Lazy Days of Summer *Spontaneous* Giveaway Hop

Lazy Days of Summer *Spontaneous* Giveaway Hop

July 24th to August 4th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer &Burgandy Ice

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.

Different authors have come up with different ways the vampire myth works. 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.

As a writer, I was also intrigued by how other authors have handled this myth:

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.

Let's move on to the prize!:

The Prize:

One winner will receive a signed paperback copy of Fateful. USA only please.

To Enter:
(This giveaway just ended. I will email the winner as soon as I can. Thanks to everyone who entered!)

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~

And for summer I'm having a spontaneous sale on Fateful.
Snatch up the eBook for only .99 Cents!!!!

 
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.

Spring Reading Sale! This is your chance to get Fractured for half off!

If you read Fateful and have been waiting to snatch up the next two books in the trilogy,

this is your chance!!!

(Click on the images below to buy from Amazon.)

And remember that Fateful is FREE!!!

                                 

 

Review by http:The Library Mouse one of my favorite UK readers:

This review is of the entire series and does contain spoilers.

Read on if you're just too curious to mind...

The Fateful series was what I can only describe as a beautifully sweet vampire tale narrated using the style of Jane Austen.

Set in the present day, Danielle isn't your usual main female character. She's not a tomboy trying to act tough, she's not an antisocial creature because she's peculiar in some unexpected way and she hasn't got a personality that sets her apart from the usual crowd. Danielle is a regular girly girl. She doesn't do blood, gore, violence, injuries or dead bodies (undead or otherwise). It almost felt like she had been literature-transplanted out of a Jane Auste novel and into modern day time with a couple of upgrades. With a penchant for wearing skirts and dresses, a fondness for pastel colours and a rather strong artistic streak for painting scenery; Danielle was a typical girl and not what most recent heroines are like. Her parents were so concerned with her fragility and female defenselessness that they insisted she have karate lessons, to the extent that when we meet her she is a lethal-when-necessary black belt. The good this will do her, in the paranormal world she is rudely awakened to, I'm not sure of.

The combination of strength and weakness in this character was complex and forever changing depending on the perceived angle, forcing me to stop and reflect several times. The fact that she was able to defend herself in our reality, but that when put into the context of a paranormal one she was weak and harmless made her all the more real to me.

Through all her trials, adventures, fortunes and misfortunes, unlike most characters who adapt quickly to the knew knowledge, Danielle remained faithful to her beliefs, ideals and female squirmishness.

From what would appear a very simple and easy to understand character, I would not have expected the depth and incredible number of facets that I found. Danielle's simplicity was endearing and eye opening, making me dwell and appreciate aspects of a paranormal romance and situations I had not previously considered.

Of course this series would not be complete unless our Austen-like fan, found her corresponding Mr Darcy.

Ethan was a worthy Mr Darcy alter-ego for this paranormal romance. Forever a gentleman despite the course of centuries having passed him by, he held fast to his upbringing, ideals and traditions. The only modern thing about him were his clothes (which he had no choice in unless he wanted to arouse suspicion and generate medical mental health interest) and his love for his  cars. I found his jealous and slightly possessive streak surprisingly sweet and funny, considering he had nothing to fear as Danielle had eyes for no other.

He was a Mr Darcy attempting to adapt to the current century whilst desperately trying to cling to his ways of life, and I loved every second I read of it. He was a knight in regular clothing but who knew how to wield a sword, treat a girl like a lady and get any parents' blessing. What can I say, he was without a doubt too good to be true.

True to his century he was looking for someone special, a girl and not a tomboy; someone to whom he'd be willing to give the world and his life.

Unlike most romances, Ethan and Danielle didn't fight what they felt for each other. They knew it to be true and real, which is all that mattered to them. What they did have to fight was everyone else, to preserve what they had and their future.

Cheri Schmidt narrated their sweetly moving story, that revealed itself to be more than I expected. Confronting present day issues and morals, the more I read the more I enjoyed it.
I particularly appreciated Cheri Schmidt's ability to describe beautifully romantic scenes that made me feel at peace whilst sitting alongside the characters.

Everything about this series screamed Jane Austen, from the setting, the manner of speaking, down to the behavioural quirks. Being an admirer of Jane Austen's work, narrative style and storyline I very much enjoyed this series. Unlike most paranormal romances which are described as forever but feel more like an immediate lightning passion, The Fateful series spoke of a steady strong burn that would last forever where it counts the most: heart and mind.

