Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire #1) [Kindle Edition]

J.R. Rain (Author)

Book Description

Mother, wife, private investigator...vampire. Six years ago federal agent Samantha Moon was the perfect wife and mother, your typical soccer mom with the minivan and suburban home. Then the unthinkable happens, an attack that changes her life forever. And forever is a very long time for a vampire. Now the world at large thinks Samantha has developed a rare skin disease, a disease which forces her to quit her day job and stay out of the light of the sun. Now working the night shift as a private investigator, Samantha is hired by Kingsley Fulcrum to investigate the murder attempt on his life, a horrific scene captured on TV and seen around the country. But as the case unfolds, Samantha discovers Kingsley isn't exactly what he appears to be; after all, there is a reason why he survived five shots to the head.

Editorial Reviews

Review

**Acclaim for MOON DANCE and J.R. RAIN**

"I enjoyed this immensely. The protagonist, Samantha Moon, is a female vampire with a husband and children. Those predate her condition; six years ago she was attacked by a vampire and rendered into one. Now she's trying to carry on with family and private eye business, and she's a feisty, skilled person, so is doing mostly okay. It is not a horror story; she buys animal blood to eat and doesn't generally prey on humans. But her husband has an increasing problem with her coldness--not of spirit, but of body. 'You sicken me and scare the hell out of me,' he tells her. 'And when I touch you it's all I can do to not gag.' She replies, 'Words every wife wants to hear.' I love this! She really doesn't deserve to be frozen out of her marriage, yet his attitude is understandable. In the course of the novel she solves the mystery she is tackling for a client, and finds a new romantic interest. What makes it special are her character and nature. I sure wouldn't have kicked her out of bed. I recommend it as light reading, odd as that may sound." --Piers Anthony, New York Times bestselling author of A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON and ON A PALE HORSE

"MOON DANCE is absolutely brilliant!" --Lisa Tenzin-Dolma, author of UNDERSTANDING THE PLANETARY MYTHS

"MOON DANCE is a must read. If you like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, be prepared to love J. R. Rain's Samantha Moon, vampire private investigator." --Eve Paludan, author of LETTERS FROM DAVID

"Impossible to put down. J.R. Rain's MOON DANCE is a fabulous urban fantasy." --April Vine, author of THE MIDNIGHT ROSE

"Gripping, adventurous, and romantic--J.R. Rain's ARARAT is a breakneck thriller that traces the thread of history from Biblical stories to current-day headlines. Be prepared to lose sleep!" --James Rollins, international bestselling author of ALTAR OF EDEN and THE DOOMSDAY KEY

"DARK HORSE is one of the best books I've read in a long time! A great classic detective story with a modern twist. Unique and interesting characters (I think I'm half in love with Jim Knighthorse now!), a great plot that kept me guessing until the end, and some of the funniest lines I've read anywhere. Rain does an amazing job of blending suspense, mystery and humor in this fantastic debut novel destined for the keeper shelf." --Gemma Halliday, Rita and Golden Spur award-winning author of MAYHEM IN HIGH HEELS and SCANDAL SHEET

"I totally loved THE BODY DEPARTED. As someone who communicates with those who are either earthbound or have crossed over--your descriptions and interpretations of the dialogue and circumstances could not have been written more accurately. My favorite scene is the one of Jesus stepping down from the cross and then the passionate and compassionate way it was treated as he went back to the cross. I will relive that for a long time to come. You're a wonderfully descriptive writer who paints a very creative, visionary canvass based in a paranormal pallet that only a few experience and many can enjoy. Thank you for your talent." --Julie Belmont, author of THE PATH TO PERSONAL SUCCESS AND FREEDOM

About the Author

J.R. Rain is an ex-private investigator who now writes full-time in the Pacific Northwest. He lives in a small house on a small island with his small dog, Sadie, who has more energy than Robin Williams. Please visit him at jrrain.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 333 KB
• Print Length: 256 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0557175216
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002Q0Y27Y
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,787 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #28 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Sports
  • #44 in Books > Romance > Vampires
  • #57 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Mystery & Suspense > Mystery

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

138 of 152 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Outside the Norm for this Genre - And Couldn't Be More Pleased! May 3, 2010

By Dianne E. Socci-Tetro TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire) by J.R. Rain

This may sound somewhat melodramatic, but every once in a while a story will come along and grab you by the throat. It will suck you in and it will make you care about the characters. It may make you cheer them on or it may make you hate them. And if you are lucky, a single story will have all of that and more. Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire) has all of that and then some. It has a paranormal (I call it speculative fiction) bent, with the tiniest bit of supernatural romance...I would have like a bit more to tell the truth, but that's just me! I am hoping that a series is going to come out of this one book. There is so much potential for a great mystery/sleuth/paranormal series here. Moon Dance was outside of the norm for this genre since most of these sorts of books are true romances; with the "monster" being idolized, loved, craved, sexually potent, romanticized and revered.

