Ok, so let me tell you why I wanted to read this book... My dog is on the damn cover. LOL Ok not mine, but it sure looks like her. hahaha Yes, I have a snow white Siberian Husky with those eyes... Let me show you...
This is my dog Mysha, aka MiMi. And yes that's me with her. And she's got haircuts, so she's probably not as fluffy as most people are used to. So, that alone had me jumping at it, because my dog is the coolest LOL. But it's also a good book, so with that, let me tell you and show you some goodies!
Snow Blood Season 1
Snow Blood Series
Episodes 1-6
Carol McKibben
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Troll River Publications
Date of Publication: February 14, 2014
Print ISBN: 978-1939564368
eBook ISBN: B00JOWG05O
Number of pages: 240 pages
Word Count: 56,025
Cover Artist: Truenot Dreams
Book Description:
Snow Blood Season 1 by Carol McKibben is the first in a series of short novels retelling the modern day adventures of the first vampire.
When Brogio must turn Snow, a beautiful white husky, in order to save the dog, a series of events is unleashed that reveal a sinister plot against the father of all vampires.
As life and true death experiences bond the master vampire and his newly transformed vampire canine together, they unravel a conspiracy that when resolved may return Selene, the love of Brogio’s life, back to him and set him free from the lonely existence that has plagued him for thousands of years! From the author of Luke’s Tale, follow Snow Blood, an epic story of the first vampire as told through the eyes of his kindred dog.
Episode One - reveals how Snow first meets Brogio, the original vampire, and follows the white husky through his transformation to the Kindred world.
Episode Two - uncovers a sinister plot to destroy the father of all vampires, and we meet Kane, Brogio’s first blood child. This episode traces Snow’s efforts to discover Brogio’s history.
Episode Three - introduces Selene, a nurse who is identical to the love of Brogio’s existence. Is she merely a doppelganger or his love returned to him? Is she part of the threat to his destruction? More threats are made not just against the lives of Brogio and Snow but against Selene, forcing them to reveal their true identities to her. Struggling with her acceptance of Brogio, Snow and Kane, Selene is brought into their fold for her protection.
Episode Four and Five - let the reader know more about Brogio and the original Selene’s past while Brogio attempts to protect those he loves from inevitable destruction by leading the threatening dark forces away from them. Snow intercedes after Selene’s plea for help to reunite her to Brogio. United again, destruction follows the four of them wherever they go. Hounded by ancient gods and goddesses, monsters, werewolves and a number of disasters, they battle to protect each other. In his effort to protect his master and those he loves, Snow must make a promise that will end his life as he knows it. The true source bent on destroying Brogio is finally revealed and culminates in an epic battle where Snow offers up his life to save Brogio, Selene and Kane.
Episode Six – Snow prepares to keep the promise that he made, but Kane intervenes for his “blood brother,” leaving us to wonder about both their fates. Tension grows between Brogio and Selene as he attempts to make her his wife for eternity and defy the gods. The reader discovers if Selene is his love returned to him.
“A real surprise find for me. Being a dog person I was tempted but I only reluctantly ventured out to read this book about a white husky who becomes vampire. To my relief and joy the concept really worked! … The drama, the suspense and the perspective are excellent, and I no doubt will make my way through this canine paranormal series. Well done!” ~Christoph Fischer
So what if you're a dog and you're turned into a vampire? This is that story. A wonderful loving dog has an accident and the first vampire in existence decides to save him by turning him into a vampire. This is such a cool story told in a dog's POV! It helped that this dog is identical to one of my own :)
This first part is all about snow learning to be a vampire and learning to trust his master Brogio. He's also realizing he can't go home. He misses his home. The second part is learning a little more about Brogio and his becoming a vampire and his life which now includes Snow. The third through six parts introduce the gods and goddess and their part in the vampire start. And tricking Brugio to become a vampire. Then trying to get revenge again when their tricks backfire. It's cool to see it from a dog's eyes. And the plot added suspense when we learn that Brogio is being hunted. And to save himself, Snow, his long lost love, and his fledgling vampires, he's gunna need some help.
