Cindy A. Matthews's Blog, page 14

Happy Independence Day... Here's a short video to re...

Happy Independence Day... Here's a short video to remind you of what the flag means to many Americans.(Enjoy your holiday and be careful out there in the heat and dry conditions.)

Hot Summer Nights and Cool Prizes!

Welcome to the Hot Summer Nights Erotica Bloghop!
 
Hot damn! Pardon my "French" (great pun coming from someone with a French pen name, right?) but it sure is hot enough to boil the balls off a brass monkey in these parts. Yes, I'm purposely rewriting a famous cliche, "It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." However, it's over 93 degrees F. with a ton of humidity as I write this blog, so that monkey's brass balls are definitely boiling!

But enough monkey business... You're here today because you love to read erotic fiction, am I right? Great--I like to write erotic fiction. We're a match made in heaven! I've been writing about sexy vampires, kinky time travellers, extremely naughty space pirates, randy cowboys, horny housewives, lust-filled teachers and even a fairytale princess with a thing for public sex and threesomes for a while now, so I'm sure our reading tastes have a lot in common.

Now that I've completely clouded the issue at hand (rain clouds with a break from the heat?) it's time to introduce some of the wonderful gifts you can win in the Summer Nights Bloghop this week.
 
Grand prize winners can win one of two prizes. The first is a "Digital Erotica Gift Basket" with over 40 hot erotic titles. (My very own BRANDI WHYNE AND HER INCREDIBLY EROTIC ADVENTURES: Chapter 1--Captured by Space Pirates is one of those ebooks, too.) If that doesn't melt your Kindle or Nook into a puddle, nothing will! Or you could win a $100 Gift Card to Eden Fantasys adult toy shop. All right! You definitely will be in "heat" when you get a look at what all they have to sell. ;-)


From yours truly, you get your pick of one of my erotic-romance ebook titles, up to and including my latest vampire erotic-romance BLOOD BETRAYAL...


Blood Betrayal A Kindred Vampire Tale
http://www.extasybooks.com/blood-betrayal     Vlad, Leo, and Sofia form a love triangle with a bite and the spilling of blood...
 

Vampire Vlad Drakul has found the love of his...existence... in the beautiful and intelligent businesswoman, Sofia Martinelli. But is the sex-loving vixen all who she appears to be? 
 
Leo Van Helsing cherishes his family's "calling". Perhaps a bit too much. He'll see the heinous blood-sucker dead, and he's not above using others to obtain his goals--even if it kills them.
 
One fatal night in Istanbul will change Vlad's afterlife forever. Can he abide a Blood Betrayal?

You can read an excerpt at my Celine's Dreams blog. Read a longer excerpt at Goodreads.
 
To enter my contest drawing and the grand prize drawing prizes, all you need do is leave a comment at my blog in the comment section below. What kind of comment should you leave? I'd love you to comment on which one of my books intrigues you the most... Tell me why you find it interesting to you personally and why. Simply click on the tab above marked "Books by Celine Chatillon" where you can read a short write-up for each of my books if you're not already familiar with them. From there, I leave it to you how much you want to tell me about why you chose that particular story. Get as personal as you like (or not), but I have a feeling we're all going be on a very intimate basis after this Bloghop is over and done with. (Whew! It sure is hot in here! Wherever did I put that fan?)

Don’t forget to leave a comment below and then visit the other red-hot author sites for more chances to win some very cool prizes. And please, feel free to become a follower of my blog and befriend me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest and wherever else I may be hanging out on the Web. (Links on the right sidebar.) I love making new online friends. Good luck! :-)


 

Find more photos like this on WANATribeComing soon--The H...

Find more photos like this on WANATribe

Coming soon--The Hot Summer Nights Erotica Blog  Hop! Loads of terrific prizes and books will be given away by more than 90 authors. It all starts on June 20, so keep it tuned here!

Sparkly or Non-Sparkly--You decide!

 

In all the recent hub-bub around Dark Shadows the movie, it got me wondering: How do modern readers see vampires?


Are they "lost souls" who were damned eternally and long to become human once more?


Are they "blood-suckers" who hunger for blood and the thrill of the hunt and will do anything to satiate their thirst?

Are they aliens from another world with a taste for rather odd cuisine?


Are they characters from a fantasy world that includes pixies, sprites and fairies? (In other words, do they sparkle like Tinkerbell in Disney's Peter Pan?)


Can they cross flowing water? Can they see their reflection in a mirror or glass? Can they abide crucifixes and crosses? 


Do they have to "rest" in the daylight hours or can they venture out into the sun, provided they take some extra precautions with their delicate skin?


Since I just signed a contract for my next vampire erotic-romance BLOOD BOND, I'm curious. I want to know how readers view the entire vampire experience. Please share your viewpoints in the comment section below. You might even see one of them incorporated into my next vampire tale. Thank you.

At last--"The End"!

At last I've finished a manuscript that I started a few months back and all I can think or say is "Whew!"

I don't know if it's age or stress (probably the later), but my poor brain doesn't work as efficiently as it once did. But I persevered and kept writing... I kept writing while we traveled 8 1/2 hours one way, back and forth from my mom's several dozen times to check up on her and help her settle into her new assisted living home. Finally I typed "The End" to BLOOD BOND. Exhausted, I couldn't wait to send the file off to my publisher to join its "sibling" in its series, BLOOD BETRAYAL.


Then I had to fill out how the "back cover blurb" for BLOOD BOND--sheesh! I'm barely coherent and now I have to sum up the story in less than 50 words? All right, I'll do it! I gave it a shot, but I'm know it went a bit long. Here's what I wrote:

Edwin Carstairs travels to Liverpool out of duty only to discover desire in the arms of the wildly sensual Ophelia Jones and her darkly exotic employer known simply as Hamlet. When a vampire hunter threatens to destroy Hamlet, the three lovers’ blood bond is tested. Will Edwin be able to save his Kindred sire and return home in time to see the 1904 World’s Fair?

What do you think? Would you be interested in reading this book if you read this blurb? Is it missing something? Does it give too much away? Please give me your honest feedback in the comment section below. I sincerely appreciate your help.


After all, my brain feels sprained. It can use all the help it can get! ;-) 
 (Keep it tuned here, folks, for the release date for BLOOD BOND, book two in the Kindred vampire series.)
P.S. Here's a Goodreads reader's review for BLOOD BETRAYAL that I forgot to post until now. Can you say "brain dead"?

Loved the book. I read the whole thing in 2 days. Had me hooked . For me it was a very surprise ending that I didn't see coming. Loved the characters especially the character of Vlad. It is definitely a reread again for me in the future...

  --MicheleAnn O., reader

Thanks, MicheleAnn! I appreciate the feedback. :D 

RIP Dear Vampire Man...

Jonathan Frid was the perfect vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic TV daytime serial Dark Shadows. No one can replace him. He was intensely sexy, charismatic, dangerous and charming all at the same time.


Jonathan died on Friday the 13th at the age of 87. Looking back, I realize now that he was in his forties when he appeared on Dark Shadows from 1966 to 1971. No wonder I find middle-aged men sexy!


I'm not ashamed to admit that the character of Barnabas Collins was my inspiration for my hero Val Drakul in my best-selling novel, Help I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door. There was a sense of vulnerability about Barnabas that was irresistible. He couldn't help it that he'd been turned into a vampire--it was Angelique the jilted voodoo witch's fault. He struggled with his blood thirst while he struggled to find love and happiness. It was the makings of the perfect tortured (yet strong and sexy) paranormal hero.


I was going to write more about the vampire tale I'm currently working on today, but my heart is breaking knowing my favorite vampire man is with us no more. Rest in peace, dear, dear vampire man.

You can win BLOOD BETRAYAL, the first title in my new Kindred Series

http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page

Hoppy Blog Hopping! Welcome to my first ever blog hop with The Blog Hop Spot. Please be kind--I'm learning as I go.

