Blog with Bite Presents Monique Martin

Welcome to the Hysteria!

Blog with Bite would like to present Monique Martin, our featured author for the Halloween Hysteria.

 And without further ado...Ms. Martin...

Character is everything. For me, as a reader and a writer, it's all about the people or demons or those special few that are a little of both. I want to connect with them, to care what happens. I want to want to spend time with them and I want my readers to feel the same way about my characters.

The big three in Out of Time: A Paranormal Romance all came alive for me. They found nice empty spots in my head (there are a few for let) and took up residence. Simon, the repressed professor of Occult Studies, Elizabeth, his young adventurous assistant and King, the vampire mobster who's looking for a sign from God.

In fact, it all started with the villain, King Kashian. I was watching a documentary about 1920's Chicago. The gangsters and the mob, bootleggers and bad, bad men. And, it came to me. What if the underworld of crime was actually controlled by the underworld of demons. And, King Kashian was born, er, well, sired.

I've always loved vampires. I mean, what's not to love? Dark, brooding, powerful, and tortured.  Add a hot buttered side of handsome and you've got me. Oh, have you got me. And, when I created King, the leader of the mob in 1920s New York City, he fit the bill. He's stylish, powerful, ruthless and a bad, bad, man. Half-man. Well, you know.  I wanted him to be a counter-point to the hero. To challenge him. And, he did. In spades!

I've always thought that the villain or antagonist is just as important as the hero. If he's boring or two-dimensional, the hero's journey isn't nearly as satisfying. King became so much more than just a hot vamp. Not that there's anything wrong with that! I love his back story (I don't want to it for spoil you) and even considered giving him his own book. He's as real as Simon, the hero, and on his own journey for redemption.

King's got family issues (don’t we all?), his competition wants to see him dead (again) and he's looking for that special someone to spend eternity with (literally). He's lonely and driven and, I hope, sympathetic, despite his, well, killing and things.

Vampires are such fun characters - so powerful and seductive. They're temptation personified. And, there's no limit to the way you can use them. They can exist in any time period, have nearly limitless experience and fall anywhere from gentle to monstrous.

I know it's de rigueur to have more heroic vampires these days and I'm breaking form a bit by having King as the antagonist in Out of Time. But, I really believe that a great villain can be as compelling as a great hero.

Who are some of your favorite villains? Any vampire villains you hate to love? I'd love to hear from you. Post away and share your vampire love/hate hate/love.

Thanks again to the gang at Blog with Bite. Happy Halloween!

Answer Ms. Martin's question for a chance to win a copy of OUT OF TIME in eBook format. Two winners will be chosen.


Contest Deets:

• Two winners for this particular contest
• 18+ only
• Commenting on this post will earn entry into this contest, but please answer Ms. Martin's question to be eligible. Not following directions will result in your comment not counting.
• Winners will be chosen using Random.org
• Following BlogwithBite.com is not required
• Extra entries will be offered, separate comment for each entry please, if you leave multiple entries in one comment it will only be counted as one entry
• Contest ends October 31st, 2010 11:59 CST

Extra Entries:

• Follow BlogwithBite.com {GFC, Email}
• Like BWB on Facebook {Leave name last initial}
• Add a HALLOWEEN HYSTERIA button to your sidebar {leave link}
• Spread the word in any way, twitter, facebook, post, sidebar, etc. {leave link}
• Reviewed Infinite Days or Masked by Moonlight for BWB 
• Comment on any HALLOWEEN HYSTERIA posts {between now and Oct 31st} 

Crimson Moon Giveaway!

Today Blog with Bite is giving it's readers the chance to win a copy of J.A. Saare's Crimson Moon!

Crimson Moon by J.A. Saare

Trueblood vampires. Those set apart from commons by right of blood. Graced with extraordinary abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition - they are the most powerful and feared among their kind. The secret lies within, a legacy evolving from the truest form of magic, and their living bloodlines are the key.

An average routine morning is exactly what twenty-year old Emma Johnson hopes to avoid when she visits Joe’s Café for a steaming cup of coffee and freshly made donuts. She’s jaded by her small town, the community that has ostracized her, and the empty house that symbolizes what her life has become; a hollow shell. Yet things are not entirely as they appear, and Emma is about to discover she isn’t the normal girl she once believed.

