Cerulean Sins is the eleventh book in Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels. The series also includes Bloody Bones, The Killing Dance, Burnt Offerings, Blue Moon, Obsidian Butterfly, Narcissus in Chains and twelve additional books.http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/works.html The books are in print in sixteen different languages around the world, and have sold more than six million copies.http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/works.html

As a promotion for the paperback release of Cerulean Sins, four different limited edition collectible postcards were printed, with one included in the back of each of the first edition paperbacks published.http://blog.laurellkhamilton.org/index.php/site/comments/getting_ready_for_signing There was an additional auction for collections of the postcards for charity.http://blog.laurellkhamilton.org/index.php/site/comments/getting_ready_for_signing The author also held a contest for her blog readers to celebrate the release, having them send in receipts from purchase of the paperback for a chance to win a signed copy of her new hardback novel, Incubus Dreams before it was released in stores.http://blog.laurellkhamilton.org/index.php/site/comments/hi_since_more_folks_seem_to_read_the_blog

Laurell K. Hamilton was born in Heber Springs, Arkansas, but grew up in Sims, Indiana, a town with a population of approximately 100.http://www.iblist.com/author415.htm She states that she writes because not writing is like not breathing to her.http://www.iblist.com/author415.htm Hamilton resides in St. Louis and has degrees in Biology and English. http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Laurell.html She shares her home with her husband, Jonathon Green, daughter Trinity, two dogs (a pug and a pug-boxer mix), and an assortment of fish.http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Laurell.html

Like many of the other novels in the series, Cerulean Sins opens with the main character, Anita Blake, in her office at Animators, Inc., receiving an unusual job offer. This time the client is Leo Harlan, an unassuming man who seems to have unusual knowledge about Anita’s life, and an interest in hiring her to raise a centuries-old ancestor from the grave. Anita accepts, then moves on to other zombie raising appointments. While working, she receives unusual news from her vampire friend Asher; a vampire named Musette has arrived early for a visit in town, along with her lieutenants. She is the vaisseau for Belle – a representative of the council vampire that created both Asher and Anita’s lover Jean Claude.

Anita returns to Jean Claude’s quarters at the Circus of the Damned with Asher, where they are joined by friends Damian and Jason. They meet with Musette, who distributes questionable gifts and demands that she be given gifts in return. She wishes Asher to be given to her as a gift for her to torture. Anita replies that if any of her friends are harmed, she will kill Musette. Belle Morte appears in a vision to discuss the issue with Jean Claude.

Anita and Jean Claude discuss taking Asher as a lover as a way to protect him. They offer this to Asher, who accepts. They engage in a ménage a trois, and Asher rolls Anita’s mind, something other vampires have been unable to do to her because of her own powers.

In the morning, Anita receives a call from the police requesting her assistance at a crime scene which has preternatural elements. She begins an investigation, but finds herself losing consciousness repeatedly. It is discovered that Belle Morte has been draining energy from Jean Claude, which also drains energy from his servants Anita and Richard Zeeman. While she is unconscious, Belle tries to convince Anita to join her. Werewolves rescue Anita and Richard – who has fallen unconscious elsewhere – and bring them into a communal hot tub to feed them with their own energy.

There are several diplomatic meetings with Musette and her lieutenants as well as Micah and his werehyena pack, who attempt to back up Anita and the werewolves. Belle Morte attempts to win the wereleopards to her side, but they maintain their loyalty to Anita and attempt to defend her and Asher. Musette is able to call rats and wererats, and forces a battle. Numerous battles ensue between attempts to investigate the police case. At the end, the group is able to both defeat Musette and Belle Morte and solve the police case. Anita continues her relationships with Micah, Jean Claude, and Asher.http://www.amazon.com/Cerulean-Anita-Blake-Vampire-Hunter/dp/0515136816/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295377706&sr=1-1#reader_0515136816

• "Anita Blake is one the more fascinating fictional heroines since Scarlett O'Hara—and a hell of a lot more fun than most. Despite her satin lingerie, short skirts and high heels, she kicks both human and non-human bad-guy butt—hard. Having gained immense supernatural powers and become an important force in the vampiric and lycanthropic communities of St. Louis in the 10 previous books, Anita begins this fantastic dark adventure by raising the dead and ends it by tackling a murderous monster. In between, she wades (literally) into a bloody investigation of a preternatural serial killer and (metaphysically and physically) into dangerous vampire politics. There's plenty of the hot stuff, but it's presented with a certain morality and definite hilarity. After unraveling, to the detriment of writing and plot, some character and story line knots in previous bestseller Narcissus in Chains (2001), the author is back on track with the best Blake yet." — Publishers Weeklyhttp://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/reviews/search/index.html?page=2&search=1&author=laurell%20k.%20hamilton&issue=&category=&isbn=&publisher=&title=

• "Laurell K. Hamilton's legions of eager fans will be pleased to see Cerulean Sins, the eleventh novel in her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, which is set on an alternate Earth where magic works and vampires and werewolves are real. When a sinister stranger tries to hire the magically potent Anita Blake to raise the dead, she finds herself embroiled in the search for a vicious, supernatural serial killer, and also in the clandestine international politics of the vampires. And as she becomes more deeply enmeshed in cruel plots and counterplots, her tangled personal life only becomes more demanding, more wrenching, and more erotically fraught." — Amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/Cerulean-Anita-Blake-Vampire-Hunter/dp/0515136816/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295377706&sr=1-1