Katie Reus's Blog, page 35

Paranormal Romance vs. Religion

Once upon a time, parents told children tales of the boogie man and other things that go bump in the night for a very specific reason. To keep them in bed where they belonged. It may seem cruel, but think about it—there was no electricity, so no night-lights. There were wild animals and open fires about. Staircases didn't usually have hand rails. It was a safety thing. Also kept them out of mom & dad's bed, which was quite possibly in the same room. Explained away that grunting and bumping, too. :)

What boogie man tales did for the children, religion did for the grown-ups. Thinking about running around after dark? Watch out, the vampires might get you. Those shellfish that are making everyone sick? If GOD says they're unclean, maybe the masses will stop eating them. In parts of Africa it is believed that evil spirits lurk in the corners of the house—so houses are built in circles. Of course, it also conserves the scarce wood supply, as a circle gives you the maximum area/perimeter ratio. In Thailand you build a high threshold to keep out the evil spirits that crawl along the floor. Also works on snakes. Handy, huh?

I'm not saying that religion deliberately hoodwinks the populace for its own arbitrary or nefarious reasons. Though it might surprise you, I'm not dissing religion at all. But in a pre-literate society, religion was one largely self-enforcing way for the educated minority to communicate messages to the masses, and to have them stick. A lot of the paranormal legends we're familiar with today may have started off in just such a manner, along with the fact that every culture has a mythology, and as cultures moved and mingled, the legends spread, grew, evolved. Trolls mean one thing to one culture, something else entirely to another. Brownies, leprechauns, elves, pixies, faeries—the stories and differences are largely regional, but with a great deal of overlap. Some of these creatures featured in the teaching of pre-Christian beliefs, just as the djinn feature in Middle Eastern theology and demons in many of the Asian philosophies.

Now, if you want to know how I think these religious origins should relate to modern paranormal romance, you might be in for a shock.

I don't.

Not one little, teeny, weeny bit.

I write FICTION. Stories. Faery tales for grownups if you will. They have nothing whatsoever to do with reality—especially politics or religion. I try very hard not to mention religion at all, though now and again the context of a story forces it in. When it does, I try to be as vague as possible, and most importantly, not to offend any particular sect. Why? Because I don't want to get into a religious debate. That's simply not what my romantic fiction is about. If your beliefs have a problem with the existence of a werewolf, or a living gargoyle, or a half-dragon cop, that's fine. I don't believe in singing purple dinosaurs either, but I let my kids watch Barney, even though he bugged the daylights out of me. Because even when they were two, they got the concept that THIS IS NOT REAL. If however, you have a problem reading about magical creatures, you should probably not read my work. And that's okay, too. I can recommend some wonderful authors who do bring their faith into their fiction—everything from Wiccan to Jewish to Catholic to Baptist to Buddhist. But in my stuff? Pure, unadulterated fantasy. Just kick back, forget reality for a while and have some fun.

I do think the paranormal world and romance are a natural mixing ground, and one I love exploring. When we're talking fantasy, why not add the elements of magic, extended lifespans, and so on, meaning the Happily-Ever-After can really be EVER after. In other cases, adding paranormal heroes and heroines can up the conflict level, making it harder for our lovers to get and stay together. That's certainly the case in my new book out tomorrow from Ellora's Cave, All Hallow's Evie. Evangeline Bonnell is a ghost, whose time is up on Halloween, meaning she and Sam Holiday have a mere 10 days together. Figuring out how to give these two an HEA was a real challenge. :)

I'm giving away a free copy of Sam and Evie's story to one random commenter below, so if you're in the mood, tell me what you think about paranormal romance, or how you celebrate this time of year. I'll leave this contest open until the 28th, so everyone who wants to has a chance to enter. If you want to know more about my books or this one in particular, click on the links below.

Have a wonderful Halloween, or Samhain, or if you celebrate neither, then just a have a marvelous autumn.

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All Hallow's Evie

Out Oct. 21, from Ellora's Cave

http://bit.ly/oMY31P

Holiday Hearts, Book Five.

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Cindy Spencer Pape Links:

Website: http://www.cindyspencerpape.com

Blog: http://cindyspencerpape.blogspot.com/

Newsletter group: http://yhoo.it/ni7PHo

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CindySPape

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/gjbLLC

I like my vampires DANGEROUS

Please welcome talented guest author Tina Donahue!

Like most writers and readers, I've always been fascinated by the Undead. As a kid, I'd watch those old, old movies with Bela Lugosi playing Count Dracula. My grade school friends and I would giggle like mad because they were so cheesy.

Then along came the glitzy vampires—bad boys who were so sexy and seductive it took peril out of the equation.

For me, I like a touch of suspense with my romance; the hero and heroine forced to save each other from God knows what. Thus, Unending Desire, my erotic paranormal romance—and the first in my Outlawed Realm series—was born. Around the time I was thinking of writing it, I knew I wanted vampires in the plot, but I wasn't making any of them the hero. I researched vampires online and learned way more than I wanted to. I started thinking about their fetid breath (ewww), clammy skin (yuck), general anemic appearance and was definitely not turned on by any of that. Around the same time, I rented the movie Let the Right One In. Wow. Now there's a vampire. I decided then and there that I wanted to write mine along those lines…how authors had envisioned vampires for years before they became hotties.

