Sam Parker is a vampire with a gift so strong and substantial that she is invited to partake in a test for a place in the Grand High Master Vampire's private army. She finds that not only has the army never included a woman, but it has never included a Sventé vampire; a breed that is regarded by the super strong Pagori breed and the hypnotically beautiful Keja breed to be too tame and human-like. Most refuse to take her seriously, especially a Pagori commander named Jared who she craves in spite of herself. The Grand High Master, however, sees her potential and offers her the position of Jared's co-commander to help train the newest squad in time for the impending attack on his home. Sam has to demonstrate to Jared and the squad of chauvinists why it is incredibly foolish to underestimate a wilful, temperamental, borderline-homicidal Sventé female. Warning: This novel contains an iron-willed female vampire with an energy whip, a sexist male vampire who is determined to have her, explicit vampy sex, and a romance story with real bite.

“This funny and fresh take on a classic tale manages to comment on gender roles, racial disparities, and white privilege all while creeping me all the way out. So good.”—Zakiya Dalila Harris, author of The Other Black Girl Steel Magnolias meets Dracula in this New York Times best-selling horror novel about a women's book club that must do battle with a mysterious newcomer to their small Southern town. Bonus features: • Reading group guide for book clubs • Hand-drawn map of Mt. Pleasant • Annotated true-crime reading list by Grady Hendrix • And more! Patricia Campbell’s life has never felt smaller. Her husband is a workaholic, her teenage kids have their own lives, her senile mother-in-law needs constant care, and she’s always a step behind on her endless to-do list. The only thing keeping her sane is her book club, a close-knit group of Charleston women united by their love of true crime. At these meetings they’re as likely to talk about the Manson family as they are about their own families. One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor's handsome nephew, James Harris, into her life. James is well traveled and well read, and he makes Patricia feel things she hasn’t felt in years. But when children on the other side of town go missing, their deaths written off by local police, Patricia has reason to believe James Harris is more of a Bundy than a Brad Pitt. The real problem? James is a monster of a different kind—and Patricia has already invited him in. Little by little, James will insinuate himself into Patricia’s life and try to take everything she took for granted—including the book club—but she won’t surrender without a fight in this blood-soaked tale of neighborly kindness gone wrong.

Since the moment Imani Prince joined the Grand High Vampires' legion, she's been drawn to the self-assured and darkly sexual Robert 'Butch' Richardson. Although he walked away from her a year ago after a short fling, she doesn't judge him for his difficulties with relationships. But now he's in her space, declaring that he wants her back and regrets his earlier mistakes. While Imani's past is trying to interfere with the present and the threat of a war is looming, she has to decide whether to give him what he's demanding: all she has to give. Butch has always struggled to connect with people, but something about the sensual and independent Imani pulls at him until she's become an obsession that he simply can't shake. But she was with another male, and watching them together was agonizing. When that relationship ends, Butch makes his move. Now he has to convince her to take a second chance on him, and he won't leave her alone until she does. As far as he's concerned, Imani's his and has always been his. He just needs to make her see that.

Whenever wolf shifter Roni Axton is near Marcus Fuller, there's a crackle of sexual awareness that's intoxicating ... and deeply annoying. Marcus is a pack enforcer who oozes power, but Roni is lethal in her own right. His possessive gaze makes one thing clear. Marcus has singled her out for seduction, and he wants to make her sit up and beg. When a brutal attack by a jackal pack forces them to work together, it's the perfect opportunity for Marcus to chip away at her defenses-- until he falls into his own trap, completely unprepared for the intensity of their connection. For Marcus, claiming Roni once will mean needing her forever.

Keira soon finds herself becoming a pawn in a game she could never hope to win, and now the King on the board is a Vampire on a mission. With the only man able to stop him miles away from the mountain prison in which she is kept, she must now choose which path to take in order to survive. With enemies at all sides closing in quick, she must tread carefully, or she might find the man to save her isn't the White Knight she loves... but the Dark King she loathes. Time with the Vampire King is dangerous, and Keira soon learns that it is more than just the power of her mind she needs to keep locked but also the power of her heart... And Lucius might just hold the key to both.

