Bitten by Books has the distinct honor to be presented with the Infinite World of Fantasy Authors Favored Book Review Website Award for our contribution to the promotion of IWOFA member’s work.

From IWOFA “We would like to thank you for helping readers find their way to our door.” “We are appreciative of all you do for the speculative fiction genre writers.”

I personally want to thank all of the reviewers at Bitten by Books for their continued hard work. It is moments like these when things really come together and show that we DO make a difference by providing honest quality reviews…..Rachel

Be sure to check out the IWOFA website, there are some amazing authors there.

www.iwofa.net

Bitten by Books is excited to welcome author Esther Mitchell today as our featured Guest Blogger! Esther will be where heroes come from, and explore the world’s greatest myths. Check out the contest at the end of this post! You could win a FREE copy of one Esther’s books!
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Before I begin, I’d like to take a moment to thank Bitten By Books for the opportunity to speak with you all, today. I’d also like to introduce myself. My name is Esther Mitchell, and I write Paranormal and Suspense Romance. A common question everyone likes to ask authors is why they chose a certain genre. For me, it’s easy. I like to say I was born into the paranormal. When I was a year old, I had a near-death experience that, while I don’t actively remember it, I firmly believe shaped the course of my life. I’ve been a student and researcher of the paranormal most of my life, and I’m currently a parapsychologist and Metaphysical Therapist (I won’t get into what that is here, but for those interested in finding out more, please visit this link for more information), with more than twenty years’ experience with the paranormal. Because of my unique background in the paranormal, I am both an objective observer and a staunch believer in the existence of the paranormal – not just in spirits, but also in people.

From my life-long fascination with and decades of research into the paranormal come the bases for my fiction, from the modern and bizarre to the ancient mythology that has sustained for millennia. Among these works of fiction is my current paranormal series, Project Prometheus, which I’ll discuss a little as I explore my topic of discussion, today. So, without further ado, let’s see what I have for everyone today.

Now, I know most people expect me to talk about the hauntings and strange events I’ve witnessed and investigated in my life. But I’ll save that for another time and place. Today, I’d like to talk to you about something else entirely.

When you think of a hero, what kind of person comes to mind? We all have images of what makes the perfect hero, tucked away in places we might not care to show the world. Sometimes, it’s because what we find heroic is contrary to what we’ve been led to believe makes a hero, and we’re not sure why. Hopefully, with a little delving into the collective consciousness of mythology, I can help with that question.

When the words “paranormal” and “fiction” are combined with images of heroes, the visions become even more subjective. Instead of relying on the model of the white hat riding in to save the day, most of us imagine (though few of us admit to it!) something darker. We call ourselves sick and twisted for it, but the truth is that the darker, more elemental hero is as old as the myths and legends that were the birthplace of heroes. After all, who can forget that, despite his supposed desire to give back to the people, Robin Hood was little more than a petty thief? Or that Lancelot, famed in Arthurian myth as a true white knight, betrayed the very king he served? Or, at the dawn of legend, that Gilgamesh let pride and lust rule him into a state where his gods saw fit to punish him twice? It’s the darkness of a hero, the inner struggle he must overcome, which entrances us so much, and why the paranormal hero often bears some resemblance to the monsters we so fear.

The idea of the monster as a lover is older than Dracula, or Beauty and the Beast. It plays into our deepest fears and desires, combined. We fear the unknown, perhaps mostly because it’s not as mysterious as we’d like to believe. Die-hard skeptics will tell you there are no such things as ghosts, vampires, demons, or anything else that goes bump in the night. They’ll point to a lack of current video evidence as proof. What they fail to examine is nearly four thousand years of folklore and anecdotal evidence that suggests the things of our nightmares might be real. Throughout history, the things that most terrify humanity have also been the most fascinating. The paranormal is no exception to this rule. Neither, oddly enough is love.

I know this seems like an odd switch of subject, but it’s not nearly as odd as it first appears. Like the paranormal, love has no video evidence to back it up. It can’t be captured on film, and it can’t speak to us through an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon). But, much like we know there must be something more than this life, we also know that love exists.

As far back as history records, love has inspired great acts of courage and heroism. The love of a parent for a child, such as found in the Hebrew story of Moses, set adrift in uncertain waters with the faith that he would be carried safely through on the strength of his mother’s love and prayers. The love of a person for all of humanity, as displayed by the Greek Titan Prometheus, who risked, and suffered, the wrath of the Olympian Gods to bring fire and healing to humanity. And, of course, the love between two people, as evidenced most poignantly by the tragic Greek tale of Orpheus’ journey into Hades’ realm to beg for the life of his beloved bride after she was bitten by a snake on their wedding day.

In fact, combined with another journey through a very different Underworld, it is this last tale that forms the mythological basis for the first book of my Project Prometheus series, IN HER NAME.

When I first crafted the interwoven strands of mythology and fiction for this series, I wanted myths that spoke to the heart and soul of the kind of love, and power, that makes a true hero – love meant to overcome darkness and terror, and power that was both tempting and life-altering. The story of Orpheus is one of these, as is the Sumero-Akkadian tale of the goddess Ishtar’s journey through her sister Ereshkigal’s Underworld realm. Twined together in IN HER NAME, the story became that of a quest to save love itself – the salvation of a man who believes himself incapable of love – and a struggle to save the world through a love powerful enough one woman is willing to suffer even eternal torment or death to save the same world that spurns her. Added to this is a twist on the Atlantis mythology that takes the story from ancient times and brings it into relevance in the modern millennium.

