Yes, I'm talking about me! I visited Budapest, Hungary, at the turn of the week!
I thought I'd share some pictures, if you want to see them all, visit this facebook page.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
THE COWBOY AND THE VAMPIRE GIVEAWAY!
Now hopefully you've been keeping tabs on this weekend, but here's a reminder of what's been going down!
There is plenty of time to go drop by the other Days after you take part in the Giveaway below for example the Guest Blog is very funny and witty, stating the differences between cowboys and vampires so you don't get them mixed up. ;) The Interview is great if you are interested in reading the book, knowing things about the main characters that haven't come up before and incase you are like me, waiting for Blood and Whiskey, the sequel! And if you want to read an excerpt or my opinion on the book, check out the Review!
Part of Day 1 of The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend!
Read the authors' Guest Blog "Cowboy or Vampire?" A field guide to help you quickly spot the difference between Cowboys and Vampires...
Part of Day 1 of The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend!
On Saturday Day 2, Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall drop by for an Interview about "The Cowboy and The Vampire", the Sequel "Blood and Whiskey", writing and what you never knew about Tuker and Lizzie before this!
What you need to know about this Giveaway!
Open:
December, Sunday 4th until Sunday 18th!
To Participate:
1. Be a GFC / RSS / Networked Blog follower - The 1 and only mandatory thing to win
(This is easy, click on the side bar at the top your fave way to follow my blog and your done, don't forget to leave the name you follow in, in the rafflecopters Extra Info? line - If you take preferences GFC would be great )
To Get Extra Entries:
2. Like For The Love of Reading! Facebook Page
3. Follow me on Twitter, @Freywyn
4. Leave a blog comment by answering "Which would you choose, Vampires or Cowboys?" of course you can comment about anything else as well, like *squee* at how good the book is. ;)
5. Tweet about the giveaway, the Rafflecopter has the tweet, all you have to do it go to your Twitter Profile (in another window) click the time you posted the tweet (26 second ago, for example) and as the whole tweet pops up you get the link to it from where you type URL (does that have a proper name?!) and give it Rafflecopter where is asks for it. :)
6. You can Tweet about the Giveaway once a day, for the two weeks if you wish and gain +12 entires. ;)
What you need to know about this Giveaway!
Open:
December, Sunday 4th until Sunday 18th!
To Participate:
1. Be a GFC / RSS / Networked Blog follower - The 1 and only mandatory thing to win
(This is easy, click on the side bar at the top your fave way to follow my blog and your done, don't forget to leave the name you follow in, in the rafflecopters Extra Info? line - If you take preferences GFC would be great )
To Get Extra Entries:
2. Like For The Love of Reading! Facebook Page
3. Follow me on Twitter, @Freywyn
4. Leave a blog comment by answering "Which would you choose, Vampires or Cowboys?" of course you can comment about anything else as well, like *squee* at how good the book is. ;)
5. Tweet about the giveaway, the Rafflecopter has the tweet, all you have to do it go to your Twitter Profile (in another window) click the time you posted the tweet (26 second ago, for example) and as the whole tweet pops up you get the link to it from where you type URL (does that have a proper name?!) and give it Rafflecopter where is asks for it. :)
6. You can Tweet about the Giveaway once a day, for the two weeks if you wish and gain +12 entires. ;)
Now let's go to the Rafflecopter below!
ANOTHER CHANCE - REVIEW, GUEST BLOG & GIVEAWAY!
"Being a veterinarian in the late 1800’s is difficult enough, but for Jillian Matthews it’s impossible. Not allowed in the vet schools, she trained at her father’s side until she had the skills needed to move west. Jillian accepts an advertisement for a position in Montana, using only her initials which happen to be same as her father’s. Convinced that in the untamed west, her skills will be valued and appreciated, regardless of her gender, she’s quickly proved wrong."
Pages: 348 pages
Publisher: Michelle Beattie
Published: November, 2011
Form: E-Book (review copy through the author for an honest review)
Genre: Western / Romance
Amazon: Buy / $5.74
Excerpt: The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Chapter
“Being a veterinarian in the late 1800’s is difficult enough, but for Jillian Matthews it’s impossible. Not allowed in the vet schools, she trained at her father’s side until she had the skills needed to move west. Jillian accepts an advertisement for a position in Montana, using only her initials which happen to be same as her father’s. Convinced that in the untamed west, her skills will be valued and appreciated, regardless of her gender, she’s quickly proved wrong.
Wade Parker is sure the pretty redhead claiming to be the vet he sent for is one of his ranch hands’ practical jokes but the fiery woman very quickly puts him in his place and proves him wrong. His impression, however, turns south when the animal she operated on later dies. With a ranch on the verge of bankruptcy, losing an animal was the last thing he could afford and he can’t help thinking the old vet, the male doctor, wouldn’t have let his animal die.The characters: Jillian wants to change the world she lives in, she wants to be able to do what she sees as her calling. The times aren’t quite right for it, but the resistance she faces doesn’t really get to her, she know she's good at what she does. Jillian pigheadedly pushes forward until things finally begin to give.
With Wade’s initial reaction guiding them, the town is quick to want Jillian out. But the more Wade gets to know Jillian, the more he sees her grit and compassion, the harder he falls for her. When Wade realizes he was too hasty in his judgment and urges the town to give Jillian another chance, he makes more than few enemies. Enemies that would do almost anything to get her out, and to make sure Wade doesn’t take her side again.
Soon threats turn to violence and both Wade and Jillian must make a stand. The problem is, at what cost?”
Wade is a widower, a father of a small girl and the way he’s been burned he doesn’t want a relationship, but he can’t get Jillian of his mind. Wade’s stubborn, at times even rude, but warms up towards the end. Watching his internal struggle is sometimes even amusing, he wants Jillian but does everything stop himself.
