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Showing posts with label Dracula. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dracula. Show all posts
Oct 31, 2011
Dracula In Love Contest
Today is the last day to enter the contest for a copy of Dracula In Love by Karen Essex.
Go HERE and leave a comment.
Good luck!
Oct 20, 2011
Karen Essex - Dracula in Love - Contest
To celebrate the month of Halloween Karen Essex is offering three lucky PVN readers a copy of her terrific book Dracula in Love
(Doubleday, 2010). This is one of my favorite paranormal novels from last year. Not only is it an imaginative retelling of the Dracula story, but it gives a credible description of the often difficult position of nineteenth century women. Below is my review.[see contest info at the end of the post]
Dracula in Love
A ReviewFrom Mina Harker's perspective, her relationship with Dracula brought with it an alternate reality. Although certain characters have the same or similar names as found in Stoker, the "true story" is quite different. It is instead an exquisite timeless tale of love and passion. Mina, while engaged to solicitor Jonathan Harker, has recurring visions of a lover very familiar to her although her memories are so hazy she cannot identify him. He carries her to a world in a place and time not connected to our own and begs her to remember the endless years they have had together. Often he appears in the real world as a protector when she finds herself in danger. Always he is an incredibly attractive and powerful presence.
For those who have read Bram Stoker's Dracula you know that Jonathan was sent to the Castle where he eventually becomes the Count's prisoner. Not exactly true the reader and Mina discover. In Mina's account she receives a note, unsigned but with very familiar handwriting, that of her dream lover, telling her of Jonathan's whereabouts. He's been ill and is confined to a small hospital in Gratz. Mina travels there and finds Jonathan suffering from psychic wounds he is loath to talk about or remember.
He finally confesses to Mina the truth about the luxurious life at the Count's home and the passionate nights spent with Dracula's enchanting and beautiful nieces. Then, without warning, he finds himself wandering fields not knowing where he is or even who he is until someone finds him and brings him to the hospital where the doctors and nurses endeavor to bring him back to health. All the darkness and foreboding of Stoker's Castle Dracula is nonexistent.
Familiar characters such as Lucy, Arthur Holmwood and Dr John Seward are present, so are Morris Quince and Dr. Von Helsinger - names similar to those used by Stoker. In Essex' novel their personalities and agendas differ in the extreme. Additionally there is Kate Reed, a friend of Mina's and Lucy's and a strong minded reporter. The three women attended school together. Mina stayed on after graduation as a teacher, a job she loved. One of the reasons Mina writes her story is to have the truth available, if only for her children, in case they should ever come across the hack novel of the red-haired Irishman.
What comes across quite strongly, other than the expected story, is the limited life choices of upper class Victorian women, and their treatment as lesser beings. At one point Mina suffers greatly at the hands of all the men around her including Jonathan, simply because as a female she cannot be expected to know what is best for her. It is Dracula who finds and saves her.
CONTEST
* Karen is offering a copy of Dracula in Love to three lucky readers.
to three lucky readers.* Leave a comment about this post for a chance to win.
* Be sure contact information is included with your comment.
* Contest ends October 31, 2011 at 11:59pm EST
* Contest is limited to US and Canadian residents only.
Jun 13, 2011
Anno Dracula - Vampire Book Review
Titan Books has reissued this classic novel which posits the question, what if the Count (as imagined by Bram Stoker) had survived?Below is my review written when the book was first released.
Newman offers a vivid recreation of the Victorian era, but with a sly twist. Jack the Ripper prowls Whitechapel killing prostitutes in a most brutal manner. But, as it turns out, this madman is Jack Seward, one of the vampire hunters known to devotee’s of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In Newman’s universe, however, Seward and his pals, Harker and Van Helsing, are defeated by Dracula. This Prince of Wallachia, also known as Vlad Tepes is now Prince Consort, Lord Protector and, husband to Queen Victoria. For the elite of society it becomes important to cultivate prominent vampire friends of the Prince, and if possible to convince one of these creatures to “turn” them. This social game goes on at all levels. Even the prostitutes killed by Jack the Ripper are vampires - although a diseased, sickly variety - whose lives remain as hellish as before.
