Review of Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill

Five Big Pointy Fangs for Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill

Chloe Neill knows how to rock the fangs.

I think this is the best Chicagoland Vampires Book yet and the best book I have read all year.

The shifters have arrived!

Twice Bitten introduces us to the politics of the shifters...and to the shifters themselves. Before they've always stayed out of the spotlight not wanting humans to know of their existence- so when times got tough they ran and left the vampires to fend for themselves. Which has made vampire- shifter interaction very....uhm...difficult. They lean more towards hating each other than wanting to give each other a hand.

But the shapeshifters have come to Chicago- and as a gesture of peace and goodwill Cadogan House Master Ethan Sullivan (Merit's love interest) offers protection in the form of the Cadogan House Sentinel, Merit. Ethan quite literally throws her to the wolves- but it's not as bad as it sounds because he goes along for the ride of course it is a wild and bumpy ride full of twists and turns and lots of unusual happenings.

The leader of the shifters, Gabriel Keene is an interesting character and I hope to see more of him in future books.

For me, the shape shifters weren't even the best part of the book, though I did enjoy the addition of the furries.

The best part of the book was the interaction between Merit and Ethan. These two have one of the most complicated relationships out of all the urban fantasy/paranormal romance books that I've read.

And a few of the scenes in Twice Bitten were so beautiful, so heart wrenching, so emotional that I felt them. At one point I was on the verge of tears. Okay maybe two times- because there was the scene with Ethan then something about what Merit sees in Gabriel's eyes- that scene grabbed at my heart too.

Chloe Neill has found a way to portray the intensity of their relationship in words which is truly amazing. The complexities of their relationship led to both exhilarating and excruciating interaction that displayed very heartfelt and true emotion, so powerful that I felt it. I felt the catch in my heart when Ethan said certain things, I felt Merit's confliction.

Then after there was the roller coaster of will we, won't we, are we, OMG we are, forget it we're not- WOW. I could totally relate.

And another thing- this book finally reveals Merit's first name. Uh uh uh...I'm not telling, you got to read the book.

Chloe Neill hit the ground running with her Chicagoland Vampires series. The first book out of the gate was superb and she hasn't lost steam at all. In fact I think each book is better than the last. Chloe's writing just keeps getting better and better- and the books are the proof. I can't wait for book four.

Be sure to drop by on Friday July 2 when Chloe will be here for a guest blog.

Oh and if you get a copy of Twice Bitten check out all the review snippets in the front of the book- Fang-tastic Books has a huge review snippet in there. And yes- I totally love this series. I really gushed over the first book and just can't get enough of this series.

Winner Wednesday

Da da da daaaa...

and this week's winners are

Jen wins Unholy Alliance by Tom Olbert

Bethany C. wins Dark Oracle by Alayna Williams

and

Carol L. and k_sunshine1977 win ecopies of

Samson's Lovely Mortal by Tina Folsom

Congrats!

Review of A Witch in Time by Madelyn Alt

.25

The 6th book in Madelyn Alt's Bewitching series open with Maggie finally ready to have a romantic evening with her yummy lover boy Marcus Quinn.

After wasting too much time with the wrong man, local police officer Tom Fielding in previous books Maggie finally ended up with Marcus in the last book.

Now if they could just have enough alone time to seal the deal if you know what I mean ;-) Right now it just doesn't seem to be in the cards because wouldn't you know it just when things are about to get good Maggie's sister Mel goes into labor- and from there on things get crazy. Because first- surprise Mel had twins. Then her husband does a disappearing act. Then Maggie takes a tumble.

During this craziness there are two more deaths in the once quiet little burg of Stony Mill. One a local teenager and another from something much more sinister. And everything seems to be connected, Maggie just isn't sure how. But she's afraid the sinister sounding whispered plans she heard while being stuck in elevator at the hospital may have something to do with it.

I absolutely love Madelyn Alt's Bewitching series. It's fun, flirty, magickal and so easy to read. No over the top violence, in fact all the violence seems to happen off camera and the sex...so far nada. Just a few heated possible PG scenes, tops PG 13 and that could be pushing it.

The main character Maggie is such a fun woman to read about and Marcus...yum...I really want to learn more about him. He's been a constant throughout the series but only in the last two books have he and Maggie become close- even though readers knew all alone he's the one she should be with.

But other than that we just get hints about Marcus, little snippets into who he is and what his true power is. I hope more will be revealed about him in the future. Liss too. She was uncharacteristically absent through most of this book. She had a few scenes but nothing compared to the previous interaction between her and Maggie. I kinda missed Liss in this book.

A Witch in Time was a fast paced read that kept me turning pages. In fact I stayed up late two nights in a row just to finish this book. Awesome. I hope to read more of Maggie and Marcus soon.

Lust Bites from Xcite

An all new collection of vampire erotica is now available from Xcite Books.

Lust Bites contains two of my vampire erotica stories one written under the pen name Adrienne Rose (which is a new pen name by the way).

Here's some info about the book:

A collection of five erotic vampire stories that also include menage, girl/girl and bdsm themes.

Fang Fiend by Lynn Lake

She’s had many a fetish over the course of her sex life, but none so lasting and fearsome as her fetish for fangs. So when she can’t get true satisfaction close to home, she goes to even greater lengths to quench her craving, and comes to face to fang with the deadliest of all femme fatales.

Tooth Fairy by Velvet Tripp

Megan’s working on a bookstall at FatalEmbraceCon, a fantasy convention full of people wearing capes and prosthetic fangs. She’s doesn’t believe in real vampires. But there is one at the convention – the author of the books she’s selling. ‘Don’t matter none to me what you believe,’ he says. ‘Maybe I’m just the Tooth Fairy. With sharp teeth.’ He’s going to feed on her whether she believes in him or not.

Escape into Darkness by Roxanne Rhoads

Liana is searching for someone to love who will not die and leave her behind. After her own brush with death she became obsessed with vampires and has been searching the world for one that is real. Finally after a long search she finds Devlin who is exactly what she wants and needs. He is more than happy to give Liana everything she desires and much more than she expects.

Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know by Fulani

By day, Sasha teaches literacy. By night, she writes poems. When a local publishing house is interested in her work, she goes to meet the publisher in the pub used by the local literati. But he’s already drunk, and a tall, dark stranger is there as well who turns out to be mad, bad and dangerous to know.

Fangs for the Holidays by Adrienne Rose

After spending the day baking holiday goodies Avery drops by her vampire boyfriend Jackson's home so they can spend some quality time together. He is surprisingly enticed by the smell of baked goods on Avery's skin which leads them to a discussion about family holiday gatherings...and a lot of very hot sex.

Get the ebook for just $4.49 at Xcite

Lust Bites will soon be available for your Kindle at Amazon.com

Monday Musings, Stressing Out, and Vampires on Television

I am at a stressful point in my life- a lot of it has to do with my kids. No, nothing that's their fault- just health and school issues. If you want you can read more about it over at Roxanne's Realm where I vented a little bit.

Anyway things are just leaving me very stressed out, so instead of writing this weekend I worked on some graphic design stuff. I am learning, little by little how to do things. A year ago I couldn't have done any of this, hell 6 months ago I couldn't have done this. I am slowly teaching myself how to do things.

I couldn't concentrate on writing at all between the stress and the awful headaches, partially induced by stress and partially due to the fact I'm out of my meds and can't afford to get my prescriptions at the moment. The life of a writer- feast or famine. Some months money is good, other months not so much.

Since I couldn't write I kept myself busy playing with my book cover images making banners and buttons. A Halloween to Remember will be out in September so I figured I should get started on promotional stuff.

What do you think? If anyone wants to post these buttons and banners on their sites I'd be grateful. Let me know if you want me to send you the image or html.

Sad but I think the highlight of my weekend was watching True Blood- at least I had an hour of not stressing because I was engrossed in the show.

The Gates? Hmm... better but I don't know if I am hooked yet. What about you?

This week at Fang-tastic- Chloe Neill is going to be here on Friday- woo hoo, now that cheers me up.

I am so in love with the Chicagoland Vampires. If you haven't read this series yet (now on book 3) you really should. It is snarkalicious and fangfully delightful. I will have a review up of Chloe Neill's Twice Bitten this week and she'll be blogging about it Friday.

Backgrounds for my banner/button designs were found on Flickr in the Creative Commons under the attribution license

Top background is incense smoke by Vanessa Pike Russel, the second background is by adamned.art and the third greenish background is from cathairstudios

Check Out Alphabet Photography

My writer friend Wenona Napolitano pointed this site out to me, Alphabet Photography.

You can pick any word you choose and then pick out the photographs you like best to make the word into a piece of art.

These two VAMPIRES are the same except for the first letter, I couldn't decide which one I liked the best.

What do you think?

I think the top one is more vampy though I don't like the middle of the V the bottom one is very V but doesn't seem to fit with the other letter. Hmmm

Anyway...

Want to try it yourself?

It's free- go to http://www.alphabetphotography.com/create_a_word.aspx

and create your art.

If you like it you can buy it.

If not... well it's fun to play with for awhile.

My Kenyon, Read It, Love It Fan Video Contest

All you have to do to enter is Create a video of yourself talking about why you love the Dark-Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon and read your favorite passage.

10 videos will be chosen to become part of a video montage to promote the new book - No Mercy.

One grand prize winner will receive a $500 gift card.

For more info visit http://www.officialsanctuary.com/mykenyon

Hurry Contest Ends July 1

The Popularity of Vampires with Tom Olbert and Unholy Alliance Giveaway

So, the old question: Why is vampire fiction so popular in the United States? My father, who is from Eastern Europe once commented: “One stupid story out of Romania. What’s the big deal?”

Since the days of Bela Lugosi, vampirism has of course had a darkly romantic appeal to western audiences. The magical allure of sex coupled with its predatory horrors. Simultaneously tempting and terrifying, it mesmerizes, hypnotizes and drains like an incubus or succubus hovering over the bed of one unable to resist its primal power. It’s a timeless hunger for life that thrives in the darkness and will not be denied.

On the lighter side of romance, the story of a vampire and a mortal in love can be the story of a love so pure it transcends both death and time.

On an even more primal, infantile level, the vampire myth frees us of our own mortality. Maybe that’s why it appeals so much to the young. (Remember the Lost Boys? Sleep all day, party all night, stay young forever.)

But, vampire fiction has its politically allegorical uses, too. Bram Stoker used it to symbolize what he saw as the shining beacon of western civilization driving a stake of Christian enlightenment through the dark heart of paganism. Stephenie Meyer used it to symbolize eternal commitment in a story meant to convey a message of teenage abstinence.

For me, vampirism has been a convenient metaphor for empowerment and revenge. It reverses the food chain, so to speak, empowering the victim to devour the victimizer, the slave to devour the master. As Stephen Sondheim put it in Sweeney Todd: “Those below shall feed on those above.” In a world of human predators who drain the life from their victims in a variety of horrible ways, the vampire can be a dark missionary offering the redemption of revenge as well as immortality.

“Unholy Alliance” was inspired largely by the stories of Andrew Vachss, a master of crime fiction centering on revenge against those who prey on the innocent and defenseless. It was also inspired by films like Eastern Promises and Lilya4ever, both of which dealt with the very real horror of young teenaged girls trafficked as sexual slaves out of the former Soviet Union. In Lilya4ever, the protagonist, a 13-year-old girl abandoned by her mother in Russia, is trafficked to Holland and forced into a tortured existence of drugs and rape. Toward the end of her tragic life, she has a vision in which a young boy appears as her savior angel. The vampire can be a darker angel who raises such a tragically martyred figure to glory and punishes her oppressors.

