Thank you for joining me on the Romancing Halloween Blog Hop. For a chance to win an e-copy of my novel, WITCH HUNTER, an erotic, paranormal just leave a comment on the blog about your favorite Halloween movie between October 25 and midnight EST on November 1.
Halloween is my favorite time of year and makes me think of crisp nights, haunted hay rides and candy corn, not to mention magick. I've always been fascinated with witches and ghosts, and scour books in the paranormal genre. Those brimming with legend and lore are even better!
My new book, WITCH HUNTER is chock full of witches and demons, and is set in the fictional town of Ravens Hollow, where magickal creatures co-exist with humans, and not always peacefully. Ravens Hollow emerged as a sanctuary where witches eventually settled after the Salem Trials. These strong women cultivated spells and charms around the town and honed their magick to protect themselves against future enemies. Eventually, this knowledge was passed down to future generations of witches through spell books known as Grimoires.
So it wouldn't be exactly a stretch to say that when the Harry Potter books and movies came out I was hooked, not only by the characters and the great story lines, but by the lore surrounding Hogwarts. JK Rowling has a flair for submerging the reader into the world she creates, one in which I frankly never want to leave. My goal was to create that same level of fantasy in my novel, WITCH HUNTER only for adults.
Excerpt from WITCH HUNTER: Willow took a sip of her margarita and glanced down at Alex’s big hands, tanned and sprinkled with a smattering of dark hair. Funny, she never found a man’s hands sexy. Suddenly her mind filled with images of Alex trailing those big, masculine hands over her body. She wondered if he fit the stereotype. Big hands, big…
“You never did answer my question. Are you considering taking me up on my offer?” The sound of his voice pulled her from a host of fantasies. Willow dug her nails into her palm to get her head back in the game. She shouldn’t be thinking about this man in such a raw, sexual way.
“Why not? My car’s parked in the back.”She probed through the nearby crowd to check if Alex came here with bodyguards. A virtual cacophony of conversations invaded her thoughts, but nothing about protection for Alex. Once she got him alone, she’d take her chances and pray she wouldn’t be outnumbered.
“Then let’s get out of here. Unless of course I’ve got some competition.” He motioned over her shoulder to the incubus whose head now lolled forward over the bar.
"I think you’re flying solo here.” She’d set her trap and let the consequences be damned. She rubbed her finger along the rim of the glass and licked off the salt.
She lifted the glass to her lips, savoring the tangy flavor of margarita mix along with the zing of tequila as it slid down her throat. Headrush. No surprise there, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept or eaten in the past forty-eight hours, existing on a combination of raw nerves and pure adrenaline.
“You missed a spot.” He ran his thumb along the seam of her lip. He put it to his mouth and licked. “Mmm, sweet.” Her plan didn’t involve foreplay…but damn he was hot. In another time and another place she would be seriously into this guy. Too bad I might have to kill him.
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The lucky winner will be chosen at the end of this blog tour on November1. Discover more Romancing Halloween Blog Hop authors and see what treats they have waiting for you. Click a name below to join in the fun, read excerpts, and win prizes! Oct 25th - Nov 1st Please click on the link below to hop to the next blog.
Some say setting is everything and can even be another character in your novel. One of my all time favorite shows, True Blood, which sadly is off the air takes place in the fictional town of Bon Temps, in northwestern Louisiana where humans co-exist with vampires, wolves, witches, shifters and a host of other magical creatures. This gave me the idea for the setting for my urban fantasy Midnight series. The story takes place in the fictional northern New Jersey town of Raven's Hollow, (right next to Hoboken)and much like Bon Temps, a variety of mages try and co-exist with humans, and not always peacefully. Sometimes a dark and spooky setting can make all the difference in the 'wow' factor. Think of the book, and the film Rebecca. Can you picture Manderlay anywhere but off the Cornish coast of England?
The creepy, gothic look of the place was enough to send a chill down your spine.
When I think of other films with scary settings, The Shining automatically comes to mind. The Overlook Hotel in Colorado was the setting for one of the scariest films of all time in my humble opinion. Would you be as terrified of Jack Nicholson's character yelling, "Here's Johnny," (granted he's wielding an axe at the time)if the hotel was in NYC rather than out in the middle of nowhere? Even the season, the dead of winter, makes it spooky, the snow, the ice and the isolation factor, all add to the overall characters sense of desolation, which makes it even scarier.
Who can forget the stormy night when Janet Leigh's character drives up the winding road that leads to the Bates Motel in Psycho? The dilapidated house where Norman converses with his dead mother is enough to make even the most seasoned horror film enthusiast shake with fear. I still cannot take a shower alone without locking the bathroom door.
Don't you want to tell her to turn around and go back from where she came?Jail would be way better than this! How about you? What are some of your favorite creepy settings?
So I've taken a little hiatus from blogging, but now I'm back and I must say I've missed it a great deal. If you've read my last post way back in May, then you know I'm obsessed with ghosts and haunted inns. Book two in my Ravens Hollow series features a medium that is forced to banish a spirit from a haunted inn and wouldn't you know, she falls madly in love with the sexy, brooding innkeeper. Last week, on the recommendation of a newly married friend, I went to visit the gorgeous Wolverton Inn located in the quaint city of Stockton, NJ. This lovely B & B is definitely not haunted, in fact, the place is brimming with beauty and romance. Light and love practically emanated off the crème colored walls. From the charming out of the way locale to the lush gardens and luxurious rooms, not to mention the gourmet food, I was inspired to come back with my husband and get lost in the dreamy setting for a couple of days. The minute you pull up the long gravel drive, you get the sensation of peace and tranquility. As I walked up the stone path and gazed upon the gorgeous, three-story stone house for the first time, I let out an audible sigh. I almost expected Heathcliff to come strutting out the front doors with his shirt half open and his hair blowing in the wind. In my opinion, the place is the perfect setting for a romance novel. The lovely, innkeeper, Carolyn, led me into a cozy sitting room decorated with antique furniture, cozy throw pillows and vases full of colorful flowers. Ah, beauty! Sunlight streamed into the large open space through a set of French doors that led to a charming patio, a perfect spot to enjoy a snack, a kiss, and a glass of wine with your lover. I wasn't at all surprised to find out that the inn was listed in 1000 Places To See Before You Die. All of the rooms have king-size feather beds, fireplaces, and large jacuzzi tubs. There's no TV and children aren't allowed. Are you getting the picture yet? Their romance packages include a couple's massage, along with candles, body butter, and scented bath oils. If that's not enough to get you in the mood for love then you must try the breakfast in bed. Need I say more? How does crème Brulee French toast and cinnamon waffles with maple syrup, ice cream, and sweet berries sound? So here's my question, when was the last time your significant other asked you to go away for a romantic weekend? When I proposed this idea to my lovely husband of twenty-three years, his first question after he gaped at me like I was from another galaxy far away, was, 'do they have Sports Center?' Hmmm. When was the last time you had an overnight away from the kids, the dog, the soccer games and the carpool to just focus on your relationship?
So like the characters in our favorite novels, how do we keep the romance alive? Let me know, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter! And by the way, if you do get the chance to go to the Wolverton, trust me, you won't be disappointed.
