I also share posts here from my blog: (follow me there and never miss a post). Vampire Dinner Party. Halloween is only a few days away (already?!) And for those of us not trick-or-treating, parties are usually the alternative. But if you’re going to have a party, why not make it a dinner party? And if you’re going to have a dinner party, why not make it a vampire dinner party? Okay, a real vampire dinner party would probably consist of a bunch of defenceless humans on the menu and not much else. Luckily, authenticity is not the goal here. For your vampire dinner party, all you need is some themed food, imagination, and maybe a red or black tablecloth.
Tips: Your food choices can be as easy as regular recipes given creepy names (“worms with blood sauce” for spaghetti, for example). Here are some recipes you can try: Appetizers Pureed Borscht Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Jam Eyeball Devilled Eggs Roasted Garlic Crostini with Assorted Toppings Sides Persian Salad with Pomegranate Tomato Kabobs Easy Coconut Rice (“Maggots”) Plain Chow Mein (“Worms”) Mains Rigatoni Pasta and Tomato Sauce Desserts Drinks. The Things You Miss. Buffy’s been on my mind lately. Not only because it’s been in the news with the recent cancellation, and then Nicholas Brendon’s death, but also because I just finished re-watching it for the umpteenth time. Along with Angel— and now Firefly. And in all the many times of watching the shows, I never noticed that these characters… Are all the same actor, Jonathan M.
Woodward. A lot of the Buffy and Angel actors also make appearances on Supernatural (which I note in my reviews). Like spotting connections between stories? Have I missed anything else obvious? Cheers, Aspasía S. Love Lies Bleeding Bleeding Heart *Blood Magic *Tooth & Claw (Links take you to all available stores. Mara & Lee, Love Lies Bleeding. It’s the May long weekend here in Canada, AKA Victoria Day, AKA May 2-4 (AKA National Patriots’ Day in Quebec).
Where I live in Southern Ontario, it’s traditionally the start of gardening season. My day started with spotting a group of four deer, which made my whole season. I hope everyone has a great weekend full of relaxation and quality outdoor time ♥ And don’t forget– long weekends were made for reading. Download my books now (links follow)! What are you up to this weekend? Share in the comments… Cheers, Aspasía S. Love Lies Bleeding Bleeding Heart Blood Magic Tooth & Claw (Links take you to all available stores. 52 Must-See Vampire Movies. This post started out as a list of vampire movies I thought everyone should see, but quickly turned into more of a list of movies I really want to see (or see again)!
I’ve decided to make this an ongoing project. I’ll be pinning this post to the top of my blog, and as I watch (or re-watch) a movie, I’ll add a mini review. The Lost Boys (1987) The Hunger (1983) Blade (1998) What We Do in the Shadows (2014) Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) Nosferatu (1922): Creatively and beautifully shot. Everyone should see this, but as a hundred-year-old silent film, it wasn’t as compelling to me as more recent movies. 7/10 Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979): Eerie and beautiful.
This is how I imagine a real vampire would be. 9/10 Nosferatu (2024): Some nice cinematography & costumes, but this adaptation doesn’t offer anything worthwhile. Some of these movies might be about something other than vampires, but vampires will still feature. Are there any movies on this list you’ve been wanting to see? Cheers, Remember when the internet was fun?
I’m thinking way back to the days of Friendster and Livejournal, back when you’d friend people instead of follow them. We’d write about whatever was going on in our lives, share photos, and do silly quizzes. I miss that. So, in the spirit of the days before endless ads, algorithms, and rage bait (among everything else contributing to the enshittification of the internet), let’s take a few silly, goth-themed quizzes… What Kind of Vampire Are You? Take the Quiz My result: Southern Gothic.
(“Charismatic demeanour” Ha!) What Kind of Witch Are You? Take the Quiz My Result: Moon Witch. (I do like the moon 🌖) What Kind of Goth Are You? Take the Quiz My Result: Traditional Goth. (Am I old school, or just old?) What kind of books does a Southern Gothic-vampire moon-witch trad-goth write? Did you take any of the quizzes? Love Lies Bleeding Bleeding Heart Blood Magic Tooth & Claw (Links take you to all available stores. Cheers, Aspasía S.
