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Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:41 pm Posts: 101 Location: Katoteros
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I just wanted to let everyone in on some of my favorite paranormal book series. I had already mentioned the "Dark" series by Christine Feehan. The 16th book just came out in that series, and I have most of them. They are a really great series, about Carpathians (immortal beings who live off of blood, but do not kill). They have a variety of powers, like shape shifting and mesmerizing humans, but for each person, there is only one lifemate. Oh, the word vampire is bad to them - it means one who was Carpathian, but lost their soul to the darkness, kill without mercy, and must be destroyed.
Another series by Christine Feehan is her Drake Sisters series. It's a paranormal series about a family in which each generation has 7 sisters, each with a specific power, the 7th of which has every power and is destined to have 7 daughters. Each book is about 1 sister. Right now there are 6 books out. They are all very good, but the first 2 are part of other books (several ministories by different authors in 1 book).
Also, Kresley Cole has a series out called the Immortals After Dark series. They are about many different kinds of 'species' - vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, etc. Usually the couple is a mix - a vampire and a witch, a demon and a Valkyrie, etc. Also a very good series to read.
Sherrilyn Kenyon has a series of vampire novels called the Dark Hunter/Dream Hunter series, but I have yet to read them. From the reviews I've read, they're supposed to be very good.
As I think of more books, I'll post them here for you. I spend a lot of time at Borders, so I pick up new books all the time. Feel free to post your own favorites here! Enjoy!
Erika
_________________ "Vampire solidarity, rah, rah, rah, and all that..." - Josef
"There's no going back. There's no going anywhere..." - Lucian
Post subject: Re: Great Vampire or Paranormal Series
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 10:55 pm
Vampire Sire
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Thanks for the great suggestions Erika. I have read some of the Sherillyn Kenyon books and had a hard time sticking with them. I'll add these to my ever growing list of books to check out - although it might be summer before I have time to read anything more than a cereal box!
Post subject: Re: Great Vampire or Paranormal Series
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:51 pm
Vampire Sire
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Erika, you totally hooked me on this "Dark" series by Christine Feehan -- I am on my third book in two weeks! Dark Symphony has been my favorite so far - I know I am not reading them in order. Dark Prince was goos also!
Does she do any specifically about the Dragonseeker family line?
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Post subject: Re: Great Vampire or Paranormal Series
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:13 pm
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Yes, she has done 2 so far about the Dragonseeker line. The latest one out, Dark Curse, is about a girl of the Dragonseeker line, and a previous book, Dark Demon, was about another girl. Actually, she has written 19 books in the line (I think I wrote 16 last time). I have all but the last 2 books. They are all very good, but I think I liked Dark Demon best. However, if you really liked Dark Symphony, you should read The Scarletti Curse. It's not really one of the Dark series, but its about the ancestors of Antoinetta and their 'gifts'. If you go to christinefeehan.com, she has the list in order of all of her series.
I'm glad you liked them, Drea!
Erika
_________________ "Vampire solidarity, rah, rah, rah, and all that..." - Josef
"There's no going back. There's no going anywhere..." - Lucian
Post subject: Re: Great Vampire or Paranormal Series
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:32 pm
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Here's another series I really like. I posted it before, but I'll put it in this thread too.
Another series of books I love is the Otherworld series, by Yasmine Galenorn. It's about 3 sisters, half human, half Fae. They've come to earth from Otherworld (like a parallel dimension) to keep an eye out for evil. One sister is a witch, one is a were-cat, and one is a vampire. But their human sides interfere with their Fae sides making their powers unpredictable. The witch's spells more often go haywire, the were-cat turns into a tabby cat instead of a leopard, and the vampire used to be an acrobat (think Spiderman), but her powers left her and she literally fell into a den of vampires who tortured and turned her.
There are 5 books so far, each one written from a sisters perspective. The first is Witchling, then Changling, then Darkling. I'm sure you can tell who each book is about. The 4th goes back to the witch with Dragon Wytch, the fifth is Night Huntress, and the upcoming sixth book will be Demon Mistress. They're all very good and I really like the mix of Earth and Otherworld. Think "Charmed" with a twist.
Enjoy!
_________________ "Vampire solidarity, rah, rah, rah, and all that..." - Josef
"There's no going back. There's no going anywhere..." - Lucian
Post subject: Re: Great Vampire or Paranormal Series
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:20 am
Vampire Sire
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Wow - Vamps really are mainstream now. I found this book review in today's WALL STREET JOURNAL! And they've posted several chapters as well.
