Wandering Thoughts of a Writer: Vampires

Showing posts with label Vampires. Show all posts

I have to say, I enjoyed this story. United Service by Regina Morris, is part of a series; however, it can be a standalone book.

Sterling is a vampire who works undercover for the government. He has the ability to touch objects and receive information from them—psychometry. It’s a gift that helps him and his uncover team capture villains, but it’s also a curse. After Sterling uses his ability to get a lead on a case, he’s plagued with horrendous headaches, and his entire body itches. The only things that relieve those maddening symptoms is rain water and having sex with a woman who freely wants to. He can’t compel them to hop in bed with him because if he did, his pain won’t subside. So for over a hundred years, Sterling has used women to remedy his ailments. He’s never been in love and has given up on the idea of having a mate. He’s a half-breed, which in the land of Harry Potter, is equivalent to being a muggle. Pure-bred vampires tend to look down their noses at Sterling, so in his mind he has no hope to ever marry within his kind.

Sterling and his team are working on a case where vampires are being murdered. After the killer performs his brutal act, he kidnaps the offspring. These children will eventually become vampire themselves and a wacky religious cult called The Hands of God knows it.

Kate is a pure-bred vampire, and a nanny to a child who gets abducted. Kate winds up helping Sterling and his partner when she discovers The Hands of God has the child who was in her care. At first, Sterling is annoyed by Kate, but then he can’t deny his fierce attraction towards her, as well as his curiosity.

Something is not right about Kate.

She’s hiding a secret.

Her behavior with Sterling is running hot and cold, perplexing him. And why in the hell is she so damn clumsy?

I’m not into CSI type of stories, but I’m totally into this series, because it’s unique and much more than investigating a crime and catching the bad guys. There’s personal growth, dealing with family issues, romance, and of course the paranormal world of vampires living among humans undetected.

I think Regina is brilliant, and there are love scenes in United Service that are so well written and thought out, that I actually felt like a fly on the wall.

Amazing.

This book is a must read, and I recommend it to anyone who loves reading these types of books.

Buy links:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/United-Service-Colony-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00EXRFJ2K/

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/United-Service-Colony-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00EXRFJ2K/

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/united-service-regina-morris/1116306378?ean=9780988822276

book review, government, mystery, Paranormal, religious cult, romance, undercover, vampire children, Vampires, 0 Comments

Check this book out. It looks really good. I also love the cover.

Blurb:

Despite knowing full well of the existence of vampyres in 1727 London, Aine Gallagher never realized these monstrous creatures would change her life forever.

In saving her younger sister Felece from the powerful fangs of one such vampyre, Aine is forced to exist as one such creatures.

Now Aine’s one and only mission is to exact revenge on the vampyre who caused her so much pain, misery and self-hatred.

Author Bio:

Mark Mackey, living in Chicago, started writing when he submitted a simple poem to a contest which was later published in an anthology. In addition he has won two screenplay awards, one for the short screenplay Horror in the Woods, and one for the feature Length screenplay A Tale of Two Girls, both in the book Four Screenplays volume I. Also he has written several books, in the process of being edited, one including Genesis: The Elizabeth Chronicles now published by Pure Ice Publishing, and a short sequel, about to be published by them. This as well as having short stories published in several different charity anthologies with more in 2014 and hopefully beyond.

Where to purchase Aine:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Aine-Undead-Girl-Novel-Part-ebook/dp/B00M3L501I/

B&N (Nook Book):

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aine-mark-mackey/1119993474?ean=2940149829958

B&N (Paperback)

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aine-mark-mackey/1120015971?ean=9781500622466

author, book feature, immortality, London, revenge, Vampires, 0 Comments

Dark Illusions the Next Chapter is the second book in this cool ass trilogy.

Last year, I read the first one (Dark Illusions the Beginning) and reviewed it here on this blog. I really like this story, and I think Ariana Browning writes well.

*Spoiler Alert. There are spoilers in this review. You have been warned*

Kat has recently been “Awakened.” What that means is she’s a vampire with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf. She's a strong female character, and I absolutely love that about her.

The vampire/werewolf race is divided into clans. The two main ones are the Raaka and the Runsasi.

They don’t get along.

At all.

Kat is now part of the Raaka clan, whereas Julian, the man she loves, is the prince of the Runsasi. Towards the end in the last book, the Raaka went after Julian. The goal was to kill him so Cameron who rules the Raaka clan and through blood, is Kat’s mate, can become prince of all the clans. They almost succeeded in ending Julian’s life. In secret, Julian stays hidden so Cameron and the others will believe they indeed murdered him. Only a few people know he’s alive. Kat of course is one of them. Hell, she saved his ass. So, yeah, she knows.

This second book in the trilogy begins with Kat and Julian hiding out in his cabin. Julian wants to keep Kat safe because he knows Cameron will either kill her for ditching him or give her some serious beatings. Kat is strong-willed and has a mind of her own. She'll be damned if she’s going to allow Julian to keep her locked away from everyone. She’s also frustrated and pissed off that he’s not totally open with her. He’s always holding things back to protect her. She doesn’t take too kindly to his behavior and decides to do things her way.

Kat bails and soon after Cameron apprehends her. He takes her back to his place and keeps her chained up. Literally. Cameron and the Raaka clan notice something is different about Kat, but they can’t figure it out. Kat becomes aware of her differences as well, like she can heal faster than the others, she can stay out in the sun without its rays harming her, she can pick up people’s thoughts, and she’s quicker than she should be.

Kat is beautiful, and her presence radiates a sexual energy and confidence that turn heads when she enters a room. She uses it to her advantage.

Kat is a sexual dynamo.

When she’s hot and horny, everybody can sense her desires. But on the same token, she knows when one of the guys wants to ravish her body. It goes both ways I guess.

Sean is one of Cameron’s trusted friends and next in line to rule the Raaka clan. He and the Raaka guys form an alliance with Kat. She wants to eliminate Cameron, which will put Sean in power, and he’ll become her mate. She also plans on becoming queen to all the clans and change the rules that she feels are outdated. If she and Sean follow through with their plans, they’ll be defying Julian, and there will be hell to pay. He’s hardwired to kill, and if he gives in to his Ripper side, watch out. When he’s in that mindset, he’s a coldblooded murder and excels at it.

Will Kat destroy Cameron?

Will Kat, Sean, and some of the Raaka guys take on Julian and risk the wrath of the Ripper and possible death?

You’re going to have to read this book to find out. If you haven’t read the first one, you need to. This is a wonderful trilogy, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Illusions-Next-Chapter-Series-ebook/dp/B00HFFKCM4/

author, awakened, book review, clans, Vampires, werewolves, 0 Comments

Dark Illusions by A.H. Browne was a good book. I enjoyed it. It’s about a race of vampires who can shapeshift into a wolf, and they’re divided into two clans–the Raaka and Runsasi. Julian is the prince of the Runsasi clan and whatever he says concerning both groups goes. He’s the most powerful of them all and enforces the law that they all live in peace among humans. The Raaka hates Julian and is determined to overthrow him so they can make up their own rules to follow.

Kat is human and not only is she strong-willed, she’s beautiful and exudes an aura that’s fetching and brimming with sex appeal. The Raaka wants her for their queen and will stop at nothing to claim her. When they begin to pursue her, she has no idea what these men want. They chase her down an alley where she comes face to face with a manlike creature wearing a preacher’s outfit. He’s hairless, has reddish black, bottomless eyes, and his long ears points at the end. His name is Kober and my favorite character in this book. He helps her and is Julian’s ally.

Knowing Julian can protect Kat, Kober decides to take her to Julian’s house. When Julian and Kat meet, they’re immediately attracted to each other. There’s a connection between them, though, Julian denies it at first. He offers Kat protection from the Raaka and has Kober watch over her while he investigates why the leader of the opposing clan is eager to capture her. He becomes mortified when he discovers they want to Awaken Kat and make her their queen. No human is allowed to be Awakened–become one of them–without Julian’s consent. It’s against their laws. But the leader of the Raaka clan is determined to do it and will stop at nothing to make Kat one of their own and to possess her like she’s his personal property.

Dark Illusions is an imaginative story. Kat is feisty and doesn’t like to be told what to do. I enjoyed her character and the hot scenes A.H. Browne wrote. I think she’s a good writer with lots of potential. The only two grips I have about this tale are Kat isn’t surprised when she discovers vampire shapeshifters exist in the shadows of humanity. If I found that out, you bet your sweet ass I’d be flabbergasted, and I’d have to reevaluate my reality. The second one is Kat’s job. When she’s kidnapped nobody at her job is alarmed by her sudden absence, and then when Kat returns to her place of employment it’s like nothing ever happened. I wish A.H. Browne had spent more time on those two details to make it more realistic. But regardless, this is a good book and worth the time to read it. In fact, I’m looking forward to the next one. So I do recommend this to readers who are into these type of stories.

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Illusions-Beginning-Series-ebook/dp/B007AVHNNO/

book review, clans, creature, shapeshifters, Vampires, 0 Comments

When somebody asks me what my favorite book is, more than a few automatically pop in my head: 1984 by George Orwell, The Stand by Stephen King, Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I love them all and have read them more than once and will probably read them again in the future.

I grew up reading Anne Rice’s vampire chronicles, and if you haven’t read Interview With the Vampire and love those types of stories, I suggest you go on Amazon and buy it pronto. She is the Godmother of Vampire stories.

Interview With the Vampire is about Louis who became a vampire in 1791 at the age of 25. He was living in Louisiana. He had a plantation on the Mississippi, near New Orleans. After his brother died, Louis drank all the time and lived like a man who wanted to die but didn’t have the courage to do it himself. In his heart, he truly wished to be murdered. He tempted fate several times by walking the black streets and alleys alone and passing out in cabarets. One night he was attacked, just a few steps from his door. Not by a disgruntled sailor or thief, but by a vampire.

