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Relationships are always hard, but for a broke cowboy and a newly turned Vampire, true love may be lethal. After barely surviving an undead apocalypse in The Cowboy and the Vampire, Tucker and Lizzie hightail it back to quirky LonePine, Wyoming (population 438), to start a family. But she's got a growing thirst for blood and he's realizing that mortality ain't all it's cracked up to be when your girlfriend may live forever. With a scheming Vampire nation hot on their boot heels and a price on her head, how far will Lizzie and Tucker go to protect their unlikely love?
Blending evolution, religion and an overly sensitive cow dog named Rex, Blood and Whiskey drags the Vampire myth into the modern west, delivering double-barreled action, heart-pounding passion and wicked humor.
TurningThePagesBlog
Posted September 22, 2012
This was just one of those books that had me hooked from the first page! As a person who hasn't read the first book in this series I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. I mean I knew as soon as I read the summary I would like it but I didn't expect the book to have me laughing out loud so often and I mean real laughter not the bemused chuckle you have when you see something cute.
I found the writing to be great there was so much going on in the story at all times I have no idea how the authors managed to write a book together. I can't imagine the effort it took to keep the story straight. However, the fact that there was so much going on was great. I loved the fact that I had no idea what was going to happen next with Lizzie, Tucker and of course the beloved dog Rex (I thought Rex was a hoot!).
The way the characters were written out was great, I really enjoyed Lizzie and Tucker as well as the rest of the cast of characters that showed up in the novel because I thought they each brought something new to the table that was often completely unexpected.
Like the summary promises this book does indeed bring a lot to the table. Theres an edge of your seat quality about the book that I really liked. Since the book was so different from other vampire novels I've read out there I can only hope that there will be more than just 2 books in the series because the thrills in this read got me hooked! All I have to do now is ensure that I read the first book and then re-read this one because even though I found the novel easy to follow I still want to know how everything started.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who has read the first book as well as those who haven't (though I suggest you read the first before this one). It was funny, action packed and intriguing. I think this one will appeal more to the paranormal lovers than the mystery lovers unless they like their mystery's with a paranormal edge to it.
*I received a free copy in exchange for my free and honest review. I was not compensated in any way and all thoughts and opinions expressed therein are my own.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged."Blood and Whiskey" and the first book in the series ,"The Cowboy and the Vampire," are like no vampire books I've ever read before! Campy and cool, these authors know how to rock the vampire world and turn the wild west, wild again as they conquer everything you thought you knew about vampires and their associates!
Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall are original and entertaining authors. Brilliant!These authors will excite you and turn you on your ear as you find out what's really happening in LonePine and worlds outside of our "natural" USA.
The dialog of this book is such fun. Hilarious in parts, always witty, and fraught with some depth of humanity and feeling that is often missing between humans and vampires...and human males together in all books of this genre. I loved Tucker's relationship with Dad and Lenny, especially. Tough western men with hearts of gold.
Characters are full-bodied (no pun!) and have extraordinarily humane, and at the same time crazy interactions that are juxtaposed against a world crisis of vampire vs. vampire in a universal take over where Lizzie is Queen.
And while I'm speaking of it, Lizzie is a fabulous Queen! Strong and feminine, a wise woman, a gentle wife, and a kick butt vampire fighter. I loved this balanced combination of the modern woman in Lizzie. This is a book with a perfection of a vampire feminist who could rule the world very well, thank you, Sir!
The setting of the west lends an odd, campy feel to the book. This is an area of the US that's completely unfamiliar to me, so that culture and quality alone gave the book an other worldiness.
I found Lenny the loose cannon of a brave and loyal friend to Lizzie's Tucker, just hilarious and fearsome as any vampire I'd ever read about. The quintessential warrior with a heart, Lenny takes no prisoners where his family and friends are concerned.
Situations we found this crew of vamps in were unique. Trucker vampire beds just killed me! And, I couldn't believe the poor human victims hooked up to blood drains at a cattle farm! Ugh!! Vampires against vampires from different sects, times and with major political, spiritual and philosophical backgrounds was just unprecidented, I believe. This is a treasure trove of a novel.
