Guest Post by Jaime McDougall

Today  I am happy to welcome Jaime McDougall to my blog. You can see my review of her novel - Echo Falls - here today too. 


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I Said I'd Never… Werewolves, Vampires & Paranormal Romances

By Jaime McDougall

When the Twilight books came out (and other series like True Blood became even hotter) and werewolves and vampires were the 'big thing', I swore one thing:

I will never write about werewolves or vampires.

It's not that I dislike(d) supernatural creatures. Quite the opposite. I love pretty much anything and everything paranormal. But I never wanted to write characters for the sake of a supernatural attribute. I didn't want to decide on writing a pixie and then figure out the character and story. I just don't operate that way. So, given that I'd never written werewolves or vampires before, I swore I'd never given into that kind of writing because I felt I had nothing to add to them.

Last year, a few weeks before NaNoWriMo 2010 when I was contemplating what I would be writing, Phoebe crashed into my mind. I'd just gotten into bed and not even turned off the lamp yet, and a clear picture of her running down a flight of stairs came into my mind.

I laid there for a while, watching this scene (that would later become the first chapter of Echo Falls) play in my mind as the woman ran outside the apartment building and got caught by a wolf who had been a man moments before.

I sighed and thought, Werewolves? I could just imagine her nodding to confirm.

Lo and behold, one of the subjects I had sworn not to write about became my first published novel. Not only that, I had a wonderful time researching werewolf behavior and hunting tactics. I spent a lot of time watching National Geographic, which I love to do anyway.

About nine months and many drafts later, I ended up with Echo Falls. Plus, I am participating in NaNoWriMo again this year to write the sequel.

Do I think I have cracked open an entirely new approach to writing werewolves? No. But I am happy in that I approached writing Echo Falls as writing a group of characters who happen to be werewolves instead of saying, "I'm going to write about werewolves; what will they do?"

Now, if any vampires come storming into my head some night as I'm getting ready to go to bed…

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Jaime McDougall is a citizen of the world, currently loving life in beautiful country Victoria in Australia. She loves eating sushi, kidnapping her husband and naming her pets in honour of science fiction authors.

She has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: High School: The Real Deal and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles. So You Want to Write a Guest Post: An Author’s Guide to Promoting with Guest Blogging is her most recent non-fiction ebook. She has also enjoyed writing a column called ‘The New Australian’ in local newspapers as well as various articles online.

Echo Falls is her first paranormal romance novel. You can buy it now at:

Amazon ( Kindle ) | Barnes and Noble ( Nook ) | Smashwords ( Multiformat )
Amazon ( Print ) | Barnes and Noble ( Print )

You can visit her website at InkyBlots.com

Jess Macallan Guest Post & Giveaway

I am pleased to be a site on Jess Macallan's blog tour for her new book Stone Cold Seduction. I really enjoyed this urban fantasy novel and look forward to books two and three in November and January.

Check out what Jess has to say about a writer's family and then enter the giveaway for an ebook copy of her story.

A Writer’s Family

I’m excited to be at Inside of a Dog today. Thanks for having me! I’m celebrating my upcoming  release STONE COLD SEDUCTION with Entangled Publishing. I’ve been asked a lot of questions about my characters, my inspiration, and my story line. I love talking about those things, but I also need to give credit to the other important people in my life: my family.

I see a lot of blogs discussing how writers manage to write and juggle family time, so I won’t bore you with another one. But have you ever wondered how families juggle life with a writer? Creative types aren’t all that easy to live with. A lot of focus is given to our support systems or lack thereof. I’m lucky to have a husband and kids who are supportive and understanding. Very understanding. Let me give you a few examples:

One day I was desperately trying to finish edits, and dinner time was closing in. I had the brilliant idea to let my kids do what we now call Snack-y Dinner. Their eyes lit up, because it was essentially a free-for-all. I let them raid the cupboard and the fridge (within reason), and load up their plates with their favorite snacks. I finished my edits, and the kids were fed. Success! Or rather it would have been if I’d only done it a few times. You know you’ve relied on Snack-y Dinner too often when your kids request baked chicken and lots of veggies instead of more snacks. Ahem.

