Book Sale!

It’s that time of year again: the Smashwords End of the Year Sale! Until January 1st you can get:

Love Lies Bleeding for 25% off

Blood Magic FREE

Tooth & Claw FREE

Bleeding Heart: New Release

Speaking of Bleeding Heart, the paperback will be out in early January! 

Happy Reading,

Aspasía S. Bissas

 

 

New Novel by Aspasia S. Bissas: Bleeding Heart

When up-and-coming actor Ash is unexpectedly turned by ancient vampire Emma, he revels in the freedom of his new life. But freedom soon turns to crushing oppression. As Emma’s grip on him tightens, he begins to lose everything decent, everything human, inside him. When he realizes the strange woman who haunts his dreams is the same one Emma wants dead, will he stand by while Emma has her way again?

Mara killed her demons and left everything behind–so why does it feel like she’s still not free? She doesn’t know if she’s being haunted or hunted, but one thing she’s sure of is that she’ll have to face a reckoning for her past. Will she find a way to the future, or lose everything?

Bleeding Heart is a dark fantasy novel about nightmares, illusions, control, and revenge. Old meets new meets ancient in this follow-up to Love Lies Bleeding.

I’m happy to announce that Bleeding Heart has been released as an e-book! Don’t worry, if you prefer a hard copy, the paperback will be out soon.

At the moment, Bleeding Heart is available on Amazon and the Smashwords site (click on the links to download now!)

I just want to thank everyone for your support and patience: I hope the wait was worth it ♥

Happy Reading,

Aspasía S. Bissas

P.S., Feel free to share this post 🙂

P.P.S., Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com

 

Bleeding Heart Cover Reveal

 

What do you think?

Fun fact: the statue is part of the “Monument à Denis Diderot,” located in the Panthéon in Paris (a great place to visit, by the way). I chose this as the image for my next book way back when I chose the image for Love Lies Bleeding.

Just a reminder that Bleeding Heart will be available in October (just in time for Halloween!). In the meantime, you can download my other books:

Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books

If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

 

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

[This was originally posted on my official site. Follow me at AspasiaSBissas.com]

New Book Announcement: Bleeding Heart!

 

“Bleeding Heart” is almost here! Keep an eye out for a cover reveal soon…

 

Book bloggers/reviewers: please leave a comment if you’re interested in reviewing Bleeding Heart.

 

Want to get reading now? Download my other books:

Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books

If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

 Also, now is a great time to follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

6 Words About Vampires

As a writer, I love words. As a vampire fan, I write about vampires. It seems natural to combine it all into one post; and so, I bring you words about vampires…

Related: “Sanguisugent” (adj), blood sucking or blood thirsty. Wikionary says “sanguisuge” is obsolete, but I think it’s due for a comeback.

 

I’ve written about revenants, if you’re curious to find out more. The word itself was coined in 1814 by Laetitia Matilda Hawkins in Rosanne:

“‘Well, but what is it? What do you call it in French?’ ‘Why, revenant, to be sure. Un revenant.'”

 

“Philosophy will clip an Angel’s wings,
Conquer all mysteries by rule and line,
Empty the haunted air, and gnomèd mine—
Unweave a rainbow, as it erewhile made
The tender-person’d Lamia melt into a shade.”  -John Keats, “Lamia”

Fun etymology: Lamia literally means “swallower, lecher,” from laimos “throat, gullet.” (Source). Read more about them in my post here.

 

The first use of “undead” was c. 1400, but its use as a noun to mean vampires and other creatures dates from 1904. (Source)

 

“It’s a reflex. Hear a bell, get food. See an undead, throw a knife. Same thing, really.” -Ilona Andrews, Magic Bites

 

 

I know the word exsanguinate from the X-Files episode “Eve,” but it was first used around 1800, coming from the Latin exsanguinatus, meaning bloodless or deprived of blood.

 

“My first word of the new year was ‘exsanguinate.’ This was probably not a good omen.”

-Charlaine Harris, Dead to the World.

