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3.07.2011

Guest Post & Giveaway with Kelly Keaton


It is not only Paranormal Spring Break it is also Mardi Gras. Can you say, "Happy Mardi Gras ya'll, Laissez les bon temps rouler!" It is time to let the good times roll and welcome Kelly Keaton, a woman who shares my same love for New Orleans and Mardi Gras, here to introduce us to her perspective of New Orleans and the world she created in New 2 - the world of Darkness Becomes Her.











Oh, Mardi Gras how I love thee! Kelly Keaton here to plead for her spot as Queen of the Parajunkee Crewe. :) (Picture me with awesome ball gown and sparkly purple and gold mask with gold glitter and fuzzy feathers).

Since DARKNESS BECOMES HER is set in what was once New Orleans, I thought it fitting to introduce you to the world of New 2 and take you around some spots Ari and Co. visit in the book.

New 2 emerged out of the chaos and devastation of two back-to-back hurricanes that destroyed New Orleans, making it uninhabitable. Nine of the oldest (and strangest) families from New Orleans banded together, formed an alliance known as the Novem, and bought the ruined land from the United States. Then, they retreated into their city to rebuild, starting with the French Quarter. The place became known as a sanctuary for the strange and paranormal.

Thirteen years later, it’s known as New 2. The French Quarter has been restored to its former glory and tourists are allowed into the area – though the Novem retains strict control over everything, who comes and goes, the economy, law enforcement, etc.

So let’s go on a little tour to see some places in the book!

Cabildo Building featured in New 2
The Cabildo Building

Jackson Square. To the left of the cathedral is the Cabildo Building, now home to the Novem offices. On the other side of St. Louis Cathedral (pictured below) is the Presbytère, which the Novem turned into their swanky private school.
St. Louis Cathdral
St. Louis Cathedral
St. Louis Cathdral
Presbytère
(photo credit of Cabildo & Presbytère: http://www.neworleansonline.com/)
(photo credit: http://www.neworleansonline.com/)
The Garden District. Not much has been restored here. Mansions are rotting, gardens are overgrown, Spanish moss grows unchecked, and squatters (those people not related to the Novem, abandoned and orphaned kids, and those who stayed behind after the hurricanes, all have staked their claim on the abandoned mansions). It’s a wild, lush place of lost grandeur and ghostly buildings.

One of those mansions is the Morris-Israel House where Crank takes Ari to meet Dub, Henri, Violet & Sebastian.
Lafayette Cemetery
(photo credit: http://www.neworleansonline.com/)
Another place featured in the book is Lafayette Cemetery. Much of it (in New 2) is in ruins. Tombs have been destroyed and bones and marble litter the ground, and a small swamp has overtaken a portion of the cemetery...
Wondering how the kids get around? Ari and the kids use the Saint Charles Avenue street car to get from the G.D. to the French Quarter:
St. Charles Street Car
St. Charles street car (photo credit: http://www.neworleansonline.com/)
So that’s the very short tour. New Orleans is such an amazing city. Nearly every site, every building and every street you’ll read about in DARKNESS BECOMES HER is a real landmark you can find within the city today.

Hope you all are enjoying your Paranormal Spring Break! Thanks for checking out my post and, as always, Happy Reading!!










Contest Deets ONE WINNER:
(Part of the Mardi Gras Prize Pack!) One (1) winner will receive a SIGNED final copy of DARKNESS BECOMES HER by Kelly Keaton along with fun Swag! (Sticky Notes, Bookmarks...)

Requirements:
Following is not required but is appreciated!
US Shipping Only - NO PO BOXES
Fill out the form to win!



