We’re welcoming back Veronica Wolff today and her protagonist Annelise Drew from ISLE OF NIGHT (available now by NAL Trade), which I called ‘one of the most dangerous, romantic, and exciting paranormal YA titles I’ve read all year.’ Today’s Spooky Legend offers a vampiric explanation of a ghostly phenomenon. Thanks to Veronica, two of you will win a signed copy of ISLE OF NIGHT. See details below.
Click to see the Spooky Legends Master List with links to all the previous posts and giveaways
Annelise Drew on Graveyard Eyes
by
Veronica Wolff
Veronica: Unfortunately, I’m currently on deadline and unavailable to write an extensive blog, so I’ve asked my character, Annelise Drew, to step in and lend me a hand. Drew, we’re discussing urban legends. Have you heard the one—
Drew: No such thing.
Veronica: Um, what do you mean, no such thing?
Drew: There’s no such thing as urban legends.
Veronica: Okay, I know you’re the scholarly one, but how can you categorically deny all urban legends? I mean, you’re the one who’s living with a bunch of vampires. You believed in their existence pretty quickly.
Drew: That’s different. There are vampires.
Veronica: So if there are vampires, then maybe some of these other things exist too. Like, I read this urban legend called “Graveyard Eyes” that suggests the existence of ghosts.
Drew: Ghosts aren’t real. Ghosts are a figment of people’s overactive imaginations, whereas vampires can be scientifically explained.
Veronica: Get out. Now that I don’t believe.
Drew: People wouldn’t have believed flesh-eating viruses, either. Two hundred fifty million year old bacteria, cloning, vampires—incomprehensible, maybe, but true. Ghosts? No such thing.
Veronica: Fine, then explain this. There’s a graveyard in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where people have seen spooky bright eyes in the shadows, hovering six feet above the ground.
Drew: That’s your urban legend? That’s not a ghost. It’s a vampire.
Veronica: How do you know?
Drew: Because I’ve seen those eyes myself. Come to the Isle of Night, sneak from your dorm after curfew, then maybe you’ll see them yourself.
Veronica: No thanks. I’ll pass.
So there you have it, folks. Urban legends are fiction. Unless it involves eyes glowing in the darkness, and then apparently it’s a real-life vampire sighting.
Happy Halloween, and beware of the dark.
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About the author:
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| Visit Veronica Wolff online: Want to read more from Veronica Wolff |
Veronica Wolff has a master's degree in art history from The University of Texas at Austin. She has lived everywhere from South Carolina to Hawaii to India, finally settling in San Francisco where she lives with her husband, two children, a dog and cat, and countless houseplants. Her unmarketable skills include snow-boarding, speaking Hindi, gardening, and knowing an alarming amount of pop-culture trivia.
Giveaway provided by Veronica Wolff
Two signed copies of ISLE OF NIGHT by Veronica Wolff
Available now from NAL Trade
Description:
IS LIFE OFFERING FEWER AND FEWER OPTIONS? THEN JOIN THE DEAD.
When Annelise left for college, it meant good riddance to her abusive father and stepmother—until a bureaucratic screw-up left her without a diploma, flat broke, and facing an uncertain future Then she met Ronan—tall, dark, and way too seductive for her own good. He promised Annelise a new life, if she had the courage to chance the unknown. One look at him and she certainly had the desire. Sure enough, accepting rides from strangers does yield surprises.
Whisked away to a mysterious island in the North Sea, Annelise is pitted against other female recruits in tests of skill, smarts, and strength. To win is to become a member of the Watchers, an elite and unique partnership—with vampires—that dispatches its teams on the most dangerous missions imaginable. It’s not exactly what Annelise had in mind for a new beginning but it’s livelier than the alternative. Because on the Isle of Night, to lose the challenge doesn’t just mean dishonor. It means death.
Let the games begin.
Read an excerpt|Read our review
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I CAN'T ENTER THIS. LOL But I want to answer anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt's a hard question. If I had to say though, I'd have to go with the vampire. I guess it's mostly because I've grown up with a lot of ghost experiences and stories and find them a lot more harmless. Also, unless the ghost is a poltergeist or vengeful spirit, it is less likely that they will hurt someone. You never know with vampires. But I find both lore fascinating!
