November New Vampire Releases

Acquainted With the Night
Piper Maitland
Berkley; Original edition (November 29, 2011)

A woman's quest for the truth...A medieval icon that holds the clues...And an ancient book with the power to shake Christianity-and humanity itself.

London tour guide Caroline Clifford has never believe in vampires- until her uncle is brutally murdered at a Bulgarian archaeological site, and a vampire hunter who corresponded with him seeks her out.

Strange anagrams on her uncle's passport lead them to a cliff-top monastery in Greece, where a shattering revelation connects a relic Caro inherited to an age-old text on immortality-and an enigmatic prophecy that pits the forces of darkness and light in a showdown that could destroy all they know...

Angel of Darkness (the Fallen)
Cynthia Eden
Brava (November 29, 2011)

As an angel of death, Keenan's job is to collect the souls on his list. He's carried out his duty for two thousand years and never faltered once. Until he meets Nicole St. James. When the moment of death comes, Keenan hesitates, and instead of taking Nicole, Keenan touches the vampire who's attacking her.

Cast out of heaven for disobedience, Keenan plummets to earth. Six months later, he finally manages to track Nicole to a bar in Mexico. He's stunned to discover that the woman he remembers has undergone a dramatic change - she's become a vampire. And when he realises that she's the target of all manner of enemies - other vampires, demons, even shifters - he'll do whatever it takes to protect her, even if all hell breaks loose...

Blood Legacy (Pulse Vampire Series #6)
Kailin Gow
theEDGEbooks.com, November 30, 2011

Kalina’s Life’s Blood continues to cause changes in her, and as she embark on a journey to find Octavius, Max, and other Carriers, tragedy hits that changes everything she believed in and stood for in this exciting new addition to the PULSE Vampire Series.

Better Off Red: Vampire Sorority Sisters Book 1
Rebekah Weatherspoon
Bold Strokes Books (November 15, 2011)

Every sorority has its secrets...

And college freshman Ginger Carmichael couldn't care less. She has more important things on her mind, like maintaining her perfect GPA. No matter how much she can't stand the idea of the cliques and the matching colors, there's something about the girls of Alpha Beta Omega—their beauty, confidence, and unapologetic sexuality—that draws Ginger in. But once initiation begins, Ginger finds that her pledge is more than a bond of sisterhood, it’s a lifelong pact to serve six bloodthirsty demons with a lot more than nutritional needs.

Despite her fears, Ginger falls hard for the immortal queen of this nest, and as the semester draws to a close, she sees that protecting her family from the secret of her forbidden love is much harder than studying for finals.

Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity)
Alexandra Ivy
Zebra; Original edition (November 29, 2011)

The Sylvermyst have a reputation as sinister cousins to the fey, and none are more mysterious than Ariyal and his tribe. To save his people from banishment, he sold himself to the evil Morgana. Finally free, he faces a new challenge: Jaelyn, an elite vampire warrior sent to capture him. By rights, he should kill her on sight. Yet he cannot bring himself to hurt her - or to resist her.

Jaelyn is stunningly beautiful, utterly lethal - and always alone. Until Ariyal. From their first encounter, she knows that what's between them is more dangerous than simple lust. And as they unite to thwart a terrifying prophecy that will mean the end of his clan and of the world they know, she will risk everything to fulfil her destiny by his side.

Bride of the Night
Heather Graham
HQN Books; Original edition (November 22, 2011)

She's the vampire that could destroy a nation.

At least, that's what Pinkerton detective Finn Dunne thinks of Tara Fox. Capturing her aboard a ship sneaking its way northward, he's convinced she's been sent to take out President Lincoln. While she's certainly the most attractive assassin he's ever faced, that won't keep him from his duty.

Tara has always been caught between worlds. As a vampire born and raised in Key West, she has many friends among the humans. Many friends that are now fighting and dying in the raging Civil War.

When her strange dreams began, she thought of them as abstract visions. But she now knows that she must travel to Washington, D.C., and protect the president at all costs. Finn still won't trust her, despite what he's seen. And if Tara has to go through him—or bring reinforcements—to save Lincoln, she will do whatever it takes, even if it costs her her heart.

Claimed
Rebecca Zanetti
Brava; 1 edition (November 1, 2011)

A Daring Rescue: Emma Paulsen is a geneticist driven by science. But she's also a psychic, so when a dark, good-hearted vampire frees her from the clutches of the evil Kurjans, she realizes he must be the man who's been haunting her dreams. But with a virus threatening vampires' mates, Emma may discover a whole new meaning of "lovesick"...

A Deadly Decision: As King of the Realm, Dage Kayrs has learned to practice diplomacy. Still, it's taken three hundred years to find his mate, so he'll stop at nothing to protect her - even if it means turning his back on his own kind...

Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 5)
Chloe Neill
New American Library; 1 edition (November 1, 2011)

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and Merit the vampire can't tell if this is the darkness before the dawn, or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times have never been more precarious for the vampires. If only they could lay low for a bit...

Then magic rears its ugly head when Lake Michigan turns black. The mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows a panic is coming.

Flesh and Blood (House of Comarré)
Kristen Painter
Orbit; Original edition (November 1, 2011)

With the ring of sorrows still missing, and the covenant between othernaturals and mortals broken, Chrysabelle and Malkolm's problems are just beginning. Chrysabelle still owes Malkolm for his help, but fulfilling that debt means returning to Corvinestri, the hidden vampire city neither of them is welcome in.

The discovery that Chrysabelle has a brother could mean reneging on her promise to Malkolm, something that might make him angry enough to loose the beast living inside him. And fulfilling her vow could prove devastating for Chrysabelle --- especially when you throw in power hungry witches, dead fringe vampires, and the Kubai Mata.

Last Breath: The Morganville Vampires
Rachel Caine
NAL Hardcover; 1 edition (November 1, 2011)

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town-a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville's latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn't merely human. But is he a vampire-or something else entirely?

