Category Archives: Contests
Guest and Give@way: Sapphire Phelan
Please welcome Sapphire to the blog today to celebrate The Witch and The Familiar. Read the yummies, and check out the giveaway at the end 🙂
The Witch And the Familiar Blog Tour Stop #7—Grace Sherwood
The witch, Tina Epson in my new release erotic urban fantasy, The Witch And the Familiar is fictional. But in real life, there have been people accused (both women and men) of witchcraft. In Europe, they were burned at the stake. In the New World, at least in Salem, Massachusetts, they were hung. In Virginia, except for one hung on ship in 1600s just before it landed colonists for Jamestown, most were not. That’s not to say they didn’t go on trial, were “ducked” to prove they were witches and jailed or made to pay, but not thanks to lawmakers, many did not go through a nightmare like Salem. One woman accused of witchcraft in Virginia was Grace Sherwood.
Born in 1660, Grace Sherwood was an only child. With no sons to help him, her father taught her how to work the land and how to irrigate it well. She knew how to make things grow, and from her mother, before she died when Grace was young, she learned how to be a midwife. She couldn’t read or write, but she could memorize well. Grace could swim well and in those days, the only people who could swim were sailors’ sons. A woman wasn’t supposed to be able to swim.
She married James Sherwood and they had three sons, James, John, and Richard. She grew cotton (for cottonseed oil, nothing more), rice, and tobacco. Unlike the other women of the day, who stayed indoors and did womanly things, she would go outside to work the land and even visited the Indians, learning about herbs from them, which she also grew on the plantation. This brought suspicion on her. It didn’t help that she was very attractive in a physical way, either. It had been said that the local magistrate had tried to seduce her and she had refused his attentions.
It also didn’t help that the neighbors accused her of blighting gardens, causing livestock to die, and influencing the weather. When a neighbor had blighted cotton and the Sherwoods did not, that was because of Grace’s knowledge of irrigation, but not witchcraft. It didn’t matter. Suddenly, people began to whisper things about her—that if someone saw a firefly at night, it was actually Grace dancing in the moonlight. After Grace was accused of bewitching a neighbor’s crop in 1698, allegations kept growing over time until the Princess Anne County government and her accusers decided she would be tested by ducking. When the sheriff searched Grace’s house (which no longer stands today), there was no evidence of a witch ball, which made her a possible witch all the more in her accusers’ eyes.
The reason witches were ducked was because water was considered pure and would not permit a witch to sink into its depths. Based on this theory, the accused was tied up and thrown into the water. If the person drowned, he was declared innocent of witchcraft; if he could stay afloat until he could free himself, he was declared a witch. In this case, innocent, damned, guilty, damned—you might die either way.
Grace was tried in the second Princess Anne County Courthouse, found guilty, and consented to the traditional trial by water.
One of the many tall tales that have been handed down from generation to generation has to do with the day of her ducking. On July 10th, 1706, at 10am, her accusers tied her thumbs to her big toes cross-bound and dropped her into the western branch of the Lynnhaven River near what is now known as Witchduck Point. When they led Grace Sherwood through the crowd that had turned out to see her put into the water, she told them, “All right, all of you po’ white trash, you’ve worn out your shoes traipsin’ here to see me ducked, but before you’ll get back home again you are goin’ to get the duckin’ of your life.” When they put Grace into the water the sky was as bright blue as a bird’s wing, but immediately afterward it grew pitch black, thunder rolled and the lightning flashed across the heavens. The terrified people bolted for home, only to be washed off the roads and into the ditches by a regular cloudburst. In reality, Grace couldn’t have walked, being tied as she was and when placed in the water, Grace did not drown but floated, which was considered a sign of guilt. Most likely the ties came undone so she could swim, which she could do well. She was imprisoned for seven years and ten months. Released in 1714, Grace paid the back taxes on her property and returned to her farm, where she worked the land until her death at eighty years of age in September, 1740.
Her story doesn’t end there, for on July 10, 2006, after Belinda Nash worked hard for seven years to get Grace pardoned, Governor Timothy M. Kaine fully cleared exonerated Grace. She is the only deceased person known to be cleared in Virginia. A statute was unveiled on Saturday, April 21, 2007, on the lawn of Bayside Hospital in Virginia Beach. It was placed near the corner of Independence Boulevard and North Witchduck Road, within two tenths of a mile of the old second Princess Anne Courthouse of 1706.
Sapphire Phelan
Dark heroes and heroines with bite…sink your teeth into a romance by Sapphire Phelan today.
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2010 Prism Winner
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Blurb:
Mortal woman Tina discovers she is part of a prophesy that says she and Charun, her demon Familiar, must make love so she can become the witch she is fated to be. If she doesn’t do it and stop the demon army bringing Armageddon to the Mortal Realm on Halloween, she won’t stand a chance in Hell.
