Leanna's blog on books, fluffy animals, the undead and stuff...

National Tell-a-friend-about-Darker-Still Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Greetings, fair friends!

Today marks the 3 month anniversary of the publication of DARKER STILL: A NOVEL OF MAGIC MOST FOUL from Sourcebooks Fire. So I've decided it's National Tell-a-friend-about-Darker-Still Day! :)

To mark this day I'm encouraging you all to tell a friend about DARKER STILL if you loved it. Or tell an enemy if you hated it. Regardless, first books in a new series always need a little extra love, oomph, and marquee attention, especially on a debut effort onto new shelves. So I'm incentivizing your word-of-mouth action by entering you dear book-talkers into a contest for one of the limited ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) copies I will receive sometime in June of the Magic Most Foul sequel, releasing this November, titled THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART.

5 reasons to check out DARKER STILL: A NOVEL OF MAGIC MOST FOUL if you haven't already:

1. There’s a haunted painting. A British Lord is trapped inside. And he’s really good looking. (See, that’s three reasons just in one). Feel free to snag that #Denburylicious badge and use it on your site! (Just please link to my site or a Darker Still product page).

2. Natalie Stewart, a spirited and opinionated young woman everyone can cheer for, overcomes danger, incredible personal odds and adversity to save lives and save the day.

3. It will give you the shivers. Lots. Promise. I’ve been told that Natalie’s dreams are not to be read right before bedtime.

4. Set in 1880 New York City at the brand new Metropolitan Museum of Art, Darker Still is full of danger, intrigue, mystery, curses, spooky magic, nightmares, disguises and pretty dresses!!!

5. It was chosen as an INDIE NEXT recommended book by the American Booksellers Association, and considering the sequel will be out this fall, you'd best start now…

THE RULES to be entered to be one of the first to receive an ARC of THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART: (Again, my ARCs will arrive in June from Sourcebooks)

It's easy. Just comment below and share how you told friends about DARKER STILL in any number of ways. Just please be sure to comment, I'M NOT PSYCHIC. (Some of my characters may be, but I'm not). As you share, please leave some link as to how to contact you if you win the ARC!

Possible ways to participate in National Tell-a-friend-about-Darker-Still Day - any one of these is an entry:

- Mention the book to a friend.

- Or share this blog post via the share buttons below.

- Or Tweet about Darker Still. Did you find something #Denburylicious.

- Or you could click and "Like" the book on the Barnes & Noble product page or via any bookstore platform that has a "Like" or share option.

- Or put Darker Still on a wish list.

- Or you could share something about Darker Still from any of my Facebook community page posts with your Facebook friends by clicking their share button.

- Or you could buy it if you haven't already (It's currently on promotion in your local Barnes & Noble store! Check out their yellow end-cap signs that say something like "buy books and get a book free"!). It's also featured at Indie Bound, due to the Indie Next List ranking.

- Or check your local library and if they haven't ordered DARKER STILL, suggest it for their collection, it's a nice tie-in to classic literature, a big plus for library systems.

- Or use your imagination. :)

Just comment as to how you've shared this first installment in the Magic Most Foul saga with a friend and you'll be entered to be one of THE VERY FIRST PEOPLE IN ALL THE LAND to recieve an ARC of the sequel!! thanks and blessings! Without readers, we writers couldn't be writers. There are no words to express how much we writers appreciate you readers.

CONTEST ENDS 2/15/11 - Winner's name drawn via Random.org from comments below.

Apocalypsies Features

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I'm a proud member of THE APOCALYPSIES debut crew of YA novels releasing in late 2011 and 2012. Due to the madness of the DARKER STILL tour, I'm belated on shoulting out my fellow 2011 Apocalypsies releases. Here's what 2011 and early 2012 has brought us SO FAR in our Apocalypsies realm. Very exciting books!

August 23, 2011

POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil (Balzer + Bray)
October 13, 2011

DARWEN ARKWRIGHT AND THE PEREGRINE PACT by A.J. Hartley (Razorbill)
November 8, 2011

DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul by Leanna Renee Hieber (Sourcebooks)
December 1, 2011

CATCHING JORDAN by Miranda Kenneally (Sourcebooks)
January 1, 2012

THE BOY PROEJCT (NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS OF KARA McALLISTER) by Kami Kinard (Scholastic)

LIVING VIOLET: THE CAMBION CHRONICLES by Jaime Reed (Dafina)

LOVE AND LEFTOVERS, by Sarah Tregay (Katherine Tegan Books/HarperCollins)
January 3, 2012

CINDER by Marissa Meyer (Feiwel & Friends)

THE CABINET OF EARTHS by Anne Nesbet (HarperCollins)

UNDER THE NEVER SKY by V. Rossi (HarperCollins)

CRACKED by K.M. Walton (Simon Pulse)
January 5, 2012

LITTLE DOG LOST by Mônica Carnesi (Nancy Paulsen Books)
January 10, 2012

THE GATHERING STORM by Robin Bridges (Delacorte)

DITCHED by Robin Mellom (Disney-Hyperion)

MAY B by Caroline Rose (Schwartz and Wade)

DESTINY'S FIRE by Trisha Wolfe (Omnific)
January 17, 2012

NEVER EIGHTEEN by Megan Bostic (Graphia)

FRACTURE by Megan Miranda (Walker/Bloomsbury)

THE BOOK OF WONDERS by Jasmine Richards (HarperCollins)
January 24, 2012

EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton (Balzer + Bray)
January 31, 2012

INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows (Katherine Tegen Books)

ARTICLE 5 by Kristen Simmons (Tor Teen)
February 1, 2012

HALFLINGS by Heather Burch (Zondervan)

THE OTHER LIFE by Susanne Winnacker (Marshall Cavendish/Usborne)

February 2, 2012

HARBINGER by Sara Wilson Etienne (Putnam)
The whole list is over on The Apocalypsies Blog and it is the best way to keep track of all of us as a whole and what we're up to.

BUT, in the coming months and through 2012 I will bring some of the Apocalypsies here to elaborate upon themselves and their work in a few brief questions. You know, like what their favorite fluffy animal is. And if they were a ghost, where would they haunt. Burning questions I want to know. Oh, and a little about their books too. :)

So stay tuned!

Natalie and Jonathon star in DARKER STILL art!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:17:00 +0000

Those who follow this blog know how much I love art from readers; when readers befriend my characters and are compelled to create visual representations of them, it's such a compliment, I love seeing what artistic readers come up with. I was treated to my first art received in the Magic Most Foul world this weekend from fellow Victorian era enthusiast, artist and talented writer Katrina Bender, ( @KatBender on Twitter ) who made this picture of Natalie and Jonathon. Isn't it wonderful?

Thanks Katrina!

Soon, I'll have some teasers and links for the Magic Most Foul sequel, THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART, releasing this November, so stay tuned!

Cheers!

MAGIC MOST FOUL sequel, DARKER STILL excerpts!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:58:00 +0000

Hello friends! Well, as you may or may not know, DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul is the first in the Magic Most Foul trilogy. The powers that be have conviened and agreed upon a title for the sequel. May I present to you:

THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART

A sequel of Magic Most Foul. In which our hero, Jonathon Whitby, Lord Denbury and our Heroine, Miss Natalie Stewart, escape black magic only to find more perils on trains, travel, in nightmares and at the doorstep of the Master's Society, the shadowy organization behind Denbury's curse and creepy experimentation upon the living and the dead. 11/12 from Sourcebooks Fire, cover forthcoming. Huzzah! Come Valentine's day I'll be sharing some teasers via WAITING FOR FAIRIES, so stay tuned.

Curious about DARKER STILL? Maybe you've seen it in stores but you're not sure? Well, watch this 10 minute video of my reading from the book to see if it captures your interest. I certainly hope it does!

Stay tuned for news, forthcoming interviews, appearances, excerpts, giveaways and more! I'll also soon be starting my monthly feature on The Apocalypsies young adult debut crew! Cheers!

Shop Indie Bookstores

The Thorn and the Blossom, or, why print books are important...

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 07:18:00 +0000

Because you can't do all THIS digitally. The Thorn and the Blossom, a Two Sided Love Story, by the lovely and talented Theodora Goss, published by Quirk books. Read the accordion-style book one way, you get one side of star-crossed love from one character's perspective, flip it over and read the other point of view. A work of art in storytelling.

It's breathtaking!

And I'm giving this new copy away to one of you fine folk who comment below, with hopes that you will show off this book and its awesomeness and continue to support print books. While I appreciate digital publishing, there's just something magical about opening a book. And there's nothing quite so magical as a book that's also a work of art!

(Also stay tuned, I'll be making an announcement about an anthology that Ms. Goss and I will be in that I'm very excited about.)

Giveaway instructions: (USA only)

Leave a comment on something to do with print books and how you feel about them.

+1 entry if you follow this blog

+1 if you follow me on Twitter @LeannaRenee

+1 entry if you join the FB Community

(Please note your +1s in your comment to keep track)

Winner will be picked via Random.Org a week from now: Jan 20th

Cheers and blessings and happy reading!

On Scholastic

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:45:00 +0000

A lot of us fondly remember our Scholastic catalogues from our kid and teen years. Well, I know I do. My mom remembers hers fondly too. The fairs and catalogues were like Christmas, picking out something we longed for and then the thrill of it coming in, then unpacking those boxes of treasures that would transport us to any number of worlds.

I started writing my first novel at around the age of 12, when I was still getting those catalogues at school. I never admitted the thought of "what would it be like if one of my books was in there...?" That was too far-fetched a thought for me to actively desire it. I had no concept of the industry that would lead to one getting one's work in said catalogue, nor could I have quite imagine the scope of the 20 years it would take until it happened.

Those catalogues and fairs passed out of my life and I hadn't thought much about them until I moved to New York City, torn between being an actress and an author, and gave tours around the city on big red buses for my day job. We'd pass the Scholastic headquarters and I'd fondly rhapsodize for the tourists about those catalogues, about my beloved Harry Potter, I'd tell the story of a struggling J. K. Rowling and her quest for publication to make me feel better and then secretly I'd yearn for a day that fond familiar logo might just be on one of my books too.

You know that moment when you don't realize just how much something means to you until it's staring you in the face? That happened last week when Sourcebooks sent me an author copy of the upcoming Scholastic edition of DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul, my YA debut in the Magic Most Foul trilogy of Gothic historical paranormal novels set right here in New York City in 1880. I admit, when I opened the package it was like Christmas all over again, like opening those boxes from Scholastic, only this time my name was next to that logo. And then I cried a little. I could hear twelve-year old me go "Really?! Is this for real?". And while a world of experience separates me from that girl, the love of writing developed at that age remains as vibrant as ever.

This edition is extra shiny with two layers of foil, so it literally glows. It's really incredible, and impossible to capture on camera. But trust me. IT GLOWS. (Which is very fitting for the paranormal elements in the book). I am not sure what month this year Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul will be available from Scholastic, so those of you involved in fairs at your schools, keep your eyes open! :)

My day of receiving these books was only heightened by finding out that DARKER STILL had gone into a second printing! Thanks friends for your support! And this good news was capped by a third squee, as I walked into Barnes & Noble Union Square, I saw that it's been placed out on their "Can't Miss Books" section on the Teen Fiction tables. It would seem the good omens- not just bad ones- come in threes. So if you're looking for DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul at your local B & N, check the "Can't Miss Books" table. And I know I mentioned that Darker Still is on the American Booksellers Association INDIE NEXT list as a recommended title, here's the link to the official catalogue, in the Teen Reads section.

So, on Scholastic, I say this: To everyone who has held a dream like mine, the dream of someday creating the magic yourself that was once only created by others, to someday be a part of that grand storytelling tradition of feeding youthful imaginations, hold that candle-flame close to your heart and tend its precious fire. You never know when you're going to become a part of something that was once sacred to you, and join that circle of age-old tales told anew. Hold tight. Persevere. Your dreams want to meet you.

Happy 2012! Upcoming Events and Cool Cons!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:28:00 +0000

Hello lovelies! I hope you all rung in the new year with lots of merriment and joy, I spent my holidays with my real-life-hero, our friends and family and made a lot of writing and artistic resolutions for the new year. And seeing the new Sherlock Holmes movie several times. *swoon*

There are some really exciting conferences I'm going to be a part of!

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A FULL LIST! I'll be all over the place this year this is just starting off the next few months! :)

1. Firstly, I'll be returning to TempleCon again the first weekend in February. Huzzah.

2. Kick off March in NOLA with the
Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter of RWA!
(From the FF & P website)
Fantasy on the Bayou
March 2 - March 4, 2012 at the New Orleans Marriott
Please check the HOTEL INFORMATION page for information on booking your room. If you are interested in finding a roommate or people to carpool with, watch the Chapter loop for announcements.

FEATURED GUESTS:
Keynote Speaker - Karen Marie Moning
NYT Bestselling Novelist, author of the Fever Series.

Featured Speaker - Leanna Renee Hieber
Actress, playwright, and multiple Prism Award-winning author of the Strangely Beautiful and Magic Most Foul series of Gothic Victorian Fantasy novels
Featured Speaker - Bob Mayer
NY Times Bestselling Author.

Featured Speaker - Kristen Painter
Urban fantasy author and co-founder of Romance Divas.

ATTENDING AGENTS
Michelle Brower, Folio Literary Management
Elaine Spenser, The Knight Agency
Becca Stumpf, The Prospect Agency

VIRTUAL PITCH AGENTS
Sara Megibow, The Nelson Agency

ATTENDING EDITORS
Angela James, Carina Press
Melissa Singer, Tor Books
Liz Pelletier, Entangled Publishing
To be named from LooseId

VIRTUAL PITCH EDITORS
Renee Rocco, Lyrical Press
Donna O'Brion, Crescent Moon Press

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEES
$250 FF&P Members/Media
$275 RWA Members
$300 General Attendee
Conference registration includes all workshops/sessions, a sit-down luncheon featuring our Keynote Speaker, and a sit-down dinner including the announcement of the On the Far Side Award winners and PRO/PAN pinning ceremony. Register Now! Questions? conference@romance-ffp.com

3. Keep the muse thriving in March with the
LIBERTY STATES FICTION WRITERS CONFERENCE
MARCH 17th
Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel, Iselin, NJ
Keynote speaker Larissa Ione
Over 17 attending editors and agents
Networking and Panels
Tons of fabulous bestselling authors
And a special edition of Lady Jane's Salon!
Full Details on the Liberty States site. Check it out!

Now I'm back to work on a brand new proposal and eager to finish up edits on Magic Most Foul book II and also to make progress on the last Strangely Beautiful novel! Full steam ahead into 2012!

And lift your glass to Steampunk fiction! Just like in Victorian times, I'm serializing! Check out THE WORLD OF TOMORROW IS SADLY OUTDATED at Doctor Fantastique's Show of Wonders, and while you're there, be sure to subscribe in whatever format suits you so you keep up-to-date on all the installments!
Happy New Year, friends!

What Gift Did You Want Most as a Kid?

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:43:00 +0000

Happy Holidays!

Come join me over at FIGMENT FICTION, a fabulous writing community for teens and authors, as I talk about the one gift I would have done anything to get for Christmas when I was a teen. Hop on over and join the discussion about what you'd have prized most. Hint about my answer: It's bigger on the inside...

Merry, merry!

Spare a moment for DARKER STILL?

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 06:19:00 +0000

Nominate Your Favorite Books of 2011 for the Teen Choice Book of the Year!

If you enjoyed DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul, here's a way to support it!

Shop Indie Bookstores

The rest of the four fields are up to you. :) Thanks in advance for your vote and support of paranormal and fantastical YA fiction!

Vote Here

(Don't worry that DARKER STILL is not listed on their list, just write it in, there are tons of 2011 titles not listed)

Cheers! Happy reading, happy haunting, happy holidays!

No More Kisses for Oscar's Grave - But I Left One When I Could

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:05:00 +0000

As you all are well aware, much of the inspiration for DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul came from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Considering Wilde worked in many literary mediums, as a playwright and author, he provided me inspiration in my many artistic lives as an actress, playwright and an author. No other literary luminary inspired me in so many different forms as Wilde. Last year, during a research trip through London, Paris, Verdun and Germany, I was able to pay my respect in Pere Lachaise cemetery to my beloved Mr. Wilde. Tradition is to leave notes of affection, and yes, lipstick kisses (which began appearing in the 1990s) upon the Art Deco styled grave.

But no more kisses for Oscar, according to the UK Guardian. The oils have caused damage to the stone, which is a sculptural work of art in and of itself, and the grave will now have a barrier around it.

While I wholly understand the reasoning behind protecting the beloved author's stone from these discouraged (yes, it could have resulted in a fine) displays of affection, I confess, I don't regret, per that tradition, showing my adoration. Here I am paying my respects:

After bestowing the kiss I left a note, under a rock, asking Oscar for his blessing on DARKER STILL.

As I say in the first lines of the Acknowledgement Page of the novel: "My dear Oscar Wilde, thank you for Dorian Gray, and for your genius. I'd like to think that if I had the privilege of knowing you, we'd have gotten along famously. Regardless, I am eternally your fan."

I was quite overcome at the site. I cried, thinking of all the trials he endured in his too-short life. I look forward to revisiting Paris, and Oscar, again, to see his brilliantly restored grave, and to pay my respects at a slight distance, but with no less love.

I know I'll ask for Mr. Wilde's blessing on the rest of the Magic Most Foul saga as I continue writing it. XOXO, Oscar.

(Find a DARKER STILL near you...)

DARKER STILL... A Playlist

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:43:00 +0000

Shop Indie BookstoresI was asked by an awesome girl with awesome pink streaks in her hair who has an awesome name (Airaseem) at my Anderson's Bookshop signing outside Chicago what music I listened to while writing; if DARKER STILL had a playlist. It does, in fact, and I'd meant to share it publicly (I made mix CDs for the Sourcebooks staff) so thanks, Airaseem, for the reminder.

Now while I'm writing, I can't listen to music with lyrics, so I listen to 19th Century classical music and movie soundtracks. Classical music puts me in the historical mindset of the time-period and soundtracks (like Harry Potter) give a sense of movement and magic in the background. But that doesn't mean that's the only influential music.

Any writer will tell you that half the time spent writing a novel is daydreaming about said novel. I live in New York City, I daydream A LOT on the subway, with my iPod in my ears, listening to evocative music that plays like a movie trailer to scenes from my book that I play in my mind's eye and mull over. THAT process has a soundtrack, and here are the top songs I've listened to while daydreaming MAGIC MOST FOUL saga, songs that on some level have some sort of material or thematic connection to my work. Some of the tracks here are from famous bands, some not, so I hope you'll check them all out. Specifically, Over The Rhine is my favorite hometown indy band from Cincinnati, their music ranges from indy rock to blues to folk, and what I love about them is their versatility and their gorgeous songwriting. Across the spectrum is my favorite Goth / Darkwave / Electronica band, VNV Nation. (VNV = Victory Not Vengeance). I love VNV because it's killer club/dance music (I'm a Goth girl and have been since way back in the day) and the melodies and lyrics are poetic and oh-so-gorgeous. All this stuff is available on iTunes, or you can also support the bands directly from their websites. Happy listening!

Beloved - VNV Nation
Hush Now - Over The Rhine
I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Deathcab for Cutie
Jar Of Hearts - Christina Perri
I Go To Sleep - Sia
Bridge - Lucy Wainwright Roche
In This Shirt - The Irrepressibles
Rhapsodie - Over The Rhine
Illusion - VNV Nation
Standing - VNV Nation

What's your writing and reading soundtrack?

DARKER STILL: ON THE ROAD!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:53:00 +0000

Photo Credit: Jenny at Supernatural Snark

Goodness. What a whirlwind. I think I say that about every book tour, but no, seriously... what a whirlwind. See, I've been going non-stop since World Fantasy Convention at the end of October, right into Strangely Beautiful the musical staged reading rehearsals and performance (it went very well, thank you very much, as soon as I have more specifics I'll tell you but this is not that blog post) and right DIRECTLY the next day into DARKER STILL release day and tour. Whee! (Yes, I'm tired and a little punchy.)

First off, we kicked it all off in NYC. I spoke to school librarians, did stock signings, various bouncings about the city and then we launched at WORD Bookstore in Brooklyn. Which rocks. I mean, it's kind of the best bookstore ever, run by the best people ever. Author and fellow Sourcebooks sister, the awesome Zoraida Cordova did a great RECAP HERE where you can see me in all my regalia and whatnot.

Wall O' Hieber!

Then? Home! Ohio, the land of my birth, and my hometown Barnes and Noble (B & N West Chester) that always takes care of me. A wall of me, in fact, as you see there to your left. I was beyond thrilled that NYT Bestselling author Lori Foster stopped by, Lori not only hosts an amazing conference every year, but she took the time to come and support me at my signing and that meant the world to me. She is one class act, I tell you, and a damn fine author. As many of you know, I am an actress. So the very best part of the whole presentation for me is to read aloud from my work. Accents and all. One of these days I might write a hero who isn't British. Today is not that day. Tomorrow, neither. I've got British heroes stacked up for the next few books, it's a compulsion, what can I say? :)

Hanna of the awesome shirts & talent

And two extremely talented writer gals who I love to cheerlead in their writing journeys, Hanna and Lizzy, were there at the hometown launch to make the night special. Hanna sported one of her amazing shirts she creates for the signings (it's become tradition, and I love it! Lord Denbury is rather flattered too). Thanks also to Hanna and family for the pictures left and above. Huge thanks to Edgewood teachers and alum who made it out to see me, you all mean more to me than I can say. And an extra extra special thanks to my best friend Marijo who came to all of my events and heard all the readings (along with my parents) multiple times. I know, I'm spoiled, they're good to me.

Percy & Alexi by Grace W.

I had the opportunity to do three signings in my home state, the next day I was at Joseph Beth in Cincinnati, (shout-out to my fave Steampunk designer, Angie of Festooned Butterfly, for making it out) and received a VERY special surprise. Remember the awesome artwork of Percy and Alexi I featured on this blog? Grace is from Ohio and I didn't put 2 and 2 together at first, I was too busy complimenting her gorgeous cameo and style, until I was signing the book "To Grace," and she slid this utterly magnificent drawn and painted picture of Percy and Alexi to me upon the signing table. My jaw dropped as I looked at their beautiful adorable-ness in their winter best. "Oh! You're THAT Grace!" I cried, and jumped up to hug her, and said to the crowd of friends, "remember the artist who rendered Percy and Alexi?" (friends and family nodded) This is her!" And I showed off my latest prize and there were lots of 'ooohs' and 'aaahhs'. It's so beautiful! It's now framed on my wall. What an amazing signing present! Such talent!

No rest for the wicked, it was back on a plane to NYC to participate in an amazing panel on fantastical literature at the incomparable Books of Wonder alongside luminaries like Tamora Pierce and Delia Sherman. I had such an amazing time and the store was packed and the crowd was fantastic! Ron Hogan of Shelf Awareness did a fabulous wrap-up of the event. It has always been a dream of mine since I've been in NYC to sign at that store, and with such stars as Tamora Pierce and Delia Sherman by my side, what an honour! (Books of Wonder has all the authors' signed books from this event available for sale!)
In Ohio again, my Dayton signing at Books & Co. was made all the more lovely by the amazing teens I met that day doing presentations at Oakwood Junior and Senior High; some of the most engaging and interesting students I'd ever met. In my first session, there were so many hands raised with awesome questions, I wanted to steal them all and take them with me to any school event I ever do. Some of those eager and intelligent faces showed up that night to the signing, braving a massive rainstorm to do so! The evening at was also made utterly fabulous by the appearance of three of my fave bloggers! Colette of A Buckeye Girl Reads, Dani of Refracted Light and Jenny aka "Miss Snark" over at Supernatural Snark, click here for an awesome rundown and fab pictures. She's quite a talented photographer, as you can see from that gorgeous first picture!

Then, off to Milwaukee, Chicago and the Twin Cities all in the next three days. It's a bit of a blur, but I was warmed and inspired by talking to two groups of students at Cudahy High School and was thrilled to see some awesomely enthusiastic young folks turn up at my signing that evening at the Cudahy Library along with the "in laws" and my awesomely supportive parner (I really couldn't do all this without him). Then it was an Amtrak train into Union Station, and on to stock signings around and about Chicago, signing the next night at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville. Thanks to the Sourcebooks team for coming out and being supportive and awesome as usual). Cheers and thanks to several high school and to fellow writer/RWA friends in Chicago, blessings and good author Karma to fabulous YA author Stacey Kade for making a two-hour trip to come support the event, and to TRUE-BLOOD.NET for coming in (Mel from a distance) and being AWESOME as usual, but this time in person. Which made it even awesomer! Thanks for the lovely Tweets about the event!

Then the next day it was off to Minnesota sign stock all over the Twin Cities with a reading and signing at The Bookcase in Wayzata, where book blogger and engaging young author Rachel Bongart brought a group of AWESOME fellow writers and readers, the night was made extra special by Rachel and her friends, I was inspired by their drive and story ideas, there's nothing more I love than to see talented young women passionate about storytelling. Kindred spirits, for sure. We all had a great chat about process, ideas, the business, etc, along with Twin Cities friends from my years in area theatre, including members of the Scribblerati Writers' Group. Keep an eye on these writers, they're going places.

Where am I going right now? To take a nice long nap would be nice. But there's no end in sight, really, I've books to write, a musical to revise and deadlines approacheth! Here are the places around and about the country where I have, in the past week, signed stock of Darker Still - if you're in these areas and missed me in person, at least you can pick up a signed book!

Ohio: Barnes and Noble Dayton Mall, Barnes and Noble Beavercreek, Barnes and Noble Kenwood Cincinnati, B and N Newport KY (Only had 1 left on 11/13), Books and Co. Dayton
Milwaukee: B and N Mayfair Mall, B and N Brookfield Mall, B and N Greenfield,
Chicago Area: Barnes and Noble at State and Elm Chicago, Magic Tree Bookstore in Oak Park, Barnes and Noble Oakbrook Center, Barnes and Noble Bolingbrook at The Promenade, Barnes and Noble Naperville, Anderson's Bookshop Naperville
Twin Cities Area: Barnes and Noble Mall of America, Red Balloon in St. Paul (only 1 left), B and N Highland Park, B and N Calhoun Village, Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis, B and N at the Galleria in Edina, B and N Eden Prairie Mall, B and N Ridgehaven Mall
New York City: All Manhattan and Brooklyn Barnes and Nobles, WORD, Books of Wonder, Posmans Grand Central (on 11/22)

Support your Indies! Two great places to get a signed copy of DARKER STILL:
WORD has kindly agreed to keep their special order page up!

BOOKS OF WONDER, the best Children's/YA bookstore in all the land, has a healthy stack of signed books they'd love to get into your hands. With DARKER STILL landing on the Indie Next List, I am reminded how important our independent booksellers are to the life of a new series taking its first steps into the world, and I'm very grateful for them.

And yes, ladies, my invention of the word "Denburylicious" has spawned quite the life on Twitter, prompting Sourcebooks to make a badge. The #Denburylicious blog badge has been quite popular among you (and among a few gentlemen as well) and if you want your own, feel free to lift this here, just please link the image to a bookstore of your choice selling Darker Still! And while you're at it, drop @SourcebooksFire a line on Twitter telling them how much you love it, they did a great job.

Speaking of great things, I'm sorry, but how much do I love this really and utterly fabulous and featured review on SHELF AWARENESS? The reviewer really understands the layers and levels I'm working on. This review is a real honour and is so encouraging as I continue on with the series.

Thanks, dear readers! Stay tuned, I promised a fabulous young lady at the signing at Anderson's that I'd post my DARKER STILL playlist! Coming soon!

Happy reading, happy haunting!

Shop Indie Bookstores

A Very #Denburylicious Evening

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 06:31:00 +0000

Author Zoraida Cordova reports on our NYC DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul launch! Thanks Z!

The Nightstand: A Very #Denburylicious Evening: As always we're celebrating BOOKS. This week was the launch party for Leanna Renee Hieber's Darker Still: A novel of Magic Most Foul (Sourcebooks Fire)...

(Click the link above to see the coverage of our launch, and the TOUR CONTINUES! Check the Schedule!)

And DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul is easy to find at your local Barnes & Noble Booksellers, it's on the Top Teen Picks Shelf in stores!

Shop Indie Bookstores

Happy Official Book Birthday, DARKER STILL!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:55:00 +0000

While DARKER STILL has been seen in some stores already, today is the OFFICIAL book release date, so Happy Book Birthday, Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul ! It's especially easy to find in Barnes & Noble's now that they've moved it onto the "Top Teen Picks" shelves in stores! Yippie! I hope you'll love this book as much as I've loved writing it, there's been some lovely buzz about it and I hope you'll join me for this new, spooktacular journey!
First week's sales for a novel are particularly important so I hope you'll join me in welcoming Darker Still into the world!

Shop Indie BookstoresCheers!

DARKER STILL in Seventeen, the Indie Next List and More!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:14:00 +0000

Shop Indie BookstoresWhat a banner week for Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul!

First, it's been chosen as a recommended buy by the American Book Association as part of their "Indie Next" list, for the 2011/2012 Kids/YA winter season! YAY! DARKER STILL has also been chosen for Scholastic Book Clubs and also sold Chinese (complex) translation rights via Taiwan!

Then it got an amazing review in SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE!

Then it was featured on the Barnes & Noble Homepage!! (I'm not sure how long this will be up, but as of yesterday, it was. Very excited. Listed under "Cool Books" next to Ms. Oates & Didion. Pretty darn good company! You'll find it these next few weeks on the TOP TEEN PICKS Shelves at B&N! Yay!)

LAST CALL on Preorders! If I won't see you on BOOK TOUR then please get a signed copy of the book via a fabulous independent NYC bookstore, WORD in Brooklyn! Here's the link to Preorder, I'm signing everything this weekend so they need to get their last orders in today so that they'll go out first thing next week!

Here's my DARKER STILL TOUR SCHEDULE! See if Darker Still is coming to a town near you!

Thanks to everyone for your support! I've a bunch of amazing reviews and fun interviews that I've been linking via Twitter and Facebook! I really appreciate the blogging community as a whole, my beautiful Apocalypsies Debut Team, and a bunch of new YA blogger friends who have helped give this book a nice, sweet buzz!

Blessings and as Natalie would tell you... "Find your voice..."

Cover Stories: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:12:00 +0000

Cover Stories: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
Barnes & Noble features the complicated and intriguing journey towards a stellar book cover!

Strangely Beautiful The Musical! Sites and Sounds

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:32:00 +0000

Hello friends! Happy to report that The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, The Musical, now has three very important things: A Website: http://strangelybeautifulthemusical.com

A Twitter: http://twitter.com/misspercyparker

A Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/strangelybeautifulthemusical
Please have a listen, follow and "like"!

What's the latest news on the show, you ask? We're doing a private staged reading in New York City next month, and from there we'll continue to smooth out all the details and figure out where it will be put up on its feet in the regional theatre market before bringing it back to NYC when it's ready. If you visit the website you can hear our draft of the beginning of the show!

Strangely Beautiful blessings!

Oh, and ONLY 23 MORE DAYS UNTIL DARKER STILL: A NOVEL OF MAGIC MOST FOUL! Be sure to get in on the action! Signed Pre-orders via WORD NYC! http://tinyurl.com/darkerpre

Cheers!

Halloween Awareness Month: Giveaway Part Deux

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:58:00 +0000

WE'RE A MONTH AWAY FROM THE RELEASE OF DARKER STILL: A NOVEL OF MAGIC MOST FOUL!! - Sorry. Got a little excited there. But that also means there's no better time than now to get your signed, personalized pre-order copy via WORD Bookstore to go out to you on release day!

Now. GIVEAWAY #2:

I am running each of my Halloween Awareness Month giveaways via all my different social media presences, so today's giveaway (running until tomorrow, winner picked via Random.org) is up via my Twitter feed. I'm raffling off a copy of CANDLE IN THE ATTIC WINDOW: An Anthology of Gothic Horror published by Innsmouth Press and featuring my short story "At the Doorstep" set in the Magic Most Foul world. (Please note: Booksellers and Librarians, you can order the book for your stores / libraries at 40% off by following that book title link and ordering from Innsmouth Press)

RT my latest tweet about the contest to enter to win.

To get ready for Halloween Awareness Month giveaway #3, be sure to like my Facebook page and stay tuned there.

KEEP IT SPOOKY!

OCTOBER IS HALLOWEEN AWARENESS MONTH, And I've got prizes.

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:06:00 +0000

Ladies & Gents, it's October. My favourite month of the year. You know what October means: NATIONAL HALLOWEEN AWARENESS MONTH!

Fabulous New York things to do this month include:

1. The Great Pumpkin Blaze
2. Boo at the Zoo
3. Embrace your inner Slytherin. (Shouldn't we all?)

To share in the joy of this month, I'm giving you, dear readers, prezzies.
Each week of October I'm hosting a different giveaway, either here on the blog, on Twitter or on Facebook; I'm rotating, so be sure you're following each site.

First off? My partner in crime, the Diana to my Anne of Green Gables, the wondrously talented author, artist, Jill of all trades and princess, Alethea Kontis is featured in a just-released anthology that is very appropriate fare for Halloween Awareness Month:

DEMONS: Encounters with the Devil and his Minions, Fallen angels and the possessed - featuring Neil Gaiman, Kim Harrison, Maggie Stiefvater, William Peter Blatty and the aforementioned Ms. Kontis and many more!

And I'm giving away a copy! Signed, no less! Keep reading for details:

Also, it's only appropriate that I mention Alethea is also the author of the popular AlphaOops H IS FOR HALLOWEEN - which is something everyone should have for their little ones this season. And she is ALSO the author of forthcoming YA Fairy Tale magic twisted and made new as only she can, ENCHANTED. (Yes, you can pre-order it!) No, this is not the last time you'll see us talking about one another's books. She's the "Once Upon a Time" and I'm the "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night". Together, we're all your favourite kinds of stories in one.

And so, to kick off HALLOWEEN AWARENESS MONTH I've a copy of the DEMONS anthology, SIGNED BY THE AUTHORESS herself, to give away right here right now.

Extra entries if you Follow Alethea on Twitter and/or on Facebook.

HOW TO ENTER:

All you have to do to enter is tell me your favourite thing about Autumn! (Include follows so I can include extra entries. Winner by Random.org on Friday, October 7th!)

NEXT WEEK?

We'll be running a Twitter contest for a copy of CANDLE IN THE ATTIC WINDOW: An Anthology of Gothic Horror published by Innsmouth Free Press and featuring my short story "AT THE DOORSTEP" which is set in the world of DARKER STILL: A NOVEL OF MAGIC MOST FOUL.