I’ve written other vampire stories around that general theme, but this is the first time I’ve applied it to a vampire/human teen romance. I wanted to do a story in which transient orphans (vampire and human) who’ve spent the better part of their lives being abused and spat upon, get together and decide they’re not going to take it any more. It’s a revenge story, yes, but the love of the protagonists is what sustains them


Blurb for Unholy Alliance:

Chris is a 16-year-old boy whose life is an endless war against the living dead. Orphaned at the age of 5 when his family was slaughtered by vampires, Chris was "adopted" by the vampire hunters who rescued him, and raised as one of their own. A child soldier driven by hatred and revenge, he has known only battle and killing. His life changes dramatically when, one night, on a routine hunt, he chances to meet Sara, a "teenaged" vampire girl who touches his heart in a way no one ever had before. Their love is an impossible one, and the alliance of necessity that forms between them equally so. They find themselves pitted against dark forces that would exploit or destroy the innocent. The odds are against them, but Chris's greatest battle is within his own soul. He must choose between his love for Sara, and his faith in a greater good...

Would you like to win a pdf copy of

Unholy Alliance by Tom Olbert?

Just leave a comment on this post with

email contact info

One winner will be chosen randomly

Winner Announced on Wednesday June 30

Good Luck

Free Book Friday: Dark Oracle by Alayna Williams

For those of you who entered to win a copy of Dark Oracle by Alayna Williams but didn't here's your second chance.

I ended up with 2 copies of this book- 1 the author sent to me and 1 the publisher sent. I am keeping the copy I read but I am being generous and offering my second copy to you guys (which is good because I am a book hoarder, I need to learn to let go :-).

So for this week's Free Book Friday you have the chance to win this amazing book full of rich detail and lots of info about Tarot and Tarot Cards.

Here's the book blurb:

TARA SHERIDAN HAS A GIFT . . . AND IT ALMOST KILLED HER.

As a criminal profiler, Tara used science and her intuitive skill at Tarot card divination to track down the dangerous and depraved, including the serial killer who left her scarred from head to toe. Since that savage attack, Tara has been a recluse. But now an ancient secret society known as Delphi’s Daughters has asked for her help in locating missing scientist Lowell Magnusson. And Tara, armed with her Tarot deck, her .38, and a stack of misgivings, agrees to try.

Tara immediately senses there is far more at stake than one man’s life. At his government lab in the New Mexico desert, Magnusson had developed groundbreaking technology with terrifying potential. Working alongside the brusque but charismatic agent Harry Li, Tara discovers that Magnusson’s daughter, Cassie, has knowledge that makes her a target too. The more Tara sees into the future, the more there is to fear. She knows she has to protect Cassie. But there may be no way to protect herself—from the enemies circling around her, or from the long-buried powers stirring to life within. . . .

Be sure to visit the Alayna Williams at her new blog devoted to the book- http://delphisdaughters.blogspot.com/

So Do You Want to Win Dark Oracle?

Just leave a comment on this post with email address

Open to US Shipping Only

Winner Announced Next Wednesday June 30

Receive +5 Bonus Entries for Being a Fang-tastic Blog Follower

+5 Entries for Being a Fang-tastic Facebook Fan

+5 for Following me on Twitter @RoxanneRhoads

Welcome to Shannon Delany's Start Your Day with Serial Tour!

Shannon's debut novel (and first in her YA paranormal series) 13 to Life started as a winning cell phone novel written in serial segments.

During the tour you can read bits of the book in order. Miss a day? Hop to Shannon's blog http://13toLife.us/blog and check the link to the blog tour calendar in her sidebar.

There will also be a contest that will close at the end of the tour. Winners get a bunch of stuff. Shannon's hosting several contests during the Start Your Day with Serial Tour.

The big contest will award one lucky winner with a royal amber pendant, pietersite jeweled bookmark, stuffed wolf, 13 to Life mousepad, pen, tote, signed poster, personalized copy of 13 to Life and both of the 13 to Life pins. All you need to do is comment at 13 of the blogs hosting Shannon during her 30 day tour. Everyone who does so will be entered into a random drawing. Winner may be international.

So onto the interview with Shannon:

Q: Welcome Shannon. Thank you for joining us today. To start out can you tell the readers a little about yourself?

A:Thanks! I'm a mom, a wife, an author still improving her craft and a farmer raising heritage livestock on a small farm in upstate New York. Before having my son I was a teacher in Florida.

Q: Tell us about how 13 to Life came about with the cell phone competition?

A: 13 to Life developed in a strange, organic way. I was curious about the Textnovel.com site and decided to throw out an idea or two. My husband was pretty strict--he didn't want me to put anything in public that I'd been working on for a long time--nothing I was too invested in. So I started from scratch with 13 to Life and never knew exactly where it was headed as I wrote it. I let the characters grow and lead me into their world. I also allowed readers to vote in polls regarding character and plot at a couple points throughout the contest (talk about writing by the seat of my pants!). When I won I was blown away! Then we were contacted by a movie producer and publisher and things just went from there. It's been a crazy ride!

Q: Why YA and not adult fiction?

A: Great question! I do have some ideas that are aimed at a more adult audience but, in this case, the voices were definitely teen. And when teenagers want your attention they'll find a way to get it. ;-) Just like werewolves.

Q: Why werewolves?

A: I didn't feel I had anything to add to the vampire mythos and my fallen angel concept from about ten years ago is a bit controversial and my science fiction ideas (nearly complete novels themselves) just didn't feel like they were supposed to be part of my little Textnovel adventure--they weren't anything like a cell phone novel should be.

Q: Did you research a lot of werewolf myth and legend to write this series?

A: Yes, mainly to make sure I wasn't doing anything too familiar. I also spent quite a bit of time revisiting research I'd done years back into parapsychology and the Cold War (which folds into the origin of my werewolves). There's also symbolism I incorporated that required additional research.

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

A: At this point I'm scheduled for three books in the 13 to Life series, but I'm open to a couple more (they've been taking up space in my head for a while now, too). Book two is scheduled to hit shelves February 2011 with book 3 about 6 months later.

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

A:Information like advice? Read a lot and write even more.

Q: What can you tell us about your current work in progress?

A: I have several YA novels in progress right now--all very different from 13 to Life. Some are darker, some are lighter... Wow. Thinking about them right now they are all vastly different.

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

A: That some of my best ideas for 13 to Life came from brief moments spent in a hay tent or driving between farms.

Q: What are some of your hobbies besides writing?

