Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Guest Blog and Giveaway with Donna Burgess




My love affair with the undead

By Donna Burgess

People are always asking me why I think vampires are so hot. I could tell them the answer begins and ends with two words—Eric Northman.

But then this post would end up way too short. The thing is, I didn’t always think vampires were hot.

As a kid in the 70s, vampires were anything but sex symbols—at least as far as I was concerned. They were monsters, hell-bent on sucking the blood out of any one who came along. I grew up with Anthony Zerbe and his albino-white evil in Omega Man, Christopher Lee’s dashing wickedness on Saturday’s Double Creature Feature at the Belmont Drive-In and Barnabas Collins, who was so melancholy he could put any viewer searching for the nearest ledge. Either way, I was afraid of vampires. Even Grandpa Munster gave me the creeps.

However, as time pushed on and I grew older, my interest (obsession? not exactly a word that points to mental stability) evolved into something else. Vampires could be funny (Love at First Bite) and they could be ultra-redneck-cool (Near Dark), but it was not until Anne Rice’s first three Vampire Chronicle novels and Bram Stoker’s Dracula with Gary Oldman I realized that blood drinkers could be sexy (sorry, Lost Boys fans). Vampires were indeed hot. Yes, they were still monsters, but hot monsters.

With my book, Darklands: A Vampire’s Tale, I wanted sexy vamps who retained some very humanistic qualities without diminishing the beast in them. My vamps have poor attitudes toward lowly mortals. They were already adults when they transformed, so they aren’t burdened with a lot of high school drama. They are not at all comfortable in daylight (or twilight)—darkness is where they belong. I hope with this series, I can offer something to fans of sexy dark urban fantasy, as well as gritty, gory horror. It’s my little homage to the vamps of my past. I had a blast writing it and I hope that is evident to anyone who decides to grab a copy and read it.


Today we are offering a little giveaway—

five copies of the print version of Darklands: A Vampire’s Tale

and 10 downloadable copies (via Smashwords) to lucky winners.

For more chances to win a copy of Darklands and learn more about Donna be sure to visit her along all of her tour stops throughout February, see them all here

Receive +2 entries for linking to Donna's tour via Facebook, Twitter, or your blog, be sure to include the link in your comments

Receive +2 entries for being a Bewitching Book Tours GFC Follower

Receive +2 entries for Liking Bewitching Book tours on Facebook

Add up all your entries and include them in your comment

Print Copies Availble to US Winners Only, Ebook Copies International

Winners TBA Next Wednesday January 26

31 comments:

Stacey Smith said...

sounds like a Entresting new book for me to Read Can't Wait to Get my Hands on it.
+2 Follower of Bewitching Book Tours via GFC
+2 I like Bewitching Book tours on facebook

sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Well U r not the only one !!! Dont get my started on Eric northman ** book 4 ** Lusty wink !!! lol
I am obsessed with vampires !! what can I say !!! I have brought that many books in the last twelve months, my collection has rapidly grown !! this book sounds really great !! and I follow your reviews and have read books you have recommended ;) so this is an extra added to my lil black book !!! Thanks for the comp and Off to facebook Donna Burgess :)
thanks kat

+2 Follower of Bewitching book tours
+2 Like bewitching on facebook
+2 Twittered and facebooked your comp
(( run_with_wolves )) my post under ive tagged roxanne ;)
TOTAL 6 BIG POINTS :)

kittee_cat@bigpond.com

BLHmistress said...

+2 entries tweeted http://twitter.com/BookLovershaway/status/27633209680330752
+2 entries GFC follower-BLHmistress
+2 entries for Liking Bewitching Book tours on Facebook

6 total
vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Would love to win.
Liked on facebook.
msuck27@hotmail.co.uk

debbie said...

I would love to read this. Please enter me for the print version.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Anne said...

When i was a kid, all vampires were scary too. Chris Sarandon in Fright Night was the first one I thought was sexy.

I love Eric Northman in The Southern Vampire series, I still have to warm up to the True Blood version. maybe season 3 will do it for me. (No cable have to wait for DVD.)

+2 like on facebook
+2 GFC Follower
acm05atjuno.com

Unknown said...

Hope its ok to enter if we are participating in the tour :) I would love to win a print version!

+2 entries for being a Bewitching Book Tours GFC Follower

+2 entries for Liking Bewitching Book tours on Facebook

4 entries for me :)
robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com

Holz Smolz said...

Sounds awesome..all dark and gritty just how i like them lol.
I would love to win an ebook copy:)

holz_twilight@msn.com

DarkBloodyVamp said...

I am a new GFC follower of yours and follow you under the name DarkBloodyVamp.
Thank you for this amazing giveaway.

