Tell us about your latest/upcoming release. Is it part of a series? A stand alone title? What inspired it?

My latest release is a stand alone title, Diary of an Incubus. It is, like many of my books inspired by dreams and just flat wish fulfillment. LOL Who doesn’t want two hot vampires?

What do you love about writing? Hate about it?

I love being able to put what I think, feel, and imagine into words. It’s wonderful. I hate that I never have enough time to spend coming up with all those words.

Do you have a guilty indulgence? Something you do just for you. Want to share?

I like to sketch my characters sometimes. I normally do this while listening to R&B and enjoying a glass of wine. I occasionally share my drawings with some of my closest friends, but they tend to drool on my notebook.

If you could spend a secluded weekend somewhere, where would you go and why?

I would love to go back to Jamaica, simply because I’ve been there before and it was beautiful. Hot, but beautiful. It’s an easy place to forget the rest of the world … I think we could all use that from time to time.

Is there any character from one of your books who you would change places with?

I would take Lilith Mercury’s (from my werewolf hunter series) life over mine most any day. LOL

What authors do you enjoy reading? Who is on your bookcase/e-reader?

J.K. Rowling is one of my new favorites. I am in love with Professor Snape. LOL Other than that, I tend to stick to the classics. My bookshelf is full of a little bit of everything, comic books (I collect Batman and Vampirella), reference books (Vampire Dictionary, Bullfinch’s Mythology, etc.). I haven’t read anything in my own genre in a while, just because I don’t want it to influence my work.

Do you ever get up at 3 am just to write?

*sigh* All the time. Sometimes, I get my best ideas then.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?

I pursued my dream of becoming a bestselling author and didn’t listen to the people who said I couldn’t do it.

What is your favorite holiday?

Halloween. I just love to dress up. It’s like the one day of the year where I get to be myself.

Of all the steamy/non-steamy you’ve written, what one is your personal favorite?

Hmm … That’s a tough one. Probably Bitten or Diary of an Incubus, they really are a tie.

And which one is something you’d love to try? *grins*

A tie once again. In Bitten there are four hot vamps and in Diary of an Incubus there are two …. I just can’t decide. LOL

Where can readers go on the net to find more on your books and anything else?

You can find out more about me and my books at www.traceyhkitts.com

On a slightly different note, I thought readers might like to know that 10% of all my royalties are always donated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. That goes for every book.

Sneak Peek into Diary of an Incubus, now available at New Concepts Publishing:

“Of course. Like I was saying, I love clubs. There are so many different kinds of fear here. Fear of being alone, fear of never finding that special someone and falling in love.” As he spoke Alucard clapped his hands together and batted his eyes.

I laughed. “You’re sick.”

“This is true, but you find me attractive.”

He winked at me and I couldn’t fight back the smile. Still, I denied it. I mean, I wasn’t supposed to find the bad guy attractive. And Alucard was the bad guy … wasn’t he?

“What? How dare you?”

This time he laughed and I shivered again. I was beginning to learn that fear also made my heart race and if handled properly that was only a heartbeat away from arousal. How twisted was that?

“Deny it all you want. I can tell when you’re lying.”

“Bastard.”

“So my mother said.”

“Why are you here, Alucard?”

“Dance with me.”

I turned to order another drink. “I don’t think so.”

He leaned in close and whispered for my ears only, “Wouldn’t you like to know why her boyfriend is dead?”

“You knew about this,” I hissed.

“Dance with me and all will be revealed.”

He held out his hand and I only hesitated a moment before accepting his invitation. Fortunately, Brea was too drunk to be paying attention to any of this. She only gave us a sideways glance as we walked onto the dance floor before turning back to her rum.

“Did you kill James?”

He twirled me around and pulled me close. Despite our height difference, my high heels made it possible for us to dance with relative ease. I wish I could deny that it felt good to be pressed against him. But he knew that it did so why bother lying to myself?

“No.”

He watched me for several minutes before saying anything else. I took the opportunity to observe him more closely too. I couldn’t help myself. He put his hands on my hips as we moved and I liked it. His touch was possessive, yet gentle. And the more I was near him, the more I wanted his hands on me. The top few buttons on his shirt were open and I moved my hand to touch that small expanse of flesh. I shuddered at the contact and so did he. Skin against skin, it was so wrong, so sinful to touch him. He was the monster underneath my bed and all I wanted to do was pull him under the covers with me. Every move, every smile, every subtle gesture spoke to me. And they all said, “I want to do bad things to you.”

To purchase a copy of Diary of an Incubus:

http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/diaryofanincubus.htm

Q: Please tell us about your latest/upcoming release. What inspired it and is it part of a series or a stand alone title?
Dead Hunter is the third book in the Dead series at Aspen Mountain Press. It is an eBook, but the first two novellas in the series have been combined into a print duet that will be available at Amazon in POD, in additional to the Kindle single versions.

