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This summer I am hoping to edge a couple steps closer to completion of my once a trilogy that has morphed into a five book series. I have been diligently hammering out the details over the last few months while also starting another series I hope will be beloved as The Created.

The next book in the series is called:

If it is not one thing it is another. People complaining about book delays because Martin has written too much. Classic.

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I am pleased to be hosting Mark Knight on his blog tour.

Tell us about you.

Well, I grew up in America, living everywhere from California to Boston, son of an Irish father and a British mother who had emigrated to the US shortly before I was born. It was while I was still a young teenager living in Massachusetts that I discovered that I wanted to write, because I loved strange tales, be it science fiction, ghost stories, or horror. I started with short stories, then novels. Of course, those early ones were dire. But I knew I wanted to be a published author one day. Our family moved to Ireland where I finished school and also completed my first novel, a space adventure. In the early 80s I moved to the UK. Since then, I have been writing novels, screenplays, and the occasional short story. Now I concentrate mostly on Young Adult urban fantasy, which I found to be the most fun to write.

Tell us about your book.

Blood Family is a different kind of vampire book. That was always my premise. I wanted to write about vampires, keeping all the tried-and-tested cool elements intact � the vampire’s strength, blood-lust, etc � but adding new elements to the lore, especially to what vampires were, their origins. The theory of other dimensions have always fascinated me. What if, I thought, vampires were interdimensonal creatures that took over the bodies of humans, transforming them and making them into the fanged bloodsuckers we know and love? And what if one of those bloodsuckers then sired a child with a human? That half-vampire child would have quite a life, especially if he knew nothing of his true parentage. Daniel Dark starts off that way, a normal teenager. Then he finds out what he is, and everything changes. That sets him on a quest, and an extremely perilous one, to confront his vampire father and find his birth mother, utilizing his emerging vampire powers along the way.

Book Blurb:

Life as part of a debt-free, middle-class family in the New England suburbs should have been heaven.

But when your father is a Man of God and you’re a vampire, it sure can be hell.

Until the age of seventeen, Daniel Dark had no idea of his true origins. Something was ulcerating deep inside him, striving to claw its way free. Pastor Nathan Dark and his wife, Annie, had adopted him and brought him up as their own. But Daniel always felt that there was a secret they feared tell him�

Everything changes the day a mysterious package arrives at his home. It contains blood � human blood. It is a message from his true father � a vampire named Dominus. Daniel’s vampire half awakens and takes its first step out of the shadows. Vampires, Daniel learns, are not like in the movies. They’re worse, much worse, and cannot be killed by sunlight or stakes.

The once lazy, goalless youth transforms into sharp-sensed killer. Now, there is no turning back. On his trail is Pastor Nathan Dark, obsessed with destroying the boy he’d adopted as his own�

Armed with ever-evolving powers, Daniel sets off to find and free his birth mother, imprisoned by Dominus since the day of his birth.

It is a journey that takes Daniel to Mexico and the mysterious Mayan shaman woman, Xochil, guardian of Vampire secrets. From there the trail leads to misty moors of southern England, where he joins forces with Logan DuPris, a vampire hunter as attractive as she is deadly. Together they piece together the weird clues that lead to�

The Vampire Key

What motivated you to write this particular story?

Really, I just wanted to write a vampire story that would entertain me, that was new and fresh and exciting. I loved vampire tales but always longed to see new elements added, or a fresh approach. I guess I started off by asking myself what if I found out that I was part vampire. What would I do? Would I freak out? Would I keep it quiet? Would I totally go for it and rip up the town, showing off my powers? I knew it would be important to make my main character very normal at the start, so that the reader could relate to that. We then discover his dormant vampire powers as Daniel discovers them. I think that is very important. If we meet Daniel as a powerful vampire right from page one, we can’t really relate. We have to have to meet him, first, the person. Warts and all.

What can readers expect when they open your book(s)?

To be thrown into an exciting story with a hero who is different � be it half vampire, half angel, or undead � but who starts off as a real, relatable young person who may be just like the reader in a lot of ways. I like to keep my story constantly moving. But there is plenty of emotion, introspection, and deep relationships that give it depth. How would a character really react if he was normal one day and then a gravity-defying vampire the next? Sure, for a teenage boy like Daniel, it would be exciting, but it would also create confusion and doubts. How will his friends react? His girlfriend? Will he even tell them? Daniel has to accept the fact that he can’t go back to his old life. He has to find it within himself to keep his powers and hungers in check, and to watch out for enemies. And Daniel makes himself a lot of enemies in the course of the story!

What makes your book(s) unique?

