Guest: Michele Hauf

Welcome!  Today's guest at VampChix is, erm...me.  :-)  I know, kinda weird, but I was inspired to create this blog because I write about vampires, and of course I'm not going to miss a chance to tell you about my book.

Actually, I'm blogging all over the Internets right now about my current book on a blog tour, so if you are so inclined, you can follow the schedule on my blog.  Each post reveals something about HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND, and also I'll be giving away books at each blog.

So what could I possibly say here at VampChix that I haven't said elsewhere?  Just this: Thank you.  Thank you to the readers who are hungry for vampires, vampires, and more vampires.  Thanks to you who love and read the paranormal stories that take us beyond the normal and introduce us to worlds wondrous and magical.  Thanks, simply, for buying my books, for sending me emails telling me about the parts you like (and sometimes don't like), for posting on my FaceBook page, blogs, and Twitter to let me know you are out there reading and looking forward to the next book.  As long as you keep reading vampires, I will keep writing them.  Someone has to, eh?  :-)

Now, that said, I'm on a mission to get the word around about this book.  Up until now, most of my paranormal romances have been put out in the Silhouette Nocturne series.  These books are shelved in the Harlequin/Silhouette section of the bookstores.  A section, I'm sure, that most paranormal romance readers don't often think to check for para-roms to read.  So with this book being put out under the HQN imprint, I'll on the shelves next to all the other single title para roms.  But many readers will not be familiar with me, because like I said, they've never shopped the series section before.  So I want them to know I'm here!  And if they like this book, I've got a backlist to check out, too.  So if you read HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND, and like it, spread the word!

Oh, and don't forget you can get the audio version of Vampire's Tango free at Audible.com

Here's to vamps!
Michele

Guest: Jacqueline Lepore

Please welcome Jacqueline Lepore to VampChix today!  Her publisher has generously offered two copies of DESCENT INTO DUST as contest prizes, so today in the comments add #8 to Jacqueline's list of why you think we love vampires so much. [2 winners will be announced on Wednesday!]


Thanks so much for inviting me to Vampchix to discuss all things vampire.  I wonder why we love the bloodthirsty devils so much?  I’ll tell you a few of my favorite things that only a fanged member of the undead brings to the table:


1)      First and foremost, they never die.  Immortality?  Of course we’re interested.  I mean, imagine not having to ever worry about dying ?  But we are also appalled.  Imagine never dying--day after day (or night after night) with no end in sight for all of eternity.  As the Queen song once said: Who wants to live forever?  What would that be like?  Wouldn’t existence get old, boring?


2)      They have “evil” natures.  In traditional lore about vampires, in order to live they have to take life.  They drink human blood, for goodness sakes! (although thanks to True Blood, that problem is solved for nice vampires, who would be boring if there weren’t still a struggle with the true predator inside them—a struggle we viewers/readers love to watch)


3)      They devote themselves to amassing power, and we humans are fascinated with power.  And their domain is not simply over life and death, but our very souls, if they make us undead as well.  They can be ruthless, since they don’t have to bother with living a good life to get into a good afterlife.  Of course, there is the question as to whether or not they are damned.  Poor Edward Cullen, it’s his big hang up.  As far as I’m concerned, he’s in the clear.  Dracula, however, he’s in bad shape, if he ever does get to the hereafter.  That’s why he clings to his earthly existence so dearly, I guess.


4)      Big drawback: their limitations.  No sunlight (very depressing for them, poor dears) and never to eat food (A dealbreaker for me—I love food too much).  They have to sleep in dirt or in a coffin (Ew).  They can’t see themselves in a mirror (how do they know if they have bed head or not?), and God forbid someone spill rice (or the ever-popular millet seeds) around them—they’ll be counting for the rest of the day.


5)      But back to the good stuff: They can fly, so that’s cool.


6)      That whole ecstasy thing they seem to get when they drink blood. It’s more than satisfying hunger, it’s very sensual.  Even sexual.  Remember Winona Ryder getting bitten (“Take me away from all this death…”).  Clearly, she liked it!  I would have thought it hurt, but vampire victims seem...well, let’s just say it looks like wicked good fun.


7)      Another drawback: Don’t you get the feeling that vampires are tragically lonely?  And overwhelmingly lovelorn.  Since they outlive their human loves, they seek to make humans immortal to serve as companions, helpers, etc.  Poor dears, they are ever searching for the one who will “complete them”, which is why I think they make such fabulous romantic heroes.  I mean, who can say Gary Oldman’s Dracula didn’t break your heart?

Well, that’s it: I was trying for 10 points, a la David Letterman, but I think I’ll stop at seven.  Seven is a mystical number—the Seven Deadly Sins, the Seven the magnificent seven, and as you all will find out should you care to read my series, the Seven Dark Princes of the vampire world are explained in the second book of the series, entitled THE CYPRIAN QUEEN (not out until next year).  Until then, look for more hints at this and other future developments in the series at my website jacquelinelepore.com or send comments to my facebook page (Emma Andrews, Vampire Hunter) and if you want, follow me on Twitter @ jacquelinelepor.  Thanks so much for having me!

