Each of these stories deserves a 5/5 plus on their own.
There are 22 stories included in Sanguinary Seductions by eXtasy’s Collective Mind. Each one has the gory, bloodthirsty, murderous, savage or cruel attachment to fit nicely into this compilation. There’s romance, lust and hunger in many forms and in many of the stories, each one has it all. In my opinion, any set of these stories bound together would verify you getting your monies worth. Listed below are my brief summaries and on occasion my opinion of each story listed by story name, author, and then summary.
I can't give too much away on each of these stories as many have twists that you will want to discover on your own.
BEFORE MORNING by A.J. Llewellyn is said of Japanese folklore and mans’ conquest over nature: to go up the mountain and return; to go into the forest and return; to love another man and be accepted. Before Morning remember has to fit into the “Sanguinary” heading! So….
BETRAYED BY A KISS by Astrid Cooper has Deanne at the crossroads, because, what is she to do if her Cristobal, her vampire, says he’s leaving? A day goes by, and another, and another and still no word from him. Find out what happens when you read Betrayed By A Kiss!
BLOOD OF THE ALIZARENE by Evelyn Starr takes place in the remote Minnesota woods as Drucilla is pondering her feelings. Is she feeling blood lust after just killing an enemy? Peter takes control of the situation as he’s her trainer. There’s much more to learn than dealing with the shock of killing when Peter is the teacher with an exciting, passionate, sexual, training program for Dru.
DER WERWOLF by K.B. Forrest finds Usha, an anthropologist on a sabbatical in Germany to vindicate the work she and her father have studied and believe in. She arrives at a distant relatives’ castle in Germany to prove werewolves are DNA/gene altered humans. And what do you say when you come face to face with one --- are you my uncle Harry? Maybe in this case the importance should be placed on what their reaction will be!
DEVIL WOMAN by AP Miller with a set fashioned of silver candelabras, damask drapery, Victorian furniture. In the middle is a woman that doesn’t know he, Drake, the Duke de Savoy is alive, but when Sarah shows, he may not be on the list of alive for long.
DEXTER PREQUEL TO ONE DANGEROUS WOMAN by Marc Jarrod is the difference between Heaven and Hell. Dexter, a demon, is throwing souls into Hell with indifference. Then Satan gives Dexter the job of making this guy commit suicide. Will he please Satan or tamper with the devil?
DRAINING JAYNE by Viola Grace Jayne works as a planet alliance hunter who becomes the hostage. She’s bound and wounded by Revva, the fugitive. Denel Arius of Azon comes along and they are known for their natural inclination to go into a killing frenzy. What happens puts Jayne into another kind of frenzy.
EROTIC RAMBLINGS OF A VAMPIRE by D.J. Manly Take heed of the second paragraph for certainly a vampire is to be taken seriously. Christopher is determined to check out Damien, and finds out there’s much more to Damien and his house than at first.
EROTIC RAMBLINGS OF A WEREWOLF by D.J. Manly Did you see that one coming? When you get caught off guard and can congratulate an author on a job well done, what would you do but tell others. What awaits you too will be something out of the ordinary in these two consecutive stories by D. J. Manly?
HUNTED by Laura Tolomei The story’s base is on killings happening around a village, but one man wonders why they happen when he’s near. The killing in Hunted is too brutal for me.
I’M A VAMPIRE… IN THE LINE OF GARLIC by Jackie Rose This story drops names in American history right and left, so if you’re one to get off on that type of thing this is a story of tales for you.
INITIATION by Jade Marqueen implies someone or something is about to get initiated. So how would you think a new vampire finds their way? Camille finds her way in a club that caters to vampires.
MIDNIGHT AT MORNING’S by A.J. Llewellyn is a story of a gay couple with a night away from the kids and out at a gay nightclub. The couple could read each other’s minds, but Lopaka didn’t understand why Kimo blocked him until he found out it was for a special reason. They were a, hot for each other, gay couple.
THE RELUCTANT INCUBUS by Stephani Hecht Thren, a demon in Detroit thinks one of his friends is dead until a slave says she knows him. He’s a friend of her brother’s and they need his help to escape the slave/gladiator hold. I enjoyed the storyline but it got lost somewhere along the line, after the incubus sex.
REVENANT by German Bradley in a larger dose could be a very scary thing. Giles, a changed man after his wife died in an accident can’t seem to get on with his life. This wildly haunting, imaginative story sends shivers up and down my spine, so please make sure your back is covered when you begin to read this story of the undead.
SAMANTHA’S SEDUCTION by Tianna Xander begins with Samantha in the graveyard contemplating the moment she’ll come upon the vampire that’s taken her boyfriend’s life. She intends to kill the vampire until she sees his face.
SANDI’S CRIMSON KNIGHTS by Bonnie Rose Leigh hinges on Sandi, of course, who after five years of waiting for her mates to catch up with her, finally allows the twin brothers into her life.
SINS OF AN ANGEL by Stephani Hecht has Joe, Case and Bear taking the job of enforcers to stay together as the brothers they are. Joe is in a bar staking it out trying to find Aris. Case is waiting in the car when baby brother Bear pops in. He’s an empath and senses a demon in the alley. Case goes into the alley and ends up checking out Myra, a succubus who’s being chased by demon assassins. In the meantime, the assassins have caught up with not only Myra, but the brothers are into it now too.
Author Notes this book comes between Archangel Series Books
A STONE’S THROW: ADDI by C.R. Moss begins with Addi and her girlfriend, Emma, in Las Vegas on their way to Addi’s performance when they pass a storefront that captures their attention. They need to find out if it’s her ex-fiancee, Edom, who jilted her the day of their wedding who set up shop here.
A TALE OF OPPOSITES by Lynn Crain is one of the better stories of this anthology. Lynn Crain doesn’t explain to you until the end just how involved opposites can be. To tell any of the story may give something away so I’ll just say: ”I hope you enjoy reading this one too.”
THROUGH THE RED DOOR STARKLY by KA M’Lady Nannette Bing entertained her niece with whimsical tales of imagined characters such as goblins, fairies, and vampires. When Jeannie’s aunt dies Jeannie closes up the house. Later she’s a doctor of the Emergency Room when they bring in a patient so gory and near death his care may be futile, but she agrees to try to help.
THE VAMP by Kira Chase exudes the varying countenance of a modern vampire including many forms of sex and survival.
There are many wonderful stories here. Many of them involve a multitude of genres, so I can understand why the publisher has them all as a lot. Some of the listings could almost be judged as a publisher’s test to warrant completing a storyline. You get a taste of what could at some point become a larger storyline or series. I truly enjoyed 22 of the 22 stories in this collection and that is saying a lot when it comes to such a large anthology. This is a great read and a great opportunity to try out a whole host of authors for just a bit of change.