FREE FICTION and Upcoming Appearances!

From Leanna:

Exlcusive Free Fiction! The fine folks over at The Pandora Society, where I am the Author in Residence, have premiered a never-before-seen piece of my fiction, "A Woman's Work", featuring a female Neo-Victorian assassin of a most distinct kind... Go on, have a read...
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Leanna high-fives herself in this fairly meta picture at Atlanta's ANACHROCON, the picture highlighting her recent appearance as a Guest of Honor at the International Steam Symposium in Cincinnati, Ohio 

Announcing Leanna's upcoming appearances on the continued ETERNA FILES national tour:

Leanna and her team are very busy this month! Check out the updated APPEARANCES PAGE - listing her upcoming events: The Steampunk World's Fair, MistiCon, Phoenix Comic Con and Book Expo America (Hint, Leanna will only be at BEA one day only, so be sure to come find her at the Mystery Writer's of America booth 2657 where she'll be signing THE ETERNA FILES!)
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MORE FREE FICTION! Can't get enough ETERNA FILES? How about a bit of a prequel teaser? Available via Leanna's Mailing List by clicking HERE.
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Cheers, please keep enjoying THE ETERNA FILES, stay tuned for upcoming events and features, and as always, Happy Haunting!

Out of the Deadline Cave and Into the Taco Church...

Greetings, Dear Reader! Those of you who follow my goings on know that I've been a bit under a rock on  major major book deadline(s). I've come out briefly for things like one day at the Steampunk World's Fair and one day at Book Expo America, but the most important thing of late has been getting THE ETERNA FILES ready for your delectable consumption come this fall with a teaser novella and early 2015 with book one's magical release, as I shift my writerly career into the hands of Tor Books, a transition I am very excited to make.

I've also been working background on the HBO show Boardwalk Empire lately, I'm so proud I've worked every season of the show. ANOTHER TREAT was the thrill of seeing myself featured in the James Gray film The Immigrant, a 1920s period drama that's a really amazing film. I'm sitting next to Marion Cotillard (Ewa) as she watches Jeremy Renner (Orlando the magician) wow the Ellis Island audience with his performance. My hair is in a bun, I'm in glasses, and you see me several times in those shots and I'm really thrilled, as working that particular Ellis Island scene as well as working several days on the whole production, was a really wonderful experience, especially as a historical novelist, their eye to detail and care for us as a group was great.  

I'll ALSO be featured in the upcoming episode of the Urban Fantasy web-series full of kick-ass fights and general genre fabulousness, SKYE OF THE DAMNED, episode 5, in which I play Danae, Queen of the Unseelie FAE. I know, ME? Queen of the dark fae? No. That so doesn't suit me at all. *grin* So stay tuned for that episode launching next week!

If you haven't caught up with my books and want some insight into THE ETERNA FILES, as I'll be taking some of the darkest plot threads of the Magic Most Foul saga and making it all A WHOLE LOT CREEPIER (I know, it's hard to do, because it's damn creepy already, but in my coming works, the creepy expands on a far grander scale), please check out the Magic Most Foul series and in book 3, The Double Life of Incorporate Things, I introduce some of my Eterna Files stars.

ETERNA will launch a teaser novella with Tor this fall and we'll have an early 2015 debut, so STAY TUNED! (And catch up on Magic Most Foul. It certainly isn't a prerequisite, however if you like Gothic Victorian Paranormal Fantasy, well, then, you're in the right place as that's entirely what I do.)

IN THE MEANTIME - THE HOLY TACO CHURCH and PHOENIX COMICON!

The amazing Kevin Hearne, who might be one of the most utterly delightful gentleman on the planet, as fabulous an author as he is a human, has organized an amazing author group that I'm very tickled to be a part of. Follow our religious love of food (particularly Tacos and Margaritas) alongside the goings on of our books. I'm holding down the Vegetarian quotient of the Holy Taco Church as Our Lady Pico de Gallo and will be offering up some of the ways I taco it up without dead carcass. My first post goes up June 12th, but please check out the site and our fabulous authors and sign up for our mailing list.

If any of you are in the Phoenix Comicon area, a great deal of "The Church" will be in attendance so come see us! I'll have all three Magic Most Foul saga books available via the wonderful Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore to sign over in our Author Alley, if you have stock of any Strangely Beautiful editions that are now out of print (But not for long as everything begins it's new and shiny re-issue next year thanks to Tor!) feel free to bring them along and I'll love to sign those too! Cheers!

