Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Update: The giveaway is now closed, but we still love hearing your feedback. (We may be planning another fun event for later this summer, thanks to your input.)
I had so much fun with the Alpha Showdown, and it’s because you guys made it a blast. (We’ve already been asked about future battles. We like the idea of power couples a la Cat & Bones, Barrons & Mac, Chess & Terrible, Mina & Rhys, etc. Maybe later this summer.) Don’t forget, you have until 11:59 p.m. Thursday, June 2, to vote in the final battle.
As it’s others who made this so fun, I’m honoring some favorites from the Showdown.
AUTHORS
We give special love to those who ain’t too proud to beg. First Ilona Andrews offered up the promise of a novella preview for some Kate and Curran love.
Then Karen Marie Moning upped the ante. Oh, KMM knows how to get you. She promised that if Barrons won the Alpha Showdown she would write a sex scene from JZB’s point-of-view. In KMM’s own words: “It won’t be pretty but it will be…well, let me just say if I’m getting in there for a good look around when the action is happening, I’m taking notes on EVERYTHING.” The woman knows how to work us, doesn’t she?
But a couple authors just wanted to have a little fun. Jeaniene Frost and Ilona Andrews both had characters make it to the semifinals — Bones and Kate Daniels, respectively — but were pretty sure they wouldn’t end up in the final bout together. So, they wrote up the smack talk that would accompany such a hypothetical battle. At one point Bones tells Kate to have Curran explain Chapter 32 to her. It’s hilarious and you can read it here.
COMMENTERS
There have been hundreds of comments during the Showdown, which makes for a very happy VBC. A few favorites:
“ONE VOTE FOR SLUTBAG, RIGHT HERE! She’ll take his ass OUT! hiiiiiii-ya!” – Pamela {Spaz} in support of Anita Blake
“Look, Kate has already proven she can kill gods…” – Kara-Karina in support of Kate Daniels
“All [Curran] has to do is comment on Zsadist’s ‘sweet tats’ and the fight’ll be over with the scarred one down for the count wrapped tight in a fetal position.” – Sara H. in support of Curran
“I don’t care who wins as long as I can be the meat in that SANDWICH !!!!” – Keysha on Curran vs. Barrons
“Cat. Catherine. Reaper. Kitten. All names to describe the most kick ass female in all of paranormal romance. She slices, she dices, she juliennes! Cat is the complete package. Half vamp, vampire killer with a deadly accurate aim, only she could bring Bones to his knees. Cat hasn’t wavered in who she loves either. It’s been one man the entire time. Go Reaper, you get my vote!” – Candace in support of Cat
“I have to say, after the Barrons/Curran showdown and seeing how diehard the Team Andrews fans were, I picked up Magic Bites and I have to say, I’m enjoying the hell out of it. So that’s one serious positive about this contest – I now have another series that I’m pulled into (as my wallet cries out in protest).” – Ali on Barrons vs. Kate Daniels
CHAMPIONS
Thanks to all the bloggers who stepped up to represent our alphas (in order of appearance): Michelle from bookchelle, Mandi from Smexy Books, Julie from Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks, Ash from Smash Attack Reads, @JillyJameson, Marie from VampireAcademy.org, Lily from ShadowKissed.com, Bells from Hanging with Bells, Tori from Smexy Books, Nerissa from BookFanatic, DeeDee from EricNorthman.net, Marcela from The Bookaholic Cat and Kristin from My Bookish Ways.
This is the perk for reading to the end. One person will win their choice of the first book in any of the series featured in the Alpha Showdown. Open internationally, provided The Book Depository ships to your country. To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling us what you liked about the Alpha Showdown.
CONTEST DETAILS AND RULES
1. You must leave a comment on this post.
2. Because we love our readers, let us know if you follow Vampire Book Club in some fashion (Google, RSS, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and get one bonus entry.
3. This contest is open internationally, provided The Book Depository ships to your country.
4. Contest is closes at 11:59 p.m. CST on Sunday, June 5.
5. The winner will be selected using Random.org. Then she will be contacted via email and given 48 hours to claim her prize. If we do not hear from the winner(s) within that time, a new winner will be selected.
6. Entrants must be at least 13 years old or have their parent’s permission to enter. Please review our privacy policy, if you have any questions as to how Vampire Book Club uses your information. (Short version: we’ll only use it to contact you for this contest.)
7. Though unlikely, Vampire Book Club has the right to change or cancel any giveaway at any time without prior notice.
8. Vampire Book Club is not responsible for items being lost or damaged in transit.
I have to say my favorite part of the alpha showdown is all the trash talking. Gotta love that!!
