What’s Your Magical Element?

The Spell Fall  blog tour ends today with another interactive blog post. This time, I’ve created a quiz–What’s Your Magical Element?

If you didn’t know, there are five elements that power the magical world in Havenbridge–earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. This quiz will help you determine which of the five elements you draw your power from.

I hope you enjoy the quiz and will share your results with me in the comments and/or on social media. I’d love to hear what level everyone got!

Thank you all for joining me on this tour!

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“Spell Fall” Mini-Author Reading #6

Today, I’m sharing the last of my mini-author readings from Spell Fall. I hope you have been enjoying these videos. They were certainly fun to make!

So without further ado: here’s the video!

There’s also still time to enter the giveaway. Click here if you haven’t entered for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

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Test Your Knowledge of the Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge

Hello, everyone! As part of my promotional tour for Spell Fall, the fourth book of my Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge series, I thought it would be fun to create an interactive blog post. What does that mean? Well, I’ve created a fun quiz to test your knowledge of the previous three books in the series. If you haven’t read any of the books, don’t worry. The quiz is fun. Plus, it will give you some insight into what’s happened so far. If you have read the books, this will be a fun way to see how much you remember.

I hope you enjoy the quiz and will share your results with me in the comments and/or on social media. I’d love to hear what level everyone got!

Click here for the link to the Rafflecopter giveaway:

A $50 Amazon Gift Card

 

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Top 5 Hottest, Most Bad Ass Shapeshifters of All Time

Today is release day for Soul Struck, the third book of my Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge series, and I’m so excited to FINALLY be able to share Pierce’s story with all of you.

For those of you who are not familiar with the series, these books follow the lives of Mason, Thad, and Pierce, three warlock brothers who have unearthed a conspiracy that threatens their lives and the lives of everyone in the magical and human communities. As they search for answers to end the threat, they travel further into the shadows that threaten to devour them as well as find true love on the way. In Soul Struck, the eldest brother, Pierce, takes over as our narrator. We get to experience the world of magic through his eyes as well as meet the young shifter who enters his heart and his soul.

So since Soul Struck introduces a new magical species to my world, I thought it would be fun to talk about shifters with all of you today.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always had a fascination with shifters. When I was a child, they terrified and intrigued me at the same time. Why? Well, for one, they had teeth and wanted to eat me but for another, they could change into this powerful badass alternate form. For a scrawny little kid like me, that had major appeal. What I wouldn’t have given to be able to shift into some other version of me and take down (or tear apart) my enemies.

As an adult, shifters fascinate me in a different way. Has the desire to rip my foes to shreds disappeared? Um, no, but that’s beside the point. Shifters intrigue me now because they get to be someone or something else for a few hours. They aren’t bound by the rules that keep the rest of us stuck in the rut of our lives. They can become something else, something more powerful than they were, but something that represents who they truly are on the inside.

Plus, they are usually hot and often times naked. What’s not to like?

So, today, I want to share my list of the top 5 hottest, most bad ass shapeshifters of all time.

#5 Mystique from X-Men

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Okay, I know a woman wasn’t what many of you were expecting, but come on! This is Mystique we’re talking about. Not only does she have a kick ass body but she can kick some major ass! Combine that with the ability to turn into any person she comes into contact with, and you have to admit, Mystique is one awesome shapeshifter. If only I could look as good in blue body paint as she does!

#4 The Beast from Beauty and the Beast

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I keep throwing you for a loop don’t I? How the hell can a Disney character make this list?

To me, the Beast represents the epitome of a reformed bad boy. I don’t know about you, but I find those types of guys H-O-T! Sure, he was magically cursed for being a grade-A jerk, but he learned his lesson when he meets his true love.

That’s not only hot but incredibly romantic. Plus, it turns out he’s also a prince. Swoons!

#3 The Hulk from the Avengers

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Okay, so the Hulk has some anger issues. Who doesn’t? You should see me when I stub my toe. But seriously, the somewhat dorky and reserved Dr. Bruce Banner (played by the yummy Mark Ruffalo) is able to let loose his inner badass whenever something or someone pisses him off. Who wouldn’t want to shift into a super strong, virtually indestructible tank in those situations? Fewer people would be cutting me off on the highway, that’s for sure.

#2 Sam Merlotte from True Blood

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While I admit I love a good bad boy, an honest-to-God good guy is even hotter. Not only was Sam a great friend but he could shift into any animal he wanted. Talk about completely breaking of the shifter mold, and even though he could, he primarily shifted into a dog. That tells us a lot about the kind of man Sam is, and there’s nothing hotter or more badass than a truly loyal friend.

#1 Alcide Herveaux from True Blood

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Okay, so I’m a fan of True Blood, sue me. But despite my complete fascination with this show, Alcide remains my favorite shifter of all time. Why? He’s played by Joe Manganiello. Enough said!

These are the shifters that make my top 5 list. What about yours? Did your favorite shifter appear on my list? If not, who is your favorite shapeshifter and why? I’d love to hear from you.

