Welcome Jennifer Turner author of Eternal Hearts plus, a GIVEAWAY!

Thanks for joining us here, Jennifer. Congrats on Eternal Hearts!

Thank you! And thanks so much for having me, Alison. :)

Your world building is awesome. You really put the reader in the story. Do you do a lot of research first or do you write from experience?

I think I tend to write more from experience than anything, unless I’m dealing with a character trait that I don’t have any personal experience with. For instance, Logan, the heroine of Eternal Seduction (book 1), was a homeless drug addict. I have a little bit of experience with being homeless, but I don’t have any when it comes to heroin addiction. So I definitely had to do some research to portray Logan’s addiction right. When it comes to anything else, like historical facts/dates or whatnot, I do a little research here and there – but I’ve given my supernatural world a somewhat alternate history so I don’t have to be too strict with the facts. :)

I love your vampires. They’re varied and flawed like humans. Is that how you think vamps and other paranormals should be?

Absolutely. To be honest, I can’t see them being any other way. I think when you take a character that was once human, or is only part human, there’s really only two directions for them to go. They’re either going to cling to their humanity with everything they have, or they’re going to cast it aside completely. And that one choice can draw out so many strengths and flaws in a single character, as well as recolor their entire personality. Not to mention, much like humans, rarely are one vampire’s experiences the same as the next, so it only makes sense to me that they’re as different and varied as we are.  

What about vampires draws you to them?
When it comes to vampires, it’s definitely the immortality concept that draws me to them. I think the idea of someone living for hundreds of years, if not longer, is rather intriguing. I mean, when you think about all the events your parents and grandparents have witnessed over the course of their lives, all the choices they’ve made and how each one probably shaped their character somehow, it’s pretty remarkable. Now consider what living for 10,000+ years would most likely do to someone. The complexities of their personality, the ancient ideals and history they still ascribe to, clashing with the speed and beliefs of the modern world…for me it’s just fascinating to think about. Trying to bring that conflict out in my Ancient vampires, who all deal with it in a very different way, is easily what keeps me writing at the end of the day. ;)
Will you write more vampire fiction?

I sure hope to. :) I’ve planned roughly 15 books for the Darkness Within series, and they all feature at least one vampire as a lead character.

What do you plan on writing next?

Right now I’m working on final revisions of Eternal Embrace (book 3), as well as a novella trilogy entitled Ascension. I’m also working on a paranormal thriller trilogy with my husband, but it’s still in the planning stages – so it might be a while before it ever sees the light of day! ;)

Is there something you’d like to write? Something outside what you usually write?

I’d love to write an all out horror novel someday. You know, the kind of story that’s so dark and creepy, even if you’re 30 years old you still check the closet and under the bed before you turn the lights out. ;)

Describe your writing routine. Do you have a special room or chair? Do you listen to certain music?

As far as I can tell, I don’t really have a writing routine. I do have an office with a great chair, but I’m just as likely to write at the dining room table as I am in my office. All I really need is my laptop and some good music. I’ve tried before, but I just can’t write without music playing. And it doesn’t have to be anything special…just a song/band I like with a good rhythm. :)    

What advice can you give to writers trying to get published?

No matter which direction you decide to go, whether you try for traditional publishing or go with self-publishing - do your research. If you’re going the traditional route, research the agents who handle your genre, research the right way to query the agents you’ve selected, and then research what to expect from the agent/author relationship as a whole. If you’re going the self-publishing route, research what true self-publishing is versus vanity publishing, research the growing list distribution options and author services available to you, and perhaps above all else - research every single professional (cover designer, editor, etc.) you consider working with…because they’re not all created equal. ;) I just can’t stress enough how important it is for you to know and understand the publishing industry before you even think about dipping your toes in!

Thanks Jennifer!

Back cover blurb

Toni Tutoro just wants to go home. Banned from Chicago’s vampiric society after cutting a swath of violence through the city, she must now successfully complete an investigation for the Lord of Chicago to regain the right to live in her hometown again.

To ensure Toni’s safety during her probationary period, Drake Black, a feared assassin, is secretly contracted to protect her. Even with direct orders to keep his relationship professional, and his own personal vow to never get involved with a female vampire again, Drake finds himself drawn to Toni in ways he can’t explain. But unbeknownst to him, he’s tied to one of the people who drove Toni to her night of destruction.

Drake’s legendary heritage holds the key to Toni’s survival and success, but will she be able to forgive his connection to the brutal night that robbed her of those she loved most? Will Drake be able to forget the betrayals in his past and risk taking one more chance? But most of all, can they find a way to reach each other in the darkness?

