Giveaway with Chloe Neill: Wild Things Release Day Tour Stop

Since Merit was turned into a vampire, and the protector of Chicago’s Cadogan House, it’s been a wild ride. She and Master vampire Ethan Sullivan have helped make Cadogan’s vampires the strongest in North America, and forged ties with paranormal folk of all breeds and creeds, living or dead…or both.

But now those alliances are about to be tested. A strange and twisted magic has ripped through the North American Central Pack, and Merit’s closest friends are caught in the crosshairs.  Gabriel Keene, the Pack Apex, looks to Merit and Ethan for help.  But who—or what—could possibly be powerful enough to out-magic a shifter?

Merit is about to go toe to toe, and cold steel to cold heart, to find out.

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | iBooks | IndieBound | Penguin

Ready to win some Chicagoland Vampires and Dark Elite swag ?

You get a tote bag, signed copy of House Rules, a luggage tag, 

a button, pen and bookmarks

Enter the Rafflecopter below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The fun doesn’t stop here. Want more chances to win? 

You can also enter Chloe’s Wild Things Grand Prize Giveaway, 

which runs January 27  through February 7 on Chloe’s web site.

What is the Grand Prize Giveaway prize?

A Kindle Paperwhite

A $50 Amazon gift card!

A complete set of Chicagoland Vampires Audiobook CDs 

(graciously provided by Tantor Audio)

An autographed Chicagoland Vampires or Dark Elite novel

Two Cadogan House Novitiate Luggage Tags

A Cadogan House lanyard and BITING BAD All Access Pass

Chicagoland Vampires bookmarks, pens, buttons, and swag!

Wild Things Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, January 27 – A Book Obsession | Drey’s Library

Tuesday, January 28 – Naomi’s Paranormal Palace | Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust

Wednesday, January 29 – The Book Swarm | Krista’s Dust Jacket

Thursday, January 30 – Reading RainBlog | Between Fantasy & Reality

Friday, January 31 – Tsk Tsk What To Read | Book Lovers For Life

Monday, February 3 – The Consummate Reader | Me, Myself & Books

Tuesday, February 4 (Release Day) - Vampire Book Club | The Saucy Wenches |

 Toot’s Book Reviews | Fangtastic Books

Wednesday, February 5 – Book Nympho | Blogging by Liza

Thursday, February 6 – A Great Read | Urban Fantasy Investigations

Friday, February 7 – Where the Night Kind Roam | Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy

A Review of Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Warning possible mini spoilers ahead- I try not to give away too much details but if you follow this series you'll probably know what I'm talking about.



Thank you Chloe for getting this series back on track. I was worried after the last book but you did tell your fans to trust you and I did and continued on to Drink Deep- and I was not disappointed.

This book put Chicagoland Vampires back on the map with a phenomenal storyline and unbelievable plot twist you won't see coming- and one that you'll hope for but if you're like me you just couldn't let yourself believe until it's all said and done.

Merit is still heartbroken and feeling lost after losing Ethan but everyone tells her she has to move on even when some give her dirty looks and snarky comments because it looks like she has with Jonah.

Jonah is her new partner, a member of the Red Guard who is recruiting Merit and always has her back- the way Ethan used to.

Jonah may want more from Merit than she can give but he just might wait around for her- he is, after all a vampire, with immortality on his side. At least he's there for her, in the real world and not just the world of dreams- where Ethan still plays a role on Merit's life.

The nightmares keep plaguing Merit and while each have a different twist they all end with Ethan disappearing and screaming her name.

The House is in disarray thanks to the GP and to make matters worse all of Chicago seems to be in a vampire hating state of mind especially when the lake turns black and the sky turns red and it literally looks like all hell is going to break lose.

Merit wants to help and turns to her best friend Mallory who is taking her sorceress exams and seems to be stressed beyond all belief. With no help there she turns to Catcher, Mallory's boyfriend who is not happy about Mallory's behavior or her exams.

All Merit has left is Jonah who helps however he can.

Will they be able to figure out who and what is behind the black lake and red sky before the whole city turns against the vampires and destroys everything Merit has grown to care about?

Neill has created a complex world filled with vampires and magic, political subplots, heavy emotions, and a surreal reality thrown into turmoil that make this book a quick paced read you just can't put down.

And an ending you won't be disappointed in.

I just hope the future books don't break Merit's or the readers' hearts again.

View all my reviews

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.

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

Monday Musings April 12, 2010

I have some new stories appearing in each of the above upcoming anthologies.

Release dates are currently unknown though Like That Spark will probably be out pretty soon. My story "A Last Goodbye" will be published in the Like That Spark antho published by Circlet Press. This will be an ebook of erotic paranormal stories.

My story "Blood, Lust and Shadows" (title could possibly be different) will appear in the anthology Erotic Dreamspell which will be available in print through L&L Dreamspell. This is also an erotic paranormal collection.

My ebook A Halloween to Remember (yes another erotic paranormal story :-) will be available through eXcessica Publishing in September.

My story "Cemetery Seduction" is scheduled to appear in a Midnight Showcase digest in May titled Dark Tales but I don't have a cover image or any other info on that yet.

Onto other stuff, how was every one's weekend?

I caught up on shows like Vampire Diaries and Bones and watched a few movies Sherlock Holmes (the new one, liked it) and Where the Wild Things Are (sadly not impressed).

I also worked in my garden (woo hoo! my herbs are already growing like crazy) and did my mom's taxes (she always waits until the last minute).

I also had some wonderful quiet time alone in my house with no one here but my cats (who scared the crap out of me at one point with a strange sneezing fit). But I did manage to make some headway on one of my novels. I swear eventually one of them will get done. LOL.

I am over halfway there on one and now I am sure of where I want it to go. I was stumbling over the direction I wanted to take it because one of the characters decided to become a major player when I had only planned on him being a minor guy- he decided he was going to be a contender for the heroines heart. And much to my surprise he's doing a great job of it. But that stumped me for awhile. Now I am back on track.

So this week at Fang-tastic Books we have a couple authors dropping in for interviews and guest blogs - Jessica Lee, poet E.J. Stevens, Lydia Dare, and Lilly Caine will all be here this week.

Don't forget several contests are still open until midnight tonight make sure to sign up to win the books from Michele Hauf and Laura Bickles and for a chance to win a copy of Vampireology.

Monday Musings April 5, 2010

haunted house by barb_ar Flickr licensed under Creatrive Commons

Monday again...

My weekend was spent planning and executing Easter dinner. A tradition I am not really fond of. See Easter is just eggs and bunnies to me since I am not really a religious person. I lean more toward the pagan/wiccan side of things but I was raised with Easter and Christmas then my mom met a man and became really religious so I've celebrated and dine things to please her- just following along with the way things have been done. Plus I am not going to deny my children the holidays...but I really hate getting stuck doing this big production of a dinner. Cooking wipes me out.

So today I am trying to recover therefore I'm a little slow on posting my Monday Musings.

Update on t-shirt design contest- I am changing some of the rules for my t-shirt design contest. Flickr images can be used as long as they are licensed under Creative Commons attribution license. One to look for is Brenda Starr she has a whole lot of resources and stock photos not only licensed under CC but she also clearly states the images may be used.

I have also added a new book to the winner's prize for the t-shirt contest. I have added a copy of Vampireology-this book won't be in stores until the middle of May.

So be sure to check out the new rules and the new prize added to the good for the Fang-tastic Books t-shirt design contest.

This week at Fang-tastic Books some awesome authors will be here offering giveaways - like fellow vamp chick Michele Hauf, Embers author Laura Bickle and I have a fang-tastic Free Book Friday lined up.

It's going to be a great week.

Oh did you see the followers? 400! Only 100 more to go before the huge 500 Follower Giveaway winner is chosen.

Friday Night Bites Release Celebration with Chloe Neill

To celebrate the release of Friday Night Bites, the second book in the Chicagoland Vampires series, author Chloe Neill is back at Fang-tastic Books and we are so thrilled she's here! Today she discusses creating an office fit for a vampire.

Thanks for joining us again, Chloe!

AN OFFICE FIT FOR A VAMPIRE

Every vampire writer and vampire reader deserves a fabulous place to do a little writing, or reading. I've had fun putting together my first office, and I thought I'd share some tips and tricks to make your reading/writing space a little more fang-friendly. :)

1. GIVE YOURSELF SPACE

Check out your house, room or apartment. Is there a space you could take over and make your own reading/writing niche? A closet you could convert? An awkward corner that you can turn into an rainy-day reading nook?

If you're looking for inspiration, check out design blogs or craft sites (or my own visual inspiration site, the sadly out of date Write What You See to where other creative types work their magic.

2. OFFICE BASICS

Once you've figured out how much space you have, think about what you need to fill it. Comfy chair? Desk for your laptop? Side Table? If you're looking for something fabulous to sit on, you can't beat Pottery Barn or Crate + Barrel for fabulous housewares.

But putting together a great reading/writing space doesn't require big spending. You can check out stores like TJ Maxx or Marshall's for discounts.

You can also go green, and recycle a piece that needs love. Check out your local thrift store, flea market or weekend garage sale for pieces that you can fix up.

When you're ready to make the redesigning plunge, checked out Design*Sponge for great Before & After ideas. Specifically, if you've got a grungy chair that you think is completely hopeless, check out this gorgeous transformation.

3. UP THE SPOOK FACTOR

October is a fabulous time to buy fun spooky- and Halloween-themed supplies, especially since Halloween decor has become increasingly glittered and sequined over the last few years. You can start with a vase of black roses from Target's glam-horror line or Z Gallerie which loves the black glitter.

You can goth-glam up your office, or start a collection of bats and fanged toys to fill out your office/reading nook.

4. PERSONALIZE YOUR SUPPLIES

Now that you have a fun place to work, find some fun things to work with.

PENCILS: Order a set of personalized pencils with your name, web site, or motto to create a your own Pencil Posy

NOTE PADS: You can order personalized Post-Its or personalized 3 x 5 cards to take notes or sketch out ideas.

LABELS: Use labels or favor boxes to create an organizational system for your office supplies or buy personalized bookplates to organize your library.

I hope you find these ideas inspiring, so that you can create your own special reading or writing space.

OK before I go here's a contest for you.

Up for grabs is a Cadogan House Gift Pack, a signed copy of Friday Night Bites and an enamel bangle bracelet that says "I Kissed a Vampire and I liked it!"

Just leave a comment on this post, be sure to include your email address. US shipping only.

So, thanks for dropping by Fang-Tastic Books today, and thanks to Fang-Tastic Books for hosting me!

That's all for me today.

Chloe