Jocelyn Modo's Blog, page 11

Manic Monday Speachless

Manic Monday again and today I need my little bit of weekly therapy more than ever:

I have nothing to say. No, not true. I just don't know how to say it. I should mime. White gloves. Annoying gestures that mean everything and nothing from a mute who's moot point takes my words away. I'm left with "if's, than" that lead to insecurity, fear that I could talk myself out of if I could find the words.


Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
www.jocelynmodo.com

Angelfall by Susan Ee

[image error] Surprise: Angelfall outshines several books I received from big NY pub houses to review this year.

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, Book 1) by Susan Ee was a surprise, not only because it's tagged as YA, making me believe it was going to be another Twilight wannabe with an angel twist (yes, there have been many), but also because it comes from a small pub house (which I suspect was created specifically to pub Angelfall). These facts combined have equaled unreadable to mediocre books up till now, and while the opening is a little bumpy--the author choosing to drop the reader into after-world instead of before-world, making it difficult to find my footing--once I adjusted to Ee's world the story took off on wings as lovely as those belonging to the fallen angel Raffe's.

The characters have depth, likability (I know that's not a word but I'ma use it anyway), and are given their moment to shine...all except the little sister who we only catch a glimpse of at the beginning and end so that she comes off as more of a caricature than a full-bodied character.

I mention the little sis only because the lead character's quest is to rescue her, which makes her an important emotional element that was missed. Yet despite this disappointment, the author skillfully takes us on a journey with two characters who are easy to bond with and even easier to want to see succeed.

The end has a lot of wonderful fireworks and big BANGS that are satisfying, and there are enough strings left tangled to make me happy to recommend this book.

Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
www.jocelynmodo.com

Time Well Spent With Bella Marie

All my Meta Modo grrls please welcome Bella Marie! Author of some lovely erotic tales, she's here to spend a little time with us...some time definitely well spent talking about:

"The Amazing World of Independent Writers by Bella Marie"

As with all worlds, real or imagined, there are good people and there are those that really need to work on their people skills. Perhaps it is the balance of good vs evil? Of course it could always be that they really got up on the wrong side of the bed, slipped and fell and nothing has gone right since. For whatever reason people are grumpy, mean spirited, rude, unkind, or whatever negatively descriptive word you would like to throw in there, everyone has an off day, even me :O)

I decided to go on tour with my book through BK Walker with the Virtual Book Tour Café and this in my last blog for the tour I have been on for a month now. I have met some really wonderful people on this tour as well as have had the pleasure of knowing before I went on tour. I have also met some really grumpy people from every aspect of my writing experience. I would like to sing the praises of a few people that I have met, who have helped this rather new writer who is getting use to trying to promote my work in this crazy world of self-publishing.

[image error] For those of you who have read my blogs as well as interviews, I am sure it won't surprise you to see my mentioning Martin Sharlow author of several books, including Chronicles of Blood. He is the one that inspired me to publish my books in the first place, giving me some much needed advice. Between him and his daughter Shanda Sharlow, author of Jenni for one, they have been my inspiration. I am a huge fan of their writing as a reader. Their work stands very well on their own but I wanted to give them a thank you for all they have done to help me along the way. I would also like to heartily thank anyone who have or will purchase my books, I am beyond honored.

When my tour started, BK was wonderful, set up my tour very quickly and with some great people. There are some that went completely out of their way, exceptionally nice and helpful. I completely appreciate each and every single one of them! I had the pleasure of going onto Katie Salidas's website for an interview and in doing so; I was able to read one of her well-loved books, House of Immortal Pleasures. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it. She is an inspiration for my next book; she was so very genuine and kind to me.

The Golden Pen Review, Kiki Howell from Authors by Authors, (totally love her concept of authors helping authors!), CJ Black from CJ Black Satin, Sally at Bibrary Bookslut, Miranda from My Eclectic Bookshelf, Kari  from the TBR Pile and last but not least, Jocelyn Modo who so graciously decided to host my last tour when someone else wasn't able to do it… I thank you all for being so kind to me!

Now I would like to thank all those wonderful writers over at Indie Writers Unite! I discovered this wonderful group for writers on Facebook that made my first experience with really grumpy people seems so very isolated! I could go on and on mentioning the wonderful people that I have met on this site, sharing their wonderful books, helping each other in this confusing world of self-publishing, (at least confusing for me :O)

The first person who welcomed me and I got to even comment on her new book title which was fun, is Melissa Smith. She is so very kind, always commenting on things, letting people get to know her. Mike Cooley not only was kind and welcoming but he shared his idea of putting music with his poetry. I have never been a huge fan of poetry but I love the one that he shared along with his song that he wrote for it. I am very impressed. I could go on and on naming people but it would take a very long time. I will be continuing this subject on my personal blog for those who don't mind a shout out as well so if anyone would like to comment on the idea that would be fantastic. I look forward to reading so many new books! I am reading Shanda Sharlow's Jenni at the moment but I will get to all those others too.

