Leanna's 2017 Round Up! New Books, Announcements, TV Appearance and more!

2017 was a difficult year in so many ways, it was a trying time for me, my loved ones and many artists and figures I admire, but I don’t want to shortchange accomplishments of the year and provide an in-case-you-missed-it round up of my publications, features, essays and acclaim that provided many bright spots and affirmations of creativity, hope and spirit. All posts and books I mention are linked in blue for further reading and engagement.

1. I turned in the draft of MISS VIOLET AND THE GREAT WAR (Strangely Beautiful # 4) to my editor at Tor Books in February, its publication date isn’t yet set, but drawing Strangely Beautiful to a close was a heartbreaking and soulful process. I simply cannot wait to share this spirit-filled family legacy with you.

2. As many of you know, the publication journey of the Strangely Beautiful saga has been long and fraught, so the return of The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess, reissued this spring by Tor Books as PERILOUS PROPHECY was pure joy. To have it again available in print is such a blessing. This book, a prequel to the also freshly revised and reissued Strangely Beautiful, delves deeper into the myth, the magic, the tragedy and the passionate, redemptive love that I want to wrap my readers up in; bundling them with lyrical, lush prose.   

3. One of the most wonderful reviews of my work I’ve yet received, written by Shana DuBois for Barnes and Noble’s Blog, really captures what I hope readers will take from this book, penned with every ounce of my heart and soul. "There is something truly magical about Leanna Renee Hieber’s writing. Every page of Perilous Prophecy is infused with it, and it will seep into you, changing you as you read."

4. The wonderful Fantasy Café, after graciously hosting my Penny Dreadful rant last year in which I excoriated the show for its character failings and for its senselessly regressive endings, had me back for their Women in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Feature to discuss The Gothic as a sort of Canary in Fear’s Coal Mine; a discussion of psychological aspects that make the genre so important.

5. Tor.Com had me on to discuss the one book that, if I were to pick one, most changed my life. The Collected works of Edgar Allan Poe. A writer and historical figure that most profoundly made me who I am today, Poe remains an inspiration that has always helped me navigate my own rough waters…

6. In July I guest starred on The Travel Channel's Mysteries at the Museum! I was in what was called the "Kennedy Wedding Disaster" episode (I speak about the Eddy Brothers and 19th Century Spiritualism, one of my favorite subjects). The episode is available via YouTube or on Hulu. This was so exciting! It was such a treat to speak, for a TV audience, on a subject I know and love so well!

7. In celebration of my ETERNA FILES finale, I stopped by Terrible Minds, Chuck Wendig’s fabulous site, to talk about the Five things I learned (and relearned) writing THE ETERNA SOLUTION.

8. I stopped by the inimitable and generous John Scalzi's domain. For his WHATEVER blog I talked about The Big Idea behind the Eterna Files series as a whole.

9. This November saw the close of my Eterna Files series with THE ETERNA SOLUTION, an exciting conclusion to this Gaslamp Fantasy trilogy, showcasing the importance of localized magic and personal power to fight the last stand of a horrific, violent cabal.

I had wonderful launch parties for this book, just like I did for PERILOUS PROPHECY at Barnes and Noble West Chester, OH and the incredible Morris-Jumel Mansion in New York. Writing this book my inclusive cast of quirky characters endeared themselves to me so deeply, I was sorry to see them draw this part of their narrative to its close but I know I will see many of these fine folks again in future novels, as many of the cast will appear in upcoming books, my extant series all dovetailing in parallel worlds.

Meghan Harker wrote the loveliest review of THE ETERNA SOLUTION for Criminal Element and she put into sharp focus why I do what I do, helping fill my well to continue. "The sheer joy of reading Hieber’s work reminded me of what I strive for as an artist and the power that love and friendship have in fighting against the darkness—which, incidentally, is the culmination of her Eterna Files series."

10. I signed on for a new trilogy with Kensington Books! THE SPECTRAL CITY will release late 2018 from the new Rebel Base imprint. THE SPECTRAL CITY is a bit like if the show Medium were to meet The Alienist. The year is 1899. Eve Whitby, a talented nineteen year old Medium, daughter of Lord Denbury and Natalie Stewart of my Magic Most Foul saga, leads The Ghost Precinct; a small team of Mediums and Ghosts who help solve crimes and in some cases prevent them as Gilded Age New York City, and all its dark undercurrents, are about to tumble into a new century. Spiritualists, Escape Artists, Charlatans, Spectres and High Society all mix in heady, deadly brew. The Ghost Precinct loses its most vital spectral assets and the hunt is on for what in the world could have killed the already dead...   

As always I do many conventions and events throughout the year, check in with my Appearances page on my website and follow my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for regular updates! Feel free to ask any questions on any of my platforms and I'll try to respond as soon as I can to any reasonable query.

