Book Review: Family Don't End With Blood by Lynn Zubernis #Supernatural #SPNFamily #BookReview

How a Show, and the Support of Its Fandom, Changed - and Saved - Lives

May 2017 marks the end of the twelfth season of the CW hit Supernatural, a television show about two demon-hunting brothers (and an angel) that is at the center of a fan community as tight-knit as family - a virtual support system that spans the globe. The three-time People's Choice Award winner for Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV show and Tumblr's 2015 Most Reblogged "Live Action TV" show has made a name for itself by supporting and encouraging its fans to "always keep fighting," a main theme echoed in the show, and demonstrating the inspiring truth to a memorable line from early in the show's run: "Family don't end with blood."

In twenty powerful chapters written by Supernatural's actors and fans, including series lead Jared Padalecki, Family Don't End with Blood: How Supernatural Has Changed Lives examines the far reach of the show's impact over the last eleven years. Supernatural has encouraged fans to change their lives, from getting "sober for Sam" to escaping a cult to pursuing lifelong dreams. But fans aren't the only ones who have been changed. The actors who bring the show to life have also found, in the show and its community, inspiration, courage, and the strength to keep going when life seemed too hard.

In keeping with the show's message to "always keep fighting," and to support the important work of combatting stigma and encouraging those who are struggling to speak out, a portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to charity Attitudes in Reverse, whose mission is to educate young people about mental health and suicide prevention.

Contributors from Supernatural's cast include:

Jared Padelecki ("Sam Winchester")

Jim Beaver ("Bobby Singer")

Ruth Connell ("Rowena MacLeod")

Osric Chau ("Kevin Tran")

Rob Benedict ("Chuck Shurley aka God")

Kim Rhodes ("Sheriff Jody Mills")

Briana Buckmaster ("Sheriff Donna Hanscum")

Matt Cohen ("Young John Winchester")

Gil McKinney ("Henry Winchester")

Rachel Miner ("Meg Masters")

Edited by Lynn S. Zubernis, a clinical psychologist, professor, and passionate Supernatural fangirl, Family Don't End with Blood provides an insightful and often uplifting look into the way international fan communities become powerful, positive forces in the lives of so many.

My Review:

I've been a Supernatural fan for years. I didn't start watching right away. I believe I started watching when SuperWhoLock began trending. I was already a Doctor Who and Sherlock fan, so I thought I'd better give this Supernatural a try, too.

One of the best decisions in my life!

I can't say that this show changed my life in the early days of watching, but I definitely felt a kinship with it. A validation and connection that few other shows stirred within me. All the things I love about stories, fantasy, romance, mystery, suspense, and yes, the supernatural, all came together in this show.

I've been watching and reading anything and everything about the paranormal/supernatural world since I was a child. Anything with ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves, basically all the things that go bump in the night were of immense interest to me. Because of my mother, I started watching the TV show Dark Shadows at a young age and was enthralled with the mystery, suspense and supernatural elements in that show. With cliffhanger endings, it easily left me eager for the next episode.

In many ways, Supernatural reminded me of Dark Shadows. It was the same connection I felt. The way the relationship with the characters captured my interest, the mystery and suspense of what happens next, and the intrigue of the gothic and paranormal elements, all of it felt familiar to me. It felt like this show was meant for me. It felt like home.

I have an avid interest in many shows. There are so many great ones out there, but Supernatural connected with me in a way few others had. I'll never forget the first time we see the boys and "Dad is on a hunting trip and he hasn't been home in a few days" line. The mystery of the Woman in White was right up my alley. As a kid in the 80's, I'd read so many Lady in White stories that one year I wanted to dress like one for Halloween.

With all honesty, it was the Wendigo episode that cemented my love for this show. Among my love for the paranormal, I'm also interested in many Native American cultures. I recognized this creature from my research. It was during that episode, that I knew for certain I had a huge interest in this show and would keep watching. And, of course, "Saving people, hunting things, the family business."

The characters drew me in, more and more, with each episode I had to keep watching. Some of the episodes were downright chilling! Scary and adventurous while learning about the relationships between the boys and their father. It just kept me glued. I binged the entire first season in a blur of episode after episode. I had to find out what happens next! And then I was left sitting straight up in my seat, gasping with surprise and horror at that last scene in the season finale. (No spoilers here, but you fans know which one I mean!) By then, I knew, there was no going back. Supernatural was now a part of me.

This was a long introduction about why I loved this book about Supernatural so much. Listening to the audiobook, I felt a new connection with other fans. There are other people who love this show just as much if not more than I do. And that thrills me!

I loved listening about the members of the cast and the fan's interactions. How this show has actually saved lives! Trust me, I've been in some dark places in my life, and I've called upon Sam and Dean to save me a time or two. They've always been there for me. I'm not alone. So, yeah, this show has saved me from some very dark days, helped me escape my life for a brief time, helped me grieve over loss, and simply helped me get by day to day. For months after my husband left me and my four kids, I watched this show every day at lunchtime, just so I didn't feel so alone. And you know what? It helped.

I will not lie, many of the chapters in this book made me sob. Not cry, but actually sob. The touching tales and the emotions those narratives stirred were nearly overwhelming. I wish I could meet these people in real life and hug them, tell them how much their stories of Supernatural impacted me, and again, made me feel like I was not alone in this world (a feeling that often comes upon me in trying times). These people don't know me, but I feel like I know a piece of them, and that is enough.

I enjoyed the chapter about the couple who met and married because of Supernatural. How awesome would it be to fall in love with another person because of a show!? That's almost like a fairytale romance story, isn't it?

Rob Benedict's chapter was especially emotional. How frightening and challenging to go through such an experience as a stroke, and knowing his friendship with his cast mates literally saved his life. I couldn't stop crying through that one.

