Kellyann Zuzulo's Blog, page 8

What Makes a Bad Boy Hero?

It’s Publisher Week at the romance fiction blog, Romance Lives Forever. Today, they’re featuring books from Boroughs Publishing Group with those irresistible guys who know what they want and how to get it. What is it about a hero that makes us want to hold out for one? Well, hold out no more. Here are some great books that deliver a hero…

Romance Lives Forever: Publisher Week: Bad Boy Heroes @BoroughsPubGrp #RLFblog.

 Best Wishes,

Kellyann

Judge Me

Do You Like What You See?

We’re taught to not  judge others. It’s rude. It’s arrogant. It’s…well…it’s judgmental. But we’ve also created a society of contests and competitions where we judge others in order to rank them. Jeez, when I put it like that, it all seems a little crazy. At the same time, there is a certain intrinsic benefit in evaluating the quality of the things we see everyday. Not everything is excellent or even mediocre.  Competitive standards help us to instigate excellence and motivate ourselves to be the best we can be.

Of course, when you’re a writer, submitting to the scrutiny of a contest is also one more way to flay the sensitive creative skin and expose the quivering viscera of ego beneath. Ah, but that’s okay. It’s an exercise in ego abandonment. Namaste!

I’m currently in the midst of such an exercise as my novel The Genie Ignites from Boroughs Publishing Group (and Boroughs’ graphic designer Betsy) is under consideration for the Judge a Book By Its Cover Awards in the Romantic Suspense category. This is really only about the cover, about what we see on the outside. Similar to the judging of something like America’s Next Top Model (pictured above), beauty is only skin deep. But that beauty was created by artists…whether cosmetic, fashion, or graphic. In the interest of creative excellence, I will submit to the judgment of others and ask that you click through the Romantic Suspense category here and vote for my genie….as you see fit…. I won’t judge you.

Best Wishes,

Kellyann

Hop Into Romance With Me

The Romance Reviews is a great online book review site where readers can learn about new romance titles and read fair and informative reviews. I’m there right now… just lounging around, waiting for you to stop by. From January 25th to January 29th, TRR is running their Romance Madness Hop. The idea is to have fun while learning about some excellent reads.  It’s easy.

Just log in at TRR (simply done with your email address and a password)
Check out the blogs listed
Answer the question
Win prizes

Each time you visit one blog, you automatically get 5 chances to win. I don’t know how they do it, but there’s some techno-cool software that keeps track of the blogs you already hit so you don’t have to….or maybe a genie is involved.

Speaking of genies (and I always do), the question that will link you to my blog has to do with the hero of my novel The Genie Ignites. And since you’ve all read this book (I sense nodding), it’ll be an easy win. Besides, you’ll want to read this first book in The Zubis Chronicles because Book Two will be released shortly. That’s right, The Genie Smolders is coming!

Go now and start hopping! I’ll see you over there.

Best Wishes,

Kellyann

What Would You Wish For?

Upcoming Online Class: Creating Your Author Website with WordPress

If you’re an author, you can’t go wrong with this workshop. Lisa Pietsch helped set me up on WordPress; my reach extended and my book sales shot up. Now, it’s either her or the genie…or a combination of both. But I couldn’t be happier with what I learned from this marketing maven. If you have an extra $25 about (or give up some lattes), sign up for this workshop…

Upcoming Online Class: Creating Your Author Website with WordPress.

 

Best Wishes,

Kellyann

THE GENIE IGNITES loves Lisa Pietsch!

Ghosts vs. Genies

I love the cultural expression of the unexplained.

A fairy spilled the milk!
A dybbuk must have caused my rash! 
I threw that plate at your head because I was possessed!
The devil made me do it!

Each culture has a supernatural patsy. But really, the elements for an invisible perpetrator don’t vary that much. Since I write about genies, I’m  always on the lookout for an account of a jinni encounter. I came across the story below in the Emirates news outlet 24/7. Because of my cultural background, everything about it moaned, “Ghooooost.” But all the witnesses shriek, “Geeeenie.”

This is a demon who desperately needs a manicure.

