Happy Book Birthday ... Need - Carrie Jones! [and giveaway]

Tomorrow is the release day for Need - Carrie Jones!

I was extremely lucky to win an ARC of Need; it’s a book I'd long been wanting to read [seriously, the cover alone sold it to me *goes green with cover envy* never mind the Amazon blurb …]

“Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.”



I’m not going to review the book, [reviews are something I’ve decided not to do] but just to say I thoroughly enjoyed the read; it more than held my attention

Sophie here – yes, walkies were *late* that day!!!

And I could feel the book calling out to me to come back and finish it – always a sign of absorbing characters and a great story when you *have* to find out what’s going to happen next ;)

This is a young adult book [and if you want to read all the latest on YA books check out Carrie Ryan’s blog] The back of the book states – ‘Now fans of Stephenie Meyer and Melissa Marr have a new author to devour…’ I’ve read both authors and agree wholeheartedly with this. I also think that Zara’s interest in Amnesty International [an interest which is shown as part of her character, and the story, but in no way is it *preached*] is an aspect of this book that leaves you with thoughts and questions long after the book is finished.

Happy book birthday, Carrie ;)

ETA:

Interview (and giveaway!) with Carrie Jones, author of NEED over at Jeri Smith-Ready's blog.

From Carrie...

You could win:

1. Signed copy of NEED (Officially out tomorrow!!)*

2. A $15 gift-certicate

3. A surprise gift. Hint: It's cuddly and blue! So what are you waiting for? Head on over there now!!

* yes, I know, I was early in my book birthday wishes, but hey this book is well worth being early for.

Phil the Shelf - BBC Radio Wales

Phil Rickman explores the attraction of horror and nouveau-gothic fiction with authors Suzanne McLeod (The Sweet Scent of Blood) and Peter Luther (The Mourning Vessels). Listen here until the 20.12.08.

*

Phil Rickman [a best-selling crime writer] does a radio show where he interviews published authors about their books. [A very nervous me in this particular one!] Not only does he talk to Peter and myself, but also to Anne Rice!

At the same time he also invites aspiring authors to send in the start of their novel, along with a synopsis, which he then forwards to a relevant publisher for their comments. In this episode two aspiring horror authors have sent in their novels and Jo Fletcher* [my editor at Gollancz] gives advice to them about their submissions. John Jarrold [my agent]also talks about the current market for fantasy and horror.

*


Ever wondered what a radio studio looks like?

Via the wonders of technology, I was able to sit in my local radio studio for the show, which despite the fact I was on my own [and did I mention nervous!] and not much larger than a broom cupboard [the show's producer's description, not mine] was really pretty cool.






* no prizes for guessing that it was thanks to my editor that I was interviewed for the show *g*

30 Days of Vampires

Lori Devoti - Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Author - in celebration of her new release - Holiday with a Vampire II - is hosting 30 Days of Vampires on her blog. Fans of the Fangs should go check it out, there's interviews, competitions and guest blogs from editors and authors [including yours truly on the 28th Nov] enough to satisfy anyone's appetite for blood info *g*. The schedule can be found here.

*

And in other news, I'm utterly delighted that Ginjer Buchanan of Berkley Ace has bought the US rights to the first three Spellcrackers.com urban fantasies. The books will be published as mass-market paperback originals in the US, with the first [The Sweet Scent of Blood] appearing late in 2009 or early in 2010. I couldn't ask for a better home for my books in the US. :-)

The Sweet Scent of Blood [book one] is out now in the UK - Gollancz . The Cold Kiss of Death [Book 2] will be published in the UK - July 2009

Fantasycon and Free Books!

19th - 21st September 2008

I will be attending Fantasycon in Nottingham for the first time - please come and say hello to me if you're going to be there. I don't bite, promise *g*.
I will also be reading from The Sweet Scent of Blood at 8 p.m. on Friday 19th September. Please feel free to come and listen.

And here's a chance to read War for the Oaks - Emma Bull - one of my all time favourite books *free* plus others to come!

