Oct 31, 2011

Halloween Dracula

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!












Graphic found at Westside Update 

The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman's Newbery Award winner The Graveyard Book (HarperCollins, September, 2008) is my choice for best Halloween reading. Actually it's a great book any time of year. Magical, lyrical, uplifting - there are not enough superaltives to describe what is catagorized as a children's story. I left my childhood eons ago and still found it mesmerizing from the first word. What makes The Graveyard Book even more special is the presence of a wise, and caring vampire.

Synopsis: Neil Gaiman tells the unforgettable story of Nobody Owens, a living, breathing boy whose home is a graveyard, raised by a guardian who belongs neither to the mortal world nor the realm of the dead. Among the mausoleums and headstones of his home, Bod experiences things most mortals can barely imagine. But real, flesh-and-blood danger waits just outside the cemetery walls: the man who murdered the infant Bod’s family will not rest until he finds Nobody Owens and finishes the job he began many years ago.

Destined by PC and Kristen Cast - Book Announcement

Destined: House of Night
by PC and Kristen Cast
St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (October 25, 2011)
Book 9 in the series

Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet – which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow…

But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans, including Lenobia’s handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability. And then there’s the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous teen boy who is actually more – or possibly less – than human. Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon. But Zoey can sense the part of his soul that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. And there’s something strangely familiar about him… 

Will Neferet’s true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox’s humanity in time to protect him – and everyone – from his own fate? Find out what’s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.




Dracula In Love Contest


Today is the last day to enter the contest for a copy of Dracula In Love by Karen Essex.

Go HERE and leave a comment.

Good luck!
Honestly, I am not a shill for Not Quite Nigella website, but owner Lorraine Elliot knows food, photography, recipes, and best of all how to throw a great Halloween Party.


Follow this URL for terrific ideas for your own get-together.

Oct 30, 2011

October New Vampire Releases

The spooky month of October brings plenty of treats for readers. Check out the following vampire extravaganza!

Better Off Undead: The Bloodhound Files
DD Barant
St. Martin's Paperbacks; First Edition edition (October 4, 2011)

Dark magic, unknown enemies, monsters of every stripe—FBI profiler Jace Valchek has seen it all. In this bizarre parallel universe, shape-shifting werewolves and blood-thirsty vampires don’t even warrant a raised eyebrow. That is, until Jace has to face what life might look like as one of them …

It starts off as just another run-of-the-mill assignment: to track down the rogue don of a mafia werewolf family before he upsets the delicate balance of the underworld. But Jace wasn’t counting on being bitten…and soon she’s fighting the growing wolf inside her with a startling antidote—vampirism. Stopping a bloody gangland war won’t be easy when Jace is feeling some new, and very inhuman, desires …

The Bite Before Christmas
Lynsay Sands, Jeaniene Frost
William Morrow (October 25, 2011)

In Lynsay Sands' "The Gift," Katricia Argeneau knows grey-eyed cop Teddy Brunswick is her life mate. She just needs to convince him they belong together, and being snowbound in a secluded cabin will make this a Christmas neither will forget.

It's "Home for the Holidays" in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Cat and Bones may long to wrap presents and set up a tree, but this Christmas, an evil vampire and long-buried family secrets will threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer.



Blood Drive: A Vampire Otherkin Novel
Traci Houston (Author)
Writers Of The Round Table Press (October 16, 2011)

When a group of vampires rises from the dark of the humid Miami summer and murders her partner, officer Cara Evens gathers a group of allies with their own unique abilities to avenge her partner's death and save the city. To succeed she'll have to accept her own changing abilities, ignore her lust for a vampire and hide the one thing her enemies need to kill them all.





Blood Drunk: Faded Blue (Volume 1)
Angela Lovell
CreateSpace (October 11, 2011)

With summer waning quickly before the start of his senior year, a family emergency forces Blue Knightly to leave his small Midwest town and travel to New York City to locate his rebellious sister. From the morgue to Central Park to the underbelly of New York, he quickly discovers the big city is the least of his concerns as he reluctantly takes sides within a warring faction of vampires to unravel the mystery of his sister’s disappearance. In their underground world of abandoned subway tunnels, Blue finds himself falling for a femme fatale vampire whose vibe is seldom clear. Not knowing who to trust, Blue finds himself battling not only the undead, but his own heart, as the family crisis escalates and every decision could be his last.


Blood Eternal: An Awakened by Blood Novel
Marie Treanor
Signet (October 4, 2011)

Despite the growing passion that unites them, all is not well between Elizabeth and Saloman. She refuses to follow him as he builds his influence among the human population and consolidates his rule over the vampire world. A shocking revolt is just the latest crisis that's call him away. 

But under Saloman's regime, vampires have become less concerned with secrecy. And after he joins forces with vampire hunters, Elizabeth begins to understand the inevitable collision of the two worlds. She could be a conduit between humanity and the undead-if she can manage to play both sides and stay alive...



Blood Rights (House of Comarré)
Kristen Painter
Orbit; 1 edition (October 1, 2011)

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle's body bears the telltale marks of a comarré -- a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world...and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.



Bound By Blood
Amanda Ashley
Zebra; Original edition (October 4, 2011

Zack Ravenscroft loves women - all women - and they love him. The irresistibly seductive owner of the hottest casino in Nevada, Zack has tasted every wicked pleasure Sin City can offer. But never in his 600 years as a vampire has he seen a morsel as delectable as Kaitlyn Sherrad, the mysterious young newcomer in town. Zack knows nothing about her - except that he craves her. Kaitlyn is half vampire, half human - and all woman. As the cherished daughter of the Carpathian Coven's master, she has been given every luxury a girl could desire. Now her only need is for a prince. But though she's ready to gamble her heart on Zack, a powerful enemy stalks their every move...watches their every kiss...and waits to destroy their undying love.


Chrysalis: The Awakening
M. L. Lacy
Knight Romance Publishing (October 7, 2011)

All families have secrets. At 32, Bree Campbell discovers her entire life has been a secret. A mortal born into a family of Magicals, she begins questioning everything and everyone around her. The prophecy told at her birth speaks of a Chosen One; the last and greatest of a long line of Chosen Ones charged with saving both the Mortal and Magical worlds. Bree must face this reality and life with her new family; a clan of vampires protecting her. The sorceress, Esmeralda, will stop at nothing until this Chosen One is dead. None could then oppose her and she would be free to rid the world of all mortals. Will Bree awaken the hidden powers and find inner strength needed to save the world?


Crave (Harlequin Teen)
Melissa Darnell
Harlequin; Original edition (October 25, 2011)

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.


For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….


Crave The Night
Michele Hauf, Patti O'Shea, Sharon Ashwood, Lori Devoti
Swell Cat (October 6, 2011)

This collection of novellas features paranormal pairings romance readers will pine for. Vampires, demons, werewolves, faeries and even a mermaid will satisfy the darkest of cravings. 


ENEMY EMBRACE by Patti O'Shea When vampire hunter Nicole Ruiz nearly loses her life to a powerful vampire, she offers an alliance to her rescuer, a demon name Daktan. Demons might be an enemy, but she'd make a deal with the devil himself if that's what it took to avenge her family. 


ONE SOUL TO SHARE by Lori Devoti Mermaid, Sarina Neri, is desperate to regain her sister's soul. The sea spirit who has it wants a man who can survive in her realm, underwater, in exchange. Fortunately, Sarina has found such a man, vampire Nolan Moore. Unfortunately, Nolan wants the soul too, for himself. 


CRUEL ENCHANTMENT by Michele Hauf Investigating the vicious werewolf blood games, vampire Revin Parker struggles with his attraction to the faery informant, Sabrina Kriss. Six months earlier she had cursed him with an addiction to faery dust. Can they risk the desire that demands they fall in love with the one who could become their worst nightmare? 


HIDDEN by Sharon Ashwood Rafe returns to the Devries werewolf pack to rescue his people from a scheming fey beauty. Pitting his will against her wits, he plans to seduce his way free of the ice queen's trap. But surrender means death for the fey, and little does Rafe know that he's gambling with more than hearts...


Darkness Rising: A Dark Angels Novel
Keri Arthur
Dell (October 25, 2011)

The sexy, thrilling adventures continue in bestselling author Keri Arthur’s new Dark Angels series, starring half-werewolf/half-Aedh Risa Jones.
 
Risa will go to any lengths to avenge her mother’s murder—even if it means making a pact with the most evil vampire she’s ever met. Lethal and powerful, Madeline Hunter is leader of the vampire council, and will put her resources behind finding the killer—for a price. The venerable vampire requires the assistance of Risa’s psychic powers. Quid pro quo.

Someone—or something—is targeting the elders of the local council, cursing the immortal vampires to rapidly age, sink into madness, and die. Risa must track down the vengeful being responsible. But Risa’s father, a rogue Aedh priest, also enlists her in a dangerous mission. And not even the great Madeline Hunter may be able to protect her from the shadowy forces that desire nothing less than Risa’s destruction.


