Revealing my secrets, one by one

There are some very cool things going on the cyber universe today...

First, FEAST was reviewed over at The Aussie Bookworm. You can read the review here.

Here's a snippet:

"I really liked the way that the bits and pieces of vampiric lore were sprinkled throughout the novel. Some of them as we have always believed i.e. that they need to be invited to be able to cross your threshold while others have been tweaked slightly. They don’t drink blood but they harvest dreams."

Also, Kristin over at My Bookish Ways posted an interview with me today. AND she's giving away a copy of Afterlife. Believe it or not, she got me to confess something I've never told anyone online before. *gasp*

Some of the other things we discussed: What I like to see in a good book and what makes me toss a book aside in frustration. VERY good questions!

AND one more cool thing going on. I Smell Sheep has a very fun Swag Day Contest going on through Friday, June 17. Their contest involves matching an author with his/her pet. And, yes, I'm one of the featured authors! Followers of my blog should be able to figure out which one of those furry beasts belong to me. Hint, hint: Remember, I have 2 black and tan German shepherds? See, I just gave you one answer so you'll be ahead of the game.

Besides cover flats, bookmarks, buttons and trading cards, the folks at I Smell Sheep are also giving away the following books: signed copies of Afterlife and Nightwalker, an ARC of The Iron Duke, a paper copy of Demon Slayer. E-copies of Along Came a Demon and Shades of Gray, and Devil Without a Cause, which can be either a paper or e-copy.

I hope you'll check those posts out and say hi to the blog owners. They love visitors!

Dinah Eng's Amazing Adventures at RT or How I ended up in an article with Melissa Marr and Pamela Palmer

Dinah Eng, a freelance columnist in Los Angeles, wrote an amazing article for Scrippsnews that got posted yesterday. Titled, "Romance novels feature paranormal twist," Eng's article discusses her recent trip to the Romantic Times Convention 2011 in Los Angeles, and most specifically, the Avon Paranormal Party. She interviewed three authors that attended the Avon Dusk To Dark event, Melissa Marr, Pamela Palmer, and believe it not, me.

SQUEEEE. I know. I was trying to play the part of the journalist and tell this story all professional, but it's really hard when someone writes an article that includes ME alongside amazing authors like Melissa Marr and Pamela Palmer.

Okay. Deep breath. Now, back to my "professional" voice...

Here are some quotes from the article:

“All my books are based in folklore that have been popular for centuries. I come from an Irish and Scottish family, and grew up hearing about faeries, ghosts, vampires and things that go bump in the night.” [Melissa Marr speaking.]

“In society, we want our men to be kind and civilized, but in fantasy, it’s fun to think of a man who’s not civilized and can be tamed by love,” [Pamela] Palmer says. “I used to be an IBM engineer, so I’ve got a very logical, analytical mind that can think through the story. But I’ve always had an imagination and story to tell.”

And here's a part about me [pardon me, my SQUEEE is coming back!]:

Another popular aspect of the paranormal romance genre can be categorized as urban fantasy. Merrie Destefano likes to write a combination of fantasy, romance, mystery, and science fiction. Her second novel, “Feast: Harvest of Dreams” debuts June 28, is a story with new monsters.

The characters in the book are a cross between faeries and vampires, and harvest people’s dreams. The idea came to Destefano one night when she was unable to sleep.

“I thought, okay, I can’t sleep... what if there were other creatures who can’t sleep?” Destefano says. “What would they be doing? The main character’s in the midst of the hunt. She’s slightly enchanted, and not horrified, by what she sees. She’s a survivor. I like strong women, and women are allowed to have roles in which they win in urban fantasy.”

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So very cool. Really.

And Dinah Eng ends the article with this lovely line:
"Romance novels always have a happy ending."

And this author, who loves to include romance in every story, would have to say, "I heartily agree! I love happy endings!!"

Interview & Book Giveaway

I just finished a cool interview with Kathy Harris over at Divine Detour, where some of the things we discuss include, "Who was the inspiration for Omega, the dog in Afterlife?" and "Did I know that I wanted to be a writer as child?" and "What's my next writing project?"

I had a lot of fun chatting with her. On top of being a fantastic Blog Master and Incredible Interviewer, she also happens to be a fellow German shepherd lover. So, of course, she scored big points with me. Anyone who loves animals get lots of points from me.

So, anyway, you should stop by her blog and say hi. We're giving away a signed copy of Afterlife, but the book contest only runs through December 30.

SFRevu Review & SciFiGuy guest blog post

It's Thursday and we have another episode of Where's Merrie and What's Going On With Afterlife?

This is what's been going on in the past several days:

AFTERLIFE: THE RESURRECTION CHRONICLES just got an awesome review over at SFRevu. You can check it out here.

Also, I'm guest blogging over at SciFiGuy today. We're discussing the intersection between faith, science, and the supernatural. Stop by and comment for a chance to win a signed copy of AFTERLIFE!

There's another cool review of AFTERLIFE over at the Whispers of Dawn blog, by fellow writer, Sally Apokedak. Sally writes for the YA audience and I was glad to hear that she gave AFTERLIFE a thumbs up for YA readers. Yay!

Another really fun review of AFTERLIFE was posted at the ismellsheep blog. I also have an interview coming up there on October 26, so be sure to stop back then.

Also, the folks over at Nocturne Romance Reads did a really great interview with me last week. [I LOVED their questions!] You might need to scroll down to the middle of the page to find my Q & A.

NOTE FOR AFTERLIFE READERS:
I just wanted to let you all know that I'm currently working on a reader's guide for AFTERLIFE. Also, if you're considering choosing AFTERLIFE for your book club, please let me know. I'll send you a pack of signed book plates. Just post your e-mail address in the comment section and let me know.

And thank you again to everyone who's been reading AFTERLIFE! You all rock!