Winner!

The winner of the Mystic Cafe character contest is Marissa Dunn! Congratulations, Marissa.

I’m so excited for the next book in the series. Right now, the title is When Good Spells Go Bad, but that could change before the book is actually released. Marissa’s character will be very close to Tom, but I can’t say just how they’re involved yet. You’ll have to read the book and find out.

Thank you everyone who entered. I truly appreciate all of your kind words and support. I had so much fun with this contest.

When Good Spells Go Bad should be available around Christmas.

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Fun facts about Me and My Ghoulfriends

Ghouls Night Out, the follow-up to Me and My Ghoulfriends will be released soon, so I thought I’d post a few behind-the-scenes details about Me and My Ghoulfriends.

  • In the beginning of the book, Larue mentions visiting Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace. The former president’s birthplace is located in Larue County, Kentucky. That’s where Larue’s name comes from.
  • There’s a real Magnolia, Kentucky, but it’s just a spot in the road. Blink and you’d miss it. I loved the name, so I took the layout of another town, Bardstown, Kentucky and changed the name to Magnolia.
  • Bardstown, Kentucky is known as the bourbon capital of the world. The bourbon distilleries are mentioned in Me and My Ghoulfriends. “The Bourbon Capital of the World,” Bardstown is home to some of the most well-known brands of Bourbon. Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, and Makers Mark all have distilleries there. Ninety-seven percent of all bourbon in the world comes from the United States with over half of that production in Bardstown.
  • Abraham Lincoln was interested in the afterlife, and of course, there are rumors of Lincoln’s ghost haunting the White House and other locations, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he found a psychic medium like Larue to chat with. Maybe Lincoln was a bit psychic as well, since it’s reported he dreamt of his own assassination.

So, I hope you enjoyed Me and My Ghoulfriends, and look for the follow-up, Ghouls Night Out next month.   

Buy Me and My Ghoulfriends for only 99 cents!

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Don’t forget…

Don’t forget to enter the contest to have a character in the next Mystic Cafe book named after you. Tom’s waiting for you. *wink, wink*

Entering is as easy as leaving a comment.

Details here.

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How Zak Bagans cures what ails me

 

Mercy is that Zak a tall glass of water! So how does Zak cure what ails me? Allow me to explain. I love paranormal television shows. When Ghost Hunters came on the scene in 2004, I was hooked. But let me back up, I was fascinated with all things paranormal at an early age. Any program dealing with the supernatural was instantly my favorite. The problem was, these programs were few and far between. So when Jason and Grant began their pursuit of the unknown for all of us to see, I was thrilled.

There’s nothing like climbing into bed and resting my aching joints while watching a little paranormal activity. I suffer from psoriatic arthritis and when eight o’ clock rolls around, I’m dog-tired. I’ve used crutches for the past eight years to help me get around. I have artificial knees, and I’m scheduled for hips later this year. All before I hit age forty. Anyway, my point is I need a couple hours a day either reading or watching TV to ease the pain.

 Back in 2007, we were all fortunate enough to be introduced to the wonderful Mr. Bagans when the Sci-Fi channel debuted the Ghost Adventures documentary. Ladies, we love our husbands, but it doesn’t hurt looking at Zak every week, right? Unlike Zak, I’ve never been a skeptic, as I’ve always been taken by ghost stories, UFOs, Bigfoot, werewolves, vampires, etc. What got me excited (besides Zak in that tight T-shirt), was that Zak had taken his passion for the paranormal and turned it into a career – he now excites us on a weekly basis with his exploits. For sixty minutes a week while watching Zak and his bulging biceps, I often forget the pain associated with arthritis.

So how is this a cure? You see, Zak motivated me to share my paranormal fantasies with the world through my writing. Other authors inspired me to write, but Zak made me realize I could turn my passion for the paranormal into something more. I now lose myself for several hours a day while crafting stories about leading female characters and their journeys through paranormal settings of their own. Of course, smoldering six-foot hunks like Zak seem to find their way into all of them, what a surprise!

Thanks, Zak!

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Contest! Be a character in the next Mystic Cafe book

Enter to win to have a character named after you!
A mysterious person enters Elly, Tom, and Rory’s life in the next Mystic Cafe book. If you win the contest, that character will be named after you!

