Reading Into Romance - Guest Post w/ Cayla Kluver

Hello, all!  I'm happy to have the chance to host a stop on the Harlequin Teen Reading Into Romance blog tour today.  Stopping by today we have Cayla Kluver, author of the Legacy trilogy.  Cayla will tell you all about a vital key to romance in her books: kissing.  I hope you enjoy and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post.  Good luck!

First Kisses

As we know from the beginning of Legacy, Steldor is a lady’s man, well-experienced in wooing women, and an excellent kisser.  This is clear from Alera’s reactions to some of his advances.  Even though she dislikes him, she recognizes his masculinity and inherent attractiveness, noting after one kiss: “…he departed, leaving me slightly off balance, as I had not anticipated such tenderness from him, and highly unsettled by the knowledge that I had enjoyed both his kiss and his touch.”

As for Steldor, his first kiss with Alera is one he will never forget, for it was the first time a woman ever rejected his advances.  He is at his romantic best, having taken her to dinner and then for a walk in the Palace gardens.  But when he sits with her on a bench and leans in to kiss her, she pulls away, appalled that he would make such a presumptuous move on her.  Before he can kiss her again, she springs to her feet and hastens to London.  Certainly not the way Steldor is used to having his evenings end!  This was, of course, not only Alera’s first kiss with Steldor, but her first romantic kiss, period.  And even though it was entirely unwelcome, she admits to London that “when we were sitting on the bench, I couldn’t think.  He has this amazing… scent.”

Interestingly, up until this first kiss, Steldor was pursuing Alera primarily because she was his way to the throne.  But after this experience, he sees her as a challenge, a handful, and well worth pursuing in her own right.  As strange as it seems, her rejection makes her more attractive to him.

Alera’s first kiss with Narian occurs later in Legacy, and is presumably the first time he has kissed a woman.  It is a forbidden kiss, and comes in the aftermath of Alera learning about the Legend of the Bleeding Moon and being advised to stay away from him.  He has just defeated Steldor in the Exhibition at the Harvest Festival’s Tournament, and she seeks him out in his tent, where his injuries are being treated.  She confronts him about the legend, and the kiss is his way of telling her that he loves her and has no intention of hurting her or her kingdom.  Alera describes the kiss in this way:  “His vivid blue eyes captured mine of deep brown.  As my heart pounded, his lips met mine, lightly at first, then more insistently, and I succumbed to his embrace.  I melted against him, my hands upon his back, all reason having abandoned me.  After several moments, our lips reluctantly parted…”  While she has long been attracted to Narian, this may be the moment when she realized she has fallen in love with him.

So what’s the power of a kiss?  Both Steldor and Narian would seem to be excellent kissers, which would indicate the magic is not in the manner of the kiss itself.  But perhaps a kiss helps to identify your true feelings about someone.  In the case of Steldor, it strengthens Alera’s dislike of him.  With Narian, it confirms that she loves him.  So don’t take a first kiss too lightly, or engage in one too soon.  And above all, pay attention to what your instincts are telling you!

About the Author

With the book industry currently in a debate over print vs. digital, Cayla Kluver, born October 2, 1992 in Wisconsin, truly embodies the next generation of author. At just 19 years-old, Cayla has already published her debut novel Legacy in three different formats.

It all began with self-publication and the creation of her own publishing house (with the help of her mom, called: Forsooth Publishing) in 2008. Cayla was then offered a digital debut with Amazon (was the premier title for Amazon’s self-publishing program, Amazon Encore) in 2009. Finally in 2010 Cayla was signed to a three book publishing deal with Harlequin TEEN.

She has cats, dogs and horses, and watches more crime shows than is probably healthy.  Her office is filled with twinkly lights, candles and fun colors.  She loves Robert Louis Stevenson and the Beatles, and you can follow her on Twitter @CaylaKL, as well as join her fan page on Facebook.

