Fairy Tale Giveaway Hop

Monday, March 25, 2013



This hop is in conjunction with the 3rd annual Fairy Tale Fortnight.


Fairy Tale Giveaway Hop
Hosted by

March 26th to April 2nd

Please check out Fairy Tale Fortnight because Fair Maiden was chosen for one of the features! There will be an interview of me too!


featured Friday, March 29th on A Backwards Story


Link for the interview...http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/2013/03/interview-cheri-schmidt-fair-maiden.html

Link of the review: http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/2013/03/review-fair-maiden-by-cheri-schmidt.html


And...here is a preview of the interview that will be posted Friday, March 29th on A Backwards Story:
~How did you come up with the concept for FAIR MAIDEN, which features elements that are paranormal, fantasy, and historical all mashed up?

I'd recently read a book that had a ghost theme and really liked it. Then as I was thinking about Sleeping Beauty, I started to wonder how I could blend the two. I also wanted to resolve the "ghost" problem with magic instead of time travel.


~You mix genres in your other novels as well, such as FATEFUL, which features Shrek-like curses, vampires and Jane Austen.  What can readers expect from future books?

I have never thought of the curse in Fateful as being Shrek-like! How funny! But I guess it's true even though it wasn't intentional. Many don't know this, but Fateful was inspired by The Frog Prince. I suppose, I'm just trying to think outside the box, and it seems I can't resist blending all of the things I love, like Jane Austen, fairy tales, and vampires, so who knows what I'll come up with next. I also can't resist putting fairies and magic in my stories, so readers can definitely expect more of that. And, of course, lots of romance...After I've finished with The Fair Maiden series, which will be a total of three books, I'll start working on what I think happens to Peter Pan when he does grow up, and then probably something with a Robin Hood twist.


This giveaway just ended, but there's still a chance to win Fair Maiden
and/or Fateful via Goodreads.

And while you're there, vote for me in Listopia. :)

Fair Maiden: http://www.goodreads.com/list/book/16079520

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Fair Maiden by Cheri Schmidt     

Fair Maiden

by Cheri Schmidt

Giveaway ends May 28, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Fateful by Cheri Schmidt     

Fateful

by Cheri Schmidt

Giveaway ends May 28, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.



To Enter:
Simply follow my blog via GFC or email subscription, and fill out the form below.
(Please note: In past giveaways, I've discovered the winner wasn't really following me, or has not responded to my emails, and was then disqualified. Entry is super easy, so please make sure you follow my blog and your email address is correct. Thanks so much!)

The Prize choices:
One winner will receive the Kindle, or Nook eBook copy of Fair Maiden.

~Or~

A singed paperback copy of Fair Maiden. (I just decided to add this, so the 7 of you who entered already will have this choice too.)

~Or~


If you don't have an eReader yet, and you already have Fair Maiden in print... then you may choose a handmade beaded bookmark made by me. It will be something like one of the bookmarks in the picture below and shipped to you for free.

P.S. (You must have an account with Amazon, or Nook to accept the eBook prize. USA only for eBook and paperback. HOWEVER, I will open the bookmark up to my international readers.)


(Click on the pic to see the bookmarks in greater detail.)


Synopsis:
It's the Victorian era in England, but Tessa is from the medieval past. She awakens within a castle she has never seen before. Knowledge of her name also evades her. However, even worse than not knowing who or where she is, she cannot recall how she died or why she is dressed as a bride.

Along with Christian, the earl of the castle she haunts, Tessa tries to discover who she is and break the spell holding her in a prison of death. They never imagined the curse keeping them apart is the only thing protecting her, until it's too late.

Review by Keni:

"This book is so great. I always enjoy a little bit of mystery in my novels, especially since Sherlock Holmes is my superhero. And there is plenty of mystery in Fair Maiden. There's also romance, fantasy, and a chivalrous Earl named Christian. This book is perfect for the little girl in all of us, and also perfect for the more mature side of us. I can promise that i will be one of the first to recommend this book to everyone and anyone i know who can appreciate a well written and gorgeous love story. In fact, this is so book is so extraordinary, i'm dropping what i'm reading now and picking this up. So, if you need me, i'll be curled up with a blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and an absolutely amazing novel called Fair Maiden by the wonderful Cheri Schmidt."

Thanks for visiting my blog and good luck!

Win a signed copy...

Monday, March 11, 2013

Win a signed copy of Fair Maiden or Fateful from Goodreads!!!

And while you're there, vote for me in Listopia. :)

http://www.goodreads.com/list/book/11048116



Goodreads Book Giveaway

Fair Maiden by Cheri Schmidt

Fair Maiden

by Cheri Schmidt

Giveaway ends May 28, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win



Goodreads Book Giveaway

Fateful by Cheri Schmidt

Fateful

by Cheri Schmidt

Giveaway ends May 28, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

Lunar Love Giveaway Hop ~Vampires...

Wednesday, March 6, 2013


2nd Annual
Lunar Love Giveaway Hop
March 8th to 13th


This hop features books with paranormal, supernatural, science fiction or space travel elements, or books that have something to do with the moon or have a moon on their cover.

The magic in the Fateful Trilogy is centered around a curse that is triggered by night while the moon hangs in the sky. During the day, Ethan is like any other guy. It's only at night that he's a vampire. His fangs won't even come out during the day. In the Fateful cover designs it was important to me that the moon be visible. In the test cover to the right, you can actually see the sun and the moon at the same time because of the story line.

