Reading with a Bite

You will be missed Jennifer Rardin

2010-09-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

I received a message yesterday that one of our favorite authors; Jennifer Rardin, (author of the Jaz Parks books)passed away on Monday.

My heart goes out to all of her family and friends.

Bullet

2010-08-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

I did it again. I read another Anita Blake book. Intervention anyone? They are so bad, yet they are such a guilty pleasure. And Bullet, released June 2010, is a lot better than Flirt, which was released just a few months prior. Flirt just seems like a little novella to accent the rest of the books (although I'm not sure how much accenting was actually done).

Bullet has all of the recent Anita drama - orgies, Marmee Noir, bad guys, new guys, etc., but LKH added a little plot twist about the were lions. Honestly, it seemed like most of this book was just orgies, all the sex scenes had at least 3-4 people, or maybe not "people."

The storyline still centers around Anita being all powerful, or at least the progression of her getting to be so. But, I hate to admit it, but I ALMOST, NEARLY got teary eyed (note: there was no watering of the eyes, just almost), during a part... and oddly maybe a second scene as well.

Still, I do not care for the fashions or styling of the books. A see through dress is NOT a must have for this season, ankle-length hair is not sex, and regular black jeans? The only black jeans I ever see are skinny jeans on teenagers. I think authors should start paying more attention to what's in style (Pam - this is a nod for your character as well). It's really minor, but for whatever reason, it bugs me.

Speaking of things that bug me, there was a side plot to this story that was kind of annoying. SPOILER - She gets a call for cop business, there is some bad vampire stuff in another state, she tells them how to deal with it, they deal with it, the end. It was almost an after thought, and didn't quite fit.

I am a bit disapointed that there isn't a show or movie coming out. The first Anita books would be great to see on TV. Here's LKH talking about... old news, but forgive me, I'm behind!

Bitter Things

2010-08-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

If you remember, some time ago I listened to a radio interview with Andrew Valentine, author of Bitter Things a novel of love, sex, memory, and blood. I was intrigued by Valentine's theories on vampires so I was interested in reading his new vampire book.

Michelle and Scott are a married couple, very much in love, despite Scott's baggage from his childhood. One night they decide to take things to the next level: they invite a beautifully seductive woman to share their bed. Mysteriously, Scott and the woman are no where to be found when Michelle wakes up.

Michelle will stop at nothing to find Scott, but is Scott strong enough to survive the evil that has taken him?

Bitter Things is not your typical frilly vampire romance. It's not just a sappy love story with fangs. Bitter Things explores the deepest and darkest corners of dark desires and control. Torture, sex, control and sacrafice; what would you do for the one you love?

Bitter Things also differs from various romance novels in the fact that it has substance, gritty, dark substance. The plot does not take you on a crash course in "love at first sight, sex, fight, sex, happy ending" there is much more involved in the story line.

I honestly had trouble reading through it quickly, or even getting through some parts of it at all. I was angry and frustrated at characters and events and some parts I thought were even a little frightening and disturbing. This book was a nice break from the usual sugary-sweet books I have been reading.

I thought the book was a quality dark erotic thriller. The storyline and characters were all well thought out and well executed. You won't find puppy dogs and prince charming vampires in this story.

Michelle must work hard to find Scott, and Scott has to work even harder to keep himself. Will they find a miracle to be together once again? Will their love concur evil? You must read Bitter Things yourself to find out!

Don't forget to check out Valentine's awesome Bitter Things Website as well.

How the Vampire Boom Really Began

2010-08-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

How the Vampire Boom Really Began - Copy and Pasted From NPR'S Monkey See

[As our story opens, the year is 2003.]

To: VampsPRFr: FritzRe: PR issues

PR Team,
As we talked about last week at the annual retreat, it seems like we haven't made a significant PR push in quite some time. Buffy THE TRAMP LIAR-SAYER has finally gone off the air, but we are at a cultural crossroads. Vampires need to be the "next big thing." Ideas? Thx.

To: Fritz, VampsPRFr: SteveRe: Re: PR issues

Fritzie,
I've heard that an up and coming novelist is planning a romance series (set in the Pacific Northwest, I believe) in which a girl is caught between a werewolf and a clown. I'm wondering whether, with proper outreach, she could be persuaded to replace the werewolf with a vampire. I think a battle for the heart of a young woman between a vampire and a clown could be very compelling and could help change our image with young women. Thoughts?

To: Steve, VampsPRFr: FritzRe: Re: Re: PR issues

Steve,
Do it. Please report back. Thx.

To: Fritz, VampsPRFr: SteveRe: Discussion w/SM

Fritzie,
Talks went well. Very promising. She's receptive. Interesting twist. She suggests using the vampire in place of the clown instead. Werewolf/vampire face-off. What say you?

To: SteveFr: FritzRe: Re: Discussion w/SM

Steve,
That's fine if that's what she wants. Vampire/werewolf seems like an unfair fight, as readers cannot be expected to believe a werewolf could compete with the innate sex appeal of a vampire. Clown might seem like more worthy romantic opponent, based on perception (false, in my experience) that clowns have a great sense of humor, but again, if that's what she thinks, it's certainly worth a try. Thx.

To: FritzFr: SteveRe: Small edit

Fritzie,
As you know, the manuscript we saw last week has been returned to SM with edits. I'm having difficulty selling her on your idea, even though I like it. She seems to think that having the vampire (currently named Booger, but that's not final) sparkle in the sunlight might come across as, as she put it, "over the top." She's also having some trouble shifting entirely away from some of the aesthetics she originally had planned for Booger as far as his look; we are working on it. Still negotiating re: this point.

