Hot Paranormal Nights Blog Hop with Tricia Schneider

Welcome Blog Hoppers!

I'm a fan of the paranormal. All the spooky things that go bump in the night and send shivers down my spine fascinate me. Add some history and romance to the mix and its a perfect combination.

That's why I love writing about the Merriweather Witches, a family living in Regency-era England. In this family, both males and females have inherited the magical skills of their mother. Since the death of their parents, the siblings have gone to live with their Aunt Petunia who cares and raises them as if they were her own children. They grow up under her tutelage, learning the magic she teaches and trying to find their way in a world where witches are still hunted and feared.

There are 7 siblings, each with a story to tell. They have adventures, learn valuable lessons, save lives and fall in love along the way.

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Meet Lillian in The Witch and the Wolf...

Lord Jeremy North's curse is to become a werewolf during every full moon, turning into a bloodthirsty monster that kills with no remorse. When he finds a woman nearly frozen upon his doorstep, his sense of honor compels him to help her, even at the risk he might kill her himself.

Lillian Merriweather hadn't planned to get caught in a blizzard while traveling the English countryside. Nor had she planned on finding refuge in a house full of secrets. But Lillian has secrets of her own. And what she's running from is not far behind...

Read an Excerpt

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Meet Melora in The Witch and the Vampire...

 

Melora Merriweather is searching for a fellow witch to protect her from a scheming uncle with plans of marriage. When her carriage overturns on her journey, she is rescued by a mysterious man whom she learns is the very person she seeks. But, he’s not the witch she thought he was…

Sebastian Collins should have left for London days ago. Now a snowstorm has trapped him with a woman who has come seeking protection, a woman who intrigues him like no other. And with each passing hour, his hunger for her grows…hunger for her kiss, her caress, and her blood.

Read an Excerpt

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These two Merriweather sisters have their stories told, but there are more to come! I love writing these stories and thrilled that readers have responded well to them and keep asking for more! 

Here's a sneak peek of the next Merriweather witch...

Meet Basil in The Witch's Thief...

Julia Grey is searching for a spell rumored to be hidden somewhere within Merriweather Manor. Taking a position as lady's companion to the elderly witch living there gives her the freedom to search. But time is running out. The necromancer she's bargained with is growing impatient with the delay, and the last thing she expects is a man from her past returning home....

Basil Merriweather returns to England after spending ten years abroad to find his childhood sweetheart now living in his home. But, things have changed between them. He's no longer the carefree man of his youth and she's keeping secrets...deadly secrets Basil vows to uncover.

Release Date: To be announced

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More news! I have the first draft of Sage Merriweather's story completed. I'm in the process of writing Hyacinth's story now. I can't wait to share those with you, too!

And now to offer a prize to a lucky reader of this blog hop!

Comment to win a Kindle copy of your choosing... 

The Witch and the Wolf  

OR 

The Witch and the Vampire. 

Let me know in your comment which you'd prefer and an email where I can reach you.

And thanks to you all for taking the time to read about my family of witches!

Be sure to stop by the next blog on this hop! There are tons of prizes and great books to discover!

A Family of Witches

When I first began writing The Witch and the Wolf, it never occurred to me that I might have the start of a series. It was a short story. A paranormal romance about a witch and a werewolf. I wrote it within a week, edited the next week and entered it in a contest a friend of mine suggested I try.  While I didn't win the contest, my story did get the attention of the editors who asked that I re-submit it as a regular submission. Shortly later, they sent me a contract.

During the editing process, I got to thinking about the heroine's sister who played a small role in the story. Their evil uncle was searching for them. Did he catch her, or did she get away? So, I wrote another short story to find out; a sequel called The Witch and the Vampire. That one was really fun! I loved writing it.

That's where I stopped. I was finished with the Merriweather sisters.

Or so I thought...

I moved on to other projects. Mostly novels and short stories that were half-finished. I submitted a few, gathered some rejections and went back to work. All the while, I kept thinking about those Merriweather sisters. They intrigued me. I already knew they were orphans, raised by their aunt and sent to live with their uncle. But what else did I know about them?

The more I thought about them, the more interested I became. What was their family like? Who else had a story to tell? What exactly happened to their parents?

And then, Basil Merriweather was born. Actually, he's the eldest sibling. Lillian and Melora needed an older, responsible brother who would be outraged that their uncle was treating his younger sisters so unfairly. But he's been away from England for a while, so that's why his story is third; The Witch's Thief (release date to-be-announced). Basil's story reveals the rest of the Merriweather siblings, all witches with their own unique magickal skills and all with very interesting stories to tell. The family is a fairly large one, seven in all.

So far....

Summer Writing Camp

Yesterday was the official start of the August 2012 Camp NaNoWriMo! I've only just learned of this event in mid-July so I had some time to develop a story idea to write. To be honest, I went through 3 ideas before I settled on this one. I had 2 dreams that worked really great for stories, but I needed more time to flesh them out a bit, so I'm setting them aside for future projects.

Now for this month, I'm continuing to explore the Merriweather Witches. If all goes well, the first draft of Book 4 will be finished by August 31! And while I'm at it, I might just keep going with Book 5 in November. I actually have ideas for seven or more individual books all dealing with Merriweather siblings and their friends. So far, I've gotten a wonderful response about the first two which are published by The Wild Rose Press. Readers are asking for more! Well, I aim to please!

For those of you who haven't heard about NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month), the idea is to finish writing a 50,000 word novel in a month. This takes place every November since 2000. Camp NaNoWriMo is a newer event and takes place during the summer months of  June and August.

If anyone would care to track my progress, you can find me in my cabin with my writing pals. We'll be sipping icy sweet tea while we type on our laptops in between eating smores by the fireside. Oh, I hope they have bug spray!

PARTY 'TIL YOUR HEELS FLY OFF: MEGA AUTHOR BLOG HOP TOUR (JUNE 13-20) WITCH PARTY

For this month's blog hop, I'm having a party celebrating my e-books which are available from The Wild Rose Press. Both The Witch and the Wolf and The Witch and the Vampire are about The Merriweather Witches; sisters who are attempting to escape the clutches of their evil uncle. He wants to marry them off to his cronies in exchange for money to fund his obsession with alchemy, the search to turn metal into gold.

Here's a little about the books:

The Witch and the Wolf
Lord Jeremy North's curse is to become a werewolf during every full moon, turning into a bloodthirsty monster that kills with no remorse. When he finds a woman nearly frozen upon his doorstep, his sense of honor compels him to help her, even at the risk he might kill her himself.


Lillian Merriweather hadn't planned to get caught in a blizzard while traveling the English countryside. Nor had she planned on finding refuge in a house full of secrets. But Lillian has secrets of her own. And what she's running from is not far behind...

The Witch and the Vampire
Melora Merriweather is searching for a fellow witch to protect her from a scheming uncle with plans of marriage. When her carriage overturns on her journey, she is rescued by a mysterious man whom she learns is the very person she seeks. But, he’s not the witch she thought he was…

Sebastian Collins should have left for London days ago. Now a snowstorm has trapped him with a woman who has come seeking protection, a woman who intrigues him like no other. And with each passing hour, his hunger for her grows…hunger for her kiss, her caress, and her blood.

Witches and magic spells have captured my fascination since I was a young girl. My fictional witches have the power to create, to manipulate energy and substance. They simply enthrall my imagination with the mystical capabilities they possess. Add a sexy romance to that mix, and any other paranormal elements that can be found (perhaps a werewolf or vampire!) and I have some great fun writing my stories!

TOUR RULES:

1)  HAVE FUN!!!

2)  INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!

3)  THIS TOUR STARTS:  Monday, June 13, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
      THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, June 20, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
      Winners will be drawn and posted June 21st! *** 

4)  MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS! EXPERIENCE A NEW PARTY DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!

5)  PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERY AUTHOR SOME LOVE!

6)  DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN?  WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

***Authors have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of  win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***


Contest:

To win a one-of-a-kind handcrafted bracelet from Lady Dragonfly Gifts, simply follow my blog and leave a comment on this post. Two winners will be selected using random.org. Be sure to leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win! One winner will be chosen on June 21. Good luck!

Also, be sure to visit me on Facebook, Twitter and GoodReads where I post information on my current and upcoming releases!

Thank you so much for visiting!  

To continue to your next party destination, visit Nell Dixon at her Bring a Dish Party!