A year later, just when Tina and Charun thought it was all over and that their life would be normal—another prophesy pops up. If Lucifer snatches Tina and mates with her before the last chime before midnight of the new year and gets her pregnant with his son, that the real Armageddon would begin, spelling the end of life as they knew it. This time they get help from an archangel, Jacokb, but with demons, Lucifer, and a cute demon bunny with fangs out of a Monty Python nightmare, out to stop them and Heaven not lending a hand, will Tina this time lose the battle and become the mother of the Antichrist and the start of a new Hell on Earth?
Excerpt (must be 18 and older to read):
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The time had come.
About time too.
Not looking back, Charun rose from the bowels of Hell to the Mortal Realm, ending up just down the street from Cup of Tea and a Book bookstore. He shifted into the form of a handsome, naked man. His staff waved before him like a proud, hissing snake, spitting even as precum beaded at the slit. He shook his head. No, it was too soon for him to assume the man form. He frowned, thinking.
A cat!
He would become a cat. That would do—for now. Just not a horny tom cat, as the pain of his arousal washed over him. He dodged into a nearby alley and worked his organ, biting his lips when he came.
Withdrawing his hand from his flaccid penis and using the other to prop himself against the building, he spoke in demon, “Denoch er nomonaty.”
A strange feeling slammed into him and he cried out as he dropped to his knees on the pavement. Thrusting out a hand against the ground so he wouldn’t topple over, he began to metamorphose, growing smaller and smaller as he did. Black fur sprouted all over his body and head. His ears sharpened into points and shot up over his head, while his hands and feet became paws edged with sharp claws. Whiskers pinged out of his cheeks and from his buttocks snaked a long tail. He hunched over and then fell over onto his ass. Within seconds, his metamorphose completed, he was a black cat. Resisting the peculiar urge to wash his face, Charun stretched and then rose onto all four paws. He padded over to a puddle of rain water to inspect the change.
He sat down and viewed his reflection. Not bad looking as far as cats went. Lifting a paw, he splashed his image. Then back on all four paws, he trotted to the street and paused to sniff the air. He sneezed as the full force of odors hit him. A multitude of different things, from the smell of blasted sunshine to the grime of city life. The sunshine revealed to him that it would not rain for days. He had arrived a day too late. The air revealed that it had thunder stormed yesterday.
He needed heavy rain to make his first appearance to his witch. Needed it as a reason for her to feel sorry for him and take him in. From what he remembered she would not leave any animal drowning in a torrential downpour. But from all the viewing he did of her growing up he knew she wasn’t an impulsive person either. He knew that she loved animals, but felt that she couldn’t afford one right now in her life. He might end up in an animal shelter or a place like that. This kind of operation needed the right things in place. Timing, too. Timing always mattered. He had learned that long ago as an Incubus. The wrong time could always mean the lover would wake up too soon. Find that their fantasy lover was real, and that the husband, wife, lover, concubine, whoever, wasn’t what really was taking them beyond the heights of lust. One Succubus found that out the hard way when her nobleman lover woke up not to find his wife mounted on his staff but a green-skinned fiend. He knocked her out before she could call her magic up and had a priest exorcised her. Exorcism was death for a demon. Instead of sending them back to Hell, it ended their existence.
So timing was important, even now. His witch’s survival was the true equation here. If she died before he made her a witch, he knew the fate for Earth if the demons took over. There was the matter of his lust for her too. Relieving it wouldn’t be bad, either.
He cocked his head and twitched his ears. He was a demon, with strong magic. Closing his eyes, he let his magic surround him with a shimmering golden light.
Lano’ste. Na la por lestano.
His fur stood on end, the ends crackling, and he widened his eyes as the magic burned within and outside with a violent heat close to atomic. He fell onto his side, dazed, and barely noted when it shot away from him, heading toward the blue skies. It dusted the few white clouds drifting along the blue sky and they became black ones, pregnant with rain.
Still unsteady, he rolled over onto his stomach and waited until the power quieted. Charun breathed in the rain odor and gave a Cheshire cat grin. He rose to his paws and padded off, as the sound of thunder vibrated in the air.
Fuck the weather forecasters and their predictions. With magic, he’d just turned their Doppler radar upside down.
About Sapphire Phelan:
Sapphire Phelan is an author of erotic and sweet paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction romance, along with a couple of erotic horror stories. She also writes as Pamela K. Kinney, for horror, fantasy, science fiction, and nonfiction ghost books.
She lives in Virginia with her husband and two cats, Ripley and Bast.
She admits she can always be found at her desk and on her computer, writing. And yes, the house and husband sometimes suffers for it!
For more information, check out her website: http://www.SapphirePhelan.com .
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Giveaway Goodies
I am doing a giveaway for the whole blog tour April 23rd through April 28th. Leave a comment here or at any of the blogs I make at. You can leave a comment (plus your email, so I can contact you) at each blog, to get more chances, but no more than one per blog, please. The giveaway is a signed copy of The Witch And The Familiar. This is only for USA commenters though (due to price of mailing outside of US). For those outside of US, I will give instead a gift cert for price of the book at Phaze Books, so that I can email you.
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Who wants some Cowboy Kink? and Give@way
Please welcome my guest Randi today, and get ready for an awesome giveaway 🙂
Yes, I Can Write Paranormal Cowboys!
Thank you, Amber, for hosting me today. I’m Randi Alexander and I write cowboy erotic romance. I’m published with The Wild Rose Press’ Cowboy Kink line. My new release, Her Cowboy Stud, is available now.
Her Cowboy Stud available at The Wild Rose Press Wilder Roses and Kindle version is available at Amazon.com
I enjoy reading paranormal romance, but the few times I’ve tried to write it, it’s been difficult for me. Last year, All Romance eBooks hosted a contest called Just One Bite. I felt a driving urge to challenge myself and write a vampire erotic romance short story to enter. I did it! This Cowboy Bites was a blast to write.
I started by creating my character’s world. My vampire was warm blooded, night walking, and when he bit a woman’s neck, he also needed to take her, sexually. I loved being able to set my own rules. It’s very freeing. I could be as creative as I chose.
I entered the story in the contest, and Oh My Gosh, it was chosen from over a hundred entries as one of the thirty-two finalists! Really amazing for me because I hadn’t written paranormal before. But it gets better! I ended out just out of the money in fourth place, but for a first-timer, that was truly incredible.
Here’s a link to the story, if you’d care to read it. It’s actually a free book download from All Romance eBooks which includes eleven other paranormal short stories as well as This Cowboy Bites. Click here for your free download.
After the contest, dozens of readers asked me to write more vampire cowboys. I spent a week creating a series of vampire cowboy erotic romance ménages – nine books in all. I pitched the idea to an editor at a writers’ conference. She loved it, and wants to see the first book as soon as it’s ready. Now, I just have to write it.
I also need to find a name for the town. The series is set in a very small town in south-central Texas. I’m looking for a name that gives the feeling of a dusty old place on a dead-end road that is nearing extinction until rich cowboys (vampires!) begin buying up all the huge ranches surrounding the town. The books will tell the story of the clashes and seductions between the town folk and the vampires.
This is where I need your help. What are your suggestions for the town’s name? Whatever pops into your mind, one, two, a dozen names, please leave a comment with your ideas. One lucky commenter will win an ebook!
Trace McGonagall’s quiet life on his Houston stud ranch is shaken up when gorgeous Macy Veralta arrives to claim an inheritance left to her in his uncle’s will. Trace sees her as just another gold digger, but he also can’t resist her curvy body. When she hints at being the perfect submissive to his Dom, he has to have her.
Macy wouldn’t have been three months late to claim her inheritance if she’d known Trace was sin in jeans. The cowboy’s dominant bearing and the smoldering glint in his eyes send shivers to her toes and stirs images of being bound in his bed and disciplined at his hand. But could Trace’s perfect seduction be part of his plan to reclaim her inheritance?
EXCERPT: Over 18 only, please.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you.” Macy wrapped her arms around his middle.
Trace hugged her tight for a minute. Against her chest his heart beat as wildly as hers. Reaching down, Trace eased an arm under her knees and lifted her into his arms. “Wait until you get a taste of my lovin’, sweetheart. You’ll be hooked.”
She rested her head on his chest and admitted more to herself than to him, “I think I’m already hooked.” Being held in his arms tingled like magic, and her body reacted, filling and warming, flooding her needy pussy with a sweet ache.
He opened the screen door and deftly carried her in. He strode down a hallway and into a big bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them. A gigantic bed dominated the room, done up in moss green with a few gray and green throw pillows tossed on as an afterthought—the housekeeper’s doing, probably. Trace didn’t seem like the accessorizing kind of guy.
Big, clunky dark wood furniture stood around the room. A beautiful old rug nearly covered the entire hardwood floor, and a lamp in the corner cast a subtle glow over the room.
She took a deep breath, smelling the scent of man and musky cologne. “This bedroom is so masculine.”
“Just like me?” He set her on her feet.
“Exactly like you.” She ran her fingers through his hair, loving how the soft locks curled around her skin, tickling her. She tugged him down for a kiss.
He groaned as he slanted his lips over hers and made love to her with his mouth. His tongue touched everywhere, slow and thorough. His hands slid to the tie of her halter top, and he eased it free, standing back to watch as he revealed her breasts.
