Victoria Danann's Blog, page 34
December 21, 2012
The Art of the Review #1
Well, Happy Solstice Everybody! While I should be celebrating the beginning of a new season, I’m writing a rant instead. What’s wrong with me? I’m just going to get this off my chest and then put celebrating on my list of things to do today.
There was a time when the purview of book reviewing was limited to a very small and exclusive club of literary critics who wrote for newspapers or magazines.Those highly prized jobs were few and far between and were bestowed upon only the most qualified journalists who had passed a series of tests. The first rung of the ladder required a degree in journalism and, often, a double major in English as well. The second step was years of dues-paying tasks that were much less glamorous and desirable. If a candidate survived the business until a spot opened up, they might be offered a probation period with permanent assignment dependent upon satisfactory performance.
The book review revolution coat tailed so closely with the rise of Amazon.com as to virtually coincide. The first wave came in the form of Amazon customer reviews. For the first time, any individual was able to publish their personal opinion anonymously without vetting of any kind.
Although Amazon publishes “General Review Creation Guidelines”, I doubt that many have read them. (See Amazon.Com’s Tips at the end of this post.)
WARNING: This post has elements of a rant.
The Rise of the Blog
Like cream, the best critics rise to the top in terms of readership/followers/subscribers.
The second wave of upheaval can also be attributed to the innovation of Amazon.com. The explosion of self-publishing created a coexisting demand for self-marketing which created a demand for more book reviewers.
Should blog reviews carry more weight than customer reviews? The answer to that question is definitely yes. Sometimes. Anyone can put up a blog within minutes and call themselves a book reviewer. Some of the larger sites attract reviewers with the lure of free books and require absolutely nothing from them other than a name, email, and, perhaps, what genre they would like to review. In the case of a blog, there is no newspaper or magazine editor vetting the reviewer for you, you are left to your own devices to discriminate. The good news is that seems to be working in many cases. Like cream, the best critics rise to the top in terms of readership/followers/subscribers.
Some of the blogs have mastered the art of the review in the sense that the reviews are well thought out, informative, and entertaining without crossing the line of giving away the point of reading the book. These are the new elite of literary critics – bloggers who can be relied upon to review for the benefit of readers. On my own blog I have listed some of these. If you have a candidate you think should be included, by all means write to me and let me know. vdanann@gmail.com
The good thing about Amazon.com customer reviews is that, again, while individual reviews may not be worthwhile, numbers usually prove true. I can look at the number of total reviews (regardless of rating) then look at the publication date and predict whether or not it’s a good book. If a book has been out for six years and has two reviews, it’s probably not going to be memorable in a good way. On the other hand, if a book has been out for a year and has a lot of reviews relative to other books within the genre, it means that many people were moved by that book to take the extra step of returning to the purchase page to register their opinion. Again, cream rising to the top.
An Author’s Review of the Reviews System
Speaking as myself, for myself. Many would say I’m going where angels fear to tread, but, hey, I’m no angel.
1.) My biggest complaint hinges around the question of summarizing which often includes SPOILING!! There’s a reason they call these plot giveaways “spoilers”. I may spend months perfecting a turn in the story that could potentially give a reader a surprise jolt of pleasure. You, as a reviewer, can ruin that in two sentences and thirty seconds. Please believe me, if given the choice, I would much rather you trench my lawn or egg my house. You may think you’re providing a service to other readers by revealing the plot twists or outcomes, but you’re not. To other readers, it’s simply selfish, thoughtless, and inconsiderate. To the author, it’s disregard and disrespect.
A review isn’t a middle school book report. A good review isn’t a summary to prove you “really” read the book. If the book should be publicly summarized, I assure you the author of that book could do a better job than you. There’s a really good reason why they didn’t.
2.) ANONYMITY IS THE ENEMY OF CIVILITY.
People do say things in reviews that they would not dream of saying to someone in person. They also say things they wouldn’t say if they knew their name was going to be on it – their real name. What’s wrong with that? Well, hiding behind anonymity brings out mean spiritedness in some people.
