Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Winners: Anthony Francis Blood Rock Giveaway

Thank you to everyone that entered!!
PRIZES: 5 Print Copies of BLOOD ROCK by Anthony Francis
up to 20 e-copies of BLOOD ROCK by Anthony Francis 

The winner's chosen by Random.org is…

Print Copies
X=Claimed
  1. Lisa Richards/alterlisa   X
  2. Sloan McBride     X
  3. Victoria Zumbrum   X
  4.  Denise Z   X
  5. acm05   X

E-Copies 
  1. Melanie S.
  2. caitymack
  3. Book Savvy Babe
  4. babysaffron
  5. Anonymous (a.charol@.....)
  6. Stella (Ex Libris)
  7. Melliane
  8. Barbara E.
  9. StuckInBooks
  10. Michelle
  11. PamK


**ALL E-COPIES NOW TAKEN**DIDNT GET A CHANCE TO ENTER?? No problem. The first  9 people to reply here with your email address within the next 48 hours will get an E-Copy

Congrats!! I have emailed winner's who has 48 hours to respond with mailing address' or I will pick another.

Special Follower Giveaway



Special Follower Giveaway time.....
Tonight I had the pleasure of meeting in person, Jeaniene Frost, Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong and surprise drop in Carrie Ryan. This happened to be my VERY first meet and greet and I got to do my fan girl thing and get all my books signed and talk way to much lol. So in honor of this great milestone *wink* I'm giving away some stuff I got especially for my followers. 

Winner will receive

 - Signed ARC of One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost
-Signed One Grave at a Time Bookmark
- Signed Melissa Marr Graveminder Toe Tag
-Signed Kelley Armstrong Spellbound and Waking the Witch Bookmark

 RULES
1) I want to know what author/authors you have had the pleasure of meeting or would LOVE to meet.
2)  You MUST be a follower (new or old) =)
3) This giveaway is open to US and Canadian followers only Sorry =(
4) Must leave an email address so I can contact you.


Giveaway Ends 9/7/2011 at 10pm EST
Winner will have 48 Hours to reply to my email or I will pick another
Winner chosen randomly with the help of random.org

Interview: Jeaniene Frost

UFI welcomes Jeaniene Frost Author of The Night Huntress and The Night Huntress World series. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?

Wow, that’s a hard one. I’ve had so many great interview questions over the years that my readers probably know more about me than my immediate family *wink*. Hmm. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned before that I will write certain scenes with songs on endless repeat because they set the “mood” for me. This drives my poor husband crazy, I might add, because I don’t use an iPod so the music can be heard in the house. For example, in a scene with Vlad and Cat in a graveyard in This Side of the Grave, I had “Run This Town” repeating for hours while I wrote it. Now whenever my husband hears that song on the radio, he immediately changes the station.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

I love to read, which surprises no one, I’m sure. I’m also a TV series junkie, and I blame Netflix and Amazon Instant Video for this. Before them, I’d watch one, maybe two shows a season. After getting sucked in with the “Try the first episode/season free” promos that those two sites offer, I’ve gotten hooked on Justified, True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, Supernatural, Merlin, Dexter, Sherlock, and Torchwood, to name a few.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

Discovering new things about my characters. I’m an organic writer, and while I *think* I know everything there is to know about my characters when I start a book, by the end of the story, I realize I only knew about half of what makes them tick. Learning those additional character details inevitably changes the plot in small or big ways, too, so it’s exciting to discover new twists and turns in the story that I didn’t see coming. I think if I knew everything that was going to happen in the book before I started writing it, a lot of the magic would be lost for me.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Genres?

Let me stress that these are only some of my favorite authors. Not all of my favorite authors. I read a lot in my genre so I have many favorites, but in the interest of space, I’ll only list a few: Ilona Andrews, Melissa Marr, Charlaine Harris, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, Yasmine Galenorn, Rachel Vincent, Vicki Pettersson, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook, Lara Adrian, and Colleen Gleason. For a full list of my favorite authors, you can go here: http://jeanienefrost.com/links/

How would you pitch The Night Huntress series to someone who has not heard of your books before?

