Saturday, July 30, 2011

Guest Host: Sabrina Strong ~ Being a Were-Creature Really Sucks!

Hi, there everyone! Sabrina Strong in for Lorelei Bell who has just gone on vacation, and I'm so jealous. I haven't had a vacation in almost a year. But, I'm in here today to fill in for Lorelei. Just for today. Lorelei will be back at the helm soon.

Meanwhile, I was just wondering what I would post about today, instead of nasty old vampires.

Well, there's all sorts of supernatural creatures out there. And doggone it if I didn't run smack dab into one one night and it bit me!
You remember? I was bitten by a werewolf. You were probably wondering Will Sabrina turn into a werewolf? So, I'm here to tell you, I didn't turn into a werewolf totally. I became a were-creature. Half-human and half—the other thing.

You see, we didn't know if Nicolas had gotten all the werewolf venom out of me, or was in time getting to me after chasing off the werewolf that bit me. Well, turns out, I had to go through the transformation. Believe me, waking up in the middle of a corn field naked on a November morning is not my idea of fun. You can just about have this werewolf business! But my vision and olfactory senses are about 10 percent better than they were before. I'm also more aware of pheromones, auras, and the like. I can't see auras, I can just detect them better than before I was bitten. I feel them, sort of like you feel humidity, or the lack of it. I feel a strong aura when I meet up with one, and it either attracts me, or makes me wary. It's a good thing to know when you're in the presences of someone who is supernatural.

Of course, there are still those I don't get a read from. Being a touch clairvoyant, I'm able to know things about people who are around me. Also, places. I know exactly the lay out of a house or building before I even step into it. Sort of cool, I think. But the knowing things about people sometimes gets me into trouble. And also, it helps me find out things that I need to know to help others. So, it's sort of a double edged sword where the knowing kicks in without my even inviting it and I sometimes go into a trance and won't come out for a while. It tends to scare people who aren't prepared for it.

I'm unable to tell you too much about this, but I can tell you that Dante, the Native American shift-changer, was with me to protect me. But afterwards I met up with some more werewolves. It was a little touch and go, I can tell you that much. They were all waiting for me up at my house. Fortunately, Dante was with me—as I said—and so were the twins.
If you forgot who the twins are, they are Heath and Lief Sufferden from Liverpool, England, and both were turned into vampires in 1969. If you don't know this, then you didn't read the first book, Vampire Ascending. So, if you don't want to get lost, you'd better just go and buy a copy, or the eBook, because the second book is due to come out soon. Lorelei hasn't got a publishing date as yet, but it might be in a month or so. And you sure as heck don't' want to be left behind. I was just speaking to her last night, and she tells me she is finished with a 1st draft of the third book and is working on a first draft of the fourth. Trying to keep up with me, you see? I keep her sort of busy with all my many adventures with the vampires, werewolves, demons, new worlds, elves, and leprechauns and so forth.

Well, guess that's all I can think of saying to keep you all up to date. Oh, and there is a couple of first chapters, I believe here for the next book Vampire's Trill. I believe there are other chapters and excerpts from her next books as well. So, enjoy! I'll be hanging around, just in case Lorelei needs me. Happy weekend everyone!
 

Thursday, July 28, 2011

I May Be Dead . . . But I'm still Pretty ~ Hunks Thrusday!!!!

I have to admit, I like Eric with this hair style. The longer style just wasn't making it happen.

Now, if he were my Viking, vampire magnate, Bjorn Tremayne, you'd see something along the lines of a muscular chest, broad shoulders, hair well past his shoulders looking like melted butter, and . . . oh, yeah. He's seven foot tall, ladies.

I've stood next to men who are six-six and six-seven. That's a tall guy. They usually have to bend a little to get through a short door. Now imagine a seven foot tall basket ball player. Yeah. You'd need to have a place with over-large furniture, and big doors. 

When Bjorn steps into the room, your hormones are at attention! And that's before he's hit you with his thrall. You get hit with a vampire's thrall over 1,000 years old, it's like--well-- like being hit with a steamy hot towel. You'd be wanting to do a poll dance on his leg, that's how hot he can make you.

All of this, of course, is in anticipation for my next novel, which I have yet to hear a release date, but they are still in editing process. So, We might be looking at end of August or early September.

In the mean time. I've given you an image to salvate about. Tremayne is in this next novel, without acception, along with a few new faces as well.

