Shane K.P. O'Neill's Blog, page 4

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS – Available Now

Today sees the release of Book #1 of The Dracula Chronicles, For Whom The Bell Tolls.

Buy it now on Kindle and Paperback (Paperback available soon)

Read an exciting free Chapter here

A WAR RAGES AROUND US EVERY DAY. THE STRUGGLE TO SAVE ALL MANKIND. THE ULTIMATE EVIL.

The battle for souls has raged since the truce that followed the First Great War of the Angels. God has struck the ultimate blow and sacrifice to gain the advantage and defeat His fallen angel and estranged son, Lucifer. As Lucifer stands at the foot of the Cross that drains the last ounce of life from Christ and eradicates man’s sins, he realises that his work must begin anew.

In time, he comes to understand that his only chance to win this battle will be to destroy the institution of the Catholic Church to turn man against God, once and for all. He searches for more than a millennium for the candidate to see his plan through to an end and finally discovers the one that can cast that final blow. On a cold night in December 1431 in Sighisoara an old gypsy woman delivers a prophecy to the great Vlad Dracul. She tells him he is about to sire two sons, one an angel and the other a devil.

He returns to his fortress just as his wife bears him a son, whom he names Vlad. In the very same moment across the country on the border between Transylvania and Hungary a gypsy girl gives birth to another son, Andrei. The die is cast. The twin souls are born. The young Vlad Dracula becomes the instrument of the forces of Darkness. To balance this, the baby Andrei is blessed by the angels and bestowed with awesome powers.

This is their story.

Free Download of Katie Jennings – Gypsy of Spirits

 

Halloween is almost upon us! Get in the ghostly spirit by downloading Gypsy of Spirits: Prequel to So Fell the Sparrow for FREE on Amazon from October 21-25.

Gypsy of Spirits is the prequel short story to So Fell the Sparrow, a haunted romance coming November 21st, 2013. This short story includes an extended preview of So Fell the Sparrow.

While traveling down a lonely highway in the Ozark hills, Jackie Hart stumbles upon the lost spirit of a young woman. A gifted medium, Jackie comforts the spirit while telling the extraordinary tale of her own life.

Click HERE to download for FREE!

Learn more at www.katieajennings.com

Stay tuned for November 21st, 2013 for the highly anticipated release of So Fell the Sparrow!

BOOK PROMOTION – ODIUM by CLAIRE C. RILEY

Today, October 4th 2013 sees the release of Claire C. Riley’s new novel, ODIUM.

ODIUM TRAILER

It’s better to die by the gun than die by the dead.

When the dead began to rise and kill, the government had to make a decision, whether right or wrong, they had to protect what little society was left.

They built walls which kept the dead out, and the living in. Other towns quickly followed suit, forcing the dead to live in the desolation that they had created. Only, the zombies aren’t alone either. These lands are not only teeming with hungry zombies, but also with the very worst of what was once a civilised society.

Nina now lives in a world where all the rules have changed; where those who don’t cooperate are tossed over the wall, and into Hell; and the good are rewarded with a pitiful existence.

When Nina empathises with a young girl called Emily-Rose, who’s about to be thrown over the wall, her life gets a whole lot worse. The leader of the town has rules which he will not break, even if it means blood and death for the unfortunate ones. With this in mind, Nina makes the decision to go with Emily-Rose and protect her at all costs. However, can a woman with no fighting abilities and a penchant for spending money on expensive clothes, really keep them safe?

Nina must now fight the zombies which rule the free-lands, and find a safe zone, that could be just a myth.

Scared, starved and on the run from everything, Nina has everything working against her survival… but she’s not quite ready to give up on life yet; not now she has someone to live for again.

Her quick wits and snarky attitude might just keep her alive long enough to find some way to protect Emily-Rose. Maybe…

CLAIRE C. RILEY

Claire C Riley is a mother first; a wife second; but a writer at heart.

Her first novel Limerence is a dark paranormal romance for ages 17+ Claire likes to break boundaries with her writing, incorporating an old-school style of horror and romance. Sexy and dark. (Think Bram Stokers Dracula, but for the 21st century!) Claire’s current novel is Odium. It is a dystopian post-apocalyptic zombie novel; and it focuses on zombies, survival, and how it would change us.

She has also written a short story, which is a prequel to Odium called Life Ever After. Nina’s story: Part one. It is in an anthology with some other great indie authors named Fusion. So if you enjoy Odium, go and pick up Fusion and get to know a little bit more about the main character.

She is currently working on the sequel to Limerence named Limerence II: Mia and a horror thriller novel titled Chance Encounters.

Claire is an avid reader of all genres; a book collector; general procrastinator; and has a great zombie apocalypse plan in place thanks to a questionnaire she asked her readers to fill in for her.

Find her here:

Website: www.clairecriley.com
Goodreads: Limerence
Facebook: ClaireCRileyAuthor
Twitter: @ClaireCRiley

Claire C. Riley Feature

It is author of the month time and my featured author for September is Claire C. Riley from Manchester in the UK. Claire veers over to the dark side with one vampire novel to date and now a zombie novel to follow it up with.

Bio:

Claire C Riley, is a mother first, a wife second, but a writer at heart.

