WORD WARS !

Word Wars! Twelve Shades of Midnight Authors Share Their Most (& Least) Favorite Things

OCT 28

Posted by Rachel Grant  reblogged from KISS & THRILL

Twelve Shades of Midnight, an anthology of 12 all new paranormal novellas is out today! My novella, Midnight Sun, is included and I’m thrilled to be part of this amazing lineup of authors for my first foray into the paranormal.

I’ve had a blast working with the other authors in the making of this anthology! From brainstorming titles to coming up with Easter eggs hidden in the stories, the messages between the members of the group have been hilarious. How lucky am I to be in this amazing anthology?

Twelve Shades of Midnight

The stroke of midnight ushers in many things. From hijinks and mischief to danger and evil, romance is the magic that binds these paranormal novellas together. Join 12 bestselling and award winning authors as they explore the different shades of midnight in exclusive, never-before-released stories.

Liliana Hart – THE WITCH NEXT DOOR
Darynda Jones – A LOVELY DROP
Shea Berkley – DARK SECRETS: STONE COLD DEAD
Dakota Cassidy – WITCHED AT BIRTH
Claire Cavanaugh – MIDNIGHT RENEGADE
Rachel Grant – MIDNIGHT SUN
Trish McCallan – SPIRIT WOODS
Angi Morgan – BODYGUARDS IN HEELS: HIT & RUN HALLIE
Robin Perini – NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR
Robyn Peterman – SWITCHING HOUR
Ann Voss Peterson – THE SCHOOL
Jenn Stark – GETTING WILDE

Watch the Twelve Shades trailer: Facebook | YouTube

We’re celebrating the launch tomorrow with a Facebook party with lots of games and prizes. This is your opportunity to find out what I mean when I say how funny these authors are! Click on the image to RSVP.

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes & Noble

Because I love exploring the similarities and differences in the answers, I subjected the Twelve Shades of Midnight authors to the Inside the Actors Studio quiz.

What is your favorite word?

Dakota: Serendipitous	Robyn: Yes
Angi: Conundrum	Rachel: Necropolis
Shea: I’m a writer. It’s nearly impossible to whittle it down to one…but I do love my name being said by someone who loves me.	Jenn: Kabillion. Except that’s not a word I don’t think.
Robin: Cacophony, just because it sounds cool.	Claire: Happy
Ann: Fabulous	Liliana: Dude

What is your least favorite word?

Dakota: Can’t	Robyn: No
Angi: Procrastinate	Rachel: Racial and homophobic slurs
Shea: Snot. It’s just one of those words that sounds gross and refers to something gross.	Jenn: Disappointed
Robin: Moist…just ’cause, well, yuck.	Claire: Anything prejudicial
Ann: Ensconce	Liliana: Moist

What turns you on?

Dakota: Serenity	Robyn: Humor and a nice ass
Angi: Being shown love	Rachel: Captain America
Shea: Kisses on my neck…soft, slow kisses. (sigh)	Jenn: The eyes have it: If a glance is intentional, intense and interested (from the right guy), I’m in.
Robin: Slow dancing and swaying to the music	Claire: Eagerness and humor. Cleaning my house doesn’t hurt either!
Ann: Coffee	Liliana: Brains, baby. Followed closely by the ability to make me laugh like crazy.

What turns you off?

Dakota: Whiners	Robyn: Negativity and lack of humility
Angi: Talk Talk Talk and More Talk without any action	Rachel: Rudeness
Shea: Hypocrisy and arrogance. They often go hand in hand except the person demonstrating these qualities rarely knows they’re doing them.	Jenn: Abuse of any sort–mental, verbal, physical–no matter the scale. If you don’t choose your adversaries nobly, you suck.
Robin: Unkindness	Claire: Stress
Ann: Running out of coffee	Liliana: Bad hygiene

What sound or noise do you love?

Dakota: Laughter	Robyn: My kids laughter
Angi: Ocean waves and puppies playing	Rachel: My children’s laughter
Shea: A drumline. It’s all about the beat, baby!	Jenn: The gentle crash of ocean waves
Robin: A baby’s laugh	Claire: My granddaughter’s magical laughter
Ann: Wind chimes	Liliana: Rain and thunderstorms

What sound or noise do you hate?

Dakota: Sloppy eaters	Robyn: My alarm clock
Angi: Leaf blowers	Rachel: My husband’s alarm clock
Shea: My cat hacking up a hairball. Why is it always in the middle of the night? And does he clean up his mess? Nooo. He tries to bury it in the carpet, and I’m the one who’s got to clean up the nastiness he leaves behind.	Jenn: My cat demanding breakfast at 4:15 a.m. Every. Morning.
Robin: Telephone ring	Claire: A dentist’s drill
Ann: My alarm clock	Liliana: Teeth scraping against a fork

What is your favorite curse word?

