EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT for DEMON HUNTER: HEROES CALL and GIVEAWAY!

The long awaited debut of Demon Hunter:Heroes Call is this August. Before the final chapter arrives catch up on the rest of the series. If you purchase Demon Hunter:The Chosen One and send me proof of purchase I'll send you Demon Hunter:Seek & Destroy FREE! Get it through Amazon now!

As the mighty hunter of demons, 

Costa Calabrese has known wealth, 

fame, the fear of men and true love. 

Now one brush with The Destroyer 

is threatening the life he treasures. 

Costa's entire world is being exposed 

as nothing but a lie. 

Costa's greatest and final battle is 

at hand as he battles the darkest 

demons of all...the ones in his head.

 EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

A thousand possibilities ran through my mind. I tried to 

persuade myself that he was right. Talisa would come back 

and everything would be as it was before. 

Deep in my heart I knew the truth. 

And then I saw it, the marking on the wall just as in my 

visions. It read: "I am sent here by the chosen one. So 

shall it be written. So shall it be done.  Child of light, 

be it daughter or son, is to be destroyed."

She was gone just like that. Vanished without a trace or an 

explanation. The only thing that made any sense to me were 

the visions. Something dark and sinister had invaded our home 

and swept Talisa off into the night. 

 
How could I have let this happen? I speak all the time of not 

having regret and now I had to live with another. I would never, 

ever forgive myself for leaving her that day. 

I had tried to make peace within myself, saying it would only be 

for a little while and then I'd return to her and we'd live out 

our lives together until we were old and gray. But suddenly my 

perfect world had been turned upside down and I'd somehow lost 

the love of my life.

I fell to my knees, shattered with despair. Paralay tried to 

comfort me to no avail. Nothing he could say would make me feel 

any better. The only person I wanted to talk to was the one person 

I couldn't find.

My breath caught in my chest and I started to shudder. I couldn't 

speak. Pain hollowed out my insides like a searing hot knife and I 

felt as though my heart might literally shatter. I couldn't catch my 

breath and when I did I only managed to utter one word.

"Destroyer."

Impromptu Review - Adjustment Bureau

I don't normally do reviews for movies, sometimes for books but not really for movies. But this time I felt compelled to write about The Adjustment Bureau starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. It is new on DVD and Blue Ray this week. I saw it in the theater...twice. These days its rare to enjoy a movie the first time let alone want to see it again. But the Adjustment Bureau was different.
Why did I like this particular movie so much? Besides from enjoying both actors I also really loved the story but I didn't understand why until recently watching it for an unprecedented fourth time here at home.
Underneath it all lies a story of a man who will quite literally do whatever it takes to be with the woman of his dreams. The only time he ever walks away from this love is when the two of them being together threatens her happiness.

Eureka - Pure FICTION!
This sort of thing never happens in the really real world. If it has happened to you please do let me know. In my experience it has not.
On the flip side Blunt's character Elise is not to be outdone in the love department either. One of the head "case workers" tells David (Damon) that dancing is the one thing that makes Elise happy and that she truly loves. When that is threatened David walks away. What he doesn't realize at the time is that Elise loves him more than dancing, enough to give it up if she had the choice. She even spells it out later when she says to him: "You don't know anything about me and what makes me happy."
This is a love story presented in a very unique fashion That's what makes this particular journey so powerful and enjoyable. It is also a finely woven story told by two of the brightest stars in Hollywood today.
In the beginning the two meet in the men's restroom and near they end they come together again in the ladies room. Interesting choice by director George Nolfi. If you haven't seen it yet I recommend The Adjustment Bureau.

