FreshFiction...for today's reader

Fresh Pick | ANCIENTS by David Lynn Golemon

2009-11-06T16:46:00.001-05:00

Event Group #3

May 2009
On Sale: April 28, 2009
480 pages
ISBN: 0312942869
EAN: 9780312942861
Paperback (reprint)
$7.99

Thriller
Buy at Amazon.com

Ancients by David Lynn Golemon

TO SECURE THE FATE OF THE WORLD

Eons before the birth of the Roman Empire, there was a civilization dedicated to the sciences of earth, sea, and sky. In the City of Light lived people who made dark plans to lay waste to their uncivilized neighbors using the very power of the planet itself. As the great science of their time was brought to bear on the invading hordes, hell was set loose on Earth. And the civilization of Atlantis disappeared in a suicidal storm of fire and water…

THE EVENT GROUP MUST UNCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE ANCIENTS

Now history threatens to repeat itself. The great weapon of the Ancients has been discovered in the South Pacific, and it is being deciphered by men of hatred who want to unleash hell on Earth once again. This time, it’s up to the Major Jack Collins and the Event Group—comprised of the nation’s most brilliant minds in the fields of science, philosophy, and the military to find the truth behind the world’s greatest unsolved myths—to end the cycle of destruction. Meanwhile, the seas rise, the earth cracks, and entire cities crumble to dust as the evil plan mapped out thousands of years before begins to take shape…

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SANDRA BROWN | HOW TO QUICKLY MAKE A BOOK TRAILER

2009-11-06T00:01:00.006-05:00

Once upon a time the only place you saw movie trailers was in your local theater, shortly before the
movie started. These days, all you have to do is “Google” to find a trailer for an upcoming movie—any
upcoming movie. Have you looked around out there? Now it’s not just movies getting their thirty to
forty-five seconds in the spotlight, but books too!

I’ve been writing for…let’s just say many years, and I’ve seen many changes in publishing. One of the
most interesting aspects of being a published author in 2009 is book trailers. I consider myself
incredibly lucky that my husband Michael has the time, the talent and the staff to produce my trailers
as well as my video newsletters. Normally, we’re very on the ball and the trailers are planned out way
in advance of a book’s release so that it can be sent to online book retailers, but href="http://freshfiction.com/book.php?id=34524">Rainwater sort of snuck up on us. You see,
Simon & Schusterbought the manuscript and then decided it would make a great holiday book.

To read more about the making of the book trailer for Rainwater and to comment for a chance to win please click here.

Fresh Pick | THE UNITED STATES OF ATLANTIS by Harry Turtledove

2009-11-05T09:14:00.000-05:00

December 2008
On Sale: December 2, 2008
448 pages
ISBN: 045146236X
EAN: 9780451462367
Hardcover
$25.95

Fantasy Historical
Buy at Amazon.com

The United States Of Atlantis by Harry Turtledove

England has driven the French from Atlantis, giving King George leave to tighten his control over the colonies. The Redcoats have seized the continent’s eastern coastal towns, depriving the Atlanteans of the markets where they sell their goods as part of a strategy to bend the colonists to their will.

Instead, England’s tactics have only strengthened the Atlanteans’ resolve to be free. As leader of the revolutionaries, Victor Radcliff will make the English pay for each and every piece of land they dare to occupy, and will stop at nothing to preserve the liberty of his people as a new nation is born—a nation that will change the face of the world.

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Daily Dose | Top Ten Holiday Flicks

2009-11-05T08:33:00.002-05:00

It’s the holiday season, yes I know that here in the States, Thanksgiving is still three weeks away, but we’re already doing the holiday shuffle. We have two birthday parties, one to attend and one to throw. We’re hosting the family for Turkey Day or in our case, Honeybaked Ham Day. There are school projects and writer’s conferences, a book release and school vacation, not to mention a panel on vampires, a tea, a readers group, NaNoWriMo – okay, I’m getting tired just thinking about it. But beyond all the things to do and the places to go, the holiday season is about downtime too. Down time where we get to watch movies, such as our annual viewing of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, a holiday classic when decorating the tree.

Holiday Top Flicks

It’s a time to revisit some of the best holiday and romantic holiday movies perfect for viewing anytime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. My daughter has so many favorites now that we literally have to stack the decks with the films so that everyone gets to watch the ones they want to see before the big C day when we watch the parades, open presents and kick back to relax. So, in no particular order here are the top ten holiday flicks for 2009.

