Giveaway: with a ghost

The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna
Leann wasn't good enough for her upper-crust in-laws, so they gave her the mansion none of them wanted.

Years ago, something or someone in the house killed Leann's brother.

Will its violent secrets kill her next?

~*~
You may have seen this book here before.

It just keeps haunting this site...

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
WIN a copy of this book!

2 winners for print version
4 winners for ebook

Open to all.

Offer ends: February 29, 2012

TO DO:

1. READ the excerpt here and tell me the name of one of the characters mentioned.

2. TELL me which copy you want - print or ebook?

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
-+0+o+ YA Paranormal Activity schedule +o+0+-

Guest: Mary Bennet

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Kathleen McKenna
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
"Hello, hello anybody oh my you seem firm."

"Oh Mary there you are good heavens Mary why you are positively CARESSING this pillar, what has gotten into you child?"

"Oh hello mother, is it a pillar? I did tell you that not wearing my spectacles to this affair was going to leave me blind. What's that mother I cant hear you properly when you whisper." Mrs. Bennet gives out a gusty long suffering sigh and then.

"What I said Mary was that I only wished you might meet a gentleman this evening who had also left his spectacles behind."

"What do you mean mother....oh I see." Mary drops her head blushing furiously as Mrs. Bennet stares at her with exasperation and little affection.

"Well Mary we must look at the situation squarely and the situation is as follows, two of your much more attractive sisters have made brilliant marriages and-"

"Lydia not being one of them." Mary interjects sullenly.

"Lydia is at least married Mary which is a great deal more than can be said for you my dear." Mrs Bennet responds with thinly veiled menace and then continues her voice holding a vague but defined threat. "This ball for the glorious Georgiana is one of the precious few social opportunities to which you will be invited this season and it is my hope that-"

"But mother even though I am nearly blind without my spectacles even I can see that this dress will frighten small children."

"It was cheap Mary and at times like these one must ask oneself is it the dress or the girl inside which will draw attention."

Uncomfortably Mary fingers the ghastly green material and then steeling herself asks of Mrs. Bennet.

"Mother wasn't this the gown Aunt Hortensia was buried in?" Mrs. Bennet sniffs indignantly.

"Well obviously Mary she wasn't BURIED in it otherwise it would be impossible for you to be wearing it on this lovely evening." Mary bows her head in resignation and proceeds haltingly into the ballroom, despite her careful steps she immediately collides with the buffet table spilling foodstuffs all around.


Three hours later Mary Bennet finds herself intoxicated for the first time in her thirty seven virginal years. Unbeknownst to poor Mary a young vixen from another more risque book than any Miss Austen has ever written had earlier appeared and spiked the punch. Still Mary does not find her state altogether unpleasant. In point of fact she found the liquor both invigorating and emboldening and for this one short evening has indeed placed her worst fear on the shelf (that she will always have to live at home with her mother and that Mrs. Bennet despite her professed delicacy might live to be a centurion unless Mary can find the courage to bludgeon her to death first).

Instead Mary danced for hours in a haze of bliss feeling herself for one brief shining moment to be the belle her more fortunate sisters have always been. Poor Mary is unaware that her divine partner is one of the potted palms which abound in the Darcy ballroom, or that she has been the cynosure of every eye for most of the night. No for this one enchanted evening it is Mary Bennet who is the sister to look to with admiring envy at least it is so in the recesses of her whiskey addled mind and in the end dear reader is that not all any of us can ask in the way of happiness. Goodnight Dear Mary in Vino Veritas.

~end

Guest post created for Pemberley Ball event by Kathleen McKenna, author of The Wedding Gift
© 2011. All rights reserved.

Visit Kathleen:
Goodreads
Shelfari

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Kathleen McKenna
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

~~!~~!~~!~~
Bit o'sip sip gossip...

Did you know...

