Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Those who follow VBC on Twitter may know things are stressful these days here at the VBC HQ. One of my close family members has a rare brain cancer — complete with experimental treatments. (He has the best doctors and is in great spirits.) My point in mentioning this isn’t to be a downer, but to say things kind of suck. I’m in a perpetual state of tension, but I’ve been getting a... 
To say we were surprised by the response we received to our favorite vampire authors poll would be an understatement. The comments provide a few interesting discussions, with book suggestions and a debate on Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. The poll results have three clear favorites: Richelle Mead, Charlaine Harris and Hamilton.
The No. 1 thing we took away: Our blog readers had different... 
I’m at about the halfway point of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and there are four key points from the book so far:
Victoria’s detachment from the newborns. They only refer to their creator as her, and she doesn’t view them as beings.
Her manipulation of Riley plays from all angles — she’s mother, lover and employer all at once.
Riley’s goal isn’t only to... 
Don’t forget, you can read Stephenie Meyer’s latest addition to the Twilight universe, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, online for free at noon on Monday, June 7, at BreeTanner.com.
I decided a reminder was warranted after making the Sunday trip to the grocery store and seeing displays with copies of the hardcovers available. The hardcover edition of the Eclipse-era novella hit stores... 
While it’s hard to beat the anticipation of May’s releases (Spirit Bound and Dead in the Family), June has a few noteworthy releases in store for us. Update your to-read lists accordingly.
JUNE 1
Bullet (Anita Blake #19) – Laurell K. Hamilton
I’m only on book 9 in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, series, so I can’t say if this will be fantastic. Nine books in (I’m... 
In Stephenie Meyer’s latest foray into the Twilight world, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, we get a glimpse into the world of the newborn vampires we read about in Eclipse. This novella, which comes in at 192 pages, is from the point-of-view of the young girl who accepts the Cullens’ offer of a choice at the end of the third installment in The Twilight Saga.
From the previews for the...
