Guest post and Contest!

Stop by to enter for a chance to win a free copy of Immortalis Carpe Noctem!

Please stop by Suburban Vampire today.

http://suburbanvampire.blogspot.com/2010/04/interview-contest-katie-salidas-author.html

I'm talking all about my new novel Immortalis Carpe Noctem. One lucky reader will win a signed copy of my new book.

It could be you!

Author Spotlight with Lily Oak

Lily is running a contest along with her Virtual Book Tour. Please take a moment to stop by her blog for more details. 

http://hedge-witcherybooks.blogspot.com/2010/04/hope-moon-give-away.html

K.S.  Hello and welcome to the blog Lilly. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.

L.O. Well I'm a writer of paranormal and occult inspired fiction as well as articles of paganism and modern witchcraft. I run Hedge-Witchery.com and will shortly be launching Hedge Witchery Books. 

K.S.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

L.O. I can not for the life of me be creative on a computer! all my first drafts are written by hand in an array of note books.

K.S.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

L.O. I've always loved the written word, an the power it has. I think I've always wanted to be a writer.

K.S.  What genre do you write?

L.O. Paranornaml/occult/fantasy fiction.

K.S.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?

L.O. Wow that’s a hard question, and it depends when you ask me. If you pushed me for a fave fiction writer probably Jean M Auel, such beautifully fantastical stories that your are drawn so much further into because it could have really happened.

K.S.  What does your family think of your writing?

L.O. Well my 4 and 5 year old have demanded their own book review blog ( http://jensonandscarletsmft.blogspot.com/ ) so it's clearly having some impact!

K.S.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?

L.O. How fantastic people can be, Hope Moon is a small anthology of works loosely themed around the moon. It was put together in just 3 days, without all those that got involved it just wouldn't have happened.

K.S.  What inspired you to write your novel?

L.O. I found myself with a few days to myself, just as I was wondering what to do with my time I flicked on the TV and there were those news pictures from Haiti.

K.S.  Can you tell us a little about your novel?

Hope Moon Amazon.co.uk  (For some reason blogger did not like the embed code here. the link will still work though)
http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=hedgewitcher-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=0M5A6TN3AXP2JHJBWT02&asins=1445272393


L.O. Hope Moon contains a wide range of things from a wide range of people. It includes a lesson in basic moon magic, contributed by Dawn Gribble and taken from Pagan-Magic.com's witchcraft e-course. Some brilliant articles on how the moon effects us all in different way by, Lidia Tremblay, Scarlet Page and Laura Goodfellow. It also has it's fair share of creative writing. There are two beautifully haunting short stories by Chris Bartholomew and Kaolin Fire. All of these components are punctuated with poetry by Julie Carty, Isabelle Newbill, Laura Goodfellow and Rob Bond (who's stunning painting adorns the cover).

K.S.  Where can we find your novel?

L.O. The book is availible on Amazon and as an ebook or paperback from Lulu. There will be more stockists announced soon so the Book Shop page on www.hedge-witchery.com is the best place to look.

K.S.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

L.O.
There's my main site www.hedge-witchery.com my blog http://hedge-witchery.blogspot.com/ and Hedge Witchery Books blog http://hedge-witcherybooks.blogspot.com
I'm also launching a new website soon that I'm currently inviting writers to join, there's more info here http://hedge-witcherybooks.blogspot.com/2010/04/hope-moon-give-away.htmlK.S.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?

L.O. Write what inspires you, not what’s in fashion.

This Author is a part of an ongoing Blog tour, please check this link for the Authors schedule and future stops.

A Message from ASA!

For everyone that leaves a comment with each author on an ASA tour,  they will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 Visa Gift Card (I have 2), book light (I have several to give away),  A free of charge virtual book tour,  and one writing package which includes a journal,  pen,  book light,  and book marker. Plus when they leave a comment they are entered to win a copy of the author's book.

Prizes are generally awarded at the end of each authors tour. Please check the link above and stay tuned for any award announcements connected with ASA tours. 