“Beautiful.” He stared for a moment before bending her backward over his arm, one hand at her neck to steady her, suckling first one nipple then the other. He laved them with his tongue, teasing them with sensual flicks.
The sucking and nibbling of his hot, talented mouth on her breasts drove her mad. A quaking desire filled her as her core contracted, and moisture slid from her needy lips.
Lifting the hem of her halter top, he eased it off over her head and tossed it onto a chair.
“My turn.” Macy unbuttoned his shirt, taking her time, enjoying each inch of skin she revealed. She slid it off his shoulders and let it drop. “Oh, wow.” His arms were defined, his chest sculpted and furred by a light scattering of dark hair, his flat stomach showed a hint of muscle developed by hard work, not zealous sit-ups. Lower, his narrow hipbones showed above his low-slung jeans.
Her need to touch him consumed her.
“Touch me,” he drawled, as if reading her mind.
Macy ran her fingers over his torso. She wanted him, wanted his chest pressed to her breasts, wanted his big arms around her. First, she wanted to see what hid beneath those tight fitting jeans.
At the instant she reached for his belt buckle, his fingers closed on the button of her capris. They both grinned and worked in tandem, removing his boots and socks, her flip flops and pants, and his jeans. They stood in their underwear, hers lacy and white, his black and stretched to the limit by his big, long cock.
He stared at her, a long, slow appraisal, making her skin quiver wherever his gaze touched. When he reached for her, she melted into his arms as his hands roamed across her back. He pressed his lips gently to her neck. His tongue darted out for a taste. “Aw, God.” His voice rumbled low in her ear.
His hand eased from her back to the side of her breast. His thumb traced a path around her nipple, brushing over it.
She sighed and shuddered as heat streaked from her nipple down to her slit.
His cock jerked against her belly. She abandoned any insecurity she felt and pressed her hand to the bulge in his underwear. His rod throbbed in her palm, and she licked her lips with the need to feel him in her mouth, pushing in deep, taking him down her throat as she swallowed his long shaft and sucked him dry.
“Darlin’.” He lifted her gently in his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her on the comforter. “I want to taste you. Everywhere.” His words came slow and full of promise. His half-lidded eyes turned nearly black with lust as he looked his fill of her body, not touching her, taunting her with expectation.
Macy’s back arched off the bed as a sweep of pleasure brushed over her. Tingling with need, she reached up and touched one of her nipples. “Here?”
He swallowed loudly. “Yes, there.”
Her hand snaked down her body, over her stomach. “And here?”
“Of course.” His voice growled even deeper.
She looked him in the eye, reveling in his barely-leashed desire. The tightness of his face, his flared nostrils, and tense jaw. When she slid her hand lower, he watched.
Slipping her finger inside her lacy panties, she asked, “Will you taste me here?”
*********
To celebrate the release of Her Cowboy Stud, I’m giving away, to one lucky *commenter, an e-copy of my new erotic romance short story anthology Cowboy Bad Boys. Just leave a comment today and we’ll choose a winner tomorrow. *Commenter must be 18 years of age or older to win.
I’m also giving away a custom-made messenger bag and a $50 gift certificate to Pureromance to one subscriber to my newsletter. For more details, and to sign up for this contest, please go to my website, RandiAlexander.com And while you’re there, you can read the first chapter of Her Cowboy Stud.
Good luck, and thank you!
Randi “Rode Hard and Put Up Satisfied”
Her Cowboy Stud available at The Wild Rose Press Wilder Roses
Kindle version is available at Amazon.com
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Super Duper Release day Par-tay of Bloodstorm
Cover Art by the amazingly talented Dawné Dominique
Available at Amazon 🙂
When duty forces a shaman to stop a vampire from her revenge, love doesn’t just burn… it bites.
For two hundred years, Niki DeVeraux has been tracking the monster who murdered her family and made her a vampire. She finally catches up to him only to face more than she bargained for in a too-sexy sheriff who makes her remember she’s still a woman. With duties as Keeper of the peace and Sheriff, Shane Spencer must protect humanity and stop the friction between the local Arcaine races before it turns into an all out blood war.
When wolves start turning up dead, the tension between the races grows and suspicion falls on Niki. Shane knows she’s not to blame, and it has nothing to do with the primal urges she stirs within him. Working together, they must stop the hostilities from going over the edge. Trouble is, the desires raging between them might prove more dangerous than the surrounding threats.
Available at Amazon
Release Day Party and Giveaway
I want your opinions!
Here’s my Q4U: What do you like the best about Vampires?
Fun
I’ll be checking in all weekend, today through Sunday night. Let’s talk about vampires and what we like most about them. Make sure to come back each day, because more news & awesome prizes will be announced each day!
