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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Author Guest Post Dakota Banks and International Giveaway!


Maliha Crayne, the main character of the Mortal Path series, is on a journey back to humanity. She started out as wife, healer, and mother-to-be in the American colonies in the laste 1600s. She was betrayed by her townsfolk and one woman in particular, a woman who wanted Maliha out of the picture in order to claim Maliha’s husband. Dramatic events turned Maliha into a person who sold her soul to an ancient Sumerian demon, who promised her immortality in exchange for doing his bidding. She became Ageless, with special powers to help her perform the demon’s killing assignments, and she was no longer human. For hundreds of years she used humans for her purposes, whether it was to keep her in good standing with the demon, to accumulate wealth, or for sex. From her viewpoint, things were sweet and there was no reason to change. Life went by decade after decade as she stayed young and beautiful.

Gradually, the woman she had been began to resurface. Her decadent life felt shallow and she found the assassination assignments she was given more and more abhorrent. Finally, she was given an assignment she couldn’t bear to carry out, so she confronted her demon and broke her contract, expecting to die. Instead, she found that the demon’s ruling god had forced a clause into her contract, a way out, a way to reclaim her soul. An unlikely one, but a chance at which she could grasp. She had to save a life for every life she’d taken under the demon’s command. She took the deal and started her long journey on the mortal path, a quest to recover her humanity and redeem her soul. So we have a woman who wants to be human with all of her heart, who longs for normal relationships, friends, a soulmate, a family—to just return to being human.

Okay, stop there.

There’s a TV program on the SyFy channel called “Being Human,” modeled after a popular British drama of the same name. In it, Aidan, a vampire, and Josh, a werewolf are roommates. They are joined by Sally, a ghost who haunts the premises. Sally was engaged to the landlord, who killed her, and she is now stuck in the home. It’s a violent, sexy show, but I can’t complain because the Mortal Path contains both of those elements.

The question is, are these characters sincere in wanting to restrain their paranormal natures, or are they just mouthing the words? Speaking of mouthing the words, here is something Aidan has said: “Nothing else in the world feels better than giving in to your inner monster.” Aidan is a little younger than Maliha, and swore off drinking live blood sometime before the series started on TV. That doesn’t seem to have stopped him from nipping an occasional mouthful, although he has used his powers in a few instances to kill baddies. Currently having an affair with Suren, the 700-year-old daughter of Mother, a supremely powerful vampire, Aidan seems to be responding as Suren tries to lead him back into the normal ways of vampire life. I give him a 2 out of 10 for trying to be human.

Josh, the werewolf, can’t control his monthly full-moon transformations, so all he can do is try to be in a place where he won’t harm anyone when he does transform. A group of vampires forced Josh into a fight with another were, and he won, killing the other werewolf. Josh seemed genuiinely upset by this, to his credit. He transformed his girlfriend into a werewolf because he had been trapped in a room with her when he transformed, and he scratched her. A major setback for Josh! When his girlfriend became pregnant, Josh planned to go to medical school to support his family, some positive points for him. When she loses the baby, he decides to cancel his plans and instead devote himself to finding a cure for lycanthropy. Somehow the viewer never gets much faith that Josh will succeed, and is only fooling himself. I give Josh a 4.5 out 10 rating for trying to be human.

Sally started the series as an insecure ghost who hadn’t come to terms with the facts of her own death. She grows more knowledgable about her powers and figures out that her then-fiancĂ© killed her. Scheming with Aidan, she gets the man to turn himself in to the police for her murder. All seems well, and then Sally takes a weird turn in the story. After missing her chance to move on through her white door, she gradually finds out that she has a dark side in her, a Reaper who harvests the spirits of other ghosts, punching them through the heart and preventing them from achieving their own white doors. She also learns to possess live peoples’ bodies and does it for casual reasons like enjoying sex. I give Sally a .5 out of 10 for trying to be human. ;-)

On average, then, the characters seem to me to be 23% sincere in their quest to be human, mostly because of Josh. I’d say the TV show uses its paranormal characters to show that the title “Being Human” is ironic—they may struggle, but can’t alter their basic natures, at least not much.

