Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Welcome to the May 2024 issue of my newsletter, “News from the Crypt,” and please visit Carter’s Crypt, devoted to my horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance work, especially focusing on vampires and shapeshifting beasties. If you have a particular fondness for vampires, check out the chronology of my series in the link labeled “Vanishing Breed Vampire Universe.”
Also, check out the multi-author Alien Romances Blog
To subscribe to this monthly newsletter, please e-mail me at MLCVamp@aol.com, and I will add you to the list.
For other web links of possible interest, please scroll to the end.
In April, my vampire romance CRIMSON DREAMS was featured in the Paranormal Romance Event at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven:
The summer when Heather was eighteen, her dream beast’s nightly visits warded off loneliness and swept her away in flights of ecstasy. Now, returning to the mountains to sell her dead parents’ vacation cabin, she finds her “beast” again. But he turns out to be more than a dream. She meets Devin in the flesh, apparently not a day older.
An excerpt appears below. At this point in the story, Heather knows Devin really exists and is a vampire, a member of a naturally evolved humanoid species. You can find the publisher’s page here:
Please enjoy this interview with YA and women’s fiction author Ally Hayes.
*****
Interview with Ally Hayes:
Thanks so much for allowing me to discuss my latest novella, Spring Market Surprise.
What inspired you to begin writing?
I have always been an avid reader and the desire to write started when I was young and grew out of jealousy and awe that a real live person created worlds I loved.
What genres do you work in?
Mostly women’s fiction, but also young adult.
Do you outline, “wing it,” or something in between?
Not only do I outline—in longhand—I write the first draft in an old-school spiral notebook. My first edits are me trying to decipher my handwriting as I type it.
What have been the major influences on your work (favorite authors or whatever)?
Truly, everything and everyone but my contemporary favorite at the moment is Kristan Higgins. She writes relatable stories and characters that feel authentic. I strive to for those qualities.
Please tell us about your Poppy Lane series and how you developed the setting. Do characters recur from book to book? Do the stories need to be read in any particular order?
The Poppy Lane series started with A Snowball’s Chance, which is part of The Wild Rose Press’ Christmas Cookie series. I loved the characters immediately and knew I would revisit them somehow. When WRP announced a spring series, Jelly Beans and Spring Things, I knew I found my chance to continue the stories and wrote two. Promposal on Poppy Lane picks up a year after Snowball and features a young adult romance. Spring Market Surprise focuses on another Poppy Lane resident and begins on a pivotal day in Promposal. Each story stands alone, but I think reading them in order makes the experience more fun.
What is your latest or next-forthcoming book?
Spring Market Surprise just released on March 25th.
What are you working on now?
My last few books have been novellas, so now I am working on a full-length story about friends that opens at a 30th high school reunion. It seems to be taking me a long time to finish as I got used to novella length, but I’m having fun.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Write what you want, not what anyone—especially on social media, says is popular. If you’re not writing what you want, you won’t enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy writing it, no one will enjoy reading it.
What is the URL of your website? What about other internet presence?
I’m active on Facebook and X.
Facebook Author Page
@PartlyHazy
*****
Some Books I’ve Read Lately:
FANGS, by A. E. Howe. The first book in the Baron Blasko mystery series. I read this 2018 novel on the recommendation of a fellow hardcore vampire fan. First, I must acknowledge that the premise isn’t quite like anything in the genre I’ve read before. In the 1930s, protagonist Josephine travels to Romania to fulfill her father’s dying request by scattering her grandfather’s ashes in the cemetery of the village from which he emigrated. When she reaches her destination – near the Arges River, a location associated with the real-life Vlad Dracula – she meets distant relatives but discovers that the village itself has been abandoned. Nobody will tell her exactly why, much less go near the place. Finally, one local man agrees to guide her, along with a Romanian military officer who has been escorting her through the countryside. After the scattering of the ashes, they come upon an apparently deserted manor or castle. A man who seems to be a guard charges at them and gets into a fight with the officer, whereupon they kill each other. Deserted by her local guide, Josephine seeks shelter for the night in the castle. The lord of the manor, Baron Blasko, jumps to the conclusion that she’s a vampire-hunter bent on destroying him. When he attacks her, she tries to defend herself by biting his wrist and accidentally consumes some of his blood. The unintentional two-way blood exchange creates an unbreakable bond between them. They can’t hurt each other, nor can they stand being separated. (She isn’t destined to become a vampire, which requires a more complicated procedure.) Of course unwilling to stay in Romania, she takes the Baron home with her to Alabama, coffin and native earth included. Here I had to suspend disbelief a bit, considering how readily he accepts this plan. Back home, Josephine allows him to take up residence in her basement, which he remodels into a comfortable apartment, paid for by some of the coinage he brings with him. He drinks bottled blood she obtains for him and makes a pet of a bat that lives in the basement rafters. (That’s another detail I wondered about: How does he deal with all the guano?) Blasko is what I think of as a “movie vampire,” one that sleeps through the daylight hours and can’t endure the sun. He also has the typical vampiric gift of mesmerism but not the ability to transform into bat, wolf, or mist. While he accepts the restriction of consuming “dead” blood, its inadequacy as nourishment eventually becomes a problem. The feasibility of drinking animal blood, oddly, is never discussed. The mystery begins with a murder in the house across the street. Partly to forestall accusations against himself, as a foreigner in a small town, and partly from boredom, Blasko – a fan of Sherlock Holmes – decides to solve the crime. Josephine has no choice but to help and try to keep him out of trouble. The story unfolds with suspense seasoned by touches of humor, particularly the Baron’s attempt to learn to drive. The book vividly immerses us in the era of the Depression, Prohibition, racial caste divisions in the American South, and the rising threat of Hitler (only briefly touched upon, since he hasn’t become Germany’s supreme leader yet). The typical mystery cast of suspects and detectives, official and unofficial, comes entertainingly to life. I found the solution and the climactic showdown convincing. I never felt the bond between Josephine and Blasko as strongly as we’re apparently meant to, though, even toward the end after their attachment has become more than merely obligatory. However, I enjoyed the book enough that I’ll try at least the next volume in the series.