Free Ebooks from World Fantasy Award Finalists


Last week we announced the return of free ebooks from Tor.com. We’re kicking things off this week with backlist titles from two of the authors who are finalists for this year’s World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. To download these and upcoming freebies, all you have to do is register at Tor.com.

Will Shetterly and Emma Bull are the first married couple to each simultaneously have a novel among the finalists for the World Fantasy Award—Emma’s Territory and Will’s The Gospel of the Knife. In commemoration of this, we’re offering registered Tor.com users free e-book editions of a pair of classics from the Bull and Shetterly backlists—Emma’s War for the Oaks and Will’s Dogland. Check them out here!

Each title in our giveaway program will be available for A Limited Time Only, so don’t delay. The books will be offered in a variety of formats, with no DRM. After this month’s pair of books, we’ll be putting up a new title every month, so make sure you register—and tell your friends about the great books (and blogs, and art, and conversation) that are free at Tor.com every day.

Thinking of Adopting a Vampire?

In celebration of Jaye Wells' [fellow fang-fan and author] beautiful new cover for her novel - Red-Headed Stepchild - that debuts in 2009 from Orbit US, here's a copy of a post I did back in March for Jaye's Adopt a Vampire Month on Jaye's Blahg Check out her cover at the end of this post and go check out the rest of the posts for National Adopt a Vampire Month on her blog - great fun was had by all *g*

Just why should you adopt a vampire?

Going by all the fantastic posts so far, I'd be surprised if there is anyone out there who hasn't already made the decision to adopt their very own vampire. But just in case you need a bit more persuasion information on the subject before taking that momentous decision, this is for those of you who are still wondering what all the fuss is about.


Want to go on a world tour with angst? Take a journey with Akasha and Lestat as Anne Rice tells us how The Queen of The Damned goes for world
domination.

Fancy a Greek god in leathers? Why not choose one of Sherrilyn Kenyon's hot Dark Hunters.

If a mysterious castle, bug eating slaves and a pack of pet wolves is your thing, then you have to meet The Count himself - Dracula.

Maybe you need to work off some aggression by slicing and dicing? Grab your sword and turn vigilante along with Blade.

Feeling thirsty? Indulge in a bottle of synthetic blood with
Charlaine Harris' super hot bad boy viking, Eric.

Need a bit of creeping dread to get your heart thudding, as you realise
the slavering monsters are real?
Go Vampyrrhic with Simon Clark.

Does the thought of losing all that blood make you feel faint? Try a
date with Jim Butcher's sexy Thomas instead.

In the mood for some laughs with your fangs? Wander round San
Francisco with Chris Moore and his Bloodsucking Fiends.

Do those little grey cells need a work out? Go on a murder mystery
weekend with Vicky Nelson and Henry Fitzroy in Tanya Huff's Blood Ties.

Searching for your soul mate? Look no further than Christine Feehan's romantic Carpathians.

Want to get up close and personal and indulge your Guilty Pleasures?Then dive into the wonderful seductive world created by Laurell K Hamilton.

Feeling oppressed and itching to rebel against the aliens? Follow
David Valentine into E.E Knight's conquered vampire earth.

Having a really bad day? Try kicking some serious arse with Nancy
Collins and her Sonja Blue.

But if those don't snag your interest, then keep looking because there are more vampire books out there than you can shake a whole load of stakes at. But, one last warning for any of you thinking about giving the vampires a try - once they sink their fangs into you, and you have a taste of what they can offer - well, there's no escape after that, they'll keep you under their spell for all eternity.

And just to add to the persuasion information sharing for those who might still be crouching behind that door and wondering whether adopting a vampire is the right way to go - If you've already succumbed, then who was the first vampire you ever met?

And here's Jaye Wells' fabulous new cover!

Win a copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood!!

I'm guest blogging over at Karen Mahoney's today about 'Friends as Characters - Will they still love you when the book comes out!'