Q: What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?
Characters that I like, enjoy or commiserate with and a story that makes me laugh or moves me in some way.

Q: Do you have a strict writing schedule? I’m working on that. This year’s goal is to become stricter with myself in that area. How do you balance your personal and writing time? Some days, not very well. I know how I want the day to go, but I have a family that can need help with a problem, or my husband will need me to handle something for him and I have a hard time saying “no” unless I’m down to the wire on a deadline. Even then it can be difficult…grin

Q: What is your favorite way to relax after a hard day working and
writing?
Snuggling with my husband, watching a movie or reading. I love to read and if my brain isn’t numb after dinner, I love to dive into a book.

Q: What is the one era you would love to go visit and why?
A lot of them would be interesting if one didn’t have to live the day to day horrors. Roman history fascinates me, and in our country, I’ve always gobbled up history on the Revolutionary War and especially the Civil War period. Maybe it’s because I’m from the South and so much history was around.

Q: What character out of all your books is the closest to your
personality?
I don’t think any of them are really close. There is probably a little of me in each one, or at least some of the character I’d like to have.

Q: What would we find on your bookcase if we looked? That would include the floor around the bookcase, too. A little bit of everything. Stephen King, Ian Rankin, Melissa Mayhue, Linda Wisdom, Robert McCammon, Jodi Picoult, Nora Roberts…the list can go on forever! What is one of your favorite authors? Wolf Hour and Swan Song by Robert McCammon are ‘must’ rereads every few years. I love the stories.

Q: Have you ever been nervous over reader reaction when a new book come out? How much does reader response mean to you over your books? Want to try “every time” one releases? What do you hope readers get from your books after they read them? Enjoyment and a sense of fun.

Some of the books on the planning board will hopefully have the reader come away with a better sense of how the hand life deals one, helps make them the person they become, unless they take steps to change.

Q: What is your favorite movie of all time? The one where you can watch it and still get affected at the same spots each and every time?
Romancing the Stone, is right up there. Along with that, Saving Grace, Sabrina and Something’s Gotta Give.

Q: Where can readers find out what’s new and how can they contact you?
www.lizzietleaf.com has a list of books available and the links. Also, a Coming Soon Page when a book is scheduled. I’m also on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

Q: What is coming in 2010 for you? Anything you want to share with us?
Currently, I’m working on a new book in the Cougar Club series for Aspen Mountain Press which is scheduled to release in April. And a stand alone for Red Rose Publishing is in the works, but not sure on a release.

I’m polishing a full length novel that I’m not sure where it will go. Its the first in a new series.

Q: If the world ended, what would you be able to not live without (Computers, candy, etc)?
The only 2 things I couldn’t live without…food and water. After that, there are a number of things I’d miss, but books would be at the top of the list.

Sneak peek into DEAD Hunter, now available at Aspen Mountain Press:

They were here, no doubt about it.

They were here. The chilly tingle radiating across the back of her neck left no doubt.

Hot damn! I’m in the mood to kick some ass. Don’t mess with ArieAnne Hews when she has a bad case of PMS. This time of the month didn’t bring much in the way of bloating and cramps for Arie.

Just a seriously pissy mood.

The only person who could tolerate her when she was in one of her “moods” was her father. He’d just pat her on the head and laugh when she snarled at him. The fact he could accomplish that said something about how big he was. She stood six feet without the added inch of soul in her favorite red high-tops. Of course, he was a minister and found good in everyone, except for the creatures he’d trained Arie to destroy—vampires.

The chill on the back of her neck intensified. They’re here all right. But where?

A quick scan of the park revealed a woman sitting on the bench shaded by a huge oak tree. Obviously pregnant, the spiky-haired blonde munched on a chocolate bar.

Wonder if she has an extra she’s willing to share? Chocolate was at the top of her food list all the time, but the craving was another symptom for this time of month.

Oblivious to Arie, who was salivating as the blonde consumed the rich chocolate, the pregnant woman watched in amusement as an older female pushed a tow-headed toddler on one of the kiddy swings.

“Higher, higher,” demanded the child who squealed with delight when a stronger push met her request for greater height. “Watch me, Mommy. I can fly with the birds.”

The woman shoved the last bite of candy bar into her mouth, freeing her hand to wave. She seemed reluctant to move her other hand from the pregnancy-induced protrusion she was using as a table. “So I see. If Grammy pushes much higher, you can touch the sky.”

ArieAnne picked up the pace as she trotted along the path toward the family. They were exactly the kind of prey vampires loved to stumble on and it was up to her to protect them.

