Capital Cocktails and Critique!

Firstly, the giveaway for Shady Lady: Corine Solomon # 3 (US) (UK) by SuperWriter(tm) Ann Aguirre is now closed! Winner to be announced today. So there's still time to leave a comment here, telling me your fav holiday destination for a chance to win!

Secondly, I'm over at the fabulous Tynga's place for her Paranormal Spring Break with another Supernatural Capital Tour! You can win your choice of one of my books if you leave a comment here  saying which Tour you'd want to go on. The Dryad Treetop Walk seems to be coming out tops (sooooorry!! *g*) right now, though if you're a fan of Finn, the Bacchanalian All-Night Feast might be more your entertainment of choice :-D (ends 6th April)

And thirdly . . .


Genre for Japan is still open for bids until midnight BST (GMT +1) on 3rd April. And there's still lots to bid on, even if you haven't got the deep pockets you might wish for. So why not check out the  index of all the lots and see if anything takes your fancy!

A huge, HUGE THANK YOU to you awesome folk who have bid on my two lots: A character named after you in my next novel and a 25,000 word critique. I'm stunned and humbled, and extremely grateful for the help you're pledging to the people of Japan. Thank you so much again for your generosity.

Guest Blog: Ben Aaronovitch -The Gumbo School of Writing

Today, I'd like to welcome Ben Aaronovitch, a fellow urban fantasy writer, who is the author of the fabulous Rivers of London(UK title, and if you haven't already guessed, it's set in London - my favourite city and home of Spellcrackers.com! Yay!), and in case you're looking for Ben's book in the US, over there it goes under the title of Midnight Riot!

Ben's books star Detective Constable Peter Grant, and his second book Moon Over Sohois already out in the US, and comes out in the UK21st April.

Now despite the fact Ben writes so fast (which turns me green with envy, and automatically makes me want to poke him with sharp sticks) he's a lovely chap, and a brilliant writer (gives Ben the evil eye and keeps sharpening), and he's here today to tell us about . . .

The Gumbo School of Writing Technique*

One of the questions I keep getting asked whether I plan my books out in detail or whether I just start writing on page one and hope it all works out in the end. Are you a planster or an impster? A cunning index card merchant or a reckless white page surfer? The answer to all these questions is of course – yes. Which I admit is not all that helpful.

Since people seem interested in this question I decided it was time to invent metaphor to describe my writing technique and then stretch it to breaking point. So in answer to the question – are you a synopsis control freak or a promiscuous keyboard banger? I now answer; neither – I’m a gumboist.

The first thing about a gumbo, be it Creole or Cajun or something you made up in Wimbledon from a vague memory of a holiday to Louisiana you went on last year, is that you know roughly what the basics are. You got your stock, your meat or shellfish and you veggies.

Likewise going into a book I generally know what my base is; in Rivers/Midnight it was riots, rivers, theatre and a certain well known British seaside attraction(1) while for Moon Over Soho it was jazz, the history of Soho and sex. Once you have your basic ingredients in the pot your ready to go. But it’s still possible to have the highest quality ingredients and still end up with indigestible mess so you can’t relax yet.

Next is the thickener; now in a gumbo you can have okra or your file powder or your roux but in your novel it’s the mode of address. Now some people like the cool and fruity godlike narrator who, like Stephen Fry, looks down upon us all, some like a thrills and spills of the multiple third person viewpoint leaping like a disaster movie from character to character while others like the immersive stickiness of the first person. A brave few whose confidence in tense is greater then mine opt for weird second person present tense combos – good luck to them.

Up until Rivers/Midnight I’d always favoured a nice tight over the shoulder third person but for my first venture out of tie-in novels I chose first person. It’s Peter Grant’s particular way of speaking that gives his books there unmistakable London tang. No matter that some people get vexed by his grammar me and Peter don’t give a toss.

So we’ve got our base and we’ve got our thickener but truth be told right now all we’ve got is a lot of stuff in a pot. Now we turn on the heat and start stirring and that’s basically me sitting down in front of the computer and typing… yeah(2). Moving on.