 

 

 

And of course, we can’t forget the word that all the others relate to:

 

The earliest form of the word “vampire” dates to only 1734, although stories of monsters that rise from the dead and attack the living can be found even in ancient times. The idea of blood-gorged walking corpses goes back to at least the 1100s. There’s some debate as to where the word comes from, but it most likely has its roots in the Old Church Slavonic “opiri.”  (Source)

“It was too much, the weight of it all was too much. Maybe that was why emotions were deadened in vampires; the alternative was to be overtaken by them, crippled, left stranded and isolated and trapped by unbearable sensation. How could they hunt if they felt sympathy, empathy, love for their prey? How could they —how could she —live with themselves?” Aspasía S. Bissas, Love Lies Bleeding

Yes, that’s a quote from my own book (I’m sneaky that way). Get my books to find even more words about vampires:

Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books

If you prefer a good paperback to an ebook, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Did I miss your favourite word about vampires? Let me know in the comments…

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

 

A Quote, A Review & A Request

 

Dragonscale Clippings recently shared a review of Love Lies Bleeding: 

Love Lies Bleeding by Aspasia S Bissas Although this novel starts off almost predictably (for a vampire tale) it soon develops into something quite unusual. Read more…

Give it a read, and don’t forget to stop by Dragonscale Clippings’s blog and follow and like! Many thanks for the kind review ♥

Speaking of reviews, if you’ve read and enjoyed any of my books, please take a minute now to leave a rating or review (links below). And if you haven’t read my books yet, now is the perfect time to start…

 

Love Lies Bleeding

A novel about delusion, obsession, and blood.

Goodreads

Amazon

DOWNLOAD HERE

Paperback available from Bookshop – when you use this link, a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. (It’s also available on most other online book sites.)

 

Blood Magic

Myth and magic collide in this story about choices, transformation, and retribution.

Goodreads

Amazon

DOWNLOAD FREE

 

Tooth & Claw

A dark fantasy story about memory and delusion, violence and consequences; inspired by real events in Belle Époque France.

Goodreads

Amazon

DOWNLOAD FREE

 

Feel free to leave a rating/review on any other book sites too!

Thank you for supporting authors ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

World Dracula Day: 6 Places to Visit

Photo by Nichitean Dumitrita Veronica on Pexels.com

Close on the heels of World Goth Day comes World Dracula Day. It might be sunny springtime where you live, but this is the week to ignore the singing birds and blooming flowers, and channel your dark side (for those of you who don’t already do that year round anyway). What better way to immerse yourself in all things Dracula than by visiting the places associated with the Count?

(Note: I won’t be including any sites that focus exclusively on Vlad Dracul/Vlad the Impaler. While he has his own blood-soaked history, his connection to Stoker’s Dracula, in my opinion at least, doesn’t go much further than the name.)

Bran Castle, Transylvania

The only castle in Transylvania that fits Stoker’s description, Bran Castle is widely considered to be “Dracula’s castle.” If the beautiful building and rich history aren’t enough for you, the castle regularly offers special exhibitions. If the onsite restaurant is open when you go, you can try the “Count’s Dessert” (chocolate cake with raspberry sauce, fresh fruit, and rose petal powder).

“Golden Crown” Hotel, Transylvania

After Stoker published Dracula, tourists started showing up in Transylvania. From the start they were looking to stay in the same hotel that Jonathan Harker spent a night in (The Golden Crown). The hotel didn’t exist, but some enterprising soul realized it would be a great idea to build it. The Coroana de Aur (“Golden Crown” in Romanian) hotel in Bistrita doesn’t have much in common with the inn Harker stayed at, but there is a Jonathan Harker Salon at the restaurant. You can also order authentic Mămăligă (polenta) like Harker ate. No word on whether they also offer stuffed aubergines.

The Dracula Experience, Whitby

Live actors and special effects tell the story of Dracula and how the town of Whitby relates to it. The “Experience” has been described as a story set in a haunted house, which is appropriate since the building it’s in is apparently centuries old and haunted. To explore the building’s ghost sightings and other paranormal activity, a Paranormal Night takes place the first Saturday of every month (no special effects here).