I like to see a certain gritty, almost mundane realism incorporated into fantasy. It helps to enhance the fantasy elements, and grounds it firmly in reality. The main characters of my novels always have problems that cut deep � addictions, dysfunctions, or medical ailments. But they also have hidden powers. They are either half vampires, like Daniel, or have become undead, like Solomon in my upcoming novel Solomon Grimm and the Well of Souls. The powers they discover eventually wipe away the problems and ailments that my protagonists always start off with. But more than that, their own inner strengths as human beings are what lead to their triumphs. Everyone can relate to that. But I am not saying that I am the only author who takes this approach. I do it my way, however, based on my observations of life and people.

Where do you get your ideas?

That is actually a difficult one, because anything can inspire me to write. It could be a film, or book, or an idea. Or I could be just walking along and my mind goes travelling and next thing I know I have a sequence of events that could be a plot. Dreams often inspire me, as with that very first attempt at writing I spoke of in the last question. I guess the real answer is that life inspires me.

Who is your greatest inspiration?

I would like to say that it would be those story makers who started off small, with a genuine desire to create a great story, and got there through perseverance. Like George Lucas, or Tolkien, or JK Rowling. But it think it must be my mom. I started off as a young teen writing stories about other writers� characters, or novels based on movies, and one day she told me ‘you should write an original story, with your own characters�. That really started me off.

Are you an avid reader? Anything that you reading right now? Why did you chose that particular book(s)?

It depends on how busy I am with my own stuff! I read a lot of nonfiction, but I do like reading lots of YA � Hunger Games, I Am Number Four, Shiver � books like that. They are great.

Who are your favorite authors?

I do love some of the older authors like Tolkien, John Christopher, and John Wyndham. Something about that older style of writing that really gets to me. And you can’t beat Jules Verne and HG Wells! They were the fathers of wonderfully weird storytelling.

Are you currently working on a project?

I recently finished a novel about angelic beings. It is not a religious story, but rather my take on what angels might be. Like Daniel, the main character begins as a normal teen then discovers he has something very powerful lying dormant within him. In this case, angelic powers brought over from a previous existence. I am very pleased with the way it turned out. It is an adventure but with strong romantic elements. As will all my books though, it is aimed at the guys and the gals. So hopefully it has something for everyone. My next book will be set in a dystopian future, where magical creatures have taken over the earth, enslaving humans. I have lots of notes, but it is still a long way from jumping the nest!

What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a writer?

It took years before anyone noticed my work. I began writing as a young teenager, and kept sending work away to publishers and agents. I could have given up on many occasions. But then finally I did get an agent, and a publisher wanted to meet me. So, if you keep at it, and are willing to accept failure (and lots of it!) you will get there in the end. That mentality permeates all of my stories too.

Have you experienced any setbacks for your writing along the way? If so, will you share these with us and how you overcame them?

As I related in my previous answer, I signed to an agent who then got me a meeting with a publisher. Well, in the end, it didn’t work out. The publisher wanted too many changes made to the heart of my book. Maybe I should have just bitten the bullet and made the changes. It was hard to give that up, but now I am an indie author and it is turning out to be an exciting ride!

What advice do you have for others who are trying to get published or going self published?

Do lots of research! I knew nothing of self publishing until I read what actual, successful self-published authors did. Like Lindsay Buroker. She has a podcast series and blog which explains what she did, and what works. I did everything she did, and avoided what she said to avoid. Other than that, don’t give up. Your first ever novel won’t be your opus. You will have to write several. You only find out how to write novels by writing novels. But the process is fun, not a chore. Or it certainly shouldn’t be!

Can you explain your writing process?

After I come up with an idea that excites me (and that is very important), I let the story germinate slowly and organically within my mind, over weeks or longer. This also allows me to see if the story stays exciting; if, after several weeks, I am not really thinking about it as much, then I know it is not a compelling tale. When I get to theÌý point where I desperately need to discover how the story pans out, I open a Word document and write down everything I ‘knowâ€� about the story and its characters. I then add to it bit by bit, taking images from the internet (what my character looks like, and his home, family, etc) and do this over a periods of months. I eventually get to a point where I have everything I need in my notes â€� from details of plot, details of character, and images of key people and events in the story. Then, I go ahead and write chapter one. It goes ‘liveâ€�. And that part can take six months or longer.

Any fun facts you are willing to share?