There are many characters mixed up in the race to find the Ripper and stop the killings. Among these are two of note, one a “warm” police detective, McKenzie, who does his duty while cringing at the brutality of Dracula’s minions, and the other, Kostaki, a soldier companion of the Prince who “turned” at the same time, and goes about doing Dracula’s bidding - impaling still the punishment of choice. Yet in their efforts to track the Ripper, Kostaki and McKenzie find a grudging respect for one another. Kostaki even demonstrates a glimmer of a conscience reawakened through his association with the mortal detective.
One of the most charming characters in recent vampire fiction is Genevieve, who received her dark kiss 500 years before, making her even older than Vlad Tepes. This gives her a bit of an advantage in society for among vampires age is greatly revered. She works as a nurse among the poor, a ministering angel loved by warms and vampires alike. It is she along with her mortal lover Beauregard, who must in the end confront the evil Prince Dracula.
This story engages on many levels. Besides being literate and witty it describes the social swirls that pervaded the late nineteenth century. Newman also gathers an ensemble of Victorian characters - historical and fictional. Part of the fun of reading this novel is seeing where they will pop up. The author has created an engrossing, entertaining story that will appeal to a wide variety of readers. (A shorter, earlier version of this story appeared under the title Red Reign in the anthology, The Mammoth Book of Vampires, edited by Stephen Jones.) Review by Patricia Altner.
[Kim Newman wrote about the inspiration for Anno Dracula on Io9.com]
Apr 10, 2011
In the Footsteps of Dracula 2nd Edition - Book Announcement
 In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide 2nd edition by Steven P. Unger World Audience, Inc., January 1, 2010 Worldwide fascination with Dracula, like the bloodthirsty Count himself, will never die. Completed and comprising approximately 35,000 words and 185 photographs, In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide is the first and only book to include: * For the armchair traveler, pictures and descriptions, in memoir form, of every site in England and Romania that is closely related to either Bram Stoker's fictional Count Dracula or his historical counterpart, Prince Vlad Dracula the Impaler. * A thorough history based on original research and face-to-face interviews with experts--such as the Man in Black of Whitby, England--of how the novel Dracula came into being, and almost never happened. * The true life story of Vlad the Impaler, connecting his lineage for the first time in print to the Brotherhood of the Wolf, which had already survived for two thousand years when Prince Vlad was born in 1431. * For the independent traveler who would leave his armchair for the Great Unknown, a Practical Guide to the Dracula Trail, including a complete Sample Itinerary with recommendations for lodging and detailed instructions on traveling to each British or Romanian Dracula-related town or site. Also in the Practical Guide are sections on money; recommended reading; modes of transportation; security and health; internet access, shopping, and cable TV; and alternatives to independent travel. The 2nd Edition of In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide, available now, includes: ---References, Web Links, and Costs Updated to December 2010 ---The First Review of Dracula Ever Written, Published in the Manchester Guardian on June 15, 1897 ---A New Section on Bram Stoker's Dublin ---A Rare Photo of a Wolf-Dragon, the Original Source of the Name "Dracula," Carved Within the Ruins of a Prehistoric Dacian Temple in Transylvania, and much, much more! Product Details Paperback: 276 pages Publisher: World Audience, Inc.; 2nd Edition (December 2010) |
Note from author Steven P. Unger
Between January 2010, when the 1st Edition of In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide was published, and December of that year, almost 100 related reviews and articles appeared in print and online. Ranging from horror fanzines to scholarly journals, and originating from locations throughout the United States to countries as disparate as England, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, and South Africa, the reviews of In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide were not only overwhelmingly positive, but cried out for more back-story, travel guide updates, and even deeper insight into the mind of Bram Stoker and the influences and inspirations that drove him to write his undying Gothic novel, Dracula.
In response, the 2nd Edition of In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide was released on December 21, 2010. The 2nd Edition, available now as a paperback and e-book from its dedicated World Audience Web page well as from www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.de, and www.amazon.com/Kindle), includes:
References, Web Links, and Costs Updated to December 2010;
The First Review of Dracula Ever Written, Published in the Manchester Guardian on June 15, 1897;
A New Section on Bram Stoker's Dublin;
A Rare Photo of a Wolf-Dragon, the Original Source of the Name "Dracula," Carved Within the Ruins of a Prehistoric Dacian Temple in Transylvania; and much, much more!
