Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Free via TOR.COM for a limited time: TOO FOND - new Gothic Victorian fiction
"In “Too Fond,” by author Leanna Renee Hieber, Eloise Browne's leaden heart becomes softened by the entrance into her world of Mr. McGill, the owner of the nearby mill. His tragic story and her compassionate gift tangle themselves into something altogether new... and not altogether welcome."
FREE READ FOR A LIMITED TIME COURTESY OF TOR.COM - You may download this story DRM-free for .99 to your Nook, Kindle or iPad, note buy link to the left of the story.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART: THE TRAILER!
We're in the final weeks before THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART releases into the world!
Are you ready for more Denburylicious action? This is an adventure filled book that picks up exactly where DARKER STILL leaves off and I promise is a spooky, devilish good time... Here's the trailer!
Share with friends! Stay tuned for video excerpts and more!
Pre-Order in paperback or to your devices!
Are you ready for more Denburylicious action? This is an adventure filled book that picks up exactly where DARKER STILL leaves off and I promise is a spooky, devilish good time... Here's the trailer!
Share with friends! Stay tuned for video excerpts and more!
Pre-Order in paperback or to your devices!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
NEW YORK COMIC CON 2012
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| LADIES WHO STEAM: Women in Steampunk panel at New York Comic Con - L to R: Lauren Panepinto, Ay-leen the Peacemaker, Liz Gorinsky, PJ Schnyder, Me, Anina Bennett |
Trying to explain New York Comic Con is like trying to explain DragonCon. You have to see it to believe it. For those complaining that NYCC was too crowded, well, they've clearly never been to DragonCon, which is, every year, WAY too crowded. So the NYCC crowds did not phase me in the least. I was just thrilled to be there. For not only was I traipsing about in my usual Narcissa Malfoy cosplay, I WAS A PANELIST. It's been a dream of mine to be a NYCC panelist and this year it came true on the LADIES WHO STEAM: Women in Steampunk panel alongside the fabulous women listed above, Ay-leen, Lauren and Liz holding down the editorial and art side of the panel, the rest of us the author side. We chatted about why Steampunk matters, the ingenuity and the reinvention of it, the costuming and the concepts, our thoughts about where the genre is, where it can go, and why anyone should care. Check out Tor.Com's album for more fabulous pictures of the panel and keep your eyes out for my upcoming eerie Victorian paranormal story, TOO FOND, to be featured this month on Tor.com. (If you're interested in a copy for your very own, It's available now as a .99 pre-order to your Nook...) This story has been a big hit at my convention live readings.
Thanks to our fab Auror's Tale publicist Jenn Levine I knew to attend The Mary Sue / Her Universe meetup and met Jill Pantozzi and Ashley Eckstein while I was hanging out with the fabulous, ridiculously talented Jeff Carlisle, drooling over his art. I admire Jill and Ashley so much for who they are and what they're able to do in promoting Geekdom throughout the land, and especially raising the bar for women in the industry. In that vein, keep an eye out for Fan Girl TV, as I was a part of one of their first events this week as well, hosting a live show with very talented panelists and performers. While at the Mary Sue / Her Universe meetup I also met a lovely and engaging freelance comic editor who bonded with me over Harry Potter and Victorian literature (two of my very favourite subjects in all the land) and who has wonderful ideas for her own work. I got a chance to cheerlead a bit, something I feel called to do in this life, and as her ideas are truly, truly wonderful and potentially life-saving for so many of her readers who would relate, I hope she keeps in touch and I hope she gets her own work out into the world one way or another.
The rest of my time at NYCC I hovered about The Group That Shall Not Be Named: HP-NYC and alongside my oft sister Bellatrix (othertimes an uncannily perfect Irene Adler - and who in real life is an exceedingly talented Jack of All Trades and BFF), Cassandra Johnstone, who, as Bellatrix, teaches a mean and amazing Wand Dueling class. The Group That Shall Not Be Named, the largest Harry Potter meetup group in the nation, made sure the weekend was fabulously full of Quidditch, Wand Dueling and more. Something I got to do this year that I'm rarely able to do is walk the floor. That was wonderful and on day one I got this incredible peacock feather fascinator for day two (an item perfect for a Malfoy and for my general sensibilities) and this was as much of a hit as anything I've ever worn. Ever. (By Rae Beth Designs)
Like with any convention heavy on Cosplay, there are some amusing things one overhears and witnesses.