I’m awful at pitches (you should have seen how bad my query letters were!) but if I were talking to someone new, I might ask if they liked the movies Underworld, Kill Bill, and Blade. If the answer was yes, I’d say that my books have similar sexy/violent/funny/ sarcastic/over-the-top themes and suggest reading the first 20% of Halfway to the Grave (start of my series) to see if it fits their taste. I’m a big fan of Try Before You Buy, which is why I direct a lot of people to those free 20% links on my website. If someone doesn’t like the first quarter of the book, he/she probably won’t like the rest, so it’s a good way for readers to test a book before shelling out any money for it.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that The Night Huntress series is set in?

It’s our world today – with a twist. Vampires, ghosts, ghouls, and demons also exist, though they hide that fact from the average person. My vampires can walk around in the daylight (in fact, demons in my series are the only creatures who are light-sensitive) and my ghouls look any other average person (no rotting parts or longing for brains ;). Ghosts are usually looked down upon by other supernatural creatures for being non-corporeal, but that also makes ghosts the best spies. Also, certain types of ghosts (remnants and wraiths) are so powerful they can actually cause a vampire or ghoul to explode.


Do you have a favorite scene in One Grave at a Time?

I have a lot of favorite scenes in the book. Tyler and Ian frequently made me laugh while writing it, Denise got to flex some of her shapeshifter muscles in a way that was really fun to detail, and it was great showing the progression of Cat and Bones’s relationship. It’s very different than it was at the start of the series, and certain scenes in this book showcase how Cat and Bones have grown as a couple in very specific ways.

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

I’m fickle, so my favorite characters are usually whoever my heroine and hero are at the moment. Right now I’m writing Vlad and Leila’s book, so they’re my favorites. When I write a Cat and Bones book, they are. My villains are probably the hardest for me to write because I try to get into their heads to see why they feel justified in the despicable things they do (and every villain feels justified) and that’s a dark mentality to get into. I think it’s necessary, though. If I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about my villains and why they do what they do/what molded them into who they are, then they’d feel very two-dimensional to me, and thus feel that way to readers as well.

One Grave at a Time is the 6th book in the series. Have you found it any easier or harder to write the series as it gets farther along?

I wouldn’t say it’s harder, but it is more complex to write the later books in the series. There are so many little overarching plot threads and different characters introduced in earlier books to tie together in the later books that it takes a lot more thought and planning. The Cat and Bones series ends at nine books, so a lot of things hinted at before will come to fruition before the finale, and there are only a few books left until that.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?

The Bite Before Christmas anthology with me and author Lynsay Sands releases onOctober 25th and features a long Cat and Bones novella. Look for big secrets regarding Bones’s past to be revealed! I can’t wait for readers to finally be let in on this surprise because I’ve been itching to reveal it for a while now.

Also, in spring next year, Once Burned, the first novel in the new Night Prince seriesreleases. That’s the book I’m writing now and I am so excited to showcase NightHuntress regular Vlad as the hero and a new heroine named Leila as the woman who will rock his world. Vlad and Leila will start off with two books, and there might be more if I find that their story isn’t done at the end of the second novel.

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Find Jeaniene and her books
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One Grave at a Time
Night Huntress #6
August 30, 2011
The grave is one wrong step away.

Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans' voodoo queen just keeps on giving--leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.

Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, every All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity--forever. But how do you kill a killer who's already long dead?
Photobucket

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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Interview: Maria Lima

UFI welcomes Maria Lima Author of The Blood Line Series. Thanks for Joining us!!


What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?

I am crazy addicted to Twizzlers. The basic strawberry kind. I think it’s because they are chewy.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

One of my new hobbies is digital photography. I recently bought a digital SLR camera and am looking forward to having time to take pictures! Back in the “olden” days, I had a Pentax SLR (film) and my own darkroom setup. This was eons ago.

What is your Favorite part of writing? 

Having written! I do also enjoy world-building. Part of me is a social/cultural anthropologist at heart. I love figuring out how society works, how my characters fit into the society, etc.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

1. Lots of water--I have a 40 oz Kleen Canteen that I fill up.
2. Snacks -- need to have the crunchy snacks!
3. Quiet -- I like a calm, quiet place. I write at my desk on my iMac. No TV on, no music.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres?

