Wordless Wednesday Take 3

My Fur Babies

Friday Book Blogger Take 2

Last Book To Make Me Laugh Out Loud 

Okay this is going to be really sad but I had to look through my 'recent' purchases on my Kindle to figure out which book made me laugh out loud last. Most of the books I read are not 'funny' in nature. Sadly, the only response to this is 50 Shades of Gray. This was the last book I laughed out loud with. And not because it was funny but because I was completely disgusted by it. 

Don't get me wrong I'm not a prude, I enjoy erotic books but this was just such a bad representation of the genre and almost a complete rip off of Twilight. I laughed because I kept thinking, 'what the fuck am I reading'. I have major issues with this book on so many levels. Way to many to get into on this blog. 

But how sad is this - I read that book last fall around October-ish and I haven't laughed, really laughed, at a book since. Hmmm - Maybe this means I need to add a bit of humor to my book collections.

Now in 2012 I read the Fletch books with my husband and I kept laughing with those books in a good way. I really enjoyed them.

Wordless Wednesday Take 2 - Photo's from my Poetry Book

 

 

 

My Photography featured in my poetry book, Whispers in the Dark

Why I love Economics

This was how our day started out.The sun beating down on our backs, the atmosphere friendly and welcoming, and two authors anxiously awaiting their public debut.

The book festival was great, not just for the experience of selling our books but for the interaction we were able to have with readers. Probably the most surprising part of the talks with the various people was how many men were actually interested in our stuff. I don't think either Stacy nor I expected to maintain the attention of men with our books initially.

It was obvious that the history we put into each of our books was the draw for people.

One challenge I found I had personally during this was explaining Blood Purple. For those of you who have not read it let me attempt to explain what is behind my debut novel.

The setting starts off in Lebanon (that's in the Middle East for those that don't know) in the year 500A.D. Hashim has just given the throne to his daughter Ikram on his death bed when her brother, Haydar, discovers this and declares war on his sister and her descendants. We then move to present day Colorado Springs where King Zayn and Pricess Nikole have to battle against their uncle and his children.

Blood Purple is not your everyday Paranormal Romance. I DO NOT focus on the 'vampire' aspect of the Algula race. I focus on the relationships each characters have with one another, specifically Zayn and Nikole. In most romance novels you have, boy meets girl, girl needs help, boy saves girl, girl falls in love, they live happily ever after.

THIS IS NOT WHAT I WRITE!!! LOL.

Yes, Nikole does get in trouble and yes technically boy meets girl in a bar ... but that's just the set up. The series follows Zayn and Nikole, not their individual lovers. It's their story about how they save (or don't save) their people. How they interact with their cousins, uncle and their subjects.

Because of this, my book feels more Science Fiction.

I also take the history of the world and use a concept I learned in Economics, The Invisible Hand Theory, and explain all of the events throughout human history.

Gods (made up ones) came to earth and created the Algula (Arabic for Vampire) who in turn, created humans in their likeness. The Algula were responsible for everything that happened in our world. Many Algula look at humans as cattle, food and entertainment to be used for their liking. This causes Haydar and his children to meddle in events such as the Gulf War, the Burning of Atlanta, the Muslin Invasion in the Middle East in the 600's, etc...

For those of you who don't know what the invisible hand theory is - that's where there is some unseen force (greed, power etc) guiding someone the decisions that are made. This was coined by Adam Smith in the 1700's who is known as the Father of Modern Economics. (Can you tell I have a background in Economics yet lol.) This concept is used to explain market behavior in business - I use an adaptation of this to explain human behavior.

Moving on ... The point is, this is my new challenge - how do I explain all of this in a 30 second spiel that will captivate my audience and make them want to invest in my Blood Series.

At the end of the day, Stacy and I were exhausted, my hubby was a trooper sitting there keeping us company all day and we got to meet a lot of really fascinating people. I am looking forward to next years event and hope that ComicPalooza is just as fun as this was.

Book Blogger Hop

 

The Last Book To Make Me Cry

So this really made me stop for a second and think ... when is the last time I cried while reading a book? Most of the books that I read don't invoke enough sadness in me to make me cry. It's normally more the romantic feelings and what not. 

The Hunger Games series I would have to be the one I think made me cry last. And that's been about a year and a half since I read them. Everything about it tore at my heart. How they treated their society, their children. The teenagers inside the games.

It makes me wonder if our society could really become like that. So twisted that we have these insane laws and behaviors that are unjustifiable in any normal standards of decency. 

Reading about the whole communities of people watching the television, cheering people no, children, off to their deaths.

Reading this made me remember my high school years and reading 1984 and Animal Farm. 

I hope that our lives are not creating a path that future generations need to worry about the government becoming so involved in their lives that they take them over completely.

Well this was my little rant about all this ... Check out the blog hop and more posts about books that made you cry.

Guest Spot Luna DeLuca

I am pleased to welcome Miss Luna DeLuca - take a moment and look at her books ... Anything inspired by Sweeney Todd is worth a second glance.