The author!
Author Bio:

Jennifer Turner lives in Bowling Green, Ohio, with her husband, twelve year old daughter and two cats. She regularly claims one of the aforementioned takes far more work than the others to maintain – but she won’t share which one. She’s the middle child between two brothers, and the favorite child of her parents. Of course, that’s always subject to opinion. Jennifer began her writing career as a self-published romance author, but is now represented by Robert Gottlieb, Chairman of Trident Media Group.
www.darknesswithinnovels.com  her website!
www.twitter.com/darknesswithin
www.facebook.com/DarknessWithinJen
www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferTurner
www.jen-turner.blogspot.com
Jennifer has agreed to give away a copy of her awesome book Eternal Hearts! Just leave a comment with your email and I'll pick a winner on June 18th.

welcome to 6 Sentence Sunday

it's back at a swell new .com address! make sure you check out the other fabulous authors listed at www.sixsunday.com let's get down to it! this week's six deals with Lauryl realizing that Eamon glamoured her in order to get some yummy time. She realizes that she is basically an employee for Eamon instead of a companion but decides that she'll be a disgruntled employee.

He looked up from the paper in his hand. "Are you staying?"
Lauryl laughed and shook her head. "You aren't used to hearing no, are you?"
"What?"
"Seriously, when was the last time things didn't go your way? I mean, besides me?"

Happy Vladurday!!

and now the winner!

it's time to announce the winner of an e copy of Katie Salinas' Karma and Melodies! I used the super scientific web site random.org to select the winner. and that winner is...
Latishajean!
YAY!! I'll forward Ms. Salinas your info and she'll get in touch with you. thanks for commenting and I
hope you enjoy the book!

Review of Hard Day's Knight by John Hartness Black Knight Chronicles Vol 1

This book was laugh out loud funny. I loved it. Imagine the guys who were kind of the nerds in your class and make them vampires. Then make them vampire private detectives who are friends with a priest. I know. It's awesome.
Characters Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood get hired by a kid who has a huge problem, he has a death curse on him but it goes deeper than that. The girl who cursed him is possessed by a demon intent on causing the end of humanity.
This book is non stop action. Just when you think nothing else can happen, something does. There are zombies, fallen angels, demons and and church ladies.The author has crafted a brilliant romp. I highly recommend it and can't wait to read the others in this series!

D-Day Rememberance

today is June 6th. Sixty seven years ago, Operation Neptune aka as D-Day happened. the handsome gent in the pic above is my grandaddy Marshall Beightol who jumped on that day.he was one of the 101st Airborne who got dropped off course and fought for their lives through a series of harrowing battles including the Battle of the Bulge Out of the 12k airborne that were dropped, only a third of them synched up with their correct units and most wandered around the French countryside like kick ass vigilantes for days until they could reform. I can't imagine the courage and commitment those guys had. Grandaddy ended up fighting all the way to Italy (man, that's a long way) and somewhere we have a picture of him and a buddy in front of the guard house at the Berghof or Hitler and his Gang's house, as grandaddy called it. I would post the pic but it's packed because we're in the process of moving again.(I know) I have a great uncle who was wounded at D Day on Omaha beach. I don't know much of his war history other than that.
anyway, take a moment today to think of the over 160k soldiers who took part in this massive operation that led to the eventual defeat of the Axis.

Happy Vladurday!!

Welcome Katie Salidas author of Karma and Melodies!!! PLUS a GIVEAWAY!!

1)    Katie, thanks for being here today. I loved Karma and Melodies, especially the music and songwriting references. Is that your background?

I wish. I find music fascinating but I’m not talented in that respect. I do have a few friends who are rock star bound. They were my research partners. I spent a few weeks interviewing, and asking every question I could (no matter how dumb.) What I found really interesting was the band dynamics and how the personalities all worked together to make a cohesive unit. I really wanted to convey that to the readers too. Each of the band members brings something new to the table and adds flavor to the story.

2)    Your characters are very reader friendly. Did you model them after real people?

The characters in this story are not based on real people, however, through my research into band dynamics, I did see a pattern to the types of musicians and wanted to try and mimic that in my own characters.

3)    What about vampires draws you to them?

I’ve loved vampires since I was little. I will always love vampires. It’s because of that love that I write about them. Whenever I think of a story to write, somehow a vampire always becomes the MC. I love to explore different genres with them. I love to flip perspectives on their end and make the vampire the most human of all the characters in a story. They are just so versatile and fun.

4)    Will you write more vampire fiction?

Absolutely! I’m working on the 4^th book in my Immortalis series at the moment. That is a first person perspective series which follows a fledgling vampire as she stumbles through immortality.

5)    What do you plan on writing next?

