LAST DAY FOR 4 CONTESTS ON PVN
Monthly contest for email subscribers - see right hand bar
Your Favorite Vampire(s) - Halloween Contest at PVN
Day by Day Armageddon
Hellbound Hearts
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
Oct 31, 2009
Oct 28, 2009
Sarah Jane Stratford - Interview and Contest
[see contest info update at end of interview]
A warm PVN welcome to Sarah Jane Stratford author of The Midnight Guardian: A Millennial Novel St. Martin's Press (October 13, 2009). For more information about the author and her novel go to this PVN post
As many of you may know the contest for copy of The Midnight Guardian has already begun. I will continue until November 4. After this interview there will be more contest information.
Sarah Jane, thanks so much for this interview!
PVN: What attracts you to vampires? What are the characteristics of your vampires?
Sarah Jane: I am enthralled by the idea of those who were once human now living a life that is, in a way, constant play-acting – pretending to be human. Seeming to be a part of, but really only an observer of, the human world. And yet needing humans for life, literally and otherwise. There seemed no end of territory to explore there – trying to further understand humanity through these creatures. My millennial vampires are extra-powerful – after 1000 years of life, they are much harder to kill. And they have observed an awful lot of history. They're really not supposed to get involved in the doings of humans, but sometimes they are compelled.
PVN: Describe Brigit for us.
Sarah Jane: She's a millennial, made in the 10th century when she was seventeen. She is intelligent, loving, loyal, powerful, and brave. She's also stubborn (after all, she hails from Yorkshire!), sarcastic, and prone to temper – although she's gotten a lot of that under control. And she's got a good, sometimes cynical, sense of humor. There's nothing she won't do for those she loves. Which can make things unpleasant for anyone out to injure one of her loved ones.
Sarah Jane: I often feel it wasn't wholly my choice in that Brigit told me so much of what was afoot, but I was excited to explore the juxtapositions. Here you have a group of humans being utterly monstrous – and in relief, the perceived monstrousness of the vampires. Part of what I wanted to do was query the true definition of "humanity" under these circumstances – and in life in general. In a state of war, humans are at their most shameful – although there is that contingent that rises up and becomes bigger and better than it might otherwise – and to observe as much through non-human eyes was fascinating.
PVN: Is this a series? How many more books do you plan?
Sarah Jane: It is a series! I'm working on the second book now. My plan so far is to see what happens with the vampires as the war progresses. After that, well…we'll see!
PVN: What other projects are you working on?
Sarah Jane: Besides the afore-mentioned second book, I'm making revisions on a stage play that I like the look of, and two screenplays. As soon as I'm done with the second book, there are about three other books I want to dive into, so I should be nice and busy for a while.
PVN: You have a masters degree in Medieval History - any plans to write fiction or nonfiction set in that era?
Sarah Jane: I briefly touched on some of medieval York in TMG, but I'd love to do a whole book in that time. Before they moved to London, my vampires were very proud Yorkists, and I know they were active in the War of the Roses, so that seems fertile territory.
PVN: You earned your degree in York, UK . I visited there once for 3 days and fell in love with it. What was it like for you living and studying there?
Sarah Jane: Isn't it incredible? I found it endlessly inspiring – it seemed as though there was a story around every corner. I did a lot of my work at the King's Manor, a 16th-century building that definitely got us in the mood for medievalism. Although the 1960s orange lounge chairs were a tad jarring – Mad Men and medieval don't mix (much though I love both). It was just amazing to read about an event in a particular street, and then go and walk that street! Even if it was now chock-a-block with trendy modern shops, the past didn't seem that far off. I can't wait to go back – especially if I can have a warmer bedroom.
PVN: Describe your writing day and your writing environment.
Sarah Jane: I like to try and get started by nine in the morning and go till I collapse, or get to a yoga class or the theatre. I'm a member of the Writers Room in New York – it's a purpose-created office space where writers in all sorts of media can have a quiet, comfortable place to work. What's great about it is that it allows for camaraderie and networking too – writing is so solitary, but here you can work and also interact when you need a break.
PVN: What writers have inspired you?
Sarah Jane: Wow – so many, and in so many ways. Whatever the medium, I gravitate towards those who explore the human condition. Margaret Atwood, Jane Austen, Kurt Vonnegut. I love theatre, so Shakespeare, Pinter, Stoppard, Shaw, and Sondheim have all been powerful inspirations. And I'd be remiss not to cite Joss Whedon and especially Marti Noxon, from whom I was honored to get a blurb on the book jacket. These were scripts that delved the depths of emotion and humanity, with wit, flair, and above all, honesty. Powerful stuff.
PVN: Where can readers find you on the Internet?
Sarah Jane: I have a web site – www.sarahjanestratford.com. Brigit posts outtakes from her journal there. The book has a Facebook page, as do I, and I also Twitter at stratfordsj. I love to hear from people, so please stop by!
Read a guest blog by Brigit and take another look at the book cover which features the Brandenburg Gate,
CONTEST INFORMATION
Three lucky readers will each win a copy of The Midnight Guardian: A Millennial Novel. To be eligible do one or more of the following:
* Leave a comment
* Ask Sarah a question
* Link this contest to your own site or a social network site, and be sure to let me know the URL.
If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response.
Contest update the publisher has limited winners to US and Canada
If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response.
Contest update the publisher has limited winners to US and Canada
My apologies for this misunderstanding. It was my mistake!