Just let you bastards try to feed on these unsuspecting victims. It’s not wise to mess with a hunter in PMS mode.

As she drew nearer, the chilly tingle over her neck reached vibration level. The blood-suckers were getting closer to their intended meal, but they’d have to go through her first.

http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/more-hot-reads/dead-hunter/prod_272.html
Dead Hunter is also available at Amazon in a Kindle version
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XZOUBA/ref=s9_simz_gw_s0_p351_t1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_r=0S1FKCWA4G0VBWGHZMPB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470939031&pf_rd_i=507846

Ok the twilight craziness has begun. I heard this morning that all movie theaters in my area from midnight on are sold out. Seriously…SOLD OUT. Now I love a good movie but who wants to wait in line to buy tickets for a midnight showing. Not me…I am sorry I like sleep over watching a moody teenage girl get all depressed. *shrugs* I saw the first movie and wondered why they made it. To me, Bella was annoying and Edward was waaaayyyyy to weird. I personally found it difficult to watch so I don’t think I will watch New Moon when it comes out in DVD next year. But I do know some people who have had Twililght parties and watched the movie again and read the books.

Now that the time is here, it seems every tween and adult woman under age of 100 are getting into this craziness. I just don’t see the appeal IMHO. Vampires who sparkle?! WTF? Sorry that does not resonate with me at all as a reader and an author. I give Ms. Meyer props because she created a series that is very popular right now and picking up where Harry Potter craze left off but let’s be real. If this happened in real life (i.e.-today), I would be calling police for a stalker alert becasue there is no way I am allowing my daughter to be stalked by a 100 year old vampire, no matter if he looks pretty in sunlight. *Shakes head*

Then you got the “Team Edward” or “Team Jake” competition going on between Twilighters. Now really, is there more than one person in this movie? I have read the books and frankly thought books 1-3 were great but the 4th one felt rushed but that is MO only. I am sure there are others who agree/disagree with me on that. I personally enjoyed Alice overall. She was different yet interesting to me. *smiles*

I know I am probably getting vilified in the worst forms right now for not picking Edward or Jake but then again, I think Robert Patterson is not that hawt either. *shrugs* I can’t help it. The wole thing seems nuts to me but then again I seem to be in a minority on this subject.

Ok these are my two cents on the whole Twilight craziness. What say you? Any team you are on? Thoughts? Comments?

Please tell us about your latest release/coming soon. Is it part of a series? A Stand Alone book?
My latest book in The ABRAXAS Series, “Seeing Green” immediately picks up where the last book leaves off. There’s a big problem concerning Ryan and a demon of jealousy that has attached itself to Ryan, which causes major mayhem for Christine and the rest of the Abraxas clan to deal with. To top it off, Christine’s best friend is stopping by for the holidays, and she has no clue Christine has become a vampire. So now Christine has to work double time–having Kiera help her with exorcising the demon for Ryan, plus get her own house ready to make it look lived-in, as Christine has been living in Ryan’s mansion since her own transition.

What is the best and worst things about being an author?
The best thing? I can write, create my own worlds and people, and get away from the mundane world while doing it. Worst thing? EDITING! Promoting comes in a close second. Sometimes, wearing more than one hat in this endeavor can be a real pain in the butt.

Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
They can find out about The ABRAXAS Series at my website, http://BloodTouch.webs.com, under “ABRAXAS”. Free chapter downloads are always available! I’m also Editor/Publisher of Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine, which comes out twice a year, and caters to the dark/paranormal/erotic/horror/bizarre crowd of readers, artists, writers and poets. Folks can find out more at http://bloodtouch.webs.com/darkgothicmagazine.htm. (I’m always on the hunt for ‘fresh meat’ for the magazine, lol.) I also founded the Gratista Vampire Clan Dark Writers group, which harbors some very talented authors such as Anton Glascow, John Neumeisster, Camille McKeever, Christy Poff, Mahogany Silverrain, Annie Alverez, Phylis Sullivan, and Kody Boye. Our group also puts out a bi-annual anthology. Folks can check out past anthologies at my website as well.

Is there a genre you haven’t written yet but plan to in the future?
I’d like to try my hand at period stories, but they involve a little history digging, which I’m not too fond of, lol. It all depends on how much I’d need for the story. Only if my muse really really wants to create one, will I start testing the waters.

What do you feel are the benefits of the new electronic readers such as Kindle 2 or Sony Digital Book Reader to the environment?
Well, for folks that are continuously on-the-go and need something more sleek and compact to stuff in their bags or briefcases, e-readers seem like a good idea. It’ll especially help with producing LESS dead-tree books. We need our trees for cleaner oxygen!