I travelled to Mexico in the mid 2000s and was inspired by its beauty and the way it different from the US and the UK. I explored the Mayan ruins of the Yucatan and heard many stories about witches, ghosts, and other supernatural beings who the locals swear are real and not imaginary. On my second trip there, I visited some caves, where local witches had left black candles, having used the cave as way of connecting to the ‘otherworld�. I had already hatched the idea for Blood Family by this time, and wanted my main character, seventeen-year-old Daniel Dark, to go on a journey that would reveal secrets about himself and his vampire origins. I love tales that take you to other countries. You travel to intriguing places, seeing them with the eyes of the characters. I knew Chiapas had supernatural depths to its culture, and felt compelled to incorporate those aspects into Blood Family.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Bonus Book Excerpt:

CHAPTER 13

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As evening painted the sky a deep purple, Daniel stepped through his front door and looked around. As his life had changed, so too had all that surrounded him. He was sensing something. Daniel had never been one for deep thinking, but now his perceptions stretched themselves out over the landscape, over time, feeling out new possibilities and new horizons. He exhaled a big, purging breath, scratching the back of his head. Was he really going to do it? Leave home?

The ‘incident� with Daelin had left him confused. Part of him had wanted to take advantage of her in the most gruesome and bloodiest of ways. Part of him wanted to protect her forever. Would it be best for her—and for him—to stay, or to leave? This wasn’t exactly something he could talk over with the town’s youth counselor. For the first time in his life, he had no one to fall back on. Future decisions would be down to him and him alone.

No more of this soul-searching crap. I want my bed.

Entering, he kicked off his sneakers and thudded up the stairs. As he grabbed the door handle to his room he halted. Mom stood there, down the hall, looking…defenseless.

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“Just a minute, Mom.� He wanted to change his shirt a.s.a.p.—his unbidden hallucination had made him very sweaty, not to mention the sex play with Daelin.

He entered his room.

That was his first mistake.

Dad was waiting for him—he and six other pastors. Not one appeared to be in a forgiving mood.

It was a shock to Daniel—he hadn’t even seen any cars parked out front, not even Dad’s.

He then made his second mistake. He didn’t move quickly enough.

Another pastor, who had been waiting next to the door, kicked it shut. Then, the tallest of the ministers facing him shot him with what looked to be a crossbow. The arrow tore into the boy’s left shoulder, pinning him to his bedroom door. He roared in pain. Before the roar was over, an arrow pierced his other shoulder.

“I know you hate me for this, Daniel,� said Nathan Dark. “But I’m doing this to help you.�

“Help me?� spat Daniel. “You want to kill me!�

“It’s taken me years to put together this Deliverance Team, Daniel,� Pastor Dark told him. “And unlike even my own church denomination, our newly founded division knows about the existence of creatures like you.�

“Creatures like me?�

“Yes,� said Nathan coldly. “Demons—like you.�

The pastors rushed at Daniel as he grasped the arrow shafts, trying to pull himself free. The seven men began shouting out religious passages at him, fear knocking their phrases out of unison. Five of them restrained Daniel while two others (including his father) performed the laying on of hands, placing palms on his head and chest. Enraged, Daniel bellowed back at them, irises turning blood red as his would-be deliverers watched in increasing terror.

And something else was happening: the arrows that impaled Daniel were dissolving, actually turning to ash and smoke before their eyes. Through the tears in his son’s shirt Nathan Dark could see the arrow wounds healing before his eyes—flesh growing and knitting, liberated blood retreating back inside the boy’s body before the holes closed.

Revivified, Daniel flung his arms outward in a mighty push, hurling the men to the floor. The deliverers howled in pain.

Nathan Dark regained his senses. His son was nowhere in sight. Then, hearing a sound like the panting of a wounded wolf, he looked up. Daniel clung there, defying gravity, hugging the ceiling like a bat.Ìý Nathan barked through gritted teeth to the crossbow-wielder, who hastily reloaded his weapon of choice. He was good—very good—and had no trouble in unleashing another duo of deadly carbon shafts into the boy’s body—one in the leg, and the other in his shoulder. The idea was to get so many of them stuck in the youth that he would weaken long enough for the team to overpower him.Ìý In this case, ‘overpowerâ€� would mean one of two things—either to free him of his curse, or to free him of his life.

Detaching from the ceiling, Daniel landed in the center of the pastors, now on their feet in a rough circle. He spun, elongated nails gashing each face in rapid succession. Blood sprayed in all directions. The deliverers reeled back in pain. But Nathan avoided injury, stepping back just long enough to retrieve from his jacket the object that he had secreted there as a last resort.

There had been accounts of wooden stakes actually working against demonics and undead entities, but Nathan had never verified any of these accounts. Sure, maybe it was just movie nonsense. But this, right here, right now, was real. He was going to put right this terrible wrong—this boy’s abominable existence—in God’s name. He would succeed no matter what, even if -

Daniel had locked his gaze on to his father. The stake dropped from his hand. Pastor Nathan Dark grabbed his head as though trying to keep it from falling off. The look of sheer terror in his face was proof enough that the hypnotic assault was working.Ìý The other members of the deliverance team watched, transfixed.

