Vampires
Romance to Rippers
An Anthology of Tasty Stories
Indie Publishing House
GAINESVILLE, FL
E-book Edition
Copyright Acknowledgements:
Rights to the individual works contained in this anthology are owned by the submitting authors and/or publishers and each has permitted the story's use in this collection.
“What is the Lure of the Vampire?” © Copyright by Bertena Varney
“The Guest” © Copyright by Karen Dales
“Why I Enjoy Reading and Writing About Vampires”© Copyright by Elita Daniels
“Guardian” © Copyright by Elita Daniels
“The Fourth Bride an Inspired Short” © Copyright by Carole Gill
“Stillness the Vampire’s Lament” © Copyright by Audrey A’Cladh
“Code Blood” © Copyright by Kurt Kamm
“Vampire Historia a Series of Revelations: Nicolai’s Fate” © Copyright by Scarlette D’Noire
“Forgotten Immortal” © Copyright by BellaDonna Drakul
“Dark Hearts” © Copyright by Sherri Jordan-Asble
“Vampire Onslaught” © Copyright by Charles E. Butler
“The Fourth Bride” © Copyright by Carole Gill
“Avetias Vancum” © Copyright by Fiona Skye
“To Touch the Sun” © Copyright by Laura Enright
“A Different Kind of Vampire” © Copyright by Sherri Jordan-Asble
“Dark Comfort”© Copyright by J.B. Stilwell
“Vampiring with the Taylor Twins”© Copyright by Janiera Eldridge
“The Merciful Miracle”© Copyright by Cinsearae S.
“More than Friends”© Copyright by Terri Reid
© Cover design by Paradox Book Cover Promotions – Patti Roberts: http://paradoxbooktrailerproductions.blogspot.com.au/
Editing by BZHercules.com: http://www.bzhercules.com/index.html
Copyright © 2013 of the collection by Indie Publishing House.
All Rights Reserved
ISBN-10: 194087100X
ISBN-13: 978-1-940871-00-4
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, animate or inanimate objects, or incidents mentioned are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is strictly unintentional and entirely coincidental.
Vampires
Romance to Rippers
An Anthology of Tasty Stories
Table of Contents
You can click on any title to be taken to the selection.
Additionally, all hyperlinked titles will link you back to this table of contents.
Click on the author’s name to read more about the author.
Then, click on the author’s name to linkback to the table of contents.
Bertena Varney – What is the Lure of the Vampire?
Karen Dales – The Guest
Elita Daniels – Why I Enjoy Reading and Writing About Vampires
Elita Daniels – Guardian, an Excerpt
Carole Gill – The Fourth Bride an Inspired Short
Audrey A’Cladh – Stillness the Vampire’s Lament
Kurt Kamm – Code Blood, an Excerpt
Scarlette D’Noire – Vampire Historia a Series of Revelations: Nicolai’s Fate, an Excerpt
BellaDonna Drakul – Forgotten Immortal
Sherri Jordan-Asble – Dark Hearts
Charles E. Butler – Vampire Onslaught
Carole Gill – The Fourth Bride, an Excerpt
Fiona Skye – Aevitas Vanum
Laura Enright – To Touch the Sun, an Excerpt
Sherri Jordan-Asble – A Different Kind of Vampire
J.B. Stilwell – Dark Comfort, an Excerpt
Janiera Eldridge – Vampiring with the Taylor Twins
Cinsearae S. – The Merciful Miracle
Terri Reid – More than Friends
Dedication
To Cassidy Gearheart
Thank you for urging me to watch a vampire show with you back in 2009. Who would have thought that one small request from you would spiral into the creation of Indie Publishing House, publishing two vampire anthologies, and the creation of: Vampire Historia: A Series of Revelations.
Because of you, Vampire Historia has two works in progress: Nicolai’s Fate and Delano’s Undoing. So, thank you Cass. I will always love you and be grateful to my little vampire muse.
WHAT IS THE LURE OF THE VAMPIRE?
By
Bertena Varney, M.A., M.Ed.
Introduction
Vampire, vampyre, nosferatu, dhamphir, bloodsucker, romantic boyfriends, sexy bad monsters, fallen angels, soulless demons - these have all been characters in vampires stories throughout the centuries.
As time has gone by, there have been many debates as to whether each of the descriptions above is indicative of “true vampires.” By looking at the vampire, one will see that it is a very complicated creature and really cannot be labeled as one thing or another, but as a creature that is right for each reader, fan, or vampire lover.
