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Showing posts from October, 2009

Tricky Treats

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Let's be clear from the beginning: I am a fan of candy. In fact, judging from the tightness of my pants, I'm probably too big a fan. However, I've been thinking about the subject of candy a lot lately since everywhere I go someone's selling huge bags on the stuff in preparation for Halloween. Because when it's Halloween, forget about the ghosts and goblins. We all know it's really all about candy. Today, I ate an entire large box of Junior Mints when I played hooky to go see a movie (shhh, don't tell my editor). These are a long-time favorite of mine. Chocolate and mint wins me every time. I'm also a fan of anything with chocolate and peanut butter--Reese's in both cup and piece form especially. And barring access to real chocolate, i've also been known to covet Tootsie Rolls. When Halloween rolled around, these candies mentioned above always got hoarded, along with gum and Bit-O-Honeys. But everything else? Meh. Every now and then I'll indul

Snow Day

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Jeanne here. Ever wonder what it's like to be snowed in? Here are some pics to give you a taste. We had one snow already in September-- THIS one was a son of a bitch. Pictures on the left, a typical snow fall. Pics on the right, yesterday's. Believe me, it reads better than it lives. You can tell the "today" pics are taken from inside. Snow was too deep to venture out! Also note, the street has disappeared. No snow plows in our neighborhood! Mario, bless his soul, is missing all the fun. He’s gone to LA for the weekend. To party with Hollywood types. I imagine he’ll come back with lots of stories. Hopefully, that’s ALL he’ll come back with. This is what he said: I’m going to attend a tribute to Hollywood director Jesus "Chuy" Trevino (NYPD Blue, ER, The Practice, Law and Order, Star Trek: Voyager, Babylon 5). Basically I'm there to schmooze and pay my respects to him (and get away from you). And THEN he asks me to post for him at the Biting Edge on Mon

I Vant to Bite Your Marks!

Wow, that sounds like a case for Germex. Or maybe a dot-to-dot enthusiast with a slight vampire fetish on the side. In reality it's just my cheesy way of saying, "Guys! I got a new book out! Like--now!" It's called Bite Marks. You can see the spiffy new cover over here to your right. (Vanna, if you please?) And I'd wax poetic, but maybe you'd just like to attend my launch party over at Bitten by Books instead? Because I do some some 'splaining over there. And one of the impressive array of prizes includes a set of autographed novels provided by many of the ubertalented and extraordinarily gorgeous authors who make up this very League of Reluctant Adults. Pssh, yeah! But you gotta come soon, because the contest ends at midnight, October 29th. At which point I may just turn into a pumpkin. Or something. See ya there!

Halloween Havoc: Wherein I Blackmail Jeff Strand into Blogging

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All right. I didn't have to blackmail Jeff Strand to blog. I just threatened him a little. With a sharp implement. Hey, I had to contribute something to the Halloween Havoc, and I figured, why not force someone else to blog in my stead? Okay, okay. I'll throw in a contest for a $10 Amazon gift certificate. I'll pick a winner from those awesome enough to leave a comment. I'll announce the winner next Monday. My first-ever Halloween costume was Mighty Mouse, which I think is a fine choice, especially since my fond Mighty Mouse memories have yet to be tainted by some new movie with a CGI mouse and poop jokes. Oh, it'll happen, and I'll whine about it on my blog, but for now MM remains the coolest of the cartoon heroes. After that, I went on a multi-year run as Spider-Man. Sort of. The costume had a thin plastic mask, but the actual torso portion of the costume was not Spider-Man's uniform, but rather a picture of Spider-Man. That's how store-bought kids&#

The Shreveport Smackdown

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As many of your are aware, our own Dr. Peeler's Tempest Rising is hitting stands on November 1. This is exciting because Nicole's one of the League's debutantes, and we're always excited when one of our own pops their cherry has a big debut book launch. To help Nicole celebrate this auspicious occasion, I'll be heading to Shreveport on November 7 for a joint signing at the Barnes & Noble. Yes, apparently there's only one in Shreveport. Anyway, here's the deal: Nicole thinks this is going to be a typical joint signing--readings, Q&A, etc. But the truth is, I'm a little pissed that Dr. Peeler's been spreading dirty rotten lies all over the internet about how selkies are better than vampires. I think we all know vampires rawk the most. Would you rather have an immortal with fangs get your back in a fight ... or a seal? I thought so. Also, I'm pretty sure I can take Nicole. She's feisty and agile, but I've given birth to a twelve

Giligan's Island Redux

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Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, A tale of a fateful trip That started from this little town Aboard this Toyota…. something that rhymes with trip. So it’s not as good as the original Gilligan’s Island lyrics, but I’ve had a rough couple of days. Saturday, Rachel, proprietress of bittenbybooks.com , and I were scheduled to speak at a paranormal panel at a library in Hardin County, Ky, which is a three-hour drive away from Paducah. We decided to ride together to be environmentally responsible and because we have fun when we get together. We have similarly sick senses of humor. And because I’d never been to this library branch and had no idea how to get there. However, Rachel and her husband, Clif, have made several trips to Radcliff. This becomes important later. We started our trip about four hours before we were due at the library, figuring that would give us extra time to arrive. We took off down the interstate, Clif tells Rachel, be sure to tell me when to turn onto th

Um...

