Acevedo, Mario

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Acevedo, Mario

PERSONAL:

Born in El Paso, TX; children: two sons. Education: New Mexico State University, B.S.M.E., 1978; University of Denver, M.S., 1998.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Denver, CO. Agent—Scott Hoffman, Folio Literary Management, 505 8th Ave., Ste. 603, New York, NY 10018. E-mail—author@marioacevedo.com.

CAREER:

Writer, artist. Worked as an engineer. Arte Americas, Fresno, CA, artist-in-residence; Avenal State Prison, Avenal, CA, art instructor. Military service: Served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and as a combat artist and attack helicopter pilot during Operation Desert Storm.

MEMBER:

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (past president), Horror Writers of America.

WRITINGS:

The Nymphos of Rocky Flats (novel; "Felix Gomez" series), Rayo (New York, NY), 2006.

X-rated Bloodsuckers (novel; "Felix Gomez" series), Rayo (New York, NY), 2007.

Coauthor of the blog Biting Edge; contributor to periodicals, including Exquisite Corpse.

SIDELIGHTS:

Mario Acevedo was born in Texas and grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He graduated from New Mexico State University, but he served in the U.S. Army before returning to engineering. After being downsized, he earned a degree in information systems, but when the job market again became tight, Acevedo turned to creating and teaching art. While an art instructor to inmates of Avenal State Prison, he began to write. He eventually returned to the military to serve as a combat artist during Operation Desert Storm. He then became a combat pilot. The protagonist of his ongoing series, Felix Gomez, first appears in Acevedo's debut, The Nymphos of Rocky Flats as a sergeant during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Felix witnesses his squad accidentally killing a young girl and he watches as she then changes into a vampire. Upon his return to the States, now private investigator Felix is approached by friend Gilbert Odin to look into an outbreak of nymphomania among female employees at the Rocky Flats nuclear facility. Other vampires appear, as do Romanian vampire hunters, all of which make Felix's job more difficult.

BookLoons Web site reviewer Martina Bexte felt that Acevedo's "incorporation of tried and true vampire lore as well as a few of his own inventions keeps the vamp angle fresh and intriguing. The fact that the author is a former soldier allows him to paint a realistic picture of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and of the inner workings of the more secretive arms of the military." A Kirkus Reviews contributor wrote: "With the exception of the sex scenes … the prose is pleasantly sharp and to the point." Kristine Huntley commented in Booklist:"Acevedo's vampire comedy provides plenty of chuckles, particularly in its exciting final wrap-up."

Felix returns in X-rated Bloodsuckers, in which he is asked by porn star Katz Meow to find the killer of her friend and fellow actress Roxy Bronze. As he investigates in the San Fernando Valley of California, Felix comes across a vampire society that is attempting to destroy human-vampire relationships, and corrupt police, power-hungry politicians, and an evangelist. Other characters include Coyote, Felix's vampire friend from a Los Angeles barrio. A Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote: "The novel's true appeal lies in its zippy banter and witty repartee on vampire lifestyle." Bexte reviewed this second book in the series, writing that it is "Felix's sly and often darkly funny view of his undead life that makes the story shine…. Great pacing, crisp, visual writing and a nice flair for capturing the hard-boiled tone make X-Rated Blood Suckers a thoroughly engaging sequel."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, March 1, 2006, Kristine Huntley, review of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, p. 76; February 1, 2007, Elliott Swanson, review of X-Rated Bloodsuckers, p. 35.

Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2006, review of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, p. 143.

Library Bookwatch, July, 2006, review of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats.

Library Journal, February 1, 2006, Patricia Altner, review of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, p. 68.

Publishers Weekly, January 23, 2006, review of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, p. 191; January 15, 2007, review of X-Rated Bloodsuckers, p. 36.