Today is the fangtastic day that BLOOD BATH & BEYOND — the very first Immortality Bites Mystery — is released into bookstores and onto e-readers everywhere!

Any questions?

Hey Michelle Rowen, what’s the book about?

Thank you for asking!

(An Immortality Bites Mystery #1)

Sarah Dearly is adjusting to life as a fledgling vampire, satisfying her cravings at vampire-friendly blood banks. But when her fiancé Thierry takes a job with the Ring—the secret council in charge of keeping vampires in line—Sarah’s about to get more than a taste of danger…

Being engaged to a centuries-old master vampire can be challenging—especially when he takes a job with the Ring. Thierry’s in for fifty years of nonstop travel and deadly risk. It’s enough to make any woman reconsider the wedding…any woman except Sarah, that is!

Traveling with him to Las Vegas for his first assignment, they encounter a child beauty pageant contestant from hell, as well as a vampire serial killer leaving victims drained of blood, potentially exposing the existence of vampires to the whole world. But when Thierry’s truly ancient history comes back to haunt him, and he’s accused of a crime he didn’t commit, it’s up to Sarah to clear his name before their immortal lives come to an end.

“A bloody hysterical paranormal mystery!” –New York Times Bestselling Author Victoria Laurie

4-1/2 star TOP PICK! “Rowen jumps from paranormal romance to paranormal mystery without skipping a beat…Here’s hoping Sarah will have many more adventures in her new series.” —RT BookReviews

5 star TOP PICK! (Rowen makes) the transition from paranormal romance to paranormal mystery with ease. Her writing is sharp, witty and does not disappoint. The ending will delight both old and new fans, and leave you thirsting for the next installment. —Night Owl Reviews

Wait a minute, Michelle… I’m confused. Isn’t Sarah a character from your Immortality Bites paranormal romance series?

Why, yes she is! Sarah Dearly was the star of my original five-book series (although she was only actually in four of ‘em). This is her NEW series, which does continue her adventures, but needs NO knowledge of the previous books for new readers to catch on. Plus she’s in a brand new genre — cozy paranormal mystery — and with a fabulous new publisher — Penguin’s Obsidian mystery imprint, home of such awesome authors as Victoria Laurie, Juliet Blackwell, and Heather Blake, to name but a few! I like to think of this new series as urban fantasy with lots of mystery and romance!

Um, I’m still confused. She ended up with Thierry in Tall, Dark & Fangsome. Will she be getting a new love interest in this new series? Because that’s not cool.

Nope. As shown above in the book blurb, there is no new love interest. Sarah and Thierry are definitely together and it’s great fun for me as a writer to get to explore their relationship beyond the “happily ever after.” These two vampires are the proof that opposites definitely attract, so I am anticipating some very exciting times ahead for them as a couple!

Will there be more books in the series after this?

Yup! I’ve recently sent BLED & BREAKFAST (An Immortality Bites Mystery #2) to my editor and it is scheduled for release June 2013. The first chapter can be found at the back of BB&B!

There wouldn’t happen to be anywhere I can go to read the first two chapters of BB&B, is there?

Yes, indeedy! The first two chapters can be found here!

It’s weird. It’s like you know what I’m going to ask before I ask it. How about this: in BLOOD BATH & BEYOND…is there murder and mayhem and danger around every corner?

Uh-huh. Big time!

Is it also hilarious and delightful?

Well, I certainly would like to think so!

Are you doing a Release Day Contest?

Yes, I am!

*******RELEASE DAY CONTEST********

Please leave a comment at the bottom of this post (and if you’re seeing this on a mirror site, please visit www.michellerowen.com/blog to enter!) and tell me what your favorite vampire novel and/or mystery novel of all time is. I will choose two winners at random who will both receive a signed copy of BLOOD BATH & BEYOND. This contest is open Internationally, so comment away! Contest closes Sunday, August 12th at 9:00pm EST and I will contact the winners via email to claim their prizes. Good luck and happy reading!

Check out these other spots you can find Sarah and win yourself a signed copy of Blood Bath & Beyond this week:

Tote Bags ‘n’ Blogs

Rocco’s interview with Sarah Dearly

A big thanks goes out to my awesome readers — many who have contacted me over the last few years wondering if there would be more Sarah Dearly books. I can finally say — yes there are!

I hope new readers and those who’ve been with me for a while both LOVE Blood Bath & Beyond! Please let me know what you think via email, Twitter or Facebook!

Happy Reading!

Michelle