Leanna's Top Ten NYC Tourism Tips

I was called upon by my lovely home-state friends, the Central Ohio Fiction Writers, to put on my tour-guide hat (I used to work as a NYC tour guide) and write up a list of tips for their newsletter as there shall be thousands descending upon New York City next week for the Romance Writers of America annual conference. I thought it might be a good idea if I were to post it here too.
-
So, dear visitors, here are a few thoughts from a now native New Yorker. Leanna's top ten affordable musts in NYC:
(In no particular order - note how very few of these adventures cost money)

1. Leanna votes Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center over Empire State Building. -- What's the most impressive building on the whole skyline? The Empire State Building. You can't SEE it if you are IN it. Besides there are a lot of unnecessary distractions with the Empire State ticket. Top of the Rock is simple and efficient, tickets are timed entry for crowd control, it's glass versus the steel cage of Empire, Top of the Rock is all around a better view and experience.

2. A trip to Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty. You don't have to go to Liberty Island to appreciate Lady Liberty on the waterfront, Battery Park is a lovely park with nice views, places to stroll and street vendors. If you're short on time, avoid the lines and just wave to Lady Liberty from shore.

3. Ethnic food. Whatever your pleasure, NYC has it, and then some. Don't get stuck eating at chains that you can find everywhere, whether its Little Italy or Little India, there's something unique for everyone. everywhere in the city. If you are stuck in the Times Square area; GET OUT OF TIMES SQUARE. For the Love of God don't eat at Olive Garden, you can do that anywhere! Just head 2 Avenues west, to 9th Avenue for myriad affordable and yummy cuisine!

4. Grand Central Station, 42nd and Lexington Avenue. Just go and take in the interior vista. The Information kiosk alone sports a priceless opal-faced clock. Just walk through, you won't regret it. It's one of the most grand and impressive buildings in the city. Enjoy the beautiful astrological ceiling and incredible arches. Wonderful restaurants there too.

5. Central Park - it's safe, it's beautiful, it's the most important and beloved asset to the city. It's 843 acres of pure man-made natural magic. There's tons of stuff to do inside. The Central Park zoo is adorable and fun, the Conservatory Gardens are gorgeous, be sure to stroll the Bethesda Terrace, perhaps rent a rowboat over the boat pond! You can eat at The Boathouse, it has two restaurants, a pricy nice side and a cheaper other side, perfect options for every mood and budget.

6. The TKTS booth. Want to see a Broadway show? The TKTS booth right in the heart of Times Square is the way to do it for the best seats if you've time to wait in line, BUT, also be sure to check in in person with the theatre box offices of shows you're interested in directly to see if they've rush ticket or ticket lottery options. Each theatre runs this a little differently. There are more ticket options directly through the theatre box offices, in person, than there are solely at TKTS.

7. Downtown stroll: A walk around City Hall Park. NYC's City Hall is a gorgeous building from the early 1800s, and City Hall park is a gas-lit charming space. Gorgeous architecture surrounds City Hall Park, see the unparallelled Woolworth Building (A Gothic styled skyscraper that was the tallest building in the world in 1913) and please visit St. Paul's Chapel, which was the makeshift HQ for rescue workers during 9/11, it has an amazing memorial there and as the chapel is one of the oldest buildings still standing in the city, it has amazing, spectacular history. George Washington prayed there after his inauguration in the city as our first president.

8. South Street Seaport. A fun area of history, museums, shops, cobblestone streets, restaurants with a lovely view of the East River. While you're in the area go up into the financial district just a little bit and try Stone Street for a little downtown glimpse of historic NYC (great bars and restaurants).

9. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. This iconic bridge, the most beautiful in all of New York, (and I think the world) will provide you a stunning, breathtaking view of the Manhattan Skyline as you interact with one of the world's great wonders of engineering, completed in 1883 this massive suspension bridge was the tallest man-made structure in the world when it was completed.