To: SteveFr: FritzRe: Re: Small edit

In retrn 4 sparkles, will accept red lipstick orig. 4 clown. Plz change Booger. Thx.
[From my Blackberry]

To: FritzFr: SteveRe: Book performance

Fritzie,
As you know, the book is now a runaway success. There will be more. Also tentative upcoming HBO show TRUE BLOOD based on those Snookie (?) books your wife likes, and a deal with the CW (it's the "fifth network") for a show called VAMPIRE DIARIES. Sounds super sexy. All looks good.

To: SteveFr: FritzRe: VERY VERY UPSET

Now seeing ads for Vampires Suck. "Suck"? What's going on in PR? Lead of this movie appears to be takeoff of Edward/Booger character, seems to be making vampires into jokes. VAMPIRES ARE NOT IRONIC, STEVE. Parody/irony are bad for our sense of menace. Also hearing MTV plans new Teen Wolf. Where is our marketing plan? Where is our response? I expect to meet with you and the team in the conference room at 10:30. BRING NEW IDEAS. THX.

Flirt

2010-08-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

So, I gave in and checked out Laurell K Hamilton’s one of the newer Anita Blake books – Flirt. Honestly, until I looked up the book to include the hyperlink, I didn't realize there was Bullet - a book that is much longer, released about a month later. Where does that one fit in? I've been out of the loop.

I was a big fan of her early work – and then joined the “WTF happened?!” club. Now it’s just bad. It’s really just orgies, and Anita being all badass and emasculating men and being undefeatable. Yet I still read them. It’s a guilty pleasure. I’m a little infatuated with some of the male characters, after I imagine they don’t have really long hair that Hamilton has portrayed them with (a man with ankle length hair? Not sexy).

Last year's book, Skin Trade, I thought things were getting better. There was only like, 2 sex scenes in the whole book! And it’s not even really about the sex. If the story line is good and the sex emphasized the story, and added a little flair, fine. But it is just over the top. And remember Micah?, that was bad. It was a little novella. A mere side story. Flirt was the same way! It was less than 160 pages. I read it over my lunch hour! It was practically a short story. And not a good one at that.

Here’s the story line (spoiler alert!)

Anita turns down a rich guy – she won’t raise his wife, can’t raise her to be real.
Anita goes out and flirts and Hamilton makes things really awkward between her 3 guy friends.
Anita turns down a rich lady – she won’t raise her husband so she can ax murder him.
Anita goes to lunch at the same place, has awkward flirting with the waiter.
Anita is taken by two lions.
Her lion wants to mate with them.
They manage to make it over to the rich guys’ house – he hired them to threaten Anita and all that.
Her lion wants to mate with them again.
Anita gets hurt.
Anita must get power to heal – Anita must have sex
Anita takes power over lion #2 by having sex with him.
Things get a little violent
Anita raises the wife – but there is a ton of power
Anita raises lots more zombies.
Anita has zombies kill the rich guy.
Anita’s guys come to the rescue
Anita takes lion home with her.

The End.

They barely talk about Jean Claude, and only mention Asher in passing. None of the other characters barely even have roles in the book. It’s just all-powerful Anita. Like always. But Hamilton did work in Anita crying in there… you know, to show you that she is more than just a tough gal.

Hamilton also included an intro and an ending “how I come up with ideas” portion… probably to make the book longer because it’s pretty obvious she is running out of material and had to meet a deadline.

Twilight Drinking Games

2010-05-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

This is long over-due. Below or some drinking game rules if ever you are forced to watch Twilight or just want to get drunk with a bad movie you can easily make fun of. Lists are compiled through conversation and various other sites.

Remember - never drink and drive and don't drink if you are under the age of when you can legally drink. Be safe folks :)

Twilight Drinking Game: Will need a sober driver or to stay at home

Take a drink every time Bella touches her hair
Take a drink every time Edward looks constipated
Take a drink every time Bella looks constipated
Take a drink every time Edward says he is dangerous
Take a drink every time Bella bites or licks her lips
Take a drink every time Edward and Bella stare into each others eyes for more than 3 seconds
Take a drink every time Bella whines about something
Take a drink every time Bella trips - Take 2 if Edward saves her
Take a drink whenever Alice has a vision
Take a drink whenever Edward treats Bella like a child
Chug your drink when a vampire sparkles - don't stop until the sparkling does/you finish your drink
Take a drink every time Bella quotes a book/person
Take a drink every time Bella says/acts like she can't live without Edward
Take a drink every time Edward says something rude to Bella
Take a drink every time Jacob tries to get Bella's attention

Now, these are obviously just a few things you can drink to. So if you have to watch Twilight, at least be intoxicated and have fun doing so.

Click HERE for another funny drinking game for the Twilight book.
HERE is another Twilight drinking game.

Just got back from San Francisco

2010-05-07T19:18:00.001-07:00

Got back this evening from working in San Francisco, so I thought I would include a few San Francisco Vampire links;

The most important vampire link, by far, is to the site of THE vampire tour of San Francisco.

From their site:
Are you a San Francisco history buff? Are you a vampire buff? Did you ever think those 2 subjects would be combined? About 85% of the tour's script is documented San Francisco history. The other 15% - you'll just have to take my word for it. See if you can figure out what the 15% is! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO JOIN IN THE "SPIRIT" OF THE TOUR, AND COME IN COSTUME!!

Want to try something a little sexier and a little darker? Have a night out at one of SF's gothic clubs - maybe the night will have a vampire theme, or maybe you just might find someone who bites...

and if you want to stay in for the night, how about reading up on the famous case of the opium vampire?

Waiting for True Blood?

2010-05-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

So if you don't already know, True Blood Season 3 premiers Sunday, June 13th.

If you haven't already watched the Pam and Eric minisode, here it is:

Minisode: Eric & Pam

For me it was almost too embarrassing to watch. Some parts were funny though.

