Pete Tyler is a blue-collar guy working nights in Hollywood. He’s also a vampire. He lives alone and avoids the other vampires in L.A., but Pete’s simple life goes haywire when he falls for Angie, the cute bartender at a Sunset Strip dive -- and when sinister vampire lord Carson Fitzgerald returns to claim his children, Pete learns that nothing's ever easy for a creature of the night.
Scott S. Phillips has written all kinds of stuff: films, TV, books, comics and even dialogue for talking dolls. He's the author of the PETE, DRINKER OF BLOOD series, as well as MAN WITH CHIHUAHUA and several other books. Under the pen name Stevie Jordan Pawminter, Scott cowrites (with Sarah Bartsch) the Danger Potato cozy mystery series (book one, WICKED SNARL, is out now, book two coming soon) and the Sniff and Nibble cozy mystery series (book one coming soon). Scott wrote the screenplay for the cult action flick DRIVE (1997), and twelve episodes of the CW Network's KAMEN RIDER DRAGON KNIGHT.
Perhaps most importantly, he once performed as stand-in for the legendary Lemmy in the video for Motorhead's "Sacrifice."
Please visit Scott's Patreon page, where you can get cool exclusives like sneak peeks at chapters of upcoming books, a Patrons-only blog, read Scott's monthly terrible poems (and see videos of him doing dramatic readings of those very same terrible poems), get your name listed in the acknowledgments of his books, and even have a character named after you! Just copy and paste this link to check it out: https://www.patreon.com/scott_s_phillips
Pete was a 9-5 dork type when he was turned into a Vampire in the early 70's and little has changed in the last 40 years. He is still working night jobs, listening to classic rock and wearing the same old t-shirts. Pete, Drinker of Blood is a 200 page farce about wimpy, apologetic vampires, complete with a plethora of 70's rock, 80's goth, geek culture and B horror movie references. I was smiling and laughing throughout-- just what I was looking for! Well done.
I was given this book free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review.....
Well, WOW!!! I totally loved it. I loved the story, which is well written, and the central character of Pete is fantastic.
It's so refreshing to see a vampire character who isn't uber-cool or massively rich and stunningly handsome. Pete is an undead nerd with an almost unhealthy love for 70's rock - and he's all the better for it!
My only criticism - I NEED more Pete and I hope there are more instalments to come.
This is a conventional non-conventional vampire book. Wait, is there such a thing? Pete, Drinker of Blood has a lot of vampire tropes but manages to subvert them in a humorous way. The narrative is funny and some of the humor reminds me of comedy movies. I like the main character Pete in that he is very much a regular guy who happens to be a vampire. The budding relationship between Pete and Angie is cute. The plot is solid in that Fitzgerald, the guy who turned Pete, is looking for the vampires he made to feed off of as humans are not doing it for him any more. I think this is a great start of series book and am definitely going to read the rest.
The only issue I had with the book is that I wish there was more background info on all the vampires and there were a few times I thought pacing was a little off. In that, sometimes the pace slowed down a little too much and other times, I had to reread some parts because a lot of things happened at once.
Well this isn’t your normal vampire story and I’m loving it all the more for that. Pete is a bit dorky, has a bit of a paunch nothing exceptional about him just a normal guy, except, you know, he has to drink blood to survive! I found myself smiling throughout this book, it’s fun, it’s light, it has a good storyline and It left me more than interested in reading more. I get a feeling Pete may be in for a few more revelations.
The narrator is great at portraying all Pete’s and the other characters quirkiness.
Pete Rocks! If vampires were real, they’d be like Pete.
I really enjoyed this first book in the “Pete the Vampire” series. I can empathize with Pete, getting all the bad parts of being a vampire and very few of the good. But, bless his heart, he hangs in there. I also loved the interaction between him & the woman he loves. Go Pete! I’m eager to read part 2 now. Read this book, you’ll like it!
The author was able to inject humor, wit, and classic rock into a vampire story. It's not my usual cup of tea but it was entertaining and fairly lighthearted, considering they spent most of the book trying to stab another vampire in the heart... I wouldn't mind checking out the next book when I don't have an enormous TBR to get through.
Average joe turned vampire, trying it remain a nice guy. Pete is relatable. Has a day job (at night), is a little goofy and somewhat lonely but steps up when the chips are down.
Omg once I got past the set up in the beginning, this book really started to move and honestly, I laughed so hard and so loud and so long that the neighborhood must’ve heard me what can I say I love this book
Sweet vampire finds love. I really liked this book. Lots of action and poor ol Pete goes through alot of funny cring worthy situations. The other characters are great and very well written.
I grinned a lot through this, but I didn't find it laugh out loud funny. A decent enough plot and well drawn cast, it is a pretty lightweight read but still a fun way to lose a few hours
This was a can’t put down story. It had likable characters and an engaging plot. There were some of the normal vampire attributes and some new ideas. It also leaves you wondering which way the story is going to go. I’m off to get book 2!
DNF. Maybe it’s just my current mood but I had a hard time getting into this story. I gave the audiobook about an hour and just wasn’t feeling it. I might try reading vs listening another time.
I just wrote a review but somehow accidentally deleted it. I’ve just finished this and already started the next one. It’s very silly, funny, somewhat predictable, with the odd very strange turn of phrase like ‘atop his noggin’. It made me smile despite the odd silly element. I liked the gentle nonsense style, it was fun and easy, but definitely not deep. **edited to add - the name of the nightclub is inspired…**
NB - another random social media algorithm suggestion!
People sometimes contact us to get a chance of reviewing their independently published books. We usually try and make room for them, since we love Indie Authors and want to support them. Laurie said from the professionally written query letter, and the unique way the book was being distributed, she wanted us to give Pete, Drinker of Blood, a shot.
This book is serialized, and split up in 8 parts; each a few chapters long (from 4-7 chapters), just enough to tease you and get you into the story.
"Pete, Drinker of Blood" as one would imagine, is about vampires, but not the usual ones we know. Pete was bitten and changed in 1971. He’s kind of a typical guy, a bit stuck in the seventies (music wise anyway), potbellied and shy. And he doesn’t drink from humans, but from livestock – usually goats.
In the first three parts we meet Pete and the world he lives in. He works for the Department of Water and Power in Hollywood, (nightshift, of course), has trouble with sleeping (always did) and The Starbucket with the cute waitress Angie, who he has a crush on, is his favorite bar to hang out in.
Angie thinks Pete is cute (she doesn’t know he’s a vampire) and after helping him get “unstuck” from a plastic windshield, they agree to go on a date, which leaves Pete very flustered and even more nervous. It’s been QUITE a while since he was on a date. He also knows, it’s just plain stupid to go on a date, it’s not like he can tell her what he is and how would it work out anyway?
One night when Pete’s at work, his old Master (Carson Fitzgerald) shows up, out of the blue and tells him he has a message for him and the other vampires in Hollywood. Pete is so shaken by this message that he practically runs back to the other vampires, who he normally avoids, tells them the message and then he’s ready to run like hell out of town. Except he got this date with Angie… and he really don’t want to miss that… and he’s likes his work too.
I’m currently reading Part 4 in this book. I will not call it a series, since it is a book that has been split up in 8. I don’t mind the split-part. I like that it’s kind of a mini-book with a few chapters in each. For me it’s easier to come back and start up again, and each part is between 4-7 chapters long, so it’s a quick read. But I’ll have to admit something, and that’s the price. For you in the states, you’ll have to pay 0.99 $ for each part. Me? Since I live in Denmark I would have to pay VAT and such, which would make some of the parts a bit pricey for me. Some of them is 0.99$ for me, others are 3.44$, and to be totally honest – I wouldn’t pay that for one part.
