A Creepy Classic Review: Bram Stoker's Dracula

My Creepy Classic for this month is none other than Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Whew…what a read! I can honestly say with the upmost certainty that this was the best classic I’ve read so far.

The only puzzling notion I have is: Do I love it because it’s a thrilling read or Do I love it because it’s Dracula. Would I love a tale such as this if it were written present day? I’m certain I’d love it no matter what, but I can’t help but wonder. The truth is so much of what we know today in modern paranormal tales comes from Stoker original genius. I wonder what Stoker would say if he could see all the sensationalism today about creatures of the night? He’d probably get a kick out of it no doubt.

What’s so masterful about his book is how it’s written. With the journal writings, letters, phonograph recordings etc…, Stoker’s clever depiction of each character is sheer brilliance. He so ingeniously captured his characters like he was flawlessly fluent in their native tone, switching effortlessly from character to character all in sync with the novel. I was amazed. For me, this was the original tale that put the proverbial “Vampire” stake in the unholy ground. Stoker’s preternatural imagination delves far beyond the holy water, garlic and creature of the night aspect. He weaves in werewolves, bats, mist, fog, children among other things and…let’s not forget, Van Helsing.

I won't say what Dracula’s about because…unless you've been under a rock for the last 150+ years, you already know the gist of the story. However, don't let Hollywood fool you. Read the book. It's OH so much better.

The only downside was – and I can’t believe I’m revealing this – in many parts it comes off a bit long winded. But, I feel that is because lately I’ve been spoon fed the cookie-cutter books that are out there with quick and to the point plots. Trying to shove Stoker’s Dracula into that literary box would be a travesty and thus would dismiss the art of this timeless classic.


It’s been sometime since I’ve read this novel and it was an absolute pleasure to rediscover it. I so loved it and will forever be part of my Classic Collection. What’s that? It's my treasured book collection; one of the few I will always turn to for inspiration and read over and over again.


On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter, I give Bram Stoker’s Dracula a 5.

Until next time...for heaven's sake...read a Creepy Classic!

Mina B.

Paranormal Book Review: Sherrilyn Kenyon's The Dream Hunter

Today’s review is Sherrilyn Kennon’s The Dream Hunter.  It’s my understanding the novel is 10th in a series of Dark Hunter/Dream Hunter novels she writes.

Initially, I was searching for her Dark Hunter series when I came across this book. It looked interesting and so, I took a chance. There’s one thing for certain, Kenyon is a killer writer with a gift of transforming magical or godlike realms/situations credibly and intriguingly into present day. The first aspect that grabbed my attention was the setting in Santorini, Greece. I’m not a person that’s familiar or over enthusiastic about Greek mythology. But, after a few chapters of the tale, I was entertained to want to know more.

Arik was previously Oneroi – a protector of humans against the Skoti - somehow got demoted, imprisoned to a life of dreamed servitude as a Dream Hunter. He got caught experiencing off the chart emotions and was forced to become a sleep god, Skoti.  A Skoti travels in and out of an unsuspecting human’s subconscious while they’re dreaming and fulfills vivid, daring and often erotic fantasies. Skoti have lived for centuries without emotion, feeling nothing except when in a human’s dream. That all changes for Arik, of course, once he meets Dr. Megeara Kafieri (Geary).


Geary is a young, vivacious, Grecian scholar whose father’s (another Ph.D./archeologist) life obsession had been to find the city of Atlantis. Rumored to be hidden off the coast of Greece, Dr. Kafieri takes over her father’s plight, agreeing to do so at his deathbed.


Geary’s unbridled passion ignites a fury of want from Arik. Night after night he meets with her, infiltrating her mind and suspending her mind and body in sexual bliss. Each time they meet, Arik grows increasingly obsessed with the human and her appetite for love. He’s puzzled by her and decides he must meet her in real life and at any cost. His plan to cross over into the human world is all well and good but completely unrealistic. But this is a godly world that he lives in and when there is a will, there is often a way. Arik finds a way by using Hades, the god of the underworld, and makes a deadly pact.


