Interview with Jennifer Ott, Author of Desperate Moon

Inspiration comes from watching way too much Monty Python. The abstract and the absurd way of looking at normal life, not only offers humor, but questions many problems in society in a light-hearted manner. If we can laugh at ourselves, if we can laugh at life, problems do not seem quite so difficult to tackle.  In fact, problems are not as complicated as they seem; everything is very simple. If you can laugh at it, write about it and read about it, most likely one would think about it.

Author Jennifer Ott has written several satire fiction, Wild Horses, The Tourist and two non-fiction books Love and Handicapping and Ooh Baby Compound Me! She recently published, Serenidipidus and Edge of Civilization. She also is the host of the SuperJenius Internet Radio show on Artist First radio Network.

Jennifer Ott lives in Long Beach, California, enjoys the sun, the sand, the surf and lots of Mexican food.

Jennifer’s latest book is the Victorian era historical romance, Desperate Moon.

For More Information

• Visit Jennifer Ott’s website.
• Visit her show at Artist First Network.
• Connect with Jennifer on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Jennifer at Goodreads.
• Contact Jennifer.

Where did you grow up?

I grew in Pennsylvania

What is your fondest childhood memory?

Camping with my family.

What is this book about?

This book is the story a female vampire who lived for 600 years experiencing many historical events. Through the centuries she married men of wealth and prestige to give her security and shelter, until one day she meets and becomes infatuated with an ambitious scientist who aims to find a remedy for her vampire condition.

What inspired you to write it?

I had a crush on a dark and soulful German painter. Also at the time my favorite song was “Possession” by Sarah McLachlan. The lyrics of the song inspired the book.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My father. He reads everything I write and also helps me when I am blocked.

Are you a member of a critique group? If no, who provides feedback on your work?

No. I have beta readers who help provide feedback.

Who is your favorite author?

John Steinbeck and Milan Kundera.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

On Amazon -

http://www.amazon.com/Desperate-Moon-Jennifer-Ott-ebook/dp/B017GFLUQY

I post excerpts to all my books on my website at www.JenniferOtt.com

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

Learn how to take criticism. Some of it you will learn from and some of it you will learn to ignore.

What is up next for you?

Desperate Moon wasn’t written to be a series, yet I can see second book.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Thank you.

First Chapter Review: Assula: No Neck, No Problem! by John Miles

The first chapter of Assula: No Neck, No Problem! was submitted by author John Miles. This is a humorous vampire story.

BLURB:   Assula is the story of a young man who becomes—quite by accident a vampire, but with the unusual proclivity of biting butts instead of necks.

The premise of the story is that only those with evil in their hearts become vampires, all others simply die when attacked by a vampire.

What sets Assula apart is that he was apparently attacked by a very powerful vampire, perhaps Dracula himself, the same evil fiend who turned Assula’s Uncle into a vampire.

While the premise of the story is obviously meant to be humorous, and yes, at times even salacious there are serious themes regarding the pain of being different, of not being able to share the truth with others when you’re sure you won’t be believed, as well as the fear of abandonment.

But Assula does have quite a romp in New York and London and you never know, perhaps even lurking behind you.

COVER:  Love it. Perfect for the genre. The ravens in the background make me think of Poe.

FIRST CHAPTER:  Bitten as a teenager, Assula has this odd habit of biting people in the rear end. He's different than vampires in other ways too, but it's his butt-biting habit that encourages his family to place him on a ship bound for New York to stay with his aunt and uncle.

Life in New York is strange. He misses his bear named, Chappy. People in the city don't take kindly to being bitten in the butt. It's definitely going to take Assula time to adjust to his new surroundings.

KEEP READING:  Probably not, though I have to admit I laughed through most of this first chapter.

If there were ever a self-published book that screamed for an editor, this one is it. This story of an unconventional vampire has promise, but that is diminished by poor grammar and a lack of focus. Just reading the blurb above, you find errors. Those same types of errors and others, plague the first chapter, making it somewhat of a rambling mess. In addition, the first chapter wanders among a heavy amount of backstory, Assula's reunion with Uncle Vlad and Aunt Helga in New York, the village he left behind in Romania, and his first outing after arriving in New York. That's a lot to throw at a reader in only a few pages.

The reason I opened this section saying I probably wouldn't continue instead of saying a definite no is that I feel this could be a great story if an editor helped the author tighten it up and remove those grammar issues. I hope the author keeps working at it, because he has a unique idea that looks like it can be funny and meaningful all at the same time.

• File Size: 671 KB
• Print Length: 334 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B009J2KFKK
• Current price: $.99 

I received the first chapter of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.

Author Spotlight: Martin Sharlow, Author of Shades of Twlight

Melissa has waited her whole life to move out and start her own. This is her first summer after graduating and now she has her own place and a job. Everything she wanted is starting to happen.

