Happy New Year for 2011!
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| An aborted attempt ... |
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| Yep, they're clinging on three deep here ... |
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| My favourite shelf *g* |
*And I don't just mean my books ... *is determined* :-)
What New Year's Resolutions are you making?
A New Year's Resolution ...
... Buy more shelves and Get Organised*!
*And I don't just mean my books ... *is determined* :-)
What New Year's Resolutions are you making?
*And I don't just mean my books ... *is determined* :-)
What New Year's Resolutions are you making?
Clan Newsletter News!
I hope Santa was very good to you, and that you're all having a wonderful holiday wherever you are and however you celebrate!
So, the first Clan Newsletter has been sent* out!
And it's got a special preview present: an extract of The Bitter Seed of Magic which comes out in the UK in February 2011. If you want to read the preview early, then come and Join the Spellcrackers Clan here and I'll send you your very own copy of the newsletter!Wishing you health, happiness and the the best year ever for 2011!
*here's hoping my newsletter skillz are up to scratch *chews knuckles*
A Christmas Card!
Click here for a Jacquie Lawson Christmas card from me to all of you!
I'll be in the Writing Cave making words and munching on the mince pies so won't be around much. Hope you and yours all have a truly wonderful time!Wonderful animations taken from here with thanks!
Website problems ...
20th December 2010 - ETA - *whispers so as not to jinx anything* think it might working OK now ...
I've been notified that there have been some problems with my website (see statement below for details). These have now been fixed, but if you're trying to load the website from either a bookmark or history, it may still not load. Unfortunately you will need to type the website address in fresh. I'm sorry for any inconvenience that this might cause; my website host is usually pretty good ... still these things happen :-(
Book Cover images added for test puposes
18th December 2010 - ETA: Sadly I have now discovered that the problems haven't been fixed and are intermittent and ongoing. I'll update the situation as soon as I can.
If you try to load my website and get an error message, please 'try again' sometimes that works :-(
I've been notified that there have been some problems with my website (see statement below for details). These have now been fixed, but if you're trying to load the website from either a bookmark or history, it may still not load. Unfortunately you will need to type the website address in fresh. I'm sorry for any inconvenience that this might cause; my website host is usually pretty good ... still these things happen :-(
"We experienced a service interruption which affected your website services. The interruption occurred between 8:15 p.m. PDT Wednesday and 12:15 a.m. PDT on Thursday. During that time you and your customers may have been unable to access your website and a small number of users continued to experience intermittent issues through the morning. All services are now restored."
Book Cover images added for test puposes
Secret Santa Fangs!
Today was our writers' crit group's Christmas lunch. We're just a small group, only six of us, but we've (nearly all) been together since we first met at a local 'Writing for Beginners' class six years ago. And let me tell you they are a fab, fab group and these ladies, and gent, totally ROCK as writers, critiquers and friends! I couldn't have written my books without all their support, and insightful, generous and pull-no-punches (in the nicest possible way) help. A massive thank you to all of them!
So back to our lovely, long writerly lunch, and the Secret Santa* Fangs ...
This is what was in my Secret Santa stocking! Yay!! So cool! And soooo tasty ... I can't wait to sink my fangs (O_o!) in *g*
Hope you're all looking forward to/having/had a great Christmas lunch/dinner/party! And wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and prosperous 2011!
*If you're unfamiliar with the Secret Santa, all the names go in the metaphorical hat, and everyone draws one name and buys a small pressie for that particular person.
So back to our lovely, long writerly lunch, and the Secret Santa* Fangs ...
This is what was in my Secret Santa stocking! Yay!! So cool! And soooo tasty ... I can't wait to sink my fangs (O_o!) in *g*
Hope you're all looking forward to/having/had a great Christmas lunch/dinner/party! And wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and prosperous 2011!
*If you're unfamiliar with the Secret Santa, all the names go in the metaphorical hat, and everyone draws one name and buys a small pressie for that particular person.
Estonian Rights Sold
I am delighted to announce that The Sweet Scent of Blood is to be published in Estonia by Varrak. Varrak will publish in spring 2011, which is incredibly exciting as Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is to be the European Capital of Culture in 2011. A big, big thank you to Varrak, to John Jarrold, my agent, and the wonderful rights team at Orion/Gollancz for making this happen.
Polls and Poems . . .
Who's your fav Spellcracking male character? Take my poll* here
And over here is a holiday classic - The Twelve Days of an Urban Fantasy Heroine - from crit partner extraodinairre - the fabulous Jaye Wells
*Why, yes, I have been playing with the plug ins on my website, now that you ask - not that I haven't been working hard in the Writing Cave too! *Looks innocent* :-D
Sunday Snippet
I give you a small Sunday Snippet from The Bitter Seed of Magic.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Careful not to let my trainers scuff the salt and sand circle I studied the dead girl staring sightlessly up at me from its centre. She was in her late teens, and Mediterranean ‘girl next door’ pretty: dark brown eyes, blue-black hair still wavy even while wet, and a dusting of freckles over her nose. More freckles dotted the dark skin of her shoulders, but where the spaghetti strap of her flowered sundress had slipped, the line of paler flesh it exposed suggested her colour was a result of sun or a sunbed, and not her natural skin tone.
More than fifty people a year lose their lives in the River Thames.
And none of them fae.
The dead girl didn’t look like any sort of fae. The suntan was the obvious giveaway; only human DNA produces melanin. But Hugh – Detective Sergeant Hugh Munro of the Metropolitan Police’s Magic and Murder squad – wouldn’t have called me in to look at the body if this was just an ordinary human death.
And the witches wouldn’t have put her in a consecrated circle.
Winner: Wolfsbane and Mistletoe
And the Winner of Wolfsbane and Mistletoe is
Kulsuma
Who said:
'I would like to find Matched by Ally Condie (finished copy) and Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld!'
Congratulations, Kulsuma! Kulsuma has already been notified by email.
***
Thanks everyone for entering the giveaway and letting me know what books you're looking forward to finding in your Christmas stockings. I hope Santa is watching and that you get what you're wishing for! Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy 2011 to all of you!
Happy Book Birthday! R F Long - Songs of the Wolf (giveaway)
There's still nearly two days left to enter my giveaway for a copy of the wonderful Wolfsbane and Mistletoe edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L P Kelner with wolfy Christmas stories by lots of fantastic authors!Even if you've already got a copy of this fabulous book, I'm happy to wrap it up in pretty xmas paper and send to one of your friends if you win, with love from you! What could be better?
Open internationally. Closes 9th Dec 2010. Full details and enter here
And talking about wolves today's the BOOK BIRTHDAY of my writerly pal R F Long and her book Songs of the Wolf!
Which is a super bonus: two books in one! The Wolf’s Sister and The Wolf’s Mate.
Woot!! Congratulations!!!
Details and a competition to win a copy here.
(Competition is open to all).
Darn, where did November go ... must be past time for a giveaway!
Ack, it's the 30th and it seems like yesterday I had some Halloween Happiness I was going to tell you all about ... but the last month has whooshed by without even stopping to eat a cupcake!
And now it's snowing! O_o.
But never fear, I will show you my Halloween Happiness anyway! *g*
(and don't forget to read on to find out how to share in my scarily good luck - there's a giveaway!)
Halloween Happiness no: 1 ...
Check out Mike's website for more info about The Unwritten!
Halloween Happiness no: 2 ...
Check out Fiona's website for some fab free reads, including a tale about 'Santa and the Legend of the Christmas Oath' story.
Halloween Happiness no; 3 ...
Then another very cool person, Jon Weir, the fabulous publicist at Gollancz, sent me this wonderful book! And let me tell you not only are the stories fantastic, but that cover is full of shiny goodness - just the perfect thing to give a readaholic for Christmas if you were looking for an idea :-) So keep reading to find out how Wolfsbane and Mistletoe could be winging its way to your Christmas stocking!
Okay, so here's what you have to do: leave me a comment telling me what book/or books you're looking forward to finding in your Christmas stocking this year! Simple!
Giveaway open internationally.
Closes midnight GMT time 9th December**.
Winner will be drawn by Random.org.
1 comment = 1 entry.
So what are you waiting for?? Go comment!! :-)
* though snowing here = a dusting of icing sugar, so hope wherever you are you're warm and take extra care when you venture out into the icy world outside if you've got more snow than we have down here on the South Coast.
** I will post asap after getting the winner's details, but so sorry I can't guarantee book will arrive before xmas if its destination is outside of the UK, we'll have to rely on the postman :-).
And now it's snowing! O_o.
But never fear, I will show you my Halloween Happiness anyway! *g*
(and don't forget to read on to find out how to share in my scarily good luck - there's a giveaway!)
Halloween Happiness no: 1 ...
| Look what one of the coolest authors on the planet and one of my all time writerly heros sent me! |
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| And signed too! |
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| A BIG, BIG THANK YOU TO MIKE!! |
Halloween Happiness no: 2 ...
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| Aww, look what my BFF Fiona gave me! This cute little guy is Bubba Boo! |
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| And look! Bubba Boo's got a bat hanging from his warlock's hat! Yay! |
Halloween Happiness no; 3 ...
Then another very cool person, Jon Weir, the fabulous publicist at Gollancz, sent me this wonderful book! And let me tell you not only are the stories fantastic, but that cover is full of shiny goodness - just the perfect thing to give a readaholic for Christmas if you were looking for an idea :-) So keep reading to find out how Wolfsbane and Mistletoe could be winging its way to your Christmas stocking!
Giveaway open internationally.
Closes midnight GMT time 9th December**.
Winner will be drawn by Random.org.
1 comment = 1 entry.
So what are you waiting for?? Go comment!! :-)
* though snowing here = a dusting of icing sugar, so hope wherever you are you're warm and take extra care when you venture out into the icy world outside if you've got more snow than we have down here on the South Coast.
** I will post asap after getting the winner's details, but so sorry I can't guarantee book will arrive before xmas if its destination is outside of the UK, we'll have to rely on the postman :-).
Happy Thanksgiving ...
to all my American friends! Enjoy the holidays!
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| Thanksgiving CupCake Bouquet picture taken from here |
I tell all to Book Lovers Inc ...
... so why not head over and read all about me. Me. ME!!
Go on, you know you want to! *g* And if you need any more incentive* there's a signed copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood, or The Cold Kiss of Death up for grabs for two lucky commentators!
* Okay, so I'm not that interesting, I know this, but hey, there's *Free Books!*, that's got to be worth something, hasn't it? And you can find out about how my muse copes with my creative pants and what my crit partner, Jaye Wells has to do with it all! Plus there's the Book Lovers: they've got lots more interviews and giveaways lined up, with more exciting folk that me, so you'd be missing out if you don't go ... just sayin' :-)
Go on, you know you want to! *g* And if you need any more incentive* there's a signed copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood, or The Cold Kiss of Death up for grabs for two lucky commentators!
* Okay, so I'm not that interesting, I know this, but hey, there's *Free Books!*, that's got to be worth something, hasn't it? And you can find out about how my muse copes with my creative pants and what my crit partner, Jaye Wells has to do with it all! Plus there's the Book Lovers: they've got lots more interviews and giveaways lined up, with more exciting folk that me, so you'd be missing out if you don't go ... just sayin' :-)
For the Fallen
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
*Beverage Alert*
1. Go to google maps
2. Get directions (by car)
3. Type Japan as start
4. Type China as end
5. Go to direction #42
(Txs to tweeter @SteveNiles)
2. Get directions (by car)
3. Type Japan as start
4. Type China as end
5. Go to direction #42
(Txs to tweeter @SteveNiles)
Hallowe'en Giveaway Winner!
And the Winner of The Cold Kiss of Death is
Anassa
Who said:
'The last scene that scared me was one in The Devil's Alphabet. Two characters, one of whom was my favourite, get stopped at a roadblock and I was terrified that Bad Things were going to happen.'
Congratulations, Anassa! Please send your snail mail address to contest[at]spellcrackers[dot]com and the book will be on its way to you :-)
***
Thanks everyone for entering the giveaway and letting me know what book last scared you - there are some great ones there!
Pixies are Go!!
So way back in February I teased mentioned I was writing a Spellcrackers short story, and that it had pixies in it ... well, I'm super stoked to say that the story has been accepted, and is going to be published in the next urban fantasy anthology edited by the wonderful Charlaine Harris and the fabulous Toni L. P. Kelner! Yay!
As I'm sure you all know, Charlaine and Toni have already edited two fantastic anthologies together - 'Wolfsbane and Mistletoe', and 'Death's Excellent Vacation' - and this new one due out August 2011 is called 'Home Improvement: Undead Edition', which you won't be surprised to find out is all about how those of the supernatural persuasion go about improving - or otherwise - their homes *g*.
I can't wait to find out what Sookie Stackhouse has been up to! And look at those names on the cover; there's going to be some great stories to read by some of my favourite authors :-).
I had a lot of fun writing my pixie story, and I hope everyone who reads it enjoys it as much as I did creating it. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, there's no spoilers for the Spellcrackers books, as the story is about when Genny takes a job to evict some problematic pixies, and is set 6 months before the beginning of The Sweet Scent of Blood, so it's sort of a mini prequel.
And don't forget if you haven't read The Cold Kiss of Death yet, then you can tell me about a scary book you've read to be in with a chance at winning a copy here :-)
*Does the super excited happy dance*
As I'm sure you all know, Charlaine and Toni have already edited two fantastic anthologies together - 'Wolfsbane and Mistletoe', and 'Death's Excellent Vacation' - and this new one due out August 2011 is called 'Home Improvement: Undead Edition', which you won't be surprised to find out is all about how those of the supernatural persuasion go about improving - or otherwise - their homes *g*.
I can't wait to find out what Sookie Stackhouse has been up to! And look at those names on the cover; there's going to be some great stories to read by some of my favourite authors :-).
I had a lot of fun writing my pixie story, and I hope everyone who reads it enjoys it as much as I did creating it. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, there's no spoilers for the Spellcrackers books, as the story is about when Genny takes a job to evict some problematic pixies, and is set 6 months before the beginning of The Sweet Scent of Blood, so it's sort of a mini prequel.
And don't forget if you haven't read The Cold Kiss of Death yet, then you can tell me about a scary book you've read to be in with a chance at winning a copy here :-)
Halloween Trick or Treats: Giveaway
No tricks here *g*, but I have got a treat of a giveaway for you ...
The Cold Kiss of Death is set around Halloween and features ghosts and all sorts of creatures of the night, and readers have told me it's SCARY and DISTURBING in places, so in celebration of this auspicious night, I'm going to give away a signed copy to one lucky commentator.
So, for a chance to win a signed copy of The Cold Kiss of Death #2 (or an ARC* of The Bitter Seed of Magic #3, if you've already got TCKOD) all you have to do is leave me a comment telling me the last book, or scene in a book, that scared you.
Okay, so I'm going to start this off by telling you the last scene that gave me a SUPER SCARY MOMENT I wasn't expecting. It's in Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong - and it's where Elena and Clay are looking for something in a remote cabin, in the woods, and [redacted for spoiler] happens. Now, in hindsight I know this scene isn't going to scare everyone, but it really pushed my fright button and gave me one of those heart pounding Jurassic Park moments!
How to enter ...
Contest closes end of Sunday, 7th November, UK time, and is open internationally. ETA: winner chosen by Random.org.
1 comment = 1 entry
1 entry = Tweet or Facebook about the contest (1 entry for however many tweets/RTs/facebook comments - leave a comment with a link to your first tweet/facebook, please)
5 entries = Blog about the giveaway (leave a comment with the link to the post, please; so I can find it easily)
10 entries = Post the Spellcrackers Clan Badge in your blog sidebar with a link** to the Clan page (either right click on the image below and save, or copy the html code from here). Leave a comment with the link to your blog, please.
Oh, and help yourself to a cookie ... and no sniggering at my first attempts at decorating otherwise I'll send Genny round to hex you *g*
The interview was held in the Bridport Arts Centre which is a beautiful classic style building. I really enjoyed myself and I hope everyone there did too. So thank you to all who came along, the folk at Bridport festival and all at Waterstone's for inviting me. There are more photos here.
* ARCs of The Bitter Seed of Magic will be sent out as soon as I receive them. I can't tell you what date yet, but hopefully soon!
The Cold Kiss of Death is set around Halloween and features ghosts and all sorts of creatures of the night, and readers have told me it's SCARY and DISTURBING in places, so in celebration of this auspicious night, I'm going to give away a signed copy to one lucky commentator.
So, for a chance to win a signed copy of The Cold Kiss of Death #2 (or an ARC* of The Bitter Seed of Magic #3, if you've already got TCKOD) all you have to do is leave me a comment telling me the last book, or scene in a book, that scared you.
Okay, so I'm going to start this off by telling you the last scene that gave me a SUPER SCARY MOMENT I wasn't expecting. It's in Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong - and it's where Elena and Clay are looking for something in a remote cabin, in the woods, and [redacted for spoiler] happens. Now, in hindsight I know this scene isn't going to scare everyone, but it really pushed my fright button and gave me one of those heart pounding Jurassic Park moments!
How to enter ...
Contest closes end of Sunday, 7th November, UK time, and is open internationally. ETA: winner chosen by Random.org.
1 comment = 1 entry
1 entry = Tweet or Facebook about the contest (1 entry for however many tweets/RTs/facebook comments - leave a comment with a link to your first tweet/facebook, please)
5 entries = Blog about the giveaway (leave a comment with the link to the post, please; so I can find it easily)
10 entries = Post the Spellcrackers Clan Badge in your blog sidebar with a link** to the Clan page (either right click on the image below and save, or copy the html code from here). Leave a comment with the link to your blog, please.
Oh, and help yourself to a cookie ... and no sniggering at my first attempts at decorating otherwise I'll send Genny round to hex you *g*
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| Just baked! |
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| All decorated! |
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| Happy Skulls! |
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| Bats galore and a couple of Vlad's coffins! |
Cookie recipe taken from here
***
On Saturday I was lucky enough to be interviewed at the Bridport Literary Festival about my books and my writing process, by Melissa (on the left below) who works at the Bridport Waterstone's and was super cool enough to tell me she loves my books! Yay! Hollie (on the right below, and who is also super cool as she loves my books too!) did a wonderful introduction at the start, and Melissa asked me some great questions, as did the audience afterwards, so the interview was fantastic fun.The interview was held in the Bridport Arts Centre which is a beautiful classic style building. I really enjoyed myself and I hope everyone there did too. So thank you to all who came along, the folk at Bridport festival and all at Waterstone's for inviting me. There are more photos here.
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| Melissa (my excellent interviewer), yours truly, and Hollie (MC extraordinaire)at Bridport Literary Festival |
Hallowe'en Shenanigans
I ♥ Gollancz!
Yay! It's Spellcrackers.com week over at the Gollancz Dark Fantasy page on Facebook.
There is a good chance of contests and giveaways, so why not head over there and 'like' it :-)
And while you're over there check out the pictures from the Gollancz Hallowe'en party for more snaps like these ... much fun was had by all!
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| Here I am witching it up at the Gollancz Hallowe'en party |
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| Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble with my fabulous editor Jo (centre), and another lovely witchy lady from Gollancz - notice the tray of Bloody Marys* I was studiously ignoring *g* |
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| It's a Steampunk Stickup with Bella Pagan, editor at Orbit |
***
I will also be at the Bridport Literary Festival in Bridport, West Dorset, this Saturday at 11.00. I am being interviewed about vampires, witches, faeries, and other scary things that go bump in the night - particularly around this time of year *g*
If you're around that way, I'd love you to come and see me!
After the interview I'll be signing books, or anything else (within reason :-)).
*or should that be Bloody Maries? Except that doesn't look right ...
Skull Scones and a Sweet Giveaway!
Because she loves Hallowe'en, and her birthday is shortly after it, my writerly pal Julie Cambell, who writes the fab Doc, the Vampire Hunting Dog stories, has a cool contest over at her website and is giving away a copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood to one lucky commenter, (US only, I think). So why not head on over there and enter, and if you've already got a copy, then why not recommend the giveaway to a friend? :-) Or just make yourself a cup of coffee and spend a few minutes reading about the wonderful Doc!At the weekend I thought I'd get into the Hallowe'en mood too with some baking ... a.k.a. skull scones! They looked none too shabby before they hit the oven. I used sultanas for the eyes and nose, and a slash for the mouth ...
... but once they'd been floured and baked they started to look a bit battered
... and taste wise? ... well, it's been a long time since I did much baking, so though they were all scoffed pretty quickly, my scone making abilities definitely need a lot more practise! LOL!
Mistress of The Stone - Maria Zannini - A book you'll want to vote for!!
My writerly pal Maria Zannini (who writes fabulous romances!) is one of the last 10 contestants in the Kensington Brava/RT Writing With the Stars contest (Woot!!). The prize is to have her book - Mistress of The Stone - published, and she needs votes for Best First Paragraph and Last Line over at RT Reviews.
Now, even though I'm biased, I think Maria's first para has such an intriguing heroine that I'd have voted for her even if she wasn't my pal, but in all fairness why not go and read all the entries, and then vote for your favorite.
Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches has weighed in and commented on all the excerpts which makes for some interesting reading :-).
Below is Maria's excerpt, which is the first paragraph and last line of the novel.
FIRST PARAGRAPH:
Luísa Tavares had a list of sins the length of the Antilles, but there was no time to repent for them now. She spat out the tang in her throat then shimmied down the mainmast of the Coral, her tight leather britches and sharp cutlass a mockery to all that was decent in a woman. Time was running out for the captain of the Coral. And with it, his luck.
LAST LINE:
Mayhap, his chance had come.
Mayhap, his chance had come.
***
Luísa is obviously one of those wonderful heroines who grabs the reader's, and the hero's, attention and isn't going to let it go until the very last line!! Go here to read more about Mistress of the Stone.
So!! Go read!! Go vote!! You know you want to!! :-)
'Danke' to the Germans and a fangy short story
I'm delighted to announce that Goldmann, my German publishers, have bought and are going to be publishing The Bitter Seed of Magic - Spellcrackers.com #3! I don't know the date yet, but as soon as I do, I'll post an update on my website. A big, big thank you to Goldmann, and to John Jarrold, my agent and the wonderful rights team at Orion/Gollancz for making this happen. *does the German happy dance*.
And now for the short story ...
... and no, it's not one of mine, but a very cool tale from writer Julie Campbell.
Julie's story is called The Vampire Kissed and the Eye and you can read it here in a flash fiction contest on Devin O'Branagan's website. And when you've read it, (and I can tell you, you're gonna want to!!) show Julie and her very cool story some fangy love and VOTE for it too!!
Here's a clue ...
Voting is open through tomorrow, and Julie's just one vote behind right now. So. Go. Read. And. Vote!!
Or, as Julie says on her LJ, 'you could head over to vampirekissed.com and read the stories posted in the forum and vote for which ever one you think is best. That's fair too :)'
And now for the short story ...
... and no, it's not one of mine, but a very cool tale from writer Julie Campbell.
Julie's story is called The Vampire Kissed and the Eye and you can read it here in a flash fiction contest on Devin O'Branagan's website. And when you've read it, (and I can tell you, you're gonna want to!!) show Julie and her very cool story some fangy love and VOTE for it too!!
Here's a clue ...
Or, as Julie says on her LJ, 'you could head over to vampirekissed.com and read the stories posted in the forum and vote for which ever one you think is best. That's fair too :)'
Happy Book Birthday - Marta Acosta : Haunted Honeymoon
Happy Book Birthday
Yay! Milagro comes to London!!
THERE’S MORE THAN HER HEART AT STAKE. . . .As the only human to survive vampire infection, Milagro de Los Santos has become quite a celebrity among the blood-drinking elite. Too bad the perks of her condition—increased strength, super-fast healing—don’t pay her condo fees. There are other complications too. She’s feeling guilty about her fling with enigmatic Vampire Council member Ian Ducharme, and pining for her ex-fiancé, Dr. Oswald Grant . . . the fabulous man whose kiss changed her life. It’s when Milagro—irked by Ian’s attentions to his neighbor—travels to London and enjoys a sexy flirtation of her own, that the blood really hits the fan. Suddenly, those around her are dying gruesome deaths and Milagro’s being interrogated. Who would kill to set her up as a murder suspect? Milagro just wants to turn back the clock and have another chance to make things right, but no sooner has she escaped to Oswald’s ranch than an accident obliterates her memory. Will the murderer come after her now? And will amnesia spark a romantic do-over with Oswald—or will she make all the same mistakes before she ever gets to say "I do"?
*Don't forget to head on over to Marta's Vampire Wire and vote in the Hawt Vampire Poll and contest
Join the Spellcrackers Clan!
I now have a StreetTeam/Newsletter group, so why not come and join the Spellcrackers Clan! Click on the Clan Badge below for details!
or follow this link:
http://www.spellcrackers.com/join_the_spellcrackers_clan.html
Friday Five
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| Aviator - David Goode |
Breakfast
Aspect of autumn
RomCom
Sculptor
Dangerous wild animal
~
Scott's porrige oats (old fashioned) made traditionally with water and salt (no milk or sugar), lemon and ginger tea, orange juice.
Bonfires
Sleepless in Seattle
David Goode
Tiger
Glimpses: A collection of Nightrunner short stories - Giveaway
A Collection of Nightrunner Short Stories
Authored by Lynn Flewelling
Illustrated by Nightrunner Fans*
Introduction by Laura Anne Gilman
Cover design or artwork by Anne Cain
Edited by Reece Notley
Lynn Flewelling's Glimpses explores "lost" moments from her popular Nightrunner Series, events alluded to or passed over - Alec's parents and childhood, Seregil's early liaisons in Skala, Seregil and Alec's first night as lovers, how Seregil and Micum Cavish met and an excerpt from the next Nightrunner book due out in 2011.
Each story offers a new perspective on events readers have speculated about for years. For new readers, it offers an introduction to the characters Romantic Times calls "two of the most memorable heroes in fantasy."
Professional and amateur art provided by Flewelling's fans accompany Glimpses' stories, as she honors the dedication and devotion her fans have given her over the years.
Yay! I've was utterly thrilled to be able to read this early, and this is what I thought ...
‘Glimpses’ is full of treasures like Lynn Flewelling’s deceptively easy and addictive storytelling, her vivid and engaging characters, and the amazing and heartfelt illustrations. I found it fascinating to see a younger, less outwardly confident Seregil in both ‘Misfit’ and ‘By the River’, and then to meet him in his much more worldly persona in the snippet of ‘The Summer Players*’, the next Nightrunner novel. ‘The Wild’ is a poignant, brutal and uplifting tale of Alec’s parents and his early childhood. While the deepening of Seregil and Alec’s relationship in ‘The Bond’ is beautifully handled and is as emotionally satisfying for the reader as it is for the two friends and lovers. This book is a must have for fans of Lynn’s Nightrunner books, and if you haven’t started the series yet, then ‘Glimpses’ will leave you eager to discover more about Seregil and Alec, their adventures and the unique and fantastical world that the pair inhabit.
*working title
Go buy this brilliant book here ...
smashwords for ebook
createspace for print book
at amazon.com
Want to win a copy of Glimpses??
Then leave me a comment telling me your favourite traditional fantasy book/series (excluding any by Lynn to make it more interesting *g*). One of my all time favs is Patricia Briggs' Hurog duology *I <3 dragons!*
Contest open internationally anywhere that The Book Depository delivers (Glimpses is not currently listed there, but I'm told it will be :-))
Contest closes midnight 30th September 2010 (GMT time)
Extra entry if you help spread the word and post about it on your blog (with pics, please - that beautiful cover deserves to be seen!) and leave the link to your actual post in a comment on this post.
Winner will be chosen by Random.org and posted on blog.
Remember to check back!
*Including a fantastic picture by the wonderful Dragonladych - don't forget you can win her gorgeous Dragon picture here!
Note: Glimpses contains scenes of m/m sex and m/f sex - read Lynn blogging about how Sex is Hard here *g*
Illustrated by Nightrunner Fans*
Introduction by Laura Anne Gilman
Cover design or artwork by Anne Cain
Edited by Reece Notley
Lynn Flewelling's Glimpses explores "lost" moments from her popular Nightrunner Series, events alluded to or passed over - Alec's parents and childhood, Seregil's early liaisons in Skala, Seregil and Alec's first night as lovers, how Seregil and Micum Cavish met and an excerpt from the next Nightrunner book due out in 2011.
Each story offers a new perspective on events readers have speculated about for years. For new readers, it offers an introduction to the characters Romantic Times calls "two of the most memorable heroes in fantasy."
Professional and amateur art provided by Flewelling's fans accompany Glimpses' stories, as she honors the dedication and devotion her fans have given her over the years.
~~~
Yay! I've was utterly thrilled to be able to read this early, and this is what I thought ...
‘Glimpses’ is full of treasures like Lynn Flewelling’s deceptively easy and addictive storytelling, her vivid and engaging characters, and the amazing and heartfelt illustrations. I found it fascinating to see a younger, less outwardly confident Seregil in both ‘Misfit’ and ‘By the River’, and then to meet him in his much more worldly persona in the snippet of ‘The Summer Players*’, the next Nightrunner novel. ‘The Wild’ is a poignant, brutal and uplifting tale of Alec’s parents and his early childhood. While the deepening of Seregil and Alec’s relationship in ‘The Bond’ is beautifully handled and is as emotionally satisfying for the reader as it is for the two friends and lovers. This book is a must have for fans of Lynn’s Nightrunner books, and if you haven’t started the series yet, then ‘Glimpses’ will leave you eager to discover more about Seregil and Alec, their adventures and the unique and fantastical world that the pair inhabit.
