Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been an avid vampire fan since I was a child. I read Interview With The Vampire when I was nine. Where does one go from there? Well, I’ve devoured just about every vampire-themed book and film on the market today. Then, when it came time to write my own books, I did a deep dive into the history, theology, sociology, and speculative science behind the vampire myth. But I’m not going to tell you to read the boring classics (even though Dracula is a personal favorite). I’m going to list the fun books—the ones like Twilight, but better. I firmly believe reading should be fun and full of magic, no matter how old you are.


I wrote

Dark Heirloom

By J.D. Brown,

Book cover of Dark Heirloom

What is my book about?

My description is…To save humanity, she must trust the vampire who stole hers. Dark Heirloom is the first installment…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Interview with the Vampire

J.D. Brown Why did I love this book?

I read Interview at the impressionable young age of nine. I still remember randomly picking it up from the library shelf like it was yesterday. If my mother had any idea the content I was reading—well, thank goodness she didn’t, haha. That book was my paranormal awakening, so to speak. It sparked my obsession with horror and dark fantasy. Since then I’ve devoured everything from Bram Stoker to Stephenie Meyer.

By Anne Rice,

Why should I read it?

19 authors picked Interview with the Vampire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Anne Rice, this sensuously written spellbinding classic remains 'the most successful vampire story since Bram Stoker's Dracula' (The Times)

In a darkened room a young man sits telling the macabre and eerie story of his life - the story of a vampire, gifted with eternal life, cursed with an exquisite craving for human blood.

When Interview with the Vampire was published the Washington Post said it was a 'thrilling, strikingly original work of the imagination . . . sometimes horrible, sometimes beautiful, always unforgettable'. Now, more than forty years since its release, Anne…


Book cover of Guilty Pleasures: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel

J.D. Brown Why did I love this book?

In my mind, Hamilton is the queen of Urban Fantasy. She wrote dark, gritty heroines who didn’t apologize for being sexually active—and she did it before it was cool. Anita Blake is like a more mature version of Buffy. Everyone should read that series at least once. 

By Laurell K. Hamilton,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Guilty Pleasures as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Meet Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, in the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series that "blends the genres of romance, horror and adventure with stunning panache"(Diana Gabaldon).

Laurell K. Hamilton's bestselling series has captured readers' wildest imaginations and addicted them to a seductive world where supernatural hungers collide with the desires of the human heart, starring a heroine like no other...

Anita Blake is small, dark, and dangerous. Her turf is the city of St. Louis. Her job: re-animating the dead and killing the undead who take things too far. But when the city's most powerful vampire…


Book cover of Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires)

J.D. Brown Why did I love this book?

I’m biased. Some Girls Bite takes place in Chicago, where I’m from, and where some of my own characters are from. It’s really cool to see how another author uses the city I grew up in and love. But aside from that nifty accolade, it’s a fun well-written story with mature themes. The main character, Merit, is no shrinking violet. She can kick ass and take names with the best of them, which is why I love her books. It would be amazing if our characters could meet mine someday. 

By Chloe Neill,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The first Chicagoland Vampires novel from New York Times bestselling author Chloe Neill.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was Merit's. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps…


Book cover of Dark Lover

J.D. Brown Why did I love this book?

Honestly, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this one. I don’t think any other vampire romance in the world grips its readers the way the Black Dagger Brotherhood series does. Yes, it’s a romance, but you won’t find any sugary sweetness or melodrama here. These characters are deep, flawed, and intoxicating in a way that always has me ripping through the pages, reading as fast as I can. The relationships are mature and complicated. There’s death and loss, children and family, toxic backstories, trauma…not all of them get a happy ending. Keep the tissues close. You have been warned. 

By J. R. Ward,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Dark Lover as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There also exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Among them, none relishes killing their enemies more than Wrath, the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood...

The only pure-bred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed - orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage…


Book cover of Undead and Unwed

J.D. Brown Why did I love this book?

I’m including Undead & Unwed for those who don’t like dark & gritty themes like I do. I’m including it for the readers who like chick-lit and comedy—because this series is freaking hysterical. I would recommend it to fans of the Sookie Stackhouse series (oops, not me namedropping another title in there, haha). The main character, Betsy, is a vampire queen unlike any you’ve ever seen before with all the sass of the south between her fangs, and she’s having a very bad day… Go read it. You’ll be glad you did. 

By MaryJanice Davidson,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Undead and Unwed as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First Betsy Taylor loses her job, then she's killed in a car accident.  But what really bites is that she can't seem to stay dead.  And now her new friends have the ridiculous idea that Betsy is the prophesied vampire queen, and they want her help in overthrowing the most obnoxious power-hungry vampire in five centuries.


Explore my book 😀

Dark Heirloom

By J.D. Brown,

Book cover of Dark Heirloom

What is my book about?

My description is…To save humanity, she must trust the vampire who stole hers. Dark Heirloom is the first installment of the 5x award-winning Ema Marx series. If you like strong female heroines, lots of action, and a hint of romance, then you'll love J.D. Brown's gripping urban fantasy world.

Book cover of Interview with the Vampire
Book cover of Guilty Pleasures: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel
Book cover of Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires)

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The December Issue

By J. Shep,

Book cover of The December Issue

J. Shep Author Of The December Issue

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

J.'s 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

"a fresh narrative whose scale, ambition, and pathos elevate" -Pacific Book Review

"The December Issue warms up the soul from its first chapter to the last." -Chanticleer Book Reviews, 5 Stars

The joys of retirement feel imminent to columnist Paul Scrivensby, a native of the Great Lakes' very own St. Catherine's Cove, but when his penultimate column stirs controversy, the writer soon finds easing into carefree days of leisure a luxury growing more elusive. Embroiled in the unexpected pursuits presented before him while on the verge of retirement, Paul discovers what he and others are capable of and searches for…

The December Issue

By J. Shep,

What is this book about?

The joys of retirement feel imminent to columnist Paul Scrivensby, a native of the Great Lakes' very own St. Catherine's Cove, but when his penultimate column stirs controversy, the writer soon finds easing into carefree days of leisure a luxury growing more elusive. Embroiled in the unexpected pursuits presented before him while on the verge of retirement, Paul discovers what he and others are capable of and searches for understanding of what is truly expected of him at this pivotal point in his life.

A story of discernment amid the challenges and blessings of work, retirement, family, community, and past…


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