In order to balance that danger, I had to have an Alpha hero, right? You bet. My guy, Nikoli Zorr, is out of this world…literally. He craves Regina, who's from another realm. A woman he's prohibited from wanting or rescuing. But hey, that never stops a guy in love. :)

Here's the cover, blurb and a brief excerpt from Unending Desire to give you a taste of the story. I'm also offering a contest today. More on that later.

Blurb:

His hunger for one woman will make him a traitor to his world…

Outlawed Realm, Book 1

From a portal in his lab on E2, one of the five dimensions of Earth, quantum physicist Nikoli Zorr gazes on everything forbidden to him. Passion. Desire. The exquisite pleasure of running his hands over the lush curves of a young woman he should have stopped watching weeks ago.

His duty is to close the portals that keep the monsters out of E2—and never interfere with the inevitable fate of those on the other side. Yet he can't bring himself to abandon the woman who has captured his soul.

Psychologist Regina Page is trying to keep her mind on her client, and off the mysterious, unbearable sexual cravings that consume her when she's alone in her bedroom. The next moment she's attacked by vampires, then swept into another realm by a stranger whose touch awakens that same raw desire. Whose eyes are already filled with farewell.

Yet beneath their undeniable carnal lust, something else stirs. The beginnings of illicit love. The unexpected need to protect him. Even if it means risking body, blood and soul to defeat the merciless horde…for a future that was never meant to be.

_______________________________________

Product Warnings

Contains a repressed scientist who likes to look, and the woman who delights in unleashing his inner caveman. And sex hot enough to burn a hole in all three dimensions…and maybe create a whole new one.

Excerpt:

Undetected, Nikoli Zorr watched the woman sleep.

His heartbeat continued to quicken, sending waves of warmth through his body. He whispered her name.

"Regina Page."

A surge of pleasure weakened Nikoli's limbs, awakening desire controlled for too long, giving him a taste of what it was like to be nothing more than a man. A creature of touch, taste, sight, sound, passion. Heat built in his groin. Desire flooded his thoughts.

Behind him and to each side, monitors hummed, their lights blinking in response, reminders of his duty.

Too easily, Nikoli ignored his responsibility and dared to whisper her first name again, testing the feel of it on his lips, embracing the sound, his attention riveted to the scene the portal between their dimensions revealed.

Pearly morning light seeped past her bedroom's filmy curtains. A steady rain greeted another Seattle morning, the water flowing in uneven ridges down the window's glass.

Regina's dark lashes rested on her smooth cheeks. Her plush lips, tinted a soft rose, were parted slightly, her lovely features untroubled.

Nikoli sensed she wasn't dreaming. He knew she had no idea of the danger she faced tonight.

His chest tightened at the horror of what today would bring to her if he didn't intervene. Events Sazaar had put into motion weeks before when she'd crossed over to Regina's side—a realm forbidden to all on E2. Searching for passion…for love…Sazaar had found Andris and a lingering death instead.

Before fear and anger got the better of him at what Sazaar had done, Nikoli suppressed his emotions just as he'd been trained to do throughout his life. Only yearning for Regina remained. He couldn't help himself. He didn't want to.

He regarded her lush mouth, the inviting temptation of her lips, the delicate sweep of her cheek, slender brows, her auburn hair brushed away from her cheek, the ends spilling over her snowy pillow and the side of the mattress. His lids slid down to narrow slits. He craved her as he had nothing else in his life. No, it hadn't been a life but an existence. And now he realized what he'd missed, wanting her more than food, water, safety or honor.

Wanting her to be with him.

Images unwound in Nikoli's mind of Regina straddling his body, draping her torso over his, the firm tips of her nipples brushing his chest, her reddish locks sweeping past his shoulders. In his thoughts, he saw her face above his, her smile welcoming, seductive, her passion free and reckless as she edged closer, teasing the seam of his lips with her tongue, spearing the hot, wet tip into his mouth, filling it, exploring.

A sound he'd never made before escaped Nikoli's throat. He focused on the picture his thoughts created, building upon the scene. He could almost feel the intense heat of her body, a place of delight and refuge where he could—

A sudden, steady wail cut through the space between their dimensions, chasing the scenes from his mind. Her alarm clock continued to shriek, the noise subdued on this side by the portal's barrier.

Eyes still closed, Regina flung her arm to the clock, her fingers fumbling blindly to shut off the noise. Nikoli smiled at her muffled oath. He watched as she threw back the covers and left the bed.

On tiptoes, arms lifted above her, she stretched, her movements supple and sinuous. Nikoli swallowed. He stared at her dark green nightgown, the hem fluttering above her satiny thighs. Raindrops zigzagged down the window, creating faint shadows on her pale skin.

He pulled his attention from them, watching the ends of Regina's hair dangling past her shoulders.

Without thinking, Nikoli reached out, his hand seeking the glossy strands, his fingers touching nothing but sterile air. Air hissed through his teeth.

Arms lowered, Regina slipped the nightgown's narrow straps past her shoulders. The silky fabric slid over the gentle swell of her breasts, catching briefly on her nipples before drifting to her waist.

Partially bared, she turned her face to the window, the dreary day.

Focused on her ripe flesh, Nikoli told himself he should turn away, knowing he would not. He feasted on her beauty, the succulent contours of her breasts, full and weighty, large enough to fill a man's hands. His. He regarded the curve of her belly, the lavish flare of her hips.

Regina wiggled them, encouraging her nightgown to fall past her thighs and pool at her feet. Stepping out of the garment, she grabbed her hair in both hands, twisting then lifting the locks from her shoulders.

