Ash Krafton's Blog, page 26

Review: Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1) by Ash Krafton

I love the GraveTells Paranormal Romance News and Reviews website. My first appearance was earlier this year when they sponsored my guest post and giveaway.  DaVinciKittie is an extremely gracious host who made me feel right at home on her wonderful site.

Since then, I had the chance to participate in the recent GraveTells IndiePendence Blog Hop--another great opportunity to mingle with the dedicated GT readers. But today is the best playdate of all--my book BLEEDING HEARTS was reviewed on GraveTells. I just had to share my squee with you all.

Follow the link to read the full review...

Review: Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1) by Ash Krafton

Sophie Galen, a magazine advice columnist, has always had the gift of sensing others’ emotions and is hardwired for helping people. The tragedies from her past have left her emotionally closed off and thinking she’d never find true love again. Then she meets Marek, a dark, brooding stranger whose soul cries out for her help and whose heart beckons her to let him in. Marek introduces her to a dark, dangerous world she never knew existed and that her multiple deadbolts won’t deter. Opening her heart to Marek is the least of her worries as Sophie finds herself in a battle waged to save his soul. Bleeding Hearts is a GraveTells Must-Read!

We have a WINNAH!

Two winnahs, in fact, because when it comes to champions, two are always better than one.

While we await the award list from Night Owl Reviews SUMMER FUN WEB HUNT, we can ask Rafflecopter who the winner of my Old Friends and New Followers contest is...

Aliaa!

Thank you, Aliia, for entering my contest and for Tweeting about my book to all your friends. I truly appreciate your support and am glad you joined my Demimonde!

Aliaa will receive an autographed print copy of BLEEDING HEARTS: BOOK ONE OF THE DEMIMONDE as well as a gift card to the big B&N. Congrats, Aliaa! I'll email you shortly for your contact info...

BUT WAIT...

Aliaa isn't the only one who goes home with a goody...I also want to extend a special thank you to the ladies who put my Rafflecopter form on their blog and encouraged their friends to learn more about my book.

The winner of the blogger's special raffle for a 25$ Amazon GC goes to...

Lady Vampire!

Thanks, Lady Vampire, for the great post you put up. Best wishes for you and your blog! Watch the email for a note from me...



And thank you to everyone for the countless entries and Tweets in support of my NOR Summer Fun bonus games. I hope you guys win something in the scavenger hunt--one of my prizes is a 50$ Amazon spending spree.

If you subscribed to the blog, you'll never miss out on a single contest or giveaway or news updates about the Semimonde series. I'm anticipating a few more reviews before the end of the summer so I hope I have good news worth sharing!

Thank you all for your support...congrats to the Demimonde's latest winners...and have a great week, everyone. Cheers!

Melinda's Bibliophile Blog: Bleeding Hearts

As a writer, I've come to forsake food as my primary sustenance.

Now, I live off reviews.

Reviews provide me with all the nutrition I need to fuel my writing, to write more and improve my craft and spend just one--more--hour-- doing promo for my debut. Writing is serious work and takes serious energy. Reviews provide it.

Some reviews, however, are more than just fuel. They are octane-boosted high-performance carb-packed total nutrition bars that are soaked in Red Bull. Like this one by Melinda's Bibliophile Blog.

Not only am I stoked to get to my writing today--I'm also dying to read the book again. This review was a terriffic read...don't miss it!

While you're there, leave a domment for her. It's a newer blog so let her know she's got readers out there who want more awesome reviews like this one.

Cheers!

<3 <3 <3


Melinda's Bibliophile Blog: Bleeding Hearts: Bleeding Hearts by Ash Krafton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ash Krafton must be a wizard because after eight million books being published about vampires, she's come up with with something so original, so creative, so unique that I was actually stunned by it. Those who would read this purely as a vampire book, you will not only pleased, you'll be thrilled, unless you like your vampires traditional. In that case, go buy Dracula by Bram Stoker. The original is always best. Being a wizard Ms.Krafton does a magnificent job combining love and romance with her new conception of vampires which makes this one helluva book on many levels. Way to go Ash!

Read the entire review and not just this one chunk of brilliance at Melinda's Bibliophile Blog: Bleeding Hearts!

Final Eight Days of the Summer Fun Web Hunt

We are down to the final week of the Summer Fun Web Hunt... Don't miss your chance to win!

