Monkey See, Monkey Do

Yesterday was my husband's birthday, and I decided to go bananas with his party. :-) He has quite the weird sense of humor, my Bob, and given that he's thrown me some very uniquely themed birthday parties over the years (a Home Depot party, an eBay party, a Big Lots party, and a Buddha party), I felt like it was his turn.

Here he is doing is best to look like the monkey on his banner, and doing a pretty good job! One of the most fun parts of the evening was that everyone else there got into the swing of things, too, and after making Bob leave the room while we prepared, we treated him to a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" with everyone wearing monkey masks!


This was one of my favorite shots of the evening, taken quite accidently, when one of our guests realized that Bob was standing and chatting, oblivious to the fact that one of the hanging monkey decorations was perfectly aligned with his head! (The monkey stars were aligned, so to speak.) He snapped it before Bob moved away, and I seriously think he should start using it as his Facebook photo, don't you?






Here's a shot of what happens when people really get into swing of things (I've known for years that my sister was bananas, but I had no idea they'd start coming out of her ears!)

At any rate, a good time was had by all, and my wonderful husband is another year older (but no wiser). Happy birthday, sweetheart!

Life Is What Happens When You're Making Other Plans...

The last two weeks of December have been a bit of blur - not only have I been responsible for the stock prices of Kleenex shooting into the hemisphere and spent a lot of time in bed or in a recliner watching old movies, but my dear, sweet mother-in-law has been gravely ill in the hospital, my son graduated college, and oh, we celebrated the small annual occurrance that is Christmas. :-)

Plus, I'm writing. The first book of my new series is due April 1st, and I want it to be awesome, so in between the Kleenex and the family time, I'm writing. :-) Apart from some Twits and a bit of Facebook time, I haven't been online much.

At any rate, I'm wishing everyone a fabulous New Year and letting you know I'm not dead. I will be back again soon, with my normal fascinating and riveting combination of excerpts and observations. (Can't wait, I know!) ;-P

That was totally sarcastic. Really.

Behind The Veil

Sometimes I feel like that on this blog, except I'm not nearly as spooky as Boris Karloff... :-)

Battle Of The Bad Boys

The boogeyman under the bed... the monster in the closet... scary creatures who go bump in the night seem a lot more physical these days. Vampires, shapeshifters, demons, fallen angels. Spooky has become sexy, and it started long before Bram Stoker's Dracula. The Old Testament alludes to how angels found mortal women desirable, Gen. 6:2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. One would certainly assume that those ancient women found angels completely irresistable in return. So the yen and yang of sex and attraction has always gone hand-in-hand with good and evil, and sometimes the two get mixed.

So what's the current connection between sex and supernatural? Why so many books and movies? Aside from the marketing aspects, I think, for women, it's not just the idea of the ultimate, misunderstood, bad boy... it's about female empowerment. If a woman can bring a supernatural male to his knees through love and desire, that's quite a coup. (If that sounds sexist, then it is, because part of the empowerment involved is admitting it.) :-) It's all about the ladies these days, and what pleases us, whether you're Team Edward or Team Jacob. :-)

Of course, we do love our bad boys (in theory). The bad boy with the good side who wants to be good, but is trapped, governed by fate or fortune or forces beyond his control. Poor, misunderstood bad boy. LOL

The book I'm working on right now, THE DEVIL'S BARGAIN, has two bad boys, and they're squaring off for a battle royale. As the writer, I'm not quite sure who's side I'm on, because I'm rooting for them both. :) The main character is such a bad boy that he's stealing all the scenes. (Oh, that Sammy Divine... he's got a story to tell, that one. And he's determined to tell it his own way, in his own time, with a wicked wink, a killer grin and a bad boy swagger.) But he's got some competition in Finn, the rock star who sold his soul for rock-n-roll, and now wants it back.

Me? I'm just sitting back, calling the shots, and feeling empowered. :-)

Neither one of these bad boys want to stay under the bed or in the closet, and I don't want them to, either.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies In A Jar (great gift idea!)

I just sent out my most recent newsletter (you're on the list, aren't you?), and since I like to include little extras in it whenever I can, I started searching for great (inexpensive) gift ideas, and found this:

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES IN A JAR

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup raisins
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix together flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Layer ingredients in order given in a 1 quart "wide mouth" canning jar. It will be a tight fit, make sure you firmly pack down each layer in place before adding the flour mixture.

Instructions to attach to jar:

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies
1. Empty jar of cookie mix into large mixing bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly blend mix.
2. Add: 3/4 cup butter or margarine softened at room temp. Stir in one egg, slightly beaten. Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
3. Mix until completely blended. You may need to finish mixing with your hands.
4. Shape into balls the size of walnuts. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. DO NOT USE WAXED PAPER.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 11 to 13 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to baking racks to finish cooling. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Put a festive ribbon around the top of the jar, and you've got an inexpensive holiday gift that can be given regardless of race, creed or color (Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, atheism, monotheism, paganism..). Everybody loves cookies!