A: I enjoy art--used to do quite a bit of scherenschnitte and messenschnitte (papercutting) of high fantasy themes and characters. I also enjoy gardening and traveling. Definitely traveling. I have an adventurous spirit.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release. Feel free to share an excerpt.

A: 13 to Life is a tale of teenage love, loss and--oh, yeah--werewolves.

Following the Start Your Day with Serial Tour will give your readers a great jump on reading the actual book--just make sure you start at the beginning!

A Review of The Wolf Next Door by Lydia Dare

.5
4.5 Fangs for Lydia Dare's The Wolf Next Door

Lydia Dare has a winning series on her hands.

Who can resist the charm and wit of the wolfish Westfield rogues ? Three brothers that just happen to be werewolves dwelling in the English countryside.

Each book stands alone as its own story but all three tie seamlessly together creating a great series that is romantic, fun, and filled with magic- along with plenty of humor, witty banter and snippy comments.

In book 3, The Wolf Next Door, we finally get the story of Lord William, the grumpy middle brother. In the previous books the interaction between Prisca and William was enough to whet our appetites knowing there had to be more, that there was a juicy story there just waiting to be told.

And what do you know, there is.

Prisca and William were once engaged to be married but their elopement failed. Since then they've both been nursing broken hearts but have been too stubborn to do anything about it. Prisca has been quite the snipe taunting William and doing everything in her power to drive him away. William has turned to drinking, gambling and debauchery to get his mind off Prisca- too bad it hasn't worked.

But when he comes home and finds another vying for her attention- he can't handle it. Especially when he discovers that other man is actually another werewolf. That really gets him mad. Another wolf in his territory, trying to go after his woman. Oh no, its on now.

What's hilarious is Prisca's brothers- they are a scheming bunch working to get William and Prisca back together because they know the two are meant for each other even if they can't admit it. It's a battle of wits, strong wills and the story is filled with scheming, interaction and hijinks as everyone gets in on the plot to reunite Prisca and William- including the men and their wives we were introduced to in the earlier books.

Once William and Prisca are forced to marry you think it should be happily ever after- oh no they still keep fighting what is meant to be. Prisca is as stubborn as a mule and torments William constantly with her sharp tongue and razor wit. Poor William, he does try, but he's afraid to let his wolf be known to Prisca.

Then on top of everything there are outside forces at work to drive them apart making their rocky marriage even rockier. With all the trouble how can William even consider letting Prisca know the truth about his family full of lycans and witches? Will it make things worse or better?

Such a great book, a great series in fact. Loved the little surprise ending and I am glad there will be more books coming out.

Dare's next The Taming of the Wolf will be out in November- while it doesn't feature a Westfield it does have a character we've met before.

For more information visit: http://lydiadare.com

Winner Wednesday

I have several winners this week

BrennaLyons wins the 250 stickers from Uprinting.com

Jessica is the winner of Dark Oracle by Alayna Williams

monapete wins Sherlock Holmes Seance for a Vampire

booklover0226 is the winner of Zuphreen by Su Halfwerk

I am sending winner emails to everyone, if you don't receive one please email me with your info for some reason my email has been acting wonky lately

You Can Get My Erotica Books on Amazon

These (above) are my Eternal Press releases available in both print and as ebooks

These are my Xcite releases all are ebooks- the Christmas one is available in print as well

The Mammoth Book is available in print and contains two of my "true" (read- made up fiction to be read as true) confessions

Like That Spark and Torrid Teasers Vol 59 are both ebooks and are Kindle ready

Erotic Tales 2 is available in print and contains my poem "Waiting Patiently"

And if you have a Kindle you can add blog subscriptions directly to it- so you never miss an update or contest from your favorite blog

Kindle Subscriptions

Welcome Guest Author Tina Folsom

Even Vampires have troubled love lives – Samson’s Lovely Mortal
By Tina Folsom

When I started reading vampire romances in 2008, I instantly caught the bug and wanted to create a vampire who had some very mundane problem that no other vampire had. And it needed to be something I could get across in just one line – like an announcement for a blockbuster movie. Combine that with my love for very steamy romances, and you get Samson’s Lovely Mortal – the vampire with the erection problem.

Samson is the only impotent vampire I’ve come across in paranormal romances so far. Since clearly vampires can’t be sick – after all, they are pretty indestructible – I had to find another reason why he couldn’t get it up. What better way than to give him a psychological issue? It made him utterly vulnerable.

But not to worry, a cure in the form of the very lovely human Delilah appears swiftly. And since I love all things quirky, I had to give her a profession we all know is terribly boring: she’s an auditor.

With my book I tried to go against type as much as I could: the vampires operate a security company hiring themselves and other fellow vampires out as security guards and bodyguards, some of the vampires including Samson see a shrink regularly, and there are even some gay vampires in the cast (well, the book is set in San Francisco).

When it came to other characteristics, I had to go with the cliché: yes, my vampires are all gorgeous, tall, and as Alpha as them come.

Two of Samson’s friends already have their own books in the works: Amaury’s book is undergoing final revisions. He has yet another sexual problem: cursed to feel everybody else’s emotions like a permanent migraine, he needs sex daily to keep the pain at bay (sort of his personal aspirin!). He gives “Sorry, honey, I’ve got a headache” a whole new meaning. I’m currently working on Gabriel’s book. The poor man has a deformity – enough said. I think you can see a pattern emerging ...

ABOUT THE BOOK

Vampire bachelor Samson can't get it up anymore. Not even his shrink can help him. That changes when the lovely mortal auditor Delilah tumbles into his arms after a seemingly random attack. Suddenly there's nothing wrong with his hydraulics – that is, as long as Delilah is the woman in his arms.

His scruples about taking Delilah to his bed vanish when his shrink suggests it’s the only way to cure his ED. Thinking all he needs is one night with her, Samson indulges in a night of pleasure and passion.

However, another attack on Delilah and a dead body later, Samson has his hands full: not only with trying to hide the fact he’s a vampire, but also with finding out what secrets Delilah harbors for somebody to want her harm.



