Think Green this holiday season in more ways than one as author Kellyann Zuzulo is giving away $25 in ARe bucks. All Romance eBooks is an online bookseller who deals exclusively in eBooks. You can find all of Sapphire Blue Publishing’s authors listed there, moi included. This is a fantastic gift for readers of romance who also enjoy ebooks. Djinn in the Box A journalist by training, Kellyann has worked as a writer for Yankee Magazine, Cobblestone magazine, and national consumer and health magazines; as a book development editor; as a media relations representative; and as a director of communications for a non-profit. Her novel, A GENIE IN THE HOUSE OF SAUD, draws upon her experience as a former managing editor of two publications for the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC. Her second novel, The Third Wish is available in eBook from Sapphrie Blue Publishing. Kellyann is a smoking hot writer and a terrific storyteller. So enjoy the chance to go green this holiday and nominate a friend or family member to win. Click here to read how to enter Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

In lieu of our traditional Sunday Snips and Clips feature, welcome to another holiday blog giveaway. Today, I am offering Joss Whedon, The Genius Behind Buffy by Candace Havens. You may have read Candace’s books featuring Bronwyn the witch or the Caruthers sisters, but this is a totally different kind of book. Candy takes you in depth with the genius mind that created Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse. His creativity is a modern day legend, creating rabid fan bases wherever he goes. The man’s comprehension of zeitgeist and pop culture is unmatched. It is a great way to dig deep and get to know him better. Learn more about today’s giveaway and learn how to enter… Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

Today’s Saturday Smack Down takes on a different twist as we pit world against world, colorful existence against colorful existence and the rich characters that populate both. In this corner, weighing in with over a half-dozen books are The Hollows by Kim Harrison and in our opposing corner are the lands of future Atlanta by Ilona Andrews. Each world is so vivid and real, it is easy to imagine walking around the corner and right into the pages of these wonderful novels. As always, your vote decides which one you would most like to visit? Which one could you see as a great vacation destination? In honor of our holiday giveaway, I want to give a gift of my own. This week’s winner will receive a $10 Gift Certificate to Barnes and Noble. Learn about the two contenders and how to win… Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

Let’s kick our holiday season off right here at the Daily Dose. As Heather mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the Daily Dose is going to be hosting a giveaway of some kind everyday between now and December 19, so make sure you stop by regularly. Before we get to the giveaway, let us go over the rules: 1. You comment on the blog in order to be entered into the drawing. 2. You must include whom you want to give the gift. You do not have to name names or post their email information, just a short blurb about what they mean to you or why it’s important they receive it. You can be a real secret Santa as well. 3. Each drawing will last 24 hours unless otherwise noted. (7 a.m. to 7 a.m. CST) 4. Winners will be notified by email so make sure I have that or access to it via your profile. Upon notification, you let me know whom the gift is going to. 5. You may only win one giveaway, once you win one you cannot enter into anymore. 6. Spread the holiday cheer for everyone celebrating Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Christmas and more. Example…

One of the best things about being a writer is all the stories knocking around inside of my head. One of the worst things about being a writer is all the stories knocking around inside my head. When it is the former, I sit down to write and words just pour out to fill the metaphorical cup created by the blank screen or page. However, when it is the latter … Ding! Ding! In This Corner, Weighing In at 85,000 Words … Writing anything is like refereeing a cage match. For example, currently I am working on a fantasy romance, the sequel to Remembering Ashby. But vying for attention are sequels to Prime Evil, Hel’s Belle and a third as yet fully formed novel tentatively titled The Rapture. Like wiggling puppies, if I so much as glance in their direction they dash up to grab hold of my attention and soon, instead of writing, I feel like wrung out, wet rag as the tug-of-war becomes a three or five way battle. It is enough to make me want to yell, “don’t make me pull this computer over!” Because you can’t get too frustrated. You can’t try to block out all…

