Tamela Quijas's Blog, page 14
August 15, 2011
What am I reading this week? Epiphany by Stuart Land
I was introduced recently to a new author that is quickly becoming a favorite on my TBR list. I can't sing enough praise for Stuart Land, who is a man of many talents. His latest novel, Epiphany, is on my reading list this week and I thought I'd give you some insight on this multi-talented genius!
Stuart began writing in 1986 while working as a sculptor in the film and theme park industry in Los Angeles. His first effort was a novel, but after working on many well-known films such as Aliens, Predator, The Abyss, Poltergeist 2, Independence Day and many others, he turned his passion to screenplays. He took a number of high-profile screenwriting courses, attended many seminars, and belongs to a long list of screenwriting organizations. As an adjunct to screenwriting, Stuart was mentored in film directing by Jim Pasternak, Dov S-S Simens and others, and mentored in film producing by Fred Caruso, all well-known industry professionals.
He has completed seventeen screenplays, four novels, and written/produced/directed/edited four short student films, and a spec TV series. 
Stuart's screenplays have been optioned and placed second, fifth, finalist, and semi-finalist in noted screenplay contests.
Stuart's second novel, Back from the Dead: the true sequel to Frankenstein, was published in 2005, and was a finalist in the International Writemovies Contest. The second printing will be available soon, both as an online eBook (ALL FORMATS) and a print version.
His third novel, SHADOW HOUSE, was a quarterfinalist in the Break Out Novel Awards, and is available now (ALL FORMATS).
ORIGINAL BLOOD, Stuart's fourth book, is also available now (ALL FORMATS).
Stuart's present novel, EPIPHANY, has launched July 2011, (ALL FORMATS).
A short story is included in the anthology, Lost in Thailand, published in 2009.
Stuart runs creative writing workshops in beautiful Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he also mentors writers one-on-one to elevate their writing to the next level. He has an editing service for fiction and nonfiction.
I told you he was a very interesting young man! Find out more at his beautiful website: http://www.stuartland.com/ and stay tuned for my review on Thursday!
Now, back to Epiphany!
Blurb:
Doctor Sam Enright and his geneticist wife, Dorinda, face turmoil in their small town when a dozen adolescent girls show up pregnant at Sam's office—and they're all virgins. When their own daughter falls victim to the same fate, the Enrights rush to Homeland Security for answers. As the questions multiply, they realize they are at the vanguard of a worldwide epidemic, and the mystery deepens. As events escalate, a disparate group of international doctors, scientists, and mothers-to-be are brought together at Dorinda's genetics lab in Middle America. They race to find the cause and meaning of the mysterious pregnancies, but every discovery reveals a new, worse scenario, leaving humanity's very existence in question.
You can find a copy of this thrilling novel worldwide and in various formats!:
I'm Celebrating with my publisher!
This special is for:
Blood of the Beast
Blood Moon
My Lord Raven
If you haven't taken the time to read the novels listed above, this is a great opportunity to catch up!
What did I do last week? You wouldn't believe me if I told you!
If you didn't notice, I went a little lax last week with the postings on WordPress.
The kids were back in school, the weather had become a little cooler (less than 100+), and I attacked a series of projects around the house that have been begging for attention.
Honestly, I have to ask how many of you have photo albums sitting around. Yes, photo albums! This probably doesn't apply to the younger generation, who would look at me and ask what 110 or 35mm film was with a blank look on their face (the same I get when I show my kids the rotary phone and the old LPs I still have!) Back in the day, we cared cameras that didn't have the fancy chip that can slip into a computer, downloading every image into prearranged folders.
We had cameras that required film no longer sold at stores and, among the many, we took pictures as if they were going out of style. The generations of the past wanted to capture as many images as possible of our world, and save it for our children and loved ones.