In Flames Rising Dot Com (http://www.flamesrising.com/footsteps-of-dracula-review/), reviewer Jason Thorson wrote: In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide (Second Edition) is exactly what the title implies it is. But what the title doesn't imply is how rich this book is with information. It really is stunning. Steven P. Unger deserves high praise for the mere existence of his opus; but moreover, the book is well written and provides the ultimate tome of Dracula data for classic horror fans. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more entertaining nonfiction read.
Jan 19, 2011
Nocturne - A Vampire Book Review
by Syrie James
Vanguard Press (January 4, 2011)
The complete story takes place over four days with only two characters.
Nicole Whitcomb is racing against a snow storm on her way to the Denver airport. The storm comes quickly. While driving through treacherous mountain roads Nicole skids into a ravine. Desperately hurt she loses consciousness. Fortunately there is a witness, albeit an unwilling one.
Michael Tyler lives in splendid isolation at his beautiful home in the Rockies. While plowing snow on his private road he watches as Nicole's car spins out of control. With the brutal storm no 911 help will be available for several days. Reluctantly he checks things out only to discover that the attractive female driver is still alive. Michael has had no face to face contact with anyone for an extraordinarily long time and wants to keep it that way. Now, however, he has no choice. This beautiful lady will be his guest until the snowplows make it to this area.
I loved this story. This charming, beautiful romance convinced me that love will always find a way. Both Nicole and Michael are very accomplished, especially Michael whose vampiric life has given him many centuries to develop his various artistic talents. Both individuals are wounded souls and each can understand the other's pain in a way someone else might not.
What struck me was the spiritual - and I don't mean religious - aspect of the story. Michael shows through his character and actions the power of redemption. How that comes about is told to Nicole one night when his affection for her, which is deeply reciprocated, becomes almost overwhelming.
Nicole has her own demons to deal with. Michael gently prods her to unburden herself, which she does. These two remarkable people help each other to heal and feel hope.
Understand that this theme of healing and redemption while strong does not make for a sappy, sentimental story. Two vibrant, believable characters who have suffered severely find refuge from a storm literally and figuratively.
For those who want a bit of zest the author includes a couple a deliciously steamy love scenes.
James is the gifted author who also wrote Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker
Read a review[A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. Thank you!]
Dec 12, 2010
Dracula In Love - Christmas Giveaway
Karen Essex author of Dracula In Love
is hosting a special Christmas giveaway of her novel.To enter go to Facebook's Dracula in Love page and "Like" it. Then post a comment here on Patricia's Vampire Notest simply stating "I want to win Dracula in Love". The contest ends December 25, 2010 at midnight PST.
Read a REVIEW of Dracula In Love
.Oct 10, 2010
Relaunch of Dracula In Love by Karen Essex with Contest
Watch the video of Karen Essex as she speaks about the inspiration for her bestselling novel Dracula in Love
.This book is truly one of my favorites of 2010. It combines a haunting, paranormal romance with hard edged history. Read the review.
CONTEST: Doubleday is offering THREE lucky readers a copy of Dracula in Love
.To enter simply comment that you would like to win a copy of the book. One entry per person. US residents only. Contest ends October 24.
[This contest is closed. Thanks to everyone for participating!]
Dracula in Love By Karen Essex
Fall Events
October
Oct. 1 Hoity-Toity Boutique
4381 Tujunga Ave
Studio City, CA 91604-2752
(818) 766-2503
6-9 pm.
Book signing and clothing sale.
Join us for wine and fashion!
Oct. 8-10 Southern Festival of Books
Nashville, TN
Program: Solo presentation, followed by book signing.
The short play ASYLUM based on a scene from DRACULA IN LOVE will be performed and filmed by Vanderbilt Students.
3:00-4:00 pm, Senate Chambers
Oct. 12 The Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Clubs
Jefferson, TX
Location: Austin Street Bistro, downtown Jefferson, TX
Program: Victorian dinner party with book clubs @ 6:30pm
Oct. 13-14 Various media appearances in Dallas, TX, TBA
Oct. 15 826LA | Dead Author Reading
Location: Upright Citizens Brigade, 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028
Time: 7:00 pm
Program: This Is Your Life: Paul F. Thompkins (host) as H.G. Wells; Scott Aukerman as Bram Stoker
DRACULA IN LOVE is a tie-in to the October theme of Halloween and horror writers.
826LA | Dead Author Reading After Party
Location: La Poubelle, 5907 Franklin Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028
Time: 8:00 pm
Program: 826LA | After Party featuring “Bloody Mina” cocktails, author appearance and book signing. Proceeds to be donated to 826LA.
