Did Abraham Lincoln kill all the vampires?

A couple of weeks back we talked with Stanley, the so-called Loneliest Vampire [in NYC] about Abraham Lincoln, his vampire killing days and where truth departed from Hollywood fantasy.

Today we're going to touch on that some more and more importantly who else in America's past was an unsung vampire slayer?

Blogger: So Stanley have you seen the movie yet?

Stanley: I haven't but I probably will, I've always liked going to the movies, I guess you could say there's a lot that appeals to being in a darkened theatre for vampires.

Blogger: What are your expectations for the movie based on Abraham Lincoln's turn as a vampire slayer?

Stanley: I just hope it's an entertaining movie, I don't have a lot of expectations in terms of historical accuracy. I know there's talk about a vast vampire conspiracy, which, okay sure there's vampires that go in for politics but they're not as organized as this movie, I think portrays them.

Blogger: Wasn't your nemesis, Doyle, an original 'New World' vampire and known to be part of several conspiracies to put vampires in control?

Stanley: He was, possibly still is, depending on where he is, and it would have made my life a lot easier if Lincoln had gotten around to killing him. But Doyle was part of the Tammany Hall vampires and Lincoln was definitely concentrating on clearing out the south. Many of the vampires from that era came in with the French and Spanish through Florida and Louisiana.

Blogger: When you say that era, what do you mean exactly?

Stanley: The vampires Lincoln was killing most of them were early European explorers and settlers who were turned by ancient South American or North American Indian vampires in the 15th and 16th Centuries so they were between 300 and 100 year old vampires by the time Lincoln got around to dealing with them.

Blogger: And Doyle?

Stanley: His origins are unclear but the feeling is he was also created by an Indian vampire, possibly he was one a member of the Roanoke Colony, the Lost Colony. So similar beginnings to Lincoln's vampires but now he's over 500 years old. Although he's unusual these days, most vampires now date from the late 19th to early 20th century.

Blogger: Are there certain epochs when most vampires are created?

Stanley: There are. I've named two, there was another on in the late 18th century. Why it happens this way it's hard to say but I suppose it's when some of the more ancient vampires get close to dying out and decide they better create more. Also there are vampire leaders that come around from time to time who try to create their own legions for their own nefarious ends, however, so far, it's never worked out quite they way they wanted.

Blogger: What about the other famous (for other reasons) vampire slayers?

Stanley: Well perhaps two of the greatest was the team of Wyatt Earp and Doc,Holiday people just have know idea how bad the vampire problem was in the old west. Everything west of the Rockies might have been one big vampire colony if not for those two and a few others like them.

Blogger: Anyone else?

Stanley: Mark Twain.

Blogger: Really?

Stanley: Yes it was back in his San Francisco newspaper days. Of course San Francisco went through a terrible vampire problem during the god rush days, so Mark Twain was pretty instrumental in fighting that.

Blogger: Funny he never wrote about it.

Stanley: I guess he figured no one would believe it.

Blogger: How about a little closer to home?

Stanley: Well here's one a lot of people don't know about and one I actually had the pleasure of meeting, John Dillinger.

Blogger: You're kidding?!

Stanley: I kid you not, he was big into killing vampires, yes he robbed a few banks here and there, but mainly he liked killing vampires.

Blogger: So how did you meet him?

Stanley: He tried to kill me. Fortunately I got the jump on him and convinced him I wasn't part of the vampire establishment, we ended up having a loose working relationship, good guy. sadly Hoover and the vampire establishment hunted him down and killed him.

Blogger: J. Edgar Hoover worked with the vampires?

Stanley: That surprises you?

That was all we had time for unfortunately, but check back soon and we'll have more about Stanley's reminisces on the vampire world and those who fight them. In the meantime check out his own adventures in 'The Loneliest Vampire in NYC'  at amazon.com, also smashwords.com, kobobooks.com as well as iBooks.

The Loneliest Vampire in NYC now available on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005JST3OC

The amazing Chung Lee Soo

Chung Lee Soo, born 1855 Peking, China, died 1981 Manhattan, New York.