There are some amazing people, books and music out there that I truly hope that those who haven't taken a chance on an Indie author like me and the people that I have raved about, so you don't miss out on something wonderful!

Happy Reading!
Bella Marie

*****How about some exciting explicit adult erotica for the nights by the fire, or maybe in the bathtub with a glass of wine? Alone or with a friend, spouse, or lover, this almost 31,000 word, 15 total short stories are sure to warm you up even if you don't have a fireplace! With no names in the stories it is easy to imagine yourself in the adventures, enjoying right along in the fun.

Here is an idea of what you will find in this adults only book….

The New Beach House

A contractor builds his dream home on the beach. He is very excited to share it with the woman that he has fallen in love with. He surprises her by taking her out to see the finished home and propose to her as well. They end up enjoying a wonderful day of lovemaking both inside the new home, and outside in the waves on the secluded beach.

Friends
Two friends get together for a hot night of passion. They meet up at a bar and go to her house where they enjoy some intense self-pleasure as well as backdoor fun. They shower together at the end of the story as they continue into the next story.

Dinner Out
The two friends decide to go out to dinner at a Mexican Restaurant. They sit in a dark corner pushing the limits of exploring sex in public to see how far they can go without being caught.

A Night to Remember
A married couple enjoys experimenting with mild bondage and she has decided that she wants to really enjoy herself when her husband gets home. She gets all ready, complete with a new outfit, ropes on the kitchen table, and a tray set up with hidden toys. It's her turn tonight and she bought a wonderful new large toy just so she can find out how far she can push him.

Surprise Meeting
A woman is surprised while shopping by an old friend that comes up behind her. They end up going to her place for a night of intense sex with a little spanking to go along with it.

Other stories include stories about friends, as well as total strangers enjoying a variety of pleasures that are sure to inspire most interests. There is also a lesbian story where they are joined by a man to make it threesome enjoying amazing pleasure at a waterfall; a story on a cruise ship, and 10 more explicit adult erotic stories.

Happy Reading!

