Creature Feature Friday: Zombies

I let everyone else go first because my favorite paranormals aren't going anywhere. Today it's my turn and I'm talking about the the undead. No, not the swoon-worthy kind. The risen from the grave, shambling, hungry for your innards, flesh-sloughing kind...

What are zombies?

They are the undead! And they are hungry for braaaains! (Okay, you knew all that.)

How a person becomes a zombie is up for debate. A zombie sinks his teeth into you, and you turn. You get some inexplicably mutated virus, and you die and don't stay dead. You could be raised by a reanimator or a necromancer looking for information or an undead army. Or, if you believe everything you see on television, then some tech executive makes a poor decision about laptop technology, the laptop gets dropped by a line worker, the power goes out, milk spoils, a not so bright guy drinks it anyway, and BAM! Zombie apocalypse. Game on! (Anybody have a twinkie?)

What do you love about zombies?  

I'm not sure I can say I love zombies. Intrigued might be a better word. I don't actively seek out undead media, but when it finds me I seem to have trouble turning it away. I suppose it's because zombies are unpredictable. They can be laughable or gruesome or scary. They might even try to find a way to express everything they're unable to put into words. Zombie luuurve.

Yes, they are super-fun in action movies. There's no shame in blowing a zombie to high heaven right? Everybody loves to see the hero take down a zombie hoard with heavy artillery. Admit it. Ving Rhames in Dawn of the Dead. Woody Harrelson in Zombieland. Etcetera, etcetera. You've watched someone blow a hoard of zombies to smithereens. And you enjoyed it.

But why are zombies frightening? Is it the threat of rotting grey flesh and a new taste for raw meat? Or is it the existential consequences of becoming undead? One little nip from a hungry straggler and, once the agonizing illness is over and the death tremors have subsided, the victim is entirely stripped of their humanity. Words, mobility, feelings... They're all gone, and what used to be a person is now a rotting husk desperate to sustain itself for one more day. Worse than that, no one is immune.

Favorite zombie in fiction:
R from Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. Who says zombies can't be gentlemen?

Favorite zombie in pop culture:
It's not real a favorite zombie so much as a particular incarnation of zombie. In the TV show The Walking Dead the zombies aren't the slow-moving, mockable things they've been portrayed as for so many years. They are frighteningly twisted mutation of humanity that can do some serious damage.

If you like zombies, you should read...

• Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
• Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier
• Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
• Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
• The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
• The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
• The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
• World War Z by Max Brooks
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

You'll also need this shirt from Shirt Woot. Trust me. It's proof that brains are an acquired taste.

Creature Feature Friday: Fey

Stacey from Page Turners Blog has a bit if an obsession with the fey, so it's no surprise that she here today to share here thoughts on these mysterious creatures...

What are the fey?

Depending on who you talk to, "fey" have many different names and many different ways of spelling their name. But most popularly, they are Middle English mythical creature that causes all sorts of trouble for humans. They are generally described to have human like features, but over time they have gotten the "Hollywood" treatment. Fey in my head look more like what you see in the Lord of the Rings movies, tall and graceful with a very amoral take to the world.

What do you love about fey?  

I love the fey for many reasons, but I think the biggest reason is their amorality. When fey come into a story you never really know what’s going to happen other than the current state of affairs won’t stay the same for long. They tend to be very selfish creatures, but it's always fun to see them change and watch them put a human's needs in front of their own. I also enjoy the fact that there's such variety in fey stories. There's everything from the traditional to the modern and they all seem to hold to that amorality but they all have their own take on what it means to be fey.

Favorite fey creature in fiction:
Puck (Yes, Robin Goodfellow, he's been in everything from Shakespeare to Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.)

Favorite fey creature in pop culture:
Tinkerbell - yes, she's technically a pixie, but still part of the larger fey world.

If you like fey, you should read...

