VampCon by Armand Inezian: The Blank Slate Theory. Or: Why vampires and near human monsters are so damn interesting

Before I sold VampCon to Greyhart Press, I had already approached a  number of literary agents about the novel. A few of them really liked the story but felt that they could not represent VampCon because the big publishing houses are not interested in buying vampire novels from new authors. This is based on the conventional wisdom that the market for vampire stories is oversaturated, and readers are getting tired of vampire books.

I have my own theory however which is that, like Monday night football and or secret-agent thrillers, vampire stories are here to stay; people will always be interested in vampires because they are a blank slate onto which we can project all kinds of stories.

The seeds were sown with Bram Stoker's Dracula which presented a complicated picture of the famous Count. He was a monster and blood sucker; he had dark designs; he had strange weaknesses; he had three wives and a connection to hell; he could infect others. But he was also not completely alien. He looked like us and followed human customs. Over the years, so many writers followed Stoker's lead and used vampires to explore many facets of our own lives.

Vampire can represent lust and youth. Because they never age, vampires can literally embody eternal youth. They can be beautiful and forever young. They are also lustful creatures, satisfying themselves by pressing their tongues and lips against the skin of others. There are tons of stories out there examining forbidden love through the use of vampires. In this way, we see vampires as representing forbidden desires.

Vampires can represent addiction. The bottom line is that vamps need blood to survive. They may be powerful, supernatural beings, but they are slaves to their own thirst. They must hunt and prey on others. In this type of story, they can mirror everyday addictions that we might witness in the real world, whether it be drugs, booze, cigarettes or even candy.

They can represent conspiracies and hidden power. In most (but not all!) vampires stories, the vampires are hidden from society; few people know of their existence. They stand behind the scenes, influencing and controlling others. In these types of stories, vampires are a dark conspiracy, and they represent our own superstitious fear of power; our worry that government agencies and shadowy corporations are somehow controlling our lives and exploiting us.

They can represent the hunter and the hunted. One of the simplest themes of a vampires story is the hunter and the hunted. As in the case of Dracula (and so many other stories) there are often multiple layers, with the vampires stalking innocent victims, and vampire hunters (in turn) trying to kill the vampire himself. This perspective on vampires plays into our own fears of victimization, whether it's our fear of being mugged in a dark alley or or something far more horrible (like serial killers). The vampire as hunter and prey is immediately compelling to most readers because the stakes are clear and obvious.

They're almost like us! There are so many monsters out there, but you might notice that the most popular ones in stories are the ones, like vampires, who are almost human. They look sort of like us. They have feelings and act like us and talk like us. Vampires- in some ways- are us on a really, really bad day. Interestingly, it's this immediate connection and empathy that makes them so interesting.

It's this elasticity of character, this ability to be so many different things: a lover, an addict, an agent of corruption, the hunter and prey, and-sometimes- just a very flawed person, that keeps vampires interesting. I think that this ability to be the blank slate- to take on many roles- will keep vampires fresh and keep people coming back to vampire books for many decades to come.

~ Armand Inezian is the author of VampCon, a dark fantasy thriller containing thousands of bullets, hundreds of vampires, two portals to damnation, and one bloody chance at redemption. Available now on Amazon, for Kindle, and for Nook.

VampCon
Armand Inezian

Genre: Fantasy, Fantasy Thriller, or Dark Fantasy Thriller.

Publisher: Greyhart Press, Bromham UK.

ISBN: 978-1478279525

ASIN: B009FMWCF0

Number of pages: 310

Word Count: approximately 95,000

Cover Artist: Banchick Illustration.

Book Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHDEuJ6HGQI&feature=player_embedded

Print editions through Amazon, Amazon UK., ebooks at B&N Nook Reader  Kindle. Diesel eBooks (for iPad and Android Tablets)
Smashwords eBooks (for Nook, iPad, and Kobo) and at the Kobo store (for Kobo!)

Book Description:

Jonathan Stoker is a reluctant vampire who wants nothing to do with the dark world that turned him. He isolates himself, sucking nonlethal quantities of blood from helpless drunks and making a marginal living. However after he learns that someone he holds dear has been lured to the VampCon, a cut-throat vampire summit, Jonathan is forced to deal with his kind again.

But Jonathan and company quickly discover that the VampCon is much more than a meeting. It’s a conspiracy that holds the key to both the creation and possible extinction of all vampires.

Now Jonathan has no choice but to come to terms with his own dark side while working with a small band of troublemakers to stop a nightmare from coming true.

About the Author :

Armand Inezian resides in Boston with his wife, two children, and three cats. In addition to writing, he also works two day jobs, one in grants administration and the other in teaching English, and he is grateful for both. He graduated from Emerson College with an MFA in Creative Writing. His short stories have appeared in various literary journals including The Missouri Review and Glimmer Train. In 2003, his short story, Baer, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Another of his shorts, See Me, won the Glimmer Train Story Open in 2008. VampCon is his first completed novel.

