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Monday, January 24, 2011

When I’m not writing… with Vicki Keire

Image of "Vicki Keire"

 

I’m really happy to have debut indie author Vicki Keire by my side today! Her novel, Gifts of the Blood is now available in kindle format on amazon and she very nicely accepted to share some of her passions with us! Read along to learn more, and for your chance to win a copy of her book =)

 

 

…. I’m surrounded by equal amounts of books and vinyl records, and I’m always plotting devious ways to escape domestic duties of any kind. I enjoy cooking when other people do it! Thank goodness my husband is something of an armchair gourmet. I also read like a mad fiend. I’ve been a Kindle convert for about a year now, and it’s truly changed what and how I read. I have access to a lot more writers than I did before, and I can buy books at all hours of the night without ever leaving my house. Or not: this past summer I was vacationing at my other great love, the beach, and I bought half a dozen quickie beach reads while sitting in a boat in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. It was great! This pic was snapped after we got back to dry land, and yes, I’m thinking about jumping:

 

I try and make sure that the things I love are visible in the world around me in some way. I’ve always loved ghost stories, fairy tales, and things that go bump in the night, which is why I’m so drawn to the paranormal as both a writer and a reader. But I like to find fun, quirky ways to reflect this, rather than get dragged down into a bunch of gothic bleakness. So I set out to decorate my house in a style I call “spooky chic,” with jewel-toned colors, stained glass, and quirky antiques. Here’s an example of a redecorated bedroom in spooky chic style. The tree mural was painted freely by hand.

 

I also absolutely love music. My husband owns an Indie rock record label, so there’s always a ton of new music around the house or a band to go see somewhere. In fact, a lot of times we have a musician or five crashing at our house. Bands I’m into lately include: Glossary, The Civil Wars, Horse to Water, anything Duquette Johnston gets involved with, The Only Sons… there’s too many to list, really. I love the smaller summer music festivals. I like the low-key atmosphere of a warm summer night, bare feet on soft grass, an open starry sky, and music long into the night with friends. I’ve had a lot of fun at some historic clubs and bigger festivals, but the smaller festivals have more of a “fair” feel to them. You never know who or what you’ll find. Here’s me getting my fortune told at one while the band plays on:

 

Finally, sometimes we all have to get away from absolutely everybody. I’m lucky to have private studio space set away from the house with a door I can actually lock. But even this isn’t always enough. Sometimes I have to head for the woods. There’s a state park not far from my house with a medium-sized waterfall. It’s not exactly easy to climb, but it’s very possible if you keep your wits about you and go prepared to sweat. I love the pounding roar of water all around me. The exertion and concentration it takes to climb those slippery rocks erases stress. There are also a lot of quiet shaded trails if I just need some solitude.


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Thank you so much Vicki for letting us in your world! I LOVE the tree mural <3

About Gifts of the Blood:

Gifts of the Blood (Gifted Blood Trilogy #1)


An excerpt:

Caspia Chastain, art student and barista, is gifted (or plagued, if you ask her) with the ability to draw the future, usually at the worst possible times. Her parents are four years dead; everyday she watches her brother Logan fight his cancer diagnosis. School, double shifts at work, art, and even her usually vibrant small town can't keep reality at bay.
Things get worse the day she draws an angry stranger surrounded by brilliant light and violent, bloody images. That exact same stranger walks up to her knowing all about her, including her name, her brother's illness, and her strange ability. When Caspia discovers that her hometown is a refuge for supernatural beings both Light and Dark, she and her brother find themselves caught up in a war between the two that predates their very birth. For protection, she turns to the man who walked out of her sketchbook calling himself Ethan.
But Ethan has his own agenda, Logan's getting sicker fast, and Caspia finds that drawing the future isn't the only strange thing she can do. Meanwhile, someone really wants all of them dead. In a town where Dark doesn't equal Evil and Light isn't always Good, Caspia and Ethan find themselves making strange alliances and even stranger sacrifices in order to protect those they love.

An excerpt:

I backed slowly away from the man with the light, glowing eyes. He stood watching me with a mixture of concern and despair. “Caspia. Wait. Please.”

My name from his lips was like white lightening straight to my brain. “How the hell do you know my name?” I demanded, feeling the cold rush in and wrap itself around my body as I inched backwards out of the store like frightened prey. “How can you know my name when I only drew you a few hours ago?”


Vicki very generously offered 3 e-copies of her books!

She will Gift copies of her book directly from Amazon if you have a kindle, but will also offer other formats if it accommodates the winners better!

If you can’t wait, you can also purchase it for only 0.99$ right now =)

This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL

To enter, just leave a meaningful comment with a way to contact you!

Ends Feb 3rd, 2011.

