The Vampire Film: From Nosferatu to Twilight - Review

The Vampire Film: From Nosferatu to Twilight
by Alain Silver and James Ursini
4th edition
Limelight, 2010

This is the 4th edition [updated and expanded] of the popular tome by Alain Silver and James Ursini. The subtitle From Nosferatu to Twilight shows the coverage continues through the popular series which made the successful transition from print to the silver screen. Television is not neglected. Linda Brookover contributes an article about HBO's True Blood and vampire politics. "True Blood is a parody of antebellum intolerance, where the vampire is just the latest entity to be vilified for wanting equality, unusual but not unknown to the horror genre." p314. [True Blood is loosely based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris.]

Vampire films contains the  potent combination of sex and bloody violence some more savage than others, but the fusion of two powerful symbols continue to mesmerize viewers. There is of course room for beauty and The Vampire Film  offers plenty of feast for the eyes.

Every page has beautiful full color (and some black and white) stills and posters from films and television.  Chapter three The Female Vampire begins with a full page photo of late actress Ingrid Pitt in her role as the notorious Elizabeth Bathory in the movie Countess Dracula (1971), and Christopher Lee in his first appearance as Dracula opens Chapter one Sources of Vampire Lore in Film.

I admit to a weakness for vampires and photographs. This book can keep me occupied for hours simply paging through, admiring the stunning pictures, and reading  passionate passages about the subject matter. You don't need to be a film buff to enjoy this gorgeous volume, but if you are it will only add to your enjoyment. Besides the well written text there is  an extensive filmography (including foreign language)  guaranteed to keep your Netflix queu  filled for months.

This terrific book belongs on the shelf of any vampire or horror aficionado..

[I received a copy of this book from the publisher and one from my husband for Christmas. I am twice blessed.]

Dianne Duvall Interview and Contest

Today author Dianne Duvall visits PVN to discuss her newest release Darkness Dawns, a paranormal romance now available in bookstores. She is offering a signed copy of the book to one lucky reader.
[See contest details at end of post.]


PVN: Would you give us an overview of the Immortal Guardians series?

Dianne: My Immortal Guardians series takes a new approach to the increasingly popular vampire romance genre.  In this series, vampires are not the heroes.  They are the villains . . . and somewhat tragic ones at that, though it’s difficult to feel sorry for them considering their vile actions.  Neither immortals nor the vampires who war with them are undead.

The vampiric traits they posses are the result of a rare symbiotic virus, one that drives humans who are infected with it mad.  But immortals differed genetically from humans even before their transformation.  Exceedingly powerful warriors with remarkably advanced DNA, the Immortal Guardians will take readers on a treacherous journey as they endeavor to discover the truth behind their existence, encounter new preternatural beings and face increasingly complex challenges spawned by an escalating number of formidable foes.

PVN: Tell us about Sarah Bingham and her profession as a music professor. Does this play an important part in the story?

Dianne: When Darkness Dawns begins, the spring semester has just ended, so the primary role Sarah’s profession plays in the story is driving her to alleviate stress by working in her garden that first morning.  When she meets Roland and comes to his rescue at great risk to herself, Sarah sets the plot into motion.  I also wanted her to have a profession that did not routinely put her in danger (the way law enforcement and similar occupations would) so entering Roland’s world would require even greater adjustment. 
 
PVN: What are the characteristics of the vampires in your series?

Dianne: Vampires in my Immortal Guardians series are ordinary humans who have been infected with a very rare virus that behaves unlike any other virus on the planet.  While it lends them incredible speed, strength and regenerative healing capabilities, it also afflicts them with extreme photosensitivity and a need for frequent blood infusions.  Worse, the virus swiftly damages the brain, causing vampires to descend into madness.  Consequently, even an inherently good man infected with the virus will become a monster who preys on humans.

PVN: Please describe the immortals.

Dianne: Immortals in my series are infected with the same virus as the vampires.  But immortals were something more than human even before their transformation or infection with the virus.  Though they don’t know the source of it or the reasons for their difference, immortals were born with far more advanced DNA than ordinary humans.  That DNA not only lends them special gifts (telepathy, clairvoyance, telekinesis, the ability to heal with their hands, teleportation and/or others), it mutates the virus and protects them from the madness that afflict vampires.

PVN: What attracts you to the paranormal?