The contest ends November 4, 2009 at 11:59 PM Hawaii Time.
Oct 26, 2009
Gail Z. Martin - Interview and Contest
[The contest portion has ended. Thanks to everyone who participated!]
Two winners will each win a signed copy of a limited edition ARC for The Blood King
and a signed copy of Dark Haven.Read the interview below. Contest rules will follow
PVN: Vampires—you call them vayash moru—play a big part in your Chronicles of the Necromancer series, and especially in the Dark Haven/Dark Lady’s Chosen duology. How have your vampire characters come to the forefront? Are they stealing the show?
In part, the vayash moru have come to the forefront because of Jonmarc’s role as Lord of Dark Haven. He is a mortal, chosen for the role of lord over an area that has been a traditional sanctuary for Those Who Walk the Night. He’s supposed to be a guardian of both the mortal and undead residents, and now he finds himself protecting mortals from rogue vayash moru, and protecting law-abiding vayash moru from vengeful mortals.
Along the way, we get a lot more insight into vayash moru history and culture, as well as some of the characters who have been around since the first two books in supporting roles.
PVN: Would you say your vampires are more like traditional vamps or more like the urban fantasy vamps?
I think something that differs from “traditional” vampires is that my vayash moru aren’t automatically monsters because they are vampires. They retain moral choice. Unlike urban fantasy, they’re not automatically sexy and beautiful, although their regenerative powers are a big plus when it comes to not looking their age. I’m very interested in how living for centuries would affect your self image, your identity, and your definition of community as the world around you changes and you don’t.
PVN: What’s your vision of vampires and why do you like writing about them?
Gail: I’ve loved vampire stories (and ghosts and haunted houses and cemeteries) since I was a kid. But as an adult, I guess I love the way vampires struggle to retain or rethink what it means to be human after they have lost everything. They’re technically dead. They outlive their loved ones, their friends and their time period. The longer they exist, the less meaning they attach to the politics and upheaval that grips us when we’re mortal. So who are you, after 400 years? What drives you to exist? Why strive to live according to any set of values or morality? What makes you human even if you are no longer mortal? I love delving into that.
For me, vampires are an archetype of people who have experienced great loss or trauma. The language is much the same. When we grieve, we talk about “feeling dead,” feeling cold, feeling as if all the light has gone out of the world. We stop eating. We have insomnia. We withdraw. People who experience great pain or loss have a choice: they can inflict pain on others to equal what they have felt, or they can rise above their pain to re-gain a different kind of humanity than what they had before. That perspective gives me insight into the way I write my vayash moru.
PVN: You’ve just signed a deal with Orbit for four more books. Will the Chronicles of the Necromancer series continue?
Gail: My first four books have been published by Solaris Books, which was just bought by Rebellion, Ltd. It will be Solaris/Rebellion bringing out Dark Lady’s Chosen on Dec. 29. I am very excited about the deal with Orbit because we will be bringing the characters and setting of my world of the Winter Kingdoms into a new story arc with a new series, The Fallen Kings Cycle. I’m already working on Book One: The Sworn, which should come out in 2011. It will feature the characters and world from the first four books, but it opens up a new set of adventures, making it a perfect gateway for someone who is new to the series. Readers who have been along since the beginning will just keep on rolling along, but new readers won’t have to go back and read the first four to enjoy The Fallen Kings Cycle, although I’m hoping that they’ll want to!
Gail: Ghosts play a big role in my books. The whole idea of a Summoner is someone who can intercede between the living and the dead (or undead) so my main character, Tris Drayke, spends a lot of time talking with ghosts. In my newest book, Dark Lady’s Chosen, ghosts play a very active role. They are spies during a war, they comfort and protect the living, they attend festivals and special occasions, and they share knowledge. In the next book, The Sworn, we’ll see ghosts interacting with mortals in even more ways. I have always been fascinated with the idea of ghosts and the concept of the departed as being just another level of extended family. The series lets me play with that in whole new ways.
PVN: What do you make of the current zombie phenomenon?
Gail: Well, I have a special place in my heart for zombies, since I once worked at the Monroeville Mall outside of Pittsburgh, where all zombie-lovers know George Romero shot Dawn of the Dead, and my boss had been cast as an extra zombie in the film. So I’ve worked for the living dead! In my books, the zombies are Ashtenerath. The word literally means “awakened dead” and they are a little different from the traditional zombie.
First, they don’t eat flesh, although they are highly aggressive. They are made more like the “real” Voodoo zombies, by a combination of drugs and physical abuse, and they are wielded as weapons of war, often made from the prisoners taken during combat and then used against their own side for additional shock value.
There is another kind of zombie in my world, one created by a dark summoner, where a soul is forced back into a rotting corpse. Obviously, that’s a no-no, but we’ll see some of that in the new duology I’m working on for Orbit, The Fallen Kings Cycle.
Then there’s a third kind of zombie, which is more of a gollum. It is possible for a mage who isn’t a summoner to animate a corpse, not my forcing a soul into the body but by essentially being a puppeteer. It’s very creepy, but the corpse in this case wouldn’t have any ability to move or speak or make decisions because it really is a dead body being manipulated by magic. You get to see some of that in Dark Lady’s Chosen, which is the new book coming out Dec. 29.
