Hawaiian Guest Blog

I was the Sunday guest blogger over at Moonlight, Lace, & Mayhem!
http://moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com/2010/05/supernatural-sunday_30.html

Please stop by to learn about my life in Hawaii and read an excerpt from my debut novel
"Have Stake, Will Travel"

I'm Going to Authors After Dark 2010. Are you?

I'm very excited as I'm an attending author at Authors After Dark 2010-Romance Unlimited.

Registration is still open. When you read on you'll find the conference (includes 5 meals) is very generous. Go here to register. Considering the events, meals, authors, it's going to be a blast.
Of course, I'm going more for the paranormal romance authors--here some of those who are going:
Jacquelyn Frank
Diana Castilleja
Susan Hanniford Crowley
Bianca D'Arc
Stella and Audra Price
Jessica Andersen
Leanna Renee Hieber
and more ... lots more. See the list of attending authors.

I'm going to be carrying around a goodie bag and giving out a small token of my esteem to anyone who walks up to me at the Authors After Dark convention and says they saw this on the Paranormalists (while my supply lasts), so be sure to say hi.

Here's the link, if you want to read more about this amazing event: http://authorsafterdark.blogspot.com/

--Susan Hanniford Crowley

Should werewolves have chest hair?

What do you think? How about hairy legs and arms?

The best shifters I've ever read so far were L. Hamilton's "Anita Blake" books. Werelions, weretigers, werejaguars and so on - including of course werewolves. Fur everywhere - and yet when they shifted, all the furry hide receded and disappeared leaving them covered in clear goo and smooth as babies.

Maybe this shifting can be patented as a new depilatory method?

In any case, it seems that long past are the days when the werewolf ambled around as the moon waxed and waned, in human form still but resembling the animal (fur-wise) he would transform into - evident in hairy arms and chest and probably a beard, too.

Just like today's vampires have stopped wearing black cloaks and be bald, mean and old corpse-eating men, so have werewolves also evolved into romantic and fashionably smooth males - even if these don't sparkle as they run in the moonlight.

What Made THE LOST BOYS?

When in 2008 I learned that there was going to be a sequel to the 1987 cult hit, The Lost Boys, I remember experiencing a number of responses. I had been a big fan as a teenager, and I had even co-written a script for a sequel—call it fan fiction, if you will—and had sent a synopsis of The Lost Girls to Warner Brothers. I still remember the numerous letters a very cordial Scott Nimerfro sent back: No unsolicited manuscripts.

What did I know? I was just a kid back then, and my fan fiction was probably among trashcans filled with similar works. In hindsight, it definitely wasn’t the best script of my writing career....

One thing I did hope through the years was that, whoever eventually wrote the sequel’s script, the story paid homage to the feel, the charm, and mythos of the first. I hoped that more of the first cast might have been incorporated into the film. My expectations for the first sequel, The Tribe, might be significantly higher than most; with that in mind, I would like to share some of my critical thoughts on the movie.

1. The only things that I found this movie has in common with the original are the Lost Boys title, Corey Feldman (and a corny cameo by Corey Haim), and many, many inappropriately copied lines. Screenwriter Hans Rodionoff not only does not capture the feel or magic of its predecessor, but the storyline comes across as a cheap rip-off. New lead characters Nicole and Chris have the same last name as Sam and Michael Emerson, but without any clear ties.

2. The cover of Gerard McMann's and Michael Mainieri's "Cry Little Sister" doesn't even compare. Few singers have what it takes to pull off that song witht the same or better dynamics as the original. My first choices would have been David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, or Queensryche's Geoff Tate.

3. The sound editing, at least on the copy I watched, is terrible. I had to adjust the sound level about a dozen times throughout the film.

4. The storyline needs help. Rodionoff clearly has a couple of decent ideas, but he executes them poorly. Character motivations are confusing, character placement is contrived (how did Evan know Nicole was going to be at a party to which he was clearly not invited? how did Edgar Frog know to break in and wait at the house to stake newly turned Nicole?); the storyline revolving around Nicole’s brother, Chris, agreeing (way too easily) to join the coven in order to "infiltrate" for Edgar Frog is just ridiculous. Moreover, Vampires: Los Muertos covered that concept already (and with about as much functional purpose).



5. There is a difference between paying homage to a movie and repeating half of its best lines in contrived ways and with far too serious an execution. It needed to be campy to work, and it only came off as embarrassing.

6. The acting.

7. The ending(s).

Learning that there will now be a second sequel, The Thirst, I have to say that I think it’s a shame the original producers and director did not have their hands in either film. The Lost Boys was sexy, smart, and funny, and it deserved to have sequels of the same caliber. I will withhold my judgment until I see the second sequel.



I'm sure I've said enough for now.

Are there any other original Lost Boy fans out there? What are your thoughts on the sequels?

Unconventional places to write

Do you find yourself writing in strange places? No, I don't mean under the covers at night with a book lite attached to a writing pad. That's probably normal for a writer.

I'm talking about places you never thought you'd find yourself writing. During boring meetings at work. In your car at the parking lot of the grocery store with the ice cream melting in the back seat. For that matter, while you're driving on the Interstate, and you know if you don't jot down the lines in your head, they'll disappear. Eek, I admit I've done that. Too often, I lose snippets of what I'm sure are pure gold (but are more likely fool's gold).

