Monday, October 31, 2011

Winners of Halloween Spook Days 15, 16, 18

I have 3 winners to announce today. I know I've gotten a little behind.


Day 15
Gale Stanley is giving away a copy of her new book and the winner is.....
Joder


Day 16
Miss Bohemia is giving away some beautiful hand made jewlery and the winner is...
Vivien


Day 18
Eve Langlais is giving away all 3 books in her Princesses of Hell series and the winner is...
Marlene B.

Kresley Cole - Lothaire

Title: Lothaire
Author: Kresley Cole
ISBN: 9781439136829
Price: $25.00/$28.99 CAN
Format: Hardcover
On Sale: 1/10/12


#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole continues her electrifying Immortals After Dark series with this thrilling tale, revealing secrets of the Lore, fierce realm of the immortals. . . .

ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD
Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER
Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED
Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?

Want to Know More about Lothaire? Watch Kresley Cole answer insider questions and reveal information that readers are dying to know!



Click here to pre-order your copy!


Follow @Kresleycole on Twitter


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Halloween Spooktacular Day 31


What do you get when you have eight wickedly delicious Authors, writing about Halloween?

Why you end up with “A WICKED AND WANTON ALL HALLOWS EVE” of course.

So, I’ve asked a few wicked and wanton and spooky All Hallow’s Eve questions of the other authors who are in the anthology along with me! Hey, I even asked myself *giggles* Please check out what they had to say about what their dream costume would be, what their favorite Halloween treat is, if they like scary movies, and what they have to say about the story they have appearing in the anthology.

Author Kim Faulks

Kiki: If you could by any Costume which one would it be?  

Kim: There is nothing sexier than a woman with a gun or a knife, so I'll have to go with this gorgeous one from the movie Electra with Jennifer Garner.

Kiki: What is your favorite Halloween Treat?
Kim: Turkish delight chocolates

Kiki: Do you watch scary movies? If yes, tell us the name of a good one.
Kim: My favourite: The Village or The Shining - I love them all!

Kiki: Tell us a little about your story in A Wicked and Wanton All Hallow’s Eve Anthology.  
Kim: Inamorata is set back in 1780 in England where a young woman Erica tries to come to terms with the loss of her sister and the growing need to provide for not only herself but her brother-in-law David, who seems to be a lot more cunning than she expected.

Author Abby Hayes

Kiki: If you could by any Costume which one would it be?
Abby: You know, I want the wolf one that my character in my story, Haunted Party, was wearing, a wolf.

Kiki: What is your favorite Halloween Treat?
Abby: Chocolate! I love the Reece’s Pumpkins, always have. But now I also love the Take Five candy bars as well, along with Twix and many others.

Kiki: Do you watch scary movies? If yes, tell us the name of a good one.
Abby: Yes I do.  Most recent good ones were Insidious and Fright Night.

Kiki: Tell us a little about your story in A Wicked and Wanton All Hallow’s Eve Anthology.
Abby: My story, Haunted Party,  is about a party thrown each year by the main character’s sexy boss. This year he has rented an entire floor of a hotel. Everyone is in costume and ready for a good time, but what they get is an unexpected haunting and find that the ghost feeds off of sexual energy.

Author BL Morticia

Kiki:  If you could buy any Costume which one would it be?
BL: I’d wear a renaissance costume. I love the way the dresses are low cut and long.

Kiki:  What is your favorite Halloween Treat?
BL: Hmm I like the candy corn. Not a big fan of taffy apples. :/

Kiki:  Do you watch scary movies? If yes, tell us the name of a good one.
BL: I’m not really a fan of really scary movies. I do love Sleepy Hallow with Johnny Depp! *yum*

Kiki: Tell us a little about your story in A Wicked and Wanton All Hallow’s Eve Anthology.
BL: My story is the vampire story, I Dream of Dalian. It’s an m/f, *snicker* about a young woman who’s in love with a rock star that has very vampy qualities. She dreams of him and ends up getting sucked into her dream. Will she come out of it?

Author Ana Hart

Kiki:  If you could by any Costume which one would it be?
Ana: Well, first and foremost, I am a pirate and no, I do not mean that I steal music and movies and the like. So, given that, I would want this costume!  I usually just make my own but I don't have time to sew lately and I've recently lost over fifty pounds so my wench outfits no longer fit me. So sad.

Kiki: What is your favorite Halloween Treat?
Ana: Um... hmm... I think I'm going to be lame and simply answer with anything chocolate. I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas and there are few candies that I will say no to. Now, if we're talking about treats beyond the edible ones, I'll take a tall, dark, and handsome pirate for my Halloween Treat ;)

Kiki:  Do you watch scary movies? If yes, tell us the name of a good one.
Ana: I don't usually watch scary movies. Okay, let me rephrase that - I hate movies with gratuitous gore but I love suspenseful films. Of course, now that I've said that, I can't think of a suspenseful film that I really enjoy. I just don't like to be scared. Call me crazy. I'm not really much of an adrenaline junkie.

