The Final Tallies Are In! 01/12/2012
My thanks to all who took the time to read and vote for World-Mart for this year's Predators and Editors Readers' Choice Poll. Out of a whopping 93 entries, World-Mart finished in 8th place--not bad for an indy book! Here are the top ten winners of the sci-fi/fantasy category: 1. Zero Time, T.W. Fendley, L&L Dreamspell, [link][comments] 2. Exiled: Autumn's Peril, Rosalie Skinner, MuseItUp Publishing, [link][comments] 2. Bloodbreeders Living in Darkness, Robin Renee Ray, Hellfire Publishing, [link][comments] 3. Spectra, Joanne Elder, MuseItUp Publishing, [link][comments] 4. Champion of Valor, Nicole Zoltack, Desert Breeze Publishing, [link][comments] 5. Time Pullers, Horton Deakins, 4RV Publishing, [link][comments] 6. Rex Rising, Chrystalla, Thoma, [link][comments] 7. Blood Divided, Kevin James Breaux, Dark Quest Books, [comments] 8. World-Mart, Leigh M. Lane, Cerebral Books, [link][comments] 9. Lucca: Warriors for the Light, Karen Michelle Nutt, Rebecca J. Vickery Publishing, [link][comments] 10. Pandora's Box, Gracen Miller, Decadent Publishing, [link][comments] View the full list of standings here. Time to celebrate! Add Comment Predators and Editors Reader's Choice Poll 01/04/2012
If you have not yet cast your science fiction/fantasy vote for P&E, my dystopia WORLD-MART could use your vote. Let me know if you need a copy in time to decide before the polls close on the 10th and I'll set you up. I do not want any cheat votes; I want to win this on my book's actual merit. Already read WORLD-MART and think it deserves your vote? Stop by the voting page and show your support. Thanks! Congratulations, Goodreads Winners! 12/02/2011
Huge congrats to Marilyn C., Andrew J., Jesse K., Sam B., and Robyn B. ... you each have won a copy of WORLD-MART! Your copies are in the mail. My thanks to all 407 entrants to the giveaway. Good luck next time! Win a Copy of WORLD-MART through Goodreads! 11/19/2011
Now through December 1--winners chosen randomly by Goodreads: It is my pleasure to have pop culture author Bertena Varney here to talk about her recent release, Lure of the Vampire. As an added bonus, one lucky reader will win an electronic copy of her book, so make sure to leave a comment and share with your social networks. Thanks so much for coming here today, Bertena! Tell us about Lure of the Vampire.  When I began to write this book, it didn’t begin as a book. It began as part of my master’s thesis. The long story of how Lure of the Vampire came to be is included in my book, but the short version is that I needed a final class to graduate and how my wonderful professor allowed me to create an independent study course looking at the sociological lure of the vampire. Well, I finished my paper and several people said that it would be a great beginning to a book. So, I spoke to new authors that I met on Facebook and researched how to publish a book. It looked simple enough. So, I decided I would do it. Boy was I wrong but I will save that for a later post. Once I decided to write the book I began what would be almost two years of research. I looked up folklore stories, serial killers known as vampires, author websites, vampire games and much more. While researching I found that people are very passionate about their vampires! Being a sociologist and criminologist by trade I decided to be as objective as possible ensuring that I didn’t take sides on the sparkly vampire versus traditional vampires. I even came up with a theory that showed why we need all types of vampires. But, still that was all the battles and arguments that I came across dealing with this creature of the night. It wasn’t just the Twihards that were passionate about their Twilight vampires or the real life vampires that were protective of their lifestyle (and rightly so) but it was the everyday person who had a different idea of what a vampire is. I received hate emails from people saying that I was bringing demons to life and into their world and I was going to hell. Other emails ranged from a battle of what television shows were better and who is the best television vampire. I have to say Henry Fitzroy and Mick St. John fans are passionate and don’t let me begin discussing the True Blood fans. But, the most passionate groups are the women who love the romantic vampires and the erotic stories. They have their favorite knight in a black cape and will defend them to the end. Their vampire heroes come into their bedroom at night off the pages of the books they read and bring romance and passion to their lives. These women may or may not be the traditional fan of the vampire but when it comes to their favorite character they are every loyal and passionate.  My findings after researching vampires was that there are no two vampire fans that are alike, vampire fans are very passionate about their vampires and that there is a vampire for everyone- they just need to know where to look for them. As a result, I decided to categorize my reference book into sections dealing with the different types of vampires. I thought that if one person wanted to know more about children’s vampires or learn more about recreational events that deal with vampires then the book should be easy to use. Here are the ten sections that the book is divided into are: vampires in mythology, vampires in history, vampires in literature, vampires in movies, vampires on television, vampires on the web, vampires in recreations, vampires for kids, vampires in education and vampires in real life. Each section includes one or more of the following: fun lists of facts, websites, essays, and interviews. Readers can go to a section and find websites that they can use for more information as well as read fun lists such as the top 10 Romanian Tours or the Top 10 firsts in Literature. As a result of the research and feedback that I received from the myriad of vampire fans that I met along the way I decided to make Lure of the Vampire a resource that can help you find the perfect vampire for you while providing resources for you to learn more about that vampire. So, what is your favorite type of vampire? Who is your favorite vampire character? I will be here answering your questions throughout the day. I look forward to hearing from you. Win a Free PDF of Lure of the Vampire I will be giving away a free PDF of Lure of the Vampire. All you have to do to be registered for the contest is to do the following: - Comment below - Friend me on Facebook here - Follow me on twitter @tenavarney - Join my website: www.bertenavarney.com and http://searchforthelure.webs.com - Share this link on Facebook and twitter. Make sure you comment or send a message to let me know that you have done all of these. Each one is worth one chance to win, and all five will get you double the points. Lure of the vampire is available here. Good Luck! ~ Bertena Varney. M.A. Another Chance to Win a Copy of MYTHS 06/29/2011
Good luck! 9 Facts about MYTHS 06/10/2011
When writing Myths of Gods, the delicate nature of the plot and theme created the need for me to work for a balance between respect and boldness as well as didacticism and entertaining prose. One might think that writing a fictitious god might straddle between blasphemous and insane, given the world's current religious climates, but I would argue instead that it is a call to reason, tolerance, and discussion. Myths of Gods 1. was written by an agnostic, 2. is not an attempt to add to any religion's texts, 3. is an attempt at raising critical thought about religion as a whole, 4. is purposefully disturbing, 5. presents a fallible infant god that merely happens upon creation, 6. blurs the lines between good and evil in religion, mankind, and even in God, 7. does not bash religion, 8. has a point to make, 9. will haunt you, no matter what you personally believe. I invite the religious, agnostic, and atheist alike to read Myths of Gods as a personal challenge--or perhaps you will offer me a challenge by sharing your thoughts on it. I would love to discuss the themes with you. I'm so eager for the discourse, I'm giving away a signed paperback to one random poster. Thanks for stopping by! Excerpt: BLOOD AND COFFEE 04/07/2011
 The TRS treasure hunt is coming to a close, but the clues are still pouring in. My question was a simple one: In my erotic horror series, how do the vampires take their coffee? Make sure to stop by TRS to submit your answers--remember, there is an Amazon Kindle up for grabs. So, how do vampires take their coffee? Read the following excerpt from The Darkness and the Night: Blood and Coffee to find out: There was a knock at the front door the following night, not long after dusk. The same escort from the night before had come to invite Karen and Billy to John-Michael’s house for a cup of coffee before church. The two quickly followed the escort across the stone paths, to the other side of the commune. John-Michael and his wife, Vivian, sat beside one another on the front porch, awaiting Karen and Billy’s arrival. John-Michael had short, colorless hair, an unenviable face, and beady blue eyes. Vivian also had naturally pale hair and eyes, with long hair, fine features, and a thin, shrewd smile. She appeared to be about half his age. Her conservative, hand-sewn attire hardly seemed to suit her, just as she hardly seemed to fit beside John-Michael. Vivian was a goddess and John-Michael was a troll. Neither seemed to notice. The escort led Karen and Billy all the way to the porch, then disappeared back down the path as soon as John-Michael and Vivian acknowledged their guests. Four cups of hot coffee sat on a small glass table between two sets of wicker chairs. John-Michael and Vivian stood as Karen and Billy walked onto the porch and offered their hands in greeting. They both had firm, enthusiastic handshakes, and they seemed almost too excited to see their guests. The four sat as John-Michael and Vivian immediately picked up their coffee cups. “Coffee?” Vivian asked, pointing to the two other cups. “Thank you,” Billy