Vampire's Garden: Chamomile. Love Lies Bleeding‘s readers know that main character Mara is both a vampire and a botanist. Trained when she was still human, she continues to study plants and have a garden. This post is seventh in a series exploring Mara’s plants. Are you interested in botany, gardening, or plant lore? So are some vampires… Please note: Medicinal uses are given for informational purposes only. Always consult a medical professional before diagnosing or treating yourself or anyone else. Botanical Name Matricaria chamomilla (German chamomile) and Chamaemelum nobile (Roman or English chamomile). Common Names Chamomile, camomile, German chamomile, Italian chamomile, Hungarian chamomile, wild chamomile, scented mayweed, Matricaria recutita, Roman chamomile, English chamomile, garden chamomile, Water of Youth, ground apple, mother’s daisy, whig plant, Anthemis nobilis, Anthemis, chamomilla, Flores Anthemidis, Grosse Kamille, Romische Kamile, manzanilla, sweet chamomile History Language of Flowers Meaning Patience.
Quote of the Day 2. The A to Z Bookish Survey. I’m excited to announce that I’ve finished the first draft of a new story set in the Love Lies Bleeding universe and inspired by true events! Details and cover reveal to come–make sure to follow or subscribe so you won’t miss out… In the meantime, it’s always fun to take part in a book tag, and this one found its way to me via A.M.
Molvik’s Ramblings… Author You’ve Read The Most From: Isabel Allende. Love her work. Close second: Ilona Andrews, if only because the Kate Daniels series has so many books in it. Best Sequel Ever: I’ll go with Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Currently Reading: The Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus (I’m trying to read more Classical Lit). Drink Of Choice While Reading: Water or tea, I guess, which are my drinks of choice most of the time anyway.
[Update: I was trying to cut out coffee when I wrote this. E-Reader Or Physical Book? Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Been Friends With In High School: Glad You Gave This Book A Chance: Reading. Vampire's Garden: Dock. Love Lies Bleeding‘s readers know that main character Mara is both a vampire and a botanist. Trained when she was still human, she continues to study plants and have a garden. This post is fifth in a series exploring Mara’s plants. Are you interested in botany, gardening, or plant lore? So are some vampires… Please note: Medicinal uses are given for informational purposes only.
Always consult a medical professional before diagnosing or treating yourself or anyone else. Botanical Name: Rumex crispus Common Names: Yellow Dock, Curly Dock, Curled Dock, Narrow Dock, Rumex History: Native to Europe and western Asia, dock gets the common name “yellow dock” from its large root, which is bright yellow when cut, and the name “curly dock” from its slightly ruffled leaves.
Victorian Language of Flowers Meaning: Patience Cultivation: Perennial in zones 4 to 7. Uses: Medicinal: The root is high in iron and is used to treat anemia, often in combination with stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). Bleeding Heart. My Other Writing. A selection of Aspasía S. Bissas’s posts, articles, and interviews published on other sites… Supernatural episode reviews on The View from the Junkyard Echoes, Poetry collaboration with writer Peter Wyn Mosey Umbra’s Wake, Short story on The Finest Example Moving, Poetry collaboration with writer Peter Wyn Mosey Passing By, Short story collaboration with writer Peter Wyn Mosey Ghosts, Poetry collaboration with writer Peter Wyn Mosey Disrespecting the Gods, Guest post on Druid Life Pet Peeves, Guest Post on JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder How to Create Your Wildlife Community, Guest post on Druid Life Movies & My Books, Guest post on Maiden of the Pages Dreams, Guest post on Jazzy Book Reviews About My Characters’ Names, Guest post on Inside the Insanity About My Characters, Guest post on Readeropolis Love Lies Bleeding Book Tour Kickoff, with Excerpts and Guest Post Author Interview, on Smashwords My Wildlife Community, Guest post on Druid Life.
30 November is the Feast Day of Saint Andrew, which is generally associated with winter festivals, school holidays, divination, and religious ceremonies. In Romania, the day is also associated with vampires and other malevolent forces. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Romania (and elsewhere), and his day there is both honoured and feared. It marks the beginning of winter, and because of the saint’s association with wolves, there’s a belief that wolves are particularly strong and bloodthirsty on this night. Another belief is that the veil between life and death is thin on 30 November, and the spirits of the dead can slip into this world. But along with spirits, other beings can also come through, including vampires and the undead. To protect themselves, people use garlic (something else associated with St. Want a safe way to spend the night with vampires? Do you believe evil forces walk the earth tonight?
Love Lies Bleeding Bleeding Heart *Blood Magic *Tooth & Claw Further Reading St. Cheers, Vampire's Garden: St. John's Wort. Love Lies Bleeding‘s readers know that main character Mara is both a vampire and a botanist. Trained when she was still human, she continues to study plants and have a garden. This post is fourth in a series exploring Mara’s plants. Are you interested in botany, gardening, or plant lore? So are some vampires… Please note: Medicinal uses are given for informational purposes only. Latin Name: Hypericum perforatum Common Names: St. History: Native to temperate Europe and Asia, St. Victorian Language of Flowers Meaning: Animosity Cultivation: Perennial (Zones 5-7).