A vs The – The Articles

So, I'm doing a lot of critiquing lately and as I spot certain elements, I earmark them to use for writing tips. Here's another one I ran across recently that has been giving not only me, but others a bit of trouble.

The articles.

In English we use two articles, A/An and The. These are used to refer to something: the table, the chair, a pencil, a piece of paper. But when do you use them in writing?

You could say “the pencil” just as easily as you could say “a pencil”, right? So how do you make the distinction?

When an item has not been established, it should be "a."  A/An = indefinite article. It’s not very specific.

If the item has been established then use "the." The = definite article. It is more specific what we are talking about.

Let’s look at some examples.

I want to read the book. = There is a specific book the person wants to read.

I want to read a book. = Nothing specific here. The person just wants to read any old book.
She looked at the table, cluttered with books and papers. = We are referring to a specific table and its contents.

I’d like to watch a movie. = Any old movie would do. Nothing specific here.

I want a bottle of water. = Any bottle will do, I just want one. (Counted nouns usually have the “a.”)

He spilled the milk! = As an accusation, we are referring to a specific container of milk that “he” spilled.





So, does that make sense? If you want to talk about something specific, use “The,” otherwise, “A” is your article of choice.

Quiky contest info...

 
Emma Hillman, my guest interviewee from last week is holding a contest over at Coffee Fueled Erotica and her Personal Blog. She's giving away another copy of her new, HOT ebook! All you have to do to enter is answer one simple question...

Copied from her post...

I had the idea for this book after my mother-in-law mentioned seeing our neighbor in the middle of the night, standing stark naked in front of his bedroom's window. The window was wide open, and well, let's say she got an eyeful!

Has something like this ever happened to you? Did you have roommates in college who had no boundaries? Neighbors who don't know curtains exist?

Tell us the story...and the best one will get a free ebook!

Jump on over to CFE and post your comment before the contest ends!!!

Author Spotlight with Katrina Michaels

K.S. Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.

K.M.    Hi Katie and thank you.  I’m very excited to be here. My name is Katrina Michaels and my first book, Midnight Reflections, was published last year.  My second book, Dead Awakening, will hopefully be out next year.  I currently live in Northern Virginia with my two slightly demonic cats and one neurotic horse.  Unfortunately I’m not a full-time author.  During the day, I work as a scientist for an environmental consulting company and I write in my very limited free time.


K.S. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

K.M. Well, I will admit that I do have some writing quirks.  Basically, my writing process is not very organized or even linear.  When I’m writing, I can see specific scenes or actions in perfect detail, but I don’t always know which chapter that scene is going to take place or what leads up to it.  I can have a large sequence somewhere near the end all worked out in my mind while I’m still trying to write Chapter Two.  And I have a pretty bad habit of coming up with a brand new ideas halfway through writing a book which means I have to go back and rewrite the majority of it.

As for funny stories, my Mom thinks it is a lot of fun to discuss horrific ways to kill vampires with me now.  I will admit that a few of those ideas will be worked into an upcoming book.

K.S. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

K.M.  I don’t know exactly when I first realized I wanted to get a book published.  It feels like I always had that dream, but if I had to pinpoint a time, it would be probably around 5th or 6th Grade.  I had some fantastic creative writing teachers all the way through high school.  One in particular, Constance Casserly, inspired me by getting her own book published.  I contacted her when I found out I was being published and was thrilled to find out she was still teaching.

Throughout grade school and then college, I dabbled in writing stories.  Most of them didn’t really go anywhere and I didn’t let anyone read them, but I just enjoyed getting the words on paper.  It wasn’t until I finished Midnight Reflections that I felt confident enough to submit my manuscript to a publisher.  And I’m so happy I did.


K.S. What genre do you write?

K.M.    I would say my genre is Urban Fantasy mixed with Mystery/Thriller.  Midnight Reflections does have its share of gore and dark moments, but I made a point to also include lighter scenes and dialogue to counteract the angst.  A big difference between my book and many of the urban fantasy novels out there is that there is no overt romance.  However, there are hints of a possible future relationship between two of the characters, but the focus is on the solving the murders and stopping the killer.


K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?

