Showing posts with label vampires. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vampires. Show all posts

Saturday 13 February 2016

For fans of #CassandraClare #CharlaineHarris & #StephenieMeyer

The bestselling Edge YA box set introduces Hidden, a novel by Shalini Boland. This is just one of 20 page-turning, full-length novels for only $.99! Order your copy today!
 
MVS Hidden Cover copy
In this spellbinding adventure, Madison and Alexandre discover terrifying secrets that draw them into the past -- toward their destruction. The legend of the vampire has never been so gripping... Falling in love has never been so dangerous...
 
Praise for Hidden:
It's one of the best YA books I have read in a long time and I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment.' --Samantha Towle, New York Times bestselling author of The Mighty Storm
 
Author Bio
Shalini Boland lives in Dorset, England with her husband and two noisy boys. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing dark adventures (in between doing the school run and hanging out endless baskets of laundry).
 
 
 
Edge cover
EDGE: A Young Adult / New Adult Paranormal Collection

Twenty of today's favorite YA & NA authors have come together to bring you a collection packed with full-length, spellbinding reads sure to keep you keep you on the edge of your seat and up way past your bedtime!

READER BEWARE: These novels take everything to the edge--and not just the edge of your seat. With authors who aren't afraid to push the boundaries, you get stories that take everything to limit, creating whimsical reads that teens can actually relate to and that adults can enjoy, too.

Thursday 21 January 2016

HUNTED, Book 3 in the Marchwood Vampire series, now available to pre-order!

Hunted
(Marchwood Vampire series #3)
NOW AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER

http://www.amazon.com/Hunted-Marchwood-Vampire-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01AQNA8IE

A spellbinding vampire adventure that spans the centuries
from modern-day England and snowy Cappadocia,
to the wilds of ancient Scythia.

Maddy and Alex are running scared.
The Cappadocian vampires are closing in.
But Alex is so busy worrying about them,
he can’t see the terrible threat right under his nose…

Something else is hunting Alexandre. Something ancient and powerful.

Be swept away in this heart-pounding tale of ancient legends,
star-crossed love and nail-biting supernatural adventure.
This is the climatic finale of The Marchwood Vampire Series.
 
Pre-order now from:
 
 


Sunday 22 November 2015

Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series) New Cover Reveal!

Today, I'm excited to reveal my brand new cover for
Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series Book 1)
I hope you like it!
 
http://www.amazon.com/HIDDEN-paranormal-romance-Marchwood-Vampire-ebook/dp/B004SCS738
 
As well as this one, new covers for
books 2 and 3 are also being worked on
by Adrijus from Rocking Book Covers.
 

Friday 19 September 2014

iBooks Promotion - 6 Book Paranormal Boxed Set - When Darkness Falls


Today, iBooks launched a major worldwide merchandising feature that includes 100 boxed sets, each priced at only 99c. And I'm excited to be part of it!! Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords invited me to take part. And so, together with five of my favourite fantasy/paranormal authors, we put together a boxed set specifically for this incredible month-long iBooks promotion. Here it is...


http://www.amazon.com/When-Darkness-Falls-Paranormal-Novels-ebook/dp/B00N7I5SB8

Six enthralling paranormal novels from six bestselling authors who know how 
to weave a gripping fantasy tale. From brooding vampires, ghosts and witches, 
to fallen angels, shifters and fae. Be enchanted with dark romances 
and sweeping adventures to take you away from the everyday. 
  
ONLY 99 cents for a limited time

Available to download now!


http://www.amazon.com/When-Darkness-Falls-Paranormal-Novels-ebook/dp/B00N7I5SB8

Friday 15 June 2012

Find HIDDEN in Venice

B. Lloyd of Authors Anon added my novel to Book Crossing!

If you've never heard of the site before, it's a fantastic way of connecting people through their love of books, by releasing your favourite novels into the wild.

How it works:
You add a  Book Crossing label to a book you love and then you leave that book in a prominent place, such as a restaurant or a park bench, where someone can pick it up. The label has a unique ID so the recipient can go online and let you know they have the book. It can be passed on forever like this.

B. left my novel HIDDEN in a beautiful Venetian hotel called the Ai Mori - How completely glamorous and wonderful! I'm just hoping whoever picks it up can read English!


I think I might have to do a few of these book drops myself. It's such a romantic idea.
*huge swooning sigh*


What do you think of this idea? If you found a Book Crossing book, would you keep it? Or pass it on? Would you take the time to go onto the site and record it? I know I would.