10. Saint Patrick's Cathedral and Saint John the Divine Cathedral. Whether you're in midtown (St. Patrick's) or up by Columbia University campus (St. John) you must at least visit one of these stone wonders of Gothic architecture, they are truly breathtaking buildings and also integral to the history of NYC.
--
I've been having a blast diving in to New York City's amazing history as I continue research for my new series of Gothic Victorian Paranormal tales, set in the city that never sleeps, in 1880 (didn't sleep much then either). DARKER STILL: a Novel of Magic Most Foul, releases 11/11 from Sourcebooks Fire. The characters spend a great deal of time within the first edition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art - another place I highly recommend you visit. (It's suggested donation, so pay whatever suits you.)

In closing: New York City is the safest big city in the country. Be alert, but don't be scared. It's a city to be utterly treasured. See you in my adopted hometown I love so much!

(And see you on June 27th for a very special Lady Jane's Salon where I'll be reading from and signing Strangely Beautiful #3, THE PERILOUS PROPHECY OF GUARD AND GODDESS! Admission is $5 or one gently used romance novel, all proceeds to charity)

Steampunk World's Fair, BEA and Marcon

That's right... three major events in three different states in one week... Whew! EVENT #1 WITHIN THE WEEK... SPWF, New Jersey...
First off, Steampunk World's Fair, the biggest Steampunk convention on the East Coast! I knew from my attendence last year that I could expect incredible musical guests, literary guests, vendors, and that the fashion would not disappoint. (And that I'd get to hang out with a bunch of fabulous friends. Thanks Babs at Event-ography for the picture!) All held true again this year. I was thrilled to return to the Library of Lost Literature thanks to the delight that is Stephen Segal and Quirk Books, to read from Perilous Prophecy and offer up a teaser for Darker Still, a Novel of Magic Most Foul!

There was a big author signing- very exciting, please see KatieBabs' fab rundown of the event- and there was even a pro-labor flash mob!

Earlier this year, at the Steampunk Industrial Revolution, author Miriam Rocek and I were discussing the historical and present importance of key female labor union activists. From there was born a 'hey we should do a labor rally' idea and Miriam really ran with it, gathering a talented group of folks to not only rush through the con on Saturday with signs and flyers (Thank you Painless Parker) in a flash-mob, but then on Sunday to an assembled crowd, speakers discussed historical figures and precedents in the Union struggle born of the 19th century. As a member of all three performers' unions; Actors Equity, Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, I certainly feel passionate about the role of Unions past and present. I spoke on Clara Lemlich and the Uprising of the 20,000 to offer a bit of historical context to labor battles we still fight today. Monique Poirer and Pablo Miguel Alberto Vazquez spoke brilliantly on the fluidity of class in Steampunk as an opportunity for dialogue, the progressive side of Steampunk, Painless Parker led us in Solidarity Forever, Ay-leen the Peacemaker taught us about the sugar cane strikes and Eli August wrote a gorgeous song inspired by the Cripple Creek Miner's Strike. A look to the past, a mirror to the present, with anti-union bills either passed or pending in many states in the country today, a huge battle rages within our borders and between the classes. Steampunk isn't just about playing dress-up. Frankly, it shouldn't be. Not that I don't love the dressing up, oh, you know I do. But I want more than just pretty things at my events; I want intellectual discourse and for the world to be a better place than it was in the 19th century and than it is now. Our panel on Envisioning a Better Steam Society certainly addressed that desire and many hard-hitting issues on the grounds of gender, class and race. Led fluidly and always capably by the amazing Ay-Leen and Jaymee Goh of Silver Goggles, I've either attended or been a part of many of these panels and each time I learn more and more and come away with a greater appreciation of the complexity and diverse viewpoints of these core issues- ever deepening and always important.
-
THEN... EVENT #2 WITHIN THE WEEK... BOOK EXPO AMERICA, NYC...
One day to change out the regalia and don my business gear for three days with the Publishing Industry during BEA; Book Expo America. I held court at both the Sourcebooks and the Dorchester booth, as well as a stint at the Romance Writers of America booth, where my books went quickly into excited hands- I was certainly excited to sign them too! It was a thrilling few days, with lots of great meetings and a ton of very special encounters. The great thing about BEA is it encourages a ton of bloggers to come in for the event and I met SO MANY wonderful familiar faces in the blog-o-sphere that I'd yet to meet in person. My Twitter feed was very active with excitement and familiar bloggers got lots of hugs. :) I am PSYCHED to report that the 100 Advanced Reader Copies of Darker Still, a Novel of Magic Most Foul were in high demand and were gone in under 20 minutes during my signing. Thanks EVERYONE who contributed to the buzz- I feel very blessed to be at Sourcebooks with this series. I can't wait to share it with you in November. Thanks so much to the many bloggers who I can call friends who have helped get the word out and have shown keen and enthusiastic interest in this book! I've been really thrilled with the many "Waiting on Wednesday" memes that have featured Darker Still so far - thanks, blogger buddies, you make the sun rise in my sky! :)

