Fictional Candy: October 2012

Tara Stogner Wood

Amazon Author Page

Trish Marie Dawson

Amazon Author Page

Miranda Stork

Amazon Author Page

Other links

Website www.moonrosepublishing.com

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MoonRosePublishing

CONTEST

Moon Rose Publishing, to celebrate its newest release, is also having a huge contest over on Facebook and their website!

One grand prize winner will win:

Five free ebooks, including a copy of the Once Upon A Twisted Time anthology

A personalised fairytale ring from http://www.etsy.com/shop/Coryographies

Once Upon A Twisted Time postcards and bookmarks

Exclusive charm necklace and bookmark from Tara Stogner Wood

Exclusive Once Upon A Twisted Time glossy poster.

And three runners up will win;

Five free ebooks, including a copy of the Once Upon A Twisted Time anthology

And bookmark and postcard swag!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Character Post/Giveaway: Wingless & Damned by Dawn White

Wingless and Damned

Dawn White

Alexander is the Alpha wolf of the Neuri werewolf tribe, set to destroy anything associated with the dreaded strigoi. Lea is a magnificent Fae -- or so she believed but she soon discovers she may not be after all. With Alexander, Lea’s and basically the worlds fate is in the hands of the mated pair. They must act fast and not just on the revenge they so desperately need. Can their love save us all? As Lea and Alexander’s souls hang in the balance they come to realize we are all a little Damned.

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CHARACTER POST

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My name is Alexander. Maybe you know me from Wingless and Damned. Since you have last read about me I have buried my younger brother at the same time as trying to make this mated relationship with Lea work. My brother Gaius and I are seeking a revenge that we feel in our very core. Those that have harmed my tribe and brother will pay. I will rest at nothing to destroy anything or anyone associated with the monsters responsible.

Lea and I are still trying to save the souls of all the mortals of the world. Don’t you think that humanity deserves someone to do something horrible to save them?! I do, and I am certainly that warrior. When the faery Queen of Nalla Vareim gets involved everyone is in peril.

My next adventure “Wingless and Forsaken” will be available in 2013. If you haven’t read “Wingless and Damned” you don’t know what you’re missing.

Find Dawn White Online

Website

Facebook

Character Post/Giveaway: Wingless & Damned by Dawn White

Wingless and Damned

Dawn White

Alexander is the Alpha wolf of the Neuri werewolf tribe, set to destroy anything associated with the dreaded strigoi. Lea is a magnificent Fae -- or so she believed but she soon discovers she may not be after all. With Alexander, Lea’s and basically the worlds fate is in the hands of the mated pair. They must act fast and not just on the revenge they so desperately need. Can their love save us all? As Lea and Alexander’s souls hang in the balance they come to realize we are all a little Damned.

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CHARACTER POST

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My next adventure “Wingless and Forsaken” will be available in 2013. If you haven’t read “Wingless and Damned” you don’t know what you’re missing.

Find Dawn White Online

Website

Facebook

Monday, October 29, 2012

Review: Undead by Kirsty McKay

Title: Undead
Series: Undead #1
Author: Kirsty McKay
Published: September 2012
Format: Ebook received from NetGalley

Out of sight, out of their minds: It's a school-trip splatter fest and completely not cool when the other kids in her class go all braindead on new girl Bobby.

The day of the ski trip, when the bus comes to a stop at a roadside restaurant, everyone gets off and heads in for lunch. Everyone, that is, except Bobby, the new girl, who stays behind with rebel-without-a-clue Smitty.

Then hours pass. Snow piles up. Sun goes down. Bobby and Smitty start to flirt. Start to stress. Till finally they see the other kids stumbling back.

But they've changed. And not in a good way. Straight up, they're zombies. So the wheels on the bus better go round and round freakin' fast, because that's the only thing keeping Bobby and Smitty from becoming their classmates' next meal. It's kill or be killed in these hunger games, heads are gonna roll, and homework is most definitely gonna be late.

Bobby is the new girl in school, and she is on her way home from a class ski trip. She and all of her classmates are on a bus, and they’ve stopped off at a restaurant for lunch. Bobby stays on the bus, along with Smitty, super hot class rebel. Every class needs one of them, right?

