Vampire Wire

Contest Winner & Upcoming Book Releases & Range of Hawtness

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:00 +0000

The winner of Nicole Hadaway's ebook Release is:

Vslavetopassion!

Congratulations, vslavetopassion! I'll forward your info to Nicole so she can send you your book. Hope you enjoy your prize.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest, and thanks to Nicole for contributing a guest blog and book. Nicole, I hope you'll come back and blog when your book is released in print.
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Here are some upcoming releases:

Werewolf Smackdown by Mario Acevedo

My pal Mario's fifth Felix Gomez novel is coming out next month.

Here's the description:

Werewolf Smackdown puts undead PI Felix Gomez right in the middle of a supernatural battle for power, one that will wake the ghosts of Charleston and could destroy both human and undead if he’s not careful. A civil war is brewing between rival werewolf factions and Gomez will do anything he can to ensure this conflict doesn’t turn into an all out battle that will make the supernatural underworld explode. But between that, the sudden reappearance of an ex-girlfriend, and several other vampires trying to take off his head, this is one rumble even a vampire detective may not be able to handle.

If you visit Mario's site, you can read Chapter One.

Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

To be released February 16, 2010.

Publisher's Description:

Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbors secrets that threaten to destroy her -- and those she loves. ...Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own. .... From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia's greatest weakness -- her wanton desire for him.
Read the Prologue at author's website

Chick with a Charm by Vicki Lewis Thompson

To be released March 2, 2010

Publisher's Description:

Lily Revere is free-spirited and fun-loving-two dangerous qualities in a witch. Lily needs a date for her sister Anica's engagement party, and she's determined to bring hot Griffin Taylor. But the jaded divorce lawyer claims his job has warned him off romance. Slipping a love elixir into Griffin's drink may not be the noble thing to do-but it sure works! There's just one problem: Are Griffin's feelings the result of some truly good witchcraft-or could he really be in love?

Read Chapter One at the author's website.

Dead Matter by Anton Strout

The third Simon Canderous novel will be released February 23.

Publisher's Description:

The spirit populace of Manhattan doesn't appreciate its well-deserved RIP being disturbed, and Department of Extraordinary Affairs Agent Simon Canderous is sent in to do damage control. Meanwhile, his vacationing partner, Connor Christos, is in a sorry state, and he tells Simon that each night he's being haunted by visions of his long-lost brother at his window. Simon is worried that his partner may be going crazy-or worse, maybe he's not...

Read an excerpt from Book One in the series.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

If you have any requests for videos -- any shows you like in particular, or types of songs -- please tell me and I'll try to find some for you!

I was looking for vids with Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon Salvatore in "The Vampire Diaries," and I found a trailer for "Wake," a romantic comedy co-starring Bijou Phillips. If some other news about the movie comes up, I'll post it for Ian fans. Because Vampire Wire is a multigenerational site.

And because true hawtness is timeless.

And between young and old, there is a balance...

And because hawtness is not the same thing as mere prettiness.

Couple of Contests & Bob Segerastice "Supernatural"

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:26:00 +0000

Love Vampires is having a giveaway for Jeri Smith-Ready's Bad to the Bone and Wicked Game. It's open to US, UK, and Canada residents.

Reviewer and author Patricia Altner recently mentioned Susan Blexrod's Love Fang as one of her favorite new discoveries. Fang-tastic Books is having a contest for an autographed copy of Love Fang.

Tez Says shares the cover art for the UK version of Caitlin Kittredge's Night Life.

I just visited an author's site for info on her books. I waited for the load to finish because one of the columns was unreadable, dark type against a dark background. Nope, that's the way it was designed. Then I went looking for a book cover. You have to click through one link and then another trying to find a graphic that can be shared. I was going to post her book cover at top here, but now I'm kind of annoyed. Authors, do not listen to everything your designer suggests! Readers want to know about your books, want easy to manage links, want a bibliography. Designers want to make your site look cool. Different goals.

Last night's episode of "Supernatural" was "The Song Remains the Same," and it was the show I love again. There were the dangerous angels, Winchester parents, apocalyptic story line, and Sam and Dean acting brave and noble, willing to make sacrifices for their mother that they wouldn't make for anyone (or everyone) else.

Maureen Ryan at the Chicago Tribune had quibbles with the episode, and I have to admit that I agree with most of them. But, frankly, I was just happy not to see the Winchesters dealing with teenage boy angst which marred the last few shows. I do think that someone (Eric Kripke, I'm talking to you!) should have a fairly strict hand in making sure every episode contributes to the overall arc of the story. It should all build in importance. But long-time series frequently meander off. Think about "The X-Files" and "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer."

"Doctor Who" may have an easier time of keeping up the tension, since we know that each Doctor will die and be brought back in a different body. The Doctors know it, too, and deal with their eminent deaths/revivals with humor, anger, sorrow... Well, that's the thing about "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood" -- the shows don't hesitate to kill beloved leading characters. It's maddening, but it also makes the stories have more import. Because the story is clearly more important than popularity of the actors, or dragging on a show until it can be put in syndication.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

On the radio this morning, I heard a Bob Segar song and it was frickin awesome and I thought I'm totally buying some Segar songs. Enjoy Bob Segar Friday.

And while we're being all retro, I'll send you out to your weekend with a little "Foreigner."

Contest Winners & Living in the Wild, Wild West

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:42:00 +0000

The contest for a copy of Patricia Altner's Vampire Readings is over and the winner is:

SARAH

Congratulations, Sarah! Sarah's blog is Sarah's Book Reviews, so I'm sure Patricia's guide to vampire fiction will be especially helpful. Sarah, please send me an email with your mailing address and I'll forward it on to Patricia.

Thanks, too, to Patricia for talking to me and for answering our questions. I recommend that fans of the genre sign up for Patricia's Vampire Notes newsletter for news about books, reviews, interviews and contests. It's a must-read email in my inbox.

A New Contest Winner: I have been waiting and waiting for the final winner of my Carrie Vaughn/Kitty Norville contest to send her mailing address to me. (To those who are waiting for their prizes, sorry for the delay.) So I've drawn another winner for the contest.

Congratulations, Amanda Leigh! You've won a copy of Kitty's House of Horrors! Send me your mailing address so I can give the winners' info to Hachette Books. Hachette is always great about remembering online fans of fiction.

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"Lost" Season Premiere

Okay, all I've got to say is fricking Mark Pellegrino. Why is it when directors are thinking, "Hmm, I want to cast a guy who is supernaturally powerful and totally awesome and can cause the apocalypse and lives eternally and can make islands move," they cast Mark Pellegrino?

How do these directors have Mark Pellegrino play these awesome roles? Like some sensitive, Dockers wearing, mini-van driving, golden retriever owning, yuppie father of two. Case in point: he plays Satan in "Supernatural," who sits on the bed and chats about the end of the world and can't take over your body without your permission. Wow, that's some powerful devil. I mean, powerfully polite! (I blame Eric Kripke for writing Satan this way.)

Then the actor plays Jacob in "Lost" in exactly the same "I'm watching my carbs and taking yoga and I've got just the right amount of three-day beard to make me edgy!" low-key way.

I'm sure he's fabulous in other roles. But as the ultimate evil or some ancient powerful god? I think not.

I tried to watch the premiere of "Lost" since this is the final season. But I just could not care. It is a hot mess and I seriously doubt the writers actually have control of the plot. (What plot?) Also, when there are parallel universes, it doesn't matter if a character dies, since he or she will just be brought back again five minutes later. This is a genius way to suck all emotional impact right out of the story.

It doesn't seem to matter when the mysterious yuppie beachcomber ancient god gets stabbed and dies. Because you get really bored of all the elliptical and cryptic dialog. You're like, "Would someone stab this guy already and throw his Dockers-wearing ass in the temple fire pit?"

I'm not saying you have to be violent to be scary. I saw Kurt Fuller on "Psych" the other day, and he was quite funny as a quirky mortician. "Supernatural" fans will know Fuller as scary, bad-news Zachariah. And the thing is, Fuller can wear a suit, speak calmly and be scary as hell as he tries to bribe your soul away with icy-cold beer and really great hamburgers. Hell should be scary. The devil should be scary.

What was I saying anyway? Oh, yeah, I am so over "Lost." Unless they bring back Jacob yet again as played by Kurt Fuller. Then I'd watch.

Here's the "Supernatural" trailer for tonight's episode.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

This has to be one of the worst music videos I've ever seen. But I mentioned that this song came up on my iTunes yesterday and a bunch of people told me how much they loved it. If you're sensitive, you may want to avert your eyes.

And now we return to our regular programming.

Tell me what you think of this. I object to the line, "When you kiss me I want to die," because how bad can one person kiss anyway? Luckily the clip of Spike's speech counteracts some of the corn-factor.

Nicole Hadaway Guest Blog & Contest

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:07:00 +0000

I'm happy to welcome Nicole Hadaway, author of Release, as my guest blogger today. Nicole will be giving away a copy of her e-book in a contest. To enter the contest, leave an answer to her question at the end of the blog. The contest runs through Saturday night, February 6, and a winner will be chosen by random drawing. Thanks, Nicole!

