The Vampire Oracle

My first Death review!

2009-03-03T01:21:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone! Last night I found my first Vampire Oracle: Death review over at The Romance Studio. Dee Dailey gave it 5 hearts! How awesome is that? I'm very excited. :)

Here's a bit of what she said:

"Yolanda Sfetsos crafts an excellent tale that not only builds a great romance, she also empathetically shows what the pain of post partum depression can do to a new mother."

You can read the whole review here. Or if you'd like to grab yourself a copy, you can click on the cover above. And don't forget that it'll be available in a print anthology later this year.

The Vampire Oracle, Volume 1 - in Print - NOW!!!

2009-01-03T17:10:00.002-06:00

The Vampire Oracle, Volume One, is now available for purchase from Cobbblestone Press. I’m particularly excited because my novella, Life, is one of the stories in this anthology of four more volumes and it’s my first time in print.

My story involves a cowboy, Jaxon Granger, who runs a thoroughbred horse boarding facility in Colorado and a feisty veterinarian, Lissa Price, who just happens to be a 300-year-old vampire.

Here’s the link to the blurb and excerpt: The Vampire Oracle, Life.

Speaking of COWBOYS (any cowboy including vampire & shifter), I'm launching a weekly Friday night COWBOY CHAT (Lariats & Latigo) on January 16th from 7pm to 9pm Mountain.

Some lucky participant will win a print copy of The Vampire Oracle, Volume One during chat on January 16th.

Yours in writing, yours in romance...

A.L.Debran
www.al-debran.com

Release Day - New Life

2008-10-03T14:37:00.002-05:00

Sophia Chase made a mistake many years ago that she's tried desperately to forget. When she reads about the murders in the town nearby, she can't deny it any longer: the vampire she created has become a threat.

Kyle Madsen doesn't believe in vampires. He's devoted his career to disproving the old myths. When a serial killer strikes close to home, he believes the murders are the work of a psychotic human criminal driven by a demented mind.

But vampires believe in him. One wants him dead. The other is his only hope for a new life.

Available Now - Go Here!

Book Video for my Vampire Oracle novella:

2008-09-10T04:18:00.003-05:00

DEATH is now available HERE.

Death is finally here...

2008-09-06T02:58:00.002-05:00

My Vampire Oracle novella is now available from Cobblestone Press:

A vampire must trust the hunter hired to kill her... with her future and her happiness.

Lana misses her daughter every single day, but after she became a vampire she had to walk away. When her ex-husband calls her and claims Christy was taken, she rushes to the house. But when she gets there, Lana is ambushed by a mysterious man with a wooden stake.

Hayden is a hired hunter that won’t give up the chase. When Lana realizes he might be her only hope to find her daughter, she plans to seduce him to get some answers. But will her plan backfire, and entangle both of them in much more than just a passionate encounter?

If you're interested in more, you can check it out here.

Sunlight by Moira Reid coming Friday!

2008-09-03T18:01:00.002-05:00

Been waiting for a year now...and the day is finally almost here! Woot!

About a year ago, Cobblestone Press put out the call--submit a proposal for one of our Vampire Oracle stories! I *wanted* to write one of those stories...BAD!!! Who knew it was going to turn out to be not just part of the Vampire Oracle series, but my hero would end up in a series of his own??

The Steel City Vampires feature Johnathan (from Sunlight) as well as L. Shannon's hero, Dillion, (from her Vampire Oracle book, Love). Summer Alan has just sold a story to Cobblestone with another of the Steel City Vamps, Pagan. (Her book is One Wild Night.) Meanwhile, Shannon is working on 2 more vamp stories for the series! For more info on them, go here.

Oh, and be sure to pick up a FREE COPY of another one of the vamp stories featuring Kalib, Welcome Home.

And now...for my Johnathan. The young, brainy, and sexy science vamp.

Johnathan loves his neighbor, Lenora, but he's a vampire who looks 23 and she's a human of 43. When he reveals his hunger for her, she tells him to find someone his own age. Johnathan smells and tastes her arousal and knows she wants him, and his life of hunting drug dealers is nothing compared to the life he imagines with her in his arms.

The evening Lenora receives a Sunlight tarot card in the mail, Johnathan listens to her read it aloud: “Painful memories and the future must collide and find resolution.” Johnathan's resolution: she will be his, forever.

Read an excerpt here.

Can't wait until Friday...when all the vampires come out to play!

Sleep or the rescue of a vampire

2008-09-02T12:19:00.006-05:00

Yay! Sleep, my novella for Cobblestone Press releases this month as part of The Vampire Oracle Series. In the excerpt below, Kai and his team have just defeated the Haitian witch doctor, Vixama, but their rescue of the vampire, Gabrielle, hasn’t gone according to plan. Enjoy!

“We’ve got Vixama, Ivor,” Devlin reported, looking Jamal over.

“Good job. The chopper’s on its way.”

Already, Kai could see the lights of the helicopter advancing over the dark fields.

“What about Gabrielle?” They couldn’t mean to just abandon her there.

“We’ve got to get Jamal back to base where he can get the medical attention he needs and quickly,” Devlin said, coming up to Kai and putting a hand on his shoulder. “There are a few others who are wounded too, but those of us who are able can stay and resume the search.”

“I can tell you where she is now, but if you’re down there and she breaks and runs we’ll be out of radio contact, and I won’t be able to help you,” Ivor broke in. “You’ll be on your own.”

“I’ll stay,” Kai said. “But, by myself. Nobody else.”

“What?” Devlin looked at him as if he was crazy.

“Why, Kai?” Ivor asked. “Devlin and his men are experienced in these situations.”

“Yes, but I know her.” Kai was desperate to make them understand. He had to do it alone. “I discovered her and I…I can’t explain it, but I know her.” He couldn’t tell them about the dreams. “I can do it. I can find her.”

“Devlin?” Ivor deferred to the commando’s judgment.

