Monday, May 13, 2013

The Oracle and The Vampire Blog Tour

Happy release day to Christine Rains, and her book The Oracle and the Vampire. I'm happy to be a part of the blog tour today.


Here is the book summary, which sounds fabulous.

Having fallen for her gorgeous neighbor might not be so bad if Harriet McKay wasn't in her hideous banshee form every time Kiral saw her. Such is her curse. True, he's a vampire struggling with a drug addiction, but he's a good soul. Yet no one could love a cursed witch, especially one not even her cats respect.

After having a vision of Kiral's death, Harriet makes it her mission to save him. Never before has she attempted to change fate, but so strong is her love.


Kiral Ozdemir struggles to make it through every day. The craving for blood laced with drugs directs his every thought until he tastes Harriet's potent blood. The magic immediately addicts him, but she disappears. He's desperate to find her, racing blindly into a city in chaos.


How can Harriet convince Kiral to see past her vile appearance and return her love? If only she can force him to listen to reason coming from a raving crone, perhaps she can save him from the demons hunting him and from himself.

I have another treat for you. Christine was kind enough to give us an excerpt! 

            “Sit down, Grandmother. I see you've had a long night.” Kiral spoke softly. “Would you like me to fetch you something to drink?”
            Once seated, Harriet reluctantly let go of him and shook her head. “No, I'm fine. Thank you.”
            Elli circled around the other side of the chair and growled.
            “Hush now, Elli.”
            Kiral ran his hands through his hair. It might've been sexy if he wasn't trembling so. “All right then. I'll leave you to get some rest.”
            “Are you all right? I could help if you need—”
            “No.” He replied too quickly. He wet his lips and shook his head slowly. “There's nothing you can help me with. I just need some fresh air. A walk will do me some good.”
            He backed toward the door.
            His movements were jerky. Harriet recognized them as springing from desperation. No, there was nothing she could help him with. No potion would ease his mind tonight.
            “Be careful out there. Carmine's streets grow darker each year.”
            “I don't think I'll have anything to worry about.” Kiral flashed her a smile, showing a bit of fang. He then slipped out of her apartment without waiting for a good-bye and shut the door behind him.
           Harriet's body heaved with her sigh. She was in love with her neighbor who was a vampire with an addiction. Why was life never simple?
            Elli glanced at the door and meowed as if she'd been the one to chase Kiral out. She then pranced to Harriet and pawed at her leg.
            “Yes, yes. I know. You're hungry. Just give me a minute to rest.”
            Meowing more loudly, Elli swatted at Harriet's ankle.
            Harriet opened her mouth to tell her cat to be patient, but the vision swallowed the words as it slammed into her.
            On a rooftop overlooking a blackened city center. Hideous gremlin-like monsters danced around someone in bloodied chains. Kiral. Kiral in chains. He lifted his head to the rising sun and screamed as his flesh burned. Screaming, pain, fire, screaming, charred flesh, death, screaming.
            It was Harriet's shrieks that filled her apartment. In her mind, they mingled with Kiral's.
            Kiral. No, not Kiral.
            She sprang from the chair and flung open the apartment door. Her screeches echoed down the hall, somehow increasing in volume rather than diminishing it. Harriet couldn't stop herself from running back and forth along the corridor as she cried over the fate of the man she loved.
            A man who would never know she loved him.
            Chains, monsters, and burning.
            Death.
            Harriet screamed as much for herself as she did for him.

Purchase Info:


Author Links
Blog   



Author Bio
Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She has seven novellas and twenty-one short stories published.


Want to know who else resides on the 13th floor? Check out the other books by Christine!







Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Z is for Zurich

April has been a spectacular journey blogging through the alphabet. Good job to everyone who participated. Thanks for following along on my adventure! This was my first time doing the A-Z challenge, and it was so much fun, I might have to do it again next year.

Z = Zurich
On this last stop I'll leave you with a sight of Zurich, Switzerland. Enjoy!

(source)

Many thanks to everyone who was behind the scenes organizing this grand event. Welcome, and thank you to all my new followers, and may you blog happy!

Monday, April 29, 2013

Y is for Yellowstone National Park

Welcome to the A-Z challenge, where we'll be blogging our way through the alphabet throughout the month of April. My theme will be places--it may be a specific place, a state, or a country. It will be whatever I think is spooky, beautiful, or intriguing. I'll be rating each stop on the way with those factors, with 5 being the highest score, and 1 being the lowest score. I hope it will inspire any writers, or travelers out there in Bloggerland. So, thanks for stopping by, and enjoy!

Y = Yellowstone National Park
What a fantastic stop on the tour today. Located in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, Yellowstone has 60% of the worlds geysers. It's diverse habitats are home to many species (including some that are endangered or threatened). I'm not going to say much about the park except I think it's someplace every American should try to visit once in their lifetime, and the Old Faithful Geyser must be a sight to behold. Bring your camera!

