Anna Strong Chronicles

Big - becoming — 1. The Beginning (2006) by Jeanne C. Stein—art by Cliff Nielsen

The Anna Strong Chronicles series by Jeanne C. Stein

Genres and Sub-Genres[]

Urban Fantasy

Series Description or Overview[]

✥ Synosis: My name is Anna Strong. I am a vampire. How I became one is the reason for this story. I tell it all the way it happened. It may not be what you expect. She's a bounty hunter—tough, beautiful, and trained for the unexpected. Until the night she's attacked and left closer to death than she can imagine. She awakens to an indoctrination into a dark new world where vampires walk among us. But this time, a tight grip on a .38 won't stop what she's hunting for. Existing between the worlds of the living and the dead, Anna is torn by her love for two very different men. Max, a DEA agent, all too human, and vulnerable. And Avery, a Night Watcher who's joined Anna in pursuit of the rogue vampire who changed her life that terrifying night. Now, as her two worlds collide, fate plunges Anna into the ultimate battle between good and evil where survival is not just for the living.. ~ Goodreads | The Becoming

✥ Synosis: 30-year-old Anna Strong is on the job as a bounty hunter in San Diego when she is attacked on the street one night and wakes up as a vampire. Anna hates her vampiric state and spends the entire series trying to maintain her humanity while all of her otherworldly friends and acquaintances urge her to make peace with her new "monstrous" self and turn her back on her human family and friends. ~ Fang-tastic: Anna Strong Chronicles

Lead's Species[]

Vampire, vampire hunter

Primary Supe[]

Vampires

What Sets it Apart[]

Narrative Type and Narrators[]

First person narrative told by Anna Strong, protagonist.

Books in Series[]

Anna Strong Chronicles sereis:

The Becoming (2004)
Blood Drive (2006)
The Watcher (2007)
Legacy (2008)
Retribution (2009)
Chosen (2010)
Crossroads (2011)
Haunted (2012)
Blood Bond (2013) ~ Final book

Shorts, Anthologies and Guides[]

3.3. "Elizabeth and Anna's Big Adventure" in A Girl's Guide to Guns and Monsters (2010) ~ Anthology
6.5. "Blood Debt" in Hexed (2011) ~ Anthology
6.6."Superman" in Chicks Kick Butt (2011) ~ Anthology
8.5. "Cloud City" (2013) ~ eBook, 75 pages

Other Series by Author onsite[]

Fallen Siren series as S.J. Harper

World Building[]

Setting[]

San Diego

Places:

Tijuana, Mexico
Dever, Colorado

Supernatural Elements[]

✥ Bounty hunters, Vampires, shapeshifters, witches, black magic, rattlesnake-shifter, panther-shifter, vampire hunters, Chosen One, , , ,

Glossary:[]

Groups & Organizations:[]

The Revengers: Secret organization of humans that seek out and kill vampires.
Watchers: supernatural enforcement squad — Warren Williams is their leader;
DEA: Drug Enforcement Agency—Max is an agent

World[]

✥ In Anna's world, humans are unaware of the existence of vampires, even though vamps hold a number of respected positions (e.g., deputy mayor). Supporting characters include Anna's partner, David, a former NFL player; Williams, an ancient vampire who is the San Diego police chief; Daniel Frey, a shape-shifting panther who befriends Anna; and Culebra, a shape-shifting rattlesnake who runs a Mexican hideaway for humans and vampires living on the dark side of the law.

Anna usually has a boyfriend or a sexual partner, but he doesn't often last long. Then, she's on to the next romantic entanglement, always searching for true love in a very human way. In the early books, sexual scenes occur, but few graphic details are included. In the later books, things heat up a bit more—except for Crossroads, and Haunted, which contain little or no sex.

Protagonist & Characters[]

✥ Anna is a typical UF heroine, with her sarcastic sniping, angst-filled interior monologues, and rough-and-ready approach to her problems. She doesn't carry as many weapons as Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, but she was definitely created in Anita's image. Bad guys include the villainous Revengers, (vampire hunters who also work as highway patrol officers); a rogue vampire who poses as Anna's friend; a Latino mobster who threatens Anna's boyfriend; and a powerful black-arts witch. In The Watcher alone, she goes up against a dark witch, a Mexican drug lord, and a psychotic hit man. In the later books, Williams, now the former police chief, and his wife become Anna's enemies.

