Jennifer Rainey - Guest Blogger

A big, gigantic PVN welcome to new author Jennifer Rainey. Her fist novel, These Hellish Happenings, has just been published.

Here is a brief blurb:  

"In 1707, hapless vampire Jack Bentley made a pact with the Devil in order to escape a vampire hunt. Dealing with Satan seemed better than your standard angry mob at the time. But three centuries later, Satan is ready to collect His dues, whether the vampire likes it or not. He's taking Jack down to Hell, and He's even got a job picked out for him down below: an eternal position at the Registration Office of the Damned. Jack attempts to adjust to life on the Administrative Level of Hell where fire and brimstone have been replaced by board meetings and the occasional broken copier. But the whiny complaints of the recently-deceased are the least of his problems. Try adding to the equation a dead ex-lover, a dangerous attraction to his high-ranking demon companion, Alexander Ridner, and the sticky and distorted anti-vampire politics of a Hell that is surprisingly like our own world."

Jennifer is not only a terrific writer she also has a great sense of humor, as you'll see in her essay. [see contest details at the end of the post]

Take it away, Jen!

Count Dracula is My Garbage Man: A Look at the 'Everyday' Vampire

I was practically born surrounded by the bloodsucking undead. While I'd love to say that Dracula changed my diapers and Nosferatu played peek-a-boo with me, that is unfortunately not the case (though I did have a date with a certain fanged, number-obsessed puppet on television every morning). My mother has been interested in vampire literature, folklore and film for my entire life and longer, and so the vampire was just as much a part of my life growing up as perhaps softball games and school dances were for other kids.

No, the fanged ones never frightened me. In fact, I can remember a six-year-old version of myself (complete with bowl-cut and The Lion King bookbag) being terribly frustrated when my classmates did not know who Lestat de Lioncourt was. Surely, I reasoned, their mothers all loved him, too!

Patricia suggested that in this piece I speak about how vampires influenced me in writing my first novel, These Hellish Happenings. The easy answer might be that I wrote about them because I was always surrounded by them, making them an easy topic to grab. But there--fortunately--is more to it than all that.

I have always fancied the vampire to some degree. Werewolves were far too hairy and temperamental, and most zombies just didn't have the necessary cognitive capacity. But when I compared my interest in vampires to the interest in the undead of my peers, it appeared I was, well... doing it wrong.

Many high school girls go through a vampire phase. My teenage associates certainly did, and I was intrigued, as well. I mean, who doesn't love a romantic, powerful figure who lures folks into a sexual stupor, drinks their blood and offers them immortality, right? Who doesn't love the sexy vamp with piercing eyes and a dramatic, dangerous past?

Ahem. I didn't. And still don't. I couldn't care less about a vampire's sex appeal. With irritating vamps like Meyer's good-looking, sparkly boy wonder dominating pop culture, I guess I'm in the minority right now.

Rather, what interested me was the vampire's problem and how it might realistically affect typical, everyday life. Human life. I wanted bloodsuckers that were just like normal people, dealing with personal struggles brought about by vampirism, looking to function in human society. I didn't want my vampires lovelorn or ideal. I wasn't looking for sensuous vampire queens or bombastic brat princes, British, bleach-blond bad-asses or lavender-eye lidded dreamboats.

After all, if vampires really existed, what are the chances they'd all be tall, dark and handsome, anyway? I was happier with an average guy who works as a gas station manager figuring out the ropes of vampire life or with an awkward librarian who is ashamed that she has to raid the blood bank once a week.

This was what inspired much of  These Hellish Happenings. The novel focuses on the hapless and somewhat pathetic vampire Jack Bentley who, due to some shady dealings with Satan, is carted off to work at Hell's Registration Office for all eternity (in an environment that's more Office Space than Dante, no less). Throughout much of the book, there are other characters who discriminate against Jack, mocking him and treating him differently because he's a vampire.

While the novel is predominantly a comedy, it comments on the seriousness of discrimination and human rights in reality through others' treatment of Jack. A big inspiration for me was the concept of a vampire trying to overcome the kind of discrimination that a human might face in the workplace, in everyday life. My aim was to make his challenges ones to which the reader could relate, that felt relevant to our society.