What impact do electronic readers create on the bottom line for authors in the end? Do you feel they have a negative impact or positive, or no impact at all that you can see?
I would like to hope they have a more positive impact, as it’ll allow folks to access books in all types of digital formats. I haven’t investigated e-readers thoroughly enough to make a firm decision about that, though.

Name one character from ANY literary work that you would choose to have dinner with and why.
For some reason, Dorian Grey just popped in my mind…lol! I might need to dig a little deeper into the reasoning behind that…it might be because I watched “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” a little while ago, and Dorian Grey is a character in the movie, lol (and it also might be because I happen to like Stuart Townsend too *grin*)

If you could meet any mythical creature/person, who would it be and why?
Hm, interesting one! Probably Aladdin’s genie, so I could make some serious, life-altering wishes, lol.

If we asked your muse to describe you using three words, what do you think they would say?
Solitary. Inspired. Enigma. *lol*!

Please tell us what you have coming in 2010 if you can.
Book 5 in The ABRAXAS Series–Judgment–should be out by early summer. I’m also working on another ’stand alone’ book for ABRAXAS as well. That should be out by that summer as well. Folks are welcome to find out more and download free chapter excerpts from previous books in the series at http://bloodtouch.webs.com/abraxas.htm .

The holidays are coming. Do you have any traditions that you like to do each year?
There’s no real ‘traditions’ in my household. I’ve always been kind of sporadic with that. No year is ever the same! Besides, I pretty much keep my house looking a bit Halloweenish all year-round. *grin*

Sneak Look into ABRAXAS: SEEING GREEN, BOOK 4 IN THE SERIES
Buy link: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/abraxas-seeing-green–book-4/7232303
Free chapter download link: http://bloodtouch.webs.com/abraxas.htm

“A sad and pathetic raggedy bunch of so-called vampires can’t stop me,” he hissed. “You, who’s too afraid to use the powers you’ve been given, and your ‘mate’ being just as bad, while being absolutely sick in love with you. You both couldn’t have been an easier target.”

“Target?” I echoed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Demon Ryan’s eyes flickered an even brighter shade of green. Any more and they’d look neon.

“That stupid witch had abilities I already possess. Hanging around her was starting to prove useless, until I found out she knew your mate, Ryan Price, who has powers I’ve always dreamed of possessing. The powers of Abraxas.” He took a deep breath, calming down. “Then I discovered you share the same power!” His grin widened. “One of man’s biggest sins is jealousy, and once I realized how much he covets you, it was all too easy to invade him.” He ran his cheek against mine, and I heard him inhale deeply. God, nothing could describe how badly this was freaking me the hell out.

I wished I had something nearby to knock him unconscious with.

But then he distracted himself. “I love the scent of your skin. Like cherries and blackberry wine…” He ran the tip of his tongue around the edge of my ear, making me shiver. But it wasn’t Ryan’s tongue; it was too slender, too snakelike. Good thing I couldn’t see it—I might have screamed.

“I can see why he’s so passionate about you,” he continued, pulling back slowly. He looked into my eyes, then, very predator-like, he covered my throat with his hand. I gasped, the knot in my stomach tightening more. He tilted my head to the side slowly, exposing my neck.

“I could kill you right now with a flick of my wrist,” he whispered. “But it would be such a waste…”

The look on Demon Ryan’s face was very calm and almost seductive. Now holding my shoulders down, he leaned forward, licking me from the base of my ear, then down my carotid artery, and around to the hollow of my throat. My heart was beating so fast, I thought it would explode.

Slowly, his tongue slid up the middle of neck. I grimaced. He continued going under my chin, following the curve of it, then brushed my bottom lip. I closed my eyes, too afraid to—

Don’t look Christine, don’t look!

Sometimes I wished I listened to my inner-self.

It took all the strength and will I had in my bones not to shriek, as I caught a glimpse of that forked, blood-red, snakelike tongue retracting itself back into Ryan’s mouth.

“I want to taste you, Christine,” he whispered softly, his breathing quickening, the look in his eyes deadly as he tightened the grip he had on my shoulders.

I panicked, fearing the worst. Snakes could smell with their tongues, and I half-wondered if he was smelling my blood under the surface of my skin.

I swallowed, then bravely gave a half-hearted laugh.

“You’ve done that—quite a few times now.”

“I want…to taste…a different essence,” he replied, and before I realized it, he flashed a pair of fangs and dove for my jugular.

Have you always wanted to write? Was it early in life or later that the “bug” bit you?

SS: Writing for me is second nature. I’ve always told stories to friends and family but it wasn’t until my teen years that I found writing to be a release for me from stress, upset, sadness and so on.

Tell us about your latest/upcoming release? Is it a series? If so, please tell us a little about the series itself.

SS:  Surviving the Darkness is the 8^th book in my Darkness series. Below is a blurb from the book.

