Devil's Mountain Blog Tour

Devil’s Mountain
By Bernadette Walsh
Book One of the Devlin Legacy

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Horror
Publisher: Lyrical Press
ISBN: 9781616503697
Number of pages: 122
Word Count: 39,000
Blurb/Book Description:
You will hate Him for all that he's taken, but you will love Him. God help you, you will love Him.

Mary Devlin accepted her fate years ago, to serve Slanaitheoir, the mountain spirit who saved her ancestors from the Irish Famine. The hauntingly beautiful woman submitted to His every caress, His every humiliation, but He’s gone too far by threatening her family.

Mary’s daughter-in-law is now an unwitting pawn in the fickle spirit’s game. Mary must challenge her fate and that of all future Devlin women, but Slanaitheoir is the most powerful being in the land. And when part of her still yearns for His touch and love, how can she fight him and win?

Overall:

This book was a paranormal romance with some pretty creepy vibes. The mythology behind it was intense, with the Devlin women being enslaved to the devil Slanaitheoir until he freed them with their death and he would take the next female in the line. Yup. Sounds like a "marriage" made in Hell alright. This book incited all kinds of emotions and is filled with love, longing, hate and a whole lot of loss. Sometimes it was hard to tell which POV I was reading, but this did not detract too much from the overall feel of the book.

From the onset of page one, I was hooked. The voice grabbed me. It was sensual in its wording and yet was able to capture even the smallest detail and have you reveling in the verbiage. Lovely! 

4.5/5

1. What was your favorite thing about writing this book? 

This was my first foray into writing paranormal and the freedom it allowed me in terms of world building was amazing. I really got bitten by the paranormal bug.

2.  Having a spirit seduce you into submission sounds kind of sexy. Tell us about the dark side to this story... 

Mary Devlin is the latest in the line of Devlin women who serve the spirit who inhabits Devlin’s Mountain. During the time of the Irish famine, Five Families lived on the remote mountain known as Devlin Mountain. One day a  stranger came to the Mountain with tremendous powers. He saved the Five Families from the devastation of the famine, and bewitched the people into thinking they lived in a wonderful paradise. They even referred to the stranger as their “savior” or Slanaitheoir in Irish. However, eventually the men realized that they were being duped by Him, and that He had seduced their women and filled their cottages with His own children. When they revolted, Slanaitheoir took His revenge. Their crops suffered, some of their children and cattle sickened and died.  Roisin Devlin who was a witch, made a deal with Slanaitheoir. In exchange for letting the rest of the Five Families go, He would be given the most beautiful girl on the Mountain, the witch’s own daughter. He would be entitled to the first daughter of the girl, and each succeeding generation to do what He wanted with. With each generation Slanaitheoir seduced the Devlin women, made them love Him, and then tortured them both physically and mentally. Mary does not want her daughter and grand-daughters to suffer the same fate. Her goal is to be the last Devlin witch.

Mary Devlin as the Devlin witch has the gift of healing, of sight. Slanaitheoir’s abilities seem almost endless. He can take any form, from a bird, to a goat, to a sheep, to His most cruel apparition, that of a seven foot, green-eyed god.

The Devlin witches really bewitched me and I can’t seem to stop writing about them!

3. What is your favorite zombie book or movie?

 I’m a bit of a wimp about zombies. 28 Days still gives me nightmares

4. If you had to live through a zombie apocalypse, what four things would you want with you?

 A lifetime supply of mint chocolate chip ice cream, my kindle filled with two thousand books, mascara and oh, I guess sneakers so I could run away from the zombies. I haven’t been to the gym in a while, so I guess I wouldn’t be able to put much of a dent into that ice cream before I became some zombie’s lunch!

5. The Walking Dead vs. Shaun of the Dead?

 No doubt, Shaun of the Dead.

6. What first interested you in the supernatural?

 I’ve always been interested in ghosts stories and I am a huge fan of the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse books. My first two books were women’s fiction. After writing those, I started writing about a woman who’s mother-in-law is a little strange and has a strong hold on her son. Originally I expected Mary’s “witchiness” to just be a symptom of mental illness but I had so much fun writing about her powers midway that through the book I decided to make her a real witch.