Certainly the stigma and negative effects of vampirism on the vampire have entered into the culture for years now; one need look no further than Anne Rice's tormented Louis to see this. However, many television shows, movies and books today are paying more and more attention to the problems of vampires having to function in everyday life. No longer must they function purely as outcasts on the fringe of society struggling with their condition, but now they must function within society itself, surrounded by humans with which they must interact (whether the humans are aware of the existence of vampires or not). The BBC program Being Human, for example, examines this closely as it follows a vampire, ghost and werewolf who try to live normal lives within human society. Their problems, though they stem from their species or condition, are very human, so that they are no longer awe-inspiring, larger-than-life supernatural beings, but very relatable and realistic characters.

I can honestly say that I hope this trend continues. Now, I'm not saying that we defang vampires and domesticate all of them. The vicious killing machine of 30 Days of Night and the beautiful and philosophical vamp of Anne Rice novels certainly have their merits. But I rather like the "everyday vampire," as he might be called. The idea that the homely bus driver that greets me every evening might be forced to hide a blood addiction for fear of losing his job is intriguing, appealing--and not in terms of sex appeal.

But for the record, Nosferatu is the sexiest vampire. Gotta love those rat teeth.

Contest: There will be a drawing to win a free signed copy of These Hellish Happenings! If you are interested, just send a message with your name to jennifer.rainey@rocketmail.com with 'These Hellish Happenings Contest' in the subject line. Contest ends December 18th.
 

NOTE: Jennifer comes by her writing talent honestly. He mom Sandy Rainey posts insightful reviews for PVN when she can take time from teaching duties.

Barbara Monajem - Guest Blogger

Please welcome Barbara Monajem, author of Sunrise in a Garden of Love and Evil.  She is here to tell us about her new vampire book and offer a contest. Sunrise is a terrific vampire love story told with lots of humor.

[This contest is closed]

Being Irresistible Sucks

I’ve always thought that being extremely attractive must be inconvenient, to say the least. Not only do beauty and virility fade, but it’s too easy for people to look on the surface and see no further. What about intelligence and sense of humor? What about strength of character? What about genuine mutual liking? The whole idea of being irresistible is fascinating to me, because instead of encouraging true love, it might just get in the way.

Ophelia Beliveau, heroine of my upcoming novel Sunrise in a Garden of Love and Evil, is a vampire, but not really your standard vamp. I’m not crazy about the concept of undead. I’m fine with reading it, but I don’t feel comfortable writing it. There’s always this faint whiff of rot at the back of my mind, making it difficult to concentrate on the romantic aspects of the story. I keep worrying that my vampire will have bad breath! Weird, I know, but there you go. Although Ophelia is definitely amongst the living, she does have fangs, and she loves (and for her own sanity needs) sex and blood. Easy enough for an irresistible woman to get plenty of, right?

Nope. Being irresistible has caused her nothing but trouble – such big trouble that she’s sworn off men forever. This is awfully stressful for Ophelia – she has a drawer full of sex toys and eats a lot of raw meat, but she’s chronically unsatisfied, poor girl. When her garden is vandalized and her life is threatened, hunky cop Gideon O’Toole swears to protect her and get to the bottom of the threats. That’s not all he wants to do, of course, but Ophelia has secrets that mustn’t be revealed, and letting a cop into her life can only bring catastrophe. She’s determined to drive him away.



Excerpt

Gideon left the headlights on and the engine running, got out, and held the door open for his dog. “Put the gun away, Ophelia.” He walked calmly toward her. “It’s only me.”
 
“I know who it is.” Ophelia’s voice broke, and a tear spilled treacherously down her cheek. “Go away!”
 
“Sweetheart—”
 
“Don’t call me that! I am not sweet.”
 
She watched Gideon control himself and start again. “I brought Gretchen to stay with you. She’ll warn you if there’s any danger.”
 
How had he come up with such a blessed idea? “I don’t need her. Take your dog and go home.” Ophelia bit down hard, piercing her lip, ignoring the blood, fighting tears, wanting the dog like crazy. She felt so alone.
 
