Aug 30, 2010

Larissa Ione Blog Tour and Giveaway

Sin Undone (Demonica, Book 5)
by Larissa Ione
Grand Central Publishing (August 24, 2010)

[see contest details at end of post. there will be 5 winners] This contest has ended.

As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she'll die before she'll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin's innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she's no stranger: He's bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld's most wanted and Con soon learns he's the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

About Larissa Ione

"Many writers will tell you they began writing stories the moment they learned to wield a pencil. I’m no exception. But even as a child, I didn’t write “kid” stories. I preferred something more dramatic. Something that didn’t include Dick, Jane, and a dog named Spot. I wanted my dogs to have names like White Fang or Cujo. I’ll always have my parents to thank for that. They never censored my reading material (though I suspect that if they had truly known what was between the covers of some of the books, they’d have been a little more careful,) so when other girls my age were reading Laura Ingalls Wilder and Judy Blume, I was immersing myself in Stephen King and Jack London...." 

For more biographical information go to Larissa's home page.

Five Fun Facts about Sin Undone

1. Snow is prominent in Sin Undone, and it’s no coincidence that I love snow. The freak snowstorm that takes place in a few scenes is based on my military time spent in Montana, where I experienced a freak snowstorm on the 4th of July, just two days after 70 degree temperatures.

2. In another snow scene, skiing is the focus… one of my favorite pastimes.

3. Though Sin and her brother, Lore, are both half-breeds who have no personal symbol on their throats the way their purebred brothers do, Sin does have a tattoo on the back of her neck. And yes, she put it there for a reason…

4. The “gun safe escape scene” comes right out of the book of my life. I actually knew — okay, went on one date with — a guy who had done the same thing Con did. Never know when you need to make a quick escape, apparently…

5. Sin Undone sets up the spinoff series coming in March, introducing both the villain and the hero of the first book, Eternal Rider. I had a lot of fun taking Sin, who Eidolon has referred to as basically “chaos on legs,” and making sure the word “chaos” applies to her in every way. Seeing how she sets of a series of events that could lead to the end of the world, I think Eidolon had it right!

CONTEST

This contest has ended. 


*As part of Larissa's Blog Tour five lucky readers will win a copy of Sin Undone

*To enter the contest answer this question: Would you rather be a vampire, a werewolf, a demon, a combination, or none of the above? Pick ONLY ONE!

*This gives you one chance.

*No need to do anything else!

*Contest is limited to US and Canadian residents only. No P. O. Boxes.

*Winners will be contacted via email.

*Contest ends Sept. 10, 2010

Aug 27, 2010

The Shadow Saga by Christopher Golden

One of the fun activities of writing Vampire Readings (published more than a decade ago) was discovering new authors - at least new for me. Christopher Golden was one of those.

He wrote four books - The Shadow Saga series -  in what would in today's world might fall into the urban fantasy category, depending on your definition of said genre. However you categorize them, these are well written, riveting, adventurous vampire tales. The original four are being republished by Ace. The first book Of Saints and Shadows came out in July of this year.

A new adventure, Waking Nightmares, will appear in April of 2011.


Here's the publishing schedule:
July 27th, 2010  Of Saints and Shadows
October 2010 ANGEL SOULS AND DEVIL HEARTS
December 2010 OF MASQUES AND MARTYRS
February 2011 THE GATHERING DARK
April 2011 WAKING NIGHTMARES



From Vampire Readings: Of Saints and Shadows. Within the Vatican is a book called The Gospel of the Shadows. It holds secrets about a group most believe does not exist - vampires. When this book disappears Liam Mulkerrin, a priest and magician with a penchant for murder, sets out to retrieve it. Also in pursuit is Peter Octavian. He is a vampire, but an unusual one in that he does not kill. Peter eventually discovers many of the secrets about his race that are written in the Gospel. He also learns that the Church plans to annihilate all vampires in one bloody conflagration. [originally published June 1994]

