Moon Dance
Moon Dance
Vampire for Hire #1
Six years ago federal agent Samantha Moon was the perfect wife and mother, your typical soccer mom with the minivan and suburban home. Then the unthinkable happens, an attack that changes her life forever. And forever is a very long time for a vampire.
Now the world at large thinks Samantha has developed a rare skin disease, a disease which forces her to quit her day job and stay out of the light of the sun. Now working the night shift as a private investigator, Samantha is hired by Kingsley Fulcrum to investigate the murder attempt on his life, a horrific scene captured on TV and seen around the country. But as the case unfolds, Samantha discovers Kingsley isn't exactly what he appears to be; after all, there is a reason why he survived five shots to the head.
(Cover design by Bren at bren@gotchacoveredbydesign.com.)
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REVIEWS
"Moon Dance, by J.R. Rain, is a vampire detective novel. Neither of those are my genres; I've never had much interest in vampires or detectives. Yet I enjoyed this immensely; it was the most fun novel of this present collection. The protagonist, Samantha Moon, is a female vampire with a husband and children. Those predate her condition; six years ago she was attacked by a vampire and rendered into one. Now she's trying to carry on with family and private eye business, and she's a feisty, skilled person, so is doing mostly okay. It is not a horror story; she buys animal blood to eat and doesn't generally prey on humans. But her husband has an increasing problem with her coldness--not of spirit, but of body. 'You sicken me and scare the hell out of me,' he tells her. 'And when I touch you it's all I can do to not gag.' She replies, 'Words every wife wants to hear.' I love this! She really doesn't deserve to be frozen out of her marriage, yet his attitude is understandable. In the course of the novel she solves the mystery she is tackling for a client, and finds a new romantic interest. What makes it special are her character and nature. I sure wouldn't have kicked her out of bed. I recommend it as light reading, odd as that may sound."
--Piers Anthony, New York Times bestselling author of A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON and ON A PALE HORSE
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"J.R.Rain's MOON DANCE is a fabulous urban fantasy replete with multifarious and unusual characters, a perfectly synchronized plot, vibrant dialogue and sterling witticism all wrapped in voice that is as beautiful as it is rich and vividly intense as it is relaxed.
Beautiful Samantha Moon, Moon Dance's darling star, is a fiercely devoted mother, a private investigator and no ordinary vampire. Infected six years ago, and dieting on nothing but blood, Samantha strives for normalcy, keeping her vampiric nature second to the safety and well being of her family but fears her etherealness might be driving her husband to warmer pastures. So what does a larger than life, butt kicking anywhere anytime sexy and sassy mouthed vampire need? Kingsley Fulcrum. Her scrumptiously hot new client, who hires Samantha to find the culprit responsible for his multiple gunshot wounds while masking a dark secret of his own. Yummy!
As Samantha tracks down the curvy truth behind Fulcrum's attack, she is forced to face up to her own truths…that the spirit of the vampire within her cried for soaring liberation. Amidst the playful lightness and sparkling humor, Samantha must make painful decisions. Unleashing her freedom can only come at the cost of a heartbreaking sacrifice.
With an ensemble of unique secondary characters, a loyal sister, a hunky detective, a sweet vampire slayer, an online friend who’s Samantha strong shoulder, add to that a medallion of special effects worn by her attacker and then sent to her and an unsuspecting and surprising twist make Moon Dance’s multifaceted design sharp on details, impossible to put down and written with a smooth but gripping, entertaining and confident hand. I give MOON DANCE ten delicious bites. You will too!"
--April Vine, author of The Midnight Rose
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"Moon Dance by J.R. Rain is a brilliant urban fantasy novel with engaging characters, witty dialogue, a page-turning plot, and clever subplots that unfurl like a well-paced movie in your mind.
The protagonist, Samantha Moon, is a smart and beautiful private investigator who hasn't aged a day in six years. She can kick butt in a street fight or in a boxing ring. An ex-federal agent for HUD, Sam is also a vampire who likes her steak rare, and, is married and the mother of two school-age children who have a relentless penchant for sibling rivalry.
When someone sends Sam a medallion that her attacker wore, six years ago when she became a vampire, she wants to find her attacker. This has to take the back burner for the moment, as she has a P.I. assignment to find out who shot her hunky client in the head multiple times. By the way, he lived.
Sam is a busy mom who hates going outside in the daytime, and a wife who suspects that her beloved husband is straying. Add to this cast: an apologetic vampire hunter, a sexy, helpful urban werewolf, some cop friends, and an internet friend who falls in love with her words. Sam's adventures include testing her vampire powers and supernatural limitations, and the inner quest to validate that the goodness of humanity is still inside of her. (You just gotta love a vampire heroine who worries that her supernatural status might render her automatically evil.)
This is a book full of humor, rather than horror, and a woman's self-examination of a new unchosen immortal lifestyle.
Moon Dance is the witty and intelligent journey of a vampire who loves her kids and wonders if God still loves her. She barely has a pulse, she's whiter than a goth girl, she doesn't reflect in a mirror, and she has a heart as big as Orange County, the urban setting of the novel.
If you like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, be prepared to love J. R. Rain's Samantha Moon, vampire private investigator. Sparkling dialogue, page-turning action, and superlative characters will leave you wanting to see more from the pen of J.R. Rain. I know I do!
Moon Dance is a must read. I gave it five out of five stars. J.R. Rain has more novels coming. Stay tuned for more from this talented author!"
--Eve Paludam, author of Letters to David
