Vampires Don’t Cry: Vampire High School... words of wisdom from Mandy Cross

Hi. My name’s Mandy Cross. That’s a pic of me above. It’s not a look I wear all the time, but when it’s time to rebel, I’m kinda good at it.
I’m a vampire, although as with lots of us out there, I didn’t exactly volunteer for the position. In fact, I was swept off my feet by the resident vampire douche-bag, Alan McCartney. Nothing out of the ordinary there, he was recruiting for some kind of war, and decided I had the right characteristics to join his side.
Don’t get me wrong, being a vampire has its highs. The added stimulus while having sex is superb, and that’s almost enough for most people, but there is also the extra speed and the super strength. Superman doesn’t come close to most of my cohorts. But then there’s the constant living with death thing. Damn it, I helped kill my mom and dad minutes after being turned, although I blame Alan for that, he should have reined me in more.
Hey Mandy! Bam, you’re a vampire, drink some of this! Then mom and dad are dead, their heads ripped off, my bedroom looks like a crimson grenade had exploded, and I’m left to deal with the fallout on my own. After Alan had his fun, he decides to piss off, leaving me to deal with the changes in my body, while he courts his next victim. Typical douche. Thanks Alan, mate.
Anyway… the new book, Vampires Don’t Cry: Vampire High School. I’ve never read it, but it seems I’m portrayed as the dark smoldering bad girl, and I don’t mind that. I never wanted to be a good girl anyway, although I can’t see me making it to the last page. There’s a feeling of doom hanging over me now, like a death cloud or something.
I’ll leave Lyman Bracks to be the hero, him and his new girlfriend, Mary Christine. Not that I want anything to do with them, of course, they’re vampire hunters, and it seems they’ve landed in the right place. Pick up Gregor Academy (Vampire High), turn it upside down, and shake, you’ll see all of Alan’s fang-mates come falling out. A right little den of vipers.
Anyway, I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions.
I wonder who’ll play me in the movie?

Read all about Mandy's exploits in the Vampires Don't Cry series, here at Amazon, or all good eBook sellers everywhere.

http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-High-School-Vampires-Dont-ebook/dp/B0075YZRZM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401572642&sr=8-1&keywords=vampires+dont+cry

Or visit us at www.vampiresdontcry.com

FREE Vampire Book: What’s in an Amazon Top Rank?

What does the Amazon Ranking System mean?
Well, sometimes it actually means quite a lot.

Scenario 1; An excellent author has done his job, and written a fine outstanding novel. The editors have taken the book, and sought out every mistake, and the “Comma Police” have trampled on every sentence making certain that no extra punctuation marks mar the structure. The cover has been painted by Van Gogh, and the title fonts have been carved in gleaming white marble by Michelangelo. The back-flap has reviews by the Queen, Gandhi, and God himself, and the preface was written by William Shakespeare. The book then sold 50,000 copies per day for six months, made every concerned very rich and got added to every bestseller list in the world.

This is what that ranking would look like;
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1 in Kindle Store #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks

Okay, okay, I know it doesn’t usually go like that, but a good Amazon Best Seller Rank could give that impression. Of course, it could be a very different story… (Yes, I know authors like this… and they know who they are!)

Scenario 2: This author has no writing skill whatsoever, but he thinks he has. He surrounds himself with a lot of rabid friends who tell him so every day, who then dash onto Amazon and write a number of superb five-star reviews, basically telling lies about the book’s contents. The editors have never gotten a hundred miles from the book, because the author is either so egocentric to think it’s already perfect, or has such a fragile ego that he can’t stand any form of critique at all. The book has been dropped in the “FREE” section of the Amazon Kindle store, with a bunch of naked torsos on the front cover advertising the “smuttiest porn you have ever read” while somehow maintaining a strict holier-than-thou attitude. Yes, it looks like porn, and it’s been downloaded a few thousand times. But this author has a secret weapon. He’s mastered the art of the Amazon Ranking System. Believe it or not, in Amazon you can actually pick your own genre to link your book to. And you can make it so specialized, that even with the three million books that Amazon sells, there’s only about ten books in the category. SO… even if your book is totally CRAP, and you’re the lowest book in that rare section, you’ll still show up as ranked number TEN.

As an example, here’s one of my own rankings in such a rare section.
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,109 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store) #10 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Anthologies & Literature Collections > Horror

You see, there’s not much call for Literary Horror Anthologies, trust me. And this is how some authors look good on Amazon, while their actual product is way below par.

My own book? The one with the #10 ranking?
It’s here…
http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-Dont-Cry-Blood-Samples-ebook/dp/B00820QTBE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400162515&sr=8-1&keywords=blood+samples

Come see me at www.ianhallauthor.com
Oh, and if you see any mistakes that the editors missed? Shh! It’ll be our little secret!

Can Vampires Survive without the Long Story Arc?