You can read the full description of her book on her blog, but here's a bit:

Forever. That’s the response Ben Gongliewski receives, when he asks Miranda Dandridge how long she’s been a vampire. He doesn’t expect the word forever in her reply, but then again, Ben never imagined meeting vampires, let alone demons and werewolves, during his time as a Resistance worker in World War II Poland. Far from being horrified, Ben discovers that Miranda and her friends have very useful … talents … especially when it comes to saving children from concentration camps.

Welcome, Nicole!

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How Do You Like Your Vamps? Well-Done, Medium, or Over-Easy?

I’ve been thinking about the evolution of the vampire, from the evil, soulless being set forth in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, to the newer, nicer generation of Twilight.

I guess the idea of the “noble vampire” is not so new; Anne Rice pioneered the concept back in the late ‘70’s with Interview With a Vampire. However, it seems that movies in the 1980’s (The Lost Boys, Fright Night, Near Dark) had vamps who killed humans to drink their blood, weren’t sorry about it, and had no qualms about turning others into the soulless undead.

Then came the late 1990’s and with it – the vampire with a soul, Angel. He didn’t kill for food (unless it was a bad guy), and he helped people out. He wouldn’t even think of turning Buffy, because then she would lose her goodness. Plus, he was way, way hot. Others followed in his wake: Mick St. John and Nick Knight, and even Henry Fitzroy: guys who wanted to stop crimes from being committed against human beings, almost as if it atoned for their condition. They didn’t want anyone else to suffer from their curse so they refrained from turning their love interests.

Somewhere in between The ‘it’s fun to be a vampire’ Lost Boys and Angel is Henry Fitzroy, who happens to be one of my favorites, done medium. He helps solve mysteries and prevent crimes from happening (helping out the humans), but he’s unapologetic for being a vampire (yay!). He loves playing with his food (sign me up for the menu, please!) and the only reason he won’t turn Vicki is because, according to the Blood Ties mythology, it would mean that he and Vicki would stop being lovers because their territorial, competitive natures would take over (Dang! That’s the only drawback to Fitzroy, because I’d certainly want to be a vampire along with him).

On the opposite end of the vampire spectrum are The Cullens. They’re so good they don’t drink human blood (not even from blood banks or willing donors), forcing themselves to hunt animals instead. Though they’re not in the ‘detective’ genre like many of the afore-mentioned vampires, Carlisle Cullen does do good for the human race with his doctoring skills. They certainly respect human life enough to become ‘vegetarians’ and try to fit in with the rest of the us, enduring high school after high school after high school (once was more than enough for me!).

So, how do you like your vampires? Well done and using humans only for food, as in Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain, Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot, or the new movie release Daybreakers? Or should they be impeccably mannered in a sweet car and take you to the prom like in Twilight? The romantic, misunderstood hero in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (the movie) or the evil bloodsucker determined to raise an army in the Hammer films? I prefer mine medium – a little bit bad, but not so much that they only want me as food, a la Fitzroy and Fright Night.

The good thing is, these days, you don’t really have to choose just one from the menu – it’s a veritable buffet out there with a wide open bar. Enjoy your vampires!

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Remember to leave a comment telling Nicole how you like your vampires if you'd like to enter the contest for an e-copy of Release.

March Releases, "Teen Wolf," and "Lost" Premiere

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:07:00 +0000

You've still got time to enter the contest for Patricia Altner's Vampire Readings! It ends tomorrow night, February 3.

I was delighted to learn that Eileen Rendahl has an urban fantasy, Don't Kill the Messenger, which will be released on March 2. This is Eileen's first venture into urban fantasy, and I wish her well with her new series!

Here's the publisher's description:

Melina Markowitz is a Messenger, a go-between for paranormal forces and supernatural creatures. Problem is, when a girl's a go-between, it's hard not to get caught in the middle... When ninjas steal an envelope from Melina, her search leads her to a Taoist temple in Old Sacramento, where the priests seem to practice Zen and the art of mayhem.

Melina learns from the handsome ER doctor (and vampire) who gave her the envelope that it contained talismans created by the priests to control Chinese vampires, who are attacking gang members to spark a street war...

Here's another March release.

Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

Publisher's Description:

Mary Alice Brannigan doesn’t believe in demons. She does believe in saving Dreamland, the decaying amusement park in her home town that she’s been hired to restore. But when odd things begin to happen in the park, she investigates and discovers that Dreamland is a prison for the Untouchables, the five most powerful demons in the history of the world. And if that wasn’t enough to deal with, there’s a guy she’s falling hard for, and there’s something about him that’s not quite . . . right...

Jennifer Crusie's website

The final season of "Lost" will premiere tonight. There's already talk about spin-offs. I hope they'll do a show with Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Sayid (Naveen Andrews) where they return to civilization and start a dating service slash spy agency. They could call it something like "Hot and Bothered." Every episode would feature our hunky stars trying to find the right partner for some hapless loser while also trying to stop a metaphysical catastrophe that imperils the world.

I don't know if this is good or bad, but MTV will be airing a series based on "Teen Wolf," which starred marvelous Michael J. Fox. According to Dread Central:

"Remember now that MTV is shooting for more of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Vampire Diaries' dark teen drama with flashes of humor tone for their Twilight baiting 'Teen Wolf' series premiering next year on the channel that used to actually run music videos."

Let us take a moment to consider Joss Whedon's intelligent, clever, moving, thrilling "Buffy" series. Now let consider MTV's usual fare: "The Real World," "Jersey Shore," "Parental Control," et cetera. MTV's idea of subtlety is an anvil falling on your head. No, one anvil isn't sufficient for them. A dumptruck load of anvils.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

Today's GVDs are in honor of "Lost."

Adios to "Dollhouse," So Young and So Soon!

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:11:00 +0000

I'm not saying anything about "Dollhouse" because I missed the last episode and forgot to record it. I hope stuupid Fox will show it again. The show started out at a disadvantage because Fox said to the show's creator, Joss Whedon, if you let us guide you in the direction of the first season, you can do what you want later.

Joss was like Charlie Brown and Fox was Lucy with the football. They'd screwed him before with "Firefly," yet he trusted the network again as they interfered with his show to crank up ratings. Entertainment Weekly breaks down the winners and losers and says, "by doing things like the reported big-footing interference in the early-panic stage of the series, not airing 'Epitaph One,' and burning off the second season on Friday nights, Fox looks a bit squirrely."

In the immortal words of Bart Simpson, "Watch Fox and be damned to hell for eternity."

So Whedon was too trusting with Fox, but what kind of idiots are at this network? If you've got a talent like Whedon, you let him do whatever he wants to because he's smarter and more creative than anyone else around. He had to try to make the show work despite Fox's damaging his first season and then announcing the cancellation.

The show had an interesting cast led by Eliza Dushku of "Buffy" and "Angel." Olivia Williams was terrific as the icily elegant Adelle DeWitt, but the surprise of the cast for me was Enver Gjokaj as Victor. His imitation of Topher Brink (Fran Krantz) was inspired. Alan Tudyk was marvelous playing against type as the psychopathic Alpha.

Pretty entertaining rant from Jeremy Jahns against Fox, but there's some cursing so don't play it loud in your office.

GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

Adios, "Dollhouse." I hope Joss Whedon will find some network who gives him with the artistic license he deserves.

Friday? Fried Brain

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:17:00 +0000

My brain feels like it's been cracked into a hot skillet by a rough and incompetent fry cook. Do you want home fries with that? I shall return on Monday if my gray matter recovers enough to blog. Hopefully, relaxing over the weekend with my new Acme Do-It-Yourself! Kat Kloning Kit (TM) will prove relaxing and reinvigorating.

I will mention how very disappointed I was in "Supernatural" last night. The script for "Swap Meat" didn't even mention the upcoming Apocalypse and had no place in the seaon arc. The story of body exchange has been done before and much better. In fact "The X-Files" did two different versions of this story, including a hilarious two-part episode, "Dreamland," with the fantastic Michael McKean as the sleazy Morris Fletcher, who gets to inhabit Fox Mulder's body.

It's interesting that Kim Manners, who recently passed away and worked on "Supernatural," directed that wonderful episode of "The X-Files." But "Dreamland" wrangled with a grown man's frustrations and desires, and last night's "Supernatural" went once again to the problems of a teenage boy.

The scripter, Andrew Dabb, seems to be stuck in some sad John Hughes world of nerdy teenage boys, but he added absolutely nothing new to the cliche storyline. A teenage boy in the body of a man has sex! A teenage boy in the body of a man drives a car! A teenage boy in the body of a man drinks alcohol! Also, the story was filled with dumb plot holes.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

Something to keep you awake until you can go home from work! Have a good weekend.

Spider's Bite Contest Winners!

