A review - NIGHT'S COLD KISS, Tracey O'Hara.

NIGHT’S COLD KISS - Tracey O’Hara (Australia)

Publisher: Eos (Urban Fantasy) - A Harper Collins Imprint

Date published: August, 2009.

ISBN: 0061783137    (isbn13: 9780061783135)

Mass-market paperback - 332 pages.  

THE BLURB: 

For centuries war raged between the humans and Aeternus vampires—until courageous efforts on both sides forged a fragile peace.

But the rogue Necrodreniacs will never be controlled—addicted as they are to the death-high . . . and bloody chaos.

Since witnessing the murder of her mother, Antoinette Petrescu has burned with fiery hatred for the vampire race—even for Christian Laroque, the noble, dangerously handsome Aeternus who rescued her. Now an elite Venator, Antoinette must reluctantly accept Christian's help to achieve her vengeance—even as he plots to use the beautiful, unsuspecting warrior as bait to draw out the bloodthirsty dreniacs.

Night’s Cold Kiss is Tracey O’Hara’s debut effort, marketed as “A Dark Brethren Novel”.  It’s set in modern-day America, but has numerous cool futuristic bits.

Antoinette Petrescu is a tough chick with a chip the size of a redgum on her shoulder - and rightly so - a parahuman killed her mother before he six-year-old eyes.  As a result,  her hatred for any vampiric race consumes her.  Now a Venator - a Necrodreniac hunter and exterminator - she’s dogged by a parahuman who keeps slaughtering woman who look just like her.  It becomes increasingly obvious that this parahuman is also the person that killed her mother - and he was supposed to have died in a fire.  Now he’s back, killing blonde girls, as a plain old, albeit very well-trained, human, Antoinette’s not safe.

Enter Christian Laroque, an Aeternus Vampire from the CHaPR (Council for Human and Parahuman Relations), who agrees to work with Antoinette, and investigate the deaths while keeping her safe.  Antoinette does not need to know of his own motivations for keeping her close.  Added to the conflict is the fact that Christian rescued Antoinette and her brother the night of her mother’s death and her father’s disappearance.

It burns Antoinette to have anything to do with the Vampire, but he is hard to argue with, and they’re fighting an attraction that consumes them both.  

I thought that was an excellent read - I enjoyed the slightly-different-than-usual vampire lore, and the characters, depth and world-building were great.  

Oh, and in case I’ve baffled you with any strange words, there is a handy glossary at the back of the book.  

Memorable scene:

In the stateroom on the private jet.  The words “blood thrall” have any meaning for you?  Very hot.  

Least memorable part:

There were a few places early in the book where I was jolted out of the story wanting to pop a few commas and such in.  The last half of the book, I never even thought about it.  Possibly, if you’re not a writer, you might not even notice.  

A big thumbs up for Tracey O’Hara and her debut novel.  As Nalini Singh states on the cover, “Intense, sexy, bold.”  

Can’t argue with that.  

Take care, E.

Romance novel covers - revamped.

You know how sometimes covers for your favourite novels of lerve,  might - just maybe - have an incredibly cheese-ridden cover?  Regardless of the story-telling genius inside?  I often look at them and ask myself, "What are those two THINKING?!"

I challenge you to peruse these creations from Mark Longmire, and not laugh yourself daft.

E x

How do you deal with your Inner Editor?

I wanted to call her the Inner B*tch, but I was being ladylike...

One of my gorgeous CP's  - Anna Hackett - has got a great post on her blog about how she deals with her Inner Critic.  I was delighted to read that even the published authors are dogged by little voices in their heads, spouting esteem-destroying nonsense.  

Go and see if what she says resounds for you.

Take care, Em x

PS - I'm hoping you haven't dropped by to see how my Bites pitch effort went.  Erm, it didn't.  I was a bit behind anyway, and life got in the way.  I had a fabulous blurb, but didn't want to send in a sub-standard story.  I'll finish it up and send it in via the usual channels...

No, I'm not dead...

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!  Wishing all Aussies much vegemite, lamb, sunburn and beer for tomorrow!

Wow.  I haven't been here to post since November.  Someone shoulda told me that it had been so long!  I have been making it a practise to take December and January off writing - it's better for my family, but I still feel like I neglect the cyberworld when I do that.  Just call me ham (of the ham sandwich - get it?  Er, right.). 

Happy 20-10 to everyone!

I'm calling this the year I get published.  Which I did say last year, I know.  That's the beauty of unfulfilled yearly goals.  They're re-useable.  And I've got a bagful of the sodding things. 