I’ll go with authors, since I tend to fall in love with an author and devour all their books. In no particular order: Tanya Huff (who’s Vicky Nelson series was instrumental in kickstarting my own writing career); Seanan McGuire; Jenna Black; Jaye Wells; Christopher Golden, Tim Sniegoski, Charlaine Harris... I could list tons more.

How would you pitch The Blood Lines series to someone who has not heard of your books before?

Family ties--of the twisty and supernatural kind, smack in the middle of the Texas Hill Country.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that The Blood Lines series is set in? 

The series is set in the Texas Hill Country, an area that is still a bit out of the beaten path and full of independent thinkers, as well as good ol’ country boys. It’s a closed universe, i.e., humans don’t know about the supernaturals, which can create a whole lot of challenges, especially in this digital age. Keira’s clan tends to blend in as much as possible with humans, yet still keeps itself separate for important things.

Do you have a favorite scene in Blood Sacrifice?

There is a scene near the end that I wrote before I wrote most of the rest of the book. I can’t really talk about it, as it’s a pivotal scene in the story. It was in my head long before I had worked out the rest of the details.

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?
 
Tough, tough question. As much as I love writing Keira, I enjoy writing about Tucker more. He’s a character that surprised me in that I found myself liking him more and more as the series went on. He’s the big brother I never had, so I like creating his story.

The hardest? Bea. I adore Bea in her role as Keira’s friend, but as Keira’s life changes and she becomes more a part of the supernatural world, Bea’s role is more difficult to figure out.

Blood Sacrifice is the 5th book in the series. Have you found it any easier or harder to write the series as it gets farther along?

Both, actually. Easier in that I do know this world and it’s a bit simpler to immerse myself in it, but hard in that the stories have become more intense.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?

Right now, I’ve got several things out there, including a short story in San Diego Noir and an essay in Whedonistas: A Celebration of the Worlds of Joss Whedon by the Women Who Love Them (Norwegian Press). I’m also working on a couple of other projects that at this point don’t have a home.

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Find Maria and her books
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Blood Sacrifice
Blood Lines #5
Aug 30, 2011
All’s fair in blood and war. . . .

Talk about wedding crashers from hell. Keira Kelly and her sexy vampire king, Adam, are about to tie the proverbial knot—sort of—when an uninvited blood relative shows up to cast a long, dark shadow over the happy occasion. Adam’s brother Gideon comes bearing the one-size-fits-all gift of bad news: an ancient, convoluted Challenge thrown down upon the entire Kelly clan. It seems the dreaded forces of the Dark Fae have declared war on Keira’s family, and at stake is the land that is rightfully theirs. But while the Kellys gather their troops in a historic San Antonio hotel to strategize, there’s mayhem back in Rio Seco. The old cemetery is vandalized, fires break out, and—worst of all—the Kelly clan matriarch and leader, Keira’s great-great-grandmother Minerva, goes missing. Should Keira risk breaking the Challenge rules by returning to her beloved home, or should she continue the waiting game that seems the only other option? With everything she loves and maybe even her life on the line, she has only one chance to get the answer right.

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New Releases Aug 28-Sept 3


Tues Aug 30

Crossroads (Anna Strong, #7) by Jeanne C. Stein
Damned (Crusade, #2) by Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguié
Fury (Fury, #1) by Elizabeth Miles
Hades (Halo, #2) by Alexandra Adornetto
Twisted (Intertwined, #3) by Gena Showalter
Please let me know if you see a mistake or find that something is missing =) Happy reading. 

Winner: Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones Audio



Thank you to everyone that entered!!

PRIZE: - One Audio Copy of Second Grave on the left
* Audio copy is opened & has been listened to once for a review




The winner chosen by Random.org is…



acm05





Congrats!! I have emailed winner who has 48 hours to respond with mailing address or I will pick another.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Guest Post: Karen Kincy

UFI welcomes Karen Kincy Author of The Other series. Thanks for Joining us!!

Ten reasons to read YA:

10. You are a young adult yourself. Putting this one down at the bottom of the list because it is, of course, the most obvious. YA is written with young adults in mind as the audience, and I definitely devoured it at that age.

9. You never stopped reading YA. I’m now in my twenties, and just a wee bit too old to be considered a young adult anymore. But hey, who cares! I’ve always loved YA and don’t think I will ever not love it.

8. You like YA better than any other genre. Personally, I have a hard time reading a lot of fiction written specifically for adults. Not because it’s too long or too serious or too mature—YA can definitely be all of these things—but because it has a different feel to it, and a different set of literary conventions.

7. You love the themes in YA. The themes of identity, finding yourself, falling in love, first times, overcoming challenges, and coming of age are all a big part of YA. And they all resonate with me. I’m still finding my way.

6. You are a part of the YA community. And that means engaging in debate about important issues, advocating literacy, spreading the word about good books, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure other genres also spark this kind of literary community, but I’m glad to be a part of the YA world.

5. Your favorite authors write YA. For me, that would include Annette Curtis Klause, Libba Bray, Terry Pratchett, Phillip Pullman, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, etc.

4. You can find so many fabulous new YA books. I’m currently drooling over Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen, The Diviners by Libba Bray, The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges, and Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

3. You can find such variety in YA nowadays. Paranormal, horror (preferably with zombies), romance, contemporary, historical fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, and pretty much any combination of those genres.

2. You love YA. Yes, this sums up many of my previous points, but if you simply love reading YA, that’s an excellent reason—and the only one you really need.

1. You write YA. Well, that’s probably my number one reason. ;)

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Karen Kincy (Redmond, Washington) lives among countless trees, some of which—her pet kumquats and oranges—have lovingly invaded her apartment. Unlike her characters, she has never been on the run from the law or bitten by a werewolf, though she has been known to howl at the moon. Karen has BA in Linguistics and Literature from The Evergreen State College, and is studying toward a Master’s in Computational Linguistics.

Karen is represented by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger, Inc. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

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Bloodborn
Other #2
September 8, 2011

Brock Koeman always hated werewolves and Others like them. While trying to trap a werewolf pack, he and his brother Chris were attacked and bitten—becoming what they have always feared and despised. While Chris fights for his life in the hospital, Brock faces another kind of battle: stifling his terrible urge to transform.
When werewolves kidnap him and the girl he loves, Brock discovers what it means to be Other—wondrous new sensations and experiences, overshadowed by constant danger—and the life that awaits him if he can ever accept his fate.

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Find Karen and her books
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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Week in Review 8/21-8/27



Books Ive Bought/received

* Viper Moon by Lee Roland- Win from Dark Faerie tales

* Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent- Purchased at Barnes & Noble

* Heartless by  Gail Carringer- Win from All Things Urban Fantasy


Books I read

Blood Rock by Anthony Francis
The Taker by Alma Katsu
Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent
Another Kind of Dead by Kelly Meding

Reviews posted


Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones (Audio)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?


* Monday UFI had Darynda Jones visit. UFI is also giving away an Audio copy of her newest book Second Grave on the Left.



* Tuesday Jana Oliver author of the Demon Trappers Series stopped in. 


* Wednesday Anthony Francis Author of the Skindancer series joined us and his publicist is giving away 25 copies of his latest book BLOOD ROCK.


* An Interview with Author Nancy Holder went up on Friday.


*If you see something on my books Ive read list that you are dying to know about let me know I'm back logged on reviews and can move it up on the list if I know people are wanting one.

* I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Special Post: Follower Reviews



Hello all, I hope everyone is doing well and all my fellow east coasters are hunkered down and safe. 

I thought I would do something different today. Instead of me posting a review I want to know of something you have read lately and what your review of it is. It doesn't have to be long or well written even. I'm always looking for something new to read.


Friday, August 26, 2011

Interview: Nancy Holder

UFI welcomes Author Nancy Holder. Thanks for Joining us!!



What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?

I would love to learn to play the lute.  If I had more free time, I would take lute lessons.  

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

I love doing things with my daughter.  We are Disney freaks and corgi freaks.  And I like to sleep!

What is your Favorite part of writing?

I love revising.  I’m a rewriter.  Refining what’s already there or going in a whole direction is a real joy to me.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

I have to have coffee in the morning.  An absolute must.  Tea will not do.  It has to be coffee.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres?


I love Debbie’s paranormal books such as Kiss of Night (which isn’t out yet.)  I’m a huge fan of Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series, and I can’t wait to dive into her Christine Cody Badlands series.           
  
How would you pitch the Crusade series to someone who has not heard of it before?



The vampires declared war on humanity, and they have won.  Small bands of humans--and some witches and werewolves--are taking them on.  Our hunters are let by Jenn Leitner, the beloved of the vampire priest, Antonio de la Cruz.  

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that the Crusade series is set in?

Crusade is a dystopian alternate reality in a present that is otherwise like ours.  We used the politics, betrayals, and turmoil of World War II as our pattern. 
  
Do you have a favorite scene in Damned?

My favorite scene is when Antonio tries to explain his vision of God to Jenn, when she is filled with rage and despair.  She doesn’t listen.  

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

Antonio is my favorite--passionate, dedicated, loyal, and struggling to remain good.  Eriko was the hardest to write about, which is odd, as I lived in Japan for three years and understood her very well.  

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?

Debbie and I are working on the third book in the Crusade series, called VANQUISHED.  We have a brand new series from Delacorte called Wolf Springs Chronicles.  The first book in the series will be available on November 22--two days before Thanksgiving.    
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Find Nancy and her books
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Damned 
Crusade #2
Aug 30, 2011
There is a fine line between love and sacrifice…. 
Antonio would do anything for his beloved fighting partner Jenn. He protects her, even suppresses his vampire cravings to be with her. Together, they defend humanity against the Cursed Ones. But tensions threaten to fracture their hunting team and his loyalty—his love—is called into question.

Jenn, the newly appointed Hunter, aches for revenge against the Cursed One who converted her sister. And with an even more sinister power on the rise, she must overcome her personal vendettas to lead her team into battle.

Antonio and Jenn need each other to survive, but evil lurks at every turn. With humanity’s fate hanging in the balance, they must face down the darkness…or die trying.

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Crusade 
Crusade #1
September 7, 2010
For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.

Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated — and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose. 

Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself — and her heart.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Audio Review: Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left
Author:Darynda Jones
Release Date: August 16, 2011
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Charley Davidson Book #2
ISBN:   1427212430
ISBN13: 9781427212436
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher


Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans.

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.

Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do? Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the summer: Second Grave On The Left.
I have already reviewed SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT but was contacted to review the Audio as well. This is the very first audio book I have had the pleasure of listening to. Here is my original review with my added thoughts on the Audio version of the book.

Original review: " I love me some Charley Davidson and Reyes is just a fantastic added bonus. I think Charley is one of the funniest heroines I have had the pleasure to read about.  Her snarky replies and come backs have me laughing so hard sometimes that tears streak down my face. All of the characters that Darynda introduces fit perfectly and add there own elements to the story. There is great action and twists thrown around, Charley almost dies multiple times, we learn more about Reyes (yummy), we get to see some shocking things done by her family, and the ending will take your breath away and leave you wanting more. Every word and every scene in the book had be glued to the pages. I really have nothing bad to say about the second installment of the Charley Davidson series but I can tell you that I can not wait to get my hands on THIRD GRAVE DEAD AHEAD."

I wasn't sure I would care for an Audio book so I had never purchased one before. I think SECOND GRAVE AT A TIME was the perfect first experience since I had already read it previously.  I thought the speakers voice was pleasant to listen too and I enjoyed the changes in her voice as she read the book. I really liked that I could bring the cd with me in the car and listen to it while I was driving doing errands. I think being able to listen to an interview about the book with the author at the end is a really good bonus as well. I love being able to hear or read what the author was thinking while writing her book. If you are thinking of picking up SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT in Audio version, I think you will have no issues getting into the book. Audio seems to be a great alternative to sitting down and reading and I think I might pick up another audio book for those times that my eyes are to tired to enjoy a good book or I'm on the road.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Interview & Giveaway: Anthony Francis

UFI welcomes Anthony Francis Author of The Skindancer Series. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?

Let’s see … I like cats and sushi and dance clubs, and I can make an odd noise with my throat that sounds like a spacecraft landing. And I have a metal plate in my arm from when I blocked instead of ducking while preparing for a karate tournament.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

What’s down time? Seriously, on my down time I love scouring bookstores for books that spark ideas for future stories, and then lugging my stash to coffeehouses to read them. Before I broke my arm, I also enjoyed karate and hope to get back into it.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

Creating new world worlds filled with the fantastic and wonderful – science, magic and everything in between. Then I like creating interesting characters, tossing them into the setting, and seeing how they deal with something outside their experience.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

Attending the Write to the End group at Mission City Coffee is a must. We write for 20 minutes, everyone reads, and we do it again, usually three times for a total of an hour of writing every Tuesday night. FROST MOON was largely written at this group back when we met at Barnes and Noble at Steven’s Creek.

