*This title will be released on June 5, 2012*

Title: Hex Appeal Author: Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Carole Nelson Douglas, P. N. Elrod, Simon R. Green, Lori Handeland, Erica Hayes, Carrier Vaughn Series: See below Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: LibraryThing ER Reviewed by: Abigail Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (June 5, 2012) ISBN-10: 0312590725 ISBN-13: 978-0312590727   Sexual Content: See each title below Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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There’s some interesting series covers today.  What’s better, a series that keeps changing cover styles while trying to get it right, like Anita Blake?  Or a recognizable cover that fits the overall theme but isn’t great on it’s own, like the latest installment for Deadtown? 

 

We’re welcoming back Erica Hayes to ATUF today to talk about her newest release: POISON KISSED (Book 3 of the Shadowfae Chronicles). All the books in this series are standalones that take place in the same world.  And they are steamy.  Just how steamy?  Check out Erica’s free short story Hellcursed to get an idea.  I know a lot of UF fans, myself included, tend to shy away from the more erotic flavored paranormals, which is why I asked Erica to talk about steamy UF and even suggest some titles to help bridge the gap.   There is also a giveaway below to win a copy of POISON KISSED (open internationally).

The Steamy Side of Urban Fantasy
by
Erica Hayes

When Abigail suggested I write my guest post about the steamy side of urban fantasy (yay! I love it when bloggers give me ideas on cool things to post about!) it got me thinking: why do the steamy and the paranormal go so well together? Why are paranormal heroes dark and naughty instead of just gorgeous and wholesome like other heroes? What's our fascination with the dark side of sexy, or the sexy side of darkness?

With the recent shift into urban fantasy romance, the sexy side of UF is getting a lot more attention. And a dark, conflicted paranormal world is the perfect place for sexual tension.

The way I see it, paranormal is the genre of save-the-world stakes and extreme danger. Sure, the scheming rake hero of a Regency romance is a threat to the heroine – he might ruin her socially or spoil her perfectly good betrothal to that eminently suitable but totally boring guy over there. But the rake isn't about to kill her or damn her soul to hell. The world won't end if she fails to resist.

Supernatural heroes, on the other hand, are deadly. Urban fantasy heroines are tough, resourceful, been-there-done-him-got-the-t-shirt chicks. A normal guy doesn't even ping her threat radar. For the hero to be a danger to her, he has to threaten her on all levels: intellectually, physically, socially and sexually.

Because sex equals danger. It's hard to concentrate on saving the world when the gorgeous vampire next to you is sending shivers down your spine. Arc up the sensuality, and the danger skyrockets. That's why we see so many kick-ass heroines who love to be dominated in bed – in her violent world, bed is the one place she can surrender to her vulnerability. Even if she does it kicking and screaming (oh, god!) and gives the guy the icy-glare-screw-you treatment for a week afterwards.

And let's face it: a UF heroine isn't a wallflower. She monsters her enemies without mercy. These days, one mark of a strong woman is sexual freedom; for her to simper and blush when it comes to sex would be unrealistic. Personally I'd like to see less of the 'every guy in the book lusts after the heroine' thing, even though I've written it myself sometimes. But I totally get (and love!) that she's single (usually), on the market and scoping for hawt men who can measure up to her strength.

Also, a lot of fantasy/paranormal tropes are inherently sensual. Sucking blood. Biting. Changing shape, all those stretching tendons and writhing muscles. A demon's temptation – he'll get you any way he can. And as writers, generally the darker we go, the deeper the point of view we use. More sensations, more burning skin and fluttering pulses and aching flesh. Darkness is visceral, and visceral is sexy. It's hard to write dark without writing sensual.

Of course, not all dark UF is ultra-steamy. e.g. Jocelynn Drake's really cool Dark Days series, where I'm up to book three and the heroine still hasn't… well, never you mind. No spoilers here. (Note to Mira: Are you blind? Or insane? That boy is seriously hot stuff.)

But there's some great UF out there that explores the sexy side of darkness. For instance:

•  Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson series (Riley is a great example of a heroine who would never work in PR, but totally kicks ass in UF.) 
• Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series (I don't care what it says on the spine, those books are UF, not PR. Vampire sex for the thinking woman.)
• Laurell K Hamilton's Merry Gentry series (very steamy fairies, sometimes more steam than plot… not that this is a bad thing!)
• Karen Marie Moning's Fever series (Not steamy in a multiple sex-scene sense – there's no lovin' for quite a few books – but the darkness has overtly sensual overtones throughout.)
• Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series (Probably more romance than UF, with a gloriously over-the-top alpha hero and high levels of sensual tension no matter how many times they've already done it.)

So check them out, and revel in the dark sexy J and while you're there (cough) you might wish to check out my latest, POISON KISSED. It's UF – it has a kick-ass banshee heroine – but heavy on the sexy romance too!

Thanks so much to Abigail for having me here today!

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Thanks Erica for stopping by again.  I hope you’ll come back when the next Shadowfae book is out.

Visit Erica online:

• Website
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook

Want to read more from Erica Hayes?

Shadowfae
1. Shadowfae
2. Shadowglass
3. Poison Kissed

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Erica Hayes

One copy of POISON KISSED by Erica Hayes

Book 3 of the Shadowfae Chronicles

Description

Beyond the veil of magic, a fairy otherworld pulses with glamour and dark beauty. It's a place where passions run deep and dark — and death is just one kiss away...

Mina is a banshee whose greatest power lies in her siren song. She's beholden to her boss Joey, a snake-shifter who once saved her life and now employs her as a gang enforcer. She refuses to upset the fragile balance between them by admitting that she longs for him, that his embrace is the only thing she craves more than revenge for her mother's death...