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:07:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest for Jennifer Estep's Spider's Bite, the debut novel in her Elemental Assassin series. The winners of the random drawing are:

Janicu
Mountie9

Congratulations! Both Janicu and Mountie9 mentioned that they're fans of Jennifer's Bigtime books, and I hope they'll really enjoy her new urban fantasy. Winners, please send me an email with your mailing address so I can forward it on to Pocket Books for your prize.

Thanks, too, to Jennifer for visiting Vampire Wire and telling us about her writing.

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I'm spending the rest of the day decompressing.

Here's something for your amusement and to wake me up. JessicaRae24 knows that the Winchester Boys rock hard.

For fans of "True Blood," fab video by Saroufim93. (I like the vid better than the show.)

Gratutitous Videos Exclusive!

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:53:00 +0000

I'm too busy proofreading to blog (and I keep having flashbacks to learning about grammar and punctuation from stern Irish nuns), so here are some videos to amuse you.

Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) and Lady Gaga. You know it had to happen, yet you still despair for Western Culture before thinking, "Oooh, Eric Northman!"

Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) and schmatzy disco. You know it had to happen, yet you hate yourself for dancing in your chair.

Mick St. John and Beth Turner and a fairly decent angsty song. You knew it had to happen that someone would make a "Moonlight" video that was not set to Evanescence.

Dracula (Gerard Butler) and bombastic Broadway musicals. You knew it had to happen and you think it's FRICKIN AWESOME!

Angsty couples being all angsty and talking lovelorn heartfelt stuff and angsty music. You knew it had to happen, and yet you wonder why you react to the corniest of lines (it's because you loved kittens and butterflies when you were a little girl).

Guy of Ghisborne (Richard Armitage) and a sultry stripper song. You knew it had to happen and yet you still love it when he pulls off that glove with his teeth.

It's Still Raining & Mish-Mash

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:37:00 +0000

Quick post today because I've got to proof a manuscript today.

There's still time to enter a contest for two copies of Jennifer Estep's soon-to-be released Spider's Bite, and I've got a new contest for Vampire Readings, a must-have reference book for every vampire reviewer, by Patricia Altner.

Be sure to check out Mondo Vampire for entertaining new posts. First, internationally renowned vampire expert Dr. Derek Tatum gives a recap of the "Sex and Vampires" panel at Chattacon. "I loudly announced that I was going to entertain the audience with improvisational beatboxing. After a couple of seconds of showing off my alleged skillz, I realized that it wasn't going so well."

Dr. Tatum also reviews John Levitt's Dog Days. "The main character is Mason, a jazz musician and magic-user (called "practitioners" ) based in San Francisco. Although a loner, Mason gets caught up in a dark practitioner's mad dash for power."

Over at Fang-tastic Books, Roxanne Rhoads has an interview and book contest with Jude Stephens, the author of Touch of a Vampire. "I was at my local Borders store having a cup of coffee and some kids at the next table left a book lying on the table about bats. The picture on the front was interesting so I picked it up and started reading facts about bats. The story for Scent of a Vampire immediately came to mind."

If you still need something to read, go to my evil nemesis's Doug Knipe's SciFi Guy. He's got new contests, new book covers and descriptions, and his Weekend Report, which mentions that we will finally face each other in a battle to the blog death in March. Yes, I am sharpening my bon mots at this very moment!

Doug had this cover of Rachel Vincent's My Soul to Save on his site. Lovely isn't it? I am a big fan of teal and green-blues. You can find out more about Rachel Vincent's books at her site, where you can also watch a video and read an excerpt.

At the Otherworld Diner, you can read an interview with Michelle Pillow about her Realm Immortal series. "I think it’s vanity for us to believe that we have all the answers, are alone in the universe, and that supernatural things do not exist in this world. Plus, the paranormal just makes the world all that more interesting. I hope it’s out there." There are also links to Michelle's free reads.

If you can't get enough of Swedish vampires -- and who can? -- you'll enjoy FreddeGedde's "Vampire Bride" music video at Catherine Karp's Suburban Vampire.

GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

It's still raining here. You know what that means.

Q&A with Patricia Altner & VAMPIRE READINGS Contest

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Nowadays it's easy to find hundreds of blogs about paranormal and urban fantasy fiction, but one of the first -- and still one of the best -- is Patricia Altner's Patricia's Vampire Notes (PVN). Patricia was a librarian and she's also reviewer for professional literary publications, so she brings high standards to her sites. She also brings enthusiasm and her thoughtful in-depth reviews make her a bloggers' blogger: someone we respect and admire.

Patricia is the author of Vampire Readings: an Annotated Bibliography, a book that internationally renowned vampire scholar Dr. Derek Tatum calls "one of my key reference texts when researching vampire books." Her publisher describes her book as: "an annotated bibliography of 779 entries divided into five sections: Novels; Anthologies and Novellas; Young Adult; Additional Readings; Unread Undead. The largest section is Novels and here, besides a summary of the plot (without spoilers), the author indicates where each novel may fit into other genres... Works by such writers as Anne Rice, Tanya Huff, Christopher Pike, Tanith Lee, Barbara Hambly, Kim Newman, and, of course, Bram Stoker are discussed ..."

True to her librarian training, Patricia also maintains the Vampire Readings website, a comprehensive bibliography of both fiction and nonfiction books about vampires and a great place to go hunting for new authors and novels. And I've always recommended that fans of the genre subscribe to her excellent PVN email newsletter (info on her blog).

I'm so happy to have Patricia here because I really wanted to know how she keeps her love of the undead alive and where she thinks paranormal romance and urban fantasy are headed. Take notes because she mentions a lot of interesting writers and books!

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MARTA: Hi, Patricia, and welcome to Vampire Wire! Would you please tell us the book that first sparked your passion for vampire and paranormal fiction?

PATRICIA: Hi Marta, thanks so much for inviting me here.

Actually my passion for paranormal fiction came first when I read a collection of stories by H. P. Lovecraft. I think I was about 10 years old at the time. His stories terrified me and kept me from sleeping at night and yet I found them so fascinating. I was hooked!

As for vampires, I first became enamored with them when watching "Dark Sha dows" (guess I'm showing my age). Around the same time a friend loaned me a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula. I could not put it down. That was one scary book! Still, I found the connection between Mina and the Count very intriguing, even romantic. It wasn't until much later I discovered I was not the only one who felt that way.

MARTA: Your book, Vampire Readings: An Annotated Bibliography, was published in 1998, a full 12 years ago. Did you have any trouble then convincing a publisher that there was and would be an audience for these stories? If you published a revised edition today, what changes, if any, would you make?

PATRICIA: I was very lucky. I sent a proposal to a small publisher, Scarecrow Press, which publishes mostly academic books including many bibliographies. The editor liked the idea of focusing on vampires and told me to give her the full manuscript within a year. I was surprised and elated and then wondered what I had gotten myself into.

For a revised edition I would first need a collaborator! Really! I have been compiling titles since turning in the manuscript for Vampire Readings. There is no end to the number of publications in this genre coming out virtually every day - including ebooks.

In fact an ebook would probably be the best format for a revised Vampire Readings. Then additions could be made more easily. Another possibility is a database with lots of search functions so that people could put together there own mini bibliography or reading list and print it out or send it to their mobile.

Sorry, I'm starting to fantasize here :)

MARTA: Now there are a zillion paranormal and urban fantasy blogs, but you were one of the first to use the internet to share your interest in these genres. Did you ever expect it to become so popular? What do you think drives the trend?

PATRICIA: I have to thank my husband who is a computer wizard and helped me get started with using the internet. At first I put together an irregular ezine called Undead Updates and after several iterations I ended up on Blogger with Patricia's Vampire Notes.

Thank you for calling it popular! I do have many faithful readers and I truly appreciate their support.

Most urban fantasy has a splendid blend of the paranormal and romance which deftly combines two popular genres. With the internet and platforms like Blogger and Wordpress it is very easy to start up a blog and these services are free. Now readers can easily express their opinions and spread the word about all the excellent reading material.

MARTA: You were a librarian, so you bring a lot of historical knowledge about the genre. How have you seen paranormal/UF change over the years and do you have any predictions about the future of these genres?

PATRICIA: Most of my professional library experience has been as a reference librarian in technical libraries. A big part of my job included research and compiling subject bibliographies. So my take on the genre comes from being a reader with a librarian's eye - Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal, and Locus are favorite reading materials.

In 1995 when I began compiling notes for Vampire Readings there were several series and stand alone books that were clearly just about vampires. Many fell into the horror category but there was also a definite growth within the romance genre. Often the vampire was a brooding hero who loathed his undead status and more than anything wanted to be human.

There was the sense that by becoming a vampire he had been touched by evil and probably damned for eternity, even if he really was a good guy. That attitude is not so prevalent anymore.

I first became aware of what is now termed urban fantasy with first Tanya Huff's Blood Books series and then Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter books. Here vampires share the stage with other paranormals- werewolves and other were animals, fairies, ghosts, ogres, zombies, succubi and incubi, witches, angels- fallen or otherwise. I'll stop here but you get the idea. Writers have a huge menu to choose from, and I like the idea of worlds where so many varieties of the paranormal mix it up.

