Guest Post: Mari Mancussi

UFI welcomes Mari Mancusi Author of The Blood Coven Vampires Series. Thanks for Joining us!!

Character This or That List: Magnus

• Shifters or Vampires

Why vampires of course, seeing as I am a vampire. Not that I have anything against shifters--most of them are nice folk who keep to themselves. The exception being, of course, the case of the werewolf cheerleaders a while back. They caused quite a bit of havoc around town until Rayne was able to find a cure.

• Pizza or Pasta

Since I haven't eaten since the 11th century, I don't really know what either of them tastes like, sadly. But I know my Sunny is quite fond of pizza.

• Coffee or Tea

Neither. Unless they're infused with blood.

• Virtual or Real

Real. With my job as leader of the Blood Coven, there isn't time for virtual games. I might miss something important going on in real life. I leave the virtual world to Rayne, Sunny's twin sister, who's very into videogames like World of Warcraft. For me, I just don't have the time.

• Left or Right

Are we talking politics or directions? Lately I've started to lean more to the left when it comes to politics. The vampires in our covens depend on us for blood and protection. I want to make sure the Consortium always provides for them, whatever the cost. Our current leader Pyrus, however, is more into trickle down economics. Give all the tax breaks and power and blood to the coven leaders and they will, in turn, help the vampires beneath them. Unfortunately there are a lot of selfish vampires in the world. (Living an immortal life can do that to a guy.) And so I'm not sure Pyrus's politics really work in real life.

• Reading or Writing

I guess I'm more of a reader, though I don't really have the time to read all the books I have on my Kindle. Running a vampire coven is hard work, as I mentioned above. I usually end up reading mostly briefs and memos sent over by my superiors. Once in a while I'll settle in with a nonfiction book. Hm. I guess that makes me sound really boring. Sigh. Someday I'd love to take a vacation with Sunny and spend the whole week cuddling and reading. Sounds like Heaven.

• Borders or Barnes and Noble

I used to love Borders before they closed down. They were big supporters of the Blood Coven series. Unfortunately, Barnes and Noble has chosen not to carry the latest book, Blood Ties. So I've been working to rally the Blood Coven members to order the book through BN.com or go to the store and order it at the information desk. We want to show the store buyers that there is demand for this title - and they need to stock it on their shelves!

• Book Signing or Panel Speaker

I don't write, so I guess I would prefer to be a panel speaker. My current job as Master of the Blood Coven requires a lot of public speaking. I'm not so fond of standing up in front of a crowd, but I know it's a necessary part of the job.

• YA Paranormal or Adult Paranormal

I don't read much fiction and if I did, I'd probably read mysteries or true crime over paranormal stories. Mainly because most of the books about vampires out there get it all wrong and it's hard to read the ridiculous things the authors come up with when it comes to my kind. Case in point: sparkles? Really? Ugh.

• Coke or Pepsi

Neither. I drink blood!

• Facebook or Twitter

Facebook. You can follow me here: http://www.facebook.com/bloodcovenvampires#!/magnusbloodcoven Or you can follow the Blood Coven itself here: http://www.facebook.co /bloodcovenvampires

• Up or Down

Up. Always look up. Especially when things look grim. There is always hope.

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Mari Mancusi used to wish she could become a vampire back in high school...

But she ended up in another blood sucking profession --journalism -- instead. Today she works as a freelance TV producer and author of books for teens and adults. When not writing about creatures of the night, Mari enjoys traveling, cooking, goth clubbing, watching cheesy horror movies, and her favorite guilty pleasure--videogames. A graduate of Boston University and a two time Emmy Award winner, she lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Jacob and their dogs Mesquite and Bowie.

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Find Mari and her books

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Blood Ties

Blood Coven #6
Aug 2 2011

The final battle is brewing between Vampires and Slayers. But for Sunny McDonald, the true war is being fought over her heart.

Though now officially back in the arms of her vampire boyfriend Magnus, Sunny finds she still can't forget the gentle mortal Jayden who once saved her life. And when the darkness threatens to steal his humanity, Sunny finds herself with a choice. Stay true to Magnus and the Blood Coven or defy them in a desperate attempt to save Jayden’s soul.

Meanwhile, the Blood Coven is gearing up for its toughest fight yet--going head to head with a splinter group of Slayer Inc who's regrouping in Tokyo, Japan, still determined to take over the world. In dark blood bars and hidden temples, it'll be Vampires vs. Slayers in a showdown that could cost Sunny not only her heart...but also her very life.