Beyond that, I try to take a couple of hours out almost every night to either research or write, usually by reading over dinner and writing at a nearby coffeehouse or bookstore. I usually get more researching done than writing so I have to be disciplined. As I write this I’m at the Coffee Society in Campbell right now, about to start writing.

And every November I participate in National Novel Writing Month – a challenge to write 50,000 words of a new novel in a month. FROST MOON and BLOOD ROCK both came out of Nanowrimo, which I’ve succeeded at five times. I now plan my year around starting a new novel every November and finishing the draft before it rolls around again.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Genres?

Patricia Briggs and the Mercedes Thompson series, Laurell Hamilton and the Anita Blake series, and Jim Butcher and the Dresden Files. I’ve read maybe a half dozen others but those three are ones that really stuck out in my mind.

How would you pitch The Skindancer series to someone who has not heard of your books before?

It’s about a woman who fell in love with the beauty and power of magical tattoos and then found her art has exposed her to the magical Edgeworld inhabited by vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night, all set in a very real Atlanta.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that The Skindancer series is set in? The basic philosophy of Skindancer is that if magic was real, then magic would be REAL — and would have real effects on our world we could see. But magic in our world seems hidden, invisible — why did that happen, and how is the Skindancer world different?

In the Skindancer series, magic was the hidden treasure of secret societies and cultures, and was actively suppressed by wizards infiltrating the sciences. But the counterculture of the 1950s through 1970s, affected magical societies just like the rest of society.

When people began experimenting with sex, drugs and rock and roll, they began experimenting with magic too. Magic burst into the open. Wizards were exposed. Vampires became a force of law and order. And werekin were persecuted.

The series is set 30 years after this explosion of the “Edgeworld” between the magical and the normal, and Dakota Frost is a chemist-turned-tattoo-magician whose prominent place in the Edgeworld puts her right at the crosshairs of people on both sides.

Do you have a favorite scene in Blood Rock?

Without giving away spoilers for the book, my favorite scene is Dakota under the bridge. In that moment, she realizes she doesn’t need her home, money or car to survive, and that she can indeed do anything if she learns to rely upon herself.

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

Cinnamon, and Cinnamon. She’s a treasure. She literally shoved her way into a scene I was writing in FROST MOON, pushing through a crowd to confront Dakota, and refused to leave the book. She was so alive I just had to let her take over in FROST MOON.

Cinnamon is really fun to write, but she’s such a complex character it’s hard to keep all of her threads in my head. I can easily have her come off too sullen, to smart, to scared, too tough—and she’s a mix of all of these. With her I have to take care to get her right.

Oh, and she speaks a broken dialect of English peculiar to the werehouse. My good friend Keiko O’Leary is trained as a linguist, and she reads each book in the Skindancer series to help keep Cinnamon’s dialect consistent. We have a five-page document called “The Rules” where Keiko mined FROST MOON for examples of Cinnamon’s speech and developed a consistent framework for her grammar. The very final stage of each Skindancer book is to review the werekin speech and make sure it is consistent.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?


I’ve written 2/3rds or so of the third Dakota Frost book, LIQUID FIRE, and I plan many, many more in that series. I’m a bit scared to say how many as the prospect is daunting, but I will tell you I have a spreadsheet called “The Grid” which charts the plot of the series from October 26, 2006 to March 31, 2013, and I have written the last line of the last book, so I know where I’m going. Here’s hoping I continue to enjoy writing Dakota!

I’m planning a YA spinoff featuring Cinnamon called HEX CODE which will be my project for this November’s National Novel Writing Month. I have rough plans for three novels in this series; the next two have the working titles BOT NET and ROOT USER. I’m strongly starting to suspect that the trilogy is my preferred form of writing.