“No!� Nathan was screaming. “Don’t leave me in this place! Get me out! Take me out of here!� He was no longer in this world, not consciously. Daniel had succeeded in making this devout Christian man believe that he was in Hell.

It had not been difficult for Daniel to target his father’s greatest fear. But he didn’t know how long he could keep up the illusion. This ability was new to him, powered by raw instinct.

Sensing the approach of the other ministers, Daniel whirled to confront them.

“Keep back!� he warned. “Unless you want me to invade your little minds as well!� His own words frightened him. Never before had he spoken words like that, nor with such rage. What had he become?

Pastor Nathan Dark screamed even louder. Even Daniel had no idea as to what his Dad was seeing within his mind’s eye.

“Daniel! Stop it, now!�

Mom!

Daniel was shocked to see that she’d entered. He released his father.

Jerking his head toward the window across the room, he barked at it as though giving an order. The windowpane shot up with a bang.

Daniel’s exit was a blur—a dark streak that could have been the boy taking flight. No one in the room would ever know.

He was gone.

Blood Family ~ Quest for the Vampire Key

Author: Mark Knight

© 2013

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Next week the blog will have a special quest. Here is an early preview. More details soon!

Just a few moments ago, Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ, reading social media giant, and Amazon,Ìýruler of ebook/book distribution, announced a new partnership. This caused scores of opinions andÌý divided readers and writers almostÌýimmediately.

I can see the positives and the negatives, but I think from a writer’s stand point this is a huge benefit since the two leaders of each catergory, but I want to hear from my readers and fans. Feel free to comment away.

The official statements can be found through following the link below. Enjoy. (Some of the comments are priceless and worth the read.)

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I would love to welcome author Jodie Pierce!

Tell us about you.

I’m almost 38 years old, live in Cleveland Ohio with my wonderful husband John and am very close to my parents. I have had a fascination with vampires since I was a child and have been writing about them since 1995. I currently have 8 published books with a charity anthology in the works and another vampire novella almost finished too.

Tell us about your book (s).

Well, I have a vampire Trilogy. The book are The Vampire Queen, The Vampire Chronicles and Demise of the Vampire Queen. The Queen awakes in the first book to have no idea who she is or what she used to know. She has to relearn everything from those around her but who can she trust. In the second novella, the Queen and he lover venture out to Italy to a new coven looking for a leader. She is kidnapped and learns her true heritage. In the last book, she is the Mistress of a school for the different and abuses her powers. Lovers unite in an attempt to take her down.

What motivated you to write this particular story?

Books 1 & 2 were originally 1 book but were separated for publishing. I then decided I wanted a trilogy so I wrote the last book in like 2 months.

What can readers expect when they open your book(s)?

A female vampire heroine which is unusual for most vampire books.

Where do you get your ideas?

Sometimes hubby comes up with a general idea and I take it from there. Sometimes I dream scenes or entire ideas for stories like the one I’m working on now.

Who is your greatest inspiration?

Inspiration is my hubby. He helps me and makes me a better author.

Are you an avid reader? Anything that you reading right now? Why did you chose that particular book(s)?

I love to read and actually work for a reviewing company so I read a lot! I just finished a friends book, Blood Family and LOVED it! It’s due out the end of this month and I recommend it to everyone.

Who are your favorite authors?

Anne Rice, Christine Feehan, Ann Snizek and Deborah Palumbo along with Mark Knight.

Are you currently working on a project?

Yes. I’m working on a charity anthology with several other authors. It’s going to be a vampire book and all proceeds will go to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. I’m also working on a novella that started as a dream, temporarily titled Brasil Dream.

What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a writer?

Getting traditionally published 5 times before I wised up and went Indie publishing.

Have you experienced any setbacks for your writing along the way? If so, will you share these with us and how you overcame them?

It took me 15 years to get published and I just kept getting rejection after rejection. In fact, my first book I had previously sent to the publisher and they turned it down. Then came Twilight. I resent it to them and they picked it up the second time. Thanks Twilight!

What advice do you have for others who are trying to get published or going self published?

Follow your dream. It may be a hard long road but it’s worth it in the end.

Can you explain your writing process?

I have a dream, come out at sometime 4am and write a brief synopsis. Then I just start writing, checking the synopsis to make sure I’m on track. I then expound from there and make it into my story.

Twitter: vampiregds

Facebook:

Website:

Blog: &

What format does your book(s) come in?