“We’ve captured Vixama, and the zombies who haven’t been eliminated are neutralized so there’s no danger on that front.” Devlin rubbed his chin. “As for the vampire, clearly, she is fearful of us. I think it might be a good idea to let him try on his own. One man is less threatening than several. She might respond better to him.”

“All right, then,” Ivor said, shouting to be heard over the noise of the helicopter’s descent. “That’s it, Kai. We’ll give you twenty-four hours, and then we’ll be back.”

“Thank you.” Kai shook Devlin’s hand, already impatient for them to be off.

“She’s cowering in a cell about twenty feet north from where you found her,” Ivor said as the helicopter rose back into the air. “Be careful, Kai. You’ve seen what she did to Jamal. Be very careful. Make no sudden movements. Avoid contact. Her long captivity could well have turned her mind. You don’t really know what you’re dealing with here. It may be fear or it may be worse.”

“She’s Gabrielle,” Kai replied, plunging back into the dark, chilliness of the citadel. “She was once a beautiful woman, who men desired and women envied.” He said the words aloud, as if repeating a mantra. “Jewels shone in her hair and on her fingers. She wore silks and satins from fabulous lands and ate only the choicest of meats.” Kai sensed Ivor’s worried puzzlement, but the other man remained quiet until a burst of static and then dead silence indicated he’d lost radio contact. “She was as beautiful and mysterious as a dark tropical moth. Her lips were designed for lovers’ kisses, her glances thrilled men’s hearts and stirred their longing.” It wasn’t the Song of Solomon, but it was the best he could do as he descended into the dungeon to look for the woman whose face and body had haunted his nights ever since he’d found out about her."

Do You Believe in Vampires?

2008-08-14T18:41:00.003-05:00

Do you believe in vampires?

After all these rounds of Vampire Oracle books, you ought to. Maybe they're hiding out there somewhere, waiting to sink their teeth into your neck and their...um, oh, hey look, we're in public.

But you get the idea. Humans have a deep-seated attachment to that red stuff in our arteries. I don't think it's the blood that gets us going, though. Maybe instead, we like the idea that we're chosen ones. Or that, like love, our beloveds will never die.

Sometimes, we want very badly to believe. Even if it's improbable, we want to spend a little while in a place where we're the unique ones, the magic ones. Or where we could be. And where we don't have to accept death as a final answer.

This is what my own Vampire Oracle, New Life, is about. Why do we seek vampires? The hero, Kyle Madsen, is a psychologist who specializes in people who think they're vampires. He doesn't believe in them, although he'd like to. In a world filled with transience and heartbreak, he'd like to find a piece of the immortal.

And let's face it. Who doesn't want to imagine a pair of warm lips on their neck? Or an insatiable hunger for what they have inside?

New Life comes out October 3. Read it, and believe.

http://www.cassandra-moore.com
http://cassandramoore.livejournal.com/

The Vampire Oracle: Sacrifice Trailer

2008-07-24T09:21:00.003-05:00

Okay although it took me a while to make, I enjoyed it. I think it sums up the book pretty good.

Vampire Oracle: Sacrifice by Leila Brown

Look for it on Aug 1st!!!

Leila Brown
www.leilabrown.com
www.leilabrown.blogspot.com

The Vampire Oracle: Chalice Book Trailer

2008-07-15T22:50:00.006-05:00

Hope you enjoy watching this book trailer as much as I enjoyed making it.

Ericka Scott
www.erickascott.com

2008-07-07T11:07:00.001-05:00

Good Monday Morning!

I know it’s a tough one, first day after long holiday weekend. It’s a little gloomy here today in Maryland, threats of thunderstorms and such. Me, I’m focusing on having a happy Monday no matter what. J

What else is going on today? Glad you asked. It’s hot…like FEVER hot!

The Vampire Oracle: Fever – Now Available at Cobblestone Press
After her parents were killed by a vampire, Charlie Kennedy decided to take justice into her own hands. A self-proclaimed vampire slayer, she’s heard ofthe impending Vampire Rebellion and is determined to take down as many of the blood-sucking murderers as she can.
Julian DeLancie is serious about his lifestyle and as one of the strongest of his coven is on a hunt for the head of the Rebellion. But when his task is interrupted by the beautiful and seductive huntress, Julian is forced into a battle of love vs. duty.
Julian and Charlie are explosive in and out of bed, their bond deep and binding, but will it withstand the ultimate sacrifice?

AN INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE

SB: Is it dark enough in here for you?

Julian: I am fine. (He sits down, adjusting his large muscular body in the cushioned chair.)

SB: You are a Calmae Vampire, is that correct?

Julian: (He nods.) That is correct.

SB: How long have you been a vampire? How old are you?

Julian: I have been a Calmae for more than a hundred years.

He, this vampire, looks just like you or me. No, not really, he’s drop dead gorgeous with his butter toned skin and dark wavy hair. He’s dressed in all black, which should be a cliché but looks elegant, fierce, domineering. I’m at a loss as to what my next question should be. There’s so much I want to know, yet this feral lust he emanates is thick and hovers in the air making it hard to breathe.

SB: What do you do? (I ask because he’s staring at me expectantly.)

Julian: I am just like you, trying to live my life.

SB: There are some that would want you dead. Namely, Charlene Kennedy. Her vendetta against vampires is no secret. Come to think of it, Charlene hasn’t been seen in weeks. Do you know anything about that?

He stands, towering above me at more than six feet. His light colored eyes have grown darker, his lips lifting from his teeth slightly, so that just the sharp point of an incisor is visible. My heart jumps and I casually look around for a weapon should he attack me, knowing instinctively that nothing could defeat this man, this vampire.

Julian: She is none of your concern.

SB: But…

Julian: But nothing. I hunt the Rebels who attack innocent humans. That is my duty.

SB: Okay. Well, how about your personal life? (I know I’m treading on thin ice with him but I can’t help but wonder what type of woman could tame this man.)

He looks contemplative then frowns again.

Julian: My life is my own.

He doesn’t leave immediately but stands staring at me. I feel like he can see right through me, like his gaze is touching me, feather-like across my skin. In this instant I am not afraid, but aroused. Man oh man, the woman that gets him is one lucky lady!

