Ellie Potts's Blog, page 64

Interview with Colette L. Saucier author of Pulse and Prejudice!

I am a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice and Colette L. Saucier offers a refreshing twist on it by doing the story through Mr. Darcy's eyes. But Mr. Darcy is a vampire! What I loved about this is that the vampire is not overdone. It is there with light traces. He is not shiny or too dark. He is Mr. Darcy. I loved them sitting around talking about life and music getting more into their past that wasn't touched on. I think I caught a few pop references in there as well that made me smile. But what really caught me off guard was the after Pride & Prejudice. The passion and how it played out. Still well done. I have read a few others, and of course Pride & Prejudice and Zombies and I loved this one sooo much it actually will be a reread again.

Blurb:
When the haughty and wealthy Fitzwilliam Darcy arrives in the rural county of Hertfordshire, he finds he cannot control his attraction to Elizabeth Bennet – a horrifying thought because, as she is too far below his social standing to ignite his heart, he fears she must appeal to the dark impulses he struggles to suppress. Set against the vivid backdrop of historical Regency England, this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice follows the cursed Mr. Darcy as he strives to overcome both his love and his bloodlust for Miss Elizabeth Bennet. This compelling variation remains faithful to the original plot and style of the Jane Austen classic but tells Darcy’s story as he descends into the seedier side of London and introduces Elizabeth to a world of passion and the paranormal she never knew existed.

Amazon buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1618853295/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0NDEX0QZHY7SGV8NPKWJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846
Barnes & Noble buy link:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pulse-and-prejudice-colette-l-saucier/1110805137?ean=9781618853295

Colette L. Saucier agreed to answer a few of my questions which sprang to mind after reading this. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! And once again thank you Colette for letting me steal some of your time!

1. How did you come up with Mr. Darcy a vampire?

Really through my interest in Lord Byron – the man more so than the poet, although "The Giaour" always fascinated me (published the same year as Pride and Prejudice, by the way). What little we knew of the character of Mr. Darcy fit that concept of the “Byronic Hero” so well: arrogant, cynical, intelligent, introspective.

The notion of the “gentleman vampire” didn’t arise until John Polidori’s The Vampyre – before then, folklore defined them more like we describe zombies today – and Polidori based his vampire Lord Ruthven on Lord Byron. Much like with Mr. Darcy at the Meryton Assembly, Polidori similarly introduces the reader to Lord Ruthven skulking about a society gathering: “(T)here appeared at the various parties of the leaders of the ton a nobleman more remarkable for his singularities, than his rank. He gazed upon the mirth around him, as if he could not participate therein. Apparently, the light laughter of the fair only attracted his attention, that he might by a look quell it and throw fear into those breasts where thoughtlessness reigned.”

2. I grew up reading Pride and Prejudice and watching the movies we saw them all through Elizabeth Bennet's eyes was it hard to get into Mr. Darcy's head?

Mr. Darcy appears infrequently in Pride and Prejudice, and Miss Austen provided few details about his true character – particularly as we view the events through the unreliable, prejudiced point of view of Elizabeth. Today, so many people have been influenced by film versions of Mr. Darcy or even the standard formal for every romance novel since that they have imagined this idealized “historic Darcy,” which never existed. Miss Austen provided few details about her most famous hero. She tells us he is proud, resentful, selfish, overbearing, accustomed to having his own way, uneasy around those outside of his own circle, and even they he would intimidate if bored on a Sunday night! He admits to thinking “meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own.”

In the novel, as opposed to any film adaptations, the reader has no notion of his intentions towards Elizabeth until she does – during his first proposal halfway through – and we are as appalled as she by his insulting remarks. Our opinions begin to soften as Elizabeth reads his letter and realize we may have misjudged him. Then in Pemberley, we learn more good of him in how he treats his staff and tenants; and upon his reunion with Elizabeth, we see him capable of redemption; but the reader has no knowledge of his interference in the Wickham/Lydia situation until Elizabeth learns of it herself in the letter from her aunt. Plus, he completely misreads human emotions!

