"Blood Ties" Giveaway and "Supernatural" Awesomeness

Great news! Suzanne McCleod, author of the Spellcrackers series, is having a contest for a "Blood Ties" DVD, Season One, starring hawtest vampire winner Kyle Schmid as Henry Fitzroy. (Please note that this is a Region 2 DVD and it probably won't play on U.S. DVD players, but Suzanne has substitute prizes.)

Also included in the prize is "a signed copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood or a signed proof of The Cold Kiss of Death."

Now, I know that vampires rule, werewolves drool, but Suzanne writes about the fae in London, my favorite city. In an interview, Suzanne says, "So Genny’s London is place where you can party the night away with a celebrity vampire, ride the underground with a goblin worker, buy a love charm from the witches’ market, report a crime to a mountain troll or hire someone to sort out that annoying pixie infestation. But like all cities, magical London has its darker side."

Love Vampires (one of my fave review sites) says, "I can't wait to read more from this author. Afterall, with vampires in Leicester Square, trolls in New Scotland Yard and a surfeit of blood and magic, what’s not to like? Fang-tastic!"

Sounds great, right? So I invited Suzanne to come for a Q&A at Vampire Wire.

I confess that I've been remiss (can you tell I went to Catholic school?) and need to organize my interviews that I've already arranged, including one with Jeri Ready-Smith, who has just released Bad to the Bone. And I know everyone wants to know more about Jeri's WVMP Radio series, so that will be coming up soon.


The really important stuff, now.


"Supernatural" was all kinds of awesome last night.

SPOILER ALERT. If you haven't seen the episode, don't read, because the surprise is worth it.

• The opening montage rocked, both visually and aurally. "Carry On, My Wayward Son" was the perfect song for the video of Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Paladecki and Jensen Ackles) and their troubles through the season.
• Angels conceived of Dean's heavenly waiting room as a place with ice-cold beer and the best burger he ever had when he was eleven years old.
• The scenes where Sam kidnaps the nurse, who has Lilith inside her, were chilling and the anguish on his face made them more so.
• Most of all, I can't believe I doubted Dean's hatred for Ruby. He was absolutely right. Dean, the guy who calls angels dicks and breaks statues out of annoyance, was absolutely right.
• The ending, Lilith's blood opening the last seal, was terrific and now I have to wait until next season?
  

Read a recap here: "The Dean-Cas interplay continues to be one of the best things about the show. If this weren't a genre program on the CW, maybe the world would realize what excellent actors this show has." (Chicago Tribune)

Read a review here: "The season finale began with some scary-good flashback scenes featuring yellow-eyed Azazel killing 'a bag-full of nuns' and setting up the final, present-day battle. Dean had to overcome his growing hatred of his evil-possessed brother, his desire to help redeem Sam's soul almost overwhelmed by his anger. (Or as the nicely creepy Zachariah put it, 'You're our own Russell Crowe, complete with surly attitude.)'" (Entertainment Weekly)

Read an interview with Misha Collins, who plays the conflicted angel Castiel. "Castiel is going to be struggling with orders — very, very distasteful orders — from the heavenly command. He’s been sort of commanded to do things that are kind of awful. He’s struggling with that." (Los Angeles Times)

Here's the opening montage with "Carry On, My Wayward Son" by Kansas.



"Supernatural" fans really do know how to rock out the tributes, especially to classic rock. ViDawn made this to "Bad Moon Rising."



YouTube is not responding now, so I'll try to add more videos later. Have a terrific weekend! If you haven't read my Casa Dracula novels yet, buy them because their full of hilarious, sexy, clever goodness.

Day Off and Fan-Obsessed Collages

Example of Fan Obsessed Collage - please follow all instructions!

I'm not actually taking the day off; I'm working on my young adult gothic novel which I need to get finished, so I can finish my fourth Casa Dracula novel.

If you have nothing better to do today, I suggest:

• Reading my hilarious and sexy Casa Dracula books and writing a 1000-word essay on the subject, "My blogger made me write this essay."
• Visiting all the excellent sites listed on my blogroll.
• Collecting the BEST EVER vampire quotes in fiction or in TV and movies. I'll be having a BEST EVER Vampire Quotes Contest soon.
• Turning your garage into a cloning laboratory, so I can clone my dead dog, Dr. Buddy Valentine.
• Making a collage of the Hawtest Vampire nominees. Extra points for the use of glitter graphics and poetry
• Making your own Gratuitous Posts of the Day and set it to Tom Jones' "Sex Bomb."
• Sending me questions you'd like me to ask best-selling authors (and I've got several coming up!) in upcoming interviews.

Here, I'll help you get started.

Henry Fitzroy (Kyle Schmid) is the "Sex Bomb"!



Neo (Keanu Reeves) is the "Sex Bomb"!



Miscellaneous men in cravats are the "Sex Bombs"!

Gerard Butler Wins Vote as the Hawtest Count Dracula

We couldn't conclude the Ultimate Hawt Vampire Poll without more thoughtful analysis of the very, terribly, really important results.