Here are my favourite BEA pictures taken by the lovely Alexis Daria! The first is of me side by side with my beloved Alethea Kontis, we celebrated 5 years of being Kindred Spirits this BEA, and Alexis got the next picture of me during my signing at the Science Fiction / Fantasy Writers of America booth. Cheers and happy haunting! 

My interview with Bookish and a shout-out from Delilah S. Dawson...

Interview:

In a Book Expo America interview with the fine folks at Bookish, I discuss why I loved writing Twisted Tragedy, the lure of the Gothic, and why I can't help but use theatricality in my work.
Thanks, Jessi and Bookish, for the interview!

Shout-Out:

If you don't know how fabulous Delilah S. Dawson is, well, remedy that immediately. She did a wonderful post about her New Year's Resolution: BE WEIRDER. In which I am honoured to be mentioned. Yes. Because I am WEIRD. *Proud* Check it out.

Cheers and happy haunting!

COVER REVEAL: THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART

Hi friends! Book Expo America was amazing. I got to meet a bunch of my fellow Apocalypsies, I was interviewed by Justine Magazine and Bookish, spoke on panels, had a lovely signing at the RWA booth, attended book and blogger parties and had an amazing time talking about books with all kinds of lovely book-loving people. AND, another perk of BEA is that Sourcebooks got a chance to say that my beautiful cover is officially revealed. Here she is, sequel to my Indie Next pick and Scholastic "highly recommended" title DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul... May I present THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART...

Swoon!

It releases the beginning of November at a bookstore near you!

From the back cover:

"I'm coming for you."

The whispers haunt her dreams and fill her waking hours with dread. Something odd is happening. Something unnatural.

Possession of the living. Resurrection of the dead.

And Natalie Stewart is caught right in the middle. Jonathon, the one person she thought she could trust, has become a double-agent for the dark side. But he plays the part so well, Natalie has to wonder how much he's really acting. She can't even see what it is she's fighting. But the cost of losing is her heart, her sanity, her soul.

I can't wait to share more of Natalie and Jonathon's adventures with you! I'm very proud of this book, it's action-packed, romantic, and guaranteed to give you goosebumps-- maybe a nightmare or two... 

Book Expo America 2012 Event Schedule!

BOOK EXPO AMERICA 2012!
My Events and how you can get signed books:

1. Monday, Book Blogger Conference - Networking Luncheon Guest Author (Details here)

2. Monday, 6:30pm -New York Public Library (Main 42nd St. branch) - I'm so excited to be on a panel discussing writing Young Adult literature set in New York City! - ATTENTION REVIEWERS: At this special event, THERE WILL BE A LIMITED # OF ARCS OF THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART! I will not be signing ARCs at the Sourcebooks booth so this is your chance! PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REGISTERED EVENT (Still free, but you have to register.)

3. Tuesday, 3-5pm MEET THE APOCALYPSIES! 2012 debut Middle Grade and Young Adult authors - Join us for an amazing event with a ton of debut YA authors, prizes, teasers, snacks, and more! Details here.

4. Thursday, 1:30 PM, Romance Writers of America (RWA) Booth: -- I will be signing DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul at the RWA booth.

---- Bloggers, Librarians, Booksellers: Please note, there will be a very limited number of ARCs of the sequel in the Magic Most Foul saga, The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart, at the Sourcebooks booth at BEA, please see Sourcebooks representatives for details. Again, I will not be signing ARCs at the Sourcebooks booth, so your best bet is to come get one at the NYPL event on Monday! Cheers! I can't wait for BEA!

Affordable Musts in New York City

Photo by Greyling Design

Going to Book Expo America? ThrillerFest? Other NYC conventions? There are many book-related conventions in NYC each year and a lot of writers shall soon be descending upon the capitol of the publishing industry. Considering that I live here and spent some time as a NYC tour guide, I was approached last year to write this article for an out of state writing group, so I thought I should share it as many are planning summer trips. Here's a welcome to my fine city and a list of low-cost entertainment ideas to really take in the city that never sleeps.

 

Leanna's top ten affordable musts in NYC: (In no particular order - please note how very few of these adventures cost money!)