Now the gumbo is cooking and we get to the bit that, hopefully, separates the grown ups from the squidlings. While the gumbo simmers you add the rest of the ingredients on the fly and to taste.

Now a writer’s brain is a storehouse of stuff, most of it apparently useless, but like a lazy cook on Sunday morning sometimes you can whip something fabulous with just what you’ve got lying around your head. Much of the old time religion that went into River/Midnight came from research I’d done years ago, as did much of the Theatre stuff and the detailed descriptions of Covent Garden came from the fact that I was working in Covent Garden at the time.

But often times what you got lying around isn’t going to be enough. You’re stirring and heating and adding stuff and suddenly your realise there’s something missing and if your gumbo is going to rise above the level of ‘a soup with okra in it’ then you’re going to have to get out there and perform a RAFE manoeuvre. This is the Rapid Acquisition of Faux Expertise which does just what it sounds like it does. A good example is my scramble to RAFE the Royal Opera House once I’d got to Chapter 7 and realised that the action sequence I’d envisioned taking place at the Palace Theatre during a performance of ‘The Matrix: the Musical’ was forced by all sorts of spoilerish reasons to relocate.

An alternative to RAFE is to make use of the expertise of friends and family. I drew heavily on my friend Andrew Cartmel’s obsessive knowledge of jazz music for both Peter’s dad’s background and for the music in Moon Over Soho.

So that’s how I write a book – like I’d make a gumbo, if I was any kind of cook or liked shellfish, or okra for that matter. Anyone can do it providing you have the right ingredients and a certain amount of confidence in your sense of taste.

Ben Aaronovitch

(1) Amazingly there are some people in the world who haven’t read me book yet and I don’t want to spoil it.
(2) Sigh. Metaphors - they never stretch as far as you think they will.

Thanks so much for guest blogging, Ben!

Feel free to leave any questions or comments for Ben, and I'll get the sticks out give him a shout to come and answer :-)

*Now I'm hoping some of his writing speed will rub off on me - or it's back to being the green-eyed monster and sharpening those sticks again . . . 

_____________________________________

Here's the blurb for Rivers of London(UK)/Midnight Riot(US)!

My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden . . . and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair. The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying. 

Here's the blurb for Moon Over Soho (US) (UK)!

I was my dad's vinyl-wallah: I changed his records while he lounged around drinking tea, and that's how I know my Argo from my Tempo. And it's why, when Dr Walid called me to the morgue to listen to a corpse, I recognised the tune it was playing. Something violently supernatural had happened to the victim, strong enough to leave its imprint like a wax cylinder recording. Cyrus Wilkinson, part-time jazz saxophonist and full-time accountant, had apparently dropped dead of a heart attack just after finishing a gig in a Soho jazz club. He wasn't the first. No one was going to let me exhume corpses to see if they were playing my tune, so it was back to old-fashioned legwork, starting in Soho, the heart of the scene. I didn't trust the lovely Simone, Cyrus' ex-lover, professional jazz kitten and as inviting as a Rubens' portrait, but I needed her help: there were monsters stalking Soho, creatures feeding off that special gift that separates the great musician from someone who can raise a decent tune. What they take is beauty. What they leave behind is sickness, failure and broken lives. And as I hunted them, my investigation got tangled up in another story: a brilliant trumpet player, Richard 'Lord' Grant - my father - who managed to destroy his own career, twice. That's the thing about policing: most of the time you're doing it to maintain public order. Occasionally you're doing it for justice. And maybe once in a career, you're doing it for revenge. 

Visit Ben's website and blog
Find him on Twitter @Ben_Aaronovitch

Genre for Japan - Bidding Open!

Genre for Japan is now open for bids. Bidding closes at midnight BST (GMT +1) on Sunday 3rd April.

There are 137 fantastic items listed for you to browse through. How to Bid details here.

To help, Genre for Japan have published an index of all the lots: you can click the link, or access it from anywhere on the site using the “Item Index” tab beneath the header.

