Vampires don’t die…

I’ve been reading a lot of media lately that has made it sound like vampires are dead.  Well, the living dead maybe, but the truth is vampires just don’t die… at least not in literature or in films.  Sometimes they seem to take a nap, or not be as noticed, but over all people love them.  With a number of reasons why… There is a ‘what if’ feeling when we read about them, “What if that were me?”  There is a mystery to them, “What is their past?”  “How long have they lived?”  There is a small little mischievous wish and hope for them to be real just like there is to be turned into one.  “That would be cool, but I wouldn’t want to be their snack.”  The angelic side of everyone says, “I would never want to be one.”  And there is the disobedient side that smiles at the thought, “I would be different.  I would be nice… nice and very well off.”  Lets face it, that’s one of the drawing points to them is the idea of everlasting wealth, that and the whole not aging thing.  The wealth is just a bonus, because if one only needs to drink blood and not much can do physical harm, or cause illness to them, what does one really need cash for?  All of that money would go to play.  These are the points that draw a large amount of us to these creatures of the night.  Yes, the inability to have babies, some sunlight might be bad, maybe no reflection, and/or having an odd fear of religious symbols have drawbacks.  But when it’s looked at as a whole, never being sick again, staying young, no more blemishes, money and gold, power to control or manipulate, everlasting life, still looking normal, and/or having an awesome ability, who cares if the local village is a little nervous when you’re around.  Truthfully, I wouldn’t want to sparkle… ever (but that’s only one author’s view point), I could never take another person’s life, and I would miss my family, but to be able to sit and dream through a book or movie what I would be like as an immortal, well, I will never be tired of that.  I know I’m not alone.  Reading and watching about vampires is one of America’s favorite pastimes.  Thanks to Halloween, there is even a time of year that helps to keep them living even though they are dead.

I was just e-mailed my Press Release…

The Strongest Fire
Book One of the Vampiress Sagas

On New Year’s Day in the year 1000, a young widow is suddenly plunged into the vampire underworld. In The Strongest Fire (published by iUniverse) by Sarah Winters, Mary must learn to adapt and survive in her strange new existence.

Having lost both her husband and young daughter to untimely death, Mary is used to being alone. But having gone to live with and help her brother and his wife raise their 12 children, she is rarely all by herself. One cold night, though, when she isn’t sheltered under the watchful eyes of her father and brother, Mary is accosted by a vampire named Barnabas. His bite changes her life forever.

Barnabas explains that he is very selective about choosing people to join his band of the undead. He learned of her by keeping tabs on his family; Mary’s deceased husband is one of Barnabas’ descendants. Her great beauty and emotional strength appealed to the vampire, who determined to make her his own.

Now Mary must learn to survive in a new life that isn’t really life at all. She is taken to Barnabas’ ship to join his band of sea-faring vampires as they seek adventure in such varied places as Ireland, Africa, Iceland and Greenland. The all-male crew of vampires welcomes Mary for the most part, but her adjustment is not easy. In addition to learning to live without her family, Mary must also get used to her new cravings, which she has to sate exclusively with fish.

Winters’ novel is written for the most part for a late-teen and adult audience and anyone interested in vampires and medieval times. Readers will enjoy this adventure-filled story that takes a slightly different approach to the typical blood-thirsty vampire tale.

About the Author
Sarah Winters grew up in a military family and spent the first five years of her life in Washington, several cities in Germany, Texas and California. She continued to live in different cities and towns along the coast of California before finally settling in the south of the state. Winters is currently a stay-at-home wife and mother. She hopes to continue writing more novels.

