Blog Tour - Between Now & Forever

 

Blog Tour Schedule

Between Now and Never by Laura Johnston

Buh boom, buh boom.

My heart thrusts with a force that takes me by surprise. Telling me something I don’t understand. A splitting pain, a longing to slip back under. They tell me I was in a hit-and-run, but I can’t remember what happened that night. All I know is that I woke up with pictures in my pocket, a card from one of those photo booths in the mall. And I’m in the pictures. Cody Rush. Me and…

Julianna.

Her brother was there that night, and my dad, the FBI agent, was the one who put her mom behind bars. What’s the connection? And why won’t Julianna talk to me now? Somehow, she holds the key to it all, and getting close–real close—to her for the answers I need will be no hardship at all…

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

Praise for Between Now & Never
“A romance that will keep teens turning pages.” ~ Janette Rallison

"This was a lot different than I was expecting and I was honestly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The cover led me to believe this would be a cute, love story but it was a suspenseful and gripping read." ~ Review from Goodreads

“Best book I read all year! On the edge of your seat suspense, heartwarming romance, and characters to cheer for—Between Now and Never is one you won’t want to miss.” ~Kelly Nelson, author of The Keeper’s Saga

"I had the privilege to read BETWEEN NOW AND NEVER when it was in manuscript form. I loved loved loved it from page one! Laura Johnson is such a talented author -- really looking forward to reading more of her work!" ~Kay Lynn Mangum, author of The Secret Journal of Brett Colton



Author Laura Johnston

Laura Johnston lives in Utah with her husband and two children. Growing up with five siblings, a few horses, peach trees, beehives and gardens, she developed an active imagination and always loved a good story. She fell in love with the young adult genre both through her experience in high school as well as her job later as a high school teacher. Laura enjoys running, playing tennis, sewing, traveling, writing, and above all, spending time with her husband and kids.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blog Tour Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/26/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Excerpt —Photo Booth

JULIANNA

We listen to the monotone voice reel off instructions. Four pictures. A light will flash before each picture is taken. Etcetera. How I ended up in this position I’m not sure. We both sit, staring at our reflections on the dark plastic and, no doubt, both stuck on the same thought that crosses everyone’s mind when they’re on this seat.

“Quick,” I say, “what should we do?”

A flash of light. Picture one down. Both of our mouths were hanging open, blank stares straight ahead.

We burst into laughter and can’t stop. A second flash. Picture number two: both of us laughing.

Our gazes meet and we pull ourselves together, his eyes never veering from mine. He leans toward me, coming halfway before pausing, his eyes seeking permission. I regard him with equal parts terror and anticipation, the intimacy of the situation whispering a thrill. He closes the distance between us and glides his nose through my hair. My heart rattles around as though this is the first boy I’ve ever been close to.

“Now smile,” he whispers into my ear. Even if I should be creeped out, forget it. My cheeks burn despite myself and I feel the corners of my lips tugging upward. A flash of light signals the third picture and I am totally seduced.

Blog Tour - Untaken

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Untaken, by J.E. Anckorn

Genre: young-adult, science-fiction

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Re-Release­­: March 23, 2015

Cover Artist: Amy Chitulescu

Find Online: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

 

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Description:

It turns out that a real alien invasion is nothing like the Sci-fi shows 14-year-old Gracie loves. Not when it’s your own family who are swallowed whole by those big silver ships. Not if it could be you next.

In her search for her family, Gracie meets Brandon, a high school dropout who would never have been caught dead hanging out with a dork like Gracie before the world ended. Gracie isn’t too crazy about Brandon either, but he has one thing she doesn’t: A plan.

Brandon’s uncle has a cabin up in Maine, and If Gracie and Brandon can survive long enough to get there they can hide out until the Space Men pack up their ships and leave.

Until the army guys come to rescue them, says Brandon. Brandon is big into army guys. Gracie has to admit that Brandon’s Awesome Plan probably would have worked out great if wasn’t for Jake.

They found 5-year-old Jake, laying half-dead under the remains of someone’s ranch house. He’s a good kid, even if he won’t-or can’t- talk. But Jake has a secret, and when Gracie finds out what it is, the fragile new life they’ve started to forge looks set to break apart.

When the people you’ve been counting on to put the world back together start hunting you down, alien invaders are the least of your worries.

About The Author:

J. E. Anckorn has been an artist and writer ever since she began to surreptitiously doodle on school supplies instead of learning about practical things, like osmosis and mathematics.

