Halloween Week Guest Blog & Giveaway Day 5: P.N. Elrod
UPDATE: The winner of a book of their choce by P.N. Elrod is Pam P! Congrats! Please send your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net, along with your book request.
A note from TKA: Today is the final day for our special Halloween week guest blogs and contests. We hope you've enjoyed interacting with these amazing authors! At the bottom of this post you'll find the last question for the scavenger hunt and instructions on how to send in you entry for the $50 Visa gift card! Also, don't forget to leave a comment in this post for a chance to win one of P.N. Elrod's fabulous books!
Once again through the magic of time travel, writer P.N. Elrod finds herself back in 1938 Chicago. She’s charged into Lady Crymsyn, the nightclub belonging to undead P.I. Jack Fleming of The Vampire Files.
Elrod rushes upstairs to energetically pound on his office door.
P.N. Elrod: Yo, Fleming! Jack Fleming: (From inside) You again? Take a vacation why don’t you? Elrod: Wake up! Fleming: I don’t sleep, remember? Elrod: Yeah, I remember, I made that up just for you. You’re dead during the day, but it’s night, so get your ass out here! Fleming: You’re a real peach, y’know that? Elrod: Move it! Fleming: (Unlocking and opening the door a crack, looking rumpled) WHAT is your problem? Elrod: It’s the night before Halloween. Fleming: You know how a calendar works. I’m happy for you, now go away. Elrod: Any more lip and I’ll sic Whitey Kroun on you. Fleming: (Pinching the bridge of his nose) Jeeze, I need a drink. Elrod: You don’t have time to go to the Stockyards. It’s Halloween tomorrow. Fleming: You’ve covered that point and your timing’s off. It may be Halloween tomorrow for you, but not for me. Elrod: Huh? Fleming: In 1938 Halloween falls on a Monday. I bet in 2009 it falls on a Saturday. Elrod: Details, details, you drive me crazy. Fleming: That makes us even, now why don’t you go back to the future? Elrod: I love that movie. Fleming: What movie? Elrod: You’ll find out. Maybe. Fleming: See you there, then. Maybe. (Tries to shut the door. Elrod won’t let him.) Elrod: Don’t you get it? It’s gonna be Halloween! You’re a vampire—you need to do something! I’ve been down to the main room of your nightclub and you’ve not even decorated. Fleming: It’s Halloween, not Christmas, and I will once again point out that this is 1938. We celebrate one holiday at a time, no planning six months in advance for the mercantile element. Elrod: I GET that, but you’ve not got anythin— Fleming: I’ve ordered plenty of candy and someone’s coming in tomorrow to put jack-o-lanterns on the tables. Satisfi—no, don’t answer that, I should know better than to ask. Elrod: That’s it? No black and orange streamers or tablecloths? No cut-outs of black cats and— Fleming: The club’s name is “Lady Crymsyn,” there’s a lot of red here. My girlfriend told me the colors would clash or something. Anyway, we’re having a costume party. So long as there’s booze flowing no one’s going to care— Elrod: (Barging past him and into the office.) Terrific! Where’s your costume? Fleming: I’m wearing a monkey suit. Elrod: (Halting in shock) You’re going as a gorilla? Fleming: It’s my tuxedo. Jeeze, look it up in your slang dictionary. Elrod: Hey, a tux is great! Outstanding! Where’s the cape? Or is it a cloak? Fleming: If you’re talking about an opera cape, the answer is a flat NO. I wouldn’t be caught undead in one of those things and you know it. We established that in the first book. Elrod: Yeah, yeah, but you dressed up like Dracula? It’s a natural—I mean, a supernatural! Fleming: (groans) Lady, are you out of your mind? I am NOT going as Dracula. I’m trying to keep a low profile. There’s enough people who know I’m a vampire, I don’t need to be flaunting it! Elrod: In my time it’s called “plausible deniability” and it’s great. A vampire would never dress up like another vampire, but you being a vampire dressing like a vampire, means no one would ever suspect that you’re really a vampire. Right? Fleming: Uh…
(Fleming’s partner, private agent Charles Escott, walks in.)