And by the way, did I mention that you should JOIN MY MAILING LIST? I usually only send them four times a year to keep my readers updated on new releases, contests, free bookmarks and other goodies like the cookie recipe. Go sign up!

O Spider, Where Art Thou?

Ok, must confess that I've avoided going into the attic all week because last weekend, when I went in to pull out the Christmas tree ornaments, I saw a big, ugly spider sitting right on top of the box I was about to put my hand on. *picture me screaming, snatching my hand back, and disappearing out the door*

Today, made my son go in with me to fend off giant, hairy, 8-legged creatures, only to discover that it was a PLASTIC HALLOWEEN SPIDER that had fallen off my Halloween wreath.

Sigh. My favorite holiday just came back to bite me. My only consolation is that he was very cautious in his approach, too, though I'll probably never live it down...

Apologies (In Advance) to Twilight Fans...

... but this cracked me up!

Dark Kisses from Croatia: New Interview and Book Review at Venia, the Croatian webzine for all things dark!

Venia is a very cool Croatian e-zine devoted to alternative music, pop culture, literature and movies. The magazine is also a part of the team behind the Croatian fansite for my favorite vampire/goth band, The 69 Eyes, (http://www.the69-eyes.com/), and when I got an email from the editor last month, asking if I'd consent to an email interview about my writing, I was only to happy to oblige!

*WARNING* The English translation leaves a bit to be desired - it's a bit choppy, but you can get the gist!

Take a look at their very cool site (here's the English version) http://www.venia-mag.net/eng/intro.html , read my interview at http://www.venia-mag.net/eng/column/storyof-terrigarey-interview2009.html, read a great review of DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY at http://www.venia-mag.net/eng/column/storyof-terrigarey-deadgirlsareeasy.html, or enter the contest to win a signed copy at http://www.venia-mag.net/eng/other/competition.html.



However, if you're like me, you might find it cooler just to read the Croatian versions at:

Venia-Mag: http://www.venia-mag.net/hrv/intro.html
Interview: http://www.venia-mag.net/hrv/kolumna/kultura-intervju-terrigarey.html
Review: http://www.venia-mag.net/hrv/kolumna/kultura-knjizevnost-deadgirlsareeasy.html
Contest: http://www.venia-mag.net/hrv/ostalo/nagradna.html

The 69 Eyes will be playing in Zagreb (Croatia) on January 24th, 2010. I'd love nothing more than to be there, but I will just have to be satisfied with some dark kisses from Croatia in the meantime.

Rock on, ghoulfriends, and THANKS, Venia-Mag!

Incubus Rising - An Original Short

Incubus Rising
by Terri Garey^©

She was an alabaster dream. Pale hair, pale as moonbeams, lay across the snow-white pillowcase. Her cheeks held just the faintest shade of pink, lips holding the cherry sheen of rosebuds I’d long since forgotten. Her dream was full of softness, and the openness of longing. Whoever she longed for was a lucky man. But this night, I was luckier, for I slid into her welcoming warmth with the ease of a practiced lover, and the joy of a man who’d found his reason for existence.

Even after his existence had long ceased.

She sucked in her breath along with my shaft, moaning and rippling her pleasure. Her warm depths gripped me, welcoming my heft and girth as it was meant to be. I worked her well, letting her dream do more of its work, letting it draw us both into its spiral until she gasped her release beneath me, never waking.

Then I withdrew, kissing her gently as I went, leaving her spent and slumbering with a smile upon her lips, while I burned, stiff with a need that could never be released.

For that is my fate, you see.

To satisfy, yet never be satisfied. To please, but never be pleased.

Lest you wonder at my punishment, look only to your own natures, and judge me not. For whether or not women were Adam’s downfall, they have most surely been mine.

Wicked Little Pixie's Book Blog and Giveaway

In my never-ending quest to rule the blog guesting world, :-) I just did an interview for Natasha over on Wicked Little Pixie's urban fantasy and paranormal review site, "Writings of a Wicked Book Addict".

Stop by and leave her a comment for a chance to win her contest, and get "a reader's choice" of books from my backlist!

Blogging at Borders With Sue Grimshaw - win some books!

Stop by and visit with me today as I chat with Sue Grimshaw, corporate executive and Romance Buyer for Borders, Inc., on her blog, "Borders True Romance". We'll be talking about my latest release Silent Night, Haunted Night and I'll be giving away three copies of the book (along with a sparkly Christmas snowflake ornament) to three lucky commenters!

So Today Was My Birthday...

...and I had a great day. I got the coolest new cellphone ever, a Droid (which just came out last week, and I am already deeply in love with), my husband let me sleep late (7:30a, late for me), made me breakfast, and has also ordered me some lovely wine glasses (husbands of the world, take note!). Then I had some serious online time, answering a myriad of birthday wishes (in my pajamas) until after 11am (and I'm sure, missing some) while guest blogging over at Plotmonkeys on their weekly Craft Saturday. I had some great phone calls from some of the people I love the most, and got some great cards, both emailed and otherwise. Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to wish me Happy Birthday!