So Miss Austen gave me a sketch of Mr. Darcy – arrogant, aloof, thinking meanly of the rest of the world, unable to interpret the feelings of others – and yet capable of redemption. I expanded on those Austen-given qualities to create a three-dimensional character.

3. I noticed some pop reference quotes were those intentional?

Although I painstakingly adhered to Miss Austen’s style and language and did not use any words, idioms, or slang that were not in use in 1813; I never wanted the reader to forget that, although a serious novel, Pulse and Prejudice is still about vampires and ought not to be taken too seriously. The Acknowledgments in the front of the book lists all of the hidden references, and readers have had so much fun finding the pop culture references, my publisher and I put together The Pulse and Prejudice Pop Culture Challenge offering prizes for those who find the most. (Check it out at www.pulseandprejudice.com.)

Yet all of these I blend into the prose only when appropriate and while still maintaining the style and tone of the Regency era. I also slip in the occasional vampire reference as well. When I write of Bingley that “Darcy had taken the lost boy under his wing,” the term “lost boy” is a clear reference to the 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys, and “under his wing” alludes to vampires turning into bats – a quality not bestowed upon them until later that century by Bram Stoker, but the idiom “under his wing” dates back to the 13th century. I heard recently someone, clearly not well-read in Austen or the Regency period, stated that the use of “drool” in the novel was “modern” when in fact it had been in use in that context since 1802. I assure all readers, they will not find any clashing styles or anachronisms in the prose, even as they search for the pop culture clues.

4. From your bio you are a big fan of the regency period have you dressed the part?

Yes! I have dressed in Regency day dresses for Jane Austen events and book signings, and for a costume ball, I dressed as the Empress Josephine.

5. How far do you plan on taking the series? Will you be touching on some of the other Jane Austen novels as well?

The sequel, Dearest Bloodiest Elizabeth, will conclude Vampire Darcy’s story. Although my novel All My Tomorrows is something of a modern take on Pride and Prejudice, I don’t have any other Austen-inspired works in mind at the moment; but who knows when inspiration might strike.

6. Will we learn more about Lord Byron in the upcoming books?

No, but we will meet John Polidori, his personal physician who immortalized him, so to speak, in The Vampyre. I thought Polidori must have had some inspiration for writing about vampires, so he becomes acquainted with the entire vampire culture in Dearest Bloodiest Elizabeth. Then the circle is complete, since Polidori’s novel inspired me!

7. What is next if you can give us a little hint?

Right now, I am pursuing a completely different sub-genre: romantic suspense. My romantic suspense thriller Alicia’s Possession is scheduled for publication in July, but I should warn readers that this novel does push boundaries and may not be for everyone.

Currently, I am writing another romantic suspense tentatively called The Widow. I have written about 40,000 words but I’m not quite to the half-way point, so I have no idea when it might be released. After that, I will return to Dearest Bloodiest Elizabeth, but I do hope while readers wait for the second volume in the story of the vampire Darcy, they will join me as I explore this new genre.

Bio:
Colette has been writing poems, short stories, and novellas since grade school and experienced early success in having several of her poems published in her junior high school newspaper. Her interest in literature led her to marry her college English professor, but eventually a love of history encouraged her to trade up to a British historian.

Technical writing has dominated Colette’s career for the past twenty years; but finding little room for creativity in that genre, she has spent the last several years traveling to Europe and Britain, researching Regency England and vampire lore and literature, to complete her first full-length novel, Pulse and Prejudice (Austenprose Readers’ Choice: Top 5 Books of 2012) - a paranormal adaptation of the Jane Austen classic, which tells the story of Mr. Darcy, vampire. She is currently researching and writing a sequel to Pulse and Prejudiceset in Antebellum New Orleans.

Colette was named “Debut Author of 2012″ by Austenprose and selected a 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Semi-finalist for her novel All My Tomorrows. Her romantic suspense thriller, Alicia’s Possession, is scheduled for release in July of 2013.

Colette lives in South Louisiana with her historian husband and their two dogs.
http://www.colettesaucier.comColette’s BlogFind Colette Saucier on Facebook

Book Review: Fire of Justice by Sabrina Garie

This was a fun quick read. I enjoyed the idea a lot. I wished it was a little longer. The characters were fun, and the world was interesting. I plan on following the author in hopes I get more on this world she had started to set up! Oh and it is really HOT!

