Thursday 12 October 2017

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!




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:





Monday 9 October 2017

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!) 

Thursday 5 October 2017

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.facebook.com/darkdates

Monday 2 October 2017

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!) 


Thursday 28 September 2017

When a Vampire Falls in Love #LGBT #LesFic

“You should know better, Samantha,” he said, “Witches do not mix with vampires. It always end badly. Get out while you can.”



The vampire, the witch, and the hunter battle it out in a contemporary Gothic adventure in Northern England.

Meredith Hanson lives in Blackpool, the former Victorian holiday hotspot of Northern England. She masquerades as a reclusive author, feeding on the blood of unsuspecting tourists without remorse. Her life takes on new meaning when she meets a young witch in a local pub one evening. Despite Meredith’s cold demeanour, she finds herself oddly fascinated with Samantha Morris, and falls into an accidental relationship with the girl. It is at this time that a vampire hunter arrives in Blackpool. He is tough, he is determined, and his next target is an ancient vampire that has been spotted in the tourist town. He intends to bring her down and destroy her to save the lives of innocent humans.

Will he succeed? Or will the experienced vampire seductress be the cause of his undoing?



You can buy Vampire of Blackpool in various eBook formats here, and from Amazon.


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!) 


Monday 25 September 2017

A Fabulous Weekend at #SASE

I am back behind the computer after a fabulous day at the Sandbach Author Signing Event on Saturday. It was a lovely day, and I really enjoyed catching up with my author friends again. We spend so much time on social media that it is nice to have a venue and a date where we can physically see and speak to each other, and catch up on our respective author journeys.

Photo Credit Books on the Beach 

SASE was my last author event for 2017. I will now spend a few months working on my projects. I have almost finished editing book 5 in the Redcliffe novels series, and I plan to write a first draft of book 6 during #NaNoWriMo in November. I will emerge refreshed in the New Year, ready to get back out there on the author circuit. Catch you later!

BotB Authors at SASE! Photo Credit
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!) 

Friday 22 September 2017

#BookSale! Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella #ASMSG @NNP_W_Light

Today I share with you a special offer from N.N. Light for their novella, Planting The Seeds Of Love. It is on special offer at just 99c, grab your copy now!




Title: Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella

Author: N. N. Light

Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, New Adult Romance

Blurb:
Torn between two men, Sally must follow her heart and decide if love will lead her to the city or the countryside.

Twenty-Two-year-old Sally Rayton returns to the family farm she deserted four years ago to bury her grandfather. Her plan: to settle her grandfather’s estate and return to her life in the city with her boyfriend, Trevor Mattson.

Her childhood friend, Jack Smith, has other ideas.

Jack convinces Sally to transform the farm into a brewery and fulfill her grandfather’s dream while keeping the Rayton Farm in the family. Sally works side-by-side with Jack while Trevor is hundreds of miles away in the city. The more time she spends with Jack, the stronger her feelings are for him.

When Trevor shows up to propose to Sally right before Christmas and finds her in Jack’s embrace, she must make the biggest choice of her life: true love.

Excerpt:
The next morning, Sally woke to the smell of sizzling bacon. She stretched in bed before putting on her robe. She glanced at the clock. It was already eight. She looked out the window. As far as she could see, snow covered everything like a warm glittering blanket. She hugged herself.

“So, this is what it means to be in love? I like it.”

She crept down the stairs, to see what Trevor was cooking. A smile lit her face and she sat in her grandpa’s rocking chair, watching Trevor in the kitchen. He wore a green plaid robe, his hair ruffled from sleep and there was a slight pillow crease across his left cheek. He flipped pancakes while whistling a classic rock song. She hugged her knees, reveling in her domestic bliss.

“I could get used to this,” she whispered.

He turned around and grinned.

“Good morning, beautiful. Want some coffee?”

She walked into the kitchen, giggling as if it was Christmas.

“It’s like I’m dreaming, what with you here, making breakfast.”

He handed her a mug of steaming coffee. She took a sip.

“Ahh, it’s just how I take it. Heavy cream and sugar.” She took another sip.

Trevor pulled her into his embrace.

“You are a vision in white, my angel.” He kissed her senseless. Her body responded and she burned with desire. She peppered kisses along his jawline.

“I want to go back to bed,” she whispered in his ear. She raked her teeth down his ear.

He moaned.

“You drive me crazy when you do that.” His hot breath seared her neck.

“Mmm…” she whispered.

He playfully slapped her butt.

“Vixen.”

She laughed seductively.

“Now go sit at the table and wait for breakfast.” He refilled her coffee. “Tsk tsk tsk, distracting the cook.” He winked.



What Readers Think:

“The author does a splendid job of building the internal tension as well as some wonderfully lighthearted interactions that play out perfectly and keep the reader engaged. The secondary characters are well thought out, and bring an added dimension to the setting.” – USA Today Bestselling Author Jacquie Biggar

“Great descriptive narrative, vivid dialogue that not only breathed life into the characters but provided a window into life in a tight knit countryside community. The countryside community was portrayed so positively, it even lured this committed city girl into sampling a taste of country life with a farm visit next holiday.” -- Ariel C.

“For a short story, this one is so well-developed and full of wonderful characters, it was a pleasure to read.” – K. Westrope

Buy Links:
99 Cents at Amazon US (September 22 - 27)!
Free on Kindle Unlimited Worldwide!

  




Author Bio: N. N. Light is the best-selling husband-wife writing team, commonly known as Mr. N and Mrs. N.

Mrs. N. has been creating stories ever since she was little. Her grandfather remembers when she was two years old, she would stand at the top of the stairs and tell him a story filled with emotion (and in a language foreign to him) with her hands on her hips. Let’s just say she was a born storyteller.

Sign up for their author newsletter to get exclusive content, sales and be entered to win a $5 Amazon US Gift Card every month: 

They’re blissfully happy and loves all things chocolate, books, music, movies, art, sports, trains, history, cooking and baking. Their mantra is to spread the Light.

Most of the time you can find them on Twitter or getting new ideas on how to spread the Light on Pinterest. They’re a proud member of ASMSG and Independent Author Network.

In addition to being authors, they’re also book promoters/reviewers, social media marketers/influencers and the owners of N. N. Light Author Promotions. They both love books, have ever since they were young. Matching up books and readers is something that gives them great pleasure.

They’d love to connect with you either via email or via these various social media sites: