Today’s topic is “A show that you wish more people were watching”. My answer? Being Human.

Being Human is a British supernatural drama/comedy series about three twenty-somethings–Mitchell (Aidan Turner), George (Russell Tovey) and Annie (Lenora Crichlow)–who want nothing more in the world than to be a part of normal society. Problem is, while they share a house in Bristol and work day jobs, they are far from what you might call normal. Mitchell is a vampire, George is a werewolf and Annie is a ghost.

The Characters
Mitchell is not the stereotypical sauve, arrogant ass that has come to be synonymous with vampire these days (though he does have that tall, dark and remarkably handsome thing going on lol). He is a sweet, caring bloke and someone everyone would love to have as a friend (just don’t for the love of all that’s holy, get on his bad side). Mitchell is a “vegan” vampire but it’s not near as annoying as with the Cullens (Twilight) or Stefan Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries). I’d say Mitchell is an exception because well … you’ll see. Let’s just say, he shows us how bloody hard it is to actually stay on the wagon. Pun intended. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a really neat meme going around on LiveJournal right now, and it’s all about one of my favorite things…television. TV is one of the mediums we here at RAO want to cover more of so I thought, why not post a couple of my daily answers here.

Today’s topic is “A show that should have never been canceled”. My opinion? Moonlight.

Moonlight was the second television show to come out right before the vampire/Twilight craze hit full-force (the first was Blood Ties, which was also a fantastic show, but that’s another story). “The series followed private investigator Mick St. John (Alex O’Loughlin), who was turned into a vampire by his bride Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon) on the couple’s wedding night fifty-five years earlier. In the present day, he struggles with his attraction to a mortal woman, Beth Turner (Sophia Myles), his friendship with Josef Kostan (Jason Dohring), and his dealings with other vampires in Los Angeles.” (Wikipedia) Read the rest of this entry »

Today we are joined by prolific paranormal romance author, Michele Hauf. Check out her guest blog below and when your done reading, feel free to post any questions in the comments section as Michele will be stopping by to chat with our readers.

My first paranormal romance for HQN is out next Tuesday, March 30th, HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND.  This isn’t my first paranormal romance.  Let’s see, it’s number…12 or 13.  But what is exciting is it is not a category romance (Silhouette Nocturne) but will instead be shelved in the regular romance section in bookstores.  This was a fun surprise for me.

Last summer I handed the completed story in to my editor, and was told it had been scheduled for release in November (’09) in the Nocturne line.  Want to know how a really exciting phone conversation with an editor can go?  Something like this:  “Michele, just wanted to let you know your story isn’t going to come out in November, but instead the following April.”  Big sigh from me. “Why?  What’d I do?”  Thinking I must have done something wrong to get pushed back on the schedule. “Well, it’s been moved to the HQN line. Congrats!”

It was a very cool thing to learn my story was getting moved to a single title line, which would mean better shelf placement, more attention from marketing, and (fingers crossed) more notice from readers. Read the rest of this entry »

Her Vampire Husband (Wicked Games, #3) by Michele Hauf. © 2010 HQN Books. ISBN 9780373774999. Paranormal Romance. 360 pages. $7.99 US [ Purchase ] Source: eARC from author

Synopsis: An arranged marriage between a werewolf and a vampire.  There will be blood.  She may resist his bite, but she can’t resist his charms…

Werewolf princess Blu Masterson won’t allow her seductive vampire husband to consummate their marriage with his bite, marking her forever. Alone in a secluded estate with her sworn enemy, Blu curses the marriage arranged to bring their rival nations together, especially since Creed Saint-Pierre calls out to her most feral desires.

When Blu uncovers her pack’s secret plot to destroy the vampire nation—and Creed—she is forced to confront her growing feelings for her sexy undead husband. Will she choose the only life she’s ever known or accept his vampire bite?

