Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Covers I Love


I love good artwork and I especially love good cover art.

So, I put together a collection of covers that recently caught my attention. These are covers that make me want to know more about the story, they raise my expectations and they seem to whisper that—if I would only take a few minutes, just read a few paragraphs—I would most certainly be hooked.

And I love to be hooked by good book.

What covers stand out to you and what do you look for when shopping for a book?

While making this collage, I realized, though was not surprised, that I choose books with similar color palettes. It doesn't surprise me for two reasons.

One: I know my favorite colors are in the turquoise/blue/green range.

Two: I know that turquoise is the color that appeals to women most. And I am a woman. Ahem. The red and the orange are across the color wheel from turquoise, so it's almost as if I ran to those covers as an antidote, for a splash of fire to quench my over-watered thirst.

I am definitely in the mood for a good book right now. I'd love to check out Rough Honey or The Madman's Daughter. Which of these books appeals to you?

Monday, October 29, 2012

My 10 Favorite Movies to Watch on Halloween

Quite possibly my favorite holiday, Halloween is spooky and creepy and filled with things that go bump in the night. It’s the perfect time for telling (or writing) ghost stories, for taking long walks at dusk, for burning candles when the sun goes down, and for watching movies that make you a tiny bit afraid to get up and go to bed at the end of the evening. When I was a teenager, there was a plethora of scary-but-not-super-scary movies, many of them featuring Vincent Price—an actor I fell in love with.

So, to help you get in the mood, here are my top Halloween movie picks:


1. LOST BOYS: A quiet Southern California town is plagued by vampires and brothers, Mike and Sam, must find a way to save their family. This movie combines all the teen angst found in moving to a new town, falling in love for the first time, trying to fit in with a wild crowd and, oh, yeah, trying to NOT turn into a vampire, even though you’ve already sipped vampire blood. Oops.

2. VAN HELSING: Hugh Jackman plays Van Helsing, a man with a secret so dark and deep that even doesn’t know what it is. His mission: to get rid of the evil creatures that have been tormenting and killing people around the world. Great fun, great monsters and great romance with Kate Beckingsale.

3. IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN: Okay, it’s a classic and we all need to watch something heart-warming from time to time. This cartoon brings back the spooky scariness found in being a childhood outcast, something most of us can relate to.

4. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH: Starring my favorite horror flick actor, Vincent Price, involves a scientist who is hunted by zombie-like plague victims. Most likely this movie was based on one of my favorite novellas, I Am Legend.


5. THE WIZARD OF OZ: Maybe nobody else thinks of this as a Halloween movie, but I definitely do. Those scenes in the castle where the Wicked Witch of the West gazes into her crystal ball and, then, in the forest where the flying monkeys attack are nothing but pure Halloween crack.

6. SALEM’S LOT: Based on the book by Stephen King, this story feels like it’s about real, honest-to-badness vampires. Shades of Nosferatu, the vampire in this movie is what all vampires should be—so creepy you want to run away screaming.

7. THE MASK OF THE RED DEATH: Vincent Price in one of my favorite roles, as Prince Prospero. The story takes place in medieval Europe, when a mysterious plague is sweeping across the countryside. Prospero offers sanctuary to a group of nobility and to an innocent and beautiful village maiden, but once they are inside his castle, sanctuary is the furthest thing from his mind.

8. THE HAUNTING (1963): Be afraid. Be very afraid. This is one of the creepiest movies I’ve ever seen. A group of people do a paranormal investigation on Hill House, spending the night. Be prepared for a rush of pure adrenaline, for this is a tale of psychological horror that builds and builds until even you want out of Hill House.


9. THE OTHERS: Another psychological horror, this movie was inspired by the novella, The Turn of the Screw. Nicole Kidman plays a mother, trying to protect her two children from a houseful of ghosts, or is she? The plot twists and turns as you learn more about this family and the ghosts who live in the house.

10. E.T.: This movie captures the wonder and magic often associated with both childhood and Halloween and adds in a surprise element. Instead of a monster, vampire, or werewolf, the scary-creature, new-best-friend is an alien who wants nothing more than to go home, just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Some very cool things

Sometimes I get caught up in working and writing and editing, and I forget to mention some of the very cool things going on. So here's some stuff, most of it relating to FATHOM, my newest release and my first YA novel.

