Why She Wrote VENDETTA

Vendetta is the newest book in the Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy series, set in historic, haunted Charleston, SC. It’s not only the second book in the series; it’s also a chance for readers to revisit the characters and settings they met in the first book (Deadly Curiosities) and deepen their understanding of the people, places and magic.

In Deadly Curiosities, we meet Cassidy Kincaide, owner of the antique and curio shop Trifles and Folly. The shop has been in Cassidy’s family for over three hundred years, and when she becomes the owner, she discovers its secret: the real business is getting dangerous magical items off the market and out of the wrong hands.

Cassidy can read the history and magic of objects by touching them, and as she struggles to understand a gift she only recently knew she possessed, she is also getting to know her partners in saving the world. Sorren is a nearly six hundred year-old vampire who helps lead the Alliance, a partnership of mortals and immortals who work to keep the world safe from rogue supernatural items. Teag is a Weaver, with the ability to weave magical spells and protections into fabric. Teag can also ‘weave’ information streams, making him a fantastic researcher and one hell of a hacker. Together with other friends readers meet along the way, they stand guard against dark and dangerous forces so everyone else can sleep well at night.

I chose Charleston, SC as the setting because it’s a perfect city for urban fantasy. In fact, when I first visited Charleston, I couldn’t believe someone else hadn’t already set a series there. That’s when I decided that I was claiming Charleston for my own characters! I have tried to make the people you meet in Deadly Curiosities distinctly Charlestonian. If you’ve ever been to Charleston, you know that there are more antique shops than you can count, so Cassidy’s family business fits right in. Teag was a graduate student in history at the university before discovering his magic, and Charleston is a city that treasures its past. Cassidy’s friends include carriage tour guides, museum curators, owners of one-of-a-kind restaurants and coffee shops, just like you’d find walking along Market Square or King Street. You’ll also meet people with very special abilities, from Voudon mambos to root workers. And since Charleston is one of the most haunted cities in the U.S., there are plenty of ghosts!

Deadly Curiosities actually grew out of a short story I wrote at the behest of Jonathan Oliver at Solaris Books, for the acclaimed anthology Magic: Esoteric and Arcane. He liked the story, “Buttons” well enough that he asked if I’d do a series in that world. Since then, not only have there been two novels in the Deadly Curiosities world, but a growing number of short stories and novellas in anthologies and as part of my Deadly Curiosities Adventures series on ebook.

So with all that, it was natural to do a second novel, one that picks up shortly after the end of Deadly Curiosities. Cassidy and Teag have learned more about their own magical skills, not the least of which is how to use that magic to defend themselves against things that go bump in the night. They’ve also acquired a growing list of allies with magical abilities of their own, both mortal and immortal.

But as the story in Vendetta opens, we discover that for all the perks immortality brings in terms of wealth and enhanced abilities, it also creates the chance for rivalries to span lifetimes and vengeance to play out over centuries. Someone very powerful is trying to destroy Sorren and everyone he cares about. That puts Cassidy, Teag and Trifles and Folly in the cross-hairs, against an unknown enemy with strong magic and significant resources.

Sorren has spent centuries spent shutting down the plans of powerful immortals, dark warlocks and supernatural creatures, and now he’s got to figure out which of those many enemies is out to get him before they pick off his friends one by one and come after him to finish an immortal vendetta.

My Days of the Dead blog tour runs through October 31 with never-before-seen cover art, brand new excerpts from upcoming books and recent short stories, interviews, guest blog posts, giveaways and more! Plus, I’ll be including extra excerpt links for my stories and for books by author friends of mine. You’ve got to visit the participating sites to get the goodies, just like Trick or Treat! Details here: www.AscendantKingdoms.com

Book swag is the new Trick-or-Treat! Grab your envelope of book swag awesomeness from me & 10 authors http://on.fb.me/1h4rIIe before 11/1!

Trick or Treat! Excerpt from my new urban fantasy novel Vendetta set in my Deadly Curiosities world here http://bit.ly/1ZXCPVS Launches Dec. 29

Trick Or Treat Literate Liquors podcast what to drink while reading Deadly Curiosities http://bit.ly/1D81Y1Y hosted by my friend, John Hartness.

More treats! 2 FREE complete haunted novellas of mine on Wattpad, The Final Death  http://w.tt/1jsKqLL & Grave Voices http://w.tt/1kapSrn

Days Of The Dead Trick Or Treat w excerpt Going Through The Change (a superhero story) by Samantha Bryant: http://bit.ly/1jUoyZb

About the Author

Gail Martin, Dreamspinner Communications

Gail Z. Martin is the author of the upcoming novel Vendetta: A Deadly Curiosities Novel in her urban fantasy series set in Charleston, SC (Dec. 2015, Solaris Books) as well as the epic fantasy novel Shadow and Flame (March, 2016 Orbit Books) which is the fourth and final book in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga. Shadowed Path, an anthology of Jonmarc Vahanian short stories set in the world of The Summoner, debuts from Solaris books in June, 2016.

Other books include The Jake Desmet Adventures a new Steampunk series (Solaris Books) co-authored with Larry N. Martin as well as Ice Forged, Reign of Ash and War of Shadows in The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven, Dark Lady’s Chosen) from Solaris Books and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn, The Dread) from Orbit Books and the urban fantasy novel Deadly Curiosities from Solaris Books.

Gail writes four series of ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures, The Deadly Curiosities Adventures, The King’s Convicts series, and together with Larry N. Martin, The Storm and Fury Adventures. Her work has appeared in over 20 US/UK anthologies. Newest anthologies include: The Big Bad 2, Athena’s Daughters, Realms of Imagination, Heroes, With Great Power, and (co-authored with Larry N. Martin) Space, Contact Light, The Weird Wild West, The Side of Good/The Side of Evil, Alien Artifacts, Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens.

I’d like to thank Gail for stopping by today to share her story. Love the idea of falling for a city and deciding to set a series there. So, dear readers, have you either picked a location because you fell for it, or picked a series because of the location?

I love comments so much that I pick a favorite to receive my monthly AnaBanana gift basket ($25 value).  Recipient is announced the first blog post of the new month.

Perilously yours,

Pauline