Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 560

Review of Black Fang by Susan Blexrud

Title: BLACK FANG

Category: Paranormal Romance

Reviewer: Michele R.

Reviewer Email: deseng@myfrontiermail.com

Author: Susan Blexrud

Publisher: DCL Publications

Release Date: August 2011

ISBN Number: 978-0-9838078-8-9

Author Homepage: http://www.susanblexrud.com

Rating: 5 Fangs

Format: E-BOOK



CATCHY SNIPPET: Things are delightfully batty in this new wacky and spicy adventure in the FANG series from Susan Blexrud, featuring all the main characters, John Marsh, vampire extraordinaire and sexy vampire wife Lauren, along with some freaky new ones. Have yourself a fairy good time!



When a lonesome bat, with a white nose, crashes through John and Lauren Marsh's French door and lands on the floor, it morphs into a centuries-old vampire who is John's friend from England. They quickly learn from him that a deadly fungus called white nose syndrome is compromising the bat community. He then unexpectedly dies in John's hands. John's heart crumbles in affection towards his late friend. He swiftly jumps into action though on solving the deadly disease that is killing off the bats, which will likely infiltrate into the vampire population as well. Sources tell him that the disease is spreading swiftly and there is no time to waste. John wonders how it is traveling so fast. A mysterious entity is lurking. Is it human or supernatural?



Lucianno and Meredith offer their help along with some other surprising characters from the previous story in the FANG series much to Lauren's consternation. Plus, some new characters are introduced but are they friend or foe? Unexpected events befall the main characters and a heartfelt tone is woven throughout the story. Little Avery, John and Lauren's daughter, makes a charming appearance which adds to the familial touch.



This story is shorter but offers an intelligent mix of serious, humorous, pleasurable, skeptical and unexpected moments as John and his compatriots race to uncover the fungus mystery with unsettling developments. Ms. Blexrud smoothly blends an excellent narration on the history of bats culminating into a unique perspective within the plot. With a poignant tale and compassionate characters, Ms. Blexrud exemplifies her outstanding flair for creating a fascinating story of bravery, love and fantastical characters. I am a devoted fan!

Lure of the Vampire Guest Blog with Bertena Varney

Lure of the Vampire- A Different Vampire Book
Hi Roxanne! Thank you for having me here today. I am very excited to share with your followers my new and first book, Lure of the Vampire.
Here is a little about me before I get into the book. I am a college professor who loves to read and study pop culture. My areas of study are history, sociology, and criminology. In my spare time I love to watch television and movies so you can I say I am a huge nerd! I have written on line as a journalist and completed hundreds of college papers but this is the first book that I have written.
While telling people that I have a book called Lure of the Vampire there is one question that I always get- is it a romance book. I then answer "No it's not" and then try to explain what it is.
First, the title can be confusing for those who love the paranormal romance genre. Lure of the Vampire definitely evokes images or lust and carnal love with that sometimes beautiful of the night. But, that is not how I got the name. The name came from my master's sociology paper, Search for the Lure of the Vampire. It was a sociological look at why people are lured to this scary and yet wondrous monster known as a vampire.
But, don't think that Lure is a BORING academic book.. it's not! I found while researching for my paper that there is now one total resource to get everything that you wanted in regards to websites and lists. Yes there is a wonderful 900 plus page encyclopedia but not a quick grab resource book so I decided to take the research I found plus the essays I wrote and put them into a specific order and make a book.
Here are the sections:
• Mythology – looks at where the legend of the vampire comes from
• History – discusses real life vampires or murders who were labeled as a vampire due to their bloody murder
• Literature – this section provides lists and essays on the original vampire books, ie Dracula, young adult literature, adult literature, erotica, magazines, comic books and more
• Television – lists the televisions shows that featured vampires
• Movies – focuses on the more famous and mostly American vampire moves
• Vampires for children – books, television, and movies that are safe for kids
• Vampire websites – where to go to learn more about vampires
• Real Life Vampire – very personal interviews with real life sanguine and pranic vampires
• Academic study resources- a list of those of us who have used vampires as an academic study
• Recreation – role playing games, on line games, and video games
Each section includes a mixture of essays, lists, and websites that provide more information for each section.
I did ask six author who write in specific sub genres of vampire literature such as young adult, erotica, science fiction and more.
So, if you are looking for a real life murder that was labeled as a vampire to base your new character off of.. well you can find it in LotV.
What about Transylvanian and Romanian Tours.. well they are listed too as well as different legends of mythology and a massive and unfortunately not a conclusive list of modern vampire books and websites.
What about erotic books? Would you like to know what we love the vampire and what authors provide those books? Well, you can look in LotV and find our very talented host, Roxanne there along with her website in my "Favorite Websites" in the Web section.
So, simply put Lure of the Vampire is a pop culture quick reference guide for writers, fans and pop culture enthusiasts.
I hope that you will check out my book. It is available in print at Amazon.com and via electronic forms via Kindle and Nook.
So, what is it that you want to know about the vampire? Comment below and if it isn't LotV this time then it may make it in the second edition.
Thank you Roxanne for letting me stop by today and discuss my book. And I look forward to our blog tour next week!
~~Bertena Varney
About Bertena

Bertena Varney is from Winchester, KY and currently resides in Bowling Green, KY. She attended Morehead State University where she received the following degrees:
- B.A. in Social Science and Education - M.A. in Social Science and Education
- M.A. in Sociology and Criminology - Rank 2 Secondary Education Certification

While in college She used all of her extra essays, projects and independent study classes to study vampires in pop culture….thus the creation of Lure of the Vampire.
She has been employed as a middle and high school as well as college instructor. Here past employers include Morehead State University She has been employed Morehead State University, Eastern Kentucky University and National College and will be lecturing at Bowling Green Community College in the fall.
Currently she is planning her lecture tour schedule. In the past she has presented papers at conference such as Sirens in Vail, Colorado and The Harry Potter Witching Hour in Salem, Mass. Currently she is scheduled for ScareFest, Dance on the Dark Side and A Day of Mystical Blood Lust.
She is also planning to begin a vampirology course based upon her studies of vampires in pop culture.
Find Bertena on the web:
Facebook- http://on.fb.me/g8C0Zr
Her writing website is www.bertenavarney.com
Her vampire research website http://searchforthelure.webs.com
Twitter @tenavarney
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
To sign up for her newsletter go here. http://eepurl.com/exZYQ
Book Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPMyiY...

Dark is the Night Interview and Giveaway with Brindle Chase

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?

First off, thank you so much for having me here today.
Hello everyone, I'm Brindle Chase, one of those rare few male romance authors.
I write both contemporary and paranormal erotic romance, but the paranormal has always held a dear place in my heart. I love the undead, the supernatural and the freedom it allows in writing. Not everything has to be defined by science.
Some things simply are and if they are dark, dangerous and go bump in the night, all the better. Like many, the vampire is my mainstay, but I haven't run across many paranormal creatures I didn't enjoy reading about.