Destined (House of Night)
P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast
St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (October 25, 2011)

In Destined, the forces of Light and Dark collide as their epic struggle focuses on Tulsa's House of Night. Zoey is home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side and preparing to face off against Neferet. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, he and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together if Rephaim can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow.

But is Zoey really safe? Does she truly know those who are closest to her? And will love win when it is tested by the very soul of Darkness? Find out what s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.




Embraced by the Shadows
Mayra Calvani
Paladin Timeless Books (October 15, 2011)

Against the exotic backdrop of Istanbul and San Juan, Alana is a young woman torn between a vampire she cannot resist, loyalties to old friends and a confusing new life. Despite these complications, endowed with her new preternatural powers, she sets out to hunt the truth regarding her mother's tragic death... 





Flesh and Blood (House of Comarré)
Kristen Painter
Orbit; Original edition (October 25, 2011)

With the ring of sorrows still missing, and the covenant between othernaturals and mortals broken, Chrysabelle and Malkolm's problems are just beginning. Chrysabelle still owes Malkolm for his help, but fulfilling that debt means returning to Corvinestri, the hidden vampire city neither of them is welcome in.

The discovery that Chrysabelle has a brother could mean reneging on her promise to Malkolm, something that might make him angry enough to loose the beast living inside him. And fulfilling her vow could prove devastating for Chrysabelle --- especially when you throw in power hungry witches, dead fringe vampires, and the Kubai Mata.


Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires
Michael E. Bell
Wesleyan (October 15, 2011)

For nineteenth-century New Englanders, "vampires" lurked behind tuberculosis. To try to rid their houses and communities from the scourge of the wasting disease, families sometimes relied on folk practices, including exhuming and consuming the bodies of the deceased. 


Author and folklorist Michael E. Bell spent twenty years pursuing stories of the vampire in New England. While writers like H. P. Lovecraft, Henry David Thoreau, and Amy Lowell drew on portions of these stories in their writings, Bell brings the actual practices to light for the first time. He shows that the belief in vampires was widespread, and, for some families, lasted well into the twentieth century. With humor, insight, and sympathy, he uncovers story upon story of dying men, women, and children who believed they were food for the dead. This Wesleyan paperback edition includes an extensive preface by the author unveiling some of the new cases he's learned about since Food for the Dead was first published in 2001.


Heart of Darkness
Felicity Heaton
CreateSpace (October 19, 2011)


A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister...

Aleksandr Nemov won't stop until the last of the vampire hunter's progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?

A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves...

Elise is dedicated to her duty. It's the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline's mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince's hunt becomes one for her heart.



The Hollows Insider: New fiction, facts, maps, murders, and more in the world of Rachel Morgan
Kim Harrison
Harper Voyager; First Edition edition (October 25, 2011)

New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison has won legions of fans with her sexy supernatural novels featuring bounty-hunting witch Rachel Morgan. And now comes a unique look inside her beloved Hollows series that no fan should miss. . . . The Hollows Insider

In the Hollows, the supernatural Inderlanders rule, and humanity must abide by their conventions, or else.

To survive among vampires, witches, Weres, gargoyles, trolls, fairies, and banshees—to say nothing of demons—humanity needs a guide. And now, written by Kim Harrison herself, here is an insider’s look at the supernatural world of the Hollows, from an overarching new story to character profiles, maps, spell guides, charm recipes, secret correspondence from the elusive Trent Kalamack, and much more.




How to Party with a Killer Vampire: A Party-Planning Mystery
Penny Warner
Signet; Original edition (October 4, 2011)

Party planner Presley Parker's new gig is the star-studded wrap party for a horror film. The location is a graveyard-conveniently, because the night of the bash, a tabloid journalist is murdered.







The Vampire Book Immortal Nights: The Anthology Of Vampire Books Volume 1
Caden Thrace, Nathan Squires, Rebeka Harrington, L.A. Freed, Dicey Grenor, Kim Faulks
TGA Productions, Inc (October 27, 2011)

Infused with blood and fangs, shrouded in terror and darkness the call of the Vampire mythos beckons to us all. Inside this work you will discover 6 haunting stories from today's hottest underground authors. Forget what you think you know about vampires because inside you will have entered a twisted new world. Featuring Stories From: Rebeka Harrington, Nathan Squiers, L. A. Freed, Dicey Grenor, Kim Faulks with introduction by Caden Thrace this work is sure to quickly become a classic for all lovers of the genera.



In Blood We Trust (A Novel of the Bloodlands)
Christine Cody
Ace (September 27, 2011)

They are monsters: Mariah, the reluctant rebel who has become a god to others of her kind, and Gabriel, the vampire, who loves her at his own peril. 

They have returned to the Bloodlands, where their story began-to face the horrors of Mariah's past and the uncertainties of Gabriel's future- and to make a final stand, for their lives-and their love.







In Memories We Fear: A Vampire Memories Novel
Barb Hendee
Roc; Original edition (October 4, 2011)

A series of killings in England point to a new-and feral-vampire. Vampires Eleisha and Philip and their human companion travel to London to make contact with the terrified creature, to offer him sanctuary and stop the bloodshed. But the vampire they find is not what they expected...







The Journal of Mina Harker [Kindle Edition]
By Bobbi Chukran
Limestone Ledge Books (October 10, 2011)

A comedy adaptation stage play of the original Bram Stoker DRACULA, with a few twists. Written by Bobbi A. Chukran, award-winning playwright and novelist.
Suitable for adults and young adults...rated PG-13.

THE JOURNAL OF MINA HARKER
A Vampire Play 

You’ve never seen a DRACULA adaptation quite like this one!

Who IS the mysterious Count that purchases Carfax Abbey, near Dr. Seward’s “bloomin’ looney bin” of a home, outside London?  Is he a blood-suckin’ fiend, or just a nice older gentleman who loves a good meal and creeps about in the middle of the night to borrow an onion from a neighbor?  Or is he just an average bloke who loves nicely ironed shirts, drinks copious amounts of wine, and wants to make sure his new home near London has nice curtains?

Read The Journal of Mina Harker to find out!

And can you see Mr. Renfield as a poet?  You’ll laugh ‘til your sides split when this crazy fellow is on stage….and he’s “Doin’ the Renfield Rap!”  But watch out.  NEVER mention the word….FLIES! around him.

Daniel (not ”Jonathan That’s a Different Book”) Harker as a gourmand who loves to cook?  Lovable, but a bit dense.

Mina, a no-nonsense young woman who MUST always wear a gigantic hat?

Then there’s her best friend Lucy.  Ditzy, crazy, sweet, and very fond of pheasant feathers.  And babies.  

Delightful word play, a cast of quirky, crazy characters…and yes, there are the required flapping bats and howling wolves…that’s The Journal of Mina Harker.


Kiss of Night
Debbie Viguie
FaithWords; 1 Original edition (October 7, 2011)

Centuries ago, Raphael was a blasphemous knight who fought in the Crusades purely for his own mercenary benefit, and to satisfy his taste for killing. Now, condemned for his evil passions and hypocrisy, he wanders the earth a vampire, cursed with first-hand knowledge of the supernatural world he once denied existed. The powerful relic he still possesses from his days as a Crusader has been stolen by a rival vampire who has recruited an army of soulless underlings to aid him in spreading evil. At the time he learns this, Raphael has been hunting this vampire for nearly a century, and it seems the final battle is destined to take place in Prague.

For help in this quest, Raphael must enlist the aid of two humans, David and Susan, who suddenly find themselves immersed in a world they never imagined, entangled with supernatural forces they can't control. Susan, in particular, finds herself conflicted as she struggles with her inexplicable attraction to Raphael. In the end, both Susan and Raphael will be called upon to exercise courage and faith, and in the process, the question? What would happen if a vampire truly accepted God?







Midwinterblood
Marcus Sedgwick
Indigo (October 6, 2011)

Have you ever had the feeling that you've lived another life? Been somewhere that has felt totally familiar, even though you've never been there before, or felt that you know someone well, even though you are meeting them for the first time? It happens. In 2073 on the remote and secretive island of Blessed, where rumour has it that no one ages and no children are born, a visiting journalist, Eric Seven, and a young local woman known as Merle are ritually slain. Their deaths echo a moment ten centuries before, when, in the dark of the moon, a king was slain, tragically torn from his queen. 


Their souls search to be reunited, and as mother and son, artist and child, forbidden lovers, victims of a vampire they come close to finding what they've lost. In a novel comprising seven parts, each influenced by a moon - the flower moon, the harvest moon, the hunter's moon, the blood moon - this is the story of Eric and Merle whose souls have been searching for each other since their untimely parting. Beautifully imagined, intricately and cleverly structured, this is a heart-wrenching and breathtaking love story with the hallmark Sedgwick gothic touches of atmosphere, blood-spilling and sacrifice.




Much Ado About Vampires: A Dark Ones Novel
Katie MacAlister
Signet (October 4, 2011)

Corazon Ferreira is a jaded woman. Turns out she was a vampire's mate in a past life. And no matter how distractingly gorgeous he is, she just can't get the image of him killing someone out of her head. But when her life depends on him, Corazon's going to have to stop overthinking things-and start trusting her heart...