After barely surviving a freak mathematical osmosis disaster, she set out to travel the world, living in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong before returning to her native Britain- just in time to marry an American and leave for the U.S.A.She still failed to learn anything about osmosis, but did manage to cultivate an accent that is unintelligible to almost everyone. (It happened through a mysterious net movement of information from the outside environment into her brain. If only there was a word for that!)

This led to her development of a new language, based almost entirely on polite yet uncomprehending nods.In between these adventures, she has worked as a toy designer, copywriter, and freelance illustrator.She lives in Boston, with a small grumpy dog, and a large, slightly less grumpy husband.

Find J.E. Anckorn Online:

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Prologue

Gracie

If you’d seen the three of us picking our way along the edge of the

busted up highway, you’d likely have thought we were family.

Brandon, fifteen and the oldest, was rocking the “moody teen” look

and stalking alone way off in front. He scowled back every now and

then at Jake, whose little kid legs would have been too short to match

Brandon’s pace even if he’d tried.

And then there was me, Gracie, a year younger than Brandon, and stuck

between the two of them.

Brandon wasn’t my big brother. Jake wasn’t my little brother.

My real brothers and my mom and dad were taken by the Space Men.

We called them “the extraterrestrials” at first, which sounded more

scientific than “Space Men”, but the wise guys on the WBZ evening news

started calling them the “Space Men” and it kind of stuck.

That was after the first panic of them arriving, but before everything

ended. When it was still something people could joke about a little.

Jake’s mom and dad were taken, too, I guess, but Brandon’s dad was dead.

For sure dead, not just maybe-dead like the people who were taken. Brandon’s

6

Untaken

mom was dead too, but that happened when he was a baby, and had nothing to

do with the Space Men, although it was still tough luck for Brandon.

Brandon said we had to form a unit for survival purposes. He’d often

says things like “form a unit for survival purposes” when anyone normal

would just say “Hey, let’s be friends and try and help each other.” Like,

when we found somewhere to sleep at night? We weren’t looking for a

place with a roof to keep the rain out and a door that shut so we wouldn’t

freeze our butts off, we were looking for a “defensible position.”

Brandon thought he was a grown-up, but he was just a kid too, even

though he talked like an army guy and acted all tough.

What we were defending against, were Drones.

If we spotted a Drone, we either had to get out of there as quick as we

could or, better yet, smash it up so it couldn’t let the Space Men know our

location. Or worse. That’s what Brandon said anyway. I didn’t know if we

could smash up a drone—they were probably made of some special Space

Men metal like their ships were. The army guys couldn’t shoot those ships

down and they were real army guys with jets and missiles and stuff, not just

some skinny kid who watched too many action movies.

Brandon said that Drones were “the primary threat.”

At first, there’d been many Drones around, and we had to be super

sneaky—sorry, Brandon—covert. We hadn’t seen any for weeks now,

though, which was good, but also scary. Sometimes it’s best if you can see

the bad stuff right in front of you, because when you don’t know where it

is… it could be anywhere.

That was another reason we stayed away from big towns, or just tried to

get past them as quickly as we could, sticking instead to the highways that

breezed on by.

I hated towns because they were frightening somehow, even without

Drones. I hated how sometimes I’d see a store, and half of it was all fresh

and new looking, and maybe there were still posters up for Slushies or

lottery tickets, or “SPECIAL ONE DAY ONLY SALES!”, and then the

other part was burst open and black, and all the good things from inside the

store were spilled out onto the road. There was no one around to pick them

up and set them back into their places, no one to care about “SPECIAL

ONE DAY ONLY SALES!” 

CuriosityQuills.com | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus

Book Blast - Fierce

 

Grab your copy now for just .99 cents!

 

FIERCE: Sixteen Authors Of Fantasy with Mercedes Lackey
For a limited time only!

Join epic fantasy legend Mercedes Lackey and fifteen additional New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling authors on the adventure of a lifetime!

Over one million words and sixteen realms of fantasy brought together for your reading pleasure. Discover courageous characters fighting for justice and order. Journey between kingdoms of dragons and lands of anarchy as tales of magic and mayhem unfold.

Grab it today, before it's gone!

AMAZON * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Google Play * iBooks

Find out more information about the bundle on novelbundles.com!

About the Authors and Titles:

Mercedes Lackey - Moving Targets

Stuck watching over four Herald trainees on circuit, Elyn is at her wits' end—and that's before a town asks for help with a ghostly infestation.

Michael G. Manning - The Blacksmith's Son

A journey to discover the secrets of his past reveals a magical heritage and embroils Mordecai in a deadly battle for the future of mankind.

K.F. Breene - Chosen

Prophecy has foretold that when war threatens the world, the Chosen will appear to help the Shadow Warriors reclaim their stolen freedom and lead them out of the Land of Mist.