• The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
• The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
• The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
• Wings by Aprilynne Pike
• Spells by Aprilynne Pike
• Illusions by Aprilynne Pike
• Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
• Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
• Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
• Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
• Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
• The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
• Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
• Supernaturally by Kiersten White
• Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Creature Feature Friday: Werewolves

Kate from I Just Want to Sit Here and Read is here today to howl about some of her favorite paranormal creatures...

What is a werewolf?

A werewolf is many things. In fiction they range from turning into a wolf, but still in human form (standing upright, but with wolf-like qualities) to ‘shifting’ into wolf form at the full moon and sometimes at will.

What do you love about werewolves?

Hot in more ways then one. Most werewolves portrayed in fiction run hot blooded and most of the time physically ripped and gorgeous. A downside would be a hot temper, but who doesn’t love a man that runs hot!

Metabolism what? Werewolves can pretty much eat and drink whatever they want and don’t gain a pound. At least in the Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. Elena and the rest of the Pack eat like maniacs and with their high metabolism and changing abilities they stay at their goal weight and not gain a pound. Awesome diet right?

Enhanced…everything. Werewolves are crazy strong, they have keener senses, and they are connected with nature more than any human can be. Definitely would want one with me in a dark alley!

They are alive as a supe can be. There is always the vampire vs. werewolf debate, and as a rep for the werewolves who would want to be around something dead? Yeah immortality sounds cool, but why not be around something with a heartbeat? Not into the cold corpse thing sorry! Speaking of immortality though, most werewolves tend to live out a human lifetime and then some. So there is a taste of the immortality but there’s no wandering the world for thousands of years, you’d think those vampires would get bored?

Overall, werewolves are the superior supe, although I prefer the actual wolf form instead of the wolf/man form. Although they are (most of the time) ruled by the moon, I wouldn’t mind the freeing form of a wolf to change up my normality for a little while.

Favorite werewolf in fiction:
Clay Danvers from Women of the Otherworld Series by Kelley Armstrong.

Favorite werewolf in pop-culture:
Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) in Teen Wolf.

If you like werewolves then you should read…
Adult:

• Women of the Otherworld Series by Kelley Armstrong
• The Parasol Protectorate Series by Gail Carriger (Lord Maccon = swoon)
• The Southern Vampire Mysteries Series by Charlaine Harris

YA:

• The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
• The Lost Saint by Bree Despain
• The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series by Maggie Stiefvater
• Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

These are the only ones I have read, be sure to suggest some of your favorites in the comments below and I’d be sure to check them out!

Creature Feature Friday: Banshees

You've heard from a lot of bloggers about a lot of paranormal creatures over the last few weeks. They've tackled vampires, angels, dragons, witches, elves, mermaids, and nephilim. Now, Emily from Emily's Reading Room is here to take on an more elusive creature, the banshee...

What is a banshee?
Banshees originated in Gaelic legends. And frankly, they could be some of the most terrifying villains ever. They herald death with a wail that will make your blood run cold, hair stand on end, and all other kinds of horrible cliches. Some have described it as a low moan, while others have said it is a loud shriek.

What do you love about banshees?
Banshees have the horrible job to notify those that are about to die of their impending doom. They are dressed in gray or white, and can be either young and beautiful, or old and terrifying. I really think that this paranormal creature is one of the least utilized in literature. While many legends have mentioned the horror or despair that the wail of a banshee brings, I think that they are misunderstood. I mean, why blame the messenger, right?

Favorite banshee in fiction:
Frankly, the only banshee in literature that I can remember is in Harry Potter. Banshees are mentioned a couple times in the series, but I most remember Gilderoy Lockhart’s tale of his conquest of one, as well as the egg that wails in The Goblet of Fire.


Favorite banshee in pop-culture:
I don’t watch a whole lot of really scary horror movies, so I haven’t seen any banshees in movies.

If you like banshees then you should read…
Someone needs to write a great banshee book. I heard that Kiersten White loves them as well, so maybe she can be persuaded...

Also check out...