Hope you liked my Hunk's Thrusday. Leave me a quick message if you liked it!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Re Post of Interview With a Vampire Magnate, Bjorn Tremayne



Interview with Bjorn Tremayne

by Melissa Bean of Vampire Nite Times



Melissa: I've been given a special opportunity to interview Bjorn Tremayne, one of the most powerful vampire magnates of America, owner and CEO of Tremayne Towers in Chicago. I've been granted a rare opportunity to speak to him tonight via phone.

Hello, Mr. Tremayne?

Tremayne: Hello

Melissa: How are you tonight?

Tremayne: As well as can be expected.

Melissa: Mr. Tremayne can I ask you where you are at this moment, as we're on the phone and I've been given absolutely no information on your whereabouts at all?

Tremayne: I can't give out that information at this time.

Melissa: Well, maybe that isn't important for the moment. Let me just ask you this. Is it true that you've been incarcerated for breaking one of the major vampire laws?

Tremayne: That's correct.

Melissa: May I ask which one you broke?

Tremayne: I drained a human.

Melissa: I see. So, how does one incarcerate a vampire who is over one thousand years old?

Tremayne: (Sigh) It isn't easy, but let's just say that other vampires can't enter, but it doesn't bother me to be here at all. Other than that I can't tell you anything else.

Melissa: I see, I see. Well, then let's go on to other more interesting topics, shall we? What happened that put you into this mess?

Tremayne: That's a very long story I'd rather not go into here.

Melissa: Very well. Just for our audience, in case there are non-vampires out there [listening/reading] and you and I know the vampire codes are complicated, however to drain a human has been illegal for about one hundred years. Isn't that correct, Mr. Tremayne?

Tremayne: That's right. Only rogues hunt and drain humans. The World Wide Vampire Alliance has been in place for over two hundred years, we organized in 1835, and have had vampire lords in place ruling over certain countries for the same period.

Melissa: Can you tell our audience why it is that humans aren't drained any more, because any of us who have been around for more than two centuries do remember the old days, but those who are younger wouldn't. And, certainly you would remember it, since you're more than a thousand years old.

Tremayne: Yes. I do remember the old days. They were difficult on vampires who wanted to remain unseen, and yet live among the humans. Some of us were pretty good at pretending we were part of society in order to move about the human world, yet we could not be able to go out during the daylight, and we could pretend to eat a meal, like other humans around us, but our unusual habits drew suspicion. But the most difficult part was gaining human donors. For the most part we would keep the same donors, but, as you know, the tell-tale marks on the human and the fact that they lost blood, plus their loyalty to us would begin to show. They would leave their homes in order to be with us, and this would set off all sorts of problems for us. Our discovery caused us to be hunted, rather than the other way around. We had to come up with a solution for this problem, as our numbers were dwindling.

Melissa: So, you organized?
Tremayne: That's right. We had to affiliate ourselves with those in Dark Realm before that could happen.
Melissa: Why was that so important?

Tremayne: There was no way we could police ourselves. So, the Watchers placed demons in our world so as to keep us honest.
Melissa: Why were these demons so special that they could police vampires?

Tremayne: Ba'al Demon blood is lethal to us. To bite one would be tantamount to suicide. Their blood is not only deadly, it burns, and once it's on us, it eats away our flesh. We'd be dead inside of a few hours even with only a drop on us.

Melissa: Just for the sake of our non-vampire audience, can you tell me what these demons look like?

Tremayne: They disguise themselves to look like any other human. Unlike us they can move around during the daylight hours, in the sunlight, if they wish. But holy water burns them, and they wouldn't be able to enter a church. I understand it feels very uncomfortable to them.

Melissa: Which is just deserts.

(laugh)
Melissa: So, who is in charge while you await your trial?

Tremayne: Nicolas.

Melissa: Do you know when your trial will be?

Tremayne: No. The Dark Realm doesn't operate on Earth time. They generally go by the alignment of stars or something as archaic. (laughs) They are going to notify me within a twenty-four hour period of the trial so that I can get ready for it.

Melissa: As if one can prepare for a trail in Dark Realm.

Tremayne: No kidding. But I do have a witness and will need to get in touch with her.

Melissa: Who is your witness?

Tremayne: Sabrina Strong. She's my newest addition to my team. She's my clairvoyant.

Melissa: I've heard some interesting things about Ms. Strong. Is it true she is the sibyl?

Tremayne: I have not had any confirmation on this.

Melissa: Is it true that you've added her to your harem?

Tremayne: No. Where did you hear that? She works for me.