The amazing Chung Lee Soo as he was described by audiences who flocked to see his show that toured the world from the early 1900s to the late 1920s, was in his first years in the U.S more simply known as 'the quiet Chinese fellow' who runs the magic shop.
Chung Lee Soo arrived in New York City sometime in the early 1890s, although there is no record of him having come through Ellis Island or any other immigration control point on the continental U.S. However there is no doubt based on substantial anecdotal evidence that Chung Lee Soo had established an Occult bookstore and curio emporium in Manhattan's Chinatown by 1895. Although the store had a small but devoted clientele, including escape artist and magician Harry Houdini, it struggled for years to remain financially viable and finally shut down in 1905 before being reopened in a different location by another operator in 1941.
Chung Lee Soo though did not remain within the shadows of his closed store for long. That same year he performed his first demonstration of his magical mystery device at Bial's Music Hall. Audiences that had paid only a penny to see that first performance were soon paying $5 or more as Chung Lee Soo with his amazing machine was the talk of New York, London and Paris.
Reportedly some observers in the audience that first evening at Bial's Music Hall suspected Chung Lee Soo's machine was hardly magical and that it was nothing but a cheap trick he performed by secretly working with his friend and collaborator Chester Elliot. 
As Chung Lee Soo began his first tour across the eastern and southern U.S newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst hired reporters to try and uncover the 'trick' behind Chung Lee Soo's magical machine. Not to be outdone by his competitor Joseph Pulitzer sent a reporter from the New York World that would be, he advertised in the World "disappeared and then returned to our earthly plane so that he may write on his experiences for our readers." The event went off without a hitch much to Hearst's chagrin and the New York World's glowing reviews added to Chung Lee's fame as he set off on his European tour.
By the 1930s Chung Lee Soo had retreated into private life and was rarely heard from again until his death in 1981. There are rumours he assisted the U.S and its allies in the fight against Hitler in World War II but those rumours have never been substantiated. 

A word about Fenton, which is not the Loneliest Vampire in NYC

Yes my book release has been delayed by about a month. Originally slated for late June it will now be out at the end of July (I promise the wait is worth it). I've had my blog and book trailer out there for a while now and apparently someone has published what she is calling a book, but is actually a short story, under the title The Loneliest Vampire, coincidence? Possibly. But just to clear up any confusion this short story is not my book. My novel, The Loneliest Vampire in NYC is over 90,000 words in length and will be out soon everywhere books are sold.

Loneliest Vampire in NYC out...soon.

Yes I know the publication date was supposed to be today, I'm only too aware I've missed my own deadline.
I've been getting a few messages from interested would be readers and while I certainly appreciate your enthusiasm for my new novel, I am indeed sorry to report that publication of Loneliest Vampire in NYC has been delayed.
It will be out soon, but I have been a little sidetracked by my other project the musical/comedy Night of the B Movie with rewrites and rehearsals for that play which launches in Sept (the ads are booked so there's no changing that date.)
It won't be a long wait however I am back working with my editor to get Loneliest Vampire in NYC out as soon as possible and again I thank everyone for their interest.

Loneliest Vampire the play

This is an abbreviated version of the play that eventually became The Loneliest Vampire in NYC the novel. I wrote it for the Here Be Monsters Festival last fall and thought I might expand it as I did Night of the B Movie, but there was just way too much I wanted to do with the character of Stanley and the other characters I wanted to add. Stanley in the play is a lot more bloodthirsty than in the novel and the Girl (Anika Andrews in the book) would never ask Stanley or anyone to kill her ex-boyfriend. Although Chet does make an appearance in the novel.

The Loneliest Vampire in NYC

By Alan Forsythe

Bare stage, implied quiet street in Manhattan. A girl sits on a bench reading a book. It is one of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers.

Enter Stanley a vampire.

STANLEY: Yes I am a Vampire, I just like to get that out of the way up front to avoid any awkwardness. So now of course you’re all thinking I’m going to swoop down and devour that girl over there. But you’d be wrong, what I’d really like to do is go over there chat her up a bit and get a phone number or maybe we could be facebook friends. Then maybe we could grab a coffee sometime and she could get to know the real me.

Girl flips page of book, Stanley paces a bit.

STANLEY: Okay I confess that seems a little desperate, especially for a vampire. But I tell you, it’s not easy being basically immortal and having no social life. There are vampires out there living the good life, keeping up the whole sex crazed vampire image. I’m just not one of them. And you know who I blame for my misfortune – HBO and fucking Stephanie Meyers. Thanks to True Blood, Twilight and a couple of other unrealistic portrayals of vampires I’m constantly being compared to brooding teenagers.

Girl flips another page, Stanley paces some more.

STANLEY: It get’s a little depressing, I know brain dead zombies that have more of a social life than me, and seriously, why do brain dead zombies even need a social life?

GIRL: Hey mister can you stop muttering over there I’m trying to read.