Visit http://www.sapphirestories.com/ for an excerpt from Fever!

You guys gotta check this out!

2008-06-27T04:15:00.004-05:00

This doohickey is cool...some kind of javascript for writer/artists! http://www.wordle.net/ Talk about your cool promo graphics! (Oh, and get your vampire oracle books today!)

Sneak Peek - The Vampire Oracle: Chalice

2008-06-24T13:46:00.004-05:00

I am soooo thrilled that my contribution to The Vampire Oracle series will be releasing in just a few weeks! Yippeee!

To celebrate, I'm going to give y'all a sneak peek excerpt to whet your appetite.

The Vampire Oracle: Chalice by Ericka Scott

Excerpt:

The sex and blood revived Sapphire. Drake sat on the edge of the bed and watched her dress. It didn’t take her long to pull on a pair of pink velvet panties and a matching bra.

Her voice was muffled as she pulled a royal blue sweater dress over her head. “How did you know I was in danger?” she asked.

“Well, the doorman wouldn’t let me see you. Wouldn’t even let me call to ask you for an appointment. He was acting oddly. Then I saw the alarm panel was lit up, and I knew something was wrong.”

“But wait—that doesn’t make sense.” Sapphire narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “Are you sure you weren’t the one who broke in?”

“Yes. We’ve been over that, Sapphire. I’m the one who rescued you. Remember?” Drake pointed out the fast healing puncture wounds in his neck.

Sapphire pulled the chair from under the doorknob and sat on it. She expertly maneuvered her foot and leg into one stocking, and then began on the other leg.

“What is it you don’t understand?” Drake foraged around on the floor for his boxer briefs.

“Why are you here, Drake?”

“I need your help.” He pulled on his slacks, and then picked up his shirt. It had been a lot more fun getting undressed, but from the flashes of temper in Sapphire’s eyes, he didn’t think he’d get many more chances to strip for her.

“Is this about the missing women?”

“Yes. Rowena’s body was found this morning.”

“Oh, Drake, I’m so sorry. You really liked Rowena.”

“Yes, I did.” His head shot up, and he stared at Sapphire. “But how did you know?”

“I—” Sapphire seemed at a loss for words, and she had an odd, blank look on her face. Then her expression cleared. “I deduced it, of course.”

“You mean, Van deduced it?”

“Van’s only a computer program,” she said.

“Yeah, but sometimes I think he’s more human than you are.”

She flinched as if he’d hit her, and he immediately regretted saying anything. Perhaps he should have just trusted the police with his theory. Then he remembered the way he’d been treated when the women were just missing persons, he knew he’d made the right decision. Now, he only had to convince Sapphire.

“I know you probably hate me for breaking up with you. It’s just that—”

“No,” Drake shook his head. “I don’t hate you. And we don’t need to discuss this right now. I came here to see if you’ll take my case, on a professional basis. I’ll sign a contract and everything.”

For a moment, she looked as if she wanted to argue with him. Instead, she closed her mouth and smiled. “Well, let’s go see what Van thinks about it. Shall we?” She stood and pulled on the door.

It didn’t open.

She looked at him. “Did you lock it?”

“No, it wouldn’t lock. That’s why I put the chair in front of it.”

“Van? Van, please unlock the bedroom door.” Sapphire tugged harder on the knob, and then hit the door with her open palm. “Van, can you hear me? Answer me!”

“Here.” Drake pushed her aside gently. “I’ll just take it off the hinges.” He pulled out a pocket knife and inserted it between the pin and the hinge.

“I can’t understand what’s happened to Van. There was a power surge, but his battery backup should have responded until the generator kicked in.” While he pried on the pin, Sapphire paced over to a small panel on the wall. She keyed in a code, and a stream of numbers scrolled across the display.

“What’s that?”

“I’m checking Van’s diagnostics. He’s operational, but isn’t responding to my commands.”

“Could he have been damaged in the break-in?” The first pin popped free, and he went to work on the bottom hinge.

“No.” Her voice sounded odd.

Startled, Drake looked up at her. All the color had drained from her face. He left off working on the door and hurried toward her. “What is it?”

“Van’s been reprogrammed.”

“What? How could that have happened?”

To his dismay, Sapphire sagged against the wall. He threw down the screwdriver and reached for her. When he took her arm, however, to lead her back to the chair or the bed, she shook him off.

“It’s because of my own stupidity.”

“What?”

“Someone reprogrammed Van, and it’s my own damn fault. I didn’t set a password.” Sapphire laughed wryly. “I was so arrogant. The building and the apartment is secure, and most of all, I’m lazy. I didn’t want to have to keep putting in the password every time I made a minor modification to his programming.” She turned back to the panel on the wall and raised her fist as if to pound on it. “Shit.”

“So, now what?” Drake went cold. He’d been counting on using her to solve his case, and fast. Now it looked as if he would have to rely on the police, after all. He shuddered. Being a black athlete had gotten him out of the ‘hood, but it didn’t erase the racism he still encountered. If the police decided to pursue him as their main suspect, he would surely be convicted. And serial killers didn’t go to cushy prisons like the one where Martha Stewart had been incarcerated. He was so caught up in the nightmare of thinking about his fate, he didn’t catch what Sapphire said next.

“What?”

She put her hand on his arm. “I said, don’t worry. I’ll take your case, and I’ll solve it, too.”

Oh, and if you simply cannot wait until the first week in July, there are five other Oracle Cards available right now!

The Vampire Oracle:
The Moon
Michelle Hasker
A woman hunted. A vampire warrior. Only death can save her now.

The Vampire Oracle: Birth
Diana Bold
Would you be willing to die for love?

The Vampire Oracle: Innocence
Lia Morgan
Can Elizabeth teach Joss that facing life takes more courage than death?

The Vampire Oracle: Life
A.L. Debran
Cynical-toward-love vampire meets womanizing cowboy. A better match couldn’t be found

and

The Vampire Oracle: Hunger
Sophie Athens
Will she give into the hunger he stirs in her?

