May has been a very busy month! Wow, it’s just blown by.
So here I sit on the last day of May and hoping that June is going to be an amazing month. It could happen. One good thing about June I know going in — no snow. At least, not where I live. *looks at sky skeptically*
Wanna know what I’ve been up to? Well, I’m happy to tell you!
I’m all finished my novella for the PRIMAL anthology that’s out next April with Lora Leigh, Ava Gray and Jory Strong. My story is called BLEEDING HEART but I’m also calling it Nightshade 1.5, since it takes place right after the events in NIGHTSHADE (out in February) but before BLOODLUST (working title) in October.
I’ve been living with these characters for a while now and will miss them now that I’m moving on to new stuff. I have the back cover copy for Nightshade, but I’m waiting to post it along with the cover which I figure I should be getting fairly soon, but I can share with you the subtitle: “Desire is in the blood.” I consider these books more urban fantasy, but there’s enough romance in ‘em that they’ll be published as paranormal romance. I’m not sure I could write a book that was totally romance free anymore. The romance in Nightshade is definitely one of my faves. I sure don’t give Jill and Declan an easy time of it. You think I’ve tortured my characters in the past? Ha. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
I’ve also finished a few chapters and outline on my third Harlequin Blaze, IRRESISTIBLE, and I’m waiting for my editor’s thoughts on it before I dive into the rest. I think this will be a really fun story. At least, that’s the hope!
This week I am working on my copy edits for SOMETHING WICKED. After that I’ll be pecking away at a couple of proposals that have been poking at my muse. I like to think two or three years ahead of what is currently happening. Live in the now? Nah. Move along.
All right, so that’s what I’ve been up to. What have I been doing other than writing? Not much.
Are you trying to say that there’s more to life than creating fictional people? Umm…..
I’ve randomly chosen the two winners of a signed copy of the hard cover of REIGN CHECK thanks to random.org, and they are… #1 (!!) ANGELA M. and #24 BELLA F. Congrats! Please contact me at michelle@michellerowen.com with your mailing address to claim your prize! Thanks everyone for entering!
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Hear ye! Hear ye!
It’s the official release day for my second Demon Princess book, REIGN CHECK. I’m very fond of this one and I hope readers like Nikki’s further adventures as well!
It’s a party! BYOHAT (Bring Your Own Horns and Tiara!)
I’m giving awaytwo signed hard cover copies of REIGN CHECK (it’s also available simultaneously in trade paperback size, but HC just looks so lovely on the shelf) to two randomly selected commenters who wants to join in my release day celebrations. *throws confetti*
I’ll pick my winners tomorrow at 9:00 pm EST.
DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN CHECK
Enter the world of Nikki Donovan, a demon princess hell-bent on living a normal teenage life!
Nikki Donovan has had a lot to deal with since learning she was half human, half demon. But things take a darker turn when Rhys, a gorgeous — but potentially dangerous — faery king enrolls at her high school to investigate Nikki’s potential for fulfilling an apocalyptic prophesy. Nikki knows she’d never turn violent, and she certainly couldn’t destroy the world…could she?
Of course, all Nikki really wants is to be reunited with Michael, a Shadow creature whose status as her personal servant is further complicated by their undeniable attraction to each other. Even though the rules of the Shadowlands strictly forbid their romance, Nikki is determined not to let Michael go. But when she is summoned to the Underworld to appear before a demon council, it will take all her courage — and perhaps a bit of demon-level strength — to get herself out again.
*
Here’s an excerpt!
Michael’s dark brows drew together. “What prophesy?”
“Apparently there’s some prophesy about me that was just uncovered.” A shiver went down my arms.
“Who would have told you something like that?”
I glanced over my shoulder and a distinct feeling of unease flowed through me when I saw the bearer of my prophesy news exit the cafeteria and scan his surroundings before spotting me.
“I really wish he’d just go away,” I grumbled and let go of Michael’s hand.
“Who?”
I nodded in the direction of the approaching faery king. “Him.”