Monday 28 May 2012

Big Fat Party!!

BIG FAT PARTY OVER ON FACEBOOK
AND YOU'RE ALL INVITED!!!


To celebrate the recent launch of Samantha's Towle's new novel Original Sin,
a few of us are having a giveaway over on Facebook today.
You can come over and chat, win lots of swag and generally have a good time.
Hope to see you there!



Thursday 26 April 2012

Interview with Margarita Felices Author of Judgement of Souls

Hi Margarita, Tell us something about yourself and where you’re based.
I live in Cardiff. For all its modernisation, there are still remnants of old Victorian Cardiff. I love the castle in the centre of the city and the fact that you have the sea on one side and the mountains on the other side of Cardiff.  I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. 


Can you tell us a bit about your book?
I don't want to say too much, I'd much rather your readers found it out.  But to give you an idea, JUDGEMENT OF SOULS is a Gothic horror in which a naïve pure-blood Vampire is tossed into the mortal world. Rachel meets Daniel, a nightclub owner and his group of friends and after Daniel’s best friend is murdered by Max, becomes embroiled in the search for an ancient vampire book. Rachel tries to fight off her feelings for Daniel, even siding with her Vampire friend Arun to think again about Daniel’s involvement, but he’s her love and she’s going to protect him, no matter what.




When and why did you start writing?
I started writing in school.   My teachers used to limit me to ten pages per essay - it killed me to have a limit.  After that I wrote short stories for magazines, it gave me a little extra while at college.  But I've always had stories rolling around in my head. I can write about anything and some days I just look up at the sky and say 'thank you very much.' 

What inspires you?
Other writers who have been in the same place that I am now. I’m new to all of this; all their advice is valuable because you’ll never find your way in this business without them and their help. 

Are you working on anything now?
I'm working on the prequel to Judgement of Souls. It spans over 300 years so its quite a task.  I'm doing a lot of research and I have to get the date lines right or it'll read a bit odd.

Is there anything you don't like about being a writer?
How hard it is. It’s not just sitting down and writing. I had a hard hitting editor who returned my first draft and made it look like a bloodbath!  It was a surprise.  But the end result is something you can’t possible imagine, you’ve brought these people to life and you control their lives. I love it. And I think the worse is having that great idea and by the time you get to write it down, forgetting it! And marketing.   I’ve never contacted so many people, websites and groups since the book became LIVE on the 27th December 2011.

What do you think of the ebook revolution?
I think it’s brilliant.  There are so many talented writers out there that miss out because traditional publishers won’t accept their work. I know it costs a lot of money to produce books these days, but really? Would it hurt to be a bit more flexible?  Ebooks mean no more carrying heavy loads of them on holiday, we save trees, long may it reign.

Is there anything you will NOT write about?
Zombies! Sorry to all my Zombie friends and authors out there. I hate them! Scare me silly!  And perhaps anything biographical, I just don’t think I’d do that person any justice. 

In what genre do you prefer to write?  To read?
I love writing anything Supernatural. Vampires and demons, unknown realms where you can just let your mind wander through and go wild. I’ll read the same type of stories too.

Can you tell us about any ups and downs in your writing career so far.
The downs are always the rejections. When you get a reply from a publisher and its just 'no thanks' scribbled on the bottom of the letter you sent them it makes you think ;why bother' but you have to. 

Do you have any suggestions for people who might be considering writing as a career?
Don't give up. If you have a story that is dying to be told, then work hard to tell it. But make sure you are doing your best work and you get an editor that can help you make the most of your manuscript.

Don’t give up even though you may get rejection letters.  If everyone thought like that there’d be no books, no films.  Keep writing, even if its dribble! Then read, re-read and edit.  Try and write a little each day.  One hundred words a day is seven hundred a week, twenty-eight hundred a month and one hundred words a day is so simple!

And carry a Dictaphone or a notebook and pen! 

Anything else you want to add?
This is a series of 3 books. I started at the end. There isn’t anyone who will be able to tell me why I did that. When these three are finished, I’d like to write some shorter stories about Daniel and Rachel and maybe their quest to find supernatural occult items and somehow tie them in to working for The Righteous.  That should be interesting!


Thanks so much, Margarita. It's been great having you here!

