https://newpulpheroes.com/five-questions-with/

A Story by a friend with quite a BITE!

TRANSYLVANIA ISN’T THE ONLY COUNTRY WITH VAMPIRES

Romania—specifically that section called Transylvania—isn’t the only place having vampires.  It’s just the main country people think of, thanks to Bram Stoker’s little epic.  In fact, the first vampire novel to gain attention in the literary world was set in England.  Oui—that’s right.  The Vampyre by Dr. John Polidori, was an English creation, but how many, other than we vamp-aficionados, are aware of that?  And if asked to name the world’s most famous vampire, how many would say the name of its villain, Lord Ruthven? 

Dracula wins that title, fangs down!

When I wrote Forever, My Vampire, I decided to de different, ignoring Transylvania in lieu of Ireland, which has its own special vampire.

Like a good many other countries, Ireland has its own vampire…the dearg-due (pronounced “dah rag-du ah”, sometimes spelled dearg-dul.  Though the vampire in Forever, My Vampire is male, the true dearg-due is female, a cross between a succubus and a vampires…the Red Blood-sucker. 

The dearg-due’s story is typically romantic and tragically Irish.  A young woman forced by her father to marry a cruel man, kills herself, then rises from the grave to exact revenge upon husband and parent.  After that, she carries her vengeance far afield as she attacks any man she meets, luring him, then draining him dry of his life…and his blood.  The only way to prevent a dearg-due from rising and creating its own special havoc is to pile the grave high with stones.  Their weight holds the evil spirit inside.

Don’t think my tale of a vampire descending on a little Irish village is a tragic one, though.  Nor is it bloody.  It’s more whimsical, filled with Irish lilts and brash Gaelic characters…though it does have its shivery moments.  It also pokes fun at all the clichés with which the movies have filled the vampire tale…the villagers descending on the manor house, the vampire being fended off with garlic and stakes, the cornered vampire cursing his attackers… 

It’s all there, as tongue…uh, fang…in cheek as you can get without being a cruel burlesque.  If anything, it’s a gentle bit of fun at the genre’s expense.

BLURB

In 1821, the good men of Balleywalegh drove a monster from their midst…or so they thought.

Now, it's 1926 and a light again shines in the deserted manor house window. The vampire has returned…or so they think.

Karel Novotny has the same name as the fiend, but he can't be a vampire…can he?

The girls of Balleywalegh adore Karel, especially Seamus Flannery's daughter Brigid, but when the lasses come down with a mysterious ailment, and their fathers start sharpening their stakes, Seamus has to discover the truth fast, or Karel may not survive to become his son-in-law.

Will the real vampire please stand up?

EXCERPT:

There was a rattle of keys, a click of a lock.  Slowly, the door swung open.  Everyone prepared to run.  Even Seamus tensed, though he would never have admitted it.

“Yes sir?”  A man stood there.  A very dignified man, dressed in dark, conservative livery.  He blinked slightly as the sunlight struck him directly in the eyes.  “May I help you?” 

“Oh…uh… Right.”  That brought Seamus out of his trance.  “We—that is, th’ others an’ I—”  He gestured behind him at his mates.  “We’re from Balleywalegh an’ we saw th’ light last night, an’—”

He stopped, uncertain of what to say.

“Yes, sir, you’re from the village, and—?”

By now, Seamus had gotten a good gander at him and decided he didn’t look as he thought a vampire should, especially a dearg-due.  Hadn’t they always been described as extremely ugly, having fiery eyes and the palest of skin and rows and rows of sharp teeth like those piranha-fish he’d read about as lived in South American rivers?  This fella… Why, he looked to be about as old as Seamus himself, and certainly neither pale nor fiery- eyed.  And definitely not ugly.  Pleasant-looking, as a matter of fact.  Blond and fair, with blue eyes squinted in the sunlight.  And his teeth?  They might be a trifle large—what Seamus considered English teeth—but there were no more than the usual number. And they certainly didn’t look sharp.

“What’s the problem, Steven?”  The question came from behind the man, somewhere far inside the house.  Asked with a slight accent.

“Sir?  W-when did you get back?”  There was bewilderment in the question.

“I never went out.”  Footsteps came down stairs.  The door was pulled open again, the butler looking back.  Once again, those on the stoop braced themselves.

            The man standing beside Steven couldn’t have been more different.  Seamus felt his heart sink as he looked at him.  Now here’s what a vampire should look like, was all he could think.  Tall, longish dark hair, very much out of style—more like what one of them stage actors would sport, Seamus thought—framing a pallid, narrow face contrasting with the lightest of blue eyes, so pale they appeared nearly colorless… Handsome, yes, the Master of the house truly could’ve graced the screen of any cinema. 

