Spooktacular: Christine Warren howls
October 31, 2007
Christine Warren shares some bounty with TGTBTU’s readers. Her new book, Howl at the Moon, comes out tomorrow.Â
 Here’s the book blurb:
Noah Baker never wanted to betray The Others. But if his military commanders want him to covertly investigate a Lupine scientist—whose extraordinary research on sensory perception in werewolves could be used to develop werewolf-sharp senses in human soldiers—Noah must oblige. Even if it means deceiving the woman he desires the most.
Â
Samantha Carstairs is the personal assistant to the Alpha of the Silverback Clan, and as best friend to the Lupine community’s most brilliant scientist, she is privy to its most dangerous secret. Noah knows that Sam will never leak the scientific research…so he must find another way to get it, while keeping Sam close. But someone else is after Sam’s secret. Who is the other spy infiltrating The Others? If their genetic secrets get into the wrong hands, all hell could break loose. Now Noah’s true loyalty is put to the test as he fights to protect The Others—and his beloved Sam—and find the imposter…before it’s too late.
Comment by 2am CDT tonight (using the blog timestamp) and win the following prize…Â
 Hi all!
I can offer one lucky winner a full set of signed paperbacks:
- No Rest for the Witches (anthology, my signature only)
- Wolf at the Door, the Others Book 1
- She’s No Faerie Princess, the Others Book 2
- The Demon You Know, the Others Book 3
- Howl at the Moon, the Others Book 4 (due out Nov 1st)
 
Howlingly yours,
Christine Warren
Spooktacular: EXCLUSIVE Excerpt of The Beast Within by Lisa Renee Jones
October 31, 2007
The wonderful Lisa Renee Jones shares an EXCLUSIVE (and unedited) excerpt with TGTBTU’s readers. Her new Silhouette Nocturne novel, The Beast Within, releases tomorrow, 1 Nov 07.
Here’s a link to some recommended pre-reading. It will help you understand what is going on in this excerpt.
So without further ado…
End of Chapter Seven and all of Chapter Eight…
Karen paced the bedroom floor, her stomach fluttering with a combination of worry and just plain sickness. She hadn’t slept. Hadn’t eaten. Hadn’t stopped worrying since she’d gotten that telegram from Eva saying Mike was dead.
A rush of nausea came over her and Karen paused, pressing her palm to her forehead. God. She didn’t have time to feel sick but her body wasn’t cooperating. It wanted rest. If only she’d slept on the plane instead of worrying and working on her article.
Why wouldn’t they let her see Eva?
She shouldn’t have come here. She didn’t even know if this healer treating Eva was a real doctor. She had to get her sister to another hospital. Besides, something wasn’t right here. What exactly had she walked into? How could the man from the airport be here?
They were acting like they couldn’t trust her and her sister. She’d seen all those big, burly men. It seemed like she should be the scared one, not them. So what was going on? Why treat them like this? Clearly, her sister was injured. It wasn’t like she was lying.
And what harm could two women, without weapons - which they had searched her for when they locked her in the room - do to a bunch of macho men like these guys?
Her mind went back to the leader. To the man from the airport. Karen couldn’t quite get her mind around his presence. Of course, her body had grasped the concept quite easily. Even tired, he’d drawn a sizzling reaction. A reaction she felt guilty as heck for. The man had her locked in a room, captive for all practical purposes, forbidding her from seeing her sister, and Karen had managed to get all lusty over him. How sick was that?
Read more
Spooktacular: Contest! I vant to bite your book - closed
October 31, 2007
And your neck! I’m hungry!
We’ve got a marvelous prize pack of the three ARCs of Lynsay Sands‘ new Argenau Vampire books:
- The Accidental Vampire (Argeneau Vampires, Book 7)
- Vampires are Forever (Argeneau Vampires, Book 8 )
- Vampire, Interrupted (Argeneau Vampires, Book 9)
- Plus some other little goodies that Gwen apparently has been trying to steal from Syb. ;)Â
All you need to do to enter to win this fabuloso prize pack is comment about vampires on this post. What’s your favorite part of vampire lore? Favorite vampire movies? Favorite vampire hero? How realistic are vampires in fiction compared to what could happen in real life?