Welcome to my Night Owl Reviews Summer Web Hunt post...glad you stopped by! We're down to the last few days of this gigundous giveaway and I wanted to remind everyone there is still time to win!
I'm thrilled to be a part of this awesome event--so many great prizes that are up for grabs. Books, gift cards, swag--talk about booty! I've won books in NOR's web hunts before so I personally know how much fun this is. I also found so many great new authors and books so it was a huge win all around...
If you've come from the NIGHT OWL REVIEWS Summer Web Hunt page, I know you're here to find a special answer. I'm going to totally make it worth your time….'cause I got a BONUS WIN in this post!
The clue lies within the pages of the Demimonde…


BLEEDING HEARTS is the first book in my Demimonde series. Sophie Galen is an advice columnist who has a little secret…one she doesn't even know. Yet.
When she meets Marek, he seems to draw her secrets to the surface. His redemption depends on her. Unfortunately, he's got secrets of his own—dark secrets, terrible truths that are hard to share. He is Demivampire, in danger of losing his treacherous soul.
Sophie is drawn into his world, step by step, tempted by his seduction, enticed by his need, and lured by the promise of a love for which she searched half her life. What is her secret—and is she strong enough to accept her own truths?
Bleeding Hearts was released this March through Pink Narcissus Press. The follow-up, Blood Rush, is on the editor's desk (if her laptop is on her desk, I suppose) and is expected March 2013. I'm going deeper into the Demimonde…and I hope you'll join me.
I've got an extra giveaway for you all. In addition to providing Marek's hint for the Night Owl Summer Fun Web Hunt, I have an extra surprise for followers of the Demimonde. Use the Rafflecopter form below to follow me and the Demimonde and you can win a print copy of Bleeding Hearts and a ten dollar gift card to Barnes & Noble! Earn bonus entries by Tweeting about the giveaway...the more, the merrier, I say!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks for visiting my Demimonde…I'm thrilled to share my world with you. Be sure to stop back some time to check out the review links on the side bar to see why Bleeding Hearts is getting great reviews. Readers love Sophie and Marek and the world of the Demivampire. Will you?
I have a great idea for a Bonus Bonus Win! Since I'm trying to spread the word about Bleeding Hearts and the Books of the Demimonde, I can really use your help.
Anyone who puts my Rafflecopter widget on their page to promote my book will be entered in a private raffle…for a $25 dollar Amazon Gift Card! Just leave your name and a link to your page in a comment on this post so that I can verify your entry. You can find the link to the widget here... So far, I've verified three pages (hugs and cheers, ladies!) If you're the next one to help me promote my book, you'd have a one in four chance of snagging that gift card. Damn good odds, I'd say! What do you say?
My thanks for your help in getting the word out about Bleeding Hearts and the Books of the Demimonde. Without enthusiastic readers and helpful friends, our books would remain our secrets…and books are secrets we should never keep from our friends. <3
Hugs and thanks for joining the Demimonde!
Get back to the main WEB HUNT page here. Best of luck, web hunters!

GraveTell's INDIEpendence Week Blog H0P

As an indie author, I am thrilled to be a part of GraveTell's Indie-pendence Week Blog Hop!

I'm an indie author who published her first novel through a small press. BLEEDING HEARTS: Book One of the Demimonde was released March 2012 through Pink Narcissus Press. I couldn't have asked for a more amazing team—my Lord Editor Rose Mambert, my personal editor Stacy Giufre, my AMAZING copy editor SWEET JOSIE BROWN (capitals are intentional), and the unsurpassed Duncan Eagleson, my cover artist…
Did you notice all the possessiveness there? MY editors, MY artist? That's intentional, too. The folks at Pink Narcissus Press became my book's family from the very start. I am theirs and they are mine.