  Visit Jacqueline at her Website
FaceBook
Twitter


Reviews:
“Old-fashioned vampire fiction--with a little postmodern feminist updating--makes a comeback in this smoothly written debut . . . Lepore successfully captures the mood of traditional gothic fiction, complete with soggy moors, murky religious orders, ancient ruins, dark secrets, and plenty of general mystical weirdness, and complements it with a strong female protagonist for broad reader appeal."
   — Publishers Weekly

“Deliciously macabre . . . The rural Victorian setting is evocative, and the vampire threat palpable. While Lepore’s tale does come to a nail-biting climax, her compelling characters are not finished with their missions, and so will continue their vampire slaying in future books, which will surely please readers.”
   — Booklist (starred review)

Oh, and here's an excerpt.  Enjoy!!

CHAPTER ONE
I was twenty-three years of age in March of 1862 when I traveled to my cousin’s home in the countryside of Wiltshire.  The fifth day of that wretched month found me huddled in my carriage, the drizzly gray gloom outside soaking a bone-deep chill into every aching part of my body, which had been roughly abused by the long confinement and ill-kept roads over which I’d traveled coming up from Dartmoor.
I did not know then that these would be the closing days of ordinary life.  The only suggestion of the monumental changes that were about to occur was the headache that had come upon me upon crossing the Dart River.  The pain, as fine as tiny needles being pushed into my temples, increased as I crossed the chalk downs and approached Dulwich Manor.
At the time, I assumed this was due to anxiety, for my younger sister and her new husband were among the guests invited for an extended stay at my cousin’s sprawling country house.  As I was long accustomed to contending with Alyssa without anything like this haunting megrim, I suppose I should not have made this rather obvious misattribution.  But how could I have thought differently, back then?
The house was a large, ugly thing, squatting low on the land like a spider on a softly rounded hilltop.  Stones blacked with lichen and soot formed a plain rectangle of unadorned walls dotted liberally with cross-hatched windows.  It lay dormant under leaden skies.  There was no signs of life about it or any of the outbuildings.  Everyone had taken shelter from the rain.
I emerged into a light drizzle and drew the cowl of my cloak over my head.  At the top of the impressive set of carved steps a very correct looking servant waited.  “Emma Andrews, Mrs. Dulwich’s cousin,” I told him.
He did not quite meet my gaze, as all good servants manage not to do, as he opened the door wider and ushered me inside to a vaulted hall.  I was instantly struck by the feeling of being very, very small in a very, very large place.  The gasjets on the wall leaked only a small puddle of light in which I stood, beyond which I saw only shadowy hints of the rest of the room.
“I shall tell madam you have arrived,” the manservant intoned soberly.
Once alone, I quickly checked my appearance in a pier glass hung on the wall.  I was decidedly damp.  My hair was nearly a ruin.  The expensive gown I had donned that morning, thinking it would lend me courage, had been a bad choice.  There was nothing to be done about the crushed silk.  A smart travel dress would have been better, had I owned one.  But such things required seamstress consultations and fittings, all amounting to too much time, time I never seemed to make room for in my ordinary routines.  I did take comfort in the fine brushed wool of my cloak which Simon, my husband, had given me for Christmas last year, a month before he died.  It was of excellent quality.
A voice brought me up sharp.  “I am most put out that the weather is foul,” my cousin, Mary, said as she swept into the hall.  “I wanted to show the house to its full advantage.”
She posed regally in the hall of the Jacobean house, her pride radiating from her.  She knew her surroundings elevated her, as wealth is apt to do.  She had married well and that is always a woman’s conceit.
And yet, it had not been mine.  My late husband, Simon, had left me his wealth, something I found made my rather ordinary life a bit more convenient than it had previously been, but little else had changed because of it.  I certainly took no pride in showing it off.
“The house is magnificent, Mary.  I am anxious to see what you have done with its restoration.  It seems very grand indeed.”
That pleased her, thawed her a bit.  She cocked her chin at me and turned slightly so that I might press a kiss upon her cheek in a rather pretentious gesture for a woman only three years my senior.  But I complied.  I have no trouble indulging others’ vanities, if they are harmless.
“Come then, Emma,” she said, “the parlor is through here.  Give Penwys your cloak.  Alyssa and Alan have already arrived.  I know she is anxious to see you.  Penwys will see your things are delivered to your room and the servants will put everything to rights.  You can go upstairs when you’ve met everyone and freshen up then.”
She was showing off a bit, taking on the same airs Alyssa was so fond of.  As just as with my sister, they had the tendency to prick my sore spot and made me wicked.
“Oh, very well,” I conceded, “but please direct your man to be very careful with my portmanteau.  It is old, and I take extra care of it since it had been my mother’s.”
The mention of Laura—my beautiful, tragic mother—changed her expression to one rife with thoughts best left unsaid.  “Your belongings will be treated with the respect they deserve.”
We proceeded together down a short corridor.  Above, a series of large arches stretched across the high ceiling like ribs, giving me the unsettling feeling of traversing the interior of a vast corporeal chest.  My eye was caught by some words carved at the apex of the last of these stone vaults, just above the heavy double doors beyond which I could hear the muffled sounds of conversation.  An odd place for decoration, I mused.  It would be easily overlooked as it was placed high overhead.  But I could read the three words. Corruptio optimi pessima.
I stopped.  Something strange and unpleasant fluttered through me.  The air went crisp, as if ionizing in preparation for an electrical strike.
Mary saw me staring.  “Interesting, isn’t it?  Those carvings are all over the house.  The man who built the original manor was a bishop, back before Henry, when the papists still had the run of the place.”  She laughed.  “It’s a curiously religious dwelling as a result, and I’ve kept it that way through the restoration.  These ominous sayings carved here and there are terribly quaint, don’t you agree?”
My voice was dry as dust.  “Do you know what it means?”
She must have forgotten my unfortunate habit of overburdening my brain with reading, for she thought I didn’t know.  “I believe it means ‘the best of men are incorruptible.’”
It did not.  The fact that she didn’t know made my uneasiness grow.  It felt to me—very strongly so—that it should be important the owner of this house understand what was written into its very bones.  The correct translation was “Corruption of the best is worst.”
The fingers of pain in my forehead dug deeper and my hand pressed at my temple as Mary flung open the doors to the drawing room.  “Emma has finally arrived,” she announced as she swept me inside.
  

