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Praise
Vampire’s Ventures is a wonderful compilation of dark enchantments. LindaAnn LoSchiavo’s poetry is a rich tapestry of both new and original vampire lore. While discovering these pages, I found myself reading quickly, fueled by the excitement of her content, while at the same time, lingering on the beauty of her words.
— Jeani Rector, Editor-in-Chief, The Horror Zine
Vampire Ventures, LindaAnn’s new collection, is a rich cocktail of Vampire Lore. Her eclectic style, bold and imaginative choice of language and sophisticated word play, adds gravitas to a beloved genre. “The Tale of the Vintner’s Daughter” is a particular favorite, highly evocative, nuanced and as deftly constructed as a spider web.
— John Stocks, Poetry Editor, Bewildering Stories
I was hooked on “The Tale of the Vintner’s Daughter” from the first stanza. Here is a collection of formal verse, a buffet of various forms and lush language, with Fibonacci and haiku in between as clever palate-cleansers.
— Jessica Levai, “The Night Library of Sternendach: A Vampire Opera in Verse,” winner of the Lord Ruthven Award for Fiction
Vampire Ventures showcases LoSchiavo’s formal versatility: Fibonacci, haiku, golden shovel, villanelle, sonnet, prose poem, and the decasyllabic lines of poems that seem otherwise unconstrained. She’s equally adept at shifting among tones, from the eerie to the ironic. Her work is encrusted with images and phrases that will sparkle in the dark behind your eyelids long after you’ve finished reading.
— Carl Bettis, Editor-in-Chief, Tiny Frights
Vampire Ventures manages to thread the needle between the achingly beautiful tales of the Gothic vampire and the more urbane, tech-savvy vampires of today. Dripping with details, LindaAnn LoSchiavo’s poetry conjures scene after scene of vampiric desire, but with such a depth and variety of tone that the reader could never get bored, no matter how many times they reread this collection.
— Katherine Emily, Managing Editor, Input/Output Enterprises
There’s romance, humor & blood in Vampire Ventures — like the old times.
— Mark Benecke, President, Transylvanian Society of Dracula
Native New Yorker LindaAnn LoSchiavo (she/her), a four time nominee for The Pushcart Prize, was also nominated for Best of the Net, Balcones Poetry Prize, an Ippy, a Firecracker Award, the Rhysling Award, and Dwarf Stars.
She is a member of SFPA, British Fantasy Society, & The Dramatists Guild.
Titles for 2022: “Women Who Were Warned” (Cerasus Poetry) and “Messengers of the Macabre: Hallowe’en Poems” (Audience Askew).
Forthcoming in 2023: “Apprenticed to the Night” (UniVerse Press), “Felones de Se: Poems about Suicide” (Ukiyoto Publishing), and “Vampire Ventures” (Alien Buddha Press).
Forthcoming in 2024: “Cancer Courts My Mother” (Penumbra / Stanislaus State College).
Forthcoming in 2025: “Eros and His Entourage” (Naked Cat Press).
. . . . . . .
Also by the author:
A Route Obscure and Lonely – Elgin Award winner
Concupiscent Consumption
Women Who Were Warned
Messengers of the Macabre: Hallowe’en Poems (with David Davies)
Apprenticed to the Night
Felones de Se: Poems about Suicide
Vampire Ventures
Cancer Courts My Mother [2024]
We watched a movie starring Freddy K.,
Described in captions as malevolent.
His crime spree in Ohio’s evident,
Bent on pursuing new victims to slay.
A predator like us, he’s after prey.
At first, the film was thrilling, decadent.
His scythe-like hand was the equivalent
Of lusty fangs — until he went astray.
His greedy need for slaughter was a waste
Of blood, fresh nourishment therein. To him
It was no more than splatters on the floor.
Each time an actress bled, we craved a taste.
Rented on a whim, we had expected grim.
Instead excessive Freddy was a bore.
His peppermill mind
Ground Romanian folklore,
Dished out bloody bites.
“I have to say that this book of vampiric poems really exceeded my expectations.
The poetry brought back the way people should feel about vampires… unsettled and creeped out.
I loved this book and especially the pieces that were set in modern times.
Because, yes, if vampires were alive and real, they would definitely use text messages and dating apps! I love that whole vibe.
— Dave Royce, Horror Reads
Dave’s YouTube Review:
Three Terrifying Books To Make Your Heart Race! Haunts, Vampires, and Demons!
Titles covered on 10-7-2023: “Posthaste Manor”, “Vampire Ventures” & “The Black Lord” [16:32 mins.]
LINK to — https://youtu.be/GVDNw_2E9sk?si=r3Nar_QplaFhVst8
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Great Vampire Lore Poetry Book
Vampire Ventures is a narrative poetry book that goes through the life of Count Dracula and the people that he courts. I particularly enjoyed the college student’s point of view of being courted by Count Dracula. I think this book is very well written and very innovative. It does a very good job of not being a cliche– which admittedly is hard for vampire lore. This gives me the feeling Carmilla did in the best way possible, with a bit of The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner.
