Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Upcoming Promotion: Unholy Testament - The Beginnings


Excerpt, Unholy Testament - The Beginnings, Book2 In The Blackstone Vampires Series

Promo May 30 - June 5

Chapter 12:
"The magic that was Egypt in those days was a thing truly to behold. This exotic jewel of the desert was kissed by many gods. Their god, Osiris, was the Nile and his wife, Isis, was Egypt. And when the river overflowed its banks, the land bore fruit for it was blessed. That blessing brought forth the first harvests.

I journeyed throughout the land, admiring the great pyramids that had begun to be erected. Do you know how beautiful it was to watch the sunset over those majestic structures; to see the sand turn to dark amber under a purple sky? Its beauty was beyond words. And because I was so drawn to that beauty, I decided to dwell in the desert for a time. I loved being there. I thought of the night sky and often dreamt under it, counting the stars and probably wishing upon them as well.

I came upon them one star filled night. I saw two figures crouched in the semi-darkness, feasting on some dumb animal they caught, a deer, I think. Suddenly they became aware of my presence. They sprang at me, first one and then the other—each in turn biting into my neck. I brushed them aside as I would a fly.

“No!” I cried. “I am made of stronger stuff! I am like you, though I am indestructible!”
I think the girl believed me but not the boy. He kept attacking me. I merely pushed him away. Suddenly the girl cried out and several vampires appeared. They growled and grimaced and tried to scare me off for they hadn’t yet decided how dangerous I was.
Most of them stood back, only one or two inched forward as if to test me, daring me to attack first. I knew they were measuring my response.

Suddenly, another being appeared; I say ‘being’ because these others were lowly next to her. I thought she was either a goddess or a priestess of some kind for her bearing was regal. There, in the light of the moon, I beheld her face. She was the most magnificent creature I had ever seen, perfect in form and—more alluring than any wench I had ever bedded. She was dressed simply in white linen with no adornments or I’d have thought her a princess.

I opened my mouth to speak but she put up a hand, stilling my tongue. Then she stepped closer to appraise me more carefully. I thought she’d attack me but she didn’t. Instead, she fell to her knees and then, with her arms stretched forward, she bowed in obedience for she knew she had met a greater being than herself.
At last she glanced up at me. “I am Ankata, your servant.”
She was, I realized, the mistress of a coven, whatever she called herself. In reality, she was only the head of a coven of snarling, raggedy looking vampires.
She shooed them away and laughed. I had never heard such a pleasing sound. It was musical, like the song of a bird.

“They will be alright, they can be grumpy.” She motioned for me to follow her. “In here,” she said, pointing toward a cave. It seemed to stretch endlessly. She turned her head once or twice to smile at me. “Not much further…”
I remember thinking how safe it seemed, safe and deliberately so, hidden away from the world of the living.

At last we reached the living quarters. “Father and I live here.”
There were great clusters of candles and all manner of adornments—statues and vases. I think I gasped whereupon she smiled. “It is our home.”
“And magnificent it is, too.” I replied.

And it was, for it looked fit for royalty. It was remarkable, spacious and furnished with sofas and chairs. It was quite amazing. She began to speak but paused for her father had entered. Now, for the first time, I beheld a most spectacular being. He was tall and slender, his head shaven as if he were a priest. At first I thought he was, but then I took a good look at his apparel.

This was no ordinary man. He was dressed as an aristocrat. He wore the traditional kalarsiris robe belted over a loin skirt. He was most imposing, yet what was truly eye-catching was his collar which was actually a scarab of turquoise and gold, fashioned beautifully. As he came closer, I found I nearly backed away! It was his eyes. Not only were they large and dark, their expression was so intense, I nearly squirmed.

Suddenly Ankata asked: “Why do you come, Eco?”
I knew I had not told her my name—yet she knew it.
I nodded. “Yes,” I replied. “I am Eco.”

She was watching the fearful being that was her father. “My father, Imtep.”
He smiled then. His darkly piercing eyes seemed to soften a bit when he did. I think he was amused at my discomfiture. Then in one smooth motion, he sank to his knees. Ankata looked overcome. I was overwhelmed. “Please, I am not a god; I am a different sort of being…” I said.
“From the light world…”
“Not exactly…”

He looked at me knowingly. “Yes, the slaves tell a story of beings from the light world and of their leader who was banished to where the dead are eaten…”
This was a reference to what they believed—a concept of Hell where the dead are consumed.

“There was a great battle in the light world and my father…”
Imtep nodded. “Was exiled for all eternity.”
“Yes…”
“Yes. It is interesting. And you pay too for this indiscretion.”
“Yes, I am his son.”
“And a loyal child…” He stopped speaking and looked at his daughter. I saw tears in his eyes.
Ankata sighed. “Father is thinking of my death… I am a creature of the night…”
“I raised her up from death,” Imtep declared.
I was shocked, for I had never heard of such a thing. Not from a human’s action, I hadn’t. I stammered, for I wished to know more.