Jeaniene Frost just posted her latest book cover, due out July 27th.  To read her description about the cover go here..

Just a reminder that every time we hit the 'hundred' mark with Followers, VampChix gives stuff away.  We're very close to the 300 mark.  I think I foresee a giveaway in the near future...

Vampire Film Festival this fall...

2010 Vampire Fest Oct. 27 - 31 2010 New Orleans


Submissions Now Open for 2010 Film Festival

The Vampire Film Festival (Vampire Fest) and Reel Energy Entertainment are pleased to announce that submissions are open for the 4th Vampire Film Festival. For the second year, the location of Vampire Fest will be beautiful New Orleans, Louisiana.

"In 2009, Vampire Fest presented over 50 films from filmmakers across the globe. It is our mission to surpass that number in 2010 and present an even bigger festival," offered festival director, Asif Ahmed

In 2010 harnessing the spirit of the festival's new home, New Orleans.  The festival is now seeking films dealing with Voodoo and Witchcraft in addition to Vampire Films, Gothic Films and Mythic Horror Films.

Also new in 2010 the festival will include music videos. Filmmakers and musicians who have vampire/gothic/ themed music videos or any musical work with themes of the occult including zombies, werewolves or ghosts or witches are encouraged to submit their work.

All deadlines and submission guidelines are now posted on the official website or Withoutabox.com

BLOODLINES - Vampire Project

The blood line vampire project.  Tracing and connecting vampire blood lines across the globe.

We want to know your encounters, stories, interviews and histories with all creatures of the night.

Real Interviews with Real Vampires.

Looking for contributors, bloggers to partake in the Bloodline Vampire Project.  Find out more at www.vampirefest.com.

Babies, Insects and Blood

[This post was previously published at Vampires.com.]

Oh vampire lore, how I love thee. If you’re new to the site then let me fill you in, I love vampire folklore, I especially love how nearly every country in the world has its own species of vampire. Today’s myth is another one aboutwitch vampires, but this witch it the Albanian shtriga.

The shtriga is a witch that would feed on the life force or blood of people as they slept at night (the myth varies area to area). Once she was finished feeding on her victim she would then transform into an insect and fly into the night. But the shtriga didn’t feed on just anyone, her preferred meal was infants and children. Even now people in Albania still blame the shtriga for many infant deaths.

It is said that those feed on by a shtriga would die shortly after, unless they received the cure that is. This cure was to have the shtriga herself spit into the mouth of the victim. Disgusting, but hell, it’s better than death.

Like with most vampires out there, there are ways to ward them off and keep them from eating your babies. There are two methods one could use to keep the shtriga away.

• Make a cross made of bone and place it at the entrance of a church on Easter Sunday. This will make it so any shtriga inside can’t escape. They can then be captured and killed at the threshold as they try to pass.
• After drinking blood from a victim, the shtriga would usually go off into the woods and regurgitate it (that seems wasteful) and it was believed that soaking a silver coin in that blood, then wrapping it in cloth would and turning it into an amulet would offer permanent protection from any shtriga.

Added Note: If you are a fan of the show Supernatural then you may remember the shtriga from the episode “Something Wicked” where Dean and Sam battle it out with one.

- Moonlight

Winner!

The winner of Denise Verrico's CARA MIA is donnas!

Please send your snail mail address to vampchixmail@gmail.com

Congrats!

YA Vamps: Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Blue Bloods, book #1 in the series.

From the back flap of this first book I had a hard time gauging what this book and series was going to be about. Read it and see what you think:

SCHUYLER VAN ALEN has never fit in at Duchesne, her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes to the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates. But when she turns fifteen, Schuyler's life haunts her in unexpected ways. And strangest of all, Jack Force, the most popular boy in school, is showing a sudden interest in her.

Once an outcast, Schuyler is thrust into Manhattan's most exclusive social circle. It's members are the powerful, the wealthy, and--as Schuyler soon discovers--the unhuman. They are Blue Bloods, an ancient group of vampires, and for centuries they've been invincible. Now something is preying on this elite group, and Schuyler wants to find out the truth. But is she the most vulnerable of them all? Blue Bloods at BN.com

So, what do you think? Does it give you a feel for the series? Or at least book one? It took me a bit to dive in. And then a bit longer to really get into the journey of this one. And, I'll tell you why. For the record, this just might be my first mixed review so please bare with me, just don't bite!

