The DiVacci Curse…Now Revised and Republished!

Tags

Creepy, Ghost Story, Ghosts, gothic, haunted house, haunted mansion, Horror, new edition, revised story, Scary, short story, spooky, The DiVacci Curse, vengeful ghosts, writing

I’m happy to announce that my story The DiVacci Curse has been revised.  The latest edition is available on Amazon.  As mentioned in last week’s post, I had some spare time after publishing my first novel and decided to revisit my short story (the first bit of fiction that I published).

The plot remains intact, but I cleaned up aspects of the narrative and got rid of many unnecessary adverbs and repetitive words.  The story is polished and the pacing flows more smoothly.  I think that the overall readability is better, too.  I hope that readers find it scarier, darker and more enjoyable.

Thanks for reading and please check out the link below!

To Revise or Not to Revise?

Tags

gothic, Horror, novel, revise, revising your published story, revision, self-publishing, Short stories, The DiVacci Curse, writing advice

Now that my first novel is self-published, I’ve had a little free time to contemplate other things.  While editing it, I realized that I had made errors with the short story that I published in 2016.  The DiVacci Curse was the first work of fiction that I self-published.  The errors ranged from spelling issues to overused words and unnecessary adverbs; common mistakes that many first-time writers make.  I’m now in the process of revisiting my short story and making appropriate revisions that I think will improve its pace and overall readability.

Some authors do not like the idea of editing and republishing their work.  Once it’s done and published, then they wish it be left alone and judged as is.  After all, would you change the Mona Lisa or rewrite the Bible?  Of course not.  As we’ve seen, Hollywood has a penchant for changing the classics, and not always with positive results.  But I’m not talking about writing screenplays (although I have dabbled in that area).  I am talking about crafting novels and stories, a different beast altogether.

I suppose if you are fortunate enough to be published with a major publishing house that has taken the time and money to promote your work successfully, then it may seem unnecessary to revise your story.  But the wonderful world of self-publishing is changing the dynamics of the publishing system, bucking the ingrained trends and creating its own rules and standards.

I am not tinkering with the plot of The DiVacci Curse.  That will remain as is, so no worries there.  My intention is to revise and republish…and to not revisit the story again unless I make further catastrophic errors with spelling and grammar, etc.  I don’t expect that to happen the second time around though.  I wouldn’t want to edit and revise any story indefinitely.  That’s counterproductive and not logical.

I like the idea that I can go back and change aspects of the story to make it more entertaining (or not).  Of course, whether those changes will indeed improve the story is not ultimately up to me but in the minds of the readers.  I’ll let them be the judge.

I learned a great deal from writing my first novel.  I hope that it has made me a better writer.  I hope that I continue learning and improving and finding my voice as they say.

I will post an update when my short story is revised and republished, so be sure to check back.  Thanks for reading.

Shadow of the Vampire

Tags

award, Bram Stoker, C.I.C.A.E., candles, Cannes, Count Orlock, Count Orlok, dark humor, E. Elias Merhige, F.W. Murnau, Film, film noir, garlic, gothic, Happy New Year, Hollywood, Horror, John Malkovich, Max Schreck, Movie, Nicolas Cage, Nosferatu, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, nostalgia, old-fashioned, Oscar, Saturn Films, Shadow of the Vampire, sinister, vampires, Willem Dafoe

Happy New Year!

“The script girl…I’ll eat her later.” – Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe)

As mentioned in a recent post, Shadow of the Vampire is a film that I strongly recommend if you are interested in learning more about the myth behind Max Schreck, the German actor who portrayed Count Orlok in the original classic silent film Nosferatu:  A Symphony of Horror.

Shadow of the Vampire is directed by E. Elias Merhige, a director whom I was not familiar with before this film.  It stars Willem Dafoe as the mysterious Max Schreck, a method actor who has a reputation for delving deep into the characters that he portrays, so much so that it puts him at odds with F.W. Murnau, portrayed brilliantly by John Malkovich, and the other members of the cast and crew.  It was the first production of Saturn Films which was co-founded by Nicolas Cage.  Saturn Films would later produce another vampire film called Underworld: Awakening from the famous vampire vs. werewolf series, as well as other well-known films and TV shows.

The general public doesn’t often react well to films that are about the making of other films, even classic ones.  However, Shadow of the Vampire is focused on the actors and creators of the film, rather than the actual filming of the movie itself.  This makes the film more interesting, and it’s a history lesson as well as an interesting character study.  I enjoy history, so I don’t normally have an issue with films about the making of films, especially when it comes to such an iconic vampire film as Nosferatu.

“Did I kill…some of your people, Murnau?  I can’t remember.” – Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe)

Shadow of the Vampire works upon the premise that, unbeknownst to the cast and crew, Max Schreck is not an actor but a vampire hired by Murnau to add an uncanny authenticity to the role.  Murnau knows that Schreck is a vampire, but Murnau’s nightmare begins when things go crazy on the set and crew members start to disappear.