And there's another chance to win a copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood to celebrate this my book's release day . *runs off to do the excited happy dance again*

The draw is open until the 7th Sept, but why wait until then, go now and read how my best writing buddy made me put her offered to be a character in my book *g*

Guest blogging over at How to Get Your Novel Published

I'm guest blogging over at How To Get Your Novel Published about the power of critiquing today. And in celebration of the release of The Sweet Scent of Blood tomorrow [4th Sept] in the UK *sqeeeeeee* one lucky commentator can win a signed copy of my book.

There's some great content over there about the road to publication thanks to David Bridger so click on over and have a look ;)

Chapter One - The Sweet Scent of Blood - read now

Chapter one is now posted on my website, feel free to drop by and read, and I hope you enjoy ;)

The Sweet Scent of Blood is released on the 4th September in the UK - less than a week away - Whoo Hoo!! *mega happy dancing here* It is my first book and I'm both thrilled and excited that my story has made it into print. I had a lot of fun creating my characters and my world, and I really hope that anyone who reads it will enjoy it as much as I did when I was writing it.

Read chapter one here

The Sweet Scent of Blood - Reviews

I have been angsting with a typical British reserve as to whether I should blow my own trumpet or not [obviously I have now decided to do so! LOL!] As to whether I will have the fortitude in future to point anyone in the direction of reviews that might not be so favourable [or will I and my fortitude totally wimp out from doing said pointing] – only time will tell!

Liz at http://www.myfavouritebooks.blogspot.com:80/ has this to say ;)

‘Exceedingly well-written debut ticking all the right boxes, from a gutsy and unique heroine to an engaging storyline with sexy foes and a strong ensemble cast . . . funny and charming, with enough action to keep any book junkie entertained: Suzanne McLeod isn’t just adept, she’s bloody brilliant. Highly recommended.’

For the rest of her review check out her excellent book blog - yes, I know, she liked my book!!! so I'm biased, but her blog really is excellent ;) You'll need to scroll down to find the review of TSSoB.

From Gareth Wilson at Falcata Times

‘From the opening passage [the] characters jumped off the page and took the reader by the hand through a London that blended myth and legend with the modern world . . . a tale that will stay with the reader long after the final page is turned . . . the undead and fae face off in a no-holds-barred tale. Definitely an author to watch. Falcata Times

This month's edition of Falcata Times is online and ready to be read, here's a post I stole copied from Liz [and see what exalted company he's put me with *g* plus his full review can be read along with all his other reviews ;)

Gareth Wilson has worked himself into a lather to publish a massive edition of Falcata Times - the Monster Edition, this month.

He interviews, amongst others: LKH, Suzanne McLeod, Mike Carey, Charlaine Harris, Vicki Pettersen, CE Murphy and many more. There are hundreds of reviews jostling for space, alongside Zanzi The Barbarian's Agony Column and the new Scaredy Cat's take on some horror movies.

You can find the main Falcata Times page
here along with some "back" issues or if you just want to see the current pdf, go here. But be warned, it is a bigun! Also due to some fantasy art, it might not be suitable to view at work or for younger readers. (I'm not being overly anxious here, I promise - I just don't want anyone getting in trouble).



Okay and trying desperately not to squeeeee now, from two authors who I've been a fan of, like forever!

From Simon Green.

‘I loved it to pieces. I was particularly taken with the establishing chapter, where our heroine sets up her world just by chatting with a friend over coffee and the morning papers. But all in all, a splendid first novel, and a damned good read. Fast and furious, funny and fae, the first Spellcrackers book is a cracker of a read.’ Simon Green, NYTimes bestselling author of The Secret Histories

And last but by no means least from Charlaine Harris.

‘The Sweet Scent of Blood is one of my favorite reads of the past month. The fast pace of the plot and the fascinating cast of characters will give you a happy little vacation between two covers.’ CHARLAINE HARRIS, New York Times bestselling author


Whoo Hoo!!! And to misquote a writer friend, 'my head is now the size of an extremely large planet!'

and apologies for any weird formatting - Blogger and I are still getting to know each other *sigh*

Wonderlands


View my page on Wonderlands

A fantasy social networking site - forums, events, author chats - has been set up at:

http://wonderlands.ning.com/

For all things fantasy - wherever you are in the world - Wonderlands is well worth a visit.