Imtep nodded. “I am a sorcerer, a conjurer-magician to Pharaoh.” He looked sad when he said this. “Pharaoh’s son murdered my daughter.”
He was to tell me that Pharaoh’s son raped Ankata and when she resisted, he killed her.
“And those creatures are her coven…?”

He nodded. “They serve her loyally and always shall.” He bade me sit. “Sit and sup on blood and wine. Just the right balance makes the body ripe for love.” Even then, Imtep knew my heart. “I approve of your desires, Eco. Ankata can please you.”
I had no doubt that she could.

And so she did. The night I coupled with her was the longest night of my existence thus far. We drank of each other’s blood and saw each other’s existences.
When I tasted hers, I saw her life and then her terrible suffering and death. I saw the face of the prince who had defiled her. I saw her brief sojourn through Hell—I saw, too, the demons and devils she would call the evil gods. She fed on my own blood for a long time, it seemed. And as she did I had fancies—desires of what I wished to do to her and with her.

The night and our passion went on. It only ended when we lay in each other’s arms and she asked me for my magic.

At first I didn’t understand, but then I did. She wished to become a being like myself; a true immortal. I told her it was impossible. “We are different,” I said.
She wept when I told her where our differences lay. You see, she thought my blood would make her magical in the way that I am, but it didn’t and when she realized that, she accepted it gracefully. “I am not as you and never shall be.”
“No, I cannot be destroyed whereas…”
“I and those like me can.”
“Yes…”

We sat for hours contemplating all that had happened. And just before dawn I gave her the gift I give to all who need it, I gave her wolfbane. “This is for you and all like you, Ankata. Its magic is powerful, so enabling it is almost like being alive again.”

Now, for the first time, I was in love. I made devout declarations of that love. I swore I would never leave her and I meant it.
Please understand the passion in my heart, Rose. I was like one possessed. I was deeply and profoundly in love!

Because she had seen and felt my existence through my blood, she had many questions. I did my best to answer them. I told her of Heaven, which she knew as the light world. I told her of Father Satan and she smiled and said he was the father of all dark gods.

“I have dreamt of him. Sometimes a vision comes to me when my mind is troubled and I can think of nothing but revenge for he who harmed me.”
“Prince Memet…”
“Yes,” she said.
“But why has your father not brought him evil, a curse perhaps as punishment?”
She took a long while to answer and when she finally did she said: “There is magic protecting them, more powerful than he has ever seen.”
Greater magic than his. I could not get the words out of my mind.
What could it be, I wondered? I had to find out so I decided to ask Imtep.
Ankata told me I would find him outside. “He ponders the skies to seek answers to the questions he has…”

I did indeed find him gazing at the stars. And let me say the skies over Egypt are wondrous, filled with countless stars. He saw me and nodded. “Yes, come,” he said. “Join me.”

I think I was rather in awe of him. Yes, I know what a thing that is for me to admit. Still, it is the truth. I was flattered to stand with him and gaze at the stars.
“I have always thought those are soul fragments up there.” He smiled and shrugged. “We all have our beliefs, is that not so?”
“Yes, of course…”

He knew at once I was troubled. “You may speak to me of anything. I am honored to know so great a being.”
I had to stop myself from laughing bitterly. No one else had ever felt that way or expressed a similar thought. I thanked him. “Imtep, what is the powerful magic that your daughter spoke of that stops your power?”

He nodded sadly. “Ah yes, magic from someone like myself, another magician who learned at the same time I did. Hotop was his name.”
He then proceeded to tell me of his youth in Memphis and his friendship with Pharaoh.

“I was there when his son was born. I drank with him, offered up holy sacrifices for the babe, little knowing he would murder my own daughter some day!”
He told me of Ankata’s pledge of chastity for she intended to serve in the great Cult of Isis.
“I found her broken body, defiled it was—ravished and torn. Odious with corruption—she who pledged to know no man! I carried her from the scene of her defilement, determined to raise her up!”

He told me how this was accomplished.
“It was the forbidden magic of the dark gods that I learned along with Hotop who was to become magician and advisor to Pharaoh after I left.
“And this strong magic, you feel prevents you from accomplishing…?”
“Yes, it prevents me from seeking revenge,” Imtep replied.

“Perhaps if I see your magic I will know what to do. I will understand more and be able to help you break through the impenetrable magic that protects your daughter’s murderer. Tell me, can you conjure monsters?”
“You mean demons?”

I thought a moment. “I don’t mean for you to summon demons; that’s complicated. I mean more for you to create demonic looking creatures, and besides,” I confessed, “I should like to study under you.”

He smiled and shook his head. “The creation of demons is for the gods…or for your Satan.”
“Yes, that’s right. These I speak of would be mere imitations. Demonic creatures that are magical and not actual beings.”
He began to grow very excited. “Yes, that is good. I have done this many years ago. I shall do it again!”