What about Maliha?

Since I know Maliha well, I can say that she’s about 95% determined to walk the Mortal Path. Every now and then she thinks how much easier her goals would be to accomplish if she slipped back into the methods used by the Black Ghost, the nickname she had as the demon’s assassin. No worrying about peoples’ feelings. Not caring if there’s collateral damage on her missions. Not having to be concernced about the safety of her friends. There’s a lot of freedom in operating as the Black Ghost, but there isn’t any humanity in it.

If you’ve seen the “Being Human” program, what’s your opinion of it? Is it truly a quest for humanity by Aidan, Josh, and Sally?

"Like" Dakota's FB page for a chance at a Kindle Fire!
Twitter: @dakotabanks or http://dbanks.me/DBtwit
Goodreads: http://dbanks.me/DBgood

 Newest book in the series:
A demon's assassin for centuries, Maliha Crayne has gone rogue, determined to save a life for every one she's destroyed in order to free herself from an eternity of enslavement, damnation, and excruciating torment. But as the powers that sustained her in the past fade, she is wary of trusting those closest to her-especially her lover, Jake. Should Maliha listen to her heart or the alarms going off in her head? Then her closest friends begin to disappear, one by one. Amid her anger, suspicion, and sorrow, she feels her life spiraling out of control.

Worse still, a beautiful, Renaissance murderess is recruiting Maliha as her new assassin. Maliha is turning into a lethal puppet with an evil Immortal pulling the strings, forced to kill innocents or see her missing friends die horribly. Suddenly trapped in a moral no-man's land, Maliha is damned if she does and damned if she doesn't…and time is rapidly running out.

Giveaway!!
You are going to love this giveaway! First, it's INTERNATIONAL and second... you get all 3 books signed plus a swag pack! I'm going to be so jelly of the winner! 
So sweet! How to enter? Just fill out the rafflecopter form below! Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

111 comments:

  1. Hello Dakota,
    i'm happy to see you here ( and thanks you for this new opportunity to win).
    i haven't see this show and i'm not really interested in it.( i think^^;;) For me the act are more important than teh nature a vampire or shapeshifter or ghost or anything even demon can act better than some human being. They can have a moral, an ethic code and that's the most important.

    Do you think your book are going to be translated ( or are already and in this case in which other languages)

    thansk you again for your generosity

    all the best

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    1. My book hasn't been translated yet but I'd like it to be. :-)

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  2. Awesome contest! I'd love all of those prizes!
    Your blog rocks, too. So glad to have found you!

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  3. I totally agree with your take on the US version of Being Human. Right now Josh is the only one I see really trying!

    In the UK version, they were all trying a little harder and the new group is trying even harder!

    I can't wait to read this series :)

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  4. I haven't seen the Being Human program, but I have a question:)
    Which book genres you like the most and have you ever been a reader since childhood?
    Thanks!

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    1. I enjoy reading thrillers, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, some fantasy, and mysteries. I've been an enthusiastic reader since childhood!

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  5. I haven't watched any episodes of Being Human but I really need to start.

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  6. Awesome TV show.
    I don't know that it's a quest for humanity as much as it is trying to live with the inner monster.

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  7. I haven't had the chance to watch that series yet, but I've heard great things about it and as I love supernatural shows, it's on my series-to-watch list. Usually in paranormal/urban fantasy novels the supernatural hero/heroine tries to embrace human personal traits of their character so as to anchor them and not become monsters, "freaks".

    Thank you for the amazingly generous giveaway Dakota and congratulations on your release!!

    stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. I'm still floating about my release. With 8 books published previously (including some under my real name), you'd think I'd be used to this by now. It just seems like there's something special about Deliverance.

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  8. Thanks for the giveaway! I haven't read this series yet and I think its great!

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  9. I have heard so much about Being Human but I haven't had the chance to sit down and watch it yet. Awesome Giveaway!

    www.thehauntedrose.blogspot.com

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  10. I have not seen Being Human. I'm really looking forward to reading these, they sound great, and I love reading about a strong female character! Thanks for the giveway!