In the Middle East, some people perceive the jinn as having ghost-like qualities. Still not the same though. In the Western world, ghosts are the vaporous manifestation of humans who have died. In Eastern culture, genies are very separate from humans. My point: Genies and ghosts are two very different things. (I say that from my superiority throne of the Genie Research Kingdom. It means nothing. Just a little ego massage.) Who knows what’s going on when people report things like what’s reported in this story. Genies? Ghosts? What do you think?

Jumeirah jinns giving residents a spookfest
Tenants, gardeners and maids report mysterious apparitions, doors slamming and things moving on their own

By Bindu Suresh Rai
Published Tuesday, April 19, 2011

It’s 3am and footsteps can be heard echoing across the upstairs landing. A chill seeps into the room as a long dark shadow uncurls across the staircase, reaching out into the inky black darkness.

If this was a scene from a Hollywood movie, Ghostbusters would only be a short call away.

But for the many residents of Jumeirah 2 and 3, this everyday reality spins a spooky yarn of its own.

Over the last one year, cases of ghostly sightings and eerie and unexplained happenings have surfaced across residents of villas across the district.

The Jumeirah 2 neighbourhood, behind Choithrams supermarket in particular, has given several families sleepless nights.

This is a ghost. Mildly irritating but mostly friendly.

Kate Naomi, a former Jumeirah resident wrote on the Expatwoman.com forum: “I consider myself a non-believer. But we moved into a house in Jumeirah, quite an old house actually, and all kinds of strange things started to happen. We tried to think up rational explanations but couldn’t seem to find any.

“There were a number of incidents – a plate sliding across the table on its own (heavy china one), there was nothing near it and the table was not wet. The gas cooker kept turning on; my sons toys kept activating themselves (remote control car driving round when no one is near the controller).”

If that wasn’t enough to give people the willies, she added: “My husband who is a complete non-believer told me he saw someone sitting on the stairs, a woman, and both of us have seen a small boy several times… It has happened in front of others too with my best friend sprinting for the door and wouldn’t come round after she witnessed some strange goings on. [sic].”

Kate went on to state that she later learned that no tenant has stayed in the house longer than six months.

Since her posts began, the family has moved homes and are relieved that incidents have not followed them into their new residence.

Kate’s experiences are not isolated. Another Jumeirah resident, Kitty, has also narrated similar experiences, saying: “We are living in Jumeirah three near Choithrams and also have odd things happening. The kitchen tap starts running around 10pm. I can hear footsteps upstairs when I know the kids are asleep. I also get the feeling that I am being watched and then the dog starts barking always in the same place where I feel the watching is coming from. Thankfully it does not seem to be a threatening presence.”

Another Expatforum poster, Wrinkly has a similar story to tell. “We live behind Safa Park and for the past six years have been having this ‘uneasy’ feeling in the house.

“My friend and her daughter came to visit and the daughter told us she saw a shadow in the house and a woman’s figure. Our neighbours never stay longer than a year and the people previously in our house also just stayed for a year and the people before them… I don’t know if it’s just my imagination going wild or there might be something more

A former burial site?

Stories have long since circulated over the Dubai grapevine that the Jumeirah district was once a burial ground for tribes over a century ago.

Kate is a firm believer in that, saying: “I know for a fact that there are a few old burial grounds in Jumeirah; I am pretty sure my house was located on one.”

Sophie, who is also a Jumeirah resident took to the online forum to talk about her maid complaining of seeing spirits, which soon propelled into a state of spooky incidences.

She wrote: “My daughter started with these stories of “friends” telling her “secrets” so I just chalked it up to imaginary friends, although she said one of them was “scaryman” and that has been a whole discussion with her. I am overly cautious with her TV to the point that there is no cable connection in the playroom…”

But when Sophie’s maid started to complain that spirits were haunting the house, all rationality went on pause mode.

“My villa is over 20 years old and the house next door is empty a lot and in the past five years has had a few different families,” she said. “But I also know that parts of Jumeirah are on top of old archaeological sites.”

This is a genie. (In my narrative anyway.)

Head to UAE interact and the government website confirms that Jumeirah was once a caravan stop for a trade route connecting Iraq and Rumoured grave sites having been covered over the decades have also made the rounds, but no one has ever confirmed the urban legend.