K.M. That’s a difficult question.  I’m an avid reader of many different genres from Janet Evanovich to Dan Brown.  While I do greatly enjoy books by authors like Charlaine Harris and Kim Harrison, I think I have been more influenced by the work of Jeffrey Deaver and James Patterson.  These are both authors who write fascinating mystery / thrillers that take the reader by surprise with sudden twists and leave you enthralled and breathless as the killer stalks his next unsuspecting prey.  I love the criminalist genre, whether it is books, TV shows, or movies.  And, of course, I also love creepy supernatural books and movies.  I loved the Lost Boys as a kid and I still love it.  When I started writing this book, the first question I asked myself was what if a vampire started hunting a serial killer, and the story progressed from there.

Some of my favorite authors in the supernatural genre include Charlaine Harris and Rob Thurman.  I think their talent with characterization and story-telling is exquisite.


K.S. What does your family think of your writing?

K.M.    Well I actually didn’t tell too many people that I was writing a book until it was accepted by my publisher.  However, I did tell my mom and my best friend when my book was nearly done and they were very supportive.  After I got the word that Midnight Reflections was very being published, I finally shared the news with the rest of my family.  From what my mom told me, my dad almost instantly began telling all of their neighbors and friends about it, so I would say that he was pretty excited.  And as I mentioned, my mom now enjoys suggesting all sorts of gory things to add to my future books.  Considering that she’s a nurse, she does have a lot of good ideas.

K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?

K.M.  I think the real surprise for me came after I learned that Midnight Reflections was being published.  I really didn’t know anything about the publishing business or all the ways to market a book.  It has been a real learning experience.  But one real bonus is that I’m discovering a lot of new authors that I’ve never heard of until I started talking with other readers on some social networking sites.  Because of that, I now have a huge stack of books that I want to read.  


K.S. What inspired you to write your novel?

K.M. It's hard to pinpoint one particular thing that inspired Midnight Reflections. For all the years that I’ve enjoyed writing, I’ve been interested in the supernatural nearly as long. And then, of course, there is my deep fascination for mysteries and crime dramas.  When the series CSI first aired, I immediately loved it. I'm also a big fan of Criminal Minds and other shows like the Mentalist. When I started writing Midnight Reflections, it was actually quite a different story but I was having trouble finding a true direction for it.  And then the idea of a supernatural serial killer came to mind and everything fell together.


K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel?

K.M.  Midnight Reflections introduces a society where vampires, werewolves, warlocks, and witches freely roam amongst the ordinary humans.  One such human, Tara Daston, only wanted a fun night out dancing with her boyfriend.  Getting killed was certainly the last thing she ever expected and waking up three days later as a vampire was the last thing she ever wanted.  As Tara struggles with her death and new unlife, she also becomes involved in a hunt for a vicious serial killer.  During her own investigation into the killings, she meets Tom Duncan, fellow vampire and lead agent of the Preternatural Investigation Agency, who is not at all amused at what he considers to be her interference.  However, the serial killer soon takes notice of Tara and is intrigued, forcing her to work together with Tom and the rest of the agency to stop the murders.

I’ve included below a short snippet from the second chapter.

“Darkness surrounded her mind and bound her consciousness as she started to become awake but not aware.  Everything was confusing and clouded.  The only clear thought in her head was that she somehow knew that she was supposed to be dead, but she was obviously not.  The more that idea wound itself around her brain, the more terrified she became.  The darkness still held her tightly, but she could feel someone waiting for her.  He was there in the forefront of her mind telling her everything was safe and warm, and she would be all right, and all she had to do was awaken.  The voice in her head was growing clearer and more insistent as it called to her, and she couldn’t help following.  It was as though her mind was still asleep, while her body was controlled by pure instincts. Nothing made sense or was even important to her, except that voice.  Opening her eyes, she sat up and looked around the room for the owner of the safe gentle voice, but the first thing she saw was a man running at her sire with a stake.  She didn’t even stop to wonder about how she knew that man was her sire and what that meant in reality; all she knew were that her instincts were screaming at her to stop him.”


K.S. Where can we find your novel?

