Winner Wednesday

The two winners of Descent Into Dust are...

Lisa R

&

Natasha

Congrats Ladies!

Review of The Seventh Witch by Shirley Damsgaard

I love the Ophelia and Abby Mysteries. They have all the elements of the paranormal that I love without the intense violence and sexual drama that I usually read.

When I crave something a little lighter than my normal reads I reach for Shirley Damsgaard or Madelyn Alt, each write great books that I've dubbed witch lit. They are more chick lit than paranormal romance or urban fantasy yet they hold the paranormal elements = witch lit.

I stumbled across this series at the library when it was only 2 books in. I instantly fell in love with them and now have them on my must have list, they always get pre-ordered. I even share them with both my mom and daughter.

In the 7th book of the series titled The Seventh Witch, Ophelia and her grandmother Abby have gone to Abby's old home in the mountains of North Carolina for great aunt Mary's 100 birthday party.

What they encounter is more than they bargained for as old secrets, family feuds, and the long buried past all come to the surface to cause trouble.

A family of rival witches seems to be at the center of it all as Sharon Doran evil bitch witch spews out her hatred making everyone in town fear her and setting her beady little sights on Ophelia. And Ophelia with her knack for finding dead people -stumbles across a dead body once again and is sure that Sharon is behind it. To make things even more complicated Ophelia also stumbles across a familiar face that makes her heart race, too bad he's undercover and tangled up with Sharon too.

Who knew life in the sleepy mountains could be so dangerous? Secrets, lies, drug dealers, witches, fires, murders, sexy undercover agents...

The Seventh Witch is a page turner you won't want to put down until your done.

Witch Lit at it's best.

Contest Reminders

Nothing new to add today but I wanted to remind everyone about the contests that are still open here at Fang-tastic Books.

The Uprinting Canvas Print giveaway has not received much action- this is a print you make. You can upload any image you want and have it printed on a 16x20 canvas and it is all free. The canvas and shipping are free and all you have to do is upload an image. Easy as pie.

My t-shirt design contest is a flop, one entry. If no one else enters I might just cancel it. One entry does not a contest make.

And the 500 Follower Giveaway is still open, 101 more followers to go. Where's all the followers? I think I am going to add another book to the pile today. Maybe that'll help bring them in.

Christian Kane's New Album

Were any of you fans of the TV show Angel?

Do you remember Lindsey, the bad boy lawyer? I kinda loved to hate him, or hated to love him- something like that. I just kinda felt for him. Anyway...

That's Christian Kane and he is not only an actor (he's now on the show Leverage) he's a singer, too. He sang on an episode of Angel once so I knew the boy had some pipes but I had never followed up on that to see of he had an album or anything.

Today I decided to look him up after seeing a video of him and Angel on VampireWire .

After googling him I discovered that Christian Kane has a new album, country style -and he's offering a free song download of "The House Rules". It's a pretty good song and he has a really good voice.

I think I'll have to get the album, it's something I think the hubby would really like, too. I know I like the song "The House Rules"...and I really like the singer ;-)

If you would like a free download of his song just visit his site http://www.christiankane.com/

Monday Musings March 29, 2010

Did you see the cover for Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost? I like it but I like the Cat and Bones covers better, so artistic and detailed.

ETD will be out in July, looking forward to reading it. I love Frost's books.

So how was everyone's weekend?

Mine was a bit blah. Tried to write, got nada done. Tried to craft, that didn't go too well, tried to garden and work outside but it was still too cold and rainy. I settled for cooking and cleaning.

To tell you how really blah I felt, I didn't even feel like reading...Gasp, I know- me not picking up a book? That just proves I was in a funk.

What I did do was a lot of thinking.

One thing I thought a lot about was Fang-tastic Books.

I don't do a lot of things on this blog that other book bloggers do- like regular cover art displays, contest round ups (though Deidre does that from time to time), what's in my mailbox, and all the other memes and what nots.

Why? Mainly I don't have the time since I am also a writer not just an avid book reader. Plus so many other sites already do them.

Most of us book blog people follow many of the same blogs so I don't see the point in posting the same stuff over and over again.

But I have to wonder of that's all not hurting the site. The whole goal is to attract readers and followers but I don't see Fang-tastic Books growing as fast as other book blog sites. I know several that went from zero to over 500 in a matter of weeks.

How? What am I doing wrong?

So I'm asking all of you, what do you like to see on a blog?

What would you like to see more of here?

More authors? More giveaways?

Should I post more news, more reviews, or more personal stuff?

Please let me know what you'd like to see because this site has gone from just being my fun blow off some steam blog to my passion.

I love books and being an author myself I want to help promote authors- that's why I mix it up and bring you both well known print published authors and little known up and comers and ebook authors. Here, we're all equal.

So let me know what ya'll think...

And with that I am off for the day to get some work done.

A Review of Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies: Compendium Monstrum

Here's something for the hardcore monster fans and those of us who love monster related history, myth and folklore.

Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies: Compendium Monstrum is a little black book that looks very old fashioned, like something that Van Helsing might have dropped while he was tracking down Dracula.

The pages are yellowed to look like old parchment, the illustrations are beautiful old fashioned sketches and the whole feeling of the book is that it is something old, historical and full of secrets and facts.

While actually the book is brand new but it is still filled with "facts" as far as they are accurate and true historical accounts of things that have occurred, whether or not the encounters and sightings were actually monster related well...that's up to your imagination.

I love all the old accounts of creature sightings, the maps, the historical quotes, the sketches, the myths and legends from around the world...there is so much packed into this little book I could read it over and over and find something new each time in the charts and sketches and quotes that are in the sidebars. And the wealth of information in the text...wow.

I love reference books like this when it comes to myth and lore, I have quite a few and this is a great one. A definite keeper for my monster book shelf.

You are going to be surprised at all the awesome info that finds a home in this little book.

For instance: Interested in learning a little Romanian? Just in case you happen to come across Dracula this could come in handy, speaking in his native tongue may sooth the savage beast.

Buna seara Good Evening

Nu No

Las-o balta Forget about it

te rog sa intri inauntru please come in (when dealing with vampires this phrase should be used with extreme caution)

You'll find plenty more about Dracula and other vampires in this book as well as fascinating information about werewolves and zombies.

For those who hunt the things that bump, growl, and bite in the night this handy pocket reference guide is for you. It even includes a sightings journal in the back so you can keep track of what, when and where you spotted the monsters. It is small enough to keep in a pocket so you can always keep it with you.

You never know when you may need to refer to the wisdom in this little black book.

If you are planning to travel, you may not want to leave home without this book. Big bad creatures of the night could be lurking in unknown places and you could use this encyclopedia of supernatural knowledge to keep you alive.

Guest Blog and Giveaway with Anne Raeha

The Gem Trilogy was the first trilogy and the first work I have ever published. I was inspired to write it because of my love of fantasy. Since I was a little girl I made up fantasy friends. I even imagined when I was really little that my dog was a dragon. I had him pull me around in a wagon. I used to fight my brother and sisters with swords and lightning bolts. With a family as large as mine, one brother and five sisters, we had great fights in the back yard.

As I grew older and entered high school, I loved my literary class and history. Learning about castles and old worlds just let my imagination grow even farther. My writing teacher encouraged me to start writing short stories and journals. After seeing the piles of notebooks start to grow, my family and friends encouraged me to start writing bigger stories. So that is why I started The Healer and Her Dragon. The story started out as a single book only it wanted to grow and become three. After I introduced Meghan and Nikki into the story, I decided they needed their own stories as well.

Still to come this year I will be writing two more young adult fantasy books and a story about a search and rescue canine, Hero, A Beloved Friend.

The Gem Trilogy is about three lost souls who were cast into a amethyst globe by an evil sorcerer, named Damien. It's up to three sixteen year old girls, Leah, Meghan and Nikki to find a ruby, amber and a sapphire gem to free the three souls.

The first book, The Healer and Her Dragon, is Leah and Drakkon's story. They must search and find the ruby gem. Leah is a healer and a fire druid. She has a great source of magic she uses to try and conquer evil and find the gem.

Book Two, The Scholar and Her Gryphon is Meghan and Tony's story. They must go out and find the amber gem. Meghan who is an earth druid. She searches the magic kingdom and uses her knowledge and power to try and find her gem.

Book Three is The Warrior and Her Winged Horse. This book is Nikki and Elad's story.

Nikki is a powerful warrior and her destiny lies in the castle and the king. She must find the sapphire gem. She uses her warrior skills and her magic as an air druid to put together an army of different species to fight and conquer the evil sorcerer, Damien as she tries to find her gem. To find out if the three lost souls are freed and do they conquer evil. Go to Lulu.com and purchase this great exciting new trilogy.

Book one was released January 2010 and book two was just published March 25, 2010. The third book will be released this summer.

~ Anne Raeha
http://anneraehayafantasy.webs.com/ - On this website starting in April I will be posting a free read one chapter per month. The Great White Stallion and His Rose. As well as a contest for the 1200th guestbook sign-in I will send out a free book. I will ship to anywhere in the United States or Canada.

Today here at Fang-tastic Books I am offering one free PDF book one The Healer and Her Dragon as well as one PDF of book two The Scholar and Her Gryphon.

I will hold the drawing at the end of the day for any poster/comments on this blog

Interview with Nancy Kilpatrick Live from The World Horror Convention

Welcome Nancy. Thank you for joining us today live from The World Horror Convention.

It’s a pleasure to meet with you, Roxanne.

Q: You are at The World Horror Convention where you’ll be launching the worldwide release of EVOLVE: Vampire Stories of the New Undead tomorrow. That sounds so exciting. What will you be doing at the convention to promote the book?

We had a reading yesterday (Thursday) with 10 of the 23 authors reading who are attending the World Horror Convention. The cover artist is also here, and me. We’ve done a special invitation for convention goers which has an insert--vampire money! People will bring that to the launch tomorrow and get a discount on the book. Cold Tonnage is carrying the book in the UK and has the trade paperback and the signed-by-all trade paperback for sale in the dealers’ room. We also have wine and individual bags of candies & bats for those who come to the launch, and door prizes, for instance, a blood bag, bottles of Vampire Wine, and one of the special editions, a hardcover copy of EVOLVE signed by everybody, wrapped in silk and in a wood coffin, which is worth $250/£161. We’re also doing interviews with different media. It’s very exciting to be here with all this happening.


Q: I see a few author names that are familiar like Tanya Huff, she’s one of my favorite vampire authors, any others that have been writing about vamps for awhile?

Kelley Armstrong doesn’t write vampires specifically but she has filtered them into her writing. Gemma Files, Michael Skeet, Natasha Beaulieu, those are a few authors who have written about vampires. Tanya Huff’s fans will want to know that she contributed a brand new and original Vicky story in EVOLVE!


Q: What was the approach to vampires you were looking for when editing this book? Old myths reworked? New breeds? Classic approach with a new twist? Are all the stories similar in style or does each piece in Evolve have its own unique voice?

I wasn’t looking specifically for myths revamped, if you’ll excuse the pun, but I was open to those as well as classic ideas and new breeds of vampire, as long as they progressed, moving the vampire forward. My idea was to help the authors get familiar with classic vampires to gain a sense of what’s been done so far, and what is the current fad in the vampire sub-genre--which includes the Sookie Stackhouse books and the TV series True Blood, The Vampire Diaries on TV, Twilight (books and movies), Being Human, the terrific BBC series which has a vampire as a lead character, modern versions of the undead like those. EVOLVE isn’t a young adult book or romance per se, though you’ll find some, but I’m sure YAs would love it too. Every story has its own voice and style and the new approach to the vampire you’ll see in the stories is fascinating.


Q: Can you tell us a little more about Evolve, the stories and its authors?

The authors of the stories in EVOLVE worked very hard to try to figure out where the vampire is going in literature. Books are always ahead of film and TV. I wanted to create a path where the authors could push themselves to be inventive. If we had this in the past and we have this now, where do you think the evolutionary process will take the vampire in the immediate future? They did some amazing stories for this book addressing just that question.

EVOLVE tries to live up to the publisher’s mandate, which is to gather writing from around the country. We have a writer up in the Yukon. A writer who is Canadian but lives in New England. Stories are set all over the world, in Japan, in the Middle East. It’s an intriguing range geographically and the stories are certainly unusual and speak to the future.


Q: Is this your first visit to The World Horror Convention or do you often attend. Tell us a bit about your plans while you’re there.

I’ve been to many World Horror Conventions and was Writer Guest of Honor for the 2007 WHC.

