A few of my favourite things: Paranormal Romances

I love a wide range of fiction genres. Crime, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Urban fiction and Steampunk are right up there in my favourites. But top of the pops for me over the past few years have been Paranormal Romances. This has been an ever growing and popular genre, and our collections are just chokka full of paranormal goodness. These following Paranormal Romance series are my personal top 5, and are full of amazing world building and characters and plots I have laughed and cried over.

One of the first authors I came across when I started my love affair with Paranormal Romance was MaryJanice Davidson with her Queen Betsy series. MaryJanice is just so hilarious, and takes characters that should probably be pretty darn unlikable and makes you kind of love them. The titular Betsy begins the first book in the series Undead and unwed by losing her job, getting killed, and finding herself a member of the undead. She is also pretty disgruntled about the fact that the vampire community think she is their prophesied Queen; Betsy just wants to buy pretty designer shoes ;)

There is the tall, dark and gorgeous (and rather undead) Eric Sinclair to complicate matters further, as her potential consort to the unwanted throne. As the series progresses we meet werewolves, mermaids, zombies and Betsy's rather hellish younger half sister and so much more. MaryJanice has done several other series that both stand alone and tie into this one, including the Fred the Mermaid series (which starts with Sleeping with the fishes) and The Wyndham Werewolf series (we have Derik's bane). If you like a whole lot of humour with your paranormal romance (and really nice designer shoes), then MaryJanice is the author for you!

Next up on my list is Charlaine Harris, the author of the Sookie Stackhouse series which the TV series True Blood is based on. I was not initially a fan of the book series, which is entirely down to my stupidity in choosing a random book halfway through and then being completely confused about what was going on. Then I became 100% addicted to the TV series, so I went back to the books to fill my need for Sookie between seasons. When I actually started with the first book Dead until Dark, I totally loved the series (funny that). There are some pretty major differences between the books and the TV series, but I loved them both in their own way (and I way prefered the way the books ended to the way the show ended, ahem). If you don't know, Sookie is a waitress is a small town in Louisiana, with the 'gift' of being able to read minds. Due to the creation of True Blood, a synthetic blood, vampires have come out of the closet as it were. Local vampire Bill is rather attractive to Sookie, as she discovers that vampire minds are closed to her, which to a telepath is like all her Christmases have come at once. Vamps are still finding their new place in the world, and it makes for a fantastic series!

Perhaps my favourite paranormal vamp of them all is Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. In the first book Halfway to the grave Bones takes main protagonist Catherine Crawfield (known as Cat) and helps to turn her into a completely kick ass vampire killing machine, which is kind of an interesting place to start when he is a vamp himself, and she is a half vamp! Cat is on a mission to take out as many vampires as she can to avenge the attack on her mother, but somehow learns along the way that maybe not all vampires are bad.  These guys are just plain HAWT and so are lots of their buddies that we meet along the way (personal favourite: Vlad Tepesh, who just happens to be that most famous vampire of them all - he even gets his own series which starts with Once burned).

I discovered Ilona Andrews and her Kate Daniels series when I took part in an online chat with NZ author Nalini Singh (another fav who features below). When I asked Nalini who some of her favourite authors and series were, this was on her list, and boy can I see why! In the first book Magic bites we meet merc Kate, and she is AMAZING. Easily one of my favourite kick butt heroines out there for sure. Kate's world is in a bit of a mess. Technology went too far and so magic decided to fight back, and now the world is hit by magic waves where tech doesn't work, and all kinds of magical beings exist, which is usually not really a good thing. There are two factions in Kate's city, the Shapeshifters lead by alpha Curran (talk about alpha male at his best), and the People, who operate vampires, which are mindless beings that are controlled by navigators. The world building in this series is fantastic, wouldn't want to live there, but love love love my visits!

And talking about fantastic world building, Nalini Singh has created not one, but two fabulous series, set in worlds similar yet oh so different to our own. We can be extra proud of Nalini as she is a New York Times bestselling Kiwi, based right here in Auckland. I have been lucky enough to meet her a couple of times at book events, and she is as amazingly nice as she is talented, with lots of time for her fans, especially on social media. The first of her series is my personal favourite the Psy-changeling one, which starts with Slave to sensation. While each book in the series focuses on a couple and the development of their relationship, there is a brilliant overarching storyline that is further developed with each book in the series. It focuses on the changing dynamic between the three main races (the Changelings, the Psy and humans) and in particular the crumbling of the Psy race (a race with psychic abilities) and its impact on society. I LOVE THESE BOOKS!