1. Best vista from atop the world: Choose the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center over the 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 for your money.

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.

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. If you are in Time's Square, do yourself a favor and go West to 9th Avenue, (Hell's Kitchen) there are tons of options there. And no, Hell's Kitchen in no way refers to the safety of the area. It's safe. Quite trendy, even. The nickname is a century old.

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 if you've time to wait in line, 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 any rush ticket or ticket lottery options.

7. A walk around City Hall Park, downtown. 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.

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! P. S. The Subway is the easiest and cheapest way to get around town. Also, not scary. Just remember, trains go uptown or downtown and familiarize yourself with the system like you would any transit.

In town for BEA - Book Expo America? I'll see you on Monday at the Book Bloggers Convention Lunch, on Thursday at the RWA Booth at 11:15 signing DARKER STILL, and TBA at the Sourcebooks booth signing THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART!

If you have stumbled across my blog as a tourist looking for tips, I hope you'll check out my novels, as all of them feature a historical setting with fantastical intrigue!

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.
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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.
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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...
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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...
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All right - now, truly, off to work! Cheers and blessings!

BEA and Lady Jane's Salon!

WOW what a past few days.

I got an inside look at the publishing industry at Book Expo America, got thoroughly overwhelmed and walked away with some fabulous books. I saw dear friends, made new friends, one of them a total and immediate kindred spirit, and learned a lot. And, yeah, schmoozed.

Here's the kindred spirit/BFF/Diana to my Anne and vice versa, NYT Bestseller Alethea Kontis. I just hijacked this picture from her blog. (I never remember to take a camera anywhere). Let's just say we were finishing each other's sentences by dessert and jinxing. We knew every reference the other one made. She even noticed that the red matter from Star Trek was the big red ball of mass destruction from Alias. She too is Spock over Kirk and a mutual devotee of The Rickman. That, my friends, is love.

When one is so busy in one's own rat race, it's so nice when the cosmos steps in and says: "You need to know this person." Happily noted.

In the sphere of journalism greater than mine, there's BEA and LJS-tastic coverage at Barbara Vey's fabulous Beyond Her Book blog, also I got some quality time with the fabulous ladies of RomanceNovel.tv who also have great stuff to say about BEA and Lady Jane's Salon. We appreciate their support so very much.

Thanks to blogger extraordinaire Kwana for this great photo of another blogger extraordinaire Katiebabs and I at the larger-than-life Harlequin booth.

Because of the fabulous talent in town, we had a fabulous Lady Jane's Salon on Monday night replete with the above bloggers all in attendance and giving their own wonderful renditions.

(Thank you as always RT Webmaster Rob for being my photo hookup, check out his rundown of the event) From Left to Right: NYT Bestselling Author Wendy Corsi Staub, NYT Bestelling Author Marjorie M. Liu, Award-winning authors Diane Gaston and Amanda McCabe / Laurel McKee.

Each of these talented authors read from four very different books and each of them brought something compelling and delightful to the table.

It's what I love about Lady Jane's Salon; we get to showcase the huge range of fiction that falls under our wide and welcoming umbrella. Founders Maya Rodale, Hope Tarr, Ron Hogan and I just sit back and go... "Wow"

What I love just as much are the fabulous supporters we draw constantly, readers, authors, the RWA NYC posse, and my dear friend from college Biz Urban who is an awesome photographer. Authors? Actors? Publishers? You need her to shoot your photos.

Brenda Novak's online auction to benefit Diabetes Research closed this week, my Strangely Beautiful gift basket including a signed copy of Dark Nest had many bids and raised $57! The total raised from all the wonderful donations was $270,611! Way to go Brenda and all the industry professionals who donated their time and talent!

In my whirlwind few days I now find myself in Ohio and relaxing at my childhood dinner table. I'm getting ready to attend the Lori Foster Reader and Author Get Together, a great event that also serves local charities back in my hometown of Cincinnati (Really I live north of Cinci in the middle of nowhere but people don't know where that is)

Because my parents are awesome, when I got in the car they asked if I wanted anything. I thought a moment, then replied; "Ooh! Soy Jerky!" I've been a strict vegetarian for years now but I do miss beef jerky and so Tofurkey Jerky is the super-best. When we walked into the big Health Food store, we saw this Golden Arches irony:

Welcome home, Ohio.

See you after the Get Together!