Denise Verrico's Blog: Immortyl Revolution, page 5

Carl Hose on Why the Zombie Apocalypse Looks Good/Free Ebooks Download

Welcome back, guys and ghouls!  Keeping with this month's Halloween theme, Carl Hose will talk about the appeal of Zombie Apocalypse stories.  
Carl was here in July to talk about his fundraising anthology DarkLight.  You can find a link on the sidebar.  All proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Today, Carl has graciously offered several free ebooks to readers!  Read his post and find out how to download them.  


[image error]Get this book free!  Link and coupon code at the end of the post.
We live in a world where mass shootings, baby killing, and child molestation are running rampant. You can’t turn on the news without several of these stories hitting you in the face. Maybe it’s always been this crazy, or perhaps it’s just that the Internet and social media allows us to see more of it. Whatever the case, there is a lot of insanity in the world. So much so that even horror fiction has a hard time keeping up.
It used to be that horror fiction was horrific. There were depraved stories, scary stories, and brutally twisted stories created by horror writers that actually scared people. This is getting harder for horror writers to accomplish. Competing with real life can be one hell of a challenge. Writers have to go to more and more extremes to turn readers’ heads (or stomachs) because real life has gotten so gruesome. Mothers and fathers killing their children, kids shooting their classmates, priests molesting children—this stuff is hard to compete with. Don’t blame real life on horror writers, blame horror writers on real life. We only mimic what we see.
People are jaded. The most horrific events, unfortunately so, roll off our backs. We’re becoming immune, and that is a sad thing. Not that we condone the violence that surrounds us in real life, but we accept it. Not only do we accept it, but we accept it in many cases without even giving it more than a cursory thought.
Personally, I’ve never been one to blame real life violence on art. I don’t believe listening to Ozzy Osbourne can cause you to commit suicide, unless of course you’re already predisposed to killing yourself. Likewise, I don’t believe reading a book about serial killers or watching a slasher movie will send you on a bloody rampage. Blaming real-life violence on art is a cop out. This is how parents avoid taking responsibility for not raising their children properly.
Art simply imitates life. Hell, some of my best ideas are inspired by real life.
We live in a world where a zombie apocalypse looks good. A zombie Apocalypse, in fact, looks preferable to most of the horrors that we see every day of our lives. At least we stand a fighting chance with the walking dead. At least we can outrun them.We can’t outrun the violence that surrounds us every day of our lives. We can’t hide from the psychos and the rapists and the child molesters. All we can do is try to expose the, and that is, I believe, part of what horror fiction does.
Yeah, the zombies don’t seem so bad in the face of all that, now do they?

Carl Hose is the author of the anthologies "Deadtown and Other Tales of Horror Set in the Old West," "Fematales," "Fematales Supernatural," "Dead Horizon," the zombie novella "Dead Rising," the crime fiction novella "Blood Legacy," and the erotic anthology "Pornocopia."

Carl's work has appeared in the zombie anthology "Cold Storage," which he co-edited. His work has also appeared in "DeathGrip: It Came from the Cinema," "DeathGrip: Exit Laughing," "Loving the Undead," the erotic paranormal anthology "Beyond Desire," the "Book of Tentacles," "Through the Eyes of the Undead," "Silver Moon, Bloody Bullets," and Lighthouse Digest magazine.

Carl's poetry appears in the zombie poetry anthology "Vicious Verses and Reanimated Rhymes."

Carl's nonfiction has appeared in Writer's Journal and the horror film essay anthology "Butcher Knives and Body Counts."

Carl also edited and published the "Dark Light" anthology to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Website: www.carlhose.netFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/carl.hose?ref=tn_tnmnTwitter: https://twitter.com/Carlhose
Giveaway Books!
Carl has offered several books as a free giveaway!  These books will be free for one week on Smashwords!  Go to Smashwords and search for the titles shown below.  The codes beside the titles must be put in at checkout.  Hurry!  This offer ends on 10/11/12.
Deadtown and Other Tales of Horror Set in the Old West   code: YQ32K
Fematales (erotic horror collection)  code: KQ67E
Fematales Supernatural (erotic horror collection)  code: LC68K
Dead Horizon (zombie anthology)    code: VY77B
Dead Rising (zombie novella)    code: YV48A
Blood Legacy (Jack the Ripper crime novella)    code: LF84M
Weird Horror and Other B-Grade Tales (strange horror anthology)  code: DQ22F

B. K. Walker Halloween Gift Basket Giveaway and Steamy Excerpt from To Love A Wolf

Greetings lovers of all things Halloween!  Today, my guest is B. K. Walker.  she's offering a rafflecopter giveaway for a Halloween Gift Bakset so read on and enter!  Also, she is revealing an excerpt from her steamy upcoming novel, To Love a Wolf.

Thank you for having me back Denise! I always  love visiting your blog and we have so much fun J.  As a Halloween Celebration, I will be giving away a Halloween Virtual Gift Basket consisting of Kindle Gifted Copies Halloween Kid Friendly Recipes by Meg Phillips, 35 Halloween Recipes For The Faint Of Heart: Recipe Ideas for Halloween Parties, Dinner and Appetizers by Jean Pardue, a To Love A Wolf   Wall Paper, and 3 of my books – Night Secrets, Immortyl Kisses: Warrior Rising, and Dares and Dreams . I will also offer  5 of your readers a chance for their choice of title above in PDF format. Plus, for those of you that haven’t heard, we opened Virtual Assistant Services at our Sister Site - Café Creations. We are specializing in Authors, and if you’re an author in need of research, book promotion or need help with social media management, I will give you one hour of free services when you book a VA.
Okay, I’m done ranting, now on to my post haha!Halloween! I absolutely love Halloween! I always get so excited for October, simply because it gets my Muse ignited. There are so many stories that go with Halloween, like The Headless Horseman, Jason from Friday The 13th, Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street, Michael from Halloween. *Squee*
Okay, I’m a horror movie buff!What’s not to love though? You get your creepy crawlies, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and my favorite part…when the creepy music plays and you know something is about to happen and you still jump! Ha! You know you do it too lol.So what kind of stories does my Muse throw at me this time of year? Stories are just buzzing through me. Here is what you can expect from me for future releases:The Quarry Murders (Due Out Next Year with Final Title)– believe in ghosts? What if you were a medical examiner and ghosts spoke to you all the time? One ghost stands out though, and you must help them discover how and why they died. Will it be serial killings, a cult? Hmmm.


To Love A Wolf (Due Out December 2012)– what if you didn’t know you were a wolf, and suddenly thrown in to be an Alpha, the only way you know,  is via your dreams? You have 3 days before the full moon to figure it all out before you transform and lead a pack you know nothing about! Not to mention you’re engaged to be married. (No, this is not the blurb)

Excerpt from To Love A Wolf *Adult Content*:I lay on blood red silk sheets, the room dark except for the eery shadows that danced in the candles glow. A low, deep gutteral growl rang in my ears, almost too quiet to be heard. Trying to move to see where the noise erupted from, I realized my hands were tied to the bed posts. I tugged harder thinking I might break free, only to find the ropes tightening around my wrists. Bile started rising in my throat as panic set in. I had no idea where I was. I could feel my heart pound in my chest like a jackhammer and I shook my arms in a last attempt, and hope, at freedom. Without seeing anything in the room with me, I became still as the pain seared through me. Looking down at my chest, blood started oozing out of the four wide gashes that now lay open and I stared, too in shock to move or say anything. Was that a claw mark?“You will be still my love.”I startled, squinting my eyes to make out the figure that slowly moved up my body from my feet. From the shadowy glow, long silky brown hair tickled my bare legs. For the first time, I noticed I was completely naked. What the heck was going on?“I have chosen you for my mate love. You will share my gift and we can be together for eternity.” Slowly she continued to move up my body, now seductively licking my thighs.My body was betraying me, my manhood rising to the warmth of her tongue. I watched as deep golden eyes now stared back at me. She had to be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Her skin was flawless and white as cream. Those golden eyes glowed seductively while her hair flowed beautifully around her face, revealing high cheek bones that lead to full, plump lips. She continued with circular motions of her tongue, now teasing me to a full erection. The pain could no longer be felt as my loins took over.“Ah yes. You will be the perfect mate. I'm so glad to have found you, and lucky. On the full moon love, we will be bonded forever.” She licked the tip of my cock, slowly sliding those luscious lips down my shaft.My eyes closed and my head fell back, a moan escaping me. I knew in the back of my mind I should be scared as hell, but I couldn't help the pleasure that flooded my senses. I felt like I was falling into oblivion, falling...falling...falling.

Now if I could bother your readers for a vote…Which cover do you like best?

         



Thanks for the help everyone! I can’t wait to see your votes!
Poll Code:
Hope you all have a GREAT Halloween! Don’t eat too much candy and don’t watch too many Horror films to give you nightmares!





a Rafflecopter giveaway

About BK Walker:Jack of all trades, master of none. BK Walker is first and foremost a mother and a wife. With three beautiful children and a wonderful husband, she enjoys her days living on their farm in Eastern Pennsylvania. When she’s not writing, she manages her time organizing virtual book tours for other authors, and helping her husband as a consultant in their jointly owned business. Putting most of her time into research, BK is always seeking for the most effective ways to market and promote books and business alike. Art is a secondary love, and you may often find her sketches popping up on one of her blogs, or simply catch her reading the magic created in the pages of a great novel. Who knows, it just may be yours.
Connect with BK Walker:Website | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Twitter | Goodreads | EmailVirtual Book Tours:Website | Blog | Facebook |Twitter Virtual Assistance:Website | Facebook | Twitter Consulting: For Business, Marketing, Construction, & Indoor Air Quality Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email
A very big thanks to B. K!  Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter for her prizes!

Tomorrow, my guest is Carl Hose.

Halloween Feature Kicks off With Femme Fatales/Giveaway

Happy October to all!  This month I have several guests and neat posts pertaining to Halloween and all things supernatural, magical and scary.  Of course, Cedric will be up to his usual mischief on Sexy Saturdays.  To kick things off, I have a little something on femme fatales.  


Femme fatale is French for "deadly woman".  A femme fatale is a mysterious, seductive woman, who uses sexuality and cunning to trap lovers in compromising or dangerous situations.    She is both villain and anti-heroine in literature and art. In mythology and folklore she is often ascribed supernatural or demonic powers and called such names as enchantress, seductress, vampire, witch, or demon.
In literature, we see examples of the femme fatale archetype in characters such as Becky Sharp in Thackeray's Vanity Fair, Carmilla, Sheridan Le Fanu's titular vampire, Hilde Wangelin The Master builder by Ibsen, Salomeby Oscar Wilde and La Belle Dame Sans Merci and Lamia by poet John Keats.  Gosh, you even see one Mia Disantini in my own book Cara Mia.I find it interesting that the word “vampire”, in one of its meanings, describes a woman who exploits and ruins men, perhaps this is part of what inspired me to write Cara Mia, although I take a somewhat more feminist look at the archetype, portraying my heroine as a woman who was hurt and exploited by men, who becomes empowered and independent of their sway.  In much of today’s urban fantasy, particularly in the darker variety, we see a variation of the femme fatale in the “kick-ass” heroine.
The femme fatale was a standby in film noir classics such as The Maltese Falcon, Gilda and The Postman Always Rings Twice.  And who can forget Kathleen Turner in the eighties film, Body Heat or Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct? Glenne Closestarred in Fatal Attraction, the film that gave us a more psychotic, stalker of a femme fatale, spawning the term “Bunny Boiler”.


Mythology has its share of femme fatales, I’d like to share of few examples with you today:


Lilith- In Jewish mythology, Adam had a wife prior to Eve, who was not created from his body, but at the same time, independent of him.  Lilith was willful and disobedient, my kind of gal.  She refused to submit to Adam and to lie underneath him during intercourse.  One day, she ups and leaves her bewildered and frustrated husband.  Adam calls upon the almighty to complain about his lack of feminine companionship and three angels, Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof, come down to earth to search from Lilith.  They find her on the shores of the red sea, copulating with demons and giving birth to demonic children.  She refuses to return to Adam and she warns them that she was created to take the lives of newborn children born into the world. (Although where these children came from doesn't seem to be explained).  The angels persuade her to not kill any infant, who wears an amulet inscribed with their angelic likenesses or names.  Up until the 19th century, people used these amulets to protect pregnant women and newborn children.
Lilith is most likely derived from a Babylonian Goddess, but there is some question whether her story may have come out of India, due to the her name being similar to a Sanskrit word for “lotus”,  a symbol of the yoni or female genitals.
Sirens were woman often portrayed with the bodies of birds and said to have enchanting voices.  Depending on the source of the mythology, Greece or the later Roman myths, they would either sit on an island in a meadow or river, or on rocky islands in the sea.  There they would sing their seductive songs and lure hapless mariners to their doom.   There are differing stories concerning their number, some say two, some three and yet other accounts name up to five.  They figure prominently in Homer’s Odyssey.
Lamia is the name of a beautiful Libyan queen, who legend says, became a demon that devoured children.  She is sometimes shown with a serpentine tail, and is given snake-like qualities in the John Keat’s poem bearing her name.Later the term lamia came to mean a class of female demons that were succubus or vampire-like.  The plural for the term is lamiae.  My heroine, Mia, is often called, La Mia, by her punning Immortyl kinsman Philip.
Wila (sometimes Veela, Vila or Willi) are nymphs or spirits found in trees, clouds meadows and bodies of water, who can create storms.  They are sometimes described as lovely, pale maidens that waylay male travelers by coercing them to dance with them.  Sometimes this is a pleasurable experience for the male, but it is often fatal.  They can shape-shift, turning into swans, falcons, wolves or snakes, and they are also fierce warriors.  In some tales, wila are maidens who died of a broken heart and exact revenge on men.  Wila are the willis in the ballet, Giselle, and related to the swan maidens in Swan Lake.  More recently, they are seen in the Harry Potter series as the Veela.  A major character in the series, Fleur Delacour, is part Veela.
It’s certainly interesting to look at these myths from the perspective of female empowerment.  There is a common thread in these stories of female sexuality being dangerous, something that must be resisted and controlled.  However, the way I look at it, femme fatales are based on fear and misunderstanding of female sexuality. 
But femme fatales sure make fun literary characters!
Thanks for joining me today!  I’ll be sharing more about femme fatales in later posts. 
Contest:  If you leave a comment, I’ll draw one name to win a free ebook (epub, mobi or PDF) of Annals of the Immortyls.  The first of the three tales in the book, feature my heroine, Mia Disantini, in the role of femme fatale in a story called, A Gentleman’s Wager.

Sexy Cedric: Steam up your autumn nights with a how...

Sexy Cedric:  Steam up your autumn nights with a howling-good read!


Greetings my darlings!  Happy autumnal equinox to my pagan friends!  Now that autumn is here, your naughty boy is back with something to help take the chill out of these longer nights.  Something with warm, silky fur and delicious sharp fangs.  No, it's not this playful tiger.  This sort of beastie howls and scratches when the moon turns full.  Okay, I've done my share of that for a vampire.

So, let me turn the spotlight on a sexy new confection from the always delightful, Katie Salidas.

Good girls don’t wear fur, or fight over men, and they certainly don’t run around naked, howling at the moon.
But then, no-one ever called Fallon a good girl.
As a human unofficiallymated to an Alpha werewolf, Fallon is being pressured to “become”...or be gone.
Her mate Aiden, the interim leader of the Olde Town Pack, is in a position that demands he either choose a wolf mate...or leave the pack forever. No matter how hot the sex with Fallon is, he can’t ignore centuries of tradition.
Become a wolf or not. If only the choice were that simple. Fallon’s options are further clouded by the overt presence of other females desperate to be the Alpha’s mate. And when these bitches get serious, it’s not just claws that come out. If Fallon wants to keep her man and take the title she’ll have to exert a little dominance of her own.
You can read Ms. Verrico's review here.

I like the sexy blonde, Fallon, on the cover.  In fact, she'll be here in the coming weeks to talk with me...and hopefully more.
You can learn more about Moonlight and follow Katie Salidas at these links:
http://www.katiesalidas.com/
Facebook 
LinkedIn

Twitter 



Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkins off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.  And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.
Monthly Giveaway!This month, I'm giving away an author-signed mini poster of the Annals of the Immortyls cover.  Please leave a contact e-mail and comment to enter! I'll also add a personal message and surprise gift!


That's all for today, my loves!  The authoress is at the Horror Realms convention in Pittsburgh, PA, and she needs me to make the party lively.
So until next time,
Love and Dark Kisses from your sexy Scotsman,
Cedric MacKinnon
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Your Host with the Most
Cedric MacKinnon
Adept of the Ancient Arts

Werewolves and Love Bites, a Review of Moonlight by Katie Salidas

Review MoonlightA Novella by Katie Salidas





Moonlight by Katie Salidas is a companion novella set in the world of the Immortalis urban fantasy novels.  In this spin-off, the story centers on Fallon, the loyal friend of Alyssa, the vampire heroine in the novel series. 
Fallon, girlfriend of werewolf alpha, Aiden, finds herself smack dab in the middle of a power struggle that not only threatens her relationship with her lover, but her very life.  Learning that Aiden’s pack will not accept her as his mate unless she makes the transition from human to werewolf, Fallon is faced by a momentous decision: Should she risk her life to run at the side of her alpha wolf lover, or retain her humanity and give him up?  Add to that the rivalry of Diana, a female in the pack, who has a personal vendetta against Fallon, and a delicate web of pack politics that the still-human Fallon must negotiate. 
I found the novella a quick and enjoyable read, just the sort of thing for curling up by the fireplace on a chilly autumn night.  Romance fans will be appreciative of the heat generated by Fallon and Aiden, and urban fantasy fans will enjoy the paranormal elements that Salidas skillfully weaves through the tale.  The werewolf sequences are interesting and exciting, and we see a nice growth arc in Fallon’s character, from gal pal sidekick of vampire Alyssa to savvy leading-lady of her own saga.
So, pour yourself a nice glass of wine, light the fire and hope that your mate will be there to reap the benefits when you’re finished with this steamy and satisfying read.






This Saturday, Sexy Cedric will be back with an excerpt and more on Moonlight!  

Steamy Excerpt from Sexy Cedric

Greetings my darlings!  Summer is the perfect time for wearing a little less and getting a bit steamy.  So, in view of this, I've posted a saucy tidbit from my latest adventure, Servant of the Goddess.  It's from my darling Mia's point of view.  I do hope you enjoy it.


In the shadow of the parking garage, Cedric turned to me, wearinghis infuriating half-smile. “But what about us?”“There is no us,” I said.His tone suggested torrid nights between the sheets.  “Something sacred happened last night on the roof when our bodies touched.”“I don’t need to tell you the effect you have on people.”“You’re the earthly manifestation of my Goddess. I’m consecratedto your service.”“No, you’re my employee. I pay you for driving me places.”“That’s not what you said up there. You said we were a team.I seem to remember something about cutting our enemies intobits so small that even cockroaches couldn’t find them.”“I did say that.”The weird green lights filled his eyes. “I’m your beast of burden,your tiger mount.” His hands landed on my shoulders. “Tellme you’re content to be Kurt’s consort.”“I love Kurt.”“I don’t doubt it—but he must yield to you as I have.”That crazy-talking, sexy mouth strained toward mine. Asmuch as I wanted to kiss him, I pushed against his chest. Hebacked me up against my black Mercedes. His body bent overmine, the tips of his fangs grazing my carotid artery. Long fingerstraced my curves from top to bottom, awakening sensationin every nerve. I melded against him, enjoying the feel of leanmuscle pressing against me.Who exactly was yielding to whom?I made a halfhearted attempt to pull away. “Quit. This is crazy.”“Take my essence.”It was maybe fifty degrees in that garage, but he stripped offhis shirt. I’ll admit that I panted when he revealed a torso smoothand graceful as Grecian sculpture.“I’ve been called here for a reason, Mia,” he insisted. “Wehave great work to accomplish together.”“Yes, we have a nightclub to open on October 31st. That givesus five months. So let’s put the shirt back on and get to it.”“We’ve got to consecrate our bond.”“Do you hear how you’re talking?”“You spoke to me in her voice up there.”“It was just a trick my master taught me.”A growling sound came from the adept’s throat. He hoistedme up onto the hood of the Mercedes. His warm, wet mouthworked its way down into the hollow of my breasts making atravesty of what was left of my resistance.“Cedric, this is kind of a tacky a venue for a consecrating act.Don’t you agree? Maybe we should get a room or something.” My protests didn’t deter him. Speaking became more difficult withall the panting I was doing. “At least…let’s get inside the car.”He raised his head. “We should do this naked under themoon, but we can improvise.”Lithe arms scooped under my thighs. I burrowed my face intothe hair falling over his shoulder, breathing in the pheromone.His silken lips teased my throat. That was it. My back arched, andmy pelvis worked against his. I drove my fangs into the hollowabove his clavicle. He gave a sharp cry. My lips wrapped aroundthe wound, and a warm gush bubbled into my mouth. Burstsof color and light filled my consciousness. Climax after climaxrocked my body.Screams intruded on the ongoing wave of bliss, but theyweren’t from me.Cedric pulled away and scanned the air. “Christ, what is that?”I collapsed against his chest. “You’d better go see.”Cursing, he set me down and took off in the direction thesound, pulling on his shirt as he ran. I straightened my clothingand sprinted after him, wiping his blood from the corner ofmy mouth.

So do Mia and I ever fully consummate our sacred union?  Well, I'd be remiss in my duties as an adept if we did not, but to read all the yummy details, you'll just have to get the book.  I do hope you will.  I'd love for us to be more intimate friends.


Until next time,

Love and Dark Kisses,

Cedric MacKinnon

Denise Verrico Book Signing 8/18 at Eljay's in Dormont, PA

I'm signing books at Eljay's Used Books as part of the Horror Realms summer series.
Follow this link for more info!

http://dormont-brookline.patch.com/articles/eljay-s-books-to-host-horror-genre-book-signings

Hope to see you there!

Left Handers Day, August 13th - Official Site

Left Handers Day, August 13th - Official Site

The Write Time: Blog Ring of Power Interview with Denise Verrico P...

The Write Time: Blog Ring of Power Interview with Denise Verrico P...: We finish our five part interview with Denise Verrico here at The Write Time. If you haven't been following her interview here are the ot...

Alyse Carlson's The Azalea Assault Tour

Today I'm pleased to welcome mystery author Alyse Carlson! (AKA Watery Tart, Hart Johnson)  She's going to share some tidbits about her new novel, The Azalea Assault. I can't wait to get my copy!  


Giveaway:  You can enter to win a paperback copy by leaving a comment on this post.  Winner will be chosen by random drawing.  Deadline to enter is 8/2/12 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Please leave an email adress or url, where you may be contacted. 


In addition, all commenters will get a free copy of my ebook of vampire shorts, Annals of the Immortyls.




Vice Through A Character Filter

First I wanted to thank Denise for hosting me as part of my book release blog tour!  I really appreciate being here!  I thought, since the world Denise has created is largely immersed in decadence and pleasure, that maybe I'd explore what a few of my characters thought on the matter.

Camellia Harris (Cam):  Cam has been a rules-follower most of her life. She prefers moderation, doing what she's supposed to, and hasn't drawn outside the lines much until very recently. She has a best friend though, who drags her into some social shenanigans. And of late, there seems to be some need to bend the rules where snooping and information collection are concerned. Probably her biggest vice is a relationship with the truth that can best be described as 'spin'... it isn't that she lies... but there are certainly exaggerations, omissions and euphemisms involved. She also is quite the control freak...

Annie Schulz:  Annie would look at a person asking about vice and say 'no such thing'. She is a live-and-let-live girl who figures if nobody gets hurt, it's nobody else's business. She's been Cam's best friend for more than twenty years and looks at it as a personal challenge to get Cam to loosen up regularly. She likes rich food, strong beer, handsome men and seeing what she can get away with. Life is meant to be lived with no safety net. Because she doesn't believe in vices, it's safe to say she has none.  Sort of.

Rob Columbus: Rob is Cam's hot, athletic, sports-reporter boyfriend and looks at most of life as an athletic event... and athletic events have rules that need to be followed, but if a person can outplay somebody within the rules, that is worth a lot. The real life equivalents of stealing bases?  All good. In fact he's done a fair bit of just that—first shown in The Azalea Assault when he 'scoops' the murder story. He is on scene for other reasons and gets the story in before the crime reporter even knows there's a story.
Petunia Conroy: Cam's sister. Petunia has turned perceptions on their head with a reverse snobbery, so mostly she forgives real vice and the things she considers vice are things like being educated, attractive or wealthy. She has a very hard time forgiving people for holding these vices and doesn't keep her opinions to herself very well—drives Cam a bit crazy, considering who she works with.  As for her own vices? If a person were to look up prickly in the dictionary, they would likely find a picture of Petunia.

Samantha Hollister:  One of Cam's Employers, Current President of the Roanoke Garden Society. Samantha embodies the blue-blooded status snobbery, only with a gin twist, so she's more fun. Samantha would find vice in failure to be born to the right people, though if a person is charming enough, she will forgive them and give them a step up. She is wealthy, status-oriented and makes very strong cocktails

Nelson Harris:  Cam's Dad... and babe magnet extraordinaire... Nelson is sweet and has a self-deprecating charm that soon has earned the attention of all the women in the room over a certain age. It's not his fault. It's just how he is. Fortunately he also is one of the best dad's around, so it's easy to overlook.

I guess my point... (there was a point?) is it can be really fun to play with how different people draw the lines of right and wrong.  Do you identify with any of these guys?  Have any quirks somebody else might call vice?

The Azalea Assault
Cam Harris loves her job as public relations manager for the Roanoke Garden Society. It allows her to combine her three loves, spinning the press, showing off her favorite town, and promoting her favorite activity. She's just achieved a huge coup by enlisting Garden Delights, the country's premiere gardening magazine, to feature the exquisite garden of RGS founder, Neil Patrick. She's even managed to enlist world-famous photographer Jean-Jacques Georges. Unfortunately, Jean-Jacques is a first-rate cad—insulting the RGS members and gardening, goosing every woman in the room, and drinking like a lush. It is hardly a surprise when he turns up dead. But when Cam's brother-in-law is accused and her sister begs her to solve the crime, that is when things really get prickly.


Alyse Carlson is the pen name for the author some of you may know as Hart Johnson. She writes books from her bathtub and when she isn't writing, does research for a large, midwest University or leads the Naked World Domination Movement (your choice).
Links
Barnes & Noble Paperback or NookAmazon Paperback or Kindle

Confessions of a Watery Tart