S. L. Pierce - Interview and Giveaway

I recently had the opportunity to get to know self-published author, S. L. Pierce. Check out what she had to say and enter the giveaway to win a copy of her newest release: Secrets.

            My name is S.L. Pierce and I spent ten years earning a PhD in engineering before figuring out I didn't really want to be an engineer.  I kept talking about J.A. Konrath and his self publishing endeavors to my husband and he said, 'you should write a book'.  I laughed it off at first, but couldn't get the idea out of my head.  So that's how it all began two years ago.

           

            I write what I like to read.  My genre is mystery/thriller and my style is quick, I guess you would say.  When I read,  I tend to skim a lot of the descriptive stuff, detailed scenery, clothing, etc. So my writing skips a lot of that detail.  I do really focus on an excellent plot and good character development, though.   

           

            I chose self publishing for two reasons.  One, because of my writing style my books tend to be around 40,000 words instead of 60,000+.  I didn't feel any publisher would work with that.  I have tried adding material to make the story longer, but it feels very forced and messes up the story.  Two, I really loved the idea of the freedom.  I can write what I want and like Konrath says, I can finish my book on Thursday and have it for sale by Saturday. 

           

            I was intimidated by self publishing when I began.  Trying to edit out every punctuation and grammar error on something you've read a dozen times is challenging, to say the least.  But now I really love it.  It's a lot of work, doing the publicity myself, but it's also very rewarding.  I've connected with a lot of supportive and encouraging people. 

           

            The authors who influenced me the most, as far as starting writing and self publishing are Stephenie Meyer and J.A. Konrath.  Stephenie Meyer because, no matter what you think of her writing, here is a woman who had never written anything, and she gets up one day and says 'I have a story to tell' and then just does it.  J.A. Konrath because he showed if you are professional and take it seriously (write a great book, have a professional looking cover, stellar editing, etc) you can make money as a writer.  The freedom is incredible.   

           

            

            My latest book is called Secrets.  It is about a woman named Gwen Michaels, who has a secret past.  When a man attempts to kill her, she assumes it is because of this past.  But what she finds out is it has nothing to do with her past.  So she has to find out the who and why.  Secrets has a little murder, a little spying, a little industrial espionage, and just a touch of revenge.  A key feature of my stories is a very strong female lead.  I get really tired of books where the female lead is really strong and smart but ends up captured by the bad guy.  So my characters don't allow that to happen.

           

            My books are available at Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble, all for 0.99.

            

            You can find me at facebook, twitter (@piercebooks), piercebooks.com, and slpierce.blogspot.com.  My blog is mainly fun thoughts about writing topics.  I also tweet a movie quote each day (try anyway) and put the answer on my blog.  These are from memory, not a website, so feel free to add a comment if I get it wrong.

Giveaway 

S. L. Pierce has kindly offered an ebook copy of Secrets to one lucky winner.

Rules: To go into the draw you need to be following my blog and leave a comment below (don't forget to include an email address so that we can contact you should you win!).

Conditions: This giveaway is open internationally and will close at midnight on 9th April (Central Australian time)

Author Promo - Berengaria Brown

Combustion by Berengaria Brown

Authors always panic when they see a review about their book. That book is like their baby, and they are terrified someone won’t love their baby as much as they do. But getting a good review always makes an author smile.

I just received an AWESOME review for Combustion, so yeah, I’m smiling.

Miranda, from Joyfully reviewed, said, “Combustion is a scorching novella!  Glenn, Xonra and Morgan have sensational chemistry that keeps on flaming.  Combustion is a sexy erotic story with a serious twist.  The underlying story that takes place at Xonra’s work is compelling and adds to this spicy tale.  The characters are sinfully sexy and they make Combustion hot, hot, hot!”

Combustion blurb

Xonra Gibson attends the memorial service for a friend, and is embarrassed to be attracted to the broad-shouldered hunk squeezed into the chair next to her at the overcrowded event. It turns out the delicious Glenn Hilton is partnered to the equally yummy Morgan McLean.

Xonra allows her hormones to lead her to the men’s apartment for an incredibly hot one-night stand and three fiery orgasms, a personal record for her. The men are determined to spend more time with Xonra and get tickets for a weekend at Berisford Village a historical tourist attraction whose owner happens to be a difficult client at Xonra’s PR firm. The village is fascinating, the accommodation luxurious and the orgasms stupendous, but Xonra is convinced something under the surface at the village is wrong.

PG 13 Excerpt 

        Xonra kept her gaze either on the minister conducting the service, or on the floor, but she couldn’t help being highly aware of the hunky man pressed hard against her left side. His shoulders were so broad he was overhanging her seat no matter how much she leaned into the wall. And his right thigh seemed glued to her left one, sending waves of lusty heat right through her body. Damn, he’s good looking, well what she could see of him through her peripheral vision. Late thirties, maybe forty, faint touches of gray in his black hair, chocolate eyes, tanned skin, six feet tall at least. And those broad shoulders and muscular thighs. Well yum!

Likely married with six kids! she reminded herself firmly. And you’re supposed to be focusing on MaryAnne, not the hunky guy sitting next to you!

As Vice President of Advertising for HR Resources Ltd., Xonra saw a lot of good-looking men, and none of them had ever lit her fire the way Mr. Shoulders next to her did. She pictured herself sliding that crisp white shirt off his arms, leaning into his chest and licking across— Oh, shit I’ll have wet underwear in a moment! MaryAnne. Focus on MaryAnne. It’s totally inappropriate to think about some unknown hunk.

The service went for an hour, and at the end they all stood to sing Amazing Grace. Xonra’s mother had given her a list of people to speak to and surreptitiously she drew it out of her purse to check and make sure she didn’t forget anyone. Xonra had offered to fly her mother here for the service, but her mother hated flying and there wasn’t time to drive so far, so it was up to Xonra to represent their little family.

She was concentrating on looking around the crowd to pinpoint the people she needed to speak to, so was startled when a large, hot hand rested on her thigh.

“Glenn Hilton. My grandparents farmed right alongside MaryAnne’s folks. How did you know her?”

Xonra looked up into the most delicious pair of warm, liquid eyes—melted rich, dark chocolate. Felt herself drowning in them. Her core clenching, cream soaking her panties. A chiseled chin, high cheekbones, hair just touching his collar, with those enticing little hints of gray here and there.

Hoping she wasn’t drooling, she replied, “Xonra Gibson. MaryAnne was a wonderful help to my mother when we moved here from upstate after my dad died.”

The man sitting beside Glenn leaned forward, his hand out to shake hers. “Morgan McLean, Glenn’s partner.”

Well damn. Not six kids but just as unattainable. Why are all the best looking ones taken?

Because when everyone else was out fucking like bunnies you were sitting in the office accumulating those billable hours and climbing the corporate ladder. Your choice, remember?

Yeah, okay, shut up.

As the people in their row gradually moved out into another room for cups of tea and coffee, the men stayed at Xonra’s side, talking quietly about MaryAnne and the service. One part of her brain was searching the crowd for the people she needed to give her Mom’s good wishes to, the other was hoping she didn’t sound like a lovesick teenager, as every nerve ending was alive to their attentions.

When Glenn rested his large hand gently on her back, Xonra’s panties dampened even more. If he wasn’t taken I’d seriously be considering a one-night stand. “Hot” isn’t even close to how he makes me feel.

Morgan offered to get her a cup of coffee, but Xonra declined and slipped through the crowd to talk to her mother’s friends. It was nearly an hour later that she was ready to leave, and stopped at the table by the door to sign the Bereavement Book and pick up a program to send to her mom.

Glenn and Morgan appeared from nowhere, smoothly moving to stand one either side of her.

“Can we offer you a ride somewhere?”

“Or walk you to your car?”

She stared at Glenn, then Morgan. “I’m only parked a couple of blocks away and I’m fine to walk that far.”

“I’m surprised you found a parking space so easily. We’re about five blocks over,” said Morgan.

“Yeah, well my hood and front seat are legally parked, the rest of the car, maybe not. Hopefully it’ll be okay. Or I’ll just pay the fine.”

“They’re pretty quick to clamp your car around here,” said Glenn. “Show us the way.”

She set a brisk pace back to her car, and sure enough, it was clamped. Xonra ripped the sticker off her windscreen, pulled her cell phone out of her purse and dialed the number. Only to get a recorded message telling her to call back after eight a.m.

Suddenly suspicious, she turned to the men. “Did you set this up? I’ve never met you before and now you’re sticking to me like white on rice.

“We wanted to get to know you better, invite you out for a coffee or something.”

“I came here to a memorial service last year and got clamped. That’s why we’re not surprised,” said Morgan.

“Also why we parked five blocks over. We didn’t plan on getting clamped again,” added Glenn.

“Okay, whatever. You can both go home now. I’m calling a taxi.”

“Let us take you home, instead. Please.”

One look into the pleading eyes and her bones, and resistance, melted like water. Her belly clenched and her body thrummed with the need to be held, to be fucked, by this man—these men. With her last remaining brain cell, she said, “How do I know you’re not a couple of ax murderers?”

Buy Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9113-combustion.aspx

Berengaria Brown

http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/

http://berengariabrown.webs.com/

Interview - Amy Valenti

Today I am welcoming author Amy Valenti to my blog. Hi, Amy and thanks for coming across!

1) Perhaps you could start by telling us a bit more about yourself and your writing in general?

Sure – I’m 26, I live in the UK and I’ve been writing since I was about four years old. I grew up reading Point Horror and Dean Koontz books, and so I’ve always been interested in the supernatural genre. I discovered fan fiction and erotica at about the same time, and I’ve been writing fanfic for about ten years, but there have always been my own projects going on in the background, and I’m starting to focus more on those now.

2) Shocked is a vampire novel with a twist. How did you come up with the idea for this new working on the vampire myth?

I started to find that most of the vampire stories I was reading had a specific formula to them – a seductive, hypnotic vampire luring in the helpless female victim and sucking her blood – and I had a little rant about that to a few friends. The question that came up was, ‘How do you avoid that, and still have a vampire story?’

So I decided to turn it on its head a bit, and have a vampire who needed energy from humans, but not blood – and none of the conventional holy water/garlic/sunlight myths would apply. As for my victim, I wanted her to submit to the vampire out of curiosity’s sake – a definite choice on her part, though a reckless one. So I made her a scientist who just wanted to know more about this foreign species that looked like a human, but wasn’t.

3) Which other writers influence you the most and why?

First up has to be Marianne de Pierres. She writes post-apocalyptic fiction, space opera, paranormal crime and young adult dark fantasy. For a few years now, she’s been bugging me to write my own stuff, rather than playing about with other people’s characters, and she’s delighted that I’m actually doing it! She’s always supported and helped me so much that she couldn’t NOT be an influence.

As for writers I don’t consider friends – Kelley Armstrong is my supernatural fiction idol. Her Women of the Otherworld series puts such a new and unique spin on werewolves, ghosts, demons, witches, vampires… Lots of respect for her.

LJ Smith is up there, as well – I haven’t read her Vampire Diaries books, but her Forbidden Game and Dark Visions trilogies have stuck in my mind since I first read them when I was about eleven years old. I owe a lot to those novels!

My current written style, I probably owe to Joan Lowery Nixon. I read The Other Side of Dark as a child, and it was the first book I’d ever read written in the first person present tense. It blew my mind! I didn’t start to write that way for a good few years, but it’s definitely my preference these days.

4) Do you have any plans for a sequel to Shocked or other stories within that same world/myth base?

I don’t think there’s much more I can do with Nick and Lissa – maybe one day something will pop into my head, but for now I think they’re happy with each other! I do want to do more with energivores at some point, though. I like the idea of blood not being a vampire’s meal of choice.

5) You recently published Cursed and Compelled, a short story parody of the paranormal romance genre. Many people say parody is a form of flattery and only people who truly love a genre or idea can pull off a successful parody. Do you think this is true in your case? Is this a parody based on love for the genre and when did you first come up with the idea for this piece?

The answer to this one is a yes and a no, I think. I do love the paranormal genre, and that’s partly the reason why this was so easy for me to write. Having said that, it’s more my love of mocking terrible, cliché-ridden paranormal stories that led me to write Cursed and Compelled. Over the past five or six years, there’s been a lot to mock!

About two months ago, a friend was reading out a few gems from a published book she’d picked up because it looked so terrible. I was groaning at the usual archetype of an extremely hot guy who the heroine is all weak at the knees over, and when he turned into – OMG – a werewolf, I wondered what it’d be like if the sexy guy turned into something decidedly embarrassing, instead. I won’t say exactly what I chose, cause I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s definitely not what the average shapeshifter fan would expect.

6) What else have you been working on lately? What other releases can we expect from you in the coming months?

For the month of March, I’m doing a kind of unofficial National Novel Writing Month with a few friends. It’s usually held in November, and the goal is 50,000 words in 30 days. That works out at just under 1,600 per day. I’m writing a paranormal novel without vampires, shapeshifters or ghosts in the main roles – in fact, vampires and shapeshifters don’t even exist in the mythos I’ve created. It’s interesting!

As for upcoming releases… Wicked Nights are releasing a paranormal, telekinetic erotica piece called Of Sawdust and Seduction in July, and a kinky M/F/F menage called Until Sunrise in August. I’ve also just sold a series of two or possibly three books to Total-E-Bound. Not sure of my release schedule for that one yet, but I’m definitely excited!

7) Where can readers grab a copy of Shocked and Cursed and Compelled and where can they find out more about you and your writing?

My website and blog is at http://amyvalenti.wordpress.com, and my Twitter name is @AmyValenti.

You can find the list of places to grab a copy of Shocked on this page: http://amyvalenti.wordpress.com/shortstories/. It’s $1.99 in most places.

Cursed and Compelled is free until 12^th March at Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/45560), and $0.99 after that.

Thanks for giving me an interview slot, Nicki!

On Ashlynn's Blog

Hey Guys

Today I am visiting Ashlynn Monroe on her blog. Check it out!

Ashlynn Monroe

In My Mailbox #1

I am joining in with In My Mailbox hosted by Story Siren for the first time.

I've not had a bad week this week. I received:

• Rogue Oracle by Alayna Williams (Paperback Review Copy from Author)

• The Last Darling by Cloud Buchholz (EBook Review Copy from Author)

• Forever Vampire by Michele Hauf (ARC from NetGalley)

• The Restorer by Amanda Stevens (ARC from NetGalley)

• Infernal Devices by K W Jeter (ARC from NetGalley)

Winner - Alayna Williams - Rogue Oracle Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. A random selection has been made and the winner is

Evie

Congratulations. The author will be in touch with you shortly!

Lori Titus - Author Interview

Today I am joined by author, Lori Titus, to talk about her latest release - a collection of short horror stories called Green Water Lullaby.

Hello Lori and welcome.

1) Perhaps you could start by telling us a bit about yourself and your writing in general?
 
I'm from Southern California, and I've been writing stories since I was about ten years old. In the last three years or so I finally got serious about getting my work published. So far I have written two novellas, one novel and a webserial, and many short stories. When I'm not working on my own stories or going about my day job, I'm the editor for a webzine called Flashes in the Dark.

2) Green Water Lullaby brings together some very different tales. Did you plan the anthology as a complete work or were these stories you had written at different times and only recently decided to bring together?

The stories were written over a period of a few months as an exercise. I wanted to try writing about characters that were different from those in my webserial. As I wrote, I created a fictional town called Chrysalis, South Carolina. Once I decided that all the stories were going to take place there, I felt the books should be put together in a collection.

3) Do you have a favourite out of all the tales in the book?

The title story is my favorite. There is a dreaminess about it that drew me in.

4) What draws you to this particular genre of writing and who or what would you say are your inspirations? In your opinion, what is the key to writing a successful horror story?

I am always fascinated by things unseen, unknown, or only speculated at. I like stories that have a different sort of edge to them, something that makes you think twice about the characters and what happens to them. A successful horror story doesn't just scare the reader. It makes the reader care for these characters, understand them on some level. When the danger appears, it becomes that much more real and urgent.

5) Some of the tales feature characters who 'get away'. Do you plan to revisit any of these characters at a later date?

I would love to write about the characters in Brotherhood again. I haven't gotten around to it yet, but I hope to soon!

6) What else have you been working on lately? What other new releases can we expect to see from you this year?

I just finished a novella called The Moon Goddess, which is a  prequel to The Maradith Ryder Series. I'm working on getting it polished and properly edited before I start sending it out for consideration. Another novella named Hailey's Shadow should be coming out later this year, and I have already started a new book.

7) Where can readers get a copy of Green Water Lullaby and where can they go to find out more about you and your writing?

Green Water Lullaby is available through Wicked Nights.

To find out more about me, readers can visit my blog or sample some of my stories on my flash fiction website, Flashes in the Dark.

Day-Walker - Contract Signed with Silver Publishing

Exciting news this week as I finally heard back from Silver Publishing regarding the manuscript I sent them for my new vampire paranormal romance story - Day-Walker.

They liked it and offered me a contract!

I am so thrilled to have been accepted to join some great authors at Silver and consider this a big step forward for me in my writing career now that I am involved with two publishers.

The tentative release date is 17th September 2011, though that is still subject to change.

I will obviously keep you all posted as things progress!

Book Blogger Hop #5 and Follow Friday #2

"If you could physically put yourself into a book or series…which one would it be and why?"
  
I would choose the Saint Germain Chronicles by Chelsea Quinn Yarbo. I would be the love of Saint Germain's life and he would turn me into a vampire! We would have to live apart, seeking sustenance from others, but we would see each other often as the centuries roll by.

 

Five BOOK RELATED silly facts about you.

