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Salt & Pepper Chronicles #1
The Vampire's Visit
In The Vampire's Visit, Salt and Pepper's visit to London, England takes an unexpected turn when they notice that garlic hangs at every window in their home away from home … except theirs! Sure enough, a teenage vampire turns up and asks for their help. When they refuse, Christine's little brother Hal disappears in an event that soon embroils the dynamic duo in a full-fledged vampire gang war!
160 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
33 people want to read
About the author
David A. Poulsen
28 books23 followersDavid A. Poulsen has been a rodeo competitor and rodeo clown, rock singer, high school football coach, stage and film actor, documentary television writer and host, and college English instructor. Since retiring from rodeo competition - he admits to being a not-very-good bareback rider and later an accident-prone rodeo clown, David Poulsen has taken up residence in announcer's stands across North America. The results have been tremendously positive both for David and audiences who have listened to his knowledgeable and enthusiastic commentary for the last twenty-six years.
With 1500 performances to his credit, the likable Alberta native has appeared at many of the major rodeos and bull riding events in Canada, among them the Canadian Finals Rodeo (three times), the Calgary Stampede for the last sixteen years in a row and, the PCB Bull Riding Finals. He has been at the microphone for twenty-eight Finals events in seven different associations. Equally at home in front of a TV camera, he has been seen on CTV Wide World of Sports, TSN Television Sports and each year co-hosts the popular Stampede Roundup program on Calgary's CFCN-TV with Glen Campbell. He also acted as co-host of the documentary series The Complete Rider for The Outdoor Life Network. David's announcing talents have also taken him to the big screen. He twice played the role of a rodeo announcer in the successful family series The Black Stallion and was behind the microphone for the rodeo scenes in the movie Convict Cowboy that starred Jon Voigt
David is also a successful writer with some 17 published books to his credit. His writing career began in earnest in 1984 when his short story The Welcomin’ won the Alberta Culture Short Story Writing Competition. His newest book Last Sam's Cage (published by Key Porter Books, Toronto, ON) arrived in bookstores in October, 2005 and has been enjoying a tremendous reception with readers across Canada and beyond. Because a number of his books target young readers, David spends between 60 and 80 days a year in classrooms across Canada, talking to kids about his books and his life as a writer and sharing his stories with students.
David and his wife Barb raise running quarter horses on a small but picturesque ranch (El Rancho Pequino) in the Alberta foothills west of Claresholm.
With 1500 performances to his credit, the likable Alberta native has appeared at many of the major rodeos and bull riding events in Canada, among them the Canadian Finals Rodeo (three times), the Calgary Stampede for the last sixteen years in a row and, the PCB Bull Riding Finals. He has been at the microphone for twenty-eight Finals events in seven different associations. Equally at home in front of a TV camera, he has been seen on CTV Wide World of Sports, TSN Television Sports and each year co-hosts the popular Stampede Roundup program on Calgary's CFCN-TV with Glen Campbell. He also acted as co-host of the documentary series The Complete Rider for The Outdoor Life Network. David's announcing talents have also taken him to the big screen. He twice played the role of a rodeo announcer in the successful family series The Black Stallion and was behind the microphone for the rodeo scenes in the movie Convict Cowboy that starred Jon Voigt
David is also a successful writer with some 17 published books to his credit. His writing career began in earnest in 1984 when his short story The Welcomin’ won the Alberta Culture Short Story Writing Competition. His newest book Last Sam's Cage (published by Key Porter Books, Toronto, ON) arrived in bookstores in October, 2005 and has been enjoying a tremendous reception with readers across Canada and beyond. Because a number of his books target young readers, David spends between 60 and 80 days a year in classrooms across Canada, talking to kids about his books and his life as a writer and sharing his stories with students.
David and his wife Barb raise running quarter horses on a small but picturesque ranch (El Rancho Pequino) in the Alberta foothills west of Claresholm.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 1, 2014
The always chipper narrator made this already meh book very difficult to listen to. The narrator is supposed to be in jr high but she sounded like she was in elementary school and on a perpetual sugar high.
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January 19, 2020
The Vampire's Visit was a book that I read when I was a child and had forgotten about. When I found it in the library after a few years of trying to find out the title of this book, I was actually pretty excited. It meant that I could re-read a book that I had been attached to when I was a child. While, I liked some aspects of the book, most of it was rather cringe worthy.
