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The pack goes wild for COLD BLOODED by Amanda Carlson

Anna Jackson
October 19, 2013

Cold Blooded, the third Jessica McClain novel from Amanda Carlson - an urban fantasy great for fans of Rachel Caine, Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews and Chloe Neill

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Some of the characters in Amanda Carlson’s new novel COLD BLOODED ( US | UK | ANZ) may be as cold as they come, but the reviews this new book is getting are hot hot hot!

If you’re into urban fantasy and paranormal romance of any kind but haven’t yet checked out the Jessica McClain novels (which begin with FULL BLOODED (US | UK | ANZ), look below to see what you’re missing! Fans of the likes of Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, Ilona Andrews and Chloe Neill will love this . . .

‘Cold Blooded starts with a bang and the action keeps coming right up until the final pages. Jess now faces her most perilous journey yet, where the stakes have never been higher. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her next’ VAMPIRE BOOK CLUB

‘I’ve fallen in love with Jessica, and her loyalty to those around her and willingness to do what it takes to keep them safe. I’m thrilled to be following her as she figures out this whole werewolf thing . . . And yes, it is as hot as you were likely expecting it would be.’ ALL THINGS URBAN FANTASY

‘If you haven’t tried this series, I highly recommend it. It is great for people who like strong female leads, werewolves and a lot of action. If you’ve enjoyed Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, The Hollows by Kim Harrison, Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane and Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs, then I think you’ll love this book’ HOT LISTENS

‘Cold Blooded was a fun, action-packed book with the right amount of romance, adventure, and twists to keep me firmly planted as part of the Pack’ SHE WOLF READS

‘Cold Blooded is the third book in Amanda Carlson’s Jessica McClain series and this one people is my favorite to date . . . Really cool . . . Red Blooded is up next sometime in 2014 and I can’t wait to read it’ YUMMY MEN AND KICK ASS CHICKS

‘It’s intense action start to finish and I’m ready for more’ HAPPILY EVER AFTER READS

Incorporating Real Facts into Fantasy

Amanda Carlson
April 23, 2013

When I first started writing urban fantasy I knew I wanted to bring in as many facts as I could into my series. As a reader, I loved it when I authors wove “fact” into fiction. I say “fact” loosely, as some of our facts are myths and can be disputed, but nonetheless the information I’ve gathered for my series is documented in our culture, whether it’s fact, folklore or legend.

In FULL BLOODED, the first book in the Jessica McClain series, I crafted two characters based on research. The first one was the goddess who shows up and quickly becomes Jessica’s archrival. Selene, the Lunar Goddess, was a perfect fit for the part. Greek Mythology states that Selene is the Goddess of the Moon and known for her countless love affairs. What better deity to go up against a werewolf than a Lunar Goddess? Plus I loved her name. It fit the character I had in my mind perfectly and after compiling a list of good characteristics, Selene the Lunar Goddess was born.

“I’m not a witch, you filthy bloodsucker, I’m a Goddess.” She glared, her irises a pure, fiery red now. “Goddess of the Moon, to be exact. Or if you prefer, a powerful Sorceress of Enchantment. Take your pick. But I am most certainly not a witch.”

The next is the Vampire Queen, Eudoxia. I really wanted my vampires to have Russian lineage, and preferably for her father to be Ivan the Terrible. The timing was perfect for that reign, roughly 450 years ago, and by doing research I found that Ivan had a daughter by the name of Eudoxia. He had several, but Eudoxia fit perfectly.

“You are not nearly as impressive as I had presumed you to be, little wolf girl.” The voice was attached to a vision of flawlessly etched skin. A face so perfectly defined it cast its own shadows. She boasted high, prominent cheekbones and a pair of wide hazel eyes, rimmed in heavy kohl. Her pallor was a true white, making her red lips look garish.

One of the fun parts of doing research is crafting characters and creating details with the information, some of which may never be used in the books. My werewolves are Scottish and when coming up with their full names, I incorporated Scottish Gaelic names into the mix. Jessica’s father, Callum Sèitheach (SHAY-uch, wolf) McClain, and her twin brother, Tyler Faoláin (FWAY-lun, little wolf) McClain. It’s one of those nuances that make the characters come alive, which I love so much. Creating real histories mixed with facts make the characters a little more real to me.

In HOT BLOODED, which just released this week, there are a number of researched elements in the book—but, unfortunately, telling you which ones
right now would be a bit too spoliery! (Hint: when you see the beasties, think mythical origins.) I will continue to weave fact and myth into my series, because I love it when the two worlds come together so perfectly.

