A Note:

6/2/13

I once told myself: IF I am accepted into grad school, this blog would no longer be updated. As it turns out, in April, I received news of my acceptance for the Fall 2013 semester, where I will attain a Master's degree of Science in Nutrition.

Running a blog, as many of you may already know, is a demanding side job once the excitement wears off. And once I fell out of the blogging community's loop (have you SEEN how many blogs there are now? Wow!), it was like the kiss of death. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get into a blogging routine once this happened due to the disconnect I felt from the community.

So I took a break. I struggled with the loss and with missing my blog. And then I realized I didn't have to run Book Faery to still be a book reviewer; I could read my books and post reviews online. I'm still a book review blogger, just not in the traditional sense.

I'll still be online. You can chat with me on Twitter, where I'll be posting links to my reviews and talking books. I'll also be posting links to nutrition articles. And if you'd like to connect with me where I guarantee I will post reviews, just add me as a friend on Goodreads.

So that's all, folks! It's been a fun and amazing journey, and I thank you all for listening to my thoughts about books. I hope we all can keep in touch elsewhere :)

Tori

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Blog Tour: Until Next Time, The Angel Chronicles, Book 1



Matt is my partner. He’s handsome, funny and a real pain in the proverbial wing,
but it’s nice to talk to someone about him.

We have a place that you’ll see called the Lightning Room. I can’t tell you how
much time we’ve spent in this place. I’m not sure where your parents used to put
you when you were bad, or whatever they call it down there, but this is our ‘time
out’ room, so to speak. Matt really hated this place; he’s never been happy about
total darkness. But I thought of it as a place to unwind. I like the dark. If you can’t
see anything, then you never have to know what you’ve messed up, or who
you‘ve hurt.

Matt loves the training ‘pit.’ To me, it feels like I’ve actually fallen straight through
the earth and directly into Hell when I‘m in that thing. But I’ve learned, after being
a human, that the male species actually does love the whole ‘ultimate fighter’
thing, and that’s what the ‘pit’ is all about. Our teachers put us in there to train
- something we have to do because once we get a new ‘life’ we have to go up
against some pretty difficult situations…and people. Matt loves the sword, the
scythe, the gauntlet - and he loves the fact that when he’s really mad at me
(which is a lot lately), he can simply haul off and kick my…wing…because he
knows that he can’t actually hurt me so there’s nothing to feel guilty about later
on.

I never thought that my best friend and constant companion would end up
becoming more as we went along. I mean, I know our feelings for each other
are aging just the same as we are, but it’s gotten really hard to face it. Especially
after Jason came into my life. If I had been asked to ‘call’ this one, I would have
told you that Matt would be the ‘half’ of us who’d fall in love - he’s got that kind
of big heart. So when it was me instead, I felt like I actually wounded the one
person I figured I could never harm. But I suppose the ‘pit’ - the fire and the
swords - are nothing compared to your best friend falling for someone else.

Love is something I still don’t understand. I mean, down there it can range from
obsession to perfection. I guess I wasn’t prepared for it. Of course, the second
time around everything I thought I knew changed completely. As Matt and I keep
coming down for another chance at righting what we may have screwed-up the
first time, I keep hearing my favorite teacher’s advice rattling over and over again
in my head. He told me that:
“Some get tired of waiting and settle for less than what they really want; their

souls grow heavy. They don’t remember the true love they can experience - so
they simply settle for not being alone.”

I never want to do that, but I can see where loneliness could become too much to
bear, especially when your best friend…changes.

When she wrote our story - Until Next Time - I traveled back and tried to figure
out what lessons I was supposed to have learned. And now that she’s put the
second book in front of me - the hardest one to read because of the twists and
turns that occurred in that life - my feelings for Matt seem to be more clear. I just
wonder what he’s going to do when he hears them. Heck, I wonder how I’ll ever
be able to tell him. I’m not in the dark anymore in that calm, quiet room - I’m all
grown up and I feel like the spotlight is shining directly on me…

We’re just about to take the third jump. I have no idea what this one’s going to
entail until we get down there, but that one piece of advice and the one lesson
I’ve learned so far is what I’ll take with me. I will never settle for someone less
than the one who can fulfill my soul.

Now all I have to do is stay alive long enough to figure out who that someone is,
and hope that he feels the same way.

Until Next Time,

Emily

Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.

Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical
The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.

She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.


Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.



Website: http://www.thewritecompanion.com/
Blog: http://hellowriters.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alignor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HelloWritersAmy
GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5222068






Add this title to your Goodreads shelf. 


