Urban Fantasy Wiki
Advertisement
Urban Fantasy Wiki
Urban Fantasy Wiki
606
pages
in: Vampires as Main Supe, Zombies, Paranormal Military, Cops, Spies,
and 12 more

WVMP Radio series

Sign in to edit
Wicked Game (WVMP Radio -1) by Jeri Smith-Ready

Wicked Game (WVMP Radio #1) by Jeri Smith-Ready

WVMP Radio series by Jeri Smith-Ready

Genres and Sub-Genres[]

Urban Fantasy 

Series Description or Overview[]

An adult urban fantasy series about vampire DJs and the con artist who fights for their way of un-life. ~ Maryse's Book Blog

WVMP is an independent radio station and the home of several vampire DJs. Their decade-themed shows help them deal with passing time. Ciara Griffin, (ex-)con artist, quickly becomes entangled in the vampires' business when she is hired at the station as a marketing intern. ~ Dark Urban Fantasy: WVMP

Books in Series[]

WVMP Radio series:

  1. Wicked Game (2008)
  2. Bad to the Bone (2009)
  3. Bring On the Night (2010)
  4. Lust for Life (2012) ~ Final

Shorts, Novellas, Anthologies and Guides[]

  • 3.5. Let it Bleed (2012) ~ Free

Other Series by Author onsite[]

Themes[]

World Building[]

Setting[]

Failing radio station in small-town Sherwood, Maryland.

Places:

  • Smoking Pig: bar—owner: Stuart
  • Bernita:
  • Youngstown:

Supernatural Elements[]

✥ Vampires, zombies, canine vampire, cultists, paramilitary, humans with special powers, fatal virus making zombies, anti-holy powers, magic, fanatics...

Glossary:[]

  • Vampire Characteristics: traditional sun-sensitivity, super-strength and speed, and reliance on human blood, he or she is stuck mentally in the time period in which the turn takes place—when they die—decapitation or stake—its body inverts through the wound and disappears.

Groups & Organizations:[]

  • The Control: paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line—International Agency for the Control and Management of Undead Corporeal Entities, governs many aspects of the vampires’ lives
  • Immanence Corps: special-ops division of Control; run by the Control’s oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers.
  • Skywave:

World[]

When former con-artist Ciara (pronounced KEERA-ah) Griffin gets a marketing job at a failing radio station in small-town Sherwood, Maryland, she soon learns that the station’s DJs are all vampires, so she turns the station into “WVMP—the Lifeblood of Rock ’n’ Roll,” and the vampires are an instant success with the listeners. Each vampire plays only the music that was popular during the decade preceding his or her death, and each book includes a play list of the songs that are intricately woven into the plot. The sudden reappearance of Ciara’s double-dealing father and a paramilitary group called the International Agency for the Control and Management of Undead Corporeal Entities (aka the Control), which governs many aspects of the vampires’ lives, complicate the lives of Ciara and the vampires.

Vampires in this world have the traditional sun-sensitivity, super-strength and speed, and reliance on human blood. When one of these vampires dies—either from decapitation or a stake through the heart—its body inverts through the wound and disappears, leaving just the clothing behind. In this mythology, when a human is turned into a vampire, he or she is stuck mentally in the time period in which the turn takes place. At WVMP, this means that each DJ specializes in the music that was popular during the decade prior to his or her death. In an inventive twist, the vamps at WVMP are members of the "27 club," the term used to refer to the long list of legendary musicians who died at that young age. So...no matter how long ago they were turned, all of the DJs appear to be in their late twenties.

Humor is both situational and conversational and includes the consequences of an odd vampiric trait of obsessive-compulsive behavior (e.g., alphabetizing a CD collection, compulsively counting things). ~ Fang-tastic Fiction: Jeri Smith-Ready: WVMP RADIO SERIES

Protagonist[]

✥ Ciara Griffin: I'm the marketing/promotions manager for WVMP - The Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. It's a vampire radio station in Sherwood, MD. Yep, the DJs are really vampires *wink* Come visit us at www.wvmpradio.com. Feed the Need - WVMP: The Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. Trying really hard to leave her con artist days behind her.