7. Writing myths into erotic or romantic fiction/horror can be a lot of fun. Is your story based on mythology?

 No, I made it all up, which I think is much more fun!

8. Do you have a playlist?

 No, I like a lot of U2 and Neil Young. I originally like Adele, but after I heard her songs at least 100 times in a one week period, now she makes my ears bleed.

9. What are some authors that have influenced your writing?

 From a paranormal perspective I like Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris and I recently read The Witch’s Daughter by Paula Brackston which I loved because it was soooo sad. On the women’s fiction/general fiction front, I like Alice McDermott and admire how she writes about Irish-America which is the world I also explore in my books. I like Jodi Picoult too.

10. What are you working on now?

 The Devlin Witch. I had originally intended the Devlin Legacy to be a trilogy, but those Irish witches still have me under their spell so I am writing a full length stand-alone book that incorporates some of the characters from Book Three. I’m about a quarter of the way through the first draft, so not exactly sure where I will wind up.

About the Author

          I have always been a bookworm and had always meant to write a novel “someday.” You know, when I won the lottery and could live in beach house and look out onto the water and feel inspired. Four years ago I decided to stop waiting for my winning lottery ticket and sat down and started writing in between work and family obligations, I piled the words on top of each other until they formed sentences, paragraphs, chapters and eventually a book.  My first book, a contemporary romance, Gold Coast Wives, was published in November 2011. The House on Prospect is my second novel. The first book of my paranormal trilogy, Devil’s Mountain -- Book One of the Devlin Legacy, was published in June 2012. While I’ve hopped around genres, all of my books to date have a common theme: strong women handling what life throws at them the best way they can.


http://bernadettewalsh.com

@BWalshWriter   Twitter

https://twitter.com/#!/BWalshWriter

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bernadette-Walsh-Author/196567653686807

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5321197.Bernadette_Walsh

Darklands: The Blog Tour and Giveaway

DARKLANDS

By Nancy Holzner

Book #4 in the Deadtown series

Genre: Urban fantasy

Publisher: Ace

ISBN: 978-1937007706

ASIN: 1937007707

Number of pages: 336

Word Count: Around 110,000

       Amazon         B&N         Powells    

      BookDepository 

Blurb/Book Description:

They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border—but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…

Boston’s demons have been disappearing, and Vicky’s clients are canceling left and right. While fewer demons might seem like a good thing, Vicky suspects foul play. A missing Celtic cauldron from Harvard’s Peabody museum leads her to an unwelcome conclusion: Pryce, her demi-demon cousin and bitter enemy, is trying to regain his full powers.

But Pryce isn’t alone. He’s conjured another, darker villain from Vicky’s past. To stop them from destroying everything she loves, she’ll have to face her own worst fear—in the realm of the dead itself.

Reviews:

 “Ms. Holzner truly delivers with this incredibly solid debut UF novel. Deadtown is told with an authoritative voice starring a great new heroine, and puts an imaginative spin on the usual paranormal suspects; the plotting and worldbuilding are compelling and undeniably fresh.

“In short – I absolutely loved Deadtown.” ~Reviewed by Thea at The Book Smugglers


Part demon-busting tale, part political thriller, Holzner's take on urban fantasy is exciting and fresh. Here's to the future adventures of Vicky Vaughn! 
~RT Book Reviews


Deadtown is a welcome addition to the urban fantasy landscape. Nancy imbues an emotional aspect into her debut that resonates with our own past prejudices and fears and forces us to evaluate our beliefs about this unreal world in a very real way. There is a lot of great action, social commentary, and a dash of romance in Deadtown. The world building, borrowing heavily from Welsh mythology, is fresh and complex. Vicky is instantly likable and realistically tough yet vulnerable. And I can't wait to read more.  ~Abigail at All Things Urban Fantasy


Deadtown was one of the most unique books I have read and I spent an hour gushing to my husband about the world. I am so glad that Nancy brought her monsters out of the closet in Deadtown! ~ Reviewed by Robin at Intense Whisper

What I Liked:

The world that comes to life in this series is chock full of emotional impact, characters that practically breathe and a twisting plot that never ends. The action is spot on, something that is a challenge to write, as I am learning with my own work. Harpies, zombie classroom show and tell, demon hunting and vampires...that is just the beginning. I haven't read the earlier books in this series, but after reading this book, I will be going back and looking into the rest of them. Nancy Holzner does a superb job of crafting a world that I wouldn't mind spending some time in.

