Sheri Lewis Wohl: Souls of Sorrow

Timeless chills.

Sometimes you wonder how it is you ended up as an adult with this great love of the preternatural. Well, maybe you don’t but me…yeah, I sometimes wonder. Then I think back to when I was a kid and it just makes me smile. I was always that strange little kid who bugged the crap out of my family when it came to scary movies. “Pleeeeese, can I watch it?” I’d plead on Saturday afternoons when spooky movies were playing on television. The first answer was always no and for good reason. I’d keep them all awake after I watched a scary movie because I was not only afraid of the dark but had an overactive imagination. Then, tired of listening to my pleading and whining, they’d finally give in. For a couple of hours I’d sit cross-legged on the floor glued to the television, thrilled as the film noire style movie opens and the Wolfman’s eyes peer at me from between the slats of a window blind.

Now, you have to understand, I like movies. ALL movies. Old ones, new ones, bad ones, good ones. So what is it I remember about those long ago scary movies? Nothing so glorious as say, The Shining or perhaps Psycho or Halloween. Nope, one of my all-time favorites was none other than a good old black and white movie—Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. Even as a kid I liked nothing better than werewolves, vampires, and monsters, and this movie had it all. Sure, there were scarier movies and in color no less but honestly, when it comes to werewolves who ever did it better than Lon Chaney Jr.? The movie is a bona fide oldie, filmed in 1948, but seriously when it comes to werewolves, what’s time got to do with it? Not a thing in my book. Just as the legends of werewolves have lingered in folklore, so too has the legend of the Wolfman created by Lon Chaney Jr.

All those afternoons of werewolves, vampires, and monsters rubbed off and when it came time to create my own stories, darned if they didn’t show up! Here my parents thought I was wasting my time with those movies-ha! Souls of Sorrow is my most recent paranormal novel and while there are no werewolves, there are plenty of things going bump in the night to keep you watching the shadows. Stop by my website at www.sherilewiswohl.com to take a peek and if you’re interested in winning a digital copy, just answer the question posted there.

Suzanne Rock: Adapting To Change

I have a confession to make: I don’t like change. I don’t think many people do. We are creatures of habit and often find comfort in things we do every day. Any disruptions to our daily regimen, any invasion of our comfort zone, and many people feel lost. I know I do.

This is particularly true of my writing. Up until very recently, I had a routine and it worked for me. I’d write during my lunch hour at work, then once again when the kids went to bed in the evenings. My output was pretty good, and things were going well. Then, like a predator sneaking into my territory, something happened that changed everything.

The company I work for announced that they were going to have massive layoffs -- the most layoffs they have ever had in their 15 year history. Now unfortunately, I don’t make enough money off my writing to put food on the table, so I needed that day job. This announcement threw me for a loop, and as the weeks passed, I began to fear that my group -- and my paycheck -- were going to disappear.

Needless to say, my writing suffered. A lot. I stopped writing for two weeks while I dealt with the stress of potentially losing my job. Where would I find money? How would I provide for my family? This was truly a low point in my life and instead of turning to the one thing I could always count on to keep me sane (my writing) I turned away.

But this story doesn’t have a depressing ending. Over the past week my ducks started to fall in a row, and a solution emerged that will place both me and my family in a much better position than we were before. As my anxiety lessened and my head began to clear, I turned back to my writing -- and found sympathy in the alpha wolf from my Kyron Pack series, Josh.

In the series mythology, the Kyron Pack was formed during a time when werewolves were becoming overcrowded in North America. A small group, led by Josh Kyron, migrated down from Canada and into the western United States looking for an area where they could live in peace. They made their home in Las Vegas and the surrounding territories and became protective of the local humans in their new home. Just like real wolves, they marked their territory, staked out their food supply, and turned their small family into a powerhouse that dominated the territory they lived in.

When a rival pack on the East Coast saw how well the Josh and his wolves were doing, they decided that it was unfair for them to reap all of the benefits. They wanted Kyron territory and Kyron wealth. More importantly, the leader of this new pack, Eric Wright, wanted to eliminate Josh and rule both packs himself. He used Lydia, Josh’s true mate and Eric’s sister, to bring the Kyron pack to their knees.

Josh’s routine was disrupted, and his territory invaded. I found that Josh reacted to the situation very much like I reacted to the announcement of layoffs at my company. We both became angry, then bitter. Finally, when it seemed like all hope was lost, we fell into despair. Neither of us wanted to give up hop, however, and it was only by using our heads and being creative, that we were able to come up with a plan for survival (and save our sanity).