• My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
• My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent
• My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent
• My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent
• If I Die by Rachel Vincent

Creature Feature Friday: Nephilim

Half-human, half-god. Half-man, half-angel. All awesome, at least according to Lynn Marie from Bringing the Epic who is here today to shout her love of the nephilim from the rooftops...

What are the nephilim?
Nephilim are a hybrid of Angels and mortal women. In most cases the story starts biblical (duh, angels!) with the fallen angels coming to earth and consorting with mortal women. Biblically speaking all angels are men and so the case is that the women get left alone on earth to bear a child whose birth will kill them. Consider it a kind of Martyr! The child will usually grow up never knowing their real parents and they are “normal” humans until their angelic side starts to awaken, this is usually around 16 years old! Convenient for the YA genre, right? Lol!

 

What do you love about nephilim? 
I love the tragic-love behind a nephilim and the choices it lays before them. There are a couple ways to think about it, really. Your mom was SO amazing that an Angel of God fell in love and came to earth to be with her. That was some woman. And knowing that birthing you would kill her she sacrificed herself for the love of both you and your “heavenly” father. Yea, there’s really not a much better way to put that! You can take all that love and let it grow in you and you can do some really powerful good things! OR you can think of what a murderous d-bag your dad was for coming down here and mucking around with mortals who obviously would fall for him, Hell-ooo –Angel?! And then he gets her pregnant and leaves you both all alone. You never know them, never touch their face. They never tell you it’ll be ok and put a bandage on your scraped knee. You could turn all kinds of evil that way!!

 

There are so many potential stories with nephilim. Who are they? Who will they be? What was their mother like? Who is their father? How did the parties feel? What does God think? That’s one story I’d love to hear. The Bible says God knows us even in the womb, he has laid straight our paths…It’s kind of crazy that one of His own put you on that path with Him, ya know? Does that grant you like, a speed dial to God? You’re celestial, right?

 

As a nephilim you can also “loan” your body to a fallen angel so he can experience full human senses like in Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush! Chauncey is bound to give his body to Patch so he can feel. Not exactly my idea of a vacation, but still such a crazy ability to offer!

 

On the really girly side, there’s the wings. Thick feathers formed on wings that arch out of the carved back of a muscular young man. But it’s even better because now he’s all super strong but he’s vulnerable because he’s going through so many different emotions and learning things about who he really is! *sigh* OR you could be this girl that walked the halls of your school feeling mediocre about life until you start hearing languages and understanding them! And this power from within you is helping you see your own inner beauty and you really can fly away, because your part angel. Seriously cool stuff here!

 

I really like different nephilim origins too. Hubby has a whole set of comic books about a nephilim but he’s the only one and his name means “Forever Angel.” He’s actually kind of cursed! And he’s not part angel and part mortal, he’s all angel but considered “fallen” by the terms we see in today's books!

 

Favorite nephilim in fiction:
The NUMBER ONE coolest Nephilim in books:

 Tom Sniegoski’s The Fallen. Aaron Corbett is a 16 year old kid trying to get through highschool and dreaming about the beautiful girl that’s out of his league when his inner angel starts to awaken. He soon finds out that he’s meant for soo much more than keeping his secret or getting the girl. He could be an actual bridge back to heaven for the fallen angels!

 

Favorite nephilim in pop-culture:  

Repeat? Well. Sniegoski’s baby was turned into a TV Mini-Series! Paul Wesely – AKA Stephen from The Vampire Diaries – plays Aaron Corbet! The first episode starts off with major similarities to the book but it quickly fades from there. Made me mad, because like most of us in the bookish realm, we love our books and want to see the TV or Movie production of what played in our heads when we read! But still, entertaining and Tom isn’t upset about it so I won’t be!

 

If you like nephilim then you should read… 

• The Fallen 1 & The Fallen 2 by Tom Sniegoski
• The Light Brigade, Comic Book
• Hush Hush Trilogy by Rebecca Fitzpatrick
• The Fallen Trilogy by Lauren Kate
• The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare
• Hex by Ramona Wray
• The Bible! It says in Genesis 6:4 “There were giants in the Earth in those days; and also after that when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” – Giants is also translated as nephilim! Which suggests the story of David and Goliath was David vs Nephilim! Crazy, right?!