Her first novel, Limerence, is a dark paranormal romance for ages 17+ Claire likes to break boundaries with her writing, incorporating an old school style of horror and romance. Sexy and dark. (Think Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but for the 21st century!) Claire’s current novel is Odium. It is a dystopian post-apocalyptic zombie novel called, Odium, and it focuses on zombies, survival and how it would change us

She has also written a short story, which is a prequel top Odium called Life Ever After. Nina’s story: Part One. It is in an anthology with some other great indie authors named Fusion. So if you enjoy Odium, go and pick up Fusion and get to know a little bit more about the main character.

She is currently working on the sequel to Limerence named Limerence II: Mia and a horror thriller novel titled Chance Encounters.

Claire is an avid reader of all genres, a book collector, general procrastinator and has a great zombie apocalypse plan in place thanks to a questionnaire she asked her readers to fill in for her.

LIMERENCE

Mia loves her fiancé Oliver, however after a chance encounter with his new employer Mr Breckt- the mysterious new owner of The Island, her thoughts are constantly consumed with the handsome and powerful stranger. But there is much more to her fixation of him than she realises.

Mr Breckt is a hundred year old vampire, and he isn’t used to being told no.

He could take her at any time, but his ego insists that she wants him of her own freewill. With his obsession spiralling out of control, he finds her body, her mind, and most importantly her blood continuously calling to him, and the more she fights him, the more he wants her. Could his own narcissism be his downfall?

Mia finds herself at the centre of a struggle that she can’t resist nor understand. Caught between life and death, hope and fear, love and lust. Ultimately, she will have to make a sacrifice that will affect everyone. But no matter what choices are made, Mia could still lose.

Limerence is a dark story of love, lust, and obsession.

INTERVIEW

1. Welcome to The Dracula Chronicles blog, Claire. Can you tell us who you are and why you’ve chosen this genre?

Claire: Well, I pretty much read ANY genre. Seriously, just check out my Goodreads bookshelves. I just love to read. However, when I write it always seems to have a darker edge to it. Horror; dark paranormal; zombies; dystopian, etc. They all have an element of romance to them though. I think that’s just my heart yearning for me to write a real romance story someday.

2. Who knows? Maybe two zombies could fall in love. What is it about vampires that you find so captivating?

Everything! I love old school vampires though, where they are dark, sexy and dangerous. Think Bram Stokers Dracula. I like their allure, charm, and the sexuality of them.

3. Oh I’m so with you on that one. It can only ever be old school vampires for me too. What are you hoping to bring then to the genre that we haven’t seen before?

Well, as with all my books, I’ve tried to go back to the roots of things. With Limerence, it’s old school vampires- dark, sexy, scary and dangerous (nothing sparkly in sight). With my new novel, Odium, I’ve taken zombies back to their roots. They are slow and shambling, not quick, and strong and clever. **shudder**

4. Yes, but after World War Z, I find the slow, meandering zombies a little on the boring side. Do you like any other vampire/horror writers? Have any of them influenced you?

There are a lot of horror writers that I enjoy actually. My main ones would be zombie horror writers though. TW Brown; Armand Rosamilia; Mark Tufo. I really liked the Charlaine Harris True Blood books too. They had a whole new quality to them, and reminded me of the good (bad) old vampires. I also love Eli Constant. She writes a mean scary book haha. And I would keep an eye out for J C Michael. His vampire/horror book, Discoredia, is… disturbingly good.

5. Do you have a favorite vampire novel or movie?

There are far too many in all honesty, but I really enjoyed 30 days of night. Now that was a good vampire film. And 28 days later is a great zombie film, but I can only just about make it through it because it scares me haha. I can’t watch 28 weeks later though, as it really does scare the crap out of me—those damn fast zombies again!

I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a really dark vampire novel, but I read the Chloe Hart series, Claiming The Vampire, and they were excellent. I also really enjoyed Dead Vampires Don’t Date by Kate Storm, which was a great little read too. It had some great humorous moments which I just loved. I’m currently reading Madeline Sheehan’s, The Holy Trinity series, which I’m really enjoying too.

6. Tell us something about your book.

Limerence is a dark paranormal romance. It’s not your typical vampire book. ‘Girl meets vampire and goes all blushy and wants to jump his bones’. It’s about fighting for someone no matter what the costs, and not giving in to temptation, when giving in is all you want to do.

7. If you were meeting someone for the very first time, what would you say to pique their interest in your work?

To be honest most people are intrigued when I say the names of my books. They always want to know what it means, so that kind of interests people straight off. Other than that, I would just say that it isn’t your typical vampire book, and there’s more twists and turns than on a carnival ride.

8. Do you feel it important to mix vampires and erotica or to use the sexual connection prevalent in vampire literature these days? If not, is that a road you’re looking to travel down at any time?

Honestly, I think it’s an overused concept. However, vampires are very sexual beings. That was always part of their skill and charm; their allure, I guess. The next step from YA always seems to jump straight to erotica—nothing wrong with that, it’s just an observation, and I read them as much as the next person so two thumbs up from me. Personally, I wrote Limerence with the idea of squeezing in between these two stereotypes. Hence, it’s a dark paranormal romance for ages 17+ There are sexual scenes, but nothing graphic, but it’s also far from YA.

9. If a movie was to be made from your books, who would you choose to play your main characters on-screen if you had the power to choose?