The Night Eternal
Guillermo Del Toro, Chuck Hogan
William Morrow (October 25, 2011)


From the authors of the instant New York Times bestsellers The Strain and The Fall comes the final volume in one of the most electrifying thriller series in years
It’s been two years since the vampiric virus was unleashed in The Strain, and the entire world now lies on the brink of annihilation. There is only night as nuclear winter blankets the land, the sun filtering through the poisoned atmosphere for two hours each day—the perfect environment for the propagation of vampires.
There has been a mass extermination of humans, the best and the brightest, the wealthy and the influential, orchestrated by the Master—an ancient vampire possessed of unparalleled powers—who selects survivors based on compliance. Those humans who remain are entirely subjugated, interred in camps, and separated by status: those who breed more humans, and those who are bled for the sustenance of the Master’s vast army.

The future of humankind lies in the hands of a ragtag band of freedom fighters—Dr. Eph Goodweather, former head of the Centers for Disease Control’s biological threats team; Dr. Nora Martinez, a fellow doctor with a talent for dispatching the undead; Vasiliy Fet, the colorful Russian exterminator; and Mr. Quinlan, the half-breed offspring of the Master who is bent on revenge. It’s their job to rescue Eph’s son, Zack, and overturn this devastating new world order. But good and evil are malleable terms now, and the Master is most skilled at preying on the weaknesses of humans.

Now, at this critical hour, there is evidence of a traitor in their midst. . . . And only one man holds the answer to the Master’s demise, but is he one who can be trusted with the fate of the world? 




Serpent's Kiss (A Novel of the Elder Races)
Thea Harrison
Berkley; Original edition (October 4, 2011)

Recently, Vampire Queen Carling's power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee. Wyr sentinel Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help find a cure for the serpent's kiss-the vampyric disease that's killing her. With their desire for each other escalating they will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent's kiss...





The Shadowed Path (Volume 1)
Simon Stone
CreateSpace (October 14, 2011)

In the west the ancient empire of Prast crumbles, an old man too sick to climb out of his deathbed. In the east an upstart nation of sun worshipers spread their heathen ways, swallowing up city-states and small kingdoms as they tread ever closer to Prast’s borders. War is inevitable. A war greater and more bloodthirsty than any seen since the old gods left the world. And yet, war is as nothing compared to the greatest danger. 


The Shadowland. A vast swathe of corrupted jungles, deserts and mountains, saturated in malevolence. Ever since the time of myth it has separated east from west, a mark on the world to remind all men of the anger of their gods. Now it has begun to spread, spewing out its deadly creatures on the nations, threatening to corrupt and consume everything. Only one man carries the key to stopping the Shadowland, a man battered and scarred from his years alone in its deadly grasp. To stop it he must first make a friend of his greatest enemy... ...and then he must enter the Shadowland again...


Shining in Crimson: Empire of Blood Book One (Volume 1)
Robert S Wilson
CreateSpace (October 2, 2011)

Set in a dystopian, religiously-demented American Empire, the city of Las Vegas is no longer a city of sin. Now called Necropolis, it is a city that eats sin. The vampires of Necropolis wait patiently for the Empire's weekly drop off of guilty Penitents; sinners and criminals full of fresh blood. Hank Evans is one of those Penitents and he would gladly let the vampires take every drop of his blood if it weren’t for one detail: Toby. Toby is Hank’s only son. Now, Hank must do whatever it takes to escape the city of the dead and save his son from an Empire as bloodthirsty as the vampires it uses to keep its people in line.


The Third Section (The Danilov Quintet #3)
by Jasper Kent
Pyr (October 25, 2011)

The third novel in Jasper Kent's enthralling, chilling and acclaimed historical vampire sequence -- The Danilov Quintet.
Russia 1855. After forty years of peace in Europe, war rages. In the Crimea, the city of Sevastopol is besieged. In the north, Saint Petersburg is blockaded. But in Moscow there is one who needs only to sit and wait -- wait for the death of an aging tsar, and for the curse upon his blood to be passed to a new generation.

As their country grows weaker, a brother and sister -- each unaware of the other's existence -- must come to terms with the legacy left them by their father. In Moscow, Tamara Valentinovna Lavrova uncovers a brutal murder and discovers that it is not the first in a sequence of similar crimes, merely the latest, carried out by a killer who has stalked the city since 1812.

And in Sevastopol, Dmitry Alekseevich Danilov faces not only the guns of the combined armies of Britain and France, but must also make a stand against creatures that his father had thought buried beneath the earth, thirty years before.