The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna
~signup for giveaway here

~*~
* image source gown for Mary Bennet, potted plant

~~- Pemberley Ball schedule -~~

Guest: Miz Bethany

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Kathleen McKenna
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Shoot I have been to some sorry parties in my time but this one is the worst. That poor Miss Darcy needs a karoke machine bad because her singing sounds like a drowned cat. This here party reminds me of back in junior high when all the boys stayed on one side and stood there and stared at me like choked calves, well I know it wasn't a bit of it their fault it can be hard to just walk up to a pretty girl but I think the situation I'm seeing here is different. I think these poor Victorian boys just cant bring themselves to get close to these girls and who can blame them not a one of these poor girls has a dot of makeup on and it makes em all look as dead as ole Miz Bethany even here in the candlelight which everybody knows is the ugly girls best friend. Lucky for them I brought a little whisky along with me from home and I'll just use it to punch up the punch so to speak and get this party started.

Like I always say I didn't get chosen to be homecoming queen all four years in a row because I lack social skills and I was just getting ready to show some of these poor shy Victorian boys how to drink and dance like we do back home when ole Miz Bethany started getting as snarky as rabid boar.


"Why are we here, I dont like it here you said you'd bring me somewhere interesting." Truth to tell I had told her that very thing in exchange for her promise to stop setting fires around my new house. More truth to tell I might have told her I was taking her to a taping of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Ole Miz Bethany just loves those girls, mainly I think because they are all mean as cut snakes same as her. I tried to explain to Miz Bethany that it was kind of an honor to be here at Pemberly but I have to admit when she asked me why I couldn't think of one good reason, she snapped at me.

"Why would YOU be interested in a place that was in a book Leeann, have you ever READ a book?" Well she had me there but I do hate to admit to being ignorant and I was just about to make up something when her evil old dead eyes lit up like she'd seen a sale on at the Botox factory and the next thing I knew she floated across that ballroom like all the fires of hell were upon her which for all I know might have been true. That's when things went downhill quick.


Miz Bethany wrapped herself around poor Mr. Darcy like a snake and of course he didn't know what hit him her being dead and all so he probably thought he'd just got hit with the mother of all cold drafts except this draft had hands. Since Miz Bethany isnt one to let go of what she wants she hung on tight to him and before too long he was jumping around and swatting at himself like he had fleas and his fiance poor fat Miss Bennet was looking awful embarrased and Miss Georgiana the hostess was starting to hit the punch and things got right out of hand and I decided it was time to head on home to Dalton which you can rest assured I did. I up and left Miz Bethany there back in that Miss Austens book and I hope she keeps her because I can hardly bear the thought of dealing with my crazy dead ex mother in law in my sequel!

~end

Guest post created for Pemberley Ball event by Kathleen McKenna, author of The Wedding Gift
© 2011. All rights reserved.

Visit Kathleen:
Goodreads
Shelfari

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Kathleen McKenna
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

READ more about Miz Bethany and Leeann…

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--

The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna
WIN a copy of this book -print or ebook!

Open to all.

Offer ends: December 15, 2011

TO DO: (2-parts)
1. Sign Pemberley Ball guestbook (if you haven't already)

2. Tell me which version works for you print or ebook.

3. Leave a comment or question for the author.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

~*~
* image source regency men and women, Mr Darcy

~~- Pemberley Ball schedule -~~

Responses from Mr Poe

L A D I E S
and
G E N T L E M E N

Questions - no more.
Mr. Poe has agreed to address some of your comments from his giveaway post here.

B E H O L D he speaks...

M.A.D. said...
Salutations to Mr. Poe! Don't enter me as I've got an old 40s copy of his works, but still I'd love to pose a question for the illustrious author:

Is it true that the fall of the house of Usher was directly related to poor construction and shoddy drywall? AND ... at what point in your *relationship* with Miss Lenore did she go to the constables regarding the unfortunate mishap with that beating heart chap?

MR POE: My dear what a series of tactless questions, sigh it is at times like these that I can only be grateful that I am so long demised, but still I promised Velvet that I would attempt a civil discourse if she would feature me upon her blog so needs must. The actual reasons behind the fall of the house of Usher involved an unfortunate occurrence in the basement meth lab and rather than face criminal charges I chose to frame it in a rather different manner. As to Miss Lenore...

~*~
Yiota said...
What do you think about the movie coming out called "Raven" and John Cusack as you?"

MR POE: Young woman I am certainly not going to be represented by an actor who has once appeared in a John Hughes film furthermore many have commented (well I have commented) on the rather striking resemblance between myself and Mr. John Depp esq.