Kiki:  Tell us a little about your story in A Wicked and Wanton All Hallow’s Eve Anthology.
Ana: Welcome to the Inferno is a story about two wild Fae that have crossed the Veil into the mortal world on the one night that said Veil is weakest - Halloween - in order to get into a little naughty mischief at the Inferno, a club where all the paranormal creatures and their mortal pets can go to play. It's a sexy and fun little story and I loved writing it. The dynamic between the two main characters was very entertaining to write.

Author Gemma Parkes

Kiki:  If you could buy any Costume which one
would it be?
Gemma: Definitely a sexy vampire costume! So sexy! I would wear it, l think!

Kiki: What is your favorite Halloween Treat?
Gemma: A box of dark chocolate soft center’s, a candlelit room, a hot man and a really spooky film!

Kiki: Do you watch scary movies? If yes, tell us the name of a good one.
Gemma: I like the films that are psychologically scary. Real edge of the seat films. I love ‘What lies beneath’ very jumpy! Not Stephen Kings ‘It’ though, scared me to death!

Kiki: Tell us a little about your story in A Wicked and Wanton All Hallow’s Eve Anthology.
Gemma: ‘Cassandra’ is a spooky tale about a chance meeting at a Halloween party. There is music, costumes, dancing…I really can’t say more without spoiling the story!

Author Sarah Bella

Kiki:  If you could by any Costume which one would it be?
Sarah:  If I could be any costume at all I think it would be great fun to be a Fairy like Twig from the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.  There is a photo of Twig attached.

Kiki: What is your favorite Halloween Treat?
Sarah: I love chocolate, but in the name of being able to eat more of them, I try to stick to treats like Kit Kats and Twix.  I can eat three or four of the minis before I’ve eaten the fat in a snickers :D

Kiki:  Do you watch scary movies? If yes, tell us the name of a good one.
Sarah: I can’t watch scary movies!  I’m such a baby.  I watched Saw with my husband and it took months before I stopped thinking that the pig-faced thing was on the other side of my bathroom door waiting to pop out at me when I had to pee at night!
I do love scary books though.  I read a ton of twisted Dean Koontz and the Hannibal Trilogy (Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal Rising) by Thomas Harris are among my favorite books ever.

Kiki:  Tell us a little about your story in A Wicked and Wanton All Hallow’s Eve Anthology.
Sarah: Triage is about a woman who goes out with her friends to a costume party and gets separated before they even connect.  She winds up at the wrong club, but doesn’t realize just how wrong she was until she meets Evan, or Sir, as he likes to be called.  Sir introduces her to the milder side of BDSM with a little public mental Domination.

Author Kiki Howell
Kiki: Okay, this is weird! I’ve never actually interviewed myself before, buy hey, it’s a wicked and wanton All Hallow’s Eve here, so anything goes, right? LOL

Kiki: If you could by any Costume which one would it be?
Kiki: A little sexy, a little dark, witch costume :)

Kiki: What is your favorite Halloween Treat?
Kiki: I have a hard time with favorites when it comes to candy, but I will try to pick. I do love Sour Patch Kids.

Kiki:  Do you watch scary movies? If yes, tell us the name of a good one.
Kiki: Yes I do, but in recent years it has been hard to keep up on them with the kids.  In the beginning of October, I did start watching American Horror Story on FX and am quiet impressed so far!

Kiki: Tell us a little about your story in A Wicked and Wanton All Hallow’s Eve Anthology. 
Kiki: “Midnight Showing” is a story about a haunted theater, and a new owner who tempts the ghost who haunts it in hopes of getting rid of her. He has a friend with him and his wife, who is Wiccan, to play a movie known to upset the ghost in hopes his wife can do a ritual to help the ghost move on. What happens though is a ghostly sort of foursome with the ghost in charge *winks*

A WICKED AND WANTON ALL HALLOWS EVE Synopsis:
A Halloween party turns into a very unusual night; a ghost whose sexual needs prevent her from passing over to the other side; a chance encounter at a mistaken location leads to many desires being fulfilled; and unusual alien and human sexual experience, in the name of research; and so much more in this kinky themed Halloween Anthology.

Open up your mind, free your inhibitions and get ready for A Wicked & Wanton All Hallows Eve!

Eight naughty Halloween-themed erotic short stories to tantalize and tease the senses while giving readers a little taste of the experimental worlds of sensually exciting tricks or treats.

Releases with Naughty Nights Press Oct. 30th. Available at Amazon, Smashwords, and other ebook retailers.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Halloween Spooktacular Day 30

Some of my followers have probably noticed I have skipped out on doing any of my usual posts due to the Halloween Spooktacular. So I have decided to make my October Monthly Book Giveaway a Halloween Spooktacular post. In the Halloween spirit I have picked a book that is on the scary side and not so much on the romance side. I have read books by this author and she can write a great creepy novel.


