Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for the Rites of Spring Blog Hop. I love this time of year because I can open the doors and windows of my house and enjoy the breezes that come through. I also get to see new growth on the trees and flowers in the garden. New beginnings. The best time of year.
This blog hop is all about firsts, and I'm happy to say I've just celebrated my FIRST publishing anniversary. Woot! So exciting.
I write paranormal stories because the very first book I remember my father reading to me was the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. Have you ever enjoyed his work? It's where I learned how the Elephant's Child got his trunk, how the Camel got his hump, how the Leopard got his spots, and the song of Old-Man Kangaroo. I whiled away many a night dreaming of the great gray-green greasy Limpopo River and the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake, and danced to dreams of the Dingo-Yellow Dog Dingo and Old Man Kangaroo. The animals could speak and had adventures of their own. Better than Disney, it set me on my path writing about werewolves, dragons, goblins, and the magic of the Fae.
If you haven't ready Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, I highly recommend them, and they're great bedtime stories for your kids if you have them. I've introduced my kids to the Camel already and The Elephant's Child is next. :)
As for my own stories, the first book in the Callowwood Pack series, Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack, is out and available for your pleasure. It introduces my werewolves and how the wolves learned to walk like a man. ;) Oh yes, Best Beloved, you can learn this tale along with Julianna Morris as she trains to be the Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack. Here is the blurb:
Julianna Morris didn’t know werewolves existed…until she became one.
Hiding her new identity, Julianna returns home only to find her teenage crush, Jeff Lightfoot, is the future Alpha of the Callowwood werewolf pack. She’s unexpectedly chosen as a candidate for the pack’s next Luna, the Alpha female—and Jeff’s mate. This is perfect, except Julianna knows nothing about being a werewolf, and someone’s determined to make her fail the Seven Tests of the Luna.
Jeff Lightfoot lusted after Julianna for years, even when he thought she was human. Now she’s home and all his—if she passes the tests. She’s his True Mate and he wants no one else, but pack politics trump Mother Nature and will prevent him from choosing Julianna if she fails.
For the future she wants, Julianna must pass the tests to become Queen Bitch of Callowwood—or watch Jeff take another woman as his mate.
For this blog hop, I'm offering a Siobhan Muir tote bag full of swag (internationally), and there is also a Grand Prize of a Kindle Fire (offered international), and a First Prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card for the overall blog hop. The more places you hop to, the more chances you have to win. The hop runs from 12:01 am Pacific time March 20th until 11:58 pm Pacific time March 23rd. The winner will be announced on the blog on Sunday, March 24th.
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| Siobhan Muir Tote (the mug is there for scale) |
To be entered for the Siobhan Muir Tote, you have to tell me what was the first bedtime story you remember that fired your imagination? Please leave a valid email address or Twitter handle in your comment so I can find you to let you know if you won. If you don't post your email or Twitter handle, you won't be included in the drawing.
To be entered to win the Kindle Fire or the Amazong Gift Card, please enter through the Rafflecopter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for stopping by. Don't forget to hop to the other blogs and see what firsts they're offering. Have a great spring and happy reading! :)
Thank you so much for being a part of the hop!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Heather. :)
DeleteStopping by for the hop!!! Thanks :) mikiajanai@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Danielle. :)
DeleteSome of my favorite bedtime stories were from Beatrix Potter.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being part of this fun blog hop.
skpetal at hotmail dot com
I remember those, Jean. Peter Rabbit and Mr. Frog, right? They were great tales. Thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteI love the name of the above book and the cover. The colors along with the picture really draw the eye to the book making you get that initial wanting to know more vibe. After reading the information about the book, I want to know what happens next!
ReplyDeleteIt is very cool that you write paranormal stories because of remembering the very first book your father ever read to you. It's amazing the power the first book can have!
Oh I loved bedtime stories! I have a few that really stand out a lot but the first that pops into my mind has to be "Where the Wild Things Are". I would literally fall asleep dreaming that book! Sort of like living it night after night through dreams. It was great (and a little scary sometimes!). I also have fond memories of "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown and every Dr. Seuss book imaginable.
As for the spring thing, my very favorite thing about spring is opening up the windows again. I am starting to miss the fresh air!
Thank you for the chance to enter the giveaway and happy spring everyone!
Shelly H.