Now, if you'll pardon me, I'll get back to counting the minutes until my book's release....

Ericka Scott
www.erickascott.com

BECAUSE FREE BOOKS ROCK!

2008-06-22T17:56:00.002-05:00

FREE BOOKS PAGE!!!

I'm very excited about Sunlight, my newest book coming out in September. Sunlight is part of the Vampire Oracle series written by 25 amazing authors (well, 24 and me--grin)

While writing Sunlight, I suggested to one of those authors, L. Shannon whose book is Love, that we should link our stories. She agreed. Her hero, Dillon, and mine, Johnathan, are brothers and part of a bigger group of vampires known as the Steel City Vampires.

To introduce readers to Dillon and Johnathan before the release dates--we decided to write a new story and give it away! Why??

BECAUSE GETTING FREE BOOKS ROCKS!

Just click in the link below to get to my web page where you can receive your FREE copy INSTANTLY of Steel City Vampires: Welcome Home.

http://readmoore.com/free_reads.htm

NOT STOLEN, NOT PIRATED...Just our gift to you vampire lovers!! Be sure to read the interviews at the end...we had such fun with that.

And get all the Cobblestone Vampire Oracle books!!!
__________________
Moira Reid (aka Debra Moore)
Hawkes Abandon, Cobblestone Press
Pay Dirt, Cobblestone Press
Paid in Full-The Valentine Chronicles
Sunlight, The Vampire Oracle, coming 9/08
Seduction 101, Samhain Publishing
FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD: http://www.readmoore.com/free_reads.htm

Fever Is Coming!

2008-06-06T17:35:00.003-05:00

It's close to the release date for Fever and I'm terribly excited! Writing this novella was a chanllenge since it was my first vampire story, but once I got into it I found myself truly enjoying their world. I loved writing about Julian, my super hot and emotionally scared vampire. His journey was one of great importance, not only to him, but to his coven of vampires.

Charlie was the other half of Julian that he didn't believe he needed. She is the human that has been bred to hate his kind, yet she is the woman who will finally open his heart. I was rooting for this couple from the moment I outlined them...and I'm still smiling each time of think of them together.

So, Fever's release date is July 4th! Very befitting considering the fireworks that fly when Julian and Charlie first meet!

Vampire Oracle release day is nearly here

2008-06-04T21:09:00.003-05:00

Two days, count them, two days until the first five Vampire Oracle stories hit the cyber shelves at Cobblestone Press. My contribution to the series, LIFE, releases with the first group. To honor that momentous event, here's another vampire YouTube video with my favorite Dracula, Gerard Butler. Click here, Dracula 2000, to watch. The music is outstanding. It's Adagio by Tomasio Albinoni. The original music was written for organ and trumpet, the vocal version came much, much later.

It's beautiful music for a gorgeous and sexy Dracula.

A.L.Debran

Dark Shadows - Barnabas' love

2008-05-27T14:01:00.002-05:00

I'll confess. I'm old enough to have watched the soap opera, Dark Shadows, when it originally aired on tv. I was in love with Barnabas Collins. How could I not be? He was the epitome of tall, dark, handsome...and dangerous. An original bad boy. Here's a YouTube video that will touch your heart for the angst Barnabas endures in his life. Barnabas Collins, Let it Be Me.

A.L.Debran
In the Cards, The Vampire Oracle: Life - coming to Cobblestone Press, June 6, 2008

The Countdown to June 6th continues...

2008-05-17T14:53:00.003-05:00

...so let's go back in time to 1897 when Bram Stoker's Dracula was published. It was written as an epistolary novel, which means it was a series of documents. Typically, these are letters, diary entries, and newspaper clippings. Stoker used journal entries and letters from the points of view of several narrators. While Stoker didn't invent vampires, he certainly popularized the genre.

This is the original book cover. Where was Gerard Butler or Gary oldman when the cover artist needed a model?

Speaking of Gary Oldmam, click here - Bram Stoker's Dracula - to watch the theatrical trailier.

A.L.Debran

writing western romances...most of the time

In the Cards, The Vampire Oracle: Life - available at Cobblestone Press June 6, 2008

Countdown to Vampire Release Day June 6th

2008-05-06T21:57:00.005-05:00

One month from today, the Vampire Oracle stories will hit the e-bookshelves at Cobblestone Press. It just happens that my story in the series, LIFE, releases with the first group on June 6th. So, let's get the celebration going and talk aobut our favorite vampire movies.

My favorite, for the very important reasons that Gerard Butler plays the title role and the storyline intrigues me with the bibilical underpinnings, is DRACULA 2000 (click to watch the YouTube video done Ozzy-Lita style).

What's your favorite vampire movie? Interview with a Vampire, Nosferatu, Dead and Loving It, The Lost Boys, Blade, Van Helsing, Bram Stoker's Dracula? Well, which one...?

Too many vampires?

2008-04-04T04:25:00.004-05:00

You know, people are saying that the market is saturated with vampire tales. Can such a thing ever happen? ;) I mean, I can't get enough. I love vampires. I don't care if they're the good guys, bad guys, brooding, happy, suicidal - as long as I get to read about them, I'm good. Oh, and write about them too.

Personally, I never want the vampire books to stop coming.

What about you? Let me know what you think. I mean, I can't wait for the Vampire Oracle books to be released. Not long to go now, huh? How cool is that?

If I were a character on Buffy...

2008-04-02T12:43:00.003-05:00

Which Buffy the Vampire Slayer Character Are You?

More on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Created by BuddyTV

Heehee! He is my favorite and now I know why! Though I have to admit to being a total oser. I'm only up to season three. I misspent my youth and am now trying to play catch up on the episodes. Any suggestions as to the best place I can buy them on DVD?

Shannon

www.lshannon.net

Vampire Oracle: Love

It's Alive!

2008-02-28T16:23:00.001-06:00

New Life is done!

