Roh Morgon’s The Chosen Updates
September 2023
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Hi !
Happy Fall!
It's only 53 days until Halloween! 🎃
Yes, it's my favorite holiday, and I always get excited when the weather begins to cool, signaling the start of the fall season and the approaching celebration of costumes and all things spooky. 🧛 🦇 👻 🐺 💀 😈
Have you seen all the cool Halloween collectibles available now in the stores? I've already picked up a couple awesome items . . . how about you?
I'd love to see YOUR Halloween finds - please send pictures and I'll post them in the October issue.
Another reason I love fall is it means the hot season is coming to an end. Our temperatures here in Central California have finally cooled and I'm hoping we've seen the last of the triple digits for the year.
Fall also means kids are back in school, and to help celebrate that I'm participating in a back-to-school fantasy book promo you'll want to check out.
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In this month’s Update you’ll find:
NOTABLE QUOTABLES - The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
IN THE NEWS – The Last Voyage of the Demeter
RECOMMENDED READS – Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin
VAMPIRE COLLECTIBLES
– Silly knick-knacks and shelfies
MUSIC FOR THE MUSE - Nine Inch Nails
BOOK FAIRS & GIVEAWAYS – Stock up for fall
THE CHOSEN UPDATE
– Monster news
WRAP UP – Closing thoughts
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NOTABLE QUOTABLES
Relevant quotations from literature and film.
~*~
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore . . .”
--opening of The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
~*~
Though Poe's iconic poem has nothing to do with vampires, the above quote does have something to do with a cool collectible I recently scored. You'll need to read on to find out what and why.
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IN THE NEWS
Featuring news about vampire, urban fantasy, and horror pop cultures, including books, movies, and TV shows. Feel free to send me your recommendations and I'll try to include them in an upcoming issue.
~*~
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(Follow the link below to view the YouTube trailer)
The Last Voyage of the Demeter was released on August 11, and my hubby and I were fortunate enough to catch it in the theater before its run ended.
As the title states, this atmospheric film follows the final days of the doomed ship, providing plenty of dark, creepy moments - especially down in the ship's poorly lit hold - and is sure to satisfy those looking for a little bite of horror.
However, if you've read Dracula, not much will come as a surprise, and that, unfortunately, kills the fear factor of not knowing what comes next.
Demeter is based upon Dracula's Chapter 7 in which a mysterious ship lands ashore in England. In the book, we learn about the ship's arrival and its aftermath through Mina's journal entries, and get a glimpse of the onboard events documented in the captain's log.
The movie explores those events a bit more in depth, and not just through the eyes of the captain, but through the perspectives of several crew members as well. Though it takes license with the introduction of characters not mentioned in the book, this variation enables viewers to connect a little more personally with the hapless crew and and better experience their terror.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter is now available to rent or purchase from Amazon's Prime and other streaming services. But if it's still playing at a theater near you, I recommend you catch it on the big screen to get the full effect of what it might be like to be trapped on a ship with something that hunts in the dark.
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RECOMMENDED READS
This monthly feature highlights books from my extensive vampire library, and occasionally, a little bit about a book I’m currently reading.
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Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin
Most people have heard of George R.R. Martin's medieval fantasy series, The Song of Ice and Fire, aka A Game of Thrones, whether it was from watching the popular TV show or reading the books.
But not many people know that Martin wrote a great vampire story long before Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen ever graced a page.
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Fevre Dream was published in 1982 and is one of my favorite vampire tales. Set primarily on paddlewheel steamboats during the pre-Civil War era, the story follows a steamboat captain caught up in the conflict between rival vampires as they travel the rivers of the South.
I first read this back in the early 90s during my initial exploration of the vampire genre. I loved its unique setting, but more so, I enjoyed the characters in all their shades of good and bad. This is an old-style story with great descriptions, and I highly recommend it if you like a little variation in your vampires.
Caveat: As with many older books depicting this era of the American South, it includes characters with the racist attitudes and language so prevalent in that time period. But those characters represent a history that should not be forgotten, and they fully demonstrate that one doesn't have to be a vampire to be evil.
Fevre Dream is available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and in a graphic novel series. Below are images of my first edition paperback and a signed (personalized to me!) first edition hardcover.
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VAMPIRE COLLECTIBLES
In
addition to vampire books, I also collect vampire knick-knacks. Many are
gifts from family and friends, and are quite silly, adding a bit of
levity to my dark obsession. Please feel free to send me photos of your
own vampiric trinkets, along with the story behind them, and I’ll
feature them in an upcoming newsletter.
~*~
My first Halloween purchase this year! Though it's not vampire-related, this cool skeletal typewriter is the perfect knick-knack for a writer like me who works, er types, their fingers to the bone. Found this at a local Home Goods store - they always have the best Halloween goodies each year.