Young Blood _ "Hunted" Vampires go to finishing school in a mother-daughter team's best seller
By ALEXANDRA ALTER
Phyllis Cast was at work on the first in a series of young-adult novels about a vampire finishing school in 2005 when she hit a stumbling block. Her teenage characters sounded old. So Ms. Cast, a paranormal-romance writer in Tulsa, Okla., enlisted a co-author: her 19-year-old daughter, Kristin. [Hunted] Ericka Burchett
Heated negotiations followed. "She said, 'Do I get my name on the book?' and I said, 'Sure,' " Ms. Cast recalls. "Then she said, 'Can it be Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast?' and I said, 'No, it's P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast.' "
This week, "Hunted," the fifth book in the "House of Night" series by the mother-daughter team, debuted at No. 1 on The Wall Street Journal's fiction best-seller list. The series has carved out a loyal fan-base even in a saturated market of vampire-themed young adult fiction. At No. 2 on this week's list was Stephenie Meyer's 2007 novel "Eclipse," from her best-selling "Twilight" teen-vampire series.
There are 4.3 million copies of the first four "House of Night" books in print, and 650,000 copies of "Hunted," which went on sale March 10. St. Martin's Press has signed the Casts for 12 books in the series, and Empire Pictures has optioned the screen rights.
The "House of Night" books follow a young vampire-in-training, Zoey Redbird. After an encounter with a vampire in front of her locker, Zoey develops a crescent on her forehead, a sign that she's becoming a vampire.
“In my dream I was standing in the middle of a beautiful meadow. It was night, but there was an enormous full moon hovering just above the trees that framed the meadow.” Read an excerpt from "Hunted"
She's whisked away to a vampire boarding school, where fledglings learn essential vampire skills such as foreign languages, tae kwon do, archery, horseback riding and math. The fledglings have four years to develop fully into vampires -- those who fail to transform die.
In an era when writing a best-selling vampire novel is practically a cliché, rising above the fray is a challenge. Ms. Meyer's book "Breaking Dawn" sold 1.3 million copies in a single day when it was released last August, according to her publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. "House of Night" isn't even the only vampire series that takes place in a prep-school-like setting: "Vampire Academy," by Richelle Mead, and "Blue Bloods," by Melissa De La Cruz, both take place in elite schools. Audio Excerpt
Listen to Chapter 2 from the audiobook of "Hunted," courtesy of Macmillan Young Listeners.
Ms. Cast, 48, based the main character in the "House of Night" series, Zoey, on her daughter. For each novel, after an initial joint brainstorming session, Ms. Cast writes the first draft, leaving blank spots for Kristin, now 22 and a communications major at the University of Tulsa, to fill in.
"Kristin says sometimes I make Zoey sound like a disgruntled 40-something school teacher," said Ms. Cast, who taught high-school English until last November.
With the last couple of books, Kristin Cast says her mother has required less editing. "The characters are so alive now, so it's easier for her not to sound so old," she says.
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Chapter One
The dream began with the sound of wings. In retrospect I realize I should have known that was a bad sign, what with the Raven Mockers being set loose and all, but in my dream it was just background noise, kinda like a fan whirring or the TV turned on to the QVC. [hunted]
In my dream I was standing in the middle of a beautiful meadow. It was night, but there was an enormous full moon hovering just above the trees that framed the meadow. It cast a silver blue light strong enough to throw shadows and made everything look like it was underwater, an impression that was strengthened by the gentle breeze blowing the soft grasses against my bare legs in sweeps and whirls like waves lapping sweetly against a shore. That same wind was lifting my thick dark hair from my naked shoulders and it felt like silk floating against my skin.
Bare legs? Naked shoulders?
I looked down and let out a little yip of surprise. I was wearing a seriously short buckskin minidress. The top of it was cut in a wide V, front and back, so that it hung off my shoulders, leaving lots of skin visible. The dress itself was amazing. It was white and decorated with fringe, feathers, and shells and seemed to glow in the moonlight. All over it was beaded with intricate designs that were impossibly beautiful.
My imagination is so darn cool!
The dress tickled a memory, but I ignored it. I didn't want to think too hard— I was dreaming! Instead of pondering déjà vu moments I danced gracefully through the meadow, wondering if Zac Efron or even Johnny Depp was going to suddenly appear and flirt outrageously with me.
I peeked around as I twirled and swayed with the wind and thought I saw the shadows flicker and move oddly within the massive trees. I stopped and was trying to squint so I could get a closer look at what was going on in the darkness. Knowing me and my weird dreams, I'd created bottles of brown pop hanging from the limbs like bizarre fruit, just waiting for me to pick them.