~*~
titania86 said...
Were you influenced by the German gothic novellas and dramas by Freidrich Schiller and Heinrich von Kleist? If so, which is your favorite?

MR POE: Dear Titania, I have never read these works of which you speak preferring as I do to reread myself. Furthermore, all my influences stem from my own life and a series of rather questionable real estate decisions.

~*~
AimeeKay said...
Did you ever think that your work would be as influential as it is? Does the fact that it is make you happy?

MR POE: Aimee, happiness tends to elude me fortunately there is laudanum for this but I must say I derive a certain sartorial satisfaction in having so soundly trounced those who said I was but a flash in the pan. I suppose I sound quite small when I tell you that in the small dark corners of my psyche the thought of my critics and my dear mother in law rolling over endlessly in their graves brings a certain pleasure.

~*~
M.A.D. said...
... < suspicious of folks who go around claiming they hear ravens speaking :O

... just sayin'.

MR POE: There are those who say that, to hear voices in an empty room presages the onset of hopeless insanity child but as many of today’s novelists and political candidates will tell you it may also serve as an early sign of genius this is certainly true in my case!

~*~
mbreakfield said...
Mr. Poe, I love your work, especially The Raven.

MR POE: My dear Marlene, it is my pleasure I have little use for money in my present state and so giveaways are my pleasure, though I AM attempting to hawk my shroud on eBay should you be interested in a more tangible reminder of yours truly Edgar Allan.

~*~
tore923 said...
I would love to read your books.

MR POE: Might I recommend the Pit and the Pendulum as a starting place I wrote it on my wedding night :)

~*~
Ruby M said...
Mr. Poe I absolutely love your work, especially The Raven, and I can't wait to read more!

MR POE: Thank you my dear a life without great literature is like being buried alive…which isn’t quite as grim as it sounds, join me?

~*~
marybelle said...
Dear Mr Poe, does it trouble your heart that school children everywhere cringe at your very name?

MR POE: Miss Marybelle that seems a tad excessive cringing at my very name, good lord miss I’m not nearly as fearsome a creature as young miss palin for example and in the minds of the RIGHT sort of children I believe my name glows with a certain red patina, young master King in his youth for example collected and devoured my work most assiduously.

~*~
Sharli said...
If you had the chance, would you write a poem about your own death?

MR POE: Oh I thank you for asking, a little known fact about me is the deep interest I held in a form of poetry known as the limerick please allow an old dead man to share. There once was a writer named Edgar and then he got deader and deader and now he does lie all covered in flies in a grave where the weather don’t spare him.

~*~
Jel ♡ said...
i really want to read his works. i wonder how he got or who his inspirations are for he was able to come up with such great art.

MR POE: I was often inspired in my dark journeys by the memory of my childhood which was later illustrated in the writings of a V.C. Andrews.

~*~
buddyt said...
My question for Mr Poe would be how he likes all the modern horror/ghost stories especially those aimed at YA readers.

MR POE: Are you referring young man to the Twilight books perhaps because if so I must shake my head in derision however I must say that the collected works of Miss Anne Rice prior to her religious conversion have raised some interesting possibilities regarding post rigor mortis sexual activities and do create a certain hopefulness in my decaying heart.

Presume you plan to contact him and pass on the questions via a séance?

MR POE: Allow me to answer this, I refuse to attend any séance in which I am expected to appear alongside Harry Houdini, but might consider a shared venue with Miss Monroe.

~*~
Lieder Madchen said...
My dear Mr. Poe, I have often wondered at your singular ability to invent original ways to kill your creations. Where is it that you get your inspiration?

MR POE: Well I’m a big fan of the works of Wes Craven but in my own lifetime I derived most of my ideas or fantasies if you will during my mother in laws annual holiday visits.

~*~
fredamans said...
I'd like to know.... if you died in the 1849, how are you answering questions in 2011? Is there a Oujia involved?

MR POE: No no my dear, like all the famous dead I will never truly pass into darkness as long as there are those like you who remember my name :)

~*~
Laura's Reviews said...
Do not enter me as I already own the complete works of Poe, but I just had to stop by and say how much I love the author and this poem in particular!

MR POE: Ah I thank you most sincerely Miss Laura and now plan to pen a new work in your honor which I will release next All Hallows Eve.