Until the accident.

When the most gorgeous guy she has ever seen saves her life, he also forever changes it. What do you do when you find out that life as you have always known it isn’t real, and the man you love is a vampire, out to save you from something worse?

Read the Excerpt!


The lights came back on in the theater, and still half the people hadn’t left yet. The first portion got up and left the moment the credits came up, but the rest sat in their seats and talked about everything they’d just watched. A few of the last people leaving let their eyes linger on Michael as they walked out, but most didn’t even seem to notice him any longer. I guess they were more wrapped up in their new world of vampires and werewolves. I couldn’t blame them, really. Bella’s world looked all romantic and fun. Somehow even with a horde of vampires trying to kill her, the movie seemed to make it a cool thing. I realized that, had I been Bella and that was my life, it wouldn’t seem so cool anymore. At the moment, though, it did. Her romanticized life seemed preferable to mine, and yet a part of me knew I wouldn’t leave mine right now even if it were possible.

I looked over at Michael to see him sitting there staring at me. I wondered what he was thinking, if he thought I was his Bella, or was he just amused that I had the need to escape into fantasy. I noticed a kernel of popcorn stuck on his shoulder, then one in his hair, and couldn’t help wonder how they got there.

“Are we done yet?” He asked with a bit of hope in his eyes. “Or are we going to go get another ticket and watch it again?”

He looked so adorable right now, just sitting there with popcorn in his hair. I wasn’t sure what it was or why he so appealed to me right then, but without thinking I found myself pressing my lips against his silky soft ones. His lips warmed to the touch of mine, as we kissed.


Read the Reviews!

"If you like a paranormal storyline with some mystery and a little romance thrown in, than you will enjoy Shades of Twilight."

--Acting Balanced

"I do recommend this story for those who enjoy vampires with mystery."

--Goodreads Reviewer

Martin Sharlow was always a storyteller. In his youth he used to play role playing games and usually he was the game master. That allowed him to create and modify stories and then tell them to his captive audience in the form of a game. Because of this and the many fantasy books he read, Martin went the next step and started writing fantasy novels.


Recently, however, Martin changed genres to vampire romance as he got bitten by the vampire bug. This happened after picking up one of the latest novels and finding himself hooked on it. Today Martin has written two vampire romance novels, and is in the process of writing many more.


Martin currently lives in Vancouver, WA with two of his three children, who help to keep him grounded in reality.


You can visit Martin Sharlow at http://www.wix.com/targoun/martin

PURCHASE A COPY OF SHADES OF TWILIGHT AT AMAZON.COM!

Author Spotlight: Katie Salidas and Immortalis: Hunters and Prey

Becoming a vampire saved Alyssa from death, but the price was high: the loss of everything and everyone attached to her mortal life. She’s still learning to cope when a surprise confrontation with Santino Vitale, the Acta Sanctorum’s most fearsome hunter, sends her fleeing back to the world she once knew, and Fallon, the friend she’s missed more than anything.

Alyssa breaks vampire law by revealing her new, true self to her old friend, a fact which causes strong division in the group that should support her most: her clan.

Worse yet, her revelation entangles Fallon in the struggle between vampires and hunters and The Acta Sanctorum is ready to attack again, with a new army of hybrid creations: the Frenzy Soldiers.

If Alyssa hopes to survive and keep her mortal friend safe, she’ll have to be willing to make a deal with the enemy, and regain her clan’s support. It will take everyone working together in a precarious truce to fight against the Acta Sanctorum’s new threat.

Book Information

ISBN: ISBN-13: 9780984419654

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Publisher: Rising Sign Books

Publication Date: Pub. Date: December 2010

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Prey-Immortalis-2-ebook/dp/B004DNWEGS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1291063259&sr=8-5
Barnes and Noble:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Hunters-and-Prey/Katie-Salidas/e/9780984419654/?itm=4&USRI=katie+salidas
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/31078

Read the Reviews!

"...a book I could not put down..."

--Angelfirewithwings, Amazon Reviewer

"...if you're looking for an action packed paranormal book then you must buy this book. You won't be disappointed. I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars."

--GCRWanda, Amazon Reviewer

"What I appreciated in Book 2 of this trilogy is the growth of Alyssa's character and she continued to struggle with leaving her old life behind."

--Katrina Michaels, Amazon Reviewer

"I highly recommend this book for an afternoon of escapism. It is an engaging, fast paced, action packed read that will leave you wanting more!"

--Minerva T. Balaguer, Amazon Reviewer

Author of the hot new Urban Fantasy series, Immortalis, Katie has always had a desire to entertain. Since, early childhood, she’s dreamed up fantastical characters and scribbled them into pages of various journals and notebooks. Taking an interest in vampires at an early age, she devoured every book, featuring those mysterious, blood sucking creatures, in any genre she could find. She claims that, of all the monsters out there, vampires had always been the most interesting.


