Supernaturally Yours

Welcome to the third stop on this tour of hot supes. Now that Cait Lavender has told you all about weres, let's talk about (or perhaps I should say drool over) vampires.

It is unclear where vampires originated, since they appear early on in many different parts of the world. But most early cultures feature some sort of undead that must gorge on blood to survive. Early appearances of vampires vary from culture to culture, from the animalistic to completely human. In the middle ages, no one was certain how one became a vampire. My favorite method was if a bird flew over a grave that person would become a vampire. Though vampires have appeared in myth and lore since times unknown, the word vampire didn't exist until the eighteenth century.After several reputable cases were reported, vampire fever swept the nation. This led Bram Stoker to create the most commonly accepted interpretation of vampires to date.

• A vampire cannot survive in the sunlight
• Vampires can turn into a wolf or a bat.
• When a vampire sucks blood from the living, they in turn become a vampire.
• A vampire may not enter a home unless invited
• To kill a vampire, you must drive a wooden stake through his heart.

Since then vampires have continued to evolve. They have been featured in countless books. And of course, they have appeared in movies as well as on television. The minute most people hear the word vampire, they picture one of these vampires, whether it is Bela Lugosi in the classic 1931 film, Dracula, or Robert Pattinson sparkling in the sunlight. But when I think of vampires, here is who comes to my mind, in no particular order.

Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) ~ True Blood

Once a fierce viking, Eric didn't lose anything by becoming a vampire. He is cocky, and his moral compass doesn't always point to true north, but who cares. He could just stand on screen doing nothing and I'd still tune in.

Aiden (Sam Witwer) ~ Being Human

Aiden is a tortured soul who just wants to be free from vampire society. He is trying to come to grips with the monster within, with the help of his roommates, Josh and Sally.

Spike (James Marsters) ~ Spike

Spike first appears as a blood thirsty villian who loves himself almost as much as he loves Druisilla, but throughout the series he changes. First with the chip the Inititive plants in his head, then later because he gets his soul back, he grows to be a vamp Buffy can't help but notice. Sadly she never ended up with him. What was she thinking?

Damon Salvatore (Ian Sommerhold) ~ The Vampire Diaries

Ah, Damon. If Elena doesn't want him, can i have him? As the elder Salvatore brother, he tries to pretend he doesn't care about anything, but we can see the softy within. Damon makes no apologies for being a predator, though he reels it in for his own protection when he needs to. I just don't understand who could choose emo Stephen over the far superior Damon.

Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin) ~ Moonlight

The short lived series was doomed by the writer's strike of 2008, but it was amazing while it lasted. Mick was another tortured soul, desperate to not be a monster any longer. Perhaps one day he would have come to accept himself, but we will never know.

Jerry Danridge (Colin Ferrell) ~ Fright Night

Jerry was minding his own business, creating an army of party girls for his own pleasure when his nosey neighbor just has to play the hero. As the pushy kid gets closer and closer, this vamp gets a little nasty. Is it wrong that I find that sexy?

Dracula (Gerard Butler) ~ Dracula

When creating this list I had no idea they had made this version and it was a tragic oversight. Long before he bulked up to lead the Spartans to their death, Gerard had girls swooning as the charismatic count.

David (Keiffer Sutherland) ~ The Lost Boys

My first vampire crush, David is delightfully evil. He is the head of a vampire biker gang who just wants to help others live an eternal life of freedom with him. If you don't like all the damn vampires, just stay out of Santa Carla.

Lestat de Lioncourt (Stuart Townsend) ~ Queen of the Damned

By far my favorite imagining of Lestat. He's a vampire. And a rock star. 'Nuff said?

Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman) ~ Underworld

A werewolf hunted for a rare immortal gene, he is infected with the Lycan virus. After he is mortally wounded with a silver bullet, the woman who loves him has no choice but to bite him, turning him into a powerful hybrid. So he fits the list. Kinda....

So now that you know all about vamps, continue the supernatural journey with Sarah Ross's post about angels.

Lot of Love Giveaway

Welcome to the Lots of Love Giveaway Hop, sponsored by And The Little Ones Too, Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink, Seeds of Life, and Taking Time For Mommy. In honor of Valentines Day, over 80 bloggers have joined forces to offer you many different chances to win. This event features giveaways with a value of $25 or more at each of the participating blogs! Be sure to visit each blog from the linky below and enter for your chance to win! This event will close on February 14th at 11:59 pm EST.


