Michelle Hauf – Guest Blog & Giveaway

  Today we are happy to have Paranormal Romance author Michele Hauf here with us to celebrate the release of A Vampire For Christmas, an anthology in which her story Monsters Don’t Do Christmas is featured! Alongside Michele’s story, there are also stories by Alexis Morgan, Laurie London and Caridad Pineiro, so this is one HOT paranormal anthology you won’t want to miss! Here’s the book info.

• Mass Market Paperback:384 pages
• Publisher:HQN Books; Original edition (Oct 18 2011)
• Language:English
• ISBN-10:0373776446
• ISBN-13: 978-0373776443

Book Description:

“All they want for Christmas is you…

It’s the time of year for twinkling lights on trees and kisses under the mistletoe. Yet the passing of another year means nothing to the stunning immortals who lurk in the shadows of the new-fallen snow.

And they don’t care if you’ve been naughty or nice.

Let four fanged lovers open your eyes to a passion you never dared to imagine. After all, there’s no place like home for the holidays, and these dazzling vampires can’t wait for an invitation.”

See what I mean? Definitely a book to err… keep you warm for the holidays! 😉 Michele has written up a guest blog to tell us about the two books she has out this month. There’s also a giveaway at the end of the post! So I’ll pass the reins over to Michele for a bit.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

What a busy month!  With Halloween just around the corner, as an author, it’s kind of a thrill to have a vampire book out this month.  But I happen to have two books out this month, which is a strangely cool abundance of vampy delight.  Both are novellas featured in anthologies with three other authors.  The first, Monsters Don’t Do Christmas, is in A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS.  I know, a bit early, right?  But it’s never too early to start dreaming about what you’d like in your Xmas stocking, and if it has fangs all the better, yes?  This story introduces two new characters to my Beautiful Creatures world, the hero being a newly-turned vampire who is still struggling with the whole ‘monster-ness’ of what he’s become. 

The second story, Cruel Enchantment, is in CRAVE THE NIGHT, and isn’t holiday themed, but rather most of the stories are set in the authors’ current world.  Mine features Revin Parker and Sabrina Kriss, who appeared in Her Vampire Husband.  I’ve been wanting to write a little more on Bree for a long time, and knew she would eventually get together with Rev, but that it wouldn’t be easy for either of them.  Bree is a faery, and if you’ve read books in my world, you know faeries and vampires don’t really make for the best match, seeing as faery dust is addictive to vampires.  But can you become addicted to a person?  I think it’s possible, and so, explored that as well.

If you’re new to my world, you can pick up any book and read it, and it stands alone.  You don’t have to read one book before another to understand what is going on.  And if you like a character and want to find out if they show up in other stories, stop by Club Scarlet for all the details and terms from the Beautiful Creatures world.

So tell me, are you wishing for that vampire in your stocking?  Or maybe you prefer something a little more wolfish? 😉

Michele

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

  Thanks Michele!! 🙂

Giveaway Details:

Michele Hauf has been gracious enough to supply a copy of her book, A Vampire For Christmas to one of my lucky readers! Contest is open to Everyone. I’m not sure if Michele will be popping by to respond to comments or questions as she’s a super busy lady, but if you have any, I’ll be sure to pass them on.

Question: So tell me, are you wishing for that vampire in your stocking?  Or maybe you prefer something a little more wolfish? Tell us which is your preference and why.

For one entry: Please leave a comment with the answer to the question.  (+1 entry)

For extra entries:

I’m going to streamline this, so for each follow on twitter, facebook, goodreads or subscription to my blog, you can add an extra entry but be sure to let me know in your comment along with your username at each of them.

If you tweet about this contest, post it on facebook or post about it in your blog, for each link you provide, you get an extra entry. Please post all your links and/or info into one comment if you can.

• Contest is open to Everyone and will run through November 7th until 11:59pm. The winners will be posted here on November 8th.
• Please leave your email addy in your comment for me to contact you if you’ve won, but please post it like wilmaflinstone(at)boomshakalaka(dot)com so you don’t get any spam. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 7 days, a new winner will be drawn from the eligible comments. Winners will be chosen on www.random.org  by a random number generator. Good Luck everyone!

Nichole Chase – Guest Blog & Giveaway

 

Today I’m happy to have debut YA Urban Fantasy author, Nichole Chase here with us at SVR to celebrate the release of her book Mortal Obligation! This is the first book in the Dark Betrayal Trilogy and I’ve just started reading it so look for a review soon. Nichole’s written up a great post about where she finds her inspiration. I don’t know about you guys, but I always find it fascinating to know an authors’ thought process when it comes to writing. So grab a coffee or tea and get comfy so you can read Nichole’s guest blog and make sure you stick around for the giveaway at the end of the post! 🙂

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Hi! First and foremost, I would like to thank Judi for inviting me to her blog today! I love meeting new readers and bloggers. My name is Nichole Chase, and I am the author of Mortal Obligation, Book One of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy. Mortal Obligation is a YA urban fantasy set in Savannah,Ga.

Since publishing, I have been asked hundreds of questions,but the one that I hear the most often is, “What inspired you?” or “Where do you get your ideas from?” The honest truth, is that Mortal Obligation began with a stray thought and my over active imagination.

I believe Nora Roberts once said that there is a story in everything; that is exactly how my mind works. One random image or normal scenario can snowball into a story idea. The mailman carrying a package wrapped in hot pink duct tape? Maybe it’s a gift from a little girl to her divorced father. He now lives a few states away and is at work, so the mailman left the package with her father’s new neighbor, the attractive woman that keeps odd hours. What will she think of the package wrapped in hot pick duct tape? Will she think it’s adorable? Will they have a “cute meet” that leads to something else? Or will it be a little darker? When she brings the package over, is she attacked by a creature but saved by the father who hears the commotion on his porch? Now I have to know why she has been attacked, what attacked her, and how she is going to deal with her unsuspecting knight in shining armor.

This is exactly how Mortal Obligation was born. I had the mental image of a girl walking through one of the lush squares that litter the downtown area. She was looking over her shoulder and right away I knew that something was following her. It was obvious from her expression that she knew she was going to have to do something about it. I was hooked at that point. I had to know what was following her and how she was going to save herself. And boy, have I not been disappointed! I spent a lot of time meshing the images in my head with the research I did on the different mythologies of the world. I took a lot of pains to try and include little details that would ring true for people, but keeping them fresh and new. The Dark Betrayal Trilogy was born from a single, random thought, but encompasses all of the things that I would want in a book. Since I love all things paranormal and urban fantasy, it was only natural that my book would fall into those categories.

I love the characters that developed with this story. They are fun, spunky, and so very brave. I also have to admit to having a teensy tiny crush on a couple of the guys, but I ‘ll let you guys figure out which ones I am referring to. Right now I’m working on book 2, Mortal Defiance, and thoroughly loving the chance to spend more time with my characters. I will be wrapping up this book in the next few weeks and then it’s off to my editor, Anne. It will be available in early December, and I can’t wait for everyone to read what happens to Ree and the gang.

Thanks again, Judi, for allowing me to take over your blog for a little while. I hope everyone enjoyed learning a little about my creative process.

Nichole Chase

Nichole’s Blog & Nichole’s Website

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Thanks so much Nichole! It was great to hear about your inspiration and thought process, as well as a pleasure to have you here. 🙂

Giveaway Details:

Nichole Chase has been gracious enough to supply two digital copies of her book, Mortal Obligation for a couple of my lucky readers! Contest is open to Everyone. I believe that Nichole will be popping by to respond to comments or questions as she’s able, so feel free to ask her questions as well.

Question: Do you ever people watch at the mall or some public place and wonder what kind of life those people lead? Or do you make up fantastical stories in your mind about people you see?

For one entry: Please leave a comment with the answer to the question.  (+1 entry)

For extra entries:

I’m going to streamline this, so for each follow on twitter, facebook, goodreads or subscription to my blog, you can add an extra entry but be sure to let me know in your comment along with your username at each of them.