In the days when the only published critics were legitimate literary critics, their names (real names) were proudly displayed on their columns. They took responsibility for what they wrote and knew that they might be out to dinner one night in New York and run into the person whose work they reviewed. That didn’t mean that all reviews were good. It just meant that there was a measure of accountability.
Some reviews seem to have no value other than to snipe for the sake of mean-spiritedness and for no other reason. I’ve come to truly dislike Goodreads because it seems to attract snark which, in case you haven’t noticed, is snowballing in our culture. This is not good. And I blame anonymity. The belief that one can write ANYTHING with impunity because no one knows who they really are has really brought out the worst in us as a society.
Authors are all too aware of the fact that our worst reviews are often written by other authors who establish “sock puppet” accounts for the solitary purpose of bringing down a book’s rating. Unfortunately most of the readers don’t know that.
The advice authors give each other? Ignore it. Okay. I was willing to go along with that up to a point, but when I confronted multiple threads of proof that reader/reviewers are influenced by other reader/reviewers, I drew a line in the sand. If a reviewer says something in a review that is not true, I am going to post a correction in comments. If someone leaves a terrible review on Book 1 – that definitely influences others, then buys Book 2 so that they can rewrite the same complaints about my writing style - I’m going to post a comment suggesting they not buy Book 3 because it will be more of the same and my work is clearly not a good fit for them.
Also see “How To Be An Honest Book Reviewer” – post by Laurie Garrisoin (Bitten by Paranormal Romance) in this month’s btsemag http://booktrailershowcase.com/category/author-news/emag/
Amazon. Com’s Tips on writing a great review: The bulk of the remarks dedicated to guidelines deals with “what’s not allowed”. What I would like to quote here is the section on tips. Keep in mind that this section is not exclusive to book reviews, but includes products as well.
• Include the “why”: The best reviews include not only whether you liked or disliked a product, but also why. Feel free to talk about related products and how this item compares to them.
• Be specific: Your review should focus on specific features of the product and your experience with it. For video reviews, we recommend that you write a brief introduction.
• Not too short, not too long: Written reviews must be at least 20 words and are limited to 5,000 words. The ideal length is 75 to 500 words. Video reviews have a 10-minute limit, but we recommend 2 to 5 minutes to keep your audience engaged.
• Be sincere: We welcome your honest opinion about the product–positive or negative. We do not remove reviews because they are critical. We believe all helpful information can inform our customers’ buying decisions.
• Full disclosure: If you received a free product in exchange for your review, please clearly and conspicuously disclose that that you received the product free of charge.
December 19, 2012
5 Easy Steps to Transferring Book Files to Your Device
1.) Download your choice of file format and save to your hard drive. (Remember where you put it.)
2.) If you don’t already have an e-book manager that you like, download Calibre for free. (or make a donation if you wish) http://calibre-ebook.com/download (Again, remember where you save it.)
3.) After installing Calibre, click the “Add Books” icon then browse to and open the file you saved from Smashwords.
4.) Plug your e-reading device into your computer.
5.) Click “Send to Device”. Voila! It is there.
If Blurbs Were Herbs…
IF BLURBS WERE HERBS…
by Victoria Danann
If blurbs were herbs, they’d be called Authors Bane. A blurb is a short description of a book. It’s distinguished from an actual “book description” by length. It’s basically a paragraph. Smashwords allows 386 characters. Sounds sufficient to describe a 113,000 words book?
If you’re a reader you take these mini-synopses (Yes. I had to look up the plural of synopsis.) for granted, just as authors did before we became authors. It looks easy. A ten minute task at most. Four months and a hundred revisions later, I’m still tearing my hair out.
You say: “Come on. How hard could it be? Has anyone ever called you melodramatic?”
I say: “Well, yes. They have. But that’s not relevant to this discussion. Really!”
I would much rather write a full length novel than try to compose a blurb. Trying to pare that 113,000 words down to 75 is not just hard, it’s torture. It’s cruel, I tell you. The short description that I currently use for My Familiar Stranger follows. This is the best I can do while avoiding spoilers.
“Minutes ahead of inevitable assassination, Elora Laiken is forcibly transported to an alternate dimension similar, but not identical, to her own. She is stranded. Alone. Far from home. A stranger in a “strangish” land.
