Daily DOSE | The First Five Hundred

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

The Forgotten

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

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

Read the rest...

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

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

Dracula The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker, Ian Holt

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

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

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

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

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

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Daily DOSE | Trick or Treat: This Witch Is Whack

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

Joanna, Kat and Roxie

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

Fran and Jet Owens

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

Click here to read about more witches...

Rachel Brady | What To Do About Unwanted Halloween Candy

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

Candy problems first.

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

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

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

Fresh Pick | WITCH CRAFT by Caitlin Kittredge

Nocturne City #4

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

Fantasy Urban
Buy at Amazon.com

Witch Craft by Caitlin Kittredge

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

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Daily Dose | Five Ways Readers Benefit from NaNoWriMo

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

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

But How Do Readers Benefit?

Learn what the FIVE reasons readers benefit by clicking here

Jenna Petersen | A Family Affair

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


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


To read more of A FAMILY AFFAIR please click here.

Fresh Pick | MY WICKED VAMPIRE by Nina Bangs

Castle of Dark Dreams #4

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

Romance Paranormal, Erotica Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

My Wicked Vampire by Nina Bangs



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

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

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

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Amanda Grange |The Vampire Myth

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

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

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

To read more from Amanda please click here.

Fresh Pick | XOMBIES: APOCALYPSE BLUES by Walter Greatshell

Zombies #1

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

Fantasy Urban, Horror
Buy at Amazon.com

Xombies: Apocalypse Blues by Walter Greatshell

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

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

Then the world comes to an end.

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

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

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DAILY DOSE | Brown Paper Packages, Tied Up with String

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

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

Kindred in Death

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

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

Read the rest of The Daily Dose by clicking here

DAILY DOSE | Blind Casting Characters

Blind casting is a practice in the film industry of casting for a television show or film without considering the actor or actress’s ethnicity. For example, when originally casting the roles of Grey’s Anatomy, the producers didn’t look for any specific ethnicities, rather they took the best actors or actresses who auditioned and then let them become the role. Can you imagine anyone else playing Cristina or Bailey or Meredith for that matter?

Blind Casting Icons

I bring up blind casting today because of a conversation revolving around loving an actor or an actress even if you hate the role they are playing and more. Gina Torres, for example, is a brilliant actress who’s played everything from a browncoat (Firefly) to an Eastern bloc spy/assassin (Alias) to a Goddess (Angel) and more. There was a rumor for a while that she might be cast as Wonder Woman.

Now the question is: would she make a good Wonder Woman or a bad one? Acting wise, I think she could nail it with both hands tied behind her back. Physicality? She’s got the look, the build and the athleticism to carry it off. Depth of character? Could she be a woman, given life by the breath of the gods and the love of an Amazon Queen, absolutely! But is her ethnicity wrong?

Read the rest and comment...

Joy Nash | A Letter From Rhys

To the Once and Future Readers of my tale,

I left Avalon as a lad of fourteen winters.

It was not my choice. The sacred isle was my soul-home. It was there I learned the magic of the Goddess. The white mists cast by Cyric, my grandfather, hid my clan from its enemies. To my mind, there was no reason a Druid should venture into the outside world.

Cyric knew differently. My grandfather's visions showed him a time when the Light would fade from Britain, when war and chaos would threaten the survival of our people. Only on Avalon, hidden in the teachings of The Lady, could the Light survive long enough, grow strong enough, to influence that grim future.

To read more of Rhys' letter and to comment for a chance to win please click here.

Fresh Pick | TRICK OR TREAT by Jan Springer, Tawny Taylor, Charlene Teglia, N.J. Walters

October 2009
On Sale: October 13, 2009
288 pages
ISBN: 1439131554
EAN: 9781439131558
Trade Size
$14.00

Romance Erotica Sensual, Romance Anthology
Buy at Amazon.com

Trick Or Treat by Jan Springer, Tawny Taylor, Charlene Teglia, N.J. Walters

Four sizzling previously published stories in all-new irresistible anthology!

These ladies dress up and strip down to fulfill their sexiest
role-playing fantasies with four irresistible hotties....


N. J. WALTERS
Unmasking Kelly
It's the night of the masquerade party at Brannigan's Pub, and waitress Kelly Allen is squeezing her voluptuous body into a tight little costume so she can make her hardbodied boss Liam work for a naughty Halloween treat.

JAN SPRINGER
Sinderella
By night, klutzy Ella becomes a masked vixen in her erotic performances of Cinderella. When Prince Charming stands her up, her sexy colleague Dr. Roarke Stephenson comes to her rescue for one passionate night of hot, blazing sex...in front of an audience.