A Touch of Crimson: A Renegade Angels Novel
Sylvia Day (Author)
Signet; Original edition (October 4, 2011

FIRST IN A NEW SERIES! CAN TRUE LOVE SURVIVE A WAR BETWEEN ANGELS, VAMPIRES, AND LYCANS?

Adrian Mitchell is a powerful angel leading an elite Special Ops unit of Seraphim. His task is to punish the Fallen--angels who have become vampires--and command a restless pack of indentured lycans. But Adrian has suffered his own punishment for becoming involved with mortals--losing the woman he loves again and again. Now, after nearly two hundred years, he has found her--Shadoe--her soul once more inhabiting a new body, with no memory of him. And this time, he won't let her go...





Vamparazzi: An Esther Diamond Novel
by Laura Resnick
DAW (October 4, 2011

Playing a scantily clad vampire victim in an off-Broadway play, struggling actress Esther Diamond now may be the target of someone who claims to be a genuine bloodsucker...
Vampires and Volts (Raven Mysteries) [Paperback]Marcus Sedgwick (Author)




A Vampire Christmas Carol
by Sarah Gray (Oct 1, 2011)
Kensington; 1 Original edition (October 1, 2011)

That dubious honour belongs to the vampires who surround him, preying on the weak and laying traps for the strong. They have dogged his footsteps since he was born, driving him from the love of his friends, family, and faithful fiancee. Now, on Christmas Eve, Scrooge's old friend Jacob Marley rises from the grave to warn him about the evil gathering around him. With three mysterious spirits to guide him, he rediscovers his lost love Belle, toiling fearlessly as a seamstress by day and vampire hunter by night. He sees the secrets of his nephew Fred and his clerk Bob Cratchit, who risk their lives as Belle's loyal soldiers. And he learns of the plot mounting to attack all of them, starting with the innocent sacrifice of Bob's son Tiny Tim...Scrooge has only one night to save himself and all that he once treasured - but if he can vanquish the vampires, he might finally earn back the love he cast away...


The Vampire Diaries: The Hunters: Phantom
L. J. Smith
HarperTeen (October 25, 2011)

The past is never far. . . .
Elena Gilbert and her friends saved Fell’s Church from evil spirits bent on destroying it, but the town’s freedom came at a price: Damon Salvatore’s life.
Damon’s death changes everything. He and his vampire brother, Stefan, had been locked in a vicious battle for Elena’s heart. Now that he’s gone, Elena and Stefan can finally be together. So why can’t Elena stop dreaming of Damon? As Elena’s feelings for Damon grow, a new darkness is brewing in Fell’s Church. Elena has been to hell and back, but this demon is like nothing she’s ever seen. Its only goal is to kill Elena and everyone she loves.


A Vampire for Christmas: Enchanted by Blood\ Monsters Don't Do Christmas\ When Herald Angels Sing\ All I Want for Christmas
Laurie London, Michele Hauf, Caridad Pineiro, Alexis Morgn
HQN Books; Original edition (October 18, 2011)

All they want for Christmas is you…
It's the time of year for twinkling lights on trees and kisses under the mistletoe. Yet the passing of another year means nothing to the stunning immortals who lurk in the shadows of the new-fallen snow.

And they don't care if you've been naughty or nice.

Let four fanged lovers open your eyes to a passion you never dared to imagine. After all, there's no place like home for the holidays—and these dazzling vampires can't wait for an invitation.


Vampire Fun and Games
H. W Kondras (Author)
Blue River Press (October 1, 2011)

Love vampires? Test your knowledge and have some fun with this collection of crossword puzzles and trivia questions about the children of the night. From Vlad the Impaler to Edward Cullen, your favorite bloodsuckers from books, movies and television are covered. See how much you know about Sookie Stackhouse, Count Dracula and Angel while perhaps learning about your next favorite blooksucker.


From vampire romances to vampire comedies, from fantasy to real-life, all vampire fact and fiction from history are used to create this unique collection of puzzles and games for all those who love the undead. Grab a pencil and some garlic and join the fun!
The book includes crossword puzzles, word searches, and trivia questions.


The Vampire Hunters: Dominion
by Scott Baker
Pill Hill Press, October 1, 2011

The exciting conclusion of The Vampire Hunters After being hidden away for centuries, the Vampyrnomicon, the Book of the Undead, is finally unearthed, and with it the terrible secret of the vampires' origins. The discovery of the Vampyrnomicon gives Drake Matthews the means to defeat the Master and eradicate the vampire threat, but it also provides Chiang Shih with the knowledge she needs to make her masters immortal. Now more powerful than ever, Chiang Shih raises an army of the undead and creates a vampire nation in Washington D.C. 


