Sophie's Thoughts and Fumbles: February 2014

Sunday, 16 February 2014

The Vampire's Concubine Blog Tour Close and Thanks From Sophie Duncan

Well this is it, the end of my blog tour. I've had fun this week, and I hope I've managed to give you some insight into my writing background and how my writing comes together.

But now, I'd like to take the opportunity to say thank you to my wonderful hosts this week: April Margeson, Fantasy Boys XXX, Julia Matthews, Ashlynne Laynne, Natasha Duncan-Drake, Kia Zi Shiru. Thank you for your generosity in allowing me to squat on your blogs for a day :)

Thank you also to everyone who stopped by and took the time to read the posts - I wouldn't be anywhere without my readers!

P.S. There are still a few hours left on the competition to win copies of Rage and An Amusement.

Rage & An Amusement Giveaway!

For a chance to win copies of Rage and An Amusement, check out the giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~
The Vampire's Concubine Blog Tour

View more lists from Wittegen Press

The Vampire's Concubine

When, Hieron, vampire lord of Harkham, is approached by a mysterious young stranger, he finds himself tempted by the bargain his bold visitor makes: ninety nine years of absolute service in return for vampire power. With no name and no explanation of the reasons behind the offer, the attractive enigma becomes Umi, Hieron's slave, concubine and vampire childe.

Yet, from the very first moments the bargain is sealed, Hieron discovers his concubine to be an erotic and obsessively maddening challenge.

The Vampire's Concubine is an erotic romance told in short-story episodes.

Rage - The Vampire's Concubine #2 ($0.99/£0.77/EUR0.86)

The bargain has been sealed, Umi is now a vampire and belongs to Hieron as his concubine. Yet, Hieron cannot reconcile himself to the secrecy behind his new slave, it makes him dangerously angry and the vampire lord lives up to his warning to Umi that he will be cruel.

Hieron's demands weigh heavily on Umi, who, it seems, cannot please his master. As Hieron's rage grows, Umi's time is running out. Desperately, he searches to find the key to salving Hieron's fury before the beast within his sire rises to destroy him.

Purchase 'Rage' and get 'An Amusement - The Vampire's Concubine #1' FREE - see inside the book for details.

Available at Amazon and Smashwords - for buying links, please see this entry on the Wittegen Press website: wittegenpress.com/rage.

An Amusement - The Vampire's Concubine #1 ($0.99/£0.77/EUR0.86)

Hieron, vampire lord of Harkham, is unaccustomed to visitors in his private bedchamber unless he has expressly invited them. Such an unsolicited intrusion should mean the interloper's death, but Hieron finds himself unusually fascinated by the stranger who appears before him unbidden. Offering no name and no explanation of his reasons, the young man offers ninety nine years of absolute service in exchange for the gift of vampire power.

Amused and aroused, Hieron agrees to the bargain, names his enigma, Umi and decides he will become his newest concubine. The only thing left is to seal the deal in a bond of sex and supernatural power.

Available at Amazon, Smashwords and iTunes - for buying options, please see this entry on the Wittegen Press website: wittegenpress.com/anamusement

COMING SOON - Dark of Mind - The Vampire's Concubine #3

Umi is no normal concubine. His master's gift of vampirism notwithstanding, there is much more to him than the Lord of Harkham has yet discovered. Hieron is no longer angry with Umi's secrets, but he remains intrigued and, demon-owned twice over Umi maybe, but it is his mind that interests Hieron the most.

Under Yan's tutelage, Umi is discovering the rites and skills to being a concubine, and Hieron is master when it comes to the night in his newest concubine's veins, mostly. That bond holds a limit that Hieron has never experienced before: his childe has resisted the most intimate of contacts, that of the mind to mind control that normally lies within a sire's remit.

There is power in his childe, power not of the vampire's giving and, before Heiron is ready to deliver Umi to the harem, he means to discover it.

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit - A Review (and a little rant about 12A ratings)

Well, went to the cinema to see Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit last night and, um, yes, how do I put this - that was two hours I'll never get back. Apart from bringing Jack Ryan kicking and screaming, or was that the audience that was screaming, into the 21st Century, the whole film came off rather pompous, melodramatic and, ironically, out of time. Tom Clancy must be turning in his grave.

