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 30^th 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.

Someone who Inspires me

My Aunty Joyce is 91 years old and both of her children suffered from Down's Syndrome. Her son died several years ago and she recently lost her daughter, Monique. 

Joyce is an amazing woman and is currently preparing 130 pieces of art for an exhibition in aid of Research into Epilepsy. I hope I would be as strong and inspiring as her in the face of such heartbreak.

Below is an invitation to her exhibition in Paris, France from October 25th - 28th. If you're in the neighbourhood, she'd love you to pop in and say hello!



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

Blog: http://suzyturner.blogspot.com

Amazon AuthorPage:http://www.amazon.com/Suzy-Turner/e/B0050BSH1I/

The Things A Boy Will Do To Get A Girl: Becoming Edward by Faye Meredith

Today I'm lucky enough to be joined by the fabulous Faye Meredith, author of Becoming Edward. I've read the novel and have to say I loved every second. At one point I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Cute, funny and unashamedly British, this is a story I'd love to see on TV. It's genius!

Rachel’s hooked on Twilight and is in love with Edward Cullen. Clive is obsessed with Rachel but he’s no Edward. Lewis is in love with himself until he meets Rachel.

Both boys fail to win her until one of them has the bright idea of becoming Edward.

Becoming Edward is a light-hearted teen fiction novel for young adults who love paranormal romance, especially Twilight and Breaking Dawn. There are no vampires in it, but there is a boy who thinks he's Edward Cullen.

The author is a huge Twilight fan and explores what happens when obsession goes too far.

What will readers like about your book?

The lengths that boys will go to attract the girl of their dreams, even if it means dressing up like a fictional character and getting it completely wrong. Hopefully, it’s funny and insightful at the same time.

What inspired you to write it?

I was in Borders (which I sorely miss now it’s gone) and I saw a group of teenage girls sitting around the Twilight section, reading the books like their lives depended on it. I think Breaking Dawn had just come out and I guess they couldn’t afford to buy the hardback. A thought popped in my head: how would they react if someone who looked like Edward Cullen walked in? That’s where I got the idea for Becoming Edward.

Originally the boy was going to be the full package and be completely unaware that he looked like Edward Cullen. But then I thought it would be far more interesting to make him change into him. More importantly, what would make him want to do that? It had to be for a girl.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

Yes and no. I have far too many ideas. I’ve have about 4 books planned out but I can’t decide which one to write first.

Who are your favorite authors?

Gosh, so many. Here goes, in no particular order: Anne Rice, Suzanne Collins, Nick Hornby, Ian Banks, Stephenie Meyer, Ken Follet, George Macdonald Fraser, Philip Pullman, Roald Dahl, Terry Pratchet, CS Lewis, Eoin Colfer and Shalini Boland, of course.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

At weekends I dress up in rubber (no, not that sort of thing you dirty lot!) and go surfing. I’ve been doing it quite a few years now and have surfed in Spain, Portugal, France, the Canaries and chilly old Cornwall.

Thanks so much, Faye!

If you like the sound of Becoming Edward, here's where you can get your mitts on a copy:

Amazon for Kindle

Barnes & Noble for the Nook

Smashwords

How to Tame the Heart of a Hoodie

 It was the usual scenario – a bunch of hard teenagers hanging out in the park where we were playing with our young boys. We kept our distance, but I could still hear a few choice swear words.

My four-year-old had a balloon which he accidentally lost his grip on. As he watched it swirl away out of reach, up into the sky, he cried:

‘My balloon! My balloon! No!’

The group of youths all turned towards my son and his disappearing balloon.

‘Aaawww,’ they cried. ‘His balloon!’

There’s nothing quite as sad as a child who’s lost his balloon. Even the local hard kids would agree.

Free Ereaders Coming Soon!

I’ve been thinking about the publishing industry and, more specifically, about where the publishing industry is headed and what it will mean for readers and authors - the rise of ebooks, the decline of print books etc etc. And then something occurred to me. Ereaders will soon be free.

Of course they will. It’s blindingly obvious to me now. Kindles and Nooks and Kobo Readers will be given away or sold for a fraction of their current price. Surely the real revenue is in the thousands of books we download each month. If Amazon wants to sell Kindle books, it has to make sure everyone owns a Kindle.

Maybe readers will pay a monthly subscription, like a mobile phone tariff. For example: Get a free Kindle 3G for a monthly payment of $20 and receive 4 free downloads.

As authors, we might even be given the opportunity to opt in to the ‘monthly subscription programme’, where we receive a set fee each time a reader chooses our ebook as one of their monthly downloads.

At the moment, a lot of video games consoles are sold at a huge loss because the games themselves are where the money is. So it follows that the same could happen with Ereaders.

And where would this leave the author? Wouldn’t it eventually make more sense to go directly to the ereader manufacturer rather than via a traditional publisher?

So this takes me back to my initial pondering about where the publishing industry is heading. What of the traditional publisher? In the short term, print books will still be around, but if everyone owns a free ereader, why would anyone want a paperback? Aside from nostalgic and aesthetic reasons, of course.

As an author, I can buy in editing, design and formatting from freelancers, get it straight from Amazon or do it myself. Which means, one day maybe we’ll all be indie authors. Interesting times.