Tag: vampires

History, Travel

Chasing Vampires in NOLA with Haunted History Tours

by Jennifer Vasquez3 Comments on Chasing Vampires in NOLA with Haunted History Tours
Vamp Jenn at the gates of Jackson Square
Vamp Jenn at the gates of Jackson Square

Some believe real vampires have inhabited New Orleans for hundreds of years, emerging at night to seek out fresh prey. Author Anne Rice put these nocturnal creatures right on the map in NOLA when she penned her Vampire Chronicles. There’s no question that the city is laden with vampiric mythos, and like the vampire enthusiast I am, I had to book the vampire tour offered by Haunted History Tours. To top it off, I partook in the experience on All Hallows’ Eve!

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Culture, Events, Literature

Remembering Vampire Author Anne Rice at the All Saints’ Day Celebration

by Jennifer Vasquez8 Comments on Remembering Vampire Author Anne Rice at the All Saints’ Day Celebration
Anne Rice: An All Saints' Day Celebration
Anne Rice: An All Saints’ Day Celebration

I first got hooked on (or shall I say sucked into) Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles when I was a teen, and ever since then, I’ve wanted to visit New Orleans. This city is Anne’s birthplace and a significant location in her notorious vampire novels. Because of this, the city has become synonymous with these nocturnal creatures. I dare say, it’s as much a vampire capital as Transylvania! I had the great fortune of being able to finally travel to New Orleans to attend a special event commemorating the author—Anne Rice: An All Saints’ Day Celebration. It was an experience that had a remarkable effect on my soul.

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Events

A Look Inside Ve Neill’s Vampire Weekend

by Jennifer Vasquez2 Comments on A Look Inside Ve Neill’s Vampire Weekend
Ve Neill’s Vampire Weekend
Ve Neill’s Vampire Weekend

A vampire convention was recently hosted in Los Angeles, and there was no way Vamp Jenn was going to miss it! Ve Neill’s Vampire Weekend was dedicated to the undead and took place at the Marriott Convention Center in Burbank, California. To my knowledge, this was the first year the event took place, and I’m excited to give you a look inside.

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History, holidays, Lifestyle, Literature

Celebrating World Dracula Day With Dacre Stoker

by Jennifer Vasquez19 Comments on Celebrating World Dracula Day With Dacre Stoker
The cover to the first edition of Dracula
The cover to the first edition of Dracula

Every year on May 26th, a marvelous vampiric event occurs annually: World Dracula Day. The occasion marks the date Bram Stoker’s notorious gothic novel, Dracula, was published in 1897. I thought, what better way to celebrate the holiday than with a chat with Bram Stoker’s great grandnephew, Dacre Stoker!

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Art, Events, History, Literature

“Bite Me” Vampire Exhibit Featuring a Special Lecture by Dacre Stoker

by Jennifer Vasquez10 Comments on “Bite Me” Vampire Exhibit Featuring a Special Lecture by Dacre Stoker
Vamp Jenn and Dacre Stoker
Vamp Jenn and Dacre Stoker

Did you know there are descendants of Bram Stoker alive today? One of these family members is Dacre Stoker who is the great grandnephew of the notorious Dracula author. He’s taken up the mantle as overseer of the Stoker legacy and, together with his wife Jenne, manages the Bram Stoker Estate. For years, he’s been traveling worldwide, giving presentations on his ancestor and the creation of Dracula and his other literary works. The Menagerie Oddities Market sponsored his most recent tour across California, and he delivered a fascinating lecture at the SugarMynt Gallery in Pasadena. This was done in conjunction with the gallery’s latest art show, the “Bite Me” Vampire Exhibit. It was an evening fit for the undead, and I’m here to share it with you.

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Literature

Spotlight On Rose Sinister: Vampire Scholar & Author

by Jennifer Vasquez13 Comments on Spotlight On Rose Sinister: Vampire Scholar & Author
Rose Sinister (Photo credit: Rachel Clinesmith, editor-in-chief Vampyre Magazine and owner of Vampyre Cosmetics)
Rose Sinister (Photo credit: Rachel Clinesmith, editor-in-chief of Vampyre Magazine and owner of Vampyre Cosmetics)

Author and content creator Rose Sinister has been on a mission to explore the question, “Why do we tell vampire stories?” This query laid the foundation for her podcast Rose Sinister: Vampires, which she launched in 2018. Since then, she’s branched off to work on multiple projects dedicated to enriching people’s knowledge of these creatures of the night, plus she’s just released her first novel within the vampire genre titled This Crimson Debt. I had the opportunity to interview the writer and read the story, and it’s fangtastic. Don’t worry; there won’t be any spoilers in the following review.

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music

The Sixth Chamber New Release: “Red Death Masquerade”

by Jennifer Vasquez15 Comments on The Sixth Chamber New Release: “Red Death Masquerade”
Dani Divine in The Sixth Chamber's "Red Death Masquerade" (Photo credit: Mark Newton)
Dani Divine in The Sixth Chamber’s “Red Death Masquerade” (Photo credit: Mark Newton)

A strange plague is coming and it’s thirsty for blood…

The Sixth Chamber has released a new music video for their single “Red Death Masquerade” and it’s to die for! The band’s blend of retro gothic metal, gothic rock and epic doom exquisitely sets the dark, foreboding mood for the tale that unfolds throughout the recording.

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Dining & Drink

A Vampire Wine Tasting—No Blood Required

by Jennifer Vasquez27 Comments on A Vampire Wine Tasting—No Blood Required
Vampire wine tasting
Vampire wine tasting

Vampires are notorious for their bloodthirst. While I love vampires and desperately wish I were one, I can’t imbibe in the sanguine fluid. However, I do enjoy a glass of red vino and, fortunately for me, there is a Vampire brand that offers a selection of wines inspired by the immortal creatures. I decided to do a tasting of their Summer Solstice Celebration Set and share my experience for any fellow vampire and wine enthusiasts who are looking to add more bottles to their cellars.

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entertainment, music

Vampires Descend in The Sixth Chamber’s “Walpurgis Night”

by Jennifer Vasquez12 Comments on Vampires Descend in The Sixth Chamber’s “Walpurgis Night”
Lead singer & guitarist Rahne Pistor of The Sixth Chamber

“Walpurgis Night, when, according to the belief of millions of people, the devil was abroad—when the graves were opened and the dead came forth and walked. When all evil things of earth and air and water held revel.”

-Bram Stoker’s Dracula’s Guest

Like bats taking flight from their shadowy cave, gothic metal band The Sixth Chamber has emerged, releasing the lyric music video to their latest single “Walpurgis Night.” The newest track will be part of the group’s third full-length album, which is currently in the works, and nocturnal souls are sure to revel in it.

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Fashion, Lifestyle

My Vampire Transformation: Getting Custom Fangs by Father Sebastiaan

by Jennifer Vasquez13 Comments on My Vampire Transformation: Getting Custom Fangs by Father Sebastiaan
Photo credit: Pandora

My love for vampires has been rooted in me since adolescence. The history, mythology, literature, culture and lifestyle surrounding these nocturnal creatures have long held my fascination. I’ll admit that as a teen, after reading Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, I hoped that there was a vampire lurking in the darkness, keeping watch over me and waiting for the opportune moment to turn me. Well, that hasn’t happened yet, but I recently experienced a transformation of sorts that has strengthened my connection to the vampire realm—I grew a pair of fangs. No, not literally. I had the opportunity to do a virtual consultation to get custom fangs made by master fangsmith Father Sebastiaan. Read on to find out about my experience.

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