Please Note: signed books, jewelry and art can all be procured on my Etsy shop, Torch and Arrow, so feel free to pick up anything you’d like personalized! I make my living entirely as a freelance writer and artist so your direct support helps keep me afloat! Thank you!

Cheers, Happy Haunting and Happy New Year! May the spirits guide you beautifully into 2018!

Catching up: Interviews, Convention Recap and More!

Hello Dear Readers!

Goodness it’s been a whirlwind 6 weeks!

Beginning with an incredible final Authors After Dark in Savannah at the beginning of August, I went directly on to launch Eterna and Omega in my Cincinnati hometown, I then continued on a convention spree!

Next up I was a returning featured TempleCon guest in Rhode Island, a perennial favorite, where I presided over the High Tea and was asked to emcee the beautiful fashion show in addition to signing lots of books to a fantastic group of readers.

The next day, I went directly out to Chicago and then on to Milwaukee for a Boswell Books event with one of my favorite authors and a dear friend, Mary Robinette Kowal, who was presenting one of my favorite books of all time, her brilliant Ghost Talkers. Also joining us was Ada Palmer, whose incredible Too Like the Lightning really stunned us with its clever conceit and rich prose.

Here we are in period costumes appropriate to our work!
 

Then came the ever jaw-dropping DragonCon, where I was on a record 12 panels across the host venues! Many of these panels featured some of the most passionate and insightful commentary and questions I’ve encountered in all my years, I’m so blessed to be able to connect with such incredible fellow authors, track directors and the best fans in the whole wide world. Love y'all. Entirely selling out of books is a great feeling!

Alethea Kontis captures me mid-interview

Then... southward bound with my beloved Alethea Kontis, the princess herself, to join Space Coast ComicCon in Florida, where the staff and fans are fantastic. I was approached to do a fun "Hangin’With" video interview with Garret Pomichter, found here, and had a lovely time.

In the midst of the convention run, because I'm always working, I also happened to be on a killer deadline for a very different and unique new project I’ll be able to announce later this month. I managed to turn that challenging project in, along with a few short stories and confirmations about another few anthologies I’m honored to be featured in, can't wait to announce those as well.

If you missed my epic Twitter rants about the ending of Penny Dreadful or missed my Facebook link to this post, I wrote a very important essay on Feminism and the Gothic that the fine folks at Fantasy Café asked me for. I put a lot of heart and soul into this one.

And because I just can't miss an opportunity to share my excitement about the latest books, I was interviewed for two podcasts of recent note and relevant interests:

I hope you’ll check out one of my favorite interviews I’ve done, for the Thorne and Cross Haunted Nights Live show with the fabulous Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross as my hosts, it was a great conversation of like minds on the Gothic and creating rich atmospheres.

And I was also able to join Jason Henderson on his Castle of Horror podcast for another lively discussion on Gothic Victorian settings and explaining just what, exactly, is Gaslamp Fantasy.

AND the wonderful Kevin Steil, the Airship Ambassador himself, is featuring me in an incredible multi-post interview! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, more to come.

If you’ve missed me at any of my recent events, signed copies of ETERNA AND OMEGA can be found at the following locations:

Barnes and Noble, Streets of West Chester store, Cincinnati, Ohio
Barnes and Noble Union Square, NYC
Barnes and Noble 5^th Avenue, NYC
Morris Jumel Mansion, NYC
Barnes and Noble Oglethorpe, Savannah, GA
Boswell Books, Milwaukee, WI
And signed, personalized books can always be ordered through my page at WORD Bookstore in NYC!
Or via my Etsy store!

Cheers, blessings, stay tuned for my “Hold On to the Light” post thanks to author Gail Z. Martin during Mental Health Awareness month.

Again, please, if you enjoy my work, please consider leaving an Amazon review and telling your friends about them! If enough people do, it helps ensure my series books will have future installments. As always,

Happy Haunting!

Leanna

"The Spark" a FREE prequel novella in the ETERNA FILES universe is live via Tor Books today!

My Darling readers! The fine folks at Tor present "The Spark" a FREE full length Eterna Files prequel novella via the Tor/Forge blog! I wrote this novella to give you some background and insight to the life of paranormal researcher Louis Dupris and his secret love Clara Templeton and his spiritual journey before the events of The Eterna Files, book one, and beautifully timed just before the August 9^th release of ETERNA & OMEGA which picks up exactly where book one leaves off.

Please read, enjoy, please share, and please support this series! Your support means I can do more for you, my wonderful readership. Please support the ETERNA series by leaving reviews, by pre-ordering ETERNA& OMEGA (for signed, personalized copies please support the amazing local NYC independent bookstore WORD and leave personalization requests in the notes/comment sections), by talking up the series. If you’re new to the series, this free prequel novella is a great place to start!

All my worlds are parallel worlds so in the Eterna Files series, you’ll see cameo appearances of characters from my other books, so please come join in the Gothic, supernatural fun! These books mean the world to me. I was put on this earth to write these stories and I’m grateful you’re on this sacred journey with me.

