Guest Blog and Giveaway with Author William Meikle

WHY I WRITE ABOUT VAMPIRES - WILLIAM MEIKLE
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I grew up with the sixties explosion of popular culture embracing the supernatural and the weird. Hammer horror movies got me young. And the one that hooked me was Dracula.
I first saw this in about 1970, on BBC2, on an old black and white TV which was about 10 inches square and made everybody look like short fat cubes. But even that didn't detract from the power of this film.

This Hammer horror version sticks fairly closely to Stoker's original novel, and as such is a purist's dream.

Lee plays the Count as no one before or since. His flat demonic stare sems to ooze pure evil. The count has become a cultural icon in the past forty years, and has even been parodied and made fun of (Count Duckula anybody?) but I challenge anybody to look Lee in the eye when he's on the hunt and not feel a frisson of cold terror.

Vampires have been humanised recently (and have even got a soul in Angel's case), but it shouldn't be forgotten that they are bloodsucking bas*ards - that's what they are, that's what they do. The high cheekbones, sex-appeal and good clothes sense are just nice-to-have after thoughts. And in Lee's case you can believe that the bloodsucking is the important part, judging by the relish he shows for the deed.

And just because Buffy can stake a dozen or so without breaking sweat, it shouldn't be forgotten that the vampire is traditionally a great evil force of destruction. Lee never lets you forget it.

Which brings me round to The Watchers trilogy, my retelling of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion in Britain. Bonnie Prince Charlie, and all his highland army, are Vampires and are heading south to claim the British throne. The "Watchers" of the title are the guards of the old Roman wall built by Hadrian, now reinforced to keep the vamps out. It is constantly patrolled by officers of the Watch, two of whom become the main protagonists of the series. I got the idea on a walk along what is left of the wall, and by the time I'd had finished my walk and had a few beers the first part of the trilogy was fully formed in my head. Think "ZULU" or "Last of the Mohicans" with vamps and you'll get a feel of what I was trying to do.

I was dealing with a retelling of the Bonnie Prince Charlie story, where romantic myths have subsumed the harsh reality of a coup gone badly wrong. I needed to strip all the romance out of the Highlanders and build them up from the bottom. Making them a shambling army of vamps and mindless drones seemed an obvious place to start. The Watchers series is a swashbuckler, but there is little lace and finery. What I do have is blood and thunder, death and glory in big scale battles and small scale heartbreak. I love it.

Watchers: The Coming of the King is out new in print and ebook

GIVEAWAY
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A free ebook of Watchers: The Coming of the King (MOBI, EPUB or PDF ) will be awarded to the best comment relating to this blog post, to be judged by William Meikle on Jan 31st

BOOK BLURB FOR THE WATCHERS TRILOGY
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The old wall is a border: England and Scotland, South and North, light and darkness.

It is 1745, and the long-awaited night as come. The Bloodking calls his army to battle, and armed with the powers of the undead and the damned, he will bring them South to claim his birthright: The throne of Britain.

Only the old Watchers on the wall stand in his way. They, their swords, and their faith. But too much time has passed and the Watch has grown slack and ill-prepared for the coming war. Only Martin and Sean have seen the horrors that lie ahead for humankind. Only they have the power to stop it. Now the two young officers of the Watch have a duty to perform.

Stop the Bloodking.

Or die trying.

ABOUT WILLIAM MEIKLE
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William Meikle is a Scottish writer with ten novels published in the genre press and over 200 short story credits in thirteen countries. He is the author of the ongoing Midnight Eye series among others, and his work appears in a number of professional anthologies. His ebook THE INVASION has been as high as #2 in the Kindle SF charts. He lives in a remote corner of Newfoundland with icebergs, whales and bald eagles for company. In the winters he gets warm vicariously through the lives of others in cyberspace, so please check him out at http://www.williammeikle.com/

EXCERPT
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They were a rag-tag bunch for an army. From his vantage point Sean saw kilted Scotsmen, the red-tunics of those who had once been in the English army, the tattered woollen overgarments of farm workers and, down there, just beginning to climb, the recently animated bodies of fellow officers of the watch killed in the last attack. They made up little more than a screaming, disorganised, mob; men, women and older children all united in just one common cause - to get over the wall and feed.

He aimed the nozzle of the bellows down at them and pressed the handles together. The stench of garlic suddenly filled his nose and brought tears to his eyes. As the water hit the attackers they fell back, hissing and mewling, leaving long trails of greasy marks as they slid back to the earth. Screams rent the air, inhuman screeches of pain. Some of them, only their heads touched by the liquid, kept trying to climb until being hosed down further. And still the throng pressed forward, walking over the bodies of the fallen. And everywhere that water touched it brought boiling lesions to the skin and fresh screams in the air.