Charles Escott: Why, Ms. Elrod, I thought I heard your voice. What an utter delight to see you again! (Bows to kiss the back of her hand.) Elrod: Ohhh, Mr. Escott! Likewise, I’m sure. Escott: Now-now, I insist you call me Charles. Elrod: Sure! My goodness—you look outstanding! Escott: You’re most kind. It’s my new tuxedo. I wore it over from the tailor shop. Elrod: You look better than outstanding! And that opera cape…is that real red silk lining? Escott: You’ve an excellent eye. Indeed it is. Elrod: Not that it isn’t totally awesome, but are you dressed up to be Dracula? Escott: I thought I would spare Jack the discomfiture. The truth be told, he’s still a bit awkward about the whole vampire business. Self-conscious, you know. Fleming: I am not! Elrod: Y’know, you are exactly right. He’s had a heck of a long breaking-in period. Escott: Exceptionally long. What is it, twenty years now? Elrod: In writing time. In book time it’s only been about two years, but you’ve nailed it. He should have the hang of things by now. I can’t think what his problem is. Escott: Perhaps— Fleming: HEY!! I’m right here! Elrod: Okay-okay, not so loud, fang-boy! So, if you’re not going as Dracula, then who are you going to be on Halloween? Fleming: I got a half-mask at the dime store. I’m going as Raffles, the master thief. Elrod: (Deadpan flat) Raffles. You’re going as…Raffles. Fleming: You got a problem with that? Elrod: Raffles is English and you can’t do an English accent to save your un-life. Charles should go as Raffles and you should go as Dracula. Escott: I’d not thought of that! She has a point, Jack. Fleming: This dame’s got more points than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and she’s about as welcome. Elrod: And after all I’ve done for you. Fleming: You mean all you’ve done to me! (Digging in his pants pocket) Charles, here’s twenty bucks—take her over to Gordy’s night club and show her around. Let her play the slots. Introduce her to Frank Nitti. Escott: To Frank Nitti!? Are you mad? I’ll do no such thing! Elrod: (Grabbing Escott’s arm) Oh, hell-yes, you will! Time’s a-wastin’, big boy, come on. We’re gonna have a blast! Escott: Er—that sounds rather violent, don’t you think? Elrod: The way I do it doesn’t hurt a bit!
(They rush downstairs and out, leaving the club. Jack’s girlfriend, Bobbi Smythe, crawls out from under the desk.)
Fleming: You okay, honey? Bobbi: I’m fine. I hope Pat doesn’t put Charles in traction. Fleming: If she does, it’ll be his own fault. He encourages her. Bobbi: Can you blame him? Without her we’re all out of a job. You should be nicer. Fleming: After all the crap she puts me through? You haven’t seen the half of it. You didn’t have to hide. She’d have left. Bobbi: I didn’t want to embarrass her. I’m not exactly dressed for company. Fleming: You’re not exactly dressed, period. Bobbi: Like the lady said, ‘time’s a-wastin’, big boy.’ Fleming: So what d’you want, sweetheart, trick. . .or treat? Bobbi: Treat, always treat!
HALLOWEEN WEEK CONTESTS: Each day this week (Oct. 26 thru Oct. 30th) a guest blogger has given away a signed book to one person randomly chosen from the comment section. Today's prize is a book of YOUR CHOICE from P.N. Elrod (P.N. has a wide array of titles available, so you'll most likely get your pick. However, please note your final choice will be based on what she has in stock.). Check back in this post Monday morning to find out if you are the winner!
SCAVENGER HUNT QUESTION (5 of 5 - FINAL QUESTION): What is the name of the actor P.N. considers her ideal pick to play character Jack Fleming in a movie?
So, it's the final day for our scavenger hunt! Have you been collecting the answers from our guest blogger's official author websites? If not, make haste! There's a $50 Visa gift card at stake! Compile the questions from the posts this week, and send all 5 answers in an email to contests(AT)knightagency.net. Entries must be sent in before the clock strikes midnight on Sunday, November 1st. So get to it! A winner will be randomly drawn on Monday and announced here on the blog. If you have any questions, please email contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Halloween Week Guest Blog & Giveaway Day 4: Robin Owens
UPDATE: The winner of a book of their choice from Robin D. Owens's backlist is Tannun! Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
My "Heart" series of fantasy romances are set on Celta, a planet colonized by people with psi powers that have essentially developed into magic. Animals have developed some sentience, enough intelligence that they have become Familiar Companions. I've written of cats with attitude (redundant), puppies and noble hound and the occasional fox. These make appearances as friends, mentors and tricksters.
The holidays of Celta are based on general and popular opinion of ancient Celtic and Druidic culture. Since it's my world, what I want that society to be like, and how I've made the planet turn...
A Glimpse @ Samhain (November 1), as celebrated on Celta:
The twinmoons are high and golden in the sky this chill midnight when Halloween tips over into Samhain. Soon the ritual to honor those lost in the past year and to bless the new year will begin. This is the last harvest festival, summer's end the acceptance that winter is coming. An altar has food for the living...and a platter for the dead on this night when the walls between the worlds are thin.
At first the people in the grove are quiet as the circle is made, then the bonfire is lit and stories of those who passed away are recounted. Toasts are drunk and written regrets from the past are tossed into the fire. The new year is embraced. Stars – galaxies – seem to whirl through the sky, spinning white and bright as people circle the fire, hand clasped to hand, dancing.
