The voices in my head...

Hi there!

Since this is my first post for the para-posse, I thought I'd better introduce myself. I'm Mina, and I have a problem with the voices in my head. Sounds like the start of a counseling session, doesn't it? These voices fortunately don't urge me to kill people, unless of course I've created those people first in my fictional worlds. Killing people and creation in the same sentence? Either I've started a new cult or, yes...I'm a writer.

So, let me tell you about one of my little voices. This voice belongs to Captain Jack Harper, who arrived fully fledged and larger than life, demanding I write his story. I ignored him for a while, I'm not a fan of pushy men (just ask Mr.C who, as it happens, CAN be fairly pushy but knows when to batten it down), but since he arrived 'story ready', which meant he was also bleeding out everywhere from having his guts shredded, I thought I'd better do something with him.

Jack's story was supposed to be a short story, a little play around with the werewolf tale and perception inspired by tales of ergot-poisoning in the middle ages (it's interesting, if you care to look it up. However, interesting would be relative. I've also found how starfish poop and the mating habits of the pink-spotted iguana interesting.) In the original Jack was convinced he was a werewolf and the story closed with him strapped to a bed in a mental-health facility, staring at the moon…the conviction all in his head.

However…that was before the plot bunnies got a hold of the idea, got some vodka in, some nibbles and kicked it all around (My plot bunnies are corrupted, evil little blighters). Finally one of them, full of pizza and well on the way to drunk as a skunk, said ‘what if the patients in the mental hospital are telling the TRUTH?’.

Silence reigned, the penny dropped, light dawned…you name it.

Jack became part of a squad, ‘failed’ military experiments drugged up and sent to the one place where no one would believe their tall tales…a psychiatric hospital. (In another story, less full of blood, gore and naked men operating heavy weaponry, Jack settles down into life as a writer where people accept his tall tales and he becomes a best-selling author. I rejected that one in favour of the story with more nekkidness).

So…in honour of the voices in my head, I’d like to unveil the new cover art for Jack’s story, Perfect Mate, due out this August with Samhain Publishing.

I'll leave you with a little blurb...

Monsters do exist...and they’re the good guys.

Lillian Rosewood leads an ordinary, boring life working as the manager of a psychiatric hospital. The highlights of her day, other than her skinny hot chocolate, are the hunky guards who work in the secure section. Until a late night emergency is wheeled in.
Captain Jack Harper is insane, drop-dead gorgeous...and just had his abdomen shredded. Despite the fact they're not an emergency room, Lillian can't turn him away and risk a death on her hands. Unable to get the handsome soldier out of her mind, Lillian sneaks into the restricted area to check on him. What she finds is beyond belief. Somehow Jack has managed to heal himself from a near fatal wound in mere hours.
When one of the doctors, Walker, attempts to rape her, things go from bad to worse. In the blink of an eye, Jack is loose and Walker is dead... and Lillian must accept a truth about her rescuer that will change her world forever. What if the patients aren't insane? What if their stories of secret government experiments and monsters are true?
Warning: Contains blood, mayhem and nude werewolves operating heavy weaponry. Large amounts of sarcasm, and smart-ass vampires may offend some readers. No civilian hospital staff were harmed in the making of this story.

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Muses

Muses...Where do they come from?  Where do writers, musicians, and all artist get their creative touch?  Do you have a muse?  Mine is being stubborn at the moment. I was inspired to post this because of my eight year old niece Meredith and her new found love of Greek Mythology.  May I also brag a moment that she recently tested on a 7th grade reading level.  She just finished all the Percy Jackson books.

SHE'S ONLY 8!!!!!  

The Nine Muses of the Greek Mythology were deities that gave artists, philosophers and individuals the necessary inspiration for creation

According to the Greek Myths, God Zeus bewildered the young woman Mnemosyne and slept with her for nine consecutive nights. The result of their encounter was the Nine Muses, who were similar to everything.

Μnemosyne gave the babies to Nymph Eufime and God Apollo. When they grew up they showed their tendency to the arts, taught by God Apollo himself.