K.M.    My publisher is Stonegarden and their website is www.stonegardenbooks.com.   At this time, there are no e-book versions available, but hard copies can be purchased from www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, or www.bookdepository.com (which ships worldwide).
  

K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

K.M.    I do have both a Facebook fanpage and a profile.  I am perfectly happy to accept friend requests from other avid readers.  I also have profile accounts on Goodreads and Shelfari.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katrina-Michaels/133360707537

http://www.facebook.com/Katrina.Michaels1?ref=mf


K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?

K.M.    The best advice I can give is to write what you feel comfortable with and not what you think people expect to read.  This is your story and you’re in control.  Everyone has a different style and story to tell, and that is what makes reading so enjoyable.

But more importantly, do not give up if writing is something you love.  It is hard to get published and not everyone will like what you write, but you just have to keep trying.

Thank you

Remember, first drafts always suck.

Just a little quicky post today.

I'm back in the writing game and working out plot elements and scenes for the third book in the Immortalis series and I keep finding myself typing out stuff and then deleting it.

Not a good idea!! Writers, don't do this to your first drafts. Let the story come out organically. Let it flow from imagination to paper.


It's ok to write bad in a first draft. First drafts always suck. They are not what will get published.

Constant spot editing and scene perfecting comes later, after the story is written. If you don't get the whole story down, you will never do it.

So, I say this as much to myself as to you others out there struggling with a first draft.  Write the story as it comes, whether it sucks or not, just get it down on paper. It can always be edited or fixed later.

Thank you, that is all. =)

It feels good to be creating again

I’ve noticed that when I am not writing I get a bit cranky, but unfortunately, I cannot always write. Editing, revising, and promoting of already finished work takes up most of my time.

I see status updates on myspace and facebook, with other writers touting their current goals and achievements. It’s always bittersweet seeing someone announce “Hey, I wrote 2k words today.” I wish that were me.

Somedays I feel I will never find the time to write again. Then something miraculous happens. The muse appears, from out of nowhere, and starts urging me to drop everything and create.

Let me tell you this; when the muse talks you (or at least I) cannot help but listen. My muse is very adamant when she wants to be heard. Ideas will pop in my head and a sudden drive to write takes over. It doesn’t matter what else I have to do, I must find time to write all of these wonderful ideas down. Thank goodness I always have a notebook with me.  It’s as if a spirit is demanding I take notice and put the pieces of her plot puzzle together.

Well, thankfully after a long hiatus, she is talking again. She’s delivered me the plot to the third installment of the Immortalis series.

Thank you muse. It feels good to be creating again

http://www.flickr.com/photos/soartsyithurts/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Sorry I'm late ... winner winner.

Time just flies and next thing you know it's Tuesday. eeep!


Without further ado... the winner of the book giveaway with Emma is.

julstew 


Emma will be contacting you shortly about your prize!

Thanks again to everyone who stopped in and remember to check in every saturday for new Author Spotlights and giveaways.

Author Spotlight & Book Giveaway with Emma

K.S. - Hello Emma and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.

Emma - Thanks a lot, Katie! My name is Emma Hillman and I’m a published author of erotica and romance. I live in Paris with a (nice) husband, (cute) toddler, and two (very) loud pets.

K.S. - Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

Emma - Well, I fully believe I don’t control the reins when I’m writing. Most of the time, my characters take over and end up doing whatever the heck they want. Mind you, the books turn out more interesting as a result!

K.S. - When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

Emma - When I was a teenager, I used to ‘write’ stories in my head about me and my favorite singer. I had a huge crush, you see, and my overactive imagination kept creating different scenarios where he’d sweep me off my feet. I discovered years later that this was called fan fiction! (welcome the Internet)
I spent years writing fan fic and still own a website, which needs to be updated by the way (bad Em). I was writing a collection of short stories last year and realized I could actually turn them into a novel. ‘Location, Location, Location’ was born, and it’s still my bestseller. Who’d have thought!

K.S. - What genre do you write?

Emma - I write erotica and romance. To be truthful, I prefer writing about Rubenesque heroines so that’s my usual sub-genre as well.

K.S. - What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?