He stood and with a quick wave of his arms and some unintelligible incantation he cried: “Come to me, my children!”

Well, Rose, prepare yourself for you do not like these creatures, as of course you shouldn’t for they attacked and nearly killed you. But please understand, this is my confession and I must make a good accounting of myself and what I have lived through.

And so, he began his magic. And like all magic there was ritual. His incantations lasted quite long, so long in fact that I began to grow weary of waiting, but that’s when it happened. Suddenly, I heard the flapping of wings as droves of small sized bird-like creatures began to appear. Savage, ugly things they were, with sharp teeth and an overpowering stench.
But if they were ugly—and they were, hideously so—they were also compliant. Well, truthfully, his magic made them that way. “You see,” he cried. “They are as loving as real children! Come to me, your father!” he cried.

Rose, it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. These hideous looking creatures, seemingly vying with each other as if to court favor with their master! Their squawking became softer as they called to him, each in its own way wanting his attention!

Yes, those would be the very same creatures I was to conjure throughout my existence! I had never seen such a thing. “They seem to be actual creatures though monstrous. How can this be so?”

He shrugged and smiled. “They are magical, Eco, and if they can achieve the dark purpose I set for them, I shall be indebted to you forever.”
“Come!” I said. “I think I know what to do.”
*
In simple terms, our magic had to be more powerful than our enemy’s magic. How to do it was the question. I decided to imbue Imtep with greater powers than he had. I could enhance his magic by enhancing his capabilities.

Fallen angel spawn do not use curses as a rule. I think it goes back to our natural dislike of witches. Why this is I have no idea, but just as every creature known to man has a natural enemy, so it is with beings such as myself.
I therefore set about to curse the magic of his enemy as I strengthened Imtep’s own powers.
I spoke to him that very day. He hung on every word. His great black eyes glowed with admiration. He knew I was intent on my purpose.
Initially, he had offered to take me to his altar where he intended to call upon the dark gods, but I refused.

“No, Imtep, I shall do this myself. I will do it with my mind.”

I thought of all the power I had, power given to angels at creation, power not lost though some of those angels fell as my father and Louis’ had.
Yes, I was thinking of my father. He had power—that I inherited. His was given to him from the kingdom of light and that power could not be revoked.
I spoke the words clearly and with great feeling:
“In the name of all that is powerful and holy, beyond and into all magical realms, I do invoke the strength of all purpose! The power of all that has existed or will exist! Grant this to me!”
Suddenly, the cave shook and I heard Ankata cry out. It was then that I knew Satan had come. The greatest demon of all, dark god of all dark gods had come to me; the very manifestation of the dark power!

Ankata and her father bowed before him, more in fear than homage, I think.
He was in his human form, that of a handsome young man. What an imposing picture he made. I bowed my head. “I did not wish to disturb you, great one.”
“You are like a son to me. I come when my son needs me, do not forget.”
I swore I wouldn’t.

He looked pleased and glad to see me. I think he was somewhat hurt that I did not invoke his name to begin with.
“What do you wish?”
I told him all of it; the murder, the raising up and the magical protection.
“Who is the magician? What is his name?”
“Hotop,” Imtep said. He said this without raising his head, for he was still bowing.

Satan began to transform himself then. His figure faded, merging into light and shadow but mainly shadow. This went on for quite some time. It ended when flames suddenly burst forth.
When they died, Satan’s voice proclaimed, “He is already dead. He is but carrion for the great, black birds of death. Go to Memphis and you shall see his corpse!”
Imtep was grateful to Satan for his help. But with regard to the bloody revenge he sought against his daughter’s killer that was something else. That had to be witnessed.

“You understand, don’t you? I must see this happen or I will not rest!”
Of course I understood.

And so we travelled to Memphis, Imtep, Ankata and I. Satan had left us but not before carefully eyeing up the beautiful Ankata.
I think I knew at that moment that he would have her. And I think further, I knew it was going to be whenever he wished it.
Yes, Rose, Satan has had many mistresses throughout time; you’ll be hearing of a few in this journal of mine.

At last, we were in sight of the great commercial city of Memphis—a hub of workshops, factories, and warehouses. It was believed to be under the protection of the god Ptah, the patron of craftsmen. There was a great temple dedicated to this god—the largest and most important temple in Memphis.
I saw its majestic columns from the city gates. Imtep was too preoccupied to comment, so I said nothing.