Check Out the Other Stops

Monday, March 4th - Karen Ann Hopkins and Temptation:

• Bittersweet Enchantment

• The Cozy Reader

• Paulette's Papers

Wednesday, March 6th - Liz Fichera and Hooked:

• Bumbles and Fairy-Tales

• IB Book Blogging

• Chick Loves Lit

Friday, March 8th - Cayla Kluver and the Legacy series:

• YA Bibliophile

• Rex Robot Reviews

• Starting the Next Chapter

Monday, March 11th - Aimée Carter and The Goddess Test series:

• Coffee, Books and Me

• Book Nook

• Bookshelf Banter

Wednesday, March 13th - Julie Kagawa and The Iron King series:

• Refracted Light Reviews

• Page Turners

• Mundie Moms

Friday, March 15th - Katie McGarry and Pushing the Limits:

• Alice Marvels

• Bewitched Bookworms

• Katie's Book Blog

Monday, March 18th - Rachel Vincent and The Soul Screamers series:

• Fiktshun

• Parajunkee

• The Bookish Brunette

Wednesday, March 20th - Hannah Harrington and Saving June:

• A Bookish Escape

• The Book Cellar

• Basia's Bookshelf

Friday, March 22nd - Jordan Dane and In The Arms of Stone Angels:

• Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf

• Fantasy Book Addict

• Swoony Boys Podcast

The Giveaway

Today's Daily Prize:

Your Choice of 1 of the Books in the Legacy Trilogy

The Grand Prize:

HarlequinTEEN dresses you for a romantic date with this beautiful, unique heart shaped locket! And in case it’s a chilly spring evening, don’t forget the matching beautiful Pashmina!

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Triple Threat Tour - A Guest Post by Yalena Black

Welcome once again to the Triple Threat Blog Tour.  Today's stop on Starting the Next Chapter comes to you courtesy Yelena Black, author of Dance of Shadows, coming tomorrow to bookstores near you.  Yelena is here today to talk to you about her decision to center her story around sisters.  I hope you all will enjoy and look forward to Dance of Shadows as much as I have.

The bond between siblings is undeniable. Although I don’t have a sister, I do have an older brother … and often times he is my refuge and companion when my parents are acting crazy and I don’t what to do, or when something bad—or extremely wonderful—happens in my life. We have a special connection, and I wanted to write about a character who also had that kind of connection with her older sister.

In Dance of Shadows, Vanessa’s older sister Margaret is also a dancer—and she goes missing from the New York Ballet Academy, the very same school that Vanessa is about to attend. For Vanessa, Margaret was the person she always looked up to: she was a caring, kind sister and a talented dancer. She and Margaret were extraordinarily close, so when Margaret disappeared, it broke Vanessa’s heart.

Vanessa doesn’t want to believe that Margaret is dead, and so finding out what happened to her sister gives Vanessa a drive, and raises the stakes for her—she must find out what happened to Margaret because she cares about like her no one else does in the entire world.

In my own life, I have seen friends come and go, relationships begin and end … but family is always there, for better or for worse. This is true in Vanessa’s case as well, and it is why I wanted to include sisters in my story.

About the Author

Yelena Black is a recent MFA graduate of Columbia University. She currently resides in New York City and is a full-time writer. She has a keen interest in dance and all things devilish.

About the Book

February 12, 2013 from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Add it on Goodreads

Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly – and she must be very careful who she trusts . . .

Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school – the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances – she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames . . .

Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Justin, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead – and the burning forces about to be unleashed .

Crewel Blog Tour - A Special Guest Post from Gennifer Albin

Welcome, readers!  Today's stop on the Crewel Blog Tour features a really fun guest post from the one and only Gennifer Albin.  For those who don't know, the Spinsters are seen as glamorous figures in Arras society.  As such, they are expected to appear flawless and dressed to the nines.  Gennifer has prepared a post to show you just how much of a role fashion plays in Crewel.  It's a lot of fun, so I hope you all will enjoy it as much as I did.

