Urban Fantasy Investigations

Friday, March 30, 2012

Interview & Giveaway: Delilah Dawson

UFI welcomes Delilah Dawson Author of Wicked as They Come. 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 have synesthesia, which means that my senses are crossed. Every number and letter has a distinct color for me, and numbers also have feelings. For example, 5 is a deep azure blue, cold and unfriendly. My favorite number is 22, which is warm, tawny gold, like a lion. I’m also very big on smells, which is why I approached Villainess Soaps for a collaboration (http://villainess.net/wicked/). You can now smell Criminy, Tish, or Tabitha in perfume and soap form. Criminy’s my favorite, of course, and I just about sniff myself unconscious every time I’m wearing it.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

I don’t have that much down time, since I started writing—my obsession and hobby is also my work. I love reading, of course. And I really like having adventures, like traveling, going zip lining, or roller skating with my girlfriends. My all-time favorite thing to do is horseback riding, especially hunter paces, but my current life makes that nearly impossible.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

I love when the idea is starting to come together, when I’m right on the verge of starting a new book. I get utterly obsessed with it—it’s like falling in love.

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

I do my best writing away from home, where there are no responsibilities or dishes or tiny voices calling me. I need coffee, and every book has a playlist. I have a series of favorite cafes I use in the mornings, while my kids are in school—a favorite one for rainy days, a favorite one for hot days, a favorite one for sitting outside in spring. But so long as I have coffee, music, earbuds, and my laptop, I’m ready.

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

I love Charlaine Harris and Gail Carriger for paranormal. And I read a lot of YA, especially Cassandra Clare, Maggie Stiefvater, and Kiersten White. I also liked Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series—but not until book 4.

How would you pitch Wicked as They Come to someone who has not heard of it before?

True Blood meets Victorian England with clockwork monkeys and circus freaks.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that The Blud Series is set in?

The world is called Sang, and it mostly runs on blood. The idea is that it’s a parallel universe to Earth, but somewhere along the line, a sort of vampirism got out of control. They don’t have germs or illness, but most of the wild animals are blood drinkers, as are lots of the people. There are also daimons and dragon people and all sorts of magic. Add in steam and clockwork technology, and it contains almost all the things I like in one tidy package. Even unicorns—in later books.

Do you have a favorite scene in Wicked as They Come?

I really like the scene where Tish first walks around the caravan. You get to meet some of the wacky side characters, and Criminy gets to show off his proudest accomplishment while trying to woo Tish. It’s kind of sweet, this dangerous apex predator/magician showing off his lizard boy to win over the girl he likes.

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

Criminy is my favorite, without a doubt. He pretty much writes himself. The hardest was probably Elvis, because he’s just a nasty little guy spouting prejudice. It felt yucky, having his words come out of my brain.

It looks like each book in The Blud Series will have different main characters. Will we still be able to see a bit about the main characters in Wicked as They Come in book 2? I have to admit I really loved Tish and Criminy and would love to know what happens next for them.

I’ll admit that I was surprised when the book sold in a 3-book series… and the next two books were supposed to be about someone else. I could write Criminy forever, and I had this long character arc for Tish as her grandmother became a Bludman and was stolen away by a time-traveling witch doctor, and… it didn’t happen.

But they will make cameos. There’s a novella out in October called The Mysterious Madam Morpho that takes place entirely in the caravan and kicks off with a scene of Crim and Tish living together. And if you read the excerpt in the back of Wicked as They Come, you’ll see that the second book, Wicked as She Wants, follows a much-changed, much humbled, much debauched Casper on his quest to find salvation with a strong female lead based on the legend of Princess Anastasia. I’m hopeful that, if the books do well, there could be opportunities for deleted scenes or more novellas, because there are so many adventures that Crim and Tish never got to finish.

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

I have two books in the works right now. One is a clockpunk romance version of Robin Hood, and the other is a YA paranormal set in Savannah. I’ll let y’all know as soon as something sells!

Thanks so very much for the interview, and I hope everyone enjoys Wicked as They Come!

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Delilah S. Dawson is the author of WICKED AS THEY COME, a steampunk paranormal romance and the first in a three-book series from Pocket/Simon & Schuster. She's an Associate Editor at www.CoolMomPicks.com and a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Georgia Romance Writers, and the Artifice Club. She's a big fan of steampunk and cake.

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Find Delilah and her books

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Wicked as They Come
Blud #1
March 27, 2011

Have you ever heard of a Bludman? They’re rather like you and me—only more fabulous, immortal, and mostly indestructible. (They’re also very good kissers.)

Delilah S. Dawson’s darkly tempting debut drops her unsuspecting heroine into a strange faraway land for a romantic adventure that’s part paranormal, part steampunk . . . and completely irresistible.

When Tish Everett forces open the ruby locket she finds at an estate sale, she has no idea that a deliciously rakish Bludman has cast a spell just for her. She wakes up in a surreal world, where Criminy Stain, the dashing proprietor of a magical traveling circus, curiously awaits. At Criminy’s electric touch, Tish glimpses a tantalizing future, but she also foresees her ultimate doom. Before she can decide whether to risk her fate with the charming daredevil, the locket disappears, and with it, her only chance to return home. Tish and Criminy battle roaring sea monsters and thundering bludmares, vengeful ghosts and crooked Coppers in a treacherous race to recover the necklace from the evil Blud-hating Magistrate. But if they succeed, will Tish forsake her fanged suitor and return to her normal life, or will she take a chance on an unpredictable but dangerous destiny with the Bludman she’s coming to love?

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US ONLY

Interview & Giveaway: Dakota Banks

UFI welcomes Dakota Banks Author of The Mortal Path Series. Thanks for Joining us!!

This or That

Angels or Demons

This one’s easy: demons. The Mortal Path series wouldn’t exist without them, plus I think they’re much more interesting than angels. Why go for a dull set of wings when you can have various hideous forms and breathe fire or rip people apart? Go for the horror, I say—Demons rule, Angels drool.

Vampires or Shifters

Vampires have this big problem: terrible manners when feeding. All that blood dripping down the chin. It’s due to the passion of one sort or another that they’re experiencing when feeding—it distracts them from basic things like choosing the right spoon. I’d have to go with Shifters.

Left or Right

Not sure if we’re talking politics here or not, so given the choice, let’s stay away from politics. J Left-handedness is also known as sinistrality, from the Latin sinistra, meaning left, which we’ve converted into the word sinister. That describes Left’s reputation. Since ancient times, being left-handed has been considered a sign of the devil at work, clumsiness, or misfortune. By contrast, right-handedness is associated with power, justice, manual skill, and being correct. Since I like the idea of being correct, at least some of the time, my choice is Right. See? It’s self-confirming, too.

Up or Down

I enjoy riding elevators down from the tops of buildings, especially ones that go really fast, and getting that flip-flop feeling in my stomach. There’s a ride at Disney World called the Tower of Terror. Passengers get into a “rickety” freight elevator and ride up 13 stories. Along the way, the elevator shaft turns pitch black, as in can’t see your hand in front of your face. It shoots to the top, then starts a series of faster-than-the-pull-of-gravity drops with a supposedly broken cable, ending in lurching stops. One time the elevator doors open, and suddenly you can see how really high up you are! I LOVE this ride. My choice is Down.

Pizza or Pasta

I like pasta, but it tends to get served in dainty portions with a breadstick, so you can admire how attractively it’s served. I don’t need my food to be served attractively, considering how it’s going to end up in a little while. No one ever accused pizza of being attractive. It may smell good, taste good, and be fun to eat with your hands (Ha! Try that with pasta.), but if you snap a photo of it, the reality will never compare to the image in your mind. I choose Pizza, for its humility.

Coffee or Tea

This one is tough, because I drink both of these. For me, coffee is the utilitarian go-to drink and tea is the esoteric mind-wandering drink. Since I prefer mind-wandering to practicality, it’s Tea.