What I Didn't:

Damn. It ended. (But at least I can go and get the other books in the series!)

Overall:

If you love a good supernatural story with zombies (well, of course you do, you're here, aren't you?) harpies, sexy vampires, demons that are a little cranky, and some other surprises, then you are in for a treat. This book sucked me in and didn't let me go. I will be in search of the other books. Dialogue and action are a deal breaker. You all have read a story that doesn't flow right because of a glitch in how the author tries to purvey a sequence of events. I struggle with this myself in my own work. Simply put, you know it when you see it. The biggest compliment I can give is when I don't stop to notice something is off. When you can suck me into a story and I can walk around there awhile, you have me as a fan. Nancy Holzner does that in spades. You are there with the characters and feel each breath (or not) that they take. I highly recommend this novel. 

5/5

Darklands Short Excerpt:

Calling a spirit is tricky business. To do it right, you need a ritual dagger, along with candles, incense, salt, and an altar loaded up with all kinds of magical paraphernalia. Except for the kitchen salt shaker, I didn’t have any of that. What I had was my intention.

I stood in the center of the living room, having pushed its few pieces of furniture against the walls. I took a couple of minutes to get centered, breathing deeply and going inside myself. Breathe in . . . breathe out. Breathe in . . . breathe out. No thinking, no guilt, just a steady focus on each breath. When the world seemed to pulse in time with my heartbeat, I opened my eyes. I pointed at the cabin floor and moved in a slow, clockwise circle. I concentrated on my intention: protection. I projected my will from my brain, my heart, down my arm and through my pointing finger, creating a sphere of protection around me. Nothing could enter the circle unless I allowed it.

Let it be so.

Then, I called the Night Hag. I pulled up everything I knew about her legend. I remembered the terror I’d felt as a child—lying in bed, sure she was coming for me, pulling my pillow over my head to block out the sound of galloping hooves. I could see the pages of a book of Welsh folktales, one from Mab’s library, where I’d read her story. I felt the uncanny shiver that had tingled through me when, walking alone at night in a dark Welsh lane, I’d felt something pass by. My pulse pounded like those galloping hooves. My whole body trembled with the desire to run, to flee, to stay out of range of the hag and her pack of hellhounds. But I stood my ground.

And I called her to me.

“Mallt-y-Nos!” My voice rang out with a confidence I didn’t feel, pushing past the cabin’s walls. “Matilda of the Night! Lady of the hunt! Mistress of Hounds! Night Hag, who drives lost souls to the Darklands! I, Victory Vaughn, do invoke thee!”

The words echoed back to me, then faded. My intention cut through the silence, as I held the image of Mallt-y-Nos in my mind. A silhouette on horseback, shadowy against the moon, long hair flying behind her as she rode. She reined in her horse and cocked her head, listening. I called out again: “Mallt-y-Nos, come to me!”

In my imagination, the hag wheeled her horse around. She whistled to her hellhounds. Shrieking a bloodcurdling hunting cry, she raced toward me.

“Come!” I shouted, shrieking too, raising the volume to blot out the horrible sound of the hag’s approach. “I command thee!”

Hounds bayed and howled in the distance. The sound grew closer. The ground shook as thundering hooves pounded closer, closer. I clamped my hands over my ears and kept shouting. I wasn’t saying anything now; I was just making noise. Anything to fight the terror of her approach.

An explosion jolted the cabin as the wall collapsed. I staggered back a step, almost falling, covering my face with both arms. A tingle in my shoulder told me I’d bumped into my protective magical barrier, and I jerked forward. I had to stay inside the sphere.

I dropped my arms to see what I’d called

I stared into the fiery, red eyes of a massive steed. Flames shot from its nostrils, but they broke to the left and right before they reached me. Hounds leapt forward, jaws snapping, but they couldn’t reach me. My protection held.

“Quiet!” shouted a woman’s voice. The hounds fell back, milling around the cabin. The wall they’d burst through remained intact. The half-dozen hounds that crowded the place didn’t look like any dogs I’d ever seen. Each was the size of a small horse. Their eyes glowed red and orange, lit by inner fire. Saliva dripped from their fangs; it sizzled when it hit the floor.