The Fateful series was a sweet and tender paranormal romance that I would recommend to anyone in search for a tale of modern nights in shining armor with a hint of magic.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

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.

Lunar Love Giveaway Hop ~Vampires...

2nd Annual

Lunar Love Giveaway Hop

March 8th to 13th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Bookworm Lisa

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.

Romance Is In The Air Giveaway Hop

Welcome to an awesome Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Rachael Anderson.

This giveaway just closed. Thank you to everyone who entered!

It's February and romance is in the air. In this book, there is sweet proposal with white roses and fairies involved. A batchelorette party in Paris. And a romantic wedding with vampires and fairies lurking about. Don't worry, there's plenty of action and a bit of scary stuff too. The Fateful Trilogy is YA paranormal romance that's clean.

The Prize choices:
One winner will receive the Kindle, Nook or Kobo eBook copy of Fractured (Book 2 in the Fateful Trilogy).

~Or~

If you don't have an eReader yet... 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, Kobo, or Nook to accept the eBook prize. USA only for eBook. HOWEVER, I will open the bookmark up to my international readers. Happy Valentines Day!!!)

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.


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


Thanks for visiting my blog and good luck!








Synopsis:
The Fateful Trilogy continues with Fractured. No, it's not called Fractured because Ethan and Danielle break up, because they don't...in case you were wondering.

They had thought they'd escaped most of the danger surrounding them, when in truth they've made it worse by unintentionally sparking a civil war amongst vampires. Many vampires want to protect them for discovering the cure to the curse binding their kind. However many more want to destroy them for that same discovery.

Ethan's and Danielle's struggle for survival intensifies while they sink deeper into the midst of this danger. The romantic fairytale bliss they once had will soon fracture under the pressure of the curse....

Show more

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Review by Jaterry: She out did herself!

OMG!!!! If it was even possible Cheri Schmidt outdid herself with this, it is a million times better then Fateful with twists at ever turn! I couldnt put it down, it even made me late to work!

Please dont read this book if you havent 1st read Fateful, and for all the people who said it was a Twilight knock off, you have to read this book, it by far blows Twilight out of the water! and I am a huge Twilight fan.

Ethan and Danielle dont fail to deliver on the romance and surprises! And the action of the vampire civil war will keep you on your feet! this was an easy book to get wrapped up in, I easily felt Danielle's excitement, fear and disappointment, and even cried for her at one point.

Without any spoilers, I really wish we could have seen more of Lilith and a better description of "goth" Ethan but other then that, I have no complaints! you have to read this book, what are you waiting for click the button!!!!

Can not wait for book 3! I would love to see Danielle get her revenge (more then what was done) on Celeste!

Young Adult Faeries & Fantasy Giveaway Hop

This years hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, and co-hosted by Gabrielle from The Mod Podge Bookshelf For many many more chances to win free books, simply click on either one of those hot links.

This giveaway will run from January 8th to the 14th.

I wonder if artist Paul Busse has read Forever...During the holidays I went to the National Botanic Garden to see the holiday display, which was designed by Paul Busse and had a fairy theme. When I looked into one of the little holes with a fairy room inside, it immediately took me to a scene in Forever almost exactly as I'd described it! Of course I was enchanted and had to go see it twice. For those of you who have read Forever, can you imagine a fairy sitting in the rocking chair with a baby in her arms like I can?! Or is it just me?

If you like fairies, there are lots of them in Forever as well as vampires, werewolves, pixies, witches, and mermaids...

The Prize choices:

~This giveaway has ended. Thanks to everyone who visited my blog and entered. The winner will be contacted very soon!~

One winner will receive the Kindle, Nook or Kobo eBook copy of Forever (Book 3 in the Fateful Trilogy).

~Or~

If you don't have an eReader yet... 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, Kobo, or Nook to accept the eBook prize. USA only for eBook. HOWEVER, I will open the bookmark up to my international readers. Happy New Year!!!)

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.

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

Thanks for visiting my blog and good luck!Note: If you'd like to win signed copies of my books, shipped to USA and internationally, go to my Facebook Fan Page here: https://www.facebook.com/cheri.p.schmidt?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Cheri-Schmidt/170239616364397 For my birthday, which is this month, I'm giving away a complete set of the Fateful Trilogy.