The Strongest Fire: Book One of the Vampiress Sagas

{insert shameless plug here}…

When is plugging your book too ‘used car salesman’ like?  This is a tough question that most of us authors deal with on a regular basis.  Most of us have read articles that say things like, “Don’t just say ‘my book’ always say the title and say it as often as you can”  “Advertize on every site you can think of”  “Mention your book everywhere”  “Bring it up in every conversation that you possibly can”  “Be seen reading it… everywhere”  “Brag”  “Boost”  “Show people a copy”  “Never go out without a copy”  “Always type, write, use your full name whenever and wherever possible” and many more things similar to all of these.  I try to leave my name and a nice link to my blog or website’s and on people’s blog because most sites offer a link back if wanted.  I figure since the feature is subtle and they’re for all of us to use… why not?  But I’m not very good at always bringing up the title.  And I don’t feel comfortable parading up and down the mall with a flag with a picture of my book taped to my back, while my book is in one hand and I’m yelling from a bullhorn in the other, all the while demanding that people read it.  That would get attention, but it’s just not me.  As a matter of fact, I just told some of my friends and the other good friends don’t know yet.  Why?  Because I don’t feel comfortable rubbing what I’ve done in other peoples faces.  And I’m writing this blog because I feel like I just used a famous person’s thread to shamelessly plug my book… but now I feel shame.  I feel guilty, even though it was slightly relevant, I still feel like I shouldn’t have even commented on their Facebook thread.  So when, where, how, and who do authors use to drop their name in the bucket with all the other authors out there?  I wish I had an answer we could all use.  I know that I don’t want to lose my tact, grace, and dignity plugging my book and I feel like there should be a nice way to properly advertise to others without feeling dirty.

Things I can do that don’t make me feel gross…
1. I leave comments or blogs with a link back to here
2. Talk about fellow authors work (I like this one, some books out there should get read)
3. Post on my own site and blog
4. Read my book in waiting rooms (why not, I read other peoples)
5. Have the title engraved on my license plate frame (I’d rather that than any other add)
6. Advertising in magazines and announcing in the local paper
7. Reviewing other’s books (I haven’t done this one yet)
8. Make a hoodie (or t-shirt) on Café Press or Zazzle with the title of my book on it (did that last night)
9. Donate a copy to the library, or multiple copies to multiple libraries

Who, what, when, where, and how do you feel comfortable plugging you book?  Also, please feel free to leave any and all shameless plugs in the comments to this post.

I’m an author, Jim, not a used car salesman! < — Shameless reference to Star Trek

FYI ~ The Strongest Fire: Book One of The Vampiress Sagas is still being sold for a very reasonable price on B&N and Amazon.

Barnes & Noble Link

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Strongest-Fire/Sarah-Winters/e/9781440183218/?itm=2&USRI=the+strongest+fire

Amazon Link

http://www.amazon.com/Strongest-Fire-Book-Vampiress-Sagas/dp/144018321X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Sony Reader, Kindle, Nook, Books, or Computer…

I seem to get a number of people who check here about my few posts on the Kindle, Sony Reader, and the Nook.  So I decided, since we do have all three, to do a post about the pros and cons of each one.  But first, I will explain why we have all three.  My husband’s job position has many perks, one being that he is given some devices for free if, and when, he is in programs or places requests.  He is, after all, a high school librarian and if Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Sony were able to convince an entire school that going electronic for text books is a good idea, think of the money they would receive!  Also, think of the students backs they would save.  I am for the text book change out to e-readers, but I don’t believe in the library replacement of the e-reader.  So, over the last 2 years, my husband has been given e-readers to try out.  The Sony Reader and the Kindle were given to him last year back-to-back.  Then, about a month ago, he received the Nook.  We also gave my oldest daughter a Nook for Christmas.  She loves it.  But I will get into that in the pros and cons.  I am aware that there are a few lesser known models out there, just like when the iPod emerged there were a number (and still are) of “generic” mp3 players.  I’m only going to talk about the major e-readers and their competition with each other.
Note ~ some of the pros and cons are personal, but that allows you to know if that is something you would enjoy or not.

Sony Reader 700 ~
Pros –
Plays music
Compatible with many e-book formats
Syncs and allows storing books on computer
Touch-screen with stylus use
Slots of SD cards allow higher amount of storage
Different colors are available

Cons –
Recently fixed problem, but when it first came out it would not agree with the Mac
Smaller store (Sony’s)
Not as comfortable to hold, cold feeling
Technology weaker

Pocket Edition price ~ $199
Touch Edition price ~ $299
Daily Edition price ~ $399

Kindle 2 ~
Pros –
Good display
Quick start and turning pages
Wireless access to bookstore and some internet
Over 390,000 available titles and growth with strong company
Many accessories already available
Sample of books available
Great battery
Best prices (books)
Promised that no ‘book’ will be over $10
A device that reads words for the reader. This is wonderful for a dyslexic or an odd word from the dictionary.

