Thursday, May 31, 2012

New Cover Share!!



I'm so excited for this book and can't wait to share the story with everyone!

Starved for Love is the first book of my new series Confessions of a Succubus, releasing from Carina Press in September.


After almost dying of starvation to remain faithful to a mortal lover, succubus Pia Blyton now shields her heart by feeding solely on men she won’t fall for. The only trick is, to create energy to survive, she must achieve orgasm. At least that rules out bad sex with her three lovers. Too bad she’s a sucker for falling in love.

When her demon lover doesn't arrive for their arranged rendezvous, Pia is forced to ask her vampire lover to step in before her energy becomes dangerously low. In return he demands a favor and Pia finds herself in the hotel suite of the mysterious Valerio Hunan, who seduces her with a devastating kiss. Too late Pia learns he’s an incubus who wants to lure her into marriage--a marriage without love.  

As an incubus used to bedding a variety of succubi, Val doesn’t understand Pia’s yearning for love. He needs a succubus wife to provide him with a steady source of energy. But he wants Pia for the passion and renewed interest in life she makes him feel. Can Pia convince Val that sex isn’t just for survival and love is for more than the weak?


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

PNR BOOKS BECOMING COMICS: POV FROM THE FULL MONTY


An example of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter graphic novel, via Marvel

As many of my fans, friends, and peers know, I have been hard at work on the first installation of what I hope will be a loooong and successful venture: the conversion of my most popular book thus far, BLACK DOG AND REBEL ROSE, an action-packed paranormal adventure pairing two unexpected companions, a Nephil (half-angel) and Halfling (half-demon), on a gore-flecked and erotica-tinged vampire hunt in an abandoned town, into the comic book medium.
The cover of the BD&RR prose novel...already in the comic book style.

Turning paranormal romance books into comics has become a trend in the last few years, as several bestselling and cult-followed PNR novels by such renowned names as Laurell K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs, etc. Even Twilight (puke) has been turned into a popular Manga comics series with that distinctive Japanese flair. I have spent several hours scouring the internet for examples of how the major comics companies—including comics giant Marvel—handled the “translation” of said bestselling novels into the comics/graphic novel medium. Overall, I was impressed: the artists selected are talented, the book designs (mostly hardcovers) are beautiful. Action, gore, and, yes, even sex, seems to be properly represented with good flow. I should be ecstatic to be potentially joining the ranks, right? I mean, I might be considered the "full monty" when it comes to this sort of thing: the characters and plot of BD&RR is perfect for this medium, and unlike the bestsellers mentioned above I am an artist, and can tackle the job entirely on my own, without having to deal with another writer or artist’s ego throwing a wrench into the gears, and make sure the comic represents my story the way I would see it best. While BD&RR is not an NYC bestseller, I do have a solid cult following, and two of my books have hit the Amazon Bestseller list for erotica in the past year. I have the submission ok to submit to several of the biggest “indie” comics publishers out there, including IMAGE, publisher of the wildly popular “The Walking Dead” comics. And on top of THAT, there is the increased possibility of BD&RR being picked up for film/television, etc. when said comic hits the shelves...

I should be thrilled, and I was…until I glimpsed the reviews left by readers of said PNR comics.

Now I am, admittedly, a little scared.

To say that many of the reviews for these book-to-graphic novel translations are generally scathing is an understatement. Reviewers griped nonstop about how too much of the story was "left out", how "cartoony, stylized, and unrealistic" the characters looked, how too much dialogue and description was "missing", etc. All complaints from a bookstore audience who is buying a comic book and expecting to get...*drumroll, please*...A PROSE NOVEL.

I think the big issue we are being faced with here is that these comics are being purchased by people who DON'T READ COMICS. They have no concept of "how" comics work...how comic art is generally stylized, how plotlines generally have to be very direct and trimmed down to fit within the confines of this medium. How dialogue must be clipped and to the point to, again, hold a comic reader's attention. Comic books are visual stories--it is up to the artist more than anyone else to "tell" the story via quick action, good panel flow, and quicker-than-lightning transitions. "Descriptions" are not provided through words...it's through art.

Think about your favorite book-to-film adaptions. Movie plotlines adapted from books usually have to cut out, rearrange, or rewrite parts of the book in order for it to make it suitable for the medium of film. If that didn't happen, you would have movies with clunky plotlines and confusing dialogue/conversational situations that ran for hours and hours. That's why it's called an "adaption"...it isn't going to follow the storyline exactly, since the medium cannot possibly bear that burden with any measure of success. Same thing applies to comics...think of them as a "storyboard" of your favorite novel.

As far as the art being "stylized", that's comic books, baby. Few comics these days feature artwork that is super-realistic, and there are many reasons for that...stylized art allows for quick action, proper visual portrayal of amazing feats impossible in the "real" world, and, quite frankly, doing a hyper-realist comic would take years. (A few artists have done it, including those of titles such as "Road to Perdition", etc, and these maniacs undertook feats that took 3 to 4 years to complete, on average. Think about it, that's a LOT of drawing and finishing!) Plus, let's face it...comic readers LIKE stylized art. Comics are known for being "cartoony", at least in principle...that's part of the charm.

SKRIKER AND ROSE... the, er, "stylized" h/h from my comic 



Readers of PNR novels who are looking to try comic versions need to understand that giving bad reviews based on the medium that they are choosing to explore BASED ON what the medium is hurts someone very important: THE ARTIST. I think what a lot of romance readers don't understand is that, when an author's work is translated into comic form, the publisher of said comic lists both the author AND the artist as "creators" in this particular version of the story...after all, you cannot have a comic without the artist! The authors are already being "cushioned" by the good reviews of the prose versions of their books, i.e. the original medium. When a reader used to prose romance novels buys a comic version of their fave story and then leaves a bad review based on the fact that IT IS A COMIC VERSION leaves a bad mark on the artist's review ranking...and that just isn't fair.