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

Follow Tynga on: Facebook | Twitter

26 People left their mark' :

  1. I can't believe she painted that mural free handed, so gorgeous! obviously a multi-talented lady. sounds like an interesting book too, I just bought an ereader so I may have to purchase this if I'm not lucky enough to win :)

    strandedhero at gmail dot com

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  2. Wow the excerpt sound awesome. I would love to have this books for my kindle.
    Thanks for the giveaway
    chaarmedone1512@aol.com

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  3. This sounds like an awesome read as I love reading urban fantasy! I like the premise how Caspia can "draw" the future and also do more as a supernatural being.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    chibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. Well this excerpt really got me hooked. I would love to read more....

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

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  5. Wow! I love your tree mural! I have been trying to sketch out a mural for my "reading room" it has characters from my favorite novels, covers, and quotes....a big project that i haven't quite gotten yet lol...thanks for the interview! I can't wait to check out your books!

    hense1kk AT cmich DOT edu

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  6. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read your books. Tore923@aol.com

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  7. I can't wait to read your story- it sounds awesome
    audie(at)wickerness(dot)com

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  8. what a cool and original idea for a story. And I just got to say, that cover is awesome! If I don't win, I will be buying your book. Sounds like a steal for 99 cents.

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  9. Great interview and Gifts of the Blood looks wonderful! And that mural...gorgeous!

    Thanks so much!
    Kristin
    MyBookishWays
    mybookishways[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  10. I really like the idea of mixing art and the paranormal. I've only ever read one short story that did that before.

    sgiden at verizon.net

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  11. Oh I love the beach as well! And you mentioning taking walks in the woods just made me realise how much I miss the woods now whenI live in the middle of the city.

    yavampire(at)hotmail.com

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  12. Hey everybody! Thanks for the comments, and thanks again to Tynga for letting me stop by. @henske1kk- I would love to have space dedicated to nothing but reading! And gorgeous beach pic, YA Vampire! It's great to hear from so many paranormal fans who love their eReaders as much as I do.

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  13. That mural is lovely! My own house is a boring, boring beige, the kind that makes your eyes cross after staring at it too long.

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  14. Thank you for sharing with me.. You are a new author to me.. Would love a chance to read your story...
    Oh and I love the mural. I have been trying to get the husband to let me paint a few walls red.. but at last he doesn't want to because we are trying to move.. Doesn't think it would appeal to everyone.. Maybe the next house...

    Again thank you for sharing with me..
    Kelly M
    crazybookfairy@gmail.com

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  15. I wish I could make something that looks that good much less by freestyle. The book sounds great too. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to getting to read it.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

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  16. Wow! This is the first time I've heard of this book, but after reading the summary, I have to say it sounds really good! And the tree on the wall is so cool! I wish I had a wall like that!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    theresa9854@gmail.com

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  17. Wow! Sounds like a great book :-) I'm not sure I'd want to know the future - for myself or anyone else. It would be such a burden! Especially if I couldn't change it.

    smaccall @ comcast.net

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  18. Sounds like a great book, I love the cover.
    I have just got a kindle in the last 3 weeks and I love it. The only downside to how easy it is to buy books, is I don't always realize how much I'm spending.
    Thanks for making the giveaway international

    natalie23[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk

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  19. It's really easy to get carried away with my eReader, especially if I get into a series and have to have the next book asap. One of my friends decides on a monthly book budget, then buys a gift card and sets it as her primary account. (I don't have that much self-restraint.) Amazon just set up a lending feature with ebooks. Authors have to enable it (mine is lending enabled), so that's another way to trade with friends. For me, it's all about the story!

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  20. Sounds awesome and the except gots me really wanting to know more! Thanks for the chance to win!

    linaramz at yahoo dot com

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  21. I love that mural! She's very talented!

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

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  22. Okay seriously wow! Just wow! It sounds so amazing...completely different then anything i've read or heard about lately. Ooh and that excerpt, if the summary didnt have me hooked then that certainly did! Kudos to you Vicki (you can come decorate my room if ya want:)

    holz_twilight@msn.com

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  23. Sounds like your whole household is overflowing with creativity. What a wonderful way to live!

    And I love that tree!

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  24. That tree is gorgeous! I've always wanted a tree mural.

    Also, I love this excerpt:

    "Dark doesn't equal Evil and Light isn't always Good"


    ChristinaF
    christinaferko(at)gmail(dot)com
    christinasbooks.blogspot.com

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  25. Sounds so tempting!!! I adore the cover!!!

    Crossing my Fingers!!

    Kelly.kelinhas@gmail.com

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  26. Just from reading the blurb i really want to read this book. :D

    And i love the painting of the tree


    mich1980611@hotmail.com

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