As a creature of the night.

            “Karel Novotny.”  It was an introduction as he peered out at Seamus, blinked as Steven had done, then took a step backward out of the doorway and into the shadows inside.  Seamus nodded an acknowledgement and offered a hand.

            After a moment, it was accepted, Novotny stepping forward and clasping it in his own.  Seamus was surprised at how warm it felt.

            “You must excuse Steven,” Master Novotny said, releasing Seamus’ hand.  Not much of an accent, Seamus decided, but enough to give his speech an odd melody.  His voice was well-modulated, carrying all the way to the men standing on the steps though he wasn’t speaking loudly.  “So…you’re a welcoming committee from Balleywalegh,” he summed it up with a smile revealing another set of white teeth.  But no pointed ones, as far as Seamus could see.  He’d like to get a closer look at those eye-teeth, however.  Master Novotny glanced out at the others, as if assessing whether they might be carrying flaming torches, pitchforks, or crucifixes.  “And you’ve come to…?”

            “—to invite you to th’ Fall Fellowship Festival.  To be held this Sunday at th’ town hall.”

            “A festival?  How interesting. At what time?”  That was asked a little quickly.

            “Starts at six in th’ afternoon,” Conor spoke up.  “So’s we all have time to finish our chores aforehand.”

            “Six in the afternoon…” He appeared to consider that.  A bit of a scowl appeared on the smooth forehead.  Caused by the sun slowly creeping over the threshold?

            He’s going to decline.  Seamus could tell.  He felt his heart sink a little.  He was startled to find himself actually believing that nonsense Conor and the others were spouting the night before.  He’s goin’ to give us some song-an’-jig about bein’ too busy when in reality, he can’t come out in daylight. ’Tis just a fluke he’s awake now at all.

            He was surprised, therefore, when Novotny asked, “And what does one do at a Fall Festival?  Will there be food?”  Did he imagine it or was there a quick flick of a tongue across a pale lower lip?  “And drink?”

            “Anything you could want,” Seamus forced joviality into his reply.  Aye, the treacherous thought wiggled through his mind, an’ which o’ us will you be wantin’ to sip from?  “’Tis to celebrate all th’ good Lord has given us in th’ way o’ bounty this past year.”  Was there a slight cringe at the mention of God?  If so, it was so brief, he wasn’t certain. Perhaps Novotny’d simply shifted his weight a bit.   “There’s be plenty o’ good cookin’ an’ beer an’ even some home-brew…”  He let his voice trail away because Novotny was speaking again.

            “I’m certain I can make it, Mr…?” 

            “Flannery.  Seamus Flannery.”  Now why did I give him my full name?

            “…Mr. Flannery.  I definitely wish to meet everyone, though I hadn’t expected to quite so early.”  Did this second smile hide a secret meaning, some darkness? 

“Sir?  Y-you’re going?” The butler turned to stare at his master, looking astonished at his acceptance of the invitation.

“Of course!”  Novotny looked almost gleeful as he answered. 

“But sir.  What about…?”  Steven looked from him to the interior of the house, nodding slightly.

“Any tasks here can wait, I imagine.”  Steven’s concern was dismissed with a shrug and a third smile, this one slightly wolfish.  “Have you ever known me to turn down a chance for a good dinner…or liquid refreshment?  Home brew, you say, Mr. Flannery?  I’ve found homemade drink the best kind.”

Now Seamus was certain of it.  There was a hidden meaning there. Without meaning to, he shivered.  It didn’t go unnoticed.  The smile eclipsed a moment, then was back in place.

            “I’ll see you all there.  On Sunday.  Around six.”  The door was closing again.  Seamus turned away.  The door reopened.  “Ah…Mr. Flannery…?”

“Yes?” He looked back.

“I was wondering.  Could you possibly refer me to a good carpenter?  There’s been some damage to one of the rooms.  Looks like a fire.  Vandals no doubt.”  He paused slightly.

“Aye,” Seamus replied.  “Vacant houses do invite such.”

“So I supposed.  But it will need to be repaired.  So…?”

“Ah…well…Sean Sweeney does most o’ th’ carpentry work around here.  You might ask after him.  If ’tis not too big a job…”

“Sean Sweeney.  Excellent.”  The dark gaze swept past Seamus to the men on the stoop.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I’ve some things to attend to.”

            With a click of finality, the door shut.

Forever, My Vampire is available from Wordwooze Publishing at

https://www.amazon.com/Forever-My-Vampire-Tony-Paul-Vissage-ebook/dp/B08D81LQSJ/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DC5VSBY?pf_rd_r=KZ2SEJ67M6ZQYNEV81E3&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee

It’s available in EBook, Kindle, and paperback, and will soon be released as an audio book.