Bookseller: Stories Bookstore
Oct. 17 Dark Delicacies
Location: 3512 W. Magnolia, Burbank, CA 91505
Program: In-store signing with F. Paul Wilson (Fatal Error) and Harry Shannon (A Host of Shadows)
Oct. 22-24 The Beverly Hills Literary Escape
Program: Café Conversations
Authors: Karen Essex , Dani Shapiro, Robert Goolrick, Heidi Durrow, Michelle Huneven, Joyce Maynard, Michael Krasny
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Location: Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Bookseller: Barnes & Noble
The Beverly Hills Literary Escape
Luncheon: Karen Essex with Robert Goolrick (A Reliable Wife)
Location: tbd
Time: 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Bookseller: Barnes & Noble
Oct. 27 Boutique du Vampyre
Location: 633 Toulouse Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Program: Reading and Signing
Time: 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Contact: Marita Jaeger, maritavampire@yahoo.com, 504.561.8627
Oct. 28 Octavia Books
Location: 513 Octavia Street
New Orleans, LA 70115-2055
(504) 899-7323
Time: 6:30 pm
Oct. 29 Vampire Film Festival
Location: New Orleans, LA
Time: 7:00 pm
Program: Discussion prior to film screening tbd
Bookseller: Octavia Books
Oct. 30 Vampire Film Festival
Location: New Orleans, LA
Time: 3:00 pm
Program: Panel, reception, book signing
Bookseller: Octavia Books
Oct. 30 Private Party/Fundraiser
Location: New Orleans, LA
Time: tbd
Author signing.
Bookseller: Octavia Books
Oct. 31 826LA | Stories
Location: The Echo in Silverlake, CA, or tbd
Time: 6:00 pm
Program: Staged reading of ASYLUM by Amber Benson and Co.; Music by Ryan Gosling; Author Appearance; Book Signing
Bookseller: Stories Bookstore
November
Nov 3 Books, Inc.
Location:
Time: 7:00 pm
Program: Staged reading of “Asylum” scene; Author Appearance; Q&A; Book Signing
Bookseller: Books, Inc.
Nov. 8-10 Italian Book Tour and Media events in Milan, Italy.
Appearances TBD
Other Events (Dates TBD)
Co-production with Wicked Lit to be hosted at different venues
Author/Movie Nite at The Egyptian with Karen Essex, Kat Richardson and Adrienne Barbeau.
Sep 22, 2010
Dracula on iPad
Download a trailer about it Here
Toronto, Canada - The original vampire who gave us a reason to fear the dark is coming to Apple iPad as a whole new, frightfully interactive experience! PadWorx Digital Media, Inc., an independent developer of a new category of interactive eBooks for tablet PCs, announced today it will release Bram Stoker's Dracula on the App Store in time for this Halloween. Dracula will be the first eBook title for the Apple iPad built from the ground up on PadWorx Digital Media's proprietary game engine, giving readers the chance to experience a new level of entertainment through the combination of text, animation, gameplay, touch screen interaction, social media, original soundtrack and music, sound effects and more.
"Our new interactive version of Dracula is unlike anything I've ever seen on the iPad," said Jeffery Alan Schechter, director and producer at PadWorx Digital Media, Inc. "From fans of the original classic tale, to the blood and romance fans of the Twilight books and movies, to tech savvy enthusiasts, there are plenty of elements to keep everyone reading for hours. We've created original illustrations, animation, sounds and touch screen elements that work together with the text on each page, drawing readers in and allowing them to uncover a new tale worth telling." Read more
Aug 5, 2010
Dracula In Love - Vampire Book Review
by Karen Essex
Doubleday (August 10, 2010)
The red-haired Irish writer (aka Bram Stoker) had it all wrong when he wrote his turgid tale of a vampire aristocrat.
From Mina Harker's perspective, her relationship with Dracula brought with it an alternate reality. Although certain characters have the same or similar names as found in Stoker, the "true story" is quite different. It is instead an exquisite timeless tale of love and passion. Mina, while engaged to solicitor Jonathan Harker, has recurring visions of a lover very familiar to her although her memories are so hazy she cannot identify him. He carries her to a world in a place and time not connected to our own and begs her to remember the endless years they have had together. Often he appears in the real world as a protector when she finds herself in danger. Always he is an incredibly attractive and powerful presence.
