CHARM CITY: Get hooked on a new #urbanfantasy series!

CHARM CITY Kindle release day!

There are demons all around us, legions of the dark that break loose from Hell's restraints to prowl the mortal plane. Most people can't see them and will never suffer their torments. They are the lucky ones.

Guess that makes Simon Alliant the unluckiest man alive.

He's learned that the only luck a man has is the luck he makes for himself. Call him exorcist. Call him master of the dark arts. Call him dime-store magician. Most names don't matter, not when Hell knows yours.

Armed with his spells and his amulets and his desperate drive toward redemption, he fights the rising darkness and sends those demons screaming back into Hell, one minion at a time.

But not all demons can be exorcised. Some dwell too deep inside a man's bones to be so easily banished. Simon is smart--or, at least, cynical--enough to know which battles are worth fighting.

It takes more than a fistful of charms to stay alive in his line of work. And staying alive is the only way to avoid giving the Devil his due...

Welcome to the world of The Demon Whisperer.

It kicks off today with the Kindle release of

the first book in the series: CHARM CITY.

Now available on Kindle!

CHARM CITY (The Demon Whisperer #1)

The darkness is rising and one man stands against it: the exorcist mage Simon Alliant. But in Baltimore, he finally meets his match...a part-mortal divinity with the power to whisper away demons.

Simon Alliant is an exorcist who battles demons, whether he wants to or not. Sometimes it's not so bad...he gets to play with magic, after all. But for Simon, magic represents a demon of another kind. He's addicted to magic and it takes more than a handful of charms to keep that particular demon at bay.

Chiara is part Light, part Dark, and stubbornly mortal. The woman has a way with words: she literally talks demons into abandoning their human hosts. Simon thinks that's not the only trick she has up her sleeve-and that's pretty high praise coming from a mage like him.

As intriguing as that may be, Simon has too many reasons to distrust her...one of them being his more-or-less partner, an angelic Watcher. Amidst all the celestial warnings of the rising dark comes a new prophesy that makes him wonder: is Chiara a threat to him and all of mankind?

Or will she be his salvation?

Join the legions and pick your side: Light or Dark. Just know this...decisions like this are never easy, because there's no black and white when it comes to good and evil.

Grab your lucky charm. You might need it.

Win a book bundle for your local public library!

In honor of National Librarian's Day on April 16, I thought I'd put together a giveaway.

Show your local library some love!

 

I'm going to give away a book bundle to one lucky library... and it's up to YOU to win it for them!

This bundle will have a copy of each of my paperbacks...



 

BLEEDING HEARTS (Demimonde #1)

BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2)

WOLF'S BANE (Demimonde #3)

(urban fantasy series)

 

WORDS THAT BIND

(paranormal romance)

 

THE HEARTBEAT THIEF

(Victorian fantasy)

 

BOXED AND BROKEN

(short story and poetry collection)

 

THE SCENT OF HIS FEATHERS: a collection of dark verses

(poetry collection)

 



And there is no obligation, no purchase necessary to win! You don't have to work at a library to enter this...Just enter the name and location of your local library.

 

Don't forget to enter your email address, too--because the person who enters the winning library will also get their pick of a book, as well. Libraries aren't the only ones who need love, you know. *wink*

 

 

 

This raffle is open for any public library in the US.

 

Sharing is ENCOURAGED! Please Tweet, Instagram, and FB this post to share this with your friends on social media.

Tell your favorite librarian, too.

It'll show them how much you really care. *hearts*

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Heartbeat Thief: #NetGalley & #bookclubs

Good news for Net Galley readers... The Heartbeat Thief is available! You can find it at this link...

THE HEARTBEAT THIEF

on NET GALLEY

 

Stop by, check it out, and give the cover a thumbs up if you like the art :)

 

Consider The Heartbeat Thief for your next book club read!