"This is no way for a man to fight." The Warden shouted, and Sean had to agree with him, but anything that killed the Others so efficiently was welcome at a time like this.

He saw that the Warden was managing to pump nearly double the volume of water that he was capable of; the huge muscles of his shoulders and arms bunched and knotted tight under his overshirt. The Others had fallen in their scores below him and he was now beginning to create an empty buffer zone. However the enemy were getting smarter, and more of them were moving in Sean's direction, where the flow of the killing liquid was less.

"Close up," Sean shouted, and the Warden moved nearer. Sean kept pumping water down over the wall, and further along he could see another doing the same, and the Others kept coming, and they kept dying. The smell that came off the hissing, bubbling bodies stung his eyes and threaten to make him gag as it hit the back of his throat, but he kept pumping.

"Check the barrels," he shouted at the Warden. "We can't let them run dry."

"Too late," the big man replied. There was a sucking sound as his pump brought up air. He dropped the bellows.

"To me," the big man shouted. "More water. More garlic." At the same time Sean's bellows began to wheeze.

He turned, and saw a convoy of children labouring with buckets and gourds, heading for the wall, but it would be long seconds before they would be able to replenish his weapon.

One final squeeze left barely a dribble coming from the spout. Sean dropped the bellows and unsheathed his sword as the black swarm began to slowly make their way up the wall over their twice dead.

REVIEWS FOR THE WATCHERS SERIES
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"I'm always impressed when anyone can add a new twist to the venerable vampire canon. Hugely enjoyable fun to read." --Joe Gordon, The Alien Online

"...a confident and breathless romp through an alternative Jacobean history. Aims for entertainment, and hits the mark." --Simon Morden, Vector, the magazine of the British SF Association

"The book is very well-written. The language is rich, and... I found myself carrying the book everywhere, and taking slightly longer over lunch than I should have, as I just had to know what was happening!" --The Dracula Society

"The author is relentless; just when you catch your breath, something new and exciting happens, sending you spinning into another part of the adventure, and keeping you flipping pages to see what's next." --David Wilbanks, Horrorworld

Guest Blog and Giveaway with Kat Duarte

Vampires: Good Guys or Bad Guys?
by Kat Duarte

Happy Holidays, everyone. It’s great to be here as a guest at Fangtastic Books where there are so many like-minded readers and authors. I’ve been looking forward to getting your feedback on one of my favorite topics: vampires.

I’ve often wondered what it is about vampires that makes them so appealing to our imaginations. Danger, elegance, eternal life. Vampires represent such a mixed bag of hopes and fears. I’m sure that whether we view them more as a threat or as tragic, romantic figures depends on our exposure to literature, films, and television.

For example, my first impression of vampires was comprised of the curious yin yang of Bela Lugosi’s Count Dracula in the old 1931 film (seen on “Creature Features” at a very young age) and Al Lewis’s portrayal of Grandpa on The Munsters. That contrast really left me wondering what to think about vampires! As an adult, the strongest influences that shaped my perspective were Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire and Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. Rice’s Louis and Lestat have stayed in my imagination as much as Whedon’s Angel and Spike. (I’ve got to say that Lestat and Spike tickle my fancy the most, though.)

In my writing, I still go back and forth on my views about vamps. In Rise of the Wolf, my first book for Eternal Press, the werewolves are the good guys and the vampires are the bad guys, but of course that didn’t stop me from writing the vampire as sexy and desirable. Take the scene where my heroine Hilary first sees the vampire who’s on her trail.

Excerpt from Rise of the Wolf:

...she nonetheless noted his wavy black shoulder length hair and the ample pecs playing peek-a-boo beneath his unbuttoned white silk shirt that glowed and glistened—both the shirt and his pecs—in the bright moonlight. He also sported some mighty tight black trousers and an impeccably tailored black coat that reached past his well-muscled thighs to end mid-calf. The quality of his clothes shouted serious money although his fashion sense was just as seriously stuck somewhere in the 1800s...

...She couldn’t seem to stop staring at him. After all, he had such dark, deep glowing red eyes. What? Wait a minute.

But why should you wait? Your skin in the moonlight looks as soft and radiant as pearl. Do you not yearn to be caressed?

She would have sworn his lips didn’t move. His voice was so gentle, warm, sensuous, intimate as though he were inside her thoughts, her soul.

Then somehow, without moving, he had covered the space between them and stood next to her, pressed against her, leaning over her. His soft hair tickled her cheek. His breath whispered across her lips as he parted them with a flick of his hot tongue. The kiss was light, soft, then firmer and deeper, the deft movement filling her with the promise of such delights to come that her knees actually began to give way. He caught her, one of his arms bracing her at the deepest curve of her back, the other wrapped so that he cradled her neck in the palm of his hand....

