We’re having a spontaneous contest today! Leave your mixed up version of an old adage here by midnight EST on Saturday, November 14, for a chance to win a copy of FURY CALLS and a SINS OF THE FLESH T-shirt!
So how does this mix-it-up Friday contest work – here’s a sample:
Old adage: A good man is hard to find.
Mix-it-up Version: A hard man is good to find.
Also, don’t forget there are only two more weeks to the SINFUL THINGS contest. For a chance to win, or increase your chances of winning, please do the following by midnight EST November 30:
On Twitter please Tweet/Retweet (please be sure to include the bit.ly link):
Celebrate the Release of Caridad Pineiro’s SINS OF THE FLESH! RT for a chance 2 win a $50 Gift Certificate. http://bit.ly/2AZWlC
On Facebook please post to your profile (please be sure to include the bit.ly link):
Celebrate the Release of Caridad Pineiro’s SINS OF THE FLESH! Post this link to your profile for a chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate. http://bit.ly/2AZWlC
Today we’ve got some really awesome things going on for the launch party! You can download the first chapter of SINS OF THE FLESH for free, catch my guest blog with my friend and fellow author Amanda McIntyre and drop by and listen to my Blog Talk Radio Interview later today!
To download the free excerpt, just click here! (You’ll need Adobe Acrobat to read the excerpt).
You may remember that I did a Fun Friday a few weeks back with links to a mess of free e-book downloads (click here for that blog post as some of those freebies are still active!)
Leave a comment at my new blog at PowerfulLatinas.com for the chance to win a copy of DEVOTION CALLS, one of my earlier releases in THE CALLING Vampire novels. Just follow this link:
http://www.powerfullatinas.com/latina-leadership-lessons-our-love-affair-with-the-paranormal
Hurry before my RT Book Reviews Contest ends on October 26th. You could be one of 5 lucky winners of a SINS OF THE FLESH T-shirt, lunch bag and autographed copy of SINS OF THE FLESH. Just follow this link:
https://www.caridad.com/contest/rt-book-reviews-contest/
Last, but definitely not least, did you know I’m a dangerous woman? To find out more about this group of amazing authors and have a chance to win some awesome prizes, come join the Danger Women Writing loop.
You may notice something different on our Thoughtful Thursdays in the coming months – I’ll be a guest blogger at an awesome site – PowerfulLatinas.com.
I’ll be chatting with you about all things paranormal and about writing and publishing, plus, we’ll be having some awesome giveaways, so be sure to drop by.
In fact, come on by today and leave a comment for the chance to win a copy of DEVOTION CALLS, one of my earlier releases in THE CALLING Vampire novels.
Just click here or cut and paste this link: http://www.powerfullatinas.com/latina-leadership-lessons-our-love-affair-with-the-paranormal
This is a crazy time of year for me! I’m putting the finishing touches on STRONGER THAN SIN, the second book in the SINS series, while also visiting people to chat about SINS OF THE FLESH which will be released on October 27th! Less than a week away.
Be sure to check the calendar to the left of this blog post for the dates of my various online and in-person appearances. There are a tons of giveaways going on for SINS OF THE FLESH and you might be one of the lucky winners of a copy! Also check out the Contests page on the site for other contests that are currently in progress.
But back to STRONGER THAN SIN which I am absolutely loving. It’s about another genetically engineered patient – Jesse Bradford, a former pro football player. Once from the wrong side of the tracks, Jesse now owns a multi-million dollar home in Spring Lake (more on that town in another post).
The heroine – not spilling the name here so that I don’t spoil anything from SINS OF THE FLESH – is smart and strong, but introspective. I needed somewhere that she would feel safe and also very spiritual since she is a devout Catholic and very connected to family. After spending the summer wandering through the various shore towns, I knew the perfect place for her new home would be Ocean Grove.
If you haven’t had a chance to visit, you must do so during the summer. There is always something going on. Plus it’s a lovely landmark historical town filled with Victorian homes surrounded by carefully tended gardens. Main Avenue has an assortment of shops, galleries and restaurants you will totally enjoy. In addition, it’s just a walk over a footbridge or along the boardwalk to hit the renovated Asbury Park boardwalk and take in some of the sights there.