Readers who enjoy historical fiction in the styles of Jane Austen as well as the shadow-loving macabre tales of Edgar Allan Poe may find this book the perfect topic for discussion. Some reviewers' thoughts:

"The Heartbeat Thief has many wonderful elements in it like its history, the mystery and the dark quality that hit all the right notes. Most importantly, however, it has incredibly good writing that has almost a ‘Jane Austenesque’ feel to it which is perfect for this genre of book."-- Amazon

"True to its word, "The Heartbeat Thief" is part Jane Austen, part Edgar Allen Poe. The author revives the best of the style of writing found in the classics: the introspect of characters, lovely allusions comparing characters to nature and life, beautiful alliteration and prose. Mixed with this is a deep foreboding of death, a macabre sensation that follows Senza throughout the story."-- Amazon

If you are part of a book club and would like a reading guide to help inspire your discussion, you can get a copy here.



 

Switching gears shortly... I'm 30k into a new urban fantasy serial. Can't keep away from those pesky Hell gates ^-^ Update coming soon!

 



Cover Reveal...Feel the BLOOD RUSH!

Add BLOOD RUSH to your Goodreads shelf!

Here is the face of my upcoming urban fantasy release BLOOD RUSH: BOOK TWO OF THE DEMIMONDE. Isn't it amazing?

Special thanks to artist Duncan Eagleson and my publisher Pink Narcissus Press for honoring me with this astounding cover. *lips-heart salute* 

BLOOD RUSH will be released in May 2013.

Want a blurb? I can do that...

Blood Rush (Demimonde #2)

 

Sophie doesn’t believe in happily ever after. These days, she’d settle for alive after sunrise.

 

Advice columnist and newly-appointed oracle to the demivampire, Sophie Galen has more issues than a Cosmo collection: a new mentor with a mean streak, a werewolf stalker she can’t shake, and a relationship with her ex’s family that redefines the term complicated. And then there’s her ex himself, who is more interested in playing leader of the vampire pack than in his own salvation.

 

Becoming a better oracle is tough enough, but when Sophie encounters a deadly enemy – one she never dreamed of facing – it will take everything she’s ever learned in order to survive.

 





And if you need a teaser...let's just say the girls on Team Rode are going to be very happy. ;)

 

Please visit the blogs that have graciously offered to host my cover reveal. If you leave a comment with the words I BELONG TO THE DEMIMONDE I'll send you a Blood Rush magnet--just leave your email in the comment and I'll contact you.

 

 

 

Blood Rush Cover Reveal Hosts’ list:

A Coven of Witchy Reviewers
Adriana Ryan
 All The Fun Starts After Dark
Chapter by Chapter
  Darkest Sins
Happy Tails and Tales
Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories
Mind Reader
Miz. Reader
Much Loved Books
My Seryniti
Naomi’s Paranormal Palace
Proserpine Craving Books
Rabid Reads
 Sapphyria’s Book Reviews
Scribbler’s Sojourn
Shadows Of Romance
TanaRae Reads
The Jeep Diva
The Writing World
TToria 
 White Sky Project

 

THANK YOU to DARK WORLD BOOKS for organizing my cover reveal tour. They are a great bunch of ladies and I really enjoy working with them. If you are an author looking for personalized promo services, you should definitely check them out.

 

And THANK YOU to each of you. Your support is a big part of my inspiration and I am so grateful to each and every single reader.

 

If this is your first time visiting the Demimonde, be sure to visit the Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1) page for information on the series debut.

 

Have a great day, everyone. Happy reading!

Cover Reveal: Silenced by Raebeth McGee

The Demimonde Blog welcomes Raebeth McGee, author of Silenced.

 

 

Genre: Young Adult
Coming Early 2013

Amber Brown spent her entire existence believing Dave was her father. When her mother reveals this is untrue, she goes through an emotional spiral with depression. It's hard for her to believe her mother had lied to her all this time.

A move to a new home and town causes Amber to be consumed by her "darkness" and reverts to cutting to free herself from her pain.

