18 & Over Book Blogger GiveawayHop

I'm an avid reader as well as an author. In fact, I read more than I write. Tragic, I know, especially in regards to my bank account! But, I just can't help myself, ya know? I love to read! Plain and simple. And one of my favorite things about reading are the heroes! Not just any hero, mind you. The Romance Heroes. Usually, these are very drool-worthy men. Passionate. Strong. Courageous. And sensational in bed! Not to mention gorgeously handsome. I'm not sure about everyone else, but when I read a book, I have a clear picture of the hero in my head. Sometimes, he might take the form of an actor from the movies or TV. 

Here are some examples. Not all of these books are considered romance, but they do have strong romantic elements. 

For example, when I read Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, I see Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as Ranger. I think somewhere I read that she pictured him when she wrote that character. It's been so long since I read that, so I'm not sure if its true, but it doesn't matter. The Rock will always be Ranger in my head. 

Another is the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Many fans have posted who their choices of actors would be for the parts of their favorite characters. I've discussed this a few times with other LKH fans. Those I've talked with seem to be in agreement that Richard Zeeman (one of Anita's love interests who happens to be a werewolf) should be played by Hugh Jackman. There's a raw, masculine ruggedness that I feel he would be perfect for that role. 

And for Anita's other main love interest (there are many these days, but I've only narrowed my choices to 2), Jean-Claude the vampire, I feel Gerard Butler could fill that role nicely. (I admit, Gerry is usually the number one actor I visualize whether I'm reading or writing!) When I saw his role in Dracula 2000, the lethal sexiness, the carnal energy he expressed, I felt would be perfect for Jean-Claude. 

 For the hero, Sebastian Collins, in my novella, The Witch and the Vampire, I pictured Richard Armitage. I think I had just finished watching him in the BBC Robin Hood series and just fell in love with him. He stepped into Sebastian's boots quite easily in my mind.   

So tell me, who do you picture in your mind's eye while you're reading?  Follow my blog and leave a comment for a chance to win a free .pdf copy of my novella, The Witch and the Vampire. You can also find me on Facebook, GoodReads and Twitter.

And don't forget to check out the other great bloggers participating in the 18 & Over Book Blogger Giveaway Hop! Enjoy!

Witchy Book Recommendations

The last post I wrote was about the 2012 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge I'm participating in for this year. Since reading and writing about witches is a favorite hobby of mine, I thought I'd list a few of my favorite titles that I've read in the past.

Eternity by Maggie Shayne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb:
Three hundred years ago, Raven St. James was accused of witchcraft. Only one man tried to free her from the hangman's noose, Duncan, the town minister, who died trying to save her. Three hundred years later, the accused witch still lives and longs for her love. At last, after centuries of loneliness, Raven has found her precious Duncan. But as he awakens to the passion of his past life, so too does the evil that tore them apart. Now Raven and Duncan must prove their love for all eternity.

This is the first of The Immortal Witches series. The book's following this are: Infinity, Destiny, and Immortality.


Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb:
Paige Winterbourne was always either too young or too rebellious to succeed her mother as leader of one of the world's most powerful elite organizations- the American Coven of Witches. Now that she is twenty-three and her mother is dead, the Elders can no longer deny her. But even Paige's wildest antics can't hold a candle to those of her new charge- an orphan who is all too willing to use her budding powers for evil... and evil is all too willing to claim her. For this girl is being pursued by a dark faction of the supernatural underworld. They are a vicious group who will do anything to woo the young, malleable, and extremely powerful neophyte, including commit murder- and frame Paige for the crime. It's an initiation into adulthood, womanhood, and the brutal side of magic that Paige will have to do everything within her power to make sure they both survive.

This is #3 in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, though this is the first book told about Paige. This series is a fantastic blend of paranormal creatures such as werewolves, vampires, ghosts, demons, sorcerors and witches. 




Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party...and to feed.

Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining - and it's Rachel Morgan's job to keep that world civilized.

A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she'll bring 'em back alive, dead...or undead.

The first book in Kim Harrison's The Hollow's series, also known to some as the Rachel Morgan series. Another great series to lose yourself to, involving witches, vampires, demons, werewolves, and even pixies! 



Those are a few to get started. I love them to pieces! Next week, I'll post some Witchy non-fiction book recommendations. I've got quite a few favorites there, too!

