It has been WAY TOO LONG! I want to first apologize for my hiatus–and make an announcement.
I have been taken on by a publisher!!!! That’s right, the Alpha Wolf Series is now being published with Devil Dog Press!
So for those of you who have been waiting for my 2nd book, you know what that means, right? That means we now have a set date for the entire series! Of course, I will be revealing those dates down the line, but book 2, A Cursed Soul, is going to be here a lot sooner than you think… We will be re-releasing Demon’s Prize under the Devil Dog Press name, and then *cough* months-ish later *cough* will be prepping A Cursed Soul! In fact, I am right now making parts of it juicier as we speak! All I got to say is…Sorry, Chrissie and Nathan. 😮
As for my hiatus– I have been radio silent because my attention has been elsewhere. It has been on the store I opened! Much like Isabel, I now have my own magick shop. No, it isn’t called True Magick (though I was tempted). It’s called Dual Crossroads, and we cater to selling metaphysical, spiritual and holistic supplies for practitioners and spiritualists. Please check it out! http://www.DualCrossroads.com
I want to thank everyone who has been patiently waiting on me to reveal what happened after Demon’s Prize **no spoilers since we are re-releasing it**, and your patience is going to be greatly rewarded!
In fact…………. here’s a mini teaser (pre-edits):
What? Nathan suddenly found himself in an empty room. It was dark, except for a white spotlight illuminating him. He tried to move, but couldn’t. Looking down, he found himself tied to a chair. As hard as he struggled, he couldn’t break free from the leather bounds holding down his legs and arms. Hearing something, he looked up, and saw hundreds of eyes staring back at him from the black walls. They just stared at him, unblinking. Nathan opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
It all felt like a nightmare. No one else was there; just him and those eyes. His body felt paralyzed, and he couldn’t force his voice to utter a sound. The eyes then grew in size, as if coming at him. The need to shut his eyes from the sight was immeasurable, but he couldn’t Not even when the ever-growing eyes started to have other eyes pop out in the black space between them. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t shout. He couldn’t do anything except look at those eyes.
Something felt wrong. He blinked, and he could suddenly see himself, sitting on a chair, surrounded by body-less eyes. Was this a reflection of him?
Nathan blinked. The eyes around him blinked. He blinked again, they blinked too. An eye then appeared on Nathan’s shoulder. He could see it, and it could see him.
Stop it, his mind screamed when another eye appeared, now on his left knee. Stop it. It isn’t real. Stop!
Three more.
Five more.
Nathan tried closing his eyes, but now he couldn’t. Which eyes were his now? Was he the eyes, or were they him?
Tony eyes spread across his cheeks, their pupils darting everywhere, trying to see everything.
Get me out of here!
He was running out of room on his body. There were too many of them, everywhere. He could barely see where he was anymore.
“Nathan!” a voice shouted, and a sharp pain shot across Nathan’s face.
For centuries, the vampire has been the subject of myth and legend. There are actually various types of vampires, but the most well-known is the undead creature that rises from its coffin at night to feast on the blood of the living.[1]
The most famous vampire has to be Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The character of Dracula is believed to be based on the real-life Prince Vlad Tepes III (1431-1476), though many may know him as Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was the second son of Vlad Dracul,[2] and is known in Romania for having battled the invading Ottoman Turks. Vlad’s name holds a mixture of history and lore, and (for some) even fear. He is believed to be responsible for more than 80,000 deaths,[3] and to have performed torturous executions upon his enemies. The most famous of Vlad’s executions was the of impaled prisoners on the ends of stakes.
“The end of the stake was usually oiled, and care was taken that the stake not be too sharp; else the victim might die too rapidly from shock. Normally the stake was inserted into the body through the anus and was often forced through the body until it emerged from the mouth. However, there were many instances where victims were impaled through other bodily orifices or through the abdomen or chest. Infants were sometimes impaled on the stake forced through their mother’s chests. The records indicate that victims were sometimes impaled so that they hung upside down on the stake.”[4]
Today, Vlad’s history is intertwined with Dracula’s, who has become a pivotal figure in both literature and film. But what other vampires are there besides Dracula in history, film and literature?
