Title: UPCOMING EVENT: 4/13 Interview and Contest with Author Annaliese Evans
Location: online at Bittenbybooks.com
Event Link: Click here
Description: Join us with Historical Urban Fantasy author Annaliese Evans on Monday April 13th ONLINE at http://bittenbybooks.com/ for an exclusive Bitten by Books interview!

In celebration of her new release Night’s Rose from Monday April 13th-18th Annaliese will be sponsoring a contest that ONE lucky Bitten by Books reader will win. The prize? An $80.00 Amazon.com Gift Card!!! That is A LOT of book money folks!

Be sure to check out Annaliese’s website right away, and get your questions ready for Monday, it is going to be a BLAST! http://www.annalieseevans.com/

Exclusive Bitten by Books

Interview with Author Thomas E. Sniegoski

A big welcome to our readers today! Be sure to read to the end of the interview to find out how to WIN the fabulous prize being offered up. Open to readers worldwide!

NOTE: This is not a fixed time event, the post just goes live at 10:00 pm CDT. You can stop by any time during the day or evening and leave your questions and comments over the next two days.

Interview:

Hi Tom!

Welcome to Bitten by Books, we are excited to have you here today!

I would like to thank you taking the time to join us for the question and answer session with our readers. It has been very interesting to get to know more about you and what makes you tick as a writer! Readers, if you haven’t done so already please stop by and get your copy of Tom’s latest release Dancing on the Head of a Pin.

BBB: What do you find the most challenging and the most rewarding aspect of writing?

TS: The most challenging aspect of writing is the discipline. Having to be your own boss, and keep your own schedule, and actually follow that schedule . . . It can be really tough. Lots of five in the morning alarm wake-ups, seven days a week.

The most rewarding is to see the actual thing that you have slaved over sitting on a shelf in a bookstore, and talking with someone who has read and enjoyed (hopefully!) the book. Kind of makes it all worth while.

BBB: What kind of research did you have to do to create the story world for Remy. How much of your research was used?

TS: I was raised a good Catholic boy so lots of the inspiration for the Remy books (as well as my FALLEN series) is rooted in that. I was always fascinated by the idea of angels. In the old Polish church that I went to as a child, there was this statue of Saint Michael, with his gray wings spread, standing upon neck of being who was part human in appearance, and part snake (Satan). The statue, as well as paintings on the ceiling of the church, always fascinated me. From there I started to collect books on angels, and eventually collected all kinds of cool information that I hoped to use in a comic, or book someday.

As far as how much was used, I think pretty much all of it has been thrown into the pot and stirred around to help make the Remy’s universe this strangely real place. I’m still going back to the old book, as well as buying new ones, to continue to make his universe as unique and as interesting as possible.

BBB: How did your background in writing comic books help you make the leap to full-length novels? What similar skills do you use for each creative process?

TS: The biggest thing that comic book writing has helped with is the whole maintaining a schedule thing . . . treating the whole writing process as work. When I first started in comics, I was lucky enough to have quite a few assignments that really kept me busy, so I had to really keep my schedule in order, or I wasn’t going to get the stuff done by when it was needed. I think developing this kind of work ethic has really helped dramatically with my book writing process.

What is similar between comic writing and novel writing is the whole descriptive process. In comics, usually only the artist is reading the words that you’ve put into the script, describing the particular scene for him to draw, but in books, the writer has to incorporate that descriptive process into the narrative of the story. Also, I think writing comics has helped me with making my books very visual in nature. I find myself drawn to cool visuals, almost as if I’m imagining what an artist would do with my description, and how it would blow the reader away if they could see it.

BBB: What do you feel are the benefits of the new electronic readers such as Kindle 2 or Sony Digital Book Reader to the environment?

TS: Y’know, I’m kind of a techno idiot, so I really don’t know what to think. If it enables my work, the work of my friends and other people I admire, to be seen and be read by more people, then I don’t see it as a bad thing. Personally, I can’t imagine giving up a nice smelly book.

BBB: What impact do electronic readers create on the bottom line for authors in the end? Do you feel they have a negative impact or positive, or no impact at all that you can see?

TS: Again, my opinion on this topic really doesn’t hold much water. You should ask one of the smarter guys . . . like Chris Golden! I’m sure he could dazzle you with his answer. I just sort of look pathetic and shrug my shoulders.

Seriously though, if this new tech can get the work out there to people who aren’t familiar with it, then I’m all for it.

BBB: What made you decide to branch out into books?

TS: I WAS TRICKED! Seriously, I’d pretty much just been doing the comic book thing when Chris Golden asked if I wanted to get involved in this project he was cooking up called Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Monster Book . . . it was going to be this extensive, pop culture examination of all the monsters that had appeared in the Buffy series at that point. He’d also asked writer, artist Steve Bissette to come along for the ride. I agreed, and that was the beginning of the end. After that, the editor of the Monster Book asked if I had any ideas for an Angel (The Buffy spin-off series) novel, since they’d just picked up the license. I really didn’t think I had much of a chance (and really didn’t think I was ready to write an original novel) but I wrote up a few pitches, and she liked one in particular and sent it off to Fox for approval. Now I really didn’t think anything was going to come of this, and sort of forgot about it. A few weeks later she contacts me and says that my idea was approved and here are my deadlines. Needless to say I was pretty freaked out. I had no idea that this was going to happen, but I figured if I was ever going to do this, I might as well get the ball rolling now while I had the opportunity.

And the rest is history!

BBB: Can you tell us what your next release (s) will be? And do you have stand alone titles forthcoming? Do you have more adventures for Remy?

TS: Let’s see, the second Remy Chandler novel, Dancing on the Head of a Pin hits stores officially tomorrow, so that’s pretty exciting. After that, I think the next book to come out is my Lobster Johnson novel for Dark Horse. Lobster Johnson is this 1930’s pulp character created my Mike Mignola for his Hellboy comics, and this is the character’s first novel. He’s this mysterious figure battling criminals and monsters in 1930’s New York. It’s completely insane and I had an absolute blast writing it. I wrote it in the style of the pulp novels like The Shadow, Doc Savage, The Spider . . . stuff like that. The book is called Lobster Johnson: The Satan Factory . . . that pretty much says it all as far as I’m concerned.

After that I have a book coming out from Random House – Delacorte, called LEGACY. It’s my latest YA novel, which pretty much asks the question, what if you found out that the deadbeat dad that you never knew growing up, came back into your life and you learned that he was a real life superhero . . . and that he wants you to carry on the family tradition since he’s dying.

Yep, there will be at least two more (hopefully more!) Remy novels. I’ve just finished plotting the third, and should be writing it within the next few weeks. It’s called Where Angels Fear to Tread, and I’m pretty happy with the outline. Not sure what the fourth one will be called, and even what it might be about, really. I’ll see as I’m writing the third.

BBB: When Remy falls from heaven in Dancing on the Head of a Pin, he passes through other “worlds”. Any chance you’ll use these other worlds in future books?

TS: Wow, I love it when people are paying attention. Yeah, that stuff was put there for some of the ideas that I’ve got planned for Remy’s future. There are some pretty nasty things waiting out there in the darkness, and since Heaven and Hell are so distracted these days . . . .

BBB: Will Remy have the opportunity to speak with more animals? Why did you use this particular ability to make Remy more specialized?

TS: I LOVE dogs, and anybody who knows me knows that I love to include them in my stories. The character of Aaron in my FALLEN books also has this ability. I read in one of my angel reference books that angels have the gift of tongues, so I figured if they could speak any language, why not the language of animals. I really love this aspect, and look forward to Remy’s scenes where he’d talking with his dog, Marlowe. It’s pretty funny, Marlowe has become a really popular character. So yes, Remy will be talking with more animals.

BBB: Do you plan to tell some of the stories of Remy before the modern age?

TS: I probably wouldn’t set the entire book in the past. I like doing the funky flashback scenes with Remy sort of wandering the earth Kung-Fu like and getting into situations that have some sort of connection to a present situation that he’s involved with. I also like doing the scenes with Remy during the great war in Heaven . . . those are really interesting and give quite a few hints to how much of a badass Remy actually is.

BBB: If you could shapeshift, what animal would you be? And why?

TS: Hmmmm, I’d probably be some kind of monkey. Why a monkey? They’re just insane. I did some work at an animal lab when I was in college and the monkeys there were just completely wild, they were the strangest creatures and I found them completely fascinating.

BBB: Will Lazarus get his own story?

TS: Not sure, maybe . . . but he will be back (of course he’ll be back, he’s Lazarus for Pete’s sake!)

BBB: What is your all time favorite paranormal/urban fantasy book?

TS: Hmmmm, that’s a tough one. I love Simon R. Green’s Nightside books, Mike Carey’s Felix Castor books, Clive Barker’s Harry D’Amour stories and Kat Richardson stuff is awesome too. Jim Butcher is pretty cool also, and I’m currently Reading Amber Benson’s Death’s Daughter which is just hilarious. Really good stuff.