DON'T FORGET!

Pre-orders are up for DARKER STILL at WORD Bookstore; get a signed, personalized (if you like) copy! Also WORD is hosting my 11/10/11 Launch Party at 7pm.

Cheers!! And remember, only YOU can hold Halloween in your heart, and keep it all the year!

Pre-Order a Signed copy of DARKER STILL at WORD BOOKSTORE!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 20:48:00 +0000

Exciting news!

Sourcebooks Fire and I have parnered with the fabulous WORD Bookstore in Brooklyn, New York City, a fabulous independent bookstore, to enable exclusive, personalized (if you want), signed pre-order copies of DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul! If you're interested in supporting my work, this is a great way to do so and also to get an exclusive copy, especially if you can't make it to one of my New York City or Ohio events during release week. At only $8.99 for a Trade Paperback book, it's an affordable holiday gift for anyone and everyone in your life who might be up for a spooky, Gothic, romantic adventure! Please note: put any personalization requests into the comment field of the order.

We're really hoping this book hits big. And with your help, it can. Thanks in advance for your interest and support.

Pre-order a signed copy of DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul - and spread the word!

Praise for DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul --

"Hieber applies some real imagination to the story...A good romp with some effective suspense." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Spooky, tense, and wonderfully romantic." -- Kady Cross, author of The Girl in the Steel Corset

"A spirited Victorian heroine, a hot, haunted painting, and a murderous mystery that brings them together - readers will find Magic Most Foul most fabulous!" -- Mari Mancusi, Award winning author of The Blood Coven series

CHEERS! And, as Natalie would say... "Find your voice..."

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker and the New iPad 2 Commercial

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:59:00 +0000

Thanks to some nifty folks at Dorchester Publishing, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker can be glimpsed on the bottom center "shelf" of the iPad "bookshelf" in the new Verizon iPad 2 commercial! Check out the video, (pause at .06 because it flies by very quickly) and there sits this beautiful cover!

Neat!!

So now that Miss Percy is on television, it's only appropriate that she take the stage. :) We'll have some very exciting developments in Strangely Beautiful the musical this November!

DragonCon 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 05:05:00 +0000

Drago nCon always defies description. It's one of those 'you just have to be there' sorts of experiences. It's every fandom in SciFi/Fantasy/Paranormal converging upon Atlanta with a costumed vengeance. A swarm of geekery and fabulousness, ridiculous and out of this world, DragonCon is exhausting and over-stimulating, thrilling and then sometimes just scary. Like, you know, oh... OMG WEEPING ANGEL.

As always, DragonCon for me is a mixture of business and pleasure. The pleasure is, I'm an uber-fan of certain franchises as you all know (Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and lots of Tim Burton being at the forefront) and the interests that drive my fandom also drive interests and themes relative to my books. And I love geeking out with friends, while still staying true to my job; writing fantastical fiction.

Want to know how I balance these two? The Daily Dragon interviewed me and my beloved author friend Alethea Kontis! Check us out, and how we manage "pro" and "fan"!

On the business front, I got to do readings and signings and sell a bunch of books (Thanks, Larry Smith Booksellers!), network with convention organizers and editors and all that fabulous stuff. And see beloved friends and readers I only see but once a year. Due to my love for Mr. Burton, I got to speak on a Dark Shadows and Nightmare Before Christmas panel (Nightmare is my favourite movie of all time if I was only allowed to pick one), which was great fun, a Scary Fairy Tale panel discussing all our favourite 'once-upon-a-time' themes and how they've been changed and rearranged as well as how we as authors have made them our own brands of spooky-fabulous. Also our "Things that Go Bump in the Timeline" panel allowed the authors to discuss how we use paranormal in our alternate histories.

My aforementioned and pictured dear and fellow fantasy and YA author, Diana to my Anne of Green Gables, Alethea Kontis, brought back her popular Traveling Side-Show where I got to read "At The Doorstep" featured in Candle in the Attic Window: An Anthology of Gothic Horror - a short story that introduces Mrs. Northe from the Magic Most Foul world. That went over very well. And it's up for Pre-Order! Can't wait until November 8th when D ARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul releases? Go forth and learn about the forces behind my upcoming world!

And yes, oh yes, there were costumes. Which I take very seriously. (As does much of the convention.) As you know from last DragonCon and my rather passionate "Being Romana" post, I pride myself on a darn good Romana II from Doctor Who. This year, the challenge from editor Stephen Segal was Romana's Destiny of the Daleks outfit. The pink coat. You all know I don't wear pink. But I don't turn down a Romana challenge. So, for the love of the Doctor, I bring you the unprecedented me-in-pink, the DragonCon Parade, where I walked with the Doctor Who contingent. (First photo credit: Sarberry)

By the way, I should mention that the first line of my "Being Romana" post is "You never forget your first love". My only purchase at DragonCon was a T-Shirt with a Tardis that says: "You never forget your first Doctor". A shirt has never been so true. Nor do you ever forget the love of your first robot dog.
K-9!!

Romana eyes The Master warily, as she should.

My Romana II alongside Romana I - isn't she great? Aren't we pretty Romanatastic?

A Theril from Warrior's Gate! Romana's destiny in E-Space is glimpsed...

Editor extraordinaire and Peter Davison clone (and he who dared me into the pink coat) Stephen Segal in his Doctor "4.5" outfit:

And let's not forget the Yule Ball and my Narcissa time. I was alas without my Lucius, Draco and Bellatrix as had been planned, and so my awesome Aeternitas friends and I all got together to make sure they all knew how much they were missed. But at least The Dark Lord was there to give orders:

And Unbreakable Vows were Vowed.
(Vladimir Snape / Platform One frontman Vows the Vow)

And a good time was had by all.

NOW KIDS, BACK TO WORK:
Just before DragonCon I finished up the rough draft of Magic Most Foul book II, title TBA, and now it needs some love and editing. So I'm off to another deadline, in the meantime, check out all my upcoming new work!
-"At the Doorstep" In the world of Magic Most Foul, featured in Innsmouth Press' CANDLE IN THE ATTIC WINDOW : An Anthology of Gothic Horror
- Get ready for my Steampunk novella, "The World of Tomorrow is Sadly Outdated" to begin serializing at Doctor Fantastiques Show of Wonders! Subscribe here so you don't miss it!
-ALSO, "A Christmas Carroll" (Strangely Beautiful #2.5) featured in A MIDWINTER FANTASY will be releasing in print in October! The pre-sale is currently 24% off at B&N!!

Huzzah!

Leanna's DragonCon Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I hope to see some friendly and familiar faces at DragonCon again this year! My cohorts and I always have such an amazing time. Here is my schedule, please note, I've an author reading!! There will be prizes! So if you only have time for one event of mine, I hope you come to that. :)

Friday:

Panel: PRINCESS ALETHEA'S 2ND ANNUAL TRAVELING SIDE-SHOW
Description: Hella awesome. Readings. Music. Zombie Haiku.
Room: Edgewood - HYATT
Time: 5:30

Panel: DARK SHADOWS
Description: Fans of the Gothic soap opera discuss its enduring legacy.
Room: Montreal/Vancouver - HYATT
Time: 7pm

Saturday:

AUTHOR READING!
Room: University - HYATT
As an actress, I've become known for my author readings, come hear me read from my latest novel, THE PERILOUS PROPHECY OF GUARD AND GODDESS and tease my upcoming book, DARKER STILL: A NOVEL OF MAGIC MOST FOUL! (There will be prizes)
Time: 2:30pm

Panel: THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Description: Fans discuss this iconic holiday film. (aka Leanna's favourite film)
Room: Montreal/Vancouver - HYATT
Time: 8:30pm

Sunday:

Panel: SCARY FAIRY TALES
Description: Fables and fairy tales in dark fantasy literature
Room: Montreal/Vancouver - HYATT
Time: 5:30pm

Monday:

Panel: THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE TIMELINE: Supernatural Alternate History
Description: Vampires, demons, ghosts, spirits and other supernatural and preternatual beings... and the alternate timelines they inhabit.
Room: International C - WESTIN
Time: 11:30am

Books will be available for purchase at LARRY SMITH BOOKSELLERS, and as always I will be happy to sign them at the reading or after any panels.

I'll also, as always, be tweeting @LeannaRenee ! Check the #DragonCon hashtags

DARKER STILL Cover: Once More... With Cover Quote!

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:13:00 +0000

A cover re-reveal for DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul, now improved by a lovely cover quote from Kady Cross! Thanks Kady!

"Spooky, tense, and wonderfully romantic." - Kady Cross, author of The Girl in the Steel Corset

This quote joins others on the back cover and interior:

"A lush, Gothic tale that begs for reading." - Sarah Maclean, New York Times bestselling author
-
"A spirited Victorian heroine, a hot, haunted painting, and a murderous mystery that brings them together - readers will find Magic Most Foul most fabulous!" -- Mari Mancusi, Award winning author of The Blood Coven series

HUZZAH! The countdown to the Magic Most Foul saga begins!

- Read the first 30 pages
- Pre-Order

Authors After Dark Paranormal Weekend 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Leanna Renee Hieber) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:25:00 +0000

As my artistic cup runneth over with awesome projects and further books to write, I'm going to have to be very picky about what conventions I'm able to do. But here's one I'm going to always do my best to attend; Authors After Dark Paranormal Weekend. I attended last year, had a great time, and I just returned from this year's event in Philadelphia. The easiest way to wrap up the spirit of the weekend is that it's wonderful quality time with enthusiastic readers, bloggers and fellow authors in a fun environment filled with panels, treats for readers and bloggers, charity raffles, a huge book signing and plenty of chances to dress up. And you ALL know that's one of my very favourite things.
-
Thanks to everyone who made it possible on the whole AAD team, especially Stella Price who was always juggling a million things at once. Thanks to the amazing readers and bloggers I met, the many friends I was blessed to see again, and to the wonderful fellow authors whose work I admire, some of whom I already know and love, some of whom I met in person for the first time. I was very excited to not only be signing the Strangely Beautiful series but also to be there promoting Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul. November 8th will be here before we know it! Extra-special thanks to my other half, he is SUCH a good sport, as you'll see below.

The fabulous Mandi of Smexy Books took this at the AAD Booksigning:

On Friday night, the Mythos Masquerade was held in mythic splendour. I could not, of course, pass up an opportunity to dabble in my own mythology and portray my version of The Goddess Persephone as I have envisioned her in The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess. She turned out fairly well if I do say so myself, pretty much just the way I hoped (save for all the special effects that would, as I've described her, have her shifting and shimmering colours all the time).

In this costume, I wanted to evoke an essence of Percy Parker but still represent this distinct being who is mysterious, magical and luminous. The shimmering fabric and a lot of glitter helped with luminosity... Isn't it amazing how the mirror has a different expression? The Goddess is magic, I tell you, she is mysterious and her own being...

Here's my beloved at my side being a good sport and playing a rather perfect young Alexi Rychman... (note the scarlet cravat which gets its own backstory in Perilous Prophecy)... Thanks to Grace at Livre De Amour for this photo!

The Steamball was a ball between great enterainment in the Olde City Side Show, beautiful vendors and I even got the chance to get my dance on and Goth out a bit on the floor. (My booksigning outfit was my Steamball outfit. Once in regalia, I remain in regalia all day.) And then my sweetheart and I had a gorgeous Sunday in Philadelphia, despite the rain, the art museum is incredible, and so was the awesome vegetarian German food at Brauhaus. Yum.

And now, back to deadline! Magic Most Foul book II is well underway, but deadlines approach, so it will be quiet around here for a bit, but do stay tuned for my DragonCon schedule!

Cheers!