Bella Marie

Bio:
Bella Marie - Born May of 1966. Lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, is a single mother of two grown children and one pre-teen. Favorite places include the beach, and any body of water which inspires her to write explicit adult erotic stories. She started writing stories for friends about 15 years ago who liked them so much, they encouraged her to publish them. She didn't follow their advice until she became friends with an Indi Author, Martin Sharlow who encouraged her to publish them, mentoring her on how to do it while watching him become a successful author. She is working on her third series at the moment.

~~~~

A pleasure having you on Meta Modo Bella Marie.

Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
www.jocelynmodo.com

Twin Excerpts Day: "My Life As A Dog" and "Undercover Trouble"

Time for two short excerpts from two new books! Check them:
BLURB:
MY LIFE AS A DOG: DrakeMartin is a unique shape shifter. Instead of transforming into a ferociousanimal, he morphs into an eight pound Yorkshire terrier. Six year old KadyHartley rescued him from an animal shelter. As "Precious" he was her "bestest friend" for twelve years, leaving when she started college. Ten years later they cross paths. He's a PI; she's FBI. Continuing to keep his abilities secret from her, he follows Kady as she pursues a case. Accompany them on an odyssey to New Orleans investigating human traffickers and watch the fur fly. To protect Kady, Drake remains in the shadows. For her sake he putsaside his loner life and accepts protection and assistance of the local shifterpack under its leader, the Sufi. The pack and Drake soon discover theyhave a common cause, leading to a bloody confrontation with the Russian humantraffickers. During the adventure, will Drake and Kady rekindle their loving friendship orwill it become much more?

EXCERPT

"He's a Yorkie, a Yorkshire terrier, according to our vet's examination, a purebred and in perfect health. Clean him up and he will be beautiful." Unhitching a leash from the wall, she lifted me from the cage to the floor. "Yorkies are a popular breed and live a long time. Your daughter will be able to grow up with him." Winking at me, because I had her eating out of my paws since Monday, the volunteer added, "See how he prances around. Yorkies are so full of spirit. I just love this one to pieces. I'd take him home myself, but we already have two cats and two dogs. My husband would leave me if I brought home another pet."

Four feet tall, sandy hair, blue eyes, and a breath smelling of lemon drops nodded, making up her mind. "He's the one I want."

That's how my life changed in a split second. I'm Drake Martin, part-time hit man, most of the time private eye, lover, and shape shifter. This is the story of my life as a dog and the little girl named Kady Hartley who changed it forever.

After botching my last gig, I cleared out in a hurry with the sheriff hot on my trail. A local drug king pin had hired me to assist one of his dealers from the burdens of this life and into the next. Another dealer, who knew of the plan, rolled on us to lighten a pretty big distribution charge hanging over his head. The king pin split to Colombia without telling me about the trap set by the local minions of the law. To get away, I morphed to animal form. In that kind of situation, nobody pays attention to a scruffy little dog skulking along a shadowy wall. While a passel of confused cops addressed their two-volt, one cylinder deductive powers to the problem of how I slipped their trap, I put as much distance between us as my five inch legs could cover. A couple of blocks later, I felt good about my chances, only to turn a corner and damn if I didn't run into the town's dog catcher who immediately spotted the lack of collar and tags around my neck. In recent years my once lightning getaway had lost a step and no amount of terrier squirming or snarl could break his expert grip. Cooling my heels in the cage on the way to the shelter, I realized, with rising terror, that I was in my worst fix in over a century of life and regretted not morphing to human form to send this hyper-conscientious nimrod to his eternal reward.

While other shape shifters turn into formidable critters like wolves or bears, I become an eight pound Yorkie. It is a mixed blessing. I'm not worth shit against another shifter, but except for diligent public servants of the animal control department and women, I attract only casual attention. No one perceives me as dangerous or threatening, and the girls love me to pieces. At least it's better than my friend Paco in Long Island who becomes a chipmunk.

The little girl named Kady and her family represented my best chance to escape. I knew the shelter's rules. After a week as a guest of the city's taxpayers, a sad little man euthanized the unfortunate creatures not adopted. As a last resort, I could return to human form, but not while in the suitcase-sized cage. The collar they fitted around my neck also presented a problem. The expansion of my neck as I turned to human couldn't break it, and it'd nip off my head before I could slip out of it. When out of the cage, I was never alone, even in the dog run. If they removed the collar, imagine the staff's shock at discovering a six foot naked male in the dog run. After recovering their senses, they'd cart me off to a psych ward, with little chance of escape. The drugs administered there mess up morphs. Once I teamed with other shifters to spring one of our own who came out unable to morph for months, as well as not knowing what year it was. That's how I met Paco.

Clearly, adoption represented the better way out.

I ratcheted up my charm, best puppy eyes along with a surfeit of face licking. As usual, it worked.

On the drive home, held in the arms of an energetic if not hyperactive six-year-old, I thought about older females and their interestingly different embraces. Adult females, when I'm in human form, entice me to do naughty things to their bodies. Now, I sat on the lap of a considerably younger one. My stubby tail wagged in a blur while an alert face on the other end flirted outrageously with anyone who glanced my way. The gaze of blue eyes, like marbles, washed over me. In that moment, I felt the stirring of a connection with a human unlike any other. After a few minutes she hugged and kissed me with unabashed love the way little girls do with their prized dolls.

"Kady, don't get so close until we clean him up," Mom gently admonished from the front seat. "You don't know where he's been."

"What are you going to name him, honey?" Dad asked.

Profiled by the windshield, his head was a tan blob with sandy hair plastered across it. I remember hoping she wouldn't choose a stupid name like Fido or Charlie. No offense to any dudes with those names, but after all, I was a purebred and all male. I deserved a manly name befitting my proud and feisty, if diminutive stature, maybe Killer or Spike.

Kady held my face in a pair of small chubby hands. Her infectious smile, one I came to know well, melted me to slush. Gaps showed where two baby teeth had been. In another place the crown of a new tooth peeked above a gum. With a loving gaze, she looked deep into my eyes and softly said, "I think I'm calling you Precious."

Featured beginning today on:
http://rawiyaserotica.blogspot.com/2011/05/cynthia-and-mike-arsauga-creating-my.html

Book Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADvZ1EEN21U

Cynthia Arsuaga Erotic Romance Author
http://cynthiaarsuaga.weebly.com | http://mikearsuaga.weebly.com

~~~~~

Undercover Trouble - a sensual romantic suspense  
Excerpt:"I'm fed up! What do you think, Spooks? Should I go over and give the rider a piece of my mind? It's early for his nightly trip; he's probably going out again at his usual time."The small terrier-mix looked up. His amber melting gaze had won Jen's heart and coerced her into choosing him from a pathetic batch of dogs. His adoring watchfulness wasn't calming her heart this night. Spooky appeared to know what she meant though, because he glanced toward the other cottage and plunked his gray, curly-haired body on the top step.
He wagged his tail at the prospect of excitement."Okay. Wait `til I get a flashlight."Rather than take the road, Jen chose a shortcut through the trees.
The brambles clawing at her arms irritated her further. At the back of the log structure, she rounded the tail end of the contraption causing such a flurry in her life. In the dim light from the cottage's
windows, she noticed the Harley-Davidson logo in relief across the gas tank. The red of the letters matched the fury between her temples. She stifled the urge to knock over the gleaming black machine.
Jen rapped three times on the front door, then stooped to push Spooky's enthusiastic paws off her legs. The door jerked open to leave her staring at a pair of huge scuffed leather boots. She took her time
straightening up to consider her best approach. By the time she confronted him, her face had heated as though she'd stood too close to steaming coals in a sauna. Her brain hissed a warning. Spooky
plopped down his bottom and stared at the human towering above him.
"What do you want?" the deep, raspy voice boomed.
She ignored having to look up so high to meet his eyes. "I have a problem, otherwise I wouldn't be here.""Your car broke down?" After giving Jen's figure a lecherous once over, the man stepped past her to the edge of the porch and peered down his pitch-black driveway.She glanced in at the cozy, pine-walled interior and noted a loft overlooking a stone-faced fireplace. She turned, and with the inside light now illuminating him, swept her eyes over his brown shoulder-length shaggy hair and scruffy beard. He looked like something from a Werewolves R Us TV show. Two gold earrings glistened from one ear lobe, adding to the glimmer of three chains that dripped
from his neck. His tanned, wind-worn cheeks made it difficult to judge his age, but she suspected he was at least a couple of years older than her own thirty-two. Jen stiffened her backbone."I live next door. I should have said, `we' have a problem.""We do?" His eyebrows lifted."Your motorbike is wrecking my evening's peace. The noise wakes me up when you return.""Hold it right there! It isn't a motorbike! It's a Harley-Davidson. Motorbikes are for pussies."When she noticed his size, she intended to remain calm and controlled, but his tone made her want to throw flames. "To me they're all the same because they have two wheels and an engine that rumbles loud enough to wake the dead. Is it necessary to rev up when you ride past my cabin? Do you have to be coming and going at all hours of the night? Some people like to get a good night's rest, you know."The hulk checked his watch and scowled. "It's not bedtime yet.""It's not right now, but my point is that you'll probably come past later. That's when I'm asleep or trying to sleep. And that's why I'm here now, to..." Damn. She was babbling. She didn't need to explain."What's that thing at your feet, a mop?"She looked down at Spooky sitting meekly beside her. Some enforcer he was. "That's my dog."

Suddenly, Jen wondered what on earth had possessed her to be so foolish. She'd come here alone and angry at God-knows-who. She had to learn to keep a tight rein on her temper.
The aftermath of her last outburst was the reason she'd come to the lake in the first place.
"He's not much of a dog."Temper be damned. She scowled and said, "Well, he's not a pussy, either. You didn't answer my questions about revving up your engine when you pass my cottage."
"I wasn't aware I was revving up anything." The Neanderthal peered down at her, then scrutinized the darkness. "Want to come in and discuss this?""No!" She shivered. "Look, I don't want to be a pain. I just want you to be more considerate and keep the noise level down."The neighbor stepped onto the six-inch high threshold and stretched his arm to the doorjamb, facing her. A heavy drift of body odor invaded her nose, forcing her to move back. Her eyes flitted along the
football-player shoulders attached to arms so firm and thick his tee shirted short sleeves had to stretch tight to enclose them. She was thankful his sleeves hid his armpits; the thought of seeing a nest of
hair under each arm was enough to make her puke.
A sarcastic smile glided across his tightened mouth. "It's hard to quiet a Harley. They're made to rock your world."
 Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
www.jocelynmodo.com

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

River Marked (Mercy Thompson, Book 6) does not disappoint and is absolutely worth cost of the hardcover book. Mercy is at the top of my top ten list of kick ass female protagonists. She strong, independent, and super powerful without coming off as a comic book superhero. Mercy has flaws and bad moods and losing battles...but never the war.

After the love triangle between Mercy, Sam, and Adam in previous books, River Marked finally gives some good old fashioned romance between Mercy and Adam, the man/werewolf she's chosen to love. The reader finally gets to see the two of them spend some real quality time together to build their relationship, taking it to the next level.

I know what you're thinking: what about all the great action of the other books? Don't worry, just because Mercy and Adam are side-by-side for most of the book doesn't mean there isn't lots and lots of ass kicking with Mercy right there on the front lines.

While some of my grrlfriends have complained about the absence of some of their fave characters in River Marked, I thought showcasing Mercy and Adam's relationship by taking them away from the big cast of characters worked perfectly at this point in the series because, let's face it, Mercy and Adam wouldn't be able to spend all the quality, romantic time together if the gang was with them. Besides, the gang will be there in the next book and the next...

The second best part of River Marked (after all the romantic junk between Mercy and Adam) is that Mercy's heritage and her mysterious father is explored--not fully, but enough to wet your appetite. That's the thing with Briggs, she always knows how to make you want to come back for more.
























Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
www.jocelynmodo.com

Manic Monday Vintage Romance

Ok, grrls, it's that time again. Manic Monday and I'm inspired by "vintage romance" today for my freewrite:

Our vintage romance redefined history, a mystery woven through time like a demonic rhyme to make magic. How tragic, the feeling when your gone. Was I wrong to leave you, Big Ben? Should I have held your hand as time pulled me ever forward, my vintage romance, a future trend. Not true love: A glove that doesn't quite fit, pinching my fingers, leaving my wrist exposed to the cold winds of time. Out of place. Out of time. Out of habit of being in love. I watch the wheels turn in your mind. I hear the tick, tick, tick as you calculate, timing your trap. Love has nothing to do with what we have. You give only as much as you must. I cannot trust you with my heart. Our vintage romance should have stayed in the past where it belonged.

Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
www.jocelynmodo.com

Guilty As Charged by Anna James

[image error] Guilty As Charged by the amazing Anna James is now out and it's a fun one! Get lost in a world filled with passion drama and romance! Guilty As Charged, the first book in the Bradford Sisters Trilogy, is now available from Sugar and Spice Press.

Check out the book trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZQCpU1fApE

Blurb:
Passion ignites between Nicole Bradford and Max Paradis the second they lay
eyes on each another. Nicole seems to be everything that Max is looking for in a woman. She's sweet and loving and incredibly sexy. But looks can be deceiving. Hadn't he learned that the hard way?

Nicole is crazy for Max. He is sensitive, caring and his kisses are to die for. But when secrets from her past are revealed will she be found innocent or is she Guilty as Charged?

Excerpt:
The door to Reed's office burst open, crashing against the adjoining wall. Reed looked up. Nicole turned to see who had made all the noise. Max stood in the opening, a thunderous expression on his face.
"Well, big brother, what can we do for you?" Reed queried in a casual tone.

Max didn't answer; he just stood glaring at Nicole.

"M–Max, you're home early."

"Surprise," he said sarcastically.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Reed asked.

Instead of answering, he strode into the room and stopped in front of Nicole.

Suddenly, she was on full alert. She noticed the large manila envelope in his hand. The letterhead on the front made her sick with shock.

"Care to explain this?" he drawled, his tone at odds with the aggression emanating from every fiber of his being.

"What is it?" Reed asked a confused look on his face.

It was what she feared most. Legal documents, containing, no doubt, her arrest record and everything else about that horrible incident that had happened so long ago.

"Well?" Max asked ominously.

Nicole couldn't speak. What could she say? It was all there in black and white.

After several moments of electrifying silence, Max turned his attention to Reed. "Are you aware you've hired a convicted felon, little brother?"

"I am not a convicted felon."

He turned toward her. "I stand corrected, you were never convicted, however--" Nicole made to speak, but Max overrode her efforts. His attention was on Reed again as he continued. "As I was saying, are you aware that you've hired a drug smuggler?"

Reed's eyes opened wide and Nicole cringed in her seat.

She shot to her feet. "That's enough.  You know nothing about what happened."
"Oh, you're ex-lover Carlo was more than happy to tell me what happened when he met me at the airport this morning. He told me what you're really like. You present this sweet, innocent facade to the world, but these--" He picked up one of the documents that lay strewn across the desk and threw it at her. "These tell the truth about who you really are."

"Max, you can't be serious. There's got to be some mistake."
"There's no mistake, little brother. See, she's not even going to deny it."

Nicole glared at him, furious now, her body shaking with anger. "You think just because..." Her voice trailed off.  She threw her hands in the air, a gesture of defeat, and then slumped into her chair. What was the use in trying to explain?  He wasn't going to believe her. No one had believed her before. No matter how hard she had tried to convince them that she was innocent of any wrongdoing. She stood again and addressed Reed. "You'll have my resignation on your desk tomorrow morning. I'm sorry."  

She turned and walked out the door with her head held high.
~~~
You can visit Anna James at: http://annajames1.wordpress.com/ |  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001402819536

Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
www.jocelynmodo.com

Call for Submissions: A Wicked & Wanton All Hallows Eve

Following is a call from Gina Kincade, co-owner of Naughty Nights Press (NNP), which are a new e-pub, launching this month. Royalties and contract information are posted at:
http://naughtynightspress.com/royaltiesandcontracts.php

Call for Submissions

"A Wicked & Wanton All Hallows Eve" ebook anthology
Publisher: Naughty Nights Press

Deadline: August 31, 2011
Payment: Royalties are 80% net to the contributors and one complimentary ebook copy.

Got a unique, hair-raising, spine-chilling, bizarre or darkly haunted story laced with wicked, shameless, kinky, impassioned, earth shattering and mind numbing sex? Ghosts, gobblins, witches, werewolves, vampires and other worldly creepy critters that like to go bump-de-hump in the night.
Short stories with a paranormal element, halloween party masquerade, haunted house or simply a spooky, ghoulish theme and loaded with sizzling sexual escapades and encounters of the other world kind. Special consideration given to: f/f, f/f/f, m/f/m, or other ménage combination or those with a fetish theme.

2500-7000 words, 12 point times new roman, single spaced, 1 in margins. (no extra spaces or returns)

Save file as: YOURLEGALNAME_TITLE_HalloweenTheme.doc

Send as a .doc attachment (not .docx or rtf) with "Halloween Theme" as the subject line to: submissions@naughtynightspress.com with the following information on the first page of the manuscript:

Legal Name, pseudonym (if applicable), title of the story, word count, and short synopsis.

Include: A 50-75 word bio, written in the third person and link to your website or blog.

Royalties are 80% net to the contributors and one complimentary ebook copy.

Deadline: August 31, 2011

Acceptance Notification by September 30, 2011

Release Date: October 30th, 2011

Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
www.jocelynmodo.com

The Story of Vampire Blood

Please welcome guest blogger Kathryn Meyer Griffith to Meta Modo to talk about:
The Story of Vampire Blood Author's Revised Edition by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
A rerelease of my 1991 Zebra paperback romantic vampire novel out from www.damantionbooks.com on July 1, 2011.
In 1990 or so I'd just got done releasing my first three paperback novels with Leisure Books, a romantic historical (The Heart of the Rose 1985) and two romantic horror books (Evil Stalks the Night, 1984 and Blood Forge, 1989), and because I wasn't making much money on them, was looking, as most so-called restless young authors were doing, to move up in the publishing industry.

So I wrote snail mail letters to three established authors of the day – Dean Koontz, Stephen King and Peter Straub – asking for a little advice and a little help. What do I do next? I want to be one of the big dogs running in the big races. I want to make the big bucks. Be famous like you. (Ha, ha. I was so naïve in those days!)

Well, Stephen King and Peter Straub never answered my letters but one rainy fall night I got a phone call from Gerda Koontz (Dean Koontz's wife) and she said Dean had gotten my letter and wanted me to have a name of a brand new agent who I should call or write to and say I was recommended by him. If I thought it strange that Dean Koontz himself wasn't actually talking to me I was told by Gerda that he was a shy man and had had a particularly hard couple of months because of family problems (I think it had something to do with his father in a nursing home or something, but can't exactly recall now) and he'd asked her to call me. She often did that for him, as well as helping him with the business side of his writing career. He (through her…and I got the impression that he was actually nearby telling her what to say the whole time) said I had to have an agent (I didn't have one) and then he gave me the name of an ambitious one, Lori Perkins, just starting out and his advice on what I should do to advance as a writer.

I do remember being incredibly touched that he, a famous busy novelist that I admired – I loved his Twilight Eyes – would take the time to talk to me, even through his wife. They were both so sweet and we talked for nearly an hour all about writing, books and everything.

I took their advice and contacted that agent and she agreed immediately to represent me on my fourth book, Vampire Blood, no doubt, because I said Dean Koontz had recommended her to me. Name dropper! But Vampire Blood was the reason I'd contacted those famous authors in the first place. I thought it was the best book I'd done so far and wanted it to go to (what I thought at the time) would be a better publisher than Leisure Books, which contracted and hog-tied their writers with a horrible 'potboiler' one-size-fits-all ten year contract with low advances and 4% royalties. Yes, I got a whole whopping 14 cents a book in those days, but, I must confess, they did print thousands of paperbacks each run and had a huge distribution area. I thought I could do a lot better. Anyway, Lori Perkins wanted me to send her the book and she did like it and eventually sold it, and then three others zip-zip-zip right after, to Zebra Books (now known more as Kensington Publishing) at 6% royalties and double the advances I was used to getting. They slapped a sexy blond vampire with a low dress on the cover and a hazy theater behind her. Lovely colors. I thought it was an eye-catching cover. I was so happy. I thought I'd made it! Again, so naïve.

Vampire Blood. A little story about a family of vicious killing vampires who settle in a small Florida town called Summer Haven and end up buying and fixing up an old theater palace to run, and pluck their victims from, and a divorced, down-on-her-luck ex-novelist and her hard luck father, who along with friends, help thwart them.

Now to how and why I wrote it.

My husband and I lived in this small Illinois town, Cahokia, at the time and there was the neatest little hole-in-the-wall theater in a nearby shopping center we used to go to all the time…run by a family of a sweet man, Terry, and his wife, Ann, and sometimes their three children, two teenage boys and a girl named Irene. Such a friendly, but odd couple. The run-down theater was their whole world it seemed. The kids helped take in the tickets, pop the popcorn and sell the candy snacks.

Now the minute Terry and Ann found out, in one of our earliest conversations, that I was a published novelist they were my greatest fans. Terry went right out and bought all three of my books and they all read them. Terry always thought they'd make great movies. Next time my husband and I went to the little theater Terry and Ann greeted us like old friends, so delighted to see us, and refused to take a dime from us for anything. We got in free whenever we went from then on. Now in those days my husband, my son, James, and I were pretty broke. I worked as a graphic designer at a big brokerage firm in downtown St. Louis (across the Poplar Bridge from our Illinois town) but my husband was in between jobs. We lived on a shoestring. Hard times. So I always was so tickled that we could get into the local movies for free. We went a lot, too, as we loved movies, especially science fiction and horror films.

One night I was watching Terry and Ann and their joy in running that little theater, with the kids bustling around doing their jobs, and I got the idea for Vampire Blood. Just like that! Use them and the theater as a backdrop for a vampire novel. Hey, wouldn't it be neat, I off-handedly mentioned to Terry one night, if I wrote a book about a family of vampires that was trying to pass as a real human family, the man and woman wanting so badly to fit in and lead a normal life for a while, renovating and then running a theater together…but the kids are wild and, as kids always do, make trouble for them in the town…killing people? Terry loved the idea and I asked him if it'd be all right to use him and his family as a template for the vampires. He was thrilled to be part of anything to do with my books and said yes. So…I wrote this book about them (sort of), the theater (making it much grander than it was, of course), a small town terrorized by cruel, powerful vampires who can change into wolves at will….and a saddened lonely woman, her brother, and her ex-husband (who she still loves and ultimately ends up with again after he saves her life) who finds herself again, but loses a lot, as well, fighting these vampires. Vampires she doesn't believe in at first.

I was very happy with the book when it was done and dedicated it to Terry and Ann when it came out in 1991. Terry and Ann were thrilled, too.

So Vampire Blood came out and did very well for me, second only to my Zebra 1993 Witches. As the years went by it went out of print and when, twenty years later, Kim Richards at Damnation Books contracted my 13th and 14th novels, BEFORE THE END: A Time of Demons and The Woman in Crimson, she asked if I'd like to rerelease (with new covers and rewritten, of course) my 7 out-of-print Leisure and Zebra paperbacks – and I said a resounding yes!

So…here it is…Vampire Blood…twenty years later, alive again and better, I believe,  than the original because my writing then was done on an electric typewriter, with gobs of White-Out and carbon paper (I couldn't afford copies), using snail mail; all of which didn't lend itself to much rewriting. And in those days, editors told an author what to change and then the writer only saw the manuscript once to final proof it. Who knew what those sneaky editors were slipping in in-between and before the final book was in an author's greedy little hands. Hey, and I was working full time, raising a son, living a life and caring for my big extended family in one way or another, too. Busy, exciting, loving, happy and sad times.

For this new version, Damnation Book's cover artist Dawné Dominique made me an astonishingly intriguing cover of a lovely vampire (Irene the youngest vampire who turns out to be the most brutal and ancient in the end)…but, thank goodness, without the low sexy top. And my DB editor, April Duncan, helped me make it a better novel.

A lot has happened to me and my family in these twenty years, as well. Both my parents, and my beloved maternal grandmother, the storyteller of her generation, have since passed away. Many people we used to know have. Old boyfriends, old friends and relatives. I miss them all! I no longer have that agent; she went on to bigger advances and bigger writers. I lost my good job at the brokerage firm, bumped around in lesser jobs for years, always writing in my spare time, and now, at long last, write full time while my husband works way too hard in a machine shop to support us.

Rewriting the book brought back so many good memories…and tears over those no longer here. The theater closed sixteen years ago, the owner believing it'd served its purpose and used up its time. Terry and Ann, heartbroken, were never the same. They had other jobs, none they truly cared about. Ann is still with us, but Terry died a few years ago, I heard from someone. We lost contact once they stopped running the theater and we moved from Cahokia to a nicer town miles away.

But I'll never forget those early days and the stories that came with them. Days of high hopes and far distance future dreams…some of which have come true and some which haven't. I've never made the big bucks, never gotten truly famous, but now, at long last and to my great delight, all twelve of my older books, from Leisure, Zebra, and The Wild Rose Press are being rewritten and reissued from Damnation Books and Eternal Press between June 2010 and July 2012. Better than ever after I'd rewritten them. I have plans to write more books and short stories, too, when they're done. Most importantly, I'm living a good life with a husband I adore and brothers and sisters I love. Writing the stories I was born to write and happy I am. I have my memories. All in all, I'm a lucky, lucky woman.

So, all you writers out there…never give up and never stop writing!

~Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Vampire Blood Blurb:
For years the vampire family lived in the shadows, hidden by the night and people's disbelief; feeding on animals or throw away people who would never be missed. But as the family moves into an old theater, and uses it to cover up their crimes, the youngest of them are restless and determined to live as they like. Recklessly. Killing and feeding when and where they want. Feeding on who they want.

Only the parent vampires have managed to keep them in check. But no longer. Unaware of the night stalking menace, the townspeople of Summer Haven, Florida, blithely go about their daily lives until, one by one, they begin to disappear. Screams are heard in the night. Fear grows. The lost are never found…alive.

But Jenny Lacey and her father, who are hired to renovate the old Grand Theater, can't escape when they find themselves caught up in the middle of the vampire's war. And, in the end, it's up to Jenny, her brother, Joey, and her ex-husband, Jeff (who she still loves and reconnects with in this novel…happy ending there), to get rid of the bloodthirsty fiends that are destroying their town…if they can.

About Kathryn Meyer Griffith:
Kathryn Meyer Griffith has been writing for nearly forty years and has published 14 novels and 7 short stories since 1984 with Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books and Eternal Press in the horror, romantic paranormal, suspense and murder mystery genres. Learn more about her at MySpace, Author's Den, FaceBook, or Bebo.




Here's a list of all her published novels and short stories:

Evil Stalks the Night (Leisure,1984; Damnation Books, July 2012)
The Heart of the Rose (Leisure,1985)
Blood Forge (Leisure,1989; Damnation Books, February 2012)
Vampire Blood (Zebra, 1991; Damnation Books, July 2011)
The Last Vampire (Zebra, 1992; Damnation Books, October 2010)
Witches (Zebra, 1993; Damnation Books, April 2011)
The Nameless One (short story in 1993 Zebra Anthology Dark Seductions (Damnation Books, February 2011)
The Calling (Zebra, 1994; Damnation Books, October 2011)
Scraps of Paper (Avalon Books Murder Mystery, 2003)
All Things Slip Away (Avalon Books Murder Mystery, 2006)
Egyptian Heart (The Wild Rose Press, 2007...out again from Eternal Press in August 2011)
Winter's Journey (The Wild Rose Press, 2008...out again from Eternal Press in September 2011)
The Ice Bridge (The Wild Rose Press, 2008...out again from Eternal Press in November 2011)
Don't Look Back short story (2008...out again from Eternal Press in 2011)
In This House (short story 2008...out again from Eternal Press in 2011)
BEFORE THE END: A Time of Demons (2010)
The Woman in Crimson (2010)



Kathryn Meyer Griffith websites:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=1019954486
http://www.jacketflap.com/K.Griffith
http://www.shoutlife.com/kathrynmeyergriffith
http://www.goodreads.com/profile/kathrynmeyergriffith
http://romancewriterandreader.ning.com/profile/KathrynMeyerGriffith
http://romancebookjunction.ning.com/profile/kathrynmeyergriffith

~~~~~
Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
www.jocelynmodo.com

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Love, light, and laughter!
Jocelyn Modo
www.jocelynmodo.com