Second up by Nalini is the Guild Hunter series, which starts with Angels' blood. I do love this series too, but I always find it interesting chatting to other fans, everyone seems to love one slightly more over the other. To me this is a slightly darker series, set in a world where we are ruled by Archangels. Elena, the main protagonist is a Hunter. Her job is to hunt rogue vampires that have run away from their Angel masters. I do love the totally different take on vampires in this series, and Archangel Raphael is terrifyingly gorgeous! I'm personally hanging out for more about Ilium, I just can't get enough of the Angel also known as Bluebell ;)

For more about these fantastic authors (and nice comprehensive lists of all their series and titles), you can find their websites at:
MaryJanice Davidson
Charlaine Harris
Jeaniene Frost
Ilona Andrews
Nalini Singh

(PS - you may have noticed I managed to sneak an extra series into my top five, MWAHAHAHA!. Sorry, just couldn't choose between Nalini's ;) )

Review: Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris [Jan]

“She’s not out to get me?  Your life was not right when you were actually surprised that someone didn't want to kill you."

Sookie is back in her final adventure!  Recovering from bringing Sam back to life, she takes time off to think.  Eric is remote as she chose to use the fairy wish granter for Sam, instead of for his benefit.  He also has an obligation to marry the Queen of Kansas as his maker arranged.  A new vampire has now shown up and after her great-grandfather and cousin returned to the realm of the fairies Sookie is lonely.

Jason is planning his marriage, Tara is driving a minivan, and Sookie's half-demon godfather has shown up with two witches, a demon, and a telepath.  He has learnt several things that make him fear for her safety.  Arlene has been released from prison on bail for trying to give Sookie to the Fellowship of the Sun to be crucified.  The men that arranged for her bail have only asked for her to do two things; ask for her job back at Merlotte’s and a scarf of Sookie’s.

Meanwhile someone has sold their soul to the devil and decided Sookie is responsible for the deal going sour. She must pay...

A fun, easy read for Sookie fans with has a busy plot that ties up loose ends while hinting at new beginnings.  You don’t need to have read the other books in the series to pick up what is going on but it’s such an addictive world you should.  You learn who to trust, some people die, and who Sookie chooses to love.

* the books bear no relation to the plot of True Blood
** but feel free to imagine Eric Northman as Alexander Skaarsgard


Title: Dead Ever After
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: Gollancz, 2013
Series: Book 13 in Sookie Stackhouse
Reviewer: Jan

Marathons: A Pure Indulgence (Part 1): Paranormal Pandemonium

I love marathons.

And no I'm not talking about the kind of marathons you run. Because heaven forbid. Me? Run? Sorry not gonna happen.

What I am talking about are movie marathons, TV series marathons, book and author marathons.  The kind of thing where you indulge yourself completely in something.  Bingeing. At least according to a recent article that appeared in Canvas the NZ Herald weekend supplement.

It is, it seems, a relatively new phenomenon.  Who knew?

Well my partner and I  - apparently. Because we've been binge watching for several years now.  Or marathon watching as we call it. In fact marathon watching a TV show is the only way to watch a show.

Trust me you don't know what you're missing until you've tried it.

It's seriously addictive. And once you start you can't stop. And of course marathon works really well with other mediums too such as movies and books. 

Winter is a perfect marathony time of the year. When you can spend endless hours indoors and not have to feel even a little bit guilty about it.  And yes I know marathony isn't a word but if you can think of a better word let me know.  In the mean time there is nothing better than stretching out on the couch with a hot beverage, a king size bar of chocolate and the utter indulgence of a marathon session.

Supernatural

8 seasons and counting.

Supernatural as you may know is my god.  The show that I measure all other shows to.

It's brilliant and funny and sad and exciting and... well I could just go on.  But I won't.  Just check it out for yourselves.  You will soon be hooked.

The Vampire Diaries    

Hot vampires? Check. Badass werewolves? Check. Love Story. Double Check.  And of course it has some great indie music.

