New Update!

Hello everyone. All of my Reviews, that I have yet to write, will be posted sporadically during the summer. After the end of this summer, I will not be posting on here anymore, as you will see the info on the right side of the blog.
Thanks for your understanding.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Blog Tour Stop: Omega Penton Vampire Legacy, Book 3 By: Susannah Sandlin *Interview, Reviews & Giveaways*




First...Check Out My Interview With
The Author :)



Tell us a little about you : )
I’m a Southern girl who’s lived in Alabama, Texas, and Louisiana—plus three odd years in northern Illinois thrown in for variety, where everyone made fun of my accent. (What accent?) My “day-job” career is in university magazine work. Let’s see…I hate to cook, have an unholy addiction to Diet Coke, work too many hours, and have two elderly furkids, Shane and Tanker.

What inspired you to write Omega?
I’d always envisioned the story arc for the Penton Legacy series culminating with Omega, where my town of peaceful vampires and humans is literally forced underground in order to survive. It’s kind of an apocalyptic scenario, and an interesting setting for the love story between the hero and heroine, who each have to fight their way out from behind the walls they’ve put up even as they’re fighting their way out of this underground prison they’ve made for themselves. I also wanted to write a paranormal romance where the story didn’t play second-fiddle to the romance. They’re equal partners.

How long did it take to write?
Omega was written on a very tight deadline, in about two months. Four months is a good pace for me for a full-length novel; three is doable. Two was insane!

Do you mostly write during the day or night? Or whenever?
Since I do have a pretty demanding full-time day job, I keep to a very rigid writing schedule at night. Usually 7-11 p.m. seven nights a week, plus an extra four-eight hours on Saturday and Sunday.

In general, how do you come up with your story ideas?
They usually come to me when I’m not actively trying to think of them. I read magazines that are my “idea incubators”—Science News, National Geographic, Smithsonian. When I read an article, I look to see if it has potential for a paranormal spin.

Which character(s) were the most fun writing?
I always fall in love with my characters at some point in the writing. Mirren and Glory (the hero and heroine of Absolution) were probably the most fun to write because they’re such polar opposites. He’s this big, short-tempered grouch of a vampire with a violent past; she’s a human chatterbox who isn’t intimidated by him in the least. And that equals fireworks.  

Did you have to research, and if yes, how was that process?
I do quite a bit of research as I write. Even though I’m writing a paranormal romance, I want the details to be as right as I can make them. I’m working with a couple of attorney friends right now to ensure a legal detail about my work in progress is right. I want to know how buckshot could be laced with poison to damage a vampire. How much a 17th-century Scottish battle sword weighs (Mirren’s weapon of choice) and how it’s wielded. All kinds of research! Fortunately, the Internet has made research much, much easier.

What do you want readers to get from your story?
I always seem to come back to the same themes in my writing, whether it’s this series or the urban fantasy series I write under another name: real family has nothing to do with DNA; own your feelings; forgiveness.

When did you first realize that you wanted to become a writer?
I was on a pre-med track in high school, but in my senior year I got really interested in writing (bad) poetry and co-founded my school’s literary magazine. I ended up with college degrees in English lit because I loved it and journalism because it would make me employable. Which is pretty much how it worked out.

How long have you been writing?
I’ve been working as a journalist for a long time, but only began writing fiction in 2009. I was living in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina, and decided to try my hand at an urban fantasy novel set in the city during that time. I caught the fiction-writing bug big-time and was fortunate to find an agent and a publisher for that book, Royal Street, which became the first in an urban fantasy series.

Is there a place you especially like to write? Ultimate place to write?
I can write anywhere, but ideally I’m in my home office on my own laptop with my iTunes cranked up. I stayed at a cottage in Cedar Key, Florida, last year that has become my dream writing spot. I’d like to rent it for three or four months and just write and watch the birds and wildlife.

What are you currently working on?
I’m working on a serial novel that’s a loose spinoff of Omega, although it doesn’t have any of the same characters. It’s a paranormal-romantic suspence novel called Storm Force, and it will be released initially in episodes as a Kindle serial beginning March 19, and in July will be released as a complete novel. For the serial, you “subscribe” for $1.99 and every two weeks get a new episode at no extra charge delivered to your Kindle. The first episode comes out on March 19. Or you can wait until July and buy the complete novel in print, digital or audio just like any other book. It’s an interesting process!

