Roh Morgon's Blog, page 4

~ World Dracula Day!

In honor of World Dracula Day and Memorial Day Weekend, Watcher: Book I of The Chosen is available for the special price of $0.99!

And if you haven’t voted yet for Watcher in ReadFree.ly’s Best Book We’ve Read All Year, you can do so here: VOTE FOR WATCHER!

~ Voting open for Book of the Year!

If you read my last post or newsletter, or follow me on Facebook, you may know that Watcher: Book I of The Chosen won ReadFree.ly’s Book of the Month for April and received a stunning review from the site’s reviewer, who said it was the best book he’s read “in a long, long time” (see my last post).

And now it’s shortlisted for ReadFree.ly’s Best Book We’ve Read All Year.

Fifty percent of the points are awarded by the site’s reviewers; the other half is a combination of Amazon reviews and votes by readers.

And that’s where YOU come in. Watcher already has a pretty good shot at the award based upon the reviewer’s comments.

Your vote could make the difference whether or not Watcher wins this valuable recognition.

If you think Watcher deserves consideration for this award, please help it do so by clicking the red dress below and placing your vote.

(the voting link itself is within the “Welcome” box at the top of ReadFree.ly’s main page)

 

I’ve started a newsletter called “The Chosen Updates” and recently sent out the first edition. My intention is to send them out quarterly, but will occasionally send out special editions for extra-special events (such as being considered for Best Book We’ve Read All Year).  The regular newsletter will feature articles on supernatural pop culture and updates on the world of The Chosen, including news pertaining to Seeker: Book III of The Chosen. If you’d like to be on my mailing list, you can subscribe here.

 

And last, but not least – for those of you who enjoy reading romantic suspense, I’m participating with 36 other authors (including bestselling Amy Vanzant and Judith Lucci) in a Romantic Suspense Giveaway this week. The giveaway runs through May 14. If you’d like a chance to win 37 books (or even just one!), please click the image below.

 

 

As for Watcher, I really appreciate your support and hope that my next post is an announcement that Sunny’s story is ReadFree.ly’s Best Book We’ve Read All Year.

~RM~

COMMENTS

~ Watcher shortlisted for Book of the Year

Just wanted to thank everyone again for their votes in ReadFree.ly’s Book of the Month competition.

Watcher: Book I of The Chosen didn’t just win April’s Book of the Month.

It’s now also shortlisted as ReadFree.ly’s Best Book We’ve Read All Year.  

And, as Book of the Month, Watcher also received a review from ReadFree.ly.

But it wasn’t just any review.

It’s one of the best reviews Watcher has received.

Here’s a couple excerpts:

“I finished reading Watcher around 3 in the morning. I’d been reading for five straight hours and my eyes were heavy for lack of sleep, but instead of crawling under my covers I fired up my phone and emailed Roh Morgon: Your book is one of the best books I’ve read in a long, long time.

Watcher is a masterful blend of vampire lore, fantasy, and romance, all wrapped up in a thrilling tale that is somehow both fast-paced and incredibly detailed at the same time. Sunny is our guide as we dive into the world of the ageless, and as she loses the last shreds of her humanity, I guarantee that you will lose your heart to this book.” — David, ReadFree.ly

(To read the rest of the review, visit the ReadFree.ly Book of the Month 2018 page and scroll down to April)

Reviews are critical for the success of a book (and author). Many of the higher-profile promotion services, such as BookBub, won’t accept a book if it doesn’t have enough Amazon reviews (BookBub’s magic number seems to be around 100).

So now I find myself asking for another favor: if you’ve read any of the books from The Chosen series (Watcher, Runner, The Last Trace, or The Games Monsters Play), and haven’t reviewed them, and would like to help out a struggling author, please visit their Amazon pages and submit a review (the Customer Reviews section is below the author bio; the review button is next to the review star percentage chart).

Your review doesn’t have to be long, nor a literary masterpiece. It just needs to be honest and from the heart.

And for those who have already submitted reviews, thank you. Each one is treasured more than you know.

~RM~

COMMENTS

~ Watcher featured as Book of the Month!

A big THANK YOU to all the fans of Watcher and The Chosen series!

Watcher: Book I of The Chosen has been selected as the Book of the Month by ReadFree.ly!!

This is a pretty big deal. Not only will Watcher be featured on the ReadFree.ly website for the month of May, it will receive top billing in the ReadFree.ly newlsletter.