+2 Follower of Bewitching Book Tours via GFC

+2 entries for Twitter

4 entries total

I am an international contestant.

redfirewood888(AT)yahoo(DOT)ca.

Reading said...

Thanks for the giveaway. I would love to win.

1 Entry

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Leni said...

I loved the way you were able to put into words your love of vampires. It sounds easy enough to answer,but sometimes those are the ones that stop you in your tracks.

lenikaye@yahoo.com

tetewa said...

I'm a follower and live in the US would love a print copy! tWarner419@aol.com

Stephanie M said...

This looks like a great book. I love the excerpt.

+2 GFC follower of Bewitching Book Tours

+2 like on FB (Stephanie McCarthy)

smccar1 at hotmail dot com

booklover0226 said...

Oh this book sounds pretty good; I look forward in reading it.

+2 Follower of Bewitching Book Tours via GFC
+2 I like Bewitching Book tours on facebook

Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com

Estella said...

Yeah for Eric Northman---he's my favorite vampire!

your book sounds like a really good read.

kissinoak at frontier dot com

Sherry said...

I've always found vampire books interesting but I really love the modern version because they seem a lot sexier.

+2 Follower of Bewitching Book Tours via GFC
+2 I like Bewitching Book tours on facebook

sstrode@scrtc.com

RFTC Blog said...

This book looks really good. Would love to read. Definitely going onto my TBR pile.

iqb99@yahoo.com

+2 entries for being a Bewitching Book Tours GFC Follower
+2 entries for Liking Bewitching Book tours on Facebook

Total-4

wade2121 said...

+2 Donna's Facebook
+2 Donna's Twitter

*yadkny* said...

This one sounds way too good to pass up!


+2 entries for being a Bewitching Book Tours GFC Follower
+2 entries for Liking Bewitching Book tours on Facebook

*Total entries: 4
yadkny@hotmail.com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

I'm always looking for a new twist to an old story
+2 tweeted-http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/28009438682025984
+2 Follower of Bewitching book tours
+2 Like bewitching on facebook
total=6
I follow on GFC.

(\___/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

Julie S said...

This book sounds really interesting. Please include me in the print copies giveaway.

juliecookies(at)gmail.com

Receive +2 entries for being a Bewitching Book Tours GFC Follower

Receive +2 entries for Liking Bewitching Book tours on Facebook

Pink Panther said...

Sounds great! Count me in for sure! :)
You can reach me at luvpinkpanther@gmail.com

Atta Girl said...

WOW! Looks like my exact kind of book! Not to mention that GORGEOUS cover!
atta.girl@rocketmail.com

Tanya1224 said...

I can never get tired of reading about sexy vampires =) Please count me in this contest.
+2 GFC follow BBT as Tanyaw1224
total=2
Tanyaw1224(at)yahoo(dot)com

Judy said...

I have been seeing them book talked about. It really looks like something I would enjoy. Love the Vamps!!

+2 follow Bewitching Book Tours


Judy
magnolias_1[at]msn[dot]com

Jolene and Family said...

I sooooo want to read this book! Would love love love love a print copy. Did I say I want this book? Good, because I really want this book :) Thanks so much for the chance, crossing fingers!!
+2 follower of Bewitching Book Tours
+2 Like Bewitching Book Tours on facebook(Jolene Allcock)

june111(at)att(dot)net

heatwave16 said...

Sounds like a great read. I'm in the US, and would love a print copy.

+2 GFC follower

heatwave96(at)hotmail.com

Meredith said...

Vampires are not always hot. Eric, yes, others, not so much!

meredithfl at gmail dot com

+2 entries for being a Bewitching Book Tours GFC Follower
+2 entries for Liking Bewitching Book tours on Facebook

Texas Book Lover said...

Ah Yes Eric Northman...Book 4 was certainly the best...now let's hope they bring a good amount of that to Season 4 of True Blood and I will be in heaven this summer!

+4 GFC follower both Fangtastic & Bewitching Tours
+4 Like Bewitching Tours & Fangtastic on FB
Total =8

Thank you mmafsmith@gmail.com

donnas said...

Sounds good. Thanks for the chance!

+2 GFC follower
+2 Liked on Facebook
+2 tweet - http://twitter.com/#!/DonnaS1/status/29402520052830208 and post - http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/2011/01/bewitching-book-tours-tour-schedule-for.html

total 7

bacchus76 at myself dot com

Laura H. said...

This sounds like a fabulous book! And I appreciate the author's nod to "True Blood"--because Eric Northman is hot! Count me in!

+2 Tweeted Donna's tour: http://twitter.com/#!/MamaHendo3/status/30071818878459904
+2 Follow Bewitching Book Tours via GFC (Bornajhawk).
+2 "Liked" Bewitching Book Tours on FB (Laura Grassie Henderson).

TOTAL = 6

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

 
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