Review: 'Let Them Eat Stake' by Sarah Zettel

Let Them Eat Stake, by Sarah Zettel, 2012, Obsidian, $7.99, softbound, 308 pages. Category/Genre: mystery/paranormal. Cover: quirky. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.


This is the second in a series about chef Charlotte Caine and her Manhattan restaurant, Nightlife. Charlotte caters to both 'daybloods' (humans) and 'nightbloods' (vampires); human herself, she's dating Brendan Maddox, a warlock, and is binterested in vampire Anatole Sevarin. 

But Charlotte's love life isn't the only thing that's complicated. She's catering the first witch/vampire wedding she's ever heard of, and her executive chef, Oscar, is not only refusing to work for the wedding, he won't let any of his staff work for the wedding, either. 

Then Oscar is discovered dead. Charlotte takes it upon herself to find out who's responsible, and puts herself in harm's way in the process. One thing she is sure of: the possession of a certain powerful artifact may be at the heart of what's going on. 

This is a good book, and we look forward to trying the rest of the series. There's some humour, and the characters are interesting; what's more, the combination of vampires and chefs is an unusual pairing for a mystery. 

If you like this one, try: A Taste of the Nightlife, by Sarah Zettel.  

Review: 'Writing the Paranormal Novel' by Steven Harper

Writing the Paranormal Novel by Steven Harper, 2011, Writer's Digest Books, $17.99, softbound, 265 pages. Category/Genre: writing how-to. Cover: very atmospheric. Where we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.


In this book, the author goes over the supernatural elements you can add to a story, such as supernatural objects, supernatural people, supernatural creatures, etc. He also talks about creating characters. He explores supernatural powers and the problems they create in writing. 

In addition, arc, plot, and sub-plot are explored, as well as language and dialogue, pacing, and more. Harper also goes over format rules, including exercises. There's a brief section on agents, publishers, and editors.

Harper covers everything from the bare bones of your book to getting your book published. It's excellent. Harper's style is clean and straightforward. 


If you like this one, try: How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, by Orson Scott Card, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing, Second Edition, by Laurie E. Rozakis, Ph.D.