This Glamorous Evil and the new Nocturne Cravings

Our fabulous author in residence, Michele Hauf, has a new book coming out starting in September and I totally didn't know that when I planned the Club Scarlet contest post. Timing can be such a weird and strange thing. The new book is called This Glamorous Evil and it will be part of the new Nocturne Cravings imprint.  I asked Michele what the Cravings line meant and she said: 

Cravings is Nocturne's new novella series.  Short stories, only electronic, and supposedly sexier than the Bites.  The Bites will be done the end of this year, and then it's just Cravings.

I'm all for the new sexiness level! And I am really starting to groove on the novella format because time for reading is hard to come by these days and sometimes I just want a quick, jump in and jump out sort of story. So, let's all indulge our Cravings (I couldn't resist).

Here's the cover blurb:

Throughly Jones (T.J.) is a witch who practices dark magic and is desperate to rescue his brother from Daemonia. He needs to circumvent the usual methods to conduct demons because he's after a big catch. But will cat-shifting familiar, Star, agree to cut out the middle man and work exclusively with T.J.? That would involve them having sex to conduct a demon. But she wants a real relationship, without 'work sex' getting in the way. Can the two share the most intimate of connections to get the rescue job done, or will love toss a kink into their plans?

 

And a book trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/user/michelehauf?feature=mhee

Michele Hauf's Beautiful Creatures (and a contest)

I've been wanting to do this post for ages now and it just seems like time is always slipping away, faster than I can keep up with. As many of you may know, Michele Hauf is, along with being a very busy author, the creator and author-in-residence of both Bite Club and VampChix blogs. Now here's something you may not know: Michele has created a section on her website called Club Scarlet where readers can keep up-to-date on the latest book news, get character information, and learn the lingo from her Beautiful Creatures world. Want to get a set of hero collector cards? Simply stop by the Ichor Den for details? Can't remember what book included the ultra sexy werewolf, Severo? Click on the character tab. And that's not all! Each character has a link for a complete bio, including who they married/mated and what book they appear in.

Visiting Club Scarlet is also a great way to keep up-to-date between books. I read so many books on a given month that it can be all to easy to confuse characters or flat out just forget what book they belong to. So I stop by before each new release and refresh my memory. Plus, it's always fun to see my favorites, like Creed and Blu from Her Vampire Husband, Max Fitzroy and Aby from The Highwayman, or Sam and Cassandra from Ashes of Angels.

Speaking of Ashes of Angels, Michele has offered up a awesome contest for one set of her Of Angels and Demons books, which include Fallen, Angel Slayer, and Ashes of Angels. How cool is that? And since I've been chatting up Club Scarlet, I thought we could do a little word scramble with terms I found on the site. Here's the list:


*ohlcr edn
*imflraia
*ngotlhtoo
*nssriitai
*lrtlha

So unscramble the words and send me your answers via email at vampchixreadbooks(AT)gmail (DOT)com with Club Scarlet contest in the subject line. Please do not leave answers in the comments. Of course, you can always leave a comment about other stuff relating to the Beautiful Creatures world. I will leave this contest open for one week.

Forever vampire book discussion

Welcome back to the Bite Club Book Club!! 

Okay, now that everybody has read the book it's time to grab a spot on our cozy couch so we can all talk about our favorite parts! I have put together a few discussion topics, but as usual, we can talk about anything and everything pertaining to Forever Vampire.  

Discussion Topic #1:

Lyric and Vail are two very different people with dynamic personalities and some pretty intense family issues. Vail has grown up believing that his parents did not want him and Lyric has a mother that wants her too much, even if it isn't for the best reason. Vail has a serious addiction that he continues to deny, and he works hard at thumbing his nose at anyone and everyone. His tough attitude is a disguise that he wears so that people can't see his true emotions. Lyric is a vibrant, intelligent, beautiful woman that struggles with her obligations to her family and her need to be free. However, it is her compassion and ability to care that makes her the person she is. On the surface they might not seem like the perfect couple but it only takes a few chapters to realize that these two were made for each other. They are yin and yang. Lyric is steady and she balances out Vail's larger than life persona. Vail helps Lyric embrace her inner diva while she helps him embrace his true vampire nature. Both teach each other about communication, honesty and love. I enjoyed these two more than I thought I would!