Dianne: Paranormal romance combines my two favorite fiction genres:  romance and horror.  It expertly weaves all of the action-adventure and chilling moments I find in horror novels together with the love and happily-ever-afters that draw me to romances.  It provides an entertaining escape into a world that differs greatly from the one in which we inhabit.  And, while other media often seem to mock love and scorn fidelity, paranormal romances feature heroes and heroines who fall so deeply in love with each other they are willing to sacrifice anything to spend centuries, if not millennia, together. 

PVN: How did you go about researching the medieval time period?

Dianne: Prior to Darkness Dawns, I wrote a medieval romance with paranormal elements and a time travel romance (both of which are prequels to Darkness Dawns) that take place either entirely or largely in Medieval England.  This required extensive research into the political history and daily life of residents of England at the turn of the thirteenth century.

Since sources of information on the internet can be unclear, I relied on books, some of which I listed on my website:  www.DianneDuvall.com .  This actually made giving Roland and his fellow immortal Marcus in Darkness Dawns subtle medieval mannerisms and describing their pasts very easy because I was already so familiar with the era of their births, which might be why my editor once mentioned she thinks Darkness Dawns will appeal not only to paranormal romance readers, but to historical romance readers as well.

PVN: One of your interests, besides writing, is film production. Would you tell us about the work involved and some of the films you have worked on?

Dianne: I began working in the local independent film industry in college and have done so in varying capacities ever since.  In Pre-Production, I have served as script editor, casting coordinator (organizing casting calls, etc.), and broken scripts down into shooting schedules.  In Production, I more often than not serve as script supervisor and provide special effects and special effects make-up, but have also appeared onscreen as an extra a few times.

I’m actually very camera shy, but have to admit running at the camera while swinging a machete and screaming like a banshee can be fun.  :-)   In Post-Production, I edit films shot in HDV or DV, make trailers and design movie posters.  The latest project I worked on was a horror feature film entitled Ghosts.  I worked all three stages of production.  And, though it’s still in Post-Production (an award-winning composer is scoring it and I’m currently adding computer generated special effects to it), I’m very excited by the buzz it has already created in the media.

PVN: Who are some of the authors who have influenced you?

Dianne: Though I write paranormal romance, one of the greatest influences has been Stephen King.  Every time I read one of his books I learn something new about writing.  And I consider his book On Writing a must-read for all aspiring writers.  Julie Garwood, Kinley MacGregor and Johanna Lindsey are amongst the historical authors who influenced me.  Early paranormal romance writers like Maggie Shayne and Lori Herter fired my imagination and inspired my love of vampire and other paranormal romances.

PVN: Please tell us about your writing day and your writing environment.

Dianne: I would love to say that I have a very strictly regimented writing routine like Stephen King, who writes for a fixed amount of time every morning . . . but I don’t.  Sometimes I write in the morning.  Sometimes I write late at night.  I even frequently alter my writing environment.  If I write at the computer in my home office, I need quiet.  Absolute quiet broken by nothing more than birds.  But neighbors don’t always cooperate.  So, more often than not, I grab my AlphaSmart NEO and head elsewhere.  One of my bizarre writing quirks, in fact, is that I don’t necessarily need quiet when I work on the NEO.  I take it everywhere with me and have even been known to sit and churn out pages on the set of the independent films I work or while surrounded by a large crowd in a concert hall while I’m waiting for the concert to begin.

PVN: Where can readers find you?

Dianne: My website:  http://www.DianneDuvall.com
My blog The Immortal Realm:  http://dianneduvall.blogspot.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000816605112
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/DianneDuvall

PVN: Anything else you would like to add?

Dianne: I hope readers will enjoy my Immortal Guardians series!  To celebrate the release of Darkness Dawns, I’m holding a Win a Kindle contest.  Readers can learn more on my website and on my blog.

CONTEST 

*Dianne is offering a copy of Darkness Dawns to one lucky reader.

   

*Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. 

*Contest is international. 

*Contest ends Feb. 21, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

Melissa de la Cruz - Guest Blog and Contest

 

PVN is delighted to have New York Times best-selling author Melissa de la Cruz as today's guest blogger. Melissa's most recent book is Bloody Valentine, three short stories featuring characters from her young adult Blue Bloods saga.