~*~
Pabkins said...
Why a raven....

MR POE: I had originally planned to use a monitor lizard in the poem but found it lacked the proper air of menace.

~*~
Krysykat said...
I was just like to say Mr. Poe that you are one of my favorite authors, my favorite poem is "Fairy-land".

MR POE: Thank you kindly my dear but perhaps you have not yet read my there once was a girl from Nantucket series of masterpieces so have little with which to compare?

~*~
Carlos Antunes said...
Who have you been haunting since 1850?

MR POE: It varies, in the early years it was a toothsome young lass named Lily Langtry later on I met Miss Monroe, but ever since an unfortunate channeling incident I’ve been stuck with Kurt Cobain’s widow.

~*~
Antonia said...
I love your EDGAR ALLAN POEms!

MR POE: And I my dear love the name Antonia, so very gothic, are you presently seeing anyone? :)

~*~
Rebecca said...
Mr Poe, I very much enjoyed The Raven and the Tell-Tale Heart.

MR POE: Mmmm yes yes Rebecca the Tell Tale Heart in particular is a story I hold close to my decaying breast and thank you for mentioning.

~*~

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--

The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna
17 year old Leeann Worthier is the perfect girl in town - or so she says. George Willets is the heir to a booming petroleum business. When they announce their engagement, George's controlling mother is unimpressed, and Leeann absolutely refuses to live with her mother-in-law. So George gives his new wife a house as a wedding gift.

Thirty years before, the same house hosted a grisly scene: George's uncle and cousins were all slaughtered and his aunt Robina accused of both murder and suicide.

The house is a gorgeous, well-maintained mansion, but has stood empty since the tragedy. It's intimidating, but who is Leeann to turn down a free house? When the ghost of Robina begins to haunt Leeann, she realizes she's made a huge mistake ....

WIN a copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: November 13, 2011

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ONE of these:

ADD this book to your Goodreads

or

LIKE this book on amazon.

or

TWEET this: (or click the twitter button on this post)
Giveaway: The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2011/10/responses-from-mr-poe.html

2. AND, let me know in comments what you did along with your email (if I don't already have it)

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

~*~
* image source Nevermore created by the Strangeling

* Mr Poe appearance courtesy of author, Kathleen McKenna

-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Zombie Tale from: Kathleen McKenna

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Kathleen McKenna
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Scene, the office of Vvb our moderator for this interview, Two guest Zombies are waiting nervously for the entrance of their hostess, while they wait, they do a little harmonizing.

Please don't talk about flesh tonight.
Please don't talk about sweet flesh.
Please don't talk about her skin being blue
and all of the trouble we've been through.
Ah, please don't talk about all of the plans
we had for fixin' this broken romance, my girl is real dead and I ate her head and now I want to go where the people dance.
I want some action ... I want to live! I want to eat some heads cuz it aint no sin

I got so much to give.
I want to give it. I want to get some fresh flesh too.

Oh, I ... Ohhh I ... I love the nightlife,
I got to boogie on the disco 'round, oh yea.
Oh, I love the night life I want to eat heads I want to eat em and then dance with you.

“Yo Chomp Chomp Chewy Chomp, we done been punked man, this aint no recording studio, this here is some readers blog site, and does this place look like L.A. to you?”

“Hey Eat em slow, I hear you man, this is a set up we was brought here under false pretenses as it were.”

“I know it Chompy, but the letter said…”

“Yeah it said we was being invited to a free recording session of our new song, well I mean it’s a remake but still-“

“A damn fine remake Chompy.”

“I hear you, but as you can see, or uhm can you, I lost both my eyeballs today on the way here, I’ll check the BART lost and found later, damn rot, and you know our health plan is for crap I can’t get into a dermatologist for love or money Eat em my friend, it’s a sin”

“Hey Chompy, take a deep breath, I mean er well you know uhm what I mean, what I’m trying to say man is I know our health plans suck and that’s lame about your eyeballs, but later on tonight lets head on down to L.A. its Emmy season we’ll score a few heads and pick you out a pair of primo new eyeballs man. Maybe George Clooney’s? You think you’re a lady killer now Chomp you wait till I pop old George’s peepers into your sockets, hows that sound?”