My critique group finished with it last night, and I made the last couple changes. I double-checked my formatting. And then I sent it off, where it was summarily approved and given over to the marvelous editors. I'm so happy!

And so relieved. There's plenty of stress associated with fitting into a pre-existing world and set of works. Given the other authors in the series, I had a lot to live up to. Writing the last few words was a relief, but it wasn't anything like seeing the message that my manuscript was accepted.

I could not have done this without my very patient husband, and without the wonderful ladies of my critique group. There's great comfort in knowing that you've given your story a large set of eyes to look for problems, a number of opinions to tell you what works and what doesn't, and in having a group of really terrific authors to tell you, "Good luck! We're behind you!"

So. Thank you to Dee Carney, Ava Rose Johnson, Tess Harrison, and both halves of Moira Rogers. Without you, New Life wouldn't be the same!

This is SO vampire related... ;)

2008-02-12T00:08:00.001-06:00

Which Buffy the Vampire Slayer Character Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

Come on fellow Vampire Oracle authors, give us your Buffy character result!

You want to know more about DEATH?

2008-02-11T18:01:00.000-06:00

If you would, then pop over to Cobblestone Main Street and visit the new thread I've set up. It's located in my apartment, and is called: My Vampire Oracle: DEATH

Here, I will chat about the inspiration, ideas, music and anything else that I think is relevant to my novella. I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and don't be shy, ask as many questions as you want while you're over there. But don't worry, I will also be posting more regularly over here. ;)

Fangs for the Memories

2008-02-08T16:02:00.000-06:00

Many, many years ago, when the world was new...

Well. Maybe not that long ago. But back in the day, I used to write vampire stories. I was a young writer then, and I wouldn't call my prose so much purple as ultraviolet. I had a serious fascination with all things vampire. My friends all called me "Batty" or "Fangy". I had a ring that said "Vampire" on it. I had stickers with quotes from vampires.

Small press magazines were all the rage. People typed things up and photocopied them, or a lucky few had the funds to print them nicely. I'd type up my stories on an old Brother word processor, sort of an early pseudocomputer, which occupied the table of the RV my husband and I lived in. Later, it was a Macintosh in the corner of our old apartment. Then I'd ship them off to magazines that paid me a whole dollar a piece and some contributors copies.

I still have these stories. Reading them now, I kind of want to curl up and die. Wow, have I come a long way.

To me, the Vampire Oracle series is a way to come back where I started. It's finishing a circle. Late nights in front of an overglorified typewriter with mix tapes blaring through my Walkman have become late nights in front of a flat panel monitor with my MP3 player going. In some cases, the music has changed. But sometimes, an old song from the Cure or Sisters of Mercy comes on, and I remember those times years ago, when I'd first started thinking I could have a career as a writer.

Vampires will see me my first print publication, and next to the likes of Lyric James, Deanna Lee, Sable Grey and Eliza Gayle. Funny how it all comes back around.

New Life's Got a New Face!

2008-02-05T16:38:00.000-06:00

Cassandra Moore here, of Meghan's Submission fame. I'm pretty jazzed to announce that I'm the latest addition to the Vampire Oracle roll call! I'll be spinning a tale about the New Life card.

I'm in such great company. Every author in this anthology is a real pro. And all of them can really write! It's exciting to be in this series right along with them. I just don't think there's much sexier than a man (or woman!) with fangs.

In the next couple days, I'll be putting up several posts about what this means to me personally, my thoughts, and my ideas. But for right now, I just wanted to introduce myself, and say how really thrilled I am to be here!

The day Death will be released

2008-01-30T00:34:00.000-06:00

Hi! Fellow CP author, Becka, asked everyone to share their release dates. It's taken me a bit, but I finally made it. ;)

My novella, DEATH, will be released September 5, 2008. It's still a while away, but the excitement is already here.

Last week I completed the first round of edits for DEATH, and still loved the story as much as I did when I first wrote it. I've said it before, but there was just something about these characters and story that captivated me from the time the proposal details flooded into my head. It continued while I wrote the first draft and completed the revision.

So, it's good to see that I'm still very excited to be sharing this tale with everyone soon.

Release Date for oracle card: Life

2008-01-26T19:50:00.001-06:00

A.L.Debran here. I wrote the story for the Life Oracle card and it releases June 6, 2008. Here's a blurb.

Veterinarian Melissa Price's lonely vampire existence depends upon three things: sex, sustenance, and occasional companionship without personal involvement. Cowboy Jaxon Granger is a womanizing chauvinist who uses women for physical pleasure and shuns emotional commitment. When destiny brings Lissa and Jax together at Jax's racehorse boarding facility, there's no going back to their former self-defeating and emotionally isolating habits. With love growing and unresolved issues in their pasts demanding confrontation and resolution, each must come to terms with the hurts that run deep in their hearts.

Writing a contemporary vampire short story was a challenge for me considering my typical writing world has been the old west with cowboys and gunsliners with 40k-100k stories. I plan to try my hand at more short stories now that I have one under my belt. I have a new appreciation and respect for those who have short story writing down to a fine science.

Apparently Tree Beard in LOTR and I have something in common when it comes to telling stories. Tree Beard said, "It takes a long time to say anything in old entish, and we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say. " That's me for sure. I like to take a long time to tell a story.

I'm proud to be part of the Cobblestone family of authors and especially excited to have contributed a story to the Vampire Oracle series.

My Release Date!

2008-01-17T21:31:00.001-06:00

The fabulous Deanna at Cobblestone has announced our release dates. Perhaps my fellow Vampire Oracle authors can shout out when our books will be available!

My book, TOMB, will be released on September 5th, 2008. It revolves around the story of Douglas McCarthy and Holly Cartwright, who both need to be freed of a tomb of their own making.

I had a LOT of fun writing this story and I hope you have just as much fun reading it. It wasn't until after I was finished with it that I realized there were NO secondary characters. The entire story revolves around the romance of the hero and heroine, falling in love and finding out about each other.

I tried to put as much emotion as I could into this little story. Heck, it tugged on *my* heartstrings. :P So fellow VO authors... What's your release date?

~~Becka
http://www.RebeccaGoings.com

Some more vampire art!

2007-12-11T18:25:00.000-06:00

I'm back, and I bring another pic with me. Vampire pic, that is! ;)

As I've already mentioned before, Victoria Frances is one of my fave artists. She has some beautiful work. And every one of her pieces has a haunting edge I find irresistable.

This one is no exception:

It doesn't take much for me to be inspired to write a vampire story... but when I take a look at her artwork, my muse gets a tinglin'. Okay, I gotta go and jot a few story notes down. ;)

Enjoy!

A fun vampire quiz...

2007-12-04T21:50:00.000-06:00

You Could Be a Vampire... If You Had To

Like most people, the thought of being a vampire has crossed your mind. But you're not sure if you'd do it, even if you could.

Living forever doesn't sound half bad, if you could live forever with the people you love the most.

But do vampires even love? And would the vampire version of you even be you?
It's all too much to contemplate. Luckily, the chances of you ever becoming a vampire are astronomically low.

What you would like best about being a vampire: Living forever

What you would like least about being a vampire: Blood stained teeth

Could You Be a Vampire?

Go on, take the quiz and let me know what your result was. :D

My Inspiration

2007-11-19T11:07:00.000-06:00

A few of my fellow Oracle authors have posted what has inspired them to write their story. I thought I would share in their inspiration. :)

I've been asked if I really wanted to name my hero from TOMB "Douglas". Apparently, it isn't too "romance-y". In fact, I don't know of any other Douglas in romance, aside from "Douglass", the heroine in Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux. Has anyone else read of a Douglas as the hero?

Well, I like the name for my hero. While I was fleshing him out, only one man came to mind. My vamp even has his curls. Who am I talking about? Mr. Ioan Gruffudd.

His name is pronounced "Yowan Griffith", in case you didn't know. He's famous for playing Horatio Hornblower in an EXCELLENT series of the same name, and also Mr. Fantastic from the Fantastic Four. More recently, he was in a movie entitled Amazing Grace, which was very well done.

For some reason, the name Douglas seems to fit Ioan, and I'm not changing it! :P Now I can only hope the story itself can do my inspiration justice!

~~Becka
http://www.RebeccaGoings.com

Vampire Art!

2007-11-18T14:23:00.000-06:00

I love checking out vamp art and pics, so I thought I'd share one.

Here's a very inspirational vampire pic for you:

It was made by Spanish artist, Victoria Frances. I just love her work. It's very inspirational.

Have a happy, and very vampy week!

Interesting Vampire Links

2007-11-15T20:24:00.000-06:00

Soooooooooooooooooo
I'm bored. A bored Michelle is a Bad Michelle ;)

Some interesting things: Click at your own risk people
- A link to a vampire timeline
- Types of vampires
- Vampire Games - which I don't play...I'm too busy writing about vampires
- Vampire book listing if you click nothing else on my list, this is worth it just to stare at MR DELICIOUS in the Banner. YUM. *shivers and goes back to looking for more m... um links
- List of vampire movies
- Another vampire book listing

Michelle

Wonder what your Vampire name would be?

2007-10-06T11:18:00.000-05:00

I know sounds silly, but it's rather fun. This link was shared with me
http://www.emmadavies.net/vampire/
It's a fun little name generator that you could prolly spend an hour putting in the names of everyone you know :)

The Great Archives determine you to have gone by the identity:
Rani of The Night
Known in some parts of the world as:
Demon of The Storm Riders
The Great Archives Record:
The Riders come with the rain clouds, you will hear the thunder of their hooves in the sky.

WOo hooo I LOVE storms and the night :)
I listed my hero and heroine's names in the comments.

What is YOUR name?

Rani/Michelle

Harmony

2007-10-01T21:27:00.000-05:00

My name is MG Braden and I chose the Harmony card.

Or, rather, it chose me. Isn't she beautiful? As soon as I saw her my heroine, Kara Staten, came to me. No other card mattered. But, how could I make this vampire story different. How could I make it lighter? Harmonious, even?

When the idea came to me, I sat down, spinned it all out in the proposal and sent it off after having my critique partner look it over. To say that I was excited to have been contracted for this is putting it mildly. To be a Cobblestone author, to be part of this Vampire Oracle series, and in the company of the other amazing authors contracted for this - Wow!

Here's my (unedited)blurb for the Vampire Oracle - Harmony:

Recently engaged, Kara Staten and Marc Brodeur are in love, and life is good. Kara has a brand new business, and they have both worked hard to get to where they are. When things start to turn bad, they struggle for the harmony they once had.

The balance starts to unravel, secrets become harder to keep. Kara's skincare salon's "Take A Bite Out of Love (TBOL)" campaign results in several almost fatal love bites, and Marc doesn't know if he's the cause. He's a vampire trying to live a normal life.

As the vampire in him struggles to take control, Marc is only sure that he can't be the man Kara needs. She doesn't know he's a vampire--can't know. As their lives spin into separate paths, they will find that the thing that could tear them apart is the one thing that will ultimately keep them together.

I hope you will join me, and all of the Vampire Oracle authors, in celebrating the release of our books in 2008!

Inspiration for Chalice

2007-09-29T13:46:00.000-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me that although we are writers, visual stimulation and inspiration play a large part in making our stories come alive.

I started out with location. Sapphire is a vampire living in New York.

She lives in a secure penthouse apartment...I wanted a building with history, security, and a certain je ne c'est quois, spookiness! What

would be best than 55 Central Park West, otherwise known as the Ghostbuster building?

Sapphire McKenzie is a young vampire. She was turned in 1999 by Sam Bosan. She's brilliant -- in fact, she's been hailed as the armchair greatest detective since Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older brother. Like Sherlock, she's accomplished in many things, computer programming, forensics, and music.

Derek Chastain retired from playing ball after he damaged his knees in a playoff game. Now his income is derived by commercial endorsements and the stock market. Unfortunately, since he can no longer play the game he loves, he's now just plays...with women's hearts. If Sapphire hadn't rejected his proposal two years ago, things might have turned out differently. But now, all those women are disappearing and reappearing...dead. The only one not missing (yet) is Sapphire -- can she prevent him from being framed for murders he didn't commit?

Vampire and Chocolate

2007-09-28T08:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I was at Virtual Chocolate dot com and I was checking out the ecards and the pictures of chocolate, and saw this:

How to Sample Chocolate:
Look at it: it should be dark, shiny, and smooth.
Smell it: it should have a wonderful aroma.
Break it: it should break clean.
Taste it: it should have a full-mouth taste with no unpleasant aftertaste. The taste will stay on your tongue long after the chocolate is swallowed.
Melt it: it should melt smooth and not grainy
(this was by Elaine Sherman's Book of Divine Indulgences)

And of course the first thing I thought of was: that sounds like VAMPIRES.
Okay, so I like my men dark. I love dark hair, dark eyes, all brooding and mysterious. They need to be smooth talkers and have a well kept appearance :) You can do jeans and a T-shirt with much style ;)
Then we have smell. Well DUH, of course he's going to smell good! They might be undead or might just have a disease that makes them vampiric, but they are still men and heroes and yummy. All that delicious macho male has an addicting smell :)
Break it? Well.... They are alpha males, when you break through their tough macho exterior you find all the good sweetness inside. They just kind of melt in your mouth, don't they ;)
Taste. Well Yum. I am an erotic romance writer after all! What's not to love about tasting your vampiric male ;)
Melt it - I touched on that earlier, hehehe it involves tasting and mouths and wee fun!

So, you see Vampires are like Chocolate! Like Godiva chocolate, not the grocery store generic brand, but delicious addicting fine chocolate. The darker the better in my opinion ;)

Michelle

DEATH: The Visuals

2007-09-26T15:24:00.000-05:00

I wanted to stop by to share some of the visual inspirations that helped me when I wrote the first draft of my novella.

Of course, the first place I drew inspiration from was the gorgeous cover:

When I saw this cover, she became the main character in my story. It's pretty much stayed the same throughout the entire process. I just love that she looks so vicious and feral, yet also beautiful and even vulnerable. That's certainly the way Lana is too.

I also used this Victoria Frances pic as inspiration for Lana:

I think it's lovely, and Victoria Frances captures a lot of the vampire spirit in her work.

Now, for the hero, this picture is the way that I imagined Hayden:

This is a gorgeous photo of Jared Leto. I felt it captured the look I wanted for Hayden, perfectly! The dark hair, stubble, those gorgeous blue eyes... heck, he's a hottie. This pic was perfect as the inspiration for the hero in my novella!

Well, I hope you all enjoy the pics as much as I did. ;) They provided inspiration during the first draft, and are now doing the same while I'm in the revision process.

DEATH

2007-09-13T15:16:00.000-05:00

Hello again. You know, I introduced myself the other day and even talked a little about my Vampire Oracle card. The one thing I still haven't done is provide the blurb.

So, here is the stunning cover and the blurb:

Lana misses her daughter every single day, but after she became a vampire she had to walk away. When her ex-husband calls her and claims Christy was taken, she rushes to the house. But when she gets there, Lana is ambushed by a mysterious man with a wooden stake.

Hayden is a hired hunter that won’t give up the chase. When Lana realizes he might be her only hope to find her daughter, she plans to seduce him to get some answers. But will her plan backfire, and entangle both of them in much more than just a passionate encounter?

Hunger

2007-09-12T16:43:00.000-05:00

Hi! I'm Sophie Athens, and I'm thrilled to be a part of Cobblestone Press's Vampire Oracle. My card is Hunger; here's the blurb:

Olivia Johns, a counselor who specializes in helping vampires blend into the human world and "conquer" their blood thirst, receives in the mail a strange tarot card that says "Hunger"--a card that not only jump-starts a restless, aching need within her, but serves as the catalyst for a chain of events she can't stop.

Spurred by this new sensation building in her, Olivia meets Marcus Willoughby, the sexy, self-assured vampire who owns a night club, and is drawn to him with a hunger that surprises her. Suddenly, Olivia is forced to confront her own fears and prejudices about vampires...when Marcus turns her into one herself.

As soon as I saw the Hunger card, I knew I had to write this story. Needless to say, I was thrilled when Cobblestone agreed with me! I look forward to participating on this blog and getting to know everyone better. Have a great day!

Love,

Sophie

http://www.sophieathens.com/

http://sophieathens.authorsabode.com/

Sleep by Tula Neal

2007-09-06T11:19:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone - Sleep is my first story for Cobblestone and I'm really excited about it and about working with the wonderful team here. I only read about the call for submissions the day before the deadline and I was up long into the wee hours working on my proposal. I even got things wrong - like Sam's name but the good folks thought I had a good story and overlooked my faults! Thank you so much! I'm really looking forward to writing Sleep and to reading everyone else's story!

Blurb for Sleep -

When Kai Duncan discovers a cache of old papers he finds a reference to a female vampire from the American South. The woman was supposedly ensorcelled by a powerful Haitian houngan in the early nineteenth century and taken away from her home. Kai is intrigued and begins to dig into the story. He finds out enough to convince him the abduction really happened and sets out for Haiti to discover what happened to the vampire.

Gabrielle has been brought to the edge of madness by her long captivity. Can she believe in Kai and surrender to the healing power of his love?

Chalice

2007-09-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

When the call went out for submissions to The Vampire Oracle, I fell in love with each and every card. I would have written a proposal for all of them if I could have. As it was, I ended up submitting four proposals! Then, the waiting began. . . I was thrilled to be offered Chalice.

Chalice was a challenging proposal to write. It had to do with sloth...not a very romantic or flattering characteristic (LOL). I started by thinking of characters who exhibited sloth...Mycroft Holmes was one of the first people I thought of.