Margarita's links:
Facebook
Judgement of Souls on Kindle UK
Judgement of Souls on Kindle US

Wednesday 4 April 2012

First 5 Chapters -Try before you Buy (YA Paranormal)

Here's the next volume of First 5 Chapters available free from Smashwords



Read the first five chapters from these
YA paranormal/fantasy authors:

Hunting - S.M. Hineline
Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series #1) - Shalini Boland
Coexist (Keegan's Chronicles #1) – Julia Crane
Progeny Of Innocence - Patti Roberts
Ties To The Blood Moon - Robin Waldrop
Fire Sprite - Lenore Wolfe



Click here to download for free


Tuesday 6 December 2011

Win a Signed Copy of Hidden over on Jera's Jamboree

** This Contest is now Closed**

Check out my Giveaway over on Jera's Jamboree this week.
You could win a lovely shiny newly signed copy of HIDDEN or a fab ebook.



Jera's Jamboree: Book giveaway with author Shalini Boland: Today Jera's Jamboree would like to introduce to you ...

Saturday 3 December 2011

Drumroll Please

Contest Winner Announcement!

I didn't know how I was going to decide who would win the opportunity
to star in my upcoming novel, Thicker than Blood, so I roped in a little help.
I asked my sons (aged 8 and 4) to draw the name out of a hat (a cowboy one!).

Of course, they argued about who was going to actually draw the name,
so I said they could draw a name each. So-o-o that means two names,
which means two winners!!!

The winners are:

Sergell Elioreg
and
Zoe Marshall

Congratulations to you both!
Can you message me using the 'contact me' page?

Thanks so much to everyone else for entering.
As it was so popular, I may do this again in the future...




Wednesday 23 November 2011

Only One Week Left To Be My Vampire

Last month I asked if anyone would like to be a character in Thicker than Blood my upcoming sequel to Hidden. So far, nearly 70 of you have entered. I've no idea how I'm going to choose, but I'd better get thinking because there's only one week left until I have to make the decision.

Part of the novel will be set in 6th century Byzantium and here's a taster of where my lucky vampire might live - Cappadocia in winter...


Of course, as a vampire you'll never get to experience it in daylight. Your view will be something like this...


So if you haven't entered yet, click here to see what it's all about.

Thursday 27 October 2011

And the Winner is...

Sam Bella! 

Congratulations, Sam. You've won an ebook copy of 
STOLEN by Catherine Stovall.


 
Sam, Catherine's publisher, Untreed Reads, will be contacting you shortly.

Thanks to all those who entered. Do keep checking back
 as I plan to host more giveaways in the future xx

Thursday 20 October 2011

Requiem of Humanity Tour Stop & Giveaway

Today, as the leaves fall from the trees and the cold autumn rain makes me shiver, all I want to do is curl up with a cup of tea and a great vamp novel. If this sounds like your idea of heaven, you could be in luck, because today Catherine Stovall has offered to give away an ebook copy of her debut novel, Stolen (Requiem of Humanity). To be in with a chance to win, all you need to do is leave a comment below.


~Jenda and Soborgne are best friends and everything they do, they do together. Unfortunately, this time the girls may die together. The girls are kidnapped and held captive by Belle and Matteo, two vampires with a plan. Belle, a sociopath in life and death, is searching for an heir to her reign as the only vampire to hold the secret to surviving the sun. Matteo is a lost soul who would give anything to be loved and to see the light of day.

~As the four characters’ worlds collide, blood is spilled, lives are lost, and rules are broken. Disappointment in love and life bring out the worst in humans but with vampires, it leads to a chilling tale that will make you look under your bed before you close your eyes and then dream of falling in love with a medieval fiend.



Catherine's also been kind enough to share some of her experiences on getting published. Here's her guest post on what it means to her to be an indie author:

Stuck in the Middle with Me by Catherine Stovall

I am not one of those authors who have been writing novels for the past ten or twenty years. Stolen is the first novel I have ever written. One day, I decided to write a book and six months later Stolen was born. There I was with my completed manuscript staring back at me and a question in the space between me and it. Stolen was completed, proof read, and edited, now what?

The next logical step was to publish my brain child. This fragile and newborn thing must be sent out to the wolves on its own with just my hopes to carry it. Who would I choose to judge my heart and soul? There were only really three options. I could publish Stolen myself, I could send it off to the big print publishers and agents, or I could send it to the eBook Publishers.