At the 2010 WHC, I’ve been leading a workshop over two days on writing vampire fiction. I’m also been on panel discussions about vampires and about horror in general. And there’s the launch tomorrow. Besides all this, and the media interviews, I’m doing some private critiques for people, attending the Bram Stoker Awards banquet tomorrow night, the autographing session tonight, and a bunch of other unusual events, like the ghost walk, an afternoon tea and a few parties. It’s an action-packed 4 days and as I’m flying home on Monday, I expect I’ll be asleep for the entire time on the plane!


Q: Do you attend a lot of horror conventions, events?

I used to attend more conventions and events. I’ve been to Horrorfind Weekend in Baltimore as a Writer Guest of Honor, and conventions in France and Chicago as a GOH. I’ve also been an editor GOH in Arizona. I’ve attended Festival of Fear run by Rue Morgue Magazine as a GOH and again last year to be on the vampire panel. I’ve also been to quite a few World Horror Conventions, a couple of Worldcons, which are mainly science fiction and fantasy with a touch of horror tossed in, and some goth conventions like Conversion and Celebration of the Undead. I regularly attend Word on the Street in Toronto and have been to other book fairs. I will probably be at the BEA in NY this May.


Q: You are described as Canada’s “literary queen of the undead”, you have numerous books, stories, and awards associated with vampires and other creatures of horror- what pushed you into writing and editing horror?

I’ve been a big horror fan since childhood. The first book I read (of my own selection in a library) was The Little Witch. I used to watch the old b&w movies on late night TV whenever I was allowed to stay up that late. All through childhood and teen years and then into adulthood I loved horror films and books. It was natural for me to write horror and out of my writing came editing. But, even though I say it was natural, initially I believed my writing should be literary. My frist novel was a kind of lit/commercial book loosely based on my life (fictionalized). I had a high-powered agent but the novel didn’t sell. It’s just as well, really. During that time, I ended up writing a short story that was a runner up in a major newspaper contest and it was a kind of implied-abusive-childhood story, literary, but as I reread it in the newspaper where it was printed I realized that this was a horror story and so I revised it as such, submitted it around, and “Root Cellar” has been published several times, including in a Year’s Best collection. At that point I knew that my natural inclination to write darkly, and particularly to write in the horror and dark fantasy genres, had won the brief internal battle.


Q: Have you always been attracted to “the dark side”?

I have. One can look at a childhood and see a draw, I think. In my case, there was much darkness in my household and that’s given me a bleak approach to writing. Recently I was at Sleuthfest, a mystery convention in Florida, and David Morrell was a GOH. David and I co-edited Tesseracts Thirteen, a horror/dark fantasy anthology. During David’s luncheon speech, he said that he believes that everyone has a dominant emotion in their life and that writers need to work with that dominant emotion. I completely agree with that statement. I think that emotion is archetypal for an individual. Consequently, there’s a positive and a negative side because archetypes have both. You can’t allow yourself to get sucked down by the negative and an art form is an ideal way to work with it that is ‘safe’, in that the form siphons the emotion out of you (temporarily) and puts it onto the page through craft. Of course, some writers are overwhelmed by the negativity of their dominant emotion. The poet Sylvia Plath is, sadly, a perfect example.


Q: What was your first encounter with the paranormal that made you fall for it? Was it a certain movie or a book? Perhaps an experience?

I saw a witch when I was a child. I was in the bed of my grandparents. I slept with them sometimes. My grandmother was a saint, so it wasn’t reflecting her. Anyway, I was alone in their big bed, awake, looking out the windows. They had two windows side by side. It was very dark out. I saw a witch fly by on a broom. Black cape, pointed hat, the whole enchilada. She just flew past slowly and looked in the windows at me, as if acknowledging me. I wasn’t afraid at all but I thought, so witches DO exist.

I have had a few paranormal experiences in my life. For instance, I will suddenly, out of the blue, start thinking of someone I haven’t thought of in years and years. Then, usually within a month, often less, I find out they died recently. The night my mother died (I was 16) I was staying with my aunt’s family and my cousin and I were lying in bed playing word games as kids do. The phone rang and instantly I knew my mother had died. She wasn’t sick, it wasn’t expected. I just knew. But that’s not so unusual, I think.

One of the more intriguing experiences I’ve had I wrote about and have published in a couple of books. My ex-husband’s mother was dying and he’d gone to the town she lived in to be with her. One night, I was alone in our apartment in the city, writing a ghost story. Behind me in my office were tall bookshelves that went up to the extremely high ceiling. On the top shelf was a Raggedy Anne doll a friend had given me years before and that doll had sat there perfectly happily (and undusted) for at least two years. Gradually, I began to feel tense and afraid and normally I do not feel this when writing, even the creepiest stories. All of a sudden I heard a huge crash behind me and jumped a mile. Raggedy Ann had fallen onto a table of sea shells, head first, by the look of her position. Quickly I checked the time because I felt this event was significant. The next morning I talked with my husband and he told me that the night before his mother had fallen into a coma. I asked if he knew when and he knew the exact time because the home nurse had recorded it. The time was the same time I had noted for Raggedy Anne’s fall. By the way, his mother’s name was Anne.


Q: Why did you go beyond being just a writer and move into editing? Do you plan to continue being both a writer and editor?

I wanted to try editing to see how I’d be good at it and also to see if I liked it. I’ve been told I have a good eye.

I’d written what ended up to be seven erotic horror novels, pastiches really, humorous and sexy, based on horror classics, like Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, etc. I approached that publisher, Masquerade Books in NY, and suggested I edit an erotic vampire anthology. They gave me a contract for Love Bites. I then did another 4 anthologies for them and was able to include some of the biggest names in the horror field. I enjoyed doing those books. I’ve also co-edited two major anthologies with Thomas Roche and one with Nancy Holder, plus the previously mentioned Tesseracts with David Morrell, and now Evolve alone. Editing uses a different part of the brain than writing does. I thoroughly enjoy reading the work of other people and bringing stories together to meet a vision. I hope to edit more books, perhaps even another EVOLVE.

But I’m also writing. In the last two years I’ve written and published about fifteen short stories. I’ve also been writing two new novels. Sadly, my time for writing is scarce now, as I do a lot of other things, like teach, and edit! But I’ll have more time soon and can move the novels along.


Q: Have you always been a major vampire fan or has the new wave of vampire popularity found you revisiting an old love?

