And the winners are...

Whew!  Tricks are done, now it's time for the TREATS!

We had a lot of entries for the scavenger hunt and I carefully sorted through them all (thanks so much to everyone for putting day numbers in the subject lines as requested; helped a lot!), and then I used a random number generator (random.org) to pick winners.  In the interest of giving everyone a chance to win, if a person's name was picked more than once, I went back to random.org to repick a new name for that prize.

Below is the list of winners.  If you see your name, please email Michele at vampchixmail@gmail.com with your snailmail address so I can forward them on to the authors sending out prizes.  (EBook winners just send an email that you want to receive the book at.)  Please note a redraw for day 3 because one of the winners already had the book (very nice to let me know and give someone else opportunity to win).

Please send your addresses and emails to me by November 14th.  If I have not heard from you by then, I will redraw a new winner for that unclaimed prize.

Thanks again for stopping by all week!  Hope to see you back soon!

DAY 1 WINNERS:
 Dreams of Decadence + Vampire.com chocolate bar:  Abigail (allThingsUrbanFantasy)
I Burn For You + Vampire.com chocolate bar:  Alicia0605
The Goth Bible + Vampire.com chocolate bar:  Derek Tatum

DAY 2 WINNERS:
Bloody Good: Judy Cox
The Vampire...In My Dreams:  Kimmy Lane
Devour Me:  Carrie King
Dark Harvest:  Miranda Whitman
Matters of the Blood:  Danielle Atwater
Dracula DVD:  Meljprincess

DAY 3 WINNERS:
All I Want For Christmas Is A Vampire:   (redraw): Susan Leech
Retribution:  Terri (razlover)
Immortal Bad Boys:  Kirsten Stein
Eternal Desire + Book bag:  Heidi Shafer
Haunt of Jackals:  Virginia C
Fantasy:  Moonsanity
Dark Shadows DVD: elaing8
Dark Shadows, The Beginning DVD:  Martha Lawson

DAY 4 WINNERS:
Vampires:  Marin
Twilight:  David Moore
Vampy Tee-Shirt:  Witchy Woman (please send shirt size as well)
Night's Knights:  Morning Glow
Some Girls Bite:  Rosie Carlo
Vampire Haiku:  Ryan chose a winner....SciFi Guy!   (He also chose runners up, and I will post those tomorrow for fun.)

DAY 5 WINNERS:
Sealed In Blood (eBook):  Amanda Makepeace 
Desire To Die For (eBook):  Georgiadoglover
Release (eBook):  Hayley Jo-Anne
Vampire Oracle (eBook):  Jody Faltys
Heart & Soul (eBook):  Jenn Taylor
Howling Legion:  Andy Boylan
Blood Ties DVD:  saycheesepease

DAY 6 WINNERS:
Casa Dracula:  Mary Arnold
How To Catch and Keep a Vampire:  Kristina S
From The Dark:  Fallon Hadley
His Forgotten Forever:  Linda Henderson
The Devil To Pay:  Raelena Pavey
ShadowFae:  Jeannette Juan
Bite Me Magazine + swag:  Jen (feet showing in profile pic)
Bite Me Magazine + swag:  Heidi87

GRAND PRIZE WINNER:  Rachel Morse


That's it!  Happy Halloween everyone!

Happy Halloween! — Winners announced today!

Halloween!  And the last day of VampBash!  Today we're taking it easy.  No more hunting, or haikus.  You've done the hard work, now just sit back, enjoy a glass of blood wine, and wait for the winners to be posted.  We had tons of entries, so it'll take a bit to draw names and get everything organized.  Check back in the afternoon for a complete winner's list.

As well, anyone who commented during the week gets their name tossed in the hat to win the grand prize, which includes:

BLOOD TIES Season 2 DVD
BLOOD TIES by Tanya Huff
VAMPIRES (mini book by Ariel pub.)
VAMPIRE.COM CHOCOLATE
$20 GC to VILLAINESS.NET

In the mean time, watch this awesome Vampire Reunion featuring Dracula, Edward Cullen, Blade and others...

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

VampBash: Catch that Vamp, Bite Club discusses!

Our guest blogger today is Diana Laurence, author of HOW TO CATCH AND KEEP A VAMPIRE, a tongue-in-cheek, step-by-step guide for mortal women who want to date vampires.    

Happy Halloween-een, everyone!  Yes, it’s the eve of Halloween, and a fine day to make a date with your vampire boyfriend for tomorrow night.  What?  You don’t have a vampire boyfriend?  Well then, clearly you need to dash out to your nearest bookstore and get yourself a copy of my brand new book, How to Catch and Keep a Vampire: A Step-By-Step Guide to Loving the Bad and the Beautiful.

Sure, it’s been featured in Glamour magazine and Publisher’s Weekly.  Sure, it was named the Internet Review of Book’s #3 Favorite Vampire Book, and chosen among the Top Five Vampire Guides by Chapters/Indigo, and called “adorable,” “brilliant” and “wonderful” by reviewers.  Sure, Target has picked it as a recommended read for January 2010.  But who cares what these mortals think?  All that matters is the vampires out there are eager for you to read it! 

And the immortals know that all you need to know about how to catch the vampire of your dreams is within this book.  Do you know what to wear to send the message that you’re a vampirophile looking for love?  Did you know you might meet your vampire at a Jiffy Lube?  Can you name the essential item to have in your house when you invite him over for a steak dinner?  (And what might happen if you misspell “steak” in your text to him?)

Get the book to learn all this and more--everything from how to spot vampires to how to balance your love for them with everyday life.  You’ll also meet my crew of charming, dangerously sexy vampire friends and learn their secrets.  And you’ll find out what I learned the hard way:  what comes from dabbling with the evil--albeit really attractive--undead!

My little Halloween-een Treat for you:  Enjoy the excerpt “Top Ten Vampire Pickup Lines” here:  www.dianalaurence.com/cakav/pickup.html.  And I hope you have a wonderful holiday full of thrillingly vampiric delights!

Diana’s Web site:  www.dianalaurence.com

Diana on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/dianalaurence

Official book Web site:  www.howtocatchandkeepavampire.com

Book Facebook Fan Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/How-To-Catch-and-Keep-a-Vampire/85381298406

Diana’s blog:  www.eroticawithsoul.blogspot.com

-------------------------

Today's scavenger hunt will send you searching through four author's websites.  The following books are today's prizes:

HOW TO CATCH AND KEEP A VAMPIRE by Diana Laurence - See info above!

HAPPY HOUR AT CASA DRACULA - Marta Acosta - Hip, smart Milagro de Los Santos is minding her own business at a book party for Sebastian, the ex-boyfriend she's not quite over, when Oswald, a mysterious, handsome stranger approaches her. The chemistry between them is potent, but after they accidentally exchange blood during a powerful kiss, Milagro finds herself feeling strange. Suddenly Sebastian becomes interested in her again, though when he tries to abduct her it's clear he's more interested in her encounter with Oswald than in rekindling their romance. She's rescued by Oswald's cousin, Gabriel, who spirits her off to the family home, where Oswald, his prickly grandmother, Edna, and his other cousin, Sam, take her in for her protection. Although they are vampires, they insist on referring to their state as a "condition," and now they're worried Milagro might also be infected. Sebastian is part of a sinister group determined to investigate the vampires, and Milagro is realizing that her passion for the seductive Oswald is conquering her feelings for Sebastian. A fun, snappy read for romantic fantasy fans.

SHADOWFAE - Erica Hayes - Imagine a secret world veiled in fairy glamour and brimming with unearthly delights. A city swarming with half-mad fairies, where thieving spriggans rob you blind, beautiful banshees mesmerize you with their song, and big green trolls bust heads at nightclubs. And once you’re in, there’s no escape…

FROM THE DARK, HIS FORGOTTEN FOREVER, and THE DEVIL TO PAY - by Michele Hauf (1 book each to 3 different winners)  These books are all from the Bewitching The Dark series and feature vampire heroes and witch heroines, as the war between the two forces escalates.

Today's questions are:

1)  Which handsome and sexy vampire from Diana Laurence's, HOW TO CATCH AND KEEP A VAMPIRE is pictured on the book page?  Please visit Diana's site!

2)  Name a character from Marta Acosta's CASA DRACULA series, besides the main character.  Please visit Marta's website!

3)  What's the name of the dead guy Jade finds in chapter one of Erica Hayes' SHADOWFAE?  Please visit Erica's website!

4)  What is the title of Michele Hauf's 1st vampire romance released in the 90s?  Please visit Michele's website!

Please send all 4 answers to vampchixmail@gmail.com with VAMPBASH DAY 6 in the subject header.  (Do not leave answers in comments).  You can enter until 11:00 pm central tonight.  Winners will be announced tomorrow!

Bite Club is chatting about it's first book club selection today!  Have you been reading THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF VAMPIRE ROMANCE 2?  Are you a Bite Club minion?  Stop by the blog and check out the conversation.  And then pick up our November selection, Susan Sizemore's DARK STRANGER.  First rule of Bite Club?  Tell everyone about Bite Club!  Second rule of Bite Club?  Don't bleed on the freakin' carpet.

{Why is that paragraphed highlighted in red?  I have no freakin' idea.  It just...happened.  And I'll be darned if I could figure out how to make it not-red.  Sigh...}

We have a special additional prize today, donated by Arlene Russo, the editor of the gorgeous vampire magazine Bite Me.  The magazine is on hiatus right now, and the editor is considering making it an online mag.  Arlene is donating two copies of the last issue (collector's items!) along with Bite Me magazine swag.  To qualify to win, simply leave a comment below!

Have you had your fill of vampires this week?  No?  Of course not!  We love our vamps and can never get enough of them.  So why don't you check out THE ULTIMATE VAMPLIST.  It's a pet project of mine that I've had online since the mid-90s.  It is a HUGE list of vampire novels, arranged by various categories such as: Horror, Romance, Mystery, Sci/Fi, Manga, Young Adult, Non-Fiction, and more!  It's not an official bibliography but more a shopping list of sorts.  You think you've read a lot of vampire stories?  Check out the list to see how many more you need to add to your list!

I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone who stopped in this week and participated in the VampBash, both authors and readers!  I'm so glad you like VampChix, and hope you'll continue to make it a part of your blog crawl.  All contests end tonight at 11:00 pm Central.  Tomorrow I will announce all the winners!  (But give me some time; there were a lot of entries for the scavenger hunts.)

Hope you all have a creepy, ooky Halloween!
Michele

VampBash: Predatory Vamps, eBooks and Blood Ties

Marcus Pelegrimas guests today!  I know, I know, to judge from the polls we do monthly here at VampChix, I can determine that the majority of visitors to this blog love vampire romance.  But vamps can't always be broody and charming, can they?  That's why I had to invite Marcus to guest here and shake up things a bit with his seriously blood-soaked monsters, werewolves and vampires.  E.E Knight says about Marcus's work "Blood Blade peels you right down to the nerve."  Now how's that for a visual?  Marcus will give away a signed copy of HOWLING LEGION to one lucky winner who participates in today's Scavenger Hunt.  So without further ado...