Now it seems zombies as heroes or heroines have arrived. I admit I have not read any of these books. First I have to get over my instant image of a zombie as an animated rotting corpse. When zombies need to be slain, I can deal with that although it's usually rather messy.

Biblical references to creation, the apocalypse, angels and demons are also showing up more and more. And well known personages literary and historical are entering the paranormal universe - Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, Queen Victoria, Demon Hunter, Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange, etc.

As for the future. I think I'll take a pass. I admit to being a really bad prognosticator.

MARTA: Can you share any favorite new discoveries?

PATRICIA: Here are four recent entries that come to mind.

-The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks This is a classified as a YA book but I didn't realize it until I had finished, having thoroughly enjoyed it.

Here's the premise: Being a vampire definitely has it's drawback. A small group of them meet weekly at a Catholic Church mostly to whine about aches, and pains, and boredom. Of course all of that is about to change when the newbie detectives have to solve a murder.

-Love Fang by Susan Blexrud (April 2009)
The first is a series of short stories about this sweet young couple - he's a vampire and she's a dentist - who find true, extremely passionate love.

-Casting Spells and Laced with Magic by Barbara Bretton (Berkley Trade, August 4, 2009)
Heroine Chloe Hobbs is a sorceress and owner of a popular knit shop. The setting is the charming town of Sugar Maple, Vermont where all the inhabitants appear human, but of course they're not.

-Succubus series by Richelle Mead
Not new to many, but new to me. So far I've read Succubus Blues, and Succubus on Top. I love the world and the characters that Mead has created.

MARTA: Can you tell me a few undiscovered gems that you wish more people would read?

PATRICIA: Sure! There's a Casa Dracula series I would like to see on the NYT bestseller list!

These are gems and I would definitely like to bring to readers' attention.

Fear Me by Stephen Laws
Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Gideon Redoak by Anne Fraser
The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert
The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas
Vamped: A Novel by David Sosnowski
Those of My Blood by Jacqueline Lichtenberg

MARTA: What’s your guilty pleasure – a book that you constantly go back to?

PATRICIA: Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman. It's a historical novel set in the time of the infamous King John. But the binding thread throughout is the love story of Joanna (John's illegitimate daughter) and Prince Llewelyn of Wales.

I'll mention one more. The Lions of al Rasson by Guy Gavriel Kay. This is an alternate history/fantasy set during the time of the reconquista of Spain.

MARTA: I love your book reviews because you take them seriously, aware of the author’s effort and intentions. What advice would you give a new reviewer?

PATRICIA: Thanks, Marta. When I review a book I put a lot of work into it even if that doesn't show in the final product :) I want readers to know not only the plot but also about the characters and how they interact. I truly admire authors and want to show readers what these wordsmiths have accomplished. If I get that across I'm happy.

I would advise new reviewers that while reading a book think about what the author is trying to accomplish, and how is s/he doing it. Ask yourself how this book fits with other books by the author and with other book in the same genre. Take notes even if it only means writing down a few words about an important event or your own reaction to something in particular. Read the type of books you enjoy.

Eventually everyone comes up with their own way of doing things.

MARTA: What’s the most rewarding part about being a reviewer, author, and blogger?

PATRICIA: I started blogging as a way to let readers know about what was being published in the vampire/paranormal fiction world. I think it was my librarian soul wanting to get out the word about all the neat books to choose from.

Over the years I've reviewed for Library Journal, Fantasy Review, some smaller publications (no payment involved). By writing for my own blog I felt free to make up my own editorial rules, which may not always be for the best, but I was more comfortable.

As a blogger/reviewer I get to introduce readers to books and writers I believe they will enjoy - that's the reason for PVN. Having an author do a guest blog or an interview is another way to get the word out. All of this brings me a lot of satisfaction!

For now my life as an author is writing about the paranormal fiction world and that's fine with me.

MARTA: Where can readers find out more about you and your sites?

PATRICIA:

My blog site: Patricia's Vampire Notes
Vampire Readings: The Online Bibliography ( a bit out of date, but still with useful information)
Facebook
Twitter
email: patriciaaltner@gmail.com

MARTA: Okay, tell us, what’s your idea of reading heaven? Where do you best like to read, what do you want to be reading, what’s the setting, and do you have a cup of tea, coffee, or a frozen daiquiri in hand?

PATRICIA: Reading Heaven: A comfy chaise lounge and umbrella on a white sandy beach that stretches for miles in each direction. Blue ocean with soft waves. A steady supply of pina coladas (with extra maraschino cherries). I would be reading Succubus on Top by Richelle Mead.
Reading Reality: Sitting in an armchair in my office. On a side table - coffee, a notebook, post-it flags, maybe a cookie. I would be reading whatever is next in my to be reviewed pile.

MARTA: Thanks, Patricia!

Patricia: Marta, it has been a pleasure!
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CONTEST INFO: If you'd like to win a copy of Patricia's Vampire Readings, just leave a comment for Patricia and/or tell us where you go for reviews. Do you get a newsletter, check out Amazon, have a favorite review blog, or just like to go to the bookstore and choose for yourself? (I'm the "wander around a bookstore for an hour" type.) The contest runs through Wednesday, February 3, and is open worldwide. A winner will be selected by random draw.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

It's storming here, so I thought you needed videos for a rainy day.

Contest Winners, "Supernatural," and Springsteen Rocks On

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:16:00 +0000

The contest for Carrie Vaughn's newest Kitty Norville book, Kitty's House of Horrors, is over and the winners of the random drawing (a bunch of slips of paper thrown into a paper bag) are:

GRAND PRIZE - Complete Kitty Norville series: Anna, who thought a mermaid would be a good sushi chef.
Kitty's House of Horrors winner: SandyG265, who'd like to see a ghost as a private eye.
Kitty's House of Horrors winner: Elaine8, who suggested that a witch would be terrific as a dating service provider.
Kitty's House of Horrors winner: Virginia C, who would like to see zombies get jobs as repo men.
Kitty's House of Horrors winner: Scott Romanski, who thinks werewolves should consider careers as police officers.
Kitty's House of Horrors winner: ETIRV, who observed that vampires would be excellent historians/archivists.

Winners, send me an email (marta AT martaacosta DOT com) with your mailing address so your prizes can be mailed to you.

Thanks to everyone who participated and all your great ideas! I'd love to see books based on some of them.

Next week I'll have a Q&A with vampire book expert Patricia Altner of Patricia's Vampire Notes, and there will be a contest for her conpendium, Vampire Readings. You'll especially enjoy this Q&A if you've ever thought about reviewing paranormal/urban fantasy books.

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Speaking of Patricia, be sure to check out her review of Richelle Mead's Succubus Blues, which will be released in March. "Georgina, a reluctant succubus, is a demon with a conscience. Like others in the lower demon community she was once mortal, but now lives forever and never ages. Humans, male or female, feel drawn to her succubus charms, a trait which comes in handy as she works her day job as an assistant manager at the Emerald City Book Store and Cafe."

Demons and day jobs! There's still time to enter my contest for Jennifer Estep's Spider's Bite, about an assassin who has a day job at a barbecue joint.

"Supernatural" returned last night after a long haitus and I was both surprised (I lost track of time and discovered it was scheduled) and a little disappointed. I dunno. I thought that after such a long break the show would be more...spectacular. It was entertaining, no doubt, and amusing, and even creepy, but the episode felt like it was pulled from one of the early seasons. It didn't have the importance of recent episodes -- even those that initially seem silly and then develop deeper themes -- and it didn't seem to fit in with the season's arc.

You may have a different opinion. Of course, when a show is so damn good it's allowed to have episodes that are a little off.

You can read a review at Fear.net. "Sam and Dean check themselves into a mental hospital at the behest of an old friend of their father’s – and former hunter – named Martin. "

Okay, the first thing is that this idea of investigating a mental hospital by checking in doesn't make any sense. It's just stupid to put yourself in the most powerless position in a dangerous situation, and Sam and Dean aren't stupid. The episode, written by Andrew Dabb, lost me right here. It was a gimmick to generate scenes, not a natural progression of the brothers' battle against the apocalypse.

I'm a little concerned because Dabb is listed as the writer of next week's episode, "Being Sam Winchester." Just glancing at the previous shows he's written, he's fixated on the brothers' childhood and teen boys in particular. That's sweet, but I'm interested in Sam and Dean as men, not in the anguish of teenage boys. Hey, Andrew, maybe John Hughes needs a screenwriter. (And, yes, I am the only person in the country who hates John Hughes's movies.)

BuddyTV has a psychological evaluation of Dean Winchester. "The origins of this Hero Complex are fairly obvious to deduce. As a young child, one of his first memories was being told to take Sam out of a burning house and save him while his mother died. "

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

We celebrate the last day of paranormal/vampy videos set to Bruce Springsteen songs.

Wow, great song for this tribute to Spike and Drusilla of "Buffy."

No, it's not vampirey, but I thought "The Vampire Diaries" fans might want to see Ian Somerhalder in a video set to a Springsteen song.