Laughter and fellowship are celebrated, friends and family eat and drink of the harvest bounty. Cider – soft and hard – lays tangy on the tongue, ready to be followed by savory meat pies, then sugar-dusted pastries.
After sharing food comes meditation, and some may stare into the bonfire and try to see the future in the flames. Again people stand linked and let their magic and their hopes and dreams for themselves and their loved ones flow around the ritual circle. Then the circle is opened and folk will slip from the night and the silver and shadow grove into the warm and welcoming house.
Or they will teleport to their own special places and other, more intimate celebrations may commence...
May you enjoy whatever holidays you celebrate, and always make them your own with your own traditions.
HALLOWEEN WEEK CONTESTS: Remember, there are TWO ways to win! Each day this week (Oct. 26 thru Oct. 30th) a guest blogger will give away a signed book to one person randomly chosen from the comment section. Today's prize is a book of YOUR CHOICE from Robin Owens's backlist. Check back in this post tomorrow to find out if you are the winner!
Also, at the bottom of each post there is a scavenger hunt question. The answer can be located somewhere on the author's website. Send in all 5 correct answers* to the scavenger hunt questions, and you will be entered in a drawing to win a $50 Visa gift card!!!
SCAVENGER HUNT QUESTION (4 of 5): What is the title of Robin's book with the following cover blurb: Twins, both with a healing gift, are Summoned to another world to fight a disease sent by the Dark to weaken Lladrana. They must use all their resources to save lives. And one twin will risk her own on an experiment that might doom them both....
*Please note, that the correct answers to the scavenger hunt questions must be sent in at one time. You must collect all 5 answers and send them in one email. Entries for the scavenger hunt will be accepted from Friday, October 30th thru Sunday, November 1st at midnight. The winner will be announed on this blog Monday, November 2nd, 2009. If you have any questions about this contest, please contact contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Halloween Week Guest Blog & Giveaway Day 3: Marilyn Brant
UPDATE: The winner of ACCORDING TO JANE is donnas! Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Autumn is easily my favorite time of year. I love every sensory bit of it: the vivid colors of our sugar maples, the delectable crunch of the curled-up leaves, the enticing smell (and melt-in-your-mouth taste!) of warm apple-cider-cinnamon donuts…sigh. And I love the fun of the fall holidays, too—especially the pageantry and goofiness of Halloween and the one-two punch of the Thanksgiving feast: great food + endlessly intriguing family dynamics. It’s a season of change, at least here in the Midwest. For me, it’s also been an especially reflective time. A time when emotion catches up with memory.
So, I guess it’s no surprise that, as a writer, I find myself returning again and again to this season in my books. It’s a symbolic time for me on several levels, and thinking about the kinds of activities that happen in the fall always puts me in the mood for a character to start or end her journey. Never was this truer than in my first two novels.
In ACCORDING TO JANE (Kensington trade), which was just released this month, my heroine has the ghost of Jane Austen in her head giving her dating advice. That advice starts in early November and the story ends at the very same time of year—a seasonal bookending, if you will, across nearly two decades. My upcoming women’s fiction book, FRIDAYS AT NINE (October 2010), is a modern fairy tale about three forty-something women and their marriages. It takes place entirely over the course of one single autumn and, as the three main characters delve further into their individual arcs, the season itself moves and twists along, like wayward tree roots beneath their feet with the potential to trip them. That book has a major turning point at Halloween: a revelation of disguises and pretense. And an opening up to family at Thanksgiving. Then, finally, the preparation for changed lives and a new season at the book’s—and autumn’s—end.
There are tremendous opportunities for symbols and motifs in other seasons, too, of course. Despite my personal aversion to ice storms, winter can be cozy, holiday-oriented, chilly on the outside/warm on the inside. Spring is frequently a time of rebirth and renewal. And summer delights us with its long days, sunshine, sand-n-surf, hot nights… Well, along with mosquitoes, high humidity and road repairs. (I live in the American Midwest, remember.) The book I’m working on right now is a summertime story and—as I get ready to switch on the furnace at home and pull out my fuzzy sweaters—I’m having fun imagining the need for sunscreen and flip flops, bug repellant and beach coolers. And I’m looking forward to living with the burning heat of July, at least on my computer screen, even while in the midst of an inevitable Chicago blizzard.
What about you? What’s your favorite season in the region where you live? Do you recall a scene from a book you enjoyed where the season played an important role?
To everyone at TKA and the readers of this blog, I hope you have a Happy Halloween and an awe-inspiring autumn!
Fridays at Nine~Coming October 2010 from Kensington Books
HALLOWEEN WEEK CONTESTS: Remember, there are TWO ways to win! Each day this week (Oct. 26 thru Oct. 30th) a guest blogger will give away a signed book to one person randomly chosen from the comment section. Today's prize is ACCORDING TO JANE by Marilyn Brant. Check back in this post tomorrow to find out if you are the winner!
