This blog is sponsored by the Buy The Book Tour.
Book Tour: November 4-22, 2013
Paranormal Romance
Sing for the Dead
Author: PJ Schnyder
Book Trailer: Sing for the Dead
AVAILABLE
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kayden, a lone were-leopard allied with the London werewolf pack to keep the zombie infestation in check, is used to working solo—until he discovers a beautiful fae woman surrounded by the aftermath of battle. He's immediately drawn to Sorcha, but quickly discovers she's much more than a pretty face.
Half Bean Sidhe and half berserker, Sorcha trained over centuries to become the perfect warrior. She agrees to work with local weres to investigate a new type of zombie capable of coordinated attacks—and is partnered with Kayden. He's strong, darkly handsome and completely unafraid of her. And his kiss fills her with insatiable desire instead of bloodlust.
As Kayden and Sorcha work together, their attraction grows and their deepest scars are bared to each other. But with the force behind the deadly new zombies poised to overwhelm the city, Sorcha can only pray that the next time her bloodlust strikes, Kayden isn't among the fallen…
Chapter One
Sorcha ran.
Taking the Serpentine bridge helped speed her along, man-made though it was. Crossing running water posed no deterrent for her. Others of fae blood might have paused in the hunt, but the zombies shambling through the bare trees in these parks were not her quarry.
No. Pursuit was not her purpose. Rescue was. The feeling of wrongness, the taint of spoiled magic, worsened as she crossed from Hyde Park into the Kensington Gardens. Perhaps the lake separating the two parks kept some of it from spreading. What humans called the Long Water remained relatively clean of the pall of death exuding from the land.
The trees in Kensington Gardens were bare skeletons this deep into winter in London—sleeping, but restless, tugging at her heart. Would the trees be too sickened to bring forth new life after their roots had bathed in blood? Parks like these provided sanctuary for the lesser fae and Fair Folk living in cities such as London. Without them, the fae who’d made the city their home, braved cold iron, would fade. And for every city lost, the Under Hill shrank as well.
Even if mortals ruled the world, the fae needed to maintain a presence in order to keep the balance of things or their world would fade from existence. She’d been sent to investigate why the fae of London were disappearing, and she’d found death walking. Stupid humans, coming in after dark, to hunt and be overwhelmed, to loot and be taken by surprise. Perhaps such short lives made for stunted memories. Though the zombies found prey too often in these gardens, the humans kept coming. She didn’t Sing for those, the ones who’d done humanity a favor by taking themselves out of the gene pool.
No. Her Songs aided the passing of worthier souls. A tortured cry rang out in the night, sending ripples through the magic saturating the land, tainted as it was. She ran harder. Perhaps she could be savior this time, and not simply witness to death.
The zombies were gathering, called not only by the sounds of struggle, but also by the disturbance. Like sharks drawn to an injured fish in water, it was as if the zombies could sense easy prey. Unnatural as they were, she’d no doubt zombies were animated at least in part by magic of some kind. The parks used to be the reservoirs of old magic in the city. They’d become death traps.
As she broke through the trees, a brownie stood atop a mound in the children’s playground, a curved dome with tunnels for children to crawl through in play. Good that he’d chosen higher ground, bad that he’d allowed himself to be surrounded away from any trees or route of escape. Maybe the mound had reminded him of a hollowed hill, the way the tunnels led beneath it.
Gentle in nature, brownies like him tended places and buildings, their magic sympathetic to home and hearth. They weren’t bred to fighting, weren’t trained as soldiers the way she’d been. While he could turn boggart and create minor havoc, he wasn’t meant for true violence and was no match for the dead trying to eat him. But she was.
Red haze encroached on her vision. Sorcha reached for her swords, drawing them free without slowing her pace, embracing the sweet song of savagery rising in her blood.
Author Genre: Paranormal,Sci-Fi Romance,Urban Fantasy,Steampunk
Website: PJ Schnyder
Author's Blog: PJ Schnyder
Twitter: @pjschnyder
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest
Author Description: Born and raised in the North East, PJ Schnyder spent her childhood pretending to study for the SATs by reading every fantasy and sci-fi novel she could borrow from the local and school libraries. She scored fairly high in the verbal portion.
She was introduced to the wonderful world of romance a decade later by her best friend at an anime convention in Seattle.
She now lives somewhere temperate watching the seasons go by with her two dogs and super stealthy ninja kitty, writing her stories.
SHOWCASE Questions and Answers with the Author
Congratulations on your book: Sing for the Dead. What do you have on the drawing board next? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
I’m just finishing Book 3 of the London Undead series, Survive to Dawn, due out for release in April of 2014. For readers who loved Danny in the first book, he’s the main hero of Survive to Dawn. ;)
Also, I’m very excited to have a full length novel coming out in my Triton Experiment series in January 2014. Fighting Kat is a science fiction romance and sequel to Hunting Kat.
You have a good following on twitter. How important have your social media relationships been? How did you build your following in your niche? Did you use forums, newsletters and methods like that?
It’s very important to me to stay accessible to readers. I do my best to answer questions when I can, though I’m not always able to share information until official announcements have been made.
My following grew organically, for the most part. I do make sure my Twitter handle (and other social media profiles) is easy to find in any interview or guest post so that someone interested in following me can very easily do so. I have a one to two click rule: find me in one to two clicks from any of my online “appearances” on your social media of choice. Incidentally, on Twitter, I’m @pjschnyder
Do you do book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?
I do try to participate in various events every year. I love meeting people, both current readers and (possible) future readers.
Readers can check the Events section of my website to see where I’ll be. http://pjschnyder.com/blog/events/
I post updates on my appearances on my FB Author Page as well, plus news on my books and series, and even sneak peeks and teasers.
You have great covers. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?
Cover creation differs from publisher to publisher. Most of the time, authors have very little input. At Carina Press, I fill out a comprehensive Art Cover Form sharing the mood of the overall story, details about how I see my characters, and important elements featured in the story. From there, the design and marketing team take over with a very careful design process. I don’t see the cover until it is completed and I get a final look – if there’s a major issue with the cover, I can provide feedback and request a change.
The Carina Press team puts a lot of work into the covers though and I’ve always loved them.
You have a great book trailer. (See link below.) It looks very professional. Do you know how much impact it has had on your book’s success? Tell us about the process that you used to create your trailer? Do you use the trailer in your character development? Are the pictures and background the way you see your characters and scenes?
My book trailer was done by Imagine That! Studios. I sat down with the great minds behind Imagine That! and talked about the overall series. Because of my budget limitations, we couldn’t actually film the “perfect” scenes so they searched for stock video clips that fit the overall mood or featured key elements of the story. Like book covers, the images aren’t exact matches for what I had in my mind, but they bring out key elements and moods to represent the story.
It’s difficult to capture analytics on the effect of book trailers on a book’s success. In terms of visibility and series recognition, it has definitely had a positive impact.
You have written several short stories. Can you tell us if they had an impact on the sales of your novels? Are shorty’s one of your styles of writing or are they created to give readers a sample of your work?
Short stories are great to explore other genres. They are also a way of introducing other readerships to my work. Plus, they provide a nice treat for my existing readers in the midst of waiting for the next novella- or novel-length release.
What writer support groups do you belong to? Do they help with the writing, marketing and the publishing process?
When I first started learning about the craft of writing and the industry as a whole, I found Miss Snark’s First Victim (http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/) invaluable as a place for information and also for critique feedback on focused segments of my work.
Now, I also belong to the Maryland Romance Writers (http://www.marylandromancewriters.com/) chapter of the Romance Writers of America (http://www.rwa.org/). The MRW is filled with incredible writers, both pre-published and published. I’ve found them to be informative and supportive, fantastic critique partners and perfect for brainstorming – and not just about romance! We share our experiences and ideas in regards to writing, marketing and the publishing process as it is evolving.
Has the advent of ebooks changed anything in your writing, getting the book to your readers and the relationship with your readers and fans?
I truly believe ebooks have changed the entire landscape of reading. More readers can read stories they might never have tried before based on key elements rather than the overall genre of the book. People who might have been embarrassed to read a particular genre, can now enjoy a book in an ebook reader without worrying about a cover betraying them. Travelers can carry hundreds of books with them on airplanes, trains, and buses where they might have been limited by size or weight before.
Because ebooks are so much easier to get (one-click), the demand is higher. There’s pressure to produce books faster and reduce the time in between book releases in a series. As an author, I do my best to keep my readers happy.
Carina Press is a digital-first focused imprint. All of my books come out in ebook formats first. Print editions are dependent on a number of factors, including but not limited to success of the book.
What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?
I believe a book given away for free is an investment. Hopefully the winner will love my book and tell other people about it. Maybe they’ll share it. I’m okay with that. I grew up reading and sharing the books I loved with my friends and family and hope my readers would do the same with my books. Pirates, though, who turn a profit by reproducing my books illegally and making a profit on them? That’s a whole different issue and one that hurts authors.
I have pitched in with other authors to do technology giveaways like the gift of an ereader. I think this is a higher value gift for a bigger effort to reach a bigger audience and perhaps attract readers who may not be familiar with my work.
There’s always the worry that someone will take a gift and abuse it. Still, I think the investment is worth the risk.
What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews, use social media or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?
I do not pay for reviews. I believe reviews are for the readers and they are opinions to be respected. I do contact book bloggers and reviewers to offer them a copy of my book in exchange for an honest review (no strings attached).
When any reader takes the time to provide a review and their opinion of my stories, I very much appreciate their effort.
Author's Book List
Bite Me
- London UndeadBook one of London Undead
Few people walk the streets of London since the zombie outbreak, but that's not an issue for Seth. As a werewolf, he can handle himself and save humans reckless enough to take a nighttime stroll. While on patrol he comes across a group of people under attack. The one woman brave enough to take a stand against the zombies catches his eye—and not just because of her way with a gun. Learning the beautiful woman is homeless and fends for herself only intensifies his urge to protect and care for her.
Maisie can't help but admit that she's attracted to her werewolf rescuer. She's drawn to Seth's strength and ferocity, and finds herself opening up to him in ways she never imagined, even though she's determined to not rely on Seth or anyone else. She doesn't want another person to get hurt—or die—for her sake. She has enough scars, physical and emotional, from the last time…
But when Seth realizes something is drawing the zombies to Maisie, there may be nothing he can do to save her…
Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
Hunting Kat
- The Triton ExperimentAs a mercenary, Kat Darah doesn't have to pass for a normal human. On the edge of the solar system, she's just another biped. Most of the time.
Nearing the end of his military tour, Lt. Christopher Rygard debates the idea of hanging up his uniform for good. Looking for answers at the bottom of a glass of scotch, he meets Kat. One shared night of mutual desire seems harmless. But when their tryst is interrupted by attackers hunting Rygard, Kat must reveal her other form, the predator beneath the human façade.
Together they embark on a dangerous mission—a race against time to meet the enemy's demands, while trying to deny the passion between them. Rygard is faced with a terrible choice in the face of duty: Report the existence of a human turned shape-shifter. Or forget he ever met her.
Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
Heart's Sentinel
- Terra's GuardiansBorn human, Mackenzie never wanted to be a shapeshifter. After a shifter stalks and brutally Changes her, she runs to the jaguars of River Gap pride for protection from the stalker still searching for her, to come to terms with the attack and learn to control her new, powerful cougar body.
Adam, a River Gap Sentinel, is assigned as her guard and mentor. Well aware of his strength and how new she is the shapeshifter world, he holds himself back from the flames of primal desire she ignites. But, to survive the stalker, they both need to first battle their pasts and learn what it truly means to be the sentinels of each other’s hearts
Order the Book From: Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check PJ’s Media Page.
Author Recommended by: Buy The Book Tours
This blog is sponsored by the Buy The Book Tours created by Christine Warner and Florence Price. They specialize in tours for a varied mix of genres with packages and prices just right for any author's budget.
Sing for the Dead intrigues me. Although I'm not into zombies and gross looking walking dead things, I think I could get into this series. PJ is a new to me author and I will definitely check out her other books.
ReplyDelete