Michele Hauf GuestBlog: The Vampire Next Door
From Michelle: I consider Michele Hauf pretty much an expert on vampires. One might even call her a scholar of all things vamp. Today, class is in session, as Miss Hauf gives us a brief history of the modern vamp romance, and why its popularity seems to be growing, um, impossible larger! Please offer Michele your warmest "I vant to suck your blahd" buongiorno...
From Michele Hauf: I remember when vampire romances were a unique offering in bookstores that enticed with promises of an immortal he
ro of which we, as romance readers, had never before imagined.
Nowadays, vampires have real jobs, they throw parties, they host radio shows, coach the soccer team, slay other immortals, own Vegas gambling hotspots or cozy bookstores, they even angst over the latest Jimmy Choos.
Vampires have come a long way, baby, and their numbers have increased so measurably I'm waiting for the ‘Vampire' section to appear in bookstores.
To illustrate, I've done a very unscientific survey of how many vampire romances have been published yearly over the past ten years. Warning, I'm no statistician, but I do keep The Ultimate VampList online that lists all vampire books (in genres such a
s romance, mystery, horror, sci-fi, young adult, action/adventure, Buffy, etc.) You can find it at www.vampire-books.com. It's not a perfect list. It may be missing some titles, there may be some mistakes, but it gives a good general picture of the vampire fiction world.
So here are the number of vampire romances-including erotica-published by year (they include mass market, hardcover, and electronic releases):
1997 - 11
1998 - 7
1999 - 8
2000 - 16
2001 - 19
2002 - 50
2003 - 70
2004 - 87
2005 - 108
2006 - 131
2007 - 158
2008 - 39 titles listed so far
Interesting, yes? In any given month late in the 90s, the selection of new vamp romances might have been merely one title. Imagine! Around 2002 our hunger 
for the dark immortals started to soar. And it hasn't stopped since.
For those who have discovered vamps in recent years, let me point out a few of the original writers who helped to create and grow the genre. In 1991 Lori Herter's 4-book series started with "Obsession." Maggie Shayne started her Twilight series in 1993. Linda Lael Miller gave us angels and vampires with "Forever and the Night" back in '93. Karen Harbaugh offered us a regency vamp in "The Vampire Viscount" in '95. Nancy Gideon's Midnight series began in '94. And Amanda Ashley started her long-running series in '95 with "Embrace the Night."
Do you think the demand for vampire romances will wane? Do you want to see that Vampire section in the bookstores, or do you just wish they'd crawl back into their coffins an
d die quietly? What about the series put out by various authors? Do you want more, more, more, or is one enough?
***
Vamp Romance Week continues tomorrow, Dec 12 with 'Blood Ties" author Tanya Huff! Want the d.l. on Vicki and Henry? You'll get it here!
Then...Dec 13: Lynsay Sands/Argeneau series; Dec 14: Susan Squires/Companion series and this weeks RBTB featured author
***
Tip: Don't leave spaces in your UserName
Problems registering/commenting in Internet Explorer? Try emptying your cache.
Non-U.S. Viewers: Use CA/90210 as state/zip code
Problems registering/commenting in Internet Explorer? Try emptying your cache.
Non-U.S. Viewers: Use CA/90210 as state/zip code
Posted in: sex, love, romance novels, michelle buonfiglio, vampires, blood ties, michele hauf, romancebuythebook, vampire romance, dark rapture
Top Content on MyLifetime.com
See our interview with Carrie's stylist, hair hits and misses, and more on All the Looks!
From the latest beauty products to designer handbags, enter to win now!
More Sites from Lifetime Digital:
Learn more about parental controls from ControlYourTV.org. | © 2009 Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC. All rights reserved.
comments
Try to find Michele's vamps, as well as her faeries, etc. And we're definitely lookin forward to a very twisted Jack Frost in the near future, Michele.
Thanks, new Bellas, who dropped in for the day! Hope you'll visit again. Thanks for your vamp knowledge.
I love a series. I say the more the merrier but I would like an ending. I want everyone to to get their happy ending but when there gets to be 15+ books, it's kind of overwelming. That's the reason I haven't started JD Robb's In Death. Everyone raves about it but there are just so many of them. I feel like I've already missed the boat on that one. If that makes any sense.