What are some of your favorite fiction books about witches and witchcraft? I'd love to hear your recommendations. I'm always looking for more books to add to my TBR!
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To add a side note: Today I'm guest blogging at The Vampire Book Realm's V-Spot blog. Yes, I know, its a site about vampires, and here I'm talking today about witches. But, I'm chatting about my book The Witch and the Vampire (see that witch connection there??) and my love of the 1960's TV series Dark Shadows (again about vampires AND witches). Stop by to comment for a chance to win an exclusive VBR wallpaper for your computer. 

2012 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge

During my browsing of the groups I've joined on GoodReads, I found a challenge that I feel is just right for me; The Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge. Yes, I read a lot of books and I must admit that within the last two years I've become quite a reading challenge addict. But this is the first challenge that I've joined that is hosted by a book reviewer's blog, so I hope I get this right. For some reason, I seem to complicate matters when I read the instructions when I'm sure they're quite simple.

This challenge runs from January 1, 2012 (yes, I'm joining a little late, but I'm sure I'll catch up!) thru December 31, 2012. You must read books that include a witch as the main character or that contain any major witchcraft elements. They may be fiction or non-fiction. There are four levels to choose from: 

Initiate:  Read 1 - 5 Witchy Books

Maiden:  Read 6 - 10 Witchy Books

Mother:  Read 11 - 15 Witchy Books

Crone:  Read 16 - 20 Witchy Books

I'm going to pick Maiden, but I might upgrade to another level later in the year. First, I'll see how far I get. I admit, I tend to overfill my plate of goals each year and come December I'm scrambling around for the books with the smallest page counts to complete the leftover challenges. Oh, but what fun reading is! I really can't say no! :)

Now, for the complete list of rules and how to join this challenge, please visit Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf. She even gives you a list a book titles to get you started. 

Looking through my bookshelf, I find a few titles I've read that I'd like to recommend to readers, too. Reading some of these books have inspired my own witchy writings, so I'll compile a list of titles and share them sometime next week. 

As for now, if you're a fan of witchy books (and I hope you like The Merriweather Witches!), then hop over to Melissa's blog and sign up! I look forward to seeing what other readers have chosen for the challenge! 

Review: The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine  Bell (aka Chloe Cole)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Blurb:
 I'm a time pirate—born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.

That's why it's vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he's bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.

I knew this wouldn't be easy. But I wasn't counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed…
25,900 words


My Review:
This novella was a joy to read! I loved it! It was fast-paced, the characters were interesting and well developed, and the plot was fascinating. This was also my introduction to steampunk. I don't think I've ever read anything in this genre. And I'm hooked! I can't wait to read another one. I would have loved to see this story as a full-length novel! It was interesting and suspenseful and I really enjoyed the use of first-person POV (point-of-view). I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a quick, fun romance that keeps you turning the pages until the end. I can't wait to read more from this author!



View all my reviews

Review: Bleeding Hearts by Ash Krafton

Bleeding Hearts: Book One of the Demimonde by Ash Krafton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Blurb:
Sophie Galen is an advice columnist who is saving the world—one damned person at a time.

Shy and sensitive Sophie has all but given up on love until she meets Marek, a mysterious stranger who seduces her with his striking good looks and his take-charge attitude. Yet the darkness she senses within him may be more than she is prepared to handle when Marek draws her into a world of vampires, werewolves, and treachery. Forced to leave behind the comfortable routines and certainties of her past, Sophie makes unbearable sacrifices and uncovers hidden truths about herself and the world around her.

My review: 
I won this ARC after entering a contest. I don't often review books, but I really enjoyed this debut and wanted to let everyone know about it.

I’ve been looking forward to reading this story since I first heard about it. The waiting was well worth it! BLEEDING HEARTS hooked me from the very first page. I loved Sophie’s wit, sarcasm and bravery. She handled things a bit better than I would have in the same situation! Marek’s overwhelming darkness drew me to him. He was sexy, dark and oh, so dangerous! The mythology behind the vampires in this urban fantasy was something I haven’t read before and I loved the Egyptian angle. Sophie pulled me into her world and I was reluctant to part with it in the end (luckily there is a sequel!). The anguish these characters go through really pulled at my heart, making this a very emotional story, not only for Sophie and Marek but also the other characters I fell in love with, like Jared and Rodrian. This novel is filled with light and dark, good and evil, and a love that is tested beyond all limits. Ash Krafton’s writing is amazing and I simply cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

BLEEDING HEARTS will be released from Pink Narcissus Press on March 15, 2012! Mark your calendars!

View all my reviews

Sharing the Love Chat with Tricia Schneider!

Happy Valentine's Day!! Today is the day for celebrating romance, and I'm spending the day chatting with fellow romance authors at the Coffee Time Romance chat loops. I'll be popping in and out all day at the PG loop and the Erotic loop. There will be tons of prizes offered so stop by and chat with these amazing authors:


Skhye Moncrief
Erin Dameron-Hill
Tracey H. Kitts
Sarah Tremble
Beth Trissell
Robin Badillo
Shannan Albright
Melisse Aries
Aithne Jarretta
Jacquie Rogers
Anna Kathryn Lanier
Jennifer Bray Weber
Sky Purington

I'll be offering a FREE .pdf of my novella THE WITCH AND THE WOLF. This event is today ONLY so hurry over! 



Also, as a special treat to readers, my publisher The Wild Rose Press is offering all digital titles 10% for Valentine's Day!! 

Paranormal Bad-Boy Blurb Fest!!

It's SMOKING SATURDAY where Bad Boys of paranormal romance come out to play! You don't want to miss the sizzle and howl. And if you're lucky, you just might find an alpha male scratching at your door. Because romance authors are sharing their blurbs here today. And you never know what might catch your eye. *wink*

Any paranormal romance (erotica) author is welcome to join in the fun. How to participate... 

1. Just grab the graphic above & post the event details and graphic on your blog inviting paranormal authors to post blurbs/buy links on your blog post through midnight, January 21, 2011.
2. Don't forget to include the blurb and buy links to your romantic paranormal bad boy tale in the post. 
3. Finally, leave your blurb and buy link to your story here (NO EXCERPTS please) & the url to the event at your blog so all the participating authors can post their blurbs and buy links there as well! 

SMOKING SATURDAY ends at midnight, January 21, 2011! 

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 or read Reviews.

The Witch and the Wolf is available at The Wild Rose Press and Amazon. 

A Tribute to My Mother

Today is my mom's birthday. It's difficult to imagine that she would have been 54 this year! How quickly the years have gone by since she's left us. And not one day goes by that I do not think of her in some way. I wonder how thrilled she'd be to know she was a grandmother to five beautiful children (3 of mine and 2 of my brother's). To think that she would visit them, laugh and play with them. My grandmother often talks about my mother, though my children are still very young to understand the difference between a grandmother and a great-grandmother.

And sometimes, I catch a glimpse of my mother in my daughter's eyes. A tilt of her head, the curve of her cheek, I'm not sure what it is yet. My daughter is still a baby, but even my uncle (my mother's brother) commented when I first brought her home from the hospital that out of all three of my children, my daughter looks most like my mother in some small way. Of course, all of my children, including myself, have her chin (that's a recognizable trait that has been passed down from my grandmother! lol).

Yes, this is me with my mother.

I miss my mother more now than I ever did. She died when I was eleven. Now I'm an adult, a mother and a wife, and I yearn to have that mother/daughter companionship. There are so many questions I have for her, regarding parenting issues, career, education, relationships, what to make for dinner, oh, the list goes on and on.

 Even still on the days when I'm sick with a cold, I think how nice it was when I was little, to have my mother make me chicken soup. Just her presence in the room always made me feel better. I've remembered this just recently when my son had an earache (something I used to get frequently as a child). He whimpered in pain, but the moment I sat next to him, holding him, his whimpers ceased and he grew calm. And I remembered how my mother's mere presence always soothed me.

I also inherited the love of reading and writing from my mother. If it wasn't for her teaching me her love of books, I doubt I would have chosen a career as an author today. She was an avid romance reader and most of my childhood I remember her always with a book in her hand. I also learned after she died that she was a writer, too. After going through her stuff, I found a box of notebooks. She had written several short stories and had contacted some businesses about writing book reviews. Though she didn't have the chance to get published, I believe she would have succeeded. I could see the talent shining through even in her rough drafts.

My father was kind enough to keep her library of books and when I moved out of my house, he gave them to me. She read hundreds, maybe thousands! I'm sad to say now that I didn't keep all of them. At that point in my life, I couldn't imagine ever reading all of them! But a few of her favorites were Danielle Steel, Rosemary Rogers, Stephen King, and Dean Koontz.

Although she has been gone for so very long, there are still many who remember her. She was a wife, mother, daughter, friend, and teacher. She was kind and patient and loving. She has touched the lives of so many of us. And now my children take a part of her into the future so she will never be forgotten. And, though I still miss her so very much, I know she is always with me.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!

Patty Zimmerman

January 11, 1958 - August 23, 1989

Writing Spaces

My years of a being a writer have taught me many things and one of those is that the best part of doing this job is that I can do it anywhere. Working as a novelist, magazine writer, short story author, script writer, fiction, non-fiction…doesn’t matter what type of writing you do, it can be done any place as long as you have the minimal requirements of pencil and paper. 

Most of us dream of having an office where we can go everyday to write our bestselling novels. And some writers are lucky to have such a writing space. Others, like myself, don’t have such luxuries. I have a three-bedroom house and I’m also the mother of 3 small children. The rooms in this house are all occupied! So, I have to carve out a space elsewhere, and since I haven’t the income to rent an outside office (that’s another nice little writer dream!) I have to get creative with the sources available to me. 

Like the sofa.

Yes, the majority of my writing takes place in the living room while sitting on the sofa. I have my laptop (a step up from pencil and paper), earphones (to block out the combined noises of my husband watching TV and the kids playing on the floor), and the ability to absorb myself in my writing world. I’ve also taken full advantage of our kitchen table and I have a desk in the dining room, though both of those areas get chilly in the winter months. I’ve also had the opportunity to hide away in my bedroom while my husband watches our children. That never seems to work out. One of them always claims the need to ‘go potty’ and inevitably wanders into my secluded space breaking my concentration.

In the summer time, I take my writing utensils (paper, pen or laptop; whatever suits me that day) to write outside. Our back porch is a lovely spot, secluded from most of the neighbors prying eyes and yet with a nice view of the backyard so I can watch my children at play.

In the past, I’ve written in numerous locations. My earliest days of writing began in my childhood bedroom, sitting by the window overlooking the mountain by the house. I’ve taken my writing with me to work. When I worked at the bookstore, I took advantage of having the back storage room entirely to myself for a full half hour. I’d quickly eat and write for the remainder of my time. Or on the days when the back room was being used, I’d eat my lunch and then sit on one of the mall benches. 

There were several years where I had no real home (the definition of ‘home’ is not always the same as ‘house’) so I spent a lot of time in my car. I’d travel to different locations, parks, secluded wooded areas, lakes, alongside rivers, or even just the mall parking lot and sit in my car to write. I’ve written in café’s and coffee shops, restaurants and pizza shops, mall’s and bookstore’s (I do miss Borders), in my friend’s and family member’s houses. I’ve taken my writing with me on vacations, too. I’ve written in the car (while someone else was driving! Geesh!), in other states and countries, in airplanes, in hotels and motels, poolside and on the beach. I’ve even written in a graveyard.   

Now that I have a real home and children, most of my writing is done at night, after the little ones are fast asleep. My sofa might not be as glamorous as an office, but as long as you have pen, paper and motivation, a writer can write anywhere!  

Ring in the New Year with these AMAZING E-Books!

Happy New Year!! Can you believe it? The year 2011 has come and gone and we're off to a fresh start with 2012!

And to start the year off in the right direction, I'm opening my blog to any authors who'd like to post info and links about their books. This is a great way for readers to discover some great new voices and stock up on e-books for their brand new Kindles and Nooks! :)

How does it work? It's simple. In the comment section below post a blurb about your book and any links (such as to-buy, website, blog). You can also find other blogs participating in this event by searching for the hashtag #newyearsbookpromo on Twitter. Look for the posts with the title RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THESE AMAZING E-BOOKS!

I'll start with one of mine:

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.

To buy:
The Wild Rose Press
Amazon Kindle: 
This title is currently discounted on both Amazon and The Wild Rose Press!! Hurry over and get it before the discount disappears!!