GUEST BLOGGER: ND Hansen-Hill/Melody Knight

I am happy to have once again as my guest blogger, N.D. Hansen-Hill, writing as Melody Knight!


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http://www.ndhansen-hill.com/images/Bane%20Of%20His%20Existence%20sml.JPG

Writing Changeling Novels

Well, it's done. Bane of his Existence is live. Carnal Passions has taken it on, given it a gorgeous cover, brought my work into public view.

So, how do you write a werewolf book? Or a book about any type of changeling? Werewolf and vampire changelings are easier than most. The legends are so old, the lore so ubiquitous that you don't need to explain the process of transformation. You can describe it in graphic terms, but most readers who pick up the book will already know what happens when the moon is full. They will have expectations regarding your wolf's transformation. As for appetite? No real need to find reasons for blood-sucking vampires, since it's a common enough natural event in the world of vampire bats and insects. As for werewolves, and their voracious appetites for flesh, human and otherwise, well, we're all familiar with predators and carnivory. Being carnivores for the most part ourselves, it's not really all that difficult to excuse it in others.

So where does the idea of romance come into this mix? Is it because we like our heroes and heroines tortured? Forced to act against their will? We empathize with event-driven actions; with madness, moon or otherwise, to excuse the evil. Passion drawn from bloodlust is still lust. It's down to the nitty gritty, the surge and purging of impulse. The connection, of good and evil, yin and yang, is powerful, as is the connection between two with a common affliction, needing to conceal their questionable activities, their changed forms, from the world.

And, of course, there are love and loyalty, the strength of friendship, the bonds of secrecy, the shared confusion in lives subject to powerful forces beyond their control. And now, a glimpse of Bane of his Existence:

Bane of his Existence
To find a soul with common ground,
Primate traits mixed up with hound,
Confronting evil, and compulsive feast,
To capture, curb and love the beast.

He saw her the moment she came onto the floor. Homing in on her like that wasn't normal. Usually, he tried to tune out extraneous noise and activity and concentrate on his phone caller. Not today.
She was holding some papers, and scanning the cubicles. Charlie couldn't help himself—he was holding his breath. Please be looking for me. Please be looking for me. There was a chance, slim maybe, that she'd recognized him, too.
Her hazel eyes alighted on him, fixed, held. She smiled, but it was tremulous, nervous. Charlie had been acting on instinct up till now—only the instincts weren't the ones he'd been born with. They'd been acquired under a full moon, some years back. It was time to dig up the appropriate human responses to deal with this situation. At the moment, though, his mind felt abnormally blank. What now?
~
Oh my God. Verity stood there, feeling foolish in the extreme, well aware that any moment one of the team leaders would be coming over to help her out. If they asked who she was looking for, or what she needed…
I got nothin'. I don't even know his name.
And it was too late to pretend she hadn't seen him. There was only one thing to do…
Straighten up. Confidence first. Play the part.
Oh, hell. She couldn't believe she was doing this.
She headed his way, her eyes focused lightly on her surroundings, doing her best now to avoid his eyes. Her brain was working frantically on a reason to approach him. It was work time. If she hit him up for a coffee date, would that be harassment?
Oh, shit. It was. It is. Because it's not like he can turn me down. She was management, and as much as she liked to belittle any differences between their jobs, those differences would seem a lot more glaring to him than they did to her. She knew, because it hadn't been so very long ago that she'd been in his position.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
Crap. Crap. Crap. And damn.
~
This is it. The moment. In his dreams, during his howling soliloquies under the full moon, he'd had it sussed. He'd known exactly what to say and how to woo her. All that longing, translated into a passionate night, of…what? Doggie style interaction? And that mating for life thing? Were they still subject to that? Being on the cusp of the moon the way they were?
Shit! Charlie blushed, bright and red. He hadn't had a response like this in years, and leave it to the Wolf Girl to bring it on. Resentment rose as he realized that some of his co-workers not only noticed her attention, but that she was now headed his way. Add that to his baboon-butt red face, and there'll be enough yack to sustain the team for weeks.
Good move at a time when I—when both of us—should be keeping a low profile.
He stiffened, his eyes narrowing. She's got to be the vector—the one who infected me. He could easily picture himself getting close to her—close enough for her to bite him. Why had she come down here, anyway? To find other victims? In his heart, he knew it was stupid, but the irritation and traces of bad temper he'd been fighting all morning resurfaced. When she reached his cubicle, Charlie let her have it. In a rumbly voice that would have better suited a growl, Charlie held out a small dish of snacks he kept in his drawer. "Treat?"
He noticed her hand shook a little as he poured them into her palm. She put them in her mouth and her eyes widened. She was really enjoying them.
Charlie, in contrast, was beginning to feel decidedly evil, especially when she exclaimed, "Delicious! What are they?"
He sighed, then gave her a humorless toothy grin. There's no backing out now. He tugged open the drawer all the way, and showed her the box of Tender Treats. "On days like this? I just can't get enough of 'em."

http://carnalpassions.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=17

Thank you, Rose Marie, for inviting me to visit today!

