Monday, November 12, 2012

Interview: Suzanne Johnson, Author of River Road (Blog Tour & Giveaway)


Today we have Suzanne Johnson, author of River Road, book #2 of the urban fantasy series Sentinels of New Orleans. She has provided us with an amazing interview as well as a tour wide giveaway. So after you get your dose of Suzanne, make sure to check out the ridiculously generous giveaway below.

Jennifer: What were the best and most challenging parts of writing River Road?
Suzanne: Both the best and most challenging were expanding the series world to include water species like Merpeople and Nymphs, and creating histories and traits and personalities for those species. I wanted to make sure my water species went beyond traditional mythology and really meshed with the culture of South Louisiana. So my Merpeople are Cajun aquatic shapeshifters, for example, who have “mainstreamed” in the fishing industry…which is kind of cannibalistic if you think about it too hard!

Jennifer: How did you come up with the world in your Sentinels of New Orleans series?
Suzanne: I’m a longtime New Orleans resident and love the city, so I have a lot of material to work with. The first book of the series, Royal Street, was built around the “what-if” questions: What if Hurricane Katrina not only tore down the physical levees surrounding the city but also the metaphysical levees—the barrier between our world and the world Beyond? What might happen? I used a lot of my own Katrina experiences in that book, but I wanted magic to be at heart of the post-Katrina world I was building, as well as the history and culture and music and architecture of New Orleans and the chaos of the post-hurricane environment as I lived it. In River Road, we’ve moved past the Katrina crisis and the characters really get to loosen up. I’m gradually expanding the world as the series unfolds—not always with happy results for the characters.

Jennifer: If you were going to come up with a theme song for your book what song would it be?
Suzanne: Yikes. I have pretty extensive playlists for all the books in the series so far (we’re wrapping up revisions on book three). If I have to pick one song, I think it would be Zachary Richard’s “The Levee Broke,” with “Zydeco Gris-Gris” by BeauSoleil running a close second. If I could combine the heartbreak of Zachary’s song with the manic energy of the BeauSoleil, I’d have the perfect theme song!



Jennifer: What sets your book apart from the urban fantasy genre?
Suzanne: I think it’s different in a few ways. First is the way it makes use of its setting. You know you’re in Louisiana and New Orleans when you read it. These books couldn’t be set anywhere else on earth, from their use of wetlands to the presence of the Historical Undead—famous New Orleanians kept alive by the magic of human memory (most notably the undead pirate Jean Lafitte). DJ Jaco is also a bit unusual as an urban fantasy heroine because she’s really not kickass—most of the time, she’s just trying to survive. Her heart is in the right place even if it does turn her into something of a chaos magnet.

Jennifer: Can you tell us three surprising facts about yourself?
Suzanne: Well…let’s see. I’m kinda claustrophobic. I’m allergic to cats (and still am not sure how DJ ended up having a cat instead of a dog). I’m a fifth-generation Alabama resident, even though I now consider New Orleans my hometown.

Jennifer: If you could be any kind of supernatural being, what would you like to be and why?
Suzanne: I’d be a wizard just so I could teleport. No more airports, baggage check, crowded planes. That would be awesome. And maybe I could zap people who annoyed me. In a nice way, of course.

Jennifer: What are some of your favorite books and authors?
Suzanne: I grew up reading Stephen King, and I still count many of his books among my favorites. My favorite urban fantasy series are Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files and Kim Harrison’s Hollows. And I’m a sucker for JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Hot, tortured guys—yes!

Jennifer: Who or what has influenced you the most in writing this book?
Suzanne: My experiences during Hurricane Katrina were what propelled me to start the series in the first place, but River Road is dedicated to the people of Plaquemines Parish. A portion of author proceeds from the book will go to the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s oil spill relief fund. Plaquemines was hit hard by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 as well as Katrina before that and, more recently, Hurricane Isaac. So the people of New Orleans and Louisiana are my greatest inspiration and influence.