But most of all, the story plays to the epic story of Ishtar’s journey through the Underworld. While the original tale is little more than a power struggle between two willful goddesses, the mythic undertones lend themselves to fictional interpretation, even as they did in the multiple retellings that were no doubt handed down by oral traditions long before they were recorded.

The journey into the Underworld is a terrifying, humiliating experience that strips a powerful goddess to a vulnerable woman, trapped in death. On this, all versions of the tale agree. She is subjected to humiliation as her fancy garments (most likely symbols of modesty, virtue, and feminine power) are taken away a piece at a time, until she’s left standing before her sister’s throne, naked and exposed.

Some versions of the story claim she was hung on hooks as a punishment for daring to crave her sister’s power. Some say that while she was, in essence, dead, procreation ceased. In the end, the power of love was freed from death in a symbolic rescue. And, through all its incarnations over the millennia since, that theme has appeared time and time again, reminding us of power of love, and the source of our fascination with the darkness hidden within it.

I could go on for a lot longer about the paranormal and mythology, but I’ve probably already overrun my time limit. I’d like to thank you all for being here today, and I welcome any comments or questions. For those interested in some of the more traditional paranormal information/stories, you can check them out on my blog at www.esthermitchell.com/blog right now, though the parapsychology lecture will be moving soon to a new blog. Be sure to check out my website and blog for further details on this upcoming move. Also, for those interested, IN HER NAME is available for purchase here, as is the second book in the series, HOPE OF HEAVEN.

Thanks again to Bitten By Books for having me here, today, and I look forward to your questions and comments!

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Questions and Contest: Now, I am going to open up the internet floor so to speak and let our readers ask some questions and share your stories. Feel free to post as many questions or comments as you like. Esther will be answering them on and off the rest of the day.

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do one or all of these things, and each one will give an additional entry. This is to win a FREE copy of her book HOPE OF HEAVEN.

1. Ask the author a question (ask as many questions as you like, but only two questions count towards entries) or share your own ghost story. Your name will be entered for a chance to win the fabulous prize mentioned above.

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

3. Post links to the interview here today at another blog or website and you will be given additional entries to win. You MUST 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!

4. Purchase a copy of ANY of Esther’s awesome books and send us a copy of the receipt for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for an additional entry. You get an entry for each one you purchase. Check out her books here:

http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/index.php?searchStr=esther&act=viewCat&Submit=

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/weirdstuff

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.

Be sure to include an email and name where we can contact you if you are a winner.

We will be awarding the prizes and posting the winners to the Bitten by Books website later this week.

Bitten by Books is excited to welcome author Dahlia Rose today as our featured Guest Blogger! Dahlia will be sharing some scary Caribbean ghost stories. Check out the contest at the end of this post! You could win a prize package of Dahlia’s favorite goodies!
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Caribbean Ghost Stories

Folklore and Myths… Maybe?

By Dahlia Rose

From every part of the world there are stories that mystify us as children. We can sit, listen with wide eyes even as we grow into adulthood and still be captivated. Ghosts, spectral visions, voodoo, demons, all terrified us but yet we wanted to hear more. Well, I’m from an island in the Caribbean Sea and I will give you a private tour into the ghost stories of our island. Things that seem unbelievable but have been seen by myself and many of the islanders. From a race of tiny evil demons meant to terrorize, to a spirit that cannot rest. I will tell you all. Plus, my favorite story of the island that has taken a special place in one of my upcoming books Join me in a journey to the parts of the island no one ever gets to see. If you dare!

Demons Collecting Debts?

On an island every resource is used to help make money. Some people are better off than others and for that reason “coolie men” came to be formed. The rich and the middle class could afford to go into town and buy what they needed. While the poor had to find other means to take care of their household and family. Coolie men were men who drove cars; they were able to ship their wares from overseas. From clothes to towels, shoes, pots and pans; they had it all and they sold it out of the back of their cars. But for people who couldn’t afford it they had a weekly payment plan. You could get what you needed and pay small installments until the debt was gone. Call it an older version of a credit card payment except you didn’t get bad credit if you didn’t pay. You got something much worse. Demons.

If you bought from them, you dared not pay your debt because every one knew that the Coolie men dealt in the black arts. And those who did paid with terror and fright for their entire family. You would know if someone in your neighborhood didn’t cover their debts. A group of men dressed in black would come to where the street begins that lead up to where you lived. There they would perform a ritual and etch symbols into the ground. No one dared stop them, but everyone one knew what was to come. From the time the sun set and the streets got dark. The sugar canes would seem to go silent from the wind passing through them. Nothing could be heard, everything was deathly quiet. Mothers would give their children their night snack quickly. And as you sat you could see the fear in their eyes and she worried the hem of her apron. Everyone would go to bed early and wait for the sounds to start.