The horse turned sideways, and Mallt-y-Nos came into view. I blinked. This was the Night Hag? The woman astride the horse was young and beautiful, with blue-green eyes and golden blonde hair that flowed, shining, to her waist. She looked nothing like the nightmare hag that had terrorized my childhood imagination. “Why have you summoned me?” she demanded, regarding me imperiously from her demonic steed.

Before I could answer, her face changed. Wrinkles formed around her eyes, on her forehead, between her nose and mouth. Her blonde hair faded to gray, then bleached white. Her skin went from creamy to blotchy red to jaundiced. I gaped, unable to look away, as the beautiful young woman sagged and faded into an ancient crone. Finally, the hair thinned to a few wiry strands. The skin shriveled and peeled away, baring the skull beneath. Flames consumed the eyes, leaving only a red glow.

I looked into the face of death.

The cycle began again. In the course of a few minutes, Mallt-y-Nos flowed from youth to middle age to decrepitude and death. And back again. And then again. I stared, fascinated, almost forgetting the terror of her presence.

In her death’s-head form, she pointed a skeletal finger at me. “Why did you call me?” she asked again, her voice impatient. Youthful flesh covered her skull. Her cheeks turned pink; her eyes sparkled. Thick, shining hair cascaded down her back. “Do not suppose, mortal, that you can command me. I came because I was curious. Mortals run from me; they do not request my presence.”

That I could believe. Even in her youthful form, she was terrifying.

“I called you to ask you a favor.”

 Author Bio:

Nancy Holzner grew up in western Massachusetts with her nose stuck in a book. This meant that she tended to walk into things, wore glasses before she was out of elementary school, and forced her parents to institute a “no reading at the dinner table” rule. It was probably inevitable that she majored in English in college and then, because there were still a lot of books she wanted to read, continued her studies long enough to earn a master’s degree and a PhD.

She began her career as a medievalist, then jumped off the tenure track to try some other things. Besides teaching English and philosophy, she’s worked as a technical writer, freelance editor and instructional designer, college admissions counselor, and corporate trainer. As Nancy Conner, she writes how-to and reference books on topics ranging from classical mythology to using Office 2010.
Nancy lives in upstate New York with her husband Steve, where they both work from home without getting on each other’s nerves. She enjoys visiting local wineries and listening obsessively to opera. There are still a lot of books she wants to read.

Website: nancyholzner.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NancyHolznerBooks

Twitter: http://twitter.com/NancyHolzner

Want to win your choice of a Deadtown novel? Enter the tour wide giveaway below!

Deadlocked: The Blog Tour

Deadlocked

Book 1

By A.R. Wise

BLURB: 

David was caught in the middle of the city when the zombie outbreak started. His wife and daughters were at home, stranded on the roof as zombies waited below. He would have to fight through hordes of undead, merciless other survivors, and a series of death defying stunts to get home. However, even if he makes it there, how can he be sure they're safe?

Deadlocked puts you into David's head as he struggles to get home. Then a final confrontation occurs that could guarantee his family's survival, but at what cost?

EXCERPT: (From Chapter 1 of Deadlocked)  

“What hospital are they at?” asked Jerry. He was supposed to be managing the floor, but he had no interest in telling people to get back to work on a day like this.

“Saint Peter’s,” said Barry.

“A bus full of kids just showed up." Gloria clasped her hand over her mouth. “This is horrible.”

“Has anyone died?” asked Jerry.

“Not yet,” said Alan, one of the company’s accountants.

“How many kids are sick?” Jerry pushed his way past the others to get a better view of Barry's screen.

“They didn’t say. They’re taking the camera over to the bus now,” said Barry.

Everyone silenced and I could hear the reporter telling the viewers he was going to get on the bus. After a few moments of rustling, which I assumed was the reporter’s microphone rubbing against his coat, he asked, “What happened here? Are these kids okay?”

“Oh my God,” said Gloria. “How terrible. Look at them, the poor babies.”

Then the screaming started. Everyone in Barry’s cubicle jumped and caused the walls to shake as people pressed against them. Barry’s speakers crackled with the shrieks of children.