Cons –
The device that reads words for the reader doesn’t always read the word correctly
Not all books allow reading even though they advertised they would (due to lawsuit)
No growth on storage
No sync with computer
No audio player
No color and lack of growth on gadgets
Lighting is poor
There have been a few times where a ‘book’ was priced over $10

Kindle price ~ $259
Kindle DX Price ~ $489

Nook ~
Pros –
Over 1,000,000 books available for it already with strong backing of book companies
Expandable storage
Syncs with computer
Audio player
Ability to lend books to others who own Nook
Color display with book cover browsing
Wireless access to bookstore
Sample of books available
Good lighting and ability to adjust it for display
Android OS so easily could add gadgets or features in future
Browse entire books with it in store
Touch-screen

Cons –
Just like the Wii of the gaming world, this thing is a little hard to get your hands on
Lack of internet ability
Battery does not last like it should
Won’t read book to you (wanted to avoid lawsuit?)
Lack of accessories
Initially slow on starting and selection, they are apparently working on that to fix during system updates

Nook Price ~ $250

Computer ~
Pros –
There is enough storage space on most computers for more books than one can imagine
Computers are very common and don’t add on an extra expense of a new device

Cons –
It’s very hard for most of us to stare at the monitor for a long amount of time and relax
I find things like wanting to write, blog, shop, or tweet a distraction when I’m on the computer

Prices vary

Books ~
Pros –
Book marks, I love pretty, fun, interesting bookmarks but with all the readers they are unnecessary
Flipping pages, I enjoy flipping to the next chapter and reading the title
Looking on the shelf, I like things bigger than a thumbnail picture at times. I like looking on the shelf pulling it out and reading the back.
Are a sure thing, they have been around for a very long time. So no one needs to worry about if books are a ‘fad’ although some think they might one day be like a scroll
No electricity or battery is needed to make a book work

Cons –
Space, as much as I love books, they do tend to pile up all around me.
Travel space, when I travel and I want to bring books, my husband wants to bring books, and both my daughters want to bring books. Once we have packed all that we will read there is no room for us or our clothes on a trip.

Prices vary

Here is a small way to fix some problems and complaints with just about all e-readers.  If you enjoy reading in the tub, place your e-reader in a nice Ziploc storage bag all sealed up, that will keep the water out in case of a drop.  You will still be able to press buttons and turn pages, and the touch-screen should work.  This is also good if you enjoy sticky foods while reading or having a beverage.
E-readers, in general, do make it nice for when it is very difficult to get out and buy a new book.  Over all the ‘books’ are cheaper to buy than a physical copy, but it is easy to get carried away with, “Oh I’ll just buy one book right now.” And not keep track of how much is being spent.
Kindle and Nook offer magazines and newspapers from all over that can be delivered daily.  This is great if you love the San Francisco Chronicle or Sacramento Bee but live in a place like Mariposa where finding these papers are a little difficult. I think that the Sony Daily may be the only one that Sony offers that can do this.  We have never tried to use the Sony for magazines or new papers.
They all also have font size changes some only offer 3 (Sony Reader Pocket Edition) while others offer 6 (Kindle 2).
I enjoy books best and the computer the least.  I can see many reasons to own an e-reader.  My oldest has one because she ran out of room for more books in her bedroom and doesn’t want to part with any of her books.  I don’t blame her.  I have a garage full of books that I don’t want to part with.

I will update this for time to time and please feel free to leave any comments adding to my lists or if there is anything wrong please feel free to let me know.  Also if you have any questions I will do my best to answer and give a timely response.

Oh, and one more plus for the Kindle, is my book is on it.  My book should also be in the Sony Reader but they are taking near a month at this point to add it on.  This shows me that with some titles they are very slow to add.  My publisher doesn’t have a contract with B&N for the Nook… yet.  But give it time, the Nook is the new kid in town.

Sony Reader link

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644523779&XID=O:sony%20reader:dg_read_gglsrch

Sony’s site with a comparison to the Kindle

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentDisplayView?hideHeaderFooter=false&storeId=10151&catalogId=10551&langId=-1&cmsId=reader_kindle_comparison

Kindle link

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015T963C/ref=amb_link_86425631_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=182VM7AQD0K51V665WE9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=507453471&pf_rd_i=507846

Nook link

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!  Please drive safe.

