Sucked in by Vampires

Twilight Fangirl, keeping the squeeeeee! 
Breaking Dawn Movie 1 - November 18th

I admit to turning my head at anything vampire: cupcakes, chokers, temporary tattoos, candy blood. But just how extensive a collection can I get and still be seen as a responsible adult? The secret is camouflage. Wear that blood drip chocker with you favorite black dress and bangles. One piece at a time gives you the pleasure of indulgence and the dignity of playing grownup.

Not that we know how you all feel about series and movies,
What's your take on spin off merch?
I totally get sucked in! I bought Twilight stickers and then had no idea what to do with them. LOL

FANGirl

Our favorite YA series (to hate, for some) breaks out in the movies November 18th. Breaking Dawn: Part 1

Twilight Fangirl... get it? Fang + girl = Fangirl!

Yesterday I asked about rereading a series.

Today I want to know what you think about the jump from book to movie?

It never works out for me. Those actors just don't look like the characters in my head.

Twilight Squee

With Halloween freshly killed, there's an abundance of bloody accessories on sale. And why does that matter to us book lovers?

Breaking Dawn: Part 1 the movie releases November 18th

That's right - I'm a Twilight Fangirl and I'm here keeping the squeeeeee!

Now for a conversation starter:
Do you reread books in a series in preparation for the new release?
I DO! But I'm a little touched in the head that way. ;) ~Miranda

Guest Author Julia Barrett Giveaway

Creative Freedom

a note from paranormal romance author, Julia Barrett.

I thought long and hard about self-publishing. I wasn’t worried about striking out on my own; I’m used to blazing my own path. Regardless of whether we are with a publisher or publish a book ourselves, every author wonders if his or her work will be accepted and, most importantly, read. That’s normal. The technical aspects were scary, but friends helped – actually author friends were life-savers.

The barebones concept of Incorporeal, a ghost romance, was rejected by three different publishers.

“A ghost romance won’t work,” I was told. “Nobody wants to read about a dead man.”

Well, I did, I wanted to find out how Sara Wise, a reluctant ghost seer, fell in love with Natan de Manua, a man who’d been dead for five hundred years.

I wanted to know, is love stronger than death? Can these two unlikely lovers have an HEA? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Here’s an excerpt:

Sara stood on the porch, her purse over her shoulder, keys in her hand. She didn’t want to leave him. “You’re sure you’ll be all right?”

Nathan grinned at her, his grin heating her all the way down to her toes. “I’ve lived in this house for three months. I’m sure I’ll be safe for one day.”

“If you take a shower, don’t scald yourself. Test the water first. I left you a full pot of coffee and there’s cream and sugar if you don’t like it black. And be sure to drink water. Remember, you need to drink water now or you’ll get dehydrated. Eat whatever you want, but maybe it would be better if you didn’t use the stove, and…”

“Sara, shhhhh.” Nathan slid a warm hand beneath her chin. Tilting her head up, he kissed her soundly. When he ended the kiss, he said, “I’ll be fine. Go.”

“You’re sure you can’t come with me? You can’t come outside?”

He shook his head. “I cannot cross the threshold.”

Sara studied his face. “You’re sure?”

Nathan gazed down, first at his bare feet, and then his eyes roved over the grass, green and lush from the winter rains. “I’m tempted to try, but no, I cannot leave this house.”

“What will happen if you do?” Sara cleared her throat and waited for his answer.

Nathan rocked back on his heels. “I believe I would vanish again and I have no desire to become incorporeal.” He winked at her. “I would miss the taste of your, uh, coffee.”

Sara couldn’t hold back what she knew was an ear to ear grin. “All right, I’ll go.” She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Be here when I get home. I have more questions for you. Promise you’ll be here.”

“I promise.”

“Okay, bye.” She continued to stand on the porch steps.

“Sara, you must let go of my hand if you wish to get to work on time.”

“Right.” She laughed out loud. “I’m going. It’s just that, well, over the years I’ve met many incorporeal beings, but never one like you.” She stared at Nathan for a moment. “There’s something we never got around to discussing, and I have to ask this question because it’s going to bug me all day.”

“Ask your question.”

Sara took a deep breath and blew it out. “What are you?”

It seemed to Sara that Nathan looked everywhere but into her eyes. At last he met her gaze. “I don’t know. Sara, I wish to hell I did, but I don’t know what I am.”

Sara knew she should leave, but she couldn’t let go of Nathan’s hand. “One more question. What language do you speak? I mean, when we make love, sometimes you say things to me, words that don’t sound like Spanish.”

