Halloween Special with Terri Garey!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween!

My second guest this Halloween weekend is author Terri Garey!

She knows alot about the paranormal and loves Halloween! Her newest book in the Nicki Styx series 'Silent Night, Haunted Night' is out now!

Here is a new interview with Terri and she is giving away some prizes! So make sure you enter the contest at the end!



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Amber - It is Halloween and it is great to have you back on Amberkatze's Book Blog again! You have a new Nicki Styx book out! Can you tell us a little about what Nicki gets up to this time?

Terri - Hi, Amber! How could I not return to your blog on Halloween? You’re the only person I know (besides me) who keeps her blog decorated for Halloween all year long! We ghouls need to stick together!

In Silent Night, Haunted Night, the Three Fates are out to teach Nicki Styx a lesson by sending a succubus to enthrall Joe Bascombe, the man she loves, and draw him down into darkness. It’s a new twist on the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, and shows how the choices you make can really come back to haunt you — Nicki Styx style.

Amber - Silent Night, Haunted Night is the fourth book in the series. Is it getting easier or harder to write about Nicki?

Terri - Easier. I know her so well now.

Amber - What kind of research have you had to do for the books so far? Anything interesting or is research boring?

Terri – I LOVE research, and mine is never boring! Over the course of four books, I’ve had to do research into voodoo, hauntings, paranormal activity, near-death experiences, Wicca, Tarot cards, the Ouija board, demonic possession, myths, legends and Biblical stories from the Old Testament. I have a healthy respect for the paranormal and I try to approach everything with an open mind. Some of these things truly scare me, particularly the Ouija, and anything to do with voodoo or possession. I’m fascinated by these topics, but I do not advocate dabbling in them! Basically, I’m a big chicken when it comes to the paranormal. 

Amber - How many more books will there be in the series? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?

Terri – Silent Night, Haunted Night will be the last story told from Nicki Styx’s viewpoint, at least for now. The series is not dead, however, as it will continue from the viewpoint of one of my most asked-about characters, Sammy (Satan) Divine. I love the character of Sammy, and so does my publisher, so I’m really excited to announce a new series based on the world’s most diabolically misunderstood bad boy—The Devil’s Bargain and The Devil’s Disciple will be released by Avon in 2011! Sammy finally gets a chance to tell his side of the story, and a dark, sexy story it is, too, because he is one dark, sexy guy!

The Devil’s Bargain will pick up where Silent Night, Haunted Night leaves off, as Samael the Fallen takes on the job for which he was originally created — that of a guardian angel. Finally offered a chance to step into the Light, will he take it, or remain forever trapped by the Darkness he himself created?

I can’t wait for you guys to read it.

Amber - Something I have always wondered about is how authors come up with the names for their characters. How do you pick the names you use in your books? After all Nicki Styx is a really interesting name!

Terri – Names are so important. I had an image of Nicki in my head, and knew I wanted her name to portray someone free-spirited and bit wild, yet related somehow to mythology related to the dead. The river Styx is the dark river in Greek mythology that separates the living from the dead (don’t pay the ferryman until he gets you to the other side!), and I thought it’d make a great last name. As soon as I thought of that, her first name became obvious – as a child of the 80’s and former Motley Crue fan, Nikki Sixx popped into my head, and Nicki Styx was born. I knew immediately that with a name like that, she’d turn out to be a great character.

Amber - You have some really nice covers for your books but the style changed with 'You're the One That I Haunt'. Did you have any say in the change? Do you like the new look?

Terri – No, I had no say in the change, but my publisher stayed true to the original concept, which was slightly spooky covers with a graveyard in the background. I’ve been lucky enough to love all my covers, despite the change from hand drawn art to hunkalicious guys like the one on the cover of Silent Night, Haunted Night. 

Amber - What is the easiest and hardest part about being an author?

Terri – The easiest part is that my time is my own – I don’t have to get up and drive to work for someone else every day, as I did for many years. The hardest part is that my time is my own, and I’m accountable to no one except myself and the keyboard, which means it’s too easy to get distracted! Nobody to crack that whip except yourself, and those deadlines…

Amber – A lot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music influenced your books?

Terri - Ooo, great question! Music definitely influences my work, although I never listen to it while I’m working! (I need quiet to concentrate on the flow of words.) My musical tastes are very eclectic, and I like a wide variety of artists – my Ipod is full of of songs by Sisters of Mercy, the Cure, Elvis Costello, Audioslave, Godsmack, Santana, and Evanescence, all of which I listen to every morning during a three mile walk. Gets me warmed up for writing!

Concrete Blonde’s “Dance Along the Edge” would be the perfect theme song for Nicki Styx if they ever made a TV series out of it, but the high point of my musical/writing life came this summer when Finnish goth-n-rollers, The 69 Eyes, released their newest CD, which features the song “DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY”. Their lead singer emailed me and told me the song had been inspired by the book. Here’s a picture of us both together, with Jyrki holding the book I had him sign (yes, I had him sign MY book!):  They even made a music video which debuted in July on Playboy.com! Love the song, and the band!

Amber - There are so many online sites eg, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace
etc. to get in touch with fans. Which sites are you signed up with? Is it hard to keep up with them all? Do you think they are good?

Terri – I have a personal blog, a joint blog with some writing pals, a blog at HarperCollins (my publisher) a MySpace page, a Facebook fan page, a personal Facebook page, and I’m on Twitter. I try my best to keep up, but it’s hard – I have no idea which is the best, although my personal Facebook page and MySpace seem to get the most activity.

Amber - What was the last movie you watched? and the last Book you read?
and did you enjoy them?

Terri – The last movie I truly enjoyed was the new Star Trek – loved it! The last book I read was Darkfever, by Karen Moning. I read a lot, and like my taste in music, my taste in books is very eclectic – I love historicals from any era, as well as urban fantasy, but am always just looking to be told a good story, whether it’s by Anne Rice or Georgette Heyer.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?

Terri - Well, I would say “ghost”, but I actually think that would be a very lonely existence if you could see and hear everyone but they couldn’t see you. Vampires are out because blood is… well, blood … and I don’t care for hairy men so that leaves out werewolves. A fairy, perhaps? They get to fly, and they’re surrounded by nature, so yes, a fairy.

Amber - What are you up to this Halloween?

Terri - Bwahahaha…… working on the graveyard day by day! I go all out on Halloween (it’s almost embarrassing), turning my yard into a graveyard, my garden shed into a witch’s hut, and my front porch into a spider’s lair. We live in a neighborhood with tons of kids, and give out more candy and boo!’s than you can imagine. It’s great fun!

Amber - Thank you for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog again! I look forward to seeing you here again! ;)

Terri - Thanks for having me, Amber. I’ll be giving away two signed books, each with a beaded bookmark.




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Contest Time!

As you may have read in the interview, Terri is giving away two signed copies of Silent Night, Haunted Night, her new book! That means two winners will get Terri's latest release and she is going to add a beaded bookmark! (see pic)

All you have to do to enter this contest is tell us what you are doing this Halloween!

No Story = No entry!

The usual rules apply!

Earn another entry for each place you link this contest on the net. Make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

I can offer more prizes if my Amazon Associates account gets more money!! So please make sure you order at Amazon.com through the links around the site and help keep the contest coming!




The contest will stay open until Sunday 8th of November 2009 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

If you are claiming a prize, have emailed me and have not heard back before the 7 day limit is up then post a comment here on the blog. Your email may get sucked into my spam filter.



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posted by Amberkatze at 4:55 PM | 93 comments
Halloween Special with Julie Kenner!
Happy Halloween!!!

Here is the first of FOUR author specials this Halloween weekend!

Author Julie Kenner knows all about demons and vampires! But do you all know about her? Here is your chance to get to know the author, her books and even maybe win a prize!

Enjoy!

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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you as a guest here and I hope you will enjoy your time here ;) Maybe you can start things off for us by telling my readers a bit about your Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom Series?

Julie - Sure! The series revolves around Kate Connor, a former demon hunter for Forza Scura, a secret am of the Vatican. An orphan found wandering in Rome, Kate was raised by the church, and slid into the demon hunting profession. When the series opens, she's retired and living with her second husband, their toddler, and her fourteen year old daughter by her first husband, Eric, her former demon-hunting partner who died not long after they made the decision to retire and live a normal life (he was, Kate believes, the ironic victim of a mugging). She's living happily as a suburban mom, organizing car pools and playdates and helping her politico husband ... and then she runs across a demon in Wal-Mart. A demon who, for inexplicable reasons, later crashes through her kitchen window and tries to kill her.

Kate's thrust back into the demon hunting world, but she still has to juggle mommy duties and keep her past a secret. It's lots of fun!

Amber - How did the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom Series come about? Was it a long process?

Julie - Surprisingly short, actually. I was trying to think of romance heroes, and thought of demon hunters. At the same time, I was also trying to think of a chick lit story, but I was a new mom and wanted to do something for moms. The ideas came crashing together like a Reeses Peanut Butter cup, and Kate was born! I wrote the first three chapters and we sold them very, very quickly, and got some Hollywood attention, too!

Amber - The latest book in the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series 'Demon Ex Machina' is due out soon. What can we expect from this new installment?

Julie - Hard to say without spoilers, but I think it's fair to say that Kate has to fight more than just demons here...she has to fight her own emotions and the repercussions of the past!

Amber - I loved your Elizabeth Frasier Young Adult series. Can you tell my readers a little about her?

Julie - Thanks!! Beth is the smart girl in school. Kinda geeky, but still fun to be around, and she's on her way to being valedictorian (she's a junior). But then the senior jock vampire jerks turn her into a vampire (for purposes that become clear in the series) and Beth's pissed. After all, colleges don't admit the dead! Now she's got to juggle the demands of the jock vampires who are pulling her chain, and try to figure out how to regain her humanity.

Amber - Will there be anymore Elizabeth Fraiser or Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom books? How long do expect, or would you like, those series to keep going?

Julie - I hope so! Both series are currently out of contract, and it's really in Berkley's hands at the moment. Folks should watch my website, though, because I definitely want to continue both stories in some form or other. (And a Kate/Allie short story is coming up soon...details to come!)

Amber - I know you have written alot of other books. Would you like to tell us about any of them?

Julie - I have written a lot! I write for Harlequin (Blaze and the now defunct Temptation line), and those are sexy, contemporary romances. I've also done a series for Pocket called the Codebreaker series which is a series of chicklit suspense novels that were a lot of fun. I also wrote a series of Superhero romances (the Aphrodite series) that are light and fun and I had a blast with them. The easiest thing is for folks to visit my website (www.juliekenner.com) and click on Bookshelf. There are excerpts and descriptions, and hopefully something for everyone!

I've also written five books that are still to be released this year, and one for next year under another name. I'll talk about that other name book in the next question, but the five remaining Julie Kenner books are two Blazes for Christmas and New Years (Starstruck and Moonstruck) and an urban fantasy trilogy -- TAINTED, TORN, and TURNED -- about a woman who goes out to murder the man who raped her sister, but is killed in the process. She's given the chance to come back to earth to earn her redemption as a demon assassin. But things aren't always as clear cut as they seem.

Amber - What projects are you working on at the moment? What releases can your fans expect in upcoming year?

Julie - I'm really excited about a series of paranormal romantic suspense novels I have starting with Bantam under the name J.K. Beck (Julie Kenner, and my maiden name of Beck). The first book, WHEN BLOOD CALLS is already complete, and I'm working on the next two, WHEN PLEASURE RULES and WHEN WICKED CRAVES. The books will be published back to back in the fall. They take place in and around a paranormal judicial system hidden within the bowels of our own, and I am loving the world and the characters!

Amber - Are you anything like your characters? Are any of them based on people you know?

Julie - I'm probably a little bit like all of my characters, and certainly my mom experience shows in Kate, and I was the "smart girl" at school (though no one turned me into a vampire). As for based on people I know, not at all. Though the talking ferret in the Aphrodite series bears a striking resemblance to the ferret I had during law school!

Amber - How did you end up being a writer? Was it something you always wanted to do? What other jobs have you had?

Julie - I've wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember, but I didn't really know how to go about it. I was very much a "here's the class, make the grade," kind of girl, and college doesn't offer "how to be a novelist 101." So I majored in journalism, but then switched to film and considered writing screenplays. I graduated very young, though, and was too chicken to move to LA, so I bummed around doing some media related jobs, then took the LSAT. I had a knack for the law, loved the research and writing component, and ended up clerking on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, then moving to Los Angeles to practice first amendment and entertainment law. I met a guy also interested in writing, and he and I wrote two screenplays, one which sucks, and the other which got some interest in Hollywood, but was never optioned.

After I got married and moved to Orange County is was too hard to continue writing together (this was, gasp, pre Internet. Or, at least, pre "easy" internet) and so I started thinking about writing novels again. I discovered category romances and thought that with my insane lawyer schedule, I should focus on that, as the books have a shorter page count. I wrote one, got decent feedback, and discovered RWA. I was fortunate to sell my second manuscript to Harlequin Temptation, and my third, a full length paranormal called The Cat's Fancy, both as the result of RWA contests.

Amber - Your books cover alot of different genres? Which genre is your favourite?

Julie - I don't really have a favorite, but I'm always happiest if there are paranormal or suspense elements. I call it "added value" :)

Amber - What books do you like to read when you have time? Do you have any must read authors/series?

Julie - My biggest must read -- the only one I will order for the Kindle at 12:01 am the day it becomes available -- is anything by J.D. Robb. I love that series!

Others -- wow, I read so much stuff. I've been on a YA kick lately, and I'm thoroughly enjoying that, and I'm listening to Atlas Shrugged, reading The Count of Monte Cristo, and starting Outlander again (I figure by the time I reread the series, the latest will be in paperback).

I just read and Falling, Fly, which is by a debut author, Skyler White, and coming out in March 2010. It's awesome!

Amber - What do you like to do to relax?

Julie - I used to say that I didn't relax (I homeschool my kids and write a gazillion books!) but I recently got really sick and my mom had a stroke, and I've pretty much decided that Type A or not, relaxation is important!! And I do have things that I love to do. I like to bike, and can't wait for my kids to get older so that they have more stamina. I swim and work in the yard (it needs more work at the moment!). I don't watch too much television, but my husband and I tend to pick a few and follow them. Currently, we're into Mad Men and The Wire (awesome!)

Amber - Lots of authors have playlists for their books. Do you have any specific music/artists that you like to listen to when you are writing?

Julie - Not me. I really can't write to music. If the kids are being too noisy, sometimes I'll put Mozart on low with headphones (like if we're all four in a single hotel room!) but I can't write to lyrics, and I prefer to write to silence. Interestingly, I can write to the TV, but I try not to, as I sometime get interested in the show and I really need to use my writing time for writing.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature what would you be and why?

Julie - An immortal (but with an out, at some point it would get tedious). I think it would be fascinating to see the changes in the world!

Amber - You are stranded on a desert island. What 5 things do you hope to have with you?

Julie - My family, my Kindle (with a solar charger and a whispernet connection), an endless supply of coffee and cream, an endless supply of chips and hot sauce, and something to write with/on.

Amber - Thank you so much for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog. I hope you will pop by again sometime!

Julie - Thank you!!! I really enjoyed being here!



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Contest Time!

Julie is giving away one signed copy of Tainted to a lucky Halloween winner!

All you have to do to enter this contest is tell us what your favourite scary movie is!

No Movie = No entry!

The usual rules apply!

Earn another entry for each place you link this contest on the net. Make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

I can offer more prizes if my Amazon Associates account gets more money!! So please make sure you order at Amazon.com through the links around the site and help keep the contest coming!




The contest will stay open until Sunday 8th of November 2009 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

If you are claiming a prize, have emailed me and have not heard back before the 7 day limit is up then post a comment here on the blog. Your email may get sucked into my spam filter.



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posted by Amberkatze at 4:16 PM | 71 comments
Halloween is a coming! And don't forget...
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Halloween is nearly here! On Amberkatze's Book Blog there will be four author guests this Halloween weekend! There will also be some great prizes to be won so make sure you check in! Julie Kenner, Stacia Kane and Terri Garey will be here and they are looking forward to spending Halloween with us ;)

Also don't forget to enter this weeks contest! Maria Lima is giving away a signed copy of her new release 'Blood Kin'. I wish I could enter the contest but of course that wouldn't be fair! So take a look at the Maria Lima Guest Blog and contest before the contest closes on Sunday.

Another reminder! The Monthly giveaway is up and running! This month there is a trick and treat prize! To find out how to enter check the Monthly Giveaway post . Make sure you enter before the closing date on Sunday!

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posted by Amberkatze at 6:31 PM | 1 comments
191) Undbound by Harrison, Drake, Frost, Pettersson & Marr
Monday, October 26, 2009
Five bestselling authors get together share five unique stories. Kim Harrison, Jocelynn Drake, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson and Melissa Marr are just some of the biggest names in the Urban Paranormal Genre and there is no doubt that the short tales in this collection will be good.

Dark, deadly and totally supernatural, each story is exactly what readers have come to expect from such amazing authors. Kim Harrison starts things off with a story set in her Rachel Morgan world about Jenks. This series is the one that got me into the genre and it was great to have Jenks telling a story for a change. This small tribute has left me ready for a new Rachel adventure. The sooner the better!

Next up was Jeaniene Frost's contribution and this story is certainly for all the fans out there. Bones takes the lead in this story set back before he was with Cat. It also clears up a little bit about why he wasn't allowed into New Orleans which was a subject in the last Night Huntress book. Bones is a fun character to follow and it was interesting to see things from his perspective for a change. I really hope this amazing author writes from this side again sometime.

Vicki Pettersson is the next writer in this anthology and she adds something from her Zodiac series. The narrator is JJ but the story is just as good as any other set in this world. Granted this series is not on my must buy list but it is on my must read list, which makes this story a welcome addition to the story so far.

The Fire Starter, Mira, is the lead of the next story. Where the previous three authors visited the worlds that have made them famous but from another perspective. Jocelynn Drake keeps to her main lead and tells a short story about the vampires she is famous for. A shame that this was so short. Another well written story from a great author.

Last up was Melissa Marr. I haven't had much experience with this author but what I have read I liked alot. However this short story didn't grab me as much as I hoped. Maybe it was because she wrote something completely different than her usual fae theme? Whatever the reason, it was still a good story but just not to my liking. It hasn't put me off visiting the author again in the future.

All in all this was a very good anthology. You won't hear me say that very often but this book does have some of the Crème de la Crème inside. Someone really knew which authors to put together for a well balanced book. Bravo for getting a good anthology together for the genre. Well worth reading!

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posted by Amberkatze at 1:34 PM | 5 comments
Guest Blog & Contest with Author Maria Lima!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
This week we have a guest blog to read! 

My guest this week is author of the Blood Lines series, Maria Lima. The Blood Lines series is growing this month with the release of 'Blood Kin'. So make sure you check out the previous books in the series if you haven't already had the pleasure!

Thank you Maria for sending me this great post to show you all. Oh and a big thank you for the prize one of you is going to win...keep reading to find out what and how!


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There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb*


Urban Fantasy: conjures up tales of the mean streets, doesn't it? Wizards on a case, stomping the alleyways of gritty Chicago with their magic staff; Druid investigators tracking down evildoers in South Boston; PIs joining with a vampire partner searching for demons in downtown Toronto. From vampire executioners in St. Louis to all the amazing and wonder leather-clad kickass female heroes and heroines in today's urban fantasy, we all love these stories set in modern cities.

But what about the country? Small towns, rural areas? There's no lack of intrigue, suspense,backstabbing partners, and all the things you'd find in a large city (except perhaps for the high-rises and traffic).

I chose to set my Blood Lines series in Rio Seco, Texas - a fictional small town very much based on a lovely Hill Country community I lived in during my late high school years, Lago Vista, Texas. The Hill Country, dotted with small towns, rural communities and resorts remains, to this day, a jewel in the bellybutton of the state. Lakes, rolling hills, gorgeous scenery complement the hustle and bustle of the major cities. It's a place to get away and a wonderful place to live. Even as early as the late 1970s, the Hill Country was becoming a mecca for those with money/fame/power to buy a vacation home. Now, in the early 21st century, nearby cities keep expanding into this once isolated area, bringing with it the pressures of new population, new development. Small towns may not have the numbers of people as in cities, but they certainly have the same issues, often magnified because people all tend to know one another.

I describe this in the opening to BLOOD BARGAIN:

Small towns are like glaciers. Moving slowly in their majestic beauty, ideas, mores, thoughts frozen in the ice—pretty to look at. Occasionally, you see things happen, slight changes, tiny cracks in the ice, drips melting away piecemeal as Johnny Rodriguez takes a job in Austin and moves himself, his wife, the kids, Mom and Aunt Betty out of the homestead. SueEllen Parker leaves her husband of fifteen years to live in quietly proud defiance with her best friend of even more years, Mary Rose Messing. But overall, life continues as it was, these small ripples hardly changing the face of the ice. Until suddenly, one day, that which you thought was immutable, fixed in stone, carved into eternal ice sheers away, large chunks tearing away with a shriek, crashing and splintering into a million knife-edged shards.

Seriously, does this not sound like an ideal place for a community of supernatural beings to establish their base? I may be joking a little, but I loved the idea of having this completely closed and fairly isolated group of people smack in the middle of rural Texas--a place not known for their easy acceptance of outsiders. The tensions and everyday worries of life can then be magnified as filtered through the very special lives of Keira Kelly, Adam Walker and their gang of shapeshifters, vampires and other supernaturals. Keira and gang may not stalk the mean streets, but their lives are no less interesting, for the lack of subways, highways and alleyways.

BLOOD KIN takes them to a real city, Vancouver, British Columbia and things get a lot more interesting when all sorts of secrets and family conspiracies come to light as Keira begins her new life. What's going to happen to Rio Seco and how is this town and its people going to handle what comes next?

That, my friends, is the best part of writing...I get to decide all this. It's good to be the queen.

-- Maria Lima

* with a brief nod of thanks to Joss Whedon for a brilliant title




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Contest Time!

Maria is kindly giving away a copy of her new release 'Blood Kin' and I am pretty sure she is going to sign it for the winner as well!

Now you are wondering what horrible question I have thought up for you this week? Well I didn't think up this one! Maria came up with her own ;)

Name your favorite tall tale about Texas or Canada (since Blood Kin takes place in Vancouver).

No Tall Tale = No entry!

The usual rules apply!

Earn another entry for each place you link this contest on the net. Make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

I can offer more prizes if my Amazon Associates account gets more money!! So please make sure you order at Amazon.com through the links around the site and help keep the contest coming!




The contest will stay open until Sunday 1st of November 2009 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

If you are claiming a prize, have emailed me and have not heard back before the 7 day limit is up then post a comment here on the blog. Your email may get sucked into my spam filter.

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posted by Amberkatze at 5:08 PM | 42 comments
Casey Daniels Contest Winner!
Before I announce the winner of the Casey Daniels Contest I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who entered! You all came up with some really interesting famous ghosts you would like to meet. It was alot of fun reading all of your entries, I can see that you all put alot of thought into your choices.

Now it is time to let you know who won! Congratulations to -


Buddyt!!!


You win your choice of Pepper Martin book! Signed!

How to claim your prize!

Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address and choice of book!

I will pick a new winner if a prize isn't claimed. If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter.

If you didn't win this time then make sure you check out the new weekly author contest with Maria Lima (coming soon!), the Monthly Giveaway and the Halloween Special coming next weekend! There are alot more prizes to be won so keep entering for your chance to win!

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posted by Amberkatze at 4:01 PM | 0 comments
190) Lily Dale : Discovering by Wendy Corsi Staub
Back in Lily Dale after solving a murder, Calla is ready to get back into her life in the psychic community. Her father is in Lily Dale and everyone, including Calla, is doing their best to keep him from finding out what really happens there. Is he really ready to find out about the 'abilities' everyone living in Lily Dale has? If he decides to stay then he is going to have to find out sometime.

Now she knows who was behind her mother's death, Calla should be able to leave the past alone. However something is pushing Calla in the direction of the emails on her mothers old laptop. What will she find out if she reads them? Does she want to know the secrets her mother was keeping from everyone? As she finally reads them some of the mysteries are solved but others are start to unfold. Will Calla find out the truth behind all of her mothers secrets? Will she find closure?

I love the Lily Dale series and this new part was no exception. Eerie, spooky and exciting this series is one of my favourite Young Adult reads. I love how the story winds around little mysteries, solves them and then makes more. There is never a dull moment in Lily Dale.

The only thing I didn't really like about this is the new look on the cover. I preferred the other version more. However the cover can not do justice to the reading delight that is awaiting inside this book. Suspense and a little romance makes this a gripping and wonderful tale about a girl who can see the dead. This is a series I can highly recommend to any reader, young or old. Now the wait begins again for another book in the series.

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posted by Amberkatze at 3:32 PM | 1 comments
October Monthly Giveaway!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Every month, like last month, I am going to let you all vote for which book you want to win! That means the winner will get the book with the most votes and not necessarily the book they voted for.

There are five books to choose from and this month, because it is Halloween, I will draw two winners! Trick or Treat Style!

The first winner will get the book with the most votes - The Treat!

While the second winner will get the book with the least votes - The Trick!

Immortal: Love Stories With Bite by P.C. Cast & Others

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill

Eve of Darkness by S. J. Day

Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout

Dead Man Talking by Casey Daniels

( The poll is in the sidebar <---- )

How to enter the Monthly Giveaway

All you have to do to have your name put in the draw is to sign up for Amberkatze's Book Blog newsletter. Sign up and confirm your subscription and maybe your name will be picked as a winner!

If you already subscribed then you are also eligible to win this prize! Just make sure you confirmed your subscription and that the subscription is for this site and not for the old version!

This book is registered on Bookcrossing.com but you do not have to be a member to win this prize. I do not expect the winner to journal the book on bookcrossing or become a member of Bookcrossing. The book does have a sticker inside advertising Bookcrossing.

The winner will be picked on the 1st of November.

Use the form below to sign up for the newsletter!

Enter your email address:

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Oh and don't forget to check in all Halloween weekend for a special couple of spooky days of author interviews, guest blogs and contests!

Stacia Kane, Terri Garey & Julie Kenner will all be stopping by!

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posted by Amberkatze at 8:00 PM | 18 comments
189) The Dying Breath by Alane Ferguson
Cameryn thought she was in love with Kyle O'Neil. Now she is scared he will come back and kill her. Gone but not forgotten, everyone is sure Kyle will turn up again soon to try and make another attempt on Cameryn's life. However Cameryn wants to get on with her life and keep learning more about forensics.

So when Cameryn stumbles on a letter addressed to her while at a crime scene she knows things are not going to be the same again. Kyle is back in contact and he is everywhere. Everyone just wants to keep Cameryn safe but she is determined to stop Kyle from killing ever again. Can Cameryn put together the clues and find Kyle before he hurts someone else? or her?

I love the Forensic Mystery series and was so happy to see this newest installment coming out. I find the level of depth and detail of forensics in this book to be more than interesting. Cameryn may seem to have a morbid kind of interest but at least she knows what she wants to be when she grows up. If only I had known that back when I was her age.

Cameryn is only eighteen so this book is aimed at young readers. However any fan of CSI, Bones or Criminal Minds will appreciate this amazing well written series. The author has spent alot of time and put in a huge effort into making this series realistic and very informative.

I look forward to anymore Forensic Mysteries that Alane Ferguson writes and just hope that they come out on a more regular basis. The wait for this new edition has been way too long and this was just too tasty to put down and was over way too quickly. Well worth checking out!

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posted by Amberkatze at 4:17 PM | 2 comments
188) Shadowlight by Lynn Viehl
Jessa Bellamy only has to touch someone to know their darkest secrets. Thanks to whoever messed around with her genes this is her 'gift' that she secretly uses to earn a living. However she doesn't know that someone else has discovered her talent and wants to kill her so they can harvest her DNA. What she also doesn't know is there is someone who wants to keep her safe.

Matthias is forced to abduct Jessa so he can protect her. Although Jessa has a hard time trying to believe a man that she can't read using her power. Jessa's life is in danger so she has to trust someone but she needs to find out somehow if Matthias is her all or enemy before it is too late.

I absolutely loved the Darkyn series and was really looking forward to this first book in the Kyndred series. However I have to admit that I have been fighting with this book all week and even contemplated giving up on it. The style was completely different to the Darkyn. The story was hard to follow and hardly interesting. This added together with the bland and boring main characters made me really think twice about if I wanted to keep reading till the end.

The only hope I saw was the references to the Darkyn and the appearance of some of the Darkyn characters I have come to know and enjoy over the years. However I was then left wondering what part these Darkyn characters actually play in the Kyndred series. Is this a new series? Has the Darkyn series now become the Kyndred series? or was this book just a cross over into the new series?

Confused and frustrated is how this book left me feeling. If the author writes more Darkyn books I will be there in a rush to get my hands on them but the Kyndred just didn't do it for me and I could do without them. Sorry!

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posted by Amberkatze at 10:29 AM | 1 comments
Casey Daniels Contest Reminder!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Casey Daniels contest is still open! You have until Sunday to enter the contest and win a signed Pepper Martin book of your choice!

I have been enjoying the entries so far. There have been some very interesting choices made and I can't wait to see what other entries come along before Sunday.

Also make sure to check back in to see if you won! Don't enter and never check back. I do not hunt down winners so you have a week to claim your prize. I am still waiting for one lucky winner of the Kelley Armstrong contest to contact me...

On Sunday there will be a new guest! Author Maria Lima will be guest blogging!

Then next weekend we have the Halloween special! With Terri Garey, Stacia Kane and more! Make sure you check in and see what is happening!

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posted by Amberkatze at 9:28 PM | 0 comments
187) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
If you are expecting me to write a blurb about this book then think again. Anyone who doesn't know anything about Twilight has taken a wrong turn and is visiting the wrong site. However you maybe wondering why I am reviewing Twilight after all these years and hype? Well I actually read the book and the rest of the saga a while back. This time I am revisiting the series via audio book.

I expected the Twilight movie to be different from the book but when it actually came to watching the film I found that I wasn't sure anymore what really did happen. Since reading Twilight I have definitely read 500+ books so of course I have forgotten quite a bit about the actual events that took place before the movie people came along and butchered it. So I have been dying to go back and read the series again but just never find the time.

The answer came to me as the evenings and mornings started getting too cold and dark to read a book. It is that time of the year to get the audio books back out. Twilight was the first one that grabbed my attention and it has taken me about a week to listen to the whole thing while travelling to and from work everyday.

This audio is well read and the narrator sounds exactly like I expected Bella to sound. The chapters are split into smaller tracks which make it easier to pause in emergencies. I really enjoyed listening to this audio book and found myself listening to it at every opportunity. This was a perfect way to visit Twilight again in its full form and have already filled my ipod with New Moon. Now I will be ready in time for the new movie ;)

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posted by Amberkatze at 9:20 PM | 6 comments
Halloween Weekend Fun!
Monday, October 19, 2009
It is nearly that time of year again! Halloween is the best holiday to celebrate the Paranormal genre and Amberkatze's Book Blog has some special guests and prizes lined up for the spookiest holiday of the year.

On Saturday 31st of October a.k.a Halloween and the 1st of November a.k.a Day of the Dead, there will be some special events taking place here. Authors Terri Garey and Stacia Kane are just two of the guests who will be making an appearance. There will also be a Monthly Giveaway winner or maybe even two winners announced (more details coming soon)!

So don't forget to drop by on Halloween weekend and see what spooky action is going on!

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posted by Amberkatze at 10:29 PM | 1 comments
Interview & Contest with Author Casey Daniels
Sunday, October 18, 2009
My guest this week is another author who loves Amberkatze's Book Blog enough to return for a second visit! Casey Daniels is here telling us about her new book in the Pepper Martin series and giving away a signed book to one lucky winner!

I have already read 'Dead Man Talking' and have throughly enjoyed all the Pepper Martin books so far. So make sure you read the interview and try out Casey's books if you haven't already.

Also make sure to enter the contest! You could win a signed book!

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Amber - Casey, Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here again! You have a new Pepper Martin book coming out! Can you tell us about it?

Casey -The new book is "Dead Man Talking" and in it, Pepper's "on loan" to a down-and-out, city-owned cemetery for a restoration project. Bad enough (at least to Pepper's way of thinking) but she's also working with a interesting "team" and (just for fun) the whole thing is being filmed for a PBS television show called "Cemetery Survivor." Of course as in all the Pepper books, there has to be a ghost along for the fun, too. This time, it's a dead-but-not-gone prison warden who needs Pepper's help to clear his name. He was convicted of a murder he says he didn't commit.

Amber - Dead Man Talking is the fifth book in the Pepper Martin series. How many more Pepper books can we expect to see?

Casey -Right now, book #6 (tentatively title "Tomb with a View") is scheduled for publication in July of next year and after that, I've got three more books contracted.

Amber - You also write under the name Miranda Bliss. How is that going? Which do you enjoy writing about more? cooking or ghosts?

Casey -The two series are very different. The Pepper Martin series features ghosts and I love Pepper's attitude and how feisty she is. The Cooking Class mysteries are more traditional cozies. The heroine in that series, Annie, works as a business manager in a restaurant, and just to mix things up a little and make her different from all those culimary mystery heroines who are great cooks, Annie is the world's worst cook. Any time she goes near a stove, there's likely to be a fire! There are no paranormal elements in the Cooking Class mysteries so they are more rooted in the real world. Which do I enjoy most? I have to admit, that would be Pepper, because of those ghosts. It's always great fun to play with the woo-woo elements of the books.

Amber - Are you working on anything else? Do you have any ideas for another series?

Casey -Oh yes, plenty of ideas. In fact, lately, they've been coming hard and fast. We'll see what finally turns into a series.

Amber - What kind of research do you have to do for your books? Apart from visit cemetery's and doing lots of cooking? ;)

Casey -Well first of all, I don't do lots of cooking! Which is why Annie and I get along so well. The research for the Pepper Martin mysteries is always fun. For the new one ("Dead Man Talking") I got to explore a cemetery I hadn't paid much attention to before. And I got to learn more about the criminal justice system. There's always something to learn. The book I just finished ("Tomb with a View") is about President James A. Garfield. Admit it, how many people out there know anything at all about President James A. Garfield? So that was interesting, too, and I was able to put a fictional spin on some actual historical events.

Amber - Something I have always wondered is how authors come up with the names for their characters. How do you pick the names and where did the name Pepper Martin come from?

Casey -Good question. Wish I had a good answer! I think the "Pepper" part of the name fits her personality to a T. And I guess the Martin was a natural, at least for me, beause there was once a baseball player named Pepper Martin. We've always been big baseball fans so when I thought of the Pepper, the Martin followed along. As for names of other characters...coming up with names is harder than it looks. You need to find a name that fits a character's personality, and one that doesn't sound too much like the name of any other character in a story. It's always something of a chore to make sure all the names line up correctly and that readers won't mix up characters.

Amber - You have some great covers for your Pepper Martin books. How much influence do you have in the book printing process, like picking covers, after you hand in your story?

Casey -Well, I do get to offer my comments before the artist starts working on the cover. I tell my editor what I envision. Then when the first pass of the artwork is done, I get to see it and offer comments. I am not an artist, so I'm always blown away by what the cover artists come up with. My covers have been fabulous. And I'm glad you asked this question because it reminds me that I need to come up with some ideas for "Tomb."

Amber - There are so many online sites eg, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace etc to get in touch with fans. Which sites are you signed up with? Is it hard to keep up with them all? Do you think they are good?

Casey -I'm on Facebook and My Space and I'll tell you the truth, I don't keep up with them as much as I should. There just aren't enough hours in the day. It's nice to be able to connect to readers and let them know what's happening with me, but am I using these sites to their full advantage? Probably not. But then if I did that, I probably wouldn't have time to write.

Amber - What is the easiest and hardest part about being an author?

Casey -Easiest part . . . letting my imagination run wild. Hardest part . . . everything else!

Amber - If you could be any famous person, alive or dead, who would you be? and why?

Casey -That's a tough one, Amber. I think that's a case of "be careful what you wish for." I wouldn't want to be anyone else. I have enough trouble just dealing with being me!

Amber - Thank you for coming back to visit Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope everything goes well for the new release! See you next time?

Casey - Absolutely! It's always good to be here.



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Contest Time!

Casey is giving away one signed book to one winner this week! Which book? Well the winner gets to choose! You can pick any of the Pepper Martin books so far. Which means if you haven't started the series yet you can start at the beginning...while anyone waiting to get their hands on one of the others can pick what they need for their collection!

Cool!

Now you are wondering what horrible question I have thought up for you this week? Well I think this one is easy. Tell me which famous dead person you would like to have visit you as a ghost!

No ghost = No entry!

The usual rules apply!

Earn another entry for each place you link this contest on the net. Make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

I can offer more prizes if my Amazon Associates account gets more money!! So please make sure you order at Amazon.com through the links around the site and help keep the contest coming!



The contest will stay open until Sunday 25th of October 2009 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

If you are claiming a prize, have emailed me and have not heard back before the 7 day limit is up then post a comment here on the blog. Your email may get sucked into my spam filter.

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posted by Amberkatze at 4:46 PM | 63 comments
Contest Winners - Jocelynn Drake & Kelley Armstrong
Yes you read the title correctly! Can you believe it? Nobody has claimed the Kelley Armstrong prizes! I can't understand why people don't check back and see if they won. I wish I had time to hunt down the winners but I have a day job which spills into the evenings and I just haven't got enough online time to find you! So please make sure you check in and see if you win when you enter the contests!

So the two new winners of the Kelley Armstrong contest, who will take home a signed copy of Frostbitten, are -


Nicole H.!!

&

Bella!!


Congrats to you both! Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize!

The Jocelynn Drake contest is now closed! Did you win the amazing prize package Jocelynn has put together for us? The winner will get Signed copies of: Unbound, Nightwalker, Dayhunter, a signed cover flat of Dawnbreaker and a little surprise bonus swag. So congratulations to -


Blodeuedd!!!


How to claim your prize!

Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address!

I will pick a new winner if a prize isn't claimed. If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter.

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posted by Amberkatze at 4:22 PM | 2 comments
Checking back in with Author Stephen Zimmer
Back in June one of my guests on Amberkatze's Book Blog was author Stephen Zimmer. Alot of you entered the contest to get hold of a copy of his book Exodus Gate so when Stephen asked me if I would post some info about his upcoming release I immediately said yes!

So take a look at the info and maybe even order a copy?

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Synopsis of Crown of Vengeance, Book One of the Fires In Eden series:

Begin an Epic Journey...

On a night that begins no different from any other, strange mists engulf Janus Roland, Erika Laesig, Mershad Shahab, and several others going about their lives in a quiet midwestern town. When the mist dissipates, they all find themselves looking up into the bright skies of a new, incredible world.

Without explanation of why it has happened, or any notion of where they are, they embark upon a grand adventure within the fantastical world of Ave. Some find themselves in the lands of the Saxan Kingdom, while others have emerged within the lands of the Onan, one of the tribes in the Five Realms confederation.

Storms of war loom over both Saxany and the Five Realms, as invasion forces mass under the inspiration of The Unifier, a mysterious, captivating figure whose influence has swept across the surface of Ave ever since His rise to power in the Gallean duchy of Avanor. It is a war that will be fought in the skies, upon the seas, on land, and even in places non-physical in nature.

A majestic, epic fantasy that begins many adventures and journeys across a diverse and enthralling world, filled with races and creatures both familiar and new, Crown of Vengeance lights the flame of the Fires in Eden series, bringing to life a bold, far-ranging, and grand new venture within the realms of fantasy literature.

Pre-Order Announcement for Crown of Vengeance:

Seventh Star Press proudly announces the release of Crown of Vengeance, the first book in the new epic fantasy series Fires in Eden, by author Stephen Zimmer (The Exodus Gate).

To commemorate the forthcoming release, publisher Seventh Star Press is offering pre-order packages for Crown of Vengeance, including a very special, limited edition hardcover version that is strictly limited to 100 copies.

To ensure full authenticity, the limited edition hardcover will be hand-numbered and signed by Stephen Zimmer, and also signed by editor Amanda DeBord and illustrator/cover artist Matt Perry. It will include an extra illustration, and designation plate as a limited edition within the book.

Both the limited edition hardcover and first edition trade paperback pre-orders come with a special package of collectibles, including a numbered set of art cards, a collectible set of 12 bookmarks, and a full color poster of the cover art.

Information on the pre-ordering options can be found at the new site for the Fires In Eden series, located Here.

For information on the publisher visit here and read more about the author here!

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posted by Amberkatze at 1:36 PM | 0 comments
186) Immortal: Love Stories With Bite by P.C. Cast & Others
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Immortal: Love Stories With Bite is edited by the bestselling author of the House of Night series, P.C. Cast. Seven of the most popular Young Adult Paranormal writers all offer new short stories that prove that when you're immortal, true love really is forever.

Cynthia Leitich Smith starts things off with her tale about a love triangle between a vampire, a ghost and a human girl. Wonderfully written there are a few twists that I didn't see coming. This is an author I have to catch up with again.

The Kristin Cast takes the reins and introduces us to a new kind of vampire. This new kind of vamp is straight out of Greek mythology and can alter space and time. Very fresh and new it was nice to read something by this author without her mother and away from the House of the Night series.

Third up in this anthology was Rachel Caine. Her story is set in the Morganville Vampires world which is one of my favourite Young Adult series. However this was a little disappointing and it didn't quench my need for a new installment. Told from Shane's perspective this quite bland and not as much fun as a full length edition.

Next up was a new author for me. Tanith Lee's contribution was not my favourite in this selection but her story was well written.

Another favourite of mine, Richelle Mead was up next and she brought us something new. Her story about a young vampire on the run from the rest of her kind was certainly different. Nothing at all like her Vampire Academy series and I wished this one was a full length story.

Nancy Holder's story was about a post-apocalyptic New York. Vampires have attacked the city and one best friend is looking for the other. When they finally meet they need to make a choice that may kill them both. Very dramatic this was like reading about a movie.

One of my favourite authors was up next. Rachel Vincent added a story set in her Young Adult series 'Soul Screamers'. I loved the debut novel and was happy to see this small tale her in this collection. Now I am even more eager for the sequel!

Last up was Claudia Gray. This is an author I just got introduced to today (see my previous review) and I didn't expect to be visiting her Evernight series again so soon. However this short story about Patrice was very enlightening. I am looking forward to reading more about Evernight.

Altogether this was a well put together anthology. This really did have some of the best Young Adult authors out there and their was a wide variation when it came to the paranormal elements they wrote about. Of course, as always with anthology's, some stories were weaker than others but all in all this book was a good read.

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posted by Amberkatze at 10:15 PM | 1 comments
185) Evernight by Claudia Gray
Bianca wants to escape from the spooky looking Evernight Academy. The students all seem to know each other somehow and Bianca doesn't fit in with them one bit. However she is stuck in the Academy because her parents are teaching there and hopefully that won't make her more of an outsider than she already is. Maybe she should just run away...

Then Bianca meets Lucas. There is some connection between them that she can't understand. Bianca is ready to risk everything to be with Lucas and he feels the same. However there is a dark secret Bianca has been keeping from Lucas about what she is. What she doesn't realise is that Lucas has a secret of his own. The both of them seem to be able to handle their differences but will their friends and family be able to?

Evernight is a book I have wanted to try for a long time. So when a copy arrived from a friend I was happy to finally be able to try a new series and new author. The book started off feeling very spooky and I was very interested in the way the story was developing. The book continued to grab me and intrigue me but the 'vampire' revelation happened a little too quick for my liking. In the end I was left with the certainty that I have to see what happens next.

While quite original this book reminded me of three other Young Adult series I that I already enjoy. There were hints of the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead and The House of the Night books by P.C & Kristen Cast. Hard not to think of both of these series seeing as Evernight takes place in a 'school' for vampires. The romantic involvement between the main characters kept reminding me of the Twilight books. Such a deep and fierce connection so quickly is just like Bella and Edward. Although the roles were reversed in this story.

So if any of those series mentioned above are on your list of books read or to be read, then you may want to take a look at this series too. I devoured this in only a few hours and enjoyed it. The second part in this series, Stargazer, has now be added to my wishlist.

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posted by Amberkatze at 3:24 PM | 1 comments
Jocelynn Drake Contest Still open for entries!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
So the Jocelynn Drake contest is still open till Sunday! If you haven't already entered then make sure you do because there is a really cool prize package going out to the winner!

Check out the interview and the contest and make sure you enter by 4pm (Central European Time) on Sunday 18th of October.

Don't miss out!!

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posted by Amberkatze at 10:01 PM | 0 comments
Author Interview & Contest with Jocelynn Drake
Sunday, October 11, 2009
This week I welcome back author Jocelynn Drake. Her third book in the Dark Days series, Dawnbreaker, has just been released. The last time Jocelynn was a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog was back when she had just released her debut book, Nightwalker. So it was great to catch up with Jocelynn again and see how her Dark Days are looking!

Enjoy the interview and make sure you enter the contest to win an amazing prize made up of Jocelynn Drake books!

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Amber - Jocelynn, Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here again! Dawnbreaker the third book in the Dark Days series is due out soon! Can you tell us about it?

Jocelynn – Dawnbreaker takes place a couple months after the conclusion of Dayhunter in Savannah where Mira is being hunted by the naturi. They are desperate to capture and destroy the vampire, as she and Danaus are the only ones that could potentially stop the naturi from freeing Aurora, Queen of the naturi, and the rest of the naturi people. While fighting the naturi, Mira is lucky enough to take a hostage that could help her turn the tables on the naturi when she and Danaus finally go to the final showdown at Machu Picchu, Peru. The dawn lies just over the horizon and Rowe is desperate to finally free his wife-queen. The time has come to face the past.

Amber - Dawnbreaker is coming out this month. What's next? More Dark Days or something else?

Jocelynn - More Dark Days! I’m not done creating havoc in Mira’s world by a long shot. Mira and Danaus have many more adventures ahead of them and I can’t wait to take readers on that roller-coaster ride. Book 4 has been handed into my editor and I’m currently in the process of writing Book 5 for the Dark Days series. Our hope is to release both very quickly next summer.

With Dawnbreaker, I’m able to finally tie up some loose ends where the naturi are concerned, but they will be back to cause more problems later in the series. Meanwhile, in Books 4 and 5, I am able to finally step away from the naturi, and focus on Danaus’s past as well as the relationship between Mira and Danaus – and hopefully answer the question of whether there can even be a relationship between Mira and Danaus. I’m hoping to provide readers with a few interesting surprises.

Also, I am happy to announce the titles for Book 4 and Book 5. Book 4 in the Dark Days series will be called PRAY FOR DAWN, while the title for Book 5 will be called WAIT FOR DUSK.

Amber - The covers for the Dark Days books are really good! How much influence do you have in the book printing process, like picking covers, after you hand in your story?

Jocelynn - I actually don’t have much influence over the covers for the Dark Days series, and in truth I’m relieved I don’t. My skill lies with writing and not art. I would be too afraid of messing up a great thing. Before the cover conference, I have a meeting with my editor where we brainstorm potential ideas, themes, and settings. We come up with a list of suggestions for the art department, which they take under consideration. But in the end, it’s all in the hands of the art department, who is absolutely fantastic. I trust them completely to make fantastic covers and they have exceeded my expectations every time.

Amber - What kind of research have you had to do for the books so far? Anything interesting or is research boring?

Jocelynn - For the most part, my research has revolved around settings for the books. So far, the series has gone to Savannah, England, Egypt, Italy, and Peru. Sadly, I have not been to any of those places, and yet I have to write about those settings with authority. I treat my settings as characters in the books. The various locations have to reflect the tone and needs of the scene. I love researching the places that Mira and Danaus will be traveling to. I do a lot of research on the Internet and in travel guides.

So far, my favorite location to research has been Venice because it’s not often that you have to have your characters constantly traveling by boat. You have the great history of the city, as well as the sound of the water lapping against the sides of the canals. I can so easily imagine Mira walking down the sidewalks and striding across the bridges through the vast centuries.

My next favorite is quickly becoming Budapest, which is the main location in the fifth book in the Dark Days series. There is not only an amazing history and architecture in the city, but it is also a cove of interesting little locations. I’ve had a lot of fun researching the place.

Amber - The Dark Days books have done really well. What have been the ups and downs of the series so far?

Jocelynn – I’ve had a lot of fun writing the Dark Days series. I love the dark world that Mira and Danaus inhabit. It’s always a mad race to the end as the bad guy breathes down the back of your neck – and that’s assuming that you know who the real bad guy is. Since the beginning of the Dark Days series, Mira has been forced to face her past with the naturi, take on a more responsible and protective stance than she ever wanted to, let go of people she once trusted with her life, and learn to trust someone she never thought she could. For me, the series is all about control – taking control of your own life and the control a character has over others. It’s also about examining the dark nature of humanity and looking at how far a person can walk into that darkness before they can no longer find their way back.

I’ve always seen the series as having two main characters – Danaus and Mira – even though Mira gets more time in the spotlight. I am hoping to remedy that problem with future books. I’ve had more trouble getting into Danaus’s head. He’s significantly older than Mira and more stuck in his ways. He’s had more than a thousand years of hate accumulated in his heart for nightwalkers, forcing me to take their friendship very slowly. It’s going to have a number of stumbling blocks no matter what happens with them in the future. Danaus also has to face his past in these books, learn the true cost of his powers, and find a way to see the truth in the race that he has hated for so long.

One of the most difficult things with this series has been the evolving plotline. When I started writing the series, I knew how many books it would take, where I was going, and who would be involved. Now that I’ve set these characters loose for three books and one novella, everything seems to have been thrown up in the air. I’ve met characters that I hadn’t planned on and the series has taken a slightly different direction that I originally planned. But that’s okay. I’m loving this roller-coaster ride.

Amber - Something I have always wondered is how authors come up with the names for their characters. How do you pick the names you use in your books?

Jocelynn - I have a book called the “The Writer’s Digest Character Naming Sourcebook” which I cannot live without. I’ve pulled more than 90% of my names from that book. I choose my names based on the needs of the story, the sound and feel of the name, and sometimes the history and meaning of the name.

Mira’s name is one of the few that didn’t come out of the book. I actually have a story for that one. I had been writing some random stories for a few months before coming up with Nightwalker. The lead female was strong, controlling, impulsive, hot-tempered, and sarcastic (sound familiar?). Her name was Miranda. By the third story, I ran into an instance where I needed a nickname for Miranda, but didn’t want to use Randi. One of my secondary characters opened her mouth and called her Mira. I instantly fell in love and move the newly formed “Mira” over to the Dark Days series

Amber - There are so many online sites eg, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace etc to get in touch with fans. Which sites are you signed up with? Is it hard to keep up with them all? Do you think they are good?

Jocelynn - I currently maintain two blogs – Blogger and LiveJournal – as well as accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. I also maintain a discussion board for my readers. At first, it was difficult to keep up with all of them, and there are some weeks where I post more entries than others. However, I have gotten into a routine with all of them that allows me to keep my readers updated without spending most of my time trapped on the Internet.

I think they are all valuable ways to keep readers tuned into upcoming events and book releases. The key is everything in moderation. A writer can very quickly become bogged down in these social networking sites so that he/she is spending more time posting updates and random thoughts than writing novels. I am guilty of this as much as anyone. There are days where I am spending far too much time on the Internet. However, with my next deadline looming far too close, I am easily able to keep focus on my writing and keep my time Internet limited.

Amber - What is the easiest and hardest part about being an author?

Jocelynn - There are days when everything seems to be the hardest part. There are days when the words aren’t coming, your editor wants you to scrap your favorite chapter, and you’ve still got to pay the bills and finish the laundry. There are days when the real world creeps in on your creative world, and the work just can’t be done. Sometimes, the hardest part is working when it seems like you haven’t got a creative bone in your body. Yet, you still find a way. What’s more, that’s one of the best days. When you overcome those hurdles, you feel like you’ve accomplished the impossible.

For me, one of the hardest things is negative reviews. After years of rejection letters from editors and agents, you feel like you’ve developed a thick skin. You feel like you can take even the most negative comments and it will roll off your back. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. The publishing industry demands that you have thick skin so that you can push through the negativity that will eventually roll through. But in the end, your book is still your baby. You want him or her to be welcomed into the world with warmth and kindness. You want to protect it. The negative reviewa will always hurt a little, but you keep writing, because you are a writer and it’s what you love more than anything else in the world.

The easiest part? Spending the day with two of my best friends, Mira and Danaus.

Amber - What kind of films do you watch? Any favourite TV shows?

Jocelynn - When it comes to films, I am an action junkie. I love fast-paced action and massive explosions. I don’t get to watch much TV because of my busy schedule. However, I do try to catch Mythbusters and Ghost Hunters every week. Another favorite show is Top Gear. It’s a car show out of the U.K. that has three fabulous hosts that keep me laughing though the entire show. I’m quickly becoming a car fanatic because of this show.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?

Jocelynn - I would be a vampire. I love their sense of power and control. I like the hard edge to their personalities. While sex appeal is frequently associated with vampires, I have always been attracted to a vampire’s power and strength. It’s about having a new sense of control over his/her surroundings in a chaotic world.

Amber - Thank you for coming back to visit Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back next time you have a new release!


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Contest Time!

I asked Jocelynn if she would like to run a contest and she said -

Let's do one big prize: Signed copies of: Unbound, Nightwalker, Dayhunter, a signed cover flat of Dawnbreaker and a little surprise bonus swag.


I am extremely envious! You guys are really being spoilt this week!

That is three signed books and extras!! For one lucky person Christmas is coming early!

However I have to make you work for this one. No easy questions! This week to enter the contest you have to up with a book title for Jocelynn's Dark Days series. You only have to read through the interview to see which ones are coming soon so I am looking for new ideas.

No Title = No entry!

The usual rules apply!

Earn another entry for each place you link this contest on the net. Make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

I can offer more prizes if my Amazon Associates account gets more money!! So please make sure you order at Amazon.com through the links around the site and help keep the contest coming!



The contest will stay open until Sunday 18th of October 2009 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

If you are claiming a prize, have emailed me and have not heard back before the 7 day limit is up then post a comment here on the blog. Your email may get sucked into my spam filter.

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posted by Amberkatze at 4:30 PM | 54 comments