CHARLENE TEGLIA
Wolf in Cheap Clothing
Wearing her slinkiest bikini, Lou is on the hunt for the rogue werewolf who changed her -- until a gorgeous, towering hunk takes her hostage on the beach for an unforgettable excursion of carnal pleasure.

TAWNY TAYLOR
Stolen Goddess
Kylie wakes up in a strange world, bound and stripped bare, with a large -- very hard, very naked -- man insisting she belongs to him. She should be scared, but instead she succumbs to his arousing demands...and gets the most electrifying surprise of her life.

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Kathryne Kennedy | A Letter To Papa

I'm so very glad to be back here again at Fresh Fiction, and very excited about my upcoming Victorian romance releasing in December, My Unfair Lady. Funny, adventurous and as always, a bit naughty, I’m introducing you to the heroine of the novel, Summer Wine Lee, through a letter she wrote to her father upon arriving in London in the summer of 1885 (that isn’t in the book!).

As always, wishing you happy reading! Kathryne Kennedy.

Dearest Papa:

I have arrived in London and I must say it is not unlike New York, except that everything is so old here. If society knows I exist they do not care, for I have yet to receive a single invitation. But do not despair, Papa, for I am confident that my plan will be a resounding success. Indeed, I have met the gentleman who I have retained to insure my introduction to society, and he is a superior example of the breed.

To read more of the letter please click here.

Fresh Pick | AUDREY'S DOOR by Sarah Langan

October 2009
On Sale: September 29, 2009
Featuring: Audrey Lucas; Saraub Ramesh; Jayne Young
432 pages
ISBN: 0061624217
EAN: 9780061624216
Mass Market Paperback
$7.99

Thriller Paranormal - Supernatural, Horror
Buy at Amazon.com

Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan

Some doors lead to all the wrong places.

When budding architect Audrey Lucas abandons her live-in boyfriend for a flat in the Breviary, an architectural landmark on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, her newfound freedom comes at a price. Her apartment’s gruesome history includes a deranged mother who drowned her children in the bathroom’s claw-footed tub. Yet ghosts and the strange habits of her eccentric fellow tenants of the building are nothing compared to the horrors she unleashes within herself when, after sleepwalking during torturous dreams, she starts constructing a door in the middle of her living room.

This chilling haunted house tale will stay with you long into the night -- and beyond.


A spooky, horrorific book trailer... don't be scared!

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Last DAY for the BOO-K Spectacular! Don't Miss YOUR Treat!

Our special contests end at midnight on October 26th so you do NOT want to miss your opportunity to enter for treats! And what lovely treats there are! Halloween Spectacular only happens once a year and you don't want to be the only one who is sad because you forgot to enter!

Stop by BOO-K Spectacular today!

Sandi Shilhanek | Is It Just About The Decorations?

Wednesday night the DFWTea Readers met at my house for our annual Halloween dinner. I know that I’ve blogged about the group and the fun we’ve had before, but I thought it was time to do it again.

The dish (and I just don’t mean the edible kind) is almost always delicious, and I use that qualifier because as my friends know I’m far from a cook, so I question when I host the dinner whether or not the food is good, but I think that this was the third year of my hosting and cooking and I’ve yet to kill anyone.

While I’ve yet to scare any one off with my culinary skills my husband does his best to scare people with his decorations. This year he had to scale back, because as hard and fast as he was decorating our puppy, Travis decided things needed to be undecorated. Unfortunately, a few items were lost, but fortunately nothing of a real monetary value.

To read more about Sandi's thoughts on the Halloween dinner and to comment for a chance to win please click here.


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Fresh Pick | BRIDE OF THE WOLF by Jennifer St. Giles

The Shadowmen #4

May 2009
On Sale: April 28, 2009
Featuring: Marissa Vasquez; Navarre
352 pages
ISBN: 1416563415
EAN: 9781416563419
Mass Market Paperback
$6.99

Paranormal, Romance Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

Bride Of The Wolf by Jennifer St. Giles

Injured Blood Hunter Navarre is kidnapped along with oil heiress Marissa Vasquez. Their bid for freedom, puts them into a deadly race for their lives as the become the hunted prey of two Vladarian Vampires and the evil Dr. Cinatas.

Together Marissa and Navarre's spirits form a powerful link matched only by their passion. But can a mortal woman attain true love with a man who is half wolf? Or will their enemies steal their one chance at happiness?

Navarre and Marissa are in for the fight of their lives against the evil vampire Herrera.


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