Don’t Look Behind
the Bookshelf
Welcome to Day 11 of Don't Look Behind the Bookshelf, you walking blood banks. (You can see yesterday's post here.) Today, behind the bookshelf is going to get a little bloody. But don't worry, if you recently ate some garlic bread you should be fine. Before you fang-out, be sure to give a nice varm velcome to...
ELIZABETH RICHARDS
Top 6(66) Bloodsuckers
I was really
thrilled when Rachel gave me this topic, as ever since I was a little girl,
I’ve been fascinated with vampires. Here’s my list of Top 6(66) Bloodsuckers
who have inspired, chilled and thrilled me over the years…
1. SPIKE (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
My favorite
vamp of them all has to be Spike, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He’s such a
complex character. On the one hand, he’s like a bull shark – violent,
dangerous, and has a nasty bite! But he’s also loyal, vulnerable and a hopeless
romantic…although his version of romance is certainly more twisted than a
normal man’s (Spike is the kind of guy who’d give you an actual heart for
Valentine’s Day, rather than a candy one). Plus, he looks like Billy Idol!
What’s not to love about that?! I’ve had the good fortune to meet James
Marsters a few times at sci-fi events, and even heard him sing! *swoon* That
just makes me love him more.
2. EDMUND (‘Tweenlight’, Treehouse of Horror
XXI, The Simpsons)
This episode
of The Simpsons combined two of my favorite things: Twilight and Daniel
Radcliffe! In this episode, Lisa meets the mysterious Edmund (a spoof of Edward
Cullen), who turns out to be the son of Dracula. Utterly brilliant! (And I have
to say, I’m a little jealous of Lisa…)
3. DRACULA (Bram Stoker’s Dracula)
You can’t
have a list of Top 10 Bloodsuckers without including the grandfather of them
all, Dracula. When I was a teen in the 90s (I know, I’m old!) the movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula was a massive deal, and a
favorite among my Vamp friends. Gary Oldman quickly became our number one
pin-up. The movie hasn’t aged that well (and OMG, don’t get me started on Keanu
Reeves’ terrible British accent), but it has one of the best movie soundtracks
I’ve ever heard, so check it out, specifically Annie Lennox’s Love Song for a Vampire!
4. ANGEL (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
5. EDWARD CULLEN (Twilight)
Love it or hate it, you can’t
deny Twilight changed the face of
vampires, turning them from dusty old creatures that hang out in cemeteries, to
glittery teen hunks, with awesome hair and fast cars. I’m not ashamed to admit
I < 3 Edward Cullen!!! It was such a
fresh spin on vampires and got me to fall in love with them all over
again.
6. DAVID (The Lost Boys)
Most people
would say Michael was the sexiest vamp (well, near-vamp) in the cult classic,
The Lost Boys, but my undead heart always went out to David (played by Kiefer
Sutherland). He was the Edward Cullen of his day, riding around on motorbikes
and looking cool with his trademark bleached mullet (trust me, it was
fashionable back in those days), although unlike Edward he was bad to his bones
and took great pleasure in toying with Michael (just watch the noodle scene to
understand what I mean). However, you know deep down David holds a grudge about
being turned into this monster and you can’t help but feel sorry for him. Beautiful
and tragic, David encompasses the dark heart of vampires. If you get a moment,
check out The Lost Boys’s haunting theme-song Cry Little Sister.
Lights Out
Title: Black City
A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.
In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-old Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.
When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.
It's Taking Flight
Title: Phoenix
Title: Wings
Lights Out
Author: Elizabeth Richards
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publishing Date: November 13, 2012
A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.
In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-old Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.
When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.
It's Taking Flight
Title: Phoenix
Author: Elizabeth Richards
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publishing Date: June 4, 2013
Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth.
When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well.
But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others.
This enthralling sequel to Black City is just as absorbing, delicious and steamy as the first book, leaving readers hungry for the series conclusion.
The End is Coming
Author: Elizabeth Richards
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publishing Date: June 12, 2014
Pages: 400
Pages: 400
Following the cliffhanger ending of Phoenix, Natalie finds herself separated from Ash and unexpectedly reunited with her parents, including the father she thought was dead. But she can only think of Ash. She hasn't heard a word of him since she and Elijah were brought to the underground headquarters of the Sentry Rebellion. But she vows to find him.
Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.
A pulse-racing end to an exciting series.
Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.
A pulse-racing end to an exciting series.
Two Fangs Up
“A Romeo and Juliet–type of relationship, yet there’s so much action, anger and angst that the plot line is just as vital as the romance aspect. Fans of urban fantasy and forbidden romance will definitely want to pick this one up.” — USA Today
“Elizabeth Richards has created a world of darkness and death. The creatures are deadly, the humans brutal. I was intrigued from page one. BLACK CITY seethes.” — Kendare Blake, author of ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD
“Ash and Natalie are strong, clever, and determined to prevail. The ongoing struggle between good and bad is delineated with heart-thumping action and strong plotting. A cliff-hanger ending will have fans eager for the next installment.” — BOOKLIST
The One in the Cape
Elizabeth Richards is an award-winning journalist, who spent her early career reviewing videogames before making the bold (or crazy) move into travel writing, despite suffering from terrible travel sickness.
In her spare time, she ran a successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls, where she got to interview many of her favourite bands, go to gigs and basically blag loads of free swag all in the name of ‘research’.
Elizabeth lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her husband. Black City is her debut novel.
In her spare time, she ran a successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls, where she got to interview many of her favourite bands, go to gigs and basically blag loads of free swag all in the name of ‘research’.
Elizabeth lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her husband. Black City is her debut novel.
You'll Be Back
Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed Elizabeth's posts--I know I did, partially because I love vampires. Don't forget to follow her sites and check out her books!
Don't Look Behind the Bookshelf continues tomorrow with its penultimate post. We're almost done! But be careful--tomorrow may bring with it a little paranormal activity...
I just LOVE this series. And the writing is wonderful. Gorgeous prose.
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