From December's Vol 44 No 12 Forum magazine review:

Thanks to Twilight and True Blood, vampires are hot and sexy again, but while
Blood and Coffee taps into that trend it is definitely more of a horror fantasy
than a straightforward erotic novel. Many of the characters here come to grisly
ends, so it's not for the squeamish, but Lisa Lane manages to keep the action
moving at a relentless pace while detailing Karen's conversion from human to
vampire and all the dilemmas she faces along the way. This is the first part in
a trilogy, and there are enough clues as to how the action will progress to
ensure those who like a bit of gore with their sexual tension will hunt down the
second and third volumes.
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For more information on The Darkness and the Night series, visit Ravenous Romance or stop by my Erotica Page.

To read the full review, you'll have to find the back-order for Forum's December issue.

Happy reading!

Lisa
 
Pets and People 01/17/2010
 
Last night, I watched a show about a canine hero who, in the traditional “Lassie” fashion, sought out and brought help to his desperate human companion.  The woman had fallen down a ledge in the middle of the Utah wilderness, had broken her pelvis, and had been unable to get to help herself.  The dog was able to lead the search and rescue crew to her after three days of enduring dehydration and freezing temperatures.  This made me wonder:  How many attributes, such as high levels of compassion and intelligence, do people wrongly attribute to be typically “human,” but “unusual” or “amazing” in their pets?
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Kitty (door) and Kadie (in pearls)
I have two cats, Kitty and Kadie.  They once warned me of an attempted home invasion in the middle of the night, when my then-fiancé was out of town.  The apartment above me had flooded, and my complex had hired a man to vacuum my bedroom carpet and leave a dehumidifier.  He had closed the sliding glass door behind him when he had left—leaving it unlocked.  Of course, I had gone right behind him and locked it after he was gone, but it is clear that he had not counted on that (and that he had also counted on my leaving the loud dehumidifier on all night, which was keeping me awake and, luckily, I had opted to turn off so I could sleep).  I woke to the sound of the sliding door being tugged on—with Kadie standing suddenly, fluffing up, and growling angrily and Kitty rushing across the apartment, to the sliding door.  He crashed into the blinds, and a moment later my would-be intruder crashed over my patio ledge and ran off into the night.  The next day, the same man tried to let himself into my apartment: that morning, he had taken my apartment key from the management office and went to my apartment.  Already on high alert, I was able to stop him before he got in, send him away, and notify the management of his actions.  Management apologized profusely for letting such an oversight occur; they had no idea that he had taken my key.

Were Kitty and Kadie just reacting to an outside noise, or were they defending me and our property?  Given that Kitty ran to the sliding glass door and Kadie stayed right at my side, growling until the man had gone, I tend to believe that the latter is the case.

Do you have any neat and/or “amazing” stories about your furred, feathered, or scaled friends?  I’d love to hear about it.
 
 
Thanks to your votes, Lust in Space made the top 10 erotica novels for 2009 and The Darkness and the Night III: Twins of Darkness finished in the top 20 horror novels.  My thanks to all who showed their support!

The final standings:

Erotica
1. Murder by Design, Jade Falconer, Phaze, [link]
2. Kilted Lover, Nicole North, Red Sage Publishing, [link]
3. Breaking The Covenants, Celina Summers and Rob Graham, Aspen Mountain Press, [link]
4. Scent of a Vampire, Jude Stephens, Hearts on Fire Books, [link]
4. Dommemoir, I.G. Frederick, Fanny Press, [link]
4. Only Pleasure, Lora Leigh, St. Martin's Griffin, [link]
5. Strangers, Barabara Elsborg - , Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication, [link]
6. Spell of Appalachia, Molly Wens, eXcessica, [link]
6. Eden's Hell, Dawné Dominique, Purple Sword Publications, [link]
7. Xylon Warriors IV: Ecstasy Bound, Ruth D. Kerce, Ellora's Cave, [link]
7. Internet Bonds #8: After Glow, Christy Poff, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, [link]
8. Curfew, Samantha Stone, L&L Dreamspell, [link]
9. Lust in Space, Lisa Lane, Ravenous Romance, [link]
9. Sex Camp, Natalie Acres, Siren Publishing, [link]
9. The Janitor, Jan Irving, Loose ID, [link]
10. Location, Location, Location, Emma Hillman, eXcessica Publishing, [link]
10. Triad, Cat Grant, Lyrical Press, [link]