said as he and Karen politely lifted their cups. They both smelled a strangely familiar, yet somehow hard to place, scent masked in the coffee as they moved the steaming cups up to their lips. Karen hesitated, but Billy went so far as to take a taste. They paused for a moment as Billy recognized the additional ingredient as soon as it hit his tongue. Blood. They added blood to their coffee? A regional preference, perhaps? Billy didn’t think too much about it, finding it added a fullness similar to that achieved by adding milk or cream, but Karen found it disturbing. Billy reminded Karen with a quick mental note that there was nothing strange about blood to these people. A food product was a food product; milk and blood differed only in that one came from a teat and the other a vein. Upon further consideration, Billy concluded that the idea was rather novel -- the boost of caffeine combined with a small snack -- and he wondered why he hadn’t thought of the idea before. Karen set down her cup, unwilling to try the combination. She didn’t care if John- Michael and Vivian thought she was rude, nor did she care that even an extra ounce or two of blood would be an ounce or two less she would need later. Whose blood was it? Some poor donor’s, perhaps, his wrist slashed and held over their cups, his value to these people no more than the value a human might place on a disposable milk carton? Vivian set down her cup, as well, playing the gracious host. A smile spread across her pretty face as she did her best to address Billy and Karen together, although her eyes found and fixed upon Billy’s far too many times for Karen’s comfort. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you. I’m so sorry I was unavailable last night,” John- Michael said between sips of coffee. “Jean-Michele tells us that you two only plan on staying for a couple of days,” Vivian added, her smile fading to a trite look of disappointment. Karen and Billy thought about the comment for a moment and, to Karen’s surprise, Billy began to reconsider his desire to leave as soon as planned. This place had its own history, its own culture, and in a strange, remote way it was the only real heritage he could claim. His people belonged to an underground society back in the “real world” and forced to hide who they were and remained scattered to avoid detection. Although no one in the Xavier bloodline had ever called this safe haven home, he knew deep down that these were still his people. They had a society to call their own, a place where they could build a real life -- they could safely raise their child here, if only they were willing to give the place a chance. “Our plans aren’t set in stone,” Billy said, smiling back at Vivian. “This coffee is really good, by the way.” He finished his cup, and then switched it with Karen’s. “You aren’t going to drink this?” he asked her aloud, although he already knew the answer. “Take it,” Karen said, feeling her face flush. She mentally asked Billy why he suddenly had such a change of heart, and he simply responded by telling her he knew what he was doing and she needed to trust him. She glanced over at Vivian and John- Michael, and the hair suddenly rose on the back of her neck as she noticed a startling look of contempt in both of their faces. “You really should try just a sip,” Billy said. “It’s very good.” He held the cup up, offering her a taste, but she pushed it away, intentionally knocking it out of his hand. The cup fell to the wooden floorboards, shattering and sending the hot liquid splattering in all directions. Bonus question: I'm offering an additional free copy of any of of my currently available novels to the first person able to answer the following question: Name the character living at the vampire commune who is based on a children's fairy tale. TRS Treasure Hunt! 03/31/2011
 Who can resist a good treasure hunt? Especially when the treasure is filled with exciting locations, sexy heroes and heroines, and a lot of adventure and fun to filled the hours. We hope you have fun uncovering the characters and plots of the stories each author has provided a clue to. The rules: 1. Each day a group of authors will post the answers to their clues. 2. You must use the clues to find your way to the author’s blog/website or FB and find the answer to their question. Answers can be found in the excerpts/blurbs posted on the sites. 3. All the answers will be posted by Friday 04/08/11. 4. Once you have all the answers then you must go to TRS website http://www.theromancestudio.com/ and click on the Treasure Hunt logo to submit your answers. 5. All answers must be submitted by Saturday 04/09/11. 6. The person with the most correct answers wins the Kindle. In cause of tie, a random winner will be picked from the group of top answers. Other prizes drawn at random. 7. First prize is a Kindle. Other prizes include 10 print romance titles, many of the authors will be giving away a copy of their ebook to a commenter on their blog/site, and $25 gift card to Amazon. The Clues: 04/01 Friday’s Clues Passion in Print writer Jennifer L. Hart believes in torturing her characters in the fires of hell before they are allowed a happily ever after. In her latest release, Drue redeemed himself by working as an assistant to Dakota Whitmore, the woman he believes to be a thief. What does Drue think she stole from him? http://www.jenniferlhart.com/ Seleste wishes she could visit the Badlands to enjoy some "Ramblings and Romance" and maybe even end up Blood Kissed. Which sci-fi captain does Seleste think would sit down for a drink or two with Spencer Pierce, the hero of her steampunk romance Badlands? http://selestedelaney.com/wordpress/ Ryan Field, an openly gay romance writer for twenty years who writes for Ravenous Romance, wants to know what two very important topics does Luis want to discuss with Jase in the beginning of the book? http://ryan-field.blogspot.com/ 04/02 Saturday’s Clues Decadent Publishing author, Deena Remiel can be found where The Brethren like to play, at Deena Remiel's Place. Michael, Brethren Protector has a full-time day job. What does he do? http://deenar116.wordpress.com/ Urban Fantasy and paranormal romance writer, Vivi Dumas, resides at Delusions of Grandeur. Her heroine, Angel, true love is a hot demon name Jacque, but she has a second passion she loves almost as much. What is it? http://vividumas.wordpress.com/ While sitting on her Writer’s Block, author Kelly Yeakle enjoys all things with classic beauty and Timeless elegance. In both of her current published novels, this location has been used for either a portion or the entire novel. Name the place. http://kyeakle27.webs.com/ Rebecca Leigh, a straight-laced attorney by day who writes sexy erotic romance by night, wants to know what her two hot male vampires in Room Number Twelve like to role-play on Friday night at the Warehouse on Sixth Street. http://blog.rebeccaleighromance.com/?zx=9f7ac5e328b15b 04/04 Monday’s Clues Stacey Espino loves to escape into erotic romance. Whether it be futuristic, paranormal or western menage, she has you covered. In one of her menage romances, two wolf shifters are not too happy about sharing the human female they found by the side of the road. What is the name of the woman who has captured their hearts? http://www.staceyespino.blogspot.com/?zx=9cd4776461d53fe7 Canadian author, Jean Roberta’s recent collection of stories all have something in common. What does each one have? http://www.jeanroberta.com/Books/obsession.htm Whiskey Creek Press author Cate Masters loves diving into her writing. When one of her heroes meets a real mermaid, what does she help resurface? http://catemasters.blogspot.com/ 04/06 Wednesday’s Clues Louisa Bacio enjoys traveling through some of the darker & wilder sides of the erotic. Bacio’s m/m/f paranormal release “The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf” is set in what historic U.S. city? http://louisabacio.blogspot.com/ Kilt Kilpatrick is a popular Ravenous author with a novel and several short stories to his name. Two of his short stories take place ouside of the U.S., which are they? Btw, if you can't find a blog for him, try looking for him face to face... http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kilt-Kilpatrick/160928497477 LaVerne Thompson loves a good mystery. Her hero Caine Hayden meets a mystery woman one night and his business associate the next. He falls for both. What are their names? http://isisindcblog.blogspot.com/?zx=504a36458bcde215 04/08 Friday’s Clues PJ Schnyder is an author of paranormal and sci-fi romance who believes home is where the heart is. One of her heroines, Carri, believes a man might only be a lone wolf because he was never given the option to be something else. Who is Carri's wolf and what is his nickname for her? http://pjschnyder.com/blog/ Author Jay Di Meo’s home has her name. Her hero James is a reincarnation of Egyptian god Seth, represented by a Jackal. His beloved Silver is the Falcon – which Egyptian god is he? http://jaydimeo.wordpress.com/ Trinity Blacio has been writing professionally for the last eight years. She has titles with several different publishers. Throughout the Running In Fear series what is the one thing Jaycee craved and wanted that she finally got in book 3? http://trinityblacio.com/blog/ Ravenous Romance author Lisa Lane has two series, an erotic horror trilogy and erotic, romantic space opera. In her erotic horror books, how do her vampires take their coffee? http://www.cerebralwriter.com/blog.html Good luck! Halloween Scavenger Hunt! 10/30/2010
 Join Whipped Cream and Long and Short Reviews this weekend for a web-hopping scavenger hunt. The rules are easy: Stop by Long and Short Reviews promo page, check out the links, and find the hidden icons. There are six huge prize packs to be given away. Go to http://www.longandshortreviews.com/promo.htm for more information--or to get started! Good luck! | ArchivesFebruary 2012 CategoriesAll |
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