Sunday, October 31, 2010

Here be Vampires! By Sasha Soren

Here Be Vampires!: Random Magic
by
Sasha Soren

In Random Magic, our heroes (Winnie and Henry) spend a hair-raising night with the very charming, very wealthy -- and very, very strange -- De Morgues.

Readers have been fascinated with vampires for centuries, even before Bram Stoker wrote his opus to the undead, Dracula, in 1897.

In celebration of Halloween, and all things spooky, we’re featuring a few tidbits about vampire lore, and an excerpt about this offbeat family of vamps in Random Magic.
Yes, the De Morgues are actually exactly like other vampires, and they cleave to the same well-worn rules for their fellow nightwalkers and children of the night.

Except -- well, except for one thing.  They just have this one small problem...

Note: Random Magic will also be on tour from Oct. 24-Oct. 31, you can visit that tour, here.


Excerpt: Random Magic (Sasha Soren):

The Count patted Lady De Morgue’s bloodless hand. “There, there,” he murmured tenderly. “You must eat. You’re wasting away to practically a vapor.”
He sighed. “Maybe two nice bowls of -- tomato soup,” he said, looking at Henry without moving an eyelash.
The Count looked at Winnie.
“Nothing, thanks.”
Henry piped up. “Wait. I’ll have a bowl of the -- ow! Stop that, Winnie.”
A sudden burst of sound in the hallway interrupted their “conversation.”
A young girl, her silver hair in pigtails, burst through the door. Her hot-orange t-shirt and lime green mini-skirt were startling in the gloom. She bounced along on purple sneakers that lit up with every step she took.
Henry stared.
“Our daughter,” the Count said wearily. “Hypatia.”
She skipped up to the Lady De Morgue. “Company again, mama?”
The two Lady De Morgues nodded drearily.
“Well--”
She bent down to kiss the first Lady De Morgue.
“Hello mama.”
She leaned over and kissed the second Lady De Morgue.
“And hello, mama.”
Hypatia slid into her seat. The De Morgues eyed her warily.
The second Lady De Morgue stared across the table, the bluish shadows under her immense, luminous eyes making her look vaguely startled.
The Count cleared his throat. “And how was school tonight, darling?”
“Oh, boring.” She sniffed the centerpiece of dead flowers, and crinkled her nose in distaste. “Look, we’ve got all the money in the world; couldn’t we have some -- space daisies or something?”
The second Lady De Morgue flinched as if she’d been struck. The Count settled himself deeper into his ornate velvet chair and continued his polite chat. “And how was Coffin Decoration class?”
Henry’s mouth dropped open.
“Dead boring,” Hypatia moped, kicking a table leg. “The only color swatches they had were black.
She rolled her eyes.
Lady De Morgue stifled a sob into her handkerchief.

More: Random Magic
Vampire Lore
(Note: Some excerpts taken from Wikipedia, with minor editing, direct quotes indicated.)

* Often a virgin was the only one who could identify a suspected vampire. ‘One method of finding a vampire's grave involved leading a virgin boy through a graveyard or church grounds on a virgin stallion - the horse would supposedly balk at the grave in question.’

* ‘Corpses thought to be vampires were generally described as having a healthier appearance than expected, showing little or no signs of decomposition.’

* ‘Vampires can make their presence felt by engaging in minor poltergeist-like activity, such as hurling stones or moving household objects.’

* Vampires are traditionally said to be unable to cross running water. This bit of trivia is subtly acknowledged in a scene near the De Morgue’s castle, in Random Magic.

* ‘The vampire's head, body, or clothes can be spiked and pinned to the earth to prevent rising.’

* Nearly every culture has some kind of vampire lore, even if the cultures are vastly different in other ways.

Mentions of night walkers and blood-sucking creatures are found in the folklore and legends of Asia, Africa and Europe, although the most familiar form of the vampire – mainstream vamps! – is the brooding, hypnotic, elegant and romantic but lethal night creature of Slavic legend, featured so prominently in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and hundreds of books that followed thereafter.

* Items said to be able to protect a user from vampires include garlic, a crucifix, or holy water. A wooden stake through the heart or a silver bullet are two weapons said to be able to kill a vampire. Silver bullets were traditionally the ‘cure’ for attacks by werewolves or witches; in time, silver bullets became a part of vampire lore, as well.

* ‘Sacred items, for example a crucifix, rosary, or holy water, are used to ward off vampires. Vampires are also said to be unable to walk on consecrated ground.’

* ‘Some traditions hold that a vampire cannot enter a house unless invited (over the threshold) by the owner.’

Read more vampire lore here or here

Book trailer: Random Magic



Summary: When absent-minded Professor Random misplaces the main character from Alice in Wonderland, young Henry Witherspoon must book-jump to fetch Alice before chaos theory kicks in and the world vanishes.

Along the way he meets Winnie Flapjack, a wit-cracking doodle witch with nothing to her name but a magic feather and a plan. Such as it is.

Henry and Winnie brave the Dark Queen, whatwolves, pirates, Strüths, and fluttersmoths, Priscilla and Charybdis, obnoxiously cheerful vampires, Baron Samedi, a nine-dimensional cat, and one perpetually inebriated Muse to rescue Alice and save the world by tea time.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Spellbound's Halloween Spookfest Giveaways

Hello all!

Hope your enjoying the awesome guest posts that have been put up for this week I know I have!  So we are at the goodies section!!

Up for grabs will be Random Magic by Sasha Soren and Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen .



All you need to do is leave a comment on this post with your email address and you are entered into the draw! 2 winners (1 for each book!)

Open to EVERYONE (International)
Closes 6th November 2010

Extra Entries:
+1 Posting a comment on any of the Spellbound Halloween posts excluding this one
(Max of 4)
+1 Blog Follower/Subscriber

So that's it!

ENJOY!!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Random Magic by Sasha Soren

Title:  Random Magic
Author:  Sasha Soren
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Beach Books
Publication Date:  1 January 2010
ISBN:  978-09797774-1-7
Stand alone or series:  Stand Alone
Pages:  420
Book Received from:  Author
First Lines:  It's been noted, of course, that quite interesting things happen on dark and stormy nights, particularly in castles.

Synopsis:
When absent-minded Professor Random misplaces the main character from Alice in Wonderland, young Henry Witherspoon must book-jump to fetch Alice before chaos theory kicks in and the world vanishes.
Along the way he meets Winnie Flapjack, a wit-cracking doodle witch with nothing to her name but a magic feather and a plan. Such as it is. Henry and Winnie brave the Dark Queen, whatwolves, pirates, Struths, and fluttersmoths, Priscilla and Charybdis, obnoxiously cheerful vampires, Baron Samedi, a nine-dimensional cat, and one perpetually inebriated Muse to rescue Alice and save the world by tea time.
My Thoughts
When I received this package from Sasha Soren I was shocked to find an assortment of goodies: Rubber ducky, rasberry chocolate, herbal tea, etc I was amazed at all the trouble she went to.  It was kind of odd the Rubber Ducky!  But now I understand why.  I actually didn't find the feather until I began reading and laughed when I found it stashed between the pages. 

Before I even got to the prologue I was laughing.  Really, you might say?  But yes, the Publishers Note and the Review blurbs where quite funny.

Than I began.  One might say laughing out loud could be a sign of craziness.  Although, when taken note of the reading material, you, which is to say one ;) would understand completely!

I've never read anything like this ever!  What a hoot.  I'm just not sure how to describe it; Quirky, funny and quite odd indeed.  But then, this is my kind of humour.  It is quite a story within a story within a story when I think about it.  I must admit when first picking this story up it took a chapter to really get used the writing style but after that it was a very amusing read. 

There is one thing I need to point out.  You get to know EVERY character you meet it seems.  For instance if one of the main characters passes another character there is a little story after the paragraph about that character you pass.  For any other novel it may seem distracting but for Random Magic, it fit perfectly.  I couldn't imagine it being written any other way.

If your up for a quirky, out of the ordinary read that will have you laughing (if your like me with an odd sense of humour) this is a book for you.  Well worth the read and I can't wait to see what else Sasha Soren produces.

Utterly Fantastic!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Erin's Spooky Reads

I was lucky enough to have Erin from The Penguin Group help out with Spellbound Halloween Spookfest with her Suggested Spooky Reads.  Here they are:

The Enemy by Charlie Hidgson
(The Enemy Book 1)

Synopsis
They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you . . .