Even more awesome – as Book of the Month, Watcher will also receive a review from the moderators of the popular website!

Reviews can make or break a book. If a book doesn’t have enough reviews, promotional services won’t accept it into their programs. In addition, books with a small number of reviews are less likely to be purchased by readers.

So I’m pretty thrilled to gain another review, especially by a website that regularly reviews books of all genres.

Thanks again to all my readers – none of this would be possible without your support!

~RM~

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Watcher opportunities in March

This past month has seen me scrambling between constant travel for my day job and trying to keep up on my networking and marketing (and writing) for my author/publisher/marketer job.

Yeah, too many hats on this head.

But I’m happy to say that some of that hard work is paying off.

First off, I’ve been invited to participate in a very cool reading series for authors of dark fiction. Shades & Shadows is a Los Angeles-based organization devoted to increasing the visibility of speculative fiction and fostering the community of its readers and writers.

A big THANK YOU goes to Christina Enquist, author of The Immundus, for recommending me to the organizers and getting me on the program.

So on Saturday, March 24, we will join a group of spec fic writers reading from our works as part of the Shades & Shadows reading series. The event takes place at the Bearded Lady’s Mystic Museum in Burbank and starts at 8:00pm. Wine is on the program as well for those of you enjoy the blood of the grape with your entertainment.

And now for the second cool thing. This one needs YOUR help.

Watcher: Book I of The Chosen has been shortlisted on the popular ReadFree.ly newsletter to receive a review and be featured in their monthly newsletter.

However, this is a bit of a popularity contest, and Watcher needs your vote in order to win a review.

To cast your vote for Watcher, it’s a simple matter of visiting the website and clicking a button (the Watcher button ).

Here’s the link: http://www.readfree.ly/help-choose-our-next-book-of-the-month/

Voting concludes Thursday, March 29.

Thank you, and as always, thank you for your support!

~RM~

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT~ New Release ~

Title: Dark Wine at Sunrise (A Hill Vampire Novel Book 2)

Release Date: March 14, 2018

Author: Jenna Barwin

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy Romance

Buy it on Amazon

 

~ ~ ~

“Sensual, sophisticated and sinfully addictive!” ~InD’tale Magazine

A seductive spy, a vampire winemaker, and their forbidden love…

Research scientist Cerissa Patel has only one desire: to feel her lover’s fangs slip into her neck for the very first time. Once they become blood mates, no one can keep them apart.

But it’s never that easy.

Cerissa’s relationship with vampire Henry Bautista violates a centuries-old law, and the town council wants her banned from their secret community. If they have their way, she’ll be separated from Henry forever.

As if that isn’t enough, Henry is still in danger. The would-be assassin lies in a coma, and Cerissa is no closer to knowing who targeted Henry—or why.

To make matters worse, her own people forbid her from becoming a vampire’s mate. They aren’t sure what Henry’s bite will do to her and want her focused on her original mission: tracking down the vampires behind a ruthless movement to enslave mortals.

Against these odds, Cerissa must find a way to bond with the man who holds her heart, and do so without paying the ultimate price – the loss of her wings forever…

~ ~ ~

Here’s an excerpt from Dark Wine at Sunrise:

Cerissa watched Henry move slowly to the speaker’s podium in the center of the council chamber. He wore a dark suit with a royal-blue tie, his long obsidian-black hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Her fingers itched to unleash it.

His beautiful copper-brown skin looked paler than it should. He held one hand across his stomach, protecting the area where silver bullets had been removed from his abdomen. Why hadn’t he healed by now?

The crowd began murmuring again while Henry limped to the podium. The mayor banged his gavel to quiet the crowd.

“Enrique Bautista Vasquez,” the mayor said, “how do you plead?”

Henry leaned forward to speak into the gooseneck microphone.

“Guilty,” he said, his Castilian accent heavy in his one-word answer. He sounded resigned to his fate.

“Do you have anything to say in your defense?”

Henry shook his head.

“Speak up—for the record.”

“No. Nothing.”

The mayor looked to his left. Frédéric nodded. He looked to his right. Rolf did the same. Carolyn and Liza both frowned, clearly not part of whatever agreement the other council members had reached.

