9
Feb
Just finished reading the most recent Lara Adrian novel, Darker After Midnight.
All I can saw is: fabulous! So, so incredible.
If you haven’t had a chance to read her Midnight Breed series, you really must. I tend to lose interest in a series after a certain point, especially if I feel like each book is just a rehash of the same plot over and over. I can honestly say that I’ve never felt that way while following this series and have anxiously awaited the release of every single Midnight Breed novel.
When I finished reading Darker After Midnight, which is Book 10 in the series, I immediately flipped to the back matter to see if there was a teaser for Book 11. Sadly, there wasn’t. But Ms. Adrian’s website indicates that there is more to come. Hooray!
She’s wrapped up the plot that wove the first ten books together, so I can’t wait to see what she does next. 
*Disclaimer: In accordance with FTC Guidelines for reviews and endorsements, you should assume that every book recommended on maurabishop.com was submitted by the author/publisher or purchased via an authorized retailer. We do not accept money or favors in exchange for a good review.
3
Jan
Happy New Year! (Yeah, okay, so I’m a bit late, but it’s been a crazy couple of weeks…)
As I’ve been promising some book recommendations for a while now, I thought I’d put together a list of a few fun reads to kick off the new year. (Click on the hyperlinks to read more about the books on Amazon.com.)
1) Seeing Red by Susan Crandall – This is a fast-paced romantic suspense that will suck you in quickly and keep you turning the pages until late at night. The threat that drives the story–a man convicted of murder is mistakenly released from prison and comes after the woman who put him there–is like something you’d see on one of those true crime series that make you paranoid to go out at night alone, but there’s a plot twist that I didn’t see coming (at least not in the way it unfolded). I started this one on the way to Chicago during my infamous train adventure and was irritated as hell when I actually had to put it down to attend the conference sessions.
2) Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold! by Terry Brooks – This is the first book in The Magic Kingdom of Landover series. Although it starts out as a little bit of a downer (the main character, Ben, is a widower/high-powered attorney whose life is falling apart), the humor soon kicks in and makes for a fun bit of fantasy. The story is definitely a journey tale, so there’s lots of going from this place to that, but the characters Ben meets along the way make the wandering worthwhile.
3) A Taste of Midnight by Lara Adrian – Part of Adrian’s Midnight Breed series, this novella is the story of Danika, one of the breedmates we met in the first book but haven’t seen much of since. It’s no secret that I’m a total junkie when it comes to Lara Adrian’s novels, but I honestly wasn’t sure how a novella would go–if it would lose some of the fabulous character development, sizzling romance, heart-pounding suspense, and engaging plot that I so admire in Adrian’s work. Well, I humbly apologize for having any doubts–it was fantastic! This is a digital-first book that can only be bought in various e-book formats at the moment, but (if I remember correctly) it will be appearing as extra material in the mass market paperback version of her upcoming release, Darker After Midnight (which comes out in hardback in a couple of weeks).
Well, folks, there are just a few books to get you started this year. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Happy reading!
*Disclaimer: In accordance with FTC Guidelines for reviews and endorsements, you should assume that every book recommended on maurabishop.com was submitted by the author/publisher or purchased via an authorized retailer. We do not accept money or favors in exchange for a good review.
31
Oct
One of my favorite things about Halloween is the plethora of horror movies on TV. Unfortunately, this year’s offerings have been a bit of a disappointment, in my opinion (no matter what a certain network’s promos would lead you to believe).
I’m not into the slasher films like Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street or the other iconic horror flicks of their ilk, so there’ll be no marathons involving Jason or Freddie at my house. But give me a movie featuring vampires, ghosts, or werewolves, and I’m good to go! And if you can throw in a creepy kid as the villain–even better!
Now, if (like me) you’re looking for something fun to watch after the trick-or-treaters have packed it in for the night but just can’t find anything while flipping through the channels, don’t be afraid to go digging back through the decades for some oldies but goodies. Or even go out on a limb and try a foreign horror film (with subtitles, natch).
If you need some ideas, here are a few of my faves:
1) The Changeling starring George C. Scott
2) Silver Bullet starring Corey Haim
3) Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Gary Oldman
4) House of Wax starring Vincent Price
5) The Bad Seed starring Patty McCormack
6) The Omen (1976 version) starring Gregory Peck
7) Gin gwai (The Eye) starring Angelica Lee
8) House on Haunted Hill (1959 version) starring Vincent Price
9) John Carpenter’s Vampires starring James Woods
10) The Fall of the House of Usher starring Vincent Price
Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive. I’m also a fan of some of the more mainstream movies like Underworld (the Director’s Cut), the Blade series, the various zombie movies (even though they seriously freak me out), and all the campy, low-budget movies that show up on cable every weekend. But if you want to watch a quality film that will give you the chills this Halloween, give one from my list a try.
And, most importantly, have a safe and happy Halloween!!
30
Nov
What kind of a paranormal romance writer would I be if I didn’t take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Halloween? This is one of my favorite holidays — just ask my day-job colleagues who are baffled by the fact that I leave my pumpkin lights up in my office all year!
I think part of the fun for me is that my youngest sister’s birthday is on October 31st, so it was always a huge party! Another aspect of Halloween that appeals to me is the fact that it’s the last hoorah before the craziness of Thanksgiving and Christmas begins. (Just thinking about the next two months makes me tense.)
