Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
After spending the week in Santa Fe for work (board meetings!), I’m eager to get back on my reading schedule. Lots of reviews are just around the corner — including a OMG awesome one for The Renfield Syndrome — but until then, dive into this book-related news. Move over Mac? Karen Marie Moning announced ICED, the first book in the Dani O’Malley novels (a.k.a. Fever series spinoff), is slated for release... 
This month’s group read — Kristen Painter’s Blood Rights — has characters with chemistry that pops off the page. Only they aren’t a couple. Chrysabelle and Mal’s interactions ripple with tension and unspoken desire. They like each other, but both think it’s a bad idea. The complexity of their fight against intimacy is made exponentially complicated by the fact Chrysabelle needs Mal’s saliva to keep... 
It’s Independence Day here in the U.S., and that means all sorts of good summer-y things. There will be barbecue action, sunshine and fireworks. I’m big on fireworks. Though, we’re not allowed to set off our own displays here in Texas (we’re in a drought, so there is a burn ban in effect), I’ll be taking the husband to watch the city’s big display later tonight. How can you not like pretty explosions in... 
Don’t forget, tonight is our group read chat. All the details can be found here. You know you want to talk about Sookie, Eric, Jason and Debbie Pelt with us tonight as we talk Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris. I’m still on my reading high from My Life as a White Trash Zombie (review), so let’s get into the good stuff. Read Chapter One (and a smidge of two) of Drink Deep Still reeling from the end of... 
Hard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #4) Chloe Neill Published: May 3, 2011 Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Note: While this review contains NO SPOILERS for Hard Bitten, it assumes you’ve read Twice Bitten and references events at the end of that novel. If you’re new to the series, see our review of Some Girls Bite. Some of you may remember me lamenting the third book... 
Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #3) Chloe Neill Published: July 2010 (NAL) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Note: This review is spoiler-free, however it does reference events of the previous novel Friday Night Bites. If you haven’t read the second Chicagoland Vampires novel, continue at your own risk. Chloe Neill knows how to get me all riled up. The woman writes... 
Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires #2) Chloe Neill Published: 2009 (NAL) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Note: This review may contain references to events in the previous novel. If you haven’t read Some Girls Bite, please check out that review. In Some Girls Bite, Merit was turned vampire against her will. And she spent that first Chicagoland Vampires novel trying... 
Those following the @VampBookClub Twitter feed know I was in Toronto earlier this week. I escaped through a snow storm there only to come home to a wicked ice storm in Dallas. A girl can’t get away from bitter cold weather this week. So, for now, I’m distracting myself with good contests. We’re giving away a copy of A Guide to Mystic Falls, which is a collection of Vampire Diaries-centered essays written... 
Ed. note: Just a reminder that we’ll be discussing this novel — the December group read — over at The Spinecracker tomorrow, Jan. 2. Join us to talk Merit, vampires and Ethan/Morgan/Catcher. Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires #1) Chloe Neill Published: 2009 (NAL) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Merit has a chance to reinvent herself, and that would be great if she’d... 
If I ever needed proof my family knows I read a lot of paranormal and fantasy books, the gifts I opened on Christmas Day covered it. Nine books from five different people. See for yourself: (Not pictured was book No. 9, a gluten-free cookbook. Unrelated, I made the most awesome peanut butter chocolate chip cookies this weekend and some damn good gluten-free pumpkin muffins. Very proud of this.) For those... 