The chapter about the fan who met Jared at a convention with the intention of ending her life afterward really got to me. I had to grab a box of tissues during that one. I'm so glad he was there to save her. Being that this book was written a few years ago, I hope this fan is with us still and living a good life. 

Jared Padelecki's chapter at the end left me a sobbing mess, too. I suffer from anxiety and depression, so when he talked about his mental health issues, I understood exactly how he felt during those moments he described. I'll always keep fighting, too. Also, I gotta say, I loved Jared before but knowing he's a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan just makes me love him more! :)

I could probably say something about each chapter because there was something I found special in each one.

Not only did this book bring out my empathy for the cast and fans, but I enjoyed the humorous moments as well. Many, many times while listening, I had to laugh out loud. I wonder often what other people were thinking watching me as I walked alone through town in the early mornings, my earbuds tucked discreetly in my ears, laughing like crazy at some line or other. The experience of reading this book really made me feel like I have friends out there in the world that I have yet to meet. 

I recommend anyone who loves and is a fan of Supernatural should read this book. It's a touching love letter to a show that has literally changed and saved lives.

Into the Dark #Excerpt #SummerReading #ReadonVella #KindleVella #serializedfiction #paranormal

Investigative journalist, Allison Reed, has been sent an anonymous tip regarding the strange disappearances of several seemingly random local people. When she's caught snooping around a wealthy recluse's house, she discovers the man's daughters are witches who are abducting people and casting them into another world where magic feeds from the living and zombies are real.

Now, Allison has to learn to survive with the help of a mysterious stranger. Together, they work to find a way home. As they search for a way to escape this nightmarish world, Allison finds herself growing closer to Brian, the man who saved her. But living in this dimension presents its challenges and horrors, as Allison learns more about the witches who abducted her as well as the other victims.

Will they find a way home?

Or will they remain trapped in a world where the dead walk among the living?

Excerpt:

The footsteps echoed closer.

She scanned the area, searching for an object she might use as a weapon. There was nothing except some debris in the far corner, what looked like leaves and old rags. Nothing she could use to defend herself. 

Allison’s heart thumped so loudly it became difficult to listen to the footsteps as they drew closer. All she heard was the drumming of blood pounding in her ears. She couldn’t see anything beyond the archway leading to this room. The source of the dim light originated from somewhere to the left of the opening, but beyond that, she didn’t know what might be out there.

Fear made her feet scurry until her back hit the stone wall beside the wooden ladder. She didn’t know what to do. Whatever was down here had been put here for a purpose. 

Some animal? A bear, wolf or lion? Starved until the sisters fed him. Was she supposed to be sacrificed as dinner? 

Was that why they said they hadn’t killed any of their victims? They’d thrown them into a hole in the ground and let an animal finish their dirty work. Semantics, but maybe that’s how they viewed it.

Allison wasn’t ready to die, but she didn’t know how to defend herself against an animal without a weapon either. 

So, she did the only thing she could think of in a situation such as this. 

She hid.

Allison crawled beneath the wooden ladder, curling her knees against her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. She wanted to tuck her face into her knees to hide, but she couldn’t take her gaze off the archway. She needed to see what animal approached.

If she kept still, perhaps whatever walked in this direction would pass the opening, not noticing her presence.

She waited, heart thundering as she clutched her arms around her knees. The footsteps got closer. They weren’t hurried. The steps sounded slow. Sluggish. Cautious.

Stalking? Hunting?

Allison wished to close her eyes.

I’m invisible. I’m invisible. 

If she kept repeating the words in her mind, they might come true. 

It will walk by. It won’t see me. I’m invisible.

A tall shadow appeared in the opening. As it stepped into the chamber, she recognized a human shape, not an animal as she’d expected. 

A man.

He stepped cautiously, his feet shuffling forward. He was tall. Well over 6 feet.

As he approached, he turned enough to allow the low light to illuminate his face. He had shaggy brown hair and a long, thin, narrow face covered with an unkempt beard. His blank expression sent a shiver of apprehension racing through her.

Something about his stance, the way he approached the chamber made her uneasy. He walked slowly into the room, aimlessly stepping from left to right and left again with no obvious direction. 

Perhaps, if she remained hidden in the poor light, he’d turn and leave. 

Although, how could he not see her? The ladder was not solid wood. There were open slats. She curled beneath, searching for protection, but the low light from the doorway must be enough to illuminate the area. She was sure there wasn’t much shadow beneath the ladder to keep her hidden. 

Yet, he didn’t he see her. And why didn’t he move his gaze to search the room? He stared straight ahead, neither looking left nor right, up nor down. Simply straight in front of him.

He held a long, sturdy stick in his hand. As he shuffled near, she realized the point of it was sharpened. Like a makeshift spear. 

A weapon. 

He was armed.

Had this man killed those victims? Would she be next?

Allison wanted to duck her head and cry, but she was too frightened. Instead, she kept her gaze locked on the man as he walked across the room. The space wasn’t large, perhaps 15 feet at its widest. And he was only a few steps away. It wouldn’t take much for him to turn in her direction and use the spear to attack her. 

As he walked past her hidden spot, she noticed his clothing. Faded blue t-shirt and tan trousers, badly torn and filthy. Not only dirt stained his clothes, but something else, too.

Was it mud? 

Or was it… blood?

New chapters are available to read for Into the Dark!

If you haven't started, now is a great time to get caught up.

Only on Kindle Vella!

When Wendigos Prey by Nicole Zoltack ~ A Cursed All Hallows' Eve Author Spotlight Interview @NicoleZoltack #CursedHallowsEve #supernaturalsuspense

 

Blurb: 

Clarissa Tempest has dealt with plenty of bedlam in Bethlehem. There’s been a bit of peace now until she learns that a dear friend has died. Maybe now, she’ll face her fear and take her relationship to the next level because tomorrow isn’t a guarantee. But then, of course, there’s a body.