As for why zombies are hot right now, I’ve seen a number of articles attempting a psychological interpretation, what with the recession and all. I do think that under times of stress people turn more to horror movies as a way to release anxiety. But I also think monsters tend to come and go as fads, and we’ve been on a vampire/werewolf fad for a while now, so people want something new, and zombies don’t come with the psychological baggage and angst that vamps and weres do. No brain, no angst. A simple monster for a complex time.
online, plus there are other sites participating in your Days of the Dead blog tour. Where can we find all the goodies?Gail: Check out my site at www.ChroniclesOfTheNecromancer.com, for all the downloads and more Days of the Dead stuff. Also, please find me on Twitter.com as GailZMartin and on Facebook and MySpace as well.
The first four Chronicles of the Necromancer books
The Summoner
The Blood King
Dark Haven
Dark Lady's Chosen
The titles above are available on ebook through Double Dragon. These four books will also be available on audiobook from Audible.com in December, 2009. Dark Lady's Chosen
debuts in paperback from Solaris Books on December 29, 2009. Contest:
[The contest portion has ended. Thanks to everyone who participated!]
For the contest Gail is offering signed copy of a limited edition ARC for The Blood King
and a signed copy of Dark Haven for 2 winnersFor a chance to win do one or more of the following
* Ask Gail a question
* Post a comment
* Link this interview to your own site or a social network site, and be sure to let me know the URL
If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response.
Contest ends November 2nd at 11:59 PM Hawaii Time
Oct 24, 2009
Upcoming Event - Interview and Contest with Gail Z. Martin
PVN is proud to be a part of Gail Z. Martin's Days of the Dead Halloween Blog Tour for 2009. She will answer any questions you might have about: the writing life - hers or yours; the fantasy/paranormal genre; and her Chronicles of the Necromancer series.
For the contest Gail is offering signed copy of a limited edition ARC for The Blood King
and a signed copy of Dark Haven for 2 winnersUndead Update October 24, 2009
Our deep, dark obsession with Vampires
From USA Weekend - an article (By Brian Truitt) about our favorite creature of the night."Garlic, crosses, daylight and a good decapitation are supposed to be weaknesses for a vampire, but in today's pop culture, the modern bloodsuckers seem unstoppable.... Read more
FC Presents Original Dark Web Series DEAD and LONELY,
Premieres on IFC.com Monday, October 26 at Noon ET/PT
"IFC Original five episode web series DEAD and LONELY, written, produced and directed by cult indie horror filmmaker Ti West (The Roost, Trigger Man, The House Of The Devil) premieres on IFC.com Monday, October 26 at Noon ET/PT. Each additional episode will air every day that week on IFC.com at Noon.
In this series, two lonely Los Angeles singles are brought together via the popular Internet dating website DateOrDie.net. The only problem is...one of them is a vampire.
Starring Justin Rice (Mutual Appreciation, Alexander The Last) and Paige Stark, DEAD and LONELY brings the classic vampire love story to the modern Internet dating age. The series unfolds from both the predator and the victim’s perspective until the characters finally meet. In the vein of Let the Right One In the series focuses on the mundane reality of the day-to-day life of an immortal, while seeking to humanize her to the degree that she seems almost as desperate and lonely as the rest of modern society."
View a clip below:
Penguin Classics On Air Radio Room
Vampires on Paper: The Enduring Appeal of Vampires in Literature
In this episode, Penguin Classics Editor, Elda Rotor interviews Twilight expert Donna Freitas about the appeal of Stephanie Meyer’s vampire series and how it compares to Emily Bronte’s enduring classic Wuthering Heights.
Elda then speaks with Dacre Stoker, a direct descendent of Bram Stoker, and Ian Holt, authors of Dracula: The Un-Dead, who explain why Dracula and other vampires are such popular characters in literature.
[Read the PVN review of Dracula: The Un-Dead]
Alan Walker introduces listeners to The Magician by W. Somerset Maugham on “Reading the Classics from A to Z.”
Stephen Morrison offers up the opening to Bram Stoker’s Dracula in his segment, “First Pages.”
Love in the time of vampires
Sunday, October 18, 2009
By Jennifer Fernandez "Witches can fall in love.
So can werewolves, vampires, genies, demons, wood nymphs and demigods. Heck, even the daughter of Death deserves a love life, right?
Let's not forget those who are psychically gifted. If they can hear someone's thoughts or commune with ghosts, they're not immune to love's call either.
"Welcome to modern romance.... Read more
On YouTube watch The Smithsonian Channel's video of The Vampire Princess - about Eleonore von Schwarzenberg
"While Dracula is the name most people associate with vampires, a graveyard in the Czech Republic has revealed that it may have been a princess, not a count, who was the inspiration for that dark tale."
See the Suite of Eleonora zu Schwarzenberg
The Vampire Film Festival runs from Oct. 23 until Oct. 26. in New Orleans, the favorite haunt of many vampires.
Vampire Hunters: Do They Exist?
October 21, 2009 by Udo Blick
From TrueBloodNet.com
"When Polidori wrote The Vampyre in 1819, he spawned two branches of vampire fiction: an aristocratic romantic hero of Gothic fiction, and the vampire as an undead monster. But if Polidori spawned the vampire, the most well known vampire was created by Bram Stoker in 1897.. Read more
From TrueBloodNet.com"When Polidori wrote The Vampyre in 1819, he spawned two branches of vampire fiction: an aristocratic romantic hero of Gothic fiction, and the vampire as an undead monster. But if Polidori spawned the vampire, the most well known vampire was created by Bram Stoker in 1897.. Read more
Oct 22, 2009
Your Favorite Vampire(s) - Great comments!