To all my current and future readers, hope you enjoy the series!

…

Amanda Carlson’s latest novel HOT BLOODED (US | UK | AUS) is available online and in stores now. To read the first three chapters, become a fan of Amanda on Facebook or start from the beginning of the series with FULL BLOODED (US | UK | AUS).

New and current fans of Amanda’s novels can sign-up for the Jessica McClain book club to discuss the series with fellow fans and participate in exclusive chats with the author.

Urban Fantasy Interview Swap: Amanda Carlson interviews Kristen Painter

Laura Fitzgerald
September 17, 2012

We’re back with Part II of the Urban Fantasy Interview session with authors Amanda Carlson and Kristen Painter.

To recap, last week, Amanda debunked any rumors of sparkling werewolves, and told us about her new novel FULL BLOODED (UK| US | AUS). You can read the full interview here. Now it’s Kristen’s turn to dish about her writing life. Look for Kristen’s fourth House of Comarré novel, OUT FOR BLOOD (UK| US | AUS) this October.

Amanda Carlson: I want to know about your “before I was a writer” life. I’ve read your bio and it sounds like you’ve done some fun things. Pick two (and I hope I laugh).

Kristen Painter: I’ve never been a stand up comedian, so I can’t promise laughs. I’ve held all sorts of jobs, from working in a candy store (the summer of my expansion) to walking a runway in a NYC fashion show. My favorite job has to be writer, though. It’s also the toughest I’ve ever had.

Amanda Carlson: Your House of Comarré series is awesome. I love the mythos behind it all. How did it come to you? Was it a dream? Were you eating pizza? Or, perhaps, playing bingo?

Kristen Painter: There was no bingo involved, I swear. Mostly my overactive imagination and the inability to legally kill people in real life. Wait, did I just type that out loud?

Amanda Carlson: You have quite a shoe obsession. I’ve seen them with my own eyes. Who’s your favorite designer? Describe your favorite pair of kickass shoes (for the ladies who love UF in the house).

Kristen Painter: My favorite shoe designer right now is probably Christian Louboutin. The craziness/sparkliness/wear-me-if-you-dare kind of attitude those shoes put off is like crack to me. Unfortunately, the prices of those shoes means I don’t actually own any of the truly stellar examples. I recently picked up some Vince Camutos leopard print and gold studs that are kind of amazing.

Amanda Carlson: You started Romance Divas, correct? How did that come about?

Kristen Painter: Jax Cassidy (fellow author) and I needed a place to hang out online and talk about writing and life after we (sort of) got kicked out of the writing forum where we met. What can I say? We bonded and it upset people. Romance Divas was our mutual dream that became a reality a lot of writers now enjoy.

Amanda Carlson: You tower over me, yet you’re cute like a snuggle bear. (For the audience, Kristen has the heart of an angel, when continually fed and nurtured.) Give us a deep, dark secret of Chrysabelle & Mal’s. Something juicy.

Kristen Painter: A snuggle bear? You really want to be killed off in a book, don’t you? Let me see, a deep dark secret of Chrysabelle and Mal’s…I guess you’ll just have to read OUT FOR BLOOD this October and see for yourself.

Amanda Carlson: Okay, some quick bullet questions to end. They give us a sense of who you are, like a picture. Ready?

Pepsi or Coke: Pepsi. Preferably Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi. Yep, that’s how I roll.

Hellboy or The English Patient: Hellboy, movie or graphic novel

Tolkien or Rowling: Old school. Tolkien

Tom Hardy or Johnny Depp? (Tom’s mine, but you can pretend) I’m going to go left of center and say Benedict Cumberbatch.

Elvis or The Beatles: Young Elvis.

Jimmy Choo’s or Manolo Blahnik’s: Jimmy Choo’s, but if you see above you’ll know I swing toward Christian Louboutin.

Disco or Salsa? When it comes to dancing, I’m down for anything! I love to dance. It’s a great workout that doesn’t feel like a workout.

Amanda Carlson: Thanks for playing along, Kristen! I had a blast and you are awesome.

Urban Fantasy Interview Swap: Kristen Painter interviews Amanda Carlson

Laura Fitzgerald
September 10, 2012

Fall is right around the corner, and with it comes crisp weather, pumpkins, goblins, and ghouls. It’s the best time to be a supernatural, and also a great season to be an Urban Fantasy reader.