“Sounds damn fine Eat my man, damn fine, you know before this last round of rot set in there were those and I aint naming names who said I had a little look of Clooney about me.”

Background sound of phlegmy choking laughter.

“Oh yeah Chomp, maybe in full darkness man.” Sounds of scuffling followed by the sound of something striking the floor with a wet splat.

“You son of a zombie whore Chomp, you done pulled off my ear and I just got that yesterday while I was attending the G.O.P. debates, Damn it that was Rick Perry’s actual ear too and one of the best I’ve ever had what the hell man?”

“Sorry, sorry Eat dude, I was…well it hurt my feelings what you said about me and Clooney, it was a real nice ear, tasted good too, I’ll get you a new one later, we still cool man?”

“Yeah Chomp we cool, but listen what are we here for if we don’t get to talk about our music, our quest to bring back disco?”


Vvb the site host walks into the room, gasps and throws open the windows, both Chomp and Eat em howl in protest.

Vvb: Gentleman I apologize for making you wait, and is there a problem with the windows being opened your erm cologne is a little overwhelming, I apologize.

Chomp Chomp Chewy Chomp: Yes there is a problem you stupid woman, Zombies, or as we prefer to be called Dead Americans are very sensitive to cold and your ugly city has terrible weather, moreover I’d like to point out that my companion and I Eat em slow−

Eat em slow: Oh hey call me Eat, Eat em Slow is my dad.

Vvb: Okay thanks Eat, Chomp, I want to thank you both for−

Chomp Chomp Chewy Chomp: I wasn’t finished we are both wearing Zombie Kill by Gautlier, make sure you spell that right, we have an endorsement contract and−

Eat em slow: Geez Chomp, let the lady finish.

Vvb: Thank you Eat, as I was saying thank you both for coming, this is a site for books and this month we are talking about books favored by Zom−erm I mean by Dead Americans which is why you were asked to come here. I’m hoping you’ll share with us some of the reading material that you feel best represents your lifestyle.

Chomp Chomp Chewy Chomp: Well Vvb, as you can see I’m presently missing my eyeballs and I cant say that I’m much of a reader in general I prefer internet porn.

Vvb: Thank you Mr. Chewy Chomp, what about you Eat?”

Eat em Slow: Well Vvb I’m glad you asked, because I like to think of myself as a Dead American of some literary taste.

Vvb: Please Eat, tell my readers then what books you yourself enjoy.

Eat em slow: Well as I say I like to think of myself as a Dead American of some literary taste, I cant say I’ve actually ever read a book.

Vvb: Oh I see, well pardon me but can I ask why you two agreed to be on my blog cast then?

Chomp Chomp Chewy Chomp: Vvb let me take this one, we understood this was a recording studio, you see Eat and I are musicians, musicians devoted to the lost sounds from the great Disco era and we were hoping that this would give us an opportunity to showcase a few of our new tracks.

Vvb: Gentleman its my site and my rules so please be my guests, why don’t you give my followers a little…erm taste of what they can expect from your upcoming album.

Eat em Slow: Oh great thank you Miss Vvb, Chomp you ready?

Chomp Chomp Chewy Chomp: You know me Eat I’m always ready, okay this here number is a remake of Miss Anita Wards, Ring my Bell, listen up.

Sounds of hacking and a slapping sound, muttered curses as Chomp Chomp Chomp Chewy Chomps tongue is retrieved from the floor.

Chomp and Eat:

I can eat your head head head eat your head
I can eat your head head head eat your head, your head eat your head
I can eat your head head head head eat your head
Your head eat your head.

Vvb: Thank you so much gentleman for that stirring rendition, and readers please check my site for upcoming appearances from our new friends Chomp and Eat, for all of you out there happy September, the month when we remember our Zom-Dead American Friends as well as those lost in the tragedy of 911!

~end

Guest post created for September Zombies event by Kathleen McKenna, author of The Wedding Gift
© 2011. All rights reserved.