When Mina learns that Joey may have been involved in her mother's murder, fury threatens to spill out of her, note by vicious note. She and Joey have always trusted each other to stay alive, but now she's not sure what to believe. The evidence stacked against him — or the one man who haunts her dreams and burns in her blood...

Click HERE to read an excerpt from POISON KISSED

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open Internationally (thanks Erica!)
2. Leave a comment that includes:
   1. Your favorite fae book or what you think about steamy UF
   2. A way to contact you if you win
3. Entries must be received by Midnight MST on October 15th

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Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy?  CONTACT ME

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for a copy of Shadowglass by Erica Hayes.  If you missed Erica’s guest blog ‘Urban Who?’ you can read it HERE

The winner of Shadowglass by Erica Hayes, chosen by Random.org, is… Book Crazy Jenn who said:

LOL wonderful post - your soo right though, it's those great shows/books like True and Twilight that have brought it all to light, though I have to say I think there's better series' out there, but they are what everyone knows! :) Thank goodness I guess. :)
I have Shadowfae in my TBR waiting for Shadowglass to come out so I can read them together - how sad am I?
Question hmmm...If you could meet, in person and have tea or coffee with a character from a book - but only one (or maybe 2 to make it fun) who would you pick?

Congratulations Jenn! I’ll be emailing you soon. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn.

Erica Hayes, author of the Shadowfae Chronicles (Imagine a secret world veiled in fairy glamour and brimming with unearthly delights. A city swarming with half-mad fairies, where thieving spriggans rob you blind, beautiful banshees mesmerize you with their songs, and big green trolls bust heads at nightclubs. And once you're in, there's no escape...), was kind enough to stop by today to clear up a little matter plaguing a number of authors within the urban fantasy genre and why she owes a debt of gratitude to glittery vampires and HBO.  Make sure to check out the giveaway details below to win a copy of the second book in Erica’s Shadowfae Chronicles, Shadowglass.

 

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Urban Who?
by
Erica Hayes

It seems strange to me – and no doubt to many dedicated readers of the genre, like all you folks who follow this blog – that a lot of people have never heard of urban fantasy.

Weird, I know. What do these people do all day? But I often find that when I say I'm an author, I have a lot of explaining to do.

"Cool! What's your book about?" they ask.

"It's an urban fantasy," I say.

They look at me blankly. "Urban whatsit?"

I try again. "Y'know, it's fantasy in the modern world?"

Now they look at me like I just offered them a ferret. "Fantasy? You mean, like, Penthouse kinda fantasies? In a city? Kinky office girls and stuff? Eww."

Patient smile. "Umm. Nope. With vampires and fairies and demons, and cool heroines. Like Anita Blake. Except my heroines don't hunt zombies--"

"Anita Blake? Isn't she Tiger Woods' wife?"

Groan. "Okay, forget Anita. It's… it's like Sookie Stackhouse. You know, from True Blood?"

At last, a flicker of recognition. "Oh, yeah. Saw that a few times. That blond guy is HOT. And the waitress chick's got, like, a vampire boyfriend or something? Like Kristen Stewart in Twilight?"

 Thank you, Stephanie. I strangle that slim wire of hope with both hands. "Yes! It's like Twilight. Except for grown-ups. And there's more action and less romance."

Now my UF-less friend looks interested. Or is it mildly appalled? "For grown-ups? You mean… there's like, sex and stuff?"

Smug nod. "Uh huh."

"Eww!! Yuk!! Vampire sex!! Why would anyone want to read about that?"

Sigh. Some people just. Don't. Get it.

But I love Twilight with all my heart. I haven't actually read all the books, because sadly for me, the characters just don't appeal to me. But I love it. And I love True Blood, even if the TV version of Sookie makes me want to strangle her sometimes.

I love them both. Because thanks to them and their massive fan bases, at least a few more people know what on earth I'm on about.

And that can only be a good thing.

Thanks so much Erica!  Come back anytime.

Giveaway

One copy of Shadowglass by Erica Hayes

Shadowglass: A Shawowfae Novel by Erica Hayes

A seductive magic mirror lies hidden deep in a demon’s lair, with a simple warning: don’t stare at the glass…
Ice is a troubled fairy trying her best to survive in the squalid underworld of the Shadowfae.  When she spends a hot night with a demon lord, she discovers a powerful magic mirror in his lair — and pilfers it, knowing it’s the key to escaping her bleak life as a two-bit con artist.  But Ice soon discovers that the mirror's power comes with a price…madness, which is slowly overtaking her.
Indigo oozes darkness, danger and tempting sensuality.  He’s been sent to destroy Ice and bring the mirror back to its rightful owner; a mission that, if he fails, will cost him his life.  But when he meets Ice, he faces an even greater challenge: an insatiable sexual hunger that neither of them can deny, and dark passions that threaten to claim them both forever.  The trouble is, the longer he stays within the mirror’s reach, the greater its hold on his sanity—and the stronger his determination to save Ice…

Click HERE to read the first chapter of Shadowglass.

GIVEAWAY GUIDLINES

1. Open U.S. residents only
2. Must be a follower with Google Friend Connect (right sidebar) or Subscribe via Email
3. *Include your email only if it is not listed in your profile
4. Leave a comment or question for Erica
5. Tweet, Facebook, Blog post, Sidebar etc. for extra entries (leave links)
6. Entries must be received by Midnight MST on March 13th

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Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy?  CONTACT ME