A Good Vampire is Hard to Find
Where did all the vampires and werewolves go?
At one point my TBR pile (it hadn’t grown mountainous yet, it was just a very steep hill) was brimming with amazing PNR. There were so many good recommendations flying about you had to duck for cover with only a few duds in between. Now I feel like I am drowning in a sea of mediocre; were vampires, shifters and everything in between always this irritating and quite frankly lame? Or is it just me?
Maybe it’s me. Have I finally outgrown my need for broody older men with a past as dark as their clothing? Vampires have turned from sexy predators who regularly rocked my world to overly sulkey babies who like to creep around in the dark comparing stake sizes. The only rocking they do is when I have to contain the urge to stone them into their immortal rest.
I would like to think it is just me, that my tastes have changed so much that PNR books now have me yawning in boredom rather than squealing in excitement. I don’t like to think the alternative; that the golden age of PNR has passed and we are now just left with the second hand versions of what has come before. I want a bright future full of pointy canines and excessive body hair (just to clarify, I’m talking about shifters, I don’t want to create a new sub-sub-genre of Biker romances where pulling on a man’s back hair is sexy, Bikers are bad enough by themselves, they don’t also need hair in unexpected places.) Sadly, all I seem to find is the worst of the genre, full of excess clichés and pointless plots.
Does anyone out there think the same? Or do you have any recommendations for me? Please someone I am begging you to prove me wrong!
I completely agree with you on this Suz. A good PNR is hard to find lately. Granted I have my trusted authors that never do me wrong (Ward, Singh, Cole, Bishop, Harrison, Carey, Jones, Briggs, Andrews…. to name a few). But it’s been a long time since I’ve picked up an author in the paranormal genre that is not part of that trusted group that has made me run and buy everything they’ve ever written.
In fact, I can probably list the series I’ve dropped because I just couldn’t continue reading either the same rehashed stories, or the have lost interest in the characters (Carrie Vaughn, Lynsay Sands, Shelly Laurenston, G.A. Aiken). Then I see amazing paranormal authors not getting enough sales to save their souls, and I love their books and want them to continue writing them!!! So is there just a lack of interest in the genre? Because that is my first love, and although I’ve gotten into contemporaries in years past (a lot more after starting the blog) there’s no better feeling that reading a good paranormal, with amazing world building, that will just ROCK MY WORLD. Sadly I’m with you…. Nothing new has done that in a while, and I’ve given up on trying to expand my horizons.
I love seeing my paranormal authors expand their wings and write other genres, but I also don’t want to lose them completely. My greedy self needs them to continue feeding that paranormal void before there are no good ones left. And a big one for me in this area is Kresley Cole. I’ve been having withdrawals! A few years ago she started The Dacians, and I was dying to see her develop that series as well as continuing the Immortal After Dark (IAD) series. But it has now been exactly a year since Dark Skye came out. And the next IAD is not right around the corner, we have at least another half a year to wait! Although I am enjoying her other series (Arcana Chronicles and The Professional) my first Cole love is the IAD world. And I’m not getting enough of it right now!
What about you all? Are there authors you’ve dropped? Are there authors you think aren’t writing enough? And yes, I’ll take any recs you want to throw my way as well!
Now onto the fun stuff for you all….
yes another giveaway!!
The last giveaway!
Actual picture of what you can win!
This bundle includes:
Double Danger by Dee Davis
Never Surrender by Lindsay McKenna
Taking Fire by Lindsay McKenna
Playing Dirty by HelenKay Dimon
Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye
Untrue Colors by Veronica Forand (signed)
Harbor Island by Carla Neggers
River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz (ARC copy)
Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz
Hush by Karen Robards
+ swag
Books have the power to unite people and that is exactly what happened with us! Our love for books have brought us together and we’ve become good friends in a short amount of time. We “met” online through Goodreads and decided to share our passion of books with fellow book lovers. And that is how Under the Covers came to be…
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Looks like a great bundle. Thanks for the chance to win.
Thanks for the chance!! 😀
Thanks for another awesome giveaway!!!
So many great books! Awesome, thank you! 🙂
Great bundle
Nice!
BOOKS!!
Thank youu all so much for this giveaway! Keeping my greedy fingers crossed 😀
an awesome bundle of books!!
I agree even some of my go-to authors have become a bit stale…or maybe i’ve just become bored with some series of 20+ books and would like something new from those authors *shrug*
I can’t put my finger on it either but it’s good to know I’m not alone!
I have an issue with series that go on too damn long, so even when it is a beloved author, I have to walk away. Always on the look out for new to me authors!
There are probably very few that can justify them being that long and not getting repetitive.
Thank for chance. Looks like an awesome bunch of books!!
Great giveaway!!!! There are some amazing authors in this bundle….thanks for the chance to win!!
Thank you!
I don’t read much paranormal, but I see the same thing happening in other genres. Suddenly, all the books coming out seem to be the same worn out characters or plots. Hope you find some new titles soon.
Great giveaway.
This is true! I think we feel it more in paranormal because there isn’t as much coming out as there used to be to give us some variety.
great give away]
I love a good suspense stories – that pile includes some of my favorite authors!
Thank you for this amazing chance 🙂 I really hope i win to add to my ever growing “To Read” pile 🙂
Nice giveaway. Thanks for the chance!
Thanks for the chance!
There are someauthors I stopped reading. Also, there are some series that I also stopped reading. And even though there some series with 20+ books, I still adore the authors enough to overlook some of those books within the series being “blah” level.
Though I am looking to new authors and genres. Like my tentative dive into MC books. My first MC series is the Reapers by Ms. Wylde. Thus far, a great introduction to that genre.
I hope you continue loving expanding your horizons. Cara McKenna also has a great biker series you should check out. 🙂
Thanks for this chance
Would love to win those books , will be busy for a while…
I love PNR too and like you girls I’ve been in a funk lately about finding a good book to read. The last author that was new to me that I read PNR from and found good was Paige Tyler. She has the X-Ops series and the SWAT (Special Wolf Alpha Team), You can check her X-Ops series as the .5 book Her Secret Agent is free http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OHTEY7K/ I hope this thing with the genre is a result of too much reading and not of lack of author’s skills.
That’s on our TBR pile! Heard great things about it and it’s good to continue hearing it recommended. Will have to dive in! Thanks!
I’ve stopped reading as much Nora Roberts. I used to read everything I could by her and loved her In Death series, but I haven’t been as interested in her more recent books and even the ones I read aren’t as entertaining. I also don’t read as much Sherrilyn Kenyon or Christine Feehan as I used to. I wish that Kresley Cole would write the IAD books more quickly, too! I only recently found the IAD series and read them in a crazy marathon. Another author that I love is Nalini Singh. I’m really looking forward to her next release… Read more »
Can’t help it, we are all so greedy! LOL
a giveaway?! amazing!!!! thanks for giving people the chance!
Thank you for the chance!
I’m always looking for new PNR but good ones are hard to come by . I’ve switched to urban fantasy because of it but hoping I can find an author that captures my interest. Also thanks for the chance to win:)
Thank you for all the awesome giveaways!
This is so generous move from you girls. Thank you so much.
Thanks for another awesome giveaway!!!
Thank you for the giveaway!! <3
There are some great books, thank you!
Whenever I get in a book slump, feeling bad about the Vamps, I turn to Kresley Cole, Cynthia Eden or Alexandra Ivy. Great vampires!
Thanks for the giveaway & Happy Saturday!
//Linda
May just have to try Ivy!
Thanks 🙂
great blog
Congrats Again & thanks for the AWESOME giveaways!
I totally agree. My must be read (MBR) list used to be filled with PNRs that I couldn’t wait to read. Now I have more of a list of so-so looking PNRs because all my favorite series have either ended or take FOREVER between book releases.
While my first love was paranormal I have come to absolutely love contemporaries too so I find myself reading them instead of half ass PNR while I wait for my favorites.
I too am always open for new suggestions…which is why I read blogs like yours!
There are so many series especially in paranormal genre where I would like to start but I really hesitate when there are more than ten books.
Congratulations once again and thank you for the chance!!!!
thanks for the chance <3 Congrats on your blogiversary!
Love the giveaways you do!
I hop around sub-genres a lot (several different ones in a week), so I’m not getting bored. I didn’t see anyone mention Rachel Vincent. Her Shifters series if phenom. I have to second Paige Tyler. I finally picked her up after receiving many recommendations on her. A really creative twist on the shifter world. My issue is that I have such high hopes about authors that I’m hesitant to read new discoveries.
great giveaway bundle
Have you checked out the Monster Haven series by R.L. Naquin? There are 6 main books in the completed series and a couple of novellas that don’t have to be read, but were fun. It’s more Urban Fantasy, but there is a romantic relationship over the complete series.
Ah, I feel really bad for you guys. I guess there is something to be said for being really behind on PNR/UF. I was so big on historicals and mysteries for years that I’m just now getting to these. I then swung around and went to the Steampunk and Historical PNRs so here I am picking up my first Jennifer Ashley shifter book this week I have my first Lyndsey Sands, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Christina Feehan on the shelf and I still need to start Nalini’s Psy-Changling series. See? I’m still enthralled an into the genre b/c I have the… Read more »
Thanks for the chance!
Congratulations. thanks for the giveaway.
Like everything, the genres come and go..for awhile everything was paranormal -vampires, shifters, magic-now the new adult and dark romance genres seem to be prevalent….but PNR is making a come back….
I’m an m/m nut, but I do find myself skimming a lot of the books lately (even the sex scenes)! So, I’ve been pulling back a little bit…
It would be great to add to my book collection.
I haven’t as many books as you so a lot are still “novelty” for me even when they were release ago ago. However it’s true that some just seems to be too similat… i had teh problem with a french author because i could see too many similary between her book and the night huntress serie s( oki her heroine isn’t half human half vampire but half vampire /half something else but still the plo t went by the very same step so it was not my cup of tea at all) If you haven’t read it Suzanne Johnson is… Read more »
I’m finding it really hard to find a good intense PNR lately too. I feel like they have become really tame. I also am dying for the next IAD!