Bridget Blackwood | Top Fifteen Paranormal Romances for Halloween

To celebrate Halloween and the re-release of RISING SHADOWS, here are my top fifteen paranormal romances!

1. HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE (Night Huntress 1) by Jeaniene Frost Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father - the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership. In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner - are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

2. DARK LOVER ( Black Dagger Brotherhood 1) by J.R. Ward In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood. The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate- Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

3. THE DARKEST NIGHT (Lords of the Underworld 1) by Gena Showalter All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man trapped in a hell of his own. Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments... and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love... Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful...

4. DESIRE UNCHAINED (Demonica 2) by Larissa Ione Runa Wagner never meant to fall in love with the sexy stranger who seemed to know her every deepest desire. But she couldn't resist the unbelievable passion that burned between them, a passion that died when she discovered his betrayal and found herself forever changed. Now, determined to make Shade pay for the transformation that haunts her, Runa searches for him, only to be taken prisoner by his darkest enemy. A Seminus Demon with a love-curse that threatens him with eternal torment, Shade hoped he'd seen the last of Runa and her irresistible charm. But when he wakes up in a dank dungeon chained next to an enraged and mysteriously powerful Runa, he realizes that her effect on him is more dangerous than ever. As their captor casts a spell that bonds them as lifemates, Shade and Runa must fight for their lives and their hearts-or succumb to a madman's evil plans.

5. SPELL OF THE HIGHLANDER (Highlander 7) by Karen Marie Moning It's taken him eleven centuries to find the right woman. He's not about to lose her now. Jessi St. James has GOT to get a life. Too many hours studying ancient artifacts has given the archaeology student a bad case of sex on the brain. So she figures she must be dreaming when she spies a gorgeous half-naked man staring out at her from inside the glass of an ancient mirror. But when a split-second decision saves her from a terrifying attempt on her life, Jessi suddenly finds herself confronting six and a half feet of smoldering INSATIABLE alpha male. Heir to the arcane magic of his Druid ancestors, Cian MacKeltar was trapped inside the Dark Glass eleven centuries ago. And when the Dark Glass is stolen, an ancient enemy will stop at nothing to reclaim it. For Jessi, the sex god in the mirror is not only tantalisingly real, he's offering his protection—from exactly what, Jessi doesn't know. And all he wants in exchange is the exquisite pleasure of sharing her bed....

6. DRAGON ACTUALLY (Dragon Kin 1) by G.A. Aiken It's not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear - a lot - or else salute. It's true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother's soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way, she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer. Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe - a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting a man who fill her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn't get any stranger. She's wrong...

7. NIGHT PLAY ( Dark-Hunter 5) Sherrilyn Kenyon New Orleans. Bride McTierney, dumped by ex after 5 years constantly criticizing her lush size, finds her knight in shining armor is a wolf in white fur. Vane Kattalakis 400+ years hides with comatose brother Fang from enemies in were-bear family Sanctuary. But matching palm marks mean Bride and Vane are mates. He has 3 weeks to finish the ceremony or live impotent.

8. THE MAN WITHIN(Feline Breeds 2) by Lora Leigh He had protected her as a child, filled all her teenaged fantasies, and as a woman, he stole her heart. Only to break it. Now, fifteen months later, the news has released. The man she loves is one of the genetically altered Feline Breeds who have shocked the world with their presence. He's also her mate. The mark on her neck attests to that. The fire that rages in her heart and in her body further proves it. But he hadn't wanted her then; does he really want her now? Deceit and treachery, born in the past, now haunt the present as Taber and Roni fight to make sense of a sudden bonding. The mating of heart, body and soul as the man and the beast within merge; both battling the forces raging against the union and dominance over the woman he claimed.

9. DARK DESIRE ( Dark Saga 2) by Christine Feehan They were masters of the darkness, searching through eternity for a mistress of the light... The stranger silently summons her from across the continents, across the seas. He whispers of eternal torment, of endless hunger...of dark, dangerous desires. And somehow American surgeon Shea O'Halloran can feel his anguish, sense his haunting aloneness, and she aches to heal him, to heal herself. Drawn to the far Carpathian mountains, Shea finds a ravaged, raging man, a being like no other. And her soul trembles. For in his burning eyes, his icy heart, she recognizes the beloved stranger who's already become part of her. This imperious Carpathian male compels Shea to his side. But is she to be his healer...or his prey? His victim...or his mate? Is he luring her into madness...or will his dark desire make her whole?