They were not interested in anything of the regular human everyday life and they wanted to dedicate their lives to the Arts. Apollo brought them to the big and beautiful Mount Elikonas, where the older Temple of Zeus used to be. Ever since, the Muses supported and encouraged creation, enhancing imagination and inspiration of the artists.

Analytically the Nine Muses are:

1. Clio: The Muse Clio discovered history and guitar. History was named Clio in the ancient years, because it refers to “kleos” the Greek word for the heroic acts. Clio was always represented with a clarion in the right arm and a book in the left hand.

2. Euterpe: Muse Euterpe discovered several musical instruments, courses and dialectic. She was always depicted holding a flute, while many instruments were always around her.

3. Thalia: Muse Thalia was the protector of comedy; she discovered comedy, geometry, architectural science and agriculture. She was also protector of Symposiums. She was always depicted holding a theatrical - comedy mask.

4. Melpomene: Opposite from Thalia, Muse Melpomene was the protector of Tragedy; she invented tragedy, rhetoric speech and Melos. She was depicted holding a tragedy mask and usually bearing a bat.

5. Terpsichore: Terpsichore was the protector of dance; she invented dances, the harp and education. She was called Terpsichore because she was enjoying and having fun with dancing ( “Terpo” in Greek refers to be amused). She was depicted wearing laurels on her head, holding a harp and dancing.

6. Erato: Muse Erato was the protector of Love and Love Poetry – as well as wedding. Her name comes from the Greek word “Eros” that refers to the feeling of falling in love. She was depicted holding a lyre and love arrows and bows.

7. Polymnia: Muse Polymnia was the protector of the divine hymns and mimic art; she invented geometry and grammar. She was depicted looking up to the Sky, holding a lyre.

8. Ourania: Muse Ourania was the protector of the celestial objects and stars; she invented astronomy. She was always depicted bearing stars, a celestial sphere and a bow compass.

9. Calliope: Muse Calliope was the superior Muse. She was accompanying kings and princes in order to impose justice and serenity. She was the protector of heroic poems and rhetoric art. According to the myth, Homer asks from Calliope to inspire him while writing Iliad and Odyssey, and, thus, Calliope is depicted holding laurels in one hand and the two Homeric poems in the other hand.

The Nine Muses have been inspiring artists since the antiquity and there countless paintings, drawings, designs, poems and statues dedicated to them. All artists of the Renaissance acknowledged their importance in artistic creation,  dedicating their works to the Muses.

Today, the most famous depiction of the Muses in sculpture is in Greece, in Corfu; the Empress Sissi of Austria had their statues made for her, in order to ornament the garden of her retreat house in Corfu, the famous Achilleion.
Thanks everyone--Pimpin' 
You can find me at Pimpin' Reads YA or Adult

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Ouija Hell by Gracen Miller

May I have a show of hands how many have participated in a Ouija séance? I have. I was sixteen and my best friend, Angie, and I decided to try out her new Ouija board (or Witchboard). It was a novelty and neither of us really thought it would work.

We put our hands on the plastic locater, what I’ve heard called a planchette, although the spelling may be completely off. I think our first question was, “Is anyone here with us?” It began to move slowly at first, almost dragging to the word “yes”. We both yanked our hands off the planchette and asked if the other had forcibly moved it. Both of us denied manipulating the board.

We had two spirits we ultimately came to chat with. Drake claimed to be a servant of God and professed to love us. The other one named Jason admitted to being an axe murderer. (Names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.) Jason wanted us to die and sometimes he would spell the word “d-i-e” over and over again until we ditched the Witchboard all together to shut him up. All he ever did was spew evil and filth. He had a son named Nate. We finally had to have a secret code with Drake to make sure we had the so-called good spirit instead of the evil spirit.

I became obsessed with the Ouija board. Always thinking of it and the spirits we chatted with. Even dreamed about using it alone and more than once woke up with the Board out of its box and on my bed.

