Stephanie Abbott's Blog, page 20

BLUE MURDER (Lord & Lady Hetheridge #2) Will Be Here Soon

It just needs the usual final polish — the attentions of my two wonderful editors. In the meantime, have a look at the cover:

Cover design by J. David Peterson

Filed under: Blue Murder, Books, Emma Jameson, Ice Blue, Lord and Lady Hetheridge Series, Stephanie Abbott, Writing Tagged: anthony hetheridge, blue murder, british detective, cozy mysteries, Ice blue, kate wakefield, new books

Mother’s Day Kindle Fire Giveaway

Orangeberry Book Tours
Happy Mother’s Day Kindle Fire Giveaway
May 10th to 17th

CLICK HERE

Filed under: Books, Giveaway, Kindle, Past Lives Series, Stephanie Abbott Tagged: free books, giveaway, kindle fire, mother's day

"An earthbound angel with crumpled, cardboard wings" - Tag Line Tuesday with Stephanie Abbott

Reblogged from sablecity:

Today, Tag Line Tuesday is happy to welcome three people, or maybe it’s one person with three names. I better let her explain. Off we go:

Ed: Howdy! As I hear writers are creative people, please answer each of the following biographic questions twice, once with the truth and once with a lie.

Name?

SA: Emma Jameson and S.A. Reid. And….

Read more… 2,634 more words

Epic fantasy novelist M. Edward McNally was kind enough to feature me today on his blog, sablecity. Check it out!

Movie Mention: Marvel’s The Avengers (Spoiler Free!)

Marvel/Paramount Pictures

Okay, this will be short and sweet. I really enjoyed this movie. It’s much more like the first Iron Man, Thor and Captain America than the heartbreakingly wrong-headed Iron Man 2. If you like this sort of movie, don’t let anyone spoil it for you by repeating the jokes.

Yeah. Not the action, although it’s very good. Not the “moment” each character gets to shine (most get more than one). The jokes.

But here’s a quick few things about the movie:

Agent Coulson () has a man-crush on Captain America ()
makes a superb Bruce Banner
 once again shines as Loki

Marvel/Paramount Pictures

 

Now get out there and watch!

Filed under: Movies Tagged: black widow, captain america, iron man, marvel movies, movies, robert downey jr., the avengers

Check Out Rebecca Emin

She gave me a very nice mention — with an iPhone capture from one of my books, no less! — on her blog today. I can’t wait to read her upcoming book When Dreams Come True.

Go here to visit her blog.

Filed under: Books, Rebecca Emin Tagged: rebecca emin, when dreams come true

MANHANDLED by S.A. Reid and Rosemary O'Malley

Reblogged from mmromance:

This project was original titled, COMING OUT OF THE BROOM CLOSET. You can read about it here and how the PayPal censorship scare put an end to our trad-pubbed dreams here.

Well, we’re back and we’re self-pubbed. This male/male romance between a tough Boston cop and a dreamy virgin doctor is now called MANHANDLED and it includes a preview of my next book SOULLESS and Rosemary O’Malley’s debut m/m romance, THE RED KING.

Read more… 31 more words

Check it out!!

Excerpt from Better Off Dead (The Vamp Saga, Book Two) by Danielle Blanchard

BETTER OFF DEAD by Danielle Blanchard is the second book in the The Vamp Saga. (Cover:http://flipcitybooks.com/)

Yesterday, Danielle Blanchard was kind enough to stop by my blog with a guest post. Today I have an excerpt from her latest book. Enjoy!

Excerpt from Better off Dead: Book II (The Vamp Saga)

Chapter One

Zahara walked with the authority that her Presidential position allotted her. She strolled past the two werewolf guards and directly to the crypt. It was the latest in technology, made from impenetrable metal and required an iris scan before the impossibly heavy doors would allow entry. She stared into the iris-scan machine, which worked quietly and efficiently. Moments later, she was inside the dark crypt which was only lit by several well placed low-wattage bulbs meant to mimic the intimacy of candles but without the fire hazard.

She was a beautiful woman, a representation of youth forever with her dusky complexion, long, black hair arranged in a tasteful chignon, yellow-brown eyes, Roman-shaped nose, cheekbones most women would murder their newborn children to possess and a full, kissable mouth.

