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 EYRE and 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.

Do the Monster Mash
If you're looking for classic monsters, check out Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN, Bram Stoker's DRACULA, or Victor Hugo's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

Alright. Those creepy reads should keep you busy for some time. Remember to lock your doors, and happy Halloween!

Best,

Chloe

http://www.chloeneill.com/

http://www.chloeneill.blogspot.com/

www.twitter.com/chloeneill

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 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.

Quickies

Dakota Cassidy's chat transcript is now available. The author of KISS & HELL and the ACCIDENTAL series talked well into the midnight hour. Wow! Great dish on publishing and writing life --- get it here.

Jia Gayles (that's me!) is giving web promo advice on author Chloe Neill's blog today. Come visit! Chloe's also giving away signed Chicagoland Vampires bookplates to FIVE lucky winners.

Author and Agent Online Chat Fest! Chloe Neill and Lucienne Diver will be featured guests in TKA's chat room, Thursday, April 30th @ 9pm ET

UPDATE: During the chat Chloe will give away a Cadogan House Fan Pack, which will include a signed copy of SOME GIRLS BITE, Cadogan House tote bag, Cadogan House mouse pad and "I love Cadogan" bumper sticker!

Did you know that some girls bite? Well, of course, if they're a vampire! Silly, what did you think I meant? SOME GIRLS BITE is the smart new release from talented debut author Chloe Neill that introduces the world to Merit, a new inductee into the world of the CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES. The first book is like a potato chip...you can't have just one. It's so good, you'll be itching to read Book 2, FRIDAY NIGHT BITES, due in stores October 2009.

If you love paranormal romance and urban fantasy, are an up and coming author--or hey--if you just like really good books, join Chloe and her fab agent Lucienne Diver in our chat room on Thursday, April 30th @ 9pm ET. Chloe will answer questions about the CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES series and her upcoming young adult series VARSITY MAGIC, share her experience as a first time author and offer advice on how newbies should prepare for the rollicking ride of getting their manuscript from 8 x 11 letter-sized to trade paperback. Also our own Lucienne Diver will be on hand to share how she discovered Chloe, and lend her seasoned advice to authors looking to break into the paranormal genre. To learn more about Chloe, visit: www.ChloeNeill.com! Also, be sure to check out a cool new feature on Chloe's blog, WIP (Work in Progress) Thursdays. If you've got a manuscript underway, just share a few tidbits in the comments and she might feature you on her blog!

Here are the chat deets:

What: Online Chat with Author Chloe Neill and Agent Lucienne Diver

When: Thursday, April 30th @ 9pm ET

Where: The TKA Chat Room

How Do You Chat: Visit the chat room here: http://client1.addonchat.com/sc.php?id=115545. Enter a username and password (this can be any combination). Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.