tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84069555847265441952024-02-21T04:16:13.075-08:00The Sumaire WebFrom a 1600's Irish lass to a modern 21st century vampire, Siofra has seen a lot while learning what she is and what she must do to survive.Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-36790335742064814152014-02-11T14:00:00.002-08:002014-02-11T14:00:58.979-08:00The (Mis)adventures of Anna Rose or "What An Opportunity! (gone horribly wrong)"<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's been pretty quiet around Casa Rose the past few days. My kid's out of town and won't be back until at least Thursday night.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Normally, I write from the time she heads off to work at her day job, and stop when she gets home. That way, I can get work done and still have family time with her during the evening hours. Now, with her gone over the past few days, I've got unlimited time during the day to approach and tickle my creative side.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My creative side is confused.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had this fantasy that I was going to get a hell of a lot done, but that didn't work out as well as I might have hoped. The Muse apparently has hours, too, and I was rude to think that I had her at my beck and call whenever the hell I felt like it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
She's a stubborn thing, and I'm at her mercy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've got another two days of (relative) solitude before the kid gets back. Let's hope I can coax her out with promises of chocolate and good sherry.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wish me luck.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anna</div>
Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-22409543902549406912014-02-06T14:53:00.000-08:002014-02-07T10:20:36.546-08:00How the Vampire Genre Has Changed...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The literary and media vampire genre
in general has undergone a vast shift in the more than 100 years since Irish novelist Bram Stoker
published “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dracula-Bram-Stoker-ebook/dp/B0084B5TK8" target="_blank">Dracula</a>”. If there were tectonic plates between Stoker’s “Dracula”
and Meyers ‘Twilight” series, that shift would probably register as an 8.5 on the
Richter scale.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In
the beginning, literary vampires were a metaphor for unbridled sexuality and a refusal
to stick with the strict morality of the time in which it was published. Dracula’s
victims were depicted as highly sexual creatures who wanted nothing more than
to fuck and drink blood, although not necessarily in that order. They
apparently thought nothing of feeding from innocent little babies. Bad little
girls came to an equally bad end by stake and or decapitation, while good
little girls who may have been wavering on that amorphous line between good and
bad could only be saved by “God”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">German
filmmaker <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._W._Murnau" target="_blank">Friedrich Wilhelm “F. W.” Murnau</a> and his “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nosferatu-Classics-2-Disc-Remastered-Blu-ray/dp/B00EO2I6RO" target="_blank">Nosferatu</a>” introduced the
idea that the vampire (depicted in this silent film as a hideously formed, pale
white creature with long bony fingers, a bald head, and bulging eyes) could be
destroyed by the light of the sun, reaffirming the idea that vampires were creatures
of shadow and darkness, that could not tolerate the light of truth or some such
nonsense.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While
literally millions of people have probably seen the classic Bela Lugosi horror
film “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dracula-Blu-ray-Bela-Lugosi/dp/B00DNUSG1O" target="_blank">Dracula</a>”, many do not realize that it was originally a stage play that
also starred Lugosi. Audiences were frightened by what they saw depicted on the
stage and on the screen. Perhaps that fear was not so much of fear of the
vampire, but a fear of the permission that Dracula gave to not being a good
little girl. This Dracula was a slightly more sympathetic vampire, who said the
famous line “Ah, to sleep. Perchance to dream.” This vampire experienced regret
at no longer being allowed the simple pleasures of sleeping and dreaming.
Ultimately, however, Lugosi’s Dracula came to a bad end, and was destroyed by
Van Helsing and his merry band of vampire killers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Decades
of vampire movies thereafter continued to present their leading monsters in a
negative light. Given the power of hypnosis, these vampires were all about
domination and power over mortal men and women (but especially the women).
While women in the audience (and maybe even some men) might still swoon at the idea of being bitten and
drunk down by one of these vampires, these creatures were not truly depicted as
being the leading men. They were the leading monsters, with the still human men
working to defeat them and save whatever damsel in distress needed saving.