BBB: Is there a particular person who you look up to as a role model or mentor as far as personal growth? If so, who is it and why?

TS: I have quite a few people who inspire me to do what I do . . . my Parents are pretty special, even though they really don’t quite understand what I’m doing. Christopher Golden has been quite the cheerleader of my work, giving me the proper kick in the pants when necessary. There was this creative writing teacher in High School . . . Mr. Curtis . . . who is sort of the person that I strive to impress.

If I could have a fraction of the creative ability of comic book legend—Jack Kirby—I would be one happy camper. Whenever I need to feel inspired, I just look at what he accomplished in his comics’ career and I am humbled and inspired.

BBB: What’s in store for you in the comic book world?

TS: I’m actually working on a top secret comic/book project as we speak. It’s for a major book publisher, and involves a real heavy hitter (artist/writer) in the comic book world, but I can’t talk about it yet because the news hasn’t been officially released yet. Sorry about that.

I may be doing some scripting for my good friend, and creator of THE GOON, Eric Powell. I think it will be for THE GOON comic, but you never know. Specifics haven’t been talked about yet.

BBB: What is your favorite quote of all time?

TS: It’s from Raymond Chandler’s essay “The Simple Act of Murder.”

“Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. He is the hero, he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor, by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world.”

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Readers, learn more about Thomas E. Sniegoski here:

Read the Bitten by Books reviews of the author’s work here.
To visit the author’s website go here.

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Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do ONE or ALL of these things, and each one will give you additional entries at a chance to WIN. Tom will be giving away FIVE copies of his brand NEW release Dancing on the Head of a Pin. The contest IS open to readers worldwide.

Please note, the prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be absolutely no substitutions or changes the prize is non-transferable. If you don’t want the prize being offered, please don’t enter the contest. If you ever win an electronic copy of a book, please note that it is ILLEGAL to forward, give away or copy it in anyway once you receive it. Doing so violates copyright. If we find out that it has been done, you will no longer be eligible to win any of our contests.

1. The easiest way to enter is by purchasing copies of A Kiss Before the Apocalypse.

Yep, it is true, if you purchase a copy of A Kiss Before the Apocalypse by using this link HERE: A Kiss Before the Apocalypse You will get SIXTY entries to the contest for each copy you purchase. This is book 1 in the Remy Chandler series and should be read before Dancing on the Head of a Pin It is not mandatory to purchase a copy of the book to enter the contests, there are plenty of other ways to enter and win. Just email me a copy of your purchase receipt to racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Sorry no faxes or snail mail copies.

In order to be entered into this contest the ONE thing you ALL have to do is leave a comment or question. Feel free to start a discussion or ask as many questions as you like. No talking = no entries! You can come by through tomorrow 4/8/09 and comment for more entries. Good for 10 entries.

3. Purchase copies of Toms’s awesome books USING THE LINKS BELOW today THROUGH 4/8/09 from AMAZON. Then send us a copy of the receipt VIA email (sorry no faxes or snail mail) for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for THIRTY additional entries for EACH book you buy. You can buy print, Kindle or audio downloads of her books and they count as well. Not valid on past purchases. Please use these links below to buy the author’s most recent books.

Books in the Remy Chandler series in the order they should be read:
A Kiss Before the Apocalypse
Dancing on the Head of a Pin

Lobster Johnson: The Satan Factory

Mean Streets

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Monster Book
You can also use the search box at the top right hand side of the site to search for more of Tom’s amazing books, there are LOTS of them!

Or buy ANYTHING from Amazon today THROUGH 4/8/09 by using the Amazon search box on the right hand side of our site. We will know if you used the box to search and buy, so please be sure to use it or your entries won’t count. Send me a copy of the receipt VIA email (sorry no faxes or snail mail) for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Good for 20 entries per item purchased.

4. Read the Bitten by Books reviews of Tom’s books here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?page_id=58&book_author_id=Thomas%20E.%20Sniegoski

Then leave a meaningful comment IN THE REVIEW post that shows you read the review, not just a post that says “sounds good” or “nice review”, a couple of sentences would be great! Simply share your thoughts, ideas or opinions and show the author some love. Good for 5 entries per review you comment on.

5. Post the link to Tom’s reviews on Bitten by books along with your thoughts on YOUR blog/website. You MUST come back here and post the links to where you posted the review links at. Good for 15 entries per place you post it.

6. SUBSCRIBE to the Bitten by Books newsletter here on the right hand side of the site. This is for new subscribers only. Be sure you VERIFY your subscription, an email is sent with the verification link. Unverified subscribers will not be entered and will be deleted from the mailing list. Good for 10 entries.

7. Spread the word, the more places you post the event, the more entries you get. Post the link to the event / contest today (http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=5810) at another blog, website, Myspace, Ning Group, Facebook, Yahoo Group, Goodreads, Shelfari (any group where it is appropriate). You MUST come back here to this interview and post those links in one response here in this thread. Good for 10 entries per place you post the link to this event.

NOTE: if you post multiple links here, your post will not show up right away. If you don’t see it, don’t keep posting it, we WILL approve your entry later on in the day.

8. Add us as your friend on

Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=59929467915

Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/bitten_by_books

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bittenbybooks

Facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=614064436

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BittenbyBooks be SURE to tweet us after you follow so we can count your entry! @BittenbyBooks

Be sure to mention that you are friending us for this contest so we know to enter you! Good for 10 entries per place you friend us.

9. Be friends with Tom by joining him here:

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/133952652

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=597462193

Good for 10 entries each place you friend her on. Please send the confirmation emails to racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for each of these places as proof of friendship and to get your entries.

10. Twitter and ask your friends to re-tweet the URL for this event be SURE to include us in your tweet @BittenbyBooks http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=5810. Good for 10 entries each day you tweet it.

11. Add Tom’s website to your blog roll or links page: http://sniegoski.com/ Good for 10 entries for each place you post each link.

12. Add Bitten by Books to your blog roll or links page: http://bittenbybooks.com if you leave our link up permanently you will always be entered into our contests automatically. Just be sure to stop by each contest we hold and leave the link to where it is so we can give you your entry! Good for 10 entries.

13. Email ALL of your friends and invite them to come by this week! If your fiends come and post here and say you sent them, they get TWO entries and you get FOUR entries! They have to tell us who you are so we know who to give the entries to. You can invite as many people as you want and get all the extra entries!

14. Join the The Blood Bank the Bitten by Books Community! here: http://bittenbybooks.ning.com/ then come back here and tell us your user name. Be sure to post something about yourself on your blog there. Good for 10 entries

GENERAL CONTEST INFORMATION:

The contest ends on 4/8/09 at 11:59 pm PDT and the winner will be contacted the following week. You will receive your prize directly from the author. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME as well as a valid email where we can contact you. REMEMBER the more things you do, the more entries, the greater the chances of winning.

IMPORTANT CONTEST RULES:

1. If you aren’t interested in receiving the prize, offered please do not enter the contest.

2. You have THREE days from the day the I contact you to claim your prize by sending your name/mailing address to me. Failure to contact me will forfeit your prize. BBB can at that time, choose either to re- award the prize to another entrant or not.

3. The prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be no substitutions, trades or changes. No exceptions. Please do not ask. If for some reason you do not wish to claim your prize, please let me know as soon as possible. We have the option to re-award it or not.

4. Contest is open to readers worldwide. The prize is shipped directly from the publisher.

5. Bitten by Books is in NO way responsible for the prizes being offered in any of the contests. If for some reason a contributor does not honor their prize, there is nothing we can or will do about it. We are not worried that this will happen, but we want to be very clear that WE are not offering these prizes, the contributor is and it is their responsibility to fulfill their prize obligations.

6. These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.

7. Contest is void where prohibited.

8. By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry

Boston PI Remy Chandler is not what he appears to be. Sure, he is a more than adequate private investigator and a real nice guy, a good friend, a responsible pet owner, even an angel of a guy. Better make that a real ANGEL of a guy. Remy Chandler is Remiel of the host of Seraphim, a celestial warrior, now living as a man because after the final battle with Lucifer Morningstar, even great Read More »

In this second full-length Remy Chandler novel, the seraphim living as a man is hired to find a cache of stolen weapons. Forged before the dawn of time by hands not belonging to man, the weapons are imbued with power beyond the imagination. Remy knows he must find those weapons and keep them out of the wrong hands least Heaven and Earth be rent asunder.
Read More »

Sabina Kane is half mage, half vampire. As a half breed, Sabina is told that she is not fit for service as anything but an assassin. She has spent her whole life being loyal to Dominae and trying to please her grandmother. Her mission is to infiltrate one of the Dominae’s enemies: a cult run by Clovis Trakiya. However, in working with the enemy, she discovers that she will need to re-examine Read More »

Felix Gomez is suffering from a different strand of the Gulf War Syndrome: he came home a vampire. With his army background, Felix decides to become a private investigator. When Felix’s old roommate from college calls him and asks him to help with a case at a Department of Energy facility in Rocky Flats investigating an outbreak of nymphomania, Felix enters a world of government cover-up. During the course of his investigation, Felix must avoid several groups who have taken it in their heads to hunt him down and kill him, from vampire hunters to the government agents who want their secrets kept for national security. Will Felix be able to get to the bottom of the mystery and still keep his head?

