Guest Blog: Yolanda Sfetsos

UFI welcomes Yolanda Sfetsos Author of A Patch of Darkness. Thanks for Joining us!!

Some of My Book Picks

Hi everyone! Firstly, I'd like to thank Stacy for having me over here today.

I'm a writer from Sydney, Australia. I also happen to be a huge reader. Actually, I would go as far as to say that I'm a bibliophile. I'm not just addicted to reading, but also to buying and collecting books. I buy at least two paperbacks a month—not including the books I’ve already pre-ordered months in advance—and a bunch of Kindle books, too.

I just can't stop. There are too many interesting books out there that I must read. Not to mention that once I get hooked on a series, that’s it.

Like my writing, I read in a variety of genres—urban fantasy, YA, paranormal, horror, sci-fi, mystery, thrillers... I'm not too fussy. If I read the blurb of an upcoming book and it fascinates and/or grabs my attention, more than likely I will add the book to my spreadsheet and pre-order it. Yeah, I'm that hardcore. ;)

Although I read different genres, my most fave has to be urban fantasy. I love it so much because it combines the supernatural, offers the freedom to create a world much like ours but with a few differences, it’s filled with kick-ass heroines and tempting heroes!

Here's a picture of my (mostly) urban fantasy bookshelf:

I know. That's a lot of books, right? The bottom shelf contains my keepers.

These are the series I'm most attached to:

I’ve also recently started the first book/s in several other UF series. Here’s a list of the ones I’ve really, really enjoyed and will look forward to reading more of:

KINDLING THE MOON by Jenn Bennett,

HOUNDED by Kevin Hearne,

DEADTOWN by Nancy Holzner,

NIGHT CHILD by Jes Battis,

DEAD TO ME by Anton Strout,

DEAD, UNDEAD, OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN by J.A. Saare

DOG DAYS by John Levitt,

A BRUSH OF DARKNESS by Allison Pang,

THREE DAYS TO DEAD by Kelly Meding,

BLACK BLADE BLUES by J.A. Pitts,

MIND GAMES by Carolyn Crane,

THE SCENT OF SHADOWS by Vicki Pettersson.

I've also got many books on my to-read pile at Goodreads. With all the writing, revising, and editing I've been doing, I've fallen behind on some of my favourite series. But I'm hoping to catch up this year. Plus, I'm always keen to get started on some new ones. :)

So, I was wondering... do you like to get stuck into more than one series?

Before I go, I thought it might be cool to list some book picks from a few of the characters in my Sierra Fox series...

Sierra Fox: She’s a very busy spook catcher, and is also involved in a lot of other things that take up way too much of her time, so she hardly has any time to read anymore. At the moment she’s re-reading, ‘When the Spirit Remains’ by Claude Spooker, for further research into the parapsychologist. Her favorite books of all time are Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. She also likes Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft and Stephen King.

Jonathan Wells: He owns an occult bookstore and is always reading. Mostly he prefers to read occult reference books, or rare texts and volumes. These are some of his favourites: The Demonic: A Reference Book by Unknown Author, Amulets and Demonic Seals by Troyan Slevani. As far as fiction goes, his all-time fave is The Excorcist by William Peter Blatty.

Lavie Grye: Is also a very busy woman, but she likes to sneak in the odd romance novel when she has a spare moment and doesn’t have to read for research. She gets a kick out of reading paranormal romances featuring hot demonic heroes, and is a huge Anne Rice fan. She’s also really enjoying Roger Hocking's Journal at the moment.

Thanks for reading,

Yolanda

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Wife. Mother. Writer. Bibliophile. Dreamer. Animal lover. Intrigued by the supernatural. Horror freak. Zombie enthusiast. Movie & music fan. Slave to her muse.

Yolanda lives in Sydney, Australia with her awesome husband, lovely daughter, and cheeky cat.

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Find Yolanda and her books

Website / Twitter / Goodreads

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A Patch of Darkness
Sierra Fox #1
May 15, 2012

  In a perfect world, Sierra Fox would have stayed away from the Council she left years ago. But in this world—where spirits have the right to walk among the living—it’s her job to round up troublesome spooks and bring them before that very same Council.

Though her desk is piled high with open cases, she can’t resist an anonymous summons to a mysterious late-night meeting with a bunch of other hunters, each of whom seems to have a unique specialty. The news is dire: something is tearing at the fabric of the universe. If the hunters can’t find who or why in time, something’s going to give in a very messy way.

As current cases, family secrets, new clues and her tangled love life slowly wind themselves into an impossible knot, Sierra finds herself the target of a power-sucking duo intent on stealing her mojo. And realizing she holds the key to the last hope of sealing the widening rift.

Product Warnings: Spook catching: may contain traces of ectoplasm and otherworldly nasties. Not recommended for those with allergies to ghosts, demons, and with boyfriends who think your power is theirs. While reading, avoid dark patches and stay to the light.

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