Regards, and best wishes,
Norah/ND/Melody
www.NDHansen-Hill.com www.MelodyKnight.com

I Just Had a Thought...

...I know that's scary territory, so don't even mention it.

About my thought...I'm thinking of revamping one of my short stories I have on Fictionpress. Maybe I can tweak it enough (like how I did with Changed) and turn it into another novel. I think it might be a good idea, but I need to think on it more.

What are your thoughts?

GUEST BLOGGER: Elena Bowman

My guest blogger this week is Elena Bowman! Let's give her a warm welcome. ~applause~

***
Good Morning. I'd like to thank Rose Marie for having me stop by her blog today to introduce myself and talk about my latest release…The Barbarians.


I'm Elena Dorothy Bowman and I write in several genres including science fiction, mystery, romance and the paranormal. Although I must admit I didn't realize I was writing a paranormal series when I started to write it, I thought it was a mystery series wrapped around a love story. I started out writing science fiction mainly just to see if I could, and before I knew it I had introduced a romance that spanned two planets light years apart. I will admit when I started to write this first book I didn't expect it would turn out to be a series of four. Neither did I think that writing my first mystery novel would turn into a series of three or that it would be considered a paranormal series. But then, when one writes about ghosts, and ancient prophecies, knights and strange happenings, I guess it was bound to be. As to the Barbarians, it is the third book in the Sarah's Landing Series and has just been released by Write Words, Inc.'s Cambridge Books.


“SWEEPING, VIVID, AND IMAGINATIVE, this new installment in the “Sarah’s Landing” saga is sure to keep its readers in page turning mode!” —Nina M. Osier, Eppie winning author of Regs,Interphase, and several series, including and first of the new Minders Series, High Places


“A VULNERABLE EARTH SHIP. A suicide. What comes next? Read this book before you go to bed and you’ll be awake all night. Go ahead!” —Mary Cox-Pace, author of At the Gate Called Beautiful, and editor and illustrator of Christmas in the Country


“AMAZING. Just when you think the Sarah’s Landing Series can’t get any better, Bowman does it again! In Barbarians the story continues as an attack by an alien armada is launched against both Theon and Earth.” —Arline Chase, author of Killraven, Ghost Dancer, and the Spirit Series, Spirit of Fire, Spirit of Earth, Spirit of Wind


"SHOWS THAT EVEN against unsurpassed obstacles, across vast distances of space, a family's love can still conquer all..." —Ray Morand, author of the Red Knight Chronicles, Army of the Dead, Dark Elf, etc.


On a whim, Joshua's son Andrew, teleports to the alien planet to visit his half- brother Adam. There was a time when he lived on that planet he visits at a drop of a hat, because he can. But now he calls the Planet Earth home. The Barbarians opens with Andrew's unannounced trip to Theon, the planet his alien brother calls home.

Memories stirred deep within him as Andrew swept his eyes across the boundless deep green valleys and plush hills. Behind him, Star City glistened in the background in mute testimony to the existence of life in a seemingly otherwise silent world. But for the dying echo of his call, which shattered the eerie stillness, not a sound could be heard.

"Where did he disappear to now?" Andrew demanded frowning. "I'll bet he's off somewhere with Maia."

His thoughts turned toward Ballard's younger daughter and his frown deepened. If she was missing as well, then Adam discovered another hiding place where they could be alone. He would only be wasting his time searching for them. Andrew knew he would never find them unless and until Adam wanted him to.
Maia is all Adam thinks about these days, Andrew thought. Guess he doesn't have time for anyone anymore, including me. But then he didn't know I was coming. How could he? I didn't know myself. Well, maybe next time. He remembered a time when it was different. When no one could come between them — not even his mother.

I enjoyed writing the Barbarians as with the other books in the series and hope the readers will enjoy it as much as I did.

The Barbarians will be available at Amazon.com in March. ISBN# 1-59431-658-9

For more information on Elena's books, visit her website at: http://elenadb.home.comcast.net for reviews and excerpts.

I Need to Get Back in the Saddle

I haven't written a word in probably a month. It's been crazy at work, crazy at home. It's a wonder I haven't completely lost my mind.

I want to finish my vampire story so I can start on the sequel. I want to start promoting my books so I can get some sales going. Things have been pretty bad, but I blame most of it on the economy.

Something needs to be published this year. Yeah, I know...Changed comes out in e-book and Dark Moon Magick in print (though only the gods and the publisher know when THAT'S gonna happen), but I want something new. I want to draw in some new fans.

Maybe this summer...

GUEST BLOGGER: Terri Williams

My guest blogger for this week is Terri Williams! Feel free to leave comments!

***

I have had experiences with the Paranormal for as long as I can remember. But the summer of 1987, would change my perception of the unknown and spark a love that would eventually grow into a passion for the field. I have just had my first book published, based on our(myself, 2 of my cousins, and our best friend) experiences during the summer of 1987. I wanted to tell my story so that other people experiencing similar phenomenon would have someone thay could relate to and realize they are not alone. If my story helps one person to cope with their own frightening situation, then I've done my job.

My book is available online at:
http://www.xlibris.com/
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.borders.com/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
And
http://www.booksamillion.com/

Below is an excerpt from my book...A Haunting Among Friends


“As I turned to go out of the door, the flashlight went across one of the doll’s face, and I saw something on the doll’s face out of the corner of my eye, so, I turned back around, and leaned closer to see what it was, I thought it was dirt, so I reached out and touched it, but when I brought my hand towards my face, I seen it was something liquid” he said. He dropped his head in his hands and sobbed some more, a little harder this time. Our Mother hugged him tight. None of us said a word for at least five minutes. He gathered himself one more time before he continued with his story. When I realized what was on my hand, that’s when I jumped up and was going to run out of the room, but instead I tripped and fell through the ceiling. Our Mother asked, “Gregory honey, what was on your hand that scared you so much?” He covered his eyes again, and cried. Through his hands he said, “It was BLOOD!!” Our Mother looked like she had just seen a
ghost herself. All of the color in her face had vanished. “Blood, are you sure Gregory?” “YES!” he screamed, “If you don’t believe me, go look for yourself, see look at my fingers, it’s still there.” Sure enough, there was dried blood on the tips of his fingers. And he had no cuts anywhere. She helped him to his feet, and to the bathroom. On their way into the bathroom, I heard our Mother tell him that she would help him clean up, and that he should lie down until our Father got home, and he and I could take them upstairs and show them the dolls. Gregory began to cry harder at the mention of the dolls. When he was finished in the bathroom, he laid on his bed and covered his head and eventually fell asleep.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom (Mini-Review)

For more info: http://www.amazon.com/Five-People-You-Meet-Heaven/dp/0786868716/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235233958&sr=1-1

This was a short novel that I read in one day, but I will never forget it. It was a touching, somewhat disturbing story that left me thinking about my own life and wondering who I will meet in heaven. Definite recommendation to everyone.

An Update On Doc Visit

Well, it didn't go well.

They did the exam. His vision hasn't changed since his last exam a year ago, but they checked it to get an idea of what they were working with.

For years, he was told by other doctors that he had problems with his retinas. Turns out, that's not the case. It's the optic nerve, mostly. It's not connecting properly, they say. The nerve is atrophied (sp?) and has been since birth. The doc compared it to a cable connection. The cables are all there, but they're just getting a bad connection. No matter if you have it hooked up, you still won't get a picture.

It's sad news for us. He's really disappointed. I nearly cried at the doc's office because I had been really hoping and praying too.

There is no treatment, no surgery that can correct this, though Hubby is damn determined to find one. But the doc advised us against experimental procedures, stating she doesn't want him to lose what he has, in case it doesn't work.

I don't know. I told him that the doctor knows what she's talking about, but he swears up and down he read something about optic nerve surgery. I don't know.

I'm just going to spend the rest of the day with him, and hope we can find something cheerier.

Nervousness

Hubby has an appointment today to get his eyes checked out. We are going to find out once and for all if there's something they can do surgery-wise to improve his vision. The state claims he's too blind to drive, but he passed a motorcycle safety course last summer. They still don't think he can drive, despite having a moped/scooter thing.