If you tweet about this contest, post it on facebook or post about it in your blog, for each link you provide, you get an extra entry.

• Contest is open to Everyone and will run through October 18th until 11:59pm. The winners will be posted here on October 19th.
• Please leave your email addy in your comment for me to contact you if you’ve won, but please post it like wilmaflinstone(at)boomshakalaka(dot)com so you don’t get any spam. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 7 days, a new winner will be drawn from the eligible comments. Winners will be chosen on www.random.org  by a random number generator. Good Luck everyone!

Please leave your links in one comment if possible. Thanks!

Robert Louis Smith – Guest Post

Today we have YA Fantasy author, Robert Louis Smith here at SVR to celebrate the release and official debut at NYC ComicCon this weekend of his novel, Antiquitas Lost: The Last Of The Shamalans! He’s written up a wonderful guest post about how he came to write this book. The book also contains over 70 full page illustrations by Marvel Comics legend Geof Isherwood!

Here’s a bit about the book itself & the author:

“Description
From American cardiologist Robert Louis Smith comes the unique fantasy novel Antiquitas Lost, peppered with more than 70 eye-popping illustrations by Marvel Comics legend Geof Isherwood. This epic fantasy tells the story of a 15-year-old boy named Elliott, a bullied kid with deformities on his hands and feet who is uprooted from his home after his mother falls gravely ill. When they move to New Orleans so his grandfather can help care for her, Elliott learns that the old man’s eighteenth century mansion hides an ancient secret. From a dungeon-like basement far beneath the estate, Elliott strays through an ancient doorway into Pangrelor, a tumultuous parallel world full of bizarre creatures and warring races. Unable to return home, he discovers wondrous abilities he never dreamed he possessed, and an abiding connection to the primitive, alien world that will forever change him.

But he must proceed carefully. For he soon learns that his actions in the ancient world will impact the upcoming battle for Harwelden, Pangrelor’s mightiest civilization, and will also resonate all the way back to New Orleans, perhaps deciding whether his mother lives or dies.

Author Bio
Robert Louis Smith, author of Antiquitas Lost: The Last of the Shamalans, has numerous degrees, including psychology (B.A.), applied microbiology (B.S.), anaerobic microbiology (M.Sc.), and a Medical Doctorate (M.D.). He serves as an interventional cardiologist at the Oklahoma Heart Institute. He is married and the father of two young children. He began writing Antiquitas Lost in 2003 while studying at Tulane University in New Orleans.”

And here’s Robert’s guest blog!

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Smackdown: Pangrelor vs. Middle Earth
By Robert Louis Smith,

In 1954, J.R.R. Tolkien published the first of a breathtaking series of books that would go on to become some of the most influential novels of the 20th century. As anyone who has ever read The Lord of the Rings knows, Tolkien’s books are so imaginative and unexpectedly powerful that his fantastic tale still captures our imaginations more than a half century after its original publication. These stories gave birth to the modern fantasy genre, and it is perhaps inevitable that so many contemporary fantasy books replicate aspects of Tolkien’s writings. So pervasive is Tolkien’s influence that the Oxford English Dictionary offers a word for it: Tolkienesque. Perhaps this is why we see so many fantasy tales that feature elves, dwarves, wizards, magic rings, and magic swords. The presence of these features is, in many ways, what we have come to expect from a modern fantasy novel.

But over the course of 57 years, these constructs of classical Northern European (or Tolkienesque) fantasy fiction have been imitated to the point of monotony. In tome after tome, we see elves and dwarves wielding magical swords or speaking in Northern European conlangs (fictional languages) as they follow some particular heroic quest. And let’s be honest. Although there are many wonderful and imaginative novels that feature these elements, no one has done it as well as Mr. Tolkien.

When I sat down to write Antiquitas Lost, I promised myself there would be no magic rings, magic swords, elves or dwarves. A major goal was to create a fantasy novel where the creatures and setting were fresh. Pangrelor, the fantasy world described in Antiquitas Lost, is envisioned as a pre-industrial, medieval society with beautiful artistic accomplishments set in a savage and magical natural environment — the Renaissance meets the Pleistocene, with magical beings and crypto-zoological creatures. Devoid of elves and dwarves, Pangrelor is inhabited largely by creatures that we are familiar with, but different from the usual fantasy fare — gargoyles, Bigfoot creatures, Neanderthal types, Atlanteans and dinosaurs, to name a few. These differences give Pangrelor a much different feel from Middle Earth and the countless, adherent worlds that have followed. Hopefully the reader will find this refreshing. Over time, I have come to think of Antiquitas Lost as more of a “North American” tale, with many references to new world mythologies, as well as a hint of Native American influence.

Although Antiquitas Lost is not immune to Mr. Tolkien’s sweeping influence, it is unique in many ways. When you take your first journey to Pangrelor, it is my sincere hope that you will experience a hint of the joy that accompanied your maiden voyage to Middle Earth, and that you will connect in a meaningful way with this unprecedented new cast of characters as you explore an altogether unique fantasy destination.

© 2011 Robert Louis Smith, author of Antiquitas Lost: The Last of the Shamalans

————————————————————————————————————————————————

Thanks so much Robert! I just recently received my review copy, so look for a review soon. 🙂

Jessica Sorensen – Guest Blog & Giveaway

   

Today we are happy to have debut YA author Jessica Sorensen here with us at SVR to celebrate the release of her second book in The Fallen Star series, The Underworld! She’s written up a great scene between some of the main characters in the series which had me laughing. This is a good way to get to know some of the characters and have a taste of Jessica’s writing.

Jessica has generously offered up print copies of both The Fallen Star and The Underworld to one lucky commenter! Giveaway details will be at the end of the post. Let’s give Jessica a warm welcome!  🙂

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Being in a jail cell sucks. Especially when you’re locked in one with a very annoying faerie/Foreseer, an overly emotional witch, a Keeper/vampire who just recently discovered his thirst for blood, and a Keeper who can make your skin heat in ways you didn’t even know were possible.

“What are we going to do?” Aislin whined with tears streaming down her cheeks. “This can’t be happening.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Aislin quit crying.”

She wiped her tears away. “I can’t. I mean, this is so bad—us being locked up in here.” She pointed at Alex and me. “And you two—you can’t be this close to one another.”

She was probably right. Alex and I were sharing a bench with one another. Plus, it was awfully electric in here. That was when I realized Alex’s hand was on top of mine. We both pulled away.

“It smells like feet in here,” Laylen suddenly said, looking over at Nicholas.”Really, really bad.”

Nicholas gave Laylen a dirty look. “It’s not my feet.”

I laughed. “Yeah, his feet probably smell like flowers.” Everyone looked at me and I furrowed my eyebrows. “Sorry, I have no idea where that came from…Well, actually I do. It’s because he smells like flowers.” I was being rude—I knew that, but I didn’t know why.

“It’s so hot in here.” Aislin fanned her hand in front of her face. “And Laylen looks really hot today.”

Awkward silence filled the air.

“Oh my God,” Aislin said. “I don’t know why I said that.”

“You said it because he does look hot today,” I told her and then felt my face heat.

Laylen looked back and forth between Aislin and me. “As much as I love the fact that both of you think I look hot, I think there might be something wrong.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s my feet that smell,” Alex said with his nose scrunched up.

Aislin and I gave Alex a grossed out look and Laylen shook his head and said, “Too much information, dude.”

“If this is what you guys sit around and talk about all day,” Nicholas said, “then I’m a little bit relieved I’m evil and don’t have to listen to it.”

“This is not what we talk about all day,” I informed him. “Mostly we just lie to each other about our feelings…well, that’s me and Alex. Laylen and I actually have very nice talks.” I slapped my hand over my mouth. Why did I say that out loud?

Alex looked both confused and hurt, and then suddenly, he was jumping to his feet. “Hold on a second.” He climbed up on the bench and peeked through a vent on the wall. “Crap.” He turned to us. “There’s a truth tank in there. The room is being ventilated with truth gas.”

“Great!” Aislin cried, nervously twirling her hair around her finger. “Now Laylen’s going to know I still have feelings for him.” Her green eyes widened and she looked down at the floor.

“We already knew that.” Alex gave me an angry look. “But what we didn’t know is that Laylen and Gemma have feelings for each other. At least, that’s what I think.”

“It’s true,” Laylen said, and then his eyebrows dipped down.

Alex looked at me, waiting for me to respond.

I tried to keep my mouth shut, but apparently, the truth gas was stronger. “Sometimes I think I do…I mean, have feelings for Laylen…But I have a lot of feelings for you too, and it’s all really confusing.” I wanted to shrink myself into a little ball and hide. This was so bad.

“You know, when I was little, I wanted to be a ballerina,” Nicholas said.

Okay, so maybe mine wasn’t that bad.

“A boy ballerina,” Nicholas clarified as everyone stared at him.

Alex cocked an eyebrow. “So you wanted to wear a tutu.”

Nicholas crossed his arms and looked over at the wall. “No, I just wanted to dance.”

“That’s great, Nicholas.” Alex gave Laylen an “okay” look.

“Boy’s can be ballerinas, Alex,” Aislin said. “I mean, when you were little, you begged me to teach you how to tap dance.”

“I liked the noise the shoes made,” Alex gritted through his teeth.

Laylen held back a smile. “Was that the only reason?”

Alex shot him an angry look.  “No, I—”

“How about we all just stop talking,” Aislin interrupted, “before something really bad slips out of one of our mouths.”

“Like the fact that you once kissed Nicholas,” Alex said, and Aislin glared at him. “That one was for the tap dance remark.”

“You kissed Nicholas?” Laylen’s bright blue eyes widened with shock. “When?”

“Don’t worry,” Nicholas told him. “It wasn’t when you two were dating or anything.” He paused. “And it wasn’t that great of a kiss…not like when I kissed Gemma.”

I shook my head. “That’s great, except I hated our kiss.” Before I could stop myself I added, “the only person I want to kiss is Alex…well, and sometimes I think about kissing Laylen.”

It got really quiet.

“Awkward,” Nicholas muttered.

“Yeah, I think about kissing you too,” Laylen mumbled with a perplexed look on his face.

“And sometimes I think about punching you,” Alex snapped, stepping toward Laylen.

“Same here,” Laylen bit back.

“Please make it stop,” Aislin wailed, looking up at the ceiling.

“Yes, please do,” I agreed, looking up at the ceiling too, wondering who she was talking to.

Suddenly there was a loud buzz, and then the cell door swung open.

“Times up,” a guard said.

Thank God.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

  

Thanks Jessica! That was awesome, lol. If you’ve already read the first book, then you know just how great this scene was. 😀

Giveaway Details:

Jessica Sorensen has been gracious enough to supply one print copy of each of her books The Fallen Star & The Underworld! That’s right, one winner will receive both of her books! Contest is open to Everyone. I believe that Jessica will be popping by to respond to comments or questions as she’s able, so feel free to ask her questions as well.

Question: Have you ever had a really awkward moment with someone you were really attracted to? Fess up and give us some details!

For one entry: Please leave a comment with the answer to the question.  (+1 entry)

For extra entries:

I’m going to streamline this, so for each follow on twitter, facebook, goodreads or subscription to my blog, you can add an extra entry but be sure to let me know in your comment along with your username at each of them.

If you tweet about this contest, post it on facebook or post about it in your blog, for each link you provide, you get an extra entry.

• Contest is open to Everyone and will run through October 12th until 11:59pm. The winners will be posted here on October 13th.
• Please leave your email addy in your comment for me to contact you if you’ve won, but please post it like wilmaflinstone(at)boomshakalaka(dot)com so you don’t get any spam. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 7 days, a new winner will be drawn from the eligible comments. Winners will be chosen on www.random.org  by a random number generator. Good Luck everyone!

Please leave your links in one comment if possible. And yes I know I should get that Rafflecopter everyone’s using, lol.  Thanks!

 

 

Emma Raveling – Guest Post & Giveaway

We’re excited to have YA Paranormal author Emma Raveling here with us at SVR today to celebrate the release of the first book in the Ondine Quartet – Whirl.  She’s written up a fun guest blog of her interviewing the main character in Whirl, Kendra! So read on to learn a bit more about this book that definitely caught my attention and there’s a giveaway at the end of the post too! Let’s all give Emma a warm welcome. 🙂

Book Blurb: 

“Seventeen-year-old Kendra Irisavie is an ondine, a water elemental caught in the middle of an ancient war with the Aquidae, immortal dark demons who will stop at nothing to destroy the fragile balance of the Elemental world.

Fierce and independent, Kendra has always played by her own rules. Gifted with the powerful magic of Virtue and trained to be a deadly fighter, she has spent her life breaking hearts and getting into trouble.

When her life explodes one violent night in a northern California city, a dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past. Alone and with no one to trust, she must now navigate through a dangerous new world, face the temptations of a forbidden romance, and remain true to her duty and destiny.

All while the Aquidae continue to hunt her down, in the hopes of eliminating her forever…

An edgy urban fantasy/paranormal romance, Whirl is recommended for older teens and mature readers due to strong language and mild sexual situations.”

Welcome to SVR Emma!

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

 Hi everyone. First, I want to thank Judi for having me on her blog. Today I’ll be interviewing Kendra, the main character of Whirl and the entire
Ondine Quartet series.

Emma: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions, Kendra.

Kendra: Sure.

Emma: Tell us a little about yourself.

Kendra: Not much to tell. I’m a seventeen-year-old Ondine living in
California.

Emma: And what exactly is an ondine?

Kendra: An Ondine is a water elemental. Unlike our dessondine ancestors
(creepy immortal creatures that live underwater *shudders*), we’re
mortal because of our part-human blood and we live on land.

Emma: What’s the best part of being an ondine?

Kendra: Probably my Virtue, which is the magic of Empath. I have to admit,
it’s very useful.

Emma: Really? What do you use it for?

Kendra: Things like playing poker at a club or figuring out how guys think.
And, of course, knowing what a teacher is feeling makes it easy to come up with
creative ways of getting out of class.

Emma: You use other people’s emotions to gain information?

Kendra: *shrugs* Sure. I mean it’s the cornerstone of my tactical
training with my mom. Gather as much intel as you can so you have every single
option available to you. How can you plan effectively if you don’t have enough
info?

Emma: Don’t you mean scheme rather than plan? After all, you do get a
certain look on your face when…

Kendra: *rolls eyes* I do not have a look.

Emma: Um, actually in the book there were several moments where…

Kendra: Yeah, well. Just because you’re the writer doesn’t mean you know
everything about me.

Emma: I see. You’re very confident.

Kendra: *gives dangerous smile*

Emma: You also seem rather private. Do you allow others to get close to you?

Kendra: *long pause* Emotions are only useful for gathering
information. Having friends or forming relationships and attachments
creates…unnecessary complications. My mother taught me that.

Emma: Your mother, Naida Irisavie, trained you your entire life. Anything you
can share with us about that?

Kendra: She raised me to be a fighter. Being Rogue, we live among humans
outside of ondine communities. Those nasty Aquidae demons are crawling
everywhere – gotta be ready for an attack at any moment.

Emma: Besides pursuing your martial arts training, what kind of things do
you enjoy doing?

Kendra: I love prowling the city at night. It’s a whole other feeling, you
know? It feels like…I’m free. Alone and going to clubs – I really enjoy dancing
and working off restless energy with the guys I meet there.

Emma: Doesn’t your mother object to you running around alone at night? I
mean, with all the Aquidae out there…

Kendra: What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.

Emma: So you sneak around at night…

Kendra: *glares*

Emma: Oh, excuse me. I meant, wow. You are a shadowy warrior, a ninja
who stealthily makes the night her own.

Ninja Kendra

 Kendra: *sniffs* That’s better.

