Beth Alvarez's Blog, page 32

5 reasons vampires are repelled by garlic

Though challenged by storytellers in recent years, garlic has long been perceived as a way to ward off vampires. It’s actually been a part of vampire mythology for so long that when you stop to think about it, you might wonder what actually brought the two to be linked in the first place. Though there are more reasons, here are 5 that turned up most frequently in my study of vampire lore.

In many cultures, garlic is believed to ward off evil.

This one pops up all over the place. In a number of ancient cultures, a clove of garlic was carried in the pocket for good luck and protection from evil, but more noteworthy are the burials in Europe where the mouth of the deceased was stuffed with garlic for the purpose of protecting them from spirits. Since some cultures believed a vampire was an empty husk that rose from the grave and still others believed vampires were evil spirits that could possess the empty body of the dead, the garlic’s ability to ward off evil was employed to prevent them from rising from the grave.

Vampires might have just been people with rabies.

Modern researchers have found a number of connections between the feared behaviors of vampires and the way both people and animals behave when rabid. One noteworthy finding was that rabies can trigger hypersensitivity–causing the afflicted to avoid bright lights and particularly strong smells, such as garlic.

Many vampire stories are a parallel for blood-sucking insects.

Mosquitoes are a common annoyance, and they’re one of the only real-life vampires. Not only do they spread disease, as early Europeans feared from their folklore equivalent, but they can be repelled by garlic, too.

Even now, we recognize garlic as a powerful antibiotic.

But as recently as a few centuries ago, garlic was considered a panacea–and maybe even magic. While we recognize its medicinal and health benefits with a more educated eye now, it was thought to have power over many things, including illness and disease. Particularly noteworthy, since one of the most famous cases of vampire hysteria in history stemmed from the case of Mercy Brown, who–along with many other members of her family–died of tuberculosis.

Although reclassified in recent years, garlic was once classified as a lily.

Lilies have long been a part of religious iconography,  representing purity and associated with holiness. Considering the effect of the crucifix and holy water on the undead, it makes sense that the holy affiliation of the lily would likewise repel vampires.

Got another reason to share? Leave it in a comment below!

Why we use stakes to kill vampires

The most popular and well-known method of killing a vampire is a stake through the heart, though depending on lore, a stake through the stomach may be enough.

Although popularized by its use in Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla, the stake’s use as a weapon against the undead originated through burials practiced in Europe prior to widespread use of coffins. In some strains of vampire lore, the stake also only immobilizes, rather than killing; this, too, can be traced to these burial practices.

In rural regions where coffins could be hard to find or difficult to afford, washing rains could cause the bones of loved ones in shallow graves to work their way to the surface. To prevent this unpleasant discovery, it’s believed that bodies were occasionally staked to the earth in the bottom of graves, holding them where they belonged until the fresh-dug earth settled and the risk of the grave washing out was eliminated.

Throughout much of early Europe, it was believed that once a soul vacated a body, it could be claimed by malevolent spirits–or become a vampire. The stake prevented them from rising once possessed, discouraging possession and preventing the deceased from rising again. Typically, wooden stakes that would rot away after the earth settled were used, meaning there’s not always a lot of evidence left behind. It’s where metal stakes are used that things become interesting.

A number of vampire burials have been identified in Europe, but those most easily identified are those where metal implements are used. Prior to common use of coffins, the metal pieces were used to pin the body permanently, ensuring an identified vampire could never return to life. After the use of coffins became more commonplace, the stakes instead were driven into the heart, as common belief held that destruction of the heart would kill an otherwise immortal vampire.

So why the emphasis on wooden stakes, if metal will do the trick?

It’s not just wood–it’s the type of wood that counts. Ash, aspen, willow, and juniper are often chosen, though the most common stake of choice is one carved from hawthorn wood. Each type of wood is steeped in folklore that gives it power. In Asia, willow is believed to have power over the dead. Similarly, the ash tree is associated with life, due to its representation of the Norse tree of life, Yggdrasil. Aspen was once believed to be a connection to the other world, making it a choice implement for dispatching a dead creature back to death, while juniper was known as a symbol of protection in medieval England and Scotland.

Hawthorn, however, was prevalent and revered through much of Europe. Once used as a charm to ward against witchcraft, it’s not hard to see it make the leap to protecting against vampires. After all, the Portuguese Bruxa is believed to be a witch that can take a vampiric form. Yet even more notably, the hawthorn is a revered religious symbol, believed by many to be the branches from which Christ’s crown of thorns was woven. This lends it a holy power, as well, which makes it all the more effective against vampires.

Unless, of course, you’re Anne Rice. But that’s a topic for another day.

