Syttende Mai: Parading our Norse around in Ballard

Happy Norwegian Constitution Day! We celebrate May 17th in Ballard with (what is rumored to be) the largest Syttende Mai parade outside of Norway, because we like to pretend we’re still a fiercely independent city of Viking descendants. At right is a picture of our local independent bookstore’s Syttende Mai display. Other major festivals are Viking Days in the summer, and Tivoli and Yule Fest at the Nordic Heritage Museum. It doesn’t matter if your Norwegian ancestors hated your neighbor’s Swedish ones; we’re all one big happy Norse family in Ballard. May 17th for Ballardites is like March 17th for Americans–everyone is Irish on St. Patty’s Day! On Syttende Mai, you too can eat pickled herring, aebleskiver, and rye bread and pretend you traveled here by dragon boat.

Or you could read the Deadglass Trilogy where the Ballardites are really immortal Viking dragon shifters and their Norse human followers. It’s like a freaky alternate reality where all the jokes are real!

Edited to add: Click here for scenes from this year’s parade on MyBallard. I need to get my kiddo one of those traditional dresses for next year. So cute!

Guest posting at Books Make Me Happy about TEA. ARC contest!

I’m over at Books Make Me Happy Reviews talking about my tea addiction and giving away an autographed advance copy of HEARTS OF DARKNESS to one lucky commenter. Come join me! (Contest closes Friday.)

Publishers Weekly Interview avec moi: From Urban Planning to Urban Fantasy

I am pleased to announce my very first official interview EVAH! And it’s in Publishers Weekly, no less. In it I expound upon the Deadglass Trilogy and the inspiration behind my haunted, alternate Seattle. I also chat about my favorite books growing up–all Young Adult Fantasy–and why I chose Norse/Babylonian/Native American mythology for the trilogy. The interview can be found in the current PW issue, which is sadly hard to get a hold of unless one subscribes. (Sometimes you can find it at Barnes and Noble.)

From Urban Planning to Urban Fantasy: PW Talks with Kira Brady
By Julie Naughton
May 11, 2012

Kira Brady’s studies in urban planning and historic preservation helped her create a fantastical alternate Seattle in Hearts of Darkness, the first in a paranormal romance trilogy.

Thunderbolt Blue Hair! and Novak’s auction for Books, Critiques, Getaways and Goodies.

The annual Brenda Novak Auction for Diabetes Research is underway. Every May, critiques, networking opportunities, goodie baskets, and once-in-a-lifetime trips are auctioned off to raise money for diabetes research. Last year the auction raised over a million dollars. In the past I’ve won writing critiques from Candice Hern and Lori Handeland, and a lunch with author Jenna Petersen at the 2008 RWA conference. I had a really great time.

This year you can bid on a critique from my editor at Kensington, Peter Senftleben, which is currently a steal at $140. Love Seattle? New York Times best selling author and all around awesome Shelli Stevens is auctioning off a basket of Seattle goodies.

In other news, I dip dyed my hair Thunderbolt Blue. I now match my book cover. It is also possible that I liked Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor a little too much.

Romance Extravaganza this weekend

If you are in the Seattle area, there is a fabulous romance reader and writer event this Saturday at the Covington Library. I will be there as a reader. Please introduce yourself if you get the chance!

ROMANCE EXTRAVAGANZA

Saturday, May 5, 11am – 2pm Covington Library

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with some of the brightest stars and most popular authors of romance and women’s fiction books.11am–Noon Romance All Stars featuring Julia Quinn, Stefanie Sloane and Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz) Noon Refreshments and Book Signing 12:30–1:30pm New Trends in Romance featuring Meljean Brook, Alexis Morgan and Gerri Russell 1:30–2pm Book Signing Sponsored by the Friends of the Covington Library and the Greater Seattle Chapter of Romance Writers of America. Books will be available for purchase

Featured Authors:

Meljean Brook A lifelong love of reading led Meljean to writing, after a short detour into the world of accounting. She soon realized that monsters, superheroes and happily-ever-afters are easily found between the covers of books, so she set out to make her own. She writes Urban Fantasy and Steampunk Romance. Meljean Brook’s Web Site

Alexis Morgan By the end of this year, Alexis will have published twenty-five books, novellas and short stories, including contemporary romances, American West Historicals and Paranormal Romances. She has been nominated for numerous industry awards, including the RITA© from the Romance Writers of America, the top award in the romance genre. Her next release is Fantasy, the first book in a new series. Alexis Morgan’s Web Site

Gerri Russell Gerri is the award-winning author of six novels and one novella. She is best known for her adventurous and emotionally intense novels set in 13th and 14th Century Scottish Highlands. A two-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award and winner of the American Title II competition sponsored by Dorchester Publishing and RT BOOKreviews Magazine, she recently re-issued her books as ebooks to great success. Gerri Russell’s Web Site

Stefanie Sloane With two nominations this year for the prestigious RITA© award, Stefanie’s books are quickly climbing the bestseller lists. An English major in college, she worked in Amazon.com’s Books editorial department before retiring to concentrate on her own stories. Stefanie Sloane’s Web Site

Amanda Quick The author of a string of New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ uses three different pen names for each of her three “worlds”. As JAYNE ANN KRENTZ (her married name) she writes contemporary romantic-suspense. She uses AMANDA QUICK for her novels of historical romantic-suspense. JAYNE CASTLE (her birth name) is reserved these days for her stories of futuristic/paranormal romantic-suspense. Amanda Quick’s Web Site

Julia Quinn After deciding she’d rather write romance novels than dissect cadavers in medical school, Julia Quinn went on to receive several RITA© awards. Her writing has quickly earned a reputation for warmth and humor, and her dialogue is considered among the best in the industry. Her popular Bridgerton family books put her on the New York Times bestseller list, and she continues to delight her readers with books set in the Regency era. Julia Quinn’s Web Site

Starred Review from Publishers Weekly!

I woke up this morning to excellent news: Hearts of Darkness, my debut and the first book of the Deadglass Trilogy, earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly! I am so excited. Publishers Weekly also interviewed me about the series, and you can read it next month in the print and online editions.

The short version:

“Dazzling…thrilling…irresistible”

Full text version of the review, but you can also read it directly on the Publishers Weekly website here.

Hearts of Darkness

Kira Brady. Kensington/Zebra, $6.99 mass market (352p) ISBN 978-1-4201-2456-9

In this dazzling debut, Brady blends Norse, Babylonian, and Native American mythology to create a dark and compelling story set in an alternate present day. After Philadelphia nurse Kayla Friday’s beloved sister is killed, Kayla goes to Seattle (which looks like “some war-torn, third world country”) to identify the body and promptly plunges into a world of dueling ancient clans. The soul-eating Drekar seek to open a Gate between worlds, while the shape-shifting Kivati are equally determined to prevent the breach they know will unleash a deadly apocalypse. Through it all, Brady weaves a compelling love story between virginal Kayla and Hart, a Kivati mercenary and werewolf. Hart believes himself to be damned thanks to events in the past—not to mention his current work for the evil Dreki Sven Norgard—but Kayla sees the good at his core, while he helps her navigate the strange world her sister inhabited. This dark paranormal moves quickly to a thrilling finish, setting the stage for the next installment of this irresistible new series. (Aug.)

Goodreads Giveaway over – congrats to the winners!

So my first contest for advance reader copies for Hearts of Darkness was a success. Over 700 people entered on Goodreads and five won. I’m sending off the ARCs tomorrow. I still have a bunch, so keep your eye on this space over the next few months for your chance to win a copy. I’ll probably have another Goodreads giveaway in June and will give some away on blog stops.

I had this plan to write a bunch of posts about the Babylonian New Year festival – Nisannu – which coincides with the Spring Equinox and features prominently in ze book. It was, as usual, a brilliant idea that lacked execution. I tell you, I used to be the queen of following through on those brilliant ideas. I also used to blog every day, back when I was blogging and thinking about writing instead of actually finishing the book. It is not incidental that I am currently not blogging and actively finishing books. So this space remains my NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! feed instead of my daily ponderings.

In other excitement, today I celebrated at my favorite spot, the Queen Mary Tea Room, with my mother in law to celebrate her first publication, her short story in the february issue of New Mexico Magazine. I am so proud of her! She won the Tony Hillerman short story contest at the Word Harvest conference.

There is always something to celebrate with afternoon tea, but this one was extra special.