Part of a small demon lair in Las Vegas, tattooist Harper Wallis lives a pretty simple life. That changes overnight when she discovers that her psychic mate, or 'anchor', is a guy who's rumoured to be the most powerful demon in existence. Compelling, full of secrets and armed with raw sexuality, Knox Thorne is determined to claim her as his anchor, creating a psychic bond that will prevent their inner demons from ever turning rogue. The billionaire also wants Harper in his bed. She's not so sure she wants either of those things. No one seems to know what breed of demon Knox is, only that he's more dangerous than anything she's ever before encountered. But he refuses to walk away. And when an unknown danger starts closing in on Harper, it seems that Knox is the only one who can keep her safe. As Prime of his Las Vegas lair and a successful businessman, Knox Thorne is used to being in control. He's also used to people fearing and obeying him. Harper does neither, which unexpectedly amuses him. Unpredictable, elusive and complex, she draws Knox and his inner demon like nothing ever has. Knox is used to getting what he wants, and he wants Harper. He'll have her, and he'll keep her safe from the threat that looms over her. Because Knox protects what's his. He won't allow anyone to take her from him. Even if it will mean letting the demon inside him rise and wreak the havoc it was created to make.

Jaxxon Carter, barmaid, would like nothing more than to better her current situation. A one-bedroomed flat, a sleazy landlord, drug-addicted neighbors - not exactly a childhood dream. When a chance encounter leads to a modelling job, she is catapulted to the peak of success. She also finds herself the focus of lethally sensual Connor McKenzie, who she hasn't seen since he left their foster home and went on to become a Formula One driver. But she has no intention of giving in to the mindless need between them. He hurt her once, and she won't allow it to happen a second time. Confident, determined, compelling...Connor McKenzie isn't a man who deprives himself of what he wants. There was only one thing he ever resisted, and it was the one thing he wanted most: the unknowingly enticing Jaxxon. When he sees her on the cover of a magazine, it reawakens every urge he buried. She tries to keep him out of her life, but Connor can't let it go. He resisted her ten years ago for a good reason. But now that reason is no longer there, and he's resolute that nothing - not even Jaxxon - will stop him from having her.

Every hundred years, tradition dictates that all eligible females in Sweetwater assemble for the choosing ceremony. Two vampire kings have separate territories within the surrounding countryside. Both are eager to pick their future brides. What a waste of her freaking time. Tanya is among the many women at the choosing ceremony. As far as she's concerned it's an outdated, sexist event and if it wasn't mandatory she so wouldn't be here. It's not important that the two males are ridiculously rich and handsome. Deep down she knows a plain Jane like her will never be picked by one of the kings anyway. Many of the women in the town square are stunningly beautiful and model thin. Most seem enthusiastic about being a queen even if it means being mated to a blood sucker, which suits her just fine. Imagine her surprise though when King Brant sets his sights firmly on her. Once a vampire king has decided, there's no going back. But her home is in Sweetwater. Being forced to live amongst the vampire species...big gulp...forced to mate with a vampire...is not what she had in mind for herself. Maybe she can convince him to let her go, to pick again. If not, she'll have to find a way to escape his - very muscled and rather delicious - clutches.

Gender in the Vampire Narrative addresses issues of masculinity and femininity, unpacking cultural norms of gender. This collection demonstrates the way that representations of gender in the vampire narrative traverse a large scope of expectations and tropes. The text offers classroom ready original essays that outline contemporary debates about sexual objectification and gender norms using the lens of the vampire in order to examine the ways those roles are undone and reinforced through popular culture through a specific emphasis on cultural fears and anxieties about gender roles. The essays explore the presentations of gendered identities in a wide variety of sources including novels, films, graphic novels and more, focusing on wildly popular examples, such as The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, and Twilight, and also lesser known works, for instance, Byzantium and The Blood of the Vampire. The authors work to unravel the ties that bind gender to the body and the sociocultural institutions that shape our views of gendered norms and invite students of all levels to engage in interdisciplinary conversations about both theoretical and embodied constructions of gender. This text makes a fascinating accompanying text for many courses, such as first-year studies, literature, film, women’s and gender studies, sociology, popular culture or media studies, cultural studies, American studies or history. Ultimately this is a text for all fans of popular culture. “Hobson and Anyiwo chase the vampire through history and across literature, film, television, and stage, exploring this complexity and offering insightful and accessible analyses that will be enjoyed by students in popular culture, gender studies, and speculative fiction. This collection is not to be missed by those with an interest in feminist cultural studies – or the undead.” – Barbara Gurr, University of Connecticut “Hobson and Anyiwo push the boundaries of the scholarship as it has been written until now.” –Catherine Coker, Texas A&M University Amanda Hobson is Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the Women’s Resource Center at Indiana State University. U. Melissa Anyiwo is a Professor of Politics & History and Coordinator of African American Studies at Curry College in Massachusetts.