimes elaborate, but gritty.
Our climaxes are gutsy, bloody, brutal and final.
So, having got that off my chest, if you're still with me, come and have a look at www.vampiresdontcry.com We have a trilogy (Vampire High School), and five chunky backstories to get your teeth into. Over a quarter of a million words.... and still writing.
We'll even send you glimpses of our newest writings, we're good that way.
Send us your vampire scream pics, and we'll put you on our website.

Vampire High School 2 and 3 now in Paperback

Vampire High School; now all three titles available in paperback.
Ok, like the Dennis Miller Show, these books have been carved, chiselled, winnowed, bonsai'd, and watered with the grains of evolutionary truth..... ok that analogy got a bit out of hand, didn't it?
Seriously, both Lachelle and I are particularly proud of these.
In paperback at Amazon.com, and Amazon.co.uk
And we're hard at work on our new title, due out early next year; Vampires Don't Cry.
We even started the ball rolling at; www.vampiresdontcry.com
Come see us there, it's the base for all our vampire works.
Why not send me your best scream pics.... I'll add the teeth with photoshop if you don't have any!
We'll put the pics up on our "FANG-CLUB PAGE".
(No pun intended..... RIGHT!)