Jennifer: I can't thank you enough for taking time out to answer a few of my questions. I hope you had as much fun as I did. Is there anything else you would like to mention to my readers before we part ways?
Suzanne: It was great, Jennifer—thanks for having me here…I hope people enjoy River Road! (And if people haven’t read Royal Street, I think River Road stands alone pretty well.) I love to hear from readers and can be reached at author.suzanne.johnson@gmail.com.

Links
River Road
Sentinels of New Orleans, Book 2
Suzanne Johnson

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 336
Cover Artist: Cliff Nielsen

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository

Summary
Hurricane Katrina is long gone, but the preternatural storm rages on in New Orleans. New species from the Beyond moved into Louisiana after the hurricane destroyed the borders between worlds, and it falls to wizard sentinel Drusilla Jaco and her partner, Alex Warin, to keep the preternaturals peaceful and the humans unaware. But a war is brewing between two clans of Cajun merpeople in Plaquemines Parish, and down in the swamp, DJ learns, there’s more stirring than angry mermen and the threat of a were-gator.

Wizards are dying, and something—or someone—from the Beyond is poisoning the waters of the mighty Mississippi, threatening the humans who live and work along the river. DJ and Alex must figure out what unearthly source is contaminating the water and who—or what—is killing the wizards. Is it a malcontented merman, the naughty nymph, or some other critter altogether? After all, DJ’s undead suitor, the pirate Jean Lafitte, knows his way around a body or two.

It’s anything but smooth sailing on the bayou as the Sentinels of New Orleans series continues.
 
Tour Wide GIveaway
 1--Choice of Kindle Paperwhite or Nook Simple Touch (or $100 gift card for Amazon, B&N, or Book Depository)
5--$10 gift cards for Amazon, B&N or Book Depository

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio
Suzanne Johnson writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance from Auburn, Alabama, after a career in educational publishing that has spanned five states and six universities.  She grew up halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis' birthplace and lived in New Orleans for fifteen years, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football and fried gator on a stick.




93 comments:

  1. Sounds like an interesting series. I especially love the New Orleans setting (I loved the movie Double Jeopardy for that ending scene in the famous cemetery), but I haven't seen it in the media much post-Katrina. Also liking how the hurricane has a direct affect on the plot. I'll have to pick up book 1.

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    1. I agree, I like how the hurricane affects the plot, it's more real. I love New Orleans settings in books.

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    2. Thanks, Lauren! I loved that final scene in Double Jeopardy as well--that's also the setting for the final scene in the first book in this series, Royal Street!

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  2. I have had the first book in this series on my TBR list for little while now...just added #2 to the list as well. I love books set in New Orleans and I can't wait to have an opportunity to read both books!!

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  3. sounds interesting. i have traveled to new orleans many times and i love to read books where the setting is familiar. i also like how the hurricane has an affect on the plot. thanks for the giveaway.

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    1. I so want to visit New Orleans. It's on my wishlist.

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    2. Thanks! I lived in New Orleans a long, long time, so I knew I had to set the books there. It's an awesome city.

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  4. I've had the first in the series on my wishlist for a while but haven't managed to get my hands on a copy yet! river road looks awesome!

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    1. Awww, I hope you get your hands on one soon.

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    2. Thanks, Sarah! I have quite a few Royal Street giveaways on the book tour for River Road, so maybe you'll win one!

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  5. It's awesome that you include lots of different creatures - and how interesting that the mer people were the most challenging to bring to life.

    The book sounds awesome!!

    Thank you:)

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    1. I love books with more than one or two creatures. Keeps things exciting, right?

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    2. Thanks, Christina--I loved the mers. It was fun to create a new mythology for my merpeople to make them tie into the New Orleans setting :-)

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  6. Great Post :)
    Thanks for sharing about the intriuing book ... TBR listed :)

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  7. I have put both of them on my TBR too!!

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  8. I just read a prequel story of Suzanne's featuring the merpeople and it was really good, so I'm psyched to read River Road. The only problem is that it was released in hardback, so the Kindle price is currently out of my budget. Thanks for the interview.

