Archive for vampire books
The wattpad sensation now available as a book.
The Dark Heroine: Dinner with a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs
Kidnappings, murders and intrigue, and that is just in the first chapter! Bella and Edward move over, because there is a new couple in vampire romance and they are gonna leave your romance in the dust! I first heard of Dinner with a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs on wattpad and then some friends on Facebook turned me on to more. Now it is finally out in a downloadable version for my Kindle and the end result is even better than I thought it could be.
Abducted while witness to a brutal murder; Violet soon finds herself falling in love with Kaspar, the dark and dangerous son in a princely family of vampires. But she also soon finds out that she may be part of an ancient prophecy. Can she be the one to finally end the bloody battles between humans and vampires? Even if she is, how does that compare to the dark secrets that Kaspar holds, secrets that could destroy everything around them?
A Dark Romance
Warning to the faint of heart, there is a dark side to this story. There is some real brutality shown at times. Violet and Kaspar are lovers in the true fashion of vampire romantic fantasies. Although I do believe that Kaspar, for all his dark prince ways, is a very romantic character it was how Violet is handled that makes this a very modern story. When you add in that author Abigail started writing this story when she was only 15 years old, well that just adds to the intrigue of the vampire romance.
The Dark Heroine is the series, and with the publication of Dinner with a Vampire we finally get a more polished complete version of Abigail Gibbs now almost legendary online gothic romance. If you love sexy vamps, strong willed women and sizzling romance, this is just the thing. Dig in, keep up with the fast pace and get ready to find yourself choosing sides in this dark gothic vampire romance.
Of course, it makes sense that you can download a kindle version, but there is also a paperback version for those who still love the old fashion feel of a paper book in their hands.
Great Vampire Series Starring Skye Morrison
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A barmaid in a vampire community, and she has two lovers to choose from. Is this another great vampire series with Sookie? Nope- it’s Skye Morrison and the vamp community is in Austin Texas, not Bon Temps. Right there you have a glimpse of the differences in this great little vampire series from J.L. McCoy. This is a first for her, and although a little rough in the first book, she gets her feet firmly planted early on. The series delivers a tasty vampire romance with plenty of heat along with a feel for the pulse of the music scene in Austin. It is that musical atmosphere that really sets this series apart from so many love triangle vampire books I have read. Well okay, the music along with the character of Skye.
College Girl Woes in Blood of the Son
It all starts when Skye, recently graduated from college with all the bills to prove it, has a very public row with her ex. Most days she can handle him, but somehow today was different and the ugly turned physical. When a classical tall, dark and handsome steps in to save the day she can’t help but notice him. The Irishman not only stops an ugly tirade from getting out of hand, he offers her a job that could more than help pay off those college bills. He needs a personal assistant for his new nightclub, the type of job Skye would love to sink her teeth into, so she accepts. But it turns out it is teeth other than hers that get a good workout at this club, for it is a hangout for the undead of Austin.
Skye is no wallflower, and we see that in this book as she parties with the best of them. Then there is her musician boyfriend Jameson Doyle. When her work at The Mausoleum nightclub puts her a little too close to the devastatingly handsome owner Archer Rys, things could get complicated. But working at the hottest night club for the undead can get convoluted at times, even without having a potential love triangle on your hands. Jameson is the leader of one of the hot bands in Austin and sexy sweet. Archer is rich, mysterious and aloof except for when he lets loose a bit and Skye get to see the other side of him; a side that can be very tempting. Even if Skye knows she is being drawn into a dangerous world, somehow she can’t fight it. The trouble is can she survive it?
A Blood Heat in Sins of the Father
Things just seem to heat up a notch with the second book in this great newcomer’s vampire series. In the romance department, now that both her lovers have revealed their true nature, Skye must learn how to adapt to this new world. Meanwhile, a murder takes place that puts everyone in jeopardy. When the situation calls for Skye to abandon her home and take refuge at Archer’s mansion, things go from hot to scorching. Both Archer and Jameson under one roof with her can make the attractions even more deadly, and it doesn’t help that the ever jealous Aoife is there as well.