For those who have read Bram Stoker's Dracula you know that Jonathan was sent to the Castle where he eventually becomes the Count's prisoner. Not exactly true the reader and Mina discover. In Mina's account she receives a note, unsigned but with very familiar handwriting, that of her dream lover, telling her of Jonathan's whereabouts. He's been ill and is confined to a small hospital in Gratz. Mina travels there and finds Jonathan suffering from psychic wounds he is loath to talk about or remember.
He finally confesses to Mina the truth about the luxurious life at the Count's home and the passionate nights spent with Dracula's enchanting and beautiful nieces. Then, without warning, he finds himself wandering fields not knowing where he is or even who he is until someone finds him and brings him to the hospital where the doctors and nurses endeavor to bring him back to health. All the darkness and foreboding of Stoker's Castle Dracula is nonexistent.
Familiar characters such as Lucy, Arthur Holmwood and Dr John Seward are present, so are Morris Quince and Dr. Von Helsinger - names similar to those used by Stoker. In Essex' novel their personalities and agendas differ in the extreme. Additionally there is Kate Reed, a friend of Mina's and Lucy's and a strong minded reporter. The three women attended school together. Mina stayed on after graduation as a teacher, a job she loved. One of the reasons Mina writes her story is to have the truth available, if only for her children, in case they should ever come across the hack novel of the red-haired Irishman.
What comes across quite strongly, other than the expected story, is the limited life choices of upper class Victorian women, and their treatment as lesser beings. At one point Mina suffers greatly at the hands of all the men around her including Jonathan, simply because as a female she cannot be expected to know what is best for her. It is Dracula who finds and saves her.
Last month Syrie James published Dracula, My Love which is also written from Mina's point of view. In this instance Mina wishes to add her experiences to Stoker's tale by writing her own secret journal. The basic plot is followed, characters retain their same qualities but Mina, who is never fully comes to life in Stoker's hands, has much more influence on events due to her secret forbidden romance with Dracula.
Read a REVIEW of Dracula, My Love
I received an ARC copy of each book through Library Journal
Jul 22, 2010
Dracula by Fred Saberhagen
his reputation was is shreds. Fortunately he had a champion in the person of Fred Saberhagen.SF/Fantasy author Fred Saberhagen was probably the first to rehabilitate Count Dracula and present him as an honorable, misunderstood fellow. In The Dracula Tape
the Transylvanian Count sets the record straight, proving point by point how Bram Stoker had everything completely wrong. This book first published in 1975, will soon find a new audience because Tor plans to issue it on Dec. 28, 2010.At one time I had a copy of this marvelous novel, but a recent hunt through all my hundreds of vampire related books came up zero for The Dracula Tape
. I can only assume that at some point during the last household move it disappeared into a black hole.. It is a great relief to know that in the next few months I will once again have a copy and can reread this wry, witty tale.Saberhagen followed with other novels in which Dracula, usually under a different name, had a variety of adventures. None strove for the humor so evident in the Tape, but I enjoyed reading the ones I was able to find. Over the next year, Tor will be reprinting 8 titles from Saberhagen's Dracula series. The Holmes-Dracula File
was republished in June, 2010.The Dracula Tape: In a series of tape recordings Dracula (Vlad Tepes) tells his version of events involvnig Johanthan Harker, Min, Lucy Wetenra, Van Helsing and the others made famous in Stoker's story. [Vampire Readings]
The Holmes-Dracula File
: From the publisher: World-famous “consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes faces a terrible crisis: a ring of criminal masterminds has threatened to loose thousands of plague-infected rats into the streets of London. But the Black Death isn’t Holmes’ only problem. A lone killer haunts the city. His calling card is a trail of corpses, drained of blood to the last drop. The key to solving both crimes rests in the hands of a mysterious nobleman recently returned to London on a personal matter. His name is Dracula. The Count is quickly entangled in a web of evil that even his immortal powers may not be enough to breach. Holmes and Dracula soon come to the peculiar realization that they may be each other’s only hope
An Old Friend of the Family: From the publisher: The Southerland family left the old world to start anew in America, but little did they know that a blood-feud, older than history itself, would follow them through the generations to come.
Kate Southerland, the first born of the latest generation of Southerlands, has been murdered, but she is not dead. Her little brother, Johnny, has also vanished, a severed, bloody finger the only clue.
