Archive for September 1, 2012

I was so excited when I finished reading New Blood: Vampire in the City–Book One! I just had to ask the author, Donna Ansari,  if she would do an interview with me. And she said yes!

Even better! Each week this month, I will have something new about this series! So stay tuned.

First I want to tell you about the story.

cNew Blood



Great job with the cover art Donna. This face is now Emma for me. And the graveyard looks familiar. I recall a certain something that happened there:)

Now for my thoughts and ramblins.

Her night starts normally enough. Emma spends the evening at work. Her job at the advertising agency is not like they portray on TV. Most of the work is tedious and time-consuming. Then along comes the night supervisor, dropping on her desk a rush job which keeps her late.

Staying late to finish it is why Emma winds up in the wrong place at the wrong time, or is it? Well, that is for later.

Exiting the subway, Emma is only a block away from her house when she sees them. Two young men are assaulting another man.Before she can stop it,  her scream slips out and their attention turns to her.

She can see one is holding what looks like a knife and the other a stick. Huh?  As they rush her, she realizes she is mistaken, the knife is actually a metal cross. Screaming still seems like a good idea, but just seems to spur them on.

She manages to get her can of Mace out and let’s go into the eyes of one of her attackers, while the other one just places the cross on her skin. What’s up with that? She keeps screaming and they run off. A quick glance at the victim reveals he is none the worse for wear. She takes a long look, thinking “He’s beautiful.”  He assures her he is fine and after she accepts his thanks, Emma scoots towards the safety of  home, ready for this night to be over.

The whole encounter leaves her feeling strange. What did the boy with the stick mean when he yelled”Looks like we’re going to dust two blood suckers tonight!?” And why was it so hard to walk away from the stranger afterwards?

What Emma doesn’t realize is, that night  set something in motion. Her next encounter with the stranger is not by chance. And when Emma wakes up at his place, feeling great, wearing someone elses pajamas, with no idea how she got there, she is none to happy.

“You had better tell me exactly what happened, bub, because the last thing I remember, I was crossing Queens Boulevard…”

Emma’s life is changed in an instant and it will take all of the courage and take-charge attitude she has to get her through the rough times ahead.

And I do mean rough. Emma gets out of one situation and ends up in another and another…. It is amazing she is still walking around.

She has some new friends, strange friends, and gets a roommate, which really complicates things. How do you hide the fact you are now a vampire from your roommate and best friend? This leads to some sticky and funny situations.

Check out this scene where Emma and Alex are looking up how to kill a vampire on the computer.

I turned back to the computer, where I did a search for :”anatomical position of the heart.” A few minutes of searching and we found out that the heart is two inches to the left of the sternum, between the fourth and fifth ribs.

“Great,” I said. “Now how are we supposed to practice this?”

Alex started unbuttoning his shirt and I reflexively turned away…

“What are you doing?” 

I thought you could practice on me using the blunt end of the stake, and it’s easier to see where the ribs are without my shirt on.”

Still flustered, I said,I guess you should lie down for this.” I stood up and went back into the living room, where I had left the stake. While I was doing that, Alex completely removed his shirt and laid down on the couch.

I hadn’t really gotten a good look at his naked chest in adequate lighting before. Now that I had the chance, and was technically supposed to be studying it anyway, I gave it a good long look. His muscles had good definition without being beefy. You could see the indentations where his ribs were, but just barely. His chest was mostly hairless, except for a small tuft between his nipples. Looking farther down, I saw that he also had a slim, vertical strip of hair from his navel to the top of his pants.

If you’re confused, count,” he said, unexpectedly.

Alex must have seen the confused expression on my face, because he looked highly amused and said,I mean, you should count my ribs.”

“Right,” I said, desperately trying to concentrate on the task at hand. I held the stake in my left hand and used my right index finger to trace down from his collarbone, feeling for ribs. “One…two…three…four…here.”

“That’s too far over. Remember the website we looked at? Go a little more towards the center.”

I slowly moved my finger over a few inches. “How hard do I have to push it in?”

“As long as you aim between the ribs, you shouldn’t have to push that hard. But the main thing is that you will want to do it very quickly, so you don’t give them the chance to wake up before you finish.”

I definitely did not want that to happen.

“Also, I think sitting on his crotch may wake him up,” Alex added.