“Nikki,” Rhys said dryly, his eyes flicking to Michael for a moment. “There you are. Trying to avoid me doesn’t change anything, you know.”
“Who are you?” Michael asked.
Rhys eyed him. “Who are you?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
I cleared my throat. “Rhys is the king of the faery realm.”
It took a moment for this to register for Michael. “What are you doing in the human world?” he asked suspiciously.
Rhys pursed his lips. “I thought that was going to be our little secret, Nikki. Or maybe you want me to spread your little secret around as well?”
I didn’t like being threatened. “Michael lives in my father’s castle. He’s not a student here.” I looked at Michael. “Rhys came here to investigate me. Thinks I’m some sort of threat to his fellow iridescently winged friends. He’s the one who told me there’s a prophesy.”
Michael took this information in, his expression steadily darkening. “Did he threaten you, Princess?” he asked quietly.
The implied threat in biology was still crystal clear in my mind. “A little. But I—”
Before I could say another word, Michael grabbed Rhys by the front of his shirt and slammed him against a nearby locker.
“Leave the princess alone,” Michael growled, sounding as dangerous and protective as I’d ever heard him. “Or you’ll have to deal with me.”
*
Got a question about the Demon Princess books, about writing, about anything in general? Ask away and I’ll stop back in to answer. Otherwise, leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of REIGN CHECK!
I’m happy to report that Darrak and Eden will be back! I’ve known about this for a while, but have had to keep quiet till everything was official.
Here’s the official announcement on Publishers Marketplace…..
Fiction: Paranormal Michelle Rowen’s THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC, the third title in the author’s “Living in Eden” paranormal romance series, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley, by Jim McCarthy at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (World).
Hooray!
Since I have a trio (two novels and a novella in an anthology) in my darker urban fantasy/romance NIGHTSHADE world next February, April, and August, look for Darrak and Eden to hit the shelves tentatively October 2011. Can’t wait to get started on this one… I love these characters so much!
My editor also let me know that THE DEMON IN ME has made it onto the Borders Group Inc. and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists, so I’m very happy about that. Thanks so much to everyone who bought a copy!
Whew. Okay, back to work for me. I’m finishing up my novella right now. Well, not RIGHT NOW, but you know what I mean.
Last but not least, here’s the trailer I made yesterday for SOMETHING WICKED — five months till it’s out…….
My caveat up front: I LOVE SUPERNATURAL with hearts and sparkles and smiley faces. I have since I watched the first two seasons back to back on DVD just before Season 3 started. I will look forward to Season 6 in a big way. Sure, sometimes it seems a little bit contrived and derivative of other shows (Buffy, for example) AND the “funny” eps, including pretty much any time Ghostfacers is mentioned, falls flat for me. I love the interaction between the brothers, the adventure, the monster of the week. And I’ve loved what the show’s been building up to all season.
But last night? I think it can be approached best with a little something they do on Saturday Night Live.
REEEAALLLYY???
Okay, so all season…no, make that the last two seasons, we’ve been building to the apocalyptic stand off between Michael and Lucifer. SINCE SAM WAS BORN he’s been the chosen vessel for Lucifer to be here in the human world and do his thing. Or something like that.
I’ve been fine with Lucifer basically lounging around all season waiting for something to happen. I think if we’d seen his point of view a few more times it would have included him watching a lot of soap operas and glancing impatiently at his watch. Because last season’s finale? Epic. But we had a whole bunch of episodes to get through before we got to this season finale.
Finally, Sam agrees to let Lucifer take over his bod. This is a human, if a bit of a special demon-blood-drinking human, with frakkin’ LUCIFER now in control of his body. Ten minutes later? It’s all over. Lucifer is contained again in some sort of hell box. How did Sam get control of his body that LUCIFER took over after HAND-PICKING Sam from 6 billion humans? That easy? Not with a few horrible episodes in between? Not with Lucifer taking over Sam AS the season finale? (which would have worked for me). Noooooo. Sam had a memory of his childhood, his life with Dean, and MUCH LIKE WILLOW’S YELLOW CRAYON SCENE AT THE END OF SEASON SIX OF BUFFY, he was able to channel that pure love or whatever enough to gain control of LUCIFER and push him aside long enough to use the rings, chant the incantation, open the hole, and jump into it. Hello, Lucifer? You there? YOU’RE LUCIFER, dude. And you totally wimped out!!
