My author guest this week was the 'Halloween loving' Terri Garey!
If you read the guest blog you would know that Terri has a novella out in an anthology with Jocelynn Drake and Caris Roane. BLOOD BY MOONLIGHT is out on Kindle and a definite bargain at the price Amazon are selling it!
Anyway the contest winner will be announced today so make sure you go over and check the results! Maybe one of you guys won!
Oh and check out Terri's books! They rock!
Darynda Jones is another author guest I had here on the blog a couple of weeks ago. Her fourth book in the Charley Davidson Grim Reaper series came out this week and I already starting listening to it.
The contest the author had set up is due to end in a few days. You could win a copy of 'Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet' so it is definitely worth entering.
If you want to find out more about the author, her books and the contest then go here and enjoy!
If you haven't tried this series yet then you have to! It is really not one to be missed!
Author Terri Garey has become a regular guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog and her visits always seem to around Halloween. Coincidence? :)
Terri loves Halloween and she goes all out every year. I love hearing about her holiday and she always has a book out near the date in question. This year she has a short story inside a Halloween anthology called BLOOD BY MOONLIGHT with authors Jocelynn Drake and Caris Roane.
Want to win a copy? Read Terri's guest blog about Halloween and then make sure you enter the contest using the widget below.
Hi, Amber! Thanks for having me back for my annual Halloween visit to your blog! :)
Halloween is only three days away, and I’m almost done with the decorating at my house… the front yard is filled with tombstones and creepy creatures of all different sorts, there are carved pumpkins by the door and cobwebs in the windows, the fog machines are ready to fog and the strobe lights are ready to strobe. Why do I – and so many others – love Halloween so much? What it is about that spooky little shiver down our spine that we find so compelling?
Look back over your own life, and try to remember your earliest spooky memory… watching a scary movie during a sleepover? Trying out a Ouija board with your best friend? When was the last time you had a scary Halloween adventure, hm?
To celebrate the release of BLOOD BY MOONLIGHT, a Halloween anthology with fellow paranormal authors Jocelynn Drake and Caris Roane, I’m offering YOU the chance to have a little Halloween fun of this year, without ever leaving your computer!
Pop on over to my website, and find out what may (or may not) happen if you were to wake up alone in the woods on Halloween night? What kind of creatures might you find lurking in those woods, maybe searching for a little “blood by moonlight”?
Only one way to find out… head on over and
Thanks for having me, Amber, and remember, ‘tis the season to be scary, so have a safe and fun Halloween!
Spooky plants like Moonflower, Black Dragon Coleus, Dragon Tree Dracaena and the mysterious "Sensitive" plant, grown in a creepily decorative little container complete with tombstone stakes, blood rocks, skulls and spiders!
Go ahead, enter! Winner will be announced on (when else?) October 31, 2012!!
The February Monthly Giveaway is over! The poll is closed and it is time to see which book won the most votes and which subscriber of Amberkatze's Book Blog has won of copy!
If you didn't take part this time then make sure you check in next month! Until then you can try your luck in the Rachel Caine Contest. Read the interview and enter yourself and you could win one of the authors books.
So which book won? Let's see!
Last place, with only 6% of the votes, goes to Shaded Vision by Yasmine Galenorn. I am a little surprised by this! Was expecting this long running series to get into the top three!
With 13% of the votes, at fourth place, is Old Haunts by E.J. Copperman. You guys aren't really cozy mystery people? huh? Even if there are ghosts involved? ;)
Well that wasn't the result I was expecting but I am so happy that Katie's book won! Now the question is who has won a copy of Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus!
Congrats to the subscriber with the email address beginning with :
Thescribbler_1!!!
Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize and remember you can also pick Kindle format!
Didn't win this time? Keep trying and make sure you check out the weekly author contests.
Oh and make sure you check out the books that were on offer this month! They were my five favourite reads! Use the links from Amazon and Book Depository to order and help keep the contests coming!
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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. If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker! If you won an e-book please make sure you send me the email address you would like the book sent to!
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. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.
If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.
Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.
Please use the links around the site to buy your books and help keep the contests going!
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For more chances to win -
Post about this giveaway somewhere on the internet eg. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc. Make sure you post the link here so I can confirm your extra entry.
Email your friends about this giveaway. Make sure you add my email address so I also get a copy and can confirm your entry. Amberkatzes_Book_Blog@gmx.eu
February is a short month but thanks to a Read-a-thon I took part in I got quite a few books read. Goodreads even tells me I am ahead in my goal to read 175 books this year.
Want to win one of the books I read in February? Well you can! It is time for the Monthly Giveaway!
You have the chance to vote for which book you want to win from my five favourite reads from last month!
What is the Monthly Giveaway?
I pick five of my favourite reads from the last month (sorry no ARCs are included unless they have already been released!) then you guys go to the poll and vote for the book you want to win or the one you think deserves to win! Remember! You may not actually win the book you voted for.
Here is a little info about each book on offer this month. Just click on the book title and author to see my review -
Well in the sidebar <--- there is this poll. You vote for the book you would most like to win. I pick a name from the subscibers list and that person wins the book with the most votes. So you may not even win the book you voted for!
To subscribe to Amberkatze's Book Blog all you have to do is use the box in the sidebar <--- or at the bottom of this post. Everyone who is already subscribed will be entered in the contest as well as new subscribers. If you have not confirmed your email address then you will not be added to the draw!!! The poll will stay open for votes until Tuesday 13th of March 2012 4pm (all times are in Central European Time). The winner will be announced within days of the contest closing.
Post about this giveaway somewhere on the internet eg. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc. Make sure you post the link here so I can confirm your extra entry.
Email your friends about this giveaway. Make sure you add my email address so I also get a copy and can confirm your entry. Amberkatzes_Book_Blog@gmx.eu
Use the Bookdepository or Amazon links/banners to keep the prizes coming! Oh and advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog wherever you can ;)
Her new release, A Devil Named Desire, is out now and let me tell you, it is an amazing read!
To compliment the interview I was giving away a copy of one of Terri's books. The winner can choose which Terri book they want from the Nicki Styx or Devil's Bargain series.
The contest is now over and it is time to pick a winner! So congrats to :
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. If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker! If you won an e-book please make sure you send me the email address you would like the book sent to!
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. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.
If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.
Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.
And no one knows that better than Sammy Divine. Once an angel, now cast down, Sammy's out to prove he's not the only angel who can be led into temptation . . .
Hope Henderson's sister has disappeared without a trace, and Hope will do anything to find her--even make a deal with the Devil. An ancient text holds the key to unspeakable power, and it's the Archangel Gabriel's job to make sure it stays hidden, even if he has to become mortal to do it. Lives, love, and the fate of the world hang in the balance, as Hope and Gabriel learn that when passion's involved, desire can be a devil that's impossible to control.
My Review :
Terri Garey has delivered some great reads over the years and while I really miss her Nicki Styx series I have to admit I loved the first book in the Devil's Bargain series, Devil Without a Cause. So I was really looking forward to the second part of this series and had A Devil Named Desire on pre-order.
There are lots of cool things about this series and I think the main one is Sammy! He is the guy from the Nicki Styx series who is really the Devil and it seems that he isn't as evil as he is made out to be. He actually has a nice streak.
This time around we meet Gabriel and Hope. They are thrown together by Sammy and there is an instant attraction. The relationship was a little quick for my liking but it worked. They fit well together and the story was spread out over a couple of weeks so things would have had to go fast to keep the plot in check. The author didn't over do the romance and it was actually nice to get to know the characters. I liked them and maybe we will meet them again and see how they are doing.
Of course the main story for me was the continuation of happenings between Sammy and his son Cain. I laughed a few times when these two had their scenes. The boy is just too funny and how Sammy has no idea what to do with him is also hilarious. After all he is supposed to be the scariest person ever and this kid has him practically pulling his hair out. Great reading.
However the best bit was that small cameo Nicki main. Yes, Nicki Styx has a small role in this one and it was great to have her appear in person. I hope she will be making more appearances in this series.
All in all this was a super read that I can highly recommend. I am really enjoying this series and it stays, like the author, on my must read list. Terri Garey is a brilliant writer and her books are delicious.
I hope you are all having a nice week! Have you already read this weeks author interview? Terri Garey was here talking about her latest release, A DEVIL NAMED DESIRE! I am reading it at the moment and have to say I love it!
So I just wanted to remind you all that there is a lovely interview to read and also a contest to enter! The winner gets to choose which Terri Garey book they get from her Devil's Bargain or Nicki Styx series! So if you haven't read anything by Terri Yet (shame on you!) then you can start at the beginning! If you are already a fan but are missing one of the books you have the chance to complete your collection!
Post about this giveaway somewhere on the internet eg. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc. Make sure you post the link here so I can confirm your extra entry.
Email your friends about this giveaway. Make sure you add my email address so I also get a copy and can confirm your entry. Amberkatzes_Book_Blog@gmx.eu
Didn't win this time? Still check out Linda's books! Also make sure you enter this weeks contest with author Terri Garey! Oh and at some point this week I will starting the January Monthly Giveaway! Make sure you check in and vote!
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. If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker! If you won an e-book please make sure you send me the email address you would like the book sent to!
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. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.
If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.
Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.
My author guest this week is Terri Garey! Her new gorgeous looking release, A Devil Named Desire is out now and I already have my copy waiting for me on the Kindle.
I love Terri's Nikki Styx series and was really surprised at how much I enjoyed her last release, Devil Without a Cause. Terri is definitely a must read author and I hope that if you haven't already had the pleasure of reading her work that you will give it a try after reading the interview.
So enjoy finding out all about the new book, series and the author. I hope you all enjoy the interview and take the time to enter this weeks contest. You could win a copy of one of Terri's great books!
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Amber - Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here again as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your second book in the Devil's Bargain series, A Devil Named Desire ?
Terri - A DEVIL NAMED DESIRE is the of the Archangel Gabriel, who is the keeper of an ancient text known as the Ars Goetia, the Key of Solomon. The words of the Key hold unspeakable power, but can only be translated by someone pure of heart. When Gabriel's old friend and onetime brother, Samael the Fallen (better known as the Devil) forces a desperate young woman to translate the Key in return for her sister's life, Gabriel is driven to stop her in any way possible, even if it requires he become human to do it. What he doesn't know is that Samael is out to prove that he's not the only angel who can be led into temptation, and that when temptation comes in the form of a beautiful woman, it can be impossible to resist.
Amber - The first Devil's Bargain book, Devil Without a Cause, was a spin-off from the Nicki Styx series. Does this new book also fit into that world?
Terri - Yes. In Devil Without a Cause, Sammy Divine (the Devil) was offered a chance to learn a lesson by playing guardian angel. In A Devil Named Desire, Sammy turns the tables on his old friend Gabriel, and attempts to teach him a lesson regarding the nature of temptation.
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the Devil's Bargain series? Was Sammy dying for his own set of books?
Terri - :) Sammy has a very strong personality, and his character became stronger in stronger in each subsequent Nicki Styx book. He has his own story to tell regarding his original fall from grace, and isn't quite the same as the one that the world is used to hearing. I really enjoyed patching together my own version of his downfall, and the world he inhabits, with a mixture of biblical stories, myth and legend. Sammy's kingdom is a dark one, full of shadows and secrets, strange creatures and strange landscapes. He rules it all --Lord of the Abyss, High Prince of Darkness -- but aches for the simplicity of what he's lost. I guess you could say he's a bit complex. :)
Amber - Where is Nicki? Is she ever coming back?
Terri - Nicki is coming back - she makes an appearance in A DEVIL NAMED DESIRE, actually. :) I'm currently working on a novella centered around her wedding to Joe that will be available in e-version sometime in 2012.
Amber - How long on average does it take you to write a book? Do you have a process you follow? or do you just start at page one and see what happens?
Terri - Each book takes about 9 months to write. I've never been the fastest writer in the world, and quite frankly, I don't want to be. I don't want rush it when I'm writing a book; it's a creative process that requires a lot of effort and imagination on the author's part, all designed to make it an effortless read for the reader. I start with an overarching concept, a clear image of my characters and their motivations, and an inciting event - a spark that sets the book in motion. Then I plot and plan several chapters in advance, letting the story evolve, but always knowing where I want to end up.
Amber - How do you pick the names for your characters? Do they have any special meanings?
Terri - Names are critical! I can't fully visualize a character unless I know their name, but once I do, the creative juices start flowing. I remember driving along one day, thinking about this story idea I had for a spunky young woman who saw dead people, and wondering what her name might be. I brought up a visual image of what she would look like, and BAM, there was Nicki Styx: funky, fashionable, and a bit of a smartass, straddling the world between the living and the dead just like the River Styx divides the Underworld. She wouldn't be Nicki without her name. :)
Amber - How do you come up with the titles for your books? Do you always go with the first title or is it hard to come up with the right one?
Terri - I've been very lucky with my titles, and they usually come to my mind first, before I write the book. I've only had to change two of my original six, but even then I got to choose the alternate titles as well. DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT, DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE and A DEVIL NAMED DESIRE were all original titles that were kept.
Amber - How much say do you have in the book publishing process? Eg. Do you get to pick the cover?
Terri - No, I don't get to pick the cover. My editor is great about asking what my ideas are, and she then communicates them to the art department, who does their own creative thing. :) Authors have very little say in their covers. I did ask for graveyards, which I've gotten in various forms on each cover, so I've been lucky.
Amber - If the series was going to be made into a TV series or Film, who would you like to see playing Sammy and Nicki?
Terri - Zooey Deschanel would make an awesome Nicki, and I've always seen Sammy as a cross between Simon Baker (The Mentalist) and Billy Idol.
Amber - Are you working on any other projects? What is next? Maybe some YA like other authors?
Terri - I've thought about YA, but I'm not really sure I have the voice for it - right now I'm finishing up Nicki's wedding novella, and working on the third Devil's Bargain book, which is all about Sammy!
Amber - What have you been reading, watching and listening to lately?
Terri - I've been on a bit of a movie binge, actually, and listening to a lot of Florence & the Machine.
Amber - Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?
Terri - My mom. She had seven kids and a fairly tough life, but she was always kind and loved to laugh. She died too young, but handled even that with grace and dignity.
Amber - If you could live anywhere in the world. Where would you live?
Terri - Oo, tough one. I haven't seen enough of it yet to decide!
I am giving away one of Terri Garey's book, winners choice! So you can get the new release or pick a Nicki Styx book.
How To Enter
What are you reading?!
No Answer = No Entry
'Please enter me' posts will NOT be counted as an entry
Earn more entries for each link you place about this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.
Advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog on your site and get an extra entry for this and every other contest!
Have you 'Liked' Amberkatze's Book Blog on Facebook?
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.
Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.
Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site.
The contest will stay open until Sunday 12th of February 2012 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.