Dressed to the nines as usual, she wore a vintage, pale pink Chanel suit, matching Yves Saint Laurent Tribute stiletto pumps which made her look every inch the regal and superior position the International Vampire Council had allotted to her. It was currently her title now but however much longer she would hold on to it would eventually fall under The Council’s discretion.

If she had a beating heart, it would have pounded itself right out of her chest. She was so close, yet so far away from her maker. Her breath caught in her throat. Her body, however, continued onward toward her journey to the coffin.

It was exquisite, made from Baccarat crystal and gold. The casket itself weighed a ton but it had not been moved in centuries; not since Her Highness had been transferred from Mikkel’s château just inside the boundaries ofIle-de-Franceto one of the most exclusive banks inGenevaand one of the few which had a crypt.

She would be safe here, free from harm. Regardless how much it cost the IVC to protect her and to lease this space, it was worth it. The only priority was keeping Her Highness in one piece until the day came when she could rise to power and claim that which belonged to her.

Zahara looked forlornly at the mummy and felt herself grow angrier by the second. That bitch, Manon, and that Judas of a traitor, Mikkel, ought to be dragged down here and made to bleed out over Her Highnesses’ mouthpiece until they were drained of every last drop of their blood. That should allow their royal Queen the ability to become a Day Walker and when it was all said and done, she deserved the ability and power to sit at the top of the food chain, whereas those two murderous traitors did not.

Mikkel thought he was so intelligent and crafty; between his duplicitous behavior and the way he acted like that whore was the best thing since sliced bread. He should be thoroughly ashamed of himself; he’d married a blood relative, after all.

So have you, a voice inside her whispered but she bid it to be silent. It was true; as the maker and wife of Kristoff Damgaard, he was a relative, albeit a distant one and they had very little DNA in common.

Mikkel’s sin was that much greater because Manon was closer linked to him than what was legally sanctioned for Council members. If they only knew…but to tell would be the death of her and after two thousand years, she still wasn’t ready to go. She’d never been to ground because she feared death more than anything in the world. She needed to live and to be alive, even if she was technically dead. She needed to see life as it changed, shaped, morphed into something completely different from her childhood, which seemed life-years away. What was she on about? Her childhood was actually life years away and many, many lifetimes upon that.

Zahara knew part of her reasoning for wanting them dead was simple jealousy. Mikkel was a fabulous lover; true, he wasn’t Kristoff, but he was very good and quite skilled in the lovemaking department. Now that he’d taken a wife, she could no longer sleep with him on demand. She would first have to make sure it was copacetic with that cunt, which didn’t sit well with her. Why should she have to ask anyone’s permission to do anything at her age?

There was also the small technicality that Mikkel was repulsed by her. He hated to touch her; to make love to her. Something about her turned his very stomach. She could only deduce it was a sliver of his humanity which still resented her for turning his brother, who in turn made him. Had that not happened, he’d have been dead hundreds of years ago but he would always curse her and blame her for his fate in life as a vampire.

Correction: Day Walker.

He was no longer a mere vampire. He was superior to her in every way, as was his bitch wife, unfortunately. Although she hated to think about this harsh fact, it was true. She couldn’t overpower them and to be honest, she wouldn’t ever attempt to. She had more immediate worries to think about, like her impending suspension from the IVC, along with Geoff, Filipp and Anastasiya. They had only been doing what was just and correct, yet they were still punished by those Frog ass-kissers, Hervé and Irene. Well, one technical Frog…the other was just a wannabe who had spent so many years in France she might as well be French even if she wasn’t ethnically French.

“Madame President, your presence is required,” a male voice announced reverentially.

Zahara turned to see one of the werewolf guards—his name escaped her but his accent was Swiss German, so perhaps it was Hans or Jürgen or one of those hard-to-pronounce Teutonic names—and smiled condescendingly.

“One moment, please. Can you wait outside? I would like to spend a few more moments with my Highness.”

The guard nodded affirmatively and exited the room.

Good doggy, Zahara thought coldly.

She placed her hands on the coffin and although she had no wish to leave marks, she couldn’t help the feeling of overwhelming desire which had swelled into the heart of her body.