When ‘Emirates 24|7′ investigated, several similar stories cropped up with one Pakistani gardener, Shoaib Khan, saying: “I have worked in the area for seven years and there is a house here that all of us avoid walking past.

You feel a cold chill the minute you enter its compound and the dogs also bark incessantly when they approach it.

“No one has stayed in the villa for years and sometimes if you are out at night, you hear noises coming from it. I am telling you, there is an evil jinn in the house.”

Khan refused to escort this reporter to what he referred to as “bhoot villa” or “ghost villa”, nor would he divulge in its whereabouts.

Surprisingly, three others verified Khan’s story and all paled at the idea of divulging the address.

In Arabic folklore and Islamic teachings, jinns are supernatural beings that reside in a parallel world to humans. Jinns are known to be good, neutral or evil.

“The ones here are not good. They are evil,” said Liaqat Hassan, an Afghani driver who resides in Jumeirah three with his employers. “We have seen her, a woman who walks with her feet twisted. Anyone who looks her directly in the face goes mad.”

While Hassan’s dramatic story cannot be proved, his fear seemed genuine as he immediately started to recite verses from the Holy Quran and walked away.

Resident Sophie did ultimately end up employing the exorcism route to cleanse her home of any spirits, mischievous or of the evil kind.

She said: “The maid has not said anything about any spirits of late. It could also be that she was making it up and thought better to stop or my husband got a bit angry with her and scared her more than the spirits.”

Best Wishes,

Kellyann

Pick up THE GENIE IGNITES to see  how real genies act.

The Next Big Thing

Blog Hop

The Next Big Thing is whatever you’re working on. The Next Big Thing Blog Hop is an opportunity for authors around the world to tell you what that is. Last week, I was tagged by E.M. Powell, author of The Fifth Knight in this literary jaunt around the internet. For her, The Next Big Thing is Blood of the Fifth Knight. Read E.M. Powell’s blog about this much anticipated book here. The Fifth Knight is her debut novel. It is published by Thomas & Mercer and is currently on Kindle Serials release in the US, with UK release planned for 2013. And I will heartily agree that this will be the next big thing…because I read The Fifth Knight, which remains a big thing on my list of favorite books.

So now it’s my turn to share The Next Big Thing with you.

1)      What is the working title of your next book?

The Genie Smolders. Book Two in The Zubis Chronicles

2)      Where did the idea come from for the book?

From Book One, which is The Genie Ignites. I needed to continue the story of Zubis and Bethany. I wanted to find out what came next as much as my readers do

3)      What genre does your book fall under?

Paranormal Romance.

4)

Jason Momoa would make a great Zubis.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in the movie rendition?

Jason Momoa would make an amazing Zubis. My genie is clean-shaven and although many of Momoa’s roles have him bearded and scruffy, he cleans up real good.

Jessica Biel not only has the right look for Bethany O’Brien, she has the intrepid spirit to play a woman who loves a genie, stops a coup, and never gives up.

5)      What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When their child becomes a pawn in a dangerous game between humans and genies, Bethany O’Brien and Zubis will risk the love they share and their own lives to save her.

6)      Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Neither. I submit my books directly to my editor, Christopher Keeslar, at Boroughs Publishing Group.

7)      How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

Jessica Biel would be my choice to play Bethany O’Brien.

Not including research, about three months.

8)      What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

If readers like Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series, Heather Graham’s romantic suspense novels, or Nora Roberts’ Sign of Seven trilogy, they’ll enjoy The Zubis Chronicles.

9)      Who or what inspired you to write this book?

It may have been a jinni, but I’d rather not say.

10)  What else about the book might pique a reader’s interest?

Although this book is fiction, my details around the world of the jinn rely on authentic research into what is actually known and believed about this mystical race. For example, a reader will learn how genies live, how long they live, and how they die…among other things.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop is winding down now, but there’s still time for me to bring to your attention some authors I enjoy reading. This next list of authors are not all hopping in the hop. But they have either recently released or are now working on The Next Big Thing. Check them out; they’are among my favorites.