10. BLOOD OF THE RAVEN (The Embraced 2) by Anya Bast Gabriel Letourneau, a four-hundred-year-old Vampir, has been guarding Fate Harding from the dark forces that swirl around her for a very long time. On the night Gabriel's period of watching comes to an end, when he finally believes she's safe, Fate is violently attacked, Embraced, and left on his doorstep. Fate didn't know she had a badass vampiric bodyguard until the night she became a Vampir herself. She awakens from her ordeal with a powerful craving for both sex and blood, and Gabriel looks perfectly capable of satisfying all her needs at once. With sexual desire hot enough to spark the whole city on fire, she turns to Gabriel to sate the lusts of the recently Embraced and teach her the ways of her new life. Fate awakens something within Gabriel that has been asleep for centuries. He is insatiable in every way when it comes to her, but taming and keeping fiery, headstrong Fate is another matter entirely. Especially since she has a history of being mistreated and betrayed by those she loves. Gabriel's greatest challenge becomes earning Fate's trust. Even if Gabriel manages to convince Fate he's the only man for her, it may not be enough to keep her. Someone is stalking Fate, manipulating them both, and punishing Gabriel for his past sins...

11. THE IRON DUKE (The Iron Seas 1) by Meljean Brook After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power - and fear - of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession. But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans-and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen, as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

12. DRAGON BOUND ( Elder Races 1) by Thea Harrison Half-human and half-Wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the Wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful—and passionate— of the Elder Races. As the most feared and respected of the Wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they've ignited in each other. Pia knows she must repay Dragos for her trespass, but refuses to become his slave—although she cannot deny wanting him, body and soul.

13. SLAVE TO SENSATION (Psy-Changling 1) by Nalini Singh In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of "rehabilitation" - the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was... Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice- cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

14. FURY (New Species 1) by Laurann Dohner Ellie is horrified to discover the pharmaceutical company she works for is doing illegal experiments. Company scientists have spliced human and animal DNA, creating exotic new species. One such “experiment” captures her heart and she’ll do anything to save him—even if he hates her for it. Fury has never known compassion or love. He’s spent his life in a cell, chained and abused by humans. The one woman he allowed himself to trust betrayed him. Now he’s free and set on vengeance. He vows to end her life but when she’s finally in his grasp, harming her is the last thing he wants to do to the sexy little human. Fury can’t resist Ellie—the touch of her hands, her mouth on his skin, her body wrapped around his. He’s obsessed with the scent of his woman. And Ellie wants Fury— always has. She craves his big, powerful body and wants to heal his desolate heart. But loving Fury is one thing…taming him is another.

15. LOTHAIRE (Immortals After Dark 12) by Kresley Cole Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience. Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart. Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?

Giveaway

RISING SHADOWS, the first book in my paranormal romance series World in Shadows, just re-released with a new publisher. Booktrope allowed me to give you a bigger, better version of the story that starts it all. The novella WINTER'S KISS has also been integrated into the book. To celebrate I'm giving away a copy of the ebook. All you have to do to enter is tell me your favorite paranormal romances you've read. Maybe I haven't had a chance to read them yet. I'm always looking for a book to read even though my TBR list is outrageous.

About Bridget Blackwood

Bridget Blackwood is a Texas girl living in the St. Louis area with her husband, three children, and a menagerie of pets. She is a self proclaimed horror movie addict and an avid reader with a voracious appetite for romance of all kinds. Her paranormal series, World in Shadows, started as a what-if daydream scenario. Loud, demanding characters keep pushing her to write more. Website | Facebook | Twitter

About RISING SHADOWS

Labeled an Arcane, Rachel Ryan wonders if she’s human anymore. After she’s thrown headlong into the world of The Preternatural, Rachel learns Shapeshifters, Faeries, and Vampires aren’t legends. They’ve been living hidden in plain sight among humans. In her quest to save a child she will set off a cataclysmic chain of events. Her actions will disrupt the carefully balanced political chess board, casting once powerful pieces to the floor. A werewolf protector, a lost princess, a mad vampire, and an exiled Fae named Winter will rise up to challenge the status quo. A war that has been brewing in the shadows for centuries is ready to explode. Rachel must choose where her allegiance lies, tipping the scales, but who is an enemy and who is a friend?