*working title
Go buy this brilliant book here ...
smashwords for ebook
createspace for print book
at amazon.com
Want to win a copy of Glimpses??
Then leave me a comment telling me your favourite traditional fantasy book/series (excluding any by Lynn to make it more interesting *g*). One of my all time favs is Patricia Briggs' Hurog duology *I <3 dragons!*
Contest open internationally anywhere that The Book Depository delivers (Glimpses is not currently listed there, but I'm told it will be :-))
Contest closes midnight 30th September 2010 (GMT time)
Extra entry if you help spread the word and post about it on your blog (with pics, please - that beautiful cover deserves to be seen!) and leave the link to your actual post in a comment on this post.
Winner will be chosen by Random.org and posted on blog.
Remember to check back!
*Including a fantastic picture by the wonderful Dragonladych - don't forget you can win her gorgeous Dragon picture here!
Note: Glimpses contains scenes of m/m sex and m/f sex - read Lynn blogging about how Sex is Hard here *g*
Want to win a fabulous Dragon??
Want to win this beautiful, original artwork by the very talented Dragonladych? Head over here: http://memoriesinmusic.com/contest.html and enter the contest. It's only £1.25 to enter! All profits made will go to Macmillan Cancer Support so it's a good cause.
see the full story here on Dragonladych's LiveJournal
And as Dragonladych says, please, post about this if you can - the more entries, the more money will be raised! Thank you very much in advance! The contest ends 17 October, 2010.
Happy Book Birthday to Jaine Fenn - Guardians of Paradise
Jaine Fenn :: Guardians of Paradise
Most people believe the Sidhe are long dead, exterminated centuries ago when the males of the race rose up and fought alongside the humans subjugated and enslaved by the female Sidhe. But Jarek Reen knows better: he's discovered, the painful way, that the Sidhe are alive and well, and still screwing over humanity. They've already killed his sister, so he's not surprised when he discovers an old friend and her partner are next on the Sidhe's hitlist. He helps not only to foil the assassination attempt, but also to muddy the scene of the crime, leaving the Angels Nual and Taro sanMalia presumed dead - and free to join his crusade to expose the insidious influence of the Sidhe, and their evil plans to enslave the human race again. Their mission takes them across human-space, from utilitarian hub-points to rich, exotic planets - where they discover that a brilliant vacation spot hides some of the darkest secrets of all. And that's when they discover how easy it is for the hunters to become the hunted . . .
I *LOVED* Jaine's first two books* Principles of Angels* and Consorts of Heaven, and I know Gaurdians of Pardise is going to be fantastic! And I'm not the only one who thinks so ...
"After a solid debut with Principles of Angels, Fenn's second offering is altogether stranger and more ambitious. A beautifully paced quest, a novel that doles out its revelations slowly yet confidently. The characters are well-drawn and believable. There's more than enough here to suggest that British SF has a major new talent in its midst." (Jonathan Wright SFX )
Happy Book Birthday, Jaine!!
*Ok, I sort of had to read the first since we share an editor at Gollancz (*g*), and I thought it only polite, though at the time I didn't know Jaine and I don't always connect with Sci-Fi books (my fault, not the books, it's just not my preferred genre). But Jaine really sucked me in with her worldbuilding, her characters and her storytelling, despite the fact that I like my sidhe to be, y'know, like my sidhe (faeires rather than powerful alien types, and there are *no* vampires in her books! *g*).
Then I got to know Jaine and she's become a great friend, but don't let that, or the lack of vampires put you off reading her books. Her first is great, and her second really impressed me (I could tell you so much to love about it, and about the characters and their relationships, but that would be spoiling it :-D). She's a brilliant writer, and I can't wait to see what she's done with her third. I know it's going to be as fabulous, if not more so, than the first two :-).
Then I got to know Jaine and she's become a great friend, but don't let that, or the lack of vampires put you off reading her books. Her first is great, and her second really impressed me (I could tell you so much to love about it, and about the characters and their relationships, but that would be spoiling it :-D). She's a brilliant writer, and I can't wait to see what she's done with her third. I know it's going to be as fabulous, if not more so, than the first two :-).
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