Demon, Book Two in the Dark Musicals Trilogy, inspired by Sweeney Todd is available now!

Purchase

Amazon * Smashwords * Barnes & Noble

When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn

It doesn't help that things keep disappearing from their apartment or that Rebecca's father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist terrorizing the campus.

Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.

Head to face book to join the Demon Release Party. You can also add Demon to your shelf on good reads.

If you haven't read the first book in the series, now is a great time to get your copy. To celebrate the release of Demon, Phantom is now on sale for only $1.99 exclusively on Amazon!

Purchase

Amazon * Smashwords * Barnes & Noble

Phantom, Dark Musicals Book #1

The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.

Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.

Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.

Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player and Demon. She also has short stories featured in two anthologies called HerStory and A Celtic Tapestry.


Follow the author Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Pinterest

Wordless Wednesday Bloggers

 From the Heartland of Kansas

From Deep With-In the soul

 Who inspired me most

 The light keeps shinning

 The babies who keep you sane

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Off to Galveston We Go...

See that, the victory kiss I received after I won the Putt-Putt challenge today. Often times life is so hectic and full of chaos that you don't stop and enjoy the small things in life. Today, the hubby and I did just that, enjoyed each other and had a blast.

One thing that I enjoyed, even more than winning this mornings fun game, was walking along the beach. There is nothing that tops that, the sand under your feet, the sun on your skin and the love of your life walking along side you.

The water was extremely cold today, the hubby forced me to set foot into it. Even as far as waist high it was still freezing and I wasn't ever as thankful as I was today to rush out of the water and let the rays of sun warm my skin.

This was taken when we were leaving. On the left, the hubs, on the right mine. Sighs, forever I will have such a small foot.

Next time we head to Galveston I want to take my pups with us. I think Doogie would really enjoy it, and Toto may, I'm unsure on how he will react to all of the water.

When we were driving out we went past this dolphin statue. It was very pretty, this photo doesn't do it justice. This was just one of the many things we saw today while basking at the sea.

And last but not least, there is the great ocean herself. My legs are killing me by the way, walking against the undertoe/current while we were playing out in the sea. It makes me remember my first time visiting the shores of Galveston. I think I was about seven or eight. The oil spill had recently happened in the gulf and we all came out of the water with tar on us. I remember my dad taking us to a station to clean off. While there isn't tar still on the beaches of Galveston it is kind of wild remembering how things looked and were back then and seeing them today.

Exciting New Experiences

Isn't my ToTo cute! Random side note before we start the blog - I've always wanted a ToTo Dog. Now I finally have one! Hehe. 

Boy - 2013 has had a rough start but now it seems like everything is back on track. For those of you who didn't know, I was in a car accident Feb 1st and it made me feel like my life was falling apart. In addition to some neck injuries there was also a concussion and that made me feel like someone had castrated my writing abilities. Now thankfully, two and a half months later, I finally am feeling like myself again. You wouldn't believe how horrible it is to not remember almost a whole month of the year! Now we are moving onward and looking forward to this journey ahead of me. 2013 is going to be the best year yet, I feel it.


This has been an exciting week for me. Almost too good to be true. The best part is I know that the fun and excitement is only beginning in this new chapter of my life. Some of you who have missed all the Facebook posts this week let me give you a little recap. My first set of poems were released in a book, Whispers in the Dark that was co-authored with Stacy Moran and Torie N. James. The book contains sixty poems and thirty images. It's available in e-book and print.The beauty of this project was we were able to all express our own thoughts, feelings, heartache, while still blending our poems together.

I'm still trying to decide which of these things was the best part.

• Photography --- 9 of the 10 poems in my section along with a handful in Torie's were taken by me. So now not only are my words in print, my photographs too!
• The poetry itself --- My poetry has always been very dark, rooted deep in anger when I have no other way to express myself. Even the happier poems were written at a time of despair and sadness.
• Amazon --- Waking up and seeing my name, MY NAME on the Amazon Best Sellers list ... left me speechless.

Those three things have my head spinning and my thoughts just swirling with ideas. Ideas for a second book, ideas for more poems. I keep a running list of them you know. Just ideas ideas ideas. It's like someone needs to come and say, "Okay brain, it's alright to take a vacation, take some time off." The poetry feeds my soul.

While all of this is going on Stacy and I are preparing for the Houston Indie Book Festival next weekend, April 20th.  This is going to be the best event in April I have a feeling. We have all our promotion and marketing plans ready...now it's just the waiting game. Waiting till the days tick on by for it to become a reality.

I'm going to be selling Maverick Touch: The Cat, but when you buy the single copy of Mav, you are going to get a surprise extra. An Advanced Readers Copy of Blood Purple. See lots of exciting things going on.

Stacy and I have also made some decisions and we are going to be putting our books out together, under the same label. The Art of Safkhet. This is where you will be able to come to see all of our books. We have Maverick of course up, but also her book, Blood Myth and Whispers. We are also starting two monthly short series. I don't want to go into too much detail as it will ruin some of the surprises but here is a quick Summary.

