A Murder of Vampires

BevVincent

My newest short story, A Murder of Vampires, was accepted by Nancy for eVolVe, a contemporary all-vampire anthology for Edge Publishing, to be launched at World Horror Convention 2010, Brighton, England.

BevVincent

Here's the cover for Evolve:







I signed 400+ signature sheets for the limited edition last weekend.



Author list and pre-order link here

BevVincent

Here's the web site for the book, where they are now taking pre-orders: www.vampires-evolve.com

BevVincent

[media]

BevVincent

Kelley Armstrong and Tanya Huff Head Roster in Forthcoming All-Canadian Vampire Anthology



(Calgary) EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing announced today that Kelley Armstrong, Tanya Huff and twenty-two other Canadian dark fantasy and horror writers will re-imagine the future in the first all-Canadian vampire anthology of original fiction - one of the most unusual and compelling collections ever compiled.



EVOLVE: Vampire Stories of the New Undead includes works by: Kelley Armstrong, Tanya Huff, Claude Lalumière. Mary E. Choo, Sandra Kasturi, Bradley Somer, Kevin Cockle, Rebecca Bradley, Heather Clitheroe, Colleen Anderson, Sandra Wickham, Rhea Rose, Ronald Hore, Bev Vincent, Jennifer Greylyn, Steve Vernon, Michael Skeet, Kevin Nunn, Victoria Fisher, Rio Youers, Gemma Files, Natasha Beaulieu, Claude Bolduc, and Jerome Stueart.



Editor and author Nancy Kilpatrick has penned 18 novels, more than 200 short stories, 5 collections of stories, and has been the editor for 9 other anthologies. Her body of work involves vampires and dark fantasy fiction. She won an Arthur Ellis Award for the best mystery story, is a three times Bram Stoker finalist and a five times finalist for the Aurora Award.



The collection will be released March 1st, 2010 throughout North America.



EVOLVE: Vampire Stories of the New Undead

edited by Nancy Kilpatrick

ISBN: 978-1-894063-33-3

$15.95 USA

$16.95 CDN

Pages: 304

Trade Paperback (5.5" x 8.5")



Websites:



http://www.edgewebsite.com/books/evolve/ev-catalog.html (Publisher[ch8217]s site: sample pdf available)

http://vampires-evolve.com (special limited editions [ch8211] including coffin edition...see under [ch8220]Purchase[ch8221] for details.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEKdqoj53fk&feature=player_embedded (book trailer)

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=237581542711&ref=ts (EVOLVE Facebook group page.)



For further information, please contact:



Janice Shoults

EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing

403.254.0160

events@hadespublications.com

-30-

BevVincent

Vampires "Evolve" in March anthology -- an interview with editor Nancy Kilpatrick.

BevVincent

Another interview re Evolve



I'll be reading from and talking about my story at WHC at 3:20 on Thursday afternoon.

BevVincent

Toronto Book Fans to get “First Bite” of All – Canadian Vampire Anthology – BYOG (Bring your own garlic!)

Kelley Armstrong, Tanya Huff, Claude Lalumière, Mary E. Choo, Sandra Kasturi, Bradley Media Release

For Immediate Release



Toronto Book Fans to get "First Bite" of All - Canadian Vampire Anthology - BYOG (Bring your own garlic!)



(Calgary) Toronto book fans will meet some of Canada's top horror writers at the EVOLVE: Vampire Stories of the New Undead book launch event on April 9th, at the World's Biggest Bookstore.



EVOLVE editor Nancy Kilpatrick along with authors Kelley Armstrong, Rio Youers, Claude Lalumière, Kevin Nunn and others - including Natasha Beaulieu (Montreal), and Jerome Stueart (Whitehorse) - will join Toronto's Gemma Files and Sandra Kasturi for the event. Several authors will be flying in from their appearance at the World Horror Convention in Brighton UK to take part in the Toronto launch.



But what is EVOLVE?

Kelley Armstrong, Tanya Huff and twenty-two other Canadian dark fantasy and horror writers re-imagine the future in EVOLVE: Vampire Stories of the New Undead, the first all-Canadian vampire anthology of original fiction - one of the most unusual and compelling collections ever compiled. EVOLVE is published by EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Canada's largest genre dedicated publisher, who is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year.



"We are really looking forward to this event", says EVOLVE publisher Brian Hades. "We have had some phenomenal coverage of this book, and there is a real buzz for its release right across the country! We are delighted that so many of the authors will be joining us for the party - and it is a great way, as well, to start off our anniversary celebrations!"



Who is in EVOLVE?