THEN... EVENT #3 WITHIN THE WEEK... MARCON, OHIO
And then it was off on a long drive with Stella Price and her awesome fiance, a delightful road-trip to MarCon in Columbus, OH. A hometown run is always nice, and it's far better with fun company. I was thrilled to meet the fun and engaging members of the Airship Archon, they were AWESOME co-panelists with me on topics like Victorian 101 and Steampunk/Neo-Victorianism - how it is and isn't like the 19th century, and I look forward to keeping in touch with them and with more of the Ohio Steampunk and Neo-Victorian community.
Oh, and by the way - I'm A Literary Guest of Honour for the Steampunk Empire Symposium in Cincinnati next year! Huzzah! Very, very excited and honoured. -- So, MarCon provided some time with family and friends from long ago, which was a very nice touch to my maddening week.
-
Truly, I'm exhausted- but in the good way. I'm out talking passionately about spooky paranormal topics, history and ideas, culture and society, topics big and small throughout geekdom and all with the honour of presenting my own professional work along the way- what could be better than that? Well... writing the next book. And that, I have to do. I'll have a few posts here and there, but it'll be a quiet summer here on the blog and on my various social medias as I attempt to turn in my next two books on time; the last Strangely Beautiful novel and the next in the Magic Most Foul series, and the deadlines close in. So much to do... so little time...
-
A STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL DEAL:
For Sony eReader customers! The Strangely Beautiful saga has been bundled in a special deal until June 6th only! Bundle includes books 1-3 in the Strangely Beautiful saga, as well as "A Christmas Carroll" novella (Strangely Beautiful 2.5)! Order Here...
-
All right - now, truly, off to work! Cheers and blessings!

Revisiting ARCADIA

There’s a revival production currently on Broadway of Tom Stoppard’s ARCADIA. It’s a magnificent work of art and the play will always have a special place in my heart. My beloved, in celebrating our anniversary, had the good sense and kindness to surprise me with tickets. He knew it was my very favourite play of all time and I hoped he’d love it as much as I do, and I was not disappointed.

This Broadway revival was like seeing an old beloved friend and being reminded of all the reasons why you’re friends. Filled with joy and stunning performances, this production is NOT to be missed if you like a cast full of Broadway stars, full-tilt intellectual calisthenics along with beautiful love stories, thrilling theories and the moving humor and genius of human nature. Arcadia simultaneously tells the tale of a Regency English estate and the dramas therein alongside (sometimes beautifully side-by-side) a modern set of aristocracy and academics who are plumbing the estate library for various academic purposes. The past and present entwine magically for an unraveling tale of mathematical iterations, sex and literature so brilliantly interwoven you can hardly keep up with brilliant line after brilliant line. It’s full of Stoppard’s brainy delightfulness, and in my opinion it is by far his very best piece of work. Moments where Hannah and Septimus the tutor are at the same table, modern and regency dress, perusing a book and turning pages exactly the same time, while Valentine and Thomasina, two mathematicians, work away, Val at his computer and Thomasina at her notebook, made me cry.

I feel the ghosts of the past always alongside me, every moment of the day, it’s why I’m compelled to write about the 19th century- because I feel them just as close as those characters were onstage. I want to reach out to touch them, to take their hand and tell their stories. Seeing the past and present truly dancing together… it is a perfect metaphor for what keeps me writing books. And ARCADIA was there with me from the very beginning.