How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart. 


Monday, April 23, 2012

Cover Wars: Fate VS The Ice Queen


Cover Wars
(inspired by Kate's Throwdown Thursday at The Neverending Shelf)

Cover Wars is a weekly post occurring every Monday at Book Faery.
Two covers will have a "face off," and it will be up to the readers to
decide who is the victor and who is the loser.  This is a great way for
readers to have their voice be heard, while also promoting new/old books
in the process.



Last time we had a showdown between Bittersweet and Sweethearts. 
The Winner:
Bittersweet!



Fate VS The Ice Queen



Vote for your favorite in the comments below! 


Friday, April 20, 2012

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Stella Price



Ten reasons why you need to attend Authors After Dark, now and in the future:
by Stella Price

  1. AAD is 100% readercentric. Readers outnumber the authors attending (which no other con does) and readers are the focus for all the planned events and goodies.
  2. AAd is the only con that has a Corsetiere and Tattoo artist that travels with them. That’s right, that means all your vacation needs can be met!
  3. AAD is the cheapest con (not event like Lori foster, but actual convention) in romance. For your registration fee you get 5 meals and a bunch if parties. And the food is edible!
  4. Exotic Locales! Ok so Savannah isn’t really exotic (2013) but do you know how many people have been dying to go there? It’s insane!
  5. SWAG! AAD has some of the best swag you will find at any con!
  6. FREE BOOKS! Each year AAD gives away TONS of free books. Since we are a limited attendance event, the reader is guaranteed to leave with oodles of freebie books!
  7. Facetime with authors. Yes! Authors that attend aad do not hide in their rooms! They spend time with you, the reader, at meals, events and parties, giving you a well rounded experience.
  8. Special programming for Book clubs and Bloggers! AAD rewards those that are helping to keep reading alive with doing special events strictly for book clubs and Bloggers. Our blogger spots are some of the most highly coveted because of the swag and goodies (ARC’s Mostly) that they receive. We already have a list started for 2013!
  9. The Parties! We have an amazing masquerade party each year, sponsored by the Master of Ceremonies. Costume contests where you could win some awesome prizes and of course, Dancing!
  10. Limited attendance. This ensures the event is intimate, and you get to talk with just about everyone. You don’t get the Lost kinda feeling with aad, and you aren’t standing on line for HOURS waiting to have a 3 minute convo with an author.
In addition to this… this year (2012) the booksigning will be open to the public, as well as a cool YA reading BEFORE the booksigning. We are striving to make each year different, filled with awesome things and parties that are once in a lifetime events no other con will be able to duplicate.
  
What to look forward to for 2013 (especially if you didn’t get into AAD Nola this year?):

* Special YA Saturday event sponsored by some of the biggest YA publishers and authors in the business.
* Riverboat Party/ Dinner
* The Bookie Awards Evening Formal
* Several special parties and events
* Books and Swag galore
* A spa on site
* A Makeover room sponsored by two very special companies (more on that later in the year)
* Several Savannah group trips
* Three Themed Evening parties
* And much, much more!


 
Registration opens for 2013 August 21st at noon EST. So if your considering attending, keep that date handy. We will sell out.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Carolyn Crane



Ten things I’ll be discreetly (and not discreetly) doing at AAD
by Carolyn Crane


Hey Tori! Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog!

So, AAD! There are so many things I love about this conference: the excitement of meeting people I know from online and the book world, and being with a group of hundreds of writer/reader types who are just like a tribe with instant and fierce things in common. And also discussing things about publishing that weigh on my mind with other authors. But there are some specific things I shal do at this conference. I have identified ten of them!

Get the hotel layout in my mind right away
The last time at AAD, you can’t believe how much time I wasted being lost in that hotel! It was like a funhouse, with the floors vaguely resembling each other, so you sort of never knew where you were, which is a huge impediment to getting where you’re going, believe me. This time, I am going to memorize the freaking hotel map. If you are lost, see Carolyn Crane, biotches!

Get that panel schedule app on my smart phone
I would highly suggest this for you. Last year, there was an app that had the schedule and the people who had it really knew what was up. I am of the pathetic generation that sort of sucks using a smartphone. I have one, but I am not fluent in the whole apps thing. and so I was always bugging people to tell me not only where I was, but where I was supposed to be. This year, that all changes! I will be working that app!