Of course a girl could suffer worse problems than having gorgeous suitors. Perhaps more importantly, in the midst of an epidemic of vampire related abductions, can she stay alive long enough to choose between an honor debt, true love, or the breathlessness of single-minded passion?”
I can’t tell you how often reviews will say something to the effect of “don’t pay too much attention to the description”. See, the problem is that I wanted to create something that hadn’t been done before, something that defies both formula and genre categorizing. I succeeded at that, but, it turns out that, like everything else in the universe, that comes with two sides. The good news is that it’s different. The bad news is that the difference throws a wrench into the way the industry is set up to market books.
The second book in the series, The Witch’s Dream, is due to release October 14th and the problem has expanded. It’s snowballing. Here’s what I’ve got so far…
“From New York to Ireland to Edinburgh to Siena to the Texas Hill Country to Napa Valley, modern day knights, heroes, witches, demons, psychics, vampires, werewolves, elves and fae come together where emotions intersect. From promises to rages to hunts to epiphanies, The Witch’s Dream proves that true love can find you in the strangest places, when you’re least expecting it, even when you’re far, far from home.”
See what I mean? There’s no way to give a SHORT description of this book without having it sound stupid or juvenile or both which leaves me standing here as usual saying, “But it’s not! I swear!”
Blood Betrayal Featured Today
Blood Betrayal
Book 1 in The Primigenio Tales
Alison Beightol
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Dark fantasy
Publisher: Charles River Press/ Cambridge Press US
EBook ISBN 13: 978-1-936185-83-2
Paperback ISBN 13: 978-1-936185-82-5
Number of pages: 384
Word Count: 98,000
Cover Artist: Laurie Mc Adams
Book Description:
Being the world’s oldest vampire, Eamon Rutherford has enjoyed women throughout the ages as beautiful meals and one night stands. That is until Eamon decides to find a mate and settle down. His less-than-perfect choice is temperamental ballerina Lauryl Mellis. When Lauryl escapes from him in London, Eamon discovers that true commitment requires him to love another more than himself. As he struggles with his inner awakening and Lauryl’s rejection, Lauryl is busy planning her own special event, which might include the death of Eamon Rutherford.
About the Author:
Alison Beightol works as a registered nurse but also studied history and theatre at the University of Florida. For as long as she can remember, she has had an affinity for vampire stories, romance, and gothic tales that keep her up at night. Blood Betrayal: Book One of the Primigenio Tales is her first novel. Alison lives in a haunted house in rural north Florida where she is putting the final touches on book two of the Primigenio Tales: Blood of New Beginnings.
https://facebook.com/pages/Alison-Beightol-Author/121442071246963
http://www.adventuresofthecautionarytale.blogspot.com
Prologue
The Silly Thing Didn’t Realize She Was Going To Be Late Night Meal
Who to eat, Eamon thought as he studied the capacity crowd of the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. The marker of another vampire, a much younger vampire, in the audience caught his attention. The mystery vampire’s energy had a quiet dignity intertwined in it. The marker intrigued him and he scanned the audience with greater intensity. His Blackberry vibrated in his pocket, distracting him before he could identify him or her. He looked down at his phone.
Irina.
That dancer, what do you see in her? There are plenty like her here, the text message read.
Eamon put the phone back in his pocket without responding. “That dancer” was
the reason he delayed his return to New York .There were not any others like her.
Lauryl Mellis had been the pride and problem of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
of Dance at the American Ballet Theatre. Once at a cocktail benefit, the student dancers were selling signed dance shoes of some of the school’s notable graduates. Lauryl asked
one patron in her Georgia twang, why he wanted a smelly shoe and did he plan on
“jizzing” in it when he got home? Her dismissive attitude and scorn of the patrons
amused Eamon but not the elite school. The powers that be often bent the rules for her,
giving her chance after chance because of her talent.
Her talent and what he had seen of her stormy personality was magnetic. She
would back up whatever insult or harangue with a lovely smile or a toss of her auburn
hair. He enjoyed her from a distance, though. He’d never missed a performance or
fundraiser, but never approached her or introduced himself. She was young, still in her
teens, so he waited. Then he had lost track of her. But to his good fortune, here she was on tour in Seattle.
