**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Deadly Destination tour of Carrie Vaughn’s SF Chinatown from Kitty Norville & a chance to win KITTY’S BIG TROUBLE**

Today’s Deadly Destination takes us to the book within the book city of Otherworld Chicago, an alternate reality full of vampires that has been written about as a popular fiction series in Allison van Diepen’s THE VAMPIRE STALKER (read my review HERE), think TWILIGHT meets Kate & Leopold.  Vampire hunter Alex Banks crossed over into our reality from his in the book and he’s back today warning us how to survive in his world.  Want to get your hands on the book?  Point/Scholastic has provided copies for 3 random commenters.  See details below

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A missive for citizens: Ten Rules of Survival in Otherworld Chicago
by
By Alexander Banks, Vampire Stalker (Allison van Diepen)

…From The Daily Sentinel

10. There is no such thing as peaceful coexistence. Vampires must not, under any circumstances, be trusted.

9. Remember that a human can change into a vampire in a matter of hours. Resist the temptation to let even a trusted family member or friend into your home if you suspect they have been turned.

8. It takes years of training to become adept at hunting vampires. If you have not acquired the proper skill, resist the urge to join the hunt.

7. Be vigilant even in the daytime. The threat of starvation has caused some vampires to adopt disguises in order to circulate in daylight.

6.  Do not leave your residence after curfew. While the police claim to be patrolling the streets after dark, I have seen no evidence of it. They cannot protect you.

5. If you anticipate the need for urgent medical care, such as the birth of a child, try to secure residence at a hospital so you will not need to travel after dark.

4. Avoid alcohol or opiates. You must have your faculties about you at all times. 

3. Preparedness is essential: Store at least one week of food and supplies in case overcast weather forces you to remain in your home.

2. Do your utmost to assist the vampire hunters who are striving to take back our streets. Without them, the vampire population would soar and we would lose control of our city.

1. Never develop amorous feelings for any of the vampire species.

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About Allison van Diepen

Allison van Diepen is the author of six teen novels: Street Pharm, Snitch, Raven, The Oracle of Dating, The Oracle Rebounds, and The Vampire Stalker. Her novels have been named ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and New York City Public Library Books for the Teen Age. Allison holds degrees in History and Education. She is currently Head of English at an alternative high school, where her focus is on literacy. She lives with her husband and son in Ottawa, Canada. Visit Allison online: Website|Newsletter|Twitter|Facebook

Want to read more from Allison?

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Giveaway provided by Point/Scholastic

3 copies of THE VAMPIRE STALKER by Allison van Diepen

Available now from Point/Scholastic

Description:

I glanced at him, and felt like the air had been sucked out of me.

His profile was straight and chiseled. Dark brown hair curled slightly over the collar of his long, cape-like coat. A line from Otherworld came to mind: He would have been classically handsome were it not for the forbidding expression on his face.

I gave my head a shake. After all I’d just been through, I was still thinking of Alexander Banks. It must have been a mirage—my mind’s way of bringing me comfort after the terror.

What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?

Amy is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.

Click HERE to read an excerpt | Click HERE to read our review

Order from

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US addresses only, no PO Boxes

2. Leave a comment for Allison & a way to contact you unless it’s listed in your profile

3. All Deadly Destinations winners will be announced on August 7th

4. See our Giveaway Policy if you have any questions

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Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME

I’m so glad to welcome Allison van Diepen to the site today. Allison’s new paranormal YA, THE VAMPIRE STALKER, is releasing in a couple days on June 1st from Point.  I was fortunate to receive an early copy and reviewed it yesterday, describing the premise as TWILIGHT meets Kate & Leopold.  Allison is answering all of my burning questions and sharing her (literally) A-Ha moment when she came up with the premise.

ATUF: I was sold on this book from the one line premise: ‘What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?’ How did you come up with the idea?

AV: The idea hit me while I was watching the A-Ha video “Take On Me” in which a guy from a comic and a girl from the real world struggle to be together. It got me thinking about how we’ve all fallen in love with book characters. I wanted it to be possible that the reason we love those characters so much is that they actually ARE real.

ATUF: THE VAMPIRE STALKER is a book within a book story.  There is a vampire infested alternate Chicago in the Otherworld series that Amy and her friends obsess over.  Even just from the brief passages/references in THE VAMPIRE STALKER, I can see why.  Any chance you’ll ever write it?

AV: If there’s another VAMPIRE STALKER book, it’s more likely it would be from Amy’s viewpoint rather than being written as an Otherworld novel. But you never know! I’d love to continue Amy and Alexander’s story and show readers Otherworld Chicago as I picture it…

ATUF: If THE VAMPIRE STALKER were ever made into a movie, who would your dream or, to keep things interesting, nightmare cast be?

AV: How about Oprah as Ms. P., the cool librarian/physicist? (grin) Ideally, I’d prefer Amy and Alexander to be played by unknowns so that viewers could see them through fresh eyes. Nightmare cast? Well, if Kesha and Justin Bieber teamed up to play Amy and Alexander, I wouldn’t be too happy!

ATUF: THE VAMPIRE STALKER bucks the current trend of portraying vampires as romantic characters.  The vampire villain in your book, Viggo, is a sociopath.  What made you choose to portray vampires as (mostly) monsters?