For example, some vampires drink human blood while others drink the life force of their prey, but they are both vampires. There are also other vampires who are described as hideous and monstrous creatures, and are very primal in nature; these vampires don’t apologize for who they are, nor do they try to be human.
However, the more popular vampire today appears to be the sexy vampires that do not embrace their vampire side, but instead crave to hold onto what is left of their humanity. They brood about being a vampire, they fight their true nature, and they even go so far as to try and turn into a human again.
Either way, there are multitudes of vampires and vampire fans. But, the main questions isn’t “What is a vampire?” but “Why are we so attracted to the vampire”?
The Lure of the Early Female Vampire
When taking a look back at the first legends of vampires in mythology, one will notice that many were female rather than male. Lilith’s story was told in the Hebrew Talmud, in which she was the first wife of Adam. She would not be submissive to him during sex nor would she be submissive to men in general. She was a strong female who wanted equality, but was cursed from stories that she was the mother of demons, vampires, and/or monsters of all sort
s. It was said that the Archangel Michael came to fight Lilith and to warn her to quit procreating with demons. She refused and Michael began to kill her children. In retaliation, Lilith began to kill the Hebrew children in their cribs. Finally, a truce was called and Lilith asked Michael not to kill her children. She promised not to kill any Hebrew children that wore the talisman that she gave him. She later was featured in other mythological stories. This story has several variations, but many readers still enjoy reading stories that stem from her legend and the use of her as a symbol of empowerment of women in society.
In Greek mythology, there is an even more familiar symbol of a female vampire and her name was Lamia. She was the secret lover of Zeus, who like many others of his lovers, was found out by his wife Hera. Out of vengeance, Hera killed all of Lamia’s babies and, in turn, Lamia attacked the children of the followers of Hera. Her stories were retold to explain sudden infant death syndrome and many times, she is used as mother figure in other stories.
In Malaysia, Pennangallan, or Penny as she is known by many, is another female vampire to whom the deaths of many children and mothers are attributed in her culture. Penny would detach her fanged body and fly around with her disemboweled form glistening in the moonlight. She would search for pregnant women to drink from, thus explaining miscarriages or stillborn deaths. This is rumored to be where Stephanie Meyer got her idea of a sparkling vampire.
Female vampires were always used to explain “female issues” that in many cultures were banished or not discussed in the presence of men, such as pregnancy, menstruation, and child birthing. This secrecy of the female body and natural acts, along with the lack of medical advances, were the reason why vampires were used to explain the deaths of children and pregnant mothers. Thus, the duality of the good and bad impression of the roles of women in society is why some vampire readers are lured to this type of vampire.
The Lure of the Revenant Vampire
As time went on, the vampire became a symbol of death, disease, and fear. The revenant vampire became the most popular in mythological tales in small villages. These vampires were more zombie-like than any other. They could not speak, think, or really do anything but feed. These monsters were the ones about which villagers would tell stories to each other in order to help explain mysterious deaths and the spread of diseases. Many villagers feared their family members returning from death, so they would open caskets and check to make sure that they were still dead. Many would see that the person’s hair and nails had grown as well as the blood and body fluids that had leaked from their bodies. So, they assumed that their loved one was the monster that was killing the villagers or plaguing their family. Thus, the vampire became the explanation of deaths due to disease, famine, and more.
The lure of this vampire to readers is the pure animalistic monster that represents our primal need for feeding. There is no personality or hatred; there is no emotion at all. Those that like reading about these vampires are the same that like zombie movies. It’s the thrill of the killing of these monsters and being in survival mode that is appealing.
The Lure of the Fanged Vampire
The “fanged vampire” can satiate the taste of two different vampire readers, depending upon its use in the story. These vampires are still vampires and they embrace who they are; their monster is what comes first. I label these “fanged vampires” because they still hold onto the true nature of the monster inside of them.
These vampires may be alive during significant historical time periods such as the Crusades, Arthurian times, or during modern times. They are usually hulking warrior types and are the epitome of the “real man.” They can do it all. They can survive in the wild, fight to the death, and hold their convictions to the end. They love being vampires and will not apologize for it.
Many times, this vampire has been given a romantic interest in stories. This small plot detail will lure many women into what is usually a “male-based” story. They are the romantic warrior that can fight off enemies and then come to the love-interest’s rescue or, if it’s a more modern story, empower the female to fight as well. The empowerment of women is my preferred conclusion over the damsel-in-distress any day. These vampires are not to be confused with the bare-chested vampires with heaving-bosom women on the covers of many recent books.