Emma: And now for the random portion – please answer as quickly as you can:

⁃
Favorite clothing accessory: My dagger, given to me by my mother on my thirteenth birthday.

⁃
Chocolate or vanilla: Neither. Not big on the sweet stuff.

⁃
Red, pink, black, blue, or purple: Sky blue

⁃
Most important value to you: Strength

⁃
Your worst nightmare: Being caged or locked up

⁃
Your greatest desire: To take out as many Aquidae as I can.

Emma: Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

Kendra: Anytime.

——————————————————————————————————————————

 

Thanks so much Emma & Kendra! 🙂

Giveaway Details:

Emma Raveling has been gracious enough to supply a digital copy of her ebook Whirl to one of my readers! Contest is open to Everyone. I believe that Emma will be popping in to respond to comments or questions as she’s able, so feel free to ask her questions as well.

Question: We all know that Vampires, Weres, Demons & Angels have been some of the most popular paranormal characters out there and an Ondine is a relatively unknown supernatural being. What other supernatural or paranormal beings would you like to see more of in either books, TV or movies that aren’t one of the more popular ones? 

For one entry: Please leave a comment with the answer to the question.  (+1 entry)

For extra entries:

I’m going to streamline this, so for each follow on twitter, facebook, goodreads or subscription to my blog, you can add an extra entry but be sure to let me know in your comment along with your username at each of them.

If you tweet about this contest, put up on facebook or post about it in your blog, for each link you provide, you get an extra entry.

• Contest is open to Everyone and will run through October 5thth until 11:59pm. The winners will be posted here on October 6th.
• Please leave your email addy in your comment for me to contact you if you’ve won, but please post it like wilmaflinstone(at)boomshakalaka(dot)com so you don’t get any spam. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 7 days, a new winner will be drawn from the eligible comments. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator. Good Luck everyone!

Please leave your links in one comment if possible. And yes I know I should get that Rafflecopter everyone’s using, lol.  Thanks!

 

Deborah Court – Guest Blog & Giveaway

Today on SVR we’re happy to have paranormal romance/erotica author Deborah Court joining us for a guest blog & giveaway! She’s here to celebrate her new release, Bound To The Prince, which I am really looking forward to reading ASAP. Hello smexy times with a hot Eleven Prince! 😀 Deborah’s written up a great guest post about why she’s a fan of the pointy-eared Fae and has included a super steamy excerpt to give you all a taste of her book.

(As a responsible book blogger/adult, I will give fair warning that this book is in the Erotica category, so if you’re under 18, you should “Look away les innocents, look away!”)

There’s also a giveaway at the end of the post, so read on adult book connoisseurs!

Elven Warriors and Damsels in Distress – The World of “Bound to the Prince”

Dear readers, my name is Deborah Court, and I am delighted to be a guest writer on Judi’s wonderful blog today.

I write Paranormal Romances. The really steamy sort. With elven warriors of deadly beauty, capable of making a woman die from sheer pleasure.

Intrigued? Oh yes. Admit it. Who hasn’t secretly dreamed of being in the arms of one of those magically gifted, pointy-eared immortals? They are graceful and supernaturally strong, their movements so perfectly balanced that you wouldn’t want to meet them in battle. Elves are beautiful and irresistible. You want to braid their long, silken hair, let it slide through your fingers.

And you definitely want to know how they’ll use their magic when they make love to you on a bed of golden leaves. Ahem. Sorry, I got carried away.

Ever since I first read The Lord of the Rings at age thirteen, I was hooked on elves. Those beautiful, immortal creatures fascinated me right from the start, and I fell instantly in love with Legolas the first time I saw Orlando Bloom in his elven costume, climbing a mountain in an early preview trailer of the first LOTR movie. Legolas totally kicked *ss. Remember him counting the orcs he killed in a brotherly competition with dwarf Gimli, and how he slid down the giant oliphant’s trunk? He was very different from those ethereal elves in long, flowing robes that glided along the halls of Rivendell.

Elfquest, a graphic novel by Wendy and Richard Pini, strongly influenced my imagination, as well. Years later, the elven fever struck me again when I saw the movie Hellboy 2 which featured an elven villain, Nuada, fascinatingly portrayed by Luke Goss. Still I longed for a darkly romantic kind of elf. I wanted him to be seductive, masculine and dangerous, but also clever and cunning. Finally I felt inspired to create my
own elven hero, Elathan. This was the moment I started to write Bound to the Prince, and the story began to develop a life of its own.

Fallen from grace, elven warrior prince Elathan is living in exile, separated from his own people. He despises humans; yet he has chosen to live among them, hidden in underground caves. When he beholds a compelling mortal woman on a London bridge one night, he abducts her and takes her to his lair, commanding her to be his slave of pleasure.

Igraine Chandler, a nurse from New Jersey, might not be everyone’s idea of a perfect romantic heroine. Recently dumped by her faithless fiancé, she’s heartbroken and bereft of all her hopes and dreams. At the start of the story, we find her questioning whether her life holds any meaning. But she soon finds herself in a world beyond her wildest dreams, fighting at the side of an elven prince, as she tries to help him reclaim his throne. But can she survive a night of untamed passion in the arms of a Fae?

Whatever happens, this night will change her forever and she’ll find herself craving far more than carnal pleasure. Igraine will need to be prepared to die for the immortal love of a prince.

Read an excerpt of Bound to the Prince below. For more excerpts and fun stuff, head over to my homepage
(http://www.deborahcourt.com). You can also visit my blog (http://deborahcourt.blogspot.com), Goodreads site (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5136834.Deborah_Court) and follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/Deborah_Court_) or Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002593778901). You might also like to watch the book trailer
here: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2aNbLYUI8w)

Bound to the Prince is available at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Bound-to-the-Prince-ebook/dp/B005GA9C6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315465467&sr=8-1), Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82526), Barnes & Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1105160239?ean=2940011477959&itm=1&usri=deborah%2bcourt) and iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/bound-to-the-prince/id460280664?mt=11).

Yours truly,
Deborah

* * * * *

(I’m going to jump in here and just give fair warning that this excerpt is on the “smexy-steamier” side, so if you’re under 18, consider yourself warned) – Sidhe

Excerpt from “Bound to the Prince”)

© 2011 Deborah Court

Elathan stood at the edge of the lake, waiting for Igraine to serve him. “What do you want me to do, my Lord?” she asked, still avoiding looking at his private parts.

“Don’t you filthy humans even know how to wash?” he hissed impatiently. He gestured to the ornate table. “These vials contain soaps and oils. Use them to bathe my body, slave.” The prince stepped under the waterfall, rinsing off part of the mud, but it stuck to his skin and hair. Igraine sniffed at some of the bottles, inhaling their wonderful, unknown scents. Some of them were fresh, others musky, but clearly intended for use on the gorgeous body of the male who was showering right in front of her, naked. Water droplets glistened on his skin, running down from his chest to his flat, rippling stomach and still further down, gathering at … “Why do I feel like I’m in midst of a Cool Water commercial now?” she nervously murmured, wincing when the elf threw her a glance that clearly declared her a lunatic.

Sighing, Igraine took a small green bottle containing a soapy liquid and followed the prince. Elathan stepped out of his natural shower without even looking at her. Closing his eyes, he turned his broad back to Igraine, with the unspoken order to wash him. She poured some of the aromatic soap into the palm of her hand. The mud was diluted by the water, but it still ran in dark streams over the elf’s body, down over his hips and his muscular backside, dripping over his thighs. It collected in a puddle at his feet.

Igraine’s hands trembled when she reached out to touch him. “May I …?” she said softly. “What are you waiting for?” Elathan replied. Despite the harsh words, his voice was low and hoarse. She couldn’t see the expression of his face from behind, but she noticed his rigid posture. His contempt for her was obvious.