From Vampire Readings: ANGEL SOULS AND DEVIL HEARTS. The sequel to Of Saints and Shadows takes place five years later. Vampires, who prefer the term Shadows, know a freedom unheard of in the history of their existence. They become part of the human world and abide by its laws. But this peaceful coexistence is threatened. First, there are the vampires who despise this accommodation. In their view, vampires should be feared. They should prey on humans. Then there is Liam Mulkerrin, whose magic powers have increased. He plans to use these powers in his insane dream to reshape the world. [originally published July 1995]




From the author's page:  OF MASQUES AND MARTYRS  Led by Peter Octavian, the Shadows must drink blood. Yet they do not steal life. New Shadows are created only by individual choice. Peace is their only hunger. The minions of Hannibal have a different goal: the enslavement of humanity. They kill for pleasure and for thirst. They indescriminately create more of their own. And they embrace the title of terrible legend: vampire. Shadows and vampires. One and the same. Their war continues...
[originally published December 1998]


From the author's page: THE GATHERING DARK
Once upon a time, the world believed that demons and supernatural creatures were figments of imagination. Then The Gospel of Shadows was destroyed -- the one magical weapon capable of keeping the monsters at bay. Now, the barriers between the human world and paranormal realms are being torn asunder, as beings born of nightmares swarm across the globe. And humanity's only hope lies in Peter Octavian -- a powerful mage who's held in suspicion for once being mankind's worst enemy.  [Originally published June 2003]
(On the left is the original cover. The new one has not yet been released.)





From the author's page: Waking Nightmares.
When chaos erupts in the small coastal town of Hawthorne, Massachusetts, former vampire-turned-mage Peter Octavian and earthwitch Keomany Shaw arrive to investigate. 

Years ago, Octavian helped expose the secret existence of vampires to the world, dismantling the Vatican's sorcery corps in order to save his fellow shadows from destruction.  But without the Vatican sorcerers, the magical barriers they spent centuries constructing to keep the forces of darkness out of our world are beginning to fail, and things are slipping through. 

Now an ancient god of chaos is awakening in Hawthorne, its influence spreading...and it's Octavian's fault.  If he can't stop it, the blood of all human kind will be on his hands.
[no cover yet available]

For more information go to http://www.christophergolden.com/shadowsaga.html

[Thanks to Vampire Wire for first bringing this information to my attention.]

Aug 24, 2010

Author Barbara Monajem - Guest Blog and Contest


A big welcome back to Barbara Monajem who today celebrates the release of her paranormal/vampire novel Tastes of Love and Evil, Dorchester Publishing Co. (August 24, 2010). This is the second book in the Bayou Gavotte Series.  

Thank you, Barbara for sharing this special day with the readers of Patricia's Vampire Notes!

[Read a review of Book one Sunrise in a Garden of Love and Evil.  See contest details at the end of the post.]

THE RUNAWAY PARANORMAL

When I started writing vampire paranormals, I thought it would be fun to write a story that was close to real life – just beyond the boundaries of possibility.  I picked the aspects of vampire lore that worked for my purposes and ignored the rest.  So, my vampires aren’t undead. They’re fine with garlic, crosses, and sunlight. They ‘re born with a vampire gene, grow fangs at puberty, develop a taste for blood, become sexually irresistible, and have enhanced senses. Not too far from ordinary reality, I figured. In my first paranormal romance, Sunrise in a Garden of Love and Evil, the heroine is a vampire. Sure, the cop who falls in love with her has some good instincts, but that’s nothing we don’t see in real life.

Then I started writing the second book, Tastes of Love and Evil, which has just been released.  Rose, the heroine, is another vampire. Which was fine, but suddenly in walked Jack, the hero, and…turns out he’s a human chameleon. He can literally fade into the background.  He’s a paranormal version of the kind of guy who can make himself largely unnoticed, and he uses that ability to save abused women.  Let’s face it – disappearing is a little farther from reality than having fangs, but he was such a cool character that I couldn’t say no.

Fast forward to book three, which I’m working on now. Constantine, the main character, is a far cry from a regular guy.  He slipped into my almost-normal world as a secondary character in book one. Secondary characters are sneaky. They rise out of the writer’s subconscious ready-made, apparently to fill a role in a story, but really, they’re just trying to muscle in and take over. Constantine can send dreams – and nightmares. He can plant thoughts in people’s minds. He can make them see what he wants them to see.  And that’s not all. As I write the story, I learn more and more about his paranormal abilities. Believe me, I didn’t plan this one. Give the paranormal an inch and… wheeeee, you’re on a roller coaster ride far, far away from the world as we know it. So much for keeping things almost real!



Here’s an excerpt from Tastes of Love and Evil.  Jack has just been shot by some bad guys, and although Rose doesn’t know him (she thinks of him as just some random man), she’s given him her hotel room key so he can take refuge. But the bad guys are posing as feds, and they’re searching the hotel.

    The room was empty.

    No, it just appeared to be. “I told you there was no one here.” Her nostrils quivering, every sense alert, Rose scanned the bed, the curtains, the embroidered mantle draped on a chair, the Elizabethan gown on the luggage cart. “Now get out of my room!”

    The gunman ignored her, ducking in and out of the bathroom, glancing into the closet, going efficiently through every hiding place. Warmer, cried Rose’s senses, warmer, warmer, damn, oh God please no, as he shoved past the luggage cart to the window, and then as he returned, colder, warmer, colder, where the hell is the man? One-handed, the fake fed lifted the mattress and box spring, but no one was concealed underneath.

    Sirens cried in the distance, and a second later the gunman’s phone squawked a warning. He left without looking back.

    Rose retrieved her breakfast, double-locked the door, and scanned the room. Aha. She’d seen this phenomenon once before. She knew Random Man was in the room, somewhere near the window. “They’ve gone,” she said softly. “You can come out now. You need to have that wound tended.”

    Nothing. Where was he?

    “I brought coffee and doughnuts.” She put the food on the table. “I’d be happy to share, once we’ve patched you up.” Pause. “I know you’re here. I can hear you breathing.”

    Nothing.

      “I can smell you,” Rose said, her voice rising, tendrils of allure escaping. You and your blood. “I’m here to help, you fool!”

       Still nothing. Or maybe…a faint shimmer, like heat rising in summer air, over on the luggage cart, right by the Elizabethan gown. Damn it, thought Rose. If he stains that costume…  Anger coupled with the aroma of blood overwhelmed her senses, and her fangs slotted down. Purposely this time, she directed her allure toward the luggage cart. Another shimmer, instantly controlled, and then absolute stillness.
No more pussyfooting around. She smiled and sent a wave of allure crashing across the room. Random Man resolved into view, gold and tan and brown blending with the dress, then gradually reacquiring his own muted shape and colors, blue denims and Saints jacket, nondescript but definitely all there.

“God help me,” Random Man said. “Not another vamp.”


CONTEST

If you were going to write a paranormal romance (or if you do write them), what abilities would you like your characters to have?

What kind of paranormal characters are most fun to read about?

Why do you suppose it’s so hard to keep paranormal characters close to real life?

Answer only one of Barbara's for a chance to win a signed copy of Sunrise in a Garden of Love and Evil.

Be sure I have access to your email address.


Contest ends August 31, 2010. Contest is open worldwide!

This Contest is closed. The winner is Debbie. Congratulations! 
And a big thank you to all who participated!

Aug 22, 2010

This Week on Patricia's Vampire Notes August 22, 2010


You are in for a treat this Tuesday August 24 when PVN is visited by Barbara Monajem, author of engaging paranormal novels filled with humor, romance, and (best of all) vampires.  Tuesday is also the release day of her newest book Tastes of Love and Evil Dorchester (August 24, 2010), the second novel set in the funky Louisiana town of Bayou Gavotte.  Barbara is also offering one lucky reader a signed copy of Sunrise in a Garden of Love and Evil  Read a review.






The contest for a copy of Dracula In Love by Karen Essex has ended and the winner is
Pam S.

Congratulations! Please send your mailing address information to paltner@verizon.net.

Vampire & Paranormal Books of Interest

The following are books recently sent by publishers or purchased by me.

Twelve
by Jasper Kent
Pyr (September 7, 2010)

From the publisher:  The voordalak--creature of legend, the tales of which have terrified Russian children for generations. But for Captain Aleksei Ivanovich Danilov--a child of more enlightened times--it is a legend that has long been forgotten. Besides, in the autumn of 1812, he faces a more tangible enemy: the Grande Armee of Napoleon Bonaparte....





The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1)
by Clay and Susan Griffith
Pyr (November 2, 2010)

From the publisher: In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. Millions of humans were killed outright. Millions more died of disease and famine due to the havoc that followed. Within two years, once great cities were shrouded by the grey empire of the vampire clans. Human refugees fled south to the tropics because vampires could not tolerate the constant heat there. They brought technology and a feverish drive to reestablish their shattered societies of steam and iron amid the mosques of Alexandria, the torrid quietude of Panama, or the green temples of Malaya....





The Radleys
by Matt Haig
Free Press, Dec. 28, 2010

From the publisher:  A family satire about midlife crisis, addiction, sexual desire and teenage angst enacted among a 21st-century nuclear family of vampires.









There's Something Under the Bed
by Ursula Bielski
New Page Books, August 5, 2010

From the publisher:  Why do infants and toddlers seem to have a heightened awareness of the paranormal--and an often marked ability to interact with the unknown? And why do these qualities and abilities seem to mysteriously disappear during adolescence?

There's Something Under the Bed! explores the often complex relationships between children and the paranormal, and focuses special attention on the sometimes startling realities behind children's "imaginations."....




Bring on the Night
by Jeri Smith-Ready
Pocket (July 27, 2010)

From the publisher:  Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock ’n’ Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor’s degree!

But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps? Ciara’s suspicions are confirmed when she’s assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control’s oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers.

To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious fatal virus spreads through Sherwood—and corpses begin to rise from their graves—Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic.


Kiss of the Rose (The Tudor Vampire Chronicles)
by Kate Pearce
Signet, August, 2010

From the publisher: First in a sexy new series that takes a bite out of the court of King Henry VIII

Desperate to defeat King Richard III and gain the crown, Henry Tudor made a pact with the Druids binding him and his heirs to the Druids' struggle against vampires. Ever since, the Llewellyns, a vampire- slaying family, have been in the king's employ. Now Henry VIII reigns, and his father's bargain has been almost forgotten-until bloodless corpses turn up in the king's bedchamber. To save the king, Vampire hunter Rosalind Llewellyn must form an uneasy alliance with Druid slayer Sir Christopher Ellis. But soon, Rosalind must face an unthinkable truth: that her sworn enemy may be her soulmate...


Three Days to Dead
by Kellly Meding
Dell (November 24, 2009)


From the publisher: They’ll never see her coming. . . .

When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue—in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there—her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city’s star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor—and she can’t even remember what it was.

Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice—and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again—but this time there’s no second chance. . . .


Blue Bloods: Keys to the Repository
by Melissa De La Cruz
Hyperion Book CH; 1 edition (June 29, 2010)

From the publisher: Lavish parties. Passionate meetings in the night. Bone-chilling murders. Midterms. The day-to-day life of Schuyler Van Alen and her Blue Bloods friends (and enemies) is never boring. But there's oh-so-much more to know about these beautiful and powerful teens. Below the streets of Manhattan, within the walls of the Repository, exists a wealth of revealing information about the vampire elite that dates back before the Mayflower. In a series of short stories, journal entries, and never-before-seen letters, New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz gives her hungry fans the keys to the Repository and an even more in-depth look into the secret world of the Blue Bloods.

Aug 13, 2010

Karen Essex - Interview and Contest

Today is a special treat for PVN readers. Bestselling author Karen Essex is here to talk about her wonderful new book Dracula In Love (Doubleday, August 10, 2010), a story told by Mina Harker about the centuries old romance she has shared with a remarkable man, and the hard choices she has had to make over the years. Karen is also the author of the National Bestseller Leonardo's Swans.

Look for contest details at the end of the post.


Hi Karen and welcome!

What led you to the idea of writing a novel centered on Mina and Dracula?