One of the more unique things about the town is the tent city that goes up every summer season. The tents date back to the revival meetings held in Ocean Grove. Today the tents are leased and occupied through the summer season. Here are some photos of the tents up for the season and some that have been closed for the winter.
Ocean Grove was the perfect place for my heroine and as the setting for some of the scenes in STRONGER THAN SIN which will be out in October 2010. So, I’m sharing some of the photos I took during my research and hope you will enjoy them!
We’ve got a very special guest today – 15 year old author Melissa Burmester who is going to offer us her take on vampires!
Please welcome Melissa!
What is the Bite on Vampires? by Melissa Burmester
Everyone has their own opinion on how a vampire is expected to act and look. Some people think of a vampire as a horrid creature with huge blood dripping fangs and others say they are like normal people and live among us. When writing about vampires it is important to make the character appear “human†and “realâ€. This will give them more appeal.
The characteristics that most vampires have are:
1. Vampires do not prey on just anyone they have a person they use as a “feeder†and when they get weak they always come back to them.
2. They do not like to feed off children and animals.
3. The vampires may keep some blood in the refrigerator in case their “feeder†is not available. It is usually hidden so no one can find it.
4. Vampires have been around for many years and tend to move around from place to place. They also have a lot of money and can get anything they want.
5. They are charming and look great. That makes them so appealing to us.
6. Not all vampires drain blood from their victims. Some have the ability through magic to drain the person of their energy and liveliness.
So how do you kill or annoy them:
1. Cut off their head or make them drink blood from a dead person.
2. Garlic will never kill them. It just makes them very angry.
3. The good old stake through the heart. I read that it only paralyzes them for a while and does not kill them.
4. They do not burn or blow up when exposed to light. It may weaken them but they always recover.
So now that you know some of the characteristics of a vampire how do you write about them:
1. You need to decide on the time period you want your novel to be in. Many of the novels are set in modern day or in the future. Some novels have flashbacks into the vampires past. I used this idea in my debut novel Ginger High.
2. Never make the vampire seem dead or depressed. The character should blend in with the population. Make them appear mysterious and alive.
3. It is important to surround the vampire with realistic details. This is important so the reader feels that they are able to connect with the vampire and the setting.
4. A horror novel should have something horrifying in it. The vampire is always considered the bad guy and the human usually wins. Everyone likes the fangs that the vampires have. Incorporate them in the story.
5. When naming a vampire always use a name that is appropriate for their age and character. They usually keep the name when they were alive.
I have given you a few tips on how to write about vampires. So go out and write your own bestseller. But the most important thing is that you have fun while doing it. The information that I provided was obtained from all the reading that I have done over the years. Have Fun.
About the Author:
Melissa Burmester is presently living in East Moriches, NY with her twin brother George, her parents and their cat Cosmo. Melissa has been writing about vampires and the supernatural since the age of twelve. She has written a few short stories, but “Ginger High†is her first novel. She is presently attending Westhampton Beach High School, and is in the tenth grade. She is planning a career as a writer and a teacher. www.gingerhigh.com http://melissa-gingerhigh.blogspot.com/
facebook.com/melissa.gingerhigh http://twitter.com/Ginger_High
My friend Rayna Vause and I headed to Georgia at the beginning of the month on a new adventure – the Moonlight & Magnolias Conference!
It was a fabulous conference run by the Georgia Romance Writers and many thanks to all the wonderful organizers there for a great event.
You must wonder what that has to do with Tuesday and Tips of any kind and here it is – You’ve heard me say it before and I’ll say it again – Networking!
One of the most important things you can do both before and after getting published is to get out and about and expand your horizons. Meet new people. Make new friends. Gain more knowledge that will help you not only write better, but also learn about the publishing business.
Some people go to the same conference every year. Sometimes that’s good if it’s a solid conference that brings in new blood and new possibilities. But it’s also important to allow room (and funds) for different conferences and adventures.
I’m glad I took my little adventure to Moonlight & Magnolias! It was a great group of people and there were some wonderful workshops and events. Thank you Georgia Romance Writers!
Here are a few photos for you from the conference. If anyone out there has more (I know I posed for bunch of photos), please send them to cpsromance at att dot net.
We’re having a spontaneous contest today! Leave your mixed up version of an old adage here by midnight EST on Saturday, November 14, for a chance to win a copy of FURY CALLS and a SINS OF THE FLESH T-shirt!
