Urban Fantasy Weekend Report

INTERVIEWS and EVENTS at SciFiGuy.ca: 

Posting this report a little later than usual today. It's been one of those weeks. Contests wrapping up here shortly include "The Gathering Storm for The Dame Sasha Giveaway" and the "Bitter Night" by Diana Pharaoh Francis giveaway. Both close at Midnight on Monday. And of course there is the Draw Star Wars®: The Clone Wars™ giveaway.

Guests coming this week include the ever busy Lilith Saintcrow who will be visiting November 18 to discuss not one but two November releases - Betrayals the 2nd book in the Strange Angels YA series and Flesh Circus the 4th Jill Kismet novel. On November 20 my guest will be Claire Delacroix/Deborah Cooke with an interview about her two most recent releases the futuristic urban fantasy Guardian and Winter Kiss, the fourth book in the Dragonfire paranormal romance series.

Remember to check my Author Events and Interviews schedule posted on my left sidebar for the most recent updates.

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AUTHOR and BOOK NEWS:

FREE READS:

• Chapter 1 of the forthcoming Merry Gentry book, Divine Misdeameanors by Laurell K. Hamilton.
• Excerpt from Serpent Moon, the 8th Tales of the Sazi book from C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp. Coming March 2010.
• Excerpts from Chapters 1 & 2 from Blood Song the first book in a new urban fantasy series by C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp
• Nancy Holzner has a snippet from the forthcomiong Deadtown.
• Carrie Vaughn has an excerpt of Chapter 1 of Kitty's House of Horrors.
• Preview of the third book in the The Unbidden Magic young adult series by Marilee Brothers

INTERVIEWS:

• Carole Nelson Douglas (Vampire Sunrise) at VampChix
• Chloe Neill (Friday Night Bites/Firespell) at Dark Faerie Tales
• Diana Pharaoh Francis (Bitter Night) at All Things Urban Fantasy
• Diana Whiteside (Captive Desires) at Silk and Shadows
• Gail Carriger (Soulless) at Vampire Film Festival
• Jackie Kessler at Naughty Editions Reviews and Bookstore
• Judi Fennell (Wild Blue Under) at Fang-tastic Books
• Julie Kenner (Tainted) at Paranormality and SciFiChick.
• Kelly Gay (The Better Part of Darkness) at The League of Reluctant Adults.
• Keri Arthur (Bound to Shadows) at Paranormal Romance
• Lilith Saintcrow (Flesh Circus) at Book Butterfly
• Meredith Woerner (Vampire Taxonomy) at VampChix
• Merline Lovelace (Time Raiders: The Protector) at Paranormal Romance
• Molly Harper (Nice Girls Don't Live Forever) at Vampire Wire
• Nicole Peeler (Tempest Rising) by Jennifer Rardin
• Virginia Kantra (Children of the Sea series) interviews via Romance in the Backset.

Kelly Gay announced that the book following The Better Edge of Darkness will be called The Darkest Edge of Dawn (Aug. 31, 2010).

Bellebooks announced a new urban fantasy series called Skin Dancer.  The first book, Frost Moon, is set in Atlanta with werewolves, vamps, and a coveted tattoo artist who embues her designs with magical powers.

Marta Acosta is in the process of updating her blogs and website and also reports that the 4th Casa Dracula book will be released in October 2010.

Claire Delacroix/Deborah Cooke by Claire reports that Winter Kiss is on the Barnes and Noble romance mass market bestseller list at #18 and on the Borders romance mass market list at #20, for the week ending November 8.

Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh debuts at #8 on the New York Times mass market bestseller list. Me and My Shadow by Katie MacAlister is #9 on the Publishers Weekly list. Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires young adult novel Fade Out listed at #7 on the New York Times Children's Series bestseller list and #105 on the USA Today bestseller list.

On The Edge 2 book by Ilona Andrews now has a title - Bayou Moon. Great title! And Laurell K. Hamilton says the next Anita Blake novel will be titled Bullet (coming next June).

Larissa Ione says - "I'm THRILLED to announce that I've just signed a contract with Kensington to write a paranormal novella to be included in an anthology with Jacquelyn Frank for publication in 2011."

Lisa Shearin announced - "I have another two-book contract with Ace Books for Raine's 5th and 6th adventures."

Ann Aguirre says the final two titles in the Sirantha Jax series will be Aftermath and End Game.The series will wrap up in 2012.

New urban fantasy author Erin Kellison joins the Good Girls Bad Juju group author blog. Erin has a debut novel Shadow Bound coming out next July.