Sexy Masters of the Night or

Punks with Fangs?

By: Marcus Pelegrimas

         What a great time to be a vampire.

            Seriously, in the old days they had to worry about rampaging mobs who wanted to put them in the ground and keep them there any way they could. Sure the locals were superstitious, but they didn’t stop to wonder why garlic may or may not have worked or what constituted an invitation across the threshold. If a creature of the night showed up for a quick bite, it got a stake knocked through its chest. If holy water didn’t phase them, the mobs switched to kerosene and lit a match so they could write their folk tales over a nice warm bonfire. That’s how it used to be.

            Now it’s a whole different story. Reading fairy tales and legends is considered “research” and if some of those superstitions of old don’t hold up, well that dude with a taste for plasma must not be a “real” vampire. All a bloodsucker has to do anymore to get a square meal is walk up and flash the fangs. Odds are pretty good someone will either think he’s sexy, want a shot at immortality or both. “You like the fangs, huh? You know what it’s like to be misunderstood? Awww, you feel like an outcast? Come over here and tell me about it. Now turn your head for me. Just a bit more. That’s it.” Suppertime.

            When I hear people talk about vampires, the conversation rarely goes anywhere near the bloated, hideous, swollen tick-like sacks of blood that you find in actual folklore. This is the same folklore that people treat as gospel in regards to a vampire’s weaknesses or dislikes, turn-ons and turn-offs. It’s as if those stories were pulled from medical journals. Let’s face it. If vampires were eternal beings and wanted to stick around for a few more years, they would simply LOVE IT if all of us mortal foodstuffs (I mean people…heh) thought they knew how to deal with them.

            “They think we care whether or not they invited us in?” the common vampire casually muses. “Ok. They think they can poison us with food seasoning? Suuure. But wait. They also think we’re smokin’ hot and rule the cities in an underground empire? NOW you’re talkin’.”

            Being a vampire in the 21^st century is the best case scenario for pre-conceived notions in regards to the undead. Just imagine how great it would be if you were a serial killer and suddenly clowns were considered to be hilarious and most definitely NOT terrifying by the community at large. So vampires are sexy, powerful, alluring, movers & shakers, snappy dressers and fashionably sensitive. The whole “will puncture your skin and drink the blood which you very much need to live” aspect is dressed up nice and neat. Funny about that. When I get tattooed, most people wince at the thought of those needles. But mention a vampire bite and watch the girls swoon.

            Being a true, predatory vampire in this day and age would be so easy. EVERYone thinks they know all about them. Strangely enough, they still think this when most everyone agrees that vampires have survived because they can hide and deceive so well. The undead must truly enjoy those wild-eyed stories from the 17^th century. You think the people who wrote those tales were so smart? How do you feel about putting your life in the hands of a doctor from the year 1687? We don’t listen to those old-timers about drilling holes in someone’s skull to cure a headache, so why take all of their outdated supernatural speculations so seriously?

            But why listen to me? Go with the legends and all those comforting tales from days gone by. Dress up all nice and pretty for that sexy dude with the great hair and pouty lips who’s beckoning to you. You like bad boys? You like dangerous men? You want to feel the taboo pleasures of being fed upon? Go right ahead. They’re always hungry.

            Oh, and you think they don’t enjoy the kill or feel guilty enough to just take what they need and let you go? Sure, because every predator feels that way.

            Yes indeed. The only problem vampires have nowadays is overeating.

----------------------------------

Today's scavenger hunt features Electronic Book giveaways and HOWLING LEGION (not an eBook).  The electronic books can only be read on a computer or with an eBook reader, so take that in mind when entering.





HOWLING LEGION by Marcus Pelegrimas - No one said fighting monsters was going to be easy. 
You can't see them, but they're here: hiding in the pools of shadow outside a Chicago burger joint . . . wreaking havoc in Kansas City . . . feeding in sleazy "blood brothels" that cater to humans who itch to get bitten.
Cole was designing video games when he learned the truth—that foul creatures of the night lust for our blood . . . and our world. Now he's a "Skinner," a member of an ancient secret society of warriors entrusted with keeping the terror at bay. Monsters once chained to the wilderness are suddenly free and descending, razor claws ripping, on the unsuspecting city. No one knows what's coming—but Cole and his seductive partner, Paige, will be the first to dive into the meat grinder. (See book cover above)




THE VAMPIRE ORACLE: DEATH by Yolanda Sfetsos

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?




HEART AND SOUL by Yolanda Sfetsos

Jake is haunted by the memory of what the bloodthirst made him do years ago.

Mary is caught in a cycle of amnesia that keeps her confined to a coffee shop.

When Jake is assigned a case that leads him to the coffee shop he frequents, the one Mary works in, their hidden attraction is inevitable. But he needs to stay focused, to find the human that placed an ad in the local newspaper to attract the vampires of Sydney.

Besides, is now the right time for Jake to open his heart... and help Mary recapture her soul?

RELEASE by Nicole Hadaway - Forever.  That’s the response Ben Gongliewski receives, when he asks Miranda Dandridge how long she’s been a vampire. He doesn’t expect the word forever in her reply, but then again, Ben never imagined meeting vampires, let alone demons and werewolves, during his time as a Resistance worker in World War II Poland. Far from being horrified, Ben discovers that Miranda and her friends have very useful … talents … especially when it comes to saving children from concentration camps. After all, in these desperate times, while the line between good and evil is clear, the one between heroes and monsters is very, very blurred. 