Aaaah, I’ve asked this question a couple of times on my own blog.

http://www.clairecriley.com/3/categor...

My answers were always a little different from the readers, but that’s okay. Whoever you visualize is good. Me personally, I have Tom Hardy as Mr. Breckt (he always plays such a magnificent bad guy!) Liam Hemsworth as Oliver; Evangeline Lilly as Mia; Emma Stone as Rachael; and Jonathon Rhys Meyers as Chris.

10. Thank you, Claire. Is there anything you would like to say to us or share before you go?

Two things really. Always try out new genres. You just never know when you will find something new that you like. A new author, a new genre that you previously dismissed. But try them all. Don’t just presume that you don’t like something. And also, whatever you do decide to buy and read, always try and leave a review. It’s so important for authors to get them. And remember that we’re only human. If you don’t like it, it’s totally fine to say that, but try and be tactful haha.

Thanks so much for having me here today. I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to me talk about my work and others that I enjoy. Feel free to contact me anytime.

Links:

Website: www.clairecriley.com
Goodreads: Limerence
Facebook: ClaireCRileyAuthor
Twitter: @ClaireCRiley

Purchase links for Limerence:

PAPERBACK (USA) | (UK)
eBOOK (USA) | (UK)
It is also up for free loan for KDP Select members.

Interview on BlogTalk Radio

On August 8, 2013 I finally had my interview on Joey Aquilino’s show on BlogTalk Radio.

After many cancellations, we finally managed to get together and talk. You can listen to the entire interview here on Blogtalkradio.com

 

The Boo Hag

As I mentioned once before on my blog, I have the great pleasure of knowing a group of people who have an immense knowledge of everything to do with vampires. That is not only vampires in books and movies, but also those that are found in myth and legend in an array of countries all over the world. I love my association with these people and the many things I have learned from them. One of them is a guy from Indiana in the USA named Kyle German. He writes a fantastic blog called the Demon Hunter’s Compendium. A couple of weeks ago he published a great article about a creature believed to be a vampire in legends that originated in the area of South Carolina. With his very kind permission I am going to post it for all to read.

The Demon Hunter’s Compendium – The Boo Hag

A terrifying entity is haunting the people of South Carolina. The Gullah people of this region have long said “Don’t let de hag ride ya!” before they settle into bed for the night. This is the dreaded Boo Hag, a regional variant of the Old Hag, which is a vampire-like creature that sits on the chests of sleeping people. It then steals the victim’s life force by causing terrifying nightmares.

The Boo Hag (also known as the Slip-Skin Hag) is an entity that is very similar to the Vampire of Central and Eastern European folklore (although whether she is a witch, a ghost, a demon, or a revenant of some kind is unclear). It is said that, like her counterpart (the Old Hag), she sits on the chests of her victims and “rides” them. During the attack, the Hag steals their breath (the Spiritus Vitae, known as the “Breath of Life” or, put simply, the life force). She is known to inhabit abandoned houses, which generally lie deep within the swamps of South Carolina that she calls home.

The Boo Hag herself is difficult to miss (or to forget, for that matter) once she reveals her true form (assuming that she isn’t invisible). The Boo Hag has no skin to call her own and, because of this, her muscles, tendons, and bulging arteries are horrifically exposed (the muscle itself is said to be blood-red). If a brave man were to attempt to grapple with the Hag, he would feel the unmistakable sensation of grabbing a hunk of raw meat. However, wrestling with the Boo Hag is hardly an advisable course of action, as the creature possesses supernatural strength and can easily overpower a full-grown man.

With that being said, the Boo Hag’s skin is not her own. She steals the skin from those victims that struggle during her attack and that she actually kills (usually young women, although she has been known to take the form of a man as well), and wears it as her own. Therefore, it is advisable not to fight her or otherwise struggle during an encounter with the Hag. During the day, she appears to be an ordinary woman. Most commonly, the Boo Hag appears as a young and beautiful lady, but she may also take the form of a harmless old woman. But by night, the Hag removes her skin and takes to the skies (some say as a ball of light), flying about in search of those whom she may harass and torture whilst they sleep. Victims of the Hag are said to experience sleep paralysis (during which one is aware of his surroundings, but is unable to move), may wake up with strange scratches, insomnia due to recurring nightmares, and will succumb to exhaustion and illness as a result. All together, these symptoms will lead to mental illness and inevitable death. But how does the Hag do this? Very simply, she “rides” her victims. She sits on the victim’s chest and, by doing so, she restricts or even completely stops the person’s breathing, which could lead to suffocation if the Boo Hag doesn’t stop before death occurs. If the victim is a man, she may even rape him (which gives the phrase “being ridden” a whole new meaning). But even if one figures out that he is being attacked by this creature, stopping her is extremely difficult. The Boo Hag may become invisible at will, and she can pass through the tiniest cracks, holes, or spaces in order to gain entry to a potential victim’s bedroom (keyholes seem to be a favourite entry point for her). Legends say that she is able to shape shift into an insect as well. How can one hope to stop such evil?