St. Mary’s Churchyard and Whitby Abbey, Whitby

The graveyard at St. Mary’s Church is the setting and inspiration for a number of scenes in Dracula. Try to see how many of the character’s names you can find on the gravestones (Stoker borrowed a few of them). On the way to the church, you can climb the 199 steps that a black dog (Dracula in another form) was seen running up in the book.

Whitby Abbey by Mat Fascione is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

And while you’re there make sure to make the 100 metre (340 feet) trek from St. Mary’s to Whitby Abbey, another source of Stoker’s inspiration. Explore the ruins before checking out the on-site museum and shop. The Abbey hosts all kinds of Dracula-themed events, so check the schedule before you go.

Bram Stoker’s Grave, London

If you’re in London, you can go pay your respects at the final resting place of the man who brought the world Dracula. You do need to book ahead because the building is kept locked. If you can’t make it there in person, you can leave a virtual flower in his honour.

These are just a few of the Dracula-related places to visit, and I expect more will open as tourism eventually returns to normal. Do you have a favourite Dracula-themed place or event? Share in the comments…

Don’t forget to give other vampires some love too– download my books today!

 

Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books

 If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

[This was originally posted on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]

 

Quote of the Day

 

Have you read and enjoyed any of my books? If so, please leave a rating and/or review!

 

Tooth & Claw

Goodreads

Amazon

Download FREE

 

Love Lies Bleeding

Goodreads

Amazon

Download

Order Paperback (When you use this link, a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself.)

 

Blood Magic

Goodreads

Amazon

Download FREE

 

Feel free to leave a rating/review on any other book sites too!

Thanks for supporting authors ♥

 

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

3 Vampires with a Chance at Love

 

True love is a forever thing– especially for vampires. Or it can be, anyway. These TV couples’ stories left us wondering, but I’d like to believe they got their happily ever after. Here are three vampires who were (probably) lucky in love…

Spoilers Ahead

Mick St. John and Beth Turner, Moonlight

Mick and Beth, Moonlight

Mick (vampire) and Beth (human) have a complicated relationship. Beth has a boyfriend and Mick saved Beth’s life as a child and has been keeping tabs on her ever since. It’s a tale as old as time. But as the show goes on, their feelings for each other grow and turn into something else (and just as complicated). There’s a lot of back and forth about whether a vampire-human relationship could even work, and when the series was cancelled it ended ambiguously on a kiss between Mick and Beth. These two have a real connection, even if their fears cloud their feelings at times, so I think they have a solid chance to make it work. The show hinted at the potential for a vampire cure, so Mick could eventually become human. He could also turn Beth. Love finds (fangs?) a way.

Is this love?: 8/10

Jessica and Hoyt, True Blood

Jessica and Hoyt, True Blood

Although it might not seem like it, Jessica (vampire) and Hoyt (human) have a lot in common. Both had traumatic childhoods with domineering, manipulative parents. Both have quieter, somewhat innocent/naive personalities with rebellious sides. Both also have to cope with situations they have no control over, and neither really knows where they fit into the world. When they meet each other, it’s love at first sight. They did try to make it work for a while, but there were too many things working against them, including Hoyt’s mother and Jessica’s vampire nature. Their breakup was both inevitable and necessary, giving them a chance to figure out who they were. They eventually reunite, and even though we don’t get to see how their life together plays out, chances are they make it work (at least, they’d better make it work after all the screen time the producers devoted to their wedding in the series finale).

Is this love?: 9/10

Alex and Hal, Being Human

Hal and Alex, Being Human

Okay, this one might be cheating since both characters are human by the end of the series, but sparks started flying while Hal was a vampire, so I’m counting it. Although both are attracted to each other, their budding relationship is cut short when another vampire takes it upon himself to kill Alex (and then gives her blood to an unsuspecting Hal to drink). Hal is horrified at what’s happened, and when he finds out Alex is still around in ghost form, he promises to get revenge for her murder. With nowhere else to go and few people to talk to (thanks to being invisible to humans) Alex ends up moving in with Hal. Their opposing personalities make them something of an odd couple: Hal is precise, compulsive, and terrified of losing control; while Alex is carefree, no-nonsense, and takes things as they come. But the real hindrance to a relationship is that one of them is incorporeal (and it doesn’t help that the other one is constantly fighting his blood lust). The series (officially) concludes with an interesting twist that has all supernatural beings become human again, finally giving Hal and Alex a real chance at a life together.