1) I shipped more than 1000 books when I moved from UK to Australia - but only 2 boxes of clothes!

2) Trying to read on the bus to work makes me feel ill.

3) If the house caught fire, I'd rescue the books first.

4) I spent nearly $900 on a complete 10 volume set of the Complete Works of Robespierre.

5) One of my prize possessions is my copy of The Farthest North of Humaness (Letters of Percy Grainger)

The Vampire Narcise by Colleen Gleason - Book Review

Title:The Vampire Narcise (Regency Draculia #3)

Author: Colleen Gleason

Publisher: Mira

Publication Date: 1st June 2011

Format: Ebook -PDF

Pages: 380

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Source: ARC from NetGalley

Regency England stands defiant against Napoleon.

But battles among men mean little to those who live forever – especially when the Dracule are waging their own war.

Skilled in the seduction of men, both mortal and immortal, Narcise Moldavi is the greatest weapon in her twisted brother's war among the Dracule. Until she falls for Giordan Cale.

Her first searing encounter with Giordan brands them with a passionate love. But Giordan's vow to help Narcise escape her brother's rule is followed by a betrayal more agonizing than sunlight.

Wounded but determined, Narcise ensnares vampire hunter Chas Woodmore in her quest for revenge and to reclaim her life. He wants her, worships her, will kill for her. And the Dracule never forget a wrong – nor do they forgive. (Goodreads Synopsis)

Another wonderful book in the Regency Draculia series. I enjoyed this book much as I did the others (though The Vampire Dimitri was my favourite of them all!), not least because the reader at last got a proper look at Narcise's background and found out exactly what had happened between her and Cale.

The story started strongly and I was really hooked - happy to be back with characters I have come to know so well over the last few weeks. There was plenty of action and I was on the edge of my seat right up until the end.

Colleen Gleason has created some wonderful characters and amazing tales for them that she has maintained beautifully during the three books.

If I have one negative point to make about this third installment, it would be that the ending, for me, was not quite a fulfilling as with the other two books. I can see why Gleason chose to go this way with it, but it didn't have quite the same impact for me as the endings she gave to Voss and Dimitri.

That said, this is still a hugely worthwhile read and a must for anyone who has enjoyed the first two books in the series. 

Waiting on Wednesday #1

My first time participating in Waiting on Wednesday - hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.





For me, I am most looking forward to the next book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. Book 11 is called Dead Reckoning and is due for release on 3rd May 2011.

Julie Lynn Hayes - Guest Blog

Today, I welcome back author Julie Lynn Hayes for a guest blog. Great to have you here again, Julie!

Whom Do We Write For?

As writers, we are often asked the question whom is our target audience? Publishers want to know for marketing purposes; readers want to know for reading purposes libraries want to know, to some extent, for cataloging purposes. But is the answer as simple as it might seem?

Do we write for our readers or do we write for ourselves?  And is there a difference?

I write to be read, of that I have no doubt. If making a living were not a consideration, I’d gladly give my words away simply for the joy of having others read them. But do I write those words for them, or for me? Would I still write if I knew without a shadow of a doubt that no one besides myself, and perhaps my closest friends and family, were to ever see my efforts?

I would.

Therefore, I must be writing for me, right?

Good question. Perhaps it is the hope of gaining an audience that spurs me on as much as anything, the hope of having my words read by many that keeps me going. So then the question becomes, do I change what I write in order to gain an audience?

That is a very interesting question indeed, and one that plagues not only book writers, but those who write for television and film and even music writers themselves (I know, they call themselves composers—a rose by any other name….) I think that the answer to that is a resounding yes—there are many writers who feel compelled to write that which they are assured will be successful, either because of current trends or even current successes. But does that make it right?

I don’t think so. And I think that is where many of them fail. To tell a story for the sake of the almighty dollar may work for some lucky few, but for the majority they end up with an effort that is hollow and soulless and unworthy of their talents.

I have a theory regarding one hit wonders, be it in fiction or music or film.  The unknown artist writes what he feels, what he thinks, and he writes it to please himself/herself. When it becomes successful, it’s a good thing, so naturally he wants to duplicate this success, keep the feeling going. But now self-doubt enters his mind. So he tries to do the same thing, only different, seeking to appease the fans who enjoyed the first effort. But this second effort fails because it wasn’t done with heart, but with dollar signs. Thus are one hit wonders born. Crowd appeasers who can never find that magic formula again, not realizing, like the Tin Man and his heart, that it was inside of them the whole time.

“To thine own self be true.” How true the words, especially in this context. Follow your own instincts, the ones that got you noticed to begin with, and write to please yourself first. If you’re unhappy with your work, how can anyone else be happy?

I had an editor recently who sent me the first edits of my novel and said, I suggest you change the main character. He thought my character was a wuss and a wimp and no one would like him. He is no longer my editor for this work. My gut instinct said no, don’t do that. For one thing, my book is the second in a series, the character is established. And he is how he is. I believe this editor mistook lack of forceful machismo for weakness. People are different. Fictional characters are too. If we had a pantheon of brave heroic and perfect heroes with perfect bodies, wouldn’t that get old? Seriously? I recently read a novel where the protagonist was an overweight 46 year old suicidal man*. Not your run of the mill hero, by any means, but an interesting one because he’s someone we might know, he’s one of us.

I refused to change my character. As I said, it’s the second book in the series, the first one came out a year ago on March 26^th. I plan to continue writing about this character until I stop writing completely—which I anticipate will happen when I shuffle off this mortal coil, unless I find a way to send my words from beyond the beyond. What if the series doesn’t find a publisher at some point, if no one wants to keep picking it up? It’s on its second publisher now, there are no guarantees. No matter, I’ll still keep writing, because I want to. Therefore, I must be writing for myself, even though I’m writing to be read. I won’t make changes even if proscribed by editorial dictates, because editors only suggest, they cannot command. Ultimately, the decision is in the  hands of the author.

On the other hand, I see nothing wrong with adding elements to your story that you know will particularly entertain your audience. For example, a friend of mine wanted to become a character in the second novel of the series, so I wrote her in. She is now in the book, immortalized. That might be considered writing for your audience. But I enjoyed doing it, it was fun, so I did it for me too.

The question then is not quite so simple, is it? We write for ourselves, and we write for our readers, but I think that the more we write for the enjoyment of writing, the more that both reader and writer shall benefit from the relationship. Those who are motivated mostly by money, in my opinion, have lost some part of the creative spark that lit their writing fire to begin with, which is sad. I’m not saying a writer should not be paid, far from it, but he should be paid for what he loves doing, not do what he loves for pay—there is a difference. Maybe it’s the subtle difference between a whore and a prostitute: the latter has made it into a business, the former a pleasure.

What do you think, either as reader or writer? Are you turned off by writers who just do it for the buck? Does it even matter? And writers: if you knew you would never get paid for what you wrote, would you keep writing? I’d love to hear your opinions and ideas!

 

*Bernard:Diary of a 46 Year Old Bellhop, by SL Danielson

Guest Blogging with Amarinda

Hey guys
Today I am over at Amarinda's blog with a guest post. Check it out!
Amarinda Jones

The Vampire Dimitri by Colleen Gleason - Book Review

Title:The Vampire Dimitri (Regency Draculia #2)

Author: Colleen Gleason

Publisher: Mira

Publication Date: 19th April 2011

Format: Ebook -PDF

Pages: 377

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Source: ARC from NetGalley






Regency London loves a Society wedding –
Even if there are vampires on the guest list.

Dimitri, the Earl of Corvindale, should be delighted that the headstrong Maia Woodmore is getting married. His mortal ward and houseguest has annoyed – and bewitched – the Dracule nobleman too long, and denying his animal cravings grows more excruciating by the day.

Miss Woodmore's family has a rather...complicated history with the immortals and she herself possesses a keen sensibility far beyond mere woman's intuition. Marriage will give her safety, respectability, and everything else a proper young lady could wish for. Everything, that is, except for passion.

In the looming battle between Dracule factions, all pretenses will shatter as Maia and Dimitir come together in an unholy union of danger, desperation, and fiercest desire. (Goodreads Synopsis)



Wow - what a great read. I could hardly put this book down. I enjoyed the first installment in the series (The Vampire Voss), but this one was even better.

I think my main reason for prefering this over the first book is that Dimitri is a much more likeable hero than Voss. I grew to like Voss by the end of his story, but I felt for Dimitri straight away and I loved the parallel with Beauty and the Beast that developed through the tale. I had been thinking it was similar and then the author confirm my thoughts with a direct reference to the classic tale.

I was a little unsure at first about the 'rehashing' of scenes from the first book from a different perspective. Because I had only read the first story a few days before, it felt too familiar and I found myself wanting to skim read. But, I can see that it would allow those who hadn't read the first book to keep up with the story and it also helps the reader see where in the timeline this new story fits. In anycase, once the necessary exposition was over and the story got going it hardly mattered anymore and the new material was exciting and enthralling.

I got so into this piece that I even put off working on my own story for an hour so that I could finish it.

Both Maia and Dimitri appeared in The Vampire Voss as secondary characters and it was great to see them expanded here and find out more about them. Both are highly likeable characters - Dimitri is brooding and dark while Maia puts aside her very proper English-lady attitude to become feisty and resolute as the story progresses.

I think this could be read as a stand alone book, but readers will get much more from it if they read The Vampire Voss first.

I just received the third book in the series from NetGalley and cannot wait to get stuck in to that. Expect a review within the week!

Sweet Dreams, My Love by Julie Lynn Hayes - Book Review

Title: Sweet Dreams, My Love

Author: Julie Lynn Hayes

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publication Date: 16th February 2011

Format: Ebook - PDF

Pages: 128

Genre:M/M Fantasy Romance

Source: Review Copy from Author





Can love conquer all? Is there such a thing as Fate? Do dreams really come true?

To help pay for his mother’s convalescence, Jakob Kohl leaves his musical studies in Germany in order to be a paid companion to his distant cousin Albert. It’s not a pleasant existence, but Jakob does get to travel to Paris, where he meets a beautiful man who asks for his help… a mysterious man no one else can see. Jakob soon fears he may be going crazy, because he finds himself falling in love with Damien, who says they were brought together by Fate—Jakob is the only one who can rescue Damien from the shadowy world where he sleeps and waits for his dream of everlasting love and freedom to come true. (Goodreads Synopsis)


This was a great read and a clever twist on the Sleeping Beauty tale. I wasn't 100% what to expect when I opened this book and I was still unsure for the first few pages, but suddenly I fell right into the story and read it from cover to cover without stopping.

The plot is well conceived with some great twists (and homage to other books, art and films). I was really swept up in the tale and keen to see what would happen next at every page turn. 

I liked both the main characters; although I would have enjoyed learning more about Jakob, since he wasn't presented in quite the same indepth way as Damien was.

There were a couple of minor inaccuracies in the French when the odd words or phrases cropped up, but this is a minor fault in an otherwise good read and wouldn't be spotted by non-French speakers anyway.
 
This is an M/M romance, so if that isn't your thing then this is not the book for you. Other than that, I would happily recommend it to anyone who'd like to see an intriguing twist on a classic tale.

Winner - Julie Lynn Hayes - Captivations Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. A random selection has been made and the winner is

Reading Mind

Congratulations. The author will be in touch with you shortly!

Alayna Williams - Guest Blog and Giveaway

Welcome to author Alayna Williams who has kindly agreed to come and visit me with a guest blog and an exciting giveaway!

Torturing Your Heroine

by Alayna Williams

As writers, we're told to "murder our darlings." Don't get too attached to any part of the manuscript, and be willing to do the tough work of cutting things that we love that don't work. Be brutal.

A corollary of that rule is to be willing to torture your protagonist.

It’s tough stuff. We lovingly craft a protagonist who speaks to us. We give her strengths and weapons. We want to see her succeed,. We want her to answer the call to adventure, follow the Hero’s Journey, and return to the village with the elixir. We want the reader to root for her, just as much as we do.

But we can’t be gentle with our heroines. We can’t make it easy. It’s all to tempting to create a protagonist with few flaws, who’s virtuous and always makes the right decisions. If we really love our heroine, it’s also tempting to lob softball dilemmas at her, easy choices with few ramifications. We want her to follow the path of all that’s right and good, and we can fall into the trap of paving that road to the quest with golden bricks. We want to shelter her, make sure that her nicely-coiffed hair stays dry and her armor all spit-shiny.

A perfect heroine does not grow. Decisions and missions that are too easy will not challenge her. Or the reader.

To be certain, we want our protagonist to have the tools she needs to succeed: a power, a weapon, pluck, strength. But she needs to bear some flaws. Be human. Make mistakes. Learn from them. In Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, the hero is called to adventure. And the hero often refuses the call. The hero may fall into the arms of temptation. Atone for past sins.

And our protagonist must face monsters, inner conflicts and external obstacles. Campbell calls this the “Road of Trials.” It’s common in myth for the heroine to fail. And that’s what can make writers uncomfortable.

Why would we want our protagonist to fail? Why would we want her to be weak, to suffer, to fall under the sway of temptation or to be ground under the heel of the enemy? Why knock her down? Why keep shoving her to the mud?

Because we want her to get back up. Because we want her to realize who she is...we want her to become something more than we imagined or created.

We want her to have a life of her own.

