Authors After Dark 2012 Spotlight

So I think you've all noticed by now that I'm attending Authors After Dark this August, what with all the author spotlights I've featured thus far this year. I just figured I would go into a bit more detail for those of you unfamiliar with this convention.

First off, it is, indeed, a convention. Most of the authors attending are paranormal authors. There will also be a whole slew of NY and Small Press authors. Here's a list of the NY authors:

• Shayla Black  
  Judi Fennell    
• Leanna Renee Hieber
• Pamela Palmer
• Amanda Carlson         
• Mari Freeman
• Alexandra Ivy
• Allison Pang
• Manda Collins            
• Jeaniene Frost            
• Darynda Jones           
• Nicole Peeler
• Carolyn Crane            
• Yasmine Galenorn      
• Stephanie Julian         
• Katie Reus
• MaryJanice Davidson
• Lia Habel        
• Erin Kellison  
• Jessa Slade
• Virna DePaul  
• Jess Haines    
• Jade Lee         
• Sasha White
• Cynthia Eden  
• Mark Henry   
• Kelly Meding

And what a great list! I was fangirling when I saw how many authors I adore who are attending, and I can't wait to meet and read books by some debuting authors like Amanda Carlson.  I'm not as familiar with the small press authors (check out the list here), but the ones I've worked with thus far have been great, so I am looking forward to getting to meet them at the convention also.

Okay, so the authors are cool and all... but you know what gets me even more excited for this August? The fact that I will FINALLY be going to NOLA! The hotel is in the French Quarter, on Bourbon Street, and all the attendees got a great deal for the hotel.

I plan on stuffing my face with Karen from For What It's Worth, meeting some great authors and bloggers--finally!--stuffing my face, laying out by the pool area, stuffing my face, and exploring New Orleans.

Also, I got asked to be a presenter for the Bookie Awards, so I'm sure everyone I know will be laughing at me as I do that. I'll be that crazy girl up on the stage with a shot of tequila saying she's the book faery.

Maybe I should wear a pair of wings.

As you can see, I'm super excited about August, and I plan on doing a few book giveaways when I get back. It will also be the vacation I so desperately need after a long, long year and a half of college classes non-stop (if you've been wondering why I'm so scarce as of late, it's because I'm taking an accelerated Nutrition and Anatomy & Physiology class at the same time...gah!). I'll try to remember to take some pictures, and I'll definitely be tweeting to you guys.

I can't wait to meet those of you who are going! :)

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: PJ Schnyder

I've never been to New Orleans before, so I was ecstatic when the announcement for the location of Authors After Dark 2012 came out. Not only is the convention hotel in the French Quarter, but it's right on Bourbon Street.

If at any time, you can't find me scampering around Authors After Dark, I might be out getting a taste of New Orleans cooking. If there's one thing I love to explore about any city, it's the food. I'm dying to try a good gumbo, maybe some crawfish etouffee and I absolutely plan to seek out fresh beignets!

Food, and my love for it, finds its way into my stories too. Mackenzie of Heart's Sentinel explores the dining hall of the River Gap Pride and even cooks in Adam's kitchen to keep herself busy and her mind off dark fears. 

Carri enjoys lunch baskets, BBQ and decadent desserts in Red's Wolf.

While I've been working on the next book in the Terra's Guardians series, apple pie has come up more than once. LOL.

There's something about the sight, the wonderful smell and the fantastic taste of food that makes every image come to life. New Orleans will be a memorable city, both for the great experience of meeting readers at Authors After Dark and the epic foodie adventure!

Visit PJ on her blog: http://pjschnyder.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/pjschnyder

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pjschnyder

I'd like to offer a free ecopy of Heart's Sentinel. To enter, leave a comment and answer this question:
   When you visit a new city, what's your favorite thing to explore?

Add this book to your Goodreads shelf.

Born human, Mackenzie never wanted to be a shapeshifter. After a shifter stalks and brutally Changes her, she runs to the jaguars of River Gap pride for protection from the stalker still searching for her, to come to terms with the attack and learn to control her new, powerful cougar body.

Adam, a River Gap Sentinel, is assigned as her guard and mentor. Well aware of his strength and how new she is the shapeshifter world, he holds himself back from the flames of primal desire she ignites. But, to survive the stalker, they both need to first battle their pasts and learn what it truly means to be the sentinels of each other’s hearts.

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Bronwyn Green

First off, thank you so much for having me!

I can’t believe that in three ridiculously short months, I’ll actually be in New Orleans. I love history and NOLA is one of those places I’ve always wanted to go. The fact that Authors After Dark, favorite conference, is being held there is just a huge pile of whipped cream on an already freaking awesome pie.

I suppose before I get all gushy, I should introduce myself. My name is Bronwyn Green, and I write erotic romance. Mostly paranormal erotic romance, though I do have the odd contemporary or historical floating around.

My favorite characters tend to be faeries, witches, ghosts and shifters – along with the occasional time traveling knight thrown in for good measure. I love the idea of the mundane world we live in colliding with magic and the supernatural. And of course, I’m all about the hot. The hotter the better, really.

