Interview with a Jewish Vampire [Paperback]

Erica Manfred (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 18, 2011

The last thing zaftig middle-aged journalist, Rhoda Ginsburg, expects when she signs up for JDate is to fall for a vampire. But when she meets drop-dead gorgeous Sheldon, a Hasidic vampire, she falls hard. She rationalizes that he may not be alive, but at least he’s Jewish. Desperate to save the life of her terminally ill mother, Rhoda comes up with the crackpot idea of getting Sheldon to turn her and her little old Jewish lady friends into vampires. Who knew that they would “go rogue” and start preying on the young?

Erica Manfred's wry humor is the perfect match for the sexy-vampire genre in this novel about the emotional intricacies of dating a hot Jewish guy who is a card-carrying member of the undead. Delicious!" –Nancy Peske, coauthor of the bestselling Cinematherapy series

"Bloodaholics! Only Erica could think of this. Clever, clever, clever."- –Avigayil Lansmann, contributor to The Meta Arts Magazine.

With wild irreverent humor this book turns upside down and sideways all the vampire clichés and stock images. Jewish vampires keeping kosher, old lady vampires on the prowl. Above all, it’s fun! –Rachel Pollack, author of World Fantasy Award winner Godmother Night

www.interviewwithajewishvampire.com

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Erica Manfred is a freelance journalist, humorous essayist, and author of two non-fiction self-help books, the most recent, He’s History You’re Not; Surviving Divorce After Forty, published by Globe Pequot Press in 2009. Her articles and essays have appeared in Cosmopolitan, The New York Times Magazine, Ms., New Age Journal, Village Voice, Woman’s Day, SELF, Ladies Home Journal, and many other publications. Erica lives in Woodstock, New York with her Chihuahua, Shadow, and her daughter, Freda. Brought up by Jewish parents who spoke Yiddish but avoided religion, she got her Jewish education at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation which welcomes Jews from all backgrounds, from atheist to Orthodox. She hopes they’ll welcome this book.

Her website is www.ericamanfred.com, or visit www.interviewwithajewishvampire.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 302 pages
• Publisher: Fredonia Communications (December 18, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971096813
• ISBN-13: 978-0971096813
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #542,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a freelance writer whose mother used to introduce her as "This is my daughter Erica, the expert in practically everything." I guess that's how I wound up writing about subjects as diverse as divorce and Jewish vampires (not to speak of dentistry, fat fashions and psychics)

He's History You're Not was a case of making lemonade out of lemons. I turned a really nasty divorce into a book that would help other older women who had gone through divorces--nasty or not. My motto: Writing well is the best revenge.

Interview With a Jewish Vampire was originally meant to be a humor piece but an agent suggested I turn it into a book. I intially said, "Oh no, that's impossible." I couldn't think of a way to write a whole book about a Jewish vampire. But I was egged on by my writer's critique group, who loved the idea and waited breathlessly to hear the latest installment of the adventures of Rhoda and Sheldon every week. I plan a series about them. The next installment will be: "True Kosher Blood," about Rhoda and Sheldon moving to the Catskills.

Brought up by Jewish parents who spoke Yiddish but avoided religion, I got my Jewish education at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation which welcomes Jews from all backgrounds, from atheist to Orthodox. I hope they'll let me rejoin next year after reading Interview With a Jewish Vampire.

My website is www.ericamanfred.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Star-Of-David-Crossed Lovers, January 21, 2012

By 

Marvin J Wolf (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Interview with a Jewish Vampire (Kindle Edition)

In America, Jews, like all citizens, are free to choose their occupation and lifestyle. Jewish doctors, Jewish lawyers, Jewish butchers, bakers and candle-stick makers are a dime a dozen. But I also know an (honorary) Jewish Indian chief and there are even (gasp!) Jewish baseball players, Jewish soldiers, Jewish carpenters, Jewish ditch diggers.

So why not Jewish vampires?

That's the hilarious thesis of Erica Manfred's Interview With A Jewish Vampire, a 90-degree twist on every vampire book you never read. Manfred's Star-of-David-crossed couple are Sheldon and Rhoda. She's a whining, neurotic, shopaholic writer and post-zaftig, pre-menopausal divorcee. He's an Orthodox rabbi working as a diamond cutter. And a vampire who goes to Bloodaholics Anonymous meetings. Instead of a Jewish mother, he's got a golem, a Jewish Francineenstein in an apron who keeps house and protects him from shiksas.

Rhoda and Sheldon meet, of course, via J-Date, and it's love at first sight. He hasn't gotten laid in a century, she's had a succession of inept or insensitive lovers, including her ex. Until Sheldon, she's never had anyone who could satisfy her deepest desires. She flips for this sensitive, tall, handsome and horny vampire. As their relationship deepens, Rhoda's neuroses compete for best supporting actress awards. Sheldon has his own problems, of course, including a clingy, all-vampire Hasidic daily minyan, his blood lust, and his poor grasp of traditional vampire skills. For example he really sucks at flying.

You'll be rolling on the floor, holding your sides and lusting for Type O long before this unlikely couple head for the chuppa and eternal togetherness.

5.0 out of 5 stars "My little knish...", January 16, 2012

By 

Robert F. Scherma (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Interview with a Jewish Vampire (Paperback)

Perennial dieter and persistent journalist Rhoda is on a J-date; she's a smart alecky New Yorker who's looked for love in all the wrong places. She's recently divorced and is cynical about men. However, Rhoda meets Sheldon, a charming, good-looking Hasidic rabbi from Crown Heights who is intelligent and sociable and happens to be a vampire! He's been out of circulation for over a century. Each is starving for the other.

From the first "So nu?" to "You are such a succulent morsel, Rhoda" to his endearing dubbing of her as his "little knish," I was hooked. The fact that she's a "human" and he's a "vampire" is treated matter-of-factly and because of that it's hilarious. From NYC to Crown Heights to Century Village in Deerfield Beach, Florida to the demimonde of South Beach, we are taken on a rollicking ride with great humor and laughs, great psychological insight into the characters, and a storyline that grips the reader from beginning to end. It feels like everyday happenings only we're talking about vampires! It's a rip and too much fun and a page turner [or whatever they call it on my Kindle].

I see an HBO series or certainly a film. In any event, I hope Ms. Manfred writes a sequel. No, a series.

5.0 out of 5 stars this book is hilarious, January 11, 2012

By 

Augusta Wind (NYC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Interview with a Jewish Vampire (Paperback)

Laugh out loud funny really describes this book.
Can Rhoda, a zafig Jewish feminist from Manhattan,
find love and happiness with Sheldon, a rabbi,
turned vamire, who lives in Crown Heights under-
cover as a Hasidic Jew? My bed or your coffin?
wonders Rhoda, who's wild about Sheldon.

Things get really zany when Rhoda and Sheldon
travel to a retirement community in Florida to
turn Rhoda's ailing mother into a vampire so
she can live forever. Grandma vampires in a
retirement community? oy vey- who knew?