After she is rescued from a horde of demonic bloodthirsty creatures by Caleb, the most captivating and enigmatic person she has ever met, she struggles to accept the unimaginable truth he imparts. That he has been dispatched by the Father she has never known, a powerful vampire from the house of DeViard, to see her safely home. For Caleb is also unique, a werewolf procured to protect the invaluable royal bloodlines from harm.

Soon, the undeniable connection Emma and Caleb share evolves beyond mere attraction into something more substantial. But their time together is short lived, forced to an end when she is sent to the trueblood vampires that claim her as one of their own.

Excerpt:

“I won’t beg you for anything,” I vowed rashly, uncaring if it incensed his variable temper.

He was going to kill me. I knew that with absolute certainty. And he wasn’t going to be quick about it. My death would only be a symbol, a representation of what he intended Caleb to suffer. His pride had been destroyed, and it would only be restored when vengeance was served.

“You will,” he cooed, his face smoothing in understanding of my plight. Careful fingers caressed the skin along my neck tenderly. “I promise.”

Unyielding fingers thrust into my hair again, driving me over the bed. My body shuddered painfully as I fell heavily into the waiting carpet, skin and bones aching. I stumbled on liquidly legs, attempting to stand upright as the world spun uncontrollably. My disoriented eyes located him across the room, bringing his massive body into focus.

Parker watched me intently while his body shifted, enjoying the fear that widened my eyes and engulfed his nose. His arms bulged as sinewy muscles expanded, chest broadening and jaw distending. His features were a mixture of man and wolf – nose elongated, teeth lengthening, hair sprouting from his body and face – becoming lupine. His growl was animalistic, raw, beastly, and intense.

Nothing in the final days could have prepared me, not for what was about to happen. Knowlege about things howling at the moon or drinking blood in the night wouldn't save me. I was out of options and out of time, my extended period of lucky finally coming to an end.

There was no one here to stand in front of me, no one to protect my too human body from what he intended. I couldn’t fight him. I was too weak and too frail, and he reveled in that singular truth.

Yellow eyes gleamed as did perfect white teeth in the soft glow of the lamp. He prepared to devour me, snapping his lethal teeth and snarling a threat – a precursor. I suppressed a shiver but he could sense my fear as he advanced, ready to do as he’d promised. And because I had no other choice, I faced him head on.

Contest Deets:

• One (1) will receive a copy of J.A. Saare's Crimson Moon
• Domestic shipping only (US & Canada)
• Must be a Blog with Bite follower
• Contest ends July 19th, 2010 11:59 CST
• Comment to win! For each entry leave a separate comment!

Extra Entries

• Follow J.A. Saare on twitter: @jasaare
• Tweet this giveaway {1 every 24 hours}
• Post about it, blog about it, sidebar it - spread the word and leave your links
• Participated in any of our group reviews (leave link to your post)
• A Top Commentator

500 Follower Giveaway

First off, we would just like to thank everyone for the immense amount of turn out we have been having for blogwithbite.com. This "project" has certainly gone farther than any of us involved, expected.

This weekend we reached a milestone. 500 Followers. And we are having a HUGE contest to celebrate reaching that number. Five Blogs. Tons of books. Books will be given away on all of the HBICs blogs and our Featured Reviewer, Julie's Blog. Details of all the contests will be below but let's talk the contest on this blog, right?

Here are the books for grabs, they are separated into prize packs. There will be a winner per prize pack, that means 5 Winner! 11 Books!

All used books are in almost brand new condition.

 PRIZE PACK #1 (Young Adult)

 

Infinity by Sherilyn Kenyon (new)  & Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (used)

 PRIZE PACK #2 (Paranormal Romance)

 

Assassin's Honor by Monica Burns (used) & Enemy Lover by Karin Harlow (used)

PRIZE PACK #3 (Vampires!)

Bloodlover by Nancy Kilpatrick (used), The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter  (New)
& Racing the Dark by Alaya Johnson (ARC)

PRIZE PACK #4 (Vampires!)

 Bloodlover & The Vampire Stories of Nancy Kilpatrick by Nancy Kilpatrick (used)

PRIZE PACK #5 (Urban Fantasy & PNR)

Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout & Embers by Laura Bickle (used)

Awesome contest right? But it doesn't stop there, there are 4 other blogs to visit and enter to win. Each with great selections that aren't all just UF & PNR selections. For each contest you enter, you will receive extra points. So go and enter! (contests might not be up yet, depending on timing of posts - we are located from East Coast to West Coast)

On Parajunkee's View - Q&A with Nancy Gideon and giving away a copy of Masked by Moonlight along with Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti, Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro and Dancing with Werewolves by Carole Neelson Douglas. All new!

