FAQs

Why did Dea follow Bastet into the woods?

Anyone who's ever had and loved a pet cat will know they are as much a part of the family as your brothers and sisters. I had one cat- called Morris- for the first 21 years of my life (he used to fall asleep on my school homework!) and if he was out in a storm and scared, I would, like Dea, try to help him. She just didn't realise how far away from home she would end up by trying to save Bastet!

Why do the Coven wait so long before telling Dea about the Prophecy?

This makes people crazy! On one hand the suspense was part of the writing style- to keep the reader guessing and to reveal small details little-by-little. The other is explained in Blood Omen 1:

"Wait," I stopped him. "Why were Elias and Lucas so angry last night?"

Santi sighed, not turning to face me. "They don't want you to know everything yet."

"Why?" My anger flared before I could stop it. "I already said I can handle it!"

Santi frowned and looked up at me, shutting the door again. "It's not that. It's complicated. But they're right about one thing," he said, holding up a hand to stop my argument as it formed on my lips. "The less you know, the less open you will be to the Apophi. They are evil, Dea. They use dark forces- natural forces that go beyond anything you can imagine, and with your mother dead, you are more open to them that ever. Every new name, place, time or fact you know could allow them to get closer to you."

"I don't understand!" I whined.

He touched a hand to my cheek, his voice soft. "I know. But you will. You just have to be patient..."

"...the Apophi use the dark side of nature- we're all part of nature, all connected. They could find you through your thoughts, your dreams..."

Reviews

As an up-an-coming author, reviews are important! Sadly, most people who have read my book are lazy to review. Any comment is good (if three to five stars!) and I do try to encourage my fans to write a review or put stars, at least on Goodreads if not Amazon. The next option is to contact book bloggers and ask them to read a copy of your book in exchange for an honest review. It's totally free and seems to work well. If you're an author thinking of doing this, I recommend the book blog directory as a good starting point. Read the Review Policies carefully and address each blogger individually- show them you actually read their profile and policy!

Overall, I've been getting very positive reviews. I've received a couple of negative reviews but when I analyse what they criticise, the object of the reviewer's dislike is usually something personal to them and not anything that makes me collapse in tears or start wondering whether I should re-write the whole saga. Non-positive reviews are good if written constructively- it's always nice to get a different perspective and to realise that what you create is not, cannot be, everyone's cup of blood. 

Complaints & Justifications 

I can't resist. I have to answer the negatives! I'd never do so directly to the reviewer- there's no point and it's impolite, but I just want to justify 3 points...

NO! One reviewer once criticised the fact "all" my vampires wear black, which made it difficult to distinguish who was who. I thought about this and realised that he was right in that my vampires often appeared in black, but wrong because each character has a distinct and clear look and way of talking or acting- anyone who has read the Blood Omen books and connected with the characters can see that. A lot of PEOPLE wear black these days, so it seems my vampires are actually in with the times!

NO! A few people found Dea frustrating and selfish. I don't want to offend my young adult readers, but a lot of teens can be selfish, even if it's not deliberate. It's in teen nature to think "I know best" or "I can handle this alone." I was certainly like that when I was 17! And I, like Dea, was an only child. Of course not all only children are selfish, but when you've had no-one but yourself as centre of attention in the family, thinking of others before making choices doesn't always come naturally. But Dea changes throughout the saga. As life throws more challenges her way, she has to overcome them and learn about herself. In doing so she matures. She remains the fun-loving, risk-taking girl we meet in Book 1, but you'll notice that she is more respectful to her Coven and thinks more carefully about the cause and effect of her actions as the story progresses... though Fate has a major part to play in the outcomes of her decisions- something she has no control over. 

NO! Some people mention they found the cliff-hangers frustrating. I make no excuse for this. It's my style to pose questions and keep the suspense and mystery ongoing. I make a promise to always answer the questions- even if you have to wait two or three more books for that answer, all WILL be revealed!


