Tag Archives: Author

June 4, 2020 · 6:46 pm

BBC Netflix Dracula Watch Party

BBC Watch Drac 2.001

I’m both thrilled and honored to be one of Dacre Stoker and John Guarnieri’s  invited Guest Authors attending the Netflix Watch Party June 5th,  8pm US eastern time zone.  

We are going to be watching the 1st episode of the BBC Netflix adaptation of “Dracula.”  

I have been asked to introduce myself and display a cover of one or more of my books about Dark Fiction, Horror, or Vampires. 

I am an international bestselling and award-winning author of dark fantasy and paranormal romance, best known for the Tales of the Black Rose Guard series. I am also a PhD candidate at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland and wrote my MA thesis on Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. I have traveled to Romania twice on trips which included visiting both Bran and Corvin Castle. I have also presented papers at conferences for the International Gothic Association (IGA), Gothic Association of New Zealand and Australia (GANZA), and San Diego Comic Con (SDCC). 

My vampire fiction novels include:

Undying Embrace: A Dracula Novella

Forever Chosen (Vampire Brides)

Immortal Skye (Vampire Mates)

Wicked Desires (Cursed Coven) 

Academic papers include:

“Location and the Vampire: The Impact of Fictional Stories upon Associated Locations,” in Dracula: An International Perspective;

“Tragic Monsters and Heroic Villains: Anne Rice’s Contribution to the Rise of the Heroic Vampire,” in Concerning Evil.

Leave the Lights On: Literary and Other Monsters – Editor

draculaNetflix2020

To attend the event: 

You will need a Netflix account and can access it on your computer using Google Chrome, it is easy to register, and it is FREE.

We ask that you are considerate and respectful of others with your comments. I know there are folks who hate this version of Dracula, there are others, myself included, who enjoy and respect originality, and the many different adaptations of Bram’s timeless classic.

This Watch Party is organized by Silver Spear Security and The Dracula Store, to register please email John Guarnieri of Silver Spear Security: guarnieri.john@gmail.com.

There will be book giveaways at the end of the Watch Party, in addition, all who register will receive a special 15% off discount coupon code to use at the Dracula Store on Etsy on June 6 and 7th.

Special Guests include: 

Dacre Stoker, the great-grand nephew of Bram Stoker and co-author of both the International Bestselling novels Dracula the Un-dead and Dracul. 

JD Barker is an International Bestselling Author of the 4th Monkey series, co author with Dacre Stoker of the International Bestseller, “Dracul”, co author with James Patterson “The Coast to Coast Murders” due out in early September.

JM Guarnieri the Chief Operating Officer of Silver Spear Security , a premiere private security firm. He is an avid fan of books and movies about Vampires, and Werewolves.

James A. Moore was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for “Best Novel” for his book “Serenity Falls”. In 2006, the novella “Bloodstained Oz “(co-authored by Christopher Golden) was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for “Best Long Fiction”.

Charles R Rutledge is the author of ‘Dracula’s Revenge’ and co-author of ‘Congregations of the Dead’, and a collector of books, movies, and comics involving Dracula and vampires.

Rena Mason is a Bram Stoker Award winning Dark Fiction author and monster fan of all things Dracula and Vampires.

Amanda DeWees is a scholar of 19th-century vampire literature and author of vampire fiction.

Darrell Grizzle is the author of ‘I Never Meant to Start a Murder Cult and Other Stories.’

Adam Messer is the author of “The Savannah Vampire Novel” series and publisher of Valhalla Books.

Cliff Biggerss is a horror/weird fiction author, a comic book writer, an a comics journalist who had to add an extra home to house his monstrous collection. He denies all rumors that he keeps the head of Bela Lugosi in a jar in his closet.

Greg Wilkey is the creator and writer of the Mortimer Drake series of YA vampire novels. His vampire cosmology is an adventurous mix of supernatural, mythological, and science fiction elements of storytelling.

Christopher Rondina is the author of Ghost Ships of New England and Vampires of New England and was a script consultant on the PBS documentary Ghost and Vampire Legends of Rhode Island, which was nominated for a regional Emmy.

Lev Butts is a Professor of Composition and Literature at The University of North Georgia, he is the award winning author of “Guns of Wasteland” series and co author with Dacre Stoker of two short stories related to “Dracula”, both to be released later this year.

For a change of pace the 2016 World Champion of Real Tennis Camden Scott Riviere will be joining us, he is the current World #1 ranked player and is preparing to get back to playing the unique game of Court, or Real, Tennis once this Coronavirus cloud lifts.

All are welcome!

 

BBC Nexflix Dracula Watch Party .001

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October 12, 2013 · 12:50 am

Writer’s Block…Fact or Fiction?

One of the most common terms in a writer’s vocabulary is ‘writer’s block.’  This ubiquitous term encompasses a vast plethora of arguments which writers use to justify why they have not written a word, despite the numerous hours, headaches, and tears spent in front of the blank page.

My long time writing mentor, a brilliant writer we will call “L”, is of a philosophy with which I have most reluctantly found myself in agreement when it comes to this subject: writer’s block does not actually exist.  Now, this is not to say that writing is easy or that there aren’t days where writers cannot find the time or words to craft their next chapter, scene, or even sentence.  Instead, what “L” means is that there is no magic, invisible force preventing the writer from putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.  Instead, the writer is being “blocked” (if you will) by some very real, identifiable issues.  Issues which, with time and practice, can be overcome.

Many possible solutions and suggestions exist in the idea of how to overcome the obstacles which might prevent one from writing.  As with many other facets of life, each method is not a perfect fit, and it may not be included here.  I offer only a partial list of what many professional writers recommend and have passed down to younger authors like myself.  It is up to you, the individual writer, to discover what method works best for you on a personal level.

For myself, the most simplistic solution I can give is that writing is a matter of habit.  The sooner an author gets into the habit of writing, the easier writing should become.  Developing habitual writing requires a person to write every single day.  Whether it is for fifteen minutes or several hours does not matter nearly as much as the act of writing itself.

This is a habit whose importance many professional authors stress.  For example, at a recent speech given during the Dublin Writer’s Festival, bestselling author Dan Brown (The DaVinci Code) stated that while writing a book, he sets his alarm somewhere between 4 and 5 AM every morning, every day of the year.  By doing this, Brown is able to ensure that he has time to write, undisturbed, for a least a few hours before other members of his household are even awake.  He states this helps eliminate distractions and helps him to focus.

Not a morning person?  (I know I am certainly not!)  Perhaps try writing at night instead.  Some of my best writing is done at the end of the day, when my other work is completed and I can use writing to help relax.  The time of day, much like the amount of time, is far less relevant when compared to the importance of forming the habit of writing on a daily basis.

Now, once the issue of finding and setting aside the time to write has been established, there comes the issue of finding the words to put on the page.  A common complaint is that, despite an author’s best efforts and their willingness to transcribe a character’s latest adventures, the character refuses to relate their tale to the author.

E.M. Forster once stated that characters, “arrive when evoked, but full of the spirit of mutiny.”   Because of this, an author must often find ways to negotiate and connect with their characters in, at times, unusual ways.  Personal favourites include 1) conducting an interview with the character in question 2) skipping ahead to a different scene or even 3) actually acting out the scene I am attempting to write (behind closed door with the curtains drawn with no audience… besides my cat).  All of these methods may serve to help you find new ways to speak to characters when they become silent or uncooperative.

As I previously stated, these are just a few possibilities that may help the next time your characters aren’t in a talkative mood or the words simply aren’t flowing.  Remember, like the majority of things in life, writing takes time, dedication, and often, lots and lots of practice.

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