DESIRE TO DIE FOR by Jessica Lee

Kenric St. James wants revenge.  After two centuries of denying his body’s needs and with vengeance finally at hand, the last thing he expected to find was the one woman he burns to claim as his own.  If only giving her his love wouldn’t surely mean her death.

All Emily Ross desires is time alone to learn who she is without a man and to save the home that holds her heart.  The last thing she wants is another controlling, dominant male calling all the shots, in bed and out.  Never would she have thought stopping her car one night to save a dying man might change her mind, and her life, forever. But is what they have, their desire, worth dying for?

SEALED IN BLOOD by Margaret Carter

Science fiction conventions attract some strange people, but Sherri Hudson never expected to spend her weekend helping a ravishing man in a black cape steal photos of a "winged alien." By the time she discovers that the "alien" is Nigel Jameson's kidnapped sister and he's a vampire, it's far too late to escape from his allure.

It's published by Amber Quill Press  and is part of Margaret's "Vanishing Breed" vampire series.






QUESTIONS FOR DAY 5 SCAVENGER HUNT:


1) What is Nicole Hadaway's favorite vampire novel?  Please visit Nicole's website!
2)  What is the hero's name in Yolanda Sfetsos's Vampire Oracle: Death eBook?  Please visit Yolanda's website!
3)  In Jessica Lee's Desire To Die For, what is the last name and profession of the heroine? Please visit Jessica's website!
4)  Who is the hero of Margaret Carter's Dark Changeling?  Please visit Margaret's website!
5)  What do the letters M.E.G. stand for in Marcus Pelegrimas's Skinners series?  Please visit Marcus's website!

Please send the answers to all 5 questions to vampchixmail@gmail.com and put VAMPBASH DAY 5 in the subject line.  (Do not put answers in the comments.)  You may enter this day's scavenger hunt through Friday 11:00 pm central.  All winners will be announced on Saturday 31st.

Eagle Rock Entertainment has generously donated copies of the Blood Ties DVD (win one today by leaving a comment; get another chance to win in the Grand Prize package).  This is Season 2 of the short-lived but well-received BLOOD TIES series featured on LifeTime.

In season two, private eye Vicki Nelson and her vampire cohort Henry Fitzroy continue to encounter esoteric cases involving paranormal occurrences. In addition to the complications of solving murders and unraveling occult mysteries, the plot thickens with the romantic tension between Nelson, Fitzroy, and Nelson’s former partner Mike Celluci. The story only gets murkier as Christina, the vampire who original gave Fitzroy that first bite 480 years ago, pops into the picture to shake up the story even further! Living up to its tagline, Blood Ties truly is “A Crime Series With Bite.”

ANOTHER FREEBIE!:  I would be remiss if, on the day we're featuring a number of eBooks at the VampBash, I did not mention my own vampire romance KISS ME DEADLY.  This was released in 2007 by Nocturne.  As part of it's 60th Anniversary Celebration, Harlequin has been giving away electronic copies of KMD all year.  You can download a copy for yourself at eHarlequin, Amazon, or any of your favorite online retailers.  For more info, and to read the first two chapters, visit my website.






Today's Review:  Please give Marcus some vampy love by leaving a comment.  Posting in the comments also gets you entered to win the Blood Ties DVD!  And to qualify to win one of the above eBooks, or Howling Legion, please venture off on the scavenger hunt, and then send all 5 answers to vampchixmail@gmail.com with VAMPBASH DAY 5 in the subject line.
You can enter any of this week's contests through Friday 30th.  Didn't get a chance to enter your vampire haiku yesterday?  You've still got time!  On Saturday we'll announce all the winners!


See you all back here tomorrow!

VampBash: Ryan Mecum, more books, and a rockin' T!

Ryan Mecum, author of Vampire Haiku (and Zombie Haiku) guests today.  I highly recommend rushing to the bookstore and picking up either of the books.  But if you're not close to a bookstore and for some strange reason don't have internet access (why are you here, then?) fear not, because Ryan is going to give away a signed copy of VAMPIRE HAIKU to one lucky haiku entry today.  Details below!

Hi.  My name is Ryan.  I like to write gross yet adorable haiku about vampires.  Once I wrote a book of them called Vampire Haiku about a vampire who writes haiku.  It's creepy, but the good kind of creepy like midget alien clowns.  Head VampireChix Michele sent me an email and told me she liked my vampire poetry.  She's sweet.  She asked if I would write a guest blog post about my disgustingly cute poetry book during her week long VampBash.  Here goes!

Dear people who read VampChix blog,

I would like to talk to you about the art of vampire haiku.  Head VampireChix Michele has asked her beloved readers to write a vampire haiku and post it in the comments, so I thought I would give you some pointers.  First of all, some of you might be wondering what exactly is a vampire haiku.  Vampire haiku is a vampire themed three lined poem that follows the strict syllable structure of a five syllable line, followed by a seven syllable line, ending in another five syllable line.  Here is an example:

The vampire poet

has to write his haiku fast

before the blood clots.  

The image I'm going for here is that the vampire is using blood as his ink to write a poem.  Not quite sure if that one made sense.  You see, I have already written a book of over 350 vampire haiku, so coming up with number 351 is a bit of a reach for me.  Hopefully you get the point.  Let me try again:

Vampire poetry - 

hopefully you get the point,

just not in your neck.

That one isn't quite as visual as I would like.  How about this one:

VampireChix Michele

tries to hide her pitch black wings

inside her hoodie.

Maybe that doesn't work because nobody thinks of vampires actually turning into bats anymore.  Let me try again:

A warm cup of joe

keeps Michele awake all night.

Joe is her neighbor.