✥ Some characters come and go randomly throughout the series, appearing as major characters for awhile and then either going to the background or disappearing completely. All of the action in the first seven books takes place during the one-year period following initial Anna's vampire attack (in book 1). ~ Fang-tastic: ANNA STRONG

Sidekick[]

Name: / What: / Sidekick-to: / About: / Book First Seen:

Characters Chart[]

Characters	What	About
Anna Strong	vampire, bounty hunter,	attacked and left close to death. She awakens to an indoctrination into a dark new world where vampires walk among us; the Chosen One
Max	DEA agent	Anna's boyfriend;
Avery, Dr. Grant Avery	Night Watcher	joined Anna in pursuit of the rogue vampire who changed her;
David Ryan	Bounty hunter, human	Anna's partner; former NFL player;
Gloria	Model	Girlfriend of David
Warren Williams	ancient vampire	San Diego police chief; Head of the Watchers,
Daniel Frey	panther shifter	School teacher, befriends Anna;
Culebra	rattlesnake shifter	runs a Mexican bar & hideaway for humans and vampires living on dark side of law;
Donaldson	Vampire
Trish Delaney	Anna's niece	Foster niece
Carolyn Delaney	Trish's mother
Darryl		AKA No-neck
Bradley	FBI agent
Ryan North		Friend of Trish;
Donovan	FBI agent
Lance	Vampire	Model

To expand the table, in Edit–Visual mode, right-press on a Row of the table (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add Row or Column. Or, in Source Mode: copy-paste rows.

Author[]

Jeanne C. Stein

Website: author Jeanne Stein's Home page
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Noir UF, Romantic Urban Fantasy
Other Pen Names: S.J. Harper

Bio: Jeanne C. Stein is an American Urban Fantasy author living in Colorado. She now lives in Colorado, but was raised and educated in San Diego, which is the setting for her contemporary vampire fantasy. ~ Jeanne C Stein - FF

Cover Artist[]

Artist: Cliff Nielsen

Website: CLIFF NIELSEN: Sci-fi and Fantasy Illustrator, Graphic Novel Artist, Designer

Publishing Information[]

Ace Books

Author Page:

The Becoming: MM-Paperback, 293 pages, Pub. Novr 28-2006, ISBN-0441014569
Blood Drive (2006)
The Watcher (2007)
Legacy (2008)
Retribution (2009)
Chosen (2010)
Crossroads (2011)
Haunted:
Blood Bond:

Book Cover Blurbs[]

✤ BOOK ONE—Blood Drive (2006): Anna Strong is trained for anything-until she's attacked one night, only to awaken in a dark world that exists between the living and the dead. Here, Anna struggles with her love for the two men who inhabit the realms of each: Max, a human DEA agent, and Avery, a Night Watcher who joins Anna in pursuit of the vampire who changed her life. Now, as her two worlds collide, fate plunges Anna into the ultimate battle between good and evil where survival is not just for the living. ~ The Becoming, FF

✤ BOOK TWO—Blood Drive (2006): Anna Strong was a tough-as-nails bounty hunter, until the night she was attacked-and changed forever. Now a vampire, Anna discovers that her long-dead brother may have had a daughter-and the girl's in serious trouble. There are some very dangerous people after her, but they're about to learn that to a bounty hunter with an unnatural thirst for blood, even the deadliest human predators are easy prey.Anna Strong Chronicles~ Goodreads | Blood Drive (Anna Strong Chronicles, #2)

✤ BOOK THREE—The Watcher (2007): Newly-made vampire Anna has become a Watcher-one of the supernatural world's enforcers- even as she fights to control her vampiric rage. When a series of very dangerous events threatens to draw out her unstable powers, her Watcher mentor sends her away for her own safety. But if there's one thing Anna has always been able to find, it's trouble. ~ Goodreads | The Watcher (Anna Strong Chronicles, #3)