My poor husband asks a week in advance if I can pencil in time to sit and watch our favoritenshow together on his days off. However, he has a better chance of getting a response if he asks via Facebook or Twitter because, well, I don’t hear much of anything while I’m typing. Have I mentioned he’s very understanding?

My parents and grandparents are afraid to call because I’m usually writing like mad during our normal chat times. I have a sneaking suspicion they can hear me clicking away on the keyboard while they update me on their lives. It’s not that I don’t care, or don’t want to talk. But when inspiration strikes, you learn to take advantage of it. And…er…I might possibly suffer from creative tunnel vision.

A few years ago, I could multi-task with the best of them. I’ve since discovered writing and multi-tasking don’t make good bedfellows. When I’m writing, I’m consumed with the story. And by consumed, I mean completely oblivious to anything and everything around me. There are only a few things that can pull me out of my creative flow. Kids screaming bloody murder, my husband offering to cook dinner, and the need for a piece of chocolate. Everything else is off my radar.

Fortunately, my obliviousness paid off. STONE COLD SEDUCTION is the first in the Set in Stone trilogy and I’m thrilled to share it with the world. Plus, I promised my family I’d take an entire month off when my writing, editing and blogging are done. *girns* Hey, I’m never above bribery.

If you’re a creative type, are your loved ones understanding of your quirky habits?

Thanks again for having me on Inside of a Dog today. I love chatting with readers at www.JessMacallan.com | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads  (Check out her blog too.)

Happy Reading!

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Would you like a copy of Stone Cold Seduction? Here is the product description:

When a regular night of Robin Hood-ery results in the manifestation of some, um, unusual paranormal abilities, perfume-maker Elleodora Fredricks realizes the normal world she lives in isn't quite... normal. And neither is she, thanks to her father, king of the shadow elves. Not only is he evil incarnate and the reason Elle moonlights as a burglar someone has to take care of all his victims he s stolen her memories.

And only reading her fate can fix that.

Good thing she s got a trio of hotties willing to help her find said fate, but only if she gives them something in return. Saving her oracle BFF's fiance, falling in love with the gargoyle, and making up for breaking the phoenix s heart ought to be a piece of cake for the princess of the shadow elves.

If only the king didn't want his daughter dead...

Entangled Publishing is letting me give away one ebook edition. This contest is open internationally. Fill out the form below for your chance to read this exciting and entertaining title. You can check out this link to Entangled Publishing to read the first two chapters too.

Fill out this form to win a copy.

Enter by midnight on Friday, Sept. 9. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and notified on Saturday, Sept. 10. Good luck.

Ask Stan (Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis)

I recently read and loved Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis. You can see my review here. This book was quality urban fantasy with a terrific main character.


I am pleased to let Stan Markowski answer questions today (courtesy of Justin Gustainis.)

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Dear Sergeant Stan

An Advice Column on Matters Supernatural

By

Detective Sgt. Stanley Markowski

Occult Crimes Unit

Scranton Police Department

Dear Sgt. Stan: I’m in kind of a quandary.  There’s this really hot girl where I work, and I was thinking of asking her out.  But everybody in the office says she’s a witch.  Should I stay away? 

Signed, Uncertain.

Dear Uncertain:

You’re smart to be careful when dealing with the supernatural.  But even if the lady in question is a witch (and are you sure the people you work with didn’t describe her using a word that begins with a different letter?  I’m just saying.), it doesn’t have to be a barrier to romance.

The most important question is: what kind of a witch is she – white or black?  I’m not talking about race here.  I mean, what kind of magic does she practice?  White magic gets its power from the Earth, from nature, and, some witches say, from a Goddess.  Black magic gets its mojo from Satan, pure and simple.  This is important, because followers of the right-hand path (as white witches are sometimes called) can’t use magic to hurt you.  A white magic spellbook, for example, doesn’t contain any curses – although I once heard some when a white witch I know dropped the book on her foot.  It’s pretty heavy.