There's everything from a Signed hardback copy of ANANSI BOYS by Neil Gaiman, Two days of Stephen Deas’s time (apparently he cooks green or brown glop!), to a Black canvas ACE / ROC logo bag and giant Jim Butcher poster.

Then of course, you can always bid on my lots, if you're so inclined :-):


For anyone! ~A character named after you in my next novel: The Shifting Price of Prey: Full details, and where to bid here. The bid doesn't say, but winning bidder will also be thanked in the acknowledgements, and receive a personalised, signed hardback copy of the book when released.

For writers! ~A 25,000 word critique of either a short story or the start of a manuscript: Full details, and where to bid here.

Thank you to everyone in advance for your generosity, should you decide you are able to bid, on whatever lots you choose. And please, if you can, help by passing the word around, and help Genre for Japan raise a lot of money to help those in need.

Giveaway: Shady Lady - Ann Aguirre

Wow! Time Flies! It's week # 11 of my 16 weeks of giveaways to celebrate the the upcoming US release of book 2  The Cold Kiss of Death (out 26th April), and the UK release of book 3 The Bitter Seed of Magic (Out Now and available from The Book Depository with Free WorldWide Del) *insert shameless self-promo plug* *g* Giveaway now closed!

BIG THANKS again to everyone who's bought it! You all Rock!.  And Hello and Welcome to all you new blog visitors and followers, and thanks to everyone for joining in with the celebrations.

So this week's giveaway is for
Shady Lady: Corine Solomon # 3 (US) (UK)
by the fabulous (SuperWriter*!) Ann Aguirre.

Here's the blurb from Amazon

I'd spent my whole life settling, trying not to attract attention, and generally doing whatever it took to keep other people happy. I didn't want to do that again. Not when I was finally comfortable in my own skin. Sure, there were certain challenges, like a drug lord who wanted me dead, and the fact that I owed a demon a debt that he could call due at any moment. But everybody's got problems, right?

Whenever Corine Solomon touches an object, she immediately knows its history. But her own future concerns her more and more. Now back in Mexico, she's running her pawnshop and trying to get a handle on her strange new powers, for she might need them. And soon.

Then former ally Kel Ferguson walks through her door. Heavily muscled and tattooed, Kel looks like a convict but calls himself a holy warrior. This time, he carries a warning for Corine: the Montoya cartel is coming for her--but they don't just pack automatic weapons. The Montoyas use warlocks, shamans, voodoo priests--anything to terminate trouble. And Corine has become enemy number one...

Ooh! I can't wait! And there's not long to go now, as Shady Lady releases in the US on the 5th April, and the UKon the 12th May!

Now there's three things I think of when it comes to the Corine books, and they are Butch, the Blond Chihuahua, Mexico, and cocktails! And the last two together made me think of holidays! Yay!

Now Mexico is one place I'd love to visit for a holiday! And if you want a chance to win a copy of Shady Lady, then please leave me a comment telling me your favourite place for a holiday, either one you've been to, or one you'd like to go to.

How to enter:

Leave a comment with your fav holiday place.

Please leave a way to contact you (email in comment: Please remember to replace @ with [at] to forestall spam - or your twitter name - no way to contact you - no entry).

Giveaway is international and closes end of day (GMT time) 31st March 2011.

Full General Terms and Rules at the bottom of this post here.

And don't forget to check out the Giveaway Schedule here. And so you don't miss out on a chance of winning any of the wonderful books in the coming weeks, why not follow me? (following is not a condition of entry).

Mayan-Ruins-Tulum-Mexico

*SuperWriter Ann writes urban fantasy (the 'awesome and often spine-chilling' Corine Solomon series), romantic science fiction (the 'OMG wonderful, and wait till you read Aftermath: Ann is a brilliant, evil, character torturing, author' Jax series), apocalyptic paranormal romance (the 'so looking forward to these' Ellen Connor books with Carrie Lofty), paranormal romantic suspense 'with swoonworthy heros'(as Ava Gray), and post-apocalyptic dystopian young adult fiction: Enclave. 'You will need to read about Deuce and Fade, they will blow you away'!Yep, I'm a big fan of Ms. Aguirre's writing . . . in case you hadn't noticed *g*.