Wanna hear about goals for 2010?  Sure you do.  Yes, nice save.  Okay, here goes...  In no particular order...

1.  Write 3 x 15 novellas to submission-standard.  This will require me sticking to a timetable, which worked well in the last part of last year. 
2.  Lose 20kgs.  Blah.  That sounds horrible - a cliche.  I'd love to say I'm one of those people who doesn't need to get fit, but I'm not.  I've been blaming the having of three kids, but I think it's probably just me.  I lost a bit from October to December.  Which I promptly re-discovered in the bottoms of numerous wine bottles over the silly season.  PLAN:  Walk four times a week.  Time to get out the audio books!
3.  Keep a daily journal - going well so far...
4.  Blog fortnightly - fear not, dear readers!
5.  Attend SARA meetings. 
6.  Spend time with my eldest child - she has some learning difficulties.
7.  Spend time with my second - she's just starting school.
8.  Spend time with the baby - because, well, he's a baby, and they can't fend well for themselves.
9.  Spend time with Mr L.  A man of great gorgeousness...
10.  THE BIG ONE - Find balance between the aspects of my life, which is essentially all of the above.

Sound good?  Okay.  Goals out of system. 

Now for some news:

Anna Hackett had a great start to 2010 - she sold another Nocturne Bites on the first day of the year.  It's a fabulous novella called HUNTER'S SURRENDER, out in April this year.

Check this little teaser from Anna's blog, Midnight Confessions.

Sixteen days later, I got my second R from Nocturne Bites for 'Firestarter'.  It was quick this time - only two and a half months.  Luckily, I was still a bit inebriated after searching for all my misplaced weight in those bottles and it didn't sting.  Much.  :)

I'm reader judging for the R*BY again, RWAs Romantic Book of the Year.  They should be here at the end of next month. 

Nocturne Bites is running another Pitch Contest!  I'm having another go this year.  Last year's winner, Nicola, has her winning entry, THE PROPHECY, coming out next Month, under the pen name Nina Croft.  Connie Hall also has TIME JUMPER available then, too.

Mel Teshco has a name for her Bites coming out in March - HER DARK LORD.  Mel's working title was "Blood Chance", which we all loved, but you know the title gods...

The Nocturne Authors have a new website.  It's so pretty!  Is it just me, or does the guy on the top banner look a hell of a lot like Hugh Jackman?  Maybe I wish...

Finally, Anna and Mel (and loads of other fab authors) are part of a cool eplace called LoveCats DownUnder, a blog for Aussie/NZ authors of category romace.  It's a fun spot, go have a look! 

In Australia, Intrigue Nocturnes in stores now are:

BEAST OF DESIRE - Lisa Renee Jones
MIND GAMES - Merline Lovelace. 
(Am slightly peeved I was on holidays when these came out and I missed them!  Would have loved the Lovelace.  Phooey.)

Nocturnes coming out in print in February are:
LAST WOLF HUNTING - Rhyannon Byrd
SCIONS: INSURRECTION - Patrice Michelle

and March:
LAST WOLF WATCHING - Rhyannon Byrd
DARK DECEIVER - Pamela Palmer

Right.  Well.  That pitch I mentioned is having some difficulty writing itself.  I'll go give it a hand. 

Take care, Em x

(P.S. Slip, Slop, Slap tomorrow!)

Another Aussie Author sells to Nocturne Bites - Mel Teshco!

Super news!

Aussie Author Mel Teshco has sold a vampire story to Nocturne Bites. Congrats, Mel!

Mel currently has STONE-COLD LOVER out for Ellora's Cave - here's a bit of a blurb:

Heiress Loretta Shaw is notorious for her loose morals and sexual needs. Trouble is, it’s taken her one too many one-night stands to realize that no man can extinguish the sexual fire she feels toward her guardian, Cray Diamond.

A long-ago curse made Cray immortal—a gargoyle, a guardian, who is impelled to protect a human chosen by the curse. He is imprisoned in stone during daylight hours but dusk returns him to flesh and bone to carry out his immortal duty.

That Cray can shift between human and living gargoyle at night bothers Loretta not one bit. She’s seen him naked many times and her desire for him—in any shape or form—knows no bounds. She’s tired of his resistance. He’s her gargoyle…and she wants him in her bed.

I've never had an opinion either way about gargoyles, but having seen that cover - I do now! I understand that Mel is currently working on ICE-COLD LOVER - a follow up.