My giveaway is an e-copy of my latest release, BLOOD BETRAYAL. Available in multiple e-formats from eXtasy Books, here's a quick synopsis to whet your appetite: 


 
Blood Betrayal A Kindred Vampire Tale
http://www.extasybooks.com/blood-betrayal     Vlad, Leo, and Sofia form a love triangle with a bite and the spilling of blood...
 

Vampire Vlad Drakul has found the love of his...existence... in the beautiful and intelligent businesswoman, Sofia Martinelli. But is the sex-loving vixen all who she appears to be? 
 
Leo Van Helsing cherishes his family's "calling". Perhaps a bit too much. He'll see the heinous blood-sucker dead... and he's not above using others to obtain his goals--even if it kills them.
 
One fatal night in Istanbul will change Vlad's afterlife forever. Can he abide a Blood Betrayal?

Read an excerpt at my Celine's Dreams blog. Read a longer excerpt at Goodreads.
For more about the Kindred, my take on vampires, you can read my post at the Essence of eXtasy blog: http://extasybooks.net/essenceofextasy/?p=858
 
Currently in progress, the next Kindred tale entitled BLOOD BOND. In 1903, recent college grad Edwin Carstairs leaves home for England. There he meets Ophelia, a highly sensual young woman, and her employer, a darkly handsome man with a mysterious past who will change their lives--forever. 



 While trying to come up with a fun and original way to do a giveaway contest, I started thinking about the recent Mega Millions mania. Yeah, I'll admit that I bought a couple of lottery tickets. Neither one came close to the winning numbers, of course. Grr! ;-)

So what I'd like to do is give you several chances to win my book drawing while at the same time soliciting your help.  About a month ago I ran an online poll asking readers what they thought of the title of my humorous sci-fi/fantasy erotic-romance series BRANDI WHYNE AND HER INCREDIBLY EROTIC ADVENTURES. I thought for this blog hop I'd ask for your help in coming up new individual titles for books in my Kindred vampires series.

The first two series titles are BLOOD BETRAYAL and BLOOD BOND, so what other "vampire-inspired" titles do you think would work? Write your title idea in the comments box below along with your name and contact  email. (You can write it like nameATdomainDOTcom if you like.) For each title idea, I will give you "two tickets" in my book drawing. Yes, that's two chances to win!

 Even better, if you become a new follower of my blog (see Google follow button to right), I will give you yet another chance. And if you become a new member of my Facebook page (see link on right side), I will give you  another ticket. If you become a new friend of mine on Goodreads (see link button to right), another chance. If you join my e-newsletter group (link to the right), you can gain another chance. Get the idea?  Multiple chances to have your name drawn from one blog visit--how cool is that? (Hint, hint Mega Millions!) ;)

I look forward to reading your comments and title suggestions. Have a terrific weekend and enjoy the rest of the blog hop.

Celine
http://www.celinechatillon.com




P. S. If you can't wait for the drawing on Monday to receive a free ebook, email me with "Brandi Whyne free ebook" in the subject line, and I'll send you a PDF  of Outrageous Extended Excerpts From Brandi Whyne and Her Incredibly Erotic Adventures. What have you got to lose? To learn more about this wild and sexy series, check out Brandi's blog at http://brandi-whyne.blogspot.com

Do the Blog Hop this Weekend!

I'll be doing the "Bunny Hop" or should I say "The Blog Hop" this coming weekend, April 6 - 8. You can enter a drawing for a free copy of my vampire tale BLOOD BETRAYAL starting on the sixth. Details on how to enter the drawing will be at my blog on those days. After you visit my blog, you can "hop" on over to other authors' blogs and enter to win prizes/books from them as well!

Don't forget it all starts this Friday April 6 and goes until midnight on Easter day, April 8, right here at Celine's Dreams!

Have a terrific week and see you this coming weekend!