Uses: Medicinal: Taken internally, St. Externally, the oily extract is used to heal wounds, bruises, and various skin conditions. You can also make a tea with fresh or dried flowers. Caution: If you’re taking prescriptions (including anti-depressants, heart medicine, and birth control pills), avoid using St. Caution 2: If you’re taking St. Crafts: Alcohol extracts of the plant produce a deep red dye. Further Reading: St. WebMD Cheers, Last Meal for a Vampire. I’ve never given much thought to last meals. As something one generally doesn’t get to choose, it’s a topic that, for me, ranges from pointless to depressing (I’d much rather think about my next meal).
But others find it a fascinating subject, agonizing in detail over what they would have, or in the case of J.B. Gish over at Quirk Books, what famous literary characters might have. Gish has imagined Hermione Granger, imprisoned for identity theft by unknown means, would have boomslang skin, lacewing flies, a bit of a guard’s hair, and the rest of the ingredients for Polyjuice Potion (imagine making that request). Meanwhile, Dexter Morgan (Dexter book series) might opt for something like ham, eggs, and blood oranges; while Mark Watney (The Martian) would request literally anything but potatoes. Mara’s Last Supper wheat bread with fresh butter fish stew made with onions, parsnips, trout, bacon, and wild garlic and herbs that Mara foraged baked apples with honey and currants wine Cheers,
I always find it strange that people need to be convinced to read. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love books. For me, books have always been magic, gateways to other worlds, other lives. They’re adventures and dreams, knowledge and potential, all packed into conveniently portable packages. Forget apps–no matter what you want or need at any given moment in life, there’s a book for it. How could anyone not instantly see the value in that? And yet… According to the Pew Research Center, 26% of American adults have admitted to not reading even part of a book in the last year (and I’m sure the numbers are similar in Canada). If magic, knowledge, and adventure aren’t enough to get you interested, maybe I should also mention that: Yale researchers found that people who read books for 30 minutes a day live longer than those who read magazines or who don’t read at all.
Successful people read (and they share some of their favourite books here). Need a short story to get you started? Cheers, Vampire's Garden: Lavender. Love Lies Bleeding‘s readers know that main character Mara is both a vampire and a botanist. Trained when she was still human, she continues to study plants and have a garden. This post is third in a series exploring Mara’s plants. Are you interested in botany, gardening, or plant lore? So are some vampires… Please note: Medicinal uses are given for informational purposes only. Always consult a medical professional before diagnosing or treating yourself or anyone else. Latin Name: Lavandula (Species include angustifolia, stoechas, latifolia, and dentata) Common Names: Lavender, English Lavender, French Lavender, Spanish Lavender, nard History: Part of the mint family, Lavender is native to Europe, northern and eastern Africa, and large parts of Asia.
Victorian Language of Flowers Meaning: Loyalty, love, devotion Cultivation: Perennial (although in less ideal conditions, it should be considered an annual). Lavender has become invasive and/or weedy in parts of Australia and Spain. Uses: WebMD. Vampire's Garden: Comfrey. Love Lies Bleeding‘s readers know that main character Mara is both a vampire and a botanist. Trained when she was still human, she continues to study plants and have a garden. This post is second in a series exploring Mara’s plants. Are you interested in botany, gardening, or plant lore?
So are some vampires… Please note: Medicinal uses are given for informational purposes only. Latin Name: Symphytum officinale Common Names: Boneset, Bruisewort, Knitbone, Slippery Root History: Native to Europe and parts of Asia, comfrey has a long history (at least 2000 years) in healing. Caution: Comfrey has been found to be toxic to the liver when taken internally in large amounts. Victorian Language of Flowers Meaning: Home sweet home Cultivation: Perennial in zones 4 to 9. Uses: Comfrey is still used externally to treat inflammation, joint pain, and closed wounds and bruises. In the garden, nitrogen- and potassium-rich comfrey leaves are used as fertilizer, in compost, and as mulch. Further Reading:
Vampire's Garden: Love Lies Bleeding. Review: Blood Magic. Literary Perfumes. Review of Love Lies Bleeding by Vamped.org. Review by Taliesin Meets the Vampires. My website. Love Lies Bleeding by Aspasia S. Bissas.