About Me

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I'm a total bookworm and a romantic at heart. I'm also a little bit of a paranormal nerd so I absolutely love books that are about creatures of the night and allow me to submerge myself into a world of fantasy.

Saturday, October 17, 2009


Chloe Neill is the author of the Chicagoland Vampire series. I recently read Some Girls Bite and was very impressed, I can't wait to read Friday Night Bites.

RH: How did you come up with the story Some Girls Bite?

CN: I knew that I wanted to write an urban fantasy series starring a female vampire--which, at the time, seemed like a new concept. I wanted to write about the kind of heroine I might want to be, and I was also really interested in exploring the vampire House structure, and all the rules and regulations that entails.


RH:How many books do you plan to write for this series?

CN: I have about eight planned, and there are four currently under contract.

RH:Do you already have the series planned out?

CN: I have the general arcs for the growth of the characters mapped out. I know where Merit starts, and where I'd like her to begin. Ditto for most of the other secondary characters.

RH:What made you decide to have different houses for the vampires?

CN: Because vampires had been assimilated with humans for so long, I figured they'd have organized themselves into some kind of secret society. I also wanted my vampires to have an allegiance to something--allegiances that could be beneficial or negative, and which would be tested along the way. Houses seemed like a logical way to meld the two ideas.

RH: Will Merit always be the main character? If so, will it always be told from her point of view?

CN: Yes. Merit will always be the main character of the CV novels, although I have considered novellas and short stories featuring other characters.

RH: Are we ever going to find out Merit's first name?

CN: Yes. And that's all I can say about that. :)

RH: Why was it that all the girls who were attacked looked somewhat alike?

CN: Sorry--I can't answer that one. ;)

RH:When vampires commit a crime against humans, like murder, do they just get a slap on the wrist or are more severe measures ever taken?

CN: It depends on the vampire and their relationship with the Greenwich Presidium, the governing counsel for North American and Western European vampires. We learn more about that process in FRIDAY NIGHT BITES.

RH: Why is not drinking, or drinking, from humans considered such a big deal now that vampires no longer have to worry about keeping their existence a secret?

CN: Because some vampires believe that their safety is dependent upon humans not being afraid of them. And vampires figure that humans are less likely to be afraid of beings that are like them. Thus, vampires fear that if all vampires drank, they'd be seen as monsters, and would not be safe from attack (or research...or internment) by humans.

RH: Is every house required to have a sentinel, if not then why have one all of the sudden?

CN:Each House must have a Master; without a Master, there would be no House. But other than that, the Master can decide how to organize his or her House as he or she pleases. Sentinel was an historic position, generally seen not to be necessary during the modern age. Ethan, however, figured that he might as well use Merit's "fame" as a Merit to his advantage...

RH: Which character was the most fun to write about?

CN: Mallory! Her dialogue is so fun to write.

RH: Can anyone be turned into a vampire?

CN: Theoretically, any human can be made a vampire, assuming they can find a vampire willing to convert them (or a House willing to convert and Commend them).

RH: Can anyone be born a vampire?

CN: Sorry--that one's a bit of a spoiler, too. (But it's addressed in FRIDAY NIGHT BITES).

RH: Which male character did you fall in love with?

CN: Oh, definitely not touching that one. :)

RH: About how long did it take you to write the story?

CN: Some Girls Bite, Friday Night Bites and Twice Bitten probably each took about four to six months of writing, although the most intense writing was conducted during the last two months of those periods.

RH: What type of environment do you enjoy most for writing?

CN: On the couch, laptop in my lap, NCIS on television. Or bad scifi movies if it's a weekend, maybe with a little rain outside. Bad weather = better writing.

RH: Did you always want to be a writer?

CN: Not even slightly. I used to hate writing, and wrote my first novel in 2005. Some Girls Bite was my second manuscript.

RH: Do you plan to do any signings in Georgia soon? I'd love to get my book signed. :)

CN: I don't have anything planned at the moment, but feel free to talk to your local bookstores and see if they'd be interested in having me! :)

Thank you Chloe so much for the interview!!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009


Synopsis:

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.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude— and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood.

Review:


Some Girls Bite is a great blend of suspense, action, emotion, and sci-fi. In the beginning humans have just found out about the existence of vampires, and to some level are informed about their society. The structure of the vampire world was a completely new take that really made the story more interesting to read. The house system reminded me of a sorority or fraternity, you have to take oaths to get in and once you're in the other members become your family. What really surprised me about the house system is that each house is run by a master "Liege", and he/she is the only one who is allowed to turn humans into vampires. The rest of the world was, ironically, realistic. For the exceptions of a few minor things, like the actual time that the vampires came out, the story sucked me in. I could see the world Neill was creating playing out in my head.

The characters in this book blew me away! I loved Merit she's an independent-stubborn- I won't take any crap from anyone-girl. Even though her world has been completely turned upside down she doesn't fall apart, she decides to deal with it...but on her terms. The only issue I had with Merit was that she had trouble letting go of the past, I understand that her life didn't go how she planned but I felt that after the initiation she was somewhat OK with it. An that she just kept bring up that this wasn't what she choose to make some sort of point in her book. As far as Ethan is concerned I'm a little conflicted. I kept altering between loving him and wanting to break a large object over his head. He seems incapable of loosening up, and I felt that he expected Merit to adjust to her new life with no problem. He didn't seem to show much sympathy to her situation, he mostly came off as arrogant and had a "holier than thou" attitude. The other characters of the book were just, if not more, as exciting to read about than the main characters.

My two favorite characters had to be Jeff and Morgan. Jeff was an adorable little horn-dog, he's the character that you can't help but smile when you see his name cross the page. Morgan, on the other hand, seems to be everything Ethan refuses to be. He's loyal, humble, and somewhat stable. My favorite part of the book was when he and Merit are facing off, it was so clever and perfectly played I couldn't help but laugh at how Morgan "diffused" the situation. Unfortunately, I think he's the character that is forever the friend and nothing more.


The story was told from Merit's point of view, which I surprisingly enjoyed. Normally I don't care for first person stories, I feel like I'm being jipped of the other characters point of views. But Neill more than made up for that with great dialogue: witty and sarcastic with a great balance of humor. There was nothing that was drawn out or felt unnecessary in Some Girls Bite, the author never veered away from the story. I love Neill's writing style and I can't wait for book two, Friday Night Bites.

Cover: 3.5

Plot: 4.5

Characters: 4.5

Writing: 4

Overall: 4.1

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

This stylish space saving corner unit helps organize all of your clutter. The unit can be attached to the wall in any corner of the house. A modern way to store and display your favorite belongings!

Features:

  • Maple finish
  • Attach to ...

Beautiful and efficient

By Danni from Atlanta, GA on 10/10/2009

4out of 5

Pros: Quality Construction, Supports Weight, Displays Books Well, Very easy to assemble

Cons: Poor weight distribution

Best Uses: Displaying Books, Decoration, Shelving & Storage

Describe Yourself: Budget Shopper

Primary use: Personal

This is a wonderful bookshelf for my dorm, I needed something that could go in the corner but not take up floor space and this is exactly what I needed. It was very easy to put together but when I was carrying it to my room, since there is poor weight distribution, I was worried it might break. The wood is beautiful and not heavy. Overall it is a wonderful shelf and I was very satisfied.

(legalese)