Anguish in his voice, Gideon said, “Ophelia, don’t cry. Honey, you can’t think I’d harass you after what you’ve been through tonight.”
 
“You are harassing me,” she choked out. “I am not honey. I am poison. Get the hell away.” Gretchen trotted up and stuck a cool nose under her hand. Ophelia’s fingers moved by instinct toward the dog’s curls, but she yanked her hand away, clenching and unclenching her fist, needing and wanting the animal so much it hurt. “Gretchen doesn’t want to stay with me. She’s yours. Take her and go away.”
 
“I discussed it with her on the ride over, and she agreed to stay with you.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” Ophelia cocked the shotgun. “Get off my property and don’t come back.”
 
Gideon swore under his breath. “Stupid or not, Gretchen is staying with you.” As if on cue, the dog planted her butt on the drive.
 
“Damn it, Gideon!” Ophelia let out a scream of rage and fired, kicking up gravel far too close to Gideon’s feet. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t move a goddamn hair. “Don’t you get it?” she yelled.  “I’m trying to protect you from yourself. I am not safe!”
 
“‘That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard in my life,’” Gideon echoed in bitter mockery. “You could at least come up with an intelligent lie.”
 
Ophelia opened her mouth and shut it again. Pissing him off was what she wanted. Still, the disgust in his voice tore into her.
 
“I’m out of here,” he said. “I won’t come back unless you need me.” He turned to the dog. “Stay, Gretchen. Stay with Ophelia.” He got in his car and backed into the turnaround, flinging his last words through the window. “What makes you think I give a damn about being safe?”


If you could have one irresistible quality, what would you pick? A beautiful face? A compelling voice? Undeniable wisdom or genius? Do you think it would be more trouble than it was worth?

Author Bio
Barbara Monajem wrote her first story in third grade about apple tree gnomes. After dabbling in neighborhood musicals and teen melodrama, she published a middle-grade fantasy when her children were young. Now her kids are adults, and she writes paranormal and historical romance for grownups. She lives in Georgia with an ever shifting population of relatives, friends, and feline strays.

Now for the contest
[This contest is closed]

One lucky commenter will win a copy of
Sunrise in a Garden of Love and Evil and with it a pair of women's Valentine's Day socks!

The contest is open worldwide.

To be eligible do one or more of the following:
* Answer one of Barbara's questions - 1 chance
* Ask Barbara a question - 1 chance
* Link this interview to your own site or a social network site, and be sure to let me know the URL - 1 chance for each link.
*Be a follower - 1 chance
*Be an email subscriber - 1 chance
 
If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response.

Contest ends March 9, 2010 at 11:59 PST

The Reformed Vampire Support Group - Book Review

The Reformed Vampire Support Group
by Catherine Jinks
Harcourt, April, 2010  (YA)



Publisher: Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves.

Nina Harrison, fanged at fifteen and still living with her mother, hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings every Tuesday night. Even if she does appreciate Dave, who was in a punk band when he was alive, nothing exciting ever happens. That is, until one of group members is mysteriously destroyed by a silver bullet.

 With Nina (determined to prove that vamps aren't useless or weak) and Dave (secretly in love with Nina) at the helm, the misfit vampires soon band together to track down the hunter, save a werewolf, and keep the world safe from the likes of themselves.

PVN: [Setting is Sydney, Australia]

The Reformed Vampire Support Group meets every Tuesday evening at St Agnes Roman Catholic Church. The group leader, Sanford, became a vampire early in the last century. He has gathered this small group with the idea of using his extensive knowledge to help them adjust to being vampires, and to accomplish this without ever having to harm a human.

The rector of the church, Father Ramon a kindly mortal priest, helps out during daylight hours when mortal business must be attended to.

Nina Harrison, a vampire turned at 15, narrates this humorous engaging tale. Being a vampires is not easy. It can be deadly dull. Sanford forbids them to ever go out. The risk that they might be overcome with blood lust is too great, he fears. All survive on supplements prepared by Sanford plus the blood of one guinea pig per day.

Nina lives with her mum, spending most of her time in her room reading or watching TV. Still she finds a creative way to amuse herself by writing the adventures of Zadia Bloodstone, "a heroic crime fighting vampire who preyed only on lowlife scum."