Blurb:
Always read the fine print when swearing an eternal oath to gods and guardians…
Beholden by the sacred vows of her coven, fire witch Calista Reid agrees to temporarily mate with shifter Cullen McMahan to fulfill a mission assigned by the guardians. When Tall, Dark and Damaged arrives on her doorstep, generating enough heat to scorch a fire witch, Calista finds herself drawn to his battle-hardened body and broken soul. His pain speaks to her own deep-rooted isolation and the intensity of his hunger slakes her passion like no other.
Cullen, scarred by a past that left him an indentured soldier to the guardians, resents yet another hump-on-command assignment…until he encounters the compassionate, fearless, incendiary redhead who detonates his body and reawakens the emotions sacrifice and loss had suppressed. But Cullen harbors a terrible secret—one that reaches back into Calista’s troubled childhood and threatens the foundation of their growing bond.
Check her out:http://sabrinagarie.com/Like her on facebook:https://www.facebook.com/SabrinaGarieAuthor

Guest Blogger Doug Simpson talks about his Dacque Chronicles!

MY SOUL AWAKENING Interesting title, some of you are probably thinking, but what does he mean? My personal soul awakening provided me with the knowledge and courage to write my first novel, appropriately titled Soul Awakening , Book I of the Dacque Chronicles. Here is my story.
Over thirty years ago, my wife introduced me to one of America’s almost-lost miracle-men. His name was Edgar Cayce. He is regarded by many scholars in the field as America’s legendary mystic. Edgar gave over fifteen thousand psychic readings in a self-induced, trance-like state. His trance state was so deep that, in the early days of his amazing medical readings, a group of doubting Doctors performed their own sadistic experiments on him to prove he was duping his clients. One Doctor took his pocketknife and slid it fully under one of Edgar’s fingernails. He never reacted and there was no blood. Another sadist poked a hatpin right through Edgar’s cheek. He never reacted, but there may have been a drop of blood. But, as you can imagine, when Edgar came out of his trance state, all hell broke loose!
Throughout approximately forty years Edgar gave over ten thousand medical readings for people, some of whom Edgar never met and who were located a thousand or more miles away at the time of the reading. On occasion, in his deep trance state, Edgar prescribed treatments and remedies that had not yet been invented.

As amazing as the medical readings were, it was Edgar’s life or reincarnation readings that seized my attention.  Some two thousand real live individuals, or their guardians, requested approximately twenty-five hundred life readings where they were given information on a few of their previous incarnations, specifically those ones which were significant to their understanding of the reasons for their souls selecting the particular bodies that they resided in, in their current incarnations. Reincarnated souls that appeared in Edgar’s readings went as far back as the days of Adam and Eve, and included the souls of Mary Magdalene, Thomas Jefferson and Martha Washington, to name just a few.
If you are curious, visit my website at http://dousimp.mnsi.net and you can access the articles I have written on these three historical characters, and many others.
Once certain individuals, seriously interested in researching ‘the-other-side,’ were convinced that Edgar was the real deal, they asked inquisitive questions about Creation and many other topics. One answer, significant to our story, is Edgar’s account of the Creation of souls. In brief, think of God as an enormous energy field that can think. After God Created and evolved the Earth with its animals and numerous other creatures, but no humans, God realized that He had done a pretty good job but He was lonely. Man had not been in the original plan, so for company, God Created a calculated explosion in His energy field and all souls were Created at the same time from the God-Energy. There is much more to this story, but in a nutshell, God Created humans as residences where souls could experience ‘life’. Souls incarnate time and time again until they learn the required lessons to become God-like once more.
After years of researching the Edgar Cayce readings, I ‘had’ to verify my beliefs so I enlisted the services of a licensed hypnotist and experienced four past-life regression sessions, uncovering a number of my past lifetimes.

