Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love

by Trisha Telep (Editor)

Overview

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, Trisha Telep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances.
Kiss Me Deadly includes the exceptional writings of several authors, including:

Sarah Rees Brennan (faeries)
Becca Fitzpatrick (angels)
Caitlin Kittredge (witches)
Karen Mahoney (vampires: sequel to story from The Eternal Kiss)
Daniel Marks (ghost kids)
Justine Musk (sorcerers)
Diana Peterfreund (unicorns)
Michelle Rowen (demons)
Carrie Ryan (zombies)
Maggie Stiefvater (werewolves)
Rachel Vincent (banshees)
Daniel Waters (zombies)
Michelle Zink (gothic ghosts)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762441686
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	08/03/2010
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	432
File size:	924 KB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Trisha Telep was the romance & fantasy book buyer at Murder One, the UK's premier crime and romance bookstore, before its sad closure after twenty-one years of bookselling on the Charing Cross Road. She has recently re-launched this classic bookshop online, however. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, she completed the Master of Publishing program at Simon Fraser University before moving to London. She lives in Hackney with her boyfriend, filmmaker Christopher Joseph.

Editorial Reviews

"Paranormal love" may be the subtitle, but it's better to approach this anthology as paranormal, period. Most of the writers are more occupied with communicating the otherworldly apparatus of their tales than with supernaturally inflected romance. Daniel Marks's story about purgatory, "Vermillion," overstuffed with cultures, time periods, and genres, is perhaps the most extreme of these. In a few cases, such as Sarah Rees Brennan's Peter Pan/James Bond mashup, "The Spy Who Never Grew Up," a potentially cool concept misfires. It's notable that several stories tease their authors' series: "Errant" by Diana Peterfreund (Rampant) is a harsh and poignant take on the unicorn myth; Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush) delves into the angelic possession of Chauncey Langeais; and Carrie Ryan (The Forest of Hands and Teeth) offers a story about devastating decisions in villages threatened by the Unconsecrated. The most successful stories come from authors willing to forgo the happy ending. Maggie Stiefvater captures the agony of first loss in "The Hounds of Ulster." And Daniel Waters, in a companion to his Generation Dead books, looks at the tragedy of "differently biotic" children through the eyes of an anguished father. Ages 14-up. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Monique, JPL Teen Space 8/11/10
"Pucker up for a darkly sweet collection of ghosts, shape shifters, fairies, unicorns, vampires, and demons in tales from today’s biggest writers of the paranormal persuasion"

New York Journal of Books, 8/26/10
"It’s a great pleasure to find works from such an array of writers gathered into one book. Telep has assembled stories that run the gamut from humorous to haunting, scary to thoughtful. Both teenage and adult fantasy readers will find plenty here to savor, while those new to the genre can be assured of a solid introduction to some of the best YA writers at work today."

Justine, Oct/Nov 2010
“Dangerous desire, deceptive lovers and heart-stopping romances are all found on the pages of this book.”

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Readers may be drawn to the swoon-worthy kissing factor, but they will also find significant depth, nuance, and vulnerability in these stories."

From the Publisher

Gr 7 Up—The title of this short story collection is a little misleading. Most of the selections have some romance, but they definitely take a backseat to those that run the gamut from fairy spies who can fly to vampires. While some of the stories are a little creepy, they are a far cry from truly frightening. Nonetheless, there are some fine and engrossing entries by popular authors, including Diana Peterfreund's "Errant," which is set in medieval Europe. It features a sassy nun who is charged with training unicorns that are becoming endangered. Justine Musk's "Lost" is set in modern times and features a girl with psychic power and a very handsome guy named Haiden, which turns out to be a morphing of the word "Hades." One kiss with the irresistible fellow and she will have sold her soul. Karen Mahoney's "The Spirit Jar" brings a fresh twist to the vampire genre. Sarah Rees Brennen and Carrie Ryan offer very good selections, too, but one of the best is Maggie Stiefvater's "The Hounds of Ulster," which melds Celtic myth with punk rock.—Jake Pettit, Thompson ValleyHigh School, Loveland, CO

School Library Journal

Can true love die if you're already dead? This tantalizing collection of 13 short stories by some of the best writers of paranormal fiction in the United States and Great Britain explores "the other side of love." Whether it's an old-fashioned ghost story, as in Caitlin Kittredge's "Behind the Red Door," in which Jo wonders about the dashing resident of an abandoned house and a string of mysterious murders; a story with a twist, as in Michelle Rowen's "Familiar," in which a reluctant witch discovers that her chosen pet is a shapeshifter in disguise; or a story with dark humor, as in Sarah Rees Brennan's "The Spy Who Never Grew Up," in which a slightly older Peter Pan connects with Wendy's granddaughter to fight evil in Her Majesty's Secret Service, each story features a paranormal kiss. Fans who can't get enough of their favorite authors will also be thrilled to find a back story to Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth, a Generation Dead companion by Daniel Waters and more killer unicorns from Diana Peterfreund. (Short stories. YA)

Kirkus Reviews