The newest Sookie Book - Dead in the Family comes out May 5th. Amazon has it on sale for 10 bucks.

You can read the first chapter here.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Interview with Arlene Russo Author of The Real Twilight: True Stories of Modern Vampires

2010-04-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of interviewing Arlene Russo author of The Real Twilight and the founder of Bite Me magazine. Her new book includes a look into UK's vampire underground and the real vampires that can't be found on the big silver screen.

What is The Real Twilight about?

Basically The Real Twilight is about true vampires and every aspect of their culture. This includes the many different types of vampires, including lifestylers, sanguine (blood-drinking) vampires and psi (psychic) vampires- and everything in between! The book highlights global trends in vampirism, tracing American and UK connections, the heritage of the vampire legend, as well as modern factors which have shaped the nature of the vampire community such as HIV and the impact of the internet. Readers are also given a glimpse of the reality of the vampire covens and societies that exist today, and this covert information is perhaps not so widely known. I was privileged to be given an insight into these 'secret' worlds.

What was your goal in writing Real Twilight?

My goal was to present an overview of modern vampire culture and its various historical and global influences. I wanted to highlight modern day vampires in all their forms by speaking directly to real vampires themselves. I also wanted to celebrate the rich folkloristic history of vampirism that goes back thousands of years as well as focusing on the contemporary vampire scene. I also felt it was important to pay heed to the darker facts of vampirism such as blood drinking safety and vampire crime. I have included as many vampire specialists as I could, in addition to the vampires themselves and these included the resident vampire agony aunt of Bite me magazine, academics specialising in Gothic literature, and vampire ‘fangsmiths.’

How do you feel about the current vampire craze?

It is always good to see vampires in the media- in a positive light- but I am not sure how much the Twilight craze has to do with vampires per se, or the movie stars themselves. Time will tell, when these teens grow older, and we can see how many of them still profess a fascination with vampires...

When did you first become interested in vampires?

As a child, I was fascinated by horror movies and the paranormal (the film star Christopher Lee was my main inspiration). I have to thank my mother for letting me stay up late to watch the Hammer horror double bills when I was 10. I was also a member of a school book club and the books I ordered were suitably horror film titles and such like!

Do you have any favorite vampires movies, books, or music?

Well, I am a traditionalist and it has to be Christopher Lee in any Hammer horror that featured him as Dracula. I also like other Hammer Horror without him- like Twins Of Evil. I am a twin so that's another reason to like it! I have also been enjoying True Blood.

With your time at Bite Me magazine, what have you learned about today's vampire culture?

I have learned about all the different types of vampire fans - from vampire lifestylers to real vampires, to vampire haters! I have also learned that vampire fans have always been prevalent- but every so often they come out in droves- like with the Twilight craze. I can remember for example, the previous one- following Bram Stokers Dracula in 1992. Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1999 also brought vampire fans to the fore. Every so often they need to come out of the shadows!

Is there anything you wish people would know about the vampire culture?

I hope The Real Twilight celebrates vampire culture in all its forms and thus appeals to vampire fans in all THEIR forms, from the newest to the most established vampire aficionado. It is a book as much for people who wish to peep into a new lifestyle as it is for practising vampires looking for a point of reference. Or perhaps for those whose interest in vampires has been piqued by the Twilight and True Blood phenomenon.

Big thanks to Arlene for taking time out of her busy schedule to visit! The books seems super interesting and offers a unique insight into the world of real vampires.

To purchase Arlene Russo's The Real Twilight, True Stories of Modern Vampires, click HERE.

Best of the Best?

2010-04-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday to everyone. I recently came across an article titled

"Before Twilight: 14 Greatest Vampire Stories of All Time"

Now, I'm not entirely sure I agree with all of the list. What say you? (click the link for list details)

Books:

Dracula

Sookie Stackhouse

Anne Rice

Anita Blake

30 Days of Night

Blade

Salem's Lot

Vampire Academy

Movies:

Dracula

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Let the Right One In

The Lost Boys

I am Legend (I think this belongs in the books and not the movies)

Nosferatu

This list reminds me that I should create a "best" list of my own. So what do you guys think? What do you think are the best vampire movies and books? Anything on these lists that should not be on here?

Bitter Things

2010-03-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Andrew Valentine has an erotic vampire novel out - Bitter Things.

I listened to his radio interview today, and I thought it was interesting. The actual interview can be viewed here.

The interview was pretty interesting - a little bit scattered, but I think that's quite normal with radio interviews.

Early vampire myth and culture was talked about, religion, psychology, and Western though was discussed.

It was interesting to hear the theory that vampires are vessels for our fears and concerns; Dracula was for xenophobia, True Blood for minority groups, etc. Vampires often become what the culture is concerned with.

Being a Jung fan, I was delighted when he was mentioned as well. Referencing Jung's Modern Man in Search of a Soul, what people can't find in religion, they turn to fiction - which may be why vampires are so popular right now. It was mentioned that in times of turmoil, confusion, and conflict, and interest in the paranormal peaks.

Towards the end of the interview, the feminization of the vampire myth also came into discussion. According to Valentine, 22% of household have women bread-makers, 1/3 of married households include women who are better educated and only 40% of college grads are men. It was theorized that vampire novels are somewhat of a rejection of what choices of men women have.

The interview touches on some old vampire tales and myths, talks a bit about certain vampire fiction and cultural implications, and discusses a bit about why our culture is so interested in vampires.

I would recommend listening to it. The commercials are pretty horrible though. I believe one ad for a flower shop used the description "very great" or something odd. The ads were oddly description. And the hardware store jingle sounded like it belonged on some of my old cassette tape radio recordings. It seemed like the radio host also kept calling Valentine's book "Bitter Rites" (or rights?).