It makes no sense.

Just recently he found out that there's a place in town that deals with retinas specifically, and that's his problem so..

~fingers crossed~

Praying for good news.

Also, being off BC pills is making me irritated ugh. I hate hormones.

GUEST BLOGGER: Moira Rogers

Please welcome today's guest blogger(s), Moira Rogers!

***


Good morning! We'd like to thank Rose Marie for having us stop by today to introduce ourselves and talk about our latest release, Crux.

We're Bree and Donna, and together we write paranormal romance and urban fantasy as Moira Rogers. We've been at it for about a year and a half now, and it's been an absolute blast.

Crux is the first book in our new Southern Arcana series, a collection of urban fantasy books set in New Orleans, featuring shapeshifters, spellcasters, and the occasional psychic. It's a little different from some of our other stuff, because it has mythology and arcs that can--and will--span multiple books...as long as our editor keeps buying them.

This book is also very special to us because it's the first one we ever wrote. This universe and the characters in it are what prompted us to begin this wonderful journey, and we're glad to be able to share that now. So glad, in fact, that we feel like celebrating with the biggest contest we've ever sponsored, hosted by Bitten By Books. We're giving away a new 8 GB iPod Touch, perfect for music, movies...even ebooks with the free Stanza application! There are plenty of ways to enter, so come by and check it out.

In the meantime, check out Jackson and Mackenzie's story. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we loved writing it.

To find her destiny, she must trust him with her life…and her heart.

Southern Arcana, Book 1

Jackson Holt makes a decent living as a private investigator in New Orleans, home of one of the largest underground supernatural populations in the United States. He and his partners have never met a case they couldn’t crack…until a local bar owner asks him to do a little digging on her newest hire.

New Orleans is the fourth destination in as many months for Mackenzie Brooks, a woman on the run from a deranged stalker. After all, any man who shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her destined lover has more than a few screws loose. But crazy doesn’t explain why he always finds her no matter how far she runs.

When her well-meaning boss puts a PI on her case, Mackenzie comes face to face with the incredible truth: magic is real, and whatever spell has kept her hidden and separate from the paranormal world is rapidly deteriorating.

With time running out, she has no choice but to trust Jackson as he struggles to uncover the truth of her past—and her destiny.

Product Warnings: This book contains devious schemes, epic battles, forbidden love between a shapeshifter and a spellcaster, nosy secondary characters, furniture-endangering sex and a woman fighting to choose her own destiny.

Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris (Mini-Review)

For more: http://www.amazon.com/Grave-Surprise-Harper-Connelly-Mysteries/dp/0425214702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235233743&sr=1-1

This is the second book in Charlaine Harris' Harper Connelly series, and it was a pretty good read. It was predictable in places, and I kept wondering to myself, why some of the characters did the stupid things they did (like return to the cemetary, at night, duh). Being a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse series, I find this series to be lacking in the charm of her Southern Vampire stories, but still a good read.

That Was Weird

Whatever that stuff was on my face went away in a few days. It was weird. I'm trying to remember if maybe there was something different I ate, or medicine I took that I may have had a reaction to, and nothing comes to mind.

Oh well.

GUEST BLOGGER: Sheila Stewart

Please welcome this week's guest blogger: Shiela Stewart!

***

Tempting the Darkness
Book 5 in the Darkness Series


What would you do if you knew someone you loved was dying? Would you do whatever it took to save them? Would you be willing to turn them into a vampire?

In my latest novel, Tempting the Darkness, I deal with that very issue. The hero, Cooper Hawthorn is going to lose his wife, Gabriella, to cancer. His love for her is so great that he is willing to do just about anything to save her. But she’s made him promise never to turn her into his kind. So instead, he places her in a cryogenic stasis for twenty years while he searches for a cure.

When the idea for this story came to me I had no idea how close to reality it would become.
I began writing Tempting the Darkness in early August of 2008. I was gung ho and couldn’t wait to get into the story. Everything just flowed from my finger tips and I would spend hours of every day telling the tale of two lovers forced to be apart due to an illness, and the lengths one would go to save the other. I thought, what would I do if it was me. How would I feel if I knew someone I loved was dying and there was nothing I could do to save them? I began to pour my heart into the story.

Then on August 13th, my father passed away suddenly from lung cancer.
Cancer.

It stopped me in my tracks. The very thing I was writing about was now happening in my life.

