Archive for the ‘Crystal Green’ Category

Don?t worry I?m not going to do massive spoilers. I can?t do that to my friends on the West Coast or in Australia who haven?t seen it yet. Normally I don?t really blog about TV shows. I just say this is what I?m watching and leave it at that. But this time I wanted to do something. I know people have been wondering why Chuck and not say Law and Order or Heroes? Honestly I don?t know. What I do know is that I?m grateful to NBC for keeping the show alive (Pleeeaaassse give us a whole 22 episodes season, pleeeeaaassseee).

To be honest I didn’t watch in the beginning. Too many freakin shows on at the same for me to watch. But I became curious after reading my friend Chris/Crystal Green’s Chuck recaps (her show recaps rock!) on her blog. Then I saw one episode and was hooked. I had to see them all.?Chuck isn?t a show that many will get. It?s not as complicated as Lost or as flashy as 24. It didn?t get lost in its mythos like Heroes did. At the core of the show, at it?s heart, the show is about Chuck and those that Chuck loves. His family. He may not be an uber spy like Bryce Larkin (Dear God, Matt Boomer is gorgeous) nor is he as suave as James Bond. He does bumble and fumble but he means well. In his heart of hearts he is a good guy, a sweet guy. He may not be your first choice but he is the guy who will go over to your house with your fav ice cream and a playlist of all your favorite songs if you?ve had a hell of a day. He?s the guy who will be there for you no matter what.
Chuck is the type of guy who will do the right thing no matter how much it hurts him. He?s the guy who will sacrifice it all for those that he loves even if it means risking his life. He is all about family: Ellie, Awesome, Morgan, Sarah and Casey. Yes, even Big Mike and, um, well, Jeff and Lester. Yeah them too. And that?s what we love about him. He?s loyal to a fault, good hearted, well meaning and a sweetheart. And yeah he?ll dress up for Comic Con and drag you along but you?ll have a hell of time there. He?s a dork but he can laugh at himself and he can fix your computer, pretty snazzy, I know! LOL.

Chuck is neither hip nor the hot, happening, it show of the moment. It just is. Season 3 had its ups and downs and there were gripes but this finale shows us yet again why we love the show, the writers and actors. There was action, humor, moments that made our hearts melt and there was a pay off (those wicked, infuriating, clever, wonderful writers). Looking back I feel as if over the seasons it?s been a natural progression, very organic, never hurried. The writers took their time. Nothing felt crammed in or over the top to me. There didn?t seem to be a need to outdo last week. Although for a moment there, some episodes made me wonder if I was watching a season finale and they didn?t tell us. LOL.

I for one think 3 months or however long we?ll have to wait for the new season is too long. But it?s worth the wait. This TV show Chuck is a keeper. And I can?t wait to see where they take us. To me the finale didn?t feel like an ending, it felt like just the beginning of a new chapter. Sorta like Supernatural, a reboot of sorts. Okay enough of my blathering. I return you now to your regularly scheduled program whatever that may be.
I?m blogging at TRS Blue today. Stop by, leave a comment and be entered to win 5 Changeling Credits. Good luck! http://trsblue.blogspot.com/ (Warning Adult Content)

Oh and watch White Collar on USA Network (or whatever channel it airs on where you are). How can you resist those gorgeous blue eyes of Matt Boomer’s? Seriously, he?s just gorgeous. I said that already didn?t I? Am I drooling? Sorry. *blush*

Se

I wrote my Vampire Babylon series for a few reasons. I wanted to:

1. flesh out a hunter who was kick-ass yet vulnerable.
2. have fun with a group of characters (and I do mean the quirky kind) who would serve as a hunting team.
3. do a bloody, gritty, neon-on-the-dark-rainy-streets infused mystery.
4. create some vamps of a different stripe.

So I started playing around with an idea that fused many of these elements. Since I?m pretty much a storage unit for pop cultural tidbits, I took all of the above, mixed it with a ?Charlie?s Angels? type boss (who?s also a bit of the Phantom of the Opera), resurrected one of the most well-known urban legends of the silver screen (the ghost boy from THREE MEN AND A BABY), and gave it a spin.

Poof?my first Vampire Babylon trilogy was born, stretching awake through (and under) the gothic, noir streets of Los Angeles.

But here was the thing?this story about an erotically charged Hollywood Underground was so big that I knew I wouldn?t be able to tell it all in just one book. So I looked at HARRY POTTER and how J.K. Rowling used a mythology that spanned seven books?stories in which the big bad villain wasn?t put to rest until the very last installment. I looked at the fascination with LOST. And I decided that my story would be best served by using a longer trilogy arc.

