Spreading the Giveaway Word

FSB Holiday Giveaway!

We at FSB Associates want to do our share to support books and the publishing industry. In the spirit of the holiday season, and support for BuyingBooksfortheHolidays.com, we will be conducting a 3-Day Holiday Giveaway!

For three days only, December 8th, 9th, and 10th, we will be giving away a limited quantity of books to randomly selected winners! The official entry begins at 12pm (eastern) on each day. Here is our schedule of events:

Day 1. Lost Symbol Fans! If you have read and loved Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, enter to win this companion pack! The pack features The Masonic Myth by Jay Kinney and Decoding the Lost Symbol by Simon Cox. We have 3 packs to giveaway!

Day 2. Celebrity Chef Mary Ann Esposito, has 5 signed copies of her latest cookbook to be given away: Ciao Italia: Five Ingredient Favorites. Check out Mary Ann's tips for holiday cooking here!

Day 3. 3 copies of Quirk Classics' bestselling literary monster mash-up, Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters signed by co-author Ben Winters! Also included: the Deluxe hardcover edition of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, co-authored by Seth Grahame-Smith! Learn more about the books, and discover the next monster mash-up at QuirkClassics.com.

Anyone within the continental US is eligible to enter. Entries made on a specific day after 12pm (eastern time) will only be eligible for that day's giveaway, so visit often! To enter for your chance to win, simply click here! Spread the word to your friends by forwarding this message.
We would also like to wish each and every one of you a very happy holiday season. Thank you for your time and support, and we look forward to working with you in 2010!
Best wishes,
FSB

Book Spotlight: Bar None by Brigit Zahara

NOW AVAILABLE!

BAR NONE stops in for a few this November…

What do you do when you're in love with your two best friends who, oh yeah, just happen to be vampires? That's exactly what Sera has to figure out.

After a very upsetting day, she heads to Bar None and the solace of the joint's owners, Nate and Fab. Beautiful, built and possessing the kind of breathtaking animal magnetism that renders any hot-blooded woman wanting and willing, the foxy, fanged duo could, and would, take their pick of bed & bite companions if it wasn't for one thing...sex with a mortal raises a vampire's bloodlust to the point of frenzy. And that never ends well. Long story short? A hot and happy ending doesn't appear to be in the cards for the three friends. But when Sera realizes that both Nate and Fab love her as much as she loves them, she teams up with willpower wizard Fab to show Nate their own version of safe sex.

And all this time, you thought "happy hour" had to do with the drinks!
For information on this and other great titles by Brigit Zahara, visit www.brigitzahara.weebly.com or contact morganpromotions@gmail.com

Reign or Shine

Is coming soon...Yes,one of my favorite romance authors, Michelle Rowen has a YA releasing in October.

Demon Princess: Reign or Shine

As if trying to fit in at a new school isn't stressful enough, sixteen-year-old Nikki Donovan just found out that her long-lost father is, in fact, the demon king of the Shadowlands—the world that separates and protects us from the Underworld. When she is brought there by the mysterious—and surprisingly cute—messenger Michael, she learns that her father is dying, and he wants her to assume the throne. To complicate matters, a war is brewing between the Shadowlands and the Underworld, her half-demon qualities are manifesting, and her gowing feelings for Michael are completely forbidden. Ruling a kingdom, navigating a secret crush, and still making it home by curfew—what's a teenage demon princess to do?

If you want to know more, The Book Butterfly has an interview and a contest going on with Michelle.

Congratulations Michelle !

Some Contests To Fill Your Blog Day

Lucynda Storey has a few guest posts up on her blog and you can win a goodie bag if you stop in and comment.

Over at Vampire Wire, Marta Acosta is giving away a copy of Bad to the Bone by Jeri Smith-Ready.( A book I read and thoroughly enjoyed-Vampire Dogs...Oh My!)I

and

Linda at Reading Is So Much Fun has Devyn Quinn as her guest and she will be giving away a copy of her latest release,Possession.

Good luck on your blogging adventures :D

Books!Books!And More Books!

Bad Moon Rising: A Dark-Hunter Novel (Dark-Hunter Novels) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

A stunning and suspenseful new landscape emerges in the thrilling Dark-Hunter world—a world where nothing will ever be the same again. . .

Fang Kattalakis isn't just a wolf. He is the brother of two of the most powerful members of the Omegrion: the ruling council that enforces the laws of the Were-Hunters. And when war erupts among the lycanthropes, sides must be chosen. Enemies are forced into shaky alliances. And when the woman Fang loves is accused of betraying her people, her only hope is that Fang believes in her. Yet in order to save her, Fang must break the law of his people and the faith of his brothers. That breech could very well spell the end of both their races and change their world forever.