I give The Nymphos of Rocky Flats 5 tombstones. I’d heard a lot about Mario and his writing style and couldn’t wait to get this book to the top of my TBR pile. It was definitely worth it. Mario Acevedo’s writing style is invigorating, funny and, dare I say, snarky? Felix Gomex is not your typical vampire. With the advances in make-up and sunscreen, Felix is able to go out during the day and live almost a normal life, if it were not for the fact that he needs a little bit of blood mixed in with his daily food pyramid requirements. However, Felix is a little bit touchy about the blood that he consumes. After the event in the Iraq war that led him to choosing a vampire life, Felix swears that he will only consume animal blood. I really enjoyed reading Mario Acevedo’s take on vampires. I would recommend that you add this book to your must read list. It is amusing, witty and something different within the urban fantasy-vampire genre. And it has nymphomaniacs in it! I know I’m looking forward to reading X-Rated Bloodsuckers, the next book in the series

Book Excerpt: “The first and only vampire book to be declassified
by the federal government . . .

Felix Gomez went to Iraq a soldier. He came back a vampire.

Now he finds himself pulled into a web of intrigue when an old friend prompts him to investigate an outbreak of nymphomania at the secret government facilities in Rocky Flats. He’ll find out the cause of all these horny women or die trying! But first he must contend with shadowy government agents, Eastern European vampire hunters, and women who just want his body . . .

Skewering sexual myths, conspiracy fables, and government bureaucracy, The Nymphos of Rocky Flats reveals the bizarre world of the undead with a humorous slant and a fresh twist.”

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Eos (December 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006143888X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061438882

To purchase a print copy of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats click here.
To purchase a Kindle copy of The Nymphos of Rocky Flats click here.

Books in the Felix Gomez series in the order they should be read:
The Nymphos of Rocky Flats
X-Rated Bloodsuckers
The Undead Kama Sutra
Jailbait Zombie

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

Exclusive Bitten by Books

Interview with Author Sunny

A big welcome to our readers today! Be sure to read to the end of the interview to find out how to WIN the fabulous prizes being offered up. The contest runs for an ENTIRE WEEK!! From today through 11:59 pm PDT time 3/29/09. Open to readers in the USA!

NOTE: This is not a fixed time event, the post just goes live at 8:30 am CDT. You can stop by any time during the day or evening and leave your questions and comments.

Interview:

Hi Sunny!

Welcome to Bitten by Books, we are excited to have you here today!

I would like to thank you taking the time to join us for the question and answer session with our readers. It has been very interesting to get to know more about you and what makes you tick as a writer! Readers, if you haven’t done so already please stop by and get your copy of Sunny’s latest release Mona Lisa Darkening.

BBB: What do you find the most challenging and the most rewarding aspect of writing?

Sunny: The most challenging is coming up with a story idea that zaps you with excitement and anticipation. One you’re itching to write. After that, it’s finding the time to write it, LOL. The most rewarding aspect of writing was finding that I could indeed write a book. And get it published, too.

BBB: Your books seem extremely well researched. Do you enjoy this part of writing? What resources do you find most helpful?

Sunny: I think I did the most research on my first several stories. I almost filled out an entire composition notebook with my ideas, characters, and world-building for Mona Lisa Awakening, and spent about a month doing so. Did the same for my “Chinatown” novella in THE HARD STUFF-several weeks and many books and online sources researching illegal Chinese human smuggling practices; that story, by the way, was what first got me sold. Another half-month researching Indonesia for the story the Skin on Skin anthology. Hardly any research, though, for my other books, which had all been either in the Mona Lisa series or the spin-off Demon Princess Chronicles about Lucinda.

BBB: What do you feel are the benefits of the new electronic readers such as Kindle 2 or Sony Digital Book Reader to the environment?

Sunny: I don’t know about benefit to the environment, but darn if the convenience isn’t tempting. I’ve also been a book-in-hand kind of reader. It’s how I relax and enjoy myself, like other people watch TV. Sitting in front of a computer usually equates work or taking care of business to me, not relaxation. I tried the Sony Digital Book Reader once but wasn’t happy with the lighting, rather dim I thought. And some of the e-books I purchased didn’t have the larger font option available so I ended up reading them on my computer anyway. Must confess, though, I’ve been real tempted to give the Kindle 2 a try but haven’t had any opportunity yet to lay hands on one and check it out.

BBB: What impact do electronic readers create on the bottom line for authors in the end? Do you feel they have a negative impact or positive, or no impact at all that you can see?

Sunny: For myself, e-book sales are a relatively small percentage of my total book sales. The market is a small but definitely growing, however, and may even get a boost in this period of economic downturn since it’s cheaper to buy an e-book than a paper-printed copy. I tend to see e-books as being generally positive for everyone. The only aspect that disturbs me it the frequent illegal online sharing.

BBB: Your books are thoroughly sensual, how did you decide to do such a matriarchal take on your books? What was the inspiration for such strong yet feminine characters?

Sunny: The sensual part of it was quite a surprise to both me and my family. You have to understand that I came to writing much later in life, when I was almost forty. The other things-coming up with characters, and a fantasy world-were not easy for me; I was never considered, or thought or myself, as a creative, imaginative person. But when I hit the love scenes I just sort of soared-and they got hotter and hotter and blushingly hotter. The matriarchal take just evolved from the heroine, which for me had to be both very strong and yet vulnerable: male verve coupled with feminine softness.

BBB: I like that Monère are the basis for vampire and shifters alike. How did you come up with that concept?

Sunny: It actually came from collaboration with my husband, Da Chen. He was the author first in our family, seven years before I tumbled into it. We were crazy ambitious parents-still are, I guess-and drove our kids every Sunday to Connecticut (we lived in New York) for kungfu lessons, which was a four-hour roundtrip drive for us. We did this for a whole entire year, and came up with the concept of a supernatural race of people descended from the moon on one of these long weekly treks. My husband thought of maybe using the concept for one of his young adult novels, but never actually found time to write it. I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop thinking about this “Children of the Moon” idea. It continued to intrigue me, so when I took a stab at writing my first book several years later, that’s what I used.

BBB: Can you tell us what your next release (s) will be? And do you have stand alone titles forthcoming? What’s in store for the Lucinda and her series?

Sunny: My next release will be Lucinda, Dangerously, the second book in the Demon Princess Chronicles, coming out in October 2009 by Berkley. That will probably be the last book set in the Monère and the Demon Princess world for awhile. I have a contemporary fiction and possibly a new fantasy series I’d like to write; the ideas for these new stories and characters had been percolating in my brain for a couple of years now. Though I may eventually come back and continue my Mona Lisa series.

BBB: If you could be a “Mona Sunny” what type of Queen would you be? More humane or harsh in your rulings or just totally into the harem of guys?

Sunny: I’d probably be very similar to Mona Lisa. I think a lot of authors put pieces of themselves into each character they write-the good and the bad ones. So while I can be nice and sweet, and am generally quite even-tempered and giving, I can also be a totally ruthless and nasty bitch if I need to be-or am driven to it. Taking care of the people I love comes first with me: making them happy. And, like the doctor I was trained to be, I try to do no harm. Build up; don’t tear down.

BBB: How did you come up with the idea of the give and take of powers from sexual encounters? Was it based off of the succubus mythology?

Sunny: That idea I came up entirely on my own without any input from my husband. I liked the idea of a society of powerful and abusive Queens, but then had to give them a reason why they were so powerful, why they ruled. You build a world and then try to support it with believable facts and rules. I made these Queens the only ones able to draw down the essential life-renewing energy that these Monère children of the moon needed to survive. The ability of male warriors to gain power from their Queens through sex was conceived to explain why some of these males had to turn rogue: because they had gained too much power this way, and became a threat to their Queen. The blood-drinking demons in my world actually have more succubus-like powers; along with the blood, they drink down their donors’ orgasmic blast of energy as a, well, energizing side dish.

BBB: If you could shapeshift, what animal would you be? And would you want to be able to take the half form? If so why?

Sunny: I’d love to be tiger or a leopard, more so than a wolf-odd because in life I’m more of a dog-person than cat-but large cats blend beauty and grace with dangerous threat. As to being able to shift into half-form-half animal, half human, like a werewolf-yes, I’d definitely want that because you can still speak and communicate in that form; and standing upright, you’re even more intimidating.

BBB: What is your all time favorite paranormal/urban fantasy book?