Also, at the bottom of each post there is a scavenger hunt question. The answer can be located somewhere on the author's website. Send in all 5 correct answers* to the scavenger hunt questions, and you will be entered in a drawing to win a $50 Visa gift card!!!
SCAVENGER HUNT QUESTION (3 of 5): Marilyn Brant received her M.A. in educational psychology from which university?
*Please note, that the correct answers to the scavenger hunt questions must be sent in at one time. You must collect all 5 answers and send them in one email. Entries for the scavenger hunt will be accepted from Friday, October 30th thru Sunday, November 1st at midnight. The winner will be announed on this blog Monday, November 2nd, 2009. If you have any questions about this contest, please contact contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Halloween Week Guest Blog & Giveaway Day 2: Chloe Neill
UPDATE: The winner of FRIDAY NIGHT BITES is Ella (staging professionals Toronto). Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net! Congrats!
Nevermore! Poe, Grimm & Other Spooktacular Reads
Sure, I'll spend Halloween putting creepy webbing and skeleton bits throughout the yard. Sure, I'll also spread the cream cheese frosting over my favorite pumpkin cake in preparation for a visit from friends, and we'll bring out the fog machine to add a little something extra for the kids who come to the door, ready to be burdened with the weight of lots and lots of popcorn balls and candy.
It's Halloween, after all, and I'm a writer of paranormal fiction.
But at some point during the busy day, I'm going to try and grab some time for myself, curl into a chair, and sink into a deliciously gothic book. Here are some ideas for your own spooktacular reading!
The Raven You can't get more Gothic than Edgar Allen Poe. You can start with the Tell-Tale Heart and move directly to The Raven, and imagine your own heart full of fantastic terrors and doubt, wondering at the mutterings of the "grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore."
The Crucible The play might have been about blacklisting in the 1950s, but The Crucible tells a haunting story of the fears of the masses, set against the backdrop of the Salem Witch Trials. As it turns out, we are the only thing we have to fear...
JANE EYRE & WUTHERING HEIGHTS Ready for a bit of Gothic romance? Curl up with the sisters Bronte: Charlotte's JANE EYREand Emily's WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Consider the trials of unrequited love and haunting secrets against the backdrops of wind-blown moors and mysterious mansions.
NORTHANGER ABBEY Try out Jane Austen's gothic side by reading NORTHANGER ABBEY.
Tales of the Brothers Grimm Centuries before Cinderella and her other princess friends were making merry in the Disney empire, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm collected creepy fairy tales. Try out their version of Cinderella, where the evil stepsisters definitely get their due.
Remember, there are TWO ways to win! Each day this week (Oct. 26 thru Oct. 30th) a guest blogger will give away a signed book to one person randomly chosen from the comment section. Today's prize is FRIDAY NIGHT BITES, Book 2 in the Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill. Check back in this post tomorrow to find out if you are the winner!
Also, at the bottom of each post there is a scavenger hunt question. The answer can be located somewhere on the author's website. Send in all 5 correct answers* to the scavenger hunt questions, and you will be entered in a drawing to win a $50 Visa gift card!!!
SCAVENGER HUNT QUESTION (2 of 5): Name six of the 12 "official" North American Vampire Houses in the U.S.
*Please note, that the correct answers to the scavenger hunt questions must be sent in at one time. You must collect all 5 answers and send them in one email. Entries for the scavenger hunt will be accepted from Friday, October 30th thru Sunday, November 1st at midnight. The winner will be announed on this blog Monday, November 2nd, 2009. If you have any questions about this contest, please contact contests(AT)knightagency.net.
UPDATE: The winner of THE SORCERERS' PLAGUE by David B. Coe is Kate Pearce!
This week we're celebrating Halloween with an awesome line-up of guest bloggers, including David B. Coe, Chloe Neill, Marilyn Brant, Robin Owens and P.N. Elrod. As part of the celebration the authors are giving away signed copies of their books and TKA is hosting a special scavenger hunt! Who says you have to be a 9 year old dressed up as a G.I. Joe or "Balloon Boy" to have a good time?
There are TWO ways to win. Each day this week (Oct. 26 thru Oct. 30th) a guest blogger will give away a signed book to one person randomly chosen from the comment section. Also, at the bottom of the post there will be a scavenger hunt question. The answer can be located somewhere on the author's website. Send in all 5 correct answers* to the scavenger hunt questions, and you will be entered in a drawing to win a $50 Visa gift card!!! We're sure that will come in handy as the holidays approach.Without further ado, welcome our first guest blogger, author David B. Coe! _________________________________________________
Halloween. We think of ghouls, of jack-o-lanterns, of ghost stories. But there’s another side to dressing up and taking on a different persona for a few hours.