My cousin, Shawna, came for a visit and she was a few years younger than me. I was determined to introduce her to the Witchboard and its fascination. The first night we got on the board, Shawna yanked her fingers off after a few minutes and said the planchette burned her fingers. Thinking she was being overly dramatic, I begged her to get back on. My motives were selfish. Hesitant, she made it obvious she had no desire to get back on the board. But I needed to be on that board. It was driving me crazy not being able to talk to Drake. She finally relented. The board burned her again. But this time, she acted really weird. I SWEAR her eyes darkened and her voice deepened, grew scratchy. It freaked me out, but not as much as her grabbing a teddy bear and singing a lullaby to it—“Hush little baby, don’t say a word…”—while she petted it.

Creepy!

When I asked her why she sang to the teddy bear, she gave me an evil glare and said she sang to her son. I explained it was just a teddy bear, but she insisted it was her son. I gave up because she spooked me bad. I talked her into going to bed, but she refused to give up her “son”. The next morning, she remembered none of it, other than the burned fingers.

I still couldn’t leave it alone. Did I mention I was obsessed with the Ouija board?

I dragged Shawna to Angie’s house, detailed what happened and we talked her back on the board. More of the same happened, but this time, the planchette flew across the room. As I picked it up, Shawna cackled and her foot bounced up and down, shaking the bed. She caught sight of a teddy bear Angie slept with. Shawna clutched it to her chest, hugging it as she began to sing the same lullaby from the night before. The very presence in the room grew dark and ominous. Angie asked about the teddy bear and Shawna explained it was her son, Nate.

Oh…my…God! We had not told her Jason had a son, much less given her his name.

When Shawna became herself again, she flopped onto the bed and started crying. All she could remember from the event was being in a black void, with a pinpoint of white light that she kept struggling to get to.

As an adult, I question the validity of everything that happened those two days. The event scared Angie and I so much, we stopped using the Ouija. One thing that lingers in my head still to this day, if Shawna became possessed—even temporarily—by Jason, then I slept beside a professed axe murderer that first night. Yikes!

I haven’t showcased a Quija Board in my Road to Hell series, but I deal with a lot of unsavory characters…the King of Hell for starters, Mimickers, demons, Crows that offer prophecies of the future and a succubus to name just a few. But who knows, maybe one day I’ll write my very real Ouija occurrence into my fiction.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and/or experiences!

Huggles,

Gracen

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When The Paranormal IS Normal!

Greetings from the wilds of the rugged Ozark Mountains.  This is my debut post for The Para-Posse so I thought I'd take a few minutes to introduce myself and why I write - among everything else - paranormal romance.  Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy is my real name, birth and married.  I am a mom of three, a wife, owner of a feisty and spoiled Jack Russell terrier, member of RWA and Missouri Writers Guild, and I do normal daylight things like shopping at the local supermarket despite my interest and writing in the paranormal arena.  Why the fascination with things supernatural and paranormal?

I like to say it's because I was born in the lonesome October when the skies were ashen and sober, the leaves they were crisped and sere (okay so I'm borrowing from Edgar Allan Poe and his beautiful poem Ulalame).  I shouted forth from the womb with the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck days before All Hallows Eve and was given a name one scant syllable shy of my grandmother's only daughter's name, a child who was born and died during the birth process in the same hospital.  My mother never knew this until I was almost ten.   My parents took me home to the brick Victorian house they bought six months earlier where odd things were the stuff of everyday life, a house where my cousin and I dug up bones in the basement.   Like my Granny, I'm more than a little bit fey at times and I possess some of the Sight they say my great-grandfather, seventh son of a seventh son, possessed.  I grew up in a tough old river town in northern Missouri, a place where history didn't seem so far distant and the past intersected with the present on a daily basis.

The paranormal was my normal so it's no wonder I write paranormal romance, the occasional piece for Fate magazine, and why supernatural things often show up even in my other works.   Add to that a childhood of watching Dark Shadows, old monster movies with all the lights turned off, and dabbling with a Ouija board when I was still in grade school, it seems inevitable.  About the Ouija board - I ditched it, salted and burned it in high school and wouldn't touch one on a bet.  I wouldn't advise anyone else to either but that's another story.

The story here is my stories - the paranormal ones, anyway.  My debut romance, Wolfe's Lady (Evernight Publishing, December 2010) dealt with a werewolf and my next release, Love Tattoo about my truck driving, Shakespeare quoting two hundred year old vampire, Will Brennan, became a series with Love Scars, Love Knots, and now Love Shadows out from Evernight Publishing.  Two more books, Love Echoes and Love Legacy will complete the Love Covenant series. 

