Giveaway & Interview with New York Times & USA Today's Bestselling author Allyson James

Series: Book One of a new Contemp. Fantasy / Paranormal Romance series.

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Berkley Sensations

Format: Mass-Market Paperbacks

Release Date: May 2010

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Excerpt
Series Page!
Cast of Characters
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Half-Navajo Janet Begay comes to Magellan to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the police chief's daughter. But the people of Magellan sense that Janet is not what she seems, and they're right.

Janet possesses extraordinary power which is tied to the storms that waft across the desert. The only person who can control her when she's caught in the storm's evocative power is Mick, a dark-haired, blue-eyed biker Janet can't seem to touch with her powers. He can wield fire and not get burned, and Janet's never sure where he goes when they're not together.

Together they investigate mysterious disappearances, which Janet fears are tied to her mother's people, the mythical gods from below the earth. They are helped along the way by Coyote and Crow, but these shapeshifting gods have their own agendas.

Get to know the Author of the Day.

Over the Edge Book Reviews

Questions with

New York TImes  & USA Today's Bestselling

Author

Allyson James

1.  Name one eye-opening thing you learned from your book research.

I’m not sure if this qualifies, but it surprised me. My new series, Stormwalker, is set in a fictional small town in northern Arizona. I made up the fact that a railroad ran through it a hundred years ago, connecting northern Arizona with the mining towns in the mountains to the south. In my story, the railroad went bankrupt and ceased, the rails and ties long ago taken away. It seemed plausible.


While continuing my research I found mention of an abandoned railroad tunnel in the mountains south of where I set my fictional town. This tunnel was to have been for a railroad that connected nearby mining towns to Flagstaff (in northern AZ), following a line very close to the one I’d made up for my railroad. The railroad company had started it then went bankrupt. I hadn’t known about this, because the company didn’t last very long, and no rails were ever laid (the railroad tunnel is the only thing left). However, that railroad started about the same time my fictional one did, it ran very close to where I’d put mine, and went bankrupt close to the time mine did.


Very weird to realize my made up history was so close to the real one! Did I channel that?


2. Do you have a favorite fictional hero? Favorite fictional heroine?

My favorites change from year to year. Right now, my favorite fictional hero is Michael from Burn Notice; heroine is of course Fiona from the same show. I love a kick-butt woman who can be also be beautiful and sexy and love shopping for shoes.

3.  What is one of your favorite book covers, your own or someone else’s?

As both Jennifer Ashley and Allyson James, I’ve had some great book covers. I love what Berkley has done with my new series, Stormwalker. The cover for Stormwalker has a great mood to it, and Firewalker rocks. You can’t see it on the jpg, but the fire has a metallic tone to it, and it shimmers when you move it. Beautiful!

4. What would readers be surprised to learn about you?

How laid-back I am. Romance writers these days are supposed to wear business suits and go to power lunches, but I’m much more at home in casual and comfortable clothes, maybe dressed up with semiprecious stones. I’ll take sipping a leisurely iced tea on a patio over a power lunch. Put me in a broomstick skirt with sandals, and I’m happy. This preference might come from living so long in the Southwest (it’s hot and we dress for it). :-)

5.  Allyson, please tell us more about your recent release, “STORMWALKER.”

Stormwalker takes place in a small town in the high desert near the Navajo Nation. The heroine, Janet Begay, is a Stormwalker, meaning she can channel nearby storms and use them to work powerful magic (they can be thunderstorms, rainstorms, dust storms, blizzards…). She’s also the daughter of a goddess from the shell world Beneath—except that her mother is an evil bitch-queen from hell, and Janet doesn’t want a family reunion.


Janet has a boyfriend, Mick, a Firewalker who looks like a bad-ass biker. Mick is the only one who can take Janet’s Stormwalker power and calm her down, he wields fire, and teaches Janet how to control her turbulent magic.


Janet is joined by a cast of characters including Coyote the trickster god, a cranky young sheriff certain Janet’s up to no good, and a bi-sexual magic mirror.

The adventures continue in Firewalker (Berkley, Nov. 2010), where we find out more about Mick and other Firewalkers, and the new evil that comes to town.


6. Which do you find is most important to you as a writer, voice or story? Why?

I think it’s important to match voice with story, and I believe that voice can get in the way of storytelling if you’re not careful. On the other hand, I’ve read terrific stories that shine through regardless of voice. But then, it’s likely the author got the voice just right, because I wasn’t noticing it. Voice is a tricky thing!

7. Allyson, please tell us where we can find you out in cyber world. For desperate readers like me, we just have to know…:)

My main website is http://www.allysonjames.com/ On that site you can find my current and forthcoming books, excerpts, and pages dedicated to the Stormwalker series.


From allysonjames.com you can connect to my Jennifer Ashley website, plus all my social networking sites (check the right-hand menu). I’m on Facebook as Jennifer Ashley/Allyson James and Twitter as JennAllyson.


8.  I know this is a difficult question with there being so many amazing authors out there to choose from but who are some of the GOT-TO-HAVE authors in your TBR pile?

As Allyson James I’ll focus on paranormal/scifi: I’m loving the urban fantasies of Ilona Andrews, Charlaine Harris, Carrie Vaughan, and Patricia Briggs. Staying in fantasy, I like the dragon series by Naomi Novik. I’m also a big fan of Lois McMaster Bujold’s scifi series (Miles Vorkosigan)—great world building and character development plus action/adventure. She’s got the touch.

9. What’s next in the works for you? When can readers expect to see it out on shelves in their local bookstores?

The next Stormwalker book is Firewalker, out in November 2010 from Berkley. The next in the series, Shadowwalker, will be out next June. In addition, Janet and friends will have an adventure in an anthology called Hexed, out next summer (with Ilona Andrews, one of my must-read authors!)

I’d like to thank Allyson James for stopping by and spending time with us, it’s been a blast getting to know more about you and your books. I wish you all the best and much success in everything you do. :)

Thanks for inviting me! It’s always fun.

*Giveaway*

Two randomly selected commenters will win a copy of "Stormwalker", book one in New York Times & USA Today's Bestselling author Allyson James' new contemporary fantasy series with a Native American twist series by Berkley Sensation . To enter here are a few simple rules.

* +2 Leave a comment for Allyson James including email.
* +2 Spread the Word! ( this means go out into cyber world and post it on any network sites that your are a member of, or on your blog or website. +2 Then come back and leave a link so I can verify the post.)
* Become a follower of Over The Edge! (+3 Already a follower--You ROCK! +2 Become a follower.)

The giveaway is open to all and will be running until August 1, 2010. I'll be picking and contacting the winner directly on August 2, 2010. Please make sure to include your email with your comment. Happy Reading!