Vampire Diaries is a confusing, somewhat trashy mess and it's all the better for it.  This is not a show to take seriously, instead just sit back and root for your favourite vampire bad-boy Damon Salvatore and wallow in his misery.

It's awesome stuff

Buffy the vampire slayer

Buffy was my first love.  

It was a show that broke all boundaries combining horror with humour in a subtle and exciting way.  It took itself seriously without taking itself seriously - if that makes any sense.

Throwing out the dumb blonde who always got killed and spinning it all on it's head and turning her into a kick ass heroine who could be girly one minute and stab a vampire with a stake the next.

In a word it was bloody fantastic.

Being Human

Being Human was the British way of making a paranormal TV show and it had it's  own unique, dark touch to it, something the Brits do so well.

There were struggles with identity and acceptance... and creatures even badder than you wanting to kill you. Who knew that being a vampire, werewolf or ghost could be so hard.

Laurell K. Hamilton

Before there was Buffy there was Anita Blake.

The gutsy heroine struggling to live in a world of vampires, werewolves, zombies and other creatures of the night.  As well as having problems with her love life.

What's a girl to do
 
J. R. Ward

A society of vampire warriors who defend their race against those that would do them harm, the Black Dagger Brotherhood are the ultimate vampires.

The covers of this series also let you know that these guys are not only deadly but sexy too.  Featuring as they do, a variety of bare-chested men. Sex sells and the popularity of this series is a testament to this.

It's the perfect romance/paranormal series to indulge in.

Sherrilyn Kenyon    

More warriors.

More sexy, hot men who will do anything for the women they love.

The Dark Hunter series features immortal warriors dedicated to defending mankind from the forces of evil. It's heady, sexy stuff.

Christine Feehan

Of course you just knew they were going to be more sexy, hot men.  In the Carpathain series these men are a powerful and ancient race, skilled in the art of killing... and love.

Finding a suitable mate though is difficult, especially in the world of mortals.

And the men in our lives thought they had it hard.

This month I'm Loving...

Moonlight walks which aren't nearly as romantic as they sound.  This is probably due to the fact that they have been undertaken at the ungodly hour of  5.30 am.

I mean really, how can anything be romantic when you're walking in the dark still half asleep. Still the moon light does make everything look pretty and glowy which is always a plus and even more importantly it helps me to see where I am going as I navigate my way around the estuary, so really I can't complain. Moonlight and water, the crisp early morning air and the company of my other half.  It's all rather lovely.

This month I have once again discovered a realm of new things.  Lots of new music, as usual.  This time courtesy of Spotify and Twitter discussions. Both of which I can just get a tad carried away with and easily spend a few hours perusing. (i.e. wasting time).

Along with the music there are also some new authors and a TV show that I have fallen in love with.  Life, as they say, is pretty damn good.

Halcyon / Ellie Goulding.

I just adore Ellie Goulding's music.

From the lyrics to her voice there is so much emotion in her songs and each one seems to speak directly to you. 

This, her second album, is just great.  My favourites are Figure 8 and Only You but I also recommend that you check out her first album Bright lights too.

Sounds like this / Eric Hutchinson

A very new discovery for me - like just last weekend - and one that I picked up, completely randomly, from a certain actor on twitter who raved about him.  And I'm so glad I checked him out as I have just fallen in love with this guy's music.

It's a little bit reggae, a little bit Jack Johnson, a little bit soul and utterly feel good.

Picking a fav song is hard as I love just about every one but Ok It's Alright With Me is one that stands out.

Nobody / Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

"15 year-old Claire Ryan has always felt invisible, which causes trouble when she instantly connects with 17 year-old Nix, who really can become invisible and has been sent to assassinate her."

There are so many great teen books out there and this is one that I just couldn't put down.

Don't you just love books like that.

Guardians of stone / Anita Clenney.

"As a relic hunter every mission Kendall Morgan accepts carries certain hazards, but her boss's latest is proving to be the most dangerous yet."

Now I'm not generally into paranormal romances but this one was actually quite good.  Perhaps because the romance aspect was quite minimal so that it mostly came across a bit like Relic Hunter/Indiana Jones adventure.

I certainly enjoyed it enough to want to read the sequel... when it comes out.

