Blood Currency

Tags

Indie Author, Jeffe Kennedy, Paranormal, Self Published Book, Vampires

Title & Author: Blood Currency (Feeding the Vampire & Hunting the Siren)

Genre & Publication Date: Paranormal/Erotic, December 19, 2016

Book Description: “Feeding the Vampire

Through good luck and healthy cowardice, Misty has survived the earthquakes that have torn the world apart, but has no skills to speak of. Or so she thinks. She does have blood, and someone must feed the vampire who has offered his protection and strength in exchange for sustenance. Feeding Ivan is a priority, and Misty finally serves a purpose. But when she awakens tied to his bed, an unwilling gift to Ivan from the townspeople, she discovers he has hungers other than blood. Hungers he expects her to satisfy in the most carnal manner. Under his seductive persuasion Misty discovers she has the power to sustain Ivan in all ways, while experiencing unspeakable pleasure herself.

Hunting the Siren

A vampire queen grown powerful with age, Imogen has protected her band of nightriders through the centuries. When refugee vampires from earthquake-shattered Europe seek shelter and sustenance, she’s honor-bound to feed them, by any means necessary. When her lieutenants dump the vengeful human man Kasar at her feet, Imogen succumbs to his masculine vitality and her overwhelming hunger for his blood—and his body. Kasar has survived the breaking of the world, only to discover the vampire queen has slaughtered his sister and her unborn child. With the last of his bloodline dead, only his desire for vengeance keeps Kasar alive. He imagines he can pretend to succumb to Imogen’s seduction—not that he has much of a choice, chained as he is to the foot of her bed—and bide his time until he has an opportunity to kill her. The passion he finds in her arms is unexpected, and impossible to resist. But this haven of desire and satiation could easily destroy them both.”

First Line: “I’ll do it,” I said.

My Take: This book was provided to me by the author for review.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world this book gives us a pair of yummy vampire short stories. With a natural disaster that left the earth shattered and civilization fallen, I could definitely buy into the idea that if there were vampires around, there’d be little need for them to hide anymore. This sets the stage for a couple of interesting scenarios the author brings to life.

Unlike other duology packs I’ve read in the past, these two stories are completely different from one another even though they share the same setting (albeit different continents). The first one was in first-person, the second in third-person. The voices were distinct from one another and the central focus of each conflict unique. And let’s not forget the sizzle. Wow, can Kennedy heat up a scene! I burned my fingers tapping through the pages. *fans self*

I wanted to add as well that everything remains consensual in this area because the synopsis might scare some off. This is a vampire book. It’s all about the seduction, folks. Characters resisting temptation because they think they should, not because they want to. As always, Kennedy strikes that perfect balance between conquest and affection. Trust me, you’re safe in her hands.

The Magical: Ahhhh, the vampires were SO well done! These were not angsty, human-like versions of this mythical being. These were creatures of the night, ancient, otherworldly and frightening, yet utterly magnetic.

The Mundane: Both stories ended where they should and without tying everything together into a bow (the world is still in ruins after all), but I wanted mooooooore! *undignified whine*

Summary of Thoughts: Currently this book is $2.99 on Amazon, or free if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription. I really enjoyed it. It delivers exactly what it promises with a pair of stories that will totally consume you. A reminder that this one has scorching romantic scenes in it. Five alarm chili, if you take my meaning, but oh, you will love the burn.

Many thanks to author Jeffe Kennedy for providing a copy of the book to review!

Want to know more about this author and her work? Explore her website here

Almost Night (A Twilight Parody)

Tags

Fantasy, Novella, Paranormal, Self Published Book, Vampires

Title & Author: Almost Night (A Twilight Parody), Jacob Wallace

Genre & Publication Date: Fantasy, March 22, 2015

Book Description: “Be ready to laugh in this parody of Twilight and other vampire fiction.

Stella Mallard is a dull and boring girl with no friends. Nothing interesting about her, certainly not enough to inspire boners in an undead monster, a nature loving beast, and a horny Vampire Hunter. That is, until her mother gives her a magical potion before sending her to live with her father in Spoon City on imperial colony Tau 4. Now all the boys want her and the girls hate her. OK, some of the girls want her too.