The first Tuesday of every month starting in May we are going to put out Temptation Tuesday. A short story series about women discovering something about themselves. This will be more sexual in nature but it will also be just for fun. The first story is going to be a fantasy cruise and we are very excited to get this one underway.

The third Wednesday of each month, starting in May, we are going to release a paranormal-esq short story series. We are currently playing with the title Sekhmet's Revenge but I don't think we've declared it set in stone just yet. It's about the Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet and how she is betrayed by someone she loves. Eventually, it will work out to where Neria and Baysa have to avenge her in the present day, we just have to work up to that.

These two short stories will be 99 cents, always. Kind of like a monthly comic sort of thing. A quick entertainment that will leave you wanting to read what happens next month.

Now the hard part comes in. We need the great and powerful Soxie to make our cover. Ahhh stock photo shopping ... so not my favorite part of this task.

But all in all this has been tremendous fun and now more exciting things are about to happen. It's amazing feeling my dream become a reality and I thank all of you for being in this journey with me.

-- And on a side note, if you leave a comment with your email AND join my blog or Stacy A. Moran blog I will email you a 25% off coupon for one of our books. This is going to be valid until 4-19-2013 --

Paperback $10.00 List Price

Amazon $10.00 List Price, $2.99 E-Book Price

Smashwords $2.99 E-Book Price

Barnes and Noble: $10.00 List Price, $2.99 E-Book Price

 Amazon $12.00 List Price, $4.99 E-Book Price

Smashwords $4.99 E-Book Price

 COMING SOON - Pre-Order your signed copy today

Write What You Feel by Venus Cahill

 

I'd like to welcome Venus Cahill to my blog today. She is one of the Best Selling authors at XoXo Publishing and I'm honored that she has taking the time to stop by today. Everyone has a reason that the choose to write and today she shares a glimpse into her own psyche. Please help me in welcoming me to my blog and hopefully she will come back soon!

I'm a big believer in the old adage write what you know.

Or rather what I should say is write what you feel. I cannot talk for all writers but for me there is always a piece of myself in everything I write, the need to relate to one of my characters, which is why I prefer my heroines to be curvy girls. I hated the fact that all the girls and later the women who resembled me were either the best-friend, the third-wheel or the comedic relief. I didn't want to be the side-kick, I wanted to be me and get my sexy man.

Even as a child when I would spin tales of fairies and princesses they always looked like me, after all I couldn't rely on picture books or television where all of the pretty girls were always blond, thin and beautiful. I'm beautiful too so why can't I have my very own fairy tale?

Now don't get me wrong I still want the fantasy of the typical romance novel but I want to be able to close my eyes and easily picture myself in the heroine's shoes. Shoes in most cases I would not be caught dead in, really if you knew what a klutz I am you would understand the horror the thought of spiked high-heels instills in me.

Just because I write my women on the curvy side does not mean everything I write about is autobiographical. To my knowledge, I have never met a werewolf or a vampire; I have never had sex with a stranger in a darkened photography development lab and I've never murdered a co-worker. Yet every piece I write is a piece of me, full of my feelings and emotions, the imaginings of my soul.

I write because I have to, it is a something I have to do, something that makes me happy. It is my passion and in so doing I feel I must stay true to myself and that is why I write curvy women. I am a different kind of heroine and I chose to believe that there are others out there like me.

My name is Venus and I write stories where the curvy girl gets her man.
 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/venusbookluvr

http://www.venusbookluvr.blogspot.com/

You can blame my parents for my love of reading and my personality! My first vivid memory is of my mother sitting me down on the potty with a book in my hands. Ever since then I will read anything available including extremely outdated magazines and shampoo bottles (rinse and repeat).

As far as my personality, when you are named for an amatory Roman Goddess you can’t help but start reading Harlequin novels when your classmates are still reading Judy Blume.

When I was a teen my father used to yell at me to get outside in the fresh air and I would have to sneak a book down my pant-leg, which was no easy task seeing as I was (and still am) a supreme klutz who trips over her own feet at least twice a day.

I usually have a minimum of four books on the go at the same time. I read fiction and non-fiction anything I can get my hands on; I love kilted hotties, demons with hearts of gold, and shape shifting Alpha males. My favorite heroines are curvy gals, after all I find them easy to relate to. However my favorites are happily-ever-after romances.

Cupcakes For My Birthday by Venus Cahill

$1.99

ISBN: 978-1-927027-53-0

Karen is a curvy girl who leads a rather staid life that is until she decides to get a tattoo on her birthday. Now she finds herself experiencing more excitement than she has ever had in her entire life. Hunter has been fantasizing about his new neighbour for months but he can’t tell if she’s just too shy or not interested. When she walks into his tattoo parlour he decides that it’s finally time to find out and to make his move. Can two people from different worlds come together and find true love?

Buy Link:

 http://www.amazon.com/Cupcakes-For-My-Birthday-ebook/dp/B005R1ET4K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364989949&sr=1-1&keywords=venus+cahill