 Crewel : a novel / Gennifer Albin

"For generations, Spinsters have worked the looms and determine where people live, who they marry, and even when they die. Gifted with the rare ability to weave time with matter, Adelice is exactly what the Guild is looking for, but Adelice is about to unravel the deadliest one of all, a sinister truth that could destroy reality as she knows."

I loved this book.  Interesting sci-fi/fantasy books are always great to read and teen books seem to do this so well.  This one reminded me a little of Tamora Pierce's series Protector of the Small and also a little bit of Graceling and even The Giver.

Saturday night widows : the adventures of six friends remaking their lives / Becky Aikman.

"Struggling to forge ahead after becoming a widow at 43 and forced out of grief counseling because she wasn't sad enough, Becky Aikman starts her own widow's support group."

It might sound like a depressing read but this book is a heart-breaking, funny, realistic book that gives an honest look at what it is to be a widow, especially at a young age.

Having been there myself I could relate to this so much.  It's a wonderful tale of recovery, of hope and of moving on - and even maybe finding love again.

Throne of glass / Sarah J. Maas.

"Celaena, a daredevil assassin, is offered a chance of freedom from the salt mines where she has been imprisoned.  The only thing is she has to face the deadliest thieves, assassins and murderers in the land..."

I love kick ass heroines and yes Caleaena does sometimes come across as an arrogant, vain, brat and yes the story does have some flaws (another romantic triangle?  Really?  Can we just move on from those, please.) But this is still a great read.  Caleaena is a tough, pulls no punches kind of chick and the story pulls in you.
 
Miranda 

I *adore* Miranda but if I'm being completely honest, I have to confess that I've only recently become a convert to this wonderfully funny show.

I know!  Surprising - isn't it.

But I really thought that it wasn't my thing, despite never watching an episode.

It's my mum who got me into it.  And I'm so glad she did.

I love Miranda.  In fact we could be twins, since we are both klutzy, get nervous trying new things, are hopeless at relationships and love bopping around to music...except of course I'm not 6 foot 1.

I can read, I can READ, I CAN READ!

Well you would bloody hope so since I am a librarian but what I'm really getting at is that I have finished NaNoWriMo for another year.  52,371 words submitted and validated.

And 2 days early I might add.

Yes, Yes, Yes.

I can finally get into the ever increasing pile of books that has been giving me accusing looks for the past 30 days.  So much so that I swear they have been talking to me.  Tempting me with their words of adventure and excitement and far off places.  It has been a real test of wills.  Me writing and doing NaNo or picking up one of the many alluring books that has been staring at me with bedroom eyes, saying read me, read me, read me.  Now, Now Now.

Thank god NaNo is over and I can get stuck in and read something other than my own writing.

Now the only hard decision is deciding which one to start with first…

Vampires and Bad Boys

"To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing.“ Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Personally I just don't get the whole Twilight thing and just by saying this I can hear the cries of a million fans who will most likely think I am completely and utterly bonkers.

How could I not like Twilight?

It has everything any self respecting Syfygirl should love. There's vampires and werewolves and the whole star-crossed love that generally appeals to a closet romantic like myself. Still it all somehow leaves me feeling well... a bit... empty.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate Twilight. After all any book that gets people interested in reading has got to be a good thing, so I'm all for that and on some level I want to like it, I really do.

And it's not because of the vampire thing either, because I actually quite like vampires. They are for me the ultimate bad boy and perhaps that is the problem. The vampires in Twilight just don’t have that bad boy appeal.

Vampires who sparkle in the sunlight?

Really?

I'm sorry, vampires need to “burn baby burn” at the mere touch of daylight and if they don't they better have a bloody good reason not to and sparkling is definitely off the agenda.

Of course I’ve always had a thing for bad boys. Not in real life of course (been there, done that) but in the world of fiction give me a bad boy any day. These men are sexy, passionate, slightly aloof and completely and utterly ruthless. They don’t conform to the rules of society nor do they let anything stand in their way. They take what they want, when they want it and don’t we just secretly love them for it.

Jane Austen certainly knew their appeal as did Charlotte Bronte and two hundred years later these bad boys are still luring us in.

So if you like vampires or bad boys or a little bit of both here are some of my picks