“Just a little while longer, my Queen. I will be back for you with their heads on a plate and soon, you will be able to feel the gentle kiss of sunlight on your skin. It is only a matter of time.”

She kissed the coffin, gathered her composure and walked out, followed by the werewolf guards as the double doors closed behind her with a resounding thud.

* * *

Hervé and Irene sat next to one another in a grand and opulent former palace inGenevawhich had been transformed into the Global Six government offices.

Although physical opposites—Hervé with his light brown hair, alabaster skin, typical Northern French features and steel blue eyes while Irene possessed classically Scandinavian features despite her skin being the color of rich mocha and her eyes, a deep amber-brown—they were more alike than different in terms of the philosophical and political outlook on vampire life along with the powerful positions they held within the IVC.

Though Zahara was President, most of The Council looked toward Irene and Hervé for moral guidance. The President, currently held under the leadership of the volatile old vampire might as well have been a figurehead position as far as most of the twenty-member Council was concerned.

The G-6 Conference had yet to start but they had purposefully arrived early just to talk shop. Something needed to be done about the rogues in their midst. The IVC was a legitimate and civilized organization; since when did members decide to play vigilantes and try to murder one another over silly blood feuds and supremacy? The behavior had to be brought under control lest the whole organization be dragged down along with it.

“Seriously, what can we do?” Irene asked. “Zahara is President but her behavior…the attempted murder of Mikkel and Manon. We cannot allow her to get away with such madness. Imagine the implications if she goes unpunished.”

Hervé sipped from his Sang Pur. “Believe me, I have thought about this and at the moment, I truly don’t know what to do. She is so out of control. Perhaps we should give some thought to resurrecting Kristoff. I am against it under normal circumstances of course, but even though she is his maker he’s the only one who could truly control her.”

“I think that will lead to nothing but trouble. Kristoff knows too much about Manon’s true heritage. He’s always been a live wire. It is not our place to interfere with a matter that has nothing to do with the IVC.”

“You don’t think Manon’s paternity has anything to do with the IVC? My God…”

“It’s a bit too late to be asking for His help.” Irene stood and grabbed her second Sang Pur. She was particularly thirsty today. “Right or wrong, that truly is Mikkel and Manon’s issue to work out. He must have his reasons for not telling her and who are we to second guess his motives? It’s obvious he loves her very much and they are truly perfect for one another.”

“Good grief, Irene, they are prototypes and we can never forget that. Manon needs to be studied and that is going to be an outright mess. Mengele will begin his testing and Mikkel will blow a gasket. He will hate for her to be in pain. These kinds of emotions—we as vampires were never supposed to feel them. I don’t know which is worse…the fact that they are Day Walkers or their emotions. They are much closer to human beings in an emotional capacity than we are. Hasn’t that ever given you food for thought?”

“Of course it has, Hervé. Their range of emotions is a bit frightening as we are supposed to be so cold and detached. I sometimes miss that aspect of my humanity, but at the same time, it colors the situation and takes away from the big picture. We will be asked to do something very barbaric today and I don’t think either one of them truly has the capacity to stand it. That is not only a problem but an issue. This isn’t about how we feel about humanity…this is merely about shedding the herd and making room for vampire growth…cementing our hold on the mortals and letting them know who’s in charge of whom.”

“True. The big picture is all that matters. Humans and slaughter have been synonymous for decades, centuries. We cannot change this; we can only make it that much more humane. It isn’t like we’re sending anyone to the gas chamber. Regardless, we will hear them out and pretend to contemplate our answer. It is never a good idea to show our hand right away. We can never allow letting our guard down around the humans.”

“Agreed,” Irene mused softly, “but in the meantime, we will gauge their behavior. If Geoff, Anastasiya, Filipp and Zahara can control themselves and show an air of leadership, we shan’t punish them too harshly. After all, they were only doing what all of us were thinking but were too chickenshit to act upon due to our own fears.”

“’Tis true but I would have never pulled a stunt like that. I have known from the beginning they were both stronger than we could ever be. I treasure my life as much as you treasure yours. I have no wish to meet my maker at this point in my life.”

Irene turned toward Hervé and laughed out loud. “Neither do I, my love. Neither do I.”

