Feel the Touch of Darkness. . .
Follow a vampire who can be as deadly as her prey. Meet a down home
southern girl who's found out, much to her chagrin, that vampires are her
type. Feel the euphoria of fear in the shadow of a reluctant Queen of the
Undead. Step closer to the hot-blooded edge of passion as a strange new
mythology of the night is unveiled.
The bite is back in vampire fiction as today's most provocative authors of
vampire fiction cast their irresistible spells on you . . .
The brightest and hottest authors --including New York Times best-selling
authors Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris--tell all-new tales
featuring their best known and loved characters.
* From Laurell K. Hamilton, a never-before-published Anita Blake story
in which Anita, temporarily separated from her vampire lover Jean-Claude,
must go to him for help on a case. Where she finds herself once more
falling under his erotic spell. . .
* A brand-new, Southern Vampire story by Charlaine Harris features
Sookie Stackhouse and the vampires who have come to define her romantic
life, and have ended her hope of a normal one. . .
* Newly crowned Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor reluctantly assumes her
royal duties in MaryJanice Davidson's brand-new novella.
* Introduced in the anthology Hot Blooded and the romance Master of
the Night, Angela Knight has created a fascinating universe melding
Arthurian lore with erotic vampirism . . .
* Finally, in the romantic novella "Blood Lust", popular romance
author Vickie Taylor brings her own unique spin on vampires . . .
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble Review
The aptly titled Bite is a collection of five vampiric tales of supernatural seduction that includes a never-before-published Anita Blake story by Laurell K. Hamilton, a new Sookie Stackhouse adventure from Charlaine Harris, and new stories from authors MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight, and Vickie Taylor.
Hamilton's "The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death" is set in time between the novels Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly. Vampire hunter Anita Blake, just beginning to come to grips with her recent metaphysical connection with master vampire Jean-Claude, takes a highly unusual case. A runaway teenager with bone cancer wants to become a vampire; but in order for her to change, another vampire must in essence murder a child. Blake agrees to find the rogue bloodsucker and pass judgment as only she knows how.
In "One Word Answer" by Harris, everyone's favorite waitress, Sookie Stackhouse, learns that her only cousin has been murdered by one of the undead -- and the vampire Queen of Louisiana has sent her condolences in the form of an unusual gift. Davidson's "Biting in Plain Sight" revisits her Undead universe with a touching love story about a benevolent vampire and her human suitor and the tragedy that brings them together. Knight's "Galahad" looks at Arthurian legend with a decided twist -- the knights of the Round Table are actually warrior vampires! In Taylor's "Blood Lust," a researcher whose groundbreaking formula for synthetic blood was stolen by a maniacal vampire takes vengeance by becoming one of the undead!
Coming hot on the heels of the popular supernatural erotica anthology Cravings -- which includes novellas from both Hamilton and Davidson -- there's no question that Bite will be just as well received. With original tales featuring two of the fantasy genre's most popular heroines -- Anita Blake and Sookie Stackhouse -- and three stories from bestselling romance authors, this dark and sexy collection will appeal equally to fans of fantasy, romance, and horror. Paul Goat Allen
Publishers Weekly
Those looking to take a brief taster's tour through five sexually charged paranormal worlds may enjoy the stories and novellas served up in this anthology, but readers with an appetite for something a little more meaty likely won't be sated. Although Hamilton's name dominates the cover, her contribution is a meager 30 pages, which amounts to little more than a teaser for her next Anita Blake novel. Harris's offering is similarly slim and static, though it shows off the cleverness of Sookie Stackhouse, the psychic heroine of her Southern Vampire series (Dead to the World, etc.). By far, the collection's best offerings are Knight's "Galahad" and Taylor's "Blood Lust." In the former, a fledgling Majae (i.e., witch) teams up with the famed knight Sir Galahad, who's really a benevolent vampire, to destroy a nest of deadly cultist vampires. And in the latter, Taylor imagines a much more traditional world, wherein vampires can't touch anything sacrosanct and are organized hierarchically, a system the protagonists, a junior vampiress and a microbiologist-turned-vampire, are about to dismantle. The action moves swiftly in both stories, as does the romance, but like the other entries in this anthology, they lack depth and development. Nevertheless, this is a suitable introduction to the various worlds these authors have popularized. (Jan.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Here is a collection of five romantic vampire tales by some of the genre's most popular authors. In Hamilton's "The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death," a desperate mother begs vampire hunter Anita Blake to save her teenage daughter. Anita takes the case but needs the help of the seductive vampire Jean-Claude. Sookie Stackhouse, heroine of Charlaine Harris's "One Word Answer," finds herself in a jam. Fortunately Sookie's undead former lover Bill steps in to help. Easily the most charming tale in the collection is MaryJanice Davidson's "Biting in Plain Sight," in which Sophie, a beautiful vampire, finds true love with Liam, an unpretentious good ol' boy from northern Minnesota. In Angela Knight's imaginative and erotic romance, "Galahad," brand new witch Caroline combines her magical powers with those of the handsome vampire warrior Galahad as they fight the forces of evil. Vickie Taylor's "Blood Lust" is the one disappointment: its boring plot, silly characters, and awful writing are often cause for unintentional humor. Read the first four stories and skip the last. Recommended for general fiction and romance collections.-Patricia Altner, Information Seekers, Columbia, MD Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
