Category: Guest Blogs

The Darkness Tour: Win Free Stuff!

My debut buddy, Tes Hilaire, and I are kicking off a summer reading adventure to give you a chance to learn more about us and our books, and to win some cool swag and prizes. Hop along with us on the Darkness tour and find out more about us, our books, and our characters (and win some cool prizes!).

The Schedule:

June 5 – Books n Kisses
June 7 – Grave Tells
June 11 – The Qwillery
June 13 – Pimpin Reads
June 22 – I Smell Sheep
June 23 – Book Monster and Literal Addiction – LIVE CHAT FROM 2-3pm EST
June 28 – Darhk Portal

How Does Pressure Affect Leaders

Today I’m over at Cynthia Woolf’s blog talking about how pressure affects leaders. Elisabeth Staab King of DarknessMany factors went into the personality of Thad, the king in King of Darkness. In the vast sea of vampires out there, there are a lot of badass alphas. When I started studying monarchs and and guys under pressure like FBI investigators, what I found out was that the truly strong ones are the ones who are man enough to be weak when they need to be. When the pressure of that awesome responsibility builds up, it’s gotta go somewhere. I wanted to see how far my hero could be pushed, how much tragedy I could throw at him, and still have him come out the other side in one piece. I have to say, Thad may have stumbled a bit, but he never fell completely…

Why do YOU love #vampire romance?

 

AAAAND today I’m hosting Day 5 of our Vampire Author blog hop!! One lucky commenter anywhere in the world will receive their choice of eBook or signed paperback copy of King of Darkness. And be sure to visit all the other blogs on the hop this week to check out the fun answers and to enter for more chances to win the grand prize of an Amazon gift card, also! Now…

Why do YOU love vampire romance?

They drink blood. They walk the night. They live forever. Their fangs sink into your flesh… But which of these is the reason you most love vampire romance? Six vampire romance authors tell you exactly about vampires what makes their blood run hot and why they think vampires are here to stay…

caridad pinero vampire's consortCaridad Piñeiro:  I love the fact that vampires, whether male or female, are dark, powerful, sexy and tortured.  I especially love the tortured part.  I really enjoy getting into their heads to find out what they like and don’t like about being vampires.  I also love finding out how they became “undead” and how that has affected their vision of both themselves and humanity.  Finally, it’s always fun to explore what they do with the powers they have as vampires.  Will they use them for good or evil?  Find happiness somehow or continue with living a lonely existence?  Anything is possible with vampires and that’s what makes them so interesting.

 

Elisabeth Staab: As long as I can recall I’ve had a thing for the tortured bad boy. Vampires Elisabeth Staab King of Darknesscarry a forbidden element and a mystique that helps enhance their sexiness. They’re dangerous, but what if they show us so much more? The idea that there is one true love in the world for you, and that your bond with them can go beyond the emotional to something physical and primal…even mystical, is intensely romantic. In a nutshell this is how Thad in King of Darkness, and the prophecy that lead him to his queen came to be. The growling, the fierce emotions, the enhanced physical capabilities and the fangs…the list goes on. For those of us who really love them, it can be like an addiction.

 

Joyee Flynn -bmb-maverick3Joyee FlynnFor me it’s partly the tall, dark, and handsome as a single woman… Ever since I picked up my first vampire book The Vampire Diaries in grammar school. The other part is that they own who they are and make no apologies for it. I’m a big fan of honesty and like Eric in True Blood and the Sookie Stackhouse books, I’m drawn the confidence he exudes. Sure, he can be a little egotistical, but with all the power he has, centuries of experience… How could he not? But he is who he is while having the mystery of vampires that we’re all drawn to. Vampires aren’t going out of style because it gives us hope that maybe there’s more out there than we know. And I find that people are inquisitive and want to know more. We live for the answers to:  What don’t we know? What hides from us in the dark?  

 

Laura KayeSince my teenage reading of Anne Rice’s vampire books,  Laura Kaye Seduced By The Vampire King I’ve been hooked on vampires! They’re my first love as a reader and a writer. And what do I most love about them? I love their power, which truly makes them the ultimate sexy bad ass. I love their animalistic natures, that they can’t help but want and need to wrap themselves around you, sink their fangs into your skin, and take you. I also love the idea of the loneliness of immortality, and how that makes them tortured and sympathetic, despite their darkness. And if these are the things you love about vampires too, check on my June 1 release, Seduced by the Vampire King, book 2 in my Vampire Warrior Kings series. Woot!

