New Cover for Senior Year Bites by J.A. Campbell

Presented by:

J.A. Campbell is a friend of mine and an author whose books I enjoy. She's been on the blog many times and today I'm participating in a reveal for the new cover to "Senior Year Bites". Previously published by Decadent Publishing, it's been re-issued by Untold Press and has been given a new cover. It was supposed to be released this week but it went up early and is available now. I had the pleasure of re-reading it when I helped with the proofreading of the new edition. You can see my review of the earlier edition here.

The Difficult Third Book: A Guest Post by Steve McHugh

Today I am welcoming back urban fantasy author Steve McHugh. His next book in the Hellequin Chronicle series, "With Silent Screams", releases tomorrow, the 18th. The Hellequin books are a blend of urban fantasy, mythology (and not just Greco-Roman or British Isles), and mystery. So far, I've read one book and one short story and I really enjoyed them. 

Steve’s been writing from an early age, his first completed story was done in an English lesson. Unfortunately, after the teacher read it, he had to have a chat with the head of the year about the violent content and bad language. The follow up ‘One boy and his frog’ was less concerning to his teachers and got him an A.

It wasn’t for another decade that he would start work on a full length novel that was publishable, the results of which was the action-packed Urban Fantasy, Crimes Against Magic.

Spotlight On: Crimes Against Magic by Steve J McHugh

Please welcome Steve McHugh to the Nook. Steve is another author who comes from Kelley Armstrong's board, though we only really started talking to each other on twitter, through mutual acquaintances. "Crimes Against Magic" is his first published book, but not his last, since it's the beginning of a series. I haven't read it yet, but someday, after I whittle down my existing TBR pile.

Steve’s been writing from an early age, his first completed story was done in an English lesson. Unfortunately, after the teacher read it, he had to have a chat with the head of the year about the violent content and bad language. The follow up ‘One boy and his frog’ (hmm, maybe Steve was influenced by the kids book, "A Boy, A Dog, and A Frog" by Mercer Mayer?) was less concerning to his teachers and got him an A.

It wasn’t for another decade that he would start work on a full length novel, the results of which is now available to purchase.

He was born in a small village called Mexbrough, South Yorkshire, but now lives with his wife and two young daughters in Southampton.

Book Blurb (from author):

It’s been almost ten years since Nathan Garrett woke on a cold warehouse floor with nothing but a gun, a sword, and no idea of who he was or how he got there. His only clue … a piece of paper with his name on it. Since then, he’s discovered he’s a powerful sorcerer and has used his abilities to work as a thief for hire. But he’s never stopped hunting for his true identity, and those who erased his memory have never stopped hunting for him. When the barrier holding his past captive begins to crumble, Nathan swears to protect a young girl who is key to his enemy’s plans. But with his enemies closing in, and everyone he cares about becoming a target for their wrath, Nathan is forced to choose between the life he’s built for himself and the one buried deep inside him.

Crimes Against Magic is an Urban Fantasy set in modern day London with Historical flashbacks to early fifteenth century France. It’s the first in a series of books called the Hellequin Chronicles, which shows the life of sorcerer Nathan (Nate) Garrett

CRIMES AGAINST MAGIC
By: Steve McHugh
Publisher: Hidden Realms Publishing
ASIN: B007YK01JY
Genre: FICTION, URBAN FANTASY,
Format: EBOOK (Will be available in print at a later date, according to the author)
Length: 523 KB, 295 pages
Release Date: APRIL 27, 2012
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Buying Links: Amazon US     Amazon UK     (coming to Smashwords eventually)

Steve has a prequel of sorts available on his blog. It's called "A Small Vengeance" and is currently not for sale. Click here to read. Want to find out more about Steve? Click here for a list of interviews.

Thanks for stopping by!

Review of "Senior Year Bites" by J.A. Campbell

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Release date: June 22, 2011


Buying Info:  Amazon     Decadent Publishing

Book Blurb (from Decadent Publishing):

Senior year is supposed to be fun: boys, dances and graduation.

It's significantly harder to enjoy it when you’re dead.
Truth or Dare is supposed to be fun too. It’s not even close to dangerous, so playing at Steph's house didn't seem like a bad idea. My dare? Spend the rest of the night in the graveyard next to her house. It was only a couple of hours until false dawn, my proscribed return time, so no big deal right? Right.

I survived the attack, but it took me a few days to figure out what was going on. I mean vampires might stalk pop culture, but they're just myths. Yeah. Not so much.

School is a lot more difficult when you're a nocturnal creature of the night. I was managing, but I couldn't keep it hidden from my friends for long. After I managed to accidentally save one of our cheerleaders from her drunk and ill-intentioned boyfriend. Steph decided that we should be cool, like superheroes, and fight crime.

Only I’m a vampire, not a hero, and we live in a sleepy New England town, so crime's a little harder to come by. At least it is until a serial killer moves into the area. He’s got the authorities stumped, but then again, the cops don't have a teenage, blood-sucking, non-hero on their team.

Word count – 54k

 

In my last couple of reviews, I added quotes to give readers an idea of the writer's style and what I liked or didn't like about it or just thought was fun or interesting. I'm going to do that for most reviews from now on. With this one, I'm adding a teaser feature also, a mini excerpt, a paragraph usually, that might pique your interest in the book. I'll do that for most future reviews, also.