There have been some fantastic responses for the Favorite Vampire(s) contest. If you haven't read the comments you are missing out on some interesting information. The knowledge of the vampire genre within PVN's readership amazes me.
Reader Tallesin has an excellent write up about a movie completely unfamiliar to me - Isle of the Dead (1945) starring Boris Karloff. The story is based on the vorvoloka - "a vampire/werewolf hybrid that hunts for blood."
TV series with vampire heroes: Kindred the Embraced - I loved it but it only lasted 2 seasons; Buffy, the Vampire Slayer naturally makes the list with Spike and Angel getting favorite vampire mention; Dark Shadows', an early TV series had the conflicted Barnabas Collins; the short-lived Moonlight series with the alluring Mick St. John; HBO's True Blood have macho vampires Bill and Eric...
Favorite vampire book characters: (Besides those mentioned above) Cat (Catherine) and Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress books; Anna Strong the heroine of Jeanne Stein's series; Jean Claude, Anita Blake's primary vampire lover in Laurell K. Hamilton's books; reader kassilei nominated all of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters; reader Danielle87 chose Stefan (Patricia Brigg's Mercedes Thompson series) because of "his obsession with all things Scooby Doo".
Reader fandangogroovers chose Glittering Savages by Mark Burnell as her favorite vampire novel. I mention this because it is a title I had never heard of. According to Amazon it was published in 1995. I need to find a copy of this book. Reader Dirgesinger mentions the novel I, Strahd by P. N Elrod, a very dark story that shows the early Elrod's talent for telling a riveting tale. She (Elrod) is the author of the Vampire Files series. Reader Alessandra names Claudia Gray's Evernight as her favorite book series.
Naturally Bram Stoker's Dracula made the favorite novel list.
Obviously I have only skimmed the surface, and I appreciate hearing from every one of you. Don't be concerned if someone else has mentioned your favorite(s), or if you've thought of something else you want to share. Please comment away. I want to hear your thoughts.
BTW - This contest IS international!
Leave your comments at Favorite Vampire(s) contest.
Oct 20, 2009
Some Girls Bite - Vampire Book Review
by Chloe Neill
NAL, 2009
[Read chapter one]
Graduate student Merit is brutally attacked one night. The predator knocks her to the ground and proceeds to tear at her throat. Almost immediately another man approaches and the attacker runs. Merit notices that her rescuer has beautiful green eyes before losing consciousness.
Days later she discovers she had been attacked by a rogue vampire, but saved by another - Ethan Sullivan, Master Vampire of Cadogon House and the man with the unforgettable green eyes. Merit is now, against her will, one of Chicago's immortals.
Unlike other supernaturals, or sups as they are referred to, vampires have announced their existence. Roommate Mallory who loves all things paranormal is excited to be best friends with a vampire.
Unfortunately Merit's fury at being changed overwhelms her. Her life choices are now very limited. The university no longer wants her as a student. The comfortable life she lived disappeared, but worst of all she is expected to give complete allegiance, and eternal gratitude to Ethan, her maker, and one of the handsomest, most alluring man she has ever met. Merit's ultra-strong independent streak keeps her from succumbing to his seductive appeal or to be cowed by him. No one male or female has ever resisted him, until now.
Besides her BFF Mallory there is Catcher. Although not a vampire himself he is trusted by Ethan to train Merit in the art of self defense and combat. The background to the friendship between Ethan and Catcher remains a mystery perhaps to be solved in a future episode. It also turns out that Catcher is a very talented sorcerer who for some strange reason was kicked out of the Sorcerer's Guild. He discerns the hidden magical abilities in Mallory and helps her to make use of them. At the same time a romance springs up between the two.
Ethan is more of an enigma. He hides much behind a cold visage. Along with the other vampire masters he works with the human police to discover the rogue vampire who attacked Merit and who has killed other young women. And then there is Morgan, the good looking second in command at House Navarre, who has the hots for Merit. The attraction is not one sided.
At first I found it hard to like Merit. Her anger and bitterness over her transformation seemed extreme considering this change saved her life. Eventually she finds her way and accepts the responsibilities that come with her new existence. That's when I began to like and even cheer for her.
Fortunately this happens fairly early in the story, so I can truthfully say I enjoyed it and look forward to reading book 2 Friday Night Bites (A Chicagoland Vampires Novel), NAL (Oct 6, 2009)
[Read chapter one of Friday Night Bites]
Oct 18, 2009
Spine-Chilling Book Giveaway from Hachette Books
Here's another Halloween giveaway thanks to Hachette Books!
Each winner will receive a box of the following 5 books. Three names will be chosen.
As a bonus 20 Random winners will be selected by Hachette to receive a galley of Ted Dekker’s next book, THE BRIDE COLLECTOR
To enter the contest:
*Leave a comment concerning Halloween = 1 entry
*Link to a blog or a social network - each link = 1 entry
*If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response
*Contest ends Nov 8, 2009 at 11:59 Hawaii Time
[To enter you must be a US or Canadian resident. No PO Boxes please.]
Each winner will receive a box of the following 5 books. Three names will be chosen.
The Heretic's Daughter By Kathleen Kent
Sins of the Flesh By Caridad Piñeiro
When Ghosts Speak By Mary Ann Winkowski
BoneMan's Daughters By Ted Dekker
The Historian By Elizabeth Kostova
As a bonus 20 Random winners will be selected by Hachette to receive a galley of Ted Dekker’s next book, THE BRIDE COLLECTOR
To enter the contest:
*Leave a comment concerning Halloween = 1 entry
*Link to a blog or a social network - each link = 1 entry
*If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response
*Contest ends Nov 8, 2009 at 11:59 Hawaii Time
[To enter you must be a US or Canadian resident. No PO Boxes please.]
For more PVN contest info look at the right hand column under:
Contests and Events on PVN
Retribution - Vampire Book Review
by Jeanne C. Stein
Ace (August 25, 2009)
In Ann Strong's most recent adventure she must use all of her intelligence and vampire strength to save her friend, the mysterious shapeshifter Culebra. Once before he and Anna had encountered the black witch Belinda Burke. Only her death would stop her path of merciless destruction. Without telling Anna, Culebra decides to track down Belinda and confront her on his own.
He never had a chance of course, but she doesn't kill him. For Belinda it's more fun to play with him and with those around him, like Anna and David Frey, a werewolf whose deep knowledge of magic could be the witch's undoing.
Anna is also forced to deal with her former mentor Williams, a powerful, older vampire who over a short period of time has become her adversary. The hatred between the two is palpable. Still he needs her help in investigating the deaths of several young, newly turned vampires. All are found with the blood drained from their bodies.
Anna Strong is aptly named. She has not only super strength of body but also of her mind. She is continually alert to the vampire within and works to keep it in check and her humanity front and center. Thus her love of family and friends (supernatural or otherwise) is paramount. Anna's courage is unquestioned but that coupled with a strong independent streak sometimes causes her to take chances which almost end in disaster.
As in the previous four novels smartly drawn characters, a well plotted tale and page turning adventure keep the reader wanting more. Fortunately Jeannie Stein promises that Anna's story will continue in future books. I truly love this series. If I could choose a fictional character as a friend it would be Anna!
Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles:
The Becoming (The Anna Strong Chronicles, Book 1)
Blood Drive (The Anna Strong Chronicles, Book 2)
The Watcher (Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles, Book 3)
Legacy (Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles, Book 4)
Oct 16, 2009
Vampire Releases for October 2009
by Jennifer Rardin
Orbit (October 29, 2009
Jaz Parks here. But I'm not alone. I'm hearing voices in my head - and they're not mine.
The problem, or maybe the solution, is work. And the job's a stinker this time -- killing the gnomes that are threatening to topple NASA's Australian-based space complex. Yeah, I know. Vayl and I should still be able to kick this one in our sleep. Except that Hell has thrown up a demon named Kyphas to knock us off track. And damn is she indestructible!
by Maria Lima
Pocket (October 27, 2009)
Keira Kelly has come into her full powers, and they are frighteningly strong, creating a distance between her and her human friends in her beloved Rio Seco. It is time to obey her great-great-grandmother Gigi's orders and rejoin her family in northwest Canada, where Keira can learn to handle her dangerous new skills. She'll have friends with her every step of the way -- her shapeshifter brother Tucker, his beloved Niko, and, to Keira's dismay, her cousin on her mother's side, Daffyd ap Geraint, the Sidhe prince who suddenly appeared in her life and now refuses to leave -- but her vampire lover Adam has insisted on staying in Texas. And while there are certainly perks to being Family, such as a private Learjet for the flight to Canada and a fabulous penthouse condo overlooking Vancouver, there are threats looming that nobody, not even Gigi, anticipated. Keira's Sidhe inheritance from her mother is far more important than anyone ever realized, and the fate of the Family may depend upon what she does next....
by Keri Arthur
Dell (October 27, 2009)
Part vampire, part werewolf, Riley Jenson knows what can happen when vamps don’t play well with others. But she’s never seen anything like this: a series of brutal murders surrounding the latest hot spot for vampire-human hookups—and the victims aren’t just killed, they’re beheaded. Now Riley is launching into action, toying with a seductive—and highly suspicious—club owner, and finding herself in the middle of another mystery: women being killed one by one, without a trace of violence.
by Sarah McCarty
Berkley Trade (October 6, 2009)
Meet three sexy ranchers-who also happen to be vampires-in the first of a new series by the national bestselling author of Wild Instinct.
Allie always desired mysterious, sexy rancher Caleb Johnson, but he never seemed to notice her. Until the night she's attacked by a vicious animal, and rescued by a shapeshifting vampire that she almost seems to recognize: the baritone growl, the mesmerizing eyes, the inexplicable animal attraction. That's because her savior is Caleb, and now he has no choice but to bring Allie into the shadows with him-to protect her from a rival werewolf pack, and to finally reveal his true feelings for the woman he's been afraid to love.
by Susan Sizemore
Pocket Star (October 27, 2009)
Susan Sizemore presents an exciting twist on her popular Primes series. Share the thrills as you discover a hidden world where passions and fear run high, and a vampire General and an Empire princess together find illicit, unquenchable desire....
A twist of fate made Zoe Pappas heir to the Byzant throne. Bound by duty and devotion to keep the Empire safe, Zoe is captured while on a secret diplomatic mission and sent to an underground prisoner-of-war camp. In this strange, shadowy place, residents are governed by fellow inmate General Matthias "Doc" Raven, whose powerful magnetism rouses an urgent desire in Zoe. But the intensity of her attraction is matched by her surprise at discovering that Doc has a secret of his own: he is a vampire.