I hope to get my hands on the book soon. Apparently Valentine has a Masters in Psychology from the New School of Social Research. That right there makes me a bit intrigued.

Coming soon

2010-03-18T17:03:00.001-07:00

Coming Soon:

Guest post from Alrene Russo, author of The Real Twilight and founder of Bite Me magazine.

Book reviews

and probably some funny mockery about a certain "vampire" trend...

Back from the Grave?

2010-03-16T20:23:00.001-07:00

I've been completely ashamed and I haven't even checked my email in the past 5 months. Yikes!

Things have been quite crazy with work, family, and being married and all.

I have neglected this blog and all of you wonderful people.

I'm thinking I need to start getting back in the swing of things!

I hope not to disappoint and be up and about soon enough.

I hope you all haven't abandoned me!

Almost undead these last couple of days

2009-11-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

Excuse the absence - I have been sick in bed these last couple of days and completely useless.

I have several things coming up, including a review of Bound to Shadows and of Blood Ties Season 2.

You would think I would have more time being home sick, but all I have accomplished is watching the Office Season 4 and part of the first season of Psych - which has already had 4 actors that also appeared in Blood Ties.

Diary of an Amateur Vampirologist posted a funny video on his Blog... check out the video below:

And, on a completely non-blog related note, if you are an Etsy or a Jewelry buyer or seller, I would appreciate if you could fill out my survey - just 10 questions, should take you 5 minutes.

Thanks :)

I think I just may be a vampire book whore...

2009-11-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

Excuse me for the language... but I have been thinking about my literary choices recently. It turns out I am easily pleased, even with bad books. There are not a lot of vampire books I have read and enjoyed, even those that I have "hated". Even though some of these books were extremely stereotypical, shallow, and predictable I was kept entertained.

So does this make me a vampire book whore or a vampire book glutton? Or maybe just a fan of vampire romance? Actually... I don't think I am ready to come to terms with that last question.

Give me a vampire book with a female protagonist, a mystery to be solved, a little action, a hunky tortured vampire, and a little sex and I am pretty much satisfied.... yikes I'm easy.

It seems that as long as I can use the story line and the hot vamp as "fantasy" material I am a happy camper and will keep on reading the book. *Grimace*

Or maybe my love of vampire books is similar to that of some people's love of reality TV? Or Soap Operas?

Or perhaps more accurately; junk food. It tastes so good, yet it's just so bad for you.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN - THE WINNERS

2009-10-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to the following authors and guest bloggers:

Magia Posthuma

Taliesin Meets the Vampires

Diana Laurence

Diary of an Amateur Vampirologist

Roxanne Rhoads of Fang-tastic Books

Brian

Christopher Buecheler

Mayra Calvani

Genella deGrey

You guys all rock~!!

NOW FOR THE WINNERS:

Michelle's New Book: Mitz

Vampire Boyfriend and Happy Hour at Casa Dracula:

Kristi at Booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com

Coffin Ring and Choker:

at Morbid Romantic

Vampireboyfriend:

Amy1225

Congrats! Email me your contact information!

Last Chance to Win!

2009-10-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

You have one more chance to win!

Tomorrow I will randomly select winners from previous polls and

Prizes include:

Two "Vampire Boyfriends" from Velvet Brown Studio

A Coffin Ring and Slit-throat Choker from Tiana Rutledge
and a copy of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula from Marta Acosta at Vampire Wire

Happy Halloween Eve!

To enter, leave me a message telling me why you find vampires so attractive

Be sure to enter here to win a copy of Michelle Hauf's new book as well!

Extra! Extra! Vampire Author Almost Faints at the Sight of Blood!

2009-10-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to today's guest blogger!
Mayra Calvani is the author of 10 books for children and adults. Her vampire novel, Embraced by the Shadows, is available from Twilight Times Books. Visit her website here. Mayra’s dog, Amigo, has his own blog at www.petsandtheirauthors.blogspot.com.

I’d like to share with you an ironically funny incident that happened to me two weeks ago. My tale involves vampires, a vet, and a golden retriever with an abscess on his head…

Since we bought our beloved golden retriever, Amigo, on February of last year, he had a small ‘ball’ on top of his head, close to the left ear. Dr. van Ketts, the vet, wasn’t sure what it was, so she said to wait and observe if it got any bigger. After all, he didn’t seem to have any pain at all. Well, as Amigo grew, the thing grew with him, so last week we finally decided to remove it. We went to the vet’s office early. She’d told me I could stay with Amigo during the whole procedure, so I was both glad and anxious. Though I trust this vet 100%, I’m always scared of the words ‘total anaesthesia.’ But anyway, to make the story short: while she prepared to sedate him, she asked me if I was afraid of blood and if I would be able to handle the operation. I said: “Are you kidding? I write vampire fiction!” I was so sure of myself, so cocky… that is, until she began cutting with the scalpel and all the blood—Amigo’s blood—started to flow. After a few minutes, as I held and gently stroke his stomach, I began to feel a soft whistling in my ears, followed by a tingling sensation along my legs, arms, and back of my head. My breath became short. The assistant told me, “You don’t look too good. Do you want to sit down?”

Yep, you bet. I sat down, leaned over, and brought my head between my knees (I’d read this was good in this kind of situation). The feeling of malaise gradually passed and I was able to join the operation once again—though by now it was practically over. Of course, this time I had the decency to look humble.

Dr. van Ketts put the small ball of flesh on a metal tray and cut it open with her scalpel. And do you know what came out of it? A lot of long blonde hair! It had been growing there since Amigo was a fetus. Weird stuff.

But what kind of vampire author am I, who almost faints at the sight of blood? Tsk, tsk, tsk… a total disgrace.

Vampires: Modern Day Heroes?