Secretly look at the other authors’ outfits
There are authors that I admire that somehow manage to look authorly, an ineffable combo of polished, yet cool. Relaxed, just dignified. Authorly. Certain bloggers and readers have this going, too. A kind of smartypants chic. How do you do it?? I don’t know how they do it but when I go to conventions, I try to get ideas and often record outfits in my memory for copying. I will be wearing shoes that are the identical ones that Jessica from ReadReactReview.com wore to Romcon one year. I am a very outfits-challenged individual. I wore the same outfit at my 10 and 20 year high school reunions. My sister helped me choose it. In fact, I will likely wear it at the convention. It seems to have worked so far. I’m a clothes dork.

Gush about heroes out loud
There is something massively different between typing the words “I love Aiden the Fierce!” onto a keyboard and saying them to a live human being who totally understands, and can be all squeeeee! Back. Don’t you think? I will be taking advantage of this in NOLA. In normal life, I think most of us don’t have outlets through which to say such things aloud. Or, maybe you do. Maybe you have local galpals you talk books with. I don’t have a whole lot of that here.

Pig out
In my normal life, I eat really healthy. However, get me around a lot of regular food, and I tend to go a little crazy. Chocolate, cheese, breads, fried things. OMG is it August yet? And we’ll be in New Orleans!! Who wants to go out for pastries?? I’m so there!

Look at nametags soooo discreetly
There’s this weird thing at conventions where, as soon as you run into a person, you look down at their nametag to see if you know them. I always feel sort of weird doing it, like, Who are YOU? But, if you don’t do it, you often don’t know who the person is. I’m also horribly challenged at remembering faces, so even if I have met a person, I often won’t remember them. I live such a solitary life, I get overwhelmed when meeting many people at once. Sometimes my brain just turns off.

Work really hard and probably fail at connecting twitter avis with names
I sort of wish people had their twitter avatars on their nametags. That is so how I remember people. If you’re on twitter and haven’t been to a convention, you’ll totally see what I mean. Unless you twitter avi is your face. Then it would be a bit overkill. LOL.

Covet your books
Let’s face it, you readers and bloggers get the good book swag! We authors get some books, sure, but I tend to feel that it’s a bit unseemly for authors to go around snapping up too many of the freebie books, especially when they’re given out by other authors. There isn’t any specific rule about it, but it seems like they’re not really for us. So, you readers and bloggers, if my eyes drop below your face, it might not be your nametag I’m looking at…it might be your books haul!

Pick up after myself and be a better roommate for Nicole
I roomed with Nicole Peeler last year, and will again this year. However, Nicole, if you are reading this, you will discover I have turned over a new leaf! I will not be the slob I was at AAD 2011! I will pick up my things! I will not dump swag all over the chairs and floor!

Have fun!
I so can’t wait.

So, do you have any under-the-radar plans for AAD in New Orleans? Do tell!



I’m a writer living in Minneapolis with my husband and two daring cats.


I work a day job as a freelance advertising writer, and have for years. I’ve also waited tables at a surprising number of Minneapolis restaurants and bars (though not as many, incidentally, as my writer husband has). I’ve also been a shop clerk and a plastics factory worker, which I was dismal at (think I Love Lucy).


Also, I can relate almost any life experience to one or another Star Trek episodes, and if you invite me to your party, your cheese plate will be in grave danger.


During rare moments when I’m not at my computer, I can be found reading in bed, running, helping animals, or eating Mexican food.


Connect with Carolyn:  Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads




Add MIND GAMES to your Goodreads shelf.


JUSTINE KNOWS
SHE'S GOING TO DIE.
ANY SECOND NOW.


Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she's convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine's soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It's a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard's hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity's worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she's always craved. End of problem.

Or is it?

In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine's first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard's help, Justine has freed herself from her madness - only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone's worst fears.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Amanda Carlson


We've got a special guest today for you all! She's stopping by to give us a little bit of insight, and I hope you all enjoy the character interview :) 


Name: Jessica McClain
Age: 19
Zodiac sign: Leo

What do you look like?

Dark hair, sky blue eyes. Kind of tall, but not compared to the guys.

What's your favorite color? 
Violet.

If there was one physical trait you could change about yourself, what would it be, and why? 
I would make myself stronger, so I had a better chance to survive. 

What is your biggest strength? 
Persistence.

Your weakness? 
Being human.

Are you currently in a relationship or crushing on someone? If so, describe his/her personality and appearance:
No. There’s no one here who would date me anyway, but my type would be strong and  independent.
 
What do you like to do for fun?
Train.

What's your favorite food?
Cheeseburgers.

Night owl or early bird?
Night owl.

Is there a phrase or motto that you live by?
My personal motto is: Live to see the next day.

What wouldn't you be caught dead doing? Going out during a full moon.


Connect with Amanda: {Website} {Twitter} {Facebook} {Goodreads}







Add this book to your Goodreads Shelf. 


Jessica McClain was born the only female in an all male race. The only problem is-she's no wolf. Called a curse, a witch and the Daughter of Evil by the superstitious wolves, Jessica decides to fight for her freedom, at age nineteen, the only way she can-in the ring.

When she's brutally attacked right after her fight, is it enough to finally earn her freedom off Compound, or will she be forced to endure the hatred even longer . . .

Monday, April 9, 2012

Cover Wars: Sweethearts VS Bittersweet

Cover Wars
(inspired by Kate's Throwdown Thursday at The Neverending Shelf)

Cover Wars is a weekly post occurring every Monday at Book Faery.
Two covers will have a "face off," and it will be up to the readers to
decide who is the victor and who is the loser.  This is a great way for
readers to have their voice be heard, while also promoting new/old books
in the process.



Last week we had a showdown between A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies, and Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan.

The Winner:
A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies!



Bittersweet VS Sweethearts



Vote for your favorite in the comments below!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Melanie Card



Thank you Tori for inviting me to guest blog today. Only five months to go until Authors After Dark, so for this post I decided to think about the things that excited me about the conference and New Orleans. And there are so many of them!

I can’t wait to meet new people—even though I can be quite shy—and to try some of the food—I’ve been told I have to go CafĂ© du Monde and have the beignets, but there are also other places around town I’d like to check out (The Food Network has given me all sorts of ideas). I also plan on visiting a historic cemetery—I do write about dead people, so a cemetery is a must—and I want to explore some of the historic areas in town.

But I’m also excited about the conference. I’ve found myself on some really interesting panels. The two I’m most excited about are the Worldbuilding and The Alphas and Betas of Paranormal Romance panels.

The worldbuilding because my debut novel, Ward Against Death, is a YA historical fantasy, and when you write historical fantasy the world itself needs to become a character. Lots of detail needs to be added without slowing down pacing and finding that balance between “world as character” and “forward momentum of the plot” can be challenging. I’m really curious to learn about the techniques the other writers on the panel use to create immersive worlds.

I’m also interested to hear what the other panelist have to say about Alphas and Betas. For Ward Against Death I’m clearly representing beta heroes. Ward is a young man tossed out of his element into a world he’s not equipped to handle. He’s a scholar, a physician, and a necromancer and not a fighter. Finding himself in a world of assassins and thieves is unlike anything he’s ever experienced before. I have a real soft spot for Ward. He’s charming and sweet, the boy next door—if the boy next door could bring people back from the dead—and I think those qualities, among others, are what attracts readers to a beta hero. Now that isn’t to say I don’t enjoy an alpha hero, only that the first book I’ve published so happened to have a beta. Needless to say, I find the conversation about alphas and beta fascinating.

And what will be really thrilling will be sharing these panels with wonderful writers many of whom I’ve read and seen around on various social networking groups but have yet to meet. There are also so many great workshops and parties planned for the conference that I want to check out, not to mention maybe having a little time to relax and make new. Whew, I feel exhausted just writing about it.

As you can probably tell this is my first readers’ conference and while I realize AAD keeps their conference small—one of the reasons I selected it—it’s still a bigger conference than any I’ve attended before. So help a newbie conference goer out. What’s your best advice for having fun at Authors’ After Dark? And what are the must sees for New Orleans?

Thanks again, Tori, for inviting me today, and I can’t wait to met everyone in August.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Alice's Review: Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Released: 29 March 2011 (UK)
Paperback: 309 pages
Price: AU$16.99
Publisher: Atom Books
Source: Book Depository
Genre: YA, Action, Paranormal
Series: Chronicles of Nick
Series Order:
1. Infinity (my review)
2. Invincible
3. Infamous 
Summary:
When teenager Nick Gautier was saved from almost-certain death by a mysterious warrior, he had a feeling his life was set to change. Fighting the undead has taken the place of fighting with his teachers (well ...almost).

But just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, he wakes up to find himself enslaved in a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul. He's being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn't learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them ... 
My Rating:
 
Be warned, there are a few spoilers below. 
My Opinion: So this starts off right where Infinity left off - which is when Nick saw Kyrian had fangs - and proves to be a compelling, fast-paced read. There's a lot of paranormal stuff going on and Nick finds out more about his powers and who he really is. There is also the enigma of Ambrose, who you'll know is Nick, several hundreds years into the future it seems, since Ambrose mentions how he's lived centuries.

