Jenyfer Matthews

Karen McCullough joins me this week to talk about her paranormal novella Vampire’s Christmas Carol, which is included in the Cerridwen anthology Beneath a Christmas Moon.

Karen McCullough has published six romantic mystery/suspense novels, two romantic fantasy novels, a Middle-earth RPG tie-in book, and most recently a paranormal novella, Vampire’s Christmas Carol in the Christmas paranormal anthology from Cerridwen Press, Beneath a Christmas Moon. Karen invites readers to learn more about her at her website and her Myspace home.

Why a vampire story?

When the idea of a paranormal Christmas anthology first came up, I started to think of what kind of story I could do. I thought about Dickens’ classic novel, “A Christmas Carol” and all the versions it had inspired. The story obviously already had paranormal elements with those ghosts, but was there another twist left in it?

A title popped into my head: “A Vampire’s Christmas Carol.”

I’ve never been a fan of vampires. As far as I’m concerned the traditional vampire is, as my son so eloquently put it, a giant human-shaped mosquito. I’ve always seen vampires as monsters, murderers who steal others’ lives to extend their own.

But with the title and that view, the entire plot of the story popped into my head. A vampire who’d been turned unwillingly, who’d resisted drinking blood for many years, and was near death as a result. He prefers to die rather than steal someone else’s life.

A young woman driving home on Christmas Eve is forced to take a detour and ends up skidding off an icy road. The only shelter anywhere close belongs to that desperately hungry vampire. He’s prepared to die at dawn if he doesn’t drink blood, but now she’s conveniently close at hand, pure temptation.

I saw how it could make for an unusual and interesting Christmas Eve!

by

Karen McCullough

included in Beneath a Christmas Moon

Excerpt:

Michael’s head lolled back against the pillow as though it took too much energy to keep it upright. “What time is it?”

“Quarter to six.”

“Not much longer. Fill the time for me. Tell me about the family you hope to have some day when you finally meet your fantasy hero.” He barely had strength enough to get the words out. She didn’t know how anyone could look worse and still be alive. Little flesh covered his bones. Hollowed-out cheeks made his face look skeletal and his lids drooped over his eyes as if holding them open took more energy than he had.

Carol shrugged. “I don’t know what there is to tell. I’d like to have a few kids, maybe a couple of boys and a couple of girls. A nice house, a yard with a garden, you know… the standard things. I’m not really very extraordinary, even if I do like science fiction and fantasy stories.”

“I suspect you’re much more unusual than you think,” Michael responded. “Most other women would have already locked themselves in that room upstairs and barricaded the door. Or run back to the car to take their chances there. I think there’s a lot more heroine in you than you realize.”

“I don’t think so. It seems to me adventures are generally more fun to read about than to live. I wouldn’t choose it. But what about you? What did you want from life?”

He shrugged, barely and painfully. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Family. Friends. Success in my job. Thought about maybe going into politics eventually, but I don’t really know.“

“Why politics?”

“I saw so many things that were wrong with the government that I wanted to fix. So many injustices. I thought I might be able to get elected and do something to right them. You think some of the laws we have now are bad. You should have seen what it was like in 1900.”

“And you wanted to— Oh, drat.” She spotted the mist first time this time because it was just a couple of feet from her.

“This is just so sweet,” Antoine said as soon as he’d fully coalesced. “I’m almost in tears.”

“Don’t waste the effort,” Michael told him.

Antoine shook his head. “You’re looking bad, Michael. Seriously bad. Hey, look at me, guy. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Michael refused to look him in the eye, keeping his gaze focused on Antoine’s chest. “Yes, it does. This is how I want it.”

“It’s almost six. Sunrise in an hour and a half. You really think you can hold on that long? I don’t think so. You’re in bad shape now, mon galant.”

A strained smile crossed Michael’s face. “I’ve held out this long. I can manage another hour and a half.”

Antoine’s eyes narrowed and took on a brilliantly red glow. Carol backed away from him and looked down as he turned toward her. “Even with this succulent invitation standing here, waiting for you to take her, you stubbornly hold out.” He drew a deep breath, let it out on a dramatic sigh and turned toward the other vampire again. “Michael, I’ve underestimated you. It was a mistake. But there’s still time to right it.”

He moved so fast Carol couldn’t follow. She had no time to react. Antoine was beside her before she even realized he wasn’t where he’d been in the previous second. She hadn’t seen him draw out the knife or pick it up, nor did she see what he did, exactly. It happened so quickly, her eyes couldn’t track it.

She only knew he’d injured her when a violent, burning pain raced along her left arm and she glanced down. A long slice began two inches below the elbow and ran down to just above her wrist. He’d cut through her sweater and the skin below. Blood already stained the edges of the blue knit fabric, and as she watched, a thin stream emerged from beneath it at her wrist.

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