A Review of Shelley Wilson's "Blood Born"

Tween, vampire-obsessed me would have devoured Shelley Wilson’s Blood Born. I would have loved having age-appropriate vampire novels with a touch of romance then, and I was highly entertained by it now, even if I’m not part of the target demographic.

When Emma is turned into a vampire, her world is turned upside down. Her grandmother is kidnapped, a mysterious woman shows up on her doorstep promising to help her, and she meets a male vampire she has an instant attraction toward. All of this is hard to process for the loner who has always been haunted by a darkness she can’t quite explain. Now she needs to fight her own family, whom she’s only just learned about, to save her grandmother and her new-found friends at the Haven, a place for vampire half-breeds. Unfortunately, the vampire who changed her does not have Emma’s best interests in mind, and conflicting prophesies offer little guidance.

This is clearly the first in a series, as the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. The plot has all the tropes one wants in YA vampire novel. Is the protagonist an orphan or have at least one dead parent? Check. Is the protagonist a loner? Check. Does the protagonist turn out to be a princess in hiding? Check. Is the vampire she falls for older and pretty good-looking? Check... I could go on. The romance side of the story is limited to a few kisses, so it’s not too steamy for younger readers. The biggest draw is the kick-ass main character, Emma. Despite her change and upheaval, she stays true to her values and proves to be strong and capable. She works to help and protect her friends and family.

I enjoyed Blood Born by Shelley Wilson and look forward to the sequels. I want to see how Emma confronts her future problems and learns to use her skills and strengths as a vampire.

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Book Review of "The Dare Club: Nita" by Laurie Bradach and Kim “Howard” Johnson

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An Honest Lie Two!

I got word yesterday that my story, "Independence," will be included in An Honest Lie Two: Delusions of Insignificance. I am, of course, quite pleased since this will be the second story from my unpublished California collection, All Along the Pacific , to appear in print. Everyone knows that a collection with stories that have already seen publication has a better chance of getting taken. Of course, I have quite a bit of work to do on some of the other stories before they would be ready. Currently, I'm working on a few science fiction stories. Also, I've got my NaNoWriMo novel -- I finished it, but it was only 26,000 words -- with another author. If we can bump it up to 50,000, I'm certain we can find a place to get it published. This is a historical YA novel written specifically for eighth graders in Louisiana, but I think it has a wider appeal.

Writer and Editor C.B. Calsing/ G.G. Royale

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