Author Archives: Carol
A book reviewer and editor at Bitten by Books since 2008, Carol reads extensively in the urban fantasy genre, and also writes the column on genre television, Screen Bites. Serving as the director of the Urban Fantasy track at Dragon Con, Carol also works at Coastal Magic (formerly Olde City, New Blood), and AnachroCon, and for the last three years has been one of the organizers for a small literary festival in the town where she lives. When not reading, writing reviews, or working at conventions, Carol spends as much time as possible with her three amazing grandsons.
Carol
January 12, 2014
Paranormal, Reviews
When the first installment of the Witchcraft Mystery series begins, Lily Ivory finds herself taken aback when Aidan Rhodes, self-proclaimed male witch, walks into her vintage clothing store, Aunt Cora’s Closet. Making the incident even stranger, Aidan gives Lily a gift: a gnomish creature to serve as her familiar.
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Carol
January 12, 2014
Horror, Paranormal, Reviews
Life has not been particularly kind to the survivors of the great battle with Dracula in the novel of the same name. Picking up twenty-five years after the events that end the original novel, the drug-addicted Dr. Jack Seward witnesses the torture and subsequent murder of a young woman by two “women in white” and their mistress, Countess Elizabeth Bathory, in Marseilles, France.
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Carol
January 12, 2014
Paranormal, Reviews, Urban Fantasy
The intriguing premise of the gripping
Blood Oath has its roots in an actual historical event. In 1867, a man accused of murdering his crewmates on a whaling vessel was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson. A newspaper published a story about the incident, referring to the accused as a “vampire.”
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Carol
January 10, 2014
Reviews, Urban Fantasy
Vicious Moon, the exciting third installment in the intriguing Earth Witches series, begins with PI (and mostly-non-practicing witch) Nyx Ianira working a case to reunite a mother with her child. As it turns out, Nyx should have paid attention to her reservations about this case, since the aggrieved mother really just wanted to get inside her ex’s home for drug money.
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Carol
January 9, 2014
Paranormal, Reviews
Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors, the terrific fourth book in the highly entertaining Nice Girls series, begins with Jane’s boyfriend, Gabriel, popping he question yet again. This time, however, she says yes. Shortly thereafter, the teenaged neighbor Jane babysat when he was a child gets hit by a car right in front of her house. Read More »
Carol
January 5, 2014
Erotica, Reviews
Welcome back to the wickedly entertaining world of Sang, where woodland animals and many of the citizens enjoy a red liquid diet. Determined to gain access to Criminy Stain’s carnival to gather material for her book, intrepid reporter Jacinda Harville shows up unannounced, not surprised when Criminy himself arrives at her door demanding an explanation.
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Carol
December 29, 2013
Paranormal, Reviews, Urban Fantasy
The Shadow Reader hits the ground running as the fabulous first installment in what promises to be a terrific trilogy. First, some background: at the age of sixteen, McKenzie Lewis began seeing things and beings she could not explain, soon learning that she was experiencing the Fae. Prized for her ability as a human with the Sight, and also because she could read shadows and map where the Read More »
Carol
December 4, 2013
Screen Bites
Watchers, there have been some big revelations in the last few weeks of these shows. Please be aware that there will indeed be SPOILERS.
Sleepy Hollow, Monday 9:00 EST, Fox
I don’t know about you, but I find this show very satisfying on all levels: story, premise, characters, supernatural content, as well as the acting, writing, and look of the sets. Read More »
Carol
November 13, 2013
Reviews, Science Fiction
The Inexplicables, the terrific fourth installment in the fabulous Clockwork Century series, finds Rector Sherman, orphan, facing his eighteenth birthday with the knowledge he will be required to leave the orphanage where he has lived almost his whole life. A young man without much in the way of prospects, given his penchant for using the sap (the drug made from the Blight gas that has infected Seattle Read More »
Carol
November 8, 2013
Reviews, Urban Fantasy
Meet Daisy Johanssen, part-time file clerk at the local police department, who also happens to be half demon and the agent/enforcer for Hel, the goddess who oversees the eldritch (supernatural) community of the small town of Pemkowet, Michigan. After listening to a band with her friend, Jen, chasing off a fairy attempting to turn a child into a changeling, and a few hours sleep,
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Carol
November 5, 2013
Screen Bites
Watchers, this week we will discuss just a few shows, as I am still trying to catch up on my viewing, and later in the column I will be asking for your input.