Here is my list of the top 10 most memorable vampires from history, literature, and film/TV!
10) Peter Plogojowitz – History
If you looked up “Real Vampires in History” (or similar verbiage), you’d notice this particular name keeps popping up. Peter Plogojowitz was a Serbian peasant who died in 1725, and was thought to be a vampire by the villagers. Not long after he was buried, people claimed Peter visited them at night, with some of them dying not too long after. Even Peter’s own son died from massive blood loss days after he claimed to have been visited.[5] Peter quickly became the subject of one of the most extreme cases of vampire hysteria, as well as one of the first recorded cases of vampirism.[6] It didn’t take long before the villagers demanded the vampire be stopped, and got authorities to dig up Peter.
The body of Plogojowitzwas exhumed, and when examined, signs of vampirism were present: the hair and nails appeared to have grown, and there were signs of blood in the mouth. The villagers drove a stake through Plogojowitz’s heart, and fresh blood spurted from the corpse. They then burned the body.[7]
9) Arnold Paole – History
Just like Peter Plogojowitz, Arnold Paole is a historical vampire whose name keeps appearing in the history books. Paole (also like Peter Plogojowitz) was Serbian, and before his death in 1726, he claimed to have been bitten by a vampire—an event that left him feeling cursed.[8] After his death from a farming accident a short time later, people in the village began dying, and all fingers pointed to the recently deceased Paole. When the people dug up Paole, they saw proof that he was indeed a vampire. His hair and nails were longer, and had blood on his mouth.[9] Like something from a modern Dracula movie, the villagers drove a stake through Paole’s heart, cut off his head, and burned his body.[10] Little did they know that four years later, 17 more deaths would occur, supposedly at the hands of a vampire.
Maybe it was one of Paole’s victims, come back from the dead?…
8) Lord Ruthven – Literature
If you think Dracula is the first fictional vampire to be written in classic Gothic Literature, think again! That title actually goes to Lord Ruthven, from the short story The Vampyre. First published in 1819 (Dracula was published in 1897), The Vampyre’s vampire is Lord Ruthven. Lord Ruthven is an aristocratic, and suave nobleman who can capture women’s attention—which is a pity for them since his preference for victims are pure and innocent women.[11] Lord Ruthven also has a desire to worsen humanity, yet unlike most vampires we’ve come to know, he is not weakened by crosses or sunlight. He is, however, able to be harmed by mortal weapons.
Lord Ruthven is memorable because he is the first true vampire in English literature, and anyone who meets him ends up suffering, or dead.
Illustration by F Gilbert (People’s edition), 1884.
7) Carmilla – Literature
Did you know there was another vampire novel printed before Dracula? Carmilla (1872) is one of the most influential books of vampire horror, and has the vampire not be a male, but a female named (you guessed it), Carmilla. Carmilla is hypnotic, alluring, and quickly becomes friends with the book’s narrator, Laura. However, Laura is soon tormented by nightmares of a cat-like creature that comes to her room at night and bites her above the chest. Simultaneously, women throughout the neighborhood mysteriously die.
What sets Carmilla apart from others is the fact that she does not just take a victim and drain their blood in one sitting. She first earns their trust, and even shows signs love—but it’s the type of love becomes possessive, which turns to obsession, and eventually kills the one she is focused on.[12]
Carmilla is memorable not solely for the fact she is the first female vampire to be given a lead antagonist role, but also for how she sets the standard for future vampires’ sensuality and M.O. In fact, if you were to read Carmilla, you’d see how it quite possibly influenced Bram’s Dracula.
Illustration from The Dark Blue, by David Henry Friston, 1872.
6) Jerry Dandridge – Film
Okay, it is time to jump to the modern era! Let’s talk film vampires. If you haven’t seen Fright Night (the one from 1985), then go see it. The vampire for this film is Jerry Dandridge. Jerry is, much like his vampire predecessors, charming and handsome—at least while in his human form. What makes Jerry memorable is because…well, there’s no other way to say this. It’s freaking Fright Night! It’s a badass movie.
Don’t believe me? Then you must have never seen it—or you only saw the remake.