I give up.  Hopefully you can do better.  The best vampire haiku poet gets a signed copy of my book filled with 350 better vampire themed haiku than any of the above ones, so if any of these attempts brought a twisted smile to your face, you might like my book.

Alright here are some vampire haiku writing tips.  It is rare to accomplish many of these tips in one haiku, so maybe focus on one or two of these pointers and see what happens.

1.  Try to capture one simple image of the vampire in a unique way.
2.  Surprise me.
3.  Try to look at a vampire stereotype from a new angle.
4.  Gross me out.
5.  Try to capture a mood or feeling.
6.  Focus on something mundane and point out it.
7.  Play to your strengths.
8.  Focus on the essence of what you like or don't like about vampires.
9.  Make fun of vampire stereotypes or vampires in pop culture.
10. Don't rhyme.

Helpful?  Probably not, but that's all the help you get from me.  I'm excited to see what you guys come up with.  Even if you don't consider yourself a person who writes, try giving a vampire haiku a shot.  They can be addictive.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your Vamp Bash and I hope you all have a gross Halloween.

Ryan Mecum

www.ryanmecum.com
www.twitter.com/mecumhaiku 


CONTEST DETAILS:  Enter your vampire haiku by putting it in the comments on today's post.  You can enter all week (as with all contests at the VampBash) up until 11:00 pm Friday 30th, but you can only enter once for each contest.  Ryan will choose the winner and we will announce the name on Saturday 31st!  Lucky winner gets a copy of VAMPIRE HAIKU, signed by Ryan.  So give us your best and bloodiest vampire haiku!
      

Today's hunt features 2 authors.  Yes, only two!  We're making it easy on you half way through the VampBash.  ;-)  These are the titles:




NIGHT'S KNIGHTS by Emerian Rich

Severina is an exotic beauty from the jungles of Brazil whose family is brutally murdered by the same man she later calls lover.
Markham is a simple Irish immigrant striving for the American dream in 1860 when coach robbers cause his untimely death.
Julien is a knight who serves as guardian angel to his family but has no clue about his predestined fate.

Vampires on a quest for knowledge attempt to create the perfect offspring, but from the shadows an even more demonic evil threatens their immortality.

Will a powerful mortal named Jespa be the one to save them all?

Emerian is holding a book release party on October 30th.  The details are at her blog.


SOME GIRLS BITE by Chloe Neill
Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude— and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood.






Today's scavenger hunt questions are below.  To enter to win please send the answers to both questions to vampchixmail@gmail.com with VAMPBASH DAY 4 in the subject line.  (Do not put the answers in the comments).  You can enter up until Friday 30th 11:00 pm.  All winners will be announced on Saturday.

1) What are the vampires in Emerian Rich's Night's Knights trying to do?  Please visit Emerian's website!

2)  What is the series title of Chloe Neill's vampire stories?  Please visit Chloe's website!

And a couple extra prizes to give away today as well.  To enter to win one of today's prizes (not a part of the scavenger hunt) simply leave a comment on today's post.

VAMPIRES by Joules Taylor
TWILIGHT by Stephanie Meyer

THE T-SHIRT! - Yes, you've seen it featured here at VampChix, and now you want it.  But you gotta comment for a chance to win.  The Chop Shop has generously donated one t-shirt to a lucky winner.  Please stop by their website for other cool items:  www.chopshopstore.com.  If you love this t-shirt, there are other cool designs (the skull!) that'll make your geek heart shine.

To review: Leave Ryan some love in the comments, along with your awesome vampire haiku!  Then visit the author websites and answer the questions (and send to vampchixmail@gmail.com) to qualify to win.  All comments today will qualify you to win one of the above 3 prizes (Vampires, Twilight, or the T-shirt), but only comments with haikus in them will qualify to win Vampire Haiku.  Got it?  You can enter any day and any contest up until Friday 30th 11:00 pm!

So you all back here tomorrow for our featured 

guest Marcus Pelegrimas and a day of eBook giveaways!

Don't forget, all week use the coupon code VampChix at Vampire.com 

to save 10% off your entire purchase!

VampBash: Dark Shadows, Past and Future, more hunting to be done

  Andy Boylan has a blog dedicated to vampires, Taliesin Meets The Vampires.  Here's his take on Dark Shadows.  (And thanks, Andy, for a reason to post a pic of Johnny.)

Dark Shadows was a gothic Soap Opera that ran from 1966 to 1971 and spanned black and white and colour in its original run. It also spawned two films, that took themes from the series as their basis, a remake series in 1991 called ‘the revival’ that followed the primary “Barnabas Collins storylines” and recently two new DVDs were released – The Vampire Curse and the Haunting of Collinwood – that edited feature length stories out of the original series.

Now, the confession, I have not seen the original series. It spans some 32 US release only box sets. However I have seen the revival, the two contemporary movies and the two new DVD feature length edits. This gives me, I feel, a good grounding in the background of this show – if not perfect – and the purpose of the article is to look at these – and their impact – and look forward to the new Dark Shadows that looms on the cinematic horizon.

Dark Shadows was a soap opera, daily shown and recorded live-to-tape with a need to take first take, it had one difference with most soap operas – it was a gothic soap opera with a paranormal basis. Indeed it was a Dan Curtis’ production, who would later bring us Kolchak: The Night Stalker, amongst other gems. Of course – if we are going to be candid – the live-to-tape and soap opera nature of the show made this perhaps a little too melodramatic and, in what I have seen of the original, fraught with fluffed lines, crew shadows, visible boom mikes and limited sets. Be that as it may, the soap continued on for some time but its popularity was waning. Then Curtis had an idea.