Shadow is a brilliant example of film noir.  It shows the condition of vampirism in a unique, stylish and artsy way, but in a more direct and down to earth fashion.  Many art films about vampires have a tendency to be extremely abstract and vague.  Some vampire films are shot with the use of cold, blue filters that remove the viewer from the story and make it difficult for the audience to connect with the characters.  S.O.T.V. doesn’t do that.  The film has a warmth about it not often felt when watching vampire films.  The cinematography is intimate and inclusive.  It makes you feel like you are there, sharing the filming experience of Nosferatu with the cast and crew.  The interiors of the charming inns where some of the scenes of the filming of Nosferatu happen are cozy and inviting.  The castle scenes and the areas inside the vampire’s lair are especially enthralling.  The movie was filmed in Luxembourg, doubling for Germany and Czechoslovakia (The Czech Republic).

Found yourself with a little extra downtime this holiday season?

Tags

Happy New Year, Have a happy New Year, holiday downtime, holiday reading, holiday season, pass the time, recommended, To Sleep in the Ground

Dare I recommend my novel To Sleep in the Ground?

There are worse ways to pass the time.

Have a happy New Year!

Daywalker, Nightwalker or Both?

Tags

1840s, Bram Stoker, Count Graf Orlok, Count Orlock, Daywalker, Dracula, F.W. Murnau, Film, gothic, Henrik Galeen, Horror, Malcolm Rymer, Movie, Nightwalker, Nosferatu, novel, serials, Shadow of the Vampire, The Feast of Blood, Thomas Peckett Prest, To Sleep in the Ground, vampire fiction, vampire novel, Varney the Vampire

It’s one of the most challenging questions for writers of vampire fiction:  Should the vampires in my story walk during the daytime or only appear at night?

This was an issue for me when first writing my vampire novel To Sleep in the Ground.  I’m an ‘after six’ person.  The evening is my favorite time of day.  I could have easily written Marco, the main character of my story, to be a nightwalker only.  The silent film classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horrors (now known popularly by the simple title of Nosferatu) directed by legendary German director F.W. Murnau helped fuel the myth that vampires could be destroyed by sunlight.  Some say that the film created the myth, but I’m not so sure about that.  Hollywood would embellish the concept that vampires were strictly nightwalkers with the sun frying them to a crisp if so much as a hint of it touched their pale skin, and the myth has become a mainstay of vampire fiction.

Instead, I decided to follow the tradition arguably established literarily by James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest, authors of the Varney the Vampire (or the Feast of Blood) serials from the middle to late 1840s and allow Marco to walk around in the daytime with limitations; he is weaker and not able to access the full potential of his dark gifts.

Decades later, Bram Stoker’s timeless masterpiece Dracula also echoed the folklore that vampires could walk by day.  Those of us who write vampire or horror literature know Stoker’s novel and love it.  It isn’t the first vampire story ever written, but it is the standard by which many, dare I say most, of us write our vampire fiction today.  It was the inspiration for the influential Nosferatu.  And it’s quite possible that Murnau’s Count Orlok was susceptible to sunlight rather than a stake through the heart because neither he nor the screenwriter Henrik Galeen had official permission to make a film version of the novel.  Count Orlok needed to be different from Count Dracula for obvious reasons.  On a side note, if you’re interested in knowing more about Nosferatu then I suggest the film Shadow of the Vampire.  It’s one of my favorite vampire movies and a wonderful piece of film noir.  It also explores the interesting legend of Max Schreck the actor who portrayed the vampiric Orlok in the film.  I’ll address the film in more detail in my next post.  Be sure to stick around for that.

So, what do you think, should fiction portray vampires as daywalkers, nightwalkers or both?  I say “both” with limitations on the potency of their abilities during the daytime, but I want to hear the opinions of you writers and readers of vampire fiction.  Open up the coffin and chime in.  Feel free to cast your vote via the comments section of this post.  I look forward to hearing from you all…and keep the garlic close to the bedside!

Introducing…Marco Dark!

Tags

A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake-A Foreigner's Perspective, action, artist, author, Blood, bloodlust, Bradley Lobue, California, casino, claws, corpse, Creepy, dark, desert, dollars, dusk, e-book, euros, fangs, fictionalist, financier, France, French madame, Fukushima Prefecture, Gore, gothic, grim reaper, hacker, hit man, Horror, humanity, Japan, Koriyama City, Las Vegas, lone vampire, loner, manga, manga artist, Marco Dark, money, Nevada, new, nightlife, Northern Japan, novel, Palermo, Pasadena, publish, Read, Review, Scary, Sicily, sociopath, suspense, swindler, The DiVacci Curse, thriller, To Sleep in the Ground, Tohoku, undead, vamp, vampire, vampire action, vampire drama, vampire fiction, vampire novel, vampirekind, vampires, vampiric, vampiric hit man, vamps, wild west, world traveler, writer, yen

My first novel and latest release is now available!

A wealthy French madame, a misguided manga artist, a greedy financier, a malicious computer hacker and a homicidal sociopath.  What do they all have in common?  They all have contracts on their heads.  The one hired to fulfill those contracts is Marco Dark.  He’s cultured, sophisticated and intelligent, and the most lethal hit man on the planet.  He’s also a 200-year-old vampire!  Journey with Marco as he traverses the globe plying his deadly trade…and pray that you’re not on his list!