Since the 1860’s, Varney the Vampire had enthralled readers with a weekly chapter in a vampire series. People from all walks of life read the Penny Dreadful, and passed it around. But it didn’t last. The world wasn’t ready.
From the 1920’s vampire lore has plastered our silver screen with re-make after vampire re-make, re-hashing every concept under the sun (or hiding away from it), and providing the vampire lover with so many worlds to dream of. But not until Hammer Horror in the 50’s and 60’s, with Christopher Lee as the lead vampire and Peter Cushing as the consistent ‘Helsing’ variant, did the movies even think about heading into the ‘series’ category. For a decade, the fans were content.
In the Black-and-White ages of television, shows like The Munsters, and The Adams Family tried to keep us enthralled, but fell comically short. The viewer watched each episode like opening a new bottle of wine. In the days before video recorders, TiVo, and the DVD hard drive, it was essential to keep each episode free-standing, so that if we missed one, it didn’t matter, we didn’t actually miss anything important. Then, in the dawn of the video recorder, around 1971, things began to change, people could record episodes when they were out, on vacation etc, and TV series began to have two part stories, and include details from previous episodes. The beginning of the long arc had surfaced.
In books too, writers had made the trilogy the mainstay of the long-arc novel, and it took guts to extend the series beyond that iconic number three. But again, mirroring television, the novel was about to change. With the advent of cable television, the need to draw an audience grew, but a loftier goal was the keeping of an audience, and for that the television companies needed a hook to draw you back to a certain channel on a certain day at a specific time. The long plot arc was born through financial necessity, and it’s here to stay.
The television screens show vampire series.
The movies show vampire series.
Today, we cannot imagine a television series without a long-arc plot. In fact, if the long arc is not presented quickly in the series, therefore giving us something to get our collective teeth into, we swiftly turn off, and watch somewhere else. There is a burning need to have a mystery behind every show, whether it be science fiction, horror, or soap opera. In books today, we have so many series available in every genre that it is difficult to conceive of a single standalone novel anymore. Some authors do not even publish until they’ve completed at least two connected books. The age of the series is firmly upon us, and I for one am all in favor.
So, in summary, I ask the question. Do you, the book reader, read single vampire books anymore, or do you hone in on a series?
In either case, tell me about your best stand-alone, your best series, the one of which you cannot wait on the next volume.
Come see us at www.vampiresdontcry.com

FREE Vampire eBook: Vampires Don't Cry: Blood Samples

We released a new FREE eBook; Vampires Don't Cry: Blood Samples.
We decided to consolidate out two free shorts into one book, so we threw them in a food processor.
We then threw in the first four chapters of some other vampire works, gave it a good shake, and then switched the power on.
Instant blood!
We called the new book; Vampires Don't Cry: Blood Samples.
It includes;
The whole of New Blood 1: Donny Kelp
The whole of New Blood 2: The Turning of Alan Rand
Segments/samples of Vampires Don't Cry: Original Sin, (The Valerie Lidowitz story)
The first Four Chapters of Vampire High School (Vampires Don't Cry: Book 1)
The first four chapters of A Connecticut Vampire in King Arthur's Court (Connecticut Vampire #1)
The book is available FREE in most eBook stores, Nook, Kobo, Apple, Sony, although Amazon sees to be slow in getting the FREE book message.... so you can pick up a FREE Kindle version at Smashwords;
(Click the book cover below to go to Smashwords for your FREE download.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/394382
We hope you like our writings, and become a reader of our vampire world.

Top 21 Vampire Movies; a Poll of Polls, the Fan’s Choice

There are three major problems with polling; the extent of the polling data, the integrity of the vote counting, and the agenda or point the polling company may be trying to prove or push.
Let’s face it; we all know you can make statistics say anything.
So for this truly representative poll, I didn’t ask the public to vote. Instead I went to a huge list of already existing polls, and took a poll of the polls. Doing so, hopefully, I cut out these pitfalls, and provided a more accurate, consistent poll.
1. I automatically used polling data from many representative sources, cutting out any bias that one poll might have for a certain subdivision or single movie within the genre (One poll had the “Fearless vampire Killers” in top spot, a film that only just makes our list).
2. I automatically polled a huge amount of data, far greater than I could have done on my own (At least three of the lists had polled over one thousand fans of the genre).
3. Looking for a true picture, and not having a pre-existing agenda, I truly counted every vote, whether for obscure films, or genuine genre favorites. This was a poll constructed to provide me information, not to push an agenda, because, basically, on vampire films, I don’t have one.
Whether you peruse the list for your own favorites, or to get suggestions for future viewing, I hope you find something interesting.
• 20. The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
Or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are In My Neck, is a rare Roman Polanski comedy. It just scrapes into the list and no more.
• 19. Salem’s Lot (1979)
A TV movie starring David Soul. I remember this from my teenage years. Watch the lengthy 180min version for full plot arcs.
• 18. 30 Days of Night (2007)
Directed by David Slade, (Twilight Saga; Eclipse) with a relatively high $30m budget, based on the comic book of the same name. Vampires attack a remote Alaskan town as it enters polar night.
• 17. Black Sunday (1960)
An Italian gothic horror flick, also known as La Maschera del Demonio, and The Mask of Satan. Considered ‘bloody’ in its day, it was banned in some countries (UK) and holds 40th place in the Scariest Movie Moments poll.
• 16. Horror of Dracula (1958)
The only Hammer movie to make the list, starring, of course, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Directed by Terence Fisher who also did over 50 other movies, mainly Hammer Horror.
• 15. Martin (1976)
Directed by George A Romero (the Godfather of Zombies), his only delve into the vampire lore. Super low budget, yet critically acclaimed, it’s almost a film you have to see, just to say you’ve seen it.
• 14. Underworld (2003)
A four part series mainly directed by Len Wiseman who is married to Kate Beckinsale who stars. (Kate is the daughter of Richard Beckinsale of British Comedy’s Porridge and Rising Damp)
• 13. Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
Stars John Malkovich and Willem Defoe and actually got nominated for two Oscars. It tells the fictional story of the filming of the original 1922 Nosferatu.
• 12. Cronos (1993)
Guillermo de Toro’s first attempt at Direction. Frederico Luppi and Ron Pearlman team up (Blade II) in this sci-fi/vampire crossbreed.
• 11. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
A classic version of the Dracula tale, starring Klaus Kinski, directed by Werner Hertzog. Cost $2.5Million, but grossed $53Million in Italy alone.
• 10. Blade (1998)
Loosely based on the Marvel character, Wesley Snipes stars as Blade, a vampire hybrid, protecting people from vampires. Kris Kristofferson supports. Did well enough for two sequels.
• 9. From Dusk Til Dawn (1996)
I’m not sure that director Quentin Tarantino aimed for a vampire movie, but it’s ranked in every poll. Fast-paced, great dialogue, and a nice cast keep the juggernaut rolling.
• 8. Fright Night (1985)
Far better than its 2011 remake, this b-list cast make a good script great. Tom Holland directorial debut laid the groundwork for many more horror flicks.
• 7. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1982)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and starring an A+ cast (Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reaves) it’s probably the most stylish and accurate to Bram Stoker’s original.
• 6. Dracula (1931)
Starring Bela Lugosi in the title role, it set the bar for the rest of the genre. It makes every list I encountered, and tops a few. Based on the stage play of Bram Stoker’s novel.
• 5. The Lost Boys (1987)
A teen classic, starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman and more. Directed by St Elmo’s Fire Joel Schumacher, it has reached cult status.
• 4. Interview With A Vampire (1994)
Written by Anne Rice, this book launched nine sequels called the Vampire Chronicles. The film starred Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas and Christian Slater.
• 3. Near Dark (1987)
Although this movie tanked initially, it has achieved cult status. Kathryn Bigelow’s first film, and was one of the eighties big vampire 'pushes' including Lost Boys and Fright Night.
• 2. Nosferatu (1922)
A totally unauthorized version of Stoker’s Dracula. The title got changed (Nosferatu), the characters got changed (Count Orlov), and most copies got burned when missus Stoker sued, but one remained. It’s still a classic, and surprised me by being consistently high in every single poll.
• 1. Let The Right One In (2008)
A big surprise as the winner. It's the best of the new vampire films. A Swedish movie about a bullied twelve year old boy, who befriends a vampire. Stylish, moody, and well-directed. Consistently high in the polls, and topping a few. It’s a great movie; get the popcorn, turn down the lights and enjoy.

Once the list was completed, I noted a few salient points. Although most of the lists were fairly recent, and votes were cast for the new vampire movies, they never featured highly in most of the lists; Twilight appearing only once.
The list end up being a nice mix of old black and white versions of the genre, stylish 1970-80’s experiments, and modern newcomers. I’ve seen most of them, and have made it my goal to watch the rest. I hope you’ve found your favorite among its ranks, and have been prodded to watch a few of the others. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Vampire High School goes from Trilogy to Series

Yes folks... technically it was just another book, but from a trilogy, it moved the number of Vampire High School novels to four, and that's 'officially' a SERIES. We kept the format exactly the same; the first page in book 4 carries on from the last page of book 3. Excitement high, fever pitch plot-lines, and a climax to die for..... literally.

It also put the number of vampire High School words to over a quarter of a million. We gave the whole series (man that 'series' word sounds real good) a brand new look, with a new 'themed' cover set. April and I are also busy at work on book 5 so stay tuned here and at my Ian Hall Author Blog to hear all the latest!

Vampire High School New Covers

Vampire High School book series has its first anniversary.

A year since the launch of the very first Vampire High School novel, the series now has a full set of new, vibrant covers. Those of you who have followed the growth of the series will undoubtedly notice that there are four covers... yes, book four will be available shortly. April is putting the final touches to her parts and we'll have book 4 out very soon.

Blood Red Roses takes our intrepid duo (Lyman and Mandy) to California looking for a small vampire coven near San Diego. But, as usual, not is all as it seems, and they encounter new friends, enemies and allies in their struggle against the vampire horde.



To get four novels out in one year is a mighty feat, and we hope you'll keep reading, because we've already started the plans for book five. We've also a new website to showcase all our vampire works:

http://www.vampiresdontcry.com