2009-10-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Chrisopher Buecheler - author of The Blood that Bonds for today's guest post! Be sure to click the book link to visit his great book website and to get to know the characters in his free book!

Much ado has been made over the current "vampire trend" and its potential longevity. People are curious: why and how have vampires become so popular? What has caused them to capture the fancy of the mainstream public after years of being appreciated mainly by fans of the horror genre? The answer to that question lies in the slow move from terror to sympathy that people have made over the past few decades, due in large part to the efforts of many authors, screenwriters, directors, and other artists.

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, vampires were the bad guys. Remember those days? Dracula bending menacingly over a delirious Lucy Westenra; Kurt Barlow and his servant Mr. Straker slowly bringing the town of Salem's Lot to ruin; Keifer Sutherland and his cronies menacing Corey Haim's family ... vampires were nearly always portrayed as voracious, evil killers.

While Anne Rice's 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire was among the first works to lend a credible sense of humanity to vampires, and to look upon them with a sympathetic eye, it nonetheless cast them as dangerous outcasts, as much cursed as blessed. Since then, we've seen a slow but steady push by authors and moviemakers that has significantly changed the way vampires are portrayed in modern pop culture. While it's still very possible to find blood-sucking nasties haunting your bookstores and cinemas, more and more we're seeing a new theme.

Movies like the Underworld trilogy give us vampires who, apart from an allergy to sunlight and some spectacularly bad boob-jobs, are largely bereft of any of real weakness. Books like Twilight give us vampires who sparkle in direct sunlight and occasionally find humans very tasty-smelling, but are otherwise capable of blending in to a high school crowd without much question. The brooding vampire pretty-boy (or girl) has replaced the hideous, reeking half-bat creature crawling from a coffin filled with ancient earth in the popular consciousness.

Many modern vampires are more superhero than monster, usually possessing stunning good looks to go with a host of spectacular powers. They're often the story's protagonist, or at least a major character on the side of good. Even in a television show whose title contains the words "Vampire Slayer," we've been presented with at least one good-looking vampire who'd rather date humans than eat them.

None of which is to say that our vampires are super-men ... but most of us don't want Superman anymore, anyway, at least not as he was originally conceived. The concept of a perfect hero has become outdated, with characters like Batman and the incredibly screwed-up members of the X-Men holding the greatest public interest for the past few decades. Lately, though, vampires have fallen nicely into this "flawed hero" niche, which runs through human storytelling all the way back to the ancient Greeks and beyond.

Modern vampires may act nice, may possess many desirable abilities, may try to do as much good as possible, but there's no getting around the fact that they have to drink human blood to survive ... and few humans really dig the idea of parting with large quantities of their blood. This, then, is the flaw that allows for these characters who would otherwise be something more like gods than men to be identifiable. They're often tormented by guilt, feared by their fellow man, persecuted, hated, forced to live on the run. We can relate to these things on a more visceral level than we can relate to the ability to stop a moving vehicle by holding out one's hand (physics be damned). Bella isn't attracted to Edward because he's strong ... she's attracted to him because he's hot and broody and intense. Kind of like a guitarist in a local garage band, just with the potential to suddenly go berserk and tear her throat out.

Lest I be accused of condemning this transition, let me point out that my own novel, The Blood That Bonds, which I recently released for free, features several vampires who are, if not outright heroic, at least sympathetic. The lead protagonist is made a half-vampire without granting her permission first, and she's pretty ticked off by that, but it's not altogether very long until she's asking to complete the transition. Over the course of the book, she meets or hears about several other vampires, and some of them do indeed resemble Edward, and Selene, and True Blood's Bill Compton.

Human beings need characters they can relate to, and just about everyone can relate to a hero who has noble intentions but must sacrifice and suffer due to his or her flaws. In many modern tales, vampires have often come to fill that role, acting as an outlet not only for our worst fears, but also our greatest desires. They scare us, and they thrill us, and that is why vampires are so "hot" at the moment, and why people will continue to write books about them, make films chronicling their lives, and draw illustrations of them long after the current craze has passed.

Christopher Buecheler is a professional web designer and author living in Indianapolis. You can find his free eBook at TheBloodThatBonds.com, or visit his blog, Cerebral Debris.

Remember Me

2009-10-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Genella deGrey is our special guest blogger for today! Below is an excerpt from her vampire book Remember Me. Thanks Genella!

Something was dreadfully wrong. There were awful sounds coming from the direction in which he was headed. He rushed forward only to stop short in the center of the room.

Vlad turned observed him there. “Ah, Dacious, I am glad you could join us,” he smirked, wiping his bloody lips down his naked forearm.

A handful of vampires, including Vald, were detaching themselves from a body that was chained to a wall. The long coppery hair on the victim was disheveled, and hung past her face down to her upper thighs. The puncture marks in her practically colorless flesh were fresh and raw, her arms were stretched so that her shoulders where contorted and out of joint.

Gemmah! The air in Dacious’s lungs didn’t seem sufficient while he gasped deeper for breath. Tears stung his eyes as he took in the ghastly sight.

My beautiful Gemmah.

He felt his insides constrict as he fought to remain upright. Greed and lust had cruelly ripped asunder a love that had taken thousands of years to come to fruition.

He felt himself shaking with violence when his gaze fell upon Erzebet, the director of this morbid tragedy. The overwhelming urge to destroy her and her entire court for taking his Gemmah from him caused his chest to tighten.

Dacious’s jaw clenched. Becoming the angel of death to these killers was his new objective. He would not sleep until every last vampire had been hunted down and wiped from the face of the earth. At almost the same moment he began to stager forward, Erzebet spoke.

“I have it within my power to restore her to you.” Erzebet’s words went unheard and he continued toward her, stalking her, clenching and unclenching his fists. “I said, Dacious, that I can bring her back.”