Coke or Pepsi

I drink Coke Zero. That’s all. If I can’t have that, I’ll take water. I have no explanation for this strange preference.

YA or Adult

I write adult, I read adult, though I made exceptions for Harry Potter and the Hunger Games trilogy. They were enjoyable, but ... Adult is my choice.

Facebook or Twitter

I love Facebook because it allows me to really communicate with people. Twitter—many of the things I say sound trite to me, and I don’t like the 140 character restriction. It may sound silly, but if I try to say anything meaningful, that restriction forces me to be ungrammatical. I’m a writer, for Pete’s sake! Facebook is The One, for freedom of expression.

Book Signing or Panel Speaking

I’ve always looked at public appearances as opportunities to meet and chat with readers, and to have time to do so in a relaxed atmosphere. Signings don’t fit that bill. First, no matter how well prepared you think the signing venue is, you can have a low turnout. I’ve sat by myself in bookstores in the middle of torrential downpours or even an ice storm, with the store owner embarrassed and saying, “Usually we have a lot more traffic.” Even when the signing goes well, people tend to want their book signed and be off, because they have other shopping/whatever to do. So it’s open the book, ask “Signature or inscription?”, do what’s requested, close the book. And really, I see enough of my book. I don’t need to spend two hours sitting around and looking at ... my book. Panels are very different. If people have paid to attend the conference, a little bad weather isn’t going to discourage them. In every multi-author panel I’ve been on, there have been Q&A sessions. It’s readers’ thoughts hurled at us, and I say that lovingly. I’m not on the panel to sell my books, I’m just relaxed and having a good time. I get to chat with readers after the panel and in the halls. Plus I enjoy being with the other authors on my panels, some of whom are new to me and some are already good friends. So a rousing yes for Panel Speaking!

Reading or Writing

You don’t actually expect me to answer this, do you? *Sigh* I guess you do. I’m flipping a coin ... it came up Reading. Ok, two out of three. I look at it this way. I love reading for the intensely beautiful words, sentences, and passages that sink into my mind, give me chills, tear my heart out, or engage my empathy. But as a writer, I get to create those words, sentences, and passages that I hope affect others in those ways. That’s like double-dipping, and it’s wonderful. Writing is my choice.

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Find Dakota and her books

Website / Blog / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Deliverance
Mortal Path #3
March 27, 2012

A demon's assassin for centuries, Maliha Crayne has gone rogue, determined to save a life for every one she's destroyed in order to free herself from an eternity of enslavement, damnation, and excruciating torment. But as the powers that sustained her in the past fade, she is wary of trusting those closest to her-especially her lover, Jake. Should Maliha listen to her heart or the alarms going off in her head? Then her closest friends begin to disappear, one by one. Amid her anger, suspicion, and sorrow, she feels her life spiraling out of control.

Worse still, a beautiful, Renaissance murderess is recruiting Maliha as her new assassin. Maliha is turning into a lethal puppet with an evil Immortal pulling the strings, forced to kill innocents or see her missing friends die horribly. Suddenly trapped in a moral no-man's land, Maliha is damned if she does and damned if she doesn't…and time is rapidly running out.

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Deliverance Trailer

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*Open Internationally*

Croak
Author: Gina Damico
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Croak Book #1
ISBN: 0547608322
ISBN13: 9780547608327
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Netgalley/Teen Book Scene

Teenage delinquent Lex's parents ship her off to her uncle's house for the summer, where she discovers a surprising family business as a grim reaper and gets caught up in a mystery, in the first installment of a morbidly hilarious new series.

CROAK is a little town in the middle of no where that cheats tourists out of money, names their establishments after death and oh yeah, all of its residents are grim reapers. Lately Lex has been getting into trouble and her parents send her off with her Uncle Mot for the summer. She quickly realizes that her Uncle is not who she always thought he was and she is following in his footsteps.