Please luxuriate in some free fiction today, lose yourself in Gothic Victorian Fantasy, enjoy "The Spark"! Please take a moment to help me get the word out about "The Spark" on Twitter today (I’m @LeannaRenee and on FB: http://facebook.com/lrhieber ) and as always, I appreciate each and every one of you so much! Cheers and happy haunting! 

Happy New Year! Via Criminal Element, My Thoughts on Penny Dreadful, Crimson Peak and the Importance of Dreadpunk and The New Gothic

Happy 2016 everyone! May your year be beautifully spooky!

I've been in the throes of deadlines, having three - count them three - releases this year, the paperback edition of THE ETERNA FILES coming 2/2/16 (currently on a sweet discount via Amazon and Barnes & Noble), then the reissue of STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL books 1 and 2 in a new volume with new scenes and content, then the ETERNA sequel, ETERNA & OMEGA, coming this August! Whee! I'm involved in just as many other jobs in the arts as ever, so I'll try to keep you all posted as best I can. I've lots of convention appearances already scheduled on my Appearance page, so have a look.

I'm thrilled to have returned to writing some posts for Macmillan's CRIMINAL ELEMENT site, where I previously chronicled my love for things like Anne Perry, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and MI-5.

Due to my career in writing Gothic novels, I recently had the opportunity to speak at length about the importance of The New Gothic, explain a bit of what the new term "Dreadpunk" is all about, and why the show Penny Dreadful and the film Crimson Peak are vital pieces in the new mainstream, so hop on over to Criminal Element and check out this dark-and-stormy-night kind of post.

And STAY TUNED, because in the coming weeks I'm going to have multiple posts in which my ETERNA FILES characters will answer readers' questions as we count down until the mass-market paperback edition release. I'll be doing multiple giveaways of signed copies this month, beginning and ending here with a few blog tour stops to chat with some Gothic and Historical enthusiasts! More details soon, in the meantime, as always, cheers and happy haunting!

Leanna
Your Fairy Gothmother...
THE ETERNA FILES
STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL
MAGIC MOST FOUL

The New Strangely Beautiful Cover Reveal!

My Dears!

The Hieberverse remains busy as ever with so many projects and ventures! I'm preparing to re-issue my futuristic, paranormal, space opera novellas the Dark Nest Chronicles, Dark Nest, Reckoning and Song of Saire as rights have recently returned to me, so stay tuned for those links, all three stories will be available individually and also combined as a digital and print option for the first time!

But BEFORE we get to Dark Nest (the 2009 Prism Award winner for Best Fantasy Romance Novella), we have STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL business! As you may have heard, my babies are coming back!

Right here we have the cover reveal for The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker and The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker, joined for the first time in one volume, titled STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL, including NEW scenes and new content in revised, re-edited editions! Two books in one!

Mandi over at SmexyBooks helped me reveal this gorgeous cover, read more here. Look at this incredible, gorgeous, most beautiful cover ever!

I'm over the moon about this cover, and about the fact that it's up for pre-order wherever books are sold! Those of you who have known and loved this series, you'll know how much this means to have these books back in print after so many years out of print. (You can read more about how heartbreaking and difficult all of this has been here).

For those of you who are familiar with the books, you'll want to get this new edition of books 1 and 2 because there are some brand new scenes with Miss Lucille Linden and other new aspects of this edition, such as deleted scenes and never-before-in-print content.

For those of you who aren't familiar, if you like all things Gothic and Gaslit, if you're a fan of Penny Dreadful and that aesthetic, you'll love Strangely Beautiful, which in many ways was ahead of its time in terms of this recent revival in the Gothic and in Gaslamp Fantasy.

From the new cover:

Originally published as two books, Strangely Beautiful unites Leanna Renee Hieber's critically acclaimed novels in a single revised volume, restoring the author's original vision for the work.
 Miss Persephone Parker, known as Percy, is different, with her lustrous, snow-white hair, pearlescent pale skin, and uncanny ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Seeking to continue her education, Percy has come to Queen Victoria's London, to the Athens Academy. What she will learn there will change her life forever. Athens Academy is the citadel of The Guard, an ancient order that battles the forces of evil. The Victorian Guard, led by professor Alexi Rychman, is incomplete. They cannot defeat Jack the Ripper; who is more than the serial killer he appears to be; or the greater monster his appearance heralds.
Percy's lifelong habit of concealment combined with Alexi's fevered search for the Guard's missing seventh nearly prove disastrous as ancient Greek myths begin playing out in modern, gaslit, Victorian London. Percy and her new friends and allies must overcome their preconceptions about each other and their own histories before they can set the world to rights.
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Pre-Order:
IndieBound
Powell's
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
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These books, and their resurrection and new life with new content, mean the world to me, as will your support of this series, the books of my heart. Please pre-order today to ensure you'll get your copy when April comes around! Blessings and thank you!