Dracula In Love Contest

Today is the last day to enter the contest for a copy of Dracula In Love by Karen Essex.

Go HERE and leave a comment.

Good luck!

Melissa de la Cruz' New Blue Blood Book - Announcement and Contest

On Tuesday, September 27, Lost In Time book six in the young adult Blue Bloods vampire series by Melissa de la Cruz will be available. To celebrate this occasion Melissa is offering a signed copy of the novel to one lucky PVN reader. [See contest details near end of post]

The young Blue Bloods of Manhattan descend upon Egypt in Lost In Time

Having been forced to separate, Schuyler travels to Alexandria to search for Catherine of Siena and the Gate of Promise. But Schuyler quickly discovers that everything she believed about the Gate to be wrong.

Meanwhile, Jack makes the difficult decision to return to New York to face his twin and former bondmate, Mimi. But instead of a bitter reunion, he is faced with a choice for which there is no good option. Mimi, with a most unexpected travel companion in Oliver Hazard-Perry, jets off to Egypt, too, to search for Kingsley Martin, her long lost love. With all roads leading to Hell, Mimi learns that not all love stories have happy endings. But she'll have to put her own feelings aside if she's going to save her crumbling Coven.

Read an EXCERPT of  Lost In Time

Read a REVIEW of Bloody Valentine - three tales which center on characters of Melissa's young adult Blue Bloods series and highlight the romance and perils these immortals face.

See the Trailer for Lost In Time

CONTEST

* Melissa is offering a signed copy of Lost In Time to one lucky reader.

* Leave a comment about this post for a chance to win.
 
* Be sure contact information is included with your comment.

* Contest ends October 5, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

* Contest is open to US and Canadian residents.

Mel Is Coming to a
Town Near You!

 

 

September 27, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Denver!

The Tattered Cover Highlands Ranch
9315 Dorchester Street
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
303-470-7050
Reading and Signing Lost in Time!

September 28, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Utah!

Provo City Library
550 North University Avenue
Provo, UT 84601
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

September 30, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Sebastopol!

Copperfield’s Books
138 N. Main St.
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707-823-2618
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 01, 2011 (2:00 PM)

Signing in Burien!

Burien Public Library
400 SW 152nd St.
Burien, WA 98166
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 02, 2011

Signing in Seattle!

Northwest Bookfest
Kirkland Teen Center
348 Kirkland Ave.
Kirkland, WA 98033
425-822-3088
Smart Chicks Tour! Author panels and signing!

October 03, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Ottawa!

Nepean Centrepointe Branch/Ottawa Public Library
101 Centrepointe
Ottawa, Ontario, K2G 5K7
Canada
Smart Chicks Tour! Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 04, 2011 (6:00 PM)

Signing in Lansing!

Schuler Books & Music
2820 Towne Center Blvd.
Lansing, MI 48912
517-316-7495
Smart Chicks Tour! Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 11, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Bethesda!

Bethesda Library
7400 Arlington Road
Bethesda, MD 20814
240-777-0970
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 12, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Philly!

Barnes and Noble
210 Commerce Blvd
Fairless Hills, PA 19030
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 13, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Dallas!

Barnes and Noble
Stonebriar Center Mall
Frisco, TX 75034
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 14, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Houston

Blue Willow Shop
14532 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77079

Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon Book Announcement

Retribution (Dark-Hunter Novels)

by Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (August 2, 2011)

Setting: Las Vegas, NV
Harm no human…
A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.
Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief- Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters...

Laura Kaye - Guest Blog and Contest

Please welcome Laura Kaye a multi-published author of paranormal, contemporary, and erotic romance. Today Laura introduces PVN readers to her amazing vampire world.

She is also offering one  lucky commenter an ebook of  Forever Freed plus some surprises.  [See rules at end of post]

The Vampires in the World of Forever Freed

Thanks to Patricia for having me here today to talk about my new release and share my vampires with you. I’ve been an avid reader of all things paranormal and supernatural—especially vampires—since I was a kid, so it’s such a thrill to have written a vampire story of my own. Forever Freed is about a reclusive, empathic vampire who falls in love with a woman he planned to kill and her daughter, then fights his ancient guilt, bloodlust, lie by omission, and an old vampire rival who threatens everything he holds dear.