But back to NOLA, for a minute (I know, I’m like an ADHD toddler on speed some days…) I can’t wait to get out and see all the historic sites – I’m especially interested in checking out the old graveyards. And I’m dying to visit some Bourbon Street psychics. And bars. I may need them after seeing the psychics!

And I hope that all of you who are coming to AAD will come to the Resplendence Publishing Karaoke Party! We’ll not only be having a crazy good time, but will also be giving away a brand new iPad along with the winners’ choice of a pile of ebooks from all of the participating authors. We’ll also be giving away a bunch of print books and other goodies!

And as a thank you for stopping by and reading, I’m giving away (two single author) books from my backlist, so please leave your email address. And if you’re coming to AAD NOLA, please come say hi. Heck, even if you’re not, come say hi on Twitter or Facebook! I love to chat!

You can find me at:

http://bronwyngreen.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/Bronwyn_Green
http://bronwyngreenblog.blogspot.com/
http://pinterest.com/bronwyn_green/
bronwyn@bronwyngreen.com

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Jaye Wells

The St. Charles Streetcar
By Jaye Wells


If you’ve ever been to New Orleans, chances are good you’re familiar with the St. Charles streetcar. It runs from Canal Street deep into the heart of the Garden District. Tickets are cheap and it’s a great way to see some of the city’s landmarks without wearing out your feet.  
 
For more than 150 years, the streetcars have run the same route—past Lee Circle, Loyola, Tulane, Audubon Park, and many other landmarks of the Garden District and Riverbend.   
 
There’s something both charming and anachronistic about a streetcar in today’s society. It’s not a high-speed train—you don’t get anywhere fast. There’s no air conditioning and the windows are old and quite often stuck. I guess it’s sort of like a time machine back to an era when everyone wasn’t in such a hurry and took time to enjoy the scenery. 
 
In my book, GREEN-EYED DEMON, the characters use the streetcar to get around sometimes, but no major scenes took place on one. So when it was time for the characters to revisit New Orleans at the beginning of BLUE-BLOODED VAMP, I knew the perfect setting for the first scene. 

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter One of BLUE-BLOODED VAMP (out June 1):

The streetcar’s wheels hissed against their tracks, signaling a stop. Frowning, I squinted out the windows, trying to see how many more until we reached First. But the trolley hadn’t stopped at an intersection. Instead, it had squealed to a halt in the middle of the grassy median that held the tracks. I looked around to check if any of the other passengers had pulled the emergency stop cord.

The birthmark on my left shoulder suddenly itched and burned, like a warning. That’s when I realized all the other passengers were unnaturally still. Two old ladies near the front leaned toward each other with their mouths open. One had a hand raised in midair to make a point, but it didn’t move.

My gaze swiveled toward Adam. His head was bowed like a man at prayer. His hand was still on my thigh, but he wasn’t moving either.

I shook his shoulder. “Adam?” I whispered.

Nothing. I waved a hand under his face.

Nothing.

“Shit.” I turned and looked at the other passengers—the middle-aged dude with his much-younger mistress, the gangly teen with headphones glued to his ears, even the streetcar operator—everyone, frozen. A quick glance outside the windows revealed that every car and body on the street had gone still as well. It was as if someone had hit a universal pause button.

So why was I still mobile?

I’m incredibly excited that I get to incorporate the streetcar into the tour I’ve put together for AAD NOLA this summer. We’ll ride the streetcar into the Garden District and visit several real settings that appear in the Sabina Kane series. It’s going to be a blast!


About Jaye:
After several years as a magazine editor and freelance writer, Jaye Wells finally decided to leave the facts behind and make up her own reality. Her overactive imagination and life-long fascination with the arcane and freakish blended nicely with this new career path. Her Sabina Kane urban fantasy series is a blend of dark themes, grave stakes and wicked humor. Jaye lives in Texas with her saintly husband and devilish son. For more about her books, please visit her web site. Also find Jaye on Twitter and Facebook.

The epic conclusion to the amazing Sabina Kane urban fantasy series.

Sabina Kane is on the hunt. Her prey: Cain, the father of the vampire race and the one who murdered her family and her friends. Unfortunately, Cain is hunting Sabina, too.

The one man who holds the key to defeating Cain is, of course, Abel. A mage with secrets to spare and, hopefully, the power to match it. Unfortunately, for Sabina, he's in Rome and may not want to be found.

Sabina sets out for Italy with her friends, Giguhl and Adam Lazarus, to track down the only man who can get her the revenge she hungers for. But will he help her or oppose her? And just who is Abel, really? Worst of all, when Sabina figures out the goddess Lilith has a plan for her-she realizes this trip is getting deadlier by the minute. As they say: when in Rome-SURVIVE.

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Melissa Schroeder

When Brandy Walker, my personal assistant, and I went to Hawaii, I took a side trip up to the North Shore and spent some time with the hero of my newest release, A Little Harmless Fascination. Conner Dillon made an appearance in A Little Harmless Lie as the former FBI agent who had been looking for Dee for years. In ALH Fascination, we find our former agent, now security specialist, at a crossroads in his own life. Ordered to take a rest after a visit to the ER, Conner begrudgingly goes to
Hawaii. Of course, by the time I meet him, he is happily settled into the Hawaiian lifestyle.