 

Creature Feature Friday: Mermaids

Mermaids are unlike any other paranormal creature, and Katie from Sophistikatied Reviews is here to tell us why they hod a special place in her heart...

What is a mermaid?
Mermaids are half woman, half fish mythological creatures that sometimes have the power to mesmerize people with just a song. Like sirens, they enjoy the occasional man killing but also like to be heroic and attempt rescue at times as well. Key word: attempt. They can easily forget that humans don’t have gills…

What do you love about mermaids?
I love that they don’t really have a label. They can be cute and loveable like Ariel or they can be totally evil and deadly like the mermaid from She Creature. And they don’t need fangs or claws or super strength to injure anybody; they have their voices. How kick-ass is that? To lure and drown someone by just singing? Unlike vampires and werewolves, who only have stories of bloodlust and full moons, mermaids have this undiscovered world and background that nobody has really explored yet. They’re kind of a mystery and breath of fresh air and I hope they get a bigger spotlight in YA literature in the future! Mermaids FTW!

 

Favorite mermaid in fiction:

Unfortunately, I haven’t really read the great mermaid novel that has a great mermaid to mention. I’m still waiting for someone to write that one. But I did enjoy Lily Sanderson from Forgive My Fins quite a bit. She was adorably written as an authentic teenager trying to adapt to being a mermaid on land.

 

Favorite mermaid in pop-culture:

Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

  

If you like mermaids then you should read…

• Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
• Lost Voices by Sarah Porter
• Siren by Tricia Rayburn
• Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando

 

Creature Feature Friday: Elves

My lovely critique partner Suzanne Johnson, who blogs at Preternatura and whose debut novel Royal Street is coming out in April, is here today to share her insights on the unpredictable creatures we call elves...

What is an elf?

An elf is a short, drawfish species that work as cheerful indentured servants for Santa Claus.

No, wait. An elf is a tall, ethereal being with pointed ears, who excels at bowmanship, has some psychic abilities, and is quite arrogant.

No, wait, an elf is sneaky and alien and neither good nor bad, because to be good or bad would be to imply human traits elves do not possess.

Kreature from Harry Potter

No, wait. Elves are tiny misshapen creatures who wear dishtowels and do menial housework for wizards.

No, wait, there are light elves (good) and dark elves (evil), and iron elves and wood elves and Keebler elves and...

In other words, there is no firmly established mythos to which elves must adhere, which is what I love about elves.



What do you love about elves?
Their sheer unpredictability.

Think about it. When you read a vampire book, unless they’re sparkling in the sun and sucking on deer marrow, you pretty much know up to a point what you’re dealing with. A vampire usually is going to drink blood. A vampire usually won’t be able to walk in sunlight. A vampire is sexy and alluring, which helps him attract his prey. Vampires have fangs.

Shapeshifters and lycanthropes. Again, there is a mythos. They shift into animal form. They might need a full moon. They might be more apt to shift when emotionally upset or unstable. They usually have fur or feathers.

The fae are susceptible to cold iron. They are playfully deceptive. They have queens and courts.

But an elf? An elf can be anything the writer wants him to be.

Sure, there are some who argue that the elves of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy set the bar for all elves that came afterward, and that is true for much classic and epic fantasy. But even before Peter Jackson made Orlando Bloom don a blond wig and wear tights and pointy ears, elves were part of folklore—and they were nothing like what Tolkien envisioned.



In the past two decades, a variety of elven mythos have developed in popular RPGs and computer games, from D&D to Warhammer to Runescape.

Now, finally, elves are making their way into contemporary fantasy, and the door is wide open for interpretation.