It was chancy. Although there?s a central mystery that?s solved by the end of each book, there were mystery, mythology, and character threads that wouldn?t be tied up until the third book. But in NIGHT RISING, MIDNIGHT REIGN, and BREAK OF DAWN, I feel like things did come to a satisfying close?

Until Ace asked me to write another three books.

And I was ready, because I had a yen to explore one of the most haunted cities in the world?London. Also, I had an idea for some vampires who had a lot in common with certain fairy tales. Basically, this second trilogy features what I consider to be the scariest vampires of all?young girls who are lured by an older man making promises to them. Promises he, of course, has no intention of keeping. And, let?s be honest?you never want to tick off a teenaged girl. (I would?ve been the biggest nightmare vampire of all, way back when!)

The first two books, A DROP OF RED (book 4) and THE PATH OF RAZORS (book 5), show you a different underground than the Hollywood one, and the trilogy will be closing out with the third installment, DEEP IN THE WOODS (book 6), on March 2, 2010. I had such fun doing this trilogy?I got to travel to London, where I blocked out scenes in Highgate Cemetery and Southwark. And when you get to research something as interesting as the effect fairy tales have had on society? Icing on the cake.
If you?ve read the previous five books, thank you from the bottom of my arguably dark heart. : ) If you?d like to start, the books are out there just waiting for you to snag them?much like the things that exist under the ground, watching, waiting?wanting.

I?ll be giving away a signed copy of THE PATH OF RAZORS, Vampire Babylon, Book Five, to someone who comments on this blog. Check back tomorrow for the winner!
Enjoy!

Happy Hunting,

Chris Marie Green

www.vampirebabylon.com

(I tried my best to be spoiler free for those of you who haven?t yet experienced the awesomeness!)

There are some shows you watch just to be entertained.? These are superficial, pass-the-time programs that leave no mark on you.? In fact, by the end of the season, you have trouble recalling some of the episodes.? You do not relate to the characters at all.

Supernatural isn?t that show.

Take two brothers who have daddy issues, mix-in their opposites-are-fun-to-watch chemistry, put them on a road trip filled with ghost stories, pathos, demons, and the apocalypse, add a dash of gorgeous hunk of men and you?ve got a Thursday night full of awesome.? And lest this all should sound very glossy, it?s not.? This show has made me laugh because I love the characters so much.? This show has thrown me into the pit of despair because of the decisions those characters make.? This show has scared me because, unlike some mainstream TV programs,?Supernatural refuses to pull its punches?there are always consequences for actions, and that?s the genius of the drama here.? We go through the hole to a dark, frightening, sometimes hilarious Wonderland with our avatars, the Winchester brothers, and we suffer right along with them.

I?m only a recent convert.? For some reason, I didn?t know how fantastic this show was at first.? But then I heard all the whisperings on the ?net about this storyline or that character on?Supernatural, and I was intrigued.? People would tell me that I?need to tune in, so I obeyed.? And happy I am.

Why?? Here are a few reasons:
1.The storytelling doesn?t get any better than this.

The seasons all have their own arcs and climaxes, but the creator, Eric Kripke, had a full vision for the entire series.? That means we have a lot of satisfying continuity, such as the payoff of several mysterious elements that showed up in earlier seasons (for example, Croatoan and the Meg demon).? Also, along with the longer arcs, we get great twists on ghost stories and urban legends we?ve heard before, but they?re all solved Winchester style, with smart-ass cracks from brother Dean and puppy-dog sympathy from brother Sam.? The series treats its audience with respect; I mentioned that it pulls no punches, but it also strives to be clever.
2. The series never lingers too long on a mystery.

Supernatural knows just how and when to solve something.? Just when you think a plot is played out, another twist will come along and keep you very, very interested.
3. The writers have juevos.

They have the guts to explore things that might scare a lot of other staffs.? For those who?ve seen the series, I point in particular to Sam in season 4.? And Ruby.? And Bela.

4. And just in case you?re not yet convinced?

Dean and Sam are hot.

I recommend first renting the DVDs.? You?ll want to know everything about the Winchester brothers and what they?re facing.? Believe me, it?ll be worth the investment.? : )

Chris Marie Green, who writes urban fantasy, also creates romances as Crystal Green and writes a blog entry about Supernatural every time a new one airs (www.crystal-green.com).? Her latest release is?The Path of Razors, Vampire Babylon, Book Five, which continues the adventures of Dawn Madison and her vampire hunting team.? Book Six,?Deep in the Woods, will be released March 2, 2010.? To learn more, you can go to her Web site at?www.vampirebabylon.com or follow her at Twitter at?http://twitter.com/ChrisMarieGreen.

There always comes a time when someone asks me just what my Vampire Babylon series is.? A ?paranormal romance??? Or could it be categorized more appropriately as an ?urban fantasy??? Because the two subgenres offer a reader different experiences, I?m ready with an answer.

Urban fantasy.

Why?? First, there?s a pretty big difference between PR (paranormal romance) and UF (urban fantasy).? It?s the romance, baby.? Romance is the element that offers the highest stakes in a PR.? In urban fantasies, the highest stakes element is saving the world.? However, both types can contain either element, but the emphasis on one or the other can vary.

More differences?? Urban fantasy usually has a more acerbic wit and most of the time uses first-person point of view, though this isn?t always the case; my Vampire Babylon series uses third-person point of view for the heroine, and the vampires and other characters get third-person points of view, also.? PR seems to maintain a third-person point of view balance between the hero, the heroine, and maybe a villain or subplot character or two.

More food for thought: UF can contain more graphic, grittier violence while PR usually has a lower level of violence.? For UF, the supernatural element is ominous whereas in PR, the supernatural is normally more intriguing or alluring.

When I started writing the Vampire Babylon series, I had no idea it?d be called an urban fantasy.? I wanted to play around with an old-school vamp hunter who goes after some entrepreneur-minded fangers.? I wanted there to be mystery, action, blood, and a touch of romance, like a vampire Indiana Jones movie that takes place in an erotically charged Underground as well as up above in the nourish, faded, grotesque glamour that is Hollywood.

Then, as the series continued past the initial trilogy, the setting moved to London, which offered a chance to explore that old-school vamp hunting to an even greater degree, with fairy tale elements and gothic trappings.? As the label of ?urban fantasy? gained steam in the marketplace, I could see that Vampire Babylon fit comfortably into the subgenre, especially since my heroine definitely fits into the UF mold: feisty, strong, and complete with major real life issues that conflict with her burgeoning?and sometimes reluctant?hunting career.? Slaying is an albatross around Dawn Madison?s neck but, at the same time, it?s forced her to grow as a person, which sounds weird, considering that her humanity is deeply in question at the moment in book five, THE PATH OF RAZORS.? She?s gone from a somewhat bratty and sarcastic ex-stuntwoman on the skids in NIGHT RISING, book one, to a full-fledged, more intense monster whacker.? Her boyfriend is what you could call a possessed vampire.? And her mother might be even more messed up than Dawn is.

Yup, urban fantasy.? It?s Halloween all year around in this dark subgenre.

Contest:? A random winner will be chosen from the comment section in two days.? I?ll be sending an autographed copy of A DROP OF RED, Vampire Babylon, Book Four, to someone who posts here, so comment away!

Latest Book:

Chris Marie Green/Crystal Gree

Website: http://www.crystal-green.com/

Blog: http://crystal-green.blogspot.com/

Vampire Babylon: http://www.vampirebabylon.com/

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/vampirebabylon

I haven’t been updating you guys like I should. I’ll try to blog much more. I envy Savannah, she’s such a great blogger. *smile* Okay, here we go. Let’s try and pack as much into this as possible

Books:

Tartan Surprise is out which I’m so excited about, next up is Discovering Passion, in August ’08, which is Lida’ story from A Fling in Vampiropolis. I’ll get the exact date to you as soon as I get it.

In June I subbed a total of five books, three to CP and two to Tease and on July 1st I subbed a book to a new pub. I’m hoping they like it. I was really nervous about query letter and synopsis. I can write a book but blurbs, synopsis and query letters stress me out. But hey, they’re a part of the process.

For the last month or so I’ve been either tired, working my ass off to finish a book or suffering from writer’s block. Up until now, I haven’t written anything for a week which frustrated me a lot. But I finally managed to work on a story that I’m aiming to finish by Friday of this coming week. So far I’ve got 8k+ on it. It’s a ghost story, I’ve never done a ghost story before so this is all new to me. I hope I get it right.

My aim is to finish several stories by the end of the summer and subbing to at least two to three more new pubs. I know, a lot of work but at the end of the day, it’s worth it. I’m also working on making my Free stories downloadable, not the Friday Flash series though, not until that’s done. That’s about it on the writing front

Lori Foster’s Get Together:

I had fun at this event. It was so nice meeting so many people and seeing some people I had me at RT. The highlight seeing my twin from another mother, Ce! We were good I swear *shoots look over at Dawn*. Tell them Ce, we were well behaved.

I have to say Hi to Lena, Liz (good to see you again), Joy (you are awesome), Maggie, Kelly, Bianca (B!), Jacki (as always, you are fabulous), Maya, Marty, Tuesday (I’ll call you I swear. You are behaving right? lol), Laura K., Kelley, Jackie, Sierra (Big Hugs), Teeka (Teeka!), Kate, Camille, Flash, Renee, Shiloh, Rhonda aka SandDaz (sorry for the awkwardness), Anya, Ali and Aneka. If I forgot you, I’m soooo sorry, please feel free to yell at me later.

I loved the conference and had so much fun. Ce, Tuesday we sooo have to do an antho together. *grin* Tuesday, stop looking at me like that, you know you want to0, mwhahahaha! I definitely want to go next year. I also want to go RT next year as well. Shar, Ce you ready for that? I know I left a lot out but I can’t really remember everything. *sigh*

Birthday:

Well, I turned 27 this year. Yeah! My birthday started early when the fabulous Crystal Green/Chris Marie Green (she’s going to be at Comic Con and the RWA conference, I soos wish I was going), sent me a signed copy of Midnight Reign. I was in absolute shock. She is so awesome. I got a Birthday Card from Savannah (Big Hugs, babes). A lovely bag of chips from Tilly , (yum). *Grin* And yesterday, although late, I got flowers from Shar. She told me to expect a few more things. Goodness!

I pretty much spent the day wading through email, promoing Tartan Surprise and doing the chat over at ARe. *Grin* That chat was so much fun! I want to do it again. I’ll try and arrange another one maybe this month or next. A special to Thank You to Shar for staying up late just to do the chat. Another special Thank You to everyone who stopped by and spent my Birthday with me.

My birthday was made all the more special by Jambrea who showed me the book review she did for A Fling in Vampiropolis for Joyfully Reviewed. I was so ecstatic by it. That really helped make my Birthday great.

I got an ice cream cake the next day: cookies and cream ice cream with Devil’s Food Cake. A real ice cream cake! One that isn’t ice cream in the shape of a cake. Man, I want another one. LOL

I know it sounds like a boring Birthday but it was good enough for me. I like the simplicity of it. Not too much expectation which I’m good with. I didn’t go see Wanted like I wanted too. It was opening weekend which would mean dealing with too many people. I am hoping to go to see either Batman: Dark Knight or Hellboy 2 or both. LOL

Movies and TV:

What else can I add? Hmmm . . . nothing more, I don’t think. I’m watching the Twilight Zone, absolutely brilliant. I can understand why they wanted to resurrect the series but, sorry if it doesn’t have Rod Serling, I really can’t bring myself to watch it. The Twilight Zone is classic, brilliant story telling.

Speaking of TV, is anyone watching In Plain Sight? I’m loving that show. I also can’t wait for Burn Notice, Psych and Eureka to come back. I’m starting to enjoy So, You Think You Can Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew.

I’ve seen the trailer they’re running for Heroes next season. I love the series but I was left feeling as if the show is lacking something. Maybe it was adding too many characters or the sudden character shift (Uh, Hiro what about Charlie?). I’m hoping this season makes up for what was missing last season.

I can’t wait for Chuck to come back on air, I love that show. And NCIS, noooo, you can’t do that! OMG! I can’t wait to see what they do with Lost, that finally was just, WOW! Okay, can’t think of any other shows and I think I’ve started babbling. LOL. Later’s guys.

Hugs all around,

Selena


P.S. So what shows are you guys looking forward to seeing this summer or this fall? What are you reading? Any questions for me? *Selena now wonders if she’s opened up a can of worms* I’ll answer them if I can.

Okay I was supposed to blog about Lori Foster’s Get Together and my news but I’ve been feeling tired lately. Even more so today. I can’t contrentrate and I’ve been bouncing from story to story. I’m hoping to finish Tartan Interlude by tomorrow and Renato’s story by next week. For now, I’ll just tell you my news. *Grin*

Discovering Passion aka Lida’s Story has been contracted by Changeling Press and will be out in August. *Grin*

I’m excited about this story and I really hope that people like it. I’ll post the unofficial blurb soon.

Okay, the short version of Lori Foster’s Get Together. I had so much fun! The long recap will come soon but I will say this much, me, Ce and Tuesday together, dangerous people, very dangerous. All I’m willing to say is, story ideas. LMAO!

Don’t worry we weren’t too bad. LOL.

But after some talking with Ce and Tuesday I’ve made up some goals for myself for this summer. I’m hoping I meet them.

Okay, that’s about it. Oh! I forgot to do Selena Recommends last update so here goes:

Selena Recommends:The Vampire Babylon Series

In this first book of an all-new trilogy, life proves stranger than the movies when a Hollywood underground coven of vampires comes to light-and gets targeted by the tough-as-nails daughter of a sexy screen siren.

Stuntwoman Dawn Madison hasn’t been on the best of terms with her father since her movie star mother died. Still, he is her dad, and when he vanishes while investigating the bizarre sighting-caught on film-of a supposedly long-dead child star, she comes home to Tinseltown to join the search for him. Working with his odd colleagues, she discovers an erotic and bloody underground society made up of creatures she thought existed only on the screen.

Night Rising was only the beginning…

Dawn Madison reluctantly came to Los Angeles in search of her missing father and found instead a world of murder and the living dead she never imagined existed. When a new vampire slaying lures Dawn deeper into the underground, her alliances in the sunlit world shift. Now she has only herself to trust and her newfound skills as “a spunky vampire slayer” (Publishers Weekly).

Selena Says:

I was really excited when I first read the excerpt. I was intrigued by this new paranormal world that Chris Marie Green was creating. The vampires she has created, especially, the “Guards” are like nothing I’ve ever read before.

The action and storyline are wonderfully crafted. Dawn is a believable character with issues. I adore Bresei and Kiko and The Voice just fascinates me.

Night Rising sets everything up, Midnight Reign to me really kicks everything into gear as we start to see how both sides, The Underground and The Voice, prepare for the upcoming face off. Midnight Reign for me was a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns. Some I suspected and some that just blew me away.

I loved reading about how The Master and Sorin met. I’m intrigued by Sorin’s twin daughters and I can’t wait to see how things play out for Dawn. Will she figure out who to trust? What will happen when she see Frank? What things can we learn about “The Voice” in Break of Dawn (Due out Sept. 2nd). The title Break of Dawn, based on what happened in Midnight Reign scares me.

I can’t wait to read about Sorin’s daughters in the First Blood Anthology (due out Aug. 5th). I look forward to delving deeper into Vampire Babylon.

____________________________________________________________________

Alyssa’s had enough. She doesn’t care that there’s a snowstorm raging. She wants out of Devlin’s cabin and life. Thankfully, he’s prepared to give her every reason to stay in his arms.

Selena Says:

Okay I know it’s not winter but I just had to plug this hot story. I loved it! It’s a sexy, quick read. If you’re looking to steam up your summer, I recommend this book.

Okay, before I go I should show you the blurb for Tartan Surprise out June 27th:

Buy Link:

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=917

Blurb:

Iain just wanted someone to help take the edge off before the full moon rose in a few days. When he met Katherine in the pub he felt he had found the perfect person to help him with his problem.

Katherine could not resist the kilted stranger who caught her eye at the bar. When he offered her a night of hot sex she couldn’t say no.
But what happens when she finds out that the stranger is her boss’s son?

Unofficial Excerpt:Their heads rolled from side to side, noses bumping. When he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, scraping it with his teeth, she moaned. He pulled back letting go of her lip in the process. She stared at him, knees threatening to buckle, body on fire. His cocky smile said it all; he knew what she as feeling and as loathe as she was to admit, she couldn’t deny it, even if it was unspoken. He pressed his hips against hers and she gasped at the feel of his erection, pressing against her stomach, he was huge if what she felt was true.
He took hold of one hand, releasing her fingers from his shirt with his other hand and then pressed her palm against his chest, guiding it down, over the ripples of his abdomen until it stopped at his groin. She could feel his hard length underneath her palm, his hand closed around hers, therefore closing her hand around him. She could feel him twitch, his heat practically burning through the fabric. Her eyes looked down at where her hand grasped him, where his hand covered hers.
She wanted to see him, wanted to see what she was currently holding, the urge was so strong it shocked her.
“It’s okay, honey, he wants to see you too, wants you to hold him, feel your soft skin against his flesh,” he whispered voice so low it was a husky growl, vibrating against her ear, touching places he hadn’t touched yet. Places she wanted him to touch, stroke, feel until she came. Shaking, she met his gaze when he pulled back, desire burned bright and unmistakable in his eyes. She licked her lips, not sure where to go or how to proceed. Her mind had stalled.
“Do you want me, honey?”
All she could do was nod, she did want him.
“Good, let’s go.”

-End of Excerpt-

Okay, until next time, Hugs all around.

Selena