He’s not a huge man, although he is tall with a swimmer’s build. It is hard to miss the lean, sculpted muscles mainly because the man meets me wearing a tank top and a pair of board shorts. He looks just as good in that as he probably did in the power suits he used to wear. The steel grey eyes were shaded with sunglasses the moment we stepped outside, but he didn’t put on any shoes.

We are sitting on the Lanai that overlooks a tiny bit of a beach. The house itself is small but situated in an area I personally love. You get a great view of the mountains along with the ocean. Jillian made us lava flows and then retreated back into the house to write. She’s an author on deadline, so I know better than to mess with her.

MEL: Thanks so much for having me over today. Brandy and I were thrilled that you could make time.

CONNER: smiles First of all I am lucky that I have little to do these days. I still keep in touch with the business, but I don’t feel the need to know every little thing that is going on. That’s nice. Plus, it’s my favorite time of the day right now. Tide is rising, there are some surfers out, and the breeze is nice. Speaking of we, where did Brandy go?

MEL: I laugh. She got her lava flow and headed over to talk to Adam and Mick. She has her own bike so she wanted to chat a bit about that. So, I guess we should get down to the interview just in case Jillian wants to do something tonight.

CONNER: She’s in a zone. I won’t see her for a while. In fact, there is a good chance I will be in bed for her which is always a sad thing.

MEL: So, you came over here to relax, then you got involved with Jillian. Other than the obvious, Jillian, what are the other things that make you want to live here?

CONNER: I would have never thought I would say this, but the slower pace of life is the thing I like the best.

MEL: So, you were sick of the rat race?

CONNER: Now sure if I was sick of it, or it just made me sick. I lived it for so long it was just part of my life. Shrugs. It wasn’t until I came here that I knew what I was looking for something different.

MEL: What are some of the other reasons?

CONNER: I have friends here. Micah and Dee, and to an extent, the Aiona and Duprees are now regular visitors. And Maria Carino, formerly Callahan, is here too. Her father trained me and I trained her so we’ve known each other a long time. It was good to reconnect.

MEL: So onto the really personal stuff. You’re a Dom.

He nods and takes a drink.

MEL: There has been much talk of BDSM in the media as if it is new or new to the romance book scene. But, as someone pointed out, much of the discussion is from the female point of view. For you, what do you get out of your lifestyle?

CONNER: It isn’t that I can pinpoint things and say exactly what I get because like every one else, each relationship is different. When I started out years ago, it was to gain some control. I used to have an issue with my temper when I was younger. Not with women, but in sports, work, etc. If I wanted to be an agent, I had to gain some control over that. And from that, I started researching BDSM. It wasn’t something I just fell into. I started getting interested when I realized I liked to control things, then it opened a whole new world to me.

MEL: So, what does it do for you a Dom? I understand the side of the submissive, and I am sure a lot of my readers do. But, since it has been ignored a bit, can you tell us what you gain from the experience as the Dominant.

CONNER: For me, it is a connection that cannot be beat. These days, everyone talks about love and trust. Personally, I don’t think you can have love without the trust. If you don’t, it seems warped in some way. How can you truly say you love someone but don’t trust them? With BDSM, from the Dom point of view, this just takes it to another level. A sub has to really trust the person he or she is with to allow them that control. This sub is giving you a gift their pleasure. There are different levels with different people just like other relationships. It is when you know you have that true connection, when everything is for you to take, and to give back, that you can get that true connection. It doesn’t happen that often.

MEL: And other than Jillian, have you had that connection with anyone else.

CONNER: No.

MEL: There has been much talk about this in the media that being a submissive means they give up complete control so that the submissive is lesser and that putting women in that position you leave them vulnerable for abuse.

CONNER: A person, because not all submissives are women, in that position actually has more power than most people give think. A good Dom knows how to push their sub to the limits, but it is the sub who ultimately can hold back the control. That person has to trust his or her Dom to give over that control. For people who live in the life, that is the ultimate goal—to have a perfect balance between the Dom and sub.

Before I can respond to that, the sliding glass door opened behind me and Jillian steps out.

CONNER: Hey, babe, all done?

JILLIAN: Sure enough. I was thinking I was in the mood for some fish tacos. Do you and Brandy want to come?

MEL: We have a luau to get to and looking at the time, I will need to tear her away from Adam and Mick if we can get back to Honolulu in time.

Ten minutes later, I am pulling out of the small driveway so that Brandy and I can make it to our Luau happy to have enjoyed a small glimpse into the happiness that Conner and Jillian now share.


Melissa is the author of over thirty five books in the last eight years. She spends her days complaining about bugs and the heat and dreams of her husband’s Air Force retirement in the cool Northwest. She loves to interact with readers and she can be found all over the place. Her next release is Possession, the second of book of the Harmless spinoff A Little Harmless Military Romance series.