Storyline

Do we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us? A man glimpses the future Fate has planned for him and realizes he wants something else. To get it, he must pursue across, under and through the streets of modern-day New York the only woman he's ever loved. On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris (Damon) meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) - a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself - the men of The Adjustment Bureau - who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path...or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her. Written by Universal Pictures  

Writing Bad - Unedited Personal Commentary

Allow me to indulge for a minute on a personal commentary about right v wrong. Good v. Bad. Most of us try to walk the straight and narrow in life. Do the right thing. Fly under the radar. We are the good guys. We follow the rules, keep our noses clean, and we STILL get screwed over. By who? Criminals mostly. Criminals they put in power who levy you with unfair fines. Criminals who try to take away your God given rights - or even take away God himself. Criminals in the guise of helpful aides who turn around and kick you in the teeth with unfair and unjust rulings.
Yes, I have a personal vendetta I'm speaking of.
But in all those scenarios what would make me want to continue being the goodguy? Why would I follow the rules only to get a bad rap anyway? What you're pushing me towards is the other side...the darkside. Sure looks nice: commit robbery - get a slap on the wrist. Kill someone in a drunk driving accident - go to rehab. Commit rape or murder - get out in 6 months...if that! In THOSE scenarios why wouldn't I turn to the darkside? When you can shoot someone in their home and get away with it but that same homeowner can't defend themselves without being prosecuted you know there is something wrong!
So why wouldn't I steal cable, download music for free, theater hop, pick pockets? What keeps me from robbing a bank and shooting the guard on the way out then fleeing to another country? MORAL FIBER.
My parents raised me with INTEGRITY. 
However, this is what makes writing villains so appealing. I've spoken on villains before - and we should know by now they have to have a believable agenda, and more importantly and agenda they believe in. But why do most people find playing the villain or writing about them that much more intriguing than the hero? Because the hero is squeaky clean, they try to do the right thing. The villain couldn't give a shit. They have their endgame in mind and anyone who gets in the way is called "collateral damage."
These days though times have changed. The heroes themselves are even shades of gray. it is reflective of a society who is fed up with politics and the bullshit that comes with it. Reality entails lawyers (the biggest crooks of all) and legal fees. So if we can escape from reality for awhile in the depths of a characters we choose to then it somewhat takes the edge off...somewhat.

Amazon Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Print Books

FROM THE KINDLE DIRECT PUBLISHING NEWSLETTER:

Amazon Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Print Books

Amazon began selling hardcover and paperback books in July 1995. Twelve years later in November 2007, Amazon introduced the revolutionary Kindle and began selling Kindle books. By July 2010, Kindle book sales had surpassed hardcover book sales, and six months later, Kindle books overtook paperback books to become the most popular format on Amazon.com. Today, less than four years after introducing Kindle books, Amazon.com customers are now purchasing more Kindle books than all print books - hardcover and paperback - combined.

"Customers are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books. We had high hopes that this would happen eventually, but we never imagined it would happen this quickly - we've been selling print books for 15 years and Kindle books for less than four years," said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon.com. Since April 1, for every 100 print books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 105 Kindle books. This includes sales of hardcover and paperback books by Amazon where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the number even higher.

Need a book for your own Kindle? Check out these great titles:

DEMON HUNTER: CHOSEN ONE
A man comes to learn he is fated to follow in his fathers footsteps as a hunter of demons....whether he wants to or not.
MORE INFO






DEMON HUNTER: SEEK & DESTROY
As the newest Demon Hunter, Costa  Calabrese has a lot to contend with when the portal to hell opens up in his backyard. Part II of the Demon Hunter Series.
MORE INFO





THEATER OF PAIN
In the world of professional wrestling everything is over-the-top. Some competitors would do anything to make  it to the top...even if it meant murder.
MORE INFO

LIFE DEATH AND BACK GIVEAWAY!

LILAC WOLF AND STUFF has been hosting Original Cyn (that's me!) all week. Now she is offering her reader's a prize for being followers. Here's what Lilac has to say:

On Monday I reviewed Life, Death, and Back. On Wednesday Cynthia Vespia posted a guest blog. Today she has graciously agreed to host the giveaway to celebrate 50 followers! So if the review and/or Cynthia's post piqued your interest, you now have a chance to win a PDF copy of the book.

Onto the rules...I will draw the winner from a hat on Monday morning, contest closes Sunday 11:59pm.