Her attempt to assassinate Drake and his colleagues nearly cripples the hunters, but fails to kill them all. Driven by vengeance, and with his band of hunters swelled by unlikely allies, Drake leads the group into the infested city. With the fate of humankind hanging in the balance, hunters and vampires wage the final epic battle in the streets of the nation's capital to determine who will hold dominion over the Earth.




The Vampire Trilogy
David Pinner
Oberon Books (October 18, 2011)

This trilogy of plays from prolific writer David Pinner taps into the very present fashion for all things vampire related. Encompassing three plays written over a period of forty-five years, The Vampire Trilogy offers unique slants on the occult. Includes Fanghorn, Edred the Vampire, and Lucifer's Fair.





The spooky month of October brings many treats for readers. Check out the following vampire extravaganza!

Vampire's Witch
Rebecca Airies
Ellora's Cave (October 21, 2011)

Serena Blackwood can’t believe it when she learns she’s becoming a vix. Finding that she has to work with sexy vampire Marcus Castillo to catch a rogue vampire only adds to her stress. She’s unbelievably attracted to the hunky man but knows staying near him will increase the chances of her jumping his bones—and Marcus discovering her secret. Marcus knows the witch working with his team is hiding something. She’s beautiful and talented and he wants to know the mysteries she’s hiding almost as much as he needs to know the feel of her body moving against his. But the rogue has plans of his own and unless Serena and marcus work together, they could lose everything.

Oct 28, 2011

Interview with the Vampire Trent Callen

Just in time to begin celebrating Halloween Trent Callen (protagonist of Vampyre Kisses by Elizabeth Kolodziej) has stopped by PVN to tell readers about his life as a vampire.

Thanks so much, Trent. Take it away!



Hello everyone. I am very pleased to be invited to Patricia’s Vampire Blog for an interview. My name is Trent Callen and I am a blood vampire. There are many questions that fledglings want to know before they are changed. In an attempt to hopefully ease some minds, I am prepared to let you in on some of my secrets.


What type of powers do you posses?

Powers to look forward to when becoming a vampire will include:
*Enhanced speed
*The strength to lift cars, or ladies, whichever your pleasure shall be
*Enhanced sight, though being a peeping Tom is not advised
*Enhanced hearing
*Sharp fangs to sink into pretty little necks throbbing with life
*Eyes that will turn black on occasion
…the usual…

Some powers you may posses with age:
*The ability to change to mist
*Shape shifting into a wolf and/or demonic looking creature
*Flight
*And others you will have to learn about on your own…

How did you become a vampire?

Ah, a question that plagues the most beautiful of minds, and one that I have not told that many people.

When I was twenty-five, I was a, as you would say, ‘want-to-be writer.’ I was in Cork, Ireland, at the time, the place to be for aspiring writers now. I was introduced to a man named Collin. Sir Collin; he was from England. At the time, he was serving the first Elizabeth.Collin and I became very close very quickly. I was not as well educated or travelled as him so I found him fascinating. He had so much knowledge about the world and the people in it. Unknown at the time, Collin was a couple hundred years older than myself.

One night we got into an intriguing discussion about writing horror stories. He discussed an idea with me about a creature that ruled the night. Instinct had brought my mind to the gossip floating around about people being slain. They were being murdered by having their blood sucked completely dry. I found the coincidence too close and plagued him with questions about these creatures of the night.

Rapidly our night was becoming morning. Collin had been so engrossed with talking to me that he forgot about the sun. I immediately noticed his agitation; I was not stupid like some humans. I had an uncanny way of observing people around me. I was aware that Collin would not have enough time to get home and offered him a bed in my cellar. I remember the smile on his face: it was filled with gratitude, while mine was filled with mercy. After a long day of waiting for night to come, I opened my cellar door, and he walked up the stairs refreshed. I begged him for hours to tell me the truth. Then he finally did. We talked about the possibility of me becoming a vampire. At first I was reluctant, but Collin had a way about him. A short week later, I decided to let him change me.

Do you feel any antipathy to other paranormal beings? If so, which ones and why? 

To be honest, I have never been found of werewolves. They smell and are not that intelligent. I have had run ins with them before and the only one I put up with would be Zou Tai, and that is only because Faith asks me to. Very persuasively I might add.

Is there a hierarchy among vampires?

All vampires answer to the Master vampire, which does change from time to time. Most vampires stay with their sires for decades before going off on their own or even creating another vampire. There are watchers in each state and sometimes more than one depending on the size and how many of us are in the area. If there is any trouble raised they report to the Master directly.

Are you with anyone?