"Cowboy and the Vampire" is the first book in the series and it introduces us to Tucker, the handsome and virtuous western guy who falls in love with Lizzie, the journalist soon turned vampire Queen. You don't have to read this one before "Blood..." but it's fun to do that for the sequencing. I actually read them in reverse and liked it that way.
All in all these are fabulous vampire books with some existential twists, some humorous froth, and a dot of down right fantastic storytelling. There's a question at the end about the baby of Tucker and Lizzie...when will it be born, boy or girl...vampire or human? Can't wait to find out in the next book in the series. And, will Lizzie make the new vampire confederacy rock to her tune?
For a break from the ordinary, I suggest you take a trip to "Blood and Whiskey" territory.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.In Blood and Whiskey, the saga continues with Lissie, Tucker, Lenny, and Dad, and even the Blue Heeler dog Rex. There is lots to do dealing with the International Assembly of Vampires descending upon Lone Pine (Tiny town in Wyoming). This part of the politics, reminds me of the True Blood (Sookie Stackhouse series) to a certain extent, and having the manufactured blood too. BUT, these authors use plenty of quirky dialogue and many twists, to keep it from being too much like it. I will say, I do like the part of this world that the Vampires are able to “smell, sense” evil, and are encouraged to help purge us from these Evil humans, they are supposed to “taste” better too. That I like, kindof like vampire vigilantes, lol
The storyline I noticed is very fast paced, and keeps you interested, It was hard to put the book down, once I started. I was surprised at the unique combination of genres. Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays create a great paranormal romance that is full of drama, action, romance and danger, but they still keep a charm of the Western genre. It’s very unique, nothing I have ever seen before.
They make it where we can really relate to the characters. I found myself really liking Lizzie, and Tucker. I can see the struggles she has, and feel for her.
She has so much to deal with, one being pregnant, and that’s a first as far as they know, and being Queen, since her father is dead. She also is pressured to prove herself by turning a human into a vampire, as in this book, not just any vamp can do it.
This book really is good, and I do not want to spoil anything, so wont say too much about all the twist and turns, and non-stop excitement that takes place. Just know, if you like some paranormal, and adventure, action, and suspense, you will love this book. I had not read the first book yet, but I was able to catch on really quick, so it’s not necessary, but I will go and read the first too now, as I loved this one so much.
A cute teaser here for you:
A knock at the door interrupted. “Lizzie, you all right?” asked Dad.
“Yes, Mr. Bates, I’m fine. Thanks for checking.”
“You thinking about coming out of there soon? Are you feeling sick or something?”
“I’m good. Do you have any glue out there?”
There was a long pause. “Is this some sort of Vampire thing I don’t really want to know about?”
“No,” she said with a laugh, looking at the letter in her hand. “It’s more of a scrapbook kind of a thing. I need to add something important.”
“Let me see what I can rustle up,” he said as his footsteps trailed off into the kitchen.
Give it a try, its first rate writing. You won’t be sorry
This book was provided to me as part of a book tour, for my honest review.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.dreamer2229
Posted July 15, 2012
Every time I say I will not read another vampire story a book like this comes along. Funny, charming, quirky, and unique. This book is what this genre is supposed to look like. The writing is clean, fast paced, and fresh.
I definitely give this book 4 out of 5 clouds.
This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.robwestpdx
Posted June 4, 2012
This could possibly be the best vampire series to come our way since the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. That's right... I will officially go on record as saying this! I just finished reading Blood and Whiskey, and wanted to write a review for anyone interested in vampire books. It's important that we vampire fans do this for our kindred souls :) So I'm a big fan of the vampire genre, having first been introduced to the genre (like so many of us) by reading Anne Rice. I have to say that this book series has surged onto my Top 10 vampire list. If you're a fan of the Night Huntress and the Sookie Stackhouse series, you will want to start collecting and reading the Cowboy and Vampire books. This is only the second book in the series, but I really think its destined to be shelved alongside the greats of the vampire genre.
