"Vampire lovers: hunky, virile, he-men; not pale, veiny corpses"

In her anthology, HUNTERS PREY: TALES OF TEXAS VAMPIRES, Diane Whiteside takes another look at vampire myth. Starting in the 19th century, Whiteside moves from human conflict to human conflict through history, her vampires (hunky, virile, he-men; not pale, veiny corpses) finding lonely women needing attention everywhere they go. And these vampires aren't asking for much. All they want is a bite to eat in return for the deeply satisfying sexual experiences they give.

The stories -- ten of them -- run the gamut from quick bones-jumping (pardon the pun) to long, intricate BDSM scenarios. The first several include some well done, subtle historical and geographical references between sexual interludes, but the last half of the book is purely contemporary.

Mostly written in first-person and sometimes in an experimental monologue which stutters a bit, these stories don't skimp on racy content. Some stories are very short; some are obviously leading into the second book. Although the vampire characters are repeated, I might have liked to see a little more character development instead of so many stories, but Whiteside's attention was visibly on historical reference and lots of sex.

Although I usually enjoy a good vampire tale, this collection didn't appeal to me because of its uneven quality, little originality, and limited character development. Whiteside has potential, but it's only hinted at in this book because the stories are sometimes awkward, pulling the reader out of the fable with jolting returns and somewhat clumsy transitions.

Sensuality: ordinary sex through solid BDSM, anal sex, masturbation, and MMF ménage a trois.

Reviewed by Trish Green for Sensual Romance.

Reviewed by Sensual Romance
Posted May 9, 2002

The Anniversary Edition of this book was released on Oct. 23, 2002, replacing the original version. (Same ISBN, new cover art, two additional stories.)

Summary

Ten sizzling hot erotic encounters with three Texas Vampires from the post Civil War era to modern times.

Our tales begin with a ménage a trois in a lady's boudoir during the mid 1800's, continue into the roaring 20's and their speakeasies, venture onward to a law student's erotic study session for American History, and end with a veterinarian's desire to learn more about this sensual predator. All tales are told by the ladies whose bodies were introduced to various carnal delights for the delectation of the hunter. Genre: Vampire. Rated NC-17.