Is this love?: 8/10

What other vampires have a shot at love? Share your thoughts in the comments…

Want more vampires in love (and otherwise)? Get my books!

Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books

If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas

Originally posted on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com

End of the Year Book Sale

 

It’s that time of year again– the Smashwords end-of-year e-book sale has begun! Get Love Lies Bleeding for 25% off (and as usual, Blood Magic and Tooth & Claw are free)! The holidays are a great time to catch up on your reading (or maybe even complete a challenge). Download my books and get started right now….

Get LOVE LIES BLEEDING 25% Off

Get Blood Magic FREE

Get Tooth & Claw FREE

Photo by Perfecto Capucine on Pexels.com

 

Happy Reading!

Aspasía S. Bissas

(PS: The sale ends 1 January 2023)

A Further 5 Vampires You May Not Have Heard Of

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Chances are when you think of vampires you’ll think of Spike, Nick Knight, Miriam Blaylock, or any of the other fanged creatures-of-the-night that populate modern culture, including Mara from Love Lies Bleeding. The vampires we’re familiar with are (generally) human looking, powerful, often charismatic and attractive, with a thirst for blood and a dislike of stakes. But that wasn’t always the case. History and folklore are full of types of vampires that are nothing like what we’ve come to expect. Here are five examples…

Krasue

Similar to the penanggalan of Malaysia, the krasue is a type of ghostly vampire from Thailand that preys on chickens and cattle. The krasue has the face of a beautiful young woman (or sometimes an old woman), but instead of a body she has hanging organs and entrails. She’s also luminescent, and can be considered a form of will o’ the wisp. Like most vampires, she has fangs, and like most ghosts, she moves by floating. A common belief is that women who live sinful lives are cursed to become krasue after death (or that the curse will be passed on to their daughters and granddaughters). Another belief is that eating food contaminated by krasue saliva or flesh will turn someone into a krasue. And, as has been the case countless times throughout history, women in small communities acting “strangely” were/are suspected of being witches and monsters, or in this case– of becoming krasue at night. Krasue are always hungry, seeking out blood or flesh to consume. If blood isn’t available they’ll settle for rotting food, corpses, or feces. The krasue needs to reattach to her headless body before dawn, so destroying the body also destroys the krasue. Other ways to kill krasue include cutting the organs and entrails off or burning her. A krasue can be prevented from entering the home by surrounding it with something spiky, like bamboo, which the krasue will avoid in order not to get her entrails caught. There have been several krasue sightings in Thailand in recent years, most– but not all, debunked.

Manananggal

The manananggal is from the Philippines and is similar to the penanggalan and krasue in the way it separates from the lower half of its body, trailing intestines behind. Unlike the other two, the manananggal has large, bat-like wings, and can be either male or female (although they’re usually female). Another name for manananggal is “tik-tik,” which is the sound the tiktik birds make as they accompany the manananggal when they’re flying. Apparently the sound gets fainter the closer they get, a tactic meant to confuse their victims. One becomes a manananggal either by inheriting the condition, performing a ritual, or surviving a manananggal attack. While they have fangs, manananggal perch on roofs and use their long, proboscis-like tongues to suck the blood from sleeping victims. They’re also known to eat flesh and organs. Preferred prey is pregnant women, fetuses, and newlyweds (particularly the grooms, as manananggal is said to have been left at the altar). Like many vampires, manananggal hate garlic and holy water; unlike most vampires they also can’t stand salt, vinegar, spices, daggers, and the tails of stingrays. To keep a manananggal away from your house, leave pots of uncooked rice, salt, or ash around. To kill a manananggal, spread salt, ash, or crushed garlic on the detached lower half. The top half won’t be able to reattach and will then die at sunrise.

ETA: a commenter let me know that the manananggal can also transform into a wild pig (!), and that “Oftentimes, a woman suspected of being one is asleep during the day.” Thanks for the extra info!

Sasabonsam

Ashanti Sasabonsam/Asanbosam figure, via Into the Wonder

Sasabonsam, also known as Asanbosam, is a vampiric being in the folklore of the Akan people of southern Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and Togo. Instead of feet they have iron hooks, which they use to dangle from trees in order to attack from above. They also have iron fanged teeth and bat-like features, including pointed ears and 6 metre- (20 foot-) long wings. Sasabonsam are territorial creatures, feeding on anyone who enters their forests. They eat flesh, as well as drinking blood, and they can infect people with a wasting illness (a common theme in vampire lore) with just a look. There is a claim that a man killed one by “fatally injuring it,” but I can’t find more details about it. Because of their hook feet, they can’t move well on the ground, so in theory you could get away from a Sasabonsam if you can run fast enough to get out from under the trees before they can grab you. Then again, it’s said that they like to play with their victims, like cats sometimes do with mice, so running might not help much.

Pricolici

A creature from Romanian folklore, the pricolici is a hybrid vampire-werewolf (together at last!) Some claim they are undead souls risen from the grave in wolf form. Others say that pricolici are werewolves in life, who then rise after death as vampires. Men who are cruel or violent in life are likely to become pricolici after death. In any case, pricolici are especially vicious undead that enjoy hurting the living.

Vrykolakas

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Greece (influenced by the myths of neighbouring Slavic countries) brings us our final (for now) vampire: the vrykolakas. Interestingly, while vrykolakas is generally considered to be a vampire, its name (from the Bulgarian vǎrkolak) means werewolf, and by modern definitions it’s closer to a zombie than a vampire. Vrykolakas don’t decay after death, but their bodies become swollen with blood, giving them lifelike ruddy complexions. They generally roam around wreaking all sorts of havoc, including causing epidemics. Vrykolakas sometimes sit on victims as they sleep, crushing or suffocating them. It was also believed (and still is in some places) that they would knock on doors, calling the names of people inside; if anyone opened the door, they themselves would die within a few days and become a vampire. One could also become a vrykolakas by living a sacrilegious life, being buried in unconsecrated ground, or eating the meat of a sheep that had been injured or killed by a wolf. Like the pricolici, it was also thought that a werewolf could become a vampire after death, retaining wolf-like fangs, hairy palms, and glowing eyes. The vrykolakas eats flesh rather than drinking blood, and it has a particular fondness for livers (possibly with a nice Chianti). The longer they are allowed to roam and feed, the stronger they become. To kill a vrykolakas, the body needs to be destroyed, which is done by impaling, beheading, dismembering, or cremation. Destroying the body has to be done on a Saturday, which is when the vrykolakas is believed to rest. During the Great Famine of 1941-1942 in Greece, so many people died that burial on consecrated ground became impossible. Families started pre-emptively destroying bodies so that their loved ones wouldn’t become vrykolakas.

Have you heard of these vampires? Which do you think is scariest? Tell me in the comments…

 

Read my previous posts on this subject:

5 Vampires You May Not Have Heard Of

5 More Vampires You May Not Have Heard Of

Another 5 Vampires You May Not Have Heard Of

Yet Another 5 Vampires You May Not Have Heard Of

 

Can’t get enough vampires? Download my books!

Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books

If you prefer paperback, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥

 

Further Reading

Krasue

Ghostly Beings

Manananggal

17 Facts About the Manananggal

Philippine Folklore: Meet the Vampiric, Cannibalistic Manananggal

Asanbosam

Sasabonsam

10 Places Where Vampires May Exist

Pricolici

Vrykolakas

Vampires in Greece

Astonishing Legends: Vrykolakas

 

Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com

 

Cheers,

Aspasía S. Bissas