I'm not sure if this is appropriate... What's odd about the trailer is...it has the opposite effect from its message. Plus...it's Friday.

Hallowhat?

I know, I'm incredibly annoying. Everyone's all, "Dude, what are you doing for Halloween?" And I'm all, "OMG THAT'S WHEN MY BOOK COMES OUT HELP ME HEY-SEUSS AAAAAGH." And then I reel a bit, and maybe swoon, and definitely flutter a hand in front of my face. I'll try to catch that on video for you. In the meantime, I've got a CONTEST to win some fabulous prizes at my site, here , and you can weigh in at Orbit's site on the HOTTEST NEW DEBATE SINCE THE HEALTH CARE ISSUE (really). Thanks! And now back to Halloween Havoc. I'll celebrate next year. Really.

Ladies and gentlemen, Halloween guest blogger Amber Benson!

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We have a very special treat for this spooky, spooky season, folks. Please give a warm League welcome to our guest today, the lovely and talented Miss Amber Benson. Amber is known for a variety of things. Number one reason for her fame, of course, is that she is a SUPERFAN of my Simon Canderous series, which proves both her wit and intelligence. She even gave me a keen quote for book three. She is also remarkable in that she and I share a pub date for our urban fantasy series. The second book in her Calliope Reaper-Jones series , Cat's Claw , comes out on February 23, 2010, which gives you plenty of time to run out and get book one in it, Death's Daughter . She is also a director, producer, and actor best known in our paranormal little corner of the world as Tara Maclay from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. What I found out earlier this year, and it should come as no surprise, is that Amber is also one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Ridiculously so. When I asked her to guest

Horrible Horror Movies...

I am known for having bad taste in movies. And the wealth of Halloween-themed movies playing is practically a bad movie buffet to satisfy my cravings. If you enjoy schlocky brain candy and you see the following showing on cable, STOP IMMEDIATELY and watch. The Fallen Ones (2005) - A giant Egyptian mummy is unearthed in an American desert, then comes to life when his angel father decides it’s time to rain down some Biblical destruction on humanity. Thank God Casper Van Dien and Robert Wagner (Robert FREAKIN Wagner!) are there to stop it. The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005) - David Boreneaz as a sociopathic thrill-killer who murders Edward Furlong’s girlfriend as he leads his merry band of Satanists to ritual guaranteeing …. Oh, Lord, I don’t know. I stopped caring when Dennis Hopper made an appearance as a psychotic pimp. After that, I just watched it for the “train wreck in slow motion” factor. I love me some David Boreanaz, but I think there’s a reason he hasn’t made many movies. The Cro

Still legal in 49 states

This is cross-posted from my personal blog and is a little more...oh, let's say, diplomatic and politically-minded than something I'd post here at the League. I was going to snark this up, but really, I think the awesomeness speaks for itself. You may insert your own snark. ------------------------------------------------------ My birthday's in less than a month, but today I got an early surprise. Guess what? The Vampire Academy series has been banned! In Texas! Okay, to be fair, the VA series has been banned by only one school district in Texas, but still. Wow. Who knew? The Texas ACLU just released their Free People Read Freely 2009 Report , which talks about all the banned book activity in Texas public schools over the last year. Artist friend John Picacio sent the link to me today, in which I learned that I was the second most challenged/banned author in Texas this year. I suspect this is probably only because JD Salinger doesn't have as many new books out right n

Sorry, what month is it again?

I keep having to remind myself what month it really is, because when you say "Halloween," all I hear is, "month for launching Tempest Rising." So I will, eventually, talk about this "Halloween" of which you speak, but first some updates: I write this from NYC, where we just held the launch party for Tempest Rising. It was sponsored by Balvenie and Sailor Jerry , and it could not have been more fabulous. There will be a blog post forthcoming at my site, complete with pictures, very soon. We've also released the cover for Tracking the Tempest . You can find out more at Orbit's website and at mine . The Italian rights for Tempest Rising have sold, and hopefully we'll get some more exciting international news from the Frankfurt Book Fair. There's also a first chapte r, as well as a slew of new reviews out for Jane True and Co., which you can see here . That's me, in a nutshell. Actually, I'm rarely in a nutshell, but I am often layere

Interiors by SATAN!!!

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One of my favorite parts of Halloween, in addition to the glut of horror movies, the rainy days and chilly nights, and the All Hallow's Eve baby sacrifices, is decorating the house up like Lon Chaney's breakfast nook.  I start where any sensible, morbidly-inclined zombie writer would, the mantle. This year, it looks like this... It's been a work in progress. Last year we added the zombies attacking the townsfolk (b-movie victims playset). This year all we added was the Halloween movie theme sensor-activated skull lights to the black tulle swag. Drives the dogs insane, all accept Chaz who relishes it, evilly. Unlike baths, which he detests. Here, share in his misery... Some places just need a little festive flourish because they're already disturbing, like this French Absinthe ad gets a fresh update with a massive jack-o-lantern on a stand... So!!! What are your favorite Halloween decorations. Do you have pictures? Links? Show us or just tell us.  We'll get the gist.