Shall we do constructive and then positive? Okay, here it is... Despite the cover, I thought that in favor of the description of Schuyler there would not be that much fashion or that Schuyler would no be among Manhattan's elite... And, well, she is and she isn't. There is LOTS of FASHION in this book. And lots of big name fashion to the point of putting down Tiffany's and if that is not fashion then I am not at liberty to know what most things fashion are in this book to the point of even being able to pronounce them. And to me that takes away from the story and all things vampire! And that why I picked the darn thing up in the first place... I mean I'm all for a night out on the town or out in the club, but when it takes over the story to the point of me wondering which character is even at which club, what they are wearing and I'm hoping desperately the writer gets us back to the point... You see what I'm saying here? Added to this is that the point of view changes among characters and sometimes within the chapter. Maybe this is just a pet peeve of mine, but thought I'd mention it in case that tends to mess with any other readers... One very real negative for me is fifteen year olds, vamps or not, pounding down drinks at parties and clubs. I get it, vamps can drink without getting drunk. But, fifteen?! I just took issue with this and I'm not even a parent. I think the point was over made is all. Lastly, there were some biological and spiritual issues in these novels that I did not expect nor have any way of anticipating based on the descriptions of the novels.

Well, once I got about halfway in the story started to get moving and we find that there's a bit of dispute over Schuyler's biological background! There are only so many vampires, called Blue Bloods, allowed "alive" at a time and they carry their memories with them in the blood cells, which is one of the coolest things of this series so far, and no one can seem to remember Schuyler! Upsetting, yes? Yes! Something also seems to be attacking the Blue Bloods, even though they are supposed to be invincible, literally, un-killable, because they recycle! Cool thing number two of the series so far. The villains in the series are also quite good! Very believable. Wow. Cool things three and four, the very best vampires can do mind control and have bloodhounds; which Schuyler (nicknamed Sky by her human friend Oliver) has one named Beauty and seems to be able to do a bit of mc too. Very cool! And, the bloodhounds somehow know to find them and protect them. Cool thing five that I'll share of the series so far is that if there are Blue Bloods... there must be Red Bloods too.... and they are? Em hem... heeeelloooo well, think about it.... Okay, you'll have to read it for that one. =]

Okay, maybe I was tad hard on the things I wasn't expecting in the series therefore not liking part, because there are several pretty neat things going on in this series. The problem may actually be that there are too many things going on and too many characters telling the story. And I think I would have liked Schuyler to be 16 or 17 starting out. But, that's just me. Or perhaps, I'm becoming a critic! Eeeek! I've just never felt conflicted on a book before like this. Have you read it? If so, what did you think? I fear I may have shied some away, but the second book is really much better than the first, really. That wasn't so bad, whew. Shall we continue with the series? If so, will you join me?

I've started Masquerade, Blue Bloods book #2 in the series and it has started off much better and begins in Italy! Much faster paced and now I know what the story is about, the characters and the story has really began! So, if you'd like to pick up and join me we can discuss this one and the rest of the series next month for YA vamp reads. Believe it or not, I'm actually enjoying this one much more!

What next? What other future YA vampire reads would you like to see here at VampChix? Some that are on my wanna reads list are (and these are just the ones on my short stack, literally, so please speak up if there are others on yours):

Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

Thirst (No. 1 & 2, Last Vampire Series) by Christopher Pike

City of Bones (The Immortal Instruments series) by Cassandra Clare

The Strange Power (Dark Visions series) by L.J. Smith

The Return Series of The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith

The Vampire's Assistant & Other Tales From the Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan

Just to name a few....ha! What shall we read next? =] Seriously... I. Can't. Stop. Reading. Vampire. Books...

Please email me with ya vamp book suggestions at slkcivilrwr@gmail.com, feel free to visit me at my blog, READ~WRITE~REVAMP, & I TWEET!

~ your ya vampchix,

Shauna Kemp

Guest: Denise Verrico

Please welcome Denise Verrico to VampChix!  She's author of the Immortyl Revolution series, which features CARA MIA and the (coming soon) TWILIGHT OF THE GODS.  Denise has offered to give a copy of Cara Mia to one lucky commenter, so show her some love in the comments!  [Winner announced Wednesday.]

Vampires fascinate me because I find them to be a wonderful metaphor for many subjects.  For me, it's all about man's inhumanity to man.  If you look at history, there have never been any 'good old days'.  The history of humankind is fraught with bloodshed and exploitation.  My vampires often reflect their era or culture.  I depart from the warm and fuzzy vampire.  Most in my vampire culture are territorial and violent.  Parts of Cara Mia are very bloody.  Some of my vampires are more idealistic and humane, but they are still violent by nature.

Vampires have always been a passion for me.  As a kid, I loved watching Dark Shadows on TV.  Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid, was an early sympathetic vampire.  I devoured Anne Rice novels and read a lot of vampire lore.  Interview with a Vampire is my favorite.  I love the Frank Langella version of Dracula.  In college, I sat in the balcony of the Pittsburgh Playhouse with my girlfriends and yelled, 'Open the window!' to Kate Nelligan.  I also like the Lugosi classic a lot.

