Happy Halloween! Are You Ready for #NaNoWriMo?

Boo! Scared you!

Ha ha, yes we are celebrating my favourite time of year, Halloween, or Samhain as I prefer to call the festival. See my pagan housewife blog for more about that.

Today I am hosting a Halloween party for my daughters and their friends, so we have decorated the house, stocked up on treats, planned the games and got our fancy dress ready. At the weekend we attended a big family party in our town and it was lots of fun as always.

  

Halloween heralds the arrival of another annual event that has become a staple in my life: #NaNoWriMo. Are you participating this year? Shall we be writing buddies? Look me up if you like, my NaNo name is SpookyMrsGreen. I haven’t really planned for the event this year since I’ve been busy with domestic challenges. I was going to use this NaNoWriMo as the opportunity to write book 6 in my Redcliffe Novels series, but I got a bit overexcited and already started writing that at the beginning of October. Instead I have decided to start a brand new novel, the sequel to Vampire of Blackpool. I have no idea where it is going or what will happen. I am a true pantser. Here’s to #NaNoWriMo 2017!

Have you discovered the Redcliffe novels? Sign up today, and receive your fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Guest Author @byStevenRamirez Come As You Are #horror #Halloween

I want to thank Catherine for allowing me to take up space on her blog. Before I talk about my new book, Come As You Are, though, I’d like you to indulge me. I did some research and found that Halloween is celebrated differently in the US compared to the UK. And, I think, this difference can be summed up in these pics.

Photo courtesy of Twitter: @mugicha814

Photo courtesy of Facebook: Humansofthesesh

Now, to be perfectly honest, I prefer the UK’s treatment. Because, for me, there’s nothing scarier than Teletubbies. But enough about that. Over the last few years, I’ve been gratified to learn that UK readers are steadily being drawn to my horror thriller series, Tell Me When I’m Dead. And, country of origin aside, horror is horror, right? So, in that spirit, I am offering the Kindle version of my new horror collection, Come As You Are FOR FREE October 27^th through the 31^st. I hope you’ll take advantage. The title work is a novella about a bullied middle school kid looking to take revenge. Only, the method he’s chosen puts himself and everyone around him in horrible danger. The collection also includes nine short stories. Get your free copy now—and Happy Halloween!

GET YOUR FREE COPY NOW!

Synopsis Some things are better left alone. Ivan Stein isn’t sure he can survive seventh grade, let alone middle school. Living in a town known for its poverty and violence, he is regularly bullied along with his best friend, Ollie. But fortunes can change. One day, Ivan finds an old notebook in an abandoned locker at school. Despite a stark warning, he takes the book and unleashes powerful magic he can use to punish his enemies. But demonic forces control the book’s pages—a terrifying evil that will inflict suffering on the good as well as the bad and take his soul as payment.

Come As You Are is supernatural horror re-imagined as Young Adult fiction. But don’t be fooled. Its violence will disturb you and its depiction of people living in a gloomy, desolate town without hope will make you cry. Pray that Ivan and his family can survive this dark, perilous journey.

 Also in this collection: “Nailed It” “Brown the Recluse” “I’ve Been Better” “A Bone in the Throat” “Regino Sings” “A Proper Revenge Takes Time” “Something to Hold” “The Widow and Her Magician” “Walker”

Author Bio 

Steven Ramirez is the author of the horror thriller series Tell Me When I’m Dead. He has also published short stories as well as a children’s book, and he wrote the screenplay for the horror thriller film ‘Killers.’ To hear about new releases, visit stevenramirez.com/newsletter/. Steven lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughters.

Book Review: Taming the Vampire (Blood and Absinthe) by Chloe Hart

This is my kind of vampire story! Fast paced, full of sex, passion and just the right amount of magic. It was a quick read, and had been lurking on my Kindle waiting for me to discover it… so glad I gave it a chance! I am now reading the entire Blood and Absinthe series, and loving every moment of it. These books offer a quick fix for vampire fans who like the darker side of the genre, and they are relatable in real terms at the same time.  

Have you discovered the Redcliffe novels? Sign up today, and receive your fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Inspired by a Family Day Trip

Writers find inspiration in the strangest of places, and for me it happens all the time. I recently took my husband and children to our local Legoland Discovery Centre to participate in the Lego brick building challenge. That was for my SpookyMrsGreen blog. We had lots of fun that day, and I took the opportunity to watch our fellow Lego enthusiasts as they enjoyed the discovery centre.

