Urban Fantasy Bloghop + Giveaway!

Today is the start of Yelena Casle's Urban Fantasy bloghop, and I'm happy to be participating! Here's my Q&A:

1. What do you love about the Urban Fantasy genre? (reading and writing)

I love the darkness and grittiness I get to explore with urban fantasy. As much as I enjoy reading YA, I love the adult aspect of urban fantasy because of the themes I get to explore. I love the mix of action, suspense, magic, and of course the sex and romance. Kick ass heroines and sexy, supernatural alpha men? Count me in! This counts for both reading and writing. With my books, I love being able to encompass things like politics, murder, romance, and kickassness all in one. I don't have to be afraid to hold back, you can definitely push the envelope with the genre.

2. Who is the sexiest supernatural creature? Who is the scariest?

In terms of sex appeal, I think a smoldering hot were-animal is pretty sexy. The muscles, the heat, the dangerous air about them, the dominant personality -- hot! Scariest, hmm....zombies perhaps? Because they are as least sexy as you can get, you pretty much have to run for your lives to keep your brains in your head. Or of course if we're talking UF, you can stick around and kick their asses.

3. If you could make any supernatural creature, what would it look like and what powers would it have?

I like things that are not just one thing, so maybe some sort of demon/witch hybrid (I actually have this sort of character in one of my books and he's a lot of fun) So he has magic but can also suck the soul from your body. He'd be a good looking guy of course lol

4. Do you have any Halloween rituals?

I actually don't, because where I spent my childhood (Trinidad), Halloween wasn't a big deal like it is in the states, so I didn't grow up having one thought or another about it. So even as an adult I don't have anything I ritually do on Halloween, I have fun if I can, if not it's not a big deal.

5. Walking at midnight in a forest on Halloween - crazy, scary or adventurous?

All of the above!

6. What is your worst fear?

Being buried alive. Drowning also seems like it would suck.

7. What is one of your character's worst fear?

Hm, I think I'll use Selene, from my most recent novel, Affairs of the Dead. I think one of her fears is not feeling as though she is good enough to handle a healthy relationship. She might very well run from it.

8. What is your favorite Urban Fantasy novel?

How can I have a favorite! My first foray into the genre was Laurell K. Hamilton so I will always have a soft spot for the Anita Blake novels, especially the earlier ones. I've been reading Richelle Mead lately so I've been enjoying her series.

9. Who is your favorite Urban Fantasy hero/heroine?

I like Richelle Mead's Eugenie from her Thorn Queen series. Hero...hmm! Jean Claude from the Anite Blake series is one sexy vamp in my opinion, but really, how can I choose?

10. Which hero/heroine would you love to be on Halloween?

I'll be myself, just give me some kick ass powers! lol

For my giveaway, I will be giving away an ARC of "A Conspiracy of Alchemists" by Liesel Schwarz, which is to be published in March 2013. Just comment on this post and I will choose the winner at random!

Read the blurb on Amazon