The USA Today bestselling author returns to Horror High-and so does teen vampire Beth Frasier.
In The Good Ghoul's Guide to Getting Even, Julie Kenner introduced Beth Frasier, high school sweetheart-turned-bloodsucker. She's back-and not alone in her habit. Vampirism is catching on at Waterloo High, since the Master Vamp Beth thought she offed is still wandering the halls. Now, sun-shy Beth has a new survival plan. But finding the real Master is putting a lot pressure on a girl who wants two things out of life: one more chance to tan, and a boyfriend who doesn't bite back.
When Julie was knee-high to a grasshopper (an expression that she would like it known she has never, ever used in real life) she informed her parents that she was going to be a novelist, and proceeded to write Kitty Claws, a bestselling book about a cat as Santa. (The book sold out its entire print-run of one, so lets not split hairs about that "best-selling" thing, okay?)
After that stellar start, Julie continued to dabble in the literary arts, writing short stories on yellow pads that she forced her mother to type, scribbling poems on ruled notebook paper that she forced her mother to type, making up skits and songs that she forced her mother to watch and listen to, and diving head-first into high school journalism, at which point, mom finally got a break.
In college, she continued with the journalism thing, picking that as her major and working at The Daily Texan, the student newspaper for the University of Texas. The idea that she could actually write novels and, oh, buy food too, completely eluded her.
The journalism thing cranked along nicely for about one semester. Then Julie got a job as a production assistant on a movie originally called Splatter, but which was released as Future Kill (and can still be found in Blockbuster and through Netflix), with really great Giger poster art. Julie worked her tail off, appeared as an extra, had a great time, and promptly switched her major to film.
Graduating at the ripe old age of 19, Julie chickened out and didn't move to Los Angeles to become the next Steven Spielberg. Instead, she stayed in Austin and worked as a media assistant until she decided that perhaps law school was the better way to go because, hey, a degree in film slides so seamlessly into law. (Or, more likely, grad school was inevitable and the LSAT seemed doable.) Not one to waste time, Julie took the LSAT in December, and was admitted to Baylor Law School on a full scholarship the following February. Law school and Julie got along great, and after graduation, Julie went to work as a law clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, where she had a fabulous time drafting legal opinions, preparing the judge for court, and taking regular trips to New Orleans on a government per diem. During her two year stint as a clerk, the writing bug bit again, and Julie wrote a stage play that will never, ever see the light of day. Really. So don't even ask.
After her clerkship, Julie decided she could handle moving to the Big City, and she took a job with Skadden, Arps in L.A., where she worked on a variety of cases with some very smart lawyers. After a year, she moved on to smaller and smaller firms (and had a short stint as a production exec at a small film company, thus justifying all those credit hours in college). She continued to work with very smart lawyers, one of whom introduced Julie to Julie Garwood (her books, not the woman herself), and the writing bug bit again.
Though Julie had been dabbling with writing in her limited spare time, she'd lacked focus. Now, she'd found it, and she was determined to write an historical romance. You may, after reviewing Julie's book list, note that there are no historical romances on there. Let's just say that she didn't succeed at that task. Julie did, however, discover that while she has a head for contemporary nuances, the ins-and-outs of historical detail are enough to make her head explode.
The in-progress historical was promptly shelved, and Julie turned her attention to fleshing out a contemporary romance, having decided that category romance was the way to go, since with the demands of a legal job, she'd be much more likely to finish 240 manuscript pages than 400.
Finish them she did, and though she got nice feedback on the voice, the novel didn't sell. One editor, Harlequin's Brenda Chin, returned a rejection letter with a note that the hook wasn't enough of a "sexy premise."
Always up for a challenge, Julie came up with the opening line, "You need a man," which she thought had oodles of sexy premise potential. She just had to find a story to go with the line. Eventually, she did, and Nobody Does It Better, Julie's first published novel, was born. She entered the first few chapters in contests, finaled, and was ultimately judged by that same Brenda Chin, who ended up buying the manuscript. (Which is not the reason Julie thinks Brenda is a really cool person. Truly.)
By that time, Julie had realized that 400 pages were manageable after all, and she'd almost completed a paranormal romance along the lines of The Little Mermaid about a cat who is in love with her master. The Cat's Fancy sold just a few months after the original sale. Both books came out in 2000, along with a second Temptation, and Julie has had at least 3 books hit the shelves annually every since, and now has well over twenty books to her credit, crossing over a multitude of genres, most of which are represented in some way by the clever pictures in the collage at the top of this page.
Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a "flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations," Julie's books have hit lists as varied as USA Today, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and Locus Magazine, all of which has made Julie a happy camper. Julie is also a two-time RITA finalist, both times for books about strong women (a superhero and a demon-hunter). There's probably some deep meaning there, and if you know what it is, feel free to drop Julie a line.