Here’s the blurb:

A heart can break, even one that no longer beats.



I stalk my new neighbors, a single mother and her child, drawn by the irresistible scent of their joy and love. I crave their blood, starved for some healing respite from my ancient grief. Now to lure them into my grasp.



But they surprise me. Little Olivia accepts me without fear or reservation--talking, smiling, offering innocent affection that tugs at my long-lost humanity. Her mother, Samantha, seeks me out when she should stay away, offering sweet friendship, and calling to the forgotten man within me. They lure me instead

Ah, Dio, Lucien, run and spare them while you can...

*grins* So, today, I thought I’d introduce you to the vampires of Forever Freed’s world.  All of the vampires share the following attributes:

ABILITIES:  Supernatural strength, speed, hearing, eyesight; don’t age; supernatural ability to heal; ability to charm another’s will, although this is not absolute; ability to daywalk, though not in direct sunlight; ability to go long periods of time without sleeping [called “trancing”]

WEAKNESSES:  Direct sunlight, silver, holy water, decapitation—surest way to kill

The Hero:

Lucien Demarco [Turned 1895. Empathic.].  He’s hot, he’s fanged, he’s brooding, he’s Italian, he’s wonderful with small children—what more could you want? *grins*  Lucien has a strong empathic ability that has been a source of torment for him since being turned in 1895 in a gruesome scene that left his then wife and daughter dead.  His empathy forces him to feel his victims’ emotions when he feeds, so even though he can charm them into calmness, if they’re evildoers, he feels that about them, and feels he’s drinking it inside of himself.  The alternative?  Isolate and starve himself as much as possible.  Until he has a chance meeting with Samantha and Ollie Sutton.

The Ithaca Coven:

Seven vampires reside in North Ithaca, New York, and they are essentially Lucien’s adoptive family.  Days after being changed in 1895, they found him, abandoned by his maker, and took him in.  He lived with the Ithaca Coven for forty years, then broke out on his own.  But they’re still a major part of Lucien’s life.

Here they are:

Griffin [Turned 1760. Mesmerizer.]  Griffin is the oldest and most powerful of the Ithaca vampires and made the decision to bring Lucien into the coven when they found him in 1895.  He’d been dying after a battle during the French & Indian War when an ancient Native American vampire found him and turned him.  Griffin turned everyone in the coven except for Lucien and Anna.  He is mated to Henrietta.

Jedediah [Turned 1789. Gift not yet disclosed.]  Jed is smart-mouthed, quick-witted and loyal to a fault.  He’d been dying of a sickness while trying to build a homestead out in the wilds of New York when Griffin found and changed him—the first person Griffin ever changed, largely because he’d been in such dire need of companionship.  He is mated to Rebecca.


Henrietta [Turned 1792. Healer.]  Henrietta, or Henny, as Ollie calls her, is the next most powerful vampire in the coven.  A midwife in life, she is able to heal most, but not all, injuries and illness with her touch.  She is one of the four Ithaca vampires turned/saved during an Indian raid on western New York that occurred during the Northwest Indian War.  She is mated to Griffin.

Catherine [Turned 1792. Empathic.]  Catherine is the most beautiful vampire of the coven and the only one unmated.  She is also Rebecca’s older sister.  Catherine’s empathy is stronger than Lucien’s—whereas he can only sense emotions within close proximity, Catherine can sense emotions over distance, particularly with people with whom she’s had, er, certain connections.  She regularly has romantic liaisons with human men.  Aside from his human wife who died, Catherine is the only other woman with whom Lucien had a romantic relationship before he met Samantha.

Rebecca [Turned 1792. Not gifted.]  The youngest of the Ithaca vampires was only 17 when saved/turned after the Indian raid. She is also Catherine’s younger sister.  Rebecca is passionate, effervescent, and brutally honest.  She is mated to Jed.

William [Turned 1792. Gift not yet disclosed.]  For a long time, William was in love with Catherine and had a relationship with her, but it was generally one-sided.  Thus, when Catherine developed feelings for Lucien, William was immediately jealous.  His animosity and other actions, particularly turning three girls with attributes similar to Catherine’s, were ultimately what chased Lucien from the Ithaca coven.  Mated to Anna, who he turned.

Anna [Turned 1938.  Not gifted.]  Turned by William in a fit of desperate jealousy and loneliness, Anna ultimately forgave and fell in love with William. Her love healed the part of William’s personality so filled with rage and frustration.  Mated to William.


The Detroit Coven:

A large number of vampires make up this coven, though most are newer and pawns of the Laumets, the bad guys of the story.  Lucien worked for the Laumets from the 1950s through 1990.  Having gotten free, Lucien wants to stay free of them.

Four are most worth noting:

Antoine Laumet [Turned 1731.  Not gifted.] Antoine Laumet is the ruler of Detroit, a position that comes from his long history with the city.  Indeed, Antoine Laumet is based on a real person, the man who actually founded the French fort (Fort Ponchartrain) that was the forerunner of the city (the British changed the name to Detroit during the French and Indian War).  The Jesuits did not have nice things to say about the real Antoine Laumet, so he’s a perfect character to turn into an evil vampire overlord in the story.  And I love weaving history into my tales, as I did with the Indian raids and Northwest Indian War, also real.  Mated to Magena, who he turned.

Jacques Laumet [Turned 1731.  Not gifted.] Antoine’s only surviving son, Jacques is second in command of the Detroit coven and also based on a real person.  Jacques is small and slight in stature and rabidly jealous of Lucien, who his father grew to develop some paternal affection for, especially when Lucien saved his life in an assassination attempt in 1990.  Unmated.

Magena [Turned 1763. Telepathic.] Magena is the most powerful vampire in the Detroit coven. Her telepathy includes not only the ability to read other people’s minds but, through touch, she can also show those thoughts to another person.  A victim of the fighting during Pontiac’s Rebellion, Antoine found and saved her.  Ever since she’s felt torn between a sort of gratitude to him and respectful affection, and a resentment borne out of the fact that vampirism violates her native religious beliefs.  Mated to Antoine.

Langston Brown [Turned 1975. Free of bloodlust.] Newly hired as the director of the Detroit Medical Center blood bank, Langston remembers the friendship Lucien extended to him back when they’d both worked for Laumet and offers to provide Lucien with guilt-free sustenance.  His lack of bloodlust has been a challenge at times, but is useful for Laumet in gaining control of this blood supply.  Unmated as he has an unrequited love.


The Maker:

Lazar.  Despite several decades of trying to find him to exact revenge, Lucien as yet knows nothing about him.



So, you’ve now met the vampires in the world of Forever Freed.  A lot of these details are real sneak peeks in to the series, as they’re revealed and discussed more in the (as-yet) unpublished prequel than in this book.

I’d be happy to answer any questions, but, also: What are your favorite vampire attributes or special abilities?

Thanks for reading!
Laura Kaye

Website: http://www.LauraKayeAuthor.com
Blog: http://laurakayeauthor.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/laurakayeauthor
Twitter: @laurakayeauthor
Sign up for Laura’s Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/d9ruD

Buy Forever Freed, and use this DigiBooks Café code for a 20% discount: e3d9d10a3c - http://tiny.cc/iydy4

Contest

*Laura is offering an ebook of Forever Freed plus signed romance trading cards and some other swag {by mail) to one lucky reader.

*Ask Laura a question, OR answer her question -What are your favorite vampire attributes or special abilities? - for a chance to win.
 
* Be sure contact information is included with your comment.

* Contest ends July 6, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

* Contest is limited to US and Canadian residents.

*ATTENTION - CONTEST IS NOW INTERNATIONAL!!

A multi-published author of paranormal, contemporary, and erotic romance with four books releasing in 2011, Laura Kaye’s hot, heartfelt stories are all about the universal desire for a place to belong.  Laura grew up amidst family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with the supernatural.  Though an avid fiction writer as a teenager, a career as a historian took her in other directions until recently.  Now that Laura’s inner muse has awakened, she’s constantly creating new story ideas!  Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Daniele Lanzarotta - Guest Blog and Contest

Please welcome Daniele Lanzarotta author of the YA vampire series Imprinted Souls (also the title of the first book). Daniele writes of a young girl's loss and love. Here is a brief description:

"Entrapped in her grief and sorrow, Lexi roams through life with no purpose. She has not been the same ever since an accident took away her high school boyfriend and soul mate. For a while, Lexi could still feel Matt with her and the dreams reassured her that they were still connected, but with time, the dreams started to fade and the pain of his absence deepened. She was convinced that he was gone, and with him, so was part of her soul, the part of her soul that had been imprinted by Matt.

