Friday, December 28, 2012

Watching.

So we're in that dark period between television seasons and I find myself daydreaming about the many excellent programs whose return I am eagerly awaiting. I decided to make a list. I am NOT going to put these in order. (It would be like picking which of my cats I like best. Wrong and bad.)

Oh, and yes, this will be a long list. 

Once Upon a Time
I adore this show. Rumple rocks my world. And now they've added the most charismatic Hook ever.
Luckily Once Upon a Time returns soon.

Some of my other faves are making me wait. The worst offender: Sherlock. Yes, I understand why and I'm thrilled that these two fine actors are finding such success. But still...we may not see more Sherlock until 2014!!! Arghh!


Which brings me to another long wait but totally worth it show: Downton Abby. Here in the US, we are finally getting the new season early next month. I might make it.






But I'm hearing rumors that this will be Dan Stevens final season! What? Noooo!

I love me some Matthew Crawley.

The Christmas special has me buzzing with excitement for part two of season seven with the eleventh Dr. :)



Now, folks that know me know that I'm a wimp about scary movies and yet...The Walking Dead is still too good to resist.


Still many months to go before we find out what Bill is now on True Blood.


Who else loves the way Eric became the good one?

Now we're moving on to my guiltier pleasures. First up: The Vampire Diaries.


 I tried to resist but look:

le sigh.

And finally, the oh so adorable Hart of Dixie. I may have a crush on Rachel Bilson. How cute is she, right?

And:

I rest my case. 




 I'm going to stop here-though there are still plenty of other shows that I watch. These are the ones that I'm most craving today.
What are you all watching?

Friday, December 21, 2012

Varney the Vampire-A Literary Remix

Hi all!

Back in October, GalleyCat hosted a large scale rewrite of  Varney the Vampire a penny dreadful from 1847. Participating writers were each assigned a single page from the "classic" gothic vampire tale to rewrite in the style of their choosing. This was very much anything goes project, so rewrites could be stylized spoofs or even cartoons.

The book is now available as a free download through Smashwords in many formats. So go take a look at my modest contribution or some of the others.

Varney the Vampire-A Literary Remix

Monday, December 17, 2012

Blood Debt


 Please welcome Nancy Straight to the blog today! She's here to tell us about her book Blood Debt. I asked her why she thinks we are all so in love with the paranormal. 


Ana, thank you for signing up for the Blood Debt tour!! Your topic was interesting because I’d never put much thought into why the Paranormal Genre is appealing to readers.

From the author perspective, there’s a lot of freedom to be creative when the character’s get to a
stumbling block in the story and I’m able to create a power for them to overcome their obstacles.
Anything can happen when writing about mythical creatures with supernatural powers! They
can have superhuman strength, they can fly, be immortal, be psychic and the list goes on.

I think it’s appealing to me as a reader for much the same reason. Life is full of all kinds of
demands on our schedules and days that easily fall into a routine -- it’s nice to live vicariously
through creatures who don’t suffer a mundane existence. They can all be young and attractive,
wealthy, and special – yet, still maintain human emotions. The paranormal genre is a way to
weave our emotions into extraordinary situations.

When our real lives are full of financial concerns, unemployment worries, stress or drama from
co-workers and friends it’s appealing to get lost in a story. It’s exciting when a kick-butt heroine
is fearlessly fighting demons, or falling in love with an immortal, or searching for the object that
will give her the happy ending we want her to have.


Title: Blood Debt
Series: Touched #1
Author: Nancy Straight
Self-Published
Release Date: July 13, 2012
Pages: 293

Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle) | Smashwords




Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s
last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her
entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille
was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But
nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family
claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a Centaur touched by
Zeus.
As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love
with Drake. Her family acknowledges her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her
mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into
decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past
that will win her freedom and the life she desperately desires.

About the Author:

Nancy was born in Sioux City Iowa, left the cold of the Midwest in 1991 and only returns to see
family in the summer time. She spent ten years traveling the world as a US Marine and settled in
rural SC with her husband and two children.

She enjoys reading all types of Paranormal and Young Adult literature – so long as there is a
love story. She loves Starbucks’ White Mocha Latte and Mountain Dew, (but not together). She
has a lead foot so she sets cruise control when she drives, even in 25 MPH zones. Nancy almost
never wins when she plays Angry Birds, but keeps her 8 year old close, so he can clear the hard
levels for her. She grew up on a farm and is opposed to eating fresh chicken (not opposed to
meat - just opposed to any meat that was alive a few hours before lunch). Nancy has written five
Young Adult / New Adult novels and can be found nightly on Facebook and Twitter.



Enter here for a chance to win Blood Debt or (Book Two)Centaur Legacy! Winners will get to choose which book they'd prefer.

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