It wasn’t until we actually approached a check point that I heard a commotion. Soldiers and a crowd milled about, some shouting and calling to one another.
Imtep asked what the problem was. He was told that an official had been found brutally murdered. The soldier glanced at us. His stare became fixed upon me. “Where do you travel from?”
Complicated question this. I nearly smiled but controlled myself and mentioned a dusty little town near to where my friends and I had journeyed from.
At last we were given leave to enter the city. Imtep had managed to push his way toward where the murdered man lay. One look at his face and I knew he had recognized the dead man as his enemy.
“Yes,” he said. “Hotop is as dead as his magic.”
There was more to do in order for Imtep to have the revenge he wished.
We were soon bound for the palace. Imtep wasn’t sure whether Ankata should accompany us, but she wished it.

At last we saw it, the great palace of Memphis—a great and glittering structure of gleaming walls and towers. It looked impenetrable but Imtep motioned us. “We will approach from beneath. There are tunnels there, disused for a long time. It is from there that we will gain access!”

The tunnels were low ceilinged and we had to rush along hunched over. At last we paused at the foot of some stairs. “We must go up there. That is where the monster sleeps,” Imtep whispered.

I was incredulous. “But there are guards all around; you don’t wish to create a commotion, do you?”
Imtep smiled and told me of the oldest trick he knew. That which he called the dreamless sleep. “They will sleep and see nothing,” he whispered. “Watch.”
He muttered some incantation and there before my eyes each soldier slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Ankata began to tremble. Her father explained why.
“Her eyes behold the place of her shame and her heinous murder. Calm yourself my daughter—for it is under a different sort of wind you do now revisit the place.”
She was with us when we did it, more pale than I thought possible, and tearful. I understood it for vampires are often in such an attitude when they re-examine their own death.

Imtep was excited and his hands trembled. “I am honored that a being such as yourself would aid me so, my lord. Come,” he said. “To Prince Memet’s chamber I will show you the way!”

The prince lay sleeping. Beside him were three concubines; beautiful girls but already marked with the savagery of Memet’s so-called love making.
It all happened quickly. The stench and the creatures appeared. The girls departed quickly, but when the prince tried to flee, the vampires brought him down. They ate of his flesh and drank of his blood so quickly and so efficiently that all that remained were his bones.
Imtep comforted Ankata for she cried. But they were tears of relief and nothing else.

“You are avenged, my child. The evil that had taken you from the living world is no more.” Then, turning to me, he added, “And the murderer’s passage to the next world is in doubt for there can be no funeral preparations, nothing to ease his passage.”
I agreed, but in order to make certain that nothing of his soul survived, I called upon the dark gods of Egypt to devour it. For some reason, Imtep wept. He would confide to me later that this was because the prince’s father had been his friend. “We were boys together. We shared our lives. Who would have expected such treachery?”

I had the distinct feeling that at one time, Imtep and Pharaoh might have been thinking of marrying their children to one another. We had already discussed Pharaoh’s reaction to the news of his son’s death. Imtep knew he’d mourn him, although I got the impression the father was ashamed of the son and that shame would affect everything.

“He’d not wish his son to be murdered, but were it to happen as it has, he will accept it for he knows truth.”
We left Memphis then; we left before the cock crowed, before the sleep magic would wear off.

As for the vampiric creatures, the tool of the revenge, they were sent back from whence they came, that other world of fantasy and magic that exists so close to our own. We did not rest until we reached the desert. There, in an oasis, Imtep drank water whilst Ankata and I shared the bounty of a bird.
“I sup as a demon does and I shall for as long as I exist.”

If I found the words hard to take, I saw Imtep found them more difficult. He wept as though his heart were broken, for Ankata was undead—and she was undead because his grief had been far too great to let her rest.

(end of chapter)


Sunday, May 18, 2014

Should a Writer Stop At Voodoo?




Think about it! It could be the ultimate marketing tool a writer of horror could use to increase sales. 
"But that's horrible!" I hear you say.

Sure it is. But perhaps madness is closing in. Promotion is tough, you know! 
 So what about gentle persuasion?

IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU WILL READ MY NOVEL.

or

READ IT BECAUSE YOU SEE I HAVE THIS DEVIL DOLL I MADE AND...YES, I'M AFRAID THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED A LOCK OF YOUR HAIR FOR...!

No, that's a bit heavy handed. Voodoo is a non-starter. It just isn't right. BUT THEN AGAIN, HOW DO WE KNOW THAT SOME AUTHORS HAVEN'T USED IT? HMMM?

But you can apply that to anyone in any sort of competitive occupation, can't you?

I mean the next time someone asks you to vote a certain way--look at their eyes. Do you see a glint of madness? Are they wearing something that looks like a fetish?

And listen! Whatever you do, if one day you find a dead chicken hanging over your front door, do something about it! There's a lot of very good information on the internet!

Meanwhile, just relax, I'm only having fun with you. It's just my way to kid around. But really, just for fun when you have time, send me a lock of your hair?     


Tuesday, May 13, 2014

SPAM BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL SPAM!



I hate spam, I don't spam, I will never spam. If I caught myself spamming I would open my veins, jump off a high building or hang myself. Are we on the same page now?