Here, watch a clip:
5) David – Film
David is a fictional character from the movie The Lost Boys. Played by Kiefer Sutherland, David is a bleach blonde, blue eyed vampire, and the leader of motorcycle gang of vampires. Though he is not the Head Vampire, David is still a force to be reckoned with. In The Lost Boys, David and his gang terrorizes the town of Santa Carla, “the Murder Capitol of the World”.[13]
What makes David stand out from other vampires is the fact he makes being a vampire seem cool, freeing, and with no one to answer to (except for the Head Vampire, of course). However, alongside that freedom, he fully embraces his evilness, and takes upon a demonic visage whenever he goes into a vampiric frenzy. When it comes to dealing with someone like David, no one is safe from his bloodlust.
6) Angel/Angelus – Television
Angel, the vampire with a soul. Angel’s character first came to life on the popular TV show, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, and is one of the first well known vampires to have a soul. Before Angel, all vampires were seen solely as blood thirsty monsters, with no sense of humanity in their actions. After Angel, it somehow became the popular norm for vampires to have souls…and feelings. Of course, if Angel were to ever lose his soul, he would revert to his evil ways, and be known as Angelus. Angelus is someone you’d never want to meet.
Here is a wonderful fan-made “trailer” that wonderfully summarizes Angel when he became a vampire with a soul:
Angel is memorable because he set in stone the idea of a vampire with a soul. He opened the doors for stories where, “he’s a something, she’s a human, and they have a forbidden love”. Many people may say it’s Anne Rice who started that theme with Louie, but you can’t deny it was Joss Whedon’s character, Angel, who cemented it. And speaking of Anne Rice…
3) Lestat de Lioncourt – Literature
Anyone who’s a fan of vampires knows the characters from Anne Rice’s novels. From Armand to Louis, and the Queen of the Damned, Akasha, these vampires have left a hard imprint on the vampire world. However, the most memorable vampire has to be Anne Rice’s Lestat de Lioncourt. Lestat is bold, stubborn, and engaging. He is also very manipulative, which is shown in Interview With the Vampire. He is the sire of Louis de Pointe du Lac, and Claudia, who Lestat uses in order to keep Louis with him.
Lestat was first brought to film in 1994, and portrayed by Tom Cruise (which is probably the only role I truly think he was meant to play). Even Anne Rice came out enjoying his portrayal.[14] In an open letter, she wrote:
From the moment he appeared Tom was Lestat for me. He has the immense physical and moral presence; he was defiant and yet never without conscience; he was beautiful beyond description yet compelled to do cruel things. The sheer beauty of Tom was dazzling, but the polish of his acting, his flawless plunge into the Lestat persona, his ability to speak rather boldly poetic lines, and speak them with seeming ease and conviction were exhilarating and uplifting. The guy is great.
It is perhaps because of Tom’s performance that Lestat became such a memorable character in the history of vampires. After all, film (if done right) helps us to see things in person, rather than what we interpret with our minds. It’s exactly that use of visual artistry that makes the next vampire #2 on my list…
2) Count Orlok – Film
Count Orlok, played by Max Shreck, was the vampire in the 1922 silent film, Nosferatu. You could say Nosferatu was Dracula with copyright issues. Bram Stoker’s widow tried keeping the movie from being released due to its unauthorized use of Bram’s novel. To side-step the lawsuit, the producers sold the film to Deutsche Film Produktion.[15] Though Deutsche Film Produktion heavily edited the film, it is through this action that we were given the most visually-memorable vampire in film—one who can never be confused for Dracula if you stood them side-by-side.
Count Orlok is not a sexy vampire. He is frightening, creepy, and definitely not human looking. He has long, talonlike fingers, visible fangs, large eyes, and bat-like ears. He is also thin, taller than most men, and with equally long arms—which only adds to his creepiness as he stalks his victims through the shadows.