Now one hundred percent convinced of reincarnation, I commenced to write my reincarnation articles in 2010, using the Edgar Cayce readings. I parlayed my knowledge and experience and, with some helpful guidance from the other side along the journey, wrote my first novel, Soul Awakening, Book I of the Dacque Chronicles. It is a work of fiction but was inspired by a series of actual events. Probably all of the major events reported in Soul Awakening have been experienced by me, by individuals I know, confided to me or individuals I know, or were revealed in the Edgar Cayce readings. Four of the incarnations uncovered by the characters in Soul Awakening are my actual past lifetimes, right down to the name and location.
Before I even completed Soul Awakening, the ideas for Soul Rescue, Book II of the Dacque Chronicles, were running around inside my head trying to escape through my finger tips to my computer key board. A doubting-Thomas, as far as reincarnation is concerned, in Soul Rescue, became the main character in Soul Mind, Book III of the Dacque Chronicles. The only catch was that he needed to get murdered to be convinced of survival of the soul after death. The story of our murder victim, in Soul Mind, leads right into Soul Connections, Book IV of the Dacque Chronicles, which was published in April of 2013. The main character in Abandoned Souls, Book V of the Dacque Chronicles is already tearing around inside my head trying desperately to escape to the computer keyboard and join the characters in Soul Connections. Be patient, young lady.
I have been asked a number of times how many books are in the Dacque Chronicles. I have absolutely no idea! As long as I wake up every morning and have characters attempting to escape from my head to the computer keyboard, there will be more books in the Dacque Chronicles. Interesting thought! Maybe after my soul returns to the other side, it may decide to pop into some other body and the Dacque Chronicles will continue even longer. Interesting challenge, isn’t it?


Doug Simpson is a retired high school teacher who has turned his talents to writing. His first novel, a spiritual mystery titled Soul Awakening, was published in the United States in October of 2011, by Booklocker. It was reissued in October of 2012 by 5 Prince Publishing as Soul Awakening, Book I of the Dacque Chronicles. For further details visit them at http://5princebooks.com/. It is available in print and eBook format through most bookstores around the world. Soul Rescue, Book II of the Dacque Chronicles was published in November of 2012, Soul Mind, Book III of the Dacque Chronicles was published in January of 2013, and Soul Connections, Book IV if the Dacque Chronicles was published in April of 2013. His magazine and website articles have been published in 2010 to 2013 in Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His articles can be accessed through his website at http://dousimp.mnsi.net.

Guest Blogger Selah Janel stops in today!