Territory and control are very important to wolves. They are protective by nature, and like order in their packs. How about you? Are you like Josh Kyron and other wolves? Do you crave the same order and control over your surroundings? Or do you just “go with the flow?” Tell me about it!

One lucky commenter will win a free .pdf of the first book in my Kyron Pack series – Up on the Housetop!

Up on the Housetop, Book One of the Kyron Pack

ISBN: 978-1-60737-487-9

Buy Link: http://www.loose-id.com/Up-on-a-Housetop.aspx

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfRapp-4n2M

Publisher: Loose Id, LLC
Genre: M/F paranormal erotic romance (werewolves)
Length: Novella
Price: $4.99

Blurb:

Desperate to escape her controlling family, Chloe Bradford scrambles up to the housetop of her Texas home on Christmas Eve. There she discovers a sexy stranger cloaked in shadow. He convinces her to shed her good-girl image and give into her most secret desires. The man's low, raspy voice tugs at her memory as much as it awakens her passion. Is he a Christmas miracle, or some figment of her imagination? When he tries to leave, she follows him, eager to learn his identity.

Zach can't stop thinking about Chloe, or their reunion on the roof. His wolf-half urges him to reveal his identity and claim her, but he doesn't dare. For both their sakes, he must remain in the shadows until he can control his inner beast's bursts of rage. After a decade of struggle he thought he could handle his curse, but Chloe's presence causes his control to slip. As the moon-rages become more frequent, he knows he's slipping toward the insanity that claims many of his kind. Only Chloe can save him, but will she want to after he reveals his identity and the reason he broke her heart over a decade ago?

Down on the Boardwalk, Book Two of the Kyron Pack

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPGenPONrTU

ISBN: 978-1-60737-487-9

Buy Link: http://www.loose-id.com/Down-on-the-Boardwalk.aspx

Publisher: Loose Id, LLC
Genre: M/F/M paranormal erotic romance (werewolves)
Length: Novel
Price: $6.99

Blurb:

Gwen's psychic abilities first make her an outsider among the werewolves. Then they make her a slave. Forced to use her power to help a deranged werewolf seek vengeance, she gives up on her dream of ever being accepted and loved. That is, until Nico and Tony are thrown into her cell. Her attraction to the Kyron Pack brothers is immediate and overwhelming. As she submits to the physical attraction, old wounds heal and her powers strengthen. The brothers think she can save them, but to do so would require more than just physical intimacy, and reveal a secret too dark and horrifying to share.

When Nico and Tony use their lust to help their battered mate, buried memories rise to the surface, and jealousy threatens to destroy the fragile wolf in their care. As each of them bonds to Gwen, they begin to withdraw from each other. Now they must heal their inner scars and forgive the past if they ever hope save Gwen and escape the Boardwalk alive.

KC Burn

I’m KC Burn and my favourite werewolf story changes depending on my mood - there are a lot of good ones out there. However…

One Wednesday night several years ago, during a horrible snowstorm, a friend and I went to the movies. We saw Cursed, with Christina Ricci and Joshua Jackson about a werewolf in L.A., and we were the only ones in the theatre. We laughed and laughed. Ahem. I’m not sure if that was the intention of the film, but I found it hilarious. It was a nice, light-hearted horror movie, the acting was good, the effects weren’t awful, and it had a very campy feel to it. Perhaps it was intended to be a spoof, although it certainly wasn’t billed as such. But it hit all my B-movie buttons, and it’s one of my all-time favourite werewolf movies.

Although I like the werewolf as villain, I also enjoy the opposite end of the spectrum with the werewolf as the uber-Alpha hero as is often found in romantic fiction -- for instance, the awesome J.L. Langley’s werewolf series. The inclusion of the tortured werewolf hero in Cursed (although he was more a beta than an alpha) is probably one of the reasons I enjoy the movie so much. It has the best of both worlds.

As for me, MIA Case Files: Wolfsbane is my foray into the werewolf arena, with werewolves as villains. The blurb is below, and the next one in the series (with vampires) is due out shortly.

Werewolves are coming through an open portal and one of them wants Adam Farelli. Agent Lachlan Carmichael can’t let that happen, even if it means stepping out of the closet for the town’s sexiest screw-up.

www.kcburn.com

Living A Nightmare: Barbara Elsborg

Can I confide in you? Don’t say no. I don’t have anyone else to talk to. But keep this to yourself. I’m eaten up with worry and I need to understand why. It all started last month, when I was in the park. One minute I was standing there admiring my new high heels, the next I was racing after a tennis ball. Unbelievably, even in heels, I managed to get to it before a greyhound!! Fitter than I thought which is a good thing but an inability to pass a lamppost without sniffing the base can’t be good. Though they all smelled wonderful. I hope no one saw me pee on the one next my house. Buts it’s mine- MINE, I TELL YOU.