Now, long ago and very far away, I was a member of the Double-barreled Tiger Cubs, a Sherlock Holmes society at the UofI in Urbana-Champaign. Mycroft, Sherlock's older brother, was smarter than Sherlock but lacked the follow-through to solve crimes because he didn't want to go out and do the leg work to get the job done. An armchair detective. Thus, my armchair detective Sapphire McKenzie was born.

Then, I began looking around for a slothful hero. Someone who had tons of great qualities who didn't do anything with them. Drake Chastain fit that profile to a T. He's a retired basketball star playboy with nothing to do in his life but smile pretty for the camera and spend the money that rolls in.

The Vampire Oracle: Chalice ~ here's the blurb:

Reclusive vampire Sapphire McKenzie lives in her penthouse apartment with fortress-like security run by her AI computer, Buffi. She’s been hailed as the greatest armchair detective since Mycroft Holmes and has solved every case she’s ever been asked to investigate – and even some she hasn’t. Her ex-lover, Drake Chastain, is a retired basketball star living off his fame and fortune until women he’s dated begin disappearing, then reappearing…dead.

With Drake framed for murder, Sapphire has to leave behind the safety of her home to save the man she loves…or die trying. Will this be the one case she can't solve?

Ericka Scott
www.erickascott.com
http://erickascott.blogspot.com

The Moon

2007-09-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I'm a brand new author at Cobblestone Press. My name is Michelle Hasker and I am writing The Moon. I am thrilled to be a part of this series. Those of you who know me, know I love vampires, and the full moon. When I saw this card, I knew I had to write the story.

Between her annoying neighbor Brett and an unknown stalker, Maria finds herself in a dangerous situation that forces her to seek help. Who better to turn to than the private investigator next door? Even though he offers to help her, Dylan isn’t interested in her and couldn’t make it any clearer by the way he avoids her every chance he gets. With him keeping her safe, she finds a reprieve from danger, but not from sexual tension. While she doesn’t have to worry about any sexual advances from Dylan, can she keep her own desires under control until they capture her stalker?

Michelle
www.michellehasker.com

Tomb by Rebecca Goings

2007-09-03T17:44:00.000-05:00

"If, in your mortal prison, you wish not to be alone, then in the cellar you shall find him, behind a wall of stone."

Douglas McCarthy is a vampire haunted by the screams of his victims. After killing a woman accidentally, he vows he will never kill again, and entombs himself within the walls of his own cellar.

Diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer, Holly Cartwright knows she only has months to live. Buying the Whispering Pines Plantation with her life savings was, perhaps, the best thing she ever did. But Holly doesn't care that the manor appears to be haunted, as she'll soon be joining the "ghosts" herself.

But what she discovers behind the walls is more than she ever dreamed possible...

~*~

Can you tell I'm a little excited for this novella?? :D This will be my first published work at Cobblestone Press, and I'm so very thrilled to be a part of it all. Funny thing is, I submitted my idea on a whim. A friend of mine told me about it, and I happened to have a vampire idea perkolating on the back burner. I scrolled through the cards to see if one of them corresponded with my idea.

BAM! The "Tomb" card fit perfectly. I wrote up my 1000 word first chapter and off I went. The rest, as they say, is history. I'm very honored to be included with these fine ladies in the Vampire Oracle series. Now here's hoping I can write a story worth of it! :D

~~Becka
http://www.rebeccagoings.com/

Death Becomes Her

2007-09-03T16:46:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name's Yolanda and I'm waving from downunder! ;)

Isn't this website gorgeous? Deanna and Sable did an awesome job. I love it. And also love the fact that I'm a part of this wonderful vampire series.

My card is DEATH.

When the submission call went out in June, I waited (im)patiently as each batch of cards was released. They're all so beautiful that several called out to me and the muse, but when I saw the DEATH card, I thought: Wow! The story and the characters rushed into my head as I was walking home one morning. I sat down when I got home and wrote the first chapter, as well as got a very clear image of what was going to happen. So, as you can imagine, I was totally thrilled when I got this card. Yay!

Anyway, I've started writing the first draft this week. So far I've gotten 5,673 words down, and I intend to sit down to write more later today. It's a lot of fun, and I love my main character - Lana. The hero's totally captured my imagination too. I'm writing while listening to this album. It fits perfectly!

Vampire Oracle Video Trailer

2007-09-03T14:23:00.000-05:00

One of the Benefits of Getting up at 3:30 a.m.

2007-09-03T02:40:00.000-05:00

You see the news as it breaks...like this fresh, new, sparkling blog.

My book is Sunlight. I've finished the first draft...can't wait to read them all!

Johnathan loves his neighbor, Lenora, but he's a vampire who looks 23 and she's a human of 43. When he reveals his hunger for her, she tells him to find someone his own age. Johnathan smells and tastes her arousal and knows she wants him, and his life of hunting drug dealers is nothing compared to the life he imagines with her in his arms.

The evening Lenora receives a Sunlight tarot card in the mail, Johnathan listens to her read it aloud: “Painful memories and the future must collide and find resolution.” Johnathan's resolution: she will be his, forever.

In the Cards: The Vampire Oracle

2007-08-14T19:16:00.001-05:00

Coming Soon from Cobblestone Press, LLC

The Vampire Oracle

The Moon by Michelle Hasker
Birth by Diana Bold
Innocence by Lia Morgan
Life by AL Debran
Hunger by Sophie Athens
Chalice by Ericka Scott
Power by Ava Rose Johnson
Battle by Lia Sebastian
Fever by Sapphire Blue
Lust by Jade James
Sin by Antonia Pearce
Sacrifice by Leila Brown
Love by L. Shannon
Harmony by MG Braden
Shadow by Karen Erickson
Sunlight by Moira Reid
Ashes by Contessica Ryans
Death by Yolanda Sfetsos
Sleep by Tula Neal
Tomb by Rebecca Goings
Awaken by Eliza Gayle
Rebirth by Lyric James
New Life by Cassandra Moore
Wisdom by Sable Grey
Circle of Life by Deanna Lee