Chains rattling, the sounds of howls like devil dogs that sent chills down you body. Sisters would huddle together in bed and say prayers that nothing could get inside the house. Brothers, even though they pretended to be brave would not hesitate to let a younger sibling climb into bed just to be secure. You could hear your mother and father in their room whispering in hushed urgent tones and even their voices were scared. The wiring to the lights would burn out and the smell of burnt wire would fill the house even though the lights still blinked an eerie red. This was just as the demons passed by, imagine what the family who incurred the debt had to go through. Houses were built close together and you would know soon enough. Screams of terror would fill the night air, and voices begging for mercy or help could be heard. But no one dared step outside to aid them, they were on their own until morning. The sun would rise and the day would start again. Children would get ready for school and head out walking past the ones who had demons befall them. Outside the coolie men would be standing on the steps and money would be exchanging hands. The next night everyone would breathe a sign of relief because the neighborhood was safe once more. Children could go outside and chase fireflies while parents sat on steps and talking to their friends and neighbors. No one would speak of the night before where terror kept them frozen in their beds.

Murder + Cover Up= Restless Spirits

The morning was broken by a horror that no one could ever imagine. It couldn’t possibly be happening here! These things only happen overseas. Overseas is what islander usually called America or the UK. But it was happening, and it left the entire island frozen in fear. A girl found dead in the cane fields killed on her way to work. She had left early in the morning when the sun was on its way to brighten the sky. On her way past the rows and rows of fields that held the islands biggest resource she was attacked. Brutalized in the worst possible way by more than one man, then her throat was cut. They left her for dead but she was not. Bleeding profusely she tired to crawl out from the middle of the talk stalks of sugar canes hoping a passing car could give her help. But her attackers came back and finished the job.

They found her because some one passing saw the blood trail she left from the road. They once sleepy neighborhood was now filled with constables and news reporters from the local television station. The police knew who it was who did the deed, but because they had no evidence they could do nothing. One of the men was a man of stature in the community and that alone held him unaccountable. So this poor girl was buried without justice, or so everyone thought. A mother’s grief fueled by anger, hate and loss is a powerful thing. While she cried over her daughter’s body she whispered words that would cause a stir for years to come. Words that kept her daughter’s soul from resting in peace.

The first time her ghost walked out from the cane fields the man that saw her ran all the way home screaming her name in terror. She comes out from between the fields and stands there still dressed in the clothes she died in, her throat cut and blood soaked. When the lights of an oncoming car hit hers, she darts back into the tall sugar canes while the driver tires to regain control of his vehicle and his racing heart. If you see her in person she reaches out in a plea for help. I saw her once when I was growing up and the sight has been etched in my memory forever. A group of friends and I decided to walk to the beach late one night. The water is warm and to sit there and watch the cruise boats circle and listen to the music was something to be enjoyed. We left home not expecting to see anything except the pristine white beaches under a full moon. We never got to the beach.

As we passed the beginning of the fields I saw a flash of white and my heart lurched. Laughing it out as rabbits playing we continued on, until we were frozen in out steps. She stepped out from the place she died and stood in the middle of the road staring at us. Eyes wide and scared she looked around as if trapped in the same nightmare. Her eyes fell on us again and she held out her hands to us in a silent entreaty for help. We stood and watched in fascination (or was it horror?) as she stepped towards us. I can honestly say I wanted to see what would happen next. Would her touch be cold? Would I be able to see her death through her eyes or would she pass though me and I would feel her presence as if it was mine. Her neck was the most horrific as she stepped closer with arms outstretched begging for help we could see her wound. The gash was harsh, like she was cut by an unsharpened piece of metal. The light of a car could be seen around the bend coming closer. When the lights hit her she darted back from us and dashed back into the cane fields once more. By the time the car passed we could still see her peeking out between the sugar canes. We ran then and as I ran I felt the fear take over my fascination and I picked up speed racing a head of my friends. We never went back down that road at night again. But the story does not end there.

After that four men died, all in strange circumstances. Before they all died they each spoke of a womans ghost that would not let them rest. This included the man who had high standing the community. He was alone when he died, ashamed and left even by his family. The sugar canes fields were cut down and uprooted, they made way for new homes and neighborhoods. But they say that she is still seen there. Instead of coming out of cane fields she darts between the houses, confused about where she is and stuck in the endless cycle. Even though her attackers are gone why does she still stay? Shouldn’t vengeance be the thing that lets her cross over into peace? Or is it because her mother never retracted the words that kept her from the afterlife? Do those words keep her here in this world and unable to find rest?

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These were stories that were passed down and told to us as children growing up. The ghost I saw, sometimes makes me wonder if it was a hallucination. Did we all see what we saw because of the tales told to us? Or did we really see a ghost? I know they are things in this world that are unexplained. I think that is why my books tend to go towards the paranormal and unexplained. There is one more story that I have that will intrigue you but I shall hold on to it for a little longer. I won’t spoil the secret but you can read bout it in my novel coming soon from Sugar and Spice Press. There, the story of the pirate Samuel Lord will be revealed and it is twisted in with the story I have woven around it. “The Song of Calypso” has more of the Caribbean between its pages.

Thank you for reading my stories here today. I hope I have left you with the urge to share your own paranormal tales.

Hugs and Cheesecake!

Dahlia

www.thedecadenceofdahlia.com

www.myspace.com/bajandahlia

www.sugarandspicepress.net

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Questions and Contest: Now, I am going to open up the internet floor so to speak and let our readers ask some questions and share your stories. Feel free to post as many questions or comments as you like. Dahlia will be answering them on and off the rest of the day.

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do one or all of these things, and each one will give an additional entry. This is to win a FREE goody bag of Dahlia’s favorite things.

