Welcome one of our Fav Authors - Kristen Battestella

Fate and Fangs: Tales from the Vampire Family here- stopping by again to make trouble for Rita and Miz Ging! 

Resurrection: Stephanie after the Lilithan, the final release in our 7 book series with Muse It Up Publishing, has been out now for over a month in ebook and Kindle. We have more promotions and events coming in June and bigger things in October, but the whirlwind that has been a book a month for the last 7 months plus is finally winding down- and I must say I miss it!! 

We began promotions for Book 1 Love: Ann and the Viking last June and rode both the virtual vampire wave and live appearances mayhem through Christmas before continuing the back spin now in 2012. It's still crazy, of course, just less crazy.  Like the writing process itself, sometimes you get tired of all the promotions and marketing and scream at the social media. You get sick of explaining to kids that your are not Twilight and would never want to be Twilight and want to shout at people and websites that tell you vampires are played.  Half the time your campaign is an argument, a defense or an uphill battle on why vampires are still scary, frightening, old world predators who should be feared for their demented behavior. There is an audience for mature adult horror, and just like any other genre, the secret is in finding your readers.  Promoting a book is never easy- let alone 7 in a row! On bad day, you want to throw your hands in the air and be done with it!

And yet, again as in the writing- where you repeatedly pull your hair out!- you don't like to be away from marketing.  Not because the publisher and the marketeer say you have to promote and can't not be away from it, nor because you must post on facebook every fifteen minutes or no one will see you. No, it is the readers that create the bright light of marketing.  A comment, a full chat room, a question, a response, a like, a smile.  Interacting with fans, discussing what's on the page, and  bringing it to life! This knowing you are read, that there are fans out there who enjoy the literature and the effort you've put into it- that's the marketing magic, and it is worth every bit of the craziness!

But enough of that! Here's some blurbs and treats from Resurrection!


Blurb:
Former Lilithan vampire and newly divorced scientist Stephanie can’t get over how much she misses being a vampire in this final tale from Professor James. After a harrowing car accident, Stephanie meets Mestiphles, the giver and taker of vampire power on both sides of the coven wars.  His charm and seductive powers sweeten the demonic offer he extends, but will Stephanie accept his dark opportunities?
 
Excerpt:

I don’t know what made me think of her…No, that’s not true.  You can admit it to yourself, Stephanie.  I’ve been thinking about Lilith a lot lately; ever since we left her company, in fact.  As to why I’m thinking of her now as I drive home, who knows?  Its dark; the rhythmic drizzle is rapping on the car windows in time with the steady wipers.  Up, down, left, right again and again- day in, day out the same dreary monotony.  Only Lilith’s deceptive white light could cease such conundrum I suppose.  Sometimes, in the banal ho-hum of the day, I even think I see her.  Is it really Lilith stalking the streets, taking the face of the store clerk for a moment, or passing me by as that one pedestrian on the crosswalk?  The ceremonial policeman upon his bay horse was Lilith not two days ago.  Her long white gown draped over the steed’s rump down toward the pavement-until I blinked and she was gone.


I wouldn’t be driving home alone late on a dark, rainy night like this if I were still married to Dr. Appolito.  No, the sun would be shining, no traffic would stand between the Museum day job and the casual suburbs were he here to drive and chatter like the happy days before the Lilithan. Yes, our union ended not long after our encounter with Lilith.  Over those long months, she became the phantom wedge between us.

            “Do you ever think about her?” I asked him one night as we climbed into bed.  It seems like such a long time ago, when we could pretend things were back to normal, as if immortality and death and vampires had never touched us.

            “Think about whom?”  Michael lay back on the pillows, content with the remote control.  Was he ‘cool’ with it or merely oblivious to my difficulty?  Does it really matter either way? He stared at the television, seemingly not hearing my words or meaning.

            “Lilith.” I asked again, “Do you ever wonder what happened to her?”

            “No.”

            “Not once?”

            “Nope.”

            “Lilith has never crossed your mind?”

            Michael looked at me, sincere, but not understanding at the same time.

            “Only when I think about how thankful I am we’re rid of her.”

            I knew then our marriage was over.




Vampires who love, regret, despise, and would do anything to succumb to that dark lifestyle again- who knew?