Taking a deep breath, she fought back her tears and started with his dirty hair, lathering it with the luxurious soap. Black, muddy water ran through her fingers and down her arms. When she had worked the soap into the whole silken length, she reached up to massage his scalp. Elathan stiffened before tilting his head back so she could reach him more easily. After she had washed all the mud out of his hair, she reached out to touch his shoulders, covering his pale skin with the soap.

Elathan stiffened even more, looking like a statue of stone now. Her hands wandered to the sides of his neck to wash the dirt away, then moved down over his shoulders, rubbing him in circles. His skin was smooth and soft as velvet over his rock-hard muscles. She longed to touch him, ferociously. No man had ever affected her so much. Just being close to him made her a weak creature, driven by the most primitive desire to mate.

Now that he couldn’t see her shamelessly staring at him, she was safe to admire his muscular back. It was built like an artist’s masterpiece. The scars marring his alabaster skin only enhanced his beauty. Without them, the sight would be too perfect for human eyes to endure. They were old, faint scars, diagonally crisscrossing all over his back. Igraine suddenly realized that the prince had been whipped, even if it had obviously happened long ago. Tears stinging in her eyes, she lightly traced the scars with her fingers while she washed his back. Although she didn’t dare, she longed to touch those reminders of his torment with her lips, kissing the ancient pain away.

Continuing with his waist, she found some very nasty grime there, sticking to the prince’s skin. As she rubbed his sides to get them clean, Elathan seemed to wince. She paused, but when he said nothing, she rubbed some more. He winced again, apparently trying to escape her touch. At first she stared at his back, baffled for a moment. Maybe he didn’t like her to touch him anymore. But then she understood.

The merciless, battle-hardened elven prince was ticklish.

Amazed by her discovery, she pondered about tickling him some more, but decided against it. She should not tempt her fate too much. Instead she reached around his waist and began to wash his wide chest, feeling his strong heartbeat and the heat of his skin. He was so tall that she had to press her body against his back to reach him with her arms. Moving down, she soaped his flat stomach, feeling the tense muscles under her fingertips. Elathan seemed to breathe more heavily now. For a moment, she asked herself what would happen if she dared to go even deeper, washing him … there. When she had finished and withdrew her arms, she glanced down at his butt. Heavens, this was too good to be true – so smooth, perfectly rounded and tight. She wondered if he would allow her to wash him there, too.

Suddenly a mischievous grin spread across her face. Well, even if he would kill her afterwards, this princely backside would be worth it. Now your ass is mine, Your Royal Highness, she thought. She just couldn’t help it. Then her hands touched his muscular buttocks, lathering the soap in small circles over the skin. Maybe being an elven prince’s slave wasn’t going to be so bad, after all. When Elathan moaned ever so softly, she couldn’t hold herself back anymore. A small giggle escaped her lips.

Strong hands grabbed her upper arms. Igraine was whirled around until she stared directly into Elathan’s furious face, his golden eyes burning with anger. Before she could move or utter a sound, he picked her up like a weightless doll and threw her into the lake.

All of this happened so quickly that she didn’t even have time to hold her breath. She sank into the dark water and struggled for a moment in panic. Then she managed to reach the surface and came up, coughing and gasping for air. Bewildered, she was still wondering what had happened when Elathan was suddenly in there with her, wading through the lake and quickly rinsing off the soap from his hair and body. His
pitiless grin let her know that he found her distress entertaining.

“You!” she shouted angrily, shoving against his chest with both hands. The fact that his eyes widened with surprise gave her a certain amount of satisfaction, but not enough. “Prince or not, who the hell do you think you are? First you abduct and enslave me, threatening to kill me if I don’t obey your every wish and whim. You hate humans, and still you don’t bother to kill me. Instead, you seem to enjoy your little game of humiliating me. Why don’t you finally get it over with, elf? You incredibly arrogant, insufferable…”

He grabbed her wrists and bent her arms behind her back with a swift movement. Simultaneously, he silenced her with a hard, passionate kiss.

* * * * *

Thanks Deborah! Whew, it got warm in here, lol. 😀

 Giveaway Details:

Deborah Court has been gracious enough to supply 3 digital copies of her ebook Bound To The Prince & Each winner also gets an mp3 of the book soundtrack song,  “Bound to You” by Jezebel along with the book! That’s right, there will be three winners. Contest is open to Everyone.  I believe that Deborah will be popping by to respond to comments or questions as she’s able, so feel free to ask her questions as well.

Question: What was the first supernatural creature that you saw on TV or in a film that got you thinking about what it would be like to “hook up” with a being like that? (C’mon, you know you’ve thought about it, lol). 

For one entry: Please leave a comment with the answer to the question.  (+1 entry)

For extra entries:

I’m going to streamline this, so for each follow on twitter, facebook, goodreads or subscription to my blog, you can add an extra entry but be sure to let me know in your comment along with your username at each of them.

If you tweet about this contest, put up on facebook or post about it in your blog, for each link you provide, you get an extra entry.

• Contest is open to Everyone and will run through September 29th until 11:59pm. The winners will be posted here on September 30th.
• Please leave your email addy in your comment for me to contact you if you’ve won, but please post it like wilmaflinstone(at)boomshakalaka(dot)com so you don’t get any spam. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 7 days, a new winner will be drawn from the eligible comments. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator. Good Luck everyone!

Please leave your links in one comment if possible. And yes I know I should get that Rafflecopter everyone’s using, lol.  Thanks!

 

 

Kait Nolan – Guest Blog & Giveaway

We’re excited to have Paranormal Romance author, Kait Nolan, here with us at SVR today! She’s celebrating the release of her new YA novel, Red, (which I loved! See my review here). She’s written up a fascinating & funny post on What Constitutes A Fairy Tale. I know that I definitely enjoyed reading it and I’m thinking that you, yes, all you awesome readers out there, will love it too!

Kait’s generously offered up an ebook copy of Red and a MP3 digital download of  End Of Silence by the band, Red!! The cd was one of Kait’s inspirations while writing the novel. One lucky commenter will win both the ebook and the MP3 download. Details for the giveaway will follow Kait’s Guest Blog. 🙂

“Welcome to my lair Kait, you may proceed…”

What makes a fairy tale?

 If you ask the average person, “What makes a fairy tale?” you’re likely to get a flurry of answers involving Once upon a time, damsels in distress, noble princes, magic, and happily ever after.  Certainly this is the formula of tale most of us grew up with for bedtime stories.  But I can think of quite a few fairy tales that don’t fit that description, so it seems like the essential qualities of fairy tales must be something more.

It’s a simple question that ought to have a simple answer.  A quick Google search will tell you otherwise.  Opinions vary widely as to what constitutes a fairy tale vs. a folk tale or a fable.  For my purposes, I’m not interested in making that clear a distinction.  At the root, all of these story types evolved from oral tradition.  Which is why, so often, such stories begin with A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…oh wait, no, that’s not how it goes.  But you know what I mean.  This kind of phrasing sets the mood for the tale and automatically establishes a set of expectations in the reader/watcher/listener.

It’s gonna happen in some time and place removed from our own. There’s a universality to fairy tales.  They’re told in such a way that, even if they’ve taken on regional color with the telling, they could be heard almost anywhere in the world and it would be the same story.  It’s not attached to a real place or time—that’s a characteristic of legends, which is outside the scope of our discussion.

It’s gonna have a Good Guy. Well, most stories do, obviously.  This is our hero, who may be anybody from a prince to a humble farmer.  He may be kind and innocent.  He may be clever.  Or he may go through the story helped by others.  Or maybe he’s not that nice at all and has to learn a lesson over the course of the story. Beast anyone?

Good Guy’s gonna encounter a problem. Said problem might be an actual Bad Guy or it might be situational.  But either way Good Guy has to find a solution to the problem.  It’s important to note that this might not actually be a happy ending.  In the original Hans Christian Andersen version of The Little Mermaid, the prince actually marries somebody else, and if the Little Mermaid wants her voice back, she’s supposed to murder the prince and his new bride.  Yeah, I like the version with Scuttle and Flounder better too. (Side note: She doesn’t do it.)

There’s probably gonna be some kind of magic or enchantment. This seems to be one of the big divides between fairy tales and folk stories.  In folk stories, the hero typically has to rely on his wits.  In fairy tales, magic is kind of a must.  The Little Mermaid makes a bargain with the Sea Witch to get legs.  The spoiled prince is so awful to the hag woman that she turns him into the beast he behaves like.  The beanstalk grows from magic beans.

The story is probably gonna convey some sort of prohibition or consequences for breaking some prohibition. Sleeping Beauty isn’t supposed to touch the spindle on that spinning wheel (which, in the original story, is symbolic of, ahem, something else) or she’ll die (…not in death, but just in sleep, the fateful prophecy will keep…).  As safe sex campaigns go, I’m not sure how effective that one was.  Red Riding Hood (in the familiar version rather than the one I use in my YA paranormal Red) was warned not to talk to strangers.  Her talking to strangers got her grandmother eaten.  And in that version, Grandma doesn’t make it, and the wolf winds up boiled in oil.

The story is probably gonna convey a universal truth. This is one of the biggies, for me.  This is why fairy tales, folk tales, and the like actually last.  They have become archetypal to human culture, and variations of the same stories can be heard all over the world because they spark something in our imaginations and hearts, such that we’re still telling stories that originated hundreds of years ago.  And that, in its own way, is some very powerful magic.

Bio:

Kait Nolan is stuck in an office all day, sometimes juggling all three of her jobs at once with the skill of a trained bear—sometimes with a similar temperament. After hours, she uses her powers for good, creating escapist fiction. The work of this Mississippi native is packed with action, romance, and the kinds of imaginative paranormal creatures you’d want to sweep you off your feet…or eat your boss.  When she’s not working or writing, she’s in her kitchen, heading up a revolution to Retake Homemade from her cooking blog, Pots and Plots.

You can catch up with her at her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Her debut YA paranormal, Red, is currently available from Smashwords, Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance EBooks.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

 

Thanks so much Kait. It was a blast having you here with us. 😀

Giveaway Details:

Kait Nolan has been gracious enough to supply a digital copy of her novel Red & a digital MP3 download of the band Red’s CD, End Of Silence to giveaway to one of my readers! Contest is open to Everyone. Kait’s more than likely off globe-trotting in one of her upcoming novels right now, or she could just be at the evil day job, but I believe that she’ll be popping by to respond to comments or questions as she’s able, so feel free to ask her questions as well.

Question: What do you find fascinating about fairy tales? Do you have a chilhood favorite? If you could write a really well written rewrite of one of those fairy tales, which one would you pick?  

For one entry: Please leave a comment with the answer to one or all of the questions.  (+1 entry)

For extra entries:

• Subscribe to my blog, Sidhe Vicious Reviews, through the links at the top right hand side of the blog, and let me know in your comment. Be sure you verify your subscription through the email you’ll receive or it won’t count. (+1 entry)
• If you’re already subscribed, you’ll receive two extra entries, but be sure to let me know in the comments if you’re an old follower. (+2 entries)
• Post a link to this contest on your Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, GoodReads, LibraryThing, or on your blog and send me the link either in the comments or by email and you’ll get an extra entry for each place you add a link to. ( + 1 entry each for  however many links you’ve done)
• Follow me on Twitter, Add me as a friend on FaceBook, GoodReads, MySpace, Chapters Community or LibraryThing. Tell me your user name in the comments. (+ 1 entry each for however many places you’ve followed/friended me)
• Follow Kait Nolan on Twitter  ( +1 entry )
• Contest is open to Everyone and will run through September 20th until 11:59pm. The winners will be posted here on September 21st.
• Please leave your email addy in your comment for me to contact you if you’ve won, but please post it like wilmaflinstone(at)boomshakalaka(dot)com so you don’t get any spam. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 7 days, a new winner will be drawn from the eligible comments. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator. Good Luck everyone!

Please leave your links in one comment if possible. And yes I know I should get that Rafflecopter everyone’s using, lol.  Thanks!

Susan Phelan – Guest Blog

Today we have Paranormal Romance author Susan Phelan here to celebrate the upcoming release of her new novel, The Last Watch, which will be out on September 19th. She’s written up a great guest blog and included a couple of excerpts to whet our appetites for more. At the bottom of the post I’ve included a link to Susan’s Countdown Contest to win your own copy! Let’s give Susan a warm welcome as it’s her first time visiting us here at SVR. 🙂

“ Writing Evolution” leads to new Paranormal Suspense THE LAST WATCH

I’ve discovered that, throughout their career, a writer will undergo several periods of growth and evolution in which they organically begin gravitating toward a different style of writing or genre. Of course, the journey of the artist, in which the art form (in this case, writing) reflects our ever changing experience as a
person on the planet is a given. But some other reasons for this sometimes quite subtle shift can be biological (we are getting older and therefore view things differently) or circumstantial (certain events have permanently altered our feelings and thoughts).

If we’re smart, we won’t fight the tide, desperately trying to force our creativity back into the nice, neat already established category it had previously fit into. Rather, we will embrace our “strange” new tendencies along with the unknown direction they are pushing us toward, blindly trusting in the power and ultimate “rightness” of going with the creative flow that inspires us.

Right here.

Right now.

I know of whence I speak because to date, I have already experienced two writing evolutions.

The first time, I abandoned the paranormal romances I’d previously penned to write a series of erotica books under a secret pseudonym. The basis behind that premiere literary shift was simple: I had felt too confined by the strict constraints and restrictions of the romance category at the time and longed to write in a kind of no-holds-barred manner while still focusing on the romantic interaction between the characters. A natural writing evolution followed suit.

Two years later, my writing evolved again. In retrospect, I can now see I changed because I was starving for something. Really ravenous. For what? I didn’t know. I only knew that I wanted to be gripped by a story line, really drawn in and held tight by it without the distraction of an explicit, torrid love scene (or two or three). The attraction between the characters would be there —oh boy, would it be there— but there would be something so much more urgent and important than the hero and heroine hopping into the sack.

From this creative craving came THE LAST WATCH.

A suspenseful thriller/paranormal /mystery, THE LAST WATCH satisfied all my needs of the moment. I was intrigued by the intricate cast of characters and how they all fit into the puzzling mystery; I was titillated by the understated passion between the Detective Jude Madison and Libby-Leigh Bryon; I was shocked and scared by Lennox’s dark drive; I was compelled to complete the book to see what happened next; I was warmed and satisfied by its resolution.

This latest writing evolution has led to the desire to share intense, nail-biting tales about provocative characters in a new and thrilling way. I think I’ve accomplished that with THE LAST WATCH and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Cheers,

Susan Phelan

http://susanphelan.weebly.com/

Until its release on
September 19, 2011, here are a couple of excerpts from THE LAST WATCH.

THE LAST WATCH Excerpt #1

Donovan Frost watched as the final glass auto-lock door of the correctional facility glided soundlessly open, even as the buzz of the entry and exit alarm rang in his ears.

He hesitated.

It had been a long time since he was a free man. On one hand, the idea of being on the outside was a little scary. But on the other, it was nothing short of exhilarating.

“See ya,” the administrating police officer said from behind his bullet-proof booth.

Frost slipped him a sidelong glance.

Not if I see you first.

With a deep breath, he stepped through the doorway and out into the heat of the early morning sun. Tilting his face up to the sky, he closed his eyes, smiling at the feel of the strong rays on his skin.

The soft thud of the door sliding closed behind his back brought Frost’s eyes open with a jerk. Fifty or so yards straight ahead, a cab was idling by the curb that bordered the facility’s front parking lot. Turning his head, he gave the institution one last look.

Clinton Correctional Facility.

For the past fifteen years, the maximum security prison had been his home. Situated in the Adirondack village of Dannemora, the state penitentiary took its name from its setting in Clinton County. However because of its remote northern location near the Canadian border, it was more commonly referred to as “Little Siberia.” Opened in the late 1800s, the expansive complex now had a capacity of 2900. Its current population was 2846.

Make that 2845.

In addition to a regular assortment of various ethnic gangs, Little Siberia housed some of the nation’s most notorious mobsters, axe murderers, gangster rappers, and kidnappers through the years including the likes of Lucky Luciano and Tupac Shakur.

And up until a few moments ago, Donovan Frost.

The vicious killer had a reputation that preceded him wherever he went. Including the big house. And it was big.

Beyond the façade and administrative building of the development, the massive north yard on the left half of the prison compound was split into
two sections that contained courts for basketball, handball, football and weight-lifting. The entire area was bounded by a perimeter wall that, from the air, looked like a huge concrete T.

T for trouble.

The outdoor zone was the location of more fights and murders than any other place in the prison. Frost himself had been in a few scuffles there
throughout his incarceration, including one that damn near killed him. To the right of the unofficial fight site was a grassy slope on which stood the inmate-built Church of Saint Dismas. In Christian tradition, Saint Dismas was the “good thief” crucified alongside Jesus who vowed to repent his sins.

Repent.

Right.

Frost pivoted back around and headed for the taxi, glancing down at the contents of the plastic ziplock bag he carried. In it, there were the
usual personal items: a wallet, identification, a razor, a watch, a cell phone, keys. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Even the lone paperback novel tossed into the pack didn’t look out of place. Evidently well-read, its spine was white with countless cracks and its pages were dog-eared and tattered. Indeed the book appeared to have been pored over so much that even the lettering on the jacket was hard to read. Nevertheless, Frost’s eyes moved across the embossed type out of habit. An unnecessary practice.

He knew every word on, and in between, its covers. The front was plain black and blank except for the single image of a green-scaled lizard and the words: Chameleon By Libby Leigh Bryon

Frost climbed into the backseat of the cab and set the package beside him. The cabbie looked at him in the rear view mirror.

“Where to?”

“Manhattan.”

The driver’s eyes widened as he whistled softly.

“From here? That’s going to cost you a pretty penny.”

“There’s a $200 tip in it for you if you get me there by ten.”

The cab lurched forward and sped out of the lot.

Taking out the cell phone, Frost dialed a number he had long since memorized. After three rings, an overly polite female voice answered.

“Good morning, Dr. Gossin’s office.”

“This is James Seymour,” Frost said. “I’d like to confirm my appointment today.”

“Was that for a consultation?”

“No. Surgery.”

“One moment, please.”

Canned music, irritating in its affability, floated down the line before the receptionist returned.

“Oh yes. Here it is. You’re scheduled for rhinoplasty, jaw, chin and cheekbone augmentation, and blepharoplasty at ten a.m.”

“What was that last one?”

“Blepharoplasty? That’s the eyelid surgery.”

“Right. See you then.”

Frost clicked off the phone and settled in. Stretching his legs out under the seat in front of him, he lay his head back against the rest. It would be a three-hour trip. Might as well get comfortable. Tilting his head to one side, Frost glanced at the bagged book
amongst his personal belongings once more.

With a dry, raspy sound, he started to laugh.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

THE LAST WATCH Excerpt # 2

Jude appeared in the doorway of Hannah’s bedroom. Even before he spoke, the look on his face told Libby the situation had changed for the worse.

“What’s wrong?”

“Stokes is here. That means Lennox is too.”

“What?!”

“Stay here,” Jude hissed. “And stay low.”

In a flash, he disappeared around the corner.

Before Libby had a chance to crouch down, a shot blasted through the window sending a spray of glass against her back as she reflexively twisted around, shielding Hannah with her body. But that wasn’t all that hit her.

The bullet caught Libby high in the thigh. With a grunt, she fell back on the bed pulling Hannah on top of her. Hannah started crying. “Ssssh, it’s okay honey,” Libby said, grimacing. Scooting forward to the edge of the cot, she slid them both down onto the floor. The pain in her leg was excruciating.

Ragged.

Raw.

Unbearable.

“Mommy, you have a boo-boo,” Hannah cried, pointing to the dark stain on the leg of Libby’s jeans.

“Sit here. And don’t move,” Libby whispered as she placed Hannah on the floor beside her. Crawling over to the closet she reached up, grasping at the several of David’s neck ties that hung from a wooden hanger.

Another shot rang out splintering the hanger. Pieces of it, along with the ties, fell to the ground. Libby grabbed one of the lengths of silk and along with the longest bit of wood she could find, quickly fashioned a crude tourniquet around her thigh. Hannah was crying softly she worked.

Dragging her injured leg behind her, Libby clawed her way back to collect Hannah in her arms, her gaze moving to the shattered window and beyond.

The morning sun was hot. Intense. Blinding.

Libby squeezed her eyes shut as she thought of Jude.

The light might not kill him but it would weaken him even more. And without food for the past 48 hours, he was already in bad shape. When combined, Jude would have less strength than a mortal man and that meant only one thing:

He could be hurt.

Or killed.

For a second Libby flat out panicked. She was in no condition to help Jude but she didn’t want to leave him to fight the battle alone.

Not in his current condition.

But she wouldn’t leave Hannah.

Couldn’t.

“Get in the closet,” she grunted, setting Hannah down on all fours and pushing her toward the large walk-in space. As they crept along the floor, a volley of gunfire and loud shouts rang out in the backyard below. Hannah scrambled in first, quickly turning around, screaming as another series of shots sounded much louder.

Closer.

This time, in the house.

Scurrying in after Hannah, Libby closed the closet door behind them. It creaked a little as the outer latch caught, sealing them into the dark, musty space.

Libby pulled Hannah close and cuddled her against her chest, stroking her hair.

“Not a peep,” she said softly.

And there wasn’t.

Not from Hannah.

Not from Libby.

Not from anyone else.

From that point on, there was only silence.

A deafening sickening silence that stretched out endlessly.

That is, until the footsteps.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Thank you Susan. 😀 Yes indeed, I want to read more! How about you guys?

Here’s the link to Susan’s Countdown Contest. Go on over and enter to win a copy of The Last Watch on the release date of September 19th, 2011. Leave a question or comment for Susan as she’ll be popping by through-out the day to reply.

Erica Hayes – Guest Blog & Giveaway

It’s my pleasure to have Erica Hayes back here at SVR to celebrate the release of the third book in her Shadowfae Chronicles, Poison Kissed. Here’s the link to her last guest blog where she discusses why we should read her books. Today, she’s discussing Banshee’s, or more to the point, her take on them. Very cool! Let’s give her a warm welcome and be sure to read after the guest blog for the giveaway info. 🙂

Banshee blues

 In fantasy, we’re often hard pressed to find new twists on old material, to make our paranormal creatures fresh and interesting for our readers – and for us, too! Where’s the fun in writing about the same old thing?

 So when I decided to write about a banshee heroine – and she’s a kick-ass heroine, of course! – I wanted her to be a bit different. Dark and twisted. Dangerous. Not your ordinary banshee.

 In old Irish culture, women called keeners sang a lament when someone died. For the great Irish families, the keener was a fairy, called a bean sidhe – and with her magic fairy prescience, she sang the lament even when the dead person was far away. So the banshee’s song often preceded the news of a family member’s death by days or even weeks.

 Cool, I thought: a lady who sings about death. That’s dark and eerie already. But what if she didn’t just sing to signal a man’s death – what if it was her keening that killed him? What if her song itself was lethal? And I’m not talking about a funeral dirge, either. I’m thinking opera. Nerve-shattering soprano. A pure, beautiful, terrible voice from hell.

 Now we’re getting somewhere. Better still, what if she could sing not only death, but pain, or fear, or other emotions too? A lady like that would be a formidable weapon.

 And so Mina the gangster’s bodyguard was born. She’s tough and beautiful. Her voice can peel paint from walls. Her hearing is preternaturally sharp. She can sing you to sleep or into fits of mouth-frothing terror, and her kiss is laced with poison. And if she’s really angry, she’ll kill you with a scream.

