Author: Kevin A. Ranson

Film Critic & Horror Writer. Heeding a macabre calling listening to “Mother Ghost Nursery Rhymes” in kindergarten, Kevin A. Ranson wrote in grade school and filled countless notebooks with story ideas while touring the Mediterranean in the US Navy. Author of The Spooky Chronicles, the thriller series The Matriarch Vampires, and critic for MovieCrypt.com as host Grim D. Reaper #grmdrpr. Sith master of Google-Fu, Bing-Jitsu, and buttered toast (you want some toast?)

The Matriarch: Changeling is Published!

On By Kevin A. RansonIn Cemetery, Horrificus, LiterarianLeave a comment

Kindle: $8.50 † Paperback: $16.95
Supernatural horror thriller, mature content, 264 pages.
Written by Kevin A. Ranson – Published by WTF Books
Third book in the series – ISBN: 978-0692220696

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A vampire must be invited in to do harm.

† Read the excerpt “Ed’s Awakening” † Read the excerpt “Another Hidden Monster” † Read the excerpt “Early to Rise” † Read the excerpt “The Vampire in the Back of the Room” †

“Throughout American history , every major conflict has been due to either a misunderstanding between parties or a failure to live up to a promise – and needless bloodshed was always the result.”

And bloodshed was something with which Janiss Connelly was all too familiar, either by her own or someone else’s hand. Friends. Lovers. Enemies. But as the administrator of Cedarcrest Sanctum, it was a necessary evil: keeping the facility’s residents safe – and, thanks to infusions of her vampiric blood, alive – was both her responsibility and mission.

It is a mission that is jeopardized by a very old – and private – vampire living and working as a college professor in Charleston, West Virginia. Janiss visits to determine her undead “neighbor’s” true intentions, only to find that she and Cedarcrest are on the professor’s “syllabus.” Left with no choice, the administrator must become the student and ask her own hated teacher for the deadly tutelage she needs to rescue the Sanctum.

In The Matriarch: Changeling, Janiss will learn that friends and enemies are never who they seem to be – a lesson that must be paid in blood.

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“A Third Choice” (A Matriarch Short Story)

On By Kevin A. RansonIn Creativity, Horrificus, Literarian, ParanormalLeave a comment
A Matriarch short story by Kevin A. Ranson

JanissStakeOnlyYes, it hurts. Believe me, I know. Keeping as still as possible is the best thing you can do right now.

Ironic, isn’t it? A piece of wood sticking out of your chest isn’t killing you, but it’s causing so much pain you probably wish it would.

I’ll also apologize for all the motion. We’ve taken precautions, but being inside a moving vehicle makes it more difficult.

Of course, the best idea is I could remove that stake…but there would be conditions.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been staked before or even how long you’ve been a vampire, but from the way you were being treated by your sire, we guessed it wasn’t voluntary. Those kinds of relationships rarely end well, so we interceded. You watched us destroy your maker, but we both know what stays in our heads. Yes, I still have a little of mine,too.

Besides that, the other thing you’ll have to worry about is yourself.

Continue reading ““A Third Choice” (A Matriarch Short Story)” →

Thoughts About Writing: On Seeking Feedback

On By Kevin A. RansonIn Creativity, Critiquery, LiterarianLeave a comment

BookhouseA few early Sunday thoughts with an eye toward writers.

First: “be careful what you ask for.” If you ask for a critique and you’re lucky enough to get one, treat it for what it is: another person’s opinion. The goal should be to improve your craft, so while you may not agree with the person’s feedback, there is a reason why they had it. Sure, maybe they’re a troll, but that’s easy enough to spot much of the time.

Second: “don’t take criticism as a personal attack, even when it is.” I come from a unique perspective since I honed my narrative voice in film critique before I seriously plied my trade as a fiction writer. My critiques have improved in the same way as my writing, an attempt to equally praise and point out needful improvements.

A writer wears many hats, but long after the idea, research, plotting, writing, editing, polishing and marketing, someone is going to read your work and your mind will be naked before them. It takes a lot to put yourself out there, and in today’s social media, people associate the author with the work – YOU ARE YOUR BRAND. Your fan base will not just remember your work but also you and how you acted, so unless you can elevate character assassination to an art form, be warm, be generous, and be humble.

And remember: thou art mortal…even while we play God with our pens.