It has opened me up to look at new authors and their characters!! Love the bribe for Barrons! He had my vote anyway.
PS~ facebook follower
I’ve really enjoyed the Alpha Showdown. It was a fun way to read about other books that I might want to read.
I LOVED the Alpha Showdown for two reasons. one: it gave me so many new books to read! i cant wait to read them all!!! and two: i just loved reading all the comments ppl would write. some were so hilarious!!! i really loved this. i hope there are more to come 🙂
i follow via facebook and twitter (@karlitas13)
It got me curious about other series that I haven’t read. Because of this I’ve added a few more series to my reading list. I knew Barrons had it in the bag especially after Karen announced if he won she would write a sex scene.
I follow on Twitter and an e mail subscriber.
LOVED this showdown! And I am VERY VERY VERY happy with the winner and I can’t wait for KMM to get in his head and get his POV! SO EXCITED!!!
Facebook follower
I loved reading the crazy comments! And obnoxiously rooting for my favorite man candy is always a great way to grab a quick smile!
I never knew of this site before but I’ll definitely be following on facebook now. 😀 Thanks for the party! It’s been a blast.
Next time though, I think Acheron needs an invitation. *le sigh*
This was so much fun and gut wrenching, having to vote against some of my favorite characters! But I agree Barrons is the ultimate alpha!
Ima twitter follower!
I love the competitiveness and the passion of the fans. I was voting from every laptop, computer, phones, ebook readers I could find. It’s all in fun and it’s a great way for fans to show their support. Thanks for the showdown VBC. P.S. I follow VBC on facebook.
The entire showdown was a lot of fun! I loved finding new authors/series and reading people’s passionate comments. I hope you do something like this again. Maybe find the Sexiest/Kick-Ass Cover or find the Snarkiest Hero/Heroine or the Scariest Villain.
I don’t know… I just hate that it’s over with.
BTW – I follow on Facebook.
Yeeeeees!!! I knew it will be Barrons!! He is the best Alpha ever!!
Thanks for the giveaway! Don’t have the first bok in English yet! I cross my fingers ;.p
Facebook follower (leslecturesdesab)
Barrons had it in the bag! Karen Moning creates such amazing Alpha males… description all to clear here, Barrons is totally in the top of the league! “He was what psychologists and anthropologists would call an Alpha male, men who were defined by an inherent lawlessness. They obayed only their own code, and if it happed to briefly converge with the laws of society at large, it was mere coincidence. Once could never be completely certain what an Alpha male would do if he, or those he considered his, were threatened. One could only hope to stay within an Aphpa male’s protected circle – or as far out of his line of sight as possible.” ~ Spell of a Highlander
I really liked this showdown. I literally sat for minutes at a time and debated on who would make a better alpha.
Of course no wonder Barrons won. You get excited just thinking about him.
Absolutely loved the smack talk about chap 36. Cant wait to check out some of the characters from the showdown. . . . All of whom i have never come across before . . . . Except Barrons ofcourse 😉
Without a doubt the best outcome is the promised scene from KMM. . . . though there was never a doubt about JZB!!!
Absolutely loved the smack talk about chap 36. Cant wait to check out some of the characters from the showdown. . . . All of whom i have never come across before . . . . Except Barrons ofcourse 😉 Without a doubt the best outcome is the promised scene from KMM. . . . JZB!!!
Barrons all the way. I can’t wait for the story KMM promised.
I follow Vampire Club through Google. Fabulous books, exhilarating characters and plots. I loved the Showdown for all reasons: the interaction, the information, the excitement, the characters that came alive in the fights from many books. It was the ULIMATE Showdown and exposes so many corners from the world, so many genres and can never forget the ALPHA … BARRONS … YUMMMMMY! 🙂
Barrons is without doubt the alpha-“He catches his tongue in his teeth briefly and
gives me a full-on smile. It says: I’m the biggest
baddest fuck and I have all the toys.”
Hahaha seeing the arguments you guys put up to represent each of the alphas, those were awesome, also introducing new books for those who hadnt picked them up before!
I love the trash talking and seeing Barrons totally kick butt!
It made me very curious about barrons i have to say, i had tried that series before and just couldnt finish the first book, he was so obnoxious, I may have to re-try this series! Also the awesome comments put forward, my fave is that kate should have won against barrons, she killed her 6000 yr old aunt, barrons is only 4000, and even though he comes back from the dead, dying during the match counts as a win to the other person!
LOL this was fun!
Following you guys on Facebook and this has been a pretty intense competition! And I found some great new books to read !