It was only natural that a love of reading about vampires, and a love of writing turned into a desire to write her own stories.

A Las Vegas native, having grown up in the famed City of Sin, Katie loves to feature it as a recurring setting for many of her stories.


Find Katie Salidas at www.risingsignbooks.com


Blog
http://myimmortalstories.blogspot.com/


Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/ksalidas?ref=profile


Facebook Author Fansite
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916


Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/katelv

Evenings on Dark Island by Rhett DeVane and Larry Rock -- Book Review

If Fantasy Island was set in Florida and hosted by a flamboyant party planner turned reluctant vampire, you might just get a taste of what Evenings on Dark Island is like.

Patrons return each year to the Spa at Dark Island where the many amenities rejuvenate and replenish them and provide an escape from their real lives. Vincent Bledsloe is their smoking jacket wearing, Cuban cigar smoking host, who along with his rat-faced gardener, Arby, and the tight-lipped but pleasant staff, caters to the clients' every need.

Enter DEA agent Reanita Geneva Register, posing as the daughter of an oil baron to uncover illegal activities on the island. This week she is spending time with an actor well past his prime, a vamp starlet, and the wife of a well-known senator. If Vincent and Arby can keep their newest guest, Ms. Register, from tramping through the trails and being attacked by alligators and bitten by snakes, perhaps planning for the Blue Blood Ball will go off smoothly. Well, that is if Vincent can keep a redneck NASCAR loving vampire away and tame his high-maintenance vampiress lover and her ill-tempered undead Chihuahua.

In this entertaining vampire spoof, authors Rhett DeVane and Larry Rock have combined the vampire craze with everything southern, tossing in some quirky characters along the way to bring you a book you'll want to read more than once.

I had read DeVane's earlier work (The Madhatter's Guide to Chocolate and Up the Devil's Belly), and while her flair for bringing the south to life is definitely a big part of this novel, it is her characters that shine through once again and make this a spectacular read. One cannot attempt to read a book by this author without getting involved in their characters' lives.

Rock appears to have provided a great deal of research to this novel in the form of party planning and gardening. The reader soon discovers that the rat-faced Arby, who has been accepted by no one until Vincent came along, is in the midst of preparing the largest event of the year, the Blue Blood Ball. He also mixes and breeds different and unique species of plants, many of which he uses in his herbal remedies.

My only tiny complaint about Evenings at Dark Island is that the setting almost became like a character in and of itself. I like having a detailed picture painted for me so I can be immersed in the story, but overdone it gives you pages of narrative that interrupts the action.

That aside, I loved this book. I think the television show Angel ruined me to read anything serious about vampires. I absolutely devoured that show and fell in love with the brooding Angel, who was cursed with a soul. The thought of picking up one of the Twilight books turns my stomach. This fang-in-cheek novel is much more my style.

Evenings at Dark Island is definitely a book worth spending time on.



Title: Evenings at Dark Island
Authors: Rhett DeVane and Larry Rock
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN-10: 0741459310
ISBN-13: 978-0741459312
SRP: $17.95

Author Spotlight: House of Immortal Pleasures by Katie Salidas

Blindfolded and kidnapped, Daphne is whisked away to the famed, House of Immortal Pleasures, a Vampire-run Brothel in Pahrump, Nevada.

Sometimes the only way to mend a broken heart is to get back in the saddle. At least that is how Daphne’s friends see it. And since Daphne isn’t showing any signs of letting that happen, they take it into their own hands. With a few shots of liquid courage, a pat on the ass, and a donated gold card, Daphne is unwillingly sent into fantasy room 123 to meet her creature of the night, Connor.

It’s Connor’s job to seduce and entice Daphne to try all the expensive, sexual services on the menu. And he is prepared to do just that, until he peers into her mind and sees the damage done by her broken heart. After learning of her past pain, Connor’s plans change. No more is this a game of seduction to pad the pockets of the brothel owner. Connor decides to lavish Daphne with real attention and affection. Something she desperately needs. He will heal her heart the only way he can, by showing her she is beautiful, desirable, and sexy.

Visit Rising Sun Books to read an excerpt!



The youngest of four children, Katie has always had a desire to entertain. Since, early childhood, she’s dreamed up fantastical characters and scribbled them into pages of various journals and notebooks. Taking an interest in vampires at an early age, she devoured every book, featuring those blood sucking creatures, in any genre she could find. She claims that, of all the monsters out there, vampires had always been the most interesting.

It was only natural that a love of reading about vampires, and a love of writing, turned into a desire to write her stories. Thus, Immortalis Carpe Noctem was born along with House of Immortal Pleasures.

A Las Vegas native, having grown up in the famed City of Sin, Katie loves to feature it as a recurring setting for many of her stories.

Visit Katie online at http://myimmortalstories.blogspot.com/.