This second book in the series really takes the whole action up to the next level, with more danger, more sensual moments and tons of suspense. Music continues to be the backbeat to the story and it is one of the elements I really love about this whole series. If you have ever been to Austin to see the music scene there, you would know that this is a pretty honest portrayal of how pervasive it is in the city. McCoy nails it without beating you over the head with it, another great touch. The whole story builds to a fever pitch at the end as we hold our breath to see how Skye, Jameson and Archer get themselves out of this one. There are crazed killers, an army of vampires on the lookout, a kidnapping and chaos ruling everywhere!
Nightmare and Retribution in The Original Sin
Our Skye has gone through the ringer by this chapter in the story. She has been torn emotionally by her connection to her lover Jameson and her continuing sexual fantasies about her boss Archer. The aftermath of her kidnapping has left her emotionally on edge with nightmares that continue to haunt her. The writing takes a bit of a dark turn here, as everything that is swirling around her begins to come to a head. It is bound to change her, and we go down that path with her as we see the aftermath of it all on Skye’s spirit as she fights the darkness within her.
This one is a real nail-biter in more ways than one. McCoy really matures as a writer here and we find ourselves embroiled in the characters as they struggle with plenty of their own demons. There is more at stake and the stark difference between the characters at the start of this series to who they are now is startling but also a natural growth of the events that surround them.
This series looks to have more books to come and I am very much looking forward to them. True, each book does have that darn cliff-hanger that I am not too fond of, but she resolves them well. Plus, I really don’t care for the covers; they all look corny as all get-up to me. However, I do love that the characters evolve, the writing gets stronger and on the whole this is a great vampire series that will keep you up reading into the wee hours of the night. Just keep that light on, ‘cause at times it gets downright scary in there!
You can grab copies of all three books at Amazon:
Book One – Blood of the Son is available in Kindle and Paperback formats
Book Two – Sins of the Father is available in Kindle and Paperback formats
Book Three – The Original Sin is available in Kindle and Paperback formats
Dark Nights by Christine Feehan
If you are a follower of Christine Feehan’s vampire stories in the Carpathian Hunter series, then this will be treading on familiar territory. The book takes two classic tales of the warrior clan that were published elsewhere and adds a bit of meat to those old bones by fleshing out the characters for us.
Each on their own are fine, but combined like this they are a great way to get a taste of just what exactly has made Christine’s series so popular. The end result is a great place for anyone new to the series to check out and a set of great treats for those who already follow the series.
Dark Descent
Like many stories from this series, this tells the tale of two lovers and how they met. We are taken down into a mysterious ice cave where we learn of the Dragon line and how master vampires plot to rule the world. Joie Sanders is a bodyguard who has stumbled upon the ice cave’s secret, along with the warrior Traian. Together they must find their way past ancient traps in a winding and confusing pathway that reflects their own growing passion. Heck- you know the two will find their feelings for each other, it is the getting there that is the fun in this story. That and this version gives us more of a back story on the characters including some of Joie’s family. You can’t help but see how our gal got her butt-kicking attitude when you meet the other women in her family. This appeared earlier as part of an anthology and so to find it here again, with the second story, is a win-win situation for anyone who either follows the series or was curious about it.
Dark Dream
This is another of those vampire stories where we get to see how a couple that would become pivotal in the ongoing series meet. This time it is the Carpathian warrior Falcon we first see, as he returns home after a long absence doing the bidding of Prince Vladimir. The Prince has been sending him on a mission to destroy the ancient vampires and in the process save his race. He recalls how a thousand years ago he wrote a journal in hopes that his life mate would find it and in it see her role in his life. It is while he is musing on these memories he is jumped by a group of thieves and is saved by Sara.
Sarah has read his journal and understands who Falcon is. Using the journal as a bridge between the two, she eventually overcomes her history of witnessing her entire family slaughtered by the ancient vampires. It is her passion to save the children she shepherds while growing to know and understand Falcon through his journal that makes the core of the love story.
For those new to the legend of the Carpathian race, an ancient people here to save humanity from the threat of the vampires, there is more. A short prologue at the beginning of Dark Dream has Prince Vladimir expounding on the terrible decision he must make each time he sends his warriors away from home and family to fight. His reasoning is the core of the series and having it here makes this a great beginning for anyone who knew of the series and wasn’t quite ready to jump in.