Fangs, Fur & Fey Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the second annual Fangs, Fur, & Fey giveaway hop hosted by the rocking I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Reading Lark!!!

The Prize:
Win Fateful, Fractured, or Forever in either Nook, Kobo, or Kindle eBook formats. (You must have an account with either Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or Amazon to accept this prize. USA only. Except Kobo is also available to my Canadian readers as well! However, if you have an account with the US site but live outside of the US, you may also enter! ;)

To Enter:
(This giveaway just closed. Thank you to everyone who entered and took the time to post a comment! I'll contact the winner very soon!)

The Fateful Trilogy is full of  furry werewolves, fluttering fey, and fanged vampires. Here's an excerpt from Forever that covers two of them, and mentions the other.

Before you start reading!!! Please know this does contain spoilers if you haven't read the books!

Forever (Chapter 2)

The Things of Nightmares

“What do they eat?” Danielle asked tucking her feet beneath her and setting her untouched plate of cake on the nightstand next to the bed. She couldn’t stomach even chocolate right now. Werewolves were creepy enough and now Lucas was one of them? If they were like wolves it might not be so bad, but these things were nightmarishly frightening with distorted human faces semi-cloaked beneath a wicked-looking mask of a beast. A shudder rolled up her spine and she looked at Ethan to see if he’d noticed.

Apparently he hadn’t. He seemed really distracted, like he had the weight of dark and wicked things on his shoulders. A little sigh blew past her lips, because he probably did. Staring straight ahead like he was, she could see his profile perfectly. His golden eyebrows were drawn low over his straight nose. Wire-rimmed glasses were perched there and Danielle’s mouth wanted to smile at how handsomely adorable he was with them on. She preferred him this way, slightly blind, and completely normal.... But her smile never made it to her lips because his mouth was pursed with deep thoughts—thoughts that were likely tormenting his peace of mind. His usually calm, blue-eyed gaze reflected the distress within. Again she wondered if he regretted the return to weak-mortal-ness, even though he’d been the one to first partake of the candy before prompting her to follow. He dragged a hand through his blond hair which needed a trim and hung into his eyes until he pushed it back. After a long pause, Ethan finally answered her question. “During a full moon? Flesh ... probably.”

“You don’t know for sure?” she asked, trying not to let what he just said totally freak her out.

His eyes shifted to hers. “No. Their kind is even more reclusive than fairies are.”

Danielle turned away from the upsetting things she could see within his expression, and nudged the plate of cake out of the way as she reached for her tea. Maybe that would help settle her stomach, because it was churning at the idea of Lucas with a whole mouthful of pointy teeth instead of just a pair of fangs. He’d been scary enough as a vampire, and now he was something she knew very little about. A sip of creamy peach liquid filled her mouth and then slid down her throat as she swallowed. “Then how can we fight them?” she asked. Danielle decided the tea was helping a little and took another sip, watching the little rosebud painted inside it disappear as she rocked the cup level again.

“It doesn’t seem like they can do anything to vampires. We’ve fought them before, as you know, and none of us were affected adversely. I suppose it could be due to the fact that the curses were placed by different sorceresses.”

“Hmm,” she murmured as she drank, again watching for the pink rosebud with green leaves inside her cup.

“I love watching you do that.”

Startled by the sudden change in topic she looked at Ethan, who was smiling. “Do what?”

“Watch for the flower.” When she wrinkled her brow at him, confused, he added, “The one inside your teacup.”

While rounding, her eyes swung back as the flower in question disappeared halfway below the liquid line. “You noticed I do that?” Had she even noticed she did that?

He popped a few pieces of popcorn in his mouth and said around it, “I noticed that, and the fact that you’re not really paying any attention to the picture.”

With eyes returning to the television, she figured it had been playing for a while and she had no idea what was going on. Is that what he’d been so focused on earlier? Somehow she doubted it. On a sigh she said, “I need to know more about them, more about what to expect from Lucas now.”

...Note: This series is not suitable for anyone who doesn't like glittering fairies, vicious pixies, hot vampires with British accents, creepy werewolves, the dashing Mr. Darcy, or large amounts of snogging...