Tonight, I'm off to a family celebration to enjoy a joint birthday with my brother-in-law (who makes some awesome bar-b-que), and see some family.

Hope you're all having a good weekend!

A Thank You To My Readers

Here's to my readers! Thanks so much for buying my books, and reading my stories. I got the great news the other day that less than two weeks after it's initial release, Silent Night, Haunted Night has already gone into a second printing! That would never have happened unless supply exceeded demand, which means a lot of books were sold fairly quickly. Thank you so much!

I've probably blogged about this before, but it's always nervewracking to send your work out into the world, in many ways like sending your five year old to school for the first time. You gave birth to this idea, and you fed it and nurtured it and got it down on paper, worked into a coherent plot and some believable characters, and you included doses of humor and insight and wisdom, hoping to mold it into something people would approve of and enjoy. And then you sit back and hand it over to others, who get to judge - will your baby be ok without you? Will the world see how special he/she is? Will they appreciate the work you've put into making it the best it could be?

So far, luckily nobody's told me my baby was ugly, although a few of my readers have threatened to give Joe a good butt-kickin' for being such a man. :-)

Now, having given the sigh of relief heard 'round the world, I'm turning my attention back to my current work-in-progress. I'm still hanging around on the Web, though, so stop by and visit with me if you can:

I'm taking questions about the Nicki Styx series over at the Barnes&Noble Romantic Reads Forum through Friday, Nov. 13th, and on Saturday the 14th I'll be swinging by PlotMonkeys to hang with NYT and USA Today best-selling authors Julie Leto, Carly Phillips, Janelle Denison and Leslie Kelly. On Monday the 16th, I'll be the guest of Sue Grimshaw, Corporate Romance Buyer for Borders Group, Inc., on her Borders True Romance Blog.

In the meantime, keep reading, and thanks again!

Barnes&Noble Book Clubs "Romantic Reads" Forum

Join me at the Barnes&Noble Book Club forum where I'll be yakking all week about the Nicki Styx series! http://tinyurl.com/ya7666g

In Praise of Decent Men

I got some great news the other day - a wonderful review in a monthly column written by NYT best-selling historical romance author, Eloisa James, at BarnesandNobleReview.com, entitled "In Praise of Decent Men".

In addition to being a NYT best-selling author, Ms. James is a professor of English literature teaching Shakespeare at Fordham University, and her column this month focused on the often overlooked "good guys" who get crowded out of the romance genre by those naughty bad boys. She had this to say about Joe Bascombe, the hero in SILENT NIGHT, HAUNTED NIGHT:

Joe always sees the good in people, even if they're not so good. Joe is a real hero. This is a fascinating romance, and not merely due to the various ghosts and devils running around Atlanta. When the "ahh" moment arrives at the end of the book, it comes from a surprised, happy realization that honor and decency can trump even the hottest devil.

For all that we love our bad boys, it's the hope of winning one of the good ones that keeps us going, doesn't it?

I was thrilled to have a character from one of my books epitomize the concept of a true hero, and beyond thrilled to have him included in the same league as Jack, the hero of Nora Roberts' latest, Bed Of Roses. (I mean, she's Nora Roberts!) :-)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! - A True Halloween Ghost Story

Time for a good old-fashioned ghost story, boys and ghouls! Except, unlike most ghost stories, this one is true.

People often ask me if I've ever seen a ghost (me being the ghost writer and all), and the short answer is no. The long answer, however, is I didn't have to SEE a ghost in my house in order to KNOW there was a ghost in my house.

When my husband and I were newly married, we decided to give our blended family of three children a fresh start by moving to a new home. We decided to find a house to rent before we bought one of our own, to give us time to get used to the area. A realtor friend gave us some recommendations, and within a few weeks we settled into a lovely ivy-covered brick home, straight out of the pages of Americana.

The first few months were uneventful, but one day as I pulled my car into the driveway, I noticed an elderly man standing in front of the house. We spoke, and I learned he was my next-door-neighbor’s father come for a visit. During the course of our chat, he casually asked me what I thought of the house I was renting. I told him we liked it very much, at which point he gave me a strange look, and asked if I knew the house’s history. His exact words were, “Pretty gory stuff.” Since I’ve always had a healthy fear of the unknown, I decided on the spot that I did NOT want to hear any more. I didn't ask him what he meant, just excused myself and went inside.

The very next morning, my daughter came to my room and said she needed to speak with me privately 'about the house’. My immediate thought was that the old man next door had said something to her, too, but she had no idea who I was talking about, never having met or even seen him. She then went on to tell me of a hair-raising experience she’d had during the night just past.

Sometime between 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, she woke to use the bathroom. While she was in there, the bathroom door opened by itself. Half-asleep, she assumed it was the family dog nosing his way in, and glanced over, expecting to see the dog. What she saw instead was the ‘outline’ of a man, leaning in as though he had a hand on the doorknob on the outside of the door. Although she couldn’t make out his features, she said she got the impression that he was tall, mid-30s maybe. While she stared, stupified, he seemed to dissolve before her eyes. Convinced she was either dreaming or imagining things, she nervously returned to bed. Unable to sleep, she said she felt like he followed her into her room and was sitting on the bed, though she saw nothing else. The experience unnerved her enough to bring the tale to me the next morning.

Still unwilling to give credence to any horror story the old man may have wanted to tell me, but now understandably curious, I decided to call the realtor who'd found us the house and ask what, if anything, she might know about the history of the place. To my shock, she very matter-of-factly informed me that there had been a murder there, a fact she had mentioned to my husband before we moved in, but never to me. (My husband, being a very down-to-earth type of person, thought it irrelevant at the time.) Unsure of the details of the murder, she suggested I talk to – you guessed it – the neighbors.

I resisted, but several days later, I saw my neighbor outside. Her father was gone, his visit over, but she was happy to fill me in about what happened in the house:

The original owner of the house was a local businessman in his 30’s who she described as a real ‘man-about-town, up-and-comer type’, who was evidently quite the ladies' man. One of his many girlfriends had come to the house in the middle of the night in a jealous rage, shot him in the head and chest, then killed herself on the spot. Not just a murder, but a murder/suicide. She provided me with the man’s name and the approximate year it happened. She also mentioned that no one ever lived in the house very long after that, which is apparently when it turned into a rental property.

I couldn’t leave it alone. I was jumping at shadows and very nervous to be alone in the house, so I decided to do some detective work. We have a very large public library, so I went down and started going through the old archives of our local newspaper. I found the actual newspaper articles (of which I made copies), and learned a great deal more about this tragic story.

Apparently the woman who killed her lover, and then herself, was a ‘good, sweet person’ in her late 20’s, and very much in love – but her lover was far more interested in ‘playing the field’. According to her family, the young woman gave up her two children because he told her that he would marry her if he didn’t have to be responsible for them. When it became clear that he had no intention of marrying her, she took matters into her own hands, buying a gun and then using it to make sure they were together – if not in life, then in death. His body was found in the hallway outside the bathroom door, in the exact spot where my daughter saw him!

And there's more to the story: shortly after finding the newspaper articles, I was relating this tragic tale to my older sister. When I told her the murdered man’s name, she quite literally turned pale. Not only did she remember the incident, but she informed me that she had actually dated the man herself! Never having been to his house or taken him seriously because of his reputation as a ‘ladies man’, she had no idea we’d moved into his home. Then she told me of her own odd experience when she’d stayed with us for a few days about a month or so earlier.

According to her, each time she’d gone into the same bathroom to take a shower, she would open the shower curtain to find that the bathroom door was standing wide open. After the first time it happened, she made sure that the door was latched and locked before stepping in the shower – but each time she emerged, the bathroom door was wide open again. She assumed at the time that it was my younger children (two boys) playing tricks on her, and didn’t mention it because she didn’t want to get them in trouble.

That was it for me. We moved out within the month, but the house is in our general neighborhood, on a main thoroughfare. I’ve driven past it many, many times over the years, and there has been a steady stream of renters in and out of it. Curious as I am what they might have experienced themselves, I’ll never set foot in it again if I can help it!

Any ghostly experiences in your family?

Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"

"TRUE! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why WILL you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How then am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily, how calmly, I can tell you the whole story."

And so begins one of the most bone-chilling stories in literature, The Tell-Tale Heart, by Edgar Allen Poe. It's the tale of a man's descent into madness and the subsequent murder of an old man whose only sin was that he had become the focus of that madness.

"It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain, but, once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture -- a pale blue eye with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me my blood ran cold, and so by degrees, very gradually, I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever. "

Ooo, gives me chills every time I read it! I discovered Poe when I was very young, and I have yet to read anyone who can creep me out the way he can. In this story, he not only murders the old man, but he takes great joy and pleasure in terrifying him first, merely by lying in wait for him in the darkness as the old man lies helpless in his bed:

"I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief -- oh, no! It was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me."

After he murders the old man and hides his body, the police arrive, alerted by the neighbors, who heard the old man's death scream. At first the murderer talks to them calmly, allaying their suspicions, until he begins to hear something... a rhythmic, muffled sound that gets louder and louder...

"No doubt I now grew VERY pale; but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased -- and what could I do? It was A LOW, DULL, QUICK SOUND -- MUCH SUCH A SOUND AS A WATCH MAKES WHEN ENVELOPED IN COTTON. I gasped for breath, and yet the officers heard it not."

Until finally, the madman cracks, and confesses all:

"Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! -- no, no? They heard! -- they suspected! -- they KNEW! -- they were making a mockery of my horror! -- this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! -- and now -- again -- hark! louder! louder! louder! LOUDER! --

"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! -- tear up the planks! -- here, here! -- it is the beating of his hideous heart!"

Happy Halloween from Edgar and me... :-)

Macabre Munchies, Anyone?