So where do I begin to explain why I feel the way I do? Well, I think it really is at the beginning, where we are given a nice run down of Jack's background right before the titles. Never before have I considered Jack Ryan a Marty Stu (i.e. Mr Perfect), but after the heroic volunteering for the marines after 9/11, and fighting his way back from near death (after having dragged both his comrades out of a burning helicopter while he is suffering from a broken back), and, of course, meeting the girl of his dreams who helps him rehabilitate - I was already feeling slightly nauseous.

THEN we leap forward 10 years, Jack is an analyst for a Wall Street bank and is working secretly for 'dun dun dun' the CIA (again, this feels rather dated as far as shadowy 'can't tell the girlfriend what I do' organisations go, but this might just be my jaded opinion). Jack notices something hinky with some Russian accounts. 'Ok', I think, so we're into economic espionage, something new for the 21st Century. However, then we meet the 'bad guy', and boy is he bad! I usually like watching Ken Branagh, but when we meet his character, Viktor Cherevin, he is being given an injection by a male nurse, who can't get the injection right and so Viktor beats the guy up. This was way over the top, underlining in neon that we've met our villain of the piece and just made me cringe in embarrassment for whoever had written this character. He had the depth of a small puddle!

Our hero was not much better - Mr Perfect, after being an analyst for 10 years, suddenly finds himself in the field as a spy. Ten years since he was a marine, ten years after a back injury where he had to learn to walk again, and Mr Perfect doesn't put a foot wrong. Jack's happily sneaking into buildings (and typing complete nonsense into laptops, but, hey, it's a spy thriller, I was willing to let that bit go), chasing after fleeing trucks with his girlfriend in them and hand to hand fighting huge great guys and DROWNING them in the bath tub.

Now this is where I have my little rant about 12A ratings - 12A means that anyone 12 and over can go see this film unaccompanied, and anyone younger than 12 can go and see it accompanied. In my opinion, seeing one man drown another is not suitable viewing for a 12 year old, let alone anyone under 12, and Viktor would have given me nightmares at that age as well. The UK really needs to think long and hard about 12A rating - that film should have been a 15.

So anyway, here you have it, a story of Russians wanting to destroy the capitalist US, sleeper agents and daring CIA operatives trying to stop them. Despite the attempt to modernise Jack Ryan, it all felt slightly dated and pretty derivative. There was no proper dramatic tension, the action was improbable and the characters were caricatures. Ultimately, the film was trying to create drama from action, but when the characters were so shallow, frankly, I just didn't care. I loved The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games, but Shadow Recruit left me slightly bored. I suppose I should have known it was going to be a melodrama when they thought it necessary to add a subtitle to the movie poster.

Sunday, 9 February 2014

Author Sophie Duncan - The Vampire's Concubine Blog Tour - 10th - 15th Feb 2014

I am excited to announce that, from tomorrow (10th Feb 2014) and then over the next six days, I'll be stopping by the blogs listed below to talk about my new book, Rage - The Vampire's Concubine #2.I'll also be running a giveaway throughout the blog tour, so stop by the blog posts for a chance to win by tweeting about the tour and lots of other easy ways to join in.~

Rage & An Amusement Giveaway!

For a chance to win copies of Rage and An Amusement, check out the giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~
The Vampire's Concubine Blog Tour

View more lists from Wittegen Press

The Vampire's Concubine

Yet, from the very first moments the bargain is sealed, Hieron discovers his concubine to be an erotic and obsessively maddening challenge.

The Vampire's Concubine is an erotic romance told in short-story episodes.

Saturday, 8 February 2014

Guest Post and Interview with Young Adult Author, April Margeson

Today, I'm excited to be welcoming young adult author, April Margeson, to my blog, where she'll be answering a few questions and also giving us some information about her new book series, Waking Up Dead.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I live in Tennessee with my family. I have been writing all my life and I enjoy reading Young Adult Fiction.

Tell us about your book(s).
My books are stories that will pull at your emotions and make you lose yourself in the world that I have created. All of which are stories about a new life, whether it be that it is a welcome change or not. It is all about the issues that my characters have to face and how they make it through them.

Writing – why?
I write because I have to. It is more than something that I enjoy doing. It is a need.

Do you have a favourite character from your book(s)? Why?
It would have to be Laynie from my Waking Up Dead series. She is such a strong character, but she has a weak side as well. The way that she believes herself to be a monster, yet she still feels love for others.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Just do it. Don’t worry about selling or people wanting to read it. Just write it and do it with everything inside you.