Fashion is key element in Crewel for two reasons. First, it builds the atmosphere of Arras, and second, it’s a lot of fun to write. When I decided to call my girls Spinsters (after a lot of deliberation, see why on my stop at Emily's Reading Room), I wanted to upend expectations, and what better way to do that then to turn them into femme fatales. The girls of Arras are power and dangerous, even if they don’t quite realize it, so I outfitted them like the screen sirens of Old Hollywood.

Spinster Style by gennifer-albin featuring stiletto high heels

Their hair and cosmetics reflected a similar, classic aesthetic.

Cosmetics of Arras by gennifer-albin featuring a wedding nail polish

The male population of Arras has a similar sense of style. This is an outfit you might see Erik, or Jost on his best behavior, wearing on a typical day: a pinstripe suit, polished cufflinks, and a fedora. Who could resist that?

Crewel men by gennifer-albin on Polyvore

About the Author

Gennifer Albin holds a Masters degree in English Literature from the University of Missouri. During her student years she served as an editor for Pleaides and The Missouri Review, and since then she’s founded the tremendously popular blog theconnectedmom.com.  She lives in Kansas with her ridiculously supportive husband, two small children, and a Tuesday cat.

About the Book

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

Add It to Goodreads


The Giveaway

One lucky US/Canadian reader will win a copy of Crewel and a Crewel bracelet!  Good luck!

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See More Stops on the Tour

Monday 10/15                   http://www.lushbudgetproduction.com/

Tuesday 10/16                   http://birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com/

Wednesday 10/17           http://hobbitsies.net/

Thursday 10/18                 http://cuddlebuggery.com/

Friday 10/19                       http://www.startingthenextchapter.com/

Saturday 10/20                  http://www.bookswithbite.net/

Sunday 10/21                     http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/

Monday 10/22                   http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/

Tuesday 10/23                   http://bookalicious.org/

Wednesday 10/24           http://www.emilysreadingroom.com/

Thursday 10/25                 http://bewitchedbookworms.com/

Friday 10/26                       http://christinareadsya.blogspot.com/

Saturday 10/27                  http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/

Sunday 10/28                     http://www.ibbookblogging.com/

Shadow Falls Street Team - Whispers at Moonrise Out Tomorrow!

Attention all you Shadow Falls fans out there!  Tomorrow is the big day, so get ready to head out to your local book store to pick up your copy of Whispers at Moonrise!  I've had a blast fulfilling my street team duties and am so glad to have the chance to share this awesomely fun series with others.  As the last part of my pre-publication day promotional work, I'm going to share a special top 10 list from C.C. Hunter, as well as the book trailer for Whispers at Moonrise.  Don't forget to add Whispers at Moonrise (and/or the rest of the series) to your Goodreads shelves.  It's a fun series that you won't want to miss!

Ten Things You’ll Learn from Whispers at Moonrise  

1. Kicking your boyfriend’s father’s butt might not be good for the relationship. 
2. Sometimes following your heart means breaking some rules. 
3. Getting trapped in a grave with three dead girls is not a walk in the park. 
4. Your parents breaking up sucks. Your mom having a boyfriend, and kissing him in front of you, sucks BIG TIME. 
5. When your boyfriend says one thing, but does another, what do you believe? His actions or his words? 
6. You can’t always protect the ones you love. Sometimes the only way to protect them is to tell them the truth—even if it hurts. 
7. When you are in love, you usually want to talk a lot more about your boyfriend than your girlfriends care to hear. 
8. You shouldn’t mess with magic if you don’t know what you’re doing. Especially when someone could end up sterile. 
9. Sometimes it is the little choices we make, and not the big ones, that define who we are. 
10. Be careful what you wish for or you might end up turning a bright shade of red in the boys’ bathroom.

Click to Add to GR

Shadow Falls Camp is back in session with the most explosive installment yet.  A shocking new threat will rock Shadow Falls—changing it forever and altering Kylie’s journey in ways she never imagined.

