Reader's Corner

Every issue of the RJ newsletter will have a thought provoking question for readers and authors to answer.  All you need to do is send us your answer to rjnewsletter@romancejunkies.com and your comment may appear in the next newsletter.

 We have many holidays that we celebrate from now until January. What do the holidays mean to you and what are your favorite memories?  What would be your favorite thing to do on a rainy day or if you were snowed in?  Holidays are family times - do you have a favorite family moment you'd like to share - you know those moments when everyone is sitting around the dinner table and one of the kids brings up an outrageous topic or comment?  Answer any of these questions and let us know how you'd like your name listed if we use your answer. (it can be your real name, first name only, nickname, pubbed name etc...)

Dorothy Thompson

Click Here for an excerpt from ROMANCING THE SOUL

Click Here to read RJ's review for ROMANCING THE SOUL

Dorothy is  a syndicated relationship columnist writing on the soul mate experience and a professional reviewer for Romance Junkies.

L.G. Burbank

Click Here for an excerpt of  The Soulless: Book One in the Lords of Darkness series

While many of you know me as Leslie Burbank, I am writing this vampire series under LG Burbank.  I was told that I needed to market myself to readers of other genres and should do so with a different name so please bear with my new author persona.

What costume are you wearing for Halloween? I actually think I may be dressing up as an author this year as I have two book signings smack on Halloween

Do you have a picture of you in costume?  Well, this question makes me laugh... when have you seen Leslie in normal clothes?  It seems I am always in costume at RT and other events.  There are pictures all over the web of me looking my silly best.

Leslie Burbank aka L.G. Burbank

Vice President, Medallion Press, INC

K. R. Wilson

Click Here for an over 18 excerpt from CRIMSON WINGS

Click Here to read RJ's Review

K.R. Wilson is giving away a download of CRIMSON WINGS

Trivia Question: Name two of the characters from CRIMSON WINGS.

Vampire Legends

 By Leslie Burbank

When I first met Mordred Soulis, the hero of my latest novel, The Soulless: Book One in the Lords of Darkness Series, he made it very clear he was bitten by something remarkably similar to a vampire.  Upon further investigation of these bloodsucking creatures, I learned their origins go back in time to a place far darker than I had ever imagined.  I also learned that, while we may categorize a vampire as human in species and arising from a previously dead state to slake its thirst upon the blood of living beings, the myths and legends of a bloodsucking creature permeate every culture and every time period on this planet.

            Most people have a basic knowledge of the vampire thanks to the character in Bram Stoker's classic novel, Dracula: the mysterious man with a black cape who lives alone in an old castle upon a hillside.  Some people have heard that Count Dracula was loosely based on a real figure in history, Vlad the Impaler (1430-1477), whose father was Vlad Dracul.  Dracula means son of Dracul or son of the dragon or devil.

            There are many lesser known references to vampires.  In Scotland the Lammikin or Long Lankin refers to a creature that attacks women and feeds on their blood.  In ancient Rome, a tale was told about the Lamia who would come at night to torment men and children.  In Russian folklore the Upir can appear either as a vampire or werewolf.

            Leo Allatius was a seventeenth-century Greek vampirologist who believed in the existence of the Vrykolakas.  The Vjesci was a vampire found in northeastern Poland.  According to Polish tradition a Vjesci was identified at birth by a caul on its head.  The Nachzeher was a similar creature found in northern Germany.

            The blood-drinking creature in Chile is named the Invunche, while on certain islands in the Caribbean it is the Sukuyan.  The Sukuyan must be invited in to the household before it may strike a victim.  It is very much like the vampire in tales with which many readers are familiar, but it can move about in broad daylight.

            Even among the Native Americans in the United States, vampires appear.  The Choctaw call their night stalker, the Skatene, while Stikini is the name given to a blood drinker in the beliefs of the Seminoles.

            Over and over, the vampire appears in legends around the world.  The European spelling can run the gamut from the most recognized version, vampire, to vampyre, vampyr, vampir, and wampyr.  While all these names, as well as those mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, refer to a creature that comes back from the dead to drink blood, vampires can manifest themselves in many forms-everything from a cat to a bat and even serpent.

            Perhaps the most interesting discovery, while performing lengthy research on the myths of vampires, is that vampires indeed have established their innate ability to live forever.  To this day we immortalize them in movies and novels.  We've been bitten and we're fascinated by their dark, mysterious, and tortured existence.  Their presence has been felt for centuries, and that in itself is quite amazing.

Leslie Burbank aka L.G. Burbank is the author of "The Soulless: Book One in the Lords of Darkness Series" appearing in bookstores this October.  ISBN#0974363995.  $6.99.  For more information on vampires and the "Lords of Darkness Series", head to www.lgburbank.com.

Sherry Hall Mauro

Click Here for an excerpt from THE FACE of HEAVEN

Click Here to read Sherry's RJ Interview

Sherry is giving away a free ebook copy of THE FACE of HEAVEN

Trivia Question: How old is Sabrina?

What costume are you wearing for Halloween? Bloody bride!

Susanne Marie Knight

Click Here for an excerpt of THE CONTRARY CONTESSA

In keeping with this newsletter's Halloween theme, I have two *scary* novels available in print and ebook: the paranormal suspense GRAVE FUTURE (What happens when an innocent tourist is stranded in an isolated cabin with a hostile stranger, an eerie fireplace, and a Shakespeare-quoting ghost?) and the murder mystery TAINTED TEA FOR TWO (Someone wants Lord Embrey dead. Will the method of execution be by poison or injection or... potato??)

Click Here to read Susanne's Romance Junkies interview

Susanne is giving away 4 great prizes!!

•  Romance Writing with a Twist coffee mug + promo items

•  Romance Writing With A Twist ebook Cookbook + promo items

•  The Writing With A Twist Collection--Volume 1 (AUTOGRAPHED) + promo items

•  12 bookmarks (for my twelve books) + promo items

Trivia Question: What is the name of my Dollar Download short story at Echelon Press?

What costume are you wearing for Halloween? A character out of the Star Trek universe.

Have a holiday gift you're hoping to receive or a New Year's resolution you'd like to share?

    I just found out that something I've been wanting since *forever* is finally going to be available, and I told my "Santa" that it would be the PERFECT gift. Classic Star Trek fans--start saving your money! The entire three seasons of TOS (the original series) of Star Trek will be released as collector sets on DVD.

Elizabeth Lane

Click Here for an excerpt from WYOMING WOMAN 

Elizabeth is giving away 2 previous books in the series, WYOMING WIDOW and WYOMING WILDCAT

Trivia Question: What is the title of Elizabeth's next book, to be published in May, 2005?

What costume are you wearing for Halloween?  Belly Dancer (I have LOTS of those!)

What holiday gift are you hoping to receive or a New Year's resolution you'd like to share?  I will resolve to have more fun!  Been working waayyy too hard lately.

Rayne Forrest

Click Here for an excerpt from ACROSS TIME

Rayne's website is for over 18 viewers.

For a VERY special excerpt, join IDBITS. Send a blank email to idbits-subscribe@yahoo.com and then go to message archive #55.

Click Here to read Rayne's RJ review. I'm having my first chat January 26, 2005 - come join me in the RJ chat room!

Rayne is giving away a goodie bag that includes an ACROSS TIME (Loose Id) transfer,
a beautiful day planner, a set of six votives hand poured by Rayne and a CD containing the complete, you-get-to-read-it-first, short story "Right From the Start."

Trivia Question: What's the name of Corri's ship?

What costume are you wearing for Halloween? I won't be dressing this year. I think I'll go for the "Maxine" look LOL!!       

Have a holiday gift you're hoping to receive or a New Year's resolution you'd like to share?  I'm hoping for the three DVD box set of Lord of the Rings. I don't generally make New Year's resolutions. If I waited until New Year's to make one, I'd forget what it was before the time rolled around.

True Love and Candy Corn

By

Susanne Marie Knight

      Could true love be considered a curse? Rebecca Loughlin believed so. Sure, love made the world go round, and all that baloney, but a thirteen-year-old didn't want to be saddled with "until the end of time" type of love. That was what the old witch had cursed her with so many years ago. Ever since that fateful Halloween night, Rebecca's heart had been held captive by a boy, a boy she barely even knew, and no one--man or boy--could wrestle Frank Palmer's memory from deep within her breast.

      Every Halloween, for nine years now, Rebecca would reflect upon what the witch had whispered to her in the darkness of the apartment corridor, and this year was no different. In fact, the recollection burned within her stronger, more intently than before. And that was because she was back--back at her aunt's apartment, getting ready to go trick or treating--only this time as escort to her two young cousins.

      Closing her eyes as she waited for the children to dress in their costumes, she recalled the witch's words and Frank Palmer's dark-as-midnight eyes....

Click Here to Continue

B.A. Chepaitis

A LUNATIC FEAR

Click Here to read B.A. Chepaitis' RJ Interview

B.A. Chepaitis is giving away a  t-shirt and a book.

Trivia Question:  What's the name of my storytelling group?

What costume are you wearing for Halloween?  GOLDEN WOMAN

Kat Martin

Click each book for an excerpt. Natchez Flame, Savannah Heat, Creole Fires

Three of Kat Martin's "hard to find" historical romance books, Natchez Flame, Savannah Heat and Creole Fires, are being reissued and are currently hitting bookstore shelves. These books were originally published back in 1994, 1993 and 1992. Many readers have inquired about how to get a copy of these titles --since previously they were very difficult to come by.

Kat is giving away an autographed copy of one of her books.

Trivia Question: What was the first book in the Sinclair sisters trilogy?

We appreciate your comments on the newsletter.  How are we doing?  Have anything you'd like to see that we're not doing?  We look forward to hearing from you! rjnewsletter@romancejunkies.com

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