 The Darkness series is a tale of good and evil vampires fighting for control over the city of Jacob’s Cove. In book one, evil vampire Chaos tries to resurrect the king of vampires, Avadar, and with him, blot out the sun. With the sunlight gone, all the humans are at risk. Trinity Ford, soon to be queen of vampires, makes it her mission to protect the innocent, despite being a vampire herself. Scorned by her lover, Basil, she works alone, until Basil worms his way back into her heart. Each book takes place right after here the previous left off with new heroes and heroines joining Trinity and Basil on their quest to bring back the sun.

 When death is on your trail, the only thing you can do is run.

Heading home to Jacob’s Cove after her abductor is released from jail, concert pianist, Deborah Carmichael just wants to find some peace. What she finds is a town run by monsters, and a kind night club owner willing to help her get her self-confidence back. Problem is, he’s a shape shifter and his bar is frequented by demons.

Owner of the Demon’s Lair, Zachary Adams has had to deal with all sorts of evil. Hearing about Deborah’s horrifying ordeal, breaks his heart and he is determined to help her overcome it as best he can. But as the two grow closer, someone is lurking in the shadows.  When Deborah is abducted again, Zach is willing to do anything to get her back.

Will he be able to save her before it’s too late?

Excerpt:

Her wrists and ankles were tied to the four posts on her bed. Her body quivered, her teeth chattered. She’d tried tugging them free but the ropes had only scorched her skin. The cloth in her mouth was wet with saliva and the tape over her lips was beginning to irritate her skin. Dear God, wouldn’t someone save her?

“There we go. That duty’s done. You have a lovely washroom. Very clean and nicely decorated. But that’s no surprise. You have excellent taste. Now, let’s get you out of those clothes.”

She whimpered and when he lifted the large steel scissors she felt her blood drain. They glinted in the overhead light as he climbed onto the bed and she began to cry.

“Now now, this doesn’t have to be unpleasant.” Sliding the blade under her pant leg, he began to cut along the seam.

The tears drenched her face.

“Brown isn’t your color. I think I’ve told you that before. You should wear yellows and reds. You have the complexion for those colors. Brown makes you looked washed out.”

She cringed when the blade slid along her other leg and when he angled the blade over her crotch and sliced the fabric up her belly, her whimpers turned to sobs.

“Now now, no need for hysterics.”

Her body shook as he slid the blade along her blouse, tearing open the fabric and when he reached her bra, slipped the blade beneath the silk. It clipped the inside of her breast, scorching the flesh.

“Oops, sorry about that.”

She sucked in a breath when he leaned down and to her horror, his tongue slid out to lap up the blood.

“You’re very tasty. I can’t wait to have more.”

She began to sob even harder, her body shaking with it.

“Stop crying!” He demanded, holding the scissors to her chin. But she just couldn’t stop the tears or the way her body shook with them. “I said stop crying.”

She yelped when the blade came down between her breasts.

“Stop crying or I’ll give you a reason to cry.”

She screamed through the cloth as the blade sliced into her chest.

To purchase a copy of Surviving the Darkness go to Breathless Press www.breathlesspress.com

 Where can readers find you on the web?

 SS: Readers can find me on my website at www.shielasbooks.ca as well as on Twitter http://twitter.com/ShielaSue  and facebook http://www.facebook.com/shiela.stewart?ref=profile#/shiela.stewart?ref=name and on my publishers website at www.breathlesspress.com

Describe a typical day for you.

 SS: You want me to bore the readers? LOL

A typical day for me is waking at 7:00 when my hubby’s alarm clock goes off. I then make sure my children are up and ready for school which is always a task. My youngest daughter, 14, is not a morning person. LOL Once the kids are off to school and the hubby is at work, I clean up the mess they all left behind, then grab a glass of iced tea and sit down to check emails and do my marketing work. I’m also the marketing Director for Breathless Press. When I’m finished all that, which is usually near lunch, I’ll sit down to write, if inspiration strikes.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. My life is definitely not exciting but I like it.

 Does your family read your books? Do they like/dislike them?

 SS:  My sisters/sister in-law and mother in-law read my books. As do my friends. The first time they read one of my books they were shocked. One, that I wrote about sex, and two, that I was good. LOL My husband has read practically everything I have ever written and he gives me tips on how to make it better or what needs changing.

Most authors are readers as well. Is this the case with you and if so, who are some of your favorite authors to enjoy?

SS: Oh yes, I love to read. My favorite author by far is Nora Roberts and her pseudonym J.D. Robb. I also love reading J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood.  But aside from reading romance and vampire novels I love reading fiction as well such as true stories about split personalities, massacres, and personal biographies. Right now I’m deep in the novel, Elizabeth, the story of Queen Elizabeth the 1^st.