Click here to read more...

Carolyn Brown | An Interview With Jane Day The Heroine Of One Lucky Cowboy

2009-11-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

Thank you for having me on your website today. It’s a pleasure to be here. Tell me, has a character in a book ever become so real that you wish you could interview her to find out a little more than what was written? Well, I have many times so I thought we would interview the heroine of ONE LUCKY COWBOY today. She had a big pair of ladies cowboy boots to fill after Milli Torres in Lucky in Love but I think she did a fine job of kicking up the Texas dirt when she inherited them. So let’s see what she thinks about her story in One Lucky Cowboy.

Carolyn Brown: What did you think the first time you laid eyes on Slade Luckadeau?

Jane Day: I thought he was a pompous ass who’d been spoiled his whole life and didn’t have a clue about me even though he thought he’d figured out the whole big picture that first two minutes. I wasn’t about to let him intimidate me. I needed a place to hide out for a few weeks and he could live with it or drop dead. Right then, I didn’t care which one he chose.

Curious, read the rest of the interview...

Fresh Pick | THE ATLANTIS REVELATION by Thomas Greanias

2009-11-04T00:49:00.000-05:00

August 2009
On Sale: August 11, 2009
320 pages
ISBN: 1416589120
EAN: 9781416589129
Hardcover
$25.00

Thriller Buy at Amazon.com

The Atlantis Revelation by Thomas Greanias

From the New York Times bestselling author of Raising Atlantis and The Atlantis Prophecy comes an explosive new international thriller jam-packed with political and prophetic intrigue.

Beneath the city of God,
A centuries-old secret awaits.
And every power on earth wants it.

The adventure begins with the wreckage of a sunken Nazi submarine and a shocking legacy of Hitler's quest for Atlantis. Archaeologist Conrad Yeats discovers in the ruins of the Third Reich the key to an ancient conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of every major government. Suddenly Yeats is plunged into a deadly race across the Mediterranean, hunted by the assassins of an international organization that will stop at nothing to ignite global Armageddon and revive an empire. And only Serena Serghetti, the beautiful Vatican linguist he loved and lost, can help him save the world from the Atlantis Revelation.

Praised by the biggest names in thrillers, The Atlantis Revelation is an unforgettable blockbuster.

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JORDAN DANE | THE NEWS THROUGH JORDAN DANE'S ROSE COLORED GLASSES

2009-11-04T00:01:00.004-05:00

Being an author of fiction, I suppose some people might find it hard to believe what I tell them at times. After all, I get paid to make things up. But in the online news today, I found an interesting post that was first reported by the BBC, that reminded me YOU CAN’T MAKE UP STUFF BETTER THAN REAL LIFE.

A Somali man who claims to be 112 years old just got married. Now that’s a man who is optimistic about his future, but get this. He married a 17-year old girl-and he hopes to have more kids by her. The bride wouldn’t comment-no kidding (snort)-but her family told the press that she was "happy with her new husband" even though he is nearly a century older than she is.

To read more about the news through Jordan's rose colored glasses please click here.

Fresh Pick | ATLANTIS UNMASKED by Alyssa Day

2009-11-03T02:06:00.001-05:00

Warriors Of Poseidon #6
July 2009
On Sale: July 7, 2009
Featuring: Alexios; Grace Havilland
320 pages
ISBN: 0425223221
EAN: 9780425223222
Paperback
$7.99

Romance Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

Atlantis Unmasked by Alyssa Day

Immortals: Three. Vampires: Zero.
Alyssa Day’s Warriors of Poseidon series: A KNOCKOUT.

Poseidon’s warriors swore an oath eleven thousand years ago to protect humanity from those who stalked the night. Yet when a woman with an ancient Gift dares to claim the heart of one of Poseidon’s fiercest warriors, the world teeters on the knife’s edge between desire and darkness.

A warrior scarred…
Alexios survived two years of unspeakable torture at the hands of a vampire goddess. Now he’s been ordered to team up with a beautiful warrior and take on the most dangerous mission of his life: to retrieve the Vampire’s Bane. Without it, Atlantis can’t ascend to the surface and take its rightful place in the world. But when evil threatens, will Alexios be led by duty—or his heart?