WEBSITE
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HARMLESS ADDICTS




Conner and Jillian’s story is now out in digital!

AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
ARe
SMASHWORDS

Wanting her isn't smart, seducing her is inevitable, but falling in love with her could be downright deadly for both of them.

A Little Harmless Fascination
Harmless Book 7

Security expert Conner Dillon isn’t a man who often takes a vacation. So when he is ordered to take a month off and his sister insists on a trip to Hawaii, he isn’t very happy. But, after seeing his landlady Jillian Sawyer again, he might just find something—or someone—to occupy his time.

For years, Jillian has always had a crush on Conner. Now an erotic romance author with a thing for Doms, she finds herself beyond intrigued by the man. He is good to the core, but there is something else darker in him that calls to her.

After one night in bed, they both find themselves addicted. In Jillian, Conner has found the perfect sub…and in him she finds someone she can trust. Falling in love isn’t what they expected, but walking away is impossible—especially when they realize someone wants Jillian dead.

WARNING this book contains the following: An uptight security expert who prefers schedules, a romance writer who does not, tattoos, a trip to the Aloha Swap Meet, two hunky neighbors who irritate our hero, Hawaiian scenes, and of course this would not be a Harmless book without a trip to Rough 'n Ready. Ice is recommended as any Harmless Addict will tell you, but the author takes no responsibility if a reader should become overheated. Read at your own risk.

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Eliza Gayle

Hi there! My name is Eliza Gayle and I write shapeshifters and BDSM romance…. Mostly. Sometimes I step outside the imaginary box and drift into my world of fae, the witches I adore, and the occasional vampire. Give me a minute and I’ll probably try something else.

I occasionally even thrown in some erotica, but more often than not it ends up turning romantic. The one common denominator in all of my genres is my love to write HOT. I learned a long time ago to write what I most loved to read and more often than not you’ll find an erotic romance on my iPad or nook.

I love the challenge of recreating sexual tension and chemistry between the characters after every love scene until the attraction is palpable and your ereader is threatening to combust. Yeah, that kind of heat.

My latest release is Vampire Awakening and there isn’t much more I find sexy than an alpha male Vamp. Except maybe an alpha male cowboy vamp. ;) Yes, it’s true Caleb is an uber sexy southern cowboy.

While vampires are often written at all different heat levels, I happen to think sex and these night creatures go hand in hand. If not for that sexy aura and irresistible alluring charm they’d probably just be another monster hiding in the dark. (In my mind all vampires should be like Eric in True Blood. Of course, I’m only a tad bit biased.)

In Vampire Awakening, Caleb meets sexy waitress and singer, Abby and is mesmerized by everything about it. He might be on a mission but his end game is all about the woman he must have. Go get her Caleb!

The truth may set her free but there's no guarantee she'll recover.

Abby Douglas has lived in the dark for six months. Until a mysterious package and a voice in a dream spark a chain of events she didn't see coming. To futher complicate matters, a lethally stunning stranger walks into her life and awakens erotic needs inside her that run deep. Now she has to decide how much she'll give up to unlock her memories.

Caleb Barrett, a vampire on a mission, pursues Abby while on the hunt for a homicidal vampire. Instead he's captured by a silken voice and haunting eyes that stir an insatiable hunger. An instant connection is forged and Caleb marks her as his own with no intention of letting her go. When she runs from him all bets are off and this dead sexy cowboy will do whatever it takes to find out what secrets her mind harbors before it's too late. Rules or no rules.

Suddenly being careful what you wish for is more than just another cliché, it's life or death.

This books contains one sexy as sin, motorcycle riding, black leather wearing vampire with a two track mind. Sex and blood.

For more about Eliza’s books, including free reads and excerpts, visit her website at
http://elizagayle.net

You can also follow her on Twitter @elizagaylebooks or on Facebook where she spends way too much time procrastinating. http://www.facebook.com/AuthorElizaGayle



Giveaway

Eliza is offering one lucky winner a print or ebook copy of her novel, BOUND MY MAGICK! In order to enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post and provide your email address so we can contact you at the end of the giveaway :) 

In Eliza Gayle's thrilling Pentacles of Magick series, four alpha male witches are bound by magick and a dark curse destined to destroy their souls. When the woman they've been taught to fear enters their lives, the brothers are forced to face the truth--all of it.

Amidst seduction, lies, betrayal, and powerful magick a quest begins to find four women, all born on the same day before it's too late.

The clock is ticking...

This 4 in 1 anthology includes Untamed Magick, Magick Ignited, Force of Magick, and Magick Provoked.

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Jae Lynne Davies

The Challenges of Writing from the Antagonist’s POV
by Jae Lynne Davies


While I wrap up final edits on Blood Moon, the second installment in my Mythic series, I’ve been doing a bit of reflecting.

I’ll begin this post by stating a hard fact: Writing a story isn’t easy. Sure we can outline to our heart’s content, but once the process begins, the creative muse might just have a few tricks up her sleeve. The story often takes a few different paths on the way to completion and there are days where creativity doesn’t flow as well as others. But what I found most exciting during my process, were the challenges I faced while writing my villains.