Everyone once and a while, you discover an extraordinary piece of prose. The work captivates your imagination with history, compelling characters, rich, vibrant settings and language so alluring that you cannot put it down. I do not review books often for the Daily Dose, but I really want to share this book with you. Best Read of 2009 Presumptuous as the statement may be, considering we’re six weeks out from 2010, but for me, THE SPLENDOR FALLS was hands down the best book I’ve read all year. The first thirty pages captivated me, inviting me in to sit and stay a spell. Because I was only able to read in drips and drabs, I was forever grumbling about having to close the book to work, to drive, to eat and yes, even to sleep. In three pages, we meet Sylvie Davis, embrace her talent and cringe as she breaks her leg on the stage. The visceral crunch of the bones made me wince, the fall made me cringe and referring to the incident forever as The Accident made me sad. I danced when I was younger, I was not a prime ballerina, but I danced pretty well. I tore my…

‘Tis the month before Christmas, and all through the ‘Net Every creature is stirring, including our Vets; Virtual shopping and wish lists are begun with care In hopes that packages will soon be shipped there; The children want everything they see, While parents wrestle with decorations, stockings and tree; And I in my pajamas, with mocha for a treat Settle in for a long winter’s Tweet, When out in the living room there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the computer to see what was the matter. Away to the front room, I flew like a flash, Banging my toes and cursing balderdash. The kids bouncing on the sofa like our dog the collie Pointing to the television and the commercial ads and folly, Santa Claus and his elves hard at work in their shop, Creating toys and wonders from previous years at the top, With video drivers, transformers and Barbie too I knew in a moment just what to do Sliding on the iPhone I sent text messages too My husband, he laughed and called me a name It was funny and jolly and little bit beyond tame I waved to the kids and back to the computer…

We all have our comfort zones. We have stores we like to shop in. We have shows we like to watch. We have books and authors we like to read. So tempt us or tease us with new authors and new genres and we’ll still hesitate. Discovering New Authors There are many ways to discover a new author. For example, you may meet them via a book signing. A few months ago, my daughter went to an American Girl meeting at the local Barnes and Noble, a young lady, just fifteen years old was signing a book she wrote about how she and her family came to America. My daughter was fascinated. They spent thirty minutes talking and she autographed the book for her, a book that my daughter eagerly read when she came home. More than a year ago, I stopped in at another Barnes and Noble where an author by the name of Rick Riordan was signing books. I listened to him talk while I was browsing, the more I listened, the more interested I became. I ended up picking up two of his books – PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTING THIEF and PERCY JACKSON AND THE SEA…

Tomorrow is Halloween! October 31st! The countdown to the end of The Daily Dose’s Trick or Treat grab bag giveaway, the night to dress up in fun costumes, give away candy and to celebrate the new year that turns on Samhain and much more. It’s also a great excuse to count down some of my favorite whacky witches. Joanna, Kat and Roxie If you haven’t been watching Eastwick you have no idea what you’re missing. These ladies crack me up. Played by Rebecca Romjin, Roxie is a voluptuous, earthy woman with the gift of prophecy. She’s also a single mom, struggling to stay connected to her daughter. Kat on the other hand is the fiery red head with oodles of banked passion that she channels into motherhood and nursing and even into looking after her loser of an ex. Joanna is the nuttiest of the lot though, a reporter who wants to figure it all out and painfully awkward with the guys. The best thing about these whacky witches is the power of friendship they have discovered with each other. Fran and Jet Owens Played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest respectively [in Practical Magic], these ladies raised Sally and…

NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. For those of you who don’t know what that is, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writer’s Month. It’s a fun, by the seat of your pants writing challenge that began in 1999 with just 21 participants. Now a decade later, NaNoWriMo averages over a 100,000 participants in a no-hold barred, write like mad for 30 days adventure to create a book from scratch. That’s right, NaNoWriMo is all about the writing, but it’s also about the connections and relationships you make with other writers going through the same things you are. I’ve participated officially in NaNoWriMo once, but unofficially, I’ve been following it since 2001 or thereabouts. November is the chosen month for NaNoWriMo; writing begins on the 1st and runs through the 30th with writers giving away prizes to other writers and more as a way to encourage success. For some writers, it’s also about competing with friends (friendly competition only, mind you) in order to drive word counts up. If you can successfully commit 30 days to NaNoWriMo, you can walk away with the bones of your novel or at least a solid first draft. But How Do Readers Benefit? Learn what the…