All are on Smashwords and for Amazon. AlsoÌýin print.

Links to your books?

Amazon:

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Contact Information:

Email: [email protected]

I know it has been a while since I have posted any content, but the reasons have been justified. Work had to be done!

In between I had hoped to have special guests fill in the void, but alas those fell through which left this page kind of boring.

I have been busy working on some short stories I am hoping to bundle together in a collection sometime in the near future as well as another book for the Created series. There is also the matter of a few other series ideas that have been rampaging through my mind. The details have been written stay tuned.

Maybe if my readers are lucky I can get one ofÌýthose pushed through by the end of the summer. Until then IÌýhave the release of two other Created books which are in various states of finishingÌýto fret over.

See ya soon,

Shannon

New interview and information coming soon . Real soon, like maybe tomorrow.

Shannon

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of the readers who have helped move me to the top position in hot new releases in teen horror on Amazon. I have been in the top five for over a week and in the number one position for the last five days!

I am proud to welcome my special quest Susan Noble

Tell us about you.Ìý

ÌýI am a stay-at-home mom who writes whenever I can squeeze in a few minutes. I have always been interested in dragons and magic so it was easy to choose fantasy as my genre. When I am not writing or reading, I am spending time taking care of my two children, three cats and husband in Texas.

Tell us about your book.Ìý

The Search is a short story featuring Tosh, one of the main characters from my The Elemental trilogy. Tosh is a telepathic cat (known as a STAC) who is searching for someone with control over the elements that the prophecy says will be needed to repair the Land.

What motivated you to write this particular story?

I wrote this story in between writing books 2 and 3 of my trilogy. I thought it would be interesting to see what happened to Tosh before he met Lina.

What can readers expect when they open your book(s)?

I think readers can expect to be transported to a different world where telepathic cats and magic are not farfetched.

What makes your book(s) unique?

One thing that makes The Search unique is that it is written from a cat’s perspective but as many reviewers have noted, you really forget that Tosh is a cat � or at least until he does something cat-like such as thumping his tail or digging his claws into something.

Where do you get your ideas?

I got the idea for The Elemental when I was in college though at the time I didn’t know it would turn into a trilogy. The idea behind the story didn’t come from anything other than my imagination. I decided I wanted to write the type of book that I like to read.

Who is your greatest inspiration?

Especially with regards to becoming a writer, I would definitely have to say my husband was my biggest inspiration and supporter. His belief in me and my writing have inspired me to not just publish my first book but go on to keep writing. Without him, none of this would have happened.

Are you an avid reader? Anything that you reading right now? Why did you chose that particular book(s)?

I use to be more of an avid reader but lately between the kids and writing, I find I have less time to read. I am currently reading ON ICE by JD Faver which I got on a free promotion.

Who are your favorite authors?

My favorite authors are Anne McCaffery and David Eddings.

Are you currently working on a project?

I just finished up Destiny which is the third book in my trilogy and will be starting on a stand-alone novel tentatively called Alexandria.

What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a writer?

I think just actually publishing a book is a tremendous accomplishment. It is a lot more work than most people realize but so worth it.

Have you experienced any setbacks for your writing along the way? If so, will you share these with us and how you overcame them?

I think the biggest setback was receiving rejection letters when I was trying to publish my first novel through the traditional publishing houses. It is very discouraging to be told that someone isn’t interested in your work. There were a few periods where I got discouraged and put off working on Summoned but I kept returning to it and finally self-published it in 2011.

What advice do you have for others who are trying to get published or going self published?

If you believe what you wrote is good and that others will enjoy it, then go ahead and publish it yourself. You just need to realize that it is a lot of work to be successful as an author. It isn’t simply publishing your work. There is tons of self-promotion that you need to do to build up a fan base.

Can you explain your writing process?Ìý

I usually start off with a general idea of what will take place in my story. Then I develop the characters and the world they will live in. Writing a trilogy has been easy since most of the characters are the same and of course the world was already developed too. I don’t outline my whole novel but kind of decide what needs to happen next and just start writing but of course always keeping in mind the overall storyline.

Any fun facts your are willing to share?

Fun fact, hmm…well I am a black belt in Aikido and I think that has helped me some in writing my fight scenes. I haven’t practiced it in years but some of those lessons have really stuck with me.

Social Media

Twitter: @SusanLeighNoble

Facebook:

Blog:

Other:

Book Formats/Retailers

What format does your book(s) come in?

The Search is available only for the Amazon Kindle thru Dec. 9th and then will be available as an e-book from all e-book retailers.

Amazon:

Contact:

Email: [email protected]