A descendant of Diana…
Grace is part of the rebellion against the vampires and shape-shifters trying to take over her world. She is deadly with her bow, because when she takes aim, she never misses her target. But suddenly she’s focused on a damaged Atlantean warrior who sees her as a weapon, not as a woman. When thousands of lives are on the line, will passion overrule, or will her aim still be true?

When two worlds collide…Atlantis is unmasked.

Excerpt

Chapter 1

Leaving regional rebel headquarters, St. Louis

"It's almost impossible to shoot a bow while driving."

Grace Havilland clenched her fingers around the steering wheel of the Jeep and waited for the Atlantean warrior riding shotgun to respond to what she thought had been her very reasonable point.

Waited. Waited a little longer. She'd met Alexios months ago and seen him sporadically since, but she'd never been in such a small space with him. It felt like being trapped in a cage with a lion who'd just eaten a full meal. Deadly, dangerous, and exhilarating, but maybe-just maybe-you'd live through it.

Unless he suddenly felt like a snack.

She wrenched the wheel to the left when she saw the deceptive DEAD END sign appear in the headlights and Read More...

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Daily Dose | Do You Struggle to Finish Books?

2009-11-02T16:36:00.001-05:00

You remember high school where you had to read the book the teacher assigned whether it was Silas Marner, The Old Man and the Sea or Cheaper by the Dozen? You remember having to finish reading it no matter how boring the tale or how dry the writing? I admit, I loved the idea behind Great Expectations, but there were passages when I wanted Dickens to just get on with it. In other cases, it was Shakespeare that I dreaded reading – Shakespeare was a playwright, his work was meant to be seen and acted out, not read. But that’s assigned reading, what happens when you’re reading for fun?

Reading Books: The Struggle

Reading for fun shouldn't be a struggle, but sometimes, even the best books have their moments. I have occasionally come across books that I thought I would like, but when I got into reading them, I found it hard to sink into the character, the setting or the story. Those books aren’t a struggle to read because if I can’t get invested, I’m just going to set it aside and reach for another book.

But what about the books that I am invested in? What happens when the characters I love and I’m invested in get stuck in long scenarios that I don’t like, that I’m not supposed to like and I just want it over? I’ve had this experience twice recently and both with authors I absolutely adore. I loved both books, genuinely and I’ve re-read the first one at least three times, but the section I struggled to read the first time did not improve in any future readings. Not sure about the latest book, I haven’t had a chance to re-read it yet.

What Books?

Curious to find the answer? Click here

Diane Whiteside | Dancers Make Magic

2009-11-02T00:05:00.002-05:00

Hi, everyone! Big hugs to everyone here at Fresh Fiction for asking me to blog today. CAPTIVE DESIRES, my new paranormal romance and the sequel to CAPTIVE DREAMS, is published today!

CAPTIVE DESIRES is about Alekhsiy, the younger brother of Mykhayl, CAPTIVE DREAMS’ hero. Thanks to dragon magic, he boldly crosses the void between worlds in order to stop the ultimate threat to his people. Unfortunately, this dumps him in the middle of a science fiction convention on Earth. His sole ally is Danae Livingston, the fan fiction writer he’s always adored from afar - and who just may be enough of a sorceress to wreck havoc upon his home...

Somebody whose creativity becomes reality.

When I wrote CAPTIVE DREAMS, it was so easy to make the heroine a writer and a magic worker at the same time. Talk about wish fulfillment! Of course, there are good sides and bad sides to that, which Corinne certainly got to experience. (Oh my gosh, the payback for making an ice serpent bite Mykhayl!)

To read more of Diane's blog and to comment for a chance to win please click here.

Fresh Pick | HEART OF THE DRAGON by Gena Showalter

2009-11-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

Atlantis #1
January 2009
On Sale: January 1, 2009
Featuring: Darius en Kragin; Grace Carlyle

384 pages
ISBN: 0373773501
EAN: 9780373773503
Mass Market Paperback
$6.99
Romance Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

Heart Of The Dragon by Gena Showalter

The Atlantis tale that started it all...

Searching for her missing brother, Grace Carlyle never
dreamed she would discover a secret world populated by
mythological monsters—or find herself facing a
sword-wielding being whose looks put mortal men to
shame.

But there he was, Darius en Kragin, one of a race
of shape-shifting warriors bound to guard the gates of
Atlantis, and kill all travelers who strayed within its
borders.