Mrs. Claus and the Batty Christmas
Jeff Berg
Peppermint Books (November 4, 2011)

Santa's elves decide to stay on vacation after Halloween, but Santa needs help on Christmas Eve. Mrs. Claus comes to the rescue by calling on vampire bats to help deliver presents and stuff stockings. Illustrated in colorful, graphic-novel style, this story was inspired by a question the author's young daughter asked him on Christmas morning, Daddy, how do vampires get their presents if they re up all night? As he pondered his answer, the idea for this story was born.

Nightshine: A Novel of the Kyndred
Lynn Viehl
Signet Select; Original edition (November 1, 2011)

As a psychic, Samuel Taske can see the future, but he never predicted that he'd fall for San Francisco paramedic Charlotte Marena, the woman he's been charged with protecting. GenHance-the biotech company willing to do anything to acquire superhuman DNA-is after them. And when Samuel discovers that his Takyn powers have abandoned him, Charlie and her secret nighttime telepathic ability are their only hope for survival...

The Real Werewives of Vampire County
Alexandra Ivy, Angie Fox, Tami Dane, and Jess Haines
Kensington; 1 Original edition (November 1, 2011)

Drama. Scandal. Secrets. And a whole lot of supernatural goings-on.

I'm Pureblood Were, And Proud Of It. . .
"Where Darkness Lives" by Alexandra Ivy

No one's more surprised than Sophia when she's struck by an unfamiliar maternal urge to move near her daughters. But instead of being greeted by a welcome committee, she's targeted by kidnappers. . .and saddled with a gorgeous bodyguard on a mission to protect—and seduce. . .

I'm A Tomboy At Heart, But I Want A Man Who Makes Me Feel Like A Real Woman. . .
"Murder on Mysteria Lane" by Angie Fox

When a werewolf trophy wife is found dead in Vampire County, Heather McPhee goes undercover to investigate. Heather's never been a mascara-and-manicures sort of girl, but she's willing to learn. Especially with sexy vampire detective Lucien Mead posing as her husband. . .

Who's Afraid Of The Big, Bad Werewolves? Not Me, That's For Sure. . .
"What's Yours is Mine" by Jess Haines

Still Waters is like many other exclusive gated communities—except that it's home to one of the largest werewolf packs in the state. But Tiffany Winters isn't frightened of her big, bad new neighbors. In fact, she intends to take her place among the pack. . .

This Is A Town Full Of Secrets. And I Intend To Uncover All Of Them...
"Werewolves in Chic Clothing" by Tami Dane

Ever since Christine Price moved in with her fiancé, Jonathan, and his twelve year-old son, she's worked hard to fit in with a cadre of local women whose lives seem picture-perfect. Except no one in Jon's upscale neighborhood is quite who they appear to be. Least of all Jon.

Tied With a Bow
Lora Leigh, Virginia Kantra, Eileen Wilks, and Kimberly Frost
Berkley Trade; Original edition (November 1, 2011)

New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh features the Breeds in her story. New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra brings a haunting tale of a fallen angel. USA Today bestselling author Eileen Wilks returns to the shapeshifing Lupi for another magical tale. National bestselling author Kimberly Frost introduces a new paronormal world of muses and vampires.

The Vampire Diaries: Stefan’s Diaries #4: The Ripper
L. J. Smith, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec
HarperTeen; Original edition (November 8, 2011)

Haunted by the past . . .

The year is 1888, and the scent of blood lingers heavy in the London air. Stefan Salvatore thought he could escape his violent origins by settling in the peaceful countryside of England, but when a heinous murderer named Jack the Ripper surfaces, Stefan fears darkness will always follow him. Drawn into the investigation, Stefan assumes the worst: This is the work of a vampire. And the more he learns, the more he becomes convinced that the killer is someone close to him—and that he can never outrun his past.

Based on the popular CW TV show inspired by the bestselling novels, Stefan’s Diaries reveals the truth about what really happened between Stefan, Damon, and Katherine—and how the Vampire Diaries love triangle began.

Vampires Dead Ahead: A Night Tracker Novel
Cheyenne McCray
St. Martin's Paperbacks; First Edition edition (November 29, 2011)

In the acclaimed Night Tracker series by New York Times bestselling author Cheyenne McCray, the vampires are back to make a brand new start of it—in old New York…

With zero tolerance for bloodsuckers, Nyx and the Trackers have made the streets safer for warm-blooded New Yorkers. Unfortunately, they didn’t drive a stake through the problem nationwide. Vampire attacks are on the rise. Proctors are dropping like flies. And Volod—New York’s ousted Master Vampire—is trying to make a comeback…

Nyx is worried—about her city, her job, and her neck. But mostly she’s concerned about her former lover, Rodán, a Proctor who’s gone missing. Scarier still, Volod is capturing and “turning” paranorms to help him paint the town red. Which sucks. Because some of these new vampires are Nyx’s old friends. But hey—if she can stake them

VampChix is...revamping!

As most of you know I have two paranormal-related blogs, VampChix and Bite Club.  I do the majority of the work here at VampChix, along with some fabulous helpers, such as Margaret L. Carter, Patricia Altner, Roxanne Rhoads, Shauna Leigh Atkinson and Anna Dougherty.  Not to mention all the great guests we have!
Bite Club is principally run by the amazing Anna Dougherty (I couldn't have that blog without her), along with her regular contributors, Jen D., Betty Turner, and Jenny O.  Great stuff over at Bite Club, and it encompasses all paranormals not just vampires, as we do here at VampChix.
With less and less time to devote to both blogs, and a genuine desire to put out the best content possible, I plan to combine the two next year, along with The Ultimate VampList.
What I'd love to hear from you all are the things you enjoy most about the two blogs.  What you think are definite keepers, what you don't pay much attention to.  Is there something that keeps you coming back to visit either blog?  Is there something missing that you'd like to see featured?  And also, do you have a title suggestion?  I'd like to keep both VampChix and Bite Club, but how to combine them?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Winners!!!!!

Thanks to everyone who commented to win during our Book Bonanza!  I know everyone comes out of the woodwork for contests, and we love to give books away here at VampChix, but it would be awesome to see some more comments on guest posts as well.  Even if it's just a 'hey!'.
All right!  As always, VampChix uses random.org to draw winners.  The list is below.  If you see your name, please email vampchixmail@gmail.com with your snail mail address, and the title of book you won.  You have two weeks to claim your prize before it goes back into the prize vault!  Books may go out as early as this week, but do allow VampChix until end of next week to get to the post office.  ;-)

HIS DARKEST HUNGER - Lorelei Bell
FROM RUSSIA WITH BLOOD - Spav (provide email to send digital file to)
ECSTASY UNTAMED - magan@riverina romantics
THE WATERS RISING - cissikat
JANE AND THE DAMNED - lisagk
PLAYING WITH FIRE - erin (dog pic on avatar; provide email to send digital file)
CHILDREN OF SCARABAEUS - CrystalGB
THE INHERITANCE - Roni (no pic on avatar)
THIRTEEN YEARS LATER - lil (no pic on avatar)
EVOLVE TWO - LisaRichards/alterlisa
VAMPIRE EMPIRE: THE RIFT WALKER - jfort357
DARK HEAVENS set - M.A.D.
SHARING KNIFE set - anonymous (with bryannsjenn email)
EXTINCTION AGENDA - I (heart) Book Gossip
PALE DEMON - alainala

Congrats to all!

Free Book Bonanza!

If you stayed at home to avoid Black Friday and decided to do a little blog crawling instead, today is your lucky day.  And all weekend!  I've dug through the VampChix stocks of review copies and have a huge pile to give away.  (Most books we receive more than one copy or just don't have time to review them all.  Or sometimes we have giveaways and people don't claim their prizes within two weeks, so we have to give the book away again.)  And what do you have to do to win?  Just comment!  Leave us a love note, or let us know what you did buy today, or that you avoided the pepper spray and stayed at home.  We'll announce winners next Tuesday, so enter today through Monday! Open to everyone, no matter where you live.

Here are the prizes you may win (1 per person unless a set):

HIS DARKEST HUNGER by Juliana Stone
FROM RUSSIA WITH BLOOD by Michael Lee (downloadable copy)
ECSTASY UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer
THE WATERS RISING by Sheri S. Tepper
JANE AND THE DAMNED by Janet Mullany
PLAYING WITH FIRE by Michele Hauf (download; not avail until Dec 1st)
CHILDREN OF SCARABAEUS by Sara Creasy
THE INHERITANCE & OTHER STORIES by Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm
THIRTEEN YEARS LATER by Jasper Kent (ARC copy)
EVOLVE TWO edited by Nancy Kilpatrick
VAMPIRE EMPIRE: THE RIFT WALKER by Clay & Susan Griffith
DARK HEAVENS set: RED PHOENIX, WHITE TIGER, BLUE DRAGON by Kylie Chan
SHARING KNIFE set: BEGUILEMENT, PASSAGE, HORIZON by Lois McMaster Bujold
EXTINCTION AGENDA by Marcus Pelegrimas
PALE DEMON by Kim Harrison
HONOR AMONG THIEVES by David Chandler
Random copies of A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS will be mailed with some prizes.

Be sure to stop in on Tuesday to see if you've won!  We can't send you your prize if we don't hear from you to get your address.  And guess what?  We do try to contact you if you don't contact us, but if you don't have an email in your profile, well then.  Two weeks, people!  And then the prize goes back in the pile for the next bonanza.  ;-)

Winner!

Of Maya DeLiena's FLESH FANTASY is...

Mortiana!

Please email vampchixmail@gmail.com

Happy Turkey Day!

Some treats for after the main meal...

Guest: Maya DeLeina

VampChix, please welcome Maya DeLeina today, who talks a bit about creating her erotic vamp series, The Ambrose Heights Vampires. Maya has a Kindle version of FLESH FANTASY for one lucky winner, so show her some love in the comments!

Window to the soul

Maya DeLeina

As an avid reader of Vampire Romance, I have certain expectations of the Vampires I am about to sink my teeth into. Mesmerizing beauty, dashing good-looks with a fearsome and lustful bite are my typical staples. So, it’s no wonder that the Vampires in my Erotic Vampire Romance series, The Ambrose Heights Vampires, are built in a similar fashion. But, I craved more of Vampires. So, they are gods in bed, can cast the perfect hypnotic spell on humans and can be downright petrifying.

But what else?

Maybe it was just too much to ask that these creatures of the night have more depth or flair than the usual plot of lure, sex and bite.

Maybe not.

February 2010 is when I created my very first story. And of course, it was Vampire based. I had just finished reading a book that I had been bracing for twists and turns that never came. It was like sitting in the cart of that scary rollercoaster you had been admiring from the ground, the excitement and anticipation all coiled up inside of you. And when the ride makes its slow and chilling climb up the tracks, you get to the top and realize that you instead got in the cart of the kiddy-coaster.

When you crave a brief escape from reality in a book, this let down is more than just disappointing- you feel cheated.

This is when I started writing my own Vampire tales and seven months later, I had two books completed.

And did my Vampires have that diverse and distinctive gift- that unique something that I was craving for? 

Absolutely.

Diversity is the spice of life. The contrast in society is what makes life interesting and makes the world go round.  But what exactly makes people different?

Certainly, it has to do something with cultural beliefs and upbringings, but still, they are influential pieces on what is innate in us. When you get right down to it, it is what is embedded in us at birth that is a foundation on what will shape our lives. Sure, influences and choices can develop our path, but in the end, it is our thoughts, tastes, morals and views that ultimately guide our choices and experiences.

So this is what I did for my vampires. And their diversity is captured in the eyes.

There is a saying that the eyes are the window to the soul.  The eyes can reveal everything the body cannot. They are the undeniable evidence, the telling of the moral fiber a vampire inherits from their human character. And it is the colors projected in the eyes of a newborn vampire that are tell-tale signs of their eternal destiny.