It is my hope that this blog entry...my first for Paranormal Romantics...will give my wonderful readers--and that of other PNR authors, bestselling, cult followed, or brand spanking new--some food for thought on a medium that is rapidly growing in the PNR world. I hope to inspire you lovely folks out there to explore something a little different, while enjoying the characters, themes, and storylines that have allowed you to escape the mundane.

I would love to hear YOUR thoughts on this subject...and as a thank you, I am giving away the first two books in the BD&RR series--your choice of Ebook or Kindle Edition!

Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below...you MUST answer the "food for thought" question to be entered...can't wait to hear our reader's thoughts. Giveaway ends on 06/10.

Good luck...and thanks for welcoming me into the Paranormal Romantics family. :-)

Are you inspired? I know I am... 
;-)

www.danielledsmith.com 
https://www.facebook.com/danielle.d.smith.10

Danielle D. Smith is a comic book artist, illustrator, and author living in Southern California. In addition to being a writer of bestselling gritty angel-and-demon themed supernatural fantasy stories that have gained a dedicated cult following, she is an accomplished fine artist and illustrator whose visual work has appeared in various public, private, and gallery exhibitions and in national publications, and has studied everything from costuming to tattooing. Dani, as she is known by many who are close to her, lives in San Diego with a large number of books, indie flicks, and documentaries. Her novels appeal to dreamers, troublemakers, dark romantics, horn dogs, and general escapists. She is the proud owner of several beautiful tattoos and a platinum blonde mohawk, and she adores reading, creative food and drink, motorcycles, muscle cars, prison bodies, and cuddling her sweet little boy, Ryker...not necessarily in that order. She is currently hard at work creating the first installment of the Black Dog and Rebel Road Comics Series, and an as-yet-to-be-titled comic series about a WWII soldier turned into a werewolf during Battle of the Bulge, created alongside fellow artists Josh Figueroa and Alex Julian, and co-writer/historian Aaron A. A. Smith (who also happens to be her spouse).


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Introducing...Wendi Zwaduk aka Megan Slayer AND a CONTEST!



Thought I'd introduce myself. I'm new on this block and glad to meet you. My name is Wendi Zwaduk, but I also write as Megan Slayer. I often visited the blog and commented occasionally. When I got the chance to be a part of the blog, well, I've got to tell you, I jumped. Heck yeah. So what gives me the paranormal card? Other than talking to the characters in my head...grin. As Wendi Zwaduk, I wrote a vampire novella entitled, My Immortal and a ghost story called Careless Whisper. As Megan Slayer, I've got an entire series over at Changeling revolving around elementals and the Glow punk band. Check 'em out. I'll leave you now with my vital stats in case you wanted to know. I'm looking forward to playing here and hope you are, too.

And now for that contest... want to win a copy of the first book in Megan's Glow series? Leave your name, email and a comment. Yep, it's that easy. I'll pick someone Wednesday, leave the winner's name in the comments and email them then. Check back to see if you're the winner!

Want to know more about Wendi Zwaduk? Here you go:
I always dreamt of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favorites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line. I earned a BA in education at Kent State University and currently hold a Masters in Education with Nova Southeastern University.

I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals. I’m published with Total-E-Bound, Changeling Press, Liquid Silver Books and The Wild Rose Press. Come join me for this fantastic journey!

Site: http://wendizwaduk.com/
Blog: http://wendizwaduk.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WendiZwaduk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wendi.zwaduk
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wendi-Zwaduk/e/B003KA589U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3495446.Wendi_Zwaduk
On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/wendizwaduk/
On Google+ : https://plus.google.com/115637543946745656739/posts
On Romance Novel Center: http://www.romancenovelcenter.com/wendizwaduk

And a little about Megan Slayer:

When she's not writing the stories in her head, Megan Slayer can be found luxuriating in her hot tub with her two vampire Cabana boys, Luke and Jeremy. She has the tendency to run a tad too far with her muse, so she has to hide in the head of her alter ego, but the boys don't seem to mind.

When she’s not obsessing over her whip collection, she can be found picking up her kidlet from school. She enjoys writing in all genres, but writing about men in love suits her fancy best. Currently hanging out every Wednesday and Friday at the Menagerie Authors site, hunting Hotties for the Saturday posts, and working on the next great story brewing in her head!

The cabana boys are willing to serve, unless she needs them. She always need them. So be nice to Javier or he will bite--on command. She also masquerades under the name Wendi Zwaduk and is published through Changeling Press, Liquid Silver Books, and Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Megan’s site: http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm
Megan’s blog: http://theauthormeganslayer.blogspot.com
Megan on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5330530.Megan_Slayer
Megan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theauthormeganslayer
Megan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MeganSlayer

Monday, May 28, 2012

Another new author on the blog & giveaway!


Hello, everyone! I'm Jessica Subject, and I'm another new author on the blog, so I thought I'd introduce myself. But first, I must thank the original members of the blog, including Annie Nicholas who invited me to be a part of Paranormal Romantics. Thank you! :)

About me. Well, I'm a wife, a mother of two, and I also have a part-time job on top of all my writing. I started officially putting pen to paper when my daughter was in kindergarten. She hated reading, to the point where she would scream and cry when she had reading homework to do. I thought if I wrote her a book about something she liked (superheroes), she might enjoy reading more. Well, that story turned into my Mark of the Stars series (and the superheroes turned into aliens), which she can't read until she's much older. But now she loves reading and reads above her grade level in English, and even reads French.

My first published work is Celestial Seduction, which released in July 2011 as part of Decadent Publishing's 1Night Stand series. I have two other stories as part of this series, Beneath the Starry Sky, and Unknown Futures. The first story in The Underground scifi/dystopian series, Never Gonna Let You Go, released in January, and The Zurian Child, my first novel, and the first book in my Mark of the Stars series released in March. And in the next two days, I will have two more books releasing, Satin Sheets in Space (a 1Night Stand story) and An Unexpected Return.


Giveaway!!