1. Ask the author a question (ask as many questions as you like, but only two questions count towards entries) or share your own ghost story. Your name will be entered for a chance to win the fabulous prize mentioned above.

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

3. Post links to the interview here today at another blog or website and you will be given additional entries to win. You MUST 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!

4. Purchase a copy of ANY of Dahlia’s awesome books and send us a copy of the receipt for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for an additional entry. You get an entry for each one you purchase. Check out her books here:

http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Dahlia+Rose/exact_match=exact

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/weirdstuff

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.

Be sure to include an email and name where we can contact you if you are a winner.

We will be awarding the prizes and posting the winners to the Bitten by Books website later this week.

Bitten by Books is excited to welcome author Ericka Scott today as our featured Guest Blogger! Ericka will be talking about Dark Shadows – Using Foreshadowing to Enhance A Manuscript. Check out the contest at the end of this post! You could win a FREE copy of one of Ericka’s books!
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Foreshadowing is used to give hints about things to come in later plot developments. It can be very broad and easily understood, or it may be a complex use of symbols that are connected later.

A classic example of foreshadowing is the use of a gun hanging over the fireplace mentioned in the first chapter of a book. It’s inescapable that somewhere in the story, that gun will be fired. The use of a lethal weapon has been varied to be anything from a knife, as in Pay It Forward, or a play on words. There is no doubt what part Mr. Bodie was to play in the movie Clue.

Yet there are other, less obvious uses of foreshadowing. In Jane Eyre, the names of the places she stays hints at her emotional experiences. The same type of name association is used in the Series of Unfortunate Events novels by Lemony Snicket.

Foreshadowing can be used to build suspense. You can use symbols, dialogue, action, events, and red herrings to keep the readers interest.

One of my favorite uses of symbols is the weather. In The Spiritualist by Megan Chance, the first chapter opens with New York bathed in a thick fog. It’s not only indicative of the physical state, but also signifies the mental status of the protagonist. Her life is as full of fog as the first chapter and slowly, as the story progresses, the fog clears until the sun shines through.

Then there’s dialogue, “I’d rather die than marry him.” A heroine can proclaim. And dollars to doughnuts, I can almost guarantee that the heroine will, indeed, either die or marry him. And I’ll be vested to read further to find out which choice the heroine makes.

As for actions and events, if a character nearly drowns in the past, that can be either an indication that he’ll eventually drown or that he’s simply in over his head. And that woman named Grace seldom lives up to her name.

Foreshadowing can also be used to mislead the reader. The use of ‘him’ to refer to the killer, but making sure the exact person it refers to is vague is a commonly used red herring. But hey, I would never do that to my readers! (snicker)

My hero, M. Night Shyamalan, is considered a master of foreshadowing. Everything in his movies is so carefully constructed that virtually every camera shot, every bit of character development, and almost all dialogue is foreshadowing for the ending.

But there’s a trick to using foreshadowing. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver – if you are going to mention describe crazy Aunt Bertha’s ring that your heroine has inherited. And if you mention that Aunt Bertha was never eccentric prior to the ring’s acquisition, you’d darn well better make sure your heroine feels something when she puts that ring on her finger. Either that or you’ll disappoint your readers.

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Questions and Contest: Now, I am going to open up the internet floor so to speak and let our readers ask some questions. Feel free to post as many questions or comments as you like. Ericka will be answering them on and off the rest of the day.

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do one or all of these things, and each one will give an additional entry. This is to win a FREE e-copy of The Werewolf Whisperer Ericka’s latest release.

1. Ask the author a question (ask as many questions as you like, but only two questions count towards entries) and, your name will be entered for a chance to win the fabulous prize mentioned above.

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

3. Post links to the interview here today at another blog or website and you will be given additional entries to win. You MUST 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!

4. Purchase a copy of ANY of Ericka’s awesome books and send us a copy of the receipt for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for an additional entry. You get an entry for each one you purchase. Check out her books here: http://www.erickascott.com/Books.html

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/weirdstuff

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.

Be sure to include an email and name where we can contact you if you are a winner.

We will be awarding the prizes and posting the winners to the Bitten by Books website later this week.

Bitten by Books is excited to welcome author/publisher Faith Bicknell-Brown today as our featured Guest Blogger! Ann will be talking about Print vs. Ebooks. Check out the contest at the end of this post! You could win a FREE copy of one of Faith’s books!
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Hello to all those avid readers and devoted writers out there!

My name is Faith Bicknell-Brown. I’ve been writing professionally for over twenty years with material in Penthouse Variations, Hustler’s Busty Beauties, and even non-fiction such as The Ohio Writer Magazine. I have several e-books published as Zinnia Hope, and some under my real name like my Avoid Writers’ Hell Series, as well as a couple of print books. I’m represented by TriadaUS Literary Agency, and have the most amazing agent!

First, I’d like to thank Bitten by Books for the opportunity to blog here today. I hope that something I talk about inspires or helps those who read and comment here.

In this day and age, writers are worried about the economy’s role on publishing. At first, as the price of gasoline skyrocketed and groceries, luxuries, and every day needs followed suit, apprehension filled me too. What if publishers cut back on their acquisitions? What if one offers to buy my novel but only at half of what they’d normally offer? What about sales? Will readers still buy paperbacks and hard covers, or will they cut back on such expenses? How will the economy affect e-publishing?