Melissa: It wouldn't be the first time a vampire lord would take someone from their own camarilla to bed, or to take their blood. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe it wouldn't be the first time you've done this, Mr. Tremayne?

Tremayne: Well, certainly it wouldn't be the first time or the last time, but whatever our relationship is is no one's business. Ms. Strong is a very a talented clairvoyant. She was able to find Letitia's murderer.

Melissa: Were you surprised at who it turned out to be?

Tremayne: In a way, yes. All that is behind me, however. I'll just be happy to get this trial over with.

Melissa: Well, I for one will be interested in seeing how this all turns out for you. I wish you the very best of luck.

Tremayne: Thank you.

 Bjorn Tremayne is a character from Lorelei Bell's Vampire Ascending, and the soon to be released sequell Vampire's Trill, publication date to be announced!



Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Left by UPS Man ~ Dance on Fire

Hi, everyone! Happy Tuesday. Well, it's happy because it ain't Monday.

I'm happy because I've just arranged a book swap with James Garcia Jr. And his book, Dance on Fire, has just landed on my doorstep and I was eagerly awaiting it.

He wrote a nice personal note on the inside to me, and I will do the same on mine, as I'm preparing to order a few of my book, Vampire Ascending, soon.

As anyone who is a book lover can tell you, the first thing we all do is read the back fly cover and inside for other significant things that give us a clue as to what is inside. I've already read the first page and believe me, this looks very promising. I can tell just by this first page--possibly 200 or so words, that Jimmy has cultivated a very flowing, vivid writing style. I can't wait to get into this book. Once I have read it I will give him a review on it.

At the moment I'm reading another book which I picked up about two weekends ago. It's called Fallen by Lauren Kate It was slow at the start. I couldn't get into it until things began to pick up more toward the middle. Wow. I'm glad I've continued to read it. I'm still not sure whether I'll like this. It is a YA. I don't normally like YA books, since they always seem to take place in a structured school setting. I don't want to go any further into this book, because I might writing a review.

Well, it's a short post today. I'll keep you posted.

Oh, and this Thursday I'll do another HUNK THURSDAY post. That seemed to grab everyone's attention.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Sunday Muse

Yes. My husband and I went and saw HP#7. We went early, so that we had no one in front or on the sides of us wherever we sat.

I did pretty well most of the way into the movie, until we realize Harry has to face death. I had to whisper things to my husband now and then about things. I purposely didn't read the last book before seeing the movie. I didn't want to go into it knowing how things went--or reminded, I should say.

I loved the dragon scene. Holy cow, they did a great job with this effect, showing the dragon breathing heavily, after struggling out of it's confines in the depths of Gringots. But all the effects were super great!

I have to hand it to Rowling, the way she wove this story, making you wonder what the heck was behind Snape's absolute hatred toward Harry, and yet he did everything to keep him out of harms way--to a point, of course. Then you realized as you watched, or when you read the book, that behind it all was a love story. A story of unrequited love between Lilly and Snape (at least three tissues was used through this, and then I knew I'd better run to the bathroom or I wouldn't make it to the end and so I chose a spot where I knew the background and got back quickly).

I'm glad that they did end it years later, showing them all with their little ones going off to Hogwarts at the train station. I think it ended it well. But I've already got withdraw. But I'm dealing.

And so, this morning--woken up in the middle of the night thinking more about my 4th book--this morning I had to go to my notes to tweak a scene. I think you might like this one. You can find it at Lorelei's Archives, if you wish to read it. It's just a bit different from what I've been doing with the Sabrina Strong series, as I use a 3rd person on this, rather than the first person POV. This one is in Tremayne's voice. The title of this post is "Scene from Book #4 "Crescendo". So, head on over, if you wish to read it. Let me know what you think, if you want.

Also, again, I repeat this as much as I can: I am unable to see my "followers", so if you are new, and want me to visit your blog, let me know who you are and where I can find you--leave a link, or I can find you by hitting your picture maybe if you leave a comment? I think that would work. But yeah. My followers window is absolutely blank for me. I've not found a solution yet, and probably won't.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Here I am Again on Another Blog

Normally, I won't post twice in one day, but hey, it's my blog, and I'm gonna post if it's important.

Vampire Wire has allowed me to guest post and it went up today. I'm giving my oppinion on the upcoming Dark Shadows movie--what I'd like it to be and not be.