I remember how, as a kid, I used to get so excited about my costume (and, yes, about the prospect of gobs and gobs of candy). I’d spend a couple of weeks trying to come up with a costume idea; I’d consider different possibilities, and talk to my friends about what they were going to be. I’m a Dad now, and I’ve seen my daughters do the same thing. I usually wound up with costumes like “baseball player” or “astronaut” or “fireman”, just as my kids have been “dancers” and “soccer players”. And watching my girls this time of year, I’ve come to realize that these can be more than just identities taken on for a night -- sometimes they represent dreams of possible futures. Certainly they did for me.
The thing is, though, I never dressed up as “a professional writer.” Few kids do. First of all, I’m not sure what that costume would look like. Sweats and a t-shirt? Pajamas and slippers? Jeans and a flannel shirt (my personal favorite)? But more to the point, writing isn’t a career about which most kids dream. Adults, on the other hand, are another story. I know lots of people who would give all that they own to be published authors. I recall feeling the same way when I was starting out. And I remember some advice from my father-in-law that has stayed with me for the past fifteen years. He’s a farmer, and has been pretty successful at it over the years. But when he first decided to buy a farm, after a long career as a Navy pilot, he wasn’t sure he could make a living working the land. His friends told him he was nuts even to try. “So I bought a cow,” he told me. “I bought a cow because that’s what farmers did. And then I started to think of myself as a farmer. Once I did that, it didn’t matter what other people thought or said. I was a farmer.”
After speaking with him, I tried to do the same thing, and it worked for me, too. No, I didn’t buy a cow. I got myself some reference books, set up my office the way I thought a writer should, and I put my butt in the chair every day and began to write short stories about the characters I intended to use in my first novel. Because that’s what writers do: They write. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t sold my first book yet. It didn’t matter that many in my family and some of my friends thought I was crazy to give up my academic career to write fantasy. What did matter was that I had started to think of myself as a writer; I had started to believe that I could fulfill my dream of being published.
Okay, at this point maybe you’re thinking that it’s a long way from a baseball player costume to a cow to a writing career. But really, it’s not as far as you think. Just as my father-in-law’s cow got him to start farming, thinking of myself as a writer made me sit down at my computer each morning and write; the short stories I produced that first summer gave me the confidence to begin my novel; two years later that novel was published by Tor Books. And ten books later, I’ve got the career of which I dreamed and I’m still sitting down to write every morning.
It’s often said that dreams are powerful things. In my experience, belief is even stronger. So if you want to write, stop dreaming and start believing. Put on your writing costume, whatever that might be, get whatever props will make you feel more like an author, and write. I can’t guarantee that it will get you published, but it’s worth a try, right?
Oh, and one more thing about costumes. Several years back, when my younger daughter was in kindergarten, her school had a dress-up day: Come as your favorite book character or author. She put on jeans and a flannel shirt, used burnt cork to give herself a beard, borrowed an old pair of glasses (with the lenses removed, of course). And she went as me. To this day, it might well be the proudest moment of my career.
Coming in February 2010:
THE DARK-EYES' WAR, Book III of Blood of the Southlands (Tor Books) THE HORSEMAN'S GAMBIT, Book II of Blood of the Southlands (Tor Books -- mass market reissue)
SCAVENGER HUNT QUESTION (1 of 5): What is the opening line of THE SORCERERS' PLAGUE by David B. Coe?
Also remember that you can win twice! Collect the scavenger hunt answers, and also leave a comment to enter a random drawing for a signed copy of THE SORCERERS' PLAGUE, Book One in the BLOOD OF THE SOUTHLANDS series! The winner of David's book will be announced in this post tomorrow morning. *Please note, that the correct answers to the scavenger hunt questions must be sent in at one time. You must collect all 5 answers and send them in one email. Entries for the scavenger hunt will be accepted from Friday, October 30th thru Sunday, November 1st at midnight. The winner will be announed on this blog Monday, November 2nd, 2009. If you have any questions about this contest, please contact contests(AT)knightagency.net.
Chat Transcript Available: THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN'S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING
Authors Marley Gibson, Patrick Burns and Dave Schrader ROCKED the TKA chat room last night! Thank you to everyone who came out to support these awesome writers!
Reminder: Chat with Paranormal Authors Tonight @ 9pm ET
Come chat with the authors of THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN'S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING AND THE PARANORMAL tonight at 9pm ET! The TKA Chat Room will get a spooky makeover, and there will be trivia and prizes. BUT, the best part is that you get to talk to the amazing authors, Marley Gibson, Patrick Burns and Dave Schrader, who all have experience with real-life paranormal events!
What: Online Chat with Marley Gibson, Patrick Burns and Dave Schrader!