What about you? What do you think about Vail and Lyric? Good couple? 

Discussion Topic #2:

Vail isn't exactly your typical romantic hero. He's an addict. I wondered right from the start what it was about his heritage that made him so prone to addiction because it involved so much more than just ichor. One early chapter mentions his sensory addiction to touch~ metal buttons, cool marble, velvety satin~ Vail wants to runs his fingers through it all. Such things might not harm him in any tangible way but they can provide some insight into his personality. However, it is his addiction to ichor that really proves dangerous. His normally strong mind was reduced to the dust he inhaled and the ichor he ingested.

Why do you think Vail continued to deny his addiction, and his inner vampire, once he was banished? How did his daddy issues play into the addiction? Why do you think he allowed Lyric to help him overcome his problem? 

Discussion Topic #3:

All the books that fit in the Beautiful Creatures world are filled with a rich and creative lore and I thought we might take a moment to talk about some of our favorite bits from Forever Vampire. 

*When a mortal wanted to see a faery they smeared an herbal ointment around their eyes.

*Vampires do not see their reflection, but it goes beyond the traditional lore and explains it more like the invisible man, with bodyless clothing. 

*Himself is the devil and no vampire ever invoked is name 3 times unless they wanted to deal with Hell.

*Wild roses, when planted by a witch, were excellent vampire deterrents.

What were some of your favorite pieces of lore from this book?

 Discussion Topic #4:

Now let's move on to our favorite scenes! I can't tell you the page number of this passage because I was reading on my Kindle and the book was chosen before the page number conversion happened, but the location is 2995-3002. I like this scene because of the simplicity~ the emotions are primal and raw. Real and beautiful.

A fierce gentleness held her captive. At her neck he mastered her. At her breast he teased and tasted her. At her lips, he now kissed her, the taste of her blood on his tongue. She devoured his need, his urgent want and desire. It was all she desired.

What scenes did you like best? Or even worst?

I hope you enjoyed Forever Vampire as much as I did. Vail surprised me in a totally good way and once again, the Beautiful Creatures impressed and entertained. Stop by later in the week when I showcase Beautiful Creatures and Club Scarlet.

Character inspiration for Forever Vampire

 

This month we are reading and discussing Forever Vampire by Michele Hauf. One of the things I like to know about the books I read is who or what inspired the characters. It's an interesting glimpse into the mind of a writer. Sometimes I can totally get it and agree, but other times I find the inspiration a distraction because it doesn't fit the picture I had in my head. Michele has posted the images for Lyric and Vail on her blog, Dusted, and I hopped over so I could re-post them here.

Lyric

My first impression:

I like the expression on her face because you can get a lot out of it~ fun, mischief, adventure. She's sexy without being obvious and her name seems to fit.

Vail

My first impression:

I like the goth-type look, the smirky smile and the green snake, but I have to admit...this guy doesn't really do it for me personally. However, I did really like the guy in the book trailer so I posted the link below.

Click on this link to watch the book trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7rHq2JzDsI

What are your thoughts on character inspiration? Do you like knowing beforehand or would you prefer to rely on your imagination? What do you think of Lyric and Vail?

Hey!  Michele, here.  Thought I'd jump in and try to convince Anna to love (or just like) my image of Vail.  Of course my favorite kind of hero is tall, dark and brooding.  I love a long, lithe man with dark hair and dark eyes.  Most of the pictures in my photo file are of dark-haired men.  It's not necessarily the personality of the person in the picture, and might be just a look or element of a photo that really cements a character for me.  I love the pic of Adam Lambert above, but a few others also inspired me, so I'm gonna show them to you.
This one is all about the eyes.  Just that look.  So intense, and focused.  Vail's intense look.

This next one was about the water/rain for me.  Vail fighting his addiction and the rain being what could wipe away the dust.  Also like the colors and dark shades that I tried to impart in the story.

And this pic, well, it's all about that look again.  Even though we know the real man in the pic is gay, and we can take his look as either revulsion or maybe a teasing sexuality, I like to think I'd love to be the woman in Vail's hands (if he were really Vail) in this photo.  ;-)

And a couple bonus pics to show!  Here's my inspiration for Zett.  I like the cold look in this celebrity's eyes.

And this pic inspired the magical tattoos that Zett wears on his body.

And if you have an interest in Leo, Lyric's brother, this is my inspiration for him so far.  Haven't any story ideas in mind for him, but with a picture like this, I'm sure I can come up with something.

And this pic totally inspired the scene where Vail and Lyric go to the healer in FaeryTown.

Book Club selection for May

Our book club has been on a short hiatus, but enough is enough, and it's time to kick off our summer reading book club. I'm excited to get back to business and look forward to discussing different books each month. So let's cut to the chase: 

 The book club selection for May will be Forever Vampire by our very own Michele Hauf!

Here's a quick description:

Vail the Unwanted is a pureblood vampire. But raised in Faery, he has neither home nor peace, and when his aid is sought in the recovery of a priceless diamond gown, his price is information. Specifically the whereabouts of his accursed father. His goal is revenge, and the supernaturally sexy Lyric, the icy blond vampiress with whom he must work, is a distraction he can't afford.

Outwardly as cold as the diamond dress in which she was kidnapped, Lyric has her own secrets. Desperate to break free from her criminal family, she aligns herself with the brooding Vail. Together they seek justice while each secretly works for freedom and a fresh start. For Lyric that means holding herself apart, even from the smoldering blue-eyed Vail. For Vail, it means a battle to the death for revenge—and for a temptress he can't deny.

Want to read the first 2 chapters? Visit Michele's website!

Dates to remember:

 May 4th Character inspiration

May 11th Beautiful Creatures world

May 16th book club discussion

Fallen is out now! And other readerly news

Michele's latest Nocturne is out now!!

Description:

Wanting to be a part of mankind, the angel fell—losing his halo, the prize that held his earthbound soul. Now Cooper must retrieve it. But wherever the Fallen walk, a Sinistari demon intent with slaying one is not far behind. Cooper knows he must be wary of this demon. But his first encounter with her leaves him curiously hungering for more...

 

To reclaim her own soul, Pyxion must kill an angel. Not just any angel, but one who's fallen to earth and taken on an irresistible, seductive human form. She never expected that she would feel an attraction for the man she hunted—or that she might need his help. When faced with a powerful mutual threat, she and Cooper form an alliance. But as the danger heightens, so does the passion...and if they give in, all could be lost.

You can get your copy of Fallen at all the usual locations, or click here to be directed to the Nocturne website for all information pertaining to Harlequin books, including current releases.

More cool stuff 

*Marta Acosta has put her Scottish romance, Wolfish in Sheep's Clothing, up on Smashwords for only 99 cents!  This story originally appeared in The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance which came out last February. Click here to get your ebook copy. 

 *Game of Thrones is set to debut on HBO beginning April 17th and I'm really looking forward to this adaptation, and what an excellent way to pass time while waiting for True Blood to begin. I haven't finished the book yet because Flyboy is hogging it at the moment, but I plan on being ready before episode one airs. Anybody else interested in this show? 

*And since I mentioned True Blood I thought it might be nice to take a look at my favorite blonde vampire. Like I need an excuse.

*I've been slacking on the Being Human posts, extra time has not been plentiful of late, but I will put up a 2 week recap this weekend, along with some cool tech news that I've been meaning to share.

*The President's Vampire comes out on April 28th!! Only 29 days and my patient waiting will come to an end. Maybe I need one of those counter thingies to demonstrate my barely contained excitement. Sometimes I am such a dork. Seriously, I have been waiting for this book since I turned the final page in Blood Oath, which happens to be one of the best books to come out in recent memory and was actually one of my early reviews. Christopher Farnsworth has a really cool website so stop by and check it out. And read these books!!!!

Finding the right face

My novella, The Ninja Vampire's Girl came out last week in electronic form.  You can find it at your favorite online retailer.  I thought I'd chat about about how I create my characters.  When I start a story I have to have the characters in mind before I can find the words to make them move.  And that character needs a name.  I had already been working on a Nocturne (Ashes of Angels) in the Of Angels & Demons series and knew that heroine had a sister named Coco.  Make that Rococo.  (Their parents had a thing for 18th century Europe.)  So Coco Stevens became the heroine of this short story.  I had a few details on her from her sister's story, but wasn't sure what she looked like.  I'm very visual, and like pictures on my computer monitor, right alongside the page as I type.

I have a manila folder for Men and one for Women.  I fill these with pics I've torn out of magazines over the years.  When I need a character, I pull out the file and page through until one of them catches my eye.  Carey Mulligan seemed to leap out and scream for me to use her as the heroine.  That was cool.  Only, my heroine is French/British/African-American.  Hmm...well that was no problem.  I think it was the waifishness of Mulligan that really called to me, and then I gave her dark hair and a darker skin tone and it worked.

As for the hero, okay, I admit it, I've always had a thing for Spike, and really, it's not Spike acting in the role of Zane, my vampire in this story.  But I do like his appearance.  So imagine Spike, except give him a scar from forehead, through his left eye, and down to his cheek.  Then add a twist of Jude Law, and that's my guy!  [Can we please just take a moment to admire the pic of James Marsters below?  The man is a god.  No question.]

So you see, it isn't always an exact image that gives me ideas about the hero and heroine, but rather a certain part of the face, or maybe the way they stand in the picture, or a hair style, or even the funky British accent that Spike had.  But pictures help me to keep characters straight, and I always use them.

When you read a book, do you cast the characters and imagine them as movie stars or otherwise when reading?  Do you like knowing who the author had in mind when writing the story, or would you rather come up with your own cast?  

I have an electronic download of THE NINJA VAMPIRE'S GIRL for one lucky commenter, so let me know what you think in the comments!  [Winner announced Saturday.]

Weres on Wednesday (WOW): Moon Kissed

In this next installment of the Weres on Wednesday (WOW) post I thought we could revisit Michele Hauf's Wicked Games series, specifically Moon Kissed, which features Severo, a completely alpha wolf that somehow sneaks his way into your good graces.

Book Description:

A fine line between fear and desire…

Escaping from bloodthirsty vampires, Belladonna Reynolds ran straight into the arms of a werewolf. As a man, Severo drew her in with his dark good looks; as a beast he astounded her with his insatiable sensual appetite. Whether afraid or aroused, Bella fled to his lair when threatened by an evil monster of the night….


And between hatred and love…

Severo tried to keep Bella—his mate—safe from the vampiress who held a malicious desire for revenge against him—but he alone wasn’t enough. How could he desire the very thing he’d spent his life destroying? And even if he did, what would the werewolf do to Bella on the next full moon?


For more information on books by Michele Hauf, visit her website. And for more on Severo, pick up a copy of After the Kiss.

My question to you: Who would you want to see cast as Severo? 

Another question: What is it about those Alpha wolves that has the ability to drive us crazy and wild at the same time?

Side read: A glimpse at Harlequin and Nocturnes

Live the emotion with Harlequin novel today.


Boy is that the truth! Harlequin literally has something for everyone and each line is designed to appeal to a target audience and has a constantly rotating selection of titles from some of the biggest names in women's fiction. Harlequin publishes over 110 titles a month in 28 languages in 114 international markets on six continents. Under the Harlequin imprint you can find a specialty to suit any taste.





*Teen: Young readers will enjoy a wide variety of fiction, from contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, historical and, of course, a good dose of romance!



*Blaze: This series is as hot as it gets! Our Harlequin Blaze couples know what they want and they go out and get it. You can count on a satisfying romantic relationship and plenty of steamy sensuality throughout the book — these books tell it like it is inside and outside the bedroom.




*Intrigue: Shared dangers lead to shared passions in these exciting books! You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat as characters conquer everything from kidnappings to murder mysteries, only to find themselves irresistibly drawn to one another.




*Nocturne: Meet dark, sexy and powerful characters in these paranormal novels whose chilling stories will thrill you. This line also has the Nocturne Bites, like Halo Hunter, that are short stories with a paranormal twist.

Being a paranormal blogger I am, of course, delighted that Harlequin has created a line just for me. Okay, not just for me, but it is definitely cool to have a place to go on a monthly basis and find new books featuring zombies, vampires, werewolves and demons. June and July look to be promising with books from Lori Devoti (Zombie Moon), Michele Hauf (Angel Slayer), Vivi Anna (The Vampire's Kiss), and Lindsay McKenna (Guardian).

Do you have a Harlequin favorites? Have you shopped the eHarlequin website?

Side read: Halo Hunter by Michele Hauf

What is a side read? With so many good paranormal reads coming out each month it's getting harder and harder to just choose one for our book club so I created a side read project that highlights some of the books that have come out during the month. We won't be having formal discussion questions for these titles, but we can still get together and talk.

I've never featured an e-book before mainly because I don't have an e-reader yet, but this is a Nocturne Bites and since they're pretty short I thought I'd give it a try. Besides all that, the thought of not physically adding to my TBR mountain was appealing on various levels.

Halo Hunter is available now and can be found at the eHarlequin website or at Amazon for under $3.00. A great book and a great price!

Excerpt from Halo Hunter:

My name is Michael Donovan. I'm a halo hunter. And I want to believe.

For ten years I've been collecting halos, lost when fallen angels purposefully left heaven to mate with human women. But in all that time, I've never seen an angel.

In Paris searching for halo number fifteen, I get a lucky break when a gorgeous woman named Vinny offers up the halo's location--for a price. Even though she sends up all kinds of warning signals, I can't resist her offer. She's too interesting, too mysterious...and way too sexy.

Sure enough, soon I'm being shot at, followed by strange men, and learning more about the supernatural world from Vinny than I ever could have imagined. Why are the pretty ones always so dangerous?

Read the first chapter here!

What's on tap?

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris


I'm super excited to feature Charlaine Harris this month! Throughout the month we will be talking about all the characters in the Southern Vampire series, comparing and contrasting the books versus the HBO series, True Blood, and along the way we'll be launching a new feature. Beginning June 14th Jen will be bringing us the latest from True Blood in weekly episode recaps.

And wait, there's more!

In a few days I'll be announcing the next contest for a copy of Dead in the Family so be sure to watch out for that...and for those that are impatient like me, here's a hint...the contest begins on Monday.

Important days to remember:

June 7th Contest information announced

June 11 True Blood season 3 teaser

June 15 Author spotlight

June 22 Men of Sookieverse

June 24 Women of Bon Temps

June 25 Show vs. book vs comic

July 5th and 6th Chat days for Dead in the Family


And in other exciting news:


*Our first side read for June will be Halo Hunter by Michele Hauf. Michele will be stopping by to give one lucky commenter a free e-copy of the book on June 8th!

*I'm thrilled to be hosting Chloe Neill with a stop on her blog tour for Twice Bitten! Chloe will be a guest blogger on June 29 and she'll be holding a contest!! Twice Bitten hits store shelves on July 6th and you won't want to miss the chance to win a copy of this book. Chloe Neill was my favorite new author of 2009 and because I love this series, her Chicagoland Vampires will be our end of the month side reads.