When the sickness came, every parent, police officer, politician – every adult – fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry.

Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive.
Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city – down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground – the grown-ups lie in wait.
But can they make it there – alive?

The Enemy Book 2)
Synopsis
A TERRIBLE DISEASE IS STRIKING EVERYONE OVER THE AGE OF FOURTEEN. DEATH WALKS THE STREETS. NOWHERE IS SAFE.

Maxie, Blue and the rest of the Holloway crew aren't the only kids trying to escape the ferocious adults who prey on them.

Jack and Ed are best friends, but their battle to stay alive tests their friendship to the limit as they go on the run with a mismatched group of other kids – nerds, fighters, misfits. And one adult. Greg, a butcher, who claims he's immune to the disease.

They must work together if they want to make it in this terrifying new world. But as a fresh disaster threatens to overwhelm London, they realize they won't all survive.

(The Devouring Book 1)

Synopsis
When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it's clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman's imagination, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life.
To save the people she loves, Reggie must learn to survive in a world of nightmares. Can she devour her own fears before they devour her?
The Devouring is an engrossing tale of terror that will have you wondering: what if your worst fears became your living nightmare?


(The Devouring Book 2)
Synopsis
Beware the darkness and the light.
They will steal your soul in day or night.
In summer's warmth or winter's cold
Your life will end when the Vours take hold.
In the fearscape no one can hear you cry,
And in its depth your soul will die.
Reggie Halloway thought she was finished with the Vours – the demons who had possessed her brother, Henry – forever. She'd once faced them in a deathly battle for Henry's soul and now she wants to forget them. But Quinn, the Vour she left at the bottom of a lake, is back.
And he is not alone.


Synopsis
Beware the deadly Count Dracula
Jonathan Harker is travelling to Castle Dracula to see the Transylvanian noble, Count Dracula. He is begged by locals not to go there, because on the eve of St George's Day, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will come full sway. But business must be done, so Jonathan makes his way to the Castle - and then his nightmare begins. His beloved wife Meena and other lost souls have fallen under the Count's horrifying spell. Dracula must be destroyed . . .
 
 
Synopsis
'The ghost is the most enduring figure in supernatural fiction. He is absolutely indestructible... He changes with the styles in fiction but he never goes out of fashion. He is the really permanent citizen of the earth, for mortals, at best, are but transients' - Dorothy Scarborough
This new selection of ghost stories, by Michael Newton, brings together the best of the genre. From Elizabeth Gaskell's 'The Old Nurse's Story' through to Edith Wharton's 'Afterword', this collection covers all of the most terrifying tales of the genre. With a thoughtful introduction, and helpful notes, Newton places the stories contextually within the genre and elucidates the changing nature of the ghost story and how we interpret it.

 
Synopsis
On the day Katharina Linden disappears, Pia is the last person to see her alive. Terror is spreading through the town. How could a ten-year-old girl vanish in a place where everybody knows everybody else?
Pia is determined to find out what happened to Katharina.
But then the next girl disappears . . .
 
Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Interview with Knight from To Kill A Warlock

Spellbound by Books would like to welcome, the sexy Knight from To Kill A Warlock by H.P Mallory to answer some questions!  So here goes:

1. Three words to describe your life right now?

Will you settle for one? Hectic!

2. What's your relationship status? Single? Dating?

Currently I’m single but I’ve got my eye on a fairy who frustrates the hell out of me…

3. We learn a little about you in To Kill a Warlock, but tell me, as a Loki what is your specialty?

Well, I can tell you that as a Loki, we’re pretty secretive. But, just a taster—we were born from the fire of Hades so we can withstand the elements and we’re as strong as a vampire. And fairy magic doesn’t work on us—a little fact I love throwing at Dulcie.

4. If you weren't working for the A.N.C (Association for Netherworld Creatures) what would your ideal job be?

Hmm, I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it. I’ve always had law enforcement in my blood.

5. What was the scariest/spookiest case you've worked on?

The case I worked with Dulce was a pretty frightening one. Dealing with Netherworld creatures is never fun, especially when they’re tearing people up left and right. What I can tell is you once the creature went after Dulcie, it became personal.