Voice 1: "Is that a sexy version of-"
Voice 2: "YES."
Throw in some expletives and that was something overheard between two young men, the iterations of which could have taken place between any number of persons of any gender or orientation about any character of any fandom. Everything under the sun. Grown, burly men confidently and without hesitation shouting out the names of My Little Pony characters to those of any gender dressed as them. Like DragonCon, you have to give yourself extra time to travel escalators and cross rooms, and like DragonCon, people watching is sort of the best.
Favourite costume? The Bain Capital Bane. Brilliant and epic. Check it out on Tor.Com's FB page. Also, Michael Mason Photography has some great shots as well.
Favourite moment? Looking out into the packed house at our Steampunk panel. When I introduced myself at the panel, a cheer went up in the room. I was honoured by this, I was flattered, and I was more driven than ever to keep writing books. Thank you, readers.
Coming up, WE'RE JUST A FEW WEEKS AWAY FROM THE NEXT MAGIC MOST FOUL NOVEL! We've got cool stuff regarding THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART, like book trailers, excerpts, giveaways and more, the book is available for pre-order wherever books are sold, both in print and digitally, so if you, like me, forget about release day, pre-ordering is always an option. I'll be touring for signings and events in Cincinnati, Ohio, Portland, Oregon and New York City, possibly Salem, MA, so stay tuned to my Appearances page on my website, and for postings on my FB wall, and of course, tweets!
Monday, October 8, 2012
To London, On London, With Love...
There’s no way I can sort out my thoughts on what was a most incredible week, so I’m just going to offer a top ten list. I began last weekend at the Baltimore Book Festival and had a lovely time on panels and signing books, thanks to Laura Kaye and the whole Maryland RWA staff and volunteers for being amazing. Then it was off to London for research, alongside dear friend and fabulous talent Elizabeth Kerri Mahon of Scandalous Women fame.
10. The Spaniard’s Inn – A charming pub that has been featured in many a literary world and work, from Keats having “enjoyed many an ale here” as is immortalized on a bench outside, to being mentioned in Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, this Hampstead classic pub proved delightful and charming and full of literary as well as literal spirits.
9. Finding the streets upon which two of my main characters live. I just had a wonderful time wandering until I found the right spaces that my characters agreed with. They told me things about their lives that were important to know, as I’m still in the “getting to know you” phase of my first ETERNA FILES novel. I decided upon the Knightsbridge and Aldwych areas for Lord Black and Harold Spire, respectively. It’s such a privilege to walk the paths they’ll walk. That tactile connection provides an inexplicable bond that I can’t really explain or quantify, it just helps.
8. The Pre-Raphaelite exhibit at the Tate Britain. No artists move me as thoroughly as the Pre-Raphaelites, while their private lives were quite daunting for many of the women involved in them, their art none the less moves me spiritually and aesthetically. I appreciate the romanticism and spiritualism present in these works and this collection was exquisite. Seeing Millais’ Ophelia moves me every time, and getting a chance to see and appreciate more of Edward Burne-Jones and William Holman Hunt was divine. It was nearly all of my favourite art in one set of rooms. What a treat.
7. Signing stock at Forbidden Planet! The folks at this store are some of the kindest, most knowledgeable and most wonderful people in the world of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Danie Ware specifically took time out of her VERY busy schedule to make sure stock of DARKER STILL was in house for me to sign, brought me tea, made me feel utterly at home amidst her own whirlwind tour of her own fabulous novel. So, my UK friends, you can now get a SIGNED copy of DARKER STILL from Forbidden Planet, AS WELL as pre-order a signed copy of THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART, as I signed book plates for the staff to insert into the books when they release next month! We’re only a month away! *happy dance*
6. Walking along The Thames. I feel that rivers tell you about the soul of a city. I am invigorated by water and so walking along this river that I’m sure I walked along in past lives, I am always charged, vibrant and inspired.