 At one point I sat at a table sipping my coffee, and my husband was distracted by his phone. Our children had run away to play in one of the Lego play areas, so I looked all around at the building. It is basically a big warehouse filled with Lego themed equipment and rides. I watched the staff members hurrying to and fro, speaking into their walkie talkies, giving out orders, dashing from one job to the next, and I wondered what they do when the discovery centre closes for the day. What are their homes like? Do they have partners, children, families waiting for them? Are they completely human? How could I incorporate this domestic setting into my vampire and werewolf stories? Watch this space…

Have you discovered the Redcliffe novels? Sign up today, and receive your fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Book Review: Sparks by C.P. Mandara

I have broadened my reading horizons during 2017, and decided to read some books with more adult content and explicit sexual themes. I am not squeamish about sex. I write about it in my own novels and stories. But some books have really opened my eyes, and given me inspiration to free myself in my own writing projects. One such book is Sparks by C.P. Mandara. Here is my review:

My eyes have been well and truly opened. This story is delicious, cruel and gruesome all at the same time, and I want more! Not your average special agent tale. Far darker. You have been warned!

Have you discovered the Redcliffe novels? Sign up today, and receive your fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Inspired by the Books I Read

Sometimes I become so engrossed in my writing that I forget the importance of reading other books. Then I binge on several novels in a short space of time. I usually have at least one book in progress at any given time, and usually I will try and read a fiction and a non-fiction story simultaneously. It all depends on my current obsessions.

 Recently I discovered some erotic stories that really caught my imagination, sending me off into a spiral of creative possibilities. Then I found the Blood and Absinthe vampire novels series by Chloe Hart. I am smitten! Currently reading book 3 in the series, these stories remind me why I write about supernatural creatures. The vampires have pulled me away from the wolf pack, and I am desperate to write some more novels. Inspiration is everywhere!

Have you discovered the Redcliffe novels? Sign up today, and receive your fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Mwahaha! It’s the season for Halloween Sherlock with @lizhedgecock #Halloween #mystery #paranormal

There is something strange happening on my blog today, and who could we count on to solve the mystery? Sherlock Holmes, of course! And here to help is author Liz Hedgecock, to explain how she came to work with the great fictional detective.

What happens when the great detective Sherlock Holmes encounters a vampire, or a fog which spirits children away from the London slums?

A series of novelettes called Halloween Sherlock, that’s what.

Author Liz Hedgecock explains:

In the first story, The Case of the Snow-White Lady, I had to work backwards. I knew the solution to the mystery — for once that was the easy part! — but there were other things I wanted to include. The vampire is a sixteen-year old girl, the squire’s daughter, who died a month before; what impact does this have on her family? And how does an extremely rational man like Sherlock Holmes handle something so alien to his beliefs?

I thought the story would be a one-off. I was wrong. The idea of a deathly fog seeped into my mind — a grim London fog in which slum children disappear. The residents are too scared of the police to raise an alarm, until a sympathetic neighbour visits Sherlock Holmes. In Sherlock Holmes and the Deathly Fog the tensions between the slum-dwellers and the outside world, and also between Holmes and Watson, come to the fore. Add a mysterious woman in black, and the situation becomes explosive.

 The Halloween Sherlock series can be found here: myBook.to/HalloweenSherlock. Expect another instalment in 2018…

And on Halloween itself Liz is participating in Midnight Mayhem and Magic, a Facebook author takeover to celebrate the launch of C.L. Monaghan’s new release The Hollows. This is a Halloween party with a difference; as well as the usual author takeovers we're hosting a live mini murder mystery with the chance to win a grand prize.

Midnight Gunn: The Hollows encompasses the thrill of a traditional Gothic mystery with an extra twist of paranormal, a splash of romance and a hint of horror!

http://mybook.to/thehollows 

Liz Hedgecock spends much of her time hopping between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, murdering people. To be fair, she does usually clean up after herself. When not concocting mysteries, Liz lives quietly in Cheshire with her family. That’s her story, anyway, and she’s sticking to it.