It’s not that the book – or 'parts' aren’t good. They are. I like that Scott has taken some of the classics about vampires and used them a bit differently. You still have some classics that never will change; vampires turning into bats, they can’t be seen in a mirror, don’t like garlic, drinking blood and that some of them are just plain scary (cough, Fitzgerald, cough). It’s also very endearing to me that Pete is such a shy guy, he’s kind of the kid next door, someone you wouldn’t really notice unless you looked.
All in all (if I don’t look at the price I normally would have to pay), it’s a good read, I like the characters and I can’t wait to read on to see what happens in the next parts. For folks in the United States however, this is a reasonably priced, unique way to read a book. By paying .99 cents a "part' you can spread out the cost of the book, and in the end you'll only be paying $8.00.
This serialized book, broken up and released in chapter groupings, is really growing on me and when I read part 7 I was thinking, Oh s#¤%/& I have to wait until September before I can read the last part!!
The build-up is amazing and I was turning page after page – well, not literally since it’s an e-book, but you get my point. It has been a pleasant surprise to read this split-book, it’s well-written, there’s thought behind the story, the characters are witty, hilarious and they keep growing on me.
In these two parts Angie has been kidnapped from Pete, and he’s desperate to get her back. He realizes that he wasn’t really living before her, just existing, and he doesn’t want to go back to that. Angie took it surprisingly well when Pete told her what he was, and it’s rare and he loves her. He’s so desperate that he goes back to the other vampires to convince them to come with him and slay Fitzgerald. Pinball, Carmella and Elric are not entirely happy about the idea, but realize to keep their lives as they are, they need to fight back. Running isn’t really an option.
Tagging along is Pete’s old neighbor, Mr. Stovall, a wonderful old man, who’s been after Pete for MONTHS trying to slay him. Suddenly Mr. Stovall finds himself in the midst of a vampire den trying to handle the different weapons in his vampire slaying kit. It’s just so hilarious to read about this old man, and how he reacts to the different things that happen. In some cases, he’s even more brave than the vampires. :-) I sure hope he comes back to his wife safely.
As I said, this series, and the idea of reading a novel serialized, like in the old days in magazines, is growing on me. I like the characters, they’re real, not just cardboard figures put up for show. You see how they grow, how they find courage when there is none to be found. And damn it, I want them to succeed – with their lives intact. Well maybe not Elric, he sure is whiney. And I do mean WHINEY!
I’m happy that I took the time to sit down and read these parts and I can’t wait until September where the last part will be released. The entire book will be released in October.
I told you in an earlier review about Pete, Angie, Carson and the other characters in Pete, Drinker of Blood. They’re growing on me. :-)
In part four and five we get more into the story, we learn how the different vampires were turned and how ruthless (and a bit desperate) Carson Fitzgerald is. Seriously, he’s starting to scare me! Carson has developed a disease that makes him depended on blood from vampires. So he is rounding up his children to have a steady supply. Only they’re not going to do this voluntarily. So Fitzgerald takes the big guns out….
I’m getting in to this story and I’m enjoying it. It came as a surprise that I’m kind of getting a bit addicted to it. :-) I like the characters, to see them grow and follow the development of the story. It was HILARIOUS to read the other half of Pete and Angie’s date. I loved to read how Pete tried to avoid food and how Angie – literally was stuffing herself and it was great to follow their development.
Each cover of the parts represents something that happens in the part. I didn’t realize this at first, but are fun to look at the cover and go…hmmm, wonder what this means? And to discover later what the cover symbolized.
The ending of part 5 made me anxious and boy, am I happy that I can roll direct into part 6 and don’t have to wait a month for it!
Part 7 has just been released and the last part, number 8 will be out early September.
This is a book about a regular guy who one night followed a girl into the desert and came back a vampire.
It kind of reminds me of Joe Vampire, which I am a huge fan of, but different. For one, Pete here has been a vampire for a while when we first meet him. His penchant for tunes from the 70s gives you an idea from what era he was last alive. He’s a pudgy, blue-collar worker, who is most comfortable in holey t-shirts and jeans than the goth style of dress other vampires like to wear.