 

 *This review contains minor spoilers*

 

My Thoughts:

Teaser: I wondered what her name was. Though I could identify her by her reek, I didn't think either Steph or Ann would appreciate me calling  her "reeks of lavender" out loud.

That was almost too much, even for me. I had to believe in vampires, but I couldn't help picturing Tinker Bell flying around and sprinkling faerie dust on people that had been killed. I snorted.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been a fan of Campbell's writing since her first installment of her "Into the West" series (and I'm impatiently waiting for the last two installments.) This book has similarities in style to that short story series: a minimum of angst (though there's more in this one, but it's not overdone), humor, an easy, light way of writing, and teens who are a little bit goody two shoes but believable. She also avoids details that might date the story - music, cars, clothes, etc are not referred to by brand except generically ie Meg drives a Jeep but that's all the detail we get. I like that sparseness, there's enough detail to visualize what's happening and fill in the blanks but she doesn't drown you in detail or get all trendy or drop names. The focus is the story and the characters. 

The main characters are Meg and her friends, who are high school students and college students; what few adults we see have little page time. I was somewhat disappointed actually that we didn't see more of Meg's mother. We're told, often, how worried she is and we see her worry but we learn little about her and her interactions with Meg are mostly "honey, why aren't you eating?" (she doesn't know that Meg's a vampire now), "you're so tired these days" and "Yes, you can go to a sleepover at Steph's" house. The focus is on the teen characters but I really would have liked more depth to the adults.

That aside, I really enjoyed this book. The story starts after Meg has been bitten. Her attacker didn't stick around but took off and Meg is taking the sink or swim course in learning how to be a vampire. Later in the story she gets help from an unexpected source. Meg has a lot to learn - how to live as vampire (simple things like remembering to wear her coat while outside in the middle of winter are a challenge for her), dealing with her family, friends, and even high school as a vampire, and, when a supernatural killer comes to town and starts targeting her food ie humans that she's fed from, she grapples with hunting him down and embracing her inner vampire. The scene near the end, where she lets lets her vampire self have full reign in dealing with the killer, is both bittersweet and victorious. She stops the killer and saves her friends but has to let go of a piece of her humanity to do so.

As the story goes along, Meg's friends also have to learn how to cope with her and their relationships change. They also collect some new acquaintances and form an updated Scooby Doo gang, inspired more by Buffy's version than the original, cartoon version. The interactions are enjoyable and come off as believable, something that can be challenging for YA authors.

The world building is light, but she's working on the next book so we may see more in that one. The supernatural world in this book is has vampires and faerie so far; I hope will see more supernatural species, maybe werewolves (bats eyelashes), in future books. We get a glimpse of the faerie world via one of the characters, who also gives us, and Meg, info about vampires. The faerie, who seem to be traditionally based, and vampires, who also seem to have traditional characteristics, do not get along. At first, he doesn't trust Meg, simply because she's a vampire and she dislikes him, he makes the hair on her neck rise and she's suspicious of his relationship with her friend Ann.

The story is set in New England but there's little of a New England feel to the story; it really felt as if it could have happened in any state in the US that has four seasons. (I live in New England and have for most of my life) Also, the school closing for heavy snow was unlikely in the manner in which it happened. The sparseness of details, which I mostly like, may have contributed to the lack of place; I don't know how much research she did but I know she has researched the setting for the next one.

There were some loose ends at the end of the story - Why does Ann speak in a somewhat unnatural, very formal manner? ("It is okay. She is very self-centered. Candice is much better." and "Okay, then we will not have to fight traffic.") What's the connection between the group of teenagers, including Ann's new friends, who moved here simultaneously, and at the same time as Meg's "accident", and recent events? Is there a connection or is it just a red herring? Why did the killer change focus from targeting Meg's victims to girls who resembled Ann? Was Alexander just using Ann to get to Meg? I hope these will be addressed in the next book.

When you get down to it, despite my quibbles, I enjoyed this book and have read it several times now. I like the characters, her mix of vampires and faerie, her style and the overall story.

The reviewer owns this ebook.

Review of Hunting Kat by PJ Schnyder

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: July 4th, 2011

More Info:  Amazon     All Romance  

Book Blurb:

As a mercenary, Kat Darah doesn't have to pass for a normal human. On the edge of the solar system, she's just another biped. Most of the time.

Nearing the end of his military tour, Lt. Christopher Rygard debates the idea of hanging up his uniform for good. Looking for answers at the bottom of a glass of scotch, he meets Kat. One shared night of mutual desire seems harmless. But when their tryst is interrupted by attackers hunting Rygard, Kat must reveal her other form, the predator beneath the human façade.

Together they embark on a dangerous mission—a race against time to meet the enemy's demands, while trying to deny the passion between them. Rygard is faced with a terrible choice in the face of duty: Report the existence of a human turned shape-shifter. Or forget he ever met her.

25,000 words

My Thoughts: 

As I re-read this story in preparation for the review, I shared passages and my thoughts on them on twitter and facebook (Kindle's share feature is AWESOME). As a result, several people are now intrigued and want to read it. :) Additionally, several of us agreed that Kat, the story's main character, is not alone in needing to improve her social skills. :D

This is one snippet that I shared and the resulting conversation:

• yep, her social skills definitely need work. lol

  
  

  Shared from a Personal Document

  kindle.amazon.com
  

  Lifting his drink, he nodded. “Mind if I buy you another?” Kaitlyn studied the man for a beat before the question popped out. “Why?”

  
  

  via Kindle

• • J  That sounds like an exchange I would have. But I never claimed to be socially savvy.
  • • B This character and I have similar social skills, sadly. However, I lack her kick ass fighting kills and her ability to change into a panther. :(

                         J    ‎*sigh* It's that whole transfiguration thing that stumps me every time.

                         B     Yeah, it's a puzzler alright.

                         L      lol. so whwich book is this Bea. You got me curious now.

                         B      LOL. It's "Hunting Kat" by PJ Schnyder. It's an e-book.

                         L      Thanks!


My point is, despite the fact that Kat is a were-panther and despite the science fiction setting, Kat is relatable and sympathetic. That doesn't always happen in urban fantasy or in sci fi. So, for me, that is a major strength of this story.

Kat underwent s series of harsh events three years ago and though she's physically recovered, her emotional recovery has been more difficult. She has learned, for the most part, to cope with what happened but still suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome. In an effort to help her with this, Dev, the captain of the mercenary ship she lives and works on, who is also her friend, and Skuld, the ship's engineer, arrange for her to be temporarily stranded on a space station. They've seen how far she has come emotionally and socially, and believe that she is ready for the next step - pleasant, normal interactions with males. I'm sure you see where this is going. Skuld hopes that Kat will get laid and fills Kat's duffle bag with one change of clothes and, to Kat's disgust and chagrin, a veritable rainbow of lacy undergarments.

Before Kat gets social, she meets up with Boggle, a information broker, who was acquainted with Kat years ago, though she doesn't recall it. Their initial meeting is bumpy but Boggle has a backbone and holds his own, which earns Kat's respect. He breaks the news to her that her shipmates and friends have left her on the station and the ship has left. Upset, Kat heads for the space station's bar.

There's a brawl in progress when she arrives; Kat plows through it, determined to have her drink. This captures the attention of Lieutenant Christopher Rygard, of the Terran military. He's there drinking and brooding, not really in the mood for company. He recently broke up with his girl friend and he's having second thoughts about re-enlisting in the military as he has moral problems with recent missions. Kat's fighting prowess, and her determination to reach her scotch, catch his eye and he starts chatting her up.

They hook up and Schnyder does a deft job of portraying the attraction between them, Kat's conflict between desire and fear, and Rygard's attempt to balance his desire and his compassion for her fear. They work past her fear and things go well. I'm dubious about how easily Kat orgasms, it's highly unlikely given her circumstances, but it's a minor quibble.

During the afterglow is when all heck breaks loose. Boggle had sent Kat a gift, which arrived while Kat and Rygard were together in her room. It included a communications jammer, to allow them privacy, and a background check on Rygard. Rygard sees the background check and takes it badly. He assumes that Kat requested it (she didn't) and that she's some sort of gold digger. He gets nasty, saying cruel things to her. I felt that this was a weak point in the story. We know that his last relationship didn't end well, that his ex lied to him and used him, but there simply wasn't enough groundwork laid for his behavior towards Kat to be believable. Additionally, we never get to know Rygard as well as we do Kat, he's less developed. He's likable, when he's not being unneccesarily cruel to Kat, but he could have been fleshed out more.

While Kat is reeling from Rygard's accusations, they are attacked by two humanoids and a jaguar. Kat's nose tells her that all of them are shifters. She shifts to her panther form, surprising Rygard, who was clueless about her dual identity. The strangers accuse Rygard of murder and kidnapping. After a brief battle between the jaguar and Kat , Kat finds herself volunteering to help Rygard rescue the kidnapped cubs and in return, the strangers won't kill him.

The rest of the story revolves around Kat and Rygard's rescue mission, with help from Boggle and her shipmates, who have returned to the space station. I won't say how that turns out but Schnyder is creative; she also has a good eye for details.

By the end of the story Kat and Rygard have resolved their disagreement and are friends again. The story doesn't have a typical HEA, more of what another reviewer called a "Happy For Now". If you like or need an HEA, you won't find it here. However, if Schnyder had gone that route, she would not have been true to the characters or the story. This ending is much more believable than an HEA that would have rung falsely and fit poorly.

"Hunting Kat" is an enjoyable blend of romance, urban fantasy and science fiction. Schnyder knows how to grab and hold the reader's attention. The opening line particularly grabs you:

“Give me back my bra, you little tube rat, or I’ll rip out your spine and steal your soul.”

Now, how can you resist? 

I received this eARC from NetGalley.

Interview with RT Award winning author DB Reynolds & A Giveaway

Today I'm delighted to have D. B. Reynolds here with me. I first met D.B. at the Kelley Armstrong board; yes, she's another published writer who started out in the OWG there. I first encountered her in the debate area. Let me tell you, the woman can debate. Though we tend to agree on subjects, even when I disagree with her, she can make me see her perspective. There's no question that she can effectively use words to make her point. It's no wonder she took up writing.

D.B. has 5 books published so far, a stand alone called "Heart of the Wolf", and 4 books in her "Vampires in America" series.

 


D.B. has a website with a blog, and can be found on facebook, and she just recently joined twitter. Look her up and say hi, then curl up with one of her books. But leave a light on.

BEA: Donna, thank you for taking the time to come by and talk with me. And congratulations on your novel “Jabril” winning the RT Reviewer’s Choice Award. That is wonderful news! You must have been so excited. Did you have any idea prior to nomination that it might happen? 

D.B.:  I didn’t. In fact, I didn’t even know I was nominated until a fellow writer posted about it on one of my writing loops. I was so excited. And then I couldn’t believe it when I actually won. I just sort of floated down the hall to let my husband know that he was now married to an award-winning author!

 

BEA:  “Jabril” was the second book in your “Vampires in America” series, you just released “Sophia” the fourth book and are working on the fifth book, “Duncan”. How many more will there be? Is there a definite end?

D.B.: My current contract is for eight books, which is what I originally designed the series to be. Eight books for the eight Vampire Lords of North America. But if my readers, and my publisher, want it go on, I could easily see the series expanding.

 

BEA: Do you have any say in the cover models or designs of your books? They have been pretty wonderful. 

D.B.: I’ve been so fortunate in my covers on two fronts. First, my publisher gives me quite a bit of input into my covers, which is something very few publishers give their authors. I abuse it terribly and sometimes drive both my publisher and the artist crazy. But secondly, I’ve been lucky to work with a wonderful and talented artist, Patricia Lazarus. She patiently puts up with my PITB e-mails and always comes up with something beautiful.

BEA: Can you please tell me a bit about yourself?

D.B.: Me? Well ... I’m a writer. I started out in academia, but soon fled the backstabbing and politics of the university for the sound stages of Hollywood where at least you get paid very well for putting up with the backstabbing and politics! I was a sound editor for several years, and received two Emmy nominations, before my wonderful husband made it possible for me to quit the daytime job altogether and try to write full time. Or close enough anyway. He wanted some of my newly free time for himself, too.

BEA: What’s a typical day of writing for you? Are you a planner or do you wing it?

D.B.:  I’m a planner all the way. I do detailed outlines with character sketches, all the major plot points and first drafts of many major scenes before I actually start writing the book.  I also maintain an overall calendar for the series, as well as a day by day calendar for each book as I write it, so I can be sure my characters are moving in sync.  And a series bible, too.  Like I said, planner all the way!

BEA: What prompted you to start writing? Would you continue to write if you were no longer published?

D.B.: I’ve always loved books. When I was a child, my mom or dad would take me to the library every week and I’d check out as many books as the library would let me, which was like nine or ten books. By the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to write, because I wanted to create worlds and characters like those I’d been reading forever. And I was pretty sure I could do it, too.  I’d probably write even if I wasn’t published, but my goal would always be to GET published. Because I want to share my stories. 

BEA: What is your favorite part of writing? What is your least favorite part?

D.B.: My favorite part of writing is the writing itself. I’m not one of those tortured writers who has to force herself to sit down and squeeze out a book. Nor do I mind that it’s a solitary endeavour. I’m a very solitary person and I love writing, so it’s the best of all worlds for me.  My least favorite part is having to delete scenes I’ve worked so hard on. Sometimes my editor just doesn’t like the scene, or thinks it slows the narrative. Or sometimes the book comes in too long. It breaks my heart to chop up what I’ve written!

BEA: Do you think that the paranormal is waning in publishing, changing, or holding strong?

D.B.: I think there will always be a market for good paranormal stories. Paranormal, Sci Fi and Fantasy are the ultimate escapist literature and most people read for just that reason, because it takes them away from their lives and into a whole new world.

BEA: Currently your stories are paranormal romance, do you see yourself writing straight up paranormal stories? Do you think you might try a different genre sometime?

 

D.B.: My books straddle the line between paranormal romance and urban fantasy.  I like having a strong relationship angle in my stories, even when the relationship is not the central part of the plot. I could see myself writing stories with less of a relationship angle, but I don’t think I’d want to leave it out entirely. It makes the story more personal. As for a different genre, I’d love to try romantic suspense/thriller, or even a straight up suspense/thriller with just a touch of romance.

BEA: Who are some of your influences? Some of your favorite writers?

D.B.:  I don’t know that I have influences other than the wonderful writers I’ve read all my life. Every time I read a book I learn something about writing. My favorite writers would be a very long list, but just a few of them are Adrian Phoenix, Kelley Armstrong, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, Gwen Hunter, Rob Thurman, Ilona Andrews, John Sandford, Scott Turow, Dan Abnett ...  I could go on and it’s an ever evolving and growing list.

 

BEA: Was there someone who was, or is, particularly helpful to you? Was there someone who inspired you in your writing? In what way(s)?

D.B.: Amy Stout, who had been an editor at all the major Sci Fi publishing houses for years before she and her family moved to California, gave my writing a major boost at a very critical point in my career. She was the first true professional who told me I actually could write and that my stories had merit. I also have to credit Kelley Armstrong, because she created the Online Writers Group, which is still my main writing group. I met both of my critique partners, Michelle Muto and Steve McHugh, in the OWG, and I don’t know what I’d do without them.

 

BEA: You have been active in the Online Writers Group on Kelley Armstrong’s discussion board. Do you think that helped your writing? Did it help you make contacts in the publishing world?

 

D.B.: The OWG definitely helped my writing. There are a lot of talented and skillful writers there, not to mention various experts whom I’ve tapped for help over the years. And as I mentioned above, I met both of my critique partners through the OWG. 

BEA: You have an account on facebook and a very active blog. Do you think that social media is important for an author to be involved in? Do you see yourself getting more involved? Do you think you might start your own message board someday? 

D.B.: Social media is critical for an author these days. It’s a way to get word out about new books, signings, reviews, and interviews like this one! It lets me connect with my readers in a way I never could have before. Right now, I have a blog and Facebook, but within the next month I’ll be going live on Twitter, too. (she is there now - @DBReynoldsWrite ) It’s one more way to connect with my existing readers and maybe make some new ones. I don’t have any plans for a message board, but I wouldn’t rule it out for the future.

 

BEA: Do you prefer to read paper books or ebooks? Why?

D.B.: I bought myself a Kindle for the holidays. I give the best gifts!! And I love it. I resisted e-books until my own books went Kindle, but now I’m completely hooked. I love the ease of reading it, I love the ease of buying new books—which is great for Amazon, but not so great for my book budget. Yikes! But if given a choice between a print or e-book, I’ll choose the e-book.  And that’s something I never thought I’d say.

BEA: If you could be a character in a book, which one would it be, and what part would you play? (Romantic lead, sidekick, etc)

D.B.: Hmmmm. I want to be the lucky, beautiful woman who gets the gorgeous, hunky, immortal warrior/vampire/werewolf as her devoted lover.  I love the idea of having someone that powerful as my protector. Why do you think I write the stories I do?

BEA: Anything that you want to add or say to your readers?

D.B.: I always thank my readers from the bottom of my heart. I get so many e-mails and blog and Facebook posts telling me how much they love my stories and my characters. And it means so much to me to hear that.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

D.B. has generously offered a signed copy of either Sophia or Rajmund, and it's open internationally.    

Just leave a comment here on either the interview or my review of Sophia and a way to contact you. (see the giveaway policy here)

Giveaway runs through midnight EST of Monday May 23, 2011

Review of Sophia by DB Reynolds

Publisher: ImaJinn Books


Release date: April 3, 2011
Series: #4 in the Vampires in America series


More Info: Amazon

Book Blurb:

The Pacific Northwest . . . home to lush forests and constant rain, to lumberjacks and computer geeks, especially those of the vampire kind. 

Sophia, beautiful and deadly, has spent the last hundred years dancing her way through the balmy nights and hot-blooded men of South America. But when her Sire sends an urgent summons, Sophia rushes home to Vancouver only to find he has disappeared, leaving nothing behind but three dead vampires and a letter with Sophia’s name on it. 

Colin Murphy, a former Navy SEAL, came to the Northwest seeking a quiet place to heal the scars earned in more than a decade at war. But when someone starts killing local vampires and torturing their mates, Colin takes on the mantle of a warrior once again as he sets out to find the killers and do whatever it takes to stop them, even if that means hunting with vampires. 


 Following her Sire’s trail of death to a small town in northern Washington, Sophia unexpectedly discovers the heat of a South American night in Colin’s arms. But too soon Sophia and Colin find themselves in a race to uncover the killers before the next dead vampire becomes Sophia herself.

My Thoughts:

I like this series more and more with each book. It has wonderful word building, fascinating characters that you love or hate but you definitely feel something for them, and a balanced mix of action, quiet scenes, romance, sex and mystery. The stories have some of the familiar elements of vampire books but Reynolds definitely has her own take on vampire lore. This is not a cookie cutter PNR series. The vampire world, as well as events in previous books, is carefully detailed but there's never an info-dump. 

Vampire lord Raphael and his human mate Cyn thread throughout the series and tie each of the books together. My one main complaint about this book, in fact, was that large chunks of the story were devoted to Raphael, the murder of his people, and his relationship with Cyn. While much of this served to further the overall story of both the book and the series, it did feel to me as if Colin and Sophia got short-changed. 

Despite that, what we do see of Sophia and Colin in enjoyable. They had been lovers years ago, but Colin was unaware that Sophia was a vampire. Their love affair ended when she died in a bombing. So he thought. It's not enough of a shock discovering that she's alive, oh no, to make it more interesting she is, and was, a vampire. He is understandably angry and confused but he manages to work with her on discovering the perpetrators responsible for killing two local vampires and attacking the mate of another.


Sophia is a more "human" vampire than Raphael, similar to Rajmund. Most of the time, she does not come across as scary and arrogant but can pass for human. That's not to say that she can't be the scary, arrogant bloodsucker when she needs to be, but she doesn't feel the need to act that way all of the time. I found this made her more likable and relatable; Reynolds' vampires are not warm and fuzzy, they are the top of the food chain and you always know it. However, they are not cookie cutter, each one is a clearly a separate character with a separate personality. Not all authors pull that off but Reynolds does it very well.


Colin is strong, loyal, funny, compassionate and determined to do the right thing. He is coasting, somewhat, in his job as local law enforcement but when he needs to, he doesn't hesitate to get out there and do his job. That doesn't always make him popular with the locals or his friends but, despite the pain it causes him, he does it anyway. He's someone you would want on your side and that you could count on.

Both Sophia and Colin feel very real, like people you might actually know. This added to the appeal of the book for me and I expect that I will be re-reading this one. If you haven't read the series, and you like dark scary vampires mixed with romance, sex and mysteries, you really need to check them out.


Paperback was received from the author for review.

