Nicole Zoltack has stopped by today to tell us her favorite top ten villains, and it's quite a list! I know a few of my favorites are on it (#2, #5, and #8). Take it away, Nicole!
Top Ten Villains
Loki – When he says kneel, you kneel.
Hannibal Lector – He's so creepy. And smart. And cultured. Strange mix but it works.
Maleficent – By far the scariest of the Disney villains. Who goes after a baby because they weren't invited to a party? I'm intrigued by the upcoming movie.
The Nazis – What they did was unspeakable.
Bellatrix Lestrange – As villainous as he who shall not be named. She enjoyed torturing and killing people. Need I say more?
Hans Gruber – I love Die Hard and I love Alan Rickman so it's no surprise he makes my list.
Norman Bates – A perfectly creepy psycho.
The Joker – Maniacal and calculating with a clown face and a crazed laugh.
Dark Phoenix – There's nothing more heart-wrenching than watching a hero turn dark and destroy an entire galaxy.
Magneto. So sympathetic at times and yet so ruthless too. I can't wait to see the new X-Men movie!
Who's your favorite super villain? Is your top ten list completely different than mine? With so many great villains out there, there's bound to be some differences!
After destroying Skull Krusher, Nicholas Adams thinks Falledge is safe and becomes a security guard at the museum, watching a valuable statue. Unfortunately, the Egyptian statue houses the soul of a scorned witch, biding her time to have her revenge on the descendants of her cheating lover.
Kiya the witch isn't the only new foe in town as the drug that created Skull Krusher has now transformed a scientist into yet another monster, forcing Nicholas to don his Black Hellebore mask again and save Falledge.
Nicholas has no help this time as Kiya gains possession of his love Julianna's body and brings the soul of Justina, Nicholas's high school sweetheart and Julianna's twin, with her. Despite himself, Nicholas is torn between the sisters. If he can't stop the fiends from taking over the world and destroying humankind, he'd never be able to find lasting, true love.
Nicole Zoltack loves to write in many genres, especially romance, whether fantasy, paranormal, or regency. When she’s not writing about knights, superheroes, or zombies, she loves to spend time with her loving husband and three energetic young boys. She enjoys riding horses (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!) and going to the PA Renaissance Faire, dressed in garb. She’ll also read anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV show is The Walking Dead. To learn more about Nicole and her writing, visit http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com.
Wow! Can you believe it is the last day of the challenge? Where did April go? Although I'm not participating in A-Z on this blog, we authors at Untethered Realms are talking about fantastical creatures. Be sure to stop by!
It's
the first Wednesday of the month, so you know what that
means ... it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group
meeting. IWSG was created by the awesome ninja captain Alex J.
Cavanaugh, and you can find out the other members of the group here.
Today I have a special post from Nicole Zoltack. Her newest release Black Hellebore will be released on October 21st.
Thank you, Cherie, for having me today! I really appreciate it.
With every release date, an author melts into a puddle of nerves and insecurity. Myself included. For months now, I was counting down the days until Black Hellebore released on October 1st. As the date neared, I grew even more nervous because my cover wasn’t finished. And it still isn’t so needless to say, Black Hellebore isn’t released yet. It's new release date is October 21st. A setback, but hopefully it won’t cost me sales since I told everyone and their brother and mother and sister it was releasing on the first. All I can do is wait and hold my breath. I’m sure the cover will be well worth the wait.
Have you ever had to push back a release? What kind of a cover would you envision for a superhero romance?
I'm sure the cover will be well worth the wait, Nicole!
About Black Hellebore: Once a year for the past decade, Nicholas Adams returns to Falledge and leaves a black hellebore on his girlfriend's grave. While departing Falledge, he chases after a man sneaking into the laboratory and dies for his trouble. A witch brings him back to life, but Nicholas soon realizes he's not the same man. Turns out, magic combined with a black hellebore in his pocket changed him into a kind of a super man.
His girlfriend's twin, Julianna Paige, is Falledge's deputy, struggling to solve several murders. Nicholas, and his alter ego the Black Hellebore, helps her, even as she helps him move on and even start to love again.