Oops. Sorry about that. I seem to be a bit short tempered lately.

Another thing I’ve noticed, is -- hair. I mean, we all shave our legs and underarms and sometimes those other bits but not five bloody times a day. I’m having to buy razors in bulk. Plus my silver jewelry has started to bring me out in a nasty rash and I’ve developed a craving for rare steak. Until a few weeks ago I was a vegetarian. Go figure.

Oh and I should mention – sex. Well I’ve always liked sex – now I can’t get enough of it. Even the sixty year old postman with the glass eye and wooden leg looks tasty. But no more missionary position, only doggy style will do. Does that make me kinky?

Did I tell you about the moon? Makes my mouth water and my skin prickle and my voice all husky. Goodness knows what I’ll be like when it’s full in a few days time.

Lady next door has lost her cat and wants me to go look for it. About time I had a word with Fluffy about crapping in my yard. I’m sure I can make the little pussy cat see the error of her ways.

So what do you think? Have I caught something? Do I need to be worried?

* * * *

If you like your werewolves with a sense of humor – try my books. ‘Falling For You’ ‘The Misfits’ and ‘Fight to Remember’ all feature werewolves and are available from Loose-Id. My latest with Ellora’s Cave is ‘The Small Print’ – with a werewolf hunk called Catch.

The Small Print – Barbara Elsborg – out on 1st October with Ellora’s Cave

I’m in trouble.

Matty suddenly finds herself back in her childhood home, naked and alone, with no clue how she came to be there. When her greedy uncle sells Milford Hall from under her, Matty hides in the attic.

The woman is trouble.

Vampire historian, Turner, has long had his eye on Milford Hall and there is no price he won’t pay to own it. He doesn’t expect to find an aggravating female living in his attic insisting she has a right to be there. The small print in the contract backs her up but Turner is determined to maintain his privacy. Doesn’t matter she’s the hottest thing he’s seen for years— in order to protect her from his mistakes, Matty has to go.

I eat trouble for dinner

After a self-imposed twenty year absence from Turner, werewolf Catch arrives to put the past right and save his former lover from circling enemies. But one kiss from Matty and Catch has more than Turner to worry about. Neither boy wants to share their new toy.

www.barbaraelsborg.com

www.barbaraelsborg.blogspot.com

If you leave a comment here or on my blog – you have a chance to win a copy of any of my ebooks of your choice. Please make sure you supply a contact email for me to let you know if you win.

Jianne Carlo: Lucky In Red

Early this summer Passions in Print, a division of Man Love Romance, asked my friend and fellow author, Lynn Lorenz, to do an anthology for their new heterosexual-focused line. Lynn and I began our careers together around the same time a couple of years ago with the same editor, Georgia Woods.

We’d often spoken of doing a Viking story together, so when Lynn approached me for this anthology, I jumped at the chance. And when she told me that Belinda McBride was on board, I was thrilled, having recently met and bonded with Belinda at the EPIC awards in February.

I’m amazed at how easily Lucky in Red came together.

We had one brainstorming Skype session where we decided on our heroes - the Lobos brothers, the premise - stained red dresses, and the location - Sleeping Dog, Texas (thank you Lynn J).

After that, we each wrote a first paragraph, exchanged stories, and that was it. We wrote our tales independently, and lo behold, at the end of the day we had one discrepancy – I had an acrylic counter, and the others had stainless steel.

Isn’t that incredible?

I feel like pinching myself. Never did I imagine an anthology could be so easy. And we had such a blast doing this too. Of course, I’m all up for the three of us doing another one.

Like Lynn and Belinda, I, too, love writing about wolves. Their fierce loyalty to their mates and cubs, the delicious alpha qualities of a male wolf, the to-the-death maternal protectiveness of the females, all these qualities are so appealing for a romance novel.

A few fascinating sub-characters show up in Lucky in Red.

Carnation Rosa, an older woman, who earns her nickname by decapitating the heads of two dozen carnations each year at the county fair: her sidekick, Cleo, who’s addicted to the cactus-wine made by the town’s pastor and his wife, and a wolf-hating sheriff who’s trying to repeal the ban on hunting introduced by the Lobos brothers. Not to mention the mischievous devil of a ring bearer who wreaks havoc with a handful of marbles as the bridesmaids at a wedding advance up the aisle.

Lucky in Red is sexy, funny, and fast-paced and we all hope you enjoy reading the three stories!

