Curiously Spiritual Vampire Tales, The Blog

99 cents Kindle Books: Just slightly better than FREE !

2012-01-26T17:18:00.000-06:00

In January 2012, I was finally able to get the price of my flagship novel, Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider, down to 99 cents on Kindle. Now, everyone can afford it, and sales have increased by 75% the first month. Today when I happened by the sales ranking, I found my baby in the top 100 bestselling books in religious sci-fi/fantasy. I was thrilled! This is a vampire novel, so it fits in the "fantasy" genre, and higher ranking always translates to more sales.

If you have a novel that is lagging in sales, consider lowering the price to 99 cents. 35% of a thousand units is more than 70% of fifty sold... It's makes good business cents (pun intended!).

RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER, 4.7 out of 5 stars, 115 reviews. Vampires, spiritual warfare, paranormal romance like you have never seen. 13+ for violence. The first 10 folks who email me at ellenmaze@aol.com will get a free Kindle edition from me to you!

HUGS!
Ellen

PS: Click to tweet this, share on FB, or Google+ it... I'd be much obliged, friend! :)

2012 -- Let's Make it the Best Year Ever!

2012-01-05T08:39:00.000-06:00

SO FAR SO GOOD! January 5th, and 2012 has started out with a bang in Ellen-Land. My Christian Vampire Thriller The Judging has received a few new 5-star reviews this week -- just enough to nudge it up the Top-Rated charts on Amazon. Thank you, guys! My company, The Author's Mentor (TAM) has just added two new clients and I'm excited to bring their book to life by birthing it into the physical world. And my physical fitness improves daily with my running and weight lifting. Yay!!

Some details...
Author Peggy Phifer's debut novel TO SEE THE SUN is nearly ready to publish. TAM created her cover and formatted the interior, and now we will help her self-publish. Here is a photo of the joyous author holding up the proof of her novel for the first time:

Let's see.... also, to regain my former self after 10 years of gluttonous living, I picked up exercise and proper diet in June 2011. Since then, I have lost 40 pounds. I went from a 18 to a 14, and will end up a 10 when I'm all done. It's not about being skinny, but about being healthy, and at 43, I want to make it happen now before it's too late! I intend to keep this way of life from now on, so wish me luck!

I sincerely pray that 2012 is the best year yet for us all, and wish you all the most lovely of all lives!

Hugs from Alabama,
Ellen
(Please join me on Facebook! Let's be pals! )

12 Days of Christmas: Book Gift Ideas from Ellen ~ DAY 7

2011-12-18T07:26:00.000-06:00

BRRRRRR!!! Is it cold in your town? In North Pole, Alaska, it's snowing today and Christmas year 'round. Today's book recommendation is a deeee-lightful Christian Romance from Loree Lough. Let me tell you about it; I absolutely LOVE THIS BOOK!

Love Finds You in North Pole, Alaska by Loree Lough
A former Marine is no match for the spunky Sam Sinclair. Bryce Stone has returned to his hometown of North Pole, Alaska and he’s not very happy about it. “The Town Where It’s Christmas All Year Long” does not appeal to the self-admitted scrooge. What’s worse, Bryce must postpone his dream of opening a furniture shop when his Aunt Olive retires and leaves him to manage the family’s cluttered Christmas boutique. Bryce hires a petite and inexperienced young woman to run the store, figuring that if she fails, he can sell the place! But Bryce underestimates Sam, who grew up with seven rowdy brothers and is out to prove her mettle in the frozen north. It’s a battle of wills and the two soon find that they’re fighting for more than just the shop. After all, love takes as many forms as the snowflakes that blanket the streets of North Pole.

I give this 5-million-stars and I know it will warm your heart this year. A great gift for the female reader you love. Buy from Amazon at this link (or world-wide elsewhere, too): Love Finds You in North Pole, Alaska

Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah!
Ellen

PS: The Gingerbread Man is looking pretty used up. Let's see how he looks with 7 bites missing:

I can't wait to get to those M&Ms!!

12 Days of Christmas: Book Gift Ideas from Ellen ~ DAY 6

2011-12-17T09:29:00.000-06:00

LOVE LETTERS TO MY QUEEN BRIDE by Beth C. Walker
Oh, Sisters! Today I bring you the most wonderful book for Christian women that I have ever read -- SERIOUSLY! This book by Beth C. Walker is composed of short letters from the Holy Spirit directly to you, the reader, God's female children. I keep this book next to my bed and read one each night. It is not really written as a daily devotional, but can easily be used to encourage and edify you any moment of the day that you feel down or discouraged. Women's lives are especially complicated these days, and Beth's anointed writing allows us to recall what we already know in our spirits: God loves us more than we can ever imagine, God is available to us 24/7/365, and God wants us to hear Him and know His love.

Love Letters to my Queen Bride is available on Kindle and paperback, and will soon be released by Westbow, a Thomas Nelson company (Yes! The Bible makers!). Also, this book is in the review stage--if any of you think you might like to review it for Beth on Amazon, email me at ellenmaze@aol.com for an ARC (a free digital or print copy set aside for this purpose).

God bless you and have an excellent weekend!
Ellen
OH... let's see the Gingerbread Man before we go... what does he look like with 6 bites missing? OUCH!

12 Days of Christmas: Book Gift Ideas from Ellen ~ DAY 5

2011-12-16T09:44:00.000-06:00

OUCH!
Day 5 has the Gingerbread Man missing part of his middle. Yikes! I reckon I better go ahead and tell you the next book I want to recommend.

The Curse of Yama by K F Ridley has already garnered 17 excellent reviews since publication, and I think it will be a huge hit. Kids and adults alike will enjoy the new adventures of C.Walker and pals. In the opening installment, "The Curse of Yama,"Chloe Walker and her Indian pal, Sotol, traipse through danger and peril to rescue her father from a mysterious illness. Whimsical, funny, and full of thrills, any child who enjoys adventure will love this book!
As an added bonus, the middle-grade novel also is peppered with fun illustrations (penned by "moi")...

If you need a book series for your child 8 to 13, this one fills the order. Go to K F Ridlety's website to see TV interviews and TV spots for the book. Very well-received! www.kfridley.com

Ya'll have a marvelous day!
Ellen C. Maze, Author of Curiously Spiritual Vampire Tales, 5-star Fiction
Please follow this blog!
Hugs :)

12 Days of Christmas: Book Gift Ideas from Ellen ~ DAY 4

2011-12-15T07:52:00.000-06:00

Well, Readers and Friends, it is Day Four of the countdown to Christmas, and my Gingerbread Man is missing both arms and one foot. I reckon he'll be just a head by the time we reach the Big Day! Which brings us to our purpose for this special blog: recommending a book a day that I loved and perhaps you will, too!

On the Soul of a Vampire by Krisi Keley intrigued me beyond words. To call this a Christian Vampire Tale sells it short in so many ways--it is much, much more. It is gothic, horrifying, delightful, and un-put-downable. Sometimes deep, but always peppered with soulful romance, this novel is worth a million stars.

Recommended if you like to read vampire novels and are open-minded regarding the use of the known vampire mythology. Purchase in Kindle or Paperback on Amazon.com. LINK

Or visit the author's website at www.onthesoulofavampire.com

Merry Christmas!!
Love, Ellen

12 Days of Christmas: Book Gift Ideas from Ellen~ DAY 3

2011-12-14T10:08:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Day Three of Book recommendations. I love to hear what you guys are reading, so some of you may be interested to hear about some books I enjoyed this year.

Today, we are doing a memoir. NYC Entertainer Jerry Castaldo has written a breathtaking, no-holds-barred memoir of his life growing up in crime and mob-run Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Check out his reviews -- 243 5-star reviews and counting -- everyone is blown away by this book!

IN A HURRY? Most folks read this in one night. It's not filled with dead fluff, but packed with interesting and sometimes very grim stories. "Stab Me Harder, Jerry" and "They Came to Rape and Scarred My Face" are just two of the stories you'll find inside. Available on Kindle and paperback and Nook. My fav chapter is about the Mob, the Bookie and the Leisure Suits... this book will stick with you.

Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective by Jerry Castaldo (purchase at this link on Amazon.com)

12 Days of Christmas: Book Gift Ideas from Ellen~ DAY 2

2011-12-13T10:34:00.000-06:00

Hello and welcome to December 13th!

With 47 5-star reviews so far on Amazon, today's book recommendation is for an amazingly creative and unique sci-fi novel entitled "A Star Curiously Singing." I honestly can't imagine anyone not enjoying this book... here is my review that says it all.

A STAR CURIOUSLY SINGING, by Kerry Nietz
In a futuristic world where sharia law is in place and mankind relies on technology to perform the simplest task, DR63 “SandFly” is about to find his life turned upside down. A “Chosen One,” SandFly was chosen as a youth to be implanted with a device that would allow him to speak to all of the machines that run the planet. Even though this would seem to give him incredible, unstoppable power, it does not because those in charge who chose him hold a controller that zaps him if disobeys. SandFly is a tool who belongs to a master, no more, no less. So how can he change the world? And what’s wrong with the world anyway?

I’ll leave that up to you to find out. Let me just tell you how fun this book was to read.

As an author myself, I read lots and lots of books. Some I enjoy, some not so much. This book, A STAR CURIOUSLY SINGING, is one that I hated to put down and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Because of my work load, I was only able to pick it up an hour at a time, but every time I set it down to go back to work, I thought about it all day. I sympathized and fell in love with the lead character immediately and worried for him as I longed to get back to the book. I can easily say that this is one of the best books I have ever read, and this is my very first sci-fi novel.

A review would not be complete without mentioning the technical aspects of Nietz’s method and style of writing. SandFly speaks in first person, and he speaks often to me, the reader. He calls me a “freehead” (I have no implant, you see!) and through his point of view, I know him very intimately—and I like him! He is such a well-rounded, three-dimensional character that I felt often that that if I released just a little bit, I could imagine he is real and this book is true. I am looking forward to reading the sequel to this story THE SUPERLATIVE STREAM.

Bravo Mr. Nietz!!

Ellen C Maze
Author of Curiously Spiritual Vampire Tales

12 Days of Christmas: Book Gift Ideas from Ellen! DAY 1

2011-12-12T10:18:00.000-06:00

Clean and shiny, Day One will be bringing you a delightfully funny, uplifting and downright un-put-downable novel entitled, "The Garden Key." This is my very favorite book of 2010, and I just can't seem to hush up about it! Below is my review posted when I finished the read.

The Garden Key, by Angela Dolbear, is a book that could literally change the world. I can say with all honesty that if every man and woman on the planet read this book and let its words sink deep into their souls; when they opened their eyes the following day, they would be transformed. Changed into people who love. Really love. And in a real sense, The Garden Key is about real love.

Promos for The Garden Key entice the reader with comical, tongue-in-cheek, real-life phrases, dialogue and emotions. Honestly, I was convinced by one line from the web site which said something about "lust and cheeseburgers," but rest assured, the promises on the back cover can be trusted absolutely. As I read this book, I did indeed laugh often, and I cried with joy aplenty. I wept most when I reached the last page—do you know why? Because the novel ended.

Selfishly, I wanted it to go on and on and never conclude. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed this book so much (it was literally un-put-down-able), that when I got to the last 30 pages, I forced myself to stop reading. I would not pick it up for fear of finishing it. For over a week, I peeked at it next to my desk, carried it to my room to peek at it as I went to sleep—but I would not read on. I was terrified to see the last page. I was horrified that this wonderful, sweet, delightful, insightful and encouraging book was about to be finished. I have never read a book like this and I thank God that he led me to read it now. I have no doubt in my mind that I will read it over again many times.

And thankfully, the author hinted that she would write another. Praise the Lord.

Ellen C Maze, author Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider

Purchase the Garden Key: http://www.amazon.com/The-Garden-Key-ebook/dp/B004OC0456/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322415454&sr=1-1

Lighting the Kindle Fire

2011-11-27T11:12:00.002-06:00

Oh, what a glorious surprise when a dear friend sent me Amazon's Kindle Fire as an early Christmas gift. Most of you know that I have owned a Kindle 3G since Feb. 2011, and I used it all the time. I loved the portability and ease of carrying every book I own on a tiny device. When the Kindle Fire was introduced, suddenly my head was turned. This shiny, flashing, and intelligent machine was going to blow my other Kindle out of the water. Lo and behold, the mailman brought me this fantastic device last week and I have never been happier with a toy!

The gift card had a sweet note inside (thank you, Santa Jerry Claus!):

I immediately charged it up and began exploring her various mysteries!

Of course, all of my Kindle books previously-purchased showed up as soon as I registered the device. One-by-one, I downloaded the ones I wanted to read on my Kindle, and the others show up with a tiny arrow, reminding me to download them whenever I'm ready.

The device came with Netflix, and I have a streaming account with them -- BONUS! I watched some Law & Order and a couple of movies the first day. The streaming is seamless and the sound is excellent with or without headphones. Happy happy joy joy!

I can play on Facebook and Surf the 'Net with ease. I even added a free mapquest app so this Kindle can help me if I get lost. I do not own any other Smart devices, so I feel like this one will take the place of an iPhone or other such expense. Excited!

Here is a photo album of Ellen and her Fire, and you can see the affection is evident...

Licking the device is not recommended.

It's okay to love your Kindle, but don't LOVE your Kindle...

I not only read Amazon books on this new toy, but I real PDF files, too. I uploaded a bunch of PDFs -- mostly of my own novels in progress -- and with the Adobe app (free on Amazon), I can read and mark those all day long. I love it!

Okay, so now what? I am busy writing this blog and have my Kindle fire sitting next to me, playing Pandora radio (another free app that came with the device). This is so awesome!

BOTTOM LINE: Extremely tech savvy people will undoubtedly compare this to the iPad or similar tablets, but for the money and the terrific performance, you just can't beat the Fire.

Here is a link to check out this Kindle Fire for yourself: http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-Amazon-Tablet/dp/B0051VVOB2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Here are my favorite books for you to get for your Kindle:

Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective by Jerry Castaldo (a gritty memoir of growing up in NY mob territory)

http://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-NY-Grim-Retrospective-ebook/dp/B004GKMJEK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider by Ellen C. Maze 99 cents special!!

(a freaky vampire trip with nearly 100 5-star reviews so far)

http://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Chasing-Rider-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0047GN9DI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322415375&sr=1-1

The Garden Key by Angela Dolbear

(fantastic, humorous, un-put-downable love story, my favorite book of 2010)

http://www.amazon.com/The-Garden-Key-ebook/dp/B004OC0456/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322415454&sr=1-1

I hope you enjoy your Kindles and have a super week!

Ode to the Writer with Too Many Novels in Her Head and Not Enough Time

2011-09-26T11:14:00.000-05:00

May 24th, 2011, my 5th full-length novel (and my 6th book, including my anthology Feckless) was published by TreasureLine Publishing. Damascus Road has hit the ground running at the same time that my personal life took a totally different route-- divorce reared it's ugly head unexpectedly that same month. Odd how good things and bad things can happen right together, eh?

What now? I have so many more novels to write, two of which are finished and just need a month's tweaking; also a fantastic stand-alone novel about a modern young woman caught up in an ancient battle of gods and demons; a stand-alone vampire novel that reaches into the world of witchcraft and satan worship; and bringing up the rear, four totally adorable children's books, that are nearly ready to publish, save for a small amount of illustration to finish. I have plenty to publish, a willing publisher, so what's the problem?

TIME. I have no time!

Being divorced has recalibrated the way I use my time. Now a single-income family with a dependent teen child, 90% of it is now spent working to earn money for the bills, and the 10% leftover is used to promote my books that are already out. What's a woman to do? Answer: Create her own Company.

In July 2011, I officially opened The Author's Mentor, (Facebook page: LINK) a place where first-time authors and beginner writers can come for advice and info about the publishing industry. Asking about everything from "How do I get published?" to "How much money will I make on my first book?", my clients and I are having a blast peeking into this amazing and ever-changing industry. Evolving to favor the self-published author, the Publishing World is a maze that few can successfully navigate without a mentor, and when we come across something I don't know or haven't experienced, we find the answers together.

Business is good. The Author's Mentor now has more than 20 clients, and since July, have helped to publish more than 15 books and short stories, posting them to Amazon Kindle, Barnes&Noble Nook, and print editions through CreateSpace. See this link to see book covers and links of folks we've helped! LINK

Ode to the writer with less time to write. Don't worry, Rabbit Fans (as my readers are affectionately called)... I am still writing, and before long, you will see RABBIT REDEMPTION and TREE OF LIFE, those books you long for, to continue the series' you've already begun. I love to write and I love to share with you.

Let's all have a beautiful week and make something beautiful with the gifts we've been given!

HUGS and smooches from Alabama,

Ellen C. Maze

BOOK LAUNCH! Free stuff! Uber-exciting "Damascus Road" WOOT!

2011-05-24T10:08:00.002-05:00

May 24th, 2011
DAMASCUS ROAD, the second book in the Corescu Chronicles launches today with great fanfare and a super-super psychedelic, epic-win CYBER PARTY!! If you haven't attended one of these, you're missing a strange and enjoyable event!

Book characters are coming forward and answering questions, the author is revealing secrets of the trade as well as hints on future installments, and the publisher is giving away FREE BOOKS!!!!

Ya'll head on over to my "like" page on Facebook. Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Curiously-Spiritual-Vampire-Tales-by-Ellen-C-Maze/222480511111796
to join the festivities.

If you read this blog AFTER May 24th, come on over anyway. We love our readers and have giveaways frequently right on Facebook! This is one bestselling author who loves her readers!

HUGS AND SMOOCHES
ellen c maze

(LEAVE A COMMENT HERE FROM NOW UNTIL 12 NOON CENTRAL TIME FOR A FREE SIGNED COPY!! I will choose at random from the commenters at noon!!)

If you loathe Facebook and still want to play, visit our publishers blog to enter giveaways: http://novellaunch.weebly.com/blog-of-the-day.html

NEW BOOK "Damascus Road" -- "Quirky Vampire Irks Longsuffering Saint"

2011-05-16T09:31:00.001-05:00

For all who have read THE JUDGING (Book One of the Corescu Chronicles), the news is good... the second installment in this 4-part series is coming in one week! DAMASCUS ROAD will launch in print May 24th with Kindle and Nook following a week or so behind.

Did you note the cheeky teasers I pasted on the book cover above?

Poor Tony Agricola... he risked life and limb to keep feckless Hope Brannen safe in Book One, and now he feels the need to find Paul Black and try to help him like he helped Mark. Tony's deluded... Paul doesn't want any help. Cover your neck, Tony; Paul's out for blood and he's as selfish and hedonistic as they come.

And Paul? He was such a nice and obedient servant before he became a vampire... yikes! What a pain in the butt he's become. Trust me, following the storyline between Paul and Tony will make you chuckle nearly as much as make you wince.

Hope Brannen? Clueless, feckless, self-absorbed, and nearly worthless. God may have used her to get Mark and Tony together, but what good is she now? Now that it's all over, she will do whatever it takes and go wherever necessary to reunite with the vampire who dumped her in Book One.

Finally, Mark Corescu. Priest-turned-vampire, Dr. Corescu, is gone--missing. Paul's desperate to find him, Tony wants to put him in the ground, and Hope wants a lover... What a crazy mixed up web we weave when we let Ellen write the tale.

Ya'll go buy this book as soon as possible. I have more to write and I can't do it without your help!

Hugs (not slugs),
Ellen C Maze
ellenmaze@aol.com

VIDEO Author Blog--Ellen correcting actual boo-boos in Proof Galley

2011-04-14T10:12:00.000-05:00

Yo!
I mean, Greetings, World-Wide-Interweb!
I decided to do a video blog (vlog-LOL) so I could show you my proof galley of Damascus Road, my newest "baby".
This SHORT AND FUN video contains the following:
1. discussion of grammatical and punctuation errors in my manuscript
2. discussion of how I correct them inside my document on Word
3. discussion on the dozens of novels I am writing simultaneously
4. discussion of how to use funny photos of yourself to make friends
and lastly
5. discussion of my dumb sisters and the awesomeness of their sister (LOL--sister humor)

Please TWEET this with my Tweet-This button if you can!
Hugs and blessings
ellen
(the Hebrew at the end was "Barukh Hashem", "bless the name", a blessing like, "Praise God")

SNOOPY DANCING ON READER COMPLIMENTS!

2011-04-11T14:42:00.001-05:00

Many of you know that in about 30 days I will release my sixth book, and my fourth full-length novel through my fantabulous publisher, TREASURELINE.

It is entitled DAMASCUS ROAD and is the sequel to last years hit, THE JUDGING. Before any of my novels go to the publisher, I like to run it through as many editors as I can; some are professional wordsmiths, and others are simply dedicated Rabbit Chasers who help me stay on track.

I want to share with you what has me dancing today. I have heard back from one of my pre-readers and she LOVED LOVED LOVED the book. Yayyyyyyyy!

Rabbit Chaser and professional artist Gayla Catrett says (look at Gayla's AMAZING artwork here...):

"You know....when you are doing something whether it be art or writing, you are bound to improve with each successive work. I have watched improvement in my own work; I think that each one is a little bit better. Your books though are a prime example of this. Your first book was good. The story was well thought out and the characters were deep without going overboard. It was good....but compared to this one....well there just is no comparison. Your second book was better than the first...you third better than the second....etc. You continue to improve your storytelling, your style and the characters. At this rate, you will be on the New York Times Best Seller List in no time at all."

See why I'm dancing like Snoopy? A writer pours herself onto paper and then pushes the baby from the nest, hoping to God that her baby is loved by somebody out there... My baby found a friend, and because of these sentiments, I feel braver about sending this new baby out there to the cruel world.

Here is the book's awesome cover (photography by UK Photographer, Luke Gee, graphics and design by Elizabeth E. Little):

And as you will see, the curious "Horse's Eye" theme will run throughout the series. Here is Books One and Two side-by-side:

OHMYGOSHICAN'TWAITTOSHARETHISWITHYOU!!

Bear with me...

it's difficult to dance and type at the same time.

God bless,

Ellen

Should I list a Giveaway for my Novel? (real answers from a real person)

2011-03-08T10:57:00.000-06:00

WHEW! SHIPPING DAY!

Word of advice, when you have multiple giveaways simultaneously on different sites, be prepared to spend at least two hours in the family shipping department!

Why do giveaways? Where do I list giveaways for the most punch? Can I afford to do it? How much will it cost me in the end? Your friendly neighborhood Author’s Advocate, Ellen C. Maze, is about to answer these burning questions in

THREE---

TWO---

ONE:

WHY DO GIVEAWAYS?
I’ll begin the answer to that question by asking: Do you have a million-dollar advertising campaign or a $16K-contracted New York publicist behind your book right now? If your answer is “no,” then a giveaway is for you! A giveaway gets your bookcover in front of people, that’s the short answer. Folks who may never have seen your book before, or even read your name before, have the opportunity to do so when they’re attracted by the delightful words: FREE BOOK! Do you love FREE? So do they! If 200 people enter your giveaway, and you have to send 1 winner a book, you have 199 people who came up empty, but learned about your book just for the chance to win one. That's cheap advertising, and that's good.

WHERE DO I LIST GIVEAWAYS?
My favorite place to list a giveaway is www.Goodreads.com. If you haven’t, you need to sign up as a Goodreads Author to get the most punch from this account, but if you haven’t or can’t, you can list a giveaway with a common account as well. I also list giveaways on my Facebook group (link—join us! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96952574559 , and sometimes on my Twitter account (http://twitter.com/#!/ellenmaze), and often on my blog (http://www.thejudging-ellenmaze.blogspot.com/ ) . It would be neato-keen if you would follow that blog and also join my facebook group. Just sayin’.

CAN I AFFORD TO DO IT?
If you don’t have the aforementioned money behind you, then, YES, you can afford it. How much is your advertising bill with your NY Publicist? Nothing? Then spend whatever you can on grass-roots promotion. It doesn’t have to cost much, and I look for as much free advertising as I can. Besides giveaways, you will need to seek out reviewers, bloggers, and friends to interview you to post all over the internet. Most of this is absolutely free, and your name and book are made known all over the globe!

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST ME IN THE END?
I’ll give you some good guesstimates.

• Say, you post a giveaway on Goodreads for 5 copies of your novel. Run it for at least a month for minimum exposure. I run mine 1 month, and usually have around 1000 people enter to win.