D'Oh!

It was a beautiful roast. Nice slab of fat on the bottom, but only slightly veined through the rest, which was thick with quality meat that would be so tender after I was done cooking it that it would literally fall off the fork when I tried to scoop it out of the crock pot. The project started great. I seared the roast in an iron skillet. Locked the juices in and added a little extra yum at the same time. Then I set the meat in some water with bay leaves, salt, and pepper. And left. Yeah. Forgetting to turn the frigging crock pot on. I think this is how the Swamp Thing was spawned. No human mom and alien dad. No reptile/human DNA fusion. Just a damn roast that some distracted author forgot to cook and then, with regret bordering on plate throwing, had to throw out. One lightning strike later you've got a walking, hissing serial killer with the hots for screaming women who conveniently pass out so they can be carried around the Everglades like lazy queens. The bright si

Guest Post: Nancy Holzner's Guide to Fending Off A Zombie Attack While Trick-or-Treating

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Yep, you read that right. How to fend off and/or prevent a zombie attack while Trick-or-Treating. We all know zombies are on the rise, so urban fantasy author Nancy Holzner agreed to join us today with her tricks on avoiding such a catastrophe. Welcome, Nancy! ### In the town where I live, my neighborhood is trick-or-treat central. Last year, we gave away 20 pounds of candy to 565 trick-or-treaters. (Yep, we know the exact number. My husband sat on the front porch with a clicker to count them all.) Kids descend on our neighborhood from other parts of town, from the surrounding farms and villages, even from other cities. Because trick-or-treating is so popular on my street, I understand better than most how nothing spoils Halloween fun like a zombie attack. So I’ve put together this list of safety tips for trick-or-treaters who want to be prepared in case the walking dead come moaning at them out of the shadows: 1. There’s safety in numbers. It’s always best to trick-or-treat with a gr

Scaredy-Cat Confession

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I love horror movies (and no, that's not my confession). I've been watching horror movies since I was a small child. I loved Freddy Krueger and the Crypt Keeper. I remember watching Critters over and over on cable. The violence never registered on my radar; I loved the way the bounty hunter's face kept changing. My dad let me rent a schlocky, gory (and yes, cheesy, because this was the eighties) movie called Slaughter High and I watched it alone--as an eight year-old. Thing is, those movies didn't really scare me. One or two very specific things freaked me out a little (Marty's laugh at the end of Slaughter High , for example, made me hide behind the recliner until the video tape stopped playing and it rewound itself). But for the most part, no. Not too scared of them. I don't remember ever having a nightmare about Freddy or anything else in those horror movies. Know what I did have nightmares about as a kid? Yep. And not because it was an awful movie, and no

Guest Interview: Beth Fantaskey Returns!

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You may recall our friend Beth Fantaskey, whom I interviewed earlier this year to discuss her fantastic YA vampire novel, JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE. And you may recall my shameless, petulant whining for a sequel, expanding on the main character's relationship with her dark, brooding vampire prince, Lucius. Jessica Packwood has always known she was adopted. She did not know she was the last princess born to a noble and ancient vampire line. Or that she was promised in marriage to the son of a rival royal vampire clan in a ceremony just after she was born. When her betrothed- posing as a yummy, if somewhat arrogant foreign exchange student from Romania- shows up on her first day of senior year to demand her hand, her whole world is turned upside-down. As the book comes to a close, Jessica is faced with her greatest task yet, planning the royal wedding that will unite Lucius' house with her own. While Beth has spent the last few months focusing on her next pro

Character Graveyard is LIVE... so to speak

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The new Character Graveyard feature at mollyharper.com is up and going. A while back, I joked with my agent, Stephany, that I needed to start an online memorial for my "fallen characters," - the characters cut from my manuscripts because they're bogging the story down. So, with the publication of NICE GIRLS DON'T DATE DEAD MEN, I am eulogizing the darker, creepier version of Adam Morrow, who was cut from DEAD MEN and NICE GIRLS DON'T LIVE FOREVER. I'll add more memorials as more characters are ruthlessly eliminated. Enjoy!

Halloween Havoc Kick-Off

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HAPPY OCTOBER, folks! I honestly don't know where the year's gone. It's getting dark sooner, it's getting cold at night (it's that much closer to my and Nicole's release dates!). The leaves are starting to turn. Yes, folks, it's autumn. Which means Halloween Havoc! All month, we'll be bringing you an assortment of guest blogs, interviews, personal experiences, maybe a beheading or two, and possibly a contest. It's that time of year, so put on your favorite costume and stay tuned here at the League! I'll kick things off with this vid clip. It's the teaser trailer for my most anticipated film of October.