I liked the basis of the plot. A Canadian girl, her younger brother, her best friend, and best friend's family spend a summer in England where they go to the house of a reclusive nobleman. The manor they go to is a nice, large country manor- but it offers the main character (Christine- nicknamed Salt) with a strange sense of foreboding as it garlic above every door and window of the house. A youngish vampire by the name of Sydney Chelling decides to visit them three days after they arrive to the house to request help. It turns out that there is going to be a war among the vampire gangs... or is it clans? and Sydney and his gang of very good vampires are worried about the renegade vampires that are killing innocent people.
What I liked about the book is the main premise of the book. Young heroines helping vampires and saving them day. However, the writing of the book made it very difficult to enjoy as it didn't provide a lot of plot development, was vague in details, and didn't have the character development that I was expecting. For example: Sydney Chelling was a very interesting character- so was Leonard (another vampire), but the author didn't really develop these characters very well so that they were well rounded characters.
As a matter of fact, the entire book was super vague in details. For example: The war between the vampires, the reasoning behind why there were rogue vampires that were killing innocent people, the plot surrounding the spying etc was poorly executed. The character of Hal was very interesting and as a matter of fact, I really liked Hal. Christine (Salt) was the main protagonist and being in her mind made me feel as though somebody was scraping their fingernails across a chalkboard. Christine was an annoying character. The way she told the story was annoying, the way she was constantly sarcastic was annoying, her attitude was annoying, the way that she was useless was annoying.
Pepper (Salt's friend) was no better. As a matter of fact, Pepper added nothing to the plot and seemed to be a carbon copy of Salt. She didn't have any character or personality. She seemed to be an extended version of Salt, but was an alter ego of some kind.
What I would have wanted in this story was for the plot to have been developed much better. It didn't necessarily need to be explained in full, but it would have been far better if the plot existed and things were explained to the reader.
I liked the basis of the plot. A Canadian girl, her younger brother, her best friend, and best friend's family spend a summer in England where they go to the house of a reclusive nobleman. The manor they go to is a nice, large country manor- but it offers the main character (Christine- nicknamed Salt) with a strange sense of foreboding as it garlic above every door and window of the house. A youngish vampire by the name of Sydney Chelling decides to visit them three days after they arrive to the house to request help. It turns out that there is going to be a war among the vampire gangs... or is it clans? and Sydney and his gang of very good vampires are worried about the renegade vampires that are killing innocent people.
What I liked about the book is the main premise of the book. Young heroines helping vampires and saving them day. However, the writing of the book made it very difficult to enjoy as it didn't provide a lot of plot development, was vague in details, and didn't have the character development that I was expecting. For example: Sydney Chelling was a very interesting character- so was Leonard (another vampire), but the author didn't really develop these characters very well so that they were well rounded characters.
As a matter of fact, the entire book was super vague in details. For example: The war between the vampires, the reasoning behind why there were rogue vampires that were killing innocent people, the plot surrounding the spying etc was poorly executed. The character of Hal was very interesting and as a matter of fact, I really liked Hal. Christine (Salt) was the main protagonist and being in her mind made me feel as though somebody was scraping their fingernails across a chalkboard. Christine was an annoying character. The way she told the story was annoying, the way she was constantly sarcastic was annoying, her attitude was annoying, the way that she was useless was annoying.
Pepper (Salt's friend) was no better. As a matter of fact, Pepper added nothing to the plot and seemed to be a carbon copy of Salt. She didn't have any character or personality. She seemed to be an extended version of Salt, but was an alter ego of some kind.
What I would have wanted in this story was for the plot to have been developed much better. It didn't necessarily need to be explained in full, but it would have been far better if the plot existed and things were explained to the reader.
May 30, 2020
Oh boy the narration was so bad! I would have been able to sit and finish this in one go if it were not for that voice the woman pulled for Chris. The book it's self was not horrible an interesting concept but poorly narrated.
July 23, 2009
Now this is a kids Vampire series. Doesn't take itself as series as too many of the other vampire series out there.
Salt & Pepper are kids - and act like kids! It is a short, fun book that could definitely engage reluctant readers.
Salt & Pepper are kids - and act like kids! It is a short, fun book that could definitely engage reluctant readers.
February 7, 2011
The premise was pretty over the top and the details were at times confusing and vague. Overall though I think it is an entertaining series and I like the main characters. I also thought it was a nice addition to include Salt's little brother Hal in the adventure.
October 18, 2011
It was really great! Loved all of them in the series
October 18, 2011
Very interesting
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews