"I'm a two hundred fifty year-old vampire" excerpt from Dark Journeys anthology

Excerpt from A Problem with Werewolves. Dan's girlfriend presents him with an unpleasant surprise.

Monique stepped back, and her eyes captured mine. “I’m a vampire.”

A three-word statement of the impossible, I thought. I searched her face but failed to detect any sign that she was joking or subjecting me to some test.

“I’m a two-hundred-and-fifty-year-old vampire. I was born in a small chateau not far from Grenoble. A distant relative attacked me when I was thirty years old and made me into an undead creature. After that horrible evening, I lost my husband and two daughters. They were eleven and seven.”

I couldn’t swallow, and my racing pulse thrummed throughout my body. Her serious manner didn't change. I looked at the remaining whiskey and downed it in one gulp. Though the room was chilly, perspiration formed on my forehead. This isn’t real, I thought.

  In Dark Journeys, short stories and dark poems describe perilous paths taken by mortals, vampires, and other creatures of the night. Some survive, others do not. Why not join them on their journey through the gates of hell, so to speak.

from A Problem with Werewolves in the Dark Journeys anthology

"Pulling the trigger on the shotgun after the werewolf has left to its feet and is descending toward your body with its extended claws aimed at your heart is a waste of time."
         Baron Adolph Rothstein in "Killing Supernatural Creatures."

I got out of the car, turned, and fired both barrels of the shotgun towards a blurred figure racing at me. The werewolf howled and grabbed its right hind leg. I reached for two more slugs as the beast hobbled toward me. I put one slug in a chamber but fumbled the other. “Idiot,” I muttered to myself and finally chambered both slugs. The top of the werewolf’s head disappeared when my shotgun roared at the creature. The beast’s forward momentum carried it into me. The body and the rest of the werewolf’s head hit my chest, and I bounced off the car. I lost my grip on the shotgun as I fell to the ground, and I experienced a sharp pain in my left shoulder. Temporarily stunned, I took a deep breath and .......more.

In Dark Journeys, short stories and dark poems describe perilous paths taken by mortals, vampires, and other creatures of the night. The stories and poems tell of the painful, and sometimes fatal, relationships between mortals and vampires.If this sounds interesting, and I hope it does, please follow the link and buy the anthology for only $.99.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AERRMIM

Posted by Neil Benson at 9:32 PM No comments:

A Recent Review of Dark Journeys

Below is a review of  Dark Journeys taken off Amazon.com.

"Dark Journeys by Neil Benson is an anthology of dark poetry and short stories. The poems are romantic and chilling. The poems read slower than the short stories as you absorb the subtle nuances and emotions.

The short stories should be read when you're prepared to stay awake listening for the creak of a door and lithe, resolute feet that don't belong...feet hundreds of years old. Will the vampire choose you? Look over your shoulder...tonight.

Here are a few great turns of phrase from the anthology:

"A tall, horrid creature arises, and greets the night with a howl."

"At more than three hundred pounds, he knew he shouldn't eat sugary treats, but his resistance to the temptation was lower than his intelligence."

"His eyes darted about like two small marbles bouncing on an interstate highway."

"They looked like cylindrical silver jewels rather than instruments of death."

If you want to know where these tantalizing tidbits originate, you'll just have to buy Dark Journeys by Neil Benson. Fantasy isn't just for children.

I gave it four stars--I would have liked the stories to drag out the suspense with more details. Vampire lovers will find Dark Journeys to be a fun and spine tingling read."

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AERRMIM

from A Problem with Werewolves short story in Dark Journeys

Clouds covered the moon, and I couldn’t see what had caught her attention. A brief shaft of moonlight revealed an enormous, heavily muscled werewolf, close to seven feet tall. When the beast opened its mouth, three-inch-long canines glistened in the light. This was the alpha male whose pack we had just destroyed. Its massive chest and arms made Shaquille O’Neal look slender. As it slowly moved toward Monique, I put the shotgun to my shoulder and closed the distance with the beast.

The werewolf strode to within fifteen feet of Monique when it suddenly changed direction and charged at me. The beast ran so fast I barely had time to pull the triggers. It anticipated my action and pivoted to the side, avoiding both bullets. The werewolf turned and resumed its charge. I grabbed a slug, but I knew I didn’t have time to pull the trigger before it would be on me. I cringed as I awaited its attack. The werewolf was less than three yards from me when it fell forward and hit the ground with a loud thump.

I fired both barrels as the beast lunged at me. The giant figure staggered backward after the slugs entered its chest. It stopped, then took a step in my direction, even though blood flowed freely from two large wounds. I reached for more ammunition, but I had used all the slugs in the bandoleer. The beast took one more step toward me, and I grabbed the end of the barrels.........