I have decades of pictures stored in old albums. Many are from my infancy, crisp black and whites of a curious child that stared at the camera with impatience. Others are of a country that has changed, grown, and merged into a more advanced world, all thanks to the demolition of the Berlin Wall. Yes, I'm the product of an era where Afros, bell-bottom jeans, The Berlin Wall, 8-track stereos, and LPs were all the fad. I remember when Adidas was just a cheap tennis shoe and everyone wore PF flyers, when computers were the size of refrigerators, and we only had 4 channels to watch on TV. We took pictures, hundreds and thousands of them, had them developed at the local store, and pasted them into albums. These were our memories–and the photo era goes back far into our past. Some are hand me downs of family, close to 100 years old. These more fragile ones I treasure most, especially when I stare into faces of my ancestors, and thank whoever decided they needed the image for posterity. As an avid genealogist, I'm avidly searching for family portraits of my past, many that were lost on the person's passing.
So, I decided to start scanning each image into my computer…a task that requires patience and A LOT OF TIME!
I attacked the photo albums, scanning pictures onto the computer for hour after hour. Even in the safety of their protective covers, many are damaged, their scratches appearing only under the fine scanner lens. Others are fading into horrid shades of yellow and orange, the subjects vanishing into time. Some make me smile—images of my children taking their first steps, the day they came home from the hospital, their first day of school. Others are of my grandchildren, fresh smiling faces that remind me so much of the past. Still others bring poignant memories of the past—the face of my Grammy, who we lost in 1970, my Pappy who passed the day before my 16th birthday, and my great grandparents, who passed away while we lived in Germany. I have pictures of my parents, young and fresh faced, sunburnt, and the image of my dad before he shipped off to Vietnam. I have these memories only because I kept the pictures. My brothers and children are too young to recall these people from our past, but I can share my memories with them over and over again through photos and the computer.
God Bless Technology!
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August 12, 2011
My review of Jerusalem Spring by Fares Aoun
Last week, I picked up a new novel that was a must read as far as I was concerned. THe author, Fares Aoun was raised in Lebanon, where he graduated from the Lebanese University in Beirut with a degree in Fine Arts. Already an accomplished painter and sculptor with shows at private galleries and the UNESCO Palace in Beirut, Fares has expanded his repertoire of artistic endeavors to include photography, graphic design, and writing.
His photography has been featured in local exhibitions and his subjects range from nature and wildlife to the sights and people seen during his travels. His first book, Maximum Alaska, features the astonishing variety of flora and fauna as well as the magnificent landscapes of Alaska. His portraits of indigenous peoples offer a rare glimpse of a disappearing way of life, a theme repeated in his work with rural farmers and laborers in the Middle East.
Now he has written Jerusalem Spring, a thought-provoking novel about injustice and the unquenchable thirst for peace.
Fares is married with two children. He enjoys traveling and cooking in his spare time.
Find out more about Fares at: http://faresaoun.com/FA/Fares_Aoun.html
BLURB:
Everything was going according to plan. Scott had a steady job as the prison warden in a sleepy little town in the South. He and his wife were planning to have a baby soon. He was modernizing the prison, gaining notice from his superiors, and rising through the ranks thanks to the reliability of his informant, Joe.
But one day Scott wakes up to find his world crumbling around him. Forced to reevaluate his life, Scott decides to stand up for what he believes in and embarks on a path toward redemption. He knows things are about to change. What he doesn't realize is that nothing will ever be the same again.
Pick up your copy at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jerusalem-Spring-ebook/dp/B004AYDGRG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1289363780&sr=8-6
My review:
The 1960s were a time in the South where a man was frowned upon for his color. Set in the 60s, Jerusalem Spring brings the reader into a world of a segregated prison bursting at the seams, and the lack of food can turn men into animals. There is a hint of compassion, people with a vision that see more than a man's race, which blends beautifully into the second section of this well-written novel.
Part II of Jerusalem Spring swiftly jerks you into the present. The world has changed little in the Middle East, and prejudice still runs rife even in a society as advanced as ours has become. The sadness, the hunger, and the lack of understanding so often displayed to those of another race or religion is blended eloquently into this tale. Fares Aoun's skill as a wordsmith gives Jerusalem Spring a heart-wrenching leap from the backward mentality that still plagues the world, and makes the reader look at man in a completely new light. Compassion, humanity, and the human soul can change a person's entire outlook.