I would have hoped a little more softness from them, but with their backgrounds it makes sense that things needed to build up.
The plot: Tricking people of the small town in Montana to hire her as a vet, under the assumption that she’s a man, ends up biting her in the butt. Townsfolk refuse to accept her and use her services.
It’s true that circumstances like these actually convinced men that women could do the jobs as well, when there weren’t men around to do them. This book has a "Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman" feel to it, if you liked the show you’ll enjoy this book as well!
The writing: The writing is very calm and nicely drawling, it’s not fast paced, but has a nice bit of action in it to keep the reader reading, Another Chance is more a character driven hardships and trials type of story. There was one thing that prevented me from going with the flow of the story, the text was at time underlined which broke my concentration from the mood of the story - but this is fixed for the Kindle Edition on Amazon, so you needn't worry about it.
Another Chance gives you a western, with a woman needing to prove she can belong, and a man who needs closure on his wife’s death to move on and realize it’s not so bad to fall in love again - and enough townsfolk and one with a bad enough grudge to cause some major trouble.
Rating :
Michelle Beattie also graciously agreed to make my blog a little more interesting with this Guest blog, who knew Cowboys and Pirates had so many things in common! ;D
Pirates and Cowboys-They're More Alike Than You Think
- a guest blog by Michelle Beattie
I've published three pirate novels so far (with the plan to finish the series to total five books) and now I've published a historical western. At first, this might seem strange. There's quite a stretch between seventeenth century pirates and nineteenth century cowboys. Or is there?
Sure, most cowboys in the "wild west" had likely never seen an ocean, never mind lived most of their lives on one, but it goes deeper than that. And after being asked, "why pirates?" and "why cowboys?" I decided to examine my love of these two a little closer and what I found explained why they are both so special to me.
- They made a living despite the risks, the odds, and the elements. Let's face it; neither life could have been easy. Plowing fields by oxen or horse, homesteading a property from nothing and doing it without cranes, bulldozers and tractors. Living with thirty or so men on one ship, day in and day out. Getting shot at, being hunted. It wasn't easy. Books and movies make it seem romantic, but what they did just to survive took guts. Lots of it. I admire that.
- Despite their sometimes savage-like behavior, pirates lived by a code (the articles they signed when they joined a vessel). Maybe it only made sense to them, but there was honor and trust. In order to be successful they had to work together. So like a rancher with his hands and his family. They honor each other, respect each other's contribution and reciprocate that with loyalty. They know that alone they can't make it work, it takes them all. And if you help me, I'll help you. A shame that way of thinking is eroding. We're all so busy now that it's hard to drum up the time, sometimes, to help others. And yet we should.
- They're timeless. Cowboys and pirates have been around for centuries, capturing the imagination of everyone, young and old. Most child imaginable has played Cowboys and Indians, played pirate like Captain Hook in Peter Pan. Maybe we wouldn't want to live their lives completely, but how many of us wouldn't give a day or two to live as one? I know I would!
- They know what they want and they go after it. They don't let anything stand in their way and they continue to work at it until they've achieved it. How sexy is that?
- And lastly, they're sexy. Oh, come on, you know it's true. At least in our imagination (and thanks to Johnny Depp!) The shirts billowing in the wind? The hats? The swagger? The way they have with the ladies? Romanticized or not it works for me!
( to get two extra entries onto the giveaway answer this guestion! )
Giveaway time!
If you’d like to win an e-copy of Another Chance,
Friday, December 2, 2011
THE COWBOY AND THE VAMPIRE - AUTHORS INTERVIEW
Day 2 of "The Cowboy and The Vampire" Weekend!Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays are co-authors of The Cowboy and The Vampire and it's a pleasure to have them come by on Day 2 to talk about the book, the sequel and what you didn't know about Tucker and Lizzie before this! Also don't miss Day 1's the 5 Star Review and the hilarious Guest Blog "Cowboy or Vampire?" And remember to come back tomorrow, Sunday 4th, for the book Giveaway!
So let's begin!
Niina : Welcome to ”For The Love of Reading”, I’m so glad you agreed to stop by this weekend. Now, can you introduce yourself a little and tell how you came to write “The Cowboy and the Vampire” together?
Clark : Hi Niina, it’s a real pleasure to be back. Let us tell you a little bit about ourselves first and then we’ll share a how we came to write the book. I’ll start. I grew up mostly in Alaska, Scotland and Montana (my dad worked in the oilfield). We had a cattle ranch in Montana right at the base of some gorgeous mountains and I did all of the expected cowboy stuff — riding, roping, branding and stacking hay. I’ve been writing for years, poetry and fiction mostly, and I currently work in communications for a national financial services company.
Kathleen : Hi Niina. Thanks for having us; here’s my lightning bio. I was born and raised in Washington, DC, and my early career was in geology. Now I work in communications for a university. I’ve been writing — mostly articles about energy and science — for many years, and have been focused on fiction for the last ten years. But I still love volcanoes and my life goal is to visit every active volcano in the world by the time I die.
Now, here’s how we came up with The Cowboy and the Vampire: The book was inspired by our own romantic entanglement and we developed the idea as a test for our marriage (we passed!). We’d come close to making our relationship work but then took a painful break for two years. When we crashed back together, we decided if we could work well on a creative project, it was likely we could stay together romantically. We picked cowboys and Vampires because Clark grew up on a ranch and loved the environment and myths of West. Kathleen, while no one can prove she is a Vampire, was comfortable in urban settings and is fascinated by the neurology of religious beliefs, something that shaped our take on Vampires. We decided these two popular archetypes would allow us to move through the landscapes we both love, develop characters that resonated with our experiences, explore some big concepts — like good and evil — and the best part is they are all wrapped up in a narrative that mirrored our own “opposites attract” relationship.