Did I forget to mention there is some fun, sexual situations in New Blood. They are more hints than explicit, but still sexy.

Lots and lots of surprises, plenty of schtick, and,yes, some romance and sexual encounters, New Blood delivers.

I had a great time following Emma, reading about how she juggles all of the new complications in her life, or is it un-life? You will too.

Like the supernatural? Vamps and other such characters? You’ll enjoy New Blood. Plenty of strange for everyone.

  I loved this book and highly recommend it!

And now I want you to meet Donna.

 Hi Donna. It is so nice of you to stop by and talk for a while.
 
 My readers are anxious for this interview to get rolling, so why don’t you start by telling us about yourself.
 
I live in New York City with my husband and two-year-old son. I’ve lived here most of my life and love it, which is why I wanted to write a series based here. When I was a child, the two things I’ve always wanted to be when I grew up were a writer and a mother, so I consider myself pretty fortunate that I’ve been able to accomplish both of those goals.
 
 I loved how the story started. It felt like it could’ve been me on any given night at work. Did you draw on past experiences when you wrote about Emma’s job and her boss?
 
You’ve discovered my horrible secret–yes, I work in an advertising agency, just like Emma. Although I work in the editorial department, which is probably more boring than working in the art department. Any job where you get excited over the misuse of a semicolon is probably boring by definition. And as for the demanding and annoying co-workers, no comment!
 
 I am always curious about how a story gets started. Where did your idea for Emma and New Blood come from?
 
I’m a long-time Buffy fan, and I love a strong female lead character who learns to overcome adversity. So I wanted to write a story where the protagonist became a vampire and had to deal with all the different dramatic lifestyle changes that it entails. 
 
When you started New Blood, did you already plan on writing it as a series, or did it just grow into one?
 
It’s a little hard to remember at this point. The truth is I wrote New Blood about six years ago. Then I didn’t touch it for a number of years, during which time I went through some major life changes. Then, when finally I read it again, I realized both that I wanted to publish it and that the story had to continue.
 
 Is there a part of the story you really liked but had to remove, and if so, could you tell us why? I know you can’t relate the scene in detail as it would be a spoiler.
 
Technically no, but I did at one point consider writing slightly more explicit romantic scenes. I may have even tried writing a sentence or two, but only ended up embarrassing myself.
 
 Another thing I keep forgetting to ask is, do new characters just pop into your head while writing or do you build them first and then add them in?
 

I am a big believer in outlines, so it’s rare for me to write anything at the spur of the moment, although it does occasionally happen as the story is coming to a conclusion. But part of my writing process is to come up with backgrounds for all the characters, even ancillary ones. 

 
 Now that we have the serious questions done, let’s have some fun shall we?
 
Okay!
 
 Who was the first boy you kissed?
 
My first “boyfriend” was a kid named Thomas in my first-grade class. We insisted on being partners when walking to and from the lunchroom and kissed each other hello and goodbye every day.
 
 What is your favorite reptile?
 
My favorite reptile is a leopard gecko named Spot. Once when I was in an unhealthy relationship, my boyfriend said he would break up with me if I bought a reptile for a pet. The very next day I went out and bought Spot. 
 
If you could have any automobile, which would you have?

The DeLorean from Back to the Future so I could time travel! Seriously, I live in NYC, so driving is the least effective means of going from place to place.

 
 
 What would you like to be called if you had to change your name?
 
My mother told me that when she was pregnant with me, she was approached in a dream by a being who said she would have a daughter and she should name her Donna Marie. I find it hard to argue with that. For awhile, I was thinking about changing my last name to Lancaster (my mother’s maiden name), but then I got married and changed it to Ansari instead.
 
 Say you are locked in a room by yourself. What book would you like to have with you?
 
Can I just have a Kindle and internet service? I know it’s strange but I don’t read that many books in my genre. Right now I’m reading A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. It’s about 1,500 pages. I’d be fine in the locked room for days!
 
 
 Thanks for answering all of my questions Donna. I can’t help myself sometimes. Curiosity gets the better of me and I forget how busy you must be.
 
Thanks! It was fun!
 
 
Hey Donna.  Should we tell them about the upcoming giveaway? I really want to tell them!
 
To celebrate the upcoming release of book three in the Vampire in the City series, I am giving away five free copies of the book that started it all, New Blood!
 