If you've read a book, take time to review it online. It helps other people to decide whether they want to read it or not, and for the author, a review is a gift! 

Here's the latest independent review from book blogger Jo Evans:

"Have you had your fill of vampires yet? Probably not, if you're like me. There is something about the dark edginess which draws me in to the tale time and time again. 

With this series, there is plenty of that, but I should warn you that this is a hugely frustrating book, not least because it is the first in the series, so of course, there is the obligatory cliffhanger. 

But more than that, it is the lack of answers and Dea's behaviour that had me grumbling at my kindle at points.

This is, without doubt, an intriguing start to the series, with a tantalising hint of relationship potential. I look forward to reading book 2.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review."

EXCLUSIVE Interview with Dacre Stoker

Great Grand-Nephew of the Author of Dracula

What does it mean to be the great grand-nephew of Bram Stoker? 

I do feel a sense of responsibility to “perform” in a manner consistent with Bram Stoker’s reputation. He was a very level headed man, conservative in his outlook, reliable and faithful to his friends. Bram’s 27 years as Sir Henry Irving’s Manager and also Manager of the Lyceum Theater brought with it a tremendous amount of work and responsibility.  I have to admit it's a bonus to be in the business of promoting someone who's been so successful, however I do feel that I need to make a name for myself as opposed to simple riding Bram’s coattails. 

What was it like growing up- school, college -with people knowing the Dracula connection? 

Truthfully, there wasn't much of a connection made between myself and Bram Stoker until I co-authored Dracula the Un-Dead which was published in 2009. You see most fans know Dracula but the name Stoker comes only with a reminder of who wrote the book.

How did you get into fiction writing? Do you feel Bram's influence when you write? 

I only started writing when Ian Holt nudged me into collaborating with him on Dracula the Un-Dead. It was and still is a slow process for me, as conveying my thoughts into plots and chapters doesn't come naturally to me. I don’t feel Bram’s influence, just a desire to help the world know more about him.

What are you working on right now?

I have a few projects going on at the moment. I have a historical fiction in the works that can be described as the reason why Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. I'm  also working on a script of a documentary about my quest to find out the truth about Bram Stoker and what events in his life contributed to his writing of Dracula. I'm also developing new and interesting bits of information to include in my Stoker on Stoker Power Point lectures that take me all over the world.

How does horror literature today compare to that of Bram's time? 

Today's horror is much more developed. Gothic horror was just getting stared in the early 1800s, Frankenstein was published in 1818, Dracula came out 1897. So nowadays horror is much more mainstream and includes everyday events, it's not just fantasy. 

Which do you prefer?

I like the old classics, but I also love some of the modern innovators, I enjoy reading well-known writers like Stephen King, and also up-and-coming writers like David Wellington and JD Barker.

What's your favourite book (apart from Blood Omen ;) )? 

Stephen King’s The Stand and Salem’s Lot really did it for me. 

When you're not working on something Bram-related, how much of a role do vampires/Dracula play in your life? 

Almost none, as I'm very involved in the teaching and coaching of Court Tennis, and I do a lot of Fly-fishing in remote areas, so in my free time I manage to put the horror part of my life on the shelf.

Do vampire fans regularly contact you? 

Yes, but that's part of the business. Nowadays fans like to connect with authors via social media, and that's fine with me. Although at one event in New Orleans I did get asked by a fan if I would please give her some Stoker blood!!

How, in your experience, do the Transylvanians/Romanians feel about Dracula, Bram Stoker and vampires?

For the most part present day Romanians/Transylvanians are tolerant of the interest in vampires that drives tourists to visit their country. However, I have to say that some get a little tired of the misconceptions that exist, and which pop culture media has proliferated, connecting a Romanian national hero - Prince Vlad Dracula lll - to the blood sucking Count Dracula. I'm on a quest to promote the understanding that one is a fictional character and the other is a historic figure.  

Has your family name ever caused you any problems in Romania? 