What inspired you to write this book?

Oddly, it was after I read Twilight. Twilight is a landmark book in the Young Adult arena, and it uses the allure of the paranormal to add intrigue to the story, but it really isn't a vampire story in my opinion. Its more of a trials and tribulations of teenage life and discovery of advanced emotions such as love and jealousy from the teenage perspective. I thought back on all the vampire books I had read, and realized very few of them showed the darker side of the vampire. Their predatory instincts, their callous disregard for human life and how living century after century in said lifestyle, slowly drains the humanity from them. The glittering in sunlight, bloodbank using, no killing vampires who have stormed the YA market reminded me that there are vampire lovers, who like the Draculas and Lestats of the genre. And so, Dark is the Night came to be.

Please tell us about your latest release.

Dark is the Night is my grand venture in into the vampire genre. It was important to me to re-establish the vampire lore with its roots. Vampires are predators, who do not value human life as we do. As a leopard treats the gazelle, so does the vampire treat his human victims. Dark is the Night is a darker vampire novel. The vampires do not feed from blood banks, or engineered blood in a can. They take it direct and because in this vampire world, the bite of a vampire is enough to turn another, they kill their victims to prevent overpopulation of vampires.
Dark is the Night is the tale of Katherine Wells, a homicide detective who through her investigations, has stumbled onto Alexander's feed victims and has tied them as all from the same killer. She believes she is tracking a serial killer. Alexander is tasked with destroying the officer who has linked his kills. But when the two finally chance upon the other, it's love at first sight. Unaware they are smitten by the very person they are supposed to be tracking down, their love affair explodes into flames by the time they discover the truth.


Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?

All the female characters in my books are hardest for me, being male. I'm naturally handicapped when it comes to "seeing" things from a woman's perspective. I've received a great many accolades for pulling it off though. I think my success in writing the female point of view is because I spend a tremendous amount of time concentrating on it, where other authors don't, because its second nature to them.
Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?

Lilith from Gothic City Lights is my favorite. Imagine a half demon, where in her world, all demons are tied to one of the 7 deadly sins. Lust is hers and being half succubus leaves her absolutely bonkers for sex, with a human's resistance. She's her own worst enemy half the time.


What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?

Is Dark is the Night, the first few encounters between Alexander and Katherine always end with her left scorned. When Alex finally feels in control of his vampiric urges enough to be alone with her, he visits her. But this time, he is the spurned one as she turns the tables on him. Its another scene in the building of the intense sexual tension between the two.

Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?

I did a little research into forensics, to make sure some of my scenes would ring true. Some of the late night cop shows were a help as well, to get Katherine right. I originally had planned to use an actual police consultant, as a friend of mine is a retired officer, but his wife passed away while I was writing and I felt it best not to bother him. Wikipedia is a gem for research and after several go-rounds with my beta-readers, I think those scenes read as authentic.

What is the most interesting thing you have physically done for book related research purposes?

*lol* I can't divulge that… not here! *blush*

Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?

Every vampire book starts out by defining the nature of the vampires. Do crosses burn? Can they survive in sunlight? Do they need permission to enter a home? Etc. That's part of the fun of writing the genre. Paranormal means that the world is very realistic, except for a few supernatural tweaks. In the world of Dark is the Night, I went very classic, old school vampire, minus some of the less believable powers. Sunlight kills them, they have the power of glamour, superhuman strength and speed. The vampire here do not sparkle in the sun, they do not feed from blood banks or small woodland creatures. Their bite will turn a human undead. Crosses do not effect them and they can see their reflections in a mirror. They can cross running water and do not need permission to enter your home. They do not fall into a trance and count salt, nor does garlic bother them. They are deadly, dangerous, but also sexy. The act of drinking from their victims causes intense erotic sensations for them, which is why animals and bags of blood do not appeal to them. They would miss the hunt, the pleasure and the kill.
With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?

Dark is the Night is book one in the Dark Justice series. Each book is a stand alone, but several of the main characters appear throughout. They are all centered around the heroine, Katherine. They are all connected and in chronological order. The readers will have no trouble jumping into the series at any time as I make it a point to reintroduce characters the first time they appear in a book, for those not familiar. Since we're on book one, that was an incredibly easy claim to make. *lol*

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? How do you deal with it?

I do, but I write almost entirely on my lunch break at my day job. I have a half hour a day to write, so I cannot afford writer's block. When I get stuck, I just slap down the words and forget how sloppy they are. I will polish them later when my muse returns.


Do you write in different genres?

I do. I write paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, contemporary and historical romance, erotica and even children's books. I'm currently polishing a book I wrote with my oldest daughter when she was 10. It's a great story, but if we decide to publish, it'll be under a different name for sure. *lol*

Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?

I wish I had more time for reading, but like my writing, I'm on a tight schedule. I read on my Nook on the bus on my morning commute, which is about 45 minutes. With the aid of my trusty MP3 player, I find it easy to tune out the world and escape into my Nook.
What can readers expect next from you?

I have a busy summer planned. Dark is the Night will release in Print in late August. Gothic City Lights will also release in Print, late August/early September. Depth Charge: Maria, Maria releases July 26th with Loose Id, LLC, and I am in edits on Princess Mine for Ellora's Cave. All the while working on drafts for Gothic City Lights II, Dark Justice Book 2, and Depth Charge, Mercy Monroe… plus a couple more… *pant pant*
Where can readers find you on the web?

My home is www.forlorn-hope.net, but you're more likely to find me on my facebook. Here are my haunts…
www.forlorn-hope.net my website
www.facebook.com/brindle.chase my facebook
brindlechase.blogspot.com my blog
@BrindleChase for twitter

Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?

It's an erotic romance, so it was hard to find something PG to share. Here's a tasty little tempter for you from Dark is the Night. Chapter two is also available on my website for more teasing. =oP

The winter night's chill seeped through the blanket of desire firing inside me. I was still excited. I couldn't help it. He was beautiful in ways I still have trouble describing, but also dark, dangerous, and it all conspired against my common sense.
I should've screamed for help. I should've run for my life. Instead, I froze before him, shivering against the cold while I desperately wished he would take me. Right there. Right then.
"Katherine. Goddess mine. Do not fear me," he growled through a breath that gave off no steam, like mine did. Rooted to the ground, I wasn't going anywhere. But I couldn't find my voice, so I simply stared back at him suspiciously. Great defense, huh?
"It is time."
"What time?" I asked, and I wondered if this was the part where he would take out the torn away flesh of another woman's face and wear it like a mask while he fired up a chainsaw. The detective in me realized if killing me had been his objective, I wouldn't still be breathing.
Something deeper and instinctive told me his intentions were otherwise. A mirror of my own.
"Our destinies are entwined. Conjoined. An unavoidable collision and now forever meshed."
In reality, he and I had barely spoken twenty sentences to one another, but I really loved how he spoke. Its old world tone, the deliberate and commanding way he enunciated each word made him very difficult to ignore. On the other hand, nothing he was saying now made a lick of sense.
What was he talking about?
I was just about to offer some of the conjecture floating to the forefront of my thoughts but he stepped into me. He came at me so quick, his hard body pressed against mine and I had to take a step backward to keep my balance. His arm swept around my waist and pulled me back into him, his obsidian pools dripped down into mine, mesmerizing me. The words were lost.
"Can you not feel it, Katherine? I have claimed you. And you I. We are destined. I am your soul mate." His free hand appeared at my throat and I swallowed with both excitement and fear. His touch was cold, but still warmer than the winter air, and it tingled my skin as he traced a fingertip along my jugular. I was melting fast.
"Claimed me?" I stammered. I was swooning, visibly shaken by his presence, and his announcement, but internally I still had some dignity. No man claimed me. I was not a dog. I was not property.
"Yes. You belong to me."
"I…"
"And you have claimed me. Can you not feel it?"
"I…"
His hand dropped in a blur and slipped into the front of my silk blouse, palm flattened between my breasts. I gasped. I wanted to slap his face, but my body reacted on it own. Thank god it was twelve degrees out. I could blame my nipples on the winter, rather than his touch. My heart raced and I had to struggle in order to keep myself from panting like a horny teenager.
"Your heart. In your heart, Katherine. Can you not feel it? It is undeniable. I was made for you."
"What are you?" Thank you! Finally, someone inside me had the presence of mind to think of something other than how good he would feel buried inside me.
His dark gaze sifted over my lips and I wondered if he was ignoring the question. His hand still over my pounding heart. Then his eyes rose to meet mine and sent a shooting wave of warmth through me.
"It is only fair. You must know. But first, know that I have claimed you. It is our destiny. Lovers we are. Shall become. Know it cannot be denied and I will tell you."
A million things exploded in my mind and which would win out in urgency was bound to surface first, but I couldn't let any old thing slip out. I wasn't thinking straight. My body was bored with the preamble and wanted to get busy, if that was what he had in mind. The rest of me was a hodge-podge of mixed reactions. Anger, intrigue, fear, lust. I nodded.
"I am vampire."
Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner. I should have guessed it, but the second the word fell from his lips, it all clicked into place. His super strength. His blurred movements. His old world mannerisms. The pale and cool skin. Vampire. Yep, duh, Kat.
"You're going to kill me?" I asked suddenly. Fear seemed to take charge at this point. The way he looked at me like I was a delicious entre had me worried.
He stared at me long and hard, tracing the features of my face as if committing them to memory and all I, the big bad cop could manage was to tremble in his arms.
Dark is the Night

(book one of the Dark Justice series)

... Available now at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Allromanceebooks

Katherine Wells is Cleveland's top homicide detective and she's hot on the trail of the Antoinette killer. The string of burnt and beheaded bodies have little in common, except they keep turning up. In search of clues, she encounters Alexander. His intoxicating old world persona captivates her and she suddenly finds herself in a torrid love affair. The passion is overwhelming and her sense of law falls into blissful chaos.

As an elder vampire, Alexander struggles for anonymity in the modern world. Killing isn't personal; it's to prevent them from becoming the undead. His kind can't be discovered. With Katherine's investigation getting too close to the truth, the other vampires demand he eliminate Detective Wells.

Katherine discovers Alexander's supernatural secret and he learns Katherine's the detective he must silence. The revelations are shocking. He's everything she ever wanted and everything she stood against. Torn between a love like no other and the law she's sworn to uphold, she must choose. Against time, the police and the other vampires, they must destroy the evidence she's collected and join the undead.
Would you like to win an ecopy of Dark is the Night
Brindle has generously offered 5 ecopies to lucky Fang-tastic Books readers
To enter leave a comment or questions for Brindle
Be sure to include your email address
Winners TBA Next Wednesday

Static Giveaway

STATIC

By Tawny Stokes



Genre: Paranormal YA



During the summer before her senior year, 17 year old band groupie, Salem Vale, has been following her favorite punk rockers, Malice, from gig to gig hoping that one night she might get backstage and meet the sinisterly sexy guys. She's been saving her virginity for the lead singer Thane. One fateful evening she gets her wish. It's a dream come true.



Except the dream turns to a nightmare when she wakes up in a dumpster, tossed away like yesterday's trash, with no memory of what happened the night before. She feels strange, different, as if something is trying to get out. Soon she realizes she's changing…turning into something not quite human.



Now a hunger deep inside claws at her to feed, to siphon energy from those around her. Before she can do just that, Trevor, the band's roadie shows up and stops her from killing. With his help she learns to control the hunger inside, because he's just like her. And in return he wants her help to do one little thing…



Help him kill the members of Malice.



ABOUT TAWNY

Tawny Stokes has always been a writer. From an early age, she'd spin tales of serial killers in love, vampires taking over the world, and sometimes about fluffy bunnies turned bunnicidal maniacs. An honour student in high school, with a penchant for math and English, you'd never know it by the foot high blue Mohawk and Doc Martens, which often got her into trouble. No longer a Mohawk wearer, Tawny still enjoys old school punk rock, trance, zombie movies, teen horror films, and fluffy bunnies. She lives in Canada with her fantastical daughter, two cats, and spends most of her time creating new stories for teens.

Tawny also writes adult paranormal/urban fantasy fiction under the name Vivi Anna, and is an aspiring screenwriter.

http://tawnystokes.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tawny-Stokes-Author/202358929804134

http://twitter.com/#!/TawnyStokes



Giveaway Time

Want to win an ecopy of Static?

Leave a comment on this post with your email

Now On Tour Static by Tawny Stokes

August 14 Party at Fang-tastic Books with a giveawayhttp://www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com

Review Livin' Life Through Books:http://dream-wish-live.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-static-by-tawny-stokes.html

August 15 Interview at Dark Angelhttp://www.darkangelwritingtools.com

August 16 Interview and giveawayBack Of The Book Reviews -www.backofthebookreviews.com

August 16 Night Owl Reviews Guest Blog and giveawaywww.nightowlreview.blogspot.com

August 17 Guest Post Young Readers http://youngreadersathome.blogspot.com/

August 18 Guest BlogThe Ramblings of Amyhttp://amylunderman.blogspot.com/

August 19 Guest Post and Reviewwww.awesomesaucebookclub.com

August 20 review and guest blogA Cupcake and a Lattewww.mochalattereads.blogspot.com

August 22 Guest blog and review oodles of books.www.oodlesofbooks.blogpost.com

August 23 Guest Post and Reviewhttp://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/

August 23 Guest Bloghttp://jacqpaige.blogspot.com/

August 24 Review and Guest Blog at Paranormal Opinionhttp://paranormalopinion.blogspot.com

August 24 Character Interview http://lauriethoughts-reviews.blogspot.com

August 25th Review and Guest PostLetters Inside Out http://www.lettersinsideout.com

August 26 Guest Blog and reviewtheawesomemagicattic.blogspot.com

August 27 Review Braintasia Bookshttp://www.braintasiabooks.com

August 28 Review at Bee's Knee's Review'shttp://beeskneesreviews.blogspot.com

August 28 Reviewwww.zenes-escape.blogspot.com

August 28 Romancing the Book – Review and Guest Posthttp://www.romancing-the-book.com

August 29 Excerpt and Reviewwww.remarkableteenreading.blogspot.com

Static Excerpt

Chapter 1



You belong to me…

I own you…

The hypnotic timbre of Thane's voice surged through my body making me tingle all over. Like a rush of heroin injected into my vein, soothing me, exciting me, I was completely and utterly hooked.