Eamon studied the crowd a few more minutes and then flipped through the stage
bill. He passed ads, the story synopsis for the ballet, and then found what he was looking for, Lauryl’s picture. Gone was the teen he remembered. Instead, he saw a radiant, young
woman with a dazzling smile and bright eyes. Eamon’s interest increased sharply.
The phone in his pocket vibrated again. It was Irina but he saw no need to
acknowledge his former companion. He looked back at the picture of Lauryl. The change
was remarkable. She was stunning. The idea of a dancer for a companion intrigued him.
All of that beauty and grace amplified as a vampire. It was a perfect combination. The
image lingered in his mind for a moment and then the framework of a plan materialized.
How much of her adolescent, edgy personality remained after dancing professionally for the past six years? Had she outgrown that or had she at least learned to temper it? After the performance, he’d find out.
The house lights dimmed and Eamon closed his stage bill. He tossed it onto the empty seat next to him in the box and waited as the orchestra tuned up. The cacophony of instruments merged together into a more harmonic air but the familiar sensation of a woman studying him turned his gaze back to the audience.
A young woman with light brown hair watched him. She rubbed her hand over
her thigh and crossed her legs. The slit in her skirt revealed a tantalizing preview of her
legs. Eamon followed the line of her legs back up to her ample breasts. Her body
reinforced the silent invitation in her expression. He nodded acceptance of her naive
request. The silly thing didn’t realize she was going to be a late night meal.
******
It took more time than Eamon expected to work his way through the backstage crowd. He stopped twice to speak with business acquaintances but soon found himself outside of Lauryl’s dressing room or as close as he could get. A throng of her admirers blocked the entry. The ones that couldn’t fit in her dressing room hovered around the doorway, waiting for their opportunity to enter. He stood for a moment with the crowd but became bored after few minutes. He looked at the mass of people and focused on their collective thoughts.
Leave, he told them silently. One by one, they filed away and he entered the dressing room. Other dancers, all drinking champagne and chattering, surrounded Lauryl.
She was seated in a chair with a blanket over her shoulders and a champagne bottle tucked between her thighs. Eamon could smell blood and his eyes tracked down to a bucket of ice water that her feet were soaking in. He looked at the bucket a moment longer and then at her face. She was lovely, even lovelier than in the program picture by far.
Her pale skin was flushed pink and her green eyes sparkled with excitement. Her full lips turned in a smile for one of the dancers before she waved at them. The mass of curly, red hair he remembered was scraped back in a tight bun. She laughed at something a dancer whispered to her and she pulled the pins holding her hair back out. Auburn curls dropped down and framed her face. Eamon smiled inwardly and took a few steps toward her.
“Lauryl Mellis,” he said as he extended his hand to her. “It’s such an honor to meet you.”
Lauryl turned to him and her expression changed. Her smile withered and her eyes narrowed as the happiness disappeared from them. She took his hand like it was covered in filth and shook it. “Thanks.”
Her boredom with him was apparent but he continued on, intrigued. “I’ve followed you since you were a student at ABT. Your talent has certainly blossomed, as well as your beauty.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, thanks again.”
“You’re welcome.”
Suddenly he sensed that he was just like the school patrons that she scorned back in New York. He bristled slightly but his expression didn’t change. As he looked into her eyes, the irritation he felt faded into amusement. He’d play along with her. Besides, the delicious aroma of her blood continued to drift up from the bucket of ice in front of him. Lauryl pulled her hand away and continued to look at him with the same disinterested expression. She even intensified her dismissive stare. He knew that she wanted him to leave, which fascinated him. It also excited him because this was a first for him. Never had a woman reacted that way to him. He concentrated on her thoughts for a moment. She thought he was a rich asshole looking to get laid.
A dancer kissed Lauryl’s cheeks and hugged her. Then Lauryl shifted in the chair. She looked at him and then looked at the door.