On the other hand, followers of the left-hand path use black magic is used to hurt people – that’s why it exists. 

Is dating a “black” witch dangerous?  Does a vampire ever turn down a Bloody Mary?

So, you need to find out what kind of witch this lady is, before you try playing “hide the salamander” with her.  How do you do that?

You could always come right out and ask her.  But that gets complicated, because a white witch will tell you the truth, but a black witch may lie (all the better to work her evil ways on you later).  Then you’re in the middle of one of those puzzles that always make my head hurt: “Gnomes and trolls look almost exactly alike.  But gnomes always tell the truth, while trolls always lie.  So how do you ….”  I hate those things.

A better way might be to ask some casual questions, and pay close attention to the answers.  Try a few of these:

“So, been to any good black masses lately?”

“A buddy of mine wants to have his boss turned into a toad.  Know anybody who could help him with that?”

“I think Satan got a pretty bad rap from the Bible, don’t you?”

“A coven in my neighborhood is planning to sacrifice an infant under the next full moon, which is tomorrow night.  I don’t have a date yet – wanna go?”

The answers to questions like that should give you a pretty good idea what kind of magic the young lady practices.  If it’s white, then go; if it’s black, just say “No.”

A word of advice if you do end up on a date with a white witch: don’t make stupid jokes about pointy hats, cauldrons, or black cats.  She’s heard them all a million times.  And, whatever you do, don’t tell her this one: “Why doesn’t Griselda wear any underwear on Halloween?  To get a better grip on her broom.”  Just because she can’t turn you into a toad doesn’t mean she won’t throw a drink in your face.

In the soup over a supe?  Sgt Stan answers your supernatural questions every Wednesday – just write to him care of this website.

Justin Gustainis is the author of two recent novels.  In Hard Spell, Detective Sgt. Stan Markowski fights supernatural evil in an “alternate” Scranton, PA.  You can read the first fifty pages for free at the Angry Robot Books website, here:  http://angryrobotbooks.com/our-authors/justin-gustainis/hard-spell-justin-gustainis/

Justin’s other book is Sympathy for the Devil, third in the “Morris Chastain Occult Investigations” series.  In this one, occult investigator Quincey Morris and his partner, “white” witch Libby Chastain, try to stop demon-possessed Presidential candidate Howard Stark before he can win the White House and then destroy the world.  You can read excerpts by using the “Search Inside the Book” feature on the book’s Amazon page, which is here.

Justin is sponsoring a huge “Easter Egg” contest in conjunction with the book’s release (First Prize: a $50 Amazon gift card and you get a character named after you in the next Morris/Chastain book.  Details are on Justin’s website: www.justingustainis.com.

And while you’re on the web, be aware that there a site that appears to be a campaign page for a creepy guy named Howard Stark, who says he’s running for President.  But Howard is a fictional character, so this dude can’t really be … nah!  You probably should stay away from this website, www.starkforamerica.com.  The content is too disturbing.

I Saw Richelle Mead!

I finally got a chance to meet and hear Richelle Mead. A friend and I went to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota last Sunday for an author signing. We had been scheduled to go last December but the weather made us cancel our plans. Luckily (?), Richelle couldn't get there either as the blizzard prevented her plane trip. This time there was a tornado in the Cities while we were there. We didn't have any problems -- not even any rain -- but I would guess the flight out might have been interesting for her.

We had a nice drive up to the Mall and were pleased to be at one of the few author signings that Richelle Mead will be doing this year. We had a nice time visiting with other fans as we waited in line for the signing to begin. Once it began, Ms. Mead read from her August release Blood Lines and even gave away five copies. I wasn't a winner but my number was only 3 away from one of the winners. I am very excited to read that story. She stopped at a very cliff hanging place!

I brought one book from each of her series to be signed. I had the most recent one from the Vampire Academy series signed for my students. I grabbed our library copy for autographing since I had donated it earlier in the year. I also had her sign the first books in her other two series for my own collection.

That reminded me that while I am current in the Vampire Academy series I am behind in reading her other two series. I have the most recent succubus book still on my stack along with books two and three in the Dark Swan series. I am hoping to catch up this summer before the newest titles release in August.

There are just 4 more days with students this year and one extra day with just teachers before my summer vacation begins. I am already making lists of all the books I want to read!

BTT: Authors and Books I'm Thankful For

Header by Ginger at G Reads

This week's question:

It’s Thanksgiving here in the U.S. of A. so …
What authors and books are you most thankful for?


My Answer:
The authors I am most thankful for are Lois McMaster Bujold and Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Both write long running science fiction series.

Photo by me taken November 2010.

Lois writes the Vorkosigan saga. They are the continuing adventures of Miles Vorkosigan who is a hyperactive, privileged aristocrat who was born with very brittle bones in a society that hates anything different. He is the kind of character who grabs hold of your heart and just won't let go. He is also the kind of character you would be most likely to murder in his sleep if you happened to meet him in "real life." Whenever I re-read those books, I am again caught up in the world and the adventures. They are perfect books to take me out of myself and out of my life. Lois's books are listed here.

Photo from Fantastic Fiction (undated)

Sharon and Steve's books work the same way for me. I am most entertained by their Liaden Universe books. In this series, humans have evolved into humans, Liadens, and Xtraing and are joined by some other people who never were human like the Turtles. The series focuses on the Liadens who have a fascinating culture built around the concept of melanti (similar to the Japanese Face). The characters are well-developed human beings that I would love to know - but preferably in much less dangerous situations than they face in the books. The culture of the world and the values of Korval fascinate me. I have read these books so frequently that I have multiple copies of each book in case one gets too worn to be readable. A listing of their books is here.


These certainly aren't the only authors I love. But these are the authors that I have turned to year after year and stressful situation after stressful situation to make me feel better and more hopeful.


Which books and authors are you thankful for? Let us know by posting on your blog and linking here.

Road Trip: Lois McMaster Bujold

A friend and I took off after work on Thursday to drive to the Twin Cities for an author signing and reading with SF author Lois McMaster Bujold. Immersing ourselves in rush hour traffic was an unwelcome sensation for both of us but we did manage to find the venue without difficulty. And right across the street (almost) was a Cheesecake Factory. After a great dinner, we wandered over to the Galleria Barnes and Noble.

My friend stopped upstairs to buy her copy of Cryoburn and I made my way downstairs to find seating. I had pre-ordered my copy from Amazon and brought it with me to the signing. So I grabbed two seats in the back row. There were about 20-25 people there when we arrived at 6:50. At 7 the representative who was to introduce Lois suggested the audience move to the front to fill in the empty seats. My friend and I ended up in the front row!


Lois took questions and then read for about 40 minutes from her work in progress which focuses on Ivan. Ivan has been a continuing character throughout the Vorkosigan series. Fans have been clamoring for years for Lois to tell us more about him. Lois read two scenes. The crowd, mostly old fans of Lois's work, were laughing frequently as we heard two scenes. The first was from Ivan's point of view; the second was from the point of view of the female lead who is, I hope, Ivan's love interest and the woman who is right for him. It is always interesting to hear Lois talk about her writing process and the genesis of ideas. It was also interesting to hear about the current tour and the different interviews that she had. She did a lot of interviews with non-SF readers and spent a lot of time talking about cryonics - frozen frogs and Tad Williams' head. In fact her book spends more time within the story considering the social and societal implications of cryogenics. 


Cryoburn has the added bonus of including a CD with most of Lois's previous Vorkosigan books available for download in a variety of formats. If you haven't met Miles Vorkosigan or visited his world, this would be a great opportunity to meet him and see his world. These are some of my all-time favorite books. The storytelling is masterful and engaging.