“We have given this matter great consideration. As you know, this council reinstituted the Rule of Two because members of our community have been attacked.” The mayor paused, steepling his fingers together. “Now, we have a founder who has ignored our rules. The council, after much debate, has decided to bring back a traditional punishment, one we abandoned in favor of more modern methods. It’s apparent those modern methods aren’t a sufficient deterrent.”

The mayor tapped his steepled fingers together, taking time to sweep his gaze across the crowded council chambers.

“We are reinstituting the whipping post,” he said.

No.

Cerissa froze in place, her pulse thudding, her mind racing, her heart crawling up her throat.

They can’t. I have to stop this. They can’t humiliate him because of me—

The mayor unfolded a piece of paper. “Enrique Bautista Vasquez. You are hereby fined two hundred thousand dollars and sentenced to a hundred lashes. The sentence will be carried out in the community amphitheater.”

What the f—? One hundred?

Could even a vampire survive that severe a whipping? Cerissa’s fingernails curled into her palms, cutting the skin.

This can’t be happening.

~ ~ ~

BUY NOW to escape into the mystery, romance, and political intrigue of the Hill Vampire vineyards. Dangerous and seductive, the suspense will grab you and not let go.

~ ~ ~

Other books in the series:

Dark Wine at Midnight (A Hill Vampire Novel Book 1)

A seductive spy. An alpha vampire. A deadly assassin after them both…

Research scientist Cerissa Patel must find a way to save humanity without revealing what’s hidden beneath her skin. But her cover story isn’t enough to fool vampire Henry Bautista—he’s dark, dangerous, and will do anything to protect his town, including stopping her.

“Dangerous, sexy, and gripping!” ~InD’tale Magazine

~ ~ ~

Jenna Barwin writes the Hill Vampire Vineyard novels, which blend mystery, wine, and romantic spice into a heady combination. When not writing, she enjoys underwater photography, and is known to occasionally attend a Victorian dance in full regalia right down to pantaloons and a hoop skirt.

Visit Jenna’s website, or catch her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Amazon, Goodreads, or Bookbub.

 

~RM~

COMMENTS

~ Women in Horror Month Part III – rising women writers of urban fantasy and paranormal romance

Today, in recognition of February’s annual Women in Horror Month, we get acquainted with a few up-and-coming writers of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. These authors are members of the Horror Writers Association, the Romance Writers of America – Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Chapter, the Ladies of Horror Facebook group, or other groups supporting women writers in these genres.

Like me, these writers work hard on both their craft and their publicity. It’s a tough gig, being a writer, but we all do it because we love it (or at least the writing part ).

Here’s our lineup for today. Please visit the author websites and check out their work. And be sure to click on the book cover images to visit their Amazon pages:

Jenna Barwin – urban fantasy, paranormal romance

Jenna Barwin writes the Hill Vampire novels, which blend mystery, wine, and romantic spice into a heady combination. Dark Wine at Midnight, book 1 in the series, is available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. Dark Wine at Sunrise, book 2, will be released in March 2018. When not writing, she is known to occasionally attend a Victorian dance in full regalia right down to pantaloons and a hoop skirt.

 

 

J.T. Bock – paranormal and science fiction romance

When J.T. Bock was a child, she wanted to be James Bond or Indiana Jones or a vampire hunter or Wonder Woman. Whatever brought her the most action, adventure and romance while play acting on her stage—otherwise known as her grandmother’s basement. Now J.T. has assembled her own team of action heroes, supernatural creatures and maniacal villains and set them on adventures far from her basement to exotic lands and alternate dimensions.

 

 

Margaret L. Carter – horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance

Margaret L. Carter holds a PhD in English and specializes in vampires. In addition to her horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance fiction, she has had books and articles published on vampires in literature. She has collaborated on a fantasy series with her husband, and her stories have appeared in the “Darkover” and “Sword and Sorceress” anthologies.

 

 

 

Sorchia DuBois – paranormal romance, gothic romance

Award-winning author Sorchia Dubois lives in the piney forest of the Missouri Ozarks with seven cats, two fish, one dog, and one husband. Her Gothic tales blend magic, mystery, passion, history, a little whisky, and a cat. Visit her website, Sorchia’s Universe, where she shares bits and pieces of Celtic lore that will soon be woven into a story.

 

 

 

Jaime Johnasee – dark urban fantasy

Jaime Johnesee lives in the wilds of Michigan with her husband, two sons, and burgeoning zoo of animals. She spent fourteen years as an actual zookeeper before shifting her focus to writing full time. Best known for her horror comedy series, Bob the Zombie, she is currently authoring the dark urban fantasy series, Samantha Reece Mysteries, for Devil Dog Press.

