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P. N. Elrod

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P. N. Elrod
BornPatricia Nead Elrod
1954 (age 69–70)[1]
OccupationWriter and editor
NationalityAmerican
GenreFantasy, horror, mystery, urban fantasy
SubjectVampires
Website
www.facebook.com/p.n.elrod/

Patricia Nead Elrod (born 1954)[1] is an American novelist specializing in urban fantasy. She has written in the mystery, romance, paranormal, and historical genres with at least one foray into comedic fantasy. Elrod is also an editor, having worked on several collections for Ace Science Fiction, DAW, Benbella Books, and St. Martin's Griffin. She self-published a signed, limited edition novel under her own imprint, Vampwriter Books.

In 2010, she was nominated for the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award in Urban Fantasy.[2]

In 2011, she was presented with the RT Book Reviews Pioneer Achievement Award in Vampire Fiction.[3]

Her suspense short story, Beach Girl, won the 2011 Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award.[4]

Overview

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P. N. Elrod's start in professional publishing began at TSR writing gaming modules.[5] She has published more than twenty-five novels, beginning in 1990 with her Vampire Files urban fantasy series, featuring hard-boiled private investigator Jack Fleming and his partner, Charles Escott, girlfriend, Bobbi Smythe, and other recurring characters. The 12 books and counting are set in 1930s Chicago. Jack's first case was solving his own murder.[6]

Next came the Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire series, set during the American Revolution. The twist on these historicals is that Barrett and his family are on the side of the British throughout the revolution, offering a unique point of view of the times.

Another series co-authored with actor Nigel Bennett, who played the evil yet seductive LaCroix on the television show Forever Knight, is of a very different character, but still features a good guy vampire. The three book Lord Richard, Vampire series from Baen Books are set in a different universe than the Files & Barrett books, but this "James Bond with fangs" maintains Elrod's premise that there are different breeds of vampires co-existing out there.

Using this premise, she has linked her universe to that of Bram Stoker with her sequel to Dracula, Quincey Morris, Vampire. Quincey was killed at the end of Dracula, but is resurrected as a vampire himself, albeit a different breed than the infamous count. Lord Richard makes a brief cameo appearance in the story, and Morris' vampiric state is attributed to a previous blood-sharing with Nora Jones from Elrod's Jonathan Barrett series.

Also quite different, and qualifying as horror, are the Dungeons & Dragons-related books in the Ravenloft world featuring the dark and sinister vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich. These books, I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire, and its sequel, I, Strahd: The War With Azalin, have garnered her critical acclaim from mainstream reviewers.

With The Adventures of Myhr she broke into the humorous fantasy genre. Myhr is half-man, half-cat and all adventure, magically jumping from world to world spreading the good news about pizza and Beatles karaoke. His partner is a cranky wizard fond of techno raves and obscene T-shirt art.

Elrod has authored around two dozen short stories in the fantasy, romance, science fiction, mystery, and horror genres, and edited several collections including Time of the Vampires, Dracula in London, and with Roxanne Conrad (aka Rachel Caine) Stepping Through the Stargate: The Science, Archaeology, and Military of Stargate SG-1 The latter is non-fiction and has contributions from world-famous scientists, doctors, the USAF military, FX wizards, and actors from the TV series.

In 2006, she edited an anthology of supernatural romance stories, My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, which made the USA Today Bestseller list,[citation needed] and won the 2006 P.E.A.R.L. Awards for best anthology.[citation needed]

She followed it with My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, released in January 2008 from St. Martin's Griffin.[7] It made the New York Times Bestseller extended list[8] and won an honorable mention in the 2007 Pearl Awards for best anthology.[9]

The anthology, Strange Brew, from St. Martin's, also reached the New York Times extended bestseller list in July 2009.[citation needed]

Her collection Dark and Stormy Knights, also with St. Martin's Griffin, was released in July 2010.

Also sold, a new steampunk series, On Her Majesty's Psychic Service, to Tor Books in 2010.

In April 2011, Elrod was presented with the RT Book Review's Pioneers of Genre Fiction Award for "Forging the Way in Vampire Fiction Since 1990."[10]

Her short story, "Beach Girl", published in the November 2011 edition of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, was presented with first place for their annual Readers' Choice Award.[4]

Her collection, Hex Symbols, was released by St. Martin's in June 2012.

Bibliography

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Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire

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  1. Red Death (1993, 2004 re-release)
  2. Death and the Maiden (1994, 2004 re-release)
  3. Death Masque (1995, 2004 re-release)
  4. Dance of Death (1996, 2004 re-release)

Ravenloft

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  • I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire (1993, ISBN 1-56076-670-0)

Abridged, three-hour audiobook from Random House, performed by Roddy McDowell

Both available as audiobooks, unabridged.

Vampire Files

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# Title Also In Publication

Date

Comments
1 Bloodlist 1990
2 Lifeblood 1990
2.5 Vampires Prefer Blondes[11] Chicks Kick Butt 2011
3 Bloodcircle 1990
4 Art in the Blood 1991
5 Fire in the Blood 1991
6 Blood on the Water 1992
7 Chill in the Blood 1998 Winner of the Lord Ruthven Award, best novel 1998
8 Dark Sleep 1999
9 Lady Crymsyn 2000
10 Cold Streets 2003
11 Song in the Dark 2005
11.4 Grave-robbed[11] Many Bloody Returns 2007
11.5 Her Mother's Daughter[11] My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon 2009
11.6 Hecate's Golden Eye[11] Strange Brew 2009
12 Dark Road Rising 2009
12.5 The Devil You Know Apr 2009 Signed, limited-edition novella, Vampwriter Books
12.6 Dark Lady[11] Dark and Stormy Knights 2010