There was nothing I could do for my father. The cancer was so progressed that there was nothing anyone could do for him. Exactly what I was writing about with Gabriella. Though Gabriella was still young and my father was nearly eighty, there were too many similarities for me to continue with the story. I considered scrapping it, telling my editor I just couldn’t go on with it, but my stubbornness refused to let me give in. So I continued. By far, this was the hardest book I have ever had to write but now that I have, I’m glad I did. Did it help me cope with my father’s death? I can’t really say yes. But I know if I had scrapped it, I would never have forgiven myself. The story had to be told and though I wrote the majority with tears in my eyes, I’m glad I finished it.

My question to you is…How far would you go to save the ones you love?

Tempting the Darkness:

For twenty long years, Cooper Hawthorne has kept the brightest light in his bleak existence a deeply hidden secret. All this time, his beloved Gabriella has slept safely in cryogenic stasis, awaiting the day he finds a cure for her terminal cancer.

As love blooms amidst the Darkness, and still no cure in sight, loneliness drives Cooper to drastic measures. He awakens Gabriella and breaks his last promise to her—by turning her into a vampire.

Gabriella’s sense of betrayal weighs heavily on her attempts to deal with what Cooper has done to her. Pushing him away, she turns to his friends for support—and finds she isn’t the only one hurt by his actions.

Cooper fights the temptation to use his powers to wipe her mind of the damning memories. But, when he comes face to face with the monster that created him, he knows what he must do.

Will Gabriella be able to save him before it’s too late? Or will the Darkness swallow him whole?


Excerpt:

How did you tell the woman you loved more than life itself that she was going to die? “Dr. Stanton called me this morning.”

Her eyes perked up as she looked at him from beneath the brim of her hat. “Philip called you? What did he want?”

Cooper stood, gazing out at the land before him. The sky bloomed a serene brilliant blue, yet his heart ached. “They call for rain later today. I was hoping to take you for a picnic later this evening but I might have to alter those plans.” He flinched when her hand touched his shoulder.

“Cooper, I know you well enough to know when you are stalling. If it rains, then the tulips will be happy. Our picnic can always wait until next weekend.” She turned him to face her. “What did Philip want?”

Oh, she was such a vision, his Gabriella. Her long, brown hair flowed like blankets of silk over her frail shoulders. Those big, brown eyes of hers would haunt him for years to come. Taking both of her hands in his, Cooper drew in a calming breath. “Your cancer has returned.”

She looked down, taking in a deep breath. “As I suspected.”

He touched her face, drawing her attention back to him. “I don’t want to lose you, my precious love.”

“I’m not ready to leave you just yet either.”

“It’s worse this time.”

“I know.”

“I would do anything to keep you here with me.”

She took a step back. “Not that.”

“No! Oh no, that wasn’t what I meant. I gave you my word that I would not turn you. There’s a way…” He took her hands in his once more. “An experimental procedure that would allow you to sleep in stasis until a cure can be found.”

She cocked her head to the side. “How do you mean?”

“Cryogenics. What happens is you are put into a coma, then frozen in sleep while I, along with Philip, look for a cure.”

“What if one isn’t found?”

“I will never stop until there is.”

“But I will be without you. You without me.”

He caressed her face with his hand, her skin as soft as silk. “You will be asleep. You won’t know you’re without me. My time will be spent finding a cure. I won’t sleep until I do.”

She leaned in to brush her lips over his. “Darling, you’re a vampire, not a robot. You need sleep as well as I do.”

He closed his eyes to capture the moment. “You know what I meant.”

“I do. I love you with all my heart, Cooper.I know you will do everything in your power to cure me of this retched disease.”

Yes, he would. “Then I have your consent?”

She smiled. It was a picture he would carry with him forever. “You have my consent.”

For more information on my Darkness series please check out my website at www.shielasbooks.ca
Each week on my website I post a short clip from my current release. It’s to the right of my website under Moment’s of Darkness clip. I hold contests for those who have signed up for my newsletter involving those Moments of Darkness clips. The sign up form for my Newsletter is on my website below The Darkness Video.

And be sure to check out my blog, Dark Cravings. http://darkcravings.blogspot.com/

Please, leave a comment. One commenter will be a lucky winner of an ecopy of Tempting the Darkness.

Thank you so much, Rose Marie, for hosting me today. And thank you to the readers for popping in to read just how Tempting the Darkness became a book truly written from the heart.