Excerpt: 

Footsteps sound behind me, and I don’t bother to turn around.

“Diego,” I say.

“Good guess. How did you know it was me?” he asks as he moves to stand beside me and wraps an arm around my shoulders.

“Who else would be prowling the cemetery at this hour?”

“Besides you? Not too many.” He tweaks my nose.

“How romantic.” I slap his chest.

“I can be romantic when I want to be.” Case in point, he hands me a box.

I open it to learn it’s a box of chocolates. “Thank you, but how many did you eat?”

The moon shines on his face as he quirks his lips. “Just one.”

“I guess that’s all right,” I tease. “I might let you stick around.”

“There’s a chance you won’t?” he presses, smirking.

“On second thought…” I place the chocolate box down to the side and stare up into his handsome face, and the words just slip out. I originally intended to ask tonight in bed, but why not here? Some would think a proposal in a cemetery is a bit morbid, and maybe it is, but it fits us. It fits me. “I love you, Diego. Let’s get married.”

He gapes at me for a split second and then shakes his head and mumbles something in Spanish.

I lift my eyebrows. “I don’t know what you said, but I also didn’t hear sí.”

Where can readers find When Wendigos Prey?

Available exclusively in A Cursed All Hallows' Eve: Limited Edition Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Reverse Harem Halloween Themed Collection

Grab Your Copy Today!

Available to read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

books2read.com/cursedallhallowseve

The veil is thin. Darkness calls. Will you answer?

Halloween curses plague the daring heroes and spunky heroines in this spirited collection of tales. A Cursed All Hallows' Eve brings you 20+ stories stuffed with everything from dark gods to brooding shifters, delivering hours of decadent, pleasure-filled reading from bestselling and award winning urban fantasy and paranormal romance authors.

If you can't get enough of those supernatural creatures—vampires, ghosts, witches, demons, and fae—this limited edition collection will alternately thrill you with the spicy and tempt you with the sweet. Delve into these worlds where the living haunt the dead and the undead tempt the breathing.

Answer the call, because this Halloween, not all the costumes are disguises.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Hello and welcome, readers! We have Nicole Zoltack here with us today. Nicole Zoltack, thanks for visiting us.

How long have you been a writer and how did you come to writing?

I’ve been a writer forever. I’ve always wanted to be a writer since I was four years old, and in 2009, I was published for the first time, and I haven’t looked back since! I started to write because my mom used to sit my sister and I down at the kitchen table while she was making meals. She gave us papers and pencils and told us to write, so writing’s always been a part of my life.

Tell us about your title featured in: A Cursed All Hallows’ Eve

When Wendigos Prey is an epilogue to my Bedlam in Bethlehem series about a detective in Bethlehem, PA who discovers that the creatures that go bump in the night are real and not just myths.

How did you come up with the storyline?

I always wanted to write a short bit about what happens to Clarissa. So much darkness has touched her life that it’s time for some happiness, but there’s a body. There’s always a dead body.

What inspires you to write?

I find inspiration everywhere, from tv shows, movies, dreams, playing the what if game… I have a ton of ideas to write!

Tell us about your other books:

There’s the Bedlam in Bethlehem series, which kicks off a huge world with a ton of other series to enjoy. Next is Magical Hunters Academy, a series about a school that teaches paranormal beings how to become hunters, slayers, or executioners of evil paranormal beings. There’s Blood Haven Academy, an academy for vampires. The trilogy is a paranormal retelling of Romeo and Juliet. There’s also Magical Prison, about twin fairies, and finally, Rebel, Supernatural Bounty Hunter is the last series in this world so far. It’s about—you guessed it!—a supernatural bounty hunter. A human supernatural bounty hunter. There’s plenty of crossover in the later books!

I also have a trilogy called Queenmaker about King Arthur if he had been a girl. Once Upon a Darkened Night is a series of twisted fairy tales where the villain is now the hero. There’s a superhero trilogy and a quartet about dragon shifters… What can I say? I love to write!

Where can readers find you? 

www.NicoleZoltack.com

www.facebook.com/authorNicoleZoltack

www.twitter.com/NicoleZoltack

www.amazon.com/author/nicolezoltack

www.bookbub.com/authors/nicole-zoltack

www.goodreads.com/nicolezoltack

www.instagram.com/NicoleZoltack

www.pinterest/NicoleZoltack

About the Author: 

Nicole Zoltack is a USA Today bestselling author who loves to write romances. Of course. She did marry her first kiss, after all!

When she’s not writing about knights, superheroes, or witches, she enjoys spending time with her loving husband, three energetic young boys, and precious baby girl. She enjoys riding horses (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!) and going to the PA Renaissance Faire dressed in garb. She’ll also read anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV shows are The Witcher and Stranger Things.

Sign up for her newsletter to learn when her next book is released as well as excerpts, cover reveals, and giveaways!

Get more Halloween themed stories like this in 

A Cursed All Hallows' Eve Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited

books2read.com/cursedallhallowseve

Night of the Full Moon #Supernatural #Romance #Excerpt #FREE

Lucky us, we get two full moons for the month of October 2020! Tonight is the first full moon this month called the Harvest Moon. What a perfect time to read an excerpt from one of my paranormal romance novellas, Night of the Full Moon!

This one is FREE for my newsletter subscribers! Here's the link if you're interested. I send monthly (sometimes bi-monthly depending on book releases) newsletters filled with updates on my writing, as well as free books and contests. 

FREE for Subscribers!