EVOLVE: Vampire Stories of the New Undead includes works by: Kelley Armstrong, Tanya Huff, Claude Lalumière, Mary E. Choo, Sandra Kasturi, Bradley Somer, Kevin Cockle, Rebecca Bradley, Heather Clitheroe, Colleen Anderson, Sandra Wickham, Rhea Rose, Ronald Hore, Bev Vincent, Jennifer Greylyn, Steve Vernon, Michael Skeet, Kevin Nunn, Victoria Fisher, Rio Youers, Gemma Files, Natasha Beaulieu, Claude Bolduc, and Jerome Stueart.



About Editor Nancy Kilpatrick

Editor and author Nancy Kilpatrick has penned 18 novels, more than 200 short stories, 5 collections of stories, and has been the editor for 9 other anthologies. Her body of work involves vampires and dark fantasy fiction. She won an Arthur Ellis Award for the best mystery story, is a three times Bram Stoker finalist and a five times finalist for the Aurora Award.



Launch information

EVOLVE: Vampire Stories of the New Undead

World's Biggest Bookstore

(7:00 PM)

20 Edward Street (just off Yonge St., North of Dundas),

Toronto,ON



Book Information

EVOLVE: Vampire Stories of the New Undead

edited by Nancy Kilpatrick

ISBN: 978-1-894063-33-3

$15.95 USA

$16.95 CDN

Pages: 304

Trade Paperback (5.5" x 8.5")



Websites:

http://www.edgewebsite.com/books/evolve/ev-catalog.html (Publisher’s site: sample pdf available)

http://vampires-evolve.com (special limited editions – including coffin edition...see under “Purchase” for details.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEKdqoj53fk&feature=player_embedded (book trailer)

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=237581542711&ref=ts (Evolve Facebook group page.)



For further information, or to set up interviews with Nancy Kilpatrick or any of the EVOLVE authors, please contact:



Janice Shoults

EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing

403.254.0160

events@hadespublications.com

A complete media package is available upon request.

BevVincent

A very nice, detailed review of Evolve.



Here's what the review said about my story:

A Murder of Vampires by Bev Vincent

Vic a detective with the Halifax PD investigates the murders of vampires by a serial killer in this allegorical tale. Shunned and treated as beneath notice by most of the populace and by the police, Vic is a little more open-minded with an attitude of a crime-is-a-crime. Sensing this difference in him, a beautiful female vampire approaches Vic and offers assistance and information to track the killer. From her he gains more knowledge about the ways of vampires than he is comfortable with but the limited partnership works. Sometimes creepy, this is a solidly told crime story.

BevVincent

Innsmouth Free Press review.

BevVincent

review: Stretching the Vampiric Envelope

BevVincent

SF Site review



Advertisement







I know what you're thinking: "please, not another anthology of vampire stories!".



We have read so much vampire fiction in the past (and editor Nancy Kilpatrick provides an exhaustive overview of the literature devoted to the subject) that by now everything seems to have been already said about that topic. However, it appears that vampires are no more what they used to be: they're changing habits, adapting to the rules of modern life. In other words, they are evolving. Hence the title of the current volume, endeavouring to present the variegate profile of the new undead.



The anthology collects twenty-four original tales from a bunch of writers who have attempted to put new blood (pun intended) into the myth of the vampire. Not an easy task and, predictably, the results are not always convincing maybe because the search for originality often spoils the basic prerequisite to offer to the reader a well told, balanced narrative rather than a cold. exercise in creativity. Some stories,however, really stand out.



"Come to Me" by Heather Clitheroe is a compelling piece where a Canadian woman relocated in Japan becomes the victim of a terrifying demon fox with vampiresque habits.



Michael Skeet ("Red Blues") depicts a vampire disguised as a jazz guitar player seducing a girl in the audience in an excellent story where subtle eroticism and blood lust merge in a very captivating way.



I don't recall having ever read a story where a vampire has a family (wife and wayward teenagers) but "Chrysalis" by Ronald Hore develops very effectively this unusual idea shaping up an insightful portrait of a young girl who realizes her not quite human powers.



Ben (sic) Vincent's "A Murder of Vampires" is an offbeat detective story where a serial killer attacks only members of a vampire community. Extremely well written and entertaining.



Another superb tale, providing great reading stuff is "All You Can Eat, All the Time" by Claude Lalumière, describing how a lonely girl meets a vampire who will change her life forever.



Perfectly in keeping with the theme of the anthology Natasha Beaulieu contributes "Evolving," a delightful piece where a young man discovers at last that he is really a vampire (just as he wanted to be), although a bit different from the standard cliché.



So, editor Kilpatrick has certainly proved her point: vampires are really evolving and I suspect we'll hear more about them very, very soon.

Lou_Sytsma

Cool idea for a story Bev! Congrats.

BevVincent

A detailed review of Evolve

A Murder of Vampires by Bev Vincent is written in the tradition of good crime fiction. It’s set in a world where Vampires have been “outed” and live as a minority, relegated to slums and mostly ignored by the police. There are some interesting parrallels to our current society. The narrator is a good solid cop, honestly committed to solving crimes–even if the victim is a Vampire. He teams up with a witness, who also happens to be a Vampire, to find the killer. The story is very well written, full of suspense and has a very satisfying ending.