(I LOVE comments, by the way...did you like the excerpt? Thanks for visiting, and staying for a bit!)

I LOVE guests as much as comments. ;)

And for more chances to  win go here  I Am A Reader, Not A Writer or here  Reading Lark!!!

Where to find books by Cheri Schmidt:

Amazon around the world:

USA
http://www.amazon.com/Fateful-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fateful/dp/B004VT0RJK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1303005553&sr=8-1

Germany
http://www.amazon.de/Fateful-Book-Series-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK

Italy
http://www.amazon.it/Fateful-Book-Series-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1337779900&sr=8-1

Spain
http://www.amazon.es/Fateful-Book-Series-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337779955&sr=1-2

France
http://www.amazon.fr/Fateful-Book-Series-ebook/dp/B004VT0RJK

If you'd rather have print, discounted copies are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and for free international shipping, get your books from The Book Depository. And don't forget about the signed copies of my books available via my website.

YA Indie Carnival ~ Friday the 13th ~ Or Not...

Actually, I forgot it was Friday the 13th! It’s not something I think about much, mainly because I’m not a fan of horror. At all... So if you came here for horror, then you came to the wrong place! :D

I write YA Paranormal Romance without much in way of horror... Of course my villains are scary, but my stories are not the kind of stuff that will disturb your dreams. At least I don’t think so. Well, I suppose many people did find the spiders in Forever a bit horrifying...what did you expect from witches?

Anyway! Besides the spiders, probably the scariest I get is in my villains. So maybe you’ll enjoy this interview of Lucas that Max did for me. (Note: If you want an excerpt of Max’s story, which I’m working on at the moment, simply scroll down.)

Here is an interview of a vampire, oh wait, I mean an interview of a villain, oh wait, I mean an interview of a werewolf... ENJOY! (told from max's point of view)

“Welcome to Cheri’s blog, my lovely ladies...and dashing gents, whatever the case may be.” Max winks as he sketches a bow, his waves of brown hair tumbling down over his forehead. The knight shoves fingers through his hair to push it back into place as he settles into his chair. “Today, I have Lucas from the Fateful Trilogy here for an interview.” Max twists in his seat to face Lucas who is sitting in a comfortable chair in Beon’s drawing room at Order headquarters. “Welcome, villain.”

Lucas stares, or rather, scowls at Max before he says with a heavy note of annoyance in his tone, “Were you expecting me to cackle evilly, or something? Because it’s just not going to happen.”

Max shrugs his big shoulders and props one booted foot on his opposite knee, the picture of ease. Apparently the knight isn’t intimidated by murdering rogues. Although, it might have something to with the burly vampire body guards posted at the doors during this interview, but only a little bit.  Max is dangerous in his own right. “Shall we begin?” Max drops his gaze for a moment to peek at his notes.

“If you would get on with it, I’d appreciate it. I do have better things to do than sit here with you answering stupid questions.”

“Like what, exactly?” asks Max.

Muscles jump along Lucas’ jaw. His dark eyes narrow on the knight. His nostrils flare. “Are you talking about stupid questions you’d like to ask me, or what I’d rather be doing?”

“The latter, obviously,” mentions Max.

“Mischief and mayhem...obviously,” answers Lucas smugly.

“What sort of mischief and mayhem? Be specific. Our audience is curious to know,” Max queries with an annoyed lift of one eyebrow.

Smirking evilly, Lucas locks his dark gaze onto Max’s in a threatening way. “I could be seeking time alone with Nadia so that I may get to know her better. She and I haven’t...chatted much.” The smirk turns to a leer as it seems Lucas imagines what he’d like to be doing to Nadia.

Max comes back with a threat of his own. His lips thin, his fingers slip into his boot, and in the blink of any eye, he sends a knife at Lucas. The six-inch blade sinks into the back cushion of the chair Lucas is seated in.

The villain didn't even flinch. “No bad for an old rusty knight,” Lucas says in a silky voice.

“I’ve spent most of my life dispatching miscreants like you.”

“We've digressed,” comments Lucas.

Max draws a measured breath and releases it slowly, apparently in agreement. “Do you have any hobbies the readers might not know about?”

“Crossword puzzles,” says Lucas.

A mocking laugh blasts from Max. “Do you also knit?”

Lucas frowns. “You insult me.”