The war is on and time is running out...

Check Amazon for an exclusive Chapter 1 sample

Beyond the Rain by Jess Granger

In a universe torn apart by civil war, a warrior and a slave must fight for their lives and a love that may destroy them both.After five years behind enemy lines, Captain Cyani has to complete one final mission before she can return to Azra—a planet ruled by a sisterhood of celibate warriors. Along the way she finds a prisoner, chained and beaten—but radiating feral power and an unbroken spirit.For years Soren has endured torture as his captors leeched his very essence, a unique hormone then sold as a sexual narcotic in the shadow trade. Now he has been freed from slavery by a beautiful warrior woman with radiant blue eyes.After years in bondage, Soren’s hormones are so unbalanced that he will die if he does not mate with a woman. Can Cyani be the woman he needs to survive, or will this forbidden bond destroy them?

This is Jess Granger's debut novel, stop by her blog and celebrate her creation.

Demon Inside by Stacia Kane

Hanging out with demons can be hell…
It’s been three months since psychologist Megan Chase made the stunning discovery that the world is filled with demons, and once more the situation is too hot to handle. Ironically, Megan—the only person in the world without a little personal demon sitting on her shoulder—has become the leader of a demon “family,” but now some unknown arcane power is offing her demons in a particularly unpleasant fashion. And while her demon lover Greyson Dante is still driving her wild with desire, he’s also acting in a strangely evasive fashion. Then there’s the truth about Megan’s past—the truth she’s never known.
Caught between personal problems and personal demons, Megan is having one hell of a hard time. Will the help of her cockney guard demons and her witch friend Tera be enough so that Megan can finally resolve the past, survive the present, and face the future?

I loved the first book in the series and I'm hoping to read this one very soon. Here is Stacia Kane's book page so you can itch to read more Greyson Dante too.

Fantastic Fives of Delilah Marvelle

Five words and/or phrases that describe you:

Crazy,
creative,
quirky,
loves a good challenge, especially when it comes to writing,
and
has a strong sense of justice that always gets me into a lot of trouble but wins me more friends than enemies.


Five people and/or things that inspire you:

My husband (especially during those love scenes...waggling brows),
painting, books,
music
and
chocolate.

Five of your favorite authors:

Edith Wharton,
Judith McNaught,
Ernest Hemingway,
Charlotte Bronte,
and
Shakespeare.

Describe five of your heroes/heroines through your eyes:

Maybelle de Maitenon - quirky yet fierce and oh so funny,
His Grace, Rutherford - traditional, mindful of his mother and stubborn as all heck.
Lord Hawksford - trying to be proper when inside he is such a sexy freak.
Lady Charlotte - proud, but not too proud to beg for the things she wants.
Madame de Maitenon -- flirty, WAY over thirty and ready to teach every man she meets that there's always room for them to learn more than they ever wanted.

Five reasons to read your books:

1.)They will make you laugh. A lot.
2.)They will make you realize that the ton was never really all that proper.
3. ) I don't do traditional plots.
4.) Lots of great sex scenes that don't stick to a bed.
5.) Romance, romance, romance.

Delilah Marvelle
http://www.delilahmarvelle.com/

For the contest info, read the post below.

Save The School of Gallantry!

My Dearest Readers,

When I was in high school, I had a dream. I was going to be the next Stephen King. Heh. Yeah.

Stay with me. Please. I knew my ideas were fabulous and I knew all it would take is for an editor to look at it and they would offer me up the moon and the stars and best of all, a contract. I had my girlfriends read everything I wrote. And they kept telling me, “This is fabulous! It's SO funny! Hilarious!” Seeing it really wasn't supposed to BE funny, I immediately changed course realizing I actually had a better handle on being funny than scary. I also figured adding a romance into it would even make it better since that is what I loved to read.

I then entered college as an English major. I was going to be teacher and write during the summers. Even then I was a smart girl who knew I wasn't going to make jack and that I needed a job to support the “creative” one. Throughout all of college I wrote historical romances. One right after another. And kept submitting. And submitting. And submitting. And kept getting rejected and rejected and rejected. In the meantime, I got married. I had two kids. I joined RWA. I got critique partners. I did honed and honed and honed the crap out of my writing. And kept writing and getting rejected. I eventually racked up over 200 rejections and had written over 40 books in those 11 years of trying to get published.