Marta Acosta, author of the Casa Dracula series, has a great blog site. Aside from my view point on the Dark Shadows movie, she has 3 or 4 clips from U-Tube looks like one is from True Blood. Yum. Vampire tears . . .

Plus, her books look very interesting. I may have to eventually make my way over to the ONLY OTHER BOOKSTORE NOW AROUND, and buy her first book, I've been reading the first chapter of what might be her first book of this series, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula. I'm reading the first chapter and it looks interesting, more my tone of book to read and enjoy. So, go and read my post, check out Marta's blog site and her books. It's my way of paying her back for giving me a host post.

Thanks Marta.

New Interview up at Ramblings of an Unkept Mind

Since coming to blogspot a few years ago, I've gotten to know a few of you. And some of you have made the effort to get to know me and stuck around to see me get my first vampire novel published.
Marissa Farrar is one of such people I've known a few years and she has done an interview with me. If you'd like to get to know me a little better, head on over . . . Here

Oh, it has been a hot week--we, here in DeKalb, IL have seen 100 degrees three days in a row with heat indexes around 110-115, depending where you are. The heat is one thing, the humidity takes its toll on me. I can't breath. I made sure that any bus I drove had a.c., and there was one day the air conditioning on the bus I had worked, but not very well, thus I was having trouble, but I just went on. I think it might have fried my brain a little. I kept on forgetting to stop for the bell. But I would as soon as I saw that I had to. Sheesh!

I worry about my husband who is outside in this, but he quit early. Staying hydrated is tough. He said he would come in just saturated--his clothes all the way down to his skin. I don't know how other people can take this but we absolutely hate it. Must be my Norwegian and German ancestry, and Dennis' Swedish blood.

Today, thankfully, I'm off the bus. Was planning on seeing the HP#7 movie, but depends upon the weather. We don't want our black truck sitting in the sun heating up while we're in a cool theater and come out to that. We'll see though.

Hope you all have a great Friday. I'm possibly going to be on another blog today (Vampire Wire), if I see it come up I will post it.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

More Hunks . . . Thursday?

You all liked this so much yesterday I decided you needed a couple more hunks to choose from.
Jean Claude or . . . Kellan? Or Both????

 

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Eye Candy


Can't decide. Hmmm. 
If you have a vote, wanna hear it. Anyone else you might like? Let me know.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Summer is Half Over!

Jeeze! Where is it going? And now it's gotten hot--most of you already know this!

I've had one week off, but I'm taking another two off beginning of August. My husband and I are not taking a huge trip. But we'll get away somewhere. Do something before we go back to driving these buses around. We are not putting in the hours we have in the past--since, as my husband put it, the government is RAPING our checks. So, why even bother? May as well make less and do with less.

I know that I've told you all that my second novel is with the publisher. And that I've finished a solid first draft of #3.

Well, guess what? I just finished two 1st chapters on #4. And have some more notes that I'm toying with on what's going to happen. I've put together a notebook with new Plotting/character pages that I, myself, made up and put together and then printed. I had some from a site, but I couldn't use them to the fullest, since I didn't understand what some of it was for. So, I just made up my own sheets and they work--and look--great.

Something about these characters, they simply live in my head. Actually, it's as if they do exist. I'm sure all of you have had this happen with your characters. You see them, hear them, know how they'd react to certain situations.

With fantasy--as I'm a fantasy writer, and this series is what I call urban fantasy--the parade of new characters seems endless, and the problems that arise, just continue to pop up.

On Friday, My husband and I are taking the day off. We're going to go to an early showing of HP#7, having lunch beforehand. I can't wait!

I have not had the opportunity to buy many books this summer. I bought one, but it's not that thrilling.
However, I'm about to receive one from an author friend. When I get it, I'll tell you all about it. I can't wait to read it. I owe him one, too, but he's willing to wait for me to buy a couple of copies of my book in August.

Friday, July 15, 2011

I'm a Muggle and Proud of it!

Well, I am. Can't be helped. I do try and make traffic lights change green for me--by twitching my nose like Samantha Stevens, but more times than not, it doesn't really work.

But for a few hours I will be among other Muggles watching Harry Potter movie, the very last installment of these seven books, and I'll probably need a box of tissue the whole time.

The books have meant something very special to me, since I had approached the first one unable to believe what all the hoopla was about. I mean, I thought it was a book for kids. Really. So why were adults lining up and snatching them off the book shelves? Oh, and later on, into the fifth book, or so, Walmart had PALLETS of the books. And they went fast!