Black- Decadence

White – Harmony

Yellow – Valor

Red – Passion

The continuum of traits within each shade can be extensive.

In the Ambrose Heights Vampire series, the Vampires are branded by the color the sclera of their eyes project during their turning. Their Vampire maker sits and waits for this color inversion to learn what their Vampire is made of. And while the eyes return to their human form, the brief moment of the color projection can validate the passage they are sure to take and what influences the vampire family can create to help change or enhance this destined path.

Make no mistake- the fangs, strength and bite of a Vampire is forbidding and terrifying, but the eyes can be much more disturbing.

Sometimes, the eyes can be far-reaching. For the eyes of one vampire can shape the destiny for another.

And for those that are wondering, the answer is yes. Lure, Sex and Bite is also another staple worked into the Ambrose Heights Vampires series.

No disappointments here!

 Flesh Fantasy- Book 1  (Now available in ebook. Paperback coming in December 2012)

Tonight, Rain Calisto searches for her man, and Rhys Matthews comes into focus. He is well-built and sinisterly sexy. In the same Denver nightclub, Armand Anastasio searches for his woman—Rain.
But the men are more than gorgeous.
They are vampires, and they are unmated.
A chance encounter lands Rhys and Rain together. Their attraction remains undeniably powerful and they fall prey to lust. With each passionate tryst, Rhys senses a connection that goes beyond the flesh. Unbeknownst to Rhys, Rain is a diabetic. Her insulin alters her biological makeup, disguising a revelation he isn’t quite prepared for.
Rain is Rhys's fated mate.
As they struggle with this knowledge, another bombshell is dropped. Rain’s insulin-laced tissue creates a rare vampiric blood that can fetch a hefty profit, and Armand has always known this.
Is his attraction to Rain genuine, or is he just out for her blood?
This is the diary of Rain and Rhys. Recorded here is their transformation from a flesh fantasy to eternal love

***

Free Read: http://mayadeleina.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Flesh-Fantasy-Free-Read-Prologue-Chapter-1-2-New.pdf

Adult Excerpt: http://www.bookstrand.com/flesh-fantasy

Buy links:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Ambrose-Vampires-Publishing-ebook/dp/B005OASCLA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317335071&sr=8-1

Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flesh-fantasy-maya-deleina/1105947256

Bookstrand : http://www.bookstrand.com/flesh-fantasy

Mobipocket: http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/eBookDetails.asp?BookID=523936

  

Dracula in Paris

Learned about this awesome show being featured in Paris right now, which looks like a blend of Broadway, ballet, and Cirque de Soleil with a good dose of rock n' roll and blood tossed in the mix.  Click to their website for all the details and to watch videos and listen to the music.  I've got my fingers crossed it makes it to the US!

Another winner!

Gothical wins a copy of Laura Enright's Vampires Most Wanted.  Congrats!

Please email vampchixmail@gmail.com with your snail mail address.

Winner!

Winner of a download of Michael Lee's FROM RUSSIA WITH BLOOD is...

Raider Ro!

Please contact vampchixmail@gmail.com

Congrats!

Review: Bride of the Night by Heather Graham

Book description:

She's the vampire that could destroy a nation.At least, that's what Pinkerton detective Finn Dunne thinks of Tara Fox. Capturing her aboard a ship sneaking its way northward, he's convinced she's been sent to take out President Lincoln. While she's certainly the most attractive assassin he's ever faced, that won't keep him from his duty.
Tara has always been caught between worlds. As a vampire born and raised in Key West, she has many friends among the humans. Many friends that are now fighting and dying in the raging Civil War.
When her strange dreams began, she thought of them as abstract visions. But she now knows that she must travel to Washington, D.C., and protect the president at all costs. Finn still won't trust her, despite what he's seen. And if Tara has to go through him—or bring reinforcements—to save Lincoln, she will do whatever it takes, even if it costs her her heart.

Review:

Heather Graham has an incredible knack for historical descriptions, making the reader an extension of the scene, with each word creating a deeper sense of authenticity. I can't imagine the amount of research that goes into each book, the same can be said for her Krewe of Hunters series which is also fabulous. I am able to learn about these factual events through her fictional world because the details are plentiful and thorough. It's like a side adventure on a video game: I read about some battle in the Civil War, for example, and then I look it up on the computer to see what's real and what's not. I love it! Tara's "dream" discussions with Lincoln make me wish that I had the opportunity to meet with such a great man and leader for myself. The Civil War makes a believable backdrop for a vampire book and the historical additions make the story interesting and the characters more dimensional.
 

We are born, we love, we see the world around us, and we find our place within it. We all know laughter and happiness, and tragedy. We are the same, really.~ Lincoln, speaking to Tara


 

Tara and Finn make a fine couple and an even finer team. Finn takes great pride in his job as a Pinkerton man and maintains a razor sharp focus, one that Tara manages to shake. She also gives him a new sense of hope. Her ability to survive hardship and violence, while embracing her half-blood vampire status, all without losing any of the qualities that make her such a beautiful person, draws Finn closer. She feels so much and because of her Finn can as well. He accepts her equally, not to say easily as it takes time for them to acknowledge their feelings and trust. They develop slowly buy passionately, like a slow burn, that evolves into something strong and unbreakable.

 

As an added bonus we get to reacquaint ourselves with Cole and Megan, along with Cody and Alexandra, both couples from the other vampire books. It isn't necessary to read these in order, just fun, all stand alone just fine. I'm not the best at finding comparable authors since that is totally subjective, but I think if you like Stella Cameron (Out of Body) or Brenda Joyce (Masters of Time series) then you will probably like most of Graham's books too.

Other vampire books:

Night of the Wolves (2009)

Night of the Vampires (2010)

Author website:

http://www.eheathergraham.com/index.htm

*reviewed by Anna Dougherty for VampChix

*I requested this book from NetGalley for review.