“Every chance I can get.”

“You’re digressing again,” Lucas says. “Did you have any other questions for me? Perhaps something more relevant than what I do with my spare time, like what I do with my victims instead? I can promise you, the readers would be much more interested in what I could be, or rather, will be doing to Nadia.”

“Threaten my wife again, and next time I won’t intentionally miss.” Lucas didn’t seem to have an answer to that, so Max went on, “What made you like this, Lucas? What event in your life darkened your soul so much?”

“I think I was always like this, to be honest,” Lucas says with a note of pride.

“Always evil? Surely as a child—”

“I don’t remember much from my childhood. But what I do recall, it wasn't exactly pleasant.”

“Your father—”

“Wasn't the nicest chap there ever was.”

“So you’re blaming your evilness on him, then?”

Lucas shrugs his shoulders. “I wouldn't be the first.”

“Now you’ve made me curious. Tell me more about your father, would you? What was it about him that turned you to a life of disruptive and violent behavior?”

“This is an insipid line of questioning. Next please,” Lucas says with an air of superiority.

Max rolls his jaw in an apparent effort to keep his anger tamped down. “Fine. Let’s just cut to the chase, hmm? What is it about being a monster that appeals to you so much?”

“It’s a bit cliché, but there is power in fear.”

“So this is all about power?”

Lucas sighs. “Actually, no. It’s all about revenge.”

“Against Ethan,” says Max.

“Precisely.”

“Did I just hear my name?” Ethan asks as he enters with service for tea.

Max draws in a breath of air, and his eyes land on the hot scones on a plate next to the teapot. Despite the fact that he was hungry, he eyes Ethan with unmasked curiosity. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you.”

“I don’t need help.”

“Then I’m simply here to offer refreshment.” Ethan’s gaze touches on Lucas and it was easy for Max to mark the lie.

“Really?” Max asks doubtfully.

“Of course.” Ethan starts pouring out. He has three teacups so Max knows he intends to serve Lucas as well. Intrigued, Max leans back into the cushion and watches to see how this is going to play out. “Would you like a spot of tea?” Ethan asks Lucas.

Lucas eyes the cup wearily. “Is it poisoned?”

A chuckle rumbles out of Ethan. “Would I poison you?”

“Yes. I believe you would.”

“What reason exactly would I have to poison you?” When Lucas doesn’t answer right away, Ethan asks, “One lump or two?”

Lucas folds his arms. The corners of his mouth slid downward. “Where’s Danielle? Isn’t she going to join our quaint little tea party too?”

“No,” Ethan practically growls, straightening, the food forgotten...apparently. Ethan removes his glasses and sets them carefully on the coffee table next to the tea tray.

The action was clearly not lost on Lucas as he also rises to his feet and pushes up his sleeves.

“Ethan, what are you doing now?” Max asks.

“Nothing,” Ethan shoves up his sleeves as well.

“Why did you take off your glasses then?”

“No reason.”

Max rolls his eyes when Ethan throws the first punch, and the two men brawl, spilling the tea, smashing the teacups, and breaking the table.

Max hadn’t noticed at first, but Ethan had ropes and a gag in his back pocket.  As a bruise develops around Ethan’s left eye, and a trickle of blood oozes from his bottom lip, Ethan tightens the knot on the ropes now securing Lucas to the floral-patterned wingback chair.

Clearing his throat, Max folds his arms over his chest and shoots a curious gaze at Ethan. “Exactly how am I supposed to interview the villain with him bound and gagged like that?”

Ethan shrugs his shoulders. “Scone?”

Casting his gaze to the ruined food on the floor he lifts an eyebrow.

Ethan’s face splits into a smile. “I’ve got fresh ones in the kitchen, this was poisoned.”

“And you need a new pair of spectacles,” Max points out.

“Oops,” says Ethan spying his crunched eyewear in the mess littering the decorative rug.

PS: For perhaps some good Friday the 13th reading, check out the Vampire Diaries. A series my daughter loves! It was written long before Twilight was out, and, even though we love the show at our house, the books are nothing like it. They're better, in a different sort of way...

~0R~

Some of my fellow carnis can better take care of you in terms of horror than me, so please take a minute to check out their blogs too. (But before you leave, view the post before this one, leave a comment about what recipes you’d like to see in Sophia’s cookbook, and be entered into a giveaway for a signed book!)