In mixing cowboys with vampires, this is definitely one of the most unusual and gripping plots out there. Without giving away the story, let me say that I was sucked in right away by a kidnapping and the eventual discovery of a secret warehouse where victims were having their blood extracted so vampires could have blood cocktails to drink (Robin Cook couldn't have dreamed up anything better!) Like the original book in the series, Blood and Whiskey delivers in cinematic style. The mixture of dark comedy and gruesome killing (ha, vampires can be so ruthless!) had me thinking that this would make a great Quentin Tarantino movie.
In the bigger picture, as vampires gather to deliberate the new world order over humans, subplots and a cast of quirky characters kept me turning the pages. Also, I liked all the historical background info about the power vampires had over Stalin and Russia. How did the authors think up this stuff?
For all the blood, sex, killing and mayhem in the pages (and there's a lot of that to go round!) Blood and Whiskey is also a story about relationships and reminds us that in the end love conquers all, even evil.
The characters in Blood and Whiskey kinda pull at you a little. You can feel them in your soul (I know that sounds very zealot like or just plain nuts but...). The characters in this series mean something, they matter. Believe it or not, even with all the killing and neck slicing, with all the macabre, the dark sex, these characters are real people. Haha just like you and me.. then again NOT really! You would have to read the books to know what I mean. What until you find out what happens to dad!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Blood and Whiskey starts where The Cowboy and The Vampire left off, Lizzie is now the Queen of The Vampires and she’s pregnant with Tucker’s child, conceived before her turning. What the whole Vampire race is eager to witness if she can turn humans now, if she can then her rule begins and she’s determined to make change - if she can’t then it spells doom to the Royal Vampires who will become extinct and free reign to the Reptiles who won’t miss their chance at gaining freedom and power.
It’s not all politics, Tucker and Lenny discover a gruesome effect of manufactured blood as Lenny’s niece goes missing, also with Lizzie pregnant Tucker wants to propose. Let’s not forget Elita’s education to following the Coda, her struggle to feed only from the evil seems to take it’s sweet time. And then there is Rurik, a Russian Vampire with more plots and schemes that one could count, and the Council of Nine, the most powerful Vampires in the whole world, heading to LonePine.
From toasting evil pop tarts to disgruntled porcupines Blood and Whiskey continues the unique journey of Lizzie and Tucker in a small town full of eccentric individuals, dogs and now a collection of world’s most powerful vampires in an astronomer’s convention. You can see how this is gonna turn out. Blood and Whiskey is entertaining, witty and fun with great twist of adventure and vampire politics spiced with anarchy!
If this was a story of Lizzie alone and her involvement in the vampire politics, or just Tucker and Rex taking care of the ranch and evicting alpacas I don’t think it would get too many raving reviews, but when you mix these two you get a superb combination of vampires, brooding cowboys and a mix of strange people who wouldn’t have dreamed of meeting otherwise.
I love it how either Lizzie or Tucker didn’t change much at all, Lizzie was still a new vampire refusing to drink from people and Tucker was just as grumpy about her vampire status as before, but they both had the undying ( bun intended ) devotion and love for each other, something that always beats the odds!
Blood and Whiskey is almost urban fantasy except it takes place in the not so urban LonePine, and it’s more paranormal than fantasy hence one should probably call it a Western Paranormal Thriller… And even that doesn’t sound quite right, I’m at odds what to call them! How about Excellent? Well they are! The writing is engaging, poetic and very dark at times, it has that dark corners, lurking in the night thriller feel to it with the paranormal of vampires, the good and the bad and the ugly – and the comic effect of conspiracy theories, military uppers, thermite grenades and animals with tons of odd personality.
An awesome mix of funny, evil and sexy, with loads of interesting vampire politics, wacky characters ( both evil and not-so ) witty one liners and enough action to prevent you from putting the book down!
Hays and McFall did it again, Blood and Whiskey is a great continuation to The Cowboy and The Vampire! These two novels come with my highest recommendation!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 15, 2012
Not as enjoyable as the first installment in the series.
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Overview
Relationships are always hard, but for a broke cowboy and a newly turned Vampire, true love may be lethal. After barely surviving an undead apocalypse in The Cowboy and the Vampire, Tucker and Lizzie hightail it back to quirky LonePine, Wyoming (population 438), to start a family. But she's got a growing thirst for blood and he's realizing that mortality ain't all it's cracked up to be when your girlfriend may live forever. With a scheming ...