He shortened his steps, but continued forward. “I do not see how that is possible, Erzebet. The last time I checked, you had not been granted the ability to give life, only take it away. Nor has your generosity ever been so accommodating.”

“I can and I will, you have my word.”

“Oh, the word of a vampire, how reassuring,” he replied menacingly and lifted his hands reaching for her throat.

“Dacious, if you defeat me here, like this, how will you ever know for sure?”
He paused just inches from her windpipe. He glared down at her. “What is your price, Erzebet?”

“I want what I have always wanted from you. I want you to pleasure me. I want you naked and in my bed. I want your head between my legs. I want you to give me earth-shattering orgasms. I want to bathe in your seed.”

“Only you can take the beauty of lovemaking and turn it into a vile and repulsive act.”

“I do not care how you put it, as long as you pound me until I can no longer walk.”

“When you put it that way, it has its possibilities,” he bared his teeth in lieu of a smile.

“You agree to my terms, then?” Erzebet said, and licked her lips likely at his promise of violence.

“No. You have done nothing but confirm how much I loathe you.”

“How can I prove to you that I can bring her back?” she purred.

“One would presume that you could think of a way to do that.”

“Close your eyes.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, you and your minions have not earned my trust as of yet,” he shot at her with verbal sarcasm.

Erzebet clapped her hands twice. “Everyone, out of my sight.”

“But, my queen—” Vlad, still naked and blood-smeared, stepped forward raising his hands palm up in appeal.

She growled at him. “I said out.”

Everyone in the throne room scurried toward different outlets. She even shooed her hands at her maid, who had been sitting at her feet.

“Now, it is just you and I,” Erzebet said. “Close your eyes.”

In the blink of an eye, Dacious reached out and took hold of her wrists none too gently. “If you are not forthcoming, I shall pull your arms from their sockets.”

She winced. “You have my word.”

Dacious narrowed his eyes at her just before closing them. In his mind, he heard Gemmah’s voice. She was calling to him! With an audible intake of breath, he opened his eyes, dropped Erzebet’s hands and shouted at the deathly still figure on the wall, “Gemmah?”

Erzebet chuckled. “You see? I told you I have the power.”

At her words, he looked at Erzebet. “All I have to do is have relations with you—”

“And I will bring her back from the dead.” She smoothed a stray lock of hair behind her ear with a sweep of her hand and smiled at him in invitation.

Dacious again glanced doubtfully at Gemmah’s lifeless form.

Vamp Overload?

2009-10-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today's guest blogger is author Michelle Hauf. Michelle even has a special suprise for a lucky winner! Thanks Michelle!

I write vampires. I love vampires. But I admit, lately, I’m feeling overwhelmed by the plethora of vamps. They are everywhere. On the silver screen. On the small screen. Crowding out non-vamp books in bookstores. Featured in magazine articles and bloggers everywhere are swooning over this fabulous ‘new’ trend of the vampire. (New? Seriously?) Vamps are in the grocery aisles, tempting me to munch their sugary sweetness. They want me to sip down blood-orange soda, and indulge in vamp-ish truffles. They are on my clothing, bedsheets and shoes. They twinkle, shimmer and drool blood.

Whew! Enough already?

Actually, no. I embrace this indulgence in one of the most popular ‘monsters’ we’ve had throughout the ages. Sure, the vampires we like to read in our romances are a bit sanitized from those original, horrific vamps who would as soon rip out their victims throats than even consider drinking blood from a plastic bag stolen from a blood bank. I can deal with that, because romance is just one ‘genre’ within the realm of vampires we have to choose from. Not in the mood for swooning, broody, aristocratic vamps? Pick up a horror book or check out Let The Right One In. The Nightwatch and Daywatch books and movies are another great horror choice. Vamps can be found in fantasy, mystery, action-adventure, erotica, young adult, manga, just to name a few. True Blood and The Vampire Diaries are more great choices on TV. So many choices! I love it.

So what about you? Do you feel it’s time for vamps to climb back into their coffins and just give us a break? Or do you embrace it like I do, and wonder how soon before book stores actually put in a ‘Vampire’ section? What’s your fav genre of vamps to read about or watch

Winners will be announced on Halloween.... just leave a message answering whether or not you think there is too much "vampire" out there.

To learn more about Michelle - visit her blog!

Team Cullen vs. The Original Gangstas vs. The Hopes of Single Men

2009-10-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today's guest blogger comes from my friend Brian - you semi-typical, middle 20-year-old American male. Thanks Brian for being a guest!

Note: The views and opinions of Brian do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of this blog.

When I was in high school, the latest craze regarding vampire literature was the newest Anne Rice novel, an author who, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to be getting enough respect for a genre that she more or less dominated for a span of many years. I read Interview With The Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and The Queen of the Damned. These three books served as the core of vampire mythology for a good long while. Sure, there were others, but Anne Rice had a veritably unmatched saga of vampire fiction rolling off her fingertips. Any vampire movies watched with friends always fell back to being compared to the novels’ sense of history, the beauty of these creatures was one borne out of time, the romance inherent in vampire affections, the laundry list of behaviors and various mythological truths embedded in the pages of Rice’s central three novels.

Rice’s vampires were beautiful, terrible beings. Incredibly powerful, ancient, terrifyingly gorgeous products of their original time mixed with the present (whichever time period that present happened to be). Now, is the rest of this diatribe going to be about how nothing found today really seems to measure up to the (what in my mind) is the original testament of vampiric lore? Most likely. And don’t get me wrong, I understand the fact that things change, evolve, progress. If human history has shown us anything, it’s that we move forward. But are the new models really an improvement on the original, or are they more of an impediment to the single male?

I thought this stuff burnt out when the sun started shining on all those freak-wannabe-vampire-punk-goth-rocker-stoner-make-up-wearing-juggalo kids from high school, the day after graduation. The day that whole, “Oh, shit, we can’t all work at Hot Topic,” mentality settled in and took root in the cerebellum of these daywalker posers who wished more than anything that they actually needed to feed off of blood. Welcome to Reality. These people disappeared for a while, leaving behind the romanticism of the bite, the penetrating stare that reads souls and minds alike; the vampire faded from beatific glory and into the shadows from whence it came, becoming again a creature to be feared, not adored. And then, recently, they got pretty again.

Enter Team Edward. A seventeen-year-old kid who was made into a vampire two hundred years ago is supposed to be the new heartthrob of women the world over. Forty-something-year-olds getting caught up in the craze of teen-girl-fiction, falling in love with a fictional diamond-skinned vampire, whose character flaws spawned a whole line of t-shirts? These new vampires are too pretty to be seen in sunlight (because they get all shiny), they convulse and fight massive erectile temptation whenever their soul mate walks into the room, and this Mr. Cullen happens to be the only gentleman left on the planet, it seems—minus, of course, the creepy stalking bit.

Here’s the thing I witnessed with the new vampire craze: they took the evil out of them. Over-romanticized the hell out of these once evil creatures. Good luck to any normal guy trying to measure up, now. We’ve all been irrevocably screwed by the vampire system. And the vampires know it. They’re in their coffins right now laughing at us. The newer, bolder, modernity-ridden bloodsucker leaves no room for human error, no room for improvement, either. They don’t exist, so one would think that mankind has an edge. But we don’t. Team Cullen blew us out of the water.

Vampires in the olden days had to be sexy without sex, if you catch my drift. Theirs was a beauty held in mannerisms, appearance counted, yes, but not for everything. The capacity to love was outside of the vampire’s realm of existence, or knowledge, beyond their reality. Love was a human thing. Granted, Louie did care deeply for Claudia, but when Lestat made him a vampire, he made sure to make him weak, that’s why the other vampires ‘loved’ him: he was the most human. The Anne Rice suck-heads had a measure of evil that maintained a balance in the world, as far as vampires were concerned. It wasn’t just anybody who could be made into a vampire. The majority of people weren’t even close to being candidates for vampirification, only those that had that special something. What a twenties-era gangster might call ‘moxie.’

[Side note, I hear that this show “True Blood” takes place in the South… Any self-respecting vampire would move him/herself to larger, more popular epicenter of sophisticated human culture, not the sour-mash capital or Bible-belt central. But anyway…]

We can have moxie. Hell, some of us have it in spades, but will we it be enough to take the girl’s mind off of Edward? Doubt it. Talk a good game, walk a straight line, open a door or three, pay for dinner, movie, drive, be a gentleman and kiss her on the cheek instead of moving in for a full on mouth-bath, and you still won’t measure up, not to the new vampire standard, which says this to the modern male:

When you step into the sunlight, we see your flaws, your wrinkles, your missed-a-spot-shaving patchwork jaw line, your pimples, uneven eyebrows, your receding hairline. We see your wardrobe’s mismatched color scheme, dirty shoes, untrimmed fingernails, mustard stains, and your sweat.

There are no diamonds embedded in the small cracks of your skin. You can’t promise immortality. You don’t come from money this old, you aren’t this strong, this fast, this controlled. You aren’t this mysterious, this enchanting. You aren’t us.

And never will be.

New Vampire Series Coming Out

2009-10-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

Independant Film Channel is releasing a brand new series - and it's available to anyone - online.

Dead and Lonely is a new web series premiering Oct 26th about two lonely Los Angeles singles who are brought together via the popular Internet dating website DateOrDie.net. The only problem is...one of them is a vampire.

Get more info here.

Friday Freebies - Winner of Roxanne Rhoad's New Book!

2009-10-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Linda Henderson!

Linda Henderson said...
I like Ryder from Caridad Pineiro's The Calling series. He is really hot.

Linda - email me at bookswithabite(at)gmail(dot)com

and congrats!

Next week will be the last day to enter into the drawing for lots of great prizes!

Saturday I will randomly pick several winners and announce them on Halloween.

New Year's Toast

2009-10-21T04:00:00.001-07:00

Chapter 16 of Release by Nicole Hadaway.

NEW YEAR’S TOAST

Neil walked down the cold, damp London streets. It was shortly after three in the morning, on what was now, officially, January 1, 1945. You couldn’t tell, really, that the New Year had been celebrated at all. Morale was rather low in London after nearly five years of air raids, bombings, evacuations and blackouts. Neil himself had finished his shift at the air raid siren station and was now headed to his mate Mark’s place for a subdued celebration. He couldn’t wait to get a taste of the black market whiskey that Mark had managed to get, for his hands were nearly frozen; this entire winter it had been so very cold.

So Neil walked along the deserted streets lined by terraced houses, thankful that the moon was still bright enough so he could find his way around without tripping over too many curbs or bumping into lampposts. It was bad enough that he’d had to serve as an air raid warden, but the fact that they gave him the night shift for that night was just intolerable. Though when he thought about it, a few scraped knees and cold fingers was a small price to pay for having escaped an entire war of army duty.

He’d been lucky that the injury on his right hand, received when, at the age of five, he’d stuck them in the meat freezer at the same time the butcher had decided to close the case, thus chopping off three fingers, had been his ticket out of serving in the army. He couldn’t very well shoot a gun with only two fingers on his dominant hand. Britain had still made him ‘do his part’ by manning the air raid sirens. God, the noise those things made; even though he wore earplugs, he didn’t think his hearing would ever be the same. Still, better than being a corpse on a Normandy beach, like his brother.

