Undead Update Sept. 10, 2009

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange (Sourcebook, August, 2009) continues to gain attention. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but this one is definitely on the TBR shelf.

THE HISTORY BEHIND MR. DARCY, VAMPYRE

In the summer of 1816, Lord Byron and his personal physician, Dr. John William Polidori, were traveling in Switzerland and soon discovered Percy Bysshe Shelley and his lover, Mary Godwin (soon-to-be Mrs. Shelley) were staying nearby. The group became fast friends, each sharing a passion for the written word. One night, Lord Byron proposed they each author their own scary short stories to see who could conceive the most terrifying tale. Byron wrote “Fragment of a Novel,” and quickly abandoned his attempt. Shelley wrote “Fragment of a Ghost Story”—which wasn’t published until much later. Mary Godwin wrote what would eventually evolve into her masterpiece, Frankenstein. Dr. Polidori wrote The Vampyre, one of the first vampiric tales in English literature. For years it was attributed to Lord Byron, but soon enough, as the character of Count Dracula gained popularity and momentum, Dr. Polidori was given his due credit.

In Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, Darcy’s mysterious uncle, Count Polidori, serves as homage to the story’s place in history. And at the time that Darcy and Elizabeth take their wedding tour through Europe, Dr. Polidori and Mary Shelley would have been in Switzerland creating the beginnings of their terrifying tales!

“For two such enduring stories to come out of one evening is truly remarkable,” says Amanda Grange, on her blog, MrDarcyVampyre.blogspot.com.

Hope you had a chance to watch the premier of Vampire Diaries last night on CW. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Here is an article from the Boston.com about the series which as most of you know is based on the books of L. J. Smith.

I have posted a list of September Vampire Book releases on VampChix

Here are a few selected titles:

Hot for the Holidays
by Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Anya Bast
Allyson James
Jove (September 29, 2009)

Featuring four all-new novellas of sensual surprises and seasonal spirits, this collection includes a new tale of the Breeds from Lora Leigh and a return to the world of the Mageverse from Angela Knight.





Vampire a Go-Go: A Novel
by Victor Gischle
Touchstone (September 1, 2009)

Victor Gischler is a master of the class-act literary spoof, and his work has drawn comparison to that of Douglas Adams, Kurt Vonnegut, and Thomas Pynchon. Now, Gischler turns his attention to werewolves, alchemists, ghosts, witches, and gun-toting Jesuit priests in Vampire a Go-Go, a hilarious romp of spooky, Gothic entertainment. Narrated by a ghost whose spirit is chained to a mysterious castle in Prague, Gischler's latest is full of twists and surprises that will have readers screaming -- and laughing -- for more.

Retribution (Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles, Book 5)
by Jeanne C. Stein
Ace, September, 2009

With her partner out of town, her family abroad, and her mentor estranged, newly-turned vampire Anna Strong is keeping a low profile.

But now young vampires are turning up dead, completely drained of their life force. And though Anna wants to say no when Williams, her former teacher and now leader of a supernatural enforcement squad, asks for her help, she can't. But soon, she'll wish she did.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. For the complete list visit VampChix




If you are a Twilight fan and plan to be in the UK at the end of September you might want to check out:

In the Shadow of the Moon

Twilight Proms

The guests for the event are: Kellan Lutz "Emmett Cullen", Chaske Spencer "Sam Uley" and Jose Zuniga "Mr. Molina". 

For more information got to Twilight Proms

I am currently reading:

By Blood We Live
by John Joseph Adams (Editor),
Stephen King , Kelley Armstrong, L. A. Banks, Neil Gaiman, Sergei Lukyanenko, Harry Turtledove, Anne Rice, Joe Hill, Tanith Lee
Night Shade Books (August 15, 2009)

"Vampires. They are the most elegant of monsters--ancient, seductive, doomed, deadly. They lurk in the shadows, at your window, in your dreams. They are beautiful as anything you ve ever seen, but their flesh is cold as the grave, and their lips taste of blood. From Dracula to Twilight, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to True Blood, many have fallen under their spell. Now acclaimed editor John Joseph Adams brings you 33 of the most haunting vampire stories of the past three decades, from some of today s most renowned authors of fantasy, science fiction, and horror.

"Charming gentlemen with the manners of a prior age. Savage killing machines who surge screaming from hidden vaults. Cute little girls frozen forever in slender bodies. Long-buried loved ones who scratch at the door, begging to be let in. Nowhere is safe, not mist-shrouded Transylvania or the Italian Riviera or even a sleepy town in Maine. This is a hidden world, an eternal world, where nothing is forbidden...as long as you re willing to pay the price."

Most of the stories are reprinted from other sources. I am familiar with a few, but most are brand new to me. I just finished Sunrise on Running Water  by Barbara Hambly (one of my favorite writers) which is an amusing tale on a series subject, the sinking of the Titanic. The humor comes from a vampire, with a sarcastic turn of mind, who finds himself aboard the unsinkable ship.