From Reader Views:
In “Vampire Ascending,” the main character Sabrina Strong has a gift of clairvoyance. Because she has visions when she touches items, she usually prefers to wear gloves. Except for this gift, and her mother disappearing on her after being turned by a vampire when Sabrina was ten, she has led a pretty mundane life. She seems to have the same financial worries and self doubts that most females have. I found myself being able to really relate to her character. Her adventure begins when she takes a job as a clairvoyant with a master vampire's organization. She really, really needs the money if she wants to hang on to the house that she inherited after her father's death.
In addition to the job paying well, Sabrina also discovers that she has something very special about her that tends to attract the attention of vampires and shape shifters. While this can be somewhat startling at times, it is also very exciting for her. As she gets drawn into using her gifts to help discover who is murdering vampires, she suddenly realizes that she is a very hot item. She also finds a link between the mystery of what happened to her mother, and a vampire mark she received as a child. Having become involved with the mystery has caused her life to become endangered. Fortunately, she has some newly found, attractive friends to help protect her.
I am a huge fan of vampire stories. It all started with “Interview with a Vampire,” by Anne Rice. In college, I was thrilled to discover that “Dracula” was on my reading list for a course. Lately, the market has been deluged with vampire tales. While many are good, some are beginning to give me that “run of the mill” kind of feeling. When I began reading “Vampire Ascending,” I was ecstatic to discover that I had gotten my hands on a truly extraordinary vampire tale.
The author, Lorelei Bell, incorporates other worldly creatures into her story. These include: shape shifters, werewolves, demons, and elves. Because they are all part of mainstream society, with their abilities hidden, this gives the novel a touch of credence that these characters could really be out there in our own reality. Now I know that this isn't really true; to me it helps add to the fantasy. I can still hope that just maybe that gorgeous Native American male, with the long flowing hair, walking down the street is actually a shape shifter. Thoughts like that help me make my mundane world more interesting, but, mind you, not interesting enough to require psychotropic meds.
I think that Lorelei Bell has made a mark in the world of vampire novels with “Vampire Ascending.” Fans of this genre will be pleased to discover her work. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for her characters in her next novel.
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt
“A truly extraordinary vampire tale . . . something to sink your teeth into . . .” ~ Reader Views
Review:
“Let me say up front that I do NOT read vampire novels. . . My wife has read and enjoyed Stephanie Myer's “Twilight” series and even “forced” me to watch the movies with her. Still, I do not read vampire novels. . .
“However. . .I (reluctantly) agreed to review Lorelei Bell's “Vampire Ascending” and now you can call me “converted”. Maybe it was Bells' captivating writing style that drew me in more and more into the story, which made it difficult for me to put the book aside. Bell's greatest talent is writing like she speaks while still maintaining a high level style, which contributes to an enjoyable and fluent reading.
“Add to this a captivating story line with unique and believable characters, scenes, events, locations, and more things that I did not expect, and I believe, that separates Bell from the majority of writers in the vampire genre.
The story is based on a friendly coexistence of regular human beings and vampires. Well, the friendliness ends as someone starts murdering vampires, calling the VIU (Vampire Investigative Unit) into action. The VIU monitors vampires' activities to assure they follow the established laws.
In addition, Bjorn Tremayne, master vampire, whose wife has been killed, hires the main character, Sabrina Strong, a woman with very special skills, to identify the serial killer.
The book starts with the job interview and from there on the reader is entangled in a mixture of mystery, suspense, romance, action, and adventure. Without spoiling the experience, Sabrina succeeds in her task, but the ending indicates that Bell has more adventures in mind for Sabrina. I am certainly looking forward to her next book!”
~ Sandpiper
"With Vampire Ascending, Lorelei Bell has created a unique and mesmerizing mystery blending intricately detailed fantasy and romance with a contemporary setting. Her story features strong character development and provides new insights on a vampire's life including love, passion, heartache, hope devastation, lust and longing.