Prizes
Every so often, through the day, I’ll be picking random winners for prize packs:
- 5 gift certificates to Ana Banana’s Bath and Body Treats
- 3 gift certificates to Amazon.com
- Amber Kallyn book bags
- Autographed Posters of the cover art
- Autographed postcards of the cover art
Saturday Prizes
In addition to the above prizes, I have 20 mini-stakes to give away today and tomorrow.
They’re hand made, hand engraved, custom keychain Vampire stakes, LOL. They were so cute, I couldn’t resist. Each stake measures about 2 inches long.
As a gift, I will send these in mini-swag packs, which includes a custom stake key chain and an autographed cover of the book to the first 20 people who email me at amberkallyn (at) gmail (dot) com with an amazon reciept for purchasing Bloodstorm.
(This does not preclude you from winning one of the other prizes)
More Prizes will be announced Sunday, so check back, and join in the discussion.
Extra Entries to Friday’s prizes
I’ve never done this before, but I’m willing to try, LOL.
You can earn extra entries in the contest by doing any of the following:
- If you Tweet the following (copy & paste):
Check out @AmberKallyn ‘s Super Duper Par-tay for the release of her Bloodstorm #vampires http://wp.me/p10Tqd-en
- If you Facebook and share the link in the comments
If you comment on any of my Release Day Bash blog hosts sites:
Romancing the Darkside http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot.com/2012/04/bloodstorm-release-day-blitz-giveaway.html
Beverly @ The Wormhole http://wormyhole.blogspot.com/2012/04/release-day-blitz-bloodstorm-by-amber.html
Saph’s Book Blog saphsbookblog.blogspot.com
Fang-tastic Books http://www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/release-day-blitz-bloodstorm-by-amber.html
Roxanne’s Realm http://www.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com/2012/04/release-day-blitz-bloodstorm.html
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom http://www.creativelygreen.blogspot.com/2012/04/bloodstorm-release-day-blitz.html
But most of all
I want to have fun 🙂
I love vampire stories. So share what you love best about vamps, and we can debate it, LOL.
A Note:
Love ya’ll very much. Thanks for stopping by and if you participate, thanks so many bunches I can’t even count them all.
*If Peter piper picked a bunch of peppers, how many pecks of pickled peppers did peter piper pick?*
Yes, I love ya’ll more than one bunch 🙂
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Love #Vampires? Bloodstorm Cover Reveal and Release Day Fun and Swag!
For those who know me, you may have heard me once upon a time say that I would never write vampires.
Why?
Well, I love vampires. Heck, I grew up with Buffy the Vampire Slayer as my hero. But there are so many books about vampires out there already, I was of the mind that I didn’t have anything new to add.
Then Niki invaded my muse and refused to let go.
Needless to say, I’ll never say never again, LOL.
So for the gorgeous stuff 😉
Cover Art by the amazingly talented Dawné Dominique
When duty forces a shaman to stop a vampire from her revenge, love doesn’t just burn… it bites.
For two hundred years, Niki DeVeraux has been tracking the monster who murdered her family and made her a vampire. She finally catches up to him only to face more than she bargained for in a too-sexy sheriff who makes her remember she’s still a woman. With duties as Keeper of the peace and Sheriff, Shane Spencer must protect humanity and stop the friction between the local Arcaine races before it turns into an all out blood war.
When wolves start turning up dead, the tension between the races grows and suspicion falls on Niki. Shane knows she’s not to blame, and it has nothing to do with the primal urges she stirs within him. Working together, they must stop the hostilities from going over the edge. Trouble is, the desires raging between them might prove more dangerous than the surrounding threats.
I really enjoyed spending time with these characters.
So much so, that their friends decided to come hang out and play. I now have a series in mind.
Release Day Info:
My official Release Day is Friday, April 13th.
Yes, I chose that day on purpose, LOL. It’s a lucky number & day for me.
I will be having a party on this blog with a ton of giveaways and blog tour announcements, so check back to see me then.
Also, I have these gorgeous things:
They’re hand made, hand engraved, custom keychain Vampire stakes, LOL. They were so cute, I couldn’t resist. Each stake measures about 2 inches long.
I have 30 to give away on release day.
My Q4U: What would you be willling to do to win one?
Answer in the comments and check back on Friday the 13th to see what I’ve decided, and enter for a huge prize pack : )
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Black Friday Tips and Bloghop
Black Friday.
I love it.
With four kids, a husband, (Me, LOL) and countless family and friends to buy for, I count on Black Friday.
So, what tips do I have for you?
1) Pay attention to the ads. If you know you shop somewhere a lot, sign up for their emails. You’ll get first-hand deals all through the year, not just Black Friday.