But, of course, my favorite part of Halloween is the fabulous smorgasbord of monster/horror movies that inundate the airwaves today! I would do nothing but chill in front of the TV with popcorn and a Diet Coke if I could, but, alas, there’s far too much partying and trick-or-treating to be had! Thank God for DVR, that’s all I’m saying. My scary movie marathon will have to wait until tonight after the rest of the festivities and after the kiddies come crashing down from their sugar highs and eventually fall into bed. Then my big decision will be if I should numb out my brain on vampires or ghosts or werewolves or zombies… Oh, the choices!
So, here’s wishing you and all your little goblins and ghosties a wonderfully ghoulish and delightfully creepy Halloween!
Maura
(Originally posted – you guessed it! – Oct 31)
30
Nov
I can honestly say that I’m not a band-wagoner of the current “vampires are people too” trend that is so popular these days. I’ve always been fascinated by the paranormal, and with vampires, in particular. As a little girl, I faithfully watched the Saturday morning monster movie marathons and rooted for the vamp to get the girl. And every week I was disappointed when some dashing, but never quite as interesting, do-gooder staked my favorite imbiber of blood or left him for the sun, thereby freeing his ladylove from the vampire’s nefarious clutches. It was almost enough to crush the burgeoning romantic sensibilities of a young writer-in-bloom.
When someone finally flipped the pop culture switch ten or so years ago, transforming vampires from monstrous to simply misunderstood, I felt vindicated for all my prepubescent frustration with Hollywood. I don’t know for certain when this shift in depiction of vampires took place, or if there is a single novel or movie that served as the catalyst; I’ll leave that to the pundits of the paranormal to sort out. I just know that suddenly there was a deluge of opportunities for fangophiles such as myself to get their fiction fix.
Now, fast forward a few years…
From what I can gather, grumblings on the publishing street are that, thanks to the rabid fascination with Twilight and the popularity of TV series like “True Blood,” vampires have kind of been done to death (pardon the pun). I imagine that many an agent or editor has rolled her eyes upon receiving yet another Twilight copycat or the latest Sookie Stackhouse knock-off in her query letter slush pile. Yet, it seems the consumer still can’t seem to get enough of our favorite fangy friends.
So, what does this mean for writers, particularly those of us still trying to break in to the business side of things? Do we still have a chance to add our own fresh blood to the mix before the vein runs dry?
Hard to say.
My opinion (for what it’s worth — hey, I’m still trying to get published, too, remember?) is that the desire for stories about vampires and other creatures of their ilk may wax and wane over time but will not disappear entirely. One thing we have going for us is that vampires have been a part of popular culture in various incarnations since long before Bram Stoker made Dracula a household name and Frank Langella made him sexy, so it’s not like they’re going to suddenly vanish from our cultural consciousness.
If you prefer to leave the history of folklore out of it and look at the topic on a purely visceral level, vampires give us a venue to explore our darkest, most forbidden desires. There’s an inherent sensuality and vulnerability in vampirism that is utterly captivating and liberating, not to mention the euphemistic possibilities for love, sex, and social interaction are undeniable. Armchair psychology aside, the mere idea of living — and loving — forever speaks to the heart of every one of us who is a hopeless romantic. (Besides that, the throngs of teenage girls who fawned and fainted over Edward Cullen will need to have something else to read when they’re grown-ups.)
That being said, I do believe that in order to write a novel about vampires at this point in the game, a writer definitely needs to think outside the coffin (to borrow a popular phrase) by taking the well-worn conventions within the genre and molding them into something entirely new.
Two of my favorite authors who have managed to put an intriguing spin on vampire romances are J.R. Ward and Lara Adrian. Their respective series employ some of the standard vampire traits — need for blood (obviously), sensitivity to sunlight, greatly extended lifespan, rapid healing abilities — but one crucial difference that makes both of these series stand out is that the origin of the featured race/species is new and original. Put simply, they aren’t the soulless undead you’re used to reading about, which opens up a whole new range of possibilities to explore, both as a writer and as a reader.
However, if you’re a vampire purist and refuse to accept any vampires not of the formerly dead variety, two other authors who have managed to put a new twist on the old yarn, are Lynn Viehl and Alexandra Ivy. Again, they have taken the most basic tenants of vampire lore and have built upon them to create stories that make their novels distinct from the competition; Viehl by drawing upon a heretofore unexplored connection in history; and Ivy by layering her stories with a bevy of mystical and fantastical beings, which adds a charming richness to her novels. No small accomplishment.
Well, Maura, this is all well and good, you say, but how does one go about thinking outside the coffin to come up with something that is new and original and yet won’t alienate the reader by straying too far from the accepted traditions?
Good question.
Unfortunately, it’s not an easy one to answer, and, obviously, it’s one I’m still working out. However, I can share my favorite method for generating ideas: Read. A lot. Read other novels to see what others have written; read non-fiction books on folklore and history to find out what hasn’t been written; read discussions taking place online among the various vampire communities to see what they’re saying about themselves. And, most importantly, be open to inspiration. Let it come from even the most outrageous or unexplored avenue, and don’t be afraid to follow its lead. You never know what’s going to get that new blood pumping!
Good luck!
(Originally posted Aug 31)
