Another great giveaway today…but first, I have to explain that last week, I titled my blog, “Getting to Know You,” but then I never said why that was relevant.
With all these extra books, I figured what better way was there to let people get to know me than by giving away books? A lot of you may like me personally from my Wednesday blog, but because I write category or because I write paranormal or because (insert reason here), you haven’t had a chance to read many (or any!) of my books. I know that some of you HAVE read my books and luckily for ME, most of you who post seem to like them! (Some of you might not, and that’s fair, too. I appreciate that no one actually says this out loud.) 
Still, I know there are Plotmonkey readers who are not familiar with my work or just discovered my books, so they haven’t read anything from the backlist and these contests are a great way for me to a) clean my shelves and b) gain some new readers.
So this week, I’m giving away a VERY RARE COLLECTION.
In 2005, I was nominated for a RITA award (RWA’s highest honor) for a novella I wrote called “Surrender” in the ESSENCE OF MIDNIGHT collection. I’m very fond of that story, not only because it was recognized with the nomination (I didn’t win, but I lost to Anne Stuart, so I figure if you’re going to lose, lose to one of the greats!) but because that story started what I’d like to call my growing fascination with Gypsies.
That novella led me to write not only the VERY FIRST PARANORMAL Blaze, UNDENIABLE, but the amount of research I did also influenced by Phantom series.
I love Gypsies because they are so misunderstood. Because the stereotypes are at once true, and yet so untrue. The culture and ethnicity are fraught with tradition and magic and a blatant sensuality that is probably far from the truth, but woven into the fabric of literary tradition so tightly, we’ll never shake it free. And that’s good news for me, since I like writing sexy Gypsies!
The books I’m giving away this week are books I rarely part with. For the longest time, I thought that I’d lost my author’s copies, so I not only horded the few copies I did have, I found and ordered extras from eBay. During the Great Closet Purge, I found my author’s copies, so this week, I’m giving away 2 SETS of the books I purchased from eBay!
The winners will get one copy each of ESSENCE OF MIDNIGHT & UNDENIABLE, plus…a copy of LIP SERVICE, a 2-in-1 I did with Lori Foster, which includes her 1999 Temptation, TANTALIZING, and my novella, “My Lips Are Sealed,” which is related to the novella in ESSENCE OF MIDNIGHT because the heroines are sisters. LIP SERVICE is a contemporary romance…no paranormal at all. The other two do have paranormal elements. One has a Gypsy curse and the second deals with reincarnation.
So if you’re interested in winning (continental US only because of shipping costs, sorry!)…leave a comment! Tell me if you like Gypsy stories or light paranormal or novellas…just tell me why you’d like to have this collection! (The numbers will still be drawn randomly, but it’s still nice to have a conversation going in the threads rather than just a standard, “Pick me!” Plus, let’s be real…it’s good for my ego)
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Ooooh, sweet! When I think if Gypsies, I think of Johnny Depp in Chocolat, so yeah, I love me some Gypsies. And Lisa Kleypas also has the wonderful Cam & Merripen in her latest series. Adore them both. Part of me loves the free spirit, the magic and sensual nature, the other part of me is not so keen on the roaming. I like roots. I don’t mind exploring the world, but it’s nice to have a place to call home.
Gotta run. All achy after shoveling snow several times over the last 12 hours. I am so out of shape LOL.
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WOW! How did I miss adding either of these to the collection? I thought I had all of your stuff.
I am a wanderer by nature- the fact that I have moved over 30 times in my life is probably a testament to that- even though I have finally settled down. But we bought an RV and I can now indulge!
And nobody told us where the icons went!!
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Hey Jules, I sit here with tears in my eyes because I just know the randomizer hates me…did that work? LOL!!!
Okay, let’s get serious. I absolutely love your books and I tell everyone. Now the reason you should really pick me for this prize is that I heart gyspies a lot. They make some of the best heroes and heroines because of the fact that they are so misunderstood. I loved reading about the Romanis when I read older historical fictions…one of my fave time periods to read about and study is the Middle Ages. Reading about them since in Arabian nights and watching their story unfold in old movies starring Laurence Olivier. I fell in love with their culture and way of life.