Ready to read? Get the first 3 chapters of Her Midnight Cowboy right now.

Last week, the preorder for the Kindle edition of Her Midnight Cowboy–the first book in my new series, Keeper’s Kin–went live. I can’t wait for people to start reading the story. so I decided it was best not to wait.

If you’re curious and don’t want to wait until the book is released in September, you can get started with the first 3 chapters of Her Midnight Cowboy right now.

Click here to download a reading sample for Kindle.

Click here to download a reading sample for Nook, iBooks, Kobo or Android.

Or, click here to download a PDF copy of the sample.

I’m really looking forward to September 19, when this book–along with Keeper’s Finder and The First Hunt–will be available. Until then, I’m plugging along at the next book in the series, so that you won’t have to wait more than a few months for the next peek into the world of the Keepers!

And of course, don’t forget you can always go ahead and preorder your copy of Her Midnight Cowboy now.

Happy reading!

Keeper’s Kin: New series available September 19!

A couple weeks ago, I stealthily upgraded my website’s infrastructure. It was about time to slide into the modern age, providing my site with an updated design that offered a mobile-responsive layout. I kept a lot of things as they were. The colors, for example, which I’m still in love with, and the header graphic didn’t change–though it may soon.

The other thing that changed was the addition of a new series listed under my paranormal stories. I made the change without mentioning it to anyone, but it’s time to start talking about it. After all, it’s August, and the series will kick off next month.

Keeper’s Kin is my new paranormal series, named for the vampire guardians of the supernatural you’ll meet within the stories. There will be a variety of stories set in the world, beginning with two books coming out at the same time: Keeper’s Finder, which is a stand-alone novella set within the Keeper’s Kin world, and Her Midnight Cowboy, the first in a trilogy set in the same world. These two books will both be released on September 19, introducing you to the Keepers and their complicated world.

Ready to learn a bit about these books? Keep reading!

Keeper’s Finder

Death should have been the end.

The last thing Joshua Rook expected was to wake up after the car crash that claimed his life. Never mind waking to discover he’s part of an underground organization devoted to aiding the undead.

A second chance to live his life and marry Charlotte, the girl of his dreams, sounds like a miracle, but once Josh swears the Keeper’s Oath, he’ll be cut off from interaction with the mortal world—forever.

But Josh’s circumstance is special. Robbed of a chance to prepare for death, the period before his swearing in offers one last chance to win Charlotte over.

There’s just one catch.

He only has three days.

Keeper’s Finder is a novella approximately 30,000 words in length. Although part of the Keeper’s Kin series, it can be read alone.

Click here to get Keeper’s Finder on Amazon.

Her Midnight Cowboy

She wants to save the family business.

He just wants the bounty.

There’s something odd about Kade Colton, and not just his refusal to taste Felicity Hammond’s famous baking. Sure, he’s the sexiest cowboy she’s ever seen, but working midnights protecting the local ranch doesn’t explain his aversion to daylight. Her father warns her to steer clear, but when a foreclosure notice threatens to close the family business for good, Felicity will try anything to save it—even answering Kade’s scandalous questions.

Kade lives by two rules: work alone, and don’t get involved. But it’s easier to hunt a jackalope in Yellowstone than get information in Holly Hill without drawing attention. Even if it means breaking his rules, Felicity’s connections are exactly what he needs.

But letting her in means revealing why he’s really there. With bodies turning up in town, sharing his secret puts his life on the line. It’s not his first go-round with monsters like these, but this one’s big—and he’ll need all the help he can get. And no matter how he tries to ignore it, there’s something about Felicity that’s got him feeling alive for the first time in years…

Her Midnight Cowboy is the first book in the Keeper’s Kin series.

Click here to get Keeper’s Finder on Amazon.

And stay tuned–more info about these books (and the world the Keepers live in) will be coming soon.

Save

Keeper’s Kin: New series coming September 19!

A couple weeks ago, I stealthily upgraded my website’s infrastructure. It was about time to slide into the modern age, providing my site with an updated design that offered a mobile-responsive layout. I kept a lot of things as they were. The colors, for example, which I’m still in love with, and the header graphic didn’t change–though it may soon.

The other thing that changed was the addition of a new series listed under my paranormal stories. I made the change without mentioning it to anyone, but it’s time to start talking about it. After all, it’s August, and the series will kick off next month.

Keeper’s Kin is my new paranormal series, named for the vampire guardians of the supernatural you’ll meet within the stories. There will be a variety of stories set in the world, beginning with two books coming out at the same time: Keeper’s Finder, which is a stand-alone novella set within the Keeper’s Kin world, and Her Midnight Cowboy, the first in a trilogy set in the same world. These two books will both be released on September 19, introducing you to the Keepers and their complicated world.

