Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance

Okay, now I’m gonna say right up front, this book really put my short story skills to the test. When I was asked to write a short vamp story, short as in 6000-8000 words, I was thinking…uh, man…can I do that?

Novellas, I can do. The occasional quickie 12-15k, I can do. But 6000-8000? Not so easy. I managed, though. How well I managed…eh, I’ll leave that up to the readers.

Hunter’s Choice, my story in this collection, as some of you probably guessed is set in the Hunters world.

A short excerpt is below, and I believe the anthology releases in the States in late July or August. FYI, some of you might notice different covers…the book was originally released by a UK publisher so the UK and the US versions have different covers.

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Contest for Bloggers The Missing

this is a repost…

The blog review contest I did for Through the Veil went pretty well. I think it generated some interest and hopefully caught the interest of some new readers. Soooooo I’m going to do it again with The Missing.

From the contest for Through the Veil…

I don’t get too many ARCs so I do kind of want your promise to do the review. I know life sometimes happens, and hey, that’s cool. But if you think you’re likely to just add the book to your TBR pile, I’d ask that you not enter. If you don’t like writing reviews on books you didn’t care for, I’d ask that you not enter.

I do want an honest review, whether you love it or not. However there’s a chance you might not like the book and I want a review whether you like it or not… *G* the power of word of mouth. Some people only review books they like, that’s absolutely fine…but again, I want an honest review, love it or hate it.

Since I only get a limited number of these things, I want to make sure they are being put to the best use possible. If this contest goes well, I may continue to do it in the future, with both ebooks and print books.

So did I make that complicated enough? 😉

Basically, the contest rules are this:

• You must have an established blog. Established as in being used prior to this post, and on a fairly regular basis.
• You agree to post an honest review of the book on your blog. Honest=as in your thoughts, whether you like it or not.

So…there’s that.

Blurb for The Missing

From a bestselling author whose stories are “exhilarating [and] action-packed”* comes a sinfully sexy novel of romantic suspense about a woman whose psychic gift drives away the man she loves—and years later draws him back to her…

LOVE LOST

As a teenager, Taige Branch was able to do things with her psychic gift that others couldn’t understand—except for Cullen Morgan, the boy her stole her heart. He did his best to accept her abilities, until his mother was brutally murdered—and he couldn’t forgive Taige for not preventing her death.

PASSION FOUND

Now a widowed father, Cullen Morgan has never forgotten Taige. But what brings her back into his life is another tragic event. His beloved little girl has been kidnapped, and Taige is his only hope of finding her.

A LOVE THAT NEVER DIED

Working together against the clock, Cullen and Taige can’t help but wonder whether—if they find his daughter in time—it isn’t too late for the overpowering love that still burns between them…

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So…. here are the rules for this one. All you have to do to enter the contest is have an established blog (yes, blogs on Myspace are fine) and be willing to post the review, good or bad, either the last two weeks of October or the first week of November. With new releases, getting the buzz out right around release time is very important, from a writer’s standpoint (of course, a buzz is wonderful at any time, but right around release time…good stuff for an author).

As long as you have a blog and are willing to post an honest review, you can enter. However, I get a very limited quantity of ARCs. Because of this, if you aren’t willing to guarantee you can have the review posted during the stated time frame, I do ask that you not enter the contest. I know sometimes things come up, emergencies and such, but since I only have limited number of ARCs, I want to put them into the hands of those who are willingly to help me generate the buzz I’m looking for.

So…

• You’ll give an honest review
• You’ll post the review sometime during the last two weeks of October or first week of November
• You have an established blog

If that’s you…and you’re interested…email me @ shilohwalker(at)gmail.com with Blog/Missing Review Contest in the subject line. Please include your blog address in the body of the email. I do expect to get the ARCs sometime fairly soon and once I get them, I’ll get the winning names drawn and I’ll contact them directly. FYI, yes, you can enter even if you won one of the ARCs from the previous contest, provided the review for Through the Veil was posted during the specified time frame.

Contest will remain open for the next few weeks! Thank you!

Please do not post this contest to sweepstakes sites.

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Guest Blog…Discovering our traveling spirits

Hey guys…Kay’s back with us today…

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Discovering our traveling spirits

My husband and I are homebodies. We like sitting at home, watching TV and generally hanging out here. Since we’ve been married (17 years!), we’ve gone to the beach a few times but we’ve never taken any major trips or traveled out of the country. Being poor students when we got married, we barely had rent money, much less extra for a honeymoon. Then we had a family, a house. Year after year we promised ourselves that one of these days we were going to take a honeymoon, was going to travel.

This year we got to do just that. After a canceled trip for a family member’s wedding, we found ourselves with nonrefundable airfare and no destination in mind. Put on the spot by the airlines, my husband needed to choose a destination and he blurted out Hawaii because of the similar cost value.

Ten hours on a plane? I get antsy after two in a car.

But Hawaii it was. Alone. No kids, no family. Just us.

A honeymoon!

We left for Hawaii at the end of May and spent eight glorious days there. And we discovered something about ourselves. While it’s always wonderful to come home, we both possess a traveling spirit. We liked being able to go and see and do.

We saw Pearl Harbor and walked the memorial above the Arizona.

We toured Kauai and saw the majestic mountains and valleys. Isn’t it gorgeous?

I didn’t know pineapples grew on plants and not in trees. Even better, I’ve never been a pineapple eater—until I ate it fresh-cut. It’s fabulous!

We ate in nice restaurants, window-shopped on Luxury Row. And watched the waves roll in from our balcony. It was, truly, a dream vacation come true. (More pics are posted on my website if you’re interested.)

Which makes me wonder what other destinations we’ve missed in our homebody-ness. Did you have a honeymoon? Where? Do you take vacations? Where do you go? I’d love to gather a file folder full of recommendations for years to come. With gas prices what they are we won’t be taking another trip like that for quite a while, but a girl can dream and I’d love to hear your recommendations. Shiloh will choose a winner from those who respond to this blog as well as those who commented on the interview posted earlier in the week. The winner will receive an autographed copy of their choice of MONTANA SKIES, HIS PERFECT WOMAN, A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER, or ANOTHER MAN’S BABY, and a pair of my one-of-a-kind beaded earrings (created by moi).

Do you have a traveling spirit? Where have you traveled? Where would you like to travel?

Kay Stockham hit #7 on Waldenbooks’ bestseller list and is a former RITA Finalist. When she isn’t writing, she avoids housework by reading and spending quality time with her family. Her current release, HIS SON’S TEACHER, was RT’s Top Pick and scored 4.5 Stars. For excerpts, contest news and more visit www.kaystockham.com.

Update-added 7/14- Contest is now over! Thank you!

Update again… 8/15 Winner was notified by email back in July. Thank you!

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The Bad Boys Guide To The Galaxy

How’s that for a header?  Took me 5 minutes to write it.  I have so got to start asking for shorter titles.  LOL

I’m still trying to get the sleep out of my eyes.  I’ll be glad when I get rich, and Karl can retire, so I don’t have to get up at 5 with him when he has to work that day.  Not that I have to get up at that ungodly hour, but I like to help him get everything together, visit a few minutes, and tell him bye.  So, he off, most of my e-mail is answered, and now I’m writing this blog.  

 

Oh hey, I’m chatting at Romance Junkies tomorrow night.  That’s 9pm Eastern time.  Here’s the link, then at the top go to the pull down menu and click on chats.  I hope to see some of you there!  Here’s the link: http://www.romancejunkies.com/mainpage.html  Oh, and I’ll be giving away books.

 

The Bad Boys Guide To The Galaxy:

Take me to your leader. Come to think of it, just take me.

