Do you review e-books as well? What are your guidelines?
We do review a lot of e-books. Personally, since I purchased a Kindle, I am finding e-books to be more enjoyable and easier to read. The guidelines for all books are that they have to be within the scope of what our site offers to our readers. The focus of the Bitten by Books website is to provide book reviews for all types of paranormal fiction, urban fantasy and horror.
Who is your favorite fictional fiend - vampires, werewolves, etc.?
I would have to say vampires are my favorite. I can't begin to imagine the issues fur ball creatures have, although I have to say that I do enjoy a good storyline that incorporates both Werewolves and Vampires in a classic alpha power struggle. That is what endears me to Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series so much.
What is it about vampires? Why do they hold such never-ending appeal?
With vampires, I think they are the ultimate character for mental escapism. They are portrayed as exotic creatures of the night that have everything their undead hearts desire. Beauty, money, super powers, eternal youth. Vampires give the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses" a whole new meaning.
Any particular great books you've read recently you'd like to recommend?
Wow, that is hard to narrow down. There have been a few that have been particularly memorable this year. One is Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry which is kind of a "Sex in the City" with zombies type storyline. I'd also recommend Black Magic Woman by Justin Gustainis, which introduces a new series featuring Quincey Morris, supernatural detective. Accidental Werewolf and Accidentally Dead by Dakota Cassidy are an absolute riot. You can visit our site and see the reviews I have done here for more recommended reading.
I also had the opportunity to review Black Magic Woman recently. I agree it's a memorable book. But to go back to reviewing, what happens when you get a terrible book? Do you go ahead with the review, or decline to write it?
We owe it to our readers to review books honestly and feel it is important to the author as well. We review them regardless of the quality of the book.
Some bloggers out there seem to enjoy trashing books with mean, snarky
reviews. What would you tell these bloggers?
Article comments
1 - Margay
Another great interview, Mayra! Rachel, I've been to your site before and found it quite interesting. Keep up the good work - you are providing a great service to authors.
2 - A. F. Stewart
Wonderful interview, thanks for the book recommendations.
3 - Joy Delgado
Thank you again Mayra for an insightful review. Each person has brought to the table a slight variance on the theme which has been very helpful.
Joy