Horror
1. Rise Of The Darkness, C.A.Milson, Lulu, [link]
2. Armageddon Bound, Tim Marquitz, Damnation Books, [link]
3. The Great Right Hope, Mark Jackman, LL-Publications, [link]
4. Cursed, Jeremy C. Shipp, Raw Dog Screaming Press, [link]
5. Angels of the Mourning Light, Frank E. Bittinger, iUniverse, [link]
6. The Hollows, Ben Larken, LL-Publications, [link]
7. The Last Church, Lee Pletzers, Black Bed Sheet Press, [link]
8. War of the Worlds plus Blood, Guts and Zombies, Eric S. Brown, Coscom Entertainment, [link]
9. The Dark Path, Luke Romyn, Wild Child Publishing, [link]
10. Demon Hunter: The Chosen One, Cynthia Vespia, Aspen Mountain Press, [link]
11. Kelland, Paul G. Bens, Jr., Casperian Books, [link]
12. Cemetery Gates, Maryann Paige, Club Lighthouse Publishing, [link]
13. Escape: A Zombie Chronicles Novel, James Melzer, Permuted Press/Pocket Books, [link]
14. The Further Accounts of the Imaginary Friend, P.S. Gifford, Virtual Tales, [link]
15. Gentle Art of Making Enemies, Kevin Mellor, Black Bed Sheet Books, [link]
16. Blood of the Dark Moon, Adrianne Brennan, Freya's Bower, [link]
16. The Darkness and the Night III: Twins of Darkness, Lisa Lane, Ravenous Romance, [link]
16. The Kult, Shaun Jeffrey, Leucrota Press, [link]
17. White Witch, Black Curse, Kim Harrison, Eos, [link]
18. Dismember, Daniel Pyle, Wild Child Publishing, [link]
18. Shadows of Souls, Allan W. Azouz, L&L Dreamspell, [link]
19. Under the Dome, Stephen King, Scribner, [link]
19. Angels of the Deep, Kirby Crow, MLR Press, [link]
20. Shadows, Joan De La Haye, Rebel e Publishers, [link]

Romance
1. Babies in the Bargain, Mona Risk, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
2. The Benefactor, Margaret Reyes Dempsey, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
3. The Trouble With Playboys, Margaret Tanner, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
4. Clippings, A.J. Mirag, Lulu, [link]
5. Hostage Heart, Chelle Cordero, Vanilla Heart Publishing, [link]
6. Innocence Lost, Tiffany Green, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
7. The Third Wish, K. F. Zuzulo, Sapphire Blue Publishing, [link]
8. Fortune's Pride, Michele Stegman, Asylett Press, [link]
9. Creighton Manor, Karen Michelle Nutt, Tease Publishing LLC, [link]
10. Midnight Secrets, Lisa Rose Olick, Black Bed Sheet Books, [link]
11. Recipe For Love, Fiona McGier, Wings e-press, [link]
12. Spell of Appalachia, Molly Wens, eXcessica, [link]
12. Love Means No Shame, Andrew Grey, Dreamspinner Press, [link]
13. Another Time, Another Place, T. Sue VerSteeg, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
14. Beyond the Quiet, Brenda Hill, Vanilla Heart, [link]
15. Champagne, Inara LeVay, Ravenous Romance, [link]
16. A Chaunce of Riches, Chelle Cordero, Vanilla Heart, [link]
16. Honor Thy Neighbor, Valerie J. Patterson, BookStrand, [link]
17. Darkness Into Light, Christy Poff, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, [link]
17. Unfolding the Shadows, Katie O'Sullivan, Cerridwen Press, [link]
17. Binding Vows, Catherine Bybee, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
18. All For A Fist Full Of Ashes, R. Ann Siracusa, Sapphire Blue Publishing, [link]
18. Timeless Mist, Terisa Wilcox, L&L Dreamspell, [link]
19. Branded By Fire, Nalini Singh, Berkeley Books, [link]
20. Vicus Luna, Jessica Coulter Smith, Wild Horse Press, [link]
20. Mistletoe and Holly, Marilyn Gardiner, Wings e-press, [link]
20. Lonely Soul, Mary Quast, Vanilla Heart Publishing, [link]
20. Circle of Eternity, Sandy Nicks, Vanilla Heart Publishing, [link]
21. Time For Love, Melissa Miller, IE Novel, [link]
21. Love in Space, Lisa Lane, Ravenous Romance, [link]
21. Hard Fall, James Buchanan, MLR Press, [link]