Lisa Pietsch is a USAF veteran, a multi-published novelist and freelance writer. See her full bio here, as well as a list of her books.  Visit her website to learn more about her kick-ass character Sarah Stevens and get her first novel, The Path to Freedom, for free!
Susan MacNicol is the author of the romance novel Cassandra by Starlight . Her Next Big Thing is Together by Starlight , coming soon from Boroughs Publishing Group.
Ann Leary is the author of The Good House , which was just released yesterday. Now, that’s big. Go get your copy! She’s a witty, sharp, insightful writer you won’t be able to put down.
Daniel Silva is the author of the series of thrillers starring Israeli agent and art restorer Gabriel Allon. His Next Big Thing is The English Girl, to be released this summer.
Oliver Pötzsch is the author of The Hangman’s Daughter series of novels. The Next Big Thing here is The Beggar King: A Hangman’s Daughter Tale , which was released last week.

Now get reading!

Best Wishes,

Kellyann

Tagged by a Knight

Tag! I’m in The Next Big Thing

I’ve been tagged and it’s ticklish. So I’m going to share my giddiness with you. The Next Big Thing Blog Hop has been, well, hopping around the internet the past few months. I learned of it through some bestselling authors that I know. I’ve also discovered some new authors I didn’t know. Imagine my surprise when one of those authors  invited me to participate in the blog hop. I guess this is one of those cases where nice acts actually result in a reciprocated kind action.

Here’s what happened: One of my new favorite books is The Fifth Knight by E.M. Powell. It’s historical fiction with romantic elements. I discovered it on Amazon when I was browsing for a new book to read. Since it’s a Kindle serial, it was promoted by Amazon. The plot sounded like the kind of book I enjoy so, for $1.99, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. Well, I enjoyed the story so much that I felt I had to write a review. (I’d been reading a bunch of bland narrative lately.) Reviews take time which is why a lot of people don’t bother. It’s why I don’t usually bother. And, unless I feel a book is worth 4 or 5 stars, I don’t review it. I don’t like to slam authors because I now how hard they work; even if the writing isn’t great. And like my Momma–and probably your Momma–always said: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything.”

A Kindle Serial for $1.99

I had a lot of nice things to say about The Fifth Knight. I’m telling you, I really like this story. My review went up on Goodreads and on Amazon. Then I decided to follow the author on twitter and Facebook because I wanted to track what else she may have coming out. And do you know, Elaine (that’s E.M. Powell) tweeted her thanks for the kind remarks about her book. Since she would have seen that I’m an author too, she then asked if I wanted to get tagged in the Next Big Thing blog hop, which she had just been tagged in. I didn’t write my response in all caps because that would have been uncool, but the answer was YES! It was all about timing, and taking time, and kindness, and good writing.

Please go on over to E.M. Powell’s blog and read about The Fifth Knight and the sequel, The Blood of the Fifth Knight (which I’m personally excited about). If you read all the way to the bottom, you’ll see me. I’ve been tagged. And I’m ticklish. *giggle*

And come back next Wednesday, when I take a turn on The Next Big Thing and post a blog here answering the same 10 questions. Oh, and pick up The Fifth Knight. I guarantee you’ll enjoy it.

 Best Wishes,

Kellyann

…did you get your copy of THE GENIE IGNITES yet?

On Amazon. On Nook.

Girls’ Generation Has a Genie

Okay, since I’m an Irish-American woman raised on the East Coast who writes about the jinn and Middle Eastern intrigue, you may know my interests run international. In that vein, I came across this South Korean girl band called Girls’ Generation. Besides the obvious cultural distinction, this sound would appeal more to my 13-year-old daughter than to my jazz-centric and acoustic guitar preferences. However, they’re catchy and cute. Thought I’d share. I stumbled upon them because one of my regular internet searches on jinn and genie (to learn about reported encounters that I can then share with you) turned up their song Genie. Apparently this nine-member girl band is huge in South Korea. Sort of like the female One Direction (about whom I wrote in an earlier blog). I suspect we’ll be hearing more about them on this side of the globe soon.

I can’t understand any of the words except for “Genie” “Superstar” “Shining Star.” But in universal sing-along language, I’m tapping my toe.

What do you think of their sound?

Best Wishes,

Kellyann

THE GENIE IGNITES now available from Boroughs Publishing.

On Kindle. On Nook.

