Thursday 20 October 2011

Requiem of Humanity Tour Stop & Giveaway

Today, as the leaves fall from the trees and the cold autumn rain makes me shiver, all I want to do is curl up with a cup of tea and a great vamp novel. If this sounds like your idea of heaven, you could be in luck, because today Catherine Stovall has offered to give away an ebook copy of her debut novel, Stolen (Requiem of Humanity). To be in with a chance to win, all you need to do is leave a comment below.


~Jenda and Soborgne are best friends and everything they do, they do together. Unfortunately, this time the girls may die together. The girls are kidnapped and held captive by Belle and Matteo, two vampires with a plan. Belle, a sociopath in life and death, is searching for an heir to her reign as the only vampire to hold the secret to surviving the sun. Matteo is a lost soul who would give anything to be loved and to see the light of day.

~As the four characters’ worlds collide, blood is spilled, lives are lost, and rules are broken. Disappointment in love and life bring out the worst in humans but with vampires, it leads to a chilling tale that will make you look under your bed before you close your eyes and then dream of falling in love with a medieval fiend.



Catherine's also been kind enough to share some of her experiences on getting published. Here's her guest post on what it means to her to be an indie author:

Stuck in the Middle with Me by Catherine Stovall

I am not one of those authors who have been writing novels for the past ten or twenty years. Stolen is the first novel I have ever written. One day, I decided to write a book and six months later Stolen was born. There I was with my completed manuscript staring back at me and a question in the space between me and it. Stolen was completed, proof read, and edited, now what?

The next logical step was to publish my brain child. This fragile and newborn thing must be sent out to the wolves on its own with just my hopes to carry it. Who would I choose to judge my heart and soul? There were only really three options. I could publish Stolen myself, I could send it off to the big print publishers and agents, or I could send it to the eBook Publishers.

I knew right away that the self-publishing industry just wasn’t for me. I admire those brave souls who put on their entrepreneur hats and storm into the world of publishing. These miraculous authors take on all the challenges and hard work of seeing their novels through the fog and into the eyes of the reader. I needed more guidance, more direction, and the help of someone who positively knew how to do what I didn’t.

Checking the submission guidelines for many of the well-known print publishers I learned quickly that this would be a daunting task. Most print publishers do not accept unsolicited manuscripts from writers, only those with agents. Agents do not generally accept authors who have not previously been professionally published. I found myself in a conundrum.

I began looking into ePublishing. Though someday I want to see Stolen in print, the more I learned about eBooks, I knew this was the path for me as a new author. ePublishers offered me everything I was looking for. Here were companies who welcomed unsolicited manuscripts without an agent, provided professional editing, and offered very competitive royalty rates. I loved the idea of being able to tell my future grandchildren that I was a part of the eBook revolution. When I learned that I could have a bigger say in the entire process with the ePublishers than with print publishers, I started cheerfully preparing the perfect query letter.

Sixteen letters went out. In a matter of weeks, I received several polite no thank you letters, one letter that not so politely told me not to give up my day job, and two letters saying yes. Now, from what I have heard, this is rare if not a miracle. I consider myself blessed to now be a part of the Untreed Reads team.
 
I have many of the same privileges, as a self-published author. In addition to these privileges, I have an extra helping hand from the publisher. Still, having Stolen published in eBook only by a small publisher is tough. Sometimes I feel I am stuck in the middle. Not being independent enough to be Indie and not big enough to be something else, I find myself in a hard place as an emerging author. It is a struggle to find outlets to promote and then I do most of than promotion myself. Yet, I am very happy where I am right now with my writing career.

As far the question of rather or not I am an Indie author goes, I really don’t know. It depends on the person’s point of view. To some, the term Indy means an author who has no affiliation with any company. To these people I am not an Indie writer. To others, Indy means an author who is Independent in their thinking. One who Never gives up. One who Drives forward and continues to learn as they grow as author and person. One who is Inventive in the way they promote their work and in their publishing endeavors. Most of all, an Indie author is a person who Experiences the process of writing, editing, and publishing with their heart, minds, and soul. I can only hope that these people define me as Indie, it would be my honor. 


You can discover more about Catherine on her website and on Facebook. Don't forget to leave a comment below if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Stolen.

Monday 3 October 2011

Become a Vampire in my Latest Novel

***This Competition is now Closed***

Ever dreamed of being a vampire?
I’m currently writing Thicker than Blood, the sequel to Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series) and I thought it would be a bit of fun to give you the opportunity to become a character in the story. I’ll use your real name and, if you get picked, I’ll message you for more information on hair colour, character traits etc.

The novel is set in present day England and in 6th century Byzantium. You won’t be a main character, but you will play a significant role in the story and what’s more, I’m giving you the option to be a good vampire or an evil vampire bwahahahahaha!!!!



All you have to do, is follow my blog and write your name in the comments section below. Also state whether you'd like to be good or evil.

If you win:

-          The name used will be your first and last name as stated on the comments section.
-          The character using your name may not necessarily have your exact personality/looks etc.
-          You cannot substitute anyone else’s name.
-          You might get killed off!
-          Your name may be used in future publicity.
-          By entering this competition, you agree that I can use your name as a character in the Marchwood Vampire Series.

All entries must be in by midnight 30th November 2011.

I'll announce the winner on December 3rd, so don't forget to check back here to see if you're my vampire!

Good luck, bloodsuckers!

PS. Blogger is playing up a bit at the moment, so if you're having trouble commenting, make sure you uncheck the 'stay signed in' box, and it should be okay.

Sunday 2 October 2011

Someone who Inspires me

My Aunty Joyce is 91 years old and both of her children suffered from Down's Syndrome. Her son died several years ago and she recently lost her daughter, Monique. 

