The Vampire's Heart [Paperback]

Mark Roeder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 2002

Ever wonder what it would be like to be fifteen-years-old forever? Ever wonder how it would feel to find out your best friend is not what he seems? Graham Granger is intrigued by the new boy in school. Grahams heart aches for a friend, and maybe a boyfriend, but is Josiah the answer to his dreams? Why is Bry Hartnett, the school hunk, taking an interest in Graham as well? When strange happenings begin to occur at Griswold Jr./Sr. High, Grahams once boring life becomes more exciting than he can handle. Mystery, intrigue, and danger await Graham as he sets out on an adventure he never dreamed possible.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

In addition to The Vampire's Heart, Mark A. Roeder is also the author of Gay Youth Chronicles,a series of books about gay youth, centered in Indiana. Information on his current and upcoming books can be found at www.markroeder.com. Those wishing to contact him may reach him at [e-mail].

Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (April 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595225640
• ISBN-13: 978-0595225644
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #797,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark A. Roeder currently resides in Bloomington, Indiana and is a full-time writer of novels, columns, and articles. He has published over two dozen novels to date.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It may bite at your heart, but will it tug at your soul, September 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Vampire's Heart (Paperback)

I read this over a week's time...and though it held my interest...i wondered about a few things. 1. Why was it necessary to constantly remind the reader that the main character was puny? We figured it out the first few times. 2. Where did the author locate his information on vampire's? 3. Why did the rules change so much regarding how many times it took one to be bitten before turning into a vampire? 4. If Kelly is the main character's best friend, where was she in the entire novel? I understand the author wanted to lead the reader into the heartache of vampire and desired to compare the life of a vampire and a gay boy...all in which I believe was done well, but I hoped to learn more about Josiah...and not just how he became a vampire (which was clumped together all too quickly and finally lost me at the end) but the other part of Josiah..the boy trapped inside. And what were this boy's interests? And why was the main character's gay uncle only assessed at one point in the script...I was hoping to see their bond grow. The ending seemed a bit contrived and wasn't explained in depth. I won't ruin in for other readers, but I'm sure other's could see it. I commend Mark for a smooth read that was delightful at moments. It's nice to see a gay book on the market that isn't all about sex and I loved the innocence surrounding the main character. Mark is definately on his way as a great gay writer...just keep them coming...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Make That Four-and-a-Half Stars..., May 28, 2003

By 

Jerome Y. Hebert (Québec) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Vampire's Heart (Paperback)

If you're looking for an Anne Rice clone or have a hankering for blood, cruelty and horror, I don't think "The Vampire's Heart" is for you. However, if you have a taste for "gay teen romance" with a uniquely supernatural flavour, VH is definitely a darned good read.

I have read all of Mark's books, finishing VH last night. In all honesty, I can say that it is not his absolute best. But I include it with "A Better Place" and "Someone Is Watching" as among my top three favourites. Its "defects" (if one can use that misleading term) lie not in any failure in the writing or plot or handling of the theme. Rather, VH's sole shortcoming is that it is ... well ... too *short*. VH seems to be a case where the storyteller does not take quite as long to go into the depth of his tale and its characters as he (and his readers) might have actually wished. To my mind, it is an "abridged" version of a longer story which cries out to be told in full. Perhaps Mark will do us that favour one of these days.

I highly recommend "The Vampire's Heart" to all readers who enjoy positive and ultimately heart-warming stories about gay teens. It is fun; it is suspenseful; it is a thoroughly enjoyable (albeit all too short) adventure.

That said, I must however disagree with Mark on one point. The author states in the book's Introduction that VH is *not* a part of the Gay Youth Chronicles set in and around Verona, Indiana. I believe that other fans of GYC who read "The Vampire's Heart" will understand my rather bold and presumptuous disagreement with the author's disavowal. Based on many "coincidences" in VH and on a plethora of speculations that arise about "what if...", this story definitely *could* be a part of GYC. In my opinion, it *should* be a part of them. In my heart and mind, it *is* a part of them. In other words, if you are a fan of the Gay Youth Chronicles, you will not need to fear that VH is entirely divorced from them. Indeed, if your imagination and love for Mark's other characters and creations matches my own, you will find subtle and perhaps even ethereal links to GYC. And as was the case for me, perhaps these links will make "The Vampire's Heart" an even more enjoyable reading adventure than it already is.

4.0 out of 5 stars great gay romance, May 14, 2008

By 

Nightwolf "Kai" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Vampire's Heart (Paperback)

One of the best romance novels. Very innocent, gay vampire love story, definitely worth reading.