✥ Shane McAllister: Ciara’s love interest is the DJ, Shane McAllister, a 1990s grunge rocker. As the series moves along, Ciara and her friends battle evil in several forms, including a powerful and violent vampire who wants to keep vampires out of the public eye and a group of fanatics who want all vampires dead. ~ Fang-tastic Fiction

Gen X-ers rejoice (with irony, of course). From indie rock and cowpunk to grunge boys and riot grrrls, relive the late 80s and early 90s with Shane McAllister and his eclectic "Whatever" broadcast. No pretension, no bullshit, and absolutely no Foo Fighters.

Sidekick[]

  • Name: Dexter / What: Vampire Dog / Sidekick-to: Ciara / About: companion / Book First Seen: Wicked Game

Characters Chart[]

Characters What About
Ciara Griffin Recovering con artist takes an internship at a local radio station hosted by vampires; former con-artist, college student;
Shane McAllister vampire DJ, grunge Ciara’s love interest; complicated affair;
Dexter vampire dog Clar'a companion
Spencer vampire DJ, 1950s Take a trip back to the time when rock was just a bouncing baby bop: the 1950s. Spencer's mix of rockabilly, surf jams, and rhythm 'n' blues will put a twist in your step all night long.
Noah vampire DJ, reggae Get up, stand up, and groove to the heart and soul of Jamaica, with Noah's classic reggae riffs. Jah know you won't regret it.
Regina vampire DJ, punk, Goth "Drastic Plastic": punk, post-, goth, new wave; Regina didn't survive the 80s, and neither should you; Shane's maker.
DJ Jim hippie DJ, psychedelic rock Focusing on the 1960s and psychedelia, DJ Jim brings you music to help you tune in, turn on and drop out; behavior has become increasingly erratic;
Monroe Jefferson vampire DJ, blues "Midnight Blues" show.
David Fetter Ciara's boss former member of The Control; Lor's fiance; Ciara's boss at the radio station
Lori bartender, human best friend; having trouble dealing with Ciara's fangy, blood-loving condition
Jolene Ciara's nemesis from college
Gideon old vampire likes to maintain secrecy
Elizabeth Vasser vampire owner of WVMP; made by Antoine;
Travis PI private investigator;
Franklin Ciara's colleague;
Lawrence vampire One of Gideon's vampires;
Antoine vampire Elizabeth's maker
Lanham Major Control Organization
Deirdre Shane's former lover/donor the last of Jim's progeny; escaped from the Control
Alfred Bombeck executive Skywave
Sherilyn Murphy executive Skywave
Stuart bar owner Smoking Pig's owner, Lori's boss
Jacob vampire one of Gideon's vampires
Wallace vampire one of Gideon's vampires
Ronan Riley Ciara's father
Cass long-lost Irish Traveller cousins searching for her parents
Tina Ciara's Indoc training partner

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.

Jeri Smith-Ready

Jeri Smith-Ready — Author

Author[]

Jeri Smith-Ready

Bio: Jeri Smith-Ready has been writing fiction since the night she had her first double espresso. Jeri lives in the rolling hills of Maryland with her husband and two cats, who often play tag-team "sit in the author's lap and keep her from writing." (The cats, that is, not the husband. Though actually...) When not writing, she's either out running or on Twitter. ~ About Jeri

Cover Artist[]

Artist: Don Sipley ~ ISFdb: Bring On the Night #3

Publishing Information[]

  • Publisher: Pocket, Gallery Books
  • Author Page:
  1. Wicked Game: Paperback, 361 pages, Pub: May 13th 2008—ISBN 141655176X
  2. Bad to the Bone: Paperback, 368 pages, Pub: May 19th 20, Gallery—ISBN 1416551786
  3. Bring On the Night: Paperback, 399 pages, Pub: July 27th 2010—ISBN 1439163480
  4. Lust for Life: Paperback, 352 pages, Pub: Nov 27th 2012—ISBN 1439163502

Book Cover Blurbs[]

✤ BOOK ONE BLURB—Wicked Game (2008): Late-night radio you can sink your teeth into.... Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, 60s psychedelia, 80s Goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers how the DJs maintain their cred: they're vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned. Ciara's first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WMMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station—and the link it provides to their original Life Times—the vampires would "fade," becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover becomes a matter of life and un-death. To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara re-brands the station as "WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll." In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs' vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around—next to Ciara's complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the "gimmick" enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren't so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher—and the perils graver—than any con game Ciara's ever played. ~ Wicked Game (WVMP Radio, #1)- FF