Ready to learn a bit about these books? Keep reading!

Keeper’s Finder

Death should have been the end.

The last thing Joshua Rook expected was to wake up after the car crash that claimed his life. Never mind waking to discover he’s part of an underground organization devoted to aiding the undead.

A second chance to live his life and marry Charlotte, the girl of his dreams, sounds like a miracle, but once Josh swears the Keeper’s Oath, he’ll be cut off from interaction with the mortal world—forever.

But Josh’s circumstance is special. Robbed of a chance to prepare for death, the period before his swearing in offers one last chance to win Charlotte over.

There’s just one catch.

He only has three days.

Keeper’s Finder is a novella approximately 30,000 words in length. Although part of the Keeper’s Kin series, it can be read alone.

Her Midnight Cowboy

She wants to save the family business.

He just wants the bounty.

There’s something odd about Kade Colton, and not just his refusal to taste Felicity Hammond’s famous baking. Sure, he’s the sexiest cowboy she’s ever seen, but working midnights protecting the local ranch doesn’t explain his aversion to daylight. Her father warns her to steer clear, but when a foreclosure notice threatens to close the family business for good, Felicity will try anything to save it—even answering Kade’s scandalous questions.

Kade lives by two rules: work alone, and don’t get involved. But it’s easier to hunt a jackalope in Yellowstone than get information in Holly Hill without drawing attention. Even if it means breaking his rules, Felicity’s connections are exactly what he needs.

But letting her in means revealing why he’s really there. With bodies turning up in town, sharing his secret puts his life on the line. It’s not his first go-round with monsters like these, but this one’s big—and he’ll need all the help he can get. And no matter how he tries to ignore it, there’s something about Felicity that’s got him feeling alive for the first time in years…

Her Midnight Cowboy is the first book in the Keeper’s Kin series.

Sound good? Excited to read?

I’m looking forward to sharing these books in September! But you can get a sneak preview, of course: later this week, subscribers of my newsletter will get the chance to read part of Her Midnight Cowboy before anyone else. If you’re dying to get a peek, sign up now to make sure you get your sample!

Ready to preorder your copy? You can do that too!

Click here to preorder Keeper’s Finder on Amazon.

Or,

Click here to preorder Her Midnight Cowboy on Amazon.

And stay tuned–more info about these books (and the world the Keepers live in) will be coming soon.

Save

Guest post from Megan Cutler – The Island: An introduction

Just in time for a peak summer read, Megan Cutler is back on the blog tour circuit to share information about her novel Island of Lost Forevers and its journey to print. Once again, I had the pleasure of working with her in creating wraparound covers for the paperback edition of the books, though just the base artwork, this time! One staple inclusion of each cover was the island itself. Keep reading, and Megan will give you a glimpse at the island and what makes it so important…

Megan:

One characteristic of epic fantasy is the scale of its setting. Epic tales take place in vast worlds, full of interesting cities, cultures and landmarks. Somehow, the characters become aware of these details throughout their adventure and it becomes clear that the world is active even when the characters aren’t present.

Building any world, no matter how small, takes a great deal of time and effort. There are a lot of considerations, from the physical makeup of the landscape, to the customs of the people who populate it. James and I were lucky that we only needed to create a chunk of a world, a remnant, and that allowed us to focus our efforts on a small geographic area. The primary landmarks of the island are its tall mountain, its majestic waterfall and its tropical climate. But the heart of the island is the bathhouse, carved out of the slope of the mountain at the base of the waterfall.

The bathhouse was our first creation and we built the island around it. All together, they form a cosmic five-star resort. It needed breath-taking views, stunning beaches, and a fancy dining room. But we wanted to preserve the soul of the bathhouse concept. We carefully drew attention to the zen-like aspects of the building; the public bathing rooms, the hot springs, and the extensive garden. From there we grew outward, developing the people associated with the bathhouse. Of course the workers had to come from somewhere, and thus was born the village which shares the renown bathhouse’s island.

Though the island has obvious Asian (and thus Earthly) overtones, we also wanted it to possess an otherworldly feel. While the island ruler and most of his subjects may have easily come from Earth, the bulk of the bathhouse’s guests obviously come from other worlds. One of the most entertaining aspects of writing the book was coming up with fantastic characters to make cameo appearances. And while these encounters are delightfully exciting for our protagonists, they’re mundane occurrences for the people who live and work on our island.

