Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 562

Interview and Mojo Queen Giveaway with Sonya Clark

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
I grew up moving around a lot as an Army brat and now live in Tennessee with my husband and our Yorkie. Urban fantasy seemed like a natural fit for me because I always read a lot of paranormal and horror books and loved anything to do with those genres. I was reading Stephen King and Anne Rice in middle school. I love the fact that urban fantasy is set in our own recognizable modern world, but that it also presents a peek into all these possible hidden worlds full of vampires and magic and other supernatural things. I think that makes for very rich storytelling and I love reading it as much as I love writing it.
What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?

There's so much about vampires that can be explored. They're immortal yet have such a close relationship with death, what with it being so easy for them to be the cause of it. There's a thin line between being a decent human being and being a monster, and a vampire character can be a way to explore that. There's that temptation of the taboo, which I think is one thing that naturally leads to equating vampires with sex and forbidden love. There's a lot there that can light the imagination of both a reader and a writer.
What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to write an urban fantasy with a female character who was a little bit different from the "leather pants tramp stamp kickass" mold that had become so prevalent. Roxie Mathis is a paranormal investigator who uses her ability to see auras and spectral energy along with some hoodoo folk magic to deal with supernatural problems. She wears glasses and is a bit of a music nerd. She's got a lot of strength but I think more of the personality kind rather than physical. I do love the kickass heroines this genre has given us but I wanted to do something different.
Please tell us about your latest release.
In Mojo Queen Roxie is hired to help a group of college students who got in over their heads playing around with dark magic. One of them is possessed and the entity is wreaking havoc. Roxie puts everything she's got into stopping this demon, but her efforts are complicated by her increasing attraction to the shady sorcerer who spear-headed the group.
Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?
I don't worry too much about the meanings of names. I have used a baby name site that could tell you what names were most popular in what year – that's pretty handy. Sometimes for surnames I have borrowed from my mom's genealogy research. She gave me the last name of Roxie's vampire ancestor Daniel – an old family name, Rambin. Mostly I just want a name that feels right for a character.
Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
Blake Harvill, the shady sorcerer mentioned above, was probably the most difficult. He was supposed to be a bad guy at first but as the story went along he became a love interest for Roxie. It was difficult to find the right balance between "bad shady Blake" and "sexy attractive Blake."
Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
I love Daniel. He was created in large part as my own personal backlash against the overwhelming number of brooding emo vampires out there. At first it was just fun but he has become one of those characters that haunts a writer, and I keep thinking up more and more of his history.
Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?

I start with a very bare bones idea of who the person is and I don't really get to know them until I write them for a while. I use character worksheets mostly for continuity purposes – don't want to forget what color somebody's eyes are – because I have found that trying to create a character from a list of attributes doesn't work for me. We have to spend time together.

What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
The sex scene between Roxie and Blake. Well, you did ask. :-) The reason for that is because it was so difficult for me to write so I was proud of the accomplishment. Writing first person sex scenes is, um, weird. But I looked at what the scene needed to accomplish, what each character needed to reveal about themselves and what they needed to get of the scene. Other than, you know, sex. Heh. So it turned out to be a really good writing experience and I think it's a good scene too.
Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?
The hoodoo aspects of Roxie's magical practice came about because I gave her my love of old blues. I knew a little bit about hoodoo to start with and learned a lot more over the course of writing Mojo Queen. I really enjoyed researching hoodoo and I think it was a good choice for an urban fantasy set in the south.
Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?
Mojo Queen is set in a closed world so knowledge of the supernatural is very limited. Roxie's abilities and work have led her to be estranged from her family, which is one reason her relationship with Daniel is so important to her.
Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
The only thing really is music – Roxie loves blues and so do I, Daniel loves classic country and that's the only country music you can get me to listen to. I love music and it's pretty much impossible for me to write without the influence of music working its way into a story somehow.
Do you ever suffer from writer's block? How do you deal with it?
I kill it with fire. Actually, I've started writing something that is strictly for fun with absolutely no plans to submit it, so being able to write without any of that self-inflicted pressure to produce is really freeing. Since I started this I've noticed I'm more productive in both my fun project and the work in progress that I plan to submit.
Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?
Not really. I have a pencil that I play with when I'm thinking, when I've paused to work out a sentence or the next action. That's the only thing I've noticed myself doing as far as writing quirks go.
When did you consider yourself a writer?
I've considered myself a writer for a long time, but I didn't use the word author until I was first published. That was how I made the distinction in my head.
What are your guilty pleasures in life?
Hawaii Five-O. Don't judge me, Alex O'loughlin is hot!
Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
Music would be the big thing, especially music history. I've been to several music-related sites in Tennessee as well as Mississippi, have probably a hundred or more books that are music biographies or histories or analysis. Boxes and boxes of CDs, all digitized now of course.
What was the last amazing book you read?
Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler.
Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?
I'm happy to read anywhere.
What can readers expect next from you?
I'm currently working on a follow-up to Mojo Queen. It's challenging because I am really putting Roxie through the ringer in this one.
Where can readers find you on the web?
Readers can find me at www.sonyaclark.net. There they can find links to my Twitter and Facebook and Tumblr and Goodreads, as well as read my blog. And I have a Free Reads page with two Mojo short stories featuring Roxie and Daniel that are available as free downloads.
Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Here's a little teaser of a confrontation between Roxie and the demon:
"You're pretty good at amateur hour, sweetie, but do you really think roots and leaves are any match for me?" A nasty derisive laugh slipped from her cotton candy mouth. "I mean, seriously? Do your friends call you Polk Salad Annie?"
Something flared out from me, cracking through the mojo hand's protective wall and slicing open a cut across Delia's cheek. It happened so fast I didn't realize it until blood welled on her skin and fury turned her eyes black. I wobbled a little. That unintended spike of energy had cost me.