Eamon almost laughed. A not so subtle hint, he thought. He’d comply. After all, he had the young woman from the audience waiting for him. “I just wanted to tell you how talented and beautiful you are. Thank you for the engaging conversation.” Eamon bowed his head some and smiled.
Lauryl’s green eyes blazed angry. “I’ll remember it always.”
“So will I,” Eamon said before he walked out.
December 18, 2012
Guest Blogging on Night Owl Reviews Today
Article “The Art of the Review” on NOR.
Night Owl Reviews now requires you to register a user/pass.
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Blog/Articles/Victoria-Danann-The-Art-Of-The-Review
December 17, 2012
Blood Bar Chronicles
The Protectors Anthology
The Blood Bar Chronicles Book 2
Protecting His Own
by Xandra James
Genre: Paranormal romance
Publisher: Breathless Press
ISBN: 978-1-77101-812-8
ASIN: B00A1CICCA
Number of pages: 152
Word Count: 47999
Cover Artist: Victoria Miller
Breathless Press All Romance eBooks Amazon UK
Book Description:
When the Wicked Ladies of Fiction meet up in a Scottish bar they don’t expect a night filled with danger, lust and hot supernatural men…
Widowed Nina was just looking for a warm body for one night when she walked into The Blood Bar. But with a little help from a Siren song and a sexy bar-owner, the universe had other ideas.
Gargoyle Sam wants a forever type of girl after years of meaningless encounters and now, he thinks he’s found the one. He just has to convince her of that.
But the night is full of mysteries and not only does Sam need to confront an enemy from his past, he’s pulled into a complicated tug of love and war with a group of misfit Supes and Nina’s friends. Will Sam be strong enough to save them both or will they both lose what they’ve only just found?
Short Excerpt
This was a bad idea. It was time for her to go. Call it woman’s intuition or that the creepy club had bad juju, something weird was happening, and tonight was definitely the wrong time for her to be feeling lonely. Nina stood up, about to make her excuses to the girls, hoping they’d be as supportive as they always had been, when something came over her.
Nina felt strange down to her toes.
It was like she was drunk, loved up, and floating—all at once. She stumbled and grabbed the back of her chair to steady her jelly-like legs. Everyone around her seemed to be moving in slow motion. Nina looked around at the room, surveying her friends first. They looked the same as her. She reached out her hand to Tara but missed her shoulder. The sparkly teeth guy she saw earlier headed toward them and grabbed one of her friends. She tried to speak but couldn’t form the words before they were gone again.
People were dispersing from the room quickly, and Nina knew there was something wrong with this place. She should have known it with a name like the Blood Bar. Legs that were barely keeping her upright began to fail, and she slumped to the floor. What the hell was happening to her? Was she drugged? Nina let her eyes close. Surely if she just slept a little, this would all be over with soon, but her body was screaming at her. Hot lust coursed through her veins, and she shuddered.
“I’ve got you.” A deep voice tugged at her, and she reluctantly opened her eyes to gaze at a strong chest.
“Who…hell…you?” Nina frowned, realizing her words weren’t quite coming out as planned. Her eyes slowly travelled up a strong, stubbly jaw, over full, smiling lips, and finally landing on beautiful gray eyes. She gasped, finding it difficult to breathe. Her every fantasy she’d had in recent months filled her mind, and lust cascaded through her body until she felt so out of control in his arms, she thought she might melt.
Nina lifted her hand to his face and traced his jaw, his smile becoming more of a grimace.
“Take me to bed.” Her fingers covered her mouth, and Mr. Gray Eyes smiled once more.
About the Author: Multi-published author, Xandra James, has always wanted to write romance books. Even when she was sneaking peaks at the hot bits, too young to fully appreciate them, she dreamt of writing her own.
Now, older and wiser, she’s got the opportunity to project her slightly dark and wacky, British sense of humour onto others, whilst still writing the hot bits – bonus!
When not writing, Xandra is thinking of excuses as to why she shouldn’t be doing the housework, looking after a husband and cats that refuse to pick up after themselves and climbing the mountain in her house that’s affectionately called her tbr pile.
She currently holds the crown for Queen Procrastinator – something she’s very proud of – so you can usually find her online, somewhere, when she really should be writing.