The bustling crowd in front of the stage swayed back and forth and I swayed with them. I was caught in the movement—the flow of people stirred like a whirlpool to the intoxicating rhythm and razor sharp lyrics of Malice.

Your life's in my hands…

I'm sucking your soul…

My favorite band for the past year, I'd traveled, with my best friend Chloe, across Idaho and Washington in the past two months to see them play. My mom had been really cool about it, even lending me her car—an old POS, but a vehicle nonetheless—to drive to the shows just as long as I didn't drive home trashed. I'd attempted it one night, but got scared when I couldn't keep it on the road, and pulled over at a rest stop. Chloe and I slept in the car.

Thankfully no crazed psycho killer raped and mutilated us. The worst that came at us was a stray dog looking for some scraps. Chloe gave it the rest of her cheeseburger that we'd picked up a MacDonald's drive thru after the show.

For eight gigs, I'd been entranced by the four member—three guys and one girl—band. My body responded to every aspect of their music. My head pounded to the constant heady thump of the drums, my heart thrashed to every guitar riff, and my thighs clenched with every word lead singer Thane uttered into the microphone.

Some songs he looked like he was making love to the equipment, running his fingers up and down the silver pole, uttering a lover's words in its ear. I ached and throbbed wishing I could be that thin pole of shiny metal. If only he'd hold me like that, gripping me tightly, running his sweet lips over my face and neck. My eyes nearly rolled back in my head in ecstasy imagining what that would feel like.

That was when Chloe punched me in the arm starling me from my fantasy. "Salem?"

"What?" I grunted, peering at her between strands of black and blond hair hanging in my eyes.

"Do you want some of this?"

I glanced down to see her passing me some vodka. I took the offered bottle and tipped it to my lips swallowing down a good portion. It burned going down, but it was a good burn, telling me I was still sober. Which I needed to be if I was going to complete my mission of getting a back stage pass to meet the band. This was their final gig for the summer in my home city—Boise, Idaho—and I wouldn't get another chance to offer up my virginity to Thane. I'd been holding onto it just for him.

My mom had always told me that virginity was a gift and the guy better be someone special enough to give it to. I figured Thane was extremely special. I mean, my mom had given hers up to some Rock God in the 80's, I suspected it was either Keith Richards or Iggy Pop because she had signed pictures of them both thanking her for a stellar night and when she mentioned either one of them she got this little smile on her lips and a devilish sparkle in her eye.

Before I could hand the bottle back to Chloe, the couple next to us bumped into my arm and I nearly dropped it. I turned around to glare at them, but they were so busy making out that they didn't notice. That was one thing I did notice about Malice gigs, there always seemed to be a lot of couples kissing and groping each other either on the stage floor or in darkened corners peppered around the venue.

In Spokane, when I went to the bathroom at the club the band was playing in, I happened upon two girls making out in one of the stalls. Although I was an equal opportunity snogger, that had thrown me for a loop. I certainly knew some people were gay, I didn't have an issue with that—I had an uncle who was gay and a friend at school—it was just I'd never seen it so graphically displayed before.

Once I'd finally given the bottle back to Chloe, she wiped the top with the hem of her t-shirt—I guess she didn't appreciate my spit—and took a pull, then tucked it back into the pocket of her army green jacket that swam on her lanky but scrawny frame.

"Did you figure out how we're going to score backstage passes yet?"

Shaking my head, I set my attention on the security guards off to one side of the stage, handing passes on strings to a few big-breasted Goth wannabes. At every show I watched similar guards giving passes to similar types of girls. The two times I'd asked for one, they'd looked me up and down, likely taking in my black 10 holed Doc Martens, jeans-a few worn spots at the knees and on the ass—shaggy mop of black and white hair, and Betty Boop t-shirt that didn't stretch out to a DD cup, or to a C for that matter and disregarded me in the time it took to do the bra calculations.

This time I came armed. I'd shoved my mom's silicone gel boobs into my bra under my vintage Sex Pistols t-shirt. That made me go from an A cup to a perky B. I was also wearing my extra special pair of worn jeans that made my ass look good. I'd considered also wearing my mom's butt enhancer panties—she had real body image issues—but decided against it. I didn't want to look like a complete whore.

"I'm going to ask real nice." A trickle of sweat ran down the back of my neck. I wiped at it. I really didn't want to have sweat stains on the back of my t-shirt. The heat in the club was nearly oppressive. Too many bodies packed into too small a room.

Chloe eyed me dubiously, black eyeliner starting to run down her gaunt cheeks. "You did that the last time. And the security dude was a real dickhead about it."

"That was before I had these." I stuck out my chest and cupped my boobs.

Chloe shook her head, her short cap of fire-engine red hair swinging. "Do you really think that's going to work?"

"Duh? That's all guys understand. Boobs. It's as if they are actually communicating with them, the way they stare."

"Well, then, good luck with hypnotizing these security assholes with your perfect B boobs." Chloe laughed. "You should go soon cuz it sounds like they're getting ready to wrap up the set."

She was right. Devon, the girl band member, stepped forward to roll into her bass solo, her pink Tokyopop pigtails bouncing to the rhythm. It was the beginning of their song, Sin City, which they always played second to last. Straightening my shoulders, I made my way, by pushing and shoving, through the pulsating crowd toward the right side of the stage.

When I reached my destination, there were three bimbos standing in front of me giggling and jiggling at the two beefy security guys. It just about made me want to barf. I actually had to put my hand to my mouth just in case I did.

"Excuse me," I yelled over top one of the girl's bleached blond head. "Can I get a couple of passes?"

The blond whipped around to glare at me. She had one of those hoops in her nose that made her look like a bull. I wondered if I waved a red flap if she'd charge at me. She looked scary enough to do just that.

One of the security guys looked me up and down. "Sorry. I just ran out."

I noticed the passes dangling from the all three of the girls' hands. "They got some."

"Those were my last three." He shrugged and went back to ogling one of the three girls who was wearing a black fishnet top and nothing underneath. I think her nipples were even pierced. I managed to spy a glint of sliver when she turned to glare at me too.

Blondie continued to glare at me. "Why don't you run along little girl? Go play with your Goth Barbie."

I hated when people assumed I was so young. I was seventeen but short—five feet one—and I got mistaken for fourteen All. The. Time. It didn't help that I was small too—a whopping size one—with petite delicate features courtesy of my mom who looked like a punk pixie most days with her short spiky black hair and colorful tattoos covering a lot of her tight compact body.

So it didn't surprise me when my hands began to shake from the anger welling up. I despised confrontation but right now I hated not having a back stage pass even more. I glanced up at the stage and watched as Thane moved around with his long sinuous limbs and silky black hair falling in his perfect pale face making my stomach clench. I had to get backstage no matter what.

"I wasn't talking to you." I finally said.

She arched her pierced eyebrow and set one hand on her ample hip. "Excuse me? Who do you think you're talking to?"

I took in her appearance, noticing she wore cheap purple hair extensions, I could plainly see one of the clips in her hairline at her temple, and her face was adorned with several piercings. She looked like she'd been put together with pins.

I smirked. "Skankenstein?"

The two security guys laughed at that, as did one of her friends but not the one with her nipples poking out.

"You bitch!" she shrieked.

I didn't expect her to hit me. But she did. Hard. An open hand slap right across my left cheek. It stung like hell. I'd never been slapped before and didn't realize how badly it could hurt. I think my lip was cut as well because I could taste blood in my mouth. I glanced down at her hand and noticed the solid silver rings on her hand. The bitch had turned them in.

"Hey," one of the security guards shouted, "If you're going to fight take it outside."

A little crowd started to form around us. The scent of blood always got teenagers' attentions. We were like animals in that regard. I don't know how many times I'd been in one of those crowds watching as two or three or more people beat the crap out of each other for pathetic and irrelevant reasons.

I could read the lips of the guys standing closest to us as they passed the word on about the bitch fight about to happen. What was it with guys wanting to watch two girls fight? I really hated to be in the middle of one, all eyes watching, ready for the scratching and hair pulling that usually entailed in a girl fight and hoping for blood.

Usually a loner, I didn't like a lot of attention. Preferring to stick to my three or four good friends, I didn't much like being in a crowd, except at a gig. But then when I came to a Malice concert, it was always just between me and the band. The crowds never bothered me. I just came to hear the music and watch the sexy guys on the stage—I came for the rock fantasy.

So standing in front of a fuming blond bimbo out for blood in a fighting circle surrounded by twenty or thirty people wasn't making me feel all that good. Again, I felt like I was going to barf. I didn't want to fight. I wasn't big on violence; I didn't even play fighting games on my DS. But I was not the type of person to back down either. My mom had always taught me to stick up for myself. Although I'm sure she didn't mean that I should punch the shit out of this girl. Even if I wanted to.

Rubbing my cheek, I tried to appeal to the girl's reasonable side, assuming she possessed one. "I think for that you should give me your backstage pass. We'll call it even."

She laughed. "Not likely." Then she shoved me hard. I stumbled backwards into the murmuring crowd. Two sets of hands pushed me back into the circle. Hey, thanks guys!

It was obvious I wasn't going to walk away from this easily. Or at all by the murdering look in the blond's eyes. But no one ever said being a groupie was easy.

Not sure what to do, I glanced up and locked gazes with Thane. He was standing near the side of the stage looking down at me; the microphone stand gripped tightly, his dark eyes piercing me. Heat blossomed inside of me. I'd never been looked at like that by a guy before. As if he wanted to devour me from the toes up. I put a hand to my stomach where butterflies started to flip flop around like beached fish.

A rush of something I couldn't name shot through my body. Adrenaline or lust, I didn't know which, but whatever it was made me feel really good. Powerful even. Sexy. Like one of the female members of the X-Men. Storm maybe, or Rogue, maybe even Dark Phoenix before she went insane and killed everyone.

Whatever it was, I liked it.

Putting my attention back on my blond nemesis, I decided I needed to act if I was going to get out of the situation. Faster than I knew I could move, I reached up and snatched the bull ring from her nose.



She screamed and grabbed her nose with both hands. Blood seeped between her fingers to drip on the floor.



The sound of her skin and cartilage ripping made me shiver. Even above the music I had heard it ring in my ears. I felt bad for liking the sound, but she had it coming.

Her two friends gathered her in the safety of their arms but they both stared at me with a mixture of venom and apprehension. I suspected no one saw that coming. I certainly hadn't.

In a daze, I looked around me, and noticed that she'd dropped her backstage pass onto the floor.Leaning down I snatched it up and smiled. I finally got my backstage pass.

As I hung it around my neck, my gaze met Thane's once again. He was singing the last lines of their last song but he was watching me. And he smiled.

I smiled in return.





Reviews and praise:

"You're going to love Static — a deep, dark and sexy ride. This is a creepy and unique addition to the YA paranormal genre that goes a little bit further and gives a little bit more." – Janet Gurtler, author of I'm Not Her and If I Tell, Sourcebooks Fire.

"STATIC is an edgy, dark, and delicious read! Tawny Stokes is a tasty new voice in YA fiction." –Michelle Rowen, national bestselling author of Demon Princess series

"Static is an edgy, unique, whirlwind paranormal story with great action and amazing storytelling. This one leads you down a path you won't forget. Don't miss it!" – Denise A. Agnew award-winning author of Dark, Deadly Love

The Vampire Ball and The Witches Ball

Every year I collect donations for paranormal authors of books and goodies for the Flint Vampire Ball which is a charity event that raises funds for the local Flint Farmer's Market.

This year the goodies have already started rolling in.

I'm putting together 20-25 goodies bags this year that will be filled with books, bookmarks and any other swag and goodies authors send my way. These bags are raffled off during the Ball as door prizes.

I've already been promised signed books and other goodies from several authors including:

Jeaniene Frost, Laura Bickle, Lynda Hilburn, Kerrelyn Sparks, E Van Lowe, Mary Janice Davidson, Susan Blexrud, Kiki Howell, Katie Salidas, CJ Ellisson, Michele Hauf, Elaine Bergstrom, Jess Haines, Natalie J Damschroder, Aubrie Dionne, and Laura Kaye

Every author that donates will be featured in the next couple months as a contributor to the ball and get permanent links in the Fang-tastic Books sidebar- you can see the 2009 and 2010 links to everyone who donated in the left sidebar.

If you would like to donate contact me for details.



I got a bunch of Night Walker trading cards from Lisa Kessler.

And signed books and bookmarks from Karen Taylor.

And this is a set of goodies I'm donating to the 2011 Midwest Witches Ball which I am sponsoring this year through Bewitching Book Tours.

It looks fun and I've wanted to go for the past couple years, this year I got in early enough to sponsor and grab a set of tickets.

I found this cute tote bag and I'm filling it with Bewitching Goodies like the mug, sticky notes, keychain and pen above- I'm also adding a signed copy of one of my books and lots of swag. I'm on the lookout for other goodies to add to the bag before I send it in too. Now if I could just find a couple fabulous costumes (or even one amazing costume) I'd be all set.

Guest Blog and Giveaway with Justin Gustainis

The Baddest Vampire Ever

(onscreen edition)

by Justin Gustainis



Given the vampiric ambience of Roxanne's site, I thought I would use my visit to present to you my candidate for the baddest (as in "That vampire is the evilest, baddest bloodsucker I've ever seen," not "They say John Shaft is the baddest mofo in town.") vampire ever to haunt the screen, either big or small.



My candidate isn't one of the many Dracula portrayals, nor one of the nastier fangers from "True Blood" – and, most certainly, nobody who sparkles in sunlight (puh-leeze!) Instead, may I present to you: Prince Anton Voytek.

Voytek was the villain of a little-remembered 1979 made-for-TV movie called, oddly enough "Vampire." It was a pilot for a series that was never made, but it had a pretty good cast, nonetheless: Jason Miller (who had made a big splash [no pun intended] in "The Exorcist" a few years earlier, E.G. Marshall (who had done some fine TV drama in the 1960s) and Kathryn Harrold (who was always good for playing a babe with brains). Voytek himself was portrayed by Richard Lynch, who made a career playing bad guys in film and TV, until he got old (now he makes a career playing old guys). In his prime (which 1979 certainly was) there was no badder bad guy than Richard Lynch.

So how formidable is this guy Voytek? At the beginning of the movie, he crawls out of the ground on land where (we later learn) his house once stood. The house was demolished decades ago, and is soon to be the site for a new church, which has finally motivated Voytek to get out of Dodge (or out of the dirt, anyway). Turns out, Voytek was going about biting necks thirty years earlier, and he was tracked to his lair by a vampire-hunting priest. Rather than eat a stake sandwich, Voytek (somehow) brought the whole house down on top of both of them. The priest was killed, and Voytek had no choice but to take a long nap.

Now Voytek is eager to establish himself again as a wealthy Euro trash nobleman (the "Prince" honorific is apparently true, except his line supposedly died out 300 years ago. Come to think of it, it did. He gets chummy with this married couple (Miller and Harrold) – he's an architect, she's an art historian. Turns out that Voytek has a bunch of paintings that have been stashed in a warehouse the last thirty or forty years. If they can be authenticated, they'll be worth millions and Voytek can start living high again. Unfortunately, the art historian is a little too good at her job – she finds that the paintings, although legitimate objets d'art, were all looted by the Nazis during the war (how Voytek got them isn't clear, but it's not hard to envision him in an SS uniform).

So now the paintings have all been impounded, and Voytek is one unhappy bloodsucker. First he kills – and turns – the wife. On his way out of the house when he's done with her, he passes a rare painting that he knows was the couple's artistic pride and joy. Just for giggles, he drives a steak knife through it. Well, it was rare, after all….

Soon thereafter, Jason Miller's character, half crazed with grief, starts putting two and two together, especially after his dead wife shows up and tries to put the bite on him. He ends up in the lobby of Voytek's apartment building, raving, with a bunch of wooden stakes and crosses. He's arrested on suspicion of terminal weirdness, and sent to a mental hospital for evaluation. But while there, in restraints, he has an unauthorized visitor.

Here's a clip:







See? I told you this dude was nasty. The old guy with the cross is E.G. Marshall, BTW. He plays a retired cop named Harry who was friends with the vamp-hunting priest decades before, until the priest disappeared into the ruins of Voytek's house. Harry has a pretty young niece, and you just know Voytek will get around to her sooner or later – and he does. And here comes one of my favorite lines of the film. Voytek calls Harry and says he's nabbed the girl, and if Harry ever wants to see her alive again, blah, blah. Harry doesn't take this too well and says to Voytek, "May God strike you dead!" "Oh, He has, Harry, He has," Voytek purrs. "But I'm saving that story for when we meet – later tonight."



So, to nobody's surprise, Miller and Harry rescue the girl from the crypt where Voytek has stashed her (you were expecting a study carrel at the library?) But Voytek gets away, instead of finding out what two feet of pointed hickory feels like when it passes between your fourth and fifth ribs. As I said, this was a pilot for a series that the network didn't pick up.



There you have my candidate for baddest TV/movie vamp of all time.

What's yours? Why not make a comment and tell us?













Stan Markowski is a Detective Sergeant on the Scranton PD's Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit.



Like the rest of America, Scranton's got an uneasy 'live and let unlive' relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that's when they call Markowski. He carries a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.



File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Dial V For Vampire | Forbidden Spells | Bite Club | Scranton By Night ]





Senator Howard Stark wants to be President of the United States. So does the demon inside him. With the competing candidates dropping out due to scandal, blackmail, and 'accidental' death, Stark looks like a good bet to go all the way to the White House. And if he gets there, Hell on Earth will follow.



Occult investigator Quincey Morris and white witch Libby Chastain are determined to stop this evil conspiracy. But between them and Stark stand the dedicated agents of the US Secret Service – as well as the very forces of Hell itself. Quincey and Libby will risk everything to exorcise the demon possessing Stark.

If they fail, 'Hail to the Chief' will become a funeral march – for all of us.



About the Author

Justin Gustainis is a college professor living in upstate New York. In earlier incarnations, he has been a factory worker, soldier, speechwriter, and professional bodyguard. His short fiction has twice won the Graverson Award for Horror and received 'Honorable Mention' from Ellen Datlow in Best Horror of the Year, Vol. 1. He is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop.

Author website: www.justingustainis.com









Giveaway Time

Justin is giving away a signed copy of each Hard Spell and Sympathy for the Devil to 2 lucky commenters

open to worldwide shipping

To enter answer Justins' question above-

who gets your vote for baddest on screen vamp of all time?

Be sure to include your email address with comment

Calling All Vampire Authors and Vampire Lovers: The 2011 Flint Vampire Ball

It's that time of year again.



I'm already gearing up for Halloween and I am totally looking forward to this year's Flint Vampire Ball which is an annual event here in Flint, MI that helps raise money for our wonderful Flint Farmer's Market.

This year's event is scheduled for Saturday October 22, 2011.

This year I am putting together 20-25 goodie bags filled with books and other fun vampire and paranormal items.

These bags are being donated to the Ball to give away as raffle prizes.



Many authors have donated books and swag the previous 2 years.

You can see the sidebar to the left for a list of the authors who donated books to the 2009 and 2010 Flint Vampire Ball.



I am once again asking for donations.

