Dark Urban Fantasy author Adrian Phoenix is making her second appearance on All Things Urban Fantasy today talking about the differences between urban fantasy and dark urban fantasy and why she finds the distinction so delicious. And thanks to Adrian’s publisher at Simon & Schuster, I’m giving away 7 copies of the first book in Adrian’s new Hoodoo series, BLACK DUST MAMBO. Not to be outdone, Adrian is offering her own giveaway: a signed set of the first 3 Maker's Song books- A RUSH OF WINGS, IN THE BLOOD, and BENEATH THE SKIN. See details below.
Adrian Phoenix has had stories published in several magazines and anthologies. She currently lives in Oregon (with three cats, of course), but travels to New Orleans, the city of her heart, whenever possible.
The 4th Maker's Song book, ETCHED IN BONE, will be out February 22, 2011 and the 2nd Hoodoo book, BLACK HEART LOA, will be out July 2011.
by
Adrian Phoenix
Almost Halloween, the season for all things dark and pumpkin-y and my favorite time of the year—a time to revel in the night. And what better time to start delving into (if you already haven’t) dark urban fantasy?
So what is dark urban fantasy and how does it differ from other UF? Great question and one I immediately started rolling around in my brain, leading to an interesting realization: it doesn’t.All urban fantasy is, by its nature, dark. Yes, even the UF books with humorous hearts such as Jeri Smith-Ready’s WVMP vampire series, J.F. Lewis’s Void City books, and Mark Henry’s Amanda Feral series. (Great books, btw.)
I feel that what truly makes urban fantasy dark isn’t so much the paranormal backdrop, but the issues—very human issues—the characters grapple with all while fighting and scheming and kicking ass to stay alive. Issues involving identity—who am I? What am I?—and alienation when caught between several worlds—where the hell do I belong?
Yet even in the grittiest stories, you’ll find humor and love, steamy and passionate sex, and a sense of family as the characters deal with their own relatives or create a home for themselves and those they love. Urban fantasy is packed with vivid characters that you’ll root for, ache for, and wish you could share a drink or two with.
Check out Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series—great books and the epitome of dark urban fantasy. The protagonist is an assassin and yet you care about her. A lot. She is surviving the only way she knows how in a dark and dangerous world.
Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstorm series is another great read with a fantastic world and characters. All dark, all marvelous. As is Jeanne C. Stein’s Anna Strong vampire series. Tons of great reads await you!
Come to the dark side. Join us. We even have pumpkin cookies.
The Maker's Song
1. A Rush of Wings
2. In the Blood
3. Beneath the Skin
4. Etched in Bone (2011) 
Hoodoo
1. Black Dust Mambo
2. Black Heart Loa (2011) 
Giveaway
Book Description
"There will be times, girl, when all your magic ain't going to be enough, times when it will seem to dry up like mud under the noonday sun, or even make matters worse . . ."
Kallie Riviere, a fiery Cajun hoodoo apprentice with a talent for trouble, finds herself smack-dab in the middle of one of those times her mentor warned her about when she visits New Orleans to attend the Hecatean Alliance's annual carnival: her hard-bodied conjurer hookup ends up dead in her blood-drenched bed. And he was killed by something that Kallie would never dream of touching -- the darkest of dark juju, soul-eating juju -- a black dust hex that may have been meant to kill her.
Now Kallie has to use every bit of hoodoo knowledge and bayou-bred mojo she possesses to clear her own name and find the killer -- even as that dark sorcerer hunts Kallie and her friends. But Kallie's search for the truth soon leads her in a direction she never anticipated -- back home to Bayou Cypres Noir, and to Gabrielle LaRue, Kallie's aunt, protector, and hoodoo mentor . . . who is looking more and more like she just might be the one who wants Kallie dead.
- BLACK DUST MAMBO=US only, no PO Boxes
The Maker’s Song series=International - Fill out the form below
- Enter by October 31st
I would greatly appreciate if you shared this giveaway on your blog or favorite social networks. And please say hi to Adrian. Thanks!
Hi Adrian and Abigail,
ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway! I enjoy several of the series you mentioned in your post and the rest are on my "series I want to start" list! I love the cover for Black Dust Mambo.
Those sound like great series! I'll add them to the list to check out.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post Adrian! I love D.U.F. It's cool to see how different writers balance the good and bad within these stories. It must be hard to make these characters bad azz enough to be assassins, and "ghouls" yet still make the reader like them and wish them the best!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a giveaway. No need to enter me I already have all of Adrian's books. I have Jennifer Estep's and J.F. Lewis' books waiting for me to pick them up. I always like to hear when an author I like gives the thumbs up to books I haven't read yet :-)
ReplyDeleteStephanie G
Paranormal Haven
Interesting article. I think you hit the nail on the head. Amazing how humans can be more monstrous than the so called monsters.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveaway!
Great guest post!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the amazing giveaway. These are all books I've been dying to read. :)
xx,
E.J.
From the Shadows
hiya
ReplyDeleteawesome giveaway! thank you:)
Great guest post! Urban Fantasy is a new to me genre so I really liked this guest post...I learned a little something from it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
Wonderful giveaway! : ) And SO many of those books are on my TBR list... if only I had more time to read! lol.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Adrian. I am slowly making my way through all these great authors and their stories. Thanks for the contest.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I enjoy all UF, there's something about the dark UF that really gets to me, I love it. And I'll take the pumpkin cookies, yummm!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and a awesome giveaway, thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteYAY!!! what a great giveaway and post! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for joining me, everyone! Pumpkin cookies await you, Barbara! ;)
ReplyDeleteAnother great book in the genre is BITTEN by Kelley Armstrong. I recommend that one too.
Adrian
Great post, Adrian! And I agree, Urban Fantasy is by its nature dark. But all the best things happen in the dark!
ReplyDeleteI didn't enter the giveaway, because I have all of your books on my shelf already, all well read and I love every one of them.
D.B.Reynolds
Enjoyed your post. It took me quite some time to be able to pinpoint the differences between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. But I loved UF from the beginning. It was fun to see your explanation of all UF being dark.
ReplyDeleteHi Adrian! Great post! Both series sound awesome! Can't wait to finally read these! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Adrian =) I love UF and its because of all the things you listed. I'm also a huge fan of your Maker's song series. I soo hope I win book 4. Did you see how good they have Dante looking on the cover. Good choice! Thanks for an awesome giveaway.
ReplyDeleteSo I have a question, why are the covers for Dark UF books so much better than straight UF? I mean look at Adrian's books and the series she mentioned...they are some of my all time favorites. I wonder if the darker stories are more inspiring to the artists...?
ReplyDeleteHi Adrian! Thanks for the great post and giveaway!
ReplyDeleteHi Adrian!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the amazing post and a great giveaway~! I love your books!!
That's an interesting question, Abigail re: the cover art. As far as I know, most artists don't have the time to read the book and rely on information passed to them by the publisher's art director and the writer's editor.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the support and kind words from everyone! I really appreciate it! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Adrian and Abigail, youve mentione devery book ive either have read or want to read all inb one post how cool is that you rock!
ReplyDeleteand tohave an aweosme give away too double yAy
Hi Adrian,
ReplyDeletei'm so want to have the series :) it will be very GREAT to read Back to back !
Fabulous!!!
ReplyDeleteYay! Thank you for the chance to win The Maker's Song series!! :O)
ReplyDeleteTwitted about your contest at: http://twitter.com/#!/cherrymischivus/status/27612948309
I agree that UF is essentially dark... and the way Adrian argues it, this darkness does not only apply to UF but transcends to all good books whether crime, historical or contemporary literature...
Seeing Adrian argues that all UF is dark therefore UF books only differ in the degree of "darkness" it contains... How "dark" does she rate The Makers Song series in a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 is the greatest? Just curious... I know, I know, curiosity killed the cat and I haven't got 9 lives...
Cherry Mischievous
cherrymischif-warrior [at] yahoo [dot] com
Hi Adrian! I would love to win these, what a great giveaway! And what better setting for a dark UF than New Orleans? I can't wait to read Black Dust Mambo. Is there plans for it to be released on audio sometime soon? And I would love to read Makers Song series as well!
ReplyDeletedsfrankj@gmail.com
Thanks so much for hosting this interview and giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Adrian.. What makes All Urban Fantasy "dark" is the issues that the heroes of the books have, who have to do with the situations they find themselves in and no matter what "species" they are are universal and the same!
yvantis[at]hotmail[dot]com
Thanks for throwing such a fun giveaway!! I'm such a huge fan of Black Dust Mambo!
ReplyDeleteHey Donna,
ReplyDeleteWe're looking into getting the books on audio. Fingers crossed we can make that happen.
Thanks so much for your comments!
Cherry, great question! I've never stopped to consider to what degree of "darkness" I would rate The Maker's Song series. When I'm writing the books, I'm not trying or planning to make the story dark - it belongs to the characters, it's their world, their lives - it just is.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm too close to the story to rate the level of darkness, to be honest. A bit of a cop-out, yeah. If forced, I'll say a 3. :)
Thanks so much, Shera!
ReplyDeleteHi Adrian,
ReplyDeleteI just found out about your books and I am dying to read ALL of them. Please enter me in the giveaway!
princesalinda22@hotmail.com
I entered with the little form thingy...not sure - since everyone is posting here as well - if it's the only thing I have to do.
ReplyDeleteSo to make sure: I would love to enter the contest for both the signed copies of MS and the Black Dust Mambo book.
I've read all the (Maker's Song) books thus far and adore them! I even have the release of book 4 marked on my calendar. I would love to get my hands on your new series as well.
I am curious though - I'm on twitter and noticed that some authors recently did a CHARACTER TWEET day, where the authors acted as a chosen character from one of their series all day, and gave those characters thier own twitter page so that they can interact with fans. I would love to meet Dante and Von, myself.
Thanks for posting this interview (and contest, of course!)
saint_of_gemini[at]yahoo[dot]com
Saint of Gemini - I have your entry for the giveaway. No worries :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your guest post, as well as tweeted about the contest/post. Also? I loooove the covers. Did you have any say in those? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAbigail..I agree with the Dark UF having really good covers. Adrian's are awesome..EIB, especially. I tend to buy books by their cover unless its an author I know. Thanks again for having this post on Adrian, she's a great writer. love her books. I already entered the contest earlier in the post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pumpkin cookies. :)
ReplyDelete