Samurai Vampire, Book II: Sword of the Undead now Available

The reissue of Sword of the Undead, now titled, Samurai Vampire, Book II: Sword of the Undead, hit Amazon today, and should be available from other e-retailers in the coming weeks.

The title is the major change, so prior purchasers, thank you, but no need to purchase again. However, for those who have not read the book, this edition is priced at $1.99, which is cheaper than the original edition.

The link to the current edition is not offline yet, so please make sure you are linked to the current title.

That said, click here to buy at Amazon.

Re-Issue of Sword of the Undead Tentatively set for September 1, 2016

The print version of Sword of the Undead is currently out of print, and I will be re-issuing it in ebook format only. I changed the title a bit. It will now be called Samurai Vampire, Book II: Sword of the Undead.  Also, the price for the ebook will be lowered to $1.99.

And here is the new cover.

Spinal Cord Injury: A real Horror

I like to write about vampires and zombies, and old-school werewolves and monsters are among the types of movies I watch.

But in 2012, I suffered an injury to the spinal cord.  Medical conditions are real horrors because they can happen in real life - that's why when people ask me what I write, many times, I'll say supernatural fantasy instead of horror - with the term supernatural fantasy, we know it is not real.  Vampires in the "Bela Lugosi Dracula" sense, do not exist.  But cold viruses that can wreck havoc on the spinal cord and respiratory systems do.  And I think it is important to combat illness, not only through research, but to share stories of how we battled and defeated those conditions.

I ended up writing a book about my recovery, and it went on sale last week.  Please check it out.

Here is the trailer for the book. I used the online software at Stupeflix.com.  A big Thank You to @Ellisshuman for introducing me to this site.

Toe Up to 10K

Here is the link to the book's page on Amazon:  Toe Up to 10K at Amazon

Plans haven't changed

Now that my book on Spinal Cord recovery, Toe Up to 10K will be released soon - September 5 is the tentative release date for the eBook.

As far as the creative writing, I should be able to focus back on the supernatural fantasies.

I still plan on Kaze no Katsumi to be a main character, but I don''t know if he'll be the only viewpoint.  Whereas a couple of months ago, I was thinking of writing the book in first person, now I'm thinking it'll be in third person.

Thank you for your patience - it's been four years since the original novella was published.  I hope to finish this project soon.  There is one more Kaze no Katsumi story that I am working on, so I don't know if that will end up coming out before this sequel.

Another change of plans for the narrator

I have been struggling to complete the sequel to Sword of the Undead for the last few years, and of course, in 2012, I was hit with a spinal cord injury, which left me temporarily a paraplegic, and although much better (to a point that strangers will not guess that my spinal cord is damaged), I still spend a lot of time with my exercises.

Back in September 2013, I created a ninja character, Kaze No Katsumi, whose alter ego had suffered from transverse myelitis as a child.  Although recovered, he still needs to use a cane when he walks.

I am thinking now that he will be the main character who narrates the sequel, although Yagyu Jubei will still be Kageura's main component.

I am entering into the production phase of Toe Up to 10K, which is my book on my journey of recovery from spinal cord injury, so this is taking up most of my time right now.

Dracula on NBC starts Next Friday, October 25

A new re-telling of Dracula starts on NBC next Friday, October 25.  Dracula is an American living in London.

Here is the link to NBC's website preview page.

http://www.nbc.com/dracula/

Any mention of Dracula, and I need to do some shameless self-promotion, which is to promote the prequel to this blog, the novella, Sword of the Undead, which is also a re-telling of Drcaula, except the vampire is a Japanese samurai lord who moves to Los Angeles in 1872.

Sword of the Undead at Amazon (Kindle version), but also available in paperback.

Ron Sakamoto has a sex change

I found an old attempt of this sequel, where the detective's name is Sandra Sakamoto.  I think I'll keep her.  Then maybe add the history of her being a descendent of Abraham Van Helsing.  I was going to add Kaze no Katsumi (the character from my zombie short story), as well - and I still might, but discovering this 17 page effort - probably written before I got sick last year and forgot about it - has given me some things to think about in how the story progresses.

A New Course

I guess it's because he's a new character, but I like the character Kaze no Katsumi, I created for the short story, Zombie Brawl.  Ever since I started thinking about the sequel, which was when I was still writing the first book, I wanted to add another "supernatural' character in there - I thought, who in Japanese hirtory, could I use - I was thinking about Abe no Seimei, who was an astrolger and Imperial Court counselor back in the pre-shogun Heian Period. 

Other aspects I'm thinking about adding to the story are perhaps a treasure that came over from China to North America when the Chinese conducted their around the world expedition in 1421, or even incorporating something about the Yamato " clan, which is the clan which "unified" Japan back in the B.C. days.

