Book Tour for the Immortalis Series by Katie Salidas (Guest Post & Giveaway)

All you paranormal fans out there, sit yourself down and learn about an exciting new series full of action and romance amidst the world of vampires and werewolves.  Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours, Katie Salidas is here today to present this three book series to you all and is letting me host two giveaways in honor of the Immortalis series.  So make sure to read this entire post to learn how to enter both giveaways.  And I now bring to you Katie Salidas........

Writing fast vs writing slow, which one is better?
A Guest Post by Katie Salidas

I was asked this question once by a reader and follower of my blog. Which is better, writing slow or writing fast?

Some writers can knock out a novel-length book in just a few weeks, while others take years to complete their work. Is one truly better than the other? I don’t think so. I think you have to write in your own time. If you rush the muse, you might not get the best results. On the flipside, if you take too long, your muse might get bored with you and leave. The ultimate goal as a writer is just to sit down and write something every day. 

Even if you don’t write very much, let’s say 500 words a day. If you commit to it and do it every single day that 80k (average novel length), would only take you 160days to write. That’s a complete novel in less than 6 months. Not too shabby right?

Along with that, the more you write, the easier it comes. When I first wrote Immortalis Carpe Noctem, book one in the Immortalis series, it took me 5 years from start to finish. Not all of that was writing time, I spent a good year in the revision phase alone, but for arguments sake, we’ll just call it 5 years. While I was writing it, I had ideas for other stories including book two in the Immortalis series. By the time I was ready to write it, It only took me about 6 months to pen the first draft. The same thing happened when I began writing the third book in the series. I finished that one in a shorter amount of time.

Once you get into that writing habit it really takes over and it becomes less about word counts and speed and more about getting the story down on paper.

So, slow or fast, either is fine. Just be sure you are writing something every day.

Thanks for reading, and if you want to check out my work, you can find me at http://www.katiesalidas.com

IMMORTALIS: CARPE NOCTEM (Book One)

Becoming a vampire is easy. Living with the condition... that's the hard part.

Bleeding to death after brutal mugging, twenty-five year old Alyssa is rescued by the most unlikely hero: the handsome and aloof vampire, Lysander.

His gift of immortal blood initiates Alyssa into a frightening, eternally dark world filled with: bloodlust, religious fanaticism, and thousand-year old vendettas.

As if having her humanity stripped away was not enough to make life interesting, Alyssa finds out her “turning”, did not go unnoticed by the rest of undead society. Old enemies; an ancient sect of vampire hunters, known as the Acta Sanctorum, as well as a powerful Vampire mistress, each set plans in motion to destroy both Alyssa and Lysander. 

With Lysander as her guide, Alyssa will have to learn what it takes to survive in the immortal world. She'll have to find the strength to accept her new reality and carpe noctem; or give in, and submit to final death.

HUNTERS & PREY (Book Two)

Becoming a vampire saved Alyssa from death, but the price was high: the loss of everything and everyone attached to her mortal life. She’s still learning to cope when a surprise confrontation with Santino Vitale, the Acta Sanctorum’s most fearsome hunter, sends her fleeing back to the world she once knew, and Fallon, the friend she’s missed more than anything.

Alyssa breaks vampire law by revealing her new, true self to her old friend, a fact which causes strong division in the group that should support her most: her clan.

Worse yet, her revelation entangles Fallon in the struggle between vampires and hunters and The Acta Sanctorum is ready to attack again, with a new army of hybrid creations: the Frenzy Soldiers.

If Alyssa hopes to survive and keep her mortal friend safe, she’ll have to be willing to make a deal with the enemy, and regain her clan’s support. It will take everyone working together in a precarious truce to fight against the Acta Sanctorum’s new threat.

 

PANDORA'S BOX (Book Three)

After a few months as a vampire, Alyssa thought she’d learned all she needed to know about the supernatural world. But her confidence is shattered by the delivery of a mysterious package – a Pandora’s Box.

Seemingly innocuous, the box is in reality an ancient prison, generated by a magic more powerful than anyone in her clan has ever known. But what manner of evil could need such force to contain it?

When the box is opened, the sinister creature within is released, and only supernatural blood will satiate its thirst. The clan soon learns how it feels when the hunter becomes the hunted.

Powerless against the ancient evil, the clan flees Las Vegas for Boston, with only a slim hope for salvation.  Could Lysander’s old journals hold the key? And what if they don’t?

And how welcome will they be in a city run by a whole different kind of supernatural being?

Werewolves…

AUTHOR BIO:

Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women,  I can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  I can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, I still find time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). I can do all of this and still have time to write my novels.

Sorry… I can’t even write that with a straight face.

Lies all lies.

Here’s the reality. I’m a sleep-deprived, overworked, mom who just doesn’t know the meaning of the word balance. I try so hard to do it all, (be super mom, wife, & author) and at the end of the day I fall face forward into the couch.

Yes, you read that right, I tend to sleep on the couch. It’s a point of frustration for my hubby and a thing of comedy for my daughter. Imagine waking up to your little child yelling, “Mom slept on the couch again!!!”

Because being supermom (or trying to) means a lot of time devoted to family, writing is often done when said family is peacefully snoozing away. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fallen asleep with my laptop, on the couch. It just happens. Then, bright and early at 7am either my hubby (on his way to work) or my daughter (getting ready for school) wakes me up.

Writing is my passion. It’s a part of me. More than just a hobby, it’s a compulsion. I have to do it. If I don’t do at least one writing related thing each day I get cranky.

Hopefully, my passion can be your entertainment!

**********GIVEAWAY**********

One commenter will receive an ebook copy of any one of the three books in the Immortalis series, winner's choice.

-This giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE.

-Just leave a comment stating which you prefer...vampires or werewolves, along with your email addy to make it easier to contact the winner, to be entered.

-One winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my winner's confirmation email or a new winner will be chosen.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 12/17.

***There's an additional giveaway going on where one winner will receive digital copies of all three books in the Immortalis series, as well as some book swag.  This giveaway is also open to everyone and the entry form is located here.  A winner will be chosen on Jan. 1, 2012.