You heard it folks. Next week I will be having a giveaway. Five chances to win New Blood: Vampire in the City – Book One. And there’s more. After that I’ll be…….oops, can’t tell you yet!
 
About the author:
 
Donna Ansari was born in New York City and has lived there for most of her life. Donna graduated from Pace University with a BA in Literature and Communications. Since then, she has been working as an editor, primarily in the field of medical education.
Donna lives in Queens with her husband, son, and large black cat. She is not currently aware of any vampires in her neighborhood.
 
 
You can find Donna here:
 
 
 
 
 
To purchase your own copy, just click on the cover image below.

    It is time to announce the winners of the Tiger Paw giveaway! There are three winners today!

 JO
JANNA
Brenda

Congratulations! I will be emailing you and sending your contact information to Charles.

Thanks to everyone for following Charles and me through this fun and exciting adventure.

Please enjoy the beautiful tiger pictures below!

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Thanks again Charles for allowing me to share your book with others.

If you didn’t win you can still purchase your own copy. Well worth the price!

Ribbons and Awards, OH MY!!!

Posted: September 1, 2012 in Awards
Tags: , , ,

I have been remiss in my posting. I was nominated for two wonderful awards.

          

The clever, and lovable Robert “Chazz” Chute awarded me the Fabulous Blog Ribbon. Isn’t it pretty?

Thanks so much Chazz. I’ve had a lot of chuckles from your posts.

Here’s how it works. I tell you 5 fabulous moments, five things I love and 5 things I hate, and then I nominate 5 friends.

And Annie from the entertaining Chompasaurus Reviews nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award.

Many thanks Annie. I love it! I may not always comment on your blog, but I always pop in!

For this award you tell seven things about yourself and nominate seven friends.

I took the liberty of combining these two awards and my answers should cover all of the requirements.

Five fabulous moments:

1) Top of my list is my son. Finding out I was pregnant was thrilling, seeing his face for the first time was pure bliss, and sharing the last 17 years with him as been my greatest joy! Can’t wait to see where we go next.

2) My mother coming to visit. She is my best friend and an angel on earth. We have so much fun doing just the tiniest little things, like going to Walmart or playing cards. It is all so much better when she is with me.

3) Moving to Alabama. I moved here 26 years ago and never looked back. The gulf coast is beautiful and the people are welcoming. I feel like I have always lived here.

4) Starting my blog. It has been the adventure of a lifetime. Meeting all of the wonderful book lovers and discovering so many great books. I am humbled that people actually want to read what I have to say.

5) Getting my Kindle! I now can carry around so many books. It is lightweight and fits in my purse. Whenever I want I can plug into a book and start reading, anywhere. What’s not to love?

Five things I love:

1) My home. I love how cozy and inviting it is, like a nest. Having the pool out back and satellite TV with Netflix, I never really have to go anywhere to escape and relax.

2) Books! And more books! I have always loved reading, and can’t ever find enough time!

3) Mornings. I love getting up at dawn, grabbing a cup of coffee and reading for a while. The house is quiet and I am so relaxed.

4) Lawnmowers. I know, it’s weird. But, I love the sound of a lawnmower. It is soothing and I love the smell of fresh-cut grass.

5) Nature. I love nature and revel in its beauty and diversity. Even the tiniest insect has an allure. Pick a blade of grass, pick another, each is unique. What a wonderful world.

Five things I hate:

1) I hate the word hate. It is ugly sounding and leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but it has its moments.

2) Prejudice. We all suffer from this whether in small things or large.

3) Commercials. There are so many inane ones and I hate that the volume always goes up during one. I thought they were going to stop doing that!

4) I hate being the last one to enter a room. Everyone looks at me and it makes me feel self-conscious and on display. Never grew out of it.

5) Rush hour. Even here in the south there is rush hour. So many rude, dangerous drivers out there. They need to slow down, be considerate and put away their cellphones. So many times, I get behind someone using their cellphone. They speed up and slow down and wander all over the road. I consider myself lucky to not get in an accident because of this!

Well, that’s a wrap. It;s been fun.

Now for the nominees!

Sherry

Emily

Carlie

Janna

Charles

Stop by and visit Chazz and Annie.  And check out my nominees. You need to meet them.