Last year, I made a discovery. The treadmill is not nearly so boring when I write. And when I step on the treadmill, the words flow. I actually wrote an entire novel on the treadmill last summer. In individual scenes which I later pieced together into a coherent manuscript. Well, first I admit, I had to decipher the scrawl that resulted from writing at a fast clip. :)

How about you? Do you have any unconventional places you find yourself writing in?

Book Review and Giveaway: INFINITY-CHRONICLES of NICK by the Queen of the Paranormal, Sherrilyn Kenyon

Today is the release day of Sherrilyn Kenyon's first teen book in her young adult series, Infinity-Chronicles of Nick. Since I'm an aspiring YA writer, I was very interested in reading this book. I have a friend that is so into Kenyon and reads many of her books.  She  recommends them to me and I finally dug in with this one. I wasn't disappointed. It was chocked full of supernatural creatures of all sorts. Zombies played a prominent role and while they are not my favorite paranormal creature, I found them rather entertaining in a number of scenes in the book.

I've reviewed Infinity and I'm giving away the ARC. Stop in to get my take on the story in more depth and enter for a chance to receive the book. This is the first book in a planned twelve book series and I'm definitely awaiting the next installment! Giveaway ends Tuesday, June 1, 2010

June

http://writingisablessing.blogspot.com

Was your reading monitored as a child?

My parents didn't monitor my reading. Sure, they only bought me Christian-themed books and Christian-YA books. But I lived at the library. I grew up in a small town and I had read every single book in that library by the time I was sixteen. I was reading Danielle Steel at 14. I can't remember the name now, but they were these serialized military Rambo-style books that were popular in the 80s. I read a lot of those.

I feel that the world was all the better because I read so much and so widely. I had a sheltered, quiet upbringing. Fiction brought an entirely different world to me that I wouldn't have known existed. So, because of that, I don't monitor what my step-children read. Let them see the world through many sets of eyes.

And, for the record, I had no idea what most of the sex in Danielle Steel's novels were about until I was 16. I generally skipped those parts and went right back to the romance dialogue. :)

Krista

PS This will be my last post until July. I will be traveling back home to see my parents and then heading to a Star Trek convention. See you in July :)

Cover Mania!!!!!!!!!

The process of getting a cover for your story is one filled with a mix of anxieties, excitement, and hopefully awe! I must admit that I have been very lucky in the cover department so far.  But, right now I am in the middle of putting a cover on a Paranormal novel with Witches and Shapeshifters which is also set in Regency England and is an Erotic Romance.  I want it to have that Regency feel, but am also trying to incorporate paranormal elements.  So, here I have two versions of the same cover.  

Cover Mock Up #1 
I love because it incorporates the island (well the water surrounding it anyway) and the elemental beast (which is very dragon like).







Cover Mock Up #2 

This one I like because you see more of her hair and her corset.







So, which do you like?  Or, do you see some version of the two?


These were both created, by the way, by the amazing Emma Hillman.


Here is the blurb for the story, tell me if you think the cover matches it...

Aubrey Griffen is a witch whose true reasons for coming to London soon fall to the wayside when she catches the eye of Edmund Bryant, the Marquess of Dalysbury.  He seduces her into a whirlwind romance until the lies and threats of his mother force her to flee to Triaill Brimuir, a secret island of her ancestors off the coast of Ireland. Edmund goes after her only to be hit by Aubrey’s confusion and anger when she magically transforms him into an elemental beast of her own creation.   

However, it is when Edmund’s lust mysteriously turns him back into a man that the couple are forced to deal with a family secret and untold of powers.  Now, Edmund must learn to shift himself into the beast in order to save her in a battle of black verses white magic. 

Fraught with scenes of explicit intimacy, romantic spells and mystical shapeshifting, Torn Asunder is a unique blending of the age of manners with sexual magic. 

Thanks in Advance,

Kiki

Please help me welcome Mariposa Cruz

Please help me welcome our newest enlistee, paranormal author Mariposa Cruz, referred by Cate Masters.

Mariposa, if you get a chance, please tell us a little about yourself and your novel Howl.

And while I'm at it...
Cate Masters gets one point toward our prize giveaway.

Enlistees, please remember to have your new recruit let me know if you referred them and they'll get a point toward the prize giveaway.

If any of our members have invited you to join and you didn't let me know, send me an email and I'll make sure your recruitor gets a point.

Book Trailer for Fevered Dreams, Cate Masters

The book trailer is up for video of the month at You Gotta Read Videos. There's three days left to vote.

http://yougottareadvideos.blogspot.com/

Please click on Cate's name, hop to her blog and check out the trailer. I..er..seem to be unable to paste it here.

Reviews are in for WHEN LOVE SURVIVES

Recently I received two wonderful reviews for my scifi/paranormal/fantasy romance WHEN LOVE SURVIVES, which is available at All Romance Ebooks and Fictionwise and other fine ebook stores.

The first is from Rites of Romance Reviews:

"This story takes place on September 11^th and I commend Ms Hanniford Crowley on weaving a love story using one of the most tragic days in recent history as a backdrop. The tales is told with a great deal of compassion and sensitivity."

To see the entire review, go to http://rorreviews.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/when-love-survives-by-susan-hanniford-crowley/

The second review is from Wicked Readings by Tawania:

"Bravo Susan! I really enjoyed this story, you will absolutely fall in love with the hero & heroine in this book. Susan took one of our most devastating and tragic events in American history, and created a brilliant, compassionate, and loving story out of it. She reminds us that love can develop out of the most heart wrenching circumstances. Regina is a wonderful heroine, she finds out on the morning of the attack that she is half Elf and half Leprechaun. Regina doesn't really believe it until after the attack,when she starts hearing the cries of the survivors and feel their pain. She knows that she shouldn't go to the attack site, but she can't help herself. Regina has to go and help find any survivors she can, she can't ignore the cries in her head."

For the rest of the review, go to http://wickedreadingsbytawania.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-when-love-survives-by-susan.html

Thank you for letting me share.

--Susan Hanniford Crowley

My Debut Novel Cover!

I am so excited I get to finally share the cover for my debut novel being released this coming Monday, May 24, 2010 from http://www.nobleromance.com/.  My novel is called "Have Stake, Will Travel"

Here's a blurb:

Orion Masters is no ordinary slayer, she's a dhampir--half vampire-- and

uses her superhuman abilities to her advantage.

After all, a girl's gotta make a living. 

But her life takes a dramatic u-turn on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The balmy nights of paradise hold a forbidden temptation. Hot, steamy sex with Julian Hunter. 

Like Orion, Julian is a slayer. Unlike Orion, Julian is a pure blood. Their paths cross on the hunt and Orion finds herself unable to control the allure of Julian’s seductive powers. Yielding to her body’s instinctive, and passionate, reaction to Julian, she discovers the erotic lure of heritage, shared blood, and destiny. 

You can also read about Orion on her blog One Slayer's Journey http://orionmasters.blogspot.com/

New Kid on the Block

I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. I am an aspiring writing, currently finishing up my second novel - currently called Soul Catcher. I love all things paranormal and have been a paranormal fan for too many years to count. I am hoping to find a great group of writers to network with.

I am excited to get to learn everyone work!

Vivi

It's Publisher's Week at the Sci Fi Brigade

Stop by the Sci Fi Brigade this week and check out our heart-to-heart interviews with editors at several publishing companies. Get the inside scoop on what editors and their publishers are looking for.
http://sfrcontests.blogspot.com/
Best,
D L Jackson

It's a lot like Christmas

When I was a kid, I swore time moved slower building up to Christmas morning. It took forever to arrive. That's how I feel about waiting for my first e-book to release.

My novelette, Harvest Moon, is coming out in December. Is it just me or does December seem like a long, long ways away? To make things worse, my friends and co-workers remind me every day that the book isn't out yet. My publisher, MuseItUp, wonderfully sends me marketing tips and ideas for when the book comes out. It's like opening your morning advent candy.

But it isn't Christmas morning yet!

To occupy my time, I've been working on new and old projects. Plus, I did a nifty trailer for Harvest Moon. Feel free to check it out!

Click here for the trailer

Paranormal activity: two of my books accepted for publication!

Cobblestone has accepted for publication two of my stories: a novel and a novella, both m/m paranormal erotica. I am very excited about this! I love both these stories.

My novel, which is about the reincarnation of ancient Egyptian gods in modern day America, is (at least for now) entitled "The Falcon and the Jackal".

Blurb: James had never been attracted to a man before. But Horus, the Egyptian god of the sun, is not just any man. Drop dead gorgeous, Horus is also the harbinger of bad news. He proclaims James to be Seth, his dark godly counterpart and ally, and warns that Osiris, god of the dead, is about to take over the world once more. Caught between a game of power and falling in love with Horus, James must remember his past and regain his powers, or he’ll lose everything—his future, his former lover, and his own life.

My novella, which is about a demon and the mortal man who bound him in flesh, is entitled "Binding Spell".

Blurb: Mador, a fallen angel turned demon and resident of Hell, never thought he’d lose his heart to a mortal – again. Summoned by Jay, a young man in trouble and in a bind due to a deal he made with a powerful demon, Mador has to fight his mistrust and fear to finally find redemption and perhaps a second chance at love.

I will be telling you more about James and Silver, and Mador and Jay as I get into the publishing process. I hope you'll love them as I do!

Cobblestone Press Words in Motion Conference

Cobblestone Press will offer its free online Words in Motion conference focusing on romance and erotic romance June 4, 5 & 6. Award winning Historical Romance author Bertrice Small will present on June 4. Other presentations are being scheduled. I'll be offering a presentation on "Beyond Microsoft Word: Technology for Writers."

This online conference will take place at the Cobblestone Mainstreet forums. It is free, but you might want to register in advance.

http://www.cobblestone-mainstreet.com/

Here there and everywhere

And the official blog tour hasn’t even begun! If you want to know where I’d be if wishes were horses, pop over to the Midnight Seductions blog.

The wonderful Mariposa Cruz interviewed me today – find out where I get my inspiration (or, more accurately, where I don’t)

Have a great weekend!

A Few Of My Favorite Vamps

Sung to the tune of "A Few of My Favorite Things"

Nos – fer- atu by FW Murnau
Spike from Buffy with bleach blond hair
All of the Lost Boys and Viking Eric
These are a few of my favorite Vamps

Blood drops on teeth and fangs in his mouth
Bright glowing eyes and hy-y-pno powers
Wild sexy nights tinted with the fear of death

These are a few of my favorite things

Okay, so I'm not that creative -- but you get the picture!!
 
Rebecca

Spam Warning!

So far two members, Kiki Howell and Arlene Webb have most likely been murdered, thanks to this. If you're the morbid type, hop to their blogs to see why and try not to spread the terror.

Vampires, Myth, and Genre

Do you like vampires? If so, why? Is it the myth behind them, or is it the romantic image that literature and cinema have slowly created of them? I like vampires, but more often than not I find myself disappointed with literature and movies that depict them. When I do find a work that captures the essence of the genre, it is usually because it contains a gritty realism that contrasts the myth with the actual world we live in. Good examples are the Swedish sensation Let the Right One In and the cult American flick Near Dark. They do not sensationalize the monster, but rather they use it to offer some kind of insight about humankind.

That is what I strove for in my erotic horror trilogy The Darkness and the Night. Each book is a separate story all in its own, but when read in order they create one long story that spans nearly twenty years. The main character is Karen, although her place in each book varies greatly. Through her, and, later, her two children, I explore many of the aspects to what makes a person “human,” putting them through moral dilemmas and scenarios with which many readers might connect. As a survivor of physical and mental abuse at the hands of a previous SO, I felt it necessary to examine the “human monster” the best way I knew how—through my writing. After all, what better way to look at humanity with all of its attributes and flaws, than to write about a monster in its image?

The Darkness and the Night trilogy is highly erotic, the use of sexual exploration being a strong venue for both the characters’ development and further commentary on human behavior. It is a piece on female liberation and empowerment (especially Book II: Cosmic Orgasm--don’t let the campy name fool you!) as much as it is about fallibility, humility, and evolution of the human spirit. You’re going to have to read all three books if you crave that ever-satisfying Happily Ever After, but if you’re willing to let go of all preconceived expectations for this particular genre, I can guarantee the ride will be well worth it.

Book I: BLOOD AND COFFEE

Karen is a young woman fresh out of grad school, with just one stop left to make before beginning of the rest of her life. Agreeing to meet her family at the old summer home one last time, hoping to find some sort of closure to the estrangement between her and her paranoid and delusional father, Karen suddenly finds herself alone in the large house, in the middle of nowhere, after her family calls to report a travel delay.

Karen begins to question her own sanity when she falls victim to a vampire attack that night, recalling the similar circumstances behind her father’s psychotic break: in his delusions, however, he was the vampire hunter. The vampire informs Karen that his family is using her to settle a score against her father, for killing one of their family members years ago. The plan: present Karen, newly turned, to her recently “psychologically rehabilitated” father, and then see which one survives.

Karen manages to escape, only to embark upon a dark, virtual odyssey. Hitchhiking across the California coast, she searches for what is left of her humanity while she searches for the vampire that turned her, now set on settling a score of her own. During her journey, she finds herself taking refuge in a battered women's shelter, kidnapped by amateur demon hunters, joining a surreal nocturnal commune, and being confronted with the ethical dilemma of carrying the unborn child of a true monster....

"This is a strangely compelling tale of blood, love, lust, and betrayal." - Nicole - Bitten by Books

"...the writer is a good storyteller, and does an excellent job of leading the reader on..." - Regina - Coffee Time Romance

Available in paperback, Kindle, Sony Reader, audio book, and pdf. Click here for details.

Book II: COSMIC ORGASM (contains spoilers)

Karen's odyssey continues as she escapes from a mental hospital, after having accidentally turned another patient. She immediately finds herself running from a bounty hunter and his donor, sent by the insane commune leader, John-Michael, who has convinced himself that Karen carries his heir.

In the meanwhile, Karen finds herself haunted by Billy's restless spirit, his fluke death on the Astral having trapped him between planes. He visits her in her dreams, unable to accept his death ... and slowly, the dreams become nightmares as he decides he doesn't want to let her go. In a strange turn of events, lover becomes captor, foe becomes ally, love begins anew, and Karen survives her biggest challenge yet: childbirth.

"I couldn't put this book down!" – Five Stars - Michelle

Available in paperback, Kindle, Sony Reader, and pdf.

Book III: TWINS OF DARKNESS

Karen learns quickly that being both a mother and a vampire is no easy task, especially since her children, fraternal twins Anna and Andy, are not typical kids. Anna, although seemingly human, has the unique ability to not only travel the Astral, but also manipulate objects and people between planes. Andy also appears to be a normal human boy, but appearances prove disastrously deceiving.

With the help of her blood donor and lover, Jason, Karen does her best to offer the twins a “normal” suburban life. Despite them, Anna and Andy come into their own, exploring their family’s past . . . and the very different beings they are both slowly becoming. In the process, the author takes us on a wild ride that breaks beyond the boundaries of time and reality, sexual exploration, and love . . . and back to the vampire commune.

The book is actually four novellas that come together to create one full-length story:

Part I: Vampire. Mommy.

Karen's past returns to haunt her as Billy's nomadic family returns to the old Victorian, set on kidnapping the infant twins.

Part II: The Innocent One

The full extent of grade-school-aged Anna's Astral abilities shine through in dark and horrifying ways, as Karen's vampire-hunting father tracks them down in suburbia, intent on killing all of them.

Part III: A Family Affair

Desperate to know more about her natural father, adolescent Anna uses her Astral abilities to pull an alternate version of Billy into reality. His presence proves bittersweet for Karen, who has committed herself to donor and lover, Jason.

Part IV: The Awakening

Anna's twin, Andy, begins to undergo an unexpected transformation, while commune bounty hunters track down Karen and Jason. Anna, with her goddess-like Astral abilites, is their only hope . . . but her aid does not come without a sacrifice.

". . .well written and exciting. This is certainly one of the most unique vampire novels I have come across. It is chock full of imagination and feeling; a totally fresh look at the dark side." – Lototy - Coffee Time Romance

"Having read the first twenty-nine pages off and on, I continued straight through to the end. As I’ve already said, the plot is superb, and when such a plot comes along, I always marvel at the human imagination and what it can produce." - Fanny - Cerebral Reviews

Lisa Lane
“Because even SEXY vampires should be DANGEROUS.”

Fellow writers and readers: What have you read/seen/written that, to you, stands out in the vampire genre?

Making a main character gay

My brother-in-law visited us Saturday evening. While we were chatting, he mentioned that the local lesbian bar would be an awesome place to launch Harvest Moon, my upcoming novelette, because it has a bisexual character in it. I said that it’s an e-book so, sadly, no traditional book launch for me.

However, his comment got me thinking. I’ve wanted to write a lesbian main character for a while. Not to preach, but to have her sexuality as just another part of her and not the defining factor. There aren’t a lot of non-erotica gay main characters out there and lesser still ones that aren’t about being gay or coming out.

I think we still struggle as a society to move past thinking about the “sex” part of homosexuality. When someone says that they are getting married or starting dating someone, generally our minds don’t flash to the sex part (generally; there are always exceptions). When someone says that they are gay or in a same-sex relationship, sex comes up in the conversation a lot faster. I confess that even mine sometimes still does, though I can’t explain why it happens.

I don’t know why our society struggles to see gays and lesbians as everyday people doing mundane things, like putting on their socks and getting bad gas after eating fried chicken. I’ve decided not to wait to write a book with a lesbian lead. I’ve made my lead of my science fiction story, Road to Hell, a lesbian estranged from her wife. The lesbianism is about as important to the progression of the story as the fact that her hair is brown. And that’s on purpose. If I want the world to stop making a fuss about sexual orientation, I decided that I first should look at myself.

And lesbian or straight, she’s still made of steel. Just how I like all my female leads.

--

To learn more about Krista, visit her website at www.kristadball.com

Demons: the old vampires

Demons.
Just like vampires and werewolves, demons are simply misunderstood. They are the bad mafia boys, lounging in dim bars, smoking, sporting spiky hairdos and tattoos and leather pants.



And Hell? Satan and evil? Torturing innocents for laughs? Stealing one’s soul? Trampling on innocence?
Innocence is overrated. Evilness is sexy. Ask the vampires who are all the rage, thanks to Twilight, the Anita Blake novels, and, of course, Anne Rice’s first cool, dangerous, arrogant, bad, very bad vampire boys.
Demons are steeped in romanticism. Not the Victorian romanticism of the vampire – but its pure ‘fall from grace’ aspect. Who can be more romantic than fallen angels, brooding and remembering old happy days, with a soft spot for those who didn’t fall, slaves to Hell’s dictatorial regime, rebels with a cause – who wouldn’t love them?
Besides, they do suck blood from time to time, and other essences. They are the ancestors of vampires – the original fallen ones.
Bad boys are cool. Catch them by surprise, see their softer side, and fall in love.
That’s what romance is all about.

Depp to Light up Dark Shadows

Thanks to Rebecca for this important annoucement of a movie deal in the works.

Vampires, Vampires, Vampires...

While there are those around me who do not seem to get the allure of the vampire, me on the other hand, well it is becoming a small obsession.  But, for a paranormal author, I don't actually write a lot of vampire stories.  In fact, I have only two to date, a free read and one I just submitted.  I seem to be one who more appreciates what others can so with them, and I stick to my witches and sorcerers, etc.

Tonight is the season finale of The Vampire Diaries.  And, the thing I hate about that is the waiting to find out what happened until next season.  I do not have that type of patience!  While it is no TrueBlood, I have liked it for the back story, the history of the town that is presented and wrapped up so intricately with what is going on now.  So, I guess it is no surprise that my vampire story is a historical set in Regency England.  I love how many vampire stories take you back into the different times that the vampires have lived through.

I have read a lot of good books as well.  Teresa Mederios', Cabot series is one of my favorites.  And, I have been reviewing the D. McEntire, Watchers series from Samhain and really enjoying it.  I would be curious to hear others favorites as well, and add to my summer reading list to review.

Speaking of summer though, did I mention that TrueBlood is as of the moment I am writing this only 33 days, 10 hours, 55 minutes and 10 seconds away?  And counting!

An interview with author Sara Brookes

Please stop by my blog, Para-fantatics http://para-fanatics.blogspot.com/, and check out my interview with author Sara Brookes. She's got a new sci fi romance released today, Midnight's Ghost, and she's graciously agreed to give away a copy to one lucky reader who leaves a comment under her interview.


Best,
D L Jackson

Writing Romance with Bite

Driving home from kickboxing class always assaults my senses. I enter the dojo in daylight and leave as the sun is setting. It's like entering a different world where all the rules have changed. I race to beat the sunset. Some primitive part of my brain remembers a time when it was BAD to be out after dark. Creatures with tortured cries ruled the dark and waited to devour an unfortunate who didn't make it safely home.

Yet when the moon shines on the sea, it's hypnotic. You can't take your eyes off it. It calls you and dares you to be embraced by its depths. So many late night swimmers have paid the price when some monster of the deep thought they were a late night snack.

It's the same with the eyes of a vampire. They draw you in and that glow warms your heart, fires your blood, and before you know it--BAM! You're a member of the undead.

Ah, that's why I love writing romance with bite. I love the moment when all the rules change. The moon is coming up. I think I'll take a walk on the beach. Want to join me?

--Susan Hanniford Crowley, author of the Vampires in Manhattan series
WHEN LOVE SURVIVES
THE STORMY LOVE LIFE OF LAURA CORDELAIS
A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS
http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Hooray for release day!

I love release days!

Tonight I'll be chatting at the Eternal Press site at 7:00 EST. I hope you'll stop by and say hi so I'm not chatting all by myself. :) You might even win a PDF of Fever Dreams.

There's still time to enter at the Naughty Novelists blog too! Leave a comment there before May 9 to double your chances.

Fever Dreams is a contemporary novel with fantasy elements. This story was such fun to write because of its many dream sequences. And the romance part was fun too, lol.

Here's the blurb:
When Diana Taylor changes jobs, she doesn’t expect it to change her life. Meeting Cal opens up a new world of passion. Her love overwhelms her, blurs the line between reality and dreams. But is it love or obsession?

Ten Reasons to Read BLOOD AND COFFEE

1. You're a big-time horrotica fan.

2. The hidden, nocturnal commune is just too creepy to miss.

3. Penthouse Forum gave it a great review in its December 2009 issue.

4. S/he's stalking you in your dreams....

5. You like good amounts of both sex and blood with your vampires.

6. You like dark, gritty realism meshed into your fiction.

7. You're looking for a new author to read, someone who isn't afriad to push boundaries ... someone who might even push you outside your comfort zone once or twice.

8. You're way behind everyone else; its sequels, COSMIC ORGASM and TWINS OF DARKNESS, have been out for a while now, and both have received rave reviews.

9. You're trying to win the World Record for reading every vampire novel ever published.

10. You agree that vampires--even sexy ones--should be scary and dangerous.

Click here for more information, or stop by my website.

Why I think Twilight is a good thing.

Put that rotten tomato down and wait just a moment. Hear me out!

While I didn't like Twilight (and didn't even finish the first book), I still think Twilight was a great thing to happen to a lot of teenage girls and reading in general.

I take the "school special" bus to work, so it's filled with local junior high school kids. I've seen some of these teens, especially girls, for years on the bus and none ever had a book in their hands. If I were to believe their stories, they were barely passing school and "hated" reading.

So you can imagine my surprise to see one of the Hair Spray Posse (their name, not mine) reading Twilight. And, then, all of them were reading Twilight. Then, it was Harry Potter. Last week, one of them said she picked up a book by Patricia Briggs. It was "like totally awesome."

I don't condone poorly written and edited work. I do, however, think that sometimes us writers forget that there are folks out there who don't read a lot and aren't ready for fancy prose and plot. Liana Brooks called Twilight a "gateway drug". There are folks that need a beginner book; something easy and harmless to tempt them to try the hard stuff.

Twilight, ladies and gentlemen, is that.

So while I enjoy making fun of Twilight and sparkling, angst-ridden vampires who Buffy would have slaughtered without breaking a sweat, I also accept that Twilight has helped some young women discover the wondrous world of reading.

Greetings from Cyprus

Hi everyone, meet your Greek Cypriot connection.

*grin*

I am happy to be here in such good company. A big thank you to Marie Dees for inviting me. Pleased to meet you all.


I write erotic romance, mostly m/m, although I have been trying my hand at m/f, too, lately. Two erotica stories of mine have been published by Ravenous Romance, one in “Bedknobs and Beanstalks: An Anthology of m/m Fairy Tales” and the other in the anthology “I Kissed a Boy”. My short story “The Crown’s Blade” won the Grand prize of the Whispers Publishing contest “Make it Quick”. I have submitted an m/m erotica novel and two novellas with paranormal elements, waiting now to hear from the publishers, and am revising a paranormal erotica novel.
Jay Di Meo is my pen name. Cyprus is a very small and quite closed society, therefore being open about writing erotica isn’t really an option. Taking on a pen name is a decision I had to face from the moment I started writing and publishing erotica.


I am a woman, I am married, and I have returned to Cyprus after living sixteen years abroad – ever since I was eighteen. Being here, on this island, feels odd. I often feel like a stranger rather than a native. The society is traditional, religion rules, and everyone reports on your every move.


But life here also has its perks: safety, family, sunshine and warm climate for most of the year – and the sea is always near!  The many ruins littering the island give me ideas for stories, and the good food energy to write.


So, I am looking forward to spending my time here, blogging and reading and discussing all that has to do with writing and publishing.
Click on my name on the list to read my personal blog.


Have a very nice day!

Greetings and well met!

My name is Krista D. Ball and I'm a new blogger here on Paranormalists. I'm scheduled to post on Tuesday so I wanted to pop by and say "Hi" first.

So, who am I?

I'm a writer out of Edmonton, Alberta. I'm originally from Newfoundland, Canada. You know the place - where the giant black dogs with webbed feet come from. It is my life's mission to get people to pronounce my homeland's name correctly. It is NEWF-in-land. That's why I'm called a Newfie ;)

I write speculative fiction. I am in the midst of completing a soft science fiction novella, have a high fantasy novel out in the publishing submissions world, and I have a novelette called "Harvest Moon" coming out in ebook in December, 2010. I have a few short stories and such published. I also worked as an intern with Julie Ann Dawson over at Bards and Sages, so I have a few co-editing credits from there.

I love cats and tolerate corgis.

I'm looking forward to sharing with everyone over the coming months! If you're interesting in learning more about me, feel free to check out my website at www.kristadball.com. I'm also on Twitter and Facebook.

Orion Masters

Remember Orion?  She's the one I told everyone about in my first blog post.

The weekend, Orion is blogging about her gig in Puerto Rico where she's been sent to slay a couple vamps.  She's already posted blogs about leaving the mainland and checking into her hotel.  Once night falls, she'll post a little about the kill.

If you've ever wondered what a slayers life is like, check out "One Slayer's Journey"
http://orionmasters.blogspot.com/

"To Have a Warrior" released

I'm in a flurry of busyness and excitement this weekend because Cobblestone Press just released my new M/M erotic short story "To Have a Warrior." I'm working to get the word out, plan promotions, clean the house and find time to keep editing the next novel-length work. But here's a little excerpt to share:

To Have a Warrior
by Marie Dees

Aki placed himself directly in the path of the three approaching warriors. Even if he didn’t look much like a warrior, he was going to force these men to acknowledge his existence. He wasn’t going to join the list of ethnologists who’d failed to get even a single interview from the men. “I am Aki. I am from New Earth.”

The first warrior didn’t bother to walk around him. He simply shouldered Aki out of the way as he passed. Aki stumbled and found his footing, but now stood directly in line with the second warrior. “I am Aki.” The second warrior used his elbow to send him falling to the red dirt of New Rangipo.

“Aki, you must come sit with me.”

Aki glanced to where the old woman sat, leaning against her hide tent, then back to the approaching third warrior. This one stopped to look down at him sprawled on the ground. Aki met the gaze of those blue eyes. “I am Aki. Will you tell me your name?” He was sure he had the right verb and correct conjugation.

The warrior looked away and strode a few meters to where the others stood, apparently studying the empty red desert. Aki pushed to his feet, wondering what they’d do if he went after them. From the reaction he’d just received, he’d probably set back relations with the tribe another decade. He brushed the red dirt from his pants. He hadn’t been attacked, just pushed out of the way.

“Aki, you will come sit by me,” the old woman snapped.

With a shrug, he strode over to her tent, which sat a few meters apart from the rest of the nomadic camp and closest to the research settlement. The science team would move when the camp moved, and Aki had no doubt Grandmother’s tent would again end up between them and the rest of the tribe.

She patted the ground beside her stool, indicating he should sit there. He did, folding his legs to sit cross-legged just within the shade of the tent. ”They are warriors.” She spoke slowly, as if to a child. "You are not a warrior. They may not talk to you.”

He nodded. “Yes, Grandmother,” he said using the respect word for the tribe’s older women. “But I don’t understand why they may not speak with me.”

“Because they are warriors.”

He sighed. No one had ever managed to wring a better answer than that out of the tribes since few of the women bothered to speak with the researchers. The old woman was an exception. Perhaps age put her above social considerations.

“Do not try to force them, Aki. You are not a warrior.”

He huffed. "Well, I know that." He wasn’t even worth fighting. Not that he’d have stood a chance of winning or of proving himself a warrior if they had fought him. The warriors he’d confronted stood over six feet tall with skin burned brown from the harsh sun of this world.

Aki was a head shorter than any of them. If he'd ever thought himself muscular, the sight of these men would have changed his mind. And the warriors wore so little, a strip of cloth covering their genitals and a light robe of the local wool over their shoulders; he could see each and every muscle. They also had long hair, which they wore pulled back into a braid. The spear each one carried showed his warrior status.

Since landing on the planet, all Aki'd done was stare as a succession of desirable men wandered across the landscape and ignored him. Damn the professor for pulling him into this project. He'd called it the opportunity of a lifetime. The chance to study the culture of a society that hadn’t been in contact with the outside world since it had been settled. Aki had jumped at the opportunity. The job should have gone to someone with ten times his experience. The professor hadn’t warned him that it could also be the failure of a lifetime.

Aki looked over at the old woman. She was spinning thread from the goat-like animals the tribe raised. He watched as the thread twirled gracefully on her drop spindle. Maybe he could make her understand his need. Her standing with the tribe might be high enough to allow her to help him. "I don't want to be a warrior. I just want to speak with them. Don't they understand?"

"They understand." She picked up some of the wool and put it in his hands. Then she pulled a bit out and showed him how to roll it between his fingers. He did so, anything to help win her approval. She smiled when he managed to make a bit of clumsy thread. "They do not speak to those outside the tribe."

“Maybe you could explain to them what I need?” he asked, still twirling the wool.
“What is it that you think you need, Aki? What is it that a warrior can give to you?”

Hello Everyone I'm New Here

Hello,

My name is Roxanne Rhoads. You might know me if frequent the site paranormal book blog Fang-tastic Books.

I always have authors dropping by for guest blogs, interviews and lots of giveaways there. I also occasionally promote my own work ;-)

Yes, I am a writer as well as a book blogger and reviewer, some days I think my whole world revolves around words. But I am not complaining, I love books- both reading and writing them.

