Sing for the Dead
London Undead, Book 2
P.J. Schnyder
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Date of Publication: November 4, 2013
Number of pages: 95
Number of words: ~33,000
Excerpt:Kayden, a lone were-leopard allied with the London werewolf pack to keep the zombie infestation in check, is used to working solo—until he discovers a beautiful fae woman surrounded by the aftermath of battle. He’s immediately drawn to Sorcha, but quickly discovers she’s much more than a pretty face.
Half Bean Sidhe and half berserker, Sorcha trained over centuries to become the perfect warrior. She agrees to work with local weres to investigate a new type of zombie capable of coordinated attacks—and is partnered with Kayden. He’s strong, darkly handsome and completely unafraid of her. And his kiss fills her with insatiable desire instead of bloodlust.
As Kayden and Sorcha work together, their attraction grows and their deepest scars are bared to each other. But with the force behind the deadly new zombies poised to overwhelm the city, Sorcha can only pray that the next time her bloodlust strikes, Kayden isn’t among the fallen…
Chapter One
Sorcha ran.
Taking the Serpentine bridge helped speed her along, man-made though it was. Crossing running water posed no deterrent for her. Others of fae blood might have paused in the hunt, but the zombies shambling through the bare trees in these parks were not her quarry.
No. Pursuit was not her purpose. Rescue was. The feeling of wrongness, the taint of spoiled magic, worsened as she crossed from Hyde Park into the Kensington Gardens. Perhaps the lake separating the two parks kept some of it from spreading. What humans called the Long Water remained relatively clean of the pall of death exuding from the land.
The trees in Kensington Gardens were bare skeletons this deep into winter in London—sleeping, but restless, tugging at her heart. Would the trees be too sickened to bring forth new life after their roots had bathed in blood? Parks like these provided sanctuary for the lesser fae and Fair Folk living in cities such as London. Without them, the fae who’d made the city their home, braved cold iron, would fade. And for every city lost, the Under Hill shrank as well.
Even if mortals ruled the world, the fae needed to maintain a presence in order to keep the balance of things or their world would fade from existence. She’d been sent to investigate why the fae of London were disappearing, and she’d found death walking. Stupid humans, coming in after dark, to hunt and be overwhelmed, to loot and be taken by surprise. Perhaps such short lives made for stunted memories. Though the zombies found prey too often in these gardens, the humans kept coming. She didn’t Sing for those, the ones who’d done humanity a favor by taking themselves out of the gene pool.
No. Her Songs aided the passing of worthier souls. A tortured cry rang out in the night, sending ripples through the magic saturating the land, tainted as it was. She ran harder. Perhaps she could be savior this time, and not simply witness to death.
The zombies were gathering, called not only by the sounds of struggle, but also by the disturbance. Like sharks drawn to an injured fish in water, it was as if the zombies could sense easy prey. Unnatural as they were, she’d no doubt zombies were animated at least in part by magic of some kind. The parks used to be the reservoirs of old magic in the city. They’d become death traps.
As she broke through the trees, a brownie stood atop a mound in the children’s playground, a curved dome with tunnels for children to crawl through in play. Good that he’d chosen higher ground, bad that he’d allowed himself to be surrounded away from any trees or route of escape. Maybe the mound had reminded him of a hollowed hill, the way the tunnels led beneath it.
Gentle in nature, brownies like him tended places and buildings, their magic sympathetic to home and hearth. They weren’t bred to fighting, weren’t trained as soldiers the way she’d been. While he could turn boggart and create minor havoc, he wasn’t meant for true violence and was no match for the dead trying to eat him. But she was.
Red haze encroached on her vision. Sorcha reached for her swords, drawing them free without slowing her pace, embracing the sweet song of savagery rising in her blood.
Trailer:
Interview:
Today, we welcome P.J. Schnyder to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give her a big Geeky welcome!
I have some questions for you that are writer specific as well as some fun stuff so that we can really get to know the real you. *grin* Plus we will finish things off with round of Think Fast. Ready to begin?
Writing Specific
1. Tell us something about yourself that's not in your bio.
I love spinning and knitting and crocheting, working with natural luxury yarns like super soft merino wool, alpaca, or angora rabbit.2. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I enjoy watching anime and knitting/crocheting. I also love to try out new foodie restaurants. Some of my favorite outings include visiting zoos and aquariums.3. How did you choose the genres you write in?