A little Shadows Mystery..

Hi folks I have story of my series character Jon Shadows in Mystery Weekly Magazine...
It is a tale of suicide and murder in a Hollywood studio... Or is it?
Screen Shot has the crime on tape.... or does it?...
You decided!

Gaslight Magick: A NEW BOOK!!!

Would you go to hell to save the one you love? Baronet Athelstan Grey has to ask himself that as he fights his way across a very different North America in 1890, fighting demons, political assassins and his own fears, and even coming face to face with the Aztec god of death. In a world where magick from every culture clashes, he has only his keen wits and his feisty Aunt Minerva to keep him alive. Join him on this first thrilling adventure in the world of the Pendragon Empire.

An exciting action adventure set in Victorian times, where Aztec honour means everything and Mayan gods walk among us, when cosmopolitan wasn't about creed but rather which power you served. Non-stop action with twists and turns makes this read riveting, explosive, and diabolical.

Gaslight Magick is set in the 1890s in a world equal parts Jules Verne technology and James Bond political intrigue. From the beginning with a zombie lord to the end with a murderous djinn, and the Aztec God of the dead, the story it is suffused with the intersecting magicks of many cultures - Merlin’s, Persian, Aztec and more.

More books out...

Hi again,

Two more books out this month-- each an anthology with a story of mine in it....more images to follow

Quite a bit done....

I know it has been a long time since I got to post here-- well, the reasons i have been busy as heck;
I did 5 films in 2019 and sold 23 short stories and a novel!
Below are some of the covers of magazines and anthologies that came out in 2019.
(as of week three of 2020 I've sold 2 more short stories..and done another film-- so keeping busy).
I promise to post here more frequently!
Really!

The interview...

Here is my interview with Teel James Glenn

30FridayAug 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie. 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age? 

My full name is Teel James Glenn and I am old enough to know better…

Fiona: A little about your self (ie, your education, family life, etc.).

I was born in Brooklyn but have travelled the world for forty plus years as a stuntman, fight choreographer, swordmaster, jouster, illustrator, storyteller, bodyguard, actor and haunted house barker. One of the things I’m proudest of is having studied under Errol Flynn’s last stunt double. I continue to teach swordwork in New York.

I went to college for art but almost immediately started working in film and television as an actor and stuntman.

I worked regularly as an actor on Guiding Light and all the New York soap operas, alternately doing stunts or acting in over 300 episodes. I’ve worked as an actor and stuntman (in a fight scene with Hawk) on the “Spenser for Hire TV. Series and in episodes of the Equalizer.

My most famous ‘small screen’ appearance was as Vega (and fight choreographer) in the worldwide web series “Street Fighter: The Later Years.”

I went on to serve as a principal performer in front of the camera in over 70 low budget fantasy/horror genre films, often serving in a stunt capacity as well.

As a writer my stories have been printed in scores of magazines from Weird Tales to Mad to Black Belt to Fantasy World Geographic,Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Blazing Adventures and Tales of Old. I have over two-dozen books and anthologies in print in many genres including Steampunk, westerns, mysteries and the best selling SF thriller series The Exceptionals.One was a finalist in the EPIC book awards in 2009.

I am also the winner of the 2012 Pulp Ark Award for best Author.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news. 

I have a short story “Popping the Cork “ in an anthology called Guns Vs: Zombies from Henchmen Press this fall and later this fall have Chronicles of the Skullmaskalso coming out from Henchmen Press. It is a collection of linked stories about a paranormal instrument of justice that has a very pulp-inspired feel.

Also Action for Authors, a non-fiction book about how authors can create their own action scenes is coming out from Evil Twin Press by the end of the year.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

The earliest exposure to stories were comic books- I learned to read from them- so larger than life- fantasy characters were always a part of my consciousness. Andre Norton’s books- particularly Beastmaster and Lord of Thunder had a big impact on me early on with its unusual hero and different view of the world.

I can’t say how long ago that was or which story it was when I wrote my first story, but I know it was probably a reaction to something I read or saw on T.V.- you know, the “Oh, I can come up with a better ending than that!” I was writing novels already by High School and selling short stories and articles to places like Mad magazine by college.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I have always been a storyteller, first with comic strips and then in prose. It has always been there in my ‘life plan.’ I made the conscious decision that I would pursue it in the early 2000s when I was laid up with a lung ailment and realized that as far as stunt work was concerned I could fall down for ever, but eventually I wouldn’t get up so began to take my writing more seriously as a career path.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your personal book?