Please note: My usual blog policy is that I try to reply to all comments on the blog, but for ease of admin I won't be replying to any comments made on any of the giveaway posts during the 16 weeks. Sorry, but it makes it much harder to sort out the winner. However I do read and enjoy all the comments, and will, of course, continue to reply to comments on any other post, so if you have a question for me, leave it on one of those, thank you :-)


All book links lead to Amazon (UK/US) or the Book Depository, and contain affiliate links. I've decided to go affiliate as I love giving books away (and not just as a way of shameless self-promo), but boy does it get expensive.

x/posted to LJ. Comment here or there. One entry per person.

Don't forget to check the blog's sidebar for more chances to win my books, and the opportunity to help those in Japan through the British Red Cross at Genre for Japan, where you can bid for the chance to have your name as a character in my next book, or a critique of your writing by me, starting Monday 28th March. Plus there's over a hundred other wonderful donations, so why not go and check them out!

Supernatural Capital Tours: Secrets of the Fae (+ winner)

First up, I'm over at the lovely Tynga's place for her Paranoramal Spring Break with another Supernatural Capital Tour. This one's all about the Secrets of the Fae. And one lucky commentator can win* their choice of one of my books! So why not head on over and get your Enchanted Boarding Ticket for the SCT: Secrets of the Fae.

 

Giveaway at Tynga's is international, and ends 6th April.

***

Now on to this week's winner!

Thanks to everyone who came by and left comments about whether they liked the Black Stuff or not, seems like you either do, or your don't *g*. And now for the lucky winner of Ghost Story (Dresden Files, No. 13)by Jim Butcher,  and Hounded (US)(UK) the first fabulous book in The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne.

Ms. Random.org has spoken ...

And the winner is ...

Julie

Who said:

"I really love the Dresden Files!!!

I don't like beer, too bitter... however Guinness is great to cook with. I have this recipe for Irish Steak pie that uses Guinness and... yummm..."

Congratulations, Julie, an email is on its way to you!

There were also 40 comments overall, which means I have donated £40 to help the British Red Cross Society in Japan (via Genre for Japan). Yay! Thank you!

Thanks again everyone, and sorry if you didn't win, but don't forget to come back later when this week's giveaway -Shady LadyCorine Solomon #3 – Ann Aguirre - goes live!

And don't forget you can enter the Goodreads giveaway for 3 copies of The Cold Kiss of Death #2 - signed (US & Can) Ends 16th April.

Announcing Genre for Japan - Press Release

I doubt anyone isn't aware of the terrible situation in Japan. I wanted to do something to help, and was disappointed when I discovered Authors for Japan too late to help through them. But now Genre for Japan is up and running, and I have donated two items for when their auction goes live on the 28th March:

~A character named after you in my next novel: The Shifting Price of Prey.ETA: Full details, and where to bid on/after 28th March here

~A 5,000  now it will be a 25,000 word critique of either a short story or the start of a manuscript. ETA: Full details, and where to bid on/after 28th March here

Here's the press release, which says it so much better than I can. Genre for Japan are still open for donations, so if you're able to donate something that would be very helpful, or if you're able to bid in the auction when it goes live, then thank you in advance. Full details are below:

Genre for Japan

Press Release: Time to Donate Prizes!

We’ve all heard the news and seen the horrific pictures coming from Japan in the aftermath of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami – and no doubt we’ve all wondered how to help.

Following the example of Authors for Japan, where bids are now closed, we’d like to introduce Genre for Japan, a chance for the comics, science fiction, fantasy and horror communities to unite and show our generosity to those who need it right now.

We are planning to run auctions for genre-themed prizes and we need YOU to donate. We are looking for really fantastic prizes: examples might include signed first editions, coaching sessions with agents for that perfect submission letter or original artwork!

Some of the prizes already donated include a year's supply of books from Tor, signed artwork from Solaris Books and editing/critiques from professional authors and editors.

The prizes will be auctioned on our website, through JustGiving, in aid of the British Red Cross Tsunami Appeal.

If you have something really special to donate, please drop us a line at genreforjapan@gmail.com including information such as a starting bid amount, a sentence or two about the item, and whether you wish to send the prize to a central collecting point or would be willing to post it to the winning bidder. Photos would also help us to list the item, if relevant.

The deadline to receive offers of prizes is 25th March, with the auction set to begin on 28th March.

Find out more information on our website: http://genreforjapan.wordpress.com/

Follow us on twitter: @genreforjapan

E-mail us: genreforjapan@gmail.com

Genre for Japan is organised by:

Amanda Rutter: reviewer and webmistress at Floor to Ceiling Books

Jenni Hill: editor for science fiction, fantasy and horror publishers Solaris Books

Louise Morgan: author and interviewer for the British Fantasy Society

Ro Smith: writer and reviewer; blogger at In Search of the Happiness Max

Alasdair Stuart is the editor of Hub magazine.

***
Also, a quick reminder about this week's giveaway which is a guest post by Kevin Hearne where he talks about The Alpha Reader, and where you can win a copy of Kevin's first book in The Iron Druid Chronicles Hounded (US)(UK) and a copy of  Ghost Story (Dresden Files, No. 13)by Jim Butcher!

Please help spread the word about Genre for Japan, and also the giveaway. For every commentator in the giveaway I'll donate a £1, up to a limit of 100 commentators. (Currently: 30 commentators approx, so there's plenty room for more comments). So go enter, if you haven't already, and your comment will mean another £1 for Japan, and don't forget to help spread the word. Thank you!

Giveaways: Ghost Story - Jim Butcher + Hounded - Kevin Hearne

ETA: I'm donating to Genre for Japan - a critique and a Tuckerization in my next book.

Please help spread the word about Genre for Japan, (also see my post here) and also this giveaway. For every commentator in this post's giveaway I'll donate a £1, up to a max of 100 commentators. (Currently: 30 commentators approx, so there's plenty room for more comments :-D). So read on, and enter, if you haven't already, and your comment will mean another £1 for Japan, and don't forget to help spread the word. Thank you!

So, we've got to week # 10 of my 16 weeks of giveaways to celebrate the UK release of book 3 The Bitter Seed of Magic (Out Now! And BIG THANKS to everyone who's bought it! You all Rock!) and the upcoming US release of book 2  The Cold Kiss of Death (out 26th April). Thanks to everyone who's following along with the celebrations, and Hello and Welcome to any new blog visitors.

So this week, going by the schedule, the giveaway is Ghost Story (Dresden Files, No. 13)by Jim Butcher! Only the publication has been put back to July 26th, so as an extra special giveaway, there will be two prizes* this week: Ghost Story, and Hounded (US)(UK) the first fabulous book in The Iron Druid Chronicles by debut author Kevin Hearne.

And the good news doesn't stop there!

*Cue Drumroll*

So, especially for all my wonderful blog readers, I managed to back Kevin into a corner and crack the whip persuade Kevin to come over and guest blog *g*. So, a big WELCOME to Kevin, and here he is to tell us all about . . .

The Alpha Reader!

I often hear writers talk about their beta readers quite a bit, but rarely do I hear them discuss their alpha readers. I think perhaps they’re keeping them a secret. Or perhaps they don’t have one. More likely, they do have one but they call them beta readers anyway.

For me, alpha and beta readers serve completely different functions. Alpha readers read my stuff chapter by chapter, providing feedback as the novel is in progress. Beta readers read the whole honkin’ thing as a completed draft and then give me some feedback before I pack it away to my agent.

It’s tremendously difficult to find alpha readers and hold on to ’em. Most people aren’t that great at reading a story in spastic intervals and then providing a thoughtful critique for the anxious author in a short amount of time. I have had the same alpha reader for years now, and he’s worth fifty times his weight in black gold (that’s Guinness, not oil). His name is Alan, and I thank him in the acknowledgments of all three books. Though he doesn’t know it—and you can’t tell him!—he’s going to get a book dedicated to him soon.

What makes a good alpha reader? Someone who’s really well-read in the genre you’re writing, who’s an honest fan of that genre, and who’s also capable of telling you what’s fresh and what might have the odor of shoes in dire need of fungicide. They also need to be willing to work really bizarre hours for nothing more than the occasional beer. Such people are RARE. And priceless.

I had to write three books before the general public read a word of any of them, and I’m here to tell you that’s it’s bloody nervewracking. If people don’t like the first one, it’s not like I can go back and tweak books two and three now. Alan stood in for all of you, assuring me that I was doing all right and making me start over when I wasn’t doing all right. He’s a true Quality Control man, and plenty of authors know they wouldn’t have written nearly so well without someone like him watching over their shoulders. If you have a pint, raise it to Alan, won’t you? And then if you’re in a bookstore around May 3, pick up a copy of Hounded #1 (US)(UK) and see how Alan did! If you turn into a fan of Alan’s alpha reading there, wait until you see what advice he gave on Hexed #2 (US)(UK), due June 7, and then on Hammered #3 (US)(UK), out June 28!

In the meantime, I hope you’ll come visit my website and blog (http://www.kevinhearne.com) and maybe say howdy on Twitter (@kevinhearne) or Facebook (search Pages for Kevin Hearne). Thanks very much to Suzanne for letting me drop by! Cheers!

Great post, Kevin! Thanks so much for visiting, and thanks to Alan too! Can't wait to read Hounded!

Here's the blurb for Hounded!

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Doesn't it sound fab? I can't wait to read it! And if you want a chance to win both Hounded and Ghost Story, then leave a comment telling me whether you've tried 'The Black Stuff' or not, and if you liked it :-D Me? Well, yes, I've tried it, and liked it, but it's one of those tipples I need to be in the mood for :-)

How to enter:

Leave a comment saying whether you've tried Guinness, and if you liked it or not.

Please leave a way to contact you (email in comment: Please remember to replace @ with [at] to forestall spam - or your twitter name - no way to contact you - no entry).

Giveaway is international and closes end of day (GMT time) 24th March 2011
(ETA: original end date  was wrong initially - so much for being organized *sigh*)

Full General Terms and Rules at the bottom of this post here.

And don't forget to check out the Giveaway Schedule here. And so you don't miss out on a chance of winning any of the wonderful books in the coming weeks, why not follow me? (following is not a condition of entry).

Please note: My usual blog policy is that I try to reply to all comments on the blog, but for ease of admin I won't be replying to any comments made on any of the giveaway posts during the 16 weeks. Sorry, but it makes it much harder to sort out the winner. However I do read and enjoy all the comments, and will, of course, continue to reply to comments on any other post, so if you have a question for me, leave it on one of those, thank you :-)

All book links lead to Amazon (UK/US) or the Book Depository, and contain affiliate links. I've decided to go affiliate as I love giving books away (and not just as a way of shameless self-promo), but boy does it get expensive.

x/posted to LJ. Comment here or there. One entry per person.

*Both books will be pre-ordered for the winner from The Book Depository, and will be sent when the books release. Sorry, these are not early copies, much as I'd love them to be.

Winner: Vampires: The Recent Undead - Charlaine Harris et al

Thanks to everyone who came by and left comments about their favourite vampire myths, lots of interesting ones there. And now for the lucky winner of  Vampires: The Recent Undead!

Ms. Random.org has spoken ...

And the winner is ...

kara_karina

Who said:

"being burned by sun rays is my fave part of vampire myth. I find it totally irrational. It's just WHY?!!"

Congratulations, kara_karina, an email is on its way to you!