Blurb:

Hoodoo and high magic are on a collision course.

Roxanne Mathis isn't like everyone else. Not only can she see auras and spectral entities, she can mix herbs and roots for spells to do good or ill. She can even light a candle without the benefit of a match. But when she's hired to exorcise a demon from a young girl, she discovers the limits of her powers.

With her vampire cousin at her side and a sexy sorcerer chasing her on the rebound, Roxie sets out to send that evil entity back to where she came from.

Nothing is as it seems and Roxie's in over her head. It's not going to be enough for her to just be a paranormal investigator and old school root worker – to defeat this demon, she's going to have to be the Mojo Queen.

Giveaway Details:

Winners will be chosen from all of those who enter via the form
leave comments at tour stops for bonus entries
you can also enter at each tour stop

Giveaways:
10 winners will receive signed book plates
2 winners will receive free ebook copies of Mojo Queen
1 grand prize winner will receive the Mojo Prize Pack, which includes:
• Signed book plate• Mojo Queen playlist CD• A voodoo doll• A protective mojo hand• Spirit of Good Luck incense• A seven day spell candle• A bag of graveyard dirt

The winners will be announced on Sonya's blog on Friday, August 19.
Physical prizes open to US Shipping Only Please. Ebooks international.

To enter fill out the form below or go to this link if form is not loading
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Ward Against Death Tour Stop- Interview and Giveaway with Melanie Card

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
Thanks so much for inviting me to share with your readers today! I'm a cat lover, and chocolate and theater addict and I write fantasy novels. The adventure in fantasy, the time periods, and the magic that can do or become anything really appeals to me. There's a feeling of romance with fantasy, and I get to live that romance by being able to read and write about people who can do wondrous things. I think that drew me in as a child and has held me captive ever since.

What inspired you to write this book?
My hero, Ward, inspired me to write Ward Against Death. I was thinking: in what situation could a necromancer be good instead of evil?—because sometimes I like to play around with expectations—and Ward started to develop. He was quirky, and kind, and determined. I couldn't resist writing his story.

Please tell us about your latest release.
My latest release, Ward Against Death, is a YA/Adult cross-over fantasy.

Here's the blurb:

Twenty-year-old Ward de'Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman's daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can't be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.

But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she's been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can't bring himself to break his damned physician's Oath and desert her.

However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she's treating Ward like sewage, the next she's kissing him. And for a nobleman's daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…


Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?
What I found really fascinating when I started researching mediaeval surgery for the book, was how advanced medicine was in the middle east during the end of the 10th century. A man named Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi wrote extensively about his medical practice and procedures and developed his own surgical instruments and could do some pretty spectacular things for his time period. The surgical procedure in the book is based off the writings of Guy de Chauliac (a 12th century French surgeon) who studied al-Zahrawi's works.


Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?
The world where WARD AGAINST DEATH takes place is a world sort of like ours around the time of the Renaissance. There are cossets and carriages, princes and princess, and swords and crossbows. However there's also magic. While the magic of my hero, necromancy, has fallen out of favor in the last couple of generations, it used to be quite revered. I've also taken some modern aspects, such as the mafia and the FBI, and given them historical and magical flavors, turning organized crime into the Gentilica, and the elite law enforcement agency into the Quayestri.

Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
I think in a way, I have similar characteristics to all my characters (even my villains). What they think and how the behave comes from me. We all know courage and love and fear and jealousy and every other emotion. And there are many ways we react to these emotions (and they often differ depending on the situation). I'm probably, however, closest to my hero, Ward. I'm a bookworm, and I love learning new things. It's also very important to me to do the right thing and keep my word.


Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
I'm an amateur theatre geek. I love performing in plays: dramas, comedies, musicals, you name it, I love it. Doing a show can take up a lot of so I have to make sure I don't over commit myself, but I try to do at least one show a year.

What can readers expect next from you?
The second book in the Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer series. The adventures of Ward and Celia continue with more undead creatures and evil necromancers.


Where can readers find you on the web?
Connect with me at: Facebook / Twitter @melaniecard / Goodreads / MelanieCard.com

Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
"I think," Ward said, his voice soft, "that this is much bigger than you."
"Bigger than me? I'm the Dominus' daughter."
He looked at her with his brown eyes, and she knew she'd found her moment. She set her cup aside and knelt at his feet, clasping his hand between hers.
"You're right. This is our first good lead and we should follow it. But it can wait a moment. We're celebrating you. And you haven't finished your drink."
"That's because you topped it up."
She smiled and sat back on her heels. "Because I plan on getting you drunk and taking advantage of you."
He laughed and took a long swig from his cup. "No, really, I should—"
"No." She skimmed her hands up his thighs to his waist and leaned in, brushing her nose against his. "Really."
He gasped and flushed. The strength of her advance was risky, but she no longer had time to play it slow. She knew he found her attractive. Now was her only opportunity.
"Celia." His voice wavered on an uneven breath. "I..."
She ran her hands up his chest, along his neck, and cupped his jaw between her palms. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine Ward was the innocent, honest man she'd believed. Beneath her fingers, she could feel his noble heritage, the chiseled lines of his cheeks and jaw. His betrayal hurt more than she thought possible, and she pressed her lips to his before she could change her mind.
He froze, and his lips trembled under hers. It was too fast, too soon, and she eased back. But he caught the back of her head with his hand and deepened the kiss with a sudden, intense need, sending a shock of pleasure through her.
Celia gasped, caught off guard. She shouldn't have been. When Ward decided to do something, he committed fully to it.



Title: Ward Against Death
Author: Melanie Card
Genre: New Adult/Upper YA Fantasy
Length: Novel – 285 pgs
Release Date: August 2, 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-08-4
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-09-1
Book 2 is coming December 2011!
CHRONICLES OF A RELUCTANT NECROMANCER - Book One by Melanie Card
Twenty-year-old Ward de'Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman's daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can't be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.
But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she's been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can't bring himself to break his damned physician's Oath and desert her.
However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she's treating Ward like sewage, the next she's kissing him. And for a nobleman's daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…

Get it Amazon, Books on Board and Diesel


About the Author
Melanie has always been drawn to story telling and can't remember a time when
she wasn't creating a story in her head. Her early stories were adventures with
fairies and dragons and sword swinging princesses.
Today she continues to spin tales of magic in lands near and far, while her cat sits
on the edge of her desk and supervises. When she's not writing, you can find her
pretending to be other people with her local community theatre groups.







Want to win an ecopy of Ward Against Death?
Leave a Comment on This Post with Your Email Address
Receive 1 bonus entry for following Melanie on Twitter, Friending on Facebook, and Following on Goodreads (1 bonus entry for each action- include in your comment)Facebook / Twitter @melaniecard / Goodreads / MelanieCard.com

Imajin Books Scavenger Hunt

'Summer Sizzles with Imajin Books' this August: Scavenger Hunt

This summer, celebrate the opening of the innovative Canadian publishing company, IMAJIN BOOKS. Their huge summer event began on July 1, 2011 and they rewarded readers and book reviewers, as their way to say "Thank you" for reading their books.

This August, the fun continues with an exciting Summer Sizzler Scavenger Hunt.

This event runs Aug 1 - August 31. Participants have a chance to win some fabulous prizes, including a Kindle ereader with wi-fi.

To enter:

1. Check out the Scavenger host list and click on each blog link.

2. Scavenge through these blogs until you find the Scavenger Hunt hidden badge/graphic. You'll find the graphic at their website, so you'll know what to look for.