THE DARK LORD’S DAUGHTER, by Patricia C. Wrede. Any fan of Wrede’s DEALING WITH DRAGONS and its sequels would expect a new fantasy novel by her to be excellent fun, and this book doesn’t disappoint. While fourteen-year-old Kayla, her widowed (adoptive) mother, and Del, her ten-year-old brother, are visiting the State Fair, a man in a costume out of a fantasy film accosts them. When he introduces himself as Waylan, second commander of the Dark Hordes of Zaradwin, they assume he’s an actor employed by the fair. The next moment, though, he greets Kayla as daughter of the Dark Lord who died ten years earlier, and she and her family find themselves instantaneously transported to a strange world. Wrede deftly sets up the characters and their mundane background in a few vividly drawn pages before introducing Waylan and his pronouncement of Kayla’s alleged destiny. They waste little or no time in doubting the reality of the alien environment, as some authors’ characters in a similar situation might do. Nor do they spend much if any effort pondering, as the reader might, why they hear the local language as English – magic, I guess. To begin with, naturally, they’re preoccupied with how they can get home. Kayla’s mother, in particular, remains narrowly focused on that goal for most of the book, a mindset similar (as Kayla recalls) to her relentlessly single-minded determination during her husband’s final illness. Del can’t help being excited about visiting a world reminiscent of his favorite movies and video games, where he might turn out to have magic of his own. I started the novel expecting a rather lighthearted romp through a fantasy realm, and the story does include frequent humorous moments arising from the culture clash between twenty-first-century American characters and a preindustrial kingdom pervaded by enchantment. I especially like the feature that objects from the mundane world nonexistent in this one transform into their local counterparts. Kayla’s tablet becomes a monkey-like familiar with a British accent; her mother’s pink cell phone becomes a small, pink-furred, magical creature called a Messenger Mouse. Kayla meets a teenage would-be Dark Lord handicapped by his birth into a Light family and the unintimidating name “Archie.” From mildly suspicious rivals, they develop into allies and eventually friends. (He might settle for becoming one of her evil minions, but he keeps trying on more Dark-sounding names just in case.) Yet as the presumptive Dark Lady Kayla copes with high-stakes issues, some literally life-or-death, she prepares for the vitally important investiture ceremony that will decide her fate as well as that of her family and the people she gradually comes to care for. Meanwhile, she helps to get the run-down, dirty fortress into shape under her mother’s tireless direction, sneaks out at night to explore the castle and the nearby village, discovers secrets and hidden rooms, and studies to master her inherited magic. Appalled to realize the locals actually expect her to crush opposition and consolidate her power by exiling, torturing, or executing people on the slightest pretext, she struggles to maintain her Dark Lady status while remaining a morally sound twenty-first-century teenager on the inside. When it becomes clear even to her mother that they’ll be stuck in this world for months at the least, their predicament becomes seriously dire. Delightful, thrilling, un-put-downable. I do wonder whether a sequel might be forthcoming, given the loose ends that remain (such as whether they ever return to Earth and, if so, how they’ll explain their lengthy disappearance).
THE SPARROW, by Mary Doria Russell. Less recently published than I’d thought (1996), this first-contact novel nevertheless presciently foreshadows twenty-first-century technology and current events (as the author’s twentieth-anniversary afterword mentions). It remains convincing as near-future science fiction, aside from the detail of asteroid mining in 2015. It reads like a response to James Blish’s classic “Jesuits in space” story, A CASE OF CONSCIENCE (1958), yet as far as I can tell from Russell’s recorded statements, she not only hadn’t read Blish’s book but hadn’t even heard of it when she conceived hers. Capsule summary of the plot: In the twenty-teens, the SETI project detects radio signals from the Alpha Centauri system, musical broadcasts clearly of intelligent origin. Under the sponsorship of the Jesuit order, a ship constructed from a hollowed-out asteroid sets off at a high fraction of light speed to discover the source. The trip takes seventeen years one way, although reports beamed back to Earth at the speed of light arrive in a bit over four years. Thanks to relativistic time dilation, the crew of the ship experiences only six months on the journey. I admire Russell’s skill at avoiding the need for any form of hyperdrive, keeping the voyage within the possibilities of known science. In 2060, Jesuit priest Emilio Sandoz returns alone in the ship, programmed by the follow-up expedition to navigate home autonomously. The sole survivor of the original mission, he’s physically, mentally, and spiritually broken. A report from the astronauts who discovered him on the planet Rakhat accuses him of prostitution and child-murder. These events unfold in achronic order, skipping between the present (2060) and the past. Chapters have place and date headings to keep the audience anchored. In the scenes of the earlier time period, the mission doesn’t leave Earth until about halfway through the book, so some readers may chafe at the slow buildup. Engrossed in the characters and the plight of Father Sandoz, I felt the narrative structure didn’t drag but, rather, generated suspense. Along with Sandoz as the protagonist, the mission comprises an ensemble cast of fully realized characters, all good people with individual quirks, flaws, and talents. As far as SF content is concerned, the sciences foregrounded are biology, anthropology, and above all linguistics, Sandoz’s specialty. How did fundamental misunderstandings make the first contact with a planet inhabited by two sapient species devolve from an optimistic beginning into catastrophe? Why are Sandoz’s hands horribly mutilated? How did his companions die? What were the traumatic experiences he refuses to talk about? Did he really commit the crimes of which he’s accused? We don’t learn the full answers to these questions until almost the end. When he recovers enough to confront a formal hearing and the report of the second expedition, he says the assertions are “true but all wrong.” Russell creates the most convincing and harrowing fictional depiction of PTSD I’ve ever read. The story arc fundamentally consists of a classic tragic plot — good intentions and vaulting ambition that produce a catastrophic outcome resulting in the protagonist’s downfall, with large-scale repercussions for two worlds. Father Sandoz’s dilemma is left unanswered: Was the mission truly the will of God, as he originally supposed? If not, it was an act of foolish arrogance. If so, then God is responsible for both the beauty and the suffering; therefore, God is “vicious.”
THE CHILDREN OF GOD, by Mary Doria Russell. Sequel to THE SPARROW. Since it’s almost impossible to discuss this novel without spoilers for the first one, I won’t reveal many specifics about the plot. In brief, a planned new expedition to Rakhat in search of commercially valuable products leads the Pope and the Jesuit Father General to believe that Father Sandoz needs to return to the planet, not only to discover the full truth about what has happened in the decades (planetary time) since he left, but also for the good of his own soul. Not surprisingly, he vehemently refuses. He has resigned from the order, rejected his priestly vocation, and metaphorically washed his hands of the whole matter. He does, however, grudgingly agree to train prospective members of the crew in the culture and languages of Rakhat, in hopes that they can avoid the disastrous errors committed by the first mission. One of the book’s most heartbreaking moments occurs when Father Sandoz, having found love and a measure of peace, is forcibly taken aboard the starship and returned to Rakhat. (This isn’t a spoiler; it’s in the cover blurb.) Meanwhile, a revolution of the low-tech, village-dwelling vegetarian species against the urban, dominant, far less numerous carnivorous species is tearing apart the planet’s society. It becomes clear to the reader and soon to the Earth visitors that this catastrophe was unintentionally caused by the first expedition. The addition of a survivor from that mission who was presumed dead thickens the plot, producing a complex, emotionally fraught story. We learn much more about the culture of the dominant Rakhat species, with extended sequences from multiple viewpoints. We discover that two of those characters presented as irredeemable villains in THE SPARROW have much more nuanced personalities and motives. Like THE SPARROW, CHILDREN OF GOD is narrated out of chronological order, with multiple timelines instead of only two. Russell’s interview at the end of this edition remarks that many readers prefer the second novel over the first, which is her favorite of the two. I agree with Russell on this point, though it’s a close call. CHILDREN OF GOD has, if not exactly a happy ending, a concluding scene of reconciliation, peace, and even serenity. I prefer THE SPARROW, however, for its tighter focus on Father Sandoz and the smaller cast of supporting characters. Anyway, I recommend reading both rather than leaving him trapped in the existential despair of the first novel. Although it would be heretical to do evil in order that good may come of it, nevertheless in the long view the sequel postulates that good can be wrested from the worst of circumstances.
For my recommendations of “must read” classic and modern vampire fiction, explore the Realm of the Vampires:
Realm of the Vampires
*****
Excerpt from CRIMSON DREAMS:
Blushing, Heather picked up her spoon. “I thought you didn’t eat food.”