Once we had got the idea hashed out, we had to come up with the plot. About 11 years ago, we sat in the smoking section a truck stop in Madras, Oregon, drinking bad coffee and sketched out the broad strokes on the back of a paper placemat in crayon.
Niina : It’s always great to find out how a novel got started, thanks! Now what was the best part about writing ”The Cowboy and The Vampire?” And what chapter or scene is your favorite?
The best part about writing The Cowboy and the Vampire, and the best part about writing as a couple, is that we are able to spend so much time and creative energy together in this very intimate act. It’s definitely strengthened our relationship and adds a layer of authenticity to the romance, and the fights, between the main characters in our books. In fact, there’s a great scene in Blood and Whiskey, out in 2012, based entirely on a long-running fight we have about teeth flossing, of all things.
Clark : My favorite scene is in Chapter Four when Tucker and Lizzie go skinny dipping in Widow Woman Creek. The water is so cold, she jumps out and streaks naked past Dad who is just driving up. It’s a funny, sweet scene that sets the mood before dark, terrible things start to happen.
Kathleen : One of my favorite scenes is the mass turning in Chapter Two. It’s gross and bloody, but it captures the cruel, glittering urban life of the Vampires. Staged to awaken the power in Lizzie, the turning takes place in an art gallery and it is so horrible to witness it sends her careering back to Wyoming into the arms of Tucker.
Niina : Tell us a little about the process of your co-writing, what’s a must and what’s a no-no?
Writing together is definitely a challenge, but a good challenge. When we first started working on The Cowboy and the Vampire, we thought we could alternate chapters between the male and female leads but that only lasted about four chapters before we realized there was going to be so much back and forth, so much editing and rewriting, the idea of keeping separate voices wasn’t viable. So even though we alternated chapters, and brought our own unique experiences to each character, it quickly became a completely shared process. It mirrored the progression of our own relationship — we started out as two good writers and by the time the book was finished, we were one great couple. It was almost like magic, like alchemy, and we think that energy is clear in the book.
The best part about writing together is you have built-in support to stay motivated, and you can produce twice as much in the same amount of time.
Kathleen : A must for writing together is an enormous, some might say volcanic, amount of patience. We both have big egos and don’t like having our words changed. We fight over commas, grammar and character motivation. In the end, the product is better. And we usually are too.
Clark : A no no is becoming enchanted with your own words and stubbornly holding on to scenes that simply don’t add to the story.
Niina : What character, away from the main couple, became your favorite?
Kathleen : I like Elita, a very powerful, sexy and evil Vampire. She has been alive for thousands of years and is used to getting her way. Lizzie comes along and messes everything up for her, but she remains fierce and completely in control.
Clark : I’m a big fan of Lenny, Tucker’s friend — a survivalist, improvised weapons expert and conspiracy theorist. He is convinced the government is up to no good and, once he finds out about the shadowy world of Vampires, is eager to help Tucker come up with some weapons suitable to take them down.
Niina : What would a normal day be like for Tucker and Liz?
Kathleen : Before she became a Vampire, a typical day for Lizzie would be to wake up late, have a cup of coffee and a cigarette and then get to work writing — she was a journalist. Now a normal day would be spent dead and in a coffin, hopefully with Tucker watching over her. It’s at night when things really heat up for her.
Clark : A typical day for Tucker would be waking up with the sunrise, maybe going to town for breakfast with Rex, his overly-sensitive dog, then spending the day working — patching broken fence, stacking hay, or riding up into the mountains to check on his cattle. After Lizzie came along, a typical day might involve trying to catch up on his sleep after spending the night with her.
Niina : “Blood and Whiskey”, the sequel, is coming out early 2012, which way are you going with it? Any little secret you can spill?
Blood and Whiskey picks up where The Cowboy and the Vampire left off. We don’t want to provide any spoilers, but suffice it to say their romance is challenged in a number of ways — some typical and others unimagined and pretty horrifying. Part of the book focuses on what happens in the Vampire world when it becomes clear they have limited options to turn humans into new Vampires to keep their bloodlines alive. It all hinges on Lizzie, of course, so a contingent of very powerful Vampires descends on the tiny town of LonePine, Wyoming, to sort matters out. To complicate things, the Reptilian Vampires would be quite happy to see the entire Royal line die out and killing Lizzie would speed that up. There are also some very evil Vampire cowboys who show up with a deadly grudge to settle.
Niina : There is a good amount of critique from the vampires about the values of humans going down, did you purposefully want to have that in the book? If so why?
One of the things we tried to do was give Vampires a moral imperative to feed only on evil humans. That’s their biblical coda, and while some followed that, the evil Julius made it clear that as the world of humans turned crueler and more debauched, Vampires were justified in feeding on anyone they chose. Humans, to his way of thinking, were all lesser beings incapable of anything other than wicked behavior. We pick up this thread more directly in Blood and Whiskey as Lizzie has to grapple with the implications of taking her first human life to survive.
Niina : What did the characters end up looking like in your head? Anyone you’d compare them to? (for example: Liz looks somewhat like Sophia Bush in my mind).
We purposefully leave the descriptions a little vague so people can fill them in as they see fit. Sophia Bush would be a great choice for Lizzie though, but she would have to dye her hair. We go back and forth on who could play them in the movie version. We’ve always sort of seen Tucker as a younger version of Viggo Mortensen or possibly Ryan Reynolds. Lizzie could be played by Blake Lively (mostly because of her awesome hair) or even Anne Hathaway. As for Elita, a traditional casting might be Megan Fox, but we also think Maggie Q could rock the role. Perhaps your readers could give us some suggestions?
Niina : Tell us something about your book that we wouldn’t know just by reading the blurb?
Kathleen : That we have created a new slant on Vampires that mixes evolutionary biology (our Vampires don’t have fangs and they are literally dead — corpses ¬— when the sun comes up) with religious belief. They have their own bible, their own dark morality and the same misgivings and misinterpretations as humans. It retains the classical evilness established by Bram Stoker and those who came before him, but brings the myth into the modern age.