I’ve also written a draft of a steampunk novel called JEREMIAH WILLSTONE AND THE CLOCKWORK TIME MACHINE which I hope to be sending out to beta readers this October. The first short story in this universe, “Steampunk Fairy Chick”, will be released as part of the UnCONventional anthology early next year, and I’m working on an interactive fiction in the same universe called “Watch on a Tangled Chain”.

I’m working on a young adult science fiction novel called STRANDED, set in a far future universe where Earth has been assimilated by a massive alien civilization and humanity is split between pure human refugees who have fled it and fantastic genetic constructs who have embraced it completely. I’ve been writing in this universe since I was a teen, and have several (non-YA) novels in progress — probably the closest to completion is my 2002 National Novel Writing Month entry with working title DELIVERANCE, but I’m also doing active research on my planned 2012 Nano entry, THE COMPASS COLONY.

I also enjoy writing and drawing comics. My webcomic, fanu fiku, is on hiatus while I finish the first Dakota Frost trilogy and complete the first Jeremiah Willstone book, but every year I participate in 24 Hour Comics Day, a challenge to complete 24 pages of a comic from scratch in 24 hours. I haven’t had quite the success at this that I have had at National Novel Writing Month, but I and my good friend Nathan Vargas are determined to help us (and others!) succeed by putting together a 24 Hour Comics Survival Kit which we’re hosting at Blitzcomics.com.

Whew. That’s a lot. I guess I better get back to writing! Thanks for the interview!

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Dr. Anthony G. Francis, Jr. is a science fiction writer and computer scientist who started writing urban fantasy because he likes it. The Dakota Frost series combines Anthony's love of hard science, fantastic magic, alternative culture, and strong, feisty women.

Even though the siren call of computing eventually pulled him out to the San Francisco Bay Area, he still chose to set the Dakota Frost series in Atlanta, Georgia, where he spent nearly half his life and which he has learned to love like no other place on Earth.

When not making computers smarter or writing science fiction and fantasy, Anthony blogs about his life, his writing and his research at The Library of Dresan. He also writes an occasionally updated webcomic, f@nu fiku. He currently lives in San Jose with his wife and cats.

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Find Anthony and his books
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Blood Rock
Skindancer #2
August 16, 2011
Dakota Frost is back, and the ink is about to hit the fan-again.

Graffiti comes to life in the dark heart of Atlanta’s oldest cemetery, slaying one of the city’s best loved vampires before the eyes of his friend Dakota Frost. Deadly magick is at work on the city’s walls, challenging even the amazing power of Dakota’s tattoos to contain it. The hungry, graffiti magick loves to kill, and the Edgeworld is no longer safe from its own kind.

Dakota begins a harrowing journey to save those she loves and to discover the truth behind the spreading graffiti-even if that truth offends the vampires, alienates the werekin and creates police suspicion of her every action.

Saving Atlanta may cost her everything, including custody of her “adopted” weretiger daughter, Cinnamon. But failure is not an option. If the graffiti isn’t stopped, Cinnamon could be the next victim.
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Frost Moon
Skindancer #1
March 1, 2010
In an alternate Atlanta where magic is practiced openly, where witches sip coffee at local cafes, shapeshifters party at urban clubs, vampires rule the southern night like gangsters, and mysterious creatures command dark caverns beneath the city, Dakota Frost's talents are coveted by all. She's the best magical tattooist in the southeast, a Skindancer, able to bring her amazing tats to life. When a serial killer begins stalking Atlanta's tattooed elite, the police and the Feds seek Dakota's help. Can she find the killer on the dark fringe of the city's Edgeworld? Among its powerful outcasts and tortured loners, what kind of enemies and allies will she attract? Will they see her as an invader, as a seducer, as an unexpected champion ... or as delicious prey?

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5 Winner's will receive
- One Print Copy each of Blood Rock
*Print copies only available for US and Canadian Residence
20 additional winners will Receive
-One PDF Copy each of Blood Rock 
*Open Internationally




 RULES
1)  Leave a question or comment for Anthony =)
2) Please leave where you live in the comment so I know what copy you are eligible for.
3) Must leave an email address so I can contact you.


Giveaway Ends 8/31/2011 at 10pm EST
Winner will have 48 Hours to reply to my email or I will pick another
Winner chosen randomly with the help of random.org