Stella was content to live out her boring life on Gamma 3. However, since there are no minors allowed in the brothel, her mother sends her to live with her father in Spoon City, on the imperial colony of Tau 4. There she meets up with an old childhood friend, who has zero interest in just being friends anymore, a sexy Vampire Hunter, and the even sexier Ed Skullin.

When she witnesses the beautiful Ed Skullin biting rats, blocking a van with his bare hand, and skipping school on the one day with no overcast, Stella suspects something is up. Will she lose the love of Bocaj, her childhood friend turned into sexy bad boy werewolf? That may be the least of her problems, though it will be her highest priority, when she finds vampires turning themselves into crystal-skinned abominations, and herself in the middle of the apocalypse. Part one of a planned series.”

First Line: A shuttle roared to life in the air before disappearing into the blue sky, and Stella frowned as her mother steered the yoke of the car.

My Take: This book was provided to me by the author for review.

Full disclosure: I have read all the “Twilight” books. Yes, all four. Had to be done, I’m afraid. The fuss was too great to be ignored. (I only saw the first movie though and promptly made the decision to live as if it, and the rest of the God-awful films, did not exist. No offense to those who loved them.) So, it was with no small amount of curiosity that I took on this novella that promised a “Twilight” parody of fun and adventure, with a Fantasy lilt. I’m sorry to say, “fun” was not the experience I had reading it.

As a parody, I definitely expected there to be some good-natured jabs at the original storyline. I thought it was clever that “Jacob” was renamed “Bocaj” and that “Bella” was renamed “Stella”. It was an unusual angle (in a good way) that Stella was going to live with her father because she couldn’t reside in her mother’s new brothel. Little did I know that this was the first in what would be a tsunami of explicit sexual references.

When did I realize I was in for a brutal read?…I think it had to be when Stella arrived at her dad’s and he “smacked her on the ass”. Yes, that was my first “ew” moment. From there on it was one cringe worthy chapter after another, from early on when her dad encouraged her to go up to her room and bang Bocaj on arrival to the house, to “Ed” raping her while she was sleeping (Stella didn’t seem to mind this), to the black vampire who talked like a white man’s stereotype of a black man (yes, fried chicken was mentioned), to other twosomes and threesomes, some bestial in nature.

Please note I’m avoiding the word “inappropriate” or “offensive” because these are subjective notions. Some might find this type of read entertaining. Putting sensibilities aside, the story goes where it goes and the author follows its lead. I get that, but for me where it went was pretty gross. Perhaps the intent was to be edgy and push the envelope. As a fan of “Family Guy” I can appreciate that effort, but the trouble here was that it left out the funny.

The Magical: I enjoyed the Fantasy/Sci-Fi angle on what was originally an urban paranormal series.

The Mundane: Be very careful when casually tossing rape and racist depictions into a story as a gag. Maybe Seth MacFarlane can get away with it but even then it’s riding the line. And anyway, he’s made his brand off jokes like that. It’s not a good idea for a self-published author starting out to risk alienating readers for something that isn’t crucial to the story.

Summary of Thoughts: Whether or not one is of the opinion that the writing of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” saga is underachieving with strong misogynistic overtones, she still undeniably achieved the most important thing in writing: She held readers’ interest. Even I wanted to find out what would happen next as I read her work. That was not the case here.

I found this novella to be less of a parody and more the author’s creative outlet for “Twilight” bashing. The plot was loosely tied together and the characters, especially the women, were even more loose. It also read like a frustrated teenager’s raunchy fantasy, better left in notebooks under the mattress than published for mass consumption. That may sound harsh, but I honestly detested the storyline. It wasn’t that Stella spread her legs for anything with a pulse. Reading promiscuity doesn’t make me blush, nor do sex scenes (and I’ve read some whoppers). It was more that the sex didn’t seem to have any plot purpose. Whether it was in there for the sake of it or for shock value, it came across as pointless.