Right from page one I was into this book. And right away it jumps into the action. To me, this book felt like the movie Alive (get it??) meets Dawn of the Dead, with some fun twists and some B movie type action. There are lots of pop culture references. Luckily I am as cool as I am, and I knew the deets. Ahem….*cough*

Zombies!!!!!!!!! Oh my god, they are everywhere!!!!!!!!!! Look at that couple over there!!!!!!! That creepy older guy!!!! The waitress!!!!!!!!!! Holy crap!!!!

Luckily Alice, ultra pain in the butt cheerleader, comes rushing out in a crazy dash and warns Smitty and Bobby that something is definitely not cool. Ok, now we are up to three survivors. But wait, we will find more!

I totally need this book to be made into a movie. I’ve seen a lot of reviews remarking on its hilarity, its even marketed as such. Yes, there are some funny quips and something involving vegetables that would lend itself terrifically to the silver screen. But personally, I wouldn’t call this comedy. I mean, it’s a teen book about zombies. It’s not about people who are actually prepared for this. But Bobby makes a really great unexpected heroine. And Smitty is a great hero who also has the fine ability to provide some alpha-traits and swoon-worthy moments.

There are lots of twists and turns, and tons of action. Add in some conspiracy and drama, and you are in for one hell of a ride. If you haven’t read Undead yet, I think you definitely should – before the zombies come. And Unfed, book 2, is coming out soon. So Be Ready.

Follow Kirsty Online

Review: Undead by Kirsty McKay

Title: Undead
Series: Undead #1
Author: Kirsty McKay
Published: September 2012
Format: Ebook received from NetGalley

Out of sight, out of their minds: It's a school-trip splatter fest and completely not cool when the other kids in her class go all braindead on new girl Bobby.

The day of the ski trip, when the bus comes to a stop at a roadside restaurant, everyone gets off and heads in for lunch. Everyone, that is, except Bobby, the new girl, who stays behind with rebel-without-a-clue Smitty.

Then hours pass. Snow piles up. Sun goes down. Bobby and Smitty start to flirt. Start to stress. Till finally they see the other kids stumbling back.

But they've changed. And not in a good way. Straight up, they're zombies. So the wheels on the bus better go round and round freakin' fast, because that's the only thing keeping Bobby and Smitty from becoming their classmates' next meal. It's kill or be killed in these hunger games, heads are gonna roll, and homework is most definitely gonna be late.

Follow Kirsty Online

Guest Post/Giveaway: See Me by Natalie-Nicole Bates

See Me

Natalie-Nicole Bates

Carly Anders is hearing voices in her head. Another one of her kind is trying to contact her. She knows of the malevolent freaks—others who are eternal like her and seek out the weak to inflict pain upon. For years, Carly has held up huge protective walls to keep herself and her secrets safe. Now, physically and mentally exhausted, Carly needs protection and rest.She accepts the invitation to visit an internet friend who needs help appraising a collection of antique photographs. The situation is not ideal, but Carly hopes a male presence in her life will deter the determined suitor who haunts her thoughts and dreams.

Daniel Tremont is not what Carly is expecting.The former funeral director has a secret of his own. Not only is he eternal like Carly, he is her creation from all those years before—her abomination she thought she killed.

Daniel has been searching for Carly for years. He knows she is the piece of his life that he has been missing for so long. Now that he has found her, he has no intentions of letting her go.

Delving Into the Paranormal Genre

By Natalie-Nicole Bates

If you asked me two years year ago what I write, I would have told you without any hesitation, I write contemporary romance. Indeed, my first novel sale was a contemporary romance called Change of Address.

A while back, I won an auction where the prize was a three chapter critique of a current work-in-progress by an established editor. The who and where the editor works is not important, it was the results of the critique. The first thing that caught my attention was that the editor told me to watch the fantastical elements of my hero, that they weren’t really suited for contemporary romance.

This comment got me thinking. I always was the kind of writer who liked the more unusual aspects in a hero—ethereal eyes, long hair, tattoos, body piercings, killer chin beards. But somehow my hero had transcended the contemporary and was what? I wasn’t so sure. Then it hit me: Maybe it was time to try writing paranormal.

I have always been drawn to the allure of the paranormal genre. But as a book reviewer, I have seen it all—vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters. With the influx of television shows such as The Walking Dead, even zombies were turning up with alarming regularity. The paranormal genre has always been popular, but has literally exploded over the last few years. Writers are writing it well, too. While I felt an inclination towards the genre, I knew that if I wanted to write paranormal, I was going to have to conceive a new twist on it.

I found my inspiration quickly.