I have never befriended anyone and then messaged them INCLUDING LINK(S) about myself or my work. In my opinion, there are spam offenses that should involve different levels of punishment.

1. Spammers who send links immediately upon contacting/befriending you should receive a light smack.

2. Spammers who send links for every site they are on (blog, books, networks and an entire bio of what they have been doing for the past decade is a far more serious spammer offense. It should be punishable by a good crack across the face. Really--at the very least a virtual slap!


slap photo: Virtual Bitch Slap slap-761215.gif

The one thing spammers don't ever seem able to grasp is that the person spammed is so less likely to care about them or buy what that person is selling, like EVER!

Thank you! 


WRITERS/READERS CHECK OUT eBOOK SODA!




My book is being featured on Tuesday May 13th 2014 at eBookSoda, a new readers' site where they'll send you ebook recommendations tailored to your taste.www.ebooksoda.com
READERS/WRITERS: BE SURE TO VISIT THEM AND SIGN UP FOR THEIR NEWSLETTER! 

They have all genres and deals of the day listed!

Here's mine listed today: 

Unholy Testament - Full Circle, Book 3 in The Blackstone Vampires Series
by Carole Gill

Dark supernatural horror
Rose Baines is held captive by the demon Eco and is forced to read his journal -- a confession of his sins, primarily his twisted obsession for Blackstone House's former mistress, the evil and debauched Eve Darton . . . This is gothic horror at its darkest.


AMAZON      AMAZON UK

Monday, May 12, 2014

Meet Author Michael Martineck!



Animal Spirits and the Invisible Hand

Horror snuck unseen into my novel, whispered to the characters, and performed a perfect trick: It made me believe it was there all along.  My ambition with The Milkman was for a science fiction in which economics is the science fictionalized, but the line between the supernatural and economics is a circle of salt, on hard wood floor and the window is open and the wind is snide.

The horror of economics is nearly never talked about.  It is a poltergeist of sorts; it plays on and with people.  Over the last 250 years, it has drifted steadily towards mathematical modeling – setting course for predictability, trying to cut through the fog of human nature.  Fog is spooky.  It hides things.  Crunching numbers can spark a light, but beware whatever heading math might provide.  It’s a Gypsy on the side of the road or a prophecy carved into a tomb.  Math doesn’t have your best interests at heart.  It doesn’t have a heart.

Many of the tropes of in economics feel like they’ve been lifted from traditional horror canon.  Adam Smith cast the term “Invisible Hand” for market forces work without consciousness, and yet seems to have goals and aim.  The Hand is inscrutable.  Like Cthulhu.  The Hand pushes and pulls regardless of how much happiness or misery it creates.  It is immense, uncontrollable and while we devote incredible amounts of time and money to discerning its logic, it remains largely unknowable.

Animal spirits is the term used by the economist John Maynard Keynes to identify another relentless, powerful, invisible force.  Humans do not always follow a predictable decision path.  We have intuition, imperfect understanding, and tastes and appetites that frequently have no relationship to necessity.  We don’t, as individuals, perform well as constants in an equation.  There is a beast that wants a Fendi bag in place of blood pressure pills or a Harley “because the furnace will make it another year.”  We don’t always want wants best for us.  Sometimes our wants have minds of their own.

And so, my book about economics became a book about unseen forces that invade, infect and urge people towards evil.  Or good.  Because humans have that inside them too, despite the math.  The Milkman is a set in a world with no governments.  Sprung free, the forces of economics are more intense and can be seen more clearly.  We can more easily discern the supernatural forces at work around us and that putting an academic name to them doesn’t make them any less frightening.





AMAZON




Michael on Michael

Michael MartineckI started writing stories when I was seven. You’d think I’d be better at it by now. It’s not from lack of trying. Over the years, I’ve put out short stories, comic book scripts, articles and trio of novels. I’ve put countless other ventures in the drawer. The drawer is in my house on Grand Island, NY., a little cap of clay nestled between the US and Canada.
This is also the location of my Ego Retention Program, whereby my beautiful wife and two lovely children continuously call out my various shortcomings, keeping me from becoming the screaming, self-centered artist I long to be. DC Comics published a couple of stories in the early 90s. Planetmag, Aphelion and a couple of other long-dead e-zines helped me out in 00s, along with The Misspellers and The Wrong Channel. Cinco de Mayo is now out from EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy. Very exciting, you know, for me.

michaelmartineck.com


99 cents May 12-18 UNHOLY TESTAMENT - FULL CIRCLE




Dracula is introduced in this book and is featured in The Fourth Bride. 
All of the hideous secrets of Blackstone House and its inhabitants are revealed in Full Circle, the third book in Carole Gill's Blackstone Vampires Series.

