Gerry Bartlett Books In Order

Publication Order of Real Vampires Books

Publication Order of Texas Heat Books

Publication Order of Lone Star Books

Gerry Bartlett is an American writer and antique collector who is famous for writing paranormal fantasy novels mainly involving vampires. The vampire novel series Glory St. Claire is her most acclaimed work of literature.

Real Vampires Have Curves

The novel “Real Vampires have Curves” from 2007 is the first book in the series. In the story Gloria St. Claire is a vampire who is nearly 400 years old. She has been recruited as an actress at the Global Theatre in London against her parents’ wishes and going against tradition. This is not the first time the rebellious lass has disgraced her parents, as her marriage to Jerry Blade, a sexy vampire had been a very scandalous affair. Now, she and Jerry are in an on-off relationship currently in a lull stage with Glory planning to move to Austin, Texas from Vegas. During the trip, she receives a phone call from Jerry informing her that an old friend of theirs has been kidnapped by a vampire hunter. The vampire hunter is using sophisticated new technology which makes him a terrifying opponent as he can track the movements of his targets easily. In Texas, Glory sets up a new business an apartment above it, both of which she rented from the vampire brother of her new employee Florence da Vinci.

Using the collection of vintage items that she had accrued over her many years, she opens a vintage clothing business, using her proceeds to pay the rent in one swoop. Meanwhile she has to try and fend off the overtures of her old lover Jerry, advances from an admirer named Jerry, and avoid the stake of the vampire hunter. In vampire literature, the underlying premise remains pretty unchanged. bartlett does an excellent job of making this story unique from the hundreds of vampire books from other authors. The additional characters such as Valdez the shapeshifting dog give it a refreshing angle to the cliché vampire anecdotes that form the foundation of the novel. bartlett uses suspenseful narration delivered through cliffhanger chapters to keep the reader enticed throughout the chapters. Though modern writers frown on this approach, bartlett does not use it overtly, avoiding an annoying overuse that can make readers disinterested in follow-up novels.

Real Vampires Live Large

The second book “Real Vampires Live Large” pretty much picks up from where the first novel ended. Glory has so far managed to stay away from the murderous billionaire vampire hunter. When Gloria’s shop is firebombed, it is obvious to everyone who the culprit is. Gloria’s on-and-off romance Jerry Blade decides to go on a dangerous pursuit of the vampire hunter in Africa before he has a chance to hurt any more vampires. He wants Gloria to come with him so he can protect her but she prefers to be left to be left to her own devises. After all she considers herself safe in the hands of her trusty shapeshifting labradoodle bodyguard Valdez and a number of bodyguards posted by Jerry. Soon it appears her troubles are beyond what she had anticipated.

One the bodyguards, Will, a shapeshifting vampire has a habit of getting out of his dog form into his gorgeous human body which ignites a firesome lust inside her. But that is the least of her woes as it appears that in addition to Westwood, a group calling itself the Energy Vampires are after her. The group uses stored energy from vampires to make a potent drug. Add to that her attempts to rebuild her shop, insecurities about her weight and a plethora of wannabe lovers who won’t give her a wink of space. Compared to the first novel, Real Vampires Live Large suffers a few deficiencies that make it a slightly inferior product. The book is slower in its action, with bartlett seemingly adding a penchant for overt descriptions that do not serve much purpose to the book, while taking up much of the narrative space. She also fails to show the same imagination in characterization that was evident in the first novel. The additional characters do not show any additional dimensions, which is disappointing given that the fantasy genre gives the writer a clean slate to character depictions. Nevertheless when the action does kick in, it is scintillating and purveyed using apt description that is characteristic of bartlett’s works.

An Authentic Vampire Series

The series is not only an entertaining read but also harbors important lessons about body image particularly in the modern age where a slim body is considered the cornerstone of beauty. Glory encountered Jerry when she had started to get a full figure but that did not stop the handsomely built vampire bloke from falling for her and turning her into a vampire. Throughout the rest of her vampire life, Glory maintains the weight but men keep swooning over her, challenging the traditional conception of beauty. Glory in particular is a very relatable character despite not being human. Her personality flaws and general vulnerability is reminiscent of experiences that are familiar to many human audiences. Readers feel genuinely invested in her struggle and will feel compelled to follow her on her quest for a happy ending. bartlett does an excellent job of blending the supernatural world of the novels with the real geography of Texas. The rich characterization, event description and great imagination make for a very vivid representation of bartlett’s narrative. The vampire world in this story is everything readers imagine it to be. There is no shortage of blood, steamy sex and scandal, which bartlett blends with upbeat language and humor. Fans of fantasy novels will find this series to be a genuinely refreshing approach to vampire narrations. bartlett does an excellent job of blending the supernatural world of the novels with the real geography of Texas. The rich characterization, event description and great imagination make for a very vivid representation of bartlett’s narrative. The vampire world in this story is everything readers imagine it to be. There is no shortage of blood, steamy sex and scandal, which bartlett blends with upbeat language and humor. Fans of fantasy novels will find this series to be a genuinely refreshing approach to vampire narrations.