Halloween is here and I hear you are the premier person to go to when decorating a house for Halloween. Can you tell us all about your decorating tips, desires and any other good stuff you like to do on the holiday?

SS: Oh I am definitely THE person to go to when it comes to decorating your house for Halloween. I’m asked by friends and family in September already if I plan on decorating for Halloween. LOL

I like to make my house spooky and gory.  I tend to do more gore on the inside and not as much outside because I don’t want to scare the little ones.  Outside I have a huge air-blown spider that has lit up eyes and his head moves from side to side as well as an air-blown Dracula that comes out of his coffin. I hang plastic homemade ghosts from my trees and along the path to my door I have lit up skeleton heads. I play spooky music from my balcony so anyone entering can hear it.

Inside, I go nuts. LOL. There isn’t a spot in my house that doesn’t have cobwebs. I have battery operated ghosts flying about, creepy ghouls laughing as you pass them by and a mechanical murderer to great you as you stop for snacks. My entire house is lit with candles only to enhance the spookiness. I have severed hands, feet, arms hanging from the ceiling as well on tables and squishy eyeballs that glow in the dark and stare back at you. There are plenty of skeletons in my house to scare you and some may even jump out at you.

I try to host a costume Halloween party every year and my friends and family never disappoint me with their costumes.

 As you can see, I love Halloween.

 You won a chance to spend a day with any character/author/celebrity of your choice. What would you do and who would you pick?

 SS: Hmmmm…tough one because I have three.

King Henry the 8^th would be one. I’m fascinated with the Tudor’s and would love to talk with him first hand and see if he is anything like he’s described.

 Next would be his daughter, Queen Elizabeth the 1^st. She was such a determined and strong independent woman.

 And the third would be Marilyn Monroe. I would love to go back in time to the day she died and find out the truth. Her death has always fascinated me. I have doubts that she committed suicide.

 Anything coming from you in the future we should mark down?

 SS: Keep an eye out for my Demon series. This is a story I am very fond of. Not to say I’m not fond of all of my other books, I am, but the Demon series is one of those stories that stick with you long after it’s been created.

The series is a look into three generations of demons who are direct descendants of Satan. In the first one, Missy Green is running from an abusive relationship only to fall into the arms of a demon. Little does she know she is a demon as well and Satan wants to claim her soul.

For Fun: If you were a superherione, what would your name be and would you wear tights and a cape?

SS: I hated tights when I was a child. I would never wear them now. No, my outfit would consist of black leather pants, bustier and knee high black boots. No cape. It’s too constricting. LOL

My name? Dark Angel.

Thank you Raine for having me on your blog. I LOVED the questions!

Halloween wouldn’t be complete with out talking about vampires. Who doesn’t love vampires? I mean come on, they can be seductive, dangerous and really, from all I have seen, they don’t sparkle like glass but that is just my opinion.

I found some cool websites that tout the “REAL” facts on vampires and such so here are a few facts on Vampires:

1.Many scholars argue the word “vampire” is either from the Hungarian vampir or from the Turkish upior, upper, upyr meaning “witch.” Other scholars argue the term derived from the Greek word “to drink” or from the Greek nosophoros meaning “plague carrier.” It may also derive from the Serbian Bamiiup or the Serbo-Crotian pirati. There are many terms for “vampire” found across cultures, suggesting that vampires are embedded in human consciousness.b

2.A group a vampires has variously been called a clutch, brood, coven, pack, or a clan.f

3.Probably the most famous vampire of all time, Count Dracula, quoted Deuteronomy 12:23: “The blood is the life.”f

4.The Muppet vampire, Count von Count from Sesame Street, is based on actual vampire myth. One way to supposedly deter a vampire is to throw seeds (usually mustard) outside a door or place fishing net outside a window. Vampires are compelled to count the seeds or the holes in the net, delaying them until the sun comes up.b

5.Prehistoric stone monuments called “dolmens” have been found over the graves of the dead in northwest Europe. Anthropologists speculate they have been placed over graves to keep vampires from rising.c

6.A rare disease called porphyria (also called the “vampire” or “Dracula” disease) causes vampire-like symptoms, such as an extreme sensitivity to sunlight and sometimes hairiness. In extreme cases, teeth might be stained reddish brown, and eventually the patient may go mad.c

7.Documented medical disorders that people accused of being a vampire may have suffered from include haematodipsia, which is a sexual thirst for blood, and hemeralopia or day blindness. Anemia (“bloodlessness”) was often mistaken for a symptom of a vampire attack.f

8.One of the most famous “true vampires” was Countess Elizabeth Bathory (1560-1614) who was accused of biting the flesh of girls while torturing them and bathing in their blood to retain her youthful beauty. She was by all accounts a very attractive woman.f