[image error] People say there aren’t any new ideas left. I’d beg to differ, but I also think a big part of the game is about taking classic ideas or concepts and reinventing them. There are some plot arcs that aren’t going to go away: a hero’s journey, the need for revenge, and the power of love are all plot points that have stood the test of time and will continue to do so. It’s the same with a lot of creatures in legend and folklore these days. Dragons, faeries, zombies, and especially vampires aren’t going to loosen their grasp on the masses any time soon. What makes these creatures great is that they have a huge history of folklore behind them—really, at this point, you can pick and choose what attributes you want to use, and as long as you can make it make sense, it will read very well. However, there’s definitely the other end of the spectrum. By picking and choosing only what you want to convey, so often it’s easy to fall into the trap of ignoring everything else, everything that makes these creatures what they are.
Take Holly Black’s Modern Faerie Tale or Good Neighbors series, for example. She uses a lot of classic creatures: faeries, trolls, sirens, and every variation thereof. She uses them as love interests, heroes, villains, and side characters. What she doesn’t do, though, is strip them of who they are or over-categorize them. A troll actually maneuvers himself from sundry character to hero to love interest in Valiant. Faeries sell glamour as a street drug to mortals in that world, as well—a daring variation of all the charms and “helpful” items that the Folk are always offering mortals in the old stories. A faerie bride is won in the Good Neighbors series, but it isn’t part of a huge love story. Rather, the bride is often seen as manipulative and cold when compared to mortals, because she doesn’t have the same nature. Even the lead character, Rue, who is half mortal and half faerie, has to examine the crueler part of her own personality at some point, even as she’s trying to save her city from takeover by the Good Folk. You know what, though? It works. Ms. Black uses the characteristics and legends to propel conflict and plot development. She doesn’t try to cram these dubious personalities into something more user friendly just so she can write about faeries or craft a love story. What makes her stories phenomenal is that she doesn’t talk down to her readers, which is especially important for a YA audience. She expects them to be able to grasp that there are light and dark sides to everyone, and that things have consequences. Sure, you have the magic and all the trappings, but at their core, this is what makes her series work.
On the other hand, this is so often my problem with titles like Twilight. I totally understand the appeal of a vampire love story. They’re mysterious, powerful, and there’s always been a sensuality in vampire stories ever since Stoker wrote Dracula. That’s not going away, nor should it. However…to neglect key parts of the legend without taking time to really back it up, is frustrating to me. What’s the drive of a group of vampires to be going through the centuries as a young family? What would be the evolutionary reason for developing a reaction to sunlight? You can argue that the story isn’t about that, and I’d somewhat agree with you, but it translates itself as odd to me in different areas, too. Sure, Edward talks a lot about wanting Bella’s blood, but are we ever really on the fence as to if he’s a danger to her? Of course not. By not seeing him as a killer or even nearly bringing himself to shed her blood because he has to have it, it negates what he is. If he’s over a hundred, he’s had time to deal with the life change and should be comfortable with the path he’s chosen. So for her to delve up that kind of conflict in him, it would be way more fascinating for her to truly be fighting for her life…against Edward. Think of how great a love story that would be…two people drawn to each other by attraction, but also trying to come to terms with that giant fanged obstacle in the room. And honestly, I think it could be done, and done well for a YA audience. You could still have your love story, but it would be more of a gothic-slanted horror romance than what it is now. I’m not denying how successful a series it is, but does it succeed as a vampire story?No, not at all, not when everything is resolved between them by angst and discussion, and not when the very things that make Edward what he is is used more as set dressing than to propel the plot into daring conflicts and new directions. It’s a vampire-lite series, but it takes care not to delve too much into vampirism.
So what’s the answer? Here’s my thought on the matter. If you take some core part of a creature out of the mythos, or evolve it to live in the modern world, then you’d better work an explanation into the plot and you’d better have a damn good reason. You also need to make it a source of conflict or something to propel the story along. So often, I think people waste energy avoiding parts of a creature’s mythos rather than using the parts they’re afraid of using them to push things in new directions. So what if a vampire is a vicious killer…can’t he have love, too? It would be much more of a payoff if he manages to fight his core nature to give his heart what it wants. If a fairy suddenly chooses not to screw with mortals and is living in the human world, there has to be a reason, either due to the worlds lining up or their own choices. These little things could affect their character and move the whole story into different areas. If a zombie can recover, why is that? What ramifications does that have for the person afflicted with the disease? If you write a character from myth and legend but don’t use parts of the myth, is that because in that particular world that was invention and made-up folklore, or has something happened to your character to move them away from that? 
Do you have an alternate history in your head?
The point is, whether readers and writers think these things matter or not, they do. You can’t begin to change and play with things if you don’t know where a creature or classic character came from. So often when I get stuck, I go right back to folklore, because often I’ll find a solution staring me in the face. It’s important to do new things with old characters and archetypes, but it’s also important not to negate all the history that makes them what they truly are.
Blurb: Like many young men at the end of the 1800s Bill has signed on to work in a logging camp to earn a fast paycheck to start his life. Unfortunately his role model is Big John, the camp’s golden boy known for blowing his pay as fast as he makes it. On a cold Saturday night they enter Red’s Saloon to forget the work that takes the sweat and the lives of so many. Red may have plans for their whiskey money, but something else lurks in the shadows, something that badly wants a drink that has nothing to do with alcohol. Can Bill make it back out the shabby door or does someone have their own plans for his future?
Enjoy a lesson of lumberjack vocabulary here! http://selahjanel.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/the-language-of-lumber/
Buy Mooner at: NBP Store: http://noboundariespressstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=16
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Mooner-ebook/dp/B007144ZZO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1351133907&sr=8-2&keywords=selah+janel
B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mooner-selah-janel/1108368128?ean=2940014015738
Are  HTTPS://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mooner-673945-241.HTMLSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/247049    Bio: Selah Janel has been blessed with a giant imagination since she was little and convinced that fairies lived in the nearby state park or vampires hid in the abandoned barns outside of town. Her appreciation for a good story was enhanced by a love of reading, the many talented storytellers that surrounded her, and a healthy curiosity for everything. A talent for warping everything she learned didn’t hurt, either. She gravitates to writing fantasy and horror, but can be convinced to pursue any genre if the idea is good enough. Often her stories feature the unknown creeping into the “real” world and she loves to find the magical in the mundane. She has four e-books with No Boundaries Press, including the upcoming novel ‘In the Red’. Her work has also been included in ‘The MacGuffin’, ‘The Realm Beyond’, ‘Stories for Children Magazine’, and the upcoming Wicked East Press anthology ‘Bedtime Stories for Girls’. She likes her music to rock, her vampires lethal, her fairies to play mind games, and her princesses to hold their own.
Catch up with Selah and all her ongoing projects at the following places: Blog – www.selahjanel.wordpress.comFandom Scene Column – www.fandomfestblog.com/blogs/selah-janelFree Read: ‘On Fire’ - http://noboundariespressstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=189Facebook – www.facebook.com/authorSJTwitter – www.twitter.com/SelahJanelGoodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5622096.Selah_JanelAmazon Author Page - http://www.amazon.com/Selah-Janel/e/B0074DKC9K/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1346815995&sr=1-2-ent

