It All Started When...

It started with a desire to read another paranormal romance that sucked me into its world. I had just devoured the entire “Twilight” series in the span of one week and was craving more. I searched online and through some bookstores, but nothing appealed to me. Then a light bulb went off.
 
If I couldn’t find a book, why not write one?
 
It could be whatever I wanted. I could blend genres and themes that I had always found fascinating. I wasn’t writing for critical acclaim, so I could bend publishing rules and make this a story that sparked my imagination and combined elements that I could explore in one story instead of ten different types of books. The rusty wheels of creativity started to turn. My story had to have romance, history, philosophy, mythology, religion, occult, travel, and of course a paranormal twist. Better yet, it needed to be a story that transcended time both in theme and relationships.
 
I sat down at my laptop over the last weekend in September 2008 and started to write, not really ever having a plan or hope of finishing a novel, even though that had been a lifelong aspiration. Writing this story was just a cathartic outlet to deal with some personal stresses. My fingers started to type and the words flowed seamlessly. The characters, locations, and plot seemed to write themselves. After typing without interruption for three hours, I remember thinking, “Wow, that was easy!” Muses and inspiration collided and in seven days I finished writing the first seven chapters. I reread them and thought—wouldn’t it be a great accomplishment if I could actually finish writing a novel? Three months later, the story was complete at over 800 pages. With some editing, this monster turned into books #1 and #2.

Like the pride and joy one feels when holding their newborn in their arms for the first time, words cannot express the countless emotions pulsing through me as I held my dream come true this past February when the first novel, "Eternity," was finally published.
 
“Eternity” might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s mine and from the great feedback I’ve received from its fans to-date, the story transports you into its world of normal life—pains of death, falling in love, making friends, testing convictions, and learning to trust, which clash with the extraordinary—the unseen yet very much alive, magic, fantasy, nature’s power, and the world of gods, goddesses, vampires, werewolves, and an ancient favorite, witches.
 
It’s hard to believe that my adventure with “Eternity” began four years ago, but as I am currently working on the fourth novel, the story continues to evolve with new twists and turns that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
 
Thank you to everyone who supported “Eternity” along the way—my Muses, Jeff, Joey, Maria, Amy, Sue, Kathleen, Deb, and Wendy.
 
Many thanks to all of my readers for joining me on this adventure—as a writer, your feedback and encouragement is appreciated more than you could ever know.
 
To those who are getting ready to enter the world of “Eternity”—welcome to Angel’s world!
 
Purchase “Eternity” on Amazon:

• Paperback
• Kindle

Top 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Werewolves

It’s my favorite time of the year and I’m counting down the days to Halloween by celebrating the season’s favorite characters and topics with fun facts and trivia. Today’s monster du jour: werewolves!

5) Jacob Black’s Long Lost Ancestor
Nearly 100 years before Stephenie Meyer introduced werewolf hunk Jacob Black, “The Werewolf” featured film’s very first. The silent movie from 1913 was based on a short story of the same name by Henry Beaugrand. Don’t bother looking for the film on Netflix. All copies of it were apparently destroyed by fire in 1924.

4) Werewolf: Human, Animal, or Both?
Rising in popularity as characters in Gothic horror tales of the 19th century, werewolves symbolized the internal struggle between humanity’s socially expected proper behavior and its raw, animalistic urges and innate dark tendencies. These creatures represented the human clash between good and evil. Interestingly, the werewolf wasn’t the only monster making waves in the Victorian era. Also collecting fans at this time were Mary Shelley’s monster of Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Both were similar in nature to the dual personality of the werewolf.

3) The Hollywood Obsession
Making headlines throughout the 19th century, it’s no surprise that werewolves made the jump from literature to the big screen with the dawn of motion pictures. According to werewolf-movies.com, about 265 movies were released between 1913 and 2010 which include werewolves of one kind or another. Check out one or two of these flicks for Halloween. (Werewolf-movies.com List or Wikipedia Werewolf Movie List)

2) The Father of Werewolves
They had to come from somewhere. One of the earliest stories of werewolves comes from a Greek tale of a man named Lycaon who angered Zeus. Apparently everyone but Lycaon knew that you don’t pick a fight with the head god who ended up changing him and his sons into wolves. Whether legend or supernatural mystery, lycanthropy, the transformation of a human into a wolf, has been reported by many cultures worldwide for thousands of years.