The Carpathian Legend
Although not your typical vampire stories, the series has a strong following and like many longer on-going series in fantasy it can be hard to judge if it is worth wading into the deep waters. For those who have looked at the covers, thought about the characters and wondered, here is a good place to dip your toe. For the many that already follow the series, these stories are a little reminder of what great characterization can be done in a short story format. Seems to me Dark Nights is a winner of a book no matter how you look at it.
Be sure to find your copy in either the paperback or Kindle format.
Sookie and Alcide are going at it hot and heavy on the couch when he carries her upstairs to continue the lovin’ in the bedroom. He tells her he has waited so long for this but unfortunately for him, the moment is gone when Sookie throws up on his shoes. Eric, lounging in the doorway, comments, “you sure know how to treat a lady” as he and Bill smirk at the two of them.
Lafayette is totally freaked out by the demon inhabiting him. He looks in the mirror and sees the bruja looking back. He calls to Jesus to please give him a sign, please give him some help. Later, when Lafayette wakes up, it’s to see Jesus’ head on the table with the mouth sewn shut. If that’s what you get when you ask your dead friends for help, I think I’ll pass. Lafayette’s mother wakes up to the same thing – head on bedside table, mouth sewn shut – but she appears to understand what Jesus is mumbling and she starts screaming Lafayette’s name.
Arlene walks in on Andy sleeping nude on the sofa. He seems to be doing a lot of that lately – showing off that cute bubble butt. Apparently both he and Jason ended up nude at home after they were kicked out of the fairy nightclub. Neither knows how they got there.
Bill and Eric are trying to convince Sookie to help them find Russell. She’s wavering and unsure which leads to an argument between the vampires and the werewolf. Sookie covers her head in pain and gets a bit hysterical but the end result is that she will help them out. Was there every any doubt?
Alcide’s employee Doug was involved with Russell’s retrieval but he was glamoured by the vampire who masterminded Russell’s escape so he cannot remember. That’s why Bill and Eric sought out Sookie, they want her to use her mind reading skills to find out what Doug knows.
When Sookie reads Doug’s mind, she sees a woman digging Russell up with her hands. She sees a necklace but she can’t see the vampire’s face. Bill thinks it’s Nora but Eric says no. Salome wears a similar necklace – it’s the symbol of the Vampire Authority.
Out in South Dakota, Terry and Patrick are jumped by their former Army comrade, Eller, who ties them to chairs down in the basement. He tells them about the fire monster, the Ifrit, that he saw kill others from their unit. Terry starts to mentally fall apart as he remembers that he is the one who killed the woman who cursed them with the Ifrit.
Jessica is trying to have a bonding moment with Tara. It looks like its working as Jessica tells Tara that it’s great to be a vampire – that the feelings you have are awesome, not something to be ashamed of. Ahh, how delightful, two girls just chatting away about drinking humans.
Sookie’s mind-reading takes them to an abandoned asylum (of course – what did you expect, a two bedroom ranch for the vampire king?) where they enter to locate Russell. Doug is terrified as he and Sookie make their way through the hospital. They come upon a pile of dismembered bodies that are being fed on by rats. Leave it to Eric to remark that they are in the right place.
Andy and Jason are investigating the deaths of Sam’s shifter friends. Jason finds wooden bullets embedded in a tree at the scene causing him to speculate that the killers are after vampires as well as shifters – their prey is all supernatural beings.
Tara is outside catching a smoke when Hoyt walks by. She calls him over and he offers his neck to her. He’s pissed that she won’t partake of his blood and he stomps away. She looks after him speculatively – perhaps he will be her vampire snack after all…
Terry screams at Eller that they have got to get out of there. The Ifrit has been waiting to get them all together. Eller is convinced by Terry’s fear and he cuts them loose. Only Patrick still thinks it’s all a madman’s fantasy and he hits Eller and ties him up. They leave him in the basement and Eller comes to just as the Ifrit approaches him, all black smoke and hot coals, and burns him to death.
Back at the asylum, Doug can no longer take the pressure and he bolts away from the group, just wanting to get out of there. Sookie runs after him and they end up in a room where people are hanging from hooks in the ceiling. Apparently they have found the storage locker for Russell’s next meal.
Sam goes to Luna to tell her about the death of the other shifters. She’s grateful that he came to tell her but she still wants him to leave. He walks out to his car only to get shot by a bunch of rednecks in masks. Luna runs out to help him and she gets shot too. When Emma comes out, they start shooting at her but she quickly turns into a wolf puppy and runs away.
