Monday, November 16, 2009

Review: Some Girls Bite

Some Girls Bite: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel
Author: Chloe Neill
Trade Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade

Summary: Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

I've been following Chloe Neill's blog for a little while now, but I hadn't been able to pick up her first book until last week. I knew it would be witty and entertaining, but I didn't expect it to be thought provoking. I'm not sure if the cover mislead me, or if it was something I may have read about the book along the way. Some Girls Bite IS witty, but it also has elements involving friendship, loyalty, family, love and desire. We meet the characters, make a few guesses and then find out we are SO wrong. I laughed a lot, but my heart also broke for Merit, and I was on the edge of my seat as her decisions were made. The author made her characters come alive for me.

Merit is her own person because she's had to fight against family expectations her entire life. Her grandfather, a retired cop, and her roommate are really her only emotional support. Her life is turned upside down, and shaken up like a chocolate malt, but without the malted goodness. Suddenly she's got vamps who want her body, her loyalty and her frig is stocked with bags of blood. She's not having a good time, and the surprises just keep coming.

I highly recommend Some Girls Bite for fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. I can't wait to read the second book Friday Night Bites and see what happens to Merit and her friends next.

You can read the first chapter and a deleted scene here: http://chloeneill.com/sgb.htm

Chloe Neill's blog is a great read too. It's here: http://chloeneill.blogspot.com/

~Moonsanity

Our First Short Story

After writing non-fiction for over 20 years I wrote my first short story with the help of my partner in crime parenting and writing, my husband Chuck. We wrote it for the Zombie Romance Challenge from M. Jones, editor of The Random Eye. You can read An Affair to Dismember here.

This is the first time we've worked together and I was pleasantly surprised. We each contributed different things to the story, and liked what the other corrected and wrote. No whining, pouting or anger was involved in the finished product.

I hope you enjoy it, and if you have anything you think would have worked better in the story please let me know. It's a learning process for both of us.

Oh, here is a picture of Arch Rock, which is in our story:)


~Moonsanity