Celine
http://www.celinechatillon.com

The Blog Hop
http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

Fun Fangs, Book Titles and Other Miscellaneous Ramblings

It's been a while since I've updated my blog, so here it goes. :)


With the recent release of Blood Betrayal (two weeks earlier than I had been told previous), I've been all over the web doing my best to give it a proper send-off. This past weekend, I participated in The Romance Studio's St. Patrick's Day Party, and I gave away a copy of Blood Betrayal to reader Michele Ann. (Congrats, Michele!) I also got to read and comment on some nice comments from readers there. I haven't done many book giveaways in recent times, but if it looks like sales are doing well, I'll keep them up. I do enjoy reader parties, so if you know of any chats, loop parties or blog parties, let me know.


I've also posted a longer free excerpt of Blood Betrayal on Goodreads and have been joining some readers' and writers' groups there as well. So, if you've not befriended me on Goodreads yet, please hit the "big g" link to the right of the screen and join me. Thank you.


Now that I've started up a new series of vampire tales, I've got my own author page at The Vampire Book  Realm complete with very cool fun fangs with dripping  blood. You gotta love it! Check it out:
http://www.vampirebookrealm.com/celine-chatillon.html


Finally, I've decided what to do about the incredibly long (yet unique)  title for my humorous science fiction/fantasy erotic romance series, Brandi Whyne and Her Incredibly Erotic Adventures. I'm going to keep it as is. I know Brandi wasn't too found of the idea of changing it. (You can read her take on the issue at her blog of course-- http://brandi-whyne.blogspot.com/  . ) However, I think those who answered the poll pretty much said they thought it worked for them, so why fix something if it ain't broke, right? I do wish the sales would pick up on it, but possibly it's time to bring the series to a quick close.


Right now, Brandi is about to enter the court of King Ricardo the Party Pooper... and we're going to find out more about Scarlet Willie's shocking past (He's--eegad! A royal personage!) and Robin is going to encounter his former girlfriend once more, the beautiful yet cold Marian Maidenform. Things haven't quite come to a satisfactory end to the series, but perhaps they could be speeded up to end in a story or two. But what say you, dear reader? Should I start another poll to find out your preferences?


Hang in there, you'll find out. ;-)

P.S. You can see my photos from last week's Kawa Kon at my Facebook author page--hit the link to the right. Guaranteed to please Doctor Who fans. ;)

A small bite from BLOOD BETRAYAL

I admit it--I was totally caught off guard by my book's early release. I'll be blogging about the poll results from last week in a few days, but for the moment, here's a small bite from BLOOD BETRAYAL...

Blood Betrayal (A Kindred Vampire Tale)
by Celine Chatillon
ISBN # 978-1-77111-124-9

eXtasy Books
http://www.extasybooks.com/blood-betrayal-4/


She gently caressed his cheek, then wound her fingers through his shoulder-length black hair. "I don't want to go. I must go. I hope you understand."



"I understand."


The words came easily to him, but the emotions behind them did not. He wanted her to stay. For the first time in a millennium Vladimir Drakul felt close to a woman—to this woman. He felt more than just the hunger to satisfy his physical needs and…nutritional requirements. His brain had been engaged by Sofia's sophistication and depth of knowledge, his heart engaged by her unselfish giving and receiving in matters of love.


Yes, even loners like the Kindred desired intimacy with others at times. The object of affection did not have to be of their kind—in fact sometimes it was better when it came to expressing their sexuality fully. Many of his kind had simply forgotten they possessed genitalia and the soul-stirring sensations that could be engendered there. Vlad was glad he was not one of them.


"We'll still have this weekend together, won't we?" he said, raising an eyebrow.


She looked him straight in the eyes, slowly lowering the sheet to reveal her glorious form to him. "Yes, we do. Let's make the most of it, shall we?"


  A longer excerpt will be posted soon--promise!
 
To find out more about the Kindred, read my blog posting at the Essence of eXtasy Blog:
http://extasybooks.net/essenceofextasy/?p=858
 
(You can see why I got caught off guard by two weeks!) ;)