5. Kensington Palace. Birthplace of Queen Victoria, this charming palace has been renovated with fascinating exhibits and an amazing display featuring Queen Victoria’s charming courtship with Prince Albert. It truly is a love story for the ages, and they had her wedding dress and accessories, some of which were designed by Albert himself, letters, notes, quotes, it was wonderful. As I posed near one of Queen Victoria’s portraits, an elderly British woman passed by and patted me on the head, saying: “Very regal.” See? I belong with English Royalty, surely… I was charmed by the entire grounds and was so glad to be inside those walls that shaped the often troubled childhood of the monarch that so profoundly influenced the period most important to me.
4. Parliament: Gorgeous. Gothic. Overblown. Amazing. Built to celebrate Queen Victoria. Fascinating. Breathtaking. I love every inch of this quintessentially Victorian building. I dearly enjoyed this tour and look forward to following my character, Lord Black, and his best kept secret, his brilliant secretary, Rose Everhart, through the halls of the House of Lords.
3. An INCREDIBLE production of Chekhov’s The Three Sisters. Beautifully done, in a fresh and exciting new translation gorgeously, simply and effectively staged, and so movingly acted I cried a lot in the front row, the actors beautifully close in the appealing space that is The Young Vic. I'm fascinated with Chekhov's "Masha" characters and I'm inspired to work on some thematic pieces involving them, some of my favourite characters in the 19th century canon.
2. Hugging a TARDIS. TWO OF THEM. Thanks to my dear friend Shalene’s husband Andrew, not only did I get to spend quality time with this delightful family but Andrew enabled a private tour of some of the iconic BBC studios, inside the Doctor Who room filled with treasures from the seasons and an old-school Doctor 5 TARDIS. I was a little hard to control.
1. The Harry Potter Studio Tour. I had to go there alone, which was kind of difficult, because it’s hard being THE MOST PASSIONATE FAN THERE. No one was as excited as me. At least, no one brave enough to show it. Oh, I showed it. I wasn’t dressed in any sort of costume, though most people think my every day clothes are a costume, and yet my Malfoy tendencies were still in full effect, as evidenced by the girl behind me in line who said: I like your jacket. Very Narcissa. I smiled and replied: "I am." Once inside, I nearly knocked kids over to run into the Great Hall when they opened the doors. The full Great Hall set is so utterly breathtaking, even without the ceiling of sky and candles and only stage lights above. When the guide asked the crowd to state their house, I was shocked when no one matched my enthusiasm. There were a few mumbles drowned out by my shriek of: SLYTHERIN! The guide: “So I hear a few unenthusiastic Gryffindors and one VERY passionate Slytherin.” Guide turns to me and is sure to point out the specifically Slytherin things about the room. Once inside and spending a little too much time around the Malfoy costumes, I had several people say that I could “step right into the films”. I’d thank them and offer up a very Slytherin smirk. I held it together, mostly, until I got to the huge full room model of Hogwarts used for exterior shots. Some of the most beautiful music written for the films was playing, the theatrical lighting rendered the model into breathtaking beauty, and I just burst into tears for sheer love of this dear, beloved world.
You see, I’d been writing since I was a child, but I gave it up during college because I thought my ideas weren’t worthy. Harry Potter inspired me in a way nothing else had done since childhood, and I frankly owe my career to it, and so much of my favourite things and people and projects in life have been tied to the fandom. So yes, I cried, because it’s worthy of tears when something means that much and is that magical. I know my dear friends in the Harry Potter fandom will understand this transcendant experience.
--
I ended the week in Oklahoma City as a Literary Guest of Honour at the OCTIPODICON Steampunk Convention, where the attendees and fellow "Professors" were some of the most delightful lot I've ever met. We had lovely and engaging panels on 19th century issues and trends in Steampunk and Gaslamp Fantasy. I delighted in some fellow Goth friends who charged the DJ during the ball to demand some VNV Nation and we danced our hearts out in corsets and flouncing black layers. I had a wonderful time talking about my books, old and upcoming, and as always my favourite part of conventions is doing dramatic readings of my work, I read a short story, "Too Fond" which will be coming out soon on Tor.Com as a part of their "Ghost Week" Halloween offerings, stay tuned. I also got to share insights and information about my upcoming novel, THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART and I became even more excited for it's release, I cannot wait to share it with all of you.
So all in all, what a week. What an amazing set of journeys.
And London, Oh... I love you, London, always have, always will, and I can’t wait to return to you again soon. Eternally your magical changeling, Leanna.