I enjoy villains, maybe a smidge more than the hero or heroine because of the character complexities and the fact I can make him or her as diabolical as I’d like. The canvas for my villains is clear. There are little rules or boundaries, provided the character fits the storyline, and with no rules…Game on.

Throughout the process, I explored a wicked side of life where inhibitions aren’t a factor and a conscience is practically obsolete, but not without challenges. Once you cross a line with the villain, where is the point of no return? Did I make him evil enough? These are questions I asked myself constantly throughout the story. This is where I trust the reader.

The antagonists that really heat my blood are those redeemable bad boys or the anti-hero. There’s something irresistible and incredibly sexy about bad boys who are evil for a reason, a conflict of epic proportion that can be overcome in a subsequent story with a heroine that suits him and makes him want to be a better man. But the fact remains clear that he’ll always have an edge about him, regardless of the HEA. And I’m willing to bet I’m not alone in my attraction to villains.

In my own personal writing experience, the antagonist’s passion is conveyed through a massive display of power and undeniably hot love scenes. At every turn, I’ve experienced a good amount of difficulty creating a villain who couldn’t be redeemed. I feel they all deserve a chance to be heard, for the layers to be peeled away to unveil a glorious revelation with a ‘wow’ factor that’s out of this world.

For example, in my latest novel, Blood Moon, we see vampire Dante Diakos rise to power and claim his birthright by invoking the power of the Greek pantheon on the summit of Mount Olympus. Once the ritual is complete, Dante will be the most powerful being on earth. Tunnel vision drives him to the brink of madness and while his motivation seems irrational to others, he has his reasons that lead to some of the most passionate moments I’ve ever penned.

Dante has been an absolute pleasure to write as I explore the depths of what makes the villain tick and I certainly hope to explore the matter further as my craft continues to improve and I grow as an author.

My question to all of you, is how evil do you like your villains? Do you enjoy those irreprehensible characters who deserve to be blasted into the outer reaches of the universe, never to be heard from again? Or do you prefer the redeemable bad boy with a large heart and a huge…attitude?

I want to thank the lovely, Tori for inviting me to her blog today. I had a wonderful time being here and hope to see a few of you at AAD in August. Happy Reading!


Jae Lynne Davies is a wife, mother and author who wishes there were more hours in a day to balance all three and her full-time job, but whenever she finds a spare moment, you’ll find her sitting in front of her laptop typing the next chapter! Jae Lynne currently resides in the suburbs of Philadelphia with her husband and two children.

To learn more about Jae Lynne and her work, please visit her website: http://www.jaelynnedavies.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Jae-Lynne-Davies/100001587731488

Twitter: http://twitter.com/JaeLynneDavies

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jaelynnedavies

Mythic is available online at: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jae+lynne+davies&sprefix=jae+lynne%2Caps%2C181

Centuries after the death of her family, human/vampire hybrid, Gianna Marino is determined to shed the blood of the vampire responsible.

Disguising herself as a human wanting to be turned, she infiltrates the enemy’s coven with the hope of bending him to her will and destroying him from the inside.

But when a handsome stranger enters the scene and is lured into their seductive game that results in a heated love triangle, she discovers a secret that blurs the lines between good and evil, forever changing the course of her existence, and destiny will soon determine on which side she’ll stand.

Giveaway

Want to win an e-book copy of Mythic? All you have to do is leave a comment answering Jae's question at the end of her guest post!

• Open internationally.
• Leave an email address so we can contact you if you win.

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 21^st at noon EST. So if your considering attending, keep that date handy. We will sell out.

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.

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 . . .

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 Café 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.

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

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Lia Habel

by Lia Habel
     

Thank you so much for the opportunity to write a guest post! After writing a treatise about part of my book and scrapping it, I’ve decided that what I really ought to talk about is love – because that’s what we’re all going to AAD for, right? Besides, the topic of zombie love never gets old (although it may rot and fall apart).

I’ve been asked many times why I chose to go with zombies for my romantic heroes, and I’ve given many answers – that I just like zombies, that the entire thing started as a joke, that I wanted to tackle a monster that would probably be a challenge to sell to other people. Ultimately I think it’s that final answer that lands closest to the mark. Somewhere in childhood I picked up an aversion to handsome princes and a love for all things ugly, exotic, and “normality challenged.” I wanted to slap Christine Daae for picking Raoul over the Phantom; I wanted the cursed prince to change back into a beast; I demanded a girlfriend for the Gill-man. I think as a little girl I somehow got the impression that the handsome, dashing heroes in my storybooks were fine, and didn’t need my name to pad their already miles-long fan rosters – whereas the lonely monsters, on the other hand, desperately needed at least one person in their corner. This is probably a form of narcissism masquerading as selflessness, but nevertheless, I’ve always sided with the weird. And zombies are no exception.

Zombies are perennially interesting monsters because they’re not monsters at all – they’re fully human, just with slightly different “proclivities” and a whole truckload of additional limitations. A body in a coffin doesn’t stop being human just because it’s gone stiff as a board, after all. Zombies are people too, to put it in bumper sticker language. (http://www.cafepress.com/+zombies_are_people_too_sticker_oval,89872235) This is what makes them both terrifying and tragic, and such great metaphor fodder. When I began writing, though, I knew I didn’t want to approach them from that “tragic” angle – I’d had it up to my ears with brooding paranormal heroes, and I wanted to try a different approach. Therefore I set out to emphasize their humanity, their ordinariness, and their strength.

I have many nicknames for my lead zombie guy, Bram, among them “the undead Marine” and “the white-hatted cowboy.” Because he was the main vehicle through which the reader would hopefully come to sympathize with the undead, I knew the focus had to be less on his physical attractiveness (although he’s not entirely unfortunate in that regard), and more on his personality and heart. Thus I chose to make him A Good Guy, a young man imbued with nobility, honesty, patience, intelligence, and sensitivity. He can kick ass when he has to – and oh, does he kick ass – but he also has a softer side. If he’s showing teeth, it’s usually because he’s smiling. I wanted readers to see that and realize that just because he has a rare and debilitating condition, just because he’s destined to turn into the stuff of nightmares, doesn’t mean he’s evil or inherently unlovable. If nothing else, I wanted readers to have to wait until they had a solid excuse to want to run away from him. In time, they might get it. But not yet.

Some people seem to think that the hardest part of my job as a writer is building my zombies into likable, even crushable characters – but actually, that’s the easiest part! The way to sell zombies as love interests, partners, and friends – the way to sell any type of monster, really – is to address the superficial stuff head on, and then delve deeper. In order to capture the popular imagination, I think monsters need to step up, own how different they are, and then get on with life. Luckily this disarming “take me as I am” attitude is one I find extremely easy to adopt when getting into the heads of my zombies, as after you’ve died, you really have very little to lose. Because what’s the worst that could happen – someone kills you again?

The best part of this entire exercise – and I still consider becoming an author an extremely weird, albeit happy accident – is the fact that I’m able to create characters that essentially have nothing except their wits and their guts to help them gain public attention and acceptance. They’re not beautiful, spectacular, or mystically-powered. They’re just dead bodies that refuse to lie down, dead bodies with amazing stories to tell. I’m so grateful for the chance to share those stories, and to show the world how I’ve viewed monsters since I was a child.

Lia Habel was born in Jamestown, NY, and has lived there the majority of her life. Her first book, Dearly, Departed, is a sweeping tale of zombie-living romance set in a cyber-Victorian/steampunk future. When Dearly, Departed sold, Lia was swimming in debt incurred from her studies and years of un- and underemployment, with only a few dollars to her name. Miss Habel enjoys attending anachronistic and steampunk events, watching zombie movies (she has watched over a hundred of them), commissioning ball gowns, and collecting Victorian and Edwardian books. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunities she has recently been given.

www.liahabel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lia-Habel/163950880328231
@liahabel




Read Tori's review of Dearly, Departed.
Read Amanda's review of Dearly, Departed.

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Kelly Gay

Hi Tori and Book Faery Readers! 

I’m sitting on my back porch with my laptop enjoying perfect weather and thinking about AAD 2012 and New Orleans. This will be my first AAD, and my first con in a long, long time, so I’m really looking forward to getting out, meeting readers and authors and book lovers.

I’ll be attending AAD as two people: Kelly Gay and Kelly Keaton -- crazy split personality that I am. ;-) Most people probably know me best as Kelly Gay (urban fantasy author of the Charlie Madigan series), but I also write YA as Kelly Keaton. And I’m super excited to bring my YA persona to AAD NOLA because not only do I adore the city of New Orleans, but it’s the setting for my YA novels, DARKNESS BECOMES HER and A BEAUTIFUL EVIL.

I have always wanted to set a story in NOLA, but never felt I had the right combination of character, time, and genres to do it justice until I saw my character, Ari, standing on a dark street in the Garden District, the live oaks behind her with their twisted limbs draped in ghostly Spanish moss, and the mansions lining the street all abandoned and beautiful and rotting away.

Wait. Rotting?

Yep. See, I wanted to take all the Old World feel of the city and build on it, make it darker, creepier, more dangerous and gothic. So I created a future version of the city, a semi-post apocalyptic/southern gothic/mythology-inspired/paranormal romance mash-up (told you I was crazy). In my world, the city was sold off by the government and is now owned and run by the oldest and strangest families in the city. It’s become a haven for the supernatural – both good and evil.

I hope through the books to introduce NOLA to those who’ve never been there or read about it before, or to bring back fond memories of their time there. For me, writing about the city was my way of paying homage to a great, historic, vibrant, resilient city. And the people, the food – don’t get me started. Love!

I cannot wait to be there again in August. The con is going to be a blast, and I’m so looking forward to meeting everyone!

~ Kelly 
Website
Blog
Facebook
@kellyhgay

AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Stacey Kennedy

Big thanks for having me by today! Authors After Dark is approaching quickly and am I the only one who is so excited?!

I’m a huge paranormal fan. I guess that’s a given considering I write supernaturals. But I LOVE that AAD has included events like the vampire tour. I have no idea what to expect on a tour such as this, but I can hardly wait to find out! I imagine that some of it might be slightly amusing and I’ll have a good laugh. Maybe I’ll find it somewhat scary since I’m a big wimp, and I imagine that I’ll learn a thing or two. Regardless of that stuff, it’s a great way to see New Orleans too, and since I’ve never been I’m looking forward to it!!

Now I’m pretty big on ghosts too and find it all interesting, so even though it’s not part of AAD, I plan on doing one of the ghost tours. This, I imagine will probably scare me silly, and I’ll be glancing over my shoulder wondering if there’s a ghost there, because yes, I’ll freak myself out! Seeing that the tour goes to places that have documented hauntings that alone has me scared and rethinking my idea of doing a tour like this, but will I go? Yes, I will!!

I find the idea of ghosts just neat, which is exactly why I write about them. To be honest, I’ve never actually been in a place that has had ghosts in it. Sure, I watch television shows, but who knows if those are real. And who knows if any places on this tour actually have ghosts there. But I’ll tell you this, I’m such a chicken that I will no doubt believe it, and will be attached to someone’s arm if we journey into a dark place.

And the best part about both of these tours is they end at bar!! Yes, sounds like a pretty great night to me!!

I’m really looking forward to AAD and I can’t wait to finally meet everyone that I’ve gotten to know through the internet! It’s going to be a great time!!

~*~

In thanks for stopping by and chatting today, I’m offering up one ebook from my backlist (international). Leave your email address with your comment to be entered. Don’t forget to come find me on Facebook and Twitter. I love to chat!!

Ghosts harass and annoy Tess Jennings to save their souls. Sometimes she helps them. Other times she ignores them. But one ghost will give her no choice.

Kipp McGowen, a cop with the Memphis Police Department, will stop at nothing to gain her help, including using his ghostly charms to seduce her.

Tess must help solve the five year old cold case of Hannah Reid, because solving the case will save Kipp. But a bigger problem presents itself. Tess is falling in love with a ghost. Now she must decide. Keep Kipp forever or find the killer…

WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER

BUY LINK

~*~

EXCERPT:

Copyright © STACEY KENNEDY, 2011
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

An icy wisp of air swept in behind me, causing my heel to twist as I stumbled. To the other pedestrians striding along the downtown Memphis street, the sensation would be brushed off as a cold breeze.

They were wrong. A spirit lingered here.

“Can you hear me?”

From the intrigue rolling in his voice, he hadn’t expected me to acknowledge him. Shit! I’d already given myself away. A mistake I’d rectify.

Without hesitation, I righted my stance and strode forward with purpose, forcing myself to remain deaf to the voice. If I ignored ghosts long enough, they moved on and searched out someone else who held the same irritating ability, whom I had yet to meet.

Much to my annoyance, the ghost stayed right on my heels and his presence remained strong behind me. The cold air at my back remained a contrast to the warm morning air in front of me. Every hair on my neck stood up and goose bumps pimpled a trail along my skin. If only I could rub them away, but I didn’t dare. Ignoring him would make him go away.

“You can hear me, can’t you?” the ghost asked again.

Spirits were typically harmless, but annoying. I’m dead, what’s going on, why am I a ghost—yada, yada, yada. I quickened my steps and made my way down Peabody Place in hopes he’d leave me alone.

“Wait.”

He sounded desperate, which meant a big headache for me. If I hadn’t worn my damn slingbacks, I would’ve tried to run and hide. But the three-inch Manolos and the tight, tailored gray skirt restrained my movements.

I passed Miss Polly’s Soul Food Café, and the delicious aroma of bacon and eggs drifted along the air. My empty stomach complained. My only thought after I woke had been caffeine. Now I wished I’d grabbed a muffin with my latté at Starbucks. With ten minutes to get to my desk, I couldn’t worry about such things.

My boss, Event Manager Dylan Cobb, would hand me my ass if I stepped into the office a minute late. Sadly, there’d never been a day I didn’t cater to his every need.

I approached Beale Street and sighed in relief, relishing the warmth surrounding me. Not only from the sun above—the spirit’s cold presence at my back had vanished. Pleased my dodge of him had worked, I took a sip of my energy in a cup and smiled. Coffee’s fantastic, the ghost is gone—life is good.

Another block passed under my heels before I reached the historical red-brick building. Randall Marketing, written in black block letters, decorated the striped green-and-white awning.

I opened the door to the office and strode in, greeted by a bubbly voice. “Good morning, Tess.”

“Mornin’.”

“Give me a moment here.” Doris shuffled paperwork around her desk, her auburn curls bouncing on her shoulders. The receptionist had always been messy, yet somehow organized. “There were a few messages on the voicemail for you.” She raised her head and held out the pink slips of paper. “A lovely day today, is it not?”

“Sure is.” So I lied. The ghost hadn’t kicked off my day on a high note. Not as if I’d tell her about my interaction with spirits. My ability to converse with spirits remained on a need-to-know basis, and as far as it concerned me, no one needed to know. I grabbed the messages from her hand. “Did your weekend treat you good?”