I’ve always been a vampire fan, from the early Hollywood movies with Bela Lugosi and Gloria Holden, through Christopher Lee as Dracula, and all the Hammer films, from the avant garde first films by Murnau and Dreyer to the modern and sexy vampires that dress in stylish black leather and utilize martial arts. I’ve searched out books for many years and have close to 2000 vampire titles in my library, most fiction. I was totally into vampires in the 1980s and early 1990s and still am, but am not as much of a completist as I once was with books, films, posters, magazines, etc.

I’m always amazed when people think that Anne Rice started vampires. Not true by a mile. There is a long and rich literary history in English but also in other languages. Also, the mythology is old, and spans the world. Almost every culture has a myth about vampires and the earliest recorded record of the undead is in the Epic of Gilgamesh, 2500 BC, which makes the vampire at least 4,500 years old.


Q: Where do you see the vampire going from here? Will the popularity last or will vampires once again be forced into darkness until years, perhaps decades from now “new blood” brings them back into the spotlight once again?

I think we’re good for another few years with the current spate of books/TV/films. By then the Twilight movies will be finished on screen and the True Blood series might be waning the way a TV series does after 4 or 5 years. The vampire has ebbed and flowed quite a bit and I think we can expect that there will be a shift to something new. To get a hint of that, readers should check out EVOLVE!

www.vampires-evolve.com

Well thank you for joining us today and good luck with the international launch of Evolve at The World Horror Convention. Enjoy your time there.

Thanks for having me, Roxanne!

Interview with Jacqueline Lepore & Descent into Dust Giveaway

Q: Welcome Jacqueline, please start by telling the readers a little about yourself and your books. How long have you been a writer? What was your first published work?

A: I’ve been a writer since the seventh grade—I’m not kidding. My friends and I would write stories (starring ourselves of course) and exchange them to read. I never really gave it up. I tried several times to write a novel, but never finished anything. No one knew about my writing, by the way; it was my “dirty little secret” until I finally came out of the closet at age 30! Then, there was no stopping. I wrote my first full length novel—a historical romance. I sold that book and 10 more historical romance novels under a different name, as well as 2 novellas. Although I loved that career, I became restless. I wanted a new challenge. I was ready for something different. I sort of knocked around, trying different sorts of books, seeing what I wanted to do, and to tell the truth, I really was at a loss. I couldn’t get anything published, and I wrote a lot of things! I thought maybe my writing career was over. That was when I remembered that I wrote books because I was passionate about writing. I’d been missing that. So, I decided that I should write a book for me. That became my mantra—it’s all about me. J I wrote the kind of book I grew up reading, the kind of book I still loved and missed terribly. I really piled on all the hokey, corny, really good stuff—rainy days, storms, spooky shadows, fortune telling, gypsies, mysterious house guests, etc. I had a ball writing it—but I never thought it would sell. I thought it was too “different” and not the romantic vampire novel that is so popular. I was so overjoyed when it found a home (and such a wonderful home) with Avon A.

Q: So tell us a bit about the Emma Andrews series, your original idea was to have her as a detective in a historical setting, how did the idea progress from that to vampires?

A: I credit my husband with that. We are both fans of several detective series and while I was planning my Emma Andrews series, he kept insisting that my lead character had to have some outstanding quality that made her interesting. I agreed, but the trouble was, none of the qualities we came up with were really great or unique. I tried to move ahead, but he kept bugging me about some kind of “superpower” the lead detective must have. Finally, I shared the one idea I had that excited me. I had toyed with the idea of having Emma possess some extrasensory perception or see ghosts that help her solve the crime, or maybe she got messages from beyond, like a medium with a guide… Well, it was all confused, until a friend of mine made an offhand comment that just set everything into place. The comment was to not just dabble with a supernatural element but go full force. Her exact words were for me to “Take it over the top.” (Thanks Donna!) I took that advice to heart and it was like all the blocks keeping me from seeing how the series would work were suddenly gone. The plot unfolded neatly in my head, the characters were there, and the more research I did (and I did A LOT of research—all the vampire lore in the book is well grounded in cultural lore on vampires, literary references, and actual documentation) just seemed to fit in and flesh out my ideas so beautifully, I knew this was what I was meant to write.

Q: How many books do you have planned for the Emma Andrews series?

A: Actually, I’m hoping this will be an ongoing series. When you read the first book, the story is completely resolved, but elements are left unsolved (I would tell you what they are but I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I will tell you the Dracula connection remains a mystery). These are developed in the second book, THE CYPRIAN QUEEN, and expanded upon. And I’ve begun the third book, entitled, THE DARK WALTZ. I expect there will be at least one more after, and that’s all I know for now.

Q: Do you have a working title or a release date yet for book 2?

A: THE CYPRIAN QUEEN is due to be released in April 2011. It’s finished and in production now.

Q: If you could offer one tidbit of information for new writers, what would it be?

A: Oh, that one is easy—write what you love. And expect to work really, really hard on your craft. Here are two of my favorite quotes on writing. From Red Smith: Writing is easy. You just stare at the page until droplets of blood form on your forehead. But consider these inspirational—and true—words of Katherine Mansfield on the joy writing can bring: Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire but once. But on a day when the weather is fine and you’re free to work, such a journey is positively nothing.

Q: Do you have a “day job” or do you write full time?

A: I do have a day job, as a licensed psychologist in private practice. I love my job, and long ago I realized that both my careers reflect my fascination with people and relationships.

Q: Name one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you.

A: I have four cats and three dogs, which is a lot of animals. It’s also a lot of hair to vacuum up every day. So I don’t.

Q: Do you have a favorite book or a favorite author?

A: Oh, many! I love books. It would take so long to discuss all the great books I’ve loved through the years. I will say that one of the biggest influences on DESCENT INTO DUST was Elizabeth Kostova’s THE HISTORIAN. That was such a beautiful book, and it showed me how classy, intelligent, culturally rich and complex vampires can be.

In addition, my favorite authors growing up were Victoria Holt, Daphne du Maurier, and Mary Stewart. I hope I did the tradition of the gothic novel proud, but brought a little something extra to it—a little bit more romance and a lot more supernatural.

Q: What are some of your hobbies besides writing?

A: I love to knit! Sounds boring, huh? But I find it relaxing, and unbelievably challenging. I just finished a cable knit hooded sweater I’m so proud of. And I also keep busy following the orders of my dogs. They demand a lot of attention, which I shower on them unapologetically. BTW—we named our new little Yorkshire Terrier puppy Emma after you-know-who. It made sense as she is a proper Englishwoman and can quite possibly be a vampire hunter—she wants to be, anyway.

