Vampires have existed in our imaginations for hundreds of years, and whether they’re the hideous fanged walking corpses with ruddy complexions of early European beginnings, or the glamorous, hypnotically-beautiful creatures of current times, they fascinate us. The vampire trend has its peaks and valleys, but it never drops off the map; we’re drawn to the lore and the magic, the glamour and the gore of these mythical seducers … and I believe a lot of the vampire appeal comes from the sexual texture of their deeds . . .

Another exciting Women in Horror Month stop in the ruins today, featuring an author I had the chance to review last week as part of WTF Friday. In hindsight, if I'd realized what was in store for February, I likely would have held the review off just a few days!

So, without further ado, please allow me to introduce you to Ren Thompson, author of the "horror / zombies / lesbian novel" Dead Heat.

Apparently, I read (or attempted to read) a lot of books this year. According to Goodreads, an astounding 124 books successfully passed through the Ruins this year, and another 30 were abandoned along the way. Of those that made it through, an even 10 were perfect 5-star reads, which is actually 2 more than the year before. In chronological order they are . . .