Showing posts with label Bloody Valentine Blog Hop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bloody Valentine Blog Hop. Show all posts

Monday, 26 January 2015

The Bloody Valentine Horror Hop 2015

Once again I've decided to host a dark, blood dripping Valentine's Day blog hop on February 14th. This year's hop has a tweak though, with a slight name change.

It will now be christened: The Bloody Valentine Horror Hop

Now on with the introductions.





The Bloody Valentine Horror Hop


The premise of this hop is to be the antithesis of Valentine's Day. There's no sweet romance, or lovey-dovey stuff allowed. It's down with the idea of candy and flowers. For one day writers and bloggers will dispense with the sappy romance, and showcase the bad side of love.

We will be celebrating heartbreak, love gone wrong, romantic mayhem and tragedy, hopefully with that little splash of humour and blood. At the Bloody Valentine Horror Hop you will find out what happens when the rose petals die, the candy melts, and lovers are looking for payback.


Hop Rules:

  • Sign up for the hop (see below) 
  • Write a story, a poem, views on the bad side of love, basically any type of post celebrating the horrors of "love gone wrong" (that means no happy endings, no sweet romantic stories) 
  • Add the list of participating bloggers or a link back here to this blog. 
  • Add our lovely logo to your post (feel free to copy or download it) or create your own logo (just include the title: The Bloody Valentine Horror Hop) 
  • Post on Valentine's Day


Note: Contests are optional, but can be included in the post and are welcome.

All you have to do, if you like to to be one of our bloggers and add your blog to the Bloody Valentine Horror Hop list, is click the "add your link" button below and sign up. Note: after signing up you should be able to grab a copy of the list code to add to your post here:  get the InLinkz code 
If you have a problem, let me know I'll be happy to send you a copy of the code.


So, join the fun and mark it on your calendar!

CLICK THE BLUE BUTTON TO SIGN-UP



Saturday, 15 February 2014

The Bloody Valentine After Party



The Bloody Valentine After Party

Yesterday’s blog hop was great fun, with a wonderful selection of “love gone bad” posts. Some of my personal favourites were Chris Verstraete , Nina D'Arcangela, Jennifer Greene, and L.G. Keltner, but everyone who posted did a fabulous job. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did.

Now on to the my Bloody Valentine contest winner.
The Rafflecopter widget has pulled a name from its magic hat, and the lucky person who won my four ebook and digital artwork package is:

Nina D'Arcangela 

Congratulations, you shall be receiving an email shortly.

And thanks to everyone who participated, and to all who visited the blogs. See you next year for some more bad love.


Friday, 14 February 2014

Welcome to the Bloody Valentine Blog Hop


Greetings to all, and welcome to the second Bloody Valentine Blog Hop. 
A place where the red roses have died and the chocolates are poisoned.
So down with love, and on with the fun!



I have a variety of dark treats for you on this stop of the hop, plus as part of the celebration I'm holding a contest to win some books and some artwork.  And don't forget to check out the other hoppers when you're done here. There's a list at the bottom of this post. Just scroll way down to find it.


First up on the menu is a devilish assignation. This story features my character, the demon Balthazar, from Killers and Demons (and the upcoming sequel, Killers and Demons II: The Return). Here he's visiting an old romantic acquaintance:


Wicked Intentions


His thin hand lifted the wine to his lips and he sipped, savouring the flavour. A delicious vintage, a perfect complement to the company. Balthazar smiled at his companion, the attractive creature calling herself Mrs. Crocker.
“A lovely red, my dear.”
“A French vintage.” She returned his smile.
The pair sat in chairs facing each other, perched on the velvet upholstery of Mrs. Crocker’s parlour. The crystal decanter rested on the table between them, and a cozy fire crackled in the hearth.
“It’s been a long time, Balthazar. Not since that mess in Ireland. I’m looking forward to rekindling our acquaintance. The last time was quite… rigorous.” She laughed softly and licked her plump lips. “It was also quite memorable.”
“Yes, it was that.” An odd note of sentimentality crept into his voice, “I always had a weakness for you, Hala.” He stopped smiling and set down his half-empty wine glass.
“However, renewing our familiarity is not why I sought you out this evening.” He stood. “You know, I believe I may actually regret this. That will be a first for me.”
He could see the fear forming in her eyes; the grip on her glass tightened and she shivered.
“What’s going on, Balthazar?”
“He knows, our mutual employer knows. About your transgressions. And he sent me here to punish you.”
He snapped his fingers, and in a breath, demon fire engulfed her.
With horrific screams she burned, her body shuddering, flailing, sizzling, but for once Balthazar took no pleasure in a death. He simply watched stone-faced, until she became nothing more than ash scattered over the unsinged blue velvet of her chair and the parlour floor. Her wine glass fell, cracking, and left a red stain on the carpet.
With a sigh, Balthazar took his leave.