Cheers,

Jianne

Moon Myths and Moon Cake: Lena Austin

What is the best-known myth about the full moon? That it triggers a werewolf’s transformation of course. However, that’s not the only moon myth out there, back in day people believed all sorts of strange things about the moon. Let’s explore some of those other moon superstitions.

• One of the oldest moon myths is that if you stare at the moon for too long you’ll become a lunatic and every full moon thereafter will send you into fits of insanity.
• In some ancient cultures, young girls were warned against sleeping in the moonlight, lest they become “moonstruck” and attract monsters.
• Some believe that moonlight shining into one’s bedroom will bring bad luck. It is said that if you greet the moon with a polite curtsy or bow it will ward off the ill luck, and you may even be granted a wish.
• Another well-known belief is that witches and sorcerers will “draw down the moon” to use its power for their spells. This has remained a part of Wiccan tradition even today, and modern witches still Draw Down the Moon. Sadly, I as a Wiccan have never dropped down on all fours and started howling.
• It was believed the waxing of a new moon it the best time for lovers to divine their future, the best time to begin a new journey or business venture, and the best time for farmers to plant their crops (except runner beans, which are sown at the wane). This is also the best time to hold wedding and to have a baby. That’s not all though – livestock slaughtered when the moon is waxing is said to give better meat.
• Bowing to the new moon and turning over silver coins in your pocket was believed to double the amount of money by the end of the next cycle.
• If in company, the first person to see the new moon should kiss one of their companions right away, for if they do so they may expect a gift in the near future. But! The new moon should not be seen for the first time through glass (eye glasses are ok) or through the branches of a tree – for this is a bad omen. The best way to see it is in the open air via a glance over the right shoulder (in which case a wish may be made).
• Pointing at the moon was believed to insult the man in the moon, and if you did point you would be banned from heaven.
• To see visions of your future lover, say this to the first full moon of the year, “All hail to thee, moon, all hail to thee, I prithee kind moon, reveal to me, Him/Her who is my life partner to be.” If all goes well you will see your future love in your dreams.
• In ancient times, Chinese people believed that there were twelve Moons as there were twelve months in one year. It was believed that the Moons were made of water. The name "mother of moons" is associated with that of Heng-o.
• The Full Moon in January is called the Wolf Moon. It is named after the hungry packs of wolves that howled at night. The Algonquian tribes of Native Americans had many different names for the Full Moon through the year, reflecting their connection with nature and the seasons, hunting, fishing, and farming.

How to Make Moon Cakes

Moon Cake "A cake-like crust topped with a creamy vanilla, cream cheese pudding and smothered in whipped topping with just a hint of chocolate syrup. Served cold." Ingredients: 1 cup water ½ cup margarine 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 eggs 1 3.4 oz packages instant vanilla pudding mix 3 cups milk 1 8-oz package cream cheese 1 8-oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed ¼ cup chocolate syrup Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and lightly grease a jelly roll pan. 2. In a large saucepan, bring water and margarine to a boil. Remove from heat, and mix in flour with electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Spread evenly in prepared pan . 3. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside to cool completely 4. In large bowl, combine pudding mix, milk and cream cheese. Mix with electric mixer until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled crust. Top with whipped topping and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Chill in refrigerator and serve cold.

Grand Prize: Week One

I decided to give away TWO grand prizes! Hey, it's my party, why not? LOL! This Sunday, I'll be drawing for a pearl necklace. Not just any pearl necklace...but a Blacque/Bleu pearl necklace that's EIGHT AND A HALF FEET LONG!!!
These are rice-shaped freshwater pearls from China, each pearl measures about 8 to 9 mm. When this puppy came in the mail today, my sister suggested that we keep it to decorate our Christmas tree this year! LOL! (All of our Christmas decorations were stolen a few months ago)

You can wear it as a necklace, a belt, drape it over your curtains or just set it out for display. These are real pearls and I shudder to think what the retail cost is here in the US. (I have friends in foreign places)

So...keep talking, your comments are your entries. (just don't babble foolishness...I do that enough!)

Belinda

Werewolves! Anne Kane

Werewolves! Their origin is buried in myth and legend. In this age of instant communications, ipads and remote exploration of Mars we are still fascinated by the thought that they might truly exist and walk unseen amongst us. I have always been an avid fan of the “what-ifs” and werewolves are one of my favorites.

Growing up in Northern Ontario, the eerily haunting cries of the wolf packs could be heard on many a cold winter’s night, and the sound never failed to send sent a pang of longing through me. I could imagine the noble creatures running through the large tracts of untamed forests, wild and free with the crisp snow crunching beneath the pads of their feet.