When I finally sold my first historical romance, MISTRESS OF PLEASURE, and my second book, LORD OF PLEASURE, I was beside myself. It didn't feel real. To FINALLY arrive at a destination I had been traveling toward for 11 long years seemed like a mirage. Which fortunately, I quickly snapped out of. Because after all, most of my friends are all published and unpublished writers and the stories they all have told me throughout the years made me realize

I had to fight with fists up for myself every step of the way. I knew publishers did little to no promotion for their authors, so I spearheaded my own promo, ready to be more than just an author. And even though I was budgeting very well and spending countless hours networking and promoting on websites and blogs, doing tons for free, I still ended up spending $7,000 on my first book. Which was way more than my advance. But hey, every business starts in the red. Right?

Then the reviews started coming in about my series set in 1830 London England about a school that educates men on the topic of love and seduction. People loved it! Wow. It got nominated for awards. Wow. Readers are e-mailing me raving. Wow. Readers from France, Austria, Poland, South Africa and from all over the U.S and the world. Wow. It just kept getting better and better. I was beginning to feel as if every penny I spent was all worth it (even though my family and I weren't going on any vacations and were eating out of cans). Because all that mattered was that my publisher loved me and my readers loved my series.

Come contract time, I'm ready for whatever they wanna throw at me. Or so I thought. Mistress of Pleasure, though completely sold out and unavailable anywhere (unless it's a used copy, some going for a ridiculous amount of $40.00), hadn't done as well as my publisher had hoped. So without waiting for the second book to come out to see if the series was even worth saving, I get a rejection from my own editor citing lack of sales.

I have to say this rejection felt more personal than any of the other two hundred and some rejections I'd received. Because it was no longer “Your book isn't good enough” it became “Your sales aren't good enough.” Since when is an author supposed to be a market guru AND a fabulous writer? Eck.

I love this series. The men in it make me laugh and it broke my heart to think that my readers will never get a chance to read about Lord Brayton, my glorious male virgin. The only alpha virgin I ever plan to write about. Then I realized something, why I am letting a publisher decide what is worth holding on to? Shouldn't that be a reader's job?

Ah. Herein lies the purpose of my post. I am challenging everyone, be they readers or writers to help me do something that's never been done before. Save a series from a death sentence given by a publisher. Can it be done? Who knows. But I eat challenges for breakfast and I hope you do to. Please join me in saving my series. Come August 4th, tell everyone you know (yes, even you're 72 year old grandfather) to buy the book, Lord of Pleasure. In doing so, you'll have a chance to win one of three $50 Visa Gift Cards. How? Check out my website for details at http://www.delilahmarvelle.com/

That said, thank you for all the support and love everyone has already shown me. Feel free to post and repost this to everyone under the moon and the stars. To all you readers out there, thank you for supporting us writers. To all you writers out there, don't ever give up on your writing. The moment you do, you give up on yourself. Which is why I'm not giving up on my series.

Cheers and much love,

Delilah Marvelle

The Heartfelt Award

I received a beautiful Blog Award from Cathy at Caffey's Reads blog. Thank you Cathy :)!

The Heartfelt Award:

Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when your relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family and friends? You know the feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea, or a hot toddy? That is what the

Heartfelt Award is all about, feeling warm inside.

Rules:

Put the logo on your blog/post.

Nominate up to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside.Be sure to link your nominees within your post.Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog.Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

Blogs that make me feel warm inside are:

Linda's:Reading Is So Much Fun

Racheal's:Enchanted by Books

Judi's: Sidhevicious

Jessica's:Book Reviews by Jess

It's Our Anniversary!

We've made it to our 8th year of marriage!

I love my sexy hero!

Thanks to Hero Factory for helping us celebrate.

An ARC Contest

Sarah's Random Musings is giving away an ARC of Shiver

to celebrate her follower count. Stop in and tell her what

you would do if you were a werewolf for a winter.

This Beautiful Book

Could be added to your book shelf if you visit Jessica's blog today.

Guest Author-Rona Sharon

Blood, Fire, and Pillars of Smoke: The Rise of Vampires in Pop Culture

By Rona Sharon,Author of Royal Blood

As popular themes go, vampires may very well win the prize of "most commonly resurrected." You may love them, hate them, or are trying very hard to ignore them, but surely you have wondered at least once what made the damned princes of darkness so bloody interesting.If you prefer "real world" storylines and are observing the phenomenon as a baffled bystander, you might be interested to know that thousands of years before achieving mass popularity in movies such as Underworld and Twilight, and TV series like True Blood, vampires had manifested in pagan mythology, monotheistic demonology, and spiritual rituals.

Throughout history, vampire myths appeared in nearly every culture. From the ancient Middle East (Mesopotamia, Judea, Egypt), these archetypical baddies invaded Europe, where they found fertile soil in Slavic paganism, and also materialized in Africa, Asia, and the Aztec Empire.