Grimm, Friday, 9:00 EST, NBC
So, how have you liked the first two episodes of the new season? It was pretty much a given that Zombie Nick couldn’t stick around too long, which I imagine is one reason he didn’t end up in Europe. Also, by having him rampage through the Portland area there is more at stake if anyone recognizes him. Read More »
Carol
November 3, 2013
Paranormal, Reviews, Urban Fantasy
When
Dead Letter Day, the terrific third installment in the always-entertaining Messenger series, begins, Melina finds herself face-to-face with Chuck, alpha of local werewolf pack, in an effort to track down her good friend, Paul. Chuck and the rest of the pack, unhappy with Paul’s choice of a girlfriend (Melina’s pal, Meredith, who happens to be a witch), do not appear very concerned about his absence, believing him to be off doing some soul-searching regarding his life choices.
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Carol
October 28, 2013
Paranormal, Reviews
Everyone’s favorite ditzy vampire queen returns in
Undead and Unsure, the excellent twelfth book in the always-enjoyable Queen Betsy series. Still trying to wrap her head around Marc being some sort of sentient zombie, Jessica being pregnant, Not-Nick actually liking her, and her sister, Laura the Antichrist, being angry with her for having killed her mother, the Devil, Betsy decides what they all need is
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Carol
October 27, 2013
Reviews
Watchers, this week we’ll talk a bit about the new genre shows that have aired so far.
The ones I love: Sleepy Hollow, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
The ones I like: Dracula, The Tomorrow People, The Witches of East End, The Originals, Ravenswood
The one I don’t like: American Horror Story: Coven Read More »
Carol
October 16, 2013
Screen Bites
Watchers, after a six-month (!) hiatus, I am back to discuss the shows we love. My apologies for the longer-than-expected absence, but other activities (good ones) kept me otherwise occupied.
I am still catching up on the current season’s slate of genre shows, so this week’s column will be for you to share what you have been watching, and whether you are enjoying the shows or don’t plan to continue with them. Read More »
Carol
October 2, 2013
Paranormal, Reviews, Urban Fantasy
Cursed, the terrific first installment in the Fallen Siren series, grabs the reader immediately and holds them until the end. Emma Monroe, an FBI agent specializing in missing persons cases in San Diego, gets a shock when Zack Armstrong arrives to take the position as her new partner. Just over a year ago, Emma and Zack worked a case together in Charleston, which they solved, but they also ended up in bed together that final night they worked together. Read More »
Carol
September 30, 2013
Paranormal, Reviews
Imagine a scenario where a select group of individuals has the ability to mold circumstances to their wishes, or at the very least influence others to make decisions that garner those results. This intriguing premise serves as the backbone of the fascinating tale told in
The Incrementalists, a combined effort from the writing team of Steven Brust and Skyler White. With a client meeting moved from New York to
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Carol
September 24, 2013
Paranormal, Reviews, Urban Fantasy
An electrifying roller coaster ride,
On Midnight Wings, the fifth installment in the magnificent Maker’s Song series, picks up the action right where book four leaves off. After retrieving Annie, Heather’s sister, from the sidewalk where her father unceremoniously dropped her while trying to escape, Lucien de Noir, Dante’s father and one of the Fallen, mulls over the fact that his son was shot and taken away by person or persons unknown, with Heather also missing.
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Carol
September 20, 2013
Paranormal, Reviews
My Big Fat Demon Slayer Wedding, book five in the immensely enjoyable Accidental Demon Slayer series, opens with Lizzie and Grandma stopping at a farmer’s market on their way to the California estate that Lizzie’s adoptive mother, Hillary, rented for the wedding and the events of the week leading up to it. Grandma wants some grave dirt for a spell, and while they are in the market, Lizzie hears a voice, then notices the small family plot at the edge of a strawberry field.
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Carol
September 12, 2013
Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Reviews, Urban Fantasy
Blood Price, the fabulous first installment in the Blood series, hooks the reader from the first page and does not let go even after the last page gets turned. Former homicide detective and current private investigator Vicki Nelson comes upon an attack in a Toronto subway station, arriving too late to help the victim but in time to see some sort of shadow disappear into the darkness of the tunnel. Vicki’s deteriorating eyesight,
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