I found these recipes on the web, and they totally tickled my funny bone! Perfect for a Halloween party, and oh-so-easy to make:

STRAINED EYE BALLS

Ingredients:

6 eggs
6 oz. whipped cream cheese
7 oz. green olives with pimientos
Red food coloring

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Cook over high heat until the water begins to boil. Then turn the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Place the cooked eggs in cold water. When they are cool enough to touch, crack the eggshells all over by rolling them on a hard surface. Peel away the shells carefully and cut the eggs in half widthwise. Remove the yolks and fill the holes with cream cheese. Press an olive into each cream cheese eyeball, pimiento facing up, for an eerie green iris and startling red pupil! For a final touch, dip the tip of a toothpick in red food coloring and draw broken blood vessels in the cream cheese (I mean, why WOULDN'T you draw the broken blood vessels?)

BOOGERS ON A STICK

8 oz. jar of Cheez Whiz
Green food coloring
25 to 30 pretzel sticks

Melt the Cheez Whiz in the microwave or on top of the stove. Allow the cheese to cool slightly, then stir in about three drops of green food coloring, using just enough to turn the cheese a lovely shade of "booger green". Dip and twist the tip of each pretzel stick into the cheese, lift out, wait 20 seconds, then dip again, repeat if you want to. When your cheese lumps reach an appropriately boogerish size, set the pretzels down on waxed paper. Allow to cool at room temperative for ten minutes, or until firm. Gently pull off the waxed paper, and arrange on a serving platter (hopefully, one that looks like a nose!). LOL

Get Spooked With Silent Night, Haunted Night!

It's book release day! It's book release day! Squeeee!!

Ahem. Ok, got that out of my system. :-)

My fourth spooky novel is now in bookstores, just in time for Halloween! Squeee!!

(Ok, so maybe I didn't quite get it all out yet. )

In fact, maybe I never will get over the fact that I, the girl who grew up with her head in a book, now writes books for other people to enjoy. That's why I wanted to become a writer, you know - to give back some of the joy and pleasure and downright escapism that books have always given to me.

I've always been an avid reader - still am - in large part because no matter how bad things get, I can always pick up a book and be temporarily transported somewhere else. To me, a good book should be like a movie in your head, except far better, because with books, your imagination allows you to to make the characters and the settings appear exactly as you want them to - no need to worry about bad casting or bad acting, because you - the reader - are the director.

So far, one of my favorite things about being a writer is being able to create memorable characters: Nicki Styx, Joe Bascombe, Sammy Divine, Bijou, Caprice, Spider, and the various restless spirits that populate all my novels. They're not real, but they feel real to me, and I try to make them real for the reader, too. (It's called "suspension of disbelief", which is a fancy, opposite-speak way of just saying "believable".) :-)

I think I need a little suspension of disbelief myself today, because I just can't believe that my childhood dream has come true again, for the fourth time.

Did I mention that Silent Night, Haunted Night is in bookstores today? Squeeee!!!

A Halloween Ghost Story

Any creative writers out there? Here's a fun exercise I like to do to spark a little creativity: find a picture (any picture), and write a quick short story to go along with it. Don't overthink it, don't agonize over it, just do it! Here's a old picture of someone's living room, which I'm about to turn into a ghost story:

The Haunted Corner

Opal Myers sat in her favorite chair, right by the window, where she could watch the world go by without ever leaving the plush comfort of her home. While others stood in bread lines and whined about lack of work, Opal had merely to ring a small bell and food would be brought to her on a tray. Another ring, and the tray would be taken away, the crumbs no doubt eaten by a sneaky servant girl before they reached the kitchen.

Opal didn't care. Let them eat cake. Depression, indeed. The poor deserved their fate... they either hadn't the guts to work hard, or they hadn't the wits to marry money. She'd done both.

"Wow, honey... look at this place." A man's voice disturbed Opal's privacy, but she didn't look away from the window. The man would be gone soon enough. "Still looks like it did in 40's."

"The 30's, actually." A woman's voice answered him, a voice that Opal found vaguely familiar. Familiar enough to ignore. "We at Hampton House take great pride in keeping the house just the way it looked when the murder occurred. Opal Myers was killed right there, in that chair."

"Ew... how creepy." Another woman's voice, different from the first. "By her own son? That's what the brochure said."

"It was never proven who did it, but the son was the number one suspect. He disappeared right after the murder and was never seen again."

Opal settled herself more deeply into the chair and smiled a chilly smile. Her son would come home eventually, and when he did, she'd be waiting.

"Browse Inside" Widget - A Sneak Peek at Silent Night, Haunted Night!

'Tis The Season to Win an ARC of Silent Night, Haunted Night

Only one more week until the release of SILENT NIGHT, HAUNTED NIGHT but if you're the eager type, or just feeling lucky :-) , pop on over today to The Season, hosted by author Beverley Kendall, where she's giving away one of the few remaining Advance Reader Copies in a "Pinch of Paranormal"!

