Link to Dead and Gone Review

Looking for a great review of Charlaine Harris's newest book in the Southern Vampire (aka Sookie Stackhouse) series, Dead and Gone? Click here.

~ Lily

The one that started it all

After an extended break from the blog (though not from the inspirational subject material), I've decided to return with a post paying homage to the book that started it all. Well, maybe not "ALL" in the sense of the genre as a whole, but "all" in the sense of my introduction to the paranormal romance genre. No, that's not right either. Not only was this book my introduction to the wonderful and varied world of paranormal romance, it was my introduction to romance as a genre.

Let me set the scene. Roughly a year and a half ago, I was a recovering English major getting my masters in Communication. I read text books. I read classic literature. When feeling lighthearted, I read Neil Gaiman. I DID NOT, nor would I ever, read romance. It was crass, it was trashy, it was unsophisticated, and it was certainly below my standards of literary enjoyment (not that I was biased, or anything). I was content in my superior (see: unnecessarily prejudiced) understanding of genre fiction. Then I went home for Christmas break and was quite literally assaulted by my mother, bearing a copy of J.R. Ward's Dark Lover.

"READ THIS!" She told me in the loving-yet-fear-inspiring tone that only a mother can use.

I argued that I didn't read romance. Couldn't she understand that? Romances were read by bored housewives who didn't understand the joys of reading GREAT LITERATURE. Mom wasn't buying it. I got the ultimate mom blackmail; the look that says "I went through labor for you, read the damn book or I'll end the life I so generously gave you." Who can argue with that? (As a sidenote, my mother's a total badass. But seriously. As in, for her midlife crisis she skipped buying a new car and changed professions...becoming a professional firefighter...in her 40s. Yeah, she's not someone you mess with.) I took the book.

The book, as mentioned above, was J. R. Ward's Dark Lover. I reluctantly sat to read in front of the Christmas tree. I stayed there for 8 hours. I read the book in one sitting, rereading some passages two and three times. In the course of a night, I saw the error of my ways. Without any reference beyond my own narrowminded beliefs, I had summarily dismissed an entire (and thriving) genre of fiction. A genre that I was amazed to discover I *loved*. I returned to my mother, book in hand, praising her superior knowledge and begging to borrow the rest in the series. I whipped through the next two books in the series just as quickly. My pace slowed over the next few books simply because I returned to grad school and my professors actually expected me to read academic literature. Didn't they understand I had just discovered a vibrant new world? A world of vampires and magic and incredible, mind-blowing sex? Alas, they did not. Their lack of support for my fledgling addiction did nothing to thwart my desire to immerse myself completely in the pararom world, and that's exactly what I've done.

Time has passed. While I still adore J. R. Ward, I am now versed in many pararom series besides her's. I also happily acknowledge my drastic change of heart. I've gone from a snooty, nose-in-air, faux intellectual, to a woman proud to admit my great appreciation for a thriving genre that allows me to indulge my darker fantasies in mythical worlds where the supernatural is common and creatures of all kinds go bump (and grind) in the night.

So, without further ado, I want to honor J. R. Ward for writing Dark Lover, the book that introduced me to the romance genre and showed me all I was missing.


Until next time,

Lily

Irony...it makes me love these novels more!

I'm curled up on the bed, enjoying Dark Lover, and I erupt in laughter. It's not because something is explicitly funny in the book, but rather something I experienced reading the book. This is where I might also add in a disclaimer: I am by no means knocking the genre- in fact I'm actually impressed. Why? Irony.

Ever since I had high school English and learned about irony I've always been impressed by effective use of irony. What is irony? I'm lazy so I'll use the Internet dictionary.

(1): incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2): an event or result marked by such incongruity b: incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play

Needless to say I don't believe anything in the song "Ironic" by Alanis is actually irony...but alas that is neither here nor there...

Back to Dark Lover, I was impressed by this following passage:

"Besides, they irritate me. Look at how their folklore portrays our species. There's Dracula, for Christ's sake, an evil bloodsucker who preys on the defenseless. There's piss-poor B movies and porn. And don't get me started on the whole Halloween thing. Plastic fangs. Black capes. The only things the idiots got right are that we drink blood and that we can't go out in the daylight. The rest is bullshit, fabricated to alienate us and stimulate fear in the masses. Or just as offensive, the fiction is used to create some kind of mystique for bored humans who think the dark side is a fun place to visit."

So perfectly hilarious and I am in love. Bring on the fun playground of lust and vampire erotica!

~eVie

Lily on Lynsay Sands

Now that Helena has taken the time and pains to introduce herself and the point of this blog, I feel it is necessary to follow suit. I am Lily Ghates, lover of vampires and debauchery alike. Like my friends and blog compatriots, I am a fledgling paranormal romanceaholic and writer. My favorite paranormal romances (PR) are JR Ward's Brotherhood of the Black Dagger series and Lynsay Sands' Argeneau series, both exceptional additions to the PR field. There is some confusion with Sands' series, though, and I plan to address it now.

Lynsay Sands, for whatever reason, decided against writing her books in order. That's correct. Her first published Argeneau book "Single White Vampire" is actually the third book in the series. The fourth book to be published "A Quick Bite," is actually the first book in the series. Confused? Well, I was when first I started reading. To save others this same confusion, I offer up a proper reading list for anyone interested in the wonderful fantasy world Sands presents:

1. A Quick Bite
2. Love Bites
3. Single White Vampire
4. Tall, Dark, and Hungry
5. A Bite to Remember
6. Bite Me If You Can
7. The Accidental Vampire
8. Vampires are Forever
9. Vampire, Interupted

Why go to the trouble of correcting the book order? Because Sands' books are just damn good. These books have provided me with some of the most valuable reading time I've spent with paranormal romances. Her take on the vampire myth is fascinating, primary because she imbues the myth with a scientific background. Sands uses science to explain the existence of the vampires, called "immortals," in her books. This scientific backing explains all of the strengths and weaknesses that render her characters so delightful. While I don't have the time to go into a proper review of each of Sands' books at the moment, I have read all save the last two (one of which I am over halfway through), and the series most definitely gets my stamp of approval.

Until next time,

Lily

First bites first

Hello and welcome to the home of our newest blog! Our delightful trio will bring you news concerning the hottest and lamest paranormal romance novels gracing your local bookstore shelves. Over the past few months, we have spent amounts we would rather not disclose ;) on texts from this popular genre. This is a genre that is not often discussed partly due to social taboos, partly due to the readers hoping to savor a sense of pride. We have discarded any shred of shame for our current addiction and throughly look forward to bringing our thoughts into the limelight.

Authors such as JR Ward, Lynsay Sands, Lora Leigh, and many more will make an appearance in the future posts. If you get the hankering to read a paranormal romance post haste, make sure to try the Black Dagger Brotherhood collection courtesy of JR Ward (our groups "fangs" down favorite).

I would like to introduce myself as Helena Sparrow. Yes, we have made up cheesy romance author names for ourselves. Who can resist the urge? Feel free to leave comments or discuss topics among yourselves. Getting a comment is on the same level as receiving a birthday gift, or in the light of this blog, a good bite!

Happy reading to all!