Once Arik becomes human, he stumbles upon Geary and quickly discovers she’s the complete opposition to her subconscious self. Now Arik has little time to woo, earn the trust and enflame Geary – his human infatuation – and experience her live and in person before he’s summoned back to his pitiful existence as a Skoti.


The tale goes far deeper than this, delving into the worlds of Atlantis, other mythological gods and myths. That was actually one of my favorite parts of the book. Kenyon is a master at building characters. I wasn’t “in love” with the main characters but the other ones like Solin were exceptionally cool. The Dream Hunter wasn’t my favorite book, by far but I still liked it. If you like gods, Greek Mythology and romance, then you’ll enjoy this book too.


On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter, I give The Dream Hunter a 3 ¼.


Until next time…looking for something different, read a Sherrilyn Kenyon The Dream Hunter.


Mina B.

Want to win a FREE copy?
Sign up today!  Click here to this blog post

My FREE Book Contest for

Sherrilyn Kenyon's The Dream Hunter

ends August 30th eod

Is Today’s Fang Market "Vamp Overkill"? $7 Bil Says No

OK, so...I LOVE this article that The Hollywood Reporter recently reported on:   Vampires bring $7 bil to Hollywood economy by Jay A. Fernandez and Borys Kit. According to THR estimates, Vampires generated billions of dollars in revenues within the last two years. (Thank you Twilight.) The areas tallied were Film, Publishing, TV, DVDs and Other/Misc. WOW, that’s a whole lot of blood money.

Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
FYI:  "Nightmares" is one of favs in the series.  

I love this topic because frankly, I’m sick of all the “vampire bashing.” Sure, the movie Vampire Sucks is funny and all – who doesn’t love a good spoof - but these folks aren’t dumb. They’re cashing in on the hanging fruit (or dollars) of this monstrous vampire money tree. I understand for some people the entire notion of “immortal beings” is overdone. Yet for people like me, who thrive on cryptic creatures, you can never have enough.

Now that I’ve said that, I have to own up. I personally wrote a couple of vampire novels that I am attempting to get published.  And...true story...when I wrote my novels, I wrote them not because people liked or disliked vampires. I wrote them because I love the topic. They say to write what you love and so I did.

It looks like vampires might be around for a bit longer, thanks to a different kind of dead economy. And for me, as a writer, reader and everything in between…that’s a bloody good thing.

What do you think about this topic? Is today’s fang market “Vamp Overkill” or…Do you have an insatiable appetite for bloodsuckers?


Mina B.

(Note: I’m currently working on my website and will be posting a synopsis and sample chapters of my novels for review. Check back soon or if not…bite me.)

This Week's FREE Book Contest: Sherrilyn Kenyon's The Dream Hunter

As promised, I’m running a FREE Book Contest for Sherrilyn Kenyon’s The Dream Hunter. It’s the first of the Dream Hunter series and truthfully, I hadn’t read anything quite like it. I got my hands on an extra copy that I thought my minions would appreciate. I plan on posting my review this week so check back.


Sherrilyn Kenyon is a New York Times bestselling author that is best known for her Lords of Avalon and Dark Hunter novels.

Don’t miss out on this Freebie.

My FREE Book Contest for

Sherrilyn Kenyon's The Dream Hunter 

ends August 30th eod

For information about The Dream Hunter read a snippet below from Kenyon’s site:
Setting: Modern Greece, #1 Bestseller

In the ethereal world of dreams, there are champions who fight to protect the dreamer and there are demons who prey on them...

Arik is such a predator. Condemned by the gods to live eternity without emotions, Arik can only feel when hes in the dreams of others. For thousands of years, hes drifted through the human unconscious, searching for sensation. Now hes finally found a dreamer whose vivid mind can fill his emptiness.


Dr. Megeara Kafieri watched her father ruin himself and his reputation as he searched to prove Atlantis was real. Her deathbed promise to him to salvage his reputation has now brought her to Greece where she intends to prove once and for all that the fabled island is right where her father said it was. But frustration and bad luck dog her every step. Especially the day they find a stranger floating in the sea. His is a face shes seen many times.... in her dreams.  (Click here to read an excerpt.)




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Until next time…Enter to win a Free copy of Sherryln Kenyon’s The Dream Hunter

Mina B.

Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy Short Story, Kisses from Hell coming soon

I am indescribably excited about Richelle Mead’s upcoming Vampire Academy short story in an anthology book called, Kisses from Hell.The book is set to release on August 24th  from
 Harper Teen, and features other acclaimed YA authors including: Kristin Cast, Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, and Francesca Lia Block.

Richelle Mead’s story is part of the smash hit, young adult vampire series, Vampire Academy and is called “Sunshine.”  The tale introduces us into the Dragomir dynasty, Lissa’s parents to be exact. This story highlights Eric and Rhea Dragomir’s royal romance, which no doubt should be intriguing. One can only wonder if this short tale is a must read in order to move onto Book 6, Last Sacrifice.  I’ll be reading it, of course, since I’m a sucker for the series. And when I’m done, you can rest assured I’ll be blogging about it to keep my mystic fans up to speed. To read an excerpt of “Sunshine” see Richelle Mead’s site.

Kisses from Hell comes out this week - August 24th.


Until next time, read a Vampire Academy novel and try Kisses from Hell while you’re at it.


Mina B.

A Paranormal Book Review: Larissa Ione's Sin Undone

Book 5 and the final installment of Larissa Ione’s Demonica series is Sin Undone. Okay, before I review, I have to give a shout out to RexRobotreviews.com. If it weren’t for their ARC tour, I wouldn’t be raving my review today. So…thank you, Rex! You rock!!

And now, onto the demonic magic of Larissa Ione. Sinead Donnelly is a demon who’s genetically flawed. She’s the first ever female Seminus Demon. For those of you who do not know the series, Seminus Demons are always male and NEVER female. In a DNA fluke, Sin was born right along with her twin, Lore.  He was the typical male Seminus Demon and Sin was the anomaly.  Now, she's the only Seminus female ever known to behold a disease-prone power and a killer sex drive.

Let me back up. A Seminus male demon, once gone through S’genisis – if not mated – can be a hell of a sperm bank for unsuspecting fertile females (human or demonic, otherwise). The Seminus demons in Ione’s novels - Eidolon, Shade, Wraith, Lore and now Sin - are all products of their father's overzealous sexual appetite. It’s not like a Seminus Demon can help it, really. Sex and release are as crucial to their demon species, almost like air is to humans. If you’re a Seminus demon, you MUST have sex or else.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the series, see Larissa’s site or my previous reviews of Book 1 & 2. Book 1, Pleasure Unbound (my review) and Book 2, Desire Unchained, (my review).  As I said before, I screwed the pooch and read this series out of sequence. Do yourself a favor and tow the line accordingly.

Now we first met Sin in Ecstasy Unveiled. I laughed out loud HARD when I read the “Sex Bet” scene with Sin and Con (the dhampire: half vampire/werewolf). Freaking funny as all get out! Reading about Sin was so pleasurable it felt like a sin, truly. Sin has this abominable gift to inflict any disease to anyone/demon she touches – diseases that could wipe out entire races, let alone species. In Book 5, she’s caused a catastrophic mess by conjuring up a plague that nearly destroyed all worlds of werewolves. She didn’t mean to do it, or did she? One never knows with Sin. The disease was running ramped and Underworld General, the neutral demon hospital, was feeling Sin’s repercussions.

What makes this book different from the rest? First of all…Sin. She’s an outright mess, who fits rather nicely next to all her brother’s and their demonic/neurotic tendencies. Sin is Wraith with tits. She’s ballsy, witty and has a sex drive to outmatch most males. Basically, Con’s dream girl. And the heat that these two generate when near one another is off the charts.

Sin Undone is full of sub plots that make you wonder if this series is really over. I hope not. What a tragedy it would be to discontinue such a vivid, sadistic, sensual, demonic underworld. A complete and utter tragedy, I assure you. Sin’s book was just a lively as the others. Once you read the other novels, only then can you really appreciate Sin and her complex character. She’s hell on wheels or daggers, actually. Oh, how I enjoyed this book. I won’t tell you more than that…you’ll just have to go out and buy it when it releases, August 24th.

Larissa Ione writes like a MF and that’s meant as a compliment. If you’re looking for something different and sexy from a killer writer, then Ione’s Deminica Novels are just for you.