Good luck!

Bitten By Helsinki's Favorite Vampires, The 69 Eyes

I had the time of my life last night, when I finally got to meet Jyrki, Jussi, Bazie, Archzie and Timo-Timo of the 69 Eyes!

The guys were so nice (don't let the scary posing deceive you), and so friendly, (urging my husband to take extra pictures just in case some of them didn't come out), and each and every one of them signed a copy of Dead Girls Are Easy! Here is my favorite photo of the evening, with Jyrki holding it (do I look happy, or what?):


















Here's a shot of Bazie and Archzie signing it:














And another of me with Bazie (with Jussi in the background):



And then, because there's no way Jussi should ever be in the background:



(Despite Jussi's zombie stare for the camera, he is actually adorable in real life; soft-spoken, and sweet. I came this close to getting him to take off those sunglasses, until Timo confided that he didn't want to do it because he'd just woken up and hadn't put on his eyeliner yet. Gee, I know the feeling.) :-)

Jussi and Timo-Timo:



And I particularly love this shot, even though it's the back of my head, because this is the moment when Jyrki said, "At last we meet." Isn't that sweet?



And when the meet and greet was over, I rocked out with my friends Troy and Tiffany as we heard the band play live. It was a great show, with tons of energy-we danced, we screamed, and waved our hands in the air in honor of a really great band and really great bunch of guys. Although I was invited to stick around and hang with the guys after the show, I decided that might be TOO much fun, and went home with my wonderful husband. :-)

I had a fabulous time, and would go again in a heartbeat. The 69 Eyes are currently touring all over the U.S., so if you get a chance to go see them, don't hesitate... get bitten!

Halloween Happy Hour Today on BlogTalk Radio!

Don't forget to join me today on
BlogTalk Radio at 2pm EST, as fellow paranormal authors Jocelynn Drake, Jaime Rush and I chat about things that go bump in the night!

Call in live and talk to us at (347) 826-9686, or just give a listen!

Creature Feature

When I was a kid, I lived for Saturdays. Freedom, fun and my favorite mid-afternoon horror movies, "ghost hosted" by Dr. Paul Bearer. These were not just any horror movies, they were old horror movies, true classics from the 30's, 40's and 50's. Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman (1943), with Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney, The Mummy (1932) with Boris Karloff.

The host of Creature Feature was Dr. Paul Bearer, a man who lived and breathed his role as an undead undertaker. :-) He was a local celebrity, a man with a ridiculously morbid sense of humor and a perfect deadpan delivery. An unrepentant punster, Dr. Paul Bearer's goal in life was to make you groan in agony over his use of bad puns and silly props, while being just a bit creeped out by his appearance and demeanor. (He drove around town in an actual hearse, and had an actual glass eye that was always somewhat... off.) :-)

Seriously, I loved the guy. Watch this brief clip of Dr. Paul Bearer in action, as he introduces the afternoon movie for Channel 44's Creature Feature:



In between the scary parts of the movie, Dr. Paul would take us to his Tenement Castle, where he'd lighten the tension by chatting with us and his best friend, Spenjamin Bock (a skull), or visiting with his Mummy:



I guess you could say that Dr. Paul Bearer was a big influence on me, because he allowed me to watch scary movies and still feel safe. No gore or slasher films during Creature Feature, just good old spooky classics, served with a side order of morbid humor. No matter how freaked out I might get while watching Bela Lugosi as Dracula or Boris Karloff as a mad scientist, I could count on Dr. Paul to make me laugh, and smile when he uttered his signature closing line, "I'll be lurking for you..."

Happy Halloween, Dr. Paul! Rest in pieces. :-)

Paranormal Party Baskets - Winner #1

Congratulations to "edwardsvampykitten", who won this cool Pumpkin Graveyard Basket stuffed with ghoulish goodies, from my spooktacular website giveaway!

She won some autographed books, some awesome music, and some special goodies, including a Limited Edition beaded bookmark, a coffin tin of mints, a "Raise a little Hell with Nicki Styx" magnet, and some candy! (What would Halloween be without candy?)

Never fear, however, for there are still more goodies to be given away!

The next prize up for grabs is this cool Spooky Spider Basket (drawing to be held October 17th). If you haven't signed up to win, get thee over to the CONTEST PAGE on my website, and enter! (Unless you don't like autographed books, awesome music, special goodies or candy, which would mean you might be... um... dead. Sorry, zombies, but this is a no-brainer!) LOL

Aw, c'mon - a little Halloween humor never hurt anybody!

Saving the best for last, one lucky vampire lover will win this awesome "Coffin Case" set by Finnish goth/rockers, The 69 Eyes. The drawing for this prize will be held on October 31st, and you can read a detailed listing of all the goodies included by checking out the contest page on my website.

In the meantime, don't forget to on head over to Fresh Fiction Reviews, and enter to win a signed copy of my October 27th release, SILENT NIGHT, HAUNTED NIGHT (the 4th book in the Nicki Styx series), and this adorable ghost apron! You'll be the ghostess with the mostess in this baby!

