Boys that Bite

Skater Boy - Try the First 3 Chapters Free!

2012-01-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

I've posted the first three chapters of SKATER BOY on Wattpad, if anyone would like to "try before they buy"!! Here's the link to read them!

Also, I'm going to be having guest bloggers and giveaways all February long!!! So come back and win!!

MARI

Soul Bound - SNEAK PEAK!!!!

2011-12-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

You asked for it, so here you go! A never before released excerpt for my March release, SOUL BOUND! (Book 7 of the Blood Coven series) This book is from Rayne's point of view...

**NOTE***
CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ "BLOOD TIES!!"

CHAPTER THREE

“I need to see Jareth. Now!”

Marcia, Jareth’s secretary (who used to work for Magnus and is decidedly the most annoying vampire in the known universe) looks up at me over horn-rimmed glasses. (I assume she wears them in an effort to give off that whole “sexy secretary” vibe, seeing as even the most nearsighted human gets twenty-twenty vision once they become a vampire.) She frowns.

“The Master has asked not to be disturbed,” she announces snottily before turning back to her romance novel.

“Oh, he means by other people, I’m sure,” I say quickly. “Not me. He’ll be happy to see me, I promise.”

Marcia makes a big show of looking up from her book again, as if I’m some pesky fly she can’t manage to shoo away. “Ecstatic as any mortal or vampire might be at the announcement of your illustrious arrival, the fact remains, I was told not to disturb him. And, I can assure you, there were no ‘except that weirdo Goth chick I’m hooking up with’ caveats to that order.”

I roll my eyes. She is so ridiculous. Is this what poor Sunny had to go through every time she wanted to meet up with Magnus? Well, sadly for Marcia here, I’m not my sweet little sister, respectful of authority and proper procedure and all the rest.

I start toward the office exit. Then I make a big show of looking down the hallway to my right. “Oh wow. I didn’t realize Race Jameson was coming in today,” I remark casually.

“Wait, what? Race Jameson?” Marcia stammers, her face turning beet red at the name of everyone’s favorite vampire rock star. She scrambles from her seat to take a look for herself.

It’s all the opportunity I need—dashing past her desk and pushing open the door that leads to Jareth’s office. Behind me, I can hear the secretary screaming bloody murder as she realizes she fell for the oldest trick in the book. Seriously, they should probably start administering IQ tests before turning people into vampires.

“I’m sorry, Master!” she cries, bursting into the room behind me. “I tried to tell her—”

But Jareth waves her off. “It’s okay. Thank you Marcia.”

“You want me to drag her out on her ass?” the secretary asks hopefully.

Jareth chuckles. “I don’t think that will be necessary. But I appreciate the offer.”

Marcia scowls. I shoot her a big smile. “Can you get me a glass of O-negative?” I ask sweetly. “Extra sugar? I’m sooo parched!”

The secretary glowers at me and slams the door behind her. I plop down into the chair across from Jareth’s desk. He gives me an amused look. “She’ll probably spit in it, you know,” he says.

I shrug. “That’s okay. I’m not thirsty anyway. Just wanted to make sure she felt useful and valued in her current position.”

“As always, Rayne, your thoughtfulness to the well-being of others simply astounds.” Jareth replies drolly. Then he turns serious. “So to what do I owe this visit? Not that I don’t love seeing you, but I am a bit busy this afternoon.” He sighs, looking down at the mounds of paperwork on his desk. “Sadly, being Coven Master isn’t as glamorous a job as it might seem.”

“I bet,” I say sympathetically. “And this isn’t going to make your day any better, I’m afraid.” I toss the envelope with my assignment down onto his desk. He picks it up and pulls out the paperwork, his pale face growing pinker and pinker as he reads.

“Those bastards,” he growls, crumpling the paper in his hands and tossing it across the room. “I should have suspected something like this.” He groans loudly, then looks at me. “You turned down the assignment, of course.”

“Well, not exactly . . .” I hedge. “It’s complicated.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Turning down an assignment to slay your own sister is complicated?”

“Well, kind of. I mean, look, I know you’re not a fan of Slayer Inc., but . . .”

“Not a fan?” Jareth repeats incredulously. I wince, realizing my bad choice of words. “Not a fan? Rayne, they murdered my whole family in cold blood.” He scowls. “Or did you happen to conveniently forget that little trivial fact about your precious employer?”

I sigh. Here we go again. God, at this point I can’t even count on both hands the number of times we’ve had this argument. In his mind Slayer Inc. is evil incarnate, out to destroy the world. And maybe they were, once upon a time. Hundreds of years ago under completely different management. (Unlike vampire political organizations, which have no term limits and whose rulers can live a thousand years or more, mortal Slayer Inc. officials tend to take the cushy retirement plan when they hit sixty-five.)

But how can you argue semantics with someone whose own sister and brother were targeted for annihilation for no reason at all, except for the unfortunate fact that they’d been turned into vampires as children. (The vampire who turned them had only wanted to save them from the deadly plague that had consumed much of Europe. But to Slayer Inc., child vampirism was—and is—an abomination.)

“I’ll never forget that day,” Jareth says, staring down at his desk, looking miserable. “The day we were asked to vote on whether or not to let Slayer Inc. in as an official police force for the vampire community . . .”

He trails off, but it doesn’t matter. He’s told me the story a thousand times before. How the vote was split right down the middle. How he was forced to become the tie-breaker. How his vote effectively established Slayer Inc. into the role they still hold today.

Of course he could have never known the consequences of his actions . . .

“It didn’t take them long to come after us,” he says in a hoarse whisper and I wonder suddenly if he even remembers I’m still in the room. “We held out for days in our family’s castle—trying to outlast the siege. But the blood ran out and our hunger overtook our good senses. We tried to fight our way out. But they were too strong.”

I walk around his desk, trying to put a hand on his arm—in an effort to comfort him. But he shakes it off, rising to his feet, his body seething with anger.

“I will never forget the look on my sister’s face as that damned slayer struck her in the heart with his stake.” His voice cracks. “She looked straight into my eyes, condemning me for what I had done—blaming me for her death.”

He stands silent for a moment, fists clenched at his sides, in such agony I can’t bear it any longer. I grab him, holding him tight against me, fighting his attempts to shake me away. Finally, his body slumps, as if in defeat, crumbling against my own, soaking in the strength I so willingly try to give him.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I can’t imagine what that would have been like.”

Half of me still wants to argue my case. That the Slayer Inc. of today has introduced so much good into the world—keeping the peace and saving so many lives. With their donor program, for example—which allows humans to be compensated for donating blood to vampires, rather than murdered as twisted cattle to satisfy the beastly hunger we vampires share.

But I know in my heart Jareth cares little for the thousands of mortal lives saved by my employer. He thinks only of those lives they have ended. His sister’s and brother’s—for a crime they didn’t commit. His parents—for trying their best to protect them. I guess I can’t really blame him for feeling as he does.

He looks down at me with bloodstained eyes. “And now they want to take away your sister,” he says slowly. “Just as they once took mine.” His face twists with rage and he shakes free of my grasp. “I won’t let them do that. I won’t be responsible for another innocent death!”

I squeeze my eyes shut in frustration, then open them again, entreating him. “But Jareth, you don’t understand,” I try. “Things are different now. Slayer Inc. doesn’t want to slay Sunny. Or Magnus, for that matter. They know Pyrus is a tyrant and they want to bring him down as much as we do. They’re on our side this time.”

“I will never, ever be on the side of Slayer Inc.”

I give up, walking around and slumping back into my chair. How can I argue with a vampire who holds a 700-year-old grudge?

“Look, I’m not asking you to sit around the campfire with them, singing ‘Kumbaya,’” I remind him. “Just let me work with them for now. Let Pyrus think I’m on the job. And in the meantime, Slayer Inc. can work to build their own case against him and his reign of terror. I mean imagine if they were successful! We could get rid of him forever. Magnus and Sunny could come back home. The Consortium could return to a democracy. These are all things I know you want, Jareth. And Slayer Inc. is the only one right now that can give them to us.”

My boyfriend rakes a hand through his blond hair. Considering vampires never age, he’s suddenly looking kind of old. I guess stress can do that to you.

“I see what you’re saying,” he says at last. “I can’t make a move against Pyrus while still running the Blood Coven. If he suspected disloyalty, he’d have me removed from power—leaving the vampires in my protection in danger.”

“Exactly,” I say, rising from my chair, excited he’s finally seeing the point. “So why not let Slayer Inc. do the dirty work instead? After all, that’s what you hired them for in the beginning, right?” I hold my breath, waiting for his reply.

“Right,” he says at last. “But I still don’t like the idea of you involved in any of it. It’s dangerous. And don’t think for a moment Slayer Inc. won’t throw you under a bus if it allows them to keep their cover. Are you prepared to deal with that possibility?”

I nod my head resolutely. “Absolutely. If it means saving my sister and Magnus—not to mention the Blood Coven.”

He stares at me for a moment and I stare back, my shoulders squared and my chin held high. Sure, I’m scared as hell, but he doesn’t need to know that right now. He needs to see my dedication to the mission ahead. He needs to know I’ll do whatever it takes to save my family. Just as he once tried to save his own.

And then he’s on me in a movement so quick I can scarcely track it, pulling me into a hot embrace, burying his face into the top of my head. I find myself melting into his arms, rejoicing in the feel of his strong body, pressed against mine. God, I love this vampire so much, it hurts sometimes.

“You’re so brave,” he whispers in my ear, stroking my hair with trembling hands. “So fierce. I wish I were more like you. Maybe then I would have been able to save my family, too.”

I open my mouth to protest, but he places a finger to my lips. “I don’t want to talk any more about the past,” he whispers. “I just want you to listen to me now.”

I nod slowly, meeting his beautiful eyes with my own.

“I love you,” he says. “And I trust you more than anyone in the world. If you say Slayer Inc. can help us—well, then I will respect your judgment and not interfere.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, knowing how hard it must be for him to make such a promise.

“And I will do anything I can—within my limited capacity—to help you keep your sister safe.” He pauses, then adds, “No matter what it takes.”

A chill trips down my spine at his words and I throw my arms around him, not wanting to let go. “I love you, Jareth,” I murmur as I cover his face with kisses before finding his lips with my own. “And I won’t let you down.”