I might love someone forever if they comment about the changing myths about vampires over time and how that reflected the society that it came from. Of course that may be asking for a lot. . .
Be sure to comment on this post about vampires and a winner will be randomly selected to win the three ARCs and the goody bag of toys.
Spooktacular: Deborah Cooke Wants to be a Princess in Drag(on)!
October 31, 2007
For Halloween, I want to be a…
Doesn’t everyone? Think of the perks - the pointy hat with the veil on the end (haven’t you always wanted one of those?); the floaty dresses made of satin and velvet and brocade; staff to schlep the dry cleaning. A turreted castle with every luxury at your fingertip. Legions of princes doing the Entry Interview with Dad to get to court you - as well as the occasional pauper with aspirations.
And a dragon.
Not on your list? Well, dragons were always on mine. I’ve always wanted a lean mean fighting machine of my own, a fabulous fabled beast that looked jewelled in the candlelight. Who wouldn’t want a man who could turn in on when he wanted to, one who kept a golden treasure hoard of his very own, one always ready to rip out throats in defense of his lady love.
Who had to be - if you check your fairy tales - a princess, a virgin or a damsel-in-distress. I’m not much for being in distress and we won’t even talk about the other option.
I’ve always been fascinated with dragons and now I understand why I always wanted to dress as a princess at Halloween. It was my favourite costume - my mother and I routinely argued over a princess’s needs for boots, a hat and mitts, maybe (on snowy Halloweens) a jacket under her flowing gossamer gown. I knew that such things, although warm, would trash the ethereal princess look, but never won the argument. (Being six years old bites.)
Maybe that’s why I don’t have a dragon of my own yet. They must be picky, these dangerous dudes who breathe fire and have a taste for maidens. They must be worth the trouble, despite their tempers and their inevitable damage to the upholstery. So, I’ve created a world of dragons of my very own in a new series of fantasy romances called Dragonfire.Â
They’re sexy hunks, these shape shifting dragon dudes, and I’m having a lot of fun telling their stories. You can meet Quinn, the first one of my Pyr dragon warriors, in February ‘08Â in KISS OF FIRE.
Even better, add a comment here and you can win the drawing for an Advance Reading Copy of KISS OF FIRE! They look like this.
Signed,
Deborah Cooke
Fairy Princess
Spooktacular: The Beast Within by Lisa Renee Jones **NEW Release**
October 31, 2007
The Beast Within is Lisa Renee Jones introduction into her new Silhouette Nocturne series, The Knights of White . It will be followed in March 2008 with Beast of Desire and Beast of Darkness in July 08.
Known only as ‘Jag’, he leads the Knights of White against the soulless Darkland Beasts who took his wife and his life. Jag is immortal, destined to live with the vengeance he feels in his heart. And the dreams that haunt his soul. Sensual dreams of a woman. Dreams that threaten to unleash the beast within…
Karen Gibson is an innocent mortal, unwittingly thrown into this millenia-old battle, and, unwillingly, under Jag’s protection. She and Jag are about to discover that they have met before - in the dreams they share.
Neither trusts the other. Neither can survive alone. The secret of those erotic dreams may be all that saves them - if Jag can only accept it. At risk is Karen’s life. And Jag’s immortal soul…
Knights of White: These demon hunters fight for all that is good…
Lisa Renee was telling me Nocture is going to get somewhat hotter. At least with some of their authors, they have signed on a few old EC authors. You can read a bit of it on her site. And then stick around… will have have an exclusive taste for your later today.
Spooktacular: E.C. Sheedy feeds your inner demon
October 31, 2007
The Irish, and their Celtic ancestors, take most of the credit for our celebration of Halloween—but then the Irish do like their fun! And when so many Irish came to America to escape the 1840’s potato famine, they brought Hallowe’en with them.
Want a recipe for an Irish supper—often associated with Halloween on the Emerald Isle? Try this, if you dare… ;-)
1 head of Cabbage (green)
3 pounds of potatoes
1 medium onion
Butter to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional other ingredients: milk, cream, leeks, chives, garlic, boiled ham, or Irish bacon
- Boil the potatoes, drain and mash them (no lumps allowed).