When I run across an elf in a book, I do not know what kind of creature I’ll be dealing with. The elf might be good or bad, evil or saint. He might be short, or tall, or handsome, or homely. He might have pointed ears, or not. He might have green skin, or look human. He might make toys, or bake Keebler cookies, or ride atop an elephantine creature through the forest with his bow drawn. He might love humans, or be disdainful of them. He might come from Norse mythology; he might be American. He might be a creature of Faerie; he might be another species altogether.

Favorite elf in fiction:
**SPOILER ALERT** Trent Kalamack, from the Hollows series by Kim Harrison. Nine books into the series, I still can’t decide if I love him or love to hate him. But he has never, ever bored me.


Favorite elf in pop-culture:
So genre fiction doesn’t count as pop culture? Okay then. I’ll say Orlando Bloom’s portrayal of Legolas in the LOTR film trilogy. Yum.


If you like elves then you should read…
In contemporary fantasy, read Kim Harrison’s Hollows series, beginning with Dead Witch Walking. In classic fantasy, read JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. For a sort of contemporary classic fantasy, read Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, particularly Lords and Ladies and The Wee Free Men.

Creature Feature Friday: Witches

Alex from Electrifying Reviews is dropping in today to tell us where his paranormal love lies...

What is a witch?

A witch is, according to the dictionary, a woman thought to have evil magic powers. Well, witches in fiction can me a number of things... Some books portray characters with minor psychic powers to be witches. Some have Wiccan characters and call them witches. And some have children riding on broomsticks and going to school in a castle. In my opinion, a witch is a person who can perform magic. Simple as that.

Picture by Claudia of Phatpuppy Art.

What do you love about witches?
Wow, this one is easy! Witches can basically do anything. Yes, anything. They have magic! They can do more than live forever or grow hair from awkward places when the moon is out, they can literally do anything. Magic: who hasn't wanted to be able to cast a spell or two in their life? I know I have! Witches also have a great power, a power other paranormal creatures can only dream of. Sure they've been known to get caught and, well, burned at the stake, but other than that they are the supreme paranormal. If you had the chance to use magic, wouldn't you take it? Witches can be bad, good, beautiful, ugly, old, young. They can literally be anything the writer wants them to be because their lore can be changed by anyone. Sure, that can be true with all paranormal creatures, but witches have such real history and are still a prominent part of life today that they just seem more real than any other creature.

Favorite witch in fiction:

Yikes, this is hard. I guess I'd have to say Lena from Beautiful Creatures. Not because of her powers, but because of her as a character. I loved Lena in the first Caster Chronicles book. She was so spunky and cool and mysterious. Also, she's a witch. Double win.

Favorite witch in pop-culture:
This is gonna be embarrassing, but it's definitely Sabrina. Yes, Sabrina: The Teenage Witch. That show is so fun and Sabrina is so funny. That show is pure nostalgia, and if you haven't seen it you definitely should.

If you like witches, you should read...
Ooh, this is going to take a while. Okay, I guess I'll just shorten it to a few of my favorites.

• The Secret Circle: The Iniation & The Captive Part I by L.J. Smith --this is my favorite series of all time. (Also, a TV show based on the series premiers this fall!)
• The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power by L.J. Smith
• Spellbinder (Night World, #3) by L.J. Smith
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
• Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey
• Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz
• Harry Potter 1-7 by J.K. Rowling
• Sweep Vol. 1 by Cate Tiernan
• Sweep Vol. 2 by Cate Tiernan
• Sweep Vol. 3 by Cate Tiernan
• Sweep Vol. 4 by Cate Tiernan
• Sweep Vol. 5 by Cate Tiernan
• Firespell by Chloe Neill
• Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
• Dark Visions Series by L.J. Smith

Creature Feature Friday: Dragons

Meaghan from A Bookworm's Haven is potentially the biggest fan of dragons I've ever met, and she's here today to defend her favorite mythic beasts...

What is a dragon?