From the beginning, the island played an important role in our story. Its appearance is the catalyst for our adventure. As our two protagonists search for the secrets the island brought with it, they paint a tapestry of the island’s characteristics. Is it sinister? Is it sentient? As the characters search for the answers to these questions, we were able to take the concept of setting as a character one step further. It’s obvious the island possesses some kind of awareness. It influences the people who inhabit it. As time goes on, it even seems to form opinions about the characters and their actions.

The way various characters interact with the island becomes central to the plot. At first they want to explore it, but eventually they want to escape it. Overall, it was fun to allow our setting to grow a mind of its own. It added extra emotional and philosophical levels to the plot, all while keeping us on our toes. We tried to give the island a prominent place in the story, to make it clear from the beginning our setting also served the role of character. To that end, we re-wrote the beginning to give the island pride of place. After all, what better way to start an epic adventure than with the appearance of a mysterious island out of nowhere?

Purchase from Amazon

 

Is the island paradise or does a nightmare lurk beneath the surface?

When a mysterious island appears off the coast of San Francisco, two intrepid academics risk everything to discover its secrets. Catilen Taylor has struggled all her life with the ability to sense others’ emotions. Damian Cooke studies an ancient art he calls ‘magic.’

The island boasts an idyllic retreat, ruled by the enigmatic Sentomoru, who invites them to share the wonders of his bathhouse. But as the travelers strive to unravel the island’s secrets, Catilen senses danger stalking their steps.

Neither Catilen nor Damian know how long the island will remain on Earth. If they can’t solve its riddles quickly, they may be trapped wherever it goes when it vanishes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Megan grew up in a small town in central Pennsylvania where books offered an easy escape from the mundane life of a rural highway town. In 2003 she married the love of her life and moved to Canada. Megan started writing full-time in 2011 and has since published four novels and several short stories, including the Mystical Island Trilogy. Her characters keep her up late and wake her up early, but she loves them anyway. Learn more at megancutler.net, or connect to Megan via Facebook and Twitter.

Describing my husband as an author would

Back in February, my husband showed me a meme. It said, simply, “Describe me as an author would.”

Well, I guess that’s me. I’m kind of an author, so I should be an expert on things like this. I thought about it for a few minutes, then gave it a try, sending him back several paragraphs that I felt described him. He laughed and said it felt awkward. I laughed, too. Then I forgot about it until last week, when I found the notepad file where I’d jotted it down. I asked him if I should share it here, so here it is. To me, this is Joe.

* * *

Prestige. That was what he had.

He carried himself with pride and authority, betraying the leadership qualities the military had instilled in him that he’d never managed to leave behind.

The stern set of his mouth and brows painted a harsh picture; a man with little patience for fools, who wouldn’t spare anyone’s feelings if he thought the label fit. From the aggressive glint in his narrow eyes, one might get the impression the label fit everyone.

He was tall, with a frame that suited his pride. Broad-shouldered and athletic, with caramel-kissed skin and coarse black hair that glinted with gold highlights in the sun. High cheekbones called back to proud ancestors, softened by his gentle, rounded jawline and typically Spanish nose. His face might have been considered gentle as a whole, if not for the effect being offset by his unshaven jaw and thick goatee, paired with the hard expression he always wore.

No matter how angry he seemed, his face always softened when he looked at his daughter. His smile was broad and filled with perfect white teeth, and the deep crinkles at the corners of his eyes paired with the way he tossed his head back made that smile infectious.

His voice was like everything else about him; rich and authoritative, a low baritone that ranged from typically gruff to tenderly soothing and smooth depending on his mood–and who he happened to be speaking to. But it shifted when he spoke his mother tongue; it grew warmer, happier, and crept toward the higher end of his natural speaking range. It was telling, since he only used that language with his family. It was a language of passion, loyalty and love.

Of Blood and Rain is now available!

After a long delay due to a minor car accident, Of Blood and Rain is finally available! You can click the link to the left from desktop browsers to find where to purchase your copy, or keep scrolling for the book’s description and links…

Until the riddle is answered, the curse will grow.

It’s been almost twenty years since a curse drove the kingdom of Strale into drought, leaving only a witch’s riddle to offer clues how to break it. Countless people have tried and failed, their bones littering the kingdom’s deserts.

When one last, desperate plea goes out, the call is answered by the Knights of Sonus, an all-female band of mercenaries whose ancient order serves a water spirit. There is no one better suited to breaking the curse and, as a first-year Knight, Aryina craves victory more than most. But the desert can only support so many, so when the king turns away all but two Knights, the task of solving the witch’s riddle falls solely on Aryina’s inexperienced shoulders.