“I can consume liquids,” he said, “though most of them don’t do me any good. Things like gelatin and ice cream are liquids, in a sense–that helps when I get stuck with a dinner invitation I can’t turn down. And I do get nourishment from milk.” He had poured himself a glass, which he sipped while watching Heather eat.
“What we just did,” she said, irritably sensing his amusement at the way she groped for words. “We did that when I was eighteen, when I thought I was dreaming?”
“Not like that, dear one. It’s incredibly different when you’re fully aware of me.” He reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “So much better–I had no idea.”
“But it couldn’t all have been real. Some of it had to be just dreams, fantasies. Zorro and Lancelot and all that.”
“I drew upon whatever scenes would please and excite you the most,” he said. “Manipulative–that’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? Well, yes, but I also aimed to enhance your pleasure.”
“You did that, all right.” Good grief, why can’t I quit blushing? “I remember flying. In fact, I dreamed that again recently. Now, that can’t have been real–unless you’re holding out on me. You can’t turn into a bat, can you?”
“Certainly not. Where do you think the extra mass would go?”
What little she knew of nuclear physics made Heather cringe at the thought.
“However,” Devin went on, “we can fly, in a sense. Levitate, actually–even though our bones are a bit lighter than yours, true flight is impossible for a human-size creature. And we do transform into a winged entity. The wings are needed for gliding and steering.”
“A giant bat?” Heather rubbed her eyes. “That’s even weirder.”
“Our scholars believe it’s an ancestral form imprinted on the DNA, a shape we discarded as we evolved to mimic your species in every outward respect. One of our psychic gifts involves resuming that shape. The older we grow, the better we can do it, and the longer we can maintain it.”
She swallowed a cold lump of ice cream, chasing it with a gulp of juice. “Show me. I’m tired of blundering around in a fog about what’s real and what’s not.”
He finished his milk and gazed thoughtfully at her. “What the observer sees depends a great deal on what he or she expects to see. We can project illusions of whatever monstrous shape we want to assume. But yes, I can show you–without clouding your mind.”
Her eyes challenged him. “No illusions.”
“No. You’ll see only what physically exists.”
End of Excerpt
*****
The long-time distributor of THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT has closed its website. If you would like to read any issue of this fanzine, which contains fiction, interviews, and a detailed book review column, visit the Dropbox page below. Find information about the contents of each issue on this page of my website:
All issues are now posted on Dropbox, where you should be able to download them at this link:
All Vampire’s Crypt Issues on Dropbox
A complete list of my available works, arranged roughly by genre, with purchase links:
For anyone who would like to read previous issues of this newsletter, they’re posted on my website here (starting from January 2018):
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Facebook
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Barnes and Noble
Here’s the list of my Kindle books on Amazon. (The final page, however, includes some Ellora’s Cave anthologies in which I don’t have stories):
Carter Kindle Books
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Amazon
The Fiction Database displays a comprehensive list of my books (although with a handful of fairy tales by a different Margaret Carter near the end):
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Goodreads
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My Publishers:
Writers Exchange E-Publishing: Writers Exchange
Harlequin: Harlequin
Wild Rose Press: Wild Rose Press
You can contact me at: MLCVamp@aol.com
“Beast” wishes until next time—
Margaret L. Carter
Welcome to the April 2024 issue of my newsletter, “News from the Crypt,” and please visit Carter’s Crypt, devoted to my horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance work, especially focusing on vampires and shapeshifting beasties. If you have a particular fondness for vampires, check out the chronology of my series in the link labeled “Vanishing Breed Vampire Universe.”
Also, check out the multi-author Alien Romances Blog
To subscribe to this monthly newsletter, please e-mail me at MLCVamp@aol.com, and I will add you to the list.
For other web links of possible interest, please scroll to the end.
A joyful welcome to the northern hemisphere spring!
Below is an excerpt from my “Jelly Beans and Spring Things” story from last year, “Bunny Hunt.” At the neighborhood Easter egg hunt, Melanie’s nephew’s dog, Kiki, runs away to chase a rabbit, and Melanie hurries to catch her. You can find “Bunny Hunt” here:
This month’s interview features another “Jelly Beans and Spring Things” writer, multi-genre author (and trained belly dancer) Sonya Rhen.
*****
Interview with Sonya Rhen:
What inspired you to begin writing?
I’ve always loved stories since I was little and my parents would read to me. I think I wrote my first story when I was around six about two lion cubs. I’ve written short stories and poems ever since. It wasn’t until I discovered NaNoWriMo in 2008 that I actual wrote my first novel, and I’ve been writing more seriously since then. I find that writing really feeds my creative spirit and allows me to process events and situations in a positive way.
What genres do you work in?
I mostly write humor, but I’m fairly eclectic. My writing tends to be all over the place. I write a humorous SciFi Series about a seismic rock band, the Shredded Orphans, who travel in space. I also write poetry, romance and whatever strikes my fancy. I have an unpublished paranormal mystery series I’m writing with a friend.
Do you outline, “wing it,” or something in between?
I’m mostly a “pantser” and wing it while I’m writing, but sometimes I outline or at least have a rough idea where I’m going with the story.
What have been the major influences on your work (favorite authors or whatever)?
I read a lot of different genres, but my favorite authors are Agatha Christie, Alexander McCall Smith, Terry Pratchett, P.G. Wodehouse, Penny Reid, Julia Quinn, T. Kingfisher and Jessie Mihalik. I think these authors all have a pretty good sense of humor as well as telling a good story. For my science fiction influences, I have to say those are primarily television shows. I grew up watching Star Trek and the original Battlestar Galactica with my dad. I also really like Far Scape, Red Dwarf and Firefly.
What sparked your Jelly Beans and Spring Things book, “Waiting for Spring”?
“Waiting For Spring” was written out of my love for belly dancing, my local belly dance community and my love for Kirkland. While there is no actual Kirkland Crocus parade, there is an annual 4th of July parade. When my kids were little, we walked the parade route in the Kid’s Parade that happened just before the main parade. Though I didn’t put it in my story, I did have a motorized kiddie car run over my foot!
Do you practice belly dancing yourself? If so, what can you tell us about that experience, e.g., how long did it take to learn?
I practiced belly dance regularly for about fifteen years. I loved it, but sadly our troupe and classes came to an end during the Covid shutdown. My teacher, Athena, used to dance with the famous Greek belly dancer in Zaphara’s Middle Eastern Dancers and also danced at several local restaurants. It took a few years, but we finally convinced her to start her own troupe and The Habibi Nile Dancers was born. We danced quite a bit in the Seattle area at events, restaurants and haflas. Though, we never danced in any parades.
My parade belly dancing experience was with the renowned Egyptian-Cabaret belly dancer, Delilah (who was in the movie “The China Syndrome” as a Belly Gram dancer.) I danced with her group in two of the Fremont Solstice Parades. (The first time doing the parade I had only been taking lessons for about six months.) It was tiring, but so much fun!
As far as how long it took to learn belly dancing, I’m still learning! The last workshop I took was a Saidi cane dance from the Egyptian musician and dancer Karim Nagi. (You can watch his TEDx Talk on YouTube.) The basics of belly dancing are pretty easy and you can be belly dancing in a matter of months, but there are so many advanced techniques and also a wide variety of dances, that you can always be learning!
Please tell us about the making of the holiday anthology you edited.
The holiday anthology I edited called “Holiday Sampler” was a labor of love. I had this idea of making an anthology for the writer’s group I was in at the time. It was a way of helping us all promote each other’s writing. A lot of people helped contribute to the book of short stories, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out.
