Halloween Treats

I’m a giant five-year-old at heart, so Halloween is a natural for me. Not only am I fascinated by the history behind the holiday, but I get to dress up and eat candy. What’s better than that? Well, as a paranormal romance author, writing cool books about vampires, werewolves, gargoyles and ghosts is another plus. Setting a ghost romance at Halloween? Priceless. (Though you can get All Hallows Evie from Ellora's Cave for just a couple of bucks. J) Here's a photo of one Halloween prepping at the Pape household.

When I was younger, my favorite books and movies seemed to have a recurring theme—ordinary people who get caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Narnia. Oz. Wonderland. Heck, even Bedknobs and Broomsticks or Mary Poppins. The idea that sometime amazing could be waiting just around the corner is more than just a fantasy. Extrapolated into real life, it’s a reason to keep on going, even when you’re a lonely, overweight bookworm of a kid. In adulthood, I can’t claim loneliness, but that sense of wonder is a gift that’s stayed with me. I can find it in little things, like a triple rainbow in my back yard, or a fan letter arriving just when I was feeling blue about my writing. Sometimes I make my own, like wearing subtly pointed ears to the local Renaissance Faire, along with my marvelous dragon bodice. And yes, I still hold my breath a little when I open an antique wardrobe. *wink*

I also try to bring that joy, that wonder, that anything-could-happen vibe to my writing. So if you haven’t already encountered my gargoyles (Heroes of Stone) my vampires (Immortal Cravings) or my Detroit based Urban Arcana series, please check them out. For this Halloween, though, I have a special treat. Book 4 of my steampunk romance Gaslight Chronicles. Moonlight and Mechanicals releases Oct. 22, and features maybe one of my favorite werewolf heroes to date, the Hon. Inspector Liam McCullough. Happy sigh.

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Moonlight and Mechanicals
by Cindy Spencer Pape
Now available for pre-order at Carina Press

Blurb: Engineer Winifred "Wink" Hadrian has been in love with Inspector Liam McCullough for years, but is beginning to lose hope when he swears to be a lifelong bachelor. Faced with a proposal from a Knight of the Round Table and one of her closest friends, Wink reluctantly agrees to consider him instead.

Because of his dark werewolf past, Liam tries to keep his distance, but can't say no when Wink asks him to help find her friend's missing son. They soon discover that London's poorest are disappearing at an alarming rate, after encounters with mysterious "mechanical" men. Even more alarming is the connection the missing people may have with a conspiracy against the Queen.

Fighting against time--and their escalating feelings for each other--Wink and Liam must work together to find the missing people and save the monarchy before it's too late...

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I’m giving away a free copy of Wink and Liam’s story to one random commenter below, so if you’re in the mood, tell me what you think about paranormal romance, or how you celebrate this time of year. I’ll leave this contest open until the 20^th, so everyone who wants to has a chance to enter. If you want to know more about the book, click on the link above. As well as the mini-contest here, I'm also part of the Trick or Treat contest at the RB4U web site and one at Here Be Magic. Finally, I'm also part of a huge Trick or Treat extravaganza. You can find out more by clicking here and starting at Sam Cheever's website. TYou won't want to miss any of these!

Have a wonderful Halloween, or Samhain, or if you celebrate neither, then just a have a marvelous autumn. Happy Reading!