A Nighttime of Forever

Vampire Innocent #1

by Matthew S. Cox

Sarah Wright woke up a few times after parties in strange places ― but the morgue’s a first.

At eighteen, she’s eager for a taste of independence, moving out of state to attend college. A change of scenery is extra-needed due to a bad breakup with her boyfriend, Scott. However, soon after escaping the body cooler, she makes two startling realizations: vampires are real, and she is one.

There’s nothing quite like an untimely death to ruin plans. California’s sunny beaches aren’t the best place for vampires to chill, and worse, not only does she wind up stuck in Seattle, she’s still living (figuratively) with her parents.

They take the news surprisingly well ― after all, it’s better than burying her ― even helping move her bedroom to the basement. A disinterested sire, distraught friends, nosy Men in Black, and awestruck younger siblings complicate her adjustment to the new normal of being an immortal still subject to her parents’ rules.

Undeath has its perks, but it also brings enemies. Without a copy of ‘Fangs for Dummies,’ Sarah’s left scrambling for answers when one such new enemy attacks her siblings and friends. If she can’t figure out how to vampire, her attempt to spare her family the grief of losing her may wind up killing them.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal, Fantasy, Supernatural, Fiction, Young Adult

284 pages, ebook

First published February 20, 2018

About the author

Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.

Hobbies and Interests:

Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.

He is also fond of cats.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun teen vampire book!

A Nighttime of Forever by Matthew Cox is a great book for all ages! Geared for teen and young adults, a clean book about a girl that is turned into a vampire. How she finds out is great! Waking up naked in the morgue and she has to bust out, literally. Mind vamps people to get home without them noticing her naked. Funny, exciting, and never dull. She soon finds being a vampire has its perks.

[Nikki Bao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah's life can't get any worse than it already is. Oops. My bad. It just did. After an extremely bad breakup with her boyfriend, she 'wakes up' in the morgue. She finds out that she's now a vampire. Goodbye sun, hello shadows. Funny book. Very cute. Loved it.

[Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated 3.5 really.

Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.

Pros: Imbues the classic vampire trope with humour and family values - plus a new spin.
Cons: Some reactions to the lead's being vamped are a bit sketchy/smoothed. Death doesn't seem like a big deal.
WARNING! Gore (of course), violence, and talk of (sometimes painful) sex.
Will appeal to: Those who like a sassy but family-focused heroine caught between two worlds.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I was offered a review copy by the author, having previously reviewed another one of his books and a couple of collections where two of his short stories were featured. This didn't affect my opinion about this novel.

HOMELY VAMP

Typically, vampires are not my thing. But I do enjoy a good vampire story from time to time, if there's more to it than mating, fighting, biting necks and stalking in the night. Also, I was curious about this story where an 18 y.o. girl with a normal, loving family and a life just about to start has to adjust to being undead and to give up on college and independence. It's not every day that you have the chance to meet a family vamp, who actually gets along with her parents, dotes on her siblings, and refuses to let go of her friends. Cox puts a new spin on vampires, in that there are a few types of them, and Sarah is an Innocent - one of those rare immortals who still cling to their humanity. Make no mistakes - she's quite powerful, and doesn't hold back when it's time to fight, though she still hasn't figured out what she can do and how. Watching her walk the fine line between growing into her new abilities (which come at a few costs) and adjusting to her new normal (with her family and friends in tow) is great fun. [...]

Whole review here.

[Pike Perrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Cox writes a fun, fantastical, and wimsy look at being a teenage vampire that has you laughing. The characters are so lovable and the heroine is dripping with sarcasm. You follow a new vampire thru the trials of finding her powers and seeking revenge. A must read!