And if you look closely at the page in the typewriter, you'll see Poe's famous opening line!
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MUSIC FOR THE MUSE
Featuring the inspirational music used by many authors (including me) in their writing.
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All of my books have soundtracks. The artists include 90s bands like Nine Inch Nails, Bush, and Fuel, electronica bands Aes Dana, Solar Fields, and Trentmoller, and old-style rockers like The Black Keys and The Doors.
Individual songs help lend a mood to a scene, whether it's action or a tender moment between two characters.
This month, we're featuring two songs from Watcher: Book I of The Chosen. Both accompany scenes in which vampires are hunting, and the songs beautifully capture the suspenseful stalk and resulting violence at the end.
These instrumentals are from The Slip by Nine Inch Nails, a rather haunting album released in 2008.
The first is "The Four of Us Are Dying," and its intensity increases throughout the 4+ minute track.
The 7:33 minute "Corona Radiata," has a very slow and eerie build, but at around 4:13, a rhythmic beat begins to dominate the track, sounding like a perfect beacon for a hungry vampire.
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"The Four of Us Are Dying" from the album The Slip by Nine Inch Nails
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BOOK FAIRS AND GIVEAWAYS
I'm participating in several promotions this month. The first one is "Masquerade of the Night," and if you like urban fantasy, supernatural suspense, and horror, be sure to check out this diverse selection. This promo runs through September 15.
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The Fantastic Back to School Fantasy Sale offers over 50 books in the high and urban fantasy genres for under $5.00. This includes books in Amazon's Kindle Unlimited subscription plan. The promotion ends September 30.
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THE CHOSEN UPDATE
This past summer, Monster: A Prequel of The Chosen was selected as one of fifteen books to compete in Read Freely's The Best Book We've Read All Year contest. The entries included books across all genres - from mystery and romance to science fiction and contemporary. The competition was tough, and sadly, Monster did not win the coveted title.
But I am thrilled that it's a top-row finalist and joins its sister novel, Watcher: Book I of The Chosen (a previous-year finalist) as a bearer of ReadFreely's seal of approval.
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For those of you new to the world of The Chosen, Monster: A Prequel of The Chosen introduces readers to Sunny Collins, a single mom of a teenage daughter. Like many such moms, Sunny juggles parenthood with the demands of a job, night school, and meager finances.
On top of all that, she's beginning to suspect she has a stalker.
And then one night, her imagination morphs into reality, and her life is forever changed as she's plunged into a supernatural world of blood and darkness.
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Enter the world of The Chosen and meet:
- Sunny – an undead woman struggling to maintain her humanity
- Nicolas – an ancient prince whose desire for a partner by his side overrides even his love for her
- Taz – a violent outlaw, reviled by his own kind, whose prisoner may be his only hope for happiness
- Colin – a loyal aide-de-camp with an imperative to keep their society from unraveling into chaos
- Katarina – a former flame and a deadly enemy with a penchant for cruelty and takes delight in creating havoc
As their lives entangle, their world hovers on the brink of supernatural war. And unbeknownst to all, Sunny may hold the key to their very survival.
~*~
“Roh Morgon ensnares her readers by evoking dark and erotic images of gorgeous and lethal characters as they hunt, seduce, and feed . . . a vampire tale to savor. Like a fine wine, it's deliciously rich and warms you to the core.” —Frankie Brazelton
“If you think there is nothing new, fresh and original in vampire fiction, you haven't read Watcher: Book 1 of the Chosen . . . Move over Anne Rice, a new 'Queen of the Damned' is born.” —Shannon Riley
“Watcher is a masterful blend of vampire lore, fantasy, and romance, all wrapped up in a thrilling tale that is somehow both fast-paced and incredibly detailed at the same time. Sunny is our guide as we dive into the world of the ageless, and as she loses the last shreds of her humanity, I guarantee that you will lose your heart to this book.”—ReadFree.ly
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WRAP-UP
I hope you've enjoyed hearing a little about movies and books and other things related to vampires and the supernatural world. I welcome your input - please feel free to contact me at roh@rohmorgon.com with your recommendations and I'll feature them in an upcoming newsletter.
And remember, Halloween will be upon us before you know it, so send me pictures of your cool Halloween stuff! 🎃
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Join The Chosen Crew on Facebook! |
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We share news about vampire and supernatural pop culture
(TV shows, movies, books, etc.), post comical vampire memes,
and host giveaways for books and cool vampire stuff.
Remember my Vampire Collectibles?
I have duplicates . . . V^^^V
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That's it for now. Thank you for taking the time to read about my likes, my work, and the World of The Chosen!
~Roh~
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Roh Morgon, Writer
roh@rohmorgon.com
http://www.rohmorgon.com
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The Chosen Updates newsletter focuses on supernatural pop culture with an emphasis on vampires, along with information about books by author Roh Morgon.
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