Review: At first glance Her Vampire Husband seems deceptively simple, boy meets girl, girl hates boy, boy makes girl love him despite all odds.  But there is so much more to the story. Read the rest of this entry »

and Falling, Fly by Skyler White. © 2010 Berkley. ISBN 978-0-425-23234-7. Paperback. Dark Fantasy. 335 pages. $15.00 US. [ Purchase ] Source: review copy from author

Olivia, vampire and fallen angel of desire, is hopeless…and damned. Since the fall from Eden, she has hungered for love, but fed only on desire. Dominic O’Shaughnessy is a neuroscientist plagued by impossible visions. When his research and her despair collide at L’Otel Mathillide—a subterranean hell of beauty, demons, and dreams—rationalist and angel unite in a clash of desire and damnation that threatens to destroy them both.

In this underground world, vampires are not the nocturnal blood suckers we are used to, nor do they sparkle. They are fallen angels, cursed forever by their angelic parents—who were banished from the Garden of Eden—to feed on the blood of Eve’s children as vengeance. However, that sustenance can only be harvested if the donor (willing or unwilling, doesn’t matter) either fears or desires the vampire.

From page one and Falling, Fly is a trip down the rabbit hole. A dark, psychological rabbit hole which will leave you wondering what exactly is the reality of this phenomenal and original novel. I don’t want to spoil the mind-blowing twist at the end of the book, but even now I’m struggling to figure out which world actually happened— what was real and what was actually the projections of the characters. Speaking of the characters, Olivia and Dominic are insanely multi-faceted and their characterization is amazingly deep.

and Falling, Fly is a sensual, thought-provoking, speculative piece of prose—with delightful soupçons of steampunk—that is definitely not to be missed!

Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand (Book #5) by Carrie Vaughn. © 2009 Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0-446-19953-2. Paperback. Paranormal Romance. 301 pages. $6.99 US. [ Purchase ]

They’ve won their freedom, become the new alpha couple in town, struck a deal of equality with the city’s vampires, opened a new restaurant (aptly named New Moon) and now Kitty and Ben are going to make it all official—the human way at least—by tying the knot. Deciding they are overwhelmed by all the matrimonial hoopla, the couple make a plan to elope in, where else but, Las Vegas, Nevada—the city of neon temples, Wayne Newton, drunken mistakes and Elvis impersonators.

Their secret is not much of a secret anymore once wind of the nuptials gets back to Kitty’s boss at the station. He decides this is a perfect time to take her popular radio show to television with a “Live from Vegas” hour. Kitty agrees and is excited for all the week in Vegas has to offer, but that’s until they arrive and she delivers a message for Rick to the Vegas vampire master. The meeting leaves her feeling odd and once she realizes her hotel is full of bounty hunters, her hackles are continuously on the rise and she has the feeling that something is not quite right in this crazy, neon-signed town. Come on, did you really think Kitty could ever have a normal wedding? HA! Read the rest of this entry »

Kitty Goes to Washington (Book #2) by Carrie Vaughn. © 2006 Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0-446-61642-7. Paperback. Paranormal Romance. 342 pages. $6.99 US. [ Purchase ]

Kitty’s best friend has died and now it looks like her life is next on the chopping block. Nothing left to do but run, and take The Midnight Hour with her by doing the show from various different locales in hopes of avoiding her old pack which she rebelled against. Kitty then gets word that she has been requested by the Senate to testify on behalf of all supernatural beings in Washington D.C. So, it’s to the capital she goes.

Kitty is surprised when the vampire mistress of the city, Alette, welcomes her with open arms but she is still ready for things to get shaken up a bit, after all her face is now the poster child for supernatural beings the nation over.

She is not let down when Luis, a were-jaguar who works at the Brazilian Embassy, is determined to open Kitty’s eyes to the truth of the district’s vampires. But then again, Luis is not as trustworthy as he would seem and this lone wolf may just be in a world of trouble (complete with politicians and religious zealots).

This second installment in the Kitty Norville series brings stronger and more complexly developed characters, and pleases to no end! Kitty really comes into her own within this book.

Rating: 4 silver cages out of 5!

** Read review for books 1 here. **