Bite Me Young Adult Vampire Hunter A Fictionwise Fantasy Bestseller An edgy book for teens that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction. Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon. Val Shapiro is just your ordinary, part-demon, teenaged vampire hunter with a Texas drawl. And a pet hellhound named Fang. Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not. Reviews: “Parker Blue creates a new vamp book with the kick-butt smart and snarky attitude of Buffy in Val and an awesome side-kick dog who can talk. It's perfect for teens craving more vampire books or those who love dark paranormal tales. And who can resist the title?” YA Book Nerd “A good companion to the Morganville Vampires books; they both deal with characters around the same age who are dealing with similar paths in life.” Someone’s Read It Already Reviews “Val’s new life is just beginning, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes her next. This is a young adult read that centers on an eighteen year old who’s just beginning to spread her wings as she transitions into adulthood.” – Darque Reviews “So far the only fantasy books i've read was the Twilight Saga. But Bite Me is a strong competitor.” -- That Teen Can Blog “I found myself being sucked into the story . . . I couldn’t put it down; I read most of it in one sitting. . . the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat until I finished the last page, and I didn’t want it to end! I wanted more Val and Dan. I also liked how hard Val tried to keep her inner succubus caged up; it really showed her self control. I thought it was cool that Val was like two entirely different characters when she finally let Lola out.” -- Just Blinded Book Reviews “Full of charm, wit and a kickin' attitude, Val is about to take the Demon Underground by storm. She is bound and determined to save her family, whether they want her to or not. . . I am already craving more of Val and Fang !!” -- WENDY’S MINDING SPOT “Above all, Bite Me is an entertaining, police procedural mystery with loads of action and witty banter. Val’s’ adventures take her into an unrealized world of the supernatural, whose depths she is only just beginning to understand. Engaging for readers of all ages, this new YA urban fantasy is recommended. I look forward to Parker Blue’s next ‘Demon Underground’ tale with Val, Dan and Fang. You will too.” -- SciFiGuy.ca “Parker’s book would be a popular addition to public libraries teen/fantasy collections. I look forward to the next in the series.” Grinnell Book Review
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Who is Parker Blue? Well, I live in Colorado Springs with three dogs, one of whom bears an uncanny resemblance to Val's part-hellhound mutt, Fang.
I hate writing bios so that's all you're gonna get. Okay, okay. Instead of more boring bio stuff, how about some of my likes and dislikes?
Stuff I love, in no particular order:
- The color red--a bright, orange-red just makes me happy. - My Mini Cooper--just adore this car. - Shiny things. I must have been a magpie in a previous life. - Making shiny things. Love to bead! - Dogs--they love you unconditionally and are great at stress relief. - Numbers. So sue me--I love math. It always makes sense. - Chocolate. Come on, that's a no-brainer. - The mountains of Colorado. Their awe-tastic beauty is good for the soul. - Diet Coke. What can I say? I'm addicted. - Reading. Escaping into a cool new world someone created out of their imagination? It doesn't get much better than that. - Oh, yeah. And writing. Making up my own world out of random bits of my twisted psyche is the best!
Things I'm not so crazy about, besides the obvious things everyone hates (war, pestilence, famine, you know the drill):
- Blogs that dis other people. What's up with that? - Going to the dentist. Need I say more? - Politics. Big yawn. - Television shows that ask people do stupid things for money then make fun of them. - Seafood. Ick. Just...ick. - Yard work. I need lawn gnomes! - Writing bios. Enough already!
Bite Me is one of those books that has been sitting on my shelf forever and I'm just now getting around to reading. It's also one of those books I wish I'd picked up the second it came in my mailbox.
While the first couple of chapters start out slow, Bite Me quickly wrapped me up in lots of suspense, drama, and romance. It was a nice change of pace from many of the other paranormal books out there because, instead of fawning over the vampires and their hotness, these characters are kicking vampire butt. In fact, my favorite thing about the book was the characters. They had spunk and personality, which added so much to the story. I also loved all of the different paranormal creatures introduced.
Like I mentioned, the plot moves pretty quickly and there's a lot of fun vampire-butt-kicking, as well as some romance and drama.
The one thing I do feel like I need to mention is that while this is marketed towards YA, there's a lot of romance that I feel would also be more suited for an adult novel. But, that's just my personal opinion and while it didn't take away from the story for me, I just wanted everyone to be aware of that.
Val Shapiro is a teenager who is part succubus, but seven-eighth humans. All her life she has tried to suppress the demon she calls Lola as if it was a separate part of her. Two things appease Lola's appetite: sex and the bloodlust of battle. Since she almost killed a boy she kissed, Val uses Lola's bloodlust to fight vampires killing humans.
One night when she is fighting a vampire, she discovers her sister Jen has snuck in the back seat of her car. When they return home, their mother kicks Val out and forbids her any contact with Jen and her step-father agrees. Needing a job, Val obtains work with the Special Crimes Unit that deals with paranormal crime; executing vamps preying on humans. She is assisted by a sidekick dog who is a hell hound and who becomes her friend. She is partnered with Dan, a man she likes more than is safe for his well being due to Lola, but she is unable to dampen the sparks between them. They search for a vampire lair while the vampire Alejandro has started a movement to get humans to donate blood to a blood bank and they will be paid in cash or enthrallment. Val has to rescue Jen before she is turned and find her missing stepfather.
The heroine's mom comes across like Cinderella's stepmother, throwing out of her home the offspring she loathes to protect the daughter she loves. Jen's father seduced her using his incubus powers and the woman has never forgiven him and struck back at him through a surrogate: his child. Teenagers will empathize with Val whose differences set her apart from her peers, but make her a strong SCU operative. Parker Blue provides an entertaining romantic supernatural thriller that fans of Stephanie Meyer will want to bite into the tale.
BITE ME is the first book of Parker Blue's Demon Underworld series for young adults. The main character, Val Shapiro is turning eighteen. She isn't your typical teen though. She's part human, part demon. Her stepfather has tried to help her deal with the darker side by hunting vampires. Some might feel this is too much like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I didn't. The demon side of her persona is a constant battle. If she doesn't let it out to kill vampires, she might end up like her father who went insane and committed suicide.
Val comes with additional baggage. Although she has a good relationship with her stepfather, her mother has trouble coping. Her half-sister, Jen, wants to be just like her. The problem with that is her sister is human. When Jen is discovered sneaking out of the house to follow Val on one of her hunts, Val's blamed as a bad influence. She's kicked out of the house. This doesn't stop Jen. In fact, it has the opposite effect.
Val finds a job with the San Antonio Police Department's Special Crimes Unit where she can put her skills to use. Although she is relieved to have a job, she is forced to take on a partner, Dan Sullivan. To add to the mix is a hellhound, Fang. Together, they make an unbeatable team to hunt vampires. But when the vamps target her family, their skills might not be enough to save them.
This story has wall-to-wall action. I loved Val, Dan, and Fang. Can't wait for book two!
I got this for my kindle only because it was free. This was a good story with interesting characters -- better than most of the free books I've been downloading. I would also be happy to read a second story.