Additional ~ Added on Jan 2, 2010

Kindle has a pro/con feature.  There can be many Kindles on one Kindle account.  This makes ALL of the books on that account accessible to each Kindle.  But only 5-6 can read the same book at the same time.  This is wonderful for people who share the same interests BUT if you share with a 10 year old, who is an avid reader and you’re a big steamy romance reader and you don’t feel she or he is ready for that, this could be a problem.  (That is just an example)  All of the books on one account are shared with all of the Kindle owners on that same account.  This is a wonderful feature if you have a house full of college kids and they’re taking some of the same courses.  That’s why this is a pro/con, it all depends on who you’re sharing with.

Below is a link to a small article about the Sony Reader getting an additional 500,000 free titles.  Please always keep in mind when you hear that book titles are free, it almost always means that they no longer have a copyright and that the book is public domain.  Google also offers these titles for free on Google.  My husband told me that the Nook can get these books too, because they have a contract with Google and they are already pdf formatted. The Nook offers more formats than any other e-reader.  People who own the Kindle can buy pay a charge per use to have pdf formatted material sent to their Kindle and put it on, but apparently they don’t look good and it is a pain.

Sony/Google link from March 2009

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/19/google-makes-500-000-free-ebooks-available-for-sony-reader/

Google also has these books for free online.  Here is a link to some of what you can get for free…

http://books.google.com/books?q=%20subject%3A%22Literature%22&as_brr=4&rview=1&source=gbs_hplp_fict

Books for the library…

I know, my bad.  I have not blogged in over a week.  I apologize.

My husband and I were talking about books for his library.  We donate an average of a book a week during the school year.  With how little money his library gets for books now we have to.  But we don’t donate to the other libraries as often.  This came up when I told him that I was going to donate Something Greater Than Fear by Christy Condoleo to my youngest daughter’s school.  We decided that this year, once a month, we will give one new book to either the public library or my daughter’s school library.  So in January we will be giving Something Greater Than Fear to her school, but I’m undecided for February.
I will pick lesser known books by lesser known authors.  This means I wouldn’t give books by J.K. Rowlings, S. King, S. Meyer, or anyone that I know the library has already.  I’ll be picking books from authors that are just getting a start or need a little boost.  I will pick some that I have read and some that I haven’t.  I’ll choose some that are requested by friends, followers on twitter, in my blog comments, my children, my husband, and some that I just like.  Twelve books a year are not a lot but if we all helped out our local libraries it will make a big deference.  I know that the people who read my blog are readers and writers so I’m aware that most already help out with their local reading circles.
Please, if you have any requests you can ask here or let me know on twitter.  The books I donate will be new and if possible hardback so they can survive the constant wear and tear of a full-blown circulated library workout.

Oh, and if you haven’t seen Christy’s new book here is a link. http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/something-greater-than-fear/7968097   The art is lovely, the story is great, and it’s perfect for 3 to 6 year olds, boys and girls, mice lovers and owl lovers.  Great job Christy!

I also wanted to give a shout out to another person.  There is a friend I follow on Twitter and I read her blog.  She is as sweet and as friendly as a person can be.  Every Tuesday she makes a post on her blog about a different author.  I was honored and very flattered that I was one of the lucky ones she picked.  Thank you Heather!  She is working on getting published and getting her name out there, two of the hardest and most challenging things to do.  Here is a link to her blog http://heathermccorkle.blogspot.com/ .  She’s wonderful.

Loves first kiss or loves first crush…

Everyone keeps asking me what it feels like to have a book out.  The best answer I can give is in a metaphor.