Tell us a bit about your “Shredded Orphans” science fiction series.
My first book in the Shredded Orphans series is “Space Tripping With the Shredded Orphans.” The inspiration for the book came partly from a dream I had and a short-lived TV show called “Space Rangers.” By the time I got around to writing it, I think it was influenced a lot by the show “Firefly.” Someone from my critique group referred to my novel as “Firefly,” but with a band. The band consists of Lix, the guitarist and lead singer; Chitto, the sitonitar player; Mac, the drummer; Ophelia, the backup singer and trapeze artist; and Justice, the roadie and pilot. It’s an intergalactic road trip with a seismic rock band!
What is your latest or next-forthcoming book?
I have book three in the Shredded Orphans series nearly complete, so that might be the next book I have coming out. I had put it on hold to deal with family things and haven’t gotten back to it yet. In the meantime, I’ve been working on short stories, but have yet to have any of them published (other than “Waiting For Spring”.)
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on finishing a handful of short stories as well as a paranormal mystery series that I’m writing with a friend. Writing is really difficult and when personal things come up and things go wrong with the house, it really puts a damper on writing. So when I can write, it’s just to try and finish up writing projects I’ve already started.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
My advice for aspiring authors is that writing is hard. If you think writing is a good get rich quick scheme, then you’d be better off getting a different job. But if you have a compulsion to write and you love playing with words, then go for it. Also, if there’s something you really want to write as a legacy, like your memoir or family history, then now is a great time for writing. There are so many resources out there for you in terms of writing tools like software, computers, tablets, dictation software and affordable self-publishing options, so you can be holding a physical copy of your book without having to buy 10,000 or so copies. If you are seriously thinking about becoming an author, then I recommend two things. First, try NaNoWriMo. It has great resources and is a great way to get a lot of words down in a short amount of time. Then you can see if this is really something that you want to be doing. Second, join writers’ groups, either in your area or online. Making writer friends is a great way to get support and advice. And then, just keep writing!
What is the URL of your website? What about other internet presence?
You can find me at the following places online:
Author Website
Facebook
Twitter @SonyaRhen
Instagram
Threads sonyarhen
TikTok @sonyarhen
*****
Some Books I’ve Read Lately:
LEGENDS & LATTES [sic], by Travis Baldree. In addition to the cute title, I was intrigued by the numerous favorable references to this novel I’d come across. After reading its blurb, I couldn’t resist buying it. Good decision, especially for a longtime Dungeons and Dragons player. The opening scene reads like the climax of a D&D campaign. Veteran orc freelance fighter Viv slays a monster called a Scalvert and takes a stone with rumored magical powers from its head. The rest of the book, however, doesn’t follow the D&D action-adventure pattern. Labeled “A novel of high fantasy and low stakes,” that’s exactly what it is. Nobody is trying to save the world or even a threatened homeland. The personal stakes are high for the protagonist, though, as they should be. A retired orc warrior who loves coffee and books, starting a new life as proprietor of a coffee shop in a city where nobody outside the gnome community has ever heard of that beverage? Irresistible. Foreswearing violence and hanging up her sword (literally, on the wall), Viv dips into the fortune she won as a mercenary and dungeon-delver to buy an abandoned livery stable. She buries the Scalvert Stone under the floor, hoping it will bring good fortune as its legend claims. In the course of remodeling the premises and opening the shop (like a tavern, she explains, but with “bean water” instead of alcohol), she gains employees and other helpers who soon become allies, friends, and eventually partners. Most notably, Viv grows close to Tandri, a succubus with a flare for art. Just as Viv refuses the stereotypical role of a barbaric orc, Tandri resists the one-dimensional image of seductive demons imposed on her species. Aside from harassment by a gang running a protection racket, after a rocky start Viv’s enterprise prospers. Coffee, pastries, a strange product called “chocolate,” and the music of a timid bard prove to be big hits with the customers. Viv even manages to handle the gang without resorting to the violence she has renounced. Unfortunately, one of her old adventuring comrades covets the Scalvert Stone and has no scruples about how to get it. I found the dark moment when all seems lost, and its aftermath, truly moving. The characters are totally engaging, and the quirky interactions among different fantasy-world species are fun to read. The awkwardly tentative relationship between Viv and Tandri is touching, as the reader waits eagerly for them to admit their feelings to themselves and each other. As a bonus at the end, the book includes a prequel story, revealing Viv’s first encounter with coffee (unconnected to the prequel novel, BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST).
BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST. As in LEGENDS & LATTES, the characters in this prequel don’t face a world-destroying threat, although the stakes are a little higher than those in L&L. In B&B, Viv, still an active mercenary fighter at this point, battles the minions of an evil necromancer, whose menace lurks in the background throughout the novel. Nevertheless, the tagline of L&L does fit this story, too, which might be described as another “cozy” fantasy. After getting severely wounded in the opening scene due to her impulsively aggressive fighting style, Viv stays in a tiny seaside town to recover while the mercenary company moves on without her. They’ll theoretically swing by to pick her up after she heals, but doubts on that point trouble her. Frustrated by her limitations on training effectively while convalescing and bored with inactivity, she wanders into a dilapidated bookstore deserted except for its rattkin proprietor and a pet owl-canine creature named Potroast. (Despite the plural in the title, it seems to be the only bookstore in town. To paraphrase a line from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, they don’t have a lot of town.) After the shop owner talks Viv into accepting a novel on a bet, she not only turns into a compulsive reader but gradually becomes determined to spruce up the shabby establishment and enliven its almost nonexistent cash flow. In this eclectic community of species such as dwarfs, gnomes, and elves, including at least one other orc, Viv hesitantly makes friends, although reluctant to grant them that label. After all, she’ll be moving on soon, an understanding that influences but doesn’t prevent a romantic fling. She also clashes with a suspicious elvish constable, finds an ominous magical tome, and develops an alliance with a skeletal golem who doesn’t really want to return to its necromantic creator. The bookstore gets rejuvenated, bonds are formed, and the looming evil is confronted. Travis Baldree’s delightful narrative voice manages with apparent ease the daunting task of making an orc fighter a sympathetic character. The events of this book foreshadow Viv’s activities and growth in LEGENDS & LATTES without, however, undercutting her warrior persona in the present. The epilogue skips ahead to a scene taking place soon after LEGENDS & LATTES but doesn’t contain any significant spoilers. These two books could be read in either order, although I would recommend the publication sequence (LEGENDS & LATTES first).
ROSES IN AMBER, by C. E. Murphy. “Beauty and the Beast” is my favorite fairy tale, and of all the adaptations I’ve read or viewed, this is one of the most unusual. The basic plot and characters of the traditional tale form the framework, but with fascinating variations. Although we’ve seen other proactive Beauty figures, e.g,, in both of Robin McKinley’s novelizations and in the Disney animated film, Murphy’s Amber beats them all. The youngest of three sisters, unlike Beauty in the familiar story she also has three younger half-brothers by a stepmother, far from cruel, who has been a loving mother to the girls. After the family loses their home and possessions to a fire in the opening scene, their previously wealthy father learns of the loss of his ships. Faced with unpayable debts, they leave town by night to retire to their distant hunting lodge (which the children have never seen before), accompanied by only one faithful servant. The battered but plucky characters and their sad plight kept my interest fully engaged until the encounter with the Beast finally occurs, over one-third through the book. Unlike Beauty in any other version I’ve read or viewed, Amber travels back to the city with her father to reclaim their single salvaged merchant vessel and settle their debts. Therefore, she’s with him during the first night at the Beast’s palace, and she herself plucks the fateful rose. The story takes place in an alternate world, similar but not identical to our Renaissance or early modern Europe. Instead of practicing Christianity, the inhabitants revere the sun, moon, and stars. Everyone acknowledges the existence of faeries, witches, and magic, although few people expect to witness them in daily life. Same-sex marriage is accepted as routine. Class distinctions, however, hold sway just as in our history. Most readers, knowing from the cover blurb that they’re reading a “Beauty and the Beast” adaptation, will guess the Beast’s true identity long before he’s even introduced in person. That fact doesn’t function as the big secret reserved for a climactic revelation; the Beast tells Amber about his origin and curse midway through the novel, as soon as they develop a friendly relationship. Magic, though, prevents him from speaking of the details of the curse or possible ways to break it. Devastating revelations about the royal family’s tragedy, the Faerie War, Amber’s parents’ long-buried secrets, and the girls’ own latent magic culminate in a fight for the lives of Amber’s sisters as well as the Beast. The breaking of his curse plays out to a shocking, unexpected, but satisfying conclusion.
For my recommendations of “must read” classic and modern vampire fiction, explore the Realm of the Vampires:
Realm of the Vampires
*****
Excerpt from “Bunny Hunt”:
She raced along the narrow trail. Judging from the volume of the barking, the dog hadn’t gotten far yet. Melanie sprinted toward the noise, hoping to sight the runaway around the next curve in the path. What if she chased the rabbit into the underbrush?
No need to worry about that problem until she caught up with the animals. Rounding a bend, she forced herself to a burst of speed. She didn’t see her quarry, but the yapping grew still louder. After the second loop in the trail, she almost tripped over Kiki’s leash and skidded to a stop.
Not far off the path under the trees, the dog stood with her front paws pinning the rabbit to the ground. She kept barking but didn’t move otherwise, as if she had no idea what to do with her thrashing, kicking prey. The wild animal appeared to weigh at least ten pounds, barely smaller than the dog herself.
Panting and sweating from the run, Melanie lifted her ponytail off the damp nape of her neck while she seized a loop of the leash with her other hand. If one of those kicks connected, Scott’s pet could get seriously hurt. “Kiki, drop it!”
The pup didn’t even glance at her. That must have been a command she either hadn’t learned yet or chose to ignore. Melanie gave the leash a firm jerk. Startled, Kiki tumbled off the flailing rabbit and struggled to land on all fours.
The rabbit sprang upright. Melanie retreated a couple of steps, hauling the dog with her. To her surprise, the rabbit turned its head and gazed up as if assessing her. Kiki, already recovering her balance, strained at the leash.
“Well, what are you waiting for, bunny? Get out of here.”
I’m talking to a wild rabbit. Unless maybe it’s an escaped pet? That possibility would account for how little fear of humans it showed.
Staring straight at her, it reared up on its haunches. Its amber eyes gazed at her with an expression of unnerving attention.
What’s it thinking about me? Melanie shook her head. Whoa! Now I’m giving it credit for human intelligence.
A bright shimmer dazzled her vision. When it faded, the animal was standing on its hind legs—and growing. It expanded to person-height. Kiki emitted an alarmed yip and huddled against Melanie’s leg. Melanie simply froze, her mouth gaping open.
When the glow faded, a human-size bunny stood before her. It—no, she—displayed the same cinnamon-brown fur and long ears. Her face had the general shape of a woman’s, but with whiskers, amber eyes, a button nose, and rabbity incisors. Her leg joints bent at an angle suitable for hopping. Most striking, two vertical rows of nipples, four and four, adorned the front of her body, and her belly bulged with an obvious pregnancy.
-end of excerpt-
*****
The long-time distributor of THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT has closed its website. If you would like to read any issue of this fanzine, which contains fiction, interviews, and a detailed book review column, visit the Dropbox page below. Find information about the contents of each issue on this page of my website:
All issues are now posted on Dropbox, where you should be able to download them at this link:
All Vampire’s Crypt Issues on Dropbox
A complete list of my available works, arranged roughly by genre, with purchase links:
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Carter Kindle Books
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“Beast” wishes until next time—
Margaret L. Carter
Welcome to the March 2024 issue of my newsletter, “News from the Crypt,” and please visit Carter’s Crypt, devoted to my horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance work, especially focusing on vampires and shapeshifting beasties. If you have a particular fondness for vampires, check out the chronology of my series in the link labeled “Vanishing Breed Vampire Universe.”
Also, check out the multi-author Alien Romances Blog
To subscribe to this monthly newsletter here, please e-mail me at MLCVamp@aol.com, and I will add you to the list.
For other web links of possible interest, please scroll to the end.
Below is an excerpt from “Therapy for a Vampire,” a humorous story I’ll probably be reading from at the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts this month. It’s one of three lighthearted works in the collection DOCTOR VAMPIRE, spun off from my main vampire series. Psychiatrist Roger Darvell, half vampire and half human, is working (with the help of his human professional and romantic partner, Britt Loren) on a cure for a young vampire’s phobias. In this scene in historic downtown Annapolis, Franz has just celebrated his success in walking across a bridge over running water by picking up a “donor” at the bar of a waterfront restaurant.
You can find the DOCTOR VAMPIRE three-story collection here:
Multi-genre author Karen Hulene Bartell is joining us this month.
*****
Interview with Karen Hulene Bartell:
Margaret, thank you so much for interviewing me for your March newsletter!
What inspired you to begin writing?
IMHO, reading is the inspiration for and entry into writing.
Born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually–sometimes monthly–I found my earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became my portable pals. Ghost stories kept me up at night–reading feverishly. Novels offered an imaginative escape, and the paranormal was my passion.
An only child, I began writing my first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating my own happy endings…However, I got four pages into my first “book” and realized I had to do a lot of living before I could finish it!
So here I am all these decades later, still creating my own happy endings…
What genres do you work in?
More often than not, I write paranormal romances, but I also write political-suspense thrillers and frontier romance.
Do you outline, “wing it,” or something in between?
Mostly, I “wing it.” Occasionally at the end of a day, I’ll make a brief outline of the action I want to write about the following day, but overall, I’m a “pantser.”
What have been the major influences on your work (favorite authors or whatever)?
Reading has been the major influence on my work. But rather than idolizing one author, it’s more accurate to say each and every author since I learned to read has influenced me in style, expression, or pacing. However, when I was a child, I read every Nancy Drew book our library loaned, so if I had to choose one author who inspired me, I would have to name Carolyn Keene.
Please tell us about your Sacred Journey series.
The Sacred Journey series was my first. Five books are a chronological “record” of Angela’s spiritual journey, beginning before she was born with her mother, and culminating in the realization of her mission. As she follows her inner path, she helps others realize their potential.
SACRED CHOICES – Journey from a test to a decision to an uncanny conclusion – On a quest to learn if it’s the Aztec goddess Tonantzin or Our Lady of Guadalupe who’s been revered for 500 years, Ceren learns she’s pregnant. Her husband urges abortion. Judith advocates pro-choice, and her sister provides the voice of reason. Is it her imagination, a vision, or an angel that inspires her decision?