...His chest muscles were sculpted white marble in the moonlight, like some statue from the ancient world, but he was warm to her eager touch. His muscles rippled as she snaked her nails under white silk and up his back. She grasped his shoulders, desperate to make them fit together as one.


I’m currently working on a sequel, tentatively titled “April’s Moon” where, once again the Vamps and Lycanths will duke it out. Vampires are still the bad guys, but I couldn’t stop myself from writing the full gamut of vamps from a super-evil vampire clan leader to a newly-made vampire who is definitely not cut out for the full-evil lifestyle.

So, my question to all of you Fangtastic fans out there is this:

What type of vampire do you prefer, dark and dangerous? sensitive and romantic? Or some unique combination from your own dreams?

Email a short description of your version of the perfect vamp to me at katsreaders@gmail.com by midnight December 8, 2010.

One lucky entrant will win a matted copy of the limited print “The Autumn Danse” from photographer Lilly Prinn, shown below. (Note: watermark of title and name are for copyright protection only and do not appear on print.)

Follow Kat on:

Eternal Press

http://www.katduarte.com/

Cafe Lotti blog

facebook

twitter

myspace

My books:

Rise of the Wolf

Angel Gets Her Wings Goldie and the Three Bares

BLURB for Rise of the Wolf:

City girl Hilary Samuels had no idea that Murphy’s Law was about to kick into high gear on the first night of the Hunters Moon. One flat tire on a country road and a skid into a cornfield later, she finds herself in a face-off with an evil but seductive vampire. Add to that one huge werewolf who leap in to save the day.

Anyone else would scurry back to the more conventional hazards of life in Chicago, but Hilary moved to the city’s far distant suburb of McKenna with an agenda. If she makes a success of the new Café Lotti, it will mean a promotion to manager for the next new Lotti in the heart of the city. But just how do you build your customer base when stalked by the undead? Not to mention that the hot, hunky head of your company turns out to be the werewolf who charged to your rescue?

When C.E.O. Nathan Sutton admits he’s her shape-shifting protector, Hilary suspects there’s something else he’s not telling her. Will the secret he reveals have the power to bond them together forever or will it rip her life apart?

Guest Blog with the Vampire Professor Bertena Varney

It’s time to go to school and study….Vampires!

Study vampires? What? That must be a joke? Do you think you are a vampire? Wow where do you get something like that… a cracker jack box?

These are all questions and sometimes not too nice comments that I receive when I tell people that I research and write about vampires. They look at me as if I am a freak and not educated. When I try to defend myself and tell them my degrees they look at me as if all creditability has went out the window. It has even resulted in me losing jobs or not getting hired when they do a Google search on me. But, if you are willing and ready to learn I can share with you how to study vampires or anything else that is your passion.

First, my background and how I came to study vampires: I have several degrees. The first is a Bachelor’s of Arts in Social Science and Education with an emphasis in Sociology, History, and Government and a minor in Geography and Economics. During that study I chose several topics to focus on when I had freedom of projects and classes. These ranged from History of Folklore, where I studied Vampire Folklore, to deviant sub cultures where I studied vampire lifestylers. I had to be careful because this was the late 1980’s and there was and still is a stigma about anything Goth or dark or relating to vampires. I then pursued a Master’s in Sociology and Criminology where I studied Juvenile Delinquency and Deviant Subcultures, still during this time vampires, Goth, and the like were considered deviant and to show any sign of “liking” this would have destroyed my position as a Graduate Assistant. So, I pursued those from the standard point of view along with the 1990’s academic craze of street gangs, drug dealers, and serial killers.

Upon graduation, I trotted off to the real world of teaching high school then as an adjunct professor at Eastern Kentucky University. While there I spoke with co workers who were pursuing their PhD’s. I knew that had to finish my Master’s in Education because the wonderful state of KY requires it to teach so I was once again stuck in boring classes until one day I was told that there were no more classes to take but I still had credits to complete in order to graduate. I began discussing my options with my office mate and he was telling me that he was studying “The Affects of Video Games on Culture”. I responded with, “Man I would love to study vampires as an actual emphasis”. He chuckled and we spent the afternoon researching academic websites. One day I realized that in larger cities there were graduate studies in pop culture and several academic associations dealing with the study of things such as cartons, comic books, television shows, anything that you could possibly like.

The most popular academic study of vampires at the time dealt specifically with one of my favorite television shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Whedon Studies Association is a group of professors and students who study the work of Joss Whedon which includes Angel and Buffy. They have an on line journal, yearly convention and a great website that helps those who want to study this subject look at it through feminist, historical, sociological, and psychological view points. Check it out here http://slayageonline.com/

So I gathered up my list of academic programs, academic research, and outline for a class and took it to my advisor at Morehead State University. She agreed to allow me to design the class, write my final paper and develop a blog on the Search for the Lure of the Vampire in Popular Culture (http://searchforthelure.webs.com/ ). I had always hated to write but for the first time in my life I loved to write.