PREORDER SOUL BOUND (Paperback or eBook)

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Get an eReader for Christmas???

2011-12-27T08:26:00.000-08:00

Get an eReader for Christmas? Well, I hope you will check out all my books available on Kindle and Nook!

FOR 99 CENTS:

Karma Kitty Goes to Comic Con (paranormal comedy) -- KINDLE * NOOK
Zombiewood Confidential (zombie story) KINDLE * NOOK

FOR $3.99

Skater Boy (teen romance) KINDLE * NOOK
Razor Girl (zombie post-apocalypse) KINDLE * NOOK
Moongazer (dystopian) KINDLE * NOOK
News Blues (chick lit) KINDLE * NOOK

FOR $9.99 (price set by my publisher)

Boys that Bite     KINDLE * NOOK
Stake That          KINDLE * NOOK
Girls that Growl KINDLE * NOOK
Bad Blood          KINDLE * NOOK
Night School       KINDLE * NOOK
Blood Ties          KINDLE * NOOK
Soul Bound (pre-order) KINDLE * NOOK
Blood Coven Vampires Volume 1 KINDLE * NOOK

LIST OF ALL BOOKS
KINDLE BOOKS

NOOK BOOKS

Liked Gamer Girl? Give Skater Boy a try!

2011-12-17T09:02:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to announce the first ever digital release of my young adult novel SKATER BOY. Originally published back in 2005 (as Sk8er Boy) it was my very first teen book and probably my most autobiographical. (Yes, I loved those skateboarders!!) It's a contemporary romance - think "Romeo and Juliet with text messaging" - and perfect for readers who loved GAMER GIRL.

The print version of the book has been out-of-print for a while and can be hard to find. But now, for the first time ever, I've been able to make the book available as an eBook. Right now on Kindle and Nook, but other formats will follow in the new year.

And best of all? It's only $3.99. So if you're still looking for a holiday gift for the Kindle or Nook reader in your life--or just need something to spend that B&N gift card your aunt sent you for Christmas on--I hope you will check out SKATER BOY!!

Here's what it's about!

Dawn Miller is sick of being good. Her parents have scheduled her to an inch of her life and her popular friends are boring her to tears. And the rich boy everyone wants her to date is more obnoxious then a five year old on a sugar high.

But then she meets Starr, the headmaster's punk rock daughter who refuses to play by the rules. Starr introduces Dawn to a whole new world of indy record stores, all night raves, and cute skateboarders who practice underneath a parking deck downtown.

Skateboarders like Sean, who's sweet and smart and utterly hot--everything Dawn's ever wanted in a boyfriend--and soon she finds herself head over heels. But deep down she knows her parents will never approve of this boy from the wrong side of town...and the lies she's been telling are starting to catch up to her. Will Dawn be forced to leave her newfound life behind...and lose her skater boy forever?

BUY FOR KINDLE

BUY FOR NOOK

Win a Kindle!

2011-10-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'll be hosting a book release party over at BITTEN BY BOOKS where I will be giving away a Kindle to a lucky attendee. If you go RSVP now for the party, you can gain extra entries to the contest! So what are you waiting for? :)

MARI

2011-09-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may still be thinking of starting the Blood Coven Vampires series or those of you who have read the series from the library and always wanted your own copy, this is a deal for you!

This Volume One edition contains the first two books in the Blood Coven series - Boys that Bite and Stake That. That's right - two books for the price of one! ($9.99.)

This also makes a great gift for the vampire fan in your life. :) I'll even autograph copies if you want to order by mail. Just email me (mari@marimancusi.com) for details!

I'm really excited about being able to offer up such a bargain to readers!! The official release date is Oct 4th!

xo
MARI

Limited Time Offer

2011-08-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST: Order an autographed copy of BLOOD TIES from me and I will throw in a young adult paranormal sampler, produced by my publisher at Penguin.

Cost is $9.99 for book, $2.50 for shipping. (Please inquire if international) Total of $12.49.

I buy the books from Barnes and Noble and then sign them, so your purchase will be going toward our mission to get Barnes and Noble to stock the Blood Coven books in their stores! I don't make a profit off of these - (besides my regular royalties) - I just want to make sure readers who want an autographed copy can get one - even if they don't live near where I am doing book signings.

Payment can be made by credit card, PayPal, check, or money order. Please email me: mari@marimancusi.com for details.

Thanks!
MARI

Blood Ties Release Day!

2011-08-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

Happy release day to me! Today is the official on-sale day for BLOOD TIES - book six of the Blood Coven Vampires series. I still can't believe, sometimes, how far the series has gone, considering at one time, I thought it would only be a three book series. But thanks to my amazing readers who demanded more and my agent, Kristin Nelson, who refused to give up, now we have a book six hitting store shelves!

And that's just the beginning. Book 7 - Soul Bound - will be out in March 2012 and I'm just starting to write book 8 - the final book in the series. (No title yet!) Also, there will be a special omnibus edition of Books 1 and 2 (Boys that Bite and Stake That) coming out in October. That's two books for the price of one. Yay!

I hope you will all get a chance to pick up Blood Ties and continue Sunny and Rayne's adventures. (This one is narrated by Sunny and features both Magnus and Jayden as well.) Remember, Barnes and Noble is not stocking the book as of right now, but they WILL take orders for it. So you can either buy it off their website at BarnesandNoble.com or go to one of their stores and ask them to order it (Just go to the information desk. You don't have to pay until it comes in a few days from now.)

It's also available as an e-book on all platforms.

Hope you enjoy the book and I'd love to know what you think!
xo
MARI

Where in the world is Blood Ties?

2011-07-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

In a perfect world, bookstores would stay in business forever and stock every book known to man. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world - we live in one where the book business as we know it is in danger. And that makes it very difficult for authors to make their books available to readers.

For example, Borders was a true Blood Coven fan. They stocked ALL the books - not just the new release. They even had a big display when Bad Blood first came out. So cool. Unfortunately, now they're out of business and so all those readers who depended on Borders to get their Blood Coven fix are out of luck.

Barnes and Noble, for some reason unbeknownst to me, has not been supportive of the Blood Coven series. They have not stocked the books. Some local stores have - because they placed individual orders - but countrywide, they didn't stock Night School and they're not stocking Blood Ties either. Wal*Mart stocked Night School, but chose not to stock Blood Ties.

Sucks, right? And not in a good vampire kind of way!

So where in the world can you find Blood Ties? Well, here are a few ideas.

1) Barnes and Noble! I know, I just got through saying they aren't stocking it. However, if you go there and REQUEST it, they'll get a copy in, just for you. You don't even have to pay until it arrives in the store. That is the number one, best way to get the book (even though it's a pain!) because it shows the bookstore they are making a mistake not stocking it - because people want to read it!

2) Online - You can always order a copy from a mail-order bookstore like Amazon or BarnesandNoble.com. If you're international, you can get it with FREE SHIPPING on BookDepository.com

3) E-Books - It's available on all e-book formats - Kindle, iBook, Nook, Kobo, Sony, etc. Buy it and read it in seconds! This is a great option if you own an e-reader.

4) Other bookstores. Books-a-Million has always been a Blood Coven supporter. If you have one in your area, they may be stocking the book. Smaller bookstores may also get it in. Or, again, you can always order it.

For me, this is very frustrating because I worked hard on this book and I want people to be able to read it. So I hope you will make an effort to go out and find the book, even if it isn't as easy as just grabbing the latest bestseller off the shelf. Sometimes stores need to be told what readers want to read - or they're just going to stock the books that publishers pay them to stock. (Those displays you see? Those are bought placement!!) So I hope you will join me in letting bookstores know that Blood Coven is a series to watch!

Oh and lastly, if you want to order a copy straight from me - you can do so by emailing me at mari@marimancusi.com. For $9.99 plus $2.50 postage, I can send you an autographed copy. Email for details.

HUGS and thanks for the support!
xo
MARI

German Cover for Blood Ties (Blood Coven #6)

2011-06-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

For German readers out there, they've finally released the cover of Blood Coven #6 - Blood Ties. Unlike in the US, where my publisher gives me a copy of the cover about six-eight months in advance to use in promotion, in Germany they prefer to wait until they send it out to major retailers like Amazon.com. So I only stumbled across the cover this morning when looking on Amazon.de!

The book will be out in August, the same month as the American version. Originally they were going to have it come out in July, but there was some delay with the translator, I'm told. Actually this is better because now the German and English fans can read the book at the same time!

You can pre-order the book on Amazon.de here. Hope you enjoy it!

MARI

Moongazer

2011-05-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you keeping track - I've now made three novels and two novellas available to Kindle and Nook readers. These are books that were once sold as paperbacks, but I now have the rights reverted.

Today I want to feature my dystopian romantic thriller - MOONGAZER. Moongazer is darker than most of my books, but I think it's one of my best. I actually first wrote it as a screenplay in college and then rewrote it as a novel a few years back. I had no idea at the time that dystopian novels would become so popular!

I hope some of you will check it out. This is my experiment - to try to offer books I've written that have gone out of print in an inexpensive e-format for those who want to read my backlist. If it's successful, I will upload some of the other out-of-print titles as well. As with the others, it is now available for download for just $2.99.

Here's a little sneak peak:

"An enthralling combination of The Matrix and Snow Crash with a bit of Blade Runner thrown into the mix." -- SF Scope

Imagine every night entering a nightmare world you can't escape and being told real life is a dream. Skye Brown has it all: the cool job, the hot boyfriend, the apartment on New York's Upper West Side. But lately she can't enjoy any of it. She's having dreams of a post-apocalyptic world. Of a bleak futuristic wasteland. Of a struggle against oppression. And she's been told she's a...

MOONGAZER.

But what is that? And what is reality? In her dreams, she's not Skye Brown at all, but Mariah Quinn. In her dreams there's Dawn, the beautiful yet haunted soldier, and Skye is but the empty shell of a girl he once loved. And there was a betrayal, a great betrayal. Ripped between Dark Siders and club kids, the mundane and the mystic, Skye must discover who she is, what she wants and who wants her. And why. But in the glow of the moon, it's not always easy to recognize the face in the mirror.

KINDLE VERSION
NOOK VERSION
SMASHWORDS (for all other e-versions)

Booksigning this weekend!

2011-05-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you in the San Antonio or Austin area - I'm part of the "Chills and Thrills Teen Book Tour" and will be signing this weekend in those two cities. The tour continues on to Houston, Dallas and some other stops after that, but I'll ONLY be in San Antonio and Austin.

Here's some more info for you, in case you want to come see us and get a book signed.

Authors signing are:

Tracy Deebs
Tera Lynn Childs
Sophie Jordan
Mari Mancusi
Lara Chapman
Jennifer Archer
Jordan Dane

and we'll be signing in:

Saturday, May 14th
La Cantera Barnes and Noble, San Antonio
12-2 p.m.
(Btw, Rick Riordan is signing right after us, in case any of you are interested!)

Sunday, May 15th
BookPeople, Austin
2-4 p.m.

For more info, check out our website at: http://chillsandthrillsteenbooktour.wordpress.com/ It's got all the info on our books and who we are, along with addresses, etc. for all our stops. Hope to see you at one of the stores!

Kindle Novellas - 99 cents

2011-05-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

For those of you looking for funny, quick reads, I've posted two of my novellas on Kindle and Nook for 99 cents. They were originally part of anthologies put out by Dorchester, but now I've got the rights back and want everyone to have the chance to read them -- without having to buy an entire book!! So instead of paying $7.99, you can have them for 99 cents each! :)

Check them out below!

Karma Kitty Goes to Comic Con

Comic book creator Hailey Hills has no idea what she's in for when she arrives at New York City's Comic Con for the first time. But when a pair of magical boots manages to turn her into a real life Karma Kitty--the superhero of her own creation--Hailey suddenly finds herself battling ninjas, pirates and a past love she's tried desperately to leave behind.

Full of geeky cool and humor, this novella was originally published in paperback as part of the "These Boots Were Made for Stomping" anthology.

Kindle Version

Nook Version

Zombiewood Confidential

Take one low budget zombie film set, a young makeup artist and the Hollywood hearthrob she's been in love with since she was a teen. Add a couple hundred zombie extras--who've become a little too realistic for their own good--and you've got Zombiewood Confidential, a campy, zombie novella with action, humor, romance, and, of course, plenty of braaaaaains.

For those who like horror and humor combined. Originally published as part of the "My Zombie Valentine Anthology."

Kindle Version.
Nook Version

Thanks for letting me share! I'm so excited to be able to bring back these stories and make them available to readers through e-publishing!!

Mari

Night School SALE on Amazon

2011-04-28T06:42:00.001-07:00

Amazon has NIGHT SCHOOL on sale for $4.00! That's over half off the $9.99 cover price! I don't know how long the sale will last - but if you are still waiting to get your copy, now's the perfect time! :)

Mari

Razor Girl

2011-04-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I used to write adult books as well as teen books. This was one of them. It's called Razor Girl and it takes place in a zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Anyway, it was originally published by Dorchester in mass-market (with a different cover), but they had some financial troubles and so I was able to get my rights back on this book - and then republish it in e-book format! I'm so excited to be able to have it available to readers again. I've put it up for $2.99 - much cheaper than it was in paperback or previous e-format. But I want readers to have a chance to experience the book!

Remember, it is not a YA, so it does have some adult content. :) You can buy at Smashwords for most e-book formats or on Amazon for Kindle.

Here's the summary:

THE WORLD HAS ENDED, MOLLY. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?

Molly Anderson is not your average twenty-one-year-old. It's been six years since she and her family escaped into a bunker, led by her conspiracy theorist father and his foreknowledge of a plot to bring about the apocalypse. But her father's precautions didn't stop there. Molly is now built to survive.

Yes, Ian Anderson's favorite book gave him ideas on how to "improve" his daughter. Molly is faster, stronger, and her ocular implants and razor-tipped nails set her apart. Apart, when--venturing alone out of the bunker and into a plague ravaged, monster-ridden wilderness--what Molly needs most is togetherness. Chase Griffin, a friend from her past, is her best bet. But while he and others have miraculously survived, the kind boy has become a tormented man. Together, these remnants of humanity must struggle toward trusting each other and journey to the one place Molly's father believed all civilization would be reborn: The Magic Kingdom, where everyone knows it's a small world after all.

Hope you have a chance to check it out!
Mari

Blood Coven Vampires Volume One Cover!

2011-04-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to be able to share this cover with you at last! This October, Penguin Books is releasing a two-in-one volume of the first two books in the Blood Coven Vampire series. So this book will contain Boys that Bite and Stake That in one volume for one low price. (I think it's $8.99!) What a deal! I'm so happy to be able give brand new readers a chance to start the Blood Coven books at a great introductory price. After all, there will be 8 books in the series all together! That's a lot to buy!

It also makes a GREAT holiday gift for the vampire lover on your list! :)
Mari

My schedule for the Romantic Times Convention

2011-04-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you attending the Romantic Times Convention in LA this week, here is where you can find me:

Wednesday, 3:30-4:30pm -- YA Panel: Rebel Without a Cause: Is a Bad Boy Really Good For a Girl?
Holly Black, Simone Elkeles, Sarah Rees Brennan, Cassandra Clare, Mari Mancusi, Richelle Mead

Friday 9:30am -- Club RT - Come chat with me, one-on-one, get an autograph (autograph cards available) and a chance to win free books!

Saturday, 11am-2pm -- Giant Book Fair

This is open to the public, so if you live in the area, come by to meet me and get books signed! Details are on my website, so be sure and check out my signing policies. There's a $5 admission fee, but you can also see all these authors.

Saturday, 2:30-3:30pm -- Author Speed Dating - Teen Day Event! This is a meet and greet of YA authors, one-on-one - 5 minutes per author! Sign up if you want to participate.

Saturday 5:45-7pm— Teen Party!!! Come hang with me and celebrate YA fiction with food, drinks and giveaways!

Also, I'll be tweeting my location if you want to stop by and say HI. Or you can email me if you want to meet up somewhere. If I'm free, I'm happy to chat! I'd love to spend the conference hanging with readers! After all, that's why I'm attending in the first place! :)

MARI

Mari Mancusi, Night School

2011-03-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a video I shot with the lovely Kirkus reviews just before my book party at Book People in Austin. I talk about the Blood Coven Vampire series.

More Fan Art to share!

2011-02-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

Round-up of the latest Fan Art of Gamer Girl and Blood Coven. I know I've said it a million times, but my readers rock! I wish I could still draw... :)

welcome to the fantasy world by ~foxy21a72 on deviant ART

Allora "gamer girl" by ~sk8rmal on deviant ART

Gamer Girl by ~Ree-Uh on deviant ART

Rayne by ~lopez4 on deviant ART

Jareth by ~vane18410 on deviant ART

Stake that by ~Bibi2010 on deviant ART

Rayne McDonald by ~ARIANNA-13 on deviant ART

I love my readers!

2011-02-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

So sweet! The Blood Coven roleplayers sent me a gift package in the mail today - filled with awesome stuff--including a handmade Twilight card. So adorbs!

If you're interested in joining them roleplaying - head over to Facebook and message "Magnus Coven". But you must be a fan of the series - they actually have a test, I'm told, to make sure you know your stuff before you join! :)

Thanks again guys! You made my day!!!

MARI

Some new Gamer Girl fan art!

2011-02-08T08:27:00.000-08:00

As always, I am in awe of my readers' talent!

gamer girl maddy by ~sistersgrimmfan on deviant ART

Maddy aka "Gamer Girl" by ~HighFang on deviant ART

Finding Night School

2011-02-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

It makes me sad to hear that a lot of you are searching for Night School and are unable to find it at your local retailer. I thought I'd do a post to explain why this might be the case.

The book industry right now is in serious transition. Big stores like Borders and Barnes and Noble took over the marketplace some years ago - putting a lot of the indy stores out of business. I mean, who doesn't want to go to a big store with great coffee and a billion books? Problem is, evidently not enough people to keep all those stores open. Both big chains have struggled and now Borders is likely filing bankrupcy and closing 150 stores. (I'm praying for a last minute intervention, but it's not looking great.)

In order to deal with the trouble they're in, these stores have changed up their inventory. For example, they'll add a "Build a Bear" section or maybe sell CDs or DVDs. That limits the number of books they can stock. They also choose to stock books that are BIG bestsellers. So you'll see a whole wall of, let's say, Vampire Academy, but they won't stock some of the smaller titles, like Blood Coven, because they're not as much of a "sure thing."

I mean, think about it. If you had a business that was struggling, wouldn't you want to stock your shelves with what you KNOW people want, not take a chance on what they MIGHT want, if they saw it?

So they pack the stores with bestsellers and books that publishers pay to have promoted. (In other words, those front tables and new release shelves? Those are paid placement. So if an author's publisher won't or can't pay for placement, you get stuck on the shelves, spine out, if you're stocked at all.) And that leaves what they call "midlist series" like Blood Coven off the order list. They just don't know if enough people will want to read it - and in this economic climate, they can't take any chances.

The problem is - if you never expose readers to new books, they'll never know they exists, and then yes, they won't buy them. So it's a self-fulfilling prophesy.

I don't blame bookstores for trying to stay in business. I WANT them to stay in business - as a reader as well as a writer, I love bookstores. I love wandering through them, I love smelling the books. I love that coffee shop! But it's sad to hear when readers come and say they can't find my book in their favorite store.

Another specific problem with Borders right now - some publishers are afraid to send them books, in case they go out of business and can't pay for them. So even if a store like Borders - who has been awesome about supporting the Blood Coven series - wants to stock the books, they might not get to - unless they sort out their current financial situation. (Which I sooo hope they do!)

SO...what's a reader to do? I think we need to start changing the way we buy books. The bookstores, remember, are reacting to what they see on the cash register reciepts-nothing more. But there are ways to show them what books we want to read, beyond the bestsellers.

Here are some options:

1) Go to the store (or call) and order the book. They will get in ANY book in the world if you order it. It usually only takes a few days and you don't have to pay until it arrives--great for readers without credit cards. I believe you can also go online and order it to be shipped to a store.

2) Go to the store's website and order the book online. Takes a credit card or gift card, but they'll mail it right to your front door within a couple days.

Why this is good to do: It shows bookstores what books people want to read. If B&N got a flurry of orders for Night School, you'd better believe they'd start stocking it on their shelves. I know it's more of a pain and requires two trips instead of one, but if you believe in a series and want it to continue - you must work to support it.