2) Don’t use credit to shop. I’ve been there, done that, getting into debt to give my kids a good Christmas. It takes longer and costs more to pay off, so really, it’s a BAD idea…. unless…
3) Since I only have a limited amount of money saved up for Christmas, cause, you know, all the year round bills, I capitalize on Intrest Free credit cards.
– Home Depot is 0% for 6 months if you spend $299 or more. Do I need $300 worth of presents from them? Usually, no. They let you buy gift cards using credit, so that’s what I do. Then, next month when I need to buy something from HD, guess what? Yup. Gift cards.
-Amazon.com is 0% for 6 months if you spend $149 or more. I don’t know about gift cards, but I can always spend that much there between books for everyone in the family, friends, (Again, Me)…
-Walmart is running a special right now 0% for 6 months on ANY purchases made in Nov & Dec. I admit, I didn’t have a Walmart card, but when I saw this, I got one. Why? They had a high ticket item (XBox 360 Kinects bundle, which is good out-of-your-seat & family game play for the whole family). As soon as I pay it off, I’ll close the card.
Now, KEY: I’m not advocating using credit cards for Christmas shopping. (See #2)
But, if you’re like me and don’t have a hefty chunk of money for Black Friday, then shop wisely.
ANOTHER NOTE: If you’re approved for a $2500 card, PLEASE, PLEASE, don’t use it all.
You still have to pay it off, and in order to capitalize on the 0% interest, you must pay it off in the time allotted. Tonight (cause I do a lot of shopping online on Thanksgiving day – see sign up for emails) I purchased the majority of gifts I’ll be buying this year, through Amazon.com which has killer deals and usually reads ads so they can match your local sales, and Walmart (RE: Big item). I spent $400.
In order to pay that off in 6 months, it will cost me about $67 a month.
Yeah, I can afford that.
But I couldn’t afford to pay interest.
So, that’s my little bit of advice.
Now for the good stuff:
Welcome to our Black Friday blog hop! See below for the huge list of prizes!
One random commenter (can be on any of the blogs) will win a Kindle Fire, along with all the prizes below! That’s the easiest kind of shopping I can think of…
Prizes:
– Cassandra Carr: copy of either of my two current releases, Talk to Me or Head Games
– Kristabel Reed: back list copy of one of her stories and then on her own blog a $10 GC plus a copy of her newest release, Risque, a Regency Menage Tale
– Lucy Felthouse: back list copy of any of her single-title books
– Cari Quinn: back list copy of one of her books
– Leigh Elwood: two back list copies of her books
– Natasha Blackthorne: copies of her two Regency era novellas: Grey’s Lady and Waltz of Seduction
– Amber Kallyn: e-copy of Dragos 1
– Camryn Rhys: Kindle copies of The Barn Dance and Off the Record – Foodie Erotic Romances
– Lissa Matthews: two of her back list books
– Misa Buckley: an e-copy of Ironhaven and To Reach the Dawn
– Lacey Wolfe: a copy of Ambers Muse
– Courtney Sheets: a $25 GC to Ravenous Romance and a copy of Kona Warrior – PDF
– Sara Brookes: an e-copy of one of my back list books
– Cynthia Arsuaga: a copy of an e-book, and on her own blog five book charm book tethers
– Louisa Bacio: .pdf copy of my first book in The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf series, and on her own blog a $10 certificate to Ravenous Romance, and each commenter will also be entered to win a Goody Bag of new Orleans treats
– Malia Mallory: one copy each of The ABC’s of Erotica and Santa’s Back Door Baby
– Cynthia Eden: a copy of Angel of Darkness (either print or digital)
– Carrie Ann Ryan: an e-copy of The Alpha’s Path
– Jacquie Rogers: a Smashwords coupon for Faery Merry Christmas, plus on her own blog, a free copy of Much Ado About Marshals
– KT Grant: a print copy of Sweet and Sinful and an ebook copy of my next release, Xavier’s Loving Arms
So what are the rules? Simple: visit as many of the blogs as you can and leave a comment for the blog owner. For every comment, you’ll get one entry into the grand-prize drawing. Be sure to leave your e-mail address with every comment so we can find you if you win! And don’t forget that several blog owners are giving away prizes specific to their blog, too!
One winner will be chosen on Saturday morning using random.org. I will contact that person about the Kindle Fire and then each blog owner with a prize will contact the winner themselves to arrange delivery of said prize. Questions? Contact AuthorCassandraCarr AT gmail DOT com.
Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
Click here to see & comment on the other participating Blogs 🙂
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Black Friday Bloghop & Giveaway
On Black Friday myself and 22 other authors will be joining together for an AWESOME blog hop! The theme? Why, holiday shopping tips & deals, of course!