 

Lisa Kessler Night Walker CoverLisa KesslerWhen I wrote Night Walker, I loved imagining that this powerful being who could have anyone, chose my heroine.  And instead of killing her, he loves and protects her.  I also think as a reader, there is something innately sexy about about the blood drinking.  A need and yearning for someone so deep and powerful that their life becomes yours.  Usually sex is the closest you can get to another person physically, but vampires can take that one step further with a blood exchange.  As long as readers thirst for vampires, I think authors will keep coming up with new twists to bring everyone back for more… 🙂

 

Laurie LondonWhat I love about the vampire mythos is that Laurie London TEMPTED coverthey’re dark, mysterious, seductive, dangerous and powerful. When a vampire falls in love with you, it borders on obsession. It’s the fantasy that someone loves you so much that they will do anything to have you. They go against all their laws, all their sensibilities, even what their head is telling them, because they love you so desperately, but if they’re not careful, they could kill you. They not only need your blood to survive but they need your love to really live. This is what happens in Tempted By Blood, the third book in the Sweetblood series. When Jackson meets Arianna, she fills a deep void in his tortured life. She’s the one woman who understands him, who makes him feel as if he’s worthy and capable of great things, and that’s what he’s craved forever.

 

About the Authors


Joyee Flynn
dreams of one day living on enough land to have a few horses, and find a couple of cowboys or pool boys of her own. She loves to get lost in fantasy that only books can bring. Her wide interest in reading is reflected in her writings, whether short stories, romance, or mystical.

Buy Joyee’s Books

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Laura Kaye
is the bestselling and award-winning author of over a half-dozen books in paranormal, contemporary and erotic romance. Her debut novel Forever Freed is a 2012 Booksellers’ Best Double Finalist for Best Paranormal and Best First Novel, and won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011.

Buy Laura’s Books

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Lisa Kessler
loves to make up stories. Her work has been featured in print anthologies, and her vampire story “Immortal Beloved” was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award. She was also a finalist in RT Book Review magazine’s “Writing with the Stars” contest.  Her debut novel, Night Walker is a Bookseller’s Best Double Finalist for Best Paranormal and Best First Novel.

Buy Lisa’s Books

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Laurie London
is the award-winning author of the Sweetblood series. The hotly-anticipated third book, TEMPTED BY BLOOD, is available now, and the fourth book, SEDUCED BY BLOOD, comes out in late July.

Buy Laurie’s Books

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Caridad Pineiro
is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and RITA® Finalist.  Caridad is the author of over thirty published novels and novellas. Caridad’s latest paranormal romance release is THE CLAIMED, the second book in the Sin Hunter series.  For more information, please visit www.caridad.com.

Buy Caridad’s Books

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Elisabeth Staab
still lives with her nose in a book and at least one foot in a fantasy world. Her bestselling paranormal romance novel, King of Darkness, is available now. Her second book, Prince of Power, releases in January.

Buy Elisabeth’s Books

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Giveaway!

Wanna talk vampires? Wanna win vampires?? Follow along the Vampire Romance To Die For Tour all week for both!

Here’s the schedule:

5/14 Caridad Pineiro

5/15 Lisa Kessler

5/16 Joyee Flynn

5/17 Laura Kaye

5/18 Elisabeth Staab

5/19 Laurie London

Here’s what you can win:

1) A grand tour-wide prize of a $60 amazon or B&N gift card!

2) Each day’s blog hostess will give away one book of a vampire romance to a commenter at their blog

What are the rules?:

1) You must comment to enter to win with your email address. Blog follows are appreciated but not required

2) Contest is open until midnight EST Monday, May 21

3) Winners will be announced on May 22

4) Open to international

5) Winners to be picked using random.org

6) Participating authors not responsible for biting, blood loss, or swooning-related accidents


Thank you, thank you! Now win Free Stuff!