Clark : That our book if really funny. Especially the relationship between Tucker and his Dad, and between Tucker and his long-suffering canine companion Rex. Who would have thought Vampires and cowboys could be funny?
Niina : Can you tell us three fun/quirky things about Tucker and Liz that we didn't learn from the book?
Clark : Tucker is completely at a loss in big cities, overwhelmed by the number of people. Not scared, just a little befuddled. Chocolate gives him migraines, but he still eats it sometimes. He once accidentally shot himself in the leg as a teenager but didn’t tell anyone.
Kathleen : Lizzie speaks French, but not as well as she thinks she does. She hates Muppets. She also hates intermissions.
Niina : LOL! Let’s get bit more personal now, what would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Kathleen : I talk to myself while I write. And not quietly either. I sound out the conversations with alarming enthusiasm. It’s as if I am in a bubble and no one is around me. At work at my university, they all think I am a little crazy.
Clark : It’s not very interesting, but I write by hand, preferably on an oversized sketch pad with a gel ink pen, and then transcribe it all later.
Niina : What makes you feel like you are reading or have read a truly amazing book?
Kathleen : When I miss the characters after I’m done, I know it was a great book. Like the Icelandic thrillers by Arnaldur Indridason.
Clark : When I would rather go to bed early and read than stay up and write, I know I’m reading something good. I just finished The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and couldn’t wait to read more.
Niina : Would you rather meet real vampires or real werewolves? Clark, you answered this the last time I interviewed you for Red Winter so you get a free pass if you want one. ;)
Clark : I’ll stick with real werewolves.
Kathleen : Based on some of the Vampire characters we’ve created, I’d probably pick Vampires. They are sexy (sorry Clark), powerful and highly intelligent. They have been around for thousands of years and knew, and influenced, all the great thinkers and artists. I would trade some good conversation for a little blood loss.
Niina : Good point, Kathleen! Can you share with us the three books nearest to you?
Clark : Porius by John Cowper Powys; Cruelty: Human Evil and the Human Brain by Kathleen Taylor; and The Egyptian by Mika Waltari (which you sent to us and I’m looking forward to reading!).
Kathleen : Hmm, closest to my heart or closest to my night stand or next up in my Kindle? Closest to my heart, it’s Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. To my nightstand, it’s an Advanced Readers Copy of Thirst by Gelasimov that I need to review, and ready to go in my Kindle is the latest Walt Longmire mystery by Craig Johnson.
Niina : What about Tucker and Liz makes you go, “oh don’t do that!”?
Clark : Sometimes, Tucker should think before he acts. Especially when it comes to Vampires, he has a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. That gets him into trouble.
Kathleen : After Lizzie is turned, she’s consumed with guilt and wondering if she should just leave him for his own good. He’s the same way, wondering if she would be better off without a human dragging her down. What they need to realize is that it’s the challenges that can make love stronger. They both need to just relax into their relationship a little.
Niina : Now before this interview gets out of hand becomes a novella, here are some Quick Fire Questions before we wrap up here:
(again Clark you get a free pass on this as you’ve endured this before)
Clark : I LOVE it when she has to work and I don’t.
Kathleen : Bring it!
Cats or dogs? Cats. They are good to sleep with.
Beach or forest? Beach. The waves make me feel like the world is being renewed each time they crash. Night or day? Night, even though I tend to fall asleep pretty early. I like to dream.
UF (Urban Fantasy) or PNR (Paranormal Romance)? PNR.
Bad boys or good cops? Good cops with a bad boy tendencies.
Brunettes or Blonds? Blonds who dye their hair brunette.
Vampires or werewolves? Vampires.
Romance or erotica? A 60/40 combination.
Mystery or Thriller? Thriller.
Men: Alpha-male or submissive? Alpha male, for sure. Like a wolf. Or a cowboy.
Male POV or female POV (Point Of View)? Depends on the writer. Some female POVs are awful, but some are great. Same thing for male.
Pick-up or Mini-van? Bicycle.
Beer or Wine? Wine. I only drink beer when I am super thirsty.
Coffee or tea? Green tea; the powdered kind.
Pizza or Restaurant? Pizza without cheese.
Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Dark chocolate. I’m a vegan.
Cake or Donuts? I like to watch how other people eat donuts but I don’t eat either (the vegan thing).
TV or DVD? I love to watch short silly ancient shows on TV, especially sitcoms like MASH and the Flying Nun and Three’s Company.
Golden Girls or Family Ties? Family Ties. I shy away from becoming old too soon.
Movies: Romantic comedies or Action/Adventure? Romantics movies (not necessarily comedies)
Rocks or flowers? Rocks. I love rocks, and volcanoes. And crystals. I like flowers too, but you made me choose!
Times New Roman or Courier? Courier.
Crayons or markers? Markers. I like to create elaborate large intricate doodles with colored markers. Some of them are as big as a wall.
Pens or pencils? Depends on the color.
Kids or pets? Both. I have a lovely daughter, Stephanie, and I’ve had some wonderful pets as well. They need to all get along.
Niina : Thanks a bunch for stopping by, it was fun! Come back anytime you want to.
You can find Kathleen and Clark by:
Clark : Hi Niina, it’s a real pleasure to be back. Let us tell you a little bit about ourselves first and then we’ll share a how we came to write the book. I’ll start. I grew up mostly in Alaska, Scotland and Montana (my dad worked in the oilfield). We had a cattle ranch in Montana right at the base of some gorgeous mountains and I did all of the expected cowboy stuff — riding, roping, branding and stacking hay. I’ve been writing for years, poetry and fiction mostly, and I currently work in communications for a national financial services company.