Lex really had no clue as to why she was suddenly getting into so much trouble. Her temper was all over the place, she would hit people for no reason and argue with everyone. When her parents told her she was going to her Uncles for the summer she was angry and a little scared that she was going to have to leave her twin sister behind. Lex quickly fell into her new role as a grim reaper and jumped into new friendships and situations. I enjoyed all the other teen grim reapers and it was interesting to learn about the different roles they played. Everyone but Lex comes from tragedy somehow and that makes Lex a bit different from them. From the beginning she can do things that no one else can and that plays a big role in the events of CROAK.

There was a great amount of humor, complex characters and an interesting town that was fun to navigate. The world building was neat. The Grim's source of travel and power was unique. There were a few slow parts but they in no way took away any of my interest in the story. The events at the end of CROAK were a bit easy to predict. I know it will play a huge role in the events of book 2. I have a few theories on why Lex is how she is that I'm hoping will be revealed quickly so I'm excited to get a hold of SCORCH to see if I'm right.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Review: Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson

Wicked as They Come
Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Pocket
Blud Book #1
ISBN: 1451657889
ISBN13: 9781451657883
Genre: Steampunk/Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher

Have you ever heard of a Bludman? They’re rather like you and me—only more fabulous, immortal, and mostly indestructible. (They’re also very good kissers.)

Delilah S. Dawson’s darkly tempting debut drops her unsuspecting heroine into a strange faraway land for a romantic adventure that’s part paranormal, part steampunk . . . and completely irresistible.

When Tish Everett forces open the ruby locket she finds at an estate sale, she has no idea that a deliciously rakish Bludman has cast a spell just for her. She wakes up in a surreal world, where Criminy Stain, the dashing proprietor of a magical traveling circus, curiously awaits. At Criminy’s electric touch, Tish glimpses a tantalizing future, but she also foresees her ultimate doom. Before she can decide whether to risk her fate with the charming daredevil, the locket disappears, and with it, her only chance to return home. Tish and Criminy battle roaring sea monsters and thundering bludmares, vengeful ghosts and crooked Coppers in a treacherous race to recover the necklace from the evil Blud-hating Magistrate. But if they succeed, will Tish forsake her fanged suitor and return to her normal life, or will she take a chance on an unpredictable but dangerous destiny with the Bludman she’s coming to love?

Tish falls in love with a locket at an estate sale and ends up taking it home. She gets it open, goes to bed and finds herself dreaming of a man and a world not like her own.

Tish is a bit broken when it comes to relationships. She previously escaped from an abusive relationship and is content to be on her own taking care of her elderly patients and grandmother. From the start she is attracted to Criminy but refuses to let him close for fear that she will lose herself again. Criminy was a fun character to get to know. He is a gypsy musician and he claims Tish is his soul mate from the start. There relationship slowly builds and Tish finds herself torn between worlds. Sang ended up being one of the more original worlds I have read lately. Everything was well described from the landscape to the different people to the unique and deadly wildlife. We meet a wide array of characters that were well developed and brought their own something to the story. I very much hope that even though each book in the series will revolve around a different budding relationship, that we will be able to follow Tish and Criminy a bit more so that we know what their future holds.

I found WICKED AS THEY COME to be superbly unique and fun to read. The characters were all full of spunk, the plot was nicely paced, and the world was original and easy to fall into. I will definitely be looking for more from debut author Delilah Dawson.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Winner: Wide Open by Deborah Coates

Thank you to everyone who entered!!

Prize: Finished Copy of Wide Open

The Winner chosen by Rafflecopter is.....

Giveaway: How to Be Death by Amber Benson

*Now Available*

How to Be Death
Author: Amber Benson
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: Ace
Calliope Reaper-Jones Book #4
ISBN: 1937007286
ISBN13: 9781937007287
Genre: Urban Fantasy

All Calliope Reaper-Jones ever wanted out of life was a fabulous job in New York City and a really hot boyfriend. But now, she's the brand-new President of Death, Inc. With the Board of Death breathing down her neck and her dad's copy of How to be Death (A Fully Annotated Guide) unopened, Callie's really feeling the tension. And when the guide book is stolen at a fancy formal dinner, Callie has to figure out how to be the boss--before the powers held within the book get out and destroy humanity forever...

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