Other options:

Buy Independent. You can find an indy bookstore and tell the bookseller you love the Blood Coven series and think he or she should stock it. Indy bookstores love to hear from their customers - they are not a big corporation and have more control over stocking books. So if they know you love it - they'll probably get at least a couple copies in. (Make sure you come back and buy one--to support their interest.)

Buy Online: There are tons of online bookstores (Amazon, etc.) that will sell you any book in the world. If you have a credit card, this is the easiest way to do things. It doesn't help on getting big chains to carry the book, necessarily, but it does help with Bookscan numbers, which is a way publishers keep track of sales. If everyone bought from Amazon, they could go to B&N and say "Look how popular this book is! Are you sure you don't want to stock it?"

Buy e-book: While I beg you not to pirate a free copy of the book, if you want to buy an e-copy, there are tons of ways to do it now. You can either read it on your e-reader or just download it to the computer and read it that way. Or even to your smart phone. This is probably the wave of the future of books, though I know not everyone likes it right now.

Email me: I don't know if every author would do this, but I will always accept direct orders from readers. Just send the money over PayPal and I can ship you out a book. (Autographed, of course!)

Ask your librarian: They have a budget to buy a certain amount of books each year. Let them know what you want to read! They're usually very open to suggestions and can help you get the book.

WHAT NOT TO DO - never just walk out of a store and accept the fact they don't have a book you want - thinking you'll just try somewhere else. Instead, march right up to the front desk and tell them what you want! How will the bookstores ever know we don't want a store just full of Twilight and James Patterson if we never tell them? Remember, they're in customer service, they want you to be happy! But sometimes you have to let them know what will make you happy! (Blood Coven books on the shelves - whoo hoo!)

And lastly - once you acquire and read the book - tell people about it! With diminishing shelf space, there is less and less chance of a reader accidentally picking up a Blood Coven book to read. I rely so much on people reading the books and then telling their friends. Or blogging about the books or talking about them on Facebook. That is the BEST BEST BEST way to overcome the bookstore distribution hurdle.

So there you have it. A billion ways to get Night School (or any other smaller series) in your hot little hands. Now you have no excuse! :)

But seriously - I want to close by thanking you all. You guys are so dedicated to the series - and have made writing it a tremendously awesome experience for me. I just feel fortunate to have the ability to share my stories with you -- not matter how you end up acquiring them!

xo
MARI

PS Lastly - for those who are international, I'd suggest a great website called Book Depository. They will ship FREE (yes free!) to anywhere in the world! You cannot beat that deal!

The Blood Coven Continues...with Soul Bound!

2011-01-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

I know you guys are still waiting for Book #6 - Blood Ties (and I know some of you have not yet read Night School (#5) since it just came out this month--so many books so little time!) but I did want to let you know there is more Blood Coven in the future!

There will be eight books in the series total and #7 - which I'm actually writing right now - will be out in MARCH 2012. It will be in Rayne's point of view and the title is SOUL BOUND.

Book #8 will be out in fall 2012. Not sure an exact date yet - probably October. We don't have a title as of yet.

So....good news all around! Thanks so much for supporting the series - they're a lot of fun to write and it makes me happy to know so many people are enjoying them.

As always, for the latest news, please refer to my Facebook page. I update there almost daily and hardly ever remember to write in the blog. :) Once I reach 2,000 followers on the page (which I think we're within 20 now!) I will be releasing a sneak peek of BLOOD TIES.

xo
MARI

Austin Signing at HEB on Saturday

2011-01-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

For those readers in the Austin, TX area, I will be signing all the Blood Coven books (including Night School) this Saturday (January 15th) at the Pflugerville, TX HEB

WHEN: Jan 15th from 12pm-2pm
ADDRESS: 1434 Wells Branch Pkwy, Pflugerville, TX

Please come and see me and say hi! I'll have free bookmarks to give away, too!!

Hope to see you there!
xo
MARI

Night School Release Day!!

2011-01-04T05:41:00.000-08:00

The wait is over! Today is the official release date of NIGHT SCHOOL - Book #5 in the Blood Coven series!!

So where do you get your copy? Well, here's the rundown so far:

* Borders - confirmed sightings - they've had them out a week early. They also have all the backlist if you need to catch up.

* Barnes and Noble - ~~so far no confirmed sightings~~ got a couple of reader sightings!
* Books a Million - confirmed sightings from readers

* Wal*Mart - ~~haven't had confirmed sightings yet, but I'm told they will stock the book.~~ CONFIRMED SIGHTING FROM READER IN AUSTIN! :)

ORDERING ONLINE

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Borders

IndieBound

Book Depository - FREE SHIPPING TO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!! (Great for international buyers!)

DOWNLOADING THE E-BOOK

Kindle

Nook (Barnes and Noble)

Sony

I assume iBooks has it too, but I can't give you a direct link. You'll have to download from the ap.

This will be updated once I start getting more confirmed sightings. But, in the meantime, go forth and find the book! :)

xo
Mari

Gamer Girl Fan Art

2010-12-10T13:48:00.001-08:00

Pulled from Deviant Art. Love it!!!

Gamer Girl - Maddy and Allora by ~camicuti97 on deviant ART

Allora- Get Your Gamer Face On by ~TrafficTetris on deviant ART

You guys are just too, too creative!
Mari

Night School Giveaway - One Day Only!

2010-12-02T05:24:00.000-08:00

The BOOK CLUB is giving away an advanced, autographed copy of NIGHT SCHOOL. You must go to their website and answer the followig question:

In the 2004 movie "Christmas With the Kranks", who does Spike Frohmeyer want the Kranks to free?

Remember, DON'T post the answer here. Post it over on the BOOK CLUB blog in the comments section.

They're giving away awesome prizes all month long, too!

Good luck!!!
Mari

Sunshine and Rayne Art

2010-11-16T11:19:00.001-08:00

Awesome Sunshine and Rayne fan art! :)

Rayne and Sunshine-Blood Coven by ~Calaidia on deviant ART

Love this Gamer Girl artwork!!

2010-11-01T13:24:00.001-07:00

These artists are very talented, don't you think!?

Fan Cover: Gamer Girl by ~Chibitalia-tan on deviant ART

Gamer Girl by ~demondoll47 on deviant ART

Gamer Girl by ~Karutt on deviant ART

Night School Book Video

2010-10-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

Check out the book video I made for NIGHT SCHOOL. Only 72 more days!!

Pre-Ordering Night School

2010-10-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

We're three months away from Night School's release! So I thought I would do a little round-up of where you can pre-order the book if you want to make sure to get it on release day!! Last January Bad Blood sold out of a lot of retailers on day one and it took them a few days to get more copies in--so if you want the book day of, this is the one way to ENSURE you will get it on time. :)

Amazon.com

Borders

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide and currently 25% off! A great deal for foreign readers!)

Agnes & Robertson (Australia)

Chapters (Canada)

Also, since I'm getting asked this a lot - Night School will be available on Kindle and other e-book formats. I don't know if it will be available on release day or a couple weeks later. Bad Blood was available for e-book download immediately but Kindle took a little longer. But fingers crossed Night School will be available from the start on all formats!

:)
MARI

Video Book Reports

2010-10-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

Found this video book report about Boys that Bite on Teacher Tube. :) I love when students feature my books in book reports. So if you've done one, please feel free to let me know and I'll post it for everyone to see!

Come see me tomorrow in Texas!

2010-09-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, I'll be doing a talk, reading and signing tomorrow at 2pm the Haslet, TX Public Library (just north of Ft. Worth). Hope to see some of you there! You can bring your own books for me to sign or I'll have some for purchase.

Here are the details: Hope to see you there! Feel free to email me if you have questions!

Haslet Public Library
100 Gammill St.
Haslet, TX 76052
(817) 439-4278

Some more fan art

2010-09-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

Did I mention I **love** fan art? Here are a few new drawings I've found:

jareth and rayne by ~babyj213 on deviant ART

Sunny McDonald by ~Unique-Winds on deviant ART

Rayne McDonald by ~Unique-Winds on deviant ART

Sir Leo by ~MangaWarrior5453 on deviant ART

Allora by ~sakurahinata23 on deviant ART

Allora by ~Sakura-Uchiha93 on deviant ART

Allora The Elfen Mage Princess by ~KemmiTheFox on deviant ART

Another Great Vamp Series - Go Check it out!

2010-09-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

If you like the Blood Coven Vampires series then I know you love vampire series with humor. So you need to be checking out my fab author friend Lucienne Diver's books as well. The first was VAMPED and the second, which just came out, is called REVAMPED. So much fun! In Revamped, the newbie vampire heroine Gina--who's like one of the popular kids--has to go undercover as a goth girl. Which is funny because it's like the exact opposite of Girls that Growl where goth girl Rayne had to become a cheerleader! :)

Anyway, you can learn more about Vamped and Revamped--and possibly win an iPod!--at the Bitten By Books event here.

Mari

Blood Coven Vampires Book 6: BLOOD TIES

2010-09-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

At long last I can reveal the cover for Blood Coven Vampires Book 6, Blood Ties! This comes out in August AFTER Night School (which is out in January.) Yes, two Blood Coven books next year! Yay! And the cover is sweet!!

The final battle is brewing between Vampires and Slayers. But for Sunny McDonald, the true war is being fought over her heart.

Though now officially back in the arms of her vampire boyfriend Magnus, Sunny finds she still can't forget the gentle mortal Jayden who once saved her life. And when the darkness threatens to steal his humanity, Sunny finds herself with a choice. Stay true to Magnus and the Blood Coven or defy them in a desperate attempt to save Jayden’s soul.

Meanwhile, the Blood Coven is gearing up for its toughest fight yet--going head to head with a splinter group of Slayer Inc who's regrouping in Tokyo, Japan, still determined to take over the world. In dark blood bars and hidden temples, it'll be Vampires vs. Slayers in a showdown that could cost Sunny not only her heart...but also her very life.

Fan Art!

2010-08-24T06:31:00.001-07:00

Lovely Sabrina from Germany drew this picture of Sunny and Rayne for me. I love Rayne's fangs!!

New Excerpt of Night School...

2010-08-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

People have been asking for a second excerpt of Night School. Well, I'll post one when I get 2,000 people to "like" my Facebook page! If you'd like to keep up with all things Blood Coven and role play with the other vampires, please join us!! :)

Also, if you haven't already, don't forget to sign up to become a vampire in training!

Dallas/Ft Worth area Blood Coven Fans

2010-08-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

For those of you in the Dallas/Ft Worth area - I will be doing a talk, reading, and signing at the Haslet Public Library Saturday, September 18th at 2pm! Come out and meet me!!

Mari

Blood Coven eBooks

2010-08-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd write out a list of where you can get the Blood Coven books via eBook, for those of you who like the instant gratification of downloading instead of heading to the bookstore/library. The series is available in all formats. And if you don't have an e-reader, but you do have an iPhone or an iTouch - then you can download a FREE ap to read iBooks from Apple or Kindle books - right from your iPhone/iTouch. Which is, let's just say, awesome. No more running to the bookstore!

Kindle e-books (USA)

Kindle e-books (UK)

iBooks from Apple (Download iBook ap on iPhone/iTouch/iPad and then search "Mancusi")

Nook (from Barnes and Noble)

Sony e-books

Night School - the cover!!!

2010-06-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

Yay - I can finally reveal the cover of NIGHT SCHOOL! So pretty, isn't it? It'll be released in January! Hugs to Heather Brewer for the fab quote. She's been an honorary blood coven member since day one!

NIGHT SCHOOL

Vampires, Slayers and...FAIRIES? Sunny and Rayne McDonald are about to get SCHOOLED.

After their parents' shocking revelation about their fae heritage and an attack on their lives, the McDonald twins find themselves on the run--forced to hide out at Riverdale Academy , a boarding school for vampire slayers, deep in the Swiss Alps. With no cells, no internet, and no way to contact their vampire boyfriends--the twins are on their own.

Being a vampire stuck in a school full of slayers isn't easy. Especially with no blood substitute stocked on campus. Soon Rayne finds herself succumbing to her bloodlust and losing control--especially around the arrogant, but devastatingly handsome Corbin Billingsworth the Third--who isn't sure whether he wants to kiss her...or kill her.

But when Sunny starts acting strange, Rayne realizes Riverdale Academy may be hiding some deadly secrets of its own--leading to a showdown in Fairyland that may cost the twins their lives.

Night School Excerpt

2010-05-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be posting an extended Night School excerpt once I reach 1,000 fans on my Facebook page. I'm already up to 963 so please join us if you want a sneak peek! Also we've set up some Blood Coven roleplaying characters - hope you will join in the fun!!

Mari

Back Cover of NIGHT SCHOOL (Blood Coven Vampires #5)

2010-05-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

I know I've been giving hints here and there on my Facebook page, but here's the official back cover summary of NIGHT SCHOOL - Blood Coven #5! It comes out in January 2011 and is back to Rayne's point of view. (But Sunny's a big part of the story, too!) And yes, Jareth and Magnus are part of the story as well.

Night School

Vampires, Slayers and...FAIRIES? Sunny and Rayne McDonald are about to get SCHOOLED.

But when Sunny starts acting strange, Rayne realizes Riverdale Academy may be hiding some deadly secrets of its own--leading to a showdown in Fairyland that may cost the twins their lives.

Sunshine's Blog and a playlist

2010-04-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

This was sent to me by one of my lovely Blood Coven readers!! For a school project Maria actually created the blog Rayne wanted Sunny to make in Boys that Bite about her experiences turning into a vampire. She did a great job, too! Check it out!!

http://sunshinemcdonald.blogspot.com/

In addition, she made a Boys that Bite soundtrack. You can hear the songs on the blog, but here's the track list. What do you think?

BOYS THAT BITE SOUNDTRACK:

Broken: Evanescence
Comatose: Skillet
Hanging By a Moment: Lifehouse
Monster: Skillet
My Happy Ending: Avril Lavigne
My Heart: Paramore
Yours to Hold: Skillet
What Hurts the Most: Rascal Flatts
Whispers in the Dark: Skillet

Sunshine and Rayne Art

2010-04-24T15:33:00.001-07:00

Found this on Deviant Art...so cute!! :)

Sunshine and Rayne by ~Kiuolo on deviant ART

Blood Coven Update!

2010-04-13T09:43:00.001-07:00

A little video update for you on the Blood Coven future!

Adventures in Easter Baking!

2010-04-04T15:51:00.001-07:00

As in Peeps sushi. Jacob found this blog entry yesterday and I couldn't resist. After all, Peeps are like my favorite food in the entire universe!

First I gathered my supplies. CVS didn't have fruit roll-ups so I substituted them with some kind of sour strip candy. It didn't work as well--not sticky enough--so if you're crazy enough to try this at home I'd suggest real fruit roll-ups.

Then I started beheading my peeps!

It was a sticky process...

But well worth it in the end!!

And there you have it! Peepshi! Just in time for Easter.

Marianne

Book 5

2010-03-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting on breaking this news, because I have NO DETAILS yet and I know you guys will have a ton of questions, but I've decided I can't wait any longer. :) Yes, there WILL be a Book 5, published in the United States. Working title is "Night School" but it may change. As for release date, all I've been told is "early 2011." My guess would be January - exactly one year after Bad Blood's release.

So yay!!! No one will have to learn German! :)

The book is told from Rayne's point of view and the majority of it takes place at a secret slayer boarding school, deep in the Swiss Alps. Rayne and Sunny are hiding out from the (well, you know, if you read Bad Blood!) but find that they may be in even MORE danger from what's going on at the school.

And that's all I'm saying for now! Hopefully sometime over the next couple months I can post an excerpt.

MARI

Blood Coven at Barnes and Noble!

2010-03-26T12:10:00.001-07:00

Great news for Blood Coven fans! Barnes and Noble is now carrying the entire series backlist - so you can get any of the books (with new covers) - Boys that Bite, Stake That, Girls that Growl, or Bad Blood - just by heading to your local B&N store!

Of course, as always, make sure you call or check online before you go - as you don’t want to get there and find out they’re sold out or a particular store didn’t receive their shipment yet. But looking at their website I can see a good majority of the stores have them available.

The Blood Coven revolution continues! And look for a big official announcement about Book 5 very, very soon!

MARI

Book 5 in German has a title!

2010-02-25T09:38:00.001-08:00

Found out the German title for Book 5 today!

Beiß mich, wenn du dich traust

- which, translated, I'm told means:

"Bite me, if you dare!"

So cute! The book will be released in Germany in August. The editor said she loved it - I hope you guys will, too! We're now negotiating Books 6 & 7 in German.

For the rest of you, we're still hanging out, fingers crossed, waiting for my US editor to read Book 5 and hopefully commit to publishing it. Keep spreading the word about the series to your friends - the better it does, the more likely it will continue!

xo
MARI

MWAH!

2010-02-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day weekend! I love you all!!!!

MWAH!

xo
MARI

Sk8er Boy Fan Video!

2010-02-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

Came across this today - a fan video of my old Sk8er Boy book. I love who she picked out to play all the characters!!

Gamer Girl Fan Art

2010-02-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

I hadn't featured any GAMER GIRL fan art for a while, so I thought I'd post some today. You guys are so creative! Maddy would be so impressed! :)

MARI

gamer girl sir leo by ~kittycatmg6 on deviant ART

Sir leo redone gamer girl by ~kittycatmg6 on deviant ART

GAMER GIRL m y v e r s i o n by *XCloseXToXNothingX on deviant ART

Allora by ~4ever-artist on deviant ART

Gamer Girl: Allora by ~WinxClub-Riven on deviant ART

Gamer Girl- Maddy by ~AnimeArchAngel24 on deviant ART

Allora 8D by ~Akatsukifanatic on deviant ART

Bad Blood on Kindle

2010-01-25T03:51:00.001-08:00

I know many of you have asked, so I'm pleased to say BAD BLOOD is now on Kindle! :) Go forth and download! :)

BAD BLOOD - AMAZON KINDLE.

MARI

Dog Sledding!

2010-01-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Vermont! I'm up here this week shooting ski related stories for my day job at Better TV. And today was a special treat. Something to check off of the list of things to do before I die....I got to go dog sledding!!! And let me tell you, it was so much fun! And the dogs were great. So strong. One of them had actually done the famous Iditarod race in Alaska five times - and won three!

Anyway, if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend it. Such a thrill. Faced paced and fun! (And only a tad stinky.)

I took a little iPhone video to illustrate the awesomeness.Check it out!

Mari

The winners of Mari's Christmas Book giveaway!

2010-01-16T04:39:00.000-08:00

Cherie
Vampire Rayne
Simply Stacy
Jamie - jbbird@
Sarah - Seriously Kooky
Eva - eva.s.black@
danitza_07
Bianca - infinitemusic
Roxanne Rhoads
mleger0546
cfisher1504
Erica
theboockellar(at)wi.rr.com

If you see your name here, email me at mari@marimancusi.com and tell me your top three preferences for books and what you already have so I can try to avoid duplicating! Here's the list you can choose from. First choice is given in the order your names are listed above. (That's the order they were drawn by Random.org.)

Also in the email, give me your mailing address so I can get the books out to you!

Bad Blood (autographed) - Mari Mancusi
Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
Blue Bloods (complete 4 book series) - Melissa De La Cruz
Morganville Vampires (complete 8 book series) - Rachel Caine
Morganville new trade paperback (containing first two books in the series)
The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker (autgraphed)- Leanna Renee Hieber
Shadowland AUDIO BOOK (Immortals series) - Alyson Noel
Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
How to Ditch Your Fairy - Justine Larbalestier
Gentlemen - Michael Northrop
Ransom my Heart (Princess Diaries) - Meg Cabot
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (book 2 of Ally Carter's Galagher Girls series)
Rampant (autographed) - Diana Peterfreund

Thanks for ALL of you who entered! There were so many of you -- it was so great. I'm definitely going to have make this an annual Christmas tradition!!!

:) MARI

Christmas Giveaway Contest Closed for Entries!

2010-01-15T03:07:00.000-08:00

Thanks, everyone, for entering my big book Christmas giveaway! I'm thrilled with all the participation!! I so have to do this kind of contest again sometime. :)

In any case, it's the 15th so the contest is closed to new entries. Now I need a little time to figure out the winners. I'll work on it over the weekend and let you know ASAP!