Nathan’s smile crinkled his eyes, causing her heart to flip-flop. “I speak Castilian, Andaluz, Arabic and Hebrew, Greek, Latin and of course, English. I’m not always aware which language I use when we make love.”

Blushing now, Sara made a move to leave the porch, but Nathan tugged her back. “You have another question on the tip of your tongue. I can sense it.”

Holding back her laughter, Sara asked him, “You can, can you?”

“Yes. I’ve come to know you very well. Remember, I watched you for a very long time before I made my presence known.”

“Hey, that’s right. About that…” Nathan drew her into his arms, interrupting her thoughts.
“I have to leave, Nathan.” Sara looked up at him.

“Yes, I know. Ask your question.”

She rubbed her cheek against his rough linen shirt, realizing she’d have to buy him some clothes now that he was corporeal. “Your mother,” Sara murmured. “What was her name?”

Nathan’s chest expanded as he answered. “Katherine Neville.”

For an instant, the name didn’t register. Sara sucked in a breath and took a step back.

“Katherine Neville, as in the War of the Roses Nevilles? You said she was from a semi-royal family. Did you mean, like, the Kingmaker’s family? Richard Neville?”

Nathan nodded. One look at the expression on his face told Sara it would be better to leave well enough alone, at least for now. She rose on tip-toes and gave him a kiss before leaving him, forcing her legs to walk to the garage. This is a lot to digest.

“Will you write it?” He called after her, his voice low. “Will you include my mother in your book?”

Sara turned. “I don’t know, Nathan. I don’t know that I want to finish the book.”

Before she could run back to him and bury herself in his arms, she threw up the garage door and climbed behind the wheel of her car. Unreality is starting to set in. I’ve got to leave because I’m about to convince myself that I’ve lost my mind. There is no other explanation; at least nothing logical comes to mind.

In fact, the only real question here involves my sanity.

Sara backed the car down the driveway, shooting a glance at the house. The front door was closed and Nathan was nowhere in sight. The story of his family’s fate spun round and round in her brain like a windmill.

They were burned by the Inquisitors. The Crown confiscated his father’s wealth only to lose it a year later. His mother was a Neville. I’m in love with a man who’s been dead for over five hundred years. But he doesn’t remember dying. Gaaaa! Sara smacked the steering wheel with her open palm. Quit it! You’ll go mad if you think about the impossible nature of, well, this, of everything. Nathan is impossible. Sure there are ghosts, you’ve seen plenty, but Nathan’s presence is simply impossible.

He can’t exist. You’re in love with a man who can’t exist on any plane. Not on earth, not in heaven, and not in hell. Apparently, he’s only corporeal in your house and between your thighs.
Sara stopped at a red light and rested her forehead on her hands. Your mother was right, you know; you girl, are certifiable. I wish my dad was still alive.

Thanks so much to Ms. Barrett for stopping by to chat with us!

For your chance to win a pdf ebook of Incorporeal, answer her question above!

I'm here! I'm here! Those zombies did NOT take kindly to our tendency towards the vampires. Let me tell you, a zombie bent on seduction is NOT a pretty sight! *shudders* Anyway, on to my final topic:

Butchering Tradition

Most of us are raised on fairy tales: wolves are bad, beasts can fall in love, and vampires don't do sunlight. But as authors strive to make themselves stand out from the crowd, the classics get distorted. Wolves start seducing Lil' Red, The Beast has a dungeon full of pesants, and vampires sparkle in the sun!

Are you a purest and become disgusted with any variation from the classics? Or is live and let live more your style?

(Thanks for hanging out with me these last three days!)

Morning again! Yesterday we explored the love of the dead. Now let's hopscotch on over to a related subject, love amongst enemies:
Vampires & Werewolves?
The Marshmallow Man and Miss Green M&M?
Angels and Demons?

It sure does make for an exciting family reunion! Good or Bad?:

Interspecies Dating

The subject is not new and yet seems to get a rise out of the masses every time! Of course Medusa is going to fall in love with a blind hawk-shifter... it's freakin' destiny! I've been holding my breath with Anita and Jean-Claude *ducks the rotten tomatoes* OKAY OKAY! You tell me. What other outrageous couples just plain work the interspecies vibe? Which ones DON'T?

(Tomorrow we will delve into ummm... IDK. Just come back tomorrow!)

Dead or Decaying?

Morning all! Nothing like starting the day with a strong cup of java and a stomach churning inquisition. How do you prefer your dead?
Cold or Decaying?
Blood-sucking or brain-eating?
Arrogant or Imbecile?

Which brings us to the revolting question of which romantic partner would you prefer:

Vampire vs. Zombie

Now I admit, I have a lot more experience with the fanged dead and that probably contributes to my extreme bias in their favor (puss is NOT hot) BUT I wanna hear your views! Who's hot to trot for rot?! (Sorry, couldn't help myself with that gruesome rhyme.)

Let's get some examples out there! Every one has a vampire in the closet. Who's hiding those sexy zombies?! Somebody give me a clue!!!!!

(Tomorrow we will delve into interspecies dating. Stay tuned...)

Spring Giveaway!

Hello again DIK! I've enjoyed your company for the past two days and am going to round up my visit with a nice little giveaway. *As if Matthias and Miguel weren't enough!*

Head on over to SVZ Book Reviews for a chance to win...

Master of Desire
by Kinley MacGregor

The King himself ordered Draven de Montague, Earl of Ravenswood to take in his foe's daughter, Lady Emily for a year to forge bonds of peace between their two feuding houses.


And for an extra entry, leave a comment HERE and tell me if you think you would be able to live in medieval times? With out your gadgets?! (Don't forget your email.)

Spring Pets

Hello again DIK! I'm back and this time I brought Mattias' friend, Miguel, who is tending the side bar over at SVZ Book Reviews this week.

This sand feels wonderful in between my toes and Matthias is doing a great job of bringing me Chocolate Martinis (though he does tend to get more chocolate ON him than in the glass - see yesterday for a refresher). But back home, spring has sprung and it sure does make everyone flirty! Pretty soon there are going to be so many baby animals wandering around my backyard I'm gonna wonder if I am Snow White reincarnated.

But really, I have a soft spot in my heart for animals in romance.



No matter a paranormal super-sexed werewolf (Unbound by Lori Devoti) ...





Or a common canine (Love is a Four-Legged Word by Kandy Shepard), the story always feels that much sweeter with a little fur to pet.


Any bookish "pets" you've ended up adoring lately?

Spring Chocolate

Spring is flirting with me this week giving me lovely flowers and cold sunshine. What I wouldn't give for some warm sand to squish between my toes right now! Freshly pedicured toes, of course.

So here I am with you girls enjoying our lovely desert island weather.

Speaking of dessert, I'm in the mood to talk about food in romance.

I'm pretty sure we are all familiar with Matthias. He's been making the rounds and the blogs seem to eat him up. I know I would!

He's a perfect example of food and sex. Just imagine all the different kinds of naughty that look would lead to.

I know I enjoy reading about it in a book, especially when there are scenarios that have strong potential for at home reenactment!

But I think the most sensuous food scene I have read recently was with one hot hunky man all alone with his fantasies. Let me set this up for you a little: BLANK is eating a specialty dinner and daydreaming about a woman he has never met. But he will soon! Read below, an excerpt from Beauty and the Feast by Julia Rachel Barrett, page 41.

"He picked up the small fork and took a taste of the salmon. The mouth feel was smooth, soft. Gabe savored it. The salmon tartar felt exactly like a woman, like he was tonguing a woman.

The same sweet salt, the same tenderness. It seemed to him as if he was tasting Eva. He found himself growing erect and his swollen cock pressed uncomfortably against his zipper.

Gabe stood up and stretched. He grabbed his glass of wine and stepped out onto the patio. The sun had set an hour before. The night was cool, as nights tended to be in the hills above the valley.

He wanted to finish everything she’d prepared for him, but he didn’t know if he could stand it. One more bite and he might come in his pants."

What book has really whet your appetite recently?!

Twisted Series and Panties

Organization or chaos, what's your flavor?

As far as book series are concerned... *cue the music*

Let's start at the very beginning, its a very good place to start...

*I'll give you super bonus points if you tell me what movie that song is from.*

I like to start at the beginning and work my way through.
I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers either. *coughfeverseriescough*

But just recently my panties got all in a twist when I realized I had started at the END of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

That's right, kiddies and folks!

I, the lover of all things organized,
the seductress of straight and tidy,

*coughLOLcough*

have been thrown into book series chaos... and I kinda like it!


My convoluted trip started with book number 7, Lover Avenged. Rehvenge's story plunged me into the murky depths of deception within the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

And totally fed my hunger for this super DARK urban fantasy. I had to know what happened next in Book 8, Lover Mine. John Matthew's story was more twisted tales and eerie recollections.

Pretty much hooked, I bought a beautiful box set of Books 1 through 6 and proceeded to travel backwards in time. Starting with Dark Lover, I learned all about the unspoken traditions that were left out of the end books.

Moving through the series on the proper course, I cried for Rhage, was tickled black to see John Matthew as a pretrans, and terrified as I felt akin to V with my visions of the future.

Though I never would have set out to ruin a series with spoilers by reading the last book first, it was an awesome thrill ride to figure out how all the pieces would ultimately fit.

Now I'm on to the Fallen Angel Novels. The Brothers pass in and out of Ms. Ward's new series like a haunting reminder of that parallel world, adding another layer on the evil Caldwell cake.

Hop on the Chaos train, my pretties, and ditch the panties. ;)

Welcome Our New DIK Team Member: Sweet Vernal Zephyr

Set your books down ladies...now come out of your huts and welcome Sweet Vernal Zephyr to the island!

1. What is the screen name that you want to go by? 
Sweet Vernal Zephyr

2. What is your date of birth? (day and month only!) 
July 12th

3. What are your 5 favorite books? (these won't necessarily be the books you'll bring to the island with you) 
*Switch by Megan Hart
*Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon
*Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton
*The Falconer by Elaine Clark McCarthy
*Aurian by Maggie Fury

4. Which heroes would you bring to the island and why? (these won't necessarily be the heroes you'll bring to the island with you) 
*Acheron (Dark-Hunter Series) - He's irresistable and trained in all the things a woman wants, and all powerful. Talk about a man to make you feel safe! Well, I guess he's not really a man.
*Nathaniel (Anita Blake Series) - He's so sweet and gorgeous, and knows how to cuddle just right in werepanther form as well as naked skin AND he has super long hair that I envy.

5. What is your favorite movie that is based on book? 
007 Series

6. Name one fun thing you would bring to the island? 
Homemade fill in the blank erotic romances!

7. Why are you interested in coming to the island? 
Meet new people, have A LOT of fun, excuses to look at sexy men...

You can visit Sweet Vernal Zephyr on her blog: Sweet Vernal Zephyr

Miss Sweet and her Pretty Boys

'Morning Darlings *waves*

I'm Miss Sweet, visiting over here from Sweet Vernal Zephyr. Thanks so much for the invitation!

Today is a special day for me, its my birthday. I've even got on my super sexy birthday shoes! Palehorse Design is awesome!

And what better way to celebrate than with some pretty boys?
Well, I guess chocolate would be a good addition.
And some liquor too. Hum, this is shaping up to be one hot party!

Let's place all that to the side and get to the heart of the matter. *Reaches out a neatly manicured hand to coax the pretty boys to her side.*

Pretty Boys, yes or no?

I'm sure you can guess my preference. *Entwines her fingers with both pretty boys' hands.* But I want to know yours, and WHY.

After I argue my case. *Wink.*

1) Pretty boys are easy on the eyes, hence the descriptor "pretty".
2) Pretty boys are easy on the ears, more prone to blush than bellow.
3) Pretty boys are easy, and like to play in groups.
4) Pretty boys are easily accepted into your extended family.

Now all of the above are unabashed generalizations that I wish were true of the entire general public. But since we are here on the Island, my fantasy stands! *Grin.*

Since I am a book blogger, I probably should integrate some of my favorite reads.

Take the sexy Hell, from the Heaven Sent Series. He is a Pretty Gay Boy. And he looks especially striking on his cover. Straight up, I am envious of his long purple hair and flashy clothes.

Seth, from the Georgina Kincaid Series is a Pretty Good Boy. In the beginning at least. We don't see too much of his body throughout the series, but at times Georgina becomes absolutely obsessed! Actually, I kinda hate him right now. But that is a story for my blog reviews. *Wink.*

And now, a couple of pictures to patch up those holes in my argument. A few of my prettiest boys.




Nyx, from book 1 of the Shadowfae Chronicles. A pretty fairy boy. In the story he has green skin, gold hair and red eyes.



Photograph by Wakeupnaked






Nathaniel, from the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series. A pretty dancing werepanther boy with lavender eyes and a tendency towards BSDM and playing the victim. Good thing Anita is always there to save him.



Illustration by Liezl Buenaventura






Hum, now that I think about it, there are a lot more Big Bad Boys in the stories I read. Is it possible there may be a few minute pinholes in my case?

1) Big boys can pick you up with out a fuss, ahhh to feel petite at 5' 9".
2) Big boys can protect you from bad guys, and yourself—whether you want it or not.
3) Big boys look awesome in any combination of dirt and leather.
4) Big boys will scare your parents. Is this good or bad?




I do have quite the lusting for Barrons from the Fever Series. Humm...



Image found at Homotography.






So, what do you say?

Do you go for the Pretty Boys or the Big Bad Boys?