Monday, December 31, 2012

The Next Big Thing Blog hop!

I cannot believe I scheduled two bloghops for the same time!! OOPS, I need a secretary. :p Anyway...

My good friend Vivienne Westlake asked me to participate in the Next Big Thing Blog Hop today. Check out her post from last week to see what she’s working on.

She asked me a few questions about what I’ve been writing recently, so here it goes…

What is the working title of your book?
Forbidden: Genesis Trilogy

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I love circus'. In fact, I worked in a carnival several years ago in high school and the stories the old guys told during lunch, the things they'd seen and done, the world they'd traveled. In my mind, at seventeen, I romanticized it. How exciting all the new places would be, but also, how dangerous it could be too. I've always been heavy into fantasy and paranormal and decided it would be really cool to read about a story that tied my love of those stories with my love of the paranormal underbelly. Of course with a generous sprinkling of romance in there as well. ;) Thus, forbidden was germinated and it's been sitting on the back burner for over a decade now... waiting until the day I felt my writing could do my idea justice. Several months ago I decided it was time and in nearly 6 weeks have almost completed the novel.

What genre does your book fall under?

Paranormal Romance Young Adult

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Flint DeLuca: Marion cotillard

Cain: I always have a hard time with picking male actors, so I'll let you all decide when you read the book. He's got dark hair, peircing blue eyes, and muscular. :D


What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

His kiss might be her doom...

Favorite paragraph from your book.


She rolled her eyes. “Then I’ll walk.”

“Like. Hell.” The mint of his breath tickled her lips as he thrust his face close to hers again. She inhaled greedily, wishing it was a kiss.

His lips curled, exposing his canines. They weren’t sharp and pointed, like she almost expected them to be. It would be so much easier to believe that he was some sort of vampire enthralling her to feel these things. Lightheaded and dizzy, clueless and  hopeless, desperate longing so sharp it cut like a knife through her heart… but no, what she felt was impossibly human.

Flint was attracted to the forbidden.

And Cain was the fruit she shouldn’t eat but desperately wanted.


Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Indie pubbed all the way. ;)

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I'm not quite done yet. But it's in its final stages. I'd say another 3-4 weeks will finish it off.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Hmm... I'm not sure. I read a ton of YA, but none with a carnival setting. Umm... maybe things like Twilight, Beautiful Creatures, The Lux Series... contemporary fantasy/paranormal.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I write books I want to read. A few months ago I was browsing around for romance YA set in a carnival with paranormal creatures and couldn't find much. So I decided to just knuckle down and write it.


What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
There are different paranormal creatures in this one. There are no vampires, or werewolves. Which are awesome but I wanted to give the readers something new. So I'm writing about the hive (based on the Aswang legend) and beserkers. It's been fun delving into new and different mythology and makes the geek girl in me get all happy. :D

Blurb:

Flint DeLuca has only ever known one way of life, the circus. She's a tightrope walker and used to seeing the extraordinary happen everyday. Or so she thinks. That is until the day she meets Cain. Dark and mysterious there's something about the brooding loner that calls to her. But there's more to Cain than just the attitude, there's a dangerous secret he keeps. A world mortals should never know. Flint doesn't know what he is, and deep down she knows she should stay away, but like the old saying goes... the sweetest fruit is always forbidden.


Here are a few other authors participating in The Next Big Blog Hop. Check out their blogs on January 2nd to see what projects they are currently working on.

Lea Griffith-
Lea Griffith began sneaking to read her mother’s romance novels at a very young age. She cut her teeth on the greats: McNaught, Woodiwiss and Garwood. As she got older, her need to devour all genres of romance–including contemporary, paranormal and sci/fi–grew. Any romance novels she couldn’t buy were borrowed or traded in her quest to read about that elemental emotion that keeps us strong: love. She still has most of those books; dog-eared, their pages yellowed with age, they still bring her joy.
Lea lives with her husband and three teenage daughters in rural Georgia and she writes her own stories now. With two dogs, a cat and a beta fish named Coddy George, there is never a dull moment. When she’s not working her day job you can usually find Lea at her keyboard, using every spare second to write. Shifters, artificial intelligence, and gene splicing, oh my! Nothing is off-limits when it comes to her writing

Jennifer Blackstream-
Jennifer Blackstream is a psychology enthusiast with both a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology. Her fascination with the human mind is most appeased through the study of mythology and folklore as well as all of Terry Pratchett’s novels.

Jennifer enjoys listening to Alice Cooper, trying new recipes (to which she will add garlic whether it calls for it or not), watching television with her family, and playing with her woefully intelligent three year old son.

Jennifer spends most of her time drinking coffee from her X-Men mug and desperately trying to get all her ideas written down before her toddler can find that all magical button on her laptop to make all her work vanish.

A.J. Locke-
A.J. Locke is a writer of Adult Urban Fantasy, an avid reader, and artist. And her books seriously rock! Her novel, Affairs of the Dead, will be published by Etopia Press in 2013.
 
Happy reading!
~Marie

New Years Blog Hop


 
New Years, the possibility of something amazing. A new love, a bestselling book, a new baby, a new... you. I love the infinite dreams and promises of what the New Year can bring. This is always an exciting time for me, the freshness of what may happen... even the not knowing.  So in honor of this New Year (that the Mayans swore we'd never have! *g*) all us authors are doing a fun giveaway. Lots of cool prizes, so stop by, comment on what's a great New Years memory for you and don't forget to give me your email addy so I can throw your name in the pot for all the fun goodies!
 
Can't wait to see you January 1st - 6th!
 
So I'll start and give you an inside scoop to what I'm working on for 2013.
 
I'll be releasing sometime in the early part of the year the first of my Genesis Trilogy: Forbidden. Which is a paranormal YA. Below is the blurb:
 
Flint DeLuca has only ever known one way of life, the circus. She's a tightrope walker and used to seeing the extraordinary happen everyday. Or so she thinks. That is until the day she meets Cain. Dark and mysterious there's something about the brooding loner that calls to her. But there's more to Cain than just the attitude, there's a dangerous secret he keeps. A world mortals should never know. Flint doesn't know what he is, and deep down she knows she should stay away, but like the old saying goes... the sweetest fruit is always forbidden.
 
 
I've also got Hook's Pan, the final installment of my Kingdom Series books slated for release. This book will take us back to Kingdom and the fun and fantasy I delved into with Red and Her Wolf. Dealing with pirates, mermaids, and a pesky fairy godmother named Danika.
 
On top of that, I'll be releasing another YA fantasy series called the Chaos Time Trilogy. The first book: Fire in the Sky will be released soon.
 
So lots of fun stuff in 2013. On top of that, I've decided to give my Kingdom book covers a face lift and will be re-releasing them with their new covers, hopefully soon. I'll make sure to post the new art once they're done. I'm sure they're going to be awesome. :D
 
Now you tell me, what are you looking forward to this year... or, what did you love about New Years past?
 
Don't forget:

There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger. My prize is a 5 dollar gift certificate to either Amazon or B&N.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!
 
 

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $300 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!


Happy reading,
~Marie

Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas all!

Hope you all have a great one, I'll be MIA for a while. Doing the whole family thing, hope you all are too. Can't wait for 2013! I already have so many books lined up, and since the Mayans did a terrible job of predicting the end of the world, I've got the time to do it. ;)

So to all, Merry Christmas and I'll see you in 2013!

Happy reading,
Marie :D

Thursday, December 20, 2012

On Dublin Street: Recommended Read

At this point I'm fairly certain you've all heard of this book, and have probably all read this book. Rarely do I come across books that I stay awake all night just to finish it. I've read some of Samantha Young's other books, YA's... and was never a huge fan. So I really dragged my feet with reading this one... but there was just so much buzz about it and after the fifth friend told me I absolutely had to read it, I caved and I'm sooooo glad I did! This book is amazing. The heroine is totally messed up, she has some major baggage in her past, which means she's got HUGE committment issues. The hero has been done wrong. I mean neither one are going to win boy scout awards, they're messed up, screwed up, and just plain off. Which is what made them so real. The setting, well... it's Scotland, I mean c'mon... that's about as perfect a setting as you can get. There was no fantasy, no paranormal, but there was blood sizzling chemistry, real and awesome characters that you can't help but root for and a story line that literally sucks you in from the first paragraph.

Seriously guys, if you want a fantastic read (and you're like me with a head stuck under a rock) read this book. You'll thank me later! :D

Happy reading,
Marie

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Wanna do something amazing this Christmas?

Send a sick child a Christmas greeting at this link. When my youngest son was first born (little bean) we thought he was perfect only to discover two days later he was deathly ill with a serious heart condition. The first few weeks of his life was spent in N.I.C.U. and even now (2 years later) that he's all better I can never forget those little ones in there struggling for life, the families desperate for joy and the hope you get when someone remembers you.

All you have to do is go to this link and type in a Christmas message of hope... the children will see the message appear on a telemonitor in their hospital. Easy, and yet it's impact is life changing. :)

Hope you all can do it!
~Marie

http://giving.chop.edu/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=4080&autologin=true

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Hook's Pan updates

Whew, crazy (but fun) week. Quick update... wrote 1k words on Hook's Pan. This one is pretty much going to permanently take place in Kingdom and is definitely shaping up to be more novel length. Fitting end to the series I hope. :) I'll also be introducing new locations in Kingdom, so I think it's going to be fun.

I've also written another 2k on forbidden. That one is nearing it's end... I'm hoping to have both books up for publication sometime in early 2013. I'll know more as I get closer to finishing the books.

Hope you've all gotten your Christmas shopping out of the way, I have and yeah... I'm so grateful. I've seen the lines at the post office today. NOT PRETTY. *shudders*

Happy reading!
~Marie

Sunday, December 16, 2012

And the winners are...

Wow, what a turn out for my little ol' giveaway. It was wonderful to read all your responses and while I wish you could all win, I can only have 3 winners. So, my totally scientific method, letting every member of my family pick a number.

So without further ado... the winners are...

Gift 1: The beautiful charm bracelet goes to...

Lisa Whitefern!

Gift 2: The charm necklace plus your choice of a $5 dollar gift certificate to either Amazon or B&N...

Rhianna

Gift 3: The Hatter necklace, autographed copy of the Kingdom Collection Series, $5 dollar gift certificate to either Amazon or B&N and your name used in my upcoming series novel, Forbidden...

Luveskane

Congratz gals! And to everyone else, thank you soooo much for commenting. I love to read them. I also love to do fun little giveaways, if you haven't already suscribed to my newsletter that's where you'll find all my latest happenings and new giveaways I've got planned. Newsletter suscribers also get little extra perks. ;)

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Reading!
~Marie

Also, as an aside, my thoughts and prayers go to the victims of the Conn. massacre. Such a tragic thing to happen to so many families. (((HUGS))) to all.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

The 3 Days of Christmas Giveaway!!!

Falalalala....lalalah! It's Christmas time, ya'll. Or close enough that it might as well be. This is my favorite time of year. I love the lights, the smells, and yes (I'll shamelessly admit it) the gifts. Though I enjoy buying for others and seeing their faces light up, more than I enjoy having to take the awkward photo holding my new toy. *g*

So in honor of this most joyous of holiday seasons, I'm doing a nifty giveaway. I've only been publishing since July of this year, with no clue what to expect, what's happened has been beyond my expectations. I've gotten to know so many people in so many different parts of the world, have learned that there's a TON of people out there just like me who loves a good fairytale retelling. In a way, I consider my readers part of my extended family.

Which brings me around to the best part... the gifts!

You remember the secret I was lording over ya'll all those days ago??? I didn't want to say anything at the time because I was still waiting for my packages to arrive. They have and so now I can share.

On the first day of Christmas, Marie Hall gave to me....

 
An Alice in Wonderland Charm Bracelet! (And yes, it's as gorgeous as it appears to be)
 
On the second day of Christmas, Marie Hall gave to me.....
 
 
An Alice in Wonderland Charm NECKLACE! Not only that, but you'll also receive a $5 dollar gift certificate to either B&N, or Amazon!
 
 
On the third day of Christmas, Marie Hall gave to me....
A Mad Hatter style necklace/watch. This thing is obscenely cool! Also the alice charm is adorable next to it. But, beings this is the grand prize. You'll not only receive the necklace, the $5 dollar gift card, an autographed print copy of my Kingdom Collection, but for my newsletter suscribers ONLY you'll also get the chance to have your name become a character in my latest book, Forbidden!! (I should warn you, the name will be going to a villain, so expect a dastardly demise *cue manical laughter now*).
 
 
 
So rules, because any good giveaway always has rules...
 
 
For the first two gifts, comment on my blog. Tell me what it is you love about Christmas, or... what you love about fairy tales. Or, just feel free to tell me how much I rock, because yeah.... that would totally work too. ;)
 
For the final gift, either suscribe to my newsletter, or if you have already, make sure to mention that at the bottom of the comment. Either way, make sure to mention you're a suscriber.
 
The giveaway will start immediately and run through the 15th. The winners will be chosen by random and notified through email the next morning. So please, make sure to include your email address at the bottom of your comment.  
 
Prizes will be mailed out that Monday.
 
If you win, I'll contact you privately for addresses.
 
That's it!
 
 
My way of saying a BIG FAT THANK YOU to you all. I appreciate you guys and I hope you're having a very, very Merry Christmas season. :D
 
 
Happy reading!
~Marie Hall


Friday, December 7, 2012

It's been a while....

I'll update that secret soon. ;) For now, just writing to let you know I'm still alive and getting closer every day to finishing Forbidden! I'm not sitting at 65k words, looking like I'll have another 15-20k before I finish. I actually anticipate this one rounding out around 90k after edits though. I've really enjoyed writing this story, but not to worry ya'll, Hook's Pan is still very much in the works. I find that sometimes switching worlds helps me from letting a series grow stale.

And now to end this with my favorite scene of the day:


A warm hand pressed into her back, before sliding around to the side of her arm and latching onto her hand. And though they were safe from the madness of the storm, a different sort of madness settled in Flint’s bones.


Hey look at that, I only pasted two lines instead of an entire paragraph. :D

Happy reading,
~Marie

PS... if anyone is looking for an awesome reading suggestion, Opal (part of Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux Series) was just released. The entire series is flat out, knock you on your butt, and make you do naked cartwheels out on the front lawn (not that I ever have mind you *wink*) kind of good! Check it out, you'll thank me later. ;)

Monday, December 3, 2012

I have a secret

A really good secret. The kind you love lording over someone because it's just that good. What is it???

You'll find out soon... ;)

But since I'm nice, I'll leave you with my favorite line of the day from Forbidden:


“Do you have a weakness?” Flint couldn’t believe she’d asked it.

He grew very still, just looking at her, his eyes were a deep, deep blue, his irises nothing but a pinprick of inky black. But then she saw them change, glow a dull red and her heart leaped into her throat.

“No,” he said, “I don’t.”


Okay, so it's more like a paragraph... LOL

Happy reading,
~Marie

Sunday, December 2, 2012

SSS Forbidden

Happy Sunday, and now for another round of S.S.S. Forbidden.

These 6 sentences show Flint beginning to discover some uncomfortable truths and Cain comes to help her out the best way he knows how. Which, with Cain, it ain't always pretty... but this is one of those rare times when he actually is nice...


“Flint?”

She didn’t need to look to know who’d said her name.

“What?” His name came out muffled between her fingers.

Cain pried her hands off her face and then slid his sunglasses off, his eyes gently probing her face. The scent of corn and car exhaust smacked her in the nose. She trembled, maybe her dad was right and she was suffering some sort of PTSD, maybe she hadn’t been ready to come back.
 
Happy reading!
~Marie

Thursday, November 29, 2012

I've got COVER ART!!!


So here's my series, in all its magnificient glory. LOL... yeah, I'm sorta in love with these covers, seriously. Anyway, these are for my Genesis Trilogy, I'm halfway through Forbidden now and in the next few days I'll be starting to post lots of teasers and excerpts from this book, because I'm sorta in love with my couple.

What do ya'll think???

 
 
If that doesn't scream sexy YA, I'm not sure what does. :D Gotta give a massive shout out to Croco for her awesome work! I seriously think my cover artists rock people, just sayin'. ;)

And now here's a quick teaser from my favorite sentence yesterday:


Cain drew up straight and when he did he was so close Flint felt the heat of his body wash against her own. She sucked in a sharp breath and then nearly swooned when his hands rested casually against her hips. He was staring at her intensely and she couldn’t have looked away even if her life depended on it.
 
Happy reading!
~Marie

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Forbidden teaser

I got a new cover, the second one in the series done. I won't show it yet, not until the third one is complete, however... I will share a quick teaser of my favorite line for the day:


But he didn’t kiss her, he was running his nose along the top of her head and she could swear she felt his body trembling.

“You always smell so good,” he murmured.

Sigh... I'm seriously loving Cain. :D

Happy reading,
~Marie

PS... Hook's Pan is already in the works. *g* Right now this book is looking much more like a full length novel. Which is surprising considering all the others were novellas (with the exception of Wolf, which was a short category length novel). So that should be fun, a great way to end the series with a bang. I'm loving this though, lots of mermaids, pirates, and a certain pesky fairy godmother!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Jinni's Wish NOW AVAILABLE

So it's been uploaded everywhere, however, it's only showing up on the B&N website. Hopeful that it will be made available everywhere else at some point today.

I cannot believe that the series is practically over, went by in a blur. Hook's story will be the final book and it's almost kind of sad. Like saying goodbye to a friend. I love crazy Danika and have been having some crazy thoughts lately. Thoughts like maybe after a hiatus, I may just return to Kingdom. There's still a lot more baddies out there to write about. Of course, I'm also working on my Genesis Trilogy. Forbidden is coming along nicely, I'm already at 40k words, roughly the length of Gerard's story. This series will be full length however, so I will probably round this thing out at 75-80k, maybe even higher if I can't keep those plot bunnies from multiplying out of control. :p

I've also come up with the titles for my second and third book in the series. Reckless and Possessed. I'll be commissioning cover art for the last two probably sometime today, so things are moving along nicely. Looking forward to 2013 and all the new books I'll have to release.

Also, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter. I like to give out cool little gifts to my suscribers, a way for me to say "thank you". :)

Happy reading!
~Marie

Saturday, November 24, 2012

SSS Jinni's Wish

Well, I'll be releasing this book in the next few days hopefully, so here is my final SSS for Jinni. Hope you enjoy!


“You were a genie once. If you could have had one wish, what would it have been?”

“That’s easy,” he twirled a length of her hair around his finger, “you.”

“Mush,” she sighed, “I’m mush.”

Jinni glanced at her bedroom alarm clock. “We do have two hours before your brother returns.”

“Hmm…” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Whatever should we do?”

He glanced at the bed. “I can think of a few things.”


Happy reading!
~Marie :)

And the winner is....

Thanks to everyone for such a successful HOP! :D It was so much fun learning that I'm not nearly in the minority when it comes to Black Friday as I'd thought.

So without further ado:

BLHMistress, (you've been chosen as a  contestant on the price is right)

*giggle* I've always wanted to do that. :D

Seriously though, to everyone else if you haven't already sign up for my newsletter. I've got some amazing things in the wings. A 3 days of Christmas I've got coming up which will feature one amazing prize each day, but only for those of you who're part of my  newsletter.

To everyone who didn't win, this was really a blast. Hope to see you around soon.

@-BLH
I'll be contacting you off loop!

Happy reading,
~Marie

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Black Friday Blog Hop

 
 
While the rest of the US is out handling the crowds, fighting for their holiday gifts, some of us like to stay in, shop online, or just ignore Black Friday all to together. This year, join us in our second annual Black Friday Blog Hop! It's a ONE DAY hop where we're giving away prizes, talking about books we love, and most likely eating left over turkey. :-)

The hop is November 23rd and is ONE DAY only.

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $75 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more! (Sorry guys, no International Shipping on this one)
 
 

I love Black Friday, love the deals, love the savings. Hate the crowds, which is why I've only braved it three times in my life! LOL... but since you all are joining me here today, I'll give you one extra deal, sign up for my  newsletter, or if you have already let me know that, and comment with what your best score was on Black Friday. Mine was an HD flat screen TV at best buy four years ago. Completely obsolete now, but back then... oh yeah, I was the envy of my block! *grin*

So my prize is simple, whichever one of my books you'd like for free. Since Hatter is currently free everywhere, you'll actually be getting two books. Below are the blurbs for each:

Her Mad Hatter: (Alice in Wonderland)

Alice is all grown up. Running the Mad Hatter's Cupcakery and Tea Shoppe is a delicious job, until fate--and a fairy godmother with a weakness for bad boys--throws her a curveball. Now, Alice is the newest resident of Wonderland, where the Mad Hatter fuels her fantasies and thrills her body with his dark touch.

The Mad Hatter may have a voice and a body made for sex, but he takes no lovers. Ever. But a determined fairy godmother has forced Alice into Wonderland--and his arms. Now, as desire and madness converge, the Hatter must decide if he will fight the fairy godmother's mating--or fight for Alice.

Gerard's Beauty: (Beauty and the Beast)

A not so classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, as seen through the eyes of the villain...

Betty Hart has had it with men. Jilted in love, her life now consists of shelving books by day, watching too much Anime by night, and occasionally dressing up like a superhero on the weekends with her fellow ‘Bleeding Heart’ nerds. Men are not welcome and very much unwanted. Especially the sexy Frenchman who saunters into her library reeking of alcohol and looking like he went one too many rounds in the ring.

Gerard Caron is in trouble. Again. Caught with his pants down (literally) he’s forced to seek asylum on Earth while his fairy godmother tries to keep Prince Charming from going all ‘Off with his head’. Maybe, messing around with the King’s daughter hadn’t been such a great idea after all, not that Gerard knew the silly redhead was a princess. But his fairy godmother knows the only way to save his life is to finally pair Gerard with his perfect mate, whether he’s willing or not.

From the moment Gerard lays eyes on the nerdy librarian he knows he must have her, but Betty is unlike any woman he’s ever known. He thought Betty would come as willingly to his bed as every other woman before her, but she is a woman who demands respect and even… horror of all horrors… love. Is it possible for a self-proclaimed Casanova to change his ways?
Red and Her Wolf: (Little Red Riding Hood)

Long ago there lived a beautiful child. Her name was Violet. Fair of skin, with blonde hair and large blue eyes. Born of wild magic, she was a woman with a child’s heart. Innocent and lovely, but not at all what she seemed--you see Violet went by another name: The Heartsong.

She was the child of fairy magic, the physical manifestation of all fae kinds unbridled power. Cosseted and pampered, she grew up in isolation, never knowing who she really was, or why there were those who’d seek to harm her.

Ewan of the Blackfoot Clan is a wolf with a problem. He’s been sent to kill the Heartsong, but the moment he lays eyes on the blonde beauty he knows he’ll defy the evil fae he works for to claim Violet as his own.

This is the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, as it really happened...

The Witching Hour: Grim Reaper Saga (Urban Fantasy Romance)

Because sometimes death isn't the end...

After not only being run over, but watching her husband die in the same hit and run, Eve Philips thought she would never love again. Years pass and her sisters worry that she'll become an old crone like so many other witches. They've made it their personal mission to help her find her next true love. But Eve wants none of that, she throws herself into her potions shop--Witches Brew--determined work, and not a lover, will fix the void in her heart.

Until the day she sees him. Cian, gorgeous and mysterious, she's frightened by the desires he brings out in her. A passion that rivals even the love she'd felt for her husband.

But Cian is not what he seems. He's fae. More than that, he's the grim reaper of legend and his mission means her death. She shouldn't have seen him. His kind moves in stealth, but the moment her golden eyes meets his he knows his world will never be the same. He'll defy his orders and his Queen to keep her. But will Eve want what he offers when she discovers the truth? That he was the one who harvested her husband's soul...
Or if none of those float your boat, how about an advanced copy of Jinni's Wish!! (Arabian Nights)

A long, long time ago there lived a man. A Jinni, who had one wish. To know love. But the woman he thought he knew betrayed him and the love he thought they shared. Tortured for his crimes, he was cast out of Kingdom, stripped of all his powers, left to langour in pain and solitude, until eventually he becomes nothing but a ghost...

Paz Lopez is an artist with a dream. To buy a ridiculously large penthouse in the swankiest section of Chicago. But there's just one hitch, she has no man to share her dream with. A fateful visit to a carnival and Madam Pandora's tent sends Paz on a mission to find the love of her life before it's too late.

But the Madam forgot to tell Paz one very important detail... to meet him, Paz will have to die first.

Happy reading,
~Marie

Monday, November 19, 2012

Southern Style Blue Velvet with Vanilla Bean cream cheese frosting

So much talk of cupcakes, I gave in and made some. Hard to tell in the lighting, but these were blue velvet with a vanilla bean cream cheese frosting. Num, num...

Rare for me, as I'm someone who rarely indulges in sweets. But boy were they good, and the chocolate covered cherry on top was divine. Seriously, so good. Now I'm gonna have to walk 20 miles this week to burn it off. LOL!


Update on Jinni's Wish

Well, it seems as though I might actually finish this before next month! Jinni is out with it's final round of edits, which I'll hopefully receive back some time this week and then I'll send it to my formatter!!! *Squee*

I've also finished writing the first chapter of Hook's Pan, which will be included in the sneak peek. Wow, can't believe I'm nearly done with this series. :D

Looking forward to what comes next, like most of you know I have my Genesis Trilogy waiting in the wings, a Death Series (both books are prominently tied to one another. Genesis is YA and Death Adult Urban Fantasy... but feature many of the same characters, so that's gonna be fun and something I'll likely be releasing simultaneously.)

In the meantime, I've written the blurb for Jinni and here it is for those of you curious what the book is about. :)

A long, long time ago there lived a man. A Jinni, who had one wish. To know love. But the woman he thought he knew betrayed him and the love he thought they shared. Tortured for his crimes, he was cast out of Kingdom, stripped of all his powers, left to langour in pain and solitude, until eventually he becomes nothing but a ghost...

Paz Lopez is an artist with a dream. To buy a ridiculously large penthouse in the swankiest section of Chicago. But there's just one hitch, she has no man to share her dream with. A fateful visit to a carnival and Madam Pandora's tent sends Paz on a mission to find the love of her life before it's too late.

But the Madam forgot to tell Paz one very important detail... to meet him, Paz will have to die first.

(Pandora, the protagonist in the Death series, makes her first appearance in this book... she's also the Aunt of Cain, who's the hero in Forbidden... she's quite important to my world... if you haven't already noticed...lol)

Happy reading,
~Marie

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Jinni and Paz SSS Jinni's Wish

It's been a while since I've done a SSS. So here ya go, a tiny snippet of Jinni's Wish, due out soon! ;)


Paz knelt by his side, gripping his shoulders. “Jinni? Honey?”

Her eyes were wide and frantic as he gazed into them. Refusing to give into the pain, refusing to let her see just how much it was hurting. Cold sweat swept up and down his body, breaking out on his skin, causing his scalp to tingle with fire and pain.

“Listen to me, Paz,” he gritted out. “You have to return. Now.”

Their heavenly bed began to dissolve back into the stardust that had created it.

 She shook her head, even as they began falling like a comet back to Earth. “No.”

This scene was so *sob* tough to write. Poor Jinni.

Happy reading!
~Marie :)

Friday, November 16, 2012

Stefan and Elaina... *sniff sniff*

Yes, I'll admit it, I'm a total vampire diaries junkie. Or as I like to call it in this house, V.D. fan. ;) Because for me it's just as insidious as a nasty case of V.D. (Not that I'd know or anything) But seriously, it's this annoying show that irritates and annoys me, and yet... I cannot escape my girlie crush of it.

Sigh... and yes, I'm completely on Team Stefan. Not that I don't love me some Damon, but Stefan has always respected Elaina's decisions. Whether he agreed with them or not, he was man enough to let her have her own mind on things. Sometimes it blew up in their faces, like for instance Elaina dying and becoming a vampire. *cough cough* But, hey... I'd still prefer my man letting me make up my own mind about things, then have him tell me how it's gonna be. DAMON.

Now, Damon is a total hottie and I'll even admit (reluctantly) that I kinda like that he's got a thing for her, their chemistry is hot. BUT, Elaina fought the entire last season to get her Stefan back from the brink. And why was Stefan there??? To keep her safe in the first place, his life for hers.

I do not like when you give me a couple to care for, only to then change the dynamics all around and put her in someone else's arms. I mean, how would you feel if by the end of Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth told Mr. Darcy, "Yeah, chum... I've sorta got a thing for Ol' Bingsley there. Good knowing you, pip pip and all 'at."

NO. I don't think so. Don't get me emotionally invested in two characters only to then trade off for another one. Now I wouldn't care so much if Stefan weren't so madly in love with her. Ugh... I hate TV shows, which is why that's pretty much the only one I watch with any sort of regularity. Mainly because those boys sure are nice to look at, but whateves... the point is, I'm distraught today.

So when I started working on Forbidden, I made Cain so much of a jerk that it dawned on me... I totally need to lay off the tele right before working on my own books. Makes me angsty, and trust me, you wouldn't like me when I'm angsty.

Happy reading,
~Marie

Think I'll go drown my sorrows with a cupcake. *sniff sniff*

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Cain from Forbidden

Oh my gosh, I'm digging my hero. He's seriously bad and all screwed up, but he's even worse when he's falling love. Le sigh...

So because I wrote 5k and I'm thrilled with how well this book is going, a small snippet:


Glancing outside, he saw her. She was leaning her head on Alyssa’s shoulders, while hers shook. Clenching his jaw against the tight flare in his chest, he headed to English, wishing like hell he could redo the morning.

Sigh... sigh... sigh....

Let's just say though, you're gonna hate him, then you're gonna love him. ;) He's great.

Happy reading,
~Marie

Cupcakes and Books... is there anything better??

That is a question a gal wrote me yesterday. I had the great fortunate of reading an email from a reader yesterday, who also happens to own her own cupcakery. Which is all sorts of awesome, as I've always kicked that idea around myself.

But then she tells me she actually created the Mad Hatter's Delight!! *SQUEE* How awesome right? That's too cool. A patron butter cream frosting on a vanilla bean cake. Oh *drool* Seriously, that sounds divine. I then asked her, if she'd be so kind, to take a couple of pics of the cakes so that I could post them on my website.

And yeah, they look better than I even imagined. Yummy....



If you'd like to try these inspired creations then here's her facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/chickys.cupcakery#!/chickys.cupcakery

Her name is Danelle Nixon and she lives in Woodward, OK. Check 'em out and tell me if they taste as delicious as they look. ;)

Now I think I'll be making cupcakes this weekend! Ginger, lemon, honey cakes.... sounds good, right? :D

Happy reading,
Marie

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Sometimes you just know...

When an idea is flowing and your characters are giving back to you, oh wow, I love days like that. I went on a walk this morning and nailed the entire lake scene for Forbidden. Cain (my hero) is a serious bad a**, which of course the heroine (Flint) finds both intriguing and irritating as all H-E-double hockey sticks. (Yes, I swore like a little girl...lol) But I'm trying to maintain a clean site here peeps. ;)

Anywho, this book is so much fun to write. And while it's a departure from Kingdom, I don't think it will be any less interesting because of it. It deals with a curse, a mortal, and a guy who knows he should definitely stay away.

Really the cover says it all. And just a little snippet by my hero because he's all sorts of hotness, a tease. Set up: Hero is thrashing an Aswanga to within an inch of its life, just as he's really getting into it, suddenly the Aswanga (and if you're curious look them up, real mythological creature *wink*) tells him something that makes him explode...


“We’ve seen a girl. Red hair. Brown eyes.” It moved its head like a charmed cobra, lecherous grin tipping the corners of her fanged mouth. “Our soothsayer says she is the one.”

The blood in his veins turned to ice.

“Is she? Will she bring about your doom?”

Cain’s hands slowly slid up the creature’s body, coming to rest against the peeling cheeks. “I have no weakness,” he hissed and then with a surge of strength, torqued the neck until the bones cracked and it slumped lifeless to his feet.


Hmmm.... and in case you're wondering, my hero is most definitely NOT human. ;)


Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Thank you all for hopping!

This was a successful hop and I'm happy to have met all of you. :D Loved reading the different responses and my winner has been chosen! Again, you'll be winning a paperback copy of my Kingdom Series Collection, first three books (Her Mad Hatter, Gerard's Beauty, and Red and Her Wolf) along with a couple of fun recipies included at the end of each book. I'll be contacting my winner through my newsletter!

To the rest of you, hope you all win someething great from our grand prize, but if not, hope you found some new authors you love. Also, mini-update about Jinni's Wish, it's now DONE! Woot. Yay, finished it a few nights ago. I'm currently in the editing stage and hopeful I can get this puppy out there by the end of the month/beginning of next.

I'm also working on finishing my Forbidden Trilogy, it's about a girl, a carnival, and a hot gothed out guy who's so much more than what he seems.

The tagline for the book is:

His kiss was her doom...

So you decide what that's about, hint though: this is not a vampire book. ;)

Happy reading! ~Marie

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Forbidden: The Genesis Trilogy

Okay, cutting into this bloghop for a moment to show off some AWESOME new cover art I just got for my upcoming YA paranormal. Forbidden: The Genesis Trilogy... I love!

Friday, November 9, 2012

Autumn Harvest Blog Hop Time!



Autumn! Oh man, my favorite time of year. And no, I don't just say that because this blog hop deals with it. I love the turning of the leaves, the apple harvest, picking out that perfect pumpkin. Going hunting for my own turkey.

Well... okay, so I've never technically done it out in the grassy plains, but any cook will tell you, hunting for that perfect bird in the grocery store is just about the next hardest thing. Seriously, Fall always makes me think about new possibilities. That crisp scent in the air, winter so close on its heels, but staved off for a brief, yet glorious, few months when a sweater and a heavy pair of jeans are all you'll need to enjoy those last few romps through the woods before winter's heavy hand bars the way. (And boy was that some purple prose!! LOL... what can I say, I'm a romantic when it comes to this time of year)

One of my favorite memories involving Autumn was when I was a little girl and my father used to rake the leaves in our front  yard. (Do people even do that anymore??? I haven't seen a rake in years, in case you're as clueless as my boys (because who needs rakes in a place that never drops leaves?) it's a little doohicky with metal prongs at the tip that drags the leaves all into one neat pile in your yard so that you can then scoop it all up into a mulch bag and toss it later) But in my yard, those leaves never went straight into the bags. Nope, those leaves were my personal playground for a few wonderful hours. Jumping in and out, getting itchy and scratchy, and not caring one whit because my cheeks were rosy, my nose was chilly, and life was good.

Course the rashes at the end of the night were never fun. ;) But, Autumn is my favorite time of year. Apart from Christmas, all my favorite holidays happen in it. Which is probably why so many of my books are set in that ephemeral period. 3 short months to cram a story into, but for me, the 3 most magical ones.

So tell me, what makes you most happy about Autumn? The candied apples? Cozy sweaters? Almost too chill breeze at night?

What about reading? Do you think it's a good subject to read? Tell us your favorite Autumn stories! Well, we authors are ready to share our favorite Autumn stories and why we love snuggling in the cold. *wink* Starting on Friday and ending on Oct 22nd, over 200 Authors and Bloggers will share their favorite things about those sexy men we know and love.

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains 10+ paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!


I will personally be giving away one free autographed copy of my Kingdom Series Collection! Now, this is a paperbook, but it's a proof version. Which means, you can't sell it back to a bookstore, but you can swap it around to as many friends as you'd like! Included in this are the first 3 books of my Kingdom Series (Her Mad Hatter, Gerard's Beauty, and Red and Her Wolf), along with the books I've included never before seen deleted scenes, and one of Alice Hu's specialty cupcakes: The Red Queen's Revenge.

In order to keep cost low on this project I went with an 11x8 inch book, meaning... it's about the size of a standard high school text book. LOL... but, on the upside the print is nice and bold, so it's easy on the eyes. Plus, once you finish reading it, you could totally turn the cover into a poster! :p See, I think of all things. :D The book is not yet on sale anywhere, so this is a special prize. :) It should be for sale through Amazon however, sometime next week.

All I ask in return is that you say a quick hello and sign up for my newsletter if you haven't already! :D Easy peasy.

So happy reading all! *Or gobble gobble (as Uncle Tom would say)*

~Marie