Newcomer to VBC, and had lots of fun with this showdown. Can’t wait for more things down the road. facebook follower here!
I’m a facebook follower. My favorite part about the Alpha showdown was voting for and against characters that I love. It also introduced me to character’s and series that I haven’t read yet. I love Bones he is one of the best character’s ever, but I do agree that Barrons is the definite Alpha male, can’t wait for KMM’s promised story!! 🙂
Yay! There’s no question that Barrons is the Alpha!
GO BARRONS!!!!!!!!!!! Of course he would win! I loved the Alpha showdown! It gave me new books to reads!… and by the way I totally missed the Anita vs. Jace showdown! I’m a big Anita fan and she can definitely beat Jace with her hands wrapped around her back and at the same time being blindfolded! 😛 ..
(Oh and I LOVED reading through all the thrash talking that went on, it had me laughing)
Great tourny! So much hotness going on 🙂
Greatest.Contest.Ever.
The best part of this contest was seeing the descriptions of the characters. It gave me a little more insight into what series I want to start next.
I also follow on facebook.
i enjoyed watching everyone defend their favorite. It’s so great to see people who enjoy the same books as yourself and to see other people’s comments about why they love all the characters. I knew Barrons would win 🙂 No doubt.
The best part about this is finding out about new books i haven’t read.. the trash talkinng and the good looking guys!
I found a few new series to read! Nothing better then that!!!
The best part of this showdown is that my favorite alpha won. Go BARRONS! 😉
I have also found several new amazing series/books to read and of course I LOLed while reading through all the crazy comments and trash talks. 🙂
The best part of the showdown was introducing me to many new authors and series, I also liked the part where Barrons won, of course.
LOVED the Alpha showdown! 😀 Loved all the support each character got, the excitement of the voting and of course the authors’ bribes but most of all: the fans’ trash talk! 😀 LOL
Thank you for organizing it, can’t wait for the next one!
I follow you on Facebook, Twitter, GFC and e-mail.
stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com
Loved this showdown!!! I now have a ton of new books to read and I can’t wait for the next showdown!!! Follow on twitter
what i liked the most about this showdown is that Jericho Barrons won ^^ More seriously i like “fighting” for my favorites character, spreading the world that everybody MUST vote for Dimitri or Barrons…
And ALL the comments were amazing, i spent a lot of time reading them and i kept laughing, they were so funny ^^
thanks for this showdown and thanks for the giveaway
follow on twitter (@StVladForum)
DRAMA!!! I love it sometimes all of the fighting over who was better LOVE IT!!! and the trash talking!
I follow you on twitter and facebook
The contest opened me up to new series. And remember what I love about the ones I’ve already read.
The die hard defense of a favorite character has to be the best part. Some characters just get under our skin (i.e. Barrons!) and leave us wanting so much more.
It’s fun to watch what people say, and the trash talk always seems to be kept cordial and fun.
follow you on facebook! 🙂
I thought the comments were hilarious! And I now have new books to add to my TBR list.
This contest gave me a new series to read. I love these types of books, thank you! email subscriber edysicecreamlover18ATgmailDOTcom twitter follower Icecream1819
Well the answer is very simple : it’s very funny !! Imagine all this alpha from different series together, and fighting with fan of all the series to know who is the best, it crakes me up. Like when we was little, with my brother arguing to know which wons in the fight between Godzilla and King Kong 😉
parker182@hotmail.fr
I have to say this showdown has been and eye opening experience. I actually became emotionally invested in this and was miffed when a vote did not win! Fortunately I am a good sport and got to follow the rest of the way and continue to enjoy the banter. I follow with GFC, FB, and email sub. and really enjoy the Vampire Book Club.
dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com
I love Barrons, there is no other character like him out there! The others never had a chance. My favorite part of the Alpha Showdown has been all the comments,hours of fun thank you VBC.
I learned that I must meet Barrons, very soon. This was a blast, thanks.
I have discovered several series that I must read as a result of the Alpha Showdown. Thanks!
Follow you on Twitter!
Best part? Hands down the fact that I only knew about half of the characters in the Alpha Smack-down, hearing these others championed by everyone has caused me to add several new books to my to be read list (especially the books that contain Barrons as I can’t believe he defeated both Kate and Curran! He must truly be something to behold)
I follow this awesome website through google and would just like to say Thank you for the enjoyment I’ve gotten from this Alpha Smack-down.
It’s been epic folks 🙂
I knew Barrons was gonna win! Now I can’t wait to read the Barron’s POV sex scene!