Congratulations to the winners!  For a full list of all of the categories, go to http://www.critters.org/predpoll/tally.ht
 
 
Today guest author Lilly Cain is taking over my blog to talk to you about her new release, Dark Harmony.  Welcome, Lilly!  Your new series looks really interesting.  Tell us a little about it!
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Vampires aren’t dead. No really, I mean that literally, although I am referring to the publishing trend as well. Vampires are hot, living, breathing, fantastically powerful creatures. They live in packs, addicted to the emotional and psychological impact of feeding and loving as a group. There is an alpha male and an alpha female – the only ones powerful enough to turn new vampires, and the only ones powerful enough to keep the rest of the pack under control. Vampires are highly sexual beings who really could live forever, if they can stay sane enough to remain in control.

Hi, I am Lilly Cain, author of Dark Harmony, the first book of the Dark Seduction Series, erotic vampire books about life in the pack, or the escape from it. I want to thank Lisa Lane for inviting me here to her blog to celebrate the release of my first e-novel. Thanks also to her guests, and I’ll be stopping by to respond and to offer a free e-copy of Dark Harmony to someone who comments here.

About the book: Dark Harmony – The first in the series, this is also my first novel (to be published, LOL). I wrote the book during the time of my separation and divorce and I put a lot of the feelings I had about loss and freedom into the two main characters, Lena and Richard. They both have experienced personal loss and the illusion of freedom in and out of relationships. Here’s a back-cover blurb about the story:

Running from a lover that has twisted her very nature, Lena Townsend hunts on her own. 

Lena has been the object of many desires. Now she is all too aware that being an obsession can be deadly. Her mildly adventurous sexual life reached its pinnacle, and its end, when she met sexually dominant vampire Darien. He stole her life, and used her sensual nature to bend her to his will. In making her his own, he placed her in a position where she must constantly submit to him, yet be dominant to his pack. It’s a conflict that pulls her apart.

In leaving the pack, Lena strives for independence, but her vampire instincts push her to find more – to find a new pack, a new family. Alone, she cannot share what makes her vampire, and she cannot find a lover she can trust enough to reveal her submissive nature.

In her escape Lena discovers a power that could save her – the ability to read and influence emotion. With this talent she might survive the loneliness.

Unfortunately, her old pack wants her back, no matter what.

Richard Heron has given up everything for his daughter since the murder of his wife, but what he misses most is the chance to explore his deeply sensual side once again. Once the owner of a popular S&M club, and its favored dom, he left everything he was to shelter his family. Lena could offer him more than he ever expected, a level of sensuality he never knew existed and a love that could never die, but he must reconcile the danger she brings with his need to shield his family – especially when what killed his wife was certainly not human.

In a flight that leads her thousands of miles from her territory and into the province of a dragon, independence is not what Lena expected. But if she can finally learn to trust, she can find harmony with her submissive and vampiric natures, and join with Richard into a new blend of family – a Dark Harmony.

They say that authors should write what we know. I can’t say that I have known any vampire’s personally (that I am aware! LOL) but I felt I did know about how these people would feel. Loss, love, freedom, surrender. As always, control and freedom are opposable issues – in order to be in control, you give up your freedom. If you are being controlled, you are sometimes more free than those that think to control you. What do you think?
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For more information about me and my books, come and visit me at my website, www.lillycain.com.

Also be sure to check out my publisher eRedSage and all the fantastic stories you can find there at www.eRedSage.com. 

I’ll be stopping by here over the next day or two to answer any questions. Share your thoughts and qualify for a chance to win an e-copy of the first book of the Dark Seduction series, Dark Harmony!

Thanks,

Lilly Cain