I sort of lost my focus, but what I wanted to say about these books, as well as the films, is here in Rowling you have a writer with a very special talent who could create a character who practically popped out of the page and lived in your living room, or wherever, and even in your heart--as did all his friends, and the various different creatures that were likable. You saw the friendships grow, and remain stalwart right to the end, even when there were problems among them at times, they always simply found it again.

Also, J.K. Rowling allowed me to be a child again. This is wonderful. If it was just that, that would be enough. And it is, but it's more, since I'm also a writer. Her books inspired me to write fantasy. It was something I'd wanted to do for a long time, and just didn't have any ideas, or even a notion of how to write something that wasn't an epic. I needed something that was whimsical in a way, and yet more adult in content. And that's what Spell of the Black Unicorn became. My adult fantasy about a sorceress from another planet, stuck here on Earth, hiding from an evil sorcerer, which I self-published in '08.

I, of course, went on and wrote my vampire fantasy, Vampire Ascending. Something else I had wanted to write and publish, and was able to--finally!

So, I owe Harry Potter, and Ms. Rowling a debt of gratitude. Not that they would even know I exist, but I'm putting it out there. I think that's what these books were all about. To inspire in us the better human being and our creativity.

Here is to them and helping me keep the faith in my own writing.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Night Stalker Returns as a Film, and Paul Revere takes another ride?

Yep, that's right, my Musie friends. The 1972 made for TV movies and the ABCTV series called Kolchak: The Night Stalker, is being filmed and guess who is to play the dogged journalist/reporter, Carl Kolchak?

Johnny Depp.

Depp is filming both Dark Shadows and Night Stalker simultaniously. Which would have my head spinning wondering which character I was in. But hey, I'm sure Depp can pull it off.

He is also setting up to film Paul Revere movie for Disney about the Boston silversmith and that famous midnight ride, in which Depp will (of course) play Revere. Word is Lee and Janet Batcher (of Batman Forever), are writing the screenplay. So, if that works for you, I'm sure it will be good.

Also, insiders deny the rumors of a 5th Pirates of the Caribbean. Yeah, I heard someone say he was going to keep on making them too. Sooooorrrryyyyy. Depp himself said that he had pretty much exhausted the pirate, Jack Sparrow's character. Done that, now moving on to something with vampires and other supernatural things to scare us all. I hope!  

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Just To Get You All Excited for The BI-I-I-G NIGHT!

I know that a lot of you are going to go to the opening night of the very last (boo-hoo) Harry Potter film. Here is one of the posters from MuggleNet.

I'm waiting until the throng has been and gone and, along with all the other like-minded people who wait for the third or fourth week when we can have lots of elbow room at the theater and not have to sit next to someone's kids hopped up on too much sugar. I might be hopped up, but I can handle it. I've hung from chandeliers since a child and still can manage the sugar high--just joking. I've quit drinking pop (except for the occasional root beer float!)

So, since I know pretty much how it ends, I can wait.

Among things of a different sort, this morning as I was getting into the black beauty (F150) to go to work, Dennis looked down on the ground from the doorway after wishing me a good day and said "Ew! What's that?"

I powered down the window and saw the odd thing. Pink-sh and white. I couldn't make it out. I had to get out of the truck. Well, I could see it was the head of some animal, and the spine detached from the body--oh, and one paw. It was lying on it's back (although the back was no longer around anywhere).

I figured out quickly the animal which had been obviously eaten, and the prize head a token to head master of the house. It was an opossum. We have a semi-wild cat that roams the area, once in a while it will station itself under one of the trucks watching for little varments around the house to go after. Our little hunter. 

I remember the night my husband took out some milk for it. It ran off, but came back and drank the milk down. That was months ago. Well, I think Ms. Kitty (I named her, as she was a calico), merely returned the favor.

"She left you a token gift," I told him.

"There really wasn't much left to eat."Dennis joked.

"I said TOKEN gift," I reitterated. "She repayed you."

"D'you really think a cat could take down a 'possum?" he wondered.

"They're pretty slow."

"But it must have eaten the whole thing. That's pretty big for a cat to eat."

"Well, maybe she's hungry, or is eating for six or eight." I'd said it was likely she could be preggy, since our neighbors have a lot of cats.

So, as ishy as the head was, it was nice of Ms. Kitty to bring it around. Better than a skunk--which would have been quite nasty smelling.

Hope your week is going by smoothly.