Visit Kathleen:
Goodreads

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Kathleen McKenna
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna
(the pre-cover cover)
-ghost, horror
Release date: October 2011

READ and excerpt of the first 4 chapters here!
-courtesy of publisher

~*~
* header image source, disco zombie

=== September Zombies schedule ===

Watch out: The Wedding Gift

The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna
Paperback re-release by new publisher: September 2011
Kathleen McKenna's explosive third novel 'The Wedding Gift' excels in so many categories it defies them all. It is a spine-electrifying supernatural tale where a huge Southern States mansion contains one of the most terrifying, violent and indeed psychopathic ghosts to haunt any town.

It is also a murder mystery - why did Robina Willets apparently kill all five of her young children, and her husband, before stabbing herself to death?

And, if you are in the camp of believing that 'justice .... just is not', then this will have you frothing at the mouth with righteous social fury. Add to that the vision of two exceptionally beautiful girls lying on a landing stage in the middle of a secluded lake, sleeping naked in the sun ....

.... and then see if you can find any consecutive ten minutes in this book when you don't at least snicker at the heroine Leeann's sly, caustic, sometimes-knowing sometimes 'too stupid to live' commentary.

"Several times in the 'The Wedding Gift' Kathleen McKenna has the narrator bursting out with phrases like 'Oh shoot, hell yeah, he was grinning like an egg suck dog' or words to that affect. Well, that was me she was describing throughout the book, grinning like an egg suck dog. I don't know what one of those might be, but I sure want to be one," Tim Roux, author of 'Missio' and 'The Dance of the Pheasodile'.

* * * u P d A t E #1* * *
The Wedding Gift is currently being developed into a film!
-per Apelles Entertainment-Films

* * * u P d A t E #2* * *
For those of you waiting for this horror-filled book

(you know who you are)

It is going to head your way by the end of September.

~!~ August Thrills-n-Chills schedule ~!~

Methwolf Christmas Greeting

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Kathleen McKenna
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Us Methwolves was snuggled all warm in our beds, with visions of indictments dancing through our heads.

Bane he were facing them bad justice boys for selling online porno’s that showed some real nasty elves them boys down in Washington said keep that filth off the shelves! Now Steve he were looking at his tenth D.U.I. cause that’s one drunken wolf and that aint no lie! But me old Red I were above the fray cuz this here wolf was for once free from disgrace.

As I laid in my bed I pondered my year and as I pondered I pulled a tick from my ear. I ate it real slow cause a good tick is rare and I considered last year’s actions and then got up for a beer.

We wolves had gained some ground with the new healthcare plan, its good even for poor wolves who live in the sand. But the tax situation it worried us some, for us wolves had made some millions from selling some guns so we aint too pleased that the house wont extend no tax cuts for rich wolves well I think that’s a sin!

Then old Miz Palin on and on she goes and as every wolf knows that is one horror show. She’s dumb as a coyote and mean as a bear and she do like to shoot wolves and you know that aint fair!

So there’s things to consider as each year do end, you win some you lose some well that aint no sin, and you’ll hear me howl out as I go out to hunt for the night Merry Christmas to all and don’t fear that I’ll bite.

~end

Methwolf Christmas Greeting created by Kathleen McKenna
© 2010. All rights reserved.


~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Kathleen McKenna
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~


~~*!~~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~~!*~~
signup for this book

* image source The Illustrations of Chet Phillips

Winter Reading Circle

W E L C O M E
to tour stop #5 of 6 of the
Winter Reading Circle: Tales for a Winter Night
For my reading selections I decided to have my other vvb personas share with you today.

Random Magic
by Sasha Soren
-my review
signup for giveaway
Alice always likes something whimsical and filled with adventure.
Alice was last seen exploring Whatsitland.
Next year will find her in Wholand.
Guest appearance by Dr Who - which Who?
Follow the March Hare (in late February) to find out.

btw: Doctor Who : A Christmas Carol on Dec 25 on the BBC channel
AND Twelve Doctors of Christmas on tor.com starting Dec 26

~*~
Scourge
by David H. Burton
-my review
signup for giveaway
Jade is into steam so the steampunk genre suits her fine.
Jade is the second half (and sister) of the steampunk duo of the Jane and Jade Escapades storyline. You can find out a bit of Jade's early days from the Old Skewl steampunk event.

~*~
Frederic & Elfrida
by Jane Austen
read this online for free
Come come, without a doubt. Jane Austen literary works are always a find in Lady Vee's reticule.
Lady Vee hopes to see you again at the next Pemberley Ball in November.