Now Available at the following retailers:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

About The Author

Danielle Blanchard Benson is a world traveler and author of several different series.

Ms. Blanchard Benson is the author of Beginnings: Book I (The Plague), Death Wish: Book I, Better off Dead: Book II and Death Lair: A Novella (all from The Vamp Saga), The Catalyst: Book One (The Pop Stars) and The Beautiful People series.

She is currently working on Love Voodoo: Book I (DeGeneration), Apocalypse 2012: Book II (The Plague), Hart Attack: Book I (The Hart Family Saga), The Making of a Star: Book Two (The Pop Stars) and Queen of the Undead: Book III (The Vamp Saga).

Ms. Blanchard Benson has lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Blog: http://thebeautifulpeopleawritersjourney.blogspot.com/

Follow Danielle Blanchard Benson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/dblanchbenz007

Like Danielle Blanchard Benson on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/Author.Danielle.Blanchard.Benson

Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4883227.Danielle_Blanchard_Benson

Email Me: mzdanibee007@gmail.com

Filed under: Books, Writing Tagged: Better Off Dead, Danielle Blanchard, Danielle Blanchard Benson, The Vamp Saga, vampire, vampire series

Guest Post by Danielle Blanchard, Author of Better Off Dead (The Vamp Saga, Book Two)

BETTER OFF DEAD by Danielle Blanchard is the second book in the The Vamp Saga. (Cover:http://flipcitybooks.com/)

Romancing the Vampire

When I decided to start the series, The Vamp Saga, I knew I would be treading down a well worn and saturated path which was already littered with novels and series by authors who had made their mark.

One can make the case literature about the nosferatu is old indeed. Bram Stoker started it ages ago and though he was not the first author, he is one of the most well known in the genre. Then came Anne Rice and her never-ending series, The Vampire Chronicles.

Lately, within the past ten years, we have been introduced to Charlaine Harris, Laurell K. Hamilton, J.R. Ward, Kim Harrison, Lara Adrian, Kresley Cole, DD Barant, and Sherilyn Kenyon. These are just the adult authors. I haven’t mentioned Stephenie Meyer and Amanda Hocking for the YA Crowd. There have also been some indie success stories in terms of vampire series, including Connie Suttle, J.R. Rain, H.T. Night, Tina Folsom and Tim O’Rourke.

My first thought was I would have to go somewhere no one else had thought to go. We have vampire warriors, kick-ass vampire hunters, alternate urban fantasy universes not to mention the old standby of a vampire male (or female) falling head over heels for a hot human female (or male) but the one area no one seemed to cover was the vampire world themselves outside of human contact.

This was the area I decided to explore in The Vamp Saga but romance always surfaces and what if one half of your romance duo isn’t exactly a sympathetic person…well, vampire in my case?

Of the reviews I received for Death Wish, the first novel in the series, which were less than stellar (well three stars as I haven’t received a one star review yet… knock on wood), there was talk the main female character changed and not for the better.

One reviewer who participates in Amazon’s VINE program wrote me personally to say that although she loved my world building and story telling, she could not get past the male lead character and thus would be unable to finish my book.

Imagine my horror! She hated the male character enough to say he had ruined the novel for her and she couldn’t finish reading it.

Okay, so as a writer, you dust yourself—and your pride off—and continue onwards.

Many might think I am a glutton for punishment but I actually sent this reviewer a copy of Better off Dead, the second full-length novel in the series, because the dynamics (and romance) change. I thought she might be able to finish this one and be able to actually review it.

Romance is an important part of the picture in paranormal romance novels but what I fear has gotten lost is no one wants the original type of vampire anymore. They all want a de-fanged Edward Cullen, even in adult paranormal novels.

Many readers believe they want the strong, alpha male until said male behaves the way he is supposed to and then he is a “woman hater”, an “abuser” and “needs to seek help”. One only need to peruse some of the low star ratings Kresley Cole received for Lothaire to see this is somewhat, if not entirely, true.

Um, these are vampires we are talking about, supernatural creatures which do not exist. Supposedly, most were usually born before there was a women’s movement or any sort of gender equality so they tend to treat women they love the way it was accepted in the time of they were human before they were turned.