I knew right away that the self-publishing industry just wasn’t for me. I admire those brave souls who put on their entrepreneur hats and storm into the world of publishing. These miraculous authors take on all the challenges and hard work of seeing their novels through the fog and into the eyes of the reader. I needed more guidance, more direction, and the help of someone who positively knew how to do what I didn’t.

Checking the submission guidelines for many of the well-known print publishers I learned quickly that this would be a daunting task. Most print publishers do not accept unsolicited manuscripts from writers, only those with agents. Agents do not generally accept authors who have not previously been professionally published. I found myself in a conundrum.

I began looking into ePublishing. Though someday I want to see Stolen in print, the more I learned about eBooks, I knew this was the path for me as a new author. ePublishers offered me everything I was looking for. Here were companies who welcomed unsolicited manuscripts without an agent, provided professional editing, and offered very competitive royalty rates. I loved the idea of being able to tell my future grandchildren that I was a part of the eBook revolution. When I learned that I could have a bigger say in the entire process with the ePublishers than with print publishers, I started cheerfully preparing the perfect query letter.

Sixteen letters went out. In a matter of weeks, I received several polite no thank you letters, one letter that not so politely told me not to give up my day job, and two letters saying yes. Now, from what I have heard, this is rare if not a miracle. I consider myself blessed to now be a part of the Untreed Reads team.
 
I have many of the same privileges, as a self-published author. In addition to these privileges, I have an extra helping hand from the publisher. Still, having Stolen published in eBook only by a small publisher is tough. Sometimes I feel I am stuck in the middle. Not being independent enough to be Indie and not big enough to be something else, I find myself in a hard place as an emerging author. It is a struggle to find outlets to promote and then I do most of than promotion myself. Yet, I am very happy where I am right now with my writing career.

As far the question of rather or not I am an Indie author goes, I really don’t know. It depends on the person’s point of view. To some, the term Indy means an author who has no affiliation with any company. To these people I am not an Indie writer. To others, Indy means an author who is Independent in their thinking. One who Never gives up. One who Drives forward and continues to learn as they grow as author and person. One who is Inventive in the way they promote their work and in their publishing endeavors. Most of all, an Indie author is a person who Experiences the process of writing, editing, and publishing with their heart, minds, and soul. I can only hope that these people define me as Indie, it would be my honor. 


You can discover more about Catherine on her website and on Facebook. Don't forget to leave a comment below if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Stolen.

Monday 3 October 2011

Become a Vampire in my Latest Novel

***This Competition is now Closed***

Ever dreamed of being a vampire?
I’m currently writing Thicker than Blood, the sequel to Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series) and I thought it would be a bit of fun to give you the opportunity to become a character in the story. I’ll use your real name and, if you get picked, I’ll message you for more information on hair colour, character traits etc.

The novel is set in present day England and in 6th century Byzantium. You won’t be a main character, but you will play a significant role in the story and what’s more, I’m giving you the option to be a good vampire or an evil vampire bwahahahahaha!!!!



All you have to do, is follow my blog and write your name in the comments section below. Also state whether you'd like to be good or evil.

If you win:

-          The name used will be your first and last name as stated on the comments section.
-          The character using your name may not necessarily have your exact personality/looks etc.
-          You cannot substitute anyone else’s name.
-          You might get killed off!
-          Your name may be used in future publicity.
-          By entering this competition, you agree that I can use your name as a character in the Marchwood Vampire Series.

All entries must be in by midnight 30th November 2011.

I'll announce the winner on December 3rd, so don't forget to check back here to see if you're my vampire!

Good luck, bloodsuckers!

PS. Blogger is playing up a bit at the moment, so if you're having trouble commenting, make sure you uncheck the 'stay signed in' box, and it should be okay.

Wednesday 14 September 2011

December Moon, Virtual Book Tour

I've just finished reading Book Two in the Raven Saga. It's called December Moon and is a great fun novel with all kinds of interesting and mysterious characters who find themselves in precarious situations. Author, Suzy Turner, does a great job of keeping the pages turning right up until the end. I'm thrilled to welcome her to the blog today, with her vamp-tastic guest post:

Author, Suzy Turner. (Someone you wouldn't mind running into in a dark alley)

When I was a wee lass, my sister and I were taken to the cinema to see a kids film (I think it was Neverending Story, but I'm not entirely sure)... unfortunately, we couldn't get in to see that and our only other option was a vampire flick called The Lost Boys. We ummed and ahhed (or rather our parents did... it's not exactly suitable for kids under ten!) and decided to go for it. I'm so glad we did. It's now one of my all-time favourite vampire movies.

What is it about vampires that are so appealing? I mean, they're usually evil blood-sucking creatures who go from beautiful to grotesque in a matter of seconds? They want to drink our blood, kill us or turn us into fellow blood-suckers, don't they?

In The Lost Boys the vampires were undoubtedly the bad boys, unlike Twilight where Edward is just so totally swoon worthy and the epitome of a real gentleman. Granted, it has its fair share of the nasty variety but the Cullens are just, well, to die for, right?

In today's YA stories, many of the lead male characters are vampires. They're usually breathtakingly beautiful and falling for the female protagonist. Now there's nothing wrong with that... it makes for a fabulous story, I say. In December Moon, I have my own loved up vampires who happen to be far from evil. Carmelo and Jo are simply a lovely couple who would do anything for anybody... not your usual, run of the mill, vamps! However, there is something evil lurking beyond those pages. Something so frightening and deadly. Actually, okay, okay... it's a another vampire. The bad kind. His name is Duran (Olivier Duran, to be precise) and he's not exactly a very nice lad. He's extraordinarily good looking though so that makes it all right, doesn't it?!

If you love a great vampire story with a good variety of other paranormal elements thrown in for good measure, then give December Moon a go... I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed.


Thanks so much for joining me, Suzy. the Lost Boys is one of my fave films too. I bet someone will remake it one of these days.

For more information about December Moon and The Raven Saga, visit:
Suzy's website: http://suzyturner.com

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Selling Ebooks for the Nook from Barnes & Noble

Yesterday I discovered that my young adult novel, Hidden(Marchwood Vampire Series), was in the Barnes & Noble Nook Top 100 list. And not just in the top 100, but it’s reached the vertiginous heights of number 27!
How did it happen? And what does it mean?

I published to B&N via Smashwords, which is great, but unfortunately it means I have to wait until next month to find out what this chart position represents in terms of sales – NO-O-O-O-O!!! How can I wait that long? My mind is on overdrive wondering how many people have bought my book.

Nearly all my previous sales have been through Amazon. In fact, in June I only sold 6 copies of Hidden via B&N and it was ranked in the thousands. So how has it managed to leap from that, to number 27? I’ve been featured on a few blogs and had some great reviews, but apart from that … I’m stumped.



I’m not complaining, just curious and itching to find out how many I’ve sold. Anybody care to take a wild guess???

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Hidden Makes The Headlines!

This week I've been featured in The Dursley Gazette! Now that might not mean a lot to most of you, but it's SO exciting for me. It's the local paper where I grew up and I used to read it every week and scan for stories about anyone I knew - stories like 'Vandals Destroy Rugby Posts' and 'John Smith Wins Fruit Basket at The Dursley Carnival'


Well, now it's MY turn...


Gazette Series

Dursley author to make it big with cult vampire novel

By Claire Marshall                        
       
A FORMER Rednock student is on her way to making it big as an author with what looks set to become a cult hit vampire book.

Shalini Boland could be hot in the heels of Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, judging by the success of her new vampire novel, Hidden.

The book is selling well in the UK, but it is in the US where it is really taking off and the reason could be ...  Read more

Sunday 10 April 2011

Hidden #SampleSunday

He felt the drumming of the earth, the heartbeat of all humankind in his bones and blood, in his skin and soul. It sang a song that he had known forever and in that instant everything became clear. He knew the reason for it all; the key to life and it was so obvious. How could he not have known this simple truth before now?
And then as suddenly as it had come, it left. His beating heart slowed, the song faded and the knowledge slipped away like an elusive memory refusing to come to mind. He felt a devastating loss, worse than if his dearest love had died.
A heavy melancholy descended, so profound he felt as though he should like to sleep for a thousand years. In the cold darkness, tears rolled down his face and stung his cheeks like acid. He closed his eyes and tried not to think. It hurt to think.
It hurt.
God, it hurt.
Like the skin being stripped from his body. He could not breathe and his eyes burned white hot with a searing pain.
He tried to speak but his throat constricted, closed shut. Was he in hell? Was this the fate he deserved? Please, God, no! Help me! he silently screamed. Save me! I promise … I promise anything. I will do anything. Just please … make … it … STOP.

HIDDEN on Amazon