Leanna's DragonCon Schedule

I hope to see some friendly and familiar faces at DragonCon again this year! My cohorts and I always have such an amazing time. Here is my schedule, please note, I've an author reading!! There will be prizes! So if you only have time for one event of mine, I hope you come to that. :)

Friday:

Panel: PRINCESS ALETHEA'S 2ND ANNUAL TRAVELING SIDE-SHOW
Description: Hella awesome. Readings. Music. Zombie Haiku.
Room: Edgewood - HYATT
Time: 5:30

Panel: DARK SHADOWS
Description: Fans of the Gothic soap opera discuss its enduring legacy.
Room: Montreal/Vancouver - HYATT
Time: 7pm

Saturday:

AUTHOR READING!
Room: University - HYATT
As an actress, I've become known for my author readings, come hear me read from my latest novel, THE PERILOUS PROPHECY OF GUARD AND GODDESS and tease my upcoming book, DARKER STILL: A NOVEL OF MAGIC MOST FOUL! (There will be prizes)
Time: 2:30pm

Panel: THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Description: Fans discuss this iconic holiday film. (aka Leanna's favourite film)
Room: Montreal/Vancouver - HYATT
Time: 8:30pm

Sunday:

Panel: SCARY FAIRY TALES
Description: Fables and fairy tales in dark fantasy literature
Room: Montreal/Vancouver - HYATT
Time: 5:30pm

Monday:

Panel: THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE TIMELINE: Supernatural Alternate History
Description: Vampires, demons, ghosts, spirits and other supernatural and preternatual beings... and the alternate timelines they inhabit.
Room: International C - WESTIN
Time: 11:30am

Books will be available for purchase at LARRY SMITH BOOKSELLERS, and as always I will be happy to sign them at the reading or after any panels.

I'll also, as always, be tweeting @LeannaRenee ! Check the #DragonCon hashtags

DARKER STILL Cover: Once More... With Cover Quote!

A cover re-reveal for DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul, now improved by a lovely cover quote from Kady Cross! Thanks Kady!


"Spooky, tense, and wonderfully romantic." - Kady Cross, author of The Girl in the Steel Corset

This quote joins others on the back cover and interior:

"A lush, Gothic tale that begs for reading." - Sarah Maclean, New York Times bestselling author
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"A spirited Victorian heroine, a hot, haunted painting, and a murderous mystery that brings them together - readers will find Magic Most Foul most fabulous!" -- Mari Mancusi, Award winning author of The Blood Coven series

HUZZAH! The countdown to the Magic Most Foul saga begins!

- Read the first 30 pages
- Pre-Order

Authors After Dark Paranormal Weekend 2011

As my artistic cup runneth over with awesome projects and further books to write, I'm going to have to be very picky about what conventions I'm able to do. But here's one I'm going to always do my best to attend; Authors After Dark Paranormal Weekend. I attended last year, had a great time, and I just returned from this year's event in Philadelphia. The easiest way to wrap up the spirit of the weekend is that it's wonderful quality time with enthusiastic readers, bloggers and fellow authors in a fun environment filled with panels, treats for readers and bloggers, charity raffles, a huge book signing and plenty of chances to dress up. And you ALL know that's one of my very favourite things.
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Thanks to everyone who made it possible on the whole AAD team, especially Stella Price who was always juggling a million things at once. Thanks to the amazing readers and bloggers I met, the many friends I was blessed to see again, and to the wonderful fellow authors whose work I admire, some of whom I already know and love, some of whom I met in person for the first time. I was very excited to not only be signing the Strangely Beautiful series but also to be there promoting Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul. November 8th will be here before we know it! Extra-special thanks to my other half, he is SUCH a good sport, as you'll see below.

The fabulous Mandi of Smexy Books took this at the AAD Booksigning:






















On Friday night, the Mythos Masquerade was held in mythic splendour. I could not, of course, pass up an opportunity to dabble in my own mythology and portray my version of The Goddess Persephone as I have envisioned her in The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess. She turned out fairly well if I do say so myself, pretty much just the way I hoped (save for all the special effects that would, as I've described her, have her shifting and shimmering colours all the time).


In this costume, I wanted to evoke an essence of Percy Parker but still represent this distinct being who is mysterious, magical and luminous. The shimmering fabric and a lot of glitter helped with luminosity... Isn't it amazing how the mirror has a different expression? The Goddess is magic, I tell you, she is mysterious and her own being...






