Night of the Full Moon

Clara Boyer’s strict no-dating-policemen policy gets tested one full moon night when a dog darts across the road and she crashes her car. As she’s counting her lucky stars she’s not injured, a menacing growl echoes from the dark forest. Stuck on a lonely road, she needs help and there’s only one man she can call.

Officer Ethan Rakowski races to her rescue, but Clara discovers Ethan has been keeping dark, supernatural secrets. The animal she nearly hit isn’t a stray dog, but something more sinister. If it’s not destroyed, Clara may be its next victim.

How can a typical night after work go so wrong… or so right with the sexy cop who promises to keep her safe?

Excerpt:

Crunching metal and splintering wood sent her body surging forward, but her seatbelt held her firmly in place.

It all happened in an instant and then everything was still.

The car’s engine shut off. There was the tiny crackling of cooling metal, but all else was silent.

Clara gasped and remained in her seat, trying to mentally take in what just happened. She glanced at the road, searching for some sign of the animal but found none.

She hadn’t hit it. She’d swerved in time.

But at the cost of her car.

“Damn,” she muttered. Her shoulder was sore from where the seatbelt locked to keep her in place, but besides that, she had no other injuries. The airbag had failed, but thankfully she hadn’t needed it.

Hoping for good luck, Clara turned the key in the ignition to start the engine, but nothing happened. She unbuckled her belt and got out of the car to assess the damage. The front of the Hyundai was crumpled against a cracked tree trunk.

“Damn.”

Of all the luck. Guess she would be missing that TV show.

Clara shook her head, desperately trying to think of the positives in the situation. She was alive. She wasn’t hurt. That was the important stuff. She could count her lucky stars that she hadn’t needed that airbag.

She could replace the car. Eventually. Her DVR would record her show. Everything was okay. It could have been much, much worse.

A growl echoed from the dark forest.

Clara froze.

She couldn’t tell which direction the sound originated. It bounced eerily in the depths of the surrounding woods.

A dog.

Clara recalled the flash of fur and teeth she’d seen dart across the road. It must have been a dog that darted in front of her.

Had she clipped it with the car? She hadn’t felt an impact, but everything happened so fast. Was it injured?

Clara searched the moonlit road, but with trees on either side of her, she couldn’t see much.

“Dog?” Clara called out, her voice falling flat in the night’s stillness. Even the crickets and other night noises had died away. She whistled. “Here, puppy! You okay?”

Another low threatening growl made her take a step back.

She gasped.

It must be injured. And an injured animal was dangerous, even if all she wanted to do was help. It had been a shepherd-sized dog, if not bigger. If it was hurt, it might attack her out of pain and fear.

Another growl, closer this time, sent her heart hammering.

She would need help with the animal. There was no way she could deal with this on her own.

She got back into her car and found her purse with its contents strewn across the floor of the passenger’s seat. She rummaged through the items, searching blindly in the dark for her cellphone. When she found it, she let out a relieved sigh.

She went to press 911 but hesitated. How long would it take to have them send someone? It was 911. Of course, they’d send someone fast.

But Ethan was at the diner. He was only a minute or two away.

She found his number in her contacts list and dialed. She didn’t need to wait for him to answer.

“Changed your mind, Clara?” His deep voice rumbled through the silence of the car’s interior.

“I need help, Ethan. A dog ran in front of my car, and I swerved to miss it. I hit a tree on the side of the road.”

“A dog?” The amusement in his voice died away. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m okay. But my car is damaged, and I hear the dog growling in the woods. I think it’s injured.”

“Stay inside the car, Clara. Where are you?” A chill swept through her at the abrupt change in his tone. She’d never heard him sound so serious.

“I’m on Stoyer Street. About a quarter of a mile to my house. I almost made it home—"

“Stay in the car, do you hear me? Lock the doors. I’ll be right there.”

He disconnected. Clara stared at the screen on her phone for a moment. Why would she need to lock herself in the car? It was a dog. It’s not as if the animal could open the car door, locked or unlocked.

After several seconds of sitting inside the vehicle staring at the moonlit road and darkened forest, she hit the button on her door to lock it. The dog was out there, sure, probably lying out of sight alongside the road. But that didn’t account for the sensation of eyes peering at her. Intelligent, malicious eyes. The hair on the back of her arms rose.

Clara took a deep breath and shook her head to dismiss her thoughts. She was not one to spook easily. She lived in a small house in the middle of the woods. She’d been living alone there for three years.

It must be the full moon. People got a little wacky during a full moon. That might account for her sudden paranoia.

And she’d just gotten into an accident. Her adrenaline was pumping. Her mind was racing. That might explain the sudden bout of nerves she experienced.

She counted the minutes until Ethan’s arrival. While she waited, she busied herself with returning the contents to her fallen purse, then holding it tight in her lap. When she saw the flashing lights of his police cruiser, Clara let out a trembling laugh of relief.

He parked directly behind her and in an instant was out of the cruiser. She slung her purse over her shoulder and opened her car door to meet him.

Her eyes widened when she saw his gun drawn.

“Where is it?” He demanded in the same no-nonsense voice he used on the phone.

“You’re not going to shoot it, are you?” Clara tilted her head.

“Where is it?” He repeated harshly, his brows creased over narrowed blue eyes.

“I-I don’t know. Maybe over the side?” She waved her hand in the direction she’d last seen it dart across the road. “I may have clipped it. Everything happened so fast.”

“Stay here.” Ethan pulled a flashlight from his pocket and strode to the opposite side of the road. He shone the flashlight deep into the woods. For several minutes, he searched up and down the road. After he finished one side, he searched the other.

Finding nothing, he holstered his weapon and returned to where she stood by her car.

“What was that about?” Clara folded her arms over her chest.

“Don’t you read the paper?” Ethan shone the flashlight over her, checking for any signs of injury from head to foot. “There’s a rabid dog in the area. It took down two cows on the Tanner farm last week.”

“Oh,” Clara said. “I didn’t know.”

Ethan reached for Clara’s chin, gently pushing her head side to side as he shone the flashlight over her skull.

“You sure you’re not hurt?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” But suddenly Clara found it difficult to breathe as he leaned over her, his hand grazing her cheek to move to her temple where his fingers slid into her hair. Finding no signs of injury, he heaved a sigh of relief, his breath fogging the air in front of the flashlight. The tension around his eyes eased.

“You’re okay.”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Clara stared into his face. The stark relief she saw there touched her heart. He’d been worried. He had raced his police cruiser, lights flashing to reach her.

He’d do that for anyone, she reminded herself. He was a cop. It was his job.

That didn’t seem to explain the way he stared into her eyes. Surely, he didn’t look at everyone with the same heat, the same flash of desire that she saw flickering in those ocean blue depths.

Clara couldn’t concentrate on anything other than losing herself in his gaze. Her heart thumped wildly, and her breath quickened. She could easily imagine herself standing on the tips of her toes to place her lips on his.

What would it feel like to kiss Ethan? To spend a night in his arms.

She was acutely aware of his hand in her hair, sliding to cup her cheek. His thumb caressed her skin, sending a tumult of sparks zinging through her belly.

Her lips parted. To say something? Or to kiss him? She couldn’t decide.

The decision was taken from her when a vicious growl echoed across the road.

READ MORE!

More Dark Gritty Supernatural Reads #KindleUnlimited #SummerReads

Need some dark, supernatural reads for the summer?

Here's a book fair with dark suspense,
supernatural romance, and thrills!

Go to Book Fair!

 

Fangy Magic KU Romance #BookFair Ends June 30th #pnr #fantasy #urbanfantasy

Looking for something a little paranormal?

This book fair is packed full of the supernatural,

whether it's werewolves or vampires,

witches or dragons,

magic and sorcery!

Go to Book Fair!

When a Series Goes In a Different Direction #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: Reason Why I Stopped Reading a Series I Loved

There's one series that pops into my brain when I read this week's topic.

The Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton

I started reading this series in August 2001. I was working at Waldenbooks and we got a sampler of her newest novel, I think it was Obsidian Butterfly. It looked good, but I knew that this wasn't the first in the series and I like to begin at the beginning.

So, I bought Guilty Pleasures to give it a try.

I was so hooked. It was deliciously dark. Anita was a heroine with issues, but brave, strong and with a good heart. And she raised the dead for the living. How neat is that? She also assisted the police with their preternatural crimes division during the more nastier investigations dealing with supernatural monsters. Oh, did I mention she was also a vampire executioner?

Then there were characters like Jean-Claude, the vampire, and Richard, the science teacher werewolf. Not only were they possible love interests, but there was a mystery to solve with them, too.

This series had everything I could ask for, romance, horror, mystery, suspense. It was seriously page-turning and I was addicted.

That year, I took a road trip with a bunch of my friends from Pennsylvania to New Orleans. Of course, I bring books with me no matter where I go. I bought all of her available books to bring with me to read along the way.

And I read them back to back, down to New Orleans and back. Which is something I don't normally do. I was in reader heaven.

And then something strange happened around book #10-ish. 

The romantic horror series suddenly shifted to erotic horror. That alone didn't bother me. In fact, I might have enjoyed it. But suddenly Anita was sleeping with all these guys, sometimes all at the same time. And it was always for some mystical reason, not that she really wanted to (at the beginning of this change). Anita wasn't exactly forced, but she wasn't given many options not to...for reasons. 

It felt more like the author didn't wish to admit that she wanted her character to sleep with so many people and made it seem like Anita had to for her own good.

It was a dilemma that Anita had to face. If it would have been one book, or two, I wouldn't have minded... but every single book after? She's dealing with all these relationships with these many men and the drama and whining about who gets her attention and blah, blah, blah. They are a whiny bunch. I'm not sure how she can stand them all. Then again, she started getting whiny, too.

I just want her to go back to killing monsters and raising the dead. You know? The simple life.

I guess now as I look back, this might have been my introduction to reverse harem. This would be something I normally don't mind. I've read reverse harem romances and enjoyed them, but I didn't start reading this series expecting the horror novels to turn in the direction of erotic novels and then on to the drama of a soap opera.

And Anita has a lot of sex in the newer books. A lot. In my opinion, the sex scenes don't always move the plot forward. You can skip those scenes and it won't matter much for the rest of the book. To me, that feels unnecessary.

I stopped reading this series for a while. But because I still remember my love for these characters, I try reading another every so often. I still have hope that the old type of story-telling that I loved might show itself in some way. 

Frankly, I miss the characters and the simple love triangle between Anita, Richard and Jean-Claude. I was excited to see who she would choose and what monster-of-the-week she had to fight. I didn't expect her to fall into bed with Micah, Nathanial, Asher, Damian, Jason, among others (is she sleeping with Edward, yet? Because then, I'm absolutely done!) and suddenly the monster-of-the-week wasn't really so dangerous, life-threatening or important.

Even though I'm personally disappointed with the direction the author took these books, I still recommend this series to others. These books are absolutely amazing up until about 10, if you like horror mixed with romance and mystery. If you like reverse harem romances mixed with a bit of horror and mystery with a side of relationship issues between the characters, then you'll love book 11 and onward. 

Readers might be interested in these books for different reasons, and I hope you enjoy them.

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

BookBub | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

From shapeshifters to vampires to witches and wizards, this collection has something for every fan of the supernatural.

Heart of a Phoenix includes all the best in paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and reverse harem romances from today's hottest New York Times, USA Today, and award-winning best selling authors!

