Halloween Mini Tales Contest: Exciting New Information!

Great News, Everyone!

I have been invited to host The Wild Rose Press' Paranormal Month, which runs October first through thirty-first, for the Black Rose line right here on my blog. As you know, TWRP is my publishing house and Curse of the Marhime is a Black Rose. This is an amazing honor, and I am proud to participate.

As many of you know, as well, this is my favorite time of year, so I am very excited about this opportunity to celebrate with TWRP and so many talented authors and editors.

I would like to take a moment to update you on the rules of the contest for the entire month of October.



Halloween Mini Tales Contest and The Wild Rose Press Paranormal Month Celebration
Guidelines and Basic information:

The primary activity will be the Halloween Mini Tales Contest. Guidelines are as follows:

Contest begins October 1st and runs through October 31st.

Submit, to me, a mini Halloween romantic tale on any spooky entity or subject via email to gothscribegirl@aol.com inserting "Mini Tales Contest" and "your story's title" in the subject line of the email by October 31st. (These stories should be geared specifically to the TWRP Black Rose guidelines.

The story must be complete with a beginning, middle, and end.

The tale must be no more than 500 words.

The added bonus is that since I am sponsoring Paranormal Month for the Black Rose Line at TWRP, any entrant has a chance at being asked to expand your tale into a longer piece for--get this!--possible consideration to submit your tale for review for a chance at publication! Can't get any better than that, can it?

I will choose three winners: two runners up, who will receive special Wild Rose Press Blossom Bucks to be used on the site for book and story purchases. The First Prize Winner with receive a free download of my new release, Curse of the Marhime.

In addition to the main contest, I will have spontaneous Tricks or Treats activities and giveaways the entire month. I will also have many interesting blog guests as well who will be offering their own prizes. One of my surprise gift donors is Skhye Moncrief author of Ancient Musings and He of the Fiery Sword! She has donated free downloads as well, so stay turned to find out how you can win a copy of Skhye's wonderful stories. Thank you, Skhye!



I'd like to take a moment to invite you all to the Paranormal Ball that will run for twenty-four hours on the Wild Rose Press main Chat room October 31st. Meet authors and editors alike. Come as you are or whoever you wish to be. Just click 'Chat' on the top tool bar of the main page and drop on in. Ask editors questions, win fun prizes from the authors and read excerpts from their upcoming releases.

Stay tuned to my blog for contest updates and by all means, if you have any questions post a comment or email me at the above mentioned address. By the way, I will hold a drawing at the end of the month for an additional surprise gift for anyone who posts on this blog between October 1st and 31st.

You really have lots of opportunity to win something, so please keep posted and join in the ghoulish fun.

Happy Halloween!

Dayana~

Dayana's Halloween Mini Tales Contest Begins October 1st...

Good Morning, Everyone:)

Halloween is just around the corner and I'd like to invite you all to enter my Halloween contest which will run between October 1-31, 2008. Two runner's up will receive Wild Rose Press Blossom Bucks and the First Prize winner will win a free download of my new four and a half star release, Curse of the Marhime.

Here's what you do:

Write a dark, Halloween short romance tale consisting of no more than five hundred words but it must have a beginning, middle, and end, in other words, be a complete story. The winning story will also be posted here for one week's time and on my website, as well, on the 'Contest' page.

Send it to me at www.gothscrbegirl@aol.com pasted within the body of the email. Please put your 'story title' along with 'Halloween Mini Tale' in the subject line.

One more chance to win. Anyone who leaves a comment on this site during the month of October will be entered into a drawing and win a secret Trick or Treat prize.

So have at it and have fun!

I look forward to reading your stories and your comments.

Good Luck!

Dayana~

Good News! No wait...

Excellent, awesome...

Four and a half books!!!

Ohmigod, I am dancing in the clouds at the moment! I just received my second review on Curse of the Marhime, and I am beyond words.

Please check it out at The Long and Short Review.

Also, I had been invited to be the 'Spotlight Author' this week at LASR, as well. Wow! What timing!

Okay...

I'll calm down now and stop yelling in your face.

Sorry...

