About the Author:On Aug. 28, 2005, Suzanne Johnson loaded two dogs, a cat, a friend, and her mom into a car and fled New Orleans in the hours before Hurricane Katrina made landfall.
Four years later, she began weaving her experiences and love for her city into the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series, beginning with Royal Street (2012), continuing with River Road (2012), and now with Elysian Fields (August 2013).
She grew up in rural Alabama, halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis’ birthplace, and lived in New Orleans for fifteen years—which means she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football and fried gator on a stick.
She can be found online at her website or her daily blog, Preternatura. As Susannah Sandlin, she writes the best-selling Penton Vampire Legacy paranormal romance series and the recent standalone, Storm Force.
Series: Sentinels of New Orleans Series, Book Three
Author: Suzanne Johnson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Books
Date of Publication: August 13, 2013
Number of Pages: 352
Cover Artist: Cliff Nielsen
Book Description: The mer feud has been settled, but life in South Louisiana still has more twists and turns than the muddy Mississippi. New Orleanians are under attack from a copycat killer mimicking the crimes of a 1918 serial murderer known as the Axeman of New Orleans.
Thanks to a tip from the undead pirate Jean Lafitte, DJ Jaco knows the attacks aren't random--an unknown necromancer has resurrected the original Axeman of New Orleans, and his ultimate target is a certain blonde wizard.
Namely, DJ. Fighting off an undead serial killer as troubles pile up around her isn't easy. Jake Warin's loup-garou nature is spiraling downward, enigmatic neighbor Quince Randolph is acting weirder than ever, the Elders are insisting on lessons in elven magic from the world's most annoying wizard, and former partner AlexWarin just turned up on DJ's to-do list. Not to mention big maneuvers are afoot in the halls of preternatural power.
Suddenly, moving to the Beyond as Jean Lafitte's pirate wench? It could be DJ's best option.
Publisher: Tor Books
Date of Publication: August 13, 2013
Number of Pages: 352
Cover Artist: Cliff Nielsen
Book Description: The mer feud has been settled, but life in South Louisiana still has more twists and turns than the muddy Mississippi. New Orleanians are under attack from a copycat killer mimicking the crimes of a 1918 serial murderer known as the Axeman of New Orleans.
Thanks to a tip from the undead pirate Jean Lafitte, DJ Jaco knows the attacks aren't random--an unknown necromancer has resurrected the original Axeman of New Orleans, and his ultimate target is a certain blonde wizard.
Namely, DJ. Fighting off an undead serial killer as troubles pile up around her isn't easy. Jake Warin's loup-garou nature is spiraling downward, enigmatic neighbor Quince Randolph is acting weirder than ever, the Elders are insisting on lessons in elven magic from the world's most annoying wizard, and former partner AlexWarin just turned up on DJ's to-do list. Not to mention big maneuvers are afoot in the halls of preternatural power.
Suddenly, moving to the Beyond as Jean Lafitte's pirate wench? It could be DJ's best option.
Q & A with Suzanne Johnson
Q: Tell us a little bit about
your main characters.
A: The
heroine is DJ Jaco, a Green Congress wizard (think geek) in New Orleans who,
after Hurricane Katrina, was thrust into the role of Sentinel for the area
(think border guard between our world and the preternatural world).
She’s
surrounded by a cast of regulars who might have larger or smaller roles in each
book, but I’d categorize three as major at this point in the story—her former
partner Alex Warin, who’s an enforcer for the wizards (think: assassin) and a
shapeshifter; the undead early 19th-century French pirate Jean
Lafitte, granted immortality by the power of human memory; and DJ’s neighbor
Quince Randolph, aka Rand. I can’t tell you much about Rand without major
spoilery!
Other
recurring characters include Adrian Hoffman, a glorified secretary for the
wizarding Congress of Elders; Etienne Boulard and his assistant Terri Ford,
vampire regent; Rene Delachaise, a merman and good friend of DJ’s; Jake Warin,
Alex’s cousin and former love interest of DJ’s who’s a rogue werewolf; Eugenie
Dupre, DJ’s friend and a human who’s only recently learned about the “other”
world; and various wizards, pirates, elves, vampires, and an occasional undead
jazz musician or voodoo god.
Q: DJ is described by multiple reviewers as a strong heroine. In your opinion, what makes a good, strong female character?
A: I think there are all kinds of strong female lead characters, but my personal favorites are those who have to work at it. DJ’s strength doesn’t come in her ability to wield a weapon. In fact, she sucks at it. But she’s strong because she’s smart, creative, and doesn’t quit. She has a strong sense of ethics, but doesn’t mind bending the rules and asking forgiveness later. She gets knocked down a lot, but she always comes up swinging, figuratively speaking. She’ll ask for help if she needs to (well, she’s getting better about that). Those are the things that make her strong.
Q: If your books were turned into a movie, who would you want to play the parts?
A: Ah, that’s so hard. I always envisioned DJ as looking a little like the actress Emilie de Ravin, although she might have to work to get a New Orleans accent. For Jean Lafitte, perhaps Giles Marini—he already has the accent down. A young Josh Holloway could play Jake. Alex, Alex, Alex. I just haven’t found the right Alex. I picture him in my head but haven’t found anyone who’d work. Suggestions?
Q: When you first started writing
Royal Street did you know it was going to turn into a series? What
was your writing process like throughout the series?
A: LOL.
When I first started Royal Street, I
wasn’t even sure it was going to turn into a novel! It was my first book, my
first stab at writing fiction, and I started it partly as a way to turn my
post-Hurricane Katrina angst (I’d been living in New Orleans) into something
positive. So it was all gut and heart. By the time I finished it, though, I had
fallen in love with the whole writing process, and by the time I found my
agent, I’d already started writing the second book River Road. When Royal Street
sold, River Road was almost finished,
so I sold them both at the same time. It’s a natural for me to think in terms
of series, because that’s almost all I read.
Q: Is Elysian
Fields going to be the last in the series, or can your readers expect more in
the future?
A: No,
in fact, Elysian Fields really kicks
off a big story arc that began building in the first two books. There will be
at least two more in the series, after which we’ll see how they’re selling and
how the big story arc is progressing. The next book has the working title of Pirate’s Alley, and will be out in
2014—no firm date yet.
Q: What is the best advice you have been given?
A: The best advice I haven’t quite taken is to learn to say
no; I have a problem with that, which is why I’m always overcomitted. The best
advice I actually try to take is to treat my writing like a career and give it
the same attention and dedication that I give to my day-job. Treat it like a
hobby and it will be a hobby.
Q: What do you see as the biggest
challenge for indie authors and what have you been doing to overcome that?
A: I
haven’t self-published; both of my series (as Suzanne Johnson and Susannah
Sandlin) are traditionally published, so I’ll answer this question as a book
blogger and an editor who sees a lot of indie work cross my desk. The biggest
challenge for an indie author—for any author, really—is discoverability. With
an estimated 15 million books coming out this year, how are you going to make
your work stand out and get people to read it? The biggest problems I see with
indie works coming my way for review are covers that look “homemade” and lack
of editing. Your name is your brand, and you don’t want a reader’s first
impression of your brand to be negative. So it’s important to showcase your
work at its best by getting professional developmental editing, copyediting,
and cover design. Otherwise, a reader might try you out once, but won’t come
back again.
Q: If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?
A: Definitely
teleporting. I don’t like the whole flying experience; I’ll drive anywhere, but
don’t make me deal with airports.
Thanks
for having me today!
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great post Sheri and Suzanne.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read. Looking forward to it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou chose my FAVORITE superpower! It's the obvious best choice by far. ;)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading this book.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about what makes a strong heroine. Great interview.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteFor D.J., how about Poppy Montgomery from the TV show Unforgettable. Thanks for the Q&A with Suzanne. Elysian Fields is a great read. Wonderful continuation of the Sentinel of New Orleans series.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I'm enjoying following the tour.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought about teleporting that way, but Suzanne is right - it would be a LOT better than airports, which make me feel like the world's biggest germophobe and take forever.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, everyone! Yes, when I say I hate to fly people think I am afraid of flying...but I hate airports and crowds and standing in lines. Flying is fine!
ReplyDeletePoppy Montgomery....yes, I could see her playing DJ!
^^ i 'm not sure who could play Alex... he is so complex ^^ but i definitively go check the list of model keri lake did just in case one appears as alex^^
ReplyDeleteAlso i can understand the problem of not being able to say no ( oki i do say no more often but i end up doing what i refused anyway so....quite similar^^)
Love the Q&A, and I would love to teleport to. Thanks for sharing. and the for the giveaway. evamillien at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! Gives more insight into the characters.
ReplyDeleteDeb
mammy4423 @ yahoo. com
Sounds like a great book w/strong, well developed characters!
ReplyDeleteI like your actor picks.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for book 4! Good job suzanne
ReplyDelete