We finish the Fall 2011 Giveaway with three – three! – chances to win the first two books of the Vampire Empire series by Clay and Susan Griffith!
We gave away a copy of Book One: The Greyfriar last year (see our review here) and the Griffiths were extremely good sports about seeing a puppet complain about vampire literature. Fortunately, no one has listened to our curmudgeonly puppet, and the Vampire Empire series is doing extremely well; James Marsters (aka Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is the narrator for the audio books! Now Book Two: The Rift Walker is out, and continues the story. Princess Adele and the Greyfriar are reunited, albeit in dangerous circumstances, and while the vampire kingdoms and human alliances fight each other, Adele discovers more information about her power to channel energy via ley lines. These are not sparkly vampires, nor are these one-dimensional humans; there’s a lot going on behind each scene, and many characters have conflicting motives. In short, it’s a great second book in a trilogy, and even our puppet representative has grudgingly admitted to admiring the steampunked, futuristic world of the Vampire Empire, where swords are charged with heat energy, Alexandria is the capital of the Equatorial (human) kingdom, and the occult coexists with scientific fact.
More information on the authors is available at their website, and the Vampire Empire has its very own Facebook page, too, so fans can discuss the books!
We have two copies of The Rift Walker to give away (one advance reader copy, one as-published copy) and also an advance reader copy of The Greyfriar! In order to enter the contest, post a comment below and tell us your ideal steampunk weapon for vampire hunting. Any vampire genre will do for this one, we won’t limit it to the denizens of the Vampire Empire. (A Gatling gun which fires wooden stakes, maybe?) The deadline for the contest is Friday, November 11th. Good luck!
Since you already brought up the gatling gun idea, how about a portable (backpack?) water canon/gun that spews garlic-laced holy water?
Posted by: Alden Ash | October 28, 2011 at 01:47 PM
I would like a steam-driven solar collector, which charges during the day and then can release a burst of sunlight energy at night.
Posted by: RichardPF | October 28, 2011 at 03:09 PM
The usual anti-undead munitions, delivered in an unsuspected packaging; perhaps via puppet
Posted by: SteampunkKindle | October 28, 2011 at 03:22 PM
mmm...perhaps some type of gun that uses rounds infused with holy water, or something like a flamethrower, but shoots steam instead of fire. After all, both can be quite damaging.
Posted by: Delilah Moran | October 29, 2011 at 02:19 AM
“The vampire is a worthy opponent,” intoned Dr. Jean Alexandre LeMat to the enthralled sportsmen gathered around him in the salon. “Cloves of garlic and stakes through the heart are old wives’ tales and offer no protection. Only silver is proof against the monsters,” he said, indicating his silver cravat pin, shirt studs and cuff links with a sweeping gesture. “And best of all,” he said, removing the varnished lid of the mahogany pistol box to reveal a gleaming handgun of titanic proportions, “is this pistol of my own design and manufacture for hunting the vampire: The LeMat, with nine silver bullets in .42 caliber in the cylinder and a single load of 16 gauge silver buckshot in the smoothbore tube below. “ Dr. LeMat smiled grimly at his audience. “Should nine silver bullets prove inadequate to the task, than you are either a poor marksman or cursed with wretched luck. In that event, you may use the 16 gauge buckshot load in one last attempt to slay the monster-- or turn it upon yourself to escape the inevitable outcome of your failure.”
Posted by: Page Turner | October 29, 2011 at 09:35 AM
Right, all the good options are already taken. I'll have to blame the 'flu for that, nice of it to keep me off the net all week.
OK, so... Let's make it a clockwork automaton, 3 meters tall. Silver-lined armour, with silver-tipped spikes all around. Automatic, steam-powered stake launcher in one arm; flame-thrower in the other one. This is an automaton, so why are we going to limit ourselves to two arms? Why don't we throw in two more, say with a spring-action holy water redome dispenser for good measure, plus a liiiitle chainsaw too?
And let's call it Buddy!
Posted by: Soundofthunder | October 29, 2011 at 06:37 PM
I would like a gun that combines the water gun idea with a rapid fire crossbow, each powered by a steam-powered backpack that rapidly reloads both types of ammo.
Posted by: Sean Harrison | October 30, 2011 at 10:18 PM
Cannon with grapeshot at close range. If it survives... it deserves it.
Posted by: Don Beyer | November 01, 2011 at 08:26 PM
Spring-loaded walking stick with wooden spikes. Surprise!
Posted by: Barry Huddleston | November 08, 2011 at 04:42 PM
A steam powered, flying saw that could cut a vampire's head clean off. It would have a quick recall so you could easily deploy it again and again.
Posted by: Toni Porter | November 11, 2011 at 09:00 PM