REEAALLLY???
Also, ALL SEASON, Dean and Sam have been chasing after a bunch of MacGuffins…er, I’m sorry…Horsemen of the Apocalypse Rings, all four are needed in order to open the vortex to send Lucifer back from whence he came. Lucifer snatches these rings very easily the first time Dean feebly but earnestly tries to use them (all of a half hour ago). Does Lucifer destroy them? Does he hide them somewhere where they can never be found, perhaps in a locked safe or safety deposit box of some kind? Nooooo. He takes them with him to his apocalyptic battle against Michael. Pretty much the ONLY THING that can defeat him is conveniently in his pocket, making it easy for Sam to use after he gets his yellow crayon scene.
REEAALLYY???
Let’s see…what else? Okay, that Lisa chick? Her character has faded in my memory, but I know she’s the mother of Dean’s kid, which no one has actually acknowledged out loud. He’s screwed her over so many times, deserted her at the drop of a hat, and she is willing to take him back no questions asked?
REEAALLYYY??? Have some respect, girlfriend. I know this show doesn’t write females well (and I’ve made my peace with that), but c’mon. You’re embarrassing the rest of us.
All right, during the “apocalyptic stand-off between Michael and Lucifer,” which was rather literal, I’d say, considering we’re talking about two badass angels representing Heaven and Hell. They were standing. In a field. Chatting. In a way that made me think that originally this scene was meant to play out between Dean/Michael and Sam/Lucifer. Who’s this other bro? I don’t care about him. DIE ALREADY.
Anyway…now we’re talking. Castiel, my favorite character, gets blown up all red and bloody. I am shocked! I am saddened. But it feels right. Bobby gets killed. I grew weary of that character last season when he got all whiny. I’m okay with that too. Poor Dean is on his own. Poor Dean!
No, wait. Castiel’s back. He’s been resurrected and better than ever! He’s all deus ex machina! He resurrects Bobby! He heals Dean’s smashed up face with a simple touch! He’s not an interesting and damaged fallen angel. He’s all glory and angelically powerful!
REEAALLLYY???? My, that was easy, wasn’t it? There wasn’t even a commercial break for us to mourn or think about what might happen. Bam. All is well with the world.
And Sam lurking in the shadows at the end was…. well, the boy is pretty but he doesn’t do dread well. He just looked like he was lurking. In the shadows.
It was an OKAY episode. But I don’t want OKAY from Supernatural. I want to be blown away. I want to be emotionally affected. After five seasons, I want it all to mean something.
You know what doesn’t mean anything? That Chuck is God. Nope, sorry. It doesn’t work. I SEE WHAT YOU’RE DOING (and I’m not in disagreement that writers are rather god-like ), but there needed to be better foreshadowing. WAY, WAAYYYY better.
What I liked about the season finale. And I did like some stuff….
Castiel: ASSBUT! (Hilarious). Also when he says “everything will be fine” after he realizes that Sam’s looking for a lie. A little to late for that, my friend.
Jensen: He’s a good actor and hot as hell. Although he is looking a little worn around the edges. Aging actor or specifically appropriate to part? Either way, he’s delicious. I wish he was doing more with his outside-of-Supernatural career.
Sam and Dean: Loved the brotherly montage during the yellow crayon scene. Very well done.
Mark Pellegrino: Great actor, very effective as pre-Sam Lucifer. They could have used him way more this season and I would have been a happy viewer. Then again, I guess he was needed over at Lost for another mediocre episode.
Crowley: Loved this character. Where the hell was he for the finale???
So, all in all, the season gets a B+ from me, but the finale gets a C-. Can’t wait till Season Six!!!