Zoe's presence puts everyone in the camp in danger. Doc knows it, and knows too that Zoe's royal status makes it impossible for her to bond with a vampire. The only way to save her is to help her escape, and lose her forever. But some fires are impossible to quench, even when following your heart is the ultimate taboo...
by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt
Dutton (October 13, 2009)
Dracula The Un-Dead is a bone-chilling sequel based on Bram Stoker's own handwritten notes for characters and plot threads excised from the original edition. Dracula The Un-Dead begins in 1912, twenty-five years after Dracula "crumbled into dust." Van Helsing's protégé, Dr. Jack Seward, is now a disgraced morphine addict obsessed with stamping out evil across Europe. Meanwhile, an unknowing Quincey Harker, the grown son of Jonathan and Mina, leaves law school for the London stage, only to stumble upon the troubled production of "Dracula," directed and produced by Bram Stoker himself.
The play plunges Quincey into the world of his parents' terrible secrets, but before he can confront them he experiences evil in a way he had never imagined. One by one, the band of heroes that defeated Dracula a quarter-century ago is being hunted down. Could it be that Dracula somehow survived their attack and is seeking revenge? Or is their another force at work whose relentless purpose is to destroy anything and anyone associated with Dracula?
by Meljean Brook
Berkley (October 6, 2009)
Four centuries ago, Irena and Alejandro would have succumbed to the need smoldering between them — if a demon and a monstrous bargain hadn’t shattered the possibility of love. Torn apart by shame, Irena avoided Alejandro for centuries — until a vampire’s call for help throws her into his arms again.
by Roxanne Rhoads
EternalPress.ca (October 2009)
Paranormal researcher Liz Beth’s dreams are haunted by a sensual vampire, who may or may not be real. She arrives in New Orleans the week of Halloween in search of her elusive dream lover, Quillon. She doesn’t find him, but she does encounter a handsome stranger, Christien. They begin a passionate affair, but she is torn between her dream lover and her flesh and blood lover, both of whom are a mystery to her. She fights to regain her reason, trying desperately to find the truth about Quillon while Christien holds her under his own spell.
by Mardi Ballou
Samhain Publishing (October 1, 2009)
Night life in San Francisco takes a hot, sexy turn when Fangly, My Dear hits the scene. Vampires, shifters and even ordinary folk. In Byte Marks, Dominique comes to San Francisco for a vacation and stays to open a very special dating service. Who knew her first major match would be for herself and hot vampire Antoine? A vegetarian demi-ghoul and a shifter? Fangly accomplishes the impossible when Lilith connects with pack leader Rafe in Whats a Ghoul to Do? Officer Tanith of the San Francisco police enlists the services of Fangly, My Dear to help her get over her obsession with vampires. But when shes set up with new vampire Gabe, she doesn't realize she's Playing with Matches.
by Ryan Burton (Author), Adam Gragg (Author), Matt Flyer (Illustrator), Vinnie Tartamella (Illustrator)
Bluewater Productions (October 28, 2009
Young Adult
Just in time for the theatrical release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Bluewater brings you FEMALE FORCE: Stephenie Meyer! Named USA Today's Author of the Year in 2008, the celebrity author is responsible for ushering in a new vampire-centric fan base. From her beginnings in Connecticut and Utah, to her fame and fortune as today's hottest author, witness her story being told by the most famous vampire of them all!
Chloe Neill
NAL (October 6, 2009)
The story of a young heiress's initiation into the dark society of the Chicagoland Vampires continues...
Ten months after vampires revealed their existence to the mortals of Chicago, they're enjoying a celebrity status usually reserved for the Hollywood elite. But should people learn about the Raves-mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle-the citizens will start sharpening their stakes.
So now it's up to the new vampire Merit to reconnect with her upper class family and act as liaison between humans and bloodsuckers, and keep the more unsavory aspects of the vampire lifestyle out of the media. But someone doesn't want peace between them-someone with an ancient grudge...
by Barb Hendee
Roc (October 6, 2009)
Eleisha Clevon has begun a correspondence with fellow vampire Rose de Spenser. Both reluctant predators, they venture outside only when the hunger becomes unbearable, trying not to draw attention to themselves-and feel guilty when ending human lives.
But Eleisha has learned a way to draw blood from her victims without killing them. She wants to share this knowledge with like-minded vampires and create a haven where they can exist together-and forge a united front against Julian Ashton, a vampire who has been hunting down and destroying his own kind...
Instinctive: An Eternal Pleasure Novel
by Cathryn Fox
NAL (October 6, 2009)
Free spirited Jaclyn Vasenty is about to inherit a cosmetics empire, yet her scandalous personal history may ruin her chance for a corporate take-over. Saying goodbye to her naughty ways, she moves into a quaint gated community in Serene, New Hampshire. But these gates are locked at sunset...
The town's dark sensuality rocks Jaclyn's insatiable appetite to the core-and stirs desires that are... inhuman. That's because Serene is home to demons, witches, vampires, lycans, and panthers, for whom primal exploration comes naturally. Especially for shape shifter Slyck, the cunning panther who's pushing Jaclyn to the brink of erotic possibilities and making her feel wildly...feral. As tension between species rises, Jaclyn learns she must draw on all her feminine wiles and join forces with Slyck if she wants to make it out alive.
by Sarah Jane Stratford
St. Martin's Press (October 13, 2009)
It’s 1938, and the tentacles of Hitler’s terrifying Third Reich have commenced their stranglehold on Europe. The Nazi empire will soon be clean of all bloodlines deemed tainted or undesirable…including vampires.