Zadia proves to be the perfect alter ego for Nina. When one of their group goes missing they eventually find what's left of him inside his coffin (he's a traditionalist). All that remains are ashes arranged in a vaguely humanoid shape. A vampire killer is at large! He (or she)must be tracked down, not to kill of course, but to convince that vampires mean humans no harm. After years of insular living the group's analytical skills are somewhat diminished, but in their own bumbling way they begin the necessary research to find the slayer.

Nina happens to be one of those who makes first contact. With her knees knocking and her normal cowardly nature to the fore, Nina silently envisions Zadia, imagining what such a heroine would do. And it works! While Nina doesn't exactly turn into Wonder Woman she comes pretty darn close, even saving the day.

The cast of characters, immortal or otherwise, are diverse and completely believable. Their many misadventures are often cause for hilarious moments. When I picked up this book at B&N I was attracted by the title, and when I opened the book I was captured from the first sentence. Although published as a YA books it's really one that would appeal to all ages.

Staked - Vampire Book Review

Staked
by J. F. Lewis
Pocket Bks: S. & S. (Mar. 2008)

[Reviewed by Patricia. Originally published in Library Journal Feb. 15, 2008]

The hero of Lewis's humorous debut novel is Eric, a vampire having a bad week, with a poor memory and raging blackouts. In the midst of a rough tantrum, he realizes he has torn off the head of a fellow undead, but he can't remember who the victim is or why he killed him. As the story continues, however, Eric proves to be a much nicer guy than the opening would suggest. With a host of interesting characters—the elderly human Marilyn, the greatest love of Eric's life; Tabitha, the stripper-turned-vampire who loves Eric; evangelical werewolf William, who erroneously believes Eric killed his son; and Roger, co-owner with Eric of the Demon Heart Strip Club. This is a fast-paced story with a heady mixture of humor, violence, and sex.

Reprinted with permission of Reed Business Information.

ReVamped - Vampire Book Review

ReVamped (Void City, Book 2)
by J. F. Lewis
Pocket (March 10, 2009)

[Reviewed by Sandy Rainey]

ReVamped roars out of the starting gate like an undead Mustang and never slows for a pit stop. That simile is not as daft as it sounds: At the end of Staked, the first book in this series, Eric, Lewis' headstrong vampire hero, was blown to smithereens—along with his strip club and his lifelong love, the mortal and now-elderly Marilyn—by his erstwhile best friend and now sworn enemy, Roger.

That would be more than enough to do in many a vampire, but readers of Staked know that Eric is no ordinary vampire. ReVamped picks up in the immediate aftermath of the explosion, with the incorporeal Eric and Marilyn having a discussion that clears up for Eric the inexplicable relationship between her and Roger, as well as a lot of what the jealous and treacherous Roger had been up to in Staked. Their conversation is cut short when a demon comes for Marilyn's soul. Bereft, Eric vows to win Marilyn's soul back, but he is unsure how to reclaim his vampiric form. Fortunately, he has friends back in Void City who have not given up on him.

Magbidion the mage, Eric's vampire daughter Greta, and his thrall, the stunning temptress Rachel, team up to reincorporate Eric. Magbidion's spell is successful, but goes a bit awry and ends up vampirizing Eric's car in the process. "Fang the 'Stang" eats roadkill and whatever else gets in his way. He is a dark and mute version of Knight Rider's KITT, and Eric has reason to be grateful for his assistance on more than one occasion.

No one has felt Eric's absence more keenly than Tabitha, the Living Doll who has characteristics both human and vampiric. Rudderless when he is gone, she joins the High Society Vampires Eric so despises at the Highland Towers complex. Tabitha is overjoyed when she learns that Eric has returned, but circumstances conspire to keep them apart. Eric has his hands full tracking down the fiend who has taken Marilyn's soul. Besides, the irresistible Rachel - who happens to be Tabitha's once-dead, now unaccountably alive little sister - has an odd hold over him that muddles his thoughts and dilutes his resolve. For his part, Eric is none too happy to see Tabitha keeping company with the snooty dilettante vampires he detests.