After a long discussion with my agent and chatting and emailing with those on my Avoid Writers’ Hell group, my authors, fellow editors, and readers, I’ve come to the conclusion that these worries are for the most part unfounded.

Sure, some big print publishers might cut back on acquisitions, but they still have to keep churning out books to keep the readership sated, so they won’t cut back much. Readers will turn to ordering online more, and with some online book sites offering discounts on shipping, it’s cheaper to spend the extra ten bucks to meet the free shipping requirement than it is for the gasoline needed to drive across town through horrible traffic, or, if you’re rural, the long drive cross country to reach a big town.

Heck, I’ve been buying most of my print books online for the past six or seven years! I’ll still continue to buy books through this method, so I’m sure there are other readers like me who will realize the ease and comfort of browsing books online and buying them in this manner too.

Moreover, due to the economy, I believe that e-publishers will see a surge in sales too. As both an editor and author, I see both sides of e-publishing. Buying green saves shelf space, and if you read erotic material, what better way to hide it than on an e-reader of some sort? Plus you can buy as many memory cards as you like that will often hold 200 or more e-books, but this varies from e-reader to e-reader. This summer, a new e-reader has hit the market called The Mentor. Check out the link and take note how thin this baby is! As for myself, I plan on buying the 9.7 model in black when it’s available. This one, dear readers, is purported to read all formats!

E-Books are more economical, so the rosy outlook on the economy vs publishing is that perhaps those who can’t afford to buy expensive print editions will turn to e-books. Sure, some e-readers are expensive, but when an average trade paperback costs $12.99 and you buy ten books, that’s $129.00, not to mention the tax. There are e-readers out there for under $100. Once the initial investment is over, an e-reader and a dozen e-books are cheaper in the long run.

Although paranormal romance is a hot genre in traditional publishing right now, it’s a very crowded market and tough for writers to break in. However, paranormal romance is very alive and well on the e-publishing scene, too, and provides a large venue for aspiring writers. What’s the allure of this genre? Why do readers snatch up the titles and input their card numbers, clicking the download icons like an overused ENTER button?

For writers, it’s the ability to write whatever and wherever their muses take them, but for readers, it’s a way to escape the confines of mundane life or a hectic schedule. With paranormal romance, you can become an vampire, a damsel in distress with magical abilities, see into a hunky hero’s mind and heart, beat up things that go bump in the night, create creatures that are unique, and wrap it all up in a romantic plot with a sexy, hot bow on top. Yeah, baby! Paranormal romance all the way! (Although I like to read and write other genres too, lol.)

I’ve written many paranormal romance titles, plus I have several more in progress. And hopefully, my werewolfy paranormal romance novel will soon be acquired by a NYC publisher—keeping my fingers crossed. You can find most of my erotic romances at www.freyasbower.com under my pen name of Zinnia Hope. Red Rose Publishing.com recently published my title Mr. Delicious, which involves warped humor, a naughty dragon, and some hot sex.

More of my titles will debut at Freya’s Bower, too, such as Thorn of Ebon, which is the first book in the Daughters of Trinity Series. And The Red Storm is newly re-released with updated prose and lots of sci-fi, mystery, and paranormal elements in the mix.

If you’re a writer and want to learn all you can about writing, I invite everyone to join my Yahoo Group Avoid Writers’ Hell (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Avoid_Writers_Hell), which is based on my how-to series for writers. The books can be found here: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/content/blogcategory/64/212
If you have any questions or comments, I’ll be around today to chat with you and answer questions. Many thanks to Bitten by Books for having me here today!

Regards,

Faith Bicknell-Brown

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Questions and Contest: Now, I am going to open up the internet floor so to speak and let our readers ask some questions. Feel free to post as many questions or comments as you like. Faith will be answering them on and off the rest of the day.

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do one or all of these things, and each one will give an additional entry. This is to win a FREE copy of one of Faith’s Books.

1. Ask the author a question (ask as many questions as you like, but only two questions count towards entries) and, your name will be entered for a chance to win one of the fabulous prizes mentioned above.

2. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter here on the right hand side of the site.

3. Post links to the interview here today at another blog or website and you will be given additional entries to win. You MUST 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!

4. Purchase a copy of ANY of Faith’s awesome books and send us a copy of the receipt for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for an additional entry.

5. Watch the posts today in this thread for additional chances to gain more entries.

Be sure to include an email and name where we can contact you if you are a winner.

We will be awarding the prizes and posting the winners no later than Sunday, August 5th, 2008. Winner will be contacted via email and posted to the Bitten by Books website.

Bitten by Books is excited to welcome author Yasmine Galenorn today as our featured Guest Blogger! Yasmine will be talking about her amazing Otherworld Series and offering up a set of her books (details at the end of the post).
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When I landed the contract for my Otherworld Series (my third published fiction series after selling eight nonfiction books after writing seven unpublished novels still sitting in the closet), I was ecstatic. Finally! A chance to break out and write what I love. Fantasy and SF have always been my genres of choice, and as urban fantasy began to rise to the top, I realized that was the genre in which I belonged.

For one thing, I love writing books set in a parallel contemporary world, and since regional writing is another love of mine, what better place to set an urban fantasy series than Seattle, the coastal home of mocha and high tech, home of rain and clouds and an almost ever-present gloom that lends itself perfectly to dark tales?

