It had zombie in it, I auto-signed up, looked good! Plus I think reviewing middle-grade and young adult reads, especially in the summer when I know my kids read a lot and parents are looking for safe and fun reads for the kids. This truly is going to be short and sweet like each of the two volumes of this series.

The second volume is 92 pages long, it reads quick, it is gore free because these zombies are not craving brains, they want bling! You see, these zombies are created by a zombie bokar and he is sending them out to find something he lost which happened to find Goldie while she was taking a walk on the beach during book one. So they are controlled by the voodoo priest. The item she found is wrapped in both light and dark magic and with everything combined in this ongoing mystery, it has all the ingredients for a fabulous and fun read! (I’ve read both in the series, so this sort of will be a combo because it is hard to separate the two). During book two she has to figure out just what is going on and try to stay ahead of the bokar before he finds the right Rich in the zombie phone book (grin).

I don’t want to go further into the story but I will give you reasons why it is totally safe for MG and younger YA readers. No gore, no horrible deaths, full of fun and antics from the kids involved. The characters are well fleshed out and developed and even with the setting, it is not a ridiculous silly story. Lots of action and mystery to keep your young readers attention (and their parents.. *coughing* I loved it) and also full of lots of places to giggle! Especially Gemma, Goldie’s older sister! Oh my WORD that woman! Poor Goldie, I was afraid she was going to starve! At least her aunt is there to make sure she has plenty of pancakes to keep her belly full.

These books would be great for Scholastic to pick up for selling at the stores and during book fair! I highly recommend you getting book one, The Zombie Next Door and grabbing this one and making your young reader very happy (as well as getting a cool mom or dad award)!

4 1/2 voodoo dolls!

Kathleen McFall and Chuck Hayes have brought to life two unlikely groups of folks and thrown them into this incredible series. And though you may think vampire stories are just as over saturated as zombies have become, I argue there will always an over saturation of the popular genre tropes. Plus *smirk* these vampires really do not sparkle or even smile a lot, except for Lizzie.

Lizzie the queen of vampires whose blood and possibly unborn child will save the vampires and possibly everyone's way of life. But for now all she wants is a respite from the upcoming struggles within her new "kingdom", which at the end of book two looks up. Ever since Lizzie's nightmare started at least she always had Tucker, her cowboy and the rest of the gang... she is happy, or at least she is till all hell breaks loose on what should be the happiest day of her life, her wedding.

Clark and Kathleen weave a world of darkness, hope and despair, terror, joy, sadness, death and life, color and a mixture of grays and muddy browns but most importantly they have taken a worn out paranormal creature; the savage vampire, and breathed new life with this genre bending series of work.

I have a feeling the series is not over, but I think we will see a different trilogy, who knows. I can truthfully say I am OK either way.  I am betting a few who have read the book are looking at your screens right now saying, "What are you smoking, Kriss!" The way it ends completely caught me way off guard yes, and it was .. is... umm... hmmm not sure what I can tell you guys, let me ask the cat *cue Jeopardy Music* nope she says I cannot tell you even a little, as in I was going to tell what type of ending and *struggling* argh! Nope, never nope... back to my review. *wiping the sweat off my brow and wishing I had some of the above food*

Elita is back, and for those who want to know who she is .. in a nutshell she is a homicidal psychotic vampire from one of the families no one thinks much of and who provides us with the much needed comic relief. The 'Red Scare' better known as Rurik who is one of the oldest vampires and who Tucker; our cowboy, hates and who is a badass and in book two is drool worthy and much more fleshed out. In this one, he is a jerk off but a savior. Tucker's father was buried in book two but Lenny; our conspiracy theorist, is back and as awesome as ever! (Lenny is one of my favorites). The cast is tighter but this book is not as focused on the cast of people, but around a more philosophical and metaphysical questions involving life and death and love.

The balance of funny from Elita, the serious brooding character of Tucker and the metaphysical aspect of ... well the Meta (must read it, it is where they go between morning and night when they "die" each day), the horror of what happens to Lizzie after the disaster of her wedding day is boiling away on high and causing the necessity to read till you are done. The darkest of the bunch and the best written so far I am just delighted. They are each finding their voices which peek through with a few o the different characters. I am absolutely thrilled to have grabbed this!

You think you are over vampires in books? You haven't read ones with cowboys and vampires thrown into the ring together. I cannot recommend these for paranormal lovers enough! Grab the series while you can and read away. Be prepared to have your jaw hanging open at the end of this book and whistling out of at least one of your orifices (yes, I had to go there).