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Anatomy of a Vampire

by Aaron McGarry

153 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); contains black and white/colour illustrations; catalogue #06-2905; ISBN 1-4251-1146-7; US$21.95, C$25.24, EUR18.03, £12.62

Behind every myth there is a factual basis. Even today we continue making new discoveries in zoology. Perhaps vampires do exist as real creatures!

About the Book

Set at the turn of the twentieth century Anatomy of a Vampire follows the journey of Dr. Ariel Lucard commissioned by a mysterious benefactor to research the Vampire myth. Dr. Lucard is a skeptic, believing in the absolute power of science but takes the assignment on the basis of the lucrative reward involved. His journey takes him to the source of vampire lore in the Europe, the Carpathian mountains. It is here he discovers the factual basis for the myth which forces him to see the weaknesses in his own scientific knowledge and question the fine line separating reality and perception.

This is a romanticized illustrated novella containing some mythology, history, poetry and science with a short story interwoven tying it all together. It is the first part (conceptual prototype) of a probable 4 part series, the second being present day beyond that the future. Though this first part takes a naturalistic approach to the study of vampires, it is simply the beginnings of a more complex picture, a creature we do not fully understand. Because the story approaches this creature on a zoological level it dispels the supernatural notions and pushes vampires into the genre of science fiction.

About the Author

Born in Ireland, a global gypsy, I have lived on more continents than most have traveled. I currently reside in San Diego with my wife and daughter and work professionally as a technical writer/illustrator while completing an MA on the side. Who knows how long I'll be here before my gypsy blood moves me on seeking a dwelling place for my restless spirit.

Art and creative writing are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors that passionately consume me outside my livid life in a catafalque cubicle. Work, family and school are huge delimiting factors in how much I can accomplish with my passions which I'd love to be able to make a living at, however art alone doesn't seem to pay the bills. I believe that those who excel in any field are those who live and breathe what they do. Other than my seraphic daughter, Art and wine are the only things that allow me to completely escape and transcend the mundane cyclic chores of daily existence, they are simply necessities I require to maintain sanity.

They say rejection is a writers biggest obstacle, I can vouch for that, I have spent years taking the formal route, sending query letters but eventually grew weary of writing to blind, over worked editors, it was a waste of my time and money and so I took this route more as a self promotional tool. I don't need validation or acceptance from others, I know my own abilities. In the paraphrased words of Oscar Wilde, we are all in the gutter but some of us are looking up at the sky.

Please visit my website at: http://www.amcgarry.coml.

Excerpts