What is your favourite genre and why?
I love Young Adult Fiction and the many sub-genres.

Do you have conversations with your characters?
Yes. Sometimes out loud and everyone thinks I’m totally nuts.

Do you have any odd (writing) habits?
I yell at myself when I write something that I don’t fully agree with.

If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Different.

About April

April Margeson lives in Tennessee with her family. She is the bestselling author of two Young Adult Fiction series, Waking Up Dead, which includes Chaos and Redemption, Also the Ultimate Power series, which includes Beginning and The War. Random Scribbles poetry collections Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 as well as Demon's Death (a short story) are all available on Amazon.

Connect with April on:

Twitter, @AuthorAprilMarg,
Facebook www.facebook.com/AUTHORAPRILMARGESON
On April's blog margesonapril.wordpress.com/

About Waking Up Dead

Chaos (Waking Up Dead #1)

Laynie goes to a party against her mother's judgment. She finds herself with a mysterious young man, Aden. He's easy to talk to and she feels comfortable around him. The last thing that she can remember is sitting outside, alone with him, when he lunged for her throat. The piercing pain is still fresh.

After waking up in a field, held down by an unseen force, Laynie realizes that Aden had changed her into something, but she wasn't sure what she was. The burning in her throat forces her to drink from a feeding animal. Her phone rings. It was him.

Now Aden is stalking her, wanting to help her settle in to her new life, but there is much more to being a vampire than she could imagine.

Soon, her whole life is twisted into a Pandora's box of sorts.

Her mother wants her dead and a powerful witch is hunting her maker. After falling in love with Aden she meets Max, a powerful witch that Aden has called on for help. Both of them are desperate for her love, but only one of them wants it for the right reasons. Max is captivating, but her heart lies with Aden. When Aden pushes her to be a maker everything changes. Laynie finally loses control and hurts the one person that she dearly loves. Not even Alice can help her now.

Available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Waking-Dead-April-Margeson-ebook/dp/B00GKTQEKK/

Redemption (Waking Up Dead #2)

Laynie is distraught over the harm that she has caused. The witch, Alzar is closing in and doom is just around the corner. Alzar and Max have a wild card of their own secretly hidden.

Aden will soon pay for his evil deeds and with that the price will be the ultimate one.

Laynie falls weak over the happenings in her life, but now more secrets have been uncovered and the man that she had thought was her father actually wasn't. When she learns who her father truly is, she panics. Alice tries her best to help her come to terms with everything that is happening, but Laynie refuses and disappears into a perfect little bubble inside herself, oblivious to the outside world.

What Laynie doesn't know is that every moment that she stays there is making it harder for her to come back to the real world.

Max calls on Aden's ghost for help, but not even the most powerful of magic can bring her back. All she wants is to not be the creature that she is. She just wants a second chance.

Alzar offers Laynie a choice, but is her heart strong enough to make the right decision?

Available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Waking-Dead-April-Margeson-ebook/dp/B00H0LAII6/

Friday, 7 February 2014

Guest Post: Journey Revealed Conclusion of Journey Series by Julia Matthews

Today I am very happy to welcome Julia Matthews to my blog, and she has given me some information about her latest book release:

Journey Revealed
Conclusion of Journey Series

Finally! Carlito wanted to shout, and scream, he found her. His Mother Earth mate. Two interruptions, two slip, and her lack of recognizing they were mates made no sense. Information was needed. She was a witch, so why hadn’t she reacted. Why had she been scared of the clan master of the South Beach Clan? All those things had to be answered. Not only that he had to find out who and where she was. Could it be done? Would it open more cans of worms? Would it lead to the conclusion of the King, Singer, and Laker intertwined life journey?

Releasing Feb 24th 2014!

About Julia
My family is small, just me, mom and dad. They have stayed together for over 30 years. They are very supportive in anything I decided to do, whether they agree to it or not. I grew up Mt. Airy, NC. Most would know it by hometown of Andy Griffith and the Andy Griffith show. Lived there till about 2007 then moved to Winston Salem. I’m a huge animal lover. I have a pug, which is spoilt worse than a child, according to my mom. Then there’s my mom’s toy poodle, and the newest addition is the shin-tzu.