ReVamped charges along at a breakneck pace. Revelations come fast, resolving mysteries held over from Staked and leading to encounters with several very old and powerful vampires and a particularly nasty demon, none of whom know quite what to make of his considerable powers and flagrant disregard of the rules. Eric is impetuous and does not suffer fools, but he is a loyal friend with a strong moral compass and a definite soft spot for the defenseless. Aided by an ancestor's cowboy ghost, Talbot the catlike mouser, Magbidion, and an ever-growing collection of thralls under his protection (remember that soft spot?), Eric enters into a dangerous pact that could return his humanity if he's lucky. It's far from obvious who is trustworthy and who is plotting Eric's destruction, but what could be more tantalizing than the promise of information on his mysterious vampiric origins? By the time ReVamped careens to a halt, it's clear that Eric's story is far from over.

Reviewed by Sandy Rainey for Patricia's Vampire Notes

Alex Bledsoe - Interview and Contest

"He's been a reporter, editor, photographer and door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. He now lives between two big lakes in Wisconsin, writes before six in the morning and tries to teach his two sons to act like they've been to town before. He's published more than fifty short stories on topics as diverse as big-game hunters, mermaids, modern witches, Victorian gentlemen and country musicians."

The quote above comes from Alex Bledsoe's own internet site. Bottom line, IMHO, he's a nice guy, an interesting guy, and a terrific writer! His latest work Blood Groove(Tor, April 28, 2009) is a not-to-be-missed vampire novel.

Today he answers questions from PVN. After reading the interview look for contest information. One lucky commenter will win an autographed copy of Blood Groove.



PVN: What attracted you to vampires?

Alex: At a visceral level it's the power over us mere mortals. More philosophically, it's fun to envision a consciousness that has developed past the normal human life span. Is nihilism the inevitable result? Does depending on other beings, at the level a vampire must, alter your perspective on what you once were, and currently are? Freed from the constraints of time and biological change, what morality even applies to you? Questions like that fascinate me, and I hope come out in the story.

PVN: What are the attributes of your vampires?

Alex: Stephen King said, apropos of writing "'Salem's Lot," that the brick wall he kept running up against was "Dracula," because it really *is* definitive. Because of that, my vampires have the abilities Stoker gave them, but the twist is that they don't fully know the extent of them; after all, how many of us understand everything about how our own bodies work? So there are still some surprises.

PVN: Baron Rudolfo Zginski - what an interesting fellow - describe this character.

Alex: I wanted to use the Dracula archetype, so I needed an aristocratic, Old World, Eastern European vampire figure. I'd invented Zginski for a short story many years ago; when I began plotting the novel, I realized he fit perfectly with what I wanted to do, which in high-concept terms was "Dracula Meets the Lost Boys."

Zginski's primary characteristic, and his greatest weakness, is his arrogance. It's not so much based on his disdain for others as on his certainty that he is simply better, smarter and stronger than anyone else. He had these qualities as a mortal, and becoming a vampire just amplified them. And the thing is, he *is* smarter and stronger than almost everyone, but that "almost" keeps tripping him up.

PVN: What sort of research did you do for this book?

Alex: I'm old enough to remember the Seventies pretty clearly, and I was 12 in 1975, the year in which the book is set. Most of my research involved locking down whether or not things I recall actually happened before or after this date. Teresa Nelson, the Memphis contact for About.com, was invaluable in helping me verify this. I made one deliberately anachronistic choice (if you spot it, it means you were there), but otherwise tried to get everything as accurate as possible. The trickiest part was recreating the attitudes, which were on the cusp of the feminist and civil rights movements becoming truly mainstream. Lip service was paid to equality as a concept back then, but the reality--especially in the South--retained a lot of the old status quo.

The older historical bits, particularly Zginski's plan to turn a profit on the Irish Potato Famine, required old-fashioned grunt work. Luckily, I enjoy that sort of thing.

PVN: Will there be a sequel to Blood Groove?

Alex: There will be. It's titled "The Girls with Games of Blood," and it puts Zginski between two vampire sisters who have been feuding over men since the Civil War. It will be out in the spring of 2010.