Ideas for novels are mysterious things having many threads that coalesce.  I have always loved Bram Stoker’s Dracula, mythology, vampires, and interesting female characters, especially those who have been misrepresented in the historical record. I am also intrigued by iconic literary characters like Mina Harker, characters who I believe were “underrepresented” because they were written through the lens of the period in which they were created, and without the benefit of a female perspective.

I believe that characters like Mina are as real, if not more real, in the popular imagination as actual historical figures, and that they, too, merit reexamination.  Stoker’s portrayals of Mina and Lucy Westenra, the “shadow” side of female sexuality, so perfectly fit the paradigm of good girl versus bad girl imposed on women, a paradigm that drives me nuts.  I couldn’t resist getting in there and trying to turn it on its head. 

How long have you had the idea to write Dracula in Love?

This idea came to me in September of 2006.  One day I was sitting in my office staring into space and I thought, hmm, what if I wrote the Dracula tale from Mina’s perspective?  It happened just like that.  I have absolutely no explanation for where the idea came from, but from the second it entered my mind, I knew I would write the book.

Is this your first foray into paranormal fiction? What attracts you to this genre?

All my books are loaded with mythology, and I have long wanted to write a story with supernatural elements, especially something about vampires.  But when you are born and raised in New Orleans and adore Anne Rice’s books, and in fact, know Anne Rice and once adapted one of her books into a screenplay (The Mummy for James Cameron), it’s a tad intimidating to venture into her turf!  I had to wait for the right idea. 

I am also interested in metaphysics.  I think the most interesting dialogue of our time centers around the theories of quantum physics, which I believe will eventually close the gap between physics and metaphysics.  Remember the old Sting lyric, “We are spirits in a material world?”  That sums it up. I always wear crosses, not to protect myself from vampires, but to remind myself to live at the intersection between heaven and earth.  My spiritual life is very important to me.

What is your view on reincarnation?

I believe in the immortality of the soul; that consciousness is eternal.  I believe in some form of reincarnation, but it is probably not as simple as we imagine.  I often hear people say things like, “Oh, I was Julius Caesar in a previous lifetime, and this other person was my stable boy, and that’s why he’s intimidated by me.”  I find that kind of thinking very simplistic, but I also do not see why we cannot project or focus our infinite consciousness into many different physical beings throughout the flow of time (which we all know is just an illusion anyway).

What research did you do for the Victorian background of this book?

Well, I moved to London and got a flat in a neighborhood that was developed in 1890, the year the book takes place.  How’s that for commitment?  I wanted to breathe in the atmosphere as I wrote. I thought that this kind of sensual vivid book demanded it.  I made my usual substantive study of the era, reading as many documents as possible from the period and studying the art, culture, design, sexual and social mores, religious beliefs, customs, and laws concerning the rights, or lack thereof, of women.  Victorian culture is very complex; it’s lush and extravagant, and restrained and contained, all at once. 

I almost never, ever, if I can help it, write about a place I haven’t been to, which is why I am happy that I wrote the book here in London, where much of the late Victorian period can still be seen.  I also traveled to southern Austria, which was Bram Stoker’s original choice for Dracula’s home before he settled on Transylvania.  I also went to Whitby where so much of the original was set, and to the west coast of Ireland, the birthplace of Stoker’s mother.  Strangely, I had set Sligo as Mina’s birthplace before I learned that Stoker’s mother was born there, and that he grew up hearing tales of ghost stories and Irish folklore. 

But for my taste, the most harrowing locations in my book are the treatment rooms of Victorian insane asylums.  I did a lot of research in the archives of these places, and I can assure the reader that my portrayal of those institutions are quite accurate. As far as I’m concerned, that’s where the real horror in the book takes place.

Kate Reed is such a terrific character. Please describe her to PVN readers, and tell why you decided to use her in this novel.

Ah, another bizarre coincidence!  I decided to create a character I named Julia Reed to be Mina’s old school chum, when I read in Stoker’s notes that he had toyed with including a character named Kate Reed who would be Mina’s friend.  I could not resist using the name, though we have no idea what Stoker might have done with “his” Kate.