For your chance to WIN an ebook copy of any of my backlist books at Decadent Publishing, simply leave a comment below with your email address. Winner will be drawn May 31, 2012.

Here's an excerpt from Satin Sheets in Space which releases tomorrow from Decadent Publishing:

“Why don’t we go somewhere else and continue this? We can get a room if you want.” She didn’t care where as long as they were off the street and had a little more privacy. The possibility of someone catching them excited her, but she didn’t want the rest of their time together interrupted.

“I have the perfect place, if you’re willing to trust me.”

How could she? She’d just met him, didn’t even know his name. Yet she refused to say no, couldn’t have him walk away and leave her alone and needy. She’d go wherever he wanted to take her, whether to a bondage dungeon or a closet. So long as he took her, over and over. Because, for once, she’d found a guy who pleasured her without her asking. She planned to return the favor as soon as they left the alley.

With one hand gripping her ass, he skimmed a finger back across her slick folds. “Well, do you?”

Only aware of her growing need, she nodded.

He returned to her slippery heat, plunging in and out. “First, tell me your name.”

“Danyka.” Her name rolled out as she moaned with his movements.

“Okay, Danyka, hold onto me.”

How could she not? He’d transformed her knees, her entire body, to jelly with his touch. She already gripped his sleeves, afraid if she let go she’d fall, slide down the wall.

Pulling some kind of remote from his pocket, he pressed the single white button on its surface. He slipped the device back into his pouch then leaned forward to reclaim her mouth.

She had her eyes closed, her lips pressed against his, when the sensation started. First, a tingling in her hands and feet, as he swept his digits deep inside her. The buzz spread up her arms and legs until it engulfed her entire body. She no longer sensed the ground below her.

The man continued to drive his fingers into her core with vigor, ridding her of the urge to pull away and find out what was happening to her. She landed with a thud, feeling returning to her limbs. Nothing stopped the man who held her, though. He continued to ravage her mouth, her jaw, her neck, keeping her pressed against the wall.

But something felt different. Gone was the hard brick pressing through her corset and against her skin. She reached behind to brush her hand along the surface. Soft. Almost like cushioned satin.

With a whimper, she pushed the strange man away. Where was she? What had she been thinking? This is the stupidest, most insane thing I’ve ever done.

The Prince Charming she’d had the fortune of being set up with peered down at her, his gaze intense and filled with lust. “My name is Galan, and we’re in my spaceship.”

At least she now knew his name, but wait…. Spaceship? She stared at the man, disillusioned. She could think of no other explanation for how they had traveled to a new location with the press of a button. Oh God, she’d been abducted by an alien. How would she get out of this situation? The first time she’d done something spur-of-the-moment, and she’d ended up being finger-fucked by an extraterrestrial.

You can find me here:


Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you next month!

All the best!
JES

Sunday, May 27, 2012

An Unchanging Costume

I was drooling over my copy of Harry Potter ~ Page to Screen (I imported it from the US as it's out of print in the UK. This is a crime, btw) and I was caught by the attention to detail of the costumes. A little spark went off in my head about how the actors and the costume designers formed the characters from the clothes they wore. (Yes, the writer in me never switches off. It's quite sad, really... ;-) )

For instance, how Harry--who the costume designer Jany Temine saw as a loner and not happy in his skin--would wear greys, black whites, because he didn't want to be noticed. Or Hermione not really having the urge to be fashionable, or seen as a 'girl' as she thought her intelligence was her greatest asset. Or Snape, with his cloak that's split up the back so the two forks slither behind him. Also, apparently, Alan Rickman can really work a cape... *grin*

This idea has given me a new angle to think about as I create my characters. It's also serendipity as I'm creating a character who has the mask of a fop and a dandy and a man far too attached to his tailor. It's little touches, like Snape's cloak, or the numerous eyes that appear cover Professor Trelawney's tunic, that speak of the character's nature and occupation.

And there's body art too. Sirius Black is not tattooed in the books, but this incredible sketch from Rob Bliss of Sirius' runic prison tats is simply...whoa. 



The reasons why he would carve all of these into his skin simply pushes too many ideas through my head. Or maybe that's just me. (This image is in the book too. That particular page is worn thin ;-) )

Now I'm away to look at Victorian tailoring--petting Sirius one last time *grin*--and fabrics. And I'm wondering how other writers tackle clothes...or you could simply join me for some Snape and Sirius love... <--so glad I'm not a fanfic writer, because...yum :D


*The title quote is from Alan Rickman, from his explanation of why he agreed to play Professor Snape.

-------------
Kim Knox brews sex, magic, darkness and technology in a little corner of North West England. She writes erotic science fiction and fantasy romance for Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, Cleis Press and others.

SYNTHETIC DREAMS and BITTER HARVEST are available now from Carina Press. 
AT THE SORCERER'S COMMAND and DARK DEALINGS coming soon

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Ten things about Voirey




Hi there! I’m Voirey Linger and… no, Voirey. VOY-ree. There is an I before the R. I know it’s a weird name, but it looks pretty, doesn’t it? Please say yes…

Maybe I should just get to the getting to know me bit.

What are ten things you should know about me? Well for starters, I’m a cat person. My cat is my furbaby and she is quite spoiled. Spend much time around me and you are guaranteed to hear about her.

I’m a voracious reader, but I read almost exclusively romance. It can be about any kind of romance, but I’m in love with the love story. I’ll read historical, contemporary, inspirational, erotica, and of course, paranormal so long as it’s a romance.

I love chocolate. The words ‘addiction’ and ‘intervention’ have been bandied about.

I love a good bout of wing sex. In books, I mean. I don’t have wings of my own.

 I’m artsy. I sing, paint, knit, write and create in as many mediums as possible.

I’m picky about my paranormal critters. If the mythos isn’t strong, I don’t want to read it or write it. I’m socially awkward in person.

I like to pretend I’m cute and witty online but I can’t promise that’s true.