Nikoli's mouth went dry. He forced down a swallow as he regarded the delicate curls between her legs, slightly darker than her other hair. Her belly rippled each time she inhaled. After a brief yawn, she turned and padded toward the bath.

Unwilling to bear even more separation between them, Nikoli stepped closer to the gateway.

With his movement, Regina stopped, releasing her hair. The strands swished left and right, exposing then hiding her shoulders. Turned to the side, she glanced at the window. The ashy light caressed her features, revealing her confusion.

She'd felt him. She still did.

Nikoli waited for Regina's next move.

A second ticked by. Then another. And another.

She lowered her face, glancing at the hardwood floor.

Again, he stepped closer.

She went completely still, then turned facing the portal that Nikoli knew was invisible from her side. There, Regina would see nothing more than the wall of her bedroom, the pictures she'd hung.

Here, the gateway resembled a wall of glass, allowing him to watch her without restriction. To see what he should not, to want what he wasn't allowed to have. Didn't matter. No rule could stop the longing coursing through him, followed by insatiable lust.

Color rose to her cheeks. Desire transformed her features.

"I feel it too," he murmured.

Regina's lids fluttered as though she'd heard him, a matter Nikoli knew was impossible. She stepped closer and stared. Not seeing anything untoward, she studied either side of him.

"I'm here," he whispered.

His words drew her nearer.

Buy Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/unending-desire-p-6491.html

Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Ellora's Cave, Samhain Publishing and Kensington. Booklist, Publisher's Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work; she has reached finals and/or placed in numerous RWA–sponsored contests. Three of her erotic novels were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic romance, was chosen Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category) at the French review site, Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights; and Deep, Dark, Delicious (erotic romance) recently received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition (2011). She was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.

Email: tina@tinadonahue.com

Website/blog: www.tinadonahue.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinadonahue

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000458023097

*** CONTEST ***

To celebrate the release of Unending Desire, I'm offering a contest. One lucky commenter on this blog will have her choice of one of my following ebooks**:

1. Adored – RWA award-winning; EPIC 2011 Finalist; 4 Stars RT

2. Deep, Dark, Delicious – EPIC 2011 Finalist; Holt Medallion Award of Merit

3. Lush Velvet Nights – EPIC 2011 Finalist; Golden Nib Award

4. In His Arms – SIX 5 Star Reviews; 4 Stars RT

5. Sensual Stranger – 2010 Book of the Year (erotic); 4 Stars RT

6. The Yearning – Top Ten Bestseller

7. Take Me Away - #1 Pick, Miz Love Loves Books

** Winner chosen at random. Winner chosen October 22.

A Mish-Mash of Monsters

Please welcome guest author Maree Anderson! She's a talented and very sweet author and I'm so glad she's blogging here today! She's also generous enough to offer 3 of her ebooks to one commenter :)

When I was a kid, my idea of monsters was pretty limited: Frankenstein's monster, vampires, werewolves, zombies, aliens, whatever creature featured on the latest Dr. Who series—that was about it. And boy, that was more than enough for an active imagination like mine! Monsters under the bed? Oh yeah. I was that child who took a running jump from the doorway and leaped onto her bed each night so those monsters couldn't reach out and grab her legs.

Although I did try to get over my childish fears by reading a few horrors in my teens, I quickly decided they weren't for me. Dracula I could handle. Stephen King's It, not so much—hence a DNF grade on that one. I did get through Aliens, but that book scared the bejesus out of me. And watching it on the big screen? Um. I don't think so! Eventually, I was brave enough to watch Aliens on TV because my dad promised he'd watch it with me. Except he only stayed for the first half hour and then went to bed, leaving me freaking out in the lounge, all on my lonesome. I've never quite forgiven him for that one L.

After that experience, what really put the nail in the coffin for me was watching my first ever horror movie at the cinema. I was seventeen. A group of us from work were "supposed" to be going to see Flashdance. Somehow (and I suspect the guys had a lot to do with this "somehow") we ended up at wrong cinema watching Amityville 2: The Possession… or rather, everyone else watched it. Me? I cowered in my seat with my hands over my eyes and always managed to peek just at the wrong moment. Yep. You got it: nightmares for months afterward, and the conclusion that horrors and monsters were not my thing, LOL.

Funny thing is, as soon as I started writing this post I realized things have changed. I now quite like monsters… of the fictional creature paranormal persuasion, that is. Vampires. Werewolves & shifters. Zombies. Aliens. Oh, yeah. Bring it on, baby. So I guess when I was sorting out a giveaway that might fit a Monster Mash-Up theme, it shouldn't have come as such a surprise that so many of my published stories features a monster or two.

EVEN DEMONS GET THE BLUES:
The hero, Rez, is a Drakon demon whose dragon form is pretty darn awe-inspiring. And his nemesis, Malphas, in complete contrast is one ugly-ass pig demon—not at all awe-inspiring by any stretch of the imagination:
"…a hideously twisted creature with features that reminded Leisa of a boar, all squinty red eyes, hairy ears and mashed-in snout with wickedly sharp tusks. His body was covered with bristles. His shoulders were wide, arms and thighs bulging with ropy muscle. His stomach, though, was beer-belly rotund. From his groin sprang an erect penis about two feet in length. The glistening purple member was the worst feature as far as Leisa was concerned. It was even more ugly and perverted than the thing it was attached to."

Eeeew! Where Malphas came from, I have no idea. Must have had a doozie of a nightmare about pigs at some stage *g*.

And let's not forget the Demon King, Asmodeus. Any demon misfortunate enough to irritate him is likely to find their hide adorning his throne as a throw rug. He's also rather fond of skating in the blood of those who cross him—there's a reason why the floor of his throne room is black marble ;-). He may look human, and be painfully handsome, and he may be charming and oh-so witty, but he's most definitely a monster.

LET SLEEPING DEMONS LIE:
This one's chock-full of monsters *VBG*. It kicks off with Asmodeus, whose behind-t[image error]he-scenes machinations don't bode well for the Felinoid demon heroine, Naamah. But he deserves some thanks, at least, because if not for Asmodeus's wicked plan, Naamah wouldn't have met our Lycan prince hero, Brennan… who just happens to be a lion shifter. Kitty vs Lion. Yep. The fur sure does fly *g*.

Then there's Councilor Belphegor, the hapless toad demon Asmodeus is hoping to get shod of—and yes, a toad demon is just as gross and disgusting as it sounds. And last but never least (or she'll rip your throat out—no exaggeration!) the hyena, Cass, my ode to the whole female monster is deadlier than the male concept. Cass is fond of meat—the more alive and kicking the better. She's a piece of work, all right—truly monstrous in the dictionary definition of the word: "a person of unnatural or extreme ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty." Worse, she's skilled in magic, and very very intelligent.

FROM THE ASHES:
I created my very own brand new monster for this story. His name's Asher, and he's a Phoenixae alien. If he dies, he can be resurrected once his body is burned. His kind have been genetically designed and bred as sex slaves. Confession time: my editor was begging me to write a ménage story, but I was too chicken to give it a go, so I appeased her by giving Asher an extra set of man-parts instead. How monstrous is that? *g*.

Asher must psychically bond with his "master" as soon as he hatches. As you can imagine, if he falls into the hands of a sadist, it's not gonna be pretty. He can be tortured, murdered and resurrected over and over again, and because his genetic imperative is to ensure the happiness and contentment of his master, he won't fight it. Just as well it's the heroine of the story, space courier, Calista, who accidentally bonds with him rather than his intended master, Leighton.

This story has a couple of human monsters, too. Leighton is a sexual sadist who'd kill to get his hands on a Phoenixae. And Nate is a space-pirate with all the morals of pond-scum, who once sold Calista into slavery to pay off his gambling debts. Leighton, at least, has the excuse that he was born "wrong". But Nate? IMO he's the worst monster of the two, as his only motivation for the horrible things he's done have been greed and revenge.

SCENT OF A MAN:
Joseph, the hero, is a Scentinel, a spoiled young nobleman who exudes pheromones that make him irresistible to women. And if you're thinking this doesn't sound particularly monstrous, then think again. Joseph's a virgin, and this monstrously seductive scent does not discriminate. It entices all women and turns them into wanton creatures who won't take no for an answer. Plus, Joseph lives in a religious society were chastity is prized and rigidly enforced by the clerics, so Scentinels are considered the spawn of the devil, and executed on sight.

Even when Joseph does find a society willing to accept him, it's only because they covet his unique abilities—he'll become a spy for their Empress… provided he can survive learning to control his pheromones with his sanity intact. But by embracing his abilities and learning how to control and use them, Joseph risks becoming the very monster his family believe him to be.

FREAKS OF GREENFIELD HIGH:
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, meets… I dunno… the latest popular TV series set in a small-town high school? Ah, heck. I've got nothing. Sorry. I suck at those kind of high concepts. In a nutshell[image error], Jay is a teenage cyborg who's forced to kill her creator—the man she calls "Father." She's now being pursued by a covert organization that want to use her as a weapon, and she's struggling to cope with a sudden and baffling onslaught of human emotions. When she hides out at a local high school, the unthinkable happens: she meets a boy and falls in love.

If you're thinking that my monsters are becoming more humanoid, you could be right. Maybe that's because the monsters who walk amongst us undetected—the ones who look exactly like our neighbors, and friends, and that charming guy who seemed just a bit off but you couldn't put your finger on exactly why—sometimes turn out to be the scariest monsters of all.

Happy Halloween!

Now for the fun part: the giveaway. I thought I'd give away three books today—spread the Halloween monster-love and all that *g*.

One commenter will win their choice of three of the eBooks I've listed here today. In your comment, all you have to do is tell me which three take your fancy. Easy, huh? (And you can read excerpts on the Books page of my website if you're having trouble deciding.)

Thanks for stopping by to check out my Monster Mash-Up Party post. And a huge thanks to the lovely Katie Reus for inviting me to a party with such a stellar line up of authors. Excuse me while I have a bit of a fan-girl moment. *SQUEEEE!*

Cheers,
Maree

Website: http://www.mareeanderson.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MareeAnderson
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MareeAndersonAuthor

Monster Mash Today with Rebecca Zanetti!

[image error] First, I'd like to thank Katie for having me over today for the Monster Mash Month! I'm so happy to be here. I found this pretty cool quote—and I think we could easily substitute 'monster' for 'dragon."

"Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed." G.K. Chesterton

The idea of good versus evil, of good usually triumphing over evil, is one of the reasons the existence of monsters make a story so appealing. So we start with the idea of absolute good and absolute evil…and then things get interesting because most monsters are monsters because of circumstances beyond their control.

I think a story really gets fascinating when a monster figures out right from wrong…and then makes a choice. If he makes the choice to reform, then we root for him. If he chooses the wrong path on purpose and with full knowledge, then he really is a bad guy, isn't he?

