Gifts Aren’t Only from Santa! – Indie eBook Event

Allow me to present a special Christmas event hosted by my fellow Indie author, Angela Orlowski-Peart and her friends: 

The Gifts Aren't Only From Santa crew are gearing up for two days of FREE and discounted for charity!

That's right. December 14th and December 15th, treat yourself to a buffet of ebook joy by visiting Amazon and downloading FREE ebooks or heavily discounted ebooks where 100% of the proceeds go towards charity. How cool is that to be a giver and a receiver all at one time?!?!

On top of that, there's a fun Facebook event scheduled for December 14th with cool games and prizes to win. Go here for details.

Want to get a heads up on the great novels coming up for FREE or discounted? Go here  to peruse the titles. Just make sure you don't drool on the keyboard. You'll need it for the December 14th Facebook fun.

"What if I don't have a kindle?" you ask. Well, that isn't a problem. Got a smartphone (android, blackberry, iPhone), computer (Mac or Windows-based), or a tablet (iPad or android tablet), then you can download a FREE kindle app and take advantage of these great titles being made available to you.

Don't forget to enter to win some great prizes in the rafflecopter as well. Yeah, we're just loving the giving spirit! Make sure to share this with everyone so no one misses out on the fun, prizes and free ebooks galore!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hump Day Hook - Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel)

Today I participate in the Hump Day Hook for the first time. Here is a paragraph from my second novel Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) which is widely available now, and you can have your copy for Christmas if you wish! Here is the excerpt for your reading pleasure:

I stepped closer to Danny again, and my tiger advanced upon him.  Although I couldn’t physically see her, I felt that she was around me like a cloak.  Her warm, exotic energy wrapped around my body and attached itself to me, so that to Danny and Jack, she was clear to see.  Something instinctive told me that only the supernatural creatures would see my tiger.  Humans were not evolved enough to trust in their senses.  They would ignore the tingles down their spine, or that feeling of discomfort.  They would dismiss it as a cold chill, or a draught.  In truth it was energy, pure and brilliant.  And this energy needed an outlet.

Do I have your attention? Good! Now pop over to my website for your free short werewolf story set in Redcliffe, Cornwall, and order your copy of Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) today.

If you would like to see more Hump Day Hook blog posts, check out the Facebook page, or see the blog of Kerrianne Coombes for a list of participants. Happy Hump Day!

Review: Forged by Greed – Angela Orlowski-Peart

Here is my review of Forged By Greed - Book 1 - by Angela Orlowski-Peart:

A love story of magical proportions!

 I really enjoyed this book, although I would say it picks up more towards the end. In the beginning I struggled to get involved with the characters, but that may be due to its Young Adult setting and glamorous location (at least for someone from the North of England!). My favourite characters were Jatred and Crystal. I am definitely a Winter kid at heart! Anyway, if you want a supernatural story that’s a little bit different, I recommend you try this one out. There are shape shifters, Goddesses, and ancient magic and folklore that really get the imagination racing! It was generally well written and you can feel the love from the author on every page.

Farewell Twilight - Hello Redcliffe!

It is over! It is finally over! The amazing saga that is Twilight has aired its final movie, and the world of vampire and werewolf lovers will be in mourning. Well, those of us who enjoyed the books and films! I have to admit; I did not read the novels. I tried to read the first one, but I found it boring and gave up. Perhaps I should give it another go.

I really did enjoy the films. I especially enjoyed Breaking Dawn Part 2, because I could feel and see the love that was poured into this project by its creators. It wasn’t simply about the money. That is an easy target for people who are jealous of Stephanie Meyer’s immense success. I admire her. She wrote a story from the heart, she managed to get it seen by the right people in the industry, and now her creation will live on forever.

After all, that is what we all strive for as authors, don’t we? I know I do. Which is why I am now introducing, for those who have not yet discovered them, my Redcliffe novels. I draw a parallel with the Twilight saga in that my books tell the story of a witch who falls in love with a vampire and a werewolf. The Redcliffe novels are strictly adult, however, and not for the faint hearted. The first in the series is Love Hurts (ARedcliffe Novel), the sequel is Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) and the third book Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) is estimated for release in 2013. 

