Contemporary Romance, Romantic Fiction Themes, Short Story Anthologies, Other Romance Categories, Holidays - Fiction

Valentine's Day Is Killing Me

Name: Valentine's Day Is Killing Me
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
ISBN: 9780758223104

by MaryJanice Davidson, Leslie Esdaile, Susanna Carr

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Overview

Lost roses. Cancelled reservations. Broken dates. Arrests. Dead bodies. There's always some reason to hate Valentine's Day.... Cuffs and Coffee Breaks-MaryJanice Davidson
In a moment of weakness, greeting card writer Julie Kay About accepts a blind date for Valentine's Day. As if the restaurant's snotty waiter, cheap chocolates, and pastel-colored teddy bears aren't enough, her date turns out to be the dead body on the floor. Julie Kay is not about to have another horrible V-Day, even if she has to solve a murder and get a possibly homicidal hunk arraigned to do it. A "No Drama" Valentine's-Leslie Esdaile
Jocelyn Jefferson is one sister who is not falling for any romance drama-no pining over flowers never sent or bling not gotten. No, this year, Jocelyn's getting her best girlfriends together for a "pamper" party at her house. And that's when vice detective Raymond Mayfield shows up at her door, all six-four, hard-bodied bit of him, and he needs Jocelyn for some very private questioning. Valentine Survivor-Susanna Carr
This Valentine's Day was supposed to be different for Shanna Murphy. Now her date cancelled, she's stuck doing overtime, and she's just discovered the body of her boss-from-hell. The only person Shanna can turn to is her ex-boyfriend, Calder Smith, who just happens to be the most insensitive, non-romantic, domineering-and completely irresistible-alpha male she's ever laid eyes on.

Synopsis

Born to be bad.

About the Author, MaryJanice Davidson

MaryJanice Davidson

When it comes to playful romances featuring vampires, werewolves, and Cyborgs, no one can touch the ultra-prolific MaryJanice Davidson. Her Undead Series is a wildly popular succession of books following Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor and her quest for love… and a great pair of shoes!

Biography

Reading the coyly self-deprecating autobiography on her web site, one gets the distinct impression that MaryJanice Davidson does not have the slightest interest in talking about herself. Perhaps it's because she simply doesn't have the time. Prolific does not begin to describe this chart-busting dynamo, the author of four bestselling series and literally dozens of novellas and short stories.

A writer with a few romances and YA novels to her credit, Davidson had tried for years to interest publishers in her idea for a humorous, tongue-in-cheek vampire romance. After dozens of rejections (and assurances that there was no market for paranormal!), she submitted her manuscript for publication online. An editor at a New York publishing house downloaded the story, was royally entertained, and contacted Davidson to acquire the print rights to Undead and Unwed. On the spot, she was offered a three-book contract.

When Undead and Unwed and its wry sequel, Undead and Unemployed, were released in early 2004, not one, but two stars were born: Davidson and her irresistible protagonist, the reluctant vampire queen Betsy Taylor. A smart, sassy, 27-year-old secretary, Betsy is killed in a freak car accident and wakes up (so to speak) to discover that she is not only a vampire but the much-prophesied Queen of the Undead. Readers loved Davidson's wry take on vampire literature, a genre long distinguished by its gothic self-seriousness. Betsy, with her smarty-pants attitude and passion for designer shoes, is one vampire queen who owes more to Sophie Kinsella than to Anne Rice.

While Davidson has continued to produce more Undead novels, she has also found the time to launch three other romantic fantasy series featuring 1.) a hybrid mermaid named Fred, 2.) an eccentric family of Alaskan royals, and 3.) a cyborg spy. All are infused with her trademark wit and imagination. In addition, she and her husband, Anthony Alongi, have written the Jennifer Scales series, originally marketed to young adults and re-released as fantasy fiction for all ages. Davidson also remains one of the most popular writers of paranormal romantica; her short stories and novellas appear regularly in anthologies.

Good To Know

Davidson is not the only one in her family to achieve fame. Her mother once broke the world record for target shooting.

Before she devoted her time to chronicling the love lives of vampires and werewolves, Davidson was voted Miss Congeniality in her high school.

Even though Davidson is one of the most popular writers of modern monster fiction, in real life she is actually terrified of the undead. In fact, she is currently holding a contest on her web site asking readers to put together a twelve-step program to help her get over her fear of zombies!

As she writes on her website, Davidson lived a transient life as a young girl. Her father's career in the U.S. Air Force led her to live in such disparate locales as Guam, Mississippi, and North Dakota. As she grew older, her life in the working world was just as restless as her childhood. She tried her hand at everything from waitressing to modeling to editing to a stint as a medical test subject (!) before settling on a career as a bestselling novelist. These days, her life may be a bit more settled, but it has hardly slowed down.

A few fun outtakes from our interview with Davidson

"I'm a former model -- worst job ever, honestly."

"I'm a gigantic sushi hog -- it's pretty much my favorite meal."

"The more terrible and groaningly awful a horror movie is, the more I like it."

"Um, I like bubble baths? Seriously. I know that sounds like something a Playboy Bunny would say, but I really do."

"I like taking my kids to new restaurants and encouraging them to try new dishes -- we did "Dim Sum" just the other day."

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Editorials

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
MaryJanice Davidson, Leslie Esdaile, and Susanna Carr tackle the tyranny of Valentine's Day expectations in this entertaining anthology of date-from-hell stories.

In Davidson's story, a greeting card writer grudgingly accepts a blind date for Valentine's Day, only to have to spring her date from jail, where he was held for murder. In Leslie Esdaile's story, Jocyelyn Jefferson is throwing a "pamper party" for her best girlfriends so they can avoid the V-day slump. But come February 14th, most of her friends fink out -- and the pamperers are unbelievably rowdy, prompting the appearance of police detective Raymond Mayfield at her door with some tough questions. In Susanna Carr's story, Shanna Murphy determines to reverse a long tradition of bad Valentine's Days with some expert alternative plans, but her boss from hell intervenes, then is found dead -- and only Shanna's ex-boyfriend can keep her from becoming the prime suspect. Ginger Curwen