That's when he appeared.
At the edge of the meadow, just inside the shadows of the trees, a shape materialized. I could see his body because the moonlight caught the smooth, naked lines of his skin.
Naked?
I stopped. Had my imagination lost its mind? I wasn't really up to frolicking around a meadow with a naked guy, even if he was the amazingly mysterious Mr. Johnny Depp.
"You hesitate, my love?"
At the sound of his voice a shiver passed through my body, and terrible, mocking laughter whispered through the leaves of the trees. "Who are you?" I was glad that my dream voice didn't betray the fear I was feeling.
Listen to Chapter 2 from the audiobook of "Hunted," courtesy of Macmillan Young Listeners.
His laughter was as deep and beautiful as his voice, and as frightening. It echoed in the limbs of the watching trees until it drifted almost visible in the air around me.
"Do you pretend you do not know me?"
His voice brushed against my body, making the little hairs on my arms stand up.
"Yeah, I know you. I made you up. This is my dream. You're a mixture of Zac and Johnny." I hesitated, peering at him. I spoke nonchalantly even though my heart was beating like crazy because it was already obvious this guy was not a mixture of those two actors. "Well, maybe you're Superman or Prince Charming," I said, reaching for anything but the truth.
"I am no figment of your imagination. You know me. Your soul knows me."
I hadn't moved my feet, but my body was slowly being drawn toward him, like his voice was pulling me. I reached him and looked up and up . . .
It was Kalona. I'd known him from the first words he'd spoken. I just hadn't wanted to admit it to myself. How could I have dreamed him?
Nightmare—this had to be a nightmare and not a dream.
His body was naked, but it wasn't completely substantial. His form wavered and shifted in time with the caressing breeze. Behind him, in the dark green shadows of the trees, I could see the ghostly shapes of his children, the Raven Mockers, as they clung to the limbs with the hands and feet of men and stared at me with men's eyes from the mutated faces of birds.
"Do you still claim not to know me?"
His eyes were dark— a starless sky. They seemed the most substantial thing about him. That and his liquid voice. Even though this is a nightmare, it's still mine. I can just wake up! I want to wake up! I want to wake up!
But I didn't. I couldn't. I wasn't in control. Kalona was. He'd built this dream, this dark, nightmare meadow, and somehow brought me there, closing the door to reality behind us.
"What do you want?" I said the words quickly so he couldn't hear my voice shaking.
"You know what I want, my love. I want you."
"I am not your love."
"Of course you are." He moved this time, stepping so close to me that I could feel the chill that came from his unsubstantial body. "My A-ya."
A-ya had been the name of the maiden the Cherokee Wise Women had created to trap him centuries ago. Panic spiked through me. "I'm not A-ya!"
"You command the elements," his voice was a caress, awful and wonderful, compelling and terrifying.
"Gifts from my Goddess," I said.
"Once before you commanded the elements. You were made from them. Fashioned to love me." His massive dark wings stirred and lifted. Beating forward softly, they enfolded me in a spectral embrace that was cold as frost.
"No! You must have me mixed up with someone else. I'm not A-ya."
"You're wrong, my love. I feel her within you."
His wings pressed against my body, drawing me closer to him. Even though his physical form was only semi-substantial, I could feel him. His wings were soft. Winter cold against the warmth of my dreaming self. The outline of his body was frigid mist. It burned my skin, sending electric currents through me, heating me with a desire I didn't want to feel but was powerless to resist.
His laugh was seductive. I wanted to drown in it. I leaned forward, closing my eyes and gasping aloud as the chill of his spirit brushed against my breasts, sending shooting sensations that were painful but deliciously erotic to places in my body that made me feel out of control.
"You like the pain. It brings you pleasure." His wings got more insistent, his body harder and colder and more passionately painful as it pressed against mine. "Surrender to me." His voice, already beautiful, was unimaginably seductive as he became aroused. "I spent centuries in your arms. This time our joining will be controlled by me, and you will revel in the pleasure I can bring you. Throw off the shackles of your distant goddess and come to me. Be my love, truly, in body as well as soul and I will give you the world!"
The meaning of his words penetrated through the haze of pain and pleasure like sunlight burning away dew. I found my will again, and stumbled out of the embrace of his wings. Tendrils of icy black smoke snaked around my body, clinging . . . touching . . . caressing . . .