Stanley walks over to the girl.

STANLEY: Hi.

Girl looks up, a little distracted.

GIRL: Uh, yeah, hi.

STANLEY: You don’t find me to possess a certain hypnotic attraction?

Girl looks up again.

GIRL: More like a certain hypnotic repulsion.

STANLEY: Oh come on that’s harsh.

GIRL: Hey mister I’m just trying to read here.

STANLEY: Yes I see, Twilight, which is about vampires, so aren’t you, well intrigued by me?

Girl looks up again and gives Stanley the once over indifferently.

GIRL: No should I be?

STANLEY: Well I am a vampire, or as I prefer vampyre, the Nosferatu.

The girl gives Stanley a more careful appraisal.

GIRL: Mmmmmm, no.

STANLEY: No, what do you mean no?

GIRL: You’re not a vampire or vampyr or whatever.

STANLEY: I assure you I am.

GIRL: Sure, have it your way.

She goes back to her book.

STANLEY: Now you’re just humouring me.

GIRL: (without looking up) Basically.

STANLEY: You know I am a dark creature of the night, I could drain your blood and make you my undead slave.

Girl looks up.

GIRL: So does that line work a lot?

STANLEY: I’m just saying is all. One would think one would be a little more impressed when confronted with a vampire.

GIRL: One would wouldn’t one.

STANLEY: That’s right. Wait, I lost track who are we talking about now?

GIRL: (exasperated) Heavy sigh.

STANLEY: heavy sigh?

GIRL: Yes heavy sigh, as in I’m extremely bored. Oh my God!

The girl suddenly lifts her book in front of her face.

STANLEY: What’s wrong?

GIRL: It’s that asshole Chet, I don’t want him to see me (beat) talking with you.

STANLEY: Well why do you care if he’s an asshole?

GIRL: Just never mind, he’s a prick and I hate him.

STANLEY: You know if you want I could drain his jugular and leave him face down in a gutter for the rats to pick over his corpse.

The girl lowers her book, suddenly interested.

GIRL: Really, you’d do that for me?

STANLEY: Sure, why not, besides, I’m feeling a tad peckish.

GIRL: Well okay, I mean only if it’s no big deal or anything.

STANLEY: It’s no problem at all. I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere.

Stanley walks off stage.

STANLEY: (OS) Hey are you Chet?

CHET: (OS) Uh, yeah, who the fuck are you?

Suddenly they are blood curdling screams from off stage. The Girl watches onstage from her bench.

Stanley re-enters, his shirt and face now stained heavily with blood. He approaches the Girl.

STANLEY: Well, mission accomplished.

The Girl looks off stage and then up at Stanley, now with some awe.

GIRL: Yeah, that was cool, you totally just killed him.

STANLEY: I am a vampire after all.

GIRL: Yeah you are, wow that’s neat.

STANLEY: Soooo, anyway, would you like to get a coffee or something?

GIRL: Uh, yeah, why not.

She gathers up her things and takes Stanley’s arm, and they walk off together.

GIRL: So do you have your own coffin and everything?

STANLEY: It’s more of a wooden box really, but I’m fixing it up, it’s you know, rustic.

They exit.

Lights down

When will The Loneliest Vampire in NYC be available?

The question I get asked a lot these days is when will The Loneliest Vampire in NYC be published? That kind of mystifies me since it clearly states on the Facebook page 'release date June 28th.' I don't think that leaves room for a lot of interpretation, it's not late June, not the end of June, not Juneish, not umm I guess June, or maybe July, it's June 28th.
On to other news: casting for Night of the B Movie begins this week, and to answer another commonly asked question, no it's not a movie, it's a play, a musical to be exact, based, that's right, on B movies.
Night of the B Movie premiers September 9th here in Vancouver but if you can't make it we will try to cut a youtube trailer so hopefully you can get some idea of what we're trying to do.
Speaking of trailers, yes the Loneliest Vampire in NYC book trailer is coming to a youtube channel near you soon. 

Steam punk fashion

Some people consider steam punk, the marriage of 1890s technology with a quasi-futuristic design concepts (think Jules Verne meets Blade Runner) as yet another in a long line of passing fads.
But steam punk has actually been round for sometime, Jules Verne good actually be considered the grandfather of steam punk and I think you could even throw H.G Wells into the mix.
In The Loneliest Vampire in NYC steam punk definitely forms the books style theme, partly in the way several characters dress and a few of the settings, but mainly in the scenes that take place in an alternative 1900s New York City.