For aspiring writers, do you have any advice for them?
I’ve said this a lot, and I don’t think anyone really believes me—LOL. And that’s that you really need to decide how badly you want to pursue writing as a career rather than a hobby. It takes a lot of sacrifice, long hours, and hard work. Chances are good that you will struggle. You will likely not get rich or be able to support yourself on your writing alone. People are always waiting in the wings to tear down your work, so develop a thick hide. If you can handle all that, the rewards are amazing.

What are your favorite genres to read?
I’m really a promiscuous reader. I tend toward urban fantasy and paranormal romance, but I also love dystopian fiction, and read a good bit of nonfiction as well.

What are you currently reading?
Currently, I’m reading a romantic suspense novel (see, I told you I was promiscuous), Blank Slate by Tiffany Snow, one of my fellow authors at Montlake Romance. I started reading it to see how it was organized since it’s also coming out as a serial, and then got hooked.

All time favorite film that you can see endlessly, and you have practically memorized all the lines?
(Spoken in imperious, deep voice) You. Shall. Not. Pass! Yes, it’s Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Beautiful movies that I could watch forever and still not see everything.  

Favorite guilty pleasure television show?
Currently, I’m obsessed with a show on Animal Planet called Gator Boys. Yes, I’m a reality-show geek.

Location of place you have never visited, but really want to go to someday?
Alaska! I find it fascinating and am forever watching all those “Last Frontier” shows. Outside the U.S., Scotland. I really, really need to go to Scotland. Really.

- Fall or Winter?
Fall—summers are so hot in the south that the first cool breeze of fall is invigorating. And then we’re wusses when cold weather comes.

- Hot Chocolate, Tea or Coffee?
Coffee. I love my coffee.

- Mac or PC?
I’m bilingual. I use Mac at the day job and a PC at home. I’d probably go all-Mac if they weren’t so expensive.

- England or Scotland? : )
About 90 percent of my ancestors were from Scotland and there are some of the old Sandilands (Sandlin) castles still standing near Edinburgh. So I really, really do need to go to Scotland!

- Print or E-Book?
Both. Until a friend gave me a Kindle for Christmas a few years ago I said I’d never want an ereader. Now, I actually prefer it, although for authors or books I really like, I want print.

- Middle Earth or Hogwarts?
I can only choose one? Sigh. I love Middle Earth, but I’d probably choose Hogwarts. I want a Room of Requirement.

- Frozen Yogurt or Ice Cream?
Ice cream. Preferably, Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla.

- Sunny or Rainy Weather?
Depends on whether I have to go anywhere. If I’m writing or hanging out at home, I like a rainy day.

- Christmas or New Years?
Christmas. I’m a total loser on New Year’s. I spent it writing this year, and protecting my dogs from fireworks, which they were convinced were gunshots. 


Book Descriptions (1-3)
REDEMPTION
Book One Penton Legacy series
By Susannah Sandlin

Following a worldwide pandemic whose vaccine left human blood deadly to vampires, the vampire community is on the verge of starvation and panic. Some have fanned into rural areas, where the vaccine was less prevalent, and are taking unsuspecting humans as blood slaves. Others are simply starving, which for a vampire is worse than death—a raging hunger in a creature too weak to feed.

Immune to these struggles—at first—is Penton, a tiny community in rural Chambers County, Alabama, an abandoned cotton mill town that has been repopulated by charismatic vampire Aidan Murphy, his scathe of 50 vampires, and their willingly bonded humans. Aidan has recruited his people carefully, believing in a peaceful community where the humans are respected and the vampires retain a bit of their humanity.

But an unresolved family feud and the paranoia of the Vampire Tribunal descend on Penton in the form of Aidan’s brother, Owen Murphy. Owen has been issued a death warrant that can only be commuted if he destroys Penton—and Aidan, against whom he’s held a grudge since both were turned vampire in 17th-century Ireland.  Owen begins a systematic attack on the town, first killing its doctor, then attacking one of Aidan’s own human familiars

To protect his people, Aidan is forced to go against his principles and kidnap an unvaccinated human doctor—and finds himself falling in love for the first time since the death of his wife in Ireland centuries ago. 

Dr. Krystal Harris, forced into a world she never knew existed, must face up to her own abusive past to learn if the feelings she’s developing for her kidnapper are real—or just a warped, supernatural kind of Stockholm Syndrome in which she’s allowing herself to become a victim yet again.

Susannah Sandlin’s REDEMPTION is the first in the Penton Legacy series. Book two, ABSOLUTION, will be out September 18, and book three, OMEGA, on December 18.




