Witchblood is FREE for 3 days!!

So, I thought to celebrate the end of the cold, dark winter days I would make Witchblood FREE on Kindle & also on Smashwords for all other formats epub etc for 3 days! So if you were thinking of adding Witchblood to your reading list now is the time!
UPDATE: Currently Amazon are not price matching & won't drop my price to free as they are trying to force me into going with Amazon Select which means I have to be exclusive with Amazon & take Witchblood off ibooks, B&N etc. I REFUSE to be bullied  so you can get it free in all formats from Smashwords & hopefully Amazon will price match soon!
Here are the links:
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Smashwords

Here are a selection of reviews from Amazon & Goodreads:

Witchblood is a refreshing twist on the vampire genre. Set in Manchester, it brings all the interest, excitement and drama of a young adult novel but to our British shores.
The prologue pulls you into the story from the first line and leaves you wanting to find out more. With a strong and addictive plot, you'll wonder where your evening went!

5.0 out of 5 stars
An addictive read, 15 Jan 2012

In Witchblood, Emma Mills introduces a world where vampires, witches, and angels walk among us. As we follow Jess's journey through the realization that she has not only been transformed into a vampire, but that she is also something more, we can't help but be swept up in the world that Mills creates. The characters feel real, the world feels authentic, and the story literally throbs with an underlying intensity that builds with each page. In short, Witchblood is an imaginative, satisfying read that still manages to leave the reader hungry for more.

5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Recommended

Monday Blog Swap: Being Human

So it's Monday Blog Swap time again! And today I swapping with a Twitter friend who like me, loves vampires, and writes YA vampire fiction. I currently have Being Human loaded on Kindle...along with a pile of other indie novels I need to get time to read! But my lack of reading time aside...how brilliant does this book sound?

For Tommy, there is only one thing he needs to do: survive.

Only surviving isn't that easy. The hunt for blood can be tricky when humans know to fear the night. Desire sits on the edge of his mind, urging him to become the monster humans think he is. Vampire Forces, a special branch of police, is determined to turn every vampire to ash. Tommy included.

The only human Tommy can trust is his twin brother. A bond connects them, and with Danny's help, Tommy starts to understand the human world he struggles to survive in. He'll learn what friendships means and feel the sting of betrayal, find that sometimes the worst monsters are very human, and come to understand that family means more than blood.

Tommy just wants to survive and he knows what he needs to do. But with the number of humans that mean more to him than a meal growing, Tommy learns there's more to life than simple survival. He'll discover being human doesn't mean being a human.

Places you can find more info on the book or buy:

1. Goodreads
2. Amazon Kindle
3. Amazon UK Kindle
4. Amazon Paperback
5. CreateSpace Paperback
6. Barnes and Noble Nook
7. Barnes and Noble Paperback
8. Smashwords
9. iTunes
10. Book Trailer

And please, don't be shy to leave a review on any of those sites.

MaryBeth rated it

Being Human isn't your typical vampire story. It's a story about family, bonds and learning what it takes to be human. I love that it spans several years, but not an insane amount of time. This vampire isn't hundreds of years old. The story is touching, entertaining and an overall good read. It gives you that paranormal fix you need but without shoving the same ole story in front of your face.

Cassie rated it  
This book is absolutely beautiful. I loved how it spanned many years with gaps in between and it focused on several different types of relationships. Unlike most vampire books, it didn't focus on romantic love alone and didn't even seem like it was going to focus on romantic love at all until almost the end. I also really liked how the author made me step back and look objectively at things that seem so normal, like brushing your teeth. This book is definitely worth the read for anyone who likes vampire books.

Author Bio:

Patricia Lynne never set out to become a writer, and in fact, was never gave it any thought during high school and college. But some stories are meant to be told and this one chose her. Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo and has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow. You can find her lurking on Twitter and sometimes Facebook.

How do I write...

When the sun is out?

Okay Witchblood was a long, on-going project. I wrote a bit here, I wrote a bit there, I edited, sent it off, edited some more, got friends to read it, edited it, re-wrote it etc etc, but now I suddenly find myself on a time limit! I have fans, which is great, but they are expecting to read Witchcraft this summer...ideally June, and so far I have only about 30,000 words written! The problem of course is that this last month has been been a riot of illness and allergic reactions which has delayed everything.

And now my swollen eyes have returned to normal I find myself torn between writing in a gloomy, dark cold back room, or gardening in the gorgeous (and rather rare considering where I live!) sunny garden!
And the sun is set to last the week, which doesn't bode well for Witchcraft.

I hereby pledge that I shall try my best to write from 9am, after school drop-off till 12noon (when it's nice and sunny!)

On another note...Yey! I have had two more excellent reviews this month. The first, I mentioned last week from a Greenlander, Jane Harfield, who gave Witchblood 4 stars on Goodreads and another yesterday from Renee Sherman who gives it 5 stars and simply says:

"Loved this book couldn't put it down...."

Vampire Fiction...How do you like yours?

 

Recently I have read a lot of twitter conversations and blog posts about vampire fiction. Whether it should be dark and violent, whether the recent YA trend of having 'new' vampire types has ruined the genre, and whether it romanticises disturbing relationships and depicts unhealthy relationship types for teenagers. So I thought I'd add my viewpoint :-)


Obviously I'm not going to be against YA vampire fiction...after all I write it, and I started writing it after enjoying the Twilight Saga. So here are the vampire books I have read (in order of reading them)and the ones I have on my 'to read' list.

Dracula - Bram Stoker
The Vampire Armand - Ann Rice
Twilight Saga - Stephanie Meyer
House of Night series - Kristin Cast & P.C.Cast
Glass House Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
Evernight Series - Claudia Gray
Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
The Moth Diaries - Rachel Klein
The Demon Girl (not really a 'vampire book,' but has a vampire in it.)
Vaempires - Thomas Winship

To Read:
The Forever Girl - Rebecca Hamilton
Descended by Blood - Angeline Kace
Vaempires/A White Christmas - Thomas Winship

This week I read an interesting blog post on Trip the Eclipse called 'Lusting for Bloodsuckers' which raises the question of why we have sanitised our monsters. I have my own own little theory...

Yes, vampires and demons are our monsters of old, and yes they could be portrayed as evil sociopaths...and this is the original standpoint. But they aren't real right? So how can there be a right and wrong?

The world that we live in, and the news that we watch is filled with monsters, serial killers, pedophiles...hell just different coloured people killing each other because of different gods... or even worse, the gangs they belong too. We have become our own monsters, so when you want an escape, paranomal romance fills that gap. Who says it would be so ridiculous for a vampire to be sane, and have control over his appetite?

Personally I see vampires as similar to humans - some are evil and some work hard to be good, and that's what you'll find in my Witchblood series. The differences are what make them irrisistable: They're strong, powerful and dangerous...and yes that is sexy. I don't believe Bella & Edward's relationship was unhealthy - to me it depicted the awful obsessive love a teenage girl often feels. Edward watching her sleep made me a little uncomfortable, but throughout the books you know how much he cares about her. He urges Bella to remain human - it is her decision to be with him. I hated the whole sparkling bit...but every author makes mistakes, and this one was made worse with the movies. Sparkling aside, I'm still an Edward fan!

On the flip-side I also love a scary vampire, and Bram Stoker's is my favourite. I love this book (& the movie). Again it is a great love story, but the vampire lore surrounding it is brilliant. Recently I read Vaempires by Thomas Winship, which had two differing types of vampire. The original vampires have been humanised with the availabilty of synth-blood, but they have also evolved a sub-race called vaempires who thirst for vampires blood...and these are the monsters of old. They are more powerful, intelligent and ultimately evil. Due to the extreme violence which starts on the first page I really would advise a 16+ age group...and a strong stomach!

So let's not vampire bash... we are predjudiced enough. Let's love all vampires, the good and the very, very bad!

Monday Blog Swap: Reveal

So this weeks blog swap is with Brina Courtney, debut author of 'Reveal'.

Shay Tafford's childhood has been fatherless, filled instead with memories of speaking to those who have passed on. She does this while hiding her unique ability from those living around her. She can't tell her best friend, or her brother, and she definitely can't confide in her psychologist mother for fear of her mom locking her up.That's why it's been comforting to have Jeremy, a seventy year old child ghost, as her confidante. But recently he's been absent, perhaps lost as her father is. When Shay meets Hugh, the boy she's had a crush on for weeks, and finds he can speak to ghosts too she's just starting to find a normalcy in her life. But as Hugh reveals the truth to Shay, about who she really is and about what it is she can do, he erases all chances she had at a normal existence. Turns out talking to ghosts is just scratching the surface of her genetically engineered gifts. Shay learns she may be part of an age old prophecy that could save an entire race of beings. But can she?

Now there is the threat of an attack from a dark force with unlimited power and she must decide if she accepts her fate as a part of the prophecy. Can Shay and Hugh defeat this evil and save the people they love, before they too are lost forever?

My Review of Reveal
This story is about Shay, a high school senior, who has both the ability to see and hear ghosts. She has had the ability since she was a little girl and befriended a young ghost called Jeremy. She meets a gorgeous college guy called Hugh and he reveals her destiny, and tells her more of her genetic history.

I read it very quickly and thought it was a good enjoyable YA indie read. I struggled slightly with a couple of paragraphs of info dumping a third of the way through,  but it didn't really impact my enjoyment, and once I got past half way I was hooked. The 2nd half of the book is very well thought out with some good twists & turns... and I love Hugh! I will be downloading the sequel Capture!
****
About Brina Courtney
Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as a beauty queen and elementary teacher. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs.

Useful Links:
Goodreads
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Blog

Poll Results & Writing Witchcraft

Well, the poll results are in and I'm really happy to say that 80% of you voted for keeping the Witchblood cover, and said it wouldn't affect you purchasing a copy.

To the 20% who wanted me to change it, I hope you'll read my reviews on Goodreads or Amazon and decide it will be worth a shot for 99c...and if that doesn't persuade you I am betting the cover for Witchcraft will, because it's going to be gorgeous!

I'm happy to say today I've almost recovered from my cold virus and today I managed to swipe a couple of hours while the kids went to the park to get my laptop out and do some more writing. So here's the Witchcraft update... Chapter 9 completed    24,558 current word count

Cover too Creepy?

Well it's been a tough week, battling a nasty cold virus and trying, unsuccessfully to write with a head full of gunk! I'm afraid Witchcraft has fallen a little behind schedule as I've only managed to write 2.5 pages this week, but I hope to get back on to it next week.
One thing to cheer my spirits, was coming across a book blogger, based in Greenland, who had read and reviewed Witchblood, without me requesting one!
Here is a link to her lovely review:
http://janeharfeld.blogspot.com/2012/03/witchblood-by-emma-mills.html

After chatting with her, she mentioned someone who'd commented on her blog regarding my cover art, saying it had put her off reading Witchblood... I know the cover is creepy and a little gory, but I thought I'd explain a little. The reason I chose the image was the sadness that was conveyed in the image. I could feel the emotion in the girl's face and thought it replicated the emotions Jess goes through in the book. The blood represents both Jess' 'witchblood' DNA and the fact she is beaten to near death.

However I obviously don't want to be putting of prospective buyers so I thought I'd put up a poll for you guys to vote. Do I need another cover, or can I stick with the original?

Does the Witchblood cover put you off buying it?
	Yes! do a new one
	No! I like it
	No! But I would prefer a different one
pollcode.com free polls

P.S I am SO excited about the cover for the sequel. Laura Zalenga the same photographer I used for Witchblood is allowing me to use another of her shots (this one doesn't have blood) ;) and it is SO  beautiful I can't wait for the reveal!

Blog Swap Monday: 'Vaempires' by Thomas Winship

Okay, so for my second blog swap I'm talking about 'Vaempires'. Tom has just sent me copies of Vaempires: Revolution & the follow-up Vaempires: White Christmas and I cannot wait to get reading these. Don't you think the front cover is fantastic?
*PostNote: On starting to read this book I want to note that I believe this book to be 16+ with a lot of graphic violence. Very well written though & I will post a review when I have finished.

Væmpires: Revolution

It is the morning of Princess Cassandra’s sixteenth birthday. Everyone’s attention is focused on the heir to the vampire throne. World leaders, the rich and famous, and VIPs from every corner of the globe have gathered in the nation’s capital to celebrate the momentous event.

Cassandra’s boyfriend, Daniel, is late for the party. He’s still outside the city when all hell breaks loose. What he believes is an act of terrorism proves to be a full-fledged revolution. Væmpires—former vampires who mutated into warm-blooded creatures with an insatiable hunger for cold blood—have launched coordinated attacks across the globe, with three goals: the eradication of humanity, the enslavement of vampires, and the ascension of væmpires as the dominant species on the planet.

The vampire and human leaders are killed. Cassandra is missing. Daniel is the acting king. Desperate to find the princess, Daniel and his friends fight their way across the besieged city. With the hopes of the free world resting on the shoulders of four vampire teenagers, væmpires unleash their secret weapons: a new breed of vaempires that is far deadlier than any ever seen before.

What can four teens do against an enemy that can shape-shift, fly, and walk through walls?

Five Star Review by Author C.V. Hunt

“Mutant vampires... what else is there to say?

With a strange twist, and a creative imagination, Thomas Winship has taken the vampire and turned it into his own creature.

The story starts with an action sequence and is nonstop action through the rest of the book. Væmpires opens with a war being waged on the capital of what is left of the world. Daniel, a fifteen year-old vampire, and the son of the captain of the guard, finds himself amongst a battle for his life against an even more terrifying group of vampires referred to as væmpires. With most of the royal family dead, he must try to rescue one of the few survivors of the family - Princess Cassandra.

Væmpires used to be regular vampires, but evolution has put a change to that. These vampires are warm-blooded, their hearts beat, they are stronger, have grown an extra set of thumbs, and their humanity is slowly slipping back to an animal instinct of survival. They have been shunned by the humans and vampire race. Vielyn, a former vampire, and former friend of the royal family states it best:

FROM THE BOOK:
"Vampires - our former people - rejected us. The world at large ignored us. The medical community failed us. The government abandoned us. What else was left but to forge our own path?"

Vampires are able to survive on a synthetic blood, and have gain a peaceful resolution with humans. The synth-blood allows them to walk in the daylight, and it quenches there never ending thirst for human blood. But væmpires are unable to produce the synthetic dead blood of a vampire, and with the feeling of being dejected by their own people, and uprising has been boiling below the surface.

Now the hunters have become the hunted, and vampires are discovering that væmpires are more powerful that what they appear.

Væmpires was extremely original and inventive. It took an apocalyptic world, added vampires, some X-men-like mutants, and added some futurist sci-fi elements. I know there are a lot of people that still like their old-school vampires, with the sunlight and holy relics, but I certainly liking these new and improved vampires that have been emerging. It's time for the vampire to evolve into something more terrifying, and I can't wait to see the sequel to this book.”

Thomas Winship:

Thomas Winship was born in Middletown, NY (USA) and still resides in Orange County.  He holds an MBA from St. Thomas Aquinas College and serves as an adjunct professor for courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. He also spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training.

Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, a mystery/legal thriller entitled Temporary Insanity (a.k.a. Case Closed), was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. His second novel, Væmpires: Revolution, was published in October and a follow-up novella, Væmpires: White Christmas, was published in December.

He is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse: on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show.

He is currently working on the next installment of the “Væmpires” series, which is scheduled for an early 2012 release.

Some useful links:

Website

Email

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Goodreads

Books on Amazon.com

Books on Amazon.co.uk

Books on Smashwords

Books on iTunes/iBooks

Book Review: The Sands of Time

Title: The Sands of Time

Series: The Witching Pen Novellas
Author: Dianna Hardy | blog | Facebook | Twitter

Genre(s): Paranormal Romance
Format(s): ebook, paperback
Published: July 2 011
Add it: Goodreads

Summary:

Seven days ago, Elizabeth May tried to commit suicide. She was found by Paul, her husband, who took her under his wing and back to their home. But the attempted suicide is not Elizabeth's main problem -- Elizabeth can't remember who she is, or a single thing about her life beyond the past week.

Plagued by nightmares about a familiar black panther, and a terrifying snow leopard, she is convinced that the dreams are trying to show her something important, and is determined to regain her memories, one way or another.

Meanwhile, Pueblo -- the demon blood-bonded to the witch, Amy -- is going insane trying to find her. Amy disappeared one week ago, and it seems not even their bond is strong enough to penetrate whatever magic hides her.
As Pueblo enlists the help of angels and demons alike, Elizabeth begins to piece together parts of her forgotten life. But what she uncovers may just have her wanting to turn away from who she really is ... for good.

After finishing The Witching Pen, I was immediately pulled into starting its sequel, The Sands of Time. Like its predecessor it's a novella, and took me just a couple of evenings to gallop through at pace! Picking up the story from The Witching Pen, Pueblo is now searching tirelessly for Amy, and Amy has had her memory wiped, and is hidden in time.

The characters remain the same, and it's nice to have their stories (and pasts) developed as we learn more about them. As with The Witching Pen there is just the right amount of action v romance, a climactic ending and an interesting lead into the next instalment, The Demon Bride, which is out this summer, and which I will be downloading!

Another ***** rating from me.

Buy it Amazon

Book Review: The Witching Pen

Title:  The Witching Pen
Series:  The Witching Pen Novellas
Author:  Dianna Hardy | blog | Facebook | Twitter

Genre(s):  Paranormal Romance

Format(s): ebook, paperback

Published:  July 2  011

Add it: Goodreads

Summary:
It's hard being the most powerful witch on the planet. It's even harder when you're a twenty-five year old virgin who'll lose all of that power the moment you sleep with someone ... that's why Elena's never slept with her best friend and flatmate, Karl, despite the true feelings they harbour for each other.

Elena's about to discover that there are even more difficult things in life to deal with. One of them comes in the form of a pen she discovers one day, a pen that allows anything she writes to come to pass...

Suddenly, it's not just her powers or her heart that's at stake, but her very soul, as a dream demon with a seductive pull uses the pen to try and turn her away from her reality, and from Karl.

But the pen is just the beginning. Everything Elena has believed in is a lie, and her world is about to fall apart...

This is a novella - shorter than the average novel - but longer than other novellas I have read, and a really good read. You still get a really involved and well thought out plot, romance, action and a steamy sex scene as well! In the early parts of the story when the relationship is just a friendship the tension between the two characters is really believable, and when something happens to one of them (I don't want to give anything away!) I was absolutely gutted... until it was resolved and then I breathed a huge sigh of relief - which proves to me that I really cared about these characters, and story!

I myself have been researching witchcraft for the sequel to Witchblood so I recognised a lot of the practises within the book, and they've all been well thought out, and when explanations are needed they are given succinctly. Considering the amount of paranormal fiction out there Dianna still manages to achieve something different. I love the idea of the witching pen, and the whole history behind it. I love the twists in the story, involving a couple of characters and I love the way the story ends with a minor character in trouble, for the sequel to follow on with!


As I can't actually think of anything bad to say about this novella I have to give it the full 
***** stars it deserves.
Buy it Amazon:

Witchcraft: The Sequel Update

Well, what with drowning my laptop, and various other personal commitments I haven't done enough writing over the last couple of weeks, but I'm happy to say that I'm getting back on track!

I have finished Chapter 7 now, and today I wrote 850 words of chapter 8. The total word count is currently around the 20,000 mark and I'm still hoping to publish in June.

Currently Jess is in trouble with Sebastian, Daniel is one unhappy vampire, and Jess has finally learnt how to unleash the full power of her magic!

Here's the final sentence from Chapter 7:

It seemed I'd spent too long in my head, because suddenly I jolted back into the present to find Sebastian leaning in close, his eyes shining brightly, his fangs protruding and heading towards my neck.

Blog Swap: Silver Knight by Caron Rider

Along with a new author friend, I decided to try doing a once a week Blog swap. I'll talk about an author's book I like the sound of, and hopefully they will do the same for me! Today I have the details of a great looking YA called 'Silver Knight' written by Caron Rider, released just a month before Witchblood. Here are the details...enjoy!

A Struggle Against Evil—Love Through the Ages—A Destiny to Fulfill

When seventeen-year-old Diana recognizes an elderly priest in a video on YouTube, she realizes that reincarnation is real and that she’s been alive before! Every night in her dreams, she views her past lives learning that it’s kill or be killed.

Now a bishop at the Vatican whom she saved in another life calls on her once more. She is needed to help defeat an infestation of demons living within the catacombs of Rome. But when she arrives, she meets Alexander – the man of her dreams! Through the centuries she has loved him…betrayed him...been killed by him. Will she give him another chance or this time will she strike first?

Silver Knight takes you on an adventure where demons and heroes from the past blend with history, action, and just a hint of romance.



5 Star Review:

"All I could think once I started reading this book was WOW! My only warning is that once you start reading this story you are not going to be able to put it down!" -Readers Favorite  (Read more at: http://readersfavorite.com/review/5699)

Caron Rider's Bio:

I began teaching adults to use computer software, hardware, and networking back in the 1990s. After several years, my clients became younger and younger until I found myself tutoring high school dropouts to pass the GED. I found working with at-risk teenagers so rewarding that I changed her undergraduate major to Education.

Upon graduating from the University of South Alabama with a B.S., I began teaching high school history and I continue to teach history classes online. I now live in rural Missouri with my two kids, two dogs, two cats, and father.

I’ve always wanted to encourage students’ creativity, reading and writing skills, so I have put together a collaborative story telling effort at http://telling-tales.wikispaces.com. So come join us!

Caron is running giveaways at:

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com

BookHounds YA: http://foreveryoungadult.blogspot.com/2010/10/contests.html

I am a Reader, Not a Writer: http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/02/author-interview-book-giveaway-silver.html

Some useful links:

Website: www.caronrider.com

Blog: www.caronrider.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Silver-Series/217988348281222

Twitter Name: Caron_Rider