We'll go out on a high note with a totally bitchin video by LuxBella. Rock on and have a great weekend!

The Wolfman Cometh & The Boss Rocks the Vamps

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:20:00 +0000

Diana McCabe features the new cover and a summary of Charlaine Harris's Dead in the Family, which will be released in May. (Paranormal Romance)

Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse short story (say that fast five times) will appear in the anthology, Death's Excellent Vacation, which is set for an August release.

Who would have guessed that "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" would be the inspiration for a collection of short fiction? Well, me, but I've always found Keanu Reeves to be exceptionally inspirational. If following Keanu's spiritual path is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

If you're jonesing for a Charlaine Harris kick now, you can read Chapter One of Grave Secret at her website.

If you want to jump-start your reading of great Young Adult paranormals/urban fantasy, you can enter Steph Bowe's contest for a pack of three books: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Intertwined by Gena Showalter, and Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stahl. Steph is a 15-year-old author whose Hey, Teenager of t he Year! blog is about ten times more technically sophisticated than mine. (I've tried and failed to figure out how to do a tab menu.) Do check out Steph's other posts; she's got very nice photos, too.

THE WOLFMAN COMETH!

Okay, I thought "The Wolfman," starring Benicio Del Toro, was opening tomorrow, but it's opening February 12, according to Deadbolt. Deadbolt had the cool new poster (see top) for this remake of the classic Lon Chaney film. The black-and-white forest scene with actress Emily Bolt is wonderful. I'm all about the Gothic stories these days, and I love the restraint and tension in this poster. They could have gone for gore or spectacle, and instead the chose quiet terror, the askew photo showing drawing your eyes to the bright background and making you think that something is hiding back there. "Blinded by the light," as the Boss says.

Hugo Weaving is in this movie! You know how I feel about Hugo Weaving. It is a truism that if Hugo Weaving is in a movie, it's bound to be fabulous. Especially if he's wearing sunglasses or pointy ears.

GRATUITOUS MOVIES OF THE DAY

Since I'm covering old songs this week, so I'm featuring the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. Bruuuuce! I totally heart Bruuuce!

Can't Fight the Inevitable: Vamps & REO Speedwagon

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:52:00 +0000

Angela at Bookish Blather chatters on quite entertainingly about Kim Harrison's Once Dead, Twice Shy. "Because I know my mom reads my blog from time to time, let me preface what I'm about to say with a reminder that I really do in fact love her and think she's all around awesome. But sometimes I seriously question her taste in books."

Angela gives a shout out to Kim's cover, and I have to agree that it's fab. What do you think of the black and white headshot with the pop of bright color? This reminds me a little of one of my favorite covers recently, Soulless.

Read an excerpt from Kim Harris on's Once Dead, Twice Shy: "Dappled sun shifted upon my bare shoulder as I leaned against a rough boulder bigger than my long-absent car. Frustrated, I unclenched my teeth before I gave myself a headache."

Shauna Leigh Kemp talks about Scott Westerfield's Young Adult vampire Peeps series over at VampChix today. "They do not fly or transform into bats or other animals. In fact, they are rarely referred to as vampires. They are infected with a disease at a biological level and are called peeps."

Angie Fox talks about her new release, A Tale of Two Demon Slayers, at Book Talk with J & J. "Paranormal romance is far and away my favorite genre to write. I've always loved a good fairy tale and, really, that's what paranormal are - grown up fairy tales. Today's paranormal romances take all of the adventure and otherworldliness of books like Harry Potter and add the clashing, dynamic excitement of an emerging romance."

Carolyn of Book Chick City guest blogs about genre over at Peace Love & Pat. "Why is it, to enjoy a bit of lovin’ my characters have to be ‘not of this world’?"

Just Jared shares the cover and a photo gallery of February's issue of Nylon. Here is how I would caption this photo: glowering, glamoring, and smoldering. Actually, I would add a few u's into the spelling to make it sound more vampy: glouwering, glamouring, and smouldering. See how much better that is! Ian Somerhalder, this century's Rob Lowe, says of his vampire dude: "This is gonna be the coolest character on television. There was no doubt about it. It reminded me of Sawyer, Josh Holloway’s character on Lost. He was always the character I secretly wished I could play."

There's a giant old werewolf movie coming out on Friday with Benicio Del Toro and I'll blog about that tomorrow.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

Yesterday, I spared you from a video set to an REO Speedwagon song, but Tez Miller said that she thinks REO's "Keep on Loving You" is "quite endearing." Even Dean Winchester is conflicted about REO. I will let you judge for yourself.

Tuesday Miscellany & Saved from REO Speedwagon Yet Again

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:37:00 +0000

You can read my interview with Jennifer Estep about her new Elemental Assassin series and enter a contest for one of two copies of the debut, Spider's Bite.

Read Mandi's review of Jill Myles' Succubi Like It Hot. "Jackie thought she was getting her life back on track by taking a job with the New City University archaeological team. She has recently been turned into a succubus, which means she has to have sex every couple of days to sate the 'itch' that arises." (Smexy Books)

Read Rebecca Baumann's review of Soulless by Gail Carriger. "I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about Soulless. It has the total package I look for in a first rate story. It was clever, funny, exciting, and romantic. " (Dirty Sexy Books) I bought this book as a gift for a friend and had to keep myself from reading it first. If you've already read Soulless, you can check out Rebecca's video discussion with spoilers.

Over at SciFi Guy's great Weekend Report, I learned that Michelle Hauf's Kiss Me Deadly is available as a free download at Harlequin.

Phoebe Jordan interviews Adrianne Brennan about her new novel, Blood of the Dark Moon. "Dreams and the whims of my muse. I liked the idea of exploring what it meant to be turned into a vampire for a young woman who had fallen in love, and to approach it from angles previously unexplored. I like the idea of doing for vampires what Spiderman has done for superheroes." (Talk About My Favorite Authors)

Read an excerpt from Blood of the Dark Moon.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

Last week I featured videos set to Britney Spears' songs. Yes, they were wonderful. Today I'm featuring videos set to Sir Tom Jones's songs. I know I've done this before, but some things need to be revisited. However, I found this new trib to Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) of "Supernatural" from KellyGirl2002 that I have to share first.

Ooh, angsy Sammy.

However you know my taste runs more toward fun.

I want you all to be grateful that I didn't post a video set to an REO Speedwagon song. I'm just not that mean.

Q&A with Jennifer Estep & Contest for SPIDER'S BITE

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:42:00 +0000

"A fun and fascinating urban fantasy world of vampires, giants, elementals, and other dangerous creatures.... I was definitely impressed. This dark, urban fantasy series has a promising start."

SciFiChick

"Wickedly deadly humor, a fabulous world of paranormal creatures, and magic all collide in this fantastic book!"

Fallen Angel Reviews

When I found out that my editor is also Jennifer Estep's editor, I was ecstatic and invited Jennifer to come to Vampire Wire and talk about Spider's Bite, the debut novel in the Elemental Assassin series. (Of course, I was able to wrangle some copies for a contest - so read to the botton of the post for contest info.)

Jennifer is best-known for her hilarious superhero/uber villian books, the Bigtime series, Karma Girl, Hot Mama, and Jinx, that the Romantic Times called "sexy, sizzling and kick-ass fun." Jennifer doesn't complete abandon her whimsy with her new novel, but she does take a grittier route.

Publisher's Weekly gave Spider's Bite a rave and said:

"In the corrupt Southern metropolis of Ashland, weather witches mingle with vampires, giants, and dwarves. A mysterious client hires assassin Gin Blanco, known as the Spider, to murder a whistle-blowing financial officer named Gordon Giles. Then the client attempts a double cross and brutally kills Gin’s mentor. Now Gin, a stone elemental with a hard-boiled attitude, a closely guarded heart, and a penchant for throwing knives, has to join forces with one of the few honest cops in Ashland, sexy detective Donovan Caine, who hates her for killing his partner... gritty violence and steamy sex, but urban fantasy fans will love it."

The review didn't even mention Gin's fabulous day job working at a barbecue, and it still sounds terrific. But let's have Jennifer tell you about the book and the series.

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MARTA: Welcome to Vampire Wire, Jennifer, and congratulations on the launch of your new Elemental Assassin series! Would you please tell us a little about the series and Spider’s Bite?

JENNIFER: Hi, Marta! Thanks for having me. Of course.

The Elemental Assassin books are set in the fictional southern metropolis of Ashland, where Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina meet in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in her spare time. Gin is also an elemental or person who can control one of the four elements – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone. Gin has the rare gift of being able to control two elements, Ice and Stone in her case. Besides elementals like Gin, Ashland is also home to giants, dwarves, and vampires.

In Spider’s Bite, the first book in the series, Gin is double-crossed during a hit and framed for a murder she didn’t commit. After her handler/foster father is brutally murdered, Gin vows to find out who set her up and why. Along the way, she teams up with a sexy detective to help her get to the bottom of things. Too bad the detective hates Gin for killing his corrupt partner. Only one thing is certain – if Gin has her way, someone’s going to die …

MARTA: Your Bigtime series had a different heroine in every book, and the Elemental Assassin series will feature Gin Blanco, aka The Spider, in each novel. Do you ever feel like a popular bachelorette who broke many hearts before suddenly and shockingly committing to one partner? Why the change?