If she can’t unravel the puzzle and break the curse before their water supply runs out, then all that’s left of Strale–and the reputation of the legendary Knights of Sonus–will crumble like the desert earth.

Of Blood and Rain is a fantasy novella of 20,000 words, now available through most major eBook retailers.

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Barnes & Noble

Buy it on Kobo

Buy it on iTunes

Buy it on Google Play

Of Blood and Rain: Coming June 13

Now that the cover is finally ready, I’m happy to announce that Of Blood and Rain, my recent fantasy novella, will be available in just 3 short weeks!

I blogged my way through this project earlier this year but, for those curious about it, here’s a little more information.

Of Blood and Rain is a novella approximately 20,000 words long. Although I wrote it over the course of about a month and a half earlier this year, it’s been floating around in my thoughts for several years. The rough concept was one that came to me in a dream, in which I accompanied a group of women in armor in a trek across what seemed an endless desert.

Unlike many of my dream ideas, this one was less refined, meaning I had to do a lot of work to turn it into a usable story. But the feeling of being in that desert stuck with me, so I knew it was something I should take the time to write.

The cover art was a collaboration between my husband and me; he did the line art based on my pitifully vague description and a few example photos of real-world places, and what he produced helped shape the story. I did the coloring, which I don’t feel does his work justice, but you can let me know what you think.

To see more of Joe’s artwork and have a peek at the comic he’s been working on, you can visit his Facebook page here. Just be warned that the comic is intended for mature audiences due to violence, so if you’re not keen on that, wait until he has his official web page set up instead.

Have a look at the cover here, then keep reading to learn what the story’s about.

Until the riddle is answered, the curse will grow.

It’s been almost twenty years since a curse drove the kingdom of Strale into drought, leaving only a witch’s riddle to offer clues how to break it. Countless people have tried and failed, their bones littering the kingdom’s deserts.

When one last, desperate plea goes out, the call is answered by the Knights of Sonus, an all-female band of mercenaries whose ancient order serves a water spirit. There is no one better suited to breaking the curse and, as a first-year Knight, Aryina craves victory more than most. But the desert can only support so many, so when the king turns away all but two Knights, the task of solving the witch’s riddle falls solely on Aryina’s inexperienced shoulders.

If she can’t unravel the puzzle and break the curse before their water supply runs out, then all that’s left of Strale–and the reputation of the legendary Knights of Sonus–will crumble like the desert earth.

Of Blood and Rain will be released on all major eBook retailers June 13, 2017.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss the book’s release!

Character-driven vs. Plot-driven stories

If you’ve ever looked into sending queries to agents—or even just spent time reading descriptions of books—you’ve probably seen the term “character-driven story.”

But what does that mean? If you’re not sure how character-driven stories and plot-driven stories are different, you’re not alone. Since this topic first came up in my friend circles a few years ago, I’ve discovered most people don’t actually know the difference.

You might be thinking, “But aren’t all stories character-driven?” and you’re not wrong. I mean, you can’t really have a story without characters, right? But in the world of fiction, “plot-driven” and “character-driven” are different things.

Using a few popular stories to explain it, it’s easy to see the difference.

For a plot-driven story, you can start with the father of fantasy as we know it. The Lord of the Rings is a strong plot-driven story, and we categorize it as that because Frodo has nothing to do with the plot at all. You might say, “Wait, he’s the main character!” And yes, he is! He played a vital role, but the story still would have happened without him. Frodo was just a normal hobbit. He didn’t find the ring, he didn’t go seeking adventure, he was just there. Frodo could have been replaced with anyone—an elf, a dwarf, a human, anything—and the story still would have taken place. He was just an average guy who got swept up in events that were bigger than him.

If you’re looking for a character-driven story, a good example is Game of Thrones. The story in Game of Thrones happens because of complicated actions and interactions happening between characters. Every time someone makes a decision, it radically alters the story’s path. And if we removed these interactions, there wouldn’t be much of a plot left. Just some creepy ice zombie guys who go forgotten most of the time.

It’s also possible for stories to be both. In The Hunger Games, the story could have started with any girl being pulled into the games and struggling to survive. But by the time we get to Mockingjay, she’s grown into a stronger and more determined person, whose actions start to influence the outcome. But because these are split into different books, it’s also safe to say that while Mockingjay is character-driven, The Hunger Games isn’t—it’s plot-driven, instead.

And that’s the biggest difference. If the role of the main character could be played by any type of character without changing the plot, it’s a plot-driven story.  And if the plot only happens because of what your characters are doing, it’s a character-driven story. Neither type of story is better than the other, but it’s important to know how to classify your work, especially when you’re sending it to agents.