Beyond my Immortalis series, I have been toying around with a sequel to my very first foray into erotica, House of Immortal Pleasures. A vampire brothel is just too much fun of a concept not to write about. =)

6)    Describe your writing routine. Do you have a special room or chair? Do you listen to certain music?

A bit of all or nothing. The only constant is my trusty laptop. I do all of my writing on the computer. The nice thing about having a laptop is I can go anywhere. If I want to work at my desk, no problem. If I want to go to the park, that’s easy too. If I want to lounge on the couch, I can do it! 

As for routine, I’m a pantser. I free write. If I run into writer’s block on one story, I close it and open another. I don’t set word goals for myself, I just write the scene that is in my head. If it’s 500 words or 5,000 words, I generally don’t stop until it’s done.

Music helps. I like to listen to music to set the mood of the scene while I’m writing it too. 

7)    What advice can you give to writers trying to get published?

Never give up. Whether you go the traditional route or go it alone, never give up your dream. Keep on writing and work toward that goal. Eventually, it will happen. 

Thanks for the terrific interview! Good luck!

Here's the synopsis of this awesome book!!

karma & melodies

Kendra used to spend her days organizing events for Café Enigma while daydreaming about Marcus, the sexy lead singer of Normal Paradox. But all those dreams of becoming Mrs. Rock Star died, along with her mortality, the moment Hector entered her life and turned her into a vampire.

Ten torturous years later, Kendra finally escapes Hector and runs straight into Marcus. (Well, actually, he hit her with his car, but that's beside the point.) The accident leaves Marcus concussed and a few pints too low, forcing Kendra to share her blood to save him.

Sharing her blood doesn’t just heal Marcus’s wounds; it bonds him to Kendra in a magical “can’t live without you” sort of way. Now he’s professing his undying love to her, and Kendra’s not sure if he’s for real or just experiencing the side effects of their new blood bond. Either way, the two of them can’t be separated without suffering suicidal levels of depression, and the band needs to hit the road for the rest of their cross-country tour.

Kendra’s content to travel with the band and explore her new-found relationship, until whispered threats from her master, Hector, start invading her dreams. He’s tracking her down, and she can feel it. She knows the horrors he’s capable of, and if he finds out about Marcus, Hector will do everything in his power to destroy him.

If she stays, Marcus is doomed to Hector’s wrath. If she goes, the repercussions of their bond might kill Marcus. Both options will break Kendra’s heart. If they’re truly meant for each other, they’ll have to find another way....

 You can get it at:

Amazon USA - http://www.amazon.com/Karma-Melodies-ebook/dp/B004MPRVBA/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1297373686&sr=1-10

About the AWESOMETASTIC AUTHOR!!

KATIE SALIDAS

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.

 And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…

Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

http://www.katiesalidas.com/

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916

LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=58814031&trk=tab_pro

Twitter
http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie

The lovely and talented Katie has agreed to give away a copy of Karma and Melodies(I LOVE the title) from Smashwords!!! WOO HOO! Everyone who comments will be entered. I will draw the winner on June 10th.

Review of The Vampire's Warden by S.J. Wright Book One of Undead in Brown County

S.J. Wright has a very unique premise here. The female main character Sarah Brightman is a Warden. She is in charge of watching over the vampires who have broken the laws of the Council. The property, which her family has owned for generations is the boundary for the imprisoned vampires.
Sarah is an interesting character. She's a strong young woman who takes the news of what she is quite well.( or as well as she can) She finds herself attracted to a mysterious stranger named Alex who has ended up at her bed and breakfast. He helps her come to terms with her new reality. However, things really heat up with the vampire Michael. He's a bad boy and mucho sexy. He seems to have plans for his new warden.
This book has a very shocking ending. In fact it was so shocking, I thought something got left out. However, Ms. Wright is going to take care of all the shocking tidbits in the next book in this series called The Vampire's Curse. I hoe she hurries up with it because I'd like to know what happens next!
Pick this book up! It's very interesting and a new twist for vampire fiction!

review of The Vampire Relationship Guide Vol One Meeting and Mating

This was a fun and easy read that made me laugh out loud at times. The main character Josie is awesome. She's quick witted and says what's on her mind. I liked that. Most of would wish to be as sassy and care free. She knew what she wanted and went after it. In this case, it was dating a vampire. Who can blame her, right? Well, it doesn't quite go as she anticipates. There are some wicked cool plot twists and plenty of snappy dialog in this novella. The characters are likable and real, especially Josie and mysterious bad boy vampire Walker. You feel like you know these people or that they could live down the block from you. The Vampire Relationship Guide Vol One Meeting and Mating will keeping you turning pages and you'll be hungry for more. Or at least I was.
This is the first in a four part series. If the rest are as entertaining, I'll be reading all of them.
I recommend this book!

welcome to 6 Sentence Sunday

happy 6 Sentence Sunday everyone! I hope y'all are having a great holiday weekend. this post from Blood and Betrayal is  part of a scene where Eamon and Lauryl put their differences aside for a little yum yum time.