As a writing cosmetologist, when I think Valentines Day, I think of the prefect look. As an author, I felt the need to tie the giveaway into my books. Now, I can't help you pick out the killer LBD (that's little black dress for those who aren't down with the lingo) but I can help one lucky person with the final product. I am offering an Organic Date Night hair, makeup and accessory gift basket. Along with all the wonderful organic makeup and hair products I will describe in detail in a second, I also have several accessories to finish off the perfect outfit. Along with winning the products, the winner will also receive a video detailing how to apply the makeup for a specific look as well as a five minute updo that will work as long as you have long enough hair to make a ponytail. And if you don't, you will still be able to use most of the things in the basket, so why not.

Amelia's books

A lot of people ask me about the books that Amelia reads. I made a decision when creating her world to use real titles, titles that could help my readers relate to her. This did two things for me - it gave people an idea what I was influenced by and it let me spread the word about some really great books. So today I thought we could discuss some of the titles Amelia reads, I'm going to let Amelia review them, and finally I will link you to the places you can buy these books.


Secrets ~ The Guardian Trilogy ~ Liz Schulte (Natural Selection)
If you're a follower you know that I am friends with Liz, so it was a no-brainer to include her work - which I was reading as I wrote Natural Selection - as Amelia's first book. 

While Olivia Martin observed life through her camera, the abyss gazed back at her. She discovers mysterious men follow her around, people close to her are dying, and her dreams are no longer her own as she falls head over heels for a perfect stranger. A chance encounter leads to an obsession that could destroy everything she has ever known or loved. Olivia is about to find out there is a lot she doesn't know and sometimes what you don't know can kill you.


Amelia's Review:
This book is a very suspenseful and exciting. I was completely absorbed and couldn't put it down. There were several twists I didn't see coming, which is hard to do. I can forgive  the author's completely erroneous ideas on jinn and angels, since she is only human and doesn't know any better. If you can look past the facts being wrong, it's a really good story.

                     Paperback                Kindle                   Nook              Other formats

Legion of Bats ~ Shadow Stephens (Natural Selection)
Yes, i realize I listed it as a different author in the book. Let's just say I got the name wrong and leave it at that. I had not actually read this book, but I had designed the cover and felt the need to include it in the book.

In a world governed by fear and corruption, a baby, Zoe Masterson, was born and immediately targeted for death. Hidden away in the rural West Virginia town of Tanner, Zoe grows up feeling like an outsider—always just a little bit different from the people around her. As bad becomes worse, she is arrested for arson and a murder she didn’t commit. She is taken to a mental hospital, where she discovers nothings is as it seems and her destiny awaits her. Zoe quickly becomes caught in a web of strange abilities, politics, murder, discrimination, and forbidden love. Will she be able to bring a government to its knees in order to have the one person who matters most to her?


Amelia's Review
The plot of this book was good, but the author didn't get a single fact right. I guess it just goes to show that humans want to believe, they just have all the facts wrong. It's a good book, especielly if you don't know the facts are wrong.


                      Kindle                     Nook                        Other formats


Dark Corners ~ Liz Schulte (Second Nature)
Recomended by a handsome book store clerk, this is Amelia's first book out side the paranormal books she's come to love. She had read the author's other work (points to Secrets) so decided to give it a shot.

Ella Reynolds knew from the first moment she walked into the old house someone or something was watching her. Waiting. Her husband's violent murder sent her spiraling into a world of grief and isolation, but Ella isn't alone. Who or what is responsible for her husband's death is still with her. Darkness has engulfed the past year of Ella's life. Everyday reality slips a little more between her fingers as she struggles to break free from her memories. She must look deeper into her past as well as the present to discover truth of her husband's homicide. A string of uncanny events takes place and practical explanations run thin as Ella follows the terrifying road to closure. As the past and present come to a head, Ella must decipher who or what the murderer is before it takes her as well.


Amelia's review: I was leery of this title at first, since I've come to love books dealing with the supernatural, but I gave it a chance anyway. It had me reeling, unsure what was happening and who was responsible. I kept bouncing back and forth on whether or not it was a paranormal book, and in the end it kinda was. I really enjoyed it and I definitely liked the fact that there weren't any mistakes on Otherworld creatures.


  This book is currently being updated so it is only available on  Kindle   at the moment.

There are other titles that Amelia reads, but these are the ones available so far. I will try and do another one of these when a few more of the books are available...

And the winners are....

Apparently blogs don't post if you never hit Publish. Go figure... Sorry for the delay, but scatterbrain is as scatterbrain does. ;)

Thank you so much everyone for making my release so memorable. I can honestly say this has been a memorable experience. All those who commented and tweeted will be contacted about your swag, and the Facebook winner will be contacted there. The winners from the comments will be emailed next.