You are one of the reasons I read paras now, because before you, I never really got into reading them. You have a way with creating such great worlds through that genre. I know, all the begging in the world won’t help me win this prize…don’t enter me okay. I just wanted to talk about how much I love you and your books. I will find them somewhere else, but if I don’t I will be crying real tears. I hope that one of your new readers are lucky enough to get their hands on these books. I will be uber jealous, but I have experienced your work and they didn’t. This is a wonderful thing you are doing, btw. Spring cleaning in winter…LOL!!!
We have a snow day today, no school…yippee. This is the first time in my 10 years working at this boarding school that we have had one. Wake up is a 10 a.m. instead of 6:45. I am so excited. Have a great day all. If you are in the path of the blizzard heading up North, take care, be warm and be safe. Take a page out of Les’s book and just have fun too. See you all later. I am going back to bed.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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Hello Julie,
These books look really great! I especially liked “Undeniable”. I love light paranormals and I loved the plot of this book! I have read books in the past where the gypsy was the heroine but I never read about a male gypsy! How sexy! And I love romantic soulmate stories too!
Essence of Midnight and Lip Service look great too!
I’d love to win all these books!
Have a Great Day!!
Sandra
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“But every night all the men would come around, and lay their money down.”
Now, what I want to know is who are these women that let men insult them in the light of day, and then are there for them with arms (and other things) open at night?
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I would love to win any of them. I love gypsies, light paranormal and novellas. I just love to read!!
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I read book I believe once with a gypsy – her name was Gemma I believe from one of Deirdre Martin’s hockey books – she was really lovable and there is just something a bit “wild” about a gypsy book. I do love novellas and since I havent read any of your books – please don’t hit me – lol – I would love to win this collection.
Thanks again for offering these Wed. cleanout contests.
Hope everyone will be safe from this snowstorm – we are not sure how much we will get – but it is supposed to get worse – maybe 14 inches. Who knows.
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I’ve read and enjoyed several books with Gypsies:
Gypsy Lover Elizabeth Layton -enjoyed Daffyd’s struggle with his dark side as he falls in love with Meg
Loved Samantha James One Moonlit Night with Dominic
Cam in Lisa Kleypas’ Mine Till Midnight falls in love with Amelia and struggles with his Gypsy roots. He’s a lucky gambler in this book.
I like the way Gypsies don’t like to be tied down ..they are wanderers and “free spirits”. I like the ESP kind of, fortune telling aspect! Also magical jewelry.
Brenda Joyce also had Romanies living on the lands of the De Warrenes’ estate in A Dangerous Love. Emilian and Ariella had quite a struggle!
I’ve really liked the “darkside” of Gypsy lore. The mystery!
This was in a series too of Linda Conrad’s called The Gypsy Inheritance with 3 sisters Seduction By the Book, Reflected Pleasure and A Scandolous Melody.
Nouvellas are a great way to introduce new families in future books. Also a great way to try out new authors. They are quick reads while you wait for family or appointments. I’m slowly reading paranormals. I liked the Twilight series, Lori Handeland’s Moon series…
I’d love to read your earlier works!
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Ooo I like Stacy’s comment – Johnny Depp in Chocolat is great! Otherwise… I thought Brad Pitt in Snatch.
I do like stories about gypsies – Lisa Kleypas and her Hathaway series would have won me over if Cam didn’t already in previous books. I also enjoy light paranormal – when I’m expecting it. (Can’t say I’m quite as fond of it when I’m expecting a straight contemporary or historical.) :X
As for stories in real life… one of my high school Latin teachers was actually cursed by a gypsy …
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Wow, I don’t think i’ve read those! I’m with limecello with liking light paramormals.
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I’ve not read any paranormal or gypsy stories – but am intrigued. I would love to start with someone whose blogs I enjoy – so winning would be a real treat.
