Not Your Typical Blood-Sucking Vampires

Guest post!! Some awesome vamp authors wanted to stop by and impart some words of wisdom for us all.

by Janice Gable Bashman and Jonathan Maberry, 

authors of Wanted Undead or Alive: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil

We bet you thought a vampire’s a vampire. Right? Those guys with pointed teeth and black capes that swoop down in the middle of the night to suck your blood and turn you into an immortal being.

Wrong.

Vampires come in all shapes, sizes, and genders. There are bloodsuckers like the Abchanchu from Bolivia, shape-shifting human monster hybrids such as the Adze from Togo, and child hunters shaped like polecats from Malaysia called the Bajang.

Some vampires don’t even have to be present to feed. The Bebarlangs, found in the Philippines, are human vampires capable of sending their astral bodies to feed on unsuspecting victims. And watch out for the Breath-Takers. These vampires are often invisible. It’s hard not to fall victim to their bite if you can’t see them.

One bite is all it takes for the Children of Judas to drain their victims of blood. So watch out for these red-haired vampires if you’re in Serbia, Romania, or Bulgaria. And if that’s not bad enough, the Craqueuhhe not only drinks its victims’ blood but also eat their flesh. Found throughout Europe, this powerful vampire is extremely difficult to kill due to its ability to ignore pain.

Children had better avoid the Estrie, a vampire from Hebrew folklore. This female vampire loves children’s blood above all else and will deceive her prey with her shape-shifting ability so that she gains easy access.

It doesn’t take much for the Gierach of Prussia to kill. All this vampire needs to do is speak the name of its victim and the person will die. This is one vampire whose path you don’t want to cross. And if the thought of encountering a vampire is not scary enough how about crossing paths with a vampire werewolf hybrid. The Pryccolitch from Romania is one beast we wouldn’t want to encounter, that’s for sure.

There are many different vampires found in cultures throughout the world. To delve deeper into vampires and other monsters, check out WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil. The book deals with the struggle of good vs evil in film, comics, pop culture, world myth, literature, and the real world. 

Everything from ghosts to vampire slayers to paranormal investigators to FBI serial-killer profilers. It includes interviews with folks like Stan Lee, Mike Mignola, Jason Aaron, Fred Van Lente, Peter Straub, Charlaine Harris and many more; and the book is fully illustrated by top horror, comics & fantasy artists. In stores everywhere.

Janice Gable Bashman has written for THE BIG THRILL, NOVEL & SHORT STORY WRITER'S MARKET, THE WRITER, WILD RIVER REVIEW, and many others. Janice Gable Bashman’s blog: http://janicegablebashman.com/

Jonathan Maberry is a NY Times bestseller, multiple Bram Stoker Award-winner and a writer for Marvel Comics. His works include ROT & RUIN, THE DRAGON FACTORY, CAPTAIN AMERICA: HAIL HYDRA and THE WOLFMAN. Jonathan Maberry’s Website & Blog: www.jonathanmaberry.com

It sounds like a pretty cool guide for the Undead, a must for any vamp fan, a.k.a more than half of my followers!

So what do you think? It has an interview with Charlaine Harris!!! What more can you ask for?  Oh, and I certainly don't wanna meet Gierach of Prussia they sound like a scary bunch... really puts a hole on the whole theory that all vamps are hot and awesome.