Please Spread the Word
1. Tweet:
WIN! DARKNESS BECOMES HER & Swag! hosted by @parajunkee & @Tynga #ParanormalSpringBreak #giveaway http://bit.ly/eZZ2o3 PLZ RT

Please Donate to help with shipping expenses:
 







Legal Stuff:
  1. Parajunkee's View or Tynga's Reviews is not responsible for items lost in shipping or items shipped from 3rd party sponsors. 
  2. Winners are chosen using a random number generator based on the comment number.
  3. You do not have to be a follower to participate.
  4. Winners will be announced on this blog on April 6th and by email if one is provided either in comments or on your profile.
  5. There is no limit to the amount of giveaways you can enter during Paranormal Spring Break but you can only enter each giveaway once (main entry and any extra entries available), if it is found that a person has entered the same giveaway more than the allotted entries those entries will be disqualified.
  6. If it is not stated, it should be assumed that giveaway items have been provided by a 3rd party as a donation to Parajunkee's View. 
  7. This prize is part of the MARDI GRAS PRIZE pack - please see sidebar for what is available in this giveaway

52 comments:

Unknown said...

The cover is great - it absolutely reminds me of New Orleans. I adore the city, and am looking forward to touring your new New Orleans, especially the G.D.!

Liz @ Cleverly Inked said...

I have never been to New Orleans though I have been to Louisiana. Interesting to see where the ideas come from

Crystal said...

This book sounds really great! Thanks for the giveaway! And the pics are beautiful :-)

californiablue17@aol.com

Crystal said...

I Tweeted: http://mobile.twitter.com/madiganheart/status/44752529174708224

californiablue17@aol.com

Book Addictions by Christina said...

I just finished this book and posted a review on my blog. I love this book!!! This was a great post, I love the pics and OMG that is exactly how I pictured the GD! I love it!!!

Book Addictions by Christina said...

I tweeted and FB link :)

ChrisS said...

This looks like such a great story. I'm a fan of the paranormal and have family living in the New Orleans area. I would love to read about your New New Orleans.

Jennifer @ BookShelfery said...

Tweeted. Looks like a really good read.
Jennifer @ Just Nooking Around

Ivy said...

Haven't read this one yet, but I want to!!

tweet: https://twitter.com/ivyreads/status/44774659715112960

ivykiddo @gmail.com

Unknown said...

Well this is on my TBR list now!

Lexie@BookBug said...

I tweeted at http://twitter.com/#!/LexieBookBug/status/44783222973923328
lexie.bookbug(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Unknown said...

I've lived less than an hour from New Orleans all my life.(well until Feb 2010). I love reading everyones different take on the city, So many great books are set there.

Rain Maiden said...

I love stories surrounding New Orleans. I would love to vist someday too.

BLHmistress said...

I really want to visit New Orleans, fell in love with it when my favorite series is based out of New Orleans.

I tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/BookLovershaway/status/44813967046082560

Anonymous said...

Glad you guys like the tour, and thanks for the kind words! I'm planning a trip to NOLA in the next few months. Going to document a bunch of places in the book and in the sequel. Can't wait! :-)

Big thanks to Rachel and Tynga for having me!!

Kelly Keaton

Sniffly Kitty said...

Sigh, I too wish to go to New Orleans some day ^.^

Sniffly Kitty
Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books

ParaJunkee said...

Thanks everyone for visiting! This has to be the best Guest Post I've had on this blog. Helps to be reading the book at the time (it is great BTW) and having it be about the city I live in.

Kelly, when you come out to New Orleans I hope you do a signing so we can get the NOLA bloggers together (2 of us LOL) and stalk you properly! The have three wonderful GD indie book stores, Maple Street, Octavia and Garden District Bookstore.

Mariee said...

Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/marieimy/status/44847636112617472

marieimy (at) gmail (dot) com

Unknown said...

I tweeted! I can't wait to read this book!

@NaKeshaBrown

Jessy said...

This post just makes me want to go to New Orleans. It looks so pretty there.

Tweeted: http://twitter.com/Emma015/statuses/44869963424612353

findjessyhere at gmail dot com

Judy said...

I live in Holden, La., about an hour away from New Orleans. I have lived in La. for over 30 years. I love the Mardi Gras, and everything about New Orleans. It is a fascinating city.

Great looking book!!

Judy
magnolias_1[at]msn[dot]com

ashley said...

YOU ROCK!!!
THANKS!!!

Ammy Belle said...

Yay stickies! That is so awesome!
Thanks so much! :)

Book Flame said...

I've been to New Orleans once and loved it...I can't wait to get my hands on this book it sounds amazing.

I also tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/bookflamereview/status/44919081589145600

Mariya said...

I would love to read this book XD

mystifyingparanormalreviews[at]gmail[dot]com

Mariya said...

I also tweeted here:
http://twitter.com/#!/mariya_davis/status/44926671224188928

mystifyingparanormalreviews[at]gmail[dot]com

Megan@Riverina Romantics said...

Looks Good! I love swag! Thanks for the giveaway!

rootml1@hotmail.com

Megan@Riverina Romantics said...

I shared the FB link athttp://www.facebook.com/megan.root1

rootml1@hotmail.com

A Journey in Reading said...

I LOVE N'awlins!!!! I have been to every place she shared... LOVED it....

giveaway tweeted too! @journeyinreadin

~Mallary~ said...

Thanks for the contest!! I'm looking forward to reading this book!

mallary.mott@eagles.usm.edu

~Mallary~ said...

I tweeted too! http://twitter.com/#!/mallarymott/status/44939195785023488

Mandy Lum said...

This book sounds amazing, especially since I absolutely adore New Orleans culture. I'm a Louisiana native and live about 30 miles outside of the city, so I completely dig setting and atmosphere of this book. So glad you posted this!

Have a happy Mardi Gras! I know I will! (I'm in the Krewe of Jefferson, riding in one of the Metairie truck parades tomorrow) Laissez les bon temps roullez!

Mandy @ Embrace Your Oddities

Anonymous said...

I retweeted about the giveaway! @jjbeachgirl77

BookGeek said...

You are blowing my mind right now.

Also tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/sduzy496

I loved the interview!

AsianCocoa said...

This book looks good. Adding it to my TBR.
I loved New Orleans the last time I visited. I want to go during Mardi Gras though. One of these days...

Minas said...

Great post! Thanks for the giveaway!

minas_1989(at)hotmail(dot)com

Minas said...

I tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/MT0089/status/45628501654650880

minas_1989(at)hotmail(dot)com

Holly said...

I can't wait to read it! Thanks so much!

RT: http://twitter.com/#!/betweenbookends/status/46967990595489793

hollyjolly89@gmail.com

Kyo_Fangirl9 said...

I have wanted to read this book for awhile so thank you for the giveaway! =D
I tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/Kyo_Fangirl/status/47068231311163392

simpsons1823@yahoo.com

latishajean said...

Thank you so much for the great giveaway!
Tweeted too
http://twitter.com/#!/latishajean/status/47472021533245441
tishajean@ charter.net

ReaganStar said...

I tweeted as well. http://twitter.com/#!/StarShadowCo/status/48037244400967680

Unknown said...

Soo want to read this book! Enter me!

maddie.mcphail@gmail.com

Lisa said...

I want to read this book so bad :)
jlhsperry624@hotmail.com

Lisa said...

tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/jlhsperry624/status/50699556442214400

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU for the giveaway.

Tweeted-- WIN! DARKNESS BECOMES HER & Swag! hosted by @parajunkee & @Tynga #ParanormalSpringBreak #giveaway http://bit.ly/eZZ2o3 PLZ RT

Anonymous said...

THANK you for the giveaway.

tweeted -- http://twitter.com/#!/Ronyka7/status/50799356575625216


(the one i post before this wasen't the link sorry)

Jen said...

Tweeted about giveaway http://twitter.com/#!/JenLD0336/status/52092902607814657

jen72684(at)hotmail(dot)com

Amosette said...

I just saw this book at walmart and i wanted to buy it but i was broke. It sounds so good and my brother wants to read it too, he never reads lol.
I tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/officiallyjewel/status/52768831428505601.
officiallyjewels@gmail.com
thanks julie

Unknown said...

Thanks for the chance at your giveaway. carrieab77@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

Thanks for the chance at your giveaway. carrieab77@hotmail.com

Pam S said...

really enjoy books set in New Orleans, this sounds like a great read

tweeted - http://twitter.com/#!/pams00/status/54206382836166656

pams00 @ aol.com

Jolene and Family said...

I tweeted

http://twitter.com/#!/joleneallcock/status/55479530755854337

june111(at)att(dot)net

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