Michele Bardsley | Demons Are A Heroine's Best Friend

In my January release, COME HELL OR HIGH WATER, Book 6 in the Broken Heart series, single mother, vampire, and demon hunter Phoebe Allen makes an itty bitty mistake. Okay. A big mistake. She lets lust get in the way of her common sense and gets horizontal with sexy Scottish fairy Connor Ballard. Except he’s only half fairy
… and you know, half-demon.

Now, instead of just indulging in a delicious encounter with a yummy Scotsman, she ends up married for a hundred years to the very kind of creature she’s usually fighting.


To read more of DEMONS ARE A HEROINE'S BEST FRIEND and to comment for a chance to win please click here.

Sara Reyes | Author + Books + Video = Excitement?

I always tell people -- find something to do that connects with your passion in life and you'll be successful! And the rule has proved itself over and over again. My passion is books and reading. My talent, if it can labeled, is remembering what I've read and making connections. I connect readers with books. If I know someone likes a certain type of book: say historical with lots of sexual tension but with emotion, I'll say try Mary Balogh or Mary Jo Putney or Loretta Chase. Because those authors will make you weep, laugh and sigh. If someone likes gritty urban fantasy I point them to Kim Harrison or Kelley Armstrong because you'll find a fast paced action packed adventure in a world that is familiar and yet, not. Well, you get my drift. I'm fortunate as I read fast and I've read steadily for a loooong time!

Fun Books You Should Get!

But I've also been able to meet authors, and authors are wonderful people, especially after you get them to open up about their work. Then you can see the passion in their eyes and the emotion in their voice as they tell me about the twists and turns of their plots but usually and most importantly about the characters. It's a fascinating conversation and I never get bored listening.

This has been a week for authors and their passions. Last Saturday we had a signing with three funny and talented ladies -- Dakota Cassidy, Michele Bardsley and Candace Havens. Now, one-on-one they are all entertaining but you put them in the same room and they light up the place! They played off each other and engaged the audience in their back stories, their characters and the varied worlds they create. In the end we all spent more money than anticipated, but that's the fun of meeting authors.

But wait, we're not done ... read the rest and see how YOU can win some prizes this weekend!

Jim Dale to Noir Fiction -- Busy Busy Weekend of authors, books and FANS!!!

Jim Dale re-creating his HP readings
Originally uploaded by freshfiction

From Friday night with two, yes, TWO signings to Saturday's PORTUS 2008 festivities, to a single signing on Sunday, this has been a FULL, crowded and EVENTFUL weekend in Dallas! I mean, it's not like the price of gas is cutting into our books budget! Uh huh, so I'm cutting out food...and being on the WW, it's hard, especially with all the good healthy and in season fruits and veggies. It just means less stops at the Cheesecake Factory next to the Lincoln Park Barnes and Noble! (SORRY, Ellen!!)

Rhys Bowen at Lincoln Park BN
Originally uploaded by freshfiction

First up our double hitter night: Rhys Bowen, author of the Lady Georgie mystery series set in England in the 1930s. Poor Georgie! She's been told by the Queen she's to put up the latest German princess they're trying to marry off in England and you can't say no to the Queen! So penniless Lady Georgie manages to round up a "butler" (her grandfather) and a "cook" (grandfather's lady friend) to set up a real house for a short stay. But all is not working as planned when the Princess shows up with a chaperone, a maid AND a mouth full of "American" English! A ROYAL PAIN is fun and the 1930s UK is great to visit! (Think Lord Peter Whimsey period!)

Vamps and Werewolves in Plano
Originally uploaded by freshfiction

Then we rushed to Plano to catch the book launch of ACCIDENTALLY DEAD by Dakota Cassidy and a visit to Texas by Michele Bardsley of the mom is a vampire fame! These two authors are hoot by themselves, so think of them together!!! And they have coffee, tea and luscious - not-on-weight-watchers treats as a reward! Gotta love signings like that! NO?

(I still miss Cheesecake Factory)

The line for autographs by Jim Dale
Originally uploaded by freshfiction

And Saturday I got to go all "fangirl" which is apparently very different from "fanboys" but since I married a trekkie guy it didn't seem too much different..Just the majority of these fans (HP variety) are my kids' ages! WHEEE!!! But the big draw for me was the FAMOUS Jim Dale!!!! I feel I should be shouting that! I put down $75 to go and see him at 8am on a Saturday morning. I am SO not a morning person any more! Especially if I'm up to 2am working the night before. Age, etc. But for Jim Dale, well, I not only went but also got three friends to go too! AND we ALL LOVE LOVES LOVED Jim Dale. HE was so good! And to see him do the "voices" we've listened to in all the HP books, well, just amazing! AND HE IS SO NICE. This part can NOT be emphasized enough! See him if you get the chance. And if not, just hang out listen to the CDs!

Also saw a Wrockumentary about Wizard Rock Bands. Did I mention I was old? Well, the documentary was well done, but the music isn't to my old tastes. And the scenes about the last HP book release party, well, I was very nostalgic! Then Gwen played some other Wrock (Wizard Rock) on the way home and it was very very good. The documentary starts with the very first musicians growing up with HP, now there are over 500 groups so chances are you can find some for your music tastes as well!

Two tables, two authors, one hour!
Originally uploaded by freshfiction

Sunday was an afternoon signing with mystery/noir authors Anthony Neil Smith and Victor Gischler. They were in the middle of a "Texas Book Tour" and enjoying a Sunday afternoon in Dallas!

Gwen will be reporting her PORTUS 2008 activities soon. If we don't see, we'll be sure to HOUND her! She's got stories to tell!

So much for our weekend... books and all ... and I found time to read THE DRAGON EARL. It's not out until September but it's very very good! And a different kind of historical romance but sexy which I really really love and needed after all that HP pandemonium *evil grin*

Take care and read...books!!!