But I have to share something of which some of you may be able to relate. I was on pins and needles for the last couple of months anticipating the promo and reviews that my publishing house, The Wild Rose Press, does for all its releases. Also, something I'd never experienced previously. I kept looking, with trepidation, for the reviews having no clue how it worked or when they would be up. Then the fact that, like I'm sure most authors feel, I didn't know how Curse would be received. I felt like the actors on the old Broadway plays awaiting the reveiws to see if they still had a curtain call the next night.

Don't get me wrong, I love my characters and this fresh start at a new paranormal series. But the object is for the readers to fall in love with your characters and get effortlessly lost within the story. A book is an adventure, an escape from reality. A wonderful trip into fantasy and allure. From the reviews, it seems that maybe I have succeeded in doing that with this book.

I've also gotten some reader feedback, which I am loving, and I have to tell you it is definitely giving me wonderful fodder for the next books. I had lots of fun writing Curse and am really looking forward to many more great adventures with these characters, in fact, Book II is in the beginning stages, so please keep those comments coming because I love hearing them.

Dayana~

Thoughts...

It's Sunday. It's early. And I'm full of somber thoughts this morning. Should be a day of rest and regeneration. A day to slow down, relax, and get ready for the new week ahead.

But...

so much tragedy has befallen on so many this week. Ike has destroyed so many lives, property, hopes, and dreams from Cuba to Texas leaving a trail of destruction so far and wide throughout the Carribean, along the Gulf coast and finally meandering inland. The horrific train crash in California, and another grim anniversary of September 11th has just passed us by.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and families of these sorrowful events.

For us in Southern Florida, the sun shines upon us today in the light of such loss to our neighbors in the aftermath of yet another destructive storm, but we remember Andrew, Katrina, Wilma, and Charley. We realize with every blow that develops out there in hurricane alley, it could be us. We know the stress. We know the tension. We know the loss.

I'd like to take a moment to ask everyone who reads this to gather anything that you no longer need, pack it up, and take it to the closest Disaster Relief Drop off point. So many need so much. And please don't forget the animals. Pets need help too. Like their human counterparts, they need foster homes. They need food, medicines, blankets, toys, etc.

Please, let's shine! Let's do whatever we can do to make a difference.

Thank you.

Dayana~

Manic Readers Review Curse of the Marhime!

The moment I have been waiting for with both trepidation and immense curiosity has arrived at last. Two nights ago a very good friend and peer, Mary Ricksen, author of Tripping Through Time, emailed me that the first review of my novel went up for the world to see at Manic Readers.

So...
I scrambled to find the site and clicked on the review bar. Lo and behold, there sat my book. After a deep, nerve-quelling breath, I clicked on the book cover and was pleasantly shocked to see first a FOUR STAR RATING! Then an AWESOME write up by the reviewer whose name is Valerie!

My husband hugged me, kissed me and kept saying, "Honey, this is great." But I was reading very slowly taking everything in and hadn't even realized how good and positive it really was.

Thank you, Valerie!

Thank you, Manic Readers!

Thank you, Mary for bringing it to my attention!

Dayana~
Swirls and twirls in bliss as she continues to do Snoopy happy dances around the room.

September is upon us...

Wow! Is it me or is time flying by? September already...

With that the debut of Curse of the Marhime. I am so excited and hope the readers are as excited about it as I am. It was released earlier this week at The Wild Rose Press. I took a look today and discovered it has claimed the seventh spot already on the best sellers list for the Black Rose line!

The novel was so much fun for me to write, and I've got so much more in store for Pita, Niko, Sasha, and Tomas, among other characters surrounding them and soon to cross their paths.

I encourage you to check out Pita's discovery of self and soul-binding love in this new paranormal series. I'd also encourage you to let me know what you think. Do you want more? Do you love the characters as much as I do? You are my readers and I truly want to know what you think.

I am also awaiting word on the acceptance of a companion short story, The Changeling, that I have submitted to The Wild Rose Press' Scarlet line, I hope will work to set up a future adventure for Pita and Niko.

Next in line is October and with it my favorite holiday. Yes, you've guessed it Samhain/Halloween! Watch carefully for word of my Tricks or Treats Halloween contest. I'm still working it out and will announce it in the next week of so right here. Now I'm going to go inspire myself with changing the house decor from summer fare to autumn and pepper some gothic touches in.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dayana~