6. What would be your least favourite netherworld creature? Why?

I’m not particularly fond of elves at the moment.
 
 
Thank you to Knight and H.P. Mallory for taking the time to answer some questions.  You can find
more about To Kill a Warlock over at H.P. Mallory's website

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Five Unsettling Stories by Kirsty Eagar


Five Unsettling Stories
by
Kirsty Eagar


1. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, first published in 1954

This is the novel that was used as inspiration for the Will Smith movie of the same name in 2007. I enjoyed the book more. It’s a vampire novel, but not as we know it, in that many of the vampires tend to attack in a mindless blood frenzy that’s more in keeping with the zombies of 28 Days Later.

What makes this book so unsettling isn’t the vampires. It’s the fact that the main character, Robert Neville, is facing them alone. He’s the last human left.

From the speaker, over the hallway door, the music of Schonberg was playing loudly.
Not loudly enough, though. He still heard them outside, their murmuring and their walkings about and their cries, their snarling and fighting among themselves. Once in a while a rock or brick thudded off the house. Sometimes a dog barked.
And they were all there for the same thing.



Terrifying. I’ve been enjoyably frightened by a lot of Stephen King’s work, and I love his writing, but Pet Sematary is different. It goes further. And in saying that, I’m not necessarily recommending it. Because it affected me so much I wished I’d never read it. I don’t think I could read it again now I’m a parent.


A big, sprawling story in which King takes you through the labyrinth of childhood fears. But what makes it unsettling are his depictions of ‘everyday’ evil: abuse, bullying and violence.

4. Any scary story told at night when you are sleeping in a strange place

I grew up on a cattle property and I was allowed to camp out with my friends from about the time I was ten (presumably because it was the country and the most trouble you could get into was smoking). We’d frighten ourselves stupid by telling scary stories at night when we were all in the tent. Mostly they were the same old stories recycled over and over, but that didn’t mean they lost any of their power.



I first read this when I was seven or eight and I still read it regularly – it’s one of my all-time favourite novels. Beautiful, surreal, subversive and, yes, unsettling. Hard to believe?

Moominpappa has a kind of mid-life crisis because he doesn’t feel needed by his family anymore. So he relocates everybody to an island where he will operate a lighthouse and they will be forced to need him again. They’re expecting the island to be idyllic. Instead they find a wild, eerie place that’s at the mercy of the sea. The previous lighthouse operator has abandoned his post and may or may not be the fisherman living at the other end of the island who won’t talk. Trees and shrubs are trying to uproot themselves because something is coming and they’re terrified. Little My murders a colony of ants. And Moomintroll falls in love a sea-horse.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Vampires Realm by Felicity Heaton

Vampires Realm - Deadly, Dangerous and Sexy
By
Felicity Heaton

Vampires are sexy. They’re dark, mysterious, and dangerous. The ultimate bad boys. The ones who send our hearts racing and adrenaline pumping. Of course, that isn’t to say that their furry counterparts can’t be just as devastatingly sexy. The alpha werewolf is a force to be reckoned with. Rugged, rough, and commanding, he’s a man who will bend the heroine to his will and claim her for his own.
That’s the sort of vampire and werewolf that I love to write. I don’t apologise for how brutal or dangerous they can be. Vampires and werewolves are killers. They’re top of the food chain and they know it. I always stay true to their nature, although I like to change a few aspects of them in each of my stories to spice things up a little. I don’t do redemption or the non-human blood drinking vampire. I want to read about vampires and werewolves who are deadly, and of course, dead sexy, so I write that sort of hero and heroine so others can read about them too.

A vampire who refuses to drink human blood, to embrace their nature, is a real turn off to me. We’re attracted to the myth of the vampire because of their bloodlust and their powers, and their desire to sink those luscious fangs into our lovely necks. Without those things, they’re just not as interesting.

Each of my stand alone stories has a different take on vampires and werewolves. I have vampires with powers, and those without. Vampires who are born and age, and those who are turned and don’t. I love to toy with the myth and make them unique. The purest of my vampires are those in my Vampires Realm series.

Vampires Realm is a work of passion for me. I love to world build and I’ve spent a long time thinking about the way the series will work, and the world it’s set in, and the type of creatures who inhabit it. The series is set in Europe, and follows vampires of the seven ancient pure bloodlines. Each bloodline rules a different city, although there is conflict in St. Petersburg and Prague as two vampire bloodlines reside in both of those. There are laws governing the bloodlines, and Law Keepers who deal with any who break them. There are hunters who would like to eradicate the pure bloods, but they’re not strong enough to fight such superior creatures, and often end up fighting weaker mixed blood vampires that infest the continent. A fight with a pure blood would end pretty quickly. These are the elite. They’re powerful, deadly, and unafraid of hunting human prey. They live in their own world. A world within our world. They rarely interact with humans, and keep to themselves, living in near-harmony with us without our knowledge of their existence. Their interest lies in governing their people and continuing their existence, and they have laid down strict laws to ensure this happens.

There are werewolves in the series too. Although most of them are slaves kept in compounds by the pure blood vampire families, there are those who have escaped and have struck out on their own. There are even those who have gathered other werewolves to them and created a stronghold for their kind, a place where they can live without fear of the vampires.

It’s a dark world, one full of threats as the hunters begin to advance themselves through genetic manipulation, becoming dangerous to the pure bloodlines. It’s a world on the edge, full of conflict between the bloodlines, and prophecies that threaten to destroy everything. But it’s also a world where love grows, regardless of the laws that forbid certain relationships, and where heroes and heroines do incredible acts of bravery to protect both vampirekind and humankind. It’s a world that I love to write and explore, to bring to life in the imagination of the reader, and to share with them, and I hope that you will enjoy it too.

The Vampires Realm series currently encompasses eight stories. There are five novels, including a trilogy, two novellas (one of which is free), and a free short story. I’m writing two more novellas/novels in this series for release next year, and hopefully some short stories too. For more information about the series, including excerpts of the stories, the free stories, and information about the characters, please visit the official series website: http://www.vampiresrealm.com/

If you would like to read more about my other paranormal romances, including my series about gorgeous angels and a duo of books about one hell of a sexy black panther shapeshifter, then check out my author website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/



Book info…

Winter’s Kiss

The tales of the mansion near Nika’s remote Russian village say that its lord drinks blood to live and that the guards are dead men walking, but that doesn’t stop Nika from falling for one of them—a man who seemingly hasn’t changed in twenty years, a man she wishes would be hers. One snowy spring night, her world and his collide when she is attacked by wolves and he rides in on a black horse to rescue her. But her knight in shining armour is far from saintly. He is a vampire, and she is becoming a werewolf, and love between such species is forbidden—the penalty death.
Winter is a commander of the Validus, the most powerful vampire bloodline in Europe. Faithful to his family and his lord since his turning one thousand years ago, he follows the law to the letter and places duty above all else, but his resolve is about to be tested in the most painful way and his world shaken beyond salvation. The girl he watched grow into a woman, a woman who has stolen his heart, is now a werewolf and his dream of making her his has been shattered. Only vengeance can be his now or the Law Keepers will hunt him down and kill both him and Nika.

But Winter’s plan to take Nika home to her family only leads to her witnessing the destruction of her village and the death of her father at the hands of the werewolf trying to claim her, and Winter finds that he can’t leave her. His heart demands that he protects Nika from the werewolf, Willem, by killing him and that he finds her a new home, somewhere she will be safe without him, for he must even protect her from himself. But Nika tempts him more than he can bear and it isn’t long before he finds himself treading the knife’s edge between upholding the law and succumbing to desire.
Nika does everything in her power to convince Winter to stay with her, to go against the laws and risk death, but in the end will she have done enough? When they reach the last bastion of the werewolves, will Winter leave her with her kin? Will the nights they spend together change his heart and his mind, or will she spend eternity dreaming of Winter’s kiss?
ebook price: $3.99
Genre: paranormal werewolf romance
Length: 78000 words
Rating: sultry
Released: June 2009
Book 8 in the Vampires Realm series



Seventh Circle

Dark, sensual and fast-paced, Seventh Circle is a story of forbidden love so strong that it will save the world.

Born with strange powers similar to a vampire’s, Lilith has spent her life hunting demons for Section Seven. Now, on the very same night that she watches a vampire kill her best friend, she’s faced with her worst nightmare.
A client who is not only attractive, but a vampire.

Lincoln, a powerful pure blood vampire, has a problem. The prophecy he’s caught up in is coming to pass and his only chance of survival is relying on those he hates most—vampire hunters. It has been foretold that one will save him, a female hunter, and when he meets her, the attraction he feels is both instantaneous and forbidden.

Their mutual attraction becomes difficult to deny as they work to unravel the mystery of a contract between Lincoln’s lord and the Devil. The barriers around their hearts fall, but is there only pain ahead of them? With Lincoln’s life on the line, can Lilith find the strength to protect him and embrace a side of herself that she wished didn’t exist? Can Lincoln overcome his fear in order to save Lilith even if it means parting from her forever? What price will they pay to be together?

ebook price: $3.99
Genre: paranormal vampire romance
Length: 106112 words
Rating: sultry
Released: November 2008
Book 7 in the Vampires Realm series



Biography

Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances.
Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She's just honoured to write down their adventures.

Website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/

Vampires Realm website: http://www.vampiresrealm.com/

Blog: http://felicityheaton.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feheaton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton

Spellbound's Halloween Spookfest!

25th - 31st November 2010

Welcome all to my Halloween Spookfest. 
This week we will have guest posts from various authors as well as Top 5 picks for spooky stories and a spooky review here and there.  There will also be a Spookfest giveaway too so stay tuned and check back daily for some awesome posts!!

Keep an eye out for today's post Vampires Realm by Felicity Heaton, author of various paranormal romance including her latest Her Fallen Angel.


Enjoy your day !

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Once Upon a Time Project G5 Winner

Hey everyone!

How are you all.  So here I am, ready to announce the winner for the very last giveaway for Once Upon A Time and let me tell you, boy was it hard.

The stories entered were interesting and entertaining and it made the job of picking a winner EXTREMELY hard!

So without further ado I shall stop pussy-footing round and get right to it!

The winner of Giveaway 5
is

*
*
*
I, The Teen
by Kirthi Rao

Congratulations Kirthi, great story!!

Could you please email me the info I need within the next day or so, so I can get your prize underway!!

A Big thank you to everyone who has participated in Once Upon A Time.  I will be putting up posts every so often to let you know the progress of the "UnNamed Book"

Voting is still happening on the covers.  See my sidebar to place your vote

Thank you all, and have a good night!!

Winner of g5

In My Mailbox (35)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture.


For Review:
 
 

Bought:
 
So that's my mailbox for this week.  What did you get??
 
 
 
Also just a reminder.  Spellbound's Halloween Spookfest starts tomorrow 25th!! Come see some awesome guest posts etc The regular memes/features here will be on hold until the following week!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Random Magic Halloween Tour



Random Magic Halloween Tour
Oct. 24 – Nov. 2, 2010

About: Random Magic
Tour organization: Lyrika Publicis
Tour prizes coordinator: @LaFemmeReaders
Contact the tour: @RandomMagicTour

Win something wicked:
Gift-wrapped first edition, Random Magic
Cute wicked witch rag doll (Mme. Alexander collectible) (http://tinyurl.com/yfqkmy7

Oct. 24
Halloween Musical Blog Hop!

Come along for a fun, musical blog hop,
featuring creepy characters and tunes for ghouls:


Songs for: Vampires


#2 of 8: Elbit Blog
Twitter: @MeriGreenleaf
Songs for: Shapeshifters


#3 of 8: Cerebrate’s Contemplations
Twitter: @cerebrate
Songs for: Edgar Allan Poe


A Reader's Adventure
Twitter: n/a
Songs for: Werewolves




Songs for: Zombies




#6 of 8: StoryWings
Twitter: @storywings


Twitter: n/a



#8 of 8: What Book Is That? 
Twitter: @heynocupcake

 
Oct. 25
Twitter: N/A
Review
Feature (incl. excerpt): ‘Crafty Dames: Famous Witches’


Oct. 26
Feature (incl. excerpt): ‘Haunting Places: Ireland’s Spookiest Castles’

 
Oct. 27
Twitter: @LoriAtEBTP
Review
Feature (incl. excerpt): ‘Bell, Book and Candle: A Modern Witch’s Toolkit’