Hope your October is going well, and Happy Halloween!

The Siren's Call: An Original Halloween Quickie

Time for a spooky story, boys and ghouls! In honor of all things that go bump in the night, here's an original Halloween short featuring Selene the succubus, a deliciously evil seductress who gives Nicki Styx a run for her money in SILENT NIGHT, HAUNTED NIGHT (book #4 in the series, on sale Oct. 27th):

THE SIREN'S CALL by Terri Garey

There she was.

Miss Caramel Macchiato, looking hotter than any melt-in-your-mouth coffee ever would, the same girl he saw every Saturday morning at Starbucks.

It had been a stroke of luck to overhear her cellphone conversation when they were in line the other day. Wild Times Club wasn’t one of his normal hang-outs, but for this girl, Brad was willing to make an exception. The loud music, the strobe lights and the press of noisy humanity faded into the background as he wove his way easily through the crowd, his eyes on the evening’s conquest.

“Excuse me, but don’t I know you?”

Miss Macchiato was laughing, one slender shoulder angled his way as she leaned over the table toward her girlfriend. Dark hair, rich with chestnut highlights, ruby red lips. When she turned toward him, Brad could see her eyes were brown, alight with humor and intelligence.

Oddly enough, the light faded as she registered his presence.

“I don’t think so.”

A definite coolness to her tone should have warned him, but undaunted, Brad nodded his head thoughtfully, a broad smile on his face.

“Saturday mornings – Starbucks in Soho, right?”

Now she gave him her full attention, turning in her seat to face him, one elbow still on the table. It gave him a great view of her red vee-necked top, cut low in back and even lower in front.

“I’m Brad.” He struggled to keep his eyes where they belonged. “I see you there all the time.” No need to rush – this girl was gorgeous, and worth a little extra effort.

“Ah, right.” A tight smile and a polite nod of recognition before she turned away, taking a sip of her drink.

Ah? That’s all he got? An ah? Women usually liked a good-looking guy who knew how to dress, and how to treat a lady. He’d had no complaints, so far.

At least none he’d stuck around to hear.

“Can I buy you and your friend another round?”

Brad offered the girlfriend – a chubby blonde in a too-tight sweater – a charming smile before turning his gaze back to the brunette.

“I don’t think so.”

A short giggle came from the blonde, annoying Brad to no end. He shot her a glance and was happy to learn she wasn’t as dumb as she looked, as she quickly murmured an excuse and headed to the ladies’ room.

Brad was alone with the woman he'd been lusting after for weeks, and completely at a loss for words. Of all the fantasies he’d indulged in about this moment, being shot down in four simple words was not one of them.

Someone bumped into him from behind, forcing him closer to her table. He could smell her scent now – warm and smoky, like spices and chocolate. From his vantage point, he could see the top of her head and the delicate curve of a breast, plainly visible in the flickering light from the dance floor.

Swallowing hard, Brad decided to give it another try.

“Is it my aftershave or something? I can go home, take a shower and be back in a half an hour.”

Women liked men who could make a joke about themselves. The technique appeared to work like a charm, because this time when Miss Macchiato looked at him, she smiled.

“Perhaps you should do that. It certainly wouldn’t hurt – and I’ll be right here when you get back, I promise.”

Her voice was seductive, sending a thrill to his groin even though he knew she didn’t mean a word of it. She was teasing him – toying with him, and it made him angry.

If only she wasn’t so damn beautiful – so damn sexy. He thought she looked fabulous in the athletic clothes she usually wore for coffee, but that red top she was wearing should be illegal. Her eyes sparkled with humor, but Brad didn’t like it, because it was at his expense. He turned, poker-faced, to leave the crowded bar.

“Oh, don’t go away mad. . .” the murmured words were barely audible above the music, but Brad heard them just the same, “just go away.”

Pissed off, he spun back toward the table.

“You know, you should really try the iced cappucino next time you stop for coffee. Suits your Ice Queen personality much better.”

One auburn eyebrow arched.

“Finally,” she said, “a bit of spirit. I was afraid there was no spine beneath that handsome exterior." She shrugged, strobe lights glimmering in her hair, moving across her slender shoulders, shadowing the vee of her blouse. "As for the cappucino, I’m afraid I don’t care for any tepid, watered down experiences,” her glance moved over him like a caress, “in my coffee, or my men.”

He should leave now – he really should. She’d made it clear he was beneath her notice, so why was he still standing here like an idiot? Why was he watching her every move as she uncrossed her legs and rose from the table?

She moved toward him, taking her time. She was in front of him now, her scent teasing his nose.

“Would you like to make love to me, Brad-from-the-coffee-shop?”

He hardened instantly, and from her knowing smile, she knew it, too.

She had one hand on his shoulder now, her breath fanning his ear as she spoke.

“If I told you to take me here – now – on this dance floor, would you do it?”

Soft hair brushed his cheek, and he shuddered, striving to control his breathing. What was she doing to him?

