Long In The Tooth is another vampire novel, though more original in its nature than Collapse of Brides. I started writing this casually in 2022 and continue to work on it casually, only returning to it from time to time. The plot involves a council of vampires (7 Counts) that must appoint another member from the general vampiric populace after one of the Counts is staked, beheaded, stuffed with garlic, etc.
Statler, a vampire having only one fang, is an unlikely candidate for seventh Count; yet, the remaining Counts (who determine candidacy through blood tasseography--i.e. reading signs from bloodstains left over in drained cups of blood-tea) are disgusted to recognize a symbol of candidacy in the bottom of Statler's cup. Most disgusted is the particular Countess who is tasked with overseeing and preparing Statler for four trials of vampirism to determine who--out of 6 candidates--will earn the title of seventh Count.
I had originally envisioned this to be around 200k words, but it'll probably be more around 150k; I'm trying to challenge myself to write something long, but I also don't want to put too much pressure on myself.
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
(to-be-written)