BLOOD LAW Reviews

Yes, the reviews are starting to trickle in for BLOOD LAW. As is often the case, it's a mixed bag. Here's a glimpse of what people are saying so far:

RT Book Reviews (Current RT subscribers can read the full review online. Non-subscribers will have to wait two months or find a print copy.)

4 stars -- "Another new voice makes a compelling debut in the urban fantasy genre. Set in a small Southern town, prejudice, fear and hatred bring Holmes’ story to a boiling point, as the heroine must face a complicated past and an uncertain future. Holmes gives every indication of being a promising new talent with a great future ahead!" - Reviewed By: Jill M. Smith

Booklist (Reviews for the American Library Association. Registration/subscription required to view.)

"Fast paced and full of action, the story never flags, from the discovery of the first body to the exciting (and violent) finale. The characters are fascinating and well developed, but plenty is left for the future: this has excellent potential as a series. With a world similar to that of Kim Harrison’s Hollows series (including Black Magic Sanction, 2010) and a main character with much of the same style as Harrison’s Rachel Morgan, this makes a great read-alike for Harrison fans. Followers of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse, who appreciate the small-town southern setting (with vampires), are another good audience." - Jessica Moyer

Booklist also gave BLOOD LAW a YA/M recommendation for mature teens. "YA/M: A must for teens fans of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, or the TV show based on them, True Blood." — Jessica Moyer

Publishers Weekly (Registration may be required to view.)

"With all the tension between human and vampire populations exposed, the story reads like a badly conceived morality play on racism, including 1960s vampire demonstrations for equal legal rights, which they earn in a scant seven years. A dash of religious zealotry and flimflammery adds little flavor. Holmes does deviate from tradition in that her vampires, while light-sensitive, are not night creatures—in which case, why bother?"

Um...okay. Thank you, RT Book Reviews and Booklist, for these wonderful reviews. I'm very happy (read: giddier than a cat with a new bag of catnip) and humbled to know my work is not only liked but is being recommended to others. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I honestly debated posting the Publishers Weekly (PW) review. I don't know many authors who like to discuss their negative reviews, and as a debut author -- PW was the first review I saw for BLOOD LAW, by the way -- it was especially troubling. However, since we now live in an age in which 'transparency' is the new buzz word, I decided to post it in order to show BLOOD LAW at its fullest -- warts and all. Plus, since it's already plastered on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and a handful of other sites, why hide it?

And...I suppose I should thank the anonymous PW reviewer. After all, he/she did take the time to read the book and express his/her opinions on it. Even though his/her opinion seems to differ wildly from RT, Booklist, and the feedback I've gotten from those lucky enough to score an ARC of BLOOD LAW, I respect his/her right to stand forth and proudly say, "I didn't like this book."

-- Jeannie

May-June BLOOD LAW Contest

"May-June! Bring me that book!"

"What book?"

"That one about the vampire."

"Which vampire?"

"You know -- that one with fangs."

"Could you be a little more specific?"

"Never mind! I'll get it myself!"

The time has finally arrived -- the FINAL BLOOD LAW ARC CONTEST is here!

Up for grabs: ONE (1) Advance Reader Copy of BLOOD LAW, featuring the highly collectable original cover. This is the LAST advance copy I have (other than my own personal copy) so if you don't enter, you will miss your chance to read BLOOD LAW before it hits the shelves.

Because this is the FINAL contest I'll be holding before BLOOD LAW is released, I'm going to include a few extra goodies. Winner will receive the following:

1 BLOOD LAW advance reader copy (ARC), autographed
2 BLOOD LAW bookmarks, autographed
1 BLOOD LAW cover flat, autographed
2 "Suck on This" shot glasses from Crimson Swan, the vampire bar featured in BLOOD LAW
2 ink pens -- one from Crimson Swan vampire bar and one for BLOOD LAW
6 pack of Vlad's Tears, "The World's Finest Synthetic Blood -- The Choice of Vampires Since 1984" (Actually it's candy, but it's still cool.)

To receive these wonderful items, you must perform the following actions:

Leave a comment on the Wayward Muses and Shiny Objects blog.

That's it -- just leave a comment. No strings attached. Post a comment. Doesn't get any simpler.

Naturally, there are a few rules:

1. Contest begins May 24, 2010 and ends MIDNIGHT June 22, 2010. All answers must be received BEFORE the deadline.

2. Leave a comment on the Wayward Muses and Shiny Objects blog. While the contest posting is cross-listed on several sites, only entries on the Wayward Muses blog will be considered valid for this contest.

3. You may enter only ONCE -- that's one (1) time -- in order to keep it fair.

4. Contest is open to international participants.

5. Winner will be determined by a random draw.

Good luck and have fun!

Updated CONvergence Schedule

The RT Booklovers Convention was a huge success and more fun than I could shake a stick at! I'll have a full report once I'm fully conscious and have finished sorting through all the photos.

While you're waiting for my riveting RT report, feast your eyes on my updated schedule for CONvergence (Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, Bloomington, MN -- July 1-4):

Thursday, July 1

8:30 PM -- Psychology of Criminals

Location: Atrium 4

About: Many SF/Fantasy villains are portrayed as just plain evil, but in reality there is a deeper psychology behind criminal behavior that is not explored outside crime novels. Is criminial Psycholyg ever effectively explored in genre characters?

