Guest Blog and Book Trilogy Giveaway with Author Melanie Nowak

I've always had a vivid imagination and a fascination for the paranormal. Acting and singing in theatrical productions throughout college and in my church has always been a love of mine, however, upon conceiving the idea for my ALMOST HUMAN series of books, I've discovered a previously unknown passion for writing! Not only can I put my over-active imagination to good use, but I can create characters that I love, and I get to play all of the parts!

ALMOST HUMAN is a fantasy that puts a venomous twist on the classical vampire. It's very character oriented and emotional, but also has action, humor, romance and dark fantasy elements. I've planned the series to be a succession of trilogies. So the 1st trilogy has 1 main story line that spans all 3 books - they aren't stand alone.

The 1st trilogy focuses on the relationship between the vampire Cain and the young woman, Felicity. Chapters alternate between these two characters, so you really get to understand their very different perspectives. The series has a rich supporting cast as well, that lend an "ensemble" feel to the story. I LOVE to create well rounded, evolving characters.
The series is adult, and contains romantic scenes which are graphic as the relationship progresses, but are not gratuitous. Along with the light and fun side of the story and the bloom of first love, I also explore some ideas of spirituality, addiction, and morality that are for more mature readers.

The titles for the 1st trilogy of the ALMOST HUMAN series are:

Volume 1: FATAL INFATUATIONVolume 2: LOST REFLECTIONSVolume 3: EVOLVING ECSTASY

There is a certain amount of closure with book 3, but there are also a few ties that will lead into the next trilogy. The 2nd trilogy follows the same characters, but spins in a new direction with a different story. ALMOST HUMAN ~ The Second Trilogy ~ Volume 1: BORN TO BLOOD was released in Spring 2010.

Rather than tell you more about my characters, I’m posting an excerpt from my series to let them speak for themselves! This excerpt is from Volume 2: Lost Reflections and I think it gives a nice introduction to the group dynamic.

In honor of Halloween’s swift approach, I thought I’d include this fun passage concerning costumes. Although this is a light & fun excerpt, my books have many varied intense, emotional, dark and philosophical scenes as well.

I’m giving away a signed set of ALMOST HUMAN ~ The First Trilogy, so be sure to check out the contest details at the end of the excerpt! Happy reading!

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Felicity turned to Ben and changed the subject. “I heard you’re taking Ashley to the Halloween Ball.”

“Yeah,” he answered shortly.

He didn’t exactly sound thrilled, which was odd, considering the fact that Ashley looked as though she could easily be gracing magazine covers rather than working with them in the café & bookstore. “What are you going to be?” Felicity asked.

“You mean besides emotionally abused?” Allie chimed in to answer for him, with the ease of long standing friendship. They were all well aware of her low opinion of Ben’s date. “Ben’s always a super hero. He says that he thinks that the girls like them, but I think he’s just feeding his inner geek. He used to be big into comic books.”

Felicity laughed. “Super heroes huh?”

“Oh yeah, he’s been them all. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, various X-Men, the Green Lantern, he’s been everybody. He’s starting to run out of cool heroes though. I mean really, who’s left, Aqua man?”

Ben ignored her, and answered Felicity for himself. “I’m going as Major Nelson.”

“Who?”

“Major Anthony Nelson, the astronaut from ‘I Dream Of Jeannie’. Ashley’s wearing the pink harem outfit, and she wants us to match,” Ben explained.

Allie opened her mouth in indignance. “You don’t even get to pick your own costume? That sucks!”

Ben shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.” It looked to Felicity as though it might matter a great deal to Ben.

She was glad when Allie said something about it. “Ben! You love Halloween! Don’t let her wreck it for you! What are you going to wear, a silver track suit and a fishbowl on your head?”

“No! It’s a NASA dress uniform,” Ben clarified.

“That is so lame!” Allie insisted.

“Ashley says I’ll look dashing,” Ben said defensively.

“Boooring. Ashley must not have ever seen you in the tights.” Allie gave Felicity a confidential little smile and informed her, “He looks really good in tights.”

Cain looked at Ben with an arched eyebrow. “When did you wear tights?”

Ben glared at him. “It was a Superman costume.” He turned to Allie. “Shut up and mind your own business.”

Felicity felt that she ought to say something before they started fighting. “So Allie, what are you going to be?”

Ben answered for her with a smirk, just as she had for him. “Allie doesn’t do Halloween.”

Felicity looked from Allie to Cain. “No wonder you two have been getting along so well.”

Cain gave Alyson an amicable grin. “Ah, someone else who doesn’t wish to support the celebration of Devil worship and hedonism.”

Allie sat staring at him very oddly for a moment before answering. “No. I just think it’s stupid.”

“Why?” Felicity asked.

“Everybody waits for this one day a year, just so they can get all dressed up in ways that would normally be socially unacceptable and not get criticized for it. It’s such a joke.”

“Isn’t that kind of the point, to dress as something you aren’t?”

“But that’s just it, people treat it more as a ‘come as you secretly are’. It’s not like anybody tries to be scary anymore. They choose costumes that are really just expressions of their hidden innermost desires. Like Ashley’s outfit. You don’t think she’d dress like that every day, if she could get away with it? Halloween is just a convenient excuse for girls like her to drop their inhibitions without being ostracized for it.”

Ben shook his head at her. “You should be a psychology major.”

“I just speak the obvious truth. I don’t have any use for Halloween. I’m already out there for everyone to see. I don’t have to hide behind some stupid fake holiday. If I want my hair to be pink, I dye it pink. If I wanted to walk around half naked, I would and I wouldn’t have to consult a calendar to do it.”

Cain was looking at her with new admiration. “Well said.”

“Thank you,” Allie answered with a smile.

Ben smiled. “Going as a black cat?”

Alyson’s smile disappeared. “Yeah.”

Felicity looked to Allie in confusion. “Wait, I thought you didn’t dress up?”

Allie sat back in a huff as Ben continued to answer for her. “Tommy always makes Alyson work on Halloween. It’s bar policy that all employees have to wear a costume.” He looked to Allie. “You know he just does that to piss you off, right?”

Allie shrugged. “I wear a head band with ears and pin a tail to my ass, and everybody leaves me alone.”

Ashley interrupted them by yelling across the store from her station at the register. “Felicity, it’s eight o’clock! Come on, your break is long over and I wanna leave. Some people have a life outside of the cafe.” She sounded very annoyed and sarcastic.

Alyson observed as Ben cringed in response to Ashley’s yelling. She beamed a broad smile at him. “She is such a catch Ben, you must be so proud.”

“Bite me Allie.”

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I’d like to sincerely thank Roxanne Rhoads & Fang-tastic books for giving me the opportunity to spread the addiction of my venomous vampires!

~Melanie

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I’m giving away a signed set of ALMOST HUMAN ~ The First Trilogy!

Winner has a choice of either

3 separate signed paperbacks (size 8x5, approx 300 pgs each),
or
1 large signed 3-in-1 Edition paperback (size 7x10, approx. 640 pgs).

Contest Rules:
Commenting on this post will earn 1 entry into this contest per person (must include e-mail address).

A bonus entry will be given for becoming a member of the author’s website: www.MelanieNowak.com

Prize will only be mailed within the continental U.S., unless winner pays for shipping.

Contest ends October 24th, 2010 11:59 CST

Winners will be chosen using Random.org

And announced Monday Oct. 25th