Review: Adam by Jacquelyn Frank

Publication Date: October 25, 2011
Zebra
ISBN-10: 1420109863
ISBN-13: 978-1420109863

The Nightwalkers- Book 6


Haunted by magic, beset by evil, the Nightwalkers face their darkest hour yet. And when they unthinkable happens, only one legendary male has the power, the will, to save them: Adam....

FOR 400 YEARS HE WAS LOST TO HER, BUT HE IS HERS TONIGHT...

From their first tantalizing touch, Jasmine knows he is different. What other lover could unlock her tight control, flood Vampire senses jaded by a lifetime of decadent self indulgence? Centuries ago, when he disappeared without a trace, she had given up hope of ever fulfilling the promise of incomparable passion. But here he is, against the very laws of nature, ready to bring down their most vicious enemy, ready to bring her blood to the boiling point.... If she will only let him.

Review:

If you've read the other books in this series, like I have, then this was like riding an emotional roller coaster to hell and back again. I was so floored at the beginning that I didn't even take notes. It went a bit like this:

Turn page, turn page, gasp in shock, turn page, look at cover to make sure I was reading the right book, turn page, gasp, stare unbelieving at my husband like he could somehow fix it, turn page, turn page, and repeat.

Things like this make it exceptionally hard to review a book because I want to talk about why I read voraciously for hours until this book was finished, only I can't really do that. I did manage a few notes towards the end, but because I also have a strict no spoiler policy, and any discussion of the plot would ruin it for other readers, I can't talk about those parts either. Maybe I should start a chat or something.

Here's what I can tell you:

I love the characters in this series and I've been a big fan since the very beginning, so it's easy enough to recommend this book. Adam is an excellent addition and he definitely adds to the ongoing storyline. These books do have a continuing story arc that crosses from one book to the next, however, it isn't difficult to read this as a stand alone. I didn't have time to reacquaint myself with previous books, but that didn't create any issues for me trying to follow along.

The romance between Jasmine and Adam is intense, hotter than hell, sweet as sin, and they fall very, very fast. In fact, that is my only real complaint with the story because that kind of love takes time to build, and they definitely skip the getting to know you stage. It's a believability issue for me and fated mate or no, I find it hard to believe that lasting love occurs over the course of a day or two. Lust, yes. Even a level of respect and trust can be achieved fairly quickly, but as with most mate-style romances, they accept their fate without much arguing. I still like them, the book still put me through the emotional wringer and I still want more from Jacquelyn Frank. If you enjoy reading Alexandra Ivy or Lara Adrian, then The Nightwalkers should be a good fit for you. If you like fast paced action that keeps you on the edge of your seat then the same goes.

Other books in the series:
Jacob
Gideon
Elijah
Damien
Noah

Author website:
http://www.jacquelynfrank.com/main.html

*This book was sent via the publisher for review purposes.

*Reviewed by Anna Dougherty for VampChix

Still time to enter...

Did you know that last week's guest, Laura Enright, is giving away a copy of Vampires Most Wanted?  Only one comment so far!  So I'm extending the contest for a bit.  Click on this link, then comment for a chance to win a copy of this fab book!

AfterAge

Yvonne Navarro’s apocalyptic AFTERAGE (1993) reads like an updated homage to I AM LEGEND (1954), Richard Matheson’s classic treatment of vampirism as an infectious disease. In Navarro’s novel, just as in I AM LEGEND, the vampire plague has spread out of control, causing the breakdown of society and wiping out most of the human race. The vampires have out-multiplied their food supply, precipitating a disastrous crash in the numbers of the prey species. Instead of Matheson’s solitary survivor barricaded in his suburban home, Navarro’s remaining humans prowl the urban landscape of a devastated Chicago. Eighteen months after the collapse of civilization, a varied cast of characters comes together and forms an alliance to combat the bloodsuckers. The group includes, among others, a mysterious woman named Jo, whose blood causes vampires to spontaneously combust when they bite her, and Dr. William Perlman, who discovers and engineers a bacterium capable of killing the undead.

The vampires follow most of the rules established in twentieth-century fiction, such as hypnotic power and vulnerability to sunlight. Perlman describes the creatures as literally “not alive” but also “not dead”: “They’re like people-sized viruses, parasitically using a host for sustenance and reproduction.” These parasites, though, have minds and individuality. Realizing the ravaged ecosystem can’t support large numbers of bloodsucking predators, some practice “birth control” by destroying victims so they can’t rise from death. The vampires quarrel among themselves, pursuing personal agendas, and one at least is humanized by her willingness to help the non-vampire remnant. Human traitors collaborate with vampires in the capture and imprisonment of people to serve as a reliable food supply. One such man aids the breeding program of his “Mistress” by raping female captives to impregnate them. Meanwhile, the heroes fight for survival while Perlman experiments on a captured vampire child and, later, a member of their own group who gets bitten.

Thanks to the doctor’s research, Navarro's story, unlike Matheson’s, doesn’t climax with the extinction of humanity. Finally, the birth of a healthy baby symbolizes the renewal of the world and hope for the future. This epic novel of almost 400 pages maintains both vivid characterization and a level of tension that never slackens for long.

One of Navarro’s early stories, by the way, appeared in No. 3 of my former fanzine THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT. You can find tables of contents of all issues and a buying link (issues are sold in bundles of two or three) here. Issues aren’t in strict publication order on the distributor’s page, so be sure to scroll down to see all the numbers:

The Vampire's Crypt

Margaret L. Carter

Guest: Rebeka Harrington

Today's guest, Rebeka Harrington, author of VAMPIRE REVEALED, tells us how she got lured into writing about vampires.  Please welcome her!

Since releasing Vampires Revealed I’ve done several interviews. One question which keeps popping up is “What inspired you to write it?”. The short answer is; to self-indulgently answer my own questions. That really doesn’t give you the whole picture so, when Vamp Chix asked me to do a guest post, I decided I wanted to talk more about how Vampires Revealed came to be written.

Don’t ask me when it started, but for as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with vampires. To be honest, I don’t know what drew me to them, maybe I was ‘glamoured’.

