I'm the Vampire, That's Why

Only Michele Bardsley can take the mundane and turn it in to a brilliantly funny story, as she does with I’m the Vampire, That’s Why.

Jessica Matthews is a divorced single mom trying to make a good life for herself and her children in Broken Heart, OK. She never expected her entire world to be turned inside out one evening when taking out the trash. One moment she is walking to the curb, the next she is waking up, sucking on the leg of the sinfully sexy vampire, Patrick O’Halloran. Now she discovers the shocking news she was brutally attacked by a half-wehr, half vampire creature and the only way to save her life was to make her one of the undead also.

After she recovers from the sensual haze she is surrounded in due to her unique feeding method, all she cares about is making sure her children are safe from the monster that did this to her. Now she is fighting bad guys (or rather, bad vampires, AKA Wraiths), learning to deal with her new skills, and helping her children adjust to her new life. Never mind that she finds herself obsessing over the gorgeous Patrick and his revelations that she is… his soul mate? Who or what is the mysterious thing that is still attacking the town? How can Jessica raise her children if she is dead to the world, literally and figuratively, during the day when they need her most? And what of her growing fascination and lust-filled thoughts for the seductive Patrick?

Watch out folks, there is a new breed of housewife in town! Jessica is smart and sassy, full of biting wit and charm with one-liners we all wish we could come up with on the fly. Her fears and concerns for her children are not your ordinary run-of-the-mill kind. No, she has to worry about monsters and evil vampires and protecting her children from a whole new kind of danger. Readers will follow along with Jessica as she learns how to control her new powers and helps her children to understand what has happened. The passion between Patrick and Jessica is believable, especially as we are privy to Jessica’s thoughts as to why she must resist these urges. Her world is her children and she won’t do anything without fully taking in to consideration how her decisions will affect them.

Michele Bardsley has obviously done considerable research for this novel. The world building in I’m the Vampire, That’s Why is very extensive, crossing centuries and oceans to all come into play in Broken Heart. The legend behind Broken Heart, OK is a unique and strangely appealing one. Then there is the legend of Jessica’s family ancestry and how it is linked to Patrick’s story. And of course, we can’t forget the vivid telling of how the vampires came to be in the first place. Everything fits together seamlessly and it is obvious Michele Bardsley has plenty of more stories to tell about her vampire society.

Sit back, kick up your feet, and prepare to be immersed in a completely entertaining read full of cheeky humor and enough sensual tension to set your eyebrows on fire.

September 2006