Snippet Sunday -Blood Father

Here is an unedited snippet from Chapter 1 of  Blood Father!

“Where are we going now?” Patrick asked sliding into the SUV.

“To my sister’s apartment do you remember how to get there?” Patrick nodded and started on their way when they were all buckled in.

Leslie turned in the passenger seat to look at Colin. “You going to tell me what is going on?” she finally said.

“That magic wave changed more weres. Nathan and other pack leaders are trying to control this but if another wave hits we might have a lot of the lesser ones with bloodlust.”

“And?” she asked but he just looked at her and shook his head.

She straightened up in the seat and looked out her window. She watched as they turned off R street on to Olivewood Drive passing the very dark office buildings that housed dentists and doctors. They swung a left on Devonwood Drive were a man slept in the grass behind Pet Smart. Patrick turned into the dark apartment complex and drove towards the very back corner.

The Palm Resort Apartments had once looked very nice with mini palm trees and lush greenery to look like you were living in a paradise. Then they took on lower income people and it kind of went down hill. Devonwood was close enough to Loughborogh Drive Opposites didn’t venture along there unless they had business with gang leaders and drug dealers.

Patrick parked. Leslie took in a deep breath and got out of the SUV. She walked over down the way passed one of the small laundry buildings. The walked down the small cement path as she counted apartments. She had only been here twice. She could feel the tensions from the guys as they walked up to the apartment. She came to the apartment she thought was right and stopped. She went to knock and a cat screeched out from the dark making her jump.

June is Nerd Month also did you see I am giving away 6 books down below?

Next month I am celebrating all that is nerd. So for all you artist, writers and bloggers I am opening up my blog for guest blogs on anything nerd related. Books, comic books, movies, art, gadgets, and whatever makes your nerd hearts sing. If interested let me know and I will get back to you with more details.

Also if you haven't noticed there is a blog hop going on and I am giving away 6 books check it out!
http://authorelliepotts.blogspot.com/2013/05/hot-summer-nights-blog-hop.html

Guest Blog P.T. Macias stops in talking about the De La Cruz Ambassador Team!!

De La Cruz Saga by P.T. Macias Readers Lovers Casa

Hello everyone!

We're looking for bloggers that can help the De La Cruz Saga Ambassador Team. We need awesome bloggers to participate in the team blog hop.

The blog hop would be all summer long. We would love to have several bloggers per weekend (Friday-Sunday) post.

We would love it to start May 20 ~ August 30.

It's for a great cause.

Please post a message if interested or sign up!

Sign up here ~ http://www.signupgenius.com/go/904084FACAA22A57-delacruz


De La Cruz Saga Ambassador Team Poem by P.T. Macias 

Dare to read the hot amazing sexy romantic suspense saga!

♥ http://ptmacias.com/
♥ http://delacruzsagabyptmacias.com/


The goal of the Ambassador is to introduce the De La Cruz Saga to readers/friends to achieve the team goal. The DLCS Ambassadors focus is the goal.

What's the goal?

The DLCS Ambassador Team goal is to promote the DLCS Ambassador Team Project.

What is it?
The DLCS Ambassador Team Project is to inform the readers that every purchase of an eBook, $1.00 divided in four equal amounts will be donated to four organizations. The organizations are ~

Breast Cancer ♥ http://ow.ly/lamUs
Soldiers Angels ♥ http://soldiersangels.org/
St. Jude ♥ http://ow.ly/lamPt
Autism Society ♥ http://www.autism-society.org/


Contact a De La Cruz Saga Ambassador Team Member to register. Contact a DLCS Ambassador on Facebook.~

♥ Marsha Thomas Berg ~ https://www.facebook.com/brgmarsha
♥ Rose Destiny ~ https://www.facebook.com/katz.mcfadden
♥ Rose Marie ~ https://www.facebook.com/BriahJane

You can also leave a comment on the following sites.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/105058708644767712809
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114708212194215021716/114708212194215021716/postshttps://www.facebook.com/groups/DLCSAmbassadorclub/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373271629414413/
http://delacruzsagafamilia.blogspot.com/
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008B0EYWQ

Guest Blogger Zillah Anderson stops in!

[image error] When I was a kid, I lived for summer vacation. It was the one time of year where I got to do (mostly) what I wanted. I could sleep late, lounge on the couch watching reruns all day, play outside with the neighbors until the sun went down, or whatever else I felt like doing. Summer movies and the mall beckoned, the community pool always welcomed, the library had new summer programs every year, and even family vacations felt like an adventure.
And then I became a teenager. Suddenly, my parents very strongly suggested that I fill my summers with volunteer work, summer school, summer jobs, and all sorts of things that are really a contradiction in terms. Combined with social anxieties, trying to keep my grades up from one year to the next, and trying to figure out the raging hormones coursing through my body, I couldn’t help but wonder why my parents were suddenly into merciless torture. Now, of course, I get it. We all have things we don’t want to do but have to do in order to get ahead or become better people. At the time, though, summer was the one time of year that was totally mine, and it was confusing and threatening to suddenly have that block of time scheduled within an inch of its life.
I recalled all of this in an instant a few years ago when I was driving home from work. A local DJ was on the radio asking for story entries for a contest all about summer camp experiences. While I didn’t enter, it did get me thinking. The one thing I’d never been forced to do was go to camp (I think my folks I’d end up accidentally drowning or being cannibalized by the popular kids on a wilderness hike or something). I had a lot of friends who had gone, though, so I had a lot of potential help in crafting a story about a girl who just wants to be herself, but is at the mercy of her parents’ good intentions.
So often, we assume that teenagers are self-absorbed and stuck in their own little microcosmic worlds. It’s true to a degree—they certainly don’t have to deal with everything adults always have to—but I think this devalues a whole age group to a point. I remember being concerned not only about my future at that point in life, but also trying to learn what people were talking about when it came to politics, gender roles, and religion. I’d been brought up with a set of beliefs, sure, but so much of what I loved and felt passionate about were often not embraced by other people in my church or social group. So what happens when you put an individual with big opinions and a questioning mind into a social circle that seems at odds with everything they are on the surface?
That was what propelled me to write Knocking Down Heaven’s Door. After a misunderstanding and a big assumption on her parents’ part, Layla finds herself shipped off to summer church camp. Not only is she opinionated about religion, she’s a huge classic rock geek, something most of her age bracket doesn’t understand. Through her experiences, she slowly starts to find ways to merge her faith with her passions, her opinions with her empathy for others. I was a little hesitant starting the title since it does deal with so many big themes, but at the end of the day I’m proud to have written it, and love its combination of soul-searching and humor.
And it makes me feel a little better about having a summer full of work, work, and more work. 
Blurb: Remember when everyone else thought they knew you? Remember when everyone else thought they knew better?
Layla’s a small-town teen trying to be herself and is misinterpreted at every turn. She’s not popular  because her dad’s a minister and her interests never seem to match those around her. She’s learned to keep to herself and her music – big mistake. When her love of classic rock makes her parents wonder if she’s “getting ideas” she finds herself shipped off to church camp. There she’s faced with horrible food and her day is planned out by the millisecond. To make matters worse her bunkmate is the cheery, tow-the-line sort and Donna, her nemesis, is at the same camp and is determined to make things hard for her. The only thing Layla has left to cling to is her music, but when her interests and character are challenged will her faith in herself and her shaky trust in something more be strong enough to see her through?
Buy Knocking Down Heaven’s Door at: NBP Store http://noboundariespressstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65_66&products_id=223Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Knocking-Down-Heavens-Door-ebook/dp/B008HAIUNE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1351135768&sr=8-3&keywords=zillah+anderson B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/knocking-down-heavens-door-zillah-anderson/1111950310?ean=2940014657693
Bio Never one to run from uncomfortable or unusual subject matter, Zillah Anderson is an author of the speculative, the dark, and the sexy – and sometimes all three at once. She is the author of The Inheritance and the young adult title Knocking Down Heaven’s Doorwith No Boundaries Press, the erotic short Power Chord with Rebel Ink Press, and has also had her work included in the Wicked East Press Anthology Halloween Frights vol. III. She resides in the Midwest, loves all things crafty and nerdy, and writes while she bides her time for her true purpose: total world domination.
Find out more about Zillah at the following places: Blog – www.zillahanderson.wordpress.comFacebook – www.facebook.com/pages/Zillah-Anderson/126598154140694?ref=hlTwitter – www.twitter.com/ZillahAnderson

