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| In the Blood | 
 enlarge | Manufacturer: Double Dragon eBooks
Category: EBooks
List Price: $5.99
Buy New: $4.79
You Save: $1.20 (20%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 42243
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 204
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
ASIN: B000JMKQMQ
Publication Date: September 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Fantasy deserted by reason produces impossible monsters: united with it, fantasy is the mother of the arts and the source of their wonders. Francisco Goya (caption for The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters) By day, Elise draws and paints, spilling out the horrific visions of her tortured mind. By night, she walks the streets, selling her body to the highest bidder. And then they come into her life: a trio of impossibly beautiful... and brutally murderous...vampires. Terence, with his cruel, seductive smile and hunger to exploit the innocent and unwary. Maria, a cat-like beauty, whose lust for love is matched only by her lust for the heat and sustenance of human blood. And finally, Edward, the most human of them, hating himself for his desires and wanting to warn others not to get too close, yet using his charms to draw them near. All three of them have a passion for the soul of artists and a hunger for creativity they could never duplicate. When the three encounter Elise, they set an explosive triangle in motion. Terence wants to drain her blood. Maria just wants her. And Edward, the most recently-converted, wants to prevent her from making the same mistake he made as a young abstract expressionist artist in 1950s Greenwich Village: sacrificing his artistic vision for immortal life. He is the only one of the three still human enough to realize what an uneven... and unholy... trade this is. In the Blood is a novel that will grip you in a vise of suspense that won't let go, forcing you to stay up long past midnight, turning page after page, until the very last moment, when a surprising turn of events changes everything and demonstrates, truly, what love and sacrifice are all about.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 A TALE OF HORROR FOR HORROR HATERS September 11, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is material that I would normally never read, being no fan of the horror genre, but Reed's work came highly recommended to me by several reliable sources, and I reluctantly decided to give this book a try. To my complete surprise, I found myself mesmerized by this dark and eerily romantic tale. This is a masterfully written novel, filled with beautifully defined images and frightening details.
Maria, Terrance, and Edward are a vampire family living among the denizens of crowed present day Chicago. Like the undead have done throughout fictional history, they feast on society's outcasts, the addicts, hustlers, and hookers that roam the streets at night. But these three are also passionate art lovers, with unbridled respect for true creative talent, talent that only mortals possess.
Maria is a great Italian beauty, several hundred years old. She is in essence the undead mother of the two men. Terrance is a gorgeous blonde vision with a body like Michelangelo's David. He enjoys the terror he evokes more than the blood and flesh he devours. And Edward is the newest member of the trio. He's gay and became a vampire in 1954 due to his unrequited love for Terrance. Edward was a budding abstract expressionist before crossing over, and still has the remnants of his conscience, something the other two no longer seem to have.
Into the story comes Elise, a two-bit streetwalker, who Terrance, while planning on making a meal of her, discovers to be an incredible artist. He is overwhelmed by her dark charcoal drawings of murder scenes and fatal car accidents, and realizes she is too precious to sacrifice to his nightly hunger, and decides instead to introduce her to the others.
This is not a book for the squeamish. Many of the scenes presented are grotesquely terrifying and deeply disturbing, but the story is told in a tight, succinct manner, and once started, is impossible to stop. I'm still no fan of horror novels, and I probably never will be, but I'm most definitely a new fan of Rick Reed's, and I'll read anything else he cares to offer regardless of the subject matter.
Vampire Love - MWHAAHAA!!!! August 31, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
So Halloween is right around the corner, and if you are looking for a horror story to rise to the occasion, check out "In The Blood" by Rick R. Reed. It's a story of vampire love, a love that you definitely don't want to be the object of. It was love at first bite for me, from the first chapter to the last, I was under the spell of Reed's terrible trio of living dead characters and the poor souls they set their sights on. The suspense was heart pounding, nail biting, and seemed never ending. The storyline kept me turning the pages till late into the night and I found myself becoming involved with the characters and wanting to warn them of the impending horrific danger to come.