Two book deal - German Rights

Oh wow!!!! I am utterly delighted to post the following . . .


PRESS RELEASE – GERMAN RIGHTS IN URBAN FANTASY DEBUT SOLD


Krystyna Kujawinska, Foreign Rights Director at Orion, has sold German rights in two urban fantasies by debut novelist Suzanne McLeod to Nicole Geismann of Goldmann.

World rights in the series, which opens with THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD (to be published in the UK in September 2008), were acquired by Jo Fletcher at Gollancz from John Jarrold in 2007.

‘I couldn’t be happier for Suzanne, or for Gollancz and Goldmann,' said John Jarrold. 'And many congratulations to Krystyna.’


. . . and my own thanks to John, Jo and Krystyna and to Nicole at Goldmann. Yay! She loved my book!

OWW Interview!

I've always been a big fan of writers getting constructive feedback on their writing and with this in mind, I've mentioned the OWW before - that's the Online Writer's Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror - go here and check them out! - Okay, I don't post very often, so maybe not right now but when you've finished reading *g*.

I've been lucky to have a face2face crit group ever since I started writing, but for all their wonderful help, none of my fellow Thursday Writers (we used all our creativity on our writing and not on our name as you can probably tell!) read or write in the same genre as myself - Fantasy. So I went looking for some like-minded writers, as you do, and found the OWW. They're a fantastic resource for writers at any level and I know exchanging crits with the other members really helped to improve my own abilities as well as gaining me some great new writer friends.

And before I ramble on, and on ... Maria Zannini (her first book Touch of Fire is a futuristic fantasy set on a post-apocalyptic Earth and she has her own very informative blog) interviewed me for the OWW newsletter about The Sweet Scent of Blood and my writing - the interview is here - hey, and maybe let me know what you think or if there are any other questions you want to ask, feel free to leave them in the comments!

Enjoy!

The Sweet Scent of Blood - Cover




Wow! Look at my book's
beautiful new cover
isn't it gorgeous?






Topic of the Week over on Fangs, Fur & Fey - Readers' Questions

x/posted from Fangs, Fur & Fey

Q. For those of you, especially debut authors, who sold series where the first book was complete but future books were not: How much freedom did you have with the writing of the second book?

Q. On pitching series, do you pitch the series in the initial query? Or is that something you extrapolate once you've been invited to send some material along?

I have a three book deal with Gollancz and my debut book is book one in a reasonably open series – Spellcrackers.com. That’s what I pitched to my agent, and once I’d finished book one – my agent took me on as a client before I’d completed the manuscript ;) - that’s what he pitched to publishers. Along with the completed manuscript, I sent one page detailing my ideas for books two and three (both very short three line paragraphs), a few one liners about possible further books, and also some other ideas I had, to expand the series/stories in my world.

In answer to the question about book two, so far, I’m being left to write it as per that short paragraph. As to whether this is normal or not, I don’t know, as I am a debut author. I think this is one of those answers that could vary between different editors and authors and publishing houses.


Q. How do you deal with writer's block?

This is an odd one, as I’ve found hitting a block where I can’t seem to write the next scene, or bit of dialogue usually has a particular cause (as opposed to the just not feeling like working one, cos I’m tired, or distracted by too many other things, like life, or the other job - and I can be world class at distracting myself *g*)

Frex – I was writing a scene where my MC is alone with another character, and I couldn’t think of a thing for them both to say to each other. So I took a walk, and pondered *read racked brain for solution* And I realised *I* the writer, knew exactly why both characters were alone together, regarding their motivations, and the plot development, but my UF has a strong murder mystery plot running through it ;) so of course, the character other than my MC couldn’t *talk* about their real reasons, because that would give the game away, so they had to have some plausible excuse. So in the end, I managed to find their excuse, and ... the words started to flow again ;) (sorry if that was a bit convoluted, but I don’t want to give out any hints *g*)


Q. My parents are visiting England, and asked if I wanted anything can anyone recommend some UF that hasn't been released in the US? I spent about two hours crossmatching amazon.com and amazon.co.uk but had very little success.