I am sorry to say that I am taken ladies. Faith, the last witch in the world, in the only one I have my heart set on. Ever since I first met her at the club I had this instant attraction to her, most that involved licking and petting particular areas, but that was only in the beginning. When I got to know Faith, I realized there were still innocents in the world. And that attracted me the most to her.


I hope that you have enjoyed my company and that you will read some of my adventures.

Both books available as paperback and eBooks. Please visit www.vampyrekisses.com for further info on releases and what’s going on in the writing world of Elizabeth J. Kolodziej 


Oct 25, 2011

Lure of the Vampire - Book Announcement

By Bertena Varney, M.A.
Paperback: 176 pages
Also available as an Ebook
Publisher: Search for the Lure 
Published: June 22, 2011
Lure of the Vampire is a pop culture reference book that begins with history and mythology and ends with modern living vampires. The author has provided "fun" lists like the Powers of Dracula, Real Live Vampire Murders, Television Shows and African Americans who have Played Vampires. There are also websites in each section that show the most popular vampire books and even children's shows and books. But, there is a personal twist when it comes to Lure of the Vampire. The author has provided personal essays from national and international vampire authors as well as her own. They range from a personal look at vampires in mythology to the romantic lust filled vampire. There are also interviews with various groups and individuals involved in the vampire community. Lure of the Vampire: A Pop Culture Reference Book of Lists, Websites, and "Very Telling" Personal Essays is a perfect quick to grab reference book for the vampire fan or author. It is concise enough to assist you in finding links to what you are looking for without our being too cumbersome and confusing.
Lure of the Vampire contains essays from authors: Denise Verrico - David MacDowell Blue - Charles E. Butler - C.J. Ellisson – BittenTwice – Elizabeth Loraine
Interviews with: Vampiric Council of New England, Vlad the Gothic Vampire Magician, Audrey Koogler, Vampire Priestess, and Hugo Pecos, creator of The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency

Lure of the Vampire is great for any writer who would like to find fun facts to give their vampires in their story. For example, what powers have vampires in mythology possessed or the first literary vampires? There’s a section for that.  
What if you are a vampire fan who is looking for new YA or adult authors- there is a section with titles, authors and their websites. 
What about vampire games? There’s a section for that too.
Sections include: Mythology, History, Literature, Movies, Television, Recreation, Children’s Vampires, On the Web, Education, and Real Life Vampires. There are lists, websites, essays, and interviews included in throughout the book. 
Lure of the Vampire: A Pop Culture Reference Book of Lists, Websites, and "Very Telling" Personal Essays is a perfect quick to grab reference book for the vampire fan or author. It's concise enough to assist you in finding links to what you are looking for without our being too cumbersome and confusing.

You can buy Lure of the Vampire in print and ebook format both Barnes and Noble, Amazon and other local book stores.

About the Author
Bertena Varney was born in Pikeville, KY. She moved to Winchester, KY where she attended George Rogers Clark High School. When she graduated in 1989 she began her studies at Morehead State University. Her studies included the following: 
- B.A. in Social Science and Education
- M.A. in Social Science and Education
- M.A. in Sociology and Criminology
- Rank 2 Secondary Education
Certification

She used all of her extra essays, projects and independent study classes to study vampires in pop culture. Thus the creation of Lure of the Vampire.

She has worked in education as both a middle and high school teacher and college professor. She has also been a deparment director in a business college, and...moreBertena Varney is from Winchester, KY and currently resides in Bowling Green, KY. She attended Morehead State University where she received the following degrees:
- B.A. in Social Science and Education 
- M.A. in Social Science and Education
- M.A. in Sociology and Criminology 
- Rank 2 Secondary Education Certification

While in college She used all of her extra essays, projects and independent study classes to study vampires in pop culture….thus the creation of Lure of the Vampire. 
She has been employed as a middle and high school as well as college instructor. Here past employers include Morehead State University, Eastern Kentucky University and National College and she currently lectures at Bowling Green Community College.
Currently she is planning her lecture tour schedule. In the past she has presented papers at conference such as The Sirens Conference in Vail, Colorado and The Harry Potter Witching Hour in Salem, Mass. Currently she is scheduled for ScareFest, Dance on the Dark Side and A Day of Mystical Blood Lust, as well as BG Tech, Bourbon County Library and other local libraries and colleges.
She is also planning to begin a pop culture vampire course based upon her studies of vampires in pop culture.
Find Bertena on the web:
Her writing website is www.bertenavarney.com
Her vampire research website http://searchforthelure.webs.com 
Twitter @tenavarney
To sign up for her newsletter go here. http://eepurl.com/exZYQ