Harlequin announced the launch of a digital only publishing venture called Carina Press headed up by Angela James. More on this from Jaci Burton, Smart Bitches Trashy Books and Dear Author.

C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp have the book blurb for Blood Song -

BLOOD SONG
Book 1 of The Blood Singer

Bodyguard Celia Graves plies her trade in a world where vampires roam the alleys of Tinseltown and movie stars openly practice witchcraft., where streetcorner psychics have real powers and cops use memory enhancement spells on witnesses. Though she’s an ordinary human, Celia uses street smarts and charmed weapons to protect the rich and famous from mortal and supernatural threats.

She’s landed a plum job, protecting the Prince of a small but politically vital nation while he tours Los Angeles’s least savory hot spots. What should be a routine assignment goes badly wrong. Attacked by a master vampire, Celia knows she is about to die.

She’s startled to awaken on a cold metal table in a university lab. Celia Graves has become an Abomination, neither fully mortal nor fully vampire. Her “master” is hunting her, to destroy her or finish what his bite began. She’s accused of murder and the cops aren’t sure whether she should be locked up or staked. And then there’s the demon she glimpsed during the vampire attack . . . .

Struggling to cope with her new powers and trying not to terrify everyone she meets with a flash of fang, Celia reaches out for help from her once (and future?) lover, who is a powerful mage; his warrior-priest brother; a handsome werewolf who keeps his lupine nature concealed from the world; an elderly clairvoyant, and one trustworthy cop.

Celia Graves has three days to save the world, her sanity, and her soul.

J.R. Ward: Behind the Black Dagger Brotherhood at Project Paranormal

Dark Faerie Tales has the scoop that Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty are teaming up as 'Ellen Connor' to write a paranormal apocalyptic action series called The Dark Age Dawning. The first three books in the series are titled to be Nightfall, Midnight and Daybreak.

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CONTESTS:

WORLDWIDE:

RKCharron is running a fab contest for the limited edition version of Under the Dome by Stephen King. Only 25,000 copies printed with a value of $100. Contest is open until November 26.

US and CANADA:

• Vampire Wire has a contest for Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper. Runs through November 22.
• Melissa Marr has updates on several contests for Radiant Shadows, the fourth Wicked Lovely series YA book.
• Sookie Stackhouse boxed set by Charlaine Harris at Mr E s Horror Weblog [via Loving True Blood in Dallas]

CHECK FOR DETAILS:

The next phase of the the 2K Event with Kelly Meding and Kelly Gay is posted. Lots of prizes and fun. 

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MEDIA:

Authors Sound Off:

• Mark del Franco talks V and Flashforward.
• Chris Marie Green comments on Supernatural.

BABBLING ABOUT BOOKS, AND MORE! discusses New Moon Madness and *EW Cover Hotness*

Clash of the Titans Teaser Trailer:


International Trailer for The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold):


Thanks to Catherine Karp at Suburban Vampire for theheads up on Transylmania.

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PROMOTION:

Abigail at All Things Urban Fantasy is running the The 1st Annual Urban Fantasy Cover Art Awards 2009

Nominations will run until November 20th and voting will open up to the public beginning December 1st. Winners will be announced on December 30th.

You can take part in the nominating process if you are either a/an:

• Author/Publisher
• Blog/Site Owner
• Professional in the industry

Nominated books must meet the following eligibility terms:

1. Have been/will be released between January 1st and December 31st of 2009
2. Categorized as Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal YA, or contain paranormal elements

Please nominate one to three books (you may nominate your own work) in the following categories and include the Title and Author of each nominated book. If you know the name of the cover designer please include that as well. You do not need to nominate a book in every category.

Your Name:
Qualification/Site:

CATEGORIES:
Best Foreign (non US) Cover
Best Anthology Cover
Best Partial Body Cover
Best YA Cover
Best Chic-Lit Style Cover
Best Male Only Cover
Best Female Only Cover
Best Duo Cover
Best Male/Female with Animal Cover
Best Floating Head Cover
Most Unique Cover
Best Debut Cover (a new author, or a new series/standalone for an established author)
*Best Covers in a Series (Books published prior to 2009 may be nominated)
*Most Anticipated Cover for 2010 (published between Jan 1st and Dec 31st 2010)

For mor information you can email Abigail at AllThingsUrbanFantasy@gmail.com

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COVERS and ART:

Artist Toni Mauro is interviewed at Nalini Singh's blog (he did her cover for Archangel's Kiss).

Caitlin Kittredge talks about authors and their influence on cover art.

