BBT: Guest Post by Maggie James & Giveaway for LOVE BLEEDS
ReaderGirls welcomes Maggie James, author of the paranormal romance novel, Love Bleeds, to our blog today during the tour.
Book Blurb:
Straight-laced Katarina Renót is well educated, logical and doesn’t believe vampires truly exist. But when a well deserved holiday in Europe turns into a torrid game of cat and mouse with a handsome stranger and her best friend is exhibiting signs of being allergic to daylight-Kat doesn’t think her life can get any stranger.
Every man has a weakness…Even an immortal…
Joseph Markus is an arrogant, wealthy entrepreneur who spends his free time as the raspy lead singer for the rock band “Slang” and seducing beautiful women. After decades of mourning the tragic death of the only woman he ever loved, vying to save his best friend from an unrelenting death wish- now he is accused of being a murderer.
An undeniable twist of fate…
Kat learns her Prince Charming is actually the “Prince of Darkness” and though she can’t resist falling for this sultry vampire, she still lives in denial. But when the lines are drawn, and Kat finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly plot for revenge she has only one choice--trust the seductive vampire who has captured her heart.
Despite his own arrogance, Joe finds himself inexplicably drawn to Kat. Her stubborn will to resist his seductive charms coupled with her endearing naiveté prove to be more than he bargained for and Joe soon realizes he is in way over his head.
But will love be enough to save their immortal souls from the grips of a twisted obsession?
Hi everyone, Maggie James here! Thank you to the “Reader Girls” for having me, it’s a pleasure to be stopping by and doing your guest post for today. I must admit, I wasn’t sure what to write for this post. I knew I wanted to do something different rather than an author or character interview. I didn’t want to ask Joe or Kat to do another guest post and I was unable to get ahold of either Phillip or Nina, so I found myself pacing in front of my desk debating what to write about that would be new & intriguing.
I finally decided to write a little something about myself. I know hearing all about me is probably not going to be nearly as exciting as an interview with a hot sexy Rockstar vampire but I’ll try to keep it fun and interesting. So…here goes.
I was born and raised in Central New Jersey which, as I have repeatedly admitted many times, makes me a proud “Jersey Girl”!! Until about 6 years or so ago, I even still wore my hair in typical ‘BonJovi’ fashion, had long (and I mean LONG!!) fingernails that were always perfectly manicured and attended every rock concert I could manage to get tickets to. (I did however, leave the Spandex and Aquanet behind in the late 80’s…Thank God!) Then one day, I cut the nails shorter and grew out the layres in my 80’s metal hair-band flashback hair-do—but my daughter and I still manage to attend several concerts every summer…there are some things that cannot be compromised!!
I have always been a huge fan of 80s-90s Rock’n’Roll and Heavy Metal and have seen too many bands to mention over the course of the past 25 years. Even been lucky enough to meet and hang out with some of them! I also have a passion for vampires (obviously..lol), fairies, tattoos, Chinese food, chocolate and my handsome Hubby. We’ve been together for 27 years now and this fall we’ll be married for 23 of those!! Wow..did that time go fast! It feels like only yesterday I saw him standing there with a friend, smoking a cigarette and looking all cute and sexy. Ripped jeans, chain wallet, LedZeppelin t-shirt, long wavy dark hair and all…he was adorable!!! He still makes my heart do back-flips and will always be my Rockstar.
Sorry, got a bit distracted..lol. He has a habit of doing that to me! Where was I? Oh yeah, my passions…I also always had a passion for reading, especially paranormal romance novels and have loved to write poetry and short stories. About 7 years ago I actually started writing romance novels, as I’m sure you’ve already heard or read in other interviews with me so I’ll keep this part short and sweet. Once I started receiving positive feedback about my work, I decided to try my hand at publishing. I took the traditional route for quite some time but eventually decided to make a go of it on my own. Well…it wasn’t ‘totally’ my idea. I have to give Hubby credit for that. He suggested it to me and after a few months of encouragement and reinforcing his belief in me, I decided to self publish. And what an amazing, exciting ride it has been!!
I first published Love Bleeds in eBook format with Smashwords, then Amazon, then Barnes & Noble (all within 4 days) and recently released a paperback version with Amazon and CreateSpace (also from Amazon).