YA Indie Carnival:
New!!! Liz Long, Just another writer on the loose.
1.Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween
2.Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.Heather Self
4.T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5.Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
6.Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy
7.Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog
8.K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
9.Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series
10.Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
11.Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews
12. Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
13.M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping
14.Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind
15.Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls
16.Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler
17.Gwenn Wright, author of Filter
18.TG Ayer
19.Melissa Pearl, Author of The Time Spirit Trilogy
20.Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga
21.Roots in Myth, PJ Hoover
22.Courtney Cole Writes

Up and Coming! Borrow Fateful, Fractured, or Forever for FREE!

I hope everyone is having a nice Spring Break! If you’re looking for something to read, YA Indie Carnival has some great new releases available, go here to check them out!

And The Fateful Trilogy just went prime, so you can borrow any of the three books for FREE from Amazon if you’re a member of their prime program! Just click on the book covers in this post to get them from Amazon.

The Fateful Trilogy is Ethan’s and Danielle’s story only. But I know many of you fell in love with the side characters as well. To be honest, in some cases, that really surprised me! They were just side characters, after all! But I’m also very flattered and my head is still in that world as well as with Ethan and Danielle. So I simply can’t stop myself from writing about these “side characters” that you’ve fallen in love with. While the Fateful Trilogy was just for Ethan and Danielle, the Fateful Series is for all of them!!!

I have so many books planned, it’s really hard for me to list them all especially since I don’t know how soon their releases are, but I’ll do my best to give you a preview. Note: The titles of all of these could change...and these are not in order of release:

Sophia's Cookbook for Mortals: A fun and real recipe book featuring recipes Sophia likes to mess up her apron with.

Maximilian: A novelette on how Max joined a new Order of Knights and then met Nadia. This one will start out in a historical setting and move to a modern one. (For an excerpt of this story got to the blog post right before this one!)

Becoming Cursed: A novelette in a historical setting on how Beon became a vampire and then courted Sophia by kidnapping her.

The Black Prince: A novelette on your favorite surly prince.

Little Red: A novelette about the red-headed witch in Forever and her forbidden love for a werewolf.

I have plans for some of the other Fateful side characters as well, like Brianna, Danielle’s cousin. I just haven’t worked out all of the details yet. so please stay tuned! ;)

The Trapping Club: I have a lot of handwritten notes for The Trapping club—this is the sequel to Fair Maiden, or book 2 in that series. Beginning with a magical masquerade and a kidnapping, The Trapping club is the tale of second sons as they struggle for survival in a society that leaves such forgotten. Those who’ve read the first book will be surprised to find that the hero of this next enchanting tale is the brother of the villain in Fair Maiden, and the heroine will be a grown-up Emma...

The Mistaken Reformer: This is book 3 in the Fair Maiden series. Peter, Christian’s brother will be the hero and the heroine is still a mystery as of yet...

The Fairy Ring Enchantment: This is the first story I dreamed about, thinking it would be a short picture book. But when I started writing, it was turning into a novel. With no plans of becoming a writer, I was extremely confused by that. I never thought I'd have a novel in me. This is a story about fair rings and why you shouldn’t step inside them...

I’m also working on a steampunk story and, believe it or not, a new twist on Peter Pan! But a gown up Peter Pan. Just like a grown up Jeremy Sumpter as shown in the photo on the right. LOL In truth, the Peter Pan one totally took me by surprise and came to me in a dream a couple of weeks ago. Both of these stories should appeal to those of you who loved Fair Maiden. I'm sure I'm forgetting to list a few, but this is all I can recall at the moment.

Lunar Love Giveaway Hop

(This giveaway is now closed. I will email the winners as soon as I have the names entered into Virtual Hat. Thank you to the 122 people who entered. Good luck!)

Hosted by the wonderful I'm A Reader, Not A Writer and Bookworm Lisa.

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 prizes!: (I'll give away two prizes again.)

Prize #1~One signed copy of any one of my books. Winner's choice.

 ~or~

Prize #2~An eBook copy of Fateful, Fractured or Forever, gifted to you from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Winner's choice.

USA only. Good luck! (Note: Prime is expiring on Fateful, and when it does, it will again be available on B&N.)

To Enter:

Simply follow my blog and fill out the form below.