PSF Guest Blog: P.N. Elrod “Dark and Stormy Knights” anthology

**Visit Tynga’s Reviews today for her PSF Interview & Giveaway with Tate Hallaway author of ALMOST TO DIE FOR**

My guest today is prolific urban fantasy author P.N. Elrod. Well known for her series The Vampire Files featuring undead PI Jack Fleming, she has also edited and contributed to a number of awesome urban fantasy anthologies including Strange Brew, My Big, Fat Supernatural Wedding, My Big, Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, and the upcoming Dark and Stormy Knights due out July 20th.

P.N. "Pat" Elrod is the author of 24 commercially-published novels, more than 20 short stories, an editor and co-editor of several collections -- not bad, considering her incurable addiction to chocolate.  She lives somewhere on another planet, but maintains a convenient citizenship in the state of Texas for tax purposes.  In between the novel writing, Pat is polishing her script writing skills. Pat loves meeting readers of her books and guesting at Sci/Fi conventions all over the country--when she has the time!

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DARK AND STORMY KNIGHTS Edited by P.N. Elrod 
Released on July 20, 2010

 

Book Description

They’re the last defenders of humanity, the lone wolf bad boys— and girls—who do dark deeds for the right reasons. Modern day knights who are sexy, funny, mad, bad and dangerous to know because they do what most of us only dream about…and get away with it. In this all-star collection, nine of today’s hottest urban fantasy authors bring us original stories of supernatural, modern day knights that will have readers clamoring for more!

P.N. Elrod’s story is called Dark Lady - a new Vampire Files story! A shy client brings trouble to the Lady Crymsyn club. Myrna the ghost is not amused.

Click HERE to read an excerpt of Dark Lady

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by P.N. Elrod

Author and editor P.N. Elrod has just settled behind the desk in her home library for a writing session. Without warning, Jack Fleming—undead private eye from her Vampire Files series (also part-time wiseacre)—barges in.

Fleming: Hey, toots!

Elrod: (jumping) GAHHH!

Fleming: Pipe down, it’s only me.

Elrod: What the hell are you doing sneaking up on a person like that?

Fleming: I’m a vampire, it’s what I do. That wouldn’t happen if you’d stop sitting with your back to the door.

Elrod: This is my home, not gangland Chicago, it wouldn’t hurt you to knock.

Fleming: What--and take all the fun out of things?

Elrod: I’m busy, Fleming, what do you want?

Fleming: An interview.

Elrod: Hah?

Fleming: (drops into a rocking chair and puts his feet up on a stack of books) You heard me. For once *I* want to interview you. I used to be a journalist, remember?

Elrod: Ooookay.

Fleming: You’re always bugging me every time a new book comes out; this time I wanna bug you about that new collection you have from St. Martin’s, Dark and Stormy Knights.

Elrod: That’s knights—with a “k”.

Fleming: I said it with a “k”.

Elrod: Whatever.

Fleming: What’s it about?

Elrod: The title speaks for itself.

Fleming: Pretend I don’t get it.

Elrod: No feeding me straight lines or we’ll be here all day.

Fleming: You wish.

Elrod: What?

Fleming: Nothing.  The book?

Elrod: Dark and Stormy Knights celebrates anti-heroes of urban fantasy. They have their own code of honor, taking on the dirty jobs no one else will touch, making tough calls, doing dark deeds for a good reason—

Fleming: Kicking-butt?

Elrod: Oh, yeah, lots of that!

Fleming: Fisticuffs and dramatic situations? Amorous clinches and breath-stealing peril? Cliffhanging danger and—

Elrod: Let’s stick to kicking-butt. Some of my favorite writers, the best in the business, contributed stories. I can’t wait for the book to hit the racks this July.

Fleming: May I see that author list?

Elrod: Here you go, straight off the galleys with titles. What d’ya think?

A Questionable Client Ilona Andrews

Even Hand Jim Butcher

The Beacon Shannon K. Butcher

Even a Rabbit Will Bite Rachel Caine

Dark Lady P.N. Elrod

Beknighted Deidre Knight

Shifting Star Vicki Pettersson

Rookwood and Mrs. King Lilith Saintcrow

God’s Creatures Carrie Vaughn

Fleming: Impressive! Is this the book?