Naughty or Nice: The Jinn

Intriguing piece from a fellow WordPress blogger, The Fae Sight Series. I’ve said myself that the jinn can be either naughty or nice. Depends on the jinni. In my novel, The Genie Ignites, you get some of both. Borzal is horrendous. But Zubis, while fierce and sometimes stoic, can be charming and disarming and mostly passionate.

What would you expect if you ever met a genie?

Naughty or Nice: The Jinn.

 

Best Wishes,

Kellyann

Download The Genie Ignites today to any ereader.

Legends of the Fire Spirits

Legends of the Fire Spirits by Robert Lebling is next on my TBR list. I’ve learned a lot of these same things in my research, but it’s always good to get clarification. And this looks like a good read.

The following is reprinted from Arab News, November 10, 2010.

Legends of the Fire Spirits by Robert Lebling

Author Examines Lore of the Jinn

by Stephen L. Brundage, life.style@arabnews.com

“In many parts of the world the mere mention of the jinn will draw shivers, while in other places the jinn, or genies, will be placed among myth and folklore. In “Legends of the Fire Spirits: Jinn and Genies from Arabia to Zanzibar,” author Robert Lebling traces the story of this supernatural race of beings from the dawn of history to the present day.

English readers may be surprised by how many words associated with the jinn have become a part of their own language, from Satan and devils to ghouls and even genies, the jinn permeate into contemporary thought.The jinn have their beginnings in pharaonic Egypt, Sumeria and ancient Persia. King Solomon, the son of David, was said to have control of the jinn, and centuries later, the jinn were described in the Qur’an and associated Sunnah. This connection with Islam not only provided some credence to the concept but helped to spread it through Africa and Asia as the religion spread in the first millennium after the birth of Christ. The beliefs hold that there are three types of beings, including angels, man and the jinn. Some contend the jinn held sway in the world before the dawn of man and were made subservient to man at the time of Adam.

Born of smokeless fire, the jinn play a variety of roles from prankster to eater of human flesh and tormenter of men, women or children. They can take a variety of forms or shape shift; they can be Christian, Jewish or Muslim or a variety of other religions depending upon whom you ask. They can marry humans and have hybrid children and can be stopped by invoking the name of God.In Legends of the Fire Spirits, Lebling examines how the jinn have been adopted by many cultures and adapted to pre-existing belief systems from the Berbers of North Africa to the Malays of South Asia. Nowhere is belief in the jinn stronger than the Arabian Peninsula and the heart of Islam. Bedouins today avoid certain desert areas for fear of them, and in Saudi Arabia with its obedience to the word of the Qur’an, curses, spells and possession by the jinn are taken very seriously.

As mankind’s perception of the jinn evolves it also presents new challenges for Islam. In Nigeria, Lebling notes a pending criminal case in which the defendant is asserting jinn possession as a defense in a Shariah court.

Legends of the Fire Spirits is a long overdue compendium of the knowledge and history of the jinn and details the literary impact it has had from Arabic poetry to English 19th century Arabian Romanticism. Although the author maintains the book is not intended as a scholarly work, readers will find it rich with footnotes and citations to various books and manuscripts that would help those wishing to explore the subject with more detail.

Although the book’s focus is on the Arabian traditions and stories, an unintended audience may be found among young people fascinated with demons, vampires and werewolves that have resurfaced recently in pop culture.

Legends of the Fire Spirits is not a lazy read, but it will enrich the reader’s knowledge of human history more than one might imagine based on the subject. With its index and divisions, the book also can serve as a lifelong reference to the mysteries of the Middle East and their influence on both Western and Eastern cultures.

In a brilliant introduction to the book, author Tahir Shah notes that when he moved to Morocco he had to perform an exorcism at his new house. It was in part a response to his new community, but he notes that the ritual didn’t do any harm other than the associated expense.

Are the jinn real or imagined? Are they merely folklore or a supernatural race inexorably linked to mankind? Perhaps on one level it doesn’t matter because they are so involved with human history and superstition. Even the tradition of the groom carrying the bride over the threshold on their wedding night goes back to the belief that the jinn stay near the doorways of residences, so they already may have influenced us in so many ways as to make the question moot.”

You can connect to the Facebook page for Legends of the Fire Spirits here.

Best Wishes,

Kellyann

Learn more about the jinn in THE GENIE IGNITES, from Boroughs Publishing Group