10. The Spaniard’s Inn – A charming pub that has been featured in many a literary world and work, from Keats having “enjoyed many an ale here” as is immortalized on a bench outside, to being mentioned in Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, this Hampstead classic pub proved delightful and charming and full of literary as well as literal spirits.
9. Finding the streets upon which two of my main characters live. I just had a wonderful time wandering until I found the right spaces that my characters agreed with. They told me things about their lives that were important to know, as I’m still in the “getting to know you” phase of my first ETERNA FILES novel. I decided upon the Knightsbridge and Aldwych areas for Lord Black and Harold Spire, respectively. It’s such a privilege to walk the paths they’ll walk. That tactile connection provides an inexplicable bond that I can’t really explain or quantify, it just helps.
8. The Pre-Raphaelite exhibit at the Tate Britain. No artists move me as thoroughly as the Pre-Raphaelites, while their private lives were quite daunting for many of the women involved in them, their art none the less moves me spiritually and aesthetically. I appreciate the romanticism and spiritualism present in these works and this collection was exquisite. Seeing Millais’ Ophelia moves me every time, and getting a chance to see and appreciate more of Edward Burne-Jones and William Holman Hunt was divine. It was nearly all of my favourite art in one set of rooms. What a treat.
7. Signing stock at Forbidden Planet! The folks at this store are some of the kindest, most knowledgeable and most wonderful people in the world of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Danie Ware specifically took time out of her VERY busy schedule to make sure stock of DARKER STILL was in house for me to sign, brought me tea, made me feel utterly at home amidst her own whirlwind tour of her own fabulous novel. So, my UK friends, you can now get a SIGNED copy of DARKER STILL from Forbidden Planet, AS WELL as pre-order a signed copy of THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART, as I signed book plates for the staff to insert into the books when they release next month! We’re only a month away! *happy dance*
6. Walking along The Thames. I feel that rivers tell you about the soul of a city. I am invigorated by water and so walking along this river that I’m sure I walked along in past lives, I am always charged, vibrant and inspired.
5. Kensington Palace. Birthplace of Queen Victoria, this charming palace has been renovated with fascinating exhibits and an amazing display featuring Queen Victoria’s charming courtship with Prince Albert. It truly is a love story for the ages, and they had her wedding dress and accessories, some of which were designed by Albert himself, letters, notes, quotes, it was wonderful. As I posed near one of Queen Victoria’s portraits, an elderly British woman passed by and patted me on the head, saying: “Very regal.” See? I belong with English Royalty, surely… I was charmed by the entire grounds and was so glad to be inside those walls that shaped the often troubled childhood of the monarch that so profoundly influenced the period most important to me.
4. Parliament: Gorgeous. Gothic. Overblown. Amazing. Built to celebrate Queen Victoria. Fascinating. Breathtaking. I love every inch of this quintessentially Victorian building. I dearly enjoyed this tour and look forward to following my character, Lord Black, and his best kept secret, his brilliant secretary, Rose Everhart, through the halls of the House of Lords.
3. An INCREDIBLE production of Chekhov’s The Three Sisters. Beautifully done, in a fresh and exciting new translation gorgeously, simply and effectively staged, and so movingly acted I cried a lot in the front row, the actors beautifully close in the appealing space that is The Young Vic. I'm fascinated with Chekhov's "Masha" characters and I'm inspired to work on some thematic pieces involving them, some of my favourite characters in the 19th century canon.
2. Hugging a TARDIS. TWO OF THEM. Thanks to my dear friend Shalene’s husband Andrew, not only did I get to spend quality time with this delightful family but Andrew enabled a private tour of some of the iconic BBC studios, inside the Doctor Who room filled with treasures from the seasons and an old-school Doctor 5 TARDIS. I was a little hard to control.