Here's my beloved at my side being a good sport and playing a rather perfect young Alexi Rychman... (note the scarlet cravat which gets its own backstory in Perilous Prophecy)... Thanks to Grace at Livre De Amour for this photo!

The Steamball was a ball between great enterainment in the Olde City Side Show, beautiful vendors and I even got the chance to get my dance on and Goth out a bit on the floor. (My booksigning outfit was my Steamball outfit. Once in regalia, I remain in regalia all day.) And then my sweetheart and I had a gorgeous Sunday in Philadelphia, despite the rain, the art museum is incredible, and so was the awesome vegetarian German food at Brauhaus. Yum.

And now, back to deadline! Magic Most Foul book II is well underway, but deadlines approach, so it will be quiet around here for a bit, but do stay tuned for my DragonCon schedule!

Cheers!

Official Book Trailer for DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul

From the back cover of DARKER STILL:

“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-- utterly breathtaking and eerily lifelike.

There was a reason for that. Because despite what everyone said, Denbury never had committed suicide.

He was alive. Trapped within his golden frame.

I’ve crossed over into his world within the painting and I’ve seen what dreams haunt him. They haunt me too. He and I are inextricably linked- bound together to watch the darkness seeping through the gas-lit cobblestone streets of Manhattan. And unless I can free him soon, things will only get darker still..."

Read the first 30 Pages of Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul

Denbury-licious

VITALS:

Name: Jonathon Whitby, Lord Denbury
Age: 18
Nationality: British
Place of Birth: London
Hair: Shoulder-length, wavy, black
Height: 5ft 10"
Eyes: Bright blue or black, depending on which Denbury you're looking at...
Birthday / Zodiac Sign: August 19th, 1862 / Leo
Occupation / Hobby: Lord. And Doctor.
Hero of: Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul and the Magic Most Foul saga

Here played by actor Ben Barnes.
( photo source )

I always cast my heroes and so I cast actor Ben Barnes as Lord Denbury from the very start, but no picture so accurately portrays him as my Denbury as this one does. *swoon*.
And so I bring you, ladies and gentlemen, a new word for your vocabulary: "Denburylicious".
Enjoy.



(Read the first 30 pages of DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul )

The Nightstand: Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul - ARC Giveaway

The Nightstand: Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul ARC Giveaway...: Hello friends! Visit The Nightstand for a chance to win one Advanced Reader Copy of DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul!

Harry, the Beloved Professor, and the End of an Era

Thursday evening into Friday morning, July 15th, 2011...

So, alongside an enormous contingent of The Group That Shall Not Be Named, we journeyed forth unto the movie theatre to commune with our beloved witches and wizards one last time.

(And several of us ended up in the New York Times)

Anyone who has followed me for any amount of time likely knows the following:

- I default easily, comfortably and rather joyfully to Narcissa Malfoy when dressing for such events.

- I am a Slytherin in ambition, love of spooky things, love for head of house and utterly Slytherin in my fashion.

- I am a Ravenclaw in my politics/social issues. (Sort of a Slytherclaw; I'd be like Luna's black-sheep cousin who would say the same odd stuff she says, only way creepier).

- I am rather enamoured with Severus Snape. (Understatement of century.)

I was utterly taken in and wholly overwhelmed by this film, and also by confronting the fact that I must soon write the final book in my own fantasy series. When moved and overwhelmed I take solace in lists. So. I have seven things to say, because seven is a magical number in every way and if I don't limit myself here, I might just babble on for ages. But I have my own books to write and deadlines stare me dead in the eye. So...

1. Thank you, Ms. Rowling. You are my hero.

2. If a packed-to-the-gills theatre can be reduced to shrieks or sobs just by showing the beloved face of someone we know is about to die in the maddening parade of death that is the Deathly Hallows, something special has occurred that their very images are so real to us that we cannot bear to see them go.

3. F YEAH, Neville!

4. "I've always wanted to use that spell." ... Kick-ass.

5. Dear God. The Prince's Tale keeps scrolling through my mind, over and over again in an aching, heart-wrenching loop.

6. OMG with the weeping. So. Much. Weeping.

7. "Always."

*swoon* *die* *sob* *swoon* *sob* *adoration*

I will Always adore you, Harry, and everyone in your world.

Thank you, J.K.

Forever and Always.