Q: What is the strangest source of inspiration you’ve had? Maybe something weird that ended up in one of your books or short stories.

A: I get inspiration from art, movies, books, etc. Any good story gets me really excited and I often find some aspect of it, even if the content of the movie or book is unrelated to my own work, to inspire me. What is strange is that sometimes it’s a bad movie or book that gets me really thinking. It sparks a lot of ideas of how a particular part or character could have been different and worked better.

As for something weird that ended up in a book, no, not really. All the weird stuff comes from me, I’m sorry to say

Just for fun lightning round-

Light or dark?
Dark!

Red or pink?
Red, of course.

Coke or pepsi?
Coke. (Diet, please)

Coffee or tea?
Coffee—Starbucks only. I’m addicted.

Abs or buns?
Definitely abs.

Vampires or angels?
Vampires. They’re so naughty.

Angel or Spike?
Neither. Edward!

Twilight or True Blood?
Don’t make me choose! Okay, okay—True Blood

Blood or wine?
Wine. But I do prefer red wine…

Q: Ok onto what we’ve all been waiting for- Tell us a bit more DESCENT INTO DUST, your latest release. Feel free to share an excerpt.

A: Here’s a bit of a synopsis:

Emma Andrews is a young widow, always somewhat of an outcast in her family, who comes to her cousin’s country manor in Avebury, England. She immediately begins to experience strange sensations and subtle threats that only she can see. She fears she is going mad—not an unrealistic expectation since her mother died a madwoman when Emma was just a child. But the truth will turn out to be far worse…

A mysterious houseguest named Valerian Fox seems to know more than he is willing to tell, but as events escalate, she is forced to rely on him for help, for she comes to realize an evil force is gathering around her cousin’s young daughter. What is more, in an amazing revelation, she comes to know that she is to play a key role in the battle of good and evil that is poised to take place among the ancient Druid ruins known as The Sanctuary. The local priest, who is more warrior than cleric named Father Luke, can only help her so much. For Emma, this battle will mean embracing her very peculiar and tragic destiny. She will have to uncover painful family secrets and place her trust in three mysterious strangers with shadowy motives of their own. And she must face the chilling knowledge that the world is populated with the undead—and that one of the most terrible and powerful of these—a great vampire lord who is a direct descendent of the Dracula himself—has horrifying plans for the people Emma loves most. She has very little time to discover the vampire’s plot and find a way to stop him.

I hope this sounds interesting to you. If it does, come visit the website for more spooky thrills at www.jaquelinelepore.com or follow me on Twitter@jacquelinelepor

I’ve included an excerpt to give you just a little introduction to Emma and a taste of the extraordinary adventure she faces in DESCENT INTO DUST. Thanks so much for inviting me, and I really enjoyed sharing this new project with you.

EXCERPT:

I was twenty-three years of age in March of 1862 when I traveled to my cousin’s home in the countryside of Wiltshire. The fifth day of that wretched month found me huddled in my carriage, the drizzly gray gloom outside soaking a bone-deep chill into every aching part of my body, which had been roughly abused by the long confinement and ill-kept roads over which I’d traveled coming up from Dartmoor.

I did not know then that these would be the closing days of ordinary life. The only suggestion of the monumental changes that were about to occur was the headache that had come upon me upon crossing the Dart River. The pain, as fine as tiny needles being pushed into my temples, increased as I crossed the chalk downs and approached Dulwich Manor.

At the time, I assumed this was due to anxiety, for my younger sister and her new husband were among the guests invited for an extended stay at my cousin’s sprawling country house. As I was long accustomed to contending with Alyssa without anything like this haunting megrim, I suppose I should not have made this rather obvious misattribution. But how could I have thought differently, back then?

The house was a large, ugly thing, squatting low on the land like a spider on a softly rounded hilltop. Stones blacked with lichen and soot formed a plain rectangle of unadorned walls dotted liberally with cross-hatched windows. It lay dormant under leaden skies. There was no signs of life about it or any of the outbuildings. Everyone had taken shelter from the rain.
I emerged into a light drizzle and drew the cowl of my cloak over my head. At the top of the impressive set of carved steps a very correct looking servant waited. “Emma Andrews, Mrs. Dulwich’s cousin,” I told him.

He did not quite meet my gaze, as all good servants manage not to do, as he opened the door wider and ushered me inside to a vaulted hall. I was instantly struck by the feeling of being very, very small in a very, very large place. The gasjets on the wall leaked only a small puddle of light in which I stood, beyond which I saw only shadowy hints of the rest of the room.

“I shall tell madam you have arrived,” the manservant intoned soberly.

Once alone, I quickly checked my appearance in a pier glass hung on the wall. I was decidedly damp. My hair was nearly a ruin. The expensive gown I had donned that morning, thinking it would lend me courage, had been a bad choice. There was nothing to be done about the crushed silk. A smart travel dress would have been better, had I owned one. But such things required seamstress consultations and fittings, all amounting to too much time, time I never seemed to make room for in my ordinary routines. I did take comfort in the fine brushed wool of my cloak which Simon, my husband, had given me for Christmas last year, a month before he died. It was of excellent quality.

A voice brought me up sharp. “I am most put out that the weather is foul,” my cousin, Mary, said as she swept into the hall. “I wanted to show the house to its full advantage.”

She posed regally in the hall of the Jacobean house, her pride radiating from her. She knew her surroundings elevated her, as wealth is apt to do. She had married well and that is always a woman’s conceit.

And yet, it had not been mine. My late husband, Simon, had left me his wealth, something I found made my rather ordinary life a bit more convenient than it had previously been, but little else had changed because of it. I certainly took no pride in showing it off.

“The house is magnificent, Mary. I am anxious to see what you have done with its restoration. It seems very grand indeed.”

That pleased her, thawed her a bit. She cocked her chin at me and turned slightly so that I might press a kiss upon her cheek in a rather pretentious gesture for a woman only three years my senior. But I complied. I have no trouble indulging others’ vanities, if they are harmless.

“Come then, Emma,” she said, “the parlor is through here. Give Penwys your cloak. Alyssa and Alan have already arrived. I know she is anxious to see you. Penwys will see your things are delivered to your room and the servants will put everything to rights. You can go upstairs when you’ve met everyone and freshen up then.”

She was showing off a bit, taking on the same airs Alyssa was so fond of. As just as with my sister, they had the tendency to prick my sore spot and made me wicked.