9.Vampire legends may have been based on Vlad of Walachia, also known as Vlad the Impaler (c. 1431-1476). He had a habit of nailing hats to people’s heads, skinning them alive, and impaling them on upright stakes. He also liked to dip bread into the blood of his enemies and eat it. His name, Vlad, means son of the dragon or Dracula, who has been identified as the historical Dracula. Though Vlad the Impaler was murdered in 1476, his tomb is reported empty.f

10.One of the earliest accounts of vampires is found in an ancient Sumerian and Babylonian myth dating to 4,000 B.C. which describes ekimmu or edimmu (one who is snatched away). The ekimmu is a type of uruku or utukku (a spirit or demon) who was not buried properly and has returned as a vengeful spirit to suck the life out of the living.a

11.According to the Egyptian text the Pert em Hru (Egyptian Book of the Dead), if the ka (one of the five parts of the soul) does not receive particular offerings, it ventures out of its tomb as a kha to find nourishment, which may include drinking the blood of the living. In addition, the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet was known to drink blood. The ancient fanged goddess Kaliof India also had a powerful desire for blood.a

12.Chinese vampires were called a ch’iang shih (corpse-hopper) and had red eyes and crooked claws. They were said to have a strong sexual drive that led them to attack women. As they grew stronger, the ch’iang shih gained the ability to fly, grew long white hair, and could also change into a wolf.a

13.While both vampires and zombies generally belong to the “undead,” there are differences between them depending on the mythology from which they emerged. For example, zombies tend to have a lower IQ than vampires, prefer brains and flesh rather than strictly blood, are immune to garlic, most likely have a reflection in the mirror, are based largely in African myth, move more slowly due to rotting muscles, can enter churches, and are not necessarily afraid of fire or sunlight.f

14.Vampire hysteria and corpse mutilations to “kill” suspected vampires were so pervasive in Europe during the mid-eighteenth century that some rulers created laws to prevent the unearthing of bodies. In some areas, mass hysteria led to public executions of people believed to be vampires.b

15.The first full work of fiction about a vampire in English was John Polidori’s influential The Vampyre, which was published incorrectly under Lord Byron’s name. Polidori (1795-1821) was Byron’s doctor and based his vampire on Byron.f

16.The first vampire movie is supposedly Secrets of House No. 5 in 1912. F.W. Murnau’s silent black-and-white Nosferatu came soon after, in 1922. However, it was Tod Browning’s Dracula—with the erotic, charming, cape- and tuxedo-clad aristocrat played by Bela Lugosi—that became the hallmark of vampire movies and literature.f

17.A vampire supposedly has control over the animal world and can turn into a bat, rat, owl, moth, fox, or wolf.c

18.In 2009, a sixteenth-century female skull with a rock wedged in its mouth was found near the remains of plague victims. It was not unusual during that century to shove a rock or brick in the mouth of a suspected vampire to prevent it from feeding on the bodies of other plague victims or attacking the living. Female vampires were also often blamed for spreading the bubonic plague throughout Europe.d

19.Joseph Sheridan Le Fany’s gothic 1872 novella about a female vampire, “Carmilla,” is considered the prototype for female and lesbian vampires and greatly influenced Bram Stoker’s own Dracula. In the story, Carmilla is eventually discovered as a vampire and, true to folklore remedies, she is staked in her blood-filled coffin, beheaded, and cremated.f

20.Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) remains an enduring influence on vampire mythology and has never gone out of print. Some scholars say it is clearly a Christian allegory; others suggest it contains covert psycho-sexual anxieties reflective of the Victorian era.k

21.According to several legends, if someone was bitten by a suspected vampire, he or she should drink the ashes of a burned vampire. To prevent an attack, a person should make bread with the blood of vampire and eat it.f

22.Thresholds have historically held significant symbolic value, and a vampire cannot cross a threshold unless invited. The connection between threshold and vampires seems to be a concept of complicity or allowance. Once a commitment is made to allow evil, evil can re-enter at any time.b

23.Before Christianity, methods of repelling vampires included garlic, hawthorn branches, rowan trees (later used to make crosses), scattering of seeds, fire, decapitation with a gravedigger’s spade, salt (associated with preservation and purity), iron, bells, a rooster’s crow, peppermint, running water, and burying a suspected vampire at a crossroads. It was also not unusual for a corpse to be buried face down so it would dig down the wrong way and become lost in the earth.f

24.After the advent of Christianity, methods of repelling vampires began to include holy water, crucifixes, and Eucharist wafers. These methods were usually not fatal to the vampire, and their effectiveness depended on the belief of the user.f