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Winner: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Thank you to everyone that entered!!

PRIZE: One copy of Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

The winner chosen by Random.org is…

Na

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

Review: Misfit by Jon Skovron

Misfit
Author:Jon Skovron
Release Date: Aug 1, 2011
Publisher: Amulet Books
Misfit Book #1
ISBN:  1419700219
ISBN13: 9781419700217
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Netgalley

Jael has always felt like a freak. She’s never kissed a boy, she never knew her mom, and her dad’s always been superstrict—but that’s probably because her mom was a demon, which makes Jael half demon and most definitely not a normal sophomore girl. On her sixteenth birthday, a mysterious present unlocks her family’s dangerous history and Jael’s untapped potential. What was merely an embarrassing secret before becomes a terrifying reality. Jael must learn to master her demon side in order to take on a vindictive Duke of Hell while also dealing with a twisted priest, best-friend drama, and a spacey blond skater boy who may have hidden depths.

Jael is a teenager who has known she was part demon for a while. Her dad has moved her around a lot to stay ahead of the Demons that are trying to kill her because she is a "half breed".  Jael is attending a catholic school and finally is setting down roots, she has a best friend and a sorta kinda boyfriend who ends up being pretty awesome when everything starts picking up in her life. Her dad starts off being really distant, he keeps Jael in the dark and refuses to tell her anything about her mother or herself really. Its apparent over time he does it out of love and fear. We get flashes of him and Jael's mother from the past throughout the story and it shows just how kick butt he use to be and the love that they had for each other. These flashbacks were my favorite part of the book, I felt they were better written and more engaging then other parts. I really liked Jael's Uncle Dagon, he was super supportive of Jael and tries to help her figure out what her demon side can do, although I wish we found out why he is the way he is as it mentions that he didn't use to look the way he looks now. There is some interesting action scenes at the end of the book where Jael has to fight some of the bad guys and gets a taste of what she is made of. I wish Jon would have done some more scenes in hell, throughout the book they talk about how it isn't what people say its like yet there is only one scene where Jael is there and its thin on details. Im not sure if I would read a book 2 but MISFIT was interesting enough if you want to grab a copy from your library.

I gave it 3/5 stars
 

Review: Eternity by Heather Terrell

 Eternity
Author:Heather Terrell
Release Date: June 28, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Fallen Angel Book #2
ISBN:  0061965715
ISBN13: 9780061965715
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Publisher

The end . . . or a new beginning?
As Ellie comes to grips with her destiny as the Elect One, her relationship with Michael grows tense. When she meets a mys­terious boy named Rafe, things get even more complicated.
Yet the time has come for the Elect One to stand against the group of evil fallen angels who are bent on destroying the world. In order to face the immeasurable malevolence heading her way, Ellie tries to put her personal life aside. But she soon learns that whoever holds her heart also holds the key to mankind’s salvation—or destruction. As the end days approach, Ellie is faced with an epic decision. Who does her heart really belong to? And is her love strong enough to save the world?

ETERNITY is book 2 of the Fallen Angel series so make sure you snag and read FALLEN ANGEL before you pick this up or you might be a little lost. One of thing that really annoyed me about the beginning of the book is that the first 2 chapters of ETERNITY was just a really drawn out version of the last chapter of FALLEN ANGEL and i felt it was really boring the second time around. Ellie learned and dealt with a lot of things in book 1 and continues to deal with the same things in book 2 to try to stop the evil fallen angels from destroying the world. I honestly cant begin to think of the feelings I have towards Michael. He seems to be way to easily influenced and used and it honestly just got to be to much to have to watch Ellie go through the same stuff as FALLEN ANGEL. I don't thing there will be another book as the ending seemed to wrap everything up but if by chance there is I hope he will have a better knightly role then in the past.  I really did enjoy watching Ellie grow into her role as the Elect One. It wasn't super easy for her which made the story better and she had some help from a great new character that I enjoyed learning about. I read both books back to back and I enjoyed FALLEN ANGEL a little more then ETERNITY. I honestly don't think I would read another book if it came out in the series as it just didn't seem to grab me like I wanted it too but I think any fan of YA angel mythology books might enjoy the series.

I gave it 3/5 stars 

New Releases Aug 7-13

No releases found this week

Please let me know if you see a mistake or find that something is missing =) Happy reading.

Winners: Darkness Descending by Devyn Quinn

Thank you to everyone that entered!!