As Fares comments–
"My mom raised us to treat others the way we would want to be treated. My Dad taught us to tell the truth and stand up for the weak."
Hear, Hear, Fares…your parents are very wise!
5 stars!
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August 10, 2011
My review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I'll start by saying that, if you haven't seen this movie yet, get to the theater!
I'm not a big fan of the original series of movies, although I do love Charlton Heston. When Planet of the Apes premiered in 1968, hunky Mr. Heston had crash landed on earth after a daring exploratory space mission.
The world he returned to was not the world he left. The landscape had become wild and untamed, humans resemble animals in their behavior by running in packs, and primates were more human than their counterparts. Apes walked upright, dressed as humans once had, were educated, and carried on conversations that stunned Capt. Taylor (Heston). Man became the pet, the bright eyes that were cooed over and spoiled for pleasure, their leashes constantly apparent about their necks. Who can ever forget the last scene in the film, where the Statue of Liberty is half-submerged in the ocean, a broken image of man's once powerful world?
All the while, even to my young mind, I had a lot of questions. Why was Heston in outer space, how had primates become so advanced, and what the hell had happened to humanity?
Rise of the Planet of the Apes answered those questions that lingered from the first film.
Reluctantly, I allowed the DH and boys to drag me to the theater. I stood in line for more than an hour, wondering if I really wanted to see another remake of ape vs. man.
I'm glad I did.
First of all, I applaud John Lithgow who plays Alzheimer striken Charles Rodman. The lost expression in his eyes, and memory lapses, brought back the memories of the painful disease that has struck my own family. His son Will (James Franco) has a difficult time watching his once brilliant father decline, and he's desperate to find a cure.
Unfortunately, Will works for one of those companies that does medical testing on primates. Trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's and injecting monkeys with a serum to improve their memory is dangerous.
How can anyone test a brain enhancer on a creature, then expect to still treat it as if it were nothing more than an animal?
Caesar, the creator, the supreme primate in the old films, is introduced. His story is wonderfully revealed, and explains why he is revered in the future. Even though he's CGI, I had to admit his character was fascinating. The viewer will find themselves being pulled into his eyes, feeling his pain and confusion. These feelings are intensified, especially when he goes from a pampered quasi-human to being caged, chained, and brutalized.
The CGI is amazing and the tale will hold you spellbound!
There isn't a boring moment in this film and, if anyone is going to get an Oscar for best actor, it has to go to Caesar!
5 Popcorn munching Stars!
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August 7, 2011
What author is on your paranormal romance reading list?
As most of you know, I've finished my historical romance, Moonlight Deception.
The love story of Reynaldo and Mattie is available on Amazon, OmniLit, ARE, Smashwords, and 1 Place for Romance. Just this weekend, I hit the bestseller list at OmniLit and couldn't be more thrilled. A big hug and thanks to all of my readers!
Since Moonlight Deception's completion, I've began work on my latest paranormal romance, Tears of Blood. I'm three chapters into the novel and enjoying every moment of it! Is it horrible to say I miss my vamps, those wicked and lost souls seeking redemption? I suppose not, since they have that lure that calls to the heart….
Speaking of that lure, there are thousands of talented authors out there that write amazing paranormal novels that shouldn't be missed!
Paranormal Romance Author, Melanie Nowak of the stellar paranormal Almost Human series, keeps a wonderful list on Amazon of Paranormal Romance Authors and their books. It's a beautifully researched, extensive list that all readers of should have readily on hand.
Over the past few years, the list has grown by phenomenal leaps and bounds, making it impossible for me to show it in it's entirety on my WordPress Site. Nevertheless, I will keep all my readers up-to-date on additions Melanie makes to this wonderful listing!
Despite everything, dear readers, do not become discouraged!
I invite you to become a member at the Paranormal Romance Forum on Yahoo Groups and get your hands on this fantastic list, and grab the opportunity some fabulous authors and great friends that share their love for the paranormal!
Yahoo Group Home page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PNRList
Go there to read about the group and click the Join button to become a member.