Now Grace's life was in his hands, and Darius had
to choose between his centuries-old vow and the woman who
had slipped beneath his defenses and stolen the heart of
Atlantis's fiercest dragon.

Other books in Atlantis Series

Jewel Of Atlantis, February 2009
Atlantis #2
The Vampire's Bride, March 2009
Atlantis #3

Excerpt

"He doesn't laugh."

"He never yells."

"When Grayley accidentally stabbed Darius's thigh with a
six-pronged razor, our leader didn't even blink."

"I'd say all he needs is a few good hours of bed sport, but
I'm not even sure he knows what his cock is for."

The latter was met with a round of rumbling male chuckles.

Darius en Kragin stepped inside the spacious dining hall,
his gaze methodically cataloging his surroundings. The ebony
floors gleamed clean and black, the perfect contrast for the
dragon-carved ivory walls. Along the windows, gauzy drapes
whisped delicately. Crystal ceilings towered above,
reflecting the tranquillity of seawater that enclosed their
great city.

He moved toward the long, rectangular dining table. The
tantalizing aroma of sweetmeats and fruit should have wafted
to his nostrils, but over Read More...

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Sandi Shilhanek | Hurry Up And Wait...How To Stay Occupied?

2009-11-01T00:05:00.000-04:00

This weekend I pretended to be the good wife, and took my husand’s car to have the oil changed.

While I sat in the waiting room I not only typed this blog, but observed the other people waiting with me.

One man was smarter than I and able to figure out the wireless connection the dealer offered and get online, two men had some sort of conversation about their cars, and the rest just sat their twiddling their thumbs.

I’m sure like me they were thinking about the zillion of chores awaiting them at home, but that’s just a depressing thought isn’t it? Then they were watching some sort of news debate about the state of the economy, another really depressing thought…where were the books? Not a soul brought a book.

To read more about Sandi's waiting experience and to comment for a chance to win a prize please click here.

Fresh Pick | THE HUNT FOR ATLANTIS by Andy McDermott

2009-11-01T00:01:00.005-04:00

October 2009
On Sale: September 29, 2009
512 pages
ISBN: 0553592858
EAN: 9780553592856
Mass Market Paperback
$7.99

Fiction Adventure, Historical
Buy at Amazon.com

The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott

Following in the tradition of Clive Cussler and Matthew Reilly, Andy McDermott takes us a roller-coaster ride in search of the legendary Atlantis.

Archaeologist Nina Wilde believes she has found the location of the lost city of Atlantis and now she wants the opportunity to prove her theory. Someone else though wants her dead! With the help of ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase and beautiful heiress Kari Frost, Nina faces a breakneck race against time around the world, pursued at every step by agents of the mysterious -- and murderous -- Brotherhood of Selasphoros.

From the jungles of Brazil to the mountains of Tibet, from the streets of Manhattan to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the hunt for Atlantis leads to a secret hidden for 11,000 years -- which in the wrong hands could destroy civilization as we know it...

Mystery & romance add to this terrific action/adventure tale with enough twists & turns to truly excite.

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Daily DOSE | The First Five Hundred

2009-10-31T03:33:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween! NaNoWriMo begins tomorrow and as a special teaser, enjoy the first five hundred words of my Nano project: The Forgotten. The Forgotten is the sequel to Remembering Ashby and was teased in the free short Forget to Remember. Be sure to check those out and stay tuned to the Daily Dose and Twitter for more Nano updates!

The Forgotten

She turned her head away from the sounds of death. Her sisters cried out to her with long, horrid sounds of pain and anguish. Xandie closed her mind to it, hardening her heart and putting one foot in front of the other. Blood spattered her face and soaked through the long strands of golden blond hair that fell in disarray around her shoulders.

Ahead, still mounted, the enemy gathered to make another fatal charge. They would run them all through, slaughtering them once and for all. In the distance, the horns of the clans signaled their approach, but they would be too late, even at full gallop. Her breaths came in short, staccato bursts through the mouth, refusing to inhale deeply through her nose less the smell of blood, bodies gutted, urine and feces choke her.

Read the rest...

Sara Reyes | See You In Austin, or Texas Book Festival Ramblings...

2009-10-31T01:53:00.003-04:00

Just realized it's been over 10 years that I started on this path, crusade, mission to meet and support authors. As I was rushing, literally, to finish up some can't-wait computer stuff, to jump in the car to make the drive to Austin for the Texas Book Festival, I had the strangest feeling of deja vu. And I realized I've been doing this since 1999. Maybe before that, but definitely 1999 was the year I started going to anything "book"ish -- conventions, signings, conferences, if authors would be there en masse, I made plans, found money and went. I've bought thousands of dollars more of books than I'll EVER read in this lifetime, almost all of which I've given away to my book club, through Fresh Fiction or as gifts to people. No one appreciates anything more than a signed book...especially if it's signed to them.

Anyway, there are days when I actually take stock, as in is this what I want to do? Am I having fun? Is it worth the little sacrifices -- and sometimes big sacrifices by my family -- to make these treks? But upon reflection, I have to say, YES. I do enjoy meeting authors, old friends I've read, new friends I'll start to read, and the fellow readers, they always make it so worthwhile. Kindred souls and all that!

click here to read the rest...

Fresh Pick | DRACULA THE UN-DEAD by Dacre Stoker, Ian Holt

2009-10-31T00:11:00.000-04:00

October 2009
On Sale: October 13, 2009
Featuring: Quincey Harker; Dr. Seward
416 pages
ISBN: 0525951296
EAN: 9780525951292
Hardcover
$26.95
Thriller, Horror
Buy at Amazon.com

Dracula The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker, Ian Holt

At last, the first Stoker family– supported sequel to one of the bestselling and most influential novels of all time

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is the prototypical horror novel, inspiration for the world’s seemingly limitless fascination with vampires. Though many have tried to replicate Stoker’s horror classic—in books, television shows, and movies—only the 1931 Bela Lugosi film bore the Stoker family’s support. Until now.

Written by a direct descendant of Bram Stoker and a well- known Dracula historian, Dracula: The Un-Dead is a bone- chilling sequel based on Bram Stoker’s own handwritten notes for characters and plot threads excised from the original edition. Written with the blessing and cooperation of many members of the Stoker family, Dracula: The Un-Dead begins in 1912, twenty-five years after Dracula “crumbled into dust.” Van Helsing’s protégé, Dr. Seward, is now a disgraced morphine addict obsessed with stamping out evil across Europe. Meanwhile, an unknowing Quincey Harker, son of Jonathon and Mina, leaves law school for the stage, only to stumble upon the troubled production of Dracula, directed and produced by Bram Stoker himself.

The play plunges Quincey into the world of his parents’ terrible secrets, but before he can confront them he experiences evil in a way he had never imagined. One by one, the band of heroes that defeated Dracula a quarter-century ago is being hunted down. Could it be that Dracula somehow survived their attack and is seeking revenge? Or is there another, far more sinister force at work whose relentless purpose is to destroy anything and anyone associated with Dracula?

Fast-paced, full of suspense, and rich with historical detail, Dracula: The Un-Dead is the answer to every vampire fanatic’s prayers.

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Daily DOSE | Trick or Treat: This Witch Is Whack

2009-10-31T00:02:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is Halloween! October 31st! The countdown to the end of The Daily Dose's Trick or Treat grab bag giveaway, the night to dress up in fun costumes, give away candy and to celebrate the new year that turns on Samhain and much more. It’s also a great excuse to count down some of my favorite whacky witches.

Joanna, Kat and Roxie

If you haven’t been watching Eastwick you have no idea what you’re missing. These ladies crack me up. Played by Rebecca Romjin, Roxie is a voluptuous, earthy woman with the gift of prophecy. She’s also a single mom, struggling to stay connected to her daughter. Kat on the other hand is the fiery red head with oodles of banked passion that she channels into motherhood and nursing and even into looking after her loser of an ex. Joanna is the nuttiest of the lot though, a reporter who wants to figure it all out and painfully awkward with the guys. The best thing about these whacky witches is the power of friendship they have discovered with each other.

Fran and Jet Owens

Played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest respectively [in Practical Magic], these ladies raised Sally and Gillian when their mother passed away and they went a long way to teach the girls a lesson about abusing their magic. Honestly, as much as I love the whole of the Owens family of witches, it wouldn’t be the same without these bawdy broads blazing the trail.

Click here to read about more witches...

