The Reluctant Vampire

You'd think that a series about vampires that don't have much in the way of special powers and just owe their immortality to nanotechnology and who don't have to woo their romantic interests because they are preordained "life mates" would get pretty boring after just a few books, but that isn't the case.  Even though the latest in Lynsay Sand's Argeneau vampire series is approximately the 500th book in the series (I may be exaggerating slightly.  It actually is book 15, I think), she manages to keep the romance alive and the characters fresh. 

In this installment of the Argeneau saga, Drina Argenis (from the Spanish branch of the Argeneau family) is sent to Port Henry to help babysit and guard the teenaged Stephanie McGill, who they believe Leonis is looking for as a potential breeder.  Stephanie decides to play matchmaker between Drina and her fated life mate Harper, who is still in mourning from recently losing another life mate.  Of course, being a Lynsay Sand's novel, much love and laughs ensue.

Playing Catch-up with Book Releases

I've been slacking on this blog lately (I think I got buried in my TBR pile from the library!) and missed a couple things, so I think it is about time I get caught up, so you don't miss any of these if you didn't know they were coming out!

Undead and Undermined (Undead/Queen Betsy):  Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor thought she couldn't die. So what's she doing in the morgue? It could have something to do with a time- traveling trip she made, and a foe with a wicked agenda that could finally be the real death of Betsy-if she's not careful.

Kitty's Big Trouble (Kitty Norville, Book 9):  Kitty Norville is back and in more trouble than ever.  Her recent run-in with werewolves traumatized by the horrors of war has made her start wondering how long the US government might have been covertly using werewolves in combat. Have any famous names in our own history might have actually been supernatural?  She's got suspicions about William Tecumseh Sherman.  Then an interview with the right vampire puts her on the trail of Wyatt Earp, vampire hunter.

But her investigations lead her to a clue about enigmatic vampire Roman and the mysterious Long Game played by vampires through the millennia.  That, plus a call for help from a powerful vampire ally in San Francisco, suddenly puts Kitty and her friends on the supernatural chessboard, pieces in dangerously active play.  And Kitty Norville is never content to be a pawn. . . .

Anita Blake is Back (Kinda)

Ever since Anita Blake went from being a super awesome kick-ass heroine to a...how should I put this nicely...person rather dependent on certain types of male attention to function, I've seriously considered putting the books down and never picking one back up.  This book did a lot to renew my hope that maybe Anita can stop being the ultimate-anti-feminist (as I've started to see her, since she draws her powers from the arduer, which basically makes her a slave to sex and since she's completely hetero, that makes her dependent on men) and start kicking some monster butt again,.  She definitely did kick some monster butt in this book too!

The writing in Hit List wasn't as good as the early books, which kind of makes me think that maybe Hamilton has gotten so used to writing vampire smut that she struggles to remember how to write an actual story, but it is a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned and I hope the future Anita Blake novels keep heading this way!

(If you leave a comment that has spoilers in it about this book, please start it off with a "spoiler alert")

New Releases Today!

I'm sure I miss lots of great new releases of relevant books, but, at least at this time, I'm only showing the releases that I'm excited about, since I try not to promote crappy books and, if I'm not familiar with the author's work, how am I supposed to know whether it is suckish (as my kids say) or good?

Anyway, here are today's releases that I can't wait to read (blurbs blatantly stolen from Amazon, as usual):

The Reluctant Vampire (Argeneau Vampires):  Has this immortal finally met her match?

Rogue hunter Drina Argenis (from the Spanish side of the Argeneau family) has been many things in her years as an immortal, but bodyguard/babysitter to a teenage vampire is something new. There's an incentive, however: the other vampsitter, Harper Stoyan, may be Drina's life mate.

Trouble is, having just lost a life mate, Harper is resigned to being alone. He's completely unprepared when sexy and unpredictable Drina bursts into his life to reignite his passions. Can Drina, with a little matchmaking help from their teen charge, tempt this reluctant vampire to take a chance?

Or will a dangerous, unseen renegade kill Drina and Harper's one chance at happiness?



 Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, Book 5):
Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job. 

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, but she's still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be-now that the Order is disparaging her good name. Plus, many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate's mate.

So when Atlanta's premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. But it turns out that this is not an isolated incident. Kate needs to get to the bottom of it-and fast, or the city and everyone dear to her may pay the ultimate price...

Chicagoland Vampires

At first, I wasn't thrilled with this series by Chloe Neill.  I actually recently came across an old booklist of books I'd read and I had noted that I started to read the first book in the series, Some Girls Bite, and abandoned it about halfway through, something I rarely do, apparently largely because I wasn't feeling the characters, but also due in part because the language and cultural references felt very dated, so I felt like I was reading something that came out in the '90s, even though it was actually published in 2009 and was supposed to take place in 2016.

Fortunately for me, I forgot all this until today, when I was looking for old reviews I'd written to possibly put up on this site.  When I came across the Chicagoland Vampires series again recently, probably as an Amazon.com recommendation, I recognized it as a series I'd begun and assumed that the second book just hadn't come out yet when I read the first, so I requested it from the library.

That book, Friday Night Bites, was much better than the first in the series.  I don't know if maybe it was because it didn't say what year it was supposed to take place in (and I'd forgotten from when I'd read the part of the first book that I did) so any references didn't seem horribly outdated, or maybe she just got better at writing.  Regardless, before I was even done with that book, I requested the third in the series, Twice Bitten, from the library as well.

I just got done reading Twice Bitten and I found it to be the most enjoyable of the series so far.  Of course, the fourth book, Hard Bitten, just came out a couple days ago and I haven't gotten a hold of a copy yet, so that might be better yet...or worse, but so far, the series seems to be improving with each book.  I do have that fourth book requested from the library and am looking forward to the fifth book, Drink Deep, to come out this fall.

Chicagoland Vampires books to date (in proper reading order; blurbs courtesy of Amazon.com):

Some Girls Bite: Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude— and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood.

Friday Night Bites: Ten months after vampires revealed their existence to the mortals of Chicago, they're enjoying a celebrity status usually reserved for the Hollywood elite. But should people learn about the Raves-mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle-the citizens will start sharpening their stakes.

So now it's up to the new vampire Merit to reconnect with her upper class family and act as liaison between humans and bloodsuckers, and keep the more unsavory aspects of the vampire lifestyle out of the media. But someone doesn't want peace between them-someone with an ancient grudge...

Twice Bitten: Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit, Chicago's newest vampire. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene-and to spy for the vamps while she's at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan's offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.

Unfortunately, someone is gunning for Gabriel, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She'll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals-not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries-old master vampire.

 Hard Bitten:  Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals-and they're camping outside of Cadogan House with protest signs that could turn to pitchforks at any moment. Inside its doors, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan are...tense. But then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: get your House in order. Or else.

Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn't help that she can't tell who's on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who's tall, dark, and part of underground vamp group that may have some deep intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in the heady, dark heart of Chicago's supernatural society-a world full of vampires who seem ready to fulfill the protesting human's worst fears, and a place where she'll learn that you can't be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands...

 Drink Deep (scheduled for release 11/1/11): Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and Merit the vampire can't tell if this is the darkness before the dawn, or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times have never been more precarious for the vampires. If only they could lay low for a bit...
Then magic rears its ugly head when Lake Michigan turns black. The mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows a panic is coming. She'll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who's behind this, and stop them before it's too late for both the vampires and humans

Size Does Matter...when it comes to the heroine

One of the things that irritates the heck out of me is skinny bitches.  Not so much real people, because real people tend to have redeeming qualities I can relate to and make them more human in my eyes.  Not so with characters in books.  You see, at a size 12 on the bottom and XL on top, I'm not exactly skinny myself.  I'm not humongous or grotesque, just have a little extra padding in the middle (and the XL on top is all in the right places, baby!).  Having four kids will do that to you.  So a lot of time, I have a difficult time relating to the heroine in some stories, especially romantic ones, where she's all skin and bones and boobs.  Well, I can relate to the boobs part, but not so much the rest.

I don't know why this is such a problem with me.  I can always relate the hero to my husband (yeah, I'm a sap like that.  I like to see myself as the heroine and him as the hero), even when the hero is tall, blond, and has brown eyes, none of which describes my honey.  Somehow, my brain makes it work.  I guess I'm just harder on myself or something.