Amazon listing, beautifully updated by Melanie Nowak
http://www.amazon.com/tag/paranormal%20romance/forum/
Are you familiar with Almost Human's fantastic author, Melanie Nowak?
If not, check out her fantastic website at: http://www.melanienowak.com/
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August 4, 2011
Moonlight Deception is off to the Publisher!
On Tuesday night, I finished Moonlight Deception and sent her off to the publisher!
The lure of the moonlight, and the deceptions that whisper on the shadowy fingers of the night is now available through my publisher, Gray Lady. As soon as I have sales links and prices, I'll let everyone know!
Moonlight Deception, a historical romance set in 1890s Texas, I wrote nearly thirty years ago. The tale of Reynaldo Montoya and Aramettea Hunter sat around, careful preserved in a box, until last year.
The characters whispered from the pages, begging to be brought to light, and I've finally done so.
After all these decades, Reynaldo and his lady-love are free…
Blurb:
Aramettea Hunter's past was a secret, as wild and untamed as Texas, and unknown to her uncle. The call of the west pulled at her heart, forever drawing her back from the comfort of society, and into the world of her youth. One man, a man she knew to be lost to her years past, haunted her memories.
Reynaldo Montoya wished he could alter the moments of his past. One particular day troubled him, filling him with pain, regret, heartache, and scars he would wear forever. When the entrancing American is thrust into his care, he struggles to keep his sanity, while he longs to hold her delectable body in his arms.
Under the shimmering glow of the night sky, the pair would discover lingering secrets when one chooses a moonlight deception…
Excerpt:
"I do declare, Emmett, why must we stay in this God-forsaken town?" Wilhelmina Hunter whined. She mopped her profusely perspiring brow and upper lip with the edge of a delicate lace handkerchief, grimacing.
"You knew Santo Domingo was the lay-over the conductor spoke about, Wilhelmina, when we discussed this trip." Emmett muttered thickly.
"Heaven only knows, if I would have recalled this was the intended route, I wouldn't have insisted on accompanying you." She fanned herself rapidly with the flip of the handkerchief, longing for the slightest trace of a cooling breeze. "I don't know how much more of this heat I can tolerate, Emmett."
"Wilhelmina!" He growled warningly. His jaw tightened and his gaze became steely.
"The fare is absolutely atrocious, if this slop could even be referred to as food." She continued as if she hadn't heard him. She pushed her untouched steak aside with a disgusted grimace. "To think, when I consider the food and the hotel…." She rolled her eyes in disbelief before the protruding orbs narrowed. "Emmett, I was intent on having a delightful vacation, but this leaves much to be desired!"
She glared malevolently at her husband's down bent head, silently willing him to respond. When she didn't receive the slightest shrug, she huffed loudly. She reached for her recently refilled glass of claret, staring at the depths with orbs that bounced with unnatural speed, betraying her inebriation. Unsteadily, she downed the contents in one swift and unladylike gulp.
You're a damnable drunken biddy, Wilhelmina.
The words remained unspoken. Annoyed, he eyed his wife's skeletal from beneath the concealing weight to iron-gray brows. He inhaled deeply, forcing himself to bite the explicative rising to his lips. Instead, he lifted the fork from his dinner plate and surreptitiously eyed the piece of slightly pink meat held captive in the long prongs. He twirled the utensil between his thick fingers, his expression grim.
"You're well aware, my dear wife, this trip is not a vacation." His voice held a slightly exasperated edge. His attention didn't waiver from the utensil he held. "This is business and I could have made this journey without you."
"I wouldn't allow you to do such a thing!" She smirked, a slow dribble of wine leaking from the corner of her mouth. "As long as I'm alive, I have some say over how you spend my father's money! Remember, you didn't get everything he promised, my father made conditions when you married me."
The reminder annoyed Emmett, but he held his tongue. "Shall I remind you, darling, there is only one route to San Francisco?"
"You don't have to remind me of anything. I'm far smarter than you give me credit." Wilhelmina chastised bitingly. "You could have made the attempt to find better accommodations."
"Yes, my dearest," Emmett complacently responded, although his words bore a wealth of unavoidable sarcasm. "As you like to remind me, until your death, your father's will grants you the purse-strings and the final say on all financial matters."