Even at a camp for supernatural teens, Kylie Galen has never been normal. Not only can she see ghosts, but she doesn’t seem to belong to any one species—she exhibits traits from them all. As Kylie struggles to unlock the secrets of her identity, she begins to worry that Lucas will never be able to accept her for what she is, and what she isn’t…a werewolf.  With his pack standing in their way, Kylie finds herself turning more and more to Derek, the only person in her life who’s willing to accept the impossible.

As if life isn’t hard enough, she starts getting visits from the ghost of Holiday, her closest confidante.  Trouble is, Holiday isn’t dead…not yet anyway.  Now Kylie must race to save one of her own from an unseen danger before it’s too late—all while trying to stop her relationship with Lucas from slipping away forever.   In a world of constant confusion, there’s only one thing Kylie knows for sure.  Change is inevitable and all things must come to an end…maybe even her time at Shadow Falls.

The breathtaking fourth installment of the New York Times bestselling Shadow Falls series from author C. C. Hunter...Whispers at Moonrise.

The Dark Unwinding Tour - A Guest Post by Sharon Cameron

Welcome to day 3 of The Dark Unwinding blog tour!  I'm so glad to take part in this tour, for The Dark Unwinding is a wonderful book and Sharon Cameron is such a gracious author.  She has been great to work with, as evidenced by her guest post today.  When asked to write about her favorite real-life mystery, she really came through with an enlightening post that speaks to the heart of The Dark Unwinding.  I hope you all have as much fun reading it as I did!

Burning Curiosity

by Sharon Cameron

I adore hidden things and the unknown. Hence my younger self’s obsession with Nancy Drew and my older self’s fascination with just about anything shrouded by time. The past conceals so much that is still true, and yet we don’t know what that truth is. The curiosity burns! Tollund Man (see image here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/ tolland-man.html) is 2,000 year old body that is slightly gross but super fascinating, and the wondering about who he was and why he died will probably kill me someday. I have the same unfortunate problem with a missing chest of Jacobite gold and the inhabitants of Roanoke.

But a mystery perhaps less epic, and yet just as curiosity burning to me, was: what was up with the Fifth Duke of Portland? The Duke inherited an ancient house and vast lands in Nottinghamshire in the mid-1800s, and not only did he employ a small town’s worth of men, keeping them at work with extravagant building projects, but he had a railway in his basement, for the purpose of delivering roast chickens, day or night, and he communicated with servants only by letterbox. He had walls built around his bed, and a special carriage made so that no one could see when he was in it (taking the precaution to often run the carriage back and forth when he wasn’t in it, so no one could be sure). All the rooms in his sprawling mansion were painted pink, and he had miles of underground, gaslit tunnels dug, so he walk the grounds of his estate alone and unseen.

My first reaction? Well, that’s a little crazy! But then I thought about how time can hide the truth. The man was definitely squandering his fortune, but is there a better use for money than to provide twenty years of employment to hundreds families that might have otherwise died in a workhouse? And how often does anyone just up and tell a Duke that he isn’t behaving normally? And what is normal, anyway? What if he wasn’t crazy, but just shy, or disfigured, or suffering from an anxiety disorder? The curiosity burns!

So instead of letting my curiosity possibly kill me this time, I allowed the idea of the Duke’s bizarre estate and to become the inspiration for Stranwyne Keep in The Dark Unwinding, creating a child-like inventor as its reclusive owner. In my story, Uncle Tulman uses grandiose building projects as a way to express himself. The tunnels, pink walls, ritualistic habits, and machines of clockwork are his means of control, a method of understanding a world that is utterly confusing to him. Maybe the Fifth Duke of Portland, in his own way, was doing much the same.

About the Author

Photo by Rusty Russel (2011)

Sharon Cameron was awarded the 2009 Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for her debut novel, The Dark Unwinding. When not writing Sharon can be found thumbing dusty tomes, shooting her longbow, or indulging in her lifelong search for secret passages.