You can buy the book on Amazon and Smashwords

During June 2010 Samson’s Lovely Mortal is available on Amazon Kindle for the promotional price of $0.99. After this, the regular price will be $4.99.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Folsom is a member of the Romance Writers of America and writes paranormal, erotic, and historical romance. In real life she is a CPA and now works as a real estate agent in San Francisco. It leaves her time to explore all her creative ideas in her writing.

Her book Samson’s Lovely Mortal is available on Amazon.com (Kindle) as well as Smashwords.com (various e-book formats). Amaury’s Hellion, the second in the series, will be available in July 2010.

Tina’s website: www.tinawritesromance.com

Would you like to win an ecopy of

Samson's Lovely Mortal?

2 Lucky Readers will win an ecopy

(their choice of format)

Just leave a comment on this post to enter

Fang-tastic Books Summer Advertising Special

Fang-tastic Books Mega summer advertising sale

Get 3 months of banner advertising at Fang-tastic Books for

only $25- that's not $ 25 a month-

that's 3 months for only $25

Hurry and reserve your spot only a limited number of spaces open

This deal is good on future ad space too in case you have

a book release later this year

you can now reserve

your 3 months of advertising for

just $25 in advance

This price good for banners, skyscraper banners and button banners

This deal expires July 31

A Review of Deck Storage Bench from CSN Stores

I received $100 credit to use as I wished at any CSN Store- I just had to write a review on what I purchased.

I decided to purchase this deck storage bench. It was $109.99 with free shipping- so all I had to pay was the $9.99 and believe me it is well worth it.

The deck storage box solves 2 of my problems- 1- I have a small deck with little space for seating and 2-storage was non-existent.

Now I have a place to sit and enjoy the outdoors and shove all my garden stuff in the storage part when not in use- instead of it being strewn all over the place... and mainly getting lost because my little guy runs off with it.

Did I say I absolutely love this bench?

I see many other things in the huge network of CSN Stores that I would like to buy now.

Number one a storage ottoman for my living room - yes my house has the same issue as my deck- small and without enough storage. I spotted a great storage ottoman - its small but cute and would be great for me to put my feet on while I'm reading. Of course these damask cubes are cute too.

Then there's the beds-my little guy needs a new bed. He doesn't seem to like his toddler bed and really needs a big boy bed. And the CSN Stores have lots of beds.

I also spotted an awesome toaster over, toaster combo that I would love to have. My husband has been wanting a toaster over but the last thing I need is another kitchen gadget that takes up space- but now my toaster is biting it. And I spotted this toaster over toaster combo on CSN and want it.

Tell me that's not just nifty. :-)

Anyway if you are needing new stuff CSN is the place to shop they literally have everything and as far as I can tell the prices are pretty great.

Monday Musings June 21, 2010 Happy Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice Everyone!

Like my bench and storage deck box I bought with my CSN Stores gift certificate?

Today is the official first day of summer and the longest day of the year. So happy summer solstice to all!

So how was every one's Father's Day weekend?

I went to an open house then had a fun night of margaritas with my BFF- we tried to sit by the bonfire but the mosquitoes were eating us alive so we came back inside and languished in the air conditioning while our guys hung out by the fire.

The garden doesn't look like much yet- but it will

Sunday I worked in my garden (got blisters on my hand) while the hubby played with his boat and the new goodies that he got for Father's Day.

My little guy ran around the yard being silly and just having a good time which all kids should be able to do. He played in the dirt, found worms, played on his playground, and ran around being silly (see photo above :-)

Some people talk about how they can't get their kids to go outside...this one is a born outdoorsman- you can't keep this one inside. He doesn't care if it's 100 degrees outside or if its raining or even snowing- this kid wants to be outside so we happily oblige as much as possible.

Daddy loves to take him fishing, mom (me) happily shows him how to pull weeds and work in the garden and we go the park at least once a week during the warm weather months.

My daughter alternates between wanting to be outside and wanting to be curled up with a book, drawing, or playing video games. She tries to fit a little bit of everything in- I try to get her outside more.

In that way she's like me- books, art, tv, computer, and outside and trying to fit a little of each into the day.

Speaking of tv- who watched the new show The Gates? I DVR'd it but have not watched it yet- I was too bust watching the new episode of True Blood. I am paying $15 a month just to watch this show because so far HBO isn't impressing me with anything else that's been on. But I am officially a True Blood addict so the HBO stays through this season.

As for books- this week at Fang-tastic Books I have authors Tina Folsom, Shannon Delany, and Tom Olbert. And Free Book Friday this week is so far a mystery- even to me because I am not sure which book I will be giving away yet. :-)

Oh and I am currently scheduling summer author guest spots and accepting new advertising. Anyone interested in any promo spots or banner advertising let me know. Just hit the contact button up top.

Interview and Giveaway with Su Halfwerk

Welcome, Su. Thank you for joining us today.

Thank you, Roxanne for having me over.

Q; How long have you been a writer? What was your first published work?

A: I’ve been writing for about five years. My first book was a paranormal romance titled Untamed Temptation.

Q: Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

A: I don’t have a set schedule or routine. I get the urge to write and I do it. One thing that really helps is the small nook I secured in the house and called it my office. It has a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. Not that it stops anyone :-)

Q: Do you need to be in a specific place or atmosphere before the words flow? Do you have a ritual that you do before sitting down to write?

A: I sit to write with my trusty cup of tea right next to me. One thing I value over anything else is the quietness of my surroundings, especially during tricky twists in the plot.

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: During the writing of Zuphreen, I found myself stuck. I had to get a couple of characters to open their mouths while they were asleep/unconscious. A breast-feeding woman at a mall inspired the solution.

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

A: Never stop learning. Remember that even a bad book, review, or movie, can teach you a lot. Don't brush anything as silly or not useful. Recycle and re-use everything you come across.

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

A: I'm a home maker, and as good as this sounds, other women who have to write and take care of a house, kids, and a husband can testify to how exhausting it can get. Having said that, I wouldn’t take away any of it for all the wealth in the world. Did I just say that? Let me rephrase: I won’t change a thing in my life, that’s what I meant.

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

A: I’m numerically dyslexic. It becomes worse the longer I have to work on numbers in one session.

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

A: Stephen King in horror and Kresley Cole in paranormal romance.

Q: Could you tell us about your current work in progress?

A: I’m working on the story of a special type of hero. He’s after the man who killed his wife and daughter and scarred his son for life. But the hero’s powers come with a very frustrating sexual restriction, and he still has to maintain a good front for his glamorous day job.

Q: What are some of your hobbies besides writing?

A: I paint and I design book trailers. Basically anything that involves being creative visually.

Q: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you spend the money on?

A: First, I will put some money aside as an investment for my son. Then I will go and buy one of those cute little mansions that has a nice view and decorate a special room to be my office. I think it will have a huge window and a roof made of glass—I love the sun. I might do something nice for my husband, depends on my mood :-D

Q: Which household chore do you abhor and why?

A: Vacuum cleaning. With everything else, I can take short breaks and type few words, but vacuum cleaning takes a long time and by the end I'm in no mood to write.

Q: Do you have a food that you absolutely will not even taste one little tiny bit of?

A: Fresh tomatoes.

Q: What started your love affair with the paranormal?

A: When I was a teenager, I watched "Evil Dead," my first real horror movie, with my mother and two sisters on one cloudy afternoon. When the movie ended, BAM! The electricity went out. We remained still, watching each other's silhouette, until my little sister turned her head real s-l-o-w towards me. It was freaky and damn right paralyzing after watching "Evil Dead."

Time froze, my heart slowed down as I stared at her. The rush of adrenaline that surged through me as I remembered that she had a stiff neck felt out of the world, almost euphoric. I got addicted to that sensation of ultimate fear and then relief. Now I try to share both with others every chance I get through my writing.

At this stage of my life, I write horror and paranormal romance. I try to inject that rush of adrenaline in both.

Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release. Feel free to share an excerpt.

A: Diana, Sally, and Art are three unlikely friends who unwittingly unleash the horrors of hell in a vain attempt to boost their grades. Duped by their scheming professor, the friends summon an evil demon and command him to bestow his gifts upon them. But the gifts soon become curses and the friends watch in horror as they slowly turn into monsters. In a desperate race against time, the students must undo the curses before the demon's gifts destroy them forever. How far will they go to lift these curses? How deep will they sink to save themselves?

Here's a short excerpt from Zuphrene:

Deciduous trees littered the ground with their multicolored leaves. Sunlight shimmered on the wet blades, creating diversity between the fall foliage and the patches of dewy green grass.

Clear, bright skies stretched in the horizon; a crisp flush-cheeked chill mingled with the fresh air. On days like this, everything was in such sharp focus, as though the leaves and trees were nothing more than clippings of photos pasted onto a vibrant background.

Art filled his lungs with the crisp, unpolluted air.

“I wanna be normal again,” Diana pled to no one specific in a sad whisper, her glistening eyes fixed on the pond.

Art wanted to hug her, to reassure her that everything would be okay, but he couldn’t. For one thing, she might scowl at his friendly gesture, and for another, he might have to do the same for Sally.

No way.

You can watch the book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvXbEywYebY

Book link: http://www.damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615721290

Thank you Roxanne, and I hope to visit again soon. Meanwhile, here are some of my haunting spots on the net:

• My website is: www.su-halfwerk.com

• You can catch my tweets here: http://twitter.com/SuHalfwerk

• Or read my Facebook wall posts here: www.facebook.com/Su.Halfwerk

• I blog about anything and everything over here: http://www.suhalfwerk.blogspot.com/

Would you like to win an ecopy of Zuphrene?

Leave a comment on this post.

One winner will randomly be chosen

The Secret Sexual Appeal Of The Werewolf

Vampires have long been the bad boys of paranormal romance. But werewolves are trending right now. We love the vampires’ ethereal beauty, their refinement, their hypnotic stares. But what is it about werewolves that is making us swoon?

Werewolves are beasts at heart. They’re animals. But that is part of their charm!

Sometimes we long for an Alpha male who is ruled by instinct, someone willing to use their muscles and teeth and claws to claim what they want. Sometimes we prefer a man who is a little feral and dangerous. . .a man who wants to play rough.

Don’t get me wrong. I love a good vampire tale as much as the next girl. Vampires are elegant and beautiful. Their haunting stares make us forget ourselves and give in completely to our darkest desires.

But sometimes I long to read about a man who is a little more raw. And that’s where werewolves come in.

Werewolves are controlled by a powerful urge to mate, just as vampires are controlled by a powerful urge for blood. But while the vampire’s urge is symbolic of sex, the werewolf’s urge is sex itself. What the werewolves feel is primal and savage. It is unstoppable.

Where vampires are elegant and pale and sensual, werewolves are all hard muscle and brute force. Both are the ultimate bad boys. Both make us to do kinky twisted things we never thought we would. Both can bite us savagely and make us part of their world. Both can even go too far and kill us.

But only the werewolf is truly transformed by his hunger. Only the werewolf loses absolutely all control and utterly forgets himself. That complete loss of control is what sets werewolves apart. For the werewolf, absolutely everything is permitted and nothing is held back. What he wants, he takes.

If that isn’t a recipe for hot sex, I don’t know what is!!!

Check out my new erotic werewolf novel Pack Of Lies. (Available now in ebook. Print edition coming very soon to Amazon!)

Title: Pack Of Lies
Author: Vanessa Vaughn

Synopsis:

When Jack is attacked by a powerful werewolf one moonlit night, his world is forever changed.

Marcus is that wolf, the strong leader of his pack, who never imagined a mere mortal could ever escape him, much less ever become one of his kind. And yet, as time passes, he can't deny the handsome human is slowly beginning to change.

No longer the civilized architect he used to be, Jack feels a new power coalescing inside of him. He barely even recognizes himself as he becomes more sexual, more impulsive, more wild in every way.

But as the bite transforms him, it also binds he and his attacker together forever. The two share a powerful unbreakable link, no matter how forcefully they may each try to deny it.

Marcus is already hiding secrets from the other wolves, and his position as Alpha is threatened. Could Jack be the new ally Marcus needs to set things right, or will their desire for one another draw them away from all they know and alter the course of their lives forever?

Exerpt:

The moon.

That soft sensual glow is always with me. Even when I can’t see the night sky, I feel its dark caress.

As the moon’s phases change, it breathes a coy suggestive whisper in my ear. It presses
close, and I feel its fingers brush my skin. That light sparks something inside of me. Something primal. It starts a fever somewhere deep and spreads like slow-burning fire through my limbs.

I can always sense the Change starting. The full moon’s strong hand curls around my throat. I feel its grip tighten like a man’s thick fingers on my neck. When that grip makes me suddenly lightheaded, my pulse quickens, and I sink quietly to my knees. I know I have to give myself over, and I know how impossible it is to resist.

Some humans dream about submission. They crave it, complete with soft tortures and the
smooth caress of expensive leather. They want to be bound and made to feel wonderfully,
blissfully helpless. They enjoy feeling compelled to give in.

Humans like to play with their toys.

But what do they know about pleasure and pain so naturally intertwined?

When the animal in me takes over, I feel sensations more intense than any whip could offer. My teeth descend to sharp lethal points against my tongue, and I feel the lovely, horrifying ache as bones lengthen and skin is stretched.
But that ache only makes me smile.

In that instant of agony, my instincts wash over me like a hard drug flooding my veins.
Desire takes over—the desire for sex and for the hunt—obscuring all logical thought, all worries, absolutely all guilt. I feel ecstasy as I flex my teeth and claws. I feel a need building urgently and unstoppably between my legs with an intensity that few experience.

So, you see, as the gut-wrenching agony of the Change grips me, so does the all-consuming pleasure.

Perhaps that is why we wolves prefer our hunts so vicious.

And our sex so rough.

Free Book Friday: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Seance for a Vampire

For this week's Free Book Friday I have a special treat for Sherlock Holmes fans-The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Seance for a Vampire

Product Description

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s timeless creation returns in a new series of handsomely designed, long out-of-print detective stories. From the earliest days of Holmes’ career to his astonishing encounters with Martian invaders, the Further Adventures series encapsulates the most varied and thrilling cases of the worlds’ greatest detective.

When two suspect psychics offer Ambrose Altamont and his wife the opportunity to contact their recently deceased daughter, the wealthy British aristocrat wastes no time in hiring Sherlock Holmes to expose their hoax. He arranges for the celebrated detective and Dr. Watson to attend the family's next seance, confident in Holmes' rationalist outlook on the situation. But what starts as cruel mockery becomes deadly reality when young, beautiful Louisa Altamont appears to her parents in the flesh as one of the nosferatu--a vampire! The resulting chaos leaves one of the fraudulent spiritualists dead. Sherlock Holmes missing, and Dr. Watson alone and mystified. With time running out, Watson has no choice but to summon the only one who might be able to help--Holmes' vampire cousin, Prince Dracula. Alternately narrated by Watson and the charismatic Dracula himself, Seance for a Vampire demonstrates that heroes are sometimes found in the most unlikely places. Saberhagen has recast Bram Stoker's paragon of evil into a noble, witty and chillingly powerful character.

About the Author

Fred Saberhagen is best known for his Berserker series of science fiction stories. He also wrote many other popular science fiction and fantasy series, including the Swords and Lost Swords series, and the Book of the Gods series which re-told ancient myths. Sadly, he passed away in 2007.

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@RoxanneRhoads

Interview with Katrina Michaels

Welcome Katrina. Thank you for joining us today.

Q: Let’s start out by getting the name of your newest release and what genre/category it falls into

A: My first book, which came out last April, is called Midnight Reflections and it is an urban fantasy mystery. My second book should be out sometime this coming fall and is called Dead Awakening. It’s the sequel to Midnight Reflections.


Q: Can you sum up your book in 2 sentences or less

A. Hmm, difficult but let me give it a try. A serial killer, both man and monster, stalks the streets of Riverside with one newly made vampire and the Preternatural Investigation Agency doing everything they can to stop him before he kills again. Midnight Reflections is a tale of vampires, werewolves, warlocks, and murder.


Q: List three adjectives that can best describe this book
A: Mystery, supernatural, thriller


Q: Can you describe your heroine in 3 words?

A: Stubborn, intelligent, girly


Q: Name one unique trait about your heroine

A: There is one trait of Tara’s that I have in common with her. We both have a bad habit of biting and chewing on her lips when we get nervous or anxious. I have gotten better about it, but I’m not so sure about Tara.


Q: If an actor or actress was to play your heroine who would it be?

A: Hmm, well I have a fondness for the unknown actor/actress, but if I had to name someone to play Tara, it would be Summer Glau. I loved her character, River, on Firefly. And my choice of director would definitely be Joss Whedon. Love that man.


Q: Name the sexiest trait of the main man in your newest book

A: Tom has a bit of the wounded soldier vibe going for him but what makes him sexy to me is his intelligence and his loyalty to his people. Plus, as I say in the book, he looks like Hugh Jackman which doesn’t hurt at all.


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: Well, I do get inspired by strange things. Sometimes simple conversations about something as mundane as shopping can branch into a very odd idea that I have to find a way to incorporate into one of my books. Unfortunately, most of the best moments of inspiration are for scenes in my future books so I don’t want to say too much just yet. However, I will say that I had a very inspiring conversation with my mom about horrific and creative ways to kill vampires. My mom’s a nurse so she came up with a few very agonizing methods and they will all be featured in Book Five of this series.

Q: Name one thing your main character would never leave home without

A: Hmm, I would say that Tara always has lip gloss or chapstick on hand. There is nothing worse than dry lips. Especially with her bad habit.


Q What about you, what's one thing you never want to leave home without?

A: A hair clip. About halfway through the day, my hair starts to fall across my eyes and drives me insane. I almost always have a hair clip on me somewhere to save my sanity.


Q- Just for fun Lightning Round

Light or dark? Dark

Red or pink? Red

Silence or Noise? Silence

Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi

Coffee or tea? Tea

Abs or buns? Buns

Vampires or Angels? Vampires


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

A: The best advice I can give is to write the story you want to tell and not what you think people expect to read. This is your story and you’re in control. If you write something you are not comfortable or happy with, it will show in your writing. Everyone has a different style and stories to tell, and that is what makes reading so enjoyable.


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

A: Yes, I do have a day job. I work for an environmental consulting company as a research scientist and information specialist. Yeah, I can be a bit of a nerd. After reading very dry scientific articles most of the day, it is a lot of fun to come home and read about magic and mayhem. But between my job and commute, I will admit that it is sometimes hard to find time to write.


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

A: Well, I will admit that whenever I watch a gory or very scary horror movie, I usually end up hiding behind my fingers and turning the sound down during the most disgusting or terrifying parts. Even if you’re not watching the scary gross parts, sometimes just hearing it makes it worse. And yet I write about poor people being literally torn limb from limb.


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

A: I don’t have one particular favorite book or only one favorite author, but one author that is at the top of my list is Rob Thurman. Her way of incorporating many different mythologies into urban fantasy is wonderful. Another favorite author is Janet Evanovich. I can reread her comedic Stephanie Plum novels many times.


Q: Could you tell us about your current work in progress?

A: Well, I am currently working on the third book in my series, which is called Tainted Blood. But my next book to be released is Dead Awakening and is the second in the series. Dead Awakening focuses on Agent Aidan Montgomery, a warlock and member of the Preternatural Investigation Agency. He is called in to examine a mummy that is supposed to be cursed and declares it to be harmless. To Aidan’s shock, the mummy is soon suspected as the cause when a number of people are murdered. With his reputation in jeopardy, Aidan the PIA investigate to find out who is really behind the murders.


Q:What are some of your hobbies besides writing?

A: Well, it’s not really a hobby, but the majority of my free time is spent with my horse. He’s a beautiful Tennessee Walker and a pure joy to ride. He also has a lot of personality since he’s a bit neurotic. I’ve been riding horses since I was eight, so I would say that it’s more of a passion than hobby.


Q: Finish the following sentence:

A: The best thing about being an author is getting that package in the mail and seeing your book in print for the first time.


Q: In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release. Feel free to share a blurb or an excerpt.

A: As Midnight Reflections is my book that is currently out, so I will talk about that one. It’s available through Amazon, barnesandnoble.com, and www.bookdepository.com.

Midnight Reflections introduces to a society where vampires, werewolves, warlocks, and witches freely roam amongst the ordinary humans. One such human, Tara Daston, only wanted a fun night out dancing with her boyfriend. Getting killed was certainly the last thing she ever expected and waking up three days later as a vampire was the last thing she ever wanted. As Tara struggles with her death and new unlife, she also becomes involved in a hunt for a vicious serial killer. During her own investigation into the killings, she meets Tom Duncan, fellow vampire and lead agent of the Preternatural Investigation Agency, who is not at all amused at what he considers to be her interference. However, the serial killer soon takes notice of Tara and is intrigued, forcing her to work together with Tom and the rest of the agency to stop the murders.

For your reading pleasure, I’ve included the first part of Chapter One.

Lyle Brooks liked jogging late at night when everyone else was home watching TV or getting ready for bed. It was so much quieter than during the day and he found it peaceful. Tonight, the only sound to break the silence was the rhythmic noise of his feet pounding on the stone path. The air seemed fresher, crisper in the darkness, and it always relaxed him. Even after the most stressful of days, jogging still managed to clear his head and let him breathe. He was jogging through the park near his home and so far, he had passed only two other people on the outer trail. It was during the week, so the park was fairly empty, exactly the way he liked it. His friends always warned him that it was dangerous, but he was a large man and he carried his cell phone, so he felt safe. Nothing had ever happened.

Lyle smiled as he jogged, still feeling the euphoric buzz of being responsible for winning a new soft drink advertising campaign for his company. If it had been Friday night and not Wednesday, he would have been enjoying many celebratory drinks at Logan’s Grill, but it was still the middle of the week so he settled for a run. He was surprised that the park wasn’t more crowded because it was a beautiful night. The sky was so perfectly clear that in areas where there weren’t as many streetlights, the stars and constellations were bright and shining. Lyle glanced up as he entered a darkened part of the park and grinned when he remembered his old astronomy lessons and found the Big Dipper and Orion. “This has been a good day,” Lyle said softly to himself.

Jogging near a grouping of trees, Lyle heard a slight rustling of the leaves just off the path. Slowing slightly, he listened more carefully but didn’t hear anything. “Squirrels,” he muttered and picked his pace back up.

He was just passing the trees, when the sound came again, louder and closer. His curiosity overruling everything else, Lyle stopped and moved closer to the growth surrounding the trees to take a look. As Lyle bent down to push a low branch aside, something large and gray leapt out of the brush and knocked him to the ground. Searing pain erupted in his side and shoulder and the first thought that came to his mind was that he had been stabbed. Then his vision cleared and he saw that it wasn’t a person on top of him and it wasn’t a knife piercing his side. It was claws.

The creature was very large and slightly resembled a wolf, but the image was wrong somehow. The face was more of a gargoyle than a wolf and the eyes were yellow. Lyle raised his unwounded arm and tried to hit the creature, hoping desperately to knock it off of him. It snarled and reacted by grabbing his arm in its teeth and biting cleanly through with a vicious crack as the bone severed. Lyle recoiled and then stared in shock at what was left of his right arm. His hand was gone and he could see the splintered edges of the bone jutting out a few inches above where his wrist should have been. Dimly, his horrified mind tried to catch up with what was happening, but he could only think how strange it was that his arm didn’t hurt. His arm was torn in half and bleeding freely, he was pretty sure that should hurt, but it didn’t. His mind just couldn’t grasp the concept. It was so very wrong.

A low growling drew his attention back to the creature waiting almost patiently for him to react. When he saw his unmarred hand still dangling out of the creature’s mouth, it was then that he began to feel the agonizing pain. Opening his mouth, he started to scream but the creature acted instantly, swiping its claws and cutting his throat. The scream died off to a strangled gurgling noise as Lyle gasped for breath drowning as his own blood filled his throat.



Thank you Roxanne for the interview!