Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories

Book SynopsisSophie Galen is an advice columnist whose work leaves her neck-deep in other people’s problems. Thanks to her compassion, her gut instinct, and her magnetic charm, Sophie really knows how to attract little black clouds.Marek Thurzo is no little black cloud; he’s a maelstrom. Marek is Demivampire, a race with the potential to evolve into vampire. A warrior who’s taken his share of spiritual damage, he hovers dangerously close to destruction.He seeks salvation. She’s driven to save him. But what if he can’t be saved?Sympathy for his plight becomes true empathy as Sophie’s hidden nature is revealed. Marek suspects she may be one of the Sophia, oracle and redemption of the damned Demivampire. She alone can turn back the evolutionary clock.All she needs is the courage to face her fears. Can she save him from Falling?My ThoughtsI have to say that the character of Sophie Galen is a refreshing blend of innocent and jaded, she has seen so much that life has left it's scars on her soul but at the same time she still has so much empathy and compassion for others that she wants to save as many of them from their pain that she possibly can. Sophie meets Marek for the first time on a street corner, she is giving change and a travel token to a beggar and Marek makes a comment about the fact that she is giving money to someone who will either use it for drugs or drink rather than the food she intended it for. Not a very auspicious start to their acquaintance.Later on Sophie again meets Marek in one of her favorite museum exhibits, this time he is suave and perfectly turned out the better to charm her into chatting and before the two know it they spend hours together.The relationship grows and the two become closer, one night though things change for Sophie when she and Marek are witnesses to a brutal killing by a "creature" that appears human but when he turns into the light Sophie realizes that he is actually not. Marek is left with no choice but to finally explain to her exactly what he is and exactly what he could become if follows the destiny that fate has laid out for him.This story has some familiar themes that the author has taken and made her own by introducing a different vampire mythology that has it's roots in Egyptian culture and folklore, not only does it freshen up the theory of where vampires originated but it also opens the reader up to thinking long and hard on what is the lesser of two evils.Marek has a younger brother Rodrian and together they have spent many years protecting the human population from wholesale slaughter by the dreaded vampires. In doing so they have also made a powerful enemy in the Master vampire who wishes to make Marek give in and embrace his darkness. Rodrian and his youngest daughter become very close to Sophie as her relationship with Marek deepens. Readers will enjoy their camaraderie together as it provides Sophie a taste of belonging to the family that she has never had.One of my favorite characters in the book though has to be Sophie's best friend and childhood sweetheart, Jared is now a priest but they remain close and he is her sounding board when she needs someone to help her when she is troubled. This is not a story about "sparkly vampires", it is a dark paranormal romance with heart and feeling and the themes of friends, family, honor, sacrifice and responsibility are firmly at the fore as one reads.The author has taken the best of the lore of vampire and used it in this tale to tantalize the reader into turning the pages, along with that she has added her own unique twist of mystical mythology that puts this book that one step it takes to make it stand out from the rest of the genres offerings. I enjoyed seeing how it all came together and think that others who like their vampires to be more than just a "pretty face" will also.[EArc from author in exchange for honest review]