You know who Count Orlok is when you look at him. I doubt anyone will argue the fact that he is one of the most visually striking vampires, but he is not the most memorable vampire on this list. That title goes to…
1) Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed – History
The #1 most memorable vampire has to be Elizabeth Báthory. Elizabeth (1560-1604) was a countess from Hungary, who was born into one of the oldest and most powerful families in Transylvania. Elizabeth was educated, ran various estates (her husband was often away, leaving her in charge), and bore many children[16]—all while reportedly killing young women, and bathing in their blood.
Elizabeth Báthory is attributed with torturing and murdering young servant and peasant women (most of whom went to her castle in hopes of a better life, and employment). Elizabeth’s tortures included jamming needles under fingernails[17], stabbing, biting areas of the body, burning with hot-irons (or other metals, like coins), beatings, starvation, and more.[18][19] She would reportedly bathe in her victims’ blood so to keep her youthful features and prolong her life. The total body count of Elizabeth’s victims comes to an estimated 175 to over 200.[20]
With a track record like Elizabeth’s, it’s no wonder she is referred to as the Blood Countess, or Countess Dracula.
What do you think of my list?
Is there someone you think I should have mentioned (or not)? Let me know in the comments section! Who knows? Maybe I will make another list in the future.
Let me know what else you’d like me to write about—other than the sequels of my books. I promise, I will finish them! :). Whether it’s vampires, werewolves, ghosts, religion, history, etc, let me know what you’d like to see.
[3] Bartlett, Sarah, Guide to the World’s Supernatural Places: More Than 250 Spine-Chilling Destinations Around the Globe (Washington D.C.: National Geographic, 2014). ISBN: 978-1-4262-1380-9
[5] D’Agostino, Thomas, A History of Vampires in New England. (Haunted America, 2010). Page 21. (ISBN: 978-1-59629-998-6)
[6] Smith, Evans Lansing, P.H.D, and Nathan Robert Brown, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to World Mythology. (Alpha Books, 2007). Page 263. ISBN: 978-1-59257-764-4
[7] D’Agostino, Thomas, A History of Vampires in New England. (Haunted America, 2010). Page 21. (ISBN: 978-1-59629-998-6)
[12] Reece, Dr. Gregory L., Creatures of the Night: In Search of Ghosts, Vampires, Werewolves and Demons. (I. B. Tauris, 2012). Page 70. (ISBN: 1848853858)
[13]The Lost Boys. Dir. Joel Schumacher. Warner Bros, 1987. Film.
[19] Thorne, Tony, Countess Dracula: The Life and Times of Elizabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess. (Bloomsbury Paperbacks, 2012). Page 63. (ASIN: B0085UP9Y4)
[20] Thorne, Countess Dracula: The Life and Times of Elizabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess. Page 66. (ASIN: B0085UP9Y4)
Hey guys, check out this in depth evaluation of my short story THIRST! It’s from a contest I entered to possibly transform the story into a movie.
The writer has created a frightening story of a MAN, now a VAMPIRE, who has left his wife and child for their own survival, as he has been fantasizing about seeing the blood pour from his child’s neck. There is a visceral quality to the writing…an emotional immediacy…that immediately hooks the reader and encourages vicarious identification with the protagonist. We feel his emotional pain and soul-‐searching, and he writing is so assured that it allows us to identify with a man who has monstrous urges and perhaps has already done or been about to do monstrous things. This is no small feat.
The reader is both intrigued and fascinated with his inability to overcome his desire to hunt, though he has already killed a few times that day. Once he spots a couple, the vampire stalks them, wondering exactly how he will attack, and his razor sharp focus is on the WOMAN. Her companion, a MAN, valiantly fights by holding a cross and praying but he is no match. This very short story is terrifying and interesting and, from an adaptation standpoint, offers very mineable internal conflict for he central character. But to be truly viable for short film or pilot adaptation, the plot also needs to be far more developed. The author notes that Thirst is a prequel to a book series, but judging the material on its own merits, without that knowledge, it’s unclear that the contained narrative here is setting up a larger story and/or building the origin and mythology of a serialized character.