Sunny: My favorite book, I would have to say, is The Host by Stephanie Meyer.

My favorite series is Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga. Both have everything I love-great heart, thrilling action, and wonderful imagination. Though I guess they would be considered more science fiction than paranormal or urban fantasy.

****************************************************

Readers, learn more about Sunny here:

Read the Bitten by Books reviews of the author’s work here.
To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

Please pick up your copies of Sunny’s books here:
Books in the Monére, Children of the Moon series in the order they should be read:
Mona Lisa Awakening
Over the Moon - Anthology story “Mona Lisa Three”
Mona Lisa Blossoming
On the Prowl - Anthology story “Mona Lisa Betwining”
Mona Lisa Craving
Mona Lisa Darkening

Lucinda, Darkly
Lucinda, Dangerously

****************************************************

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. SEVEN lucky participants will win an copy of Mona Lisa Darkening. Contest is open to US readers.

Please note, the prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be absolutely no substitutions or changes the prize is non-transferable. If you don’t want the prize being offered, please don’t enter the contest. If you ever win an electronic copy of a book, please note that it is ILLEGAL to forward, give away or copy it in anyway once you receive it. Doing so violates copyright. If we find out that it has been done, you will no longer be eligible to win any of our contests.

1. In order to be entered into this contest the ONE thing you ALL have to do is leave a comment or question. Feel free to start a discussion or ask as many questions as you like. No talking = no entries! You can come by everyday through 3/29/09 and comment for more entries. Good for 10 entries per day.

GENERAL CONTEST INFORMATION:

The contest ends on 3/29/09 at 11:59 pm PDT and the winner will be contacted the following week. You will receive your prize directly from the publisher. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME as well as a valid email where we can contact you. REMEMBER the more things you do, the more entries, the greater the chances of winning.

IMPORTANT CONTEST RULES:

1. If you aren’t interested in receiving the prize, offered please do not enter the contest.

2. You have THREE days from the day the I contact you to claim your prize by sending your name/mailing address to me. Failure to contact me will forfeit your prize. BBB can at that time, choose either to re- award the prize to another entrant or not.

3. The prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be no substitutions, trades or changes. No exceptions. Please do not ask. If for some reason you do not wish to claim your prize, please let me know as soon as possible. We have the option to re-award it or not.

4. Contest is open to readers in the US. The prize is shipped directly from the publisher.

5. Bitten by Books is in NO way responsible for the prizes being offered in any of the contests. If for some reason a contributor does not honor their prize, there is nothing we can or will do about it. We are not worried that this will happen, but we want to be very clear that WE are not offering these prizes, the contributor is and it is their responsibility to fulfill their prize obligations.

6. These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.

7. Contest is void where prohibited.

8. By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry

Exclusive Bitten by Books

Interview with Author Molly Harper

A big welcome to our readers today! Be sure to read to the end of the interview to find out how to WIN the fabulous prizes being offered up. The contest runs today through tomorrow at 3:00 EDT time. Open to readers worldwide!

NOTE: This is not a fixed time event, the post just goes live at 10:30 am CDT. You can stop by any time during the day or evening and leave your questions and comments.

Interview:

Hi Molly!

Welcome to Bitten by Books, we are excited to have you here today!

I would like to thank you taking the time to join us for the question and answer session with our readers. It has been very interesting to get to know more about you and what makes you tick as a writer! Readers, if you haven’t done so already please stop by and get your copy of Molly’s upcoming release Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs.

BBB: What do you find the most challenging aspect of writing?

MH: Reigning in my “tangents” and sticking with an effective, fluid plotline. I tend to develop these really interesting little supporting characters, who are fun and fascinating, but ultimately do nothing to move the story along. And because I’m so fond of them, I tend to take it personally when someone suggests cutting them. This is odd because cutting those characters inevitably makes the story better. I guess I am a slow learner.

BBB: What is the most rewarding aspect of writing for you?

MH: When I read something I’ve written aloud and someone laughs at just the right moment. There is nothing better than that.

BBB: What impact do electronic readers such as Kindle 2or Sony Digital Book Reader create on the bottom line for authors in the end? Do you feel they have a negative impact or positive, or no impact at all that you can see?

MH: Like anything there are pros and cons, but any medium that delivers the books people want is a good thing. I’ll put it this way, before I bought an iPod, I bought maybe three CDs in a year. Since I bought an iPod, I’ve probably increased my music consumption ten-fold. So when I actually get around to buy an electronic reader, my book consumption will probably increase, too. I don’t think people will buy fewer books just because they’re easier to carry around.

BBB: Will Jane ever kick her sister’s ass??? Or will we readers at least see Jenny get what she deserves?

MH: There is an ass-kicking royale on the horizon. You will have to wait for it. But that the foam bats and mud pit involved will be worth the wait.

Yes, I am serious.

BBB: What will Jane do now that she’s no longer a librarian?

MH: She will continue working with Mr. Wainwright at Specialty Books. She’s happy there. She has a purpose. The books, and Mr. Wainwright, need her.

BBB: How do you keep track of your world building?

MH: I keep my “rules” that I laid out in the first book I a separate document so I can refer back to it. It keeps me from violating my own vampire lore, like if Jane developed a sudden aversion to crosses when I’ve established that religious articles have no inherent power over vampires.

I do struggle with keeping up with names of minor characters, because I’ve renamed Zeb’s family members and Jolene’s cousins a half-dozen times. So I have to keep a list of those, too.

BBB: Can you tell us what your next release (s) will be? Do you have any more books planned for Jane Jameson and company? And do you have stand alone titles forthcoming?

MH: Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men, the follow up to Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs, will be released in September 2009. The third book, Nice Girls Don’t Live Forever, is tentatively scheduled for release in January 2010. I have written a non-paranormal romantic comedy, which I hope sells soon. And when I put the finishing touches on the third Jane Jameson book, I want to finish a werewolf romance book I have outlined. I’ve really enjoyed writing the “one-shot” books. It’s amazing how quick writing a stand-alone title seems when you’ve been working on the same series for two years! It’s like instant gratification by comparison.

BBB: How do you dream up your characters and are they inspired by anyone famous.

MH: Jane came to me as the hapless victim of my question, “What would be the most embarrassing way possible to be turned into a vampire?” And now she’s become the friend I hang out with late at night, which just sounds sad. My husband insists that Gabriel Nightengale is based on him… and I don’t see the harm in letting him think that. All of the other characters seemed to blossom from the corners of my brain as I wrote. It was like they walked in front of my computer and introduced themselves, i.e. “Hi, I’m Aunt Jettie. You need me to be a stabilizing force in Jane’s life and provide paranormal exposition.”

And when I picture the characters, their mannerisms are uniquely theirs. When describing them physically, I try to think of the actor I would cast in their part. I won’t reveal my choices as I don’t want to come across as, well, creepy.

BBB: What is your all time favorite paranormal/urban fantasy book?

MH: Demons Are a Ghoul’s Best Friend by Victoria Laurie. I always have high hopes for the “payoff” in a ghost story, the moment when you see the haunting’s backstory. And I’m usually disappointed because the ghost’s background isn’t scary enough.

Of the books I’ve read and movies I’ve seen, “Demons” is the only ghost story I’ve walked away from thinking, “There is no way to improve upon that. My expectations are totally fulfilled.” Even though the ghost is a sick, twisted $&#@, Laurie offers the reader an awesome piece of storytelling.

BBB: What do you like to do in between all the time you spend writing?

MH: Hmmm. Work full-time, raise my kids, and try to make my husband feel like he hasn’t been totally abandoned to my wild ambition? Oh, and sleep.

I’m a huge movie buff, but I have the world’s worst taste in movies. Seriously, I paid good money to see The Rage: Carrie 2 in theaters. The good thing is the DVDs I want are always available at the store… because no one else wants them. I love to read, but I have a harder time doing that since the book sold, because as much as I’m enjoying a book, the whole time I’m thinking, “I really should be working on my own stuff right now.” I used to cross-stitch and decorate really ornate cakes for fun, but it’s hard to justify spending three hours creating fondant flowers when you have a publishing deadline hanging over your head.

BBB: What did you do before you became a writer? Do you write full time?

MH: I worked for six years as a newspaper reporter, covering education… which ended up including courts, cops, quilt shows. I also got to write about bizarre happenings, such as the man who lost the full-grown bear he kept in his basement because he had to run inside to answer the phone while taking the bear for a “walk” in his backyard. I loved my job, but I left the paper in 2006 so I could keep a more stable schedule for my family. I had nights off for the first time in my adult life and suddenly had the time and energy to write!

I worked as a secretary as a Baptist church while I wrote vampire books at night. I still work full-time, writing for a medical advocacy group, then writing at night after the kids go to bed. At first, my goal was to sell one book. Now my goal is to write enough books that I can stay home and write full-time

BBB: Is there more to Zeb’s headaches?