I thought this was an excellent story because it's unique. Not the vampire part maybe but the myths surrounding it and just everything coming from Snow. It's got drama, romance, suspense, action, and an awesome dog!! The writing flows well and it's a fast paced read. I thought it was so much fun to read!! 5 PAWS!!
My Review
Happy Tails and Tales Interview with Carol McKibben, Author, Snow Blood Season 1
First, tell me a little about your book J….
Snow Blood Season 1 is my latest book. It is the first in a series. When Brogio, the original or first vampire, turns Snow, a beautiful white husky, in order to save the dog, a series of events are unleashed that reveal a sinister plot against the father of all vampires. Life and true death experiences bond the master vampire and his newly transformed kindred canine together as they unravel a conspiracy. When resolved, this conspiracy may return Selene, the love of Brogio’s life, back to him and set him free from the lonely existence that has plagued him for thousands of years.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?
I began writing stories when I was very little. My parents would have me read them out loud. My father in particular was very encouraging. When he read one of my stories in high school, he looked at me and smiled and said, “You’re a writer.” So, I just always knew. I had stories inside of me that had to get out!
What inspired you to write your first book and what was it?
My first book was Riding Through It. It is a memoir, and my family and friends encouraged me to write it. I think because my life sounded like something out of a soap opera! I consider it a way for me to forgive my past and leave it behind me. It’s the story of how I learned how to believe in myself through the hard knocks in life. After that, I put non-fiction behind me.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Do you mean the plots in my books? Except for Riding Through It, they are from my imagination. I would have to say though, that in Luke’s Tale, some of my experiences with owning a blind dog who becomes a therapy dog seep through. Even though the book is fiction, Luke was a real dog, my dog, and the character is modeled after him. Snow Blood’s appearance was modeled after a white husky that my husband and I fostered. But everything else is pure fiction.
How do you chose when/which characters die in your books?
Characters die to support the storyline/plot. And, stories begin with a character. For me, in all my books narrated by dogs, it’s the title character. And like William Faulkner said, “It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.”
And that’s so true, or at least for me it is. My title characters have told me what to say in the case of Snow Blood and Luke’s Tale!
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I don’t think he’s new, but Travis Luedke, author of the Nightlife Series has my attention. He writes paranormal romance books, and I’m definitely into that right now.
Who do you look up to as a writer?
I want to be John Irving when I grow up. A close second is Stephen King. Irving because he writes such profound, wonderfully quirky characters and Stephen King because he has the ability to scare the heck out of me!
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
Wow! That’s like asking me if I would change anything about my children! Of course not!
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I love what I do. You know the old adage: “Find something you love to do, and you’ll never work another day in your life!” I did that. I guess if you force me to pick something, it would be that I don’t like to be interrupted when I’m on a roll, and in my household (3 dogs, a horse, a husband who works from home and a mother-in-law who lives with us) that’s impossible!
What book are you reading now? Or what genre?
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny and A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz. It’s slow going because I can’t stop writing long enough to finish them. I’m hoping for a plane ride soon so I can!
Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
The Snow Blood Season 1 cover was designed by Truenotdreams Design. I worked with my publisher, Troll River Publications, and the designer. I told them I wanted a large photo of Snow Blood’s face with emphasis on his blue eyes. I asked for a wintery background and fonts that looked like they were dripping blood. They came up with a number of photos of the dog, which I nixed. Then, they nailed it. We went back and forth on the fonts and background a couple of times, but I was so specific with what I wanted that it happened quickly.
Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?
I did a lot of research for Snow Blood on mythology, the Vampire Bible, monsters, shape-shifters and the like. Because I incorporated all of those elements into the story, I wanted to be as mythologically accurate as possible. I’ve been in love with vampire stories for years, but no one (that I could find at the time) had actually incorporated the myth of how the first vampire was created from the Vampire Bible. There were all sorts of variations of how they came about … from Stephanie Meyer’s version in the Twilight Series to The Originals TV series to, of course, Dracula. I was fascinated by this myth and learned all that I could.
If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?
Oh, always the dog. In both Snow Blood and Luke’s Tale. Now, they know how to love unconditionally, and that’s the greatest gift you can give someone. As an aside, when I was a little girl, I used to always play outside with my friends. We would imitate television shows, and I was always the dog in the story!
Are there any books you think some of us should read, just because?
If you love quirky characters, read The World According to Garp by John Irving. (Or, anything he has written!) If you want to read the most frightening vampire story ever written, read ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. If you want to make me happy, read Snow Blood Season 1 and Luke’s Tale and write an honest review of them on Amazon!
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I write through the heart of a dog’s eyes. It is the dog’s observations that move the story along. The reason I do this is because the underlying theme in all my books is how to love unconditionally – whether it is learning to love and accept yourself or others. And no creature on earth can love unconditionally better than a dog!
Snow Blood Season 1 is a story about vampires, but it’s also a commentary on how to unconditionally love others, even in the direst circumstances.
About the Author:
Carol McKibben graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Secondary Education and a minor in Journalism. She went on to earn a Master’s of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from Rollins College. After teaching English and Journalism for a decade, she was offered the opportunity to join Miramar Communications, the 8th largest publishing house west of the Mississippi in Los Angeles.
Working her way up from editorial and then as Director of Market Development, she became the publisher of Special Events magazine (a trade publication for all those working in the events industry) that she helped launch in 1984. In addition, she created a companion trade show, The Special Event, for which she was also the director for a decade, planning every aspect – from exhibits to educational conferences and events.
During that time, she earned her Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) designation and helped found the International Special Events Society (ISES) of which she was international president from 1999-2000. She co-authored The Dictionary of Event Management for ISES and helped write the study guides for the CSEP exam.
She was a magazine publisher for both consumer and trade magazines for 20+ years. She has written numerous articles and conducted a myriad of seminars, often speaking to large audiences for both The Special Event and ISES. She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the special events industry in 1999.
In 2007, she began a freelance writing and editing career, working with other authors to help them realize their dreams. She has published Luke’s Tale, Riding Through It and Snow Blood Season 1. Luke’s Tale and Snow Blood are targeted to a YA market. Luke’s Tale was included in the Summer Solstice Top 12 Book Pick List. Carol writes from the heart of a dog’s eyes. Her books help support her dog rescue efforts and focus on unconditional love.
Carol is married to Mark McKibben, a broadcast engineering sales professional and experienced airplane pilot, and they have two grown children, Rett and Stephanie, and three grandchildren, Lauren, Diesel and Slater. Their current “babies” are Neo, their 117-lb. Labradoodle, a trained therapy dog, and Binks, a black Labrador Retriever rescue. Together Mark and Carol work with the Los Angeles Animal Rescue and Wings of Rescue to save the precious lives of endangered dogs.
Carol is a firm believer in Maya Angelou’s quote:” I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” She believes that angels were her inspiration for Luke’s Tale – a Story of Unconditional Love and feels that even though the Snow Blood Series is about the original vampire and his kindred dog, that theme carries through. “There’s a method to my madness,” she states. “The world is waiting for love to overcome hate. I feel that my purpose is to show others how to love unconditionally, just as dogs love us we should love each other.”
Carol’s other favorite quote is one that her husband taught her. “I love myself more when I am with you.”
Carol ,Neo and Binks are currently working on Snow Blood Season 2.
Tour giveaway
Snow Blood’s collar that Brogio gives to his kindred dog
This is a 19-22” red collar.
It is 2 inches wide.
Open to US Shipping Only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I hope you guys check this one out!! And good luck with the giveaway! A special thanks to Bewitching Book Tours and the author for hanging out with us!! :) Happy reading and later gators :)