For all of the Boo Hag’s power, there are a number of ways to keep her at bay and even to rid oneself of the Hag’s presence forever. The Boo Hag, like her European cousin the Vampire, suffers from a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder known as arithmomania. She feels compelled to count her actions or small objects in her surroundings, which is why one may hang a kitchen sieve over the bed (as she will feel compelled to count the holes). Scattering sesame seeds around the bed will accomplish this as well. Be aware, however, that some of these creatures are fast counters. Therefore, it may be necessary to have more than one sieve around or to use more than a handful of seeds. This counting will keep her occupied, as she cannot attack her victim until she is finished counting. With any luck, it will keep the Hag busy until sunrise. If she cannot make it back to her skin in time, the sun’s rays will destroy her.

If the Boo Hag should gain entry to one’s home, she may be kept out of the bedroom by placing a straw broom against the door. No Boo Hag may pass such a broom until she has counted every single bristle. By the time she’s finished, it will be nearly sunrise, and she will have to quickly retreat to her skin, or she will perish. But if that should fail, it is said that the Boo Hag, like other evil spirits (or haints, as the Gullah people know them), are repelled by the colour indigo blue. Colours have a special significance in Gullah culture, in that each colour represents a different aspect of their lives. In Gullah culture, the colour blue is associated with the supernatural. It speaks of black magic and witchcraft to some, but to others it is protection against ghosts and creatures that dwell in the darkness. Painting the window frames, the front porch, or even the exterior doors of one’s house is guaranteed to prevent the Boo Hag from entering. In fact, the belief in this colour’s powers of protection is so strong that it has been called “haint blue.” Tradition says that a smudge of this paint on the body will prevent a Boo Hag from attacking (the forehead is a good place for this). But not only would it keep evil spirits and creatures at bay, the Gullahs say that if the Hag even touches something covered with this paint, it will cause her searing pain.

Like all supernatural evil, the Boo Hag fears and hates salt. It can be sprinkled on a floor to keep her at bay, but the most effective use of this substance by far is to thoroughly salt her empty skin while she is “out” for the night (although most legends say that one must use pepper as well). The Boo Hag, it is said, does not like the smell of asafoetida (Ferula asafoetida), and so it may be wise to place a bag of this pungent herb on one’s nightstand or bedside table. The Hag also detests sulphur and, as a result, she hates gunpowder as well. While it is not uncommon for people to place a loaded gun at their bedside, the Boo Hag is terrified by the smell of gunpowder. Thus, it serves a double purpose in South Carolina: to protect one’s family, and to ward off the attentions of the Hag. Placing a matchstick (common sense dictates that the match should be unlit) in one’s hair before bed will keep her at bay as well (since the match head contains sulfur as well). Additionally, a person should never disturb any kinds of mushrooms (known as “hag stools”). Apparently (and rather humorously), the Boo Hag likes to sit down on these mushrooms and relax while she “reads the newspapers”.

In addition to those mentioned above, there are other ways of protecting oneself from the Boo Hag as well. Reciting Psalm 121 is said to be great protection against the Hag for someone who is walking outside after nightfall. But almost any favourite piece of Scripture may be written down and carried in a pocket for protection. Likewise, sincere and fervent prayers to God will accomplish the same thing. It is said by some that if an individual knows the Boo Hag’s true identity, he should write her name with the word “Hag” above his front door. This will prevent her from entering the house. One may also place forks under his pillow, in order to prevent the Hag from “riding” them in the first place.

It should be known that the Boo Hag is a clever and malicious creature. In some folktales, the Hag will drop down from a tree onto a person and hitch a ride. Thus she gains entrance into a home, where she may torture the occupants at her leisure. In a similar manner, she will hide in clean clothes that have been left outside to dry on a clothesline all night. The next day, she will be carried in with the clothes. As she can become invisible at will, her innocent victims never know that she is coming. Therefore, all laundry should be put indoors before dark (and it is common sense to do so, too). But not only does the Boo Hag attack people, she also torments animals as well. Stories are told of the Hag stealing horses and riding them at night. If a horse is sweaty, the hairs of it’s tail and mane are knotted, or if the poor animal is acting especially tired or nervous, then it is likely that the Boo Hag has been riding the horse. If this continues, the animal will eventually drop dead.

Fortunately, there are some warning signs that a Boo Hag is close by. Some dogs are able to sense her presence, regardless of whether she is invisible or has taken human form. When a Hag is near, dogs will start howling and barking (and just generally start making a racket). Crows will also recognize a disguised Hag for what she truly is, and will cry out if she should pass by. If a Boo Hag is close, the very air will become hot and damp like a summer day. Then, the smell of rot and decay will follow and fill the air. If both of these portents should become obvious, one should immediately leave the area. But to rid oneself of the Boo Hag’s presence forever, a direct confrontation may become necessary. In other words, one must publicly accuse the suspected person of being a Boo Hag. Supposedly, doing so will rob her of the ability to do people any harm. If for some reason this doesn’t work, however, or the wrong person is accused, beware of the Boo Hag’s revenge!