Instead of people, Pete has found that goats work for food, while romance has been pretty much out of the question until he meets Angie, a cute waitress at the dive bar he often frequents. When she agrees to go on a date with him, it seems like his undead life is looking up, but then his vampire sire Carson Fitzgerald returns.
This was a relatively quick read, not only because it was shorter, but because it was fun. Pete is a likeable, regular kind of guy who is an outcast to his own species. We soon find out that despite his lack of in-crowd desirability, he’s actually quite cooler than most of the other vampires who only found coolness through their undead status.
Pete is about the sorriest excuse for a vampire that ever existed, and I adore him for it. He's got a boring job, bad hair, and bit of a gut. He's a regular guy, but undead. It was absolute fun following him around L.A.
Speaking of L.A., Phillips brought the whole Hollywood scene to life, from the crowds on Hollywood Blvd to the aspiring screenwriters. The mention of Frank's Chicken and Waffles, Fatburger, and In-N-Out Burger made me want to hop in the car and take a road trip to California.
The novel is filled with wry humor and plenty of 70's references. And though the story wraps up the loose ends neatly, there's also the hint that there's more to come. I, for one, can't wait to find out what happens to Pete next.
A tremendous start to what is sure to be an excellent series. Phillips is a master of world-building and his mash-up of rockin '70s style and the true face of modern Hollywood is, like most of his other work, oddly charming and completely compelling. Funny, bizarre and steeped in down-home American Made, PETE, DRINKER OF BLOOD is your childhood summers, watching monster movies on TV and Caddyshack at the Drive-In, brought back to the tune of FM radio, juicy cheeseburgers and vamps that don't sparkle, but bite. Check out part 1 now and keep your eyes open for the continuing saga of the most unlikely vampire hero you have ever seen.
I absolutely loved this book. The characters were fantastic, particularly Pete, who would've been the most ordinary bloke, if it wasn't for the fact that he was a vampire..
Scott Phillips style of writing kept me interested and laughing throughout the book.
A great read if you're looking for a funny vampire book.
I completely enjoyed this short campy story by Scott Phillips and I WANT MORE! Luckily part 2 is coming out soon.
A very satisfying read with great character development, just the right amount of description, but not overdone. I felt like I was lurking around the streets with Pete looking for a meal. Scott is a great writer and has a very well developed sense of humor.
I am sure you will eat this up and be begging for more!
He's just a regular guy. Blue collar. A little bit chunky. Works the night shift. Has a bachelor apartment. Has trouble talking to the ladies. Well, except for maybe this one smokin' hot bartendress, who seems to like him back. Only the thing is, he's also a vampire... And now, his Master and maker is back in town and has a really big problem and that problem is going to really put the bite on his "children."
It's nice change to have some humor in a topic that is typically all gloom and doom. I literally laughed out loud quite a few times while reading this book! The worst thing for me is this whole idea of a series...I'm a "results now" kind of person and it kills me that I couldn't keep turning the pages to find out what happened to Pete after the big showdown! Was a good, fast read!
I got this book for free in a giveaway, I really enjoyed this book. It's not your vampire of today he is a man stuck in the 70's. pot belly, and a small afro lol. I liked how it's not what you are expecting in a vampire book, it's funny, smart, and scary. I really can't wait to read what happens next.
it was kinda funny. I think the book would of been better as a graphic novel. The story was kind of slow in the beginning but quickly picked up towards the middle. After the slow part the book speed up quickly and I was sort of glued to the plot wanting to know what was going to happen.
Pete's problems multiply as his Vampire Master shows up with a terrifying ultimatum for all his children. On top of that, he's now got a model car's windshield stuck to his finger. Great. Just Great.
Pete prepares to flee from his problems but just keeps getting tangled up in them harder. But, how could he resist his chance at one date with the lovely bartenderess he's fallen for?