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.