He introduced (in episode 210) a vampire character – Barnabas Collins played by Jonathon Frid. The ratings soared and the show continued and became the phenomena it is known as today. If it wasn’t for the vampire, and the acting and presence of Jonathon Frid, this show would have crashed into obscurity.

Now the revival, in 1991, followed two distinct storylines. Firstly it showed Barnabas (in ‘the revival’ played by Ben Cross) rising from the grave in the modern day and falling in love with the Collins’ family nanny Victoria (played by Joanna Going in 1991 and Alexandra Isles in the original). Actually this storyline is followed in the film House of Dark Shadows except the love interest is Maggie (played by Kathryn Leigh Scott). The reason he falls for the girl is she is the reincarnation of his lost love, Josette.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this sounds familiar. There has been a trend of having Mina Harker being the reincarnated love of Dracula in productions of that film. This was stolen from Dark Shadows, as a device, and put into Dracula productions – it was never a feature of Bram Stoker’s original novel. The first version of Dracula to use this device being the 1973 production, starring Jack Palance, that was directed by Dan Curtis himself.

The second storyline ‘the revival’ followed was Victoria being pulled backwards through time and observing the truth of how Barnabas came to be a vampire. This is also the basis of the DVD “The Vampire Curse”.

The limited exposure I have had to the original not only revealed fluffed lines but overly melodramatic dialogue and acting. This was pulled together and honed in the movies and, to be fair, whilst melodramatic, ‘the revival’ worked awfully well. Don’t get me wrong, the impact the original series has had on the genre cannot be underestimated but this is the real danger of mixing the Gothic with the Soap Opera as Soap Operas are, by their very nature, pitched at a sickly level of melodrama and yet a truly Gothic production also needs a level of melodrama to work.

That said I am really looking forward to the next incarnation of Dark Shadows. Currently destined for the big screen, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. Now there are many reasons why I am looking forward to this. Depp is more than a fine actor and Burton hardly puts a step out of place (if we ignore the awful Planet of the Apes). Indeed Burton is one of my favourite modern directors and when he and Depp work together it is movie magic.

Indeed one of the most Gothic productions Burton directed, and one that mixed Gothic sensibilities with suburbia, was Edward Scissorhands – which, of course, starred Depp in the title role. When it comes to Gothic horror the two have worked perfectly together – be it the almost Hammerish horror of Sleepy Hollow or the pure Gothic melodrama and horror of Sweeny Todd.

My understanding – though it could have just been internet gossip – is that Depp was a driving force behind this project as he really wanted to play a vampire and the proposed combination of Depp as Barnabas Collins directed once more by Burton is… well thrilling to say the least. The new incarnation of Dark Shadows promises to not only bring Barnabas Collins to a whole new generation but also promises to be the finest incarnation of the show. 

Less mad, bad and dangerous to know and more slightly cuckoo and mildly naughty, Andrew M. Boylan runs the blog Taliesin Meets the Vampires and likes to write fiction every once in a while. He also has a loving wife, a son with teenage sensibilities and two large pooches — one of whom looks suspiciously wolf like.

Today's scavenger hunt takes you to 5 authors' sites.  You can win one of the following books:

ETERNAL DESIRE by Roxanne Rhoads (includes a Fang-Tastic Book bag pictured below) - Paranormal researcher Liz Beth’s dreams are haunted by a sensual vampire, who may or may not be real. She arrives in New Orleans the week of Halloween in search of her elusive dream lover, Quillon. She doesn’t find him, but she does encounter a handsome stranger, Christien. They begin a passionate affair, but she is torn between her dream lover and her flesh and blood lover, both of whom are a mystery to her. She fights to regain her reason, trying desperately to find the truth about Quillon while Christien holds her under his own spell.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A VAMPIRE by Kerrelyn Sparks - This Christmas isn’t so merry for Toni. Her best friend’s been locked up in a mental hospital ever since she told the police she was attacked by vampires, and the only way for Toni to get her out is to prove that bloodsuckers really do exist. So she’s taken a job as a bodyguard for the Undead, but she gets more than she's bargained for, especially when she meets Ian MacPhie, a Scottish rascal looking for Ms. Right.

Although Ian’s nearly five centuries old, he looks and acts like a twenty-seven-year-old hunk. How can a dead man be so damn sexy?  Could Mr. Wrong be Mr. Right?  One forbidden kiss could lead to an eternity of passion—and all it takes is one moment under the mistletoe . . .

IMMORTAL BAD BOYS by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom - Christopher, the vampire hero of Linda Thomas-Sundstrom's "Midnight Court," finds himself consumed by passion for the new consort of Lord Rothchilde. He schemes with and confides in Rothchilde's sister Elizabeth, who might be able to get him close to his obsession. There is, however, something she wants in return.

THE VAMPIRE FAMILY by Kristin Battestella - Sadistic? Check. Domination? Check. Happiness? Not for all. Antonio Welshire accepts the mysterious Mestiphles' offer for vampiric power, but fails to consider that not all in his family desires evil. Daughter Victoria revels in the debauchery, but eldest daughter Samantha loathes the darkness. Enemies are in no short supply when the family turns to darkness. Charismatic rebel Gaston turns up to rival for Antonio's power; the vampire lover Jean can destroy them once and for all, and henchwoman Lilith seeks to supplant Antonio as Mestiphles' favorite. Who will be declared the victor? And in the end, though they've survived coven wars and persecutions since the 12th century, can The Vampire Family survive each other? 

RETRIBUTION by M. Flagg - Dreams often reflect hidden desires . . . even if they are terrifying. Michael Malone, a unique creature of the night, has taken down three evil sorcerers. He’s not entirely successful. Faced with eternal suffering, a compassionate soul helps this Champion create an intricate fantasy until he can be rescued by the Georgian Circle. His tale of passion and suspense is tinged with many truths. Eternal devotion to a Guardian of Souls and a troubled teenager forces this mystically enhanced vampire to dream of survival. He yearns to be in Alana’s arms. He vows to protect Lukas, his mortal son. As he confronts his guilty, undead life his imagination runs wild. But Michael begins to lose hope, believing that there is no such thing as redemption. Why did the commanding Champion jeopardize his own immortality? Michael Malone has two very good reasons. One is revenge and the other is love. 

SCAVENGER HUNT QUESTIONS:

1) Can you name one of the story titles in Roxanne Rhoad's Whiskey Creek Press ebook, Torrid Teasers Volume 59, which is a double shot of paranormal sexiness?  Visit Roxanne's website to find the answer!

2) What is Christopher's last name in Linda Thomas-Sundstrom's IMMORTAL BAD BOYS?  Please visit Linda's website!

3) In Kerrelyn Sparks' ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A VAMPIRE what is the third thing on the heroine's Christmas wish list?  Please visit Kerrelyn's website!

4) What is the name of the publisher that published Kristin Battestella's THE VAMPIRE FAMILY? Please visit Kristin's blog!

5)  What is the title of M. Flagg's vampire series?  Please visit Flagg's website!

Please send answers to all 5 questions to vampchixmail@gmail.com and put VAMPBASH DAY 3 in the subject header  (do not put answers in comments).  All contests at the VampBash run through 11:00 pm central on Friday the 30th.  Winners for all contests and scavenger hunts will be announced on Saturday!

We have a few assorted prizes you can be eligible to win by leaving a comment on today's post (an entry for the scavenger hunt does not count as entry for these prizes; you must also leave comment to be included in this drawing).  The prizes are:


HAUNT OF JACKALS by Eric Wilson (review copy; may have highlighting)
FANTASY anthology (includes Emma Holly's "Luisa's Desire"
DARK SHADOWS - THE BEGINNING DVD (35 complete episodes plus bonus features on 4 discs)
DARK SHADOWS - DVD COLLECTION 1 (Contains 40 complete episodes plus bonus interviews on 4 discs)


Here's a pic of the Fang-Tastic book bag included with Roxanne Rhoad's book, Eternal Desire in the scavenger hunt.

Now to review:  Show Andy some love by commenting on his post with your reactions to the Dark Shadows series.  Have you seen the original?  Do you look forward to the movie with Johnny Depp?
Scavenge the above 5 authors' website and send your answers to vampchixmail@gmail.com with VAMPBASH DAY 3 in the subject line.  If you want to qualify to win any of the additional prizes listed, please leave a comment.  You can comment and send emails all week for today's prizes, through 11:00 C Friday.  Winner's will be announced on Saturday 31st!

See you all back here tomorrow!

VampBash: Maria Lima, and let the hunt begin!

Yesterday we began the Bash with wine and chocolate (did you stop by Vampire.com and check it out? All week use the coupon code VampChix to get 10% off your entire order).  Today I'm serving up some cyber-coffin-brownies to munch on while you enjoy the bash...

Guest: Maria Lima is giving away a signed copy of MATTERS OF THE BLOOD!

THE TRUTH ABOUT VAMPIRES

...is there is no One Truth--and frankly, that's the best part of this writing gig!!

My love and fascinating for vampires and all that stalk the night goes back to my early days, growing up in a house full of books and no restrictions on what I read. My parents had an eclectic mix in their library: everything from Harold Robbins to Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker.

I was a greedy child, soaking up books as fast as I could. I even had a teacher complain that I rushed through my classwork to get to my library book. Then, and even now, I failed to see the problem in this. At the time, I was a straight "A" student, and I figured why not? If I could finish soon, that gave me more time to read.

Early introduction to both the horror and romance genres (the wonderful gothics of Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney), led my brain to go there...yep, the sexy, strong vampire with a heart of gold...or at least, something to that effect. I made up stories in my head, rather derivative, but hey, I was only eleven or twelve. My knight in shining armor tended to wear a black cape lined in blood red silk.

As I grew up and continued to read in various genres, I started to see more and more contemporary treatments: Fred Saberhagen's THE DRACULA TAPE and eventually, Charles deLint's urban fantasies and Tanya Huff's Vicky Nelson series. These books took my game in an entirely new direction. I loved mysteries and science fiction. I adored Tolkien and tales about faery. I loved good stories with a romantic sub-element and I adored fantasy. Here were people doing just that in today's world. I could write a great fantasy, not set in Plrtz Glrb or a bad derivative of Middle Earth, but now, today. Using our modern world as a backdrop to a story that was grounded in the familar...cell phones, iPods, fast cars and faster lives. Better yet, I could set this all in a small town: a microcosm of the bigger world out there.

Thus was the Blood Lines series born. The stories are primarily set in Rio Seco, Texas, a fictional town in a fictional county (but based on Lago Vista, Texas, where I graduated from high school). Rio Seco is in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, one of the most gorgeous places on the planet. In addition to populating it with the normal ranchers, small business owners and the usual conglomeration, there's a supernatural clan, vampires, and now, in the book I'm currently writing, a werewolf pack.

Best of all? I can make it all up! I use the best (to me) pieces of vampire lore and work them into my mythos, my world, to fit my stories.

My vampires aren't the brooding emo Angel, Louis or Edward, nor are they the unrepentant vicious monsters from some other writings, but instead, are basically the same kind of person they were before they were vampires...with more power and a very different diet. The two specific vampires featured in my books are each sexy and strong and everything that makes a person interesting...including a lot of secrets, pasts that will come back to haunt them and a *lot* of shades of gray in their morality. They are creatures of the night, but as I state in MATTERS OF THE BLOOD, there's nothing inherently evil about the dark, it's just that it's harder to see what's hidden.

These are the kinds of characters that fascinate me--people (whether vampire, wer, shapeshifter, or other supernatural being) that have depth, dimension and must rise to the challenges presented during the story. Their experiences shape them, as much as they shape their own environment...and sometimes, they surprise everyone, including me.


Please visit Maria's website: www.thelima.com
Blog:  www.chickwriter.com
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/chickwriter
FaceBook:  www.facebook.com/MariaLima
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Today you have a chance to win one of 5 books signed by the author.  They are:

BLOODY GOOD by Georgia Evans - At the height of the Battle of Britain, a lady doctor has more than enough trouble to keep her busy even in a sleepy hamlet outside London. But the threat is nearer home than Alice knows. German agents have infiltrated her beloved countryside— Nazis who can fly, read minds, and live forever. They're not just fascists. They're vampires.

Alice has no time for fantasy, but when the corpses start appearing sucked dry, she'll have to accept help from a lowly Conscientious Objector, an able-bodied young man who says he's no coward though he refuses to fight. And, of course, from her grandmother, a sane, sensible woman who insists that she's a Devonshire Pixie. Indeed, whatever it takes to defend home and country from an evil both ancient and terrifyingly modern...

THE VAMPIRE...IN MY DREAMS by Terry Spear - (Young Adult)  Love bites when a seventeen-year-old vampire and witch tangle.

DEVOUR ME by Lydia Parks - They live in a world swirling in mist and darkness...Their mission is to tempt, tease, and seduce as they mesmerize us with their promise of taking our desires to the ultimate limit..."Dark Obsession": For three centuries, Benjamin Bartlett's desire for blood - and for the woman who granted him eternity - has consumed him. But when he discovers a group of four people taking refuge in his home after their van breaks down, he's immediately drawn to Star Reid - and soon she drives him over the edge in a white-hot lust that won't be denied..."Blood Lust Vampire": Christopher Marsh has searched for years for the talisman that could make him mortal again and give him the chance to fall in love. On the archeological dig he's supervising, beautiful professor Nicole Stephenson reminds him daily of what he wants but can't have. But when he abandons all control and gives in to his explosive desires, his quest takes on more urgency - for he can't lose the woman he's been waiting so long for.


DARK HARVEST by Lynda Hilburn - Denver Psychologist Kismet Knight counsels vampires. Her life changed forever when she discovered a preternatural underworld, met Devereux, the powerful leader of a vampire coven, and was forced to rethink her notions of “reality.”

Still adjusting to her new role as an expert on all things paranormal, she schedules what she believes is simply another radio interview. She couldn’t be more mistaken. Not only does the radio host behave very strangely, but an ominous, on-air call from day-walking vampire Lyren Hallow turns Kismet’s world upside-down -- again.

Shortly thereafter, Maxie Westhaven, a tabloid newspaper reporter in search of a juicy story, befriends Kismet, leading her into a bizarre world of role players, lost souls and death. Enter Victoria Essex, Devereux’s building manager and resident witch, who discloses a startling secret of her own.

Meanwhile, Luna, Devereux’s hostile femme fatal personal assistant, recognizes a perfect opportunity to throw a wrench into her boss’s blossoming relationship with the human psychologist, and, to complicate matters further, Kismet’s old boyfriend, self-absorbed Psychologist Tom Radcliffe, shows up with his own outlandish request.



MATTERS OF THE BLOOD by Maria Lima - "Maria Lima weaves a brilliant tale of supernatural power, revenge, and the excitement of newfound love." -- Darque Reviews 


TO ENTER TODAY'S CONTEST, PLEASE ANSWER ALL 5 OF THE FOLLOWING SCAVENGER HUNT QUESTIONS, AND EMAIL THEM TO: vampchixmail@gmail.com  with VAMPBASH DAY 2 in the subject line.  (Do not put answers in the comments.)


1) What number book is BLOOD KIN in Maria Lima's BLOOD LINES series?  Please visit Maria's website!
2) What is the name of the hero in Lydia Parks' "Animal Instinct" from the Sexy Beast VI anthology?  Please visit Lydia's website!
3) How old is the evil vampire in Terry Spears' THE VAMPIRE...IN MY DREAMS? Please visit Terry's website!
4)  What is the name of the fictional town Georgia Evan's "Bloody" trilogy is set in?  Please visit Georgia's website.
5)  What is the name of the series Lynda Hilburn's Dark Harvest is in?  Please visit Lynda's site!

  Want to win a copy of DRACULA on DVD?  It's released as a "Collector's Edition" and has a snazzy new cover art I love.  (But I never did like that double-bun hairstyle on the old Dracula.  Eww.)  All you have to do to qualify to win is leave a comment today.  All winner's (of scavenger hunt and today's prize) will be drawn and announced on Saturday.

Let's review for today:  Give guest Maria Lima some love by visiting her website and commenting to let her know what you think of today's article.  Have you read her Blood Line series?  What did you think?

Then, to qualify for a drawing to win one of the five books listed above, do the scavenger hunt!  Visit the author's pages, find the answers, and send all 5 to vampchixmail@gmail.com with VAMPBASH DAY 2 in subject line.  And if you are drooling over the Dracula DVD, simply leave a comment today (yes, it counts if you comment on Maria's post.)

See you all tomorrow!