I've just started reading STONE-COLD LOVER - and I love it. Well written, great characters and conflict, and my fave - inferno hot! Yay, Mel!

Here's a great interview Christina Phillips did with Mel back in September...

I was just saying to Anna and Rach that I get a HUGE buzz out of people I cyber-know, or Aussies, getting published - it's nearly as good as getting accepted myself!

Maybe. I'll let you know when it happens. :)

UPDATE EDIT: Mel's Bites, WT : BLOOD CHANCE (Love that title!), will be out in March 2010. You go, Mel!

Take care, E x



PS - I CAN'T BELIEVE I nearly forgot this pic - Di and I catch up - with about 500 hundred Diana Gabaldon fans at my local library - Diana's only SA stop. SO COOL! Eleni Konstantine was there, as was Elizabeth Rolls. And many more, I'm sure.
PPS - I'm the one who's not a world-famous author. The one with the fangirl shakes.

Testing, testing...

I'm trying a new iPhone app that I can blog from. I enjoy blogging, but can't always afford the half hour to sit down and write it.

I'm being a good girl, and aside from two nights ago when Anna caught me relieving late-night brain wanderings with Twitter, I've been pretty controlled in the "wasting time online" department. :)

Now I can sit in the car while I'm waiting for Eldest to finish school and blog, or at the doctors. It's quite cool...

I've promised some reviews, haven't I? I haven't forgotten. We've (Rach and I) just been critiquing a fabulous ms for our Anna Hackett. It's a full, and it's excellent. Coming to a store near you, absolutely!

Rach is another one who is going places, she's published in non-fiction articles, but her fiction is truly beautiful to read. My CP girls are awesomesauce.

Hopefully, the same can be said for me... :)

Oh, Anna had an excellent post on her blog, Midnight Confessions, about how she revises her work. You should check it out and say hello...

Huh. Still working out how to insert links... And tags. But the rest is okay, nein?

Speaking of dependencies (which we weren't but, oh look, we are now...), my phone just refused to turn on yesterday. It was a horrible feeling, although I felt slightly embarassed about the "cannot function with the iPhone" thing. I managed to hold off until lunchtime, but then I ran as fast as I could to the phone shop to have my life re-started. iPhone, as Eleni Konstantine would say, = Spawn of Evil.

We're on the cusp of what is expected to be our first-ever (since records started) November heatwave here in Adelaide (That is, six consecutive days where the temp is 35degc or above. Or something like that). Yay, not. Thank God the pez have the pool up and running, because it's pretty damned early for a heatwave!

Given some nice rains we had in August and October, it also looks like our farmers (my PIL), will have their second-largest crop haul in history. Good news for them!

I apologise that I have to get this out of my system, but it also looks like being a bumper season for snakes (There have been two at Eldest's school - one in the library. Read, read, read, ouch!). My dad killed one in his strawberry patch, not far from the school. Yet to see any here on our Farmette. Hopefully we won't top our current five-in-one-season record.

Wonderfully, all of our snakes here are highly venomous, so they do not make good friends. We have the red bellied black, the brown, and a tiger snake or two here. *shudder* {EDIT: Oh, Joy. One I missed.}

{EDIT: as I put in the link post-postuously it is warming my heart to read that, "The brown snake is considered Dangerous [Dangerous with a capital D!] to man. Bites from this species of snake have caused death within minutes, rather than hours or days, with even a juvenile (new born) potentially delivering enough venom in a single bite - to kill 20 adults. Today, brown snakes are responsible for most of the fatalities from snakebite - per year." Smashing. Four of the five we had on the farm (one in my ENSUITE. I don't care if it was a baby!), were these delightful creatures.}

I hatez snakes. Well, they're fine, just don't come near me or mine... In fact, the first two lay eggs, I know, which is kinda cute...

Have a great weekend! Mine's great thus far, just posted in bed!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (aka Spawn of Evil), mainly just because I can...

A new era...

of waiting. I've just subbed a new novella to Nocturne Bites. Called, at this stage, FIRESTARTER, after an R for EVIL'S INTENDED arrived in my email box in September.

Many, many thanks and big sloppy kisses to Anna and Rach for looking it over for me. It's sooo much better for it!

Speaking of those gorgeous girls, we've just been reading over a new full for Anna. Keep an eye out for it, peeps. it ROCKS!

Now, it's off to re-hash EI for submission, to Samhain, I think...

I also need to get DDB finished by the end of November - I promised my girls - and if they give me stuff and I don't have anything to give, I'll feel BAD!

Gotta go, back soon... E x