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  11. What an amazing contest! I haven't watched Being Human but I've heard great things about it. This series sounds great and I'd love a chance to read it!

    ♥Melissa

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  12. Being Human is awesome for either version. From what I've notice, it's that they wanted to be humans again, but in the process of acceptance of what they are in the present and just try to cope with it.

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    1. That seems clear to me, too. Acceptance of self is important, but (grrr!) I'm ready to see some progress in that program.

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  13. Thanks for the giveaway!

    I have watched "Being Human" and to answer your question,
    I feel that the charcters, try as they might to fit in at being human, though their quest does not come without opstacles, just like any human may feel on a day to day basis.

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  14. I have watched Season 1 of Being Human, the US version. I also feel Josh is the only one truly making an effort, also think that when you turn into a "monster" keeping your humanity is not going to come easy no matter how much effort you put forth to try and make it work! Neat show, no longer watch TV now that we are in a different home but more time to read so since have not gotten these books again after my first copies burned last September this is a wonderful giveaway, thanks Melissa and Dakota both!

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    1. It's got to be a challenge for some kind of supernatural creature to grasp at humanity. To me, motivation counts for a lot! Sorry to hear about your house fire.

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  15. I LOVE Being Human...the show, I mean. (And personally I suppose too.) I started watching the BBC version from the very start and was thrilled when the US announced they were going to make their own version. I think both are great shows. As far as their quest for humanity, I think one thing the show points out pretty well is that humanity is a relative term and what everyone really wants is just to be happy and loved. (Awww...that was so sappy! But I'm standing by it.)

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    1. Happy and loved. Nothing sappy about that--they're beautiful concepts.

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  16. I don't get to see every episode but I enjoy "Being Human". Sometimes I also question how much each of the characters is really trying, but in reality, nobody's path is straight. I'm really intrigued by your Mortal Path series - love the premise!

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  17. Wow, what an amazing giveaway, thank you so much! I've only caught the tail end of a couple of episodes of Being Human, so I have yet to see it in it's entirety, but it's another one of those shows (along with Supernatural) that I want to start from the beginning and get caught up on!

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  18. I have not watch Being Human yet

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  19. Being Human is somewhere on our to be watched list, right after Walking Dead. I want to start and the beginning and see everything.

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  20. I haven't watched Being Human, 'cuz I only have boring (I mean Network) TV. :( Thinking about getting Netflix, though, and I hear they have both the US & UK versions! :)

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  21. I haven't watch the american version but I did see the british one, I didn't like, it was a cery odd serie and the problems they have were confussing!
    Lovely giveaway
    Kisses
    Ruty

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  22. I have to confess I haven't seen any of the American Being Human - but I am a HUGE fan of the original UK version. I just adored Geroge, the original werewolf - he's so sweet! However, we've just finished series four over here and there's pretty much a brand new cast in place...very excited for series five! :)

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    1. I haven't explored the UK version. Sounds like something I will buy a whole season at a time (if it's available). I love watching 2-3 programs at a time. When I have the time.

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  23. thanks for this great post and for the giveaway! Well, I watched Being Human at the beginning I really enjoyed the characters from the pilot, it was really interesting, but when the characters changed I was less interested and finally I didn't like them as much as I did for the others so I gave up the TV show...

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  24. I did watch the first ep (UK pilot) and I was all ok might work, then later I watched the first ep and they hade made everyone prettier and shaken things up and i was not so sure anymore

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  25. My friend keeps bugging me to watch Being Human and honestly, I think it sounds like I'd enjoy it BUT I'd rather have my head buried in a book than watch television at the moment:)

    Anyway thanks for the awesome post and the Giveaway!

    Vikki @ V's Book Life

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    1. Yay, Vikki!! Oh, wait, you didn't say buried in my book. Darn.

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  26. I just started watching Being Human and it rocks.
    Thanks so much for the great giveaway!

