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!

come back tomorrow for my Armchair BEA intervie with book blogger Christina Beumer!

look at him. is he not divine?! now that I have your attention, I want to remind you to come back tomorrow for an interview with fellow blogger Christina Beumer who blogs over at Reading Thru the Night I'm interviewing her as part of the fun of Armchair BEA. if you arent' familiar with this brilliant bit of armchair travelling then check it out over at www.armchairbea.com this is a great site devoted to those of us in the book loving/coveting world who AREN'T attending the super sparkly, bookalicious  Book Expo America in NYC.
anyway come back tomorrow!! It's a fun interview and I'm having a GIVEAWAY!!

not even half way and I'm tired

that would totally be me. I'm easily distracted and lately when it comes to writing...I've been ADD level easily distracted. I'm like my daughter when she doesn't take her focus pill. the other night I was trying to write. I had no distractions(HAHAHA), quiet, and inspiration. I even put a pic of one of my characters up so the words would flow better. yeah I do stupid stuff like that. however, I soon lost my focus and found something else to suck my time up. it took me 2 days to write 1500 words. wth? I need another nanowrimo burst of muse action. my characters talk to me but I forget what they say. maybe I am secretly stonewalling because I am getting to the point where I have to write the stuff I don't like to write i.e. fighting and action scenes. although, I've even been putting off writing sex scenes and usually I bust them out right away because they are fun. however there's been so much action and world building, nobody is getting laid. I JUST wrote a sex scene. I know when I finish this ms I'm going to love it but it is driving me nuts because it's been tough. it is making me think of when I was pregnant. I was the world's worst pregnant person and was tired of being pregnant at 20 weeks. mainly because I had a hard pregnancy and sick alot. of course when it was over I loved the outcome but getting through it was a crap fest. so now I'm going to think of Death Hunter like a baby growing in me. hating growing it but will love it when it gets here.

welcome to 6 Sentence Sunday

It's another great edition of 6 Sentence Sunday! I hope you went around the other blogs and checked out the other GREAT writing!! WOW! It was like trick of treating for readers!
my post this week is another from Blood and Betrayal. Eamon has turned Lauryl into a vampire against her will. She's just fed for the first time and is arguing with Eamon. She wants to know why he turned her.

"Is there anything else you want to ask me?" Eamon asked and took a drink of his scotch.
"Why me?"
"Because I've wanted you since I saw you in Seattle."
"Couldn't you just bang me a couple of times and not call me? That's usually what y'all do. Why'd you have to do this?"

There are some awesome writers on the list so don't forget to stop by http://www.sixsunday.blogspot.com 

Happy Vladurday!!

Big Ol' Butt

no that's not me but it's pretty close. just slap a gator shirt and hat on her and there you go. also make her have a purple AMP soda in her hand too. I know I winge a bunch about being unemployed and  recently heartbroken and apparently those things have caught up to me in my ass. now, my butt really didn't have any room to take on any extra dimension back when I had a job and a man. somehow I thought I had a free ticket to indulge in junky(yet DELISH) foods and skip out on exercise. however I had a reality check when I went to don a pair of capris from last summer and they didn't fit. I just got my bike back out and tuned to start riding again for some clarity and much needed exercise. I've got triathlons to do over the summer and a big ass ain't gonna help. in fact the idea of me on my bike right now doesn't bring a lovely pic to mind. but it must be endured until I get back into my former thick and jammin shape. usually I don't get bogged down by stuff like this. my self image is pretty awesome but(snicker) this just was the last straw and I decided to take control again. so here ends my rant and my public statement of no more of the past 7 months behavior.

nope nothing really embarrasses me

as you may have been able to tell by my posting, very little embarrasses me. seriously. I don't know why. probably more should but it doesn't. example: one time, while staying with mr number one love of my life in Europe, we went to Lausanne. somehow I ended up carrying all the bags into the quaint little hotel and I tripped on the way inside and landed face first in the lobby, arms and legs akimbo, and the bags flying everywhere. mr. numero about died of shame. I on the other hand laughed because I imagined how funny it must have looked. I'd like to think that it stems from my awesome sense of self esteem but my friends and family doubt it. but what do they know. they get embarrassed. which brings me to my point... yes you knew I'd get there eventually. I'm trying to write characters in one of my WIP's who have super self esteem and don't get caught up in small things that would make them embarrassed.it's a fine line. sometimes though I wonder if they seem a bit off or lacking some crucial sense of personality. although if that was the case it might make them a more interesting character. what do y'all think?