Like many people my first encounter with vampires was I discovered Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, I was in Heaven. Lestat, so good at being bad. Louis desperately trying to come to grips with the ‘dark gift’. Claudia, Armand, Marius, Pandora, Akasha and more… a host of vampires came flying at me from the pages and embraced me in their world. There was something enigmatic and intriguing about vampires and I loved them.

Then when I got my first taste of vampire movies I fell in love with them all over again. To see the danger, brutality, charm and intelligence was almost magical. To witness vampires come to life, right before my eyes on the big screen… Wow!

As you can imagine I’ve consumed my fair share of vampire fiction since I first discovered them.

While often now vampires are portrayed with a more ‘human’ quality, it wasn’t always the case. Mostly vampires were the monsters of nightmares, superstars of horror. Forever cast in the role of evil demons. Vampires will never be (I hope) described as soft and cuddly, but I adamantly believed there had to be more to these creatures of intelligence besides being killers.

Vampires are sentient and self-aware beings, we accept this as a fact. Sure they kill and cause mayhem, but is that truly all that is going on inside their mind?

Some time ago, I found myself with an unusual amount of free time on my hands and was obsessing over every little detail I could think of about vampires. The most critical was ‘where did vampires come from?’ Generally they are accepted as supernatural creatures, but where exactly did they come, How did it all start? Who was the first?

Was it some sort of religious ceremony gone wrong? Did someone summon the wrong God and vampires were sent as a plague on mankind? Or was it the product of a God/human coupling gone wrong? Or something else entirely?

Once I got started asking questions I couldn’t stop.

They drink A LOT of blood. Do they ever need to use the toilet?

If they’re capable of physical intimacy with human beings (think True Blood) then do their bodies perform and function in the same way as humans? If not, then how the heck does that work?

Are vampires heterosexual, homosexual, cross-dressing transvestites? Do they even think about these things?

Are they single-minded killers or are they a nation of complex individuals all with different personalities?

Do vampires live in harmony with each other? Do they fight among themselves over stupid stuff like humans?

Seriously I just couldn’t stop. For every question I was able to answer another three would spring to mind. This is where Bektamun stepped in to save me.

Having lived for more than 3000 years, Bektamun is supremely confident of her own abilities. One might say she is downright arrogant, even a bossy-boots at times. But her knowledge and experience is unquestionable.

Some people might think I’m crazy, because I ‘talk’ to my characters. Tucked away in my home office I sit and talk at length with my characters. In particular Bektamun while I was writing Vampires Revealed. Here’s a sample of a conversation between myself and Bektamun.

Bektamun: “Vampires cannot feed from a human suffering leukemia?”

Rebeka: “Why?”

Bektamun: “It reacts with metabolic chemicals.”

Rebeka: “What happens then?”

Bektamun: “The infected vampire goes crazy.”

Rebeka: “Really? What sort of behavior do they display?”

Almost without fail my opening to question to Bektamun regarding anything is ‘why’. It's like trying to explain to a three year old why the sky is blue…”Why?”, “Because it is.”, “Why?”, “Just because.” Luckily for me, Bektamun is extremely patient and didn’t mind answering my incessant questions.

The combination of applied logic, research, character questioning and input helped me create my very own vampire mythology. My vampires remain familiar enough to be recognized by fans of the genre, however strike out on their own in a unique way.

Writing Vampires Revealed was at times headache inducing, but overall it was extremely fun. And who wouldn’t want to hang out with Bektamun? She’s a pretty groovy chick, especially for a vampire.

Vampires Revealed by Rebeka Harrington

Leave behind your preconceived ideas, forget the horror stories and disregard everything you think you know about vampires.

For centuries the debate has raged; are vampires real?  There has been plenty of myth and superstition regarding vampires but not a lot of truth or answers.  In a unique piece of work, Bektamun a 3000 year old vampire, puts to rest all the myth and finally reveals the truth about the legendary creatures known across the globe as vampires.

Vampires Revealed is a journey of discovery. Never before have humans had and an opportunity such as this.  To know the unadulterated truth, for every question you may have ever had about vampires to be answered.

Available for Purchase:

Smashwords - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/86670

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LFQMNI

About Rebeka Harrington

Raised in country Victoria, Rebeka started her writing career working for the local newspaper as a teenager. While she decided not to pursue this as a career, she has always enjoyed writing and being creative
With so many varied interests and eclectic taste in most things, Rebeka enjoys incorporating all of them in her writing. She particularly enjoys writing about vampires.
Rebeka seeks to define and explain vampires in a way not done before. This has been achieved with her debut title "Vampires Revealed". Following titles will revolve around exploring the world and characters created in her first release.

Currently Rebeka lives in Melbourne with her “demented” but lovable cat, dividing her time between writing and managing a small boutique entertainment agency.

Character Blog - http://www.vampiresrevealed.com

Author Blog - http://www.rebekaharrington.com

Guest: Michael Lee

VampChix welcomes Michael J. Lee, author of FROM RUSSIA WITH BLOOD, a new vampire adventure story you'll want to check out.  Bite Club reviewed his fabulous MY FRANKENSTEIN (have you read it? Read it!), so it's awesome to have him back here with us today.  Michael has a copy of FROM RUSSIA WITH BLOOD (in the form of a Smashwords coupon) for one lucky commenter!

First let me say thank you to Michele Hauf and the great people here at VampChix. You guys rock! Thanks for having me here to talk about my latest From Russia with Blood.

This is my first vampire novel though not the first time I’ve tackled writing a vampire character. Years ago I made it to the semi finals of the Austin Film Festival teleplay competition with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer spec script. In that one Spike had a pretty memorable role. The antagonists were all vampires. I made them vampire doctors working at a hospital. Even then I was looking for new venues for vampires. It was fun writing these powerful characters.