Curiously, the earliest vampires were females -- violent dark goddesses like the Sumerian Lilitu, the Egyptian Sekhmet, and the Indian Kali, all possessing immense supernatural forces. These vampiric goddesses had both the powers to create and to destroy, to give birth and to devour.

In the Dark Ages, tales of vampires sparked public hysteria. Corpses were exhumed and stabbed. It had taken the vampire various reincarnations, through the Hebrew Talmud, Arabian Nights, Boccaccio's Il Decameron, and eclectic poetry to reemerge as the suave ageless nobleman.

This 19th century "makeover" was a direct outcome of the violent volcanic eruption in Indonesia in 1815. The Judgment Day atmosphere caused by dark skies and a frosty summer inspired Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as well as plays and operas starring the alluring vampire lord.

From this point on, the revenants' star was on the rise and shining ever so brightly with each literary, musical, or theatrical piece conceived (oftentimes as a result of consuming laudanum) in their honor. Lord Byron, Edgar Allen Poe, and Alexandre Dumas, to name a few, contributed to their eternal fame, but it was the Irish novelist Bram Stoker's Draculathat had the mightiest impact on the imagination and cast the glory of the bloodthirsty count and his court in perpetuity.

Evidently the public's fascination with vampires is not an original fad. The vampire is the most popular fiction character of all times. What is it about vampires exactly that appeals to so many people? And why, being familiar with this totally fictitious half-man, half-monster icon, people are still happy to spend their time on movies, books, and TV series that feature vampires?

Entertainment and escapism come to mind. As much as we are riveted by "real world" plots, sometimes the brain needs to zone out in fantasyland. This explanation is plausible, but it fails to prove why the vampire in particular outperforms any other fantastical creature.We should keep in mind that the vampire has only recently assumed the role of the compelling, gothic, martyred, seductive, gorgeous, off-limits, struggling, sympathetic, romantic outcast in love with a human. The slick hunk in black leather pants, driving a sports car in a metropolis by night, was not the bloodcurdling image that had haunted the graveyards of our ancestors.

Granted, the spooky effect has value. Sexologists believe that scary moments stimulate the libido and therefore couples may bond effectively having watched a horror movie together. However, while this theory is bound to stick in your memory, it does not offer sufficient evidence, either.Vampires, whether pale and beautiful or ghoulishly foul, have always been identified with death, blood-drinking, and sex, feeding on emotions such as love, guilt, dread, desire, pity, and sadism.

Far be it from me to undertake psychoanalyzing why we are obsessed with death, blood, and sex. In my capacity as a historical novelist, I choose to explore the mysteries of the human psyche through stories in the hopes of understanding why we were put on this earth and how we may improve our lot in life. Ironically, as I study the tapestry of man's fleeting existence, I see how the fruits of one generation's labor -- art, science, architecture, etc. -- are reaped by its successors.Now, a vampire -- omnipotent, never-aging, and immortal -- may travel the centuries unscathed, unconstrained by a deadline in his pursuit of enlightenment and happiness. Would he or she be a cheerful voyager or one cursed with loneliness? Then there is the future to consider. What if the world and/or mankind are doomed to a cataclysmic end? Would anyone care to witness that?

Vampire symbolism is tied in heavily with the awareness of the powers of darkness, chaos, and the occult -- ancient mysteries that add a chilling dimension to the rich layers of history and cast a question mark on the future. Doomsday prophecies made for an absorbing read as I was doing research back in 2007 for Royal Blood, my Tudor Vampires novel. Here's an example:

"Awake, ye drunkards, and weep . . . For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion . . . Sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand . . . And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come."– Book of Joel

The vampire -- a human lookalike possessed of superior abilities, as well as frailties, dependent on man for sustenance, multifaceted and obscure -- remains an enigmatic figure. Friend or foe? Through him, we get to experience latent fancies and scenes in which the secrets of creation are unraveled. Thank heavens for fiction, I say. The world, I predict, has not seen the last of the vampire crazes. The undead are here to stay, our prolific imagination will undoubtedly continue to produce them, and even the most discriminating realist may yet cross over to the dark side.

