Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 73
January 31, 2015
Character Profile of Reese from Sanguinary by Margo Bond Collins
Name: Reese
Occupation: Former cop
Species: Vampire
Speaks: English
Age: 43 (35 human years + 8 years as a vampire)
Height: 6’1″
Hair Color: Dark brown
Eyes: Green
Physical marks: Dimples
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EXCERPT: Description of Reese
“I’ll have to see that she gets over it,” a voice drawled from behind me. I whipped my head around in time to see a man standing up from a barstool behind me. I hadn’t even noticed he was there.
God knows how I could have missed him.
He wore jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt. He had on dark brown cowboy boots, and as he turned away from the bar, he picked up a black felt cowboy hat from the seat next to him, placing it on his head. On anyone else, I might have assumed that the hats and boots were an affectation. On him, they looked perfect. He was utterly beautiful, with bright green eyes, and dark hair that curled down to barely brush the back of his collar.
I am undercover, I reminded myself sternly. Here to do a job.
When Garrett caught my gaze in his, flicking his glance toward the cowboy vamp, it was all I could do to keep from sighing aloud.
Would it have killed my partner to be a little more descriptive when he briefed me?
Of course that was the vampire cowboy I had to get close to tonight.
No making eyes at the informants, Cami.
But damn, he was hot.
Sanguinary: A Night Shift Novel
A Night Shift Sale ~ through 2/4
Join the Night Shift for a SALE!
January 31 – February 4, get Sanguinary for $.99 and Bound by Blood FREE from Amazon!
Night Shift Novel 1
Only fifty years left before vampires rule the world.
When Dallas police detective Cami Davis joined the city’s vampire unit, she planned to use the job as a stepping-stone to a better position in the department.
But she didn’t know then what she knows now: there’s a silent war raging between humans and vampires, and the vampires are winning.
So with the help of a disaffected vampire and an ex-cop addict, Cami is going undercover, determined to solve a series of recent murders, discover a way to overthrow the local Sanguinary government, and, in the process, help win the war for the human race.
But can she maintain her own humanity in the process? Or will Cami find herself, along with the rest of the world, pulled under a darkness she cannot oppose?
Only $.99, through 2/4: http://www.amazon.com/Sanguinary-Night-Shift-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00MR5VGV8/
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Night Shift #2 ~ A Novella
Sometimes the monsters in the dark are real…
As a child, Lili Banta ignored her grandmother’s cryptic warnings to avoid children outside their Filipino community in Houston. When many of those other children fell ill, Lili ignored the whispers in her community that a vampiric aswang walked among them.
Years later, Lili returns to Houston to work for the Quarantine Station of the Center for Disease Control—but she is plagued by dark, bloody dreams that consume her nights and haunt her days.
When a strange illness attacks the city’s children, Lili is called in to find its source, and maybe even a cure. But in order to save the city, she must first acknowledge the sinister truth: A monster stalks the night—closer than she ever expected….
FREE through 2/4: http://www.amazon.com/Bound-Blood-Night-Shift-Novella-ebook/dp/B00PB3AIGC/
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About the Author
Margo Bond Collins is the author of urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She has published a number of novels, including Sanguinary, Taming the Country Star, Legally Undead, Waking Up Dead, and Fairy, Texas. She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them—and sometimes fight them.
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Connect with Margo
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins
Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net
Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/
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January 30, 2015
Spotlight On: Into a Million Pieces
Into a Million Pieces
by Angela V.Cook
Release
Date: 01/2015
300 pages
Summary from Goodreads:
Allison McKready is a succubus. So is her twin sister. But while Allison spends her
summer break hiding in the library behind her Goth makeup, Jade fools around as
often as she can. Allison can’t believe Jade would ignore their mother’s fatal
example so recklessly, but concealing a cursed bloodline and its dangerous
effects is far from Allison’s only problem. Mean girl Julie’s snob mob is
determined to ruin her summer, and Aunt Sarah’s Bible thumping is getting
louder. Only her new friend, Ren Fisher, offers safe haven from the chaos of
her life.When one of Jade’s risky dates leads to humiliation and sudden tragedy, Allison
reels, and Ren catches her. But as her feelings for him grow, so does her fear
that she’ll hurt him—or worse—in an unguarded moment. The choice is coming—love
him or save him—but Allison might not live to make it. One way or another, the
curse will have its due.