  Lauryl closed the distance between them. She popped the one shirt button he did manage to refasten off and her fingers settled on his chest. His shower warmed skin and seductive scent invited exploration and her hands traced down to his stomach and back up to his chest. They slid back down, circled around his waist and sank below the waistband of his pants, her nails dragging against his hips.  Her eyelids drooped and she sucked in a breath as she moved her hands around to the front  and unbuckled his belt.
  "There's something I need more than rest," she whispered as she opened the buttons on his pants.

don't forget to stop by www.sixsunday.blogspot.com for the list of all the authors participating in this awesome blog hop. it's like trick or treating for writers and readers!

Happy Vladurday!!

Welcome John Hartness Author of A Hard Day's Knight

Thanks for stopping by today John! A Hard Day's Knight is terrific! Let's get down to chatting.

Why vampires? I read a lot of vampire books, and love them, so I decided to write my own, with my own weird twist.

So you're a theatre techie too? Does that influence your writing? I find that my work in theatre has helped my dialogue a lot. You can’t spend twenty years working on Mamet and Shakespeare and not have your ear for dialogue improved. I don’t really put much of my technical expertise into the books, because most of it is too esoteric, but there are a few things in the sequel to Hard Day’s Knight that are performance-based. One of the characters is a dancer, so I throw in a few terms here and there.

Hardest thing about developing a story idea? I find the twist to be one of the toughest things. You know, the bit in the middle of the book where you think everything’s going one way and suddenly it’s going off in a different direction entirely. Keeping those fresh is a challenge for me.

Who are your writing heroes? Have you ever met any of them? Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher, Pat Conroy, John Irving, David Eddings, Chris Claremont, Kim Harrison to name just a few. The only one of those I’ve met was Neil Gaiman at a signing a lot of years ago. He was still doing mostly comics at the time, I think Neverwhere may have just come out, and I met him at a comic con. He was very pleasant, but I was one of thousands so I’m sure he doesn’t remember me. Especially since I can’t even remember which con it was!

What is next for you? The second book in the series came out in January, and I’m working on the third book. I hope to have it out by mid-summer.

I love the characters in A Hard Day's Knight! Are they people you

know? They seem like it! They are all drawn from people I know, but they’re an amalgam of traits from all different people. Jimmy is part me and part dozens of other people. Greg is part me and part dozens of other people. Sabrina is completely fictional, but I did steal her name from two friends of mine.

I was working on a production of Annie and I was writing in the lobby between rehearsals. I needed a name for the detective character and our stage manager, walked by. I thought to myself, “Sabrina! I’ll steal her name!” Then the executive director of the theatre walked by, and I stole his last name for the character. So that’s how she became Sabrina Law.

This book is action packed and you never know what's going to happen

next. Was it hard to keep the momentum going or was it like the story,

crap just kept happening? Remember where I was talking about “the twist?” It was a lot of work to keep the momentum going. Any time I felt like letting my foot off the gas, I fought the urge and kept my hammer down.

Tell us something about you that's fun or geeky! I’m a huge comic nerd. I have a Superman ring that I frequently wear, and my standard con garb is a comic book t-shirt (usually something from the Sandman realm) with a dress shirt unbuttoned over it. I actually used to work in a comic shop as a second job for a while running the Magic: The Gathering tournaments. So my geek street cred is pretty solid. 

Thanks for being here today John! Your book is awesome! I wish you the best!


Here is some more about John

John G. Hartness is a recovering theatre geek who likes loud music, fried pickles and cold beer. He's been published or accepted online in several journals including The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, cc & d and Deuce Coupe and Truckin'.


His first novel, The Chosen, is an urban fantasy about saving the world, snotty archangels, gambling,  tattooed street preachers, immortals with family issues, bar brawls and the consequences of our decisions.


He followed up The Chosen with A Hard Day's Knight, a new twist on the vampire detective novel and the first of a planned series of at least five books. The second book of The Black Knight Chronicles, Back in Black landed in March of 2011 and has enjoyed immediate success.


John has been called "the Kevin Smith of Charlotte" and fans of Joss Whedon and Jim Butcher should enjoy his snarky slant on the fantasy genre. His next novel, Knight Moves The Black Knight Chronicles vol 3 is due out in summer of 2011. 


He can be found at www.JohnHartness.com and spends too much time on Twitter, especially after a few drinks.

next stop is Jagged Edge at www.klearsreviews.blogspot.com
and definitely pick up John's book!! it's awesome!