We'll be talking about writing full length novels or serial shorts. It should be a fun interview with very talented authors, Jami & Michele! I look forward to it! :)
Radio interview!
Hi, readers! Catch me in a radio interview tomorrow at 7PM Eastern on Cover 2 Cover with Jami and Michele!
We'll be talking about writing full length novels or serial shorts. It should be a fun interview with very talented authors, Jami & Michele! I look forward to it! :)
We'll be talking about writing full length novels or serial shorts. It should be a fun interview with very talented authors, Jami & Michele! I look forward to it! :)
Vampires Rule!
Vampires
Rule! by Marie Lavender
As I so often like to hashtag my posts related to
the paranormal, I’ll start off with a simple, yet apropos statement. Vampires
rule!
There’s just something about the undead that appeals
to some of us. Fans of paranormal fiction and urban fantasy, as well as its
authors, are behind me in this declaration. Even paranormal film lovers can understand. But, what is it about these fanged
alphas or chicks who can kick some serious butt that draw us in?
Is it the
taboo of the blood craving?
Is it the dead sexy vibe these characters exude?
Why do we keep reading about vampires, keep yearning for more?
I’d like to
think the stories are compelling enough that they stand on their own, that readers
follow the series they love. So, perhaps that’s a part of it.
But, maybe it’s also the allure of the unknown, or
the idea that – and what paranormal reader hasn’t wondered – vampires could
exist in the world. Fantasy lovers become fascinated by these other worlds
built by the authors. Fiction is an escape from reality, in a sense.
But, why
couldn’t the paranormal be real? We often question real life miracles. If
someone wakes up after a long coma or goes into sudden remission from cancer,
we look for explanations instead of accepting it at face value. Some may call
it a miracle, but there will be a few waiting for the other shoe to drop. Why?
Why can’t we go on a little faith?
I think we need faith with paranormal fiction. Our
minds have to be open enough to the world unfolding before us, so much that we
can become invested in the plot and the characters, just like we were fighting
alongside them. The same rules apply to general fiction, but with
paranormal/urban fantasy, there is a world created within our world, a world a
part of yet somewhat separate from the world we currently know. We root for our
favorite characters as if we’d root for a sports’ team. And if you can find an
author who can make the journey seamless, it’s even better. As a reader, I love
getting invested in my favorite paranormal romance/urban fantasy novels. J.R.
Ward thrills me with her Black Dagger Brotherhood novels.
Chloe Neill makes the
quirky Merit a refreshing take on the female badass in the Chicagoland Vampires Series.
And P.C. Cast makes you
start to wonder if Zoey Redbird will ever be done with Neferet’s antics.
The
list goes on, of course. Pick your favorite series, and they all will lure you
in with the possibility that the world inside it feels real enough to keep
reading.
No matter what sort of paranormal books I read, from
ghosts to witches to demons to shapeshifters, I always come back to vampires.
The teeth and the craving for blood, even the heightened sense of hearing or
increased speed, isn’t what sells it for me exactly. It’s the way I come to care
about the characters. That’s what fascinates me about the genre.
And that’s
what made me start writing vampire stories. The characters had something to
say, and I wanted to tell the story. It doesn’t hurt to have a sexy alpha now
and then either, as long as he has some redeeming qualities and doesn’t drive
the heroine out of her mind. Well, too much, anyway.
All in all, though…I just have to say it again.
Vampires rule!
At least for me, anyway.
So, what's your take on the paranormal genre? Why does it appeal to you? Feel free to leave a comment on the blog, and we can launch a great discussion. Or, meet me on Twitter, message @marielavender1 and use the hashtag #vampiresrule to continue this conversation.
Hope to talk soon! Now go get your daily dose of vampire. ;)
Spotlight: Daryl Devore Visits to Talk About Her Latest Release!
Today, we're doing something a little different. Daryl Devore is stopping by to talk about her fascinating new book!
Hello, Daryl! It's great to have you on MLB. :)
Hello! Thanks so much for having me!
My pleasure, of course! So, let me ask a few questions since you're here...
All right.
Can you tell us a little about your latest book? When did it come out and where can we get it?
FL.E.S.H. is my latest erotic romance. It was released
about a month ago. The title stands for Flame's Electrifying Sexy Heat. I wanted to use
'Erotic' in the title to snag readers, but my publisher pointed out that a
certain very large ebook distributer would probably bury the book in erotic
book prison, so I switched to 'Electrifying'. It can be purchased at most ebook
retailers: Amazon, Kobo, iTunes, etc., with future locations coming out as it is distributed. The links are
below under the blurb.
What inspired you to write your book? How did you get into writing
erotica?
What inspired FL.E.S.H? My publisher emailed me
and suggested a novella (40,000 words or so) with a billionaire theme might be
a good book to release at this time. So I sat down and wrote one. Peyton is a
billionaire businessman. Flame is a pole dancer in a dive strip club. And as
the last line of the blurbs says - 'After a lusty night
with a hot pole dancer, Peyton and Fuchsia's worlds are about to collide'. (Yes,
there is a reason the heroine has 2 names.)
How did I become an erotic romance writer? Totally by
accident. I wrote a hot romance. After going through several edits, it became a
HOT romance. Erotic romance is basically
a mainstream romance, but with more intense sex scenes.
*Sigh. Yes, I know! ;)
So, what, do you feel, sets this book apart from other books in the genre?
