Spooktacular Halloween Bash Guest Post and Giveaway#7: Jodi Langston-Contest Closed

I hope everyone is having fun reading all the guest post and entering the giveaways.  Today is the seventh day of the Spooktacular Halloween Bash and I welcome author Jodi Langston to the blog.

I've had a few unusual experiences i my life. One was seeing a ghost. I was in my living room one day and looked into the dining room. I saw a woman in a white torn dress standing there. I felt as if she was trying to tell me something. She was sort of traslucent but I couldn't see through her completely. We lived a half a block from the cemetery.

My most unusual experience was about two years ago. I was working the 3-11 shift and was about a mile from when I started feeling ill. I couldn't breathe and had an 'all gone' feeling. I was so greatful to see my son pull in the driveway right after me. I as diabetic and thought I was having an unusual low blood sugar reaction so I ate a handful of candy and sat on the couch. 

My son was extremely worried and asked if I needed the ER and I told him I didn't think so. More time passed and I improved little I told my son I felt like I was dying but I knew I wasn't. I went to bed around 2am and woke up the next day ... so all was good.

My son came home early from work the next day and told me his father, my ex-husband had died the night before. He later told me he dreamt about his father that night. We were all in court and his father was on trail standing before a judge. Maybe, he actually was standing before a judge, trying to explain the life he had lived.

Happy Halloween!

Jodi is a lover of nature and all things creative. She’s been writing prose and poetry since she first picked up a pencil. Jodi also draws and takes photos in her spare time. She’s a fan of the romantic suspense genre. She need plenty of action to go along with her romance so she tries to give that to her readers as well. 5% of Jodi’s sales go to diabetic research.  Visit Jodi at her website http://jodilangston.blogspot.com for another chance to win.

Contest Alert!! 

Jodi is offering ebooks of Always and her new release, Nature Of The Beast, to one lucky commenter.  Contest ends Nov 3.  Winner will be randomly selected, emailed and will have three days to respond before another winner is picked.  

To enter Jodi's giveaway, you must

1. Read the Contest and Giveaway Rules
2. Be a follower of the blog thru Google Friend Connect
3. Leave your comment with your email addy in case you win

Good Luck!!

Spook you tomorrow when Moira Rogers hosts a winner’s choice ebook giveaway. 

Spooktacular Halloween Bash Guest Post and Giveaway#4 : Brita Addams-Contest Closed

It's day four of my Spooktacular Halloween Bash.  Today, I welcome author Brita Addams to the blog.

Sometimes the Strange isn't so Spooky

Brita Addams

The eerie and spooky, that is what Halloween is all about. That actually sounds like a good paranormal book, but that's neither here nor there. I have a tale to relate, which, though odd in the telling, having witnessed it doesn't seem al that spooky to me. It did however, freak my daughters out, both threatened to move out of the house or at least never set foot in it again, however that would work.

I was alone, everyone either at work or school. We lived in an old house, the house my husband had grown up in, as had his mother. My husband's grandmother had shared the house with his mother until Grandma's health necessitated her residence in a nearby nursing home. Soon after, we moved in, hubby's mother moved out and Grandma's rooms became our dining and living room.

I had many old family pictures scattered about, including one of my precious grandparents. The frame sat on a table beside the living room door for many months, opposite the chair I usually sat in. Truthfully, I spent an inordinate amount of time looking at that photograph, as I'd missed them terribly since their passing many years before. Still do, truth were known.

I'd been watching "Young and the Restless," and decided to take a break. I walked out of the living room, through the dining room and into the kitchen. As I prepared a sandwich, I heard a noise, odd since I was indeed alone. Upon returning to the living room, I found my grandparent's picture face down on the floor, too far away from the table to have been knocked off by me when I passed through.

I kind of chuckled, picked it up and said, "I guess you want a different view, huh?" I placed it on top of our console television and there it sat, the view evidently acceptable, as they never took another swan dive to the floor.

That began a week of strange events in that house. A couple mornings later, I was still in bed. My husband had already kissed me good-bye and it was too early for my daughter to get up for school. I was catching that last five minutes we all seem to beg for. I wasn't asleep, just dozing. Then I felt a sensation as though someone had sat on the bed behind me. I knew the cat wasn't in the room, as the door was closed. There was no logical explanation for the feeling, but at the same time, I felt a great peace. I remember my heart didn't even flutter. There was just calm. I didn't open my eyes, but felt as though I'd been touched on my back, a rubbing motion, up and down.

A childhood recollection came upon me. I used to sit on my grandmother's lap, even as an early teenager and she'd rub my back, up and down, down and up. I loved it then, especially the day she discovered I was wearing a bra. "You're making me feel old," she said, as she snapped the elastic. I remember laughing at her comment, probably already thinking she was old. (She died at only 56)

The rubbing lasted for a few moments, then I felt the distinct sensation of someone getting off the bed. The peacefulness lasted, though. No alarm, no heart fluttering, just a very special calm that I'd always felt around the precious woman I called Gram. 

Tina Ordone has been an author all her life.  She recently fulfilled a lifelong dream by becaming a publisher author in 2010.  She writes historical romances under her birth name, but writes erotic historical romance under her pen name, Brita Adams.  She was born in New York but makes her home in the south.

Contest Alert!!!

Brita is giving away all three ebooks of her Sapphire Series.  That's right, one lucky winner will win Chocolate, Tea, and the Duchess, Lord Decadant's Obsession and Serenity's Dream.Contest ends Oct. 31st.  Winner will be randomly selected, emailed, and will have 72 hours to respond before another winner will be chosen.

For a chance to win, you must

Read the Contest and Giveaway rules

Be a follower of the blog thru Goggle Friend Connect

And make a comment on this post including your email addy

Extra pts: 

1pt for commenting on this post

1pt for Tweeting or mentioning this contest on Facebook or your own blog (must include exact link)

2pts for posting the contest button on your blog

Good Luck!!!

Spook you tomorrow when author Eve Langlais visits the blog with a new short story and a chance to win one of her Halloween ebooks.

We Have A Winner!!!

Thanks to all that visited and entered the contest.  The winner of Where The Rain Is Made ebook is...

Lillie

I've already contacted you, so check your email.

Author Spotlight: Interview And Giveaway with Eve Silver

Today, I am super excited to welcome author Eve Silver.  Eve is the author of Sin's Daughter and Sins Of The Heart.

DB:  Thank you for letting me interview you.  Tell us three things that we don't know about Eve Silver.

ES:  Thanks for inviting me to visit Diva’s Bookcase.  I have a degree in microbiology, which means I’m a wonderful dinner conversationalist—I can tell you things about bacteria and viruses and protozoans that you cannot imagine. And don’t want to imagine. So…um…maybe not such a great dinner conversationalist…

My favorite game is Boggle, and I play to win.

I have a horrible sweet tooth. Put chocolate or Swedish Berries or sticky-toffee pudding anywhere near me, and I’m on it like a shark on raw bloody entrails. (Yeah, I know. I have a way with words.)  

DB:  When did you start writing?

ES:  I finished my first book when I was 9. It was the story of an unwanted teddy bear that found a new and loving home. I even sent that book off to a children’s book publisher, and garnered my very first rejection letter.

DB:  What is your favorite genre to read and why?

ES:   I love romance. I love urban fantasy. I love YA. The classics. Comic books. Graphic novels. Manga. Women’s Fiction. Literary works. A great book is a great book.

DB:  Who are some of your favorite authors?

ES:  There are way too many to offer a comprehensive list, but I’ll give you a few names. In no particular order: Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Margaret Atwood, Daphne Du Maurier, Marjorie M. Liu, Teresa Medeiros, Judith Ivory, Christina Dodd, Linda Howard, Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, Karen Marie Moning, Lisa Kleypas, Jennifer Crusie, Michel Faber, Sarah Waters, Shana Abe, Naomi Novik, Sarah Addison Allen, Lisa Gardner, Michelle Rowen… If I keep typing, this list will take over the blog.

DB:  What new release(s) are you dying to get your hands on?

ES:  Again, waaaay too many books to list them all, but here’s a sample: A Wild Light (Marjorie M. Liu), Wicked Intentions (Elizabeth Hoyt), Taken by Midnight (Lara Adrian), Waking the Witch (Kelley Armstrong), City of Ghosts (Stacia Kane), Lady Lazarus (Michele Lang), The Clockwork Angel (Cassandra Clare)...to name only a few.

DB:  In our emails, we talked about "book boyfriends", who are some of yours?

ES:  A couple of my faves from way back were Johnny, the hero from The Outsider by Penelope Williamson and Jackson Rule from the book by the same name by Dinah McCall. Currently, I’m team Terrible (Stacia Kane’s Downside books), team Jericho Barons (Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series). I will always be team Clay (Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series) and team Kistin (Kim Harrison’s Hollows books). My fave J. R. Ward hero is Rhage. My fave Judith Ivory hero is Sam Cody from The Indiscretion. My fave Shana Abe hero is Christoff, Marquess of Langford. And yet again, I’m going on and on…

DB:  Your Otherkin series is smokin' hot. How are you handling all the buzz?

ES:  I’m handling it with immense and heartfelt gratitude to all the readers who open the door and let my stories in. I get a thrill every time I hear from a reader, or get a comment on a blog, or an email or a tweet from people who are enjoying my books. The sleepless nights, the seven day work weeks, the worry and love and care I put into each story—when readers talk about those stories, it means I did it right. And I appreciate when readers tell others about my books. Word-of-mouth is an author’s best friend.

DB:  For those that haven't heard about your new series, give a summary of what they can expect.

ES:  The Underworld is divided up in much the same way criminal elements of a city are divided by turf. Osiris. Hades. Izanami. A slew of demons and demi-gods. They all want their piece of the pie. And to a degree they band together to balance the vast power of the lord of chaos and evil, Sutekh. But the rulers of the Underworld are a territorial lot, and their alliances are fragile.

So in an effort to further his power and extend it more fully to the human realm, Sutekh (the lord of chaos and evil) sired four sons on three different human women. Dagan (Sins of the Heart—Book 1), Alastor (Sins of the Soul—Book 2) and Malthus (Sins of the Flesh—Book 3).

Lokan, the youngest son, has always acted as a political broker between all the Underworld lords. And he was good at it, until he was hacked to bits, his body parts scattered and hidden, his soul trapped in a limbo none can reach.

The Otherkin trilogy is about the hunt for Lokan’s remains, the quest for vengeance, and the loyalty of brothers. Their search pits them against their ancient enemies, the Daughters of Aset. These strong, intelligent, valiant women are Otherkin who are sworn to protect mankind—because if Dagan, Alastor and Malthus find Lokan, they just might end the world.

DB:  How did you come up with the idea for the series?

ES:  There were a number of elements that clicked just at the right moment, but one of them was a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum where they had an ancient scroll—a papyrus of the Egyptian Book of the Dead—on display. I was so enthralled that I started researching Egyptian mythology, which led me to other mythologies including Japanese, Chinese, Norse and Greek, and things just snowballed from there.

DB:  Who is your favorite character from the series and why?

ES:  As I write each book, the characters come to life for me, and at that moment, they are my favorites. More than that, the hero and heroine together form an incredible team with dynamic chemistry and that makes me fall in love with them all the more.

DB:  If you could do a movie about your series, who would you choose as your main characters?

ES:  I’m often asked this question, and I have lousy answers because I don’t usually envision my characters that way. They’re distinct people and it’s impossible to pick someone who embodies their looks/personality/quirks/background. But I’ll give it a shot…

Dagan Krayl, the hero of Sins of the Heart would have the edge of Sawyer from the early episodes of Lost. He’d have features and coloring similar to model Gabriel Aubry, with maybe a bit of Travis Fimmel tossed in the mix. 

Alastor Krayl, the hero of the second book, Sins of the Soul, looks very much like his brother, but he’s clipped and proper and dresses in $1000 suits.

Mal, the hero of the third book, Sins of the Flesh, looks a bit like Ian Somerhalder and has some of the same personality quirks that the actor displays when he’s playing Damon on the Vampire Diaries.

But in the end, none of these actors really captures the bad-boy edge that these heroes embody.

DB:  What can we expect next for Eve Silver?

ES:  Right now I’m working on the fourth book set in the Otherkin world, and it is one dark, gritty, wild ride. Then I’ll get busy on the fifth book. The dates aren’t set in stone, but it looks like they’ll be released in June 2011 and September 2011.

National bestselling author Eve Silver has been praised for her “edgy, steamy, action-packed” books, darkly sexy heroes and take-charge heroines. Her work has garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, plus two RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and in 2007 she received Library Journal’s Best Genre Fiction Award. Eve lives with her husband, two sons, an energetic Airedale terrier, an exuberant border collie/shepherd and an enormous rabbit. You can reach Eve through her website or Twitter.

Contest Alert!!!! 

Eve has been super sweet and has offered an autographed copy of her latest release, Sins Of The Heart for one lucky reader.  

To enter, you must be follower of this blog and fill out the entry FORM.  Sorry, but contest is only open to US and Canada. Contest will end on August 7 and winner will be announced on the blog. Winner will be randomly chosen and emailed. Winner will have 72 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen.  Good luck!!

Contest is closed

Eve will also make appearances on the following blogs:

July 26- Michelle Rowen
August 3-  Bitten By Books 
August 5- Dark Faerie Tales 
August 9- Harlequin Paranormal blog 
August 16- Paranormal Haven 

Author Spotlight: Guest Post and Giveaway with P. Q. Glisson

Today I welcome author P. Q. Glisson, author of Her Sanctuary.  She has been kind enough to share why she started writing.

I had been working and raising a family for years. Everything was going pretty well. Oh, there were ups and downs here and there, but for the most part, we were happy.

That all changed the year the housing market bubble burst. I was office manager at a construction company when the market went soft. No sales meant no money for the company. It was May 12, 2008 when my boss of six years came to me and told me he didn't know how he was going to pay my salary that week, so he had to let me go.

My husband and I had started our own business but it was very new and depended largely on the contractors. We wired new houses for phone and cable, burglar alarms, fire and computer and stereo surround sound. The housing slump hit us too, but we managed.

I couldn't find any work so instead I took up a hobby: painting. I painted pictures for about a year, making a fair amount of money at it.

But I got burned out and felt I needed a break.

One day my daughter was over and we were brainstorming for one of her many stories. I came up with an idea. We were to write it together, but personal circumstances prevented her from doing so. I took the reins and continued on my own. Eight months later I had a novel. Now what? How do I get this book out there? Do I send off my manuscript to publishing houses in hopes of them even looking at it or do I do what a lot of people are doing, self-publish. I elected to self-publish. So I did all the research, found a self-publishing company and viola'! A couple months later I was a published author. It seemed so easy. I felt a little guilty. I'd always read about how authors struggled for years and years to get their books published, receiving countless rejection letters, and here I was, published! Weird. I'm still trying to process it all.

I was afraid that with the finish of my first novel, my creativity well would be dry, but that didn't happen. I am so full of story ideas that I have an outline folder on my computer just to keep them all straight. I'm currently working on two novels. One is a young adult romance/fantasy mystery and the other is a period romance set pre-civil war. No genre is safe from my imagination. I've even got an idea for a romantic/comedy that would make a great movie.

So as you've probably guessed, I plan on keeping pretty busy for the next five or ten years. It's what I love to do so I am hoping and praying I can make a living at it.

One more thing. I'd like to say thank you to all my fans, family and friends. Without your love and support I never would've had the courage to follow my dream.


You can learn more about P. Q. Glisson on her website and become her friend on Goodreads.

 Contest Alert!!!

And since she is the bestest, she has offered up a PDF copy of her book, Her Sanctuary for one lucky reader.  To enter you must be a follower of the blog and fill out the entry form.  All entries that are not blog followers will be deleted.  Click HERE for entry form.  The contest starts today and will end at 11:59 central on July 28th.  Winner will be selected randomly and announced on the blog. Winner will have 72 hours from the time I email you, to respond or another winner will be randomly selected.  Good luck!

Contest is closed

Contest Winner!!!

The winner of The Vampire and The Virgin Contest is






Please contact me @ thedivasbookcase.gmail.com to claim your prize.

My Very First Contest!!!

Starting Sunday,  I will be doing a review fest featuring Kerrelyn Sparks called Eight Days of Love At Stake.  I will be doing an eight day review of all the books in the series.

I absolutely loved reading this series, and couldn't wait to get to the next book. 

And to show love to all of my followers, I have decided to offer my paperback copy of her latest, The Vampire and the the Virgin.

This is my very first contest.  It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here.  The contest will start today and end on June 25 at 8pm central.

The winner will be announced on my blog on June 26.   I will contact the winner and they will have 48 hours to contact me to claim their prize.  After this time has expired, I will randomly select another winner.

This contest is only open to US residents.


Contest closed!