The three sisters who are the focus of the Otherworld (Sisters of the Moon) series jumped into my mind fully formed. They just showed up one night as I was watching TV, leapt through the window and basically shoved themselves into my thoughts. They already had names and knew who they were and why they were here, but everything else was a blur. Camille was at the forefront-she’s the anchor for the group, and she insisted that I needed to write about them. (Yeah, I know to a reader who isn’t a writer this might sound crazy, but trust me, characters take on a life of their own and sometimes it happens from the very beginning). And so I started playing with their world and fleshing it out.

One of the first things I realized was that the trio of sisters were based on the Triple Goddess concept of paganism. Camille-the Moon witch-is the Mother. She’s curvy and ripe and sensuous and protective of her family. Delilah, the second born and a werecat, is the Maiden-she’s always been more naïve and trusting than the other two and she’s just finding her way in the world. And Menolly, the youngest and now a vampire, is the Crone despite her age, because of what she’s been through-torture and trauma bring a perspective that never goes away, regardless of how much you heal.

(And let me say here, regardless of popular speculation, this series and the characters are not based on the show Charmed-I’ve never seen more than ten minutes of the show, and the girls aren’t all witches-and that’s all I know about the show-that Shannon Doherty was in it, that the sisters were witches, I believe. I was a huge Buffy fan-and still am, but if you want to liken the sisters to any trio, try the Power Puff Girls. So there-my official word on the subject).

The D’Artigo girls are half-Fae, half-human and their mixed-blood heritage really mucked up their genetics. They all have innate powers, like most of the Fae in my world, but their wiring’s faulty. Things don’t always work the way they should, and the girls don’t have much control over the situation. And realizing this pleased me to no end.

I can’t stand writing perfect characters-I don’t like reading about them either. I’ve always preferred Spiderman to Superman-the realities of Peter Parker/Spiderman’s life compared to the perfection of Clark Kent/Superman seemed so much more real. I actually gave a damn about what happened to Spidey. (Though I’d much rather give a damn about Wolverine-oh yeah, just chalk me up as another one of that particular X-men’s fan-girl club! ~grins~).

Dragon Wytch is my twentieth published book, my twelfth published novel. And over the years I’ve learned that readers don’t want perfect characters. They don’t believe them anymore than I do.

Sure, Camille can attract just about any man she wants, but she still falls flat on her face a good share of the time and her magic backfires in her face without warning. And Delilah may be the athlete from hell and she can tear up the room in a brawl, but let her sisters start bickering and she shapeshifts into a golden tabby without warning. Menolly? She’s a damned strong vampire, but she’s got a weakness for the underdog, given the torture and trauma she went through before her death. And it was a flaw in her innate acrobatic abilities that led to her getting caught by the Elwing Blood Clan in the first place.

Even though I cringe (and sometimes apologize) when I have to get nasty, my characters take a beating in my books. They don’t come out spotless and blood-free (well, except for Smoky and that’s becoming a running joke in the books). They trip up, they get slimed, they get scammed, and they get the crap beaten out of them. And they don’t always come out on the winning side. People get hurt in my books and battles can be lost.

As the books evolve, their strengths and powers will increase-the D’Artigo girls can give as good as they get-but so will the odds against them, and they’ll never be perfect, never become invincible. And that’s just the way I want it to be.

I’m giving away a set of the first three books in this series (Witchling, Changeling, Darkling), signed, to one commenter who leaves a note today (before midnight Pacific time) to tell me who their favorite flawed characters are, and why. And Dragon Wytch is now available at a store near you.

Bright Blessings,

Yasmine

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You can find Yasmine on:
Website and Blog
MySpace
Live Journal
The Witchy Chicks Blog

USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes the Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon Series for Berkley (Witchling, Changeling, Darkling, etc.). In the past, she wrote the paranormal Chintz ‘n China Mystery Series, the Bath & Beauty Mystery Series (the latter written as India Ink) and eight nonfiction metaphysical books. WITCHLING, CHANGELING, AND DARKLING all hit the USA Today bestseller lists, and with DARKLING, she hit the expanded NYT bestseller’s list.

Yasmine has been in the Craft for over 28 years, is a shamanic witch, and describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Bellevue WA with her husband Samwise and their four cats. Her newest release, DRAGON WYTCH, just hit the shelves on July 1st.

Bitten by Books is excited to welcome author Ann Cory today as our featured Guest Blogger! Ann will be talking about shapeshifters. Check out the contest at the end of this post! You could win a FREE $20.00 Amazon.com Gift Card!
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Werewolves and Shifters and Magic OH MY!

My favorite subject to write about is shape-shifters. Sexy beasts. Nocturnal heroes. Flawed creatures. Humans with an ability to change form and can’t get away from their dark past. New lovers and those who are reunited. Magical Seductions.

Shifters can be incorporated into all genres from romantic comedy to historical, fantasy to of course the paranormal. There’s a whole world to venture into – a great place for a writer’s imagination to take off and explore. And it’s the imagination that is limitless on what can be created.

Werewolves have always been especially fascinating to me, well wolves in general, but then you add in the shape-shifting element and I’m all over the place with story ideas. When I first heard stories about werewolves, I loved the correlation between the moon and the changes that took place. I already believed the moon held all kinds of magic. As a child I believed I saw a man in the moon. Some nights he was more visible than others. I also believed there were moon people who could come down whenever they wanted and take any form. Spirits that could change from human to beast to any object they wished. They knew things we didn’t.