 I write angels and make them dirty. I love men. I love writing them, looking at them, and doing other things with them. I like them big and bad and alphahole in books. In person, alpha is good but he’d damn well better respect me.

 I suck at math but find science fascinating.

My books have socially unacceptable language and are not recommended to be read in public.

I can’t count.

 Is there anything else you want to know?

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Good things happen to bad people

Yeah, I know that's not how it goes. But I think it's even more interesting when good things happen to bad people, instead of bad things happening to good people.
We all love a good villain, and many of us love to hate them. I often think the villain is a neglected subspecies in a book. Your bad guy needs to be as well developed as the hero and heroine.
And once you got your badass meany...let good things happen to him. It will stack the odds in his favor -- and usually against your hero.
In Howl, poor Zalin handed the villain the ultimate piece of information -- and enabled him to carry out his master plan without interference. He had no one to blame but himself, and it seriously screwed up his day.
Yep, all those good things happening for your bad guy...give the book a whole new dimension. It keeps your hero out of step, makes things that much more difficult and dangerous, and thus keeps the reader groaning right along with the unfortunate hero.
Imagine you have a valuable commodity or important information which is needed by the hero to save the heroine, but in order to get it, he has to jump a few hoops -- and he's not the only one after it.
Let him get to the safe--five minutes after the bad guy got the map out of it. Let the bad guy get hold of the only vehicle for rent. The only guide who knows the jungle. The key to the dungeon. Let him find things or be handed things just before the hero gets there. He's having all the luck, while the hero struggles to keep up, putting the heroine's ultimate safety more and more at risk.
Let the villain walk away with the only thing able to save her.
Your hero will have to be resourceful and determined, even in the face of adversity. It gets even better if both the hero and the villain have the same goal...saving the heroine. But while the hero does it for (more or less) selfless reasons...the villain might do it to gain something she has and couldn't give two hoots about what ultimately happens to her.

What I'm trying to say is, it doesn't always have to be the same old, same old. And who says you can't start out with two villains -- and no hero? Why not make your villain the hero?

I'm bored with the same format. :) I think we need to shake it up some.

I'm working on a story at the moment where the good guy is also the bad guy... Let's see if I can pull it off. :)

What do you like about villains and heroes?

Silke grew up in Germany and is used to things going bump in the night -- and it wasn't always the acrophobic cat, or someone hitting their head on a low beam on the ceiling.
She writes paranormal romance, usually at night, and blames Anne Stuart to this day for all her ambitions and strange stories, after reading one of her books.
These days the only thing going bump at "oh-dark-thirty" is her -- usually when she smacks into the sofa while creeping to the kitchen for another cup of coffee.

Silke likes to hear from her readers.
Feel free to contact her via her blog at http://www.evilauthor.com, follow her on Twitter, look her up on Goodreads or become a friend on Facebook and G+.




Howl Her books Howl and Smitten are available at all major ebook retailers. Smitten

Of Dragons and Things





*The random generator has spoken!!! CONTEST WINNER is MELISSA P., who said: "I love to read about strong woman who don't wait around for life to happen to them." Melissa, please contact me at dawnmontgomeryauthor @ gmail.com (no spaces) with your ebook format preference. Please put Paranormal Romantics Contest in the subject line.*

When I was a child, I was obsessed with fairy tales. There was nothing in the world like them. Action. Adventure. A known villain (so much better than the confusion of day to day life in elementary school...you never knew when you were the epic hero or the evil villain...on the playground and off). Swords. Sorcery. Mayhem! I was in reading heaven.

Move on to preteen angst and teenager love and it was Labyrinth, Legend, Willow, Vampire Hunter D, the magic of Kindred the Embraced (in my vampire phase), and Beauty and the Beast (the TV series),

There was just one problem.

The women were waiting to be saved. Some of the female characters were in strong positions but they were at the mercy of both the villain and the hero. While that led to some sexy tension, it definitely left me wanting. This was pre-Buffy, DarkAngel, and many other fantastic ladies who could kick some butt.

Why did the princess have to be at the mercy of the dragon and wait for the hero to rescue her? I always imagined ways she would team up with the dragon and go on other adventures. They were always hilarious and full of danger. Campy. Making fun of conventional character roles.

When I was faced with the reality of being a full-time writer, I was completely stumped. What would be my first big project? Self-doubt is a killer on creativity. When it got to be the worst, I decided to write the fairy tales I'd always wanted to read...with a sexy adult flair, of course. ;)

So I did. And Dash Ryan, dragon prince, stepped into existence. Bold alpha male. Delicious. Trapped in a spell for five hundred years. Waiting for someone to rescue him ;).

Princess Tasminia barely escapes marriage (and a horrible groom-to-be) to find herself in an enchanted room with very sexy and naked man. Chained. At her mercy.

Oh my. It sure got hot from there. No Dragon, No Problem was born.

Dash said it best when he told Tasminia...A woman is the heart of magic...

CONTEST! Leave a comment to be included in a drawing. Winner gets a copy of No Dragon, No Problem. In comments tell us what your favorite fantasy book or story was growing up. Did you get lost in Labyrinth? Fall into fiction with Anne McCaffrey? I'm dying to know, readers! Contest ends at noon CST on the 26th. Good luck!


One bound man. One desperate princess. A curse. And dragons? WTF may never be the same.

WTF Dragon: In the fairytale kingdom of Werthing Ton Fallorian (or WTF for short), fairytale folk have gone insane. With the imps of lust and wickedness on a rampage, no one is safe. Five Princesses, Five Dragons. A coincidence? I don't think so.

The Motive: Princess Tasminia deSoto has had it with her stepmother's horrid matchmaking. Tricking the princess into a surprise wedding with the narcissistic Baron Winterwood from a neighboring kingdom (of the same name) is the final straw. If only there was a dragon to be sacrificed to!

The Idea: Desperation forces her to enlist the aid of the notorious Dash Ryan, illusionist and con artist for hire. Surely the wildly entertaining (and sexy) rogue can come up with something believable. And if a princess can find a little sexual education on the side... well... that's just a plus.