1. For today and tomorrow only, FATHOM is discounted. You can purchase it on Amazon for 99¢. (YAY!!)

2. I'm currently working on the print version of FATHOM. I have the cover done and I'm almost finished with the interior pages. I'll be sure to let you know when it's finished. You can see the rough version of the cover below.


3. I have a number of guest posts and giveaways going on right now. Here are a few:

I SMELL SHEEP: Author interview and giveaway 3 e-book copies of FATHOM, plus a $25 gift certificate for Amazon.

BOOKS AND THINGS: Guest post titled, Walking on the Dark Side, where I give 10 reasons why people like to read scary stories. Also, there's a giveaway of 3 e-book copies of FATHOM.

URBAN FANTASY READER: Guest post titled, Is It Paranormal or Is It Fantasy? There's also a giveaway of 2 e-book copies of FATHOM.

Also, FATHOM is now available for KINDLE, NOOK AND KOBO. As I mentioned above, the print version will be available soon, too.

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read and review FATHOM!!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Supernatural Underground Halloween Giveaway

On All Hallows Eve, the sky darkens, the wind blows, and everyone dons costumes, a futile attempt to disguise themselves from the supernatural creatures that are allowed to prowl the streets, one night a year. Ghosts, werewolves, vampires, shape shifters, mermaids and Selkies—these are the sort of creatures that make the rest of the world tremble. But here, well, that’s a different story.

Here, we invite the monsters inside. We open the door willingly. Monsters and ghosts and shape shifters get the best seat at our table. We sit, rapt, as they tell us their Halloween Tale of Woe. We lean forward, eager to find out what happens next.

Their stories are like candy to us.

And isn’t that what everyone freely gives away on Halloween—handfuls of delicious candy? That’s what we’re doing, right here, right now. The authors at Supernatural Underground are giving away candy this month.

We’re giving away a Supernatural Underground Halloween Book Prize Pack, filled with 24 books, all written by Supernatural Underground authors. All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the page.

The list of amazing books in this giveaway is below.

PLEASE NOTE: Some of these books are e-books, so the winner should have access to an e-reader.

THE SUPERNATURAL UNDERGROUND HALLOWEEN BOOK PRIZE PACK:

The Body Finder and swag by Kimberly Derting

Nightspell by Leah Cypess

Ascension by Sable Grace

Afterlife + Fathom (e-book) by Merrie Destefano

A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer

Wrong Side of Hell + To Hell And Back (both e-books) by Juliana Stone

The Heir of Night, US edition by Helen Lowe

Dream of Asarlai trilogy (Secret Ones, Power Unbound, Rogue Gadda) in e-book by Nicole Murphy

Night Forbidden by Joss Ware

Angel's Ink by Jocelynn Drake

A Devil Named Desire by Terri Garey

Tatsania's Gift (e-book) by Kim Falconer

Darkness Becomes Her by Jaime Rush

Last Vamp Standing by Kristin Miller

Diamond Eyes by AA Bell

Wanted: Undead or Alive by Kerrelyn Sparks

One Grave at a Time + Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Diaries of an Urban Panther by Amanda Arista

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Just fill out the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win. Open internationally. Contest begins October 10 and ends October 31. Winner will be announced on November 1.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

25 Books to read when the winds howl and you’re home alone


Halloween is almost here and with it comes a desire to read books filled with spooky, otherworldly elements. I put together a list of my favorites, including some vampires and fairies and shape shifters, as well as other wonderfully creepy creatures. These are all books I’ve read and loved.

My list of recommended Halloween reading (and yes, some of my own books are on this list):

MONSTERS WITH A TWIST:
iDrakula by Bekka Black
iFrankestein by Bekka Black
Mr. Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett
Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge

SHAPE SHIFTERS:
Feast by Merrie Destefano

THE APOCALYPSE:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Plague Carrier by Merrie Destefano
Tomorrow, When the World Began by John Marsden
Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

FAIRIES:
Ironskin by Tina Connolly
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Don’t Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

SELKIES/MERMAIDS:
Fathom by Merrie Destefano

SERIAL KILLERS:
Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

VAMPIRES:
The Strain by Guillermo del Toro
Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindgvist
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

ZOMBIES:
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Xombies: Apocalypse Blues by Walter Greatshell
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick