David Brian's Blog - Posts Tagged "werewolves"

Just a quick shout out to announce another Goodreads giveaway.

Running between August 8th/15th, this giveaway is an opportunity to win yourself a signed copy of Kaleen Rae: And Other Weird Tales.

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

So if you like vampires, witches, werewolves, ghosts and all manner of things which go bump in the night, then get your name down now!
Good luck!

As an extra bonus, for those who like their 'vampires with added bite!' Lonely Is The Night - a story which is featured within the pages of Kaleen Rae: And Other Weird Tales - will be available as a free download on Amazon/kindle, between August 8th/12th.

http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-is-the-N...

Good luck to all who enter the giveaway!
And for you kindlings out there, happy reading!

David

Back in August I was contacted with the news that Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria would be reviewed in the November edition of Le Fanu Studies (http://www.lefanustudies.com/), an online magazine offshoot of Gary William Crawford's Gothic Press (http://www.gothlitdata.com/gothicpres...).

Le Fanu Studies (as the name suggests) is dedicated to all things J.S. Le Fanu, and therefore placed me in an interesting situation.
Would they be intrigued by my derivative reworking of a classic, a novella written by the man their journal is named after, or would they be horrified (no pun intended) by my offering?

I was told that the review was to be written by David A. Sutton, and this news too induced within me a degree of trepidation.

For those who don't know, David A. Sutton is a big name in the world of British horror. As well as being the owner of small press Shadow Publishing (http://www.shadowpublishing.webeasysi...), David has been writing genre fiction since the 1960s, and is also a highly respected editor of horror fiction.
In 1994 David received The British Fantasy Society’s ‘Special Award'. He has also received the World Fantasy Award, The International Horror Guild Award, and twelve separate British Fantasy Awards since 1978.

http://davidasutton.co.uk/index.html

Daunting enough then to have such a well respected 'name' reviewing ones work, and made even more so by the knowledge that David is 'not' a fan of derivative fiction.
I confess to having awaited his review with a degree of trepidation. Thankfully, although being upfront about the 'crunching together of different horror icons' not being to his personal taste, David nevertheless presented a very well rounded summary of Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria, and describes the book as a creditable re-creation (of Carmilla).

I can certainly take a degree of satisfaction from the kind words of such a respected literary figure.
You can read the full review by following the link below.

http://www.lefanustudies.com/wolves.html

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Carmilla: A Dark Fugue - is a stand alone tale of terror, which unfolds parallel to the events in Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria, and it is a story I have decided to post as a Goodreads, Halloween freebie(!).

I hope you'll enjoy the events which are about to unfold before you, and any feedback or reviews posted will, of course, be gratefully received.

If you are a fan of vampires and werewolves then read on. However, be warned. Nobody sparkles around here. We are about to go 'old school!'

Chapter 1

Excerpt from the private journal of Thomas Bennett. September 11th, 1860.

I have spent long hours pondering the facts revealed to me these past days, it is a truth only fully realized by the discovery of my old friend’s journal. Strange then, that even after all which has occurred, and even in light of these further revelations, I still refer to him as friend.

Certainly his hands are stained crimson, and I knew this already, but such deeds as these he has undertaken, did I ever truly know the man?

Even now as I stare at the weathered pages of his journal, which now lays open on my desk, placed carefully alongside my own. I wonder, did he choose to abandon the book, that the crimes contained within be better understood, or did the necessity of circumstance force uncharacteristic haste?

So many questions remain as a result of these recent horrors, and it is likely I shall never attain all the answers I would seek; however, there is one thing which does remain most likely. Should the church elders in Gratz, or the gendarmerie learn of the General’s discarded tome, then they will almost certainly seek to claim it. I sense there is a wish on their part to remove these occurrences from history, but too many wives and daughters have already been lost, and as a father myself, how could I be complicit with such a deceit?

I have therefore taken the conscious decision to transcribe the most relevant of these events onto the pages of my own journal. It is important the world remains steadfastly aware, for Satan’s minions move freely amongst us, as we in Styria have discovered to our recent great cost.

My friend’s words present as an affront to my senses, jarring at my soul, and reaching out to me from the yellowed pages of his book. However, I must move past my own scorn of this man, as it is, I feel, imperative I set down his account of the events which unfolded.

The book before me rests open on pages dated June 29th in this year of our Lord 1860.

THIS BOOK IS NOW ENLISTED IN THE KDP SELECT PROGRAM, SO I AM UNABLE TO LEAVE THE FULL STORY UP ON GOODREADS. APOLOGIES.


http://www.amazon.com/Carmilla-Wolves...

http://www.amazon.com/Carmilla-A-Dark...

Thanks for reading. And happy Halloween!

David

Following alterations to the cover imaging; I am giving away two copies of Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria.

The winners of the Goodreads Giveaway, February 24th - March 7th, will each receive a *signed* and *personalized* copy of the Gothic vampire mystery.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

When vampires and werewolves clash, there can be no winners!

Best of luck to all who enter!

David

Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria was recently the subject of an interesting article on the Stories of Duskland blog.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Isis Sousa, the founder of the blog, for taking an interest in my writing, and also the works of other indie authors.

For those interested in taking a look, then you'll need to scroll down the page of the blog. The article is dated June 8th, 2014.

The link is posted below:

http://storiesofduskland.tumblr.com/


Isis Sousa is a woman with many talents. She is already recognized as a gifted artist, and has now turned her hand to writing. Her first novel, The Night of Elisa, is a tale of Gothic romance and a thirst for justice, which crosses the boundaries of two worlds.
You can check out Stories of Duskland, and her other work here:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Don't forget to come visit me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-...




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So, Black Friday has once again rolled around, and everyone is out and about looking for that special bargain - or ten!

Well then, here is a little heads up for anyone of a vampiric, or werewolfery (is that even a word? I doubt it.) persuasion.

The Amazon Kindle editions of Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria, and Carmilla: A Dark Fugue, are both available for a dollar each (Yes. One dollar. Wow! A bargain! So go grab yourself a copy, right?) over the course of Black Friday. Other currencies reduced accordingly.

This retelling of a timeless classic, which delves into the story of a young woman's sexual awakening - against a backdrop of growing terrors - has so far proven to be a popular read, and has consistently topped its categories on Amazon UK.

Links: Goodreads reviews:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Amazon:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carmilla-Jose...

http://www.amazon.com/Carmilla-Joseph...

I've just reached something of a milestone: On April 19, 2014, the kindle edition of Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria attained top spot on the Amazon U.K. Gay & Lesbian > Fiction > Horror Chart:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carmilla-Wolv...

http://www.amazon.com/Carmilla-Wolves...

Twelve months on, there hasn't been a week that's passed where the book hasn't reached #1 on the U.K. site.
I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who has read my interpretation of the Carmilla story. Seriously, folks, your continued support is very much appreciated.

Over two years as a category bestseller on Amazon UK.
As the title says: Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria is currently available for under a dollar on Amazon Kindle, and you can still pick up a copy of Carmilla: A Dark Fugue for free, in any e-Format.
Sale offer applies September 20th/31st, 2016.

Two young women form a friendship which threatens the boundaries of social etiquette in 1860s Styria.
"Shy and strange was the look with which she quickly hid her face in my neck and hair, with tumultuous sighs, that seemed almost to sob, and pressed in mine a hand that trembled. Her soft cheek was glowing against mine, and I felt again that strangest of aches in the pit of my stomach, for something of which I knew not."

Throughout the province, young women have begun dying in mysterious circumstances. Meanwhile, others fall victim to apparently random attacks by rampaging wolves.
"Our eyes met, if only for the briefest of moments, when suddenly he dropped onto all fours, his body contorting as he did so, and when this fiend again looked upon me, it was through the yellow eyes of a wolf."
https://www.amazon.com/Carmilla-Wolve...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carmilla-Wol...

I've recently received a number of emails inquiring why so few of my books are available from other vendors.
The answer is a fairly straightforward one.

Most of my books have remained locked into Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program purely for financial reasons. When I first started out in this business, everything was available wide. But being an unknown writer with little or no following, my books remained dead in the water.

On top of regular sales, Amazon's KU program offers writers a decent financial bump via page reads. So, personally, it always made sense my going all in with Amazon.

However, I'm a few years down the line now, and so I figure it's time to risk sticking my toes back in those deeper waters.
I'll either sink or swim.

I intend starting off slowly, and so first into the wider pool will go my Karnstein Chronicles.

Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria will remain available on Amazon, but also now via a number of other outlets.

https://www.amazon.com/Carmilla-Wolve...

https://books2read.com/u/38P7d3


Carmilla: A Dark Fugue is a short companion piece to the novel, and this will remain *Free* to download through various outlets. It is a standalone story that can be read, and hopefully enjoyed, either before or after reading the novel.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...

https://books2read.com/u/md1AX4

One final thought: I'd just like to say a big Thank You(!) to all those who continue providing their friendship and support. It really is appreciated.