And I must make a note of my previous observations in Infinity - since Ambrose is trying to change his future, of course things will be vastly different than they are in the Dark-Hunter chronology, so Nick meeting Simi isn't a mistake on Sherrilyn's part because Nick wouldn't have been in trouble with demons if it weren't for Ambrose and Simi wouldn't have had to help him! A big facepalm at my previous obliviousness! 

I feel like this book delivered a lot of paranormal action but not a lot of the parts I wanted to really read about, like Nick's job with Kyrian, Acheron, Cherise and his day-to-day life, if that makes sense. But I'm pretty sure that only a week or so has passed in this book, so I guess there isn't enough time to write about the secondary characters! I was disappointed that I missed out 'seeing' too much of Acheron and more of my other well loved characters, but this is focused more on Nick, who I love, so it was a pretty good deal!

Nick is super sarcastic and some of the things he says are quite hilarious! But because he's so sarcastic and never too serious, he has this inability to really grasp the seriousness of a situation. An example of this would be when he's been taught to use his powers by Grim, one of the MODs (Messengers of Death). He's just too flippant about it and I know he's only fourteen and it's in his personality to be like that (hello, I've read about what he's like in the DH novels) but it kind of annoyed me.

Okay, so I want to talk about Ambrose. Gosh, he's such a mystery to me! He's lived for so long and only now does he start trying to change his past. Why? What's happened to him in the centuries that have passed? My heart breaks for him and my feelings on his intentions to change his past are varied; for one, I don't believe in regretting anything for too long and since you technically can't change the past in real life, it's better to move on. But I do realise why he's trying to do this and how the good of the world and his life depend on it. I definitely want to read more about him!!

My verdict: I couldn't put this down and with such a cliffhanger ending, it makes me happy that the third book has been released! Filled with action, sarcasm, a little bit of romance and awesomeness, this book is just as good as the first.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Suzanne Johnson



Can there be any more perfect setting than New Orleans for both paranormal fiction and Authors After Dark? It’s—

Psst. Shut up and move aside or I’ll zap you with my staff—again. *Author crumples to floor.*

DJ Jaco here. Sorry, Suzanne is indisposed, so you’re stuck with me.

I’m the wizard sentinel for the New Orleans region. Basically, that means I patrol the borders between modern New Orleans and the world Beyond. You don’t want to go to the Beyond. You don’t want the things that live in the Beyond to come here. Take my word for it.

Suzanne was going to tell you all these cool places in New Orleans to go, but she’s an irresponsible woman who falls for every bad line the undead pirate Jean Lafitte feeds her. I’m here to tell you the truth: five spots from which you should run—not walk—away.

*Author tries to rise from floor, but gets another zap from wooden staff, her fingers trailing off the keyboard as she attempts to seize control and fails.*

Ah, what was I saying? Right. Five spots to avoid at all costs, in no particular order.

THE NAPOLEON HOUSE. This is an old restaurant and bar in a circa-1812 house on the corner of Chartres and St. Louis in the French Quarter. It was built as a possible place of refuge for Napoleon Bonaparte when he was exiled, but old Short Stuff never made it. Suzanne would insist it’s her No. 1 favorite place in the Quarter to kick back with a drink and relax, but I’m telling you—this place is a well-known hangout for certain undead French pirates who once tried to have their way with me in the upstairs banquet room, and then threatened to take me to the Beyond and turn me into a pirate wench. Beware. Don’t be sucked in by the pretty courtyard.

*Author tries to summon Jean Lafitte to her rescue and take D.J. down, but fails.*

LAFITTE’S BLACKSMITH SHOP BAR. Seriously, another pirate hangout? Just because it was built in the early 1700s at what’s now 941 Bourbon Street and is perhaps the oldest bar in the U.S.? Just because it was supposed to be a spot where the famous Lafitte brothers (i.e., untrustworthy cads) conducted some of their illicit business deals? Just because some drunken fool has claimed to see Jean Lafitte’s ghost here? I see the undead Jean Lafitte a LOT, and let me tell you—he’s handsome and charming, but is absolutely not to be trusted. Trust me on this.