I follow a lot of vampire traditions in my writing, like avoiding the sun and drinking only human blood, but I give these a scientific reason.  In the nineties, I read a lot about biotechnology.  I've always loved science.  The task I set out for myself was to create a plausible cause for vampirism and the subsequent immortality.  The sci fi vampire story, I Am Legend is another favorite of mine.

I'm a sucker for a story about the little guy or gal fighting the forces of evil.  My heroine and hero are underdogs, slaves chosen for their youth and sexual attractiveness.  Mia and Kurt find they're in sympathy because they find the strictures and cruelty of their society too much to bear.  They become outlaws who rebel against their masters and give the secrets of immortality to science.  Mia and Kurt may look like teenagers, but they're both over sixty when they become lovers.  They've known a lot of pain.  Kurt leads a slave rebellion in the second in the series, Twilight of the Gods, which will be out this fall.

Mia's narrative reflects her irreverent humor and spunk.  Her kinsman, Philip exercises his wit at every opportunity.  I like to laugh and I always say, when I start to hear too many violins playing, it's time to wisecrack.  My background is in theatre, so I pepper the story with theatrical and Shakespearean references.

The eroticism of the vampire appeals to me.  Since my Immortyl culture is based on ancient societies, I've gone as far to create vampire courtesans.  Cedric MacKinnon, one of these adepts of the ancient arts, is part of the Chief Elder's household and the POV character in my third novel, Fearful Symmetry.  Technically, an adept is a temple artist in a tantric cult of Kali, but they're treated as political pawns.  I love that court intrigue.

Cara Mia blurb:
Mia Disantini is a vampire who wants to walk again in the sun.  Enslaved by her charismatic master, Ethan and plunged into the unenlightened Immortyl culture, Mia struggles for freedom.  Trained as Ethan's Bird of Prey, she becomes the pawn of their enigmatic elder, Brovik, in his intrigues concerning the forbidden science.  Cast out by Ethan, Mia joins forces with Kurt, and together the lovers steal their master's secrets and deliver them to Genpath Laboratories.  Duped and imprisoned by CEO, Lee Brooks, Mia calls upon the aid of neuroscientist, Dr. Joe Ansari.  But Mia and Kurt are hunted for their crime and time is running out.

You can read excerpts from Cara Mia and Twilight of the Gods at: www.deniseverricowriter.webs.com

Friend me on Facebook at my fan page Immortyl Revolution.
You can also follow me on Twitter and my new blog, www.ImmortylRevolution.blogspot.com

Are you ready for these?

Jane Slayre, our plucky demon-slaying heroine, a courageous orphan who spurns the detestable vampyre kin who raised her, sets out on the advice of her ghostly uncle to hone her skills as the fearless slayer she’s meant to be. When she takes a job as a governess at a country estate, she falls head-over-heels for her new master, Mr. Rochester, only to discover he’s hiding a violent werewolf in the attic—in the form of his first wife. Can a menagerie of bloodthirsty, flesh-eating, savage creatures-of-the-night keep a swashbuckling nineteenth-century lady from the gentleman she intends to marry? Vampyres, zombies, and werewolves transform Charlotte Brontë’s unforgettable masterpiece into an eerie paranormal adventure that will delight and terrify. [Available April 13]

[Available May 4]  And not to be overlooked, LITTLE WOMEN AND WEREWOLVES.

[Available August 1]

ROMEO & JULIET & VAMPIRES [Available August 31]

New releases and vamp bites...

Spring equinox!  Is everyone trying to balance eggs today?  ;-)

Just learned about these cool retractable vampire fangs the other day.  Go watch the video at the sight, and if you order a set, report back to VampChix!  They look pretty cool, but the whole 'tongue bar' thing makes me think they'll be a pain to operate, or at least talk.  But then who does sound normal when talking with fangs?  ;-)

While at the VampFangs.com site I also spied this pretty little necklace.  Nice price, too.

Sigourney Weaver Vamps Movie Vampire Queen – It appears as if Sigourney Weaver has stepped back into the spotlight after starring in the recently released, highest grossing movie of all time, “Avatar.” The success of “Avatar” has undoubtedly left many studios interested in the aging star, who has starred in a number of James Cameron’s most highly regarded films including the horror sci-fi thriller, “Aliens.” It is reported that Weaver recently accepted a role in the upcoming Vampire movie, aptly named “Vamps.” The director of the upcoming movie, which has been classified as a “romantic horror/comedy”, will be the director of Clueless, Amy Heckerling.

Production the new movie is scheduled to begin in April, with filming commencing shortly after the start of production. The character that Sigourney Weaver will play in the upcoming movie will be named Ciccerus, and will be the “Queen” of the vampires that she recruits through biting them. It is unclear at this point what the potential rating of the movie will be, but most insiders report that the movie will be a lighthearted pop culture movie that should not garner a rating past PG-13.
Here's a link to an interview with the other actresses slated to star in the film.


Here's one you might have missed:  Christopher Hart's THE REFORMED.
“I cannot die. But I cannot live. Let me go.
Remove this curse of eternal life!”
Handsome, wealthy, respected, Giancarlo has lived for hundreds of years, surrounded by splendor, shrouded in darkness, and enslaved by the insatiable hunger lurking inside him. In the glittering ballrooms where the privileged gather, he moves with cool elegance. But in the desolate alleys where the undead feed, he preys with murderous intent. Immortality is his, but love never will be–only an eternity of loneliness, filled with the blood of innocent victims.