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure which would be worse, finding you are dead or you are alive but a vampire. Sarah is about to find out. This story is full of wit and humor you have to chuckle and even laugh a time or two. No romance but that is fine with me it is more of a coming to life of a young teen finding out the dos and things she can’t do. It is a family trying to stay together and learning how to deal with issues they never thought they would have to. There is sex but as a lot of teens find in real life it isn’t all it is cracked up to be. The author being a story that is more realistic and what the outcome might be if you don’t make the right choices. It is so easy to go out have a good time but wake up not knowing what happened and why you find yourself without any clothes. I don’t think anyone has to worry about becoming a vampire but it goes give a great message. It is on the dark side so beware this isn’t fluff piece but a very enjoyable read that does hold your attention. Being a mother it is a story I can relate to when my daughter was a teen she drove me nuts. No matter how much you support your child at some time they will make the wrong choice and have to pay for the deed they did. I enjoyed it and think I might read it again, I feel I didn’t let it all sink in like I should have.
****************

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by the author. The first was The Summer the World Ended and it was a really, really good book. So is this one. There's just something about his style of writing that lends itself to the things he's writing about that makes the events seem more personal, more realistic.

Sarah Wright is 18. Out of high school, thinking about going to college in California. A really good, well behaved girl.

Who wakes up nude in a steal box. In the morgue. She was murdered but is now alive. Sort of.

She was turned by a vampire and so she has a lot of trouble dealing with what is happening to her. The guy who turned her tells her a little bit about being a vampire and then leaves. He does tell her that there are various kinds of vampires, including the Old Guard (European snobs), the Furies, the Beasts (savage), the Academics (spend their time studying) the Lost Ones (anti-social), the Scraps (abominations that don't live long) and the Innocents. She falls into the last category.

So, she decides to head for home, hope her family will accept her as she is, figure out how to tell the people who were told she was dead that she's not dead (she's getting better). She also needs to learn about her restrictions and abilities (one being she can fly), deal with the guy that killed her who is now a Scrap, deal with one of the Old Guard who wants to talk to her and, if that wasn't enough, deals with some M.I.B.s.

It's an excellent book and I have every intention of reading every book in the series.

[Ann M. Noser · Rating 5 out of 5]

- 4.5 rounded up to 5
- This is a different sort of vampire--sassy, immature at times but learning her path in life (or death, as it may be), family-focused (as in, human family focused), and REALLY pissed at her ex-boyfriend (you'll understand why and agree with her, I'm sure).
- There's no romance here (sorry, Twilight fans), except a hint of it towards the end, but there are some sexual situations. For a (refreshing, in my opinion) change, sex is not glamorized, but rather shown to be disappointing, uncomfortable, or unwanted at times (more realistic, really).
- The author captures the age group perfectly (as in, yes, sometimes you might want to shake your finger at her for her choices or erratic thoughts). I love her parents -- they are wonderful.
- Although this appears to be the first book in a series, but could definitely be read on its own. I'm curious where the series will lead.

IN ADDITION, if you like vampire books, this author has another wonderful vampire novel by the name of Chiaroscuro - The Mouse and the Candle, which goes deeper emotionally than this one, and gave me all the feels. A Nighttime of Forever is lighter, quicker fare -- just as good a read, just not as deep.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok the cover of this book threw me off at first and I almost didn't read it but I figured I would give it a try. I'm very glad I did, it was very entertaining and even funny. I really enjoyed the story and will definitely be interested in reading more in the series. So in this case, don't judge the book by the cover.

[Kel (Faerie-bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: A Nighttime Of Forever
Author: Matthew S. Cox
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal
Format: Ebook - KU
Pages: 284
Rating: 5
Heat: 1

Thoughts: One great thing about blogging/promoting is that you find some really good books. This is one of them! I could not put this down, it was funny yet so believable. This author has a way of capturing the thoughts and emotions of a character and conveying it in such a way that it’s hard to remember this is fiction. Sarah wakes up in a morgue and swears it’s a nightmare, even once it’s apparent that it’s most likely not, she holds on to that fact. Something I’m sure many people would do in the same situation since, well, vampires don’t exist. The way she finds out about the different abilities is quite amusing to say the least (getting people to not react to the fact that your naked would have anyone perplexed). Although, Sarah is very smart, and she is feisty. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in this series along with other books by this author.

[Tresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book!!! Boy, talk about a tough breakup!! This book is funny, brutal, sweet, caring and just an all out great read!! I can not wait to continue Sarah's story! A definite MUST read!! Engaging characters and storyline, you will be hooked!!!

[Mona williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow this book was so funny! talk about waking up thinking its all a dream only to be a nightmare. she gets help from another vampire that shows her how to live. there so many people that want her and her family!

[Carol]

This is a very good book! I enjoyed it very much. Lots of excitement with a little comedy thrown in.
I would gladly recommend this book to others.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was suprisingly a good read, I normally stick to adult books this was a nice change, the Author is very descriptive with his characters so you get a sence of what they look like. I would recommend this book to family and friends

[Cricket · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters are well developed, the storyline to great. This book gives an entirely new twist on vampires. I laughed out loud at some parts of this book. To have a Vampire book that doesn't have the vampire as some monster or some lovelorn teen is such a nice change.
If you like a good story, like vampire stories, like a book that will make you laugh and you like some action then this one is for you.

[Kimberly White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strongly recommend

I started with Evergreen which is a post apocalypse novel which is what I typically read. I liked the writing so much that I tried this book although it is outside my preferred genre. Amazing! I will definitely continue the series. I cannot believe how well he writes from a female perspective with strong dialog and emotion.

[Judy A. Kuhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

This is a book that I would recommend to my students. It is a very good young adult vampire story. Interestingly realistic.

[Samantha Lundergn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good take on the whole vampire genre. I found it quite entertaining

[Maryann Stasio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah is adorable and a badass

This was completely character driven for me. The family is very real and the emotional connection rings true. I'm already on book 2

[Art Lueder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed baby vamp stories and this one is quite modern and very enjoyable. I liked the heroine as she begins her journey into immortality. Cool story. Likable protagonist. Decent start at world building while leaving the potential wide open. I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good audio book. Didn't take long to listen to it. It's a four star audio book

[Barbara L. Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I feel this is a YA book

I enjoyed the new twist to a vampire tale. Humorous and entertaining. I read the Samantha Moon series Mr. Cox co wrote with J R Rain. This series could be as popular if he keeps going this way. If you want a light read just for entertainment, try this one. I will most likely try the next one.

[Gloria G Palacios · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for all ages

I couldn't put this book down. I love paranormal books. Loved the humor and personality because I can relate. Can't wait for next book.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat more light hearted than many of Cox's novels, this one is a look at Vampires, through the eyes of a teenager, who inadvertently becomes one.

In Cox's world, being a Vampire includes both advantages, and disadvantages. As is typical for him, his main character is on the weaker end of the spectrum of powers displayed in the book. Although she does tend to have a bit more raw power and/or ability than many of his characters (in his other novels).

Generally speaking, I dislike Vampire books, but this one was a fun read (as were the other 4 in the series (as of this writing)).


As usual: I paid retail price for the Kindle version of this book, my thoughts on it are my own. They were neither solicited by, nor compensated for, by either the author or the publisher.

[Dave Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cox mixes teenage life, classic myths, and humour to create a vampire story that is neither angst-ridden struggle nor night-wrapped superheroism.

After her boyfriend cheats on her, Sarah Wright is twice as eager to start college in California. However, when she wakes up in the morgue a vampire, her dreams of a new life are replaced with a desire to keep the one she had. Reconnecting with her family and friends is surprisingly easy; coping with her parents still mostly seeing her as their little girl is harder, especially when she’s living in their basement. And to make matters worse, her phone is still in an evidence locker and someone is trying to kill her.

Cox applies the same nuanced awareness to teenage vampire tropes that shapes his cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic fiction. There are considerations of romance: but not burgeoning obsession for a mysterious stranger or conflict between two different hotties. There are tensions between teenage feelings of adulthood and adult perceptions of immaturity; but not apocalyptic rows or power-fuelled attempts to prove a point. This creates a highly plausible picture of someone learning to be a vampire: the concerns of teenage life have not faded, but they are displaced by the massive change from mortal to vampire.