Elise's life has gone in a very different direction then she ever thought. A good girl from a good family has landed in a seedy apartment in the worst part of Chicago. To keep a roof over her head and food on her plate, she turns tricks all night long while turning her emotions off to her deeper feelings about her profession and her clients. But by day, Elise is a brilliant artist, drawing dark emotional pictures that come from deep inside her. Nobody knows how brilliant her work is though, as her self esteem is at it's lowest and doesn't feel ready to show her work to anyone. In fact she goes to extremes to hide it from others. Her life is about to change though, when she breaks her cardinal rule and brings a client back to her apartment, he sees her work and tells his friends about it.
This client, Terence was no art dealer though. He is a vampire. His friends, also vampires. And..they happen to be art aficionados who's daily meals includes the flesh and blood of human beings. Elise knew deep down there was something a bit strange about this trick, but his mesmerizing charisma has her completely under his spell and agrees to meet his friends. Temporarily spared due to their interest in her art, Elise become enamored by Maria, the beautiful but deadly vampire(I see Sonia Braga here). Maria's feelings(yes, Vampires have feelings too!) are the strongest she has felt for a human in 200 years! But as Elise becomes aware of the grotesque lives(deaths?) these creatures lead, the suspense builds as to what will become of her. Will she give in to Maria and change over to become one of them and live eternally with her love, or will the blood loving Terence, suck her life's fluid till she's dead?
Reed is one of the best new horror writers around.I don't know how he keeps coming up with this stuff but keep em coming please.His descriptions of the places put you right there in the story. His tales of the Vampire lust and the victim's fate at their hand will make you cringe with the goriness of it all. He puts Elise in situations that will have your heart in your throat. The book is very well written and the story of the third vampire, Edward, paralells that of Elise's with every other chapter going back 60 years to his fateful meeting with Terrance. I also liked that these vampires were like no others, the story is a fresh take and surprises you at every turn. For more scare the bejuzzus out of you fare from Reed, try IM, a serial murder mystery involving gay men hooking up on line.
It's a real treat and highly recommended for goth and horror buffs.Even the cover art is scary. I had to keep it turned over on my nightstand, it kept looking at me! Not for wimps though. Some pretty graphic material of the vampire feasts and sexually as well(including quite errotic gay and lesbian themes).
Hauntingly captivating....MWAHAAHAA.......Laurie
Think You Understand Vampires? Think Again! August 23, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Maria, Terence, and Edward are more-much more-than ordinary vampires could ever be. Simultaneously, they exceed the admirable vampire image, and fall far short of it. Their feeding habits are much more grueling and they are much longer-"lived" than the usual mode of vampires. In addition, in order to achieve their odd version of immortality, they must sacrifice far more than watching mortal loved ones age and die as they themselves "live" on.
In the Blood is much more than just a vampire novel that will hold the reader's interest. It becomes a philosophical and metaphysical exploration of the adventures of history, art, and sensuality, in the eyes and minds of three vampires who laugh at the Anne Rice vampire milieu. In the Blood plumbs depths not expected in the "ordinary" vampire novel, and by the final outstanding denouement in a story full of convolutions and unexpected surprises, I knew the book would linger long in memory. Rife with sensuality, both romantic and gory, In the Blood sizzles and steams, the fog of lust only temporarily obscuring the mystery and truths underlying the story.
Rick Reed Does It Again August 21, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Reed, Rick R. "In the Blood", Royal Crest Enterprises, 2007.
Rick Reed does it Again
I first met Rick Reed online and after getting to know him somewhat superficially, I have become a real Rick Reed fan. The man is an incredible writer, turning out good book after good book after good book. It amazes me just how consistent he is and I am so happy to be one of his reviewers. There is something about his fiction that transports you to places you may not otherwise go or perhaps not dare to go. He does this in his new book, "In the Blood" and as you can probably guess by the title, we are going to visit the world of the undead. The suspense is so high that I found myself sitting on the edge of my chair, literally afraid to read on yet even more afraid to stop. Needless to say, sleep did not come to me easily after reading "In the Blood" and I find myself looking over my shoulder to see if I am alone when I sit at my computer.