His wife's lips tightened into a thin line of displeasure and, surprisingly, she remained quiet.
"You understood this delightfully rustic town was a necessary ill. To spend numerous hours on a train, without respite, would prove maddening to your more gentle senses." Emmett continued with mock suaveness. The iciness of his nearly colorless eyes rose to her pinched features before dropping to the silverware. "Santo Domingo is an essential layover, and the stop gives me the opportunity to consider the strategies to use when we arrive in San Francisco."
"You could do the same on the train," Wilhelmina whined, her tone akin to a spoiled child.
"Had I known you would resent such a sojourn, my dear, I'd have insisted you remained behind."
She scowled before her attentions settled on the dining utensil her husband held. Suddenly, she shivered, unable to control herself, not failing to notice how intent Emmett appeared with the small metal device. A claw like hand crept to her throat when he looked up and nodded. Displaying an overly exaggerated shrug, he smiled, before returning his attention to his dinner.
She frowned, her ferret like eyes narrowing, glaring at Emmett's balding pate. Her hand trembled slightly while she reached for her refilled glass, a sudden light-headedness encompassing her. Thirstily, she gulped at the deep purplish liquid.
"You can wish to your heart's content, Emmett. You won't be rid of me so easily!" Wilhelmina's breath escaped in a small hiss from between her clenched, red stained teeth. "If it wasn't for my father's money, you be some common Jack-Of-All-Trades, like your brother. You'd have that damnable and be scraping out a living on the dock front, begging for food."
"Mina, will you kindly compose yourself!" Emmett managed beneath his breath, his nearly colorless eyes narrowing.
"I will not compose myself!" She hissed, although her tone did lower, each following syllable becoming more scathing. "Shall I remind you how your brother's foolish pride rewarded him? Hell, Emmett, look what happened to your brother! All he got was a shallow grave at an early age, and a worthless daughter. He didn't have the benefit of my father's money to cushion his life. Certainly, he didn't enjoy the house on Chelsea Street, the servants, the fancy office on the waterfront, or the wealth you covet."
"This isn't necessary, Mina," Emmett muttered.
"Oh," his wife's brows lifted sharply. "I think it is, don't you? Here were are, and that miserable little wretch is right along with us. Who got the last laugh, Emmett? Was it your brother, after all?"
A wickedly sinister twist curved her thin lips, stretching them hideously across her gaunt and colorless face. Her vindictive gaze roamed from her husband's head before settling on the bent blond cap of the woman seated directly across from her. She watched the female tuck away her small steak with the mannerisms of a refined lady, each action deliberately poised and delicate. By the high color in the younger woman's face, it was obvious Wilhelmina's tirade hadn't gone unnoticed.
Only Seamus Lafferty would believe society would consider accepting his daughter into their tight circles, especially after the shame bestowed on her spotless family name! Her eyes strayed to the regal blueness of the gown the girl wore, and she secretly longed to rip the material from the honey colored shoulders. This girl enjoyed her wealth with regal silence, while her father scorned every cent!
If it hadn't been for the demise of her brother-in-law, she wouldn't have had the responsibility of caring for the worthless chit. Furious, she nearly wept, turning her face away from the younger woman's bright image. As an upstanding figure of the elite social society, socially outward appearances were everything, which forced Wilhelmina to display exemplary behavior toward her husband's niece. Unable to present anything other than a forgiving heart to the injustice wrought by the girl's father, she falsely demonstrated she was made of a forgiving material.
Aramettea concentrated intently on her plate, feeling her aunt's heated glare. She was unable to comprehend the animosity display by the members of her father's family. Since her arrival to their luxurious home, Mattie endured constant humiliation, despite her compliance to their every rule. She imagined her lack of a refined education brought on their disgust and lack of civility.
She understood her background would be a scandalous issue her father's brother wouldn't accept. Discreetly, she kept her upbringing a secret from her aunt and uncle. Instead, she used the excuse of safety to explain her boyish attire when she first arrived at their estate. They didn't understand travel was far safer when a lone woman dressed as a man. Her explanations had met grumbles of irritation but, in her pocket, she carried a letter written by her father. In the faded script, he pleaded with Emmett to place the past where it belonged, and to tend to Mattie in the event of his death.
Grateful the pair had given her a home when she needed one the most, Mattie's obedience was beginning to wear thin. She hungered for her freedom, but remained indebted by the vows she made to her father–to do more, and accomplish more, than he had in his life.
Life is getting hard, Papa. Fancy dresses and manners are more difficult than cattle and horses, or mucking out a stall.
Raised in this wild country through which they were traveling, Aramettea remembered roaming from ranch to ranch with her father. The aspect of being a widower, with a young daughter, meant more than one prospective landowner would deny him work. Starvation would have been imminent, or even worse would have occurred. Her father knew, if a cowhand lived with his teenage daughter, he would invite trouble from every male hand within a hundred mile radius.
After her mother's unexpected demise, Aramettea posed as her father's son, knowing he had her best interests at heart. Still young, and thin as a reed, her father's employers accepted her as an awkward boy on the brink of manhood. She had assisted her father in the corral and numerous round ups and, under his constant and expert tutelage, she learned the same abilities as any well-skilled cowhand.
Mattie brushed a stray golden curl from her temple, and stifled a poignant sigh, missing her carefree past. Life had been sheer and unadulterated bliss, despite the grueling work, compared to the one she presently endured. Little did Aunt Wilhelmina, or Uncle Emmett, comprehend the immense pleasure a life of hard work gave her.
She had leapt at the opportunity arose to travel west, for she loved this land to the depth of her soul. Filled with endless blue skies, the state had a world or startling sunsets and smiling dark faces, a place she proudly claimed as home. Each bit of this desert landscape she held cherished to her bosom on the long and dark nights in the freezing Northern clime where she presently resided. The sight of the purplish mountains in the distance brought the sheen of tears to her eyes, and her heart welled. She couldn't deny a sense of moving remembrance filling her with comfort, and didn't understand how Aunt Wilhelmina could curse the panorama as being a dull and barren wasteland.
Mattie set aside her heavy silverware, her appetite sated. A bored sigh escaped her, and she looked around the hotel's opulent dining room. Sumptuous, rich, and overly decorated, there were not enough words to describe the luxury of the newest establishment in Santo Domingo. Her uncle had been adamant on this particular site with the announced layover, and she couldn't fault his superb taste.
Surrounding her were many of the elegantly attired and influential businessmen from the train, as well as people she didn't recall. As the meal progressed, and libations flowed among the rich, their voices became slightly boisterous. The coveted image of money seemed to flit above each diner, wealth flaunted as easily as the poured wine. Mattie frowned, careful not to make her displeasure too apparent. There didn't seem to be a single person present capable of handling their lives without the aid of the all-mighty dollar.
Her gaze strayed across the tables, coming to rest on the last set of occupants seated in the back of the dining room. Barely visible beneath the glow of flickering gaslights, the trio lingered at a table many patrons avoided. Curious, she wondered why they wished to remain anonymous. Her curiosity assumed the most of her common sense and she found herself searching the shadowed faces of the occupants.
Abruptly, she stopped, an involuntary shiver creeping down her spine. A single occupant of the distant table captured her gaze, and stared into the darkness of familiar glittering eyes, unable to pull away. His companions faded into nothingness as she stared at him, noting the thick waves of nearly blue-black hair framing his darkly tanned face, a heavy scar distorting the contours of a single cheek.
Oddly enough, the twisted flesh didn't deter from his handsomeness. Aramettea realized the wound accentuated the mysterious pull drawing her unresistingly to him. Her breath whispered from her parted lips, recognition, and figments of the past darting before her wide eyes. Her gaze slipped from the roguish tilt of almost demoniacally arched brows before sliding to the supple line of the diner's full mouth.