When Casey, her new friend enters her life, she introduces Amber to parties, drugs, and Amber's new boyfriend Landon. The secret of cutting begins to take affect on Amber as she tries to hide it from her friends and family. In the mist of everything, Amber has the desire to find out who her biological father is.

Follow Amber through her trials of depression and cutting, along with the discovery of love.

 

Author LinksBlog
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter
Website

Vampire Book Realm Authors to Chat on November 30

Today, authors of the Vampire Book Realm

will be hanging out in the Latte Lounge...

come and chat!

 

The Latte Lounge is a Yahoo group

hosted by Coffee Time Romance. 

Cover Reveal: World of Shell and Bone by Adriana Ryan

The Demimonde Blog welcomes Adriana Ryan, author of World of Shell and Bone

 

 

 

Coming December 7th, 2012

In a world ravaged by a nuclear holocaust, Vika Cannon knows there are no guarantees: no guarantees of safety, no guarantees that your neighbor is not actually a spy for the government, and no guarantees you’ll be allowed to emigrate to a new life in Asia.

New Amana is dying. Food and water are scarce, and people suffering from radiation-caused mutations—the Nukeheads—are the new class of homeless.

Vika has just one purpose: to produce healthy progeny using a Husband assigned by the Match Clinic. Unhealthy children are carted away to Asylums to be experimented on, just as Vika’s little sister Ceres was, eight years ago. Parents incapable of producing healthy progeny are put to death in gas chambers.
When she’s assigned a Husband shortly after her twentieth birthday, Vika expects him to be complacent and obedient. But Shale Underwood has a secret. He is a member of the Radicals, the terrorist group intent on overthrowing the government. And Shale has information about Ceres.

As she learns more about the Rads’s plan, Vika finds herself drawn to Shale in ways she’d never imagined. When freedom calls in the way of a healthy pregnancy, will she betray her government and risk death for Shale and Ceres?

Author Adriana Ryan

Bio: Adriana Ryan lives and writes in Charleston, SC. She is currently at work on a dystopian and an urban fantasy series. A huge fan of spooky stuff and shoes, she enjoys alternately hitting up the outlet malls and historic graveyards.
Adriana Ryan is a member of the Romance Writer’s Association (RWA).

Connect with Adriana!

 

Adriana@adrianaryan.com
http://adrianaryan.com
www.facebook.com/authoradrianaryan
www.twitter.com/adrianaryansc

Loco Motion: The Niteblade Blog Train

Just wanted to give a shout out to the Niteblade Blog Train event, now in progress!

Niteblade published their first issue in September 2007. As they approach Issue #21, they will mark fifth anniversary.
To celebrate, they are hosting a small blog train that will visit 23 blog entries that all have something to do with Niteblade.

I'll be hosting my own spot next week. C’mon, it’s going to be a crazy trip!
Blog Train Schedule:
August 8th: Niteblade News ~*~ Choo Choo!
August 9th: James Dorr ~*~ The Niteblade Blog Train, What’s That? – Jazzy Vampires
August 10th: J.E. Taylor
August 11th: Aubrie Dionne
August 12th: Beth Cato
August 13th: Joseph Zieja
August 14th: Ash Krafton
August 15th: Marge Simon
August 16th: Stephanie M. Wytovich
August 17th: Alexandra Seidel
August 18th: Brenda Stokes Barron
August 19th: Kaolin Fire
August 20th: Chris Lewis Carter
August 21st: Rhonda Parrish
August 22nd: Alexis A. Hunter
August 23rd: Heather R. Peterson
August 24th: Mark Rigney
August 25th: Sharon K. Reamer
August 26th: Sandi Leibowitz
August 27th: Andrew Patterson
August 28th: John Clewarth
August 29th: Pete Aldin
August 30th: Amber Stults
August 31st: Jonathan Pinnock
September 1st: Niteblade News
 Hope you'll share this article and give Niteblade a little recognition--it's tough keeping an ezine on the right tracks these days and I'm proud to be a supporter of such a great publication. Stop by and say hi!