Website Twitter Facebook Goodreads
December 14, 2012
Baby Makes Good!
My Familiar Stranger has been nominated for the Best Reviewer Read of 2012 by The Paranormal Romance Guild.
Win or lose – what an honor.
THANK YOU!!
December 11, 2012
Dying To Remember
Dying To Remember
Volume 2 of the Station Series
By trish marie dawson
RELEASE DAY TODAY 12/12/12 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AMKGSP4
The next installment in The Station series by Amazon Bestselling Author, Trish Marie Dawson, takes readers on another lively journey through the after-life adventures of eighteen year old Piper Willow.
Piper has new challenges to overcome, new names to learn and is faced with a new Station occupation. Did she make the right choice – choosing to stay at the Station and become a Volunteer? Does she really want answers to the questions that never leave her mind? How did the Station come to be? What lies beyond? Who is Andurush and what, exactly, does he want with Piper?
She must ask herself once again if she has what it takes…but this time it isn’t about saving lives, it’s about discovering what lies beyond death. Would you want to know?
EXCERPT:
If I thought the exceedingly happy mood that has me perched atop my favorite velvet throne would last very long I’m mistaken after I enter the Ones building. Niles is standing near the counter talking to Laney. I know the moment I see him that he is there to give me news about my volunteering status. Poof goes my throne.
“Hey, Piper. You really are a popular girl today,” says Laney with a tight smile.
“I guess so,” I try and laugh but it sounds more like a vocal seizure.
“Piper, I came to collect you,” Niles says, all business.
“Collect me?” I try and laugh again, but the sound is simply unpleasant so I snap my mouth shut to avoid any more verbal diarrhea, and nod a goodbye at Laney while moving back outside with Niles.
I allow my eyes a few seconds to readjust to the brightness around us. He places an arm loosely around my shoulders as we begin walking and says in a comforting tone, “Before I tell you where we are going and who we will be speaking with, I need you to understand you aren’t in trouble. You’ve done nothing wrong, okay dear?”
I don’t trust my voice so I only nod.
“I’m taking you to see the Mentors and…” he pauses to glance around us, and only when he seems satisfied that no one is close enough to hear, he continues, “…and the Keeper.”
I don’t know what this means. The look on my face must further establish my confusion but Niles only nods and continues to usher me around the fountain, which is currently teeming with teens of all ages, until we reach the Staff building.
Finally, just as Niles opens the door in front of us, I find my voice, “What’s the Keeper?”
“I can’t tell you, but you will see, don’t worry, dear. Remember, you aren’t in trouble, okay?”
We walk down the empty hallway and go through a door into a room that looks nothing like the one where Mallory and I met for the first time in person. This staff room is shaped more like an oval, with no corners on the walls and there are no tables or chairs. The center of the floor dips down a good two feet, creating a sort of recessed bench that matches the curved shape of the room. This is where the Mentor’s sit in a circle. I get over my intimidation of them instantly as my eyes widen at the sight of the other person sitting with them. A man at least a good foot taller than anyone else stands and nods at me. His clothes appear to be all white but it’s hard to tell at first, because the man is glowing.
BIO:
Trish was born and mostly raised in San Diego, California where she lives now with her family and pets. She’s been writing short stories and poetry since high school after an obsession with Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’. After over fifteen years of crazy dreams and an overactive imagination, Trish began her first book ‘I Hope You Find Me’ in December of 2011. When Trish isn’t writing, she’s homeschooling her amazing daughter and mildly autistic son, reading whatever she can get her hands on, or enjoying the Southern California sun. As a strict Vegetarian, Trish holds a special place in her heart for animal rights and dashes into the backyard weekly to rescue lizards and mice from her mini-lab/cocker spaniel mixed dog, Zoey…who is always getting into some sort of trouble.
CONTACT:
Trish’s Author page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WriterTrishMarieDawson
Trish’s Author page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008CQGASU
Trish’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Trish_Dawson
Trish’s Blog: http://writertrishmdawson.wordpress.com/
Dark God Descending
by Tony-Paul de Vissage
A lost city in the jungle…a safari of scientists…a stolen artifact… A curse is exacted upon the thieves, with the hero struggling to save his friends before the sacred object is returned to its home.