For the first entry - be a follower and leave a comment.

Additional entries (separate comments for each entry necessary):

• Visit Cynthia Vespia's blog and become a follower
  
• Share this giveaway on twitter - leave a link in your comment
  
• Grab my button (if you already have this on your blog, you get the entry just leave a link)
  
• Blog about this entry (2 extra entries for this one)

And that's it. Let the entries start rolling in. :) And a big thank you to Cynthia Vespia for hosting this giveaway and letting me share this great book.

Check out her site for more: http://lilacwolfandstuff.blogspot.com/2011/06/giveaway-life-death-and-back.html

SEX! Now that I got your attention check out the post.

This article is for the busy, yet sedentary, individual. Being a writer myself, I know the demands of the professional world and that it keeps your butt in the chair for hour upon hour. Couple that with the 9-5 to pay the bills, obligations to family and friends -- even kids (God bless you moms and dads!) -- and something tends to fall to the wayside. Usually that becomes: "I don't have time to work out." There's 24 hours in a day -- you can make time ... and I'll show you how.

Read the rest at AOL’s That’sFit.

FOUR STARS for LIFE DEATH and BACK the new Thriller from CV!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Review - Life, Death, and Back

by Cynthia Vespia
Amazon.com - $16.95
Barnes & Nobles - $16.95

Synopsis:
Life goes by in a blink.

One moment can change everything.

For most, death is the eternal end.

Bryan Caleb has unfinished business.

Even as he struggles with his own mortality, Bryan must find the compassion within himself to help guide Lisa Zane, an emotionally and spiritually drained young girl, through her troubled life to find her purpose.

For it is only with Lisa's help that Bryan can rescue his son, Kriticos Caleb.

---

This style of book is more like 3 short stories. The center character is surprising, she is on the sidelines through much of it but is the only one in all the sections. That would be Lisa Zane.

In the first story she is a drugged out young woman, her body being abused in exchange for a place to live and the drugs she craves. Bryan, after an untimely death acts as her guardian angel to rescue her.

In the 2nd part, she has fully cleaned up her life when a reanimated Bryan asks her help in saving his now grown son from the violent path he was on.

And in the last section, Chris (Bryan's son, aka Kriticos) and Lisa are fully in love, and both of their pasts come to destroy them.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well written, although at times they are far too good. The situations are also believable, even Bryan's afterlife. The language, settings and characters all come together to create a novel with a quick flow that doesn't leave you wanting for anything.

I am surprised to see this is only available as a paperback, although perhaps if enough interest is shown an e-version may show up. I have included a links to buy the book above, if you are looking for an intense, deep read.

Come back on Wednesday for a guest post by the author, Cynthia Vespia...my first guest blogger - I'm so excited!

LIFE DEATH and BACK Makes the Rounds

LIFE DEATH and BACK, the thriller from yours truly has continued to make the rounds. 
Available now through Amazon.com 


Over at Babs Book Bistro:

My 2 cents:

This book surprised me.  I am just now getting into some paranormal as I always thought I would not care for it much.  I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book.  I have always wondered if there was life after death.  I like the fact that Cynthia gives us a new way to look at the afterlife.  The characters are all believable and very easy to care for.  I would like to think there are angels looking out for us and here to comfort us.  This book helps in that thinking.  I was taken in from the beginning what a page turner it is.  You will not want to put this book down.  You want to know if Bryan can help Lisa and also help his son.  I would highly recommend this book to any one.