Morgan Rice - A Quest of Heroes

Thorgin, an outsider and a dreamer, fights to become a warrior in an epic quest that finds him at the center of a maelstrom of royal plots and counterplots that threaten him and everyone he loves.

Michael James Ploof - Whill of Agora

When Whill learns the truth of his lineage, he sets out to face his father's murderer, but what he learns along the way will change his life—and the realm—forever.

Daniel Arenson - Requiem's Song

Weredragons, men call them. Monsters. Cursed ones. People who can turn into beastly reptiles. Together they will forge a nation.

Kate Sparkes – Bound

When a young woman accidentally saves the life of an enemy Sorcerer, she finds herself drawn into a world of magic that’s more beautiful, more seductive, and more dangerous than she ever imagined.

David Adams – The Pariahs

Two sellswords—a half-elf and a half-orc—find their war over before it even begins. But trouble is stirring on the home front, conflict which threatens more than just their lives.

Amy Raby - The Fire Seer
Taya must use her fire visions to investigate a series of murders, but the Coalition of Mages has partnered her with her old nemesis, the man who used to bully her when they were young.

C. Greenwood - Magic of Thieves & Betrayal of Thieves

In a province where magic is forbidden, young Ilan, born with the powerful gift of her ancestors, has only one hope for survival—concealment.

David Dalglish - The Weight of Blood

When half-bloods Harruq and Qurrah Tun pledged their lives to a death prophet, they only sought escape from their squalid beginnings. Instead, they become his greatest disciples, charged with leading his army of undead.

K.J. Colt - Bear Heart

In the savage lands of Ruxdor, young Klawdia must fight the champions of four rival clans to defend her future as the first female chieftain.

Shae Ford – Poison

A bandit girl is taken from her home and thrust into a complex world of lords and ladies, where she learns that she must kill to survive.

Endi Webb - The Maskmaker's Apprentice

Masks of legend. Masks of power. Those who dare to wear them trifle with the old powers and risk ruin and mayhem. But a young apprentice maskmaker cannot contain his curiosity, and accidentally unleashes a deadly terror upon an unsuspecting world.

Michael Wallace - The Dark Citadel

A slave boy and a young queen lead an alliance of spies, servants, and merchants to stave off the encroaching armies of a dark wizard.

Terah Edun - Blades of Magic

As an unstoppable war breaks out, a young girl enlists in the military to unravel the secrets surrounding her father’s execution.

Grab it today, before it's gone!

AMAZON * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Google Play * iBooks

Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 3/15/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Blog Tour - Haven Waiting

HAVEN WAITIG BOOK BLURB

Fifteen-year-old Jamie Peters is a Soul Saver. She helps ghosts finish their business and move on. When a mysterious map comes into her possession, she knows a new adventure is waiting. With the help of her friends, Peter and Camille, she follows the map. Her friends hope to find treasure, but Jamie suspects there is more to the map than riches. She never imagined the map would lead her to Haven—and a book of spells.

Haven Mills was accused of practicing witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Unlike the other women hung during the trials, Haven wasn’t as innocent as she claimed to be. In one moment of weakness and desperation, she did something sinister—something that has been bringing evil to the world for centuries.

Jamie promises to help Haven, but the reality of what that promise entails comes back to haunt her as she fights not only for Haven’s soul, but for her own as well.   

TIFANI CLARK AUTHOR BIO

Tifani Clark grew up on a farm in southeastern Idaho (yes, that’s where they grow all the potatoes) as the middle of five children. She had a lot of space to imagine and daydream and often pictured herself as a character in one of the many books she read. She was habitually found pretending to be Scarlet O’Hara. Tifani loves mysteries and hates it when one goes unsolved. She is married to the love of her life and is the mother to four fabulous children. When not writing, she enjoys playing the violin and piano and traveling to new places. She especially enjoys visits to national parks and places of historical significance.


  Links:
 Haven Waiting - Amazon   
Shadow of a Life - Amazon  
Facebook  
Twitter: @TifaniClark  
Tifani Clark Blog

Book Tour - The Soul Thief

The Soul Thief (The Angel of Death Series #1)

by Majanka Verstraete

Publisher: Booktrope

Published: November 11, 2014

Genre: YA, Paranormal

When sixteen-year-old Riley is injured in a car crash and sees a girl stealing a boy’s soul, she’s convinced she’s hallucinating. But when she sees the same girl at the hospital later, she knows she wasn’t dreaming. That’s when Riley learns her secret heritage and who she really is: a halfling Angel of Death.