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  27. Congrats on the new release Dakota.
    I tried watching the British version of being Human and didn't like it. So when the US version came on I thought I'd give it a try and really like it.Josh is my favorite.He's so tortured.And Aiden tries he really does but his monster gets the best of him sometimes.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

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  28. I haven't seen the SyFy show, but have been a fan of the BBC version. I think it is a quest for humanity. Each of these truly different characters are trying in their own way to recover what they lost when they became who they are now.

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  29. I have never seen the Being Human program, but it sure sounds interesting! I think your series sounds great as well!!

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  30. I've never seen the UK version and I have only seen about 5 episodes of the US version. I thought it was pretty good but not enough to keep watching it.

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  31. Ok, so seriously. Any question on whether I need to enter or not. lol.

    I've seen some of this show, as it comes on before and after Lost Girl (which I love) It looks interesting. :)

    And thank you!!

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  32. The show seems strange from what I've seen, but they all look like they are fighting what they are for what they want to be. Which isn't always a bad thing. A way to better yourself, it seems.

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  33. I haven't watched it yet but I plan to buy the DVD of it and watch it soon.

    Froggy

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  34. Hi Dakota!!
    I haven't seen Being Human, but I've heard about it and have been wanting to!!
    My question for you: Have you seen Once Upon a Time?? What do you think of it?!

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    1. Hi Jessi,

      I watched Once Upon a Time a couple of times and it just didn't sit right with me. Maybe I'm just a Disney girl when it comes to fairy tales. :-)

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  35. I have not seen the show but I would really love to start watching it now!

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  36. I've never seen Being Human. But I've heard about it, and after hearing about the characters I definitely want to see it. From the looks of it though, from your descriptions. I'd say Sally just wants to be alive again and she's willing to hang around to do whatever she can to still experience being human. Josh actually wants to be human again and has fooled himself into thinking it is possible. Aiden? Well he seems a tricky one, He could just like being human when it doesn't come in the way of his immortal lifestyle.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. I like that, Aimee--Aidan only wants to be human when it doesn't get in his way.

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  37. I have never seen BEING HUMAN. I have heard of it though.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  38. Thanks for a wonderful interview! I've been waiting for this book *forever*. I loved the first two books and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

    I haven't watched Being Human, although I've heard great things about it. I don't really watch TV, I do more reading and blog surfing :) So my question is... How many books do you see or want to have in this series?

    Congrats on the new release and thank you for such a generous giveaway!

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    1. I'm not sure how many books will be in the series, but I know it won't be open-ended and just keep plugging along. Each book advances Maliha toward her twin goals of redeeming herself and eliminating the Sumerian demons from Earth. I could see it wrapping up in about 4 more books. The publisher could always change my mind, though--one way or the other. :-)

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  39. Ive watched the American version a couple of times and the British a couple of times. And I think in the British they are.

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  40. I would love to win this.
    My question would have to be 'What advice do you have to people who want to be an author

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    1. and I have watched a couple of episodes of Being Human and I liked it

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    2. Savannah,

      Big question! Just picking a couple of things, I would say set aside a regular time for writing, whether it's daily or weekly or whatever you can fit in--and then stick to it! Don't let anything get in the way, like going out with friends, watching TV, or getting stuck in the writing. Just sit down and do it. If your writing isn't the greatest that day, you can always fix it up next time. The important thing is to prioritize your writing sessions.

      The next thing I'd suggest is to do some planning before starting your book. Write a synopsis, a mini version of your story told in a handful of pages. Then play around with it and try out different ideas to see how they come out within the synopsis. When you're happy with it, you're ready to write. It's only 5 pages out of 300+ that will be in your manuscript, so you still have plenty of creative work to do but you'll have a general idea of the whole book in your head to prevent you from getting lost.

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  41. I have not watched Being Human but it doesn't sound like they are trying at all to be human, not one bit.

    My question is, Sumerian Demon? Don't see a lot of those in books, at least I don't. How did you decided to use a Sumerian Demon? And do the Sumerians have anything other than demons? Like good guys?