Buy Links:Amazon│Barnes
& Noble│Kobo Books│Google
Play
About the Author
Angela V. Cook lives a very unexciting, but never
boring, life with her husband and two children just outside of Detroit. Like most
writers, she’s been making up stories for as long as she can remember and can’t
imagine a life that doesn’t involve creating worlds.
Angela loves to write novels for teens because it’s the best outlet for her
sarcastic personality, immature sense of humor, and love of romantic firsts.
Her idea of the perfect day involves a quiet house, a good book, and a piece of
cheesecake. Or two.
Author Links:
The giveaway (open to Continental U.S. only):
This is a summary of the giveaway items. Additional
information (covers/blurbs/photos/descriptions) of the giveaway items can
be found on my website, www.angelavcook.com
Grand Prize:
Signed Copy of SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS by Bethany Crandell, along
with two signed bookmarks
Signed Copy of PRESS PLAY by Eric Devine
Signed Copy of ESSENCE by Lisa Ann O’Kane, along with two ESSENCE
buttons
Signed Copy of THE HUNDRED: FALL OF THE WENTS by Jennifer Prescott
8×10 ENSNARED art print by Nathalia Suellen, signed by NYT
Bestselling Author A.G. Howard
Signed INTO A MILLION PIECES bookmark
Two runner-up prizes:
Each runner-up will receive a $10 Amazon gift card, and a signed
INTO A MILLION PIECES bookmark
GIVEAWAY:
Book Blitz Organized by:
January 29, 2015
Spotlight On: An Angel Torched My Homework, by Miche Sipes
Synopsis
Carrie Philips just wants her junior year at Clement Academy to go smoothly. Sure, it’s the first high school in the nation to integrate Norms like her with the Differents. But the Diffs are just typical teenagers with “tiny” genetic anomalies. They’re not really vampires or werewolves or angels or zombies like you see in old movies. The Diffs just have special dietary needs and some unusual abilities. They’re certainly not dangerous or anything—at least that’s what Carrie has always believed, since her dad is a doctor of Different medicine.
But when several of her fellow students are mysteriously assaulted, cracks form in Carrie’s worldview. Cracks she tries to ignore while defending her friends from anti-Diff backlash and solving the mystery of who’s really behind the attacks. Meanwhile, she’s distracted by two criminally cute guys who both seem to like her (and hate each other). Then Carrie uncovers a bombshell that could forever change how Norms and Diffs see each other. So much for a quiet school year.
“What happens when you combine vampires, angels, werewolves and zombies with normal humans? Supernatural insanity! Miche Sipes has created a clever world, filled with lovable characters, unexpected plot twists and lots of humor. I loved this book. 5 stars!” –Lynda Hilburn, author of the Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist series
“A refreshing, hilarious blend of every paranormal creature under the sun (or moon), heavy on the fun and light on the angst!” — Helen Keeble, author of Fang Girl and No Angel
An Angel Torched My Homework And Other Lies
Book Boyfriends Cafe Hot For Fridays Blog Hop ~ Morning After ~ Taming the Country Star
Welcome to this week’s Book Boyfriends Cafe Hot For Fridays Blog Hop! This week, we’re talking about a hot morning after! Check out the excerpt below from Taming the Country Star, then HOP on over to check out the rest of the authors in this week’s hop!
For Kylie and Cole in Taming the Country Star, the morning after all too often means checking out the tabloids, as in this scene:
***
Kylie opened the door to Cowbelles early the next morning. Her headache was no better than it had been the night before when LeeAnn dropped her off at her house.
At the back of the store, she pushed open the door to the stockroom, then rinsed out the coffeepot and filled it up. She was going to need a lot of caffeine today, she suspected.
But not even the coffee helped, even though she drank several cups of it. She blew across the top of the latest one, staring at the display of bejeweled crosses at the back of the store.
“Kylie.” LeeAnn’s voice echoing over the jingle of the door opening startled Kylie out of her reverie. “You here?” Her voice was hesitant.
“In the back,” Kylie said, stepping out.
“So. You okay?” LeeAnn asked.
“Fine,” Kylie answered shortly.