Certainly, an accomplished filmmaker and strong performers could come together to create a contained horror short out of this material, but its success would rely exclusively on translating the emotional immediacy and vicarious nature of the writing to create a heightened emotional experience for the audience; there is nothing on a plot or character level that would sustain. But given how well-‐crafted the writing is here on a craft level, it seems clear that the writer could easily imbue the narrative with more distinctive and developed plot points and character beats.Certainly, it might be interesting to actually see firsthand the wife and daughter the protagonist forlornly mentions.
The prologue to the material makes an interesting dichotomy between ancient and modern vampires, specifically noting that, originally, only the Pure Vampires could change forms. It’s clear that the writer is well-‐ versed in vampire lore and has assembled a detailed mythology that could quite conceivably gain and sustain reader and audience interest on a baseline level. Again, more development could and should be done here.
In terms of market potential, the obvious has to be stated: vampire narratives have saturated the landscape, often to iconic and hugely profitable results (e.g. Twilight, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, etcetera). As such, it’s imperative to bring fresh elements and/or a point-‐ of-‐view to the table in order to really be in a position to compete on a meaningful and wide-‐ranging level. The material in its current incarnation doesn’t fulfill that mandate, but further development could certainly change that.
Have you read THIRST? Let me know what YOU thought of it! Just leave a review either onAmazon, Goodreads, or evenFacebook!
I just finished reading A Demon’s Prize by Jennifer Maimone and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t dive too deep into the storyline without giving much away but it is about vampires and werewolves and before you say, “Oh another vampire book”, let me say this one is really cool. Angela is a wolf/vampire hybrid and her friends are werewolves. They seem to be just a normal group of people who move to the city for a new start (and they are in a band… which I wish there was more of in the book). They quickly meet Brent who is a “pure” werewolf. (Kinda like the Originals) and they eventually join forces to battle an evil demon who wants to steal their souls and make them his slaves in Hell. I must say I developed a slight crush for Brent. He’s rugged and fierce and mysterious. Angela and Brent start out hating each other but end up developing feelings for each other which I found to be a little cliché but Jennifer did a really good job at not letting it consume the entire storyline. The demon who is after Brent is evil and nasty… and flat out gave me the creeps! I just wanted him to die!!!!! One minor thing that I didn’t really like was how a lot of the dialogue was dragged out. Some parts I just found myself wanting the conversation to hurry up and end so I could find out what was going to happen, but that’s just my personal preference. Jennifer displays true writing talent. For me, it is rather difficult to find a book that keeps my interest until the end and A Demon’s Prize did just that. She also did a great job with the ending because it left a cliffhanger so the reader is going to want to immediately buy the next book. I know I can’t wait to read the next book.
If you like supernatural suspense books, you will enjoy this book. It has sweet moments, scary moments and even made me laugh a few times. If you want to check out this book, please visit Jennifer’s site.www.alphawolfseries.com
Thank you, Bri, for your review, and everyone else who has read the Alpha Wolf Series! I read every single review I get, so if you want to make one yourself, you can for Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, and even the Nook! 🙂 Night, everyone!
I was honored to be a guest on the Writer’s Online Network (WON) radio this past week, and I had a great time being on it! Be sure to check it out, and stay tuned in the next month for I shall be back and be part of the segment Ask the Editors!
Click on the link below to listen to the interview!
I was on a podcast, doing an interview for Demon’s Prize, and talking a little about A Cursed Soul. The podcast is GEO AFTER DARK. This has been my second interview with Geo Brawn, and I had a blast (as always).
Would love it if you guys checked it out! Skip to 18:50 if you want to immediately listen to my interview 😀
Clickhere if you want to check out more of GEO AFTER DARK!
Hosted by: Geo After Dark Title: EPISODE:7 – GEO AFTER DARK-Happy New Jeers Time: 01/31/2015 11:55 PM EST Episode Notes: A fun filled romp with Geo as Jeeves is on the go on a adventurous roadtrip. Geo interviews horror author Jenn Maimone and we celebrate George A. Romeros Night of the Living Dead. Plus much more!!!
If you’re a new writer, and are thinking of finally writing a book, then that’s awesome! If you’ve even planning to go so far as to formally publish it (whether with a publishing house or on your own), even more power to you. However, while you’re writing your book, I would like to suggest that you ask yourself something. Ask: what makes my story stand out from the others? What makes my story different and unique?