1) Fact or Fiction: Are Werewolves Real?
Yes, they are! Well, sort of. Werewolf Syndrome, also known as hypertrichosis, is an extremely rare condition which causes hair to grow all over the body. I’m not talking about your average guy with a hairy back or a Santa Claus-like beard. Hypertrichosis causes excessive hair growth over parts of one’s body and sometimes all over. There are four types of hypertrichosis, none of which are contagious.
· Localized Congenital Hypertrichosis – Excess hair is typically restricted to specific sites on the body and is sometimes caused by neural abnormalities, diabetes, or AIDS.
· Localized Acquired Hypertrichosis – Injuries such as irritation, inflammation, or trauma can result in hypertrichosis over an affected area.
· Generalized Congenital Hypertrichosis – This type is both rare and inherited. Typically, a baby never loses the fine hairs which grow all over his/her body in utero. Over time, the hair growth tends to affect the face, ears, and shoulders.
· Generalized Acquired Hypertrichosis – The intake of certain drugs such as phenytoin, cyclosporine A, and minoxidil lead to the onset of this version of hypertrichosis. Usually, the condition disappears if an individual stops taking these drugs. In other instances, some individuals suffering from one of the strains of Porphyria may develop hypertrichosis after exposure to/treatment with hexachlorobenzene. Imagine suffering from both Werewolf & Vampire Syndromes! (More on vampires in Friday’s article…)

While the acquired forms of this disease are treatable, solutions such as shaving, laser removal and electrolysis provide only temporary relief to those suffering from congenital hypertrichosis.

So, if you see a “werewolf,” be kind, don’t stare or judge. They’re normal people. The full moon’s affect on them is no different than its impact on the rest of us. We’re all a little crazy and different sometimes.

Resources:
1) “The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead” by J. Gordon Melton
2) Hypertrichosis / Werewolf Syndrome - a) Telegraph.co.uk b) http://www.hypertrichosis.com/

3) Hypertrichosis / Porphyrias
4) Pictures from top: a) Twilight "New Moon" picture - http://twilight-the-movie-new-moon-cast.blogspot.com b) Lon Chaney as "The Wolf Man" - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034398/ c) Michael J. Fox in "Teen Wolf" - http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00025147.html d) "Werewolf Boy" article at Telegraph.co.uk

Media's Blood Suckers

No, I don’t mean the media’s bloodthirsty, ratings hungry producers and talent (though this would be a great blog post; another day perhaps). I’m talking about vampires in film.

Vampires have been around for thousands of years. However, thanks to a tuberculosis epidemic at the end of the nineteenth century, their presence among us resurged. Inspired by the outbreak and a couple of real-life characters, Bram Stoker started the modern obsession with his character, Count Dracula. From there, vampires transformed into pop culture phenomenon.

Listed below are my top 5 vampire movies. Click on the images or links below to see the trailers and/or movie clips.
#5 – Dracula – Bela Lugosi introduced the suave and dapper—and very much Hollywood polished—modern vampire in this classic 1931 film. His real Hungarian accent and dark, confident presence certainly helped create the image of an all-powerful, romantic vampire leading man. Scary but beautiful. (It’s easy to see the evolution to Twilight’s Edward Cullen).
#4 – The Little Vampire – Ok, I know. This is not a major movie blockbuster, so why is it on the list? It’s a kids' version of the vampire tale and a great confidence builder for kids who don’t quite fit in anywhere. The lesson learned is that friends can be found in the least likely places (like an old, decrepit graveyard) and true friends help each other regardless of the risks they might face. It’s an excellent family movie where the bullies get what they deserve and the hero who saves the day is the underdog.
#3 – Interview with the Vampire – A favorite of mine because it peaked my interest in vampires as a teen—Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Christian Slater, and Antonio Banderas helped too. Anne Rice’s novel of the same name brought to life a romanticized tale of life, relationships, and lots of death. The last scene of the movie is the reason why I always check the back seat of my car before I get in at night.
#2 – Nosferatu – This is a must see for anyone interested in the undead. Inspired by the traditional view of vampires (dead creatures who don’t look human anymore), Max Schreck’s creepy interpretation captures the idea of the modern vampire. Filmed in 1922, this black and white German movie makes fantastic use of the monochromatic scheme as a representation of good and evil. (If you’re watching this and 1931’s “Dracula” for the first time, don’t judge them by modern standards. Most of the actors were accomplished stage performers and the switch from stage to screen was still being developed, as were special effects, make up and countless other things we expect to see these days.)
#1 – Twilight Saga – Seriously, what’s not to like? It’s Romeo & Juliet set in the supernatural world. A young couple fights to stay together despite the odds and the fact they shouldn’t be together for various (and practical) reasons. Edward Cullen and his “vegetarian” vampire family are quintessential, 21st century vampires – denying their thirst for human blood because they don’t want to be monsters. They’re vampires with consciences and a capacity to love and find connections with those outside their forbidden world. Add in a group of traditional vampires who don’t share the Cullen’s alternate lifestyle and a pack of wolves hell bent on destroying all of them and it makes for a perfect, tension filled vampire romance. (Can't wait for New Moon!! [trailer, extended Volturi scene] NOTE: a 30 second ad plays before the trailer.)

Since a top 7 list just sounds ridiculous, I’m adding these as honorable mentions:
#2 – Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Gary Oldman. Need I say more?
#1 – Dracula: Dead & Loving It – The funniest freakin’ parody of Dracula I’ve ever seen. Leslie Nielsen is hilarious in this Mel Brooks’ take on its serious Hollywood counterparts. However, the scene-stealer award goes to Peter MacNicol for his insane and outrageous performance as Renfield.

Who’s your favorite vampire? Leave a comment below.