BUY NOW

Your Wolfish Heart by Erzabet Bishop & Gina Kincade ~Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology Author Spotlight Interview @erzabetbishop #Valentinesdayromance #supernaturalromance #pnr

Blurb:

App Tastic...
They were supposed to have the app live by Valentine’s Day. At least that was what Paige’s brother, Rafe, agreed to. Now here she was hoping and praying that with a little goddess power, and whole lot of technological know-how, he and his team can pull off a V-Day miracle.

Flower power...
Valentine’s Day was Liv’s least favorite holiday, even if she was part owner of Bluebonnet’s, one of the busiest flower shops in town. The holiday coinciding with her daughter’s death at the hands of a drunk driver, and then her marriage dissolving, was just another reminder of how empty her life was. But when a very familiar doctor starts coming into the shop, she feels a tug on her heartstrings, not to mention her lady bits, and wonders if maybe there is someone out there for her after all.

A Wolf in Need…
Dr. Thomas Merton fills his days tending to the needs of others, but he can’t ever forget the dark-haired woman who lost her child to a drunk driver. Not one to poach on another man’s woman, he put his wolf’s attraction and his own on the back burner. But when a fortuitous meeting at a local flower shop leads to a second chance at making a connection, can his wolf convince them both that the right kind of love is worth everything?

Where can readers find Your Wolfish Heart?

Available exclusively in the Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology
Grab your copy today!
Available to read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2QjJk7X
Universal Link: http://mybook.to/STC

Sweeter than chocolate and hotter than your heart’s desire. 

Celebrate the day of love with sixteen sweet and spicy stories from some of your favorite USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Authors. Brimming with love, passion, and angst, this anthology will satisfy your sweet tooth, set your heart on fire, and leave you yearning for more. 

So tear into your favorite box of Valentine’s Day chocolates, pour a glass of wine, and start reading for some decadent, melt-in-your-mouth Valentine-themed romances.

Author Interview

Hello and welcome, readers! We have Erzabet Bishop here with us today. Erzabet, Thanks for visiting us.
Thanks for having me!

How long have you been a writer and how did you come to writing?
I’ve always been a writer, but I’ve only gotten very serious about it in the last seven years.

Tell us about your title featured in: Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology.
My title is called Your Wolfish Heart and it’s a part of the Shifting Heart Dating App series. It features shifters, some steamy scenes, and more than one scene to make you laugh. Gina Kincade and I collaborated on this one and it was a lot of fun.

How did you come up with the storyline?
I love writing about shifters more than anything else. The dual-natured characters really appeal to me. Gina and I decided to do a spin off series from the Shifting Hearts Dating Agency series shared world, and incorporating a dating app as the newest additions to it all seemed like a perfect idea.  

What inspires you to write?
Everyday life. You know that shirt that says be careful or you’ll end up in my novel? More chances than not, if I see it or hear it, it gets filed away for future use. Lol.

What is your favorite genre to read?
I have so many! At the moment I am reading a YA fractured fairytale, a thriller, some business books and a book on children’s picture books. 

What would you say is the one thing are you most passionate about outside of writing?
Dogs. They rule my life

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?
I love reading in bed with the dogs, watching Netflix or Prime, going to the movies with my hubby and trying out new restaurants. 

Tell us about your other books.
I have over forty titles out there. Most are paranormal romance. Make sure you sign up for my newsletter because this year has a lot of new releases set to roll out.

Shifting Hearts Dating Agency Series

Hedging Her Bets

Waking Up Wolf

Kitten Around

Shifting Hearts Dating Agency Collection Books 1-3

Tempting Her Mate: Cider Falls Shifters #1: coming soon

Shifting Hearts Dating App Series

Mistle Tie Me: A Shapeshifter Holiday Romance

Your Wolfish Heart: A Valentine's Day Novella

Available in Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology!

Chocolate Moon Cafe

Available in The Heart of a Phoenix: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Reverse Harem Collection

My Wicked Mates Series

Craving Her Mates

Surrendering to Her Mate

Tormenting Her Mate

My Wicked Mates Series Collection: Books 1-3

Burning For Her Mates: coming soon

Claiming Her Mates: coming soon

Howling For Her Mates: coming soon

Westmore Wolves Series

Wicked for You

Heart’s Protector

Burning for You

Taming the Beast

Mistletoe Kisses

Westmore Wolves Collection, Books 1-5

Beauty and Her Beasts: coming soon

Curse Workers Series

Sanguine Shadows

Map of Bones

(free with newsletter subscription)

Malediction

Arcane

Curse Workers Collection: Books 1-3

Hex : coming soon

The Witching Hour Series

Burning Midnight

The Gibbous Moon Series

Bound in Fire

  

Sigil Fire Series

Sigil Fire

Written on Skin

Glitter Lust

First Christmas: A Sigil Fire Holiday Romance

The Violet Hour: coming soon

Collections and Anthologies

Holidays and More:

A Lesfic Short Story Collection

Lesfic Tales:

A Lesfic Short Story Collection

Sapphic Holiday Cruise:

A Lesbian Holiday Collection

Sweet Sensations:

A Short Story Anthology

Standalone Short Stories

The Gingerbread Man: A Holiday Romance

Root Workers Series

Bayou Shadows: coming soon

Standalone Full Novels

Snow: A Shapeshifter Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance

Where can readers find you?
Follow Erzabet on Twitter @erzabetbishop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erzabetbishop/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/erzabet-bishop
Website and Newsletter: http://erzabetwrites.wix.com/erzabetbishop
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/erzabetbishopauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6590718.Erzabet_Bishop
Street team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018269998190112/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erzabet.bishop

About the Author: 
ERZABET BISHOP IS A USA TODAY BESTSELLING and award-winning author of over forty paranormal and contemporary romance books. She lives in Houston, Texas, and when she isn’t writing about sexy shifters or voluptuous heroines, she enjoys playing in local bookstores and watching movies with her husband and furry kids.

v>

Favorite TV Shows

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Today's topic: Favorite TV Shows and Why

Oh, this is a fun one! I could talk for days about television shows. Not that I'm addicted, but I do love watching TV. And there are more great shows out there now than ever before!