There was usually at least one human girl turned a vampire in the mix. These
fledgling vampires would never start as an innocent girl, but would always have
some negative aspect to their human personality that made it “okay” for them to
be turned into a vampire. These young women <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">never</i>
came to a good end.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The ABC soap opera “Dark Shadows” was failing quite successfully until it was decided that supernatural elements should be added to the show. Thus, the character of Barnabas Collins was introduced. Over time, it was revealed that Barnabas, played by Canadian actor Jonathan Frid, had been cursed by an angry witch called Angelique to join the ranks of the Undead as revenge for his spurning of her way back in the 1700s. The show went from highlighting the trials and tribulations of the Collins family to highlighting the trials, tribulations, and attempts of Barnabas Collins to regain his lost humanity while wooing the reincarnation of his lost lady love Josette Dupree, the still very human Maggie Evans. The soap opera even managed to spawn to a large screen movies that, while they showcased the actors from the soap opera, bore very little resemblance to the television program beyond Barnabas and a whole lot of vampires.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
soap opera lasted perhaps another two or three years after the introduction of
the vampire Barnabas Collins, and vampires pretty much went back to being the
bad guy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"></span>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then, the Frank Langella version of “Dracula” came to the stage. In it, Dracula was presented as an even more sympathetic character than he had been before. Yes, this Dracula was still evil, but it was difficult not to root for the success of this Dracula and his lady love. When he ultimately came to his end, it was much less violent than it might have been. As with the original Lugosi stage production of “Dracula”, Langella also brought his Dracula to the silver screen and to a much larger audience. While Lugosi had been a rather creepy looking Dracula, Langella made for an unabashedly handsome Vlad Dracul. Female audiences were so riveted by Langella’s good looks that no one appears to have said anything about his lack of an Eastern European accent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you are of a certain age, it is
disingenuous to pretend that you have not at least heard of “Love at First Bite”
which starred the dashing and eternally tanned George Hamilton as the dashing
and eternally pale Count Dracula. This Dracula, with a wholly sympathetic
character, is kicked out of his ancestral castle in order to make room for
the Russian women’s Olympic team. His subsequent homelessness leads him to
travel to the United States of America where he sees and falls instantly in
love with an American model who appears to have the intelligence of bellybutton
lint. The comic hilarity that ensued included pokes at common vampire movie standards such as vampires being afraid of crosses, barely making it to their coffins in time, their inability to partake of human “shit” and more. We even have Renfield stopping for a bite of lunch. For a change, the girl is not looking to be saved, much to the dismay of her human leading man.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This appears to be the point where the genre
makes its most drastic shift. While there are still movies depicting evil
vampires, there begin to be tales of vampire romances.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">“Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, which starred British actor Gary Oldman in the title role, took the audience far into the back story of the fictional character of Vlad Dracul. It depicted how Dracula lost his beloved to suicide when she thought him killed in battle; then a Christian burial was denied her because of her having committed suicide; and how his shrieked denunciation of the Christian God led to his transformation at the hand of the divine into the creature of darkness known as Dracula. And when he discovers that his lady love appears to have been reincarnated as the lovely Mina Murray, he travels to Great Britain where he moves into Carfax Abbey to begin his quest to win her love.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This Dracula brings us back to the depiction
of the vampire as being a daywalker, something that the author of the novel, Bram
Stoker, had indicated the vampire was capable of doing. While Dracula was not
as strong during the day as he was at night, the sun did not otherwise damage
him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is interesting to note, that during the
course of their curious courtship, Mina does indeed remember things from her
previous existence. This appears to legitimize her growing love for the
vampire, and she does not appear to be as frightened by Dracula’s true nature
as her cinematic predecessors would have been. Her human fiancé Jonathan Harker
is depicted as being rather plain and boring, while the character of Van
Helsing is depicted as being a fairly hysterical (not the funny kind) know-it-all.