Kathleen : Hi Niina. Thanks for having us; here’s my lightning bio. I was born and raised in Washington, DC, and my early career was in geology. Now I work in communications for a university. I’ve been writing — mostly articles about energy and science — for many years, and have been focused on fiction for the last ten years. But I still love volcanoes and my life goal is to visit every active volcano in the world by the time I die.
Now, here’s how we came up with The Cowboy and the Vampire: The book was inspired by our own romantic entanglement and we developed the idea as a test for our marriage (we passed!). We’d come close to making our relationship work but then took a painful break for two years. When we crashed back together, we decided if we could work well on a creative project, it was likely we could stay together romantically. We picked cowboys and Vampires because Clark grew up on a ranch and loved the environment and myths of West. Kathleen, while no one can prove she is a Vampire, was comfortable in urban settings and is fascinated by the neurology of religious beliefs, something that shaped our take on Vampires. We decided these two popular archetypes would allow us to move through the landscapes we both love, develop characters that resonated with our experiences, explore some big concepts — like good and evil — and the best part is they are all wrapped up in a narrative that mirrored our own “opposites attract” relationship.
Once we had got the idea hashed out, we had to come up with the plot. About 11 years ago, we sat in the smoking section a truck stop in Madras, Oregon, drinking bad coffee and sketched out the broad strokes on the back of a paper placemat in crayon.
Niina : It’s always great to find out how a novel got started, thanks! Now what was the best part about writing ”The Cowboy and The Vampire?” And what chapter or scene is your favorite?
The best part about writing The Cowboy and the Vampire, and the best part about writing as a couple, is that we are able to spend so much time and creative energy together in this very intimate act. It’s definitely strengthened our relationship and adds a layer of authenticity to the romance, and the fights, between the main characters in our books. In fact, there’s a great scene in Blood and Whiskey, out in 2012, based entirely on a long-running fight we have about teeth flossing, of all things.
Clark : My favorite scene is in Chapter Four when Tucker and Lizzie go skinny dipping in Widow Woman Creek. The water is so cold, she jumps out and streaks naked past Dad who is just driving up. It’s a funny, sweet scene that sets the mood before dark, terrible things start to happen.
Niina : Tell us a little about the process of your co-writing, what’s a must and what’s a no-no?
Writing together is definitely a challenge, but a good challenge. When we first started working on The Cowboy and the Vampire, we thought we could alternate chapters between the male and female leads but that only lasted about four chapters before we realized there was going to be so much back and forth, so much editing and rewriting, the idea of keeping separate voices wasn’t viable. So even though we alternated chapters, and brought our own unique experiences to each character, it quickly became a completely shared process. It mirrored the progression of our own relationship — we started out as two good writers and by the time the book was finished, we were one great couple. It was almost like magic, like alchemy, and we think that energy is clear in the book.
The best part about writing together is you have built-in support to stay motivated, and you can produce twice as much in the same amount of time.
Kathleen : A must for writing together is an enormous, some might say volcanic, amount of patience. We both have big egos and don’t like having our words changed. We fight over commas, grammar and character motivation. In the end, the product is better. And we usually are too.
Clark : A no no is becoming enchanted with your own words and stubbornly holding on to scenes that simply don’t add to the story.
Niina : What character, away from the main couple, became your favorite?
Kathleen : I like Elita, a very powerful, sexy and evil Vampire. She has been alive for thousands of years and is used to getting her way. Lizzie comes along and messes everything up for her, but she remains fierce and completely in control.
Clark : I’m a big fan of Lenny, Tucker’s friend — a survivalist, improvised weapons expert and conspiracy theorist. He is convinced the government is up to no good and, once he finds out about the shadowy world of Vampires, is eager to help Tucker come up with some weapons suitable to take them down.
Niina : What would a normal day be like for Tucker and Liz?
Kathleen : Before she became a Vampire, a typical day for Lizzie would be to wake up late, have a cup of coffee and a cigarette and then get to work writing — she was a journalist. Now a normal day would be spent dead and in a coffin, hopefully with Tucker watching over her. It’s at night when things really heat up for her.
Clark : A typical day for Tucker would be waking up with the sunrise, maybe going to town for breakfast with Rex, his overly-sensitive dog, then spending the day working — patching broken fence, stacking hay, or riding up into the mountains to check on his cattle. After Lizzie came along, a typical day might involve trying to catch up on his sleep after spending the night with her.
Blood and Whiskey picks up where The Cowboy and the Vampire left off. We don’t want to provide any spoilers, but suffice it to say their romance is challenged in a number of ways — some typical and others unimagined and pretty horrifying. Part of the book focuses on what happens in the Vampire world when it becomes clear they have limited options to turn humans into new Vampires to keep their bloodlines alive. It all hinges on Lizzie, of course, so a contingent of very powerful Vampires descends on the tiny town of LonePine, Wyoming, to sort matters out. To complicate things, the Reptilian Vampires would be quite happy to see the entire Royal line die out and killing Lizzie would speed that up. There are also some very evil Vampire cowboys who show up with a deadly grudge to settle.
Niina : There is a good amount of critique from the vampires about the values of humans going down, did you purposefully want to have that in the book? If so why?
One of the things we tried to do was give Vampires a moral imperative to feed only on evil humans. That’s their biblical coda, and while some followed that, the evil Julius made it clear that as the world of humans turned crueler and more debauched, Vampires were justified in feeding on anyone they chose. Humans, to his way of thinking, were all lesser beings incapable of anything other than wicked behavior. We pick up this thread more directly in Blood and Whiskey as Lizzie has to grapple with the implications of taking her first human life to survive.
Niina : What did the characters end up looking like in your head? Anyone you’d compare them to? (for example: Liz looks somewhat like Sophia Bush in my mind).
We purposefully leave the descriptions a little vague so people can fill them in as they see fit. Sophia Bush would be a great choice for Lizzie though, but she would have to dye her hair. We go back and forth on who could play them in the movie version. We’ve always sort of seen Tucker as a younger version of Viggo Mortensen or possibly Ryan Reynolds. Lizzie could be played by Blake Lively (mostly because of her awesome hair) or even Anne Hathaway. As for Elita, a traditional casting might be Megan Fox, but we also think Maggie Q could rock the role. Perhaps your readers could give us some suggestions?
Niina : Tell us something about your book that we wouldn’t know just by reading the blurb?
Kathleen : That we have created a new slant on Vampires that mixes evolutionary biology (our Vampires don’t have fangs and they are literally dead — corpses ¬— when the sun comes up) with religious belief. They have their own bible, their own dark morality and the same misgivings and misinterpretations as humans. It retains the classical evilness established by Bram Stoker and those who came before him, but brings the myth into the modern age.
Clark : That our book if really funny. Especially the relationship between Tucker and his Dad, and between Tucker and his long-suffering canine companion Rex. Who would have thought Vampires and cowboys could be funny?
Clark : Tucker is completely at a loss in big cities, overwhelmed by the number of people. Not scared, just a little befuddled. Chocolate gives him migraines, but he still eats it sometimes. He once accidentally shot himself in the leg as a teenager but didn’t tell anyone.
Kathleen : Lizzie speaks French, but not as well as she thinks she does. She hates Muppets. She also hates intermissions.
Niina : LOL! Let’s get bit more personal now, what would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Kathleen : I talk to myself while I write. And not quietly either. I sound out the conversations with alarming enthusiasm. It’s as if I am in a bubble and no one is around me. At work at my university, they all think I am a little crazy.
Clark : It’s not very interesting, but I write by hand, preferably on an oversized sketch pad with a gel ink pen, and then transcribe it all later.
Niina : What makes you feel like you are reading or have read a truly amazing book?
Kathleen : When I miss the characters after I’m done, I know it was a great book. Like the Icelandic thrillers by Arnaldur Indridason.
Clark : When I would rather go to bed early and read than stay up and write, I know I’m reading something good. I just finished The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and couldn’t wait to read more.
Niina : Would you rather meet real vampires or real werewolves? Clark, you answered this the last time I interviewed you for Red Winter so you get a free pass if you want one. ;)
Clark : I’ll stick with real werewolves.
Kathleen : Based on some of the Vampire characters we’ve created, I’d probably pick Vampires. They are sexy (sorry Clark), powerful and highly intelligent. They have been around for thousands of years and knew, and influenced, all the great thinkers and artists. I would trade some good conversation for a little blood loss.
Niina : Good point, Kathleen! Can you share with us the three books nearest to you?
Clark : Porius by John Cowper Powys; Cruelty: Human Evil and the Human Brain by Kathleen Taylor; and The Egyptian by Mika Waltari (which you sent to us and I’m looking forward to reading!).
Kathleen : Hmm, closest to my heart or closest to my night stand or next up in my Kindle? Closest to my heart, it’s Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. To my nightstand, it’s an Advanced Readers Copy of Thirst by Gelasimov that I need to review, and ready to go in my Kindle is the latest Walt Longmire mystery by Craig Johnson.
Niina : What about Tucker and Liz makes you go, “oh don’t do that!”?
Clark : Sometimes, Tucker should think before he acts. Especially when it comes to Vampires, he has a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. That gets him into trouble.
Kathleen : After Lizzie is turned, she’s consumed with guilt and wondering if she should just leave him for his own good. He’s the same way, wondering if she would be better off without a human dragging her down. What they need to realize is that it’s the challenges that can make love stronger. They both need to just relax into their relationship a little.
Niina : Now before this interview gets out of hand becomes a novella, here are some Quick Fire Questions before we wrap up here:
(again Clark you get a free pass on this as you’ve endured this before)
Clark : I LOVE it when she has to work and I don’t.
Kathleen : Bring it!
Cats or dogs? Cats. They are good to sleep with.
Beach or forest? Beach. The waves make me feel like the world is being renewed each time they crash. Night or day? Night, even though I tend to fall asleep pretty early. I like to dream.
UF (Urban Fantasy) or PNR (Paranormal Romance)? PNR.
Bad boys or good cops? Good cops with a bad boy tendencies.
Brunettes or Blonds? Blonds who dye their hair brunette.
Vampires or werewolves? Vampires.
Romance or erotica? A 60/40 combination.
Mystery or Thriller? Thriller.
Men: Alpha-male or submissive? Alpha male, for sure. Like a wolf. Or a cowboy.
Male POV or female POV (Point Of View)? Depends on the writer. Some female POVs are awful, but some are great. Same thing for male.
Pick-up or Mini-van? Bicycle.
Beer or Wine? Wine. I only drink beer when I am super thirsty.
Coffee or tea? Green tea; the powdered kind.
Pizza or Restaurant? Pizza without cheese.
Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Dark chocolate. I’m a vegan.
Cake or Donuts? I like to watch how other people eat donuts but I don’t eat either (the vegan thing).
TV or DVD? I love to watch short silly ancient shows on TV, especially sitcoms like MASH and the Flying Nun and Three’s Company.
Golden Girls or Family Ties? Family Ties. I shy away from becoming old too soon.
Movies: Romantic comedies or Action/Adventure? Romantics movies (not necessarily comedies)
Rocks or flowers? Rocks. I love rocks, and volcanoes. And crystals. I like flowers too, but you made me choose!
Times New Roman or Courier? Courier.
Crayons or markers? Markers. I like to create elaborate large intricate doodles with colored markers. Some of them are as big as a wall.
Pens or pencils? Depends on the color.
Kids or pets? Both. I have a lovely daughter, Stephanie, and I’ve had some wonderful pets as well. They need to all get along.
Niina : Thanks a bunch for stopping by, it was fun! Come back anytime you want to.
You can find Kathleen and Clark by:
- Visiting their website: www.cowboyandvampire.com
- Checking out their facebook page: www.facebook.com/cowboyandvampire
- Following them on Twitter: @cowboyvamp
- Friending them on Goodreads.com
Read my 5 STAR Review of The Cowboy and The Vampire.
Part of Day 1 of The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend!
Read the authors' Guest Blog "Cowboy or Vampire?" A field guide to help you quickly spot the difference between Cowboys and Vampires...
Part of Day 1 of The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend!
Part of Day 1 of The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend!
Read the authors' Guest Blog "Cowboy or Vampire?" A field guide to help you quickly spot the difference between Cowboys and Vampires...
Part of Day 1 of The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
COWBOY OR VAMPIRE? - GUEST BLOG BY CLARK HAYS & KATHLEEN MCFALL
Cowboy or Vampire?
Use this handy field guide to distinguish between these two unique species and prevent potentially fatal mix ups.
As the coauthors of The Cowboy and the Vampire, we have developed extensive expertise when it comes to these two species. We want to share our knowledge with you, readers of For the Love of Reading, so you have the very latest information available. Think of this as a field guide to help you quickly spot the difference between Cowboys and Vampires to avoid confusion that could prove terminal.
First, as little bit about the species.
The North American Cowboy (Barbarus self-sufficicus) is a relatively new species evolving in the beautiful, challenging environment of the America West in the mid-1800s. Known for their rugged self-sufficiency, limited vocabulary and hardy musculature, the Cowboy flourished until the early 1900s when, due to a combination of shrinking habitat and encroaching civilization, their numbers began to shrink precipitously. The Cowboy still exists in pockets throughout the Americas, though their future is far from certain. It’s worth noting that some modern scholars believe many of the notable characteristics of the Cowboy— rugged individualism, self-sufficiency, strength, etc. — can be found in various cultures throughout the world. Including Finland.
By contrast, the reclusive Vampire (Nocturnes terrriblis) has thrived, albeit in limited numbers, for thousands of years in virtually all cultures and climates. Sunshine-averse, the Vampire can most often be found skulking about in drafty old castles or near cemeteries. Vampires need the blood of humans to survive and have evolved as a cunning super predator able to easily manipulate their prey through a combination of superior intellect, sexual prowess and possibly mesmeric power.
To help ensure quick and accurate identification of the two species, we have prepared a list of common characteristics to help you spot the difference between Cowboys and Vampires:
- Cowboys are often up at sunrise, ready to do a full day’s work. Vampires are nowhere to be seen in the daylight and avoid any kind of work.
- Cowboys are tanned and strong from all of that work, with broad shoulders and rough hands. Vampires are pale, their skin is smooth and they look weak; that is not the case.
- Cowboys are generally laconic, silent most of the time, and when they do speak, it is from the heart. Vampires are forever talking, enchanted by the sound of their own voices and forever trying to manipulate their victims into surrendering to their will.
- Cowboys drink whiskey. Vampires drink blood; occasionally, they also drink very old, very expensive whiskey.
- Cowboys wear cowboy hats and boots. Vampires favor formal eveningwear and occasionally capes.
- Cowboys often have stubble on their masculine jaws. Except for lustrous heads of usually very dark hair, Vampires are generally hairless and often androgynous in appearance.
- Cowboys sleep on bedrolls under the stars. Vampires sleep in coffins in hidden rooms away from the sunlight.
- Cowboys like steaks. Vampires hate stakes.
- Cowboys enjoy slow dances that end with a chaste kiss. Vampires enjoy old fashioned waltzes that end with a crimson embrace.
- Cowboys favor horses and pick-up trucks. Vampires favor horse drawn carriages, and occasionally hearses.
- Cowboys are handy with six shooters and lassos. Vampires prefer shackles and sharp knives.
Note: Astute readers will notice we are only describing the males of the species. While Cowgirls and Vampiresses are indeed common in the wild, at least in some areas, our research on the two is ongoing and as yet incomplete. Initial data suggests they are by far the more powerful gender of the two species and should be approached with caution and respect. And flowers.
Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall have been researching the secret lives of Cowboys and Vampires since the publication of their first book The Cowboy and the Vampire: a very unusual romance. They are hard at work on the sequel, Blood and Whiskey, which will be released in early 2012. You can find more of their insights into these unique species by:
- Visiting their website: www.cowboyandvampire.com
- Checking out their facebook page: www.facebook.com/cowboyandvampire
- Following them on Twitter: @cowboyvamp
- Friending them on Goodreads.com
Read my 5 STAR Review of The Cowboy and The Vampire,
part of Day 1 of The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend!
On Saturday Day 2, Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall drop by for an Interview about "The Cowboy and The Vampire", the Sequel "Blood and Whiskey", writing and what you never knew about Tuker and Lizzie before this!
And you definitely don't want to miss Day 3, the Signed copy of "The Cowboy and The Vampire" Giveaway tomorrow, Sunday 4th!
THE COWBOY AND THE VAMPIRE - REVIEW
Day 1 of "The Cowboy and The Vampire" Weekend!
"Reporter Lizzie Vaughan doesn’t realize it, but she has 2,000 years of royal Vampiric blood coursing through her veins. Neither she nor Tucker, her cowboy lover, has any idea that Julius, the leader of the undead, has a diabolical plan to reign over darkness for all eternity—with Lizzie at his side."
Pages: 408 pages
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Published: October, 2010
Form: Paperpack (review copy through the authors for an honest review)
Series: Book #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Mystery
Amazon: Buy / $11.21
The Book Depository: Buy / €9.85
Barnes and Noble: Buy / $14.47
Excerpt: The 1st and 2nd Chapter
Read the authors' Guest Blog "Cowboy or Vampire?" A field guide to help you quickly spot the difference between Cowboys and Vampires... Part of the The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend!