But the Southerlands have no clue what they've fallen into. Their enemy is no mortal madman, but the undying mistress of evil enchantment, Morgan Le Fay, and the Southerlands are not her true target. She seeks to do battle with their protector, their defender, the only man who is capable of saving this mortal family from a war they've never realized was waged.
Thorn
The Thorn of the title is Jonathan Thorn, Dracula's current naem or at least the one used in this adventure. There are alternating chapters between Thorn's modern-day story and a segment of time when Vlad Dracula was a living, breathing human being. In today's world Thorn becomes involved in the disappearance of a young woman from a wealthy family. He name is Helen. Five hundred years ago Vlad took as his wife Helen, sister of the Hungarian King Matthias. It is no coincidence that both women have the same name and resemble one another. [Vampire Readings]Dominion
From the publisher: When two ancient, ruthless beings, locked in a struggle for the ultimate magic Weapon, bring their blood feud to New York, Vlad Tepes races to hide the coveted weapon. Reissued by Tor, March 2010.A Matter of Taste
From the publisher: He was once called Dracula, but in present-day Chicago he's known as Matthew. Since he's risked his un-life to protect the Southerland family many times, they call him Uncle Matthew. An old enemy tries to kill Matthew, and now the Southerlands must rise to Matthew's defense.A Question of Time
From the publisher: Sixty years after Conservation Corps worker Jake Rezner disappeared without a trace into the Grand Canyon, private detective Joe Keogh is hired to locate a missing girl in that area and stumbles upon an ancient mystery.
From the publisher: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless creation returns in a new series of handsomely designed, long out-of-print detective stories. From the earliest days of Holmes’ career to his astonishing encounters with Martian invaders, the Further Adventures series encapsulates the most varied and thrilling cases of the worlds’ greatest detective.When two suspect psychics offer Ambrose Altamont and his wife the opportunity to contact their recently deceased daughter, the wealthy British aristocrat wastes no time in hiring Sherlock Holmes to expose their hoax. He arranges for the celebrated detective and Dr. Watson to attend the family's next seance, confident in Holmes' rationalist outlook on the situation. But what starts as cruel mockery becomes deadly reality when young, beautiful Louisa Altamont appears to her parents in the flesh as one of the nosferatu--a vampire!
The resulting chaos leaves one of the fraudulent spiritualists dead. Sherlock Holmes missing, and Dr. Watson alone and mystified. With time running out, Watson has no choice but to summon the only one who might be able to help--Holmes' vampire cousin, Prince Dracula. Alternately narrated by Watson and the charismatic Dracula himself, Seance for a Vampire demonstrates that heroes are sometimes found in the most unlikely places. Saberhagen has recast Bram Stoker's paragon of evil into a noble, witty and chillingly powerful character.
A Sharpness on the Neck
From the publisher: In 1792, Philip Radcliffe, the bastard son of Benjamin Franklin, comes to France to deliver a letter to Thomas Paine--only to get caught up in a conflict far more horrifying than the Revolution. By foiling a powerful vampire's attempt at fratricide, Radcliffe dooms himself and his descendants to suffer the vampire's eternal vengeance.In present day, Philip and June Radcliffe are kidnapped on their honeymoon. Their captor, a mysterious Mr. Graves, swears that he aims to protect them. Yet as the thrilling story unfolds, involving Napoleon, the Marquis de Sade, and the Scarlet Pimpernel, as well as Jerry Cruncher and Detective Dupin, the young couple refuses to believe him--a mistake that is certain to cost them their lives.
Jun 10, 2010
Dracula, My Love - Vampire Book Reveiw
by Syrie James
Avon (July 20, 2010)
Romance between Mina Harker and Dracula is not a new concept. It's been done in movies and books. Elaine Bergstrom touched on this subject in Mina and Blood to Blood, James tells the story of Dracula following very closely the plot layed out by Bram Stoker. Whereas Stoker used journals and letters of various characters James tells the story soly from the point of view of Mina Harker. She has married Johathan Harker the hapless young solicitor sent to Transylvania to negotiate with Count Dracula for purchasing land in England. While Jonathan barley survives his nightmarish existence Mina spends time in Whitby with her dearest friend Lucy. During her stay she learns that a ship, the Demeter, has crashed on shore, with all the crew missing and the dead captain lashed to the helm.