 

Planet Nerak was perfect—no disease, no darkness, no hunger—until an expedition to Earth brought back an unwanted guest. Enter one talented Nerakian named Lara, sent on a special fact-finding mission in the vast region called Texas. Fortunately, a warrior (he calls himself a “cop”) named Sam Jones has offered to help. Unfortunately, Sam’s skill at sex is quite distracting—as are plenty other earthly delights, like the dangerously addictive substance called chocolate. Temptations such as these could seriously compromise Lara’s—ahem—research…

 

Crazy, that’s what Sam is. What sane man would voluntarily isolate himself in the Texas woods with an alien, not to mention a female one with a superiority complex, legs that won’t quit, and a penchant for walking around buck naked? Between bragging about her home planet and levitating, Lara wastes no time getting on Sam’s last nerve…and even less time getting into his bed. Talk about going where no man has gone before. Of course, when you’re from Texas, nothing—not even an entire planet—is going to stop you from getting what you want.

 

“Fun and romantic with the perfect blend of spice!”

                                    —Gina Showalter on CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE SEXY KIND

 

“Karen Kelley is romance’s rising funny girl.”—Sharon Sala

 

5 Blue Ribbons for Cosmic Sex:

“COSMIC SEX is a laugh-a-minute, out-of-this world romance…  The explosive love scenes scorch the pages of this amazing sexy book. I could not put it down and read it in one sitting! Karen Kelley’s creative writing ability and sense of humor is obvious throughout the entire book… By Romance Junkies Reviewer: Robin Snodgrass

 

I hope everyone has a great day!

Karen Kelley
The Bad Boys Guide To The Galaxy/Kensington Brava
Book Three in the Planet Nerak series  Available Now
www.authorkarenkelley.com
www.myspace.com/authorkarenkelley

 

 

 

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Author Interview…Kay Stockham

Vamps and Scamps Blog Interview with Kay Stockham:

V&S: Okay…standard questions all us writers get asked. 😉 Which came first…oh, wait. Wrong question. When did you first start writing?

Kay Stockham: LOL I’m one of those writers who began writing at birth–okay, maybe not that early. But I was in first grade when the teacher held up a book and told the class who illustrated the book, and then who wrote it. I truly remember sitting there thinking, “I’m gonna be a writer when I grow up.” Not long after that I had the chicken pox and while I was stuck at home, I copied the pictures out of a Charlie Brown book and rewrote the story because I didn’t like the plot. I’ve been writing ever since. J

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V&S: Could you tell us about your first sale?

Kay Stockham: My first sale came with a phone call February 12, 2005, at 12:30. You want the seconds, too? <G> I was on my way out the door to be room mom at my kids’ Valentine’s Day parties at school–and I couldn’t stay home after getting the call because I had the cupcakes. LOL Anyway, the editor (Johanna Raisanen) said she wanted to buy my book and I became her first crier. Yup, I cried. I was just so happy. It was a dream come true and I’d resigned myself to job hunting in the fall if I hadn’t sold by then.

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V&S: When you got the contract offer, did you squeal or just sit there and stammer like I did?

Kay Stockham: See above. *sigh* Nope, I cried. I made sure I explained that they were happy tears, and we agreed to talk terms later, which I learned was standard format for the eds since they give you a chance to catch your breath, call everyone on earth to give them the news and then call you back when your heart rate is normal again.

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V&S: What’s your favorite kind of story to write?

Kay Stockham: Oh, no question here. I LOVE an emotional, sexy, make-them-work-for-it romance. Sexy is a hero (and heroine) willing to fight for what they want and sacrifice their own desires to make their mate happy. I’m such a sap for a HEA.

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V&S: Is there a certain kind of story, genre-wise or sub-genre, that you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t done so?

Kay Stockham: Tough question! Actually, there are a couple of them. My first attempt at writing was a futuristic-based time travel. I still have that story in my head. I love paranormal but I don’t think that’s in the cards for me. And I also love historicals and longer contemporaries. Those are definitely pleasure reads for me. Maybe one of these days… J

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V&S: Is there a certain genre you have no interest in writing?

