Kevin A. Ranson's Blog, page 8

“The Decapitator” from The Matriarch: Guardians is complete! #VWSG

This is what happens when you give a couple of Texans a description for a new kind of vampire hunter weapon: they build one, and the case it comes in.

The modular fauchard, aka “the decapitator.” Designed for ghouls to subdue and/or destroy neophyte vampires. Not recommended against elder immortals with a true understanding of their power. This weapon is features in The Matriarch: Guardians.

Special thanks to Dragon’s Fire Forge who hand-forged the blades, created the connecting polearm and stake tips (mmm…steak tips). Box, “Osage Orange” stakes, and leatherwork by Tobin’s Turnings. These folks really outdid themselves, didn’t they? Here’s the original text this was taken from along with a hasty sketch I cobbled together:

Mustangs in the mid-1960s didn’t have much in the way of trunks, but his was big enough to hide the long wooden case inside that he took out. After closing the trunk, he carried the case to the bottom of the trailer steps for the extra light.

He heard Cole on the roof above him. “What’s that? A rifle?”

“Nope.”

Eric snapped the case open. There were three items inside: a three-foot metal bar than ran the length of the case, a wooden stake with a metal tip and a concave clip-point blade sharpened on the inside of the curve. The attachments had been balanced to complement one another when assembled into a five-foot long weapon, a blade on one end of the bar and a stake on the other. Eric twirled the polearm a few times to renew his feel for it; it was lighter than it looked and he liked how the weight felt.

“What the hell is that?” Cole asked.

“A modular fauchard,” he replied. “I’ve always called it a decapitator.”

“It doesn’t look vampire friendly.”

“It isn’t.”

Filed under: Creativity, Existentialism, Horrificus, Literarian Tagged: #fangtastic, #VWSG, horror, Kevin A. Ranson, The Decapitator, The Matriarch: Guardians, vampires

Writing a Novel: Like Building a House

Writing a novel is like building house (I’ve done both).

It’s always nice to finish the foundation and get the framing up, just to see everything taking shape and your plan coming together. Of course, you still have the plumbing, wiring, HVAC, walls, shingles, appliances, flooring, carpeting, and everything else to do before it’s actually finished. Yay!

Afterwards you have to put the house on the market, put ads in the paper, start shopping it around…

Filed under: Creativity, Existentialism, Literarian Tagged: Building a House, Writing a Novel

“The Decapitator,” an Original Vampire Hunting Weapon

For the second book in my vampire novel series, The Matriarch: Guardians, I began to invent items unique to my vampire-infested world. One of them was a modular fauchard – affectionately dubbed “the Decapitator” – designed to hunt neophyte vampires too new to their undead world to fully understand their abilities. Yes, that’s real…and currently being built as a show-piece prop; it’s what all the cool vampire hunters are carrying most nights.

Filed under: Creativity, Horrificus, Literarian Tagged: Decapitator, modular fauchard, The Matriarch: Guardians, vampire novel

How HBO’s “True Blood” Should Have Ended

For seven seasons, the HBO series “True Blood” – based on the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse books – deviated almost unrecognizably away from the source material. Every character not killed off managed to pair up with someone, but similar to the final Harris novel that reportedly left fans unsatisfied, HBO botched a chance to one-up the author on the final outcome of Sookie and Bill.

Here’s three suggested treatments for a better ending; this is just off the top of my head, but I prefer number three.

***SPOILERS IF YOU STILL CARE!***

Sookie and Bill die together in the graveyard: Unable to watch Bill’s suffering, Sookie offers herself to feed him before he dies, a willingly sacrificing to provide one last comfort before he pops; it ends with friends and family attending Sookie’s funeral revealing a headstone next to Bill’s family.
Sookie begs Bill to make her into a vampire: Finally admitting to herself she would stay with him forever, Bill finally accepts Sarah’s cure before turning Sookie and burying themselves together. Sookie’s blood enables them both to survive the daylight and join in the Thanksgiving celebration: the premiere vampire couple of Bon Temps.
Sookie makes Bill human again with a little help from Grampa: After hearing Bill’s thoughts, she suspects the faerie-mixed Hep-V cocktail she infected him with is turning him mortal but not fast enough to prevent his true death as a vampire. Sacrificing the last of her power and hoping it’s enough, faerie grandfather Niall secretly lends a hand to restore Bill to life. With Sookie no longer a faerie and Bill no longer a vampire, they live happily as mortals raising the family they always wanted and growing old together.