But Jenny won’t be one of them. Something about this beautiful young woman stirs feelings in Giancarlo that he hasn’t known for centuries. For her, he will defy his dark brethren and fight to be mortal again. But he is a marked man. Ghoulish murders plaguing the city have made him the target of a relentless homicide cop. And a far more dangerous enemy–one of unspeakable brutality and bloodlust–hovers even closer . . . determined to annihilate Giancarlo and his last chance for salvation.


So how many of you stood in line last night to snatch NEW MOON on DVD?  I understand some stores opened at midnight.  If you didn't require such a quick fix, you can order it from Amazon, or even download it directly from Amazon to watch on your 'puter.  Don'tcha just love technology?




And if you really want to go fancy, check out this offer at Vampire.com for wine and the DVD.

And hey, did you know you can now download my vampire novella, Vampire's Tango, in audio version, for Free from Audible.com?  It's for a limited time (not sure when it expires) so go check it out!  And if you prefer to read your books, you can find the first chapter at my website, and various buy links, as well.

New Vampire Releases for March 2010

There are some excellent vampire titles out this month, several by popular authors like - Angela Knight, Mario Acevedo, Christopher Moore, and Kerrelyn Sparks, just to name a few.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
by Seth Grahame-Smith
Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (March 2, 2010)


From the Publisher: Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

And Falling, Fly
by Skyler White
Berkley Trade; 1 edition (March 2, 2010)

From the publisher: In a dark and seedy underground of burned-out rock stars and angels-turned- vampires, a revolutionary neuroscientist and a fallen angel must put medicine against mythology in an attempt to erase their tortured pasts...but at what price?

Olivia, vampire and fallen angel of desire, is hopeless...and damned. Since the fall from Eden, she has hungered for love, but fed only on desire. Dominic O'Shaughnessy is a neuroscientist plagued by impossible visions. When his research and her despair collide at L'Otel Mathillide-a subterranean hell of beauty, demons, and dreams-rationalist and angel unite in a clash of desire and damnation that threatens to destroy them both.

In this fractures Hotel of the Damned, Olivia and Dominic discover the only force consistent in their opposing realities is the deep, erotic gravity between them. Bound to each other finally in a knot of interwoven freedoms, Dominic and Olivia-the vision-touched scientist and the earth-bound angel, reborn and undead-encounter the mystery of love and find it is both fall...and flight.

Bite Me
by Christopher Moore
William Morrow; 1 edition (March 23, 2010)

From the publisher: The city of San Francisco is being stalked by a huge shaved vampyre cat named Chet, and only I, Abby Normal, emergency backup mistress of the Greater Bay Area night, and my manga-haired love monkey, Foo Dog, stand between the ravenous monster and a bloody massacre of the general public.
Whoa. And this is a love story? Yup. 'Cept there's no whining. See, while some lovers were born to run, Jody and Tommy were born to bite. Well, reborn, that is, now that they're vampires. Good thing theirs is an undying love, since their Goth Girl Friday, Abby Normal, imprisoned them in a bronze statue.

Abby wants to be a bloodsucking fiend, too, but right now she's really busy with other stuff, like breaking in a pair of red vinyl thigh-high Skankenstein® platform boots and wrangling her Ph.D.-candidate boyfriend, Steve (the love monkey). And then there's that vampire cat Chet, who's getting bigger and smarter—and thirstier—by the minute. Abby thought she and Steve could handle the kitty cat on their own, mais non . . .

Before you can say "OMG! WTF?" Tommy and Jody are sprung from captivity, and join forces with Abby, Steve, the frozen-turkey-bowling Safeway crew, the Emperor of San Francisco and his trusty dogs Lazarus and Bummer, Abby's gay Goth friend Jared, and SF's finest Cavuto and Rivera to hunt big cat and save the city. And that's when the fun really begins.

The Bitten Word
NewCon Press (March 26, 2010)

"The Bitten Word is a collection of all-new vampire stories by some of the best known authors in the genre plus some up-and-coming future stars, with front cover art by John Kaiine and back cover art by award-winning artist Les Edwards." from Hellnotes

BLOOD PRESSURE: A Vampire Testament
by Terence Taylor
St. Martin's Griffin; Original edition (March 30, 2010)


From the publisher:

The secret war between vampires and humans escalates and the world will never be the same again…

Christopher Jude Miller – fully grown and still human – has returned to New York to seek answers about his past.  It is there he meets Joie, a young woman connected to his past, and falls into a twisted love triangle. He and Joie also realize that the magical forces that made both their lives possible have unexpected side effects, as they discover that united they have abilities neither knew of before - including the power to cure vampires.

Created after the incidents that brought in the National Guard to contain the vampire zombie plague on the Lower East Side, Clean Slate Global is a covert ops organization formed to rid the world of vampires, run by ex-deputy mayor Jonathan Richmond.  But Richmond unleashes an ancient evil with darker motives.  It plots to use Christopher and Joie’s power to eliminate all vampires from the Earth…with the exception of its own new and improved indestructible army of the undead.

The Dead Travel Fast (Paperback)
Deanna Reborn
Mira (March 1, 2010)

From the publisher:  A husband, a family, a comfortable life: Theodora Lestrange lives in terror of it all.

With a modest inheritance and the three gowns that comprise her entire wardrobe, Theodora leaves Edinburgh—and a disappointed suitor—far behind. She is bound for Rumania, where tales of vampires are still whispered, to visit an old friend and write the book that will bring her true independence.

She arrives at a magnificent, decaying castle in the Carpathians, replete with eccentric inhabitants: the ailing dowager; the troubled steward; her own fearful friend, Cosmina. But all are outstripped in dark glamour by the castle's master, Count Andrei Dragulescu.

Bewildering and bewitching in equal measure, the brooding nobleman ignites Theodora's imagination and awakens passions in her that she can neither deny nor conceal. His allure is superlative, his dominion over the superstitious town, absolute—Theodora may simply be one more person under his sway.

Before her sojourn is ended—or her novel completed—Theodora will have encountered things as strange and terrible as they are seductive. For obsession can prove fatal…and she is in danger of falling prey to more than desire.

Death Blows: The Bloodhound Files By DD Barant
St. Martin's Paperbacks; Original edition (March 30, 2010)

From the publisher:  FBI profiler Jace Valchek was pulled into this parallel realm to hunt for Aristotle Stoker, a human serial killer who preys on vampires and werewolves. Now she works for the National Security Agency of the Unnatural States of America—and her boss is a vampire.

At a bizarre crime scene, Jace finds a bloodsucker murdered by magic, fried to the bone and dressed in the costume of the comic book hero the Flash—a character who isn’t supposed to exist here. Comic books have been outlawed for their powers, including crossover spells like the one that transported Jace to this world. Soon, she’s following a trail of dead bodies into the sinister underworld of black-market comics—where a deranged madman gives new meaning to the term “super-villain”…

The Dhampir
by Angela Knight
Changeling Press, March 2010

From the publisher: Genevieve Drake is a Dhampir -- half vampire, half mortal, born and bred to be the perfect complement to her vampire mate, like those of her family for sixteen generations. Instead, she chose to become a cop. Three months ago she survived a vicious attack by a psychotic ex that left her with psychic scars and a desperate need for a new line of work. Time to rethink her future.

Hunter is tall, dark and handsome -- and very, very powerful. He's also been waiting for Genevieve. She was just sixteen when he had a vision that they'd one day become lovers. He's been biding his time ever since.

But Genevieve's experiences have left her unable to trust any man, even Hunter. If he wants them to have a future, the vampire will have to find a way to banish her ghosts...

Deep In the Woods (Vampire Babylon)
by Chris Marie Green
Ace Trade; Original edition (March 2, 2010)

From the publisher: With the female master of the London Underground in her hands, stuntwoman-turned­ vampire hunter Dawn Madison must fight off her followers, a vicious pack of undead teenage girls who put the vamps Dawn had to deal with in Los Angeles to shame...

Don't Kill The Messenger
by Eileen Rendahl
Berkley Trade; Original edition (March 2, 2010)

From the publisher: The first in a fantastic new paranormal series about a messenger from the supernatural underworld.

Melina Markowitz is a Messenger, a go-between for paranormal forces and supernatural creatures. Problem is, when a girl's a go-between, it's hard not to get caught in the middle...

When ninjas steal an envelope from Melina, her search leads her to a Taoist temple in Old Sacramento, where the priests seem to practice Zen and the art of mayhem. Melina learns from the handsome ER doctor (and vampire) who gave her the envelope that it contained talismans created by the priests to control Chinese vampires, who are attacking gang members to spark a street war.

Although he may look more like a surfer than a cop, Ted Goodnight is dead serious about investigating the surge in gang violence. At every turn he runs into Melina, a very attractive-and very mysterious-young woman. Can Melina enlist his help to battle something he doesn't even believe in without blowing her cover?




EVOLVE: Vampire Stories of the New Undeadedited by Nancy Kilpatrick
Edge Books March 1, 2010

From the publisher: New Vampires have evolved, and they are coming for you! Kelly Armstrong, Tanya Huff and twenty-two other dark fantasy and horror writers come together to re-imagine the future of vampires in this new collection of all-original short fiction – one of the most unusual and original vampire anthologies ever assembled.

EVOLVE includes works by:
Kelley Armstrong, Tanya Huff, Claude Lalumière. Mary E. Choo, Sandra Kasturi, Bradley Somer, Kevin Cockle, Rebecca Bradley, Heather Clitheroe, Colleen Anderson, Sandra Wickham, Rhea Rose, Ronald Hore, Bev Vincent, Jennifer Greylyn, Steve Vernon, Michael Skeet, Kevin Nunn, Victoria Fisher, Rio Youers, Gemma Files, Natasha Beaulieu, Claude Bolduc, and Jerome Stueart.

Hourglass (Evernight Novels) 
by Claudia Gray
HarperTeen; 1 edition (March 9, 2010)

From the publisher: Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas. After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters.

Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny. Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what's to come?

Key to Justice (Gillian Key)
by Talia Gryphon
Ace; Original edition (March 30, 2010)

From the publisher: Psychologist to the paranormal Gillian Key has a new patient. He is a vampire who calls himself Csangal, but he is also a creature hiding his true motives-and his true identity: Dracula.