In the end, it is very easy to root for the success of the vampire and his lady
love, and to cry at the tragic end of their story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Vampire romances have flooded the literary world like out-of-towners descending upon Comic Con. When looking for paranormal fiction, it is far easier to find a vampire – human love story than a simple vampire – 'kicking ass' story. I have never been much of one for paranormal romance. At this point I think it has been done to death.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">How can you justify a vampire hundreds of years old who hates what they are? You would think that if someone hated being a vampire so very much, he would have found a way to end himself long ago . Why does it take romance to kick them out of that deep blue eternal funk? Why is there this need to be “saved”?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I write my vampires as being content with what they are. They do have limitations, so they are not all powerful. They must drink from a living human body, so bottles and bags just are not going to happen. Dead bodies equal dead blood. This means that your average vampire in my mythos cannot live easily in a large city. The humans are going to notice when people go missing or are found dead with almost no blade remaining in their cold corpses.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My vampires bite and drink and kill, and make
no apologies for doing so. They are not necessarily going to go out of their
way to protect the human race. My vampires are not saints. They are sinners
like all the rest of us. Which is to say that they are people just like you and
me. They have their likes and loves and hatreds, like everyone else.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.2in;">
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you are looking for romance or salvation then you need to look somewhere else than in the books that compose the Sumaire Web. You will not find either of those in here. If you are looking for biting and blood and violence and death, come on in... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Constantia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We have been waiting for you.</span></span></div>
Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-74175012007375649882014-02-06T12:35:00.000-08:002014-02-06T12:35:56.140-08:00It's Been Awhile, But...<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hello, all!</span></div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Yes, I know it's been a long while since last I posted here, but I've been so involved in my writing that I really haven't had the time to write here. I'm going to try to improve on that, but I can't really make any more concrete promises.</span></div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As of this writing, there are three of the four Siofra-related novels available, as well as one short story, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007C5TOLW" target="_blank">Féasta Fola</a>". They are, in order, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070TFY6Y" target="_blank">Siofra</a>", "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ALSWOK0" target="_blank">Fiach Fola</a>", and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GBLAM00" target="_blank">Droch Fola</a>". I am currently working on the fourth novel, "Cosán Fola", which I hope to release by late summer of 2014.</span></div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Originally, I thought the series would consist of three novels, but in the course of writing things, it became clear that it would require four novels to tell the story properly. Not what I'd expected, but if you don't want to shortchange people and/or leave gaping plot holes, this is what has to happen.</span></div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I'm also working on some more short stories, so that's been fun. It has given me an opportunity to "cleanse" my brain and take a little time away from the series, too. That helps to deal with scary things like "writers' block", which no one wants to experience. Trust me on this.</span></div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Here's hoping you had a wonderful 2013 and that 2014 is at least as good if not better for you and your loved ones!</span></div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I'll be checking in again soon, once I have more news of Siofra, Nathaniel and their companions.</span></div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Until then, I remain,</span></div>
<div align="justify">
</div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Anna Rose</span></div>
Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-45359651553694299362013-02-27T11:24:00.001-08:002013-02-27T11:32:55.792-08:00Looking For A Sample of "Siofra"?Tired of self-loathing vampires? Are you over all the romance and coffin-banging in so many other novels in the vampire fiction genre?<br />
<br />
Siofra is an independent, self-assured Irish vampire who loves what she is and makes no apology for it. <br />
<br />
You can find the first two chapters of her first novel <a href="http://sumaireweb.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html">here</a>Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-4275653146865368682012-05-02T19:31:00.001-07:002012-05-03T20:43:34.700-07:00Writing: It's Not About How Many Books You've Written...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I must say, it's been interesting working on the sequel to "Siofra". I get all manner of contacts from fans wanting more. The overwhelming response I've been seeing is that I'm writing a different kind of vampire story than is currently being offered. There is no romance, no emo teenagers, and no vampires looking for love in all the wrong places.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's not paranormal romance, it's all about action. Yes, even female vampires can kick ass when needed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hell, some of my most ardent fans have been men. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this, as men are not normally considered to be fans of vampire fiction, at least stuff that isn't along the lines of "From Dusk Til Dawn" or "Dracula 2000". These days, conventional wisdom seems to dictate that only women are into vampire fiction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the statistics are wrong. Go figure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can understand my fans' impatience to have more stories about the vampire Siofra and to have them now. I often feel that way about some of my favorite authors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, it takes time to write a book. I understand that, and do my level best to be patient, though I don't have to like it. I'm not the most patient person in the world. Just ask the people who know and tolerate me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being an author myself, though, I've learned that a book isn't just something you can essentially splatter onto your keyboard, finish it up, and then submit it for publishing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, at least if you have at least a little self-respect and don't want it to look and read like a piece of crap. Some self-published authors don't seem to realize that it's not just about getting those words out. Those are the authors who make the case for the major traditional publishing houses that self-publishing is questionable at best.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No, authors need to take their work seriously. They have to make it readable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've seen a lot of quickly written and shoddily published work out there, and honestly, I find it a bit embarrassing. Why would an author release something that is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, poor formatting and the like? It just doesn't make sense to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Writing isn't about quantity, it's about quality. When I see authors bragging about having over a dozen books available in print (e-book or physical book), I have this horrible desire to check a sample of that book to see how the spelling and formatting does or does not work. Kind of like watching a train wreck.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I ask you, dear reader, to please be patient as I continue to work on "Fiach Fola", which is the second book in The Sumaire Web. I'll continue to provide update as the process continues, but please try to understand that I'm not just going to through it together and publish it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheers!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anna Rose</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Siofra", the first novel in The Sumaire Web, is available now at Amazon, Apple iBooks, www.diesel-ebooks.com, www.kobobooks.com and more!</span>Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-67023800967970725572012-04-23T21:40:00.001-07:002012-04-23T21:40:09.195-07:00Win A Free Copy of "Siofra"!A contest is being run from now through April 30th, 2012, where the winner will receive a free copy of the softcover version of "Siofra".<br />
<br />
To enter, join the Facebook page at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/368858303150149/">http://www.facebook.com/groups/368858303150149/</a><br />
<br />
Keep in mind that the winner will need to provide a valid postal address in order to receive their copy of the novel. Any and all information received in that regard will be kept private and will not be shared with anyone.Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-31704420833780639452012-02-15T14:14:00.000-08:002012-02-15T14:46:31.292-08:00Mac & Cheese - A Short Story<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mac & Cheese</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">By Anna Rose</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mac & Cheese Copyright © 2012 by Anna Rose</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sumaire Press</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">603 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 910, Los Angeles, CA 90017</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.sumaire.com</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">sumaireweb.blogspot.com</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">e-mail: info@sumaire.com</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Author’s Note</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This bit of fluff came to be one day when it was raining outside and I was feeling a bit moody. I must say, it really helped to lighten my mood considerably. Hope it helps yours, too! Bon appetit!</span></em></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As I ate my dinner, I could not help but go over the day’s events in my mind. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I had warned Frank about my mood during That Time of the month. Repeatedly. That was the main reason he was not eating with me tonight. I just could not take it anymore and had snapped.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You would think that after twenty five years of marriage, he would have figured out that I was not the most pleasant person to be with when Aunt Flo was here for her monthly visit. When the blood comes, that is when my claws come out and my fangs erupt. I am really not a nice person at that time. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Of course, a lot of women are like that. I’ve been part of women’s groups who have discussed the subject ad nauseum. I have heard of many marriages ending because men Just Did Not Get It. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Frank was no exception.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Captain Stupid just had to stand on my last nerve. It was what he was best at, really. The man could win awards as an honorary blond. Sometimes, I even found myself wondering why I fell in love with him in the first place. I came to the conclusion that it was because he was so good in bed and he was the only guy I had gone out with who my parents had really liked. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The kids were grown and had long been gone from our home, both of them successful women in their fields, so it was not as though I was staying with him for the sake of the children. Truly, the only reason I had not gotten a divorce is that even though I am non-practicing, I was raised a Roman Catholic and just cannot get over the idea that divorce is a sin.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Bitching about my cooking is a sure way to get my dander up at the best of times…but when I am on the rag, you are taking your life into your own hands. Frank should have known that when macaroni and cheese is the one item on the menu, I am probably not thinking very clearly and that a wide berth should be kept.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">How many of you have been with a guy who cannot seem to get that you want to be left alone at certain times? Who have not figured out that there are times that silence is indeed golden, and that shutting the hell up is the better part of valor? Lots, I am sure.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As I have gotten older, I have found that my periods have been getting more and more uncomfortable. The ache goes down to my bones and over the past few years, I can barely stand straight when I am menstruating, and with each month, it gets worse. Ibuprofen does not work for me at all, despite what my gynecologist has suggested, but then, I suppose I should be brighter than to listen to a man tell me about what will work for a woman’s body. Silly me. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So, anyway, I’m standing…well, crouching, really, at the stove, waiting for the noodles to finish boiling and then Frank comes into the kitchen, big as life and nosy as hell. As soon as he sees what is on the menu, he starts complaining about it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It is like he just cannot help himself.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Look, Frank, if you want something different, you can always take me out or order in,” I tell him in what I think is a reasonable tone. I do not even know why I made the suggestion, as his response is always predictable. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">His response is that he does not think we should spend money frivolously and that I should be able to make a big meal with what is around the house. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Just like everyone else, the recession has hit us hard and money is tight. I think the last time we ate out was over six months ago. Instead, my cupboard sports half a case of macaroni and cheese, some tins of tuna, peanut butter, popcorn and whatnot. There is some freezer-burned hamburger in the back of the freezer, but it really does not appeal to me. I cannot remember when we bought it, and that makes it even less appetizing. Frank insists that since it is frozen, it does not have an expiration date.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He would probably very happily dine on the remains of a wooly mammoth that was found in a glacier if he had the opportunity, and I told him so.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Well, if it’s been frozen the whole time, it’s not like it’s going to go bad,” is his reply.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I think he is insane.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You know, thinking about it, I do not remember the last time we went out to see a movie. Frank is under the mistaken impression that ordering DVDs to come in the mail is the same thing as seeing it in a movie theater. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wrong!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I really have no desire to see him slouched in his recliner in his dirty from the day’s work tank shirt, slurping down a beer and shoveling microwave popcorn into his mouth. Movies are supposed to be an escape from the worries of the day for a time, and that includes one’s own home.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He quite obviously does not get this.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Also, at some unknown time, Frank came under the mistaken impression that I am some sort of short order cook, and that I should cook whatever the hell he thinks I should. I let out a sharp bark of laughter.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Frank, you bleed like a stuck pig for several days in a row and tell me you’re going to be on your best game! You’re lucky I can stand this well.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I was treated to a long discourse on the many times he had hurt himself over the years, but carried on, showing not a sign that he was in fact bleeding to death. Funny, but his idea of bleeding to death is my idea of a scratch. Are all men so pathetically dramatic? I was beginning to think so.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I growled at Frank to get out of the kitchen and leave me alone, but he persisted. He just would not leave well enough alone. He really seemed determined to get my hackles up and was not going to stop dogging me until he had finally got me to truly lose my temper. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Frank, I mean it. Get. Out. Now. I’ll bring you your dinner when it’s done cooking!”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He responded that he wanted me to make something else, that he was not going to eat the macaroni and cheese. He sounded remarkably like my little sister’s son, Bobby, whining that he was not getting what he wanted.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Keep in mind that my little sister’s boy is four years old, and that Frank was a man of fifty five. He was standing on my last nerve and even that one was becoming very frayed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It was only a matter of time before I tore him a new one.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It felt good, really good. The shock on his face as I did it was like icing on the cake for me. Delicious!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I slurped down the last chunk of raw, cooling meat and carefully licked the blood and cheese from my paws with relish.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Well, this was sure a hell of a lot better than just good old macaroni and cheese.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><em>About the Author:</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Anna Rose is the author of "</span></em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/184-5641910-6065139?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=siofra+anna+rose&x=0&y=0" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Siofra</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">", the first book in the Sumaire Web series of books. It can be found at Amazon.com and will soon be released in the iTunes store as well!</span></em></span></div>Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-24196108869331092842012-01-24T16:07:00.000-08:002012-01-26T20:03:02.053-08:00"Siofra" Is Now Out for the Amazon Kindle!Well, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0070TFY6Y/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=sumaire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0070TFY6Y">Siofra (The Sumaire Web)</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sumaire-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0070TFY6Y" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />is now out for Amazon's Kindle for only $2.99 and will shortly be out February 1st, 2012 in physical book form for $9.99. (Save a tree, get an e-book reader or download Amazon's free Kindle software to your PC, laptop or smartphone!)<br />
<br />
I'm working on the next book in the series, "Dorchadas Scáthán", which has a somewhat darker tone than "Siofra".<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear how you liked (or even didn't like) "Siofra", and what you feel might have been different.<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span>Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-43148926590663858952011-12-10T16:53:00.000-08:002011-12-10T17:13:44.533-08:00Cover Art For "Siofra"<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I took advantage of this morning's full lunar eclipse to take some shots and ended up using one for the cover art for "Siofra".</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4djuMIX6njDIvJlXxiogk4nlocMRh2TVYVgr26ZvUuWu8a7RDoPfYmL9QxVjJvZqeYz7CaAYxrEd1nlBbZC63JTiEKc1lcKpKF1I8SkeQEoX-TDhCcO8rSu_T5SunNho0kHzQnuX3m1sq/s1600/SiofraCoverAvatar1a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4djuMIX6njDIvJlXxiogk4nlocMRh2TVYVgr26ZvUuWu8a7RDoPfYmL9QxVjJvZqeYz7CaAYxrEd1nlBbZC63JTiEKc1lcKpKF1I8SkeQEoX-TDhCcO8rSu_T5SunNho0kHzQnuX3m1sq/s320/SiofraCoverAvatar1a.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I like using my own images, that way I don't have any copyright issues to worry about.</span></div>Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-29283017047195862732011-12-05T01:21:00.002-08:002011-12-06T08:54:03.096-08:00The State of Vampire Fiction<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Most vampire-related fiction today seems to involve teenagers, erotica or what amount to romances where one of the main characters ends up being a vampire. Some of these vampires (Kenyon's "Dark Hunter" series comes to mind) are practically bloodless in that their vampiric heroes must abstain from drinking blood or they end up being one of the bad guys.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Vampires are blood drinkers. That's just the way things are. The whole "monk" or "vegetarian" vampire idea tends to be rather silly to me.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If they hate being a vampire, or what being a vampire requires them to do, then why not end themselves? It also seems silly to me that in some of these novels, the story ends with a "cure" and the two main characters go off to lead a boringly short and very mortal life together.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My vampires, at least the ones who are at least a century old, are enjoying their existence. They aren't angsty and they aren't mopey about their situation. They don't sparkle, they aren't spending their seventieth year as a high school senior and they most certainly don't spawn so-called "half-vampire" offspring. </span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But that's another gripe entirely.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you're looking for something different than what is currently on the shelves, "Siofra" may just be what you're looking for in entertainment. There are no zombies, witches, demons, ghosts or detectives to be found. Just explorations into vampiric existence and what it means for those who experience it.</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you like the kind of books I've been less than kind about, that's fine. I'm cool with that. I'm just wanting to bring something else to the table.</span></div>Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-12916682135901054562011-12-01T16:32:00.001-08:002011-12-06T08:55:06.117-08:00Ask And You Shall Receive...<strong>Because so many of you have been asking...a snippet from my forthcoming book, "Siofra":</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I went into the forest after him, tracking him by both the musky scent of his unwashed body and the sounds of his desperate and panicked flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not bother to rush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His eyesight was not anywhere near as keen as mine under the densely clustered trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard him falling over a root or a downed branch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He must have hurt himself when he fell, as his gait changed to something more lumbering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept after him, calling out to him every so often to remind him that I had not given up my pursuit, though I dragged things out a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted him terrified and exhausted by the time I caught up with him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would make him that much more careless when we resumed our fight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept him moving for another hour or so before I tired of the chase and closed the distance between us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could hear him gasping and muttering under his breath in his own language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps he was praying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was weaponless now, so I was a bit more brazen in my approach, confident that he was too hysterical to think clearly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Well, hello again," I said as I stepped closely enough to him that he could easily see me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He started in shock, his eyes wide and staring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His heartbeat thudded in my ears like a frantic rapping at the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The man tried to muster some of his previous bravado, but fell far short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He swung his fist at me, but still under the influence of so much drink, miscalculated and fell forward into my arms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pulling him in close to me, I drank deep of his scent, his terror perfuming the air more strongly than any aphrodisiac.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needing to address the wounds he had given me, my body screamed at me to feed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was obvious to me that fresh blood was the catalyst I needed to heal my wounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Well, with this one, I could feed a bit more leisurely and I would.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"I guess I'll take my time with you, as you did with that young woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is still alive, by the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So sorry to disappoint," I told him with patently false regret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Your friends had quick deaths, compared to what yours will be."<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I ran my tongue along his cheek, where he had been scratched, more for effect than anything else, as the taste of the blood there was foul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It succeeded in its intent, leaving him whimpering in terror and causing him to foul himself as his bladder let go.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As he was the only one left at this point, I had no need to muffle his screams, which echoed long into the night as I killed him a sip at a time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><strong>Interested?</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>You can read more when "Siofra" is released for Amazon Kindle in January of 2012!</strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span>Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-81793944650436657022011-10-23T01:42:00.000-07:002011-10-23T01:45:13.572-07:00Update - October 23, 2011<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Siofra" is currently at a bit more than 18,500 words, and is getting a grand receiption with the readers who have graciously been beta'ing it thus far. I'm averaging between 1000 and 1500 words a day, five days a week, with a goal of at least 50,000 words upon publication. I'm trying for something a little different in vampire-related fiction, and thus don't have romantic entanglements or "save 'em by turning them into a vampire" themes. Those just annoy me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Really.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm working on the cover for the book at this time as well, using a photograph I took last year. As I said earlier, it will be made available exclusively on Kindle by the end of this year or the very beginning of 2012.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.</span></div>Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406955584726544195.post-11347255003125260002011-10-17T15:52:00.000-07:002011-10-23T01:42:43.509-07:00Welcome to The Sumaire Web!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>The Sumaire Web</strong> is a series of vampire novels by author </span><a href="mailto:sumaireweb@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anna Rose</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> which spans the period of the early to mid 1600's until today.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
The first novel, "Siofra", will be published for reading on </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=kindle%20fire%2C%20kindle%20touch%2C%20kindle%20keyboard&tag=lifebunny-20&index=digital-text&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Amazon's Kindle</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lifebunny-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />around New Year's of 2012. The price of this e-book at the time of publication will be $2.99.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Vampire fiction has had an enormous resurgence of popularity over the past few years and fandom continues to embrace it. I just thought it would be nice, for a change, to have something that didn't involve angsty vampire teenagers with overactive undead hormones.<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
Be advised that these vampires do <strong><em>not</em> </strong>sparkle! These books are intended for mature readers, not youngsters.</span></div>Anna Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.com0