Thursday 23 November 2017

Surprise! Get Your FREE Books for Christmas

I have well and truly given up on #NaNoWriMo this year. My heart wasn’t in it, and I got distracted by another couple of projects. The first was preparing for the WinterWonderland Holiday Blog Share that I am participating in this December. I am giving away a FREE copy of my festive short story, Christmas With The Vampires, so if you haven’t already got it, come back on 12th December…



But there is something more, something bigger. I have at the last moment decided to join in with the 25 Days of Box Sets Giveaway hosted by New Adult Noir(e). 

That means I am offering you a BRAND NEW, FREE novel from my upcoming collection. 

Return of the Vampire Hunter is pure urban fantasy with a hint of seduction thrown in for good measure. Set in Manchester, Northern England, it is a contemporary story with all the darkness of classic Gothic monsters. Check back in December for more details, and keep watching my Facebook author page for links to your free gifts. Merry Christmas!





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 20 November 2017

Guest Feature: Tie Died by Kathryn E Jones #ASMSG

Today I welcome Kathryn E Jones to my blog, with her new book, Tie Died: A Brianne James Mystery. You can find Kathryn in the upcoming Winter Wonderland Holiday Bog Share this December. 



Synopsis
When 18-year-old Brianne James discovers a murdered young girl at Montgomery Park – a 15-year-old who has been left for dead in the icy snow – there is only one thing she can do: search for the killer.
Brianne has a nose for sleuthing. She can connect with people; even scary people like Jordan Elspie. She has the smarts to solve even the most underhanded crime, and she can solve it with or without the help of the police or her parents.
When it comes to Conner Ryan, however, his unrelenting assistance is quite another story. When you’re in love with one of the hottest guys in school – who in the heck cares?

Links



Excerpt: Frozen
I remember the day I found her. She was lying by the stream in Montgomery Park, where I always go when I'm out running, just lying there as if taking a nap. But it was November in Utah and it was odd that someone would be taking a nap in the snow. The water itself – was practically frozen, white glossiness covering most of the stream where I'd dipped my toes in just this past summer. The leaves were already gone from the trees and I felt suddenly as if I was somewhere I shouldn't be. My skin was cold and yet I didn't shiver as I looked down at the girl wearing the red running shoes.
She must have been running because she wore sweat pants – dark black with a white stripe down the legs, a tie dyed sweat shirt – and a scarf, still around her neck. It looked like wool. Her eyes were open – brown – and her hair, blond – no, more like a light brown with golden highlights. It lay crusted against the snow, glued to it almost; fanned out like the sun.
I didn't scream.
I reached for my cell phone in my back pocket and dialed the police, all the while watching the girl, her skin a light blue, her lips – white. How long had she been there? How had she been killed? Why had she been killed?
And then I looked at the bottom of her shoes. There was no mud. No snow. They were as clean as paper that hadn't been written on yet. The path was at least 20 feet from this frozen stream. She could never have jumped that far.
There were no tire tracks. Just one set of footprints coming to the stream and then away from it. They were large, much larger than her own and had diamond shapes on the bottom. . .
"Hello, Hello?"
"Oh, yes, sorry.”
"Do you have something to report?"
"Yes. Yes. . . I found a girl at Montgomery Park. She's dead.”




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 16 November 2017

Have I Outgrown #NaNoWriMo?

We have passed the halfway point for #NaNoWriMo 2017, and I have to say I am really not engaging with it. My novel has not yet reached 20,000 words, I find lots of distractions keeping me away from my manuscript, and I simply cannot be bothered with it this year. I wrote about it yesterday on my SpookyMrsGreen blog, and one of the comments gave me food for thought: have I outgrown NaNoWriMo?  


 I already know the answer to that question: yes! You see, I don’t need the monthly wordcount challenge to force me to write my books. Since I first joined NaNoWriMo back in 2011, I have written about a dozen novels that are in various stages of editing. I have published half a dozen novels and short stories, along with hundreds of blog posts on various platforms. I don’t need NaNoWriMo anymore, and I feel a little bit sad. But mostly I feel relieved. I will still write my novel, of course. It has been requested by my loyal fans, and I cannot disappoint them. But I will do it in my own time, when I feel ready. Enjoy your month, my friends! Do share your thoughts about NaNoWriMo in the comments below.


