Tuesday, August 19, 2014

~Blog Tour~ The Blue Effect by Rose Shababy


Title: The Blue Effect: A Renegade Heroes Novel
Author: Rose ShababyGenre: Adult Sci Fi Fantasy
Hosted by: Lady Amber's Tours

Blurb:
Blue Brennan is jaded and bitter despite her pinup girl looks and quick wit. Night after night, she scours the Seattle club scene looking for someone or something to fill the emptiness inside.
When she meets the mysterious Kasey, her world stops… literally. He claims she has the ability to control time and stuns her even further when he reveals his own gifts.
Blue is inexplicably drawn to Kasey and reluctantly enters his world filled with a new breed of humanity. They’re misfits like her, blessed or cursed with powerful abilities, struggling to hide their differences from the rest of society.
Then the group discovers a nameless, faceless sociopath with nightmarish powers; and he’s coming for Blue. She’s left reeling when they discover her gifts are the key to defeating his terrible evil and saving them all.
Now she must race against the clock to harness her own powers and save her new friends. Can she be more than a renegade? Can she be a hero too?


Rose Shababy and her family reside in eastern Washington State. Rose grew up in the Northwest but swears she’s going to move to warmer climates someday. She’s claimed this for over 20 years, however, and has yet to move more than 75 miles away from her mother.
Rose has a deep love of all things Star Trek and yearns to travel the heavens, as well as an intense desire to be bitten by a radioactive spider. Unfortunately she sucks at science and math so she hasn’t been able bring her dreams to life, instead living vicariously through books, comics, television and film. She hopes to someday make a million dollars so she can afford to buy her way to the international space station, but she’d settle for being able to fly around the world and leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Rose also loves to cook and worked for years in a gourmet Italian grocery and deli where she learned to hone her skills. She prepares culinary masterpieces for her family, but fervently wishes the dishes would wash themselves. Especially now that her dishwashers/children are nearly grown and only one still lives at home.
Rose likes to use her free time wisely. For instance, she likes to daydream, will often read for hours until she falls asleep on the couch with an electric blanket and a warm tabby cat curled up on her hip, as well as spending cozy weekend days watching Syfy movies like Sharknado and Mega Piranha with her husband.
If Rose were a cartoon animal, she’d prefer to be a wise old owl or a sleek and sexy jaguar, but in reality she’d probably be a myopic mole with coke-bottle glasses.


Excerpt One
As I scanned the crowd my eyes fell on one person out of sync with the rest. Close to my age, maybe a little older, he obviously didn’t belong in the club. His clothes, messy looking slacks and a gray t-shirt, hung on his lean frame. He finished his look with a tartan scarf and brown fedora that seemed more at home on an old man than one in his twenties.
He pulled his hat off and shaggy brown hair fell across his eyes as he danced. Well, he didn’t dance so much as sway to the music, his eyes closed while a hint of a smile graced his lips. As he danced, he bobbed his head back and forth and his hands moved like graceful waves. His shadow grin seemed to infuse his entire body. He danced by himself as if he didn’t care what anyone around him thought, as if he danced for himself and no one else. He looked completely out of place, yet he appealed to me and I felt myself wanting to go to him.
I was shocked by the surge of jealousy that rushed through me as I stared at him. His face broke through my drunken haze and I realized this man was no paper doll. His face belonged to a truly happy man. Hell, he looked fucking ecstatic.  
He had the face of an angel.

Excerpt Two
“Kasey,” I yelled stupidly, knowing it wouldn’t do any good but unable to stop myself. “Kasey, where are you?”
I burst through another door to find the bathroom, a layer of steam frozen in the air. I pulled the curtain back without even thinking about who might be in the shower, and slumped with relief when I found Kasey. He held a washcloth to his face as a stream of water rained down on him, frozen in place.
“Kasey,” I breathed happily, and reached out to grab his hand.
As I touched him, the same spark I always felt when we made contact erupted and the world came to life again. Water spewed all over me, soaking my clothes, spilling over onto the floor, but I didn’t care.
Kasey startled and yelped a little when he saw me. He recovered quickly. “Blue? What happened?”
I smiled, my tears mixing with the hot water from the shower as I launched myself at him, hugging him tightly. He smiled back and wrapped his arms around me.
Thank god I found you! I thought. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I whispered in his ear.
“I knew you would come back,” he whispered back, just before his lips found mine.