London’s ancient tribunal of vampires is aghast at the destruction taking place on the Continent. Though vampires try not to interfere with human politics, Hitler’s terrible plans force them into action. They resolve to send five of their most formidable vampires to Berlin— millennials that have lived over 1000 years and whose age and wisdom make them close to invulnerable— to infiltrate, disrupt, and destroy the growing Nazi war machine.
by Charlie Huston
Del Rey (October 13, 2009)
NOBODY LIVES FOREVER. NOT EVEN A VAMPYRE.
Just ask Joe Pitt. After exposing the secret source of blood for half of Manhattan’s Vampyres, he’s definitely a dead man walking. He’s been a punching bag and a bullet magnet for every Vampyre Clan in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, not to mention a private eye, an enforcer, an exile, and a vigilante, but now he’s just a target with legs.
For a year he’s sloshed around the subway tunnels and sewers, tapping the veins of the lost, while above ground a Vampyre civil war threatens to drag the Clans into the sunlight once and for all. What’s it gonna take to dig him up? Just the search for a missing girl who’s carrying a baby that just might be the destiny of Vampyre-kind. Not that Joe cares all that much about destiny and such. What he cares about is that his ex-girl Evie wants him to take the gig. What’s the risk? Another turn playing pigeon in a shooting gallery. What’s the reward? Maybe one shot of his own. What’s he aiming for? Nothing much. Just all the evil at the heart of his world.
Shadowlight: A Novel of the Kyndred
by Lynn Viehl
Onyx (October 6, 2009)
by D.L. King
Cleis Press (October 1, 2009)
Vampires have a timeless allure, mesmerizing us in every medium from books and graphic novels to movies and television shows. Immortal, eternally beautiful, strong, and sexy, these creatures take what they need, stealing the life force from those unlucky enough to cross their paths — or from those whose luck leads them to the most thrilling experience of their lives. Edited by noted erotica writer D. L. King, The Sweetest Kiss takes readers into shadowy alleys, dark bedrooms, and more mysterious spaces to experience the frisson of terror and delight that only a vampire can produce. Mostly straight, these stories also feature bi and queer vampires satisfying their lust in contemporary and period settings. These blood-drenched tales give new meaning to the term "dead sexy" and feature beautiful bloodsuckers whose desires go far beyond blood.
by P. C. Cast
St. Martin's Griffin (October 27, 2009)
So…you’d think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark’s life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break. Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang. Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions. Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings. Aphrodite’s visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal. Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn’t go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul? Find out in the next spectacular installment in the House of Night Series, Tempted.
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by Charlaine Harris
Ace (October 6, 2009)
Author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her "spunky" (Tampa Tribune) Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written-together in one volume.
Stories include 'Fairy Dust,' 'One Word Answer,' 'Dracula Night,' 'Lucky,' and 'Giftwrap.'
The Vampire Archives: The Most Complete Volume of Vampire Tales Ever Published
by Otto Penzler, Neil Gaiman, and Kim Newman
Vintage (September 29, 2009)
The Vampire Archives is the biggest, hungriest, undeadliest collection of vampire stories, as well as the most comprehensive bibliography of vampire fiction ever assembled. Dark, stormy, and delicious, once it sinks its teeth into you there’s no escape.
Vampires! Whether imagined by Bram Stoker or Anne Rice, they are part of the human lexicon and as old as blood itself. They are your neighbors, your friends, and they are always lurking. Now Otto Penzler—editor of the bestselling Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps—has compiled the darkest, the scariest, and by far the most evil collection of vampire stories ever. With over eighty stories, including the works of Stephen King and D. H. Lawrence, alongside Lord Byron and Tanith Lee, not to mention Edgar Allan Poe and Harlan Ellison, The Vampire Archives will drive a stake through the heart of any other collection out there.
Other contributors include: Arthur Conan Doyle • Ray Bradbury • Ambrose Bierce • H. P. Lovecraft • Harlan Ellison • Roger Zelazny • Robert Bloch • Clive Barker
Vampire Apacolypse: Fallout
by Derek Gunn
Black Death Books, October 2009
FALLOUT is the third book in Derek Gunn's Vampire Apocalypse series. The Vampires rule. Humanity are enslaved in a nightmare world where those who are still alive are bred as food for the vampires and the entertainment for the vicious thralls who guard them.
by Mary Y. Hallab
Mary Y. Hallab (Author)
State University of New York Press (October 8, 2009)
Examines the enormous popular appeal of vampires from early Greek and Slavic folklore to present-day popular culture.
by Vlad Mezrich
Scholastic Paperbacks (October 1, 2009)
Young Adult
Are you in love with a vampire? Are you worried that you might not be his (blood) type? Do you wonder whether that cold stare means he isn’t interested . . . or if it’s because he’s been dead for three centuries (nothing personal)? Have you tried to coax him out of his crypt with a flash of your neck or a near-death situation that requires him to save you at the very last possible moment? Have you ever considered what it will be like to introduce him to your mother?
Even though your vampire’s skin is transfixingly translucent, he can still be very hard to read. Sometimes he’s simply holding back his true feelings, resisting the urge to bite you in the chance that one day you will truly love him. And other times . . . well, he’s just not that into you.
How can you tell? Undead dating specialist Vlad Mezrich has all the answers, utilizing quizzes, Top Ten lists, language analysis, real-life (and real-death) testimonials, and fancy charts to show you what you need to do in order to get your vampire and keep him forever. Once you go vamp, you never decamp – so let this eternally rewarding book show you the way to the vampire of your dreams.