Emma - Oh, everything inspires me. Seriously. I have at least one idea for a book a day. It’s like my brain won’t shut up!
My favorite author these days is Kristan Higgins. She writes romance novels for HQN and I just adore her writing style. She makes me cry, she makes me laugh. I love the way she manages to make her readers feel everything her heroine does. It’s an amazing quality in a writer.
Like I said in a blog once, when I grow up, I wanna be just like her 

K.S. - What does your family think of your writing?

Emma - My husband is really supportive, but that might be because he thinks I’ll be rich one day. *grins* Joking aside, they’re all very excited and proud. You should see my mother…she’s turning into my manager!

K.S. - What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your latest book?

Emma - That a story is never straightforward. It was supposed to be a simple novella: girl sees guy and falls in lust, guy sees girl and falls in lust, they have lots of lovely yummy sex and fall in love because everyone needs a happy ending. What did I end up with? A ménage. Yup.

K.S. - What inspired you to write your novel?

Emma - You’ve got to know a little bit more about the premise of this novel. Lucy sees her new neighbor through his open window getting, uhm, busy with himself. What she doesn’t know is that he watches her in her bathroom every evening. She’s got this blue film over her window but he can still see her silhouette…
The idea came from my mother-in-law telling me one morning after they’d spent the night at our house that she’d woken up at 3am, had gone to the bathroom and seen our neighbor…standing stark naked at his bedroom’s window. “Ewww!!!” was my first reaction, but then I started thinking about what would happen if the neighbor was hot and…etc etc.

K.S. - Can you tell us a little about your novel?

Emma - Sure thing. It’s a novella entitled ‘Man Frame’ (long story behind the title), and will be released on April 19th at eXcessica.

Here’s an excerpt for y’all:

WARNING ADULT CONTENT

She couldn’t help it. She automatically looked around and guessing where his bedroom was, she went straight for it. She stepped into the white room she’d been spying on from her own apartment. The boxes, the unmade bed, the wide-screen plasma TV she’d imagined on the wall. It was all there. Walking closer to the window, she opened it and looked at the building opposite.

Her bathroom window stood open and you could clearly see the cabinet and its tall mirror. “Oh hell.”

“I see you’ve found the scene of the crime,” he whispered in her ear just as his arms wrapped around her from behind.

She jumped, startled by his sudden embrace. “What are you doing?”

“Shh.” His voice had lowered. “I didn’t mean to startle you, I’m sorry. I’ve just been thinking about this all day long and now here you are...”

She blinked, never once realizing she hadn’t moved away from him or turned around. That she’d accepted his hold on her as if it was entirely normal. As if she hadn’t learnt his name only five minutes before. “What do you mean?”

“Let’s not play games, Lucy. You know what happened last night.” He cupped her right hip and pulled until she was turning around in his embrace.

She looked up into his eyes. Oh my, intense grey eyes. She licked her lips then sighed. “I thought you couldn’t see me.”

He chuckled. “Oh baby, I could see you all right. I’ve been watching you every night ever since I moved in.”

She started. “But that was over two weeks ago!”

His turn to blink. “You know when I moved in?”

Oops. “Yes, I saw you carrying some boxes that day. What do you mean you’ve been watching me?”

He slid his hands down her back until they were cupping her butt. Feeling her tense, he quickly added, “Every evening before going to bed, you take a shower.”

“Bath. I take a bath.”

He shrugged. “Okay. And then you apply lotion or cream or whatever on your legs, sometimes all over your body. It’s sexy as hell.”

“I keep my window closed.” She wasn’t that stupid, damn it!

“You’ve got the lights on and your silhouette is clearly visible. Believe me, baby, I’ve been watching you every night. Fantasizing about you every day too. And then last night-“

She cut him off. “Last night was a mistake! I really thought you couldn’t see me!”

“So you were jerking off in front of your window because...?”

She bit her lip. Hard. “I was watching you.”

“And?” He lowered his face until his mouth was nearly skimming hers.

“You took your clothes off.”

“Because you told me to, remember?”

Oh god, he’d heard her? “You touched yourself.”

