The
first time I read Jeanine Frost’s “Halfway to the Grave” was in college and it
was a moment of epiphany.
(The first book in Ms. Frost's Night Huntress Series)
You
see, romance has always been my secret indulgence. Working through high school
and college, I always rewarded myself after a hell-week of papers , tests and
quizzes with romance novels. However, I found myself tiring of the traditional
romance heroine waiting to be rescued, always taking a secondary role to the
hero. And then I discovered Ms. Frost’s story and urban fantasy.
Some
might argue that urban fantasy is not romance. No, but my favorite ones do have
strong romantic elements. And have you read the Night Huntress series? Cat and
Bones together are perfect, one the most romantic couples I have found in fiction.
You never doubt their love for each other.
But
more than that, Cat is a heroine I can respect. She starts off naïve, but with
a steely inner strength that lets her hunt vampires. Even better, she’s
intelligent. She’s brought up prejudiced against vampires, but soon starts
examining evidence, making her own decisions, making mistakes but learning from
them. She matures and grows into her
true self throughout the series…and that’s what makes her one of my favorites.
I
attended Conestoga 12 in 2008 because I found out several of my favorite
writers – Ms. Frost, Melissa Marr and Rachel Caine—were attending. I was a
reader then and I was thrilled. It was the first time I'd met writers.
(Jeanine Frost is on the far right, at the end of the table)
I loved the stories they wrote, the wonderful adventures they took me on. Sometimes those fictional heroes and heroines were more like friends. But meeting the people who wrote those stories, created that magic...that was a whole new level of awesome. Listening to these writers talk about their stories, about writing, was a spark that ignited all kinds of possibilities in my mind.
Today I'm a published author with my newest release, Wildfire: A Paranormal Mystery with Cowboys and Dragons, coming out on Sept. 20. I have written stories that I hope touched readers, or at least whisked them off to another world, a grand adventure. None of it would have happened without the stories, like the Cat & Bones stories, that touched me, the writers who worked hard to create those worlds and share them, who took time to talk to me, inspire me.
And that's what makes the Southern Magic Romance Readers' Luncheon so special. Yes, there are all kind of fun giveaways and baskets full of fabulous (I still love the books best!), but more importantly attendees get to meet so many talented authors, have so many wonderful conversations.
I plan to thank Ms. Frost in person at the Nov. 2 luncheon.
When:
November 2, 2013, Saturday, 11 a.m.
Where:
Harbert Center in downtown Birmingham, AL (free parking)
Who:
The keynote speaker is NYT bestselling author Jeaniene Frost! The welcome
speaker is NYT bestselling author Christy Reece who also writes as Ella Grace.
Why:
We’ll be giving away lots of free books, and fun SWAG, awesome raffle baskets
and lots of laughs. You’ll also get to meet a ton of talented authors. FMI,
check www.southernmagic.org.
And speaking of giveaways...
Leave a comment on my post, and you might be the one randomly picked to win a digital copy of Wildfire! I'll announce the winner on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013.
See you at the luncheon!
Mina
Wildfire by Mina Khan
Lynn Hana Alexander is a 25-year-old Japanese American shapeshifter
haunted by guilt. She’s been questioning herself and her dragon abilities ever
since she failed to save her grandmother.
When her best friend is threatened by mysterious fires
burning up acres of West Texas, Lynn rushes to the rescue determined not to fail
again. However, with a tempting firefighter, a flirty city developer and dragon
pheromones distracting her, how is she going to find the arsonist?
And worse: is her primary suspect a malicious rogue dragon
or the love of her life?
IF you'd like a signed paperback (yes, it looks awesome on the shelf!), please check out the Goodreads giveaway:
Then Carol Berg pulls me in deeper with a mystery at the heart of the story (why are the children being murdered and who's behind the killings) and the hero's character arc -- He has to learn to see the truth in his own work and himself. He has to let go of what he believed to be true all his life and understand the new truth he's discovered. Strong external story plot and strong internal story growth.
Red Riding Hood grows up to be a monster slayer.
Frost's new YA/NA paranormal offering
A light mystery w/a ghost detective
Sci-Fi Rom 
by Jan Grape