Every now and then, a heroine comes along that I can relate to, because, apparently in this case, size does matter.  One such character is Glory St. Claire of the "Real Vampires" series by Gerry Bartlett.  This series is wonderful and I'm not just saying that because I'm pretty sure Ms. Bartlett will be reading this and I'm trying to suck up so ultimately she'll write Glory as ending up with the fella I want her to be with (GO RAFE!).  It isn't dark or deep or anything like that, but it is fun and fresh and I count down until each new book is released because I can't wait until I see what this slightly larger lady is up to next.  Here is the series to date in correct reading order (blurbs blatantly stolen from Amazon, since Amazon and I are conspiring in the hopes that you will buy these books): 

Real Vampires Have Curves:  Plus-sized vampire Glory St. Claire has a new business venture and an old, on-off boyfriend. Blade wants to protect her from the techno-freak vampire hunter stalking the streets of Austin, but it's time for Glory to explore her own powers.

Real Vampires Live Large: It's not easy to keep a boyfriend, run a business, and survive for centuries as one of the immortal undead. Glory St. Clair knows-ever since a sexy Scottish vampire bit her while she was a tad...bloated. But when a frustrated vampire hunter firebombs her vintage clothing boutique, she's ready to pitch a fit. Then her long-time, part-time lover takes off in a rage to hunt the hunter and prove himself worthy of her. And that's only the beginning of her troubles.

The Energy Vampires want her-and not in a good way. They're paranormal drug dealers, selling thrills to those who've lived for ages, been everywhere, and done everything...and they want to suck Glory dry. But it'll take more than a few super-suckers to get the goods out of her.

Real Vampires Get Lucky:  When a female loan shark named Lucky is attacked and left for dead, vampire Glory St. Clair turns her into one of the undead to save her––but eternity would have been safer without her. Vamps prefer a low profile, and that’s not Lucky’s style. She prefers to flaunt her sexy rock-star ex-boyfriend and great shoes. Trouble is, her flamboyant behavior is not only drawing every vampire hunter within miles— it’s bringing her would-be killer out of hiding, too.

Real Vampires Don't Diet: Gloriana St. Claire-curvy, stylish, and undead-is spending New Year's Eve alone. And it's all because her boyfriend, Jeremy Blade, is traipsing off to parts unknown to rescue his supposed daughter from the clutches of "dangerous radicals." But just as Glory settles in for the evening, a phone call from the bodyguard of a drunk, newly-undead rock star could end her year on a crazy note.

Real Vampires Hate Their Thighs: Glory St. Clair loves soaking up Hollywood's vampire nightlife with her sexy Scottish lover, Jeremiah. Especially when she meets a vampire/ diet guru who promises to give her the body she's wanted for centuries. One problem: his clan and Jeremiah's are ancient enemies. But Glory's not about to let a stupid family feud come between her and slender bliss. Yet, she can't help but wonder...how much is she willing to risk for her hips? And how much (and precisely what) is she willing to lose?

Real Vampires Have More to Love:  Glory St. Clair is a vampire with man trouble. Between her on-again, off-again lover Jeremy Blade, smoking hot rock star Ray Caine, and former bodyguard turned apartment mate Valdez, there's enough man-candy around to make even a gal with a liquid diet feel a sugar rush.

Glory's got no time to enjoy it, though, considering that she's in the middle of planning her best friend's wedding. And let's not forget that there happens to be a hit on her head, thanks to when she took out a techno-freak billionaire. Now, between planning a bachelorette party and dodging stakes, Glory has to decide which man she really wants, before her love life meets an early grave...

 Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six (scheduled for release August 2, 2011):  After Glory St. Clair kicked out the demon that had set up shop in her body, she had a serious fallout with longtime lover Jeremy Blade. But before Glory can win him back, she has some issues of the hellish variety to deal with.

When Lucifer himself offers Glory the ultimate temptation-work for the devil and he'll make her a size six-the curvy vampire's not sure if she can resist. But what Glory does know is that somehow, she's going to get back the man she loves and show everyone that real vampires always have more to love.

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 There is also an 8th installment, Real Vampires Hate Skinny Jeans, due out in April of 2012, but that's all the information I have on it right now.