(My spell check was not working in this, so I think I got all the misspellings, but if not, sorry)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Sumiko's Reads ~ Shades of Milk & Honey - Not So Charming

Hi, everyone, well, it's been a little while since Sumkio has sent me a review, and since I saw her throughout the week while driving her to work, I encouraged her to send me whatever she wanted. Today is another review, and this was not one of her favorite books.
You know how it is when someone recommends a book to you, and it turns out that you really didn't like it, for one reason or another? Well, Sumiko has read such a book  recently and she's here to tell you what and why.

I read Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal on the recommendation of friends who found it charming.  I was most convince to try it because she has invented a game as an extra to her book.


http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/fiction-collectio/shades-of-milk-and-honey/the-shades-and-glamour-game/

But I found myself disappointed by the book for two reasons:  the setting draws obvious comparisons to Jane Austen - whom I love but I felt that her characters and some of their situations were much too close to some of Austen's.  And the changes she made did not make them better.  And in use of magic in that setting, I prefer Galen Beckett's books "The Magicians and Mrs. Quent" and "The House on Durrow Street."
In Kowal's book magic is a frippery. A useful accomplishment for a young lady but not something a gentlemen would bother with.  And the magic in this book . . . well, why not make it a talent for art?  It would not change the story. I suppose I was disappointed that the characters were not as charming or as original as I would have wished and the fantastic elements were not fantastic enough.

Compare that to the use of magic in Beckett's books:  it occurs in a number of different ways and levels.  It can be as small as adding something additional to decor for a party or as grand and dangerous as the sort the magician's study to defend the empire.  And then there is the magic of the witches - more tied to natural features of the woods - both feared and not understood. I feel that the magic or fantastic element in Beckett's books are much fully realized and integral to the story.

So, if a light Regency Romance is what you're after perhaps you will enjoy Shades of Milk and Honey - but if you want a little more of a fantasy, I believe that Beckett's books - still set in a "Regency-like" setting will be more intriguing.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Are You Ready For Harry Potter #7 Part 2 Movie?

I'll be going to the last Harry Potter movie, and probably have tears in my eyes the whole time. So, now you know, if you didn't already, I'm a Harry Potter fan.

My love of the H.P. books and movies ignited my desire to write fantasy above all else. I realized, once I got into the wonderfully creative books by J.K. Rowling, this was the sort of writing I should be doing, but for adults. It was why I wrote my first book, Spell of the Black Unicorn. I had wanted something more adult, but nothing was out there. Thus I spent about 5 years working on the plot, the world, and characters and then the story.

And because I wanted to see the trailer and any other news on this movie I went to http://mugglenet.com From this site you can find the trailer, see some great posters, even buy them I guess. And there is something called "Pottermore" that is being introduced by Ms. Rowling. If you are a true fan you will want to add your email to it and see what this is all about. There are not a lot of details. We're to be left in the dark until it happens. I suppose it may be writings and other things Rowling may present to those of us who have signed on.

There are some movie houses which are going to show the first part #7 the hours before midnight of the release of the last movie, thus anyone who wants to watch both movies back-to-back can sit through something like 5-6 hours of the last book on screen. Better get your rest if you plan on this!

Okay, I've had a long, tiring week and I've had little sleep some nights (a neighbor decided to fire off some fire crackers, oh, I guess it was Wednesday night up into the later hours. Nice to not have to get up for a job, I guess!)

Also--dare I say it??? I've already begun thinking about the fourth book. I've got scenes in my head. Do these people (my characters) realize I haven't even gotten the second book published yet? And here they are all capering around in my head doing things and I have to keep writing notes or making them on my little recorder.

Hope to post something later this weekend, and that everyone has a good one. And . . . no more fire crackers, I hope!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

And Yet Another Review of Vampire Ascending

I feel I must post the reviews as they come in. Just in case anyone out there has not been convinced they should go get themselves a copy. Remember there is an ebook available. I'll have the link at end of this. But also it is on my sidebar.

So, after my friend, Jennifer A. Weydert kept forgetting to send my her review, and had to re-read my book again and again, and finally remembered, she send me her review on my facebook page. I've known Jennifer several years now. She loved my first book, Spell of the Black Unicorn, and wanted to read the second in that series, and since I just couldn't spend the money to self-publish it, I gave her a copy on a disk, and she took it to Copy Service and got her own bound version of Spell of Dark Castle. She is the only person who has another copy of that book.

So, without further ado here, in Jennifer's words is a review of Vampire Ascending.