Currently this novella is $0.99 on the Kindle, however I’m unable to recommend it. Even for a short read, it was a pretty rough ride (no pun intended).

Many thanks to author Jacob Wallace for providing a copy of the book to review.

Curious what others thought? Check out Amazon’s reviews here

To learn more about other work by this author, explore his website at My Roommate is an Elf

Author Interview: Chele Cooke

Tags

Author Interview, Paranormal, Vampires

It was my pleasure to interview Chele Cooke, author of the paranormal novella “Teeth”, a delicious, vampiric read that I recommend. For the full review click here

Below are my questions in italics and Chele’s complete, unaltered answers.

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Well, I’m a self-published author living in London, UK. I’m a big fan of fiction, whether in books or in television shows and movies. I grew up in the countryside, so you can see a lot of that influence in my stories, as well as influences of family as I’m very close to mine. Very silly sense of humour too, I love cheese jokes! (Not cheesey jokes, but jokes about cheese.)

Oh, yeah, and I’m a dog person!

What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have a day job as well?

I work as a residence assistant for a University. It’s a lot like hotel reception except the people in the rooms are all students. You get a lot of funny stories.

When not at work and not writing, I’m still a bit of a hermit. I do a lot of crafts in knitting and cross stitching, I draw (not well,) read, and watch TV shows and movies. I love travelling, but unfortunately can’t afford it as often as I’d like. Maybe after a few more books.

Has writing always been a passion of yours or one that came over time?

I started writing as a teenager. I became obsessed with the Harry Potter series and began writing play by post role play. Fanfiction followed, and by the time I was seventeen I was writing my own stuff. The more I wrote, the more I wanted to write. One of the most productive addictions I could have.

Do you usually write in the paranormal genre or do you delve into other genres as well?

Actually, Teeth is the first time I’ve written in the paranormal genre outside of role play. I usually write in Sci-Fi and fantasy, but Teeth drove its fangs into me, to pardon the pun. I couldn’t put it away. I’ve found a lot of fun in writing paranormal.
Paranormal is a natural extension to the things I usually write, especially the way I like to play with the genre. My Sci-Fi dystopian series, “Out of Orbit“, will have book three released in autumn.

In “Teeth” you stray from the traditional depiction of the vampire as far as powers. Even feeding is a learned ability. What led you to away from the usual vampire traits for your characters?

I’m a huge fan of supernatural powers. However, when looking at gifts, most of the time I’m more interested in the downsides and how they are managed than I am about the gifts themselves. One of the things that drives me absolutely nuts in paranormal fiction is when vampires, werewolves, and all sorts of creatures are given these fantastic gifts without any cost.

That was the main reason I decided to take away a lot of the usual vampire traits for Teeth. I wanted my characters to be very grounded, good people and bad people who make decisions and have to live with them just like humans. When you make it so that they can alter the minds of their prey, etc, you’re taking away the consequences of their actions. Consequences are a fantastic motivator in a plot, and I didn’t want to take away from that.

The story deals with the theme of devotion in both a voluntary and involuntary sense. Did this evolve in the book on its own or was it intentional?

It was a little bit of both, truth be told. I knew there would be a very strong sire bond, which therefore implemented the rules my vampire coven are based around. The relationship that comes from that devotion, however, evolved on its own. The more I wrote the characters, the more I realised there’s something going on here. I really think it’s added to the story and, once again, added another layer of consequences for my characters to deal with. I’m very happy with how they’ve turned out. I was completely infatuated with writing them after two or three chapters of the first draft.

“Teeth” is the first book in a series. Do you know already how many installments the series will have or is its destination as yet undetermined?

I’m planning on three instalments at the moment but knowing the way my mind works, I have no doubt that by the time I get to the end of book 2, I’ll have another few to add. I really love these characters and their stories. But, in the end, it will completely depend on how the overarching plot is going. I have a destination in mind, it will just depend on how long it takes me to get there.

Do you follow a strict writing schedule/word count per day to stay prolific? Or do you set up writing goals for the year?