I find it hard to describe how important ARCADIA is to me. I understudied the character of Hannah long ago when I was an intern at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; the play a feature in their 2001-2002 repertoire. That previous year I’d begun the first drafts of what would become The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker. Fans of the Strangely Beautiful series might smile when they see the end of ARCADIA, when a gifted tutor teaches his gifted pupil how to waltz, and see how similar moment under different circumstances plays out in Strangely Beautiful… I hope its no less moving. Watching the play countless times as an understudy, the very best of it haunted me and my own manuscript like a very helpful ghost.

If you haven’t seen the show and you’re in New York or planning a visit, please do so. If you haven’t read Arcadia, do so. It’s stunningly beautiful in every way. It searches the curious human soul, souls of all personality types, and finds love, pain and beauty there.

The character of Hannah says: “Comparing what we’re looking for misses the point. It’s wanting to know that makes us matter.”

Lines like that are meant to live forever, just as timeless as the ghosts of the past as they waltz forever through my modern heart.

Cover Reveal! DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul

11/11 from Sourcebooks Fire...



















DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul -- 11/11 from Sourcebooks Fire

(GOTHIC HISTORICAL YA: 1880 New York City)
From the back cover:

“A lush Gothic tale that begs for reading… I couldn’t put it down.” – New York Times Bestselling Author Sarah Maclean

“The brightest new star in literature.” - True-Blood.Net

“I was obsessed.

It was as if he called to me, demanding I reach out and touch the brushstrokes of color swirled onto the canvas. It was the most exquisite portrait I’d ever seen. Everything about Lord Denbury was unbelievable. So lifelike.

There’s a reason for that. Because despite what everyone says, Denbury never did commit suicide. He’s alive. Trapped.

I’ve crossed over into his world within the painting and I’ve seen what dark dreams haunt him. They haunt me too. He and I are inextricably linked. And whatever demons may be out on the gas-lit cobblestone streets of Manhattan, we have no choice but to face them together…”

Pre-Order DARKER STILL
Join the Magic Most Foul FB Page

BOOK REVIEWERS AND ENTHUSIASTS! If you're going to Book Expo America:

DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul was listed as a "Big Children's/YA Book of Book Expo America" by Publishers Weekly!

I'll be with the SOURCEBOOKS team handing out ARC copies of DARKER STILL at Book Expo America - Tuesday 2:30pm at the SOURCEBOOKS booth, booth # 4356!

Cheers!

The Gaslight Gathering 2011

After a meal with friends and family post-signing on Thursday, I was off to California in the early AM Friday for The Gaslight Gathering!