Riley must come to terms with her new reality and supernatural abilities, but before she can do this, girls her age start dying in mysterious circumstances. It’s up to Riley to figure out why, what the innocent victims have in common, and what she can do to stop them.

Goodreads

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt

“Let’s vote,” the man who’d touched me proposed. “Who is in favor of executing the Halfling?”

That was the moment when it actually fully hit me. They might execute me. Kill me. My knees gave way and if Diane hadn’t grabbed my arm just then, I would’ve fallen. “Stand up straight,” she hissed at me. “You’re an Angel, not a coward.”

So I did, even though exhaustion swept over me as if I’d worked for seven days in a row without any sleep. Sweat dripped down my forehead and a fever wrapped itself around me.

A lot of Council members raised their hands at the giant’s question. I started hyperventilating. “That’s more than half.” I gripped Diane’s arm with all my strength. If I hurt her, she didn’t let it show. A light blush rose on her cheeks though and she bit her lip as if she felt guilty but wanted to act tough.

“It has been decided,” the leader-guy said. “She shall be executed.” Before I had time to faint, scream, or do something else dramatic, the silver-haired woman rose from her seat. Her hood slipped off, and my breath got stuck in my throat.

She had the kind of face painters would dream to eternalize on canvas. From the color of her hair, I’d anticipated her being old, but she appeared in her twenties. Large, silver eyes stared at me. Her skin was the color of porcelain, without any blemish, as if she was made of wax. “I, Seraphyn,” she said, “call in my veto.” 

About the Author

Majanka Verstraete begged her Mom to teach her how to read while she was still in kindergarten. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had read through the entire children’s section of her hometown library.

She wrote her first story when she was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped writing since. With an imagination that never sleeps, and hundreds of possible book characters screaming for her attention, writing is more than a passion for her.

She writes about all things supernatural for children of all ages. She’s tried to write contemporary novels before, but something paranormal always manages to crawl in.

Majanka is currently studying for her Master of Laws degree, and hopes one day to be able to combine her passions for law and writing. When she’s not writing, reading or studying, she likes watching “The Vampire Diaries” and “Game of Thrones,” spending time with her friends, or playing “World of Warcraft.”

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Top Ten Post!!!

Top 10 Favorite Heroes/Heroines

1. Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (from the books and the TV series)

2. Rose Hathaway (Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead)

3. Sydney (Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead) 

4. Cate Cahill (from the Cahill Witch Chronicles by Jessica Spotswood)

5. Katniss (from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins) 

6. Tessa Gray (from The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare)

7. Mel (from The Farm series by Emily McKay)

8. Harry Potter (I’m sure you know the series, heh)

9. Meghan Chase (from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa)

10. Allison Sekemoto (from the Blood of Eden series by Julie Kagawa)

Tour Schedule

November 12

Write Away Bliss - Schedule / Excerpt

The Musings of a Book Addict - Review

Suzy Turner, Author - Author Interview

The Best Books Ever - Character Bio, Dreamcast, Excerpt

November 13

Country Book Bumpkin - Review, Soundtrack, Excerpt

Reese's Reviews - Review, Character Bio, Dreamcast

Pinky's Favorite Reads - Top Ten, Excerpt

November 14

Indy Book Fairy - Review, Excerpt

Kimber Leigh Writes - Top Ten, Excerpt

Here is What I Read - Author Interview, Dreamcast, Soundtrack, Excerpt

Writing Belle - Character Bios

November 15

A Book Paradise - Author Interview, Soundtrack, Excerpt

Endless Reading - Review, Excerpt

The Literary Melting Pot - Review

November 16

Roxy's Reviews - Review, Character Bios, Top Ten

Real Talk, Book Talk - Dreamcast, Excerpt

Becca Anne's Book Reviews - Review, Character Bio, Dreamcast

Nerd Girl Official - Excerpt

November 17

Deal Sharing Aunt - Author Interview, Top Ten, Excerpt

Star Shadow Blog - Character Bio, Dreamcast, Soundtrack

Dystopia Capitol - Review

November 18

Kristy Centro - Character Bios

Whispered Thoughts - Character Bios, Excerpt, Soundtrack

Little Hyuts Reviews - Dreamcast

November 19

Step Into Fiction - Review, Excerpt

Behind the Pages - Author Interview, Dreamcast, Excerpt

This Redhead Loves Books - Review, Excerpt

The Avid Reader - Soundtrack, Character Bios

November 20

Tracy's Nook - Review, Character Interview

The Pleasure of Reading - Excerpt

Bex n Books - Character Bios

Becky's Barmy Book Blog - Top Ten, Excerpt

November 21

Relaxed Reads - Dreamcast

Renee Entress's Blog - Review

Books and Friendz - Character Bio, Excerpt

Pretty in Fiction - Top Ten, Excerpt

Kat's Book Promotions - Dreamcast

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Cover Reveal - Destiny Disrupted

Book Cover Reveal

Today author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! The next book in the epic Spellbound series, DESTINY DISRUPTED (older YA paranormal romance) will be published in November 2014.