As for actually destroying the Boo Hag, it is a very difficult (although not impossible) task to accomplish. As mentioned earlier, it is possible to take advantage of the Hag’s compulsive nature and force her to count seeds, the holes in a kitchen sieve or colander, or to count the bristles on a straw broom until dawn. At this time, she is extremely vulnerable and will be forced to seek out her skin. If she is too late, the rays of the morning sun will destroy her. In many folktales, she literally explodes. Another method of getting rid of the Boo Hag is to destroy her skin while she is seeking a victim during the night. To do this, one must first find the skin. The Hag is a crafty monster, and so she will hide it in a place that is hard to reach or otherwise difficult to get to. Once found, the skin should be thoroughly salted and peppered (red pepper is said to be very effective as well). Once the Boo Hag comes back and places the skin over her body, she will be seized by an agonizing pain that will cause her to wildly fly about into the open air, where the sun will destroy her. Finally, there is the use of magic to dispose of the Boo Hag. Men and women who dabble in Hoodoo (also known as root doctors, conjurers, or root workers) know of rituals, spells, and incantations that can be used to trap, repulse, and even to kill the Hag. One of the most common ways of doing this is to trap the Boo Hag in a bottle while she has taken the form of an insect. The insect is then killed, destroying the Boo Hag once and for all.

If anything or anyone fears the Boo Hag more than the rest, it is the Gullah people. The Gullah themselves are an offshoot of the West African slave trade, during which Africans with various cultural backgrounds were imprisoned in fairly large numbers together. Over time, these people have formed a diverse, cohesive culture that is all their own: the Gullah culture. Today, almost half a million Gullahs live along the eastern coast of the United States, ranging from North Carolina to Florida. They have persevered and endured centuries of war, natural disasters, and slavery, and will continue to do so. They are a fascinating people. When the Africans originally came together, they brought their own religious and spiritual beliefs with them. These superstitions and beliefs gradually blended together over time, with the addition of Christianity completing the mix. The dreadful Boo Hag is but one of the end results. The Gullah still believe in her to this very day, and they remain terrified of the Hag’s power over them. Perhaps there is indeed something to these beliefs, with a horrifying reality lurking behind the stories and legends. Maybe it is wisest to be on one’s guard. Humankind may never truly know what lurks outside in the darkest nights. And, as the Gullahs say, don’t let de hag ride ya!

IRINA ARGO – AUGUST AUTHOR OF THE MONTH

Hi folks. I have made an interesting choice for my author of the month this time out, as I have selected new vampire author, Irina Argo. However, Irina isn’t just a lovely lady, but she is actually two lovely ladies rolled into one.

Bio: Irina Argo is the pen name of a writing team composed of two close friends Irina and Jo-An.

Irina’s life is intense: by day she’s a clinical psychologist at a juvenile correctional facility, where she deals with the extremes of human behaviour on a daily basis; at night, she cares for her husband, who was paralyzed several years ago. Writing has always been her passion, and now it’s what brings light into her life. She is originally from Russia, where she worked as a TV journalist.

Jo-An is a Leo, a lioness emerging to follow her dream: to write a book of her own. As the owner of a costume shop for many years, she was able to satisfy her creative nature and allow it to flourish. She believes that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. She currently resides in California with her five cats and one husband.

1. Can you tell us who you are and why you’ve chosen this genre?

Irina: My world is dark. I work as a clinical psychologist in a Juvenile Correctional Facility dealing with the extremes of human behaviour on a regular basis and I take care of my paralyzed husband, who suffered a stroke several years ago. To bring light into my life I write. Writing has always been my passion. I am originally from Russia where I was employed as a TV journalist.

Jo-An: I am a Leo, a lioness who has emerged to follow my dream, to someday write a book of my own. I owned a costume shop for 15 years and was able to satisfy and excel with my creative nature. I am an over-achiever and believe that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and ignore the nay-sayers. My philosophy is based on Shakespeare, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” I currently reside in California with my 5 cats and 1 husband.

2. What is about vampires that you find so captivating?

Irina: Probably some of you have heard about the phenomena called “The Flow.” Many artists, writers, actors and all variations of creative people experience it. The ideas and inspiration just flow into you, filling you up and demanding an exit. Simultaneously, you are guided to places, things and people that become a part of your story. If you don’t allow the ideas to flow into the world you risk being overwhelmed with the Flow and having it affect your life and your health. I believe that this Flow is Divine energy that wants to create through us as we are all so different, we bring our personality into our creations. For me all creations are both Divine and personal. I have a great respect for all writers, artists, actors, creative people and treat their works as treasures. For me the writers’/artists’ creations are the manifestation of their Souls, the part of us that is immortal, the part of us that is Divine.

I’ll tell you how the goddess Sekhmet came into this story to illustrate how I was guided. The story was already unfolding in my brain and I knew that my vampires were somehow unique. When I asked a question about their uniqueness and held it in my mind for a while, a book Woman’s Encyclopaedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara Walker fell from the bookshelf. I opened it. It was the page about the goddess Sekhmet. I read a passage and was stunned.

Sekhmet happened to be the first vampire on earth. In myth, inscriptions from five royal tombs of Tuntankamun, about the destruction of mankind, god Ra reacted in order to stop Sekhmet’s deadly rampage through Egypt mixed blood with beer and poured it into the meadow where the goddess was resting after her slaughter. Sekhmet drank it, got drunk and her rage subsides. Humanity was saved. This story became the prologue of Vampire Elite.

3. What are you hoping to bring to the genre that we haven’t seen before?

Irina: A totally different take on the relationship between vampires and other immortals and how they came to inhabit the earth.