 It’s your senior year.  You’ve been dating a very handsome and wonderful guy for almost 6 months.  Neither you nor he has said, “I love you” yet.
Your heart skips a beat when you pass him in the halls.  You smile when you hear his voice on the other end of the phone.  You know you’re falling in love with him.  But why hasn’t he said that he loves you?  This feeling is making you worried and uncomfortable.
He calls after school on a Friday and asks if tomorrow you would like to go out to your favorite restaurant with him … just the two of you … no friends.  You feel the butterflies in your stomach and try not to sound too eager when you say “yes.”
You and he have been on many dates before, but usually friends are there too.  And he’s come over to watch movies at your house.  You’ve been over to his a few times as well.  You always see him, at least once, over the weekend.  But this date was going to be special; you’re going to tell him how you feel.
That night you can’t sleep.  You don’t even feel like calling and talking to your best friend because if she finds out it might get to him before you tell him.  She’s a great best friend, but you can hold your breath longer than she can hold a secret.  You lay there most of the night thinking of all the things he might say.  You’re hoping your brave enough tomorrow.  You’re scared, but you still love him.  You think about not going tomorrow out of fear, but you need to.  If you don’t tell him tomorrow, you know you never will.  You finally pass out into dreamland.
The next morning, when you wake up, you have a new zit in the dead center of your forehead.  You take longer than you ever have getting ready.  Thank goodness you started at noon and he isn’t going to pick you up until 6pm.  When you get ready you cover up your pimple with your bangs and some foundation.  You wear your hair down and in curls; because that is the way he likes it.  You take your time with each curl to make sure it is faultless.  You wear a dress that is most flattering to your curves.  You shaved your legs more careful then you ever have before; out of fear of having to wear a bandage under you tights.  You do your make-up just a little different, but it turns out great.  As you put on your new shoes you see you have a run in your tights.  With a heavy sigh you change them, now you are ready.  You look in the mirror.  Everything is done.  You look at your hands, you forgot your fingernails.  Tonight you need everything perfect, you don’t want one single detail to go unnoticed.  You sit down and do your nails.  The doorbell rings right as you are putting on your lip gloss and perfume.  You are ready.  You walk down the stairs, more nervous than you’ve ever been before.  He’s there waiting for you.  Your mom tells you look cute, she smiles, and leaves after you’ve descended the stair case.  He helps you with your coat.  You wished he would say something.
On the way there he mentions that you smell nice.  You smile and say thank you, so happy to receive a complement.  At your destination he turns, looks at you, and smiles but says nothing.  He gets out of the car.  You feel very panicky right now.  You’re out here, no friends to joke with, no car of your own to leave in, what if he dumps you and you’re all alone.  The car door opens, it’s him.  You step out.  Both of you walk into the restaurant.  You can’t find words.  The two of you always talk, but there are no words now.  You feel a lump in your throat.  You look around nervously.  When you are both seated he makes a joke about how maybe the two of you should have come with a few friends.  That didn’t help you any, now you’re thinking about not saying anything and never leaving your house again.
As you are sitting across the table from him you look at him.  He is so handsome.  He is everything you love and want in a boyfriend.  You think of your first date for a minute and smile at him.  Then, without much more thinking, you say it … you say, “I love you.”  He looks at you for what feels like eternity with a blank stare.  You just wish you could crawl under a rock and hide.  But you said it, it’s out there.  He knows and you are awaiting his response…

 Yeah, that is where I am right now.  He’s staring at me.  I know that he is going to give me many different answers.  Some will be bad, some good, but I hope that the good out weighs that bad.

For all authors out there who have been here before me, I just want to let you know; I think you are all very brave people.  For all of you that are getting here … I hope he says that he loves you very much.  Good luck to you all!

The soft cover is out! Plus a little sample of the book…

Great news!!!  The soft back is out!!!  There has been a delay (due to a holiday rush for titles at the printer) so the hardback will take longer.  When I get the phone call about the hardcover (if I’m not so excited I can’t think) I’m going to try and remember to buy the Kindle/Sony Reader thing.  That has not been done yet.  Here is the link to iUniverse http://bit.ly/5iwjQY and Amazon has a spot for it, but it’s not out there yet http://bit.ly/7WLX1J . 