No you don't have to send 20-25 books , 1 or 2 is good or any amount of author swag like bookmarks and trading cards



I'll also accept stickers, pins, buttons, ink pens or any other promo items you may want to include in the goodie bags.



If you are interested in sending some books or swag send me an emailroxannerhoads @ aol. com

and I'll give you the address to mail them to.

Want to attend the Ball?

You can learn more about it here.

Interview and Giveaway with Ashlyn Chase

1. Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
A.C. I write this genre because it's fun. I can use my imagination to its fullest. As for telling people about myself—well, that's another book. If people really want to get to know me, I have a yahoo group Ashlyn's New Best Friends. We chat about anything and everything. I answer all questions and enjoy getting to know my fans as well.
2. What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires (or insert the paranormal creature featured in your book here instead), that fascinates you so much?
A.C. There are interesting legends that can be used as a springboard when the author creates their own mythology. I wonder if Bram Stoker enjoyed coming up with his brand of vampire as much as I do.
3. What inspired you to write this book?
A.C. The series was inspired by Tom Brady—quarterback for the New England Patriots. I heard that he owns a condo building in Boston—in my old neighborhood, the Back Bay. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live in his building. Then my imagination took over and Strange Neighbors became an idea for a book. Suddenly, there were so many fun characters begging for their own stories to be told that it became a whole series.
4. Please tell us about your latest release.
A.C. The Vampire Next Door is about Sylvestro Flores, or Sly as he's called. He lost his pregnant wife and almost lost their unborn daughter to the vampire who turned him. Now, 26 years later, he has finally reunited with his daughter and things begin to look up. Morgaine is a witch who lives in the building and has finally decided to date again. With a little matchmaking, the two of them hook up. Then Sly's maker appears and wants Sly for himself. Morgaine is no longer safe. Sly has to help her overcome her severe agoraphobia and make a trip to New York City. They've set up a trade—her magical skills for a bottle of Vampire Vintage. It's a special (and extremely expensive) wine that protects vampires from sunlight and abates blood lust. Only with that advantage can Sly defeat his maker and live a nearly normal life with Morgaine. Then there's that nasty matter of immortality. Sly already lost one wife and grieved for twenty-six years. Morgaine is willing to be turned so he won't have to go through that again, but he desperately doesn't want her to become the thing he's hated about himself for so long.
5. Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?
A.C. I just let the name "come to me" first. If the right name isn't popping into my mind, I ask my fans to help me name the character. So far they've done an awesome job and I haven't been stuck for a name yet.
6. Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
A.C. Sometimes I can't get a handle on the character until I have the right name. I'm convinced names come with personalities. It's interesting you asked about this right after the name question.
7. Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
A.C. I love my smart-ass characters like Chad. The building is haunted by the ghost of a reporter from the sixties. He's still wearing his bell bottoms and love beads and sports an enormous afro. His expressions from the era show up when he communicates with the groovy Morgaine. For the longest time, she's the only one who can hear him and they have quite a love-hate relationship. He scares off anyone who tries to rent his "pad" until Morgaine and her cousin/roommate begin fighting over Sly. Chad lets Gwyneth move in with him rather than let the witches harm each other and violate the witch's rede.
8. Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?

A.C. With my degree in behavioral sciences I have a distinct advantage when it comes to knowing how my characters are going to behave. I'll start with the character's name and occupation and a couple of quirks or flaws and go from there. I get to know them pretty quickly, just as my reader's do. Morgaine's cousin is from the hills of Tennessee and has some fabulous colorful expressions. She really grew on me and I had to give her a happily-ever-after ending too.