4. Do you like any other vampire/horror writers? Have any of them influenced you?

Jo-An – I ADORE Stephen King. The man is a true genius. He can write ANYTHING and is not stuck in one genre. When I read Salem’s Lot, I was so frightened that I had to get up and make myself a cross…the only thing I had was popsicle sticks and gum … but it worked…..he sucks you into the story, you feel like you are part of what is happening.

Irina – J.R.Ward – Black Dagger Brotherhood …. Vampires are real people.

5. Do you have a favourite vampire novel or movie?

Irina: Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Jo-An: Salem’s Lot.

6. Tell us something about your book.

Irina: A millennia-long war between two immortal races is about to come to an end. Long ago, the Vampire Elite began capturing the immortals called the Amiti, attracted by their unique blood properties. Now most Amiti live in underground cells, forced to serve as vampires’ bloodstock. The few surviving free Amiti, preparing a final strike, have declared the Amiti Queen a traitor. Her execution makes possible the rise of a new Queen, her young daughter Arianna, who will inherit her mother’s mystical powers. Working with the Keepers of the Key, Arianna may be able to eliminate the vampires, once and for all, from the face of the earth.

7. If you were meeting someone for the very first time, what would you say to pique their interest in your work?

Irina: I would ask them if they believed in vampires and go from there, grilling them to the point of caving in, because they can’t prove otherwise.

8. Do you feel it important to mix vampires and erotica or to use the sexual connection prevalent in vampire literature these days? If not, is that a road you’re looking to travel down at any time?

Jo-An: Personally, I don’t. Romance is not my thing, but Harlequin proves me wrong on all fronts.

Irina: Romance, emotions, sexual gratification are all critical. We have no plans on ever having our books referred to or compared to soft porn. That is not what it is about.

9. If a movie was to be made from your books, who would you choose to play your main characters on-screen if you had the power to choose?

Arianna – Nina Dobrev.

Tor & Simone – Matthew Fox & Evangeline Lilly.

Anock – Antonio Banderas for sure

Theores – Angelina Jolie.

10. Is there anything you would like to say to us or share before you go?

Irina & Jo-An: We wish we could truly express our gratitude in your selecting our book for your pick of the month ….. as novice authors with our first book receiving such positive attention, we have already reached far beyond our original goals for the first six months.

The book was released on June 7th and our rankings are soaring. Reader’s Favorites has chosen us as one of the contestants for their book of the year as SUPERNATURAL FICTION.

http://readersfavorite.com/2013-award...

Jo-An: Co-Authoring this book has been one of the greatest experiences of my life … I am a very creative person and have been able to expand on that creativity. I wrote for years when I was younger, then got involved in the Corporate environment and became a workaholic … my writing got lost in the shuffle …. I am so glad it is back.

Irina: I am a whole person again and my books saved my life. I have never been so involved or passionate about anything else in my life.

EXCERPT

She loved tormenting him, making him tremble with anticipation, his breath hitching in his throat. She knew it turned him on, and she’d also discovered that his blood tasted even better than usual when he was aroused.

“Now go to the wall and spread your arms. Make it easy for me to punish you,” she commanded.

Oberon obeyed, leaning against the wall and placing his wrists into the metal cuffs embedded in the wall. Simone locked the cuffs and left him like that.

A moment later, she returned looking like Catwoman in a black latex bodysuit, her hair pulled into a high, thick ponytail. She’d accessorized with thick studded cuffs at her wrists, a braided whip at her waist and a dagger in her hand.

Walking slowly and deliberately toward Oberon, she sliced through all his clothing, removing it and his weaponry piece by piece. Dropping the dagger she tilted her head to appreciate the sight of him: completely naked, vulnerable, and helpless—and hard for her, of course. Good.

She showed him her fangs then lowered her mouth to his jugular and bit into the skin lightly, releasing only a few drops of blood. She lowered her head to his chest, tracing the muscles there with her tongue, and then, using her fangs as daggers, she pierced his skin in unexpected places: his chest, shoulders, biceps, abs, hips. The blood oozed from the cuts, and soon Oberon’s body was covered with crimson streaks that formed random, vivid patterns across the golden skin of his torso and legs.

“You look incredibly sexy,” Simone heard herself saying as she shifted into an altered state, seeing nothing but this tantalizing male body bleeding for her.

Irina & Jo-An

LINKS

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The Lamb Of God available on Amazon

The Lamb Of God is available today from Amazon for Kindle.

This is a prequel to The Path To Decay and is an introduction to the entire The Dracula Chronicles series.

THE ULTIMATE BATTLE OF GOOD v EVIL.
LUCIFER BEGINS HIS ASSAULT AGAINST GOD.

Beginning with the story of Creation and the First Great War of the Angels; the Crucifixion; and then the birth of two sons to the great Vlad Dracul, The Lamb Of God introduces you to The Dracula Chronicles and the dark world of author, Shane KP O’Neill, where he will take you on a journey unlike any other you have travelled before.

The battle for souls has raged since the truce that followed the First Great War of the Angels. God has struck the ultimate blow and sacrifice to gain the advantage and defeat His fallen angel and estranged son, Lucifer. As Lucifer stands at the foot of the Cross that drains the last ounce of life from Christ and eradicates man’s sins, he realises that his work must begin anew. In time he comes to understand that his only chance to win the battle for souls will be to destroy the institution of the Catholic Church to turn man against God, once and for all. He searches for more than a millennium for the candidate to see his plan through to an end and finally discovers the one that can cast that final blow.