AV: I prefer vampires as villains instead of heroes. And for THE VAMPIRE STALKER, I wanted to put Alexander up against a terrifying, unredeemable vampire who had lost all of his humanity. Having said that, I do find many vampire heroes appealing, but it’s more because of the characters themselves than because they’re vampires. To me, what’s important in a hero is that he’s totally strong, masculine and tortured, with an I’ll do anything for you romantic side.

ATUF: You actually explain how the characters from the Otherworld books cross over into our world.  I found the idea fascinating, especially how it relates to author inspiration.  Can you tell us anything about it without giving away too much?

AV: Sure. Let’s put it this way: have you ever read a book that’s so vivid you wondered if it could be real? Many authors, including myself, have had the experience of a book writing itself—we find ourselves writing as if we’re in a trance. What if we’re not actually creating the world of our story, but actually peeking into it? That’s the essence of what I call Literary Physics. It’s the idea that some authors are writing about the events in parallel worlds without even realizing it.  

ATUF: What other projects can we look forwarding to reading from you soon?

AV: I’ve written an urban book called THE GAME which is along the lines of my books STREET PHARM and SNITCH. It’s about a teen who’s come out of juvie bent on revenge against the drug kingpin who put him there.

ATUF: Can you tell us about your favorite scene in THE VAMPIRE STALKER?

AV: It’s hard to say without giving anything away… I’ll just say it was exhilarating to write the final fight scenes—that whole episode was big, chaotic and intense.

ATUF: Finish this statement with as much/little detail as you like: You'll like THE VAMPIRE STALKER if you like...

AV: …to fantasize that your favorite book characters are real.

ATUF: Thanks so much for stopping by Allison.  Come back anytime!

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Allison van Diepen is the author of six teen novels: Street Pharm, Snitch, Raven, The Oracle of Dating, The Oracle Rebounds, and The Vampire Stalker. Her novels have been named ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and New York City Public Library Books for the Teen Age. Allison holds degrees in History and Education. She is currently Head of English at an alternative high school, where her focus is on literacy. She lives with her husband and son in Ottawa, Canada. Visit Allison online: Website|Newsletter|Twitter|Facebook

Want to read more from Allison?

Book Details

The Vampire Stalker by Allison van Diepen

I glanced at him, and felt like the air had been sucked out of me.

His profile was straight and chiseled. Dark brown hair curled slightly over the collar of his long, cape-like coat. A line from Otherworld came to mind: He would have been classically handsome were it not for the forbidding expression on his face.

I gave my head a shake. After all I’d just been through, I was still thinking of Alexander Banks. It must have been a mirage—my mind’s way of bringing me comfort after the terror.

What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?

Amy is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.

Click HERE to read an excerpt

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Interested in being interviewed on All Things Urban Fantasy?  CONTACT ME

*This title will be released on June 1, 2011*

Title: The Vampire Stalker Author: Allison van Diepen Series: N/A Cover Art: Christopher Stengel Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 272 pages Publisher: Point (June 1, 2011) ISBN-10: 0545283752 ISBN-13: 978-0545283755 Sexual Content: Kissing Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

I glanced at him, and felt like the air had been sucked out of me.

His profile was straight and chiseled. Dark brown hair curled slightly over the collar of his long, cape-like coat. A line from Otherworld came to mind: He would have been classically handsome were it not for the forbidding expression on his face.

I gave my head a shake. After all I’d just been through, I was still thinking of Alexander Banks. It must have been a mirage—my mind’s way of bringing me comfort after the terror.

What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?

Amy is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.

Review

There are a number of different factors that can cause a reader to buy a book: the cover, the author, the description, or maybe a good review.  With THE VAMPIRE STALKER, it was a single sentence concept: A character from a popular vampire series steps out of the book and into heroines' reality.  That’s it.  I didn’t need to see the cover (which is perfect), I didn’t need to know who the author was (this was my first book by van Diepen), and I didn’t even need to read the full description (which just made me want it more).

The story is like TWILIGHT meets Kate & Leopold.  There is an uber popular teen vampire series called Otherworld in the book that features two gorgeous guys who hunt vampires.  Amy and her friends obsess about the books and characters.  They camp out on new release days, write fan fiction, go to signings, and pine for a fictional love.  Until one night Amy is attacked by a vampire and rescued by the hunter she loves: Alexander.  It doesn’t take her long to accept what’s literally standing in front of her, and once she and Alexander figure out how he came to be in her world, they team up to get him home and track down the vampire who crossed over too.

While the concept couldn’t be more fun, the writing is unremarkable and a bit lacking when it comes to creating emotion.  Like the main character Amy, I tend to obsess over my favorite characters, specifically in Paranormal YA, but these characters won’t be joining that list anytime soon.  They are supposed to be older teens, but they came off more like tweens.  It made it a little difficult to buy into the romance.

One other issue that presented itself very early on: I want to read the book within the book! It takes place in an alternate Chicago where vampires revealed themselves in the 1920’s essentially stalling all technological improvements as humanity struggled to survive.  Two cousins lead lives as Hunters, one obsessed with avenging the death of his family, the other helplessly in love with the vampire who fights what she is.  Honestly, I hope that the author considers writing it.  I’d buy it in a second.

Overall, I don’t know that the characters in THE VAMPIRE STALKER will themselves become the next big obsession and the writing is pretty standard, but it was fun to see a fantasy that so many of us share brought to life in such a sweet and cute way.  Younger teens will probably not notice my criticisms, and given that it’s such a quick read, I had fun with it too.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	Looksie Lovitz: Books and Wits