Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Oh, readers, I’m gearing up for the Authors After Dark convention in New Orleans in a couple weeks. If you’re going, make sure to tweet me — @ChelseaVBC — to meet up. I’ll be attending with my real-life bestie Kristin from My Bookish Ways. Also, the August group read poll is at the end of this post… so make sure to read the whole thing. Cover Reveal for Immortally Embraced Angie Fox’s second Monster... 
Molly Harper knows how to make us laugh and bring the fun sexy at the same time. It’s no surprise VBC is excited for her new book The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires. This stand-alone book is set in the same town as Molly’s Nice Girls… books, but focuses on a daytime concierge for vampires. The book comes out on July 31, but I have a taste of it for you right here. This comes from the beginning of... 
The Ripple Effect (Rhiannon’s Law #3) J.A. Saare Published: July 31, 2012 (Mundania) Purchase at: Amazon Reviewed by: Chelsea Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Note: This review assumes you’ve read the previous books in the Rhiannon’s Law series, particularly The Renfield Syndrome. If you haven’t, you can find reviews of the first and second books on VBC. Readers of the Rhiannon’s Law series know J.A. Saare... 
It’s hard to be an urban fantasy heroine. It’s not easy to live in a world with magic and vampires and the constant need to save the world. And, damn it, sometimes you just need to vent. So, for all those urban fantasy heroines (and everyone who loves to read or write the genre), there’s an answer: Urban Fantasy World Problems. You’ve seen the other memes, but did they feature references to vampire... 
Blade Song (Colbana Files #1) J.C. Daniels Published: Aug. 1, 2012 (Shiloh Walker) Purchase at: Amazon Reviewed by: Jo Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Working as a P.I. in Orlando, Kit Colbana is no stranger to the workings of the non-human population. So when the nephew of the local cat shifters alpha goes missing, she knows it’s going to be difficult not to help. Stuck working with the alpha’s right-hand... 
Want to get your pick in as the August group read? We’re taking suggestions over at the VBC Goodreads group. We’ll pick six titles from suggestions there (and on Facebook and Twitter), and put them in a poll next week. Also, we’re still chatting up Once Burned. This week’s discussion topic is the ending. Edge of Dawn Cover = Nom. In tasty cover reveal news, this peek at Lara Adrian’s Edge of Dawn is... 
My other online home Heroes & Heartbreakers has snagged an exclusive release from Donna Grant. The novella, called Dark Craving, will go up in three parts on July 23, 24 and 25. Here’s the official blurb: Fueled by ancient magic—and enflamed by human desire—the Dragon King known as Hal can transform himself at will into one of the legendary winged creatures he is sworn to protect. But one thing he can... 
Supernatural Seattle was made famous by our sparkly neighbors in Forks, but we had a rich mythic tradition long before vampires showed up in our woods. The Pacific Northwest Native Americans tell tales about the Giant Animal People who lived before humans came to these shores. The animal people are shape shifters: they can turn between animal and human form by pulling back their beaks like a mask and... 
Blood Before Sunrise (Shaede Assassin #2) Amanda Bonilla Released: July 3, 2012 (NAL/Signet) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review by: Chelsea Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Note: This review is spoiler-free, but assumes you’ve read the first Shaede Assassin novel. If you haven’t, I suggest starting with the VBC review of Shaedes of Gray. If you love an angst-y read, Blood Before Sunrise is for you.... 
Shadow Blade (Shadowchasers #1) Seressia Glass Published: 2010 (Pocket) Purchase at: Amazon Review by: Jo Rating (out of 5): 3 stars Shadow Blade, the first in Seressia Glass’ Shadowchaser series, introduces us to Kira Solomon, antiquities expert by day, Shadowchaser by night. Working for the secret Gilead society, Kira has trained nearly her whole life to be in the middle of an ancient battle between the... 