- Chop up the cooked cabbage and sauté in the butter until soft.
- Mix into the potatoes.
- Pile it in mounds on hot plates and put a well of butter in the middle of each mound.
Carbs? Did I hear someone say carbs? Oh, hell, between this recipe and all the sugar brought home by the trick-or-treaters Halloween is pretty much a diet write off anyway.
Spooktacular: Jennifer Estep wants all your candy
October 30, 2007
What do I want to dress up as for Halloween this year?
Easy. Whatever gets me the most candy. 
Everybody knows that’s the real point of Halloween. The reason we dress up like butterflies and ghosts and superheroes. Sure, it’s fun and make us feel all girly-girl feminine or kick-ass strong, depending on whether you’re a fairy princess or Wonder Woman. But we also expect to be rewarded for it at the end of the night –with candy.
Like the song goes, I want candy. And lots of it.
At RWA this year, someone compared my Bigtime superhero series to “book candy.” I think that’s a pretty cool description for them — and romance books in general. In honor of Halloween and all that sweet, sweet candy coming my way, I’d thought I’d share what I’ll be picking out of my plastic orange pumpkin to read with some popular romance genres.
For the paranormals on my shelf, there really is only one choice — dark chocolate. All those dark, dangerous men deserve an equally dark, luscious treat to go with them. Don’t you think?
Historicals, you say? I’d have to go with something a bit more upscale and refined, like English toffee with chopped walnuts. Or perhaps some chewy caramels with just a hint of vanilla in them.
Romantic comedies deserve to be enjoyed with something just as light and fun as they are. M&Ms come to mind.
When reading a contemporaries, I usually grab a classic Hershey bar. Milk or dark chocolate, you decide.
A sweet or inspirational romance? I’m going for the candy apple, which is all sweet and sugary on the outside. And inside, there’s fruit. Real fruit, so it’s good for you, too. Right? Right.
As for my books, well, I’d suggest a Dum Dum lollipop. Sweet, simple sugar. Nothing too complicated, not too much angst. Just a sugar rush when you finish it.
Of course, I haven’t even discussed half the Halloween candy out there, like Snickers and Three Musketeers and Tootsie Rolls. So many books, so much candy, so little time…
What about you? What kind of book candy will you curl up with this Halloween? What do you hope to get in your pumpkin? Inquiring minds want to know… Comment here and get a chance to win a Karma Girl and a Hot Mama t-shirt.
Yours in nougat,
Jennifer Estep
Spooktacular: Devon dates a zombie! / NOW with contest!
October 30, 2007
Zombie of My Dreams? Not Likely.
by Devon
I’ve got monsters on the brain. Not surprising, given the season and all. Things that go bump in the night are everywhere, from my local Target to all the Halloween books and shows my kids have been overdosing on The Nightmare Before Christmas (back-to-back three times Saturday afternoon), to the elaborate lawn displays put out by some of my neighbors.
As I watch yet another Scooby Doo movie, I can’t help but compare the depictions of all things creepy and monstrous to the characters to be found in my favorite subgenre, the paranormal romance. How do authors take creatures meant to inspire fear and horror, and make them into heroes and heroines, objects of desire and romance?
The reasons for the appeal of the paranormal romance are numerous, in my opinion, and require multiple posts for me to explain all my theories. So I’ll spare you. But, how to make undead bloodsuckers and hairy wolfmen romantically appealling?
Putting it simplistically, it’s a matter of taking out the ugly, and leaving in the power and strength. Let’s look at perennial favorites the vampire and the werewolf. We don’t want a romance vamp to look like Count Orlok or even Bela Lugosi. Nor do we want our werewolves to look like that guy. He must be human enough not to squick a reader out. It’s the power and strength that we are drawn to, the heightened senses, the abilities no regular man has.
But along with the physical ugly, the ugliness of their powers must be downplayed. The vampire doesn’t drink blood for fun, but to survive (and it is often a source of angst). The shapeshifter turns into a wolf because it is what he is, he must. Not to terrorize necking teenagers or whatever. But what about the other creatures?
With the popularity of paranormal romance, we have seen a diversification. Witness the rise of the demon (a romanticization of the embodiment of evil). The shapeshifter romance has been branching out. There’s a number of big cats (especially lions), and quite a few dragons. Birds of prey. You’ve got a few selkies (half-man/half-seals from Celtic folklore). I think I’ve seen a dolphin story.
But this ties back into the ugly thing. These animals are predatory, beautiful, strong, almost elegant. There may be more wereanimals coming our way, but I bet we’re not getting a were-rat, a were-vulture or a were-cow hero anytime soon. Only cool animals need apply. What else? Fairies and elves? Notoriously good looking. Witches and sorcerers don’t count, neither do humans with extrasensory powers. I know there’s some gargoyle books out there, and I read one with a Yeti, though I doubt Yeti romances will catch on any time soon.
So what “monsters” will never be attractive subjects for romance? Zombies get my vote, as do mummies. Undead is one thing. Dead and shuffling around, possibly drooling, is another. You never see a zombie with a personality. Also Leprechauns. Too short and I can’t get past the association with Lucky Charms and a bad movie franchise.
What underrepresented supernatural creature would you like to see get a chance at true love? And alternately, what creepy crawly do you never want to see get his own sex scene? Devon will pick a comment to win a Zombie pack of three Berkley Books.
PS: If anyone knows of a decent zombie or leprechaun romance, pass it on. I always try to keep an open mind. For more ramblings on romance, particularly of the paranormal kind, visit my blog Is that a Stake in Your Pocket? And Happy Halloween!
Spooktacular: A Cunning Contest
October 30, 2007
On Thursday November 1st, the day after Halloween, we will award three prizes to the posters in EC Sheedy’s Spooktacular Story. The prizes will be bunches o’ books and not ‘just’ books but paranormal fiction!
One Spooktacular bunch o’books will be Zebra titles
One Spooktacular bunch o’books will be Brava titles
One Spooktacular bunch o’books will be Aphrodisia titles
Each bunch o’books will have at least five titles, maybe more. Stay tuned for more info… I need to get some deets from the Spooktacular Mistress of Randomness.
Spooktacular: Duck Soup Contest
October 30, 2007
Share some fun and yummy Spooktacular recipes and you could win a prize to be quacked (prize packs from a publisher - but we’re not sure which yet)!
And n-o-o-o-o, it has to be more than “Melt caramels. Dip apples. Eat.” You can share as many recipes as you want, but only one entry per person. Since the only fair way to judge them would be to make and eat them all, I’ll do a random drawing from all eligible recipes shared in the comments for this post. If you’ve already tried any of the recipes entered, feel free to give it your lip-smackin’ endorsement!
Here’s a couple of easy ones:
Fall Fruit Tray & Fruit Dip (this is so pathetically easy and good)
1-container CoolWhip Extra Creamy (size optional)
Lemon zest to taste
Fold together, adjust for taste
- Garnish with extra lemon zest.
- Slice fruit to dip. Apples and pears - the more flavorful and colorful the better (for example, Granny Smiths and Royal Galas) - grapes, strawberries, etc. Note: To prevent the sliced fruit from turning brown, toss it in cold water with Fruit Fresh. Drain well.
- Arrange (with peel colors showing) on a bed of colorful leafy greens (purple leaf kale looks particularly nice).
I found this recipe the other day and can’t wait to try it. Have any of you already tried it? Whatcha think?
PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE, From the Black Cat Cafe & Bakery, Sharon Springs, NY
1/4 cup butter, room temperature (plus a little extra to grease the pan)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup fresh pumpkin seeds, shelled, washed, dried and toasted (can find shelled in grocery stores)
- Line a 9X13 inch pan with foil or parchment and grease with extra butter.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in sugar and corn syrup, and bring to a boil.
- Stir constantly(or edges will burn) 5-8 minutes until mixture reaches 280-degrees F on a candy thermometer.
- Stir in pumpkin seeds.
- Pour mixture quickly into prepared pan, if necessary spread with back of a greased spoon.
- Let cool completely until hardened. Break into pieces as desired.
Okay, your turn! Lay some Spooktacular nummies of the season on me for a chance to win a prize. It can be recipe ideas for kids, family parties, hanging out with friends, or whatever. C’mon… make me hungry!