MASTER OF FIRE
by Angela Knight
Berkley; Original edition (March 2, 2010)

From the publisher: A beautiful, brilliant chemist, Giada Shepherd is an immortal witch charged with saving the life of Logan MacRoy, the mortal son of a vampire. Passionately attracted to Giada, Logan has no idea that sex would turn him into a vampire. And no, as a killer sets deadly traps for them, the truth must come out, as must a weapon they never counted on: love...

The Mage In Black (Sabina Kane)
by Jaye Wells
Orbit; Original edition (March 30, 2010)

From the Publisher: Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, the leader of the vampire race, just tried to kill her. When she arrives in New York to meet the mage side of her family, the reunion takes the fun out of dysfunctional.

On top of that, the Hekate Council wants to use her as a pawn in the brewing war against the vampires. Her mission will take her into the bowels of New York's Black Light district, entangles her in mage politics, and challenges her beliefs about the race she was raised to distrust. And Sabina thought vampires were bloodthirsty. 



Mistress of the Underground (A book in the Secret Vampire Society series)
by Lisa Childs
Silhouette (March 1, 2010)

From the publisher: The exceptional skill to heal supernatural beings is Doctor Benjamin Davison's gift—and his curse. His profession demands secrecy. A secrecy that once cost him his marriage because his wife, Paige, refused to accept his covert life. But even she can't deny the potent passion that continues to draw them together….

The last thing Paige Culver wants in her life is a fresh web of lies. But that's what she finds herself trapped in once she agrees to run the popular nightclub Club Underground. Her quest for the truth reveals that no one in her life is who they seem—not her customers, her ex-husband…not even herself.

But when an evil is unleashed, Paige gets more answers than she bargained for. Now she and Benjamin must reunite to save themselves and their hopes for the future…




Shadowglass Shadowfae Chronicles #2
by Erica Hayes
St. Martin's Griffin; 1 edition (March 2, 2010)

From the publisher: Welcome to a secret world hidden behind shadowy fairy glamour, where thieving spriggans rob you blind, beautiful banshees mesmerize you with their song, big green trolls kick heads at nightclubs and vampire Mafiosi rule the streets. Here a seductive magic mirror lies hidden deep in a demon's lair, with a simple warning: don't stare at the glass...

Ice is a light-fingered fairy who can't resist a look at the powerful mirror. The mirror offers her a chance to achieve everything she's ever dreamed of. But when she pilfers it, she discovers that its power comes with a price: the mirror is a gateway to obsession and madness...and it will take every trick in her arsenal just to survive.

Sunrise in a Garden of Love and Evil
by Barbara Monajem
Dorcheseter, March 30, 2010

From the publisher: Dark secrets abound in the town of Bayou Gavotte, Louisiana, from blackmail to fetish clubs to murder, and when blood-and-love starved vampire Ophelia Beliveau calls in the police to scare away whoever is desecrating her garden, Detective Gideon O'Toole unearths more than he ever dreamed... 

The Vampire Hunters
by Scott M Barker
e-publication by Shadowfire Press in March 19 2010

From the publisher: Modern day vampire hunters wage a brutal battle against the undead in the nation's capital.

The Vampire and the Virgin (Love at Stake, Book 8)
by Kerrelyn Sparks
Avon; Original edition (March 9, 2010)

From the publisher:

Olivia's packing list:

1. Sunscreen
2. Bathing suit
3. Flip-flops

FBI psychologist Olivia Sotiris was looking for a cool ocean breeze, sand between her toes, and a break from her crazy, chaotic, and sometimes all-too-dangerous life. But when she escaped to the small Greek island of Patmos, all she got were meddling grandmothers trying to marry her off. Can't they see that none of the men around interests her—except Robby MacKay?
Robby's packing list:

1. Synthetic blood
2. More synthetic blood
3. Jogging clothes
(even vamps have to stay in shape!)

Robby needs to cool off, too, since all he can think about is revenge on the Malcontent bloodsuckers who once held him captive—but then he meets Olivia, the beauty with wild curls and a tempting smile. When a deadly criminal from a case back home tracks her down, Robby will have to save her life—along with giving her a first time she'll never forget . . .

Werewolf Smackdown: A Novel

Mario Acevedo (Author)
Eos (March 9, 2010)

From the publisher:

Felix Gomez, Latino vampire detective extraordinaire, tackles a dangerous werewolf cabal in the fifth installment in Mario Acevedo's satirical supernatural series

A sure-to-be-bloody civil war is brewing between rival werewolf factions, and P.I . Felix Gomez will do anything he can to make sure it doesn't explode into a vicious battle that engulfs all creatures, living and dead.

Between that, the sudden reappearance of an ex-girlfriend, and a gang of other vampires trying to take off his head, this is one rumble even a fanged detective extraordinaire may not be able to handle.

Written In BLOOD 
by Theresa M. Moore
Antellus, March 2010

From the publisher: A rich historical fantasy of travel, danger and vampire romance. In 1645 Alexander Corvina persuades his fullblood father Lucien Arkanon to rejoin the world of men after a long period of isolation. They share the dangers of the road as they travel to France one step ahead of the Ottoman Turks.

For a century they serve the kings of France honorably. But in 1789 it is dangerous for a vampire to be mistaken for aristo. Worse, Alexander attracts the special attention of Bernard de Chauvelin, a spy for the Citizens' Brigade. Alexander and Lucien must escape the sharp taste of Madame la Guillotine. But how?