"Creative and hip, SEXY and exciting, this latest release by Lorelei Bell has everything a good romance/mystery/murder/action/drama novel has to offer! I don't mind admitting it got my "womanly attributes" excited with the descriptive love scenes and lusty characters. But it also piqued my curiosity to follow the dram of the mystery as the murder unfolded. The vampire world is alive in Vampire Ascending, with all its little nuances to remind us of their supernatural presence. Every once in a while you'll come across a little nugget of humor carefully placed in just the right part to bubble up a giggle or spurt an outward laugh here or there.

Overall, though, it's a fabulous book, one I don't mind reading over and over again. The details are imaginative and provocative, stunning and seductive, thrilling and . . . shall we say magical? It sends you to the brink, but brngs you back to reality, and centers you right into the vampire world, where the supernatural are commonplace, and make you wonder what really is around your next corner. Bravo Lorelei! Keep Writing! :D

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The Long and Winding Road to Publishing

You have a ticket to write and want to be a paperback writer.

Okay. Yeah, I stole those words from the titles of songs by my favorite composers in the whole wide world. Please don't sue me!

While my husband and I were driving the hour or so it took to get to the White Pines State Park, last week, we played the old Beatles tunes, and I just automatically revised them for a possible post--this one--I thought I might do later on. But I was planning on using more titles. . . but thought I shouldn't push my luck.

So, here I am, as you know. I'm between books--waiting for second one to come out to bolster the sales of the first one. I hope that works. And have the third one done in first through 5th draft. (I kept on rewriting the first chapters while I waited for brilliance to shine on me for the rest of it--which, of course, it did and felt like a mule kicked me--er, that's a whole other story)

Meanwhile I've been in contact with another author and we sort of went back and forth about self-publishing some sort of work that might help sales of my first book. This is what she did, she told me, and it worked really well for sagging sales of her first book. She suggested I look into doing the same for my book. She made suggestions; Amazon, Barns & Nobel and Smashwords. All free for the work of formatting by you, and downloading and the whole wad. I wonder what sort of cover I'll be able to find. The whole idea I'd be in absolute control over every part of this has me somewhat ecstatic, but I may have to get a faster Internet connection before I do this. Well, all in good time.

I went to Smashwords first to see their site and how things work there. I was glad to see that they've updated just this year to accommodate Open Office users. I'm still checking things out. It looks rather easy and affordable--nothing--so that I could just get something out there without putting money up for it. I see that a lot of authors out there are doing things this way, some exclusively, and some as a side venture to help bolster sales.

You see, I've done the self-publishing thing before, so I know that you have to do the formatting--been there done that. But it cost me, and I'm just not sure I want to do that any more. The cost of going with a self-publisher who does all the work for you can get up there, and once you get all your friends and neighbors to buy it, the sales just drop out of sight. Spell of the Black Unicorn is somewhere at #10,000,000 something on Amazon right now. It has nothing to do with how good or bad it is, it's mearly that I have no way of advertizing it, I have no platform, and at the time, I didn't have a presence like I do with my vampire novels. Plus, it's not in ebook format, thus the $17.95 price probably puts people off, and I have no control over that at all.

When I went into writing my Vampire Ascending, it turned out I had a bit too much going on, it was way too long. I had to cut something from it. It was, I realized, a book unto itself, what I did cut out. I had thought of doing something with it. It would have Sabrina and Dante in this, and be a murder mystery. Yes, I thought last night, I could easily find the bits an pieces, and then work on patching them together. It would probably take me all summer, but maybe I could do this. I'm still in the "can I, do I want to" stage.

Also, I'd have to figure out if Dante is who he is in Vampire Ascending, or a little further up the development line character-wise. I'm thinking I could play with ideas for a while before I decide one way or another.

My working title is "The Werewolf and the Windego". Whatever a Windego is, my hope is that it will gnaw at you and you'll have to read to find out.

I'm playing with the idea of whether I want to bring Vasyl into this. I'm not sure. Do I want to put him in here as Sabrina's lover? I could do that. As a matter of fact I've got some scene or two that were rather hot, that I took out of second book. Hmmm.  Vasyl as Sabrina's vampire lover with a few hot scenes thrown in for good measure?What do you think?

Sunday, July 3, 2011

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY AMERICA!!!