On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter, I gave Larissa Ione’s Sin Undone a 4.5. (Sniffle…I can’t believe the saga is over.)

Mina B.

A Paranormal Book Review: Lynsay Sands's Vampire, Interrupted

To end my “All Things Lynsay Sands” blog segment, I’m saving my favorite book for my last review, Vampire, Interrupted. I can’t emphasize enough the beauty and warmth surrounding a most beloved character, Marguerite Argeneau.

Reading about Marguerite is like coming home. In nearly every book in Lynsay Sands’s Argeneau series, Marguerite has played a pivotal role. From the relentless matchmaker to the steadfast confidant, whatever the need, Marguerite’s been there every step of the way, trudging forward in pursuit of her family’s happiness. And just when the series is getting hot, Sands’s kills her readers with Marguerite’s riveting tale. I absolutely – without a doubt – LOVE this book.

My only advice to you is to not – NOT- do this story an injustice without reading at least a few of Sands’s previous Argeneau novels. I personally feel you should read all the books prior. But, if you can’t, than by all means at minimum start with A Quick Bite, Love Bites, Single White Vampire and Tall Dark and Hungry and I’d throw in A Bite To Remember too – only because it’s has the setup for Vampire, Interrupted.

Coming off of A Bite To Remember, Marguerite is doing something she’s never done before, detective work.  It’s quite a career change to go from matchmaker to private investigator but Marguerite can’t say no when a young man she regards dearly, Christian Notte, wants to hire her to find his mother. And so she and Tiny (Jackie’s human PI partner) are off to England in search for what ends up being a dangerous mission, even for immortals.

Christian’s been told his whole life by his father, Julius Notte, that his mother was dead. Yet, for some reason, Christian won’t let this sleeping dog lie. In the first couple chapters, we not only find out that Marguerite isn’t much of a detective but also we’re introduced to the tightly wound yet handsome and lovable, Julius Notte. Marguerite is utterly smitten as is Julius and soon they realize their lifemates. This whole roller coaster ride of an investigation would be a lot simpler if Julius would just disclose to Christian the identity of his real mother. Unfortunately, he refuses, siting a damnable reason that would shake any child to the core. And to make matters worse, someone else doesn’t want this earth-shattering information unveiled and will do anything to keep it hidden, and that includes attempting murder.

The who, what, where, when and why are so gripping in this book, you’re literally go “Holy @#$%” once Sands reveals key points in the story. Ooooooh…it’s so good. I won’t say more than that because it would just be wrong…. You must read this book now and FAST.

This book was so killer it’s now a part of my Mystic Minds Classic Collection. What’s that? It's my treasured book collection; one of the few I will always turn to for inspiration and read over and over again.

On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter, I give Lynsay Sands’s Vampire, Interrupted a 5.

Until next time, read an Argeneau book, my favorite, Vampire, Interrupted.

Mina B.

A Paranormal Book Review: Lynsay Sands's The Accidental Vampire

To continue on my “All Things Lynsay Sands” blog segment, I’m reviewing Lynsay Sands’s Argeneau series, The Accidental Vampire. I said it earlier...HIL LAR I OUS! Can you imagine being in the winter of your life, traveling abroad – enjoying a much needed vacation – and then WHAM, you turn into a vampire? Well, the backstory’s a bit more involved than that.


Elvi Black is a senior citizen – in her 60’s and cute as heck - riding on a bus in Mexico with her best girlfriend, Mabel, when the bus crashes, overturns and she wakes up with the blood of an immortal seeping through her mouth. That’s the way it began for her and since no one’s given her the vampire handbook or taught her the ways of the immortal world, she’s completely alone in her eternal life.

What’s so darn adorable about Elvi is she’s this va va va voom vixen now – thanks to those nanos. And she still treats everyone like she’s a grandma. How I love this character…. Not knowing squat about being a vampire, Elvi assumes the stereotypical life of a vampire. No garlic, sleeping in a coffin and absolutely no sweets. Umm, the life of a vamp would suck if one had to live so tediously. And what’s even cuter is her human friends are worried she’ll be alone and so they secretly place a romance ad for other immortals and that’s when the fun begins.

More than a few show up in the little town of Port Henry. Victor Argeneau is one of those would be suitors but his interest – at first – is to investigate the fool who’d put an ad in the paper. Under Lucian Ageneau’s authority, he has to find, capture and put down the very vampire who’s threatening the secrecy of the immortals. All those carefully laid plans are thrown out the window, of course, once Victor meets Eliv.

Imagine getting a second chance at life at the ripe old age of 62? Oh, this book is so darn good, I swear that’s all I’m going to say about it. You simply must, MUST, read this book. This is one of my favorites in the series for these reasons. It has romance, it’s unique and the humor is off the charts.

On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter, I give Lynsay Sands’s The Accidental Vampire a 4.

Until next time…read something by accident, read The Accidental Vampire.

Mina B.

My FREE Book Contest Winner for Lynsay Sands's Love Bites is…

Congratulations to Pink Panther for winning Love Bites by New York Times Bestselling author, Lynsay Sands. Stay tuned for rest of the week as I finish out my “All Things Lynsay Sands” blog segment, reviewing two additional Argeneau books: The Accidental Vampire and Vampire Interrupted. They are two of my favorite in the series which is why they must not be forgotten. The Accidental Vampire is laugh out loud funny and Vampire Interrupted is so darn good, you’ll be running to the book story to get yourself a copy. I want to thank all the contestants that commented and especially thank Lynsay Sands who took time out of her busy schedule to be interviewed. For those of you who missed my author interview with Lynsay Sands, click here to read more about the phenomenal writer and the killer Argeneau series.


As a special reminder, Lynsay Sands’s Born to Bite releases August 31st and I have no doubt it will rock, right along with the other novels in her Argeneau vampire series. I can’t wait to submerge myself into it. If you’re looking for more info on Lynsay’s upcoming book, read Chapter 1 by visiting Lynsay’s site.

Thanks again for all my mystic mind's fans for participating. Check back frequently this month, as I’ll be running another giveaway contest for my minions.


Until next time…read more about the Argeneaus, Born to Bite in particular.


Mina B.

Mina's Author Interview: New York Times Bestselling Author, Lynsay Sands

Today is a killer day for me. I have on my blog today, New York Times bestselling author, Lynsay Sands. For those of you who do not know, Lynsay is the killer author of the fan-tabulous Argeneau series. And she’s here today to answer some revealing questions about “All Things Lynsay Sands”.

As a special reminder, today is the last day to sign up to win Book 2 in Lynsay’s Argeneau series, Love Bites. Click here to enter and good luck. Contest ends today, eod.

And now...my killer interview with Lynsay Sands

Mina B.:   Welcome to my blog for mystic minds.  I understand there is much information about you from your website, Wikipedia and other blog interviews etc…Can you divulge something about yourself that your readers don’t know?


Lynsay: Ok… (wracking my brain now) … well how about this. I hate being interviewed in person as my voice sounds odd to me in recordings and I hate having my picture taken. So I guess I am living up to that artistic stereotype of being extremely private and secretive… LOL.


Mina B.: I know what you mean. I’m the same way. We know you write anthologies, The Highland Series, the Argeneau series, historical and contemporary and I believe also shape shifters. I read that you can’t predict the emerging trends but can you reveal another paranormal creature that intrigues you?


Lynsay:  Hmm… that’s a good question. I have always had problems writing about paranormal creatures and the reasons are: 1) because it would be very difficult for me to write about anything that wasn’t somehow scientifically plausible, even if it was a stretch; and 2) it would be pretty hard for me to write a love scene as I just find that most of these creatures are just not sexy. I mean, werewolves really just don’t do it for me. All I can think of is dogs chasing their tails, licking their butts and sniffing your crotch. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs and wolves and think they’re wonderful creatures. I just have trouble seeing them as sexy.


Other than that, I’m afraid I have never given too much thought to the possibility of writing about a new paranormal creature so nothing is really coming to mind, sorry.


Mina B.: Have you written anything YA? If not, would you consider it?


Lynsay:  I haven’t written anything for young adults yet, but I have been thinking about it since writing Immortal Hunter with Dani and her young sister Stephanie. I have been considering following Steph’s story, and the ideas for her are flying. The only thing holding me back is that I already have little time with the historicals and vamps on my plate. Not sure I could find time to add in two more books. Still … maybe in the future.


Mina B.: WOW. Lynsay Sands doing YA. You KNOW…it’s gonna be good.

Next question…We know you are a New York Times best seller among other great accomplishments. Can you tell us what award, accolade or accomplishment you haven’t won yet that would be the ultimate feather in your cap?


Lynsay:  I would love to one day hit #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list. That would definitely make my day… week… ah heck, it would probably make my entire year really.


Hmm…and maybe see my stories as a movie, although I'm less sure about that one because my characters have such a life of their own in my head that I think it would be difficult to find an actor or actress to portray them well enough to match up to the book character and satisfy me.

Mina B.:  I couldn’t agree with you more. However, I’d love to see Vampire Interrupted on the big screen. It is my favorite of your Argeneau books. That, I’m sure, would be a hit…no doubt. And ironically, the woman I think would be a great leading lady – Marguerite Argeneau…yep, Angelina Jolie. I know I know but really…she’s never done a vamp movie (that I know of) and the story is a killer one.

Sorry…next question. Can you discuss the process you take with your mystery writing and how your incorporate it in your novels?


Lynsay:  Uhm… I don’t even know how to answer this as I don’t write mystery novels… Although I suppose I often include a mystery in my stories. Who’s trying to kill so and so, who is trying to sabotage Vincent, etc. If that’s what you mean, you’re asking a very hard question. I’m afraid I’m not one of those people who sits down and writes out a nice solid outline of the story and then writes to it. I don’t plan them ahead. The stories for me are like movies that play out in my head and I just scramble to write/type them down. A lot of the time when I start the story I haven’t a clue who’s doing what or why, I’m just running with the pack and learning as I go along.




Mina B.:  OK, that’s totally fair about the mystery question. To be honest, I had to go back and think about this one. I remember I read (in this order) Bite Me If You Can, Vampire Interrupted and strangely I got my hands on a copy of  Devil of the Highlands (Lynsay’s Highland series – a very good book…no lie). All three had a “who done it” scenario. By the time I finished all three…I was a bona fide Lynsay Sands’s fan.


Next question…What’s the fan favorite for the Argeneau Series? And if you were going to recommend one to be read, which one would that be?


Lynsay: The odd thing is every book seems to be a favorite with different people. Some prefer Single White Vampire, some A Bite to Remember, some Renegade Hunter and so on. The one thing I have noticed is that they often say the first one they read of the series is usually their favorite and since I pick up new readers with each book that means each book is a favorite to a lot of people.

As for recommending one, A Quick Bite is the start of the series and a good place to begin, but my favorites are Single White Vampire, Bite Me If You Can and The Accidental Vampire. They are my favs for funny. Marguerite’s story (Vampire, Interrupted) and Armand’s (Born to Bite) are my favs for content.



Mina B.: Whatever series/book…do you ever have an incessant character that rings in your head to this very day?


Lynsay: Anyone who’s read a few of my Argeneaus could guess this… Lucian of course! His hard exterior and soft center makes him a favorite for most people. He is always popping up into my head and hence then into my stories.




Mina B.:  I love that answer. Lucian is the man.


Next… I do a monthly segment on my blog called Creepy Classics where I review a classic mystic or paranormal novel. In June, I reviewed Robert Louis Stephenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. In July, Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera. What is your favorite Creepy Classic & why?


Lynsay:  I probably shouldn’t admit this, but the only classics I’ve read were The Scarlet Letter and several Shakespeare stories, and that was because I was forced to in school. I didn’t enjoy Scarlet Letter. I was confusing it in my mind with the Scarlet Pimpernel when I picked it, expected humor and action and got the most depressing non-light read I’ve ever read and so stayed away from classics forever after. I have never read Stoker’s work, or Stephenson’s or even Shelly. So the closest I can give you to a classic is Dean Koontz Tick Tock. I love Dean Koontz, but this was one of his best. It was a funny horror, which I really enjoyed. I usually don’t remember titles but this one I remember some twenty years later, which says something.




Mina B.:  What is one aspect about writing that you absolutely love?


Lynsay: Doing the actual writing is what I love. Everything else (multiple edits, promo, etc) I could easily leave behind if I had the choice. That being said, there are aspects of the ‘other stuff’ I do enjoy, but I work a very full week to keep up with it all and I would really just prefer to keep pumping out the stories. . . or maybe even just a little time off.


Mina B.: Can you tell the readers something new about your upcoming release, Born to Bite?


Lynsay:  Born To Bite is Armand’s story. It resolves the matter of how his wives died, and also clears up the matter of Nicholas and what happened the night he was found with a dead mortal. Unfortunately, I couldn’t explain what happened at the end of Nicholas’s story, The Renegade Hunter, without giving away all of Armand’s story so had to leave his story just saying he was innocent. This will explain what happened that night.

I actually wrote and finished Armand’s story exactly a month after Nicholas’s and was hoping they would be published back to back like Vampires are Forever and Vampire, Interrupted were. However, it didn’t happen that way and they held the story a whole year! I really want to apologize to all my readers for that. Had I realized that would happen, I would have skipped those two stories. . . let’ or done them differently.


Hmmm, I guess none of that is new though. It seems like I’ve been repeating that last bit for months. Let me see . . . something new . . . Justin Bricker and Anders make an appearance in BTB and help out, and a lot of the family gathers together at the end as they arrive at the Hunter house to explain Nicholas’s innocence and all they’ve learned.


Gees, I don’t want to say anymore and give stuff away.

Mina B.: Thank you so much for your time, Lynsay.

Born to Bite releases August 31st. Don’t miss out on what promises to be a great read in a phenomenal vampire series, The Argeneaus. For more information about Born to Bite, read and excerpt on Lynsay’s website.

Until next time…buy Lynsay Sands’s upcoming Argeneau vampire book, Born to Bite.


Mina B.

A Paranormal Book Review: Lynsay Sands's Bite Me If You Can

Lynsay Sands’s next book (#6) in her Argeneau series is Bite Me If You Can. It’s all about Lucian Argeneau's story; the two thousand year old immortal who is not only head of the Argeneau family but head of the council that polices/investigates rogue vampires.

In Book 6, Lucian's on the hunt for rogues.  It appear's there’s a deadly bloodsucker on the loose, one from Lucian’s past who is wreaking havoc, creating vamps left and right. In Sands’s immortal realm, vampires are only able to create one vampire during their entire existence. Usually the immortals use this opportunity to turn a human if they find their life mate. This vital rule was designed to control the number of immortals. If these rules weren’t in place, then the vampires would increase exponentially and eventually deplete their only life source, human blood. Lucien is ruthless as head of the council and tolerates little when it comes to dealing with immortals that don’t follow the rules. And now, he’s in a pile of mess, discovering more and more fledgings (newbie vampires) and losing his patience in the process.

Everything changes, of course, once he meets Leigh; a sassy, intelligent young female who got caught in the crossfire of a rogue gone bad.

Leigh was minding her own business, literally, when she was attacked. And then she turned into an immortal being, forced into an eternal way of life, Lucian, who rarely coddles, finds himself oddly attracted to the female. Not that he admits it, at first. Once he realizes he can’t read Leigh and she’s his life mate, he’s the one forced to look at his immortal life in a new light. Lucian’s the oldest of his kin and as far as he’s concerned too damned old for romance, let alone the hot, young miss. Lucky for him, Leigh’s just as strong-minded as him to keep their relationship interesting.

This novel was a bit darker than the others but I liked it just the same. The vampire villain, Morgan, was a treat. At one point, you even felt bad for the rogue vampire. Lynsay matched Lucian perfectly with the bright, level-headed Leigh. Although there are other Argeneau tales that I enjoyed more, if you’re a die-hard fan, like me, than you’ll want to sink your teeth into every character’s story. And once you do, I promise, you won’t be disappointed.


On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter, Lynsay Sands’s Bite Me If You Can is a 3.5.


Until next time…read more from Lynsay Sands.


Mina B.

Remember my revealing interview with 

NY Times bestselling author - Lynsay Sands is set for August 16th 

Plus...my FREE Book Contest

to win Love Bites ends August 16th – eod.