Dakota: Dicknuckle	Robyn: Fuck
Angi: Damn	Rachel: Fuck
Shea: Arse, but only when British people say it. It makes me giggle.	Jenn: Fuck. Such a multitasker.
Robin: I don’t have one.	Claire: Damn, and any variation thereof
Ann: Fuck. Really, so versatile!	Liliana: Douchecanoe

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Dakota: Supermodeling	Robyn: Chef
Angi: Photography	Rachel: Travel writer who gets paid to go everywhere on vacation (Rick Steves, I want your job)
Shea: A falconer. Hunting with a bird would be fun.	Jenn: Artifact Hunter
Robin: CIA Analyst, because I think it would be fascinating, and it would bring me that much closer to the books I write.	Claire: FBI agent in my dreams. Travel writer as a possible reality.
Ann: Horse trainer	Liliana: Professional shoe shopper and cheese fry eater

What profession would you not like to do?

Dakota: Porta Potty maintenance	Robyn: Computer programmer
Angi: Anything with math	Rachel: Wearing a hot dog costume and passing out flyers.
Shea: Sewage worker. Does anyone actually want to be a sewage worker?	Jenn: Social worker. My heart would break or I’d want to seriously beat up people every day.
Robin: Sewer Maintenance. Self explanatory :)	Claire: Anything involving strange smells. I have a weak stomach.
Ann: School teacher, way too tough	Liliana: Anything dealing with poop

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Dakota: “Your castle with a turret, high on a hill, with all your family members and pets inside is to the right.. :).”	Robyn: “It was a close one, but I was owed some favors. I was in the middle of a Scrabble tournament before you arrived, would you like to join me?”
Angi: “Welcome home.”	Rachel: “I’ve decided to make an exception for you.”
Shea: “It’s about time you got here. You did good. There’s an all you can eat chocolate section next to the sushi bar and steaks grilling on the barbeque. And the mashed potatoes are so creamy…and fully loaded.” (yeah, the way to my heart is to feed me comfort food)	Jenn: “Good job.”
Robin: “There really is a reason for everything, and if you’ll come with me, I’ll explain it all.”	Claire: “You really gave your guardian angel a work out, but I’m glad to see you made it, Claire.”
Ann: “Everyone you love is here or on their way… eventually.”	Liliana: “Your family and friends are waiting for you. And there’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.”

The Light & Dark of Halloween Costumes

12 SHADES OF MIDNIGHT has the full spectrum of writing styles. From Ann Voss Peterson’s thriller, THE SCHOOL…to Angi Morgan’s light-hearted paranormal, HIT & RUN HALLIE. Ann’s ideas for Halloween costumes is also a little darker than Angi (who knows she’s appeared a bit goofy at times). This year Angi’s attending a Gotham City themed party. Out of the many possible Batman characters, all she wants to dress as…is a citizen. Ann would make a great Cat Woman.

Ann: Cat Woman? Hell yeah! Or how about a little Trek?

Ann (aka Yeoman Janice Rand, Star Ship Enterprise): When I was a kid, I loved dressing up for Halloween, and my parents enjoyed helping me make creative costumes (okay, they actually made most of the costumes, but…). I was everything from the Tin Woodman in Wizard of Oz to a Green Bay Packer football card to The Headless Horseman.

Since my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin has a huge Halloween bash on State Street, I continued the dress up tradition far into my grown up years. It was too fun to give up. My friends and I dressed as the villains in the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine one year (we had two Blue Meanies, a Bonker, and a Snapping Turk), anti-war protestors from the 60s (hey, it was Madison, WI!), and of course, my favorite costume (above), the Star Trek crew!

 

And here’s a little taste of the dark side of Halloween; the devil, the clown, and the ghost. I’m Satan, but the scariest costume here is the clown, I swear. Clowns… shudder. 

My story in the Twelve Shades of Midnight anthology does have a bit of a dark, thriller mood, although no clowns. It’s set in the same small Wisconsin town as my Val Ryker Series (PUSHED TOO FAR, BURNED TOO HOT, and coming in 2015 DEAD TOO SOON). Police Chief Val appears in this story, too. But the story itself is about a little boy who disappears inside a very creepy school, his mom’s determination to get him out, and her very sexy next door neighbor who isn’t quite what he seems...

Angi: My new series is completely opposite, Ann. The scariest thing that happens to my bodyguards is that one might break a heel. J In fact, HIT & RUN HALLIE is the introduction to my new series of novellas, BODYGUARDS IN HEELS. My heroine dresses nice and considers it her armor, even if it is four inch stilettoes.

I’ve always loved to dress up for Halloween. My tastes keep me on the lighter side though. I’m not a big gore or slasher gal. So I’ve had lots of fun. Grumpy with seven of my friends who completed the Snow White and 7 Dwarfs. A “cat-tail” waitress…actually waitressing at Pizza Hut. A clown--I’m not sure how many times. A dog (seriously) the year my daughter was in love with 101 Dalmations. A wizard--covered in silver makeup that I washed off for a week. And a rather wacky pillow character that has no name. He was even in a show… Readers can watch him on YouTube. 

* 12 SHADES OF MIDNIGHT  * 12 authors *

* 12 unforgettable, never-before-released stories *

The stroke of midnight ushers in many things. From hijinks and mischief to danger and evil, romance is the magic that binds these paranormal novellas together. Join 12 bestselling and award winning authors as they explore the different shades of midnight in exclusive, never-before-released stories.

For more information on 12 Shades of Midnight

Facebook | Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes & Noble

~ ~ ~

ANN VOSS PETERSON is the bestselling author of over thirty novels and has millions of books in print all over the globe. Winner of the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award and a RITA finalist, Ann is known for her adrenaline-fueled thrillers and romantic suspense novels, including the Codename: Chandler spy thrillers she writes with J.A. Konrath and her own thriller series featuring small town Wisconsin police chief Val Ryker.

Website   Facebook   FB Fan Page

Twitter @annvosspeterson

Amazon Author Page

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ANGI MORGAN writes “Intrigues where honor and danger collide with love.” She combines actual Texas settings with characters who are in realistic and dangerous situations. Angi's work has been a finalist in the Bookseller’s Best Award, Romantic Times Best First Series, Carolyn Readers Choice, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the Daphne du Maurier.

Website   Facebook   FB Fan Page  

Twitter @AngiMorganAuthr        Instagram  AngiMorganAuthor

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LEAVE A BLOG COMMENT and enter the 12-Shades week-long RAFFLECOPTER drawing. Lots of ways to enter. Lots to give away.  Through Sunday, November 2nd.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE COSTUME? Leave your opinion for a chance to win.

Halloween Horror

The first horror movie I ever saw was at my preacher’s house. He loved classic horror movies and he had a copy of the original Dracula…on a reel. That’s hardcore collecting right there. I was about nine and that movie scared me to death. It took me a long time to watch another horror movie. I was sixteen, and my date took me to see Friday the Thirteenth on Halloween night. Seriously?

That was messed up. I don’t actually remember much of that movie. I covered my eyes through most of it and smacked my date every time he came near me. I was not amused. So, you can imagine my surprise when I suddenly found myself writing about the things that go bump in the night. I know exactly when I started liking horror.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 

That’s right, Joss Whedon got me hooked on horror. Sure, it was a new kind of scare tactic, one laced with humor and snappy dialogue, but it was still steeped in imagery that was terrifying. I love a good fight scene and tension that’ll make you squirm in your seat, but I’m also a fan of humor and deep feelings of love and family. I try to create stories that explore the unbelievable as well as the enduring aspect of the fragility of love. Making it all work is challenging, but it’s something I really enjoy and I hope my readers do too.

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DARK SECRETS: STONE COLD DEAD

Death stalks the dark streets of Boston, but even death has enemies…

Being a hero is Ryan di Taro’s job. Eradicating the city of vampires and other monsters that hide in the dark is how he got the title. When an unknown woman appears and saves his life and then disappears, he’s not sure if he’s made a friend or enemy. Should he accept her help in hunting down the undead, or is she part of an elaborate plan the creatures of darkness have created to end his quest to see evil eliminated for good.

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THE WITCH NEXT DOOR

They say things good and bad come in threes, and with the blood moon rising over Cauldron’s Hollow, Eloise Goodnight knew change was brewing. As one of the three Goodnight sisters, her destiny didn’t bode well. Love lost then death. So when a strange man enters their tiny village, a man with his own brand of magic, Eloise vows to stay away, but destiny—and her dreams—have other plans.

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* 12 SHADES OF MIDNIGHT  * 12 authors *

* 12 unforgettable, never-before-released stories *

The stroke of midnight ushers in many things. From hijinks and mischief to danger and evil, romance is the magic that binds these paranormal novellas together. Join 12 bestselling and award winning authors as they explore the different shades of midnight in exclusive, never-before-released stories.

Facebook | Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes & Noble

~ ~ ~

Enter the MIDNIGHT GIVEAWAY through Rafflecopter for a chance at $100 gift card.  THROUGH November 2nd.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SCARY MOMENT? It can be anything from a movie to a real life encounter.