Monday I'll be back to work, and so I thought I would put this up today. I've had a good week off. At times it feels longer, until now, when it feels really short. But that's okay. Tomorrow I make time and a half. At least that's worth my while. I've been working on my third book, almost finished. I need to get back to work on that. Today was a little busy in the morning, and so I haven't been able to get to this like I wanted to, but that's okay. I made a broccoli salad that has become our favorite for summer. Now you may have had some version of this, even from the deli, but this came directly from from The White Pines Inn. We thought that it was good, except they put way too much sugar in it. So, I thought I would pay it forward and give you our healthier version.
BROCCOLI SALAD

2 small heads of broccoli - Florets, cut into bite size pieces
2 large slices red onion - chopped (red gives it color, but any will do)
3-4 slices turkey bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/2 c. Sharp cheddar cheese - shredded or cubed
1/2 c. mayo -- which ever brand you like, we prefer Miracle Whip because it has no high corn sweeteners in it.
1 1/2 T. vinegar
1 T. sugar ( or to taste)

I mix the wet ingredients and sugar into the broccoli florets and begin adding each thing while stirring and mixing. (Love to crumble the baccon in). Like any salad you will have to decide how much mayo you want, and if you like pepper, go for it. I know a number of times I've seen it with raisins in it, but that's up to you, if you like to add anything else to it, like Mandarin oranges or something crazy like that.

Hope you all have a great, and safe holiday! See you all next week!


Saturday, July 2, 2011

Milestone . . . ooo! I know this one!

Okay, maybe it's a not big deal, or earth-shattering news but here it is: "author works on her WIP, and achieves word count goals. FINALLY!" Big deal.

But it was a goal which had been glaring me in the face. It was being mean, taunting me: "You'll never reach it . . . na-na-na-na-nah!!!!" for months now, because I'd been too busy with the second book, Vampire's Trill, editing it so as to send it off to my publisher so that they can someday put it out there for those of you who are fans of Vampire Ascending, because you've been clawing me for the next installment.

Well, kidies, I've managed to get my book, Beyond the Black Veil -- a.k.a. WIP-- into a more healthy word count zone to be considered a novel, and not a novella, to 94,471 words, so humph! I'm nearly done with the first draft (which I've gone over the front part of it so much, playing and editing it to death, it's sort of a 20th/10th/4th/2nd/and 1st draft all in one. Yeah, I'm a fly by the pants writer. So get over it already!

And my week-long vacation ends soon *pooh*, and I go back to the bus driving *bluchk*. But I've had a great week, had some time away from this--went for a hike in the pines with my husband and we had lunch; we bought a few more things for the kitchen, and YAY! We finally have knobs on the doors and drawers (had to do this ourselves, but it's done)! Eventually I'll get shelving paper in all the cupboards & drawers. But it's been wonderful having a nice new kitchen.

Lastly, my book, Vampire Ascending, was one featured in Raven's Vampire Books newsletter. I received mine this morning. Looks good along with all the other books. I've told her about the eventual release of my next book--have not actual date as yet. They've just begun work on it, and I'm really excited about what sort of cover it will have.

Oh! and before I forget, I'm to have another interview on another blog later this month. I'll keep you posted, when it happens.

I've placed a few bits and pieces from Beyond the Black Veil on my other blogs, this one was a latest with Alucard having drugged Sabrina and he's the vampire with the foot fetish. This little excerpt is here, if you wish to read that.

Okay, I'm newsed out. Happy 4th everyone!

Friday, July 1, 2011

HAPPY 4th of JULY WEEKEND!

A lot of you are probably off for the 4th weekend. I'm always off, so we won't go there (yes, I joke only slightly).

I thought for the occasion I would share with you a poem I wrote and published in Liquid Ohio some years ago. It is a nice summer-time poem and it has nuances of the 4th. I hope you enjoy.

We browsed the antique tent,
ate blue clouds of cotton candy
and drank lemonade mixed up in front of us.
Smoke clouds billowed out of steam engines
blowing shrill whistles into the umbrella of oak.
I watched transfixed the men in the barbecue pits,
skin-charred, turning large racks of chicken and ribs.
We perched on tree trunks fitting our mouths around
brats from the grill with everything on them,
and drank bottled pop kept on ice in big cattle troughs.
At the end; explosions in the inky night sky.
Swatting mosquitoes we slinked home the back way,
down the country road.

by Lorelei Bell copyright 2004/Liquid Ohio issue #36

AUDIO BOOK NOW AVAILABLE!

Hi, everyone, I have some great news! My first Sabrina Strong book, Ascension, is now in an audio book format.  NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTE...