Who are you? What is your purpose in this life?

Never fear, Marie is here to put that existential crisis to rest. Want to know who you are, what is your purpose in this big, vast world??? I've found the solution and so can you! It's called: Animal Personality Quiz *grin*

So okay, while this may not answer all of life's questions it was really fun and very strangely accurate. Not to mention it gave me cool results so I'm all for it. *VBG*

Wild Cat
Genus and species:
Felis sylvestris
Collective Term:
A clowder of wildcats

Careers and Hobbies
Explorer
Dancer
Travel agent
Researcher
Writer
Traveling
Massages
Shopping
Dancing

Famous Wild Cats
Michelle Pfeiffer
Heather Locklear

"Of all God's creatures, there is only one that cannot be made slave of the lash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat." ~Mark Twain

Wildcat personalities do not differ substantially from their domestic cousins and exhibit the aloof behavior that is common to all felines. With their well-deserved reputations as creatures of comfort, wildcats jealously guard their independence while indulging in the finer things in life.
Attractive, solitary, creative and curious, these individuals are quite happy to observe the world from a distance.

The wildcat would never take a conventional route and prefers to explore life from off the beaten track, relying heavily on its instincts and powers of observation to guide it safely through the jungle. Its air of indifference and need for privacy keeps it on the outskirts of society, but its love for comfort always brings it back.

Exceptional personal hygiene is a hallmark of the wildcat personality, and from their hair to their fingernails they are immaculately groomed. Shopping for clothing or personal-care items spices up long, dreary days.

When someone wrongs a wildcat, they make it their business to even the score. Displaying superb patience, wildcats will even wait years for the right moment. When the occasion comes to strike, they gather all their force and attack. In the face of a ferocious display of hissing and blustering, their surprised victim has little chance of escape.

The wildcat differs from its lion relatives in its approach to its social structure. With an aversion to the complex family organization of the lion, the wildcat finds freedom and self-indulgence to be far more compelling. As a natural explorer it disdains staying in one place for long, preferring the freedom of solitary roaming in exotic locales. This wanderlust makes it ideal for a career as a travel agent, explorer, mountain climber, researcher or writer.

Although wildcats are uncomfortable performing in front of large groups, their grace and lithe bodies make them natural dancers or gymnasts.

So yeah, I don't know about the whole revenge thing... although there was that one time where I did that one thing to that one person... so yeah, maybe I do :p... but I'm a sexy wild cat. Rwar!

Who are you??

Happy reading,
~Marie

Right Now and Inspiration

I think at this point everyone knows that Right Now is close to publication, and I hope by now you've all seen the cover for it, which is awesome and done by the amazing Regina Wamba of MaeIdesign.com But, as lovely as the cover and models are, they obviously aren't the ones who inspired me to write their story.

I have this habit, before I start writing contemporary books, to look up my perfect models. I don't really need to do that with my paranormals because most times they don't look all that human and finding a perfect paranormal character to fit the mold in my head is near impossible. But with contemporaries I have no such problem. I love to discover who my character is before I start writing their story. I feel like when you know who they are, then you can really think and act and talk like them. Because let's face it, humans aren't homogenous and neither should characters be. We're all unique and different, but it's in that uniqueness that we're perfect.

Queue Cricket musack now!

Sheesh, guys... it's been like crickets in here lately. I feel so *sniff sniff* lonely in this vast cyber wilderness. Is anyone still reading my blog? Does anyone still care about little ol' me???

(Shameless begging for comments over) :p

So yeah, don't know if you guys know this but I've sorta got 3 books coming out next month. That's right, I said 3. How did that happen??? I don't have a freakin' clue. Seriously. O.o It started out with one, Right Now, then my brilliant CP said, well hey, Crimson Night is ready to go you should publish it finally. After 8 years of dithering on whether or not to publish it I agreed that the book was probably done and I should just stop trying to find reasons to hold on to it a little while longer. Then my publishing house said, Oh hey, Marie... we're publishing Death's Lover next month... Ummm.... *looks left and right. gulp*

That's a lotta books!!

I didn't even realize how many books I'd written until I took a second to look back at what's been published. Do y'all realize this will be 11 books in just a little over a year's time???? And I'm really not a fast writer, I swear! But, that's the beauty of Indie publishing, you can push out a book when it's actually ready, rather than having to wait until a slot opens up for your book.

Sheesh... yeah, just a moment of reflection for me. Sometimes I have to take a minute to smell the roses and enjoy where I am right now. (No pun intended using right now, but book drops on the 15th, just sayin' ;)

Wanna read another teaser of Crimson Night??? Since I'm not getting any comments lately, I'm going to assume your silence is a big fat YES... and since I only aim to please you, my dear readers, then here you go... Pandora's journal entry number 1:

Veritas: My truth

All accounts in this story are true. I don’t have much time to get it all down. They’re coming for me. I know this is a long shot, the hope that maybe someone might find this journal, might be able to warn the others…

My God, I can’t believe this has really happened. I fought so hard, I thought I had time… we had time. I thought we’d figured it all out. But we were fooled, right to the very end.

All I can say is I love him. I know why he did what he did and I forgive him, if you’re reading this, you have to tell them that. Tell them they have to forgive him. I know why now, I know everything.

My God, my God… I know it all. It’s so much worse than they think, the truth of it all… it’s so much worse.

I guess there’s only one place to start this story and that’s right at the very beginning, I wish I could go back there, wish I didn’t know what I know now… the truth is so much more horrible than fiction…

Happy reading chickadees!
~Marie

The Crimson Night: Teaser and Excerpt, coming Sept 5

Crowds clamored, running from one ride to another. Lovers held hands, staring wordless into each other’s eyes, never suspecting or knowing that for some, this would be their final night.

            This was Carnival Diabolique; the world’s greatest traveling show. People came in droves to see the hottest gig in town. We weren’t your typical carnies—greasy, fat, out of touch with the world. Our men were beautiful and the women so sweet, just looking at us gave you a toothache. This place was a Goth’s wet dream. We played dress up for the crowd and had a little bit of everything—from Cyber, to Trash, to Death Rocker.  

I preferred the romanticism of Victorian myself. Black corset top, black elegant rider bustle skirt with red satin threading up the sides, vintage stockings and boots, right down to the Lolita style top hat. In this get-up I’d have made Marilyn Manson a very happy man indeed. 

Diabolique was Luc’s brainchild. Years ago, none of us could have imagined how popular and mainstream ‘dark’ would become. There’d been a time to admit you dabbled in darkness meant a swift and excruciating death. Dancing with the Devil was a strict no-no. Now, to be cool meant embracing every dark thought and deed and making it your own. Funny how things change.

Luc had pounced on this new subculture with a vengeance. There was nothing we missed. We were perfect. Against all odds we’d carved an exclusive niche for ourselves, each year growing in popularity.

This place was no theatrical display of talent, it was as genuine as it got. Not a surprise really, considering we were the monsters that went bump in the night. 

Some people came because they liked to pretend they had a clue what it was like to live dark and bad. Seriously. I will never understand the appeal. I think if I’d had a choice I would have liked the ignorance and not the knowledge of knowing just how bad, bad really was.

Others came because they were curious. It wasn’t everyday that you found a carnival run by modelesque beauties that catered almost exclusively to a certain type of clientele. You wanted drink. It was here. Strippers? We had them too. Narcotics? The best money could buy.

How did we get away with all this?

Let’s just say we had our ways.  After thousands of years, my kind had perfected the art of stealth. If we didn’t want you to know something, you wouldn’t.

~Pandora, The Crimson Night, Coming Sept 5 wherever books are sold online!

Upcoming release! Crimson Night coming Sept 5!!

Just wanted to share with you all that Sept. 5 I'll have a brand new book coming out, book 1 in the Night Series. A story I've been working on for 8 years. Yeah, seriously. I've had these characters in my head FOREVER...

But guess what, this isn't the first time you all will have seen them. For those who've read Jinni's Wish, you've seen these characters before. You've been to their carnival... remember the gorgeous freaks working the booths, the ones with the glowing eyes who appeared more than human?

For any of you who've ever been curious, this is their story....

Welcome to Carnivale Diabolique- or what I affectionally like to call the circus of the damned. My name is Pandora, and though my face might not seem familiar to you, you do know me. I'm a Nephilim. What does that mean? I'm half demon, what's my other name? Lust. I'm the dark craving that drives you mad, makes you want, makes you reckless and stupid. I'm the drug you'll do anything to get your hands on. But I'm not all bad. I fight for light, for goodness and truth. I love my job, killing vampires and werewolves, zombies, and freaks... it's what makes me happy. But people are starting to disappear and lately I've felt a dark presence lurking around me. I think it might be a death priest, that's not good. There isn't much a demon like me fears, but I fear them. This should have been easy, me killing the fanged freaks, getting rid of my pesky priest problem, but I'm about to be betrayed by the one person I thought I could trust with my life and before the night is through I'll be covered in crimson...

Right Now Book Tour and Contest

Guys, I can't believe I didn't update this sooner!! But I'm currently doing a book tour/$50 giveaway contest to either Amazon or B&N and all you have to do is stop by the Right Now book tour and enter your name into the rafflecopter.

Here are the stops for the next few days. Oh, and tell your friends about it too!

Blog Tour Schedule:

8/11: Miscellaneous Thoughts of a Bookaholic

http://miscellaneousthoughtsofabookaholic.blogspot.com/

8/12: i read indie (HERE)

http://twimom101bookblog.blogspot.com/

8/13: A Bookish Escape

http://www.abookishescape.com/

8/14: Offbeat Vegabond

http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/

8/15: Book Nerd

http://booknerdash.blogspot.com/

8/16: Mary Elizabeth's Crazy Book Obsession

http://www.maryelizabethscrazybookobsession.com/

8/19: Nevaeh's New Adult Book Blog

http://nevaehnewadultbooks.blogspot.com/?zx=11da2b9c7f6798c2

8/20: Bibliophilic Book Blog

http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/

8/21: She Reads New Adult

http://www.shereadsnewadult.com/

8/22: R.E.A.D. - Read Everything And Discuss & Addicted to Books

http://read-everything-and-discuss.blogspot.com/ 

http://addicted2b00ks.blogspot.co.uk/

8/23: Queen of All She Reads

http://queenofallshereads.blogspot.com/

Right Now Quote #3

He was seeing me, his eyes were searching mine, and I knew in my heart, Alex Donovan finally saw me~~ Zoe Stone

Happy reading,
Marie

Teaser line: Right Now #2

As long as I was with Zoe, there was peace and I wanted more.~~ ALEX DONOVAN, RIGHT NOW COMING IN SEPT

Yup, that's it. ;) Come back for more. :D

~Marie

Right Now: Teaser #1

In honor of the books imminent release, I'm going to begin giving you guys some of my favorite teasers from the book. So here's teaser #1

What I like to affectionally call, how Alex met Zoe:

“Hey,” a soft feminine voice pulled my eyes away from the pieces, “you got an appointment?”

I lost my words. Like they literally flew out my head the moment my eyes landed on her.

She was short, her head reaching only to the base of my neck—which meant she was probably not all that short since I was six and a half feet tall. Clearly Asian, with maybe a mix of something else. Her skin was dusky and pearlescent, almost seemed to gleam under the lights, and every inch of her had some sort of design on it. She wasn’t exactly covered, but she was a framework of art. Mostly shades of white, black, and gray, with pink and red splashes of color throughout. A pink and white lotus flower trail started at her neck and disappeared beneath the halter of her black and white polka dotted dress.

Her bangs were razor blade straight, and her hair hung heavy to her waist. There were even tattoos on her face, small feminine ones. Three tiny stars rested at the corner of her big, honey colored eyes.

I blinked, swallowing hard.

She wore a huge, red flower in her hair and the only make-up she had on was around her eyes. Black eyeliner that turned her already cat eyes dangerously sultry.

Dressed differently than any other girl I’d ever seen, she wore the fifties throw back dress with rockin’ red suede pumps.

Damn, the girl was smokin’. Every inch of her and what I couldn’t do back in that flea-infested bathroom I felt starting to happen here. I cleared my throat and shifted around, hoping God of Thunder would behave himself.

By the time my eyes made the rounds she was wearing a small smirk on her plump lips...

Keep coming back for more teasers!

Happy reading,
~Marie 

COVER REVEAL: RIGHT NOW

So, you all have been asking... here it is, I love it!

Sometimes in life....

Things were supposed to get better when Ryan met Lili. I was supposed to move on, get a life... but I'm stuck and lost. Things with my father are not good. There are demons in our closet, big ones. Ones I want to kill him for, I'm seeing a shrink, I'm trying to get better... but my life feels out of control, like I'm a raft adrift on the sea. I don't know where to look, how to get anchored again, and then I meet Zoe Stone. Something about her draws me out of my rut, makes me laugh for real, smile, and for the first time in years I want to be more. But what will she think when she discovers who I really am?

...all we have...

When Alexander Donovan, aka The Golden Adonis, walks into my tattoo parlor, I know I'll do anything to make that man mine. There's an instant connection, a need to know more about him. Everything about him. But there's also a mystery surrounding the guy, when people look at him they only see the man that laughs, that cracks jokes and makes the world think that everything's okay, but I see the truth... I see the darkness that lurks so deep inside few would ever recognize it. I want to help him, I want to be with him, now I just have to make him trust me enough to let me in.

Is Right Now