Katie Reus's Blog, page 33

Happy Almost Thanksgiving

I can't believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving! That means this year is almost over which seems crazy. I have a lot to be thankful for this year, specifically my new sweet baby! He's four and a half months old and in the teething stage so that's been a fun, new challenge. ;) Since we're headed to the in-laws tomorrow I'm going to be a baking fool tonight. Sugar cookies, pumpkin spice cookies, lemon bars...yum! I'm also bringing a veggie tray. Gotta balance out all that sugar somehow ;)

If you want to tell me what you're thankful for, head on over to my facebook page (you have to 'like' me first) and leave a comment on the third link down. You should see where I'm giving away a copy of one of my books and all you have to do is tell me what you're thankful for!

And, another fabulous author Laura Wright (author of Mark of the Vampire series w/ Signet) is doing a double giveaway with Larissa Ione. For details, check out Laura's facebook page here! Wednesday is just full of fun goodness :)

Hope everyone has a happy, safe Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Guest Blogging @ 1000 + Books to Read

Today I'm guest blogging at 1000 + Books to read! I'm talking about guilty pleasures and giving away a copy of Destined Mate, my recent paranormal novella release from Harlequin Nocturne Cravings. You have 15 days to enter! Click here for the blog post.

Thank You Veterans

[image error] On this Veteran's Day I hope everyone takes a moment to remember all the men and women who have given up so much for this country and all those who are currently serving. People who put on those uniforms, regardless of branch, deserve the respect of everyone. As a (former) military wife I know how much military families sacrifice and I'm thankful every day to be married to such a wonderful, brave veteran.

I'd also like to wish Canadians a Happy Remembrance Day which I believe is basically the same thing. (Kaylea Cross, correct me if I'm wrong!) I love our neighbors to the north!

Happy Birthday Marine Corps

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Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps! It doesn't matter that my husband isn't in the Marines anymore, every year I make sure I wish him a happy birthday. :)

On November 10, 1775, the Continental Marines was founded, thus starting what would one day become what we know as the US Marine Corps. So, to the few and the proud, thank you for all your service and everything you do for your country!

Bookin' It Reviews

Bookin' It Reviews! That's where I am today! The lovely Talina has been kind enough to have me as a guest and I'm talking about world building and Destined Mate, my recent paranormal release from Harlequin Nocturne. If you like vampires and shifters and haven't read it yet, stop by here for a chance to win a copy.

Cover Love!

So, I finally have a cover for His Secret Past, my upcoming release from Carina Press (it was also a finalist in WISRWA's Fab Five contest in 2010). This story holds a very special place in my heart for reasons which I'll talk about in the new year (when it releases). I also have an official blurb for it!

Six years ago, Alexis Baptiste's world was turned upside down when Hunter Cassidy disappeared without a trace, leaving her alone and pregnant. She's finally moving on with her life when he resurfaces, just in time to rescue her from a would-be assassin. Forced to join him on the run to protect herself and her young son, Alexis is now in even more danger: danger of falling for Hunter all over again.

Betrayed by rogue CIA agents after infiltrating an infamous drug cartel, former DEA agent Hunter Cassidy has spent years trying to clear his name. He's not proud of the things he's done, and knows he doesn't deserve a future with Alexis, or the son he never knew he had, but he's determined to protect them from the men who ruined his life. Convincing Alexis to trust him—and denying his feelings for her—is going to be the hardest mission he's ever faced.

It will release January 2, 2012 and it is 64,000 words in length (and super high in emotion!). Have a great weekend everyone! I'll be working hard on a deadline.

I dig cemeteries!

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Today I'm at Grave Tells blog talking about cemeteries and giving away a copy of Destined Mate. Please stop by if you get a chance!

Destined Mate was also just reviewed by Tracy from Tracy's Place and given 4 stars. If you want to check out the full review, click here.

And the winner is...