©2009 Rona Sharon, author of Royal Blood

Author Bio

Rona Sharon is the author of critically acclaimed historical novels of intrigue, passion, and danger. Her latest, Royal Blood, is a tale of lust and violence in the treacherous Tudor Court. From her home on the Mediterranean Coast in Tel Aviv, surrounded by thousands of years of history, Rona brings her passion for culture and travel to her writing and never fails to deliver a story that carries a punch . . . and a dagger.
For more information please visit http://www.ronasharon.com/

This and That

How everyone's weekend going?
It's been so hot this weekend. I've been trying to work on my paper for class and find something cool for the kids to do. We currently don't have any grass in our yards, so sprinkler fun in the mud was out of the question. We opted for slip n slidin' in the driveway. We blew up two long pool floaties and put them under the slip n slide so the girls had something soft to slide on. (Sorry, no pictures. I didn't bring out the camera.) They had fun and drying off was easy with the heat.
I did my reading for class though and had a little time to read some of Fairyville by Emma Holly. It's a pretty interesting book( Warning: it's classic Emma Holly over eighteen writing)I'm at the part where the heroine's high school sweetheart has come back into town and she's a little torn with feelings from her past and her feelings toward a love interest in the present.....And the plot thickens :)
I updated the blog. I wanted to add a comment box so that we can chat here and there. I downloaded a couple comment boxes that had too much extra workings. I did find one that I hope works for me. Technically, its a guestbook widget but it works great for a comment box.(Thank you Smartgb!) I had to customize it a little to fit it into my side bar. If you get a chance say hello or tell me what you're up to this summer.

A Chance To Win A Gena Showalter Book

Undercover Book Lover is giving away 5 copies of Seduced By Darkness. Gena Showalter's action packed Alien Huntress Series. Good Luck All!

Delilah Devlin's Summertime Contest

Looking For A Sweet Contest!

Click the Pic!Fellow blogger Diana Evan is giving away one

of her handmade Cuppie Dolls. I entered, my

middle daughter loves dolls :)

Cry Mercy by Toni Andrews

BCC

I just want a normal life…even if I'm not entirely sure I'm human.
My name is Mercy Hollings and I'm a successful hypnotherapist in Balboa, California. The problem is, my good fortune is dependent on a dark secret. I can make people do whatever I want using telepathy, a power I call "the press." And that ability has hurt some people I never wanted to hurt, so I try to keep it under wraps.
I also try to keep people at a distance…at least, I used to. Recently a group of fearless characters broke through my self-imposed walls and became my friends: Sukey, my receptionist-turned-P.I.; Tino, a Chicano gang leader; Hilda, a wealthy society widow; Grant, a retired millionaire—and Sam, my sexy-as-hell ex-boyfriend.
But with friends comes drama. Tino has inadvertently led me into the dark world of gang violence, and Sukey has pushed me into searching for my biological parents, the only people who can finally tell me who—or what—I really am.

Available at a store near you or online.

Mira Books (discounted while they last!) URL=http://tinyurl.com/oe8tkd
Amazon Link: URL=http://tinyurl.com/CryMercy
Amazon UK Link: URL=http://tinyurl.com/prh6ej
Barnes and Noble: URL=http://tinyurl.com/pxrx9f
Indigo Books (Canada): URL=http://tinyurl.com/qcycaf
Rendezvous Romance (Australia) URL=http://tinyurl.com/r4g56z
Least expensive place to buy (out of print) Beg For Mercy: URL=http://tinyurl.com/r82mtk and Angel of Mercy: URL=http://tinyurl.com/ob9sv5

My First Guest Vlog With Toni Andrews

Toni's Fantastic Fives

A Tarot Reading From Toni to her Readers

Here's the link with address to send a SASE in order to get a signed bookplate: http://toniandrews.com/CryMercyTour.htm

Follow Toni on her virtual book tour throughout the month for more giveaways and fun blogging.

Toni's website: http://toniandrews.com/
Here's the book trailer for Cry Mercy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN3hiz-WJvQ
Here's Toni's Blog: http://toniandrews.bravejournal.com/

Click on the Pic and Join the Party

30 Days of Demons

Red Sage–15 Years!! Kidnap This Logo…

(Taken from the Cynthia Eden's Blog)

Kidnap This Logo!

And You Could Win!

“To celebrate its Fifteenth Anniversary in June, Red Sage is throwing a party! Every party needs presents, and here’s a gift that could win you the July Secrets anthology and Calista Fox’s new novel, Object of Desire!

Here’s how to play the party game.

Anyone can play! All you have to do is “kidnap” this logo and post it on your blog or website. Copy and paste the jpg image of the anniversary gift to your own blog or website to kidnap it. Be sure to include these instructions so people know how to play!
Invite your readers and friends to send an email with the subject line “Ransom Note” to eRedSage@gmail.com. Inside this email, they must include a link back to your kidnapped logo.
Then you and your friend will both be entered into a drawing to win free trade paperbacks! Every time one of your readers sends a ransom note with a link, you will be entered again! Each Ransom Note is worth two entries in the drawing — one for the person who sends the Ransom Note, and one for the linked blog or website. And you both can win!
Want more chances to win? Invite your readers and friends to kidnap this logo, and then you can enter again by sending a Ransom Note linking to your friend’s blog or website!
The more times you enter, the more chances you have to win! But get your entries in by June 30. We’ll be drawing the winners on July 1!
Group blog or website? No problem! Just be sure to sign your post so we know who the winner should be!
Good luck, and have fun!”