A dragon is a being made from pure awesomeness! What? Alright I will give you a more specific definition. Dragons are legendary creatures, typically with serpentine or otherwise reptilian traits, that are featured in the myths of many cultures.

What do you love about dragons?

My fascination with dragons started when my parents gave me a snow globe for Christmas with a dragon inside. I was completely enamored with it and ever since that moment I have soaked up as much dragon mythology as possible.

There isn’t anything paranormal out there that can compare to a dragon. I know vamps and werewolves can be scary at times, but the dragon could take them easily. If you somehow manage to get through their razor sharp teeth, talons and the ability to just step on you and squash you, they can still breathe fire! Last I checked vamps and wolves still burn. Plus a dragon could just pick you up, fly you into the sky and drop you to your doom. I’m sorry; a little blood sucking or howling at the moon is not going to cut it against a dragon. All these reasons are why a dragon represents my blog.

Favorite dragon in fiction:

I am going to split this into two categories: dragons and dragon shifters. My favorite dragon is Saphira from The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paloni. She is smart, fiercely protective of her human rider and terrifying in battle. Even though the movie did not even come close to living up to the book, Saphira looks awesome in it so I put a picture of her here.

As for shifter dragons, my favorite is Dragos Cuelebre, from Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison. He is a rare dragon-shifter created around the same time as the birth of the solar system. Yeah, he has been around for a while. Besides being smoking hot, he’s the ultimate Alpha male, head of the Wyr (other shifters) demesnes located in New York City, plus he can shift into a freaking dragon! What more could you want?

Favorite dragon in pop-culture:

Hands down, Falkor from the movie The Neverending Story wins out in this category. I know he is a Luckdragon so he is technically a little different, but I still love him! Luckdragons have good luck in everything they do, they breathe blue fire, they are great conversationalists, they let you ride on them whenever you want, and they are so cute! If you don’t know who Falkor is than you are missing out on a classic movie and need to go rent The Neverending Story!


If you like dragons then you should read…

Firelight by Sophie Jordan (review here)-Fantastic book and the sequel comes out later this year so if you have not read this one you have time to catch up!

Eragon by Christopher Paloini- This series came out before I started my blog so I do not have a review, but the dragon is Saphira and she’s amazing! There are three books out in this series, Eragon, Eldest and Brisngr with the last book, Inheritance, finally releasing later this year. Pailoni can be a little long winded at times with his writing, but the overall story is truly captivating and the dragons kick some serious butt!

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison (review here)-This is the best book I have read this year! I gush about it in my review and cannot wait for future installments. So far only the first book features a dragon shifter as the main character, but he is definitely worth reading about!

Dark Embers by Tessa Adams (review here)-Another great series that has two books out so far, with the third being released later this year. All of them have dragon shifters as main characters.

The Dragonlance Chronicles by Tracy Hicks and Margaret Weis- This is the ultimate epic fantasy (besides Lord of the Rings, or course) and one I have read multiple times. My copies are very worn and well loved. Dragons are not the main focus, but play a huge role in this world. If you have not read these, you really need to!

Creature Feature Friday: Angels

Today Katie from Katie's Book Blog is here to tell you why she adores angels...
 

What is a angel?

The dictionary definition of an angel is one of a class of spiritual beings; a celestial attendant of god. In medieval angelology, angels constituted the lowestof the nine celestial orders (seraphim, cherubim, thrones,dominations or dominions, virtues, powers, principalities or princedoms, archangels, and angels).

 

Most of the angels in young adults books these days are actually fallen angels which means they have done something bad to be cast out of heaven. They pretty much spend their days on earth trying to make up for what they have done and gain readmittance to heaven.
 
 

 

What do you love about angels?
Angels are my favorite paranormal creature because they are innately good. In pretty much all the books about angels, the angels are sent to help someone who really needs it. They are usually not the best angels in heaven but even after doing something bad to get cast out of heaven they spend their time trying to make up for their mistakes.