Nervously, she flicked the tip of her pink tongue over parched lips. Suddenly aware of the seductive suggestion she presented, Mattie colored hotly. Her action had been misinterpreted, obvious when she spied the beckoning glimmer in the man's narrowed scrutiny. The blood pounded in her ears, draining her of the ability to think coherently. She stared in wide-eyed innocence at him, his scarred features dancing wickedly in the luminous glow of the lights.
Shock and recognition filled her.
Only one man was capable of having any sort of effect on her, and she knew him to be dead. She watched him die, a lifetime ago, in the dusty soil of his family estate. However, every tingling sense in her body told her otherwise. She knew him from the insolent tilt of his head, and the way he looked at her through sloe-shaped eyes filled with pain and anger. Despite the horrid scar marring his once boyishly handsome face, she knew his identity as clearly as she knew her own.
She would recognize Reynaldo Sebastiano Montoya anywhere.
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My review of Bertena Varney's Lure of the Vampire
Last week, I picked up a copy of the latest in vampire reference, Lure of the Vampire. I'm running a bit behind, but my review is finally up!
Lure of the Vampire is a pop culture reference book that begins with history and mythology and ends with modern living vampires. The author has provided "fun" lists like the "Powers of Dracula, Real Live Vampire Murders, Television Shows and African Americans who have Played Vampires. There are also websites in each section that show the most popular vampire books and even children's shows and books. But , there is a personal twist when it comes to Lure of the Vampire. The author has provided personal essays from national and international vampire authors as well as her own. they range from a personal look at vampires in mythology to the romantic lust filled vampire.
Essays are from the following authors:
- Denise Verrico
- David MacDowell Blue
- Charles E. Butler
- C.J. Ellisson
- BittenTwice
- Elizabeth Loraine
Interviews of
- Vampiric Council of New England
- Vlad the Gothic Vampire Magician
- Audrey A'Cladh, Vampire Priestess
- Hugo Pecos, creator of The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency
Lure of the Vampire: A Pop Culture Refence Book of Lists, Websites, and "Very Telling" Personal Essays is a perfect quick to grab reference book for the vampire fan or author. It's concise enough to assist you in finding links to what you are looking for without our being too cumbersome and confusing.
My review:
I have to admit, the cover had me!
As a fan of vampires, I found Lure of the Vampire an educational expedition through the ever-changing fascination with the undead. Since the origins of the creatures that haunt our nightmares, or capture our hearts, tales of the vampire have fascinated the world. If you check your lore of numerous regions throughout the globe, vampires exist in all shapes and form. They pull us into their darkness, with promises that cannot be ignored, and we allow them to do so.
The Lure of the Vampire is all-encompassing, from the moment that Bram Stoker put pen to paper. As readers and movie viewers, we shuddered with Mina, wondered about Lucy, and succumbed to the charms of that devilish vixen from Underworld. No longer do we envision a vampire with the gothic past of Nosferatu, nor do we sympathize with Vlad Dracul, but their legend lives on. Perhaps the legend in itself offers the immortality the undead crave, and Ms. Varney has made Lure of the Vampire a must have for all fascinated readers.
Ms. Varney has dedicated an immense amount of time to the study of this fascination, as well as the history surrounding the all time King of the Undead, making this quintessential book for all vampire lovers~
4 stars!
Pick up your copy of Lure of the Vampire at:
Amazon.com- http://amzn.to/nwifDw
Ebooks will be coming to Nook and Smashwords soon!
Find Bertena on the web:
Facebook- http://on.fb.me/g8C0Zr
Her writing website is www.bertenavarney.com
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August 2, 2011
The Hunt by Linell Jeppsen has captured me!
I believe in promoting my fellow authors.
You might ask why, when I could be promoting my own work. The answer is simple, and one that I want to share. I love to read, just as many of you do, and a new book is always a thrill. Sometimes, I walk into a book store or scan the pages of the internet booksellers, and don't have the slightest idea what will catch my attention. Sometimes, a little advise is all that is needed to make me pick up the latest and greatest from a new author.
Today, I have a new book to share–from the exciting blog tour of author Linell Jeppsen and I couldn't pass it up for reposting. 
The Hunt appears to be a riveting read that is a must to add to any reading list!