The more knowledgeable and self-aware the bad guy is, the stronger the good guy has to be to win. And when we take a good guy and give him the choice of good or evil…sometimes he'll take the wrong road for the right result. I mean, who wants a perfect hero? Not me. Give me one of those flawed Alphas any day instead.

CLAIMED, the second book in my Dark Protector Series, will be released on November 1st. In CLAIMED, the bad guy is an evil vampire who has set a deadly virus loose on purpose, with full knowledge it will hurt all vampire mates, both good and bad. He does so in a grand scheme to beat the good vampires.

The good vampires, the Kayrs brothers, have no problem crossing any line to protect their mates. Sure, they're dark and deadly. But they're focused and their goals are pure, even though they aren't even close to pure. Dage Kayrs, the hero in CLAIMED, is a king who must fight his baser nature every day to lead his people. When his mate is threatened, he stops fighting himself and lets loose

A Week With the Angels

Not so long ago a good friend offered me an opportunity to have angels visit my home for one week. I like to think angels are always watching over the house, kind of like whatever muse is helping me write, but still the offer held appeal. I mean life is a sticky business, so not a good idea to turn down celestial help when it's offered. Besides, it was a perfect opportunity for my own personal ethereal experience.

The deal was to pick three things to work on with the angels. I set up a place in my study for them to hang out during our week together. Turned out, it was a very good week. The results looked like this:

1. Let go of fear

Joined the Goodreads author program and set up three giveaways.Sent Lifethread out to several reviewers. Signed up for a bunch of visiting author blogspots.

The best thing I learned about letting go of fear is that it opens space for gratitude. I am so very grateful to every one of my friends, family, and anonymous readers who have enjoyed my books. It's makes every minute at the keyboard worth it—even when my characters are misbehaving.

2. Accept success

When people ask me what I do, I tell them I'm an author of YA and adult paranormal romantic adventures instead of telling them that someday I'd like to be author. No matter how small or large my royalty checks are, I do a happy dance and thank the angels. I started an L. j. Charles fan page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/L- j-Charles/157372700991680

Writing is a solitary business so I don't "get out" much, but once in awhile I have the privilege of meeting one of my readers in person. The very best of these meetings happened a few weeks ago when a teenager stood in front of me, clasped Lifethread to her chest, and told me that I'd done it right. For me, that defines success much more than sales numbers or bestseller lists. I will always treasure that moment, and be grateful to the angels—it wouldn't have happened without their help.

3. Welcome joy

Created promotional postcards and business cards for my books—anytime I can combine art and writing it's joyfulTo celebrate my week with the angels, I had a cappuccino malt at the local diner without worrying about the number of calories and cholesterol involved—yummy Squealed when I sold a bunch of books to a book club—still sighing with delight and very thankful for that one!

What can I say about joy. I try and remember, especially on difficult days, that it's always there, I just have to keep looking until I find it.

Bottom line: I'm keeping the angels. Surely there's enough celestial goodness out there for everyone to hoard their own cherubic stash. Right?

Share what three things would you ask from the angels and win a free copy of one of my books—your choice which one and which format (digital or print).

The Monster In Me

[image error] Please welcome guest author Patricia Rosemoor!

My mother was born on November 1, All Souls Day, but I think she was meant to be born a day earlier, on Halloween. She never missed a horror movie. I know because she took me with her, and the creatures I saw in those movies populated my nights, so I would crawl in bed with my parents for protection. Horror has always been a love-hate thing with me. I was a latch key kid and I was convinced The Creature From the Black Lagoon lived in the basement. Heart thundering, I would make sure the basement door was latched (yeah, like that would stop a monster, but hey, I was only seven) before unlocking the door to my apartment.

I remember Mom made me take her to see The Exorcist–possibly the story that was simply too real, too close to the bone, for me. Mom, of course, loved it. And then she wanted me to take her to a haunted house for Halloween. Her reaction to the actors in costumes was to inform me she wanted to go to a real haunted house. She and her sister swore their late brother came to both at night while visiting a third sister in New York.

Although I still share Mom's fascination with the paranormal, I can't watch a horror movie alone. They make me squirm. My pulse races and I want to squeeze my eyes shut. That's the point of horror, of course, but I need a hand I can squeeze to the breaking point if necessary, as I used to do with my late husband. I'm a bigger fan of dark paranormal that is closer to the books I write. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has always been top on my list. I probably have seen every episode at least three times because the horror was mixed with humor and incredible internal conflict. I at least try nearly every paranormal offering on television. Last spring it was Being Human. This summer I got sucked into Teen Wolf – some episodes really were great horror, like the[image error] one where all the teens got locked in the school at night without lights and WITH the alpha werewolf. That was a really tense hour for me with no hand to squeeze.

So if the paranormal scares me so much, why do I go there? Why do I watch it, read it, write it?

Maybe it's the monster in me.

I may write fiction but I always know I'm writing something about myself, even when the characters are dark and lost.

HOT TRICK, my October Urban Fantasy Thriller for Carina Press – it's my second Detective Shelley Caldwell novel. The first was HOT CASE for Silhouette Bombshell. And I wrote two short stories – HOT CORPSE, originally for Avendia Publishing, now available in digital formats, and HOT NOTE for Thriller 3 to be published next summer by Mira Books.

About HOT TRICK:

Detective Shelley Caldwell's career as a Chicago homicide detective is complicated by her city's supernatural underground, her abilities as a sensitive and her half-vampire lover, Jake DeAtley. Meeting a crazy banshee with visions of someone drowning in a trunk, Shelley ignores the warning—until famous illusionist Sebastian Cole escapes from a locked trunk submerged in the Chicago River, while across town a woman drowns in the trunk of a car. Then another victim is found killed in circumstances eerily similar to another of Sebastian's performances.

Shelley is certain there's a link between the magician and the murders, and it's unsettling that Sebastian invades her mind and stirs her senses. Not to mention Jake's negative reaction to the man. Can Shelley fight off Sebastian's supernatural influence to determine if he's the killer…or another victim?

I love my Detective Shelley Caldwell character. She's the cop who keeps getting the woo-woo cases, and um, doesn't want to believe in the supernatural. She also doesn't want to be thought crazy, so she keeps the paranormal underground secret, whether it's vampires or mages or demons or sirens. Shelley's internal conflict about everything paranormal – including her lover – is what makes me want to keep writing about her. I love writing what makes a character most uncomfortable, what gives the biggest bang for the conflict buck. And with Shelley, it's that love-hate thing when it comes to the paranormal. She has that fear that there's a monster in her.

Do I really believe in the paranormal?

Part of me obviously wants to just as Mom did.

For more than a decade, my critique group has gone to Lake Geneva several time a year for writers' retreats. One of the members has a house on the lake. We'd been staying there for several years when I walked into the kitchen and heard the owner talking about the ghost. Um, GHOST? Yep, the house was haunted. Several people had independently seen a man walking between the living room and the staircase – right outside my bedroom door. And I was the only one on the first floor[image error]. The other bedrooms were upstairs. Was I freaked or what? A late night person, I started going to my room two hours earlier than I normally would and locking my door because that's when everyone else was going to bed. And I didn't come out until daylight. Back to being the latch key kid who believed the creature lived in the basement.

I never saw that ghost or any other, but I know they're out there...

...just waiting for me.

Artwork for Whispers From the Void™ by Vincent Proce

Because I thought writing in a new medium would be fun, I'm one of the developers and writers for Whispers From the Void™, a new comic book with female "monsters" – ghost, vampire, flesh-construct and the scientist who built her. The first issue will be available in December from Silver Phoenix Entertainment http://silverphoenix.net/index.html. Visit my website http://patriciarosemoor.com/ for information as the new project gets off the ground.

Now it's time for you to share why you have an interest in the paranormal and whether or not you've had something spooky happen to you. Everyone answering will be eligible for a prize determined by a drawing – a signed copy of HOT CASE http://tinyurl.com/5rejo2g from Silhouette Bombshell, the very first Detective Shelley Caldwell story.

With more than 6 million books in print – 89 novels for Harlequin, Silhouette, HarperCollins, Dell and Del Rey – Patricia Rosemoor has received two Career Achievement and two Reviewers' Choice Best Novel Awards from RT Book Reviews and the Golden Heart Award from Romance Writers of America.

Ghosties and Ghoulies

Please welcome guest author, Janis Susan May, horror author for Carina Press!

When I was a girl back in the dark ages, there was a fad for doing embroidery. I did, among other things, a sampler bearing the rather gloomy Scottish prayer, From Ghosties and Ghoulies and Things that Go Bump in the Night, Dear Lord Deliver Us. My thread scheme was in tones of black and gray, and if I remember correctly, I even put in a couple of tombstones and a creatively deformed dead tree. Then, much to my mother's consternation, I hung it on my bedroom wall. ("But why don't you put up a picture of flowers or something pretty, dear?")

I thought I was being so witchy and Goth (though we didn't use that term in that antique time) and the sampler stayed up for years. After many years and many moves I don't know what became of it, but I still remember it to this day. It was a spooky-looking thing and I loved it because it reminded me of my favorite 'haunted castle' horror movies.

So why do we love to be scared? Horror movies are perpetually near the top of the biggest-grossing films. Horror books sell well. Halloween is on the way to being the second most popular holiday in the country.

Well, with the movies one thing that's obvious is the guys want something 'jumping out at you' so their dates will get scared and crawl into their arms. It's just as obvious that the girls want something of which they can be scared so they can cuddle up to the guys. At least, that was the agenda during my dating days. But as for everything else… hmmm.

I think we like horror because it emphasizes our safety, and no, that's not contradictory. As we sit safe and snug in our favorite easy chair or movie house, we know that a dripping-fanged monster is not going to materialize in the corner but we can scare ourselves to death imagining one. We can experience the wild emotions and hair-raising adventures of the fictional characters, do and face things we never imagine doing in real life, and all in the safety of imagination.

I've written two horror novellas (LURE OF THE MUMMY, Carina Press, out now, and TIMELESS INNOCENT, Carina Press, June 2012) and frankly admit to being scared out of my wits both times. There are no blood-spattered zombies, no animate dismembered body parts, no axe-wielding maniac hiding behind the door. There's just a sense of wrongness that grows into something monstrous, yet you still have the feeling that parts of it might happen. Or even might be happening…

When I wrote both novellas I was alone in the house – The Husband was deployed overseas – and though I've never had any problem with staying alone, I had never written any horror while staying alone. That made it an entirely different ballgame. Suddenly a small noise that might have been ignored otherwise magnified and became the subject of worry. Was it really the old peach tree, brushing its leaves against the roof, or was it the furtive scramble of an otherworldly intruder, seeking its way inside? Was that gurgle nothing more than the natural process of old pipes in an old house, or was it the demented chuckle of a being from another dimension come for a human-sized snack?