Julie was also the winner of Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001, the winner of the Reviewers International Organization's award for best romantic suspense of 2004 and best paranormal of 2005, and the winner of the National Readers' Choice Award for best mainstream book of 2005. Not that she's keeping track or anything.
Julie writes a range of stories including quirky romances, sexy contemporaries, young adult novels, suspense, paranormal mommy lit, and (soon!) darker urban fantasy.
Her initial foray into the urban fantasy mommy lit genre--Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom--proved especially successful, resulting in a Booksense pick, a Target break-out book, other accolades and honors, and a movie deal. Specifically, Carpe Demon, is in development as a feature film with Warner Brothers and 1492 Pictures. Julie frequently pounds on her battered wooden desk (Salvation Army, $25, gotta love it) in order to urge the project from development to screen. (In Hollywood, these things are never certain until you're watching the movie and eating popcorn.)
Julie and her husband moved from Southern California back to Texas in 1995, and Julie quit the practice of law to write full time in 2004. Now, she lives and writes in central Texas with her husband, two daughters, and several cats. She is an active supporter of Love Without Boundaries. Click here to learn more about the charities Julie supports.
This review is from: Good Ghouls Do (Mass Market Paperback)
Elizabeth "Beth" Frasier is the current valedictorian of Waterloo High School in Austin, Texas. She has a great boyfriend, Clayton Greene, a loyal best friend, Jenny, and an odd acquaintance with a cute college guy named Kevin. The down side is that Beth was tricked (earlier in the year) into becoming a vampire. Then she had to save Clayton from dying by changing him into a vampire as well. Kevin is a vampire hunter. The only reason Kevin has not staked them both is because they have yet to drink the blood of a LIVING person. Until such time, Beth and Clayton may still have a chance to become human again. To do so, they must figure out WHO Beth's maker/master is and then have the vampire staked.
Jenny is using her journalism skills to investigate students, teachers, and anyone else from the school in hope that the list of possibilities (suspects) can be narrowed down. Once trimmed to a decent size the hard part will begin. Jenny, Beth, Clayton, and Kevin must test the rest with holy water.
Of course there are major hurdles in the way. Someone, or a group of people, are trying to stake Beth into dust. Beth has just dodged an arrow from a crossbow when she overhears Clayton talking on the phone. And it definitely sounds like Clayton has hired someone to assassinate Beth so he can become human again. After all, Beth is Clayton's maker. Taking advantage of the romantic strain, Kevin is trying to win Beth's love and doing a very good job of it. There is also the fact that Beth stopped trying to figure out the day-walking formula for the higher up vampires of the school and it looks like they will have to force Beth to begin work on the formula anew. Lastly, there is another vampire clan in town; the Traditionalists. They do not want the day-walking formula to be found. If that means getting rid of Beth and anyone else in their way, then so be it.
***** If you missed the first book (The Good Ghoul's Guide To Getting Even) then run, don't walk, to the nearest book store and buy a copy! No, you do not HAVE to read the first book in order to enjoy this novel, but things will make a bit more sense to you if you do. Beth is smart, highly self-motivated, and very witty. Okay, sarcasm comes naturally to her, but that just makes her more realistic to readers, right? I am also very excited, because it LOOKS like there will be a third story to this undead adventure. Yippee! I can hardly wait! Author Julie Kenner will win awards with this new series. Out-freaking-standing! *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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This review is from: Good Ghouls Do (Mass Market Paperback)
Good Ghouls Do continues the story of Elizabeth(Beth) Frasier, high school student turned vampire. In Good Ghouls Do, Beth's unlife gets even more complicated as she continues to search for the vampire master that made her while entangled in a romantic triangle with vampire killer Kevin and her new boyfriend Clayton. Good Ghouls Do is a worthy sequel to The Good Ghouls' Guide to Getting Even and is an engaging read that is sure to please. Kenner plays up the absurdity and chaos of Beth's unlife as she deals with both the problems of a normal high school student and the logistical issues of being a vampire. This is a fun book with a good mix of action, romance, and humor. The end of the book makes it clear that fans of Beth's journey can look forward to her continued adventures.
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Beth is still trying to find her maker to return to normal. Problem is she doesn't know who is out to kill her. The Traditional vampires who don't like the idea of her trying to make a day walking formula or her own by friend since her death would turn him back into a human. The story is great romantic triangle between Beth, Kevin Clayton. The book also has great humor like when Beth's friend Jenny complain about the lunches her mom fixes her and Beth mention she loves what she having. Jenny feels bad about her friend being stuck on a all liquid diet. The story has some interesting twists were Beth parents may not be her real parents and that she's really vampire royalty.
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