The Hunt
A Blog
About twenty years ago my husband and I went to the mountains of northeast Washington State to camp and hunt. Just like Holly, I liked to hang around camp, reading, relaxing, and watching the sunshine spangle off the icy water of Swan Lake.
It was mid October. The leaves on the trees were red and orange, casting their reflections down on the water, and in the early evening, tendrils of fog would reach spectral fingers toward the heavy, Hunter's moon.
Thus was born The Hunt, by Linell Jeppsen. I had just finished reading most of the Anne Rice books, and was transported into the supernatural world of vampires, and dark romance. In the eerie twilight, as I sat by the campfire I heard Loons moan across the water and sensed hidden movement in the tall trees. It wasn't hard to imagine that vampires might be hiding there, as well.
The Hunt is a modern day, dark urban fantasy. Brian and Holly Jensen have come to the high mountains for their annual deer hunt. What they don't know, is an outcast band of vampires have come to the area, as well.
Raul Stannard is over a thousand years old. Although the taking of human blood has been forbidden by the high vampire council, Raul and his motley band of followers defy orders and have cut a bloody path of destruction from Alaska to Washington State. This is where Raul first sees Holly…and the game is on.
Four innocent people are about to be caught up in an ancient power struggle, and in a love affair as old as time itself- Roger Atley, a Ferry County forest ranger, and his best friend, Harley Truefeather, an Indian sprit-walker; Brain and Holly Jensen and, of course, Raphael Goldhawk, the half human vampire king.
Centuries earlier, two daring young vampires did the unthinkable. They turned a human boy into a vampire. This would never have happened, but time was threatening the vampire race with extinction. Many vampires embraced Raphael with open arms (and wings), but some, like Raul Stannard, rejected the hybrid and vowed to destroy him, even if it meant the eventual annihilation of their kind.
Now, Raul sees an opportunity to bring Raphael to his knees, and buy his way back into vampire society. As frost paints the high mountain treetops silver and early snow covers the autumn leaves, Holly finds herself the unwilling pawn, in a death-match that has been going on for centuries.
The Hunt is very dark. These vampires are beautiful, but deadly, and fighting for their very survival in a modern world gone mad.
There is violence here, and love, self-sacrifice and nobility. If you are looking for happy, shiny vampires that sparkle, The Hunt is not for you.
However, if you are searching for a book that will grab you and never let you go…for characters that will live on in your mind long after the final page is turned, read The Hunt, by Linell Jeppsen.
You can find more information about Linell Jeppson at http://www.linelljeppsen.com/
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**Important Updates for my wonderful readers**
Time to update everyone about what's going on in my writing world…
I'm finishing up editing the last 15 pages of Moonlight Deception. It's been a long journey, leaving the paranormal world and stepping into the historical southwest. I've missed my vampires, but I do hope my readers are happy with the finished project that will be released within the next month by my publisher.
As soon as Moonlight is out, I'll have the opportunity to sit down and finish writing another romance that I've had on the backburners. Tears of Blood is the third installment in the Blood Chronicles series, which began with Blood of the Beast. Yes, the vampires have captured me once again! If you've read Blood Moon, the enigmatic Amado Gianni was introduced to my lovely heroine. Responsible for saving her life at the most dire of time, Amado holds secrets of his own that are dark and terrifying. Among the normal romance theme, Amado is a young vampire, created during the time of the silent film era. Once an important star in a Hollywood that was blossoming in the lush valleys of California, my hero met his mortal end at the hands of a vampire that has evil lurking in what is left of a damaged soul.
So, what happens when Amado meets Elodia Deville?
Let me tease you with an upcoming back cover blurb:
Once the darling bad boy of the silver screen, Amado Gianni had swept through Hollywood with his dark good looks, and his sultry charm. One night, and a chance encounter with a dark soul, had taken everything from him. He was left a shadow in the modern world, in a constant battle of good and evil.
Elodia Deville was a lost soul, battling the inescapable odds mounting against her. Blind, with a human evil seeking to destroy her, she was unaware of her appeal to the world of the undead.
Fate would join them in a battle of survival, one that would lead to tears of blood.
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