- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
The #1 New York Times bestselling author's short story collection-including an all-new Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter story-now in paperback.
From a woman who marries into a family of volatile wizards to a couple fleeing a gang of love-hungry cupids, from a girl who seeks sanctuary in the form of a graceful goose to the disgruntled superhero Captain Housework, readers will revel in the many twists and turns of fortune in these fantastical fairy tales and lush parables. Even hardened vampire hunter and zombie animator Anita Blake gets blindsided by the disturbing motives of her clients in the new "Those Who Seek Forgiveness" and in "The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death."
Laurell K. Hamilton is a full-time writer and mother. Her bestselling Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels include Narcissus in Chains, Obsidian Butterfly, Blue Moon, Burnt Offerings, The Killing Dance, Bloody Bones, The Lunatic Café, Circus of the Damned, The Laughing Corpse, and Guilty Pleasures. She is also the author of A Kiss of Shadows and A Caress of Twilight. She lives in a suburb of St. Louis with her family.
Hamilton has not always been under the spell of undead things that go bump-and-grind in the night. When she was a young girl, her literary tastes were a bit more on the traditional side. "I wanted to be Louisa May Alcott, who wrote Little Women, because I had never read any science fiction, fantasy, or horror," she confessed in a podcast on Mayor Slay.com. "Then at 13 or 14 I found Robert E. Howard's short story collection [Pigeons From Hell]. It was the first horror, the first heroic fantasy, the first science fiction I'd ever read, and the moment I read that I knew that not only did I want to be a writer, but this is what I wanted to write."
Furthering Hamilton's burgeoning fascination with the fantastic, she discovered Anthony Masters's The Natural History of the Vampire at her high school library. Coupled with the ghost stories her grandmother had told her when she was a child and heavy doses of Hammer Horror movies from Great Britain, Hamilton was well on her way to creating a character that would only be rivaled by Buffy in the field of vampire slaying.
Hamilton first introduced vampire huntress Anita Blake in her third novel Guilty Pleasures. Blake is an unlikely combination of action hero, federal marshal, "necromancer," and lusty dame. Her exploits between the sheets and in the graveyard won Hamilton a rabid following hungry for something new in the well-traveled vampire genre.
Along with the kinds of scares normally associated with vampire stories, Hamilton's books are notable for their unflinching eroticism. Vampires have had a sexual lure since Stoker, but Hamilton particularly draws that aspect to the surface of her work as one of her creatures might draw blood from a victim. "I [want] a kiss to be so believable it gives the reader shivers," she says on her website. "Two things I do well are sex and violence, but I don't want gratuitous sex or violence. The sex and violence is only as graphic as need be. And never included unless it furthers the plot or character development."
Another unlikely trait of her books is humor, vampire tales classically being of the more solemn sort. However, a writer weaned on a book titled Pigeons From Hell is not likely going to shy away from wit. Consequently, her books have been consistently entertaining and fun, as well as creepy and sexy.
Hamilton has also brought her delicious combination of sex, humor, and frights to another series, this one more ingrained in dark fantasy than horror. Her faerie princess/P.I. Meredith Gentry made her debut in Kiss of Shadows in 2001 and has since sparked her own crowd-pleasing sword and sorcery meets pulp series.
Increasingly, the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry books have added more sexual content to their story lines, classifying both series in a new hybrid genre that blends romance, erotica, and paranormal fantasy. To judge from Hamilton's consistent appearance on the bestseller charts, readers find the mix spellbinding.
Before Laurell K. Hamilton made a full-time career of blood, guts, murder, and mayhem, she had more humane pursuits -- she volunteered at an animal shelter where she played with unwanted pets.
In our interview, Hamilton shared some fun and fascinating facts about herself with us:
"I am incredibly stubborn. Telling me I cannot do something, especially if you cite the fact that I am a girl, will make me want to do it more and do it better."
"I am not my characters. We have some of the same traits in common, but we are very different people."
"Everything inspires me. Getting up in the morning, walking the dogs, watching a music video. Inspiration comes from everywhere."
"I love animals. I own four dogs, two of whom are rescues. In fact, Jimmy is with us because they were going to gas him if we didn't take him with us. As an older dog his chances of finding a home were fairly slim. But he has been a wonderful addition to our home."
"I like spending time with my family and friends. Something I often feel I do not do enough of. But there are only so many hours in a day."
"I like to read other people's works. I love reading cozy or historical mysteries when I can."
"I enjoy interacting with fans at planned public events. I enjoy talking to them and have met many wonderful people."
Anonymous
Posted October 5, 2010
My fault I should have review the book before purchasing, if I had I would have skipped this book and went on to the next one. The short stories were good but I think they should not have been added as one of the books to the Anita Blake Vampire Series.
2 out of 2 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 February 9, 2009
For those who are Anita Blake fans, you'll find a couple of stories in this, but the rest are different short stories and I found very few interesting or intriguing enough to recommend this book.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I love* Laurell K. Hamilton's series (Anita Blake, Meredith Gentry) so I grabbed just for the heck of it. Three or four cought my eye, but the rest were okay. Ish. -- Heavy on the ish. Not bad, but not very memorable either. It was stuck in passive tense which really annoyed me. (It had been a.. She had gone to..) I cought myself constantley changing it in my mind. I just read this book a few days ago and there are onlly a handful I even remember; a triton, vampire real estate, one about geese, magicians, and one mentioning Jean - Claude. But that's all I really remember. I was a little disappointed, but not entirely. It's one of those that you have to read, just 'cause, but it's nothing to get excited about. I guess I could recommend it.
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.This fourteen short story fantasy collection showcases Laurell K. Hamilton¿s dark humor and strong female characters. Six are brand new three were published in 1989 four in 1990s and one in 2005. The first tale, ¿Those by Themselves¿ is an Anita Blake story back in her early days when she was an unconfident inexperienced rookie and the Hamilton-Blake mythos had not quite developed for followers of the executioner this will be fun culture shock as she has come a long way baby. Three of the contributions are set in the sword-and-sorcery realm of NIGHTSEER (the author¿s first novel from the earl 1999s). The compilation is solid with most of the stories great fun. Fans of Ms. Hamilton and anyone who appreciate her dark droll fantasies will want to read this delightful anthology.------------------------- Harriet Klausner
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 April 14, 2012
Goes.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 14, 2012
U shud probably get herbs. *carries the apprentice to the med den *
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 29, 2012
But still good she has donebetter. But i am a loyal fan so Ill kep reading. Thanks Girl!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 4, 2012
I really enjoyed all of the short stories presented in this collection but "here be dragons" really made the book for me. It's definitely worth the read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I really do not care for authors short stories, but Laurell K Hamilton, I must say is different. It was about 6 stories to me that stood out the most. And they were; Those who seek forgiveness, Lust of Cupids, Selling House, A clean sweep, Geese, and Winter Kill.
Those 6 stories were the best, and I wish she had made an actual book out of Geese, and Winter Kill. So yes, read this book and enjoy!! Because it was well worth the read!!!
I never knew that Laurel Hamilton actually wanted to be a fantasy genre writer, rather than a paranormal writer. This book plays more on short stories that are from the fantasy realm. Just as much as many short stories go with any author, a lot of these stories have the potential of being made into sweeping epics - even if you can tell that they still need lots of work. Mainly due to them being so early on in her career. Needless to say if you are a fan of this author, you will get an insight into the difference of her story telling and a few special gems as well from the Anita Blake series. Not a bad read, and a decent break from her series if your looking for something just a bit different.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.this the frist book if raed of hers its a good book but not a keeper
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I love Laurell K. Hamilton and she doesn't dissappoint with this series of short stories. All were engaging and wonderful, so wonderful I found myself wondering what happened to some of the characters! Definitely a must read for any fan of her work!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MrsMartinTM
Posted January 30, 2010
I'm usually not a fan of short stories, but I'm a huge fan of Laurell K. Hamilton's and I had to try this out. I loved it! Some of the stories I wished she had expanded into novels, and maybe she will. If you love Laurell, you'll Love Strange Candy.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.i bought it for my mom and she loved it!!!!
0 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.Seeing these short stories by Laurell K. Hamilton was a treat. Some were good, some were great, and some can be skipped over. My biggest problem with the whole shebang is the cover. This book has nothing to do with women in bondage attire eating candy. Actually, this book has no sex in it at all. Which, when you think about it, is "strange" indeed when you consider the other series' that this author writes.
Overall, a pretty good read, although some of Ms. Hamilton's snarky comments in the introductions to some of the stories really didn't need to be included.
If you're a fan of Ms. Hamilton, you'll want to read STRANGE CANDY just to see how she handles short stories. If you're looking for another sex-filled Anita Blake or Meredith Gentry story, this isn't the place to find it.
And for those who feel the need to hide the cover of this book beneath a copy of Good Housekeeping, I don't blame you. The cover is there for shock value alone, nothing else. It doesn't apply to what's inside the book at all, and for that someone should be ashamed.
Anonymous
Posted October 12, 2006
I have been sorely disappointed in the recent Anita books, and was conflicted if I should purchase this one, but I gave it a try and am glad I did. Here you can see what a great writer Hamilton is, how she does not need the sex to have a wonderful book. The stories are all vastly unique and interesting, they leave you wanting for more. I hope she takes some of these stories and in the future expands on them.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 14, 2006
I bought Strange Candy expecting erotic stories. I got so much more. The stories are engaging on many different levels. I think it will appeal to many different readers. For uniqueness and entertainment value it rates right up there with Nip Tuck (my favorite tv show).
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 12, 2006
The stories in this collection run from the vampire stories LKH is famous for all the way to the magical sword and sorcery stories many people love. She has shown a great breadth of range in the characters and settings. It is a good read and a must for the hardcore LKH fan.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 28, 2006
This was pretty good. Like the way she started off before she became all..... Some of the stories were weird and/or confusing and/or stupid, but some of them were good and made me frustrated that it wasn't longer. Of the 14 short stories I recommend The Edge of the Sea, Selling Houses, Geese, House of Wizards, and Here Be Dragons. Those stories were good, not to say the others were bad. They're just not the kinda thing I'm into. Too Lord of the Rings for me. Then some of the others were so stupid they had me goin WTF?! You'll know which ones I'm talkin about if you've read it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 29, 2006
I have been turned off by Hamilton's recent writings. This is a compilation of some of her old work - short stories. It shows imagination, dedication and above all, gives one a great read. I read it in the bookstore and will get it once it is out in paperback. I would love to see more writing out of this great authoress, than more porn as a lazy way of getting enough words on paper to qualify for a novel. Laurel is a fantastic writer. She has imagination, the vocabulary and the abilit necessary for a great writer. I just wish she'd use them when she writes like she did when she first started.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Overview
The #1 New York Times bestselling author's short story collection-including an all-new Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter story-now in paperback.
From a woman who marries into a family of volatile wizards to a couple fleeing a gang of love-hungry cupids, from a girl who seeks sanctuary in the form of a graceful goose to the disgruntled superhero Captain Housework, readers will revel in the many twists and turns of fortune in these fantastical fairy tales and lush parables. Even hardened vampire hunter and zombie animator Anita Blake gets blindsided by the disturbing motives of her clients in the new "Those Who Seek Forgiveness" and in "The Girl Who Was ...