I'd never been to California, so when James Hay asked if I would like to be a guest speaker and panelist at The Gaslight Gathering in San Diego, and seeing that it corresponded with my release week, why not? It was quite a gorgeous weekend. The Town & Country was a beautiful space with flora and fauna abounding, tumbling roses and trellises under which beautifully-clad men and women strolled. I was stunned by amazing costumes, warmed by the diversity of age and family status amongst the attending crowd, I learned many things from fellow panelists (I could listen to the utterly delightful Kim Newman, guest of honour, all day long and pick his brain about all manner of things even longer). I had the pleasure of paneling with Samantha Henderson and the chance to procure her Ravenloft novel Heaven's Bones - how can I turn down a fellow Gothic novel? I also made a friend in historian Michelle Hamilton whose knowledge of spiritualism and the Fox sisters, as well as some incredible ghost stories, made her a captivating delight to spend time and panel with.
-
I had the extreme pleasure of staying with and getting to know Dru Pagliassotti who was writing Steampunk Romance (Clockwork Heart) before anybody. She's an author I'd already long admired. I had such a great time chatting with Dru and hearing about her many interesting projects. She also looked amazing, check out her blog.
-
The lovely and kind Maria of Free the Princess was there taking notes and beautifully adding to the discussions, so be sure to follow Free the Princess for her rundown of the weekend.
-
Throughout the weekend I spoke on themes of the supernatural, ghosts and spiritualism in Steampunk and Neo-Victorian work, about culture and norms, about the issues and problems inherent in the era, about science and religion, and I was pleased by how interesting and thought- provoking the discussions became.
-
The danger of Steampunk/Neo-Victoriana is in romanticising Empire, colonialism, industrialization and ingnoring myriad, overwhelming social ills of the time. However an aspect that draws me to the 19th century is that it birthed some of the major progressive movements that carry us to this day, a counterpoint to vast injustices. The beauty of working within this genre now is offering up more diverse and alernatvie narratives from those who would have been silenced at the time. My dear Miss Percy Parker and my upcoming Natalie Stewart, 'unfortunates' in society whose voices never would have gained a mainstream audience, have a chance to give us a different view of how things could be, from their perspectives. I don't shy away from the constraints and conflicts of the day, my characters must work within them, towards a place of acceptance and solubility. As I said on panels, the romanticism within my stories come from the romances between the characters. I paint my Victorian London and New York as grim as they may be grand. It isn't interesting nor fair otherwise. We are no better than the Victorians, with our modern social ills and blinders. What can we learn from them for the better, what can we learn to avoid? Whose stories have yet to be told? What can we rewrite and how can we be more inclusive, inventive, sensitive, educated, corrected? I'm certainly always still learning. The diverse Steam-community, and places like Beyond Victoriana, a blog I mentioned often out West, provide wonderful ways to do so.
-
And yes, I flounced around in many black skirts, ever the perky Gothic gal and signed some books! I was thrilled as always to see the fine and friendly folks at Mysterious Galaxy. (They still have a few signed ones left! After selling out of Book 1, they promise to order more in and I left signed bookplates for insertion, so you can still get a signed set.) I came away with a new hat, parasol and fan. (The new hat and parasol are pictures) I'm a sucker for accessories. :)
-
Come back Wednesday for a Darker Still cover reveal!

Perilous Prophecy and the Hometown Signing

A homecoming is always good.

My Westchester OH Barnes & Noble always treats me well, and my friends and family never disappoint me.

I had a wonderful, warm crowd to read to, and read I did. (The actress in me does so love a chance to read aloud). I chose a ghost-busting selection from the beginning of The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess. In this prequel we meet new characters, expand the horizons onto other lands as well as familiar haunts within London and rejoin the stories of our beloved favourites.

I was particularly delighted to see three young, supremely talented writers, Lizzie, Sammi and Hanna (pictured with me here), along with some of their wonderfully sweet family members, and to have a moment playing one of my favourite roles; that of being a writing cheerleader. I've told them they're not allowed to give up on their dreams or on their writing, otherwise I'll get angry. And I'm not an angry person, so this isn't to be trifled with. :) You'll see that demand in writing in the back of Darker Still , on the acknowledgement page. Hanna is right in her very kind blog post to me, my ghosts will come to haunt them otherwise. :)

I simply can't allow the opportunity I have to go to waste, that of being the voice of an author whose work is out in the world, to be an encouraging one. Yes, being a writer is tough. Yes, the business is hard. Yes, it's frustrating and exhausting to stay disciplined and to hone your craft. But that's the way of everything truly worth doing. So if I have an opportunity to be in any way an example as well as a cheerleader, I take gladly to that role. Sometimes it just takes one person saying 'yes, you can' to motivate turning dreams into a reality.

It also just so happens that Hanna comes up with the greatest shirts for my signings and events. I've been treated to several. This year was a new one, what she's wearing in the picture reads: FRONT: "If I was born in 1853..." BACK: "My last name would be Rychman!" (The last name of my beloved hero).

-- This, of course, caused me no end of glee! Thank you, Hanna, for your creativity, and also for your exceedingly kind post.

Thank you friends and family in Ohio for showing up and making it a wonderful night! In case you missed it, Ohio, stop by the Streets of Westchester Barnes & Noble because they've still got some signed copies of books 1, 2, and of Perilous Prophecy, all now reissued in Trade Paperback format. The manager, Gail, will be happy to help you. We can even arrange for a signed bookplate to be sent to the store!

For a bunch of fun ghost stories from The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess and giveaways, be sure to check out the Haunted London Blog Tour, contests are still open for those who comment on the posts!