In this short piece, probably one of the earliest of her surviving Juvenilia, written in her early teens, Jane Austen exuberantly parodies some of the silly sentimental and "heroick" literature and literary conventions of her day.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): fess
I found this an interesting bit by Jane as I have not read any of her juvenilia. Although this one is said to be humorous, I found a certain part morbid.

Give it a quick read and tell me what you think.

~*~
The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna
-my review
signup for giveaway below
* twirls the tip of his handlebar mustache *
Dr Viiiii's library is filled with trix-n-treatz.
He is most taken with ghost stories.
Make sure and stop by in October to visit the Imaginarium of Dr Viiiii.
* twirls the tip of his handlebar mustache *

~~*!~~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~~!*~~
Open to all.

Offer ends: December 26, 2010

TO DO:
Tell me a title(s) winter read of your own in comments below along with your email address.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Now head over to the next great winter reads! Go to #6 of 6 - La Femme Readers

~*~
Winter Reading Circle: Tales for a Winter Night
Find some nice and cozy – or dark and spooky –
reads perfect for wintertime, on this fun blog hop.
(complete tour schedule)

#1 of 6: What Book Is That?
Twitter: @heynocupcake
http://twitter.com/heynocupcake

#2 of 6: Willowdust Reviews – Tina’s Book Reviews
Twitter: @BooksatTinas
http://twitter.com/booksattinas

#3 of 6: Diary of a Bookworm
Twitter: n/a

#4 of 6: A Reader’s Adventure
Twitter: @ReaderAdventure
http://twitter.com/readeradventure

#5 of 6: vvb32 Reads - hey, that's me ;-D
Twitter: @vvb32reads
http://twitter.com/vvb32reads

#6 of 6 La Femme Readers
Twitter: @lafemmereaders
http://twitter.com/lafemmereaders

Completing the reading circle -- and the Winterlong tour.
Thank you for coming along with us, and happy reading!

~*~
* image source alice, dr viiiii (a dandy fellow), lady vee, steampunk girl

~~*!~~ Dandies & Delectables schedule ~~!*~~

*** winterlong schedule ***

The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna

The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna

Published: August 2010
Genre: Ghosts, Mystery, YA
Paperback: 210 pages
Rating: 5

Series:
The Wedding Gift
The Comeback - released March 2011

Description from the amazon:
17 year old Leeann Worthier is the perfect girl in town - or so she says. George Willets is the heir to a booming petroleum business. When they announce their engagement, George's controlling mother is unimpressed, and Leeann absolutely refuses to live with her mother-in-law. So George gives his new wife a house as a wedding gift.

Thirty years before, the same house hosted a grisly scene: George's uncle and cousins were all slaughtered and his aunt Robina accused of both murder and suicide.

The house is a gorgeous, well-maintained mansion, but has stood empty since the tragedy. It's intimidating, but who is Leeann to turn down a free house? When the ghost of Robina begins to haunt Leeann, she realizes she's made a huge mistake ....

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): sugar
A doozy of a ghost story!

I was glued to the story to the very end by. Even bust a gut a couple times with the dialogue and character interactions.

This book is part of a series but works just fine for me as a stand-alone. In fact because I loved the ending of this book, I'm kind of afraid to see what happens to Leeann in the next book.

~*~
* if you haven't already, read Kathleen's Wereland guest post: Alice meet MethWolf

* part of October Trix-n-Treatz

Watch out: The Comeback

The Comeback
by Kathleen McKenna

It's coming...

The sequel to The Wedding Gift...
March 2011


Haven't read The Wedding Gift yet, well here's your chance...

-+0+o+ Book Giveaway courtesy of author +o+0+-

The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna
signup for giveaway here


-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Alice meets MethWolf

W E R E L A N D

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Kathleen McKenna
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Hullo all,

Wishing you a Happy Halloween.

My, I have had a series of strange events befall me recently. As many of you know I have been either privileged (or cursed depending on how one sees it) to travel back and forth between our world and the mad and magic world of Wonderland.

Often this sort of thing befalls me when I am doing nothing more than straightening my ribbon in front of the looking glass and inadvertently fall in.