25.Garlic, a traditional vampire repellent, has been used as a form of protection for over 2,000 years. The ancient Egyptians believed garlic was a gift from God, Roman soldiers thought it gave them courage, sailors believed it protected them from shipwreck, and German miners believed it protected them from evil spirits when they went underground. In several cultures, brides carried garlic under their clothes for protection, and cloves of garlic were used to protect people from a wide range of illnesses. Modern-day scientists found that the oil in garlic, allicin, is a highly effective antibiotic.k

26.That sunlight can kill vampires seems to be a modern invention, perhaps started by the U.S. government to scare superstitious guerrillas in the Philippines in the 1950s. While sunlight can be used by vampires to kill other vampires, as in Ann Rice’s popular novel Interview with a Vampire, other vampires such as Lord Ruthven and Varney were able to walk in daylight.f

27.The legend that vampires must sleep in coffins probably arose from reports of gravediggers and morticians who described corpses suddenly sitting up in their graves or coffins. This eerie phenomenon could be caused by the decomposing process.c

28.According to some legends, a vampire may engage in sex with his former wife, which often led to pregnancy. In fact, this belief may have provided a convenient explanation as to why a widow, who was supposed to be celibate, became pregnant. The resulting child was called a gloglave (pl. glog) in Bulgarian or vampirdzii in Turkish. Rather than being ostracized, the child was considered a hero who had powers to slay a vampire.f

29.The Twilight book series (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn) by Stephanie Meyers has also become popular with movie-goers. Meyers admits that she did not research vampire mythology. Indeed, her vampires break tradition in several ways. For example, garlic, holy items, and sunlight do not harm them. Some critics praise the book for capturing teenage feelings of sexual tension and alienation.i

30.Hollywood and literary vampires typically deviate from folklore vampires. For example, Hollywood vampires are typically pale, aristocratic, very old, need their native soil, are supernaturally beautiful, and usually need to be bitten to become a vampire. In contrast, folklore vampires (before Bram Stoker) are usually peasants, recently dead, initially appear as shapeless “bags of blood,” do not need their native soil, and are often cremated with or without being staked.f

31.Folklore vampires can become vampires not only through a bite, but also if they were once a werewolf, practiced sorcery, were excommunicated, committed suicide, were an illegitimate child of parents who were illegitimate, or were still born or died before baptism. In addition, anyone who has eaten the flesh of a sheep killed by a wolf, was a seventh son, was the child of a pregnant woman who was looked upon by a vampire, was a nun who stepped over an unburied body, had teeth when they were born, or had a cat jump on their corpse before being buried could also turn into vampires.f

32.In vampire folklore, a vampire initially emerges as a soft blurry shape with no bones. He was “bags of blood” with red, glowing eyes and, instead of a nose, had a sharp snout that he sucked blood with. If he could survive for 40 days, he would then develop bones and a body and become much more dangerous and difficult to kill.f

33.While blood drinking isn’t enough to define a vampire, it is an overwhelming feature. In some cultures, drinking the blood of a victim allowed the drinker to absorb their victim’s strength, take on an animal’s quality, or even make a woman more fecund. The color red is also involved in many vampire rituals.k

34.In some vampire folktales, vampires can marry and move to another city where they take up jobs suitable for vampires, such as butchers, barbers, and tailors. That they become butchers may be based on the analogy that butchers are a descendants of the “sacrificer.”c

35.Certain regions in the Balkans believed that fruit, such as pumpkins or watermelons, would become vampires if they were left out longer than 10 days or not consumed by Christmas. Vampire pumpkins or watermelons generally were not feared because they do not have teeth. A drop of blood on a fruit’s skin is a sign that it is about to turn into a vampire.e

36.Mermaids can also be vampires—but instead of sucking blood, they suck out the breath of their victims.e

37.By the end of the twentieth century, over 300 motion pictures were made about vampires, and over 100 of them featured Dracula. Over 1,000 vampire novels were published, most within the past 25 years.k

38.The most popular vampire in children’s fiction in recent years had been Bunnicula, the cute little rabbit that lives a happy existence as a vegetarian vampire.g

39.Some historians argue that Prince Charles is a direct descendant of the Vlad the Impaler, the son of Vlad Dracula.h

40.The best known recent development of vampire mythology is Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off, Angel. Buffy is interesting because it contemporizes vampirism in the very real, twentieth-century world of a teenager vampire slayer played by Sarah Michelle Gellar and her “Scooby gang.” It is also notable because the show has led to the creation of “Buffy Studies” in academia.k

Link for the facts with references: http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/05/02_vampires.html

NOW CONTEST #4: What is one of your favorite vampire books/characters?

Send me an email at rainedelight (AT gmail (DOT) com with your answer and get entered in the Halloween prize pack.