I debated whether to share an excerpt from Love Shadows or one from my latest Rebel Ink Press release, In Love's Own Time but I decided to go with the latter.  It's a trippyy novel including elements of contemporary, historical, time travel, paranormal and fantasy.  I write from sweet to heat and there's not a lot of heat in this one but there is a multi-layered story.  Here's the blurb and an excerpt:

Blurb:

There may be no place like home and nothing like love…..when history teacher Lillian Dorsey inherits a three story Edwardian brick mansion from the grandfather who banished her pregnant mother decades before, it’s a no brainer.  She’ll visit the place, see it and sell it.  Instead Lillian’s captivated by the beautiful home and intrigued by the ghost of the original owner, Howard Speakman.  Soon she’s flirting with the charming, witty gentleman who’s been dead for more than a century and before long, they admit it’s a mutual attraction.  Still, when she’s alive and he’s dead, any shot at being together seems impossible.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way….one afternoon while pretending to visit the past the impossible becomes a brief reality.  If they visited 1904 before, Lillian knows they can do it again and if so, she can prevent Howard’s untimely death.  With a combination of love, powerful hope, and stubborn will, Lillian bends time to her will and returns to the summer of 1904.  But Howard’s death looms ahead and if she’s to find a happy ending, she must save him from his original death.

Here’s a little taste from the day they inadvertently return to 1904 and realize just what may be possible:

                “Lillian.” Howard sounded hoarse, his voice cracking with emotion although she wasn’t sure which one, fear, elation, or sorrow.  “This is 1904.”

                “How could it be?” Even as she protested, she knew it was true.  The old house was new.  The smell of fresh paint mingled with the Dutch cake aroma and as she’d noticed earlier, the book covers were bright.  Howard’s sheet music pages never yellowed but sparkled unblemished white.  It was true and if it was 1904, then Howard was alive.  He wasn’t a ghost.  

                Lillian reached for him, stretched out her hand to touch him, and closed her fingers over his arm.  Through the wool of his sleeve, his skin was warm, so alive, and tears formed in her eyes.  Her right hand stroked the curve of his cheek and she clasped his hand with the other.   He twined his fingers through hers, tight as if he might never let go, and pulled her right hand to his lips, brushing her skin with a faint, soft kiss.

                “Oh, Howard.”  Her voice broke.  “Howard, you’re real.”

                She could touch him now and she could smell him, a rich masculine aroma of soap and leather, and the outdoors.  Before, he’d been a ghost, not tangible, not touchable but for now, he was both and she reveled in him with every sense.  She touched his hair with trembling fingers and rubbed her cheek against his suit jacket.  When she lifted her face, his eyes blazed with emotion and she knew before he bent down they’d kiss.

                In her dream, the kiss’d been sweet but in reality, it was sweeter.  His lips heated hers, melted, and moved against her mouth until she couldn’t breathe.  She put her arms around his neck and he held her, one hand flat against her back.   Until now, he’d been unattainable, almost fantasy, but now he was a man, a man who held her in his arms, and she wanted him.  Desire burned like a wavering candle flame but without warning, Howard released her.

                “Lillian, I forgot myself.  You must forgive me.”

                Her lips, bruised from his mouth, stretched into a smile. “I’ll never forgive you if you don’t kiss me again, Howard.”

                “I shouldn’t.” His voice sounded muffled. “But I’ll, sweet Lillian, though I shouldn’t.  However, for the moment I’m alive. Carpe diem!”

Find a book trailer here:

Book trailer here:

http://youtu.be/yql9ietR3HM

And me here:
Facebook: Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

Twitter @leeannwriter

A Page In The Life: http://leeannsontheimermurphywriterauthor.blogspot.com

Seanachie Stories And More:

http://seanachiestories-tuesdaytalesandmore.blogspot.com

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Possession of the Soul

Demonic possession plays a large role in my paranormal series, The Brethren. It is also the focus of many a movie over the years. What exactly is demonic possession? In an article about the warning signs of demonic possession by T. Cooney in 2005 (http://fspp.net/warn%20poss.htm), a person can be considered demonically possessed if they exhibit specific mental changes, physical changes, and there are preternatural changes to the environment around them.

What's fascinating is that many of the signs CAN BE confused with real psychoses, so we have to be extremely careful to exhaust those scientific avenues first before heading down the path of possession. The list of changes is LONG, but I've chosen a few from each that aren't as easy to determine as organic psychoses.

Mental changes in a person are:

• Look for destructiveness on the part of a person, especially if that destruction is of religious objects.
• They may become abusive and threatening for no reason.
• They may become violent. They often attempt to hurt animals.
• The person may experience severe nightmares or night terrors.
• They may perform acts of humiliation, such as urinating on themselves, etc.
• They may be sexually pre-occupied. Excessive masturbation or doing it in front of others.

Physical changes are:

• Look for changes in the eyes. They may turn almost black like shark eyes.
• The person may exhibit “precognition,” the ability to predict the future.
• The person displays “retro cognition,” the ability to know about past events they should not know about.
• There may be multiple voices coming from the person at the same time.
• Take note if animals appear to be frightened of the person, especially if they begin acting fearful when there are personality changes in the person.

Finally, some fascinating preternatural changes:

• Sounds of glass breaking may be heard but there is no evidence of it happening.
• There may be sudden temperature changes, up and down although it is usually down. These can be recorder on a thermometer.
• There may be a sensation of wind blowing even with the windows closed.
• Lights will go off or not come on when turned on.
• Activity starts up when you attempt to say prayers.
• Levitation of objects or people.

In real life, we would call upon someone to exorcise the devil or a demon from a person. It could take years for total exorcism. And even if it seems as though the exorcism has worked, it may only be temporary. The devil enjoys retaliating.

I'm sure glad we have the Brethren to turn to if we suspect someone is demonically possessed! For a detailed account of how they handle such a situation, read Trinity, Relic, and Brethren Beginnings Volume 1. All are available through amazon.com.

Hugs and wishing you a possession-free day! ;)
Deena Remiel
www.deenaremiel.com

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Hell's Phoenix Release & Contest by Gracen Miller

Today my second book in my Road to Hell series releases! Want to win some Pandora's Box and Hell's Phoenix swag? And an e-copy of Madison's Life Lessons and Pandora's Box (or if you already have these two books in the Road to Hell series, you can opt for Fairy Casanova/Elfin Blood instead)? Leave me a comment below, along with email (NO email means you are NOT entering the contest), and become a Follower of Para-Posse to be eligible to win.

Madison's Life Lessons Blurb (prequel):

Fate can mark one early for a particular future.

Madison Wescott’s life is Hell on earth. Her father, a BaptistPreacher, convinces her she’s morally corrupt when men notice her bloomingbeauty. She strives to be unnoticeable, but nothing satisfies her condemningparents.

And sometimes fate has nothing to do with one’s potential.

Temptation rears its head when Micah Dominus visits her father’schurch on Christmas morning, but she is unprepared for her physical reaction tohim. Frightened by her own emotions, she is grateful she’ll never see himagain. But when he shows up again at a friend’s funeral, and at other times inher life, she’s swayed by his charisma. Micah becomes her white knight throughthe good and bad, but can they create the perfect life together? Or has shejust located the beginning of the Road to Hell?

Supernatural forces more powerful than fate can claim one’s destiny…

Pandora’sBox Blurb (book 1):

Where does the road to Hell begin?

What happens when your son turnshomicidal overnight and your husband disappears on his way to work? Do youcower in fear or fight for your life? Madison Wescott fights against the odds.Distrustful of a God she doesn't believe in, she finds herself face-to-facewith a world she didn't know existed and discovers her own soul is darkenedwith demonic connections.

With good intentions? Or by demonic design?

Phoenix Birmingham bursts into Madison’slife in a whirlwind of sarcasm and sexual appeal. A hero for the masses—and forher jaded heart—but few will ever know the sacrifices he has made or thesacrifices to come. Discovering her entire life has been influenced bymultifaceted paranormal beings, Madison is determined to defeat the apocalypticblueprint fate has decreed, but only one man dares to challenge thesupernatural forces manipulating them. Even with Phoenix's aid, can destiny bedenied? Or will demonic design prevail while they pay the crucial price withtheir souls?