ENTER NOW!

On TinasBookReviews - Tina is hosting a YA Giveaway featuring Faeries, Witches and Fire. Head over to her blog for a chance to win a prize pack of three great books.

ENTER NOW!

On What Book is That? - Emily is having a historical giveaway, with a chance to win Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran & Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready.

ENTER NOW!

And last but definitely not least a birthday bash for our wonderful Julie at My5Monkeys! Skip on over and wish her birthday happiness and enter to win great books and gift cards, make-up and more!

ENTER NOW!

BlogwithBite.com Contest Details
(Details will vary from blog to blog, these are the deets for this contest only)

• Sorry, but this contest is limited to US only. We are all putting up our own books and paying for shipping and we are all broke...
• You must be 18 or older because most of the books have adult themes
• You must be a follower of the blogwithbite.com site
• Enter this contest by filling out the form embedded in this document. Please do not leave a comment for entry, even though comments are nice, but comments will not be counted as an entry.  If you were to comment, thinking that this is the way to enter, it would just show us that you didn't read these details and we would be sad, because we put a lot of thought into this contest. Do you know how we remember that we entered a contest with a google form? We leave a comment and fill out the form. A ha. So that is nice when you do that.
• The first winner will have the choice of the package of their choice, 2nd winner will be able to choose between remaining....so on until we reach the last package
• Winners will be announced on blogwithbite.com, winners have 48 hours to respond with their snail addy for shipping
• If a winner does not respond another one will be chosen
• Contest Ends June 18th

EXTRA ENTRIES!

•  +2 For each contest you enter (max 8 points)
• +1 Tweet (leave link)
• +5 Blog about this contest (leave link)
• +5 Put the BlogwithBite Contest Graphic on your Sidebar (shown on our sidebar)
• +5 BWB participant (participated in any group review that we have done)
• +2 Old Follower
• +1 New Follower

Totals:

Old Followers: Min +2 Max +26

New Followers: Min +1 Max +20

The Sand Dragon - BWB Feature & Giveaway!

And so begins Blog with Bite's Macabre May Feature!

Visit tomorrow for a guest post with author Michael Stewart and a few other surprise horror authors who have a lot to say about this particular genre.

The Sand Dragon by Michael F. Stewart

Synopsis from Amazon.com
 

The discovery of an immense pterosaur skeleton lures paleontologist Kim Axon to the tar sands near her childhood home of Fort Mic. But Kim's not the only one drawn to the find's siren call, and the others are coming for a very different reason.

Fort Mic, where Kim's father was murdered long ago, is both blessed and cursed by the shadow population who gravitate to the area for cheap trailers while they mine the sands for oil. Townsfolk begin to fall sick. Fearing the spread of the strange disease, the new doctor quarantines the town.

Now alone, the broken community must rise above its past to battle outsiders who do not fear the return of an ancient evil, but worship it. 

 

About Michael: 

Michael F. Stewart spent his formative years as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley North, Ottawa, Canada to which he credits his interest in writing fiction. He holds a B.A. from Queen's University and a Masters in Business Administration from McMaster University.
Michael has authored four young adult graphic novels for a Texty Award winning series released through Oxford University Press Canada, 24 Bones a supernatural thriller, published by Drollerie Press, The Sand Dragon, published by Double Dragon, and another supernatural thriller, Color of the Crow, coming soon from Drollerie Press.

Michael tries very hard to keep life an adventure both on and off the page.

 Win 1 Copy of 'THE SAND DRAGON' by Michael F. Stewart - Just Fill Out the Form Below!
One winner will be chosen with the use of random.org. Winner will be notified by post, and has 48 hours to respond.

Rules & Regulations:

• Must be 18 or older
• Must be US or Canadian resident (Mailing address)
• Please no PO Boxes
• You must be a follower of Blog with Bite
• Contest Ends May 10th Midnight CST
  

Earn extra extra entries!
+1 Tweet this!
+1 You reviewed Hex Hall for the BWB
+1 Comment on this post

+5 Post about this on your blog
+2 Sidebar
+1 For each HBIC you follow

Fill out the form below.  Please do not leave your email in the comments section. Entries will not be counted unless you fill out the form. This is to protect you from spammers! Hint to keep track that you entered this contest - leave a comment!