UPDATE: The winner of the 3-book prize is Beth Harar! Congrats! Thanks to everyone who participated. We look forward to seeing you all at the chat tonight @ 9pm ET with THE OTHER SIDE authors. Remember there will be more chances to win! Beth, please email your physical addytocontests (AT) knightagency.net.
Tomorrrow night, Wednesday, October 21st @ 9pm ET the TKA chat room is getting a spooky makeover in honor of our special guests. The authors of THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN'S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING AND THE PARANORMAL, Marley Gibson, Patrick Burns and Dave Schrader will be answering questions about writing as a group, turning their experience with the paranormal into a nonfiction platform and much more! Leave a comment in today's post to win a copy of their book, plus two bonus books: GHOST HUNTRESS: THE GUIDANCE by Marley Gibson and THE GHOST CHRONICLES: A MEDIUM AND A PARANORMAL SCIENTIST INVESTIGATE 17 TRUE HAUNTINGS by Maureen Wood and Ron Kolek. The winner will be announced tomorrow morning.
Bookmark this link to access our chat room tomorrow night!: http://client1.sigmachat.com/sc.php?id=115545(Enter any combo of username and password) More prizes will be given out at the chat!!
The 411 on THE OTHER SIDE: It used to be you needed a crystal, a psychic, or a Oijia board to make contact with the spirit world. So who would think science would make it possible for just about anyone to experience a ghostly connection? Cameras, recorders, computers, magnetic field readers and other scientific means are now the tools of the trade. But there’s so much available, how does the average teen weed through it all to create the best possible ghost hunting team? Here to help sort it all out are three of today’s leading investigators of the field.
Together, Patrick Burns, Dave Schrader, and Marley Gibson have more than fifty years of experience. They’ve put together this guide to impart their knowledge and wisdom on to the next generation of ghost hunters.
What’s included: How to set up a ghost hunting team The equipment needed and how to use it Where to look for spirits Safety, safety, and more safety Ghost hunting is equal parts science and belief. Patrick, Dave, and Marley are here to help with science part.
The American Library Association kicked off Teen Read Weekon October 18th. This year's theme is "Read Beyond Reality." The purpose of this special week is to remind teens that one of the greatest forms of entertainment is reading, which is "free, fun and can be done anywhere." If there are any teens out there (or adults) looking for some fabulous books to celebrate Teen Read Week, we have several great offerings from a few of TKA's young adult authors. Enjoy!
2. Marley Gibson -- GHOST HUNTRESS: THE AWAKENING (Book 2), GHOST HUNTRESS: THE GUIDANCE (Book 1)
3. Rosemary Clement-Moore -- THE SPLENDOR FALLS and her series MAGGIE QUINN: GIRL VS. EVIL (PROM DATES FROM HELL, HELL WEEK and HIGHWAY TO HELL)
4. Rachel Caine -- THE MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES Series (GLASS HOUSES, DEAD GIRLS' DANCE, MIDNIGHT ALLEY, FEAST OF FOOLS, LORD OF MISRULE, CARPE CORPUS, FADE OUT and KISS OF DEATH)
Marley is the author of the smash hit young adult series, GHOST HUNTRESS, and has been featured on the Biography Channel's My Ghost Story: Hauntings Revealed. Patrick is a renowned paranormal researcher who co-starred on TruTV's Haunting Evidence. A noted expert in the paranormal field, he founded Ghost Hounds, one of the largest paranormal communities in the United States and is also the organizer and host of GhoStock, a paranormal enthusiast's convention held annually at haunted locations. Dave Schrader is the host of KTLK FM's Darkness Radio, a weekly broadcast that spotlights unexplained phenomena across the country.
Marley, Patrick and Dave have a wealth of information to share about writing, publishing and the paranormal -- so don't miss out on this amazing chat. Of course, there will be trivia and prizes galore!
What: Online Chat with Marley Gibson, Patrick Burns and Dave Schrader! Where: TKA Chat Room When: Wednesday, October 21st @ 9pm ET How To Chat: (1) Click on this link: http://client1.sigmachat.com/sc.php?id=115545(2) Enter a username and password (any combination) (3) Click Login
Take Home Tuesday Hosted by Gena Showalter & Kresley Cole!
UPDATE: The winner of an autographed copy of DEEP KISS OF WINTER by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter is Amy305! Congrats!!!! Thanks to everyone who participated :)! Hope to see you again next Tuesday! Amy305, please email you physical addy to contests @ knightagency.net.
The Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears of the romance world, Gena Showalter and Kresley Cole (we're measuring in fame, not *clears throat* infamy), are here to present a very special Take Home Tuesday! Today is release day for their joint effort, DEEP KISS OF WINTER, a hot paranormal anthology featuring two never-before published stories by each of the New York Times bestselling authors.
To celebrate the release day, the two BFFs agreed to engage in a little fun, and took a quiz to see which one of them knows the other best. The winner will be proclaimed the Very Best Best Friend Forever (VBBFF) and crowned with a tiara composed of hundreds of sparkling, conflict-free diamonds... Um, okay. Maybe not. But she does get the title, and it's the honor that counts right? Before we get to the quiz, check out the cover blurb on DEEP KISS OF WINTER below.
As per our usual Take Home Tuesday rules, the winner of a signed copy of DEEP KISS OF WINTER (autographed by both authors) will be chosen randomly from the comments section. Look for an update in this post tomorrow morning to find out if you are the winner!
The 411 on DKOW:KRESLEY COLE delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time...and a Valkyrie aching to be touched.Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden -- the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?
GENA SHOWALTER puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted...and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.Aleaha Love can be anyone -- literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself....
1. What was the last book your BFF read?
Gena on Kresley: The entire collection of novels by Gena Showalter.
Kresley on Gena: Deep Kiss of Winter. [cough] Cause that’s what everyone should be reading right now. [cough]
2. How would your BFF complete this sentence: "A perfect BFF is one who..."
Gena on Kresley: is just like Gena Showalter
Kresley on Gena: is Kresley-esque in every way.
3. If your BFF died and was reincarnated as a marine animal, what would she be? A dolphin, Great White shark, walrus, crab or clown fish?
Gena on Kresley: Great white shark, just like me – we will rule the ocean together.
Kresley on Gena: A dolphin--because she’s crazy smart.
4. When the deejay plays this song, your BFF can’t help but show off her daring moves. What is her favorite dance song?
Gena on Kresley: She doesn’t dance no matter what you promise – believe me, I’ve tried!
Kresley on Gena: No music necessary for her to do the Elaine dance.
5. If your BFF could have married a movie star, who would it have been?
Gena on Kresley: Daniel Craig
Kresley on Gena: Will Ferrell
6. What color does your BFF think she looks best in?
Gena on Kresley: Black
Kresley on Gena: Green
7. What is your BFF’s favorite literary character of all time?
Gena on Kresley: Mr. Darcy
Kresley on Gena: Ron Burgundy (a movie script is literary, right?)
8. Which one of the following reality television shows does your BFF secretly dream of competing on? American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Project Runway, The Apprentice, Top Chef or Last Comic Standing?
Gena on Kresley: The Apprentice – and she would kick ass!
Kresley on Gena: Maybe So You Think You Can Dance because she was a gymnast?
9. What is your BFF’s middle name?
Gena on Kresley: Perfection
Kresley on Gena: Gena--“does my ass look great in these jeans, or what?”-- Showalter
10. You and your BFF are getting ready for an event, and she says that she’ll be ready in a minute. What does that really mean? A.) Ready in 60 seconds (Of course!) B.) An hour (just enough time for you to settle in for a nap) C.) 2 hours or more (by this time both you and your BFF are changing clothes for the 5th time) D.) Not that bad…it just means 5 more minutes
Gena on Kresley: C - for sure!
Kresley on Gena: A. Big time.
The Answers: 1. Kresley= Deep Kiss of Winter. Gena’s story “Tempt Me Eternally”—DOES. Gena = Untouchable by Kresley Cole. It was AMAZING!
2. Kresley= looks, talks, acts, dances, cracks jokes, and does a British accent like Gena Showalter Gena= is just like Kresley Cole
3. Kresley= A dolphin, so I could pod with Gena. Gena= Great White Shark, like her – we will rule the ocean together.
4. Kresley= No dancing. Ever. If you see me dancing, know that I’ve been roofied. Gena= Anything that allows me to do my famous Elaine Benes dance.
5. Kresley= Daniel Craig or Clive Owen. Gena= Robert Pattinson. Or Josh Harnett. Or Ryan Reynolds. Or Owen Wilson. Or Luke Wilson. Or Will Ferrell. Or Ryan Gosling. Or Vince Vaughn.
6. Kresley= Black Gena= Green
7. Kresley= Any major character Jane Austen wrote. Gena= Lachlan from A Hunger Like No Other
8. Kresley= American Idol, even though I can’t sing. Gena= So You Think You Can Dance – and I would rock the house!
9. Kresley= Kresley--“vodka juice and cranberry, pleash--Cole Gena= Trouble
10. Kresley= C. I lose track of time! Gena= A (60 seconds or less!)
AND THE WINNER IS....
Well, it seem we have a tie for 6 correct answers each! Though Gena at first proposed a dance-off, both ladies have magnanimously agreed to share the crown. ;-)
Guest Blog: Maria Geraci Celebrates New Release with a $50 Borders Card Giveaway!