Thanks again! I can't wait to send out all your books!

MARI

NYC Booksigning this Thursday

2010-01-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

For any of you in NYC, I hope to see you at my booksigning on Thursday at 6pm at Books of Wonder.

Address: 18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
Books of Wonder phone: (212) 989-3270.

I will be reading and signing BAD BLOOD. In addition to me, you'll get to meet Carolyn MacCullough who is reading from ONCE A WITCH and bestselling British author Philip Reeve, who will eb signing Here Lies Arthur, which I sooo have to pick up myself!

Also, if you can't make it, you can order a signed copy from Books of Wonder (they'll ship it out to you after the signing) by going to this website or by giving them a call. They are an awesome independent bookstore so we should all try to support them!

For more info, click here.

Mari

Want a signed copy of Bad Blood?

2010-01-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

I have added Bad Blood copies to my Amazon storefront. If you want an autographed copy, you can purchase them here. Please specify if you want the book personally autographed to a specific person or if you just want the book signed by me. I do accept International orders.

The first three books are also available for autographing.

MARI

Bad Blood - Sold Out?

2010-01-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

I've been hearing stories of stores selling out of Bad Blood and ~~Amazon also is currently out of stock~~ They got more in! This is why it's really important to call first before you go. Sometimes demands exceeds expected supply - which is a good thing in a way - it means people want the book! - but it also sucks if you went to the store to get it and come home empty handed. :( Make sure, if the bookstore's sold out, you tell them to reserve you a copy when they get a new shipment in. This way you'll know it's at least on its way.

Borders has an in-store guarantee program that if the book is not there, they will not only order it for you, but ship it to your house for free. Also they've been very supportive of the Blood Coven series in general and would be my first place to try for a copy of Bad Blood or the other books in the series.

* UPDATE 1/6* I noticed that Barnes and Noble seems to be getting the books in slowly, store by store. Some stores had them before release date, some stores are just getting them today, some stores still don't have them yet. So again, check their website or call before you go. Also, right now I don't think they stock the first three books--just Bad Blood. So if you need those, you'll have better luck at Borders. Or you can always order them online.

Hugs!

MARI

Bad Blood Release Day: A Field Guide

2010-01-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

Okay I know you are all as excited as I am about BAD BLOOD's impending release. But before you run out tomorrow to your local bookstore, here are some things to keep in mind:

1) It is most likely to be stocked at all major bookstores - Barnes and Noble, Borders, Books a Million etc. That said, that does NOT mean they will just have it sitting out on the shelf on release day. Sad but true. Sometimes bookstores have boxes and boxes of new releases show up at the same time and it takes them a while to stock them. Especially when their store may already be kind of torn apart from the Christmas crowd.

2) Before you go, do one of two things: go to the bookstore's website and see if they have a "FIND IN STORE option." Here are the options for Barnes and Noble and Borders. Both have a "Find in store by typing in your zip code option."

Barnes and Noble

Borders

Then you can select "Pick up in store". They'll pull the book for you and keep it behind the register so no one can buy it before you get there. (And it saves you the trouble for hunting for it.)

3) You can always call the store. I know, I hate calling, too. But I hate it worse when the store doesn't have my book.

4) If you show up to the store and it's not on the shelf - ASK. Do not walk out without asking. Again, I know it sucks to have to talk to the clerk - I feel that way too. But you want the book, right? Tell them! They more than likely have it out back and just have to find it. Also- just think. You're forcing them to find the books and book them on the shelves - which means other people will then be able to find them too!

5) If you ask and they still can't find it, ORDER it at the store. It's simple. You give them your email address and they order you one. About 2 days later, you'll get an email saying come pick up your book. You don't even have to pay until it's in stock so there's no harm in doing it if you eventually find it somewhere else in the meantime. If you don't pick it up, they'll just put it on the shelf for someone else to buy.

6) If you can't find a store, buy it online. Amazon.com, Borders.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Powells.com, Chapters (for Canadians) A lot of times the books online are cheaper so you make up the shipping costs. I always encourage people to support local Indy stores. IndyBound.com is one I really like.

7) If you prefer to read it online or in an e-book format, FictionWise is one retailer that will have it to download. Barnes and Noble has a version for the Nook. Amazon doesn't seem to have a Kindle version yet, but hopefully they will at some point, as I know the other three books are available via Kindle.

8) Please DO NOT DOWNLOAD IT ILLEGALLY! I beg of you. I haven't seen any downloadable copies yet, but I'm sure at some point soon they'll pop up. But here's why I am asking you not to do it. And yes, I could give you the lecture about it really being stealing, blah blah blah, but in this case I have a WAY more important reason. The publisher has NOT committed to a book #5 in the series and is waiting to see how sales of Bad Blood do before they decide. Therefore, if everyone pirates it and doesn't buy a copy then they'll think no one's interested in reading the next book and won't buy it. And then the next book will not be released in any form in the US. Which would suck cause I'm almost finished writing it and it's coming out really good!! :) Sooo if you're a fan, please buy the book, don't pirate it, and I promise to keep the series going for a long time!

9) Once you read it - email me and let me know what you think. But also if you can, post a review. I'd love to see reviews on Good Reads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc. This helps other people make the decision on whether they want to try the book. Blogging and Facebook and Twitter are other good ways to spread the word. Again, not to sound like a broken record, but the fate of Book #5 is in the balance! :)

10) ENJOY!!!

And that's all. I can't wait to hear what you think!!! :)

Mari

Mari's Big Christmas Gift Giveway to Readers!!

2009-12-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

I have a motherload of YA Books to give away to thank you all for being such loyal readers!! Here's the list of what's up for grabs!

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
Blue Bloods (complete 4 book series) - Melissa De La Cruz
Morganville Vampires (complete 8 book series) - Rachel Caine
Morganville new trade paperback (containing first two books in the series)
Shadowland AUDIO BOOK (Immortals series) - Alyson Noel
Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
How to Ditch Your Fairy - Justine Larbalestier
Gentlemen - Michael Northrop
Ransom my Heart (Princess Diaries) - Meg Cabot
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (book 2 of Ally Carter's Galagher Girls series)
Rampant - Diana Peterfreund

Soo...how do you win? Well, I need you to work for it!

1 entry for re-blogging or re-tweeting or posting on Facebook contest info and link

2 entries for becoming a Facebook fan or following my blog or Twitter (mariannemancusi)

3 entries for re-blogging or re-tweeting about Bad Blood's release with link to www.bloodcovenvampires.com website

4 entries for writing a review for one of the Blood Coven books and posting it on a website such as Amazon, B&N, Borders, GoodReads, etc.

5 entries for taking a photo of yourself holding a Blood Coven book in your hands and posting it somewhere.

10 entries for showing me proof that you pre-ordered Bad Blood (or after it's out, showing me that you bought it with a photo or a reciept)

REMEMBER TO COMMENT BELOW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU DID!! Winners will be announced on January 15th.

Happy Holidays!

MARI

Blood Coven Sims!

2009-12-21T17:50:00.001-08:00

Also on Deviant Art...Sunny, Rayne, and Mom as Sims!!

Stake That Fan Art by ~Chuckyfan4lyf on deviant ART

More Gamer Girl art!

2009-12-21T17:47:00.000-08:00

Found on Deviant Art. Love this!!

Ceiling Tile by ~dramapixie97 on deviant ART

Win the Blood Coven series!

2009-12-19T06:05:00.001-08:00

My fellow Lost Boys fan girl Donna over at Lit Bites book blog is giving away the first three Blood Coven books to a lucky reader. Go forth and enter and good luck!!

:) MARI

Give the Gift of Blood Coven (REVISED!)

2009-12-08T14:06:00.000-08:00

I figured out a way to make it easier for people who are interested in giving the gift of Blood Coven books this year. I've set up an online store on Amazon where you can purchase the books directly from me. They'll cost the same amount as buying them from Amazon normally, but I will mail your copies to you directly--personally autographed to the recipient of your choice and including fun extras like bookmarks and a Blood Coven Vampire in Training membership card.

I figure this is more official/easier than dealing with PayPal or having you mail in the books (which you can still do if you prefer!)

When Bad Blood is released, I will add that to my list of books as well!

To access the Amazon store, you can go here.

Gamer Girl Sketch

2009-12-07T07:46:00.000-08:00

Found this one on Deviant Art. She did a great job! Obviously we know what Maddy looks like from the cover, but it's always fun to see what people think the other characters look like...in this case, Chad. I'd love to see someone draw some of the minor characters - like Billy or Black Raven. :)

Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi by ~EternalLunalight on deviant ART

Perez Hillton and Glee!

2009-12-04T08:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a busy day for me. I had two different celebrity shoots to cover. First up was celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. He was irreverent as ever, but a lot of fun to chat with!! He has a new book out - True Bloggywood Stories.

After Perez, it was off to Bryant Park where Marshalls/TJ Max was doing a Carol-oke event with the cast members of Glee. I've never seen Glee, but let's just say the boys Puck and Finn have a lot of excited female fans!!

Also there, as you can see from the photo, was Nicki Blonsky, who starred in Hairspray with Zac Efron. And 2nd season American Idol contestant Kimberly Locke.

I was not the only one there taking pictures!

Corey forgets the lyrics...

Real men rock pink guitars and reindeer antlers!! (Sad this came out so blurry!)

After the presentations I interviewed everyone for my segment.

And took some photos! :)

All and all it was a fun event. And the fact that it was like 60 degress made it even better!

Mari

Give the Gift of Autographed Blood Coven

2009-11-25T06:41:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

Did you know Blood Coven books make great holiday gifts? :) Especially if they're personally autographed copies, made out to the person on you're giving them to! But how do you get your hands on one of those? Here's a few ways:

1) If you send me the cost of the book ($9.99 plus $3.00 shipping) either by mail or over PayPal, I can send you out autographed copies directly.

2) If you mail me the book you bought in a store and enclose return postage, I can autograph and mail it back to you.

3) I can mail you a "book plate" which is basically an autograph sticker, which can be stuck inside your copy of the book. Just email me if you want this. No worries on postage since this will just be the cost of a stamp.

EMAIL ME (mari@marimancusi.com) if you're interested in any of the above options and we'll talk details!

MARI

Vampire in Training Packets Round 2

2009-11-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

I've mailed off Round 2 of the Vampire in Training membership kits today. So if you signed up to join the Blood Coven and gave your complete mailing address (not just your street name, people! The post office needs city, state and zip!) then you should receive your packet in a few days! Welcome aboard!!

For those of you who haven't yet taken the plunge, what are you waiting for? :) It's fun and it's free! And you not only get cool stuff like a vampire in training membership card and exclusive Blood Coven magnet, but you also get an opportunity to read the first three chapters of Bad Blood!!

good stufz. free. that's all I'm saying!

:)
MARI
PS I'm also mailing out bookmarks today to those of you who sent me your addressses. Thank you for helping me pass them out and spread the word! I've still got more. Emailz me!

Want to help pass out bookmarks?

2009-11-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Any volunteers want to help the Blood Coven by passing out bookmarks to friends at school? If you email me your address, I'll send you Bad Blood bookmarks to pass out. You just have to promise me you'll actually do it, lol, cause it costs me postage money to send them to you!!! :)

xoxo
MARI

For Booksellers!

2009-11-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Hey Booksellers -

If you're looking for some holiday schwag, I've got some Blood Coven Vampire bookmarks to give away to your customers! Just email (mari@marimancusi.com) me your address and I'll get them right out to you!

As for the rest of you - you'll get bookmarks for you and your friends if you JOIN THE BLOOD COVEN! :)

MARI

Blood Coven Memberships

2009-11-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

I'm told the Blood Coven sent out their first round of membership packs to some lucky applicants this week! They're a bit behind though so don't worry if you haven't gotten yours yet. If you signed up and sent Magnus your complete mailing address, you should get your kit in the next couple weeks!

Hope you like them!!
Mari

Want an Exclusive Sneak Peak of Bad Blood?

2009-11-13T14:09:00.001-08:00

...then Join the Blood Coven. I'll be sending out a never before seen excerpt of Bad Blood this weekend to all vampires in training!

I'm also creating membership packs to mail out. Members will get their Vampire in Training membership card, bookmarks, and a Bad Blood magnet. So make sure you sign up if you want in on the goodness!

Have a good weekend!
:)
MARI

The Blood Coven Display

2009-11-12T11:32:00.001-08:00

Check this out! Berkley was nice enough to send me one of the floor displays for the Blood Coven re-releases. This is what they've sent to Borders stores across the country. It's soooo pretty! My first ever floor display. I feel like this is some kind of writing milestone I should celebrate!!!

And yes, Jacob was nice enough to let me display it in the living room! :)

In case you're wondering, I put both versions of the books in there cause I thought it looked nice. Obviously in the real stores they'd only have the new covers.

Anyway, just wanted to share!

MARI

Virtual Release Party Begins!!

2009-11-11T10:47:00.001-08:00

Go over to Bitten by Books to celebrate the relaunch of the Blood Coven series with me today! I'm answering questions and giving away an iPod Nano or $100 giftcard to Amazon.

Hope to see you there!! :)
MARI

Blogging over at my agent's blog today

2009-11-09T15:21:00.001-08:00

My blog tour continues as I travel cyberspace to promote the Blood Coven!! :)

Today I'm over at my agent, Kristin Nelson's, blog, talking about how for a while the future of the Blood Coven series seemed very dim indeed, but through determination and stubborness galore, we were able to get not only Book #4 published in the US, but also the revamped first three books!

Hope you'll take a few moments to stop by and read. And for those of you in similar situations, or just trying to get your first book published, I hope it will be a story of inspiration for you. I know the book business is tough. But you should never give up. Never surrender. :)

MARI

Win an iPod Nano or $100 gift card!

2009-11-08T16:47:00.001-08:00

Want to win an iPod Nano or a $100 gift card to Amazon.com? Well, come over to Bitten by Books on Weds November, 11th - where I'll be giving one away to a lucky reader during my virtual release party!

RSVP for the party now and get bonus contest entries!! Then on Weds come back and chat with me and fellow readers and enter to win!

Hope to see you there!

MARI

Join the Blood Coven!!

2009-11-07T19:50:00.001-08:00

Want your very own Blood Coven Vampire in Training plastic membership card? Well, head over to BloodCovenVampires.com and apply to join the Blood Coven today! (It's totally free!)

Mari

Blog Tour Continues!

2009-11-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

Today I'm over at the awesome Story Siren blog, answering questions about writing and the Blood Coven. Enter to win the newly revamped 3 book series!!

:)
Mari

Blood Coven Cover Story and chance to win

2009-11-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

The fabulous Melissa Walker has posted the story behind my Blood Coven covers on her blog today. Go read, comment, and win a new Boys that Bite book!

Get thee to Borders - this week!

2009-11-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

Starting this week, the wonderful Borders Bookstores will be carrying the BRAND NEW Blood Coven Vampires "revamped" novels in their new teen INK section of the stores! Go forth and buy and support the bookstore that supports the Blood Coven!! :)

I thank you all in advance for your continued support!! Remember, the more books we sell, the more chance I have of my publisher publishing Book #5 - NIGHT SCHOOL - in the US. :)

Long live the Blood Coven!!
xoxo
Marianne

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-31T21:12:00.001-07:00

You may be surpised to hear this, but Halloween is not my favorite holiday. As someone who dresses up at various events all year long, it sort of seems like amateur hour. Nothing against it, mind you, it's just I like to save my truly unique, creative costumes for bigger events like DragonCon or ComicCon, where people take costuming seriously.

In any case, I pulled this costume off, last minute, with things I already owned. (I have a bit suitcase full of costume items at my apartment.) In case you can't tell, I'm supposed to be a Catholic School Girl cat. ^_^ Figured it was kind of mangaesque.

Sadly, in this photo, you can't see my tail. But check out my Skelanimals skirt! I LOVE the skelanimals!! The hat is something I bought handmade from last year's New York Comic Con. Label says "Boshi-Basiik". It's sooo cute, huh? The shirt belongs to Jacob, as do the rosary beads, from his days in Catholic school.

What did you guys dress up as?

Happy Halloween!!
Mari

Rayne's Letter to Vlad!

2009-10-29T03:07:00.000-07:00

So turns out Rayne has been busy, while waiting for sister Sunny's BAD BLOOD to come out. She's writtten an open letter to a boy named Vlad, the half-vampire, half-human star of the amazing Heather Brewer series, The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd. It seems Rayne thinks she's got the perfect solution for Vlad's vampire problems.

Check it out here. Do you think Vlad will respond? What should he say?

MARI

Get Goosebumps!

2009-10-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

For all you fans of Goosebumps out there, just in time for Halloween, I went to an event at the Scholastic headquarters and got to meet R. L. Stine, creator of the Goosebumps series. (As well as many other fine series!) He was really great - so funny and nice. And he really seems to love his readers.

His advice to those of you who want to become writers? Read a lot and write everyday - even if you're just writing in a journal. Good advice - that would be mine as well! You can't write if you don't read. :)

Here we are together. Notice he's not smiling. That's because he's supposed to be scary!!! :) You can't see him in the picture but right behind him was Slappy the puppet!

If you want to check out the webcast I went to, you can do that on the Scholastic website.

Mari

Have you applied to join the Blood Coven yet?

2009-10-27T12:21:00.001-07:00

I just got a sneak peek of the beautiful Blood Coven Vampire in Training membership cards! Have you signed up to join the Blood Coven yet to get yours?? You can do so online at www.bloodcovenvampires.com

Tell Lord Magnus I sent you.

:)
MARI

BRAINZZZZ...

2009-10-19T12:26:00.001-07:00

All this lovely wedding talk makes me want to post something completely gross and disgusting! And since I'm off to see Zombieland at the movies tonight, what better than to post a photo of me dressed up as ZOMBIE BO PEEP from DragonCon. Yes, I found my sheep and ate their brains!! MWAHAHHAA.

Scared? You should be!! :)

I love zombies. I've written two Zombie stories. A post-appocalyptic pilgramage to a zombie-infested Disney World called RAZOR GIRL and a story called ZOMBIEWOOD CONFIDENTIAL for an upcoming anthology called "MY ZOMBIE VALENTINE."

BRAINZZZZZZZZ

Razor Girl came out last summer. My Zombie Valentine is out in January!

The brand new Blood Coven website!!!

2009-10-16T05:10:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for this day for a while now! I have a gorgeous new Blood Coven website launching today! It was designed by the amazing Kim Ku - web diva extraordinaire.

There's lots of info and downloads and othe fun stuff. Including a Bad Blood countdown like I have on this blog. So go check it out!!

BloodCovenVampires.com

Or something more princessy?

2009-10-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

Here's another wedding dress option. It's much more fancy than the first one I posted. It's also more fitted and the skirt is fuller. On one hand, I'd LOVE to feel like a princess and I'm sure this dress would do it. On the other, it's Texas, outside and hot. Is this too formal?

Mari

Another wedding poll

2009-10-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

You guys had great thoughts on wedding cakes so here's round #2.

Yay or nay to this dress?

The reasons I like it: It's simple but classy. My wedding is going to be outdoors so I need something light and breathable, unlike a big fancy ballgown you might get if you were getting married in a cathedral. Also I like lace rather than satin because I think it looks more vintage--almost victorian. I might even go for ivory instead of white if I got this one.

Thoughts? :)

MARI

Need a Favor!!

2009-10-08T08:51:00.001-07:00

Hey guys -

If you got a second, can you go post a comment over on my YouTube video page? Tell readers you like the Blood Coven series!!! And if you have YouTube accounts - plz plz favorite and add to your page!!! I'm trying to spread the word before the re-releases and Bad Blood comes out!!!

Thanks -- you guys rock!

xoxo MARI

Wedding Planning!

2009-09-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

So as if the re-release of the Blood Coven Vampire books and the upcoming Bad Blood wasn't enough - two weeks ago I actually GOT ENGAGED! Yes! To the love of my life, Jacob. I couldn't write a better happily ever after than that! We are best friends and like the same things - just perfect for one another.

Anyway - mush over. So now that I'm engaged I'm planning a wedding! We're getting married in April in Kingsland, Texas, where Jacob's parents have a beautiful house on the lake. It's an awesome spot and perfect for a wedding.

Now I just need a dress. And a cake! And, well, a billion other things but those are two fun things to find! First we'll look at cakes, then move on to the dress.

Now I know there are a billion traditional cakes out there, but they're all kind of boring. How cool would it be to have a gothed out cake instead?!

Check these amazing cakes out!!!

What do you think? Goth wedding cake or stick with something traditional? :)

Mari

New Boys that Bite!

2009-09-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

I got my author copies!! They're sooo pretty!

On store shelves soon!!!
Mari

Blood Coven Video Blog Update

2009-09-16T06:36:00.001-07:00

Sorry so wide - I forgot to turn off the HD setting on my camera!

Facebook - finally!

2009-09-14T12:06:00.001-07:00

I finally created a Blood Coven fanspace on Facebook for those of you who don't like MySpace (or want to join both!) You can check it out and join here.

While I've had a personal Facebook page for a while, I'm not 100 percent familar with the whole fan page stuff. So I hope you guys will help me out and join and contribute to the page!!

:)
mari

Blood Coven re-boot ALMOST HERE!

2009-09-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

So as many of you know, Berkley has "re-booted" my Blood Coven Vampire series and the release date for the first three re-packaged books is fast approaching. They say we'll start seeing them in stores in the next couple weeks, with the roll-out continuing through November. In addition to the beautiful new covers, they have new back cover copy and I've gone through and updated all the pop culture references and made a few other minor changes. For example Girls that Growl will now end with the cliffhanger ending it was originally supposed to have. I had taken it out originally because we weren't sure if the fourth book would ever be released.

Speaking of the fourth book...Bad Blood is out in January! Not too much longer!! In this book, we go back to Sunny's point of view. And it takes place in the city of sin - Las Vegas. After writing the book, I had a huge urge to go back and visit. Hope to do that in the next year or so. Unfortunately, for those of you who like to collect book editions, there will only be a "new cover" version of Bad Blood - so it won't match your other books if you have the square older editions. It's not a choice I get to make, so I apologize!

Anyway, for those of you who have not yet read the series, here are the new versions and their new back cover copy. You can go to my website for excerpts. Except for Bad Blood - gotta be my MySpace friend to get that excerpt. :)

Two sisters—as different as the sun and the rain. For one, getting into the Blood Coven is to die for. But for the other, getting out could be lethal…

When Sunny McDonald gets dragged to Club Fang by her twin sister Rayne, she doesn’t expect to find anything besides a bunch of Goth kids playing at being vampires. But when some guy mistakes Sunny for her dark-side-loving sister and bites her on the neck, she finds out that his fangs are real—and deadly.

Now, Sunny has less than a week to figure out how to reverse the bite, or else she’s going to end up as the perpetually undead. And not only will she be a vampire, she’ll also be bonded to Magnus—the bloodsucker who bit her—forever. And forever is a really long time…

Two sisters—as different as the sun and the rain. For one, getting into the Blood Cover is to die for, but it seems destiny has something else in mind…

Rayne McDonald had it all figured out. Get turned into a vampire, become the mate of the Blood Coven leader, and live the high-life for all eternity. Too bad the head vamp took a bite out of her twin sister by mistake. Now, not only is Rayne still not a vampire, but she learns she’s a slayer instead—destined to destroy vamps gone bad.

After being recruited by a secret organization, Rayne is given her first mission: infiltrate a seedy bar downtown and expose its vampire owner, Maverick, for purposely spreading a nasty blood virus. Luckily the Blood Coven sends some help—in the form of sexy vampire Jareth. Will vampire and slayer be able to settle their differences and work together to bring down the evil Maverick? Or will they find their own hearts on the line?

Rayne McDonald thought getting into the Blood Coven was the hard part. But now there’s a new breed of trouble in town…and the former slayer and her vampire boyfriend may be the only ones who can stop it.

Now that she’s an official vampire and full-fledged member of The Blood Coven, Rayne assumes her vampire slaying days are over. Sure, she doesn’t have any vampire powers, thanks to a mutated blood virus, but she and Jareth can go out in the sun, which is a pretty good trade-off.

But just when Rayne’s starting to enjoy her afterlife, she’s contacted by Slayer Inc once again. It seems that a member of her high school’s football team has disappeared—and the powers-that-be think the cheerleaders had something to do with it. Now Rayne has to infiltrate the squad before the cheerleaders have a chance to sink their teeth into someone else…

Sunny McDonald is in the ultimate forbidden relationship. Her boyfriend Magnus is a vampire, and the leader of the Blood Coven. Their differences have never been an issue, until now…

When the Blood Coven decides that Magnus needs a mate to be his co-ruler, Sunny’s humanity puts her out of the running. The Coven’s chosen candidate is Jane Johnson, a magna cum laude graduate of Oxford University who just happens to look like a vampiric celebutante.

Sunny is suspicious of a Rhodes Scholar who can’t answer the most basic poly-sci questions, but Magnus brushes it off as petty jealousy. Still, when the Blood Coven goes to Las Vegas for a vampire convention—where Magnus and Jane’s bonding ceremony will be the main event—Sunny and her sister Rayne secretly tag along. And Sunny’s not going home before she learns the truth about Jane. Because not everything stays in Vegas—especially bad blood…

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker

2009-09-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you who like Victorian gothic novels, I've got a recommendation for you. It's actually written by an author friend of mine - my goth dancing partner in crime, to be precise, named Leanna Renee Hieber.

Here she is in all her victorian glory at her book release party this past Monday. Isn't her costume totally amazing? She says in another life she was born a victorian lady and I so believe it!

The book is really cool. Very beautifully written - almost lyrical. Here's the back cover blurb.

What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Considering how few of Queen Victoria’s Londoners knew of it, the great Romanesque fortress was dreadfully imposing, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met the powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadow, the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She knew simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow-white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gifts. But this arched stone doorway offered a portal to a new life, an education far from the convent—and an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death….

Anyway, you can find The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker at bookstores in the romance section. I highly recommend it! :)

Mari

Home from DragonCon

2009-09-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

I'm home from Dragon*Con. Am tired, as would be expected, but it was worth it. Still, we crammed a lot into three days. I spoke on five panels, played Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Simi" in the parade, and changed in and out of a lot of costumes.

The panels at Dragon*Con were great- better, I think, than most of the romance industry conventions I've spoken at. The audiences were large and engaged and asked really good, on-topic questions. And I got to learn some stuff myself - from my highly esteemed co-panelists. Cherie Priest cracked me up the most on Vampires vs. Zombies. (She took the side of vampires. I was zombies. Definitely a worthy opponent.)

I also got to panel with (among others) Heather Brewer, Richelle Mead, Stacia Kane, Susan Sizemore, Carol Nelson Douglas, Caitlin Kittredge, Jackie Kessler and Mark Henry. The Urban Fantasy people are so much fun. Definitely my kind of writer peeps.

Here I am at the "Blood and Fur" panel with Richelle Mead and Heather Brewer. YA Vamp authors unite! :)

The panels were all really well attended, which I love!

So anyway - moving on to costumes. Day one I did a steampunk inspired outfit. Dress is from Lip Service, waist cincher handmade and bought off Etsy. I did the wristbands myself from leather and stuff I found at Michael's. Steampunk goggles are from Gothic Rennisance. The clockwork butterfly necklace is also from a vendor off Etsy. It was super cool. Oh and the Victorian lace-up boots were actually from Payless!

Leanna was a beautiful Victorian lady in honor of her new book, "The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker", which was just released.

Costume #2 was me as "Simi" the demon from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. Sherrilyn asked Jacob and I to be in the parade as the official Simi and Acheron (her Dark Hunter hero) We got to ride in a Shelby Mustang in front of thousands of people. It was quite an experience!

Jacob dressed as Michael Jackon on day #1. The geeks at the con were slightly confused, but the people of Atlanta loved him!

That night, we met up with Liz, Cheri and Chris for a Time Traveller's ball.

Check out Liz's hair and top hat!

There were a lot of fabulous costumes at the Time Traveller's Ball. Some pretty, some disturbing.

One of my favorite panels at the Con was with Malcolm McDowell of Clockwork Orange fame. Actually just before the panel we found ourselves sitting one couch over from him! He was just hanging out. I wanted to go up and say hi but I felt too nervous and also didn't want to be intrusive. His panel was great though - learned a lot about the behind the scenes of one of my favorite Kubrick films.

Later - when I find someone with a good pic, I will upload the piece de resistance - my Zombie Bo Peep costume. It is a work of art, let me tell you. Very disturbing art! I got a lot of attention from it, which was fun!

:)
Marianne

Who's going to see the new covers first?!?

2009-09-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

The new Blood Coven covers are ALMOST here! Argh. It's so hard to wait!! But I think you'll start seeing them sometime beginning in September. There's not like an official release date cause they're not new books - but supposedly they'll start showing up in stores any day now.

Sooo who's going to be first to find them? I think we should do a contest! First to find and take a photo of the book - either on the shelves or (preferably) in your hands wins!! I'll come up with a good prize, too. :)

And the countdown begins for Bad Blood as well - four more months til we get that in stores. Unlike the reprints, that book DOES have an official release date: January 5th. A great thing to spend your holiday money on, lol!

Anyway, that's all I've got for now. Believe me, I hate waiting as much as you guys do!!

MARI

Dragon-Con - My Schedule

2009-08-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

For any of you who might be attending this year's Dragon-Con convention in Atlanta, GA, here's my workshop schedule. Hope to see some of you there!! :)

Mari

Title: A Writer's Guide to Goth & Punk
Time: Fri 01:00 pm Location: Montreal / Vancouver - Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Explores ways that writers can create believable and accurate goth and punk characters.

Title: Blood and Fur
Time: Fri 10:00 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: Books about vampires and werewolves are enjoying a flight in popularity. Learn about new blood and the hair-raising resurgence in this growing genre.

Title: Time-Travel and Paranormal: What is it and How Do I Write It?
Time: Sat 11:30 am Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong - Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: The Pros of Time-Travel and Paranormal fiction discuss and answer questions about this fast-growing genre.

Title: Vampires vs. Zombies
Time: Sat 05:30 pm Location: Montreal / Vancouver - Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Authors judge the pros and cons of the living dead.

Title: Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy
Time: Sun 10:00 am Location: Montreal / Vancouver - Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Comparing and contrasting two similar but distinct genres.