Rachel Brady | What To Do About Unwanted Halloween Candy

2009-10-30T00:05:00.000-04:00

Last time I visited Fresh Fiction we talked about the Stupid Things I Do for Excellent Books. In the spirit of Halloween, I’ll follow up with a similar confession regarding the ridiculous things I do because of my out-of-control sweet tooth. When I’m finished, I’ll tell you how to score a bunch of free books.

Candy problems first.

1. I wait until the 31st to stock up . . .

Experience shows that the earlier in the month I buy the Halloween candy, the more times I go to the store to replenish it. So now I save myself all those bags of calories and just shop at the last minute with the slackers. Or maybe I’m shopping with the replenishers.

To read more about Rachel and her candy problem and to comment for a chance to win please click here.

Fresh Pick | WITCH CRAFT by Caitlin Kittredge

2009-10-30T00:01:00.001-04:00

Nocturne City #4

September 2009
On Sale: September 1, 2009
Featuring: Will Fagin; Luna
352 pages
ISBN: 0312943628
EAN: 9780312943622
Mass Market Paperback
$6.99

Fantasy Urban
Buy at Amazon.com

Witch Craft by Caitlin Kittredge

Someone, or something, is setting fire to the homes of the city’s most infamous non-humans, racking up a body count that’s growing by the day. And strange, otherworldly creatures no one has seen before—selkies trolls and harpies—are causing chaos throughout the city. Racing to stop the carnage, Luna turns to sexy federal agent Will Fagin for help. As they work to uncover the source of the bloodshed, Luna’s attraction for Will deepens. But just as she learns Will’s darkest secret, Nocturne City is thrust into total chaos—leaving Luna and Will in a path of destruction they may not be able to stop…or survive.

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Daily Dose | Five Ways Readers Benefit from NaNoWriMo

2009-10-29T07:49:00.002-04:00

NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. For those of you who don't know what that is, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writer’s Month. It’s a fun, by the seat of your pants writing challenge that began in 1999 with just 21 participants. Now a decade later, NaNoWriMo averages over a 100,000 participants in a no-hold barred, write like mad for 30 days adventure to create a book from scratch. That’s right, NaNoWriMo is all about the writing, but it’s also about the connections and relationships you make with other writers going through the same things you are.

I've participated officially in NaNoWriMo once, but unofficially, I've been following it since 2001 or thereabouts. November is the chosen month for NaNoWriMo; writing begins on the 1st and runs through the 30th with writers giving away prizes to other writers and more as a way to encourage success. For some writers, it’s also about competing with friends (friendly competition only, mind you) in order to drive word counts up. If you can successfully commit 30 days to NaNoWriMo, you can walk away with the bones of your novel or at least a solid first draft.

But How Do Readers Benefit?

Learn what the FIVE reasons readers benefit by clicking here

Jenna Petersen | A Family Affair

2009-10-29T00:05:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! Thanks to everybody at Fresh Fiction for having me back once again to blog! I always love coming here because I feel like I’m surrounded by fellow romance lovers. It always makes me think about family when I talk to people who love the genre as much as I do.

Actually, I’ve been thinking about the entire concept of "family" a lot lately. As I’m writing this blog, I am sitting the Raleigh-Durham airport after a weekend in North Carolina presenting an industry retreat to the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers. Last weekend I was in St. Louis, presenting a workshop called "Write Like You Mean It". So basically, I’ve been surrounded by the family of writers for the past two weeks.

To read more of A FAMILY AFFAIR please click here.

Fresh Pick | MY WICKED VAMPIRE by Nina Bangs

2009-10-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

Castle of Dark Dreams #4

October 2009
On Sale: September 29, 2009
336 pages
ISBN: 084395955X
EAN: 9780843959550
Mass Market Paperback
$7.99

Romance Paranormal, Erotica Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

My Wicked Vampire by Nina Bangs

The Castle of Dark Dreams is just part of an adult theme park, right? The most decadent attraction in a place where people go to play out their wildest erotic fantasies. Holgarth isn’t really a wacky wizard, and Sparkle Stardust doesn’t actually create cosmic chaos by hooking up completely mismatched couples. And that naked guy chained up in the dungeon? No way he’s a vampire.

