Welcome to our Steampunk Revelry! Fight off the Dead with your parasol, enjoy some buttery Parisian croissants, and help us celebrate Susan Dennard’s new release, A Darkness Strange and Lovely—book 2 in the Something Strange and Deadly series.
To begin the party, you can learn about Susan’s series, listen to its official playlist, play the TwoChops crossword puzzle, find your romantic match from the books, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for the following prizes:
1 signed paperback of Something Strange and Deadly
1 signed hardcover of A Darkness Strange and Lovely
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Something Strange and Deadly summary:
The Dead are on her heels. Her life is on the line. And time is running out.
After her father dies and her brother mysteriously goes missing, Eleanor Fitt is left to deal with her family’s declining financial state. And with her controlling mother trying to marry her off, sixteen-year-old Eleanor doesn’t think life could get more complicated.
But then the Dead start walking.
Desperate to solve the mystery of her brother’s disappearance, Eleanor ventures into the private lab of the elusive Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. Always a social misfit, Eleanor finally feels at home among the intelligent Joseph, feisty Jie, and extremely stubborn yet gorgeous Daniel. But the more time she spends with them, the more dangerous her life becomes.
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A Darkness Strange and Lovely summary:
Darkness has come to the City of Light. . . .
With her brother dead and her mother on the verge of insanity, Eleanor Fitt is utterly alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome, enigmatic Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor begins to hear the vicious barking of hounds and see images of haunting yellow eyes, she fears the worst—that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are coming for her.
To escape and search out the Spirit-Hunters, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. Though friendly, Oliver entices Eleanor with necromancy and black magic, yet as long as she can resist his powerful temptation, she’ll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over the city . . . and there’s a whole new evil lurking. With the body count rising, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.
In Paris, there’s a price for this darkness strange and lovely . . . and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.
In this spellbinding sequel to Something Strange and Deadly, Susan Dennard delivers a thrilling mix of intrigue, romance, and revenge, all set against the wonderfully enchanting backdrop of nineteenth-century Paris.
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Check out Susan Dennard’s official Spotify playlist for A Darkness Strange and Lovely. Do any of the tunes get you in the mood for a waltz? Or perhaps for a good zombie-whopping?
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Want to learn more about the series or have you already read the books? Try your hand at this trivia-filled crossword puzzle, and get extra points toward the giveaway below!
And if you’re having any trouble with the questions, then you’ll find clues for the crossword here: http://somethingstrangeanddeadly.com/character/ and elsewhere on the Something Strange and Deadly website!
- In what city is Something Strange and Deadly set? Philadelphia
- In what city is A Darkness Strange and Lovely set? Paris
- Who is the heroine of the Something Strange and Deadly series? Eleanor
- What body part does Eleanor always aim for when fighting? Knees
- Who is Eleanor’s favorite writer? Shakespeare
- Eleanor and the Spirit-Hunters fight…? Dead
- What is the black magic in the Something Strange and Deadly series? Necromancy
- What is Eleanor’s weapon of choice? Parasol
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Did you have fun with the crossword? Then you might enjoy this quiz to find out who YOUR romantic love match is in the Something Strange and Deadly series. Let us know who your love match is to get an extra point in the giveaway below!
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And now it’s time for that giveaway of which we’ve spoken so much. Fill out the Rafflecopter form to be entered to win a signed paperback of Something Strange and Deadly and a signed hardcover of A Darkness Strange and Lovely.
PRIZE UPDATE: Congratulations to Chelsea and Martha who are the winners!
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About the author: Susan Dennard is a writer turned marine biologist turned writer again. A Darkness Strange and Lovely is the sequel to her debut novel, Something Strange and Deadly. Among the traits she shares with her heroine Eleanor are a weakness for Shakespeare quotes, a healthy appetite for baked goods, and an insatiable curiosity. Sadly, Susan does not get to wear a corset or wave a parasol on a daily basis. Learn more about her (and her crippling cookie addiction) on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or Pinterest.
What gorgeous dress on the cover…. And yes, I think a pretty parasol would be the perfect weapon!
I have never faced a zombie with a parasol, but I did feel pretty bad*ss when I recently bought a pick ax for some yard work at a local hardware store. For the rest of the day I felt ready for a zombie apocalypse, all because I had a pick ax in the car.
Chopping off their heads, definitely they best way to go about it!! I would use my cane that conveniently turns into a sword!! Now a parasol…that would make an amazing weapon! Great giveaway!!
viajeradelmar@aol.com
I read Something Strange & Deadly and I loved it!
I’d love to have a parasol for defence against zombies 😉
I would have to go with my trusty machete!
Oh definitely use the parasol – of course you do realize my has a little button on the handle that ejects the tip turning it into a long silver blade that is just perfect for piercing the heart and slicing off important parts, such as heads or pesky appendages 🙂 Thank you for the fun post. I have had this on my wishlist for what seems like forever and would love to win a copy.
Oo, hadn’t heard of these books before, but I’m intrigued now. 🙂 Love the idea of a parasol with hidden weaponry.
No, I haven’t; shovel
I find giving them a good whack on the head does the job nicely 😉
I haven’t ever faced one of the Dead with nothing more than a parasol, but if I did face one, I’d rather have a shotgun.
I haven’t faced any dead yet. I would like to have several weapons handy in addition to a parasol, which would have a poisonous point. I would like to also have a hunting sword and shuriken to ward off attackers.
I really like your goggles and the books sound good! Thanks for sharing
I just love your goggles, Susan! Good luck with the book.
And one should never underestimate a skillfully wielded parasol.
I can’t say I’ve ever faced the dead before, but a parasol does seem like a good weapon of choice haha.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I’m so glad to know that I’m not the only one who thinks’ parasols are the most wonderful objects in this world. So far I haven’t used one when facing a zombie, but I’m absolutely sure they will get the job done, not only better than anything else, but you still look smoking hot whilst holding one.
Awesome goggles Susan 🙂
Congrats on the release of A Darkness Strange and Lovely
I LOVE blurbs for both books, Are you planning any more in the series?
My weapon of choice would be a tweaked parasol, an ether rifle disguised in the parasol handle & ether deflecting/reflecting material for the parasol. Maybe other “protective devvices built into the parasol.
Mindy 🙂
Birdsooong@comcast.net
Omg, I loved Something Strange and Deadly!! I can NOT wait until the release of A Darkness Strange and Lovely!
My weapon: RUN!!
I’ve never had to face off against a zombie with a parasol. Seeing that the point is likely the only feature with weapon potential (except for using it like a quarterstaff), my first inclination would be to go for the throat. I suspect going for the knee would be better to incapacitate it, though.
Fire.