It's Demon Week

Over at:

I Don't Want to Wait, I Want The Book Now

There's been interviews and contests all week and they don't close until the weekend.

Good luck readers!

Jeri Smith-Ready Has A New Release,It's Almost Here!

An Awesome Interview and Contest

One of my favorite authors has been interviewed at Bitten By Books today!





Tate Hallaway!





Tate's newest release Dead If I Do came out this month and I really want this book. At the moment I got to try to win it,because my budget is horrible right now.





Here's a little bit about Dead If I Do:




I’ve finally found Mr. Right. Sure, he might not have a pulse, but coming from a girl who’s sharing a body with a short tempered goddess, I’m not one to judge. Sebastian is the vampire of my dreams and I’m dying to walk down the aisle. Everything couldn’t be more perfect.
Well, except for the fact that the awesome band I hired for the reception has been replaced by some guy with an accordion and lederhosen. And the bridesmaids’ dresses somehow got switched to salmon pink taffeta with butt-bows. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that Sebastian’s ex-lover, the zombie-slash-vampire-slash-witch who just happens to be the mother of his undead son, wants the both of us six feet under. Now I know why some girls turn into Bridezilla...

Now go to Bitten By Books and get your name in the contest too!

Quirks Passed Down From Mom

Mother's Day is this weekend and I received an email from The Parent Bloggers Network to do a blog blast post about Hand-Me-Downs from Mom. I'm going to tell you a few quirks my mom handed down to me.

I have a few fears from my mom. I remember going on family vacations when I was growing up. One year we went the Grand Canyon and my mom did not want us kids to go to close to the edges. She did this for our safety and because mom is afraid of heights. I thought it was funny when we would have to hold mom's hand when walking on a bridge or waiting in line for a roller coaster.

I too have her fear of heights. If someone asked me to go hiking up a hill, I'd kindly decline the offer. I'll walk on bridges, but I have to stay toward the inner part of the walk way. My heart sometimes speeds up when I have to climb the ladder to change a light bulb.

Another fear I have that mom passed down is of scary movies. My mom told me that when I was little we would go to the drive-ins and watch scary movies. When a scary part came on, she would jump or scream then put a blanket in front of me so I couldn't see the scary part. My husband laughs at me when I say I want to watch a scary movie with him and bring a pillow with me when we watch. When the suspense music comes on I grab the pillow and look towards him instead of watching the scary part.

My worst handed down fear is the fear of spiders. My mom came down for a visit a few months ago and we were watching a show that had spiders in it. There was a part where a spider jumped onto some one's hand on the show and both my mom and I jumped in our seats.

I've got to love my mom. She is the sweetest woman I know even with her funny fear that have been handed down to me.

Happy Mother's Day to all us Moms !

If you would like join in on the blog blast sponsored by JOHNSON'S® Brand Celebrity Hand Me Down charity auction , visit http://blog.parentbloggers.com .

Let's chat about your quirky hand me down.

Three Times a Charm

I haven't heard from the winner picked from Molly Harper's guest blog,so my daughters picked a new name......

Terry

Congratulations Terry! Please send me your snail mail a.s.a.p. and I'll get your info to Molly. ( You'll have a week from today to respond :) )

A Fellow Blog Is Having Their Birthday

Happy 1st Birthday Bitten By Books!

Let's join in their big celebration thats going on right now!

New Winner From Molly Harper's Guest Blog and New Releases

My youngest daughter reached into a basket and picked...

LORI!

Congratulation Lori!,please click on the email me button on my side bar and send me your snail mail.( So it's fair for everyone, you have until next Monday to claim the prize)

Looking for a book to pick up this week? Here's a few you might want to check out.

LOVER AVENGED by J. R. Ward

Caldwell, NY, has long been the battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the Lessening Society. It’s also where Rehvenge has staked out his turf as a drug lord and owner of a notorious nightclub that caters to the rich and heavily armed. His shadowy reputation is exactly why he’s approached to kill Wrath, the Blind King, and leader of the Brotherhood.

Rehvenge has always kept his distance from the Brotherhood, even though his sister is married to a member. Because he’s a symphath, his identity is a deadly secret- the revelation of which will result in his banishment to a colony for sociopaths. And as plots within and outside the Brotherhood take their toll against Rehvenge, he turns to the only source of light in a darkening world- Ehlena, a vampire untouched by the corruption that has its hold on him- and the only thing standing between him and eternal destruction.