Booski24@hotmail.com
I LOVED Where The Wild Things Are and loved the idea that a forest would grow in my bedroom. Those first books are always so important. Another book that has stuck with me is Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, not the movie, the book. I always wondered what it would be like to step outside for breakfast. :D Thanks for commenting. :)
DeleteHansel and Gretel.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Are you going to see the new version of Hansel and Gretel? I'm curious how they'll portray them. Thanks for visiting, Ingeborg. :)
DeleteMy favorite part of spring is seeing the color green again and more sun. The first book I read to fire my imagination was James and the Giant Peach - thanks to my aunt the librarian who knew I'd love it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read that one yet, but I've heard about it. Thanks so much for visiting, Renee. :)
Deletemy mother use to tell us the normal fairy tales, sleeping beauty, snow white, cinderella, but my favorite use to be little red ridinghood. I use to imagage her kicking the big bads butt. I even dreamed about it...lol
ReplyDeletethanks for the giveaway & hop :D Hugs
Missie Jones
missie25524 (at) netzero (dot) com
You're my kind of heroine, Missie! I'd be the same. Thanks so much for stopping by. :)
DeleteI love wearing the light colors of spring, there are so many.
ReplyDeletemagic5905 at embarqmail dot com
I love the spring flower colors, the bright yellows and pinks. We have a bush around here that has bright purple flowers in the spring time. Thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteCinderella
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
I think Cinderella grabbed a lot of girls' imagination, especially when Disney made the movie. Thanks so much for visiting. :)
DeleteIts not the story. But how my mom would tell it. She would pick something in the room or a crack in the ceiling and make up a story from that. She has the best imagination I was so lucky!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway
tigerfly139@Aol.com
Oh yeah. My dad would do different voices when he read the characters and it made all the difference in the world, Kary. He still does it with my kids now. He even names the unnamed characters, lol. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteI think it was a Jesus story. But it was so many years ago (like 60). Tee Hee. Loved the tease of your book.
ReplyDeleteKeep writing so I can keep reading.
Thanks for being in the blog hop.
roya-clan@sbcglobal.net
Thanks for visiting, Mary. I am still writing. As a matter of fact, I have TWO new books coming out in April. :D Thanks again for commenting. :)
DeleteI loved Sleeping Beauty, and Peter Rabbit (along with every other Beatrix Potter story!)
ReplyDeleteI liked Sleeping Beauty, too, Celia. I have the start of a story along those lines, but I haven't figured out what the final conflict will be...after she wakes up. :) Thanks for visiting.
DeleteThink i forgot my email!
ReplyDeletedreammie_angel at yahoo dot com
I don't really remember any stories (I hate to say it but it was a LONG, LONG time ago). It might have been a Dr Seuss book.
ReplyDeletesusanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com
Dr Seuss is my daughters' current favorite. After I'm done reading one to them, I end up thinking in rhyme for about an hour, lol. Thanks for visiting, Susan. :)
DeleteThe first book my mom read to my sister and I was Snow White and Rose Red. She told me I was Rose Red and my sister was Snow White. I loved, loved, loved that story:)
ReplyDeletecc_clubbs[at]yahoo[dot]com
Talk about putting yourself directly into the story, Cindi. That's awesome. So glad she did that for you. Thanks for commenting. :)
DeleteWELL...I remember my father reading Island of the Blue Dolphins to me when I was very young. That was quite adventurous!
ReplyDeletecatherinelee100 at gmail dot com
I loved the adventure stories. They always made me want to grab a sword and charge into the fray myself. Thanks so much for stopping by, Catherine. :)
DeleteMy childhood bedtime stories were Jack tales, Bloody Bones and Rawhide, and stories of the Bogus (a type of bogy man). The Jack Tales by Ray Hicks is the best source of the stories I heard as a kids, for those not from the NC Blue Ridge. I don't think anyone wants to tell the others. They are quiet scary for a young child (and yes, they were told to us because they were scary).
ReplyDeleteI'm always a huge fan of local stories because they give a sense of history and culture of a certain place. Thanks so much for visiting, J. Annas. :)
DeleteOne of my favorites was Cinderella.
ReplyDeletebhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com
I think that story is one of the most iconic and still grabs kids today. Thank you for stopping by, BookLady. :)
DeleteThanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI don't remember what was the first, but I think it was something sci-fi/fantasy.
bookish(dot)stacy(at)gmail(dot)com
The first one I read to myself was Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey and I was hooked on sci-fi/fantasy forever, Stacy. Thanks so much for stopping by. :)
DeleteCongratulations to the winners of the grand prizes, Karl and Chum. And now for my winner: Ingeborg! Thank you everyone who came to my blog on the hop. :)
ReplyDelete