PRIZE: 2 winners will receive one copy each of Darkness Descending

The winners chosen by Random.org is…

Moonlight Gleam
&
erin 

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

Interview & Giveaway: Christina Henry

UFI welcomes Christina Henry Author of Black Wings and Black Night. 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?

When I am sick or feeling bad, I like to watch “Jaws”. Seriously. It’s like comfort food to me.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

I have a five-year-old, so downtime is kind of a distant memory, but I occasionally have time to read a book or watch a movie.

I’ll read just about anything. My favorite movies are ones where monsters eat people up – “Night of the Living Dead”, “The Host”, “Alien”, “The Thing”, things like that.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

Working in my pajamas!

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

I usually make up a playlist for each book. Over time that playlist will come to epitomize the emotional feeling of the book to me.

Other than that, I just try to write as much as I can in the time that I have. Sometimes I write by hand in a notebook and sometimes I work directly on my laptop.

If I’m writing in the notebook that usually means I’m out somewhere with my son. I wrote over 100 pages of BLACK HOWL by hand over several days while he played at various parks around the city.

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

I love, love, love Jim Butcher. I think he is such a brave writer. He takes incredible risks with his character Harry Dresden. And he’s really got the balance of humor and suspense down.

I’m also a big fan of Neil Gaiman, China Mieville, Joe Hill, Simon Green and Charlaine Harris.

How would you pitch the Madeline Black series to someone who has not heard of them before?

Madeline Black is an Agent of death, which is basically a crummy unpaid job that you inherit when another Agent in your bloodline dies. Agents escort souls after death and give them the choice of entering the Door (no one knows what’s behind it) or staying on earth as a ghost. Maddy’s mother died under mysterious circumstances when she was young and her father was missing her whole life, so she was raised by a very mouthy gargoyle. In BLACK WINGS, Maddy discovers that deaths are occurring outside the natural order – that is, not predicted by the seers that give Agents their soul-escorting assignments. While investigating the causes of these deaths she discovers a very unexpected supernatural heritage.

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

I wanted the world to cleave pretty closely to the real world, but with paranormal elements thrown in. It’s set in Chicago, my hometown of the last eleven years, and it looks pretty much like the real Chicago, except that freaky supernatural things keep happening under the radar. Ordinary people don’t know about Agents of death or talking gargoyles, so keeping monsters out of the path of innocents and out of the headlines can get pretty tricky for Maddy.

Do you have a favorite scene in Black Night?

Usually any scene with Beezle is a favorite. He’s so easy to write.

Beezle is one of my favorite characters. Where did the Idea of him come from?

I wanted Maddy to have someone to talk to. I think there is a risk when writing first person of spending too much time in the head of your protagonist. I wanted Maddy to have someone who was pretty much always available (unlike a friend who would have a job and life of their own) and someone who could help leaven the tension with a little humor.

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

Beezle is easily my favorite. J.B. can definitely be a challenge because his relationship with Maddy is so prickly.

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

I’ve got some other ideas but I won’t be working on them anytime soon. I’m under contract for six books in the Black Wings series, so there’s nothing but Maddy for a while!

Thank you so much for having me here today!

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Author Bio: CHRISTINA HENRY is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago and enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with samurai, zombies and/or subtitles in her spare time.  She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.

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Find Christina and her books

Website / Facebook / Email

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Black Night
Madeline Black #2
July 26, 2011

Madeline Black is an Agent of death, meaning she escorts the souls of people who have died to the afterlife. Of course, not everyone is happy to see her...

If obstinate dead people were all that Maddy had to worry about, life would be much easier. But the best-laid plans of Agents and fallen angels often go awry. Deaths are occurring contrary to the natural order, Maddy's being stalked by foes inside and outside of her family, and her two loves-her bodyguard, Gabriel, and her doughnut-loving gargoyle, Beezle-have disappeared. But because Maddy is Lucifer's granddaughter, things are expected of her, things like delicate diplomatic missions to other realms.

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 Black Wings
Madeline Black #1
February 24, 2011

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It's a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.

Maddy's position may come with magical powers and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn't pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.

Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy's building. It's probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.

Powers that place her directly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell...

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Winner will receive
- One copy of Black Night
*Provided by ACE

 RULES
1)  Leave a comment or question for Christina =)
2) This giveaway is open to US and Canadian readers only
3) Must leave an email address so I can contact you.

Giveaway Ends 8/15/2011 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