These vampires lure readers that romanticize the past – when men were men and women were ladies. They love to live vicariously through these characters as well as allow their inner monster to release their tension and stress through violent actions and sexual tension.
The Lure of the Elemental Vampires
Many people think that elemental vampires are a new concept in literature, but there has always been the idea of vampires as being part of the soulless ones: the witches, demons, and even “good” elementals, such as angels and fairies. These stories may have featured these vampires as a person wandering the Earth without a soul, searching for redemption, or as a fallen angel reincarnated as a vampire every few years until they release their negative karma from their fall from Heaven.
These are the stories that pull teens, women, and men into their world. It is complex and touches the humanity of the creature while embracing the spirituality and magic of each character. This allows readers to work these creatures into their real lives, usually through a religious aspect, thus showing them as “evil,” yet alluring and attractive to them, or a pathway to redemption and a happily ever after.
The Lure of the Romantic Vampire
Vampires have always been a metaphor for sex and taboo actions between a human and a monster. This monster is part of our deepest self, which seduces us to let our dark side out and to allow the erotic to come through. Whether it was the great Victorian literature piece, Dracula, or the violently dark Varney the Vampire: Feast of Blood, the vampire is the one thing that we know we should not want, but can’t live without - just one bite.
In today’s literature, the vampire has evolved to the perfect lover that can give the female everything she desires. They have had centuries of practice to give to only her and her alone. Vampires know what women need and take the time to please them.
Vampires are the new heroes of romance novels. They offer a soul mate concept with a lifetime of sexual experiences that is focused purely on the female. They offer escapism for the reader who is bored with her life as it is. In these stories, vampires are invincible and here to help their readers through their day. They will continue to bring their vampires into our bedrooms to please us in many ways. Romantic vampires will always be in the shadows of our dreams as well as forming our choices in our current mate or our search for one. Many readers wish for them to be floating outside their windows and to have a chance to let them in, even if for just one night. This need for escapism will guarantee that vampire heroes are here to stay.
Conclusion
Vampires, Romance to Rippers, An Anthology of Tasty Stories will give each of its readers something to sink their teeth into. It will satiate the lust for the romantic vampire while also providing the monster vampire for those that embrace the monster within them.
Vampires, Romance to Rippers, An Anthology of Tasty Stories will take you into the world of the vampires - dark, romantic, scary, brooding, violent, and strong. So, please take a seat and allow yourselves to enter the beautiful and elegant stories that the talented authors have provided for you here.
Explore these various tasty stories and decide for yourself which of these vampires lure you into their dark, sexy, and alluring world. Which will it be: the romantic vampire, the revenant vampire, the elemental vampire, the fanged vampire, or the mythological female vampire? Begin reading and find out!
About The Author
Bertena Varney is an avid vampire fan that has made these creatures of the night not only a hobby but also an academic study. She has studied the historical, mythological, and pop cultural aspect of the vampire throughout her undergraduate and graduate career. During one of her master’s programs, she p
articipated in independent studies on vampires. She then turned this research into her book Lure of the Vampire: A Pop Culture Reference Book. Once it gained popularity as a self-published book, it was picked up by Hydra Publications, and republished with new material and re-titled Lure of the Vampire- Revamped.
She has also collaborated with young adult author, Elizabeth Loraine, in writing her fiction book Lillian: A Vampire Story. Recently, she has worked with Stavros and his company Crazy Duck, where she contributed to and edited Vampire News 2011: Tasty Bits You Can Sink Your Fangs Into and Vampire News 2012: The Not So End Times Edition.
Other contributions include The Sirens Compendium and The Witching Hour: A Harry Potter Convention Compendium, which includes selected papers of presentations that she has attended.
She has toured across the country and presented at various conferences, conventions, festivals, libraries, colleges, and more. She is also a contributor to Examiner.com, where she holds the title of Vampire Examiner, True Blood Examiner, Book and Movie Examiner, and many more.
She currently teaches sociology and mass media at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College. She is a graduate of Morehead State University from which she holds a B.A. and M.Ed. in Social Science and Education, and an M.A. in Sociology and Criminology. She has one adult son, Tre’, and currently lives in Bowling Green, KY with her boyfriend Sam and their kitty Luna.
She is a member of two non-profits: one is The D20 Girls Project and the other is The Modified Dolls. Both empower females to embrace their difference either through their geekiness or their body modification and show society that beauty is diverse.
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