The Twist: Dash Ryan has a few secrets of his own. Secrets he's more than willing to exploit for just a taste of the princess's sexual awakening. But will one taste be enough?

- Buy Now -

Have a fantastic rest of your week, readers! May you find a book that sweeps you off your feet. Keep reading!

Dawn Montgomery



Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Introducing a New Monthly Blogger!

Yes, I'm introducing myself. I'm just that cool. So let me start with a bit of a bio:

A true book aficionado, L.K. Below lives to lose herself in complex new worlds and situations. From fantasy to romance and everywhere in between, she’s made it her life’s goal to enthrall herself (and others!) with captivating tales of gutsy heroines and melt-your-heart heroes. Learn more about her at www.lbelow.net or try one of her books on for size…if you dare.

...and that tells you just about zip about me personally. So here goes.

I identify myself as author. Bookworm. History fanatic. Wannabe gamer. All-around nerd. I'm addicted to Twitter (link at bottom), spend my free time cyber stalking my favorite authors, and work nights as an Emergency Response Agent. I'm engaged to a wildly supportive Newfie, and live in St. John's, Newfoundland. And that's my life in under a hundred words.

From now on, I'll be blogging on the 23rd of every month. I have books out spanning just about every genre, but I'm refocusing my writing to center on my first love -- science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal, cumulatively what I like to call speculative fiction. Under my full name, Lindsay Below, you'll find speculative fiction for young adults. L.K. Below is my moniker for adult books -- romance and straight science fiction/fantasy (likely with romantic elements, I just can't resist). A full list of my books is available at www.lbelow.net, the design for which I created myself. Yes, I do mean to brag...it took me a damn long time to put that together. 

And since no introduction is complete without a giveaway...

Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win an ebook copy of Paramourtal, an anthology of paranormal romance stories including my shifter tale "His Familiar Touch" (details to follow shortly). In your comment, I'd like a short introduction to you. Be sure to include your email address and whether this is your first time visiting Paranormal Romantics or if you're a return customer, so to speak. Contest closes at 11:59PM EST on Saturday, May 26th.


His Familiar Touch

Unable to shift into her natural cougar form, Rikkita is an outcast among her people. Then she discovers that shifting might be possible…if she can find the right witch. Setting out on a journey of discover and desire, she meets Derek, a charming and mystifying man who may have the answer she seeks—for a price.

Read more or buy it at http://bit.ly/Paramourtal.  



L.K. Below

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

I'm going with awesome



There's a time in everyone's life when they decide if they are going to live life or if they are going to be rocking awesome.

I've decided on awesome.

Why have I decided to make this monumental decision in my life? The turning point came around Christmas. I was stressed, life was changing and though there were soooo many wonderful things in my life, all I saw were the things making me bonkers. My husband took me aside and pointed out the great things and really made me look at my life and I realized, I was living an awesome life...just didn't have the attitude to match.

So, I changed my thinking--and if you think that was easy, you're not completely wrong. Taking a turn for awesome isn't necessarily difficult, but it does take diligence. A few 'being awesome' tips I've found that really work for me.

Don't Dwell: Can you fix it today? Will replaying the conversation over and over in your head change the way the encounter went down? If the answer is no, let it go. There's value in planning and retrospect, but not a whole lot.

Do Something Spontaneous--for someone else: Did your friend have a baby eight months ago? Pick up a pack of diapers for them and drop them off with a cup of coffee and listen to them, don't puke up your own problems (if they have a newborn, they're at capacity for vomit). Are you price matching at the store and the person in front of you has a similar item? Offer to share! It doesn't take a lot to do this one. It's little things that give you human interaction and human smiles. Making other people smile adds glitter to your own life.

Be Willing to be a new Best Friend: This one is tricky, especially because people can be so darn crazy, but give it a go. It's easy to close off in times of stress. Open up, but don't make it about you! That mom you walk to school with on occasion? Invite her and her kiddos over for pizza one night! Nice family at church? Invite them over for dinner and get to know them. You might hit it off and have a fantastic new friendship. Or not. Either way, you opened up that shell and when that happens, you let awesome in and out.

It doesn't take too much to be awesome. When you do get to that point when you're seeing life as great, share the view and invite others to jump up too. Some things really are meant to be shared.

All the best!!

Stephanie Beck
www.stephaniebeck.net

Sunday, May 20, 2012

I should be writing, but I'm watching my son play video games.


Gah! And I didn't think this would be a distraction.
"Go ahead," said I, "I don't need to watch television while I work on edits."

Thinking my son's request to play his video game on the big TV would be harmless, I gave him the okay to hook up and play while I worked. Yeah, right. Have you ever watched some of these trailers? I ended up too busy watching him play, needing to see what would happen next, than working on edits.

Anyway, I found it interesting that these games are built like books. They have hooks and hangers, they have a plot and characters that engage you. Omigod, I so didn't need to see this. MY MUSE IS RATTLING MY CAGE.

Have a great weekend all. I'm going to finish watching my video game.

D L

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Seducing a Dragon

Seducing a Dragon
By Selena Illyria

It all started with wanting to write a New Year’s story and then I combined it with the Chinese Zodiac. From there it morphed into three dragons of different elements and one tiger shifter and a New Year’s she’d never forget. All of it drove me to write more about dragons. The first book I ever wrote with a dragon was Dragon Kin: Reclaimed. I was nervous. I was used to writing werewolves and vampires and other shifters, not dragons. Now I’m finding myself loving dragons. I don’t normally go into legends, I take what I know and learned and twist it to suit whatever story I’m using them in. Right now I’m working on the second story in the Dragon New Year series. Here’s a look at the first book, Dragons at Midnight:

Tiger shifter Louisa thought she’d ring in the New Year all alone little did she knew that three, sexy, younger dragon shifters plan on making sure she celebrates things right. Add a little steam, some dragon shifters with a dirty mind and some creative use of furniture and you’ve got the perfect party for four.