I’ve always enjoyed science fiction and fantasy. When I started writing, my stories tended to focus more on the relationship developing between my main characters so romance sort of chose me.4. Is there any particular author or book that has influenced you or your writing?
Anne McCaffrey’s stories have always been an inspiration. Her work in the Dragonriders of Pern series, the Crystal Singer series, the Brainship series, and the FT&T universe with the Tower & Hive or the Talent series. She crossed genres and created wonderful worlds within universes. Sassinak is one of my first heroines, alongside Sallah of Dragonsdawn and Hypatia of the Ship Who Searched.
She created heroines in science fiction when there weren’t many out there. She took a shot at a saucy romance short, The Thorns of Barevi, which became Freedom’s Landing in later decades.5. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I participated in a writing critique workshop at a science fiction convention. The established authors on that panel gave me some of the most critical comments I have ever received. Including things like, “Who talks like that?” and, “No world would have a government able to maintain itself if you had characters like this” and, “Your dialog reads like a Firefly script and that is NOT a compliment.” It’s tough to face seven people you aspire to join and be given very harsh feedback. It took some perspective to take that feedback and work with it constructively.
Ironically, the best compliment I feel I’ve ever received?
“Your dialog reads like a Firefly script…”
Criticism or compliment, it’s all in the way you look at it. ;)Fun Stuff
6. If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be and why?
My grandparents. They loved me unconditionally growing up even if they were always a bit perplexed by my oddities. They embraced those parts of me too, and I would love to be able to show them what their quirky granddaughter became with their loving support.7. You are going to be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 luxury items. What would they be?
Solar power charging station. Ereader. Satellite phone (PJ phone home).8. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who are they and why?
I’m really fond of PJ Mommy and PJ Daddy, plus very happy with the genetic outcome. ;) So let’s say the celebrities are honorary parents.
Oh gosh. Um. Jet Li as my honorary father would be interesting. I would love to learn from and train with him in martial arts.9. What would we find in your refrigerator right now?
For some reason my roomie has store bought black-bottom cupcakes in the fridge. As if I don’t bake enough cupcakes for us as it is!10. If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
Random Life of a Font of Random Information :PThink Fast
Summer or Winter? Winter
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Cake or Pie? Pie!
Car or Truck? Car
Print or Electronic? Ah! I love to read Print at home, but I love to read Electronic travelling. >.<
Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?
Writing is often a solitary endeavor. Go out and find fellow creative minds in a wide variety of places and share in nifty things together. Hopefully, you’ll inspire each other, encourage each other, and drive each other forward to do more nifty things.
I love to connect with new readers, so please do find me:
Play find the PJ around the Internetz:
Website: http://pjschnyder.comGiveaway:
Twitter: @pjschnyder
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPJSchnyder
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/pjschnyder
A Sing for the Dead spiral notebook, PJ pen, signed cover flats for Sing for the Dead and Bite Me, and a custom bookmark with one of my favorite quotes from Sing for the Dead, plus a PJ Schnyder USB flash drive.
Book Tour Info:
Don't forget to check out the other stops on the Book Tour:
November 4:
Mom with a Kindle - Guest Post
Rather Barefoot Than Bookless - Guest Post
November 5:
Simply Ali - Guest Post
Joyfully Reviewed - Guest Post
November 6:
Pretty Girls Read Books - Guest Post
HBS Author’s Spotlight - Author Interview
November 7:
For Whom The Books Toll - Guest Post
November 8:
M.J. Schiller, Romance Author - Guest Post
That’s What I’m Talking About - Guest Post
November 11:
Amberkatze’s Book Blog - Guest Post
November 12:
Paranormal Dimension - Guest Post
November 13:
Booklover Sue - Author Interview
November 14:
Musings and Ramblings - Author Interview
November 15:
Author’s Cafe - Author Interview
November 18:
Paranormal Realms - Guest Post
November 19:
Deal Sharing Aunt - Guest Post
November 20:
Celestial Reviews - Guest Post
November 22:
Realm of Fantasy and Fiction - Guest Post
Author Bio:
Born and raised in the North East, PJ Schnyder spent her childhood pretending to study for the SATs by reading every fantasy and sci-fi novel she could borrow from the local and school libraries. She scored fairly high in the verbal portion.She was introduced to the wonderful world of romance a decade later by her best friend at an anime convention in Seattle.
She now lives somewhere temperate watching the seasons go by with her two dogs and super stealthy ninja kitty, writing her stories and gaming.
To connect with the author online:
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