Blog: https://armandinezian.wordpress.com/

Amazon Author Profile: http://www.amazon.com/Armand-Inezian/e/B009FRASC4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4078320.Armand_Inezian

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/armand.inezian

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArmandInezian

Guest blog: The Newfoundland Vampire by Charles O’Keefe

Pay it Forward

If you’ve seen the movie, or read the book, you’ll know what the title means right away (and a hint at my anecdote) but the meaning will become clear regardless. In September last year I did a book signing (in fact two in the one day) the first at a local Chapters and the other at a Coles in a mall. The first one went fairly well, I sold 3 copies and I went on the next. The second book signing also was going good, a Twitter follower introduced himself and we had a nice chat about the internet, Twitter and writing in general. It was the first time a Twitter follower had come up to me in person and I was feeling good. Four more copies sold and I had about ten minutes left, I had done some writing, a little reading and played some video games on my iPad.

Before my time was up I noticed a young woman who had been sitting close to the book store entrance, near the escalator. She had been there a good hour or more and did some reading, played with her phone and occasionally looked at me and smiled. I’m a friendly guy so I smiled back and didn’t think much else of it. Then just before I left she came up to me and said, “I noticed you’re selling your book. I’m sorry I don’t have any money on me but I wanted to wish you luck and I wrote this note for you.” I said “Well thank you.” She smiled, waved and left and I was left with the note. I kept it and will share it with you now it said, “Every writer starts off with one word, one phrase, one book. Then builds their success on passion and love for their stories and imagination. Don’t be discouraged at what people say if negative. Write for yourself.”

It touched my heart and I smiled broadly, I wanted to thank her but she was gone. Instead what I can do is pass this note along to anyone who reads this blog and hope that maybe somehow she’ll see it. Simple words of encouragement from a stranger meant more to me than her money, someone who would be nice expecting nothing in return and only wanting to help is worthy of praise. It is comments like that make me want to continue to write, to see the benefit of it. Not everyone (besides my friends, family and wife of course) is apathetic; there are good people out there who care. Maybe she got it from a book or the internet but it doesn’t matter, it’s the thought that counts and its one I very much appreciated. I can’t repay her but I’ll pay it forward, I hope another reads this and takes it heart. Writing is a worthwhile activity that a chosen few (or many if we’re lucky) enjoy and appreciate, I encourage others and I hope you’ll do the same.

The book: If you like what I said maybe you’d like to check out my book The Newfoundland Vampire. It’s gotten some good reviews and I promise that my vampires don’t sparkle. Thanks first to Wenona for hosting this stop and to the reader for getting to the end, have a great day/afternoon/evening!

The Newfoundland Vampire
Book One

Charles O’Keefe

Genre: Horror/Paranormal/Vampire

Publisher: Penumbra Publishing

ISBN: 978-1935563853

ASIN: B007TRWUCS

Number of pages: 224

Word Count: 86,737

Amazon US    Amazon UK     Amazon Canada    Amazon Kindle

Amazon UK          Chapters

Book Description:

Like every other geek alive, Newfoundland native Joseph O’Reily secretly wants to be a superhero. At thirteen he fantasized about being a vampire, and ten years later he’s still fantasizing – but mostly about a beautiful redheaded woman who has eyes only for him. The one thing different about Joseph’s adult fantasy is that, amazingly, it comes true one night when he goes to a local university pub. Cassandra Snow, literally the woman of his dreams, invites him to her place for an evening of personal pleasure. Of course he’s not going to say no. But when strange things start happening afterward, Joseph quickly learns that not all dreams should come true.

About the Author :

Charles O’Keefe lives in the beautiful province of Newfoundland, Canada, with his wife and two feline ‘children,’ Jude and Esther. He works as an inventory manager and enjoys many hobbies and activities that include writing, reading, watching fantasy/science-fiction movies and television shows, gaming, poker, walking, acting, and of course fantasizing about vampires.

www.charlesokeefe.com

http://p45crok.wordpress.com/  

http://twitter.com/#!/TheNLVampire   

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=826155483  

January 2013 Issue of Bewitching Book Tours Magazine

Welcome to the January issue of Bewitching Book Tours magazine. This month we are featuring interviews with authors Alison Beightol, Brett Davis, Barbara Morgenroth, and Kevin Klehr, featuring articles by Michelle Cornwell- Jordan, Alayna Williamns and Roxanne Rhoads. We also have our regular monthly features The Naughty Nook, Auntie Ann's Homespun Advice, The Pumpkin Patch, La Mamma Verde, and Vampires in Fiction.

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Spotlight on Sonata by Blair McDowell

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