Count Dracula is a complex character well written with much of his humanity shown, despite his otherworldliness. It was very smart to have “The Tale of the Vintner’s Daughter” as the first poem of the anthology, because readers get to take a look into ‘Count D’ and the feelings surrounding him, and how women tend to react towards him.
I really enjoy the breaks of form: the author switches between single stanza to prose to haiku, this breaks up the monotony of single stanza poetry in a delicious way. I do really enjoy the pages of short stories inside of the poetry, readers get to see a more in depth version of ‘Count D’. I particularly liked the short story “Dating the Undead”. This almost irreverent short story brings a lot of humor to what before has been a dark subject. My favorite poem of the anthology is in the same vein, “An Ideal Lost in Night-Mists”. It’s like a better Vampire Diaries– very nostalgic to me.
Overall, I loved this book. It is very creative, it is new and fresh. I recommend anyone getting tired with the monotony of poetry and romance books to check this short story out. This will break your slump.
— Madison King
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Fangtastically Fun!
Quick Reasons: unique spin on some well-known classics; pulls inspiration from across the centuries; lots of different poetry techniques used throughout; this collection really bites; quick, fun read
This was SUCH a fun, quick read to work into the creepy season of the year. LindaAnn LoSchiavo utilized many different poetry types and techniques throughout this collection, all with a singular focus: vampires and their wily, bloody fangs. Inspiration is drawn from works of literature AND entertainment that span the centuries, from Pride and Prejudice to Dracula to Nightmare on Elm Street. I was kept enraptured and enthralled as this story unfolded, consistently wondering what could possibly come next from this bag (er…book?) of tricks.
The treat of this read was in the different techniques used throughout. There were haiku, villanelles, prose poetry, rhymes… each chosen to further tell the tale. Readers can tell how committed to the craft the author was, the care and exquisite detail placed not only in the types of techniques used, but also the language, the details, the visuals.
If you’re a fan of poetry, I definitely recommend giving this read a try this Halloween season. LindaAnn LoSchiavo welds a pen with knowledge of her craft, and is sure to spin you for a ride you won’t soon forget. Do you dare look the monster in the soul? Crack these pages…and find out.
— Elizabeth Mathis
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Chilling and Captivating Vampire Poetry…A Must-Read!
This was a compelling and engaging collection of poetry. The author’s unique writing style does a great job of crafting poetry that both speaks to us emotionally and touches upon great themes while also providing a captivating story that the reader can get lost in. The imagery that the author used in these poems was fantastic, allowing the reader to feel and visualize the gothic elements of the poems themselves coming to life on the page.
The heart of this narrative was the marriage of gothic storytelling and impactful themes that relate to our modern world. From tales of modern dating and the habit of ignoring immediate red flags, to the horror of being driven by uncontrolled nature, this collection was magnificent. The way the author explores vampire lore from both the perspective of the people enthralled by vampires and the vampires themselves makes this equally memorable.
— Anthony Avina ———————————————————————————
Contemporary, Refreshing, Fascinating
Native New Yorker LindaAnn LoSchiavo (she/her), a four-time nominee for The Pushcart Prize, is a member of SFPA, British Fantasy Society, and Dramatists Guild. She is the author of multiple poetry collections. Her newest, Vampire Ventures, is a chapbook of poetry based on Dracula and other vampire myths and legends.
Vampire Ventures is an attempt to do a modern retelling or create a modern addition to the Dracula mythos. This is a modern poem cycle, clearly set in a modernity that includes dating profiles and Google. Dracula is referred to as “Count D.,” as an internet username, and the speaker wonders about “dick pics.” The contemporary feel and flavor of these poems is interesting, and reads as refreshing. In a poem like “Vampires in Training,” the speaker complains about the struggles of her social media manager posting instructions on becoming a vampire and getting blocked; instructions which include lines like:
Imagine this: blood pumping, spurting straight
From puncture’s wounds, red tears in human flesh,
Aromas coppery, sweet pungent sweat,
As it’s consumed, tonight’s hot chalice drained.
The contrast between the blood and body horror of the vampiric experience juxtaposed against legal battles with social media makes for a unique reading experience.
Readers familiar with LoSchiavo’s work will be familiar with her use of formal poetry. Here the rhythmic lines of iambic pentameter which she favors are present, but there are a few experiments as well. LoSchiavo seems to be attempting to surprise readers familiar with her work with shocks and jumps, replicating the odd juxtapositions in the content of her poems. We see a Fibonacci poem in “Immortality,” or titled 5-7-5 “horrorku” in “Bram Stoker’s Recipe” or “Concentration.” LoSchiavo is stepping outside her comfort zone, and while these experiments are rough, they’re not without merit, either.
Readers of horror poetry will know LoSchiavo’s work. She has been nominated for every speculative poetry award imaginable, as well as a lot of more traditional literary awards, as well. She is consistent in her poetry, and Vampire Ventures is no exception. Fans of horror poetry will probably already have this book on their shelves, but in case they missed the signal, here’s a boost. Beyond that, vampire fans and folks willing to take a chance on poetry that reads like Bram Stoker meets a TikTok challenge are really going to enjoy this fun chapbook.
— Joshua Gage, Cemetery Dance Magazine