Where to find Julia:

Blog: http://juliamatthewsauthor.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/jujumatt
Google+: https://plus.google.com/108393544167715402752/posts
Email: julia.matthews5@gmail.com

I played softball and enjoyed school. I’ve not completed a college education, but I do strive to learn the things that I enjoy doing. Like when I decided to get into self-publishing. I knew nothing about it and my grammar suck to high heaven. So I began to teach myself the ropes of each. Of course there’s been struggles and trials, but by doing it this way I feel I’ve truly excelled and achieved a much better education. I also love to work with numbers, computers, and of course to create things. It doesn't matter what I create, whether it’s a coloring photo, my very pood drawings, wood burning, crocheting, and painting figurines. As long as I create something, but writing a story will always top the list of what I love to create.

I got into writing in elementary school as part of my therapy for ptsd originally. However, it helped me in other areas of my life. It is what allowed me to keep my sanity. Living with what people call mental illness is not an easy thing for anyone. It’s a continuous daily struggle. Medication can help, but it won’t cure it completely. You have to learn the skills that best help you and make sure to practice them in every aspect of your life. At some point it becomes easier to do this without even thinking. Some areas it will come quicker, and other areas you will struggle. Just know there is hope and not to quit fighting the battle.

I am a firm believer that you can’t learn if your mistakes aren’t point out to you, or if you fail to listen. Criticism is hard on anyone, but in the long run it will help you grow. Just don’t get bogged down about it. Remember that you are the one that has to be happy in the end with everything you do. It doesn't matter if it’s writing a story, or if it’s cooking a meal. Just take pride in what you do and live your life.

Now my goal is to just keep advancing my writing skills, better my advertising skills, and my computer skills. I know I can do this as long as I can keep my imaginations flowing.

Writing a story is

Bringing a story to life
Letting a bit of yourself, rather known or hidden come to life
Expression yourself in a way that one you can imagine
Is letting your creativitiy flow and grow in a way that others can see what you see inside your head.
What saved me
Gives me the strength to keep fighting from day to day
Give me the strength to push forward in my life

For these reason I strive to bring the best of my imagination to life and share with others.

My writing is completely fictional, but it expresses parts of my life, whether others interpret it how I had originally meant it. I believe that each type of art, whether it writing novels, movies, television shows, or painting, sculpting, architecture is open to the reader or viewers interpretation. They may not see what the creator was aiming for, but that’s fine as long as it appeals to them in some way that affect them personally or indirectly. That’s to me is what I feel is most important. No interpretation is wrong and no one should be criticized for his or her interpretation of any type of art.

So read and view everything for yourself. Just remember to allow yourself to interpret with freedom and without fear of how others view how you see things.

More Books in The Journey Series

Journey To A Mate (Co-written with Vickie Matthews)

Every panther shifter dreams of finding their Mother Earth mate to spend the rest of their lives with, some never find it. Others, like Tally King, the son of the Pride Master of London Pride, has known who his other half would be since he was eight. That’s when Tally’s father arranged for him to mate with the daughter of Miss Donna, even though she lived in the United States. Problem is Miss Donna hasn’t contacted him, and all letters have been returned. Tally is determined there’s a reason and sets out to search for her and his arranged mate. He’s warned that when he finds her that he would face complications. Will those complications make his long search a waste of time? Or will he finally find his Mother Earth mate, that one true love that everyone desires.

Buy Links:

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/301498
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Journey-To-Mate-Series-ebook/dp/B00C4BSFEQ
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/journey-to-a-mate/id632133298

Anything For A Mate

U.S were-panthers live different than the British ones. Andrew King knew this and knew this move would change his life. He just didn’t know how much, till the day he met his Mother Earth mate, Keith Singer. Would finding this man destroy his life? His mate thinks not and swears he will do anything for his mate. That statement is put to the test when a secret hidden for four generations comes to life.

Buy Links:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/332758
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Anything-Mate-Journey-Series-ebook/dp/B00DRNC4XS

Claiming My Mate

For forty years, Robert and Dragon lived separate even though they are Mother Earth mated. Both secretly wanted the other.

Robert felt it impossible. Three reasons at first, now only one. A seer indirectly tells Robert, to fix his life, dive into his past. Robert listens, only finds lies and secrets. Will this help or hinder his chance with Dragon. Will Dragon forgive him or toss him to the side.

Dragon’s dead set his Mother Earth mate isn’t getting away from him again, at least, not without an explanation. Problem is, he only knows his name. Can he locate him? If he does, will it only to be rejected again?