Moreover, Vampire Ascending is an action-packed plot full of surprise. Bell delivers a well written and satisfying story that will leave the reader wanting more.
~ Copperhill Media
When the writer introduces you to Sabrina Strong, a touch clairvoyant, she's on her way for a job interview, and is attacked by a werewolf, and bitten. Along comes handsome vampire, Nicolas, and his sidekick, Steve. They both rescue her, but not without tasting her blood. And, the best part to this, Nicolas is the guy she's to have the interview with. What a way to suck a reader in. Literally.
From there you'll learn he's interviewing her for a job for a hot vampire dude, Tremayne, a master vampire. His mate's been murdered and he needs Sabrina's clairvoyant skills to find her killer so he can seek revenge.
Warning before I go further, there's lots of hot dudes in this book. Vampires, of course. Werewolves and shape shifters, too. Hot, hot, hot!(Fanning myself right now.)They've all got that thrall thing going on with SPECIAL skills (brow waggle here-if you know what I mean).
Why don't I just write about the hot dudes. Yup. Fart writing again.
Tremayne: Hot master vampire. Very wealthy. Finds Sabrina, irresistible. So much so he could kill her but not deliberately, of course.
Nicolas: Well, guess you could say he's Tremayne's trustworthy right-hand man. But, he's got the hots for Sabrina, too. Plus, he nipped her in the beginning of the story. So maybe he's not so trustworthy. Lorelei, you left me wondering about him, but for some reason I'm attracted to him, too. I like this guy. Do you think you could arrange a secret date between me and him?
Dante: He's the hot American Indian dude who's been assigned to protect Sabrina. But, guess what? He's got the hots for her, too. Oh, my...
Vasyl: He's the mystery vampire that bit her when she was ten. He's also a master vampire but is considered a rogue. Nothing and no one governs him. I'm not sure if he wants to like be a father to her or has the hots for her, too.
Well,to sum it all up, Sabrina is in a fine mess. She's got three bites to contend with. One by a werewolf, and two by vampires. If she doesn't have vampire thrall to worry about, she's got her own lust issues happening for all these men. Not to mention, she's got other big issues on her mind like: Will I turn into a werewolf? Will I eventually become a vampire? Maybe I'll become a hybrid werewolf-vampire mix? Which guy will be my mate? My soul-mate? And, am I some special clairvoyant? Am I the sybil?
As you can see, Lorelei did a nice job of weaving a web of stuff for Sabrina. It all left me hanging.
Towards the end of this book I felt like I was running through the woods. The birds were singing. The trees were beautifully green. The sky was a clear blue. The sun was shining. I had a good pace going, and then suddenly it was like I fell off a cliff. Thank goodness I didn't break anything. I found something to hang onto.
I WANT THE NEXT BOOK! LIKE NOW! And, a date with Nicolas, please.
Shelly gives Vampire Ascending ten stars. What's the deal with five stars when you can have more?
Also, you can find Lorelei @ http://loreleismuse-lorelei.blogspot.com/
That's all for now folks!
Happy blogging, writing, and reading!
Shelly (http://shellysnovicewritings.blogspot.com/)
From there you'll learn he's interviewing her for a job for a hot vampire dude, Tremayne, a master vampire. His mate's been murdered and he needs Sabrina's clairvoyant skills to find her killer so he can seek revenge.
Warning before I go further, there's lots of hot dudes in this book. Vampires, of course. Werewolves and shape shifters, too. Hot, hot, hot!(Fanning myself right now.)They've all got that thrall thing going on with SPECIAL skills (brow waggle here-if you know what I mean).
Why don't I just write about the hot dudes. Yup. Fart writing again.
Tremayne: Hot master vampire. Very wealthy. Finds Sabrina, irresistible. So much so he could kill her but not deliberately, of course.