Oct. 28
Twitter: @LaFemmeReaders
Feature (incl. pix gallery): ‘Casting Random Magic

Tour treasures: Win something wicked!
Gift-wrapped first edition, Random Magic
Cute wicked witch rag doll (Mme. Alexander collectible)

Oct. 29

Twitter: @Meeka_21
Review
Related event: Spellbound by Books’ Spookfest (‘Here Be Vampires,’ incl. excerpt)
Related event: WORD for Teens’ Book Spooks (‘Haunted Places,’ incl. excerpt)

Oct. 30


Bewitched Bookworms
Review (dual review): 'Chatting Over The Cauldron: Random Magic'


Oct. 31

Twitter: @storywings
Review
Feature: A love spell!
Related event: vvb32’s Trix-‘n’Treatz (http://tinyurl.com/2v4mv8v)
(‘Vamps!,’ incl. excerpt, feature film)

 
Nov. 2 (All Souls’ Day)
Twitter: @ABennettBooks
Review (vlog): Video review of Random Magic
Feature: November's Unearthly Rites: Day of the Dead

Friday, October 22, 2010

MBOB: Let Me In Trailer

Thursday, October 21, 2010

To Kill a Warlock by H.P. Mallory

Title:  To Kill a Warlock
Author:  H.P. Mallory
Genre:  Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy
Publisher:  H.P. Mallory at Smashwords
Publication Date:  5th July 2010
ISBN:  N/A
Stand alone or series:  Series
Pages:  134 (ebook)
Book Received from:  Author
First Lines:  There was no way in hell I was looking in the mirror.  I knew it was bad when I glanced down.
Synopsis:
The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator—a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world.

When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim.

Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie. Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie’s got her hands full.

As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals.
 
My Thoughts
Let me start by saying that I'm NOT a fan of fairies whatsoever.  I've read a few books that have literally turned me off reading anything that mentions them in it.  When I was asked to read this I thought, well hey, I will give the fairies another go and see what happens. 

I was pleasantly surprised right from the word go that I really enjoyed the main character Dulcie.  She's a Regulator for the Association for Netherworld Creatures.  In other words she's a Paranormal Cop helping to keep the supernaturals in line!  She's petite and pretty with pointy ears and can create fairy dust with the shake of her hand but thats as fairy as she gets.  There's no wings, she doesn't live in someone's backyard and she's smart.  I liked reading from her point of view.  She doesn't put up with anyones crap when they try to pull moves she doesn't like. 

The main story line begins with a Warlock being gruesomely murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive.  Quillan, her very hunky boss pulls her in for her statement and eventually suspends her from the case.  Dulcie isn't happy about this but at the same time it gives her time to finish her novel she's writing AND do some sneaky investigating with Knight, the hot mysterious Investigator from the Netherworld.  Lately I've been really drawn to creative characters and when it mentions her book I was hooked completely. 

The story was well written, and although there are already books out there with a similar feel H.P Mallory's writing offers a fresh approach to the genre.

To Kill A Warlock drew me in with the quirky characters, interesting story line and humour to boot.  I'd love to see what happens next with Dulcie.  A Great read

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (34)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!


The first one I picked for this week is called Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky.  This isn't due out until 23 May 2011 though.  Even though the cover is a little weird I like that it's based in year 2060.  Let's see what the future could bring us lol!
 
Synopsis
In the year 2060, everything is done digitally. Kids no longer go to schools. They stay home and take classes online. Adults work from home, too. Even dating is no longer done in person. Why walk on a real beach when you can stroll down a digitally remastered one instead? No bad weather, no seagulls, nothing real to ruin a perfectly fine time.
Though she's grown up in this digital world, something about being cut off from everyone doesn't sit right with seventeen-year-old Madeline. Her favorite activity--the only one she does off line--is soccer. She likes the physicality of it and the comradery with the other girls.
Then she meets Justin. He, too, prefers life off line. It's all he talks about. He even takes her out to a real coffee shop and an underground club. Maybe it's his attentiveness, or the physical closeness of actually being with someone, or just that he's very good looking, Madie is definitely drawn to him. But there's also something very aloof about him, like perhaps he's hiding something.
When Madie uncovers the truth, she's faced with the question: What's more important, fighting for what you believe in or love?
 