"Heart of Evil" by Heather Graham Book #1
Goodreads Blurb:
Emerging from the bayou like an apparition, Donegal Plantation is known for its unsurpassed dining, captivating atmosphere, haunting legends…and now a corpse swinging from the marble angel that marks its cemetery's most majestic vault. A corpse discovered in nearly the same situation as that of Marshall Donegal, the patriarch killed in a skirmish just before the Civil War.
Desperate for help traditional criminologists could never provide, plantation heiress Ashley Donegal turns to an elite team of paranormal investigators who blend hard forensics with rare—often inexplicable—intuition. Among the "Krewe of Hunters" is an old ï ¬ ‚ ame, Jake Mallory, a gifted musician with talent stretching far beyond the realm of the physical, and a few dark ghosts of his own.
The evil the team unveils has the power to shake the plantation to its very core. Jake and Ashley are forced to risk everything to unravel secrets that will not stay buried—even in death.…
GIVEAWAY
1. This giveaway is US only due to shipping costs.
2. You must be a follower.
3. All you have to do is fill out the form below to enter.
4. This Giveaway will run until Nov. 14th in order to give everyone time to enter.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Halloween Spooktacular Day 29

For Romance Book Junkies: Halloween Spooktacular 2011


2 book excerpts + a giveaway!

I’m thrilled to participate in the Halloween Spooktacular, and to tell you about my two latest books—tales of forbidden romance and passion that feature vampires so charismatic, I fell madly in love with them! I hope you will, too. Thanks, Danielle, for inviting me! Please read on for summaries, excerpts, and reviews of both novels, followed by a giveaway.




SUMMARY: Syrie James approaches Bram Stoker's classic Dracula with a breathtaking new perspective, as Mina Harker records the shocking story of her scandalous seduction and sexual rebirth. Struggling to hang on to the pure love she's found within her marriage to her husband, Jonathan, Mina is drawn into a secret, passionate affair with a fascinating, charismatic, yet dangerous lover—a man she doesn’t at first realize is the vampire Count Dracula.

Although everyone she knows fears Count Dracula and is pledged to destroy him, Mina sees a side to him that others cannot: a tender, romantic side; a man who's taken full advantage of his gift of immortality to expand his mind and talents; a man who is deeply in love, and who may not be evil after all. Soon, they are connected in a way she never thought humanly possible. Yet to surrender is surely madness, for to be with him could end her life.


EXCERPT FROM DRACULA, MY LOVE

Dracula crossed to me then and stopped, touching my cheek with one hand as he gazed deeply into my eyes. "Mina," he said gently, "I swear to you, upon my honour: the only real wrong I have ever done your husband—and I admit it is an egregious one—is to covet the woman he loves."
       My breath caught in my throat. He was so near, so very near. I could read the fervent desire in his blue eyes, and I felt an answering need well up within me. All at once, my anger, fears, and doubts evaporated. I did not care if he was lying or not. I did not care whether he was good or evil. All I cared about was that this man's arms should wrap around me, that his body should press close up against me, and that his lips should find mine.
       "They are all bent on destroying you," I whispered. "What shall I do? How can I help you?"
       "I do not think you can help me, my darling. But do not worry. I can take care of myself."
       He drew me close then and kissed me. It was a long and passionate kiss. Desire coursed through me. When his lips left my mouth and travelled down to my throat, I quivered in anticipation, knowing what would come next, wanting it. He promised that I will be safe, I reminded myself. He promised not to harm me.
       He unbuckled the velvet band around my neck and tossed it aside. His eyes—now red—met mine; I gave him my silent ascent, waiting in breathless ecstasy as my head fell back.
       Then I felt it: the prick of his teeth piercing my flesh, and the exquisite joy as my warm blood pulsed from my body into his.

* * * * * * * * *
Prologue

1897
      It has been seven long years since the first night he came to my chamber, seven long years since the string of haunting, incredible, and perilous events occurred—events which I am certain no one else will believe, even though we took care to make a written record of it. It is those transcripts of our journals—mine, and the other's—which I look at from time to time, to remind myself that it all really happened, and that I did not merely dream it.



      Now and then, when I spy a white mist gathering in the garden below, when a shadow crosses a wall at night, or when I see dust motes swirling in a beam of moonlight, I still find myself jumping in expectation and alarm. Jonathan will press my hand and catch my eye with a silent, reassuring look, as if to let me know that he understands, that we are safe. But when he turns back to his reading by the fire, my heart continues to hammer in my chest, and I am overcome not only by the sense of apprehension that Jonathan knows I feel, but by something else as well . . . by longing.



      Yes, longing.



      The record I kept—the journal I so carefully wrote in shorthand, and then typed for the others to read—was not the entire truth; not my truth. Some thoughts and experiences are too intimate for others' eyes; some desires are too shocking to admit, even to one's self. Were I to reveal all to Jonathan, I know I would lose him forever, as surely as I would lose forever the good opinion of all society.

 

      I know what my husband wants—what all men want. For a woman—single or married—to be loved and respected, she must be innocent: entirely pure of mind, body, and soul. And so I once was, until he came into my life. At times, I feared him. At other times, I despised him. And yet, even knowing what he was and what he wanted, I could not help but love him.



      I will never forget the magic of being held in his embrace, the compelling magnetism of his eyes as he gazed at me, or how it felt to whirl about the dance floor in his arms. I still shiver with delight when I recall the dizzying sensation of travelling with him at the speed of light, and the way his slightest touch could make me gasp with unimagined pleasure and desire. But the most wondrous times were the hours upon hours of conversation, stolen moments in which we revealed our most private selves to each other, and discovered all that we held in common.

 

      I loved him. I loved him passionately, profoundly, from the very depths of my being, and with every beating of my heart. There was a time when I might have gladly given up this human life to be with him forever. 


      
And yet . . . . 

      

All these years, the truth of what happened has weighed heavily on my mind, taking the pleasure out of ordinary things, stealing my appetite, and banishing sleep. I find I cannot carry the guilty burden within me any longer. I must put it all down on paper, never to be seen by other's eyes, but certain that only in the writing will I at last be free to let it go.


* * * * * * * * *
"5 STARS. A perfect read. Fans of Anne Rice and Stephenie Meyer 
will find much to rejoice about in this novel... 
However, in my opinion, James is a better writer than either."
—Much Madness is Divinest Sense

"The rest of the world might think they know everything about the Count from Transylvania, but only Mina Harker, who once fell under the seductive spell of literature's most famous vampire, knows Dracula's true story. James gives readers an intriguing alternate theory as to the events that occurred in Stoker's classic horror tale while at the same time delivering a spooky yet thoroughly romantic love story." —Chicago Tribune

"I loved it! A gripping story, infused with passion, excitement,
and emotional turmoil. This vampire can bite my neck any time!" 
—American Book Center


Order DRACULA, MY LOVE online here:

Amazon Trade Paperback: http://amzn.to/gT9r8p
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/oYnTCU
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/pAEjy2


* * * * * * * * *

EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY:

SUMMARY: When Nicole Whitcomb's car runs off a Colorado mountain road during a blinding snowstorm, she is saved from death by a handsome, fascinating, and enigmatic stranger. Snowbound with him for days in his beautiful home high in the Rockies, she finds herself powerfully attracted to him. But there are things about him that mystify her, filling her with apprehension. Who is Michael Tyler? Why does he live in such a secluded spot and guard his private life so carefully? What secret—or secrets—is he hiding?


Nicole has secrets of her own and a past she is running from—but Michael understands her better than anyone she has ever known. Soon, she is falling as deeply in love with him as he is with her— a profoundly meaningful experience that is destined to change their lives forever. As the sexual tension between them builds, however, the clues mount up. When Nicole learns her host's terrifying secret, there is nowhere for her to run but into the blizzard raging outside, and Michael may be the only one who can save her life.


EXCERPT FROM NOCTURNE


Chapter 3

In groggy confusion, Nicole took in her surroundings. She was lying on a couch in a spacious living room decorated with a masculine flair. Muted daylight shone in through a row of tall windows that reached the peaked, vaulted ceiling. Where was she? Then she remembered. The storm. The accident.
A man was bent over the fireplace, his back to her. Nicole’s hand went to her left temple and encountered a bandage. She sat up, an action that caused her head to throb painfully, and the man to whip around in her direction.
“Don’t touch that.” His tone was so sharp that Nicole dropped her hand to her lap. To her surprise he spoke with a refined British accent.
“My head hurts,” Nicole said, staring at the man’s scarred, brown leather boots, which peeked out from beneath dark jeans.
“That’s to be expected. You received a rather nasty blow.”
Nicole looked up at the man’s face for the first time. An unexpected fluttering began in her stomach. He had lovely blue eyes and was extremely handsome. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties and had a lean, athletic build. His light brown hair was combed back loosely from his forehead. The silver buckle that adorned his leather belt looked like an antique or something a cowboy might wear. But cowboys didn’t have British accents—did they?
“Is this your house?” she asked.
“It is. What’s your name?”
“Nicole Whitcomb.”
“Do you remember what happened to you?”
“Yes. One minute, I was in complete control of my car, and the next I was sliding off the road and flipping over.”
He nodded. “Four-wheel drive doesn’t mean four-wheel stop. The accident happened on the highway just below my house. I saw it when I was out clearing my road. You’d passed out behind the wheel. I dug you out, brought you up here, and cleaned you up a little.” He stepped away with unhurried grace and lowered himself into an easy chair—as far off, she noticed, as it was humanly possible to sit.
“Thank you.” Nicole felt a jumble of contradictory emotions: a rush of gratitude to this total stranger who’d saved her life; the light tingle of her attraction to him; and an overwhelming awkwardness. Although his words seemed to convey an interest in her well-being, his voice and body language implied otherwise. She wished she could leave immediately. But how? Her car was buried in a snowbank and it was blizzarding outside.
“I appreciate everything you’ve done to help me. I’m sorry to be in your way.” She paused, hoping he would contradict her, but he didn’t. “What kind of injury do I have? As I recall, my head was a bloody mess.”
Her statement brought a brief, dark glimmer to his eyes that sent an unexpected chill up Nicole’s spine. She had no reason to be afraid of this man. Did she?
“A small cut on your temple—nothing severe,” he answered.
Nicole’s heart began to beat erratically. Who was this guy? He seemed very cultured, as if he belonged in a palace surrounded by servants. What was an Englishman doing in this remote corner of the Colorado mountains… unless he was hiding from something?
“You haven’t told me your name,” she said.
“Haven’t I? I beg your pardon. Michael Tyler.”
“How is it that you live up here? I thought this was national forest land.”
“It is. But there are pockets of private land scattered throughout.”
“Do you live by yourself, or…”
“I live alone.”
Her questions seemed to annoy him. In an effort to lighten the mood, she glanced at the grand piano and said, “So I take it it’s either you who plays that piano, or the resident ghost?”
A surprised twinkle lit his blue eyes. “Definitely the ghost. She plays at the oddest hours. I deduce that she’s from the previous century, which is strange when you consider that I only built the house ten years ago.”
Nicole laughed. His smile was charming and only enhanced his good looks. Maybe there was nothing to be afraid of after all…


* * * * * * * * *

Lyrical, lush, and intensely romantic, this infinitely touching, bittersweet story from James (Dracula, My Love) will weave its way into readers' hearts, with its complex characters and compelling emotions sure to linger long after the last page has been turned.” —Library Journal

"Syrie James has done it again with this wonderful combination of thriller, mystery and romance that will greatly please her legion of fans... Bound to keep you turning page after page."—Top Romance Novels

Syrie James puts her own spin on the vampire trend with this tender, character-driven love story. The snowbound Nicole and Michael have so much chemistry that everything they do, from discussing literature to carving wooden music boxes, becomes foreplay. You won't need a snowstorm to keep you glued to your chair, racing through this fantastic novel!” —RT Book Reviews

"A once-in-a-lifetime kind of love...
Each incredible revelation kept me turning pages long into the night."
A Simple Love of Reading

"Haunting characters ... A page-turner."
Fresh Fiction

"5 OUT OF 5 STARS! I loved it!" Good Choice Reading

"Near-death experiences, a charming and enigmatic stranger, concealed dark secrets, forbidden love – Syrie James' latest novel is an exquisite feast of passion, turmoil, adventure, and intrigue. 5 stars!” —Austenesque Reviews

“If you've never read a Syrie James novel you're missing out. Whether you begin with her odes to Austen, Bronte, Dracula, or Nicole and Michael – you will most assuredly read every word she's written and become a true fan for all time."


Order Nocturne online here:

Amazon Hardcover: http://amzn.to/pBBHZ1
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/njXmGZ
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/ni8p2g
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/exfjC3

Find Syrie Online:




SYRIE JAMES BIOGRAPHY

Syrie James is the bestselling author of four critically acclaimed novels, including Nocturne, Dracula, My Love, and The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, named Best First Novel 2008 by Library Journal. Hailed by Los Angeles Magazine as “the queen of nineteenth century re-imaginings,” Syrie's books have been translated into 16 foreign languages. Her novel The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë has been optioned for film, was honored as a Great Group Read by the Women’s National Book Association, and the audio book won the prestigious 2011 Audie Award in the romance category. Syrie’s short story leads the new anthology Jane Austen Made Me Do It. Syrie’s next novel Forbidden, a YA paranormal romance which she co-wrote with her son Ryan, is due out January 2012. A lifetime member of JASNA, RWA, and WGA, Syrie is currently hard at work on a new novel for Penguin Books. Visit Syrie on facebook, Twitter, and syriejames.com.


GIVEAWAY!