 Of course, as befitting any decent UF heroine, Mina has issues. She’s got a desperate crush on her gangster boss, a sexy snake-shifter who struggles to keep her at a distance, even though to show weakness in their world is death. She’s hunting a killer – her mother’s murderer – whose identity she can’t discover. And she has a weird love-hate relationship with her banshee powers:

 “My magical melody swelled and twisted in my chest like a snake, longing to sing free. She’s a cruel deathwish mistress, my song, and she’d warp the world to her capricious will if I let her. She makes me strong, but her hunger shivers ice in my blood. I don’t want to be a killer.

 Sometimes fate doesn’t give a damn what you want.”

 Hell, yeah. This banshee is a lethal weapon! So what does an evil author do to a kick-ass character bent on carving up the scenery? I take her weapons away 🙂 Mina falls foul of a fairy trick, and loses her magical voice, right when she’s about to uncover the shattering secret of her mother’s murder.

 Not the traditional banshee of old Irish legend, it’s true. But in these days of sparkling vampires, anything goes! So I hope you enjoy her story.

Website: http://www.shadowfae.net

Blog: http://faerylite.livejournal.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ericahayes

 

POISON KISSED ~ Book 3 of the Shadowfae Chronicles

 Beyond the veil of magic, a fairy otherworld pulses with glamour and dark beauty. It’s a place where passions run deep and dark — and death is just one kiss away…

 Mina is a banshee whose greatest power lies in her siren song. She’s beholden to her boss Joey, a snake-shifter who once saved her life and now employs her as a gang enforcer. She refuses to upset the fragile balance between them by admitting that she longs for him, that his embrace is the only thing she craves more than revenge for her mother’s death…

 When Mina learns that Joey may have been involved in her mother’s murder, fury threatens to spill out of her, note by vicious note. She and Joey have always trusted each other to stay alive, but now she’s not sure what to believe. The evidence stacked against him — or the one man who haunts her dreams and burns in her blood…

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Thanks Erica! I’m just working up my review post, but I just have to say that I loved Mina!

Giveaway Details:

Erica Hayes has been gracious enough to supply a copy of Poison Kissed, book 3 in the Shadowfae Chronicles to giveaway to one of my readers! Contest is open to Everyone. Erica’s off globe-trotting right now, but I believe that she’ll be popping by to respond to comments or questions as she’s able, so feel free to ask her questions as well.

Question: What do you find fascinating about the fae? Do you like the Seelie or Unseelie fae? Do they scare you? Entice you? Do you like new twists on the old mythology of the fae? Or do you prefer that writers stick within the parameters of fae myth? Tell us what you think!

For one entry: Please leave a comment with the answer to the question.  (+1 entry)

For extra entries:

• Subscribe to my blog, Sidhe Vicious Reviews, through the links at the top right hand side of the blog, and let me know in your comment. Be sure you verify your subscription through the email you’ll receive or it won’t count. (+1 entry)
• If you’re already subscribed, you’ll receive two extra entries, but be sure to let me know in the comments if you’re an old follower. (+2 entries)
• Post a link to this contest on your Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, GoodReads, LibraryThing, or on your blog and send me the link either in the comments or by email and you’ll get an extra entry for each place you add a link to. ( add 1 entry each for  however many links you’ve done)
• Follow me on Twitter, Add me as a friend on FaceBook, GoodReads, MySpace, Chapters Community or LibraryThing. (add 1 entry each for however many places you followed/friended me)
• Follow Erica Hayes on Twitter  ( +1 entry )
• Contest is open to Everyone and will run through October 10th until 11:59pm. The winners will be posted here on October 11th.
• Please leave your email addy in your comment for me to contact you if you’ve won, but post it like wilmaflinstone(at)boomshakalaka(dot)com so you don’t get any spam. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 7 days, a new winner will be drawn from the eligible comments. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator. Good Luck everyone!

Please leave your links in one comment if possible. Thanks!

J.K. Beck – Guest Blog & Giveaway

I am really excited to have author J.K. Beck here today guest blogging! The first book in her new Shadow Keepers Series, When Blood Calls is in stores now, with the next book, When Pleasure Rules, due to hit shelves on September 28th, 2010. You can read my review of When Blood Calls HERE. Let’s give J.K. a warm welcome because a) she’s awesome, b) I’m convinced she can leap tall buildings in a single bound because she had to practically bend over backwards to get me this post in time right smack dab in the middle of a chaotic move and c) shhh, don’t tell but she’s a best selling author also known as Julie Kenner! Oh yeah, and she’s also giving one lucky commenter a copy of When Pleasure Rules. 😀

J.K. – What would you do if you could slip into someone’s head and get their thoughts? Would you be tempted to use the information for blackmail? To win in the stock market? To make life better for yourself and those you care about?

And what if taking that information could cause harm to another?

It’s an interesting dilemma, and it’s what Lissa, the heroine in my second Shadow Keepers book, is faced with. In WHEN PLEASURE RULES, we meet Lissa, a succubus with a secret skill—when she takes a bit of soul, she also takes thoughts. It’s a skill she’s had throughout all her lives, though she has little memory of the past lives. In this life, she’s used the skill to gain entrance into men’s heads in order to use that information in her quest to rescue the girls she protects from harsh masters. But when the PEC learns of her unique—and illegal—talent, they decide to make the most of it, setting her up as a confidential informant to take information from a werewolf, Rand, who’s recently come to town…and may be behind a series of brutal murders.

The idea of a woman who could get into the heads of men was interesting enough—couple that with Lissa being forced to do it in order to save herself and the women she protects, and it made for a fabulously fun story to write, especially when Rand, dark and dangerous himself, was tossed into the equation.

As you can probably tell, the Shadow Keepers books are set in a paranormal world. Specifically, the books are centered around a paranormal judicial system charged with the investigation and prosecution of crimes committed by the shadow beings.

I’ve had a lot of fun with the books, and with the characters and creatures that inhabit them—vampires, werewolves, daemons, succubi and more!

You can find excerpts, enter contests, or just poke around at the series website, www.theshadowkeepers.com, read my blog at www.jkbeck.com, or see the series book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KZ2Dv1TSi4 And be sure to friend me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/authorjkbeck) and follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/jkbeck)!

Leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of When Pleasure Rules! Talk about anything, or tell us what you’d do if you could poke around in someone’s head!

Happy reading!

——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Thanks J.K.! I know that I’ll be rushing out to grab a copy of When Pleasure Rules as soon as it hits shelves. 🙂

Giveaway Details:

J.K. Beck has been gracious enough to supply an autographed copy of When Pleasure Rules, book 2 in the Shadow Keepers series to giveaway to one of my readers! Contest is open to Everyone.

For one entry: Please leave a comment with the answer to the question.  (+1 entry)

For extra entries:

• Subscribe to my blog, Sidhe Vicious Reviews, through the links at the top right hand side of the blog, and let me know in your comment. Be sure you verify your subscription through the email you’ll receive or it won’t count. (+1 entry)
• If you’re already subscribed, you’ll receive two extra entries, but be sure to let me know in the comments if you’re an old follower. (+2 entries)
• Post a link to this contest on your Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, GoodReads, LibraryThing, or on your blog and send me the link either in the comments or by email and you’ll get an extra entry for each place you add a link to. ( add 1 entry each for  however many links you’ve done)
• Follow me on Twitter, Add me as a friend on FaceBook, GoodReads, MySpace, Chapters Community or LibraryThing. (add 1 entry each for however many places you followed/friended me)
• Follow J.K. Beck on Twitter or FaceBook (add +1 for each)
• Contest is open to Everyone and will run through October 3rd until 11:59pm. The winners will be posted here on October 4th.
• Please leave your email addy in your comment for me to contact you if you’ve won, but post it like wilmaflinstone(at)boomshakalaka(dot)com so you don’t get any spam. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 7 days, a new winner will be drawn from the eligible comments. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator. Good Luck everyone!

Please leave your links in one comment if possible. Thanks!