ABSOLUTION
The Penton Legacy, Book 2
By Susannah Sandlin

Release date: October 9, 2012
Publisher: Montlake Romance

Book Description:

With the vampire world on the brink of civil war over the scarcity of untainted human blood, battle lines are being drawn between the once peaceful vampire and human enclave of Penton, Alabama, and the powerful Vampire Tribunal.

A Scottish gallowglass warrior turned vampire in the early 17th century, Mirren Kincaid once served the Tribunal as its most creative and ruthless executioner—a time when he was known as the Slayer. But when assigned a killing he found questionable, Mirren abandoned the Tribunal’s political machinations and disappeared—only to resurface two centuries later as the protector and second-in-command of Penton. Now the Tribunal wants him back on their side—or dead.

To break their rogue agent, they capture Glory Cummings, the descendant of a shaman, and send her to restore Mirren’s bloodthirsty nature. But instead of a monster, Glory sees a man burdened by the weight of his past. Could her magic touch—meant by the tribunal to bring out a violent killer—actually help Mirren break his bonds and discover the love he doesn’t believe he deserves?

It’s a town under siege, a powerful warrior in a battle with his past, and one woman who can make the earth move—literally—as the Penton Legacy continues.




Omega
Penton Vampire Legacy, Book 3
Susannah Sandlin

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Date of Publication: February 5, 2013

ISBN: 978-1612183596
ASIN: B0073XV3L2

Number of pages: 328
Word Count: approx. 88,000

Amazon        Barnes & Noble        Book Depository

Book Description:

The bloody war between the Vampire Tribunal and the defiant scathe of Penton, Alabama, rages on, forcing its residents and their bonded humans to retreat into the underground fortress of last resort: Omega. There, Will Ludlam is charged with the care of Penton's humans, though he longs to fight alongside his vampire brethren. He knows the risks: as the renegade son of the Tribunal's vicious leader, Will's capture could doom the resistance.

Yet he is determined to prove his worth to his adopted scathe, to his vengeful father and to former US Army officer Randa Thomas, his beautiful, reluctant partner. Randa has little faith that a former member of the vampire elite has what it takes to fight a war. But as their enemies descend upon Omega, Will's polished charm and Randa's guarded heart finally give way to the warrior within.

Fans of Susannah Sandlin's Penton Legacy are sure to devour this long-awaited third installment of the steamy paranormal series.          


About The Author

Susannah Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night. A journalist by day, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch and the horror fantasy of Stephen King. (Um…it is fantasy, right?) The combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana.





Indie Bound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781612183541


Giveaway 1: Tour-Wide



Giveaway 2: On This Blog
(Details & Rules)


- This is an US/INT Giveaway!
- Ends March 3rd!
- The Winner Will Be picked by Rafflecopter!
- Upon who wins, the winner will have the choice of a Print/E-Book/Audio Copy of 1 Book from this Series...but the Print Copy is for one that resides in the US.
- I will be Checking the Entries Regularly, so if there is Cheating, those Entries Will be Disqualified
- As you submit Entries, be sure to use an Email that you use Daily, as that is how I will contact you, if you Win.
- You will have 24 hours to Respond, or I will have to Choose a New Winner!
- And Good Luck! :)

*Come back to this post, when the Giveaway is over, to see who won. I usually do Tweet as well*

56 comments:

  1. Enjoyed the Q&A, always learn something new. I have read all three of the Penton Legacy books and really liked them all. Omega, Will and Randa's story was wonderful. I recommend these whenever I can. Looking forward to the spin-off, with the serial Storm Force. Have it pre-ordered. Go get the series guys, you will not be disappointed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Roger! Great to see you this early in the a.m. You must get up with the chickens, as we say down here!

      Delete
  2. I haven't read any of these yet but am definitely intrigued :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Vins...hope you have a chance to check them out!

      Delete
  3. ^^ this time i come second to Roger but i don't regret it.
    It was really interesting to read this interview... i don't know why i thought you had more than 2month for omega^^;; anyway the result is superb.

    I really enjoyed this series and i'm sure to find a way to get storm force once it's released in print^^ ( already a place on the shelf is reserved just for it)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Omega was a fast turnaround! Its deadline and the deadline to do revisions on Elysian Fields fell at the same time, so it was hectic!

      Delete
  4. I haven't had a chance to read these yet

    ReplyDelete
  5. These are on my wishlist as I've read some awesome reviews on them

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you get a chance to try them, Lisa :-)

      Delete
  6. You'll love Alaska. I was there for a conference. I couldn't believe the sense of "vastness". since I was there in July, I couldn't get use to the 21 hours of daylight. Go see Denali National Park. I'm sure you could use as research for an arctic paranormal romance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would love to write an arctic paranormal romance...in fact, I've gone so far as to plot one. (I mean, where would YOU send wayward demons for punishment but somewhere really cold?)