Last Tuesday this very thing happened. One moment I was in my own bedroom and the next I found myself tumbling through the air, I saw a young girl dash by and she rudely shouted at me in an appalling American accent,

Yo Alice ─ you’re not in England anymore,
girl; you’re in the shiz now.
Honestly, I don’t know how Yanks can bear to listen to themselves! At any rate I fell and spun for what seemed hours, having to hold down my skirt for modesty's sake as I passed many strange looking, lascivious creatures with an unearthly gleam in their eyes. At long last I came to rest on a patch of red and muddy ground. Stuck into said ground was a rudely painted sign which read:

Now leaving Wonderland.
Lettered below it read,
Welcome to Louisiana.
Unfamiliar with such bizarre names, I brushed myself off and wandered for hours through a world so strange and foreign as to make even Liverpool seem a place of sense and sensibility.

At long last I came upon a rather astounding house; a mansion really. Outside upon the steps sat an alarming looking creature ─ a man who wasn't truly a man, but a man-wolf.

He smelled rather badly and as I approached him I noted he was smoking from a small pipe. Seeing this I was heartened, hoping that he might know my friend the caterpillar who also likes a pipe now and again. The strange creature raised his head and stared at me with muddied red eyes and this is what he said:

I is just a werewolf with a meth pipe in my hand.

Why is you staring?

What don’t you understand?

Drugs is bad and a wolf should know it too.

and then he tried to eat part my head and said
for him this is what is true.

I was born a werewolf with fire in my veins.
I ate my father, a coyote and I was filled with shame.

I ate my mother because she said that I was gay.
Now I make porno films that all appreciate.

I ain’t a bad wolf though peoples disagree,
I'm just trying my best in a rough society!

I joined the army but they said don't ask, don't tell
I ate the recruiter, that rednecks now in hell

All I ever wanted was to make a wonderbra!
But people they don’t get me so then I show the claw.

A werewolf’s life ain’t easy though some would disagree.
And now I gives the people drugs and good pornography.

I try to be real pleasin’ and some would say I is.

But if you all don’t like me,
well I'll eats you same as if I was a Griz!

Truly it was a MOST alarming day! Safely back in England now I have this to say: Wonderland is fraught with many dangers true, but the State of Louisiana is wracked with weirder things and that my friends is true.

~end

Were post created for October Trix-n-Treatz by Kathleen McKenna
© 2010. All rights reserved.


~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Kathleen McKenna
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

-+0+o+ Book Giveaway courtesy of author +o+0+-

The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna
signup for giveaway here

AND

Leave a comment here for an extra point to go towards the
Alice prize pack giveaway

~*~
* image source from the Strangeling

* hey, don't forget to signup to win a Strangeling print here


-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Ghosts: Leeann

G H O S T S
You are now going up a third flight up steps.

A young lady is coming down the stairs.

She mentions that Dr. Viiiii's laboratory is on the top most floor.

But first pulls you aside to tell you her ghost story...

The Wedding Gift
by Kathleen McKenna
Description from the amazon:
17 year old Leeann Worthier is the perfect girl in town - or so she says. George Willets is the heir to a booming petroleum business. When they announce their engagement, George's controlling mother is unimpressed, and Leeann absolutely refuses to live with her mother-in-law. So George gives his new wife a house as a wedding gift.

Thirty years before, the same house hosted a grisly scene: George's uncle and cousins were all slaughtered and his aunt Robina accused of both murder and suicide.

The house is a gorgeous, well-maintained mansion, but has stood empty since the tragedy. It's intimidating, but who is Leeann to turn down a free house? When the ghost of Robina begins to haunt Leeann, she realizes she's made a huge mistake ....

-+0+o+ Book Giveaway courtesy of author +o+0+-
Open to US ONLY.

Offer ends: Oct 31, 2010 - extended to Nov 16, 2010, 7 pm pst

TO DO:

1. Sign the guestbook (if you signed it already or in September - no need)

2. Read the interview with Kathleen by From the Shadows and tell me one thing you learned.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

* if you haven't already, read Kathleen's Wereland guest post: Alice meets MethWolf

* image source from the Strangeling

* hey, don't forget to signup to win a Strangeling print here


-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-