                                                                           (source)

Spooky Factor: 2
Intrigue Factor: 2
Beauty Factor: 5

Saturday, April 27, 2013

X is for Xi'an & the Terra Cotta Warriors


Welcome to the A-Z challenge, where we'll be blogging our way through the alphabet throughout the month of April. My theme will be places--it may be a specific place, a state, or a country. It will be whatever I think is spooky, beautiful, or intriguing. I'll be rating each stop on the way with those factors, with 5 being the highest score, and 1 being the lowest score. I hope it will inspire any writers, or travelers out there in Bloggerland. So, thanks for stopping by, and enjoy!

X = Xi'an

In Xi'an, China there is an army so grand that just the sight of them would have you shaking in your pants, but fear not brave tourists these soldiers are the Terra Cotta Warriors, the guardians of China's first Emperor, and are statues that date back to the late third century BC. There are over 8,ooo soldiers, 130 chariots, 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses. What an impressive find!
(source)

                                                                        (source)

                                                                     (source)
Spook Factor: 1
Intrigue Factor: 4
Beauty Factor: 4

Biblio: click here and here


Friday, April 26, 2013

W is for Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Welcome to the A-Z challenge, where we'll be blogging our way through the alphabet throughout the month of April. My theme will be places--it may be a specific place, a state, or a country. It will be whatever I think is spooky, beautiful, or intriguing. I'll be rating each stop on the way with those factors, with 5 being the highest score, and 1 being the lowest score. I hope it will inspire any writers, or travelers out there in Bloggerland. So, thanks for stopping by, and enjoy!

W = Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Located in Louisville, Kentucky the Waverly Hills Sanatorium is dubbed the most spiritually active place on earth, and has been featured on many paranormal shows. The land was originally purchased by Major Thomas H. Hays in 1883. He started a one room school house for his daughter. The teacher named the school, Waverly School for her fondness for the "Waverly novels." The board of Tuberculosis Hospital kept the name after purchasing the land and building the sanatorium. It served as a tuberculosis hospital until 1961. It was renovated in 1962, and reopened as Woodhaven Medical Services as a geriatric facility, and closed by the state in 1980.

Let me know if you see any ghosts because I'll be waiting for you on the tour bus. Yeah, I'm sitting this one out.




Spook Factor: 5
Intrigue Factor: 3
Beauty Factor: 1

 Biblio: click here

Thursday, April 25, 2013

V is for Venice

Welcome to the A-Z challenge, where we'll be blogging our way through the alphabet throughout the month of April. My theme will be places--it may be a specific place, a state, or a country. It will be whatever I think is spooky, beautiful, or intriguing. I'll be rating each stop on the way with those factors, with 5 being the highest score, and 1 being the lowest score. I hope it will inspire any writers, or travelers out there in Bloggerland. So, thanks for stopping by, and enjoy!

V is for Venice
Venice, Italy is our stop today. Board the gondola and get ready for a beautiful ride.

                                                                           (source)
                                                           (source with a bloggers story)
                                                           (source with a bloggers story)
                                                              (source with a bloggers story)
Points of Interest
Piazza San Marco
Grand Canal
Rialto Bridge
Doge's Palace 
Saint Marks Basilica
Bridge of Sighs
Murano
Palazzo Grassi 

Spook Factor: 1 (if you're afraid of water)
Intrigue Factor: 5
Beauty Factor: 5

It was Venice and their beautiful gondolas that gave me the idea that I needed this factor in my book, Deadly Kisses. Yes, the Grim Reapers in my made up world steer these in the underground rivers. Souls beware.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

U is for Underground Caves and Rivers


Welcome to the A-Z challenge, where we'll be blogging our way through the alphabet throughout the month of April. My theme will be places--it may be a specific place, a state, or a country. It will be whatever I think is spooky, beautiful, or intriguing. I'll be rating each stop on the way with those factors, with 5 being the highest score, and 1 being the lowest score. I hope it will inspire any writers, or travelers out there in Bloggerland. So, thanks for stopping by, and enjoy!

U = Underground Caves and Rivers

Get out your flashlight, and put on your hiking boots because today's stop we're going for one heck of an adventure--beneath the earth.

The Reed Flute Cave
Located in Guilin Guangxi, China this underground cave is made from natural limestone. It's over 180 million years old and stalactites and stalagmites fill the the cave.

Cave of Crystals
This cave is located in Naica, Mexico and is 1,000 feet below the Chihuahua desert. It has some of the biggest crystals ever found. The largest is 39 feet in length, 13 feet in diameter, and weighs 55 tons. I wonder  what that retails for? The cave is so hot most of it has gone unexplored. Tell me this doesn't look like Superman's fortress of solitude?!

Puerto Princesa Underground River
This national park is located in the Philippines. It's river system is the most unique in the world, and it flows directly into the South China Sea. This is how I envision my characters underground river to be from Deadly Kisses. 


Spooky Factor: 1
Intrigue Factor: 5
Beauty Factor: 5