Murder Most Faire is a murder mystery about a fight choreographer for a Renaissance Festival whose bet friend is murdered and he finds the killer while putting on the faire. It is based on the very real death of a good friend and a good deal of it is based on real people and events. I wrote it a way to say goodbye to my friend and as a way for the rest of the world to know him.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I needed a title to evoke the pseudo-period feeling of a Renaissance faire and still would call attention to the subject matter.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging? 

I am known as a pulp writer with fast moving prose, but for Murder Most Faire I worked very hard to affect a naturalistic, almost conversational tone with only a slight echo of the hard-boiled genre.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

I would say that 75 % of the book was based on real events, albeit shuffled and rearranged to fit a mystery narrative, and the people were often based on real people I knew (either actually or as composites of several).

I did 60 renaissance faires before hanging up my doublet, so I know the world well.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I don’t specifically travel for my writing, but everywhere I have been is fodder for my stories and I often incorporate real places in my work, even period stuff I will use what  have seen/experience with additional research.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I have been lucky enough to design and illustrate the covers to some of my books (I was trained as a book illustrator) like for Chronicles of the Skullmask ,but other publishers have policies against authors doing their own covers. However, even when I do not do the cover, as in Year of Shadows for Pro Se Press I was able to supply artwork to show exactly how I saw the main character and the artist used it as a guide.

I have a particular dislike for cookie-cutter photo covers that too many publishers use and push for actual artwork whenever I have the choice for my books.

 Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

All my books have an underlying of message of some sort, I try to make them about more than just plot (though that matters, of course). Murder Most Faire is about how to deal with loss, Chronicles of the Skullmasktalks about the need for justice and dealing with personal pain in the multiple stories.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

Derrick Ferguson is one of the new pulp writers that impresses me with his variety, and James Chambers, an award horror writer (though he has written in many genres) is one of the best of the ‘new’ writers.

As to the writers who ‘shaped me’ first and foremost is Edgar Rice Burroughs with his Mars series, then Robert E. Howard who had a wide range of stories beside the most famous, Conan, Lester Dent with his Doc Savage books, then Andre Norton, Poe, DashillHammet, Mickey Spillane and the Modesty Blaise books by Peter O’Donell

All pretty much pure adventure.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author. 

My first professional editor, Joan McNulty-Pulver was such a wonderful, caring and guiding person I will always owe her. Next my friend and fellow writer Carol Gyzander is unfailing in supporting my madness…

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

If by career you mean something that will make me rich—not so much. A calling—something I can not avoid doing because it is an inner fire—that is much more like it.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Each book is its own creature, its own journey. Some are easy and just flow, some are harder to get down, but when I am done, I am done. I don’t release anything ‘into the wild’ until I am happy with it.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book? 

Again, every book is unique and I try to stretch with each new book in form and technique, so I am always learning.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead? 

I don’t play this game since I see the characters as real people already, that is for others to do.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Read everything you can and write what your heart calls you to; if you try to write specifically to sell to some market you will sour yourself on the process, especially if it is turned down. You have to enjoy it for itself and hope others will love it as much.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers? 

I promise that I will never write a story where I don’t care for my characters and hopefully will encourage my readers to. And I believe in hope, even in the darkest stories.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

For fiction, A fun collection called “Thrilling Adventure Yarns’ from Crazy 8 press. For non-fiction an excellent book by Jane K. Cleland called “Mastering Plot Twists’

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Oh, probably a comic book, but all I know is I read anything I could from kindergarten on….

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Laugh? Puns, Monty Python, Buster Keaton…

Cry? Cruelty in any form.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why? 

I would love to have trained with Bruce Lee, or Jock Mahoney.

And sit and have along conversation with Bob Howard, he was an incredibly well read man and fascinating.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies? 

My hobbies are my obsessions—martial arts, old films and art. They all rotate in imporatnace.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

I watch a lot of classic television, old westerns and adventure films.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music? 

Pizza, red, orchestral.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Continue to tell stories with my body—act, continue to teach sword and storytell at faires….

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

Spend time with my daughter and doing my best to contact all those in my loved ones and let them know I cared.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone? 

I’ll be right back…

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers? 

My website that links to my blog is http://theurbanswashbuckler.com/

Amazon Authors page USA https://www.amazon.com/Teel-James-Glenn/e/B002HD8NHK/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teel-James-Glenn/e/B002HD8NHK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_6&qid=1567172672&sr=1-6

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Most-Faire-Knight-Mystery/dp/0615731139/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Teel+James+Glenn&qid=1567133244&s=books&sr=1-1