Tara is biting Hoyt in one bathroom stall while Jessica is feeding off a girl in the adjacent stall. Jessica hears Hoyt say something to Tara and she rips the door off and throws Tara back. They start fighting over Hoyt. It’s a girl fight at vampire speed.
The A-team approaches Russell and he immediately sniffs out Sookie. He looks better than he did before – not so Darth Maul-ish. Eric is about to kill him when there’s a commotion behind them and everyone turns around and this episode abruptly ends. Looks like the team is about to be ambushed, I’m not surprised Russell had a few tricks up his sleeve. After all, he was a vampire king…
Gypsy Twist Makes Vampire Romance a Mystery
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Gypsy Blood by Lorrie Unites-Struiff
What do you get when you add together a vampire, romance and a murder mystery with Roma undertones? You get a really great story that moves out of the everyday urban paranormal vampire romance genre and into the realm of a real detective with a shady character in the background. Well, it may not be an actual vampire romance but it is a great detective story with a bit of a cool romance thrown in for good measure.
Rita is a gal who loves her work and is good at it. She is a detective and has a reputation for solving some of the more shady crimes that come her way. Of course, what most people in the force don’t know is that Rita is a gypsy and gets a little help from her Roma background. Her grandmother has given her an old crystal that when dangled before the eyes of the recently deceased reveals the image of the last person that they saw- the killer. It has helped her to solve a lot of mysterious crimes.
The problem is, this time it isn’t helping her at all. There have been several prostitutes killed in her area lately, and Rita is stumped because the crystal keeps revealing the wrong person. They are someone the dead girl saw alright, just not the ones that killed her. The crystal has never let her down before and she is puzzled why it is acting this way. Because she knows someone is killing these women, and all in the same way.
To make matters just a bit more interesting, the FBI has sent one of their own, Matt Boulet, to help on the case. Matt is someone with a few secrets of his own, but his ability to sleuth out the killer is what makes him the perfect person to work with Rita on this case. Because the killer is not human, and the killer needs blood and that is why they kill.
I have read few detective stories that were able to pull off the vampire as a monster story quite as well as the author does in Gypsy Blood. I don’t think I am giving too much away to say that the killer is a vamp, all fans of the genre will know within a few pages I think. What really makes the story interesting is the way they work the two characters towards that conclusion.
Although not an actual vampire romance, but more a detective story with a vampire in it, and a romantic twist, it still brings the paranormal into our everyday lives in a way that can bring a shiver to the reader. If you are a fan of the detective genre and you love your vampires shady and more than a bit scary, this is just the kind of book for you.
32 Fangs is New Vampire Book with Bite!
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David Wellington started writing stories about monsters such as vampires ever since he got hooked on vampire books as a kid. For him, the idea of a vampire that doesn’t send chills down your spine is hardly worth writing about. Vampires are monsters, and vampire books should be scary.
The book 32 Fangs is the final in his Vampire Tales series, and it is definitely in the scary vampire books camp. His protagonist Lara Caxton grew from a short story he wrote. The story was completed in an afternoon, but somehow the character just wouldn’t go away. He says that the novels grew from there, and that in many ways they wrote themselves. But when it comes to writing he says it is the monsters in the books, the vampires and their kin, that make the story interesting.
“I think that monsters are really interesting to write about because they have their own agendas and they’re not really bound by convention. So when you’re writing about real people you’re stuck with what does that person do for a living, how do they feel about their mother – all the old questions.”
Apparently those aren’t the kinds of questions his vampire in 32 Fangs is concerned with. The story centers on the intense stand-off between Justinia, who is the last vampire, and Lara Caxton. By now Lara has endangered everything that matters in her life-her badge, her friends and her freedom- just for the chance to take down Justinia and rid the world of vampires once and for all. But the ancient vampire who has been her foe throughout the series will not go down so easy.
It is a fight to the finish and it isn’t pretty. There will be casualties along the way, and in the end Lara will need to make some hard decisions about what she values. It is the final battle, and Lara will be called on to sacrifice even more than she ever has before if she wants to prevail. If you love the real chills down your back, hold no quarters kind of vampire books that Wellington has proven time and again he can deliver, then you won’t want to miss the finale in 32 Fangs.
When Farnsworth came out with The President’s Vampire I didn’t exactly think “oh, it’s Jack from 24 only he is a vampire”. That may be what author Christopher Farnsworth says he was thinking when he created the vampire books, but since actor Kiefer Southerland played one of my fave bad boy vampires in Lost Boys before he took on the role of Jack Bauer, he has already been there as far as I am concerned. But this little fact doesn’t stop me from looking forward to the third book in the vampire books series, Red, White and Blood.
This time around vampire secret agent Nathanial Cade is facing some big guns with The Boogieman, a supernatural being that possesses people, in fact people who are pivotal to the history of the world. He is a being who makes the world a little darker because the people he possesses are some of the most notorious killers in history.
Cade has faced him before, and often managed to kill the hosts, but he knows that he needs to destroy the being that he calls The Boogieman if he is to stop this destruction. To make matters worse, the creature has chosen to reappear in the middle of a presidential race. If you recall, Cade has sworn to protect the person of the President, whoever that happens to be, from all forms of threat and especially supernatural ones.
One of the events touched on in this book from the previous vampire books in the series is that Cade is haunted by the fact he could not prevent 9/11. It becomes a big part of this book and Farnsworth says that it is something that is woven throughout the ten part series as The Big Question. The answer is rolled up in the definition of Cade himself and the monsters he faces down. I for one am looking forward to seeing more of Cade and his unique take on presidential security in Red, White and Blood.
Dead Is Not an Option by Marlene Perez
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Title: Dead Is Not an Option
Author: Marlene Perez
Pages: 252
Genre: Young Adult
Dead Is Not an Option is the fifth and final installment in the “Dead Is” series from fiction writer Marlene Perez. As with any final book of a series, it answered a lot of questions, tied up a lot of loose ends and was largely constructed on storylines from earlier books of the series. Although the novel had its own storyline that was thoroughly enjoyable, if you’re only now contemplating Marlene Perez, I’d suggest you start at the beginning. Not because you won’t enjoy this book without the backstory, but because after reading this book you’ll want to learn more about the characters and the events leading to the conclusion.
Here’s a brief synopsis of the book:
“It’s springtime of senior year, and psychic sleuth Daisy Giordano is preparing to say goodbye to Nightshade High. But no college acceptance letters have arrived yet, and she’s beginning to worry about where she’ll end up come fall—and if it will be anywhere near her boyfriend, Ryan. But that’s not the only uncertainty Daisy’s dealing with. There’s a vamps-versus-shifters war going on in Nightshade, and things are so tense that there is talk of canceling the prom. The conflict is carrying over to the Giordano home, since Rose and Daisy are both dating werewolves and Poppy’s new boyfriend is a vampire.
Can the paranormal community in Nightshade finally find peace? And will Daisy and her friends survive graduation? All of these questions and more are answered in the latest explosive installment in the Dead Is series.”
I really enjoyed learning about Daisy’s modern day life and those around her. In the town of Nightshade there are vampires, werewolves, witches, psychics and even some supernatural species I’ve not previously read about. As you can imagine, with that many paranormal folk around, there’s bound to be trouble. And there is.
Several people in the community have been murdered with their throats torn to shreds. This puts a strain on the already tenuous relationship between the vampire and werewolf community. Each accuses the other of the murders and tensions run high as the crimes remain unsolved. On top of that there’s a possibility that the crimes are being committed by the group known as The Scourge, a radical and ruthless group of humans sworn to eradicate the world of all supernatural beings.
Although Daisy is concerned about not yet receiving a college acceptance letter, she’s soon drawn into the war that’s brewing in her hometown. On top of that, she’s having a hard time fulfilling her promise to find a way to free a young woman (whose body and spirit are trapped inside a jukebox) and her fiance (whose body is trapped inside that of a pig). Especially since the witch responsible for cursing the couple has no intention of reversing the spell.
The novel was a good final installment in the “Dead Is” series and one I really enjoyed reading. If you like fun mysteries with a supernatural backdrop you’ll enjoy this book.
I wish there had been more written about Daisy and Ryan’s relationship because they’re really sweet together. However, I really liked the way this book ended. I’d say, Dead Is Not an Option by Marlene Perez is a nice finish to the series and a solid read in itself.
