Pre-Order a Signed copy of DARKER STILL at WORD BOOKSTORE!

Exciting news!

Sourcebooks Fire and I have parnered with the fabulous WORD Bookstore in Brooklyn, New York City, a fabulous independent bookstore, to enable exclusive, personalized (if you want), signed pre-order copies of DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul! If you're interested in supporting my work, this is a great way to do so and also to get an exclusive copy, especially if you can't make it to one of my New York City or Ohio events during release week. At only $8.99 for a Trade Paperback book, it's an affordable holiday gift for anyone and everyone in your life who might be up for a spooky, Gothic, romantic adventure! Please note: put any personalization requests into the comment field of the order.

We're really hoping this book hits big. And with your help, it can. Thanks in advance for your interest and support.

Pre-order a signed copy of DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul - and spread the word!

Praise for DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul --

"Hieber applies some real imagination to the story...A good romp with some effective suspense." -- Kirkus Reviews

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

"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

CHEERS! And, as Natalie would say... "Find your voice..."

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker and the New iPad 2 Commercial

Thanks to some nifty folks at Dorchester Publishing, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker can be glimpsed on the bottom center "shelf" of the iPad "bookshelf" in the new Verizon iPad 2 commercial! Check out the video, (pause at .06 because it flies by very quickly) and there sits this beautiful cover!

Neat!!



So now that Miss Percy is on television, it's only appropriate that she take the stage. :) We'll have some very exciting developments in Strangely Beautiful the musical this November!

DragonCon 2011

DragonCon always defies description. It's one of those 'you just have to be there' sorts of experiences. It's every fandom in SciFi/Fantasy/Paranormal converging upon Atlanta with a costumed vengeance. A swarm of geekery and fabulousness, ridiculous and out of this world, DragonCon is exhausting and over-stimulating, thrilling and then sometimes just scary. Like, you know, oh... OMG WEEPING ANGEL.




As always, DragonCon for me is a mixture of business and pleasure. The pleasure is, I'm an uber-fan of certain franchises as you all know (Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and lots of Tim Burton being at the forefront) and the interests that drive my fandom also drive interests and themes relative to my books. And I love geeking out with friends, while still staying true to my job; writing fantastical fiction.




Want to know how I balance these two? The Daily Dragon interviewed me and my beloved author friend Alethea Kontis! Check us out, and how we manage "pro" and "fan"!

On the business front, I got to do readings and signings and sell a bunch of books (Thanks, Larry Smith Booksellers!), network with convention organizers and editors and all that fabulous stuff. And see beloved friends and readers I only see but once a year. Due to my love for Mr. Burton, I got to speak on a Dark Shadows and Nightmare Before Christmas panel (Nightmare is my favourite movie of all time if I was only allowed to pick one), which was great fun, a Scary Fairy Tale panel discussing all our favourite 'once-upon-a-time' themes and how they've been changed and rearranged as well as how we as authors have made them our own brands of spooky-fabulous. Also our "Things that Go Bump in the Timeline" panel allowed the authors to discuss how we use paranormal in our alternate histories.

My aforementioned and pictured dear and fellow fantasy and YA author, Diana to my Anne of Green Gables, Alethea Kontis, brought back her popular Traveling Side-Show where I got to read "At The Doorstep" featured in Candle in the Attic Window: An Anthology of Gothic Horror - a short story that introduces Mrs. Northe from the Magic Most Foul world. That went over very well. And it's up for Pre-Order! Can't wait until November 8th when DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul releases? Go forth and learn about the forces behind my upcoming world!

And yes, oh yes, there were costumes. Which I take very seriously. (As does much of the convention.) As you know from last DragonCon and my rather passionate "Being Romana" post, I pride myself on a darn good Romana II from Doctor Who. This year, the challenge from editor Stephen Segal was Romana's Destiny of the Daleks outfit. The pink coat. You all know I don't wear pink. But I don't turn down a Romana challenge. So, for the love of the Doctor, I bring you the unprecedented me-in-pink, the DragonCon Parade, where I walked with the Doctor Who contingent. (First photo credit: Sarberry)


By the way, I should mention that the first line of my "Being Romana" post is "You never forget your first love". My only purchase at DragonCon was a T-Shirt with a Tardis that says: "You never forget your first Doctor". A shirt has never been so true. Nor do you ever forget the love of your first robot dog.
K-9!!


Romana eyes The Master warily, as she should.







My Romana II alongside Romana I - isn't she great? Aren't we pretty Romanatastic?






















A Theril from Warrior's Gate! Romana's destiny in E-Space is glimpsed...
























Editor extraordinaire and Peter Davison clone (and he who dared me into the pink coat) Stephen Segal in his Doctor "4.5" outfit:
























And let's not forget the Yule Ball and my Narcissa time. I was alas without my Lucius, Draco and Bellatrix as had been planned, and so my awesome Aeternitas friends and I all got together to make sure they all knew how much they were missed. But at least The Dark Lord was there to give orders:










And Unbreakable Vows were Vowed.
(Vladimir Snape / Platform One frontman Vows the Vow)




And a good time was had by all.

NOW KIDS, BACK TO WORK:
Just before DragonCon I finished up the rough draft of Magic Most Foul book II, title TBA, and now it needs some love and editing. So I'm off to another deadline, in the meantime, check out all my upcoming new work!
-"At the Doorstep" In the world of Magic Most Foul, featured in Innsmouth Press' CANDLE IN THE ATTIC WINDOW : An Anthology of Gothic Horror
- Get ready for my Steampunk novella, "The World of Tomorrow is Sadly Outdated" to begin serializing at Doctor Fantastiques Show of Wonders! Subscribe here so you don't miss it!
-ALSO, "A Christmas Carroll" (Strangely Beautiful #2.5) featured in A MIDWINTER FANTASY will be releasing in print in October! The pre-sale is currently 24% off at B&N!!

Huzzah!

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
-
"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.
-
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