In a small,sleepy Alabama town the battle for mankind's liberty has begun...

RELEASED TODAY (2/17/12)!!!

Hell’s Phoenix Blurb(book 2):

Hell’sbecome more than just a playground for the wicked…

Going to Hell was supposed to save Madison, but knowing she’sdead because of his failure leaves Nix with only one thing to live for. Revenge. With Micah’s help he learns touse his Messianic power. Anything for Mads has become his mantra, even if itmeans killing innocents to gather the power he needs to succeed. A tsunami heunleashes on a Gulf Coast city is stopped with magical interference, and Nix ismore than surprised to feel Madison in the opposing magic. Can he and Micah seta trap to lure her out?

Pandora’s Box…once you open it, there’s no turning back!

Madison has done the unthinkable, opened Pandora’s Box tosave Nix from Hell. And failed. She’s willing to risk her own life to rescueNix, but she worries about the welfare of her accomplice in the mission andleaving her son behind. Following up on a lead, she’s ambushed by Nix andMicah. Shocked and hurt to discover Nix has become a willing participant ofHell, she’s more certain than ever she won’t escape the demonic fate herhusband outlined for her. While in Hell, she discovers denying the emergence ofher succubus is futile, which means getting Nix out of Hell after embracing herinner demon just became a very real dilemma…

***
THE ROAD TO HELL SERIES

MADISON'S LIFE LESSONS is available now at the following sites in ebook and print formats:


Amazon (ebook): http://www.amazon.com/Madisons-Life-Lessons-Road-ebook/dp/B0067DC1UG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1329428575&sr=8-3


Amazon (print): http://www.amazon.com/Madisons-Life-Lessons-Prequel-Road/dp/1467954799/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1329428575&sr=8-7


Barns & Noble (ebook only): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/madisons-life-lessons-gracen-miller/1107759503?ean=2940032865650&itm=5&usri=gracen+miller


Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/104749

PANDORA’SBOXis available now at the followingsites in ebook and print formats:

DecadentPublishing:http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=326&osCsid=197c7ca45f989e3b22059c5b92c9475d

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HRSZRG/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_g351_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0V85TMYT088EG6C8W16V&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Barnes &Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pandoras-box-gracen-miller/1105010763?ean=2940011467097&itm=3&usri=gracen%2bmiller

ARe (ebook only): http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

Smashwords (ebook only): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82329

HELL’S PHOENIX released TODAY atDecadent Publishing and Amazon:

Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/advanced_search_result.php?osCsid=6c1232251c1e45744bd0b3ee7262f414&categories_id=&inc_subcat=1&pfrom=0&pto=999999&dfrom=&dto=&manufacturers_id=82

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hells-Phoenix-Road-Hell-ebook/dp/B0079RD82Y/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1329417854&sr=8-8

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/133450

ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

Barnes & Noble: Coming Soon

Whereyou can stalk me—not really!—but Iwould love to meet and interact with you:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gracen.miller

Become an official Hellhound by joining my Roadto Hell series FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Road-to-Hell-series/112564408814796?ref=ts

Website:www.gracen-miller.com

Blog:http://madisonroadtohell.blogspot.com/

MyPublisher: www.decadentpublishing.com

SWAG UP FOR GRABS

(I will choose what each individual winner receives)

Hell's Phoenix Poster (signed)

Road to Hell Series Rack Card (signed)

Pandora's Box Bookmark (signed)

(front)

(back)

Hell's Phoenix Bookmark (signed)

(front)

(back)

Magnets (business card & postcard sizes)

Various Road to Hell series Pins

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Posse Power by Sara Humphreys

I am so psyched to be back at Para Posse and to be a monthly blog contributor. This is a rather sassy, powerful group and I'm thrilled ot be a part of it. 
Let's get down to it.

February is already half over and I feel like I just popped the cork on the New Year's champagne bottle.  2011 was a crazy cool year for me as an author. Unleashed, the first book in my Amoveo Legend series, was released in October and I'm happy to say it was well received.

2012 is shaping up rather nicely as well. Untouched, book 2 in the series, is set for release on April 3rd and just received a starred review in Publishers Weekly.  I have to admit that when I saw the review I cried like a baby!

The third book in the series, Untamed, will be out in November 2012.


I received an unexpected email the other day from LASR the other day. Apparently, because Unleashed received a Best Book Rating in 2011...it's up for Book of the Year at LASR! Voting runs from 2/16-2/29 and it would be super fab if you felt like swinging over and casting your vote. If not...no worries. :)

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/promo.htm

I'd like to celebrate my first post back at Para Posse with a giveaway!

Leave a comment here on my blog post and tell me what you are looking forward to this year!  I'll give one lucky commenter a signed copy of Unleashed, a bookmark and a temporary tattoo of the book cover of Untouched.

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Make Up Your Mind!

ByKali Willows

First an erotic, contemporary couple at a masquerade in a Castle/hotel in Spain, then a would-be ghost hunter and psychic in sultry Savannah Georgia on a ghost walk. Next came a wiccan witch at a Halloween bash-in Salem, with a pastor, and of course, I had to go with a vampire and a terminally ill chick in an underwater hotel room in Main! So, what schizoid trip is Kali Willows’ muse on now?

This persistent entity had me do my latest 1NS release Double Dragon Seduction, coming out in April 2012, inspired by dragon lore & Niagara Falls. Currently, my spectral ambition is haunting me with Angels and supernatural consequences. Is there no end to the paranormal madness? Apparently not (and I couldn’t be happier).

As a multi-published author, continuing to perfect my craft and always wanting more time to develop my stories and get them done, I stop at times, and scratch my head wondering if I should be more focused, like best selling author, Anne Rice, whose writings are synonymous with her huge fan base, taken in by her love of vampires?

Do fans prefer their paranormal authors to be flexible and cover different aspects of this vast genre, or can it

be a turn off for unwavering lovers of werewolves and bloodsuckers, waiting for their next “to-be-read” works of the same type for entertainment, once they’ve had a taste of an author they like? Beyond my contracted and published work, I have four other books completed, on my to do list for edits and revamping, and they cover psychic, Druid mythology, magic, gods, goddesses and pre-Arthurian times, this doesn’t include my first two published works that were straight contemporary with minor elements of romance and suspense, the first being more social issue/drama focused.

As a reader, what do you expect from your favourite authors, and as an author, what is your writing goal to accomplish? Expand your horizons, or stick with what you’re good at?

My other curiosity, is length…not in the bedroom-get your mind out of the gutter (at least until you’re ready to read some of my 1NS stories!) I LOVE writing for the 1NS line with Decadent Publishing, and I tend to be a creature of habit, but the books I’ve written vary in length from over 90k, to 46k, then I got hooked on writing 1NS (writing crack for authors! Lol), which I average 12k.

My overall writing goal, is to be able stay home and create full time, but currently, that option is not yet

attainable…YET, but I’m working at it diligently! I know now, after trying a little of everything, I’m happiest and most inspired writing paranormal, but, in many sub-genres, to satisfy my insatiable imagination.

So, time for you, my lovelies, to weigh in, what do you prefer in your paranormal authors? The same, everything, or a little something in between, with a taste for everyone?

Happy Reading!

Kali Willows

www.kaliwillows.com

www.kaliwillows.com/blog/

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Three's Company...

...toooo!

LOL No, Mr. Furley isn't going to be joining us today, but I just had to sing a bit of that song. Why you may ask?

Because today we are talking menage!!!!

Whoo-hoo!

The more the merrier! Three is not a crowd!

Okay, enough of that nonsense.

I wanna discuss why menage stories are so hot, and why paranormal plots just make it so easy to triple your pleasure in books.

In my Jan 2012 release THE FROG PRINCE, I have a light paranormal theme. Well, if some witch is turning a prince into a frog, you gotta have magic going on. But mostly it is about hot, steamy, three-way sex. LOL

Now why do paranormal themes open themselves up for sexy?

The exotic characters! After all if you can fly, have magic or turn into a wolf, of course you would be a dynamo in the sack!