My Kate is a lady journalist who is a foil to Mina.  Kate is an outspoken feminist, reflecting the dramatic changes that women were pushing for at that time.  She pokes and prods Mina to think beyond the social norms.  Readers are responding very strongly to Kate.  I think that she is a woman of her time but also someone modern readers can relate to.  Without women like Kate Reed, we would not be nearly as advanced in our present day thinking.  All that we take for granted now was earned with a heavy price by those types of women.

What is your writing day like? Where do you work? How do you write?

I ascribe to the “obsessive compulsive” style of delivering a book, which means that when I get into it, I almost don’t let it go until it’s done.  I know people who write a daily quota and then stop.  I cannot do that.  I wring it all out, and when there is no more, I quit.  Sometimes.  I don’t recommend this system, but it works for me.

Whether in Los Angeles or London, I write at home.  I like to get out of my environment and even find it stimulating, but unfortunately, in cafes and public places, people do talk to you, no matter how focused and busy you look.  So I get rather reclusive when I need to work.  It’s can be a lonely business if one is not careful.  On the other hand, some of the best and deepest conversations I have are with myself.  What that says about me, I’m not sure, but it’s the truth.


Karen, I believe this entire interview tells all of us what a very special person you are. Thank you for taking time to be here


CONTEST

One lucky reader will win a copy of Dracula In Love.

*To enter the contest simply ask Karen one question OR leave one pertinent comment - one chance


You may also:

"Like" Dracula in Love on Facebook  

*Link to this contest on any of the social network sites, including Twitter, or your own web page. Let me know the url:  One chance for each link.

*If you are a Google follower (see sidebar on right): One chance

*If you are a member of the PVN Facebook page: One chance

*If you are an email subscriber: One chance


Contest is open WORLWIDE! Contest ends August 20, 2010.



Aug 10, 2010

Unholy Ghost - Paranormal Book Review

Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, Book 1)
by Stacia Kane
Del Rey; Original edition (May 25, 2010)


Unholy Ghosts is a dark, mesmerizing tale with a heroine, Chess Putnam, who has always felt different and alone. She stumbles through life and gets through the hours with a wide assortment of drugs. Her only true haven, the one place she feels safe, is at the Church of Real Truth. This is an organization that preaches "there is no god". The Church runs the country since the horrific time when the dead rose and walked the earth destroying the living in their wake.

After a blistering upbringing in a series of foster homes, each one more horrible than the last, the Church took an interest in her because she had the valuable gift of magic. She was shown how to enhance her powers and began working for the Church as a Debunker.

A true haunting is rare anymore now that the church is in control, but there are often people willing to run a a con hoping they can make the Church pay them money. That's where Debunkers like Chess come in. She can feel the power when a ghost is involved and knows how to use her magic to exorcise it. She can also easily spot a hoax.

Chess does her job reasonably well. The pay isn't great but it keeps her supplied with drugs. Too bad her dealer decides to quadruple the amount she owes him and informs her that the only way she can pay off her debt is by doing a dangerous job for him - get rid of whatever is haunting the small airport just outside of town. He needs it for his business.

Terrible, yes, that's his name, is a big, muscular guy with a sacred face and broken nose. He is designated as her body guard. Chess doesn't care much for him but overtime she changes her mind. He is fearless in guarding her even in the face of strong, spine-chilling black magic.

It took me several pages to get into this story, but at some point in the second chapter I became hooked. Chess may not be a character to admire, but she has a deep vulnerability that makes you care what happens to her. The character of Terrible as well as Lex, another fearsome man in her, life are just as vividly depicted. The action sequences, and the plot, are so well done I scribbled in my notes, "at times I feel like I'm watching a 3-D Cinemax movie. I was completely captivated."

Lots of darkness pervades this story yet their are rays of something like hope for Chess and the others. Life may actually be worth living. I can't think of enough great things to say about Unholy Ghosts. It is Urban Fantasy with a difference.

Sequels:

Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts, Book 2)
Del Rey (July 6, 2010)

City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, Book 3)
Del Rey (July 27, 2010)