Find Sharon on:

Her website:  sharoncameronbooks.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sharon-Cameron/218828031528005

Twitter: @CameronSharonE

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11733187-the-dark-unwinding

About the Book

The Dark Unwinding begins when seventeen year old Katharine Tulman is sent to her uncle’s remote and bizarre estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, she finds a child-like, genius inventor with his own set of rules, employing a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London. Katharine is torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving her uncle’s peculiar world that she has come to care for deeply, a choice made even more complicated by a gray-eyed apprentice, and the strange visions and nightmares that have her secretly fearing for her own sanity.


Check Out the Tour!

August 26 Hannah @ The Book Vortex 

Guest Post- Introduction 

August 27 Marielle @ Book Thoughts by Marielle 

Interview with Sharon 

August 28 Marla @ Starting the Next Chapter 

Guest Post: Favorite Real Life Mystery 

August 29 Amy @ Denim Jacket Librarian 

List: 10 Pieces of Advice 

August 30 Lauren @ The Housework Can Wait 

Interview with Sharon 

August 31 Tirzah @ The Compulsive Reader 

Character Interview: Mary 

September 1: RELEASE DAY! 

September 2 Alli @ Magnet 4 Books’ Reviews 

Guest Post 

September 3 Emily @ The Ninja Librarian 

Interview with Sharon 

September 4 Christina @ A Reader of Fictions 

Character Interview: TBA 

September 5 Jessica @ Wastepaper Prose 

Guest Post 

September 6 Sara @ Through the Looking Glass 

Interview with Sharon 

September 7 Katie @ Katie’s Book Blog 

Character Interview: Lane 

September 8 Jessica K @ The Cozy Reader 

Guest Post: A Discussion on the Novel’s Setting 

September 9 Linda @ Mission to Read 

Interview with Sharon

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Bump in the Night Brawl #6: Demons

Welcome, one and all, to the last Bump in the Night Brawl post!  It's been a fun-filled week at Starting the Next Chapter and I can't thank all of my guest posters enough for writing such awesome posts for this event.  Also, thank you to all of those who visited throughout the week.  I'm just starting out with things like this, so I definitely appreciate your visits and comments.

It's Demonic Saturday, so Christy from The Reader Bee is here to tell us why demons are the baddest thing to go bump in the night.  Remember, voting starts at midnight and ends at 11:59 PM CST on Sunday night.  Be sure to get your votes in, because those votes determine what kind of book 1 lucky giveaway winner will have the chance to grab.  I hope to see you all on Sunday for the vote, and then again on Monday, October 31 to find out the winner of the Bump in the Night Brawl!

Hello, friends! Christy from The Reader Bee here to tell you why I think DEMONS are the Ultimate creatures that spook, fright and go bump in the night!

Let’s start off with a little information on Demons: Demons have the ultimate superpowers. They can possess and seduce. They are telepathic and psychokinetic. They have the ability to do witchcraft, and can also control the elements. They can hurt you, make you do their bidding, and annihilate anything and everything they want. Does this sound like a creature whose path you want to cross?? Not me!

Demons make me think of all the scary movies that, to this day, I absolutely refuse to watch. I am SO not a scary movie and book type person. As a child, the men in my life used to watch scary stuff all the time. Sometimes I watched, and most times I wish I hadn’t. When I think of demons, this is the first guy that comes to mind…

Hellraiser scared the hell out of me growing up. Enough said.

(Funny side story- We went to a haunted amusement park recently, and there was a guy there dressed exactly like the photo above. He jumped out at us, and about scared us all to death!) Ahem… moving on…

Pretty darn scary, yes? Definitely a creature I would NOT want to cross paths with.

So, while I am totally not a fan of scary movies that have Demons involved, I surprised myself by liking a few young adult books that have demons as the main character. These are some demons that use their powers for good. I can definitely handle that type of demon. Let’s use Sophie Mercer from the Hex Hall series as an example…

“Dark witches do the bigger things," Chaston offered. "And our powers are a hell of a lot stronger. We can make barrier spells, and if we're really good, control the weather. We're also necromancers if- -" "Whoa!" I held up my hand. "Necromancers? Like, power over dead things?”