MIna writes her recollection of the events that so drastically changed her life. She and Jonathan have been married for seven years and have a son they named Quincy after a friend who died while chasing after the fiend Dracula.
Mina has a different view of things than that portrayed in Stoker's novel. Although the main plot is basically the same Mina adds additional material from her secret life. She writes in order to come to an understanding of this turbulent time known only to herself.
Mina's Story: While in Whitby with Lucy she meets an intriguing and extraordinarily handsome man who calls himself Mr Wagner. Even though Lucy has always been acknowledged as the pretty one Wagner only has eyes for Mina. The attraction is mutual, although Mina feels very guilty because he has pledge herself to marry Jonathan Harker a man, she reminds herself, she loves very much. Evan after Jonathan returns from his harrowing trip to Dracula's castle and they have married, Mina still has dreams of the mystery man and how it felt that one night they danced together and he held her in his arms.
Mina's attraction does not diminish even when she discovers that Mr Wagner is the monstrous vampire Count Dracula that Dr Van Helsing is convinced must be destroyed. In a tip of the hat to Fred Saberhagen who wrote the marvelous Dracula Tape,
author James allows the Count to tell his side of the story rebutting all the nasty accusations made against him. For me this was the most fascination part of the book.Dracula, My Love
with its charming, 19th century writing style tells of a passionate, forbidden romance which of course makes it all the more exciting.
May 9, 2010
This Week on PVN (May 9, 2010)
Happy Mother's Day, Ladies
This Vamp's for you!
Gerard Butler as Count Dracula
visits PVN and is offering a signed copy of her novel to one lucky reader. Contest is international.About the book: Gavyn Donatti is the world’s unluckiest thief...
Just ask all the partners he’s lost over the years. And when
he loses an irreplaceable item that he was hired to steal for
his ruthless employer, Trevor—well, his latest bungle just
might be his last. But then his luck finally turns: right when
Trevor’s thugs have Donatti cornered, a djinn, otherwise
known as a genie, appears to save him.
Unfortunately, this genie—who goes by the very non-magical
name of “Ian”—is more Hellboy than dream girl. An
overgrown and extremely surly man who seems to hate
Donatti on the spot, he may call Donatti master, but he isn’t
interested in granting three wishes. He informs Donatti that
he is bound to help the thief fulfill his life’s purpose, and then
he will be free. The problem is that neither Donatti nor Ian
has any idea what exactly that purpose is.
At first Donatti’s too concerned with his own survival to look
a gift genie in the mouth, but when his ex-girlfriend Jazz and
her young son get drawn into the crossfire, the stakes
skyrocket. And when Ian reveals that he has an agenda of his
own—with both Donatti and the murderous Trevor at the
center of it—Donatti will have to become the man he never
knew he could be—or the entire world could pay the price…
ONGOING CONTESTS
Blog Tour and Contest
Win a copy of FIREFLY RAIN
. Contest ends (TODAY) May 9. Open to US residents.Contest for Ardeur 14 Writers on the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series
Contest ends May 16. and is open to US and Canadian residents only.
Guest Blog and Contest
On Wednesday May 5 PVN welcomes Faith V Smith author of Dunbar's Curse.
Contest closes May 19 and is internatioinal!
Guest Blog and Contest
On Thursday April 29 PVN welcomes Brigit Zahara author of the hot new vampire menage The Turning.
Contest is international and ends May 13.
Every month there is a drawing from the list of email subscribers for a book. May's offering is Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand (Kitty Norville, Book 5)
by Carrie Vaughn. The contest is international.Look near the top of the right hand column: May 2010 Email Subscriber Book Contest
Apr 9, 2010
Vampire & Paranormal Books of Interest
series has posted a YA gothic, The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove on scribd. It's free! Here's your chance to read a story from one of my favorite writers. [Read about Shadow Girl's history on Vampire Wire.]This is a synopsis of Shadow Girl: "When foster teen Jane Williams is invited to attend elite Birchwood Academy for Girls, she thinks the offer is too good to be true. It is.
Soon she starts receiving threatening messages from an unknown enemy. She's also beginning to suspect that the pale elegant headmistress and her gorgeous sons are hiding secrets. And the longer she stays at Birchgrove, the more questions she has about the disappearance of another scholarship girl.
What's Jane willing to sacrifice for this once in a lifetime opportunity?"