Nicolas: Well, guess you could say he's Tremayne's trustworthy right-hand man. But, he's got the hots for Sabrina, too. Plus, he nipped her in the beginning of the story. So maybe he's not so trustworthy. Lorelei, you left me wondering about him, but for some reason I'm attracted to him, too. I like this guy. Do you think you could arrange a secret date between me and him?
Dante: He's the hot American Indian dude who's been assigned to protect Sabrina. But, guess what? He's got the hots for her, too. Oh, my...
Vasyl: He's the mystery vampire that bit her when she was ten. He's also a master vampire but is considered a rogue. Nothing and no one governs him. I'm not sure if he wants to like be a father to her or has the hots for her, too.
Well,to sum it all up, Sabrina is in a fine mess. She's got three bites to contend with. One by a werewolf, and two by vampires. If she doesn't have vampire thrall to worry about, she's got her own lust issues happening for all these men. Not to mention, she's got other big issues on her mind like: Will I turn into a werewolf? Will I eventually become a vampire? Maybe I'll become a hybrid werewolf-vampire mix? Which guy will be my mate? My soul-mate? And, am I some special clairvoyant? Am I the sybil?
As you can see, Lorelei did a nice job of weaving a web of stuff for Sabrina. It all left me hanging.
Towards the end of this book I felt like I was running through the woods. The birds were singing. The trees were beautifully green. The sky was a clear blue. The sun was shining. I had a good pace going, and then suddenly it was like I fell off a cliff. Thank goodness I didn't break anything. I found something to hang onto.
I WANT THE NEXT BOOK! LIKE NOW! And, a date with Nicolas, please.
Shelly gives Vampire Ascending ten stars. What's the deal with five stars when you can have more?
Also, you can find Lorelei @ http://loreleismuse-lorelei.blogspot.com/
That's all for now folks!
Happy blogging, writing, and reading!
Shelly (http://shellysnovicewritings.blogspot.com/)
From James Garcia Jr. :
First, let's allow the author herself explain the set up: "Sabrina Strong is a Touch Clairvoyant who needs a job after her father dies. Bjorn Tremayne of Tremayne Towers in Chicago has hired her to find out who murdered his life-time mate, Letitia.
Sabrina is not thrilled about the aspect of working for vampires in Chicago, but she needs the money, and she also wants to find the gorgeous and mysterious vampire who has been turning up in her dreams. Is he the one who bit her when she was ten, marked her for his own, and turned her mother so long ago?
Little does Sabrina know that her whole life is about to change as her best friend's fate intensifies the desperate need to find the murderer and, consequently, brings her into contact with a rogue vampire, Vasyl."
Okay, that's really only a bit of a tease, because the novel is really much bigger and ambitious, and it needs to be, if we are to follow the series. Before we begin, I must tell you that I am an old-school vampire fan. Pushing the envelope a bit is okay, but go too far, and I'm out of here. You can probably guess that I have gone nowhere near Ms. Meyers' vampires. I mean no disrespect to her or all of those who adore her work. It's just not my particular cup of Long Island Ice Tea. Another thing I really do not do is read fantasy. When it's great, it's Tolkien. When it's not... Let's just say that I grew up with Horror and leave it at that. Having said all of that, when Bell began revealing her werewolves, elves and shape-shifters in her tale, I began to get worried. However, let me tell you, it worked. Bell makes no apologies for her characters or plot; she simply told her story, and did so very well. In a less-skilled writer's hands it could have been silly. With Bell at the helm of this tale, it was more a case of: Seriously, guys, this is how it happened. By the end, I had bought in and was ready for the next installment.
In fact, being a writer of vampires myself, there was more than one occasion where I asked myself why I had not thought of a particular bit of action, character trait or plot device that Bell was using with great success.
If you like your skies overcast, the sound of chainsaws at work, your music well past heavy metal and your films filled with gore, then this may not be your book. On the other hand, if you like your paranormal in the PG-13 vein and to be trailblazingly different; a strong yet flawed female lead character; a complicated supporting cast of villains, heroes and antiheroes; a good helping of romance; and a twisting suspenseful plot that will keep you turning pages, then I may have just the book for you.