“Um. Have you seen this yet?” LeeAnn held a paper out to Kylie—a tabloid with a bright-red headline. Kylie winced. She hadn’t seen it, but she could guess what it was.
“No.” She took the tabloid, then spread the paper out over the counter. This was weirdly reminiscent of her friend’s visit yesterday. But at least this time LeeAnn wasn’t doing handstands in the back.
“Let me see the other one again?” LeeAnn asked. Kylie sighed and pulled out the older tabloid, already open to the page with her pictures. LeeAnn smoothed it down next to the new one.
The new pictures of Cole showed the two of them leaning in toward each other across the barricade—there were images from several angles, highlighting Kylie’s wide-eyed gaze and Cole’s slightly parted lips.
Taming the Country Star (Entangled Bliss) (Hometown Heroes)
January 28, 2015
January 27, 2015
Paranormal Love Wednesdays ~ Blog Hop ~ Sanguinary
Welcome to Paranormal Love Wednesdays! Take a moment to check out the excerpt from Sanguinary below, then HOP on over to the rest of the participating blogs to find new authors and great reads!
Sanguinary: A Night Shift Novel
Review: Low Midnight by Carrie Vaughn
Review
Finally! Cormac’s story! I’ve been a fan of Carrie Vaughn’s work ever since Kitty and The Midnight Hour was released. (If this is the first you’ve heard of Vaughn, I suggest you stop reading this review right now and go pick up that first book–it’s wonderful! Just don’t blame me for the series spoilers ahead!)
I have always been a little sad that Kitty and Cormac didn’t get together–as much as I love Ben, and as well as he and Kitty fit together, the chemistry between Kitty and Cormac was so very strong that I thought they would have made an interesting pair. His recent transformations in the series startled me, so I was glad he got a novel of his very own–and wow, did it ever pay off!
Having been released from his stint in prison, Cormac now carries the consciousness of nineteenth-century magician Amelia, and must learn to navigate sharing ownership of his body. The plot centers on solving a hundred-year-old mystery in a mining town in Colorado, but the real story here is the way that Cormac and Amelia learn to work together–even when apparently functioning at cross-purposes.
As ever, Vaughn’s characters are well drawn and complex, and storytelling is excellent. One of the things I loved about this book is how clearly it both ties in to the Kitty Norville universe and yet also stands on its own. The events in this book will propel the overall arc of the story forward. But because it’s largely the story of the relationship between Amelia and Cormac, the events that push the narrative forward can be summed up quickly in that main storyline. It’s a smart novel about a small event that ties into the rest of the series.
But don’t go into Low Midnight expecting a Kitty Norville book. This is very much a Cormac Bennett book. And I hope there are many, many more.
Title: Low Midnight
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Series: Kitty Norville Series (#13)
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tor – Forge (Imprint of Macmillan)
Release Date: Dec 30 2014
eBook & Print (Mass Market)
Blurb:
Cormac, the Kitty Norville series’ most popular supporting character, stars in his first solo adventure.
Carrie Vaughn’s Low Midnight spins out of the series on the wave of popularity surrounding Kitty’s most popular supporting character, Cormac Bennett, a two-minded assassin of the paranormal who specializes in killing lycanthropes. In his first solo adventure, Cormac, struggling with a foreign consciousness trapped inside him, investigates a century-old crime in a Colorado mining town which could be the key to translating a mysterious coded diary…a tome with secrets that could shatter Kitty’s world and all who inhabit it. With a framing sequence that features Kitty Norville herself, Low Midnight not only pushes the Kitty saga forward, but also illuminates Cormac’s past and lays the groundwork for Kitty’s future.
Book Links
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Print
Amazon Audio/CD
Barnes and Noble Nook
Barnes and Noble Print
Barnes and Noble Audio/CD
Author Information
In addition to being the New York Times bestselling author of the Kitty Norville books, CARRIE VAUGHN is also the author of the standalone novels After the Golden Age, Dreams of the Golden Age, and Discord’s Apple, and the young adult books Voice of Dragons and Steel. Visit her online at http://www.carrievaughn.com/
Author Links
Facebook Page ~ Kitty Norville
Website Carrie Vaughn’s Virtual Playground
Author’s Other Works
Kitty Norville Series
Kitty and the Midnight Hour #1
Kitty and the Silver Bullet #4
Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand #5
Low Midnight #13
Kitty Saves the World #14 Coming 2015
Kitty’s Greatest Hits (Short Story Collection)
Stand Alones
Straying from the Path (Short Story Collection)
Golden Age
Anthologies
Dark and Stormy Nights (Kitty Norville Short)
Hex Appeal (Kitty Norville Short)
Running with the Pack (Kitty Norville Short)
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (Kitty Norville Short)
January 26, 2015
Spotlight On: 52 Likes by Medeia Sharif
52 LIKES
Medeia Sharif
YA Paranormal/Evernight Teen/@ 47K
*Editor’s Pick*
After a brutal rape and near-murder, Valerie wants to get past feelings of victimhood from both the assault and her history of being bullied. Not knowing the identity of her masked rapist and dealing with the nasty rumors about that night are two things that plague her daily. Valerie will have to follow ghostly entities, past victims of the rapist-murderer, contacting her through a social media site. Why do all of their eerie photos have 52 likes under them? Their messages are leading her to the mystery man, although he’ll put up a fight to remain hidden.
14+ due to adult situations
Buy Links: Evernight Teen / Amazon / Omni Lit / BookStrand
Excerpt:
With the girls closest to me, I see their Picomatic profile page, which is a reminder that I have a direct message on there. “Did you DM me on Picomatic?” I whisper to Cookie.
She shakes her head, briefly looking up from her notebook. I should be writing too, but can’t concentrate on the five questions Ms. Garland wrote on the board. She’s seated behind her desk as a student approaches her to ask a question. The student is blocking her face, so she can’t see me at all. During times like these, when teachers are busy, I whip out my phone.
I slide my phone out of my pocket and into my lap. It used to be a wonderful distraction that entertained me during boring lectures and educational videos. Seeing others on Picomatic, I’m now dying to know what the DM is about. Even if it’s an inappropriate or harassing one, I need to see it. If it upsets me, I’ll report it as spam. If it’s extremely bad, pertaining to that night, I have to tell someone, even though last year the school didn’t do much in the way of protecting me from the trio, which was the quartet back then since Hector would play their vicious games.
I open my Picomatic page. Selfies abound, some from a few seconds ago. Most pictures are from P.E. or some other class where teachers don’t supervise as much. Some people are taking pictures of work that has been graded, bragging about A’s or criticizing teachers who gave them F’s. I tap the corner, where the direct messages are. If it’s a graphic with THOT or some other message on it, I need to know that’s not who I am. I never was. Be brave, I urge myself.
There’s a DM from someone named 2beautiful. I can’t recall any friends who use that handle. Where the profile pic should be, there’s a close-up of an eye. The eye is lined, with heavy mascara and purple and blue eye shadow. It’s an attractive picture, although eye pics can be deceiving. Sometimes the rest of the person isn’t as pretty. I don’t recognize this eye, although anyone’s eye can be transformed like this with the right makeup.
I scroll down to see the picture message she sent me. I frown, unsure of what this is, who this is. It’s almost pornographic, but not really since it’s just a sliver of skin, although there’s a hint of the girl’s V between her legs.
The picture is of a slender, yet curvaceous naked hip. The bone protrudes slightly and I can tell the girl is pear-shaped. I’m also pear-shaped, which is especially noticeable around Christmas time when I gain five pounds from eating too much during winter break.
This photo of a girl’s hip has 52 likes. I gasp. Is it a photo of me? Did someone take a picture of me at home or in the shower? Then I think back to the rape, of the flashes of light…I thought it was lightning, but I could be wrong. He had pulled me down to the floor and knocked me around. The room was dark. Maybe I didn’t notice every single thing he had done to me. Had the rapist photographed me?
Author Bio:
I’m a Kurdish-American author who was born in New York City, and I presently call Miami my home. I received my master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. After becoming a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer dabbling in many genres in college, I found my niche writing for young people. Today I’m a MG and YA writer published through various presses. In addition to being a writer, I’m a middle school English teacher. My memberships include Mensa, ALAN, and SCBWI.
Website: http://www.medeiasharif.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sharifwrites
Instagram: http://instagram.com/sharifwrites
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4086531.Medeia_Sharif
Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card