AND we’ve got a deal for you! One random commenter (can be on any of the blogs) will win a Kindle Fire, along with the prizes below! That’s the easiest kind of shopping I can think of…
Prizes:
– Cassandra Carr: copy of either of my two current releases, Talk to Me or Head Games
– Kristabel Reed: back list copy of one of her stories and then on her own blog a $10 GC plus a copy of her newest release, Risque, a Regency Menage Tale
– Lucy Felthouse: back list copy of any of her single-title books
– Cari Quinn: back list copy of one of her books
– Leigh Elwood: two back list copies of her books
– Natasha Blackthorne: copies of her two Regency era novellas: Grey’s Lady and Waltz of Seduction
– Amber Kallyn: e-copy of Dragos 1
– Camryn Rhys: Kindle copies of The Barn Dance and Off the Record – Foodie Erotic Romances
– Lissa Matthews: two of her back list books
– Misa Buckley: an e-copy of Ironhaven and To Reach the Dawn
– Lacey Wolfe: a copy of Ambers Muse
– Courtney Sheets: a $25 GC to Ravenous Romance and a copy of Kona Warrior – PDF
– Sara Brookes: an e-copy of one of my back list books
– Cynthia Arsuaga: a copy of an e-book, and on her own blog five book charm book tethers
– Louisa Bacio: .pdf copy of my first book in The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf series, and on her own blog a $10 certificate to Ravenous Romance, and each commenter will also be entered to win a Goody Bag of new Orleans treats
– Malia Mallory: one copy each of The ABC’s of Erotica and Santa’s Back Door Baby
– Cynthia Eden: a copy of Angel of Darkness (either print or digital)
WHAT a list of prizes!!! Be sure to come back on Friday!
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And the winner is…
Thank you to all who commented and participated in the giveaway.
The winner drawn from my Phoenix Sun’s ballcap is Duan Ann K.
Congrats 🙂
I’ll be sending you an email.
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New Release and Giveaway Contest
My beautiful new baby is here.
from Changeling Press 
WET: Ocean Music
Two selkies, one woman, hot island nights.
Erotic Paranormal Romance (M/M/F) Gay, bisexual and menage romance
Renowned African-American violinist Lilly is swept to sea during a freakish storm, only to be rescued by two playful seals. She wakes on an island with two handsome men she’s drawn to in ways she’s never felt before. Slowly, she comes to realize the island holds many secrets, including the fact her two lovers are, by night, creatures of the sea. And though the island seems a refuge, an old evil lurks in the shadows, waiting to snatch the trio’s happiness away. Lilly, Chris and Brian must protect each other and overcome the evil not just to survive, but to claim the love they’ve found together.
As a goodie for Release day, I’m giving away a free e-copy to one winner, chosen on Tuesday, 8/30. Just answer one question in the comments and you’ll be entered into the drawing.
(As always, my drawings work by me putting names in a hat 🙂
Question:
What do you like best about M/M/F bisexual and menage romances?
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TRS Party Time ~ All Weekend
The TRS party starts… Now!
From Friday to Sunday, read great excerpts and be entered into a ton of giveaways by great authors. Come join the fun.
http://theromancestudio.com/party/
I’ll be giving away e-books and goodies all weekend : )
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Please welcome Cindy Carroll ~ and Giveaway
I’m honored to have Cindy Carroll with us today. Author and teacher, she has an upcoming class on how screenwriting can help fiction writers. Check it out : ) http://www.writersonlineclasses.com/?page_id=592
Also, comment here to win a lecture packet from Cindy.
And, action!
First I want to say thank you to Amber for allowing me to guest blog here to kick off my blog tour! I love writing novels and scripts. And I love talking about how screenwriting techniques can improve your novel.
Action. There’s a reason it’s not lights, camera, passive. How boring would that be? Action is what movies and television are all about. They’re moving pictures, so they have to move. Of course there are two kinds of action. But I’m not talking action movies here with explosions, car chases, gun fights. Though I do love all that stuff. I’m talking active writing. Whether you write novels or scripts you have to keep the writing active. Avoid passive voice as much as possible.
In scripts those sections of description describing the action are actually labelled action in screenwriting softwares. Too much describing what’s going on slows the pace and lessens the white space. Scripts should have lots of white space. Script readers actually skip over large chunks of action. Novel readers would never do that would they? Uh, yes, they would.
Novels need white space too. Just because novels aren’t moving pictures doesn’t mean they can be passive. Lots of narrative in passive voice, not enough dialogue, too much introspection make for a slow paced book.
What can you learn from reading scripts and watching movies that can help your novels? Here’s an example of action that sets the scene from one of my favourite action movies – True Lies.