Sound good? I’m working on the second book, Dragon Ugly, due out in August from Etopia Press and trying to establish the personality of the water dragon. I really wanted to dive into the element and see where it would lead me. So far it’s been a learning process, but fun.

So here’s a contest for you:
What do you think a dragon should be like? Should they be all fire and hoarding treasure or something different? The winner will get a copy of Dragons at Midnight.

Se

Friday, May 18, 2012

Guest Post - Kerrianne Coombes

Fellow paranormal author, Kerrianne Coombes is guesting here for me today, celebrating her newest paranormal release!


Sara


~*~



Beauty and the Beast Demon Tales book 1

Action

In Beauty and the Beast there are quite a few action packed scenes. Each one an absolute thrill for me to write. I adore writing the ‘fun’ scenes as I call them. And I wanted to share with you my favourite one.

Cally’s mother is a complete bitch, and I just loved writing her. She is nasty, cold and utterly vicious. I think I smiled the entire time I wrote her scenes. evil laugh I think I have an inner evil queen. ;-) Anyway, in this scene, Cally has finally found her voice and is trying—for the first time ever—to tell her mother what she truly thinks of her…It doesn’t exactly go as planned. ...

Excerpt.
“To whom do you speak with that tone, daughter dear?” The sweet slide to her mother’s voice sent spiders crawling throughout Cally’s blood. Her mother took a slow step in Cally’s direction, and a smile tracked across her painted mouth. “How dare you tell me what to do?”
Cally forced her feet to stay still. Her mind screamed for her to flee, the little terrified girl inside her, begger her to apologize and to back away. But she steeled herself against her mother’s cruel smile and fought the almost uncontrollable urge to cower. This was what she had wanted—a moment alone with her mother—a moment to mete out all of the violence that clogged up her heart. But as she stared at the advancing woman all of her violent plans fell from her mind, leaving her blank and fearful.
“Please don’t make me marry him!” The words tumbled from her mouth. Her heart thudded heavily when she heard herself begging. She took a step back and hated her weakness, so much for forcing herself to stay still.
Her mother smiled, and this time Cally saw genuine enjoyment in her mother’s expression. Cold, hard dread sat suddenly in Cally’s stomach.
“You will do what is good for you, Callindra,” her mother replied. She stopped advancing and flicked her gaze to Cally’s head. The pain from the newly removed horns suddenly returned, making Cally gasp. She raised her hands to her raw scalp and winced as the nerves began to jangle anew. “You will do as I say.” Her mother laughed a cackling sound and Cally knew her mother was using magic to cause her pain. A wind began to swirl within the sealed room, papers flew around, and the curtains framing the window flapped frantically. Cally staggered backwards, still gripped by pain. The hot stabs of agony ripped into her mind, causing Cally’s legs to buckle.
Her mother laughed, throwing her head back, clearly amused by Cally’s distress. “You are an abomination!” she roared over the swirling wind. “You are a worthless runt—a mistake. You have earned me nothing but headache. But now, for once, you will be useful. You will be the perfect tool to get me a larger castle—more lands—more wealth.” The wind suddenly stopped, and silence fell. Cally leant against the oak desk, still clenching her teeth against the agony ripping through her skull. Her breaths sawed from her lungs as the pain stole her control. She gripped the edge of the desk and suppressed the need to cry. This time there was no stopping her mother.

Blurb;
When Princess Callindra of Tempath, wakes up hog-tied and bruised in the bowels of hell, she realizes that her plan to escape her up-coming marriage has gone horribly wrong. Her only hope of escape comes in the form of Brigg, cursed Rain Demon and bitter, human hating bastard. But beggars can’t be choosers.
When Brigg finds himself in possession of a human and a horde of angry demons desperate to get her back, he flees. When he realizes that she is the daughter of the witch that cursed him and his family, he believes that he has finally got the opportunity he has been hoping for. The only thing he must decide now is what is more important to him, the reversal of the curse, or revenge?
Neither one are prepared for the flame that ignites between them. But will the spark be enough to break to the curse that holds them apart



You can also find it on Barnes and Noble, AllRomance.

You can find me on twitter; Kerrianne_xx

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Can You Come Visit Me?....Again and Again?

Not "me" personally...I mean...your favorite characters in a series. I'm not just a writer, I'm also a reader! As a reader, I find myself drawn to reading series. I love them! I enjoy visiting the same characters over and over again. I'm particulary fond of suspense and mystery. You get a great puzzle to solve, while also watching the main character grow as a person, possibly improving their investigative skills. My hope when I read a series is the main character, usually a heroine, learns something, and improves her life in some way, as I read each novel in the series.

Now, reading them has made me want to "write" one myself. The first story in the series is already plotted and I hope to delve into this summer after school gets out and I have more time. Wish me luck!

Some of my favorite series are:
  • The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
    • These books really drew me in. You couldn't help but root for Katniss and applaud her for taking her sister's place in the Hunger Games and YES! I loved the movie as well.
  • The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
    • The humour and silliness keep me reading. I love Lula! And some of the stuff Stephanie and Lula get into keeps me in stitches.
  • The In Death Series by J.D. Robb
    • Roark. Enough said. I'm waiting for Dallas to get pregnant!
  • The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima
    • I love this series. Can't wait for the next book to come out this summer.
  • Rick Riordan Series
    • Seriously....The Percy Jackson Series, The Heroes of Olympus Series, and the Kane Chronicles are some of the best YA/MG paranormal series I've read. He's a master at it!
  • The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris
    • I have actually "listened" to this entire series. The latest came out this month and my next stop on the web is to purchase it so I can listen to it on my iPhone. Can't wait!
Okay...I could go on and on and on....but I won't. So. Tell me. Who and what are some of your favorite series and characters that you like to visit over and over again?

Have a great day!

Lyric
http://www.lyricjamesbooks.net/

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Do you believe in angels?