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 13 November 2017

Winter Wonderland Holiday Blog Share

Hello, my friends, and welcome to the official start of the festive season! I know it might seem a bit early, but I wanted to give you plenty of notice about a very special competition and giveaway event.



From 11th – 18th December you can visit a selection of fabulous authors, download their FREE books for you, and enter a competition to win a $60 Amazon gift card. You can use this if you are in the UK, so please take a look and see what surprises lie in store.

Blog schedule

​​December 12, 2017 - ​ Catherine Green Author
​December 13, 2017 - Stanalei Fletcher Blog
FREE BOOK: Tell It Like It Is
December 14, 2017 - Doree Anderson
December 15, 2017 - ​Kathryn E. Jones
FREE BOOK: Tie Died
December 16, 2017 - Karl Beckstrand
FREE BOOK: Anna's Prayer and Muffy & Valor
December 17, 2017 - I Must Be Dreaming Blog
​December 18, 2017 - Mary's Garden Blog

How to Enter the Competition

It's easy to enter for the $60 Amazon Gift Card. Here is what you need to do....
1. Visit each blog to read their seasonal daily post
2. Leave a comment
3. Enter rafflecopter!

Each author will include instructions for their freebies.
Rafflecopter will be available from December 11 to December 18th 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!) 

Thursday 9 November 2017

The Carrero Effect by LT Marshall #ASMSG #erotic #romance

Today I welcome LT Marshall to my blog, sharing her novel The Carrero Effect




Blurb

Emma Anderson has everything in her life worked out. She has her perfect job in a Manhattan empire allowing her to live a quiet and organised safe existence. A necessity to her, after a childhood filled with bad memories, abuse, and a mother who was less than useless. But, with it comes a problem, one that could derail everything she thought she needed in her life. Her promotion sends her straight into the close employment of young, gorgeous, playboy billionaire, Jacob Carrero with his formidable reputation for being a player. Stuck as his right-hand man, every waking moment of every single day, she realises he is exactly the type of person who could drive her crazy, and not in a good way.

Like chalk and cheese, he is everything she's not. Compulsive, confident, laid back, dominant and fun, with a seriously laid back attitude to casual sex and dating. Jake is the only one with an ability to steamroll over her manicured ice maiden exterior, who is not phased by the closed in demeanour and cool manners, but as much as she wants to, letting him in is another thing entirely. A past that made her man wary and no desire to ever let one close enough to hurt her again, Jacob Carrero has his work cut out. He is not someone who takes NO for an answer and will have to learn how to break through if he wants more than the mask she shows the world. Jake needs to show her that even someone like him can change when that one girl that matters breaks through.

 Loveable sexy characters and deep emotional topics. Contains some mature, adult content and language.



If you want to listen to the playlist to accompany this book it's here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc-Scsl4NOXbqr2AExtEIuvLo1vmJRpDY



Links


Page link 



Monday 6 November 2017

Vampire of Blackpool Paperback Edition #NaNoWriMo #ASMSG

Have you read Vampire of Blackpool yet? If you are not familiar with my favourite Victorian seaside resort in the North of England, this book might open your eyes a little bit… and now I am proud to announce that the paperback edition is ready to order! It took me a while since this project has been very much a “learn as you go” adventure. I am happy enough with the outcome, and I have learned my lessons for future self-publishing plans.



For #NaNoWriMo this year I am writing a sequel to Vampire of Blackpool. It wasn’t my intention when I wrote the book, but several readers have informed me that they are waiting to see what happens next. I cannot disappoint them, now, can I? Admittedly I am off to a slow start because my mind is currently elsewhere, but I aim to knuckle down, get writing, and catch up as soon as I can. The sequel will be written! For now, you may enjoy Vampire of Blackpool in paperback or eBook editions.




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 30 October 2017

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!) 


Friday 27 October 2017

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 27th through the 31st. 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!

[Come As You Are Cover]

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.

Thursday 26 October 2017

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!) 

Monday 23 October 2017

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!) 

Thursday 19 October 2017

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!) 

Monday 16 October 2017

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!) 

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!)