He nodded then his tongue traced her lower lip. Softly. Too softly. “I had to. You were driving me crazy and you were so sexy, standing there naked. Touching yourself. Making yourself come.” He couldn’t stand it anymore. His mouth crashed on hers, his tongue diving in and tangling around hers as if he couldn’t wait to taste her.




K.S. - That was ... Wow! Where can we find your novel?

Emma - Through my publisher, eXcessica.com, or at most eBook vendors (ARe, Fictionwise, Amazon Kindle, etc.).

K.S. - Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

Emma - I have a website I need to update (I’m consistent like that!): http://twist.wakeywakey.net, and I contribute to the Coffee Fueled Erotica blog every Friday.

K.S. - Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?

Emma - Sure. Keep trying. Keep writing. Keep reading. It may sound simple but it isn’t. Rejection is hard, but it doesn’t mean that you suck. When you reread your own stories, do you like them? Do they make you smile? If you write what you like, you’re already halfway there.



And now for the part you've all been waiting for!

THE BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Emma has made available ONE a free copy of her book!

All you have to do is leave a comment, indicating you want to enter, and your email address.

Only one entry per person.

Emma will pick one lucky winner (at random) from the comment section.
If you do not wish to leave an email address, please make sure you are signed in to your blogger profile so we have some way to contact you.)


Winner will be announced no later than Monday April 12th.

Good Luck!

Featured author

I'm the Featured Author, over at Kent Holloway Online, today.

http://kenthollowayonline.blogspot.com/2010/04/let-me-introduce-you-tokatie-salidas.html

Stop in and check it out if you have a few moments.

Let's talk about social networking for a minute

It's no secret I am new to the publishing world. I may have been writing now for many years, but actually publishing a book is a whole new realm for me, and I bet it is for many of you out there. Whether you are traditionally published or self, you have to take up a lot of the brunt of actually selling your book.

So, how do you do it?


The starting place for just about any new author is friends and family, but they can't always be counted on to buy a book. (Most of your friends and family will want a copy for free.)

Of course, you can't give all your copies away, you do have to make some money, right?

Step One, get online and make your presence known.
Social networking is crucial to this.

Facebook, Myspace, Linkedin, Twitter, just to name a few, are full of groups dedicated to writing, publishing, and promoting. Get out there and start making connections.

Some of my favorite groups are:

Authors Book Review Exchange - Here you can submit your book and work out review exchanges with other authors. Reviews on places like Amazon.com Goodreads.com and Barnesandnoble.com can go far to help sell your book. People like books that have lots of reviews and the more reviews you have, the more likely someone will stop and pay attention.

Amazon Tags Authors Assist - Here is a group dedicated to helping you gain visibility by tagging your book. Tags are the categories your book belongs to. Let's say you write urban fantasy. Your book will not show up in a general search of "urban fantasy" unless it has been tagged as such. Good tagging = good exposure, something every author needs.

Authors, Agents, & Aspiring Authors - A great place to network with others and learn quite a bit. Check it out and surf through the links. Yes, authors do promote books here, but you will also find links to informative blogs as well as meet other authors in various genres.

Authors Promoting Authors - Exactly what the name says!

Ok, those are just a few of my favorites, I have so many that I subscribe to that I could get lost all day searching though them.

If you have some groups and or links you want to share, please do. This is what social networking is all about, cooperative marketing and spreading the word to as many people as you can.

A Review of the movie Clash of the Titans

WARNING 

*** POTENTIAL SPOILERS ***

Normally I try and stick to vampires. It is, after all, my thing. But, so is mythology. It's a small hobby of mine and it's something I have tied my vampires into.

So that's why I was so excited to see them remaking the film Clash of the Titans.

I've loved that movie since I was a little girl.

Now, that movie was not mythhologically (is that a real word? Hmmm) accurate but it at least held some of the pieces of the original story.

As the old Myth goes, Perseus is the son of Zeus and Danae. Danae's father, King of Argos was worried about a prophecy stating his grandson would kill him. So after locking her away he was shocked to find her pregnant. Zeus had flown down in the form of an eagle and impregnated her. Fearing the prophecy, the King, threw Danae, and her infant son into the sea in a box of some kind.  They floated around for a bit before landing on an island and making it their home.