I think readers who want to step outside of their box, read about fantasy worlds also want fantasy sex.

And they want a lot of it.

So it makes sense that three would be better than two!

Writing believable three-ways can be a bit of a challenge. So many hands, duplicate body parts...."Who's cock went where?" LOL But if it is handled well, it can not only be titillating to the reader, but also believable.

And that is the key, now isn't it?

I think most of us...myself included...probably would never engage in a three-way, but the very notion of it is arousing. You can't deny that! Just as arousing as the idea of being a werewolf, or a vampire. We all want to live vicariously through our characters, and not just in adventures but in sex.

I often joke with friends that I might write it but I don't wanna live it. Just like I wouldn't want to be a slave to the moon, or blood, I also wouldn't want to share my man. BUt I just LOOOOOVE to read all about it from the safety of my Kindle, LOL

What is it about the idea of a three-way which intrigues you as a reader? ?

I'd love to hear from you!!!

~Deanna


Bestselling erotica author Deanna Wadsworth leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her hubby of 14 years and three demanding little dogs. She has a fascination with the exotic and taboo but it is her infatuation with love in all its stages and incarnations which made her chose to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.

You can find her on Facebook and at her BLOG!

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Jumping on the Bandwagon

By Lucy Felthouse

Hi everyone! I'm a new contributor to the Para-Posse blog so I'll drop in a quick intro, then let you know what all this bandwagon malarkey is.

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Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Constable and Robinson, House ofErotica, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Resplendence Publishing, SummerhousePublishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of UniformBehaviour and Seducing the Myth. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

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Now onto the good stuff! I popped on to the blog to read a few previous posts to get a feel for what to write about, and there the answer was, staring me right in the face! Seleste Delaney's post, Snow White is Everywhere totally gave me the lead in I needed.

You see, she's absolutely right. Snow White is everywhere, and that includes in my writing CV. Well, sort of. Let me explain.

Last year, I went to see Thor at the cinema. I emerged from the cinema an avid Chris Hemsworth fan (asJoAnne can attest) and naturally, started to stalk, er, I mean watch his IMDb page to see what I could perv, er, I mean see, him in next. Soon I was rewarded by the confirmation of his role in the upcoming film Snow White and the Huntsman.

Well, what can I say? My brain went into overdrive. I had awhile to wait before Thor would come out on DVD, let alone The Avengers on the big screen. So what did I do? I went crazy gorging myself on yummy pictures of Chris Hemsworth and screengrabs from Thor– I'm sure most people are familiar with the whole wandering across theroom topless before putting on a shirt scene? Yeah, that. Sparked my creativity, it did. And what was the result? An erotic retelling of Snow White and the Huntsman, called Susie White and the Right Hand Man.

The "huntsman" character, who in my tale is a"right hand man" is basically Chris Hemsworth as Thor. The shoulder length blonde hair, the beard, the yummy muscles – let's just say he didn't take much imagining ;)

So yeah, I jumped on the bandwagon. I didn't intend to, it'sjust that the arrival of The Hemsworth made my Muse bounce around in my head until it forced some words out. And, based on the reviews I've had so far, people are enjoying my naughty retelling. I hope you will too ;)

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A wedding, an evil plan, a love story and a sacrifice are the order of the day in this modern retelling of Snow White and the Huntsman.

Susie White and her stepmother-to-be have never seen eye to eye, despite all of Susie’s best efforts to be friendly. Eager not to spoil her father’s happiness, Susie still agrees to be bridesmaid at their wedding. When the big day comes, she meets Louise’s right hand man, Scott. Susie had never believed in love at first sight until that moment. The pair hit it off, sharing a mutual dislike of Louise and her wicked ways. Their camaraderie quickly develops into something more, and they date in secret until it’s time for Susie to leave for University – and freedom. Unfortunately, Scott has an earth-shattering revelation, which means the two of them of them must work together to unravel Louise’s evil plan, before it’s too late.

Excerpt and buy linksare here: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/susie-white-and-the-right-hand-man/

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P.S. I totally told the cover artist that the male character was based on Thor. Can you tell? ;)

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