 

 

 

Pamela K. Kinney / Sapphire Phelan – horror, fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, non-fiction / erotic horror, paranormal romance, erotic paranormal romance, erotic urban fantasy

Pamela K. Kinney began listening to the voices in her head and writes urban fantasy, horror, fantasy, and nonfiction ghost books. Her latest is How the Vortex Changed My Life, released September 2017. Under the pseudonym, Sapphire Phelan, she has written erotic and regular paranormal romance, erotic urban fantasy, and erotica horror.

 

 

Krista Lynn – paranormal/science fiction romantic suspense

Krista Lynn is a former Geography professor who now writes earthy Paranormal Romantic Suspense. Book #1 of the Canyon Series, Blood Stones: The Haunting of Sunset Canyon was published May, 2017. Cast in Stone, Book #2 will be released fall, 2018. She has several speculative fiction short stories published and her cozy mystery anthology, The Talking Board Mysteries, is in the works for summer, 2019.

 

 

A big thank you to all the above authors who participated in today’s event – and for contributing new works to our favorite genres.

For those who missed out on participating, Rising Writers will be a recurring feature on the Author Spotlight column. Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to participate in future events.

~RM~

COMMENTS

~ Women in Horror Month Part II – women writers of today’s urban fantasy

 

In my last post celebrating February’s annual Women in Horror Month, we looked back at women writers of vampire fiction from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

Today we are going to expand our focus to popular women writers of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, primarily from the 2000s to the present day.

Disclaimer – my reading time is woefully limited, so I confess to not having read most of these. If you have any comments on these writers or their works, please leave them. And if there is a writer who should be on this list and isn’t, please leave their name and the title of their novel or series in the comments as well.

Below is a list of urban fantasy/paranormal romance authors and their most popular books or series:

Kelly Armstrong ~~ Otherworld series (also Bitten TV show; werewolves)

Ilona Andrews ~~ Kate Daniels series (magic)

Annie Bellet ~~ The Twenty-Sided Sorceress series (aka Jade Crow series; magic)

Anne Bishop ~~ The Others series (magic, shapeshifters)

Patricia Briggs ~~ Mercy Thompson series (shapeshifters, werewolves)

Kresley Cole ~~ Immortals After Dark series (PNR)

Jennifer Estep ~~ Elemental Assassin series (magic)

Heather Graham ~~ Krewe of Hunters series (paranormal)

Kim Harrison ~~ The Hollows series (aka Rachel Morgan series; witches, vampires)

Stacia Kane ~~ Downside Ghosts series (aka Chess Putnam series; paranormal)

Sherrilyn Kenyon ~~ Dark Hunter series (PNR)

Karen Marie Moning ~~ Fever series (Barrons, supernatural Irish Fae)

Lilith Saintcrow ~~ Dante Valentine and Jill Kismet series (necromancer; exorcist)

Gena Showalter ~~ Lords of the Underworld series (demons & angels)

Nalini Singh ~~ Psy/Changeling (PNR) and Guild Hunter series (psychics/shapeshifters; archangels)

Carrie Vaughn ~~ Kitty Norville series (werewolves)

And because vampires are in my blood, here is a list of those writers whose stories center around our favorite fanged ones:

Keri Arthur ~~ Riley Jenson series

LA Banks ~~ Vampire Huntress Legend series

ML Brennan ~~ Generation V series

Rachel Caine ~~ Morganville Vampires series

Christine Feehan ~~ Dark series

Jeaniene Frost ~~ Night Huntress series

Barbara Hambly ~~ James Asher series (Those Hunt the Night is a must read!!)

Laurell K Hamilton ~~ Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series

Charlaine Harris ~~ The Southern Vampire Mysteries (aka Sookie Stackhouse series; alsoTrue Blood TV series)

Faith Hunter ~~ Jane Yellowrock series

Nancy Kilpatrick ~~ Power of the Blood series

Elizabeth Kostova ~~ The Historian (meticulously researched, this is like The DaVinci Code with vampires – a must read)

Robin McKinley ~~ Sunshine (award winning urban fantasy Neil Gaiman called “pretty much perfect.”)

Richelle Mead ~~ Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series

Stephenie Meyer ~~ Twilight Saga series

Chloe Neill ~~ Chicagoland Vampires series

Nora Roberts ~~ Circle trilogy

Lynsay Sands ~~ Argeneau/Rogue Hunter series

LJ Smith ~~ Vampire Diaries series (also The Vampire Diaries and The Originals TV shows)

Jeanne C Stein ~~ Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles

JR Ward ~~ Black Dagger Brotherhood series

Tomorrow’s post will feature up-and-coming writers of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, so be sure to check back. And if you’d like to be included, please contact me. If you miss out on tomorrow’s post, please contact me if you’d like to appear in a future Author Spotlight.

And again, if you have any authors or books you’d like to add to the above lists, please feel free to mention them in a comment.

~RM~

COMMENTS

~ Women in Horror Month Part I – women writers of vampire fiction

 

The main purpose of the annual Women in Horror Month is to recognize the achievements and contributions of women in the genre, to raise them from the obscurity to which history has so habitually relegated them in all their endeavors.

My contribution to this year’s effort is to highlight the sub-genre of horror I favor the most – urban fantasy.

And in this first post, stories from the 1980s – 2000s revolving specifically around vampires. These are some of the earliest stories which featured vampires as something other than monstrous killers.

Their writers also happen to be the writers who’ve wielded the strongest influence on my own storytelling – and the majority of them are women.

In the 1990s, a movie hit the theaters that changed my perception of the horror genre. And when I read the book, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, it opened my eyes to a side of horror which fascinated rather than terrified me. Always an avid reader, I quickly embraced its more subtle assault on my senses.

I wasn’t the only one affected by Rice’s work. The vampire genre exploded in that decade, and there was no shortage of titles on bookstore and library shelves. Modern twists and viewpoints freshened the legend, bringing endless variety to what had been a stagnant theme.

Though I enjoyed works like Kim Newman’s Anno Dracula and George R. R. Martin’s Fevre Dream, it was the vampire fiction written by women that impressed me the most. Several left their mark upon me, and their books still cling to my walls.

Nancy A. Collins‘ Sonja Blue series, beginning with Sunglasses After Dark, features a female vampire—the first I encountered—as she kicks ass on a continual barrage of supernatural bad guys.

In Nancy Baker’s Kiss of the Vampire (aka The Night Inside), a young woman kidnapped as fodder for an imprisoned vampire negotiates a risky bargain with him in order for them both to escape.

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s Saint-Germain collection focuses less on the blood-drinking and more on the immortality of her vampire as he moves through time in a series which could easily double as historical fantasy.

My favorite is Elaine Bergstrom’s Austra series. Starting with Shattered Glass, the stories followed an extended family of vampires whose unique traits set them apart from any others I’ve come across.

A discussion of 1990s vampire fiction wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Laurel K. Hamilton‘s Anita Blake series and Tanya Huff‘s Victoria Nelson series (later made into the TV show Blood Ties).

More recently, I discovered several other women writers whose stories have etched themselves into my brain.

The first is Octavia Butler, known more for her edgy science fiction and fantasy. Her 2005 story Fledgling, about a child vampire, delivers a brilliant twist to the legend.

The other is Suzy McKee Charnas and her 1980 Nebula-winning novella, The Unicorn Tapestry (from The Vampire Tapestry). Her character Weyland haunted me for weeks after reading it.

If you haven’t heard of these writers or read their stories, I highly recommend you check them out. There are some real gems here, and no examination of the urban fantasy genre would be complete without them.

In my next post, we’ll look at the urban fantasy writers from the last fifteen years, many of whom are still at the top of the bestsellers’ lists today.

And if you have any favorite authors in this genre, please be sure to list them in the comments!

~RM~

COMMENTS

~ Vampire Book Club feature

Watcher is being featured this week on the Vampire Book Club blog!

The Vampire Book Club, the “Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews”, features best-selling urban fantasy/paranormal romance authors such as Christine Feehan, Rachel Caine, Carrie Vaughn, Faith Hunter, and a host of others.

I’m thrilled that Watcher was selected for their excerpt feature.

Here’s what Chelsea Mueller had to say about it:

“Roh Morgon’s The Chosen series brings a nice dose of paranormal romance to a solid urban fantasy framework.

…and that’s the kind of thing we dig around here.”

You can check out the rest of the article, which includes an excerpt from Watcher, here.

~RM~

COMMENTS