That part was held true in the original film and I don't see why they felt it needed to be changed for this remake. According to this new "re-imagined" tale. Perseus is the son of King Acrisius (not the grandson).

The new 2010 film begins a bastardized (trust me, they went way left field with this one) version of the history of the Olympians defeat of the Titans and then you see Perseus being found by a fisherman and raised as an adopted child. So, right from the beginning you know this isn't going to follow true mythology.

The deviation just gets worse from there. Please, forget this is in any way related to the myths of Perseus. Don't give yourself the headache trying to make sense of their changes.

Ok, mythology aside, you could just look at this as an action flick. I can deal with that. We all like action movies. That's one of the reasons my husband agreed to go to see it.

As action movies go, this one has quite a bit. Lots of large monsters to kill, plenty of blood and guts, and tons of those fight scenes with people jumping off of rocks wielding swords while screaming. If that is what you are there for, you should enjoy.

Just don't go expecting a really deep, plotted out story. The people of Argos are all in an uproar over the gods and the gods are pissed because people aren't praying to them. Prayers somehow power the gods and make them immortal.  Perseus, after somehow getting caught up in all this mess, looses his family, starts a grudge against Hades, and finds out he is a demi-god. (pretty big day for him)

Suddenly, he goes from being a simple fisherman to fighting with a sword like a trained soldier. (demi-god or not, I can only suspend reality so far. for a man who never picked up a sword in his life, he sure fights pretty well.)

He takes up a perilous journey (that everyone says cannot be done) because he somehow thinks he can defeat Hades (who he now has a big grudge against).

Also, after finding out he is a demi-god, he suddenly feels he has to prove that he can do everything as a "man" not a demi-god. (which, by the way, he can't. He needs some help) So all those pretty trinkets you might remember from the original movie ... not there, minus the sword which he refuses to use for most of the movie).

Again, lots of action, lots of fighting, lots of big scary mosters. That fills the bulk of the movie. 


So, if you choose to go see this movie, go for the action and that alone. If you want the story and loved the original, go back and watch the original ... claymation monsters and all.

Author Spotlight & Ebook Giveaway with Willsin Rowe

K.S.  Hiya Willsin and welcome to the blog. I am so excited to have you here as my guest today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell the readers a little about yourself. 

W.R. I’m a 40-year-old man (with the body hair to prove it), I’m six feet tall, 190 pounds and very good at masking my disarray. I have all the makings of ‘cool’, yet I’m arguably as far from cool as it’s possible to be. I ride a motorbike...but it’s a boring commuter bike. I play in a swampy blues band...but I play bass. I also play drums...but I’m not very good...

K.S.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

W.R. Not sure if this qualifies as a quirk, but most of my inspirational moments occur when I’m riding my motorbike. Whether it be a plot development, an entire story idea, a solution to a story’s dead-end or even a bass-line for a particular song, the finest sparks seem to be out there on the road, waiting for my head to run into them at speed.

K.S.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first book?

W.R. I remember waiting until age 10 to tell my grandfather I wanted to be a writer...whereupon he insisted I’d starve and should learn a trade instead. So far I’ve not managed to prove him wrong! As far as the spark...well, it’s always been there. I frustrated myself in the early years by expecting the goddess of inspiration to dump an entire story into my head, characters and all, and would sit with pen in hand for ages and write absolutely nothing. Thankfully, I learned how to work through such insanity.

K.S.  What genre do you write?

W.R. Erotica, straight up (so to speak). Most of my characters, and their embodiment as a couple, are unfailingly romantic in some way. My stories, though, don’t seem to follow the rules required of Romantica or straight Romance. I do like a bit of grit and darkness, and a pained but poignant ending.

K.S.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?

W.R. The two parts of that question overlap and have changed greatly over the years. Dr. Seuss made me love stories. Douglas Adams made me want to write. Then Terry Pratchett made me want to write really well. Lately, though, Elmore Leonard has made me want to write “real”.

K.S.  What does your family think of your writing?