Set in Cornwall, England, the Redcliffe novels follow the adventures of bookshop owner Jessica Stone as she unwittingly falls in love with a vampire, becomes entangled with his identical twin brother's werewolf pack, and then discovers she is a witch.

In the newly released sequel Love Kills (A RedcliffeNovel) Jessica Stone recovers from an horrific werewolf attack and comes to terms with revelations that her lover, Jack Mason, is a vampire, his brother, Danny, the werewolf pack leader, and her best friend, Simon, is a werewolf.  Add to that her discovery that she is a witch, and life is suddenly a whole lot harder than it used to be. Jessica has to fight for her own life and Jack’s when faced with his jealous vampire master who wants her old lover back. But things are never easy, and a vampire master is not so easy to defeat…

I’m a #NaNoWriMo Winner 2012, Hooray!

I did it! I won NaNoWriMo 2012 and I feel epic (to quote a rather annoying British television commercial!) My final word count came in at a very healthy 50,055, which means that by the time I finish editing the manuscript, I will have a decent sized novel to pitch. Wonderful! I am also totally in love with the story, which is always a bonus.

The month has been a long one, and it isn’t even over. NaNoWriMo 2012 was definitely harder than NaNoWriMo 2011. Perhaps this was because in 2011 I was writing the sequel to my debut novel and it was all clearly mapped out in my mind. Perhaps it was the fact that I then had a child under the age of 1, who was easily satisfied with a nap and some sensory toys. Whatever, this year was a tough one.

But I did it, and in just 25 days! I know there are many hundreds (and probably thousands) of other NaNoWriMo winners around the world, some who finished ahead of me, and to those I say hearty congratulations. To my fellow Wrimos who are still slogging at the final hurdles, do not give up. You will do this, and we will meet at the finish line! 

Meet the Vampire Book Realm Authors at Coffee Time Romance

I have already posted about this a few weeks’ ago, but remember our date for Friday 30^th November (oh, that would be today, now in fact!) I will be live in the Latte Lounge at Coffee Time Romance, along with my fellow authors from the Vampire Book Realm.

This is an all-day event, so drop by anytime and say hello! We are running cool competitions, discussing all aspects of our books, and I will even post excerpts from my newest vampire tale, The Vampire of Blackpool (fresh from the NaNoWriMo press!)

So remember, pop in to our forum any time today at Coffee Time Romance. If you love vampires, you will love the Vampire Book Realm… 

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=1955

#NaNoWriMo – It’s in the Bag!

Well, this year’s NaNoWriMo challenge has proved especially tough, and it is only my second attempt at the contest! It was easier to write last year partly because I was writing the sequel to my debut novel and the story was already planned, and partly because my daughter was under 1 and therefore easier to entertain.

This month, in NaNoWriMo 2012, my novel has literally been a surprise to me. My title is The Vampire of Blackpool. It probably won’t stick, but it was all I could come up with in time for the challenge. My story has literally developed every time I sit down to write. I have no prior understanding of my characters or the plot. All I knew in the beginning was that I had a female vampire living in solitude on the outskirts of Blackpool. She was a traditional vampire, feeding and killing humans with no sense of remorse. It was supposed to be a horror story.

It hasn’t quite turned out that way, but I am still happy with the developments. My vampire, Meredith Hanson, has been on a killing spree. A vampire hunter is also chasing her and they have so far battled to near-death and then engaged in conversation, albeit brief. She feels something for him, but she is confused. Meredith has also become intimately acquainted with a young nurse who just happens to be a witch, and this sub-plot has taken me by surprise during the last couple of days.

The icing on the cake for NaNoWriMo 2012 has been the arrival in my story of a familiar face from the Redcliffe novels. Detective Jack Mason has arrived on the scene! He has travelled up from Cornwall to Lancashire, and it seems that he and Meredith have a history. We might learn a little about it soon enough, but I am not sure. I will give Meredith free reign to tell her story. My muse has suddenly woken up and seems very eager to share. Wonderful!

So, as it stands, I am now at 38,493 words. I have to write another 11,507 words in just 8 days. The estimate is to write 1,439 words per day, according to my stats on the NaNoWriMo website. This means I will finish my novel on 29^th November. Perfect! And, a little early but I’m feeling generous, Merry Christmas!