My fascination started innocently enough as a young child, devouring Jack London’s tales of the gold rush and the dogs and wolves that pulled the sleds. It wasn’t much of a leapt from admiring his animal characters to wishing people could feel the same primal joy as a member of a pack of these noble animals.

When I first started writing fiction, I avoided writing about werewolves. They’d already been so very well done by Patricia Briggs, Kelley Armstrong, Kate Douglas and numerous other authors that I wasn’t sure I come up with a fresh approach. Seducing Destiny was my first attempt, and I enjoyed creating the characters immensely. The setting is my current home ground in the British Columbian Rocky mountains, where wolves are rare sight these days. I hope I did justice to these fascinating mythical creatures!

Sex and Chocolate: Seducing Destiny by Anne Kane

Buy Link

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1228

Jack, the alpha of the Northern Rockies pack, knows Destiny needs some time to come to grips with her werewolf heritage before he springs the whole mated for life thing on her.

Destiny has no intention of buying into the whole pack mentality, howl at the full moon thing. Sure, she practically drools at the sight of red meat, but that's no reason to give up her comfortable life. Besides, she already has a boyfriend, a slick up-and-coming lawyer.

But when a band of rogue werewolves move into the area, Jack can't afford to have his attention divided. He needs to convince Destiny that she belongs both in his pack and in his bed so he can concentrate on the new threat.

Lex Valentine: Werewolves of the Darkworld

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Kate Roman

As with so many things that get away from me, my debut novel, "Man and Wolf" is basically all the fault of my own dog, an overgrown Rottweiler puppy named Mimi.

At the time, I'd just taken in a passel of feisty foster puppies--a trio of one year-old beagle siblings whose favorite activities involved barking, jumping, barking, tussling, barking and tormenting the very long-suffering Mimi.

Now, I'd be the first to admit Mimi spent way too long as a pampered only child, so now that she and I have gotten back into the rescue game, her upbringing has made her a reluctant and slightly confused pack leader. She knows there are things she should be teaching these wiggly wagging younguns, but there are also lots of naps to take in the long warm grass out in the yard. The puppies will never notice if she just takes a quick snooze.

But of course they do notice and they all come bounding over because obviously Lying In The Long Grass is an important developmental milestone or maybe just a super-fun game Mimi's going to teach them. At which point she rolls her eyes and gives me one of her long-suffering looks in which I'm given to understand that steak or possibly a chicken carcass is the only thing that'll soothe her wounded heart.

All of which got me to thinking about what it takes to make a pack leader and more than that, stories of lone wolves. From there the plot bunnies ran wild and free, with Mimi and I chasing merrily after them.

The thing about werewolves is that, in m/m romance at least, there’s a lot of energy expended on pack dynamics: where to find a pack, how to deal with pack drama, being sad about missing a pack, etc etc. But what I really wanted to look at was a werewolf who really didn’t want a pack, who was basically so damaged he couldn’t handle a pack--

Did I mention I’m a big ole hurt/comfort girl? *grin*

--and was just looking for that one perfect man to call his own, that one person he could trust so completely that the fact that he’s a werewolf doesn’t automatically derail the relationship. And that’s a lot of trust.

Now, I have to admit, when I told a friend of mine that I was writing about a werewolf and a veterinarian, she laughed so hard I thought for a minute she might pull something. And on the surface, the pairing has a certain quirky logic to it: who better to take care of Rob while he’s undergoing The Big Woof (and I’m certain he and Jamie refer to it that way, Jamie scrupulously putting on his calendar, “TBW, sundown. Do not schedule patients.”) than someone who specializes in canines?

But then the more I wrote of their story, the more Rob and Jamie became simply more than a new kind of odd couple. That Rob, abandoned as a child and forced into a secret government program that altered his entire being, could be willing to risk everything to build a life with a shy workaholic like Jamie became more and more compelling. It became more believable, more compelling with every chapter. These two boys were meant to be together, I was convinced. Even if their roles had been reversed, or if they’d just been two nice boys from Boise, they’d still have been destined for one another.

Which brings me back to the whole “lone wolf” issue. Is there really such a thing as a truly lone wolf? Or is every lone wolf just a lonely guy terrified he’ll never find the right mate?

I think the romantic in me has to insist that even the most scared and solitary werewolf has a perfect partner, somewhere out there in the darkness.

Werewolves, after all, are awesome creatures. The wolf side brings everything that is primal and sensual to the fore, heightening senses and sensation. Dominance and submission is an undercurrent in interactions, whether as wolf or human. The nature of the beast is close to the surface, even in the human form, and as such, the love and loyalty of the werewolf, while hard won, is not to be taken lightly.

This is one of the many reasons why I love writing about werewolves, and exploring the mating of werewolf and human. It’s a fantastic synergy of natures, and it brings me back for more, every time.

Speaking of coming back for more, my newest werewolf short story combines two of my favorite things: highwaymen and werewolves! The Highwayman of Colby Heath is coming out in Torquere’s soon-to-be-released anthology Mine.

And to think, I learned all this from my dog!

To show my gratitude, both to Mimi the Cranky Lady Rottie and everyone out there reading, I’m going to give away a copy of my Torquere Sip, Tale of the Black Dog, about another lone wolf and the man who loves him, set in a very special pub on the lonely Suffolk moors, where nothing is quite what it seems...

Just visit http://www.kateroman.com/drawentry.php and gimme a suggestion for the name of my new dog! That’s right, Mimi’s getting a sister, a little 6-year-old rescued daschund. We’ve met her a couple times now at her foster mom’s house, but from the first, it was obvious how Mimi felt.

A feeling Rob and Jamie can certainly relate to. :)

Lynn Lorenz on Werewolves

First, thanks to Belinda (my partner in crime on many occasions) for inviting me to blog about werewolves.

Werewolves just do it for me. I love them. Shamelessly. Give me a werewolf, and I’m all over it…er, the story not the actual were….well, you know what I’m saying.

Vamps are cool, and that’s just it. They’re sort of cool and aloof.

But weres?? They’re warm blooded, passionate, and take on the best behaviors of the animals they shift into. Wolves are my favorites, mostly because I have a hard time imagining other animals, except maybe bears, for a full-grown man to change into even with magic.

I mean, who’s going to buy a book about shape shifting hamsters? What’s sexy about that? Lemurs? Gophers? Cattle? Fish? Okay, maybe if I were going for laughs, but for sexy, nothing beats a wolf.

Just one look in those amber eyes and I shiver. It’s the mix of danger, respect, and a longing to run your fingers through that glorious fur, that lures me in and leaves me rolling over and panting for more. Woof!

So when Passions In Print contacted me and asked if I would like to do an anthology, then said it could be vamps or weres, I immediately voted “Weres!” in my inside my head voice. Then they suggested that each story involve a were and a woman in a red dress, most likely meeting in a bar. Oh, and could I find two other writers to fill out the threesome?

Luckily for me, I knew who to contact and after a brief flurry of emails, Jianne Carlo and Belinda (our hostess with the mostest) agreed to join me. Now I’ve never done an anthology with anyone else, or partnered on a book, so this was virgin territory. (Shh, I know you’re snickering. Yeah, I said ‘virgin’.) But thank goodness for Skype, we worked out some ideas, freshened it up, and re-proposed our anthology to PiP.

Luckily for us, the lovelies at PiP agreed to let us run with our new ideas. So we went with werewolves living in a small town in Texas called Sleeping Dog. And we have three brothers, Max, Diego, and Tony Lobos, who own not a bar, but the Tres Lobos Dry Cleaners. And their lovely red-dressed ladies? Well, they’re still lovely, but the red dresses are brought into the cleaners with naughty stains.

It’s up to the hotter-than-Texas-asphalt-in-August brothers to sweet talk those ladies into telling them just how the stains happened in order to get them out of those dresses, both the stains and the ladies.

And what dresses! Each one has a particular stain and story, and each of these women is truly a match for her man…er, wolf…well, man-wolf.

In November, come visit Sleeping Dog, meet the Lobos brothers and the women who tame them. Oh, and like most small towns there are a few other memorable characters hanging around.

You’ll discover why they’re Lucky in Red.

The Werewolf Party Starts Tomorrow!

(Art by Golden Wolfen: http://www.goldenwolfen.com/)

Are you ready?
I've got a great line-up of guest bloggers coming on board for this! Plus, I'll be giving away copies of some of my werewolf books, including Toxic, Last Call Europe: Siberian Husky, Blacque/Bleu, Belle Starr and maybe a few more...you never know!

There will also be a grand prize...to be announced! It will include swag, some nifty little gifts, and something very special!

To be entered for the grand prize...comment! The more the better because every comment is an entry. Here are some of our scheduled authors for the event:

Lynn Lorenz
Kate Roman
Anne Kane
Lena Austin
Barbara Elsborg
KC Burn
Suzanne Rock
Sheri Lewis Wohl

It starts tomorrow: Sunday, October 17, and runs through Halloween...HERE!!