W.R. My parents and sister don’t think much of it, either positive or negative. They have their own stuff to deal with. My wife is quietly proud. She’s a primary school teacher, so it’s probably best that she doesn’t shout from the rooftops that her hubby writes smut.

K.S.  What inspired you to write your book?

W.R. Well, “The Three-Day Hump” came about simply because I heard the phrase itself. The fact that it had the word ‘hump’ made it stick in my mind. Then when I realised the saying referred to addiction, and the struggle to overcome it, I found a story in it.

K.S.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?

W.R. I did a lot of reading about addiction, specifically with substances. It made me realise what an addictive personality I have. I’m glad I never took up smoking, because I don’t know that I’d have had the strength to give it up.

K.S.  Can you tell us a little about your book?

W.R. It seems I’ve always been attracted in some way to people who’ve had a checkered past. It’s quite easy when you’re a musician to find people who have been damaged or who have damaged others. I guess I see within them a similar darkness to the one I try to hide within myself.

In Luther I found a voice to express a very masculine frustration: the sensation that any power he had has amounted to nothing, and the fear that he has been numbed irreversibly by life. In Opal I found him a wonderful foil. She’s a sensual and open young woman, the kind who, for a mid-thirties man, can be an antidote to the poison of drudgery. Both characters have great strengths, but it’s their weaknesses, their darknesses, that control them through the course of events.

Also, the story takes place in present tense with extended passages of flashback, so I really enjoyed the challenge of meshing the two time-lines coherently.

Synopsis - The Three-Day Hump

34-year-old Luther Prescott has a solid career as a lawyer and is married to a world-famous lingerie model. Despite the verve of his youth, his life has grown comfortable and he drifts from day to day without dreams or aspirations. He can’t remember how it felt to truly want something…anything.

One night after work he is introduced to Opal, the younger sister of a workmate. Despite their differences, the lawyer and the barmaid begin to spark off each other like shards of flint.

Opal is 25, debatably single, and has lived a life poor in everything but experience. She has a lush and fiery darkness emanating from within and it pulls Luther to her like a black hole. He suddenly remembers what want feels like.

The sharp desire in his eyes slices through Opal’s prematurely jaded heart, and they begin to flirt shamelessly. When the flirting inevitably turns physical, they each strive to escape the gravity of their lust, but lust turns to obsession, obsession to addiction. They can’t see a future, but they can think of nothing but the present.
Even when careers, and possibly lives, are in the balance, they can’t fight their craving. The sex is so potent and consumptive that every time, as soon as it’s over, they feel hollow. They don’t know how to stop, they only know they need to.

An urban myth tells that three days of abstinence will break the back of an addiction. They hole up together in a hotel for a long weekend.

Naked.

The ultimate test.

Can their addiction be beaten? Maybe. But first, they need to make it over the three-day hump.

K.S.  I've been lucky enough to read this ebook and I must say, I loved it! Please, tell the reders where they can find it?

W.R. It’s all over the place! Both my titles are available at my publisher, eXcessica. They’re also on Amazon, Fictionwise, Smashwords and a bunch of other places.

K.S.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

W.R. I’m on myspace ( www.myspace.com/willsinrowe ) and on Facebook (under Log Dawkins, the name I use in my band). I blog weekly at Coffee-Fueled Erotica ( http://coffeefuelederotica.blogspot.com ) and fortnightly at eXcessica ( http://excessica.com/blog ).

K.S.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?

W.R. For what it’s worth... Read every day. Write every day. Edit only when you’re done.

And now for the part you've all been waiting for!

THE BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Willsin has made available ONE a free copy of his Ebook!

All you have to do is leave a comment, indicating you want to enter, and your email address.

Only one entry per person.

Willsin will pick one lucky winner (at random) from the comment section.

If you do not wish to leave an email address, please make sure you are signed in to your blogger profile so we have some way to contact you.)

Winner will be announced no later than Monday April 5th.

Good Luck!

Just a few changes

I have been playing around with the blog layout, trying to find something that "feels" right. I think I might have finally settled on a simple theme. Sometimes simple is best, right?

So here it is. What do you think?