The vampire Lestat.

Both Lewis and Lestat are great characters.

If you haven’t read this book . . . trust me, they are.

Lestat is arrogant, impetuous, a nonconformist, self-involved, yet in his heart he’s lonely and seeks answers to his deepest desires. He gave Louis the “dark gift” as he calls it, because not only did he want Louis' wealth but his companionship as well.

This tale is a very dark and romantic one in a sense that it romances vampirism. Anne Rice did a fabulous job with this story, so much so, it makes you wonder if it’s real.

I can go on and on about it, however, I don’t intend to make this post a book review on it. But like I said, it’s a damn good book and so is The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of The Damned–the other two following this one.

Anyway, back in the 1990s a movie of Interview With the Vampire was made. Brad Pitt played Louis, which I thought he did a wonderful job at. But when I heard Tom Cruise was playing Lestat, I was not happy.

Tom Cruise looks nothing like Lestat.

You know who looks like Lestat?

Billy Idol.

This is what Lestat looks like:

I have to admit, though, Tom Cruise did a wonderful job playing the part. To be honest, I’m not a fan of his work, but I think this was his best role ever.

Just so you can get a taste of what I’m talking about, here are clips from the movie. It captures the darkness of the story perfectly. Oh, and in the book, Lestat turns a six-year-old orphan into a vampire, which wasn’t a good thing to do. You’ll have to read the book to discover why he did such a selfish thing.

I have to say, since I grew up reading this book and the rest of Anne Rice's vampire chronicles, and I write in this genre, this is my favorite story.

Anne Rice, Billy Idol, Brad Pitt, characters, dark, Interview With the Vampire, Tom Cruise, Vampires, 2 Comments

Vampires are one of my favorite paranormal creatures and honestly I would love to write a story about them. However, there are a gazillion books out there about vampires, and I didn’t want my book to be adrift in a sea of other similar tales. But then one day I came across Eternal Service, and I realized I was wrong. You can write a story about vampires that will out shine all the other ones, you just have to step outside the box, and that's what Regina did with Eternal Service. It’s about an elite group of vampires sworn to protect the President of the United States.

At first I wasn’t sure I’d get into the story because I’m not fond of cop/CSI, type stories, but what won me over was this fresh new idea: vampires secretly working for the government. I had to read it, and Regina’s creative mind did not disappoint me.

Vampires have been protecting the President of the United States since Lincoln was assassinated. They form a special op team known as The Colony. It’s funded through the President’s Black Budget, and Congress is not even aware of its existence. They work covertly with the Secret Service as the presidential security.

Raymond Metcalf is a head of The Colony which is like a clan. He’s tall, dark, and handsome and once was a soldier in the Civil War.

Some of the vampires have special abilities. Raymond can read thought patterns. Raymond is an honorable man who had lost his beloved wife in childbirth over a century ago. She was human and had a son. Sterling is his name. He’s a half-breed: half vampire and half human. Purebred vampires, frown upon Sterling’s kind, which is another story in itself. But anyway, Raymond loves his wife Wilma dearly and stays in mourning for over a hundred years, living a lonely life–until he meets Alex.

Alex Brennan has been going to a therapist for quite a while. She was attacked years ago and since then Alex has had a hard time dating. She desperately wants to be in a loving, passionate relationship, but the guys she goes out with turns out to be a bunch of losers. The only thing Alex feels secure in is her career. Alex is a Captain in the military and a top-level security specialist. Her credentials are impressive: martial arts, field training, and she's the highest ranking sharp shooter in the military. Because of her skills and outstanding record, Alex is offered a job as Colony Director. She’s thrilled. When she walks into Dixon’s (the Colony Director she’ll be replacing) office for the interview, she meets Raymond. They are both immediately attracted to each other, but Raymond struggles with his feelings towards her for a while because of his fear of dishonoring the memory of his deceased wife.

One of the things I like about this story is when Dixon tells Alex about The Colony, and that she’ll be working with vampires. Alex’s reaction is totally realistic. Regina did a wonderful job with that. I like that she didn’t dump Alex’s feelings about these paranormal creatures all in one scene. Instead, it spills out into other chapters, adding to the story in just the right places.

The emotional walls Alex and Raymond have put up, begin to crumble. They give into their feelings for each other, but I have to warn you . . . there is sexual tension. I won’t spoil it for you, but I was surprised at how personal some scenes were, and I found myself frustrated at few–not in a bad way. Those scenes were justifiable and added to the character’s development.

By the way, the vampires in this creative tale can adjust their age through the amount of blood they drink, that’s how they blend in with society.

How cool is that?

I give this book 5 stars *****

If you’re into vampires and paranormal romance, I recommend this book. Eternal Service gives a fresh, and new twist to the world of vampires.