Find Liz in the following places:

Twitter

Author Blog

Amazon Author Page

Etsy Shop

Feedback from the Sandbach Author Signing Event

It was lovely to see that I got my face in the local newspaper once again with my new book. This time it was with Eye of the Tiger (A Redcliffe Novel). Our little author event got a nice article feature, and we will learn from feedback received from visitors and authors alike as to how we can grow the event in the future. Now I am back in the writing groove and scribbling away with book 6 in the Redcliffe novels series, Bite of the Wolf (A Redcliffe Novel). Bye for now!

Photo Credit Elizabeth Morgan 

Have you discovered the Redcliffe novels? Sign up today, and receive your fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Five Great Vampire Stories You Might Have Missed by @Thriftygal #DarkDates #ASMSG

Today I introduce you to Tracey Sinclair, author of fun and feisty paranormal and romantic fiction. She will share some of her favourite popular vampire stories. Take it away, Tracey! 

Vampire stories abound – some would argue too much, though as the author of a paranormal series of course I wouldn’t agree! – but alongside the best-known tales here are some gems you might have missed.

Near Dark

Although often overlooked in favour of The Lost Boys’ shiny, MTV take on vampires – which came out in the same year, 1987 – in its own way, Near Dark’s take on the genre was even more revolutionary. A reimagining of the vampire movie by way of the Western, made by future Oscar-winner Katheryn Bigelow and starring cult faves Lance Henrikson, Jenette Goldstein and the much-missed Bill Paxton, it is worth checking out.

Poppy Z Brite’s Lost Souls

In the same way that films were revisiting cinematic vampire tropes in the 80s, Poppy Z Brite’s 1992 novel took the literary genre away from the swooning, romantic lushness of Anne Rice that had become its default setting. Brite’s vampires would be quite at home in Bigelow’s world, grounded as they are in life’s down-and-dirty everyday existence, and Brite’s books remain landmarks of both the genre and of LGBT fiction (Brite is the pen name of Billy Martin, a trans man).

Only Lovers Left Alive

This 2013 Jim Jarmusch film is a low-key delight. Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton are the titular vampire lovers, and the film makes much of what it is to be in love when your relationship potentially lasts forever. Visually stunning – it makes much use of its Detroit setting – the film is also funnier than you’d think, since apparently being a vampire doesn’t save you from annoying family members or day-to-day petty frustrations.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night

In some ways, this 2014 film by Iranian-American Ana Lily Amirpour is an ideal companion piece to Only Lovers, and is clearly influenced by Jarmusch’s work. It’s a beautiful slow burn of a movie, littered with gorgeous visuals and surprising moments of humour.

Daylight – Elizabeth Knox

This isn’t the New Zealand author’s masterpiece – that would be the incomparable angel-themed book The Vintner’s Luck – but this is a beguiling take on the vampire myth, cleverly tied in with the idea of artist’s muse.

Want another fresh take on the vampire novel? Check out my series Dark Dates, all three of which novels are on special offer for only 99p throughout October!

Tracey Sinclair is an author and freelance editor and writer. Her books include the romcom The Bridesmaid Blues and the Dark Dates/Cassandra Bick series, the latest of which, Angel Falls, is out now.

Author Website Links:

www.darkdates.org

@thriftygal

www.facebook.com/darkdates

A Witch in Cornwall #TheRedcliffeNovels #paranormal #Gothic

I looked at her and she gasped and stepped back, shielding the baby in her pram instinctively.

“Jess,” she whispered, “Your eyes are glowing.”

I shook my head and blinked furiously, forcing Suri to back off and leave me alone. The tiger disappeared with a growl, but she knew she would get her way eventually. I focused on calming the energy that was whipping around me in an invisible storm. I did not need this right now, and Liz definitely did not deserve it.

Jessica Stone used to be a normal human. Then she fell in love with a vampire, met his identical twin werewolf brother, and her life fell apart spectacularly. Meeting Detective Jack Mason, and his brother Danny, brought about a powerful change, and Jessica’s magic was released. Now, in Redcliffe book 4, she must learn to control her ethereal animal familiar, who lusts after the alpha werewolf, and will stop at nothing to use her human mistress as a tool... Or is that a weapon?

The Redcliffe novels series follow the adventures of bookshop owner Jessica Stone as she meets a man and falls in love, only to discover the hidden werewolf secrets of her close friends. Who knew the Cornish coast could be so deadly?

Eye of the Tiger (A Redcliffe Novel) – available in bookshops, libraries, and online now!

Buy from Amazon UK; Amazon US, and other major online retailers.

Have you discovered the Redcliffe novels? Sign up today, and receive your fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!)