I believe I stay true to this vampire part of the legend and lore but many readers were a bit put off by this. All I can say is that I will definitely take the comments I have received in consideration but I will continue the series in the spirit it was always meant to be written. I hope I don’t alienate too many people as that is not my intention at all (I like readers and although I like to read my own novels sometimes, the fact that other people find enjoyment in them is what keeps me writing).

So I hope many who were a bit skittish about Death Wish continue and will read Better Off Dead. Perhaps they will find more of the romance they were looking for the first time around but it still has my rough edges because that is the kind of vampire writer I want to be. I am a huge admirer of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice. Perhaps even one day, I might even be mentioned in the same sentence with them and that will be a very amazing day for me indeed.

About The Author

Danielle Blanchard Benson is a world traveler and author of several different series.

Ms. Blanchard Benson is the author of Beginnings: Book I (The Plague), Death Wish: Book I, Better off Dead: Book II and Death Lair: A Novella (all from The Vamp Saga), The Catalyst: Book One (The Pop Stars) and The Beautiful People series.

She is currently working on Love Voodoo: Book I (DeGeneration), Apocalypse 2012: Book II (The Plague), Hart Attack: Book I (The Hart Family Saga), The Making of a Star: Book Two (The Pop Stars) and Queen of the Undead: Book III (The Vamp Saga).

Ms. Blanchard Benson has lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Blog: http://thebeautifulpeopleawritersjourney.blogspot.com/

Follow Danielle Blanchard Benson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/dblanchbenz007

Like Danielle Blanchard Benson on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/Author.Danielle.Blanchard.Benson

Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4883227.Danielle_Blanchard_Benson

Email Me: mzdanibee007@gmail.com

Filed under: Books, Writing Tagged: Better Off Dead, Danielle Blanchard, Danielle Blanchard Benson, The Vamp Saga, vampire, vampire series

Movie Mention: The Hunger Games

Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) salutes a fallen Tribute in THE HUNGER GAMES (Lionsgate).

I saw The Hunger Games last night — unspoiled! Meaning I hadn’t read the books or any reviews. I love letting stories unfold that way, with as few preconceived notions as possible. Here’s what I got from the film (not a review, just some reactions).

WARNING: SPOILERS TO FOLLOW. Come back later if you plan to see the movie and want to remain “pure.”

 is very compelling as Katniss. I liked her in last summer’s X-Men: First Class (she played Mystique) even if she was, frankly, overshadowed by the two male leads. Her stoicism was, to me, quite refreshing. A resident of District 12 (a place that looks like 1950s Appalachia) her main concerns are putting food on the table and taking care of her little sister. She has a boyfriend of sorts,Gale () but her focus is survival.
The Capital and its ridiculous Technicolor residents seem to be a gigantic homage to Oz’s Emerald City. Even a grooming scene is included! As always, shines as Caesar Flickerman, the game’s oily host. He’s delicately flirtatious with the girls, pretends to give the boys his man-to-man attention, and patronizes the smaller children — certain cannon fodder — with a big white smile. He’s like the evil lovechild of Regis Philbin and Ryan Seacrest. Truly, it’s an excellent performance and likely to be overlooked.
I’ve heard a few parents say they wouldn’t let their children (girls, I fear) read the books or see the movie because of the violence. In  this kill-or-be-killed scenario, no one emerges with clean hands. Without going into a rant about strong female characters who aren’t defined solely by a search for True Love … Katiss is a strong female character who isn’t defined by her search for True Love . If you’re going to ban your kids, especially your daughters, from reading any popular YA, for heaven’s sake, hide the Twilight books. Katniss is self-sufficient but not selfish; indeed, her participation in the games is born of self-sacrifice. She’s strong but not emotionless, tough but never cruel. Ignore Bella Swan (the girl who threw herself off a cliff when separated from her beloved Edward) and go for the Girl on Fire.

Lionsgate, 2012.

 

Filed under: Movies Tagged: Caesar Flickerman, jennifer lawrence, katiss everdeen, liam hemsworth, lionsgate, Stanley Tucci, suzanne collins, the Capital, the hunger games

PROTECTION has a new cover!

Just had to share!

Filed under: Protection, S.A. Reid Tagged: gay characters, gay romance, m/m romance, prison drama, protection, S.A. Reid