Sophie grew up thinking she was a witch. After being sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquents, she discovers a family secret. The secret is that she’s not a witch at all, but a dark witch/half demon instead. Sophie has all the abilities listed above that a demon can possess. The difference is that she uses her powers for the good. But still, you definitely don’t want to get on her bad side!

Sophie is snarky and lovable, she’s the friendliest demon around. (Why aren’t all demons like Sophie!) However, she still has some massive powers, and she’s not afraid to use them. And she proves this when a certain someone crosses her path. (Read the books to find out who!)

How can you not root for her?? Sophie! Sophie! Sophie!

So there you have it ladies and gents… I’ve shown you what demons are capable of, and I’ve given you examples of demons that are the exact opposite. Demons are tricky characters, and can pretty much do it all. That is why I think they are the ultimate creatures that go bump in the night! What about you???

Thanks for wrapping things up for us, Christy!  It's been a blast working with you on this project.

That's all there is, folks.  If you've missed any of the Bump in the Night Brawl posts or even the Creature Feature Reviews, you can find a list of all Bump in the Night Spooktacular links in the right-hand column.  I hope you've enjoyed this event as much as I have.  Remember that voting commences at midnight and the winner will be announced on Monday.

Huge thanks go out to Nikki at Books Most Wanted, a huge support and the first one to jump on the idea and agree to participate; Kyla at Kyla Novelista for being such an enthusiastic and hilarious guest poster, plus the best zombie expert a girl could ask for; Louise at Between the Covers for taking on this project a mere week before the event was to begin and for doing such an awesome job; DJL at Denim-Jacket Librarian Dishes for being one of my biggest blog supporters and an awesome guest poster; Christy from The Reader Bee for digging up repressed memories in order to give us such an awesome post and for being all-around fantastic; and Lindsay at The Violet Hour for letting me bounce ideas off of her when I thought I might be crazy to take on this project.  You all have been a blast to work with and I hope we can work together again in the future!

Bump in the Night Brawl #5: Werewolves

We're getting close to the end, everyone!  Today is the next to last day of the Bump in the Night Brawl campaign posts.  Who has made the biggest impression upon you, so far?  Hold that thought, because I have a new offering for you.  The awesome DJL from Denim Jacket Librarian Dishes is here to have her say on our more lupine peers, werewolves.  Let round 5 begin!

Hellooooooow, my dears!  Welcome to Wolfish Friday, and please pardon my rehearsing for when the moon comes out tonight.  I've been asked by Marla of Starting the Next Chapter to talk about the fierce creatures of Halloween, werewolves.  Swift and powerful with a bite that's far worse than their bark (or roar as the case may be), you can't help but be terrifyingly fascinated by werewolves.  They come in many different forms and sizes from a four-legged wolf to an overly hairy human with a not-so-slight overbite problem to a towering, brutish beast on two legs.  No matter their size or shape, they possess the strength, speed, and cunning of their lupine side along with human intelligence.  And when you combine the two, this can have frightening effects in which you have a hulking predator that stalks the night, stealthily tracking its prey before striking without warning. There is no comparison to that feeling of being watched, being followed... being hunted.

You wonder if something is there with you in the dark but do not know what's really there... until you hear the tell-tale beastly growl or see the flash of sharp white teeth.  Too late and the predator has pounced upon its prey.  And the scariest part?  During the day they look just like you and me.  That is where werewolves have other creatures of Halloween beat.  Vampires, zombies, and ghosts... not really so good at hiding their identities especially when you look at them or through them with the case for ghosts if you can even see them.  Anyone could be a werewolf without others around them being any the wiser.  The fact that they can blend into the crowd is what really makes this beast the baddest of Halloween because unless you know the signs, there's no way for one person to identify a werewolf from another human.  Here are some ways to help you possibly identify if a person is a werewolf:

1.  A person has more hair than they should.  Unless they're able to get a wax job on a regular basis, this will have most werewolves wearing long-sleeved clothes... a lot.  (Do you know how cold it gets in a library?  Long sleeves are a must!)