Blurb for Soul Struck:

Like the electricity he commands, Pierce Blackmoor streaks through life on raw power and pure sexual energy. His conquests on the battlefield and in the bedroom form his foundation, but that bedrock crumbles when his younger brothers’ abilities surpass his own. Pierce finds himself at an all-time low, and clawing his way back to the top becomes his only concern.

Pierce’s plan to reassert his dominance, however, takes a backseat when he wounds Kale Aquilo, an emissary of the Beast King, lord of all shifters.

Kale’s beguiling nature shoots like a lightning bolt straight to Pierce’s soul, and when the soft-spoken Kale relays that a virus is killing his people, Pierce abandons his quest for power to do something he has never done before—protect someone other than himself.

As Kale, Pierce, and his brothers struggle to find the root of the magical virus spreading plague across Aeaea, the shifter island, they face a gauntlet of old and new foes. Soul struck, Pierce and Kale must uncover the truth behind the conspiracy gathering in the shadows.

Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7203

 

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Shifter 101 for the Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge Series

It’s day 2 of my Month Long Promo Tour for Soul Struck, the third book of the Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge series. In the first two books of the series, I introduced the reader to my versions of vampires (or vampyren as I call them) and the fae. Well, it should come as no surprise that for Soul Struck, I’m adding to the mix yet another magical species—shifters.

And just like I did for vampires and fairies, I shook the shifter mythos up and tweaked a genre many of us have come to love.

So, today, I wanted to give you a brief introduction to my contribution to shifter lore.

Shifting is the result of a magical spell

In my world, there is no genetic mutation or a wolf bite that turns an ordinary human into a shifter. In fact, shifters can’t turn others into shifters. They are born with the ability to transform into an animal, which is a result of a transmutation spell cast upon a tribe of humans by a powerful sorcerer named Sersie in 695 B.C. In her desire to create an army to do her bidding, Sersie inadvertently created a new magical species capable of tapping into the most primitive abilities of all—natural magic.

Shifters transform into an animal according to their magical race not their genetics

Sersie’s spell created four races of shifters—mammalians, avians, aquatics, and reptilians. Two wolf parents create another mammalian, not necessarily another wolf. Shifters transform into the animal spirit that calls to their soul the strongest on the day of the first shift, which is reminiscent of what happened to the human tribe upon which Sersie first cast her spell. Two wolf shifters could produce a child that transforms into a lion or a bear.

Shifters don’t live in packs; they live on a magical island

After the shifters were freed from Sersie’s control, the magical community created Aeaea, a magically shrouded island, where shifters could live in peace and remain safe from other sorcerers. Shifters have called Aeaea home since 690 B.C. and have no desire to return to what they now refer to as Human’s World.

Shifters don’t have an alpha; they have a Beast King

All shifters, regardless of type of animal they shift in to, answer to the Beast King, who is considered the most powerful shifter in the community. He is charged with protecting his people from magical and human threats. He rules Aeaea with the advice of the Were Council, but ultimately the Beast King’s word is law.

Shifters don’t have to completely transform; they can partially shift

While shifters can transform their entire bodies into the animal that has called to their spirit, they also have the ability to shift only part of their body. Arms can turn into wings, mouths can shift into beaks, and hands can turn into claws. Shifters only partially shift in extremely dangerous situations that call for immediate action. If a shifter maintains a partial shift too long, it could result in death.

So there you have it, my brief introduction on shifters as I have created them for Soul Struck. I hope I’ve piqued your interest. Let me know what you think about my take on shifters. I’m anxious to hear your thoughts, and if you want to learn more about shifters in the world of the Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge, I hope you’ll consider picking up Soul Struck.

The Soul Struck Giveaway Contest

All you have to do is leave a comment to this post, and your name is entered to win a free ebook from my backlist.

At the end of the blog tour, one lucky winner will win a $50 Amazon gift card!

Blurb:

Like the electricity he commands, Pierce Blackmoor streaks through life on raw power and pure sexual energy. His conquests on the battlefield and in the bedroom form his foundation, but that bedrock crumbles when his younger brothers’ abilities surpass his own. Pierce finds himself at an all-time low, and clawing his way back to the top becomes his only concern.

Pierce’s plan to reassert his dominance, however, takes a backseat when he wounds Kale Aquilo, an emissary of the Beast King, lord of all shifters.

Kale’s beguiling nature shoots like a lightning bolt straight to Pierce’s soul, and when the soft-spoken Kale relays that a virus is killing his people, Pierce abandons his quest for power to do something he has never done before—protect someone other than himself.

As Kale, Pierce, and his brothers struggle to find the root of the magical virus spreading plague across Aeaea, the shifter island, they face a gauntlet of old and new foes. Soul struck, Pierce and Kale must uncover the truth behind the conspiracy gathering in the shadows.

Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7203

 

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New QUIZ: What is Your Active Power?

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy taking fun Internet quizzes, so I just had to create a new quiz to celebrate the upcoming release of Blood Tied. If you remember I created a quiz for Spell Bound called “What Magical Species are You?” If you haven’t taken that quiz, you can take it by clicking here.

But for today, here’s the latest quiz. I hope you have fun, and I hope you’ll share your answers. If you share them on your social media sites, and I hope you do, please tag me. I want to compare my power with everyone else’s. 🙂

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“Teeth” VIDEO

In case you didn’t already know, I’m a huge Lady Gaga fan. I’m a fan of her music and the messages in her lyrics about love, acceptance, and the need to let our inner freak out. I can definitely relate to all three!

So when I started writing Blood Tied, which contains vampires (or vampyren as I call them in my world of Havenbridge) as part of the cast of characters, I went looking for musical inspiration as I tend to do.

That was when I remembered that Lady Gaga sang a song called “Teeth.” Naturally, I hopped onto YouTube and put that video on autoplay to help fan the creative fires of my muse. Even though I put own spin on the vampyren mythos, which makes them not quite how they are portrayed in this video, the creative inspiration worked and it got my muse to show me his teeth!

I hope you enjoy the video as much as I do!

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Top 5 Creepiest Vampires

I don’t know about you, but for the past few years, I’ve wondered exactly how vampires have changed from bloodsucking monsters into misunderstood rebels. I mean, just who is their publicist? When I was a child, the thought of a vampire terrified me. They were undead, and they delighted on preying on innocents and sucking them dry. I remember going to sleep after watching a vampire movie, eyeing what I could turn into a stake if I needed to.

That hasn’t really been the case for a few years. Vampires have turned into the ultimate bad boys. They are the anti-heroes who just need to love of a good man (or woman) to get them to change their bloodthirsty ways.

Granted, I admit the idea intrigues me, and I wouldn’t mind being turned by Eric Northman from True Blood.

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Damn, that man is hot!

Even so, to me, vampires were meant to be monsters, to inspire fear and to keep us up at night (and not in the good way). That’s why today, I’m going to share my top 5 creepiest vampires

#5 Grandpa Munster from The Munsters

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Now, I know many of you might disagree, but this character always creeped the s#!+ out of me! He was far too nice and saccharin and the way he talked made he shudder. I always expected him to try to lure me into his white van with candy. Shivers!

#4 Collin Ferrell’s Jerry in Fright Night

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Jerry was creepy to me because he was this insanely hot next door neighbor during the day but a ruthless killer at night. He’d flash you that roguish smirk and then slice open your throat with his fangs. The combo of hot and crazy creeps me out every time because being hot kinda blinds most of us to the crazy.

#3 Danny Glick from Salem’s Lot

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This kid freaked the ever-loving fool out of me! In fact, I still have trouble with this scene as an adult. I won’t go near a window after watching this movie!

#2 The Master from The Strain

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I was thrilled when I heard Guillermo Del Toro was taking on the vampire genre, and he hasn’t disappointed me yet with his interpretation. While the master was creepier before we actually got to see him, he still takes spot number 2 on my list.

#1 Barlow from Salem’s Lot

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So, yeah, Salem’s Lot is obviously the definitive vampire story in my opinion, seeing as how two characters from this book/mini-series made it on my list, but can you blame me? Look at this guy! He’s one creepy ass mother! Watching this movie still terrifies me after all these years.

These are the kinds of vampires I remember, and to me, this is how vampires are supposed to be. What do you think? Do you prefer vampires as the scary monster or the misunderstood anti-hero?

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“Blood Tied” Mini-Author Reading #1

It’s Day 2 of the Blood Tied pre-release promotional tour, which includes 30 days of unique content prior to the book’s release on September 7.

I kicked off the tour yesterday on my Facebook page, where I shared a graphic, featuring a line from the book. Today, I’ll be sharing a mini-author reading that will hopefully whet your appetite for more of Thad and his story. After the video, you’ll find the book blurb and the fabulous cover created by Dreamspinner’s Paul Richmond.

Book Blurb:

Thad Blackmoor’s heart is as cold as his icy magical abilities. He considers emotions a waste of his time and prefers to study the arcane, using the sacred books of his coven to grow in his craft. He aspires to supersede his father and elder brother Pierce in power, and now that his younger brother Mason has tapped into the rare warlock power of darkness, he needs to work harder than ever.

But Thad’s ambitions are halted when he saves Aiden Teine, a fire fairy, from a banshee. Thad’s immediate attraction to Aiden catches him off guard and thaws his cold heart for the first time. As Thad, Aiden, and his brothers investigate the connection between the banshee attack and the vampyre and shadow weaver who almost killed them, Thad tries to dodge Ben, a sexy warlock who won’t let him be after a one-night stand.

Their search leads them to the Otherworld, where something even more insidious is at work—something Thad will need more than logic to stand against.

To buy Blood Tied, click here.

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The “Spell Bound” Blog Tour Continues

I’ve been over at some fabulous blog sites this week. I stopped by the Koala Reading Den for a spotlight. I was also over at Jo and Isa Love Books, where I sat down for an interview with Mason and Drake, the main characters from Spell Bound. As usual, the interview went a bit wonky. Why does that always seem to happen to me? It’s like my characters just can’t control themselves. If you’re drawn to the hot mess that is turning over the keyboard to your characters, then click here.

Finally, over at TTC Books and More, I created a playlist for Spell Bound. You can find it here.

Don’t forget the giveaways at each stop. You could enter to win a free book from my backlist!

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