| P. N. Elrod | |
| Birth Name: | Patricia Nead Elrod |
| Occupation: | Writer and editor |
| Nationality: | American |
| Genre: | Fantasy, horror, mystery, urban fantasy |
| Subject: | Vampires |
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]
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.
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, , 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, and won the 2006 P.E.A.R.L. Awards for best anthology.
She followed it with My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, released in January 2008 from St. Martin's Griffin.[6] It made the New York Times Bestseller extended list[7] and won an honorable mention in the 2007 Pearl Awards for best anthology.[8]
The anthology, Strange Brew, from St. Martin's, also reached the New York Times extended bestseller list in July 2009.
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."[9]
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.
Abridged, three-hour audiobook from Random House, performed by Roddy McDowell
Both available as audiobooks, unabridged.
| Title | Also In | PublicationDate | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bloodlist | 1990 | |||
| 2 | Lifeblood | 1990 | |||
| 2.5 | Vampires Prefer Blondes[10] | 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 | Many Bloody Returns | 2007 | ||
| 11.5 | Her Mother's Daughter | My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon | 2009 | ||
| 11.6 | Hecate's Golden Eye | 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 | Dark and Stormy Knights | 2010 |
| Anthology or Collection | Content | PublicationDate | 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 | Tor | ||
| Time of the Vampires | The Witch's Mark | 19962004 | P.N. ElrodMartin H. Greenberg | |||
| Mob Magic | The Quick Way Down | 1998 | Brian Thomsen | DAW | Vampire Files story | |
| Dracula in London | Wolf and Hound | 2001 | P.N. ElrodNigel 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 | 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. ElrodRoxanne 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 | |||
| Vampire Files Volume 3 | Chill in the BloodDark Sleep | 2011 | Vampire Files Books 7, 8 | |||
| Vampire Files Volume 4 | Lady CrymsynCold 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 |