Sacred Choices
SACRED GIFT – Everyone is gifted, but some never open their package – Spirits are everywhere for those privileged to see. But branded ‘different,’ Angela conceals it until she encounters apparitions along San Antonio’s River Walk. Divine gift or ungodly burden, she’s proof there’s more on earth than is dreamt of, but can she use her sacred gift to spur others to realize their potential?
Sacred Gift
LONE STAR CHRISTMAS: HOLY NIGHT – Christmas brings hope, but darkness looms in the joy – San Antonio prepares for Christmas with twinkling lights, riverboat caroling, and frosty nights. The air is fragrant with homemade tamales. But Maria, seven months pregnant, abandoned, and losing hope, encounters an even darker force. Can she escape her obsession with an ex-con and fight off the evil forces at work? Lone Star Christmas
HOLY WATER: RULE OF CAPTURE – What happens when love or the wells run dry? – A corporation plans to legally pump their land dry. Embroiled in a local water-rights conspiracy, Tulah is torn between her childhood sweetheart and a charismatic corporate lawyer working for the other side. Will she protect the aquifer and save her family’s business? Or will she grab her chance at “the good life”? Holy Water
SACRED HEART: VALENTINE, TEXAS – The desert wind sings eerie music – Angela’s quest begins as a dream, but it becomes her mission. She listens for clues as desert winds call her, propel her across time and across Texas. Will she marry her fiancé Kio, struggling along his own inner path, or should she risk their future to explore her attraction to Kent, the empathic art law student? Sacred Heart
What kinds of research do you do for your Western novels?
I enjoy researching all my novels. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the parts I like best about writing, but the research for Kissing Kin, Book II of the Trans-Pecos series, was especially complex–as well as physically demanding and a whole lot of fun!
Why do I describe Kissing Kin’s research as complex?
A big reason is that the manuscript underwent several iterations before being published. The first version was a story about two generations linked by Covid and (via journals) the Spanish Flu of 1918. However, publishers passed on it, saying readers were sick of pandemics.
Because the second version would have been part of series set in Colorado, I changed the location, names, and family relationships. I also adapted the story to fit the series’ outline and removed the flu, but that version didn’t fly, either. My third attempt is the version being released March 13th, which required further revisions and, occasionally, restorations. Try, try, and try again…
Greed and a checkered family history shaped the property lines for Kissing Kin, where some of the characters swindled the land from its rightful owners. This aspect led me into a hornet’s nest of legal research: warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, squatters rights, and a process called adverse possession. Both Texas and Colorado are ‘notice’ states, which means that recording documents legally notify the public of property transfers. But the state laws differ, and I had to research both sets of laws, rewriting the second version with Coloradan laws, and then redrafting the third version, while reverting to the Texan laws.
Karen’s “legal” advice 101: Warranty deeds are better than quitclaim deeds, but recorded warranty deeds are rock solid–unless squatters rights and a process called adverse possession come into play. Then you have a legal fight on your hands–as well as a thickening plot…
Kissing Kin is mainly set in a vineyard. As vintners, farmers, and ranchers know, nature can be cruel. Pierce’s Disease attacks grapevines from Florida to California, where insects called sharpshooter leafhoppers spread the bacteria. I’d never heard of Pierce’s Disease. I have no background in vineyards, and I have a brown thumb. Plants would rather die than live with me. Because of my total lack of knowledge, I had to research the disease, its carriers, and the way to control it.
I learned a new, nicotine-based pesticide eradicates the leafhoppers. I also learned from my grandmother’s hand-printed recipe book, that she treated chicken lice in the 1930s by painting their roost perches with nicotine-sulfate. Apparently, nothing’s new under the sun.
PTSD was another new area of exploration. Two of Kissing Kin’s characters suffered from its symptoms, which wreaked havoc on them–as well as their relationships.
However, the most entertaining research included picking and stomping grapes in two central-Texas vineyards. (I love hands-on (and feet-on) study 😉)
Why do I describe Kissing Kin’s research as physically demanding and a whole lot of fun?
After learning how to prune the vines and harvest the grapes, I did a Lucy-and-Ethyl grape stomp–which was sloshing good fun! Of course, the best research was the wine tasting that followed the stomping!
What is your latest or next-forthcoming book?
Actually, I have two books coming out this spring. Kissing Kin is being released March 13, and Fox Tale will be released April 8.
Kissing Kin Overview (Kissing Kin):
Maeve Jackson is starting over after a broken engagement—and mustering out of the Army. No job and no prospects, she spins out on black ice and totals her car.
When struggling vintner Luke Kaylor stops to help, they discover they’re distantly related. On a shoestring budget to convert his vineyard into a winery, he makes her a deal: prune grapevines in exchange for room and board.
But forgotten diaries and a haunted cabin kickstart a five-generational mystery with ancestors that have bones to pick. As carnal urges propel them into each other’s arms, they wonder: Is their attraction physical…or metaphysical?
Fox Tale Overview (Fox Tale):
Heights terrify Ava. When a stranger saves her from plunging down a mountain, he diverts her fears with tales of Japanese kitsune—shapeshifting foxes—and she begins a journey into the supernatural.
She’s attracted to Chase, both physically and metaphysically, yet primal instincts urge caution when shadows suggest more than meets the eye.
She’s torn between Chase and Rafe, her ex, when a chance reunion reignites their passion, but she struggles to overcome two years of bitter resentment. Did Rafe jilt her, or were they pawns of a larger conspiracy? Are the ancient legends true of kitsunes twisting time and events?
What are you working on now?
My WIP is Silkworm, a political-suspense thriller set in Taipei, Taiwan, that portrays a US Senator’s daughter caught between two men, two cultures, two political ideologies, and the two Chinas.
A love triangle is the metaphor for Taiwan and China (the two dragons) competing for geopolitical and technological accords with the US. As mainland China seeks to recover the third of its lost provinces–Taiwan–Rachel Moore struggles to escape the triple nightmare of impending war, a marriage of convenience, and an assassination plot against the man she loves. Silkworm weaves their stories with the trilateral events currently erupting in Southeast Asia.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
For aspiring paranormal romance authors, I recommend easing into writing through, what I call, the ten “Es”: Establish, Elude, Evoke, Evince, Encounter, Engage, Entertain, Evaluate, Elicit, and Ease.
Establish rapport for the protagonist early on. Let the reader relate.
Elude with scents, sounds, or senses. Let the protagonist walk into a room and get a whiff of her mother’s perfume or a puff of his uncle’s cigar. Are those stairs or floorboards creaking? That chill down the protagonist’s spine feels like someone is walking over their grave.
Evoke memories. Remembering deceased relatives or friends or reading the diaries of ancestors that have passed may help the lingering spirit to be recognized, forgiven, or to find closure.
Forgotten memories or lost journals can help, not only the spirit, but the protagonist, as well, when they learn the truth or understand the role they play in the family story.
Evince the paranormal through evidence. Scents, sounds, or senses set the atmosphere, but eventually, more than hints of a paranormal being are necessary to make the story believable.
For instance, in Kissing Kin, a rocking chair apparently moved of its own volition. But then, they discovered that forced air through vents had “pushed” it. Still later, they learned the history of the rocker, and the protagonist relived the past in a dream. Finally, the protagonist saw the entity’s ghostly figure rocking in the chair.