JR Rain took this genre into a whole new territory for me, and I LOVED it. No, I am not a friend of his, I've never met him nor was I asked to do a review. I am just a person who bought this for my Kindle while waiting for a flight; it was an Amazon Recommends For Me book.

I have to say that normally I stay well away from self-published books...I wasn't aware at the time of purchase that this was self-published and I'm glad I didn't know it. I would have never found a book or a writer with more potential. So why do I stay away from self-published books? Well they generally are not edited very well, they aren't proof read very well, nor are the stories very consistent. And while this book could have had some tighter editing and much better proof reading, the flaws are easily overlooked because the story is just so intense, the character of Samantha is a likable, strong intelligent and a clever lady who is a wife a mother and an PI- she just happens to have been changed into a Vampire against her will. The secondary characters shine, some are sympathetic, some are evil but all are written very clearly and three dimensionally.

I see serious potential for a series and if not then I may have to send off a flurry of e-mails and nag Mr. Rain into doing so. I want to know what happens to everyone! Does Detective Sherbet get his "talk" with Sam, does Sam and Kingsley get to live a "happily ever after"? Is Fang, Kinglsley (I hope I didn't miss something obvious!) will Samantha ever get to have a "normal" relationship with her kids again? I really want to know

85 of 92 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprsingly great book April 29, 2010

By A. Auerbach

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have never heard of this publisher, and a quick search didn't show a web presence, so I was leery about buying this book given the amount of poorly edited, terrible stories I've read by innocently purchasing 'self published' Kindle books.
I am so, so glad I decided to give this author a go. This is definitely the gem among the chaff.
This book is GREAT. Very 'human', if a story about a vampire can be human. Angst, foibles, the-world-is-still-screwed-up even though (and sometimes because) the protagonist is a vampire. Readers who like Charlaine Harris' OTHER series (not the one made into a TV series, but her other work) will adore this heroine. Feisty, confused and doing her damnedest to make the best of a horrible situation.
The only thing I didn't like was a too neatly tied up plot line (had to do with the vamp who turned her).
I hope the writer continues the story line in future books. I will definitely be keeping an eye out!

73 of 87 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Moon Dance by J.R. Rain April 23, 2010

By I was I am I will be

Format:Kindle Edition

Lately, I had been thinking that vampire stories were overdone. I have my favorite authors in the genre and honestly wasn't looking for anymore. It seems that authors don't want to write about normal people anymore. The stories all seem to have vampires, witches, wizards, and zombies in them. I was looking for an author that wrote normal stories not paranormal. Spies, police officers, detectives, these were the heroes that I was looking for.

I first ran across J.R. Rain's work on myspace. I had a friend request waiting in my inbox. I accepted and went to look up his work. Wow, what an impressive list of reviewers, what could my thoughts possibly mean after so many great authors have said such positive things about his work.

While I was debating which book to start with for our book club I got the opportunity to read Moon Dance. I have never been overly impressed with first person fiction, with a few notable exceptions. Maybe, because I never felt like I could become the character.

Right there Mr.Rain's story had two strikes against it. Strike One - Main character is a vampire (paranormal). Ball One - Detective. Strike Two - First Person narration. The count was 2-1 and I was waiting for that third strike to fly directly over the plate and pound into the catchers mitt, instead Mr. Rain's story connected directly with the ball (my mind) and knocked it out of the park.

Mr. Rain managed to make me fall so far into the character that I couldn't put the story down once I started reading.

More About the Author

J.R. Rain is an ex-private investigator who now writes full-time in the Pacific Northwest. He lives in a small house on a small island with his small dog, Sadie, who has more energy than Robin Williams. Please visit him at www.jrrain.com.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#8 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#13 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#15 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic

#19 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#72 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Suspense

#8 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#13 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#15 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic

#19 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#72 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Suspense