Hot Summer Nights Blog Hop!

[image error] Summer is right around the corner, and if you live in California summer is here. So on those hot summer nights between waiting on the next summer blockbuster and your favorite TV shows to come back what else is there to do? Read! Reading helps a bit, and the best thing about a book is that you can take it with you to the beach, lake, pool, backyard, river, vacation or wherever. So for this blog hop I will be giving a way a few books. I have a few thanks to Author Toy Davis this giveaway is for 6 books!!



1. The Unicorn and The Serpent (Fantasy Romance)- Ellie Potts
2. Flights of Delusion (Short story book with Horror/Science Fiction/Paranormal/Fantasy) - Ellie Potts
3. Blood Witch (Erotic Paranormal Fiction)- Ellie Potts
4. The Last Resort (Horror) Toy Davis
5. Diaries of the Fag Hags (Chick Lit)- Toy Davis
6. Will of the Waves (Historical/Adventure Romance)- Toy Davis
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now don't forget that you have a chance at the main Grand Prizes! You have to comment here with your names and your email to be entered. More chances at each blog that you visit. Those prizes are:1st Grand Prize: (1) Kindle Fire!
2nd Grand Prize: (1) $100 Amazon Gift Card

It's time to revisit Sunnydale

Yesterday my awesome friend Val posted that yesterday marked the 10 year anniversary since the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And  the post asked what was your favorite scene or episode. As a fans we sprouted off a bunch of great scenes. And then we went on to saddest scenes, and a few scary like Hush. Right after our chat I went off to see Iron Man 3 which was amazing and Joss Whedon has some perhaps some juggling to do with the Avengers 2. But of course it's Joss Whedon who is also the mad man behind BTVS as well a few other cult classics you might have heard of like say Firefly.

Buffy had fun story lines. Different monsters. I love strong women, and BTVS came out around the time I was still in High School so of course we girls liked having a bad ass babe who killed monsters. I had actually by then had already been writing short stories and working on other small writing projects and when Buffy was on I was sitting there notepad pretty much forgotten. That happened with X-Files, then Lost, now Doctor Who and Game of Thrones. I was sad when Buffy finally ended. Its just like reading a real good book and it when its over and there is no next book but you find yourself wanting more. So the chat made me want revisit some old friends. And thanks to Netflix I can actually stream it on my laptop while I write, and not dig out the DVDs.

So tell me for those BTVS fans what is your favorite episode or scene. And Once More with Feeling does not count because I think WE all love that one :)