Amazed at himself, Brad nearly groaned his reply. “Yes.”

“Good boy,” she murmured.

Fingers lightly grazed his erection through his jeans. At that moment, Brad would have given anything to have them touch his skin. The pounding of club music seemed to match the pounding in his blood.

“Let’s go.” She had him by the hand now, pulling him toward the exit.

Dazed, he let her lead him, unsure whether it was the force of her personality or the force of his own lust that drew him.

“Wait. Slow down.”

She slowed long enough to cast him a questioning glance over her shoulder.

“What’s your name?”

At his question, an enigmatic smile curved her lips.

“Selene. But you’ll be calling me much more than that before this evening’s through.”

Was it just the flashing strobe lights that caused that red glint in her eyes? Had her teeth always been that white and sharply pointed?

Brad didn’t know and didn’t care. He just followed her out into the night.

How To Look "Bootiful" While Baking Spiderweb Cupcakes!

Even though I have a sign in my kitchen that proudly states "I Kiss Better Than I Cook", this ghost apron from Two Purring Cats Studio is cute enough to tempt even me into doing some Halloween baking!

It's being given away at FRESH FICTION Reviews, along with a hot off the press copy of my newest book, SILENT NIGHT, HAUNTED NIGHT (the fourth book in the Nicki Styx series) which hits the stores on October 27th, 2009!

I'll even throw in this super quick and easy recipe for SPIDERWEB CUPCAKES:

1 box of cake mix
1 can of vanilla frosting
1 tube of black cake decorating gel
1 dozen or so plastic spiders
Orange food coloring (optional)

Follow the recipe for cupcakes on the back of a standard cake mix box (c'mon, even I can do that!) Open the can of frosting and mix in the orange food coloring drop by drop until it's the shade you like, or just leave white. Frost the cupcakes as you usually would, then use the tube of gel to draw three or four circles on top, spaced evenly apart, each one bigger than the other. Then take a toothpick and drag the tip from the center of the cupcake outward to the edge - a spiderweb magically appears! Top with a plastic spider, and you'll be the "ghostess with the mostess" on All Hallows Eve, particularly if you're wearing this apron!

Enjoy the cupcakes, and don't forget to check out the contest at FRESH FICTION !

Halloween Happy Hour on BlogTalk Radio!

Join me Oct. 15th at 2pm EDT on BlogTalk Radio's "Authors On Air" as I chat with hot new paranormal authors Jocelynn Drake and Jaime Rush about all things Halloween during "Halloween Happy Hour!"

Call in and chat with us live
at (347) 826-9686!

2009 Favorite Paranormal Author of the Year Award

I just found out this morning that I'm up for "2009 Favorite Paranormal Author of the Year Award" at Bitten By Books, the "paranormal review site with bite"!

I'm flattered, really, because I'm up against some really fabulous authors, like Charlaine Harris and Sherrilyn Kenyon. So if you have a second, pop by and vote for me, would you?

The poll is on the right-hand side, about halfway down the page.

Ghoulishly Great Halloween Goodies from The 69 Eyes and Terri Garey!

Halloween's come a little earlier this year, my pretties!

I simply couldn't wait until October to give out candy. :-)

I've already begun my month of Halloween fun by putting together some ghoulishly great goodies to give away to my readers: a "coffin case" bundle from The 69 Eyes, and two "Paranormal Party" gift baskets, complete with signed books from some of the hottest new authors in today's paranormal fiction, and music that's "fangtastic" enough to wake the dead and set them to dancing!

My favorite vampire rockers, The 69 Eyes, and The End Records were cool enough to send me this awesome Limited Edition "Back In Blood" Coffin Case set. It features a silk-screened, velvet-lined “coffin case,” a deluxe CD/DVD version of their new CD, Back In Blood, a original “Zombie Love” comic book written, drawn and autographed by the band's lead singer, Jyrki69, an autographed “Dead Girls Are Easy” import CD single, an exclusive T-shirt, and a digital download of the album.

What? You haven't listened to Dead Girls Are Easy, a rock n' roll tribute to "dead girls" everywhere, inspired by my award-winning Nicki Styx series? Where've you been hiding - in a dark coffin? A foggy graveyard? Wake up and smell the zombies, ghoulfriend!




"All they wanted to do is rock...." Ahem.

In addition, I've put together these super spooky gift baskets, stuffed with ghostly goodies like signed copies of SECRET LIFE OF A VAMPIRE by Kerrelyn Sparks, and DAYHUNTER by Jocelynn Drake. There's even a cute little coffin tin of mints in each basket, along with Limited Edition beaded bookmarks and a "Raise A Little Hell with Nicki Styx" magnet!

I'll be giving away the "Pumpkin Graveyard" basket on October 10th, the "Spider" basket on October 17th, and the Coffin Case collection on - when else? - October 31st!

To find out more, go to my special TRICK OR TREAT page, and enter to win.

Good luck, ghoulfriends, and Happy Halloween!