Here’s how to win:

  • Leave a comment on this blog post and receive one entry.
  • Follow me on Twitter for another entry.
  • Tweet about this contest for yet another entry.
  • Being my friend me on Facebook will get you another entry. (Okay, Facebook has changed their rules and I don’t think I can give an entry for friending me. You can still friend me if you want. *Smile* Instead, I’ll give two entries if you sign up for my newsletter.
  • Post about this contest on your Facebook page for another entry.
  • Blogging about this contest will get you another entry.
  • Sign up for my newsletter. Form is located on the right side of this page.
  • Purchase my new book, Rock ‘n Roll is Undead and receive another six entries. Just email me a copy of the proof of purchase.
So there you have it. A lot of ways to win! Just leave me a comment and tell me if you’ve blogged, tweeted, or posted on Facebook. And don’t forget to email me if you purchase Rock ‘n’ Roll is Undead.

Contest ends July 31, 2011. The winner will be announced on August 1. Winner will be drawn at random using www.random.org

The winner will get: 

  • A written part in the second book of the Mystic Cafe Series.
  • Mentioned in the acknowledgements page.
  • Advanced reading of the book.
  • A signed paperback copy of both books in the series.
  • Interviewed on my blog.

The first Mystic Cafe book, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells is available now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Rock ‘n’ Roll is Undead is also available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

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Rock ‘n’ Roll is Undead

Rock ‘n’ Roll is Undead–available July 1, 2011.

Veronica Mason—lead singer of the rockabilly band The Voodoo Zombies—discovers her vampire bass player staked through the heart. A vision of the murder flashes in Veronica’s mind and she wonders if she’s going bonkers. Up until now her supernatural skills consisted of a few botched love spells.

Using her sexy voice and pin-up style has paid off, she’s about to land a record deal. But when another vampire turns up as nothing more than a pile of ashes a vacuum would have a hard time sucking up, and Veronica has another vision, she’s recruited to help find the killer. Suspicion soon turns to her though, and she has to hone her paranormal powers or lose her deal—and possibly her life.

When an utterly delicious mystery man steps in as the new bass player, Veronica can’t figure out if he’s there to help or cause more problems. What she does know is she can’t resist his good looks and sex appeal. She wonders if they’d make rockin’ music together. But helping the undead could stop her from finding out and leave Veronica dead—permanently.

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Fascination with paranormal at a young age

My fascination with ghosts and other paranormal things goes back as far as I can remember. What sparked my interest, I’m not sure. My family probably played a huge part. Ghost stories were a common topic–no campfire needed. I do remember a Disney movie, Child of Glass, captivating my attention.

Thank goodness for the internet because I found a copy. Can’t wait to relive the childhood memories. The movie came out in 1978. I was six and the paranormal already had a hold on me. It’s also not a surprise the movie is set on an old plantation in Louisiana. Old house and ghosts–I knew what I liked way back then. To my surprise, the film was shot in Danville, Ky. That’s right up the road from me.

Anyhoo, I want to see why the heck I remembered this movie after a million years.

So, tell me, when do you remember being intrigued by the paranormal? Was it Scooby Doo? Casper the Friendly Ghost? Or something else?

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About Me and My Ghoulfriends

I thought I’d post some behind the scenes details about the setting for the Me and My Ghoulfriends.

The story takes place in a real town in Kentucky. However, the town is much smaller in real life than in my book. I just loved the name Magnolia, so I adapted the town to meet the needs of the characters. Basically, I took one small town and renamed it to fit my needs.

Here are pictures of the actual town I based Me and My Ghoulfriends on–the real town of Magnolia is much smaller.

Historic downtown has lots of shops. It even has a bookstore just like Book Nook. And a coffee shop. I checked to see if the barista was as hot as Callahan, but he wasn’t. *Sigh* Oh well.

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A little about me

Three things about me

THREE NAMES I GO BY

1. Rose
2. Mom
3. Jally (Don’t ask. Well, if you’re brave, go ahead and ask.)

THREE JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE (Other than now.)

1. Fitness instructor (Who thought that was a good idea?)
2. Manager (I don’t enjoy telling others what to do.)
3. Waitress (I only dropped one plate of spaghetti, thank you.)

THREE PLACES I HAVE LIVED (Other than now.)

1. Georgia
2. California
3. Alabama.

THREE TV SHOWS THAT I WATCH

1. Ghost Hunters
2. Ghost Adventures
3. Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files

THREE PLACES I HAVE BEEN

1. Not many. I am boring.
2. I went to Reno once.
3. Does Paris, Kentucky count?

THREE PLACES I WANT TO GO

1. Italy
2. Ireland
3. Pizza Hut. (Seriously, I’m hungry.)

THREE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS

1. Chocolate
2. Chocolate
3. and…hm…let me think…Chocolate.

THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO

1. Writing
2. Summer
3. Lunchtime (I said I was hungry.)

THREE PETS THAT I HAVE OWNED

1. Sopchoppy (Again, don’t ask.)
2. Elvis
3. Mr. Turtle

THREE FAVORITE BOOKS

1. A Summer Place, Sloan Wilson
2. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
3. Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell

THREE FAVORITE DRINKS
1. Diet Dr. Pepper
2. Diet Pepsi
3. Lemonade

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Interview with bestselling author HP Mallory

 HP Mallory is a Kindle and Nook bestselling author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

Currently she has written two series, the Jolie Wilkins series is about a woman who realizes she’s a witch who can reanimate the dead and the Dulcie O’Neil series is about a fairy in law enforcement.

HP Mallory recently signed on with Random House (Bantam books) to publish the next three books in the Jolie Wilkins series. Look for the third book in this series, Be Witched, in Spring 2012!

HP still self publishes her Dulcie O’Neil series and loves being an indie author.

And without further ado…

Tell me about a day in the life of HP Mallory? We all know that authors live the glamorous life, so let’s hear about a typical day for you.

Well, I’m not sure how glamorous my life is! LOL I wake up in the morning and get my little guy ready to go to his nanny’s. Then
I drop him off, head to the gym for an hour and then go home and write until I have to pick him up again. Then I go home, cook dinner
for the little guy and the big one and once my son goes to sleep, I spend some more time either on Facebook, chatting with my readers
or I do edits. Wish it was more glamorous! LOL
 

What attracted you to the paranromal genre? Do you enjoy all aspects of the paranormal?

I have always loved reading paranormal books. Ever since I was a kid. So, I think it was a natural progression that I would want to write them,
as well.

 
What’s your favorite, vampires, witches, or werewolves?
I’m a vamp girl. I also am partial to warlocks.
 
When did you know you wanted to be a writer and how did you get started?
I always wanted to be a writer but I didn’t seriously attempt it until about four years ago. I had written Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble and
after getting an agent and receiving no bites on it, I pretty much gave up. Then last July, I heard about self publishing and decided to upload
Fire Burn and my other book at the time, To Kill A Warlock, and they pretty much took off. I quit my full time job in January and now I just
love being an author. I truly am living my dream!
 
What or who inspired you to write about Jolie and Dulcie?
I wanted Jolie and Dulcie to be night and day different. Each with her own issues but just different personalities. I didn’t have any one person
who inspired me with either. Really, writing about Jolie was more to appeal to every woman out there because I think Jolie is like many women.
She really has to learn what it means to love herself and what it means to be a strong, independent woman. And I just thought that was a good
message to send.
 
Do you have a favorite, Dulcie or Jolie?
Oh, I couldn’t pick. I love them both for different reasons. I’m probably more like Jolie although I adore Dulcie’s strength.
 
The third book in the Jolie Series will be available from Bantam in Spring of 2012, can you tell us a little about it?
Sure, it is titled Be Witched and will basically pick up where Toil and Trouble left off. There will be lots of Sinjin and Rand in it and a BIG surprise
at the end!
 
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Um, I love eighties music. I’m not really guilty about it though. LOL
 
Any advice for wannabe writers?
Never give up! Also, I’m currently working on a book about my self publishing journey, including all the tips and tricks I did that I think helped
contribute to my success. That should be out in the next few months.
One last question, and possibly the most important: Chocolate cake or cheesecake?
Chocolate cake all the way!
 

I’m a chocolate cake kind of gal too, HP.  Thanks so much for the great interview, HP.

Check out HP’s books! You’ll love them!

www.hpmallory.com
www.urbanfantasyauthor.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/hpmallory
http://www.facebook.com/people/Hp-Mallory/10000124964376

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