My daughters are three and five, so I was studied in the various screeches a child can make, and these were a mix of pain and terror. The pained screams weren’t the sort that came from a stubbed toe or skinned knee. These were a violent expulsion of every ounce of breath and energy the child could muster. I can still remember the sound that came from that speaker as if it were happening now. It was horrific.

I couldn’t ignore this event anymore. I got up and peered over the divider.

“What are they doing?” asked Gloria. “Why are they doing that?”

Barry turned off his monitor, but the sound continued to wail through his speakers. He scurried to turn them off and eventually had to rip them away from his desk. The cord whipped out from behind his computer tower. He held the speakers and stared up at me, his face drained of color and his eyes wide and unblinking.

“What happened?” I asked. “I didn’t see. What happened?”

Jerry had his hands on his head and sounded like he was going to hyperventilate as he stumbled through the crowd and fell back against the wall outside the cubicle. James and Marcia announced they were going home and Jerry just nodded his acceptance.  Work was officially over.

“What happened?” I asked again as I went out into the hall.

Gloria came out of Barry’s cubicle and steadied herself against the threshold. “They were killing each other.”

“What?”

“The kids…” she couldn’t continue.

“They didn’t just kill each other,” said Barry. “They were eating each other.”

 Guest Post:

What 5 things would you want with you if a zombie apocalypse happened?


#1 - A Crossbow and plenty of bolts. A weapon should be one of the first things people pick to take with them during an apocalypse. One of the mistakes I think most people would make would be to pick a gun, or a close-combat weapon. Big mistake. First off, a gun is just going to serve to alert every zombie in a mile radius to come running your way. Second, fighting zombies in close combat is a sure fire way to expose yourself to the virus. It's always a blood born pathogen, so why in the world would you ever want to get anywhere near the blood, let alone chop at zombies in an attempt to kill them?


#2 - A solar or manually powered radio. If the apocalypse happens, you're going to need to find other survivors, and the best way to do that will be to stay informed. I would want to have a radio that didn't require batteries or to be plugged in to work.


# 3 - A combat knife. This wouldn't be for battle, but rather for survival. Having a good blade is incredibly important, and it would be a bonus if you could get one of those knives that have a compass on the hilt and matches inside! You could also just go for one of those multi-tools, like a Swiss Army Knife.


# 4 - A gun. I know I just mentioned that shooting a gun is a bad idea in a zombie apocalypse, but I still want to have one. As far as what type, I'll go with an assault shotgun. I don't want to use it unless I desperately need to, and in that sort of a situation I'm probably not going to have as much time to aim as I would like. For that reason, the buckshot of a shotgun is going to be my best shot at surviving.


# 5 - Rope. One of the first things I would want to do in the event of a zombie apocalypse is find a hard-to-access, high vantage point. I want to hide, and survive, out of reach of the undead. The best way to do that would be to get up to someplace where the zombies can't reach. Having a rope (and better yet, mountain climbing equipment) would be essential to getting to an area where you'll be safe.

AUTHOR BIO:

A.R. Wise was born in Hammond, Indiana, just outside of Chicago. He's spent time in several states throughout the years but now resides in beautiful Colorado, near the Rocky Mountains. He is the proud father of two adorable, beautiful girls that inspire him everyday, and is married to an unreasonably understanding and loving wife. He has been writing since he was a child, but the ebook revolution is what finally convinced him to offer his work to the world. 

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ARWise

The Perseus Effect Blog Tour

The Perses Effect

By R.E. Robinson Jr

Blurb:

The world has been changed forever. Death and mutation have swept across the planet leaving some of the survivors altered into non-human races and gaining powers that would take time to comprehend. Always thinking ahead Evan Root invited family and friends to live on his farm shortly before the comet that started it all was destroyed.

As the remaining population rebuilds Evan Root and his wife Jordan are producing bio-fuel to use and trade. On a routine trip to the market murmurs of disappearing town’s people span the crowd. While at the market Evan’s group is ambushed and when he finally makes it back to the farm he finds out his wife has been abducted. Evan feels her abduction has everything to do with her power.

Hoping it will lead him to his wife Evan and his companions must discover who or what is behind the disappearances while defending themselves at every turn.