JACQUES-IMO’S. Suzanne just wanted to throw in her favorite restaurant in the hopes someone would take her there. Shameless hussy. Granted, it’s fine eating. It’s reasonably priced. You can get alligator cheesecake and a softshell crab named Godzilla, cooked to such perfection you will weep with happiness. Hm. Okay, maybe you can go here, but only if you take me with you.

ST. LOUIS CEMETERY NO. 1. I cannot believe she was going to tell you to visit this place.

Sure, it’s the oldest of New Orleans’ famous “Cities of the Dead.” But, hello. Marie Laveau is buried here—voodoo priestess extraordinaire? Just sayin’. And some very, very bad things went down here after Hurricane Katrina knocked down the borders between New Orleans and the Beyond. I almost died. I can’t in good conscience recommend you go here. The Historical Undead walk in daylight in New Orleans, and I don’t want to have to rescue your happy backside from a voodoo zombie.

* Author struggles back to consciousness and begins trying to invoke silencing spell, which backfires and renders her speechless.*

CAJUN SWAMP TOUR. The swamps are mysterious and green and all that jazz. But here are a few things you humans don’t realize.

1. There are weregators who live in the swamps, and they like to eat tourists.
2. There are merpeople who live in the swamps, and they like to seduce tourists—it’s fun for a while but they have serious anger-management issues, those mermen. I think it must be the stress of sprouting and retracting those dorsal fins.
3. If you go into the swamp and get mauled by a weregator or seduced by a merman, I will have to come and get you and scrub your memories. I will not be happy. I will be cranky. You don’t want to see me cranky. Just watch this video, and call it done.

So there you have it. Places you should NOT g—

*Wizard is confronted by large undead pirate Jean Lafitte…and she’s not trying THAT hard to get away from him. Author laughs and slams the door behind them.*

Whew, where was I? Oh yeah—there’s no better place than New Orleans for paranormal fiction or for Authors After Dark. See you in August!



Add ROYAL STREET to your Goodreads shelf.


As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco’s job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ's boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond.

Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters.

While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering the soldiers sent to help the city recover.

To make it worse, Gerry has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and for the serial killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo.



Suzanne Johnson writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance from Auburn, Alabama, with a day-job career in educational publishing that has spanned five states and six universities. She grew up halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis’ birthplace and lived in New Orleans for fifteen years, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football and fried gator on a stick. Her debut urban fantasy, Royal Street, set in New Orleans during and immediately after Hurricane Katrina, launches April 10 from Tor Books. It’s the first in the Sentinels of New Orleans series, featuring wizard Drusilla “DJ” Jaco. Book two, River Road, comes out November 13.

http://www.suzanne-johnson.com/p/books.html
http://www.twitter.com/Suzanne_Johnson
http://www.facebook.com/Suzanne.Johnson.author

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Giveaway: REAL VAMPIRES HATE SKINNY JEANS by Gerry Barlett



Add this book to your Goodreads Shelf.


Someone is eating for two...
Full-figured vampire Glory St. Clair thinks things are finally going her way. She's no longer possessed by a demon, the legions of hell aren't on her tail, and her love life is heating up since she managed to reconnect with her maker-and longtime lover-Jeremy Blade.
 
When a pregnant demon shows up on her doorstep, Glory knows that everything is about to go to hell. Alesa is claiming that the baby she's carrying is Rafe's, conceived while she was inhabiting Glory's body. A clever trap? Or could it be true?
 
Booties and bibs are the last thing on Glory's mind when she discovers dark secrets from her own forgotten past. Who is she? What is she? And how will the men in her life deal with the fact that she may be more powerful than she knew? One thing is certain. Glory has way more to worry about than fitting into her favorite pair of jeans...


Interested? Well, REAL VAMPIRES HATE SKINNY JEANS just came out today! So to celebrate, Penguin is offering two lucky US winners copies of this fun title.

To enter, please leave a comment below with
1) your email address
2) and answer the question: if you were a vampire, what would be your trademark outfit?

Monday, April 2, 2012

Cover Wars: Fractured Light VS A Fractured Light

Cover Wars
(inspired by Kate's Throwdown Thursday at The Neverending Shelf)

Cover Wars is a weekly post occurring every Monday at Book Faery.
Two covers will have a "face off," and it will be up to the readers to
decide who is the victor and who is the loser.  This is a great way for
readers to have their voice be heard, while also promoting new/old books
in the process.



Last week we had a showdown between Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, and Die for Me by Amy Plum.

The Winner:
Die for Me!



Fractured Light VS A Fractured Light


As usual, vote for your favorite cover in the comments below!