Occasionally someone  sees my name and does a bit of a double take, but nothing bad has ever happened. 

Katie Ruth Davies & Dacre Stoker
Stoker gets hungry at the International Vampire Film & Arts Festival 2016, Transylvania :D

Buy Dracula the Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker here

Superstitions about Death

Found this, had to share! Which do YOU believe?

BIRD	A bird in the house is a sign of a death.
	If a robin flies into a room through a window, death will shortly follow.
CANDLE	Light candles on the night after November 1. One for each deceased relative should be placed in the window in the room where death occurred.
CEMETERY	You must hold your breath while going past a cemetery or you will breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently died.
CLOCK	If a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes, there will be a death in the family.
	You will have bad luck if you do not stop the clock in the room where someone dies.
CORPSE	If a woman is buried in black, she will return to haunt the family.
	If a dead person's eyes are left open, he'll find someone to take with him.
	Mirrors in a house with a corpse should be covered or the person who sees himself will die next.
DOG	Dogs howling in the dark of night howl for death before daylight.
DREAMS	If you dream of death it's a sign of a birth, if you dream of birth, it's a sign of death.
	If you touch a loved one who has died, you won't have dreams about them
DYING	A person who dies on Good Friday will go right to heaven.
	A person who dies at midnight on Christmas Eve will go straight to heaven because the gates of heaven are open at that time.
	All windows should be opened at the moment of death so that the soul can leave.
	The soul of a dying person can't escape the body and go to heaven if any locks are locked in the house.
EYE	If the left eye twitches there will soon be a death in the family.
	If a dead person's eyes are left open, he'll find someone to take with him.
FUNERAL	Funerals on Friday portend another death in the family during the year.
	It's bad luck to count the cars in a funeral cortege.
	It's bad luck to meet a funeral procession head on.
	Thunder following a funeral means that the dead person's soul has reached heaven.
	Nothing new should be worn to a funeral, especially new shoes.
	Pointing at a funeral procession will cause you to die within the month
	Pregnant women should not attend funerals.
GRAVE	If the person buried lived a good life, flowers will grow on the grave. If the person was evil, weeds will grow.
MIRROR	If a mirror in the house falls and breaks by itself, someone in the house will die soon.
MOTH	A white moth inside the house or trying to enter the house means death.
PHOTOGRAPH	If 3 people are photographed together, the one in the middle will die first.
THIRTEEN	If 13 people sit down at a table to eat, one of them will die before the year is over.
UMBRELLA	Dropping an umbrella on the floor means that there will be a murder in the house. Thanks to corsinet.com

Dacre’s Nightmare- A Short Story

On the way to Cluj, Transylvania our train broke down. The next two hours inspired this short horror story. Not for the weak-hearted... or hungry... 

Dacre’s Nightmare

Short story by Katie Ruth Davies (based on experience)