I am an avid collector of Victorian and Edwardian-era photographs. To me, there is much beauty in these black and white stills. This past spring, I found a photograph from an online seller that completely captivated me. The size of a postcard, but printed on a much thicker stock was the image of a funeral home (I come from a long line of folks in the funeral care business). Outside, a very handsome man stands proudly with his hands clasped in front of him, most likely one of the owners at the time. Although the photo is slightly faded, you can still clearly make out the reflection in the glass of a black funeral carriage tied with elaborate ribbons. The back of the photo reads in very elegant script, Week of Oct-11-1896.

Although the photo was pricy, I splurged and bought it for myself.

When I finally held it in my hands, I was in love. I then wondered, was it possible to use my love of Victorian photography as a way to put a new spin on a paranormal character?

It was then that an idea occurred to me. What if a very lovely lady who is just starting out in the funeral business buys this particular funeral home, determined to restore it to its former glory. And what would happen if one night this woman was visited by the very handsome man in the photo who claims to still own the funeral home?

To me, the idea seemed like a good one. Adam wasn’t a ghost or a vampire, although readers have speculated that he is a vampire because of his magnetism. I love that the story has sparked debate! The closest I could describe him is as a dybbuk. In Jewish folklore, a dybbuk is the wandering soul of a dead person that enters the body of a living person and controls his or her behavior. But even a dybbuk isn’t quite accurate.

So, Antique Charming was a success. But it was a short story. Would it be possible to write something longer?

Once again, I returned to my photographs. I had recently bought a Carte de Viste (1860’s) of a beautiful little girl about age 3, her photo surrounded by a memorial wreath. In my mind, Baby Charlotte was born.

SEE ME begins in 1896, where we meet sixteen year old Charlotte. Charlotte always knew she was special, but never knew why. She believed it all stemmed from a near drowning incident when she was three. An incident her family members refused to speak of.

Her hunch comes true one day in 1896 during a lumber yard fire when her true powers reach fruition.

One very small photograph from the 1860’s suddenly became one huge idea for a novella.

I then went in search of my Daniel Tremont, the hero of SEE ME. Daniel’s inspiration is a magnificent 1860’s Daguerreotype of a young man. The matt on this photograph is purple, which is usually the colour of significance for mourning, which means this young man probably passed away young. He was perfect.

Sometimes what you know well can be a powerful ally. In writing, this is so true. I took my love for Victorian photography and turned it into a plot for a novella that combines romance, paranormal, and a touch of my beloved horror.

I hope you will read SEE ME, now available at Leap of Faith Publishing. To view the photographs that inspired both SEE ME as well as Antique Charming, visit my new blog Ghosts and Phantoms at: http://ghostsandphantoms.blogspot.co.uk/

Follow Natalie-Nicole Online

Twitter: BatesNatalie

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/natalienicole.bates

Blog: www.natalienicolebates.com

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author.

Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.

She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19^th century post-mortem photos.

Click Banner to View Entire Schedule

Also be sure to click on the banner to view and enter a tour wide giveaway (in addition to the giveaway here!!)

Guest Post/Giveaway: See Me by Natalie-Nicole Bates

See Me

Natalie-Nicole Bates

Carly Anders is hearing voices in her head. Another one of her kind is trying to contact her. She knows of the malevolent freaks—others who are eternal like her and seek out the weak to inflict pain upon. For years, Carly has held up huge protective walls to keep herself and her secrets safe. Now, physically and mentally exhausted, Carly needs protection and rest.She accepts the invitation to visit an internet friend who needs help appraising a collection of antique photographs. The situation is not ideal, but Carly hopes a male presence in her life will deter the determined suitor who haunts her thoughts and dreams.

Daniel Tremont is not what Carly is expecting.The former funeral director has a secret of his own. Not only is he eternal like Carly, he is her creation from all those years before—her abomination she thought she killed.

Daniel has been searching for Carly for years. He knows she is the piece of his life that he has been missing for so long. Now that he has found her, he has no intentions of letting her go.

Delving Into the Paranormal Genre

By Natalie-Nicole Bates

Follow Natalie-Nicole Online

Twitter: BatesNatalie

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/natalienicole.bates

Blog: www.natalienicolebates.com

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author.

She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19^th century post-mortem photos.

Click Banner to View Entire Schedule

Also be sure to click on the banner to view and enter a tour wide giveaway (in addition to the giveaway here!!)

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Review: Twin Souls by K.A. Poe

Title: Twin Souls
Series: Book One, The Nevermore Series
Author: KA Poe
Published: March 2012
Format: Ebook provided for review

Seventeen year old Alexis finds herself on the eve of her eighteenth birthday. What generally means a step into adulthood instead opens its way to a terrifying truth about not only her family, but herself. She comes from a long line of vampire hunters, and her real dad wants her to carry on the family quest. At the same time, she is falling for a new boy at school who has his own secret. He is a vampire. Alexis is forced to make a decision from which there is no turning back. – Will she deny this newly discovered heritage, or embrace it

All in all, this was an enjoyable read for me. Alexis has just turned eighteen, and her entire world has been changed and everything she knows is not as clear as she once thought. I mean, first she thinks she is the daughter to a single mom, whose father left when she was a child. She thinks she is just like everyone else at school. Sure, she might love classical music while her friends thinks she hates it – but perhaps that’s just the oddity of being a teen.

Then her mom does something in such a fashion that I instantly hate her for it. I’m keeping quiet about what it is, but it really colored my image of her mother for the rest of the story in a permanent fashion.

There is a lot of secrets in this story. It makes for a lot of interesting twists and turns. I generally liked the majority of characters. You have the main character of Alexis, who seems like an average teen. She’s smart and friendly, a bit sarcastic. Then you have Salem, who is a vampire. His character is pretty intriguing and I liked him quite a bit, and he definitely has some unique powers that I think anyone would love to have. His feelings for Alexis seem true and heartfelt. There is Paul… he started out at the bottom of my list, and honestly, he stayed there. The rest of the characters were definitely interesting, and it was fun to get to know them. There were definitely some I didn’t like, and they were portrayed well.

I’d consider this a light read. While I enjoyed it and felt it was a lot of fun, I didn’t feel it was super dramatic. A few situations seemed, at first, to be a bit easy and convenient. A lot of that got explained and covered later. Sometimes I wasn’t sure who I could trust, which I find kind of fun. I think it adds a lot of vividness to the story when it can throw you around a bit. And I really thought it was great to see some fun twists on the usual vampire story. Although, when Alexis first learns about vampires I would have loved to see a lot more vampire action.

About K.A. Poe

KA Poe lives in Arizona with her husband and daughter. Someday she hopes to travel the world and live life to the fullest she possibly can. Writing has always been her passion. When she isn't writing she spends a lot of time online, playing computer games, and reading books. She has a vivid imagination, an eccentric personality and collects colorful socks.

Find K.A. Poe Online

Book Two, Hybrid, has been released and you can purchase it on Amazon. Book Three should be released soon, too!

Review: Twin Souls by K.A. Poe

Title: Twin Souls
Series: Book One, The Nevermore Series
Author: KA Poe
Published: March 2012
Format: Ebook provided for review

Seventeen year old Alexis finds herself on the eve of her eighteenth birthday. What generally means a step into adulthood instead opens its way to a terrifying truth about not only her family, but herself. She comes from a long line of vampire hunters, and her real dad wants her to carry on the family quest. At the same time, she is falling for a new boy at school who has his own secret. He is a vampire. Alexis is forced to make a decision from which there is no turning back. – Will she deny this newly discovered heritage, or embrace it

Find K.A. Poe Online

Book Two, Hybrid, has been released and you can purchase it on Amazon. Book Three should be released soon, too!

Character Interview/Giveaway: Drain You by M Beth Bloom

Drain You

M. Beth Bloom

Every night I'd lie there in bed and look out at the hills behind our house, listening. I knew there'd be consequences.

Actions meant reactions. Sunrises meant sunsets. My fear was too permanent, lasting longer than eyeliner, something I wore every day and didn't wash off.

Quinlan Lacey's life is a red carpet of weird fashions, hip bands, random parties, and chilling by the pool with her on-and-off BFF Libby. There's also her boring job (minimum wage), a crushed-out coworker (way too interested), her summer plans (nada), and her parents (totally clueless). Then one night she meets gorgeous James, and Quinn's whole world turns crazy, Technicolor, 3-D, fireworks, whatever.

But with good comes bad and unfortunately, Quinn's new romance brings with it some majorly evil baggage. Now, to make things right, she has to do a lot of things wrong (breaking and entering, kidnapping, lying, you name it).

There's normal, and then there's paranormal, and neither are Quinlan's cup of Diet Coke. Staying sane, cool, in love, and alive isn't so easy breezy.

Summer. The 90s. The rich, sun-bleached neighborhoods of the Los Angeles canyons. Enter Quinlan Lacey, a cool, bored, sarcastic, sexy 17-year old with a dull part-time video store job and a mild case of teen ennui. That is, until she meets the alluring, River Phoenix-esque James, and realizes the hills are alive with the undead. Inspired more by the early, dry L.A. short stories of Bret Easton Ellis than the current crop of serialized vampire fiction, the supernatural grunge romance, Drain You, narrates the headaches and heartbreaks Quinn undergoes in her quest to stay sane and cool and in love and alive.

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CHARACTER INTERVIEW

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M. Beth Bloom :Hey Quinn, what’s up?

Quinn: Um, nothing. Like, literally nothing.

MBB: What are you wearing today?

Q: A 4 Non Blondes concert tee with black Levi’s cut-offs, ripped thigh-highs and Converse shandals. (That’s where you cut the rubber toe and heels off yr Converse and turn them into flip-flops.)

MBB: What TV shows did you watch last night? Any thoughts on them?

Q: At like 4 am Clarissa Explains It All was on Nick and awesomely it was the eppy “Ferguson Explains It All” where evil bro Ferguson orders mind control glasses and tries them out on the Darling family. Classic Ferg-wad.

MBB: Any ‘gem’ commentary from your parents lately?

Q: My mom just asked me what a “playa” and a “playa-hater” were. So embarrassing! She also told me I was “cruisin’ for a bruisin’” which is like child abuse or something!

MBB: Who do you French, Marry, and Murder: Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise? Why??

Q: If I say murder Tom Cruise, will a spesh-ops ‘Tologist group pour poison in my ear while I sleep? If so, then pass-a-dena on that one. You obvi french Depp and marry DiCap. DiCap’s just gonna get puffier and more into the Lakers which is sweet in this like, Electra Complex kinda way. Also, DiCap only dates models, and if he only dates models and winds up marrying you, then ipso facto – you do the math. As for Depp, he’ll just lurva ya and leave ya, so better get that french in before he spirals back to Wino 4 Ever.

MBB: Design your own super group 4 or 5-person band?

Q: Grohl on drums, Kim Deal on bass and back-up vox, Chris Cornell on lead vox, Eric Erlandson on lead guitar, Thurston Moore on rhythm guitar, and if it’s allowed Ian Svenonius as dancer/romancer.

MBB: What literary character would be the ultimate sleepover buddy?

Q: Normally I’d say Stacey from The Babysitter’s Club, but she’s diabetic so we couldn’t have Diet Coke, which is a major sleepover mainstay. I’d say Carrie from Carrie. She can teach me how to flip through Sassy magazines using only my mind and I can teach her how to seriously CHILL.

MBB: Free Jazz. Talk about anything that’s on your mind. Literally. Anything:

Q: I just want to say that a 20-minute mile in P.E. does NOT mean you’re lazy or a candidate for Couch Potato of the Year, and that you should flunk Phys Ed, okay? Maybe it just means you want to take yr sweet-ass time, smell the proverbial roses, and gossip with yr best friend about whether or not to roll Teen Spirit deodorant on yr face because yr so sweaty after walking for twenty minutes.

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Publisher's Weekly review Says: "Bloom debuts with a languid, stylish novel that reads like a love letter to cult vampire flicks like The Lost Boys, the work of Francesca Lia Block, and Southern California in the 1990s."

Buy Drain You now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

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"Bloom's first short story “Love And Other Catastrophes: A Mix Tape” was featured in Story Quarterly and selected by Dave Eggers for inclusion in The Best American Nonrequired Reading: 2003 (Houghton-Mifflin), which he curates annually. Bloom is the founder of underground dance label 100% Silk (profiled here in LA Weekly) AND the producer/lead singer of the band LA Vampires (written up in The Guardian as well as Pitchfork and Fader). Her next book will be published through HarperTeen.

M. Beth lives on the east side of L.A. where she indulges in raw fooding, magazine subscribing, thrift shopping, Sunday matinee'ing, and ladies book clubbing."

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GIVEAWAY
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5 Copies of 'Drain You' signed by the Author

$50 Credit at Wasteland (Quinn's favorite store)

Pages from Quinn's Notebook

10 'Drain You' Bookmarks handmade by Quinn

10 90's mixtapes curated and created by Quinn