I'm never good at answering this kind of question. As
that answer never got me out of anything in high school, I guess since I'm a
writer, I should write something. I'd say my characters as my stories are
character driven. Fuchsia is in a situation she doesn’t want to be in, but
she's doing it for an honorable cause and dreams her future will be brighter.
Peyton, while a billionaire, never forgets his single-parent-struggling-family
background. I guess – maybe – what sets
the story apart is when creating my characters I try to stay away from
stereotypes and create characters people can relate to.
Good question – I like it when they stump me and I
have to struggle for an answer.
That's great!
So...give us a teaser or two if you can.
(Scene set – Fuchsia has been overworking
herself and it's beginning to catch up with her...)
Fuchsia rolled over and groaned. Her head
pounded. Her stomach heaved. And what the hell was that annoying noise? She
opened one eye. The early morning light stabbed her in the eyeball. Slamming
her eyelid shut, she stretched out her right hand and groped around for her end
table. Her fingers tapped the edge and traced the rim until she touched her
phone. She slapped the screen. The noise kept blaring. She smacked it harder. The
noise persisted.
Inhaling a deep breath and begging her stomach
to stay calm, she grabbed her cell and glared at it. Uncurling her right index
finger, she tapped her fingertip on the blue star on the screen. She hated that
Blue Star Wake Up Alarm app. She knew she needed it, but on a morning like this
it was aggravating. Placing her fingers on her left eyebrow, she pushed back
against the pain that throbbed. She was suspicious that during the night a
small person moved into her head and was attempting to push her eyeball out.
Her stomach flipped. Her head spun.
Not fair. I didn't go drinking last night. And
why today?
She shifted to a sitting position. Pain
exploded on the right side of her head. Her stomach seriously threatened to
lose its contents. She clasped her hand to her mouth and raced to the bathroom.
She gagged, but nothing happened. There was nothing in her stomach. Supper had
been too long ago. She frowned. Had she even remembered to eat supper?
Her knees buckled. The edge of the tub was cool
against her bottom, chilling her through her thin cotton sleeper shorts.
Trembles racked her body. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees
and her head in her hand. She inhaled long deep breaths, trying to calm her
stomach, still her shaking, and ease some of the brain-splitting pain in her
head. Feeling like she might be able to move the foot and a half to her sink
and bathroom cabinet, Fuchsia stood and clenched the edge of the sink. Her legs
shook, but her stomach behaved. She pulled open the mirrored cabinet door and
reached for her bottle of pain killers. After fumbling with the childproof cap,
she poured the contents into her hand. Two pills. She sighed. She had two pain
pills to get her through a morning of hyper four and five-year-olds with
piercing, squeaky voices.
Well, you have my attention!
So, I'm
sure readers are curious about your next writing project. Can you tell
us what you've got cooking up now or is that a secret?
LOL – which book??
I've got three on the go. When I was a new writer, I read where writers had
several books going at once and I just couldn't understand how they could do
that. Now I know.
I have a medieval
fantasy and a contemporary on hold, but the book that's going to be released
next is one part of a 7 author box set. I'm so excited about this box set, the
other 6 authors are fabulous – award winning authors and #1 best sellers. I'll
give a super teaser – the opening lines of my story "Braced for Impact".
Lori gagged on the bile rising in the back of her throat. She inhaled
sharply to calm her stomach. If I'm going to die, it's not going to be with
vomit all over my uniform.
Awesome! Can't wait! And I know exactly what you mean by having several works in progress. I have about a million. LOL.
Thanks so much for stopping by to tell us about this book, Daryl!
My pleasure!
Readers, you'll just have to pick up a copy of this exciting, contemporary erotic romance story! ;)
Here is the blurb.
When secrets conflict with dreams, love explodes.
After a mistake by a surgeon’s scalpel shattered
Fuchsia Quinn's dance career, she picked up the pieces of her life and moved
forward. As the owner of a small, struggling dance school in a depressed
neighborhood she supplements her income with a late night job at a dive bar.
Haunted by the fear of humiliation, if her secret is revealed, her life was
under control until the night he walked into the bar.
Peyton Lang, having run from a bad neighborhood, lives
the lifestyle of a successful billionaire. Frustrated that his current
multi-million dollar project is stalled, Peyton drops in to LEATHER-ICIOUS for
a simple drink and late night entertainment. What he saw was a beautiful
redhead. What he found was he wanted her.
After a lusty night
with a hot pole dancer, Peyton and Fuchsia's worlds are about to collide.
Purchase Links:
Amazon Universal link: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00UY6M7VK
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/f-l-e-s-h-flames-s
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/f-l-e-s-h-a-billionaire-story-ll/id981253283?mt=11
About the Author:
Daryl Devore lives in
an in old farmhouse in Ontario, Canada, with her husband, a large salt water
aquarium full of fish and some house ghosts. Her daughter is grown and has
flown the nest. Daryl loves to take long walks up her quiet country road, or
snow shoe across the back acres and in the summer, kayak along the St. Lawrence
River. She has touched a moon rock, a mammoth and a meteorite. She's been deep
in the ocean in a submarine, flew high over Niagara Falls in a helicopter and
used the ladies room in a royal palace. Life's an adventure and Daryl's having
fun living it.
Author Links:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/daryldevore
Amazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004TJ1354
Amazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004TJ1354
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/107866370365154406917
Daryl's Books:
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