Read the full review: http://www.babsbookbistro.net/blog/2011/06/new-review-of-life-death-and-back-by-cynthia-vespia.html#comment-1711 

GELATI's SCOOP:

This is my first read on a Cynthia Vespia novel. She has a few other titles to her credit: The Crescent, Theater of Pain, Demon Hunter: The Chosen One, and Demon Hunter :Seek and Destroy. I am going to check out her other titles, I am now a fan of her writing since reading Life ,Death and Back. How did I happen to bump into the author: we are both Book Town member’s. If you are not a member feel free to click on the badge on my blog and join, good stuff awaits you, enjoy. Here is the synopsis of the novel:
“Life goes by in a blink. One moment can change everything. For most, death is the eternal end. Bryan Caleb has unfinished business. Even as he struggles with his own mortality, Bryan must find the compassion within himself to help guide Lisa Zane, an emotionally and spiritually drained young girl, through her troubled life to find her purpose. For it is only with Lisa's help that Bryan can rescue his son, Kriticos Caleb.”
Biography
“Cynthia was drawn to writing early on in life where she established a successful career as a freelance journalist writing everything from features and fillers, to reviews and human interest stories. Throughout that time she remained true to her passion of writing novels and the creative outlet emersing in such stories brought with it.
Her first novel, a medieval fiction entitled The Crescent (iUniverse)was published in August 2005. The novel was unanimously praised as "an engaging, descriptive read" which prompted a sell-out at Borders Bookstore in less than one hour during the first official signing.
A short story, a satirical look at the afterlife titled Death's Grand Design (Utterpants), was published online shortly thereafter and once again met with reviews that honored her attention to detail and the flow of her prose.
In May of 2006, Theater of Pain (Lulu.com) was released. This suspense thriller unfolds within the eccentric world of professional wrestling where competitors would do anything to reach the top...even murder.
After a short hiatus, Cynthia returned with Demon Hunter (AspenMountainPress.com) It is the story about a nobody who becomes a somebody in the bloodiest of ways. Following the tradition of dark fantasy and combining the concept of high-adventure, Demon Hunter examines both the light and dark side of human nature when a man learns he is fated to hunt demons before they corrupt mankind. The success of Demon Hunter was followed up by the sequel, Demon Hunter: Seek & Destroy which takes the characters and the reader on a journey that begins on the high seas and ends in Hell. Both novels (published in e-book format) were nominated for Best Series in 2009 by LRC Cafe.

Cynthia’s next release returns to the contemporary side of thrillers but still contains that special twist that her novels are fast becoming known for. Life, Death, and Back (WeavingDreamsPublishing) delves into the paranormal when a man’s life is tragically cut short and he remains on Earth to tie up loose ends with his family.
Today Cynthia writes quality, character driven novels full of suspense as well as dark fantasy. Cynthia likes to refer to her novels as "Real life situations that you could find yourself in but hope to God you never do. In her spare time she enjoys reading, movies that involve a strong plot/characters, and keeping active through various forms of martial arts and as an active fitness competitor."
Let’s face it I am a sucker for character drive fiction and this was right in my wheelhouse. Cynthia Vespia weaves a tight, enjoyable plotline and executes it well. I very quickly became emotionally invested in her characters and was totally gripped to the prose. The pages were flying by and I was totally lost and immersed in the story, I just love that. Time became irrelevant as she sucked me into here universe and I did not want to leave it. I will be interviewing the author, Cynthia Vespia, on The G-ZONE July8th @ 2pm EST, please tune in for what I am sure will be some fun.
Things have changed around here. I am now the published author by Trestle Press of “I Have Chrome Balls, Don’t You?” an “In Between The Collaborations”, “Down Low- Dead” with Vincent Zandri, “The Jersey Shore Has Eyes” with Big Daddy Abel”, “G.S.I Gelati’s Scoop Investigations Psychotic Detectives” with Thomas White, “Who Whacked The Blogger” with Benjamin Sobieck,“Thad and The G-Man’s Most Awesome Adventure” with Thad Brown , “Hotel Beaumont” with B.R. Stateham, and the soon to be released “Give Us Your Living…Now!” with HR Toye. All the stories are available @ Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords. I am also the host of the wildly popular The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show. Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. 

Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com 

And finally read my interview at Vampyre Kisses: http://www.vampyrekisses.com/?p=1294

 

The Future of Publishing

I just received an email newsletter from the folks at BOOK MARKETING EXPERTS
Now, I don't even remember signing up for this newsletter but they had some insights on the future of the publishing industry so I thought I'd share a bit for you now:

Feature Article: The Future of Publishing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A lot of people claim that traditional publishing is broken and will eventually die. I disagree. Much like the changes that have occurred in the past in publishing, the big six will survive and so will agents. I do not have any insider knowledge or hidden agenda, nor do I profess to know everything about publishing. Not by a longshot. But I do know how to read the signs of this evolution or revolution, depending on which side of the fence you are on. I believe there have been many signs. Here is how I foresee they will do it. Self-publishing: In the very near future, all of the houses will spend some of their equity on self-publishing. In order to survive, they are going to have to reinvent the way they do business. This means digging into the self-publishing arena. It's rumored that two major houses are already doing this, and there are likely more to come. Hay House, for example, has already lent their name to Balboa Press which is their self-publishing arm. I have no experience with Balboa so I can't speak to their process, but I do know that part of their sales pitch to authors is that a successful book published with Balboa will be considered by Hay House for republication. Does this actually happen? I don't know, Balboa hasn't been around long enough to show a track record. If publishers get into self-publishing, does that mean they won't be publishing traditionally? Not at all. The traditional model won't go away, but with publishers becoming more and more risk-averse, the model has to change if they're going to survive. And, let's face it, while the number of bookstores is declining, opportunities to sell books and flood the market with books continue to increase. Direct to consumer: While some publishers are dabbling in this, I'm not clear how successful they will be. Consumer engagement on e-commerce sites such as Amazon, etc. will significantly change the way we buy. What does this mean? I think you're going to see a lot more social buying in the future. Social engagement, consumer recommendations, etc. We're already seeing a lot of this, but I believe we'll see much more of it. Can publishers offer this? Yes, they certainly can, but first they have to overcome the hurdle of consumer awareness. Consumers don't know publishers, they know authors and they know the big e-commerce sites like Amazon, et al. Direct to consumer is great, but when you've been a behind-the-scenes entity for so long, the awareness process can take a while. The future of the literary agent: I have heard this directly from a few agents - that in five years literary agents as we now know them will be gone, or at the very least strongly diminished. Will agents go away? Doubtful. I believe the savvy agents will stick around and, like publishing, completely reinvent themselves. Consider this: for years agents have acted as gatekeepers. Ferreting through manuscripts, often editing work and/or suggesting rewrites to the material. They've done more lunches with publishers than you could ever hope to do in your lifetime, and they've schmoozed at more parties than anyone should ever be forced to attend. What does all this mean? It means they are more dialed into the industry than almost anyone and this puts them in a fantastic position. It's already brewing out there; several savvy agents are taking it upon themselves to become book consultants. Let's face it, while publishing opportunities may diminish vis-à-vis the traditional houses, the number of authors who want to get published will continue to grow. There will never be a lack of material, and agents are perfectly positioned to make sure that the majority of it is quality material. Consider this: you have a manuscript and you're not sure if it's a marketable topic. You don't even know if what you've written is any good. Yes, you could hire an editor, but their job is to edit your existing work. Some editors won't give you the kind of feedback that could save you thousands of dollars marketing something that has no audience. An agent can. I foresee that agents will rediscover who they are and what they bring to the table, which is considerable in my view. Book access: The problem that we've always seen in media relations is this: if the book is self-published with limited distribution, it often won't be considered for a major show because show producers know that consumers may have a hard time finding the book. With eBooks and the accessibility of these titles, all of that has changed. Shows are becoming less concerned with how a book is published, they just want topic-related quality titles to discuss on the show. This is great news for authors who previously haven't been able to secure any media for their books because there was no bookstore placement. What does all of this mean for you, the author? By this time next year the landscape of publishing will look vastly different. There are more opportunities than ever to see your work in print; and moreover, the odd-man-out which used to be self-publishing is finally getting its due. We are going to see a lot more attention paid to the self-publishing market, and the stigma that's always followed it will diminish greatly. Yes, there will always be less-than-quality self-published books, but let's face it, I've seen traditionally published books fall into that same category. People often lament the end of publishing as we know it. I actually think that's a great thing. Publishing the old way hasn't worked for a long time. It's always been about exclusivity and often seemed like a high school popularity contest. Breaking down these barriers and leveling the playing field will bring many good things with it, including - and most importantly - some extraordinary authors. Here's to the future! WHO ARE WE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Author Marketing Experts, Inc. is a full-service book marketing, promotion, and publicity company. We serve authors at all stages of marketing and promotion. We offer a full range of packages and services to choose from. To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to penny@amarketingexpert.com with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com. Reprint permission ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ You are welcome to reprint any items from "The Book Marketing Expert Newsletter." However, please credit us as a source with the following paragraph: Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com ------------------------------------------------------------ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Like this newsletter? Pass it on! We never rent or sell subscriber lists to any third party. Your privacy is very important to us. Always. To subscribe to this newsletter, click here: subscribe@amarketingexpert.com. ----- Copyright 2011 Author Marketing Experts, Inc. ----- Follow us on Twitter Keep up with the AME blog Join our Facebook Page Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ email: penny@amarketingexpert.com web: http://www.amarketingexpert.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Strong Female Characters