Having been raised in New Orleans and having deliciously followed the "Vampire Chronicles" of Anne Rice, I should have been over this vampire business long ago but I guess that the appeal of vampires is universal as they are mysterious, sensual beings (for lack of a better word) and sometimes they seem all too real.
Elise is the main character of Reed's newest book. She suffers from a tortured mind and paints her visions during daylight hours. At night, she is a prostitute and sells her body to whoever offers the most money. Her life seems set until one day three exotically beautiful vampires enter her life--Terence, Maria and Edward. Terence wants her life spirit--her blood; Maria wants Elise as a lover and an eternal partner and Edward, the newest vampire of the three, wants to stop her from making the mistake he made when he allowed the authors to feed on him. He had been young expressionist painting abstract paintings in Greenwich Village in the 50's when he gave up his artistry for life eternal. He still has enough humanity in him to realize and to understand what kind of mistake he made. This makes this vampire novel different from others as we have an undead chiding someone not to make the mistake he made and showing that the world of the vampire is not that wonderful or glorious. This is quite a departure from usual vampire fare.
Reed's writing is lucid and the words pulsate and portray the emotions of the trio of vampires and the disturbed Elise. When Edward tells Elise that he "gave up that s much for immortal life--whatever that's worth--but for a chance for love (he had been smitten with Terence), I felt so completely wrapped up in the novel that I almost had to stop myself from screaming. "Elise, you damned fool, listen to him".
This is the book to read if you need to return to the real world. It makes you realize just how lucky we are with what we have and that to wish for more is foolish whimsy. Using the metaphor of immortality for a better life really works and Reed has managed to merge the supernatural and the real world in a way you will not easily forget. Here is a tour of the world of vampires that will not only scare you but will make you realize just how lucky you are in your present existence. It's a great read that you do not want to miss.
Vampire Lovers, get this! September 3, 2007
Elise Groneman, artist by day, streetwalker or better known as whore by night. Giving herself to numerous amounts of men just to pay the rent, Elise had no idea how drastically her life was about to change the night she met Terence. Who once was an artist painting the dark, deathly images to rid herself of the nightmares of filthy men looming above her; she finds herself in a nightmare all her own.
Terence, Maria, and Edward three of the very few vampires left in population, not only drain their victims of blood, but devour the meaty flesh as cannibals seeking all the sustenance their cold unfeeling bodies could hold. Kidnapping whores and even dining on the homeless or society's outcasts, left plenty of blood for the taking; but all three thought it was much more intimate to share a meal.
Terence wants Elise for her blood, and can not stand the fact that Maria has won Elise's heart. He knew Maria wanted to offer Elise the dark gift and betray him, he had to stop it no matter what. Edward knew what lie ahead if Elise did accept Maria's offer, he did not want her to make the same mistake he did some sixty years ago. So Edward makes a special visit in attempts to get Elise to flee and hide. As she is preparing to leave she hears the rumble of a Harley and knew she was going to be in trouble.
In The Blood is a romantic vampire love story with bits and pieces of erotica and menage a trois.
Mr. Reed put a new spin on his vampires that I found it very intriguing. They could smoke marijuana and not get high, but it sharpened their senses; and they usually had no interest in making more of their own kind to over take the human population.
Mr. Reed is a skilled artist of words, he makes the story vividly come to life. Clearly being able to picture the events and characters, made this novel a pleasure to read.Mr. Reed's writing style is fantastic, and fast paced; the story ends before you know it leaving you wanting more. A little bit of horror, romance and erotica with a dark little twist make up, In The Blood. If you enjoy vampires, then I would highly recommend this novel. 5 Hearts
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