I finished the classes and had joined several academic programs. While teaching sociology at EKU I allowed my students, as a final project, to choose their favorite hobby, television show, subject, etc and turn it into a sociological study and then a possible career. They chose everything from sports, videogames, relationships, sewing, and on and on. They absolutely loved it. Many loved it enough to change majors.

From that point on I decided to take my own advice. I lost both of my collegiate positions in January and was left with no choices for jobs. I had written for a little while with Examiner.com but wasn’t really dedicated to it so I began to really push my Lexington Vampire Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/vampire-in-lexington/bertena-varney ). It had caused some eyebrows to be raised and even comments listed above at my full time job but I decided to just go for it.

As I wrote about vampires in pop culture in the news I found people wanted me to mention their books, movies, and events about vampires on the page and my page views grew enough to where my Channel Manager offered me more specific columns and I was excited to take them. As a result of this I have met a lot of nice people and even arranged an event in October that brought vampire fans and authors together. It was titled A Day of Mystical Blood Lust (http://adayofmysticalbloodlust.webs.com/ ) and was such a success that we are doing it and the Halloween Ball again next year.

So, now I am venturing out on writing both a short story as well as a reference book about vampires for writers. I am also looking to publish the original academic papers once they are edited and more added to them.

I still receive the weird looks and comments and many times employers don’t take me seriously but the study of the Lure of the Vampire is real. It is an academic topic and is becoming a very popular one in college classrooms ranging from Ohio to Louisiana, England and Canada. There have been approved classes and they are always overloaded.

So, just think about what you love and make that a passion to seek knowledge in that area. Here are a few tips on how to do that:

1. If you are in college take the chance to write that paper tailored to your interest whether it’s English, History, Psychology, Sociology, or even Science.

2. If you are seeking an advance degree go to your Chair and address the issues if you choose to go the higher academic route.

3. Look up Examiner.com in your area and see if there are openings in your topic if so apply or even suggest it. I did mine and it was accepted. If you need help email me and always put me down as a referral source

4. Find academic associations dealing with your major, join and get involved. The Pop Culture and American Culture Association covers just about anything that you can imagine.

5. Start a blog and connect with experts in your area. Many are willing to help newbies out.
You can turn what you love into a true academic study. It may take some creativity but it is possible

If you'd like to know more you can email The Vampire Professor at vampireprofessor@yahoo.com

or follow her on Twitter @tenavarney

You can also find her at the following places around the web:

Website- http://searchforthelure.webs.com/

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=629688553

Book Blog- http://bertenasbooks.blogspot.com/

Lexington Vampire Examiner- http://www.examiner.com/vampire-in-lexington/bertena-varney

True Blood Examiner- http://www.examiner.com/true-blood-in-national/bertena-varney

Paranormal Literature Examiner- http://www.examiner.com/paranormal-literature-in-national/bertena-varney

A Day of Mystical Blood Lust- http://adayofmysticalbloodlust.webs.com/

Are Vampires Eco-Friendly?

Since 4 out of 5 emails I have gotten this week have something to do with Earth Day I decided to ponder the question "Are vampires eco-friendly?"

Here's my take using traditional vampire myths and legends.

I realize that in many movies and books vampires can eat, reproduce and all that (even in my stories) but for this I am sticking to traditional vampire stereotyping.

Vampires are eco-friendly because...

They do their part in keeping the population under control. See, vampires munching on humans has a positive spin after all.

Vampires also keep the population in check by not reproducing through traditional methods. The only way they reproduce is by making another vampire- out of a pre-existing human. That vampire in turn makes more vampires that do not reproduce as humans do therefor keeping the human population under control.

Vampires do not use a lot of resources because they don't eat or drink anything other than blood- which is a very sustainable resource. Humans constantly make more- as long as they are still breathing.

Vampires don't throw away much. Three hundred years later and they still have the same jewelry and clothes they had centuries ago. Talk about being a pack rat. But hey it's good for the planet. They are also very into recycling. Really- check any vampires lair, you'll find recycling bins.

Vampires are real treehuggers. They are all for saving trees. If a tree isn't cut down a wooden stake can't be made. Thus a life saved. Both the vampire's and the tree's.

Who has more at stake (pun intended) when it comes to saving the planet than an immortal vampire? While we humans only have one lifetime to live vampires live through many lifetimes, they are going to suffer the damage numerous generations do to our planet. And if humans manage to destroy themselves and the planet what is a vampire going to eat? That's why they are very involved in eco-friendly causes- after all their survival depends on ours.

So because of the reasons above I think vampires are very eco-friendly.

What do you think?

Have any others reasons why vampires are eco-friendly?