Pick one…they’re all better than what crawled out of the writer’s room.

Filed under: Conspiracies, Creativity, Existentialism, Hollywood, Horrificus, Literarian, Paranormal Tagged: Bill, Charlaine Harris, HBO, Sookie Stackhouse, Spoilers, True Blood

Guest Appearance: #SpookyEmpire Ultimate Halloween Weekend!

October 24-26, 2014: Literary guest (confirmed) at Spooky Empire Ultimate Horror Weekend in Orlando, Florida.

We’re also putting together what may be the BIGGEST Ultimate Occult Showdown we’ve ever done; just waiting on word for day and time. Fingers crossed for the BIG room!

See highlights from my past guest gigs on the Appearance Page.

Filed under: Creativity, Horrificus, Literarian Tagged: convention, florida, guest, horror, Kevin A. Ranson, Orlando, Spooky Empire

Ultimate Occult Showdown 2014 Highlights!

As promised: highlights from the 2014 Ultimate Occult Showdown shot at Ancient City Con. If you don’t yet know what we do, this is a good example.

A game show with no prizes and audience participation is mandatory! Vote up your favorites in a contest of characters, movies, and TV programs but be ready to tell us why. Rules are made up as we go along by your opinionated a**hole hosts Kevin A. Ranson and Brett J. Link. Presented by MovieCrypt.com and Grim D. Reaper!

Filed under: Cemetery, Hollywood, Horrificus, Paranormal, Satire Tagged: 2014, Ancient City Con, Brett J. Link, Kevin A. Ranson, Ultimate Occult Showdown

“Opening Scene” Book Trailer for Linda S. Cowden’s ‘Grimmie’ Novel

As a few of you know, I am married to a wonderful horror author, Linda S. Cowden. Her book about the Grim Reaper called Grimmie is an awesome read, so last October we shot several still photos with a small cast to create a book trailer based on the opening chapter.

Here it is: shot, scored & cut by me!

Enjoy, and feel free to spread the love around!

Filed under: Acquaintances, Horrificus, Literarian Tagged: book trailer, Grim Reaper, Grimmie, horror, Linda S. Cowden, novel

5-Star Book Review for The Matriarch: Guardians!

“Just when you think you know what to expect from a sequel, Kevin A. Ranson completely shatters predictability with The Matriarch: Guardians. The perfect pace and continuity of the different subplots fuse together seamlessly (to) deepen the pull into each character’s motives.

“Allow yourself to become emotionally charged in this modern-day vampire thriller. It is so tangible and believable that you might even second guess the intentions of every administrative professional that you put in charge of your loved ones. You might also start to desperately want to find the quality care of a qualified vampire. I now see the situation as being a Win/Win…just don’t ask too many questions. Although the first book The Matriarch delivered a dark and intense sojourn, the sequel has managed to launch the story out of the atmosphere!”

~ by Kimmie Chameleon for DarkMedia.com

Filed under: Cemetery, Horrificus, Literarian, Paranormal Tagged: 5-star, Book Review, Guardians, Kevin A. Ranson, the matriarch, vampires

Highlights from Ancient City Con 2014

Yes, I’m a bit of a shutterbug, so I made this video with highlights from the show…not everything, but a lot of what I saw passing our table and walking around the floor. I’m working on a different video with Ultimate Occult Showdown 2014 highlights, so watch for that coming out soon! Meanwhile…

Filed under: Cosplaying, Creativity, Existentialism Tagged: 2014, Ancient City Con, cosplay, florida, gaming, jacksonville

Do I Think That #Vampires Actually Exist?

I get this question all the time. A LOT.

Fox Mulder inspired my preferred answer…with a heavy influence from Bela Lugosi.

Filed under: Cemetery, Conspiracies, Creativity, Existentialism, Literarian Tagged: Bela Lugosi, Fox Mulder, I Vant To Believe, vampires