I do. My name is Deena Remiel, and I believe in angels. I haven't seen any personally, mind you, but I like the idea of angels among us, protecting us from harm. There are some pretty compelling stories out there that people have shared. Life and death stories where something intervened to save them from certain death. How does one explain that, other than to say that something paranormal occurred?


So, it got me thinking a couple of years ago. Have you ever noticed that evil deeds ebb and flow? How, for a while, all we hear about is horrendous violations of human rights? And then it subsides and we hear more philanthropic, peaceful news.What if angels do walk among us, protecting us, healing us, but also fighting against evil for the sake of humankind?  And so, these observations and musings led me to create the world of the Brethren. Nine angels contracted to manifest on earth for this very purpose. Three Protectors, three Healers, and three Warriors. 
Trinity (The Brethren Series)Relic (The Brethren Series)Brethren Beginnings Volume 1



I love the world I created. I know there's a lot of evil in it, and bad things happen. Such is the way of our own world. But there's also hope, love, and redemption. Human nature is tested, flaws are exploited, but evil is eventually vanquished and the good remain sovereign.

I'm pleased to have joined this wonderful blog, and it's fine cadre of authors, that focuses attention on all things paranormal. I look forward to presenting my corner of the paranormal realm to you each month.

Angels really do exist. Evil better start running!
Hugs,
Deena Remiel

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Dark Shadows



For Mother's day my family took me to see Dark Shadows, a light paranormal comedy starring Johnny Depp. 


"In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. Two decades pass and Barnabas has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard. A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972."


It was a movie to watch and a blast from the past. John Depp did a marvelous job as Barnabas Collins. I love this niche of the paranormal genre where you see everyday life of monsters and can sympathize with their plight. And laugh at it too. Probably why I write these types of stories.


Not to mention, that even with all the dark make-up, Johnny is still hot.  Not a bad Mother's day present.


The movie is based on the TV series Dark Shadow, which can be found on Netflix.


As well as a movie, my family took me out to a new Chinese restaurant where my fortune cookie told me I was a happy man.  O-O  Did I miss something?






Monday, May 14, 2012

led astray...to the dark side



Phew. I seriously wasn't sure if I'd be able to make my first post on the Paranormal Romantics, because my baby--my Mac--decided to not start up. After a reinstall, it's time to rebuild bookmarks and rewrite the works-in-progress.
Panic over.
And, squee, my first blog post on Paranormal Romantics is perfectly timed as I have a new release next week. The first in a brand new paranormal series -- we're talking zombies and vampires and all kinds of things that go bump in the dark. Bump and hump. It's super different from my usual style. Much darker. And snarky. I honestly can say I'm amazed my imagination was even capable of... mwahahaha-ness. Or that I'd enjoy writing such smut and scares. So I've gone from sweet Irish kisses and rock and roll hotties to a sadistic vampire having a zombie lover who isn't exactly Tupperware fresh anymore, telling stories so hot and graphic that I'd blush big time if my mother ever read them.
And it all kicks off with Strange and Beautiful on 22nd May.

So what was the inspiration that led me astray to the dark side?
An amazing artist with such unique flair and talent. I was watching one of her youtube live performances and Estella, Vampire Queen of the Rejected, just came to me. Literally. The artist is Emily Autumn. From her Neo-Victorian vibe right down to the lyrics of her songs. Ideas poked and prodded at my creative juices....
Estella was born. The fictional character I'd created in my mind simply bombarded me with ideas and plots, and wouldn't quit with her snark until I wrote her first introduction and story. This is where Lucy was created. She had to have a partner in crime. Someone who could help tell her stories and keep all her needs tended to. Well, I felt kinda sorry for her, having been left at the altar by Dracula. Yup. that's right. Estella is Dracula's mysterious 4th bride. Well, not quite. Because she never got the ring on her finger. And she's still cut up about it. Think of her as a vampire Mrs Haversham. Only her 'visitors' are folks looking for a tour of the York Cemetery house she lives in. But they get something quite different. A smutty story. Such visitors should be warned, though. More often than not, they don't make it out alive.

Where was the most surprising place your imagination has ever taken  you?

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mother's Day!


I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to join the awesome writers here at Paranormal Romantics! I’ll be popping up with a blog post on the thirteenth of every month from now on – not only do I not have triskaidekaphobia (fear of the #13), the last three digits of my driver’s license are “666”. So apparently bad numbers do good things for me LOL. 

Since today is Mother’s Day, I thought I’d give you a true story about my Mother, with a slight paranormal twist, ok? (Next month I’ll happily talk more about myself and my paranormal and SF books LOL)

When I was in high school an indeterminate time ago, our Spanish Club worked very hard to raise enough money to take a field trip to Mexico City over spring break. (This was in a time before all the drug wars and etc.). Since we lived in Alabama, we traveled by bus. I don’t know how it is in Mexico these days but when we went, the driving in some areas was somewhat informal, erratic and at your own risk, or so it seemed to me. Didja ever see the scene in “Romancing the Stone” where Joan Wilder is on that bus that isn’t going to Cartagena? Always reminds me of our trip!

We had a Greyhound bus until we reached the border and after that, we were on a chartered, locally owned bus.  So we’re driving through the night to reach some destination on the tour when our bus driver played chicken with a rundown old truck. Not sure who won, but we ended up heeled over in a ditch, shaken and bruised but unharmed. Nice guy G, who had a crush on me, and sexy senior, bad boy W, who of course I had a crush on, got me out of the bus and up to the road’s shoulder. (Yes,they helped the other girls too but hey, I’m the main character in this story!)

I looked at my watch – it was 2:45 AM Alabama time – and said to the guys, “Wow, I’m so not telling my mom about this or she’d totally freak out.”


Eventually the charter company got us another bus, we went on our way.  When we finally got to the hotel, hours later, there was a message for me to call my Dad at the office back in Alabama. Now at this time, international calling was a VERY big deal, very expensive, not an easily done thing and I was terrified something bad had happened at home. So the hotel switchboard operator and I managed to get through to my Dad and the first thing he said was, “Were you in an accident?”

