Sunday has arrived again and even though we lost an hour here in Europe ready for the Summer, it is raining!

Anyway it is time to announce the winners of the Molly Harper contest!

As I mentioned the other day there will now be two winners. One will win the amazing package Molly herself has offered as a prize and another will win a copy of Molly's new book from me! Only possible due to the good amount of orders made through the Amberkatze Book Blog Amazon links. Thank you!

So the first winner has been picked by the randomizer and will get a signed copy of Molly's debut book NICE GIRLS DON'T HAVE FANGS as well as some other goodies. Congratulations to -


RachaelfromNJ!!!


And the second winner who will get a copy of NICE GIRLS DON'T HAVE FANGS via Amazon and myself is -


carolsnotebook!!!


Congratulations to both of the winners! Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. I will pick a new winner if the prize isn't claimed. If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter.

Oh and I just checked last weeks contest and noticed nobody claimed the prize. So here is a new winner for the Suzanne McLeod contest! Congrats -


Bridget3420!!!


Well done to all the winners! If you didn't win this time they keep entering the contests or just go out and buy a copy of the wonderful books these authors have on offer!

Next up is Young Adult author Stacey Jay!

Labels: Contests, Molly Harper, Stacey Jay, Suzanne McLeod, winners

Sorry for keeping you all waiting! I was a little busy over the weekend so I didn't get around to announcing the winner yesterday.

So I have asked the randomiser and the winner of the Suzanne McLeod contest is -


Renee!!!


Congrats to the winner! Please email me your mailing info within the next 7 days to the email address Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu. If you don't get a reply from me within 2 days please make sure you post on the blog letting me know. Sometimes my spam filter eats emails!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. There was an amazing turn out and I hope that even if you didn't win the prize that you will all go and get a copy of this great book!

A huge thank you to Suzanne for letting me interview her, for the great prize and for visiting. Hopefully she will come back again!

This weeks new Author interview and contest has already been posted. You can read all about Holly Harper, her debut novel and try and win a copy here!

Labels: Contests, Molly Harper, Suzanne McLeod, winners

Don't miss out on the chance to win a signed copy of Suzanne McLeod's first Spellcracker book 'The Sweet Scent of Blood'.

The contest ends on the 22nd of March and all you have to do is name an actor or actress you would like to take to a desert island with you. Go here to enter and maybe you will be a winner!

Other author interviews & contests coming up -

Molly Harper
Paula Brackston
Angie Fox

Labels: Contests, Suzanne McLeod

My guest this week is British author Suzanne McLeod. Her first book in the Spellcrackers series called 'The Sweet Scent of Blood' was a wonderful read and you can read the first chapter here and my review here.

I hope you all enjoy the interview and spend the time to enter the contest! Suzanne is giving away a lovely prize and I am sure there will be alot of interest!

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Amber -  Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog!  It great to have a Brit here as a guest! I hope you will start things off by telling us a little about your Spellcrackers series?

Suzanne – Amber, it’s great to be here, and thanks for inviting me . Spellcrackers.com is a dark/urban fantasy series which features Genevieve Taylor. Genny is a sidhe and she works as a magical trouble-shooter in present day London; but it’s an alternative London with witches in Covent Garden, goblin workers on the Underground, a troll police force based at Old Scotland Yard, celebrity vampires in Leicester Square and various other fae such as the naiads, dryads and satyrs. In The Sweet Scent of Blood, [book 1] when one of the celebrity vamps is accused of murdering his girlfriend, an old debt forces Genny into proving his innocence and plunges her deep into the heart of London’s secret vampire society.

Amber -  How did you come up with the idea for the series?  Was it a slow process or something that just happened?

Suzanne – I always knew I wanted to write a series with a character who got involved in mysteries and murder and had to solve them. From there it was finding my main character, Genny, and deciding on both her back story and the world in which she lived; and how both had shaped her. Then I wanted her to have a job that would bring specific problems to her, problems that it would be logical she would be able to deal with. But I didn’t want her to be either police [too many rules and regulations to take into consideration] or a PI, hence Spellcrackers.com where her job is to clear up any nasty or dangerous spells. The process of the idea wasn’t and isn’t so much slow, as ongoing; I’m still discovering/creating parts of Genny’s world as I write more about her and the other characters.

Amber -  Genny is a lovely character and I really liked her.  Is she anything like you?  Or someone you know?

Suzanne – Thank you. Genny isn’t based on anyone, she’s her own character *g*. Although, like all the characters I create, she has some of me in her [my liking for liquorice and bacon sandwiches, plus she gets to wear cool clothes – although that’s more wishful thinking for me *g* – but in the main she thinks and reacts as I would imagine someone brought up in her world and with her experiences might actually do so. She’s a great believer in honour, and keeping her word [something drummed into her by her father] and watching out for her friends, but she also has a cynical side to her that means she doesn’t trust easily; this makes it difficult for her to rely on others and can be a bit of a blind spot with her.

Amber - Did you have to do a lot of research for 'The Sweet Scent of Blood'? 

Suzanne - My research tends to fall into three categories: the first is where I cuddle up on the sofa with hubby and my two dogs, close my eyes and daydream, sorry, think *g*. [usually when there’s football on the TV!] This sort of research covers everything from characters and their backstories and paranormal abilities; plot - i.e. who gets killed and why, and who might the murderer be; and worldbuilding. The second type is where I get a spark of an idea and then chase it down through books and the internet to see if it will work. One such spark was the health warning on the back of a packet of liquorice. There's a substance in liquorice [glycyrrhizin] which if taken regularly in the right quantities can cause hyptertension – high blood pressure which is due to increased blood volume – a fascinating fact [fascinating to me anyway] that led me to all sorts [sorry!] of ideas to do with the vampires and ultimately to Genny's liking for liquorice torpedoes. The third aspect of research is the practical one, where I get to spend time walking round London, sourcing places to go into the books – frex Covent Garden which works out great as the witches’ market – and investigating and photographing the locations so I can get the geography, distances and descriptions accurate.

Amber -  Did you always want to be a writer?  Did you pick the paranormal genre or did it pick you? 

Suzanne – Writing is something that I’ve only come to recently – about five years ago now, partly due to becoming self-employed and having a bit more time and partly because I decided to give it a go. Before that I was a reader first and foremost [with a habit of at least 5 or more books a week] and although writing had crossed my mind a couple of times, I didn’t even keep a journal. And as one of the things everyone tells you to do when you write is to write what you love, I think in that respect the paranormal genre picked me.

Amber -  Do you write full time?  What jobs have you had in the past?

Suzanne – I’m lucky in that I’m self-employed in my ‘day jobs’ [I’ve got a couple – bookkeeper, and managing some rental properties]. They’re not the sort of jobs that are nine to five, but are more sporadic in the time they take up. This all means that some days I can be a full-time writer which is wonderful. In the past though, I’ve worked in retail, pubs and nightclubs and even a short stint in a call centre selling insurance.

Amber -  How many more Spellcrackers books will there be and when can we expect them?  Any other projects you are working on?

Suzanne – My publishers [Gollancz] have bought the first three Spellcrackers.com books. Book 2 – The Cold Kiss of Death is out in July 2009, Book 3 – The Bitter Seed of Magic is the one I’m writing now, and that one is due out in 2010. I’ve got plenty of ideas for more adventures in Genny’s world for the future, so I’m hoping if the publishers like how the first three books go, that I will get the chance to write more of them. Currently Spellcrackers.com is the only project I’m working on but that could change in the future.

Amber -  So where are all the British paranormal writers?  Or have I missed them?  I know of Simon R. Green and now you are on the scene but shouldn't there be more? Or are we Brits too busy watching Dr Who and Torchwood to write anything? ;)

Suzanne – Mike Carey [of Marvel and DC Comics fame] is another; I’m a big fan of his, and his Felix Castor novels about an exorcist working in London are wonderful and have a very interesting take on werecreatures. Then there’s Natasha Rhodes. She writes about Kayla Steele; a supernatural crime fighter [her books are in on my TBR list, which gets longer every week ] Liz Williams is another author on my TBR list. I’ve read her science fiction and thoroughly enjoyed it, but she also writes a series of paranormal books called the Inspector Chen mysteries which I’ve heard great things about and am itching to read. Oh, and nobody should be too busy to watch Dr Who and Torchwood *g*.

Amber -  What have been the good and bad times of being an author?  Any advice to anyone out there working on their first novel?

Suzanne – Doing something that I love and actually getting paid for it, and then having people tell me they’ve enjoyed reading my book, have to be two of the absolute best. And of course, the opposite is true when I hear that someone hasn’t enjoyed my book. Even though objectively I know that not everyone will like my books [there’s plenty of books out there that aren’t my cup of tea] it’s still *my* book-baby and that can be a bit of a downer. Oh and advice to anyone writing – write as regularly as you can so you keep those writing muscles exercised, and finish the book! Don’t spend time going over and over the early chapters looking for perfection because by the time you get to the end, the beginning will always need a re-work, one that’s not always possible to *see* until you do get to the end.

Amber - What books do you read when you have the chance?  Any must have authors or series?

Suzanne – I read as much as possible in my own genre; it’s my favourite [otherwise I wouldn’t write it] But I also read crime, historical, thrillers, romance, SF or anything else that takes my fancy. Must have authors have to be Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, Jim Butcher, Kelly Armstrong, Laurell Hamilton, Ilona Andrews, Kim Harrison and the list goes on – my husband always says Amazon is likely to go bust if I stop reading *g*

Amber - What music, TV series or films do you like and do any of them influence your work? 

Suzanne – TV series are Moonlight, Blood Ties, Being Human, Torchwood, Blade, Underworld and all the usual, likely suspects. I’m really looking forward to seeing True Blood when is hits the UK in July. As for films I’m a bit of a wuss, so I don’t usually watch any really scary films like Halloween or Friday the 13th , and Unbreakable still gives me nightmares, so I prefer ones like Hellboy, Underworld or Transformers. A couple of my all time favourites are The Lost Boys and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I tend not to do music too much, [I write and think in silence, so there’s not much time left for music] and I think probably everything I watch, read, see or listen too influences my writing in some way, even if on a very subtle level.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature. Which one would you be and why?

Suzanne – Umm, good question! I had to think about this one. I think being some sort of shapeshifter would be really cool; that whole walk in something else’s shoes thing with the ability to see and experience the world through a different perspective would be amazing.

Amber -  You are stuck on a desert island.  What 5 things do you hope to have with you?

Suzanne – A computer with internet access [probably cheating with that one!] A generator so I can run the computer. The underground smugglers’ cellar complete with booze out of Pirates of the Caribbean one, oh and Johnny Deep to go with it *g* and something to keep any nasty/scary insects away!

Amber -  Thank you so much for answering my questions!  Keep in contact and let us know when the next book is out!

Suzanne - Thank you!






Contest Time!

Suzanne said to me -

I'd be delighted to offer a signed copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood to go along with the interview for your blog readers, along with a magnet featuring the cover art :-)

Now you know about the prize now you need to know how to enter! This week all you need to do is post here letting us know the which actor or actress you would take with you on a desert island ;)

No name = No entry!

Earn another entry for each place you link this contest on the net. Make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest.  Just make sure you send a copy to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

The contest will stay open until Sunday March 22nd 2009 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

If you are claiming a prize, have emailed me and have not heard back before the 7 day limit is up then post a comment here on the blog. Your email may get sucked into my spam filter.

Enjoy!

Labels: Author Interviews, Contests, Suzanne McLeod

It is time to announce the winner of the Jaye Wells Contest!

Although there were at least 100 entries there wasn't enough items bought through the Amazon link for me to add any more prizes to the pile. So there will be only winner!

If you didn't win please make sure you go and buy Red-Headed Stepchild when it comes out on March 31st! It really is a great book and the best read I have experienced so far this year!

And the winner of a copy of Red-Headed Stepchild when it is released is -


Flip!!!


Congrats to the winner! Please email me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu to claim your prize. Make sure you add your mailing info so I can do that pre-order for you!

If the prize isn't claimed within the next 7 days I will pick a new winner. If you are a winner and email me and don't hear back from me within 48 hours please post here on the blog. My spam filter does'nt like certain email addresses!

A huge thank you again to Jaye Wells for being my guest this week! I hope the release of her debut goes well! Also a huge thank you to everyone who entered and spread the word about the contest. There was an amazing amount of entries and I hope you will all be back for the next interview and contest with Suzanne McLeod coming up later today.

Labels: Contests, Jaye Wells, Suzanne McLeod, winners

Working for Spellcrackers.com is a great job for Genny Taylor. It pays the rent and she is good at finding magic and cracking it plus it is run by witches so the vamps stay away from her. Although the vamps are so much of a problem lately. They are the big celebrities who give out the 'Gift' so they are really cool. However if you aren't human vampires can be deadly and Genny is a Sidhe Fae so she knows how deadly vamps can really be.

When a sexy vampire is accused of murdering his girlfriend someone calls an old debt in and gets Genny on the case. She is forced to help find out what really happened and in the meanwhile risks her job at Spellcrackers.com. Trying to find the killer has Genny getting deeper and deeper into the vampire world, a place where she doesn't want to be. Soon she realises that she is being used and is part of something much bigger that just a murder case.

I am not really a fan of novels based on Fae but this one, for some reason, really appealed to me. So when I started reading I expected to get bored, as I usually do with Fae stories, but I found myself hooked from the start. What grabbed me first was the fact that this book isn't set in America. Sure there are books in the Urban Paranormal genre not set in the States or Canada but they are very few. So having a British based book really grabbed me.

Then the style of writing and the main character caught me. Genny is, for me, a female Harry Dresden. The style of the book also screamed Dresden Files but it was Fae and not a wizard taking the main role. Of course the deal was sealed when all the creatures started to appear. Not only were there witches, Fae and vampires but trolls, brownies and much more present in this magical world that the author has created.

This was a brilliant debut that has guaranteed I will be getting the sequel when it comes out. Fast, action packed and sexy this was wonderfully British and a beautifully written Urban paranormal novel that I can highly recommend.

Labels: Books Read, Suzanne McLeod