The winners of the Second Nature ebooks are Sandy and Jadis.

The winner of the 4Corners Press prize pack is Laurie Cross Muench

The scavenger hunt winner is Jenniffer Connell.

All prizes will be shipped once I actually receive them...Thank you everyone who participated, and check back because I have another chance to win coming very soon.

Second Nature Release Party

Contests and prizes and fun, oh my!

Welcome to the release party for Second Nature, Book two of the Forces of NAture series. Whether you intentionally visited my blog or you just happened to stumble in, you are in the right place my friend. Come on in, there's all kinds of games and prizes.

So before I get too far, I thought I'd tell you about the book.

Amelia Hoffman always knew she would be with Nathaniel Peplow forever, but after they bonded everything started to go wrong. Nate treats her like the enemy, her siblings are in danger, and an old threat grows closer. As Nate pulls away and Amelia’s burgeoning friendship with a handsome stranger blossoms, she worries she made the biggest mistake of her life. If sorting out her love life wasn’t enough, a new drug emerges that not only threatens the ones she loves, but seems to be part of something larger than she could ever imagine. Amelia’s new and old friends must work together to not only save themselves, but the whole world.

The book is now available through Amazon and Smashwords and is coming very soon at Barnes and Noble and in paperback. I will be sure to let you know when it available in these other formats.

Now on to the games. There's several ways to win.

#1 Everyone who comments answering this question will get a Natural Selection bookmark and postcard, and a set for Second Nature, all autographed. Just post your answer and your email address and you won! And the question is: If you had to flee your home and could only take one thing, what would it be? If you don't answer the question, you won't get the prize, so humor me and play along.

#2. Two randomly selected winners will receive a free ebook of Second Nature

#3. Anyone who tweets about the giveaway, tagging @somesharpwords, will get a free ebook of Natural Selection.

#4. Second Nature Scavenger Hunt
So here's a biggie. Scattered across the internet, you'll find fun facts about the characters that haven't made it into the books. Follow the links from one clue to the next, identifying each character. Once you have the name, send me a list with the name of the blog and the character on it. Everyone who gets more than four right wins an ebook of both Natural Selection and Second Nature. One lucky winner, chosen at random, will get an autographed paperback of both books. Email your answers to somesharpwords@gmail.com. Start the fun here! If you haven't read either book, no worries. All the characters are mentioned in Chapters One and Two.

And finally I'm offering a special prize pack to one lucky person. All you have to do is leave a comment on my author page to win a ebook of all of 4Corners Press titles, which includes Natural Selection, Second Nature, Dark Corners and Secrets by Liz Schulte, and Legion of Bats by Shadow Stephens (when it is released very soon). There will be questions and games on this site throughout the day, so this should be easy and fun.

2012 is coming

So I try to stay positive and upbeat, because that's honestly just who I am. But with 2012 approaching, the doom and gloom is really setting my brain to whirl. I want to make it clear, I do not believe some cataclysmic event is going to wipe out the earth next year. That's not to say Mother Nature can't or won't strike, but I don't think the Mayans somehow know exactly what day this old world will stop spinning.

That said, I've learned some things recently that definitely made me stop and think. I've already told you I watch to much History Channel. And this addiction has brought me a slew of "How the World Will End in 2012" shows, though they have less ominous titles, of course. Some of these have made me stop and think,while others make me laugh. So today, I thought I'd share the top three scenarios that I think could actually happen (but probably won't).

Theory #1: Sun flares
It's no secret to most people that periodically, storms on the sun result in flares that can interfere with communication. Anyone with a satelite dish is aware of this annoyance. But what a lot of people don't know is the most active region of the sun will be pointed at the Earth like a shotgun in 2012. That's enough to make you to stop and think on it's own. But we are also due for what they call a mega-flare, which only happens every thousand years or so. What can solar flares do? No, they can not single-handedly destroy the Earth. In fact they can't directly harm us in any way. So why is this a possible scenario? Because they CAN destroy all of our electronics. And I do mean all. So not just your Facebook and texting addictions are in danger. Your car won't work unless it predates the computer era. Your faucet won't have any water for you because the pumps that send water to it are useless. No light, no communication, no grocery stores. You would have to learn to live off the land. And in some places, like where I live in Illinois, that wouldn't be too hard. But what about the folks in LA, or New York? Could you survive a winter without heat? How many of you even have a hand operated can opener. This would quickly break down the human mentality to survival mode, and that won't be pretty.

Theory #2
Global warming is coming. The ice caps are melting. This isn't Al Gore's propaganda, it's a proven fact. And because of the increased weight on the tectonic plates, world shattering earthquakes are eminent. Volcanoes will fill the atmosphere with ash, choking out the sun. Tsunamis will alter our coastlines forever, leaving large swathes of continents underwater. The raising water also raises sea level, so even more land will be lost. This actually fits the Mayan predictions.

Theory #3

The zombies are coming. Are you prepared? Forget asking Santa for a new puppy or a fast car, I'm asking for an oozie! Remember you don't have to run the fastest, you just can't run the slowest. Even now the government is working on a secret experiment that will escape sometime around Thanksgiving next year. The contagion will spread, devouring millions of people who will then help devour more. Resistance is futile and the only safe place is with those of us who saw it coming and have our zombie survival plan. And no, there's no more room in my shelter.

Of all of these scenarios, I think the final one is most likely. As a human service, I have shared this instructional video to help you survive the holidays. Also, watching Zombieland while taking notes probably couldn't hurt. :)

Second Nature's new release date

I have been a busy beaver and it's paying off. I'm so sorry for the delay and I greatly appreciate your patience. The new release date of Second Nature will be December 30. Please come back for exciting giveaways. Anyone who plays along can get a free copy of Natural Selection, to get you up to speed for this book. There will be games and giveaways,  so don't miss out. :D

You have the right to remain dreamy

I am proud to be teaming up with Tiffany White today, to share ten hot television criminals. But if that isn't enough to make you drool, we're also teaming up with Liz Schulte and Cait Lavender for ten hot t.v. cops. Whether you like criminals or the men who are always chasing after them, there is sure to be plenty of eye candy on all of our lists.

The hardest part about making this list for me was trying to pick which five criminals I wanted to pay homage to. So many hotties, so little time. But in the end, I think I came up with a list of law breakers that any girl would swoon over.

1) Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) - Leverage

I've always had a weak spot for geeks, and they don't get any better than Hardison. From his witty banter to his super hacker skills, he keeps my attention glued to the screen. While I freely admit my opinion might be influenced by the fact that I met him and thought he was a nice guy, I chose him for purely superficial reasons, I promise.

Elliot Spencer (Christian Kane) - Leverage

Between his sweet moves and his solid muscles, this criminal was the first to come to mind for me. There's something about the tough set to his jaw and those gorgeous blue eyes that takes my breath away. Maybe Leverage should be on more than once a week...

Syalr (Zachary Quintis) - Hereos

I think the picture says it all, but I'll elaborate anyway. The intense dark eyes really make this criminal a spine tingler, but in the best way possible. Sylar is a predator and he's ok with that. And though the series fizzled near the end, I watched it most of the way just to spot this yummy bad guy.

Zane Donovan (Niall Matter) - Eureka

Another hot geek on my list. From the moment he appeared in Eureka, Zane isn't afraid to break the rules. His devil may care attitude and general disheveled appearance somehow make him a little bit dreamier.

Spike (James Marster) - Buffy

Spike showed up in Sunnydale as a blood thirsty vampire who enjoys terrorizing the fast food he found there. In the end he mellowed out some, but I think it was more the anti-violence ship than any true softening. At least that's what I tell myself. Maybe I just dig the 80's punk Billy Idol look, but despite the fact that he's old enough to be my father, I can't stop looking when he's on screen.

So that's my list, but don't stop now, there's so much more hotness to share. Make sure you peek to see who made Tiffany, Liz and Cait's lists.

Do YOU beleive?

As an urban fantasy author, I deal a lot with legends, myths and tales of the supernatural. I'm sure it's no surprise then that I love any shows that deal with mysteries and the unknown. I was watching a program today and couldn't help thinking about belief.


A person's beliefs are as unique as the people themselves. Everyone has their own ideas. Now I'm not talking about religion, because that's not a topic I like to talk about publicly. I'm talking the kind of elements I deal with in my stories—ghosts, aliens, mythological creatures.

Many of these stories are sprinkled liberally around the globe. The myths had to come from somewhere, so how did they spread through isolated civilizations with so many similarities? Let's take dragons, for example. I've heard all kinds of suggestions from them actually existing to ancient cultures trying to figure out dinosaur bones. The truth is we can never really know the true origins of these tales, or how much truth they hold. And we probably won't find out in this life. So in the end, it all comes down to—-What do you believe?

#WinnerWonderland Christmas Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Tanya Bright, the winner of the Winner Wonderland giveaway! Thank you so much to everyone who entered.