I wrote the first story with Kaze no Katsumi in first person, so I wonder if I should do this story in his voice, though the major combatants will still be Yagyu Jubei and the vampire, Kageura.

Zombie Brawl, or the Rants and Raves of a Mass Transit Commuter the Day the Zombies Attacked the Train

What do I do when I'm not thinking about vampires and samurai?  One is to think about zombies and ninjas.

This is what I have been writing in my absence writing about the vampire Kageura.

Please check out Zombie Brawl, or Rants and Raves of a Mass Transit Commuter the Day the Zombies Attacked the Train.

OT - Zombies

I just completed a draft of my zombie short story, so I will be concentrating on that for a few days.  Unfortunately, the Kageura story is the casualty since it is the story i am experiencing a block on. 

At this point, I might go back and piece together the events that took place inthis blog and organize them into text form for the second scene in the eventual novel.

This is a work in progress.

I will post here when the zombie short story is available for sale.  I am planning on it to be 0.99 on Amazon Kindle only since it is a short story of about 13 pages.

Writer's Block Continues

This is the worst about being a writer - working through blocks.  Fortunately, it is not an all-around block, just with this story.  I am currently productive with my book on my recovery with spinal cord injury, Toe Up to 10K.  But even with progress on that, I have not been as active on the blog with the same name.

If you are a writer, it is pretty nice to be working on multiple stories, but it also means that one story might be delayed and writer's block might take longer to break through since you have an alternate to work on.

Hopefully, this block will pass.  I am currently drafting a short story about zombies, and also reading a book about Japanese history, so hopefully writing in the same genre and reading historical non-fiction will spark ideas for the Kageura story.

Author's Entry: Still having writer's block

Even with the interview with Jubei, I am still having writer's block.  This is one of the reasons I started this blog for my sake.  I knew there would be times when i just wouldn't know how to proceed, but hoped that by writing it out, some ideas can come to me.

I could test out sample prose, interview my characters, try out plot progressions, and then when the final book is ready, I could go back to this blog and the entries can sort of serve as notes.

Author's Post: Interview with Jubei

Author:  Are you happy with your role so far in this story?

Jubei:  To tell you the truth, No. I am not happy.  I broke Sakamoto out of prison, but other than showing up at crime scenes, I haven't had much action.

Author:  I know you want to confront Kageura, but I don't know quite how to set it up for this book, yet.

Jubei:  I understand being an author present difficulties in manipulation. The other characters would agree.

Author:  How do you want to confront Kageura?

Jubei:  I'd like to run into him, have a spar session - maybe more than one before the end of the book.

Author:  What have you been doing the past 150 years since the last battle.

Jubei:  Keeping a low profile.  Hunting demons.

Author: And Sakamoto, do you plan to tell him about Van Helsing?

Jubei:  Yes, when the time is right.

Author: How about yor plans for now, that you have broken Sakamoto out of jail.

Jubei:  I have a place out in the desert - he can rest there and we can work on strategy.

Author: I didn't know that. I thought you ad a place in Hollywood.

Jubei:  I do, but I also have a hideout in the desert, where I train. 

Author: Thank you for this interview, Jubei.  It has been quite helpful.

Jubei:  You are welcome.

Jubei Yagyu Entry: Breaking Ron Sakamoto out of Jail

The detective, Ron Sakamoto was arrested for killing his girlfriend and was arrested.  He was placed in a holding cell and awaiting his bail hearing.

It was a set up by the vampires.  I had to rescue him - but I had to do it without seriously hurting any of the policemen.

The only way to do it was to use a wooden sword, and to barge in. 

Fortunately, I have developed some supernatural strength since being afflicted witht his curse, as well as some stealth abilities.

I snuck into the jail and let the air direct me to Sakamoto's cell. When I got to it, he was in a cell with a dozen other people.  Was there a way to get him out without the others escaping also?  I made myself invisible to all except Sakamoto, then asked him to come to the cell door.  I opened the lock using some magic, and the door opened. Sakamoto slowly slid out.  Soon, the guards and the prisoners knew he was outside the cell.  Here is where we made a run for it.

As the prisoners jeered and cheered, the guards came running.  Carrying Sakamoto on my side, I ran through the guards knowcking them over with my arm, or hitting them on the side with my kendo stick, until we were outside - then I took to the air.

Ron Sakamot entry: I was arrested

I was arrested for killing my girlfriend, but I didn't even get a chance to call it in.  She burned and vanished, leaving no trace - yet within minutes, uniformed officers showed up and arrested me.  I admited i killed her, but in self-defense.

I can't describe the emotions I feel now.  I am grieving the loss of my beloved at my own hands, yet objectively, I know that was what had to be done. She was going to kill me.  And to top it of, the arrest... I am so confused.