ENTER to win a signed copy of the paperback edition of NOCTURNE, which includes an exclusive sneak preview at the back of the first two chapters of Syrie’s next book, FORBIDDEN, due out Jan. 24, 2012. Open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

To enter the contest, tell us what intrigues you about Nocturne and/or Dracula, My Love, and why you’d like to win the book. Don't forget to include your email so we can contact you if you win.The contest ends Nov. 29th

Friday, October 28, 2011

Halloween Spooktacular Day 28

FANGED AND FABULOUS

    I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, vampires where the reason we hid stakes (or really sharp #2 pencils) under our beds and kept garlic nearby. (Okay, so it was double wrapped in cellophane and in the refrigerator, but trust me, I knew where it was).
    They were creepy and represented everything we never wanted to be.
    The last thing I wanted was to wake to something like that nibbling on my neck. Ack!
    Let’s not forget the werewolves that haunted our dreams. Those big ugly, hairy monsters that would rip us a part if we crossed their paths on a full moon. Everyone knew what silver bullets were for and true believers knew how to use them.
    Just look at that matted fur... talk about having a serious hygiene issue!! Not even "Mr. Clean" could get those stains out.

    So much has changed over the last decade or two and not just because a species of beautiful sparkly vampires were discovered lurking in the foggy haze of the northwestern United States. 
    No, our love affair with vampires and werewolves started way back when... Long, long ago… in a land far, far away.
    For me, it was when a fair haired vampire named Louis de Pointe du Lac, broke away from his sire, Lestat de Lioncourt, and told a curious writer all about his epic life story of love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger in one very notorious interview.
    Ahh, to have been a maiden, helplessly captivated under the lustful spell of a sexy vampire… yes, I would have surrendered my virtue just to have been a snack… and so the romance began. 
     The dawn of the 21st century brought with it a revolutionary new take on all things "Paranormal" and thank goodness for that. It's not just aliens, shifters, and fanged creatures anymore.
     Now we have witches, fairies, gnomes and even zombies....wait? ZOMBIES???
Yep!! They have found their way into hearts as well. 
    Who'd a thunk it? Well those talented people behind the scenes who make this stuff up... WRITERS, of course!!
     I'm proud to count myself among that growing number of "out of the box" thinkers and can't wait to see what some of us dream up next. 
     As for me and most of the writers I know, I’m confident it will be something sexy. 

   Imagine a world without Alcide from HBO's True Blood.... rather not? Me either!!! The world NEEDS his kind of werewolf!! Tough, chivalrous, and ready to rescue any damsel in distress… Hurry, somebody tell me which line to stand in so I can start feigning distress!!!
    Fortunately we don’t have to imagine that cold, cruel world… it’ll be back next summer and I’m sure sexy weres, shifters, faeries, vampires and more even beings will be back as well.
   

    And can you imagine taking a trip to the grocery store WITHOUT seeing a shirtless Taylor Lautner (or any of the tanned Adonis's of his wolf pack) on the cover of a magazine while standing in the check-out line? No way!! Couldn't do it!! Gotta have 'em! 
    What would a fantasy be without a little paranormal eye candy? Pretty dull, that's for sure. At least mine would be anyway. 
    So, how did we survive centuries without these fanged delights? Who said we did? 
  
     If you take a closer look at some classic literature, there's always been a little somethin' somethin' stirring between the pages. 
     Even William Shakespeare had his own brand of faeries in "A Midsummer's Night Dream." Set in Athens, Greece, the comedy showed the lighter side paranormal activity.... quite a step from J.R.R. Tolkien's take on an even broader spectrum of paranormal/fantasy type entities from "Lord of the Rings"... wizards, hobbits, dwarfs, Elves (Oh, and not the cute and cuddly kind, mind you... I'm talking the tall, blond and sexy kind that only heartthrobs like Orlando Bloom could portray in the movie)  
    Yeah, those pointy ears kinda do it for me!! Not to mention his skilled aptitude with… ahem, a bow and arrow!
    How could anyone dream of saving Middle Earth without any of those guys? Not me, that’s for sure.
   

    I have no idea what the future holds for fangalicious creatures of the night, and to be quite honest, as long as the stories sizzle and the characters rock my world, I'll cross my fingers that a little "something wicked this way comes".... and hope that it's just in time for Halloween!!



Midnight Beckoning Blurb: (Released in November)

Ford Lenox, a natural born damphyr, waited three hundred years for the phenomenon of his birth to be repeated. Many had been conceived. Many had even been born. But, only a few made it to their twenty-first birthday. And, none shared the same requirements as he, to assume their rightful place at his side and become his queen.
Until now.
Lauren Neil was born three hundred years to the day after Ford’s birth, and it was no coincidence that he found her only days before her twenty-first birthday. Little did she know that the damphyr lurking beneath her human surface was about to be unleashed, prominently placing her on the throne to rule over damphyr and vampire alike. 
Lauren’s demonic sire slash father, Drago, an incubus, straight from the pits of hell, has other plans.
Can Ford fulfill the prophecy and save Lauren and their kind? Or will a new species be created to rule the world?
    Even a match made in heaven, may have to go through hell to survive!

Where author Robin Badillo can be found:
Blog-Sealed with a Kiss: http://www.robinbadillo.blogspot.com
Publisher-eXtasy Books: http://www.extasybooks.com

*Don't forget to stop by Book Lover's Hideaway to earn more entries for the grand prize.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Halloween Spooktacular Day 27

Eve Langlais is so kind to offer up yet another giveaway for my Halloween Spooktacular. 

Toxic
Blurb
Either you’re with me, or you’ll feed me.

Humans are for eating and I am not one to play with my food, so I’m baffled as to why one geeky mortal doctor makes me wish our kind could be together without my brand of love being toxic. As if suffering from human emotions isn’t problem enough, our world is about to engage in a war where our chances of survival are slim at best. And no one wants to listen.

But, I didn’t become the general of the vampire Queen’s army by being diplomatic. Everyone will fight in the upcoming battle, or they’ll feed my troops and I. Either way, all things living will do their part.

I am after all the Blood Countess, toxic lover to humans, vicious bitch to my enemies, and my word is law.


Excerpt

I tapped the microphone and winced at the screeching feedback. I still couldn’t believe I’d ended up roped into doing a press conference—I would have preferred a visit to a sadistic dentist. But my wish for physical pain went unheeded and the moment of truth, so to speak, had arrived.

“Um, hi there, thanks for coming.” Nervousness, an unfamiliar feeling, made me fidget in front of the sea of reporters watching with disinterested faces. At least they showed up. I hadn’t been sure they would when I’d had my minions contact the various media outlets. Of course, my forthcoming announcement was momentous even if they didn’t realize it yet. With my next words, I would change the world as they knew it. And probably create a decent amount of panic—an entertaining perk to the whole affair.

I inhaled deep and said in a rush. “I’m a vampire.” My declaration made, I stood back and waited for their reaction—and even yummier, their fear. I’d actually prepared a speech, a long flowery thing with historic references to precede my coming out announcement. However, faced with humans who spent more time looking at their BlackBerries than me, I changed my mind. Besides, I preferred getting straight to the point.

My admission definitely caused a reaction in the crowd. They tittered and shuffled in their seats, turning to grin and whisper at each other. I returned their mirth with a glacial stare. How dare they laugh at me!

One smirking fellow called out, “Gee, I’m so scared. Please don’t eat me.” He laughed at his own weak joke. I didn’t. And the man—courting a death measured in heartbeats—decided to further his comedic career. “So, did you get your teeth filed at the same dentist as that other vampire charlatan?” Guffaws and high fives met his mediocre humor. I still wasn’t amused.

I knew of the fake vampire he spoke of. He and the other charlatans of my kind would be dealt with. “I assure you that everything about me is real.” And the real me truly wanted rip his head off. The fact I couldn’t pissed me off, especially when I heard the jokes they bandied about with raucous laughter.

I had a joke for them. What do you call a human who mocks a vampire? Dinner.

My nails elongated and dug into the wood of the podium creating deep gouges. My eyes bled black, I couldn’t stop them as my ire grew, feeding my dark side. A few of the reporters squirmed under my gaze and went silent, but others met my eyes and instead of the flinching I’d grown accustomed to, roared louder.

My face tightened and I pursed my lips. Don’t get mad. Don’t get mad. They’re just stupid sheep. But for someone as old and powerful as I, disrespect wasn’t something tolerated, from anyone. “I don’t usually give warnings but in this case, given what I’m trying to accomplish, I will. Cease this laughter before I make you all—” I paused seeking something suitably nasty without being harmful—I was well aware of the cameras trained on me, just waiting for a misstep they could broadcast to millions. “Um, if you don’t listen, I’ll make you cluck like chickens.”

Wrong answer. Waves of fresh laughter erupted. I fumed as my plan for my grand come out was buried in a sea of mirth and disbelief. Courtesy be damned. Time to make them believe.

Standing up, I felt my power, cultivated over centuries and made greater by an obscene amount of kills, race through my body. I drew upon it with my will, my indomitable will, and then used it.

“Quiet,” I boomed, my voice echoing out like a sound wave and stunning them into abrupt silence. Wide eyes stared at me, they had no other choice. I’d frozen them in place with the esoteric force I wielded. I levitated up and over the podium because the time, it seemed, had arrived for a more up close and personal chat. I sank gracefully down to the ground directly in front of the first row of humans. I flicked at a piece of lint that dared mar the sleek black leather I wore. Cliché, but I enjoyed the suppleness and look of skin-tight leather. And the blood came off it nicely, too, for the times my dinner fought me.

I beamed widely at the reporters, my fangs—all natural of course—flashing as I let them drop from my gums. “Now, as I was saying, I am a vampire, and not just any vampire. I am the Queen’s general, her most loyal servant and spokesperson.” And next in line for the throne if someone actually manages to get past her safeguards and kill her. Not that I wished her dead. On the contrary, I preferred my current queen keep the headaches and annoyance that came with being ruler. That, and I couldn’t stand the sycophants that surrounded people in power.

I released my will and like puppets with their strings cut loose, several of the crowd slumped. One reporter, his eyes wild with fear—my favorite look after adoration—stumbled from his chair and raced out of the room. The rest of the reporters, though, gathered their resolve and leaned forward raptly, the scent of a story, the story, overriding fear and common sense. Stupid humans.

Questions suddenly ambushed me from all sides. I frowned at them, my expression much like the one a parent bestows upon unruly children and they immediately silenced. One reporter, a petite female, raised her hand timidly.

I inclined my head with a cool smile. “Go ahead.”

“Who are you?”

“I was known during my human life as Countess Elizabeth Báthory. But, isn’t the better question, why am I here announcing my existence and that of my brethren?”

The humans leaned forward.

“We are tired of hiding our nature. The introduction of blood banks and willing donors has made it unnecessary for us to conceal ourselves anymore.” What a crock of crap. The real truth I hid, for I didn’t think the humans were ready to hear of the coming war that would see their numbers decimated if my kind did not step in to help. Even as it galled me, I’d come to the realization—with the forceful prodding of my queen—that we didn’t have a choice but to team up with the humans to save them. We were talking, after all, about our food source here. If they died, I’d go hungry. A hungry vampire translated into a grumpy vampire, which, as any idiot could figure out, was not a good idea.

The same brave woman who’d asked my name fluttered her hand again and I nodded at her to speak. “But aren’t you afraid that people will panic at the news of your existence and hunt your kind?”

I smiled, not a very nice smile judging by the blanching faces and the way they leaned back from me. I even heard a whimper—how sweet. “Might I suggest that any attempts to cull my kind will be considered an act of war. And trust me,” I said angling forward and lowering my voice. “You do not want us as your enemies.” The smell of fear radiating from them assured me they understood.

An older gent at the back lifted a hand. “Are you the countess that history claims bathed in the blood of virgins?”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, bloody hell. First of all, it wasn’t exactly my fault. The vampire who turned me was accidentally killed, and with no one to guide me and my newly found hungers, yes I went a little wild. But that was hundreds of years ago and I’ve learned to control myself since.” And the reports that I’d killed over six hundred virgins, wrong. In those early days I was ravenous, and my body count went well into the thousands. Not that I’d admit that to the mortals. The fact we relegated them the same status as cows wasn’t something they needed to know.

“Do you still kill people?” the same reporter queried with a tremor.

“Of course not.” I lied. “In this day and age, blood is easily acquired via willing blood donors or purchased from blood banks.” The young ones with no control were forced to use the chilled blood—warmed in the microwave, ick. The older ones, like myself, fed off the vermin in the world, usually to the death. The inhalation of their last drop of blood imbued with their life force was a potent cocktail if you could handle the screams in your head as their essence fought joining a vampire’s psyche. But in the end, my will always won, and like the Borg on Star Trek, I assimilated them all. And my power grew.

“How many vampires are there?”

I inwardly smiled at the expected question. “Many, and we live among you without notice.”

I could tell several in the crowd weren’t crazy about this knowledge. They’d dislike even more knowing the number of people from the ranks of our loyal servants we had close to the President. We even had a member of congress who was a vampire. We’d given that well placed political ally the gift of daywalking; achieved through the collaboration of several witches and great sacrifice. Personally, I preferred to stalk the night.

More comfortable now that the reporters realized I wasn’t going to eat them—even if I was tempted—the questions started piling up on top of each other again. I raised my hand for silence and got it. “That is enough for now.” Then in a move meant to awe them, I drew shadows around my body, cloaking my presence. Invisible to their sight, I slipped out amidst their collective gasps of surprise and wonder.

My limo waited for me on the street under a look-away cloak that caused mortal gazes to slide over its presence—although, in an odd twist, meter maids always seemed to notice and leave tickets. I slipped into the backseat and the car pulled away from the curb. Thank hell that’s over. I pulled out my phone and dialed.

“Is it done?” the answering dulcet voice asked without greeting.

“Yes, my queen.” My respectful tone was sincere. I loved my queen because she was the one who’d saved me so long ago from myself and the villagers who would have killed me.

“Excellent. Follow the plan for the moment, and if there are any changes I will let you know.” The queen dropped her regal tone to say almost in a whisper, “And now the lines have been drawn. Let us hope our daring act is not met with chaos.”

What she meant was hopefully the humans didn’t freak and start sharpening stakes. If we could somehow end up accepted by the humans for what we were, then perhaps the others who hid in shadows would come forth and join us. Death was coming, and to survive—much as it irritated me to admit—we’d need the help of every race on the planet. And if they refuse to join our army, then they’ll feed us as we fight to save the planet from extinction.


* * * * *
This is a story where the line between good and evil is blurred, and in some cases stomped on.


GIVEAWAY
1.Giveaway is international because the book is in ebook format.
2. All you have to do to enter is fill out the form below and be 18 & over.
3. Giveaway ends on 10/31. 
 
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