The Demon in Me isn’t the only book (about demons) I have out this month! MAY IS DEMON MONTH IN THE ROWENVERSE.
Two fantastic reviews for Demon Princess: Reign Check, my second young adult fantasy, from Kirkus and Booklist!
Nikki Donovan still isn’t used to the idea that she’s a demon princess, heiress to a vast netherworld called the Shadowlands (Reign or Shine, 2009). She’s happy to be back to the normal, boring halls of high school until a hot foreign-exchange student, Rhys, enrolls. Rhys, who is actually the faery king, ends any hope Nikki had for normalcy. To further complicate Nikki’s life, her best friend is training to become a demon slayer, and the boy who took her to the winter dance might know exactly what she is. News of a prophecy that states Nikki will bring about the apocalypse shakes the Underworld, so Nikki travels into hostile territory to confront the Underworld council. Underworld politics and a love triangle among Rhys, Nikki and Nikki’s Shadow boyfriend Michael keep the story moving along. Nikki’s disbelief that she’s a major demon player brings humor, but she is never obnoxious or overly witty. This volume should leave readers breathless and wondering what royalty and love will bring to their horned heroine. — Kirkus Reviews
“Half-human, half-demon Nikki Donovan continues her intriguing tightrope between her semi-normal highschool persona and the knowledge that she is the potential heir to the Shadowlands throne. In this installment, she learns that her best friend, Melinda, is a demon-slayer-in-training; the faery king, Rhys, has enrolled in high school; and a dragon oracle has prophesized that Nikki, “the first Darkling born in a thousand years, will single-handedly destroy us all.” Another chilling, sometimes violent, romantic fantasy that moves from the mundane world to the Shadowlands to the dungeons of the Underground before Nikki can finish her Christmas shopping.”— Booklist
Thanks to everyone for coming to the party! It was a lot of fun. Wow! So much to clean up now. And that chocolate fountain spilled all on the floor! Where are you all wandering off to? There are dishes to be done. Vacuuming! Come on, people!! Sheesh! Okay, fine, you want to know the winners of the contest? I can do that. All randomly chosen thanks to Random.org. And all have already been contacted by email to claim their prizes….
Signed ARC of THE DEMON IN ME
Comment #6 — Tori (Book Faery)
Signed hardcover of DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN CHECK
Comment #84 — Stephanie Kelly
Signed copy of BEWITCHED, BOTHERED & BEVAMPYRED
Comment #29 — Shanna
$20 Gift Card
Comment #42 — Maureen McGowan
$10 Gift Card
Comment #1 — Amy Jacobs
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**Note: Due to a dispute between Amazon and Penguin, this book (and any other Penguin book) is currently unavailable on Kindle. I’m hoping this will be resolved very soon so Kindle users can read it. More information about this problem can be found here.**
Hooray… today’s the day! THE DEMON IN ME, book one in my brand new Living in Eden paranormal romance series hits the bookstores. This has been such a fun series for me to write and I absolutely love the characters, especially Eden and Darrak. I truly hope that readers enjoy the book!!
Here’s the back cover copy:
Hell hath no fury…
Fate has led Eden Riley to become a “psychic consultant” to the police, even though her abilities are unreliable at best. Those paranormal powers are about to get her into a jam she couldn’t have predicted. After her hunky police detective partner guns down a serial killer in front of her, Eden realizes that she’s quite literally no longer alone. A voice in her head introduces himself as Darrak. He’s a demon. But not in a bad way!
>>Book #2 is out October 2010!
…like a woman possessed.
Darrak lost his original body 300 years ago thanks to a witch’s curse. This is the first time he’s ever been able to speak directly to a host, plus there’s a bonus. Eden’s psychic energy helps him to take form during daylight hours. He wants to use this chance to find a way to break his curse — finally. Otherwise, Eden’s going to have to learn to live with this sexy demon…like it or not. And she thinks she might like it.
My release day vlog (try to ignore how many times I say “um”!):
Hope you can stick around a bit for the party. Please leave a comment to be eligible for a prize (this is open to everyone, no matter where you live). Have a question? Ask away. I’ll be popping in to check comments and I’d be happy to answer them for you.
What am I giving away? Check out the following….
1. My last yellow-covered signed ARC of THE DEMON IN ME (collector’s edition!)
2. A signed hardcover copy of DEMON PRINCESS: REIGN CHECK (this is my second YA book that comes out in a few weeks and no relation to my adult demon series).
3. A super-rare, hard to find copy of the out of print BEWITCHED, BOTHERED & BEVAMPYRED anthology that includes stories from Gena Showalter, PC Cast, MaryJanice Davidson and Vicki Lewis Thompson, among many others, with my very first published story in it. This will be signed by yours truly.
4. A $20 electronic gift card for your favorite online book retailer (Amazon, B&N, Borders, etc.)
5. A $10 electronic gift card for your favorite online book retailer (Amazon, B&N, Borders, etc.)
I will choose winners at random tomorrow, Wednesday, May 5th at 9:00 p.m. EST. Good luck!
So please, enjoy yourself. Have a virtual cocktail, some virtual goodies from the buffet — I recommend the demonically delicious chocolate fountain. Darrak will be around to chat with party attendees, but remember, he loses his human form at sunset so I suggest taking a large step back from him at that time just in case he might want to possess your body. Then again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to Darrak.
All right, I will admit that my thirty days of blogging every day did not work out as I had envisioned. But I think it went pretty darn well, all things considered. I want to thank all of my guests for joining the celebrations: Michele Bardsley, Jill Myles, Larissa Ione, Charlene Teglia, Jackie Kessler, Jaye Wells, and Jacquelyn Frank. They all rock!
So….. I’m back from the RT Convention and I had a fantastic time. I played Rock Band. I drank lemon drop martinis, I ate (too much) wonderful restaurant food. I met tons of fabulous readers and authors and aspiring authors. Did I mention I ate (too much) wonderful restaurant food? I also accepted my RT Reviewers Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance for TALL, DARK & FANGSOME, which was the ultimate way to end that series, I think. I have a crystal award all engraved and it’s so bee-oot-ifull. I’m so lucky.
TOMORROW A NEW ERA BEGINS. An era of demons and witches and werecats and paranormal investigations and strange romantic entanglements with men who need to possess bodies. Oh, and also I have a new release. HA. No, I was talking about my new release, of course. THE DEMON IN ME. Have I mentioned that book lately? Like, almost every day for a month now. WELL IT IS FINALLY HERE, PEOPLE. IT IS FINALLY HERE. AND BOY OH BOY DO I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.
<—- SIGHTING OF BOOK IN WALMART BY TAMI BATES
Today I’m at Bitten by Books giving away fabulous electronic gift card prizes. JOIN ME!
Tomorrow I’m RIGHT HERE ON THIS BLOG (at www.michellerowen.com/blog/ if you’re reading this mirrored elsewhere). I’ll be hosting a virtual release party with virtual drinks and munchies. Virtual calories don’t count! I may even do a vlog book reading. I’m not sure. We’ll have to see if I’m having a good hair day when I wake up tomorrow. I will be giving away PRIZES AND GOOD KARMA for all of my fabulous guests and YOU’RE ALL INVITED. WHEE!!!!*
*I’m really tired from the convention so it’s good that I’m typing this. My weariness is less evident and my enthusiasm and whee-ness shines through.
May has been a very busy month! Wow, it’s just blown by.
My caveat up front: I LOVE SUPERNATURAL with hearts and sparkles and smiley faces. I have since I watched the first two seasons back to back on DVD just before Season 3 started. I will look forward to Season 6 in a big way. Sure, sometimes it seems a little bit contrived and derivative of other shows (Buffy, for example) AND the “funny” eps, including pretty much any time Ghostfacers is mentioned, falls flat for me. I love the interaction between the brothers, the adventure, the monster of the week. And I’ve loved what the show’s been building up to all season.
), but there needed to be better foreshadowing. WAY, WAAYYYY better.