"It would take a different type of imprint to bring Lexi back to life, but that imprint would come with a price. The dangers of being with a vampire who still has strong ties to his human life, and the possibility of losing what is left of her connection with her one and true soul mate, Matt; a hidden connection that still lives within the shadows of what is left of her soul."

Today Daniele discuss the allure of the handsome guy with the dark kiss.

The Year When Prince Charming Grew… Fangs?!

It wasn’t long ago when a girl’s dream guy (or at least dream fictional guy) was the average guy, funny, friendly, sometimes tanned, and who liked to take her out for dinner.  Then, that whole perception got turned around, and well… prince charming grew fangs, became pale, wouldn’t go out during the day (in most cases), and had YOU as a dinner.

Weird… right?

But let’s face it… Who wouldn’t want a hottie vamp around?

In Imprinted Souls, Tyler was the prince charming I had in mind.  Hot, understanding, and protective (not in a creepy way).  He entered Lexi’s life and was the only one able to pull her out of the state of depression from losing her soulmate. Throughout the series, Tyler goes through a lot to protect Lexi.  He endures a great deal of pain, including having to deal with his role as a minion, and the limits such role puts on his ability of making his own choices.

But even this version of a perfect guy was challenged when the not so bad, bad guy (I call him my bipolar vamp), showed up.  Nicholas is what every girl should run away from.  He is a player and has been called ‘mouthy’ by some, but there is something about his sarcastic sense of humor and his confidence that makes every girl love him or at least, love to hate him.

Whatever your version of prince charming may be… I hope you find him in the Imprinted Souls Series.

-      Daniele Lanzarotta –

 

 

 

Contest

* Daniele is offering an ebook copy of Divine Ashes (Book three) on Kindle or Nook format, along with a signed bookmark to one lucky reader. (winner can request book one or two instead)

* Leave a comment for Daniel about this post for a chance to win.
 
* Be sure contact information is included with your comment.

* Contest ends April 14, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

* Contest is international







Imprinted Souls (Book one) read a preview

Bloodlust (Book two) read a preview

Divine Ashes (Book three) read a preview

Nocturne - A Vampire Book Review

Nocturne
by Syrie James
Vanguard Press (January 4, 2011)

The complete story takes place over four days with only two characters.

Nicole Whitcomb is racing against a snow storm on her way to the Denver airport. The storm comes quickly. While driving through treacherous mountain roads Nicole skids into a ravine. Desperately hurt she loses consciousness. Fortunately there is a witness, albeit an unwilling one.

    Michael Tyler lives in splendid isolation at his beautiful home in the Rockies. While plowing snow on his private road he watches as Nicole's car spins out of control. With the brutal storm no 911 help will be available for several days. Reluctantly he checks things out only to discover that the attractive female driver is still alive. Michael has had no face to face contact with anyone for an extraordinarily long time and wants to keep it that way. Now, however, he has no choice. This beautiful  lady will be his guest until the snowplows make it to this area.

I loved this story. This charming, beautiful romance convinced me that love will always find a way.  Both Nicole and Michael are very accomplished, especially Michael whose vampiric life has given him many centuries to develop his various artistic talents. Both individuals are wounded souls and each can understand the other's pain in a way someone else might not.

What struck me was the spiritual - and I don't mean religious - aspect of the story. Michael shows through his character and actions the power of redemption. How that comes about is told to Nicole one night when his affection for her, which is deeply reciprocated, becomes almost overwhelming.

Nicole has her own demons to deal with. Michael gently prods her to unburden herself, which she does. These two remarkable people help each other to heal and feel hope.

Understand that this theme of healing and redemption while strong does not make for a sappy, sentimental story. Two vibrant, believable characters who have suffered severely find refuge from a storm literally and figuratively.

For those who want a bit of zest the author includes a couple a deliciously steamy love scenes.

James is the gifted author who also wrote Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker      Read a review

[A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. Thank you!]