Wrong…dead wrong, as botanist Cinn Airmid is about to find out. It’s up to her to save the night feeder’s sanity, but to do that she’ll have to get close to the most dangerously sexy male she’s ever encountered. And one look in Dacian’s haunted black eyes tells her close will take on a whole new meaning with someone who’s had 600 years to practice his technique. Even a girl with a name that conjures up images of forbidden pleasure has a few tricks to learn from… MY WICKED VAMPIRE

Witty addition to this erotic series that's both light and dark -- and extremely charming.

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Amanda Grange |The Vampire Myth

2009-10-28T00:05:00.000-04:00

Hi, it’s good to be here on the Fresh Fiction blog, thanks for inviting me along to chat about vampires, it’s a great time of year to be doing it! There are many kinds of vampires, and in Mr. Darcy, Vampyre I add to the myths whilst retaining some of the traditional aspects.

The vampires of folk legends are usually described as ugly and bloated. They wear shrouds and return to their home neighbourhoods where they cause trouble as restless spirits. They are created by animals jumping over their corpse, or by evil spirits taking over their corpse as well as by being bitten by a vampire. Typically, they wore shrouds and were usually described as bloated with a ruddy complexion. So they were very different to the kinds of vampires portrayed in modern fiction, which have been altered and adapted continuously over the last two centuries.

The idea of a vampire being a wealthy, charismatic, mysterious but troubled entity started with Byron’s "Fragment of a Novel," where the vampire is "a man of considerable fortune and ancient family . . . It was evident that he was a prey to some cureless disquiet; but whether it arose from ambition, love, remorse, grief, from one or all of these, or merely from a morbid temperament akin to disease, I could not discover."

To read more from Amanda please click here.

Fresh Pick | XOMBIES: APOCALYPSE BLUES by Walter Greatshell

2009-10-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

Zombies #1

October 2009
On Sale: September 29, 2009
Featuring: Lulu Pangloss
336 pages
ISBN: 0441018351
EAN: 9780441018352
Paperback
$7.99

Fantasy Urban, Horror
Buy at Amazon.com

Xombies: Apocalypse Blues by Walter Greatshell

When the Agent X plague struck, it infected women first, turning them into mindless killers intent only on creating an army of "Xombies" by spreading their disease.

Lulu Pangloss has problems. She has no friends, her mom is difficult, and her absentee father is a deadbeat. Things can hardly get any worse...or so she thinks.

Then the world comes to an end.

It starts with Agent X, a plague that turns women into raving, demonic predators--Xombies--who then hunt down and infect anyone they can catch. Guns are useless; armies are helpless.

With civilization collapsing all around her, Lulu hitches a ride with a crew of wary male refugees, and together they flee for the last place on Earth rumored to be safe. But what they find is as unexpected, and as terrifying, as the hell they've left behind.

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DAILY DOSE | Brown Paper Packages, Tied Up with String

2009-10-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

Bookstores. New books. Amazon packages on my door step. These are just a few of my favorite things. As November is rounding the bend and the holiday swing will begin to dance its jig, I get to be excited about new books from several of my favorite authors, but I must confess to a certain wicked delight I take when I know a new In Death book is waiting in the wings. Next Tuesday, on November 3rd, J.D. Robb’s 30th In Death is released featuring homicide lieutenant Eve Dallas, her mega-billionaire husband Roarke and their entire cast of characters.

Nora Roberts is an extremely prolific writer and while I am a fan of several of her romances, I have to admit, I am completely captivated by the In Death series. Part of the affection is the cast of characters that populates these novels and fills out all the nooks and crannies of Roarke and Eve’s lives. Part of it is journeying with them into their happily ever after and honestly, part of it is the mystery that unravels in each book.

Kindred in Death

I am such a fan of these books that I rarely, if ever actually read their blurbs. But I swung by Amazon today to check out that my preorder was in place (we have a Yule Rule in this house which I will get to in a moment) and two things caught me off guard, the price and the blurb. First of all, the hardback is just $9. The price wars are in full swing and Publishers Weekly was talking about the pending lawsuits against Amazon, Wal-Mart and Target for price fixing, but a hardback at $9 seems like such a steal. I have to wonder: will it really hurt authors to have the price reduced?

As an author, I have to say I wince at the idea of a $25 book going for $9 right off the back, that’s only a dollar more than the average paperback these days. But as a fan and someone feeling the economic pinch myself, that $9 is a huge gift! I was all set to pay $20, but to get it for $9 is a cheer worthy. So now, of course, I have guilt going on. But we shall see.

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