    Heather

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    1. Hi Heather! I'm interested in mythology. In 2003 when coalition troops invaded Baghdad, the Iraqi National Museum was left unguarded. Beautiful treasures were looted or vandalized until order was restored. I saw the photos on TV of 7,000 year old items broken underfoot, and it started me wondering what else could have survived from that time period that couldn't be so easily smashed. Present day Iraq sits on the land that was ancient Sumeria. Sumerian mythology is a great source to draw from, because it has these awful demons plus gods and goddesses who are the good guys. At least, until they get angry at humans or each other.

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  42. I'm cover lover: How you create your cover -they're awesome btw- do you have an idea of what would you like to see in it? Thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. I was asked for suggestions about the covers for the Mortal Path and was pleased that my suggestions were taken into account. I did suggest only seeing Maliha from the back, so that the reader is looking into the same scene Maliha is looking at. I think it's more interesting to see what she's facing than to see her face. My covers are done by the talented artist Don Sipley, through HarperCollins.

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  43. I watched the British TV version first and really enjoyed it. I think they were trying to get in touch with their human nature rather than be ruled by the hungers of the supernatural elements of their makeup and "baser hungers". I tried to watch the US version and just could not get into it, so I do not know if that series is portrayed differently :) Thank you for sharing with us today and for the awesome giveaway opportunity. Needless to say my fingers and everything else that still crosses are crossed LOL

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  44. Haven´t seen “Being Human” but it sounds like something i could like, the thing is, as soon as i get hooked on a series, it usually gets cancelled (Dark Angel, anyone? =))
    Love the giveaway and i´ve been meaning to start reading this series for a while (my TBR pile is a mile high) so i´ll keep my fingers crossed! =)
    Happy Thursday! //Linda

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  45. What an awesome giveaway! I would love to win this one. To answer the question: no I have never seen that tv show, but how can that werewolf find a cure for lycantrophy, when he did not go to medical school to learn how to do research and everything? To me, it does not sound serious. And a ghost turning evil, well it sure is original.

    I am looking forward to reading these books, they are on my wishlist.

    auriansbooks at gmail dot com

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    1. TV programs are usually built for entertainment and you're supposed to overlook little "flaws," I guess. Sometimes I wonder whether programs like this are making thoughtful statements about the supernatural or just exploiting the public's interest.

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    2. Then again, that sounded way too serious!

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  46. Hello! What a great interview. I love Being Human, but I only like the UK version. Thanks for the wonderful giveaway! :D

    laughs4life14(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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  47. Hi :)
    Thank you for the great post. I am still unsure about this 4th season of Being Human. Only Annie is still in it.
    Also, thank you for taking the time to respond to the comments. I love that the artist agreed with you because the covers are amazing.
    All the best,
    RKCharron

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  48. I've seen the first 2 seasons of the British version and a few episodes of the US. (I prefer the British probably cause it's the first I saw). I do think they're trying to retain their humanity especially Josh. However, the power that their supernaturality gives them I think corrupts and now they're just trying to balance it and stay more on the side of humanity.

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  49. Hi Dakota, Thank you for this new opportunity to win your book!!

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  50. I love Being Human on SYFY-- as for the human part --what fun is that and I don't think any one of them is trying very hard
    audie(at)wickerness(dot)com

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    1. You've got a good point there, Audra! If the characters achieved their goals of being human, the series would just pop right off the air.

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  51. I haven't seen this TV show, but I heard a lot about it. I am trying to dicide if I should watch American or English version...

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    1. Can't offer any help there, since I'm not familiar with the UK version. Sounds like a good subject for a poll.

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  52. I've only seen a couple of episodes and so I don't have an opinion on the show so far. I guess we shall see!

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  53. I haven't watched this TV show yet, but your books sound awesome. Good love to read them if I win. And thanks making this giveaway international. All the best.

    kim.to6462(at)gmail(dot)com

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  54. which character did you enjoy writing the most?

    i am facebook fan

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    1. Gee, they all have their fun points to write about, or they wouldn't be in the book. I don't like to read about boring characters, so I definitely would be bored if I had to write about them day after day. I guess I'd have to say I enjoy writing about Maliha the most. She's wonderfully complex, and that gives me a chance to stretch all aspects of my writing ability.

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  55. I've only watched a couple of episodes from the UK edition, but I love the Vampire. He's story seems the most heartbreaking to me.

    Maliha doesn't sound like she is expecting her path to be an easy one, and the fact that she is willing to work towards it despite that is admirable. Still, I wouldn't want to meet her in a dark ally. LOL

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    1. Strangely enough, in Deliverance, there are some baddies who meet her in a dark alley, not a fun experience for them.

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  56. I haven't watched it yet, but people I know said that the show is pretty good. I need to watch it! Thanks for the giveaway your books sound awesome :D

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  57. I love Being Human, it's one of my favorite shows! Thanks for the chance to win!

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  58. So I've only seen the original British version, and am a little peeved they made a remake in the first place because the British one is awesome! And in it Mitchell (who's the vampire) is really hot (okay, I sound so shallow right now, but from what I've seen of the US one the vamp isn't that hot and mostly just reminded me of Angel). I really like the show, and felt that it wasn't a quest for humanity so much as accepting who they were and finding a place to fit in (although Mitchell/Aiden/whoever he wants to be was more focused on humanity with the whole quitting blood thing, but that was kind of a parallel for addiction). Anyway, thanks for the giveaway, and I hope I don't sound too harsh but US remakes sometimes annoy me.

    jessicamariesutton(at)msn(dot)com

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  59. hi dakota! i can't say anything about 'Being Human'. i haven't seen it yet, though my friends said it's a good series, i just not in the mood for tv series yet

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  60. Thanks for this amazing giveaway - I would love to win! I know you probably get asked this question a million times but where did you get the idea for these books? Will there be more in the series?

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    1. The idea for the Mortal Path series came from my love of archaeology and mythology, combined with (then) current events. In 2003 when Baghdad was invaded, the Iraqi National Museum was temporarily left unguarded, resulting in looting and vandalism. Artifacts that had survived 7,000 years from the Sumerian period were smashed by angry vandals. Ancient Sumer = modern Iraq. It started me thinking about what else could have survived from the Sumerian period that would be evil, affecting our lives in the present time. So the idea for Mortal Path came from mythology + real smashed artifacts. Strange, huh?

      There will be more books in the series since Maliha's goals haven't been accomplished yet. One way or another, she's got to have a resolution!

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  61. Hi Dakota!!! *hand waves wildly* I haven't seen it...my boyfried loves it, and I hear alot of people say they do as well...guess I should try to watch it and see what the hoopla's all about!! Have a great weekend all!!!!!

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    1. Hi Traci! *hand waves wildly in return* Glad you stopped by Books and Things, and I hope you have a great weekend too. ~♥~

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  62. I haven't seen Being Human, although I was intrigued when I saw an ad for it ages ago. I'm very absent minded, I make plans to watch these type of things when I see the ad and then forget all about it until it's halfway through the season and I have no idea what's going on :S. Great post, I'd so be excited if I won this!

    kate1485 at hotmail.com

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  63. Since I live in Denmark, I haven't seen Being Human. >.> It sounds funny and interesting and I would like to watch it some day. (: Maybe I could find an episode or two on the internet. *Loves the person, who have invented the internet. (Bill Gates, maybe?)*

    Uhmm.. my question is.. Dakota, if you could choose of being another.. unnatural creature, what would it be and why? (:

    By the way thank you for this amazing giveaway! :D If I win, I could practice my english by reading the books. :3

    And sorry, if my english is not understandable. :s

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    1. If I had a choice about being a supernatural creature, I would have to choose a shapeshifter with a wide variety of shapes I could turn into, and only when I wanted to. If we're talking about a paranormal ability, I'd like to be able to see the future or be a mind reader.

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  64. I would say that there are times where Being Human seems like a quest for finding humanity and times where it seems like letting go of humanity.

    Thanks so much for the giveaway!

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  65. I don't humanity is really the main theme of Being Human. A lot is about coming to terms with who you are. And I saw an interview with Sam Witwer (sp?) where he describe Aiden not as a vampire but someone trying to overcome addiction, and I think that is totally true.

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    1. I like this idea--it would explain a lot about the stories.

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  66. I just love this show being human i was the usa one.i started watching it sence the 1 st season...it one of the best shows on tv ...i think that they are all trying to come to term as to who they are now. and that they all wish they could have their lifes back the way it used to be before all of this has happen to them.

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  67. I've never seen it. Here's a question for you though. If you could choose between being a vampire, werewolf or other supernatural being, which would you choose and why? Thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. If I could choose a supernatural being, I'd want to choose one where I didn't have to kill people (or turn them)-- even though having all that power is tempting. What I'd worry about most is the loss of control over my life, being compelled to do things. I would choose to be a shapeshifter who could turn into various creatures and only when I wanted to, and not to do anything really bad. Sounds wimpy, huh?

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  68. I've been seeing this giveaway everywhere and I'm dying to win this prize. I'm actually obsessed with reusable bags and totes (and books too, of course). Congrats on the new release. Looking forward to reading the whole series.

    I've only scene of few minutes of a few episodes of Being Human. I didn't catch the premiere of the series and I can only watch TV that I've scene from the beginning. Since I can't answer your question, I'll ask one. Do you think you can watch a few episodes here and there, or is better to watch the whole series, right from the start?

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    1. You might be confused if you just watch an occasional episode. Things can change fairly fast! I would suggest trying to start with the beginning of the series. Might save you time, too--if you don't like it then, you can scratch if off your list.

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  69. Hi Dakota! Thanks for the giveaway! Which genre do you enjoy reading most?

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    1. I read urban fantasy, thrillers of all kinds, and science fiction. I used to write thrillers, but I wanted to get into "the larger world," so I moved to UF. I prefer UF that has a very fresh take on typical elements like vampires and werewolves, if they're going to be in the book. I don't go for the same old, same old.

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  70. I adore your first book though haven't read the second one. I actually think I have it around here somewhere. I can honestly say I havne't watched the show, only because I watched a few episodes of English version and didn't care for it much.

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    1. Hi Ryan, it's not a favorite show of mine but I wanted to write about Maliha's quest to return to her human beginnings, and the theme of the program was a good fit. Dig out Sacrifice! If you can't find it, let me know. I love your blog. ~♥~

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  71. I haven't seen the Being Human program yet.
    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  72. I havent seen Being Human but Ive heard good things about it! Thanks so much for the chance and thanks to Dakota for the awesome swag pack :)

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  73. I haven't seen Being Human, as it hasn't aired over here yet, but I'd really like to watch it.

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  74. I like Being Human. I don't think that the title really conveys it at all though. Maybe they should call it "Trying to figure out how to be a monster in a world of humans." Longer, but it makes better sense. :)

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    1. I like it! Wouldn't fit in the TV Digest listing, though.

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  75. It could be seen as a search for humanity, but I see it more as a search for personal identity. They have all been changed in tragic ways, and with that comes a shift in what it means to be alive. I think we all have a bit of darkness inside, and we are all trying to find a way to live with it, rather than let it consume us.

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  76. Hello Dakota,
    I wanted to ask if you have any writing advice for aspiring authors? :)

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  77. Hello,
    Thanks for the giveaway, I'm pretty excited :)

    As for the Being Human, I watched only the first season (of both US and UK series though). I liked the looks of US one better, but if I had to choose, I'd go with the UK series for the plot (it seemed more natural to me somehow). I've never seen it as a "quest for humanity". To me it was a kind of struggle to keep a proper humane facade for the world - and for a part of themselves, to make them less sinful in own eyes.

    I'd like to "join" myself to Tal's question about some advice for aspiring writers, since I'm getting more interested in trying writing :)

    Thanks :)

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  78. Looks like the awesomest thing I ave seen today...and I saw a squirrel earlier x

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