PVN: What authors inspire you?
Alex: In vampire fiction, my taste runs to the classics: "Dracula," LeFanu's "Carmilla," and the long-winded but absurdly fun "Varney the Vampire." In horror fiction I'm a long-standing fan of H.P. Lovecraft, especially "At the Mountain of Madness." In more general fiction I admire Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Andrew Vachss, Ross Macdonald, Robert B. Parker, Charles de Lint and William Faulkner.


PVN: Describe your writing day and what your writing environment is like.

Alex: I'm a stay-at-home parent, so my writing day revolves around my one-year-old son. When he's napping I'm chained to my laptop, and when he's awake, I'm usually editing something with pen and paper. It's a bit chaotic, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

PVN: Anything else you would like to add.

Alex: Blood Groove comes out on April 28th from Tor Books, and on unabridged audio from Blackstone.

PVN: Alex, thanks so much for this interview!



The contest portion is closed.
Now for the Contest information:

One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of Blood Groove

For a chance to win do one (or more) of the following:

*Comment on any subject from the interview. Each comment on a different subject counts as an entry.

*Ask Alex a question. Each question counts as an entry.

*Link to Patricia's Vampire Notes and send me the URL or on Twitter use @patriciaaltner in the Tweet. Each link or Tweet counts as an entry.

Be sure to give me your email information so that I will be able to contact you.

The contest will end Friday April 24 at 11:59 PM ET

Vampire Sites for Valentine's Day

Author Catherine Carp at Suburban Vampire has a list of Vampire Valentine's Gifts. My favorite is Th1rte3n's Closet- Home of Hand Made Deadly Bears.






At Sidhe Vicious Reviews there is a contest for an autographed copy of Amanda Ashley's latest book Night's Pleasure, Zebra, Feb 2009. Contest runs until Feb. 23.

From the publisher: Savanah Gentry's life was so much simpler when she was a reporter for the local newspaper. That was before her father's sudden death drew her into a mysterious new world she was just beginning to understand. A Vampire hunter by birth, Savanah has been entrusted with a legacy that puts everyone she cares for in danger - including the seductive, sensual Vampire who unleashes her most primal desires. Rane Cordova has always been alone, half hating himself for his dark gift even as he relishes its extraordinary power. But one look at Savanah fills him with the need to take everything she has to give and carry her to heights of unimagined ecstasy. And though he never intended their relationship to go this far, now Savanah is in more danger than she knows - and facing a relentless enemy determined to eliminate Rane and all his kind.



Watch Spook House Dave's Bleeding Heart puppet video.
"Once again, the seasons have turned to the time of year when love and all of its passionate longings fill the hearts of completely average young boys who just happen to live in haunted castles with adopted "families" of monsters and other creepy things. In this special "daytime drama" episode of Spook House Dave!, our romantic hero risks everything for the one true love that may be too scary even for him."
Kinda cute, I think.




Check out Midnight Moon Cafe for Hump Day Hunks. A great group photo of fire fighters at their hunkiest!
(OK, they aren't vampires, but so what!)




Sookie Stackhouse fans be sure to look at the True Blood Fan Art Valentine Gallery











Buffy and Spike

Blood Groove - Review

Blood Groove

by Alex Bledsoe. 

Tor, April 2009.

Baron Rudolfo Zginski awakes after 50 years in a coffin with a gold crucifix wedged into his heart. He has been transported from a small town in Wales, where he had been judged to be a vampire, to a University medical morgue in Memphis TN. The year is now 1975. Zginski is a quick study, but he finds the modern world quite perplexing. Much of the humor found in this vampire horror story comes from his quaint way of describing contemporary conveniences like the automobile as well as from his fascination with such things as movies. He is enthralled by Blackula.

The Baron has a strict set of priorities - what he needs and wants comes first. Concern for others comes second if at all. His fortunate discovery of a group of naive, young vampires (their knowledge of their undead status coming mostly from movies) helps him navigate this bizarre new world. In turn he shares his knowledge of vampire characteristics such as being able to walk in daylight. Yes, they can! As long as their needs don't interfere with his own he is willing to show them the way. But if things get sticky, and they will, he plans to take off. The biggest danger facing all of the vampires is a mysterious gray powder which has already caused one true death.