"Might a witchy new girl help cure Oliver’s broken heart? How did Allegra fall in love with a human? Will Schuyler and Jack finally be bonded? Romantic and sensual, BLOODY VALENTINE illustrates that in matters of the heart, even vampires are prey…"
 
[Three lucky commenters will win a copy of Bloody Valentine See details at the end of the post.]


Since my favorite story in Bloody Valentine is Just Another Night in Suck City featuring a new character, the witch Freya, I asked Melissa the following question: How do Freya and the witches view the Blue Bloods?


Melissa answers:

I feel I can't answer this question without spoiling the book, since the part where the Blue Bloods characters appear in Witches is a really fun part of Witches of East End for Blue Bloods fans, and this question is answered there. Instead I'll talk about the process of writing Witches.

The idea came from the title. Blue Bloods came from the title as well, (Blue Bloods=American vampire elite) so I thought it was a good sign of things to come that I liked the title so much. Yes, it's a play on Witches of Eastwick, and I think all books are in conversation with each other, so I like the playful part of it, but I also like the whole idea of the "East End."

My husband and I used to rent a house on Shelter Island, so I am a bit familiar with the Hamptons, and in fact, set my first YA book there—The Au Pairs. So having the Witches set in that part of the world, a paranormal in the Hamptons—felt like "going back home" in a way.

So I had a title. Witches of East End. But who were these Witches? And what was so special about the Hamptons? How do I make the Hamptons paranormal? I started doing a little digging, and discovered the history of Gardiners Island, one of the oldest privately-owned islands in the country. So that became one part of it. I also find a lot of my books come from images, just cool stuff that I want to write about. I loved the images from that documentary Grey Gardens, this idea of these sort of kooky, useless women—or I should say, utterly useless in productivity and housekeeping, but totally useful for a life they don't lead anymore. These women could never hold down a job or keep house, but they were the kind of women who could throw parties, host salons and be charming and witty.


So I wanted to write about that, and I also wanted to write about a family of women. I have a very close relationship with my mom and my sister, and I wanted to write about what that is like, two sisters dealing with a strong mother. And I knew I wanted to write about Norse mythology, which is incredibly tragic and has all these super-sad love stories, and one of the hardest parts of writing the book ended up being how much of the mythology I would use, and how much I could change.

I wanted to write about a small town, so I decided I wanted to write about the Hamptons, but not the "Hamptons-Hamptons" per se. So I decided I would make the town a fictional one, and made up the town of "North Hampton." In New York, there is East Hampton, Westhampton and Southampton, but no North Hampton.

When we used to live on Shelter Island, we went to the Ram's Head Inn all the time, and some of our friends dated fishermen whose families had lived on the island for generations. These boys (who were always very cute) made all their money in the summer, catching big-eye tuna to sell to Japanese buyers, and then in the winter, they just sort of hung out at the bar. So I had this idea of setting it at the Ram's Head, (and I was very gratified when one of the sales reps who had lived on Shelter Island said – "is the North Inn Bar based on the Ram's Head – because that's what I thought when I read it?" Yes! Yes it is.)

So that's where the book comes from: sisters, strong mom, Hamptons, Ram's Head, Gardiners Island, Norse mythology, magic, tragic romance, hot boys.
Witches of East End comes out June 21st. Hope you all enjoy it!

CONTEST

*Melissa is offering a copy of Bloody Valentine to three lucky readers.

*Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. 

*Contest is limited to US and Canadian residents.

*Contest ends Feb. 17, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

Read PVN's review of Bloody Valentine

New Vampire Releases for January 2011

The new year begins with a list of interesting vampire reads. Be sure to also check out the list of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal books on SciFiGuy.ca

Angel at Dawn (Novel of the Upyr)
by Emma Holly
Berkley; Original edition (January 4, 2011)

Five hundred years ago, Grace Gladwell had captured Christian Durand's  heart and then abandoned him in his darkest hour. Seeing Grace again  after all these years has sent Christian reeling-even though she seems  to remember nothing of the medieval soldier, he wants her more than  ever. But is Grace merely a pawn of the vampire queen who has set her  immortal sights on Christian?      

Archangel's Consort (Guild Hunter) 

by Nalini Singh

Berkley (January 25, 2011)

An ancient and malevolent female immortal is rising in Manhattan to  reclaim her son, the archangel Raphael. Only one thing stands in her  way: Elena Deveraux, a vampire-hunter-and Raphael's lover.