“I spent the entire weekend knee-deep in my garden.” Her cocoa-colored eyes lit up. “My best year ever, I’m hoping. You’ll have to come out and have a look-see.”

“I’d love to.” Doris treasured her gardens, so I tried to appear interested, even though my green thumb looked black.

Her smile brightened, but when the phone rang, she waved a goodbye and answered the call. “It’s another beautiful day here at Randall Marketing, how may I direct your call?”

Leaving her behind, I strode down the hall toward my office and sipped my coffee. The warmth slid down my throat and provided an immediate rush to my energy levels. At the third door on the right, I entered my bleak workspace with its pale-blue walls, closed the door behind me and approached the desk. I dropped down into the black leather chair and flipped through the messages. None were urgent enough to worry about now.

I powered up my computer, but a knock at the door had me glancing up. Before I got a word out, the door swished open and I cringed, fully aware of the looming trouble.

Caley, the officer manager and my best friend since the age of four, looked like a typical Barbie. Perfect skin, long flowing blonde hair and a body men drooled over. I might have been jealous of her perfection since I couldn’t pull off her looks even with a makeover—so maybe a little envious—but her appearance had always been a front. She was the devil in disguise.

She scowled, shutting the door behind her with a slam. “Do you mind explaining where you were all weekend?”

“At home.” I batted my lashes. “Why? Did you try to call me?”

She pointed her finger, narrowing her eyes at me. “Don’t you try that shit on me. I called you all weekend and your phone went straight to voicemail.”

“Hmm…” I pretended to ponder. “The battery must have died.” She had enough gall to just come over, but the little hint had been a subtle way of telling Caley to leave me alone.

“Liar.” She plopped down in the seat across from my desk. “Where were you? I wanted to go out.”

“Nowhere. Honestly, I vegged on the couch.”

Caley snorted. “You lead such an exciting life.”

My mouth parted to offer a snappy retort, but a cold wisp of air brushed across my skin, causing my lips to snap shut. Damn! I thought I’d got rid of him.

“Hello.” Caley snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Leave the aliens behind and return to Mother Earth.”

I blinked, trying to force my attention back to her, yet failing. The ghost knelt right beside Caley—not kneeling, of course; more like floating, since ghosts were never able to obtain physical contact with the world around them—and my focus held strong on him, unable to stop myself from ogling. He stared intently, with one crystal-blue eye, while the other was a chocolate color. His strong jaw, the muscles clenching along his cheeks, all spoke of power. But as he ran his hand through his untidy sandy-colored hair, his expression showed playfulness. His black tank top left his arms exposed and muscles upon muscles layered those arms.

“Anyways,” she said, dragging my gaze back to her. “I had to go out with Susanne because you left me high and dry.”

I laughed. Caley’s horny, twenty-year-old stepsister had the body that men chased after. “You did have the option to stay home, you know.”

Her eyes widened. “On a Saturday night?”

“Yeah, you know, get some popcorn, watch a movie and relax.”

She frowned. “If you don’t stop your grandma behavior, your va-jay-jay is going to shrivel up and die.”

The ghost chuckled.

His smooth laugh hit me like a cup of warm cocoa, causing my insides to melt. Nothing amused me. First off, Caley had been so wrong—maybe a little right—but I’d never admit to her accuracy aloud. Second, reacting in such a heated way to a ghost definitely didn’t hit my to-do list today.

“Excuse me.” I spoke not only to Caley, but also to the irritating ghost. “My va-jay-jay is just fine.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear you’ve still got some spunk.” She stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Because we’ve got a double date tonight.”

“A what?” Dear God!

She grinned from ear to ear. “Yes, my dearest Grammy, we’re going out.”

“With who?”

“Two guys I met on Saturday night. You’re coming with me, either willingly or unwillingly, so suck up your hesitations, babe, because saying no isn’t an option.”

“But it’s a Monday night.” Not saying a date didn’t sound like fun. A month had passed since my last attempt at dating—which failed miserably—but a man Caley chose while drunk? No thanks. My sex life might have been as dead as the sexy ghost in front of me, but I’d still search for a way out. “I have to work tomorrow.”

She wagged her finger in classic Caley fashion. “You’re a grandma.”

Most times, I respected her persistent personality. She never backed down, always dreamed big and went for the gold, but her grit hadn’t been all rays of sunshine. Her determination made her annoyingly tenacious. I had to agree or she’d never give up, and getting her out of my office sounded all too good. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“Oh, stop looking so pissy. We’ll have fun. Promise. I’ll come to your place at eight.” She opened the door, glanced over her shoulder and winked. “Leave the granny panties at home.”



Stacey Kennedy’s novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you’ll find fast paced action, life threatening moments and a big bad villain that needs to be destroyed. Her urban fantasy/paranormal and erotic romance series have hit Amazon Kindle and All Romance Ebooks Bestseller lists. If she isn’t plugging away at her next novel, tending to her two little ones, she’s got her nose deep in a good book. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband.

Be sure to drop her a line at www.staceykennedy.com, she loves to hear from her readers.