All those brains and personality and talent crammed into a tidy little publishing house—working with them has completely opened my eyes to the reality and potentials of small press publishing. I am proud to be an Indie-pendant. I'm proud to represent my publisher. I'm even proud to admit I stalked my Lord Editor at a convention and ambushed her in the bathroom so that we'd have a first meeting worth laughing about over cocktails one day. (It's how I roll.)
Anyways, today I wanted to share my origin story. I love origin stories—love them in comic books, love them on True Blood, just flat out love knowing where a body came from. Although I started writing novels right out of the gate—in secret, in snips of time, in Word documents and notebooks and sheets of scrap paper—I didn't become a published novelist right away. Noveling is a long and frustrating and amazing journey. (Writers will smile and nod their heads and know what I mean.)
I often took breaks from noveling to write shorter things like poetry and short stories. Those breaks served so many purposes: by switching gears, I combated writers block. I expressed ideas that didn't fit into my novel WIPs. I expanded on emotions I picked up from the music I love. As a result, I filled even more notebooks.
I couldn't let those words just rot in those notebooks, either. So I figured: might as well see if I can get them published.
We are a long way away from the days when we typed up our submissions, looked up the addresses to magazines and journals, and mailed away our precious work, only to wait weeks—months—before getting any type of response. Uck. That was so...analog. Thank you, Internet, for changing the publishing world as we know it.
Now, those magazines and journals are just a couple of taps on the keyboard away. Many even accept email submissions—and the ones that don't better get on with it before the archaeologists come after them.
One website, however, is deserving of special mention because it became the sharpest tool in my writer's tool chest. This one website became essential in my quest to get my small stuff published.
Duotrope.com.
I love Duotrope. If my memory serves, I first heard mention of them in a writer's group I'd joined on MySpace.  (That should tell you how long I've been using them. :D I haven't seen MySpace in years.)

Duotrope is a free resource for writers that primarily offers an extensive, searchable database of current fiction, poetry, and non-fiction markets—over 4250 current markets at the moment. They also offer a calendar of upcoming deadlines, submissions trackers (for registered users), and some nifty reports compiled from the data they've accumulated.
They have been honored as one of Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers for every year from 2006 through 2012. Also, Preditors & Editors selected them for their Truly Useful Site Award in February 2010.
Duotrope helped me find the folks who actually like my stuff enough to print it. I think I'm closing in on my one hundredth acceptance…I suppose I'll have to go check my submission tracker and get the official count. Some of those markets have since disappeared, some have grown bigger-better-stronger, and some have morphed into different things entirely. One thing for sure—Duotrope.com kept a handle on the sea of literary markets so that I can dip in and fish for new acceptances whenever I have a new offering.
I love the Duotroopers, as their team is known. I want to bake them cookies. However, eating cookies made by someone you only know online is a little creepy at best so instead of being creepy, I support them with donations to keep the site running. I need them to keep running. They do all my research for me. If I lost Duotrope, I'd be losing my entire staff. Almost seriously.
Most of all, I love Duotrope because, when I was putting together a list of novel publishers, I decided—what the heck? Might as well look on Duotrope. Up until then, I'd only used it to get my short stuff published. I hadn't even considered looking for a publisher for BLEEDING HEARTS on Duotrope.
I'm glad I did—because that's how I found Pink Narcissus Press.
And we live happily ever after. :D
Duotrope 's amazing web resources helped me to publish my small stuff while I was working on the big stuff—my novels—and, when the time came to finally sign that first novel contract, I'd become a seasoned, savvy Indie author who knew the joys of indie publishing. I like to think my Lord Editor signed a professional author when she got me. I know that I wouldn't have had that confidence without the experiences I got by perfecting my submissions and publishing my short work.
When you play the game of publishing, every bit of practice counts. Duotrope was an essential avenue that allowed me to make the transition from novice writer to professional indie author.And they helped me round out an impressive bio to boot. Editors love that.


How about YOU? Are you an indie? We indies stick together…so let's get to know each other better. What's your origin story? We want to know...and friends share. :D
Join my Demimonde--follow me here, or on Facebook, or on Twitter--and leave a comment to enter to win a copy of BLEEDING HEARTS, available in Kindle and Nook/epub formats.
(You can also visit THIS POST HERE where I'm hosting a new follower giveaway until July 15—you can win print books, gift cards, and crazy swag!)

Return to the party list by ckicking here: GraveTells INDIEpendence Blog Hop Linky List

4th of July Blog Hop!

Fireworks.
I love 'em. The sounds--the sizzle, the pops, the booms. I love the way you can feel the sound in your lungs, in your feet because the very ground shakes with each explosion.

I love the smell of burned matches and lit fuses and the thick scent of rocket smoke as the heavy clouds linger low in the air.

I love the lights--those flashes of colorful chemical incandescence that lend the brilliance of noon day sun to the smoky twilight. The colors flash off every leaf, every pair of eyes and the flames are, for a moment, a living part of us.

And then...

it's over.

Darkness. Silence. The fireworks are over. We hang on a breath, wondering--is this all there is? Was it over? And a part of us is truly disappointed that the fireworks are done.