I am thrilled that I was invited to contribute to this new site (thanks ladies for the invite) and I'll try to post as often as possible, but if I miss a few weeks you can find me over at Fang-tastic Books for sure.

My first post here comes just in time to announce the release of two brand new paranormal erotica anthologies that happen to contain a few of my stories. Each book was just released this past week.

I do hope you'll drop by the sites and check them out, even possibly purchase them if you think they look like something you'd like :-)

The new Circlet Press anthology which contains my story "A Last Goodbye" is now available for purchase.

Like That Spark is a collection of short stories that explore the sensuality and eroticism of the moment when two characters finally realize they are meant to be together. These are tales of relationships and the beginnings of romantic and sexual connections. The stories here will challenge you and your notions of what constitutes a relationship in the first place. You will not find the common tame romance tale here.

Here erotic connections are represented by the science fiction and fantasy worlds; a realm of infinite possibilities. Nothing is ever as it seems. There are mythical kingdoms, distant planets, futuristic cities, surreal dreamscapes, sultry bedchambers, and even the furthest reaches of space to tempt and entice you.

Table of Contents:

Clear Sight in the Double Full Moon Night by Shawn Erin

A Balefire Chronicles Short Story: Poisonous Passions by Cynthia Gael

A Last Goodbye by Roxanne Rhoads

ToyGirls of the Personal Genome by Giselle Renarde

The Shock of the New by D Mark Alderton

Navigator by Kathleen Tudor

Passive Resistance by Josephine Myles

You can purchase Like That Spark at All Romance Ebooks, Fictionwise, Smashwords, and Scribd

It will soon be available for sale on the Circlet site and at the Amazon Kindle store

Spirit Lovers 2 published by Xcite is now available.

It contains my story "Halloween Surprise"

Here's a blurb:

A collection of five erotic short stories with paranormal themes.

Widow’s Walk
By Giselle Renarde

In all the time Marley's produced and starred in his web-only paranormal series, Ghost Hunting on a Shoestring, he's never encountered a spectre like this one! Lottie haunts the Widow's Walk of a New England house, where she waits for her lost-at-sea fiancé to come home. As Marley discovers, rumours of Lottie's despair have been greatly exaggerated. She wants a man – any man – and this girl takes what she wants!

Halloween Surprise
By Roxanne Rhoads

Alcina and Estra are ready to enjoy everything Halloween has to offer them – food, fun, and, most of all – the pleasures of the flesh. After enjoying each other’s bodies for hours they decide it’s time to find a man. Luckily for Michael he’s the one that happens to cross their path. After quickly deciding that he is exactly what they were looking for, they convince him to take them back to his place for a wild Halloween ménage ‘a trios. He ends up getting more than he bargained for with a sexy, but shocking, Halloween surprise.

Third Time Lucky
by Kitti Bernetti

Sally can't seem to forget her old lover. Maybe it’s something to do with the day he jilted her at the altar. Something makes her journey back to the same old church every year to try and exorcise her demons. But for Sally, a mysteriously warm evening and a careless stroll through the eerie churchyard catapults her into a sinister world she had never imagined, one which co-exists on the fringes of our own. The extraordinary and unsettling lover she encounters there offers her delights she can only dream of, but what does he expect in return…?

The Washstand
By Elizabeth Coldwell

The Victorian washstand is a real bargain, but Ros never wonders why it might be quite so cheap – until she's woken by splashing noises in the middle of the night. Soon she is being visited by a ghostly figure with an exhibitionistic streak. But who is he – and how far will Ros have to go to grant him the release he craves?

The Tree
By Roger Frank Selby

An accomplished but plane-wrecked aviatrix, stranded on a desert island, would have a bleak sex life – one would imagine. But as all hopes of her rescue fade, naked in a leafy glade, she finds solace among the branches of a strange tree surrounded by exotic mushrooms. And who could resist toying with and sampling mushrooms shaped like … that?

Her waking relationship with the tree, its soft boughs and her playthings become woven into increasingly vivid dreams of a Viking invader. The mighty Bork and his longship crew are on an eternal quest to ravish her, until finally, reality itself is called into question.

Right now at Xcite they are running a special buy 2 ebooks and get 1 free

Well, that concludes my post for today. I do hope to drop by often. Until next time...

Looking for Writers to Promote

Aside from my own writing blog, I manage another online community, (Wicked Jungle) and we are looking for paranormal romance and urban fantasy authors to do guest blog posts on our site!  Recent guest post authors include, Laura Bickle, Megan Crewe, and Carolyn Crane. If you are interested please email me  melissa@wickedjungle.com and we can discuss! Also, because we feature YA, we do not promote erotica on the blog. Most of the authors have books in print but we are also willing to promote ebooks too! Don't be scared off. I don't bite.

The other great thing about getting on our guest blog calendar for May...We just attended RT Booklovers Convention and have a ton of great goodies to give away, including signed copies of some books by NY Times Bestselling authors. Would love to bundle your signed SWAG or books with these other books and we will coordinate it with your post date.

Do you believe in the power of dreams?

I'm the featured author for May at Heather Kuehl's blog.

Comment to let me know whether you think dreams have a basis in reality, and learn how you can enter to win a PDF of Fever Dreams, my upcoming release from Eternal Press.