Awakened (House of Night)
by PC and Kristen Cast
St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (January 4, 2011)

“My love, speak to me.  Tell me everything.”   Neferet went to Kalona, kneeling before him, stroking the soft, dark  wings that unfurled loosely around the immortal. 

“What would you have me say?”  He didn’t meet her eyes.
 
 “Zoey lives.” Neferet’s voice was flat, cold, lifeless.

“She does.”

“Then you owe me the subservience of your immortal soul.”  She started to walk away from him.

“Where are you going?  What will happen next?”

 “It  is quite simple.  I will ensure Zoey is drawn back to Oklahoma.  There,  on my own terms, I will complete the task you failed.”

Exonerated  by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High  Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on  Zoey.  Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use  against Z.  But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is  being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there.  Being Queen  would be cool, wouldn’t it?  Why should she return to Tulsa? After  losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her  relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same  either…

And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim?  The Raven Mocker  refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when  no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their  relationship?  Does he betray his father or his heart?

In the  pulse-pounding 8th book in the bestselling House of Night series, how  far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties  that bind one girl’s heart?

 
Blood and Destiny: Ladies of St. George, Book 1
by Kaye Chambers
Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (March 2, 2010)


When the past bites, bite back.

Ladies of St. George, Book 1

For  Destiny St. George, shapeshifting lioness and private investigator, her  best friend’s looming wedding is little more than a reminder of her  failed relationship with vampire king Marcus Smythe. Tired of being only  one of many mistresses—and dinner entrees—she’s stayed away from the  vampire scene altogether. Until a missing-person case forces her to seek  his help.

Knowing that pressing Destiny is not the way to  convince her to give their relationship another try, Marcus has been  waiting her out—and his patience is rewarded when she steps into his  nightclub. Now is his chance to lure her back into his arms. This time,  he plans to keep her there.

Destiny’s not sure which is worse:  working with Marcus, or trying to remember all the reasons she called it  off with him. And when it becomes clear the case is an elaborate trap  to avenge a millennia-old grudge, she finds herself caught between love  and instinct—while the clock ticks down on an innocent victim’s life…
Warning: Vampires determined to take more than a bite out of the heroine. A lioness sure that she’s going to have the last word.

Blood Maidens
Barbara Hambly
Severn House Publishers (January 1, 2011)

The new ‘James Asher’ vampire novel from the best-selling author - It’s  1911. War is coming, and according to one of the vampires of St.  Petersburg, the Kaiser is trying to recruit vampires. James Asher,  Oxford don and formerly on His Majesty’s Secret Service, is forced to  team up again with his vampire partner Don Simon Ysidro for a journey to  the subarctic Russian capital. Are they on the trail of a rogue vampire  with a plan to achieve the power to walk in daylight? Asher wonders. Or  is Ysidro’s real agenda to seek the woman he once loved?

Bloodshot
by Cherie Priest
Spectra Jan. 25. 2011

Raylene Pendle (AKA Cheshire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn’t usually hang with her own kind. She’s too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist—even though Ian doesn’t want precious artifacts. He wants her to retrieve missing government files—documents that deal with the secret biological experiments that left Ian blind. What Raylene doesn’t bargain for is a case that takes her from the wilds of Minneapolis to the mean streets of Atlanta. And with a psychotic, power-hungry scientist on her trail, a kick-ass drag queen on her side, and Men in Black popping up at the most inconvenient moments, the case proves to be one hell of a ride.

Crossed: A Void City Novel

by J. F. Lewis

Pocket (January 25, 2011)

COMMITTED. CONFLICTED. AND UTTERLY CHAOTIC.

Crossed: A Void City Novel In spite  of his continuing hot-blooded affair with his soon-to-be sister-in-law  Rachel, Eric’s plan is simple: Give his vampire girlfriend Tabitha the  fancy wedding she’s always wanted, then head off to Paris for their  honeymoon in the hopes of tracking down his sire, the Empress vampire  Lisette. The City of Love proves anything but romantic when the True  Immortal rulers of Europe try to block Eric from entering the  Continent—and subject Tabitha to a series of challenges to prove her  vampire worth.