Lorelei Bell is extremely talented and you can find her at Lorelei's Muse.
REVIEW:
“Huskie Bus driver crafts killer vampire literature”
Tony Martin ~ columnist for Northern Star
4 ½ STARS
“ Inspired people are everywhere in this town, and Lorelei Bell is one of them.
I first met Bell on a Huskie Bus, and she recognized me from the paper and asked me to review her book, Vampire Ascending.
However, Lorelei isn't a student here. She drives the Rout 2 bus, and has been driving for NIU for over a dozen years.
At first I was hesitant, because the vampire genre is so saturated that having a book succeed is somewhat difficult, to say the least. However, Bell is not only published, but her book is available on Amazon, and she has done in-store signings for Borders and the like. Not a bad gig, if you can get it.
It should go without saying that Bell must be a decent writer for her to have made it as far as she has in the genre.
However, Vampire Ascending is quite the story, genre aside. Bell's voice is active without being over-bearing, intelligent without being condescending and a breath of fresh air in a genre that will, at its apex, be remembered for birthing some sparkly British super model vampires who wants to save it for marriage (yeah, I've seen the Twilight movies, deal with it). Her characters are three-dimensional and have the moments of indecision and confusion that most characters lack.
Bell refuses to fall into the pre-teen vampire fiction, and instead delves into the gritty, violent, dark and sexual world of Anne Rice's vampires (before she got all religious and her writing lost focus). As more of a zombie fan myself, I actually found protagonist Sabrina Strong's tale compelling, which was surprising to me. Bell's story has vampires existing in our reality, instead of some hypothetical alternate universe, and it works.
I spent my spring break this year reading this book for fun whenever I had a chance, and I feel better for it. Localized art, especially literature, allows the reader to make schematic connections, even if they have never met the writer of been to the places being written about. Lorelei Bell's Vampire Ascending is a lot of fun, even for those who's interest in the vampire literature genre ranges from “scarce” to “none”.”
Reviews by Emma Hinks:
Vampire Ascending*****:
“I don't read many vampire books, but I am so glad I stumbled across this one. The tangled and troubled web that is Sabrina Strong ups and downs she goes through not just in love, but in her everyday life had me hooked from the very beginning to the very end. I highly recommend this book to everyone whether you are into reading action or a troubled love story this has it all.” ***** (5 stars)
“After reading the first part of this series (Vampire Ascending) I was eager to jump straight into reading this one and I must say I wasn't disappointed.
I love the way at the end of the books I am left with so many unanswered questions and eagerly awaiting the next installment. This is an amazing series full of so many lovable characters and plots that I have trouble putting them down... to be honest I didn't put it down until I had finished it. I can't help but think of the main character, Sabrina Strong, like a very dear friend and thoroughly enjoy accompanying her on her epic journey.” ***** (5 stars)... again...(^;,
Vampire's Trill ~ A review by Dora Cogswell (12/18/11)
Vampire's Trill continues where Vampire Ascending leaves off, but fear not, you need not have read the first book to understand the new stakes (pardon the pun) in Sabrina's life - though I highly recommend it. Vampire Ascending was an exciting and fun read from beginning to end, and this book is no different.
What's it like to be Sabrina Strong? She's one tough cookie. She has struggled all her life against people's stereotypes of her, that she's crazy and weird - you see, she's a Touch Clairvoyant - but the predicament she finds herself in in Vampire's Trill really raises the bar. And for someone who can't even get a date, Sabrina is awfully popular these days. Everybody wants her but why? There's Bjorn Tremayne the handsome master vampire who first hired Sabrina to uncover some nefarious goings on in his organization, but who now desperately needs Sabrina's help and Vasyl, the vampire who has been an unknowing constant in Sabrina's life. The mystery deepens and no one's life is safe from danger. There's plenty of romance too, as the once untouchable Sabrina suddenly is in hot demand.