BLOOD RUSH: Book Two of the Demimonde

The second installment to my series is complete and safely in the hands of the editor.

Second books are like middle children. Of course we want them; we are so much in love with our first-borns that we are eager to spawn another creation of wonder. But, like middle children, second books have a personality of their own. They have different moods, different ideas about their destinies. We find out quickly enough that they are not clones of their older siblings—they are unique individuals.

My first book--Bleeding Hearts--was born in a moment of passion, an urge to write, to create, to express. My second book was planned, a calculated decision to continue the story and round out the protagonist’s world. Of course, I didn’t expect the story to take on a mind of its own.

It’s a pleasant surprise, actually. While writing the first book, I developed as a writer. There are so many fantastic resources out there for writers and one day I’ll have to make a list of the library I’ve amassed; not only books, but blogs and websites, communities, and on-line workshops. But it was passion that drove the writing.

Coming up on the sequel, I had a clearer idea of plot set-up, structure, character development—in short, the technical aspects of the novel. I labored over the first chapter, the inciting incident, the three-act story arc, the first page, the first ten lines. And slowly it dawned on me—while I was ensuring myself no major revisions would be necessary, passion wasn’t first and foremost my driving force. This book was officially (gasp!) work.

Middle children shouldn’t be labeled as laborious. When I was doing final edits last month, I needed to understand my novel for the individual story it is, not for the expectations I’d placed upon it. So with this in mind, I returned to my first job as a writer—which is a reader—and read it straight through without stopping to edit. (Difficult task indeed.)

By stepping back and looking through the eyes of a reader, I saw the story for what it truly was—saw the themes, the messages, the journey of the characters and the conflicts that filled their lives. I reacquainted myself with them, remembered who they were and why I wanted to bring them to life. And during the reading, the spark of passion ignited, unfurled, and reminded me how much fun it is to be a writer.

It renewed me.

I ran the draft through a bit of a test—pulled out the Writer’s Digest Yearbook edition of Novel Writing and “workshopped” a few of the articles, making notes and comparisons. I opened Donald Maass' Writing the Breakthrough Novel Workbook and read through several exercises. I combined my eagerness to write with the skills I've learned and hope to continue creating stories that will captivate readers.

Coupled with my rediscovered passion, I am ready to jump back in and continue the series with the same eagerness that I felt while writing the first book. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a little incentive—now that I finished the second, I can finally, guiltlessly, write the third.

Let’s just take life one WIP at a time.

You Never Forget Your First...

…vampire sweetheart, that is.

What is it about these creatures that haunt us, possess us, and draw us away from the well-lit safe places of our everyday lives?

Is it…eternal love? The promise of an eternity of dwelling in another's eyes, of being loved to the point of consumption. To quench the desire of someone who would starve without us. To become their life, their reason to exist.

Yeah. That's probably it.

Or…is it the danger, the rush of treading that silver blade between life and death, pleasure and pain?

But then again, with vampires, there is no "line between". Life and death, pleasure and pain, light and dark, good and bad. They are everything, all at once.

Heroes with unimaginable power, undone by a brush of sunlight. Strength and weakness, entwined.

No wonder vamps ensnare us: we do like our men complex, after all.

WELCOME TO THE V4V GIVEAWAY HOP! Be sure to enter to win...the entry form is at the end of the post...
I have to go back a long time to remember my first vampire crush. I cut my teeth on Anne Rice when I was in college. My boyfriend had an English assignment on Interview with a Vampire and wanted me to read it so I could help him with the paper. (Come to think of it, I read a LOT of extra novels in college for the same purpose.)

I balked at first. Vampires weren't my thing.

Then, Boyfriend turned big baby brown eyes on me and fluttered those long lashes. Seriously. He had eyes like the puppies on those rip-your-heart-out animal fundraiser posters. So, I heaved a sigh and read it.

I WAS BLOWN AWAY. Louis had such depth, such tragic humanity. And Lestat? What an ass. I hated him. He was cocky, he was mean, he was so in love with himself that he eclipsed the sun. That jerk had little regard for anyone else, no matter how much I wish he would.

I didn't realize he was setting himself up to be a Bad Boy. Uh oh. My first human crush was a Bad Boy. Unrequited love all the way for six solid years. I listened to more miserable music over him than I did for the boys I actually dated. That crush was my secret agony.

Lestat didn't disappoint. And, unrequited? Heck yeah. I still ache a little inside when I think of him (or when I see old Reutger Hauer movies.) I'd never invested myself in a character the way I did Lestat. I hadn't known it was possible.

It was tough but eventually I moved on and found other vampire crushes. Jean Claude: I never wanted him more than the way I did in the very first Anita Blake installment. That hint of a suggestion of a tease was a complete PHEROMONE. Eric Northman: I have not the words. (The suggestions, I got a million of them, but when I open my mouth, nothing comes out.)

There's Eric chum Bill Compton but he's off limits. That's Sookie's first vampire love. I understand the sacredness of that bond. Sookie needs to keep that all to herself, to keep it in her heart-shaped box and cherish it always. Eric, on the other hand, is free game. =)

Not all vampires aren't loveable. I know there are some really bad ones out there and some of them are downright Nosferatu. Some of them—like Still-Heart in my upcoming release BLEEDING HEARTS—are beautiful creatures but don't be fooled: inside is a demon. He may act like a Bad Boy but deep down, he's just bad.

In fact, all the vamps in my book are bad, bad, bad. But the Demivampire? Another story altogether. *wicked grin*

But don't worry…that story will be told when BLEEDING HEARTS: Book One of the Demimonde is released on March 15th through Pink Narcissus Press (http://pinknarc.com)

Follow this blog to stay up-to-date on release news—we'll be going on a Bleeding Hearts Blog Tour in March, with lots of fun giveaways and visits to incredible blogs.

And although the vampires in my book are better off left alone, there's plenty of crush-worthy vamps in countless other books to love. I mean, have you visited any of the other stops on this blog hop? ;)

Which leads me to…the CONTEST! I am nothing if not an enabler. Everyone has their own favorite flavor of vampire. It was really tough to decide what to give away on this blog hop. So I decided to give away a build-your-own-vampire-sundae of sorts by offering an ebook spending spree at Amazon!

You can enter to win a $25 gift card to that monstrous online bookstore—that way you have a little cash to pick up some of the other vampires you've met along this blog hop. The cherry on top of said sundae is an eARC of my soon-to-debut urban fantasy BLEEDING HEARTS: Book One of the Demimonde. You can visit my demivampires any time you want. ;)

What did I tell you? I'm an enabler.

You can enter to win my goodies by Liking my Facebook page. You can get up to three extra entries by following me in other places (you'll see the links on the Rafflecopter form.) If you've never entered a Rafflecopter giveaway, it's really easy: you sign in with either your Facebook profile or your email and just follow the easy steps to Winning Land. Good luck!

Publishers Weekly--My FIRST Review...

BLEEDING HEARTS on Publishers Weekly

This was the moment I'd been nervously anticipating: my first published review.

It's not like I'd never been critiqued before. I'd survived dozens of contest judges' feedback, some of it quite...subjective. =) That's part of the game. You can't write something and expect people to read it without forming an opinion. Even "no opinion" is an opinion.  (Stop me before I start channeling Neil Peart.)

It's an important step in putting your work out there: you are vulnerable and awaiting judgement. You open your notebook, set it on the table, and let other people tell you their opinion.

However, I survived it all because 1) I learned TREMENDOUSLY from the experience and 2) I'd made finals in a few contests, so it couldn't be all that bad but most of all 3) I knew it was going to toughen me up so that I could face this moment without blinking.

I survived my first review. My publisher and my editors and my family and friends are thrilled but I'm just quietly taking it in. It's pretty cool to be reviewed by PW, not to mention it being my first.

You never forget your first. I won't forget mine.