My second pick is Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury.  I just love this cover!  Not due to be released until 24th May 2011.  So, yeah another long wait!
 
Synopsis
This is Agnes Wilkins’ debut season and already she’s attracting the attention of one of England’s most eligible and desirable men: Lord Showalter. He’s been quite forward about his intentions and Agnes finds this at once thrilling and terrifying. He is handsome and wealthy and has this quirky interest in helping England amass the world’s finest collection of Egyptian artifacts.
 
It could be a good match—but everything Agnes knows about courtship and high society romance comes from A. Lady novels, and it seems to be a rule that men who are too good to be true are usually hiding something.
 
  But, what Showalter is hiding is not crumbling finances or boarish behavior. He is deceiving the whole British Empire. He is spy working for Napoleon, his orders smuggled into London in Egyptian artifacts—like the one Agnes pockets while at a mummy unwrapping party at Showalter’s home.
  Her innocent interest in this trinket (and childish need to keep it) jump starts a chain of events that bring out dangerous characters, dangerous circumstances, and the biggest danger of all—true love.
 
   Jennifer Bradbury’s knack for suspense and adventure make this an amazingly rich, wildly compelling and utterly fascinating novel about the secrets in and out of a mummy’s tomb. Keep your wits and trust your heart.
 
That's my WOW.  What books are you waiting for?

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Speed Dating with the Dead by Scott Nicholson

Title:  Speed Dating with the Dead
Author:  Scott Nicholson
Genre:  Paranormal Thriller
Publisher:  Haunted Computer Books
Publication Date:  9th July 2010
ISBN:  N/A
Stand alone or series:  Stand Alone
Pages: 195 (ebook)
Book Received from:  Author
First Lines:  “And here’s our most haunted room, Mr. Wilson.”

Synopsis:
When Wayne "Digger" Wilson hosts a paranormal conference at the haunted White Horse Inn, he has motives beyond searching for the inn's legendary ghosts.
Years ago, he made a honeymoon promise to his wife Beth that if one of them died, the survivor would return to the White Horse to summon the other's lost spirit. Now she's dead and Digger's back, with the daughter they conceived during that fateful honeymoon sixteen years before. And the ghost hunters are stirring up ancient evils that were better left in peace, because the inn's basement is home to a circle of demons that have been waiting for Wayne to return.
They want his teenage daughter Kendra, and they'll play whatever tricks they need in order to satisfy their dark desires. And at the White Horse Inn, not even angels can be trusted . . .
My Thoughts
I've never read anything from Scott Nicholson, but I'm glad I did.

I've never been to a Ghosthunting conference or anything like that but on occasion I'm known to watch the ghost hunting on tv.  Speed Dating with the Dead was like watching a spooky session of Ghost Hunter.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story.  There is a wide variety too, some that I absolutely loved, a few here and there that I really wanted to give a good shake saying, "Wake up to yourself, there's freakin' scary things in this place and you want to do that?!"  I liked Digger but there was maybe one or two parts where I was a little disappointed in him, but his daughter Kendra was definitely awesome! 

The technology that is used in the story gives it a very real feel and I think that's what made it more believable for me.  That and the fact that there are always skeptics in any group that are willing to explain away the unexplainable as if it's all just a trick to make them look like idiots.

All in all, Speed Dating with the Dead was a spooky suspense-filled read and one that I really enjoyed.

You can check out this and Scott's other books over at Haunted Computer Books

Once Upon A Time Project Comes to a Close


Hi everyone!  I'm both happy and sad to announce that the Once Upon a Time Project has come to a close!  I want to thank everyone that participated, read or help spread the word around the blogosphere!  It was much appreciated!

Deadline for stories and covers has passed as well so now it's time to get into the voting of the awesome covers!!  You have until Friday the 29th October to vote for your favourite cover!

Here are the entries:
1.
Title: Spellbinding Stories

2.
(Front Cover)
Title: Broken

(Back Cover)

3.
Title: Stories Through the Looking-Glass

4.
Title: Without Title

5.
(Front Cover)
Title: Light



(Back Cover)

Okay so they are the awesome entries!  You can use the voting poll on the side bar to vote for which one you like best.

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