So let's do breakdowns of your voting. Who brings the heat to one of our most beloved and feared characters? See for yourself.
Gerard Butler in the fabulously cheesoid "Dracula 2000" trounces all others.

Coming in second, Gary Oldman makes a respectable showing, especially considering that he was wearing a hideous wig for much of the time and is actually acting. What does it mean? It means that fans want a Count Dracula who levitates during sex, has a rockin bod, and looks amazing in a long black coat.

ShimmyShadenfreude has a video that proves the point: Gerard Butler's Dracula is TNT, he's dynamite!





I was very pleased that Kate Beckinsdale as Selene in "Underworld" brought the hawtness for chicks. She handily out-hawted her very talented, sexy co-stars and fellow nominees Bill Nighy as Viktor and Scott Speedman as Michael Corvin.

This Gratuitous Video of the Day by JeansGoBang features the range of "Underworld" hotness, including an appearance by werewolf Lucien (Michael Sheen). Music by the inimitable Rob Zombie. In an ideal world, there would be fewer videos set to Evanescence and more set to Zombie.





Other Results

• Jason Dohring as Josef in "Moonlight" is 10% hawter than Brad Pitt as Louis in "Interview with the Vampire."
  
• Antonio Banderas as Armand is 250% hawter than Tom Cruise as Lestat in Interview with the Vampire."
• Among obscure, short-lived series, Mark Frankel as Julian Luna in "Kindred: the Embraced" was incrementally hawter than Gerriant Wynn Davies as Nicholas Knight in "Forever Knight."
  

More tomorrow. I'm supposed to be writing, not doing these delicate scientific calculations. Go buy my books.

Here's a spanking new video by Rycheland in honor of our Dracula winner. WARNING: It has nipples in it so if you don't have nipples yourself and you find them offensive and/or terrifying, don't watch it. The song has a delightful Eurotrashy disco quality.

Results of the Ultimate Hawtest Vampire Poll & Contest Winner

First let me say that Vampire Wire was delighted, honored, and humbled by the amazing response to this much needed survey of vampire hawtness. Thank you all for participating and sharing your thoughtful opinions.

Vampire Wire Laboratories & Research Centre has compiled all the votes from the Ultimate Hawtest Vampire Poll and is now proud to announce the results.

The Ultimate Hawtest Vampire is Henry Fitzroy of "Blood Ties," as played by Kyle Schmid! Kudos to Kyle for projecting vampilicious hawtness in his portrayal of a crime-solving, comic-book drawing, unrepentent blood-drinker!

The competition was fierce and Henry's win was due in no small part to anonymous fans spamming the poll. But fixing votes is a time-honored tradition and something most vampires -- except those pissy, prissy, whiny, oh-woe-is-me-I'm-undead! types -- would admire

Here is a pie-chart for you to study and commit to memory, or to remind you to have pie soon. (My favorite is apricot, but nobody makes that.)


I know it's not entirely readable, but it was the best I could do with a free graph-maker on an educational website.

I've analyzed the results using the the latest scientific methods and consulting some of the finest minds in the hawtest vampire field, including Nobel prize winning theoreticians and teenage girls. This work has yeilded valuable information, as follows.

• Despite being in a completely awful movie that didn't get huge publicity and a big budget production, Gerard Butler as Dracula in "Dracula 2000" is 1105% hawter than Tom Cruise as Lestat.
• Newcomer Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) and his uber cool hawtness is preferred five-to-one over Bill Compton's (Stephen Moyer) Kentucky Fried hawtness in HBO's "True Blood."
  
• Spike (James Marsters) and Angel (Naked David Boreanaz) of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" are almost equally hawt. Their combines hawtness would make them number three in the polls.
• Selene (Kate Beckinsdale) in "Underworld" brings the hawtness in black pleather-clad chick form, and was voted hawter than two dozen eminently hawt male vamps, including Josef (Jason Dohring) in "Moonlight," Michael (Jason Patric) in "Lost Boys," and Dr. Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli) in "Twilight."

I'll have more results and analysis tomorrow.

Now the winner of the random drawing for the entire set of kick-ass Kitty Norville books by Carrie Vaughn is:

WOOFER!

Woofers votes went to Gerraint Wynn Davies as Nicholas Knight in "Forever Knight," Alex O'Loughlin as Mick St. John in "Moonlight," and Jonathan Frid in "Dark Shadows." So, her taste runs to the classic angsty and elegant vamps. Congratulations, Woofer, and thanks to Hachette Books for donating such a fabulous prize.

Woofer, please send me an email (marta AT martaacosta DOT com) with your mailing address and I'll forward it to Hachette for your prize.


Okay, here's your Gratuitous Video of the Day.

Henry Fitzroy earns his votes.



The second place winner, Eric Northman, deserves some better videos, but I have a hard time finding them. However, I do really like this song.

Q&A with Kimberly Swan & Darque Reviews Contest!

Regular Vampire Wire readers know that I am always going to Kimberly Swan's Darque Reviews for news about exciting paranormal/urban fantasy books and authors. Kimberly's a pro -- her reviews always include summaries and her thoughts about the book. They're refreshingly snark-free and respectful of the authors (leaving those of us who like to snark more room in the field). In other words, her sites are for people who really want to know about books.

Recently Kimberly's expanded her online presence to include a Darque Reviews website and increased her content to carry more author interviews and contests. Frankly, I don't know how she does it all, especially since she's not cluttering up her pages with all sorts of extraneous stuff and excessive flash graphics like some bloggers. (Naked David Boreanaz is not extraneous.)

So I wanted to know more about Kimberly's approach to her reviews and why she's dedicated so much of her time to one genre. Kimberly will be giving away a copy of Lynsay Sands' Immortal Hunter to one person who leaves a comment. Tell us what you want from a review or where you go to find out more about books or just say hi. The contest ends Saturday night and a winner will be chosen at random.
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MARTA: Why don’t you tell us a little about your reading background and how you came to create Darque Reviews?

KIMBERLY: I’ve always enjoyed reading, and it seems that the older I got, the more I read. A friend who runs an ebook review site asked me a few years ago if I had ever thought about reviewing, so I tried it out. Then I found myself reviewing for a magazine and a print review site. Eventually I realized that as much as I enjoyed reviewing, I wanted more control over the books I read. That’s how Darque Reviews started.

MARTA: When you started your blog, you were one of the few reviewers who focused on paranormal and urban fantasy fiction. What appealed to you about the genre?

KIMBERLY: More than anything it’s the "What if" factor. I can get lost for a few hours in these books, and for me that’s the most enjoyable part.

MARTA: Some reviewers have become known for their snark (and I love those, except when they’re directed at me, natch), but you’re always treat your reviews seriously. Do you have a policy about this? What happens if you hate a book, or think it’s really badly written?

KIMBERLY: I started out reviewing for other sites, not for myself, so that’s part of the reason why I tend to lean more towards serious.

Most books have some redeeming quality. While a book might not be my cup of tea, it may appeal to other readers. I try to mention the qualities that someone else might appreciate, and still make my point if it’s not a book that I’d recommend to readers who share a taste in books that’s similar to my own.

I average about one or two review books each year that I’ve agreed to read, but find that I can’t finish it because it’s just that bad. I won’t review a book I can’t finish, so with those rare books I notify the author or their publicist and tell them why.

MARTA: How many books do you read in a week? What other things do you like to read?

KIMBERLY: On average I read five books a week, but sometimes more if some of them are short. If I’m not reading a book for review on Darque Reviews, then it’s usually non-fiction history, something on myths and legends, or a steamy erotic romance.

MARTA: You’ve just started a website in conjunction with your blog. Are you changing the direction of Darque Reviews, or expanding content?

KIMBERLY: I’m not really changing the direction, but it’s definitely expanding with the website. It will be more organized, and hopefully easier for readers to browse through. I’ll be able to use the blog more for updates, guest blogs and giveaways.

MARTA: Who are a few favorite writers who you think should be read by more readers?

KIMBERLY: I know there are many that I’m surprised aren’t mentioned more often, but a few off of the top of my head:

• Casey Daniels – Pepper Martin series
• Jes Battis – OSI series
• Toni Andrews – Mercy Hollings series
• C. E. Murphy – Walker Papers series
  

MARTA: Writers are notoriously sensitive to criticism. Have you had any unpleasant experiences?

KIMBERLY: As far as reviews go I haven’t really had any unpleasant experiences, thank goodness.

MARTA: What’s your advice for someone who wants to start reviewing?

KIMBERLY: Be sure that you have the time to dedicate to reading/reviewing books, especially if you have a family. You also might want to work with a review site to start with where books are requested through them.

MARTA: Can you give us any predictions about the genre?

KIMBERLY: Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance have been around in some form for a long time, so I think it will continue to expand each year. There are so many ideas just waiting to worm their way into an author’s creative brain, and there’s a large following that are eager for each new book to hit the shelves.

MARTA: If you could take a vacation into one book for a week (or two) what book would it be and what would you do while you were there?

KIMBERLY: Wow, that’s an amazingly difficult question! I’ve tried to think of one that I love where someone isn’t always getting killed. *grin* I’d have to choose A Taste of Darkness by Nina Bangs (from her Mackenzie Vampires series). I’d get a room at the Woo Woo Inn and spend that week or two being entertained by the antics of the "Cosmic Troublemakers": Sparkle Stardust, Ganymede, and Trouble.

Thanks so much for having me on Vampire Wire!

MARTA: Thank you, Kimberly, for finding the time to answer my questions and for having such a terrific site!

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If you want to get regular updates on Kimberly's reviews, contests and interviews, you can Twitter her.

Remember to leave a comment if you'd like to enter a contest for Lynsay Sands' Immortal Hunter.

Winner of Esri Rose's Stolen Magic!

Thanks to everyone who left a comment of Esri Rose's guest blog! The winner of the contest for a copy of her hawt new elfy novel, Stolen Magic, is:

LiJuun

Congratulations, LiJuun, and I hope you enjoy your prize. Esri will mail it to you.

Thanks, again, to Esri, for guest blogging!

If you'd like to know more about Esri's writing, be sure to visit her Elves Among Us site.