Monday, July 26, 2010

Who are Velvet and Nyx?

...and more importantly, why is Nick spelled Nyx?

I thought up Velvet and Nyx's world long before I began a career as an adult urban fantasy writer, but it just never seemed to gel in my head and hair before fall of 2009. Basically, it's a set of stories and novels set in Purgatory, that vague place between heaven and hell. I was always interested in the concept, but intentionally didn't research other's ideas of Purgatory because I didn't want to cloud this vision of a dystopian city (which it is).

Velvet is the leader of a commando extraction and clean-up team called the Salvagers, just one of many such teams in Purgatory, but, as it happens so many times in Fiction, Velvet's is the BEST, bitches! The Salvagers consist of a pair of poltergeists (Luisa and Logan), an undertaker (Nick) and a body thief (Velvet). I wanted those job's to be just that, titles. They're all the same but their different abilities determine their part in the team. The job of the Salvagers is to save trapped earthbound souls, disrupt black magic spells and generally police the cracks between the worlds of the living and the dead. Not doing so has DIRE consequences!

The stories are as much about romance as they are about deadly hauntings and evil spirits. So expect some sparks and hot making out.

Currently, VERMILLION, the short story in the KISS ME DEADLY: 13 TALES OF PARANORMAL LOVE is the only story available, however, my agent will be shopping the trilogy as soon as I finish revisions. So keep your fingers crossed.

ps. Nyx is Velvet's pet name for Nick. They're kind of in love.

Chatting It All Up and Shit!

Tonight I'll be taking part in the Kiss Me Deadly chat for the release of that YA paranormal romance anthology. If you look for me there, I'll be Danny Marks, so don't go calling me some other secret name or nothin' cuz I'll be like "Who?" Anyways, if you're into chatting, and I know many of you are, I'll be there with the likes of Trisha Telep (editor), Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush Hush), Sarah Rees Brennan (The Demon's Covenant), Michelle Zink (Prophecy of the Sisters), Rachel Vincent (My Soul to Keep), and Karen Mahoney (The Iron Witch) possibly, she's sick so she's hoping she'll make it. Here's the link to that!

Awesome YA Chatting with Chatty Chattertons!

It's from 6:00 PM PST or 9:00 EST or whatever time, wherever you are. I think we'll be available for about 90 minutes at the most.

I can't imagine what anyone has to ask me about this story, but I'd be happy to answer just about anything. And, yes, for those who know me, I'll try to restrain the filth.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Some Awesome Early Reviews!!!

Kiss Me Deadly's release is still a couple of weeks away, but the reviews are coming in...

First, Kirkus has this to say:

Can true love die if you’re already dead? This tantalizing collection of 13 short stories by some of the best writers of paranormal fiction in the United States and Great Britain explores “the other side of love.” Whether it’s an old-fashioned ghost story, as in Caitlin Kittredge’s “Behind the Red Door,” in which Jo wonders about the dashing resident of an abandoned house and a string of mysterious murders; a story with a twist, as in Michelle Rowen’s “Familiar,” in which a reluctant witch discovers that her chosen pet is a shapeshifter in disguise; or a story with dark humor, as in Sarah Rees Brennan’s “The Spy Who Never Grew Up,” in which a slightly older Peter Pan connects with Wendy’s granddaughter to fight evil in Her Majesty’s Secret Service, each story features a paranormal kiss. Fans who can’t get enough of their favorite authors will also be thrilled to find a back story to Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth, a Generation Dead companion by Daniel Waters and more killer unicorns from Diana Peterfreund. (Short stories. YA)

So nothing about Velvet, but that's cured over at Poisoned Rationality in a really awesome in depth review! Check it out!