Here is how it works with Fateful vampires:
The vampire curse only surrounds them when the sun has set and the world is lit with moonlight. At night their hearts stop beating. Like snakes, they have fangs. Their eyes turn magical and hypnotic. Their breath is also dosed with the magic, becoming a potion that will subdue the victim and make them want the death the vampire can bring. With supernatural powers and strength, a cursed being cannot be escaped when moon resides in the sky. During the day, none of this is the case...you would never know you could be facing someone who is a bound by a dark curse by night--and a mortal by day.

I'll let Ethan explain how the curse came about:
Ethan exhaled, his golden brows wrinkled, and then he began. “Once upon a time there was a sorceress who fell in love with a mortal man named Benjamin. He didn’t know she was a sorceress, but when she confessed this to him, wanting him to know the truth, he was disgusted. When he tried to leave her, he told her that she was a curse to humanity. Lilith, that was her name, was so hurt and so angry that she cast a spell on him before he could leave. She said, ‘Now you will forever be the curse to humanity!’ Her spell turned him into a demon, a predator of humanity. She gave him immortality like herself, so he would be forced to wander this earth, forever lonely. And she made him beautiful so women would want to love him, but he wouldn’t be able to love them back without killing them. She also took his heart away from him, by causing it to stop beating, because he had broken hers. She made him into a demonic human to curse humanity … she turned him into a vampire.”

Lilith made them need blood, but it's not just about the blood. It's also about the life-force that is taken when a vampire feeds on someone. As I wrote my version of this myth, I realized I needed the vampire to feed on someone or something living, not bagged blood, because I really think that is how Lilith would have planned it. She wanted Benjamin to become a killer and to be miserable. She wanted him to be a monster that took more than just blood from the victim. She wasn't pleased when she realized that she'd mistakenly left a few loopholes in her curse, and that Benjamin actually liked being a vampire. After I'd made my decisions about the way I wanted my myth to work, I further researched how other writers had done vampires...

Lynsay Sands created vampires from Atlantis with the use of nano technology, which I found highly fascinating. The only drawback for them--while the nanos make them perfect and help to heal them, the nanos also require extra blood, hence the need for fangs. I wish I'd thought of it!

Kerrelyn Sparks created a world where there are good vampires and bad vampires. The bad love to feed off of people, but the good drink a line of special vampire cuisine created by one of the good vampires who happens to be a scientist. They have chocolood, and a wine version. What a fun idea! Wish I'd thought of this too.

Anyway, those are two of my favorites. After writing my own vampires, I actually realized that mine unintentionally resemble the old (original) vampires, like Varney the Vampire. (1845) This is from Wikipedia on Varney:

"Varney was a major influence on later vampire fiction, particularly Dracula by Bram Stoker. Many of today's standard vampire tropes originated in Varney: Varney has fangs, leaves two puncture wounds on the necks of his victims, has hypnotic powers, and has superhuman strength. Unlike later fictional vampires, he is able to go about in daylight and has no particular fear or loathing of crosses or garlic. He can eat and drink in human fashion as a form of disguise, but he points out that human food and drink do not agree with him. His vampirism seems to be a fit that comes on him when his vital energy begins to run low; he is a regular person between feedings. This is also the first example of the "sympathetic vampire," a vampire who loathes his condition but is nonetheless a slave to it."

You may find this comparison of traits in other vampires interesting:
Fateful vampires: Are not pale, have fangs, good feed on animals, hypnotizing eyes, potion-like breath, and are alluring.
Varney the Vampire (1845): white and bloodless, has fangs, hypnotic eyes, looks ordinary until he is a vampire.
Bram Stoker's vampires (1897): Are pale, have fangs, hypnotic eyes, and are very beautiful.
Anne Rice's vampires: Skin is pale, smooth, marble-like, have fangs, good feed on animals, are alluring and beautiful.
Vampire Diaries: Are not pale, have fangs, good feed on animals or bagged blood, hypnotizing eyes, and are alluring.
Twilight: Are pale, hard as marble, sparkle, no fangs, good feed on animals, and are very alluring.
Vampire Academy: Are pale, have fangs, ordinary looks, but have red-ringed irises.
Dresden Files (White court):Are not pale, no fangs, are extremely attractive.

I've listed very few here. But most vampires have special gifts, many can read minds, most have some sort of change in eye color, and many can turn a person with just one bite.

On to the next creature of the moon. Werewolves...I've got those in my stories too...But I won't bore you with that. Let's move on to the prize!:

The Prize:
One winner will receive a Kindle eBook copy of Fateful. USA only please.

To Enter:
Simply follow my blog via GFC or email subscription and fill out the form at the bottom of this post so I know who to contact if you win.

Note: Winners are chosen via Virtual Hat. Winner will be contacted via email.


~XOXO~

Would you like to get Fateful for free if you don't win? Simply buy the Complete Fateful Trilogy instead of getting each book separately.


Synopsis for Fateful:
A huge fan of Jane Austen, Danielle hopes to find her own Mr. Darcy when she leaves Colorado to attend art school in London. Of course she knows it's silly to wish for that, naive even. But she's met enough males who lacked respect for women, a growing trend it seemed. And at nineteen...well.... However, on only her second night there she gets lost and is threatened by a stalker who proves to be immune to her martial arts training. Before she is completely overpowered, she is then saved by Ethan Deveroux.

While Danielle does find the romance she seeks in Ethan, he's no Mr. Darcy. Her hero is held by a spell which fractures their chance at a happy ending. During the day Ethan is closer to mortal than immortal and can date her like any other man. Yet, as the sun sets, the powerful magic of an ancient curse returns and the evil of that spell is revealed. When that magic begins, Danielle's fairytale romance ends because Ethan Deveroux is a vampire.

I love comments as much as I love reviews.... Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post either for me. I'm very grateful.