      Delete
  7. LotR are my favourite movies too... good choices :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aren't those movies amazing? I haven't seen the new version of The Hobbit yet.

      Delete
  8. I loved the LotR movies too. I can't wait for the rest of the Hobbit movies to come out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't gotten to see the first one yet. Now that my tightest deadline has passed I need to catch up!

      Delete
  9. Hogwarts is a good choice.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The moving staircases are pretty cool too! Another set of movies I loved, for the most part.

      Delete
  10. I remember seeing a post on the 1st books & thinking it sounded really intriguing. Interesting idea for a vampire story. Will there be more than the 3 books?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Linda, there will be either a fourth book or a novella to wrap up the series, probably in late summer.

      Delete
  11. I completely agree with your advice for aspiring authors! There is a lot of work and sacrifice that goes into it and I wish more people would listen to you on this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seriously! I have a person in my critique group who is such a good writer but she's always got a movie she wants to see or a club to visit or whatever. I finally decided she wanted to BE published but not do what it takes to GET published. And that's okay--she's just not at the right place in her life right now to pour everything into it, because that's what it takes! (Ahem, sorry. Don't get me started!)

      Delete
  12. I admit to being confused by the two Rafflecopters, yet only this one area for comments!

    I hope I am replying in the correct area for the first Rafflecopter.

    Your extensive questions make for a very lively reading!

    Since I have not read this series, the book I would choose would be the first in the series. (and in 'real' book format)

    Thank you to both of you, Susannah and Marissa.

    Patricia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Patricia! Sorry for the confusion. I just posted in bold, which giveaway is which. The first one is tour-wide, and does not give away any of the books. The one below is posted just on this blog and one winner will win a choice of 1 of the books from this series.

      Hope that helps and thank you for stopping by :)

      Delete
    2. Thank you, Marissa -
      I just re-read the complete post, in the light of day!! And the instructions are clearer to me, and your bolding helped.
      Thank you for replying,

      Patricia

      Delete
    3. No problem. Good luck with the giveaways :)

      Delete
  13. I would Choose Omega. I have the other two.
    Great interview

    ReplyDelete
  14. I haven't had a chance to read these

    ReplyDelete
  15. I haven't seen this series before. SOunds good. Obviously if I could only have one I would pick the first book. Gotta start with #1, right??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you should definitely start with book 1 :) It was sooo good!

      Delete
  16. Sounds interesting! And great Q&A.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lovely interview! I haven't heard of these books until now but I hope I will have the chance to read them. Thanks for the awesome giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great Q&A! Haven't had a chance to read this series yet.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love the book covers; the eyes are so very cool. Did you have a say in any of the covers or ideas for them? All sound terrific!

    ~Booksie

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for this amazing giveaway of Kindle or giftcards - I would love to win!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks for this amazing giveaway - I would love to win and pick book #1 because I haven't read any in the series yet!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi susannah! I'm also bilingual, mac at work an pc at home. And i often messed the shortcut up :))

    i haven't started this series yet (they got lost in my tbr pile) but i'll dig the up and start reading it a.s.a.p

    ReplyDelete
  23. This is one amazing giveaway! Secondly, you made me curious. I really want to read these books now!:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Book 1 was really awesome. Hope you read these soon :)

      Delete
  24. I would definitely choose book 1. I haven't read this series and this if the first I've heard of it. And I am definitely getting this series!! It sounds so, so good!!! I LOVE Vampires! This is my type of book that I love reading!! Fingers crossed!! Thank you for a chance to win this book in your giveaway!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good luck! Book 1 was really really good and I'm sure the next 2 are as well :)

      Delete
  25. Interesting interview and the books look like good reads. thank you for this giveaway and the interview :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Enjoyed the interview - as always, a huge thanks to Susannah for taking the time out of her very busy schedule to give us insights into her characters and stories. I have to say, out of the 3 Penton books, Mirren and Glory's story was definitely my favorite. Must be the opposites attract thing, or maybe the moody alpha thing, I'm not really sure which. Thank you for sharing your stories with us!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Are you going to come out with a fourth book to the penton legacy series?!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I would most certainly choose Book One Penton Legacy series. This series sounds very intriguing. Thank you for offering this giveaway :)

    ReplyDelete

I love to read what you have to write and I like to write back, so feel free to comment :)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Powered By Blogger