How many times has this theme been played out in books, movies, and television? It’s a standard script for a late night SYFY Channel flick. Also, the theme of my latest vampire novel…up to a point.
There’s a lost city and a sacred object is stolen from the city but there the similarity ends. The stolen sacred object is the Emperor himself–Semris II, son of the god of Death, a demon godling with too much curiosity about the Outside World. An intelligent, articulate being, Semris is befriended by the man guarding him.
Tucker Upchurch is a graduate student, accompanying his professor on the safari which will change his life forever. All he wants are enough credits to graduate and marry his girl. What he gets is something far better, and far worse. Ordered to stand guard over the imprisoned demon, he immediately questions the morality of kidnapping Semris and once he begins to communicate with his captive, agrees to help him escape. From that moment on, Tuck’s life will never be the same and he’ll lose everything he holds dear–his girl, his place at the university he attends, his livelihood–while gaining the friendship of a creature who shouldn’t exist. Semris is also changed by his knowledge of those in the Outside. He will learn of human love and human sacrifice, and also the depths of human cruelty.
Others are also changed by their association with the escaped demon. Along the way, they add two more passengers in their voyage toward freedom–Tuck’s girl, Shannon, and Shannon’s brother, David, a repressed doctor who considers himself without imagination or humour. David’s transformation is both amusing and heart-warming as he finds himself a “permanent resident of the Twilight Zone.”
Dark God Descending is the story of a friendship between two men separated by thousands of years, customs, and cultures. When Tuck, Shannon, and Semris–and even David–reach the end of their journey, they find that it is only the beginning, for all of them.
I hope my readers will agree.
Excerpt:
Tuck walked over to the cage.
Oh, God, did that last shot kill him? As far as he could tell, Semris hadn’t moved.
When he saw the slow rise and fall of the bare chest, he felt abrupt relief. He also saw the golden amulet, recognizing it as the twin of the one that had started all this unpleasantness in the first place.
The fruit hadn’t been touched, was rapidly darkening, the sweet, overripe smell permeating the cellar, attracting flies. How the Hell did they get in here, anyway? Several big bluebottles were buzzing around inside the cell, hovering over the peaches, a couple crawling along the edges of the plate. One was floating in the water glass, wings fluttering and making little splashes.
Tuck knelt and opened the little flap, reaching inside to remove the glass. As he reached back in for the plate, it happened. so fast he didn’t even realize Semris had moved until he felt the iron grip upon his wrist, saw the fangs drop and the dark head covering his hand.
He screamed as twin razor slashes struck through his wrist…knowing no one could hear, struggled desperately to get away. Frantic, disbelieving thoughts whirling through his mind. Oh, God, this is why he didn’t eat the fruit. He’s a vampire! Sweet Jesus, he’s going to kill me! Help someone, help me! Why should they? I didn’t help him.
The pain went away, his arm numb from wrist to fingertips.
He knelt there on the floor, watching the pale body crouched so near he could have reached out and touched his shoulder…his bare, wingless shoulder.Where did his wings go? What happened to them? All he could do was watch those shoulders heave with the strength of each deep swallow, feeling his life ebb away, and a vague surprise that it didn’t hurt at all.
Eyes rolling up, Tuck gave a little sigh and collapsed against the bars. He was barely conscious as he saw Semris raise his head and release his arm. In spite of being only slightly aware, he felt a stab of surprise as the quiet voice whispered, “Gracias. Gracias por su sangre.”
He’s thanking me? Thanking me for letting him kill me? With an effort, he made himself withdraw his wounded arm, cradling it against his chest with his other hand. Forcing his eyes open, he stared at his wrist, fighting the wave of blackness floating before his eyes.
There was no bloody ripped-away flesh as he’d imagined, only four deep punctures. Two of the five little veins had been pierced, but the wounds were clean and already clotting. Tuck forced himself to take a deep breath, then let it out, and repeated the procedure. Keep breathing! Don’t pass out. He might decide to have a second helping.
“I took too much. I am sorry. I was too hungry.”
