Monday, October 17, 2011

SPOOK-A-LICIOUS Blog Hop

SPOOK-A-LICIOUS: WHERE BOO-KS DEVOUR YOU: BLOG HOP TOUR (Oct 17-24)


1) HAVE FUN!!!

2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!

3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, October 17, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, October 24, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
Winners will be drawn and posted October 25th! ***

4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS & BOOK PAGES! EXPERIENCE A NEW DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!

5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR & BOOK PAGE IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW THEM SOME LOVE!

6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!
***Authors & Book Pages have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***

So now that we have all the rules out of the way, lets get to the fun stuff!! Welcome to CEWTNK!  I am so excited to be participating in this blog hop with all these wonderful authors and blogs! I have a Spooktacular Spotlight below that you can literally sink your teeth into! Ashley Lynn Willis is here with us all week and you will be entering for your chance to win her amazing novel The Calling! Stay tuned for details and a review of the book we are giving away after the post!  Take it away Ashley!!




Are Vampires Dead?

Well of course they are. What I mean is, are vampires going out of style? I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve been asked that question or seen the same question posted on writer’s boards. While I don’t write about fanged hotties, I do love to read about them, and I don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future. But what about other readers? Have they been so inundated with vampires that they want to kick the pale creatures to the curb?
For a quick answer, I’ll be cliché and say that variety is the spice of life. Demons, angels, fairies, zombies and shape shifters are great fun to read about.  They are the sprinkles and icing on your cupcake, but not the cake.  No, the cake belongs to the vampires. While the icing and sprinkles gives you a zing of sweet goodness, the cake keeps that sweetness from being overwhelming, and it fills you up.
So what is it about vampires that keeps us coming back for more? (Besides their prowess in bed?)  I’ll go off on a tangent by telling you a short story. When I was in college, my best friend and I decided to go bar hopping one Halloween. It was one of those rare holidays that landed on a Saturday. Since hangovers could be spent snuggled in bed, not wearing sunglasses in class, the evening and early morning hours were all ours.
The air was slightly chilled with the promise of winter, and leaves crunched under our feet as we headed into the night, strolling toward the Strip, the main street filled with college bars. Soft light spilled from the windows lining the boulevard, and we chose a cozy establishment where a band was playing. The moment we walked in, we saw several of our guy friends sitting at a huge round booth in front of the stage. With a beer in each hand (two for one special), we slid in with our friends, chatted and listened to music. There were lit pumpkins casting shadows across the wooden floor, their triangular faces scowling. On a TV next to the bar, a horror movie played with a naked zombie girl dancing around a chained man.
The air in the bar crackled with energy, and the place was abuzz with laughter, revelry, and debauchery. All my sensations felt heightened for the simple fact that it was All Hallow’s Eve, and the veil between the living and dead was at its thinnest. You could feel it in the air, see it in the glow of our friend’s eyes, and hear it in the frenzied strumming of the grunge band. The costumed witches and warlocks only added to the eerie ambiance, and for some strange reason, even as I sat there, the bitter taste of ale drowning my tongue, I knew I’d never forget that night. It felt dangerous, alive, all consuming, as if seeing a real vampire on a barstool would not have been an impossibility.
Why am I telling you about that night? Because I think a tryst with a vampire invokes the same emotions – a dangerous, all-consuming passion that crackles with energy. A vampire is Halloween, the living and the dead, embodied in one powerful being. That’s why women covet the idea of being taken, consumed, even loved by a fanged man. He heightens your senses, he lusts for your blood, he feels dangerous, and if you can conquer him, then you are truly a desired woman. When I read Twilight, I was Bella, desired by Edward. When I read the Sookie Stackhouse Series, I was Sookie, touching, feeling, loving Eric, and when I read The Night Huntress Series, I was Cat, in love with and never able to forget Bones.
Many people believe that new vampire books will soon go extinct as agents hunt for the next big thing.  I’m here to tell you, as long as women are reading books and kids are getting Halloween sugar highs, that will never happen. And thank goodness, because though I love angel icing and a sprinkling of demons, I still need my weekly dosage of vampire cake to go along with it.  
Happy Halloween!    
Ashley Lynn Willis
          
 Vampire Cake is super yummy....although I can think of a few vampire sandwiches that would be too!!  LOL!  Up for grabs is an e-copy of  Ashley's Book The Calling.  Here is a little bit of a sneak :)


 Mandy Hardy lost more than a breast to cancer; she lost her fiancé when he dumped her a week before her mastectomy. Her ego bruised and her self-esteem battered, Mandy’s sure she’ll never fall in love again.

Justin Seward is a headstrong Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer with a heart of gold and the supernatural ability to command the seas. He had to hide his feelings while Mandy was engaged to his best friend. Now that she’s free, he’s vowed to make her his.

Together, they may hold the key to each other’s salvation. But when Justin’s past catches up with him, and Mandy’s ex-fiancé wants vengeance, they realize they might not live long enough for happily ever after.
My Review 
Mandy was done with men.  After her horrible breakup with her fiancé Ty and her continuing battle with cancer, she was unwilling to put herself out there.  So many of her so called friends had deserted her during her battle with breast cancer, including the person that was supposed to stick by her side no matter what.  If the only man she had ever loved couldn’t stand by her through thick and thin, what chance did she have now that her body was disfigured?  Her heart ached because her one true desire was to have a family of her own.  But she was unwilling to go through any of that pain again.  Especially not with Ty’s best friend, no matter how yummy he looked.
Justin had finally reconnected with Mandy, a girl that he had been obsessed with from the moment he had laid eyes on her.  After his rescue of a little boy during a storm caused shipwreck in the middle of the ocean, Justin had made it a point to visit with him.  As unbelievable luck would have it, the little boy ended up being Mandy’s patient.  He had called her, texted her, emailed her, and stopped by after his x-best friend’s brutal betrayal of her.  He couldn’t forgive him for what he did to Mandy and gave up on their friendship shortly after that.  Just as Mandy had given up on their friendship when Ty had walked away.  But even though his heart ached every time he looked at her, could she except him when she found out about what he really was?
This was an amazing read.  The story was so real life with just a touch of supernatural in it.  This could happen to anyone, if you exchange out the fact that Justin was a demi-god, with another secret.   The two of them have so many real-life issues that the fact isn’t completely human seems the least of their problems.  Then Ty becomes jealous and tries repeatedly to ruin their new found happiness.  This is a realistic love heals all plot that will make you stop and think about life in general.  So many people stop risking their heart because of a bad experience with love.  When in reality love, in the end, is what completes a person.  Justin and Mandy are a wonderful example of the real life problems encompassing today’s relationship.  Even the super-natural twist was infused with real characters.  Justin’s father was a classic example of his time period and what it would realistically be like if that family had been in fact carrying  a and demi-god gene.  Mandy and Justin both make your heart ache for the problems they face and have you praying for a happy ending.   This story clutches your heart and refuses to let go until you finish the read. This author has definitely gained a new fan!
So what do you need to do to enter to get a chance to win this awesome book?  Simple.  Just be a GFC follower and leave a comment with your e-mail address.
+1 Answer Ashley's Question....Are Vampires Dead?
+1 Ask Ashley a Question (have to make her work!! LOL!!)
+1 follow me on goodreads, twitter, or facebook...there is a cute little spider web for each at the top!!  Good Luck and be sure to hop to the rest of these great blogs!!








27 comments:

Carol L. said...

Ashley is a new Author for me but not for long. I have The Calling on my TRL.I really liked the excerpt and the review. Are Vampires Dead ? Heck no, not for this girl lol Seriously I think they'll hang out for awhile. Every Author seems to put her own spin on her Vamps making them special and different from the others and I think that's why no one tires of reading them. Just my personal opinion. Thanks for participating in the blog hop and having Ashley here today. :)
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

Hi Carol! Thanks for stopping by and entering the contest. None of my books have vamps in them, but that doesn’t stop me from constantly reading about them. I'm currently devouring P.A. Lupton's Bound by Blood that has a yummy fanged man in it and next on the list is At Graves End. Mmmm... Bones. I love that man... er, dead man.

I will be around all day so leave a message if you want to chat!

Last, I want to so say, thank you Nikki for having me and especially thanks for the wonderful review! I'm glad you enjoyed The Calling. :)

Unknown said...

vampires will never die they're just ever changing and evolving.
good luck to all!!

terri_dion@hotmail.com

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

Hi Terri! That's so true. Now there's half-vamps, sparkly vamps, and vamps that drink synthetic blood. I love them all. Thanks for stopping by. :)

In Julie's Opinion said...

Are Vampires dead? When I think if dead paranormals I think of ghosts or zombies. Vampires seem to be too full of life to be dead!! I prefer my vampires alive, thank you very much:)

jwitt33 at live dot com

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

LOL, Julie! I agree that vamps are too full of life to be dead. And thank goodness for that. :)
Thanks for stopping by.

msmjb65 said...

Vamps have been my favs in the paranormal genre for a long time. I agree that they're alive..with all that brooding emotion and hot sex, how could they really be dead dead?
MJB
msmjb65 AT gmal COM

Pommawolf Emeraldwolfeyes said...

It think vampires will always be around in literature, and as long as they are I'll be reading them...*S* especially love and romance...*S*
Ashley,
What inspired you to make your main character deal with breast cancer? I had a friend years ago who dealt with it, and although I stood beside her while she battled it she became a very bitter person. I am inspired by women who deal with it and find themselves in the process...*S Come out the other side stronger....*S*
I've added your book to my gotta have list as I want to find out what happens...*S*
Thank you for the blog tour!

Darcy
pommawolf @hotmail.com

“Slay Me HOT!

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

Hi MJB! They’ve been my fav for a long time, too. Ever since I picked up my first Anne Rice book. :)

Hi Darcy! That’s a great question, and you’re one of the first to ask it. :) My MIL had breast cancer about nine years ago. It was stage two, and she had the cancer removed along with having chemo and radiation. That time was very difficult for her, but she handled it with true grace. My character Mandy dealt with the cancer by cocooning herself into a life that consisted of only family and close friends. The book starts less than a year after her diagnosis, and I did that so that I could show her character arc as she learns to be confidant, scars and all, and as she learns to trust again after being hurt by her ex-fiancé. I also included healing through having her reach out to others with cancer. It’s common to wonder “why me” when you’re going through so much turmoil and not even sure if you’ll survive. Having peers who have dealt with the same emotions can go a long way in making you understand that you’re not alone and that your feelings are normal. I think it’s great that you were there for your friend, Darcy, through a very hard time, and I hope that she was able to work through her emotions.

Mary Preston said...

+1 Vampires are not dead. They are too interesting & intriguing for that.
+1 Apart from Vampires, which supernatural being would be your favorite?
+1 I follow goodreads, facebook & email.

Mary Preston
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

desitheblonde said...

i m a follower and vamp are not dead to many gbook are coming out and they have different kind of vamp that live among the living desitheblonde@msn.com i follow you for good read and then face book

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

@Marybelle - That’s a good question. A little over a month ago, I read Barbara Elsborg’s “Power of Love.” It’s a romance about a man who dies and turns into an angel. The way Barbara used the wings in that book made me blush and swoon. It was very sexy. I enjoyed the angel aspect of it so much that as soon as I’m done with Jeaniene Frost’s “Night Huntress Series,” I’m planning on starting on J.R. Wards “Fallen Angels Series.” So I'd have to say angels are my new fav, but that may change next month if I happen to read a good zombie or demon book. ;)

@Desi – Thanks for dropping by!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely not dead, can't get enough!! Do you like to change the characteristics (abilities) of your vamps or do you want them to follow traditional rules?

iarvd@yahoo.com

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

Hi Amanda! I don't have vamps in my books, but when I'm reading, I love them any way they come as long as the author does a good job of developing their world. Thanks for stopping by!

Unknown said...

Hello! Just 'hopping' by on the blog tour. I enjoyed the book review and have added it to my TBR list. I love the idea of a gal with cancer getting a second chance on life and love. My question is (if its not a secret) what kind of demi god Justin is? I noticed that he could control the sea.
As to vampires? No, as long as we have good imaginations, none of the supernaturals including demi-gods will be dead. We read to get away from reality and that will feed the need.
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
sundee94@comcast.net

Ronda Tutt said...

Happy Halloween! Don't enter me in giveaway. Just stopping by to say hello. But have to let you know that Ashley's book "The Calling" is absolutely fantastic!

Who ever wins will definitely get a wonderful read. I can't wait to read more of her work.

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

Hi Sophia! Your question doesn’t reveal any major secrets. :) Justin is a descendant of Triton. That’s why he’s able to manipulate water. But not all of Triton’s descendants have that ability, so it makes him special, even in his family. Thanks for hopping by!

Hi Ronda! Thanks so much for your kind words! :) I can’t wait to have a few more books out, but with two little preschoolers tugging at my pant legs all day, it’s going to be a little while. :)

lindsey hutchison @ United By Books said...

just stopping by to visit and say hi! great post and someone will be one lucky winner. happy halloween

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

Hi Lindsey! Thanks for hopping by. :)

Nora Weston said...

LOL Vampire sandwiches!

SO, my question is this...

Ashley, if you were able to have a vampire sandwich, who would the two lucky winners be?

The Calling sounds great! :)

noraweston.nw@gmail.com

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

Hi Nora! Fun Question! I'd have to say my vamp sandwich would be Bones from the Night Huntress Series in back and Eric Northman from the Sookie Stackhouse series in front. The weird thing is that in real life, I like my men dark, but with vamps, I salivate over the blonds. LOL.

Krysykat said...

Well there are many different types of Vampires out there so all I gather is if their heart beats they are alive and if it doesn't then they are dead. Wow that sentence made me feel stupid.
GFC follower- Krysta Banco

Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com

Dinda said...

Vampires are not dead.

dl(dot)love(dot)freedom(at)gmail(dot)com

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

Hi Krysta and Dinda! Thanks for stopping by!

geschumann said...

GFC - Gloria
FB - Gloria Sell Schumann
Twitter - GloriaSchumann
I've always thought of them as not dead, they're just a different species. Fun post. Thanks!

geschumann at live dot com

Laura H. said...

Thanks for the giveaway and for participating in this blog hop!

+1 Already follow via GFC - MamaHendo3
+1 Vampires dead? Are talking as a whole or below the waist??!?
+1 My question for Ashley: Does your reference to breast cancer have a special meaning for you?
+1 Already follow on FB (Laura Henderson), Twitter (MamaHendo3) and Goodreads (Laura Henderson).

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Ashley Lynn Willis said...

Hi Gloria! Thanks for hopping by!

Hi Laura! Love your avatar. I'm living in Kansas right now so I can appreciate it. As for having breast cancer as a part of the story, my mother-in-law is a survivor. So in a way, it's a tribute to her strength as she underwent chemo and radiation. She's a survivor, thank goodness, and everyday my husband and I say our blessings that our children are able to know her. So yes, having breast cancer as a subject matter in my book has special meaning. Thanks for asking. :)

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