The writer sat staring out the window of the hot stuffy train carriage. The young Romanian woman opposite her snuffled in her sleep. The old lady behind hacked out a cough- hope I don’t catch it!, the writer thought- and the old man next to her turned the page of the paper he was reading.
The train rumbled through fields and valleys, passed compact villages of step-roofed slanted-walled cottages tightly lining the single roads running through them. They far differed from the sprawling land-greedy style of the villages the writer knew in Georgia. Built that way as a better form of defence against invaders, the writer remembered being told.
The writer sighed, her stomach rumbling as she wished she’d had a heavier lunch before setting out on the four hour journey up to Cluj. The writer had slept, checked facebook and email and was now absorbed in Dracula The Un-Dead co-written by the great grand-nephew of Bram Stoker. The story was gripping but every now and then the writer would glance out the window, feeling guilty for not staring at the passing landscapes with more intensity so as to commit them to memory.
Looking to the right, past the man with the newspaper, the writer saw the bright colours of approaching sunset.
Sunset in Transylvania. No time like it!
The writer went to the end of the carriage and took some photos of the blue-gold-red summer sky out the window before returning to the book. The sky went dark as the evil Countess Bathory dropped the mutilated body of a young London prostitute into the River Thames to float away with dead eyes turned up to a God who had done nothing for her, just as he had done nothing for Bathory in her more than 400 years of bloodthirsty existence.
The train rolled in to yet another station.
The writer looked at the phone clock. 20 minutes to arrival in Cluj.
She thought eagerly of the food, snack, anything that awaited in the destination. The hunger was made worse as the teenager diagonally opposite opened up a bag of crisps.
19 minutes.
The writer went back to Dracula.
Time passed and the train remained in the station.
The writer’s fellow passengers shifted restlessly, impatient, waiting.
The writer read on…
“We have some technical difficulties,” the conductor announced as he entered Wagon 1 where the writer was sat. “We are trying to fix it but it may take some time.”
The passengers sighed, grumbled, began to phone relatives.
The woman opposite the writer woke up and dug out a sandwich.
30 minutes passed.
40.
Noises outside the train revealed that some sort of reparation work was being done- clunks, metallic bumps, humming. The hiss and whoosh of the air-conditioning coming back on (the writer hadn’t noticed it was off!) gave hope that the train would be ‘back on track’ soon.
50 minutes.
The air-conditioning stopped.
Some passengers went to the door and stood looking out. Some were already on the platform below, smoking.
The station was lit by just five dull orbs hanging near the station building, two platforms over. In the distance the writer could see the golden pin-points of light signifying a village or small town.
Pitch black out there otherwise.
The writer had no desire to leave the train, fearful that it would start up and leave without her.
The platform lights went out.
The writer, re-absorbed in Dracula, only noticed this fact when the whispers and questions trickled through the carriage, increasing in number and volume.
As is always the case in times of discomfort, people who up until then had ignored one another began to exchange observations, jokes and complaints at the increasing warmth in the carriage.
The writer understood nothing of what they were saying and so remained quiet.
Ladies began to fan themselves with folded newspapers.
The lights in the train went out.
Women screamed.
The volume of worried voices rose.
The writer felt for the nearby laptop bag and tucked the book away, then found the phone on the shared table in front of her.
The screen lit up as the writer slid a finger across it, searching for the flashlight function.
Other passengers did the same, until there was a string of ghostly pale faces, up-lit like the classic black and white horrors of the 1930s.
The writer took a drink of water, glancing at the reflection of those ghostly faces on the windows.
Boom!
A flash of white streaked past the window nearest the writer and solidly bumped into the next window before melting back into the night.
The man seated there cried out, a woman screamed and another began to cry.
The writer, powerless in an inability to speak Romanian, in vain asked “What was it?” in English.
There was no answer.
Another flash and bump on the other side of the carriage. Then another, further down.
The passengers stood, moving back into the aisle and away from the windows, shining their mobiles outwards, the lights shaking. Breathing came fast. The writer could feel her heart pounding hard but had no desire to scream.
One man loudly gave out some instructions and the outer doors were pulled shut, then those of the inner carriage.
A shout outside on the platform- it was a smoker who had gone off to pee and had now returned to find the doors shut on him.
The passengers looked at one another uncertainly. Let him in or not?
His shouts and fists thumping at the door suddenly stopped.
Everyone went quiet- except for whimpering and uncontrollable crying from a few.
The seconds ticked by. The passengers eyed each other nervously.
Then the woman opposite the writer screamed and all eyes turned to the window she was staring and pointing at- seeing clearly the red splattered up the glass and dripping down. It was blood; fresh, stark, bright crimson shining wetly in the white of the lights that now focused on it.
One woman called out a despairing: “Strigoi!”
More panicked screams, a man whimpering and calling for his mother. Prayers. The muffled thump of a body as an elderly lady fainted- a rush as her granddaughter and those around her helped her into a seat and set to resuscitating her.
Someone tried to call the police and screamed out the situation to the dispatch centre.
Will they come on time? the writer wondered.
She switched off her mobile light and kept her eyes fixed to the window nearest her.
Another flash of white outside. Another bodily collision against the exterior of the carriage.
Strigoi.
Vampire.
Those closest to the doors at either end of the carriage backed up until the twelve or so passengers were pressed together in a hot, fearful huddle in the centre near the writer, their eyes rolling wildly between the windows and the doors. A claustrophobic bitter smell of fear and entrapment permeated the air.
The writer peered out the window, trying to focus and to make sense of the dark-on-dark shapes outside.
One man said something gruffly and made to leave the carriage but those beside him pulled him back, shouting at him. He fought them, his face sweaty and afraid but his eyes determined in his need to get out. He was overpowered and forced into a seat.
Nothing could be seen beyond the glass. The writer bent low and moved closer.
There! On the other platform- a figure, barely discernible in the gloom.
“What is that?” the writer whispered.
The writer placed a hand to either side of her face to block out the light from the mobiles as they flashed this way and that in panicked circles.
She peered out.
And saw dead black eyes peering back.

