Black Dagger Brotherhood: A Steamy Paranormal Romance Series

It's no secret that paranormal romance is among the biggest literary fads of the past decade. Ever since the Twilight series went multi-platinum in 2008, it's been everywhere ever since. Just go to any Barnes & Noble and you'll see an entire section dedicated to paranormal romance.

There is no denying that the genre is polarized. While some love it to the point of being depressed that it's not real, others think that it is the dumbest thing they've ever heard of and can't wait for it to phase out.  I fall into the former category. I absolutely cannot get enough of it. I have even been known to read an entire novel of this genre in one sitting. 

Many of you may be surprised to learn that Stephanie Meyer wasn't the first person to write a paranormal romance series. She was just the first to make it mainstream.  It's funny how a lot of times, a book whose popularity provokes the mainstreaming of its genre is often one of the worst of its kind. Take E.L.James' 50 Shades of Grey for example. While it brought the BDSM genre to many a soccer mom's minivan, most seasoned readers of this type of writing consider it to be a terrible example of adult literature.

To me, the Twilight Saga is much the same. I admit that I devoured all four books. I even attended a midnight release party at Barnes & Noble for Breaking Dawn.  Since this was the first paranormal romance book I read, I guess I should thank Stephanie Meyer for introducing me to the category. However, once I began seeking out more of the same type of series, I realized that Stephanie Meyer merely splashes in the kiddie pool of paranormal romance. If you want to dive into the deep end, keep reading. 

Wrath and Beth Fantasy Casting

America's Most Notorious Serial Killer was a Law Student Like Me

I recently read the book Without a Conscience by Robert Hare and wrote a review on it. Read that here. For some reason, I tend to go through "fixation" periods, during which I experience a nearly insatiable interest in a particular subject. During these times I will read everything I can find about it, watch documentaries, movies, search the internet, you name it. I never know when it's going to hit, and the subjects range anywhere from Disney princesses to polygamy. The last book I read started me on a serial killer fixation. Since my blog is supposed to reflect my life, I am sharing some of the fruits of my research. Over the weekend, instead of reading for law school like I should have been, I read an entire 500 page book called The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule. It's basically the biography of Ted Bundy, written by one of America's top true crime writers who happened to be a personal friend of Bundy's. 

Could You Be Living or Working with a Psychopath?

Due to the fact that I deal with clients on a daily basis who are charged with violent crimes, it's only normal for me to occasionally find myself interacting with a psychopath. I will never forget listening to a particular client discuss in cold and detached detail how he had been routinely raping his 13-year-old daughter for years, as well as the careful, calculative plans he was making for her murder just prior to his arrest. I had no doubt that I was dealing with a true psychopath. This wasn't the first person like him I had met and he hasn't been the last. I have had and will continue to have exchanges with psychopaths through my career in criminal defense. I used to think of them as the sick monsters behind bars. However, I recently read the book Without a Conscience by Robert Hare, and it completely changed my perspective on psychopathy. As it turns out, most psychopaths aren't monsters behind bars. They are monsters who live in our neighborhoods, go to our schools, and work in our hometowns, existing and thriving from the misfortune of others, largely undetected but no less dangerous than their incarcerated counterparts. 

Ted Bundy