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Don’t pick me because I won a couple of weeks ago….I will have to check out that 2 in 1 with Lori Foster…love her work, too.
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I grew up in Georgia and across the Savannah River in SC in the valley are two quite large camps of gypsies called the Sherlocks and the Carrolls. Believe me these people aren’t the gypsies in romance novels. Trust me! They intermarry, they marry off their 12, 13, 14 year old daughters to men in their 40′s and 50′s. And get away with it. The police turn a blind eye because NO ONE wants to go into the camps and the gypsies don’t want outsiders coming into the camp. They parade them in the camp on Halloween dressed in big girl dresses, tons of makeup and jewelry, big girl hair, in a ritual called “looping” the camp. The men get in their trucks and “loop” the camp while the girls stand by their mail boxes and twirl. They bring them into Augusta to a steak house called T-Bones where they fill up the restaurant and bring these girls who twirl around the resturant by the tables of these men so the men can pick the one they want. I’m not kidding! A lot of people go to this restaurant at 6:00 on a Wednesday evening to observe this perverse ritual. Of course they have to get their early or they can’t get a table. They all look alike–because of all the intermarriage. Their skin has a strange tecture to it kind of like a pie shell. I have been in Colorado for 23 years now but I used to be able to pick out a gypsy at 50 yards away. The merchants at the malls hate to see them coming because they “ransack” the stores in groups and of course shoplift while they are at it. And they talk really fast so you can’t understand what they are saying. When they leave, the store is in a shambles.
When a couple gets married–you know, half-sister, brother, cousin–you get the picture–they build a big, new house, put the Virgin Mary in the front yard, cover the windows with foil and wait. The house sits empty for a long time until the bad mojo, evil spirits or whatever is vanquished from the house. Seriously!
Way back in the 80′s before I moved west, I worked at the Medical College and I remember one of the elderly Sherlocks was admitted to the hospital. EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY Sherlock showed up, filled the seats in the waiting area, they were standing against the walls and out into the hallway there were so many. All because this one old lady was being admitted to the hospital. The administrator had to ask them to leave.
So if you want to include me in the drawing, I’ll take the light paranormal sans gypsies. I’m sorry, Julie but every time I hear the word “gypsy” I can’t help but picture a Sherlock or a Carroll. I can’t get past it.
Cher
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ew…on the whole intermarriage/marrying off young girls thing.
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I have always enjoyed anthologies, it gets me acquainted with new authors. I will buy an anthology because it has someone in it that I read all the time and the other authors I might not have read anything of theirs yet. I just picked up the Mammoth Book Of Irish Romance for that very reason. I like gypsy stories. I think the first gypsy stories I ever read were Barbara Cartland. I enjoy paranormal too so I know I will like your books. I always enjoy your books.
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I love gypsy stories because of the mystery and magic that is usually associated with gypsies.
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I love light paranormals, but they seem to be hard to find. Everything is darker and heavier lately.
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Gypsy stories fascinate me because they straddle that line of believability…. where as paranormal is just straight up a fantasy world.
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I think I have read one gypsy book, but I can’t recall what it is. I don’t mind reading some more though. As for paranormal, I have not read any of it yet. But I do have that in TBR list to read it one day. Any recommendations for a paranormal newbie?
Lori Foster was actually the first author I read and love especially Never Too Much and Too Much Temptation. I have not read Lip Service though.
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I have read a few gypsy stories… As long as there is romance I love to read a variety of books… big fan of novellas, there are times when you just want a quick romantic read… and paranormals… give me a bit of the mystical and unknown anytime!
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I love novellas because they give me a chance to check out new authors. I really like paranormals, but I don’t think I’ve ever read anything that focuses on gypsies. I think that would be really interesting.
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I love light paranormals and gypsy stories. You just don’t find that may light paranormals they all seem to be dark now. I read them but prefer the lighter ones. The lighter ones just seem more believable to me and thats why I like them.
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Hi Julie!