Ron Sakamoto Entry: I Killed Maria

I had to do it.  I'm not crazy.

I hadn't seen her for a few days, but she was waiting for me at my home.  She looked different.  Void of humanity.  She tried to seduce me, and bared her fangs.  My words came out naturally, "Are you a vampire?"

"Yes," she answered.

She wanted me to join her.  She came closer.  It didn't matter what I thought, she was determined to bite into me, and feast off my blood.  I pushed her away.  Angered, she came at me.  But, somehow, Abraham Van Helsing's crucifix flew out of a drawer.  I didn't know it was there. 

Maria backed off, but her features indicated that the human was no longer there.  The physical appearance was just a shell for the creature.  She came at me again.  I grabbed a ceremonial sword i had on the wall for decoration, and instinctively, sliced off her head.

Jubei's Entry: On Kageura

Kageura is difficult to analyze. While alive, he was an honorable man, yet he was a lord. By nature, warlords are ambitious, but he and his clan were not overly so. 

His thirst for power came as he felt betrayed by the Tokugawas, but also with the transformation to being a vampire.  Even though the Tokugawas were no longer in power when he moved to the United States, he struggled with himself  - much of his struggles are internal, his honorable human self, with the dishonorable vampire self.

In Japan, in recent times, before he moved to the United States, he was pretty much content just existing, but his he has been resurrected now, in modern times, I can feel his ambitious spirit in the air.  Maybe I am wrong, but I think I am right.

Kageura Entry: Taira Clan Treasure

The reason I chose the United States to move to was not because I could not live as a  vampire in non-Tokugawa Japan, but because the divine Yamato sword, most likely is buried somewhere in the current Los Angeles.  It is said that whoever wields the sword weilds great power. 

When the Taira clan lost the Genpai War, it was rumored that a small faction of the clan stayed behind in Japan, and retrieved the Yamato sword and brought it to China, where the few survivors of the Taira clan fled to.  As the family integrated into Chines culture, the sword was lost and probably at that time, integrated into Chinese treasures.

The story continues that the sword was part of a treasure brought aboard one of the ships in the Chinese expedition around the world, which in 1421, reached the shores of North America.  The ship containing the sword was severely damaged during a storm, and sunk near the coast. but not before some of the treasure was saved and brought to shore.  No one knows what happened tot he treasure after that.

I am sure the sword is still with the other treasures, and will go on a quest to find it. Then I will use its powers.

Author's Entry: Candy is bit, part II

Candy walked faster.  The car slowly followed her, narrowed the gap.  The water swished underneath the car's tires, and pittypatted under her boots.  Candy increased he pace.  The car did the same.  Candy started to get angry.  It was the same guy who harassed her at the club. If steam was coming out of Candy's ears, the rains would douse it. 

Candy stopped.  The car stopped, then slowly caught up to her. 

"Come On, baby, I want a happy ending," the driver said.

"Listen, I do do that sort of thing.  If you are that desparate, then I suggest another part of town."

"But it's raining, and your here...I'm here now." The driver opened the door to the passenger side.  "Get in, please."

"No."

"I'm begging."

"No."

"You don't want me to make you, do you?"

"I can beat you up, any night."

"Oh,. yeah?  We'll see about that."  The driver started to open the door. Candy readied herself.  The driver got out, and as he got both feet out the car, he scrambled back in and floored the gas pedal. The passenger side door still open.

Candy was glad, a but shocked. While she knew she could beat him in a physical fight, she didn't think he'd run away like that.

Candy turned around and bumped into a solid form.  "Oh, excuse me," she said instinctively, and looked up.  A pair of long fangs descended upon her.

Author's Entry: Candy is Bit

Fortunately, that was Candy's last dance. Unfortunately, it was also Candy's last dance.  At 1:30 A.M., the clubs doors would be shut and locked in a half hour.  She sat in front of her dresser and sighed.  "Why did I ever leave Ohio?"

Candy Cain's real name was Mary Schlager.  She wasn't  a singer, so she couldn't audition for all those talent shows on television.  She could act, however, according to all the locals: friends, teachers, local drama critics.  The former Mary Schlager never liked her name and dreamed of moving to Hollywood, changing her name and make it big.  Candy Cain was not the name she imagined she'd have for herself.

Candy lived only a couple of blocks from the club - in a partially rennovated neighborhood regarded as an arts district.  There was debate whether the neighborhood got passed over for other areas of downtown Los Angeles which revitalization exceeded hers, or if the neighborhood was still in the process of urban renewal.

The rain poured hard.  Candy opened her umbrella, and walked out.  Headlights shined the way ahead from her from behind.  She was being followed.