Dark Journeys -- an anthology of dark poetry and vampire short stories

My Anthology, Dark Journeys, is available on Amazon Kindle..  I strongly encourage everyone who reads the anthology to write reviews on Amazon, and share their .
 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AERRMIM


In Dark Journeys, short stories and dark poems describe perilous paths taken by mortals, vampires, and other creatures of the night.One story is about the surprise that awaits a mortal man when he has a picnic with the Queen of the forest.A series of stories describe unusual and sometimes dangerous encounters experienced by a man very much like the author. The first story recounts his meeting with an urbane vampire in Bucharest.In the second, a strange person claiming to be a psychic vampire accosts him.A witchlike vampire attacks him in the third story.In another story, an obese, dim-witted young person struggles to survive his first week as a vampire.A Problem with Werewolves is about the relationship between a mortal male and his beautiful female vampire lover. Their bond is tested when they battle with a pack of werewolves and a hideous demon.Dark poems tell of the painful and sometimes fatal relationships between mortals and vampires.Changeling describes the physical transformation of a human to werewolf and need to submit to the Alpha.

 I want to express my thanks to John Gill for formatting the manuscript and helping me develop the cover. I recommend his services via White Rose e-book formatting service. 

http://www.whiteroseebookformatting.com/

Unholy Embrace - an encounter with a vampire

Frank, a tall, young architect who learns that the beautiful woman met at a bar is a real vampire. When she suggests they go back to his place, he agrees. Once there, he questions his sanity in spending the evening with her.

 

“You’re an exceptional man.” Her gaze caught mine, telling me that she was not playing any more.

“That’s quite a compliment.” I got the impression she measured me in ways I didn't understand.

“May I look through your library?” she asked, examining my bookcases.

“Sure.” I was uneasy with her tendency to ask permission after the fact.

She looked at the titles for several minutes then pulled out Dr. Bova’s book on immortality and extending life. “Immortal life holds a fascination for you,” she said. “You’ll find living a long time doesn’t bring the answers to the questions you seek.”

“Am I to assume you know that from personal experience?”

She put her finger under my chin and kissed me on the lips. “I’ve seen the passing of more seasons then you could ever imagine. Perhaps, if I like you, I’ll tell you about them.”

“That would be interesting.” I'm being seduced by a vampire. Am I out of my freaking mind?

“Hush,” Nessa said, as if she could hear my thoughts. She brushed my cheek with her fingertips, pressed her lips to mine, and parted them with her tongue. 

Unholy Embrace  is a swift paced, action-packed novel about the relationship between a mortal man and his immortal female vampire lover as they fight werewolves, vampires, and other creatures in their effort to kill a soul eating demon.

If this sounds interesting, and I hope it does, please follow the link and read the reviews on Amazon.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Embrace-ebook/dp/B003O2SE0O/ref=tmm_kin_title_

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A Problem with Werewolves - a Short Story by Neil Benson

A Problem with Werewolves  is a story about a mortal man, his immortal vampire female lover, a pack of werewolves, and a demon.The cast of characters is going to play a version of survivor. This story was published in Night to Dawn in 2010.

The story can be downloaded from the following link. Please leave feedback if you read the story. 

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzZFYqsJhXG0X1l1R25BMHNNeTQ/edit

Unholy Embrace vampire novel by Neil Benson - a fight to death with werewolves

Nessa and Frank have an encounter with werewolves of the worst kind.

Nessa ran at a werewolf that charged her. They collided and fell to the ground.

The creature staggered from the impact, and she grabbed it by the throat with both hands. It thrust its jaw out, trying to bite her face with its large canines.

She pushed its head back until the creature couldn't reach her with its mouth.

The werewolf grabbed at her arms to no avail as she tightened her grip until she broke its neck. Nessa pushed the werewolf to the ground, stood over it, and snarled. The moonlight revealed blood dripping from her fangs.

I scanned the area to check for more werewolves. Seeing none, I took a deep breath and realized my shirt was wet. When I put my hand to my chest, I felt the warm, clotting fluid mingled with tufts of hair. I was glad my stomach was empty when I gagged. I started to speak to Nessa when I saw her turn and walk toward the other side of the building. I went around the car, following a step behind but parallel to her.

A cloud covering the moon prevented me from seeing what caught her attention. When the cloud passed, the moonlight revealed a huge, heavily muscled werewolf, seven feet tall. The creature growled, revealing three inch-long, curved canines that came to sharp points. The enraged werewolf was the alpha male ...

http://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Embrace-Neil-Benson/dp/0982679505/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274835629&sr=1-2