I shook myself like a pissed cat shaking off rain and the dark wisps slid from my body. "No! I'm not your love. I'm not A-ya. And I'll never turn my back on Nyx!"
When I spoke Nyx's name, the nightmare shattered.
I sat straight up in bed, shaking and gasping. Stevie Rae was sleeping soundly beside me, but Nala was wide awake. She was growling softly. Her back was arched, her body was totally puffed up, and she was staring slit- eyed at the air above me.
"Ah, hell!" I shrieked and bounded off the bed, spinning around and looking up, expecting to see Kalona hovering like a giant batbird over us.
Nothing. There was nothing there.
I grabbed Nala and sat on the bed. With trembling hands I petted her over and over. "It was just a bad dream . . . it was just a bad dream . . . it was just a bad dream," I told her, but I knew it was a lie. Kalona was real, and somehow he was able to reach me through my dreams.
Post subject: Re: Great Vampire or Paranormal Series
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 2:26 pm
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Yes, these are the books I turned AL onto several months ago, and she loved them. Amanda introduced me to them. They are written for young preteen - teen readers, but I find them entertaining. The 'House of Night' series gets progressively darker and very intriguing.
Amanda just finished 'Hunted' and I'm reading it now. Another new book is due out in November. P.C. and Kristin are doing a bang-up job of keeping this story alive.
I highly recommend them. In case your wondering, they are NOTHING like 'Twilight'. Completely different animal. This is more along the lines of Harry Potter for Vamps.
Post subject: Re: Great Vampire or Paranormal Series
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:35 pm
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I just started reading the Dark Hunter/Dream Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and I love them! I have to say, I love them even more than the 'Dark' series by Christine Feehan. Yes, they are confusing. Unlike the Feehan series, these are about many different species - Weres (like were-wolves, were-bears, were-panthers, etc), the Dark-Hunters, Appollites and Daimons, Dream-Hunters, demons - all while the gods of ancient Atlantis, Greece, Sumeria, Egypt, and many other civilizations play a major role. It really gives character to what you learned in Ancient Civilization classes in school - it gives personality to the gods and goddesses, and blends it all into a supernatural series among humans.
It is a little confusing, but I love series where the characters aren't just in one book, and where each book is so different than the next. And they all tie together. It's really a fantastic series and I can't wait til the next one comes out. I just started them last week, I already own 15 of them, and have read all of them that I own. Yeah, I know - I can burn through 3 or 4 novels (300+ pages each) in a day - about 1 book in 2 hours or so. I read really fast, but I remember everything I read... I can't get enough of these books!
Erika
_________________ "Vampire solidarity, rah, rah, rah, and all that..." - Josef
"There's no going back. There's no going anywhere..." - Lucian
Post subject: Re: Great Vampire or Paranormal Series
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:38 am
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I started a new series last night & wanted to recommend it to everyone. It is the Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost, there are three so far with the four coming out in July.
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress Series #1) Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.
In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.
One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress Series #2) Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.
Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.
At Grave's End (Night Huntress Series #3) Some things won't stay buried . . . at grave's end
It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she's successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover's finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.
As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bones's past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she's learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.
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Post subject: Re: Great Vampire or Paranormal Series
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:54 am
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I find them quick reads compared to Christine Feehan's Dark Series (still my favorites!!) and the Argeneau Series by Lyndsay Sands. But all three series get a thumbs up from me! I think the Dark Series is the most in-depth where you really have to take time, slow down and digest it all.
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Post subject: Re: Great Vampire or Paranormal Series
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 5:46 pm
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New teen series falls to Random House
(Sounds a little like the TV mini-series that was on ABC Family Channel a few years back which was called Fallen....)
Random House Children's Books has bought the first four titles in a new teen series, 'Fallen' by Lauren Kate. The books were acquired for a "major six-figure sum" in a deal made together with sister company Random House Inc in New York, with Michael Stearns at Tinderbox Books agenting the deal with Annie Eaton and Kelly Hurst at RCHB.
Rights have also gone to Random House in Germany, Italy and Spain.
The series, said to feature "angels and menacing demons" and appeal to fans to Stephanie Meyer, features 16-year-old Lucinda who falls in love with a gorgeous boy at her reform school, only to discover he is a fallen angel, destined neither to ascend to heaven or descend to hell.
RCHB publisher Annie Eaton said it was "a delicious mix of temptation, impossible love and the supernatural," promising that no teenage girl will be able to resist the tormented hero.
RCHB said it was planning an "aggressive" marketing and publicity campaign in the UK to launch the series in December this year.
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