We were lucky enough to be at the front of the line for the book signing which followed the reading. And then, we came home. Our hour and half drive were filled with discussions of books, life, etc. We also planned our next road trip. Richelle Mead is coming to the Mall of America on Dec. 11 as a stop on her Last Sacrifice tour. It is on our calendars!

Scott Nicholson Is My Guest

I am proud to be a stop on Scott Nicholson's blog tour. He sent me a video to share with you all today.



He also sent this text.

The Red Church on sale for 99 cents, or get your signed paperback directly from the author for $8.95 at Haunted Computer. For every book of mine that hits the Top 100 during the tour, I will throw in an extra Kindle 3 giveaway. Tell your friends. Amaze your neighbors. Shock your therapist.

Scott Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including the thrillers Speed Dating with the Dead, Drummer Boy, Forever Never Ends, The Skull Ring, As I Die Lying, Burial to Follow ,and They Hunger. His revised novels for the U.K. Kindle are Creative Spirit, Troubled, and Solom. He’s also written four comic series, six screenplays, and more than 60 short stories. His story collections include Ashes, The First, Murdermouth: Zombie Bits, and Flowers.

To be eligible for the Kindle DX, simply post a comment below with contact info. Feel free to debate and discuss the topic, but you will only be entered once per blog. Visit all the blogs on the tour and increase your odds. I’m also giving away a Kindle 3 through the tour newsletter and a Pandora’s Box of free e-books to a follower of “hauntedcomputer” on Twitter. Thanks for playing. Complete details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm

This book sounds perfectly scary. It would be just the thing to read in October to get yourself ready for Halloween.

Be sure to check out the schedule on Scott's website so that you can increase your chances of winning a new Kindle 3 by visiting more of the blogs that he will be visiting.

Good luck and happy reading!

KINDLE GIVEAWAY BLOG TOUR

Author Scott Nicholson and Amazon are giving away two Kindles as part of his fall book blog tour from September through November, including a stop here on Oct. 2. A Kindle DX will be given away through the participating blogs, and a Kindle 3 will be given away through the tour newsletter at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. A Pandora's Box of free ebooks will be given away through Nicholson's  hauntedcomputer  Twitter
account.

“The digital era is great for connecting readers and writers,” Nicholson said. “So it’s perfect timing to embark on a digital tour and celebrate the book blogs, readers, and a device that has enhanced the joy and education of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.”

Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including The Skull Ring and Speed Dating with the Dead, as well as five story collections, four comics series, and six screenplays. A freelance editor and journalist, he lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

As a bonus, if Nicholson hits the Top 100 in the U.S. or U.K. Kindle Store during the tour between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, he will give away an extra Kindle 3 through the blogs. No purchase necessary, and the contest is international. Co-sponsored by Kindle Nation Daily and Dellaster Design. Details at www.hauntedcomputer.com.



I am excited to be one of the stops on the Kindle Giveaway Blog Tour. Scott will be guest posting here on Oct. 2 but don't forget to go to his website on September 1 to get registered for the Kindle and find out where the tour is going. 

Road Trip: Patricia Briggs

My friend Bev and I took off Saturday morning on a road trip to attend an author signing. Patricia Briggs was at Uncle Hugo's Science Fiction Bookstore in Minneapolis. I am a big fan and have all of her books. Bev is a new fan. I hauled with me a large bag with 18 of her books; my friend had three and purchased a few more while she was there.

We had a beautiful day for our trip. We left Rochester at 10:45 and arrived at Uncle Hugo's at 12:15. I had done some internet research to find us a good place for lunch. (Thank heavens for the internet! How did we ever find our way around before it?)

The old Sears building just a block away from Uncle Hugo's has been turned into the Midtown Global Market with more than 50 locally-owned independent businesses and inside is a great Middle Eastern Deli called the Holy Land Grocery & Deli. If you are in Minneapolis, I highly recommend it. After eating pitas overstuffed will all kinds of goodness, we headed to Uncle Hugo's.