Transylvania

I was in Transylvania for the 1st International Vampire Festival (IVFAF) at the end of May. There weren't as many vampires as I expected but I learnt a huge amount about the international reach of the vampire world, its place in culture and history and also a few surprises about Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula. I'll be writing some of what I learnt on this blog over the next week.

Sighisoara, Transylvania, location of the IVFAF

First- the Traditions

In Romania there is an age old belief that the dead can walk again and suck the energy, blood or life from the living. This is not a superstition in only Romania but can be found in the history of many eastern European countries.

There are many superstitions as to who can become a vampire and why, but one of the most common reasons for thinking a person had come back as a vampire was because friends or family of the deceased became ill following his/her death- it was thought that the deceased was to blame- attacking them while they slept. 

What do some Romanians do to protect themselves, even today in the 21st century? They hire a guy to open the coffin in the dead of night and stake the body! This is totally illegal but apparently it is still done is some mountain villages. 

In some cases the Staker doesn't use the big wooden block we imagine from the movies- even a needle will do- pushed into the heart or belly-button of the deceased. In some villages it is tradition to take some of the blood of the deceased (or a piece of heart) and feed it to those who were ill, to counteract the affects of the 'vampire.'

The Bones of the Matter

Other traditions remain widespread and can even be seen in Georgia, though the connection with strigoi (vampires), if it ever existed, is long since gone. One is 'feeding' the dead person so that he/she has no desire to rise and drink the blood of the living. In Romania special bread is put in the coffin, or wooden spoons for the fanged one to chew on. In Georgia, at Easter, cake and red eggs are laid on the graves... In Hungary, thorny bushes are grown over the graves to 'trap' the dead person as he/she tries to rise. Three wooden stakes are also pushed into the grave. In extreme cases, archaeologists around Europe have found Medieval skeletons with rocks pushed into the mouths of the dead, or circular blades buried over the neck of the body- should he try to rise, he'll chop off his own head! See a documentary about these skeletons!

2012: Vampire Skeletons found in Bulgaria- over 100 graves were uncovered, revealing skeletons with stakes through their hearts and mutilated bones. Archaeologists found two medieval “vampire” skeletons. The skeletons had been pierced through the chest by an iron rod that was meant to pin them to their graves and to prevent them from becoming vampires.

Found in Poland. “We expected that these individuals were targeted for deviant burial because of their status as outsiders to the community.” But the “vampires” were actually members of the local community who had died after contracting cholera.

The Bloody Reality

When a body which is decomposing and bloated has a piece of wood hammered into it, the air/gas is released through the windpipes and mouth. The pressure release can also cause blood to come from all 'holes'- eyes, ears, nose, mouth... The moan of the air escaping and the blood encouraged people to believe that they were destroying a 'living' vampire.