For the second course a small bite of a marriage ending in tragedy:



Recovery

Sally Benson prepared herself to die. She stretched out on the bottom of the lifeboat and closed her eyes. The water lapped against the side of the boat, the air passed over her with the faint scent of salt and fish. And in the distance, she heard the sound of a motor.

Two months later, she finally felt comfortable at home; a remarkable recovery from her ordeal everyone told her. Her rescue from the bobbing waves of the ocean by the Coast Guard had become a media sensation. She was heralded a hero, the lone survivor of the sinking of the yacht, and given deepest condolences on the tragic death of her husband.
Through her tears, Sally put on a good show with a brave smile. She answered the questions of the Coast Guard and the police, giving them the answers they wanted to hear, relieved when they ruled the sinking an accident.
Sally just wanted the truth to stay buried, submerged on the bottom of the ocean with her cheating, murderous rat of a husband. She didn't want anyone to know how her husband rigged the boat to sink, how he tried to kill her, tried to make her death look like an accident. She escaped though, even if the life raft she chose had a busted motor. Her bad luck she picked the wrong one.
And she needed one more truth to stay hidden. The truth she beat him at his own game of murder. The truth that a poisoned glass of champagne trumped a sabotaged boat.


And to finish, we end with some poetry:


Bittersweet Symphony


Bittersweet,
this taste on my tongue
as your fine chocolates
melt in my mouth.
I hear the strains of music,
something romantic,
a gift from you.
I breathe in the scent
of the soft, red roses
you gave me yesterday;
“My Valentine,” you said.
But, that was yesterday
when I believed,
when I lived the lie,
before this morning.
Before I watched you
kiss her.

Now I wait for you
with my bittersweet love
and my gun.




Black Rose

You gave me a rose
black as night, to match your heart
and I am alone



Here's the Contest:

Enter by the rafflecopter entry widget below for a chance to win a prize pack of four of my Smashwords ebooks, Fairy Tale Fusion, Reflections of PoetryKillers and Demons and Gothic Cavalcade, plus some of my Bloody Valentine digital artwork, including the Black Rose poem seen above. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here's a list of participating bloggers and what the hop's all about.

Thursday, 13 February 2014

The Bloody Valentine Blog Hop Starts Tomorrow!



Tomorrow, February 14th, the disturbing and deadly aspect of romance takes center stage with the darkly delightful, blood dripping, Bloody Valentine Blog Hop. This Valentine's Day blog hop combines horror with romance, where it's down with the idea of candy and flowers. For one day twenty plus writers and bloggers will dispense with the sappy romance, and show you the bad side of love. 

We will be celebrating heartbreak, love gone wrong, romantic mayhem and tragedy, hopefully with that little splash of humour and blood.  On the Bloody Valentine Blog Hop you will find out what happens when the rose petals die, the candy melts, and lovers are looking for payback.

So come back here on Valentine's Day where we kick things off, and then continue hopping on through the trail of broken hearts...


Saturday, 11 January 2014

Join the Bloody Valentine Blog Hop 2014



Again this year, on February 14th,  I'll be hosting a darkly delightful, blood dripping, Valentine's Day blog hop where it's down with the idea of candy and flowers. For one day writers and bloggers will dispense with the sappy romance, and show you the bad side of love. 

We will be celebrating heartbreak, love gone wrong, romantic mayhem and tragedy, hopefully with that little splash of humour and blood.  On the Bloody Valentine Blog Hop you will find out what happens when the rose petals die, the candy melts, and lovers are looking for payback.

All you have to do if you like to to be one of our bloggers, is scroll on down to the bottom of this blog to the Bloody Valentine Blog Hop list, click the "add your link" button and sign up.
Then on Valentine's Day you simply post your story, poem or views on the bad side of love, adding a list of participating bloggers or a link back here to this blog. You can also add the lovely logo seen on this post if you wish.

So, join the fun and mark it on your calendar!   

Friday, 15 February 2013

Post Valentine Hop

Yesterday's Bloody Valentine Blog Hop was quite fun and there were some stellar posts by those that participated. I especially enjoyed the posts at A Diamond in the Dark, The Cult of Me and Pagan Spirits. I'd like to thank all the bloggers who joined in on the fun.

Now on to the contest.  I woke up in a generous mood today, so instead of awarding one winner I've decided to give away the free books to everyone who commented on my blog post yesterday.  Congratulations, you should be receiving an email shortly.

Thursday, 14 February 2013

Welcome to the Bloody Valentine Blog Hop!


Welcome to the Bad Side of Love, as you join in with the Bloody Valentine Blog Hop.  On this day of romance, hearts, chocolate and flowers, a stalwart few writers and bloggers have banded together to celebrate the darker shades of the Valentine.  You'll find no tender affection, no happy endings, as you wander through our morbid maze of love gone wrong, for we will be breaking hearts and trashing romance....