Mother by Linda Suzane

Mother
By Linda Suzane
“What are you going to be for Halloween this year?”
In answer to his best friend Billie’s question, Janos stared at the kitchen calendar. October 31st was a mere five days away. “We’re too old to go trick or treating,” he said. He and Billie had graduated from high school last June.
“Yeah, but not to party,” Billie said, with a wide grin on his pixie face. “Will your mom let us?”
“Let you what?” his mother asked, as she entered the kitchen followed by Janos’ sister, Jirelle.
“Have a Halloween party,” Janos said.
“Sure, why not,”
“Great Mom,” Jirelle said. “Can I invite some friends, too?”
“The more the merrier.”
Billie elbowed Janos. Jirelle was a sophomore, but she had some cute friends.
“What are you going as?” Billie asked Jirelle.
“I think a cheerleader.”
His mother said suddenly, “I think I’ll be a vampire this year,”
“Awh, Mom, no one would ever believe you’re a vampire,” Jirelle protested.
“That’s right, Mrs. Em.,” Billie added.
Prane looked at Janos and smiled. The faint lines around her ice blue eyes crinkled.
With the sprinkle of freckles across her nose and the dark wavy auburn hair, she didn’t look like a vampire, but that was just what his mother was.
Last May Janos had learned the truth, seen his mother shot, seen her transform, seen the fangs, seen the lips pulled back in a predatory snarl. He had seen her change into something not human, seen the fear on the men’s faces, but somehow he had not been afraid. He had never doubted that his mother would protect him.
What had happened remained their secret.
“I think it would be cool to have a vampire mother,” Janos said, with a conspiratorial smile.
###

Linda Suzane first wrote about the vampire Prane Emerson and her two teenagers, Janos and Jirelle, when her own daughter was a teenager. Later a character from the story, policeman Wade Kain, demanded that she tell how he was first bitten by a vampire. Wade’s story, CAPTIVITY, is available from Linda Suzane is currently putting the finishing touches on the second book, FREEDOM. You can learn more about the Darkhour Vampire Saga at http://www.DarkhourVampires.com

Linda will donate a .PDF of Arc of Captivity to one lucky person commenting on her blog!

Halloween Party this Sunday!

Hey guys, don't forget the Halloween party this Sunday, from 4 to 8 PM ET. Bring your favorite scary stories, recipes, songs and books. There might be some tricks, there might be some treats!

Belinda

Chaeya Robles: Shhhh....

I grew up watching ghost stories like a lot of people, and they frightened me. When people would start telling of their experiences with ghosts, I would usually leave the room because the idea of seeing or feeling a spirit was too much for me. Over the years, I have been poked in the back, I have had lights cut on around me. Then I’ve had my hair stroked and still do. Usually, I would find some way to explain it away, but my experience back in 1992 was something I could not ignore.

I was living in Zurich, Switzerland. My husband was a painter and we sold photos of his paintings as cards. Soon, I got my own business selling Wiccan supplies I imported from America. I sold velvet bags, silver amulets, incense, ritual oils, and ceramic wizards and dragons.

One of the items I sold was a black mirror, made only during the full moon. The night before my debut market, I set up my stand inside our apartment to arrange everything on my table. I used the black mirror as my centerpiece and it was beautiful. It was by then very late, so I left everything set up and went to bed. What I didn’t understand about the black mirror at the time was it needed to be kept wrapped up in its pouch. But who reads instructions? Uh, I don’t. I do now, but back then, I didn’t. Okay, sometimes I still don’t. But don’t tell anyone. Shhhhhh.

We lived in an old apartment complete with old hardwood floors. So there’s no way you can sneak in there without being heard. Around 3 a.m. I woke up to footsteps coming from the room where my market stand was set up. I thought it was a dream at first, but then my husband woke up and asked me if I heard footsteps. Yeah, I heard. We both sat up in bed and sure enough, there were footsteps walking through the bedroom. It continued on through the middle room and into my husband’s atelier, where he painted. Papers rustled and then it stopped.

My husband sat up. “You’ve been playing around with that witchcraft *#$@ again and I’m gonna take it all and throw it out in the street!”

Like most men who suffer something disturbing, he put it out of his mind and went back to sleep. I, on the other hand, lay awake all night shivering under my covers. And that’s the way I was for about three months.

During this time strange things happened in my house. I would walk into a room and find cupboards open, one time a bunch of my kitchen utensils fell down onto my stove, still heard footsteps and the scariest of all, while my friend was visiting, my front door opened with the deadbolt still on it. The doorknob on our front door was broken and the only way you can get the door to stay closed was to lock it using the deadbolt.

