Since Hamilton's vampires and lycanthropes are largely invulnerable and heal very quickly, it leaves them open to explore the more extreme aspects of BDSM. The sexual content of the Anita Blake novels became both explicit and sadomasochistic in nature as the series progressed. There has been conjecture about how Hamilton's divorce affected her writing and the amount of sex therein, but Hamilton has indicated that this is not necessarily true, instead citing her increased antagonism towards how people feel a woman 'should' write and what topics are 'right.' Since sex is often seen as something women are not allowed to enjoy much less write about, the sex rate has increased. Her writing style is unique enough (and successful enough) that some publishers have begun asking for 'Hamilton-esque' writers (such as Jim Butcher), something Hamilton herself laments in the hardcover re-release of The Laughing Corpse. She has gained a certain notoriety for the increasing amount of explicit sex in her novels. Hamilton's writing is characterized by vivid prose, erotic sensuality, and complex worldbuilding. In 2000, she branched out and started the new Merry Gentry series about a fairy princess turned private investigator. Her principal work is the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series, published by Penguin Group (USA), originally under their Ace Books imprint and now under Berkley Books.

Her mother was killed in a car crash in 1969. She was born in Heber Springs, Arkansas but grew up in Sims, Indiana. Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American horror and fantasy writer.

Books by laurell k hamilton