Life is like that. Love is like that. Every bright and wonderful thing we've ever known is like that--bursts of light and sound that interrupt sleepy doldrums of uninspired predictability. We live moment to moment, hoping each one will be brighter than the last. And every once in a while we get fireworks--moments that burn so brightly that they leave fiery afterimages burning on our retinas for long seconds afterwards. We don't even notice the dark silence because the sounds of fireworks still echo through our ears.

Driving home from work tonight, I saw fireworks that someone in the neighborhood set off. The moon is near full and, between the lunar luminescence and the intermittent bursts, I could see dark shapes of trees like silhouettes against the sporadic light. I wanted to roll down the car window and take as deep a breath as I could. Seeing them weren't enough.

Then I remembered--these weren't the only fireworks I loved. My husband's lightning strike smile, my kids' bursts of laughter, those flash-and-fade victories and achievements of all shapes and sizes that get us day to day.
See this feeling right here?
There's a trick to making those moments last-- acknowledge them. Appreciate the work it takes to earn them. Savor the fuse and linger after the lights begin to fade.

Don't go though life stuck indoors with the windows closed. Go outside and enjoy the fireworks, living each burst as it blooms.



Fireworks are my favorite part of the Forth of July celebrations...what are yours?
Leave a comment and be entered to win a e-copy of BLEEDING HEARTS: Book One of the Demimonde, available for Kindle or Nook/epub formats (winner's choice).

And be sure to visit the other bloggers this week who are setting of fireworks of their own. Good luck and Happy Independence Day!

Shiny Book Review loved Bleeding Hearts!

Since its debut in March 2012, BLEEDING HEARTS has been read and reviewed by many people...but certain reviews really resonated with me. A writer can tell when a reader connects to her work, especially when the reader takes such care to give a thoughtful review.

This is one of those reviews. Take a moment to read it--perhaps you, too, will find my character familiar...



Thank you, Barb, for your wonderful review of my book. Readers like you are the reason why I'm glad to share my story.

You will find several links to other great reviews on the sidebar...check 'em out a while!

And stay tuned for two new events coming up next week--not one but TWO holiday blog hops are tripping across the Demimonde. I hope there'll be fireworks!

Namaste, everyone...

Using Writing Contests To Improve One’s Game

QueryTracker.net: Using Writing Contests To Improve One’s Game: Long before my first book was published, I was hard at work, putting the manuscript through some very vigorous paces.




Since it was my first book, I wanted a litmus test before I started flinging it at agents. I wanted to toe the waters of publishing before plunging in. I wanted to feel my way cautiously through the dark instead of bumbling through it.




Publishing had become my sport. Was I ready to query agents? Was my manuscript ready? I 'd be going up some pretty tough competition. I couldn't go out on the field unprepared so I practiced…by competing.



Confused? Don't be. What I mean to say is I entered my manuscripts into writing contests.

Visit the Query Tracker blog to see how I used writing competitions to get in shape for the big publishing game...

Night Owl Reviews Summer Fun Web Hunt

Welcome to my Night Owl Reviews Summer Web Hunt post...glad you stopped by!
I'm thrilled to be a part of this awesome event--so many great prizes that are up for grabs. Books, gift cards, swag--talk about booty! I've won books in NOR's web hunts before so I personally know how much fun this is. I also found so many great new authors and books so it was a huge win all around...
I know you're here to find a special answer and I'm going to totally make it worth your time….'cause I got a BONUS WIN in this post!
The clue lies within the pages of the Demimonde…


