Jess Haines is the author of HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, and her new book in the same series, TAKEN BY THE OTHERS, was released on January 4, 2011.

Here’s a description of TAKEN BY THE OTHERS per Jess’s website:

Once, New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest’s most pressing problem was keeping her agency afloat. Now she’s dealing with two dangerous, seductive vampires who have been enemies for centuries. The only thing Max Carlyle and Alec Royce agree on is that they both want Shia–for very different reasons.

Max is determined to destroy Shia for killing his progeny, while Royce’s interest is a lot more personal. That’s not sitting well with Shia’s werewolf boyfriend, Chaz. As the feud between Max and Royce gets ever more deadly, a powerful vampire-hunting faction is urging Shia to join their side. Shia has always believed vamps were the bad guys, but she’s discovering unexpected shades of grey that are about to redefine her friends, her loyalties–and even her desires…

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jess this time around. The interview is below, and a contest follows thereafter. Enjoy!

Tyhitia Green–1.) What makes your series different than other urban fantasy series?

Jess Haines–Most urban fantasy novels are centered around a protagonist who isn’t completely human. The main character in my series, Shiarra Waynest, has no special powers of her own. Sometimes she picks up an extra boost from one of her friends—like the snarky, sentient belt that helps her hunt vampires—but underneath it all, she’s like you and me. No mind-reading, no zombie-raising, no super strength/speed/stamina—and, like anyone would expect, when she’s forced to deal with Others (supernaturals), it scares the bejeezus out of her. *g*

 2.) Do you prefer silence or background noise (television, etc.) when you write?

 JH–It depends on my mood. I sometimes crave silence so I can concentrate, but most of the time I prefer to have music or my friends chatting with me in the background. It’s a rare moment when it’s completely quiet around me.

3.) How many books are planned so far for your current series?

JH–Right now, I’m contracted for six. Two of them are out now:

1) HUNTED BY THE OTHERS (released May 2010)
2) TAKEN BY THE OTHERS (released January 2011)
3) DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS (coming July 2011)
4) Untitled Work In Progress (coming 2012)
5) Untitled Work In Progress (coming 2013)
6) Untitled Work In Progress (coming 2014) Whether it goes beyond that? We’ll see…

 4.) Do you have a particular food or drink you must have while writing a novel?

JH–Coffee and chocolate. It’s how I survive.


5.) Are you working on another series or stand alone novel?

JH–I am working on a stand alone paranormal romance novel! It ties into the world of H&W Investigations, but it is meant to be a story that can be read on its own. It may be a while before this one is ready to be shopped around for a home, so don’t count on seeing this on the shelves in stores anytime soon.
I also have a novella coming out in an anthology called THE REAL WEREWIVES OF VAMPIRE COUNTY later this year. Ever see or hear of those reality TV shows, “The Real Housewives of _______” (New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Beverly Hills, etc)? Yeah. Give it a supernatural twist, some extra bitchy werewolves, and a prima donna supernatural hunter, and you’ve got the idea of what my story will be like. *g*

Thank you Jess for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions for me. To find out more about Jess Haines and her novels, you can find her here.

Now for the contest!

CONTEST RULES: For a chance to win a signed copy of TAKEN BY THE OTHERS by Jess Haines, all you have to do to enter is leave a comment, which equals one entry. And I’ve learned something from my friends who hold giveaways. You can receive an extra entry if you’re a follower of my blog–old or new. That means current followers and new followers alike–so click the button. 😉 And tell me if you have one entry or two. So that means you will have TWO entries instead of one and will be twice as likely to win. Also, please list your e-mail address as follows: your e-mail (AT) wherever (DOT) com, so you won’t get junk mail. The contest is open to everyone in North America only please. The contest will end on February 1, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Good luck. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on February 2, 2011.

There were 12 official entries–plus one extra for each follower of the blog. I randomly choose a winner since a few people had extra entries and it was just fairer that way. And the winner is Sullivan McPig, who was commenter #3. Sullivan, send me an e-mail that includes your mailing address and Faith will send you a signed copy of MERCY BLADE.

Thanks to all who entered. There will be more reviews, interviews, and giveaways. 😀

Hello all. And Happy New Year! My friend, Faith Hunter, is giving away a signed copy of her third Jane Yellowrock novel–MERCY BLADE, which was released on January 4, 2011.

Here’s a brief description per Faith’s website:

Jane, a shapeshifting vampire-hunter-for-hire, crosses paths with a stranger who has arrived in New Orleans, enlisted to hunt vampires who have gone insane-or so he says…

You can also read an excerpt of MERCY BLADE here.
Faith has been published for over 20 years and also writes thrillers and mysteries under the name Gwen Hunter. 

Contest Rules: For a chance to win a signed copy of MERCY BLADE by Faith Hunter, all you have to do to enter is leave a comment, which equals one entry. Oh, and this time, I’m changing it up a bit. You can receive an extra entry if you’re a follower of my blog. That means current followers and new followers alike–so click the button. 😉 And tell me if you have one entry or two. I will check as well. So that means you will have TWO entries instead of one and will be twice as likely to win. Also, please list your e-mail address as follows: your e-mail (AT) wherever (DOT) com, so you won’t get junk mail. The contest is open to everyone in the world. The contest will end on January 14, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Good luck. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on January 15, 2011.

If you’d like to know more about Faith Hunter you can visit her website at: http://www.faithhunter.net/wp/

So, what are you planning to do for the holidays? Some of us have time off from work and some of us have to work through the holidays.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of food, and most of all, lots of love.


Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah (Chanukah), or whatever you celebrate! If you don’t celebrate–get plenty of food anyway. And happy new year!

See you guys next year.

Sorry I haven’t been around but I’m participating in NanoWrimo again this year and it’s been hectic. I just heard about this from a friend whose work is featured in the giveaway. Details below:

The Carl Brandon Society announces a prize drawing to support The
Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The Carl Brandon Society, an organization dedicated to racial and
ethnic diversity in speculative fiction, will hold a prize drawing of
five eReaders to benefit the Butler Scholarship, a fund that sends two
emerging writers of color to the Clarion writers workshops annually.

In keeping with the Society’s support of literature from and about
people of color, the prizes include five eReaders: two Barnes & Noble
Nooks, two Kobo Readers, and one Alex eReader from Spring Design. Each eReader will come pre-loaded with books, short stories and essays by writers of color from the speculative fiction field. Writers include:
N. K. Jemisin, Nisi Shawl, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Terence Taylor, Ted
Chiang, Shweta Narayan, Chesya Burke, Moondancer Drake, Saladin Ahmed, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz and more.

“Octavia wanted everyone to enjoy the powerful stories writers of
color can produce when we write speculative fiction, so this drawing
would have made her very happy. It’s a wonderful win-win-win event,
raising money for a scholarship that helps writers of color while
sharing their creations with the world,” said Carl Brandon Society
co-founder Nisi Shawl, winner of the 2008 James Tiptree, Jr. Award.

“It’s so appropriate that booksellers are supporting the development
of the next generation of writers, with the next generation of reading
devices. This fundraiser will help ensure that great and
thought-provoking literature will be coming out of our community for a
long time,” added Claire Light, CBS Vice President.

“We’re thankful for the generosity shown by Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and
Spring Design in donating the devices for this drawing,” said K.
Tempest Bradford, Special Events volunteer. “Thanks to them we can
offer some of the best eReading devices available.”

The drawing’s tickets will cost one dollar US ($1) and can be
purchased at http://carlbrandon.org/drawing.html. Entrants may
purchase an unlimited number of tickets, which will be available from
November 5, 2010 through November 22nd, 2010. Sales will close at
11:59PM EDT on November 22nd. Winners will be drawn randomly from a digital “hat” and announced online.

To purchase tickets, read details about the eReaders, or to learn more
about the Carl Brandon Society, please visit the Carl Brandon Society Website: http://carlbrandon.org/

There were 13 official entries. I used random.org to choose a winner. And the winner is Mariska, who was commenter #12. Mariska, send me an e-mail that includes your mailing address and Penguin will send you a  copy of THE DEAD PATH.

Thanks to all who entered. There will be more reviews, interviews, giveaways, and my usual ramblings. 😀

Nicholas Close has always had an uncanny intuition, but after the death of his wife he becomes haunted, literally, by ghosts doomed to repeat their final violent moments in a chilling and endless loop. Torn by guilt and fearing for his sanity, Nicholas returns to his childhood home and is soon entangled in a disturbing series of disappearances and murders—both as a suspect and as the next victim of the malignant evil lurking in the heart of the woods.

Stephen M. Irwin is the kind of debut author that readers love to discover—and rave about to all their friends. His electric use of language, stunning imagery, and suspenseful pacing are all on full display here. The Dead Path is a tour de force of wild imagination, taut suspense, and the creepiest, scariest setting since the sewers in Stephen King’s It.
 
I’ve yet to read the novel myself, as I will receive my review copy around the same time as the winner, but once I’m done reading it, I will post a review on Goodreads.com, which will be under my name as it appears on this blog.
 
Contest Rules: For a chance to win a signed copy of THE DEAD PATH by Stephen M. Irwin, all you have to do to enter is leave a comment. Also, please list your e-mail address as follows: your e-mail (AT) wherever (DOT) com, so you won’t get junk mail. The contest is open to everyone in the world. The contest will end on November 2, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Good luck. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on November 3, 2010.

If you’d like to know more about Stephen M. Irwin, you can visit his website at: http://www.stephenmirwin.com/.
 

In lieu of a real post today, I have another fun quiz. Which Supernatural villain are you?

Which Supernatural Villain Are You?

More on Supernatural. Created by BuddyTV

Okay, by now everyone knows I love the television show SUPERNATURAL. And since it’s October and I’ll be thinking of all kinds of spooky things to post about this month, I decided to take this quiz. I was tired of quizzes until I saw this one. Feel free to take it and post your results in the comments. 😀 I’m my favorite character:

Which Supernatural Character Are You?

More on Supernatural. Created by BuddyTV

There were 19 official entries. I used random.org to choose a winner. And the winner is Bethany C., who was commenter #9. Bethany, send me an e-mail that includes your mailing address and Kalayna will send you a signed copy of Grave Witch.

Thanks to all who entered. There will be more reviews, interviews, and giveaways. 😀