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The winner of a digital copy of Caridad Pineiro's THE LOST (from this previous blog post) is Angela Campbell, thanks to random.org. You've won a copy for either a Nook or Kindle. If I don't hear from you in the next couple days I'll be contacting you! Thanks everyone who stopped by.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

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Thank you everyone who stopped by for my Monster Mash-Up party, both authors and commenters alike! I hope you discovered some new authors and found some interesting reads this October. (You still have a chance to win books in the two posts directly before this one)

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays of the year. Any excuse to get dressed up, party, and perhaps partake in a few drinks… totally cool with me. Halloween wasn't always such a fun holiday however. Halloween, or Hallow E'en, as it's called in Ireland stems from the Catholic Church's 'All Hollows Day' or 'All Saints Day' (which is a celebration of the Saints). However, before Christianity was introduced to Ireland, Halloween as we know it dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. November 1st was the end of summer and their harvest, and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that on October 31, the line between the world of the living and dead blurred. The Celts needed their harvests to survive so out of respect, they built huge bonfires and sacrificed animals. In addition, they dressed up in various ghoulish costumes in the hopes of disguising their human form to spirits roaming the earth.

Here are some fun facts about this holiday!

1. The next full moon on Halloween will be October 31, 2020 so get ready!

2. A pumpkin is a fruit.

3. Orange and black are associated with Halloween because orange is associated with the Fall Harvest and black with death

4. Bobbing for apples is thought to have been derived from the Roman harvest festival that honors the goddess Pamona.

5. Halloween was brought to America by European immigrants.

6. Black cats are connected with Halloween because they are thought to help witches.

7. In Mexico, they celebrate Dias de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on November 2nd.

8. Are you afraid of Halloween? You might have Samhainophobia.

9. Orange isn't the only color of pumpkins. They also come in blue, white, and green!

10. Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926 at the age of 52 from peritonitis.

Stay safe this Halloween!

A Little Cornish Magic

"Cornwall clings to a few of its mysteries yet, and Kerrow clings more tightly than most. Here we find ourselves caught between Wesley and the old religion's White Lady."

So the Witch of Kerrow Gwenyth Killigrew explains to a skeptical Rafe Fleming in my latest regency-paranormal DANGEROUS MAGIC.

And she's right.

Like Ireland, Wales, Brittany, and the highlands of Scotland, Cornwall held tight to its Celtic roots. It's a landscape rife with mystery and magic. Birthplace of King Arthur. Home to ill-fated lovers Tristan and Isolde. Final resting place of the lost kingdom of Lyonesse. A place where legends spring thick as heath from the rocky cliffs and lonely moors.

In DANGEROUS MAGIC, the mystical aspect of Cornwall became embodied in a single character—Gwenyth Killigrew. A midwife by trade, she possesses the otherworldly gift of Sight. The power to see into the heart of a person and occasionally to glimpse the very future. Through her, I could indulge my infatuation with Celtic mythology and folklore, bringing in the horned god Cernunnos, Beltane bonfires. Heck, I even threw in a glimpse of Annwn, the land of the dead.

And I barely scratched the surface.

I never got to the piskies—mischievous, red-capped old men no bigger than an inch. Or the ugly, baby-stealing spriggans who could raise a terrifying whirlwind and guarded the treasures said to be buried beneath the county's numerous burial mounds and dolmens. And not a single reference to the Knockers—gnome-like creatures inhabiting the mines of Cornwall.

But like all good faeries, they haunted me. Buzzing round the back of my brain waiting for their chance to make a little mischief.

They finally got their chance when I began writing my books about the Other, men and women bearing the blood and powers of the magical Fey. This is a world where faery and mortal are interconnected and where the striking landscape and the traditional legends blend to become a world both recognizable and extraordinary. There are Keun Marow, deadly creatures based loosely on the fearsome Wild Hunt. There are the beautiful powerful Fey who reside within their Summer Kingdom but whose visits to the mortal realm invariably signal big trouble. There are selkies and uirisc (a bit like piskies and yet not) a magical sword, and King Arthur himself even makes a cameo appearance.

Will Cornwall's curious blend of familiar present with mystical past continue to inspire future books? Let's just say my current project holds a few new paranormal surprises and they live in the remote corners of southwest England where anything can happen and in my books, usually does!

No tricks but some nice treats on offer today!! Leave me a comment and be entered to win your choice of my Carina e-book DANGEROUS MAGIC or a hard copy of the first book in my Heirs of Kilronan trilogy from Pocket, EARL OF DARKNESS. Either way, you get a little Halloween magic and a lot of great paranormal romance!

A writer of historical-paranormal romance, Alix Rickloff creates a compelling world of magic and enchantment set during the British Regency period. Her books have been described as "sexy and intense", "exciting and spellbinding" and "a universe you won't ever wish to leave". You can visit her at www.AlixRickloff.com, www.facebook.com/pages/Alix-Rickloff/101434889914147 or www.blameitonthemuse.com.