Rose Baines continues to be held captive by the demon Eco and must read the rest of his journal, which is a confession of all of his sins. The rest of the journal focuses on the characters that have haunted Rose's living life and undead existence. But primarily, Eco's journal tells of the sick and twisted obsession he has had for Blackstone House's former mistress, evil and debauched Eve Darton.

This is gothic horror at its darkest. Eco's lustful relationship with Eve is told against the backdrop of aristocratic devil rites, both in England and France, including satanic sacrifices; continuing to the Great Fire of London 1666. Along the way there are plagues, vampire destroyers, witch hunts and, of course, vampires!

Human evil and supernatural evil are explored in detail. There are Resurrection men who supply a necrophile doctor. Every vice and evil is examined, including the hideous truth of Rose's father and the reasons he murdered her family. Every evil that Rose Baines was subjected to is closely examined, as are those who committed the worst sins against her. This is not light reading and although there is romance within the story, the darkness that surrounds it is relentless.

Reviews:

The fact that Carole Gill was able to create such vivid characters still baffles me.-B. J. Gaskill, Inside BJ's Head

Dark and gruesome equates to beauty-History, Romance and Mystery
Full of dark, gory, evil and heinous twists and turns which keeps your adrenaline going.
Nancy Allen, Avid Reader

This is the completely revised 2nd edition of Full Circle, published by Creativia
' 92 Horror authors you need to read right now'
Carole Gill -- the Blackstone Vampires series
~Charlotte Books EXAMINER
.
"In the attempt to find the just measure of horror and terror, I came upon the writing of Carole Gill whose work revealed a whole new dimension to me. The figure of the gothic child was there. Stoker's horror was there. Along with the romance! At the heart of her writing one stumbles upon a genuine search for that darkness we lost with the loss of Stoker."
Dr. Margarita Georgieva ~ Gothic Readings in The Dark

AMAZON                              AMAZON UK



Friday, May 9, 2014

EXCERPT The Blackstone Vampires, Book 4


Harker's arrival:

"He did indeed arrive the following night. I saw a coach pull up to the castle and out stepped the passenger aided by the driver. I knew at once the driver was Dracula. The man looked uneasy waiting there. Every sound seemed to unsettle him. He kept looking around for some time until at last the great doors opened and Dracula appeared. When I saw him motion the man inside, I was reminded of my own arrival not that long ago, but what is time to the undead?

Suddenly I realized I was not alone. I turned to find Verona standing beside me. Her face looked beautiful in the moonlight, her eyes burning red, her voice a poisonous whisper. “I can smell his blood,” she said. “Can you?”

If I admitted I too could smell it and was tempted, that would not have been a lie. That was probably why I hated Verona as much as I did. She was a constant reminder to me of what I had become.
“He will be ours when the master is finished with him.”

Those words rang true for Dracula had said them to me. The others soon joined her, each of them once again acting as though they were one being—the core of which would be that evil creature known as Verona.

All they could talk about was the master’s guest. “We shall kiss the life out of him... and we shall do it over and over until he is white with death.” They giggled, their mirth sounding ominous.

They left me then. And I watched them creep up toward the castle so slowly, it seemed they were gliding.
I imagined that they would lie in wait, waiting for any gift given them by Dracula. I followed along, not to wait with them but to remain by myself in the crypt, once again an outcast by my own choosing.
I would, during this time, occasionally visit Darka although my visits grew less frequent. The last thing I wished to do was to put her in danger. For her part, she pitied me. “If only you could flee,” she’d say. “But you cannot for you are so bound.”

She worried; for it was obvious things were only going to get worse for me. Darka was forthright enough to warn me yet again: “Be prepared, my sweet child of the night. He will go alone; he is so decided. There is no place for you or even his other wives in his future existence.”

That struck me. I hadn’t thought of them. Why were they so faithful to him? He didn’t care for any of us. It was always lust and nothing more.

“We are nothing to him.”
Darka did not answer, but then again, she didn’t have to.

In the days that followed, I rarely sought Darka out because I did not want Verona to find me with her. I was fearful of even going there in secret for I have often thought Verona more witch than vampire.
I had as little to do with the sisters as possible. And when hunger overcame me, I’d seek out my sustenance alone.

"The master had been keeping more to himself. And if I missed him, I knew the other brides did too, for I heard them complaining to one another.

Sometimes I imagined they laughed at me. In truth, I didn’t care. I was already resigning myself to eventual destruction, for I did not wish to exist without the master. The beginning of the end for me came the night I saw Dracula capture a small child. He had snatched it away from its home.

Yes, I had followed along, so eager was I to see where he was going and what he was doing. I had become a desperate, mad thing; both wanting him and fearing him at the same time.

He plucked the child away from its mother. The woman had only left it for a moment, just long enough for Dracula to carry it off like some predatory bird.

It occurred to me he was taking it back for the sisters, for them to feast on, and I was right. I heard their joy at having received such a gift. And though I too had done evil things to all human creatures, this troubled me greatly.