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Written in the best traditions of past Gothic writers and more contemporary exponents of the genre such as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Shaun Hutson. The Dracula Chronicles may arouse you, shock you and even offend you, but they won’t disappoint you.

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The Dracula Chronicles is a dark and terrifying new concept based on the real historical Vlad Dracula. It is an epic journey through the ages where the forces of Light and Darkness struggle for supremacy until the Second Great War, as foretold in the Book of Revelations.

This bitter feud begins after the creation of mankind. Lucifer’s jealousy leads to the First Great War of the angels. Hundreds of thousands of years on the feud simmers beneath the surface. It plots the course of history as we know it today. Both sides manipulate the major players through the centuries to seek an advantage over the other.

On a cold night in December 1431 in Sighisoara an old gypsy woman delivers a prophecy to the great Vlad Dracul. She tells him he is about to sire two sons, one an angel and the other a devil.

He returns to his fortress just as his wife bears him a son, whom he names Vlad. In the very same moment across the country on the border between Transylvania and Hungary a gypsy girl gives birth to another son, Andrei. The die is cast. The twin souls are born. The young Vlad Dracula becomes the instrument of the forces of Darkness. To balance this, the baby Andrei is blessed by the angels and bestowed with awesome powers.

These chronicles are their story.

Read The Lamb Of God today on Kindle from Amazon.

GREG SISCO – JULY AUTHOR OF THE MONTH

Hi everyone. After a short hiatus my Author Of The Month feature is back.  For July I am delighted to welcome another writer from the vampire genre, the excellent Greg Sisco, who has created a series entitled Blood Brothers. Greg is here to talk about the first two releases from this series, Thicker Than Water and The Wages Of Sin. Greg also has a new title out separate from this genre entitled Gunslinger P.I.

Greg Sisco – Bio

There are two personality traits I can recall possessing for just about as far back as my memory will serve. The first is a love of writing and the second is a malicious sense of humour.

Since childhood, I have been the person who roots for the bad guy in movies and laughs when Bambi’s mom gets shot. I take interest in the flaws of a character far more than the heroic characteristics, which have a tendency bore me. I find humour in places I’m told I really shouldn’t.

I started writing short stories and screenplays shortly after I learned to construct a sentence and haven’t stopped since. As a high school student I wrote and shot home movies in my spare time while performing stand up comedy weekly at a talent show. I also wrote short stories with titles like Teacher Slayers (for which I am still astounded that I was not expelled).

My writing is typically bleak and violent with a fun, satirical edge that should tickle the funny-bones of anyone who is as sick as I am.

1. Can you tell us who you are and why you’ve chosen this genre?

Greg: I’ve always been a fan of the mythology and the folklore behind vampires, but I had trouble coming across books or movies in the genre I could really get excited about. The ones that were fun weren’t dark and vicious enough and the ones that were dark and vicious weren’t fun enough. I started brainstorming the idea for Blood Brothers with a friend years ago and it was just supposed to be a ten-minute short film but it got really out of hand. Next it was going to be a screenplay, then it was going to be a giant tome of a novel, and recently I’ve decided on a series of four shorter novels.

2. Have you not seen Roman Polanski’s, The Fearless Vampire Killers? So what is it about vampires that you find so captivating?

Greg: I love the horror genre in general. I had a pretty bright and cheery childhood for the most part so the escapist fantasy for me, I guess, involves murder and torture and cruelty. I have fun in those darker aspects of human nature. As for vampires specifically, it’s that combination of immortality – which brings with it centuries of accumulated wisdom, both social and factual – and the need to kill to survive. To live that way, you would have to put up an emotional barrier to humanity and I think you’d do it with a god complex. If I have to kill you and eat you, I have to convince myself it’s acceptable because my life has more value than yours. And I think that aspect of humanity can make for some frightening and fun characters, and I think the ability to look at mankind from a distance, through the eyes of a higher species or at least a species that believes it’s higher, makes for some fun opportunities when it comes to looking at human behaviour as well.

3. I’m wondering, Greg, if you could have been Vlad Dracula in a past life.  I like your perspective on that.  So what are you hoping to bring to the genre that we haven’t seen before?

Greg: I wanted to come at it like mythology, like religion. The characters’ names come from Norse mythology, for a few reasons but mostly because I find it to have the same combination of brutality and fun to it. I’ve got a basic arch for the whole story, which of course includes the two books that are published and the two that aren’t yet written, which is drawn from a few Norse stories and a few of Shakespeare’s plays, but I’m hoping I can lay that all out in a way that’s very darkly funny and exciting.

4. That sounds really fascinating and a very interesting combination.  Do you like any other vampire/horror writers? Have any of them influenced you?

Greg: As horror writers ago I’m a big fan of John Ajvide Lindqvist, but I don’t think he’s particularly been an influence. I love Stephen King’s short stories, but I don’t read his novels very often. Movies are usually bigger influences on me. “Near Dark” and “The Lost Boys” both probably influenced me a bit. I don’t know. After so many years of figuring out these characters, I forget where everything came from.

