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Nominated for Two Awards!

I’ve been nominated for TWO awards in the GraveTells 2016 Readers Choice Awards! Blackthorn has been nominated for ‘MOST OUTSTANDING SERIES’ and I’ve been nominated for ‘MOST ENGAGING AUTHOR’. I’m thrilled!

I would absolutely love your votes if you could spare a couple of minutes. It’s really quick and easy. Just click on this link and scroll through to find my categories. Bookouture are also up for an award so I’ve no doubt they’d love your vote too.

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Every single vote counts, so please support me if you can. I can’t do this without you! Huge thanks to everyone who has already joined in.

Have a terrific weekend! xxx

Blackthorn Anniversary Winners Announced

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Thank you to everyone who entered and supported my anniversary giveaways both this week and last week. And, of course, a massive thank you to everyone who supported my four-year anniversary month in general – whether with likes, comments, shout-outs or shares across social media, I really appreciated it. <3 I hope you had as much fun with it all as I did!

But this is all about the winners – all chosen at random – so here goes…

 

THE GIVEAWAY WINNERS

 

ANNIVERSARY BUNDLE WINNER

The winner of the anniversary bundle and signed A3 poster of your choice is:

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Claudia, please email me with your address and include which book cover you would like. 🙂

 

MY BOOKWORM BLOGGER WINNER

My Bookworm Blogger has also announced the winner of the signed paperback of Blood Bound and postcard as:

Linda Brandt

Linda, please email me with your address and I’ll get your prizes on their way to you!

 

FACEBOOK FLASH GIVEAWAY WINNERS

There were also a number of winners of the flash giveaways on my Facebook page last week. If you haven’t done so already, please feel free to either email me or message me via my page to claim your prizes:

Mor Rosenberg

Linda Tudhope

Tracy Gallacher

Kara Lee Lovell Johnson

Sarajane Cotton

Jennifer Dyer

Sharon Goodley

Natasha Manuel

Suzanne Millan

Dawn Higgins

Julia Whitehouse

Veronica Morgan

Huge congrats to all of the winners! Thanks again for your support, and have a brilliant a weekend! <3

Blackthorn Anniversary Bundle Giveaway

Today is the day! Four years ago today, Blackthorn was first launched. Thank you to everyone who read and supported my anniversary post here yesterday as well as all of your wonderful comments on social media. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! If you missed it, you can find it here.

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I would also like to say a massive thank you to Tracey Rogers, Wopsywoobookblog and Passionate About Books who have all celebrated with their own special anniversary posts on their blogs today, including recalling how they discovered Blackthorn. Thank you to HelCeesBanginBooks for giving my series such a big shout out on her FB page too. I really appreciate it, ladies. <3

Thank you as well too to everyone who supported my interview with My Bookworm Blogger yesterday. If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning a signed paperback of Blood Bound together with a signed postcard, you still have time. Just click on this link.

And talking of giveaways…

IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME!

Last week I had three 24-four flash giveaways on Facebook to win stickers and limited edition postcards. Today, I’m giving ONE entrant the chance to WIN THE ENTIRE BUNDLE of prizes.

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The bundle includes:

  • One signed limited edition ‘4-year Anniversary’ large postcard
  • One signed limited edition ‘Readers’ Quotes’ large postcard
  • One signed ‘Blackthorn Heroes’ large postcard
  • One set of ‘Blackthorn Heroes’ stickers, including 1 Kane sticker, 1 #TeamKane sticker, 1 Caleb Sticker, 1 #TeamCaleb sticker, 1 Jask sticker, 1 #TeamJask sticker, 1 Eden sticker and 1 #TeamEden sticker. That’s 8 stickers in total.
  • One Blackthorn Logo sticker

But exclusive to this website giveaway, I’m including a SIGNED A3 POSTER of the Blackthorn book cover of YOUR CHOICE in the prize bundle!

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HOW TO ENTER

As today marks the release of Blood Shadows, all you have to do to enter is:

SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE KANE OR CAITLIN QUOTE OR MOMENT FROM THE SERIES SO FAR

 (*BE WARNED THERE COULD BE SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THIS GIVEAWAY*)

THE RULES

For your entry to be valid you must

  • leave your answer in the comment thread below, OR
  • email me

The giveaway is OPEN NOW and will close at Midnight (GMT) on Wednesday 30th November.

The winner will be drawn using a random number generator and will announced on Thursday 1st December.

Additional info:

  • The winner will need to claim their prize within 14 days of their name being announced.
  • The prize can be posted anywhere.
  • Proof of postage will be retained but prizes lost in transit cannot be replaced.
  • As with all giveaways, I will avoid responding to entries.

Good luck – and have a brilliant week! <3

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**My sincerest apologies to any of my blog followers who are still not currently getting email notifications for my blog updates. The issue will hopefully be resolved soon. 

It’s Blackthorn’s Fourth Anniversary!

Tomorrow marks four years since Blackthorn was launched. Blood Shadows was officially released on 27th November 2012. Since then Blackthorn has sold in six figures, reached readers in several countries and obtained numerous number ones in both the Gothic and the PNR charts on Amazon as well as having reached the Top 50 on Amazon.com’s main kindle charts too. Blood Shadows was even optioned by Hollywood movie giants Relativity Media! It’s been quite the four years. And next year it’ll all be coming to an end with the series finale.

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To mark the occasion, and to keep to the theme of 8 Blackthorn books, I thought I’d share… 8 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT MY CREATION OF BLACKTHORN. Oh, and look out for details of a giveaway at the end!

1) BLACKTHORN IS TWENTY YEARS OLD THIS YEAR!

Although tomorrow marks four years since Blackthorn was first published, it’s actually twenty years old this year!

2) IT STARTED ONE DARK AND STORMY NIGHT…

Okay, so it wasn’t exactly stormy but it did all begin one night. I’d moved to a city over 300 miles away from home to begin my first teaching job. After an evening out with my new colleagues, I managed to get lost on my way home. With no one at home to expect me and with 1996 hardly being the era of mobile phones, I had no option but to try and navigate my way alone through the empty city streets. It wasn’t long before I became increasingly lost as well as deeper into unfamiliar territory. So, during that time, I did what every self-respecting scared-out-of-their-wits author does and made up stories to keep calm and distract myself – and Blackthorn was born.

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3) BLACKTHORN BEGAN AS A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES

From then on Blackthorn became a labour of love. I never intended it to be published, instead it was one of many simultaneous projects I had underway. Some went by the wayside but Blackthorn was one idea I simply couldn’t walk away from.

Once I had the concept behind Blackthorn, I wrote short stories to get to know the world. The stories were set in various districts across the locale, from Blackthorn to Summerton. Once the idea behind the overarching plot – the downfall of this oppressive society – took hold, the key contenders were already clear. Kane and Caitlin, Caleb and Leila, and Jessie and Eden all evolved from those short stories into what Blackthorn is today. The only exceptions were Jask and Phia.

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4) THE UNDEAD DON’T EXIST IN BLACKTHORN

I’ve caused much confusion amongst some readers and reviewers by bending the mythological rules. For one thing, only lycans have fangs whereas vampires have an extra set of feeding incisors instead. None of my “third species” as I call them are immortal, nor are they cursed or contaminated, and they most certainly aren’t the undead! Why? Because apart from rare occasions when these “creatures” were constituted as deities, they have almost always been associated with evil origins. This was further enforced by the introduction of Christian ideologies, with vampires in particular not only deemed as a risk to our physical self but our spiritual self too. Then there’s the influences of literature and films in the mix. I wanted to come from the angle that just because we don’t understand something doesn’t automatically make it evil – one of the fundamental themes behind Blackthorn.

After all, one of the greatest freedoms of being a writer of fantasy is the ability to be selective about which aspects of mythology to apply. The creation of my third species is as much about characterisation and plot as fitting in logically into the Blackthorn world I’ve created.

5) I ONCE DESTROYED BLACKTHORN BEFORE REBUILDING IT

After I’d finished putting Blackthorn together, I stuck my head above the parapet to try and work out its potential for publication. But what had begun during a time when PNR was rarely found on the shelves was then faced with a market overwhelmed with vampiric heroes and fantastical urban underworlds, let alone well-established names globally dominating the genre.

Despite the knock of confidence, I started to look for publishing opportunities – only to find that, for those who accepted unagented submissions, Blackthorn didn’t meet their guidelines. Not only were my books too long, the preference seemed to be for standalones (especially from debut novelists unable to prove they could sustain a complex series). Most of all, my heroes didn’t conform to readers’ expectations. All in all, Blackthorn looked like it would be too high a risk to pursue.

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So without even attempting to submit anywhere, I tucked Blackthorn away in my bottom drawer as I focused on a different genre.

It was only when my dad passed away in 2007 that I returned to Blackthorn, determined to pursue my dream of getting it published one day. To try and up my chances, I pulled out all of the overarching plot threads to the series and started turning Blackthorn into stand-alones.

The biggest clincher for signing with my current publisher was when they read Blood Shadows and Blood Roses and suggested that maybe Blackthorn could extend beyond three books. More than that, they asked if maybe I saw potential for an overarching plot to tie all the books together. I couldn’t pull all of my original notebooks out of my bottom draw quick enough!

6) BLACKTHORN USED TO LOOK VERY DIFFERENT

Those who supported Blackthorn from the beginning will know that the covers of Blood Shadows and Blood Roses once looked very different. They were designed by Henry Steadman and had a much more traditional Gothic feel. They also incorporated red, white and black. According to folklore, these are the three colours associated with the Blackthorn plant. (If you’d like to know why I called the series ‘Blackthorn’, you can read about it here.)

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Before Blood Torn’s release in February 2014, Bookouture decided to give the series a brand new look with a contemporary urban edge.

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7) JASK AND HIS PACK WEREN’T GOING TO HAVE A STARRING ROLE

Up until the point I was offered a publishing contract, there were only six books in the series (seven if I split the finale into two). I’d initially been signed for three. When it came to discussions for the third book, I was ready to move on to Jessie and Eden’s story. However, my editor at the time as well as author Michele Hauf (who was my mentor during the writing competition through which I was discovered) both felt Jask Tao deserved a story of his own.

I already knew the role Jask and Phia played in the overarching Blackthorn story (no spoilers for anyone who hasn’t got that far!), but I never intended a romance between them, nor to explore the lycans’ plight in Blackthorn in any great detail. Instead I’d planned to keep the focus on the vampires in the story. In addition to that I have a deep-rooted fear of lycanthropy so didn’t think I’d be able to write Jask as an appealing enough hero!

Since then, Jask has gone on to become one of Blackthorn’s most popular heroes – and it’s all thanks to my wonderful first editor and the fantastic Michele Hauf.

Blood Torn Fated

8) I WAS STILL TEACHING WHEN I WROTE THE FIRST FOUR BOOKS

Like the vast majority of published authors, writing wasn’t my only job when Blackthorn was launched. It’s a myth that once you get a publishing deal, you give up the day job and spend all of your days writing books. In fact, for the first four Blackthorn books I was still holding down a teaching job. I’d be teaching lessons to teenagers one day and then immersed in Blackthorn the next, swapping lesson planning and reports with book edits and fan mail. It wasn’t until January 2015 that I started writing full time. By that time, I’d waited almost 30 years to get to that point. If you love something enough, I guess you hold on for as long as it takes.

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So that’s it – 8 facts you may or may not have known. And as you can see, Blackthorn had been on quite the journey even before it reached your shelf/device!

I’ll be back tomorrow to mark the official day with a GIVEAWAY BUNDLE for one lucky winner.

Until then, I’m thrilled to say I was invited to a special anniversary interview with ‘My Bookworm Blogger’.

bookworm-interview

I was asked some of the most insightful Blackthorn-related questions I’ve ever had, so please do head over and take a look. Stephanie’s also giving away a SIGNED PAPERBACK of my latest release BLOOD BOUND as well as an exclusive SIGNED Blackthorn POSTCARD!

Have a wonderful evening and ‘see’ you tomorrow! <3

Four Years of Blackthorn

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Blackthorn was launched four years ago this month. I can barely believe it. If you were supporting me this time last year, you might remember we had a big anniversary giveaway to mark the occasion. I’m not sure where those twelve months have gone.

Teaser

Since then two more Blackthorn books have been released, and now there’s only one more to go.

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The reality is really starting to sink in – and not only for me by the sounds of it! I know some of you have been supporting my series from the outset. Some joined Blackthorn as recently as a couple of weeks ago. Either way, I know the prospect of the end being in sight is creating mixed feelings. But, for now, let’s refuse to linger in the word ‘final’. We still have one more big adventure to come and what I hope will be a fun year ahead once the countdown officially begins. 😀

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*This is not the actual cover. It’s just a teaser.*

I can’t give you any indication as yet as to when Blood Broken will be out (and bribery will make no difference 😉 ). But please rest assured I’m already underway with the first draft and I won’t keep you waiting a moment longer than I have to.

And even though I’m not doing a big giveaway this time around (because I’m saving that for the finale), I’m still marking the occasion across Twitter and Facebook over the next month, reminiscing with some quotes and Bites from the last four years. If you don’t follow me on either of those, you can peruse some of them here.

Blood Shadows NEW Createspace.indd

This was just a quick post for now. I’m going to be back here on the weekend of the 26th and 27th of this month (the official four-year anniversary of Blood Shadows) with my proper anniversary posts. I’ll hopefully ‘see’ you then!

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. <3

Blood Bound Paperback Winners Announced

On Friday I opened a Halloween giveaway for two readers to be in with a chance of winning a signed paperback of Blood Bound.

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Entries came in via email, here and my Facebook page. All entries were allocated a number that was entered into a random number generator.

Last time all the winners came from Facebook but, this time, we have a Facebook AND a website winner! Huge congrats to:

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Tracy and Malorie, I’ll need you to email or message me with your address and I’ll get your signed book out to you asap!

Huge thanks to everyone who joined in. I have to say, when you unleash your dark side, you really unleash. 😉 I hope you all had a fantastic Halloween! <3

Win a Signed Paperback of Blood Bound

Vybers, stashers and plaigars, oh my…! (For anyone who’s never seen The Wizard of Oz, my adaptation of the infamous line will mean nothing.)

Halloween is nearly upon us so what better time to have a giveaway? I have two signed paperbacks of Blackthorn’s penultimate book BLOOD BOUND ready to be claimed.

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As it’s Halloween, I thought we’d veer away from the pleasures of Blackthorn for a change and place all that goes bump in the night centre stage instead. After all, Blackthorn might be known for its dark romance but let’s not forget the ghoulish fourth species lingering in the shadows – nor our villains.

SIRIUS, ROB and FEINITH appear to be the front-runners when it comes to the Blackthorn villains who chill you to your core so, just for this weekend, I thought it was time they faced a horror of their own – and you get to choose it!

HOW TO ENTER

1) PICK THE VILLAIN YOU LOVE TO HATE

2) DECIDE WHICH FOURTH SPECIES THEY SHOULD ENCOUNTER

Maybe you’d like to lock Rob in a room with Night Children, have Feinith left to a pack of vybers, or for Sirius to come face-to-face with a soul ripper. I hope you find it darkly satisfying after all they’re put our beloved heroes and heroines through. 😉 (If you can’t remember your soul ripper from your nilkim, I’ve added a reminder at the bottom of this post.)

Best of all each villain counts as one entry, so you can have up to three chances to win!

(And, yes, if you’d like them to have a run-in with one of our Blackthorn heroes or heroines first, you can include that too.)

THE RULES

For your entry to be valid you must either:

The giveaway is open NOW and will close at midnight (GMT) on Halloween.

Winners will be drawn using a random number generator and will be announced here and on my Facebook page on Tuesday 1st November.

THE FINER DETAILS

Winners will need to claim their prizes within fourteen days of the announcement, so please check back to see if you have won.

As with all Blackthorn giveaways, prizes will be posted anywhere. Proof of sending will be retained and prizes cannot be replaced if lost in transit.

Good luck – and have a great Halloween weekend! <3

Fourth Species
Physical features
Why you wouldn’t want to meet them in a dark alley
Bone feasters Willowy shadows that move within iridescent acidic mist.
Always in a group, they can be seen huddled facing each other as they wait for their prey.
They use acidic mist to melt the flesh from their victims, making their bones more accessible.
Night children Appear as young children but keep their leathery aged faces covered until ready to attack. Their faces are mouthless with black canyons where their eyes should be. Although small, they’re fast and strong. Once pinned down, they clamp their mouth over their victim’s to drain the life essence out of them, aging them to death within minutes. They appear as a collective in a crowded place and always target the youngest victim in a group first.
NilkimGiant, twenty-foot-high pile of white flab, inanimate until disturbed. Rolls like a snowball, using suckers to gain momentum as well as snag its victims either suffocating or consuming them in the process.
PlaigarsProportionally too-long arms, chunky muscular thighs, wasp-like waists and rotund upper torsos. They are bald all over with a tan-like hue to their skin. Whilst resting, they hang upside down like bats.Fast runners once active, they have suckers on their three-toed feet to enable them to run up walls as well as along ceilings. Their teeth are pin-like darts that they fire to paralyse their prey. They use their cylindrical tongue to drain their victims of all their bodily fluids.
StasherCan be heard making a tic-tic sound when it senses its prey. They have a human-like form. They use their round-piercing red eyes to paralyse their victims ready for attack. Once their prey is paralysed, this fourth species stashes them in hidden places such as crevices until they’re ready to feed. In order to feed, they roll their prey into a ball, crushing them whilst they’re still alive, before feeding them directly into their mouth-like abdominal cavity to be slowly digested.
Soul ripperThey take on the form someone the victim recognises – often a loved one. If you look into their eyes, your image will appear upside down. They rip the astral body out of their victims to keep the soul contained within, preventing them from entering the afterlife. They imprison the victim on the astral plain, feeding off the energy generated by their soul until it finally evaporates. Once they start on a family, they always return to finish the line.
VybersSeven-feet tall and masked by a dark cloak, they have grasshopper-like legs for leaping onto their prey. Often seen to hold their arms semi-aloft, their lengthy talons play the air like a piano as they sense vibrations caused by movement or sound.Impossible to escape and likely to hear and feel you coming long before you spot them, vybers are smart, strategic and never work alone.

It’s Blood Bound Publication Day!

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Wow! What a day! I have so much to cram into this traditional publication day round-up post that I’m going to get straight down to it.

Firstly, thank you to every person who has downloaded or ordered a copy of Blood Bound today. I am beyond thrilled to say that it went straight in at number one in Gothic Romance on Amazon UK this morning and is still there now!

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It made it to number four on Amazon.ca at the last look, and Blood Bound also reached the Top 10 in Gothic Fiction (#8) on Amazon.com too. It was even back at the number one spot in Hot New Releases there!

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An extra special thank you too to all my readers who have finished their latest Blackthorn adventure and have been uploading reviews already. It means a lot. <3

AND FOR THE REST OF THE DAY…

The support for Blackthorn and Blood Bound today has been incredible. There has been loads going on.

INTERVIEWS

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I’ve been involved in four interviews today answering questions from Shelley WilsonChelle’s Book ReviewsStarcrossed Reviews; and Kim The Bookworm.

So if you’d like to know the answers to questions such as what I like most about writing dark paranormal romance; where the inspiration for my Blackthorn Series came from; when I knew I wanted to become a writer and how I went about it; and what I plan to do next, please do head over to have a look.

Huge thanks to Shelley, Chelle, Emma and Kim for hosting me and coming up with such great questions!

GUEST POSTS

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I also wrote a special guest post for today. If you’re interested in why I write such dark heroes, you might like to check out what I had to say on Linda’s Book Bag.

For those who remember the Alpha Showdown back in the Summer where Kane was the shock victor in this intense reader-voting competition, Chelsea at Vampire Book Club very kindly let me return to explain more about Blackthorn to new readers.

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And Clair at Have Books, Will Read, and Life of a Nerdish Mum also let me write a short introductory post about Blackthorn for their readers too.

Thank you so much, ladies!

MENTIONS AND SUPPORT

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And I wasn’t the only one writing posts today.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Incy Black for her unmistakable take on Blackthorn hours before she dived in to start reading it. An equally big thank you to Passionate About Books and Brickley Jules for sharing their publication day posts. And also Maryse’s Book Blog, The Romance Cover, The Book Chick and Helcee’s Bangin’ Books all for their publication day shout-outs too. I really appreciate it.

ONE FOR AUTHORS

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If you’re a writer yourself, you might like to check out a special publication day post I wrote for the Online Literary Magazine Writing IE where I offer some strategies on how to dig out of dead-end scenes.

MORE REVIEWS

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Not only are my readers’ reviews now coming in but blogger reviews are continuing to come in too. I’d like to say a massive thank you to Louise at the superbly-titled Wopsywoobookblog (love that!) for your fabulous 5 star review.

“Blood Bound made me feel emotional, tense, anxious, angry, happy and sad, not to mention frustrated. There were so many times I had my fist clenched, wanting to do something and not being able to do a damn thing about it… The action was jam packed. There wasn’t a moment in which I was bored or I thought something didn’t work. It all flowed. That’s the thing with Lindsay’s mind and ingenuity. You never know what’s going to happen next. So many times I thought I knew where the story was leading and every time I was proved wrong. I don’t think my heart could take many more palpitations. So many ‘heart in mouth moments.’

For me, a formidable book has me believing that I’m in the story, that I’m sharing the lives of the characters I’m reading. That I’m going on a journey and I’m so far in that I can’t see my way out. Blackthorn really does that for me. I believe I’m there, I believe I’m suffering or laughing or loving, I believe in everything. That’s what sets Lindsay apart from so many other authors of the same genre. It’s brilliant mind trickery. This is why I love this series. There hasn’t been and will not be a dark paranormal romance series that can top this for me.”

And as there were a few wordpress glitches over the past few days meaning my blog followers weren’t receiving my posts, if you missed previous reviews you can read them herehere and here.

SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT

I can’t thank all my readers, fellow authors and publisher enough for all the incredible support that has come through on social media such as Twitter and my Facebook page today.

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And the memes that were being shared were an absolute treat – including some creative use for those door hangers I posted about yesterday! You’ve all been absolutely brilliant in both showing and sharing your love for Blackthorn.

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As for my street team – who have not stopped finding every opportunity to shout about Blood Bound’s release throughout the day – you ladies are beyond incredible. <3

CALLING IT TO AN END 

Well, it’s almost two in the morning here in the UK so it’s about time I called the day to an end. Thank you again, so much, for making this day so special. It’s been our penultimate Blackthorn release, ladies and gents, and it has been another day I won’t forget.

If you’re still in Blackthorn, stay safe and come back soon. <3

***

UPDATE

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To add to my thanks for mentions and support, a HUGE thank you to Stephanie at My Bookworm Blogger who put together a wonderful publication day post yesterday to mark Blood Bound‘s release. That was really kind of you, Stephanie (who also previously reviewed Blood Bound in case you missed it). <3

I also had a very excited message to say Blood Bound made it to number one in Gothic Romance on Amazon.ca during the night as well as number 1 in Hot New Releases in Gothic Romance!! Thi, who sent me the update, asked if I’d give a shout-out to my Canadian readers. Absolutely! Thank you SO much for your support! <3

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As well as that, I’ve been told Blood Bound has crept up to number four on Amazon.com! Strike that! Now at number three!! Thanks for the update, Tracey! <3

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This is all wonderful news. Thanks again, Team Blackthorn! xxx

 

* * *

FINAL UPDATE FOR A GREAT WEEK

As publication week comes to an end, I’m so pleased to say Blood Bound is holding the number one spot in Gothic Romance on Amazon UK, the feedback from Blackthorn’s die-hard fans is positive, and reviews are still coming in. I had this one today from author Tracey Rogers – and it’s a stunner. You can read the full review here, but here’s a snippet below. Thank you so much  for such a glowing 5 star review, Tracey!

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“If you’ve read any of the previous books in the series you will know how intense and compelling the Blackthorn series is… I emotionally braced myself before I began to read Blood Bound and yet I still wasn’t prepared for what was about to happen. The unexpected twists and revelations still hold their intensity and the plot is absolutely gripping. Every line matters and those secondary characters that you may deem unimportant in one book are actually cleverly relevant in another, especially in this story. The pace is relentless and the plot truly is a masterclass in world building and conflict.

Blackthorn is know for its complex layers and the darkness of the series and Blood Bound for me is the darkest yet. Jessie and Eden’s vulnerabilities are exposed and then ripped to shreds. It’s a challenging, shocking read in the best possible way. Just when you think the author really won’t go there – she does! Jessie and Eden are tested beyond their limits and you feel every moment of it. And bravo, Lindsay J. Pryor, for being courageous enough to do that. Thank you for staying true to the series. Each harrowing scene serves to validate Blackthorn further. You might need to pick your broken heart up from the floor after reading Blood Bound – but my goodness it’s worth every breath stolen moment. Stunning. Absolutely stunning. The most powerful series I’ve ever read.”

Ah, what a great way to end the week. Have a fantastic weekend, everyone. I know a lot of readers have had to wait until now to dive back into Blackthorn. I hope it turns out to be worth it. Take care in there – and see you soon. <3

Only Hours To Go!

It’s Blood Bound Eve! That means your latest Blackthorn adventure could be yours within hours!

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Thank you so, so much for all the build-up and pending excitement. Although, I have to add, sorry for the sense of dread based on all the recent reviews I’ve been sharing. You will get through it, I promise! And I have something to help…

DO NOT DISTURB!

For the last couple of years, I’ve been told I should produce some DO NOT DISTURB signs ready for release day. I mentioned it to my fabulous street team last night and asked if they could come up with some wording. Let’s just say I had to abandon 97% of the suggestions. I’ll leave it to your imaginations to fill the gaps as to why. But here you go…

As has long been promised, and if anyone fancies having some fun with them, here are four true-to-size, printable door hangers especially for tomorrow. A huge thank you to Louise, Tracey and Julia for letting me use your suggestions.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD

If you’d like to download your door hanger, all you have to do is:

  1. Hover over either of the two pages. This will bring up their grey menu bar across the top of each page. (There are two bookmarks on each page.)
  2. Press the ‘Download PDF’ button (second from the right).
  3. It will open up the PDF in a new window that you can then print.

These will hopefully keep any interruptions away… 😉

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MORE REVIEWS TO CELEBRATE

And reviews are still coming in!

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A big shout-out and an equally massive thank you to Stephanie at My Bookworm Blogger for your fantastic 5 star review…

“There is no doubt in my mind that Blood Bound, book #7 in the Blackthorn series, is indeed my #bookoftheyear. Jessie and Eden have always held a special place in my heart and my heart truly bled for them in this book… There were moments that I just had to stop reading, I needed time to digest everything and tell my heart that I could get through it. See, that is when you know you are reading something special. When you feel like you are part of the story. When you feel like you are part of one big family. When you feel your favourite characters pain as if it were your own; their triumphs your own.

Never before have I read a series that holds so many intricate plots. Each one weaved to perfection and then brought together in ways that are always one step ahead of me. I can never guess what is going to happen; every turn of the page has my heart in my throat… Blood Bound is the perfect addition to the Blackthorn series. Everything is coming together now, to what I am sure is going to be an explosive end…”

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As well as Marta at Literal Addiction for your brilliant 5 star review too…

“I cannot believe what I’ve just read! This book is the best yet in this series and absolutely jaw dropping and so intense. This world the author has created has grown into something that has clearly taken on a life of its own. The depth of emotions this story called forth is totally unbelievable. I’d enjoyed previous books with characters that excited but the utter depravity and evil in play here has left my head spinning. Complex does not begin to describe it, dark is far too light a word to use and all I can envisage is an onion with so many layers gradually peeling back… 

You will be shocked, horrified and so emotional… but remember to watch the sidelines, look around at all the peripheral goings on. The characters in this world are set on a collision course of such magnitude I cannot begin to imagine just how the author can possibly wrap everything up in the next and last instalment.”

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I know I’m going to lose most of you in Blackthorn but if you fancy heading back out for a breather, I’ll have a special release day blog post tomorrow gathering all of the day’s happenings. I’d love you to join me.

But if I don’t see you, you know the rules: take care in there and come back safe!

Have a fabulous time, Team Blackthorn! And thank you, as always, for your support. <3

It’s Blood Bound Eve Tomorrow!

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It’s Blood Bound Eve tomorrow! And I am thrilled to say that two more positive blogger reviews have come in!

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A HUGE thank you to author Lindsey Clarke whose full, brilliantly-passionate 5 star review can be read here.

“Blackthorn is still my favourite PNR series of all time. The hot scenes were hotter than ever. The action scenes were gripping and edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster rides. And just when you think Lindsay can’t surprise you with any more plot twists, you get hit between the eyes by some new, jaw-dropping revelation that has you reeling because you just never saw it coming. Seven books into the series and I am still, completely and utterly addicted to Blackthorn. That, my friends, is testament to great writing and that is why you should all pick up this series today and fall in love just as I and many other Blackthorn fans have.

Blood Bound is a heart-racing, soul-pounding instalment and thoroughly deserving of five shiny, sparkling stars!”

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And a MASSIVE thank you to Michelle for her wonderfully emotive 5 star review at Big Little Sister Blog. You can read her full, fabulously-titled ‘A Brutal Milky Way’ review here.

“The last book (Blood Instinct) blew me away with its relentless pace and kick in the teeth shockers. Blood Bound has a painstakingly rhythm of hellish detail.  I was begging for it to go faster, to skip bits.  But no.  Put me through the wringer, stick me on a roller coaster and throw me bungee style off a canyon.  This book had it all. I wasn’t coming back. For the first time ever I couldn’t take anymore. But the author knew that and threw in a cracker of a line.  Finally I could smile and relax. Then wham she got me with the ending. Lindsay J Pryor totally knows what she’s doing. Wow!

This is paranormal romance without rules.  In fact, its completely lawless phenomenal story telling. And it isn’t five stars it’s the damn Milky Way.”

Thank you too for all the links I’m receiving for reviews coming in via NetGalley and being posted on Goodreads – I really appreciate your time and effort.

Two more days to go!! I’ll be back with another post tomorrow! 😀

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