You can make yourself crazy if you aren't careful. I think it's too late for me.

My next release, THE HOLLOW HOUSE, is a cozy historical mystery set in Denver in 1919. There's no horror per se in it, but it's frightening nonetheless, because it deals with one of the scariest places that exists – the human mind. I was unnerved while writing it, too, not because of 'ghosties or ghoulies,' but because it showed the depths to which a seemingly normal person can sink.

Perhaps that's why we like our plastic ghouls and cheesecloth ghosts, our foam-rubber monsters and computer-generated aliens – we know they are fake and can deal with them, even as we shiver and squeak with fright. The truly scary things are in our own minds, in the minds of everyone, and over them we have no control. I find that the most frightening thing of all.

Excuse me, I think I'll go check to make sure the door is locked and turn on some more lights.

Katie, thank you for your invitation. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Mystery writer Janis Patterson writes romances and horror as Janis Susan May, children's books as Janis Susan Patterson and scholarly works as J.S.M. Patterson.

Horror novellas LURE OF THE MUMMY (now out) and TIMELESS INNOCENT (June 2012), and the cozy historical mystery THE HOLLOW HOUSE (November 2011) are all from Carina Press. A founder of RWA and an enthusiastic amateur Egyptologist, Janis Susan and her husband, a Captain in the Navy Reserve, live in Texas with three rescued furbabies – two neurotic cats and a terribly spoiled little dog.

Monster Heroes and Mayhem

Please welcome fabulous guest author Saranna DeWylde!

I do love a good monster hero. The bigger, the badder…the better.

I don't do vegetarian vampires or vegan werewolves. In fact, I'd like to invite them to all come over and borrow my nail polish and a Midol. The closest they'll get to my knickers is if they're wearing them themselves. Harsh? Probably. But where's the journey in redeeming someone who has no sin? How do you exemplify the transformative power of love and forgiveness if there is nothing that makes him unlovable?

Especially more so than us. That's the attraction. If someone who is so far gone to the dark can claw his way back up to the light, then maybe it means that we can too. Maybe that means we're lovable too. Maybe we can take our greatest weakness and turn into our greatest strengths just like our monster heroes.

What I like about these creatures is their very monstrosity. That's why I want to read about them. They're so complex. And often, in these stories, the characters we see as monsters are often beastly on the outside, but more human than some of us on the inside.

My favorite stories to write and to read are where the monsters are redeemed, but without changing their nature. They learn, they grow, but they're still themselves. They don't try to be something they aren't, they become better beings on a metaphysical level without trying to fit into some mold that someone else designed for them.

In my November release from Total E Bound Hex and the Single Witch, my monster hero is the son of the Devil. He's rotten to the core, but oh so delectable.

Excerpt:

"I see them.". Caraway wanted to turn and run screaming in the other direction. She didn't have the energy to deal with Morningstar today. He was always such a bastard and, for some reason, his favourite pastime was goading her. His disciples didn't generally bother with her, but they all took great amusement in watching the verbal sparring matches.

"Wormwood," he said cheerfully as he approached.

Damn it. No chance he would move on to other prey. He was disgustingly cheerful. "Morningstar," she acknowledged.

"I see your footballer troll has moved on to greener and leaner pastures," he replied in a pleasant tone.

"I don't know about greener," Coriander interjected. "That would imply less experience, as opposed to the drive-thru lane she has in her cunny."

He raised a black brow and smirked. "You have a wicked tongue, Coriander."

Leaner? Had he just called her fat? He insulted her constantly for her witch heritage, but he'd never stooped to insulting her shape. She could admit she was curvier than the average UMM co-ed, but Caraway thought it looked good on her. And why was he calling her cousin by her first name when all he ever called her was 'Wormwood'?

Not that she cared.

Her power gathered and crackled in green light around her fingers.

"Just catching the 'leaner' part of that comment, are we?" he drawled. Morningstar turned his attention back to her and eyed her up and down, his dark eyes glittering with blatant appreciation. "I didn't say leaner was better."

She couldn't decide which irritated her more—that he was ogling her or that she liked it. Caraway flushed under his perusal and decided it was definitely that she liked it. A cardinal sin, if she'd ever heard of one. He was a right bastard, as Coriander liked to say. Through and through. As good as he looked, there was nothing but shit underneath.

"I don't give an eye of newt what you think is better, Morningstar."

"Really?" His gaze raked over her again."That's too bad."

Was he flirting with her? He'd succeeded in raising Hell, because she was in it. He must want something from her and she was determined to figure out what it was before this all got way out of hand. "And why is that?"

"I've decided I like you, Wormwood." He paused to look at her again. "Yes, I like you very much."

"Now you're just being mean." Caraway scowled.

He laughed and damn if the sound didn't settle deep in her belly and make her want. Anything with a womb would tear down cities with her bare hands just to hear that laugh again and know it was for her alone.

"Caraway," he said, his tongue lingering over the syllables as if he were actually tasting them. The way he said her name was like a caress and it slipped inside her, touching dark places that burnt.

No! No, bad Caraway! She mentally slapped herself. He was the Devil. Or he would be when his father abdicated. Whatever. He was bad. By Hecate, she liked it better when he was insulting her.

"Don't you have puppies to kick?"

He laughed again.

Bastard.

What are your favorite monster heroes? Talk beasts with me. I'll give away your choice of Hex and the Single Witch (to be delivered in November) or The Real Housewives of Olympus to two commenters.