“Oh, very well,” I conceded, “but please direct your man to be very careful with my portmanteau. It is old, and I take extra care of it since it had been my mother’s.”

The mention of Laura—my beautiful, tragic mother—changed her expression to one rife with thoughts best left unsaid. “Your belongings will be treated with the respect they deserve.”

We proceeded together down a short corridor. Above, a series of large arches stretched across the high ceiling like ribs, giving me the unsettling feeling of traversing the interior of a vast corporeal chest. My eye was caught by some words carved at the apex of the last of these stone vaults, just above the heavy double doors beyond which I could hear the muffled sounds of conversation. An odd place for decoration, I mused. It would be easily overlooked as it was placed high overhead. But I could read the three words.

Corruptio optimi pessima.

I stopped. Something strange and unpleasant fluttered through me. The air went crisp, as if ionizing in preparation for an electrical strike.

Mary saw me staring. “Interesting, isn’t it? Those carvings are all over the house. The man who built the original manor was a bishop, back before Henry, when the papists still had the run of the place.” She laughed. “It’s a curiously religious dwelling as a result, and I’ve kept it that way through the restoration. These ominous sayings carved here and there are terribly quaint, don’t you agree?”

My voice was dry as dust. “Do you know what it means?”

She must have forgotten my unfortunate habit of overburdening my brain with reading, for she thought I didn’t know. “I believe it means ‘the best of men are incorruptible.’”

It did not. The fact that she didn’t know made my uneasiness grow. It felt to me—very strongly so—that it should be important the owner of this house understand what was written into its very bones. The correct translation was “Corruption of the best is worst.”

The fingers of pain in my forehead dug deeper and my hand pressed at my temple as Mary flung open the doors to the drawing room. “Emma has finally arrived,” she announced as she swept me inside.

Two Copies of Descent into Dust are being given away

to two lucky winners

US Shipping

Contest Closes Tuesday March 30 Midnight EST

Winners Announced on Wednesday March 31

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Review of Blood of the Demon by Diana Rowland

In Diana Rowland's second book in the Kara Gillian series, Blood of the Demon, demon Summoner and Louisiana Police Detective Kara Gillian is back on the job tracking down a killer that does more than just offs its victims, somehow it is eating their essence.

Kara doesn't know who or what could be consuming the essence of a string of victims that appear to be unrelated. Her job is to connect the dots and find the killer. Good thing she has the gift of othersight along with her demon summoning abilities to help her crack this confusing case.

She also has the help of sexy FBI agent Ryan Kristoff who has his own set of powers that even he seems not to be too sure of. Kara doesn't exactly know what all his powers are but at least he's helpful and he is someone that Kara can confide in. Life as a demon summoner can be lonely since everything is so secretive. Especially now that she doesn't even have her aunt, though Kara is struggling to find a way to bring her aunt Tessa's essence back to her body.

She also has the powerful demon lord Rhyzkahl to summon, sexy and so dangerous Kara is torn between her attraction to him and being scared to death of him. He doesn't seem to like Ryan and says he is more than he appears to be. Hmmmm...aren't they all.

Blood of the Demon is a fabulous book. I love the complex interaction between characters and the world building is phenomenal.

Rowland has expertly and seamlessly combined crime drama and the paranormal in a must read series for urban fantasy fans.

This was a great follow up to the first book Mark of the Demon. I eagerly await the next books in the series so I can see where Rowland takes Kara.

Winner Wednesday

Where does the time go? Seriously!

I guess when your head is constantly stuck in a computer screen time flies.



So it is Wednesday already which means....



da, da, dah...



winners!

Cherry is the winner of Shadowglass by Erica Hayes

kitty cat is the winner of DUSK

Congrats

Win a Beautiful 16x20 Rolled Canvas Print

Do you have a beautiful photo you would like to see on canvas? Maybe a wedding photo or a picture of your baby?

You can win a free 16 x 20 rolled canvas print from Uprinting.com

Uprinting has canvas prints and many other custom products that you can print online, like bookmarks (great for all you writers out there, I am thinking about making some bookmarks soon, the design program is pretty user friendly)

Would you like to win this awesome canvas print from Uprinting?

Just leave a comment on this post with your email contact info

One winner will receive a 16 x 20 Rolled Canvas

Specifications: 1 Business Day Turnaround

Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping

Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only

Contest closes Tuesday May 4 midnight EST

Winner to be announced Wednesday May 5

Monday Musings March 22, 2010

Wow, where is the time going?

March is almost over already. Spring is attempting to be here. Last week was beautiful all week then Saturday rolls around and I wake up to a white world. Yes, more of the dreaded S word. Snow. I hate snow. The only time I want to see snow is Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. After that it can go away.

I've lived my whole life in Michigan and have never skied or put my butt on a snowmobile and have no desire to. Being outside in the winter- not my thing. I hibernate in the cold weather. However once Spring is here...I turn into a butterfly and fly outside. I love to dig in the dirt and garden.

This year my outdoor goal is to create a backyard. Currently my backyard consists of swamp, woods, and huge junk piles that were once a garage, a chicken coop and an outhouse. My goal is to get rid of the garbage, dig a ditch/stream for the swampy water to flow into and use the old foundation for the garage to create a patio area so I finally get to have a backyard. That was my goal for last year too but it never happened. We started clearing out trees and that's as far as it went. This year I'll have to keep on the husband and keep him motivated.

Friday night we had a bonfire then were housebound all weekend since the snow kept us from doing the yard work we were hoping to be able to do. Instead I designed some new business cards and did some writing.

What'd you do over the weekend?

This week I have a canvas print giveaway from Uprinting.com, and a couple author interviews including Jacqueline Lepore and Nancy Kilpatrick.

No one has entered my t-shirt design contest yet. I thought it would be a fun thing but I guess no one is interested, bummer. I had seen a couple design contests around the web one for a button and then VampChix had the Valentine contest. So I thought a t-shirt design would be good- I know several of you guys out there are designers I seen your Valentine entries and some other work you've done. Oh well, guess I'll have to think of something else if no one decides to enter. (hint hint please enter :-)

Authors- I am still scheduling guest days here and collecting news to feature in the Night Owl Reviews Magazine.

I guess that's all for now, have a great week.

A Review of Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

I must say Cole never disappoints.

Kresley Cole knows what paranormal romance readers want and continually delivers.

Her books blend danger and desire with action and romance then toss in a dash of humor- which all adds up to the perfect recipe for paranormal romance.

If you have a thing for rough Alpha males with a strong desire to mate with stubborn females that a little too good at playing hard to get then Cole's Immortals After Dark series is for you.

In the 9th story in the IAD series, Garreth MacRieve, the Dark Prince of the Lykae, comes across his mate in New Orleans after centuries of searching.

The problem? She's a stubborn Valkyrie known as Lucia the Archer and she's has taken vows of celibacy. But it's much more complicated than simple religious vows. Everything she is is tied up in those vows including her destiny to keep the world safe from ancient evil.

Garreth doesn't understand and all he wants to do is claim his mate.

This triggers a hunt that spans the globe and over a year where Lucia runs and the Lykae follows. When he finally catches up to her sparks fly, both good and bad.

This is one hot book I didn't want to put down. While not my favorite cast of characters (I think my fave was Kiss of a Demon King, damn I loved Rydstrom) it was true Cole style filled with action, hot and steamy sex scenes and plenty of stubborn lorekind determined to stay apart even though Fate has obviously decided they should be together.

I am eagerly awaiting Regin's book and can't wait to see what happens with Nix. I really hope each ends up with her won book. The Nix book is sure to be a doosy if it ever happens.

The next book in the series, Demon from the Dark, features a few rather new characters - Carrow the witch and a demon/vampire named Malkom? Hmm...too bad it's not any of the more familair characters though I am sure it will be fab.

A Review of Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf

Title: Her Vampire Husband
Category: Paranormal Romance
Reviewer: Michele Rioli
Reviewer Email: Deseng@crown.net
Author: Michele Hauf
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: April 2010
ISBN Number: 978-0-373-77499-9
Author Homepage: http://www.michelehauf.com/
Rating: 5 Fangs
Format: E-BOOK/PRINT


A female werewolf puts the “P” back in pizzazz as she struts her stuff on her fateful wedding day to a vampire lord. HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND is a deliciously fiendish story mixed with a hot and cold romance.

Blu Masterson, a stunning werewolf princess, is in for a big surprise. Her wicked father, Amandus Masterson, pack leader of the werewolves, conspires with the vampire nation to marry off his only daughter, to a vampire lord of Nava, one of the oldest vampire tribes, in order to restore peace to both sides. Blu is not happy one bit! She already has a fiancée named Ryan. However, her father doesn’t approve of him. How she wishes her mother were there to confide in. Her father intimated to her when she was young, that her mom left them. In the back of Blu’s mind, she wonders what really happened. She also has an uneasy feeling about the whole marriage business. It is mere minutes to alter time. Vampires, ugh! She certainly doesn’t want any longtooth breathing on her, let alone kissing her. Does she change her mind when she sees her new husband-to-be?

Creed Saint-Pierre, a devastatingly handsome vampire, with many secrets, is to wed the spoiled princess Blu Masterson. What did he get himself into, he wonders. When he sees Blu make her sassy way up to the altar, he is taken aback. What is up with her hair? It is lime green! However, her voluptuous, statuesque body makes him catch his breath. Be still my heart! Marriage to Blu might not be so bad after all. Will they fall in love, just for the spell of it?

HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND is an exciting blend of thrills, chills, wit, romance and real emotion that will leave readers wanting more. A spoiled werewolf princess and a dangerously handsome vampire are wed to restore peace to their dueling nations. Michele Hauf delivers a winning combination of undeniably gritty danger and a deliciously sexy risky romance. The tension is high between this unusual pair as they strike out a balance in their arranged marriage. Boundaries are set by Blu as Creed works his magical charms on her to win her over. This unlikely couple shoots more fireworks than the Forth of July when they are together. The plot is filled with many intricacies and unsuspecting twists galore! Love and deception plays an important role in the story. HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND is an enormously, engaging novel filled with nonstop action that you will find yourself reading again and again! I absolutely loved it!

Free Book Friday: DUSK by David Doub

This week's Free Book Friday Giveaway is something different- a graphic novel- DUSK by David Doub.

Blurb for DUSK:

As a battered wife, Eve's only concern was to keep her marriage together. But when she is kidnapped into the sordid supernatural world of vampires and foul magic, Eve finds she doesn't want to leave. Her mysterious benefactor, the Vampire Lord Ash, wishes her to have a normal life but Eve chooses to stay in the service of Ash.

Dusk is the story about Eve and her challenges living in the darkness. Dusk is a supernatural action/drama story done in a dynamic blending of the sequential art styles of American Comics and Japanese Manga. Several artists help tell these stark noir tales of Vampires and Unrequited Love.

100 Pages

$10 Retail

B&W Interior Art

To learn more about the creator of DUSK

check out his interview at VampChix

Want to get your hands on a copy of this book?

Then just leave a comment on this post.

Please include email address in post.

Contest open to US Shipping.

Ends Tuesday March 23 Midnight EST

Winner Announced Wednesday March 24

Guest Blog and GIveaway with Ann Cory

Thank you so much for allowing me to hang out here today at Fang-tastic Books. And a HUGE thank you to Roxanne for being such a stylish and gracious hostess. For the readers who stop by and leave a post, please know that I love questions, and will do my best to answer them. As a special thank you for sharing a moment of your day with me, I’ll be giving away a PDF of my book Beauty’s Beast to one poster whose name I draw at the end of the day.

I don’t think any other story has fueled me with so much inspiration as Beauty and the Beast. It’s a story with flawed and complex characters, where in the end they save each other. Beauty isn’t just beautiful, nor does she live in some elite world where everything works out for her. She is misunderstood, and comes with her own baggage. The beast doesn’t go around attacking and killing innocent people for fun. He is conflicted with the dual side of him, and like Beauty, he is often misunderstood. Perfection doesn’t exist here. It goes deeper into the human condition, and makes one look at another with different eyes.

However the theme of beauty and the beast plays out in stories, they both need to show their weaknesses and strengths, and find a way to use them to help save the other. Heroes don’t have to be god-like, and heroines don’t have to be petite fragile things. Through all the flaws, pain, conflict, and danger, there is the promise of a very potent love. A love so strong it topples those fears and concerns they have about themselves and each other. The kind of love that conquers all, and makes us smile in the end.

Beauty and the Beast can be molded into any genre, whether light-hearted and humorous, a western or adventurous romp, or it can delve into darker themes with vampires, shape-shifters, and other cursed creatures. I’ve written a few stories with a subtle theme of Beauty and the Beast. This is one of them.

Beauty’s Beast

Blurb

It takes a strong woman to love a beast.

After a planned week away goes bust, Mercedes Black takes to the road. Years of unexplained memory lapses have ruined her relationships with men and left her future uncertain. That is until a good-looking stranger appears along the desolate highway, and she offers him a ride. The moment he enters her car, an internal switch is turned on and her body craves his touch. Figuring she has nothing left to lose, besides her memory, she gives in to her impulses.

Nox Messina has never been the same after volunteering for what he thought was advanced medical research. For years he has been on the run. Tired of being hunted, he decides to take down the doctor who ruined his life, and to insure that no one will stand in his way again. His plan for vengeance gets sidelined when an exquisite beauty offers him much more than a ride, and he can’t refuse.

As their feelings deepen for one another, they discover the man Nox plans to kill plays a crucial role in their future. Not only does he want the beauty for himself, but he wants beauty’s beast out of the way for good.

Excerpt

For what seemed like an eternity, she waited in the car, her blinkers casting a faint red glow amid the fog. Her breath slowed. Why did he wait? Maybe it had been a mistake to stop and she should drive on. No telling what crazies walked around out there. Scenes from the horror movie replayed in her head.

A procession of heavy knocks against her window made her gasp. Hand to her chest she waited for her pulse to resume and rolled down the window. She almost convulsed at the deep green eyes staring back.

He squatted to eye-level. “Evening, miss. Are you lost?”

Her throat went all raw and cottony. She forced down several swallows before she could speak. “Um, no. I wondered if you needed help.”

“Nope, I’m good.”

“Are you sure? Because I can offer you a ride if you’d like.”

He shrugged. “I don’t mind the walk. It’s a peaceful night.”

The whiskey rough lilt in his voice sent thrills throughout her body and made her pulse speed up.

“It’s not very safe, with the fog and all,” she reasoned. “I read it gets really thick around here.”

His chuckle filled her with warmth. “I’m somewhat of a risk-taker. But I appreciate you stopping.”

“Wait. I-I’d like to give you a ride. Please?” Mercedes heard her own voice beg and wondered why it mattered so much to her that he got in the car. She’d never given a strange man a ride before. Why did this one make a difference?

He smiled and fine lines bracketed his eyes. “Okay, you convinced me. It couldn’t hurt to give my legs a rest. By the way, nice wheels.”

“Thank you.” She resumed breathing while he walked to the other side of the car.

He opened the door and ducked down. “Hope you don’t have a problem with me sitting up front. I find I get lonely in the back.”

She stopped herself from saying he could do anything he liked. “No, of course not. Up front is great.”

As the stranger situated himself in the seat she took in his rugged, handsome face. If a menu were drawn up for her to order the perfect man from, then she was looking at the ultimate feast. He was the epitome of every man she ever wanted. The man she’d dreamed up and never expected to find. Good-looking, strong, built like a steel truck. Powerful hands. Dark hair that hung to the peak of his shoulders, and a full mouth she wanted to be devoured by. There was more, though. Traits that went beyond the visual ones she could see. She was drawn to the signals he sent out. They were dangerous, hypnotic, and erotic all rolled into one with an energy that reeled her in and zapped away her inhibitions.

She moistened her lips. “How far did you want to go?”

He turned in the seat to face her, his eyes smoldering. “As far as you’ll take me.”

A shiver passed through her. An internal switch had been thrown and suddenly she was a cat in heat. Just bam. Soaked and ready to go.

(copyright 2010)

My novella Beauty’s Beast is available now from Resplendence Publishing
http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/m8_view_item.html?m8:item=175-201-107-442-5

Currently I’m working on a sequel to Beauty’s Beast. My characters decided they had more to go through, so of course I have to oblige. Again thank you for sharing your time with me!

~Ann Cory http://www.anncory.com

Author of contemporary and paranormal romance

If you would like to win a pdf of Beauty's Beast

please comment on this post

Review of Hallowed Circle by Linda Robertson

.5

Blurb:

And you think beauty pageants are scary?

Persephone Alcmedi has been persuaded to compete for the position of High Priestess of the Cleveland, Ohio, coven -- now that the former priestess, Vivian Diamond, has strangely gone missing. Unfortunately, there are a few small problems with the idea. Not only does Seph know rather more about Vivian's disappearance than the other witches realize, but the epic struggle she's just survived has left her with some highly unusual powers -- ones that could be dangerous to reveal. Despite her reluctance, she agrees to participate, if only to prevent snooty Hunter Hopewell, an obnoxious but talented witch, from ending up in the winner's circle. Can Seph hide her secrets -- including her connection to the master vampire-wizard Menessos -- from the terrifyingly wise judges? Plus, there's her rock 'n' roll werewolf boyfriend, Johnny, and some angry fairies to deal with....

Once the competition begins, a finalist turns up dead. It looks as if one of the contestants is willing to do anything -- including murder -- to win. Suddenly Seph has even more on her plate than she thought: from solving a murder to working out what her new powers really are...and exactly why they're creating so much havoc in her love life.

I love the way Robertson has blended many elements of the witchy world into her series. She has the old images of witches in pointed hats riding on broomsticks (which many modern witches hate) but she's put a new spin on them and made it hip and sassy and completely non-insulting plus she's thrown in aspects of wicca, old world witchcraft, mythology and mixed it all together to create something unique.

I just have one question: what's the answer to the test question on page 155?

Seriously I want to know, Persephone never gives us the answer and I curious to know if there is a correct answer.

This book was great. I was instantly pulled in by the descriptive writing that put me right there on the page. I could "see" everything- it was amazing, great descriptions that fit right in with the story without being intrusive or overdone put me in that world like I was walking around inside a movie in my head.

And the complications...Persephone has a kinda sorta werewolf boyfriend and ties to a master vampire and she's coming into her own powers as the Lustrata- the witch who dishes out justice. Persephone's grandmother lives with her and she's adopted a young girl who recently lost her werewolf mother.

This series has all the makings of a good PNR/UF series- a detailed alternate world that knows witches, weres and vamps walk among them, a witch coming into her own torn between a vampire and werewolf. Then add in everything else life throws at her.

Wonderful.

It's another series I'll be adding to my must read pile. Book 3 is already on my wish list and book one is in my current to-read pile since I started with this book, which is actually book 2. The first book is Vicious Circle which I am going to read to get the whole story about how all of it started and I really want to know more about the mysterious vampire who only plays a minor role in Hallowed Circle. Fatal Circle, book 3, comes out in June.