Link Fiesta

Dear Author dug out some numbers on Kindle Unlimited. The payout is going down (boo hoo!) but the service seems to help new authors with discoverability. The Dear Author tour of the Harlequin offices in Toronto is also really cool.

The truth behind "antique" vampire hunting kits. Fascinating article. Here's the researcher's conclusion:

"So, although I had set out to 'debunk' their very existence, I came to realize that these enigmatic objects transcend questions of authenticity. They are part of the material culture of the gothic; aspects of our shared literary and cinematic passions made physical. Lacking any surviving artifact of vampirism either folkloric or fictional, fans of the gothic had created one to fill the gap. So whilst we at the Armouries still plan to scientifically test our vampire kit, and there is the possibility that it's early rather than late 20th century in date, for me the outcome has almost become moot. Vampire killing kits are genuine artifacts of the Gothic fiction that still provides sustenance to our most beloved monsters." 

How data can help you write a better screenplay. Very cool data crunching analysis.