• After it ends, Goodreads chooses the winners and sends you their addresses. You can keep the shipping costs down by selecting only USA or certain countries. Shipping one book Priority Mail to any other country than USA costs arounf $14, so keep that in mind. Shipping one book within the country, Media Mail, costs from $2.77-$3.23 or so (much more affordable!).

• YOUR COST: how much is your novel at-cost? Say it’s $4.77 per copy for you to buy it from the publisher/printer. Multiply by 5 copies, you’re out $23.85. Now add shipping fees, $2.77 x 5 = $13.85. Add the cost of the books to the shipping and you’re out: 37.70, and at least 1000 people have learned about your book. This is such a bargain! It costs less if you promise fewer books, but this is a good formula for getting your brand out there.

Lastly, here is something I truly believe and I want you to let it sink deep down into your subconscious: You have the creative spark, given to you by your Creator. He expects you to use it, develop it, and make the world a better place with it. I don’t know what better is, no one person or group can tell us that with 100% certainty, but I believe in this spark and I believe in you. You think the competition is tough? Well, it is, but that doesn’t have to cripple you. Go write, make it your best work, and get it published. Never give up, don’t listen to naysayers, and surround yourself with a support group of authors and writers who love the craft and have genuinely kind hearts.

I’m done.

Hug me.

Ellen C Maze
Author of Curiously Spiritual Vampire Tales at http://www.ellencmaze.com

What now? FECKLESS doing great, THE JUDGING, too...

2011-02-25T09:58:00.000-06:00

So, my first anthology, FECKLESS (link) is smoking up the charts, tickling some, freaking others out--but still bringing in great reviews. THE JUDGING, Corescu Chronicles Book One (link) has 16 5-star reviews so far. It's also creeping people out, but in a good way. They say it is much, much darker than RABBIT:CHASING BETH RIDER (link), but it's hard for me to see, since I wrote the thing. I'm so happy that they love it and can't put it down, but some of them have a hard time sleeping at night. Sorry...

...what now?

Currently, I am helping my husband put the finishing touches on his first novel, WISP (link), and also editing/proofing my daughter's first novel, REIGN OF SHADOW (book one of three) (link), as well as filling art orders that come in periodically.

See, before I was a novelist, I painted portraits of animals for a living. I stopped advertising, but God still sends me clients by word of mouth whenever we need a little extra cheddar (thank You, Abba)... So that's what I'm up to.

Future plans? In March, I'll pick back up on writing Book Three in the RABBIT TRILOGY, this installment is entitled, RABBIT REDEMPTION (link). I'll also be proofing and sending off to the professionals to proof, Book Two of the Corescu Chronicles, DAMASCUS ROAD. And I'm collecting tales from other authors for a new anthology that I plan to publish around Halloween this year...

I have my plate full, so please read my books, write to me, keep me busy, and I promise to create new novels for you to sink your teeth into...

Huggles to all of you!
God bless
ellen

ELLEN CAN'T HELP HERSELF -- I'm giving away 5 books on Facebook!

2011-02-05T11:08:00.001-06:00

Join my facebook group, write anything on the wall, and be entered to win one of 5 of my books! Winner's choice of anything I've published. Yay! What are you waiting for? Giveaway runs until Feb. 13.

Follow this link to join, enter, and win!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96952574559&ref=ts
FACT: Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider is the #1 Customer-Ranked HORROR novel on Amazon Kindle! Weird, eh? Yay!

FECKLESS TALES, Responsible Authors: THE STORYTELLERS

2011-01-12T15:54:00.003-06:00

THE TITLE: Feckless, Tales of Supernatural, Paranormal, and Downright Presumptuous Ilk

THE STORIES: The tales range from the extreme, the paranormal, the supernatural, spooky, creepy, suspicious, unpredictable psychopaths, and even the romantic.

THE STORYTELLERS: The authors come to us from many different genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal, Christian Horror, Mystery/Thriller, Romance, True Crime, and Poetic Prose.

Yet, every single tale features one or more feckless characters; someone who just can't seem to succeed, someone who never gets it quite right, or just can't catch a break no matter how hard they try. This book should tickle fancies across the board, and will frighten the sensitive-hearted, so tell your friends.

Our list of authors:
(click this link to read up on each writer):

► Teric Darken

► Angela Dolbear

► Kat Heckenbach

► Krisi Keley

► Elizabeth E. Little

► Stuart Loudon

► Ellen C. Maze

►Kevin R. Maze

►Pete Turner

Yummy, yummy, to my tummy. Now, I need to get back to editing these things. I love my job.
~Ellen C Maze

FECKLESS TALES making me smile...COMING SOON!

2011-01-10T16:13:00.000-06:00

ZIPPITY DOO DAH~~ZIPPITY AY, Feckless Tales is well on its way...

Update: We're in the editing stage and moving into formatting. We're having a little fun with the formatting, and I think you'll love it. You can follow the FECKLESS link to see what I mean...

I've just added to our exclusive club of feckless authors: a terrific Christian Horror Writer by the name of Pete Turner. I love Pete's tagline: "Christian Horror Satan Fears!" His first novel, Whisper a Scream, is making a big splash. One Amazon reviewer writes, "Excellent read.Twists and turns until the end. Innovative mixture of Christianity, horror, mystery and demonic sacrifice. Do not expect anyone in this story to conform to stereotypes. This book brings life in contemporary rural Appalachia into mainstream Americana as professionals deal with sinister secrets in the world of macabre. Warning: this book is scary as hell and should only be read in the daytime." Pete is bringing two terrific tales to our collection, and you can check him out at http://peteturner.webs.com/

Our feckless line-up is impressive, and in the book, we'll give each author a page for his bio and bibliography. You want to get to know them, right?

The Storytellers

► Teric Darken

► Angela Dolbear

► Krisi Keley

► Elizabeth E. Little

► Stuart Loudon

► Ellen C. Maze

►Kevin R. Maze

►Pete Turner

We're shooting for a February release, so stay tuned...
HUGGLES ~ Ellen, your feckless Editor

ELLEN'S TOP TEN BOOKS READ IN 2010...win

2011-01-09T10:41:00.000-06:00

Howdy Rabbit Chasers, Friends, and the Occasional Anonymous Interloper,

Here it is, January, and I am looking back on all of the books I read in 2010. Writing novels is my main hobby, but it is necessary and useful to also read other people’s work along the way. It keeps your creative juices flowing and gives your brain a rest between writing spells.

Compared to some people, I didn’t read that many books. I read a total of 45 books in 2010. Six of those were non-fiction, theology or writing-aids based. The rest of them were fiction—and the genres are all over the map. I read my very first sci-fi novel, as well as my first romance/erotic *blush* novel. I read my first ever space opera and my first natural monster (non supernatural) book. It was a year of firsts, and a year of terrific discoveries. I took something away from every book I read, but the list below represents the books that moved me beyond my reading chair. These books transported my soul, my spirit; they made me laugh, and they made me cry. These are the books I confidently say, ELLEN RECOMMENDS THESE WHOLLY FOR ALL READERS!

Have a look, click the link, and investigate these books. You might find one you like too!

1. THE GARDEN KEY      angela dolbear
"O-M-GEE, funny, sweet, touched me deeply"
2. ON THE SOUL OF A VAMPIRE    krisi keley
"Consummate Vampire fiction, must-read for vampire fans"
3. A STAR CURIOUSLY SINGING    kerry nietz
"I fell in love at pg 1and couldn't put this down."
4. K-I-L-L FM : MUSIC TO DIE FOR teric darken
"Thrilling and full of reference to my fav. music!"
5. FUTURE HOPE                                david gelber
"Amazing peek at an alternate Eden, flipped me out!"
6. PORTAL HUNTERS    david furr
"Mind-twisting portal technology--fascinated me!"
7. DARK JUSTICE                               donnie light
"Almost had a heart attack from the stress of the chase!"
8. TEETH                                              timothy dean
"Giant, man-eater lurking with intriguing foreign lands."
9. AFTER EVENTIDE                          catherine olson
"Quirky, original, and downright FUN."
10. 33 A.D.                                             david mcafee
"He had me at the first word."

2011 should see 4 more books come out from Ellen C Maze (that's me!)
We're expecting:
FECKLESS: Tales of Supernatural, Paranormal, and Downright Presumptuous Ilk (Feb. 2011)
DAMASCUS ROAD, The Corescu Chronicles Book Two (Summer 2011)
RABBIT REDEMPTION, Book Three of the Rabbit Trilogy (Fall 2011)
and
INDWELT, a new stand-alone paranormal adventure (Dec. 2011)

NOW, LET'S GO READ SOME MORE BOOKS!
I have 16 books in my to-read pile already...I better get cookin.

THE JUDGING creates a BUZZZZZ of its own...

2011-01-05T10:03:00.000-06:00

READER REVIEW 1/3/11 -- “What a wild concept!!! A priest as a vampire vigilante! How in the world did you figure this one up and run SO WELL with the idea!??? I loved this book. I think it's one that I've read the fastest in a long time!! Ellen, when's the next one coming out! I'm DYING for it!!”

Sweet friend JUST learning about my book...

LaSheeta and her copy. Her name inspired one of the minor characters...

This is a posed photo when I asked the window girl to hold it up and she said YES! sweet!

The author's mom and #1 Fan

Feedback on my newest novel, THE JUDGING, is filtering slowly in. “Slowly,” I say, because I am an impatient person. The novel came out Nov. 29th or so, and here it is a month later, and only 4 people have posted reviews on Amazon. I’ve sold quite a few copies, so I have to be patient and allow folks time to read. I know that I sometimes take months to read a book, so ELLEN--CHILL OUT!

But the truth is, I am so excited to see how the book is received. It has a completely different pace and feel than RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER, which was an instant success and bestseller in the first few months, that I do not consider THE JUDGING to be a “gimme” at all. Thankfully, the first few reviews are glowing, and my heart rests a little easier. Let’s face it, I want to entertain folks and I want them to love my book. That’s normal, right?

Goodreads ran a giveaway for 35 days to win a free signed copy of THE JUDGING. 922 folks entered the drawing and the winners were announced today. CONGRATULATIONS!

They were:

GAYLA C. in GEORGIA

MATTHEW C. in MARYLAND

ABBEY S. in ONTARIO, CANADA

WILLIAM R. in ARKANSAS

DANIELLE W. in BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

I hope everyone who reads this blog will give THE JUDGING a whirl. It is available in paperback, and every conceivable eBook configuration for every machine and device. Get links at www.ellencmaze.com.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!

O-M-GEE!! Coupon to get RABBIT and THE JUDGING 1/2 off on Smashwords!

2010-12-23T15:10:00.000-06:00

How fun!

My publisher, TreasureLine Publishing & TreasureLine Books, is offering a 1/2-off coupon for RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER & THE JUDGING on Smashwords! If you are a Smashwords customer, or wish you were, use these codes on these links to buy these great books for less than $3.00!!

Remember that we are STOKED to see RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER as the #1 Ranked Horror novel on Amazon Kindle several weeks in a row. Folks are really "getting" it and enjoying it a the same time. Yay!

The Judging's Coupon code is TU49R - $2.49
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/32283?ref=TreasureLineBooks
Rabbit's Coupon code is CJ63H (not case sensitive) - $2.49
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/33156?ref=TreasureLineBooks
Don't be shy -- please feel free to contact me anytime via email at ellenmaze@aol.com and/or visit me at my official website, www.ellencmaze.com.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD READ :-)
~ellen

"Hobbit Schmobbit, Bring on the Rabbit!" ~ RCBR #4 on Amazon Kindle!

2010-12-18T08:22:00.000-06:00

Fleeting but beautiful, my first novel, Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider, was found to be #4 on the Amazon Kindle / Fantasy Best rated list, based on reader ratings. I can't say that I understand how that all works, but just to be #4 and have Tolkien's The Hobbit #6 is enough to swell a little lady's head. Don't worry, I'll come back down. These ratings change every 24 hours, so tomorrow could be different. But it is still a thrill!

I am sending out a huge THANK YOU to everyone who supports my writing efforts. I am only able to write because of you and I will never forget that!

For those who don't know, my newest novel, The Judging, came out November 29th. It is the first book in a separate series, but readers of Rabbit will recognize it as the novel Beth Rider wrote that got her in so much trouble with the Rakum (vampires). See this (and all my books) here: www.ellencmaze.com

WINNERS ANNOUNCED !! "The Judging" Contest/Giveaway

2010-12-02T16:05:00.000-06:00

In September, we ran a Blog Contest/Giveaway
where entrants jumped through a few hoops in hopes of winning one of 5 copies of my newest Christian Vampire thriller, THE JUDGING. The five people who won are listed in this fancy picture and will be receiving their books before the end of the year.

A HEARTFELT THANKS to everyone who participated. It's because of you that I have the nerve to even attempt to write a story.

Hugs to you all,

Ellen C. Maze

GOODREADS Giveaway HUGE SUCCESS for "LOose RaBbits"!

2010-11-30T11:23:00.000-06:00

The 40-day Goodreads Giveaway for 5 FREE copies of "Loose Rabbits of the Rabbit Trilogy" was a huge success with nearly 1000 folks entering. 85 of them put the book on their shelves. Goodreads chooses the winners and I have shipped them out today, except for the one to Australia and the one to UK -- those I will ship tomorrow.

As you know, LOOSE RABBITS contains spoilers for RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER, so I put a coupon inside the books to remind them to buy the 1st novel!

Newest 5-Star Review of RABBIT: "If you don't like this book, you must be crazy..."

2010-09-26T22:57:00.000-05:00

Anna Motteler said: " This book is absolutely, positively, utterly, amazing. I'm not even exaggerating and if you do not add this to your to-read list after reading my review, then I will just assume that you are ignorant or crazy, one of the two.

I have been hes ...more This book is absolutely, positively, utterly, amazing. I'm not even exaggerating and if you do not add this to your to-read list after reading my review, then I will just assume that you are ignorant or crazy, one of the two.

I have been hesitant to read any vampire related book since Twilight, to be completely honest. So when Ellen C. Maze was willing to send me an ARC, I was kind of excited. I had read about this book and it sounded like it would keep my interest, and boy was I right. AMAZING.

This is not your typical vampire book, let me tell you that right now. It takes a completely different approach, from what I have seen anyway, and this novel ties in religion. I feel like this makes it a heck of a lot more intriguing and it captures the essence of God in a way many would probably not imagine. I love this book and I especially love Beth & Michael, my two favorite characters.

You will love this book. If you don't, then I feel sorry for you.

Thank you, Anna! I couldn't have said it better myself . You are who I wrote this for...thank you for telling the world how much you love it!!
Huggles, Ellen

Buy One Today: http://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Chasing-Rider-Ellen-Maze/dp/1432751018/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285559711&sr=1-1

CONTEST GIVEAWAY UNDERWAY for "The Judging", A new vampire tale from Ellen C. Maze

2010-09-08T14:10:00.001-05:00

*
How do we spell "contest" boys and girls? C-O-N-T-E-S-T. Correct! Now, if it were only that easy. I want to giveaway five (5) signed copies of my newest novel entitled, THE JUDGING, The Corescu Chronicles Book One, and at the same time, I want to spread the word about it. This is where you guys come in!

WORLD-WIDE CONTEST -- no country restrictions !

I know you're busy, but if you'd like to participate and get your name in the drawing for these books, here are the rules. Send your responses to me privately at ellenmaze@gmail.com (DO NOT POST IN COMMENT SECTION OR YOU'LL GIVE AWAY THE ANSWER! silly :-)

Okay! I have listed below five (5) steps to be entered into the contest.

*You have to do 3 out of 5, to have your name entered once.
*Those who do 4 out of five will have their names entered twice.
*And those who do all 5 will have their names entered thrice.

At the end of the contest, I will draw from all of the names in the hat and post the winners here and on my social sites. The winners will receive their free signed copy as soon as the book is available, approximately November 2010. See, we're creating a buzz! Yes, these steps all help advance the web-presence of my books and my brand, and I can never thank you enough for all of your support. THANK YOU my friends!

HERE ARE THE STEPS (remember, do a minimum of any 3 to enter the drawing, and 4 or 5 to be entered even more!)

JOIN/FOLLOW THIS BLOG
WATCH BOOK TRAILER #1 at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDXTyk3uSOI and answer this question: "What time is showing on the Capital Building Clock?"
WATCH BOOK TRAILER #2 at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5ED88ztvpE&feature=related and tell me how many vampire images show up in this 1:02 min. video.
VISIT MY NEW WEBSITE at http://www.ellencmaze.com and tell me how many book covers are displayed on my home page.
SHARE THE LINK to this Giveaway Contest on Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace, and provide me a link so I can see where you shared it.

Contest Dates: SEPTEMBER 8th, 2010 to OCTOBER 31st, 2010

That's all you have to do! Yay! Thank you for entering and I simply cannot WAIT to share this new novel with you. It's been cooking since 2004, and it is ready to be born. Hugs to you all, Ellen C Maze

New Review of RABBIT from author Timothy Dean, "READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!"

2010-08-09T14:18:00.000-05:00

(Photo from a 8/10 Mississippi writer's conference, a new RABBIT CHASER ready to start chasing!)

5.0 out of 5 stars READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!, August 9, 2010

By Timothy James Dean "Author and Reader"
This review is from: Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider (Paperback) also Kindle (link)

Ellen Maze can write! That is the first thing I look for in an author - someone who can spin a world, and draw you into it for a great ride.

"Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider" is one of the most original and courageous novels I've read in a long time. There's no way around it, so I might as well just spit it out:

this is a Christian story about vampires. Or possibly it's a vampire story about Christians.

If that offends thee, you might as well stop right here!

Ellen herself is an interesting person, who could be a character from the pages of her novel. She is a Messianic Jew who lives in Alabama. Sounds like a mythical creature? Turns out, she's mystical instead.

Much of Ellen's research comes out of her heritage. Her vampires are called "Rakum," based on an old Hebrew word. And make no mistake: these vampires are not the near-vegetarian milksops of the "Twilight" variety. The predators of the old vampiric tales, and of Ms. Maze's novel, would eat them for breakfast.

Instead, "Rabbit's" blood-suckers are ancient creatures of biblical proportions.

The center of good in the story is the title character, Beth Rider. And "rabbit" refers to the state in which she is transformed by a powerful vampire.

Beth Rider is a novelist, and her most recent effort suggests that there is a way the Rakum can leave their demonic state and find life. Her nemesis is offended, and he comes to teach the puny woman a lesson. He has the ability to transform her into delicious prey that will bring the brethren from far and wide, to sample her female charms, and feed on her.

We know what rabbits do - they run!

But Beth has an unusual ally among the Rakum. And more importantly, she possesses a secret weapon - one that may save her life, and threaten the entire race of ancient monsters.

"Rabbit" is a romance, no question, one with a strong female lead, akin to the "Twilight" series. But there many of the similarities end, for Ellen Maze's story faces the essential evil of the Rakum race, and instead of seduction, offers redemption.

A word of warning: this may ruin other vampire stories for you.

Read at your own risk!

Timothy Dean
Teeth - The Epic Novel with Bite (The South Pacific Trilogy, Volume 1)

BESTSELLERSWORLD.COM Reviews RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER!

2010-07-29T10:02:00.000-05:00

BESTSELLERSWORLD.COM review of Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider
Reviewed by Stephanie Nordkap

What do you do when something that you have written and laboured over attracts the wrong kind of attention?

Best-selling author Beth Rider is shocked one day when at one of her book signings she is approached by an evil-looking, giant of a man who gives her a warning to watch her back. And the strange thing about the entire episode is that no one else seems to have witnessed it. Beth tries to shake to it off; after all, her books about vampires are selling quickly, and everyone seems to be reading them.

Back at her hotel room, trying to relax and calm down, Beth is suddenly attacked. The man is Jack Dawn, an Elder of the Rakum, one who believes that Beth’s books, which have also been read by the Rakum, are dangerous to his people and their system of beliefs that have held for thousands of years. He draws her blood and forces her swallow his blood, marking her as a Rabbit, one his entire race can sense for miles around. She is now unable to die and can face torture from his people until they either grow tired of her or she chooses to commit suicide, if she can.

Shaken and disturbed and with no idea of the extreme circumstances she now faces, she returns home, only to be scented and marked as soon as she lands in her hometown airport. Michael Stone senses the Rabbit. He knows that Rabbits are usually traitors to the Rakum, but he is confused and shocked when he sees Beth, and senses that something is wrong. Furthermore, he feels a connection to Beth that he has never experienced with a human; a feeling to protect that is so powerful he follows her home. Michael decides to put his own life on the line and protect Beth from the Rakum he knows will surround and chase her forever, unless together they can come up with a solution that will either lead to many deaths or lead to their redemption.

I really had no idea what this book was about when I first started to read Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider. Once I realized it was about vampires, it did run through my mind that this was probably another vampire book glorifying the supernatural. I couldn’t have been more surprised, and pleasantly surprised, by the twists and turns that this supernatural tale takes.

I absolutely love it when an author can take a myth or legend from the past, in this case many were from the Bible, and weave them neatly and efficiently into a brilliant and original tale. Ms. Maze created a new and different type of vampire race in her novel whereby humans are not turned into vampires, but born into vampires. Only the Fathers can procreate using a human mother and the children are raised and trained to be ‘proper’ vampires, their talents explored and developed. They drink blood to look like humans, to interact with humans, and control many of businesses in the human world. Ms Maze pulls this off with such skill and precision, it is amazing this is her debut novel.

The emotional connections between the characters were deep and profound. Beth is a very likeable character and Stone, though it took him more time to come under the ‘spell’ of Beth’s books, was the perfect hero. The character development was remarkable and I came to care for many of the characters as they looked upon their lives and wondered if they could each be ‘redeemed’. Ms. Maze wrote with such sensitivity and compassion that I understood how many of them felt and was sympathetic to many of their plights. In one scene, when Beth shows Michael how disturbing Jeremy’s paintings are and how they reflect his perceptions of Michael and the Rakum, the horror of that realization and the dawning understanding of the attachment of humans to Rakum is just as strong for me as it was for Michael. I was horrified, disturbed, and pitied Jeremy very much. It was a very disturbing scene.

This book is definitely not simplistic in nature. Ms Maze gives us a fast-paced plot with many twists and turns, not just in the action, but also for the mind. There is definitely some pretty deep philosophy in this novel. The story deals with such issues as faith, redemption, light and darkness, mythology, and philosophy. There were times I actually had to stop reading and think about some of things she mentioned in the story. Beth’s deep faith in God kept her going through many difficult moments. It doesn’t go overboard on the Christian and philosophical elements, but they are still there, giving the reader many things to reflect upon and ponder.

If you’re looking for a book that has many elements in it (romance, suspense, thrills, fear, philosophy), then this one has it all. Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider will grab your attention from the first page and will not let go until the end, and maybe not even then. Enjoy the chase!

BUILDING SUSPENSE in your Novel with author Ellen C. Maze

2010-07-25T13:07:00.000-05:00

Recently, I completed my second novel, Rabbit Legacy, and began the fun-filled days of editing the work. I sent it off to three editors—two of which are also authors—and printed out a copy for myself to read aloud. I had been studying books on ways to improve your novel and one of the things I learned to recognize was places where suspense could be increased, therefore making the book better.

I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the instances I found to increase suspense and at the same time enlarge the characters multidimensionality. See, suspense is no good on its own; it needs to be supported by context, character personality, plot, theme and progress. Here are a few places where I was able to increase suspense AND advance the plot or character development at the same time. Take a look:

BEFORE:
(Chapter 28, excerpt)
Fifteen minutes passed before a yellow Dodge Ram pickup came barreling down the two-lane highway that ran through the park. Beryl stepped into the road and waved his arms as Ta’avah limped along the side. They played their roles well enough that the driver slowed, pulled off, and then hopped out to offer assistance.

“What happened, son? Did you have a wreck?” Thick and muscular with an ample beer belly, the driver helped Ta’avah balance and then noticed the copious amounts of blood staining Beryl’s shirt and jeans a few feet away. His eyes widened and he did a double take at the twins’ faces. When he recovered, he pointed at Beryl. “Ya’ll get in the cab. I’m taking you to the hospital right away. Come on, son. Can you walk?”

Beryl hobbled to the vehicle unaided as the husky Samaritan carefully lifted Ta’avah into the passenger seat. When he came around to the driver’s side to open the third door, Beryl reached forward and grabbed him tightly by his arms. The man was shocked by the move for the first several seconds, but as his predicament dawned on him, he began to thrash wildly against his attacker.