Interview with Paranormal Romance author Angela Addams

Today I'm pleased to welcome Angela Addams to the blog. Although she's a busy lady, with not only a new release, "Ghost Bride", but also a new baby, she took some time to sit down and answer some questions for me.

Angela, if you aren't familiar with her books, writes paranormal romance/erotica. Her other stories, "Assassin" and "The Temptress", are about vampires while her new is a ghostly love story. On her website you can find her blog, her book list and links to her recommended sites; she's also on twitter as @AngelaAddams. She lives in Ontario Canada with her husband and children, has been fascinated with the[paranormal since she was little, and believes that the written word is an amazing tool for crafting the most erotic of scenarios. She is also another wonderful author to come out of the Online Writers Group at the Kelley Armstrong Board.

Bea: First, thanks for taking the time to do this. Not only are you busy writing but you just had a baby about a month ago. Congratulations on your son.                             

Angela: Thanks for hosting me on your blog Bea!

Bea: Can you please tell me a bit about yourself?

Angela: I write under the pen name Angela Addams and currently have three short pieces published at Cobblestone Press and am agented by Sarah Heller of the Helen Heller Agency. I’m the mother of two, a girl and boy, as well as the proud owner of four very naughty cats.  I love chocolate and steak, but not chocolate covered steak and can’t live without my iPhone. I have an unhealthy obsession with paranormal romance and love watching the Dog Whisperer. 

Bea: What’s a typical day of writing for you? Are you a planner or do you wing it?

Angela: A typical day of writing? Well, that’s a tough one to answer these days because the baby takes up a lot of my time and isn’t really on a set schedule. I try to get some writing done in the morning when he’s sleeping but I also manage to steal an hour or two at various points in the day when I can convince my daughter to keep him occupied. I tend to do a little bit of both planning and winging it. I always start with a general outline and fill in the holes, or finer details, as I go along.

Bea: Is “Ghost Bride” part of a series or a stand alone? What is next on your schedule?

Angela: I do have plans to build a series out of Ghost Bride but right now I’m totally fixated on working on rewrites for my agent which I find all consuming at the moment.

Bea: Did you draw on any particular mythology for “Ghost Bride” or is it all original?   

Angela: I actually got the idea for Ghost Bride on my way to work one morning when the radio station personality I was listening to started talking about the mythology behind ghost brides. I found the story intriguing, did a little research and discovered that there was a belief in Chinese culture that centered around being wedded after death in order to avoid generations of bad luck. I took the idea and put my own spin on it, created a ceremony and story, and Ghost Bride was born. 

Bea: What prompted you to start writing? Would you continue to write if you were no longer published?

Angela: I’ve been writing since I was a little kid (I still have my first “novel” that I wrote when I was six called The Fuzzy Wuzzels – it has pictures and everything!) So being published or not would not stop me from writing – it’s been a compulsion from childhood. However, it is nice to be encouraged by both my publisher and my agent – writing is such a solitary pursuit and it’s hard to know if what you’re producing is any good without some kind of external validation.

Bea: What is your favorite part of writing? What is your least favorite part?

Angela: My favorite part is when I first get an idea and start brainstorming plot points – it’s always a rush and so exciting. When I’m in that zone I even get ideas while I’m sleeping and have to jot down notes when I wake up so that I don’t forget them.

My least favorite part is editing – it gets very tedious and I lose patience quickly so sometimes I rush through it when it’s really a stage in writing that needs the most time.

Bea: According to your site, you’ve been fascinated by the paranormal from a young age. What is the attraction for you?

Angela: I just love all things black and orange – you know, Halloween stuff. I get so excited when I see anything to do with paranormal anything – my kitchen is permanently decorated with jack-o-lanterns and I have Wicked Witch of the West collector dolls adorning my china cabinet in my dining room! I just love everything from the blood suckers to the spell casters and all the creatures in between.


Bea: Do you think that the paranormal is waning in publishing, changing, or holding strong?

Angela: I think that the genre is probably glutted right now with so many paranormal writers out there. At the moment, according to my agent, the focus is on cross-genre stories but I don’t think that paranormal will ever be totally out. I’m not the only one out there who loves supernatural creatures – we just need an infusion of different worlds, characters and mythologies to keep it fresh and interesting.

Bea: Currently your stories are paranormal romance, do you see yourself writing straight up paranormal stories? Do you think you might try a different genre sometime? 
 
Angela: The manuscript I’m working on with my agent is actually more straight up paranormal with a very limited romance thread. I like writing about paranormal stuff but I have also written historical fiction.


Bea: Who are some of your influences? Some of your favorite writers?

Angela: Oh gosh, there are many, many writers who inspire me. Some of my favorites are Kelley Armstrong, D.B. Reynolds, Kresley Cole, Veronica Wolff, Rhyannon Byrd and Jennifer Armintrout.

Bea: Was there someone who was, or is, particularly helpful to you? Was there someone who inspired you in your writing? In what way(s)?

Angela: This is going to sound strange I’m sure but one of the most inspirational people in my life was a high school English teacher I had who really believed in my writing ability and encouraged me to pursue my dream of becoming a published author. (Bea here - as the daughter of an English teacher, I think this is AWESOME!) His unwavering cheerleading came at a time when I needed support and an ego boost the most so I count his influence as being particularly important in driving me toward my writing goals.  Another person who I consider a mentor of sorts is Kelley Armstrong. She has given me some great advice and I will forever be grateful for her support.



Bea: What genres do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favorite authors?

Angela: I am addicted to paranormal romance. The authors I listed above are ones that I am devoted to reading. I am also an avid Victorian literature fan – one of my favorite authors in that genre is Wilkie Collins.

Bea: You have an account Twitter and a blog. Do you think that social media is important for an author to be involved in? Do you see yourself getting more involved?

Angela: I enjoy using my blog and Twitter to connect with other writers and readers. If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t use it. I think that your heart and interest has to be in it for it to work for you. At the moment I’m using it to get my thoughts out there and to promote my books but it does stretch me to the limit where time is concerned. If I do find myself in the position of leaving my day job and becoming a full time writer I will probably expand my social networking to include other mediums.

Bea: Does your family read your books? What do they think?

Angela: I don’t allow my family (as in my mom and dad) to read my work– it’s too graphic for them but I do have a close cousin and quite a few friends who read my stuff both pre and post published. My parents know about my work of course and are very supportive, I just don’t want them to read the sex scenes – I think it would be very awkward! My husband has read some of my work – he’s not a big reader but is always very encouraging and supports the time I need to get work done.

Bea: Currently, your books are only available as e-books ( or that’s all I could find). Will they be available in print? Do you want a book in print someday or do you prefer digital?

Angela: The three shorts I have published through Cobblestone Press are all e-books only – no plans for print versions. I do aspire to be “in print” someday and am working on that aspect of my writing career with my agent.


Bea: Do you prefer to read paper books or ebooks? Why

Angela: I like both actually.  I have an e-reader and love the convenience and portability of e-books but I also collect leather bound books and hard covers for some of my favorite authors.  


Bea: If you could be a character in a book, which one would it be, and what part would you play? (Romantic lead, sidekick, etc)

Angela: Great question but also a tough one! I think I would be the kick-a## heroine who knows how to get the job done and save the world!



Bea: Anything that you want to add or say to your readers?

Angela: Come and visit me at my website www.angelaaddams.com and comment on my blog or follow me on Twitter @angelaaddams 

Angela, thanks so much for stopping by today. :) 

Review of Ghost Bride by Angela Addams

Publisher: Cobblestone Press

Release date: April 2011

More info: Publisher


Book Blurb:

Not only is she dead, trapped in her house as a bored and useless ghost, but she’s dead and now supposedly married to a mysterious stranger name Cole. Dasha is faced with a dilemma: give into her pulsing desires for her new husband who is hotter than any man she’s ever seen before or play it safe like she always did when she was alive and reject the only passion she has ever felt.

How much faith is she willing to put into a bond that she didn’t ask for, in a marriage that she didn’t even agree too?  


My Thoughts:

Dasha reminded me a bit of myself - bookish, not very adventurous, dislikes being ordered around, a home body. Ironically, now that she's dead and her ghostly self is unable to leave the home she occupied while alive, she wants desperately to leave, to go somewhere, anywhere: "She was dead and damn angry to feel so helpless and trapped, but there was nothing she could do about it." She regrets that she didn't do more living while she was alive. The only thing that she wants more is to see her sister Emma one last time. Unfortunately, Dasha has not seen anyone since her death so she is stunned when a strange man shows up unannounced in her house.

The stranger, named Cole (sorry but that name always makes me think of the demon Cole from the tv show "Charmed") is Dasha's husband, unbeknownst to her. Cole is several hundred years dead and unused to how modern American women behave. He finds himself both annoyed by and attracted to Dasha's behavior. 

Cole is on a deadline to consummate his and Dasha's wedding and he wastes no time in informing Her that they are married. Dasha has no memory of marrying anyone, during her life or agfterlife, and thinks that he's crazy.

Cole is arrogant, old-fashioned, has a sense of humor, and has secrets; he hesitates to trust Dasha, despite their marriage. He has a lot riding on their marriage. Dasha is reluctant to trust Cole while she's also attracted to him, and thinks that maybe here is her chance for a hot torrid romance, if only she coudl trust him. Addams takes the Chinese tradition of ghost brides, updates and tweaks it, and adds some other, more generic mythological elements and mixes them up with some romance and erotica.

I wish that more time has been spent on world building. There's a lot going on and parts were confusing. The afterlife itself and how it works, what it is, could have been further developed, and so could the other mythological elements. In an interview, Addams mentioned that there may possibly be more stories in this world, maybe even a series, though nothing is definite. I hope so as I'd like to see more. The story's length, only 66 pages including the cover, was a factor in the amount of development that could be done.  It's a neat little romance, with some sexy scenes and a nice helping of mythology.

This ebook was received from the author review.

New Author JA Campbell talks about her short story & there's a giveaway!

Today we have a visit from a debut author, JA Campbell. Her first novel, Arabian Dreams, is due out August 1st of this year and her first short story, Into the West, was released yesterday, March 8th, 2011. It's part of an exciting new series from Echelon Press and marks her debut as a published author.

JA is yet another author from the Online Writers Group at Kelley Armstrong's discussion board. If you want to improve your writing and possibly get published, you really need to go join. They have about a dozen members who have gone on to be published.