Aeternitas 2011

Well, release week celebrations for The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess is nearly done, though I hope your Strangely Beautiful reading pleasure will continue... (The contests for my HAUNTED LONDON BLOG TOUR are still up and running! Check them out!) and my cross-country travels have brought me back home again to NYC. I'm still attempting to process the Week of Awesome. Admittedly, I'm really tired, fighting a cold that I always get after exerting myself as madly as I do on release weeks, but I'm very blessed in having some amazing events to show and tell.


Starting with... Aeternitas 2011.

I was there because The Group That Shall Not Be Named kindly asked, since I am an unabashed Harry Potter nut, if I would be a Keynote Speaker along with friend and author of Knightley Academy, Violet Haberdasher, about the threads linking our love for Harry Potter into our own unique fantasy worlds. The Keynote video can be found on the Aeternitas page. Also, who can say no to a Harry Potter convention benefiting Lung Cancer research and the HP Alliance?!
-
So. Gather about 300 Harry Potter fantatics into one charming, thoroughly House-decorated hotel on a lake, with a tent, with Ray the Dark Lord of the Bar, the great DJ Swish aiding our parties, a lineup of Wizard Rock and Hogwarts school programming, serious cosplayers and costumers, the beautifully led Keynote discussion with Violet and I about our love for HP and how that translates into our fiction and the awesome questions from the audience, me gladly taking on the reins of a very plausible Narcissa Malfoy (as noted in the MuggleNet article)... OMG the level of Geek-tastic could be split between a thousand Horcruxes and the squee would still need containment. I honestly have NO idea how to recap this weekend. It was one of those 'you had to be there' weekends.
-
When you really love a genre, any genre, book, series, whatever it is, and you gather with others who share the same love, an automatic bond forms. You have a specific language, code, inside jokes, and a certain freedom that you certainly don't find in the Muggle world at large, because you are around people who, yes, admit that they own a level of geek that is larger than your average bears, but in context this is, in fact, encouraged. And as the con was filled with very talented, accomplished people, we all return to our lives to go on with our own art, our music, our work, etc, all the better for it. As I sit here trying to summarize, it's all a bit of a squee-blur, frankly. -- And we got a write-up (and a fabulous mention) in MuggleNet!!
-
Here are a few favourite moments among countless:

- Wand-ball (requirements: wands and balloon)

-Catching up with Violet and talking publishing industry shop, and, of course, our Keynote and three book signings!

-Whatever in the world Ray the Dark Lord of the Bar would come up with next. The 'Dead Hufflepuff' was a crowd favourite.

- Unbreakable Vow!

- Impromptu Slytherin graveyard photo shoot. (Thanks to Violet for humoring us and taking photos). All the photos in general made for riotous fun, especially with The Enthusiasts directing much of the ridiculousness.

- The Dark Lord, Bellatrix, The Malfoys (including myself) and a back-up group of Death Eaters rocking out to Thriller on the dance floor.

-Signing at Annies Book Stop and watching my Slytherin contingent walk through the parking lot and proceed to own the store. (You can order signed books through Annie's! Just email them!)

-Cassie's dueling workshop, and Cassie in general, one of the most incredibly versatile actor/costumers around.

-The amazing costumes featured in the Fashion Show.

-The LePages for being beautiful and letting me play.

-The fact that Jonathon, organizer of The Group That Shall Not Be Named couldn't be seen out of the back seat of the car packed with con-gear because he was stuck sitting behind a cauldron.
-

And now, photos. Here are only a few of my faves. More can be found on my FB page in my Convenions and Events album. The Bellatrix is Cassandra Johnstone, Lucius is Perseus LePage, Draco is Draco LePage and thanks to The Enthusiasts, to Cassandra and to Violet for lending photo magic. Huge thanks to Amanda and HP MA and The Group That Shall Not Be Named for some amazing organizing. Thanks to the fabulous attendees for bringing the awesome. Huh-zzah.




























Cheers and if you haven't checked out the latest Strangely Beautiful release, The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess, there are a lot of fun ghost stories and giveaways as a part of my annual Haunted London release week tour, with our final post tomorrow!
-
ALSO, stay tuned. This week I'll be revealing my GORGEOUS cover for DARKER STILL, a Novel of Magic Most Foul!