As a writer, I don't watch television or movies for only the pleasure, but I study these shows to strengthen my writing craft. I watch how the actors portray the emotions their characters are experiencing, from a quizzically raised eyebrow to a simple hand gesture. I listen to the dialogue, how it is structured, how it is spoken and word choice. And I study the plots and character development from the beginning of a show or series to the end. There's a lot a writer can learn from watching TV.

Okay, so that's out of the way, let's get to the good stuff!

(in no particular order)

Dark Shadows
Gothic Soap Opera Drama airing from 1966 - 1971
6 Seasons
1,225 episodes

This is probably the show that influenced me the most in shaping my creative life. My mother was a fan during the original airing of the show back in the '60s. She, like many others, ran home from school everyday so she could watch it.

In the '80s, it was picked up for syndication and after supper my mom and my brother and I would sit in the living room to watch two episodes from 7-8pm.

I was so hooked on this show. The suspense was mind boggling for a little girl. I remember constantly asking my mother after each episode ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger, "What happens next?"

She would never tell me. I'd have to wait until the next day to find out. (These are days way before Netflix binging!)

Dark Shadows centered around the Collins family, a wealthy and eccentric family who lived in Collinsport, Maine. It began as a simple gothic show filled with suspense, but became hugely popular with the introduction of the nearly 200 year-old vampire, Barnabas Collins. The show featured many supernatural storylines including witches, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, warlocks, and time travel.


I had so many favorite characters on this show. Barnabas because he was a vampire, at first evil but soon he became the good guy. Quentin, first a ghost, and also we discovered he was cursed to become a werewolf when Barnabas went back in time to find out why he haunted Collinwood. Tom Jennings was a descendant of Quentin's and also cursed to become a werewolf. Angelique, the witch, who terrorized Barnabas and his family, all because she was madly in love. Maggie and Joe were my favorite couple. I loved them together.

So many great memories of this show, and I will admit, this has influenced my writing. I write about witches, vampires and werewolves. They're my favorite supernatural creatures!

Supernatural
Supernatural Drama airing from 2005 to present
14 Seasons (15 will be the last Season)
307 episodes (and counting)

Which leads me to my adulthood supernatural addiction. Oh, Dean! I mean, oh, my! Several years ago, many memes were circulating the internet about SuperWhoLock. I didn't understand what that meant, but eventually I discovered it was a mash-up word describing fans of Supernatural, Doctor Who and Sherlock. Well, I gave Doctor Who and Sherlock a try (as I'll explain later), so I figured I'd might as well check out this Supernatural show that everyone was talking about.

My little Dark Shadows heart was in supernatural Heaven by episode two. The first episode introduced the brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester and the search for their father who went missing on a "hunting" trip. As we discover, their mother was killed by a demon when Sam and Dean were children and their father, John Winchester, has been hunting the thing that killed her ever since.

And so begins an epic saga that has lasted for 14+ seasons. This show has everything a fan of the supernatural could dream of. Two extremely handsome and sexy brothers who are knee-deep in a world of blood, knives, guns, curses and death, filled with ghosts, demons, angels, vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies, Leviathans, evil clowns, a phoenix, the Four Horsemen, God and his sister, the Darkness as well as other Gods and Goddesses. And the list goes on!


Each episode alone is highly addicting, but the overall story arc and the development of these characters is what is really fascinating. It's a story about family and friendship and the lengths that two brothers and an angel will go through to save the world and each other.

I'll tell you that some of the episodes, especially in the first season were downright scary. And the cliffhanger at the end of Season 1! When that moment happened, while I was lounging on my sofa, I sat straight up and cried out in shock.






Thank Chuck for Netflix Binge Watching! I don't think I would've have been able to cope waiting so many month to watch the next season.

Doctor Who
Science Fiction airing from 1963-1989
A film in 1996
Continued airing from 2005-Present
37 Seasons
851 Episodes

My uncle was a Doctor Who fan and I remember watching a few episodes with Tom Baker with him when he came home to visit during his days enlisted in the Army. I remember distinctly Tom Baker's ridiculously long scarf and wondered when I was a kid, how did he not trip constantly over that thing?

I didn't get hooked on this show until it's new incarnation in 2005. It was actually a little later that I began watching. Matt Smith was already the Doctor, but I started with Christopher Eccleston's first episode, Rose.

I first thought it was cheesy. It was weird. I didn't quite understand why everyone was crazy about this show. But, I was curious enough to watch the second episode. It wasn't until the third episode that I was hooked. When Rose and the Doctor went back in time and met Charles Dickens and the ghosts who turned out to be an alien species, I was in total love! This was what I wanted to see!

The man could time travel! And not just to the future or distant worlds like I had thought from my memories of Tom Baker. He could travel back in time, too. Oh, yeah. Now we're talking. I would love to travel back in time and the Doctor soon became my hero.

The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. He travels through time and space in the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) a spaceship he stole and has been running every since. He typically travels with companions which fuels his joy in experiencing new adventures. It's filled with timey-wimey wibbly-wobbly stuff. It's a fun, exciting show that ignites the imagination of the viewer. And it's a family show, made with children in mind, although some of the episodes are downright terrifying!

Are you my mummy? 