Her Majesty's Psychic Service series

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  1. The Hanged Man[12]

Other novels

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Co-writing with Nigel Bennett

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Anthologies and collections

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Anthology or Collection Content Publication

Date

Editor Publisher Comments
Dracula, Prince of Darkness The Wind Breathes Cold

Caretaker

1992 Martin H. Greenberg DAW
Vampire Detectives You'll Catch Your Death 1995 Martin H. Greenberg DAW Vampire Files story
Celebrity Vampires A Night at the (Horse) Opera 1995 Martin H. Greenberg DAW
Women at War Fugitives 1995 Lois McMaster Bujold

Roland J. Green

Tor
Time of the Vampires The Witch's Mark 1996

2004

P.N. Elrod

Martin H. Greenberg

Mob Magic The Quick Way Down 1998 Brian Thomsen

Martin H. Greenberg

DAW Vampire Files story
Dracula in London Wolf and Hound 2001 P.N. Elrod

Nigel Bennett

Assassin Fantastic Myhr's Adventure in Hell 2001 Martin H. Greenberg

Alexander Potter

DAW
Familiars Dog Spelled Backwards 2002 Denise Little DAW
Creature Fantastic The Tea Room Beasts 2002 Denise Little DAW
Vengeance Fantastic The Astral Outrage 2002 Denise Little DAW
Death by Horoscope Bossman 2002 Anne Perry

John Helfers

Carroll & Graf
Murder Most Romantic The Scottish Ploy 2002 Denise Little
White House Pet Detectives Izzy's Shoe-In 2002 Carole Nelson Douglas Cumberland House
Kittens, Cats, and Crime The Breath of Bast Mar 2003 Ed Gorman Five Star Vampire Files story - Escott
Sorcerer's Academy Silva's Dream Date Sep 2003 Denise Little DAW PB
The Repentant Slaughter Oct 2003 Brian Thomsen

Martin H. Greenberg

PB Vampire Files story
Vampire Files Volume 1 Bloodlist

Lifeblood

Bloodcircle

2003 Vampire Files Books 1-3
Magic Shops Tarnished Linings Feb 2004 Denise Little DAW PB
Death by Dickens Death in Dover 2004 Ann Perry anthology
Rotten Relations King of Shreds and Patches 2004 Denise Little PB OOP
Stepping Through the Stargate Villains I Love to Hate 2004 P.N. Elrod

Roxanne L. Conrad

Farscape Forever!: Sex, Drugs and Killer Muppets Farscape Villains I've Known and Loved 2005 BenBella Books
All Hell Breaking Loose The Name of the Game 2005 DAW
Essay for Horror: Another 100 Best Books The Night Stalker Sep 2005 Kim Newman Carroll & Graf
Kolchak, the Night Stalker Chronicles The Why of the Matter Oct 2005 Moonstone Books
My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding All Shook Up 2006 P.N. Elrod Winner of the 2006 Pearl Award for best paranormal anthology.
Vampire Files Volume 2 Art in the Blood

Fire in the Blood

Blood on the Water

2006 Vampire Files Books 4-6
The Kolchak Casebook Power Hungry Jan 2007 Moonstone Books
Many Bloody Returns Grave-robbed 2007 Ace Science Fiction Vampire Files story
My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon Her Mother's Daughter 2008 P.N. Elrod Honorable Mention, 2007 Pearl Award, best paranormal anthology.
Strange Brew Hecate's Golden Eye Jul 2009 P.N. Elrod Honorable Mention, 2009 Pearl Award, Best Anthology
Vampires: Dracula and the Undead Legions The Company You Keep 2009 Moonstone Books Vampire Files story - Kroun
Dark and Stormy Knights Dark Lady 2010 P.N. Elrod St. Martin's Griffin Vampire Files story
Chicks Kick Butt Vampires Prefer Blondes Jun 2011 Tor Vampire Files - Bobbi Smythe
The P.N. Elrod Lunch Time Reading Omnibus Jun 2011 P.N. Elrod Vampwriter Books B0051PC6N8,
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Beach Girl Nov 2011 original story; winner of EQMM Readers Choice Award for 2011[4]
Vampire Files Volume 3 Chill in the Blood

Dark Sleep

2011 Vampire Files Books 7, 8
Vampire Files Volume 4 Lady Crymsyn

Cold Streets

2011 Vampire Files Books 9, 10
Vampire Files Volume 5 Song in the Dark

Dark Road Rising

2012 Vampire Files Books 11, 12
Hex Appeal Outside the Box Jun 2012 P.N. Elrod St. Martin's Griffin Vampire Files universe story, Ellinghaus & Goldfarb

References

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  1. ^ a b Entry for P. N. Elrod in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
  2. ^ "RT Career Achievement Awards". Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  3. ^ "RT Booklovers Convention 2011: We Honor The Outstanding Books And Authors Of 2010". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "2011 Readers Award". Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Vol. 139, no. 6. May 2012. p. 75.
  5. ^ "P.N. Elrod". Archived from the original on February 24, 2009.
  6. ^ "Super-Fangs; Author's vampire novels take new twist". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. June 17, 1992. p. 4. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  7. ^ "My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon (Book review)". Publishers Weekly. November 12, 2007.
  8. ^ "Best Sellers: Paperback Trade Fiction". The New York Times. January 20, 2008.
  9. ^ "My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon". ParaNormalRomance. February 20, 2009.
  10. ^ "RT Booklovers Convention 2011: We Honor The Outstanding Books And Authors Of 2010". Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Vampire Files Series". Good Reads. 29 October 2019.
  12. ^ "Her Majesty's Psychic Service Series". Good Reads. 29 October 2019.
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