Cox’s version of vampirism is similarly tweaked. There are several types of vampires, tidily including all the vampire myths as possibilities, but—rather than becoming the same as one’s creator—the type of vampire a person becomes depends on some qualities in the person that aren’t known, even to the vampire community. This sense of both freshness and tradition is amplified by Sarah’s creator being a wanderer by nature, gifting her a very basic understanding of the condition and the occasional helpful conversation later; but leaving her (and the reader) to mostly uncover what her powers are and how they work.

There are also a number of Cox’s trademark ironies and embellishments: for example, each human smells and tastes like a particular food, but—unlike the valuable insights this would provide in some books—it merely adds a moment of lightness to contrast with the horror of predation.

This uncertainty over which legends are real and which powers might go together also adds the same mix to the plot: at least one someone or something is hunting Sarah and those around her, but their plan and goals are initially unclear.

Sarah is a well-crafted protagonist for a vampire novel: her history of being level-headed (for a teenager) make her both different from many other teenage protagonists and create a firm basis for her challenges to most be with vampirism rather than with life itself. Freshly out of a bad relationship, she also plausibly isn’t in a romantic head space, allowing for an initial exploration of her new expanded world without the overwhelming drama of young love.

Her family and friends are similarly balanced, neither refusing to accept the truth no matter what nor casually settling into it without any issues; as such, while not all readers will find the precise level of acceptance displayed by every character plausible, they are likely to find the whole balances pace with challenge to create a plot that is neither onerous nor flat.

As with other novels, Cox grants even brief characters interesting nuances, both creating a sense that Sarah’s story takes place in a wider world and adding a sense of real impact to each of her decisions to feed or use her powers on a passer-by.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking a fast-paced vampire tale.

I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginative

A light, imaginative, enjoyable story. If your looking for a lighthearted read, this will be a good choice. Entirely for entertainment purposes only!

[Debra Chiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool book!

What a way to end up! This new character Sarah, 18 yrs old, finds herself in a cooler in a morgue and she has to find a way out. She thinks she is dreaming this whole thing but then finds out that she is indeed a vampire. Not exactly what she expected, but the book goes on teaching her what to expect and how to deal with most things that will come her way. I guess I'll have to move on to the next book to see the adventures of Sarah!

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous inventive take in Vampire trope

This is the second book I have tried by author and it did not disappoint. Story is told with great humor and an interesting 18 year old becoming adult perspective.

[Lesley Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your typical teenaged vampire story, in fact it is as far away from Twilight as you can get in this genre. Forget glittery, posturing vampires, rather this is a teenaged girl who suddenly finds her life rather complicated after waking up in a morgue drawer believing herself a victim of a prank. She quickly discovers her life has drastically changed & luckily her family is behind her as she struggles to adapt & come to terms with her new life. Imagine having to deal with all the challenges & changes that come in being 18 only to now be thrown a heck of a curve ball that effects not just Sarah but her entire family. This is aimed at young adults but as a well read adult I have no problem admitting that I was equally drawn in & captivated by the quirky character of Sarah. I just wanted to keep reading on to the next title in this series but my kids kind of needed to eat a dinner which evidently they were incapable of cooking themselves (before you judge me they range in age from 21 years to 4 years) so I guess I will have to get to it later.

[MKenfield21 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually like Cox's characters but find his plots a little short on action.

This book is not action-packed, but it moves along briskly enough (after a somewhat slow start--Sarah seems initially unfamiliar with almost the entire concept of vampires), with some amusing violence and entertaining drama toward the end.

[Alan Clements · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically Funny

This book makes being a vampire sounds too good to be true. Except for the photosensitivity thing. Yeah, that kinda bites. If you want an amusing view of undeath then buy this book!