Neil pushed the glum thoughts about his brother from his mind by looking around at his surroundings. He’d left the part of the neighborhood where houses and apartments abounded, and now entered the warehouse district. To fill the silence, which only made him think of his brother more, Neil started to whistle, concentrating on the tune.

As he sucked in a breath to start another verse, he heard the flutter of wings behind him, like a bird or maybe a bat, which was odd, as there was nothing to attract birds on this street in London. There were no trees or fences for them to perch on, just the unlit streetlamps, like the one he’d just bumped into, and the warehouses that kept wartime supplies, such as the plethora of gas masks that all London citizens carried, even the babies. When he thought about it, the warehouses were probably perfect places for bats to nest in. Yep, that had to be it.

Neil mused on how he’d never seen a bat before, and he wondered if perhaps they minded flying about in such cold weather. He thought about turning on his lamp; the cowl over the top of it made the light shine downward, so it shouldn’t attract too much attention. Then he remembered that bats might be attracted to light, and he didn’t want the bat to get caught in his hair. He’d heard that bats could be awfully nasty if they flew in your hair – they got caught in it so badly that the only way to get them out was to shave your hair off. He had a bad enough time with women as it was; he didn’t need to be bald as well.

The fluttering over him stopped, and Neil heard what he thought was a low, soft thud! behind him. He turned around, partly out of curiosity and partly out of fear – did something just knock the bat out of the sky, why would it drop to the ground like that? Switching on his handheld lamp, Neil slowly, cautiously looked behind him.

There was no bird or bat, but a man, standing about ten yards away from Neil, well out of the glow of the lamp. In the moonlight, however, Neil could make out the man’s features; he was tall, with curly, dark brown hair, and light, piercing blue eyes that Neil could see as if they were only a foot in front of him in full lamplight. The oddest thing was that the man was standing with his hands on his hips, watching Neil, nonchalantly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. They stood like that for a few moments, staring at each other, until the man smiled, and started to laugh, slightly throwing back his head at whatever he found amusing.

Neil was worried. The war and the bombings had chased most of the crazies out of London, but this one must have stayed on for some reason. So he turned back and started walking briskly, hoping that Mark had left his door unlocked. Neil hadn’t bothered to turn off his lamp, let them fine me if they want; even better, I’d welcome a bobby right now to keep that nutter away from me. Mark’s small apartment was above a warehouse at the end of the street, about fifty yards from where Neil was now. He was thankful that he didn’t have too far to go to get away from the crazy bloke and out of the cold, which was hurting his throat and lungs as he sucked in air.

Neil hadn’t traveled very far before his breathing, heavier now from his increased pace, hurt too much, he slowed down. Forcing himself to breathe quietly, Neil listened for any sounds coming from behind him. Nothing. The absence of noise made him hope that he was no longer being followed. Neil chanced a look behind him, shining his light broadly around, and saw with relief that the crazy man was gone. Probably gone back into the warehouse or something, he reassured himself. As he turned his head back towards Mark’s apartment, a dense fog rolled past him. He coughed for a few minutes, thinking it was odd that the fog had suddenly appeared like this, out of nowhere, in the middle of these warehouses. But that’s London for you.

The fog cleared, and Neil could see ahead of him. An icy frisson of fear ran from the tip of his head, down to the bowels of his stomach. The crazy bloke was now in front of him, leaning against a building wall between Neil and the safety of Mark’s place. The man’s casual air was gone. He suddenly stood up straight in one movement, which was very strange because he hadn’t even bent his body. It was as if invisible wires had pulled him into a standing position. Then the man started walking towards him as if he expected Neil to just stand there and wait for him.

There was no way Neil was going to get messed with tonight. He hadn’t made it this far through the war, with its air raids, rations, and the threat of Nazi invasions, only to meet his end at the hands of some crazy on a back street of London. No sir, not tonight, especially not on New Year’s Day.

Neil dropped his lamp, and then made two moves simultaneously. He turned to run – he was a pretty fast runner, and had kept in shape. He also pulled out his pocketknife and opened up the blade. He didn’t want to get into a fight; it had been ages since he’d been in one, and with his right hand he was well aware of his handicap. However, just in case…

Neil’s foot had barely touched the pavement when he was stopped dead in his tracks again, as there was now another man, one who seemed to have been standing behind him this whole time. A blond man this time, with pale skin, yet very dark, almost black eyes. A Nazi – oh my God, they’ve made it here! he thought in a panic. Before he could think of his next move, the man opened his mouth and, speaking English without any accent asked, “Hey Cray – how much longer? Daylight’s not too far away.”

“Awww, Denny, relax! They’re on double daylight savings time here,” an amused voice called out from behind Neil.

Neil heard a whoosh of air and before he could turn around, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned towards the hand on his shoulder, and found himself staring into pale blue eyes. Eyes that seemed to bore into Neil, forcing him to drop the knife, which he’d been holding out, poised to strike. The man reached over with his other hand and took the knife, tossing it to the side, saying, “You won’t be needing this, friend and we’ve our own ways of getting your flesh and blood.”

Neil knew he should have been afraid – he was afraid – but he couldn’t move; for some reason, he was rooted to his spot. One part of his brain screamed fight, fight, fight!, but the rest just wouldn’t allow it. Maybe it was because he knew the man was strong and he could feel that his shoulder might break from the crazy man’s grip.

It did break. Neil heard a loud snap! and felt the pain shoot forth from his shoulder down his arm and across his chest. Through the pain, he thought he heard someone say, “Sorry chum, but I like it when the marrow gets into the blood, with the adrenaline. Makes it tastier.”

Neil tried to scream, but something was at his throat, almost strangling him. He felt the fire of his shoulder meld with the burning at his throat. All he could do was look up at the bright light of the moon as its white aura quickly engulfed his entire body.