“Why do you ask?” I said, stalling for time.

“Because your mother sat bolt upright out of a sound sleep at 2:45 this morning and told me you’d been in a bus crash but that you were all right, then laid down and went back to sleep.”

I STILL get goose bumps thinking about it! Mothers know, don’t they? Happy Mother’s Day to you!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Boring vs Routine

Available at Pink Petal Books
 and Amazon 
Hello everyone, I'm Lyncee Shillard. I'm very excited to be a part of this group.  In my recent release, Taking A Risk – a part of the Dangerous Men Dangerous Place anthology – Leigh is dumped by her fiancé for being boring, this spurs her to 'take a risk' – kayaking down the Amazon.  She ends up with a lot more than she bargained for ;)
So when does routine become something done out of boredom? I do laundry every Saturday. This is part of my weekend routine so does make me a boring person? Is my hubby getting ready to pack up? (First, he'll wait for the laundry to be finished or take dirty socks). How do you add 'spice' to an average life?  I've tried different things throughout the years some worked – some not so much. Like trying a new recipe once a week. This didn't add zing but it did result in stress. Finding the recipe, buy the ingredients, and having a plan B if we hated it.  I've done 'theme' night once a month when my kiddos were younger. It would be centered around a movie or game. But then the kiddos got older and wanted to hang out with friends…and now they have moved out. 
So once again I'm faced with am I boring? Or a creature of routine? I'd love to hear of some of the ways you 'take a risk.'

Friday, May 11, 2012

Joy and Despair!

Don't ya just love writing?

I do. I really do. Since I started writing seriously, I've been happier than at any other point in my adult life. It works for me. If I want to brainstorm while hiking, I can do that. If I want to brainstorm while sprawled out on the couch, I can do that, too. I've met many fabulous people in the writing community, both online and at conferences. What I like best about writing is the fact that I'm creating something truly mine. I was a musician for years, and I always envied composers and jazz players who improvised their own stuff. No matter how "good" or "artistic" I became, I was still just playing notes penned by someone else. Now, I get to be the composer. I've never known anything more fulfilling.

Despite my love affair with my job, I still have days like the one pictured above. It seems like there's always something. A rejection. A bad review. Marketing struggles. An inbox that's empty when it should be anything but. My skin is very thick, but even though I do well not taking troubles personally, the publishing business can be downright painful some days. Joy and despair in one neat package called "being a writer."

And that's a beautiful thing.

Why? Well, for years I went to a job I didn't care about on a good day and hated on a bad day. When things went wrong, I didn't care! Yes, there was stress when trouble flooded the day job, but ultimately I hurried home at the end of the day eager to do and think about something, anything, else.

These days I'm a workaholic. For once, I actually like what I do enough to feel something when things go wrong. Hallelujah!

Since this is my first post at Paranormal Romantics (thank you so much for having me!) and I'm a paranormal author, I'd like to share some angel flash fiction. :-)


It takes a lot to surprise a guardian angel.
On a clear day one spring, I received more than a surprise. My human of eighty-six years had died, and as always, the universe automatically paired me with the next human born. I found and stood over the infant as I had done countless times in the past, but for the first time in my existence, the new father met my gaze and held the child out to me.
You see, the archangel Chamuel had sired a son with a human.
At the moment of the child’s birth, the Powers, the angels who govern Heaven, declared that the half-human abomination had to die. Chamuel had bought his son a few precious, private moments by swearing to the Powers that he would atone for his crime by doing the deed himself. However, Chamuel had something else in mind.
Me.
Me, a common, unremarkable guardian angel. Chamuel, one of the seven great archangels, got to his knees before me and begged for his child’s life.
On one hand, I wanted to help. It was, after all, my purpose to protect my charge from threats originating in the spirit world--usually demons and malicious human spirits, but a threat was a threat. However, we were never allowed to interfere with human affairs, an ancient edict enforced by our inability to assume a corporeal, human visage. Only archangels and a few select others could walk among man in a flesh and blood body.
“I’m just a guardian angel.”
“If you are willing, I will make you able. Please.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, then met the father’s gaze. “In that case, I am loyal to your son first, and Heaven second.”
He drew in a shaky breath. “Thank you.”
Chamuel got to his feet, his human visage as solid as the infant he clutched to his chest. He kissed the child’s cheek and murmured something in his ear. His hand shook as he stroked the wisps of hair on the boy’s head.
He grasped my shoulder with one hand. My body solidified under his touch with a lurch that left me queasy. My wings faded out of sight, though I still felt them. The white pants and jacket I wore darkened into jeans and a brown coat.
He handed me the baby, and for the first time ever, I touched the human--well, half human--entrusted to my care.
An archangel’s son.
Chamuel dissolved into his true form. His brilliant, glowing wings filled the room.
I lowered my gaze out of habitual respect. “Does the child have a name?”
A brief pause. “My son’s name is Benediction.”
“Ben?”
“Yes… Ben.” A smile filled his voice.
“I will keep Benediction safe.”
“He…is not to know of me.” Chamuel’s wings drooped. “It would be dangerous if he ever tried to contact me.”
“And his mother?”
“The Powers have already wiped her memory of us,” he said, his tone bitter.
“I’m sorry.”
“You have my undying gratitude. You’ll find everything you need to make your way in the human world in your pocket.” He bent and lightly kissed the infant’s toes. He stared at the child a moment longer, then vanished.
Though I had the right to defy the Powers by protecting the child, I was but one against Heaven’s army of thousands. My only chance was to vanish. I fled the tiny house and disappeared into the sea of humanity.


 END

Cheers and have a great weekend everyone!

Sarah
~***~
Sarah Gilman is a paranormal romance author with a thing for wings. Debut novel Out in Blue now available. http://www.sarahgilmanbooks.blogspot.com