When a protagonist becomes autonomous in our heads, we know it. We lose control of her. She strides into situations, and we cannot predict the outcome. We can’t tell her what to do, or expect her to conform to expectations. She may slay the dragon or shack up with it. She may take that shiny sword we gave her and use it to cut off the luxurious hair we gave her. She may tell Prince Charming to go screw himself and take up with his slightly dorky footman.

When this happens, our heroine has become a creation in her own right. She may be bedraggled, muddy, and pissed off. But she’ll smile back at us, for giving her a fictional life of her own, to be ruled by her own choices...like a real person, who’s been through trials. She’s made mistakes.

But they are all her own.

And seeing her smile back at you, whole and multidimensional, is worth it.

--

Alayna Wiliams (a.k.a. Laura Bickle) has worked in the unholy trinity of politics, criminology, and technology for several years. She lives in the Midwestern U.S. with her chief muse, owned by four mostly-reformed feral cats. Writing as Laura Bickle, she's the author of EMBERS and SPARKS for Pocket - Juno Books. Writing as Alayna Williams, she's the author of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE. More info on her urban fantasy and general nerdiness is here: www.salamanderstales.com

--

Blurb for ROGUE ORACLE:

The more you know about the future, the more there may be to fear.

Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around - and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn't need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards - and Tara's increasingly ominous dreams - suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationships with the mysterious order known as Delphi's Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen…

ROGUE ORACLE is available now from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. 

Giveaway!

Alayna has very kindly offered to donate a paperback copy of ROGUE ORACLE for a giveaway.

This contest is open internationally and will close on midnight 26th March 2011 (South Australian time). The winner will be contacted the following week. 

To enter you need to be a follower of this blog then leave a comment below. Don't forget to include an email address so we can contact you if you win! Good luck everyone!!

Book Blogger Hop #4 and Follow Friday #1

Book Blogger Hop time with Crazy-For-Books! Yep, the weekend is here!

 "Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?"

  
In the past I often had two paperbacks on the go at once - perhaps a fiction and a non-fiction. Now I have an ereader it tends to be one paperback and one ebook. I usually read the ebook during the day/early eve and the paperback later in the evening.




My first time participating in Follow Friday, hosted by Parajunkee's View.


"How did you come up with your blog name?"

Only a boring answer from me to this week's question, I'm afraid. The blog name is simply my pen name. 

In the Storm - Karen Metcalf - Book Review

Title:In the Storm

Author: Karen Metcalf

Publisher: Vagabondage Press

Publication Date: 12th February 2011

Format: Ebook - EPUB

Pages:93

Genre: Fantasy

Source: ebook blog giveaway

 

Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world. This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.

No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay? (Goodreads synopsis)

This was a lovely novella. When I began the first page, I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I was soon drawn into Carly's world. I was keen to see what would happen to her and her brother and how the story would progress.

The characters were engaging and believable and I loved the other world of Carly's that Metcalf has created. The descriptions were beautifully done.

Not a 'happy' story as such, but a wonderful read and an author to look out for in the future.

Only a short review because I wouldn't want to give anything away.

Undaunted by William Manchee - Book Review

Title: Undaunted

Author: William Manchee

Publisher: Top Publications

Publication Date: 2010

Format:Paperback

Pages: 328

Genre: Mystery

Source: Goodreads First Reads - won by my friend, loaned to me

At the tail end of the Vietnam War, Stan is drafted out of law school and ends up at Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. He has political ambition, so he is looking forward to a successful tour of duty. Unfortunately, fate has other plans for him. On the first day of boot camp he unknowingly befriends a serial killer and soon finds himself on trial for the alleged murder of his drill sergeant. (Goodreads Synopsis)
 

Ok. This was an average read for me. I was loaned the book by a friend who won a copy in the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

There was nothing wrong with the story and I was able to finish reading the book from cover to cover but it never really grabbed me. I was happy enough reading it but I was never truly drawn in.
Nothing was wrong with the characters, but nothing stood out about them either.
The dialogue was my main gripe though as at times it felt really stilted to me and I did...moreOk. This was an average read for me. I was loaned the book by a friend who won a copy in the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

There was nothing wrong with the story and I was able to finish reading the book from cover to cover but it never really grabbed me. I was happy enough reading it but I was never truly drawn in.
Nothing was wrong with the characters, but nothing stood out about them either.
The dialogue was my main gripe though as at times it felt really stilted to me and I didn't believe it.

So, while this was a perfectly fin book, there just wasn't any 'wow' factor about it for me. Not one I'd reread or make a particular point of recommending sadly.