Living in a small town of LonePine Wyoming, Tucker has spent his life on the ranch in the company of his dog Rex and his horse Snort. Then he meets Lizzie, a reporter, in town doing a piece called “The Last Cowboy”, the New York City girl finally wins/wears him over and the two begin a long distance romance.
Lizzie’s putting finishing touches on her newest article on vampires when she’s invited to a vampire gathering in an upscale NY art gallery. Expecting piercings, lots of black and fake dental wear she’s shocked to witness a bloody massacre by sophisticated self-proclaimed vampire Julius. Lizzie escapes to LonePine to be with Tucker while she tries to figure out what the hell happened in New York.
But when vampires arrive to LonePine and forcefully remove Lizzie from Tucker’s care the cowboy has to head to New York with Rex to save his girl from the vampires who want Lizzie to become their Queen of Uncreation: the destruction of Adamites, the destruction of humankind.
"About that time Rex quit his barking and stood wagging his little stump of a tail and whining. The headlights shut off and the door opened up and Lizzie stepped out. "Hey, cowboy," she said. You could've knocked me over with a feather.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I stammered and she walked up as natural as can be.
"Is this a bad time? I could come back later," she said smiling.
I just drew her into my arms and kissed her for all I was worth and felt her pull herself tight against me. Standing there we were able to say hello without words for better of ten minutes. Then we moved inside and continued saying hello, still without words, for better than two hours."
You know how you expect a lot from a book, cause it seems to have everything you love, and then it turns out to be mediocre? Well this book isn’t one of those!
This is in fact in the top five books I’ve read this year, and I somehow knew I was going to love it when I first saw it online. Now let’s move on to why it’s so good!
The characters are great, Tucker is your quintessential Cowboy, he speaks, acts and thinks like a cowboy (the mental dialog is one of the best parts to me about the book), he has attachments to his animals and down-to-earth sensibility about what needs to get done, be it fix a fence to keep them darn alpacas of his land or going after his girlfriend, abducted by the evil undead vampires.
Lizzie has the through fire reporter attitude without the over the top exaggeration, she strong, stubborn and pigheaded (in fact it takes quite a lot of convincing her that vampires are real and that she’s not surrounded by delusional nutjobs, where Tucker has the benefit of witnessing them “in action”) but in the humane way that she has vulnerabilities like any human would. She’s great match to Julian who is deliciously supercilious, prophet syndrome suffering royal bloodline vampire pain in the ass.
This book has a multiple point-of-views, having Lazarus, Julian, Elita or Sully tell the story forwards makes the story world seem so much more real, which means you get ten times more invested in their lives.
Out of the supporting characters my favorites were Elita, a seductive evil vampire who refuses to recognize that’s she’s not as 100% evil as she keeps saying she is. And Lenny, the LonePine’s lone militia, a paranoid and conspiracy theory wielding man who helps Tucker out in creating some vampire takedown weapons.
And let’s not forget Rex, the dog is a great comic relief that never leaves Tucker’s side.
"The first couple dozen time those damn alpacas trespassed, Rex rounded them up and send them skittering home like the champion cow dog he is. Eventually, those goats took to spitting on him and so damaged his pride that he now refuses to even get out of the truck when they're around. Cow dogs are touchy about that sort of thing. This morning, he was sitting in the driver's side looking nonchalantly the other way like he was dreaming of a better place, the kind of place where dogs don't get spit on by goats."
The Cowboy and The Vampire isn’t just written well, it’s also very funny, some of the best bits provided by the relationship between Tucker and his dog Rex, but also Tucker’s Dad creates lighter moments, where Julius and Lazarus drive the momentum of what’s at stake for everyone involved.
The Cowboy and The Vampire is a sizzlingly dark tale of thousand years old power struggle, and in the middle of it Lizzie, a human with 2000 years of royal vampire blood just waiting to be harnessed and a cowboy with one single goal, keep his girl safe and love her no matter what.
Dark and enigmatic journey from Wyoming to NY to New Mexico where vampires snap at your heels and what stand between you and your enemy is your cowboy and his sheer will to survive. Oh, and his cow dog too…
Rating :
Read the authors' Guest Blog "Cowboy or Vampire?" A field guide to help you quickly spot the difference between Cowboys and Vampires...
Part of Day 1 of The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend!
On Saturday Day 2, Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall drop by for an Interview about "The Cowboy and The Vampire", the Sequel "Blood and Whiskey", writing and what you never knew about Tuker and Lizzie before this!
And you definitely don't want to miss Day 3, the Signed copy of "The Cowboy and The Vampire" Giveaway tomorrow, Sunday 4th until dec. 18th!
FRIDAY FOLLOW - BOOK PET PEEVES
This week's question :
"What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!"
Features this week are: FicBookReviews & Lauren Gets Literal!
How does this work? You visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "Hi!" in their comments. You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!
Don't miss The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend! On right now!
This week's question :
"What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!"
Answer :
I'm currently reading, about finishing, a book that has Underlining with some words, and that seems to really break me from concentrating on the story. What else? Oh, I don't like Unsolved Issues, you know when the character does something in the middle of the book and you go 'oh, what was that', and then it's never resolved. What else? I really really dislike animals dying, that's just unnessecery, and it brings out the little sad peta-girl in me. ;) But, okay, what bothers me the most are dumb characters, that's a deal breaker, if the character doesn't work then the book gets shut, as simple as that.
Oh, and don't miss in taking part in The Cowboy and The Vampire Weekend! With a 5 Star Review, Guest Blog "Cowboy or Vampire?", Co-Author Interview and Signed Copy Giveaway coming this weekend you want to take part, drop by, comment and generally *squee* if you're into Cowboys or Vampires, or hey, both!
What about you, what are your biggest book pet peeves?
Really, spill it, I want to know!?
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