Thanks again everyone, and sorry if you didn't win, but don't forget to come back later when this week's giveaway goes live, almost immediately after this post! Yay! For being organised *g*

Sunday Snippet

Well, the Sunday Snippet is no more, as I've taken it down to play with it :-) Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

 ***

And don't forget to leave a comment here for a chance to win a copy of Vampires: The Recent Undead - an anthology packed full of tales about those of the fanged persuasion, with stories by lots of my favourite authors like Charlaine Harris, Kelly Armstrong, Holly Black, Rachel Caine, Carrie Vaughn.

Giveaway: Vampires: The Recent Undead - Charlaine Harris et al

This week is # 9 of my 16 weeks of giveaways to celebrate the releases of The Bitter Seed of Magic (out now UK!) and The Cold Kiss of Death(US edition out 26th April), and I'm giving away Vampires: The Recent Undead.  So, I thought it only appropriate that we talk about them :-D Giveaway now closed!

Whether we like our vampires sexy, scary, sparkly, or all three together, there're so many of them about now that if we're a fan of the fang, then we can always find a vamp to suit us. Not that there's anything new about vampires, since entities that survive by consuming the lifeblood of humans are in almost every mythological culture in the world.

And with so many myths and legends to choose from, it makes it both easy and difficult when you're an author wanting to invent your own fictional history of how vamps have come about.

So when it came to building my own vampire origins story for my Spellcrackers books, I decided to add a good dash of Greek myth into my bloodsuckers :-).

Here, in Genny's own words, is how it all came about, and why the ritual for changing a mortal human to immortal bloodsucker in Genny's world is called 'Accepting the Gift':

'According to myth, the original Gift was the Gorgon’s blood, given by Athena to Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, to help him in his work. Then Asclepius started raising people from the dead, and Zeus took exception, as überGods do, and killed him with a thunderbolt. The sun god Apollo, Asclepius’s dad, wasn’t too happy either, and he set about rectifying his son’s mistakes by burning the undead to a crisp whenever he could find them. Even so, most feel that drinking blood, staying out of storms and doing without the suntan are easy enough sacrifices to make if it means they might hit the immortality jackpot in the game of vampire roulette.' Extract : chapter 3 - The Sweet Scent of Blood - Spellcrackers #1

Of course, one of the fun things for me as a reader, is seeing what everyone else comes up with when they're writing about vamps. Which leads me on to this week's giveaway -Vampires: The Recent Undead - an anthology packed full of tales about those of the fanged persuasion, with stories by lots of my favourite authors like Charlaine Harris, Kelly Armstrong, Holly Black, Rachel Caine, Carrie Vaughn and many more! I can't wait to sink my teeth into this one *g*

And if you want a chance to win it, then leave a comment telling me your favourite vampire myth (real or fictional), or whether your choice is for sexy, scary, sparkly, or some other kind of vamp! As for me, I'm happy so long as they don't eat food, and stick to an iron-rich liquid diet! *g*

How to enter:

Leave a comment with your fav vampire myth, or your fav type of vampire.

Please leave a way to contact you (email in comment: Please remember to replace @ with [at] to forestall spam - or your twitter name - no way to contact you - no entry).

Giveaway is international and closes end of day (GMT time) 17th March 2011

Full General Terms and Rules at the bottom of this post here.

And don't forget to check out the Giveaway Schedule here. And so you don't miss out on a chance of winning any of the wonderful books in the coming weeks, why not follow me? (following is not a condition of entry).

Please note: My usual blog policy is that I try to reply to all comments on the blog, but for ease of admin I won't be replying to any comments made on any of the giveaway posts during the 16 weeks. Sorry, but it makes it much harder to sort out the winner. However I do read and enjoy all the comments, and will, of course, continue to reply to comments on any other post, so if you have a question for me, leave it on one of those, thank you :-)

All book links lead to Amazon (UK/US) or the Book Depository, and contain affiliate links. I've decided to go affiliate as I love giving books away (and not just as a way of shameless self-promo), but boy does it get expensive.

x/posted to LJ. Comment here or there. One entry per person.