The response was pleasantly surprising and unbelievably encouraging. I felt like Sally Fields at the Oscars that year she won her award and professed teary-eyed into the camera, “You like me!!...You really like me!!!” (For those of you too young to remember that, it was classic…LOL)
I have met so many wonderful people and made a lot of awesome and supportive new friends in the past few months. I can hardly believe it! I’m awed, humbled and extremely grateful. I love hearing from my readers and fans…it really makes my day..everytime; don’t think that’s ever gonna get old. Their feedback and interaction with me makes me want to keep on writing just so I can hear how much they enjoyed reading it and ask when the next book is coming out.
So, for a small town Jersey Girl to become a successfully published author…who would’ve thought it? Certainly not me. I always dreamed of being able to look back 30 or 40 years from now and saying to myself, “See. . . I did that!” I just didn’t know it was going to be as a published author. But I wouldn’t change a thing; I may not ever be wealthy, that was not my goal or intention going into all this, but at least I am happy knowing that when I put my head down on my pillow at night, there’s somebody out there, somewhere, reading something I wrote!! And for that feeling, there are no words.
So in conclusion I’ve listed a few quick little factoids about me, just for fun so you all can get to know me alittle better:
*I am an extrememly outgoing, friendly person.
*I pride myself on being well-organized. (Most days…lol)
*I’m a dog person!! Have 2 rescues of my own!
*I hold a Red Belt in TaeKwonDo. (hope to finish someday and reach Black)
*I love strawberry margaritas.
*I am an “over the top” romantic..I mean, ridiculously! (Just ask Hubby..lol)
*My family comes first and foremost.
*I am a sucker for a romantic “chick-flick”.
*My fave flowers are Stargazer lilies.
*I love to bake! (My Cappucino Bon-Bon are notorious!)
*I have 6 tattoos.
*My 14 year old autistic son is my hero!
*I’m a HUGE True Blood Fan.
Guess that covers enough about me. I hope I didn’t bore you all too much…I have a habit of rambling. Thanks for stopping by and reading my Guest Post. I hope you all decide to pick up a copy of LOVE BLEEDS and enjoy it. Make sure to stop by Twitter, Facebook or my Blog and let me know how you liked it or just say “HI”.
Thanks again to Reader Girls for having me…it’s been a pleasure!
Take care everyone and have an awesome summer!
{{HUGS}}
MAGGIE
Author Bio:
Maggie writes what she loves to read--Sizzling romantic novels containing the dark, mysterious and handsome alpha male and the strong willed, die-hard souled heroine who, despite her better judgement, can't resist him. Their worlds collide and you can't help yourself from being swept away into their irresistable world of passion and chivlary; heartbreak and reconciliation.
Smashwords listing: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/45777
Next tour stop:
Roxanne's Realm
Thanks to Maggie James and Bewitching Book Tours.
There’s no such thing as vampires…
Straight-laced Katarina Renót is well educated, logical and doesn’t believe vampires truly exist. But when a well deserved holiday in Europe turns into a torrid game of cat and mouse with a handsome stranger and her best friend is exhibiting signs of being allergic to daylight-Kat doesn’t think her life can get any stranger.
Every man has a weakness…Even an immortal…
Joseph Markus is an arrogant, wealthy entrepreneur who spends his free time as the raspy lead singer for the rock band “Slang” and seducing beautiful women. After decades of mourning the tragic death of the only woman he ever loved, vying to save his best friend from an unrelenting death wish- now he is accused of being a murderer.
An undeniable twist of fate…
Kat learns her Prince Charming is actually the “Prince of Darkness” and though she can’t resist falling for this sultry vampire, she still lives in denial. But when the lines are drawn, and Kat finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly plot for revenge she has only one choice--trust the seductive vampire who has captured her heart.
Despite his own arrogance, Joe finds himself inexplicably drawn to Kat. Her stubborn will to resist his seductive charms coupled with her endearing naiveté prove to be more than he bargained for and Joe soon realizes he is in way over his head.
But will love be enough to save their immortal souls from the grips of a twisted obsession?
We welcome Maggie James.
“Just A Jersey Girl”
by Maggie James
I finally decided to write a little something about myself. I know hearing all about me is probably not going to be nearly as exciting as an interview with a hot sexy Rockstar vampire but I’ll try to keep it fun and interesting. So…here goes.
I was born and raised in Central New Jersey which, as I have repeatedly admitted many times, makes me a proud “Jersey Girl”!! Until about 6 years or so ago, I even still wore my hair in typical ‘BonJovi’ fashion, had long (and I mean LONG!!) fingernails that were always perfectly manicured and attended every rock concert I could manage to get tickets to. (I did however, leave the Spandex and Aquanet behind in the late 80’s…Thank God!) Then one day, I cut the nails shorter and grew out the layres in my 80’s metal hair-band flashback hair-do—but my daughter and I still manage to attend several concerts every summer…there are some things that cannot be compromised!!