Demi @ Only Somewhat Queer
Isle of Night looks great! I guess I find ghosts scarier than vampires because they don't have a corporal existence. I mean there are ways to kill vampires if they exist but ghosts are hard to get rid of...lol...Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeletemaria63303 (at) gmail (dot) com
I'd have to go with ghosts since I don't really find most vampires scary.
ReplyDeletesgiden at verizon.net
Vampires or ghosts? Well, with a handle like this, I dont fear vampires too too much. I think I will vote for ghosts on this one. Even though ghosts are not seen as the scariest of the paranormal world, they are still very potent. They can scare you at all hours of a day without being seen, there is no grabbing them and throwing them out of your life since they dont have much in the way of physical matter to touch. They can cool down body temperatures and steal electic from power sources. And the scariest thing is that they can actually drain your energy and life force invisibly. How do you defeat an invisible, untouchable enemy?
ReplyDeleteLadyVampire2u AT gmail DOT com
I finds ghosts scarier. They can be terrifying and have a bigger effect on people. They are so creepy. Vampires are ok. I guess I find them much more normal.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd find ghosts scarier. Both are scary in their own right, but ghosts take the cake for me.
ReplyDelete~Kayla
kcrochet002@gmail.com
I wouldn't want to come face to face with a Vampire if they were hungry. My vote is for Vampires.
ReplyDeletepebasso@firstfleetinc.com
I would probably say Ghosts just because they were be harder to fight. Vamps have a physical form so you have something to hit.
ReplyDeleteGhosts. With vamps you at least have some idea of what they supposed to look and what they do that could probably scare you. Ghosts are more mysterious to me, with a range of scary factors.
ReplyDeleteI find vampires more scarier. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI think vampires are scarier. I guess it's the teeth.
ReplyDeleteLizzi0915 at aol dot com
They are both scary in their own ways but I think ghosts are scarier.
ReplyDeletedjeanq(at)gmail(dot)com
ghosts ofcourse! ever since i watched a ghost movie when i was a kid *shiver* ive always been scared of ghosts!
ReplyDelete- juhina
Ghosts, definitely ghosts. Vampires I can deal with. Besides they have vampire mojo which would probably enthrall me in some way. Ghosts *shudders* they're just there to scare the crap outa people.
ReplyDeleteI have to say Vampires are more scary. They are physical and in your face and wanting blood!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post and giveaway! I've heard such wonderful things about this book!
I think Vampires are scarier.
ReplyDeleteSkk25@aol.com
I think ghosts are scarier. They have fewer rules to keep them out of my house.
ReplyDeleteAAARRRGHH! Pity this was restricted to just the US. I loved that conversation between Drew and Veronica.
ReplyDeleteI find ghosts scarier for some reason...
ReplyDeleteVampires. Ghosts don't have enough physical presence to be truly scary. Great interview! I would love to win this book!
ReplyDeleteGhosts for sure. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteCurrently, I would have to say ghosts. Most stories you hear of vampires these days paint them in a good light or just plain old mean and violent. but ghosts, now those guys can do a lot of freaky stuff that just isn't right ;).
ReplyDelete-Karen U-
eastman.karen.2010@gmail.com
I think ghosts are scarier just because they can be invisible and sneak up on you. I think vampires can sneak as well but ghosts more so.
ReplyDeleteI have to say vampires...you don't know when they will suck the life outta you. xD
ReplyDeletevickilau17@gmail.com
Vampires hands down! When I was a kid, I thought my family were a bunch of vamps. I would make them smile at me all the time. I guess my imagination got the best of me. Thanks for the giveaway, I look forward to reading about a supernatural death match.
ReplyDeleteJnmt3@hotmail.com
I'd have to say ghosts, you can't always see them and there are too many different types.
ReplyDeleteI think vampires are scarier. I've become biased ever since watching the tv show, Angel, when I was younger. The bad vamps in that show were really bad and scary.