Lynda Hilburn
THE VAMPIRE SHRINK
www.lyndahilburnauthor.com
Keep them coming!!
I tend to put some of the monthlies that I like in the section for awhile before stripping them out. My bad. LOL
MaryKate, my favorite authors? I do find I pick up paranormal a lot: Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, Lynn Kurland, Holly Black, Melissa Marr, Kresley Cole, Emma Holly, Gaiman, Pratchett, Christopher Moore, Lyda Morehouse. I love a good meaty historical romance, too. Yes, I worship Kinsale for Flower From The Storm. And Alexandre Dumas rocks! I also read a lot of natural history on the senses or anything by Oliver Sacks (he's a neurologist with a passion for neurological disorders). Currently reading...wait for this...Barack Obama's The Audacity of Hope. Yep.
*MK batting eyes* Reeeeeallly??? Hmm, that sounds really interesting! OK, so you write dark twisty vamps. Yum, my favorite kind.
So what other authors are you enjoying now, Michele? Do you only read para? Or other romance as well?
And now I"m in the same line as her (Nocturne) I couldn't be happier!!
I love me some vamps. Nancy Collin's Sonya Blue was the first vampire books I'd read, published in 1994, and I was hooked. Sonja Blue is in my opinion the kickassiess chick going. The books are brutal and dark, but I love them! That was my start into vampire fiction.
ev_bookwyrm217, you can find my books in the Harlequin/Silhouette section of the store. They are published under the Nocturne line. Unfortunately, they are only on shelves for a month, but they are still available online!
And I forgot to mention, I'm actually giving away a free vampire story, which is the sequel to Dark Rapture, at my website right now! The whole book! A free download! I don't know how to do a direct link, so just use the link to my site above, and the info is there.
Thanks, Kelly! Gee, I think I might spend all day here. It's good stuff!
Some other great vamp reads? I'm loving J.R. Ward (but I only just finished book 2, so no spoilers! I'm a slow reader). Ward's vamps are just big ole chunks of MAN. Nummy. Maggie Shayne bewitches me with her dark princes. Vivi's vamps a hawt, no doubt. And though I'm not too much into the funny vamps, I did just read MaryJanice's first vamp story, and loved it. I am so far behind in my vamp reading!
Children of the Night, by Mercedes Lackey. One of her Diana Tregarde mysteries is hands down my favoirte Vamp story. I cry everytime I read it. I was glad when they republished it because my copy had fallen apart.
I really lament the fact that she had to quit writing the series.
I love my vamps. I just finished Vivi's newest one finally. Stayed up til one to read it.
I blame it all on Dracula and then Linda Lael Millers series, which I still have the originals of. Not a big Ann Rice fan, but will read anything by LKH. I will need to go check out the list so I can find someone new to read that I haven't before. Besides JR who still sits in my TBR pile.
I really enjoy them in almost any format. I love the Sookie Stackhouse series. I hear they might be doing that one for tv?
And I have to work when Tanya is here, which ticks me off. Even though I already have the books, I had to buy them in the new covers.
I am trying to figure out how I have missed Michele's books. Even though Romance is my section at the store? Maybe because I haven't paid attention?? Myabe we don't have them??? I just found a new series in Sci-fi to read too. New to me anyway.
I have to go outside and hang more lights. I got my tree up last night, with the help of the kitten naturally. I'll be back later!!
Great to be hear again this morning. I must admitt I do not read many vampire/romances, myself. If I do get a hankerin', I usually pick up Lyndsay Sands. Funny, very real characters, whether vampire or not. However, I've never tried Mrs. Hauf or Sharon Kenyon.
Hello, by the way, Michele. And did you say something about Jack Frost? As a fairy? Very interesting!
May have to check that one out when it comes out.
And yes, I agree, there's something dark and mysterious about vampires, even still today in the books that make them seem so modern. We just can't seem to help ourselves, we want to know about these immortal men that bare their fangs at us so inticingly.
Is it getting hot in here?