Joyce is an amazing woman and is currently preparing 130 pieces of art for an exhibition in aid of Research into Epilepsy. I hope I would be as strong and inspiring as her in the face of such heartbreak.

Below is an invitation to her exhibition in Paris, France from October 25th - 28th. If you're in the neighbourhood, she'd love you to pop in and say hello!




Wednesday 14 September 2011

December Moon, Virtual Book Tour

I've just finished reading Book Two in the Raven Saga. It's called December Moon and is a great fun novel with all kinds of interesting and mysterious characters who find themselves in precarious situations. Author, Suzy Turner, does a great job of keeping the pages turning right up until the end. I'm thrilled to welcome her to the blog today, with her vamp-tastic guest post:

Author, Suzy Turner. (Someone you wouldn't mind running into in a dark alley)

When I was a wee lass, my sister and I were taken to the cinema to see a kids film (I think it was Neverending Story, but I'm not entirely sure)... unfortunately, we couldn't get in to see that and our only other option was a vampire flick called The Lost Boys. We ummed and ahhed (or rather our parents did... it's not exactly suitable for kids under ten!) and decided to go for it. I'm so glad we did. It's now one of my all-time favourite vampire movies.

What is it about vampires that are so appealing? I mean, they're usually evil blood-sucking creatures who go from beautiful to grotesque in a matter of seconds? They want to drink our blood, kill us or turn us into fellow blood-suckers, don't they?

In The Lost Boys the vampires were undoubtedly the bad boys, unlike Twilight where Edward is just so totally swoon worthy and the epitome of a real gentleman. Granted, it has its fair share of the nasty variety but the Cullens are just, well, to die for, right?

In today's YA stories, many of the lead male characters are vampires. They're usually breathtakingly beautiful and falling for the female protagonist. Now there's nothing wrong with that... it makes for a fabulous story, I say. In December Moon, I have my own loved up vampires who happen to be far from evil. Carmelo and Jo are simply a lovely couple who would do anything for anybody... not your usual, run of the mill, vamps! However, there is something evil lurking beyond those pages. Something so frightening and deadly. Actually, okay, okay... it's a another vampire. The bad kind. His name is Duran (Olivier Duran, to be precise) and he's not exactly a very nice lad. He's extraordinarily good looking though so that makes it all right, doesn't it?!

If you love a great vampire story with a good variety of other paranormal elements thrown in for good measure, then give December Moon a go... I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed.


Thanks so much for joining me, Suzy. the Lost Boys is one of my fave films too. I bet someone will remake it one of these days.

For more information about December Moon and The Raven Saga, visit:
Suzy's website: http://suzyturner.com

Wednesday 7 September 2011

The Things A Boy Will Do To Get A Girl: Becoming Edward by Faye Meredith

Today I'm lucky enough to be joined by the fabulous Faye Meredith, author of Becoming Edward. I've read the novel and have to say I loved every second. At one point I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Cute, funny and unashamedly British, this is a story I'd love to see on TV. It's genius!

Rachel’s hooked on Twilight and is in love with Edward Cullen. Clive is obsessed with Rachel but he’s no Edward. Lewis is in love with himself until he meets Rachel.

Both boys fail to win her until one of them has the bright idea of becoming Edward.

Becoming Edward is a light-hearted teen fiction novel for young adults who love paranormal romance, especially Twilight and Breaking Dawn. There are no vampires in it, but there is a boy who thinks he's Edward Cullen.

The author is a huge Twilight fan and explores what happens when obsession goes too far.

What will readers like about your book?
The lengths that boys will go to attract the girl of their dreams, even if it means dressing up like a fictional character and getting it completely wrong. Hopefully, it’s funny and insightful at the same time.

What inspired you to write it?
I was in Borders (which I sorely miss now it’s gone) and I saw a group of teenage girls sitting around the Twilight section, reading the books like their lives depended on it. I think Breaking Dawn had just come out and I guess they couldn’t afford to buy the hardback. A thought popped in my head: how would they react if someone who looked like Edward Cullen walked in? That’s where I got the idea for Becoming Edward.

Originally the boy was going to be the full package and be completely unaware that he looked like Edward Cullen. But then I thought it would be far more interesting to make him change into him. More importantly, what would make him want to do that? It had to be for a girl.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?
Yes and no. I have far too many ideas. I’ve have about 4 books planned out but I can’t decide which one to write first.

Who are your favorite authors?
Gosh, so many. Here goes, in no particular order: Anne Rice, Suzanne Collins, Nick Hornby, Ian Banks, Stephenie Meyer, Ken Follet, George Macdonald Fraser, Philip Pullman, Roald Dahl, Terry Pratchet, CS Lewis, Eoin Colfer and Shalini Boland, of course.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
At weekends I dress up in rubber (no, not that sort of thing you dirty lot!) and go surfing. I’ve been doing it quite a few years now and have surfed in Spain, Portugal, France, the Canaries and chilly old Cornwall.

Thanks so much, Faye!

If you like the sound of Becoming Edward, here's where you can get your mitts on a copy:


Sunday 28 August 2011

How to Tame the Heart of a Hoodie


 It was the usual scenario – a bunch of hard teenagers hanging out in the park where we were playing with our young boys. We kept our distance, but I could still hear a few choice swear words.
My four-year-old had a balloon which he accidentally lost his grip on. As he watched it swirl away out of reach, up into the sky, he cried:
‘My balloon! My balloon! No!’
The group of youths all turned towards my son and his disappearing balloon.
‘Aaawww,’ they cried. ‘His balloon!’
There’s nothing quite as sad as a child who’s lost his balloon. Even the local hard kids would agree.