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My Panels for May 22-25, 2015 Comicpalooza in Houston, Texas

On By Kevin A. RansonIn Creativity, Existentialism, Internet, LiterarianLeave a comment

SpookyAuthorImageMay 22-25, 2015: Writer guest (confirmed) at Comicpalooza in Houston, Texas. I’ll be on the following panels if you’re in any way entertained by what I do and so inclined to attend:

  • Friday, May 22 at 11:30AM – The Storytelling of Star Wars (Panel, PG, 1 hour) Panel Rm 03 – 350B
  • Saturday, May 23 at 2:30PM – No-Holds-Barred Critique Workshop (Workshop, PG-13, 3 hours) Panel Rm 21 – 352A
  • Monday, May 25 at 1:00PM – Must-Watch TV: The Best of Fantasy and Horror on Television (Panel, PG-13, 1 hour) Panel Rm 05 – 350C

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Realistic Edible Fake Blood: My Tweaked Recipe

On By Kevin A. RansonIn Creativity, Cullinarian, Paranormal3 Comments

FakeBloodFakeOwYou can buy fake blood, but it usually isn’t edible. For a character cosplay I’ve been working on for conventions, I wanted a sophisticated, dapper, vampire-about-town…walking about with a wine glass filled with his preferred drink of choice. To look good up close, you need something dark red but not fake looking, thick and sticky like it’s just starting to clot, and believably cloudy. And hey, shouldn’t it be delicious?

Starting with three recipes I pulled from online, none of them gave me exactly the effect I was looking for. The chocolate-flavored ones seem to yield the best consistency (and taste), where one drop will hang on to the end of your finger forever, shiny and full of life.

Realistic Edible Fake Blood, Dark

  • Yield: 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1-1/2 tsp corn starch
  • 1-1/2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 20 drops red gel food coloring
  • 1 drop blue gel food coloring

Instructions:

  1. In a glass mixing bowl, add the 1/2 cup light corn syrup.
  2. Add the 20 gel drops of red and 1 of blue (do NOT use too much blue). Mix until blended; looking good already!
  3. A little at a time, add in equal amounts of cocoa powder and corn starch. These provide consistency, cloudiness, and flavor. Allow time to mix these in; the longer you stir, the better it looks up close. Watch for clumps and crush them in!
  4. Pour into a sealed container and store in fridge until needed.

Notes: I tried using regular pancake syrup as a base and chocolate syrup instead of powder, but the cloudiness doesn’t look as good. The color is only slightly off in artificial lighting but great in sunlight; that may be due to the brand of food coloring I’m using. I’ll try a few different ones in the future to see if it makes a difference.

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The Matriarch: Changeling by Kevin A. Ranson – Coming Soon!

On By Kevin A. RansonIn ExistentialismLeave a comment

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A vampire must be invited in to do harm.

“Wary of a future misunderstanding, Janiss Connelly pays a surprise visit to an immortal residing in the state capital of West Virginia. The Charleston vampire isn’t amused, a slight that puts the residents and staff of Cedarcrest Sanctum at risk when their administrator goes missing.

“Forced to endure a nightmare scenario, Janiss must embrace the potential she has both envied and feared – even if she has to make a deal with the Devil to do it.”

Publishing soon!

Learn more about The Matriarch at CedarcrestSanctum.com.

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The Great Vampire Dispute ~ Kevin A. Ranson’s Vamps

On By Kevin A. RansonIn ExistentialismLeave a comment

The Great Vampire Dispute, Part #13

Emerian Rich's avatarEmz Newz

And now, for the last post in this series, vampire author, Kevin A. Ranson. Kevin’s series is called The Matriarch and like many of us, he is a fan of Anne Rice’s work.

Let’s find out more about Kevin’s vamps.

KEVIN’S VAMPS

  • Author name: Kevin A. RansonKevin20131228small
  • What is the title of your series?The Matriarch
  • How many books are currently for sale or listen? Two
  • How many total in the series to date? Four
  • What are the books about? “Every October, the freshmen at Glenville State College are told stories about Sis Linn, the local ghost who haunts Clark Hall and the graveyard where she’s buried. Murdered in 1919, she was beaten beyond recognition, the target of a brutal killer who was never caught. Present-day student Janiss Connelly is about to find out that the stories are wrong – and that there are greater things to fear in life…

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