Excerpt Three
Clearly the time had come for the two of us to have it out. “I may have thought you were hot when we first met, and you got to listen to the nasty thoughts in my head, but every time we meet I find it harder to like you. In fact, every time you open your mouth, you get uglier and uglier. I don’t know if Val was right, and you really are jealous, but let me make this crystal clear for you. There is no part of me that wants you.”
His eyes narrowed for a moment, and then, before I could do anything, his hands shot out and grabbed my shoulders again. He yanked me close to him and I the heat from his chest burned through my t-shirt. His face was so close to mine I could feel his hot breath blazing against my cheek when he spoke. “You’re a little liar,” he hissed. “There is a part of you that likes this,” he shook me a little and I flushed with rage… and something else. “And goddamn me, there’s a part of me that likes it too.” He hovered with his face still close to mine and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me. My head fell back slightly and my lips parted involuntarily as I anticipated his invasion.
Then he released me, almost flinging me away from him. I pressed my back against the wall as I watched him and tried to catch my breath as my traitorous heart beat so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest.
“Let me make this crystal clear for you,” he mimicked. “Kasey is like a brother to me and if you hurt him, you’ll wish you never met me.”
“I already do,” I whispered with sincerity.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

~Release Day Blitz~ Keeper VS Reaper by Jennifer Malone Wright


Title: Keeper VS. Reaper
Author: Jennifer Malone Wright   
Genre: New Adult Paranormal
Hosted by: Lady Amber's Tours

Blurb:
When her father died, Lucy Mae Estmond inherited the family business. She has known all of her life that she would be in line to watch over the souls of the recently passed, keeping them safe from the Reapers.
The soul eating Reapers have been a plague upon the Earth, stealing souls and leaving the Keepers as the only thing that stands between Heaven and Hell. The factions despise each other and have warred for generations.

Then Lucy discovers an ancient legend predicting the arrival of the Chosen One, destined to bring forth an end to the Reapers. The surprises continue when she realizes she is that person. For Lucy, being the Chosen One doesn’t change much. Fighting Reapers is just another day in the life of a Keeper. 

When she meets Jack Walker, they both realize they have an insane, mutual attraction. Too bad that he’s been sent to prevent the prophecy from coming true. His only mission: to kill the Chosen One.


Jennifer Malone Wright is best known for her short story series, The Vampire Hunter's Daughter. Other works include the follow up to The Vampire Hunter's Daughter series called The Arcadia Falls Chronicles and her vampire novel called The Birth of Jaiden. Jennifer also co-authors a series called Once Upon A Zombie Apocalypse.
She resides in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children where she practices preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Just kidding!
But seriously, between the craziness of taking care of her children, Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is spent working on her beloved fiction or chatting with her equally crazy friends.
Jennifer also loves coffee, has a passionate affair with red bull, wishes the sushi were better where she lives and dances while she cleans.


Buy Links:
Long Excerpt:
Inch by painstaking inch, the casket sank lower into the freshly churned earth.
The scent of lilacs floated on the breeze, along with the heavy stench of perfume and cologne, reminding Lucy of the fragrance aisle in a department store.
Lucy stood beside the grave, dressed in a modest royal blue sundress. She had chosen it specifically because her father always said the color looked the best against her hair, which was a mix of reddish brown that shone burgundy in the sunlight.
Tilting her head up, Lucy looked through the canopy of the aging oak trees that were scattered throughout the cemetery. The breeze shifted the branches, causing a few of the leaves to pull free and flutter off into the wind. There were almost no clouds in sky, allowing the sun to shine down over the funeral.
Her brothers and sisters surrounded the open grave opposite of her. All six of them also wore something fitting for a funeral, but nothing depressing enough to send their father into a rage in his afterlife.
Smiling, Lucy remembered the argument she and her father had during his last moments. “Lucy!” he had shouted at her. “Don’t you dare let them bury me in a suit. I am not going to spend eternity in a stuffy ass business suit. Make sure I’m wearing my khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt because I’m going on the vacation of a lifetime.”
That was toward the end, when the cancer was so bad that her dad spent most of his time in bed, moaning about how he should be up and about doing something. They both knew that the end was near, but Lucy had cried only in private. Her father wanted her to be happy he was moving on to the next life, but she couldn’t understand in what way, shape or form, his dying was a good thing.
So she shed her tears alone in her room until there were no more left to cry.
The fog of the memory lifted from Lucy’s mind and she looked across the grave at her brothers and sisters. The entire brood of Estmond siblings were born with the same color hair as Lucy had been blessed with. Each of them, as well as Lucy and Ethan, held a white rose in one hand. Later, before the grave was sealed, they would each take a turn throwing one down onto the casket, as a symbol of their wish for their father’s peaceful journey into the afterlife.
Just behind her brothers and sisters stood the mourners who came to pay their last respects. Most of them were town’s people whom they had grown up with, except for one group who stood close together, most of them around her father’s age. These were the Keepers whom her family had been closest to over the years. She could see Gloria and Edward White, the Keepers from one of the Napa Valley graveyards standing solemnly beside Ellen and Stanly Evans, who worked in the hospital in Santa Rosa. There were several other Keepers surrounding them who she recognized and made a note to speak to them later.
Beyond them, further out into the trees, the spirits began to show themselves. They appeared in the form of their human bodies, a bit transparent, but solid for the most part. It was harder to see in the daylight, but their misty blue auras swirled around them, helping form the solidity of their bodies.
The spirits were fascinated by funerals. When Lucy was little she used to think that they wanted to say goodbye to someone, but really it was because there wasn’t much else to do in a graveyard except talk to each other and attend burials.
Pastor Brown spoke solemnly, saying kind words and telling her father’s life story. Inwardly, Lucy cursed her father for choosing Pastor Brown, a man who had not known her father and she was sure didn’t give a flying fuck about him either. Her father hadn’t set foot in church since he was a child. Not because he didn’t believe in God, he just didn’t believe in organized religion.
Sensing her tension, Ethan squeezed her hand reassuringly. Turning to her left she looked up and met her best friend’s eyes through the tint of his sunglasses. Even through the dark lenses she could see the sorrow in his eyes. He had loved her father too, just as much as any one of the Estmond clan. In response, she squeezed his hand back and then turned back to stare at the grave again.
“And now, Lucy Mae, Gregory’s youngest child, will say a few words about her father.”  The preacher cleared his throat, signaling to Lucy that it was time.
Lucy had no tears staining her face. She had cried all those tears long before the day of the funeral. Again, Ethan gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then released her so that she could reach down and withdraw the folded piece of yellow legal paper out of her miniscule handbag.
As Lucy unfolded the paper she felt like it was taking an eternity.
This day is never going to end.
Finally, the paper was open in front of her and she began.
“I know that this speech is going to sound like the speeches given for so many others who have passed on. But, when someone we love dies, we all feel pretty much the same way … so here it goes. My father, Gregory Estmond, was the best person I’ve ever known. Today, we stand here, not to mourn him, but to celebrate him. He didn’t want any one of us to be sad that he was gone. Because … he isn’t gone. He will always be with us. For those of us who spent each day with him, his teachings and his love will always be with us. He taught us love, he taught us respect, he taught us of our family heritage, and he taught us how to live.
“For those who are acquaintances of my father, you may have met him only once and you are here because he impacted you in some way.”
A few nods came from the crowd.
Lucy continued. “He had that effect on people because he had a genuine love and respect for human life. Which is not something all of us can say we have. He treated everyone the same, with kindness. 
“Because my father had cancer, he knew that this day was coming and he had time to prepare for it. We had many discussions and the one thing he consistently told me was to embrace life. He didn’t say this because he was dying, it was his mantra. This man lived every day of his life like it may be his last. He didn’t wait until he was dying to find the beauty in this world or the people in it. He was always this way.
“Remember my father, not with sadness, but with the memories he left behind. Remember him with love, with laughter and knowing that he is exactly where he wants to be.”
Lucy stepped back, reaching out for Ethan to grasp her hand once again. She eyed her siblings, none of them were crying either. Daniel, the second oldest son, reached into his gray trench coat and pulled out a silver flask. Lucy sighed and watched as her brother didn’t even try to hide it and took a long pull of the whiskey she knew was inside.
Sadly, as inappropriate as her brother was being, she couldn’t help but wish she could take a giant swig off that flask too.
It’s almost over.
“Would anyone else like to say a few words?” Pastor Brown offered.
Sherriff Davis stepped forward, he had his Stetson clutched in one hand and hitched up his gun belt with the other. As always he was wearing his uniform. The Sheriff and her father had been pretty close … well, as close as a Keeper can get to someone without that someone thinking that they are out of their mind.
“I’d like to, if that’s all right.” The Sheriff looked down into the grave before his eyes swept across the crowd of mourners. Finally his eyes met Lucy’s and she flashed him a smile meant to encourage him to proceed.
“Greg was my friend … and an old grump like me doesn’t have many friends. Greg knew a lot of people in this town, but I feel damn sorry for anyone who lives here and never had the chance to meet him. No one, aside from my own wife, Darcy, could make me laugh like Greg could. He was loyal and respectful, even if he was a bull shitter. Good grief that man liked to tell stories. Also, any man who can raise a brood of children by himself and manage to keep them all out of jail is a good man in my book.”
Lucy could have sworn that she heard Principal Robertson blow air between his lips like he was blowing a raspberry. A few people looked his way and then back at Sheriff Davis.
“That is all I got.” Sheriff Davis stepped back into the crowd.
Evelynn Andrews, the librarian at the Summer Hollow library, raised her hand slightly. She was about seventy years old, but didn’t look a day over fifty five. Lucy hoped she would age that well as the years progressed.
Evelynn pushed her glasses up her nose and closed her eyes for a moment before she began to speak. “I don’t think I can say much more about how wonderful Gregory was, but I wanted to make sure to pay my respects by voicing them. I’ve known the Estmond family all the way back to when Kathleen was still alive, as far back as when she and Greg were high school sweethearts. No one, could have been a better father to these children. Sure, they have caused a fair amount of ruckus over the years, but he did it all on his own and they are educated, mostly well behaved.”
She paused to glance at Daniel who had decided that moment would be appropriate for another pull from his flask. “And above all, Greg gave these children a sense of loyalty. Anyone who knows these kids knows that if you mess with one, you get the whole bunch of them.”
A few people giggled, even Lucy, knowing how true that statement really was.
“This may not seem like a good thing in retrospect, but a family who stays together so closely is a rare thing these days. It is to be cherished. Greg gave them this sense of family and that is something to be proud of.” As she finished, she closed her eyes again looked Pastor Brown.
“Would anyone else like to speak?” Pastor Brown addressed the crowd of mourners.
Unexpectedly, Ethan released Lucy’s hand and raised it up a little bit. “I need to say something.”
Pastor Brown nodded and held his hand out beside him. Ethan moved over to the other side of Lucy beside the pastor. “There are very few people here who don’t know who I am.” Ethan began. “Gregory Estmond took me under his wing a long time ago, when Lucy and I were both very little. My parents, who have moved away now…”
He paused and took a breath, pondering if he should let out the deep dark family secrets. Well, secrets that the whole town knew anyway. That was how small towns worked.
“They were, drug addicts and alcoholics who barely took care of me. Greg came by the house one day to see my parents for some reason and what he found was a little boy locked in his room with no food or water and his parents passed out in their bedroom surrounded by drugs and trash. The story is a long one, a long sad story. But it ended with Greg and the rest of the Estmonds making sure I always had a place to go, that I always had food. Greg even went so far as to pay me for making good grades, just to give me incentive to do well in school.”
Lucy grimaced as he told the story, hating Ethan’s parents for what they did to him. Ethan had conveniently left out the part about how her father had beat the ever living snot out of Ethan’s dad that day he found him locked up in his room half starved. It was hard to believe Ethan’s parents came from a Keeper line, but sadly, not all Keepers were immune to addiction. Keepers were human, just like everyone else.
Ethan scanned the crowd through his glasses. “No one, except for maybe the Estmond kids, owes more, or loves that man, more than I do. He saved me and I will never forget that. I hope that none of you ever forget that either.”
Ethan lowered his head and hurried back to Lucy. She immediately took his hand again, knowing how hard it must have been for him to say all that in front of everyone. He never spoke about his parents. They moved away when he was fourteen and left him alone in the house. After that he came to live with the Estmonds for good. She and Ethan were friends long before the incident at Ethan’s house, but after he came to live with them, they were inseparable.
Pastor Brown closed up the ceremony with a prayer and then the bagpipes started on Amazing Grace. Lucy stepped forward with Ethan’s hand firmly in her grasp and looked down into the dark, deep hole where her father’s body would spend eternity. Luckily, she knew better than most that his soul would not remain in that body.
She held the white rose firmly over the grave. “I wish you peaceful passage.” She released the rose and it drifted down into the depths of the hole. “I love you, Daddy.”
Ethan mimicked her actions, familiar with the meaning of the ceremony from the many deaths of Keepers past. Her siblings had moved into a line directly behind her and Ethan, tossing their roses in as well.
The other mourners milled about, giving Lucy and the family some time before they headed over to her house for the wake. She caught sight of Gloria and Ellen chatting beside the giant wreath of flowers with her father’s picture inside. She wandered over to say hello. “Gloria, Ellen, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”
Gloria smiled, as did Ellen. “Yes dear,” Gloria greeted her. “It has been some time. I’m sorry we couldn’t make it sooner.”
“Or under better circumstances.” Ellen added.
Lucy nodded. “Well, I’m just glad that you could make it here now. I’m sure my father would be happy that you are here now.”
Gloria and Ellen nodded, they made a bit more small talk and then Ethan appeared beside her. “I think we had better get over to the house now.” He whispered just loudly enough for the older ladies to hear.
“Oh,” Lucy checked her watch deliberately. “You are absolutely right. I’m sorry ladies, I need to get some things ready over at the house.”
Gloria smiled again, a loving gentle smile of someone she had known her entire life. “You go on dear, we will see you over there.”
With a quick ‘see you later,’ Lucy backed away and then turned to join hands with Ethan again. “Thanks for saving me. I didn’t really want to talk to them, but I had to make sure to say hello to them.”
“You doing all right?” Ethan asked, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.
Lucy nodded. “I’m fine.” She turned her head to try and see his eyes through the dark tint of his glasses. “How bout you. Are you all right?”
He twisted his lip up a little and she knew he was giving slight eye roll. “I’ll survive. I just miss him and all this,” he gestured to the crowd, “actually makes it harder.”
She nodded again. “I know what you mean. I feel the same way.” Her gaze strayed from the grave and focused on her house. Their home sat on the edge of the cemetery, separated from the dead by a white picket fence and about thirty yards of grass. The yellow farmhouse had been in their family for several generations, and now it was hers, as was the family business.
“Let’s head over.”
She nodded. Of course they had to get to the house. But, it wouldn’t be for relaxing. There was food to get out and serve. People would come up to her and tell her how sorry they were for her loss, or how much her father meant to them, or some awesome memory they had of him. It was going to be a very long afternoon.
Almost over, she told herself again. Almost over.


Short Excerpt:
“Yeah, I get that.” He took a swig of his beer and cringed. “Ugh. Can I get a shot of Jameson with this too?”
“I thought you tried to stay away from the hard stuff.” Her dark eyes penetrated him, looking for a reason that he would want to be drinking the hard A.
“Not tonight I don’t.”
“Fine. But, because I’m your friend I’m only allowing you one shot then it’s back to the hangover beer for you.”
Friend. What a fucked up word. The F word for sure.
He gave her a twisted smile as she handed him the shot of amber colored liquid. “I don’t have any friends. Not anymore.”
She shot him a concerned look and put the Jameson bottle back on the shelf. “You do now. I think we hit it off as far as friends go. See, I’m going to help you out right now, just like a dude would. There’s Janette.”
“Who?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Jack raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders, then tilted his head back and slammed his shot.
Reese had her hands on her hips. “Janette. The girl you took home the other night.” She explained.
“Oh! You mean Janice.” He turned around to see who she was talking about.
“No, I mean Janette. That is her name, asshole.”
“Oh shit, really?”
Reese shook her head and laughed. “You may be good looking, but you are the poster child for guys women shouldn’t date. I have no idea why I like you at all.”
With a smile, Jack turned around and wiggled his eyebrows, “maybe we should take that to the next level.” He was totally joking and she knew it. The two of them seemed to have a mutual no touchy code.
“Not a chance in hell, Casanova.”
Jack laughed and then once again looked over his shoulder at Janette. Now, that was exactly what he needed right now. Nothing calms the nerves after an attempted murder and a fight with your friend like a good night of fucking out the frustration. He grabbed his beer and got up off the stool.  




Saturday, August 9, 2014

Love in Rewind by Tali Alexander

LOVE IN REWIND

By
Tali Alexander 
 

LIRcover

 -Author Name: Tali Alexander
-Title of book: LOVE IN REWIND
-Genre: Erotic Romance |Adult Romance |New Adult Contemporary Fiction
-Brief description of book: 100K words. Book one of a two book series called: AUDIO FOOLS. This adult romance series will follow the love lives of two best friends; Emily and Sara. Their road to love materializes and crumbles with the help of ‘80s music as the anthem to their existence. LOVE IN REWIND is an interconnected standalone.


SYNOPSIS:

Emily has the life every woman dreams of.
At 29, she has two beautiful kids, a live-in nanny, housekeeper, cook, and every imaginable luxury in the posh Upper East Side townhouse she shares with her drop-dead gorgeous husband, Louis Bruel. His company, Bruel Industries, owns a big chunk of New York City’s most sought-after real estate, and together Emily and Louis embody the perfect hot fairy tale couple for ten happy years of marriage.
But when Louis mysteriously starts pushing Emily away, becoming distant and secretive, she is forced to search for the truth among the lies, scandal and heartbreak of his past that threaten to shatter her world. What she finds out will test the strength of her love and her vows to the man of her dreams.
Can Emily and Louis rewind far enough back to a time when life was simpler and love was all they needed? Follow their story with the help of some of their favorite songs from the 80’s to discover just how deep and how far love will go.
 Available Now

Amazon US Amazon UK | iBooks | B & N NOOK | KOBO

LIR front and back cover

review.jpg

 


I didn’t need to look back to know who was behind me. His scent alone added another milliliter of arousal to my underwear. I couldn’t turn around, he was leaning into me so close. I could feel his heat as his wide muscular chest pressed against me, enveloping me. Heart don’t fail me, now. Please don’t stop beating, I kept repeating to myself as my heartbeat started increasing to presto speed.
“Are you trying to make me come in my pants in front of all my clients, little girl?” he asked.
Fuck, I need to breathe. He continued whispering into my ear, making every hair on my body stand at attention. “I’ve been jerking off to the vision of your tits in that white top for the last two weeks.”
I think I officially stopped breathing when he said, “your tits.”
“Please tell me you’re at least eighteen. I really don’t want to go to jail. But I think it might be worth it even if you’re not.”
Okay, Emily, snap out of it. Say something adult and memorable. This was my chance.
“Yeah, I’m eighteen…” I finally said, a little breathlessly. He got a little closer as his whole body shook laughing at my pathetic comment. I could faintly feel something hard bulging out and grazing my lower back. I was afraid of having a spontaneous orgasm if he got any closer.
“Thank … you … God. So you must be Jenna’s little sister?” he asked, sending chills through my overheated body. My underwear was soaked by now. Even I could smell how aroused I was.
“If Mike knew what I wanted to do to his hot little sister-in-law right now, he’d have my balls.”
I still hadn’t turned around. My legs were shaking; my brain was drawing a blank. I was much braver in my fantasies. Thank God there was no one in the kitchen to see us. WAIT! Reality hit me—where was everybody? Shouldn’t the other staff members be helping me with the clean up? Oh my God, can somebody see us? I thought. I remembered the one-way glass and started to turn my head around to check just in case anyone else was there. That’s when Louis Bruel’s lips brushed my cheek as I turned my head. I guess that was the official moment I stopped breathing. I gathered all my strength and turned to face him inside his loose grip. I looked up at him, trying to seem in control of the situation. After what felt like twenty minutes of me craning my head up to his towering height, he broke our silent stare-off.
“I can’t believe how beautiful your eyes are, little girl. They remind me of the water in Turks and Caicos. Your hair is the color of the sand there.”

photo-13

“Nothing really to tell, what you see is what you get.”

I am every woman out there that has fantasies in her head. I am a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a wife, a lover, a mother, and a friend. I happen to also be a Doctor of Pharmacy and a business owner by day, and now a writer by night. Writing and reading help me escape the scary world we live in. I hope my stories help readers experience many different emotions and ultimately, I hope I make them smile…

Writing keeps me sane. I hope reading does the same for you.
♥♥TA
 

AUTHOR CONTACT:

Website: http://www.TaliAlexander.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaliAlexanderAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tali_Alexander

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/talialexanderbo/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/talialexander

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7847481.Tali_Alexander

LOVE IN REWIND Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20804287-love-in-rewind

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Tali-Alexander/e/B00KLMLS62/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1403786495&sr=1-1

YouTube: http://youtu.be/4G7LLt-klmE

 

Amazon US Amazon UK | iBooks | B & N NOOK | KOBO

Friday, August 1, 2014

~Release Day Blitz~ Lure of the Vampire by Bertena Varney



Title: Lure of the Vampire: A Pop Culture Reference Book
Author: Bertena Varney     
Genre: Non Fiction
Cover Artist: Patti Roberts- https://www.facebook.com/PattiParadox
Publisher: Indie Publishing House. LLC - https://www.facebook.com/IndiePublishingHouse

Hosted by: Lady Amber's Tours

Short Blurb:Lure of the Vampire is a pop culture reference book that takes you on a journey through the mythology and history of the monstrous vampires – through the romantic and, at times, scary vampires in movies, television, and books. Included in this definitive guide are interviews with “real” vampires and an extensive bibliography, lists, and websites for readers to continue their journey long after they have read the book. The author discusses a variety of vampire-related topics, such as why vampires are currently so “gentle”  in movies, such as Twilight, compared to classics such as Dracula, and why women are lured to the “vampire boyfriend” and read every romance book about these bad boys that they can get their hands on.

Lure of the Vampire provides the readers with clear cut sections beginning with the mythology of the vampire and going next to history, literature, movies, recreation, websites, and to modern times where the author interviews real life vampires.

This is the third and final updated edition of this book. The previous editions have won multiple awards including Amazon and Kindle Best Seller in pop culture and reference categories.
Her vampire live action role playing character was used by Elizabeth Loraine in collaboration on a fiction novella, titled Lillian: A Vampire’s Story which is available at the end of this book for free!

Long Blurb: What is Lure of the Vampire?

The Lure of the Vampire is a pop culture reference book for writers, vampire fans, students and teachers who love to study the mysterious creature of the night. This book is for the fanatics who sit up at night and watch reruns of Buffy for the hundredth time, the Twi-hards that line up for hours before the show just to glimpse the newest Twilight movie, the Truebies who all knows that “waiting sucks” between each season of True Blood and for those diehard traditionalist that balk at all of this “new” vampire craze.
The Lure of the Vampire is also for the new writers who love creating their own worlds where the vampires may be aristocratic and romantic or dark and dangerous; the world where there are castles, heaving bosoms, chivalry and danger of loving a vampire, the dreams of so many women in today’s world.
And finally, The Lure of the Vampire is a book for those who love to study all aspects of the vampire in both pop culture and the world. Whether they are the historian who loves tracing the evolution of the vampire or the sociologist who wants to explore the world of those that live the lifestyle, the reader will find resources here to help them in their quest for knowledge of this lifestyle.
The Lure of the Vampire is divided into ten sections beginning with mythology and ending with modern vampires. Within each section there are lists that will help the reader learn basic and fun facts about that section’s topic. Links to websites are provided to ensure that the reader may find more information about that section without having to search for it on the Internet or in other books. To help supplement a particular subject within that topic, there are personal essays or interviews that give the reader a personal look from the author’s perspective. For example, Lure of the Dead Boyfriend provides the reader with a look at why women love vampire romance while exploring the vampire as a soul mate, an erotic lover, and an escape from the real world.
Lure of the Vampire provides unique interviews with vampire authors, role players, and those that live the lifestyle. The reader can delve into the world of a creator of an alternate reality or learn more about those whose lives lead them to embrace vampirism as a way of life.
Lure of the Vampire is a complete pop culture reference book for those who enjoy vampires and their impact on society. It provides an extensive bibliography that will allow the reader the opportunity for additional independent study.


Bertena Varney is a sociology professor at Southcentral KY Community College (SKYCTC)  in Bowling Green, KY. She holds masters’ degrees in sociology, criminology, social science and education. She is from Winchester, KY and attended Morehead State University in KY.
She was named to the Top Women in Horror in 2012 by Venom and Honey and Blaze McRob’s Tales of Terrors in 2014 and has been nicknamed the Vampire Professor.
She is an Amazon and Kindle Bestselling author of Lure of the Vampire and Lure of the Vampire: Revamped. She is also contributor and coeditor for Vampire News: Tasty Bits to Sink Your Fangs Into, Vampire News: The Not So End Times, Vampire News: Really...Vampires Suck!, and contributor to Vampires Romance to Rippers an Anthology of Risque Stories, Vampires Romance to Rippers an Anthology of Tasty Stories, and The Witching Hour and Sirens Compendiums.
She is also the Examiner.com expert on True Blood, vampires, television, movies, and more.
In her free time she does lectures at libraries conventions and conferences. Some of these include the Harry Potter Convention in Salem, Mass., The Sirens Convention in Vail, Colorado, ScareFest Horror Convention in Lexington, as well as smaller events and discussions in New Orleans, Chicago, London, Paris and other fun places.

SPECIAL:
When writing this book it began as a master’s thesis and then was edited and formatted differently so that vampire fans would enjoy the information as well. Over the last 3 years she has been asked by fans to create a course online, like the one she teaches in person, and that class has finally been created and will be ready to begin when the book becomes available for sale hopefully on August 1.

She is enrolling students now as a 50% discount of the normal class tuition. The special included anyone who participates in this tour will receive the class for only $50.00. It is normally $100.00! Once the student pays for the class via PayPal or credit card and purchases the book, they should email the author to get the invite to the class. The class covers each chapter in the book and provides the student with the questions that they must answer, videos for them to watch, an essay for them to write and final: there are also discussion boards that are open for class discussions. Upon completion the student will receive a certificate of completion via email to show that they have completed a course in Vampirology (the study of vampires).

This is a fun course that vampire fans will love. If interested please look at course here - http://mysticalparanormalacademy.ning.com/classesoffered/introduction-to-vampires-class
Then  email her at vampireprofessor@yahoo.com or message on her Facebook profile - https://www.facebook.com/bertena.varney to get payment and registration information for the class.

Places to Find Bertena Varney

Website/Blog – www.bertena.com
Twitter - @tenavarney



Upcoming Events:

  1. Estill County Library, Irvine, KY October 30 - Lecture on Angels and Demons and Vampires

2.            Inner Light Festival, Lexington, KY September 20 and 21 Working with Angels www.innerlightfestivals.com

3.            The ScareFest, Lexington, KY September 12-14 Guest Speaker on Angels and Vampires www.scarefestcon.com

4.            Killer Nashville, August 22-24 Signings of Vampire Books www.killernashville.com

5.            The Mystical Paranormal Fair, Lexington, KY August 8-10 - Workshops on Angels www.mpfair.com

6.            Festival of Healing and Spiritual Awareness, Elizabethtown, KY July 18- 19 - Angel Readings

7.            The Mystical Paranormal Fair, Lexington, KY July 11-13 - Workshops on Angels www.mpfair.com

8.            The Ghost Hunters Shop, Lexington,KY, July 10 - Lecture on Angels

Can anyone guess what her next book is about? Angels!

Soundtrack to the book- This is the music I listen to while working on my books. It’s a folk rock group that happens to be my son’s group. He wrote the music and lyrics as well as plays the guitar and sings. I loved typing away while he would play music and sing, it was so peaceful. The Group is called Approaching the Unreal – Go to the link below to download the songs for FREE. When it asks how much you are willing to pay put in zero dollars or any amount that you wish to pay to help support these young upcoming artists.  https://approachingtheunreal.bandcamp.com/



Reviews 

Layla Cook ~ Fairy Author and Assemblage Artist
Bertena Varney began the journey in creating this book when she was doing her graduate studies. She researched academic databases, interviewed authors, and even did ethnographic research on the subculture of vampires. She is an academic as well as a fan of vampires and has done a great job with blending the two in this book. This is the perfect reference book that is quick grab and covers more than just the typical vampire shows. 

Scarlette D'Noire ~ Vampires: Romance to Rippers
The Vampire Professor is the go-to girl and Lure of the Vampire is the go-to book on all things vampire.

Audrey A’Cladh ~ Vampire Minister and Counselor, Vampires: Romance to Rippers
Bertena gives a fresh and unbiased look at the complex subject of vampires; where most books rehash the same tired notes, she unearths overlooked melodies!

~The Lure of the Dead Boyfriend~
In the beginning was a bald monster with a long face, pointed ears and chin, elongated fingers and sharp talon claws, which lost its humanity and control over its monstrous side. It was lured to a young maiden’s window. All of a sudden, with a sudden rush that could not be foreseen and with a strange howling cry that was enough to awaken the terror in any beast, the figure seized the long tresses of hair. He held her to the bed…she screams…shrieks...and he seizes her neck in his fang like teeth… a gush of blood and a hideous sucking noise follows.
This picture of rape and torture is the bedroom scene of the 1847 penny dreadful, Varney the Vampire: Feast of Blood. The author Thomas Prest painted pictures of the vampire being a sexual monster wanting to devour women, women who were portrayed as being very passive and weak. In these stories the vampire bite was a metaphor for rape and the monster wanted his victim aware of every agonizing violation. This is the vampire that was created when men ruled the horror world: a creature cursed to walk the earth for eternity searching not for love but for food.
Now today, the story reads more like this, “He met my eyes with his penetrating gaze. Suddenly it was hard to breathe. ..My heart pounded in my chest… my knees threatened to buckle. I had never seen such a gorgeous man…something about him felt dark and dangerous and desirable. I lifted my chin to give him better access to my neck. He smiled, showing a hint of fangs.” This excerpt is from Lynda Hilburn’s The Vampire Shrink.  Lynda discussed on her blog that since women have taken over the horror genre the vampire has evolved into a gorgeous, sensuous, sexual, romantic, bad boy of the night.
Even though vampire literature is usually snubbed by many writers and fans, over the last ten years the rise in vampire literature has increased exponentially. Many book reviewers claim that vampire literature displays women as sluts and submissive. This may be true in some series but overall this trend has changed quickly. Many writers such as C.J. Ellisson, author of The Vampire Vacation Series, have developed a strong empowered female character that is a monogamous vampire who loves her human husband. The scenes are hot but very respectful to women and actually show how they may embrace their sexual side without embarrassment.
Many more vampire authors have their female character as empowering and strong. They walk alongside the vampire in their journey rather than being the damsel in distress or the hapless victim of his sexual prowess. The current trend for this new genre of vampire romance literature is one that offers the readers an escape from the pressures of the real world while delivering to them either a soul mate or an erotic lover in the form of a vampire. So, just what is the lure of the dead boyfriend to the modern female reader?

Buy Links for my other books
Romance to Rippers Volume 2 An Anthology of Risque Stories-
Lillian: A Vampire Tale = a novella- Book 1-written by Elizabeth Loraine based on my characters
Lillian 2- The Mask- a novella- Book 2 written by Elizabeth Loraine based on my characters
Lillian 3 to be released in October
Vampire News 2011- Tasty Bits You can Sink Your Fangs Into
Vampire News 2: The Not So End Times
Vampire News 3: Vampires….. They Suck!
To be released July 18 here is the FREE Link - http://bitemereallyhard.com/bite-me-really-hard/download-center/
Special Thanks to Scarlette D’ Noire and Indie House Publishing, LLC for helping me with this final edition of Lure and for putting me in contact with Patti Roberts, the awesome cover artist and BZ Hercules who worked tirelessly editing and formatting the book for us. They are an awesome team to work with and are highly professional and recommended.
Thank you to them for making this possible! They are awesome!

CONTEST: Follow the above and I will pick 5 winners for a Free eBook and 1 Winner of a FREE enrollment in the Vampire Class. Winners announced August 15.
           
Here is the rafflcopter url