Tuesday, March 30, 2010

WIN A FREE COPY OF THE BLUE MOON CAFE

UPDATE: I'm happy to announce that Tom Belkowski is the winner of the autographed book. Congratulations, Tom!

Didn't win? You can still buy your copy here.

This release, at least for me, is something to really howl about (I can hear you groaning, but c'mon...it is a werewolf book, after all). But why am I excited?

First off, I have sort of been writing two genres for the past several years: horror and romance. Often there's an element of each in my work, but with The Blue Moon Cafe, I think I managed to successfully combine both genres in one book.  The Blue Moon Cafe is as much a romance as it is a chilling horror novel. I think (hope) that it will satisfy readers of both genres equally.

Second, it's the first full-length novel I've set in my new hometown, Seattle (and even in my current neighborhood, for the most part). It was very hard for me to break away from the inspiration of Chicago, where I lived for sixteen years, and I have done that with The Blue Moon Cafe. Seattle is the perfect setting for both a scary story and a love story.

Third, I think I grew to love these characters perhaps more than any others. For the first time, I have created people (and a feisty little chihuahua named Edith) that I think I will write about again.

So here's a little bit about the book, along with an excerpt.

Blurb:
Someone—or something—is killing Seattle’s gay men.

A creature moves through the darkest night, lit only by the full moon, taking them, one by one, from the rain city’s gay gathering areas.

Someone—or something—is falling in love with Thad Matthews.

Against a backdrop of horror and fear, young Thad finds his first true love in the most unlikely of places—a new Italian restaurant called The Blue Moon Cafe. Sam is everything Thad has ever dreamed of in a man: compassionate, giving, handsome, and with brown eyes Thad feels he could sink into. And Sam can cook! But as the pair’s love begins to grow, so do the questions and uncertainties, the main one being, why do Sam’s unexplained disappearances always coincide with the full moon?

Prepare yourself for a unique blend of dark suspense and erotic romance with The Blue Moon Cafe, written by the author Unzipped magazine called, “the Stephen King of gay horror.” You’re guaranteed an unforgettable reading experience, one that skillfully blends the hottest romance with the most chilling terror...

Excerpt:
Sam leaned back against the headboard and lit a cigarette. The room filled with the acrid stench of burning tobacco and paper and instead of being repelled as he normally would be, Thad moved close to Sam again, taking up his newly claimed spot on the man’s chest. He stared up at him, watching him smoke. Lazily, he traced circles in the hairy mat covering Sam’s chest. His fingers stopped when he caught sight of a design on Sam’s left pectoral, something he had hadn’t noticed in the dim light or perhaps because it was all but hidden by the forest of hair. Thad got up on one elbow.

“You have a tattoo?”

In the dark, Sam nodded. “I’ve had it for years, way before tattoos were all the rage like they are these days.”

“Especially here in Seattle.” Thad often wondered if there was some requirement that all citizens of Seattle must have at least one tattoo. “What’s it of?” Thad strained to make out the design’s contours in the dim light and couldn’t.

Sam leaned forward to switch on the bedside lamp. Thad squinted at the sudden light source, then directed his gaze down at the muscled chest before him. “What is it?” Thad traced the design with his fingers, lowering his head to peer more closely at it. He nipped at Sam’s nipple and Sam laughed.

“It’s Lupa, the she-wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus, the twins who founded Rome in mythology. Cool, no?” Sam flexed his chest so the wolf seemed to move. Two cherubic twin boys below the figure suckled at her teats.

“It’s kind of weird. But it suits you.” Thad reached over Sam to turn off the light again.

“What brought you to America?”

Did Thad detect a slight stiffening when he asked the question?…

Win a FREE, signed copy of The Blue Moon Cafe just by leaving a comment below (with contact info so I can notify you if you win). Bonus points if you send out a link to this blog to your social networks or tweet about it! (Note: Due to the high cost of international postage, I can only make this offer available to those living in the US).

BUY The Blue Moon Cafe


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45 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. There seemed to be a problem with posting comments earlier. It seems to be fixed now.

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  3. How about an even-up trade? One of yours (autographed) for one of mine (autographed)?

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  4. My husband just got sucked into a lesbian werewolf story. Would this be a mirror of that? LOL This looks like a cool read! I shall add your contest to my blog post for today at Sweet Vernal Zephyr.

    Happy Release!!!! Miranda

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  5. I've just received your first 2 books. Obsessed and am looking forward to adding you to my list of favorite gay authors. Please add me to your drawing for Blue Moon Cafe.

    Thomas A Belkowski
    belkowta@aol.com

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  6. LOVE YOUR WORK AND LOVE THIS IDEA, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN INTERESTING SEXUAL DESIRE TOWARD MALE WEREWOLFS, I GUESS ITS THE BEAST INSIDE ME ;) CONTACT EMAIL INFO: poetryisawayoflife@hotmail.com PLUS I AM GOING TO LINK THIS SPOT TO MY FACEBOOK AND ALSO MY MYSPACE.....AND MY BLOG.

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  7. I adore your writing. I will be posting about this contest in my daily author news report on the m/m romance group of goodreads.

    Jase
    vslavetopassionv@aol.com

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  8. Congrats on the new release. I hope I win but if not I will buy it.