MH: Yes, but you’ll have to read Book 2, Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men, to find out. But don’t worry, it’s not a tumor. This is Half-Moon Hollow, not Days of Our Lives.

BBB: Will we be seeing more of the werewolves? Or get some of their stories too?

MH: Yes, Jolene and her family will play a major role in Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men, as Zeb and Jolene plan their wedding. I didn’t mean to base the werewolves on any particular family, but several friends have accused me of character infringement because Jolene’s big loud, over-involved redneck pack reminds them of their families. The McClaines are fun to write about. Just imagine people who think Thomas Kinkade in fine art and live their lives by the tenets set forth in Walker, Texas Ranger. And they also happen to turn into wolves.

I’m all about the subtlety.

BBB: Will Dick Cheney get his HEA?

MH: Dick is my favorite character in the series, which is probably why he gets the best lines. So of course, he will get his happy ending. It won’t be the way he expects it to work out, but he will be very content by the end of his story.

BBB: How true are rumors that you secretly crave chocolate Yoohoo’s and Moonpies at the full moon? Favorite flavor?

MH: The rumors of my Yoohoo consumption are greatly exaggerated. Seriously, I don’t know why the Yoohoo intervention was necessary. I can quit any time I want!!

And chocolate Moon Pies, thank you very much. If you heat them up, they taste like s’mores!

BBB: What is your favorite quote of all time?

MH: If you’re normal, the crowd will accept you. But if you’re deranged, the crowd will make you their leader. – Christopher Titus

****************************************************

Readers, learn more about Molly Harper here:

Read the Bitten by Books reviews of the author’s work here.
To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

****************************************************

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do ONE or ALL of these things, and each one will give you additional entries at a chance to WIN. ONE lucky participant will win an amazing prize package that includes an AUTOGRAPHED copy of Molly’s upcoming NEW release Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs. Also included in the prize package will be a signed cover flat, bookmarks and the absolutely necessary to survival in the south…An RC Cola and a box of Moonpies. Contest is open to international readers.

Please note, the prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be absolutely no substitutions or changes the prize is non-transferable. If you don’t want the prize being offered, please don’t enter the contest. If you ever win an electronic copy of a book, please note that it is ILLEGAL to forward, give away or copy it in anyway once you receive it. Doing so violates copyright. If we find out that it has been done, you will no longer be eligible to win any of our contests.

1. The easiest way to enter is by purchasing copies of her upcoming books in the Jane Jameson series. Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men or Nice Girls Don’t Live Forever.

Yep, it is true, if you purchase a copy of Molly’s second and third releases in the Jane Jameson series using these links here:
Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men
Nice Girls Don’t Live Forever

You will get FORTY entries to the contest for each copy you purchase. If you buy BOTH you get 100 entries!! It is not mandatory to purchase a copy, there are plenty of other ways to enter and win. Just email me a copy of your purchase receipt to racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Sorry no faxes or snail mail copies.

2. In order to be entered into this contest the ONE thing you ALL have to do is leave a comment or question. Feel free to start a discussion or ask as many questions as you like. No talking = no entries! You can come by all day and night through 3/14/09 and comment for more entries. Good for 10 entries per day.

3. Read the Bitten by Books review of Molly’s book here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?page_id=58&book_author_id=Molly%20Harper

Then leave a meaningful comment IN THE REVIEW post that shows you read the review, not just a post that says “sounds good” or “nice review”, a couple of sentences would be great! Simply share your thoughts, ideas or opinions and show the author some love. Good for 5 entries.

4. Post all of the link to Molly’s review on Bitten by books along with your thoughts on it on YOUR blog/website. You MUST come back here and post the links to where you posted the review links at. Good for 15 entries per place you post them.

5. SUBSCRIBE to the Bitten by Books newsletter here on the right hand side of the site. This is for new subscribers only. Be sure you VERIFY your subscription, an email is sent with the verification link. Unverified subscribers will not be entered and will be deleted from the mailing list. Good for 10 entries.

6. Spread the word, the more places you post the event, the more entries you get. Post the link to the event / contest today (http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=5010) at another blog, website, Myspace, Ning Group, Facebook, Yahoo Group, Goodreads, Shelfari (any group where it is appropriate). You MUST come back here to this interview and post those links in one response here in this thread. Good for 10 entries per place you post the link to this event.

NOTE: if you post multiple links here, your post will not show up right away. If you don’t see it, don’t keep posting it, we WILL approve your entry later on in the day.

7. Purchase copies of Molly’s awesome books USING THE LINKS BELOW today THROUGH tomorrow 3/14/09 from AMAZON. Then send us a copy of the receipt VIA email (sorry no faxes or snail mail) for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for THIRTY additional entries. You get THIRTY entries for each book you purchase. You can buy print, Kindle or audio downloads of her books and they count as well. Not valid on past purchases. Please use these links below to buy her most recent books.

Books in the Jane Jameson series in the order they should be read:
Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs
Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men
Nice Girls Don’t Live Forever

Or buy ANYTHING from Amazon today THROUGH 3/14/09 by using the Amazon search box on the right hand side of our site. We will know if you used the box to search and buy, so please be sure to use it or your entries won’t count. Send me a copy of the receipt VIA email (sorry no faxes or snail mail) for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Good for 20 entries per item purchased.

8. Add us as your friend on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bittenbybooks

Add us as your friend on Facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=614064436

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BittenbyBooks be SURE to tweet us after you follow so we can count your entry! @BittenbyBooks

Be sure to mention that you are friending us for this contest so we know to enter you! Good for 5 entries per place you friend us.

9. Be friends with Molly by joining her here:

Yahoo News Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mollyharper/

Myspace: http://myspace.com/mollyharperauthor

Then send us a copy of the email you get once you are get the email confirmations for the Yahoo group and friendship on Myspace to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Good for 10 entries each place you add.

10. Twitter and ask your friends to re-tweet the URL for this event be SURE to include us in your tweet @BittenbyBooks http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=5010. Good for 10 entries.

11. Add Molly’s blog and website to your blog roll or links page: http://www.singleundeadfemale.blogspot.com/ and http://www.mollyharper.com/. Good for 10 entries for each place you post each link.

12. Add Bitten by Books to your blog roll or links page: http://bittenbybooks.com if you leave our link up permanently you will always be entered into our contests automatically. Just be sure to stop by each contest we hold and leave the link to where it is so we can give you your entry! Good for 10 entries.

13. Email ALL of your friends and invite them to come by this week! If your fiends come and post here and say you sent them, they get TWO entries and you get FOUR entries! They have to tell us who you are so we know who to give the entries to. You can invite as many people as you want and get all the extra entries!

14. Join the The Blood Bank the Bitten by Books Community! here: http://bittenbybooks.ning.com/ then come back here and tell us your user name. Be sure to post something about yourself on your blog there. Good for 10 entries

GENERAL CONTEST INFORMATION:

The contest ends on 3/14/09 at 3:00 pm EDT and the winner will be contacted the following week. You will receive your prize directly from the author. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME as well as a valid email where we can contact you. REMEMBER the more things you do, the more entries, the greater the chances of winning.

IMPORTANT CONTEST RULES:

1. If you aren’t interested in receiving the prize, offered please do not enter the contest.

2. You have THREE days from the day the I contact you to claim your prize by sending your name/mailing address to me. Failure to contact me will forfeit your prize. BBB can at that time, choose either to re- award the prize to another entrant or not.

3. The prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be no substitutions, trades or changes. No exceptions. Please do not ask. If for some reason you do not wish to claim your prize, please let me know as soon as possible. We have the option to re-award it or not.

4. Contest is open to readers worldwide. The prize is shipped directly from the author.

5. Bitten by Books is in NO way responsible for the prizes being offered in any of the contests. If for some reason a contributor does not honor their prize, there is nothing we can or will do about it. We are not worried that this will happen, but we want to be very clear that WE are not offering these prizes, the contributor is and it is their responsibility to fulfill their prize obligations.

6. These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.

7. Contest is void where prohibited.

8. By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry

Exclusive Bitten by Books

Interview with Author Teresa D’Amario

A big welcome to our readers today! Be sure to read to the end of the interview to find out how to WIN the fabulous prize being offered up. The contest runs until 3:00 pm Eastern time tomorrow 3/10/09. Open to readers worldwide!

NOTE: This is not a fixed time event, the post just goes live at 8:00 am PDT. You can stop by any time during the day or evening and leave your questions and comments.

Interview:

Hi Teresa!

Welcome to Bitten by Books, we are excited to have you here today!

I would like to thank you taking the time to join us for the question and answer session with our readers. It has been very interesting to get to know more about you and what makes you tick as a writer! Readers, if you haven’t done so already please stop by and get your copy of Teresa’s latest release Tigress By The Tail.

BBB: What do you find the most challenging aspect of writing?

TD: I guess the hardest part of writing is making sure I touch it every single day. I’m a “spurts” kind of person, so it’s easy for me to say “Oh I’ll do that tomorrow”. And when tomorrow comes, if I’m in the mood to write, I can kick out 7000 words, or If not, I can kick out 1,000.

BBB: What is the most rewarding aspect of writing for you?

TD: There are two very rewarding aspects of writing. The first, is finishing a book and knowing it’s done, as perfect as I can get it. Knowing the characters have given me their all and I’ve captured their moods, their thoughts and their actions. The second is when it comes out, for people to write and say “Hey, I read your book and….” To me that’s just the icing on the perfectly risen cake!

BBB: I have to say that you can write a love scene that is absolutely hot. Where do you get your inspiration?

TD: He he….. I Could tell ya but then I’d have to kill ya. Seriously, I don’t have an answer to that. I write the scenes as if that character experiences them, so what you see is NOT necessarily from my own “experience”. I once had a disagreement with someone who said obviously those were my fantasies. I said “hmm, all those authors who write about murder, does that mean those people fantasize about killing someone?” The “I guess you’re right” was kinda mumbled. Of course I’m right. Do you REALLY think I have all those hot sex scenes in my life? Besides, teeth in my body - so not there with that. Yet in fiction, that’s hot!

BBB: What do you feel are the benefits of the new electronic readers such as Kindle 2 or Sony Digital Book Reader to the environment?

TD: I think they offer a great deal of convenience, as well as opening up for additional authors. I travel a lot, and while I don’t have either reader, I find I have to lug along 3 or 4 paperbacks for each direction of the trip. I can’t wait till I get rich enough to buy one of these babies so I only have to lug one reader, and as many books as I feel like taking with me. I won’t have to pick and choose.

But I also think it opens up an entirely new way to look at publishing. I’m curious to see how the big publishing houses respond. So far their response has not been favorable, but I think, eventually, they’ll realize the ebook is here to stay and will change their outlooks.

BBB: What impact do electronic readers create on the bottom line for authors in the end? Do you feel they have a negative impact or positive, or no impact at all that you can see?

TD: That’s all up to the publishers, I’m afraid. With some, it’s a negative impact, because they are charging way too much for the book. I as a reader, am not willing to pay $13.00 for an ebook when I can get the same paperback for $7.99. As a reader, I want to pay less, because I can’t put that book on my shelf. When I run out of space, it’s gone, almost like a library book. With other publishers it’s positive, because they understand the concept, and the price of ebooks at their end (Less than the paperback) gives the convenience and speed of ebooks, and a price the consumer can handle. So I really think this would depend mostly upon the publishers.

BBB: If Tigress By The Tail was ever made into a movie, who would some of your dream cast be?

TD: Now see, that’s just not a fair question. There’s so many great actors/actresses out there. Oddly enough, NONE of them look like my characters. But if I have to choose…..Okay, I think Ryan Reynolds would make an awesome Lance. He’s the right height, the right build, and very sexy. Now the for Cassie, that’s harder. Maybe Mila Jovovich,,,, she’s not quite there, but I think she could pull it off.

BBB: How do you keep your world building all straight?

TD: (laughs). Oh that’s easy. It’s all in my head folks! The only time it’s written is when it shows up in books.

BBB: Can you tell us what your next release (s) will be? Do you have any more books planned for the Characters in Tigress By The Tail? And do you have stand alone titles forthcoming?

TD: I’m currently working on the sequel to Tigress By The Tail, and it’s working title is The Lone Wolf. I have other stuff in the works, but they are being held “Close at heart” right now.

BBB: How do you dream up your characters and are they inspired by anyone famous?

TD: I can honestly say my characters are complete originals. There’s no person, place or thing which causes them to wake up and smack me up side my head and demand their story be written. While sometimes I may see something that I later put in a book, it’s usually not an important factor in the story.

BBB: What is your all time favorite paranormal/urban fantasy book?

TD: That’s a tough question. I’m one of these people who like BOOKS, not a book (I told you I work in spurts). Right now, my all time favorite author/book is Larissa Ione’s Desire Unchained. An absolutely awesome book.

BBB: What do you like to do in between all the time you spend writing?

TD: LOL I plot, what do you think? Okay, I also spend time with my hubby of 22 years and my two dogs who think they are my kids. I think I would go stir crazy without my dogs. They’re great writing buddies.

BBB: What did you do before you became a writer? Do you write full time?

TD: Well, I’m a very odd character. I spent 20 years in the US Air Force, then I spent 5 years working for a computer company. Now, I work from home handling customer service, so that I can spend more time writing. I can’t wait till the day I DO write full time, but until then, customer service helps out.

BBB: What is your favorite quote of all time?

DW: It’s “Run Happy, Run Fast.” ~ Lisa Kristoff

It’s a quote from a friend of mine who died of Breast Cancer last year. This was her motto. She was heavily involved in Canine Agility and the phrase means to not let things get you down, (Run Happy) and just go for it (run fast). I admire her spunk and tenacity. She ran her last agility run 2 weeks before succumbing to cancer and Leukemia. If every things start to feel like too much, I remember that motto.

****************************************************

Readers, learn more about Teresa D’Amario here.
To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

****************************************************

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do ONE or ALL of these things, and each one will give you additional entries at a chance to WIN. One lucky participant will win a copy of Teresa’s release Tigress By The Tail. Contest is open to international readers.

Please note, the prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be absolutely no substitutions or changes the prize is non-transferable. If you don’t want the prize being offered, please don’t enter the contest. If you ever win an electronic copy of a book, please note that it is ILLEGAL to forward, give away or copy it in anyway once you receive it. Doing so violates copyright. If we find out that it has been done, you will no longer be eligible to win any of our contests.

1. The easiest way to enter is by purchasing copies of SheWolf! Yep, it is true, if you purchase a copy of Teresa’s release here: http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=17&products_id=105
You will get FORTY entries to the contest for each copy you purchase. It is not mandatory to purchase a copy, there are plenty of other ways to enter and win. Just email me a copy of your purchase receipt to racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Sorry no faxes or snail mail copies.

2. Leave a comment or question about today’s topic. Feel free to start a discussion or ask as many questions as you like. Good for 5 entries.

3. Read the Bitten by Books reviews of Teresa’s books here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?page_id=58&book_author_id=Teresa%20D’Amario

Then leave a meaningful comment IN THE REVIEW post that shows you read the review, not just a post that says “sounds good” or “nice review”, a couple of sentences would be great! Simply share your thoughts, ideas or opinions and show the author some love. Good for 5 entries per review.

4. Post all of the links to Teresa’s reviews on Bitten by books along with your thoughts on each one on YOUR blog/website. You MUST come back here and post the links to where you posted the links at. Good for 15 entries per place you post them.

5. SUBSCRIBE to the Bitten by Books newsletter here on the right hand side of the site. This is for new subscribers only. Be sure you VERIFY your subscription, an email is sent with the verification link. Unverified subscribers will not be entered and will be deleted from the mailing list. Good for 10 entries.

6. Post the link to the contest here today (http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=4943) at another blog, website, Myspace, Ning Group, Facebook, Yahoo Group (any group where it is appropriate) and you will be given TEN additional entries for a chance to win for every link you post. BUT you MUST come back here to this interview and post those links in one response here in this thread. The more places you post the event, the more entries you get, so spread the word!

NOTE: if you post multiple links here, your post will not show up right away. If you don’t see it, don’t keep posting it, we WILL approve your entry later on in the day. Good for 10 entries per place you post the link to this event.

7. Purchase copies of Teresa’s awesome books USING THE LINKS BELOW today AND tomorrow from AMAZON and Freya’s Bower. Then send us a copy of the receipt VIA email (sorry no faxes or snail mail) for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for TWENTY additional entries. You get TWENTY entries for each one you purchase. Not valid on past purchases. Please use these links below to buy her most recent books.

Tigress By The Tail

SheWolf

Or buy ANYTHING from Amazon today through tomorrow by using the Amazon search box to your right hand side on our site. We will know if you used the box to search and buy, so please be sure to use it or your entries won’t count. Send me a copy of the receipt VIA email (sorry no faxes or snail mail) for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Good for 20 entries per item purchased.

8. Add us as your friend on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bittenbybooks

Add us as your friend on Facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=614064436

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BittenbyBooks be SURE to tweet us after you follow so we can count your entry! @BittenbyBooks

Be sure to mention that you are friending us for this contest so we know to enter you! Good for 5 entries per place you friend us.

9. Be friends with Teresa by joining her here:

Myspace: http://myspace.com/teresadamario

Twitter: http://twitter.com/teresadamario

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=814672155

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teresa-DAmario/56021380226

Then send us a copy of the email you get once you are get the confirmation of friendship on Myspace and Facebook to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Once you add her on Twitter, tweet me this EXACT phrase “@BittenbyBooks @teresadamario Teresa D’Amario Contest”. Please Tweet it, do not DM it to me. Good for 10 entries each place you add.

10. Twitter and ask your friends to re-tweet the URL for this event be SURE to include us in your tweet @BittenbyBooks http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=4943. Good for 10 entries.

11. Add Teresa’s blogs to your blog roll or links page: http://teresadamario.com/blog/ and http://shapeshifterromance.wordpress.com. Good for 10 entries for each place you post each link.

12. Add Bitten by Books to your blog roll or links page: http://bittenbybooks.com if you leave our link up permanently you will always be entered into our contests automatically. Just be sure to stop by each contest we hold and leave the link to where it is so we can give you your entry! Good for 10 entries.

13. Email ALL of your friends and invite them to come by today! If your fiends come and post here and say you sent them, they get TWO entries and you get FOUR entries! They have to tell us who you are so we know who to give the entries to. You can invite as many people as you want and get all the extra entries!

14. Join the The Blood Bank the Bitten by Books Community! here: http://bittenbybooks.ning.com/ then come back here and tell us your user name. Be sure to post something about yourself on your blog there. Good for 10 entries

GENERAL CONTEST INFORMATION:

The contest ends on 3/10/09 at 3:00 pm EDT and the winner will be contacted the following week. You will receive your prize directly from the author. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME as well as a valid email where we can contact you. REMEMBER the more things you do, the more entries, the greater the chances of winning.

IMPORTANT CONTEST RULES:

1. If you aren’t interested in receiving the prize, offered please do not enter the contest.

2. You have THREE days from the day the I contact you to claim your prize by sending your name/mailing address to me. Failure to contact me will forfeit your prize. BBB can at that time, choose either to re- award the prize to another entrant or not.

3. The prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be no substitutions, trades or changes. No exceptions. Please do not ask. If for some reason you do not wish to claim your prize, please let me know as soon as possible. We have the option to re-award it or not.

4. Contest is open to readers worldwide. International winners MUST be willing to accept an e-book copy of the book being offered. The US winner will receive a print copy of the book.The prize is shipped directly from the author.

5. Bitten by Books is in NO way responsible for the prizes being offered in any of the contests. If for some reason a contributor does not honor their prize, there is nothing we can or will do about it. We are not worried that this will happen, but we want to be very clear that WE are not offering these prizes, the contributor is and it is their responsibility to fulfill their prize obligations.

6. These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.

7. Contest is void where prohibited.

8. By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry

This first installment in Adrian Phoenix’s debut series grabs you by the throat and does not let go. F.B.I. Agent Heather Wallace’s search for a brutal serial killer takes her to New Orleans. Murdered next door to Club Hell, a nightclub operated by the mysterious and compelling Dante, the victim’s crime scene contains messages that appear to be directed at someone in particular. The proximity of the scene to the nightclub, combined with the fact that the victim and Dante share a hometown, leads Heather to believe that Dante may be the intended recipient of the killer’s message as well as his next target.

When Heather goes to interview Dante, she meets Lucien De Noir, the club owner and seeming guardian of Dante, who has some secrets of his own. Eventually, Heather catches on to what the reader already knows: Dante and many of his friends are vampires, or “nightkind,” as Dante prefers to call them. At the same time Heather is attempting to come to grips with her realization, she discovers that a secret project involving Dante and the serial killer is being covered up by her agency.

Heather lives and breathes on the page. The reader both sympathizes with and admires her. Doing her job against seemingly impossible odds under even “normal” circumstances, Heather is tough yet compassionate, seeking to be a voice for the victims of the crimes she investigates: “But she remembered. Each and every one. Carried their images in her mind: a mental photo album of the dead, a yearbook of ended lives” (139). When the additional aspect of the paranormal appears in the mix, Heather initially resists believing what she sees with her own eyes, but finally accepts what she witnesses and acknowledges the existence of a world she did not believe possible.

Dante feels no shame for what he is yet does not kill indiscriminately. His tortured mind, a result of the project experiments, provides an added dimension to his character, as layers of his personality are uncovered, along with the peeling away of the protections guarding his memories. The reader learns something of the very intriguing Lucien’s background as the story progresses yet is left hoping to learn more in the next book. Additionally, the author effectively develops and incorporates into the story the secondary characters, all three-dimensional and easily visualized.

The title, A Rush of Wings, aptly illustrates the tone and tactile atmosphere of this excellent book, in addition to the subject matter. Phoenix has created a dark, shadowy world that is all the more scary due to its gritty realism combined with the paranormal elements. Suspense and non-stop action compel the reader to keep turning the pages in order to find out what happens to the characters they care about. Fans of Hamilton, Harrison, and any contemporary urban fantasy will appreciate and enjoy this frightening yet seductive universe.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Pocket; Reprint edition (February 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416593659
• ISBN-13: 978-1416593652

Purchase a print copy of A Rush of Wings

Books in the The Maker’s Song series in the order they should be read:
A Rush of Wings In the Blood Beneath the Skin Etched in Bone
On Midnight Wings

Simon Canderous returns in Deader Still, the sequel to Dead To Me. Who would have thought that working for the Department of Extraordinary Affairs involved so much red Read More »

The fearsome threesome is back in Road Trip of the Living Dead. When Amanda gets a letter stating that her mother is dying, her first instinct is to pitch the letter and forget about it. After all, what Read More »

Exclusive Bitten by Books

Interview with Author Kelley Armstrong

A big welcome to our readers today! Be sure to read to the end of the interview to find out how to WIN one of the the great prizes being offered up. The contest runs until 3:00 pm Eastern time 2/13/09. Open to readers worldwide!

NOTE: this is not a fixed time event, the post just goes live at 8:00 am PST. You can stop by any time during the day or evening and leave your questions and comments.

Interview:

Hi Kelley!

Welcome to Bitten by Books, we are excited to have you here today!

I would like to thank you taking the time to join us for the question and answer session with our readers. It has been very interesting to get to know more about you and what makes you tick as a writer! Readers, if you haven’t done so already please stop by and get your copy of Kelley’s recent release Men of the Otherworld.

BBB: What do you find the most challenging aspect of writing?

KA: At this stage in my career, the most challenging aspect is finding a happy medium between satisfying reader expectations for “more of the same” and satisfying my own needs to try new things.

BBB: What is the most rewarding aspect of writing for you?

KA: Entertaining readers. That’s the point of my stories, and if I succeed, then I’m happy.

BBB: What or who was your muse that got you started writing?

KA: I’ve been telling stories since before I could write. I was an early and avid reader, so I suppose the impetus came from wanting to tell my own stories.

BBB: What do you feel are the benefits of the new electronic readers such as Kindle 2 or Sony Digital Book Reader to the environment?

KA: To the environment? As in ecologically? Obviously they reduce paper production and waste. Beyond that? No idea.

BBB: What impact do electronic readers create on the bottom line for authors in the end? Do you feel they have a negative impact or positive, or no impact at all that you can see?

KA: I don’t see any impact myself. They still represent a very small portion of sales for me (under 1% last time I saw a royalty statement) All I care about is that the books are available in all formats (paper, electronic and audio) to give readers the format they prefer.

BBB: Do you consider your work more paranormal romance or urban fantasy and what do you like about your chosen genre over the other?

KA: If pushed, I’ll say urban fantasy, but I’ve been at this before that title became popular for these sort of books. I’ve always called them supernatural thrillers or paranormal suspense. I don’t have any preference re: urban fantasy versus paranormal romance. We write the stories that speak to us. If romance in the driving factor, great. If fantasy or suspense is, that’s great, too. I like all three in mine.

BBB: Which of your series is your favorite?

KA: All of my series provide something different for me as a writer. I don’t prefer any one over another. If there was one I didn’t like, I’d stop writing it and concentrate on my favourite!

BBB: Can you tell us what your next release (s) will be? And do you have stand alone titles forthcoming? And of course we would love to know how many more books are scheduled in your Women of the Otherworld series!

KA: My next release is Made to Be Broken, the second in my Nadia Stafford crime series (no paranormal in those ones) No stand-alone titles coming out-with 3 series, I’m overloaded already. I’m contracted through 13 books in my Otherworld series. Whether it goes beyond that will depend on whether I have more stories to tell in that universe, whether publishers want them and whether readers want them.

BBB: Do you plan on basing any more books around Paige and Lucas?

KA: Eventually. Right now, my backlog of narrators exceeds my current contract, so all I can say is that there aren’t any former narrators I never plan to bring back.

BBB: Please tell us more about your recent release Men of the Otherworld and the charity the proceeds from the book support?

KA: Men of the Otherworld is an anthology of four stories, three of which are ones that I did a few years ago as online novellas (they’re no longer online, though!) All are about the men of my werewolf pack. All my proceeds go to World Literacy of Canada.

BBB: Do you anticipate more YA books after the Darkest Powers Trilogy?

KA: I’ve recently signed a new contract for three more YA books for HarperCollins. We haven’t yet decided whether they’ll be in the same series or a new one-just that they’ll be young adult and paranormal.

BBB: Which of your characters in any of your series is closest to your heart, so to speak?

KA: It’s like the different series-I like the characters all for different reasons. The easiest to write, though, is Elena, because I’ve done her voice the most often.

BBB: What is your favorite paranormal fiction book of all time?

KA: Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat, which is the first book I’d read with the “monster” as the protagonist, and is when I started thinking I could do the same thing with werewolves.

BBB: What do you like to do in between all the time you spend writing?

KA: The business part of writing! As a job, it can be all-consuming, and writing is only a very small part of it. Even with an assistant, I work 10 hour days plus weekends, so free time is at a premium, and I spend most of it just enjoying time with my family.

BBB: What did you do before you became a writer? Do you write full time?

KA: I was a computer programmer. I’ve been writing full time since 2002.

BBB: Hairy scary Werewolf or Wild Wild Witch? If you HAD to become one of these creatures, which one and why?

KA: In a fantasy world, werewolf, because I’d love to experience life in another form. In a real world, witch, because it comes with the extra powers but fewer problems.

BBB: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with our readers here today?

KA: LOL. No… Sorry! Pearls of wisdom are definitely not my forte. I’d just like to thank those who read my books for giving me the best job ever. It’s the readers who keep me in business and I’m eternally grateful to them for it.

Readers, learn more about Kelley Armstrong here:

Read reviews of her work here.

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

****************************************************

Questions and Contest: Now, I am going to open up the internet floor so to speak and let our readers ask Kelley some questions. Feel free to post as many questions or comments as you like. She will be popping in and out today and tomorrow to answer them.

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do ONE or ALL of these things, and each one will give you additional entries at a chance to win. Two lucky participants will win a copy of either Men of the Otherworld or Made to Be Broken. Contest open to readers worldwide.

Please note, the prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be absolutely no substitutions or changes the prize is non-transferable. If you don’t want the prize being offered, please don’t enter the contest. If you ever win an electronic copy of a book, please note that it is ILLEGAL to forward, give away or copy it in anyway once you receive it. Doing so violates copyright. If we find out that it has been done, you will no longer be eligible to win any of our contests.

1. Ask Kelley some questions. Ask as many questions as you like, you can also start a stimulating discussion about today’s topic.

2. SUBSCRIBE to the Bitten by Books newsletter here on the right hand side of the site. This is for new subscribers only.

3. Post the link to the interview here today (http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=4349) at another blog, website, Myspace, Ning Group, Facebook, Yahoo Group (any group where it is appropriate) and you will be given TEN additional entries for a chance to win for every link you post. BUT you MUST come back here to this interview and post those links in one response here in this thread. The more places you post the event, the more entries you get, so spread the word! NOTE: if you post multiple links here, your post will not show up right away. If you don’t see it, don’t keep posting it, we WILL approve your entry later on in the day. Good for 10 entries per place you post the link to this event.

4. Purchase copies of Kelley’s awesome books TODAY or TOMORROW and send us a copy of the receipt VIA email (sorry no faxes) for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for TWENTY additional entries. You get TWENTY entries for each one you purchase. Not valid on past purchases. Click these links below to buy her most recent books.

Kelley Armstrong Store

Books in the Otherworld series in the order they should be read:
Bitten
Stolen
Dime Store Magic
Industrial Magic
Haunted
Chaotic a novella in Dates From Hell
Broken
No Humans Involved
Twilight a story in Many Bloody Returns
Stalked a story in My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon
Personal Demon
Living with the Dead
Men of the Otherworld

Darkest Powers Series
The Summoning
The Awakening

Nadia Stafford Series
Exit Strategy
Made to Be Broken

Or buy ANYTHING from Amazon today by using the Amazon search box to your right hand side on our site. We will know if you used the box to search and buy, so please be sure to use it or your entries won’t count. Send me a copy of the receipt VIA email (sorry no faxes) for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Good for 20 entries per item purchased.

5. Add us as your friend on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bittenbybooks

Add us as your friend on Facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=614064436

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BittenbyBooks

Be sure to mention that you are friending us for this contest so we know to enter you! Good for 5 entries per place you friend us.

6. Stumble, Digg or share the post with any social networking sites. There is a button right at the end of this post that says “Share” that you can use. Good for 5 entries.

7. Twitter and ask your friends to re-tweet the URL for this event: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=4349. Good for 10 entries.

8. Add Kelley’s blog to your blog roll or links page: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/mJournal.htm Good for 5 entries for each one you add.

9. Add Bitten by Books to your blog roll or links page: http://bittenbybooks.com if you leave our link up permanently you will always be entered into our contests automatically. Just be sure to stop by each contest we hold and leave the link to where it is so we can give you your entry! Good for 10 entries.

10. Email ALL of your friends and invite them to come by today! If your fiends come and post here and say you sent them, they get TWO entries and you get FOUR entries! They have to tell us who you are so we know who to give the entries to. You can invite as many people as you want and get all the extra entries!

11. Join the The Blood Bank the Bitten by Books Community! here: http://bittenbybooks.ning.com/ then come back here and tell us your username. Be sure to post something about yourself on your blog there. Good for 10 entries

GENERAL CONTEST INFORMATION:

The contests end on 2/13/09 at 3:00 pm EST and the winner will be contacted the following week. You will receive your prize directly from the author. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME as well as a valid email where we can contact you. REMEMBER the more things you do, the more entries, the greater the chances of winning.

IMPORTANT CONTEST RULES:

1. If you aren’t interested in receiving the prize, offered please do not enter the contest.

2. You have THREE days from the day the I contact you to claim your prize by sending your name/mailing address to me. Failure to contact me will forfeit your prize. BBB can at that time, choose either to re- award the prize to another entrant or not.

3. The prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be no substitutions, trades or changes. No exceptions. Please do not ask. If for some reason you do not wish to claim your prize, please let me know as soon as possible. We have the option to re-award it or not.

4. Contest is open to readers worldwide. The prize is shipped directly from the author.

5. Bitten by Books is in NO way responsible for the prizes being offered in any of the contests. If for some reason a contributor does not honor their prize, there is nothing we can or will do about it. We are not worried that this will happen, but we want to be very clear that WE are not offering these prizes, the contributor is and it is their responsibility to fulfill their prize obligations.

6. These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.

7. Contest is void where prohibited.

8. By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry.

Rachel continues to learn why messing with demon magic was not a good idea. Even though she could justify using some of the spells that are in the demon books she has, the smut on her soul is not worth it. Algaliarept has found a way to escape his prison and returns to try and drag Rachel back to the Ever After. Then, Trent approaches Rachel about a run which will help Ceri, which involves going into the Ever After. Rachel swears to stay off of men and wants to be “just friends” with Marshal, Read More »

Imagine quitting your job and having a hit placed on you. Rachel Morgan used to enjoy her job working for Interlander Security until she got tired of being given the crappy runs. One day, she decides to walk away from it all to open her own runner firm. She finds out that the department rumors are true when the first attempt is made on her life. Her friends and partners, Ivy and Jenks, do what they can Read More »

Rachel Morgan is back in the second installment in the Hollows series. Rachel continues to walk the line by living with a vampire roommate and dating Nick, the guy she met at the rat fights. She is asked to recover the Howlers’ mascot and has a problem with the weres when she almost gets caught. Then, the FIB asks for her help in investigating a series of murders involving ley line witches. She Read More »

Every Which Way But Dead is the third book in the Rachel Morgan Hollows series. Rachel did not exactly know what she was in for when she made the deal with a demon to get Piscary put in jail but when she tries to settle up, she gets more than she bargains for. She continues to play with the vampires by living with Ivy and is now accepting the attentions of Kisten, who is fulfilling the duties of Piscary’s scion in Ivy’s stead. She also crosses paths with Trent Kalamack yet again when she is asked to Read More »

In book four of the Hollows series, Rachel asks Jenks to come back after a disastrous mistake which caused him to leave the firm and help her on a run at the request of Matalina. They travel to Michigan to rescue Jax, who is Jenks’s son, and Nick from the hands of werewolves. Rachel struggles with her feelings for Nick throughout the run. She also has to learn rather quickly about werewolf politics since she is a pack member (for insurance purposes only) to David, an insurance Read More »

For a Few Demons More is another installment in the Hollows series. In this latest book, Rachel learns more about dealing with demons when one slips the watch placed on it. In the midst of this, she is asked to investigate a series of murders, all of which seem tied to the artifact that she has been hiding. She has run-ins with a group of cultists who have ties to her favorite demon Read More »

Rachel Morgan is still struggling to remember the events surrounding Kisten’s death, but she has been unable to overcome the effects of the potion that she took that night. She knows it’s just a matter of time before she remembers; however, that is not soon enough in her mind. Rachel has yet to escape the black cloud that seems to hang over her head. She finally pays the price for dabbling in demon magic. The FIB comes to her with a new case, one that will involve everything that she has. A Read More »