1. The Harry Potter Studio Tour. I had to go there alone, which was kind of difficult, because it’s hard being THE MOST PASSIONATE FAN THERE. No one was as excited as me. At least, no one brave enough to show it. Oh, I showed it. I wasn’t dressed in any sort of costume, though most people think my every day clothes are a costume, and yet my Malfoy tendencies were still in full effect, as evidenced by the girl behind me in line who said: I like your jacket. Very Narcissa. I smiled and replied: "I am." Once inside, I nearly knocked kids over to run into the Great Hall when they opened the doors. The full Great Hall set is so utterly breathtaking, even without the ceiling of sky and candles and only stage lights above. When the guide asked the crowd to state their house, I was shocked when no one matched my enthusiasm. There were a few mumbles drowned out by my shriek of: SLYTHERIN! The guide: “So I hear a few unenthusiastic Gryffindors and one VERY passionate Slytherin.” Guide turns to me and is sure to point out the specifically Slytherin things about the room. Once inside and spending a little too much time around the Malfoy costumes, I had several people say that I could “step right into the films”. I’d thank them and offer up a very Slytherin smirk. I held it together, mostly, until I got to the huge full room model of Hogwarts used for exterior shots. Some of the most beautiful music written for the films was playing, the theatrical lighting rendered the model into breathtaking beauty, and I just burst into tears for sheer love of this dear, beloved world.
You see, I’d been writing since I was a child, but I gave it up during college because I thought my ideas weren’t worthy. Harry Potter inspired me in a way nothing else had done since childhood, and I frankly owe my career to it, and so much of my favourite things and people and projects in life have been tied to the fandom. So yes, I cried, because it’s worthy of tears when something means that much and is that magical. I know my dear friends in the Harry Potter fandom will understand this transcendant experience.
--
I ended the week in Oklahoma City as a Literary Guest of Honour at the OCTIPODICON Steampunk Convention, where the attendees and fellow "Professors" were some of the most delightful lot I've ever met. We had lovely and engaging panels on 19th century issues and trends in Steampunk and Gaslamp Fantasy. I delighted in some fellow Goth friends who charged the DJ during the ball to demand some VNV Nation and we danced our hearts out in corsets and flouncing black layers. I had a wonderful time talking about my books, old and upcoming, and as always my favourite part of conventions is doing dramatic readings of my work, I read a short story, "Too Fond" which will be coming out soon on Tor.Com as a part of their "Ghost Week" Halloween offerings, stay tuned. I also got to share insights and information about my upcoming novel, THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART and I became even more excited for it's release, I cannot wait to share it with all of you.
So all in all, what a week. What an amazing set of journeys.
And London, Oh... I love you, London, always have, always will, and I can’t wait to return to you again soon. Eternally your magical changeling, Leanna.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Apocalypsies Feature: Janci Patterson
Welcome to my next Apocalypsies Feature where I ask a bit about brand new fabulous books from my YA debut crew and a few random questions that inquiring minds want to know. Okay, well, at least weird questions that I want to know. Welcome Janci Patterson and debut novel CHASING THE SKIP!
CHASING THE SKIP
by Janci Patterson
Release Date: Today!
Synopsis: Ricki’s dad has never been there for her. He’s a bail bondsman who spends his time chasing parole evaders—also known as “skips”— all over the country. Ever since Ricki’s mom ran off, Ricki finds herself an unwilling passenger in a front-row seat to her father’s dangerous
Your Fave thing about your book:
Your Fave fluffy animal:
CHASING THE SKIP
by Janci Patterson
Release Date: Today!
Synopsis: Ricki’s dad has never been there for her. He’s a bail bondsman who spends his time chasing parole evaders—also known as “skips”— all over the country. Ever since Ricki’s mom ran off, Ricki finds herself an unwilling passenger in a front-row seat to her father’s dangerous
lifestyle. Ricki’s feelings get even more confused when her dad
starts tracking seventeen-year-old Ian Burnham. She finds herself
unavoidably attracted to the dark-eyed felon who seems eager to get acquainted. Ricki thinks she’s ever in control—the perfect accomplice, the Bonnie to his Clyde. Little does she know that Ian isn’t playing the game by her rules.
Leanna Asks:
Your Fave thing about your book:
I loved writing about
bounty hunters, and their place in the American justice system. It's exciting
to write about people with interesting lives--things real people do for a
living, but that other people generally know very little about. Plus, the
subject allowed me to write some adventure and some pathos, which is a fun
combination.
Your Fave fluffy animal:
The red panda. Most adorable critter
ever, and exotic, too.
If you were a ghost, where would you haunt?:
Red Butte Gardens in
Salt Lake City. I could be ghostly and still enjoy the flowers.
Your Website, Twitter, FB links: http://www.jancipatterson.com/ , https://twitter.com/#!/jancipatterson , http://www.facebook.com/JanciPatterson
Thanks Janci! HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!