FORBIDDEN NIGHTS WITH A VAMPIRE by Kerrelyn Sparks

Vanda Barkowski is in trouble.

As the owner of a hot nightclub, she's more unconventional than most of her fellow vampires, and if some think her a little out of control, then so be it. But after three former employees filed a complaint about her temper, Vanda is sentenced to an anger management class. Worse, Phil Jones agreed to be her sponsor. Phil, the mortal who is forbidden to her . . .

If Vanda knew who—or what—Phil really is, she'd reconsider her attraction to him, for his true nature is wilder than anything she'd ever imagined. He has tackled the beast within and now is the perfect person to help Vanda with her rage . . . if only he can keep his cool when she makes him so undeniably hot. But with rogue vamps on the loose, will they ever have their forbidden nights?


DEMON CAN'T HELP IT by Kathy Love

A Demon...Not Just In Bed

Practical Josephine "Jo" Burke has no patience for the paranormal—even if she's been having some strange visions lately. But if she is losing her mind, at least it would explain her new attraction to her co-worker, the least suitable man she could ever fall for...

Maksim Kostova has no idea why he's so drawn to feisty mortal Jo, but he does know how she feels about the supernatural. Forget about her accepting him for what he really is, she'd never even believe him in the first place. Or would she? When Jo confesses to him that she's been seeing visions of a dead girl, it seems anything's possible...

Looking for a Previous Winner

Cindy Mac please email me a.sa.p., you were the winner of Molly Harper's guest blog.

I'll redraw a winner next Monday if I don't recieve a response. Have a great weekend everyone. :D

And The Winner is...

My middle daughter put her hand into a hat and picked.....

Carmen R!

Congratulations Carmen! Please click on the Email Me button on my sidebar and send me your snail mail. I'll send your info to Angie. Thank you everyone for joining Angie's guest blog. :)

Angie Fox’s Musings and Demon Slayer Giveaway

Thanks so much to Danette for having me by today to talk about The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers and life as an author.

This past year has been an adventure to say the least. I managed to do book research with a bunch of Harley riders and their dogs – without falling off a bike once (at least not while the bikes were moving). Then I met a building inspector for the city of Henderson, Nevada, who took me down into the bowels of the Hoover Dam to research the second Accidental Demon Slayer book, The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers (you can win a copy here). And then, of course, The Accidental Demon Slayer hit the New York Times bestseller list, prompting me to utter the words “Get out!” over and over to my agent before making her email me to make sure I wasn’t phone hallucinating.

They say you’re only as good as your next book, though and I have to tell you I’m really excited about this next one. Lizzie and the gang are going to Las Vegas to confront a she-demon who has her eye on world domination – and worse, Lizzie’s man. It’s chock full of biker witches, smart aleck fairies and steamy romance.

Plus, I love quirky research and The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers gave me an excuse to do it. The climax of this book takes place inside the Hoover Dam, and of course in order to write about it, it was necessary (and fun) to talk my way into some behind-the-scenes places. An engineer took me far down into the inspection tunnels they used in the 1930’s and 40’s, when the cement was still curing. It was amazing to see the notes these inspectors made on the walls, to hear the stories of those that didn’t quite make it out and to walk the same old metal steps that they did. All of that made it into The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, along with lots of things I had a blast making up (this is fiction after all).

And to celebrate the upcoming release of The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, I’d like to give away a copy on today’s blog. Just take the highly un-scientific Are You Part Demon Slayer? Quiz. Post your score below and enter to win. Also, if you post your score on my blog at http://www.angiefox.com/, you could win a walk-on role in the next Accidental Demon Slayer book.

The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers by Angie Fox

Demon-slaying powers should come with an instruction book… Seriously. Why does a new hair dryer have a twelve-page how-to manual, but when it comes to ancient demon-fighting hocus-pocus, my biker witch granny gives me just half a dozen switch stars and a rah-rah speech? Oh, and a talking terrier, but that’s another story. It’s not like my job as a preschool teacher prepared me for this kind of thing.

So I’ve decided to write my own manual, The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, because no one tells me anything. Dimitri, my “protector,” may be one stud of a shape-shifting griffin, but he always thinks he can handle everything by himself. Only he’s no match for the soul-stealing succubi taking over Las Vegas. If I can’t figure out how to save him—and Sin City—there’ll be hell to pay.

For a Teaser Go Here

Coming out online and to a bookshelf near you on Apr. 28,2009

And The Winner Is......