Here's a list of the participating bloggers.  Please visit as many as possible and join them in amorous mayhem.




Here's my little contribution to the Bloody Valentine Blog Hop. 
Bring on the romantic misfortune and Down with Love!

First up, to whet your appetite, is a little Twilight parody:

Rod Serling Meets the Sparkly Vampires

Submitted for your approval.  One teenage girl with severe self-esteem issues being stalked by a conflicted love-sick vampire.  Next stop Twilight Zone...

“Oh, why doesn’t Ned like me enough?  Why does he keep pushing me away?  Oh, Ned, Ned, Ned!”  Ella throws herself onto her bed in a melodramatic huff.  “Maybe I should just forget about drooling after hunky vampires and chase after Jack, my dreamy, supportive, best friend werewolf instead?”  She groans spectacularly, as if in pain.  “Oh Ned, oh Jack, Ned, Jack, which one should I chose?”
Thirty thousand sighs later, she’s pacing the room moaning about Ned again.  “Oh Ned, I love you so, can’t you see that?”  The wind flutters the curtains and she turns to the window.  A shadowy figure sits on her sill, a silhouette in the moonlight.
“I do see that you love me, and I can’t resist you anymore.”  Ned enters her bedroom and crosses the floor to sweep her into her arms.
“Oh, Ned,” she gasps breathily.
“Just remember, you wanted this.”  In a flash, Ned strikes, sinking his fangs into her neck and eagerly he drains her blood from her body.  When he’s had his fill he carries her limp form to the bed and lays her down tenderly.
Ella’s eyes flutter open.  Knowing she is dying, her hand reaches out and her lips part, whispering, “Why, Ned, why?”
“Really, Ella, what did you expect?  I’m a vampire, it’s what we do.  Besides,” he said with a blood-smeared grin, “haven’t you heard, you always hurt the one you love.”


Now follow the decaying scent of the dead roses and read a few morbid tidbits from my new book of poems, Reflections of Poetry:


What Stays Behind

The lingering scent,
memories of rose petals,
drift in the silence
of an empty room
full of fading ghosts.

Alone again,
with cracked dreams
and a broken heart
thumping, an echo
of that slamming door.

Sitting in the shadows
with disappointment
and the promises dead.
Any hope out of reach,
lost this time, forever.


Tea and Tears

The hourglass runs its sand
as the tea pours; her hand, it shakes
in grief, for her heart breaks
with pain, her spirit aches, adrift.
She fills her cup, his gift
Their tea set, bought from thrift, by love,
flaws ignored, prized above
the chip on the edge of the spout.
She drinks, the bitter doubt
gone; her candle burns out in haze.
Somewhere a soft flute plays,
to echo soul’s malaise, so grand.


Spanish Melody

A sweet song in the night
of past love, adrift.
A mournful, raw lament
for the defeated heart.

On the wind it ascends
as the coo of a tender dove,
evoking gentle memories
across the mountains.

The harmony swirls regret, ache
through the swaying trees.
Even the iridescent moon weeps
with the forlorn singer.


Faded

A faded red silk ribbon
tied around an aged box
full of tattered love letters.
Regrets from a past youth.

Tucked away, overlooked,
but still there, dusty, waiting.
Someday fingers will unfold
the pages of pale memories.

~


Reflections of Poetry

Go through the looking glass into the world of verse and discover this eclectic collection of poetry. The poems range from musings on Celtic heritage to embracing emotional turmoil. Throw in a little moonlight, the soothing sounds of the sea, and mix well with some sci-fi and fantasy for a lyrical medley of reading enjoyment.

Available at:
Smashwords
Amazon 







And now, if you've made it all the way to the end, you get to read about my contest.  If you'd like to win a free Smashwords ecopy of both my new poetry book, Reflectons of Poetry and my short story collection, Killers and Demons (complete with a story of a very bad Valentine date) just leave a comment telling me which of the poems in this post you liked the best.  The more morbid and outrageous the reason, the better.  I'll pick my favourite as the winner.  Good Luck!


Thursday, 17 January 2013

Come Join the Bloody Valentine Blog Hop!


This February 14th I'm hosting a trash Valentine's Day blog hop. For one day writers and bloggers will dispense with the sappy romance and show you the bad side of love. Come be part of the fun!

We will be celebrating heartbreak, love gone wrong, romantic mayhem and tragedy, hopefully with that little splash of humour and blood.  There will also be prizes to be won, so sign up to be a participant or mark it on your calender.  

If you wish to be one of our bloggers, please click over to the Linky List and sign up. You can also put the list on your own blog by getting a copy of the code (it's the easiest way for people to find all the hoppers come Feb 14th).


The Hop is Now Ended.
Here's a List of the bloggers who participated:


Subscribe Now:

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