To help promote these thrilling serial novels, Sherry is doing this guest post to share the news with fellow booklovers.

For information on the Spellbound Series visit: www.thespellboundseries.blogspot.com

Hunting Demons is One Thing…Dating Them is Another.

Life sucks for Shiloh Trudell. And being a demon hunter who’s in love with a cocky half-demon makes things even suckier.

Especially when she discovers that Trent, her sinfully hot boyfriend, is hiding a few dangerous secrets. Like the fact that he’s losing his humanity.

To complicate matters, witches from the local coven are mysteriously turning up dead, and as Shiloh searches for answers, she confronts her worst nightmare…Trent is being blackmailed into becoming the next leader of the Underworld.

But Shiloh is still convinced that she can save him, even after the impossibly gorgeous, fallen angel Raze tells her that a relationship with Trent is forbidden now. Warned to stay away from the only boy she’s ever loved, she can’t ignore the sizzling attraction that ignites whenever they’re around one another. Especially after a swoon-inducing night of stolen passion.

As Shiloh’s world begins to unravel around her, it soon becomes obvious that her destiny lies in one of two choices: vanquish Trent or join him in the Underworld.

DESTINY DISRUPTED (book 5) ASIN: B00OJQHU5O

Pre-Order your copy today and get it delivered to your reading device on November 28th! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OJQHU5O

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/destiny-disrupted-1

Apple iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id930482995

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1120565438?ean=2940046330205&itm=1&usri=2940046330205

Please “mark to read” on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13570561-destiny-disrupted

Book Tour - Legally Undead

Genre: Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 978-0692211496

Book Length: 278 pages

Publisher: World Weaver Press

Synopsis

A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can.

Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.

But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire draining the blood from her fiancé Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs--not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.

As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning around to face them, Elle discovers that Greg’s body is gone—and her perfect life falls apart.

Buy Links

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Legally-Undead-Vampirarchy-Margo-Collins-ebook/dp/B00KKV44BK/

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legally-undead-margo-bond-collins/1119607989?ean=2940149615803

Kobo:  http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/legally-undead

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Legally-Undead-Vampirarchy-Volume-1/dp/0692211497/

Universal Kindle Link: http://bookShow.me/B00KKV44BK

Contact Links

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins

Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com

Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net

Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin  @MargoBondCollin

Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy

Goodreads link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18366353-legally-undead

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/

You Yube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XRDeparqVE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead. She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters.

Excerpt:

The worst thing about vampires is that they're dead. That whole wanting to suck your blood business runs a close second, but for sheer creepiness, it's the dead bit that gets me every time. They're up and walking around and talking and sucking blood, but they're dead. And then there's the whole terminology problem--how can you kill something that's already dead? It's just wrong.

I was twenty-four the first time I . . . destroyed? dispatched? . . . a vampire. That's when I found out that all the books and movies are wrong. When you stick a wooden stake into their hearts, vampires don't disintegrate into dust. They don't explode. They don't spew blood everywhere. They just look surprised, groan, and collapse into a pile of corpse. But at least they lie still then, like corpses are supposed to.

Since that first kill (I might as well use the word--there really isn’t a better one), I've discovered that only if you're lucky do vampires look surprised before they groan and fall down. If you're unlucky and miss the heart, they look angry. And then they fight.

There are the other usual ways to kill vampires, of course, but these other ways can get a bit complicated. Vampires are notoriously difficult to trick into sunlight. They have an uncanny ability to sense when there's any sunlight within miles of them, and they're awfully good at hiding from it. Holy water doesn't kill them; it just distracts them for a while, and then they get that angry look again. And it takes a pretty big blade to cut off someone's head--even an already dead someone--and carrying a great big knife around New York City, even the Bronx, is a sure way to get arrested. Nope, pointy sticks are the best way to go, all the way around.

My own pointy stick is actually more of a little knife with wood inlay on the blade--the metal makes it slide in easier. I had the knife specially made by an old Italian guy in just about the only ratty part of Westchester, north of the city. I tried to order one off the internet, but it turns out that while it’s easy to find wood-inlay handles, the blades themselves tend to be metal. Fat lot those people know.

But I wasn’t thinking any of this when I pulled the knife out of the body on the ground. I was thinking something more along the lines of “Oh, bloody hell. Not again.”