ReplyDeleteangeldream3[AT]gmail[DOT]com
I find ghosts scarier. Vampires never scared me but ghosts do. I think because I have lived in places that have had them.
ReplyDeletetruebloodfan AT rock DOT com
I think I find ghosts scarier...we know of ways to successfully beat or avoid vampires, I think its harder to do either with ghosts.
ReplyDeleteI find ghosts scarier because there seems to be a much larger chance they're real. At least to me.
ReplyDeleteI think that ghosts are scarier. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletesab5723 at hotmail dot com
Vampires for sure!
ReplyDeleteVivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
It depends on what kind of vampire it is. But mostly ghosts are more scarier.
ReplyDeleteI think vampires are scarier because they can actually kill you while ghosts usually can't touch you.
ReplyDeleteI think vampires are scarier because they can hurt you, cause you paid and kill you. Ghosts can scare you to death but I don't spook from ghosts so much. glittergirl54 at ymail dot com
ReplyDeleteI have to go with vamps because they can touch and hurt you. I think ghosts can scare the crap out of you but don't think they can do physical harm
ReplyDeletejune111(at)att(dot)net
ghosts becaseu although they can't touch me physically they can torture me and make me go insane while a vampire would probably end up killing me faster lol
ReplyDeleteRight now since I'm reading Anna Dressed in Blood I would have to say ghosts. Vampires have been made so beautiful sparkly that its hard to think of them as scary - now ghosts those have always been scary!
ReplyDeleteI'm quite sure that I don't want to ever see either a ghost or a vampire! Just call me a wimp. But I like reading about both of them...
ReplyDeleteMickie T
mdturett at juno dot com
ghosts. I hope to never see one lol
ReplyDeleteCHllybrd(at)gmail.com
I think ghosts are scarier. Ghosts could haunt you and mess with your head for as long as they want. That would freak me out more than a vampire.
ReplyDeleteGhosts because vamps aren't real.
ReplyDeleteI think ghosts are more frightening. Maybe it's because I think there's a better chance of ghosts being real.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance to win!
methom@earthlink.net
Ghosts... I don't know why, slightly irrational-ish
ReplyDeleteI would say ghosts because they are harder to fight. A vampire has a physical body and there are ways to kill or get rid of them.
ReplyDeleterachaelmccully@yahoo.com
ghosts are scarier as it's harder to vanquish the,
ReplyDeleteI'd say vampires. Well, evil vampires, not the lovey dovey ones ;)
ReplyDeleteKelsey d
Ghosts, because you can't see them coming. And the movie poltergeist scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteI think ghosts are scarier.
ReplyDeleteVampires are scarier. They have more ways to hurt you. They can do anything ghosts can do and more. brendem7@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteUsually vampires. Ghost can't usually hurt you. The sad thing is I always fall for the Vampires anyway!
ReplyDeleteVampires. Ghosts just never hit my scare button too much.
ReplyDeleteHmm all urban legends are vampires.. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteIf vampires were real they'd be scarier but Ghosts definitely scare me more because their real. The really, the scarier.
ReplyDeleteGhost with out a doubt are scray because you cant kill them because there already dead.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the book giveaway.
ReplyDelete~ Cassandra Ruiz
They both their advantages.
ReplyDeleteVampires - speed, strength, and immortal life.
Ghosts - already dead, can disappear, go through solid objects, move things, they been to the other side
The disadvantages:
Vampires - you can kill them one way or another
Ghosts - How do you kill a ghost?
Okay, GHOST win. Much scarier.
**Everytime I try to enter this contest only it won't let me. For some reason I cannot click the "I did this" button. I'll keep trying but if not I hope you will count this as an entry.**
ReplyDeleteI guess ghosts because it would be harder to kill a ghost than a vampire. Sure vampires have strength and speed but a well aimed stake, or silver, or sunlight can take care of them. But ghost there are too many mysteries about how to kill them.
Amy Lynn
miss.smileygirlie at gmail dot com (Entry #130?)
Vampire are scarier because they can kill you!
ReplyDeleteI find Vampires scarier, seeing as how they can actually hurt you and traditional ghosts cannot.
ReplyDelete