Beta Reader/s Wanted!

A shout out for beta reader/s - not for me (though I might be asking for some soon *looks shifty*) - but for my writer pal, Ailsa Floyd, who is a lovely talented lady, and also happens to be one of my own wonderful beta readers!

Ailsa's book is a (brilliant sounding) urban fantasy complete at 90k words.

Blurb:

History means the Argyll shapeshifter pack don’t trust easily, and Aidan has more reason than most to be wary. So he’s surprised when his Alpha orders him to show the new girl around. And even though she’s pretty, it doesn’t mean he has to like her.

Bryony has come to Scotland for a fresh start, so the cold-shoulder welcome isn’t what she’s expecting. Nor is a pack on the verge of a territory war.

The pack are under threat. And they’re going to lose. As the clock ticks down to a fatal attack by their rivals, Aidan, Bryony and the pack must decide who is worth trusting for help. But with someone betraying their secrets, how can they believe anyone?

I'm a sucker for a Scottish shapeshifter, so I can't wait to get my teeth into this! *g*

Here's what Ailsa is looking for:

"Someone to read through the story and give me some feedback. While spotting spelling/grammar mistakes I might have missed is helpful, I'm more interested in things like what you think works or doesn't, if the pacing is right, any inconsistencies you see, and places where you think I haven't explained stuff properly."


If you're interested in beta reading for Ailsa and would like to know more then email her at: ailsa (dot) floyd (at) yahoo (dot) com

Ailsa's blog is here

Ailsa on Twitter: @AilsaCF

And for all our enjoyment here's a gratitutious picture* of Sam Heughan as Jaime Frazer!

Sam Heughan as Jaime Frazer - Photographer: Ed Miller Courtesy of: © 2014 Sony Pictures Television Inc. 

*Not Ailsa's choice but mine though I'm sure she won't object *g*

Carmine Rojas: Dog Fight by Che Gilson - Cover Reveal.

My lovely writer pal Che Gilson* has an AWESOME new novella coming out soon with Black Opal Books, and here's the reveal of the fabulous cover!

I'm lucky enough to have read Carmine Rojas: Dog Fight and I absolutely love Carmine. She's a mega kick-ass wolf-lady, and her story is a fun, pacy, super-action packed, explosive tale full of amazing characters. Definitely one to read if you like urban fantasy!

Here's the back cover blurb!

Illegal pit fighter and werewolf Carmine Rojas gets an off-hours assignment from her boss. Baby sitting a skinwalker who’s gotten herself in trouble with the yakuza. Carmine may kick ass in the ring but tangling with the yakuza is well above her pay grade. Carmine turns to her gang-banger cousin Rodrigo for help and fire-arms. Together they spend a terror filled night battling yakuza thugs, bickering over family, and blowing shit up.


Find Che:
tumblr
Facebook
Deviant Art

W00T! Werewolves as never before!!!

Happy Book Birthday!!

The Viking King Authun leads his men on a raid against an Anglo-Saxon village. Men and women are killed indiscriminately but Authun demands that no child be touched. He is acting on prophecy. A prophecy that tells him that the Saxons have stolen a child from the Gods. If Authun, in turn, takes the child and raises him as an heir, the child will lead his people to glory. But Authun discovers not one child, but twin baby boys. Ensuring that his faithful warriors, witness to what has happened, die during the raid Authun takes the children and their mother home, back to the witches who live on the troll wall. And he places his destiny in their hands. And so begins a stunning multi-volume fantasy epic that will take a werewolf from his beginnings as the heir to a brutal viking king, down through the ages. It is a journey that will see him hunt for his lost love through centuries and lives, and see the endless battle between the wolf, Odin and Loki - the eternal trickster - spill over into countless bloody conflicts from our history, and over into our lives. This is the myth of the werewolf as it has never been told before and marks the beginning of an extraordinary new fantasy series from Gollancz.

Read an extract here!

Congratulations to M.D. Lachlan (aka Mark 'something else' *g* a super chap, and fellow Gollancz author) on the release of Wolfsangel. Yay!

Want to know more about M.D. Lachlan then check out his blog on the Literary Life over at Gollancz, and this week's Where Stories are Made at Book Chic City.

ETA: His study is messier than mine - not by much - but enough that it makes me feel I can leave my Domestic Goddess in the closet without feeling too guilty :-)

Getting Furry with Kitty :: Giveaway

So in 7 weeks [doesn't time fly :-)] The Cold Kiss of Death :: Spellcrackers.com book 2 :: is released into the wilds of book shops and online booksellers, and to continue my celebratory giveaways to help get the word out, here's this weeks contest - Getting Furry with Kitty*!

I love Carrie Vaughn's Kitty the Werewolf books, Kitty is one of my most favourite characters, as are werewolves in general. But when it came to writing my own books and deciding on what paranormal creatures would inhabit my world - and whilst I have fae that can take the shape of animals, such as kelpies and phoukas - I decided against werewolves for one very good reason.

Wolves are extinct in the wild in the UK**

Mosi • Mai • Torak at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust

My spellcrackers.com books are set in the UK and wolves have been extinct here for at least a couple of hundred years, thanks to a combination of humans hunting them and their natural habitats disappearing [again due to humans]. Doing a bit of googling some extensive research, I've found some info which gives a rough idea of when these beautiful animals probably died out in various parts of the British Isles.

Wales: possibly in the 12th century
England: 1500-1550
Scotland: 1680-1769
Ireland: 1710-1770

So sadly, the only way werewolves are likely to appear in my books are if they're tourists.

An American Werewolf in London***

But onto this week's giveaway. To win your choice of one of Carrie Vaughn's werewolf books plus a signed copy of either The Sweet Scent of Blood or The Cold Kiss of Death leave me a comment telling me your favourite werewolf from fiction, TV or film.


I comment = 1 entry

Please help me spread the word about the release of The Cold Kiss of Death and the giveaways with a mention of the giveaway on your blog/live journal/myspace/facebook/twitter/etc [post the link to the mention into the comments again] and win yourself more entries into this week's giveaway :-) 1 link = 1 entry

Which means you could end up with more entries into the metaphorical hat, so what are you waiting for? Get posting and linking!! Good Luck!!

x/posted to my LJ: leave a comment here or there. Contest ends end of day [anywhere] Wednesday 3rd June 2009.


* Don't you just love a werewolf called Kitty. LOL!

** I know, I have vampires, and faeries, and goblins, and trolls, and none of them are real [no really they're not ... unless of course, you know different :-)] so why should I worry about not having werewolves, just because wolves are extinct here - well, no one ever said this writing business was logical, did they?! LOL!

*** not that this picture in any way impugns any American tourist that has ever visited, or will ever visit London.
David Naughton [The American Werewolf] in the flesh! What a hottie!