9. What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
A.C. Hands down it's the true death of Sly's maker Vorigan Malvant. Let's just say it's botched at first, then takes a really funny turn, and I've told it from the villain's point-of-view so you get the whole "Oh sh*t" moment.
10. Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?
A.C. I didn't need to do a lot of research for this book because I had already created my vampire lore in a previous book—Vampire Vintage (published by Ellora's Cave, 2007.) I did do a lot of research for that one. I learned about Romania's past and present, Vlad Dracula and Joan of Arc. I think it's important to keep my own mythology consistent. As such, I reread the book to remind myself of the details, and I found myself thinking, "Did I write this? Damn I'm good!" LOL
11. What is the most interesting thing you have physically done for book related research purposes?
A.C. Seriously? You really want to go there? I mean, I've written a lot of erotic romance and always include pretty graphic sex scenes. How do I know if the physics work unless…oh, never mind.
12. Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?
A.C. It doesn't differ a whole lot. I usually set my books in familiar places with accurate details—it's my characters who are completely fictional. For instance, the Strange Neighbors series is set in Boston, in an actual neighborhood. My book's building on Beacon Street could actually exist. The way I described it in the first book is loosely based on one of the buildings in which I lived. I simply added a penthouse. A few of these old buildings have modern additions.
13. With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?
A.C. they can stand alone. A reviewer recently admitted she hadn't read the first two books but said she thoroughly enjoyed the third one in and of itself.
14. Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
A.C. Thomas Wolfe said "Every novel is an autobiography." I agree with that to an extent. Certainly I don't know what it's like to be a werewolf or a vampire, but I try to put myself in my characters' shoes. I think readers can tell when you don't do that. There's a bit of me in all my characters. My experiences, what I imagine my emotions would be, etc.
15. Do you ever suffer from writer's block? How do you deal with it?
A.C. I refuse to give in to it. I try to write every day. If I'm stuck on a particular book, I'll switch to something else, but I won't let myself get out of the discipline of writing. Sometimes you have to let one story percolate, but there's always something else to write. A short story, a novella, even a blog.
16. Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?
A.C. Okay, some people might think this is weird—I say a little prayer each morning, then rub my hands together real fast until the friction creates heat and energy. Then I hover my hands over the keyboard. Who knows? Maybe it infuses the thing with energy, maybe not. It can't hurt.
17. Do you write in different genres?
A.C. Not much anymore. I've done a contemporary romance from time to time.
18. When did you consider yourself a writer?
A.C. When I began to write with the intention of publishing. I've heard that's the definition of a writer and it works for me.
19. What are your guilty pleasures in life?
A.C. My hot tub. I like to get in there with a paperback as long as the outside temp is between thirty and ninety degrees.
20. Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
A.C. I make jewelry. I love the water and kayak or walk the beach. If I had a private pool, I'd swim until my hair turned green.
21. What was the last amazing book you read?
A.C. Amazing? Let's see…I've read a lot of amazing books. I really loved Welcome Home Cowboy by Karen Templeton. I read it as a judge in the Rita's. (RWA's version of the Oscars.) I was so happy when she won.
22. Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?
A.C. Yes. I read in two places. My cozy corner in my living room is what I call our "puzzle pit." It consists of three big pieces covered in soft microfiber and they all fit together to make a large squishy sofa you can stretch out on. I have a reading light aimed right over my "spot." My other reading spot is my hot tub. I read my nook indoors and a paperback in the tub.
23. What can readers expect next from you?
A.C. I'm putting the finishing touches on a novel in the Vampire Vintage series for Ellora's Cave. I can either start the next novel or work on the series of short stories my agent and I came up with. I also have a proposal for a whole new series of novels reminiscent of Strange Neighbors with my agent.
24. Where can readers find you on the web? The following:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ashlyns...
http://www.twitter.com/GoddessAsh
http://www.facebook.com/ashlynchase (friends)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raymond... (fans)
http://ashlynchase.blogspot.com
http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com
http://naughtyauthorchicks.blogspot.com
Plus I do a lot of guest blogging.
25. Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
A.C. Of Course!
From The Vampire Next Door:
Morgaine opened her door the moment Sly knocked. She might have been standing there because she'd sensed someone coming to see her. Psychics were fun that way.
"Hi, Morgaine, uh…"
His throbbing fang distracted him so much that Sly hadn't looked up to see her face yet. When he did, he was met with an intriguing surprise. The woman he thought would be dressed in black with long, black hair, and wearing heavy black eye makeup and red lipstick, almost looked like a different person. He had to blink and look again to be sure she was indeed the witch he was looking for.
She smiled. Her face seemed softer with glowing skin, pink lips, and golden hair falling around her shoulders. Her dress was a dark shade of purple. Maybe something called plum.
A few moments passed before he realized he hadn't finished his sentence and was staring at her.
"Sly? Is there something I can do for you?"
He recovered and said, "Uh, yeah. There ith. Can I come in?"
She tipped her head. "I invited you in years ago, didn't I?"
"Yeth. But if you'd rather not—"
"Don't be silly. Of course you can come in. I was just wondering if you thought vampires needed to be invited in again after a certain amount of time passed."
"Like an ecthperathion date? No. Even if there wath one, I'd knock and athk.
Her lips twitched in a smirk. He realized she'd noticed his lisp and she too was trying not to be rude.
"Please come in." She stepped aside.
He strolled in and admired her apartment. A far cry from his secret lair in the basement, hers was a bright and cozy place with a slipcovered couch, a rocking chair, and a trunk for a coffee table. Its only decoration was a glass dish holding some colorful rocks and crystals.
Lit candles graced the fireplace, making the lavender room glow. Wind chimes he'd heard during summer months hung silent in the window, which was closed against the chilly night air.
"You mutht like thith color." He indicated her dress and the walls.
"Yes, plum is my favorite shade of purple, and purple is my favorite color."
"Plum, huh? Ith pretty on you." He meant it.
He didn't often compliment people, not that he didn't appreciate a good-looking woman, but ever since his wife had died and left him a widower twenty-six years earlier, he'd had no interest in starting up a relationship with somebody else. It wouldn't be fair to let a woman think she'd be able to replace his late wife, so he avoided giving anyone the wrong idea. Morgaine had no such illusions though, so he felt safe telling her he'd noticed her attractive change.
"I had a makeover. Roz took me to a school for aspiring cosmetologists. It took them all evening to get the black dye out of my hair and recolor it to match my natural shade."
"Tho you're a natural blonde?"
"I guess so. My hair hasn't been natural for about thirteen years, but I don't notice a big difference at the roots now that it's growing out."
He wandered around the apartment, scanning the new-age books on her shelves and noticing how neat she kept the place. "You mutht have gotten into the goth thing a long time ago."
"Yeah, you could say I was the high-school weirdo."
He smiled. "We were all weird in high thchool."
She grinned back. "Have a seat. Can I get you some tea?"
"No, thanks. I came to athk you for thum magical help."
"You want me to heal your fang?"
"Yeth." He sat on the comfortable flowered sofa. "Did your thycic ability tell you what happened?"
"No, your lisp did." She giggled and sat next to him.
Man, she's pretty when she smiles.
"Let me see." She scooted closer, and he opened his mouth.
Her gentle, warm fingers pushed his upper lip out of the way as she examined his mouth. Her own lips were slightly parted as she studied his injured fang thoroughly. Her breath was pleasant. Minty, as if she'd just brushed her teeth. He could lean in and capture those sweet pink lips in his and… Whoa. What was happening?
"Does it hurt?"
"Like a mutha. I have a metallic tasthte in my mouth too."
"I can see why you wouldn't be able to go to a dentist. It looks like the fang that isn't healing well won't retract, and I guess they're not able to work independently, so the other one won't retract either."
"Egthactly."
"It's not the fang that's broken—or if it was, it's healed."
"Yeth. The fang grew back, but the pain won't go away. I bit into a thick thilver necklath."
"Ohhh… You were poisoned. Okay, I'll have to make a healing poultice so I can apply it directly to your gum. It will draw out the silver poison in your system. I'll reinforce its power with a healing spell if you like."
"Thankth. Will I ever be the thame?"
"Of course you will. Unless you're talking about your pre-vampire days. That I can't heal."
He hung his head. "I know. I remember athking you that when I learned you were Wiccan. You thed there wath no thpell to cure vampirithm."
"I'm afraid not. I'm sorry." She rested her hand on his knee.
When he looked up, she had a soft, sad expression on her face. It wasn't pity—not exactly. Empathy. That's what it was. He knew she had a kind heart, but there was more to it than just that. She was a nurturer. Much like his daughter, Merry, the pediatric nurse. An innate healer.
"Pardon my curiothity, but… the makeover? Are you dating?"
Her face colored. "I—well, no. I wouldn't mind meeting someone, but it's just not in me to go out to bars or anything."
"Thumthing tellth me you wouldn't meet the right kind of guy there anyway. Have you tried the Internet?"
"Not yet." She hesitated as if there was more to say, but instead she placed her hands on her knees and pushed herself up to a standing position. "Well, I'll go whip up that poultice. You try to relax."
© Ashlyn Chase, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2011
THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR BY ASHLYN CHASE – IN STORES AUGUST 2011

Room for Rent: Normal need not apply
This old Boston brownstone is not known for quiet living… first the shapeshifter meets his nurse, then the werewolf falls for his sassy lawyer, but now the vampire is looking for love with a witch who's afraid of the dark… and you thought your neighbors had issues!

Undead Sly is content playing vigilante vampire, keeping the neighborhood safe from human criminals, until Morgaine moves in upstairs. Suddenly he finds himself weak with desire, which isn't a good place for a vampire to be. And Morgaine isn't exactly without her own issues—will the two of them be able to get past their deepest fears before their chance at "normal" slips away?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Multi-published author Ashlyn Chase specializes in characters who reinvent themselves, having reinvented herself numerous times. She has worked as a psychiatric nurse, for the Red Cross, and has a degree in behavioral sciences. The first two books in the Strange Neighbors series are Strange Neighbors and The Werewolf Upstairs, which are both available now! She lives with her true-life hero husband in beautiful New Hampshire.
For more information, please visit www.ashlynchase.com.






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