This fall we’ve got two great urban fantasy novels to look out for by a pair of fantastic authors. Amanda Carlson’s FULL BLOODED (UK | US | AUS) officially releases tomorrow. It’s a new urban fantasy debut featuring a tough as nails female lead, and did I mention she’s a werewolf too?

Then in October, the fourth House of Comarré novel, OUT FOR BLOOD (UK| US | AUS) by Kristen Painter will be published. Find out more about this dark and seductive series from the House of Comarré website.

But enough about the future (exciting as it may be). Today we thought we’d bring both authors here and let the fur and fangs fly . Come back next week for the second half of this series where Amanda will be interviewing Kristen about her life and books.

Kristen: Amanda, I hear you have a book coming out. Can you tell us more about Full Blooded and what interested you in writing about werewolves that sparkle?

Amanda: Well, sparkling werewolves hadn’t been done yet, so I thought I’d jump in and give it a try and…no…wait. There are no sparkling werewolves in my book. Wrong series, KP. My book is about the only female werewolf ever born. The book starts out with the worst wake-up call ever and takes off from there, like a fun romp through the woods. It’s full of action, adventure and the right amount of snark. Just the way you like it.

Kristen: So there’s no sparkling? Not even a tiny bit, like they wear fancy jeweled collars?

Amanda: Nope, no sparkling, except if you count the “pow” moments where Jessica gives someone a shot to the face. The bad guys may see a sparkle or two in their mind’s eye, but that’s about it. She doesn’t even wear a ring. Bling is not her thing. But it does have sparkling prose.

Kristen: Werewolves that don’t sparkle. Okay, got it. Besides writing, what do you do in Minnesota? Doesn’t it snow there like every day? Are there a lot of werewolves in Minnesota?

Amanda: It snows quite a bit in Minnesota and I have a huge hockey rink in my backyard every winter to prove it. Thankfully it doesn’t snow every day. Just every other. There are actually a lot of wolves in Minnesota, including the Timberwolves—Go, Wolves! (There’s some good basketball if you’re a fan.) I’ve yet to see an actual werewolf here, since they’re make believe, but I always have my fingers crossed when I’m hiking in the backwoods.

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FULL BLOODED blog tour

Anna Jackson
September 6, 2012

The start of a simply irresistible new urban fantasy series, FULL BLOODED (UK | US | ANZ) by Amanda Carlson, is released today in the UK, and worldwide within a week!

If you’re into shifters, paranormal girls who know how to kick some ass, sexy supernatural men and all the good things that come along with them, then this book is for you. (Check out an extract here to confirm!)

To celebrate the release, Amanda is doing a mega-epic blog tour, visiting every corner of the interwebs. So you’re likely to see her stopping by at a pixel near you . . .

Check out all of the dates she’s already done below, as well as what’s still to come!

August 23: Goldilox and the Three Weres

August 26: Review at Literary Escapism

August 27: Between Dreams and Reality

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Hungry For His Love? How To Tell If That Supernatural Hottie Is Into You.

Madeleine Hall
August 31, 2012

In honour of the sizzling new urban fantasy, FULL BLOODED (UK | US | ANZ) by Amanda Carlson – out this September – we’ve put together a fun Friday quiz for you. If you, just like Jessica McClain, are new to being a werewolf and to the supernatural world, you might need just a few handy tips on how to read the signs when dating a shifter . . .

(Click on the quiz to see a larger version.)

So how did you do? Check your results here!

For more steamy supernatural action, check out FULL BLOODED (UK | US | ANZ) by Amanda Carlson, out in September (you can already read the action-packed opening chapter online here). If you think you just can’t wait for it to come out, the fantastic prequel novella BLOODED, is already available.

FULL BLOODED – urban fantasy doesn’t get much hotter . . .

Anna Jackson
August 28, 2012

This year’s hottest new urban fantasy will be released this September, and excitement is already building on the interwebs! It’s from debut author Amanda Carlson, and is called FULL BLOODED (UK | US | ANZ), book one of the Jessica McClain novels.

Jessica’s the only female in an all-male werewolf race – and unlucky for her, it seems her very existence might spell out the doom of the werewolf race. It certainly ain’t easy being a girl sometimes . . .

Shown above are the shiny, shiny covers for FULL BLOODED and HOT BLOODED (out next April). They should give you a glimpse of the sexy excitement and adventure in store.

But if you just can’t wait until September to read book 1, don’t forget that you can get your hands on a piece of shifter Jessica McClain already! There is a novella available called BLOODED which gives an insight into her world, and it in fact acts as a great prequel to FULL BLOODED. (more…)