Back home in Void City, Eric’s volatile daughter Greta is  getting lonely and bored—and that’s not good news for anyone. And  when, like a bat out of hell, Lisette descends upon Void City to wipe  Eric and his brood off the face of the earth—forever—this much is clear:  the honeymoon is over.     

        

Death's Sweet Embrace: A Dark Brethren Novel

by Tracy O'Hara

Eos (January 25, 2011)

After centuries of secret conflict, humans and  parahumans have reached an uneasy truce. But unspeakable evil now  threatens the tenuous peace.

Teenaged  shapeshifters are being slaughtered by a sadistic serial killer who rips  their still-beating hearts from their paralyzed bodies. A task force  forms to halt the madness, including the vampiric Aeternus Antoinette  Petrescu, as well as Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, members of enemy  Animalian tribes . . . and forbidden lovers.

 A centuries-old  blood feud has divided their shapeshifting peoples, and if their passion  is discovered it will doom them both. But past hostilities must be put  aside, for the killer they seek is but the first sign of the  all-consuming nightmare of The Dark Brethren.

Incubus  

by Janet Elizabeth Jones
Harlequin, Jan. 2011

To save his kind, Meical Grabian agrees to participate in a dangerous  experiment. One that takes his vampire's thirst for blood and leaves him  hungering for something new. An incubus can be sated only with passion  -- but what woman could love what he's become?

Yet when Caroline Bengal finds him abandoned in a snowy wood, she senses  his emotional turmoil and brings him to her desolate cabin. Caroline's  compassion and earthy beauty tempt the hunger Meical has desperately  been keeping at bay. And soon Meical is visiting Caroline's dreams,  seducing his prey while she sleeps.

But another predator has set his sights on Caroline, with more sinister  intentions. If Meical is ever to reveal his true nature to Caroline,  he'll have to earn her trust...and keep her alive.

The Kensei: A Lawson Vampire Novel
by Jon F. Merz
St. Martin's Griffin; Original edition (January 18, 2011)

Meet Lawson. A cynical, wise-cracking vampire charged with protecting  the Balance between vampires and humans, he is part cop, part spy, and  part commando -- James Bond with fangs. Lawson mixes shrewd cunning with  unmatched lethality to get his job done. He tries his best to dismantle  conspiracies, dispatch bad guys, and live long enough to get home. In The Kensei, a  battle-weary Lawson heads to Japan for a little rest and some advanced  ninja training. But he no sooner steps off the plane than lands in the  midst of a Yakuza turf war orchestrated by a shadowy figure known as the  Kensei. With the help of Talya, a former KGB-assassin, Lawson must put a  stop to the Kensei’s organ trafficking networks, prevent the creation  of an army of vampire-human hybrids, and save his own skin in the  process.

Lone Wolf

Karen Whiddon

Harlequin (December 21, 2010)

Disillusioned from his time serving as a Protector under a corrupt  Council, Anton Beck has vowed to have nothing to do with anything Pack.  He is looking forward to a few months of peace and quiet deep in the Big  Bend Mountains of Texas. That quiet is shattered when he's abducted and  held captive with none other than his ex-lover-turned-nemesis, Vampire  Huntress Marika. But that's not all. She bore his miracle child. And  that child has been taken….

It becomes clear that an ancient Vampire  priestess is behind the kidnapping, but why? To exploit the child's rare  gifts? In a race against time, two former lovers must overcome  bitterness and broken hearts in order to save their daughter—and save  themselves in the process.     

Mercy Blade (Jane Yellowrock, Book 3)
by Faith Hunter
Roc; Original edition (January 4, 2011)

Jane, a shapeshifting vampire-hunter-for-hire, crosses paths with a  stranger who has arrived in New Orleans, enlisted to hunt vampires who  have gone insane-or so he says...      

My Fair Succubi (The Succubus Diaries)
by Jill Myles
Pocket Star  Jan. 2011

IT SUCKS TO BE HER.

Living as a succubus has a bit of a learning  curve, but with sexy fallen angel Noah to scratch her sensual Itch,  Jackie Brighton is finally starting to feel ahead of the game. She almost doesn’t miss her gorgeous vampire master Zane—or his sinful, teasing mouth. She’s trying to convince herself of that, anyway.