My father loved all things Native American, and as a result our house was filled with books on animal spirits and animal totems. My favorite was the wolf. To me, a wolf itself has so much character and personality. They have strength and grace. I can look into a wolf’s eyes and see wisdom. I can hear the stories about the lives they have led, and all they have seen. And I love to hear the howl of a wolf. When my family and I went camping, we heard that beautiful night call, way off in the distance. At that moment I felt safe. I felt I had a protector, a guide who would keep watch while we slept. I think it was the most peaceful sleep I ever had.

Over time, the stories that filled my head started to make their way onto paper. Sometimes they were poems, sometimes short stories, and other times just something to keep to myself. My newest release is The Howl and the Pussycat, available now from Samhain Publishing. This story encompasses all the traits I am inspired by from the wolf, combined with the traits I find appealing in a man. A man who is flawed. A man who is loyal, has a sense of purpose, is possessive but not overbearing. He knows what he wants and will fight for it. He is honorable, and yes, he is also a sexy hero with the heart of a wolf.

I have many more werewolf stories in the works, as well as more shape-shifter stories. For ongoing updates, be sure to stop by my website http://www.anncory.com and read my blog http://anncory.com/blog/. You never know what new Magical Seductions the muse is conjuring up.

Thank you for joining me

~Ann Cory
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Questions and Contest: Now, I am going to open up the internet floor so to speak and let our readers ask some questions. Feel free to post as many questions or comments as you like. Ann will be answering them the rest of the day.

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do one or all of these things, and each one will give an additional entry. This is to win a $20.00 Amazon.com Gift Card.

1. Ask the author a question (ask as many questions as you like, but only two questions count towards entries) and, your name will be entered for a chance to win one of the fabulous prizes mentioned above.

2. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter here on the right hand side of the site.

3. Post links to the interview here today at another blog or website and you will be given additional entries to win. You MUST 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!

4. Purchase a copy of ANY of Ann’s FABULOUS books and send us a copy of the receipt for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for an additional entry.

5. Watch the posts today in this thread for additional chances to gain more entries.

Be sure to include an email and name where we can contact you if you are a winner.

We will be awarding the prizes and posting the winners no later than Sunday, July 20th, 2008. Winners will be contacted via email and posted to the Bitten by Books website.

Bitten by Books is excited to welcome author Earl Staggs today as our featured Guest Blogger! Earl will be talking about psychic abilities and how they have impacted your life.

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EVERYONE’S A PSYCHIC - EVEN YOU

Like everyone else, you’ve probably had psychic experiences in your life. Tell us your story.

Most people have had psychic moments. It may have been a strong feeling or a dream that something was going to happen which did happen, knowing what other people are thinking or are going to say, suddenly thinking about someone and almost immediately getting a phone call from that person, or any number of similar experiences.

Call it ESP, clairvoyance, precognition, or whatever you choose, but let’s lump them all together here under the umbrella of psychic phenomena, and talk about it.

No, I’m no more a psychic than any other average person, but I wrote a book about one. The book is titled Memory of a Murder, and the protagonist is Adam Kingston. Adam first appeared in a short story titled “The Missing Sniper”, which holds the distinction of being published in a print magazine and an online ezine at the same time. It is still available for reading in the archives of the ezine here.

The positive reactions and feedback on the short story inspired me to take Adam Kingston into a novel. The book is basically a mystery, but Adam uses his psychic abilities to help solve crimes.

In developing the character, I modeled Adam after real-life psychics I met and talked to. For the most part, contrary to the way Hollywood likes to portray people with paranormal abilities, they are normal people leading normal lives except for their special gift. They regularly assist law enforcement agencies in solving crimes. Their gift doesn’t actually solve the crime, but can steer investigators in the right direction. Sometimes their images are so vague and enigmatic, they only puzzle and perplex. The same is true for Adam and his psychic clues, and he has to fall back on his experience as a former FBI Agent and old-fashioned police work.

So post your psychic experience here and let’s discuss it. On Monday, July 14, the most interesting experience will be chosen and, if it’s your story, you’ll receive a a signed copy of Memory of a Murder

The floor is now open and I’m anxious to hear about your psychic experiences.

Earl Staggs

Derringer Award winning author Earl Staggs has seen many of his short stories appear in magazines and anthologies. He served as Managing Editor of Futures Mystery Magazine and as President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society. His novel Memory of a Murder featuring psychic investigator Adam Kingston received nine Five Star reviews on Amazon.com and is available at most bookstores or online at www.cmptp.com, Amazon and B&N.

Bitten by Books is excited to welcome author Davida McLea today as our featured Guest Blogger! Davida will be talking about energy vortexes and ley lines - what they are, how they affect people, and their place in paranormal fiction.

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Sedona, Arizona has turned into a mecca for spiritualists. On the surface, Sedona may seem like an odd place for new age practitioners to flock to, until you learn that the town is home to several energy vortexes. The Stonehenge and Glastonbury area in England is perhaps the best known energy vortex in the world, but it is far from the largest or only major vortex.

What is an energy vortex? Simply put, an energy vortex is any naturally occurring spot where energy whirls beneath the ground. In addition to Hot Springs and Eureka Springs, Arkansas, there is a third vortex in the Rich Mountain area.

I live in Arkansas, halfway between Eureka Springs and Hot Springs. Both towns were built on top of vortexes (and natural springs), and both areas were known as sacred to Native Americans. In spite of their similarities, they both have very different types of energy. Eureka Springs has “electric” energy. It is masculine and inspires creativity. The vortex in Hot Springs is considered a feminine “magnetic” vortex. People report a calm, relaxed atmosphere. Both Hot Springs and Eureka Springs have reputations as being havens for writers, artists and musicians, as well as for people that would be considered “eccentric” in other places.

Interestingly enough, the town of Magnet Cove is just outside of Hot Springs. The entire town is “magnetized.” If you stand in Magnet Cove with a compass, the needle will spin instead of pointing to true north.

The three energy vortexes are said to be connected to each other by ley lines, subtle tracks that are said to be “magical roads.” All three areas were sites of ancient settlements, and all three are still in use today.

Murphy’s Corner, the fictional town featured in Demon Inn is built on an energy vortex, and like all towns set on vortexes, it pulls in people with a variety of psychic gifts, as well as ghosts and other spirit entities. Like its real-life counterparts, Murphy’s Corner is connected to other towns, even though this didn’t come into play in “Demon Inn.” Energy vortexes and ley lines will become increasingly important as we learn more about Murphy’s Corner in following books.

I’m not the only writer to be impacted by the concept of energy vortexes and ley lines. Ley lines have become a staple of fantasy and magical fiction and have even made appearances in alternate universe role playing games.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there are skeptics that doubt the existence of both energy vortexes and ley lines, although some scientific studies are now confirming the presence of energy vortexes.

Have you ever been to a place that is reported to be an energy vortex? Did you notice anything different about your body or the way you felt? Are there any energy vortexes close to your home? I love learning about new vortexes. Leave me a comment by 8:00 PDT and you will be eligible to win a copy of Demon Inn, now available from Liquid Silver Books.

Bitten by Books is excited to welcome author Terry Spear today as our featured Guest Blogger! Terry will be talking about how much is too much realism in fictional stories.

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How Much is Too Much Realism in Fictional Stories?

I love to research and add lots of real-to-life details in my stories, from historical romantic suspense to the urban fantasies. But how much is too much realism?

The smell of vomit and feces in the great hall of medieval castles? *Wrinkle nose here.*

Do wolves have fleas? Do werewolves?

The goal for fictional stories, for the most part, is to entertain. Sometimes readers can gain insights about places and people, occupations, what trauma characters go through, and historical details that make a book just that much better.

Probably most of us writers use only a small percentage of all that we research. But when we put too much in, then what happens? It slows the pace, turns off the reader, and makes them skip pages.

Ever read something where it looks like the story has turned into a travel log in places? That you’ve read much more about paddle wheelers than you ever care to know? That you REALLY didn’t need to know how bad places smelled in the medieval days, how sewage was flowing through the streets, or how little people bathed and how bad they must have smelled for a romance? : )

I’m working on Allure of the Wolf, which is set in the Canadian Arctic. One of the adventures in the story has to do with dog sledding. So how much detail do I need to go into? Since the hero and heroine who have no idea how to run a dog sled are stuck handling a team, I have added details as to what they would need to do. Normally, I wouldn’t go into as much detail. But in a situation like this where they are just learning, a reader who is in the character’s head would be learning at the same time.

When the situation is a ton of narration describing a scene and the characters have vanished in the story, I lose interest. Even so, I hope that my critique partners will tell me honestly if I’ve overdone the details/realism too much. Because at the heart of the story is the hero and heroine’s quest. Too many distracting details can take away from this. If incorporated to intensify the characterization, the way the characters act and react in these settings, then the details can work.

It can be a fine balancing act between giving enough details to satisfy the reader, but not too many to bore them. On the other hand, what some readers will gobble up, others might find too much. So reaching a happy medium is the best solution.

Have you ever read a book where too much research slowed the story’s pace down too much? How about the opposite where you felt the story lacked substantiation as if the author didn’t know enough about the subject, setting, or historical events, making the story seem shallow or not real enough?

Thanks for joining me and saying hi! And thanks to Rachel and Bitten by Books for having me!

On June 26, I’ll be giving away either a pdf copy of Winning the Highlander’s Heart, or The Vampire…In My Dreams (YA), winner’s choice.

Terry Spear
Heart of the Wolf, The Vampire…In My Dreams
www.terryspear.com

I just wanted to take a moment to welcome everybody to our new blog Bitten by Books! We are a paranormal fiction review site. In the next few weeks we have an exciting author team hitting the “Author Spotlight” page that you will NOT want to miss. Stay tuned for more interviews with several other well known authors in the coming months. So be sure to sign up for the newsletter here on the site. Also, visit daily to hear about new contests and read about some amazing new books that have hit the shelves!

Our grand opening celebration will be starting in just a short time and promises to be a frighteningly good time.

Please feel free to leave a comment here (and on other posts) with feedback and input. We would LOVE to hear your thoughts on the books you have read that have reviews here.

If you are an author in the Paranormal genre and would like to have your material reviewed please go to the info page here. Please know that we only post HONEST reviews of books we have read in their entirety.

Again, welcome to Bitten by Books!

Rachel