I read your Blaze, The Domino Effect, and liked it very much. In fact it’s one of the books I kept the last time I sorted through the collection of books piled on the back of my bed!
I’m sorry to say, I don’t read much paranormal. I’ve read Christine Feehan’s Drake Sister books and loved them. I’ve read Kate Douglas’s Wolf Tales and loved them. And I’ve read a bunch of books by Sydney Croft and loved them. I can handle shape shifters and special powers but I have not been able to get into vampires, witches, faries and such. Typically, if a book is categorized as paranormal or has a paranormal title or cover I skip over it.
That said, I’d like to see what you consider “light paranormal”. Hopefully, if I’m chosen, I’ll get the chance!
P.S.: After reading Cher’s post, I think I’ll skip the gypsies.
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I like light paranormals. I love novellas when I don’t have a lot of time to read, but I need to read. ( I have one friend that I only buy anthologies and novellas for because she doesn’t have the time or energy to concentrate on something longer.) Julie, definitely a cool way to clean a closet.
Hope everyone is surviving the weather.
Ellen :)
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They both sound great. I havent had the chance yet to read your stuff, but they are on my wishlist and I am looking forward to them.
I like gypsy stories, paranormals, light paranormals and novellas. Im not really picky as long as the story is good.
Thanks for introducing us to these 2 anthologies.
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I thought I had read all of your books. But I do not remember these 3. I need them to be considered an authentic and true fan. :)
I remember in the Ukraine running into gypsies and they had their little kids (3-4) begging for coin and candy. It was very odd.
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Every since a friend introduced me to Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series many years ago I’ve become obsessed with reading anything Paranormal! I’m always looking for new authors and series in this genre.
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I love both gypsy and paranormal romance. I really loved your phantom series!!
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Julie, I thought of you Monday night when I was watching Castle as it was about a baseball player from Cuba. He was killed after he made a trip back to Cuba. That is not giving the story away as it starts out with someone finding him. As the investigation progressed they worked a bit about Cuba into the story. It just made me think of you.
Cher’s story would make me not like Gypsy’s. That said I liked your Phantom series. Fiction is a wonderful thing.
I miss the emoticons, what happened?
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I have to agree with Stacy–When I think of gypsies, I immagine Johnny Depp in “Chocolat” and “The Man Who Cried.” So, yes, reading about gypsies is quite a nice diversion. I do enjoy a lot of paranormal romance stories. But mostly, I’d like to read these books because they represent your earlier works. Thanks for sharing with us.
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I love Gypsy stories because they remind me of my one (that I know of) contact with Gypsies. In the early 1950s, I was a student nurse on a surgical rotation, assigned to “scrub” on a case for the famed heart surgeon Denton Cooley. To be tapped for one of his cases was a much-sought assignment! It turned out to be a gallbladder removal, not a cardiac case (he had special teams for those cases and rightly so!) The patient, it was explained, was the daughter of the king of a Gypsy group, a princess. The father knowing of Dr. Cooley’s fame as a surgeon insisted on having him do the operation. Dr. Cooley shared the story of how the case came to be with us including the fact that the group had set up residence on the front lawn of the hospital! The surgery was a success, only we found a needle missing at the final instrument count. This meant we all stayed in place, except for the surgeon, while a Geiger counter was used in a search. As we waited, Dr. Cooley poked his head back into the room. He questioned, with a big grin on his face, whether we had come across the fishing hat he had worn into the room. It was missing! Needless to say, the needle was found on the floor under the shoe of a visiting resident surgeon. The last thing we would have needed was finding that the needle had been left in the Gypsy Princess!
Pat Cochran
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I like “light” paranormals although I haven’t read that many. I have traditionally been a pure romantice comedy type of gal. The arcane books by Jayne Ann Krentz are the only ones I’ve read and have loved them all.
Can’t recall a gypsie book either.
Tami
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I like all three of the categories you mentioned, Julie. Your Phantom series is the only gypsy type stories I’ve read, though. Of course, I pretty much like all books and paranormal is one of my very favorite categories, so almost anything there will make me happy. And novellas are nice because they can be read quickly and you can get a complete story when you may not have the time for a full novel.