 A little bit about JA:  Julie writes fantasy novels. When she’s not out riding her horse, she can usually be found sitting in front of her computer with a cat on her lap and her dog at her side.  You can find out more at her website www.writerjacampbell.com

Interview with romance author Morgan Ashbury Part 2

 

Hello, and welcome back. Today I wrap up my interview with Morgan, writer of romance and erotic romance. If you missed part 1, you can find it here.

Morgan writes romance and erotic romance and has been very busy in the 4 years since she was first published , with almost 20 books to her credit. Today we are talking about romance, her mentors and other assorted topics.

Welcome back Morgan, thank you for taking the time to do this. 

Bea: Was there someone who was, or is, particularly helpful to you? Was there someone who inspired you in your writing? In what way(s)?

Morgan:  I always acknowledge Kelley Armstrong. I met her at a writing seminar just as her second book, Stolen, came out. We clicked. I went to her website. One day she said, “What do you think about starting a writing group on line at my site?” That group gave me the forum I needed to improve my craft. Kelley also invited me to go to CanWrite 2005 in Kitchener with her, and that was where I first learned about “erotic romance”. Then she said, “let’s go to RT in May next year. It’s in Daytona Beach!” I did, and that is where I met my publisher.

I consider her friendship to be one of my greatest treasures.

Bea: Ok, so now I have to ask: Who are some of your favorite authors? 

Morgan:  How much space do we have? Kelley Armstrong, Emma Wildes, A. J. Menden (KA OWG member), D. B. Reynolds (KA OWG member & future featured interviewee), Sharon Ashwood, Raina James (KA OWG member), Lara Santiago, Nora Roberts, J. D. Robb, Jayne Ann Krentz, Catherine Coulter, Kay Hooper, Barbara Delinsky, Clive Cussler, Vicky Lewis Thompson. I also enjoy the staff writers who write as “Richard Castle”, lol. 

Bea:  Do you have a favorite of the stories you’ve written?

Morgan:  I am proud of every single story I have written. I have 16 titles published under the pen name of Morgan Ashbury (and no, please don’t tell them my real name), and I have 4 stories (well, 5 on Friday the 11^th) published under a second pen name, Cara Covington.

My Magic and Love series is my sentimental favorite. I was very proud of The Lady Makes Three, my first ménage.  I am also really liking this Lusty, Texas series, too!

***I think Magic and Love is my fave also, I really enjoyed them - Bea*** 

Bea: If you could be a character in a book, which one would it be, and what part would you play? (Romantic lead, sidekick, etc)

Morgan: Oh, there’s a bit of me in every book I’ve written. I’m Hannah in the Magic and Love Trilogy. I’m Lily, in Lily In Bloom. But if I could be in someone else’s books, I’d be a friend or a confidante to the hero or the heroine. It’s just the way I’m wired, at heart, I’m not a centre-stage kind of person.

Bea: You’re on Twitter and facebook, but don’t use them often that I’ve seen. Do you think that hurts your sales at all? Do you think they are important or necessary for published authors?

Morgan: Yes, they are important. All promotion is important. That said, I do believe the best promotion is writing really good stories.

I write a weekly blog and have since 2006. It’s called Wednesday’s Words, and it has a substantial following. It’s included as a regular article in a number of blogs, and is a featured item in “Euro Reviews” an European book review site based in Antwerp, Belgium.

Just this past December I finally set up a blog for it, specifically. This blog keeps the name of Morgan Ashbury visible, and that is half of what promotion is all about.

I don’t use the social networks often because I’m so busy writing! I published 6 books in 2010, which is a lot. And, sadly, I forget to tweet. It’s not that I don’t want to tweet and…[um is there a verb for posting on face book? Is it facing? Booking?] I do want to. There’s just not enough hours in the day.

There is one other aspect to all of this tweeting and facing and blogging. Let me say it like this: my first computer was an abacas.

Bea:  Do you prefer paper books or ebooks? Why?

Morgan:  I do like holding a paper book. But I have an awesomely lucrative career writing e books. So, I have to say I prefer both, for different reasons.

Bea: What is the most romantic anyone has ever done for you? How would you define romance in real life? 

Morgan:  In real life, romance changes as you grow older, and closer to the one you love. I have been married now for 39 years, come July 2011. When my feet or ankles ache, I say to my beloved, “please rub my feet” and he never says no.

That is pretty darn romantic.

Bea: Does your family read your books? What do they think?

Morgan:  My husband reads every single book I write. He is my main beta reader, and he is very proud of me.

My daughter reads some of what I’ve written, but she kind of skips over the sex scenes as she doesn’t want to know that I know those things!

My brother has purchased every one of my books, and my sister has read a few.

Bea: You first became published a few years ago, at what some might consider a late age. Do you think that has been an advantage, disadvantage, or irrelevant? 

Morgan:  I think things happen when they are meant to happen. In this day and age, when I can sit at home in my pajamas and write, and people buy and read what I write, things like age or infirmity really are irrelevant. 

I personally know a very good author, a top seller with both Amber Quill and EC, who is in her 80s.

Bea: Anything that you want to add or say to your readers?

Morgan: I consider myself highly blessed to have been given this second career at a time when I didn’t know what the future really held for me. 

So many of my readers take the time to write, and I am thrilled each and every time I hear from them. To my readers I would like to say, thank you! Thank you so much for reading what I have had enormous fun writing. 

Morgan, thank you again for coming by. I've enjoyed this.