When I approach vampires as characters that’s the first thing I think of, power. Of course they’re strong and fast but most importantly these characters have power over mankind’s greatest fear; death. They do not die as long as they keep drinking blood. Even if immortality was their only ability that gives them incredible power compared to us mortals. Would you want to cross someone who never aged? All he needs to be is patient and wait until you’re old and feeble.

Of course drinking blood gives them their other defining characteristic. They look like us but they aren’t us. Even when you get around that little problem as in True Blood, the vampire remains something other than human. So you have a powerful character but he is cut off from humanity. Is he lonely, aloof, sociopathic? Maybe he can be all three.

And maybe sometimes he’s just bored. Remember that Far Side cartoon of a man sitting on cloud. He’s made to heaven. He has all eternity. What is he thinking? “I wish I’d brought a magazine.” That’s where I started with Ian Redd. I thought boredom would be a constant danger to a vampire. A vampire doesn’t need True Blood to live a quiet life. There are so many humans now that a vampire could parcel out his feeding and no one would be the wiser.

But then what do you do for fun? After a few centuries wouldn’t you crave excitement? What would you do to cure that?  In Ian’s case, that was join British Intelligence. But he gets way more than he ever anticipated from his little adventure.

Ian was a great character to create and write and I look forward to guiding him through many more adventures. I’ve already started work on the sequel, Live and Let Bleed. I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s ready!

FROM RUSSIA WITH BLOOD

400 year old vampire Ian Redd joined British Intelligence during the Cold War. But after the Berlin Wall came down they decided they no longer needed his services. He was retired, almost permanently. Ian escaped and has lived the quiet life in a small town until a professional hit team arrived at his doorstep. Who sent them? That’s a question that will lead Ian into the arms of a beautiful woman named Larissa Barton and into the most dangerous operation of his unlife.

Larissa Barton’s life has barely begun and it’s already gone off the tracks. She’s back in her hometown working as a barista. But things change when Ian Redd enters her life. Dark, mysterious and gorgeous, Ian is her only protection from the people and creatures who suddenly want her dead. With Ian by her side Larissa plunges into a world of magic, werewolves, vampires, spies and assassins and discovers her own secret past.

"One part James Bond, one part Dracula, and a whole lot of action and adventure. From Russia with Blood kicks ass!" - Vivi Anna, award winning author of the Valorian Chronicles

Smashwords

 http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/99540

Kindle

 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ZX7500

Kindle UK

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005ZX7500

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/From-Russia-with-Blood/178585135559238

 Excerpt:

Instantly he was right next to her. One hand gripped her shoulder and yanked her backward. His other hand held something that flashed brightly. There was a loud echoing sound.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Gunfire. He’s got a gun!

Larissa stumbled away from Ian. She saw the speeding auto tear down the center of the road. It swerved toward her as she ran.

There was a dark alley immediately behind her. She sprinted into it. It looked narrow. She didn’t think a car could follow. She hoped it couldn’t.

She was ten steps down the alley when she heard a huge crash behind her. She felt it too and half stumbled for a few steps. Larissa whipped her head around and saw the car with its hood crumpled around the corner of the alley. The headlights were flickering and the horn blared.

She slowed a little bit. The car horn stopped blaring. The driver’s side door opened with a crunch and a large man in a dark suit kicked his way out. He staggered into the mouth of the alley clutching his forehead. Larissa saw blood oozing from a cut on his scalp. Then she saw the gun in his other hand. The man raised it at her.

She stood frozen. Was this it? The moment her dreams had warned her about?

Pop! Pop! Pop!

It was the same sound as before. Sharp and loud like fireworks on the Fourth of July. The man hadn’t fired. He stumbled and then fell awkwardly to the ground. She’d never seen a dead body before but she knew that man was dead. He lay in such a twisted manner there could be no doubt.

A shadow approached the alley.

Larissa tore herself from the spot and ran.

She looked back once and saw a tall figure enter the alley. She was on the verge of recognizing him when she smacked into something large and heavy.

Two burly men had jumped out of the shadows and she had run right into their arms. She screamed with all her might as they lifted her off the ground. She kicked and flailed around.

“Is this her?” asked one man in a rough voice.

“Who cares. Shut her up!” came the answer.

A hand like sandpaper clamped down over her mouth and smothered her screams. She saw the black metal of a gun barrel. It hovered above her forehead. She bit down hard on the hand but it wouldn’t let go, even as her teeth tore through the skin.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the tall figure streaking down the alley toward them. It was Ian. He was moving faster than any man she’d ever seen. It didn’t seem real. She’d been to the Central Park Zoo once. There she’d seen a snow leopard dash across its enclosure. It moved so fast and so fluid, like lightning. That was what it was like watching Ian move. There was nothing human about it.

Her attackers dropped her. She fell on her butt as Ian collided with the two of them like a train. There was a flurry of blows. One dropped to the ground. He crumpled like the man at the mouth of the alley and Larissa knew he was dead.

She backed away from the fight. Broken glass and other bits of debris scraped and cut her hands and rear end but she barely noticed. She was too busy watching the fight. What little fight there was.

Ian seized the other man. The brute was nearly twice his size but Ian held him tight and forced him to his knees. They were standing over a sodium lamp and by its pale light she saw the fangs gleaming inside Ian’s mouth.

Winners!

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

Guest: Laura Enright

Please welcome Laura Enright today, author of the neat little book that covers a lot of cool vampire history, info, and facts using a top ten list format.  We reviewed it a few months ago and loved it. Highly recommended!  Laura has a copy of the book for one lucky commenter, so please show her some love in the comments!

A Variety of Vampires

When Potomac Publishers approached me to do another book in their Most Wanted series (My book Chicago’s Most Wanted was published in 2005), it seemed perfect timing.  I’d just finished the fourth book in my vampire series (working title The Khan Family Saga) and vampires seemed a perfect subject for the Most Wanted series.  I wasn’t aware just how perfect the subject was until I started researching Vampires’ Most Wanted: The Top Ten Book of Bloodthirsty Biters, Stake-wielding Slayers, and Other Undead Oddities.

One of the questions I’m asked while publicizing the book is, “Should vampires sparkle?”  Stephenie Meyer’s curious device to keep her vampires in a dark and gloomy place has caused a slight controversy with some vampire purists (in Meyer’s series the vampires are not hurt by the sun but rather sparkle when the sun hits them)

My reply to the question is that vampires should do whatever the story calls for.  There is no one true vampire.  The notion of vampirism has appeared in cultures around the world as long as we could tell stories and recognized the power of blood.

At the core of the vampire is the need for the creature to take a life essence from another to survive.  Sometimes this essence is given freely.  Sometimes it’s stolen.  But other elements that make up the story: The causes, the abilities, the weaknesses, differ per culture and time.  I believe that it’s this variety that has given the vampire legend a resilience other legends just don’t have.  As I say in the Forward of my book, the vampire has the ability to become what we need when we need it.  From god to ghoul to innocent bystander, it’s run the gamut.  It has evolved as we have, becoming more complex as our own questions of life and death have grown deeper.

The popularity has ebbed and flowed but writers usually come along to reinvigorate the genre.  For example, the vampire was at one time considered little more than a walking corpse.  A legend told to convince people not to break a particular taboo (or they’d return as a vampire) and while certain ideas differed from culture to culture, there was nothing sexy or sparkly about the vampire.

Then the gothic writers began exploring the dark side of life and gave us vampires with motivations beyond merely the obtaining of blood.  Polidori’s vampire in “The Vampyre” seems to seek revenge as  much as he seeks blood, while Le Fanu’s “Carmilla” seems to fall in love with each victim she chooses.  Decades later, Stoker gave us Dracula keeping his vampire nebulous but hinting at a history filled with power and cruelty.  Dracula wasn’t just a corpse, he was a count and somehow had retained the vestige of the power that he possessed centuries before.

Still there was very little sexy about the vampire in Dracula.  It was Bela Lugosi, with his piercing gaze and imperious demeanor who brought a mysterious allure to the role on the stage and the screen and while he only played the character twice on film, his portrayal would provide the iconic image for Dracula and vampires for decades to come.  It is perhaps why in the minds of so many the vampire seemed rooted in Eastern Europe when the legends actually cross countries and cultures.

The interest in vampires seemed to wane in the 1950s, despite the Hammer Studios’ successful take on the Dracula legend.  After all, the atomic age showed us the destruction that science can cause.  How frightening was a vampire in the face of that?  Richard Matheson was one of the first to use science to reclaim the vampire in his 1954 novel I Am Legend.  By using a disease to describe the vampiric affliction affecting his friends and neighbors, he made the notion of the vampire more plausible to a culture less inclined toward fantasy.

Still it wasn’t until Anne Rice took the focus off the vampire hunters and put it on the vampires themselves that the next great resurgence in popularity occurred.  By asking the question “What goes on in the vampire’s head?” she reminded us of something that had been lost all this time.  No matter how they were created, magic or science, vampires were at one time humans.  Is it possible that they did not automatically give up their humanity after turning into vampires?

This theme has opened up the story telling dramatically.  Where at one time the human history of “the monster” generally remained unexplained, it is now an integral element to the vampire story.  We want to know what led to the conversion.  That’s half the fun.

I’ve found this element particularly enjoyable to create in my own vampire fiction in which I wanted to present characters dealing with a strange, sometimes deadly disease.  In my series, the morality of the vampires, good or evil, is what it was before they became vampires.  Narain Khan is a good man going through the decades trying to retain his sense of morality despite the strangeness of his condition and the difficulties of the situations that arise from it.  The person he was before his conversion often wars with the person he must sometimes now be to survive.  As his nemesis Reg Jameson tells him, “I must say, Khan, I don’t envy you your life.  You always seems as though you’re placed in situations where, no matter what you do, you stand to lose something.”

Remembering the vampire’s humanity, has made it easier to take the creature from monster to romantic hero, super hero or teen dream.  Even Dracula was given a romantic facelift in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 adaptation of the novel.  Love was Dracula’s motivation for going to England.  He was intent on tracking down Mina Harker, who he believed to be the reincarnation of his wife.

Now novels, TV and film use this sympathy for the vampire to draw people into the universe they create.

Though that’s not to say that the idea of the vampire as deadly feeding machines is gone. Graphic novels like 30 Days of Night and the film based on it, films like “Daybreakers” and “Fright Night” (the remake a better film than the box office made it out to be) still feature the vampire as a dangerous threat.  Which is great.  The fact is there is room for all variations on the tale.

So while I think the idea of vampires sparkling in the sun is a weak concept (I prefer the notion that the sun is a true danger to them because I believe the character, good or bad, needs a definite vulnerability to help with dramatic tension), Meyer is simply doing what countless story tellers have done before her.   She reinvented the creature to fit the universe she created and this universe has found fans.  Fans who may create their own universe that will help keep interest in the vampire alive.  As long as we don’t forget the sheer variety that came before, this is a good thing.

My book Vampires Most Wanted is available on Amazon and other book stores on line and in the physical world.  It was a ton of fun to write though I offer the caveat that while it says “Top Ten” I make no claims that the choices I made were Top Ten in each list.  The sheer volume of work out there that I wasn’t able to get to, not mention the fact that everyone’s tastes differ, keeps me from making that claim.  Rather, my intention with the book was to show the incredible variety of vampires in myths, legends, and media.  Some of the stuff I already knew, some was a journey of discovery, and I wanted people to have as much fun reading it as I had writing it.

Currently I’m working on finding a home for my vampire series.  Along with writing Vampires’ Most Wanted, I’ve spent a good portion of the last few years writing the four books in what I plan to be an ongoing series.  I also have an idea for a spin-off of the series.  I’ve fallen in love with this universe I’ve created and can’t stop telling the stories.

For information on me or future projects, people can visit my blog at http://lauraenright.blogspot.com/. I can also be found on Facebook and on Twitter at laura_enright.  And I’d like to thank the folks at VampChix for giving me the chance to say hello on their wonderful site.