✤ BOOK FOUR—Legacy (2008): VAMPIRE ANNA STRONG... Anna has struggled to adapt to her supernatural status while clinging to the vestiges of her humanity. Now she must deal with her legacy. The sinister vampire who transformed her is dead, and Anna is entitled to his vast fortune. But a predatory werewolf comes forward, claiming the inheritance as her own?and she?ll kill to get what she wants most: blood and money. ~ Goodreads | Legacy (Anna Strong Chronicles, #4)

✤ BOOK FIVE—Retribution (2009): With her partner out of town, her family abroad, and her mentor estranged, newly-turned vampire Anna Strong is keeping a low profile. But now young vampires are turning up dead, completely drained of their life force. And though Anna wants to say no when Williams, her former teacher and now leader of a supernatural enforcement squad, asks for her help, she can't. But soon, she'll wish she did. ~ Goodreads | Retribution (Anna Strong Chronicles, #5)

✤ BOOK SIX—Chosen (2010): Anna Strong's primitive vampire instincts are getting harder to control. And a new enemy wants to take advantage of that fact, for Anna has been chosen to shape the destiny of all vampires-and all humans. ~ Goodreads | Chosen (Anna Strong Chronicles, #6)

✤ BOOK SEVEN—Crossroads (2011): As a bounty hunter, Anna Strong knew how to find trouble. But now that she's a vampire, trouble seems to have a knack for finding her... The death of Anna's old vampire mentor is causing ripples in the mortal world. His forensic report has brought up some anomalies and people are asking questions-questions that no vampire wants to answer. Anna needs to lie low, but the sudden discovery of a slew of drained bodies near the Mexican border brings an old flame back into her life and with him, a new challenge. Then, some stunning news from an unexpected source sends Anna and her friend Daniel Frey on a journey that may change both their lives-forever. ~ Goodreads | Crossroads (Anna Strong Chronicles, #7)

✤ BOOK EIGHT—Haunted (2012): Anna Strong—kick-ass bounty hunter and vampire—has made some enemies in her time. But it’s not just her old foes she should be worried about… Anna’s shape-shifting friend Culebra finally opens up to her about his life before he owned Beso de la Muerte, a bar catering to supernatural clientele. As if summoned by the conversation, Culebra’s past stumbles into his bar in the form of an old buddy cashing in a favor. Soon Anna, Culebra and her ex, DEA agent Max, find themselves deep in Mexico, dealing with drug cartel infighting, old vendettas and missing girls. Mexico just may prove to be Anna’s best match yet… ~ Goodreads | Haunted (Anna Strong Chronicles, #8)

✤ BOOK NINE—Blood Bond (2013): As a vampire, Anna Strong has an immortal life…but now she’s running out of time. Anna’s relationship with shape-shifter Daniel Frey has given her hope for a future with him and his son—especially when Frey proposes… But just when Anna starts to think her life couldn’t be better, she must fly to France to be at the side of her dying mother. There she learns that not every vampire accepts her Chosen One status. And one such vamp is about to go rogue—by leading his followers in a fight to usurp humanity… ~ Goodreads | Blood Bond (Anna Strong Chronicles, #9)

First Sentences[]

The Becoming (2004) — My name is Anna Strong. I was thirty on my last birthday, and i will be thirty when you read this.
Blood Drive (2006) — The guy squirms against me like a worm on a hook.
The Watcher (2007) — It's late October i San Francisco and if I were still human, I'd be freezing my ass off.
Legacy (2008) — I've been a vampire for six months.
Retribution (2009) — There are some things about being a vampire that come in handy in my line of work.
Chosen (2010) — It's seat. I wasn't sure at first. I haven't been a vampire that long, but I sure as hell don't remember sweating since becoming one.
Crossroads (2011) — It`s never a good thing when you're awakened from a deep sleep by someone pounding on the front door.
Haunted (2012) — I'm staring out the bedroom sliding glass door feeing sorry for myself.
Blood Bond (2013) — Suddenly, Max is standing at the foot of my bed.