I try to create a schedule but I’m admittedly bad at sticking to it. Mostly, I know when I want to publish and I just have to get there. It usually involves quite a few sleepless nights as I try to keep up.
I’m a procrastinator at heart. Awful.

From your experience with self-publishing, do you have any advice that might help other aspiring authors?

Don’t be afraid to take your time. Too many people, myself included, wade into self-publishing before they are fully ready. I wish I’d taken more time, waited until I had a couple of stories ready before I stepped in. Publishing isn’t a sprint, you’re not in this for one book. Plan for the long race, and the longer you train, the better you’ll run when you start the race.

When is the next installment of “Teeth” coming??

The second book in the series, “Meat”, is being written at the moment. The first draft is being posted weekly on Wattpad. I expect for the completed book to be published late in the year.

Thank you so much for having me.

Many thanks to Chele Cooke for taking the time to be interviewed on Amid the Imaginary!

A single broken law could turn them from predators to prey

Part time author and full time fantacist, Chele Cooke is a sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal author living in London, UK.

With a degree in Creative Writing, Chele’s first novel was published in 2013. She writes gritty, character driven stories that often merge and bend the borders between genres.

For more information about Chele and her fiction, get first looks at promotions and updates, get free exclusive content, and sign up for her mailing list, explore her website here.

Teeth: The First Bite

Tags

Paranormal, Self Published Book, Vampires

Title & Author: Teeth: The First Bite (Teeth Paranormal Series, Book 1), Chele Cooke

Genre & Publication Date: Paranormal, January 8, 2015

Book Description: “Medical intern Thomas awakes in a blood-drenched basement and the realisation that his life must change forever. After all, how can he practise medicine when the smell of blood turns him into a vicious killer?

Spencer thinks being a vampire is better than any teen movie made it out to be. Now he must train Thomas and make his mentor proud.

One mistake risks more than either are willing to lose, and a single broken law could turn them from predators to prey.”

First Line: The bathroom tap was leaking again.

My Take: This book was provided to me by the author for review.

This one wastes no time in grabbing the reader by the neck and dragging them into the story. I love when a book begins with a great disturbance that fills me with lots of questions but few answers..and oh yeah, a bloody scene with a dangling body gets me too, every time.

We follow the birth of a new vampire, Thomas, as well as those impacted by the consequences of his creation. Like a newborn, his training in the vampire life has some bumps. So many vampire tales depict these creatures as awakening with an immediate sense of themselves and what they can do. It was refreshing to read a story that doesn’t wholly romanticize the transformation. Even learning how to feed is rocky with a few graphic scenes that had me wincing (in a good way).

There’s also some very interesting vampire intrigue among the ranks, specifically centered around a particular law mentioned in the book description. It’s an interesting restriction that, again, is uncommon for vampire stories.

And I can’t help but call out a hilarious interaction, as well as a great example of the unexpected slant on this genre, between newborn and trainer while discussing how to handle prey:

“In those stories, the…the…people have the power to change their memories.”

“Well, you ever physically addle someone or move a table with your mind, you let me know…it’s not like we’ve changed into something new, it’s that we’ve reverted to something old.”

One reader tip, do not sit down to a plate of spaghetti and meatballs when starting this one, not with an author who has a talent for imagery like this one!

The Magical: The characters are distinct, one from another, which isn’t easy to accomplish in a novella. There were none that seemed like “generic vampire”. Like the humans they once were, they each have their own views and personalities without becoming cliche.

The Mundane: Avoiding spoilers, I would’ve liked to know more about the leader of the house. I didn’t get a feel for his influence or history, but I sense he was important. As this is just book one, I’m hoping there is more to come on this.

Summary of Thoughts: I enjoyed the unique take on vampiric life in this book and it’s currently $2.99 on the Kindle. The market has seen a lot of these midnight creatures in the genre’s post-Twilight era. To stand out requires more than a rehash of the same ole stuff and this story certainly accomplishes that, combining the paranormal with the interpersonal in an engaging, visceral read.

Many thanks to author Chele Cooke for providing a copy of the book to review!

Curious what others thought? Check out Amazon’s reviews here

For more information about this author, explore her website here