Other than this, I did get my business going and it was a hit. One day, I met three gentlemen who were practicing shaman. One of them was a Yaqui Indian from Mexico who followed the teachings of Carlos Castaneda. I know some people dispute Castaneda’s teachings as all fiction, but after having read Castaneda’s books and from the many spiritual experiences I had, this guy was on the level as were his two friends, a Swiss gentlemen and a Dutch man who read my palm. So far, most of what he told me has come true. They had just returned from India, having performed a puja ceremony. We developed a friendship and I confided in them about my spirit. They came to my house and did a “cleansing and a blessing” on my spirit friend. They told me he wasn’t a bad spirit, but he had suffered some “emotional” issues which were keeping him mired to this plane. After the ritual, my spirit was fairly quiet.

Shortly after, my ex and I had a fight and he left to go to his martial arts class. I lay there on the bed crying. I “felt” the ghost enter the room, by that time I had become sort of used to him. The bed weighted down beside me and my hair was being stroked. This didn’t frighten me and it felt good. I was still angry with my ex and I was happy to pour out my heart to anyone at that point. So I lay there crying and talking about my woes while this spirit stroked my hair. Since he was being so kind to me and I didn’t feel any negative energy in him, I explained to him he couldn’t scare me any more with leaving cupboards open, knocking things down, doors opening by themselves and walking around at night. For the first time in a long time, I was able to sleep good through the night and every night thereafter.

The ghost honored my wishes and did none of these things again. But his presence felt more brilliant and my senses prickled sometimes before he even entered the room. At times, I could see iridescent colors in the dark when he was near. I stopped sleeping with my husband and slept in the other room just so I could talk to my new “friend.” Who knew a ghosty could be someone worth confiding in. I never found out any details about him, but I got a psychic reading and to my surprise the psychic picked up on him. She stated there was a painting in my bedroom and a spirit in the house was fascinated by it. He would spend hours sitting and staring at it. I told her my ex painted the picture. She told me to never leave him without the painting and to keep it with me always. I asked her if he would be leaving any time soon and she intimated to me he was staying there because of me.

My relationship with my ex had been poor for a few years and I believe my ghost friend helped me sort out my feelings and give me the strength to get out of my relationship. My ex isn’t a bad guy and we have since made up and are friends now. Three months later, I wound up leaving him and I took the painting with me where it still hangs over my fireplace.

I didn’t “feel” my spirit friend again after I moved back to Los Angeles, but I am thankful to him for listening to me and for comforting me when I needed it the most. I hope he was able to find some peace.

Sheri Lewis Wohl

So tell the truth…the cross you wore around your neck when you were younger, it wasn’t simply an expression of your faith, was it? No, you wore it for a little extra protection against the creatures who claim darkness as their own, didn’t you? Oh, you know what I’m talking about—vampires! For me, it started around age twelve. I’ve loved scary stories and movies for a very long time. Yet, for some reason, my interest in vampires picked up at that age, and just in case, I sported a beautiful sterling silver cross for years. I didn’t really believe in vampires. I just didn’t quite not believe in vampires either.

It didn’t start on Halloween for me, though I must admit a particular fondness for the day folklore tells us the veil between this world and the next all but disappears. Something about the darkness, literally and figuratively, has fascinated me for a really long time. Scared me even. It began a journey not just as a writer, but also as a scholar, into the why.

Did I come up with any answers along the way? For me, yes. Whether others share my theories is up for debate. For me, it has helped me to understand why I am fascinated with things that go bump in the night. In Gothic literature, the vampire is both evil and alluring. Death is cheated, the ravages of age denied and the vampire’s strength unstoppable. All one is required to do in order to receive the gift of darkness is give up daylight and humanity. Not too bad considering a life of immortality. Right? The debate still goes on in educational endeavors such as my own Masters Thesis on Le Fanu’s lesbian vampire story, “Carmilla.”

As a writer, the vampire is the most interesting of all creatures, at least to me. He or she is alluring, powerful, and immortal. The storylines are infinite. But, most interesting for me, is the ability to humanize the vampire. Are they good? Are they bad? Are they a little of both? How much fun is it to play with all those dynamics while weaving a story! Just take a look at Necuratul 3: Blood Secrets to see what I did with our favorite vampire, Dracula….

I no longer wear the sterling silver cross though I often think of those days and smile. They remind me of how my young imagination ran wild. These days, a much more mature mind still runs a little wild, only now I channel that imagination right onto the page.

Happy Halloween in May dreams to you all.

http://www.sherilewiswohl.com/