2.  A person shows an appreciation for rare-cooked meat.  (What?  It's the best way to have steak in Texas!)

3.  A person shows an aversion to silver.  (White gold is really where it's at with jewelry.  Any fashion-conscious person knows that.)

4.  A person likes to take long walks at night usually under a full moon.  (Don't you know that a girl's most favorable lighting is moonlight?)

5.  Dogs tend to get a little antsy and jumpy around a person, usually barking in aggression at first and then whining in submission.  (I happen to love dogs.  I just love them more when they realize who's the alpha... I mean master!)

Just because you have a possible means of identifying them doesn't mean that werewolves can't evade detection over time.  I mean, history is full of tales and legends of the werewolf or lycanthrope, starting with King Lycaon of Greek mythology.  Wanting to trick the mighty Zeus, who had changed himself into a mortal, Lycaon killed one of his prisoners and served his body in a stew before Zeus. This enraged the thunder god and Zeus punished Lycaon by transforming him into a vicious, bloodthirsty wolf.  The Greek word lycanthropos is believed to be the basis for lycanthropy.

   
Haven't heard that myth?  Okay, what about the Beast of Gévaudan, a real-life account of werewolf attacks between 1764 and 1767 within the Margeride mountains of Southern France?  This beast was said to have huge fangs, an enormous tail, red fur that exuded a foul smell and was supposedly the size of a cow.  Within a three-year span, the beast claimed over 100 lives and injured another 50 people.  There's even a loosely-based film recounting these incidents, Le Pacte des Loupes: Brotherhood of the Wolf, that I recommend for entertainment value.

Not close enough to home for you?  All right, one of the most prominent werewolf legends in America is that of the Beast of Bray Road near Elkhorn, Wisconsin.  A huge, wolflike creature walking and running on two legs began appearing in front of startled travelers on the rural Bray Road outside of town in 1991.  So far there have been no attacks from this werewolf-like creature, but should drivers really push their luck in taking this route at night? 

Being from the Lone Star State, we also have our share of werewolf and skinwalker tales.  A legend spoken of in certain areas of the Hill Country tells of an old Native American man who would change his shape in order to evade capture by the cavalrymen stationed nearby.  It was said when he was trapped, he would become a wolf and attack his pursuers which usually ended in death.  A possible tie to this legend is "Cleo Face" as carved by N.Q. Patterson.  A settler of the Hill Country, Patterson was a tombstone carver who suffered from tuberculosis.  Having a lot of time on his hands due to the small community, Patterson began carving into the limestone rocks that lined Bear Creek.  One particularly notorious carving was of a face with a broad nose, glinting eyes, and a snarling mouth with long, fang-like teeth.  You have to wonder what Patterson encountered within the hills to inspire him to carve such a face.

  

Aside from silver and chopping off the head, there is little that can kill a werewolf.  You can run over them, shove them off a cliff, shoot them with regular bullets and they will heal and recover much faster than you can think.  They are truly one of the fiercest of Halloween brawlers.

Vote Werewolves on October 30th because you know Hugh would want you to.

I would like to thank Marla for having me here at Starting the Next Chapter to help enlighten you wonderful readers on the history and traits of werewolves.  Don't worry, Marla, I brought my dust-buster to take care of the loose hair on the blog.  *coughs*  You can't help the shedding.  Happy Hooooowlloween!

 
Thanks for stopping by, DJL!  As usual, you have set forth an awesome combination of opinion and observation.  If you enjoyed DJL's post, show her some love!  Comments are always welcome and there has been an epic Twitter party going on for the past 3 days amongst us competitors.  Remember, we will have the last round tomorrow, when Christy from The Reader Bee will be telling us why demons should be the biggest bad asses in the entire bump in the night world.  Stay tuned!