Panelists: Christoforo Pasquarette, MontiLee Stormer, Jeannie Holmes, Sherry L.M. Merriam, Dana Baird

Friday, July 2

5:00 PM -- Jeannie Holmes and Joel Arnold signing

Location: Autograph Table

About: Jeannie Holmes and Joel Arnold will be available to sign their work.


7:00 PM -- Bad Boys Are Cuter!

Location: Atrium 4

About: Why are we attracted to the bad ones? Batman, Darth Vader, Dracula, Wolverine. Good guys or bad guys, why are the dark brooding one so damn sexy?

Panelists: Amada Marquez, Tracie Peters, Jeannie Holmes, L.A. Banks, James Turnbull


10:00 PM -- Jeannie Holmes Reading

Location: Vista Suite

About: Jeannie Holmes reads from her newly released novel "Blood Law" and other works.

Saturday, July 3

11:00 AM -- How to Create a Good Villain

Location: Bloomington

About: What makes a villain stand out from all the others? How do you write a villain like Dracula or Marissa Coulter and not one like any number of villains we can't remember to use as an example.

Panelists: R. Scott McCoy, Jeannie Holmes, S.D. Hintz, Christoforo Pasquarette

Sunday, July 4

2:00 PM -- Super Sparkly Fangalicious Necromatic Notions!

Location: Bloomington

About: No, it's not on Broadway yet. The evolution of the vampire in modern fiction from sexual liberator to fuzzy love bunny. Fang bangers unite!

Panelists: L.A. Banks, Tangee Harrison, Jeannie Holmes, Nick Larson, Dayna Jean Wolter

Change in BLOOD LAW release date!

The release date for BLOOD LAW has changed from June 22 to July 6, 2010.

Before you start screaming, the change was made to take advantage of a great promotion opportunity through Barnes & Noble: BLOOD LAW will receive placement on the tower display in B&N! Woohoo!

This is a good thing. Trust me.

Okay....now you can scream.

Author Scavenger Hunt Twitter Contest

Author Scavenger Hunt Twitter Contest

I'll be attending the RT BookLovers Convention in Columbus, OH this year. (Yay!) I'll be running a special contest the week of the convention, the Author Scavenger Hunt Twitter Contest. It's part scavenger hunt and part social media interaction. Here's how to play:

1. Follow me, JeannieHolmes, on Twitter.

2. Every day I will announce the start of "The Hunt" and post clues regarding my location along with a special code word and time limit for finding me.

3. The first person to find me and say the code word wins a Super Special Sekret Prize.

4. Contest is open to RT attendees only.

5. You must follow me on Twitter to find the clues.

6. Times and locations will be random. Multiple "Hunts" during a single day are possible.

7. Opening day of "The Hunt" will be April 28, 2010 and closing day will be May 2, 2010.

It's A-Liiiiiiive!!!

New Fan Forum is now live! Come chat with me, hear the latest BLOOD LAW news, and more! (Free registration is required.)

Click here to visit the Jeannie Holmes Fan Forum.

Winner of April Fool's ARC Contest is....

Congratulations to Frank B. of Mobile, AL!!

You're the winner of a signed, collectible advance reader copy of BLOOD LAW. I'll send it out tomorrrow morning.

Thanks to all who entered. Be sure to check back after May 1 for a new ARC contest. You won't want to miss it -- it'll be the LAST contest before BLOOD LAW is released June 22!!

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Answers to the April Fool's ARC Contest:

Which of the following vampire "rules" does not appear in the original European legends?

A) Vampires sleep in coffins. (TRUE. It was believed vampires must return to their coffins/crypts for "sleep" or "rest.")

B) Use poppy seeds to distract a vampire since they must count all seeds before continuing their pursuit. (TRUE. Villiagers believed by scattering poppy seeds on the ground before a charging vampire, the vampire must count ever seed before continuing their pursuit.)

C) Vampires feed on blood. (TRUE. Before more advanced understanding of decompostion, when the coffin/crypt of a "resting/sleeping" suspected vampire was opened, the natural processes decomposition would often result in dark fluid -- thought to be blood -- seeping from the suspected vampire's mouth. This led to the belief that the corpse was rising from the grave to feed on blood.)

D) Garlic will ward against vampires. (TRUE. Garlic, with its pungent aroma, was thought to be an effective ward against vampires.........and nosy neighbors.)

E) A wooden stake through the heart will prevent a vampire from rising from the grave. (TRUE. It was thought that by driving a wooden stake through a suspected vampire's heart, it would pin him/her to the ground beneath, and prevent the corpse from rising.)

F) Sunlight will harm/kill a vampire. (FALSE. Vampires were capable of walking about during the daylight, although it was believed their powers were dimished. The proper belief that sunlight can harm or kill a vampire began in 1922 after the F. W. Murnau's film NOSFERATU showed Count Orlok fading away with the rising of the sun. This had no basis in legend or myth but was instead a special effect created for the film and a convenient plot device used to dispatch a cornered Count Orlok.)

G) Crosses are effective protection against vampire attacks. (TRUE. It was believed that crosses, as well as other religious symbols, could protect one from vampire attacks.)