I hope everyones holiday weekend went well.

I put everyone's name in an easter basket and my youngest daughter picked.......

Cindy Mac!

Congratulations Cindy Mac! Please click on the Email Me link on my side bar and send me your snail mail. I'll get the information to Molly soon after. Thank you all for joining in on Molly's guest blog, hope you'll be here this coming Friday for Angie Fox's guest blog.

Welcome Debut Author Molly Harper !

Five words and/or phrases that describe you:

One woman, too much snark.

Five people and or things that inspire you:

My mother,
my husband,
my daughter,
my son,
my sister. Of course, I didn't say they always inspire me in GOOD ways. :) A lot of arguments are settled in my head while I'm writing.

Five of your favorite authors:

Jane Austen,
Stephen King,
Nora Roberts,
Olivia Goldsmith,
Mary Higgins Clark.

Five reasons to read your book:

-The heroine is fired, given a gift certificate for potato skins instead of a severance, mistaken for a deer by a drunk hunter, shot and turned into a vampire. All in the first chapter.

-There's a vampire named Dick Cheney.

-There's a aisle at Wal-Mart specifically devoted to vampire products.

-There's a werewolf/vampire double date.

-You will laugh. A lot.

To a lucky commenter Molly is offering up a copy of her book and some bookmarks as a giveaway. (This book is on the top of my Must Buy List :D )

Stop in Tomorrow and Meet Author Molly Harper, Her Debut Book Is...

Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs
By: Molly Harper
( Available now online and at a bookstore near you)


BCC:


Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children’s librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed $25 in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that’s sure to become Half-Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she’s mistaken for a deer, shot and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood.



Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She’s forced to forego her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn’t enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What’s a nice undead girl to do?

Help!

I'm writing a paper for school about romance novels and would love to have your input on a couple questions.

Who do you think is the best author of the twentieth century?

and

What is your favorite romance sub-genre?



The vote button on the poll is not working. Please add your favorite genre to in the comment section. Thank you.

Sitting and Studying.......

I am.





But I wanted to help celebrate an awesome book release today.......

Stakes and Stilettos

by Michelle Rowen

One of my favorite characters :Sarah Dearly is hitting the book shelves !

Staked, cursed, and still single…

Newly-vamped Sarah Dearly wants her normal life back, but fate is fighting against her. She tries to get a nice, regular job and gets staked at the interview, only to be rescued by a masked vampire who calls himself the Red Devil. Then a wallflower-turned-witch curses her, making her a bloodthirsty, sun-allergic nightwalker — the worst vampire there is. As if all that weren’t bad enough, she can’t get married because her 600-year-old boyfriend, Thierry, is in a centuries-long marriage of convenience he can’t escape.

…it’s enough to make a girl start biting.

As Sarah’s nightwalker tendencies make her more dangerous, even to those she loves, she’ll have to counteract that curse, unmask the increasingly intriguing Red Devil, and — oh yeah – get a commitment from her man. But if that’s what it takes to secure her happiness, Sarah is ready…even if it means embracing her inner vamp to do it.

Order your copy or visit your favorite book seller!

and Visit Michelle's Blog (There's some partying going on :D )

Thank you Linda!

I received a Your Blog is Fabulous Award from Linda at Reading Is So Much Fun !

Now it is my turn to share this award but here are the rules first.

Rules are:

Write 5 things that I am addicted to and then nominate 5 other blogs to pass this award on to!

5 things that I am addicted to:

Leisure Reading: Paperbacks are still my favorite, but I do have a reader now for ebooks. I keep an eBook with me at all times.

Hot Chocolate: Warms up my mornings.

Fresh Tamales: It's a treat when I find a good tamale that melts with every bite.

Lip Gloss: I like the touch of shine lip gloss gives me.

The Beach: I'm waiting for the weather to warm up so I can relax on the beach again.

5 Blogs I Nominate For This Award:

Amberkatze's Book Blog

Jennifer’s Random Musings

Sidhevicious

Back to the Drawing Board

RRAH Novel Thoughts

Cynthia Eden's Upcoming Release! Let's get the word out there!

Let's Go To A Zombie Party!

Zombie book party that is... O_O

Head on over to Amanda Ashby's Blog and start celebrating her upcoming YA release.......

There's guests and prizes galore (and maybe some gore, the book is about zombies)

Do you love Urban Fantasy?

OR

Do you dabble in the Urban Fantasy reading realm?

If you do, then go vote for your favorite urban fantasy authors and books today

in the

Urban Fantasy Land Readers’ Choice Awards!

It's 2009!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone started the new year with smiles, laughter and kisses.