I am completely addicted to this alien and his constantly evolving storyline. Oh, yeah. Another thing. He's kinda immortal. He has this thing that happens when he's close to dying.

He regenerates.

That's a neat trick that the writers came up with during the First Doctor's reign. William Hartnell, who played the First Doctor, was having health issues, so instead of cancelling the show or replacing him outright with another actor, they devised the regeneration so they could recast the Doctor as many times as they wanted. This kept the show going for decades.

Sherlock
Crime Drama airing from 2010-2017
4 Seasons
13 Episodes

 Once I got caught up with Doctor Who, I moved onto Sherlock. I was a little doubtful that I'd enjoy this version of my favorite mystery detective. I had read several Sherlock novels and short stories in my early 20s. I became addicted to reading the stories, so I eventually bought the entire collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I'd watch several different versions of Sherlock such as the movies starring Basil Rathbone and the newer ones with Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. When I was a teenager, my favorite Sherlock movie came in the version of the Young Sherlock Holmes which I thought was very enjoyable.

I knew nothing about Benedict Cumberbatch or Martin Freeman. Also, this version of Sherlock was set in present-day London, which I had trouble envisioning.

Oh, how wrong I was to doubt the creative genius of Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss! Each episode is really like a mini-movie. From the very first, A Study in Pink, I was enthralled. These were characters I fell instantly in love with and the storyline was engaging and mysterious. I was solving the mystery along with Sherlock and Watson, trying to figure out who did it. It was entertaining and fun!

And, again, we had these amazing and shock inducing cliffhangers at the end of each series! The kind that left you crying for days and days. I was lucky to binge watch, but eventually I got caught up and had to wait.

And I'm waiting again. Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss have both said they have not said good-bye to Sherlock and Watson. They foresee more mysteries for them to solve in the future. It's just a matter of when.

Farscape
Science Fiction airing from 1999-2003
4 Seasons
88 Episodes

I've talked about Farscape on my blog before, so you can check out that post about naming my baby girl. It's an amazing science fiction show about how an astronaut/scientist, John Crichton, takes an experimental spacecraft into orbit and inadvertantly creates a wormhole in which he is sucked into, shooting him across the universe to a place where he encounters aliens of all types and shapes and he must learn to survive and find a way back home. It's a compelling drama with interesting characters and storylines. It's really a fantastic show that ended way too early.

Firefly
Space Western Drama aired in 2002
1 Season
14 Episodes

Sorry! I'm so sorry!

Another show that ended way too soon was Firefly. This show was about a diverse cast of characters trying to survive in a space after a horrible Civil War. They live on a ship called Serenity. The dynamic between these characters keeps the drama and suspense at the addiction level. Each episode, you learn something new about one of them, their backstory and history and their goals for the future. It was a great show that should have been allowed to continue telling stories.

The Walking Dead
Horror Drama airing from 2010-Present
9 Seasons
131 Episodes (and counting)

My husband introduced me to this terrifying television series. I was never a huge fan of zombies. I mean, I watched the Romero movies, but I was more interested in vampires and such. The dead coming back to life? Not my thing.

This show doesn't focus so much on the zombies, but on the survivors. I was well and truly terrified by watching it. I seriously couldn't believe they let this kind of show on TV! The make-up and special effects were amazing. And no one is safe on this show. Anyone can die and any time. And they did! I've watched in tears as some of my favorite characters were killed off and then had to watch The Talking Dead to mourn them.

I'm so grateful for The Talking Dead. It's therapy after watching all that terror, fear, agony and heartbreak. Chris Hardwick, the host, walks viewers through the events of each Walking Dead episode and there are interviews with the actors as well as cool information about the creation of the show and special effects.

I wish some other shows had a therapy show afterward.









Honorable Mentions:

Star Trek
Star Trek: Next Generation
Lost
Penny Dreadful
Game of Thrones
True Blood
Law & Order

Reality TV

I'm not a huge fan of Reality TV, but there are, of course, some shows that are compelling to watch. These are some of my favorites.

Ghost Hunters
Paranormal Reality Series airing from 2004-2016
11 Seasons
217 Episodes
13 Specials

I went to a Romance Writer's Conference in Connecticut one year and was excited to see they had a workshop with two paranormal investigators. As you might understand by now, ghosts thrilled me and I was eager to hear what these guys had to say. Two men who were employed as plumbers during the day and investigated haunted houses at night. It was interesting to listen as they explained what they did and the things they experienced. Not much frightens me, but I'll admit that some of the stuff they talked about, some of the events they investigated were scary. The talk of demon and ghost possession was spooky. I believed and experienced hauntings myself, but demons?

Anyway, I checked under my bed at the hotel room that night.

A few months (years?) later, as I was watching (probably Farscape) on the Syfy channel, I saw a commercial advertising a new show called Ghost Hunters. To my surprise, I recognized the two lead investigators on the show.

Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson. The same two men who I met at the conference! Remembering their discussion about ghosts and paranormal activity, I knew I just had to watch the show and sure enough, I loved it. I watched every single episode as well as the eventual spin-off, Ghost Hunters International.

Anything with Josh Gates

We all have our celebrity crushes, right? Well, aside from Jensen Ackles and Gerard Butler, Josh Gates is mine. He is handsome, comical, adventurous and loves to travel. And he wears a Fedora! A killer combination. What more could a girl ask for in a guy?

I've watched Destination Truth and Expedition Unknown in which he hunts monsters and supernatural creatures.

There's a theme in my life, right?


Honorable Mentions:

Passport to Europe
Ghost Adventures
Dirty Jobs
Deadliest Catch 


Wow! This list ended up being way longer than I intended, but there are just so many great shows out there. I hope you found something that might entertain you!

Until next time!

 Happy Reading!

~Tricia

Check out the other Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

BookBub | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest