The Bite Stuff

Colorado is lucky to be home to Carrie Vaughn and Mario Acevedo, two of the freshest, most fun writers of urban fantasy around. And local author Jeanne C. Stein is right up there with them; while Vaughn’s protagonist is a werewolf, Stein — like her The Biting Edge blog-mate, Acevedo — has a soft spot for the sharp teeth of vampires. Stein’s Anna Strong series centers on the eponymous hero, a former bounty hunter turned bloodsucker who’s forced to grapple with her humanity (or loss thereof) while trying to protect the world at large from the creepy-crawlies of the underworld. As with much of the current glut of urban fantasy, there’s plenty of paranormal romance in Stein’s fifth Anna Strong novel, the just-released Retribution – but Stein’s rich characters and dark atmosphere bring an infusion of life and lust to the genre.

The author appears tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Tattered Cover’s Highlands Ranch location to sign copies of Retribution and talk about her work; you just might want to avoid asking her what she had for lunch. The Tattered Cover is located at 9315 Dorchester Street; for information, call 303-470-7050 or visit www.tatteredcover.com.
Wed., Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m., 2009