Are you a Kitty? A Shea? Or maybe even a Pilar? Find out which Bunco Babe you most resemble and enter to win a chance for an autographed copy of BUNCO BABES TELL ALL and a $50 gift certificate to Borders.
I’m excited to announce that my second Bunco Babes book, BUNCO BABES GONE WILD, is just a few weeks away from release!
Here's the cover blurb: Georgia Meyer needs some time to think-and what better place to get her head on straight than Whispering Bay, Florida, in the company of her sister Frida and her sister's Bunco-playing friends, aka the Bunco Babes? Georgia's boyfriend-and boss-Spencer Moody made a slight miscalculation in the romance department and gave her a calculator instead of an engagement ring. So she needs some sisterly advice, in between rolling dice and drinking frozen margaritas, as to her next move. While considering subtracting Spencer from her life, Georgia meets the very handsome Dave Hernandez. Unfortunately when a Bunco night gets a little out of hand, Georgia reveals more of herself to Dave than she intended. Now, as she helps the Babes prepare for a Bunco Black Tie fundraiser, she needs to search her heart-and keep her shirt on-long enough to decide if a love affair with Dave might be a dream come true.
“This light escapist fare continues the adventures that began with Bunco Babes Tell All. It's entertaining, amusing, and conveys the idea that whatever else is going on in a woman's life, good or bad, it's wonderful to have a group of friends to share it all with.” 4 stars, Romantic Times Book Club Reviews
“Geraci’s sexy, funny debut is an emotionally satisfying story of love, friendship, family and community.” The Chicago Tribune on BUNCO BABES TELL ALL
In order to celebrate my new release, I’m a running a contest on my website. All you have to do is take the quizthen follow the instructions at the bottom of the page. It’s simple. And fun! Plus, I know you’re dying to find out whether (as Steve, my hero from BUNCO BABES TELL ALL, says) you’re the nice one, the hot one or the sharp one!
UPDATE: The winner of CHRISTMAS WITH THE PRINCE by Michelle Celmer is Poppy! Congrats, and thanks to all who participated!
Start stocking up on your Christmas books early! Leave your name in the comment section to be entered in the giveaway for CHRISTMAS WITH THE PRINCE by Michelle Celmer. The winner will be announced tomorrow morning.
The 411: She was just there to do a job…not fall in love with a prince! But Olivia Montgomery was having a difficult time remembering that when sexy Prince Aaron kept pursuing her. How could an ordinary woman hope to resist such a seduction?And so Olivia found herself sleeping with royalty. She knew their affair had to end with the new year—Aaron was destined to marry someone of royal blood. Still, that couldn't stop her from wishing she'd find an engagement ring under the Christmas tree.
Don Piper was interviewed for a segment featuring near-death experiences on MSNBC's Today Show. Piper, famously, was pronounced dead on the scene after a fatal car accident in 1989. After 90 minutes he regained consciousness to the amazement of medical personnel. The book based on his experience, 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN (co-authored by Cecil Murphey), has hit every major bestseller list, most notably holding steadily onto a spot on the coveted New York Times bestseller list for 151 weeks. The book has touched people on a global scale, and it's popularity shows no signs of slowing down.
Last night we had an awesome time chatting with the lovely and gracious Louisa Edwards, author of CAN'T STAND THE HEAT. We've uploaded the chat transcript for those of you who opted out for an episode of Glee (you know who you are!): click here.
Remember to save the date early for our next online chat in Novemeber. Shannon K. Butcher, author of THE SENTINEL WARS series and LOVE YOU TO DEATH will be the featured author on Thursday, November 19th @ 9pm ET.
Fleming: I’ve ordered plenty of candy and someone’s coming in tomorrow to put jack-o-lanterns on the tables. Satisfi—no, don’t answer that, I should know better than to ask.
Fleming: I’ve ordered plenty of candy and someone’s coming in tomorrow to put jack-o-lanterns on the tables. Satisfi—no, don’t answer that, I should know better than to ask.
HALLOWEEN WEEK CONTESTS: Each day this week (Oct. 26 thru Oct. 30th) a guest blogger has given away a signed book to one person randomly chosen from the comment section. Today's prize is a book of YOUR CHOICE from P.N. Elrod (P.N. has a wide array of titles available, so you'll most likely get your pick. However, please note your final choice will be based on what she has in stock.). Check back in this post Monday morning to find out if you are the winner!
HALLOWEEN WEEK CONTESTS: Each day this week (Oct. 26 thru Oct. 30th) a guest blogger has given away a signed book to one person randomly chosen from the comment section. Today's prize is a book of YOUR CHOICE from P.N. Elrod (P.N. has a wide array of titles available, so you'll most likely get your pick. However, please note your final choice will be based on what she has in stock.). Check back in this post Monday morning to find out if you are the winner!
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