Edited by Martin H. Greenberg, and Robert Eighteen-Bisang
Skyhorse Publishing (October 1, 2009)
The first collection of vampire stories from the creator of Sherlock Holmes! Who would suspect that the same mind that created the most famous literary detective of all time also took on the eternally popular genre of vampires? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a contemporary of Bram Stoker, gave us some fascinating works of vampire fiction. From the bloodsucking plant in 'The American’s Tale' to the bloodsucking wife in “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire,” he reveled in the horror created by creatures who survived on the blood of men and women.
Edited by Cecilia Tan
Alyson Books (October 1, 2009)
Erotic fiction expert Cecilia Tan captures the timeless allure of lesbian vampires, who seduce their way through these twenty stories.
Missed September 2009 Releases
by Gregory Holden
Orion's Belt Press (September 8, 2009)
She was born human, became a leper, and while a mining slave of the Roman Empire she touched a strange stone that transformed her into the world's first vampire. That was over nineteen hundred years ago and the American government is tracking her.
Here is the story of an administration during its eighth and final year in office looking for a way to salvage its legacy by finding and killing the world's most wanted terrorist. For seven years America has failed to accomplish this mission and now, desperate and beset by scandal, the government hatches a covert plan to capture, and then coerce, the world's first vampire into locating and killing the Sheikh.
The government's lead researcher, a competent molecular biologist, begins to uncover the secrets of this remarkable and deadly creature. But as his research moves forward he discovers that instead of finding a remorseless killer driven to feed on humankind, the female vampire is a being who desires companionship and love.
It is when they are sent to the Pashtun Belt on the mission to find and assassinate the Sheikh that the researcher and the vampire, facing death, make the ultimate sacrifice for each other.
by Christine Feehan
Berkley (September 1, 2009)
Ivory-a rare Carpathian female-has been protected by her brothers for most of her life. But once she frees the mage Razvan from his prison cave, they must flee together, enemies of Carpathian hunters as well as vampires. Ivory senses that Razvan is more than he appears to be, and she vows to go against the entire Carpathian race to help him, risking both their lives in order to save their love.
by R. H. Greene
iUniverse.com (September 4, 2009)
Bram Stoker's most terrifying creation tells his own story in Incarnadine: The True Memoirs of Count Dracula. Author R. H. Greene vividly reimagines the harrowing and sensual Dracula mythos as a first person memoir written by Dracula himself. In this first of two volumes, the Medieval origins of Dracula and his three brides are chronicled using elements drawn from Slavic and pre-Christian religious traditions. Horror, wonder, violence and romance combine to reinvent one of literature's most fascinating characters for the modern era. Equally a historical adventure and a rumination on mortality and religion, Incarnadine offers a vibrant, picaresque view of the broad social tapestry of Eastern Europe in the late Middle Ages. The novel concludes with the first meeting between Dracula and Stoker protagonist Jonathan Harker, setting the stage for a lively reinvention of Stoker's Victorian classic in Memoirs, Volume Two
by Joe Garden, Janet Ginsburg, Chris Pauls, Anita Serwacki, Scott Sherman
Villard (September 8, 2009)
Being turned into a vampire is the easy part.
Actually becoming a vampire is far more difficult.
In today’s world of vampire-obsessed pop culture, misinformation abounds. A newly turned vampire who looks to movies and novels for answers to everlasting life’s questions will inevitably be reduced to a smoldering pile of dust. So whom can you, a neophyte immortal, trust to provide reliable information and proven strategies for leading your best and bloodiest existence? The Vampire Miles Proctor, editor of The New Vampire’s Handbook. In this definitive guide, the newly turned will find
• a head-to-toe look at your vampiric body: how to harness your new powers to dispatch mortal enemies, maintain your fangs, and embrace your vampirosexuality
• methods for luring prey, faking your way through meals, approaching other vampires, and creating a four-hundred-year financial plan
• tips on acting your “age,” behaving appropriately if you see a human you knew decades ago, and dealing with epic vampire feuds
• essential advice for blending in with the masses, from finding a coven to avoiding the media (and mirrors) to staying on top of the latest fashion trends
• the joy of scrapbooking
Under the Blood Red Moon
by Mina Hepsen
Avon A (September 30, 2008)
Cursed with the ability to hear the thoughts of others, beautiful Angelica Shelton Belanov feels most comfortable when hidden away in the library of her father's English country estate. Now family duty requires that she make an appearance at a glittering gala, mingling with the cream of London society in hopes of finding a suitable husband. Assailed by the unwanted “chatter” of many minds, Angelica finds relief in the company of a handsome aristocratic stranger who remains, refreshingly, an enigma.
But Prince Alexander is not like other men. The powerful leader of an Eastern clan of immortals, he has come to London to hunt down a rogue vampire who threatens the survival of his dwindling kind. Angelica can sense that Alexander is dangerous, a mystery to be unraveled at her own peril. Yet desire sears them both—she, the bewitching telepath, and he, the fearless leader who must learn to trust his heart. And unrestrained passion has strict demands that could cost them both their lives...and their souls.
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I originally published this list on Vampchix. Blog owner (of Vampchix) Michele Hauf asked me to put together new vampire titles for each month. Authors and readers if you have of know of a new title coming out please contact me - patriciaaltner(at)gmail(dot)com
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