Unfortunately, Nicholas wasn't the only one changed in the laboratory explosion, and now there's a supervillain bent on destroying Falledge, and killing the Black Hellebore. But falling in love might prove more dangerous than any supervillain.
About the Author: Nicole Zoltack loves to write fantasy/paranormal, romances, horror, historical, for adults and young adults, novels, short stories, and flash pieces. She doesn't want to get boxed in by genre -- she might be claustrophobic! She's also an editor for MuseItUp Publishing and works as a freelance editor.
When she isn't writing about girls wanting to be knights, talking unicorns, and zombies, she spends time with her loving family. She loves to ride horses (pretending they're unicorns, of course!) and going to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, dressed in period garb. Her favorite current TV show is The Walking Dead.
I could use a little price-matching help, if you have a moment. I'd like to make Magna's Plea, a YA Epic Fantasy short story, free on Amazon/Amazon UK. It's already free on Smashwords, Nook, Kobo, iTunes, Wattpad, and Goodreads.
All you need to do is go to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F45NMJW and/or Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00F45NMJW. Find where it says, "tell us about a lower price" and click on it. [By the way, if you go to the page, and it says $0.00 for the price, then it means Amazon finally price-matched.]
Then, you need to click on "Website (Online)."
You fill in the information: url link, price 0.00, shipping and handling 0.00, and click "Submit feedback."
You can use these links for the URL where Magna's Plea is free.
I'm hoping Amazon makes the story free by the time Magna's Plea officially releases on October 21st.
Thank you!! And I apologize for not visiting blogs as much lately. I've been so very busy lately that all my time at work has been on other tasks. I'm hoping to catch up a bit by the end of work Thursday, or early next week at the latest.
Today, I'm also participating in the cover reveal for Crystal Collier's Moonless.
Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.
Crystal, author of MOONLESS, is a former composer/writer for Black Diamond Productions. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Website
Teaser
Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone
can play along! Just do the following:
1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from
somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make
sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the
book for others!)
4. Share the title & author, too, so that
other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your
teasers!
A Sight for Sore Fangs by Nicole Zoltack Book 4 of What You See Is What You Get 56% on Kindle He was testing her, and she knew it. Vampire seers were reckless indeed.
Do you have a teaser? What are you currently reading?
Book Description: Aislinn of Bairdhe dreams of becoming a lady knight to honor the death of her fallen brother. To her mother's horror, King Patrick grants Aislinn's wish and she begins her long years of training.
Despite the mockery of the other pages, and the disdain of Prince Caelan who also trains to be a knight, Aislinn commits herself to her dreams and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and bravery. Through the years, Aislinn and Caelan grow from sparing classmates to good friends. They both know that someday Caelan will marry for the sake of the kingdom, but even that cannot keep them from falling in love.
The threat of war with the Speicans is a constant threat, and one that grows more frightening as she and Caelan train toward their eventual knighthood. Aislinn has committed herself to serving Arnhem, and has promised herself as King's Champion when Caelan claims the throne. She is willing to give up everything... her childhood, her life, even her heart for Arnhem. No matter the pain it brings.
Book Description: Sir Geoffrey, along with some companions, has been sent away from Arnhem, entrusted by Queen Aislinn for a special mission, and has to leave behind the mysterious lady Celestia. On his journey, he uncovers seeds of a sinister plot, learns a horrible secret, and makes a new friend in exile Jenanna.
Their mission completed, Geoffrey and his companions rush to two different kingdoms to ask for aid. Danger and betrayal lurks around every corner, and even allies have secrets that could prove deadly. Geoffrey's feelings for Celestia grow and wane. After learning some of Celestia's secrets, he begins to have second thoughts about his love for her and is even drawn to Jenanna
Rumors abound that the Speicans have enlisted a mage of their own, to work unspeakable, forbidden magic. The war between Speica and Arnhem has just begun. Will Geoffrey survive the battle to live another day and discover which woman he truly loves?
Title: Champion of Valor, Book Three of the Kingdom of Arnhem series Author: Nicole Zoltack Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. (May 2011) To Purchase: Desert Breeze Publishing
Book Description: The Mystical Conch Shell of the Sea has been stolen, and it's up to Selliki, the selkie, to get it back. Selliki sets across the continent of Alethereia to find Arnhem, and Gabrael, the mage she loves. Selliki knows that no union between a selkie and a human have ever had a happy ending, but neither can ignore their feelings. Each night, they experience terrible, real dreams that show how doomed their love is.
The final war between Speica and Arnhem is threatening the entire world. Lucifer has aligned himself with Speica and wants nothing less than to bring about the Apocalypse before its time. In the last battle, cowardice is revealed, promises are broken, and many people die. Trolls fight icthyocentaurs, dwarves armed up against the Drow, angels against demons. Only one kingdom will prevail; that is, if the world doesn't end.
Stay tuned tomorrow when I announce the winner of Nicole Zoltack's Woman of Honor and the winner of the notecards/other great gifts Nicole is giving.
Today I'd like to welcome Nicole Zoltack to my blog. Her newest book, Champion of Valor, comes out today! Take it away, Nicole.
Hi, everyone, Nicole Zoltack here. First I want to thank Cherie for having me here today and kicking of Champion of Valor's blog tour!
Today I want to talk about fantasy creatures.
Fantasy creatures have their roots in myths and legends and throughout history. Unicorns are mentioned in the Bible. Chinese culture holds dragons in high regard. Tales of the Loch Ness monster have been told for generations. Paranormal creatures, especially vampires and werewolves, have become so popular right now.
But how did most fantasy creatures get to be a part of those myths and legends in the first place?
When we don't understand something, we tend to try to explain the parts that we can, or compare to something we understand. When people in the Middle Ages came across a giraffe, they first named the creature camelopard because they thought of the giraffe as half-camel and half-leopard. How about the leopard itself? It was thought to be half-lion and half-panther.
Those are some real hybrids. Some hybrids are mythical. Mermaids, for instance. The minotaur. Centaurs. The less common icthyocentaurs (centaurs with dolphin tails).
Are all of the fantasy creatures just that - a fantasy? No. For years, sailors talked in hushed tones about the Kraken, the great sea monster. Recently, the giant squid was discovered for the first time. Another hybrid creature - that of a zebra and a giraffe - was thought to be legend, but has been proven real and is called okapi.
Who knows what creatures we think of only existing in legend could be discovered tomorrow? Personally, I'm not going to go out climbing snow-covered mountains to find the Yeti.
I would love for pegasus to be real. What fantasy creature do you wish would step out of fantasy and into the world of reality?
Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win some signed post cards and magnets. Each comment during the Champion of Valor Blog Tour gives you an entry for the grand prize: a copy of the entire Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy - Woman of Honor, Knight of Glory, and Champion of Valor.
A pegasus would be really cool, although I'd love for us to find a phoenix or a dragon.
In honor of Nicole's newest release, I will also be giving away a copy of her first book in the trilogy, Woman of Honor. To enter this and a chance to win signed post cards, magnets, and the possibility of the entire Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy, all you have to do is comment below.
I will announce the winner on May 31st.
Nicole Zoltack loves to write fantasy/paranormal, romances, horror, historical, for adults and young adults, novels, short stories, and flash pieces. She doesn't want to get boxed in by genre -- she might be claustrophobic!
When she isn't writing about girls wanting to be knights, talking unicorns, and zombies, she spends time with her loving family. She loves to ride horses (pretending their unicorns, of course!) and going to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, dressed in period garb. Her current favorite TV show is The Vampire Diaries.
Today I would like to promote my good friend Nicole Zoltack's Kingdom of Arnhem series. I enjoyed reading these books, and I'm anxiously awaiting for the third one, which Nicole is working on during NaNoWriMo.
Title: Woman of Honor, Book One of Kingdom of Arnhem series
Author: Nicole Zoltack
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. (April 2009)
Book Blurb: Aislinn of Bairdhe dreams of becoming a lady knight to honor the death of her fallen brother. To her mother's horror, King Patrick grants Aislinn's wish and she begins her long years of training.
Despite the mockery of the other pages, and the disdain of Prince Caelan who also trains to be a knight, Aislinn commits herself to her dreams and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and bravery. Through the years, Aislinn and Caelan grow from sparing classmates to good friends. They both know that someday Caelan will marry for the sake of the kingdom, but even that cannot keep them from falling in love.
The threat of war with the Speicans is a constant threat, and one that grows more frightening as she and Caelan train toward their eventual knighthood. Aislinn has committed herself to serving Arnhem, and has promised herself as King's Champion when Caelan claims the throne. She is willing to give up everything... her childhood, her life, even her heart for Arnhem. No matter the pain it brings.
Review: Nicole Zoltack's Woman of Honor weaves the tale of the first lady knight of Arnhem. Sprinkled with historical facts, bullies, and a good dose of love and honor, Woman of Honor is a coming of age novel set in the fantastical medieval world of Arnhem Kingdom. Aislinn is brave and truly grows to be a woman of honor. The characters are likeable and realistic. We feel Aislinn's pains while she tries to prove herself. She overcomes tradition and the growing threat of Speica. This novel has history, knights, and mythological creatures and is filled with intrigue, mystery, horror, and, most important of all, love. In this first book of the Kingdom of Arnhem series, I feel like we touch upon their lives and a conflict looming in their future. By the end, I craved more from this fantastical world, and I'm glad Ms. Zoltack supplied it in her next book.
Title: Knight of Glory, Book Two of the Kingdom of Arnhem series
Author: Nicole Zoltack
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. (March 2010)
Book Blurb: Sir Geoffrey, along with some companions, has been sent away from Arnhem, entrusted by Queen Aislinn for a special mission, and has to leave behind the mysterious lady Celestia. On his journey, he uncovers seeds of a sinister plot, learns a horrible secret, and makes a new friend in exile Jenanna.
Their mission completed, Geoffrey and his companions rush to two different kingdoms to ask for aid. Danger and betrayal lurks around every corner, and even allies have secrets that could prove deadly. Geoffrey's feelings for Celestia grow and wane. After learning some of Celestia's secrets, he begins to have second thoughts about his love for her and is even drawn to Jenanna
Rumors abound that the Speicans have enlisted a mage of their own, to work unspeakable, forbidden magic. The war between Speica and Arnhem has just begun. Will Geoffrey survive the battle to live another day and discover which woman he truly loves?
Review: Nicole Zoltack's Knight of Glory follows Sir Geoffrey's quest for love and honor. With the growing threat of Speica and a dangerous Villaimage, the Kingdom of Arnhem may have met its match. Whereas in Woman of Honor, we see the historical aspects of knighthood, in Knight of Glory, Ms. Zoltack builds upon her fantastical world. We learn of new kingdoms, including the dwarven kingdom in the south and the troll kingdom in the north. New mythological creatures come into play, and we get our first real doses of magic. Despite battle brewing, love conquers all bounds. Filled with bitter foes, magical displays, a quest for true love in many cases, and a dash of enigma, Knight of Glory is a true delight. By the end, we understand that a brewing war of good and evil is afoot, but unfortunately, we must wait until May 2011 for the third book of the Kingdom of Arnhem series, Champion of Valor. I look forward to this third book and more from Ms. Zoltack.
Today I'll be interviewing fantasy romance author Nicole Zoltack. I met Nicole through blogger, and I consider her one of my good friends. I'm excited to have her here today on my blog, and I recently finished reading book one and book two of her Kingdom of Arnhem series. I can't wait for book three!
Please visit her website and blog. To read my reviews of Woman of Honor and Knight of Glory, you can read them on Raven and the Writing Desk here.
Thank you so much for allowing me to interview you, Nicole.
1. Tell us a little about yourself? (How long you have been writing? The day job? Etc.)
I've been writing since I first learned how to write. Of course, back then, it started as short stories. My first one was about a family who dressed up in costumes for Thanksgiving (combining Thanksgiving and Halloween). The dad was always the turkey but the MC and the mom always choose a different part of the meal each year, only Megan (nicknamed May because I went through a phase where those names were my favorite and I couldn't pick just one) didn't know what to dress up as. She finally choose mashed potatoes, my favorite part of the meal.
Since then, I like to think my stories have come a long way. I started my first novel in the sixth grade (literally during class). It's the fantasy YA novel that I've rewritten and revised enough that I'm submitting to agents. During high school, I got away from novels and wrote a lot of bad poetry. Make that BAD. During college, one of my sisters told me about Nanowrimo and ever since, I've been working on novels again. And some short stories if I see an anthology that piques my interest.
My day job? Running after a toddler (my 21-month old son), trying to keep the house clean, running errands... I'm a homemaker. I enjoy staying at home but even so, it seems like I hardly ever have enough time for my writing. So I end up sacrificing sleep if I want to get any of my writing work done.
2. I've just finished reading your Kingdom of Arnhem series book one and book two. Tell us a little about the series?
The Kingdom of Arnhem series is set in a medieval fantasy world where two kingdoms, Arnhem and Speica are at war. The lands are separated by Glacia Stream and for centuries have been battled one another, trying to claim more land. This war will be the final war between the two kingdoms.
Book I, Woman of Honor, is the story of Aislinn, a young girl who wishes to become a knight. The final war starts in this novel. Book II, Knight of Glory, is about Sir Geoffrey, one of Aislinn's knight friends, who travels the land trying to find allies for Arnhem in the war. He and his band seek out the trolls and dwarves, while the evil Speicans have been making secret alliances as well. Book III, Champion of Valor, which isn't released yet, will focus on the end of the war, with much action, mayhem, magic, mythological creatures, and death before the dust settles.
3. I've seen the book three comes out in May 2011 with Desert Breeze Publishing. Have you already finished writing it? Or is it still a work in progress? And will there be more books after book three?
Champion of Valor is a WIP. It will be the last book in this series but it won't be the last book set in this world. There are too many characters who I want to share their stories. And the history of the world is rich, especially with the trolls or haugtrolds. I would love to write a book depicting their past. The only problem? Not all of these other stories are romances and Desert Breeze Publishing only publishes romances. I'll still write these stories, but I'll have to find a different publisher for them.
4. These books are medieval fantasy, and you have a wonderful way to bring the reader into that world. How much research did you do to write this series?
I did the most research for Woman of Honor. This book, out of the three, has the most historical slant, especially pertaining to Aislinn's knightly training. I did more research on the history of different mythological creatures for Knight of Glory, the book where I dive more deeply into the fantasy aspects of the world. Champion of Valor is going to have a slight religious slant to it. People in the Middle Ages were devout with their faith and to ignore this part of their world would be a sin. Think Crusades fought in Heaven.
5. What inspired you to write Kingdom of Arnhem?
I have always loved everything about the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and have done extensive research on this time period. One question I had was if there were any female knights. And to my surprise, I discovered an entire order of female knights – the Order of the Hatchet. Women and small children were left behind in their small town in Spain. The Moors seized this opportunity to attack, but the women were able to fight them back. For their valor, the women were made into knights and were giving the right to property and to speak up in public assemblies. Aislinn mentions these women when she petitions the king for the chance to train as a knight.
6. Can you tell us about any other projects you are working on or works forthcoming?
I already mentioned my fantasy YA novel, Alexia and the Land of Imagining. This story is about a magical pen that unleashes a young teen's power to control a fantasy land, a realm only she can save from evil. Think A Wrinkle in Time meets The Neverending Story. I'm submitting this story to agents.
Another story I'm submitting to agents in Hidden in Shadows, an assassin paranormal story. Love and the discovery of a paranormal ability hinder assassin Lorna's quest to avenge her father's murder.
I'm also working on various short stories and Champion of Valor. As for forthcoming works, I have a short story in Mertales called “Beauty is Only Fin Deep”, and “A New Magical Earth” in Pill Hill Press' Daily Flash 2011. Both anthologies will be out later this year.
7. Do you have any advice to give to writers?
Never give up. The rejection letters will pile up and the waiting game seems unending, but persistence and perseverance are key when it comes to writing. It only takes one 'yes'. Hopefully we'll all be hearing that soon.
Once again, thank you, Nicole. I can't wait to read book three and more novels and short stories from you.
