Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop 2013

Welcome to the Literary Escapism stop on the Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop! The holidays are in full swing here and we’re celebrating pretty hardcore with tons of gifts for everyone (Black Friday is not just a single day for us – lots of contests if you’re interested), so how could I resist the chance to give away yet another book? But before I tell you what lovely novel I’m giving away, let me explain why I picked it.

I love anthologies. They are a great way to find new authors and stories, as well as get more from favored authors. Plus anthologies are short stories, so it doesn’t take too much commitment to give that new author a chance. When I first started reading urban fantasy, it was anthologies that introduced me to a lot of the authors I’m still reading today. So I’m always game for a good collection of stories, especially when they include authors I currently love, mixed with ones I’ve been dying to try.

With the holidays right around the corner, trying to figure out what to give can be tricky. I love giving away books, but it can be hard to pick out which book to give when you’re not really sure what the receiver likes. Enter the anthology. With numerous authors, with various writing styles, there’s bound to be at least one story the person will enjoy. So to go along with the Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop, I’m going to give you eight different anthologies that include some of my fave authors, as well as authors I really need to read. If you’re trying to find that semi-perfect gift for someone, what about one of these?

• Faery Tales & Nightmares: From the gentle tones of a storyteller’s cadences to the terror of a blood sacrifice, tales of favorite characters from Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely novels mix with accounts of new characters for readers to fall in love with…or to fear.
• Inked: From today’s most provocative authors come four tales of urban fantasy and paranormal romance exploring body art that is more than it seems-in a world of magic and mayhem that always leaves its mark.
• Chicks Kick Butt: an anthology that features one of the best things about the urban fantasy genre: strong, independent, and intelligent heroines who are quite capable of solving their own problems and slaying their own dragons (or demons, as the case may be)
• Strange Brew: For anyone who’s ever wondered what lies beyond the limits of reality, who’s imagined the secret spaces where witches wield fearsome magic, come and drink deep. Let yourself fall under the spell of this bewitching collection of short stories!
• Hex Appeal: In the magical world that lies hidden beneath our own, witches and conjurers play deadly games. They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?
• Songs of Love and Death: In this star-studded cross-genre anthology, seventeen of the greatest modern authors of fantasy, science fiction, and romance explore the borderlands of their genres with brand-new tales of ill-fated love. From zombie-infested woods in a postapocalyptic America to faery-haunted rural fields in eighteenth- century England, from the kingdoms of high fantasy to the alien world of a galaxy-spanning empire, these are stories of lovers who must struggle against the forces of magic and fate.
• An Apple for the Creature: Your worst school nightmares—taking that math test you never studied for, finding yourself naked in school assembly, not knowing which door to enter—will pale in comparison to these thirteen original stories that take academic anxiety to whole new realms.
• Dark and Stormy Knights: They’re the ultimate defenders of humanity—modern day knights who do dark deeds for all the right reasons. In this all-star collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors bring us thrilling, all-new stories of supernatural knights that are brimming with magic mystery and mayhem.
• Home Improvement: Undead Edition: There’s nothing like home renovation for finding skeletons in the closet or otherwordly portals in the attic. Now, for any homeowner who’s ever wondered, “What’s that creaking sound?” or fans of “how to” television who’d like a little unreality mixed in with their reality shows, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner return with an all-new collection of the paranormal perils of Do-It-Yourself.
• The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance: Within these pages mythical beasts, magical creatures of all shapes and sizes, heart-stoppingly handsome ghosts, angels, and mortals with extra-sensitive sensory perception play out the themes of extraordinary desires.

Yes Faery Tales & Nightmares is an anthology, but it doesn’t have multiple authors in it. However I love Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely world and any chance of getting more stories in that world is one I’ll always take. *grin* Now, let’s get to the real reason you’re here. You can’t fool me, I know you want to know what I’m giving away. *grin*
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Contest Details!

To go along with the anthology theme, LE is giving away an intriguing collection of stories, In Mint Condition: 2013.

“In Mint Condition”

It is a phrase that has become very familiar to collectors. Whether you are a collector of fine books, antique watches, baseball cards, or comic books, you are always looking for your treasures in mint condition. To be in mint condition, that special something must be of the highest quality. The best of the best.

Taking that idea and running with it, Ambannon Books has collected the very best in brand new, never-before-seen short stories, creative nonfiction, poems, and artwork. The book is an amazing anthology spanning all genres and themes. The sixteen short stories and poems were written exclusively by members of the largest Stephen King fansite on the internet, TheDarkTower.org, but please let it be known that the Stephen King connection stops there. This is not fan fiction, or a tribute to his work. Each entry in the anthology will include its own specific artwork, as my staff and I have sought out the best and most talented artists currently working in the business. Scanning the Table of Contents above reads like a current “Who’s Who” in the art world as well as a (I’m hoping) future “Who’s Who” in the literary world.

Join us on a journey through sixteen stories and poems of unspeakable horrors, inspirational bravery, alternate realities, and the dark side of things that seem so familiar, yet are simply waiting to consume you.

Table of Contents:

1. Mr. Scratch’s Murder Circus by Jeremy Gooch. Artwork by Erin Wells.
2. The Receptionist by Bob Ireland. Artwork by Allen Koszowski.
3. The Train Graveyard by Ariel Bosi. Artwork by Heather Armata
4. Seagrass Encounter by David Swearingen. Artwork by Rachel Readman.
5. Brother by Ryan Wood. Artwork by Dustin Amato.
6. A Place on Pine Island by Matthew Biddle. Artwork by Terry Newsom.
7. Pumpkin by Krystle-Dawn M. Willing. Artwork by Erik Wilson.
8. Excelsior! by Jean Melkovsky. Artwork by Edward Ziniti.
9. My First Book by Jeannine Bulsara. Artwork by Krystle-Dawn M. Willing.
10. The Rule of Three by Thomas Cranham. Artwork by Jill Bauman.
11. You’re the Best by Tim Martin. Artwork by Serhiy Krykun.
12. Darkness Rising by Gabriel Ayala. Artwork by Vincent Chong.
13. Tabula Rasa by Hannah O’Connor. Artwork by David Boehmke.
14. Right to Life by Mike Ziniti. Artwork by Les Edwards.
15. On Monday, I ate my cat. by Jerome Smith. Artwork by Alex McVey.
16. Marvin’s Retirement” by Ralph Mulleins. Artwork by Glenn Chadbourne.

To enter, all you have to do is answer this one question: Do you always give away a particular item, if so why? or What is your favorite anthology and why? Remember, you must answer the question in order to be entered. (US only)

Even though I’m not giving the additional entries any more, you can still help support the author by sharing their article, and this contest, on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere you can. After all, the more people who are aware of this fabulous author ensures we get more fabulous stories.

The winner must post a review of the novel someplace. Whether it is on their own blog, Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing or wherever, it doesn’t matter. Just help get the word out.

The contest will stay open until December 20th at which time I’ll determine the winner with help from this snazzy plug-in that I have.
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Don’t forget to check out all the other Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop Participants