We arrived at 1:15 to find quite a line. While I held our place in the line and shared book talk with the people around me, Bev cruised the store to find all sorts of wonderful books. I had made a list of books I wanted to buy while I was there.

I finally got a chance to talk to Ms. Briggs and get all of my books signed at about 2:10. Ms. Briggs was wonderful. She was friendly and talked extensively to everyone as she was signing her books.

This one is Patricia Briggs and me. I received lots of compliments on my reading tee shirt (which happened to be a gift from Bev.) I also purchased a new tee shirt while I was there and will be proudly wearing my Uncle Hugo's tee shirt in the future.

This is Patricia Briggs with Bev.

I couldn't leave without doing some book shopping. I bought Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs so that I could get it autographed. I had already purchased it and read it on my Kindle. I bought Mage in Black by Jaye Wells, Nine Gates by Jane Lindskold, and The Shapeshifters by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. I added a signed hardcover of The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold to my collection too.

We had hoped to be able to do some more shopping at the Midtown Global Market because they had interesting clothing, bags and jewelry but needed to get back to Rochester so that Bev could get to work by 4:30. We made it with 10 minutes to spare. We are already planning another road trip. (Robin Hobb is coming to Uncle Hugo's in May.) Hopefully next time we will have more time to explore.

Next time I'll take more of my own pictures. Between my shopping, my huge bag of books to be signed and my purse, I just didn't have a hand free to take my camera out and use it for more than a couple of pictures.

Quiet Reading Day

I've never known any trouble that an hour's reading didn't assuage.
--Charles De Secondat (1689 - 1755)

This foggy, rainy Saturday seems particularly well suited to be a reading day. I have been catching up on my blogs and just stumbled on the quote above. I'm not sure that it is completely true but I have found that a quiet reading hour can often help you cope with some of the "trouble" that can come around.

Today I'm reading Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. Thus far I am finding it a fascinating retelling of some Norse myths with a likeable and sympathetic young female narrator. I'm only beginning chapter 12 but am eager to read on. I think this will appeal to some of the girls in my Media Center who are reading books by Shannon Hale and Gail Carson Levine. I know that George's book Dragon Slippers had found an audience. I'm sure that this one will too.

I was glad yesterday to discover a couple of new sources for inexpensive books. One of our English teachers attended a workshop on young adult literature and brought the manual back to the Media Center for us to use. The sites were listed in the manual. I put in an order at Book CloseOuts.com for a few books that sounded good. I also looked around at Book Depot but had already spent today's money at Book CloseOuts. Later last evening I got an email saying that my books had already shipped. Now we will see how long it takes them to arrive! I'm more than a little spoiled. I am an Amazon Prime customer and am used to receiving books about 3 days after I order them.

Hubbs Children's Literature Conference

I recently attended the Hubbs Children's Literature Conference (end of February) and had a chance to have my picture taken with Jane Yolen and her son Adam Stemple. I came back with autographed books that I donated to our HS Media Center (as I forgot to bring along any of my own books by these authors). Today I finally downloaded the pictures from my camera and chose this shot. I was there all day and only took 13 pictures that I weeded down to five. I need to remember that I have a camera and I need to remember to use it.

I am getting ready to head off to Spotlight on Books near Grand Rapids next weekend. I have cleared the old pictures off the camera, charged the batteries, and am ready to try again. Jim Trelease, DJ McHale, Janet Stevens and Mary Casanova will be there. I hope to get at least one good picture of each of them (and some of Rutger's Sugar Lake Resort). Although resorts in April in Minnesota are not looking their best. I doubt that the ice will be off the lake yet. It should be a good conference. I hope to come back with good ideas and autographed books.

I have audiobooks to listen to on the way to and from the conference. Mapquest says that it is a 5 hour drive to get there. I got a new David Weber and I think that I read that there are 35 disks (and I thought that the last Harry Potter at 17 disks was long!)