The child was devoured quickly. I heard it cry out once and then no more. The only sounds were those of enjoyment. Verona’s voice was the loudest: “Such a sweet child!”

End of excerpt

AMAZON 

ALL FOUR NOVELS, 99 CENTS FOR THIS PROMOTION




Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Eve's Confession from Unholy Testament - Full Circle


99 CENTS NOW THRU 5/18!

Excerpt:
"This was my mother and sister. I had previously seen them whole and beautiful, with death’s silent stillness upon their fair features. Yet they were changed! There I stood in that awful place, smelling death and decay; the mother and her newly born babe mere corpses swarming with maggots—alive with rot! I must have screamed. I can still hear those screams sometimes.

My father only laughed at me. “You see, it is only best that you know!”

I knew alright. I knew in my child’s brain that the comfort offered by the church was based on lies and falsehoods. There was no Heaven. They did not rest in peace. How were they resting in peace when insects devoured their flesh?

“There is no God!” Yes, in my child’s voice, I proclaimed what I knew to be a truth.
My father only laughed, and that laughter and his continued cruelty caused me to curse him. “I hope you burn in Hell for all eternity!”

He laughed at first but then when I kept screaming my curses, he beat me senseless. When I woke, I did so with a worse curse upon my lips. For not only did I curse him to Hell, I called upon Satan to punish him.

I was alone for some days after that as my father had gone on a drinking binge. Drinking and wenching were his favorite pastimes. That was when he came to me. Satan! Came to me the first time then as I lay weeping for my mother.

He stood silhouetted in front of my window, this tall being gazing down at me. I began to cry for I was fearful lest he hurt me.

His voice was a soft whisper. “I will not hurt you, Eve.”

I asked him how it was he knew my name but he did not answer. Instead, he came toward me. I let him touch me, for I longed for comfort. His touch was gentle, too. I opened myself to him, I wept as I told him what had happened. He let me speak for the longest time before he whispered: “I have come to love you.”

There was something about his tone that made me pull away.

“Who are you?” I asked, feeling ever more frightened.

His answer was to let me gaze upon his face. Lighting a candle, he held it close. You know how handsome he can look if he so chooses and that was how he looked.

“I am lord of the dark, god of all you secretly covet. I am he who rules the great dark depths of punishment and beyond!”

I opened my mouth to scream..."

AMAZON




The Blackstone Vampires Series Omnibus


Compilation of all four volumes of The Blackstone Vampires Series. 

THE HOUSE ON BLACKSTONE MOOR 
After discovering her savagely murdered family, Rose Baines is plunged into a nightmare of hell. She is incarcerated in two madhouses, after which she is helped to obtain a position as governess at Blackstone House. Located on haunted moorland, nothing is as it seems for the House and its inhabitants have hideous secrets. There is unimaginable horror there, and love too--love that comes at a terrible price.

UNHOLY TESTAMENT – THE BEGINNINGS 
Eco, first seen in the previous book, has documented all of the sins he has committed during the course of his immortal life. Trying to get Rose to forgive him, he forces Rose to read his journal by holding her children hostage.

UNHOLY TESTAMENT – FULL CIRCLE 
Vampiric orgies and satanic rites fill the pages of this book. All of the hideous secrets of Blackstone House are revealed. Every evil that Rose Baines was subjected to is closely examined, as are those who committed the worst sins against her.

THE FOURTH BRIDE
After the tragic and sudden death of her groom, Dia, cursed by Dracula as a babe, is taken to his castle. Once there, she is seduced and turned by the count and becomes his fourth bride. The other brides are to be her sisters. All are to love and feed upon one another. Dia’s tale is full of erotic sex and graphic violence. It is a tale of love and lust but mostly of blood, for the blood is everything.

Editorial Reviews

"In the attempt to find the just measure of horror and terror, I came upon the writing of Carole Gill whose work revealed a whole new dimension to me. The figure of the gothic child was there. Stoker's horror was there. Along with the romance! At the heart of her writing one stumbles upon a genuine search for that darkness we lost with the loss of Stoker."
DR. MARGARITA GEORGIEVA ~ Gothic Readings in The Dark


The House on Blackstone Moor:
"Carole Gill presents a monstrous mythology that evokes Milton and makes you resent any time you must take away from finishing this fabulous read!"
RICK LANGSTON

Unholy Testament - The Beginnings
"Outstanding horror by an amazing author!! Gave me the creeps! Ms. Gil really immerses the reader in her well-crafted and frightening dark world!"
LEONARD KILBANE

Unholy Testament - Full Circle 
"Is full of dark, gory, evil and heinous twist and turns which keeps your adrenaline going. Unholy Testament - Full Circle with all of the horrific things that goes on in it is just right up my alley. And believe me you definitely get plenty of evil in Unholy Testament - Full Circle. The ending left me with my mouth hanging open it was so surprising. I never expected it but I loved it."
NANCY ALLAN - Avid Reader
.
The Fourth Bride
This is by far my favorite of the Blackstone Vampire series! I fell in love with Dia's character. Count Dracula's character was portrayed just has he should be. Dark and Creepy full of evil! Carole is by far the master story teller of vampire gothic horror. Once you pick this novel up there will be nothing more important than getting to the last page! There are more dark twists and turns than a roller coaster!
WENDE SHEETS ~ Julie's Book Review

ALL FOUR BOOKS IN THE BLACKSTONE VAMPIRES OMNIBUS

AMAZON                                                             AMAZON UK

Saturday, May 3, 2014

'A 'Dark, Addicting Read, Not For Faint-Hearted'



The reviewer's title for the review of The House on Blackstone Moor, in her own words: 'A Dark and Addicting Read...' within the review she adds, 'not for the faint-hearted.' Fair enough!

My fiction is so dark that an author, Kevin A. Ranson said, "Crayola should rename their black crayon, Carole Gill.' 

I write  about vampires and demons--and see them as dark, deadly and dangerous. It's not to everyone's taste and I can understand that. I am posting this review here because I feel this says it all. The reviewer zeroed in on how she perceived my fiction and its darkness:


~*~

"I was in love with a demi-demon, an occasional imbiber of blood, a creature most of the world hated. Yet, I still loved him and the children-demons all".

This is the first of Carole Gill's books that I have read, and it was much more than I had ever hoped for, or expected it to be. It's an extremely dark and enticing read. Each sentence propelled me on to the next.

I knew it was a book about vampires, but I didn't know much else besides that. Sometimes I like to go into books, kind of blind, without finding out much about them prior. I just knew I wanted to read some of Carole Gill's work after hearing and reading comments about it over the last several months.

I read quite a lot of vampire themed books, but this was unlike any other vampire book I've personally read, which I was really pleased about. I needed a change from my norm. I love dark writing and a good bit of horror and Carole Gill really does have a handle on how to write and bring forth the sheer darkness of the story she has within her (in my own opinion). I really enjoyed the book.

So much happened in The House on Blackstone Moor, that I scarcely know where to begin with a plot outline. So, I'm not going to give one, as I usually would, for fear of not doing the story justice. Sorry! It's just one of those books that you'd have to read, to get any kind of grasp on just exactly what and how much goes on within its pages.

It's turned 4am here as I've just finished this and from beginning to end I was completely enthralled and taken in by the goings on. I couldn't put the book down and I've been sat here with caffeine to ensure I made it to the final page this night.

I half expected your typical kind of vampiric creatures. You know, tall, dark and handsome. Broody looking gents that usually make the female characters swoon. However, what I got were creatures in a whole other league. It was great! I dare say, the supernatural creatures we meet in this (this includes the devil himself by the way) would wipe the floor with the creatures I've came across in my reading previously. Some of them seemed to be pure, evil incarnate.

The main character has a really, really hard time throughout the story and I found myself reading, thinking "Surely it's over now for her, surely she cannot endure anything more than she already has". And yet, the horrific events in her life just kept on coming. One, horrific, gruesome scene after the other, and yet, she still endures, somehow. For such a young girl, she goes through a lot.

I know this book won't be to everyone's tastes. In fact I'm sure it'll have a very divided audience. Those who like its darkness and those who definitely do not. Such is life though. I can imagine the violence and gory bits being just too much for some. But, I liked the book. It kept me entertained, shocked me and rocked me to my core in places. Sometimes, I just need a good dark read and this I found to be enjoyable, and also, addictive. I briefly considered closing the book and retiring for the night, but the thought quickly passed as I continued reading on. Lol. When a book can make me stay up all night, I'm compelled to give it a thumbs up.

Thanks for an entertaining night of reading! I will be reading more of this series.

Word of warning: This is definitely not a book for the fainthearted, or the younger readers out there, in my opinion. There are scenes in this book that could be quite disturbing for some people.

"Sarah Fae of Fae Books Blog"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/ANAMDQJL1HVE/ref=cm_pdp_rev_title_1?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview#R3B7LXGVVFW8JY

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Have You Heard About Microcerpt?




MICROCERPT – is a website that connects readers, books and authors through a universe of excerpts.

This from their website:

"A new website for writers and their audiences, connecting them through a unique network of writing samples.

*Subscribe to your favorite writers

*Discover new writers by browsing excerpts in your favorite genre.

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*Post book reviews and your top 10 books or authors

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*Read excerpts from author’s in-progress writings, as well as their already published works.

*Buy books directly on microcerpt.com or use our Amazon links that take you directly to the appropriate page to purchase.

http://microcerpt.com/

You can join as a reader or writer. 

I joined them! This is my Writer's Site:

http://microcerpt.com/carolegill/


Hope to see you there.