5. I can tell you from living here in Norway that Lindqvist’s classic, Let The Right One In, is screened often on the TV.  I have never been able to make my mind up of its greatness, but it is revered by many.  Near Dark is a movie I own and love, and I have featured it here before on my blog.  So back to our interview.  Do you have a favourite vampire novel or movie?

Greg: I do, and the movie and the novel are the same. In both cases it’s “Let The Right One In”. The novel is phenomenal and the movie might be the only vampire masterpiece ever put to film, certainly one of very few. Trying to compare any other vampire movie to that one always ends up feeling like the vampire equivalent of comparing the “Walking Tall” remake with The Rock in it to “The Godfather” or something. But I don’t think Blood Brothers has anything in common with that story, unfortunately.

6. Okay now you’ve embarrassed me with that answer.  Moving swiftly along, tell us something about your books: Thicker Than Water and The Wages Of Sin, which are both part of the Blood Brothers series.

Greg: The Blood Brothers series is something that’s been developing in my head for about seven years now, and by my standards it’s pretty massive in scope. It has a timeline spanning about 1,000 years and a pretty large cast of characters. On top of that, there are so many rules in the vampire mythos that authors all pick and choose from, so working in the genre you have to establish exactly how your world functions. Since all that had to be set up in the first book, Thicker Than Water, I wanted to do kind of a small story for that book. So it’s a very character-driven story about a feud between these thousand-year-old siblings over a woman, and I hope by the end of it, the world of the novel has gotten you hooked.

The second novel, The Wages of Sin, is a lot more plot driven. It picks up immediately where the first leaves off, and it works with a much larger cast of characters, and it feels like a much more important few weeks in the characters’ lives. In the first book they’re painted as gods, more or less invincible, but in the second book we see how vulnerable they can be. That will continue into the last two books. The series is about taking these immensely confident, god-like characters and letting the world and their actions reduce them to nothing.

7. I’ll certainly be checking them out and hopefully reviewing them here.  If you were meeting someone for the very first time, what would you say to pique their interest in your work?

Greg: I think the humour in my work is a big selling point. I don’t usually write what I would consider to be comedy, but there’s always a thread of really dark humour that runs through it. I love when somebody’s telling me a story, whatever the medium, and they have me laughing at things I shouldn’t laugh at, particularly when they can do it without cheapening the story. It’s easy in a thriller to do something silly out of left field and get a laugh, but if it’s not done well the story risks losing its suspense. I try really hard to have big laughs in there as often as possible without ever diminishing the suspense.

8. Do you like to mix your vampires with erotica? If not, is that a road you’re looking to travel down at any time?

Greg: I guess you’d have to define “erotica”. That sort of “capital E” Erotica is something I don’t think I have much interest in playing with, the kinds of novels with naked vampires holding each other on the cover or whatnot, about the vampire queen who needs the sperm of a virgin so she can give birth to the Antichrist, but she keeps killing all of the guys she has sex with and meanwhile there’s this shy virgin kid in college and this cheerleader is trying to seduce him or something so the vampire has to get to him before… I don’t know. Can you tell I’ve never read vampire erotica? Anyway, I don’t have much interest in that, but I do think sexuality is a huge part of the allure of vampires and I definitely wanted to work with that in the Blood Brothers books. There’s a lot of sex in there, but it isn’t the main course. It’s important to the story and the characters, but there’s no reason it can’t still be sexy.

9. You actually gave me the kind of answer there, Greg, that I was looking for.  I think I may have to re-word that question better for my next interview.  Okay, now to the fun stuff.  If a movie was to be made from your books, who would you choose to play your main characters on-screen if you had the power to choose?

Greg: Hmm. When I’m writing I envision Edward Norton and Mickey Rourke, but that’s just to get the voices right in my head. Edward Norton probably would be a good choice for Tyr, but Mickey Rourke is too old to be Loki and he’s really not believable seducing women. I don’t know if there are any name actors who I can envision as Loki. Maybe Christian Bale could do it

10. Oh Mickey had that power once upon a time. I remember well 9 ½ Weeks and Wild Orchid.  As I was reading your answer, interestingly Christian Bale popped into my head too.  Thank you so much, Greg, for stopping by today.  Is there anything you would like to say to us or share before you go?

Greg: Well, if I can take a second to plug something else, I just released a new novel, “Gunslinger, P.I.” which is about a cowboy who’s travelled through time and become a notorious detective with a talking car for a girlfriend. It’s kind of a wild, ridiculous story that’s just packed with profanity and violence and sex, and I think it’s really funny. I’d appreciate people taking a look at that. Anyway, thanks for interviewing me.

Links

Gregsisco.com [Official Blog] 
My Facebook fan page

 

 

CELEBRATE #INDIE PENDENCE

…with everyone at Blue Harvest Creative.

Live author chat with Shane KP O’Neill

Get to know Shane and learn about his books Orchid & Bound By Blood, Volumes I and II plus have a Q&A session with the author.Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST  6 p.m. to 8 p.m. GMT  7 p.m. to 9 p.m. CET

Everyone who joins Shane will be entered to win an eBook of Orchid and a set of *BHC author trading cards. One prize will be awarded.

For more information on the event visit Blue Harvest Creative event page.