Bump in the Night Brawl #4: Vampires

Are you ready for the continuation of Vampiric Thursday?  I hope so, because Louise from Between the Covers is here to enlighten us as to the ins and outs of the vampire world.  She has promised to bring it and wipe the floor with all of the other entrants in the Brawl.  Let's all welcome Louise to the Bump in the Night Brawl! 


I’m here at Starting the Next Chapter today as a representative for the vampire race. *smiles sweetly, making a great show of flashing my fangs... just in case you missed them*

I guess I should start by explaining the two different classifications of vampires, for those who are not in the know. According to Weirdly’s Dictionary of the Supernatural, vampires are classified as follows:

Yo’ Mama: (YM)  Characterized by a hideous appearance, an appalling lack of hygiene, slow wit, inability to recognize snark when it nibbles on their neck and a preference for Crocs footwear. Formerly known as the “Ewww Gross.” (see photo below)

A rare classification, accounting for only about 10% of the vampire population.

Really Cute: (RC)  Easily recognized by the distinctive traits of good looks, stunning ability to execute a hair toss, sparkling sense of humor, overabundance of snark and excellent taste in shoes. (see photo below)

The most common classification, accounting for approximately 90% of the vampire population. 

As you might have noticed... *executes perfect hair flip and points to stunning self-portrait above... the cute one* I’m of the “Really Cute” vamp variety. *looks around for any YM vamps, then whispers* The “yo’ mamas” were named many years ago... no one knows exactly how many... by a teenage boy who witnessed a word war between a RC and a then called “Ewww Gross” vamp. He named them YM because they are so ugly only their mamas could love them. Many of the world’s most beautiful people are actually RC vamps... Brad Pitt? Yep. Olivia Wilde? You know it! Tom Cruise? Hell no! That urban legend was debunked years ago! *flips hair, annoyed by the continued rumor*

Looks aside, vamps have gotten a reputation for being blood thirsty killers. *rolls eyes* This is completely untrue. We don’t bite... much. Just a nibble here and there. And nobody ever complains! I mean, really... *smiling brightly* …would you complain if the donation of a pint of blood meant you could achieve *pauses, considers PG wording* ecstasy? After all, the rumor that vampire bites are orgasmic? *leans forward, looking deeply into your eyes* Totally. Completely. True.

Um... *checks manicure, avoiding eye contact* The rumor that vampires make bad boyfriends? Also totally untrue. I mean, isn’t it every girls dream to have a boyfriend that is only around at night... when she’s sleeping and unable to spend time with him? A boyfriend that’s a total loner, never wanting to interact with anyone else? A boyfriend who never ages, and will notice every line and gray hair you ever get? *nods* Oh, yeah!!! Vamps are total catches!

And the whole mind control thing? *laughs brightly, waving this away* As if! I mean, just because you suddenly sign over your new car to a vampire doesn’t mean they’ve influenced you! It just means you were so struck by their beauty you wanted to give them something to show your appreciation.

Mood swings? *looks into your eyes deeply, putting a little UMPH into it, hoping you don’t notice the pattern* Really, doesn’t everyone suffer bad days? Haven’t you ever had a night where your dinner ran and struggled and you broke a nail catching them? Didn’t that torque you off? And didn’t you throw your boyfriend’s new car through the window of his house just to relieve some stress?

So, as you can see... vampires are no threat at all. While we are the undisputed champs of the supernatural world, there is absolutely nothing for humans to be worried about. Truly, we only want to be your BFFs. *smiling again, fangs elongating, feeling slightly peckish* Let’s hug on it.

Thanks, Louise!  Well, there you have it.  The gauntlet has been thrown and things are heating up around here.  Do you have a favorite, yet?  Remember, poll day is only 3 days away, so if you want to let your voice be heard, be there or be square.  It only lasts 24 hours and, then, it will disappear like a ghost into the mist.  We'll see you there!