BLEEDING HEARTS is the first book in my Demimonde series. Sophie Galen is an advice columnist who has a little secret…one she doesn't even know. Yet.
When she meets Marek, he seems to draw her secrets to the surface. His redemption depends on her. Unfortunately, he's got secrets of his own—dark secrets, terrible truths that are hard to share. He is Demivampire, in danger of losing his treacherous soul.
Sophie is drawn into his world, step by step, tempted by his seduction, enticed by his need, and lured by the promise of a love for which she searched half her life. What is her secret—and is she strong enough to accept her own truths?
Bleeding Hearts was released this March through Pink Narcissus Press. The follow-up, Blood Rush, is on the editor's desk (if her laptop is on her desk, I suppose) and is expected March 2013. I'm going deeper into the Demimonde…and I hope you'll join me.
I've got an extra giveaway for you all. In addition to providing Marek's hint for the Night Owl Summer Fun Web Hunt, I have an extra surprise for followers of the Demimonde. Use the Rafflecopter form below to follow me and the Demimonde and you can win a print copy of Bleeding Hearts and a ten dollar gift card to Barnes & Noble! Earn bonus entries by Tweeting about the giveaway...the more, the merrier, I say!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks for visiting my Demimonde…I'm thrilled to share my world with you. Be sure to stop back some time to check out the review links on the side bar to see why Bleeding Hearts is getting great reviews. Readers love Sophie and Marek and the world of the Demivampire. Will you?
I have a great idea for a Bonus Bonus Win! Since I'm trying to spread the word about Bleeding Hearts and the Books of the Demimonde, I can really use your help.
Anyone who puts my Rafflecopter widget on their page to promote my book will be entered in a private raffle…for a $25 dollar Amazon Gift Card! Just leave your name and a link to your page in a comment on this post so that I can verify your entry. You can find the link to the widget here...  So far, I've verified three pages (hugs and cheers, ladies!) If you're the next one to help me promote my book, you'd have a one in four chance of snagging that gift card. Damn good odds, I'd say! What do you say?
My thanks for your help in getting the word out about Bleeding Hearts and the Books of the Demimonde. Without enthusiastic readers and helpful friends, our books would remain our secrets…and books are secrets we should never keep from our friends. <3
 Hugs and thanks for joining the Demimonde!
Get back to the main WEB HUNT page here. Best of luck, web hunters!

Deep Cuts Antho: Submission Guidelines

I saw this call for submissions on one of my loops and thought I'd share. Sounds like fun! Enjoy...




Deep Cuts
Submission Guidelines
Editors: E.S. Magill, Angel Leigh McCoy, and Chris Marrs

Deep Cuts: (1) songs on an album that do not get commercial air time.
(2) great songs that get overshadowed by an album’s hits.

Like the "deep cuts" on an album, there are good stories out there,
stories worth digging up and having another go at. In honor of Women
in Horror Month, we invite you to submit an original story and write a
recommendation for a “deep cut” horror story written by a woman
writer.

Here’s what we mean by “recommendation”: each submitter is asked to
write up to 150 words honoring a short story by a female horror
writer, telling why the story means so much to you and where it was
published. If your story is chosen, this short piece will be included
in the anthology.

We didn’t what Deep Cuts to be just a reprint anthology. So we came up
with the concept of combining new stories, recommendations, and select
reprints of some great horror stories by women writers.

This will be a horror anthology. We do not want splatterpunk, urban
fantasy, or supernatural romance (even though we do like these
subgenres). We will choose stories that do or don't contain
supernatural elements, but all the stories we choose will obviously
have been written with the intent to make the reader uneasy with the
lights off.

Yes, we’re honoring women writers but anyone can submit, man or woman,
so long as you’re over 18.

OPEN: June 1, 2012
DEADLINE: August 31, 2012
THEME: Horror
PAY: $0.05/word and royalty split

IMPORTANT:
• Include: your own short story submission and a cover letter with
your name, address, and email address through our automated system.
(See below.)
• Include: a 150-word (max) statement/recommendation honoring a short
horror story written by a woman that moved you or influenced your own
writing. We will take this statement into consideration when gauging
whether your story will fit in our anthology. Make it literary. We’re
getting some beautifully written recommendations.
• Name your file so that it makes sense. An impressive filename for a
fiction submission is: (lastname)-(word from title).RTF [like this:
mccoy-darkness.rtf]
• Story word count: 1000 – 5000 (Query for longer works).
• Use standard manuscript formatting.
• No simultaneous submissions to other publishers.
• No multiple submissions. We want to see only your one best story.
• Story must be horror.
• Gore, sex, and adult language welcome, but make sure it improves the story.
• Use good grammar, double-check the punctuation, and do a
spell-check. We prefer Chicago Manual of Style rules, and we will
reject a story if it’s a mess, even if it’s an amazing story.
• We will accept reprints. Make double sure the rights have reverted
to you. By submitting it to us, you affirm that the story is your work
and that it is free from any commitments that will conflict with the
rights you give us.
• We reserve the right to change these guidelines without notice.

RIGHTS: With this payment, we’re buying the worldwide rights
(exclusive for two years) to publish your story in print, audio, and
digital formats, and to use portions of it and your name to market the
anthology. You will be asked to sign a contract.
PUBLICATION GOAL: February 2013
Response Time: We will respond within 90 days after the final deadline.

Direct any questions you have to deepcuts111@...
.
Submit your entry via our automated system at
http://deepcuts.submishmash.com/submit/

Warning: Cuts May Be Deeper Than They Appear