Amazon Amazon Paperback 

Barnes and Noble Hardcover           Nook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Perses-Effect/200288616653927

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10793607-the-perses-effect

Guest Post:

The book at its heart is a story of survival. What would we do right now if the world crumbled around us? No internet, no power and very little fuel. With the 2012 Mayan prophecies looming I decided to go in the direction of a world devastated. I have watched countless shows about people trying to prepare for the end of the world. That was an intriguing thought.

As I worked on book one I decided early on that I wanted my story to be a little more than just about what would happen if the world collapsed. Books and movies have covered invading armies and post apocalyptic scenarios but I wanted something different.

 I looked at astral phenomenons like meteors and asteroids but decided not to make that a centerpiece either. There are a number of books and movies covering that subject, some good and some bad. Years before when my friends and I were talking about the worlds collapse the mention of a global catastrophe came up. This was years before movies like Deep Impact and Armageddon hit movie theaters. I didn’t want to rehash those ideas because they were still fresh on the publics mind. I decided to keep the idea of the comet for my delivery.

Kicking around more ideas some of my first drafts included vampires and zombies. I nixed those quickly as well. I personally don’t care to see any more stories of vampires and zombies. Don’t get me wrong; I love zombie stories and a select few about vampires.  I’m not going to name the few vampire stories I hate, take a guess. I just felt that it wasn’t right for my book so I reworked the story further.

Even asking for ideas from friends I didn’t feel that my book had real weight. It just seemed like an action adventure. I do like those types of books also but I wanted the story as a whole to be meatier. I also retooled the characters to drive the story more.

I took a step back as I retooled everything. I needed to focus on what I knew. One of things I knew about is the military. Weapons, vehicles, etc. have been a part of my life since I started going to Georgia Military College Prep School. After school active duty seemed like a natural fit. I enjoyed my time in the service and would do it all over again if given the chance. I knew I didn’t want to make it a career so when my time was up I discharged with honor from the Army.

After my service I went back to Georgia Military College to study criminal justice. I was fascinated with forensic science and thought I wanted to pursue a career in that field. A television show called CSI changed my mind. College and the job market were flooded with CSI want-to-be’s so my career path went in a different direction.

Life changes and I didn’t get to finish college until years later after getting laid off from a job of seven years and divorced from the same number of years of marriage.

Bio: 

Ronald E. Robinson Jr. served in the US Army and has a criminal justice degree. He lives in Georgia with his family.

Tainted Love by Heather Elizabeth King

When Remington is sent undercover to locate seven missing persons, the last thing she expects is to find herself in the middle of a supernatural war. Finding her missing people isn’t a problem, but figuring out exactly how they went from being human to only slightly human isn’t so easy.

Complicating matters further is Vincent, everything Remy doesn’t need right now. He’s sexy, powerful and all too alluring. Unfortunately she needs his help to get to the bottom of what’s been going on in her city. He seems to have set his sights on having her, and Vincent is accustomed to getting exactly what he wants.

With a city full of zombies, a madman on the loose and her finances steadily heading down the drain, romance is the last thing Remington needs. But if she manages to stay alive long enough, she just might give love a try.

I received this e-book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Most of the titles I read by Ellora's Cave are erotica, but this one is perfect for adventure fans who just happen to have a love for things that go bump in the night. The love scenes are pretty tame and great for readers who just enjoy a good story.

What I Liked:

This book started out strong and kept on with the adventure the whole way through. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games or other futuristic dystopian novels, this is probably right up your alley. The main character has some kick butt qualities that hold up during stress and there are surprises around every corner.

What I Didn't:

Not a thing.

Overall:

This is a great read for someone who loves an adventure that just keeps on giving. The characters are strong, dialogue real, action done well and the plot keeps you guessing. The romance aspect is there, but as with others from the Blush line, it is a sweet romance, so there is no erotica content. The monster/zombie story is fun. I loved the beginning of the story especially when Remi descends into a prison for a job and there are more things down there than she ever would have suspected. The world as she knew it is about to change and what a wild ride it was. Excellent read!

4.5/5

Redemption Blog Tour and Giveaway

REDEMPTION 
Book One Penton Legacy series
By Susannah Sandlin

Following a worldwide pandemic whose vaccine left human blood deadly to vampires, the vampire community is on the verge of starvation and panic. Some have fanned into rural areas, where the vaccine was less prevalent, and are taking unsuspecting humans as blood slaves. Others are simply starving, which for a vampire is worse than death—a raging hunger in a creature too weak to feed.


Immune to these struggles—at first—is Penton, a tiny community in rural Chambers County, Alabama, an abandoned cotton mill town that has been repopulated by charismatic vampire Aidan Murphy, his scathe of 50 vampires, and their willingly bonded humans. Aidan has recruited his people carefully, believing in a peaceful community where the humans are respected and the vampires retain a bit of their humanity.


But an unresolved family feud and the paranoia of the Vampire Tribunal descend on Penton in the form of Aidan’s brother, Owen Murphy. Owen has been issued a death warrant that can only be commuted if he destroys Penton—and Aidan, against whom he’s held a grudge since both were turned vampire in 17th-century Ireland.  Owen begins a systematic attack on the town, first killing its doctor, then attacking one of Aidan’s own human familiars


To protect his people, Aidan is forced to go against his principles and kidnap an unvaccinated human doctor—and finds himself falling in love for the first time since the death of his wife in Ireland centuries ago. 


Dr. Krystal Harris, forced into a world she never knew existed, must face up to her own abusive past to learn if the feelings she’s developing for her kidnapper are real—or just a warped, supernatural kind of Stockholm Syndrome in which she’s allowing herself to become a victim yet again.


Susannah Sandlin’s REDEMPTION is the first in the Penton Legacy series. Book two, ABSOLUTION, will be out September 18, and book three, OMEGA, on December 18.

Guest Post:

A Zombies versus Vampire Throwdown

I realize this is a risky business, holding a zombie-vs-vampire throwndown on a blog clearly biased toward shambling dead things, but you’ve gotta take risks in life, boldly take a stand, and if someone eats your brains along the way…well, those are the breaks.

The Official Guide to Paranormal Throwdowns (yeah, I made that up) says that four categories should be considered: Strength; Intelligence; Sex Appeal; and Longevity.

Shall we begin?

STRENGTH:

Zombies are strong, no doubt about it. They aren’t speedy, but they’re focused like lasers. Usually, what they’re focused on, you don’t want to give up (like your frontal lobe), but they are focused. Vampires also are extremely strong, and were it not for the focus business, they might take this category. But they’ve been known to get distracted by something like, oh, an open vein or a bleeding paper cut. ADVANTAGE: Zombies.

INTELLIGENCE:

Zombies are probably smarter on the whole than the world of fiction has portrayed them, but still…they like to travel in packs, which is classic follower (not leader) behavior. They can’t carry on a decent dinner conversation and, well, their social skills suck, which isn’t good for their longevity. Vampires, on the other hand, have had centuries to refine their manners, and know how to make themselves so appealing that their victims are virtually panting to be victimized. That makes them smart. ADVANTAGE: Vampires.

SEX APPEAL:

I have one word for you: worms. Oh, and two other words: brain breath. ADVANTAGE: Vampires

LONGEVITY:

Zombies and vampires are both hard to kill, which improves their chances of them hanging around long enough to eat you. Zombies are impervious to most human weapons, giving up the ghost (heh) only for fire—and, possibly, hand grenades and land mines. Any random limb chopped off tends to keep on moving independently of its body. Vampires, on the other hand, can be killed any number of ways, including beheading and a little wood to the heart. And unless they are abominations that sparkle in sunlight, they don’t sunbathe well even with SPF 50. ADVANTAGE: Zombies.

THE RESULTS:

Obviously, vampires and zombies excel in different ways for different purposes. If your goal is eradication of humanity and nonstop brain-noshing, well, Zombies FTW. However, if you’d like to exchange some body fluids for urban companionship and some mind-blowing romantic interludes, gotta go with Vampires FTW.

Which side would you bet on? 

Thanks Susannah for being on the blog today! I can't wait to read your new book!





About the Author:


Susannah Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night! A journalist by day, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch, and always fancied herself living in Cornwall (although she’s never actually been there). Details, details. She also is a fan of Stephen King. The combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana. Her novel Redemption won the paranormal romance category in the 2011 Chicago North RWA Fire and Ice contest, and is the first of three in a series that debuts this year.Website/Blog: http://www.susannahsandlin.com


Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susannahsandlin 


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susannahsandlin 


Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5828129.Susannah_Sandlin 

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