 

Another great thing about angels is their history. Every angel has a different story about their former lives, what their lives were like in heaven, what they did to get cast out of heaven, and of course how they are trying to make up for those mistakes. These stories make the books a lot more interesting by incorporating historical, paranormal, and romance all into one.

 

Favorite angel in fiction:
Patch from Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (and the sequels, Crescendo and Silence). He is very sexy but he is also really sweet. He means well even though he usually does something very wrong. He is the angel in the picture that I chose to represent angels!

 

Favorite angel in pop-culture:

Al from Angels In The Outfield (he’s the one with the wings.) He is definitely not the same kind of angel that is popular in books at the moment but he is an angel that I grew up watching. He is a little bit crazy but very funny.

 

If you like angels then you should read…

• Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
• Fallen by Lauren Kate
• Personal Demons by Lisa DesRochers
• Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz
• The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
• The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare
• Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
• Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

 

Creature Feature Friday: Vampires

 Welcome to the freak show, folks! Creature Feature Friday will be haunting the blog for the next few Fridays, and some of my blogger friends and I will be representing our favorite paranormals.

There's an abundance of them out there and we're all die hard fans, so in the weeks to come you'll hear our takes on our chosen species. We'll tell you what they are, who they are, why we love them, and, most importantly, where you can find them. Keep checking back for fangs, fur, fins and more!

Today Sherry from Flipping Pages for All Ages is here to share her undying love for vampires...

What is a vampire?
Vampire: Drinks blood *MOST of the time*, Has fangs *MOST of the time*, Superhuman strength and speed, Usually very attractive (See picture below, to learn more about picture below go to question 4). (WOW it’s getting harder and harder to just describe a vampire… THANKS TWILIGHT!)

What do you love about vampires?

Ahhh where to start! Stories about vampires have been around for a very long time. They have been tweaked here and there, but essentially they have always been the same creature. In all honesty, the vampire is something that should be feared, and in some cases they are, but there are definitely those vamps out there that get our blood boiling. Good or bad, most vampires have charisma and can charm their way into your life, gain your trust, get access to your home, hence why they are so dangerous, as well as alluring. (Does the name Damon Salvatore mean anything to you?) They can be very attractive, they are immortal, they pretty much kick ass. I mean, these are the reasons why we are so drawn to them (as are the people in the stories and movies, even though they know they shouldn’t be). Overall, I enjoy reading about them and watching them in movies and shows. They are exciting and intriguing. When a vampire is involved, there is usually plenty of action and romance!

 Favorite vampire in fiction:

I always really hate just picking one because that’s usually never the case. There is generally something I like and dislike about all characters. But since I have to choose… It’s going to have to be Adrian from Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy Series. Now I actually haven’t finished the books, but from what I have already read about Adrian he is a very likeable character (he does have his jerk moments). He’s tortured by his gift, good looking, and he can be amazingly sweet (as shown by the way he treats Rose). I wanted him to succeed, to get what he wants, and to be happy. I love reading scenes with him in it and I look forward to seeing how his story will evolve in the remaining book and in the future (spin-off series!!).

Favorite vampire in pop-culture:
Definitely Mick St. John from the T.V. series Moonlight (that got cancelled after one season even though it was voted as a People’s Favorite Show). A sexy vampire who works as a private investigator, that falls in love with someone he rescued once and who drinks blood from donor bags instead of harming people? How can one NOT like that??? (See picture above for further proof of sexiness (Recognize the actor, he now plays in Hawaii 5.0).

If you like vampires you should read...

• The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
• Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
• Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith
• The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer
• Thirst by Christopher Pike
• The Evernight Series by Claudia Gray
• Night Runner by Max Turner
• The Morganville Vampire Series by Rachel Caine
• Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
• Anite Blake Series by Laurell K. Hamilton (adult novels)

Or watch...

• Underworld Series (movies)
• Moonlight (T.V. series)
• Blade Series (movies)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (movie)
• The Lost Boys (movie)
• From Dusk till Dawn (movie)
• The Vampire Diaries (T.V. series)