JENNIFER: Well, my Bigtime books are paranormal romances, and since every one of those stories ends with the heroine getting her happily ever after, it was only natural to feature a new heroine in the next book.

But the Elemental Assassin series is dark, gritty urban fantasy. It’s the kind of genre that usually focuses on one character throughout a series (like Harry Dresden in Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files). Besides, Gin Blanco is such an interesting, morally gray character and there’s so much pain in her past that I felt that she could star in a series of books. Gin will eventually get her happily ever after just like the heroines in my Bigtime novels do – it will just take her a while to get there.

As for the bachelorette part, heh. I’ll let you know once readers start chiming in and e-mailing me about Spider’s Bite – and whether or not they like my switch to urban fantasy.

MARTA: This series sounds like a turn to grittier urban fantasy for you. Was it a challenge to create a heroine who’s an assassin? Did you have to place Gin in any sort of philosophical or theological framework to justify her actions?

JENNIFER: The Elemental Assassin series is much, much grittier than my Bigtime books, although I like to think that both series have a lot of the same elements in common – strong, kick-butt heroines, a cool magic world, and some nifty fight scenes.

It was a bit of a challenge to create an assassin heroine, to make her someone who kills people for money and still likable and someone people can relate to at the same time. It’s a fine line to walk between making your heroine a bad-ass or, well, just an ass.

As Gin puts it, the people she kills “have it coming anyway.” And she does have a set of rules that she follows. She doesn’t kill kids or pets, and she doesn’t frame people for the murders that she commits. It may not be most people’s code of justice, but it works for Gin.

MARTA: Your Elemental series is set in the fictional Southern town of Ashland. I love writing with a strong regional flavor. What are your favorite quirky traits about Ashland, its inhabitants, and Gin’s barbecue joint, the Pork Pit?

JENNIFER: I’m a Southern girl myself, and I think there’s something really dark and gothic about the South that lends itself to the urban fantasy genre. I like to play with names, and it was really fun for me to create and name the places in Ashland, keeping my Southern vibe in mind. I especially like the name for my nightclub – Northern Aggression.

I also love the fact that in Ashland, people will call you sugar to your face and then stab you in the back a minute later. Knowing who to trust really keeps Gin on her toes.

Ah, the Pork Pit. I don’t think there’s anything more Southern than great barbecue, so having a barbecue joint in the books seemed like a natural thing. Plus, it gives Gin an excuse to have lots of knives lying around.

MARTA: The concept of elementals, creatures with powers of fire, water, stone, and air, is featured in classic comic books. Are you a comic book fan and, if so, why should more adults read comics?

JENNIFER: I do like comic books – I wish I had time to read more of them (and just more time to read in general). And I’m a fan of superheroes in all mediums, especially stuff like the old "Wonder Woman" TV show with Lynda Carter; "Batman" with Adam West; "Batman Begins" with Christan Bale; the Spider-Man movies … I could go on. I just think there’s something so cool about having superpowers and using them to do good things.

Comics truly are an art form, but a lot of folks look down their noses at them, just like they do genre books, like fantasy and romance. But you know what? Some of the best writing today is done in genre fiction. Ditto for comics, graphic novels, etc. People who refuse to try them because they think that they’re for kids are really missing out on some great stories and cool art.

MARTA: You’ve got lots of strong female characters in this series. Do you think the popularity of the kick-ass heroine says something about what women are thinking now?

JENNIFER: I think that so many women do it all today – work full-time jobs, take care of their kids, help out elderly parents, etc. – that they want to read about heroines who are just as strong and capable as they are. I know I hate reading books where the heroine is just wimpy, whiny, or too stupid to live.

Urban fantasy is a great genre for strong female characters because the stakes are so high. Urban fantasy heroines have to save their families, themselves, and even the world. They totally kick butt and look fabulous doing it. Overall, I think that’s a really positive message – that women can do whatever they set their minds to.

MARTA: Answer quick, without thinking! Name your favorite kind of barbecue, your favorite funny book, your favorite scary movie, your favorite Southern writer, and your favorite underappreciated superhero.

JENNIFER: Definitely eastern Tennessee barbecue; What’s the Worst that Could Happen? by Donald E. Westlake; Mark Twain; and Green Arrow.

I have to say that I don’t do scary movies. I’m much more of an action-flick girl! "Casino Royale" would be one of my faves in that genre.

MARTA: What’s next for Gin and the Elemental Assassins series?

JENNIFER: I have two more books coming out in the series this year. Web of Lies will be out in June, while Venom will hit shelves in October. I’ll also be posting a series of free Elemental Assassin short stories on my Web site to whet readers’ appetites for the books. The first short story, "Spider’s Bargain," is up on the Excerpts page of my Web site now. It’s a bit of a prequel to Spider’s Bite.

Also, I just signed with my publisher for books 4 and 5 in the series. I’m super excited about the sale because the books will let me wrap up the first main story arc with Gin and her nemesis. Of course, I want to write more Gin books beyond these five, but that depends on sales, like everything else.

MARTA: Obligatory inane question. If you had to write a book about any elderly relatives and give them paranormal powers, what would the book be called and what would be their powers? Would they be a force for evil or a force for making you dress more sensibly and write thank-you notes?

JENNIFER: Hmm … well, I kind of did this already with the Bigtime series. I have a couple of elderly superheroes, like Granny Cane, who carries a cane and goes around wailing on muggers with it.

But if I had to right a new book, I’d call it The Protectors, and they would definitely be a force for annoying good. Their superpowers would include automatically knowing things like whether or not someone is speeding, crossing the street without looking, running with scissors, etc. My grandma is always telling me to be careful, but I love her for her concern. It’s nice to know that people care about you.

MARTA: Where can readers find out more about you and your books? Where do you hang out online?

JENNIFER: Folks can visit my Web site to get info on all my books, release dates, excerpts, etc. Folks can also check out my blog there and sign up for my monthly e-newsletter.

People can follow me on Facebook or e-mail me anytime at jennifer@jenniferestep.com.

MARTA: Thanks so much for visiting Vampire Wire, Jennifer, and I hope this new series is a great success!

JENNIFER: Me too! Thanks for having me on Vampire Wire.

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Read Chapter One of Spider's Bite.

Find out about Jennifer's book signings and request a free bookmark.

Download and read the prequel, "Spider's Bargain," at Simon & Schuster.

CONTEST INFO: If you'd like to win one of TWO COPIES of Spider's Bite, just leave a comment for Jennifer, or tell us what your day job would be if you were secretly a paid assassin living among supernatural creatures. (I would work at the DMV because that would fuel my fury toward mankind.)

The contest runs through Wednesday, January 27, and is restricted to the US and Canada. Winners will be chosen by random draw.

GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

These are in honor of Jennifer and her faves.

If you're gonna get all exercised about a man's nekkid backside, do not watch this.

Batman shakes a mean cape! This is pretty much the most awesome thing I've ever seen on YouTube! It needs multiple exclamation marks!!! and EXTRA CAPITALIZATION!!

Technical Difficulties

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:52:00 +0000

FYI, I'm updating/moving my author website and trying to deal with glitches. So if I didn't get an email from you, please be patient.

I hope all will be well by Monday. Have a great weekend!

In Which We Conclude Britney Spears & Vampire Videos Week

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:23:00 +0000

Remember that on Monday I'll have an interview with Jennifer Estep and a contest for a few copies of her soon-to-be-released Spider's Bite, the first in her The Elemental Assassins series!

Tez at Tez Says has put together a list of new book releases with descriptions and covers, but she lives in Australia, so her new releases and covers are different than mine here in California. If you like to see foreign covers, you'll definitely be interested in many of these.

I think the UK version of Laurell K. Hamilton's Flirt is way more interesting than the US version. (See above.)

And I love both the US and the UK versions of Gemma Malley's The Returners, but my preference is for the eerie, stark US version at the left.

I just looked for Gemma Malley's website, but like a lot of British authors, she doesn't have one. Interesting. One of the first things US agents and editors want to know is if authors have a website. Mine is at this VERY MOMENT being updated, and I tell them, "Uhm, I've got this blog called Vampire Wire," and then they say, "Oh, it's gotten so late. We'll catch up later!" Somehow the charm of this blog eludes them.

I like this rant by Magolla about her pet peeve about paranormal/urban fantasy books: "IT DOESN'T MAKE IT A PARANORMAL STORY IF YOU CAN REMOVE THE PARANORMAL ASPECT FROM THE STORY AND THE STORY STILL HOLDS TOGETHER." Oh, as if you could really take the zombies out of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and have any kind of story that anyone would care about! I don't know about you, but when I think "Regency-era classic about romantic entanglements, social class, and manners," I think of zombies. Oh, wait, I don't. Because I'm not a dude who only read Jane Austen under pressure.

We laughed, we cried, we braided one another's hair with daisies and ribbons, but alas, it is time to end our week-long study of how a Britney Spears' song amplifies the awesomeness of a paranormal/vampire video by some geometric quantity. (Vampire Wire Research Laboratories in Zurich are still working out the algorithm.)

Who would have guessed that "Twilight" would work so well to "Before the Goodbye"? Nice effects by SilverVintage82.

And Selene and Sonja from "Underworld" can kick-ass to a Britney megamix.

The men of "Angel" are clearly "Toxic."

Rose Tyler's life is like a "Circus" with "Doctor Who."

With someone as hawt as Sam Winchester, the Britney wants to "Break the Ice." (I apologize for being so corney. It's something about the music.)

Britney wants Dean Winchester to "Breathe On Me."

"Buffy" to Britney's "A Piece of Me." Have a Britneylicious weekend and if you need something to occupy your time until Monday, buy my books and read them.

Hot Off The Press & Brintney Sings to Vamps

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:42:00 +0000

Here are a few upcoming releases.

Unknown by Rachel Caine
Outcast Season series, Book Two
To be released February 3

Author's Website

Summary: "Living among mortals, the djinn Cassiel has developed a reluctant affection for them-especially for Warden Luis Rocha. As the mystery deepens around the kidnapping of innocent Warden children, Cassiel and Luis are the only ones who can investigate both the human and djinn realms. But the trail will lead them to a traitor who may be more powerful than they can handle..."

Read Chapter One of Unknown.

Gone by Lisa McMann
Wake series, Book Three
To be released February 2

Author's Website

Description: "Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she'd made her peace with it. But she can't handle dragging Cabel down with her.

"She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He's amazing. And she's a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves--she has to disappear. And it's going to kill them both."

Tez shared the UK cover art (see left) for Richelle Mead's Succubus Shadows. I always like seeing the book covers from around the world, which reveal more about the reading audience than the marketing departments. This cover says "sexy, fun, stylish, seductive." The model is very pretty in a natural way.

Once again, I prefer the UK version to the US version (right) which has a serious, tough-looking, kick-your-ass cover model. This model is done up vampire-style: dead-white, crimson lips, dyed black hair. Do US readers really want their heroines to look so humorless and mean?

If you go to Richelle's site, she can follow links to can see some of her other international covers, including the gorgeous cover from Russia (right).

I have never seen the Hungarian covers to my own novels even though I've asked my publisher, Simon & Schuster, like a million times and it's in my contract that they're supposed to give me five copies of each foreign edition. After two years of begging, they sent me the Russian editions of my books.

Does this mean all my online studies in Hungarian are for naught? Sigh. I guess I'll have to focus my attention back on my online human-cloning and android-building classes.

Fear.net isn't impressed with the BBC's new "Buffy"-inspired "Demons." "Beyond the poor-quality CGI effects -- especially the all-computer-generated monkey-sized demons who occasionally pester Luke -- the writing and directing manages to strangle every ounce of life out of the tired yet classic premise." I've set my DVR to record it and will report back on the second episode. Monsters & Critics has a summary of the show and descriptions of upcoming episodes.

Has anyone watched "Sanctuary" on the SyFy Channel? I have a tendency to skip anything on this station since it seems to show a lot of movies about chupacabras and because it did a stuupid name change from the original SciFi Channel. (Yes, I am that petty.) Is it worth watching? The network seems oddly giddy about the fact that most of the show is shot using a green screen. Which I don't get at all.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

In which we continue the Britney Spears love. This tribute to Gwen of "Torchwood" is set to "Circus" by MadGirl132.

And the song works just as well with the Winchester Brothers from "Supernatural." Vid by PrincessM88.

Did I post this recently? It doesn't matter. Britney thinks Spike is a "Womanizer."

New Releases, My Nemesis SciFi Guy, and Feel the Love for Britney Spears

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:53:00 +0000

Cool cover and title here: Nancy's Holzner's Deadtown, which was just released. Here's the description: "They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders — but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…

"Vicky’s demanding job keeping the city safe from all manner of monsters is one reason her relationship with workaholic lawyer (and werewolf) Alexander Kane is in constant limbo. Throw in a foolhardy zombie apprentice, a mysterious demon-plagued client, and a suspicious research facility that’s taken an unwelcome interest in her family, and Vicky’s love life has as much of a pulse as Deadtown’s citizens."

Read the first chapter of Deadtown here. "Two rules I live by: Never admit to being a shapeshifter on a first, second, or third date with a human. And never, ever bring along a zombie apprentice wannabe on a demon kill."

Ha, I was just checking out Nancy's blogroll and I noticed that Vampire Wire wasn't on it (I'm not bitter, really), but SciFi Guy, my arch rival, is, and then I saw that he's interviewing Nancy today and offering a copy of Deadtown as a contest prize. Damn you, SciFi Guy -- I will be avenged! Or something.

Of course, my brilliant plan is to be a guest at SciFi Guy later this year. I'll be pretending to promote my Casa Dracula series, including the upcoming Haunted Honeymoon at Casa Dracula, but I'll be secretly learning ways to CRUSH his dreams and his site, ha ha HA HA HA HA HA!

On to other things: Patricia Altner has a Q&A with Adrian Phoenix and a contest for her new release, Beneath the Skin. "My office is filled with things, pictures, and images that inspire me. To name a few: a poster of Trent Reznor. A picture of Brandon Lee as The Crow. Drawings of different characters by friends, a collections of little wolves and gators, small Goth dolls, a werewolf with movable jaws and arms, a drawing of John Keats on his deathbed, pictures of New Orleans, Edgar Allan Poe and Oscar Wilde dolls, books, books, and more books." The contest is open worldwide.

On to other things. I am digging on the covers of Mari Mancusi's Blood Coven young adult series.

Here's the description of the newest release, Bad Blood: "Sunny McDonald is in the ultimate forbidden relationship. Her boyfriend Magnus is a vampire, and the leader of the Blood Coven. And when the Coven decides that Magnus needs a mate to be his co-ruler, Sunny's humanity puts her out of the running. The Coven's chosen candidate is Jane Johnson, a magna cum laude graduate of Oxford University who just happens to look like a vampiric supermodel. "

Author Michele Hauf at VampChix gives a righteous rant on vampire romance, misleading covers and book spines, urban fantasy, etc. You can tell her your thoughts about genre classifications.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

My young pals, Shawn and James of First Name Basis, did a tribute to Britney Spears. Okay, I find this vastly amusing. Is it because a young black dude is playing the ukulele, or because the attempts at falsetto fail tragically, or is it because it is undeniably true that Britney Spears has been inspirational to many? I think it's all of the above. The video's more fun as it goes on.

To continue the Britney love, here's a "Toxic" tribute to Sam and Dean Winchester of "Supernatural."

Britney "Breaks the Ice" with Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin) of "Moonlight."

Buffy and Spike are better when set to a Britney tune.

New Releases Week Continues & "Supernatural" News

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:30:00 +0000

Great news! Jennifer Estep will be here on Monday to talk about her newest series, The Elemental Assassins, and we'll have a contest for copies of Spider Bite, the series debut novel.

Now we continue looking at some soon-to-be-released books.

Blood Magic by Eileen Wilks

Author's Website

Publisher's Description: "As they plan their wedding, Lily Yu and lupus prince Rule Turner are facing a great deal of tension from both their families. Not everyone can accept their mixed marriage: she’s Chinese; he’s a werewolf. Even Lily’s grandmother is acting strangely distant, though Lily and Rule are about to discover that her behavior has nothing to do with their upcoming nuptials.

"A powerful, undying nemesis has come to San Diego to exact vengeance on Lily’s family--and turn the city into a feeding ground. It’s up to Lily and Rule to stop her, in spite of ancient treaties and an inheritance passed down through the blood. Otherwise San Diego could go up in flames and they won’t live to make it to the altar…"

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Author's Website

Publisher's Description: "Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…"

You can read an excerpt of this book here.

Atlantis Redeemed by Alyssa Day
Warriors of Poseiden Book Five
To be released March 2010

Author's Website

Publisher's Description: "The fate of Atlantis is on the line-and the future of the world is at stake...

"Poseidon's warriors have learned that the battle to protect humanity produces unexpected enemies-and alliances. But none more unexpected than the bond between a cursed Atlantean warrior and a woman whose sight surpasses any lie."

Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass

Author's Website

Publisher's Description: "Kira’s day job as an antiquities expert, but her true calling is as a Shadowchaser. Trained from youth to be one of the most lethal Chasers in existence, Kira serves the Gilead Commission dispatching the Fallen who sow discord and chaos. Of course, sometimes Gilead bureaucracy is as much a thorn in her side as anything the Fallen can muster against her. Right now, though, she’s got a bigger problem. Someone is turning the city of Atlanta upside-down in search of a four-millennia-old Egyptian dagger that just happens to have fallen into Kira’s hands."

Read an excerpt.

Steamed by Katie MacAlister

Author's Website

Publisher's Description: "Computer technician Jack Fletcher is no hero, despite his unwelcome reputation as one. In fact, he's just been the victim of bizarre circumstances. Like now. His sister happens to disturb one of his nanoelectromechanical system experiments, and now they aren't where they're supposed to be. In fact, they're not sure where they are when...

"…they wake up to see a woman with the reddest hair Jack has ever seen-and a gun. Octavia Pye is an Aerocorps captain with a whole lot of secrets, and she's not about to see her maiden voyage ruined by stowaways..."

Read an excerpt at Katie's site.

Good news for "Supernatural" fans! The show's creator, Eric Kripke, who send he was ending the show after the fifth season, is now considering a sixth season due to popular demand. According to Entertainment Weekly, he network's impressed that the show's ratings are even better in their fifth year.

If you're in the mood for gossip, BuddyTV reports that Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester) and Gabriel Cortese (Ruby) just got engaged.

If you're in the mood for pics, BuddyTV has a fab "Supernatural" gallery.

If you're in the mood for a video, here's one dedicated to Dean (Jensen Ackles) and the angel Castiel (Misha Collins).

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

I told some of my pals that I would post their videos of their fantastic acoustic ukelele band, Last Name Basis. Don't let the bad quality of the video fool ya. These guys are super cute. Yes, I have had to tell them to stop playing bongos and reciting poetry at three a.m.

Back to "Supernatural." Nice video, but the credit on the screen is distracting.

Upcoming Releases & Covers Week

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:08:00 +0000

It's been a while since I posted upcoming releases. Here are some releases scheduled for February. I'm just going to mention that I decided not to list the first book because the author's website was so annoying and I couldn't figure out how to get to the book's description. Note to authors: we don't always know what book is in what series, so don't make us guess repeatedly.

Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep

Author's Website

Publisher's Description: "They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South -- when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

"Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge..."

Note to readers: Jennifer will be a guest soon at Vampire Wire and we'll be having a contest for her latest book!

A Tale of Two Demon Slayers by Angie Fox

Publisher's Description: "Last month, I was a single preschool teacher whose greatest thrill consisted of color-coding my lesson plans. That was before I learned I was a slayer. Now, it’s up to me to face curse-hurling imps, vengeful demons, and any other supernatural uglies that crop up. And, to top it off, a hunk of a shape-shifting griffin has invited me to Greece to meet his family."

Read the first chapter.

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost
Book One in the Night Huntress World

Author's Site - You can read Chapter One here.

Publisher's Description: The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows – her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield – and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's dark past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness – and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey."

Truly, Madly by Heather Webber

Author's Website

Publisher's Description: "Lucy Valentine is as smart as can be, as single as you can get, and so not qualified to run a matchmaking service. But when her parents temporarily step down from the family business, Valentine, Inc., it’s Lucy’s turn to step up and help out—in the name of love.

"Plus, her rent is due.

Heather's having a contest for her book on her blog!

Generally, I'm not a fan of illustrations as covers, but I really like this one because it seems whimsical and it's an appealing colors palate. It goes quite well with the title, Truly, Madly, which I love.

It intrigued me enough to check out Heather's next book, which has the same fun cover style and is called Deeply, Desperately and comes out in August. What clever titles. I love funny books and I'd absolutely pick up these from a bookstore shelf and want to read them.

As my local bookstore manager says, it's all about the covers. If they don't catch your attention among thousands of other books and signal the kind of book you like, you won't pick them up. (So if you've read one amazing book with a cover model showing a back tat and a weapon, you'll be inclined to pick up a book with a similar cover.)

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

I'm still trying to figure out if I like Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" or not. But I'm definitely intrigued and I want to see how it develops.

Can I just say that I love how bad this song is? It's exuberantly, joyously cheezy. Also, I have to appreciate a man who wears a pink shirt and a kilt. Kilts really are a timeless classic.

Winner of "True Blood: Season One" DVDS

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:43:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who entered my constest for the "True Blood: Season One" dvds. I really appreciated all your feedback about this blog and my books. The general consensus seems to be that you like the contests and videos best. Hey, I can keep doing that!

The winner of the random drawing is:

JODER

Congratulations, Joder! Please email your address to me and I'll pop your dvds in the mail tomorrow.

Also, for other contest winners, I really try to make sure you receive your prizes, but I only have control over those that I send out. So if you don't get a prize, please tell me so I can follow up! I don't want anyone to miss out.

Fabulous Carrie Vaughn & Kitty Norville Contest

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:00:00 +0000

"Carrie Vaughn is on my auto-buy list. I don’t even care what the plot is, if it’s a Kitty Norville book I know I’ll love it. "

Vicky London, Vampire Genre

"Kitty Raises Hell gripped my attention and wouldn’t let go until the final page - a must read for Kitty fans or anyone that enjoys richly rendered urban fantasy and superlative characters."

Doug Knipe, SciFi Guy

CONTEST NEWS: I promised you an amazing contest and here it is! Hachette/Grand Central Books is generously contributing a complete set of the seven shifter novels in Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville series, including her upcoming release, Kitty's House of Horrors. They're also offering another five copies of the newest book. So six winners total!

Here's the book's description: "REALITY BITES Talk radio host and werewolf Kitty Norville has agreed to appear on TV's first all-supernatural reality show. She's expecting cheesy competitions and manufactured drama starring shapeshifters, vampires, and psychics. But what begins as a publicity stunt will turn into a fight for her life. The cast members, including Kitty, arrive at the remote mountain lodge where the show is set. As soon as filming starts, violence erupts and Kitty suspects that the show is a cover for a nefarious plot."

Visit Carrie Vaughn's website.

Read an excerpt from Kitty's House of Horrors.

To enter the contest: Kitty Norville's a werewolf with a job as a DJ. Just leave a comment telling me what supernatural character you'd like to see in what job. Would you like elves to take care of your dry cleaning? Do you think zombies would be good librarians? The contest runs through January 21 and winners will be picked in a random draw.
-----------------------------

ReaganStar McBeigh interviews me about my Casa Dracula novels in her Author Spotlight feature at Star Shadow Creative. You can win one of my books, too. (I say the first book, but if you've already got that, I can offer one of the others.) "You have to do write because you love to write and not because you think it pays well, or you think you’ll get attention, or you think you’ll get a movie deal. That only happens if you manage to land a plane in the Hudson River."

Nicole Hadaway reviews Happy Hour at Casa Dracula at her Vampire Blogspot. "... delightfully clever and fun -- something I've been missing ever since Bridget Jones's Diary all those years ago." Thanks, Nicole!

My favorite line on the "Supernatural" rerun last night came from one of the Superfans to Sam Winchester: "Our passion was like a monkey on the sun -- too hot to live!"

Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos has an impressive list of news and links. FYI, Chris is really the expert on all vampire and werewolf tunes and I'm going to try to post one of her playlists here as download soon.

Doug Knipe, SciFi Guy, has some awesome new covers to show us.

"Daybreakers" gets released today and the reviews are already, well, ambivalent. The San Francisco Chronicle says, "Some movies play better in a small screening room full of Fellini-loving critics, and others are best enjoyed in a packed house of inebriated yahoos. 'Daybreakers' is in the second category."

Here's the movie trailer. Personally, I have a policy of avoiding any movie with Ethan Hawke in it, but you may feel differently.

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

Here's one for "The Vampire Diaries" fans with the new pretty fanged boy, Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder).

And for the grown-ups...

This song made me lose at least half the dozen or so brain cells rattling around in my skull. Listen at your own peril.

Kickin It with the Kick-Ass Chicks

marta@martaacosta.com (Marta) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:03:00 +0000

First of all, tomorrow I'm going to have an AMAZING contest with lots of great prizes, do be sure to drop by.

I've mentioned frequently that I love the original covers of Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series, so today I went a-Googling and learned that Lisa Desimini illustrated these books. If you visit Lisa's website, you can enjoy her other book covers with their distinctive folk art style, saturated colors, themes of sky and dreams. She has many of her wonderful prints for sale, the perfect gift for a good friend.

My Casa Dracula series has been named the Book Pick at Paranormal Romance! Reviewer (and frequent Vampire Wire visitor) Dot wrote:

"The heroine of the series is Milagro De Los Santos, a graduate of Fancy University (F.U.) who wants to be a writer in the worst way, which is the way most things go for Milagro...There is romance and lots of action as Milagro tries to figure out what is going on. This is one funny, plucky, intelligent heroine who manages to stumble into one problem after another... Your cheeks will hurt from all the smiling."

Paranormal Romance has a very clever feature called "Ask an Author." And you should not under any circumstances miss the werewolf cupcake photos on the cover art page. Total genius. They make vampire bite cupcakes look like something a kid does in her Easy-Bake Oven.

Jackie B very rightfully noted that I was ignoring the kickass chicks. So, here are the promised chick badges. I'm not finished and if you have any suggestions, please tell me!

GRATUITOUS VIDEOS OF THE DAY

And the vids are for some of our favorite kick-ass chicks! I wish there were more great tributes to the girls on YouTube, but I think you'll like these.