    Rhonda
    rhondaw1965@yahoo.com

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  9. Opps - forgot to leave an email addy: mdwartistry at yahoo dot com

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  10. Sounds very intriguingly creepy!

    chris at stumblingoverchaos daht com

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  11. Will this be available in ebook? if so, when?

    Seems to be a wonderful story. Mind if I ask why did you change the setting? Why in this one and not in the previous, or so?

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  12. Yes, it's available in ebook...just click on the link at the end of the blog above and you'll see the ebook options. It should be available for Kindle as soon as Amazon gets it up (in the meantime, if you purchase from the publisher, the .prc format works perfectly with Kindle). I think I answered the question about the setting in the blog--it's where I live now and it inspired me.

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  13. Sounds like a great book - cant wait to read!

    Jeff
    jeffreydc@gmail.com

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  14. I can't wait to read the new book. Take care.

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  15. This sounds interesting. I can't wait to read it.

    mercedes791@live.com

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  16. Haven't read any of your work before. This one sounds like it will be a great read, and I'm putting it on my TBB list.

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  17. ooops. email.
    carolcobun@yahoo.com

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  18. Ooooooo, thank you for the opportunity! I will definitely tweet and facebook this one :)

    rebecca@rebeccaleighromance.com

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  19. I believe, I believe....that one day I will win a Rick Reed novel.
    Seriously, it looks wonderful!
    I'm still reeling from "IM".

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  20. I love werewolves! From reading your excerpt, this book sounds like a good read.
    mom1248(at)att(dot)net

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  21. congrats on your release. This sounds like a great book to read.

    Larena
    lrwirum@q.com

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  22. Hey, Rick, my Dark Prince, werewolves are almost set to bypass vampires in popularity. I look forward to your novel. Hope I win! LOL.

    Congrats, friend.

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  23. Im so looking forward to reading to your latest book keep them coming thanks again to help fill the nights with some good reads.

    Steven.

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  24. dthoward64@comcast.net or

    dthoward64@yahoo.com is how to reach me. Maybe I'll get lucky and win something this time.

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  25. Rick,
    This just got added to my MUST READ stack. I love werewolves, and I can't get enough of the tall, dark, and furry.

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  26. I really enjoyed this story, you don't have to put me in your contest because I read it, but you should know I really look forward to more of the (slightly less scary) Rick Reed Reads of the future...

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  27. A successful mix of horror and romance? I would love it! I'll tweet this and post it on my Facebook. *fingers crossed*

    You can reach me at kimswritingagain@yahoo.com

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  28. How exciting - a new Rick Reed book. I can hardly wait!

    Cheers,
    Dane
    daneh206@gmail.com

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  29. Looking forward to reading it, Rick - currently in the middle of I.M., and am loving it!

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  30. A werewolf story with a twist! This sounds very exciting, indeed! I love exporing different genres and this will assuage my thirst! Looking forward & will wait with bated werewolf breath!

    (reach me at: michrason@gmail.com)

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  31. This sounds terrific. I love werewolf books (movies, not so much. Sin's Wolfman damage is my own).

    A copy would be nice. (I'll even offer the same straight up trade as another author did)

    Also, adding this to my Link collection post at Livejournal (I'm at valarltd.livejournal.com)

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  32. You chilled me to the core with Reckless, so I absolutely have to read this! Congratulations on your release and all your success.

    KyAnn
    kyannwaters@hotmail.com

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  33. Would love a signed copy from you.
    Marc
    Garion622@gmail.com

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  34. Romance and horror combined. What could be better?

    kzupancic@yahoo.com

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  35. Horror - Romance - Weres. A perfect combination. Congrats on your release and to all your fans.

    Sorry I wasn't home when you visited N.O. I could have taken you to all the non-touristy, fun sites.

    ejp5475@gmail.com

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  36. Excuse the second post, but I am rolling on the floor. I've been referred to as a bitch a few times, but never a feisty little chihauhau. LMAO

    (and a feisty little chihuahua named Edith) that I think I will write about again.

    (Edith) JeanP

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  37. This sounds great; I love m/m paranormal novels.

    I tweeted about your contest...

    http://twitter.com/bl0226/status/11330019878

    Thanks,
    Tracey D
    booklover0226 at gmail dot com

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  38. I've already ordered a copy from amazon.com, but an autographed copy would be even better

    babymoose34@yahoo.com

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  39. I look forward to more books of this genre. Vampires maybe??? I wish I had known of your books when I lived in Tacoma. Left in 1997 and I miss the people and area.

    donslar@gmail.com

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  40. Sounds like a great book and I can't wait to read it. Please count me in the contest.

    sstrode@scrtc.com

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  41. Sounds fantastic, Rick. I can't wait to read it.

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  42. Looking forward to it. I'm a little tired of Vampires. Werewolves are far more sexy.

    jballam@earthlink.net

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  43. Lordy look at all the comments! Looks like an interesting read!

    reve.garrison@gmail.com

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  44. Hope I win an autographed copy Rick. WOOF!!!!

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  45. I can't wait to read it! If I don't win, I will buy it!

    PrideWolfCO@gmail.com

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