✤ BOOK TWO BLURB—Bad to the Bone (2009): TURN ON. TUNE IN. DROP DEAD. If you're just joining us, welcome to radio station WVMP, "The Lifeblood of Rock'n'Roll." Con-artist-turned-station-owner Ciara Griffin manages an on-air staff of off-the-wall DJs—including her new boyfriend Shane McAllister—who really sink their teeth into the music of their "Life Time" (the era in which they became vampires). It's Ciara's job to keep the undead rocking, the ratings rolling, and the fan base alive—without missing a beat. For Halloween, WVMP is throwing a bash sure to raise the dead. They've got cool tunes, hot costumes, killer cocktails—what could go wrong? Well, for starters, a religious firebrand ranting against the evils of the occult preempts the station's midnight broadcast. Then, when Ciara tracks down the illegal transmission, the broadcast tower is guarded by what appears to be...a canine vampire? And behind it all is a group of self-righteous radicals who think vampires suck (and are willing to stake their lives on it). Now Ciara must protect the station while struggling with her own murky relationship issues, her best friend's unlikely romance with a fledgling vampire, and the nature of her mysterious anti-holy powers. To make it to New Year's in one piece, she'll need to learn a few new tricks. ~ Goodreads | Bad to the Bone (WVMP Radio, #2) by Jeri Smith-Ready

✤ BOOK THREE BLURB—Bring On the Night (2010): WHAT'S BLOOD GOT TO DO WITH IT? Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock ’n’ Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor’s degree! But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps? Ciara's suspicions are confirmed when she's assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control's oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious fatal virus spreads through Sherwood, and corpses begin to rise from their graves. Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic. ~ Goodreads | Bring on the Night (WVMP Radio, #3) by Jeri Smith-Ready

✤ BOOK FOUR BLURB—Lust for Life (2012): Former con artist Ciara Griffin hopes to settle into a normal un-life as a fledgling vampire, with the help of her fiancé, grunge DJ/guitarist Shane McAllister. But when the WVMP station crew reports that hippie vampire DJ Jim has murdered a pair of humans—humans who happen to share Ciara's last name—that's when trouble rolls out the red carpet. To redeem her past and pay back her most wounded victim, Ciara plans one final triple-crossing con game—with her own "miracle blood" as the bait. And as Ciara clings to what's left of her humanity, she'll need her new vampire strength—and old con artist cunning—now more than ever. ~ Goodreads | Lust for Life (WVMP Radio, #4)

First Sentences[]

  1. Wicked Game (2008) — Family curses never die, they just mutate.
  2. Bad to the Bone (2009) — The things I believe in can be counted on one hand—even if that hand were two-fifths occupied with, say, smoking a cigarette, or making a bunny for a shadow puppet show, or forming "devil horns" at a heavy metal concert.
  3. Bring On the Night (2010) — I'm okay now.
  4. Lust for Life (2012) — Halloween is a great day to be dead. Or, technically speaking, Undead.

Quotes[]

Read Alikes (similar elements)[]

See Category links at the bottom of the page. 

Awards[]

Awards/Honors:

  • Nominee, American Library Association's Alex Award (for Adult Novels with Teen Appeal)
  • Winner, Darrell Award for Best Midsouth Science Fiction/Fantasy Novel
  • Winner, New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal Novel
  • Winner, Virginia Romance Writers Holt Medallion Award for Best Paranormal Novel
  • Winner, FF&P PRISM Award, for Best Light Paranormal
  • Third Place, Heart and Scroll Madcap Award for Best Romantic Comedy
  • Third Place, First Coast Romance Writers Beacon Award for Best Paranormal Novel
  • Book Blogger's Top Ten Urban Fantasies of 2008
  • A Reading Matters Most Enjoyable Read of 2008
  • LoveVampires.com Top Eight Vampire Novels of 2008

Trivia & Notes[]

See Also[]

Category links at bottom of page

External References[]

Books:

Summaries: 

The World, Characters, etc:

Reviews: 

Interviews:

Author:

Community, Blogs, etc:

Gallery of Book Covers[]

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
Advertisement