But  Jackie’s past mistakes catch up with her, spinning her life out of  control once more. Just as her friend Remy’s inner demon comes out to  play, Noah and Jackie are arrested by the angelic Serim Council. When  Jackie seizes the chance to escape, she falls right into Zane’s waiting  arms. As she’s pulled into a game of cat and mouse between vampires and  angels, she finds she must also choose between the two men in her life.  Can she decide between Noah and Zane, or will she lose everything she’s  ever wanted? Because there’s more at stake than just her heart. . . .     



Night School (Blood Coven Vampire: Book 5)
by Mari Mancusi
Berkley Pub Group 
Available: January 4, 2011


After their parents' shocking revelation about their fae heritage and  an attack on their lives, the McDonald twins are forced to hide out deep  in the Swiss Alps at Riverdale Academy, a secret vampire slayer  training facility. And with no way to contact their vampire boyfriends  for rescue, they're going to have to play nice with the locals.

But when Sunny starts acting strange, Rayne realizes that there's more  to fear at Riverdale than getting staked by the student body-leading to a  showdown in Fairyland that may cost the twins their lives.     

Of Truth and Beasts - Noble Dead Saga
Barb and J. C. Hendee
Roc Hardcover (January 4, 2011)

In each of its novels, The Noble  Dead Saga has swept readers into a world of "Tolkienesque fantasy [and]  vampire-infused horror."* (Publishers Weekly)

Now, young  Journeyor Wynn Hygeorht finds herself cast into the wilds on a  dangerous quest for knowledge that may instead lead to her doom...     

Taken (Harlequin Nocturne)
Lilith SaintCrow
Harlequin (January 18, 2011)

Sophie never believed she was special. Avoiding a violent ex, she  can't remember the last time she truly felt safe. Then vampires murder  her best friend and Sophie is kidnapped by a dangerously sexy  shape-shifter. Zach insists that Sophie is a Shaman—someone with a rare  gift for taming his savage side—and he needs her to help him save his  pack. Now, with a malevolent enemy closing in, Sophie and Zach must risk  everything on a bond that may be their only salvation….     

Taken by Others
Jess Haines
Zebra; Original edition (January 1, 2011)

Once, New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest's most pressing problem was  keeping her agency afloat. Now she's dealing with two dangerous,  seductive vampires who have been enemies for centuries. The only thing  Max Carlyle and Alec Royce agree on is that they both want Shia - for  very different reasons. Max is determined to destroy Shia for killing  his progeny, while Royce's interest is a lot more personal. That's not  sitting well with Shia's werewolf boyfriend, Chaz. As the feud between  Max and Royce gets ever more deadly, a powerful vampire-hunting faction  is urging Shia to join their side. Shia has always believed vamps were  the bad guys, but she's discovering unexpected shades of grey that are  about to redefine her friends, her loyalties - and even her desires.

Throat
R. A. Nelson
Knopf Books for Young Readers (January 25, 2011)

R. A. Nelson takes us on a supernatural thrill ride, a modern-day  vampire story set on a NASA base and filled with space-and-science  intrigue. Seventeen-year-old Emma feels cursed by her epilepsy—until the  lost night. She's shocked to wake up in the hospital one morning, weak  from blood loss. When her memories begin to return, she pieces together  that it was a man—a monster—who attacked her: a vampire named Wirtz. And  it was her very condition that saved her: a grand mal seizure  interrupted Wirtz and left Emma with all the amazing powers of a  vampire—heightened senses, rapid speed—but no need to drink blood. Is  Emma now a half-vampire girl? One thing soon becomes clear: the vampire  Wirtz is fierce and merciless, feared even by his own kind, and won't  leave a job undone.

Vampire Sheikh (Harlequin Nocturne)
by Nina Bruhns

Harlequin (January 18, 2011)

Demigod Seth is enraged. The recent defections of his two favorite  lieutenants have sparked a conflagration of fury within him and a bitter  need for vengeance. Someone will pay, and pay dearly!

Who better than  Josslyn Haliday? Her two scheming sisters seduced and destroyed his  friends, luring them straight into the camp of his mortal enemy.

What  Seth doesn't count on is Joss's own anger. After losing her parents as a  child, she'll now do anything to find her two dear sisters and bring  them back to safety.

Anything.

Including making a deal with the devil—him. But how far is the soft, pliant temptress willing to go? 

This list also appeared on VampChix