I have always been a huge fan of 80s-90s Rock’n’Roll and Heavy Metal and have seen too many bands to mention over the course of the past 25 years. Even been lucky enough to meet and hang out with some of them! I also have a passion for vampires (obviously..lol), fairies, tattoos, Chinese food, chocolate and my handsome Hubby. We’ve been together for 27 years now and this fall we’ll be married for 23 of those!! Wow..did that time go fast! It feels like only yesterday I saw him standing there with a friend, smoking a cigarette and looking all cute and sexy. Ripped jeans, chain wallet, LedZeppelin t-shirt, long wavy dark hair and all…he was adorable!!! He still makes my heart do back-flips and will always be my Rockstar.
Sorry, got a bit distracted..lol. He has a habit of doing that to me! Where was I? Oh yeah, my passions…I also always had a passion for reading, especially paranormal romance novels and have loved to write poetry and short stories. About 7 years ago I actually started writing romance novels, as I’m sure you’ve already heard or read in other interviews with me so I’ll keep this part short and sweet. Once I started receiving positive feedback about my work, I decided to try my hand at publishing. I took the traditional route for quite some time but eventually decided to make a go of it on my own. Well…it wasn’t ‘totally’ my idea. I have to give Hubby credit for that. He suggested it to me and after a few months of encouragement and reinforcing his belief in me, I decided to self publish. And what an amazing, exciting ride it has been!!
I first published Love Bleeds in eBook format with Smashwords, then Amazon, then Barnes & Noble (all within 4 days) and recently released a paperback version with Amazon and CreateSpace (also from Amazon).
The response was pleasantly surprising and unbelievably encouraging. I felt like Sally Fields at the Oscars that year she won her award and professed teary-eyed into the camera, “You like me!!...You really like me!!!” (For those of you too young to remember that, it was classic…LOL)
I have met so many wonderful people and made a lot of awesome and supportive new friends in the past few months. I can hardly believe it! I’m awed, humbled and extremely grateful. I love hearing from my readers and fans…it really makes my day..everytime; don’t think that’s ever gonna get old. Their feedback and interaction with me makes me want to keep on writing just so I can hear how much they enjoyed reading it and ask when the next book is coming out.
So, for a small town Jersey Girl to become a successfully published author…who would’ve thought it? Certainly not me. I always dreamed of being able to look back 30 or 40 years from now and saying to myself, “See. . . I did that!” I just didn’t know it was going to be as a published author. But I wouldn’t change a thing; I may not ever be wealthy, that was not my goal or intention going into all this, but at least I am happy knowing that when I put my head down on my pillow at night, there’s somebody out there, somewhere, reading something I wrote!! And for that feeling, there are no words.
So in conclusion I’ve listed a few quick little factoids about me, just for fun so you all can get to know me alittle better:
*I am an extrememly outgoing, friendly person.
*I pride myself on being well-organized. (Most days…lol)
*I’m a dog person!! Have 2 rescues of my own!
*I hold a Red Belt in TaeKwonDo. (hope to finish someday and reach Black)
*I love strawberry margaritas.
*I am an “over the top” romantic..I mean, ridiculously! (Just ask Hubby..lol)
*My family comes first and foremost.
*I am a sucker for a romantic “chick-flick”.
*My fave flowers are Stargazer lilies.
*I love to bake! (My Cappucino Bon-Bon are notorious!)
*I have 6 tattoos.
*My 14 year old autistic son is my hero!
*I’m a HUGE True Blood Fan.
Guess that covers enough about me. I hope I didn’t bore you all too much…I have a habit of rambling. Thanks for stopping by and reading my Guest Post. I hope you all decide to pick up a copy of LOVE BLEEDS and enjoy it. Make sure to stop by Twitter, Facebook or my Blog and let me know how you liked it or just say “HI”.
Thanks again to Reader Girls for having me…it’s been a pleasure!
Take care everyone and have an awesome summer!
{{HUGS}}
MAGGIE
Born and raised in Central New Jersey, Maggie James is a proud 'Jersey Girl' who still resides there with her husband of 23 years and their children. Maggie prides herself on being a wildly romantic "Jersey Girl" with a passion for vampires, rock music and romance novels. She successfully combined these 3 elements in Love Bleeds her sexy new tantalizing paranormal romance, the first installment in the Only After Dark series. (Book Two coming soon!)
Maggie writes what she loves to read--Sizzling romantic novels containing the dark, mysterious and handsome alpha male and the strong willed, die-hard souled heroine who, despite her better judgement, can't resist him. Their worlds collide and you can't help yourself from being swept away into their irresistable world of passion and chivlary; heartbreak and reconciliation.
You can follow Maggie on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger to keep updated on her newest & upcoming releases. Please feel free to leave a comment...Maggie loves to hear from her readers and fans!
Blog link: http://maggiejames-author.blogspot.com/
Giveaway:
Maggie James is offering one lucky person a paperback copy of Love Bleeds. Just leave a comment and one person will be chosen (US shipping address only, sorry).
Links to find Love Bleeds:
Amazon book listing: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QWZ850
Amazon U.K book listing: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004QWZ850
Barnes & Noble listing: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Love-Bleeds/Maggie-James/e/2940012187390
Next tour stop:
Roxanne's Realm
Thanks to Maggie James and Bewitching Book Tours.
Hello, one of the 6 guys in the world who enjoy paranormal romance stories checking in. LOL. Would love to give this one a try. :)
ReplyDeleteheykiddego(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks!
Thanks for hosting this :)
ReplyDeleteVivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
Isn't Maggie wonderful! Thanks for participating.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds really good. I enjoyed the interview. I love True Blood, too, and wish the last season would hurry and come out on dvd.
ReplyDeletemarlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
She had me at holiday in Europe and vampires. And she's a fellow martial artist! I'm definitely picking this one up!
ReplyDeleteMaggie, thanks for sharing such an interesting bio and telling us your "call story". I always like hearing how authors get started.
ReplyDeleteJen
admin.bookblog AT gmail.com
Thanks so much for telling us about your story and about yourself. I too LOVE 80's/90's metal/hairbands. Great to know I am not alone. I have even corrupted my neices (16 and 17) and nephew (10), so this music will continue to live on. LOL
ReplyDeleteThe story sounds great. Gotta love vamps and rockstars so a combo is terrific.
GFC follower: June M.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Hi everyone...Thanks for your awesome comments. It's a real thrill to know I have so many people interested in me and my work. You guys are the reason I try so hard to make my books enjoyable..I love hearing how much you enjoy reading them or want to read them! I'm happy you liked the interview and glad it wasn't too boring...LOL. I'm just your average Jersey Girl with a passion for vamps and rock & roll! It's a wonderful feeling to be appreciated!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and saying "Hi"...have an wonderful summer and keep your eyes out for more upcoming releases!
{{hugs}
MAGGIE
Very cool about the self publishing. Did you do your own cover too? It's great =) drool worthy...lol We love hearing how authors get started, not sure what us readers would do without you guys ;) You're our escape from the real world. Please count me in to win a copy of your book. I'm trying all along your hop but if not that's ok. I already have a post it note reminder to go buy it ;) Thanks for the post and chance to win.
ReplyDeleteI tweeted to help spread the word of your book at http://twitter.com/#!/Tanya1224/status/79284588794478592
Tanyaw1224(at(yahoo(dot)com
Thanks Tanya, you have been so wonderful in supporting this tour and leaving awesome comments at all the stops! Can't tell you how much I appreciate it...fans/followers like you and everyone else who have posted here and on other blogs & sites make this all worth while for me--you guys ROCK!! Oh and yes, I did the cover for Love Bleeds, glad you like it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tweet about my book...you're a doll!
Good luck in the giveaways!! Hope to see you on the next stop! Oh and I've added 2 more stops to the tour for this weekend, in case you haven't heard :-)
{{hugs}}
MAGGIE
Another great interview this weekend. You have been busy. I can't wait to read your book, it looks great. I'll have to make a playlist of 80&90's rock to listen to while I read it
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the contest
blonde_mama_t(at)me(dot)com
this just looks great. i really can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeletecreativitylost(at)me(dot)com
Sound like a good read,would love to read this book .Thank for the give away.
ReplyDeleteGaf36801redf@yahoo.com
This book sounds really good!! Hope to win!!! I luv vamps!! Thanks for the giveaway!!! :-D
ReplyDeletejfort357(at)bellsouth(dot)net
Thanks for the giveaway
ReplyDeletejenhedger at hotmail dot com
Sounds great! Would love to win.
ReplyDeletefelecia@twinoaksfl.org
This sounds like a great book have to add to my wishlist! Thanks for sharing can't wait to read this one!
ReplyDeletetishajean@ charter.net