Babbling About Books had an exclusive reveal of the cover for The Darkly Luminous Fight For Persephone Parker, the follow up to The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Percy Parker. The book will be released April 27, 2010

I just love this one. Christopher Moore suggested this just in time for Christmas release.

The snow is falling, the holidays are approaching and . . . It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies! This delightfully depraved book of classic Zombie Christmas carols by Michael P. Spradlin is guaranteed to spread Yuletide cheer to all those good boys and ghouls who devoured the monster New York Times bestsellers Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and World War Z, as well as fans of 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead. With an introduction by the inimitable Christopher Moore-bestselling author of Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck, and the classic "heartwarming tale of Christmas terror" The Stupidest Angel-It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies is a great gift for stuffing into a Christmas stocking . . . provided you remove the bloody severed foot first!
Fresh brains roasting on an open fire . . .
Outside the temperature's dropping. The snow is falling, blanketing the world in white. Sleigh bells are jingling. Soon it will be that most wondrous time of the year!
That time of flesh-devouring zombie horror!
Yes, Christmas is on its way-and all the little boys and ghouls are dreaming of stockings filled with candied eyes and bleeding body parts. You'd better watch out! Santa Claws is coming to town-and he knows who's been naughty, who's been naughtier . . . and who'll taste best with a nice glass of Chianti!
In celebration of this merry macabre season, we present a peerless compendium of more than two dozen of the most soul-stirring, brain-boiling carols composed specifically for the decomposing. Holiday favorites such as "I Saw Mommy Chewing Santa Claus," "Deck the Halls with Parts of Wally," and "We Three Spleens" are guaranteed to lift the spirits of the lumbering,shuffling undead and their temporarily still breathing meals-to-be. So put down your gore-splattered baseball bats and raise your voices in song! And sing loudly-to drown out all the screaming.

The cover for the forthcoming (February 2010) Anita Blake novella Flirt started appearing here and there this week. I am completely underwhelmed.

Dark Faerie Tales featured covers for two authors new to me -  Smolder by Melina Morel and Don’t Kill The Messenger by Eileen Rendahl

The cover for Early to Death, Early to Rise by Kim Harrison, the second Madison Avery YA was also unveiled over at Dark Faerie Tales. The novel is releasing May 12, 2010.

 
All Things Urban Fantasy compares covers - Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre US vs UK cover

Canadian fantasist Guy Gavriel Kaye unveiled the covers to Under Heaven (April 27, 2010) his next book (which is always exciting news in itself). He also revealed the exciting new look of the reissued editions of all of his books.

US/Canadian cover (left) and UK Cover (right)

From Angry Robot books comes the cover for Tim Waggoner’s second zombie P.I. novel Dead Streets following Nekropolis. Dead Streets is out in the UK and Australia in March, and in the U.S. and the rest of the world in September.

Cover art featured here this past week at SciFiGuy.ca included:

• "Demon Blood" by Meljean Brook
• "The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker" by Leanna Renee Hieber
• "Unholy Ghosts" by Stacia Kane
  

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AROUND the BLOGOSPHERE:

Jackie at Literary Escapism has some more excellent urban fantasy and book cover news and Fantasy Dreamers Ramblings has Author News, Interesting Tidbits and More for November 11

The Story Siren has a terrific post with excellent advice for new bloggers about requesting ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies). 

Wicked Lil Pixie has a helpful listing of urban fantasy/paranormal Authors on Twitter. Can you add to the list?

Award-winning editor Ellen Datlow has posted her photographs from the recent World Fantasy Convention. She says -

October 28-November 4th mostly con photos with a few of friends seen in SF while there. There was a wonderful Steampunk party thrown by Gail Carriger to celebrate her book publication. Great costumes, food, and atmosphere.

A little dancing and good music from places around the world that reinforces that we are just one great global community. [via Kristin Cashore].



Tez Says covers some December 2009 Releases

Lynn Viehl gives us one of her usual hilarious writerly postings with Ten Things That Appear in Your Novel, and What They Tell Me

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CANDID CAMERA:

Marjorie Liu at the Beijing Dirt Market during her her trip abroad

Keri Arthur with dogs in her garden

Not exactly a candid, but here is Carolyn Crane's new author shot.

Scott Westerfeld, Cassandra Clare and Holly Black signing at St. Paul's Trinity Church in Toronto November 2009

Nicole Peeler and Jaye Wells at Shrevesport signing. 
Read the story of the Shrevesport Smackdown at Orbit.

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