Seriously, there are hundreds upon hundreds of stories out there that are just waiting to be read; some published, some not. Still, there are so many out there that if you’re planning to write and then to sell a book, you may discover that you can’t just write “something” and hope it will catch wind. After all, you aren’t the only person who is writing a fiction/horror/sci-fi/YA/nonfiction/etc. There are many others out there who are just like you. They’re also trying to write their story read and sell it to the public (whether it be for the glory and money, or for their love of their craft is a different matter we won’t go into right now).
You’ll be surprised how knowing the answer to the question “what makes my story different?” will benefit you — both with your writing efforts, and when it comes to promoting and selling your story. If you go to an event (let’s say a book fair), and are trying to get people interested enough to want to buy your book, then you should tell them why YOUR book is different from all others. Tell them why it is unique, and how it offers them something new.
So, while you’re writing, or trying to sell your book, make sure you know the answer to the question “what makes my story different?”
But what if you don’t know?…Well, don’t you think you should?
But what if you can’t find anything in your story that truly makes it different?…Well, then perhaps you may want to find a way to write it so that it does.
The most famous vampire has to be Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The character of Dracula is believed to be based on the real-life Prince Vlad Tepes III (1431-1476), though many may know him as Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was the second son of Vlad Dracul,
If you looked up “Real Vampires in History” (or similar verbiage), you’d notice this particular name keeps popping up. Peter Plogojowitz was a Serbian peasant who died in 1725, and was thought to be a vampire by the villagers. Not long after he was buried, people claimed Peter visited them at night, with some of them dying not too long after. Even Peter’s own son died from massive blood loss days after he claimed to have been visited.
Just like Peter Plogojowitz, Arnold Paole is a historical vampire whose name keeps appearing in the history books. Paole (also like Peter Plogojowitz) was Serbian, and before his death in 1726, he claimed to have been bitten by a vampire—an event that left him feeling cursed.
If you think Dracula is the first fictional vampire to be written in classic Gothic Literature, think again! That title actually goes to Lord Ruthven, from the short story The Vampyre. First published in 1819 (Dracula was published in 1897), The Vampyre’s vampire is Lord Ruthven. Lord Ruthven is an aristocratic, and suave nobleman who can capture women’s attention—which is a pity for them since his preference for victims are pure and innocent women.
What sets Carmilla apart from others is the fact that she does not just take a victim and drain their blood in one sitting. She first earns their trust, and even shows signs love—but it’s the type of love becomes possessive, which turns to obsession, and eventually kills the one she is focused on.
Angel, the vampire with a soul. Angel’s character first came to life on the popular TV show, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, and is one of the first well known vampires to have a soul. Before Angel, all vampires were seen solely as blood thirsty monsters, with no sense of humanity in their actions. After Angel, it somehow became the popular norm for vampires to have souls…and feelings. Of course, if Angel were to ever lose his soul, he would revert to his evil ways, and be known as Angelus. Angelus is someone you’d never want to meet.
Anyone who’s a fan of vampires knows the characters from Anne Rice’s novels. From Armand to Louis, and the Queen of the Damned, Akasha, these vampires have left a hard imprint on the vampire world. However, the most memorable vampire has to be Anne Rice’s Lestat de Lioncourt. Lestat is bold, stubborn, and engaging. He is also very manipulative, which is shown in Interview With the Vampire. He is the sire of Louis de Pointe du Lac, and Claudia, who Lestat uses in order to keep Louis with him.
Count Orlok, played by Max Shreck, was the vampire in the 1922 silent film, Nosferatu. You could say Nosferatu was Dracula with copyright issues. Bram Stoker’s widow tried keeping the movie from being released due to its unauthorized use of Bram’s novel. To side-step the lawsuit, the producers sold the film to Deutsche Film Produktion.
The #1 most memorable vampire has to be Elizabeth Báthory. Elizabeth (1560-1604) was a countess from Hungary, who was born into one of the oldest and most powerful families in Transylvania. Elizabeth was educated, ran various estates (her husband was often away, leaving her in charge), and bore many children