“To Sleep in the Ground” has taken twenty years to complete since its original conception.  I encourage you to check it out.  You can access a sample of the book via the link at the end of this post.

If you read Marco’s story and find it entertaining (or not) then I request that you write a review.  Let’s be honest, reviews and word of mouth sell books and reviews are a great way for readers to express themselves, too.  I’d also like to hear your comments and opinions about “To Sleep in the Ground” on this blog.

Creepy Halloween reading…The DiVacci Curse!

Tags

Creepy, Ghost Story, Halloween, Horror, New Hampshire, Short stories, Spirit, The DiVacci Curse

Looking for something creepy to read to get you in the mood for All Hallows’ Eve?  If so, then I recommend my short story The DiVacci Curse.  It’s about a couple that buys the mansion of their dreams in New Hampshire.  But the new dwelling is not what it seems. The DiVacci Curse is not appropriate for children.  You can access the Amazon page for the story via the link below or from the My Books page of this blog.

I hope that you enjoy reading it….if you dare!

May you all have a spooky, safe and happy Halloween!

Happy New Year, an Important Notice and an Update!

Tags

authors, book, editing, illustration, important notice, new, Progress, Publishing, revising your unpublished e-book, update, writing

Happy New Year!  I hope that 2019 began well for everyone.

I’ll first get the formalities out of the way.

Officially, this blog, Brad’s Books, is no longer a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  All product links associated with the program have been removed from this blog.  Although, products that may be available for purchase on Amazon, that is, books and movies, etc. may still be mentioned in this blog.  However, no links or banners to, or images of, these products will be provided; only information about the products may be available in this blog in the form of recommendations, reviews, etc.

The images and links for the books that I have written, as they appear on the My Books page of this blog, will remain, since they are not affiliated with the Amazon Associates Program.  Thank you for your cooperation and for understanding.

O.k., with that out of the way, I would like to happily let everyone know that the prices for my non-fiction e-book and my fiction e-short story have dropped.  I feel that the new price adjustments are more appropriate and will hopefully make my books more appealing, and will encourage, not discourage, potential readers.  Amazon still reserves the right to fluctuate the pricing, but the new price points, in general, are quite lower than before.  Thank you for your consideration.  “Yoroshiku, onegaishimasu!” as the Japanese say.

I’m thrilled to announce that I’m closer than ever to finishing my first novel!  A pair of eyes, other than my own, are now reading the story and critiquing it.  I am getting very positive feedback from the source, who is also making some wonderful suggestions about how I can improve the overall readability and flow of the book, (chapter arrangement, etc.).  It’s valuable insight that is much appreciated.

Year-End Update

Tags

Amazon, authors, book, Buddhist, Christian, Happy New Year, Holidays, Japan, Merry Christmas, Progress, Publishing, Shinto, Short stories, writing

Well, it’s been a whirlwind end to the year here in Japan.

I haven’t been able to pay as much attention to finishing my novel as I had hoped, but I manage to chip away at it here and there when breaks in daily life and work allow.  Alas, my self-imposed year-end deadline for publication will not be met.  On the bright side, my school will be closed for the New Year’s holiday, so hopefully I’ll have a few days, at least, to fuss over the book.

I’m happy to announce that I have reduced the price of both my non-fiction e-book, and my fiction e-short story on Amazon.  Amazon still reserves the right to fluctuate the pricing, give or take, however.  You can access direct links for both books from this blog.

New Year’s is a big deal here in Japan.  Many businesses will be closed for several days on average, starting on or around New Year’s Eve.

My school is open today, Christmas day, because Christmas day is a regular business day here in Japan.  Less than 1% of the population of Japan is Christian.  Most are Shinto and Buddhist, so the Japanese celebrate Christmas differently than the west.  It’s strictly a secular celebration here with no religious meaning.

Please have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Best wishes for a safe, happy, healthy and peaceful 2019.

Brad

Almost There!

Tags

Amazon, book, cover art, e-book, Horror, illustration, new, Progress, Publishing

Howdy!

I hope that everyone is doing fine.  It has been a wild year so far, in many ways.  I’ve been away from here for a while.  But it’s nice to have something positive to post after all this time.

First of all, my thoughts and prayers are with the millions around the world, and here in Japan, who have been struggling with the onslaught of natural disasters that have been, and still are, plaguing our planet.  Peace and love to all who are suffering.

Well, I’m happy to announce that my first novel has been written!  I’m currently editing and proofreading it, as well as working on the book cover.  The book cover idea has been conceived, and I am in the process of putting all the pieces together.  Once all of that is done, then I will be ready to self-publish.

I can tell you that this book will be the longest fiction story that I’ve published thus far; my first full-length novel (depending on your idea of how long a novel should be…info around the Net varies according to style and genre).  It will definitely be much longer than my short story that was published in 2016.

The book will initially be available through Amazon and in most countries where Amazon operates.  I may publish with other e-publishers at a later time depending upon how the book does.  I will post updates here if I decide to add more publishers to the availability list.

It’s a great relief to finally have the story finished and I very much look forward to sharing it with you in the not too distant future.

Thanks for reading…and for your continued patience.

Brad