New AMAZON review

A fresh and fantastic story that is not afraid to break the mold and stand alone. KA has created a new bench mark for Author's of the vampire lore to strive for. I have not enjoyed a vampire story so much since the Brian Lumley Necroscope series.
I love the way the story is so different from almost ever...

y other vampire story out there at the moment. I'm so tired of seeing the same old thing, so congratulations and thank you to KA Hambly for providing us with this much needed and unique story.
You are not just a passanger as you follow Jyrki on his journey, but an eager participant as you get drawn further into the tale.
If you are anything like me, you will read faster and faster with the great pacing until you get to the last page and curse that it finishes.
OK, i would be amiss if i didnt mention (as others have)the few spelling/grammer mistakes. BUT nobody is perfect and it in no way detracts from the amazing story being told. To take stars away for slight errors would be a crime. Rise of the new Bloods is an AMAZING work of fiction by an EXTREMLY talanted author. My review is about the STORY told within the pages, and that story was one of the best Vampire stories I have read.
Need convincing more? Buy it, I guarantee you will not be dissapointed.
I look forward eagerly to part 2.

Recent publicity

Here's the link to my press release which featured on the site.

http://www.guide2swansea.com/news/293/Swansea-author-releases-Gothic-Horror

Writing my characters

So, you have a great story in mind but struggle to come up with characters. Most writers I speak to have this problem, but fortunately for me dreaming up characters come very easily to me.
When I started writing the New Bloods, I kept adding to my list of characters as I wrote. I didn’t come up with every character in one go. As the story progressed, almost intuitively I would write and get a feel for the kind of character I would need to play a certain part. It was never a difficult job. I would ‘see’ what they would look like and know their traits and history as if I knew them all my life. And, maybe I had known these ‘characters’ all my life. One thing I would recommend writers do is to people watch, no seriously here. Look at people in passing and imagine what kind of people they are/what kind of job would they do/ do they even have a sordid past? Keep a notebook on you when you are out as inspiration can come from anywhere.
Developing your characters is another factor. Don’t give up on them. Personality will develop the more you write. My character Stride, a Scottish Vampire watcher came into my story half way through writing the book, so you can imagine how many drafts I had to do just to add him. But, the key thing is, to keep writing, they may be flat and uninteresting at first, but like when I was writing Stride, the more past I gave him, such as his father dying and leaving him the prophecy, the more interesting he became. I made him into a cocky, loveable rouge that enjoyed a drink or two, or maybe three…but for me he became the glue that held the rest of my characters together. Almost like a father-type figure. So you can see I am glad I kept writing about him and kept him in the story.
Of course, sometimes you cannot help but inject some of your own personality into your charcters, it’s only natural. Don’t be afraid to do that, or even reflect on people you have known in your life. Life experience is an excellent resource for writers.
 I hope you enjoyed and I hope this may help you in some way.

Happy Writing
Kelly

Amazon Reviews

Hi,

Here are some of the reviews I've recieved on  Amazon. Thanks to everyone has taken the time to read and comment on my book.

I really enjoyed reading 'The Rise of the New Bloods: from Dark Beginnings' - it's full of interesting characters and a plot that keeps you reading to the end. You care about what happens to the characters too, which is a good indication of the strengths of this novel. The setting is atmospheric and has a filmic quality, which is both appealing and effective. An enjoyable read.

I really enjoy reading this novel, with a well known character. Its well written and full of action, which makes it very addictive and hard to put down. The story is very gripping and I can't wait to find out if Jyrki can resist his urges to feed on humans. Great work!

From page one, the reader is thrown into the action as the vampire Jyrki is witness to the genocide of his kind. As the last vampire, he is tasked with the protection of an artifact called the Ankh, which must never fall into human hands. He decides to leave and join the modern world.
This book seems very unpolished in places, riddled with grammatical errors and poor sentence structure. Even so, there is a great story to be enjoyed here. Hambly keeps the reader engaged with a dark plot that never slows, the action continuing right to the very end.
Worth a read, at a price point that won't break your budget.

Perfect different angle to vampire stories,Dark yet light hearted in places, fast paced yet imformative enough..leaves you wanting and needing every chapter and word....

Who are the New Bloods?

For those who do not know what the New Bloods is about, here's a little piece I wrote. Hope you'll get a chance to read the book soon..look forward to hearing your thoughts on the story....

The Rise of the New Bloods is not just another vampire story. I understand this has been said many times before but I like to think I have created something here, which is very different to the norm. The story is set in Finland, a country seeped in folklore and mystery. Behind the veil of the snow and the Fir trees, lives a clan of vampires trying to protect an ancient Egyptian relic called The Ankh. The Ankh must not fall into human hands. Neither must the vampires reveal their identity to the humans. They arrived in Finland from Egypt where Amroath, the New Blood elder was entrusted with the Ankh by a prophet called Mardok. What is so special about this Ankh is that it enables them to walk in daylight and it is highly sought after by a man called Jafar, whom we later discover is actually a werewolf, and was once an aide to Mardok.

Amroath receives news that one of his clan has left the safety of their compound, breaking the agreement they had made with the Guardians of the Ancient Secrets. He is aware that there is consequences but what he doesn’t realise is, Jafar’s wolves have discovered their whereabouts before the Guardians could get there to warn them. Jyrki, Amroath’s son is given the Ankh, as stated in an ancient prophecy, to leave and keep the Ankh safe, but when he returns he witnesses the genocide of his family, making him the last vampire and New Blood.
What follows is Jyrki’s adventure into the modern world and his meetings with Stride, April and Blaze that would change his life forever. Although he still has the worry of the Ankh and his identity being discovered, he soon finds a life for himself in New York. Although it is not long before the Hounds of the Apocalypse and Jafar are on his trail…

K

FACEBOOK/TWITTER

You can follow me on Twitter and Facebook where I am more active.  I usually post vampire facts/info etc.

HTTP://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NEWBLOODS

@celtic_nimueh (twitter)

More News.

The New Bloods was featured on Guide2Swansea.com. I was asked for a press release for them to put up. Nice to receive some local publicity.