Lorelei Bell makes the incredible, credible - a mark of a great story teller 0 and what a world she's created: Vampires, Shape shifter, and Werewolves all co-habitate in Lorelei's world along with the human and sometimes it's difficult to ascertain who is the most inhuman. Now the stakes are higher. The fate of the world is in her hands. Sabrina might be the sybil who her enemies fear.
In short, Vampire's Trill is fun, exciting and entertaining, filled with mysterious twists as Sabrina uncovers the evil plots afoot. I am not into vampire fiction as a rule, but Lorelei Bell has made a believer out of me. I love Lorelei's blend of mystery, romance and humor and inventiveness. She has fashioned an incredible, fresh new world. I can't wait for the next installment in the Sabrina Strong series.
Vampire's Trill continues where Vampire Ascending leaves off, but fear not, you need not have read the first book to understand the new stakes (pardon the pun) in Sabrina's life - though I highly recommend it. Vampire Ascending was an exciting and fun read from beginning to end, and this book is no different.
What's it like to be Sabrina Strong? She's one tough cookie. She has struggled all her life against people's stereotypes of her, that she's crazy and weird - you see, she's a Touch Clairvoyant - but the predicament she finds herself in in Vampire's Trill really raises the bar. And for someone who can't even get a date, Sabrina is awfully popular these days. Everybody wants her but why? There's Bjorn Tremayne the handsome master vampire who first hired Sabrina to uncover some nefarious goings on in his organization, but who now desperately needs Sabrina's help and Vasyl, the vampire who has been an unknowing constant in Sabrina's life. The mystery deepens and no one's life is safe from danger. There's plenty of romance too, as the once untouchable Sabrina suddenly is in hot demand.
Lorelei Bell makes the incredible, credible - a mark of a great story teller 0 and what a world she's created: Vampires, Shape shifter, and Werewolves all co-habitate in Lorelei's world along with the human and sometimes it's difficult to ascertain who is the most inhuman. Now the stakes are higher. The fate of the world is in her hands. Sabrina might be the sybil who her enemies fear.
In short, Vampire's Trill is fun, exciting and entertaining, filled with mysterious twists as Sabrina uncovers the evil plots afoot. I am not into vampire fiction as a rule, but Lorelei Bell has made a believer out of me. I love Lorelei's blend of mystery, romance and humor and inventiveness. She has fashioned an incredible, fresh new world. I can't wait for the next installment in the Sabrina Strong series.
FOR MORE REVIEWS:
When Sabrina's cousin Lindee goes missing, it's up to Sabrina to find her. She fears that vampires are at the root of things... and soon finds out that it's not only that, but much worse.
Beyond the Black Veil vampires outnumber humans ten to one, and people are merely blood donors and objects of the vampires' sexual desires. It's here where Sabrina encounters Drakulya, the Impaler, who has managed to not only become a vampire, but lives in this strange world and rules as king.
With the Dagger of Delphi Sabrina will face the Dreadfuls - merciless stalkers and killers. With her is also the stone containing the spirit of Dante Badheart, and more mysteries surround this magical artifact as well.
Nocturne is the exciting third book in the Sabrina Strong paranormal romance / urban fantasy series.
Beyond the Black Veil vampires outnumber humans ten to one, and people are merely blood donors and objects of the vampires' sexual desires. It's here where Sabrina encounters Drakulya, the Impaler, who has managed to not only become a vampire, but lives in this strange world and rules as king.
With the Dagger of Delphi Sabrina will face the Dreadfuls - merciless stalkers and killers. With her is also the stone containing the spirit of Dante Badheart, and more mysteries surround this magical artifact as well.
Nocturne is the exciting third book in the Sabrina Strong paranormal romance / urban fantasy series.