Beryl met Ta’avah’s eyes, who hadn’t lifted a finger to help. On the contrary, he leaned back in the seat, smiled, and crossed his arms. Undaunted, Beryl growled and stressed the man’s torso to one side fracturing several vertebrae. The truck driver screamed high and terrified as his legs buckled. Eyes still glued to his superior hidden inside his brother’s body, he held the man up with one strong arm and stabbed him in the neck with his free hand. He’d have his fill with or without the demon’s help. His victim stopped struggling moments into the attack, and Beryl drew out his blood until he could hold no more. As he was finishing, Ta’avah slipped down from the truck and casually approached. (end excerpt)

At the highlighted portion, I realized that I glazed over Beryl’s attack. Initially, I probably did that to save word count, or maybe I wrote this scene in a hurry. But either way, I did the character a disservice by not covering how he would attack such a victim. Read the expansion below and see how I was able to delve into Beryl’s state of mind, his relationship with his master, and his general worsening attitude by simply showing the reader how the attack went down.

AFTER:
(cont’d)….Beryl hobbled to the vehicle unaided as the husky Samaritan carefully lifted Ta’avah into the passenger seat. When he came around to the driver’s side to open the third door, Beryl considered how the attack would go down. Subduing mortals was easy enough if you surprised them. The two seconds that it took to realize the threat was plenty of time to snap a neck or otherwise immobilize for feeding. The driver was a big man and would have leverage; Beryl didn’t want to be shoved off his feet in front of his master. He limped toward the man and whimpered, his muscles tense as he prepared to lunge.

“You look all banged up, son. What happened to ya?” the man asked, his head to side, totally convinced by Beryl’s performance.

Dashing forward, Beryl reached and grabbed him tightly by his arms. The man was shocked by the move, but as his predicament dawned on him, he began to thrash against his attacker. Beryl allowed the man to struggle and met Ta’avah’s eyes. His master leaned back in the seat, smiled, and crossed his arms. Undaunted, Beryl growled and spun the man around easily, grabbing him around the chest from behind. With a sneer aimed at his master, he stressed the man’s torso to one side and fractured several of the driver’s vertebrae. His victim screamed as his legs buckled and pain ripped through his body.

Eyes still glued to his superior hidden inside his brother’s body, he held the man up with one strong arm and stabbed him in the neck with his free hand. They weren’t leaving him alive so Beryl aimed for the jugular. He’d have his fill with or without the demon’s help. His victim fell unconscious, and Beryl drew out his blood until he could hold no more. As he was finishing, Ta’avah slipped down from the truck and casually approached.
(end excerpt)

Another instance where suspense was improved was in Chapter Forty, where Beryl is trying to avoid the police. Opening up these violent scenes actually reveals the character’s growth leading up to the end of the book when he is a significantly changed person. Check out how I chose to expand this scene (it is established in the text that these quoted italics indicate telepathic exchange):

BEFORE:
(Chapter 40, excerpt)
“I can take out the ones I see. You kill your three. Meet me behind the privacy fence gate. I have a van.” Beryl paused making sure his every word translated across.

“Yes?”

“We’ll make a run for it.”

Silence. Beryl smirked unintentionally, sensing hesitation in his master that Meryl would never have suffered. Maybe Ta’avah was not as strong as he pretended.

Then a gun fired, muffled and from inside the bar.

Beryl jumped into action.

Faster than the eye could see, he gained on the policeman closest to him and snapped his neck. As he was falling to the ground, two of his buddies turned to come to his aid, their guns drawn and beginning to come up. Beryl didn’t allow them to complete their arc. As quickly as possible, he rushed them with arms wide, cupped the heads of each with his open palms and slammed their heads together so hard, their skulls cracked like egg shells.

In a flash, a cop rounded the corner, aimed and fired just as Beryl leapt off the ground and scrabbled onto the roof. One uniformed officer disappeared into the bar but there were at least two left outside. Had Ta’avah finished off his or had he been shot? Should Beryl make a run for it alone? (end excerpt)

During proofing, I realized that I totally cheated Beryl out of another chance to show insight into his thought processes. By adding just a few lines, I was able to increase the suspense in an already suspenseful scene, and remind the audience that being shot earlier in the work weighed heavily on Beryl’s mind. Check it out:

AFTER:
(cont’d)…In a flash, a cop rounded the corner, weapon trained at Beryl’s chest. The sudden recollection of being shot by Canaan’s woman caused his pulse to speed up. He so didn’t want to be shot again. The officer’s finger tugged at the trigger as Beryl leapt off the ground and scrabbled onto the roof. The spent bullet ricocheted harmlessly on the cement wall, but the radio chatter increased exponentially. Beryl sensed more units being dispatched from all over the city. Things were getting out of hand.(end except)

Now, wasn't that a hoot! There are more, but these are two to get you started. So if you write fiction and want to spice it up with a little kick of suspense, look for places where you glazed over action that could be really be expanded and do the novel good. Happy writing!

~Ellen C Maze, www.rabbitnovel.com

Recommended text: The Plot Thickens, by Literary Agent Noah Lukeman

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Kim Kouski sits down with Ellen C Maze

2010-07-08T18:35:00.000-05:00

This week, I was interviewed by writer and blogger Kim Kouski about marketing your novel. It was so much fun, I want to re-post it here. You will find all of Kim's delightful and informative blogs here, as well as information on her writing endeavors.http://kimkouski.com/ ~ ellen

FROM KIM KOUSKI.COM
"I had the pleasure of interviewing my friend Ellen Maze, the writer of Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider regarding the marketing of her novel. She has in the past given me a glimpse of her marketing techniques, but I finally nailed down the Rabbit Writer and learned her secrets and what awesome secrets she has!!!! (May I also add, she’s sold almost 800 books in 6 months.)"

Hi Kim! I’m honored to be invited back for another interview. I have called myself a self-marketing Guru and I’ll happily share everything that I’ve learned with you and your readers today.

1) What marketing techniques do you use for your books?

There are literally dozens of ways that I market my books and hundreds more that I haven’t even glanced over yet. During the course of this interview, I will name as many as I can, but let me start with the number one technique: Facebook. Yes, more than MySpace or Twitter, Facebook is every author’s best friend.

Set up a personal profile page for yourself to make friends with people, and also set up a ‘Group’ for your novels. Some authors make a personal page, a novel group, and a separate Author’s Fan page. I have found that if you have enough readers, you can make as many groups as you can imagine. And in case you didn’t know it, all of this is FREE.

Please check this link for my personal Profile Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1027516409 and this link for my Facebook Novel Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96952574559 .

Also, if you’re reading this blog and you haven’t ‘friended’ me yet on Facebook, please do!

Now, if you were paying attention, you caught me marketing right then and there. I told you about my links in an interview and then asked you to join me! This is a major part of self-marketing and self-promotion—friendly and open communication with potential readers and fellow authors!

Once you have your Facebook all set up, it’s time to set up a Twitter account, using your author name and inserting your novel’s web site into your profile there. Do the same at MySpace.com, Shoutlife.com, Goodreads.com, Librarything.com, Shelfari.com, authorsden.com, and the list goes on and on. I’ll attach a more comprehensive list of social networking sites at the end of this interview.

2) How did you make your video book trailer?

My homemade video book trailer turned out beautifully and it was my first attempt. Using the Movie Maker included in my PC, I taught myself the program and had it completed in about five hours. Because of copyright laws, every part of the video had to belong to me—music, photos, and text—so I took the time to make it all legal. I went downtown and took the appropriate photos, my musical husband wrote and played the music, and my graphic artist daughter did the titles and book cover. All in the family, we made a $300 book trailer for nothing. Here’s a link to the trailer (please watch ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDXTyk3uSOI .

My publisher, Outskirts Press, also made me a video book promo for $95. It is plain but gets the job done. Here’s a link to that one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyWr9I9_CkY&feature=related

I have signed with a publicity company recently called Apex Reviews http://www.apexreviews.net (ya’ll jot that company down. You’re going to want to use them when the time is right!), and they are making me a 3rd video book trailer. I haven’t gotten it back yet, but for less than $75, they provided a host of services included a professional book review, listing on dozens of web sites and blogs, and this trailer. I recommend the usage of these publicity companies when you are self-publishing. Some other pay-companies I have used and liked: Premium Promotional Services http://www.premiumpromotions.biz and Kingdom Expansion http://www.christian-book-marketing.com/index.html . So far, I’ve never paid more than $75 a pop for their services, and to me, that is very reasonable considering the exposure they provide an independently published book.

3) Which marketing techniques have you used that work well for you?

As aforementioned, Facebook has had the largest impact and found me the most readers. But I have to work the system there and that is a talent in itself. Another biggie that is just as important, if not more so, is for every serious author to set up an author profile on Amazon.com. You must sell your book on Amazon, and you can publish a Createspace Kindle version for FREE. Seriously. Buy this book: SELL YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON. If you follow even 50% of his advice, you will see your title on dozens of different web sites within the first few hours, and it is perpetual. I still see reviews and lists I created on Amazon last year create new online searches for my work now. Amazing exposure for FREE!

Listen up friends—for self-promotion, you’ll dedicate 10 to 20 hours a week promoting a new title, and 10 hours a week between new books. It has to be done. Even authors published by the larger houses do these steps. It’s the only way in this tough economy and isn’t likely to change. If you don’t have it in you, ask your sister to do it for you. Maybe you’ll get lucky.

4) Which ones would you not recommend or tell others to avoid?

I do not recommend paying hundreds of dollars for services you can do yourself. Unless money grows in your backyard, don’t pay for reviews. You can get book reviews for FREE if you seek out your reading audience and find the bloggers who like your genre. With a little cyber-footwork, you can find literally dozens of reviewers who will read and review your book for you for the cost of mailing them a book.

5) Do you do book signings and do they work well for you?

I love book signings. To make it successful, advertise it as much as you can beforehand. On all your social web sites, as well as local print papers if possible. Put up a poster in the store a week or so before and leave bookmarks for the cashiers to put into customers’ bags leading up to the event. Then, go to the signing prepared to meet only one reader. You might meet more, but maybe not. To fill the time, take some drawing paper (people LOVE to watch people draw), set out snacks (people in bookstores are hungry), set out bookmarks (people love free stuff), and if all else fails, pull out a manila pad and start writing the sequel. There’s one fact you just can’t skirt—if you want to sell more of your first book, write another one!

6) What is the hardest part of marketing your book that you have encountered?

Hmmm. Good one. The biggest challenge is the time element. Ideally, we’d all be able to spend 100% of our day writing the next great novel. But these marketing steps must be taken, and unless you’ve hired a publicist (Milton Kahn and Asso. For a 3-month campaign, $15,000: nice folks, great work, hefty price tag. But he’ll get you on Oprah! http://www.miltonkahnpr.com ), you will have to put in the hours. I have heard it boils down to 50% time spent writing, 40% time spent marketing, and 10% time left for the rest of your life. But what can we do? We were born to write!

7) Does one need a lot of money to market their book?

NO. 99% of my marketing efforts are FREE or only cost me the price of one of my books. The time is what costs the most. Networking and meeting authors, readers, and movers of the industry who can help nudge your book ahead in the ratings.

8 ) How would a newbie writer who has the book in her hands start marketing her book?

Make sure you have a bang-up professional web site. The web site doesn’t have to cost anything, just be professional and easy to navigate. My site is fun and its look matches my unique personality. Check it out here: www.rabbitnovel.com. I don’t think you should pay more than $100-$150 to have one built, so shop around. It used to cost upwards of $500 for a simple site, but there are so many web designers out there now that they had to come down. My sister, Marty Hersh, is a professional designer and she will create you one for around $100. She designed all of my sites, although I changed the look of them along the way, she set me up and taught me how to maintain them myself. Here is her web address: http://www.spiderwebsdesigns.com

Get set up on all those Top social web sites I mentioned. Seek your audience on those sites. Say your on Facebook and you wrote a book about vampires. Search the Twilight, Trueblood, Sookie, Vampire Diaries, Cirque Du Freak, etc. groups and join them. Start talking about your book to these people in a friendly and open way. Send friend requests to hundreds of them and build your online presence.

9) You once said you go to where folks are talking about your book. Can you expand on this and what do you do? How does this help?

OMGee this is important. Go to Google.com and set up your google alerts. You will be able to make Google alert you whenever anyone on the internet searches your book title, name, or any other word phrase you request. Also called, internet clipping service, it’s a way to know when you or your book is being discussed in cyberspace.

Let me go through the steps to find the alerts, as they are hidden on the main screen. Go to www.google.com . In the top line, near the middle, the highlighted choice is ‘more’… drop that down and all the way to t bottom is ‘even more’. Select ‘even more’. The first option on the left is ‘alerts’. Click this and follow the instructions. It’s that simple! I have alerts for all my book titles and my author name. Now I know when a store in India is selling my book AND if some woman in Newark, NJ is blogging about it!

10) I haven’t published my book yet, but I’d like to create a following so when I sell it, I’ll be ready. What you recommend for me?

Go ahead and start up a fan club on facebook! Present yourself as an author, tell them about your book, and when you suspect it will be published, if you know. When I started my facebook group, I had no idea that I’d be self-publishing my first book. I just knew I was submitting my novels to publishers and would soon find a taker. I had collected 200 fans before I even had a date for the first release! I’d like to have a thousand fans, but right now, it is at about 560. Half-way there…

Also, create a blog that chronicles your writing efforts. The more you mention your name and your titles on the internet, the more searchable you become. Ideally, when someone Googles your book title, your book title will take up the first 10 or 12 pages of Google searches. When I began my marketing efforts, one Ellen C Maze came up for my novels. Now, if you Google RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER (Published in Nov 2009), you will find that the first 15 pages are dedicated to stories regarding that book. I have my marketing efforts to thanks and it didn’t happen by itself!

11) Anything else you can think of.

I want to say, be kind to each other. Go to goodreads.com and meet some authors of books or genres you like. Befriend them and try to get them to read and review your book. You can exchange reviews if you like. Make as many friends online and in person as you can, because people don’t like to buy from a snob or a morose person. Be happy, smile a lot, and put yourself out there. Don’t be too private –readers get a thrill from being able to ‘friend’ you on facebook and email you personally. When you’re self-published, word-of-mouth is so important. So, be excellent to each other.

12) As always, you’re the bomb, baby!! Thanks.

Thank you Kim! Here is a list of social web sites your readers might like to copy and paste: (Either google them by this name, or add .com to the back)
BEBO
FRIENDSTER
ORKUT
WORDPRESS
BLOGGER
HI5
TAGGED
LIVESPACES
PICZO
YAHOO
LIVEJOURNAL
BLACK PLANET
MY YEARBOOK
FREEWEBS
VOX
TYPEPAD
XANGA
MULTIPLY
IGOOGLE
NETVIBES
YOUTUBE
PAGE FLAKES
MIGENTE
AMEBA
LIVEDOOR
EONS
OVERBLOG
Just to name a few…

TOP MOVIES OF THE SUMMER w/earning totals!

2010-07-06T08:09:00.000-05:00

July 6, 2010 SUMMER MOVIES Round Up with Gary Susman

The movies I've seen have a highlighted review out to the side! --ellen

The full top 10 (four-day totals):
1. 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,' $82.5 million (4,468 screens), $175.3 million total
2. 'The Last Airbender,' $53.2 million (3,169), $70.5 million
3. 'Toy Story 3,' $42.2 million (4,028), $301.1 million [2-THUMBS WAY UP-ellen]
4. 'Grown Ups,' $26.5 million (3,534), $85.1 million
5. 'Knight & Day,' $14.0 million (3.104), $49.3 million [2-THUMBS WAY UP –ellen]
6. 'The Karate Kid,' $11.5 million (3,109), $155.0 million
7. 'The A-Team,' $4.3 million (2,153), $70.4 million [2-THUMBS WAY UP-ellen]
8. 'Get Him to the Greek,' $1.7 million (884), $57.9 million
9. 'Shrek Forever After,' $1.3 million (957), $232.6 million [Pretty good –ellen]
10. 'Cyrus,' $1.0 million (77), $1.7 million

Top 10 movies of summer 2010:
1. 'Iron Man 2,' $308.5 million [2-THUMBS WAY UP –ellen]
2. 'Toy Story 3,' $301.1 million
3. 'Shrek Forever After,' $232.6 million
4. 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,' $175.3 million
5. 'The Karate Kid,' $155.0 million
6. 'Robin Hood,' $104.0 million
7. 'Sex and the City 2,' $93.7 million
8. 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,' $88.4 million
9. 'Grown Ups,' $85.1 million
10. 'The Last Airbender,' $70.5 million

•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

RABBIT GIVEAWAY UNDERWAY!!!! Run Run Run...

2010-06-20T14:20:00.000-05:00

We're gearing up for the release of the sequel to RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER, and what better way to do that than to give away a few review copies of the first book?!

The book has gotten so many rave reviews and I'm ecstatic to be able to share it with you this way. Ya'll be sure to put it on your to-read shelf when you enter the drawing. That way, you'll remember it later if need be!!

NOTE: you can read 1/2 of this book online to see if it's up your alley. Go to the rabbitnovel.com web site to do so or click here: FREADO.com!

WATCH FOR THE SECOND BOOK IN THE RABBIT TRILOGY to launch in September. I'll post a giveaway for that one too as soon as appropriate.

AND YA'LL FRIEND ME on Facebook! I'm from the Deep South so don't be a stranger!

GIVEAWAY ON GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/4523-rabbit-chasing-beth-rider

GIVEAWAY ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96952574559&ref=ts

YOU NAMED THEM...your fault! VICTIMS CHOSEN...

2010-06-16T19:51:00.001-05:00

NAME A VICTIM names have been chosen! Here are the names and where they appear in the book.

1. Mac Ardel --- killed by Beryl in Ch. 39
2. Stanley Rotich---- Stan Rotich , killed by Rakum in Ch 17
3. Caleb Dixon ---- young man who reads at the library in Ch 5

How did I choose THESE names out of such a huge pile? I chose the ones that spoke to my muse as I read the scene. Not a very scientific process, but I never claimed to be a scientist!

I’m hanging onto this list as I write the next book, RABBIT REDEMPTION, I would like to use a few as needed. Those people will receive the same free book offer as the ones today.

These current winners will receive one of my novels FREE. I’ll be contacting you now, so watch your inbox.

THANK YOU EVERYONE! THIS WAS SO FUN! And be sure to buy RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER & RABBIT LEGACY… I promise you’ll have fun reading them!
~Ellen

NEED A VICTIM...How would you like to DIE in RABBIT LEGACY?

2010-05-24T23:15:00.001-05:00

I have an idea and it's kind of cheeky.

Folks are always asking me to put them in my novels. Well, I have all the main roles cast already. But I do have these pesky victims that need names...

In my upcoming novel RABBIT LEGACY I have two (maybe three) one-scene-victims, and because of the nature of the conversations, I will need to use their whole names (first and last). Would some of you like to nominate a name for me to use? It'll be fun!

I have already given these victims names, but they can easily be changed, since they only appear in one scene. When we choose the names from this blog, I'll reveal the scenes that these poor souls will be murdered in.

RULES --
#1 -- they have to be men's names
#2 -- you have until June 15th
#3 -- no more rules. There's no copyright on names, and I'm not using their likenesses. It'll be fun to be immortalized this way. Honest!

Come on and leave me a comment on this blog of:
#1 the name you want me to use,
#2 tell me who it is to you (in case you want to prank your husband, so I'll be in on the joke too!),
#3 your email address so I can get back with you if you win.
#4 if you are following this blog, let me know, and your vote will count as two!

Okay...let's go.

Who shall I kill in RABBIT LEGACY?

RABBIT: 5-Stars "Novel is tight, thoughtful, powerful and entertaining"

2010-05-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

What a joy it is to wake up in the morning and see a brand new glowing review of your debut novel! That happened to me this morning and I am still doing the Snoopy Dance around the room (you should see it!).

Author Donnie Light has summed up my book beautifully and poetically, with insight that I don't really expect most readers to have. Yes, I have intentionally woven elements in this book that are sometimes obscure, but Donnie sees with vivid Light (pun intended) and has left one of the coolest reviews ever. Please read it and then go buy my book!

Post Script: I am reading Donnie's book DARK JUSTICE and it is very compelling. I will review it here when I'm done! There is a link for his book right here....DARK JUSTICE on Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rabbit's Secret Weapon, May 10, 2010
By Donnie Light "Author of "Dark Justice" Kindle and Paperback"

This review is from: Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider (Paperback)

Ellen Maze's novel, "Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider," offers a clever take on the popular Vampire genre.

In this story, a vampire-like race of beings called "Rakum" are shaken to their core by something they never suspected possible.

Novelist Beth Rider has written an inspirational piece of fiction that is having a strange effect on a handful of Rakum. After reading her book, these Rakum begin to wonder about God and question His influence on human believers. They are curious to know more about God, and seek out Beth to answer their questions.

These events are noticed by the Rakum Elders, one of which marks Beth Rider as a "Rabbit" - prey for Rakum to endlessly pursue and torture. However, this Rabbit is different from all the rest. Beth Rider has a secret weapon - her unwavering faith that God has put her in this precarious position for a reason.

The world of the Rakum is severely shaken as more of them are openly curious about Rider's message. The Elders see this as a movement that needs to be put down quickly and mercilessly. Some Rakum decide to protect Beth Rider at all costs, while others seek to destroy her and all that stand in their way. As the two factions struggle for final control, Beth Rider faces the worst of the Rakum alone and on their terms. Against all odds and unknown to the Rakum, she has some unseen help at her side.

Author Ellen Maze weaves an intelligent tale that lets the reader experience the life of the Rakum and their endless need to feed from human donors, while only able to move about in the dark underworld of night. Readers can easily imagine how some of the Rakum respond to Beth Rider's redeeming message of hope and love and how they might long to feel the warmth of sunshine upon their faces for the first time.

Tightly written, "Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider" delivers a powerful message in a thoughtful and entertaining way. I highly recommend it.

Donnie Light, author of Dark Justice

http://www.amazon.com/review/R18H0M6CIFZKWQ/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

HAPPY DILEMMAS of the Rabbit-Writing-Author Ellen C Maze

2010-04-27T09:42:00.000-05:00

Happy. That is a good word for my attitude today. I have much to be thankful for and much to be happy about. Firstly, this morning when I checked my book on Amazon.com, the number of reviews had jumped from 34 to 40. That freaked me a little because normally, it jumps ONE review every few weeks (at least now that the book has been out a few months). So I was elated. I was also happy that some had been sold -- YAY!

So what's next?

I have a dilemma.

RABBIT LEGACY, the second installment in the Rabbit series, is nearly complete. I have a few climactic chapters to write and it will be ready to edit. On the one hand, editing can take months--at least two months if all of my pre-readers and editors hustle. Three months if we have major edits to make. So if I want to publish LEGACY by the summer, it'll be quite a press. It could be done, but I will want to take every precaution NOT TO RUSH THE BABY. I cannot allow the book to be rushed to completion.

THE JUDGING is closer to being ready to publish. My awesome reading partner, Ams Lantz, volunteered to read all of my books for me and give me invaluable advice and needed critiquing. She gave THE JUDGING the thumbs up, with a few minor tweaks to help it flow into DAMASCUS ROAD (which she also read for me!!). The only drawback on publishing this one myself is that it is currently being considered by different agents/editors who showed initial interest...

So there's the rub. I have no problem waiting, but I want one of these two to come out by the end of July. I just had a capital idea! I'll launch a public campaign with my readers -- let them choose! That's pretty close to drawing lots, if you ask me!

Okay, I'm off tor facebook. I'll be sending the voting through our Rabbit facebook group, so you're not a member, please join up. Here's the link! If you join after the announcement goes out, that's okay. Just send me an answer -- which book you want to see first! I'll post it on the wall of the group as well as send out a group-wide invitation to participate. Fun!

Now go and have a great day!

Ellen C Maze

BOOK REVIEW: 33 A.D. Vampires in a very famous Era !

2010-04-21T07:48:00.000-05:00

The following is my book review of 33AD by David McAfee. Please follow the links provided to learn more about this amazing novel. ~ ellen

(In the interest of brevity, I’ll refrain from summarizing the book plot, please see the Item Description for synopsis.)

I have some advice for you if you’re about to read this book. Do not begin it if you only have a ‘few minutes’ to spare. You will get sucked in by the first paragraph, if not the first words and I’m not easy to please when it comes to contemporary vampire fiction. I first began to read this novel when I had five minutes before leaving the house. That was my mistake—once started, I was blown away and made myself late trying to put it down. It’s that intriguing!

Also helpful, do not pick up this book for some ‘light reading.’ Author David McAfee spins a vampire yarn that obliterates all predecessors. He will touch on issues as deep as religion and as terrifying as an ancient race of vampires known by their Hebrew name Bachyir. The bloody attacks are not for the weak-kneed reader and the appearance of the greatest Man to walk the earth creates a dichotomy that thrills and enthralls.

You know by now that this Man we speak of is none other than Jesus Christ. In fact the only constant you can count on is the parallel account of the activities of the famous Jewish Rabbi. McAfee does not trample the faith but weaves a tale around the events during Passion Week, fitting his vampire plans seamlessly into the historical record. You will know Jesus’ fate because of history—the rest is up for grabs: who will live, who will die, and who will be tortured by the bad guys...

McAfee’s novel refuses to be pigeon-holed into a genre as it shatters a number of industry norms by melding the vampire tale with the biblical account of the crucifixion. This is not a ‘Christian’ tale but neither is it offensive to those who hold that faith. The thematic elements of Good/Light versus Evil/Darkness are guaranteed to occupy your mind long after you’ve read the book.

Technical Data: I love the cover of this book and it reflects the mood of the story very well. The interior format is flawless and professional, making the read not only easy but fun, with a hand-drawn graphic by McAfee himself at the top of each new chapter. Taking into account the author’s expertise with prose and suspense, it is hard to believe this is his first novel. I predict a long and illustrious career for him and I look forward to his next book. Bravo, Mr. McAfee! Bravo!

Follow this link to view and/or purchase on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982630700/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img
Ellen C Maze

Author of Paranormal and Vampire Fiction for the Discerning Reader

AUTHOR IS AMAZED and tickled PINK w/new MARKETING IDEA

2010-04-12T21:15:00.000-05:00

This is the coolest thing ever!

Today as I was checking my email, I floated over to a Twitter follower, then I followed them, and then noticed on their feed a Tweet from someone else and I clicked the offered link. Then I journeyed an hour into a social sharing and marketing site for authors and publishers. WOW! Suddenly, my book is set up on this awesome site, with this fancy new exclusive technology where readers can click the link and READ my novel on their PC for FREE!

Of course, there’s a catch. I did not allow the entire book to be read for free, but I selected the first 176 pages. That’s half the book, and once the reader gets to this page, they’ll be utterly addicted. This is a good plan .

READER PERKS--- the pages turn like a real book, right on your monitor! Very cool technology!

Setting up this profile and uploading my book took about an hour. Now, I will follow-up on the literally DOZENS of additional social networking sites they suggest to list my widget on. Think of the exposure! I’ve never ever heard of some of these networks, but they’re about to hear about me. If any of you have a book to tout, please have a look at these guys. I can’t believe it’s free. I’m so happy…

(Above is a photo of some of the networks I will add to my list...and there's a MORE button!)

So you guys please click the widget on this page (top right) or this link right here, and start reading RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER. Leave me a rating, click me as a fan, whatever you want. Let’s ride this puppy to the top! I won’t forget you 

God bless! I have to get to work on the sequel RABBIT LEGACY. It’s almost ready to go to the editor!

Hugs, Ellen C Maze

VAMPIRES SUCK but this Vampire Book is WONDERFUL

2010-04-07T20:32:00.000-05:00

A VAMPIRE NOVEL YOU REALLY GET SUCKED INTO! ~ A. Dolbear

5-STARS

My newest review comes from the talented author Angela Dolbear, who's debut novel THE GARDEN KEY is making a huge splash with audiences all over the nation. She recently read and reviewed my novel, RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER and I am happy to share it with you now! Please be sure to pick up your copy today... and also buy Angela's book. You won't be sorry!

A vampire novel you really get sucked into!, April 7, 2010

By	Angela Dolbear "writegirl"

This review is from: Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider (Paperback)

All puns aside, this unique supernatural thriller pulls you into the story from its epilogue. You big rooting for the heroine Beth Rider from her first scene, who is, by the way, as supernatural as the vampires in her ability to remain calm and still in the face of great danger. How does she do it? You'll have to read the book to find out for yourself.

Although I am and always have been a big fan of vampire stories, this one takes a unique turn in that we see the vampires -- or Rakum, as they are called -- challenged with the opportunity to lay aside their powerful undead status of spending the rest of earth's days roaming about the world only at night, or accept a divine relationship which restores their humanity with a promise of eternal life in heaven. Very interesting predicament, indeed.

The pace of the novel is exhilarating leaving me with a bit more of an adrenaline surge than I would like before sleep (my primary reading time), but a thoroughly enjoyable thrill ride of a novel. I am eagerly awaiting the release of its sequel.

HATS OFF to the RABBIT: Hopping to #72 on AMAZON List

2010-04-01T22:03:00.000-05:00

Released in November, 2009, Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider has been hopping into the hearts, minds and souls of people all over the globe. Today, it reached it's highest ranking thus far, on Amazon's exclusive rating system.

Rabbit climbed into the top 100 among books to #72, in its category, Christian/Fiction/Fantasy; and to an amazing 31,000 in the general Ranking. That is out of millions of books!

These numbers fluctuate regularly, but to hang among the clouds for any amount of time is heaven and I want to thank all of you who have bought the book, read it and loved it. The sequel should be out later this year and I hope you love it even more.

Please visit http://www.rabbitnovel.com to learn more, participate in interactive opportunities with the author, and join our novel's Facebook group. We'd love to have you!

A LITTLE CHAT and a LITTLE LEAKY RABBIT

2010-03-22T16:56:00.000-05:00

(artwork copyright Dies-a-Irae, link 'Black Haired Girl')

ISABELLA- A TRAGIC FIGURE FROM RABBIT LEGACY

As I began writing RABBIT LEGACY, I began to wonder what would make the best prologue. It is my style to include a prologue with every novel so why stop now? I had some great first chapters, but I needed a 'look back'. A chance for the reader to get a little back story that would be instantly interesting and even compelling. I soon realized that I had the perfect Prologue already written -- in my pile of Loose Rabbits.

If you're unfamiliar with this term, go to this link and rectify the situation. Otherwise read on...

This Loose Rabbit became the Prologue of RABBIT LEGACY for several reasons. The #1 being that it fits perfectly. Absolutely perfectly. It introduces my main character, Canaan, who is not in RABBIT CHASING BETH RIDER, and it sets up relationships between Javier and Roman, indicates the relevance of Father Damien to them all, and hints at a possible betrayal of friends.

I have leaked the prologue below. If you've read the Loose Rabbit associated with this, you may notice some slight changes. I have altered it only slightly to make it fit with the plot, but nothing is 'changed' really. I just left out Kilmeade for time purposes... I think you'll like the way it turned out.

Look for RABBIT LEGACY in early Fall 2010. Thank you for stopping by and leave a comment if you will!

~~ellen

RABBIT LEGACY Prologue by Ellen C Maze

1897 New York City

The blood of a brother was not particularly tasty. So why was Javier compelled to honor a stranger in such a way?

Tonight, Roman was moving them to New York to live on the grounds of a Rakum-owned hospital. He was excited at the prospect of having an endless supply of human victims helpless and without recourse. But now that the Rakum who picked them up at the train station was seeking to drink his blood, he wished Roman had not volunteered him so cavalierly.

Javier surreptitiously looked the guy over. He was tall, broad and bound with muscle; much different from the slender figure of his Elder. His every glance exuded confidence and a cool laissez faire that Javier only dreamed of one day developing. Just before he asked his name, he beat him to the punch.

“Call me Canaan.” The Rakum said in a British accent and then turned to remove the sweat-stained harness from the carriage horse. “Can you clean tack, little brother?”

“Yes. Of course.” Javier said as he watched Roman disappear through the door of the attached dwelling to meet their host. Feeling abandoned and awkward, Javier received the traces from Canaan. When both had their arms full, the older Rakum gestured to the barn and Javier led the way.

He was uncomfortable with the stranger for several reasons. Firstly, because since coming to stay with Roman at age eight, he had lived a sheltered life. Now he was twenty, but he could count on one hand how many Rakum he’d met in his two decades. More than that, Canaan was too quiet. Elder Roman explained to him long ago the tendency of their people to keep to themselves; saying that it was appropriate and even desirable that a Rakum remain aloof. But knowing this did not make it easier for Javier to accept. His propensity for chattiness was a bane to his Elder. If Canaan would say more, Javier was certain his nerves would settle.

“I apologize, little brother.” Canaan offered as he pulled open the barn door. “I will attempt to be more communicative.”

Realizing that the older Rakum was a telepath, Javier made an effort to think happy thoughts. Canaan chuckled at that moment and tossed Javier a cleaning rag from a bucket on the floor.

“Ask me a question.” Canaan said as he rubbed moisture from the bridle in his hand.
Javier ran the traces through the cloth and tried to think of something to say. He did not want to give his blood, but he couldn’t very well say that. Canaan made a soft noise of amusement a few feet away and Javier grimaced. The guy was a superior telepath and none of Javier’s thoughts were getting past him.

“Do not fret, little brother. I am not your enemy.” Canaan threw him a wink and hung the cleaned tack on the wall peg. He made a grab for what Javier had cleaned and hung it up as well. “Pretty good job, mate.”

Javier said nothing and watched him push closed the door on the tired gelding’s stall. Canaan collected his oil lamp and checked the animal’s water trough before heading for the door.

“What now?” Javier asked dreading the inevitable.

Canaan grinned and winked. “Shortly, I will begin the tour of the hospital.”

Javier nodded his head and stood from the low stool as if perhaps they would put off the blood-letting. But Canaan gave him a smile. His blue eyes flashed as he leaned against the closed barn door and crossed his arms at his chest.

“I like your Master, Javier. He has a soft spot for you. Speaks of you very tenderly. You’ve lived with him alone for how long?”

“Almost thirteen years. Since I was eight.”

Canaan whistled and shook his head. “I knew you were young, but not that young.” Maintaining eye contact, he lowered his chin and licked his lips. “And Roman is your main buzz? All this time?”

Javier nodded. Canaan was referring to the blood Javier consumed, and since he lived alone with Roman isolated in a forest miles from town, his was the most available. Canaan made a noise of surprise and Javier was curious.

“What? Is that strange?”

“You have no idea.” Canaan laughed and tucked the oil lamp on a set-in wooden shelf. “Rakum are raised in Group-Lairs for a reason. One of those is so they have a variety of blood donors available to them. You were raised in isolation. Why, only the Fathers know.”

Canaan lifted his eyes to the dark rafters above and paused. Javier remained silent. Canaan might be communicating with them as far as he knew. The Fathers were known to spy on their children, and with Canaan about to be promoted to Elder, they could have him under close surveillance. The Rakum lowered his gaze and smiled at Javier again.

“Indeed.” He said, answering Javier’s unspoken observation. “I am two hundred and forty-five years young, Javier, and I have never met a Rakum like you. You are a rarity…”

Canaan sounded wistful and finally Javier’s mouth curved into a smile. Of course he had a notion that he was special; that his situation with Roman was quite singular.
“This is why Roman consented. As a favor to me.” Canaan took a deep breath and stepped off the door, remaining across the floor for now. “Who is your father? Theophilus? Johann?”

Javier shook his head. “Father Damien.”

“Ahh…” Canaan nodded and approached, stopping a few feet away. “I can see that.” He then closed the distance between them and touched Javier’s hair, looking thoughtful. “Your mother was very dark, then? A Gypsy perhaps?”

“Yes.” Javier answered, unnerved at the close quarters. He furrowed his brow and met the other Rakum’s gaze. “What happens now?”

“Do not be impatient.” Canaan chastised. “Have you met Father Damien?”

Javier shook his head and Canaan reached for the collar of his plain white cotton shirt. Unlike Canaan and Roman who dressed to the nines in the fashion of the day, Javier wore plain brown canvas trousers and a roomy white farmboy shirt. He looked down at Canaan’s fingers on his shirt and clenched his jaw.

“Father Damien is an extraordinary Rakum. He sees the future. He can levitate objects. Even a carriage. He is amazing.” Canaan successfully opened Javier’s shirt a few inches and stepped closer. “Can you do that Javier? Move things with your mind?”

Javier inhaled sharply and shook his head. Normally he’d be extremely interested in learning anything about his true Rakum father, but with Canaan close enough to embrace him, he finally began to overtly resist the prospect of volunteering his blood.

“Why do this? Am I that special?” Javier asked in a low voice.

“We do this for training purposes, little brother.” Canaan became still, only inches from Javier’s chin. “To be an Elder, my sense of smell has to be a hundred times better than yours. My sense of hearing and taste too. My eyesight is already much more acute than any other Rakum I know. But I also need experiences. As many as I can gather. I may never meet another Brother like you, with your circumstances. Buzzing mainly from one source—that could cause you to take on the attributes of your donor. Could better prepare you to be an Elder one day. Might make you very powerful…”

Javier did not care at all for the man’s reasons, and he was wounded that Roman would give permission so hastily. He put his hands up and pressed into Canaan’s chest.

“Just be still.” Canaan ordered him and put his long thumbnail to Javier’s throat.
When he had pressed through the skin Javier grit his teeth but made no sound. He’d endured several years of bone-crunching torture already in First Ritual, so a little puncture wound barely registered. But he had not buzzed Roman but a handful of times and the sensation was unpleasant to say the least.

Maybe that was it. Perhaps Roman was testing him.

Javier sighed wondering if he’d ever complete the Ritual. The average Rakum graduated at seventeen and Javier passed that mark three years ago. Even as Canaan pressed his lips to his bleeding throat wound, Javier wondered how much longer he’d have to wait. Roman promised he’d meet Father Damien while in New York. Meeting one of the Fathers was one of the last things a Rakum did before graduation...
Javier pushed against Canaan again a little more forcefully. Canaan held him tightly, one hand behind his neck and the other around his shoulder. And he showed no sign of letting up. Javier did not want to lose too much blood. He had a long night ahead of him and he did not know when his next meal would come. After another few long seconds, the older Rakum still hadn’t let up and Javier returned to his thoughts.

Perhaps he would soon be on his own. If he graduated, Roman would put him out, set him up somewhere and let him start a life on his own. His own Cows. His own interests. His own Brethren to carouse with.

Lightheaded now, Javier grunted and pushed Canaan with real zeal. The larger Rakum’s mouth slipped from his skin and he stood back and rolled his eyes.

“Javier…” Canaan grinned and swallowed dramatically, his handsome face shining with something akin to revelation. “Buzzing only from an Elder… It makes a difference.”
“Fine and well for you, Brother.” Javier began, putting his fingers to his healing throat wound. Canaan held up his hand and wagged his finger in Javier’s face.
“Do not be cross, Little Brother. I have dinner waiting for you.” Canaan stepped to the door and picked up the oil lamp. “Elder Roman says begin the tour. I will show you my favorite floor.”

Javier stepped to the door, shook off the dizziness that threatened his balance, and followed Canaan across the moonlit yard to the hospital rear entrance. He was frowning, but the Elder took no notice of his expression.

“The lunatic ward is in the basement. Come, I will introduce you to my Isabella.”
Canaan pulled open the narrow service entrance and led Javier down an unlit hallway. The hospital was quiet and the lighting minimal as they descended the staircase to the basement. Javier noted that below ground level, the odor of medicine and human waste stung his nostrils. He winced but Canaan laughed.

“You won’t notice it after a while. Especially when you taste the reward I have down here for you.” Canaan whipped out a key ring and opened two locks. “In here, use the keys. Practice opening locks elsewhere.”

Javier nodded but wondered why the oddball rule was in place. Like all Rakum youth, he had learned how to mentally manipulate the mechanisms of the locksmith and no door would ever bar him. But Canaan kept going, without a pause and offered no explanation. When he opened the door, a wall of aromas slammed against his senses but Canaan walked in seemingly unaffected.

“You eat down here?” Javier asked incredulous.

Canaan did not answer and led him down an empty hallway to a door that opened up into a large circular room with stark and filthy walls. The floor was without furniture but snoring bodies slumped everywhere. Unable to stop himself, Javier began diagnosing illnesses left and right until Canaan touched his sleeve and distracted him.

“You can use your powers of healing upstairs. Down here, they all stay as they are. Understand? The lunatics…they are free food. For as long as you want. These rooms…” Canaan gestured to the padlocked doors that surrounded the empty floor. They were approximately twelve feet apart, with a barred window at the top of each. “…the rooms are for the violent ones. But over here…” He led Javier to a door on their right. “…I stashed a little treat for myself.”

Javier stepped over the sleeping form of a pregnant woman with a grey casted arm and entered the room after Canaan unlocked it with a wave of his hand. Javier looked at him sideways, recalling the decree of moments before, but Canaan again offered no explanation of his actions. Javier shook his head and followed the man’s lead.

Inside the smelly ten-by-ten cell, sat a soiled cot and a full toilet basin. On the rough stone floor beside the cot was a woman; short but pretty if he could imagine her without the grime that clung as if a second skin. Her hair had been shorn off recently but it had been black. As he watched, curious as to what Canaan had in mind, the Rakum approached the woman and stood over her. He looked to Javier and whispered low.

“With these people, you can be yourself. They can report vampires all day long, and no one will give them a listen. I take my fill, sew her up, and come back the next week. She never runs dry.”

Javier nodded with understanding.

“So you are hungry, right?” Canaan bent down and lifted the woman to her feet. She came awake slowly but as soon as her eyes focused she took a deep breath to scream. Canaan covered her mouth before she made a sound and trained his eyes on Javier.

“Come and taste this one, Javier. Riding accident. She came in for a broken arm and a concussion two months ago. I found her on my rounds the night they casted her.”

Javier stepped close to the girl and looked into her terrified pale green eyes. She shook and perspired but did not struggle. As Canaan continued his story, Javier put his hands on the woman’s shoulders and considered her throat. When he took blood from the Cows and prostitutes Roman provided, they were invariably older, and usually male. Plus, Roman always took from their arm or wrist. Canaan was a throat guy. Javier listened to him with one ear and put his hand to her cheek and moved her chin aside.

“I intended to heal her arm and send her on her way, but look at her, Javier. She is exquisite. And innocent. Barely sixteen.”

Javier blinked at her age but then pressed his own thumbnail to her taut skin, just below her jaw. He usually used a knife, but he was learning new things in New York.

“So I had her transferred down here. She cemented her fate by telling them she was frightened of vampires. Beautiful, eh?”

Javier’s nail broke through but it took much more pressure than he expected and she gagged and recoiled at the sensation. When he pressed his mouth to her and began to draw of the trickle that leaked from the insufficient laceration, he almost choked with surprise. Canaan was right. The girl was different. Her blood caused his head to rush and his gut to tingle with pleasure. He no longer noticed the awful smell of the basement ward.

“That is her consent you taste, little brother. Her consent.” Canaan paused thoughtfully and Javier barely heard him. “She wrestles with herself, not us.”
Javier may have grunted a reply but he wasn’t sure. The rules of drawing blood from females were not on his mind at present.

“I am leaving her to you, Javier.” Canaan held the girl against his chest from behind. “Isabella. This is your new master. Treat him well.”

The girl squirmed half-heartedly but Canaan was practiced at keeping her silent. Javier drank a little longer and stopped himself. It wasn’t easy to quit her but she was small and Roman taught him to be aware of how much he drew out. Drinking them to death was forbidden. Taking a dying buzz was a crime worthy of severe punishment.

Canaan laughed then, overhearing his thoughts. “Indeed, little brother. In a hospital, with little threat of interruption, it is easy to drink too long. Be very careful.”

Javier nodded and covered Isabella’s wound with his palm until it healed.
“Visit her once a week and she’ll last several months. Visit her once a month and she’ll last several years. Keep her locked up, innocent and untouched by the others, and her blood will always be this smooth. Understand?”

Javier nodded, his head still fuzzy from the pleasure of the meal. “How do you…” he smiled at nothing and continued. “How do you manipulate the mortal physicians here?”
“The Groundsman and the Director are Cows for Elder Kilmeade. They’ll transfer to Roman. Between the two of them, of all of your requests will be met. I will introduce you tonight.”

Javier watched Isabella’s face as Canaan removed his hand from her mouth and lowered her onto the dank cot. She did not make a sound, but watched him with sorrowful eyes.

“I will keep her as long as I can, Canaan.” Javier gave the girl a grin which she ignored and he nodded to his brother. “I will keep her in here and make her last. Roman has to have her. I would like to know what he thinks.”

“Fine. But this hospital is full of Isabellas. On the second floor, there is a charity orphanage. Children and infants. Whatever you are in the mood for. Take a tiny bit from each one. Heal them up. You are in paradise, Javier.”

Javier tried to imagine what Canaan was describing but it was unfathomable.

Canaan abruptly moved to the door and motioned for him to follow.

“Come. Elder Roman is waiting for us in the Lobby to begin the tour.”

As Javier trailed Canaan up the stairs, his thoughts danced on the future. For one year, at least, he would have all the blood he wanted from any number of helpless donors. And a locked up princess named Isabella.

Javier laughed and glanced at Canaan. He was smiling too.
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TOUCHED BY A VAMPIRE Book review with BITE

2010-03-15T22:04:00.000-05:00

BOOK REVIEW by author of vampire fiction, Ellen C Maze Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider

I have just finished reading TOUCHED BY A VAMPIRE by Beth Felker Jones, a book that promises to examine the major themes of the TWILIGHT SAGA through a biblical lens. I must say that on the whole, the author has succeeded in this endeavor.

I read some reviews before I bought this book, pro and con, and had no idea which way I would go when I finally got to read it myself. It turns out that this was an easy read and I got a lot out of it. I feel like I need to tell you a secret though...what I liked best about this book is that Felker Jones succinctly and superbly provided detailed synopses of all four books in the TWILIGHT SAGA. This is a very special bonus for anyone who has not or cannot read the whole series. I mean, wow, thanks Beth!

Felker Jones also provides plenty of biblical insight into the themes of family, love, marriage, sex, children, and relationship with God that parallel those in the Saga. In my humble opinion, I do not think that the author slams TWILIGHT at all, so if you avoid these kinds of study books because you think they might insult your favorite vampire series, don't worry. Felker Jones gives credit where credit is due and seems to be simply asking questions...asking you to consider if this certain theme goes with this certain biblical position. There are helpful summary questions at the end of each chapter that I think kids would enjoy answering if this book were read in a group study. I know I would!

TOUCHED BY A VAMPIRE is a 5-star book looking to speak to the lovers of TWILIGHT without pointing the finger of judgment anywhere but at ourselves when necessary. TWILIGHT fans rest easy - you can enjoy this book, study from it, learn from it AND be entertained by Edward and Bella. And I hope you will. This book makes TWILIGHT even better.

Ellen C Maze, author Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider
Vampire fiction like none other

CLEAN UP AISLE THREE! Legacy is Leaking (Ch 3)

2010-03-13T23:43:00.003-06:00

Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider is hopping all over the globe and readers demand a sequel! I am excited to inform you that the sequel, Rabbit Legacy is nearly done...and I absolutely LOVE it. This is an excerpt that is currently Chapter Three. Of course, it may be edited, moved or deleted altogether depending on how the final edit goes, but please enjoy reading about what happens when you transform from earthbound diety to lowly mortal and then are charged with apostasy by your former brethren...oooooo... check it out and leave me a comment! ~~ ellen
(Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider spoiler warning...but read it anyway!)

Three

Nashville, TN
Oct. 31st, 9:00 pm

      The Rakum were on the hunt, Father Damien was their prey, and he’d let them in the house. Damien considered his options.
     He’d let them in. Why not? It was Halloween and they said the proper phrase. He’d been hearing it all night from the neighborhood children: Trick or Treat! But once these two burst in, they chased him to the stairwell of the tidy two-story colonial that he called home. Now on the second floor, he considered the three bedrooms and the toilet on the hall. Where could he hide? Could he hide at all?
     Damien tracked hastily toward the furthest room and paused.
     “Damien? Father? This pursuit is trying my patience.” The taunt wafted up to meet him from the first floor. They were coming up the stairs, the picture of wicked nonchalance.
     The intruders were Brethren. Underlings. But which two? He hadn’t gotten a good look at them when they burst in. In his day he knew them all by name but without seeing a face he could only guess. He had been god to them, for two millennia. One hundred thousand Rakum bent their knee to the Ten Fathers. It had been a glorious life. But now? He was an outcast. A traitor. An apostate.
     And now, these two subordinates, barely old enough to wipe their noses, had come to serve up justice of their own making. Or the justice of their new leader.
     Rufus Delouve.
     The oldest living Elder. Seven hundred and fifty years old with a heart as black as coal. Damien knew him well; had overseen his discipling under Jack Dawn. Had personally taught the youth the more complicated feats of telekinesis and apparent teleportation. It was ironic that the skills of self-preservation he taught the young Rakum centuries ago were now coming back to bite him. Literally.
     “Just surrender. We can do this the easy way if you just surrender.”
     The same voice. They were coming up the stairs calmly, side-by-side. Damien looked around, eyes wide, and then up to the ceiling. The attic access door was directly above him. With no express plan in mind, he yanked the cord and pulled down the mechanical step ladder. His knuckles rapped against his pocketed cell phone and he thought of calling for help. One name came to mind right away.
     Canaan. A Rakum Elder on the fence. Not guaranteed to help but neither was he a sure enemy. Living in seclusion with a mortal female, the Rakum Elder escaped the wrath of God that night at Assembly. And now, years later, only Damien knew of his location. He knew because he was a Father; very little got past him when he was among the Rakum.
     He’d contacted Canaan once, telepathically, six months after the debacle at the Cave. Damien was taking stock, counting allies and foes, when he stumbled across the Elder’s thoughts very close by. In a desperate attempt to keep her with him forever, the reclusive Elder from Britain was contemplating feeding his mate his blood. To keep her young. To keep her virile. To keep her period. Such an act would transform her into a Rabbit and such intentions carried much weight. With Damien only miles away, he picked up Canaan’s accidental transmission easily.
     In response to what he’d overheard, Damien made one simple telepathic relay to the Elder: “I’m watching you.”
     The Elder had sent back, “And who’s watching you?” Canaan’s response was hard to comprehend then, but he thought he understood now.
     They never spoke again. Damien’s telepathic abilities diminished over the first two years until just before his Change, he could only overhear the thoughts of those in his sight. Because of this, he found it easy to avoid contact with the remaining Brethren—Rakum and Apostate. Yet somehow, tonight, they had found him.
     They’d been watching him.
     Call 911.
     The notion occurred to Damien and he pursed his lips. Why not? The humans swore by it. Damien fumbled for his phone and dialed the three tones with his thumb without removing it from his pocket. He left the line open and said nothing. Sometimes in the movies, it worked…
     “We have other things to do tonight, Father. Plans. Come on.”
     This voice was different; higher and more sarcastic than the first. Damien narrowed his eyes. The respect he garnered as a leader of his people was hard to live without. Since that fateful night seven years ago when the Rabbit demoralized Abroghia, the High Father, Damien had been on the run. At the time, he did not understand the woman’s entreaty regarding her God, but he understood the end result. Those who refused to at least listen to her words would perish where they stood. So Damien attended, stood on the stage, right behind Beth Rider, standing abreast the leaders of their Kind. Nine Fathers stood broken and sullen on the platform that night; Johann, Theophilus, Umbarto, Amos, Yuri, Wornal, Kin, Duris and himself. Where were they now? Damien did not know. They went their separate ways that night, never to look back, lest an unseen force rip them apart. And Damien was the one unanimously chosen to protect Isaac…
     “Father, you’ll give yourself a heart attack trying to outrun us. Don’t be a fool…”
     Damien grimaced at the hateful words and sought an escape route. He was helpless; as helpless as that night on the stage. Standing behind the Rabbit as she prayed for their redemption. If he’d only known then what he eventually figured out seven years later. His mind went to her Rakum supporters who stood by her that night; Dawn’s Lieutenant Michael Stone, Tomás’ errant youngster David Walker, a competent Elder named Roman and Damien’s own blood son, Javier d’Millier. All but Stone had been transformed by then. The odor of human flesh filled the Main Hall that evening and nearly drove Damien mad.
     When the Rabbit gave them an option to save themselves by opening their minds to her words, he did so and was spared. Half of his Brethren consented to her offer of redemption and began a slow walk toward humanity. Twenty thousand transformed to fully mortal in the first twenty-four months. But there were those who rejected her words entirely and slithered off into the night. Damien was one of these. He took little Isaac and fled. The Rakum were destitute and vulnerable for the first time in their lives. When Abroghia deserted them, he took with him the spiritual protection that carried them as a Race since the Great Flood.
     “I can hear your bones creaking old man. What a sorry state. What a pitiful end to a great long life.”
     Damien scowled at the derisive comments; wounded by them. He scooted up the attic ladder carefully and covered the distance to the far window. The brute was right—his entire body ached.
     In the Cave’s Main Hall seven years ago, he listened to the Rabbit and afterwards went on the run. Running from God and running from the truth the Rabbit so innocently deposited in every listening ear.
A short seven days ago by a hasty confession of faith, like Michael Stone and the others, he was transformed into a mortal man.
     Ironically, if the two apostate hunters had come for him a week earlier, he could have defended himself. As a Rakum Father, he possessed powers beyond the imagination. He could burst a Rakum’s heart with a thought. With a glance he could incapacitate any assailant. But now? He was as helpless as a babe. He was human and more than that, an old man. When he sloughed off his Rakum spirit, he was left a wiry and bent seventy- year-old heart patient, taking diuretics and in need of a hearing aid. Damien had never been so frightened in his long life.
     “Oh my god, Damien! The attic? Where’re you going next? The roof?” The first Rakum taunted him as they climbed the ladder to the landing.
     Damien took in the entire attic in a glance and crossed to a small decorative window in the peak. On the lawn below, children played in the moonlight enjoying the clearest Halloween night in a decade. Tiny ghosts and witches crisscrossed the sidewalks, their miniature bodies glowing with chemically enhanced bracelets and necklaces that resembled fireflies in flight. One of the cherubs, probably nine or ten, glanced up then and Damien reflexively squint his eyes to focus on the features. For an instant, a split second really, the boy resembled Isaac. Damien scoffed and looked away, hidden from sight by the lack of light in the attic. Isaac was no longer a child as he was no longer innocent. He had grown into the image of his father and that was bothersome enough.
     Isaac Akaron.
     In the Semitic tongues, the name roughly translated He Laughs Last. Damien smirked inwardly. Indeed, the boy was their creator’s last laugh. The last Rakum ever born; High Father Abroghia’s final effort to reproduce himself.
     Isaac. The boy everyone secretly feared and openly abhorred.
     Isaac; who was foretelling the future before he could walk.
     Isaac; who was moved to the Chamber of Fathers at age thirteen to be trained up in private. What an experiment. It had never been done—take a young Rakum out of Group-Lair to be proselytized in the Cave by the oldest of their kind.
     But there had never been a Rakum quite like Isaac. Where was he? Was he safe?
Damien grunted at his memory’s flights of fancy and looked around the attic. There was no time to reminisce nor mourn lost sons. He was on the run for his life and the Rakum below were heading up.
     But wait…
     The two-foot in diameter window opened out.
     He could fit his body through there. He could go onto the roof. But what then? He couldn’t jump down. His arthritic knees ached at the thought.
     The Rakum were in the attic now only fifty feet away. Damien backed up to the window and faced them. Would he see daybreak? He’d waited two millennia to see the last seven sunrises; was that all he was to have? Damien was loathe to admit it, but he wished to see Javier; the last of his natural-born offspring. And little Isaac, whom now he considered a son. Rakum never developed parental bonds but he was human now. His heart ached to know them once more and see them in the light of God and His kingdom…
     “Rufus wants to see you Damien. For real. No tricks.”
     Tyson and Gage. Their names came to him now as he studied their faces in the moonlight that seeped in around him. Yet these two had been hitting the Dead Buzz; eating the flesh of corpses. The tale-tell signs were evident in the unnaturally bulging eyes, the drooping jowls and dripping saliva. They’d been at it a few months at least and Damien knew that if they did not stop soon, they’d lose all skin tone and upright posture. They were morphing into the dead.
     You are what you eat, after all.
     A thousand years ago, he’d seen it often, but the practice was outlawed in the 16th Century. Yet who remained to enforce the code of the Rakum now?
     No one.
     Tyson, shorter, greasy and rapacious nudged Gage roughly to get him moving. Gage gestured with a fat finger and spoke slowly as if addressing an errant child
     “We got Theophilus already. See—you won’t be alone. You guys can rehash old times.”
     Damien fumbled with the window latch behind him. Tyson inclined his head and bumped his fellow with an elbow. They were on to him.
     “Seriously.” Tyson hissed; a thread of black drool hanging from his slack lips. He lurched forward and    Damien held up his hand.
     “Stop.” His eyes flitted between the Rakum he once called servants. Damien took a deep breath. He was in terrible danger. And he was all alone.
     Or was he?
     “You are a pitiful old man, Damien. You can no more control us than you can your own bladder.” Gage chuckled and hurled a few more insults as he crept forward.
     Damien looked to the ceiling. The rafters were old and dusty; blue light danced on cobwebs set high for eternity.
     He was not alone. His confession a week ago proved it when he spoke to the God of the humans and was changed.
     Damien closed his eyes and lowered his upraised arm.
     “Into your hands, Master.” He muttered and dropped to his knees.
     Then everything happened at once.

     “Freeze! Police!”
     One uniformed officer cleared the attic opening and trained his gun on the two Rakum. Damien’s eyes came open in time to see Gage charge straight for him and then shove past to wiggle out the small window, the odor of decay trailing behind.
     “Freeze or I’ll shoot!” The officer called again as another armed cop entered the attic behind his fellow. Damien scooted to the side and fell clumsily onto his rump, his old heart beating painfully.
     “You better start runnin’ old man.” Tyson whispered as he too soared past Damien on the floor and shot out the window head first. Both policemen jogged after them in pursuit. Damien inched toward the window to peek out but instead of trick-or-treaters, staccato-lit patrol cars dotted the landscape.
     “You okay, sir?” A third police officer crawled into the space and headed for him. It was a woman, short but intimidating with her service pistol at half mast.
     Damien nodded his head and put out his hand.
     “Nice and easy, sir.”
     With her strong feminine fingers in his, Damien was helped to his feet and then supported on her shoulder to the exit. Another officer helped him down with gentle care and before long; he was tucked onto a gurney and pushed into a waiting ambulance.
     The humans rescued him. The mortals saved him from certain death…or worse.
     Damien received the care of the frantic but professional medics and stared at the red lights flashing in his vision. Rufus wanted him alive and he was holding Theophilus captive. Something evil was afoot. Damien glanced at the technician on his right who gave him a huge smile and swabbed his brow.
     “You’re going to be fine, sir. Just taking you to the hospital for a once over, but you look great. Vitals are great.”
     Damien smiled behind the oxygen mask. He was rescued in the nick of time. But this wasn’t the first time he’d been saved from death. He was saved the first time by God Himself. A week ago in his car on the way home from the store. The first time he spoke aloud to the Creator of the universe.
     Damien sighed and closed his eyes.
     He served a new Father now.
     And this one had only his best interest at heart.

BLOG INTERVIEW with Ellen, plus ADVICE for writers

2010-03-10T16:26:00.000-06:00

Hello Rabbit Chasers! Today I was interviewed by a wonderfully talented writer by the name of Angela Greenlief. I re-posted her interview here so please go to her blog and check out her work in progress. It will be fantastic!
~ ellen

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Interview with Author Ellen C. Maze!
I am very excited to post my first interview on this blog. I did a review recently of Ellen C. Maze's debut novel RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER. It was only fitting that the next step be an interview.

Here it is:

To start off with, perhaps you could tell us a little about yourself--whatever you would like to share.

I suppose the most compelling thing about me now is my writing. I have done many things in my forty years, but this is the one thing that I have dreamed of doing since grade-school: being a published author.

In Junior High School, I dreamed of being a veterinarian, mostly because I loved animals. But one trip to the Vet School in Auburn changed my mind forever. In High School, I wanted to be a psychologist and hang a shingle in town. In college, I majored in Psychology and Sociology and found I had a sure knack for listening and helping people with problems. Then I got married after college and became a full-time mom for the next ten years. When I went to work again, I was an artist and worked from home. I was successful and sold paintings all over the world. Yet on the side, I was writing. And guess what I was writing? Vampire Tales. Yep. Just like I did in Middle School Creative Writing class! All I needed was the courage to work at writing full-time. That chutzpah didn’t arrive until 2009.

How did you get the idea for RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER?

Interestingly, the main plot point of this book – a writer is hunted by vampires because she writes about vampires – came to me in the seventh grade. I wrote a short story about a girl and her friend who were given a creative writing assignment, and they chose to write that their Math teacher was secretly a vampire. The teacher finds out, turns out that he is a vampire, and he kidnaps them for exposing him. The story ends with both of them being turned into vampires. Sort of short on plot and action, but hey, I was only twelve years old.

As I got older, this basic theme tumbled about in my head in my subconscious until in 2006, when I had completed Books One and Two of my Christian vampire series THE CORESCU CHRONICLES, I began writing Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider. Not quite ready to publish, I started writing about a woman (Beth Rider) who wrote THE CORESCU CHRONICLES and her work threatened the true ‘vampires’ that lived in her world. This is how the two series are connected. When CORESCU CHRONICLES comes out, readers will get to see exactly why the vampires were chasing Beth Rider! Interestingly, RABBIT is aware of THE JUDGING (Book One of Corescu Chronicles) but THE JUDGING is not aware of RABBIT. Chew on that a little while!

For all those unpublished authors who read this, can you tell us how your journey of publishing RABBIT went?

My personal journey as this novel went to print was wonderful and exciting. In the next section, I will talk more about the different ways to get published, but for this answer, let me tell you how it went with Rabbit.

I did not seek an agent or editor for this book but wanted to publish it myself while I waited for THE CORESCU CHRONICLES to be picked up by a big publishing house and turned into the Christian version of Twilight. I researched dozens of independent publishers and printers and I ended up choosing an amazing Publisher (a Fortune 500 company) with an impeccable reputation and a promising future. Outskirts Press promised to not only turn my ‘baby’ into a beautiful product, but they would also promote and distribute it just like any big publishing house. So with a very small investment of $1500, Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider hit the shelves and immediately sold in 10 countries. You can see why I’m so happy. I will definitely use Outskirts for the Rabbit sequels too. I am so happy with this book and this company’s performance.

One last thought here, I would share that every writer needs to be prepared to self-promote. Every editor and agent is going to expect you to promote yourself vigorously. If you are a shy person and maybe unable to do this, you’ll need an advocate who will do it for you. Self-promotion is done online and in person. By mail and by phone. Email me if you need titles of great books about self-promotion and building an author’s platform.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers? And, what advice do you have for authors seeking representation?

Oh, I want to encourage and edify unpublished authors. In overview, there are two basic ways to be published: Traditional Publishing, where a publishing house either buys your book (along with the rights) and pays you varying royalties, or Independent Publishing, where you (usually) keep all rights and you provide the money to be published. For decades Independent Publishing has been tucked into a dark, shameful corner, but the industry is changing mightily. With the economy forcing the big Traditional Houses to buy fewer and fewer manuscripts, for as little as a thousand dollars, a writer can publish their own book.

I chose to go both routes and leave the rest up to God. I am taking the Traditional route with THE CORESCU CHRONICLES. This series has been approved by one powerful agent, but not picked up. And it is also sitting before three other agents/editors, awaiting approval or interest. So since I sent it out (I did my part), I am waiting to see what God will do with it. Now with Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider, I prayerfully sent this one to be independently published by Outskirts Press. Now I have a published novel that is widely accepted by people all over the world, and I can promote it while I wait for CHRONICLES to find a buyer.

So my advice to all writers is to 1) keep writing, 2) buy a copy of THE WRITER’S MARKET and GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS (both available in stores or online) 3) hone your craft through attending writer’s conferences and plugging into writers critique groups (you can find these all over, email me for lists), and 4) learn the business end of writing.

Last but not least, do not despair. Try to get an agent, try to rope in an editor. But if you have an excellent product and the industry just cannot see that, don’t be afraid or ashamed to self-publish. It’s a competitive world and we need your book!

Back to RABBIT. What is the most important message you wanted your readers to walk away with after reading this book?

RABBIT is a sexy and titillating book. Without taking it beyond a PG-13 rating, the novel takes you into the darkest areas of the human and inhuman heart. Still, every reader comes away with something gained. Something good. Read the reviews on Amazon, and you’ll get a peek at what the Rabbit Chasers (the readers) are seeing in this debut vampire novel.

Although it is never preachy or pretentious, RABBIT is written from a biblical worldview. The reader does not need to be a Christian or Jew to enjoy it, but every issue in the novel comes from the basic understanding of the world that is put forth in the 66 books of the Bible/Tanach. I am a Jewish follower of Jesus, so the book has some Hebrew elements that give the story a firm foundation readers can rest on comfortably as they follow the characters along.

This is a book about Faith and Redemption. In one perspective, people stand in one of two corners—they need redemption and haven’t faith yet, or they have been redeemed (by God) and have faith that God protects/loves/cares for them. In RABBIT, Beth Rider has faith to move mountains. The Rakum (vampires) and Cows (humans who voluntarily let blood to them) are either seeking redemption or seeking to destroy Beth and her faith.

I want my readers to identify with a character or two and then enjoy the ride. There is a plethora of personality types, some vampiric and some human, and every reader will be able to find their likeness inside to some extent or another. The beauty of it is, you can be like David (a young Rakum just realizing the truth about God) the first time you read it, and then more like Beth the next. I have heard reports from readers all over the world who love choosing their favorite character and then following them on the road to redemption.

Every reader who knows me personally says that I am Beth Rider. My answer to that is, yes, I am Beth Rider. But, what they don’t realize unless they are writers themselves is that I am also Jack Dawn (the bad guy), Meryl (bad guy’s minion), Javier (Rakum confused about God), and all of the rest. Every character is a piece of my personality. That might seem creepy but it’s true. Ask any writer. We’re all functioning schizophrenics!

Who are some of your favorite authors?

The first vampire book I read was Bram Stoker’s Dracula at age eleven. Oh boy. That was where it started. Then I read Robert McCammon’s vampire and werewolf stuff, then Anne Rice, and into the horror of Stephen King. These days, I’ve mellowed considerably and read mostly Christian Thrillers. My favorite authors are Frank Peretti, Bill Myers, Paul Bortolazzo, Eric Wilson, and Angela Dolbear (a brand new author you must google!).

One of the most important things an aspiring writer should remember is that to write, you must read—A LOT. So make a habit of reading other author’s work and writing reviews for them. Posting reviews on Amazon may seem lame, but as soon as your own book is published and you are selling on Amazon, every review you’ve ever written will direct people to YOUR book by proxy. So read and review all the time!

I know you've finished your second novel THE JUDGING. Can you tell us a little about it?

Oh, be still my heart. In THE JUDGING (Book One of the Corescu Chronicles), a priest named Corescu is turned into a vampire by an apparent demon. The priest refuses to reject God and thus assigns a divine calling to his blood thirst—he decides to kill only evil people and thus satiate his craving for human blood. Three hundred years pass this way, and in the present day, Corescu meets and falls for a lovely young woman who (along with a Christian friend) slowly bring the vampire to an awareness of his deeds. All along, he thought he was doing the will of God by killing the killers, but learns that there is one Judge and it isn’t him!

In a very real sense, THE JUDGING is a love story. Sure, there is truth stuck in there, but like RABBIT, the Christian element will not bang you over the head. The series has four installments, and the woman from Book One, Hope Brannen, will take all four books to resolve her relationship with the vampire Mark Corescu. The side stories regarding Tony Agricola (a righteous character who most knows God’s ways) and Paul Black (a young vampire) are entertaining galore and I can hardly wait to get these books into the hands of the readers.

THE JUDGING has three more books that wrap up the story-line. RABBIT has two more series installments and a possible Young Adult spin-off. In closing, I’ll share that I have several other novels in the works. I usually work on 2 or 3 at a time as the spirit moves me, and here are a couple more to watch for.

THE TALE OF JANE FROST, another unique take on the vampire tale, where bloodlust and longevity are part of a Satanic curse thrust upon a set of triplets. This one takes place within a Messianic Jewish Community and will be very compelling. You should also watch for GUARDED, the story of an ordinary and seemingly-average young man who is rescued over and over by a being everyone assumes is his guardian angel. What no one knows is that this being is actually a demon, keeping him alive for the devil’s purposes. Ever heard of having a Guardian Demon? Believe me, if the devil is keeping you alive, it’s for a nefarious purpose and you’d be better off dead! And the newest addition to my in-the-works pile is WAX, the story of a teen who sees demons and soon realizes that his calling in life is to thwart their work no matter the cost. A tough job for a seventeen year old boy!

Last words? Love one another.
God bless, Ellen

Ellen C Maze, www.rabbitnovel.com email rabbitnovel@aol.com

FANTASY Cons and the NEW AUTHOR

2010-03-08T22:58:00.000-06:00

A month before my novel was published, I was invited to attend the Second Annual IMAGICON in Birmingham, AL. I was (and am) ecstatic! I can't wait! I will be able to sell my books, have book signings, and have a little speaking time too during the Con. This is so cool! My first convention as a published author! (Well, let's face it--it's my first convention at all!)

Today, I was invited to TwiCon 2010 (think Twlight Convention) in Las Vegas, NV. Wow! This one is about the same size, but FAR FAR AWAY in Neverland. A plane-ride from my home in Montgomery, AL. I priced the plane tickets for my hubby and I to go and we're looking at $377 per person. Shrug. That is doable. I mean, we have until July to pay, right? Then I priced the hotel. The convention center where the Planet Hollywood (hosting site) is costs $159/night for the cheap rooms. That's $477 for 4 days. A little steep, but who's to say I couldn't raise that money up too? Tonight as I was posting the news to my Rabbit Chasing pals on facebook, I recalled that I have a dear friend from my childhood that lives in Las Vegas... maybe he could let me sleep on his couch? Maybe bring in a cot for my husband? Hmmm... I'm not above asking him! He is a really cool dude and might just go for it!

So, I'm praying for guidance and we'll wait and see. The trip might be possible for less than a thousand bucks if I stay with my friend, and about $1500 if I hotel-up.

I'll keep you posted my friend! Yippee!
Life is a roller coaster and my seatbelt is frayed! AAAEEIIIiiiiiii!!!

RABBIT: Not Your TYPICAL Vampire TALE! (Book review)

2010-02-22T16:45:00.000-06:00

BOOK REVIEW by ANGELA GREENLIEF 2/22/10

When I first saw this book, I had to wonder--What association can there be between a rabbit and a vampire? What is a Rakum? And, of all things, why are there "cows" in this book?

But Ellen C. Maze cleverly ties all these things together in her novel RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER. This unique and spiritual novel takes the reader on a fast-paced, page-turning adventure as author Beth Rider finds herself thrust into a world she thought was only a myth to become a prophet of hope for creatures who, by their very nature, believed they were doomed from birth.

Maze's novel has no lull. From the very first page the action begins, and it does not stop until the last. The family of 100,000 known as the Rakum have lived along the same guidelines, the same ideals, for thousands of years. Until one unseeming author writes a fictional, and inspirational, novel about a priest, turned vampire, and the power of redemption. As this best-selling novel falls into the hands of members of the Rakum, they being to question their very existence, as well as the possibility of hope for the darkest of creatures.

Of course, not all feel this way. Just as some journey to find Ms. Rider to find hope, others are determined to destroy her...hence, she is marked as a "Rabbit". A rabbit is a person who carries the mark of the Rakum, a signal for others that she has been set loose for a delightful chase, and eventually--kill.

But Beth Rider is not your typical rabbit. She does not cower in fear of the Rakum, because she knows that through the power of prayer, the spirit of God, and in the end--her own special guardian angel, she can face any battle with the faith that she will be protected.

Ellen C. Maze does an incredible job of delving into the feelings of her characters--their temptations, their doubts, their motivations, and their fears.

A typical vampire story? Far from it. This unique novel has a new twist of vampires that you haven't read before, and from the very first page you will find yourself engrossed in the world of Beth Rider and the obstacles she must face to help the darkest of all creatures.

By Angela Greenlief Author of novel in progress THE WATCHER'S DAUGHTER.

Please visit her blog and check out her awesome novel in the works!

Seagal Fans Against 'Against the Dark' Vampire Film

2010-02-17T17:12:00.000-06:00

What is the opposite of Bravo? (Insert answer here).

Steven Seagal brings us a vampire slasher film that has more holes than Swiss cheese--and I'm not talking about puncture wounds. Disjointed action sequences, nonsensical character development, minimalist and repetitive dialogue, as well as illogical plot advancement will make every viewer wish they'd rented the vampire movie that sat next to this one on the Blockbuster shelf.

I'm a Seagal fan--a HUGE one--so I trusted New Orleans Reserve Chief Deputy Sheriff Seagal to bring me some entertainment this fine evening. After all, he not only starred in the show, but produced it as well. But, to my sad chagrin, our `star' had maybe sixty seconds of face time the first 60 minutes of the movie. Later, the last thirty agonizing ticks of the clock, we saw him more often, but he was forced (by the script I hope) to deliver the same lines over and over.

Uttered at least four times each: "Make a clean sweep of the place." and "Let's go."

Fifty minutes in, he told us his name.
Little girl, Charlie: "Who are you?"
Seagal, "My name is Tao."
End scene.

The dialogue gods were no better to the protagonist Dorothy. She was forced to say ridiculous things like, "all these hallways lead to the same place..." and "all these tunnels lead to the same place..." (which I found incredibly odd unless the building was round, which according to the many aerial shots, it was not.)

And on and on.

Vampire fans, a word for you. There was a ton of neck-biting in this film, but you also have to put up with zombies-eating-flesh sequences (equipped with up close shots of intestines-for-dinner more than a dozen times) which are not sexy at all. In fact none of the vampire shots are even the least bit alluring. The vampires are actually simply mutants that fell victim to a virus that plagued the entire globe (I am Legend, anyone?). This movie will thrill those people who like bloody, gory, dripping-red internal organs zombie movies, not those who enjoy Twilight, The Lost Boys or Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula.

The obviously generous with his time Keith David stopped over for the afternoon to shoot his few scenes. He played a hard-nosed military general of uncertain personality and conviction who was forced to utter silly and trite lines throughout the show. And his decisions made no sense (which fit right in to the rest of the movie, now that I mention it). The director cut David's scenes into the rest of the vampire-hunting footage in such a way hoping to build suspense but unfortunately they all came off irritating and distracting to the flow of the film. (There was a flow???)

Long story short (too late), Against the Dark was only pretending to be a movie. It's really just a video game that you cannot stop playing until you get every last survivor and hunter out of the hospital. So crack your knuckles and grab up your game controller. We gots us some vampire's to chop up! Whoo-hoo!

My advice...watch the movie. Just don't expect too much.

Ellen C Maze, author Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider
24 5-Star Reviews the first 10 weeks. A Brand New Look at the Vampire Mythos!

Rabbit BETH RIDER Tweets and Facebooks

2010-02-17T14:01:00.000-06:00

Fictional character Beth L Rider, from Ellen C Maze's smash new vampire hit, Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider is now Tweeting and reporting her status on Facebook! As events from the novel unfold, Beth will report her adventures from her point of view. A clever new way to enjoy a novel, and a provocative look into the lead character's psyche as she battles creatures she never believed in before.

From Beth's Profile on Facebook and Twitter: "I am a fictional character, being chased by real-life vampires in the new novel sensation, Rabbit:Chasing Beth Rider. I will share my adventures in novel time!"

Beth Rider Tweets on Twitter
Beth Rider reports on Facebook

Video Book Trailer for Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider

Let's go catch us some Rabbits people!
Ellen C Maze, author Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider

NEWEST BOOK REVIEW of Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider !!

2010-02-13T17:48:00.006-06:00

Hello Rabbit Chasers!

I am very excited about this terrific review of Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider. I want to share it with you! And please follow the link to the reviewers blog and check out all of her reviews.

~Ellen

Curling Up By The Fire -- Book reviews by Stephanie
My Thoughts 4.5/5 Stars
When I first started reading this novel, I had absolutely no idea what it was about. To my surprise, it had a supernatural element to it, and was about vampires. Then I thought it would be another stereotypical novel about vampires, glorifying their race (not that there's anything wrong with that, but I was looking to read something different at that time). I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns of this novel and how different it was from the normal take on the vampire themes we have seen lately.

I love it when an author can take a legend or mythological idea and twist it so it becomes something new and interesting. This is definitely what happens in Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider. Ms. Maze creates her own unique vampire race, the Rakum, with Fathers, Elders, clans, always keeping the amount limited to 100 000 in the world. Vampires in the novel are not created from humans, but are born from the Fathers with a human mother and are raised in one of the Elder clans. Their gifts are nurtured and developed and they are educated in their beliefs from the time they are small; each Rakum have to pass a series of difficult tests in order to be initiated as full adult Rakum. Interestingly, there are no female Rakum. Their world is ordered, civilized, and controlled.

Beth turns all this on its feet with her new book. She is converting hundreds of Rakum over to her cause just by the Rakum having read her book and beginning to question their existence and asking questions about God. Jack Dawn, worried and anxious about his race, tracks Beth down and marks her as his Rabbit, believing her to be a traitor to his race. Beth is shocked when she discovers from Michael why this has been done to her and Michael is astounded when he discovers that Beth is the Rabbit he is sensing. He senses something wrong about the whole thing and becomes her protector. The relationship between Michael and Beth develops slowly and as events throw them together, they are forced to depend on one another more and more. Michael especially begins to question why he is going against his brethren and everything he believes in to protect a human woman who is about to turn his world upside down. As we are led down Michael's path, we learn many truths about the Rakum and about Michael himself. Michael becomes Beth's 'Knight in Shining Armour' and I loved watching him take that path to enlightment and watching their relationship develop.

The many other characters in this novel were interesting and quirky, to say the least. I enjoyed the interaction between Elder Roman and Javier, and how they became more affectionate towards each other towards the end. As many of the characters became more 'human', they acted more human-like whereas the characters who didn't believe in Beth's books, became more evil and did more evil things. There was almost this yang-yang effect; as some people grew nicer and more forgiving, others grew more evil and attempted more desperate acts.

Despite the lightning-fast plot, with many twists, the novel gave you a lot to ponder. While it was a page turner, and had me hooked right from the very beginning, there were some deep philosophical ideas present in this novel. It dealt with faith, mythology, philosophy, evil and goodness, redemption, and belief in God. While it didn't go indepth onto these topics, they were certainly present, and I had to stop reading at several points so I could ponder some of the points that were made. I had to admire Beth's deep faith in God as it helped to keep her calm throughout many difficult situations that I'm sure I could not have faced with the same stoicism she displayed. Many of the Rakum questioned their own belief system and their own reasons for existence and it was interesting following their paths to redemption.

Verdict
This novel had a great plot, definite thrills, chills, and suspense to satisfy anyone, fantastic characters, and mythological elements. It hooked me right from the beginning and didn't let go, even after I finished reading it. It's a fantastic debut novel from an author whom I hope to read more about soon.

CHASING RABBITS on FILM? It could happen!

2010-02-11T22:42:00.001-06:00

RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER..... THE MOVIE??????

Thursday, February 11, 2010, I met with Bradley Farris (Director, Cinematographer) of Magnolialand Entertainment to discuss Rabbit being made into a movie. They now have the novel and are going to work on a screen play. I’ll let you know as things develop. We're very excited at the possibility of working with this terrific company! Thanks for being there, guys! ~ Ellen http://www.magnolialandentertainment.com

To learn more about this exciting 5-STAR novel, go to www.rabbitnovel.com.

Regarding RABBIT, Chasers have said:

"CHALLENGES FAITH…

"Gives us A BELIEVABLE LOOK at vampires…

"CHARACTERS are SOLID and WELL DRAWN…

"The kind of story that COULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN…

"A REALLY NEW IDEA which intrigues the "vampire" enthusiast and CHALLENGES …THE RELIGIOUS CROWD.

"Rabbit will SHAKE YOUR WORLD.

"GOT LOST IN IT...can't wait for the sequel!

"A TRUE PHENOMENON.

"One of the BEST NOVELS I HAVE EVER READ…

"Lightning paced plot THAT RIVALS the works of DAN BROWN or STEPHEN KING.

"Part LOVE STORY, part MYTHOLOGY, part VAMPIRE TALE and all heat, Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider is the very definition of PAGE TURNER….

"The story will HOOK YOU, HAUNT YOU and STAY WITH YOU well after you’ve turned the last page…

"A FRESH and EXCITING rendition of the VAMPIRE mythos

"Ellen C. Maze spins a SUPERB and UNIQUE vampire thriller.

The Garden Key A PRECIOUS GIFT wrapped up in this DEBUT NOVEL

2010-02-09T10:19:00.000-06:00

(Recently, I read an awesome book by first-time author Angela Dolbear. I have been changed by it and want to share it with all of you. As a matter of fact, I want to shout about it from the rooftops! But for now...this blog wili suffice! Love, Ellen)

The Garden Key, by Angela Dolbear, is a book that could literally change the world. I can say with all honesty that if every man and woman on the planet read this book and let its words sink deep into their souls; when they opened their eyes the following day, they would be transformed. Changed into people who love. Really love. And in a real sense, The Garden Key is about real love.

Told in first person, in a voice that I fell in love with immediately, The Garden Key sweeps you into the protagonist’s life; so much so, you feel like part of her story. You experience her joy, her triumph, her failures and her desire for redemption. And because the author walks so closely with God, it is impossible to not be encouraged in your own faith as you travel through novel-time with the main character.

Promos for The Garden Key entice the reader with comical, tongue-in-cheek, real-life phrases, dialogue and emotions. Honestly, I was convinced by one line from the web site which said something about ‘lust and cheeseburgers.’ But rest assured, the promises on the back cover can be trusted absolutely. As I read this book, I did indeed laugh often, and I cried with joy aplenty. I wept most when I reached the last page—do you know why? Because the novel ended.

Selfishly, I wanted it to go on and on and never conclude. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed this book so much (it was literally un-put-down-able), that when I got to the last 30 pages, I forced myself to stop reading. I would not pick it up for fear of finishing it. For over a week, I peeked at it next to my desk, carried it to my room to peek at it as I went to sleep—but I would not read on. I was terrified to see the last page. I was horrified that this wonderful, sweet, delightful, insightful and encouraging book was about to be finished. I have never read a book like this and I thank God that he led me to read it now. I have no doubt in my mind that I will read it over again many times.

And thankfully, the author hinted that she would write another. Praise the Lord.

Ellen C Maze, author Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider

BAD, BAD, BAD, BAD Boys... so fun to write!

2010-01-27T09:59:00.000-06:00

(blogger does not claim ownership of photos)

Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider FICTION/Fantasy/Paranormal Nov.2009
ON SALE NOW all over the place. OR Click the bookcover to the right to purchase or to learn more!

Let’s talk a little about antagonists.

When Rabbit was in the forming stages, I had a bad guy all picked out. His name was Jack Dawn. He was a bloodsucking Rakum, he hated Beth Rider (the innocent righteous character) and he was out to destroy her. But along the way…another evil head was raised up. And although ugly inside, this devil was beautiful to behold, which made him oh-so-fun to write. Mwuhahaahahaha!

So let me tell you how Beryl’s identical twin Meryl was born into this story.

During the course of writing, I needed Beryl to be in two places at one time. Beryl is a beautiful, angelic-looking Rakum (vampire-like race from the novel) with a very black irredeemable soul. He preys on the weaklings and serves his evil and cruel Elder Jack Dawn with total obedience and subservience. So one day, as I was tweaking the story, tightening it up for an eventual end...I realized that I needed Beryl to accost Javier’s human friend Simon to keep the story tense. But Beryl was busy with Jack. To solve the problem, I gave Beryl an identical twin and named him Meryl. This apparent split-second decision was everything but—it turns out that Meryl was in the story all along! But as the silly 'hand' that types the words, I just didn't know it yet.

As soon as I put Meryl's 1st scene in, he went right to work. He grew in every scene and added depth and meaning to his brother Beryl that I could never have gotten on my own. And the Twins grew into such important characters that in Rabbit: Legacy, the sequel, they will play a major role.

Wow. When you meet Meryl, you will love to hate to love to hate him. If you want to see what mean old Meryl did to poor abandoned Simon, read this older post where 'ellen was leaking' chapters. You can meet Meryl and see what he and his twin are capable of.

This gorgeous creature (Indian actor Roshan Hrithik) is in the photograph provided for today's post. Oh my. The devil often poses as an angel of light, and that describes Meryl and Beryl to a T...

END TIMES PROPHECY!!! A Little Book Review for You

2010-01-26T14:23:00.000-06:00

A BOOK REVIEW/ NON-FICTION/ SPIRITUALITY
by Ellen C Maze, www.rabbitnovel.com

Book Review of a new End Times Prophecy teaching tool, ‘TIL ETERNITY by Paul Bortolazzo. Available on Amazon.com and at www.paulbortolazzo.com

Review Title: GO AHEAD AND BUY THREE COPIES...or you'll wish you did. January 21, 2010

`Til Eternity by Paul Bortolazzo is in a class all its own. Wait until you read it and you'll know what I mean. To more explain what I'm saying, follow me now...

SCRIPTURE: I can read the Bible for myself and see that 90% of the End Times prophecy teachings out there in the world do not jibe with what the Master taught His disciples. When I read Paul's book, suddenly everything fell into place and I can begin to make sense of what I've been learning all along. Paul backs every single portion of his teaching with Scripture in context. It is a very refreshing way to teach eschatology. As you read this book, you are constantly referred to a Bible verse or the verse is supplied for you right then and there.

CHARTS: Paul has some of the most beautiful charts I have ever seen that clearly show the timing of the events, the seals, the bowls, the trumpets... so easy to understand and see for yourself. And of course, the Bible passages are right there to help you along. You can view these charts on his web site, a link is provided on hi author page for you (click his highlighted name).

APOLOGETICS: Lovingly and with mercy, Paul reveals some heretical teachings by beloved big-name people. But frankly, church, the time has come for us to stop coddling these millionaires who are speaking heresy on the television and radio and not being held accountable. Paul names names... but hey - the time is short. Every person who utters blasphemy has put it on YouTube for the public to view, and in Paul's book you can get the link and hear/see for yourself. This is all in love, and it will open your eyes. If you want to remain blind and follow blindly, don't look. But also, you may miss an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord and be better prepared for His return.

THE WARNING: Do not be deceived. Jesus warns us to pray and avoid false doctrines. Paul's book will take you to a clear understanding of the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit will confirm in you. Taste and see for yourself. Paul is available to confer with if you have questions. Visit his web site to chat with him (once again, link is provided when you visit his author profile).

THE BLESSING: To know Jesus and the One who sent Him; and to understand the events that lead up to, occur during and after His return.

God bless,

Ellen C Maze, author Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider
An undead tale for the discerning believer.

Rabbit: LEGACY LEAK--- Call the PLUMBER!

2010-01-25T16:55:00.000-06:00

(blogger does not claim ownership of photos)

Anyone who follows this blog or belongs to the Facebook Novel Group knows that Canaan is my new favorite character in Rabbit: Legacy, the sequel to Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider. Why do I love him so?

Granted, he’s not perfect—heck, he’s a blood-sucking Rakum with absolutely no idea of the morality we humans cling to. But he has a union with the mortal Marcy Haddle that is rarely witnessed between normal people.

Canaan, immortal and drop-dead gorgeous.

Marcy, 56 and beginning to look the part.

Canaan still sees her as that 16 year old girl from 40 years back. He loves her so much that it is so refreshing. But he recognizes the conundrum – he will live forever and she has maybe twenty years left. This dilemma plays into the plot of the book so read this novel excerpt and see if Canaan is a guy you could love too.
(forgive the weird grammatical formatting...my blogging skills are in their infancy!)

Chapter Four, Rabbit: Legacy

Canaan rubbed his eyes and nudged Marcy awake.

“Don’t you have to go in early tonight, C? It’s almost seven. We overslept.” Canaan switched on his bedside lamp while covering his eyes. Marcy groaned approximately three seconds as the gravity of his words sunk in before she jerked off the covers and hopped out of bed.

“Not again! God Canaan! Set an alarm!” More expletives trickled out as she stomped to the bath and slammed the door. Canaan chuckled and turned off the lamp.
Thirty-nine years together, and he never set an alarm. He didn’t need to. His internal clock though not error proof, was fairly reliable. Why didn’t she set the clock radio on her side of bed when they went to sleep each day? Canaan smiled. She enjoyed the drama. Marcy was at her best when under stress. Fifty-six years old with the energy of a woman half her age.

“Canaan! You up yet?”

Marcy’s edgy voice through the door got Canaan out of bed. He pulled on the sweats he’d left on the floor and headed for the kitchen shirtless. His reflection teased him as he passed the living room mirror. He was a big guy, well-muscled, with soft blonde curls that he kept quite short by Marcy’s request. His left side – shoulder, arm and chest – were black with thickly arted tattoos collected over the last three decades.

Marcy encouraged him the first time. She’d been with living with him two years, she was twenty, and the 70s were in full swing. He had to choose a crowd; the Hippies or the toughs. Canaan was no peace-loving beatnik. Leather chaps over jeans and a bandanna tied around his head suited him just fine. San Francisco, California; the place to find the best skin artists in the world and three of those were Rakum. Canaan had to use a Rakum tattooist because of the risk of contamination. He would bleed, and an Elder’s blood was nothing to leak lightly around humans.

‘Let me draw it.’ She’d said, batting her long reddish-brown eyelashes. Never one to resist her wiles, he consented. When the artist lifted his needle for the last time, her creative input was stained in his skin forever. Marcy had drawn a stylized wolf, crouching like a man, preparing to strike with claws sharp as razors.

‘This is where I shot you –right between his eyes.’ She’d told him as they studied it later in their hotel mirror. It suited him. When the novelty of it wore off a few months later, he went back for another. And then another.

‘Does it hurt?’ Marcy asked him after his fourth trip.

‘Yep.’ Canaan had replied smiling. ‘That’s why I like it.’

Marcy didn’t understand then, and now, thirty years later, the left side of his upper body was pretty much inked to capacity. Why not the right? Why not the lower body? Canaan shrugged whenever she’d ask. He had no conscious reason for only doing half. It just looked cool. And it made him look unstable. Dangerous and unpredictable.

Canaan laughed, flexed his biceps and gave himself a wink.

“COFFEE!”

Turning abruptly, Canaan reached the kitchen, laughing at the old girl. She had him wrapped around her finger and he regretted none of it. Four decades with the same mortal woman and he was still smiling. How many of his brethren could boast such a track record? None that he knew.

He yanked the pot from the coffee maker and filled it with tap water. As he went through the morning ritual, he listened to the sounds of Marcy’s shower. She was humming an old Platter’s tune, Twilight Time. Her voice was one of the many things he treasured about her. How many times had she sung him to sleep? Too many to count.

She’d be scrubbing her back by now with her loofa on a stick. She was manic with the thing, but her skin was silky smooth. She knew what she was doing. And then she’d wash her hair—twice. Marcy’s shoulder-length dark red hair was wavy bordering on frizzy when the barometer allowed. Canaan recalled that the first time he saw her, he noticed her hair.

And the gun she had trained on him.

The shower shut off in the back of the apartment and Canaan leaned against the counter in the dark kitchen nook. He needed no light and she would flip it on when she made it in. He could see every detail of the small space, and as he scrutinized the dustbunnies in the far corner, he pictured Marcy that first night. She was a hellion. But wasn’t she also a lamb?

Canaan grinned, rubbed his face, and let the memories wash over him. He loved reliving the night Marcy Josephine Haddle shot him in the back.

“Freeze scumbag!”

BAM!

Canaan was shoved forward by the thrust of the hit and he went to his knees to catch his breath. Sneaking up to the farmhouse was turning out to be a huge mistake. He’d audibly located the father, the mother and the little brother; all sleeping soundly in their beds. But even as he stealthily hunted the young lady that his nose told him was nearby, she had been stalking him. Possibly distracted by hunger and the excitement of taking such a young, reluctant buzz, Canaan did not realize he had been bested until he heard the shot. She shouted again for him to freeze and he slowly turned to meet her eye, braving another round if she was so inclined.

“Don’t try nothin’ funny, Mister, or I’ll shoot you again!” She spoke with a mouthy Southern accent and gestured with her weapon.

Canaan stayed on his knees and smiled at the youngster; sixteen years old, if a day, and ornery as a mule. With the full moon behind her shining through her almost burgundy hair, Canaan wondered if he should get to his feet. Her big hazel-green eyes flashed with victory and she called for her daddy through plump pink lips. Out of the corner of his eye, Canaan saw the inside light come on in the house. He and the girl were a good fifty yards away outside the hay barn. If Daddy was coming, he’d be another minute or so.

Canaan nodded his head to the girl and caught her eye.

“You’re a good shot. And brave. Ever shot a man before?” Humor in his voice, Canaan hooked his thumb toward his shoulder. “Look at my back. I want you to see what you did.”

The teen took his offer as a challenge and stepped forward, the rifle aimed at his head. Canaan removed his button-down flannel shirt and turned his shoulders as she circled behind him cautiously. She eyed his muscled build and managed a scowl.
“You deserved it, Mister. Somebody’s been poaching my daddy’s livestock and he said if I catch the guy he’d buy me a horse.”

Canaan nodded at her words and she stared at his back, the full moon providing plenty of light. He knew from long experience that such a wound would heal in a matter of moments and he listened for the girl’s reaction.

It came seconds later.

“Dang.” She whispered and stepped closer.

Canaan watched her, craning his neck to see her lean forward and reach out to touch his skin. Her cool fingers ran up and down the back of his shoulder several times before she withdrew.

“Doesn’t that just beat all…”

“Ever seen anything like that before, kiddo?” He asked, aware that the back door had opened and one or more Haddles were headed to their location.

“Sure.” The girl said and gingerly put her fingers to his back once more. “In the movies.”

Canaan remained as he was; shirt in hand, on his knees, his stomach rumbling now that she was within reach. He calculated his options as the dad approached. In ten seconds they’d have company. He could feasibly grab her and sprint out of sight. He had the ability. After all, he was a mighty Rakum Elder. Or he could murder whoever came around the corner and then carry on with his initial plans. Or…

“So what are you?” The girl whispered, lowered the gun and stood back for him to stand.

Canaan chuckled and came slowly to his feet. He towered over her but she did not back off. She was odd. She was different. And to Canaan, the combination coupled with the fact that she shot him in the back at close range made her special. And Canaan treasured rarity above all things.

“What do you say I am?” Canaan whispered so she would have to lean in to hear. She was fearless and that only intrigued him more.

“Hmmm…” The girl pondered his question and parted her lips.

“I will visit you tomorrow.” Canaan bowed a few inches and stepped back, allowing the huge maple to hide him in shadow. “Do not shoot me again.”

“My name is Marcy.” The girl whispered with a curious smile and Canaan backed out of sight. Her father reached her side with a shotgun balanced in his shaking hands.
Canaan remained hidden as he watched the teen explain away her antics without ever mentioning her trespasser.

The next evening he indeed visited her—in her bedroom. He was a gentleman and took her blood with restraint. But she asked him back, and the more time he spent with her, whispering in her room or watching the moon move across the Kentucky sky from the hay loft of the old barn, the more attached he became. Until one day, she left with him and never looked back.

What did her parents think? She sent them a card every Christmas, but never let on their address. Her little brother grew up and went off to college. He became an attorney and moved to New York City only to be hit by a cab and killed his first week on the job. Her mother and father were now in a nursing home, still cognitive but losing it fast. And Marcy was Senior Park Ranger for the State Parks system. She carried a rifle in her truck and a .45 on her hip.

Although so far, she’d kept her bullets in her gun.

“In the dark again, Canaan.” Marcy deadpanned and threw the light switch. “Oh! Hazel Walnut! Thank you, sweetie!”

Canaan grinned and she fell into his arms. She was slender and tan and she melted into him as if they were one. That is why he could never leave her. Even twenty years down the road; as she became bent, infirm and needy, he would hold her close. Somehow, they had become one person. It wasn’t very Rakum-like to have such human ideas, but—

Canaan shrugged mentally as he released his bride. Since the Rabbit debacle, he could pretty much do whatever seemed good in his own eyes. There were no Fathers to submit to and no Brethren to match wits with on every issue. Canaan was no longer inclined to hide his affection for the woman he thought of as a wife.

“Canaan, you be careful tonight.” Marcy said as she turned to pour her cup. “I had a bad dream last night. I dreamed about bats and you know that’s a bad omen. You need to stay home—”

Canaan objected with a shake of his head and interrupted her. “C, no way. I’ve stayed in three nights in a row. Your bats will just have to stuff it. I’m not a saint, hon. I gotta have a buzz or I will explode.”

Marcy regarded him with that gaze of hers and Canaan shook his head again.
“I’m serious.”

“Then let it be me. I’ll call in.” Marcy set down her cup and reached for the phone. Canaan stepped up and covered her hand on the receiver.

“Hon, I’ll be fine. I am going alone, to the Shell Zone.” Canaan smiled at his rhyme, but his wife’s eye was hard.

The Shell was a bar for men, hidden in a dark corner down town. Every few weeks, it was safe to visit there and find a free voluntary meal with a man he knew as Westley; a Cow in a world without Cows. The right to hold Cows went South when their Race dissolved but there were still plenty of humans out there willing to let blood to vampires. And since he was gentle with the man, he’d never been turned down.

“Lighten up. I will be careful. I always am.” Canaan brought up his hands and cupped Marcy’s face and sang the first few words of one of her favorite show tunes. “Beautiful girl, let me take a picture…”

“Stop it.” She cooed and covered his hands with hers.

“Beautiful girl, let me call the preacher…”

“You don’t even know the words.” Marcy’s retorts were spoken through a smile framed by the lines of happy times.

“I’m in a whirl…” Canaan sang off key and pulled her lips to his.

She returned his kiss and then hugged his back, burying her face in his bare chest. He kept it waxed at her request and he rather enjoyed the discomfort the procedure brought. The sensations of pain and pleasure often melded together among his people and he was no different.

Marcy giggled as he dropped his hands to her waist and tickled her briefly.

“…over my beautiful girl…” He sang, finishing the chorus with aplomb.

“Call me on my cell when you get home, okay? Things are different now and we have to keep on guard.”

“Hon, I will know if they come around.” Canaan resumed a serious tone and waited to meet her gaze. “Do not mistake my gentleness with you for weakness with them.”
Marcy’s eyes watered a second and she wiped away her tears and cleared her throat. She was an incredibly strong woman and Canaan admired that about her.

“You said they were re-gathering. Plotting a comeback.” Marcy said and paused. “Heard anything else?”

Canaan shook his head. He used to be telepathic but now, his only mental connection to those who were left came in dreams and odd rumblings in his spirit that he rarely understood. But by the visions he received most recently, he knew enough to avoid contact for as long as possible. One name came through his last lucid dream and it was one he distrusted.

Rufus Delouve.

A Rakum Elder he’d spent enough time with that he knew to steer clear of him now that there was no order among their kind. And he wondered about Father Damien. As of their last contact, the man was considering changing sides. Had Rufus gotten to him yet? Canaan realized he really didn’t care. His only concern was the safety of Marcy and himself. The rest of the Brethren could go to—

“Just stay on guard.” Marcy interrupted his thoughts now wrapped in his embrace.
Canaan nodded and kissed the top of her head, the fragrance of her shampoo causing him to smile anew. He’d never brought trouble home since they’d been together, but recently, Marcy was becoming more cautious. She’d been having nightmares, usually about his dying race. After nearly four decades together, she had met plenty of his brethren, and she knew just about as much about his people as he did. But she needn’t worry about his feeding ritual. Canaan had three hundred and fifty-eight years experience. He knew how to take blood stealthily and he knew how to avoid capture. Besides, with the Fathers out of the picture, he was the strongest Rakum he knew.

“You can count on me, C. I will call you before your break.” He spoke into her hair.
Marcy squeezed him tighter and then let him go. “You better, old man. I get worried.”

“Good.”

Marcy slapped his rear and swigged her coffee again. “Now put on a shirt and go warm up my truck.”

Canaan flexed his muscles and tossed her a Charles Atlas pose.

“No need of a shirt Ma’am.” He teased and headed for the front door. Marcy sighed dramatically and cut her eyes away, but the corners of her mouth turned up. She was in love; head over heels with a creature that would never die.

Canaan’s smile faltered as he headed for her truck. He was an immortal who had joined himself with woman with only a few short years to live. The last forty years had passed like days and Marcy would reach retirement in a decade.

Canaan shook his head. It didn’t matter. They were one. And he was an Elder.

Elders had special proclivities…

Canaan slapped his hand on the ice-cold hood of the truck and swore, his breath making misty plumes in the night. Those thoughts would get them both killed. He’d avoided discovery by keeping his mind clear and his hands clean. But if he began to ponder the Old Days, think on ways to keep his mortal wife alive past her time, Rufus’ and his minions would become aware him. He knew by experience that even with their diminished telepathic prowess, some thoughts carried more weight than others. When a Rakum Elder began to think about marking a Rabbit – the whole bloodthirsty community was inexplicably switched on.

Canaan cursed again and revved the truck’s engine. Clearing his mind was not easy, but it necessary. Still, he could do it…

He was capable. He had the ability.

Marcy didn’t have to die.

Rakum Rabbit’s were immortal…

“Canaan!” He hissed at himself and got out of the truck. “I’ve got sunshine…on a cloudy day…” He sang loudly, not caring that he was tone deaf and couldn’t carry a tune. “When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May…”

Canaan sang all the way to the apartment and then disappeared into their room to get dressed.

Blood,
blood,
blood.

He needed a fix. His mind was easier to manage when his gut was full. And he could handle watching his beloved Marcy grow old and die when his belly was buzzing with a fresh hit. But until he downed that first sip, his mind invariably turned to his options.

And how wonderful it would be to keep her with him forever.

The SOCIAL BUNNY- Rabbit: Chasing FREE ADVERTISING

2010-01-22T17:53:00.000-06:00

FANCY Free Advertising…WHY NOT?

Ever since my debut novel Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider was released, I have submerged myself into the world of Self-Promotion. What amazes me the most about this most noble of endeavors is how many opportunities exist out there to promote and advertise your book for absolutely no monetary investment.

Facebook is a biggie. I shared my book with my old friends and my new acquaintances. They were (and are) a constant source of encouragement and accountability. They allowed me to start up a Fan Group for my novels—something the everyday Joe may not have the chance to do. And they teach me to stay connected everyday and never retreat into the proverbial writer’s abyss.

Next to Facebook, I discovered Goodreads.com. Here, I signed on as a Goodreads Author, and history was born! My book, which previously was not being read by anyone on the site, climbed into the limelight so that within 2 months, 35 people added it to their shelves, 10 people rated 5-stars, and over 700 entered a giveaway to receive a free copy of the my book!

By surfing around another writer’s blog, I discovered Shoutlife.com. This is a Christian social networking site, for regular people AND authors, musicians, and ministries. It is the best! All of the best Christian Fiction (and non-fiction) writers are on here, and they friend you instantly. Because of the way the site is set up, I can blog there, as well as post whatever advertisement or promotion I need to regarding my novels FOR FREE. The best part is that here I have done some of my best networking—finding services I need and sharing my book with people who want to read it.

Eventually, I got pretty good at Twitter.com, GetGlue.com, YouTube.com, Bookcrossing.com, Librarything.com, livingsocial.com, authorsden.com, digg.com, deviantart.com, and technorati.com. All of these sites offer a way to promote and advertise for FREE, as well as make important connections and friends in the process.

But perhaps the most important of all sites to conquer is Amazon.com. I set up my author profile and author page, and keep it updated. And I do as many reviews as I can where I can attach my name and my book to the end of each. With this little marketing secret, my name and my book end up on hundreds of entertainment websites as reviews attached to products they are promoting! What an amazing feat of technology, this internet!

So I am still hooking my cart to more cyber horses to push my books. I suggest you do it too. The literary world is increasingly competitive—why not do all you can to let the world that your ‘baby’ is loose and needs readers!

Ellen C Maze, January 22, 2010 author, Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider http://www.rabbitnovel.com

When Rakum character DANIEL made himself KNOWN

2010-01-05T10:23:00.001-06:00

(an actor -Hunter Parrish as a kid--who has the look of this character Daniel)

Tuesday is a lovely day to write on my novel in progress, RABBIT: LEGACY. But I must pick up where I left off...with Daniel; a conundrum.

Daniel popped into my novel after I had already written 40 thousand words, and had collected already 14 POV characters (see the last post for POV study). My plate was more than full. Yet, there is no denying that he is a compelling little guy... He seems to know everything that's going on, he has amazing abilities that would frighten the strongest Rakum (the blood-sucking group in my RABBIT series www.rabbitnovel.com) and I found out last night that he is involved in quite a bit of subterfuge and chicanery that I just didn't see coming. Worse, he is adorable to look at. Sweet and innocent-looking, apparent age barely fifteen, and he uses his appearance to fool people into trusting him. And he wants to sink the entire show.

I learned last night that he intends to ruin Beth Rider and her Rabbit Army (as I call it outside the novel); and he wants to rebuild the Rakum Race under his own name. See...there's the rub. His grandiose schemes do not fit in this novel. Still, although I extricated him twice, he keeps coming back, insisting that he is in the right place. He now has three scenes interspersed with the others as he weaves his wicked plans into my plot...

Is he in the wrong book? RABBIT: LEGACY (link) is about the Good overcoming the last of the Bad among the Rakum. If Daniel wants to take over the show, he is going to have to wait for a Rabbit book three. I am already getting some glimpses of this third (and probably last) in the series. My proposed title is RABBIT: REDEMPTION, but I also like the word CONUNDRUM. Let's see... Rabbit: The Redemption, the Conundrum. OH, wait... thinking as I blog. Maybe there are four in this series, and they are:

RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER
RABBIT: LEGACY
RABBIT: CONUNDRUM
RABBIT: REDEMPTION

Yeah, that looks right.

This fits my theory perfectly -- that ALL books are already written in the 'spirit'... they just need us to write them down. So I'll keep all this in mind as I tolerate little Daniel's schemes. I will watch him as he ingratiates himself into Beth Rider's posse and maybe he will carry through some of his plans to work us into the next novel.

Okay... I'm satisfied. Thank you for letting me figure this out on your nickel.

I hear little Daniel calling. I didn't finish his scene last night. He had just weasled his way into Beth's house when she had specific divine orders to keep him out. He is just sneaky that way. Talk about the devil parading around as an angel of light. ARGH!
Have a great day!

I'll have a SLICE of POV Pie, PLEASE!

2009-12-31T16:21:00.002-06:00

Recently, while working on my current novel project, I began to wonder how well my POV changes were executed in my first published novel, Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider. I promptly grabbed the novel off the shelf and began to count and label POV switches, thinking that I might find a pattern or a lovely graph of POV usage to tickle my fancy. What I found was something that tasted a little like day-old donuts...

There were 81 POV Switches (herein called POV Instances, or POVI's) in all. That in itself is no crime with the ensemble cast I employed to tell the story. Beth Rider was the primary POV; which is to be expected as, well, read the title of the book... Okay, then her hero, Michael Stone was the 2nd most used POV, and then to Javier, a middle-of-the-road character who was seeking truth, the 3rd. So far, all this is perfect. Sitting firmly in 4th place is the antagonist, Jack Dawn. Right on course. Excellent.

So what's the problem?

I found some POV errors that me nor my editors noticed before the book went to print. 4 out of 81 POVI's were a little muddy or mixed. Do they matter? Not to the readers. Readers don't care about such things. But authors will notice and wonder, 'did she mean to do that?' So for the edification of all, I have charted the POVI's of Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider, The Judging, and my work in progress, Rabbit: Legacy. Let's have a look:

Here, you can see all of what I was sharing about the POV distribution among my characters... I like the distribution of POV, and am satisfied that it is correct for the storyline.

Now look at unpublished future sensation, THE JUDGING:

This novel has been edited close to 20 times by four people, and it about as close to perfect as it is going to get before it goes to print. It is proper that there are 4 main characters giving the POV, and 3 supporting. Also, my minors are so minor, that they only give one shot. This is good for victims... It works well. The POVI's are good. But I found other problems that I would not have found had I not plotted the POVI's. I found some Chapter-ization errors. (Yes, I made that word up). I found some places I should break for a new chapter (such as when introducing a new character for the first time). I never really 'saw' that before I had the POVI's plotted.

Now, on my current project, I am finding the plotting is helpful to make sure I am on track. Writing a brand new novel from scratch, I have a tendency to run off with my emotional favorites and leave the heroine/hero behind as I develop the book. Here, Canaan appears to be the main character because so far, he has the most POVI's. But... it will likely be an even split between Canaan, Beth Rider and the antagonists. Let's see how it looks with 42,000/100,000 words down so far:

By looking at this POV Pie, I can see that the lukewarm guys and the evil guys have been written first, and the heroes last. I will need to get to writing those guys soon or no one will win the battle at the end!

So, I sincerely hope you enjoyed this slices of POV pie, and maybe you will one day plot your POVI's and see how you're doing in this sensitive subject among authors. I enjoyed the exercise and I will do it for all my novels now, BEFORE I send them to the editor.

I'm off to make changes! Boker tov/have a great day!

A LEGACY of fine and exciting Characters...

2009-12-22T19:28:00.002-06:00

Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider fans have a common cry among them: PLEASE WRITE MORE MRS. MAZE!

Aiming to please those who ask as well as myself (for who loves to write more than a writer?), I am happily and busily working on the sequel to Rabbit. This novel is entitled RABBIT: LEGACY and it will bring all loose ends to a satisfying conclusion...most likely.* The goal is 100,000 words and tonight we sit at 37,000+. It is looking really, really exciting. Here is our proposed Book Cover:

*UPDATE 12/31/09 Rabbit: Legacy is not the last in the series. There will be one more entitled Rabbit: Redemption... FYI...

I will not post any spoilers here, in case you're not quite done with the first book, but it might be fun to chat about the characters a little...

The Bad Guys:
RUFUS: His name comes up only 2x in the first novel; in the Prologue, he is the one who was set on fire by Schaffer... Well, Rufus -- he looks bad. He's a Rakum Elder who has been taking the Dying Buzz for a few years now, and any of you who have read the first book, know that this action can morph your face slowly into that of a monster; namely, a vampire. Think Nosferatu. That is how bad he's gotten. He might look a little like this:

BERYL &; MERYL: Identical twins, these are beautiful and angelic of countenance, but have hearts of the coldest stone. Their blood father was Umbarto, the worst of the worst. Their spiritual Father, Abroghia, was the High Father of the Rakum race. Rabbit readers know that the old guy was 100% (demonic) spirit. Yeah. That's evil. The twins have not fallen into the habit of eating the dead nor taking the Dying Buzz, and they have maintained their comely appearance as they attempt to destroy everything that is good in the world they occupy. They might look a little like this:

The Guy in the Middle:

CANAAN: A Rakum Elder who wants to be left alone. He is my new favorite character. He has been hiding from the brethren so he can stay with a woman that he loves. He has no interest in joining Rufus and his ilk, and he is very insulted by the traitor Rakum who deserted the Brethren to become human. Yet he gets dragged into the fray because of threats Rufus makes against his wife and his lifestyle. This guy is neat. I think he looks a little like Dierks Bentley:

I'll stop for now. The Good Guys will travel over from the first novel; Beth Rider, Michael Stone, Jesse Cherrie, Javier D' Millier, and David Walker. As well as a new protagonist, Rakum Father-turned-mortal Damien. They will band together with Canaan to make a stand against the lunatic Rakum who would destroy them all.

So it's back to writing. Hope ya'll are having a great night!

20,000 Media Outlets Heard About RABBIT this week!

2009-12-13T12:17:00.000-06:00

My publicist is amazing. I received a list of all of the outlets my Press Release went to, and there were more than 20,000! Already, more than twenty have responded in favor and I guess if thousands respond, I may have to turn some down...right? It blows my mind!

I have been writing on the sequel, Rabbit: Legacy. (Fall 2010) I am most enamoured right now with the new lead, a Rakum Elder named Canaan. He is fiercely loyal but brutal and incredibly hedonistic through most of the novel. True, he will have a spiritual awakening eventually, but not too soon... He is more interesting when he is running the show. Of course, if you haven't read RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER then you might be looking at me cross-eyed right now. But hey, that's okay. Just go pick up a copy and read it. You can buy it all sorts of places. And if they do not stock it yet (it has only been out 1 month), ask the store manager to get it.
Ellen wrote a foreward for another author's book! Yes, 'tis true. A good friend and fellow author has written an amazing book entitled THE OCCULT INVASION OF HEALTHCARE and he asked me to write the foreward. This is quite an honor. Today I made him a kickin' foreward that should be published in his novel next month. I will advertise his book for him then. For now, his name is Michael Elmore. Good guy...

So it's back to the writing mill for me. I have some promoting to do, some writing, and some adjustments to make on my web site. Ya'll have a nice day now, ya hear?

QUIRKY but it WORKS: writing the sequel

2009-11-28T22:53:00.007-06:00

these photos are copyrighted by their individual owners and not for sale All writers have their quirky methods. I wonder if mine is any quirkier than anyone else’s? Nevertheless… It’s time. Time to collect faces for my new novel. Rabbit Legacy (the sequel to the terrific new novel RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER) will have several returning characters, plus a few new ones to fill out the plot. I use photos gleaned from the web to look at while I write; and the eyes have it. When I am writing a scene, I will glance at the character’s face and then they truly come alive for me. I can be moved to tears just by imagining my novel’s circumstances forced upon the poor character on the cast page. As you can see, these are some nice faces. New to the cast is... Selene Cherrie – RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER Chapter 47..... Mina Bushman – romances David Walker..... Canaan – a Rakum (the name of the vampire race in this novel series), a powerful Elder. Not mentioned in the 1st book, but mentioned in the Loose Rabbits (chapters not in the novel, but posted on the website—link )..... Marcy Haddle – not mentioned in the 1st Book; Canaan’s mate of choice..... Damien – Not mentioned in the 1st book, but mentioned in the Loose Rabbits; was a powerful Rakum Father, now human..... Theophilus – a Rakum Father in the 1st Book, under duress in the 2nd..... There are others that are not pictured… I am saving the bad guys for later. I am not into spoiling the novel for you this soon!..... Go pick up a copy of Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider today anywhere you buy books, or buy a signed copy on the website, http://www.rabbitnovel.com/, and see what the BUZZZ is all about!

TISSUE ALL GONE but the RABBITS ON THE LOOSE

2009-11-23T23:25:00.003-06:00

Finally! Your friendly neighborhood author is all better. Cold is all gone. Cough all gone. And while I was away from you...THE RABBIT WAS LOOSED UPON THE WORLD! Like wild-fire, she has spread out across the country and across the Pond to be sure everyone who wants to read my book, can... How about you? www.rabbitnovel.com baby... it is still being offered on the website at a discount for signed author copies. I was honored to do my first radio interview on the 19th. It turned out super, thank goodness, and I sounded fairly cognizant. If you would like to hear it, go to www.rabbitnovel.com and click 'Author Sightings' to listen. I am busily writing the sequel to RABBIT. Today I created a character named Mina. She'll be a new heroine I believe to support the returning characters. She's still being born, so I'll hush there. God is good (all the time). I have enjoyed surfing the 'net, looking for my book, and finding it all over the place. Not everywhere, but all the big bookstores. It is a dream come true. I'm having the best time! Please let me know what you think of the book, my friends. I'm off to write on Mina. She needs me...

The RABBIT and the SNUFFLEUPAGUS

2009-11-09T10:21:00.003-06:00

The RABBIT author has a code in her node, her computer crashed on the 5th of November... so this blog is alseep for now... ZZzzzzzz... Feed the Rabbits daily and change their paper until we get back. SHHhhhh... the Nyquil is kicking in. Don't wake the baby... love, ellen

CATCHING and LOOSING Rabbits

2009-10-30T09:35:00.001-05:00

This woman's look inspired the character Beth Rider...I can't remember who she is. Sorry. She is a Miss America finalist I think. Maybe from North Carolina?? Anyway, she is lovely...

First, go to my novel web site if you haven't, you naughty reader... http://www.rabbitnovel.com/

Now...let us continue...

I am having too much fun. It has to be wrong. Every since I began writing the Loose Rabbits (chapters that exist outside the novel) I have been enjoying too much pleasure. You have to admit...it's a great idea. An author is pressured by industry standards, especially in this tough economy and when she is unproven, to make her novel as short and succinct as possible. But I have a lot more to say that could fit inside 90,000 words!

The first Loose Rabbit ended up in the novel. I wanted to write how a human becomes a Cow and what it is like for the Rakum as well. I chose to write about how Javier met Simon. I wrote the scene outside the novel thinking that I would post it on my web site after the book came out, and people could then learn some backstory of this curious duo. Then, as I worked on polishing the novel, this scene found a place inside.

Chapter 21 of RABBIT:CHASING BETH RIDER includes the entire Loose Rabbit (that is no longer loose, but captured, of course...). Now I couldn't go inserting backstory left and right after that, so I wrote them as they came to mind and have slowly leaked them onto the web site under the Loose Rabbits Tab...

So if you read the Loose Rabbits before you read the novel, my good friend Jen says that you will be intrigued beyond measure and be addicted before you get your hands on a full copy... So go for it! And if you read them after you read the novel, or during, they will bring another dimension and fullness to your appreciation of the characters in this wonderful novel.

Today the story behind Selene came to mind. Selene's name doesn't come up until Chapter 47, but she is such a powerful character that she makes a big impression from that chapter on. And I can leak a tiny secret here.... Selene will play a larger part in the Rabbit sequel (but you didn't hear it from me!!).

So ya'll go read those Loose Rabbits and leave me a comment on the web site or drop me an email if you like them. I have many more sitting here waiting to tickle your interest and entertain your curious minds. C-Ya my Rabbit pals!

BOOK COVER approved; Ecstactic Author throws a BONE

2009-10-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

YES! I am on cloud nine again... I heard from the publisher and our book cover was approved exactly as submitted! They did an awesome job of creating the spine and back of the book to match the front cover we designed. I could not be happier with their work! Alas, though, I am enduring a little bit of a trial concerning it because I want to make a slight change and the link they gave me to make my suggested changes is not functioning... I put in a call to the right peeps and now have to wait. Oh well... I pulled out my hair earlier about it, but now I am calm. Calm... Calm... shalom... shalom... ahhhh... So here is the bone. I am sending out a delicious bone. I love this bone so much that I am only sharing one-third of it with you... The other two-thirds will be available on the web site under the tab LOOSE RABBITS... Here is the delicious meaty bone concerning how Rakum (vampire) Javier ended up with Elder Roman. In the novel, their relationship is important to the plot, so this sweet partial chapter will mean much more when you get to read the novel. But it is still tasty by itself. Have a bite if you like. This Rabbit is yummy...

(the following is a rough draft and will likely meet some changes before it is posted to the web site in December... it is a sneak peak Bone for you my sweets..)

REMEMBER what a Loose Rabbit is... [hyperlink] these chapters are NOT in the novel. They are LOOSE... providing info and back-story, and although perfectly in sync with the novel, they do not directly effect the plot of RABBIT:CHASING BETH RIDER. Think of them as 'deleted scenes'...

RABBIT: Loose Rabbits Roman and Javier / The Early Years Year 1877 It was midnight when eight-year-old Javier arrived at Roman’s secluded log cabin in the wild forests outside Montreal. All legs and arms, Javier stumbled through the front door, accompanied by a Rakum Senior student who had escorted him from their burned-out Group-Lair fifty miles South. The youngster took in the room with huge green eyes, his lips parted in a comical ‘O’. His overseers had trimmed his black hair short for the trip and his skin was milky white. He wore rough canvas trousers two sizes too big and a stained white cotton shirt with sleeves two inches too long. Roman regarded the wafer-thin pup with an amused grin and shooed off his chaperone leaving the two of them alone. Elder and proselyte. Barely a proselyte, really. At a new eight, Javier smelled more human than not and Roman breathed through his mouth more than once in disdain. He was not accustomed to such young ones, but soon enough, he’d begin to transform the boy properly. Purge the weak, beggarly elements and replace them with immeasurable, unstoppable Rakum gifts. Born to a mortal woman by a Rakum Father, Javier would grow much like a human boy until he reached thirteen. At that point, his metabolism would slow gradually until he aged only days as the years passed him by. As his appointed guardian and Elder, Roman was expected to prepare him for an eternity of life at the top of the food chain. Little Javier stopped in the middle of the room, took in the four walls slowly, his mouth still agape, and then faced his superior. When Roman did not acknowledge him for several long seconds, he shifted his weight to one foot and bent his knee, throwing his balance to one side. He looked like a tiny gymnast, double-jointed and loose-limbed, perhaps able to contort himself into any number of odd shapes. Roman pondered all this as he watched the kid bear up under the scrutiny. He wanted to know what kind of pup they’d sent him. What was he up against with this orphan? This would be the youngest Rakum Roman had ever discipled. Yet he was up to the challenge. The Fathers requested him specifically, and that had to count for something. Roman softened his gaze and attempted to send the boy a telepathic directive. “Come close, Javier.” Roman watched the kid’s face, but gauged no reaction. His eyes were wide and intelligent, taking in every detail; yet he heard nothing telepathically. “Come close, Javier.” Roman said, his voice low, and the boy stepped up without hesitation. “What stage did you complete before your Group-Lair was destroyed?” “Stage five, Sir.” Javier responded in a thick French accent. “Parlez-vous du français?” Roman asked and the boy nodded shyly. “Quelles langues parlez-vous?” If the kid spoke more than two languages, it would suggest a higher-than-average IQ. Roman spoke fifty mortal languages and was prepared to test the boy in each and every one if he showed a propensity for linguistics. “English, German, Spanish, French and Hungarian.” Javier answered in accented English, attempting to dazzle his new Elder by his accomplishments. Roman nodded with approval. “We will get along fine, young man.” Roman allowed a small smile and Javier’s eyes sparkled. Roman grimaced. The kid was a romantic. From that point forward, Roman made an effort to disguise his affection. Very rarely, a Rakum was born with an over-developed sense of joviality. Now he understood why the Fathers chose him. They wanted to test him. Roman had never missed with a proselyte and the Fathers were capricious. They sought to trip him up; or at least see if they could. Roman cleared his throat gruffly and laid a heavy hand on the youth’s shoulder. “Stage five. How efficient are you?” Stage Five was drawing blood from a human victim, eventually against their will. Even an eight-year-old Rakum was expected to procure his own food, and Roman wanted to know where to begin. “Top of my class, Sir.” Javier responded, and puffed out his narrow chest. “Are you ready for Stage Six, then?” Roman removed his hand from Javier’s shoulder and pushed up the sleeve on his right arm. Stage Six was initiated by an Elder’s blood. The immature Rakum would experience extreme pleasure at ingestion, but crippling pain as the Elder’s time-enriched blood seeped into his system. And the leeching effect of Stage Six lasted several nights. Despite knowing all of this, Javier’s green eyes widened and he nodded his head. “Let’s see. Show me.” Roman put out his arm and Javier hesitated. “Sir?” “Yes?” “Can I go to the bathroom.” Javier frowned and took on a puppy-dog expression. Roman sighed and nodded. “That way.” He gestured through the hall door and watched the kid shuffle out of the room at a trot. He was cute and worse, he knew it. Roman shook his head. Why didn’t they send him a brute? A wild-child that no one else could control? Roman looked up at the ceiling, memories of other Rakum he’d discipled over the years filtered down to him. There had been dozens. But somehow this one connected with him on a deeper level. Roman closed his eyes. Discipling a youth through First Ritual required vicious and violent instruction. It was easier with the brutes. So much easier.

RABBIT TRAILER has been LOOSED on the Public!!

2009-10-22T20:10:00.000-05:00

By the grace of God and the Windows Movie Maker, RABBIT:CHASING BETH RIDER has a smashing professional Book Trailer, and it cost me nothing. My family and I did it ourselves... It is getting rave reviews and I expect big things from it! I love it so much... I think I'll watch it again... Don't forget to visit http://www.rabbitnovel.com for all the Rabbit info available. Pre-ordering is well underway, so order yours now if you need a signed novel by Christmas. I will have a limited quantity when the book is released, but won't get additional cases until January. The novel will be available in all bookstores and online, including Amazon and BAM...

BOOK TRAILERS and Loose Rabbits

2009-10-21T10:51:00.000-05:00

Book trailers.

RABBIT:Chasing Beth Rider will have a Book Trailer created by the publisher. But today I am thinking about creating one myself. I have photos, quotes and ideas, but perhaps not the know-how to use the flash player program to create the movie...

My sister Marty is my webmistress and she created a flash movie for my novel THE JUDGING (see the movie on the home page at http://www.thejudgingnovel.com/). For all intents and purposes, this is a book trailer. Add appropriate words to steer the folks to the bookstore or website, and you have yourself a free and easily created book trailer!

I think the kicker is that you have to use images that you have a copyright to use. As a fine artist, I appreciate and adhere to all copyright laws. So I went into town and took some pictures of Montgomery to use in my book trailer, since my book takes place in my town. Then I had a model pose for some photos of the voluntary blood-letting that abounds in my novel... So today, I will go play with the flash player widget and see what I can come up with. If it turns out half-decent, I will post it here. For now, though... I will leak my favorite photo from my new batch (photos I OWN THE COPYRIGHT TO!).

Don't forget, RABBIT will be loosed December 2009. Catch (pre-order) yours now at http://www.rabbitnovel.com/ !!

Have a great day!

ellen

LUKE GOSS and the HIGH SCHOOL POET

2009-10-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

I met some really terrific poets on Facebook recently. Then I remembered...I used to be a poet. Like nearly every single adolescent on the planet, I wrote poetry to express myself when yelling, kicking, screaming and punching were not socially acceptable outlets for hormonal tragedies.

I wrote about puppies, kitties, foals and butterflies.

I wrote about football games, parties, boyfriends, and my face.

And I wrote about vampires...

Wanna see the one I wrote about my face? (humor me, and nod your head) Thanks.

Here it is. Sixteen-year-old Ellen C McCraney writes:

MY FACE Look at my face. It's my acne that scars My pimples that mars That don't leave a trace Of a clean, clear face.

Pretty awesome, eh? I guess if your definition of awesome is really really generous...

Try this one (I'm going to get to the vampire one in a second...)

A CAT A cat is strange in many odd ways. He seems very bossy whenever he plays. He sits very tall and shaped like a pear You'd think he could scare off any old bear. But if danger comes near, he jumps up a tree And won't be seen by the likes of me.

Now you're getting the picture. Ellen C McCraney was a pretty pathetic poet. But sure I thought I was great! I am looking at a stack of poems from 10th grade that I saved. They are typed and put into a homemade booklet that I illustrated and everything!

Okay, you've waited long enough. Here is my vampire poem... enjoy... (or not) Oh, and by the way, this poem is in the same booklet as the Cat and the Face one. Go figure...

A VAMPIRE'S POEM You're bleeding my son, come close to me That life-giving red is all that I see. The devil's in me and I'm so unclean. I'm on the vampire's side, get what I mean? They came last night and emptied my veins. It's your blood I need, that's why I came. Don't look at me with puzzled eyes. Don't torment me with terrible cries. Soon you'll prowl in the night with me And son, that life-giving red is all you'll see.

So you can all go your merry way now. You've seen the poems of one 16yr old Ellen. Have I always been so inclined to write about the struggle of the vampire in all of us? I think I have. And it all started with DRACULA, the novel by Bram Stoker.

You gotta start somewhere.

Good night and cover your neck.

PS. Why is Luke Goss headlining my Blog tonight? No reason. He just looks nice. :)

"Author CONCEIVES Rabbit at SIXTEEN"

2009-10-15T20:42:00.001-05:00

Sure RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER is being delivered, actually born in about 7 weeks... but when was she conceived? Well, like many authors, my story was conceived much earlier in life. The most basic element of RABBIT was conceived when I was in the 10th grade. I'll be 41 in 2 weeks...

I used to write many short stories and a lot of them dealt with vampires. If course, my favorite movies then were vampire movies, and my favorite books...you guessed it. One book that influenced me more than many at this young age was THEY THIRST by Robert McCammon. Yep-- that book was rated R, but I didn't understand all the sexy stuff... Just the vampire stuff.

Anyway, I digress.

Today I dug out those original stories that have tiny elements of RABBIT inside. I digitized them and when the time is right, I will post them on http://www.rabbitnovel.com/ but for now, we'll let them sleep. See, I was only 16, and my writing is well...embarrassing. It is probably better than some kids my age, but still too weak to post until you guys have had a chance to see what kind of author I grew in to. So when RABBIT is successful.. I will post those original stories.

You're not missing much.

But it is curious to see where this plot line was first thought up!

Now I will return to my reading of RABBIT on the computer. I cannot wait to hold the novel in my hand for the first time. I will do a dance for days when that happens!

Good night all!

RABBIT Novel's First Contest...Got FACE'd yet???

2009-10-11T15:23:00.000-05:00

FACEBOOK FANS RABBIT Contest

http://www.rabbitnovel.com/current-contests.php

This Contest is open only to members of the FaceBook Fan Group. Membership is FREE…so why not join us today athttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96952574559&ref=ts What ya gotta do… 1. Read RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER 2. Afterward, write a review of the book, 35 - 100 words (longer is not necessarily better) and post it on the DISCUSSION BOARD of the FaceBook Group. 3. Wait patiently. Contest runs from December 25th, ‘09 to February 25th ‘10. Author will choose three reviews as winners, and these will be used both on the website and in the next novel release to advertise RABBIT. 4. Receive your prize—and autographed copy of RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER to give away, keep or re-sell J You will be notified via FaceBook message system on or around Feb.26th. ** Every entry will receive a signed RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER Bookmark just for entering!

Run Rabbit, run…chasing you is so much fun…

Author LEAKED A LITTLE RABBIT on her blog...Get a Towel

2009-10-07T14:56:00.000-05:00

New York Times Bestselling author Beth Rider has a problem. Jack Dawn, supernatural monster belonging to a race of vampire-like beings called Rakum, has taken exception to her novel series "The Corescu Chronicles" and has vowed to hunt down and kill the young writer; punishing anyone who gets in his way. Aided by Jack's Rakum Lieutenant who doesn’t understand his infatuation with the young novelist but is compelled to help her anyway, Beth takes the fight to their world. In the face of peril and certain death, Beth and her new supernatural allies carry an unpopular Truth into the darkest places of man’s soul. Finally kidnapped and taken to the shadowy underground they call The Cave, Beth will face the ten Fathers of the Brotherhood, alive since before Christ walked the earth, and state her case with bravado only the Spirit of God can provide. Who will live and who will die is always up for grabs, but Beth knows where she is headed, and she wants to bring as many of the Rakum with her as possible.

[read full prologue at www.rabbitnovel.com]

There you have the back cover blurb about the upcoming vampire novel RABBIT:CHASING BETH RIDER. The term 'Rabbit' is given to the human who the Rakum (vampire) deems deserving of a slow, torturous death because of some crime he or she committed against the Brethren.

That is where Beth Rider comes in. The lovely and innocent young novelist is attacked and marked as a Rabbit and then released to be chased by the rest of the Brethren. I am leaking Chapter 5 today to show how the hero enters the story. The unlikely hero is a Rakum, born in 1879, and not a known softy. In fact is reputation as a brute is well established. But our story picks up when his world is turned upsidedown.

Some of the best heroes start out as monsters...

CHAPTER FIVE

Rabbit:Chasing Beth Rider, release date Dec.2009, http://www.rabbitnovel.com/

Michael inserted his time card and was satisfied with the loud click it made as he was clocked out. His shift had been uneventful, as they all were, and he was ready for a quick dinner before sunup. Because of his need to stay in during the day, he put in six three-hour nighttime shifts a week as Airport Security Personnel; working 8:30 to 11:30 nightly. The pay was average and it kept him in his cozy one-bedroom house in the city. What else did he need? The work was never-endingly boring and in five years, he’d never had an incident.

Montgomery was a quiet Southern town, end of story. Excitement was for the large international hubs in the northeast and west, and Michael was old enough to appreciate peace and tranquility. Dannelly Field was equipped to welcome only regional jets so between arrivals, the various gates emptied often any given hour. Tonight’s Delta CRJ from Atlanta due at 10:50 arrived forty-five minutes late because of weather delays in Georgia. But now as he locked his sidearm and utility belt away he could hear disembarked passengers milling about seeking their luggage. He re-entered the terminal from the restricted area and immediately noticed a familiar and pleasing aroma.

Because he knew the scent well from past experience, Michael stopped walking and leaned against the wall to his right, if nothing else than to give the aroma his full concentration. His stomach responded and grumbled uncomfortably inside him. It was a glorious and fulfilling aroma that tickled his head with an agreeable buzz. Michael sighed contentedly without even realizing it, his eyes now darting over the heads of passengers coming and going around him. Inhaling deeply, Michael stood off the wall to concentrate fully on who it might be. He was seeking his prey now; following the unmistakable scent of a Rabbit. And it was headed his way. Michael smiled with confidence. He was the only one of his kind in the airport thus he was to have this Rabbit all to himself. What luck! Jesse who always came in on Tuesdays was expected within the hour. He had connected from New York City to Atlanta but his plane was also delayed by thunderstorms plaguing central Georgia.

Michael scrutinized the patrons as they filed past his position. A Rabbit was always easy to spot. They were contemptible creatures, the dregs of humanity, marked by the Elders for slow and deliberate execution by the Brethren. Michael had always been willing to be part of a Rabbit’s assassination crew.

It had been nearly a year since the last Rabbit came through the region, and Michael wasn’t the first on the scene that time. Boris caught the scoundrel, down at the old train yards, sneaking in and out of the abandoned warehouses like the rat he was. That particular Rabbit had been marked for treason. He was a pretty useful Cow before he turned on his master Rufus and tried to kill him. Michael heard through the grapevine that he had nearly succeeded by dousing his master with gasoline and setting him on fire. But Rufus was no mere Brother, but an Elder and an extremely powerful one at that. He had not been consumed beyond redemption, and in his anger, he tracked down and marked the Cow as a Rabbit for the others. Michael grinned as he remembered how they tormented the fat little man when Boris let them in on the game.

Me and Jesse, and that other guy…that loose cannon. What was his name? Tyson, yeah. We were merciless. That was a good time...

Michael allowed the vivid memories to come back fully as he waited for the new Rabbit to cross his path. They had gone at that guy again and again, even moving him to Tyson’s rented cottage for a few days to work him over even more. By the time the other brothers had their shot, the Rabbit was ready for the loony bin. The guy threw himself in front of a train the first chance he had to slip away. Broke his sorry back, severing his spine. One of the few ways to kill a Rabbit. It had been a shame to lose such an entertaining food source. But all of the brethren knew that despite the longevity and healing power the marking procedure provided, Rabbits had pretty short life spans.

Looking over the small crowd, Michael noticed a young woman standing across the wide hallway, a distraught look on her face. She was lovely and delicate; the kind of woman Michael enjoyed the company of when he had time, and she appeared to need some help. Her hair was long, wavy and dark blonde, and even from across the hall, Michael could see that she was beautiful by any man’s standards. He was also quick to note that she was shapely and attractive in a modest yet alluring pastel blue business suit, and she carried what looked like a laptop case in one hand and a soft leather briefcase in the other. Michael crossed the foot traffic to assist her and remained on the lookout for the Rabbit.

He was nearly at her side when the realization hit him full force. This beautiful woman, this innocent lamb, lost and alone in his busy airport terminal…this All-American beauty was his goal. Someone had marked her as a Rabbit. And as she turned into him to ask for help, Michael recognized the scent of the elder who marked her.

Jack Dawn.

His Elder. His Master.

It didn’t get any worse than that.

The PESKY VAMPIRE and a Righteous Dude

2009-10-04T14:29:00.000-05:00

The Corescu Chronicles character Tony Agricola is a righteous dude. In THE JUDGING, he came to the aid of his former girlfriend Hope Brannen when she became entangled with a vampire named mark Corescu. In Book Two, DAMASCUS ROAD, circumstances outside of Tony’s control find him here, nearly a year later, living with a vampire spun off from Corescu. This young vampire, Paul Black, is impulsive and hedonistic, and oh-so-much fun to follow. He force-fed Tony his blood which made him immortal, but not a vampire; now he abuses Tony to no end.

But let's face it...that makes it really fun for the reader. Dear Reader, I offer to you Chapter 15 of Damascus Road for your pleasure and enjoyment. This Novel is not yet available, but coming soon. If you would like to be alerted when it is available, please join the FaceBook group (link below) dedicated to all of these great vampire tales. First, a few helpful shortcuts: THE JUDGING full prologue: http://www.thejudgingnovel.com/the-judging.php DAMASCUS ROAD full prologue: http://www.thejudgingnovel.com/damascus-road.php RABBIT:CHASING BETH RIDER prologue and Lost Books: http://www.rabbitnovel.com/ Join the FaceBook Fan Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=96952574559 Now…sink your teeth into this excerpt starring Paul and Tony… NOVEL TAGLINE: How far would you go to protect the innocent? Giving up your life to save a stranger is one thing, but subject yourself to constant torture in an effort to save some people you've never met? This is the kind of man you'd find in Tony Agricola; survivor of Book One:The Judging. Tony will sacrifice his very blood so the town can sleep safe at night. Would you? Novel Excerpt DAMASCUS ROAD The Corescu Chronicles: Book Two (contains spoilers from THE JUDGING, Book One) -Oh and…this is a rough draft. Both guys’ POV is inserted here while I choose which to go with- CHAPTER 15

“This is it?” Tony looked around the dusty store, and tried to think positive. Paul bought the store to serve as a mortal cover for him in his new identity but with the vampire’s self-control issues, Tony couldn’t imagine him working in a retail setting.

“I think it will do nicely.” Paul closed the front door behind him and shook the dust off his hands. The store had been closed for six months, although much of the inventory was still on the shelves. “I think the former owner died in a fire or something. I bought the whole thing, books, furniture. Everything.” Paul waited for Tony to turn and face him and then he laughed at the thoughts he gleaned from his partner’s worried mind. “No, silly, I am not going to run this store. We’ll hire a couple of college grads. They can keep the place going for me. I’m certainly not going to work anymore. My days of labor and servitude are over.”

Tony smirked and turned back to survey the room and then pointed to a narrow staircase. “Let’s see what’s up here.”

“I want you to take care of anything the hired help can’t do. You will be the general manager. I am just putting my name on the deed.” Paul followed Tony up the stairs, waiting to hear if he was going to agree or confront him on the issue. To his amazement, his partner simply nodded his head and opened the office door.

“I’ll take care of it.” Tony replied. “As long as you keep out of it completely. I don’t want you to even come in the store. If this is going to be my responsibility, I don’t want to have to think about you being in here messing things up.”

“Oh, I’ll around. I can’t agree to that.” Paul mumbled as they surveyed the office. There was one old desk and two chairs, and a few shelves on the wall. “You’ll have to call me boss and let me pop in once in a while…” Paul was not going to give the business another thought once it was open, but he did not like Tony telling him what to do. He would not accept orders from his new apprentice no matter how often and adamantly he tried to give them.

“Fine. Whatever.” Tony turned and squeezed past Paul on the steps to head back down. Paul was having his way; the bookstore was now theirs, the giant of a moving man was going to be coming over once a week to donate blood to the thirsty vampire, and Tony had no say in any of it. How did Paul convince that guy to donate his blood? Tony was curious about Paul’s plan to hire out blood donors but he did not want to know the details. If he knew the details, he might become involved. Tony vainly hoped that he could disassociate himself with Paul if the plans with the friendly moving man worked out.

Maybe God is going to let me loose of this monster soon. Maybe…

“Tony, Preacher Man, I wish you would keep all of that whining down to a minimum. You make me sick with all of your silent complaining …” Paul trotted down the steps and caught up with Tony where he had paused behind the cash register counter.

Tony did not reply and he kicked himself for forgetting that the monster could read his thoughts. I have to learn how to block my mind somehow…

“Yeah, that’ll be the day.” Paul returned telepathically and entered the small three-sided counter area where the employees would work when the store opened. He purposefully blocked the exit with his body and glared at Tony. “So, you know what day it is?”

Tony looked up from his daydreaming and shook his head. He knew it was Tuesday. He knew that tomorrow he had a pretty important meeting with the Pastorate of one of Montgomery’s largest Protestant congregations. But he did not know what either of these meant to his demented partner.

“Today we will have a little celebration. Here we are, two partners, six o’clock in the evening, about to open up our own business. Isn’t this exciting?” Paul stepped closer to Tony but was still cleverly blocking the opening behind him.

“Paul, what are you talking about? What kind of celebration?” Tony did not move from where he stood but he did know that Paul was menacing him again.

“Let’s have a drink.” Paul covered the distance between the two of them so quickly that Tony had not even seen him move at all. Once he realized that he was in Paul’s grasp as in times past, he glanced quickly to the front door.

“Paul! Someone will see you. Don’t you have any sense?” Speaking in a low whisper, Tony heard his voice crack a with fear.

“Why would someone see us? It is getting dark outside. We have the lights off in here…” Paul knelt down to the floor pulling Tony down with him. “The door is locked. We’ll just hunker down right here. Now how about that drink?”

“Please Paul, you can’t possibly be hungry again so soon…” Tony strained against the grip Paul had on his arm and attempted to stand. Without even changing expression, the vampire’s cruel grip on his arm tightened and Tony slumped back onto the floor and landed on his rump. “Tomorrow you’ll have that moving man. Tomorrow Paul.” Tony looked up to the white ceiling. “I can’t keep doing this!”

Paul chuckled and pulled Tony into an embrace full of false affection. “Oh come now, why are you being such a baby? Aren’t you just practicing what you preach? Aren’t you sacrificing your blood to protect the innocent? Hmmm?”

Tony put both of his hands to his own throat ineffectively covering the exposed skin and tried to stand up again. He knew that it was futile, but maybe, just maybe, if he could delay the attack, God might send help. It could happen.

But it didn’t.

Paul pulled back a fraction to look his partner in the eye and he grabbed his wrist tightly. Tony whimpered as he heard the bones in his wrist creak and then begin to fracture in Paul’s vise-like grip.

“My wrist, Paul. My wrist…”

“It’ll heal you big baby.” Paul yanked Tony’s hand away and buried his face in the preacher’s neck. As he opened his mouth wide and sank his now-elongated fangs into Tony’s neck he spoke to him telepathically. “Why do you make this so hard? Just be still and take your medicine. Shhh…”

Tony did become still as a few tears escaped from his eye and ran down his cheek. His broken bones were already healing, but they throbbed with a dull and alien sensation he never felt in his old life. His heart ached too as he realized that once again, God had not come to his rescue. Is this what I am reduced to? To serve as food for demons? Do I do this to protect the innocent as he said? If this is my sacrifice of love, I hope God accepts it. And I hope my tenure is over sooner than later.

He became quiet as the fiery sensation in his throat and the now dull pulse of knitting bones in his arm no longer distracted him. Tony relaxed in Paul’s embrace and concentrated on God’s purposes. When Paul released him and immediately began to tease him for praying to a deity who ignores him, Tony tuned him out stood shakily to his feet.

‘That’s okay, Paul. You will get yours.’ Tony thought as he waited for Paul to step aside and let him pass. His wrist was completely restored and he knew that the wounds on his throat would be closing as well. I guess it really isn’t so bad. It’s almost like it never happened… Almost.

“Yeah, like I said—you’re a big baby.”

Paul shoved Tony ahead toward the front door, smiling like a loon as he stumbled to catch his balance.

“Of course, I feel pretty good,” Paul rubbed his belly for emphasis, “for something that you pretend never happened…” Having a ready food source nearby all the time was a really good idea. Life had never been easier. And soon he’d have the giant too. “Let’s go home and see what’s on TV.”

Paul followed his partner out the door as he sulked in front of him. “Maybe we can catch an old Dracula movie on SCI-FI. You used to really like that stuff didn’t you Preacher Man? Isn’t that what you and that ridiculous Hope woman watched together?”

Tony ignored him and got into the truck. He did watch horror films with Hope in the past. Before he ever met a real monster. Before he knew that there were creatures out there that lived off human blood. No, he preferred comedies now. He didn’t care if he never saw another scary movie again. His whole life had become one long scary movie. And he sincerely hoped to make it to the ending alive and in one piece.