I absolutely must start this post with a huge, squeezy hug thank you to everyone who has ordered King of Darkness. Pre-ordering a new book from a debut author in this economy takes a tiny leap of faith, and that leap means quite a lot to me. I just want to let you how much that means to me. I write because I love to read so much. I want to be taken on a journey and to experience a new world. I hope to give you the same enjoyment.

And to you folks who have emailed asking for bookmarks and trading cards so you can hand them out to your friends and spread the word? I can’t tell you how amazing that feels, THANK YOU! Someday when my kids tell me I’m a loser, I can be all “I’m not a loser, once upon a time, I had my very own street crew!” And then they’ll roll their eyes at me and walk away, but whatev. You people rock, and I adore you. Thanks so much for spreading the word. Moreover, I’ve got bookmarks coming out my ears so thanks for taking them off my hands. 🙂

Okay–NOW! On to the blog tour deets!! I’ve got stops going on all month, some of them with free stuff being given away, so please do come along with me (I’ll be updating this list when I have more info):

  • 2/5/12-Today we’re building our own paranormal boyfriends at Book Monster Reviews. Stop by and comment for a chance to win a free copy of King of Darkness!
  • 2/6/12-Night Owl Reviews–Blogging about vampires and wine (exclusive excerpt of King of Darkness+giveaway until 2/27!)
  • 2/6/12-Book Savvy Babe–I’m being interviewed for this one. 🙂
  • 2/8/12- Reading Between the Wines Book Club–I talk about what sparked my interest in writing about vampires.
  • 2/10/12-Launch party at the Sourcebooks Casablana Authors Blog and BOOK GIVEAWAY
  • 2/10/12-SOS Aloha – ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!
  • 2/13/12-  Debs Book Bag–awesome review of King of Darkness, and a giveaway for two more free copies (contest open until 2.27)!!
  • 2/15/12- A Bookworm’s Haven
  • 2/17/12-Dear Teen Me — I was asked to write a letter to my 13 year old self. I gotta warn you, it’s a grim topic but maybe one that doesn’t get brought into the light often enough so I shared it anyway.
  • 2/20/12 – My Book Addiction and More – Interview and GIVEAWAY
  • 2/22/12 – Urban Girl Reader – well I thought I wrote an article for this site, but maybe it didn’t get submitted in time or something. They DID post a lovely review for King of Darkness, though.
  • 2/22/12 – Fresh Fiction – book giveaway and coffee trivia!
  • 2/23/12 – Romance University – Writing article about deep point of view and a book giveaway!
  • 2/27/12 – Love Romance Passion – Get in bed with Elisabeth Staab!
  • 2/28/12 – Tote Bags n Blogs – What is it about Vampires, anyway? Plus a giveaway to win a signed copy of King of Darkness!
  • 3/10/12-I SMELL SHEEP – Swagday giveaway! Guess my favorite Dr. Seuss book and enter to win a signed copy of King of Darkness and a coffy mug, plus oodles of swag from other zombie/scifi/paranormal authors!
  • 3/14/12 – Urban Girl Reader – article about my experiences as a blogger, and a GIVEAWAY! International, and you get your choice of print or ebook until 3/29!
  • 3/14/12-Interview with Tracy Livesay at the T-spot!
  • 3/23/12 – Savvy Authors–Aural Sex–Craft Article on using sex in love scenes and other scenes

Blog Tour Kickoff! Win FREE STUFF!

Okay, first I MUST give a shoutout to the person who landed on my blog yesterday by Googling the phrase “giant weiners.” You rock.

And now on to the free stuff! King of Darkness comes out in ebook on Wednesday, and a week later in paperback! You can preorder it NOW wherever books are sold, and today begins the blog tour where you can a) Read articles wherein I try to prove that I am witty and b) Enter to win FREE copies! Today’s stop will be at Coffee & Porn starting 11am EST (stop on by and enter).

 

AAAALSO! Laura Kaye, fellow paranormal author and Romantic Times panelist is ALSO kicking off a blog tour today ALSO promoting a series about a vampire king! 2 great blog tours, for one low, low price. Check it: http://laurakayeauthor.blogspot.com/2012/01/announcing-in-service-of-king-blog-tour.html