As a Brit, I find most of my UF reading has been from the US, as currently UF in the UK is not as big. One UF Brit author that springs to mind is Mike Carey and his Felix Castor series - Mike is probably better known for his graphic novels – but his UF are wonderful books and are set in London (as are my own ;)) His MC, Fix is an exorcist, and has to deal with zombies, ghosts, demons, and a really different style of weres.

National Adopt a Vampire Month

For those of you who don't know, it's National Adopt a Vampire Month over at Jaye's Blahg. There have been plenty of great posts from my fellow authors who also write about those of the sexy, sharp-toothed persuasion *g*

And tomorrow Jaye is kindly allowing me to guest blog about why I think adopting a vampire could be one of those life changing things - well, that's how it happened for me anyway ;)

Jaye Wells is herself a writer and fan of the fanged, and her own book RED HEADED STEPCHILD is due out in September 2009.

To find out more, pop on over. Not only is the reading excellent entertainment, but you can win books! Yes, there are prizes, so what are you waiting for? Go now and enjoy!


ETA - September 2008:

Here's a copy of the post from Jaye's Blahg Go check out the rest of the posts back in March - great fun was had by all *g*

Just why should you adopt a vampire?

Going by all the fantastic posts so far, I'd be surprised if there is anyone
out there who hasn't already made the decision to adopt their very own
vampire. But just in case you need a bit more persuasion
information on the subject before taking that momentous decision, this is
for those of you who are still wondering what all the fuss is about.


Want to go on a world tour with angst? Take a journey with Akasha and
Lestat as Anne Rice tells us how The Queen of The Damned goes for world
domination.

Fancy a Greek god in leathers? Why not choose one of Sherrilyn Kenyon's
hot Dark Hunters.

If a mysterious castle, bug eating slaves and a pack of pet wolves is
your thing
, then you have to meet The Count himself - Dracula.

Maybe you need to work off some aggression by slicing and dicing?Grab your sword and turn vigilante along with Blade.

Feeling thirsty? Indulge in a bottle of synthetic blood with
Charlaine Harris' super hot bad boy viking, Eric.

Need a bit of creeping dread to get your heart thudding, as you realise
the slavering monsters are real?
Go Vampyrrhic with Simon Clark.

Does the thought of losing all that blood make you feel faint? Try a
date with Jim Butcher's sexy Thomas instead.

In the mood for some laughs with your fangs? Wander round San
Francisco with Chris Moore and his Bloodsucking Fiends.

Do those little grey cells need a work out? Go on a murder mystery
weekend with Vicky Nelson and Henry Fitzroy in Tanya Huff's Blood Ties.

Searching for your soul mate? Look no further than Christine Feehan's
romantic Carpathians.

Want to get up close and personal and indulge your Guilty Pleasures?Then dive into the wonderful seductive world created by Laurell K
Hamilton.

Feeling oppressed and itching to rebel against the aliens? Follow
David Valentine into E.E Knight's conquered vampire earth.

Having a really bad day? Try kicking some serious arse with Nancy
Collins and her Sonja Blue.

But if those don't snag your interest, then keep looking because there are
more vampire books out there than you can shake a whole load of stakes at.
But, one last warning for any of you thinking about giving the vampires a
try - once they sink their fangs into you, and you have a taste of what they
can offer - well, there's no escape after that, they'll keep you under their
spell for all eternity.

And just to add to the persuasion information sharing for
those who might still be crouching behind that door, and wondering whether
adopting a vampire is the right way to go - If you've already succumbed,
then who was the first vampire you ever met?

Traditionalist with a twist

x/posted from Fangs, Fur & Fey


TOPIC: How do you pick the sort of creature/being you utilize?

Personally, I like to have my cake and eat it ;) I wanted to write about vampires, and faeries, and witches, and goblins, and trolls, and all those other creatures that fuel our fears and dreams in the myths and legends. So that’s what I’ve done. I’ve kept the majority of the traditional elements, (such as vampires surviving on blood and forgoing the suntan *g*) and then set it all in a contemporary London, along with my own little twists tweaks here and there.

My twists come when I spend time daydreaming researching my world. One of the myths I find fascinating is that of the sidhe fae wanting to seduce humans. When you look at it from the human side, it’s a great way to explain away that unwanted pregnancy, or the young man who runs away leaving his responsibilities on the farm behind – you can just blame it on something that you have no control over. But if you look at it from the sidhe point of view, it doesn’t stack up. I mean, if you’re such a beautiful being, living amongst others like yourself, are you really going to want to seduce some poor farm girl who happened to be feeding the hens. Is a faerie queen going to be so desperate as to steal away the lad that milks the cows? Nu-huh, somehow I don’t think so.

So I asked myself why. Why would this happen, what would encourage the sidhe to be attracted to humans, and how would it affect not just the sidhe, but also the humans, and other non-human races. How would this cause the world to evolve? How would they all interact together? What difference would technology make? And endless, endless other questions ;)

Then I got into daydreaming researching my main character. In the world I’d created, what race would she be? What problems would that cause her? How would she deal with them? What sort of job would she have? What emotional baggage would she carry with her from before the story started? Why would she be special to the other characters? And what would they want from her?

Which is how Genevieve Taylor, a sidhe fae, who works for spellcrackers.com came into being ;)

Suzanne McLeod
www.myspace.com/suzannemcleod.

An Invite to Fangs, Fur & Fey!

Yesterday, Melissa Marr, one of the founders of the LJ community Fangs, Fur & Fey was kind enough to invite me to join them! Now I've been lurking there, like forever, and hoping that one day...

So here's my entry x posted.

Hi Everyone

Thanks so much to Melissa for inviting me, and I’m delighted and honoured to accept. I’ve been a watcher ever since the FFF comm. started and now I get to join ~big grin~ I’ve learnt a huge amount from the fabulous authors here and everyone’s comments, lots of great info on writing, publishing and of course, so many awesome books to go on my reading wish list ;).

And now a little about me – I’m a UK author, living on the South Coast with my dh (who is Scottish and wonderful in so many ways, not least for his support!) and our two rescue dogs, a hyperactive Jack Russell/Lab cross, and a couch-potato German shepherd/lab cross! I’ve been writing for just over four years and my love is Urban Fantasy. Just before Christmas my fantastic agent, John Jarrold, sold my first three books to Gollancz. Wow! Was that the best Christmas present ever! But don’t you just hate writing about yourself? I always find is sooooo much easier to write about my world and my characters, so…

“Welcome to present day London, England, and the world of Genevieve Taylor, a sidhe fae.

A place where you can dance the night away with a celebrity vampire, ride the underground with a goblin worker, buy a love charm from the witches’ market, report a crime to a mountain troll and log on to Spellcrackers.com and hire a sidhe or a satyr to sort out that annoying pixie infestation.

But be warned!

Be polite when you meet a brownie or a cluricaun, lest your milk turn sour and your beer stop flowing. Don’t go swimming in the Thames with the kelpie. Visiting Sucker Town after sunset is just asking for trouble to bite you. And never, ever, break a bargain made with a fae, for the magic will always extract its retribution.

In the first novel (title to be confirmed), when one of the hot calendar pin-up vamps, Mr October, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, a longstanding obligation means Genny can't refuse to help prove his innocence. Initially, she agrees with the police that he is guilty. But as events unfold, Genny begins to have doubts.”

Where am I now? ... Well having written and delivered book one to my editor, I’m now waiting anxiously for her notes. I’ve been reading the recent comments on those with great interest, believe me! I already know my book is way too long at 137K words, and I’ve got to cut it down to the 100K!!! (a whole sub-plot has to go) Also, I’ve got to tone down the sex (which tells you I’m definitely writing for the adult market ~grin~) Then I’ve got nine month deadlines for book two and three! Scary – especially ‘cos I’m such a slow writer ~ sigh. But the best bit of all, is I get to go play with my characters some more, and even though I write to a plan, they still constantly surprise me.

Thanks again for inviting me, and any questions?? Just ask away ;)
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