Note from Saranna: Please be advised that Hex and the Single Witch is an erotica title with explicit scenes involving more than one partner.

Godmothers and Monsters

Please welcome guest [image error] author Shirin Dubbin!

She kidnapped me one dark Friday night in Salem. My parents were powerless to stop her. They seemed charmed or perhaps my father was angry that I'd sat at the table for two full hours without eating my sweet potatoes and this made it easy to give me up. In the car she offered me treats. I didn't refuse them but the absence of my sister made me wary. When we reached her home she wrapped me up in a blanket and set me on the couch in front of the television. This is when the true terror began because she made me watch Salem's Lot with her. Yes, Stephen King's Salem's Lot—the one featuring the Nosferatu vampire with the fire eyes.

Why? Whhyyy?

Of course, the Salem we lived in was Winston-Salem, NC not King's Jerusalem, Maine—but you can see how a child could confuse the two. The wicked "she" I'm speaking of is my beloved godmother, Peggy. The woman absolutely loves horror movies but can't stand to watch them alone. Thus, my torture. And torture it was to be sure.

My god-sister, Joy, and I not only had to endure Salem's Lot but The Howling, based on a novel by Gary Brandner. One look at the painful transformation leading to demented-serial-killer-werewolves and I was cured of ever visiting a cabin in the woods again. Heck, I even started looking at German Shepherds and Huskies funny. I didn't know what they were plotting behind those wolfish grins and I couldn't tell whether they were licking or tasting me (I'm a southern woman and I bet I taste like peaches). "Get thee back ye hounds of hell!" <-- I actually said that. I read a lot of books. I had my own key to the library.

[image error]

But by far the horror of horrors came on Saturday nights when Peggy made Joy and I watch Elvira's Movie Macabre. =crickets= What the hell was I watching? One time there was a hillbilly pig farmer who mysteriously got a new pig every time he killed someone. Yep. We still talk about the "murder and a pig" incident to this day—[massive sigh] Sorry. I needed a moment...but I'm not complaining. Today I have a love for the paranormal. Give me the heroines of urban fantasy or paranormal romance and I'll gleefully read or watch them beat the monsters senseless. I even write paragraphs like these:

The monster tilted its shaggy head to regard her with the face of a hyena gone terribly wrong. Strips of coarse white fur framed its jowls and continued down either side of its body. Its darker maw, closer to gray, housed yellowed fangs ripping through vivid pink gums.

All this led to scared-shitless territory, but the monster's gaze did the most damage. Its too-blue eyes were large, cruel and…human—not the eyes of an animal at all, but those of a psychopath.

(excerpted from Dreams' Dark Kiss)[image error]

So it all worked out. This is me laughing maniacally as I take my revenge. I love you, Peggy!

---

Shirin Dubbin is most often funnier than she is scary but she also writes a mean action scene. If you're interested in her brand of Halloween creepiness you can download WHIPSTITCH, set in her CHAOS TRYST WORLD, for free.

Guest Author Shawna Thomas

Please welcome Carina Press author, Shawna Thomas! Her newest release, Altered Destiny--which received 4 1/2 stars and a Top Pick from RT--sounds fascinating!

From the time I can remember, I've been fascinated with vampires, not monsters under the bed, not zombies, not Frankenstein--just vampires.

It started when I was a very little girl and my family moved into a friend's house. It was summer and the mom let her kids watch scary movies at night, so of course I watched them too. The movies that scared me the most were the vampire movies.

I think more than zombies, more than Frankenstein or the monster from the black lagoon, vampires seemed real to me. Worse, there was something darkly attractive to them that made them appealing. The combination of fear and attraction, to me, is addictive.

It came to no surprise to me that, over time, vampires went from subtly sexy to downright hot! Authors such as Anne Rice to JR Ward have perfected the sexy, if dangerous, vampire. I love to read authors' different takes on vampires. One of my favorite vampire depictions is found in Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniel's series. While not at all sexy, these vampires are the most realistic in my opinion. I like my fantasy to be believable. I don't like to suspend disbelief too much. Let's face it, vampires are dead, so live sperm? Not so likely.

The idea of creating a vampire-like creature that needed blood to survive, one that might really exist in our world, took hold of my imagination. So I started to research. I mean there are animals that survive, at least in part, on blood—Mosquitoes, certain bats, ticks, etc. How do they metabolize the blood into nutrients? What I came up with were the Svistra, a group of humans that, due to an apocalyptic event in the distant past, are unable to produce necessary amino acids to survive. They must consume mammalian blood or weaken and die.

What would happen to this group that is now no longer human? What kind of world would they live in? How would they interact with the humans? From these questions, the world, and ultimately plot, of ALTERED DESTINY was created.

Blurb: Selia has run her family's tavern since she was fifteen and can hunt and fight the equal of any man. When she rescues a badly wounded man and nurses him back to health, she has no idea she's about to change not only her life, but also the destinies of two peoples...

The battered warrior is Svistra—a race of bloodthirsty savages determined to destroy her homeland. Or so the stories claim. Jaden reveals a different truth: how his ancestors were driven into the barren northern mountains. Now they are strong and war parties are pushing south wanting their land back.

The son of a Svistra Commander, Jaden is looking for a way to bring peace to both humans and Svistrans. He tries to ignore his growing passion for Selia, but when she is captured he has to decide what he would be willing to sacrifice to save the woman he loves...

Shawna Thomas
Altered Destiny
Carina Press 9/2011