Couple that with a single-minded, ruthless medical examiner and you have an intoxicating brew of mystery, humor, and horror. For readers with a weak constitution there are a few gory scenes but only a few and sexual seduction, because it is one of a vampires primary powers, is often employed. All in all this is an edgy, enthralling, entertaining story.

Review of Vampire Novel Dark Harvest

Dark Harvest (Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist series)
by Lynda Hilburn. Medallion Press, 2008.

As the story begins psychologist Kismit Knight is being interviewed by Carson Miller an obnoxious radio jock with a call-in show. She does her best to keep her cool while he feels her legs and makes crude remarks. After her adventures in The Vampire Shrink (Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist series)
Kismit has earned a reputation as an expert on the undead and a counselor to wannabe vampires. One caller asks Why do women get turned on by the idea of having sex with vampires? Here is how Kismit answers, "Women fantasize about males who are heroic, mysterious, or non-ordinary — as well as gorgeous with bodies to die for." (There's more of course but you'll need to read the book to find out what else Dr Knight has to say on the subject.)

A few other questions follow and then comes a caller with a deep sonorous voice that Kismit immediately recognizes as vampiric. Carson falls into a stupor as does all of the listening audience. Only Kismit can hear. The voice belongs to Lyren Hallow, an ancient, powerful vampire who admits to causing mischief because after being around so long he's bored. He has decided that Kismit, lover of Deveraux another powerful vampire, will be his new focus. And it doesn't take long before it's obvious that Hallow's seduction and terrorization of Kismit is all about his desire to destroy Deveraux.

Hallow might be described as the personification of evil, the ultimate psychopath who is at the same time incredibly handsome and seductive (see cover!). Kismit finds herself horrified at the shocking murder he forces her to witness; yet within a short span of time she becomes totally mesmerized by his sexuality. Hallow has gained a certain amount of control over Kismit. Her usual inhibitions are diminished causing her to flaunt herself like a floozy and enjoy every moment of it. And this leads to hilarious, flirtatious encounters with guys best described as boy toys. It's this combination of humor and horror that distinguishes the world Hilburn has created in both Kismit Knight novels. Will there be more such stories in this series? I certainly hope so.

The Vampire Shrink

The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn, Medallion Press, 2007.

"I didn't want to think about where I'd been all night. or what might have happened, or the media frenzy that was waiting for me. I absolutely didn't want to think about the possibility that there were real vampires. All I wanted was to be held, touched, and connected, without any expectations, rules, or complications"

Such was the wish of Denver psychologist Dr. Kismit Knight who has been through more than one harrowing moment in the past several hours. A new patient named Midnight told Kismit about the vampire world she had discovered at a great club called The Crypt. This teenager was enthralled with the head undead, Devereux, a handsome hunk by anyone's standards.


When Kismit meets Devereux the instantaneous and intense even lustful attraction astounds her. HIs enticing voice and mesmerizing eyes threaten to utterly overwhelm her. He can read her thoughts, talk to her telepathically, all the while making her want to melt into his arms. She's not sure how he does it, but the idea of a paranormal explanation is completely absurd. However the notion that he might be dangerous especially to young people like Midnight still concerns her.

Into this mix enters Alan Stevens, an FBI agent with a PhD in abnormal psychology, who is almost as good-looking and alluring as Devereux. And, as it turns out, Alan has been pursuing culprits in bizarre murders where victims have been totally drained of their blood. He knows the victims were dispatched by vampires, yes real vampires. Not only that, he knows Devereux and considers him trustworthy, one of the good undead. Kismit is flabbergasted.

Denial is a strong emotion to which Kismit clings. Not until she is abducted by an overpowering evil and left to die in a chamber of horrors does she begin to concede their might be something to this other reality after all.

It's not easy to combine horror, humor and realistic characters but Lynda Hilburn does it with ease. Kismit is a gal who must quickly learn her own strength. Her survival and others depend on it. Hilburn describes her novel as "urban fantasy romance with mystery elements, sex, dark humor, and a contemporary vibe." I would say that puts the story quite succinctly. Dark Harvest, the next book in the series will be available October 1, 2008.