EXT. CHATEAU – NIGHT
The driveway and motorcourt are filled with cars. A formal dress party is in progress… a private reception for a middle-eastern dignitary. Tuxedoed men escort their diamond-encrusted ladies through the huge front doors, where they doff their overcoats and are politely scanned with hand-held metal detectors by white gloved security staffers.
The walled perimeter of the house runs along the lake, forming a kind of rampart. There is an opening, to a kind of waterway or canal, which connects to the private docks inside the grounds. There is a steel grating across the opening. The bars disappear down into the thin ice of early winter.
With the house visible BG, we CRANE DOWN below the parapet wall along which a guard is a white exposure-suit is walking… down along the dark wall to the grating… TILTING DOWN to see a glow pulsing under the ice.
Note how the action isn’t overdone. There isn’t a whole lot of description to set the scene but can you picture it? Can you picture the scene if you haven’t seen the movie? If you have seen the movie do you remember this scene? In screenwriting the writer puts in just enough detail to paint a picture but the rest of the details – the colour of the walls, what’s on the table in the character’s living room, what kind of TV they have – are decided on by other departments. Painting too detailed a picture may let the reader picture exactly what you, the writer, envisioned but it doesn’t let the reader use her imagination at all.
I talk about action and a whole lot more in my Is That Hollywood Calling? – How Thinking Like a Screenwriter Can Improve Your Novel. Comment here to be entered to win a lecture packet. If you don’t win, don’t worry! There’s still time to register for the class at: http://www.writersonlineclasses.com/?page_id=592
***
Cindy
http://www.cindycarroll.com/blog
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCindyCarroll
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Monday Updates
I hope your Memorial Day and the weekend has been awesome 🙂
Just a reminder to check out my post about keeping those who’ve served in our minds and hearts. Plus, I’m calling this time of year my Blogversary, so you can win some neat stuff, including a free e-book. Check it out.
I got a great review (my first) for Dragos 4: Inflamed by The Romance Studio: 4 stars. “I love the way Kallyn brought them all back together for an all out magic war at the end. The characters are strong and determined, and while the magic flares up all around them, there is no coincidence to what they can do or not do. Kallyn has clearly defined their strengths and limitations throughout the series. That definition makes for a very honest magical read. Very well done. Summer is coming, so heat up your world with the Dragos family of fire-breathing dragons.” Read in Full here.
And, All Romance E-Books is giving a 50% e-book rebate sale this whole weekend. If you buy an ebook, like, say, one of mine, you’ll get 50% of the price back 🙂 Books for free, WOOT! Who can beat that?
In deference to the holiday, I’ll be doing a post later about sexy and yummy men in uniform.
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Thank you and Anniversary Give Away ~ Who wants a free Ebook?
I remember doing a Thank you post last year. Which means I’ve been blogging for a year now.
So first, and most importantly, I want to thank everyone we’ll be remembering this Monday. Memorial Day is a great event. I have family who’ve served. Gladly and with all their heart.
My uncle (married to my favorite Aunt) ended up being deployed just a few months after their marriage. It was a tough time for my Aunt. Even though I was still pretty much a kid, I remember how much she hurt. They talked on the phone and sent letters as often as they could, but it was still a difficult, worrisome time. Yet they loved each other, and their love stayed strong even through the year of separation.
When my uncle came back, they continued on with their lives. Today, after hardships and other trials, they still love each other very much. They have a family now, and I’m so proud of them for pushing through the tough times.
In fact, they are one of the couples I think about while writing… At least, the non-spicy parts, LOL. They let their love conquer all adversity, from deployment to biological factors when trying to start a family. In recent years, with the depression, they’ve faced layoffs and foreclosure, yet their marriage is still as strong today as it was when they said those magic words, “I do”.
They are my example that no matter what, love really can last.
And my Uncle is my example when I think of everything our military gives up in order to keep us free.
So Thank you to those wonderful men and women who put their own lives on hold to protect us.
Thank you to all who give their lives for me and everyone who calls themselves an American.
Whether you believe in war or not, Thank you to all who go out and sacrifice so the rest of us don’t have to.
Politics have nothing to do with Memorial Day. Only thanks does.
And now, for the giveaway.
For everyone who responds to this email by Monday night at 11:59pm (PST) I will enter for a GRAND PRIZE drawing of your choice of one of my Dragos e-books.
I will also enter 3 people to win a complete set of Dragos Romance Trading Cards.
So tell me, why are you thankful for our veterans? Who do you remember the most on these days, and what does it mean to you?
(And remember to leave me a way to contact you for your prize, LOL)
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#RomanceTradingCards are in!
Just to let ya’ll know, if you’re waiting for a set of Dragos romance trading cards, the 4th book’s cards came in : )
I’ll be packaging them up and mailing them out in the next few days. Yeah!
Amber Kallyn 