Kay Stockham: Back to the question above. If I write something, I want to write it well. Paranormal is definitely something I’ll probably never try. Love to read it, can’t see myself writing it, tho. Another is erotica. It’s just not for me. Great for those who can do it, but my writing tends to be sexy but tamer. <G>

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V&S: What is your favorite(s) genre to read?

Kay Stockham: Contemporary, paranormal and historical, in that order. <G>

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V&S: Now some fun questions…would you consider yourself a vamp or are you more of a scamp?

Kay Stockham: Oooh! The geek-girl in me needs definitions! LOL Can I be a mix of both? I think it depends on my mood. 😉

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V&S: Quick…without thinking about it…name five authors.

Kay Stockham: Lori Foster, JR Ward, Debbie Macomber, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Lisa Kleypas.

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V&S: Name five movies.

Kay Stockham: The Illusionist (loved it!), Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Something’s Gotta Give, hmmmmm….. How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days, and… Iron Man? LOL I have a lot of ‘comfort’ movies. I saw Iron Man recently and loved it–and basically rewrote it in my head to include a romance between the hero and his assistant–so much chemistry there and no romance!

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V&S: Name five books.

Kay Stockham: Gone With The Wind, Ain’t She Sweet?, Lover Awakened, Heiress for Hire (loved it! Erin should’ve won the RITA! J), and Say No To Joe.

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V&S: And since we always like to know what everybody is up to, want to tell us what you’re working on right now?

Kay Stockham: I’m currently finishing up revisions for the third book in my Tulanes of Tennessee series and getting ready to dig into the fourth book. Have to tell you, I love this family. When I pitched the series, I thought I knew them pretty well, but they’re proving me wrong in unique and surprising ways. I’m going to be sad when the series is finished. Luckily, I have two siblings left to write!

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Thanks, Kay!

Thank you!

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His Son’s Teacher

Nick Tulane ordinarily won’t admit weakness in himself or in those he loves. But when he learns his
son is about to fail in school, the single father is desperate to find a tutor. And Jennifer Rose is perfect.

In fact, Jen might be too perfect. Nick’s starting to fall for the attractive teacher, and he can’t let that happen. Because opening up to Jen means sharing the secret that has always made him feel like an outsider in his own family. Still, with his son showing signs of following in his footsteps, Nick can’t keep the truth hidden. But once she knows, will Jen accept him weakness and all?

The Tulanes of Tennessee
Family ties mean everything.

She’s tempting him to hit the books.

Kay’s site

Contest

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Happy Fourth!

Under major deadline so I’m taking the easy way out…a pretty picture…

A quiz-Could you pass the latest citizenship test? (I got 65%-man, I suck)

A very addictive word game, that also helps feed the hungry- Free Rice

And some shameless promo…

I’ve got a couple of books coming out in the next month or so… one is a short story in a collection…

Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (mine is called Hunter’s Choice)

Then there is Private Places, coming out in August, featuring another Hunter story, this one a historical.

And last, but not least…a new ebook…and I decided to get a little weird with this one.

The blurb…

He’s given one chance at redemption—hers and his.

Hired killer, Vixen Markham doesn’t have any illusions about life or love. Unable to trust even the one man she lets into her heart, she makes a decision that she’ll regret for the rest of her life—which won’t be much longer by the looks of things. Loaded with vengeance and a small arsenal of weapons, she’s ready to face up to her past and say goodbye to her future, until she’s confronted by a pair of eyes she could never forget.

Graeme Mackenzie Lawson lived a hard life. Hard on himself and harder on those who got in his way. Betrayed and murdered, he’s given one chance at redemption—but not for himself—for the woman he loved, the woman who killed him.

Can he keep Vixen safe, when she seems determined to lose her life—and her soul?

Warning: the following contains violence, hot sex and one vicious vixen

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