Today I'm going to discuss one of my favorite topics: Tough Chicks!
Why? Because I am one...but of course :)
In all seriousness I've known some very strong females in my lifetime. Whether it was a strong personality, a strong heart, or a determined attitude these ladies left a lasting impression on me and made me a better person for it.
In writing you want your lead character to touch your reader. They should be someone to empathize with, relate to, and everything in between. I'm currently working on a thriller with some of the toughest women in the world....MOMS!
How do you determine the elements that will go into your strong female? Will she be strong at all? Deep down we all have inner strength that can be tapped regardless of any upbringing. It might be minute, but its there.

When I wrote Life, Death, and Back I used that element for Lisa Zane. She was a troubles kid, put in a dangerous situation, who needed to find within herself the strength to fight back for herself.
All too often you see the damsel in distress, which is fine if that is the archetype you want to portray. But c'mon people lets do it realistically.
Horrors movies are the worst. Scantily clad women who scream, run, fall, and are butchered. Yawn, its been done to death...no pun intended.
On the flip side I just saw a movie titled Drive Angry with Nic Cage. This movie was very unexcpecting from the start of it. The story was original and completely out there. Guns, booze, fast cars...this was a "guy's" movie in the stereotypical sense of the word. I loved it! But I've never been a girly girl. And that is why the female lead of "Piper" played by Amber Heard (Pineapple Express) made me stand up and cheer. From the get-go Piper didn't take any sh*t from anybody. Whether it was her cheating fiance, the pig of a boss at her job, or even Nic Cage himself, Piper stood up for herself and fought back. She didn't wait for someone to come save her...she BROUGHT the fight!

In one of the more memorable scenes the main villain is spewing how he is going to defile and kill her to which Piper answers: "In between that time I'm gonna f*ck you up!"
It was a classic line.

In this day and age the butt kicking female heroine is the norm. From the days when Lucy Lawless conquered as Xena; Jennifer Garner's star turning role as Sydney Bristow in Alias; to Angelina Jolie in Salt (a role written for Tom Cruise!)
In literature there have also been great female leads. My favorite was Chyna Shepard in Dean Koontz "Intensity." She was the reluctant hero caught in a situation she didn't have to take on but she did because it was the right thing to do.
When I wrote The Crescent it embodied strong females taken from history. Female gladiators have been all but forgotten. After seeing a documentary covering the subject I decided to use that as my backstory and these two characters from different sides of the social spectrum were born. Nadja, the slave who fights for her freedom and Liza the queen who fights for her respect.

I'm not saying you always have to put up your dukes to be tough. Some of the toughest women and people in general use their minds to accomplish great things. But in the role of fiction, especially when you're writing thrillers such as I do, it's nice to have a little action :)