It's also worth noting that Haunted Honeymoon, the final book (sob!) in the CD series will be out this fall.
Color Your Own Graphic Novel DRACULA
John Green (Adapter), Bram Stoker (Author)
Dover Publications; abridged edition edition (August 21, 2009)
From the publisher: Dracula fans will love to sink their teeth into this version of the classic vampire tale! This unique rendition of Stoker's novel features the abridged story in a cool graphic novel format. Colorists of all ages will thrill to its retelling of a trip to Transylvania that descends into a nightmare encounter with literature's most bloodthirsty ghoul.
It has been forever since I had a coloring book in my hands, but that might change. This one looks like a lot of fun.
Below is a list of books I have recently acquired:
by Terrence Taylor
St. Martin's Griffin; 1 edition (March 30, 2010)
From the publisher: he secret war between vampires and humans escalates and the world will never be the same again…
Christopher Jude Miller – fully grown and still human – has returned to New York to seek answers about his past. It is there he meets Joie, a young woman connected to his past, and falls into a twisted love triangle. He and Joie also realize that the magical forces that made both their lives possible have unexpected side effects, as they discover that united they have abilities neither knew of before - including the power to cure vampires.
Created after the incidents that brought in the National Guard to contain the vampire zombie plague on the Lower East Side, Clean Slate Global is a covert ops organization formed to rid the world of vampires, run by ex-deputy mayor Jonathan Richmond. But Richmond unleashes an ancient evil with darker motives. It plots to use Christopher and Joie’s power to eliminate all vampires from the Earth…with the exception of its own new and improved indestructible army of the undead.
by Patricia Briggs
Ace Hardcover; 1 edition (March 30, 2010)
From the publisher: When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.
It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit.
All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...
[read a recent review by Breia B. at Literaturely Speaking]
by Richard Greene (Editor), K. Silem Mohammad (Editor)
Open Court (March 30, 2010)
From the publisher: Since 1968's Night of the Living Dead, zombie culture has steadily limped and clawed its way into the center of popular culture. Today, zombies and vampires have taken over TV shows, comic books, cartoons, video games, and movies. Zombies, Vampires, and Philosophy drags the theories of famous philosophers like Socrates and Descartes into the territory of the undead, exploring questions like: Why do vampires and vegetarians share a similar worldview? Why is understanding zombies the key to health care reform? And what does "healthy in mind and body" mean for vampires and zombies? Answers to these questions and more await readers brave enough to make this fun, philosophical foray into the undead.
Vicious Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 1)
by Linda RobertsonPocket (June 30, 2009)
From the publisher: A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do....
Being a witch doesn't pay the bills, but Persephone Alcmedi gets by between reading Tarot cards, writing her syndicated newspaper column, and kenneling werewolves in the basement when the moon is full -- even if witches aren't supposed to mingle with wolves. She really reaches the end of her leash, though, when her grandmother gets kicked out of the nursing home and Seph finds herself in the doghouse about some things she's written.
Then her werewolf friend Lorrie is murdered...and the high priestess of an important coven offers Seph big money to destroy the killer, a powerful vampire named Goliath Kline. Seph is a tough girl, but this time she bites off more than she can chew. She needs a little help from her friends -- werewolf friends. One of those friends, Johnny, the motorcycle-riding lead singer for the techno-metal-Goth band Lycanthropia, has a crush on her. And while Seph has always been on edge around this 6'2" leather-clad hunk, she's starting to realize that although their attraction may be dangerous, nothing could be as lethal as the showdown that awaits them.
by Ann Aguirre
Roc; Original edition (April 6, 2010)
From the publisher: As a handler, Corine Solomon can touch any object and know its history. It's too bad she can't seem to forget her own. With her ex-boyfriend Chance in tow-lending his own supernatural brand of luck - Corine journeys back home to Kilmer, Georgia, in order to discover the truth behind her mother's death and the origins of "gift".
But while trying to uncover the secrets in her past, Corine and Chance find that something is rotten in the state of Georgia. Inside Kilmer's borders there are signs of a dark curse affecting the town and all its residents - and it can only be satisfied with death...
by Alexandra Harvey
Walker Books for Young Readers (December 22, 2009)
From the publisher: On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.
Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.
Even fans of the genre who’ve seen it all will find a fresh read with kick-butt characters and family dynamics that ring true for all brothers and sisters—vampire or otherwise.
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