Lou_Sytsma

8-) Great review. Congrats!

BevVincent

I spoke with Derek Clendening about Evolve while in Brighton earlier this year for World Horror. This is the article that came out of his interviews: The Evolution of the Modern Vampire: A Roundtable Discussion

BevVincent

Barnes and Noble bookclub review: "one of the year’s most anticipated anthologies"

BevVincent

A nice, thorough and thoughtful review:

A Murder of Vampires reads like a classic crime story, perhaps even as an episode of Law and Order or Criminal Minds, but with vampires. The plot is simple enough to summarize in one sentence. Detective Vic Newman investigates a string of vampire murders. Classic elements are brought to the table such as the late night call to duty, questioning of quite uncooperative witnesses, help from a femme fatale [in this case a vampire vixen] and a gun fight as an ending scene. It's pretty straightforward, but it never sounds cliched.



The reason for this is the vampire element. Vincent explores vampires from a social angle, the interactions between minority and majority through the different species, but having the roles switched. After a signed pact with the government vampires have become law-abiding citizens, who keep to themselves and restrain from killing humans. What's more interesting here is that the key divider, sunlight, is removed. Vampires are light sensitive, but won't combust. This doesn't leave much to distinguish both species apart from the diet [although the longevity is not discussed].



Vampires become more human, while humans become more demonic. This complete role reversal, the taming of the vampire is certainly an interesting evolution that fits the theme of the anthology. Areas with vampires are depopulated. Law enforcement does not patrol them and does not express empathy to crimes committed against vampires. It's a classic case of racial discrimination with a very unusual spin to it, subtly reminding us we still have this problem. The story also carries the message that not only the beast can be monstrous, but the victim as well.

BevVincent

CBC Quill & Quire review

With stories from genre veterans Kelley Armstrong and Tanya Huff, as well as a slew of newcomers, Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead is a worthy anthology for vampire lovers. Nancy Kilpatrick is no stranger to editing horror and dark fantasy anthologies - in fact, seven of the stories from Evolve were originally slated for an earlier anthology she edited, but were put aside specifically for this collection.



"I wanted to help [these writers] pave the way to the New Vampire because I felt certain that the vampire is, once again, evolving," says Kilpatrick in the introduction, which gives a brief overview of vampire mythology from Bram Stoker's Dracula to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga.



It's difficult to say whether these 23 stories (and one poem) are truly breaking ground, although several stories feature vampires who have integrated into the population - running for public office, dealing with neighbourhood violence, and even appearing on Oprah to decry the "victimization of a misunderstood minority." Much in the way that Charlaine Harris's novels use the victimization of vampires as a stand-in for gay rights, Rebecca Bradley's "The New Forty" and Bev Vincent's "A Murder of Vampires" are well told, entertaining allegories.



However, not all the stories inspire sympathy for these creatures - this is still the horror genre, after all, and this book reminds us that not all vampires are sparkling heartthrobs. Colleen Anderson takes this to an uncomfortable extreme in "An Ember Amongst the Fallen," a violently sexual tale about a clan that confines human beings like cattle.



There are some hits and misses throughout, but Evolve comes to a strong conclusion with Tanya Huff's "Quid Pro Quo," which features familiar characters for those who have read her Toronto-set Blood Books series. With such a wide range of concepts, Kilpatrick's vision for the new undead just goes to prove that vampire mythology, no matter how old, is always evolving.



Laura Godfrey

BevVincent

What do you do when you’re a vampire in the 21st century? Evolve

BevVincent

Join Nancy Kilpatrick, and authors from EVOLVE:Vampire Stories of the New Undead, tomorrow on the Bitten by Books online launch event from noon central on Wednesday, through to noon central on Thursday. Post your question for an author to answer, and pick up a copy of EVOLVE on the Amazon.com link tomorrow...(no purchase is necessary to participate...)



www.bittenbybooks.com

BevVincent

RSVP and get extra entries in their drawing:



http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=31780

BevVincent

Bev Vincent mixes the vampire genre with the crime story in “A Murder of Vampires,” a moody piece that starts off with the gruesome death of a vampire wannabe — a killing by stake that mirrors five previous murders of actual vampires. The story starts on that interesting twist and is a fun ride all the way to the end.

Dark Scribe Magazine review of Evolve

BevVincent

Honorable mention in Ellen Datlow's Best Horror of the Year:



Vincent, Bev “A Murder of Vampires,” eVolVe

BevVincent

Another review of Evolve.



Many [stories] sported “Canadian Endings” (not happy ever after, not even happy right now; just plain acceptance of life and circumstances), which I enjoyed seeing.

Lou_Sytsma

Heh. Those crazy Canadians! So self deprecating.



Congrats on the mentions by Ellen Datlow.