I’d love to read the books in today’s giveaway because I’m sure I’d enjoy them and it gives me a chance to read some of your backlist.
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I do enjoy Gypsy stories, but haven’t read too many. I also love light paranormals with humor.
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I love gypsy stories because of the mystery surrounding gypsies.
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I’m more of a light paranormal person, along with novellas, and since I haven’t read any gypsy stories I can’t really say whether or not I like them. Although, everyone seems to like them on here so looks like I should give it a shot…
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I really enjoy paranormals, light paranormal. Ever since Lisa Kleypas’ s Cam, wow, who would not love a gypsy!
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I like Gypsy stories, paranormals, and novellas! I want to win because I enjoy your books and I have not yet read these stories and would love to add them to my collection.
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I tend to enjoy stories with a viking, highlander, knight or warrior involved, but I do love a good gypsy story. The mystery, carefree life style and of course there is always a good looking gypsy hunk in the stories, what’s not to like?
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I like all types of books. I am reading more now since I have been living out of a hotel in DC. I am snowed in and can’t get home because there are cars and trees blocking the entrance to the neighborhood.
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Both gypsies and light paranormal have a mysterious, sexy allure. These sound like fun books.
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I love stories about Gypsies! And paranormal. I think Gypsies are kind of like the American Indians of (Europe? Russia? Asia?) There is some mysticism because they are in tune with nature like the Am. Indians. They touch on things paranormal writers thrive on. It’s always enjoyable to read.
Count me in on the contest! Thanks
Daniela
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I love Gypsy stoires and paranormal stories too. I haven’t read those books. They all sound great!
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I like light paranormals I also like big scary paranormals. I have a collection of ghost books. Some are small-press collections and others are omnibuses of world-famous ghosts. I like them all. The ‘ghostier’ the better!
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I love paranormal and urban fantasy. I haven’t read these books but they sound great. Thanks for the contest.
Julie S.
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I like paranormal with vampires, shapeshifters but Faeries are my favorite. I love Ghost love stories too but I haven’t found any like I read a few years ago. I haven’t read a good Gypsy story in a while. It would be nice to find one to read. Do you have any suggestions?
Some times it nice to just read an old fashioned love story; no vamps, no creatures of any sorts. Just two people falling in love!
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As Annie would say, “Oh My Goodness”.. This is an awsome book giveaway. My problem is I love Gypsy stories, light paranormal and novellas…I want this collection so I can satisfy my cravings for reading all of these great books. I have been avid reader for over 50 yrs and this sounds like a heck of alot of great reading.
Romance, Love them add suspense, excitement and hero and heroin who try not to like each other and you got a book for me.
Thanks for the great giveaway.
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to answer the question…yes…I like the gypsy…..I like Novellas and Paranormal…that depends on the author and the mood I’m in…Novellas are good for when you don’t have a ton of time to read…you can read one at a time and don’t mind putting the book down between authors…otherwise…I read the book nonstop till I’m done if it’s a one author book…anal that way…lol
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Oh you rock Julie! That is so generous of you to offer up your extra sets. I love paranormal romance books. I fell in love with them about 3 years ago. Gypsies, vampires, shapeshifters, etc. I love it all!
Novellas are great when I am want to read a short story. I am like Diana above and have stayed up way to late to finish a book that I couldn’t put down. So shorter stories are better that way so I am not up till the wee hours of the morning!
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I do like Gypsy stories, and love novellas! I’m recently converted to all sorts of paranormal stories, so those are fun, too! I thought I had the Lip Service collection, but oddly can’t remember where I put it! I guess that comes from having too many books? No! Say it isn’t so!
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Oh I LOVE gypsy stories!!!!!! :Valday:
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In case I’m not too late – I would love anything paranormal – I just found this genre and haven’t read very much but I think I’m getting hooked lol.
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I like a Gypsy story if its well written. I love all kinds of paranormal stories vampires, shifters just about any kind.