In which Candy makes a smut list

Candy here:

Okay, so I've discussed my early start in smut, but I didn't stick with the Harlequins.  I also have a dark side, and yes, I liked the vampires before they were cool!!!  Anybody remember Lost Boys?  Between Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, ooh la la Jamie Gertz (yeah, her and Princess Leia were my earliest crushes... please don't even ask!)-- who wouldn't get vampire fever?!  I don't know what it is about the supernatural that does it for me-- but I LIKE it a lot.  Here's the beginnings of an annotated list of some of my faves, just in case you're interested in some titillating reading...  I'll keep posting more of this list as I have time to write it.

• Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series-- she was my first supernatural series, so I'll always have a soft spot for her, but yes, I absolutely agree with the haters that the last quarter of the series has just been bad porn and forgettable extras.
•  Jacqueline Carey's Terre D'Ange books -- Yes, all three trilogies-- these are just outstanding and have not degraded in quality at all as she's progressed.  I'm very impresed.  These aren't supernatural in a vampire-type theme, but they do prominently feature gods, angels, and those who've been granted special powers via those beings.  It's still supernatural-- and believe you me, Sister, they are HOT!!!  Aside from their tingly-making qualities, one of the best things about these books is that they are written beautifully-- Carey writes like Botticelli paints.  Honest.
• Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries -- of the TrueBlood fame.  No, I didn't crack a book before I saw the series (truthfully, the heroine's name, Sookie Stackhouse, really repelled me), but I do think the books are much better than the shows.  (Yes, even though I love Jessica and LaFayette just as much as everyone else, the books are just THAT good!)  I also highly recommend the audio books; although a Southern accent usually makes me cringe (I know, it's so racist of me and I hate myself for it), the incredibly talented woman who reads these makes it absolutely charming.  It also makes the books last a bit longer; otherwise they are over too quickly.  I like Ms. Harris's work, but the reading level of these is a bit YA for my taste (which is odd, considering how much smut they contain... Damn you, English literature classes, for making me such a snob!!!). (Note-- I'm not saying that they're poorly written, by any means, just that they're very easy to read-- especially earlier in the series.)
• Nicole Peeler's Jane True series -- This is a relatively new series, but it is outstanding.  Jane True is a great character because we meet her before she realizes she has any special powers, and get to witness her character growth as she learns more about the supernatural world and develops her own supernatural abilities.  (Jane is half selkie-- that is, her mother could turn into a seal-- so Jane has lots of water based powers.)