Or in Fox Tale, I gradually interspersed a mirror’s natural warps with supernatural distortions.
As we left the restaurant, we walked past a convex antique mirror. Still buzzed, I giggled at our distorted, disproportional reflections. His ears looked pointed, like an elf’s. No, like a fox’s. Startled, I gulped.
“What?”
“I…I thought I saw…” Fingers shaking, I pointed at the mirror.
“What?” He glimpsed the mirror.
His reflection was normal.
“Nothing.” Relieved, I giggled and shook my head. “Just that convex mirror playing tricks on my eyes.” Or too much wine…
Encounter the entity. Tease the reader with occurrences that seem paranormal but can be explained through physics or logic. Then, after “disproving” anything supernatural, have the entity manifest itself in a way that’s plausible yet proves it’s unearthly.
Engage the entity. Interact with it. Communicate with it to learn their purpose for the visitation.
Entertain the entity’s request, as well as entertain the reader. Have your protagonist consider how they can—or if they should—help the entity reach its goal or right its wrong.
Keep in mind, your writing’s primary purpose is to entertain the reader throughout the story’s exposition, climax, and denouement.
Evaluate the entity’s motive. Why did the ghost / cryptid contact your protagonist? This is where the entity and / or protagonist deepens their rapport with the reader.
Elicit their help. The entity entreats the protagonist for help. Possibly the entity offers to help the protagonist (because they’re related / had been coworkers or friends).
Ease their plight. After much consideration, have the protagonist agree to assist the entity—but show why. Is it mutually beneficial? Does the protagonist feel an obligation of some sort? Is the protagonist sympathetic? Why?
Hopefully, you’ll ease into writing Paranormal Romance with the ten Es: Establish, Elude, Evoke, Evince, Encounter, Engage, Entertain, Evaluate, Elicit, and Ease.
Happy drafting!
What is the URL of your website? What about other internet presence?
Website – Karen Hulene Bartell
Connect – Connect
Buy Links –
UNIVERSAL LINK: Universal
AMAZON: Amazon
GOODREADS: Kissing Kin
APPLE: Kissing Kin
BARNES & NOBLE: Kissing Kin
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell
MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/karenbartell
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HuleneKaren
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/611950.Karen_Hulene_Bartell
Website: http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/
Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/karenhulenebartell
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BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-hulene-bartell
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhulenebartell/
AUTHORSdb: https://authorsdb.com/community/17847-karen-hulene-bartell
*****
Some Books I’ve Read Lately:
PALADIN’S FAITH, by T. Kingfisher. Fourth novel in the “Saint of Steel” series, based on the premise that the titular deity unaccountably died, traumatizing his paladins by their direct experience of his death. The few survivors of that cataclysmic event have been taken under the protection of the Temple of the White Rat. Professional spy Marguerite appeals to the Bishop of that Temple for protection on her current mission. She has learned of an Artificer inventing a device to extract salt from seawater much more easily – and cheaply – than currently possible. Inexpensive salt, although a great boon for the general public, would undercut the monopoly of the Sealords and destabilize the economy. Marguerite intends to find and protect the Artificer. A male and female paladin, Shane and Wren, are assigned to escort her. Paladins of the Saint of Steel, although bereft of their deity, retain certain gifts: A berserker frenzy in battle called the “dark tide,” granting them superhuman speed and strength, and the “voice,” with which they can persuade almost anybody of anything, provided the speaker is sincere. While a plot centered on economic and commercial conflicts didn’t strike me as a great thrill, it’s more of a MacGuffin providing a framework for the story’s essential core – a quest / road trip during which character relationships have plenty of scope for growth. Marguerite, in her role as a covert information gatherer with a perfumery business as a front, trusts most people little or not at all, with very few exceptions. Reluctantly she begins to accept Shane as one of the latter. Having been rejected by one god and abandoned by another (as he views his situation), he regards himself as a failure. Moreover, he’s even more conscience-ridden than the average paladin. When he inquires about a word for feeling guilty about not feeling guilty enough, his comrade, Wren, tartly replies, “Pathology.” Like all Kingfisher’s fiction, PALADIN’S FAITH sparks with witty dialogue and wry, self-aware internal monologue, even amid dire crises. The latter include exorcisms of demons, a process dangerous to not only the lives but the souls of both bystanders and exorcists. This novel ends with a hook for the next volume, but not, thank goodness, a cliffhanger. While the story of Shane and Marguerite winds up with a satisfying conclusion, more stories remain to be told. The “Saint of Steel” novels can be read independently in any order, although understanding references to previous installments would enrich a reader’s experience.
THE BAD WEATHER FRIEND, by Dean Koontz. In this thriller combining elements of SF and the supernatural, the title character, the opposite of a proverbial fair-weather friend, steadfastly protects his charge through life-threatening disasters. Protagonist Benny Catspaw, a kind, decent young man highly successful in real estate sales and house-flipping, has such a disaster crash down upon him within a single day. He’s fired from his real-estate agency, his girlfriend breaks up with him, his long-time bank rejects him for a loan, and someone trashes his house. Meanwhile, a previously unknown relative ships him a large, casket-like crate. It contains, not books as claimed, but a benevolent giant named Spike, who introduces himself as a “craggle.” Almost two thousand years old, at present he’s tasked with discovering the forces out to destroy Benny’s life and setting things right. Near the end of the book, Spike defines a craggle as “a benign supernatural creature whose mission is to help nice people lead safe and meaningful lives when. . . thwarted and abused” by persecutors such as the villains. He has superhuman strength, plus the abilities to remove and replace his own organs and to stop time, either by “sidelining” one or more individuals or freezing time altogether in his immediate vicinity. He eats (quite a lot) but doesn’t excrete and has no reproductive organs. He displays a fearsome capacity for intimidation, sometimes entailing severe injuries but never killing. Otherwise, he behaves in a kind, patient manner. Along with a diner waitress named Harper Harper (sic), he and Benny embark on a quest to track the instigators of Benny’s persecution to the ultimate source. Despite a horrible childhood, including a stay at a bizarrely evil boarding school, Benny has grown up uncorrupted by those influences. This novel checks off almost all the standard Dean Koontz tropes – near-future mad science; caricatured sociopathic villains with delusions of utopian superiority; an apparent conviction that the world is going straight to perdition because of the collapse of traditional values (including aesthetic ones); luxuriant, at times pretentious prose style; a manic pixie dream girl heroine; love almost at first sight. But no golden retriever this time; instead, the good guys end up with a huge, placid rabbit and a highly intelligent whippet. This novel is so over-the-top, even compared to Koontz’s other recent thrillers, that I strongly suspect it of deliberate self-parody. Numerous metafictional asides from the narrator to the reader support that idea. When Benny and his companions finally confront the evil mastermind, she reveals that he’s targeted as a threat to the Better People (their unironic title for themselves) because he is – too nice! Yet the lyrical final paragraphs of the last page cast doubt on the self-parody hypothesis. At that point the narrator seems completely serious. So could the entire absurd plot up to that point be meant seriously, too?
WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT, by T. Kingfisher. Another enthralling horror tale narrated by delightful protagonist Alex Easton, first met in WHAT MOVES THE DEAD. Like that book, this one is too short for my liking, although I grant that its length in terms of the story’s requirements could hardly be improved. While the new novel could be read on its own, readers already acquainted with the characters would get more from it. In WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT, Alex doesn’t repeat most of the information about Gallacian “sworn soldiers” explained at length in WHAT MOVES THE DEAD. Therefore, a new reader wouldn’t immediately grasp what Alex means by, “I’m not exactly a man.” Sworn soldiers adopt a nonbinary identity for the duration of their service and often (like Alex) for life. The language of Gallacia, a tiny, fictitious central European country, has several gender pronouns in addition to the standard masculine and feminine. As Alex puts it, “No one speaks Gallacian if they can avoid it. Our language is as complicated and miserable as everything else in this country.” Sworn soldiers use ka (subjective) and kan (objective and possessive). Priests are referred to as va / var. The unique pronoun for God is Ha / Har. (Noting that “in English those are sounds associated with laughter,” Alex comments, “Yeah, sounds about right.”) Pre-adolescent children, regardless of sex, go by a neutral pronoun. A couple of brief, offhand remarks reveal Alex’s biological sex as female, but that fact is of no importance. Ka is neither man nor woman; ka is simply a soldier. The book opens with Alex’s return to Gallacia after a long absence, accompanied by kan batman, Angus, “inherited” from kan father. Angus has persuaded Alex to spend a while at the family hunting lodge to host their staunch friend from the previous novel, mycologist Eugenia Potter, fictional aunt of Beatrix Potter. They expect only a quiet period of relaxing and possibly hunting while Miss Potter investigates the native fungi of Gallacia. They find the lodge deserted and in disarray. It turns out the caretaker has been dead for some time, and nobody wants to talk about the lung affliction he died of. They soon learn many people suspect that he was killed by a moroi, an actual creature in Romanian folklore, sometimes conceived as “a phantom of a dead person which leaves the grave to draw energy from the living” (Wikipedia). In other words, a breath-sucking vampire! Unlike WHAT MOVES THE DEAD, which postulates a natural explanation for the destruction of the House of Usher (both structure and family), this new horror novel has a supernatural premise. Of course – it would be quite a letdown if the mysterious affliction and Alex’s nightmares turned out to have a mundane basis. A young man hired, along with his grandmother, to work at the lodge suffers agonizing dreams and falls ill with a severe respiratory disease. After dreaming of a strangely sad young woman who suffocates him by sitting on his chest and inhaling his breath, Alex succumbs to a similar illness. Could the problem be connected with the clogged water flow in the lodge’s springhouse? The grandmother grimly wards the property with heaps of salt and every other anti-supernatural remedy known to local superstition. Her air of perpetual exasperation and disdain for “young fools” such as Alex provides dark comic relief. Miss Potter’s very English understated, levelheaded reaction to the weirdness counterbalances the local people’s fears. The wryly witty conversations among her, Alex, and Angus, typical of Kingfisher’s writing, strike humorous sparks even amid the atmosphere of growing horror. Alex’s disparaging remarks about his native land come across as sardonic humor rather than bitterness. Most interestingly, Kingfisher intertwines the supernatural menace with Alex’s spells of “soldier’s heart” (what we now call PTSD) that linger from his combat service in the Serbian-Bulgarian war of 1885. War, he reflects, doesn’t stay in the past; it’s a “place” to which former combatants continually return – a truth vividly portrayed in the story’s climactic scenes.
For my recommendations of “must read” classic and modern vampire fiction, explore the Realm of the Vampires:
Realm of the Vampires
*****
Excerpt from “Therapy for a Vampire”:
Roger grabbed Franz by the shoulders. “Don’t you know better than to drink from a victim who’s under the influence?”
“But she was delicious.” With a lopsided grin, the lad stripped off his shirt and tossed it onto the hood of the car. “Watch me cross the water again.”
“Wait, what the hell are you doing?”
Franz’s outline shimmered with the vibrations of molecules reordering themselves. Velvety, sable fur spread over his arms and chest. His canines elongated into fangs, and wings erupted from his shoulders. Opening to a six-foot span, pale greenish, they resembled bat wings less than those of a gigantic moth. He sprang into the air. At his weight, of course, he couldn’t literally fly. He levitated, with the wings for steering and balance. Within seconds, he’d cleared the roof of the restaurant. Diners on the rooftop deck stared at him open-mouthed.
As he glided toward the bridge, Roger raced along below, wishing that, on this occasion anyway, he himself shared the power to transform. “You idiot, get down here!” He ran across the creek, while Franz soared over the dockside parking lot. Half the people enjoying the fall evening craned their necks to watch, and half of those seemed to be taking pictures with their phones. At least the light’s too bad for them to record anything clear enough to convince skeptics—I hope. Dashing past a clump of gaping tourists, Roger shouted over his shoulder, “Special effects. Rehearsal for a film shoot.”
Luckily, the fugitive didn’t meander over the rooftops at random. Using surface streets as a guide, he followed Main Street up to Church Circle. He flew circles around the steeple of Saint Anne’s for a minute, then landed at a slant, anchoring himself with a one-handed grip. Not bothering with the gate, Roger leaped over the fence and stalked across the lawn to glare up at the young vampire. “Have you lost what’s left of your mind?” Unprofessional language, but the situation justified it.
“Look, Doctor, I’m touching the church.” Instead of descending to the ground, he launched himself in the direction opposite from Main Street.
Fewer pedestrians here, at least. Roger sprang over the fence again and ran around the circle to catch sight of Franz spiraling toward the adjacent State Circle. He flew between the State House and the Governor’s mansion, then sank to hover above the brick-paved courtyard between the mansion and a three-story office building.
The noise of a car engine diverted Roger’s attention. He glanced toward the sound and saw a police car rounding the circle toward him. The vehicle idled at the curb, and the officer in the passenger seat rolled down her window. Roger strode over to the car to capture the woman’s gaze before she could speak. “Everything is all right here. There’s nothing you need to worry about. Forget it.” He stared past her shoulder at the male driver. “You didn’t see anything worth investigating. Move along and forget about it.”
“Not worth investigating,” the driver repeated.
The female officer echoed, “Nothing to worry about.” Her voice held a tinge of uncertainty, though.
Roger gave her a firmer mental shove. “That’s right. Everything is fine. Move along.” Thinking of the likelihood that Britt would tease him about performing a “Jedi mind trick,” he resisted the irrational impulse to add, “These aren’t the vampires you’re looking for.”
The woman relaxed in her seat. “We should move along.”
The driver nodded. “Right. Have a nice evening, sir.”
Once the car had disappeared around the curve, Roger exhaled a long breath and marched to the center of the courtyard. Franz was precariously balanced on the shoulder of a monumental statue of Justice Thurgood Marshall.
Roger pointed at him, then at the ground. “You. Down here. Now.”
To his relieved surprise, the lad obeyed. Roger grabbed his arm before he could wander off again. “Transform.”
Franz shuddered as the change rippled through him. Seconds later, he looked like an ordinary young man, although shirtless, disheveled, and staggering from intoxication.
Roger steered him away from State Circle toward the most direct route to City Dock and the bridge. “No more making a spectacle of yourself. You’re coming home with me until you sober up.”
They’d walked a block by the time Franz managed to form a coherent sentence. “What about my car?”
“When I can trust you to drive, I’ll bring you back to pick it up. And if the restaurant has it towed before then, consider that a lesson.”
-end-
*****
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“Beast” wishes until next time—
Margaret L. Carter