Here is most of the first chapter…

 The last time I spoke with my brother that night was not pleasant. To make matters worse, he was right.
“Brother, this is silly!” I said as I followed him out of the house. He carried the two youngest children in his arms. “Why take the children in the dead of the night to a cold church and pray? If you believe so strongly that ill will fall on the world, we can all pray in the warmth of our home and not jeopardize the health of the children!”
“Sister, I will fight you no longer.” His voice rose as he lifted the children into the back of the wagon and handed them to his wife, who was already inside sitting in the hay in a nest of all of her children. “You stay if you will, but the more of us there are praying in the house of the Lord the stronger our voices are, and we will be heard.”
“William, God hears us all. We do not need to shout at Him. He is neither thickheaded nor deaf.” I was trying my hardest to be heard, to get through to him. “What good will come to the world if you and the babes die of cold and disease being out in such a harsh night as tonight?” I was hoping to feel needed and wishing that I could persuade him to stay. “And with your wife ready to bear you another child any day?”
“For the last time, Mary, Bridget and I are taking the children to church. Father is there waiting. The Lord will protect us in his place of sanctuary. If you choose to whisper for help, alone in the dark, then you are free to your solitude but we are going!”
He rode off with the children and his wife in the back of a hay cart. That poor pony, to have to pull all that weight and Bridget big and round again, I thought. I walked into the house saying to myself, “If God had only made man less thickheaded, we would all be warm and safe. I pray for you and your family, William … I pray.”
Once I was back inside, I shut the door. The room seemed empty with no one in it.  The seats that surrounded the fire were vacant, even though the fire was still burning strong in the center of the room. I started to walk to the fire for warmth but stopped when I heard my name. “Mary.”
It was a man’s voice, but it was not my father or my brother. I looked around to the dark shadows at the corners of the room. I turned back to the fire thinking that the night wind might just be playing a trick on my ears. But as I turned to walk to the fire, the figure of a very large cloaked and hooded man appeared and blocked my way. The fire was behind him, making it even harder to make out any details in him other than his size. Even though the fire was strong, I could feel his coldness and could tell he was unique. “Hello, Mary, I have been watching you for a while now … You are very hard to get alone,” said a deep voice. It was so hard to tell if it was the large man in front of me or if there was another person in the room. I looked around to see if he was alone or if there were others. “I stand before you … You are not blind, and I am not hiding … this time.”
“I am always alone,” I said a bit bewildered as I heard my own heart beat in my head. It was echoing in my ears. I wasn’t as scared as I should have been, but I did want away from this man.
“Hah, never fully alone. There is always your father or big brother keeping an eye on you,” he said as he was pulling the cloak down from around his brow. “You are very lovely. My great-grandson picked well when he chose you for a bride.”
I squinted my eyes to see if there was gray in his long, dark beard. I saw none. I had heard of men who lived long enough to see more then two generations of their families, but I had never met one. “My husband never spoke of any long-lived family,” I said. I was wondering if the apocalyptic night had brought madness to this man. The belief and fear of the end being near was causing people to see and hear strange things. For some reason, I felt that he was telling the truth … but I was hoping he was a crazy liar and soon would be off to church with the rest of the known world.
“Oh.” He started to move and shift his weight. I wanted to run, but with his intimidating size, if he caught me … well, I had a better chance talking in hopes that he would just leave. “He would have had to have met me to know of me.” Now he was pacing like my brother and father did when they were feeling long-winded.
When I saw men do this, I usually worried, This speech is going to take all night. But this time, I was happy and hopeful that this speech might just take all night, so that he would still be talking when my father and brother returned.
“The truth of the matter is I am dead and alive.” Now I really was beginning to think this guy belonged in church to be healed. “You are my prey. You are my victim. I have kept close trace on my children and their families. When I knew that I had lost a grandson and then his daughter, I wanted to know who was left. I wanted to see you. And when I did, I knew I had to have you.”
“I may be kept by my brother and father, but I am not a pet. I was not picked from a tree like a fruit by your grandson. I accepted your grandson as my husband when he asked my father. I agreed that it would be a smart choice.” I was getting upset. I could hold my tongue for those I loved, but strangers … no. I would speak my mind even if I was fearful. What did I have to lose that was not already lost from me? “If you are as old as you say, then why do I see very few signs of age? Your beard is dark, your face has no cuts or deep wrinkles, and the hair on your head looks to all be there.” Even my father, who was fifty-eight, was aged enough to have wrinkles. His hair was coming off his head quickly, and the strands staying on his head were not thick and red but fluffy and silver. This man must be mad. He had now walked to where I could see his face much better. The light was behind me now. He looked to be near thirty, near the age of my brother. This man might be a few years older, but not much.
“I am flattered that you studied my looks and my face so carefully in this light, too. You must have been studying me very hard. It shows me you are interested … that you cared to notice me. I have studied every aspect of you as well.” His eyes slowly looked down from my face all the way to the floor. This made me feel even more uncomfortable. “And in very fine depth,” he said with a not-so-innocent smirk as his eyes went back up to look at my face again.
“I do not enjoy you near me, sir. Please leave.” I was hoping that might make him leave, but I had very strong doubts.
“Your spirit is as lovely and as fiery as your hair.” He touched and twirled one of my red locks around his gloved fingers. I did all I could not to flinch at his closeness. “You are one of the only people I have seen in all of my days who has eyes the color of emeralds sparkling in the sunshine, hair as red and as curly as fire … but your pale white skin doesn’t have one freckle … or blemish … You are truly lovely to look at.”
I was hurt. My daughter, the child I loved so very much, had freckles, and I loved them.
“Do you always converse with your victims, sir? Why not just kill me instead of cutting me with your words? Just cut me with your knife and leave.” He let the lock of my hair drop back down and looked into my eyes with little interest in what I had said.
“You are my first real victim ever. I have never wanted to have anyone last forever before, not even my kin. But if you were my cattle … you would have never seen me coming.”
This was getting too odd. Cattle? Food? And to last forever? Was he going to kill me or imprison me? Then he started to circle me like a bird that has found its prey.
“You are an emerald.”
His compliments made me feel unclean. Why hadn’t I gone with William?
“Before I do this, I want you to know I do pick my fruit from the tree, and I only pick the best. In my day, I was a treasure hunter. I did not take it all, but I did take the most precious.”
I was confused. What was going on?
“You are strong. You are healthy. You can stand the cold of the night. You can be alone without madness. You can let go and still love the ones in your past. You can be full of fear and still be rational and sturdy. You are lovely, and you are now mine …”
His teeth grew into fangs. I was very cold. And I was lost to the waking world forever.