Elrod: That’s a review copy.

Fleming: Okay if I borrow it?

Elrod: Sure, drop it in my mailbox when you’re done. No more sneaking in like that. You nearly gave me heart failure.

Fleming: Just repaying the favor, toots. After what you did to me in Dark Lady—

Elrod: Oh, stop fussing, you did all right.

Fleming: You nearly blew my head off!

Elrod: Details, details.

Fleming: And you brought back that crazy Irishman, Riordan. You know he gets my goat.

Elrod: I love that guy!

Fleming: You would.

Elrod: We’re both Irish, what’s not to love? Don’t answer that, let’s focus on the book. It’s got amazing tales by serious talents, and I’m danged grateful they had the time to contribute. They’re all pretty busy writers.

Fleming: Including you?

Elrod: What do you think I do all day, play solitaire? I deleted every gaming program from my computer so I could work without distractions.

Fleming: Big deal, you still look out the window.

Elrod: It helps my thinking. Hey, it’s daylight—what are you doing walking around? You’re supposed to be dead right now.

Fleming: My imaginary interview, my rules.

Elrod: You’re the figment of my imagination, not the other way around!

Fleming: You think so, huh?

With a dramatic poof and cloud of smoke, P.N. Elrod vanishes.

Fleming: Gotcha!

Elrod’s library melts and morphs around Jack Fleming, who is now in the upstairs office of his nightclub, Lady Crymsyn. He’s tilted back in his chair, feet on his desk, still holding the review copy of Dark and Stormy Knights.

Fleming: Finally, a little peace and something good to read.

A rather disheveled P.N. Elrod, face sooty and hair sticking out in frizzed  smoldering spikes, kicks the office door open, making Jack jump.

Fleming: Uh-oh. The boss.

Wild of eye, teeth bared, and visibly seething, Elrod opens her laptop on Jack’s desk and, not taking her baleful gaze from him, begins to type. The soft clicks from the keyboard have an ominous tone.

Fleming: Oh, crap.

Elrod gets a maniacal grin, her eyes are bright with unholy glee. Sinister music rises as the lights inexplicably dim. The pale screen washes her face in a sinister glow. An insane giggle bubbles from her lips, echoing throughout the room.

Fleming: I am soooooooo screwed…

Dark and Stormy Knights will be released July 10, 2010.

Thanks so much for stopping by Pat.  Come back anytime!

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Visit P.N. online:

• Website
• Blog

Want to read more from P. N. Elrod? (courtesy of Fantastic Fiction)

Barrett
Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire (omnibus) (1987)
Red Death (1993)
Death and the Maiden (1994)
Death Masque (1995)
Dance of Death (1996)

Vampire Files
1. Bloodlist (1990)
2. Lifeblood (1990)
3. Bloodcircle (1990)
4. Art in the Blood (1991)
5. Fire in the Blood (1991)
6. Blood on the Water (1992)
7. A Chill in the Blood (1998)
8. The Dark Sleep (1999)
9. Lady Crymsyn (2000)
10. Cold Streets (2003)
11. A Song in the Dark (2005)
12. Dark Road Rising (2009)
The Vampire Files : Volume One (omnibus) (2003)
The Vampire Files : Volume Two (omnibus) (2006)
The Vampire Files : Volume Three (omnibus) (2011)

 

I, Strahd
The Memoirs of a Vampire (1993)
The War against Azalin (1998)

Ethical Vampires
Keeper of the King (1996) (with Nigel Bennett)
His Father's Son (2001) (with Nigel Bennett)
Quincey Morris, Vampire (2001)

Kolchak: The Night Stalker
The Night Stalker Chronicles (2005)
The Night Stalker Casebook (2006)
 

Novels
The Adventures of Myhr (2003)
Siege Perilous (2004) (with Nigel Bennett)

Anthologies
My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (2006)
My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon (2007) Vampires: Dracula And The Undead Legions (2009)
The Time of the Vampires (1996) (with Martin H Greenberg)
Dracula in London (2001)
Celebrity Vampires (1995)
Vampire Detectives (1995)
Rivals of Dracula (1996)
Strange Brew (2009)
Dark and Stormy Knights

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