There was such concern in Semris’ voice that Tuck found himself replying, “That’s all right. I-if I’d known, I… Oh, God, what am I saying?” He fell silent, feeling a bout of hysteria galloping toward him.
Something was thrust into his hand. One of the peaches. Semris’ hand, between the bars, holding it out to him. “Aqui. Come. Pronto.”
So he took the peach and bit into it, choking slightly as the rich, sweet juice slid down his throat, but forced himself to keep chewing and swallowing. As the fruit sugar hit his stomach, he began to feel better.
“That was good.” With a sigh, he tossed the peach pit aside.
Through the bars, hands helped him to his feet. He leaned against the door, hanging onto it to keep his balance as dizziness flooded back.
“Again, I am sorry. He looked up, meeting Semris’ eyes, startled at the concern in them. “It has been so long since I have had the living wine.”
Living wine…what a beautiful way to describe it. Tuck still felt a little groggy, wondered if he was now under the vampire thrall. He decided to find out. “Am I your minion now?”
“Why would you think that?” Semris sounded genuinely puzzled.
“Well, you’ve taken my blood. Generally, when a vampire–”
“Vampiro! Donde?” Semris looked around quickly, arms crossing over his throat in a protective gesture.
“You.” Tuck answered, feeling he’d made a mistake. “Aren’t you a vampire?”
“Of course not!” The answer was disdainful that Tuck might mistake him for such a vile creature. “I am a Dark Lord. Un demonio.” The pale chin lifted proudly. “Los vampiros are creatures accursed.”
Tuck thought that over. “And you’re not.”
“No.” Semris shook his head, the dark hair swinging. “I am not.”
Tuck realized he must be feeling better, to be able to marvel at the absurdity of this conversation.
Dark God Descending will be available from Class Act Books on November 15, 2012.
Author website: http://www.tony-paul.com
Twitter: @tpvissage
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tonypaul.devissage
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/505918625
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5117438.Tony_Paul_de_Vissage
About Tony-Paul de Vissage
One of Tony-Paul de Vissage’s first movie memory is of being six years old, viewing the old Universal horror flick, Dracula’s Daughter, on television, and being scared sleepless–and that may explain a lifelong interest in vampires.
This was further inspired when the author ran across a band of transplanted Transylvanian vampires who were sightseeing in the South. Thinking nosferatu were getting a bad press and in need of some favorable publicity, he decided to do what he could to change that attitude through his writing. Though it may be argued his efforts have probably done the opposite, no vamp has complained…yet
December 9, 2012
The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter COMPLETE COLLECTION
By Jennifer Malone Wright
Genre:YA paranormal
ISBN: 978-0615650081
ASIN: B008ASVXR8
Number of pages: 217 paperback
Word Count: 78,734
The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter: Part 1 available for free at Amazon B&N
BLOGGER’S NOTE: As you know, I rarely present YA because I don’t think most readers of this blog are interested, but this series is an exception. It is, in my opinion, of better quality then another highly acclaimed (and filmed) series that shall go unnamed. If you have a YA in your life who is interested in paranormal, steer them this way. – Victoria
This special edition of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter contains parts I-VI, the complete collection. Fourteen-year-old Chloe witnesses her mother’s murder at the hands of a vampire. Before the vampire can kidnap her, there is an unexpected rescue by a group of vampire hunters.
Overwhelmed by the feeling of safety, Chloe passes out and they whisk her away to their small community. When Chloe wakes, she comes face to face with the only other living relative, besides her mother, whom she has ever met: her grandfather. Chloe’s mother kept her hidden from the family; now, Chloe tries to unveil the family secrets.
Through her grandfather, she learns her mother was a vampire hunter. In fact, her entire family is descended from the powerful bloodlines of vampire hunters. Chloe agrees to join the family she has never known for one reason only: Chloe vows to kill the vampire responsible for her mother’s murder. With vengeance in her soul, Chloe is even more determined to follow through on her vow when she discovers the true identity of her enemy and how he is connected to her.
Experience the world of vampires hunter’s, vampires and mythology with Chloe in this exciting series.
click here for Excerpt. Bio, Contact.