Note (Dec. 9th) ~ The hard cover is now out and the book should be available in about a month on the Kindle and Sony Reader.  There is no news yet about the Nook going with my publisher.

Authors do not get to pick the prices…

I was told the prices for The Strongest Fire. I still do not know how much it will be on the Kindle and Sony reader. I will be buying that package next month! I did ask about the Nook and it is not determined yet whether or not the Nook will carry iUniverse books. My assumption is they will over time and that they just need to hammer out all the details. But that is just an assumption and I know nothing of the inside deals this company is going to make.
*looks around nervously*
So, without further ado…
*drum roll*
The prices are…
*opens cyber envelope*
E-Book $6.00
Perfect Bound Softcover (aka trade paperback) $18.95
Casebound Hardcover (sleek, no dust jacket) $28.95
I wish the prices were just a few dollars lower. And if there is anyway for me to take a cut in percentage to make these books a little more inexpensive, I will. I want my books read, easily available, and affordable for everyone. Unfortunately authors do not get to set the prices.
If anyone would like any further information, please don’t hesitate to ask.
I still do not have an exact date, but I was told that it will be out before Christmas.

The Strongest Fire: Book One of The Vampiress Sagas…

Stop.
I would like you to think of yourself for a moment before you begin to read the story of my younger life. I want you to think of who you are and the changes that would happen to you if you were transformed into an immortal being. Think carefully about what you might do if you had to drink blood in order to keep your sanity. You are unique. I am sure you would do things that I could never think of.
But what if you did not want the changes or you were forced to be somewhere you did not desire to be, how would you react then?
This story, told from my memory, and written in a language not my own, is the second chapter of my life. The first is short. I was born. I grew up. I married. I had a daughter. My husband died. My daughter died. All of this occurred in a twenty-three-year time span.
This is my story, my eternal life; this is how I reacted…
Mary

The Strongest Fire…

In this tale Mary is telling the first 100 years of her immortal life, starting in the year 1000 when she is transformed into a Vampiress.  Mary doesn’t handle the change very well and has a hard time fitting in.  After all, she is an Irish Catholic and has a strong love for life, God, and her deceased daughter.  Mary never presses her shipmates to believe as she does, but she never gives up in God and trying to do what is right.  And also she never gives up on trying to be on dry land.  In Mary’s reluctant journey we discover things as she does, about the vampire race, her new family, their personal beliefs, and many other things all while traveling on the sea.
Please read Mary’s story in The Strongest Fire coming soon to Amazon.com, Borders.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and iUniverse.com/bookstore.  The book will also be available to be ordered in most bookstores.  Thank you.