3. Email them at imajinbooks@shaw.ca with "Scavenger Hunt" in subject line and the website link to the page with the badge you found, your name, mailing address and phone number, plus the title of the ebook you would like to receive if your name is drawn.

4. Each correct entry counts as an extra entry into the prize draws, so the more you find the badge and send those links, the more chances you have of winning the Kindle and other prizes.

Prizes:

· 31 winners will receive one ebook of their choice from published titles.

· 4 winners will received a signed novel (trade paperback) by authors Alison Bruce, Melodie Campbell, Cherish D'Angelo and Cheryl Kaye Tardif.

· Grand Prize: Kindle with Wi-Fi ($140 value): One grand prize winner (Kindle) to be selected from all eligible entries. Additional prizes may be added later.

This contest runs Aug 1 to Aug 31. Winners will be notified by email by September 3rd.

Entrant must be 18 to enter and be a Canadian or USA citizen. No purchase necessary. No substitution, no refunds, no cash value. The grand prize is not redeemable in cash and must be accepted as awarded. Void where prohibited by law.

Imajin Books authors, their families and any subcontracted associates of Imajin Books are excluded from this contest.

Imajin Books is an innovative, unique Canadian publisher with an eye on exciting, ever-changing trends and opportunities in publishing that opened its 'doors' to authors worldwide in late February 2011. They promise great reads by wonderful authors, with ebooks priced under $5 and trade paperbacks under $18.

From ImajinBooks.com: The future of reading is ebooks, and the future is NOW!

http://www.imajinbooks.com

Guest Blog and Giveaway with Stephanie Rowe

It Was an Accident, I Swear!

For my guest blog today, Fang-tastic books asked me to blog about the humor in my books, and why I do it. Tricky question….

See, here's thing about me. In real life, when I get on a roll, I make people laugh, and I love to see the delight on see on their faces when the laugher is filling their heart. What's more beautiful than a genuine smile? Not a lot, in my opinion. I'm not a joke-teller, and I'm not slap stick. It's more just my world view and my energy that can get people to laugh. I'm me, I'm unique, and I've learned to appreciate that.

So…transitioning to books… when I first started trying to get published, I wrote serious books. And you know what? They didn't sell. Because when I tried to be serious, I became boring and run-of-the-mill. But then I realized that I have that unique sense of humor, so what if I tried to put that on the page? No one is like me, right?

So, I wrote funny. On purpose. I took classes on being funny. I learned the rule of three, and assorted other "funny" tricks. And you know what? My books were all rejected as not funny. They were the kind of rejection that were like, "This author fails utterly to be funny. Tell her to give it up."

At that point, I started getting really frustrated. What was I to do? I finally decided to write something just for me. Not funny. Not serious. Just… me. So, I wrote a book that I called Beheading Your Lover (later published as Date Me, Baby, One More Time), and I decided to amuse myself while writing it. My only goal was to let the creativity flow, and my main goal as I was writing it was to be unexpected. To twist the plot and the characters and the setting and the mythical beings and everything onto their head. Be unexpected in all ways.

I had the best time writing it, because I was FREE from the burdens of trying to write for someone else. My agent marketed it as a paranormal, not as a "funny" paranormal, and it sold at auction. Hooray! I was happily writing the second book in the series when the first book came out..and all the reviewers loved how funny it was. Publisher's Weekly praised its "snappy patter and goofy good humor," and Booklist called it "laugh-out loud" and "magically mirthful."

Guess what happened next? I freaked out. What? I was supposed to be funny? But I was a tragic failure when it came to writing funny! I seriously panicked. I had not been writing to be funny, and all of a sudden now that was my shtick?

I eventually chilled out, and I realized that I couldn't try to be funny. I simply had to continue to write from my own world view, which, for me, was creating a story that was unexpected with a bit of a satirical twist on whatever topic I happened to be addressing. Once I accepted that that's what I did, and that's how I needed to write, I was able to settle into my stories and write them.

I've continued that approach with this new series, including Touch If You Dare. People might say that having a tattooed, tortured warrior who is a failed knitter and a champion (albeit closet) hair styling guru is funny, but to me, Jarvis isn't about being funny. He came to life because I wanted to take the traditional paranormal warrior hero and twist it, giving him the unexpected soft side that is the bane of his existence. I love Jarvis as he struggles to come to terms with his two divergent sides, and I feel that he represents what human nature is: complex, conflicting, powerful, gentle and trying desperately to figure out how to balance it all. To me, that's who Jarvis is, and that's why he knits. If a reader finds it humorous, then what an added bonus to know that I could bring a smile to someone's face.

So, in a nutshell, I'm thrilled that my books make people laugh, but I don't try to be funny. I just let myself tell the story I want to tell. The minute I try to be funny… all will be lost, I fear.

What about you? Is there something that you've been most successful at once you stopped trying so hard to succeed at it?


TOUCH IF YOU DARE BY STEPHANIE ROWE—IN STORES JULY 2011

He's just about the hottest warrior she's ever seen…
Reina Fleming really appreciates a man who's on a mission—especially when he's a badass warrior doing his best to impress her. And Jarvis is charmed byt eh way Reina's magic touch can soothe his dark side.

But when Jarvis's attention puts her job, her home, and her family in danger, Reina has to decide whether love is worth the price…

Enter the nonstop, action-packed world of Stephanie Rowe's love stories—you'll never think of the manly arts in the same way again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Four-time RITA Award nominee and Golden Heart Award winner Stephanie Rowe is an award-winning and national bestselling author of paranormal romance, and has written more than twenty-five novels. Stephanie has charmed reviewers with her unique blend of humor and otherworldly magic. She lives outside Boston, Massachusetts, where she is working on Book 3 in the Soulfire Series, Hold Me If You Can (January 2012).
For more information, please visit www.stephanierowe.com.





Would you like your very own copy of Touch if You Dare?
Then leave a comment on this post
Include your email
Open to US and Canada
This giveaway sponsored by Sourcebooks

Upcoming Tours I Am Still Scheduling Spots For

Here are several tours I am still scheduling spots for- most have review pdfs available if you would like to review.
For more information on any tour or to set up a tour spot on your blog email me for details and availability.
Here are tours I am scheduling for that I don't have buttons made for yet
Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry (paranormal YA) August 29-Sept 5
In the Shadows Sept 5- Sept 19
The Erotic Me Series by Lauren Hawkeye 4 books, 4 months, 4 toursScheduling stops for the first 2 weeks ofSept, Oct, Nov and Dec
Nightingale by Ashley M Christman Oct 11- Oct 25
Probability Angels and Persistent Illusions By Joseph Devon Sept 9- Sept 23
The Hunter by Theresa Meyers (steampunk) Oct 24- Nov 22


Sarah Gilman is one of my Entangled authors, you can view details about Out in Blue at Entangled.
The Lure of the Vampire is a non-fiction book all about vampires, see more details at BBT
The Cowboy and The Vampire Aug 22-Sept 22
Boyfriend from Hell is a Paranormal YA
Mine Until Dawn is a Sexy Chick Lit
Both of these vampire books by Rue Volley are available for review
Rachel Firasek is another of my Entangled authors, learn more about her book at Entangled
Spirit Seeker is a another paranormal YA fans of the genre are going to love
This erotic vampire series is one you can sink your fangs into, both books are available for review in pdf format


Book 3 of the Deadtown Series by Nancy Holzner is almost full, contact me to grab one of the remaining tour stops

Just in time for Halloween fun, Mind Over Monsters is a must feature book for your site in October

Guest Blog and Giveaway with Kayden Mcleod

Thank you, Fang-Tastic, for having me here today.
The Foxworth Coven, Book One, Death of Innocence has been released by Solstice Publishing! I have been anxiously awaiting this for a long time now.
Death of Innocence was the first book I'd ever finished, though not the first book I'd written—nor the first book I'd written in the Foxworth Coven Series.
What is now Kindred Fate, the third installment in the Foxworth Coven Series I am still in the process of finishing up, was the first book I had ever penned. It was started over ten years ago, sitting at 140K when I had finished my first draft. I was a teenager, reading VC Andrews, RL Stine and Christopher Pike.
My style back then reflected my age. The plot was complicated, too much so, yet told in an adolescent manner. The story deserved and needed more. And while it read like YA, even with the situations that were definitely adult, I was leery of writing the level of sex I had put into the book, making for an awkward read. I watched this book grow as I ploughed through it, changing details and characters—the entire storyline time and again. And yet, I still wasn't happy with it.
In my mind, I'd known the back-story of the Foxworth Coven. The past wouldn't leave my muse alone. To start in the twenty-first century left too much untold—and the story of the ghosts in the history left too much to speculation. So following my muse's insistence, I went back a century, to British Columbia, 1904, when the Foxworth Leader, Canya was still human. Gregory, the Heir to the Coven, fought his obligations to his people. He was determined to be his own man, and not the vampire his parents, Anastasia and Henry had groomed him to become. But life never really works out the way someone intends it to. Outside forces, fate and tragedy intervene in everyone's time at one point or another. Canya and Gregory were no different.
After finishing Death of Innocence, I was even more perplexed. Now it felt like something else was missing. It took me a long time after that to figure out, Arcadia, Gregory and Canya's step-son, had a story of his own. And then Natural Urges, Book two was born. This one is coming out with Solstice Publishing in the next few weeks.
The last two installments of the Foxworth Coven Series, Crimson Shadows and Blood Deeds, is one book broken into two. The story was too big, with several characters who's babbled to me, needing to have their say in the series set similar to a journal.
The Foxworth Coven is not the biggest, most feared Coven without just cause. They know heartache, loss and pain—but they also thrive with love, loyalty and friendships with the most powerful entities their world knows. Their knowledge of magic put most vampires to shame, and they use these benefits to the best of their ability.

You can purchase the first book in the Foxworth Coven from All Romance, BookStrand and Amazon.com. Or directly from Solstice Publishing.
Fictionwise and print will be coming soon.
Watch The Trailer

I'm also throwing a special contest for The Foxworth Coven's release! Wiccan Wear Jewelry has designed a magnificent piece inspired by Canya Foxworth from Death of Innocence, called "Vampire Kisses—Foxworth Coven."
Rules for this contest and how to enter, including photography of the piece can be found on her website: http://www.wiccanwearjewelry.com/contest.html
Thank you so much for hanging out with me today! Leave a comment about the series, vampires, the Foxworth Necklace contest or any questions you may have for your chance to win a signed print copy of Demonic Pandemonium, the third book in the Cornwall Coven Series.

My Blog:
http://www.kaydenmcleod.blogspot.com/
Wiccan Wear Jewelry:
http://www.wiccanwearjewelry.com/
Thank you so much for hanging out with me today!
Happy Reading…Kayden McLeod
http://kaydenmcleod.com/

Guest Blog with Lisa Kessler

Book Description:
He gave up his soul for a second chance to love her…

Two and a half centuries ago, Calisto Terana lost everything when a zealous priest murdered the woman he loved. Now, desperate for another chance to love her, he wants redemption for the mistake that cost her life.

She's haunted by dreams of her own death…

After catching her fiance with another woman, Kate Bradley returns to San Diego to clear her head. The last thing she needs is romance, but after meeting Calisto she's drawn to him in ways she doesn't understand.

They've waited in the shadows for centuries…

Calisto has no doubt Kate is the reincarnation of his lost love, but the Fraternidad Del Fuego Santo has a new watcher with dark ambitions of his own. As old enemies reemerge and a new threat arises, the betrayal that enslaved Calisto to the night might destroy the only woman he's ever loved again.


Title: Night Walker
Author: Lisa Kessler
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: August 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-12-1
Mobi ISBN: Coming soon!
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-13-8
http://www.entangledpublishing.com/night-walker/

View the book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OTD8VdDCOc

Books 2, 2 1/2, and 3 coming December 2011, January 2012, and June 2012!


About the Author:
Lisa Kessler is an avid reader and writer of dark fiction. Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.
Lisa recently signed a 4 book deal with Entangled Publishing to release her Night Series. The first book, Night Walker, is scheduled to be released August 5th.
When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.
You can learn more at http://Lisa-Kessler.com

Lisa lives in southern California with her incredibly fun husband and two amazing kids.
http://lisaslair.com/

http://lisakessler.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/LdyDisney
http://facebook.com/LisaKesslerWriter

Interview with Geatriz and Delight in Cruelty Giveaway

Delight in Cruelty
by Geatriz

A story of three different characters that somehow find themselves together. Yuzuki, a vicious vampire with barely a care for anyone's life, even her own. Sole, an immortal that finds himself as Yuzuki's pet... and likes it. Miranda, a vampire hunter that is too broke to afford... well anything. Hunting vampires doesn't pay the bills.

LINKS:

Geatriz.com
DelightInCruelty.com

Interview
Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?

- My real name is Geatriz. Its not a pen name or anything like most people assume. I love writing and I have always had a thing for fiction. Going off into another world is so much better than living in reality. Being normal is too boring.

What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires that fascinates you so much?

- Sometimes just believing in something that isn't real is enough to get you out of your own head for a while. We as people have so many problems and daily hassles that race through our heads all day, its nice to get away from it all-- even just for an hour or two.

What inspired you to write this book?

- I always read about a male lead hero always saving the day. I wanted a story of a female villain ruining it instead. Yuzuki herself was a character unlike anyone else I have ever read about or met. I loved it so much I had to keep going.

Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?

- Not really a formula. I hear names and think they sound great. Sometimes I make up my own. Sometimes I do look up what the name means but usually I just go with what I like, what sounds nice. Sometimes I do search for names of that era. So I guess it just depends on my mood. Haha.

Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?

- Vincent. He's a very calm and collected vampire. I needed someone that was somewhat opposite Yuzuki. Someone to kind of ground her. He's the "mommy" type. The person that says "You shouldn't be doing that." But he also doesn't try to stop her or get in her way which is why she respects him so much. (He was mostly difficult to write because I'm definitely not calm or collected.)

Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?

- Sole. I know Yuzuki is the main character but Sole was my favorite simply because he adds humor to such chaos. He knows his way of thinking is odd but he goes with it. (I mean really. Who would like someone that tortures them?) I really invoked all the men in my life for him.

Do you have a formula for developing characters?Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?

- They just develop. They grew minds of their own. Yuzuki was this hard villain that just didn't give a shit and as we progressed, she really showed a softer side and tells why she got so hateful.

What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?

- My favorite... oh wow, so many. I think I really loved when she first meets Sole. Basically she drinks from him, thinks he's dead and throws him down like a rag doll, very carelessly. As she's walking away, he speaks. She realizes he's alive and starts breaking his limbs and watching him heal again. Yuzuki proceeds to throw Sole in her car and make him her toy.
Another is her testing how regenerative he really is. (Sole is an immortal for anyone who have not read the first chapter at www.delightincruelty.com) Yuzuki pumps pure adrenaline into Sole's heart and watches his heart blow up in front of her. Gruesome stuff, but quite entertaining.

Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?

- Very chaotic. This is our world with more of a look into minds that are different from your own. Miranda is a vampire hunter that struggles with not having any kind of money. So even though she is a superior being, she hates it because she spends all of her time and energy hunting and has nothing in return.
Yuzuki is a very disturbed mind. She is the one that is most different from others. If you've ever been angry enough to completely let yourself go, that is just the first stepping stone to becoming like Yuzuki.

With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alone?

- The books do slightly build on each other. Alkin from the first book was a man who took advantage of vampires. He comes back in the second and is reintroduced.

Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?

- Haha... Well...
I took a lot of features from myself and exaggerated them or flipped my features and gave them things that I do not have. Vincent is calm, patient. I'm... not. Yuzuki, however, is extremely blunt. I am blunt, but not to that extent.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? How do you deal with it?

- Around chapter six, I hit a brick wall. Instead of sitting there trying to figure out what should happen next, I jumped into Yuzuki's past. When I came out of Yuzuki's past, it was like a breath of fresh air and I just picked up exactly where I left off.

Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?

- Weird quirks, yes. Pertaining to writing, I dont think so. I do have to have a drink next to me, the lights dimmed, or off and a friend to bother that I finished a chapter. (Maybe a little quirky.)

Do you write in different genres?

- I could... but like I said. Normal is too boring for me. I don't want to be normal, nor do I want to be in that boring world. Give me a fantasy land to escape to. That's what I want.

Do you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?

- Err... No? Not likely...Maybe? Possibly? Most likely... Yes. (Let me live in my fantasy world!)

When did you consider yourself a writer?

- After I had my first sale. That was exciting. I sent my family a copy and my uncle called me and said "I hear we have a writer in the family." I giggled.

What are your guilty pleasures in life?

- ...Do I have to tell you? Lol. I like to go to the mall and people watch. They do odd things! The young girl with her boyfriend who's blabbing his ear off and he's so not listening. Or the older couple that you can tell have been together for so long. He holds the door and kisses her hand. Oh how sweet it is when he looks at her! ... Maybe I'm a lot more quirky than I thought. NO MORE QUESTIONS!!! Okay, a few more.

Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?

- I don't just write stories. I write poems, songs. I love to play piano (at a beginner level) and sing. I love to do theater make up and make it look like I'm dead or dying. I'm very good at special effects make-up. Check out my myspace or facebook pictures for proof.

What was the last amazing book you read?

- Night by Elie Wiesel. I cried from beginning to end. I finished the book and was still crying after. (A story of a teenager in the concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald.)

Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?

- I curl up with a blanket my mom made me when I was twelve and a warm cup of chocolate. I make the house freezing cold so it can feel like winter. (Unless it is winter.)

What can readers expect next from you?

- I'm plan on publishing the second of the Delight in Cruelty series and then taking a break from that to release a story I've had an idea about for the past few years. That's for a later interview though.

Where can readers find you on the web?

www.Geatriz.com, www.delightincruelty.com, or even just myspace or facebook. I accept everyone.

Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?

You can read the first chapter at www.delightincruelty.com, however, this excerpt is a little later in the book from Sole's perspective. It gives you a better idea of exactly what kind of torture this immortal is put through.

- "This is concentrated adrenalin. It takes very little to effect someone's heart and little more to cause serious side effects, such as death." She pulled out a small needle and filled it half way. She injected me. I felt my heart beating harder. I started to tremor and my hands were balled into shaking fists. I felt excited, angry and scared. I wanted to run, fight and have sex all at once... and then it started to fade.
I was breathing heavily. My body felt exhausted and sore. Soon that was gone, too. Yuzuki dabbed my forehead with a cold washcloth. 'She's very good at pretending to care,' I thought, but said nothing. She pulled out a bigger needle. As she got closer, I saw the structure was longer, thicker. Was she determined to make me scream?

Yuzuki filled the needle as much as she could and looked down at me. "Try to keep breathing." Her face was stone, careful and careless.

The needle was suddenly deep in my chest and slowly she pushed the adrenalin into my body. I felt my heart stopping and starting. My body was trying to reject this poison. It was like fire pulsing through my body. I felt organ after organ fighting to stay alive. I couldn't breathe and then I could. Every muscle was tensed up as my body started to shake. My eyes went blurry and I couldn't hear anything.
I felt sweat falling over me. I screamed. I screamed and screamed. I felt the pressure in my chest building and the pain was growing unbearable. I looked over to see the only comforting thing blurring to nothing. I saw pain in Yuzuki's eyes. It was all gone.

"Sole..." was the last thing I heard.


x x x


The adrenalin blew up my heart with so much pressure, it blew out of my chest... Damn it! That was painful.


Giveaway Time
Geatriz has offered to giveaway2 signed copies of Delight in Cruelty
2 readers will win
Open to US Shipping
To enter leave a comment and your email

Entangled Will Be At Coffee Time Romance

[image error] Event #1

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What: A COFFEE TIME ROMANCE CHAT with Entangled Authors

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When: Tuesday Evening, AUGUST 2, 2011 at 9EST (8CST / 7MST / 6PST)

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Where: CLICK HERE TO JOIN Coffee Time Romance (it's free!) and to friend us

Hope you will join us!

Then, as if that's not enough, on Friday, August 5th, we'll be running a majorly exciting contest over in the Forum section of Coffee Time Romance. Did we say CONTEST? Read on…

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Event #2

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What: AN ENTANGLED SCAVENGER HUNT

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When: Friday, AUGUST 5th, all day long. Scavenging begins at 10 AM EST (9 AM CST / 8 AM MST / 7 AM PST)!

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Where: CLICK HERE TO JOIN Coffee Time Romance (it's free!) and to friend us

The Grand Prize: Everyone who participates in our super fun Scavenger Hunt (details at the Live Chat on the 2nd!) over at Coffee Time Romance on the 5th will be entered into a drawing to win a BRAND NEW KOBO eREADER!!!

Come to the Live Chat on the 2nd to learn more!

Break out by Nina Craft Tops the BooksonBoard Bestseller List 2 Weeks in a Row

So I just had to share the news- Nina Croft's Break Out is topping the bestseller lists.
Woo hoo!
Check this out from a BooksOnBoard Press Release:
"For the second week in a row, Nina Croft's new release--a paranormal, sci fi, and romance blend titled Break Out--has not only topped BooksOnBoard's romance bestsellers lists, but outsold all other BooksOnBoard bestsellers as well" said Mindy Erickson, BooksOnBoard's Merchandising and PR Project Manager. "This accomplishment is especially impressive when taking into account the other bestselling titles that Croft's competed with. What's more, Break Out is an early release by a groundbreaking new publisher, Entangled Publishing, which will officially debut its exciting array of ebook titles on August 2. If Break Out is any indication, Entangled Publishing clearly has big things in store for readers and authors alike"
As a publicist for Entangled I currently have several authors that I handle publicity for- Nina is one of them and she was chosen as the early release pre-launch author to represent just a taste of the wonderful books Entangled will be releasing.
Entangled officially launches August 2 with a great bunch of books- many are paranormal and urban fantasy genres which you are sure to enjoy.
Check them all out at www.entangledpublishing.com