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    1. Thanks for the comments on "Chenoire," Jen! Yes, the paperback of River Road won't be out until June and I don't have any control over the Kindle prices, unfortunately. Follow the tour, and chances are good you might win a copy!

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  9. Thanks for sharing this amazing book. Thanks for the giveaway

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  10. My friend Nicole says good things about this series. I've got to get my hands on these books soon.

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    1. Thanks, Julie (and thank Nicole--LOL). Hope you enjoy the series!

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  11. Great post. I haven't read this series yet, but it sounds like a great read.

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  12. Oh wow, Thanks for this! I've read good things about the series :)

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  13. I love the setting in New Orleans - I can't wait to see how things shape up after the flood!

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    1. Thanks, Rebe! In River Road, things REALLY start getting crazy :-)

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  14. Thank you so much for the amazing giveaway, I've heard nothing but awesome buzz about the series. ^.^

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    1. Thanks for coming by--lots of chances to win on this tour, so you could win both books!

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  15. Okay, you had me at New Orleans, but your hero is named Drusilla and she is "dating" Jean Lafitte?! Holy crud sign me up :) That sounds like a ton of fun.

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    1. LOL, thanks Elisa. It's a fun series to write and, I hope, to read! (And Jean Lafitte is REALLY fun!)

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  16. I love the song ^^. It was really interesting to learn of the history of merpeoples and i hope we will learn more about them in the future

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    1. I think the merpeople will stick around. I know Rene is in the third book!

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  17. Great interview! I enjoyed the first book. I love how the setting is so specific and not just a generic city somewhere.

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    1. Thanks, Allison! I hope you enjoy River Road--since we're a little removed from the hurricane heartbreak, the characters get to be a little funnier :-)

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  18. This looks interesting -- I'll have to see if my library has the first book.

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    1. Thanks! They can probably find it through interlibrary loan if they don't have it on the shelves. Hope you enjoy it!

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  19. Oh, this sounds so wonderful! New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in the world, and I gobble up paranormals set there. I especially love the idea of these unique creatures and the world you've built for them. This is going on my TBR one way or another. Thank you so much for doing this!

    Heather
    hafowler at gmail dot com

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    1. Thank you, Heather! New Orleans is THE perfect place for paranormals! Hope you enjoy the books!

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  20. Really enjoyed Royal Street, so I'm looking forward to this!

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    1. Thanks, Galena--I think River Road is better, on the whole. Hope you enjoy it!

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  21. Thanks so much for the interview.

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    1. I had to "like" the kindle version on amazon. Hope that's okay. I could not find a like button for the hardcover.

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    2. Thanks, Jennifer! Those Amazon "likes" are much appreciated!

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  22. I love the setting of New Orleans and how you handled the aftermath of Katrina. For me, that really set the book apart from the rest of the UF.

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    1. Thank you so much--Royal Street was a really personal book for me, and was a way for me to express a lot of the feelings I had in going through Katrina. In River Road, it's more fun, less sad. Hope you enjoy it!

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  23. Great interview.I haven't started this series yet. I hope to soon.
    Congrats on the new release Suzanne.
    elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

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    1. Thanks, Elaine! Hope you get a chance to read them soon :-)

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  24. Book sounds so good. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  25. I'm looking forward to reading River Road

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  26. Day one of the tour and I'm a little late. Just got back from the train show in Wisc. Enjoyed Zachary Richard's "The Levee Broke". It always puts a tear in my eyes. Nymphs, Teleport & Wizards what's not to like. Have read both books and am a big fan of the Sentinels of New Orleans series. Thanks for the Q&A and the song.

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    1. Thanks, Roger! That song usually makes me sniffle too, even now.

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  27. You're a woman after my own heart, Suzanne - if I could ever choose a supernatural power, it would be teleportation. Well, unless it required something like the sacrifice of kittens. Then I MAY think twice about doing it. ;-)

    Also, you are so wonderful to donate part of the proceeds to the folks in Plaquemines Parish. They seem to have some of the very worst luck in the state when it comes to natural disasters.

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    1. Thanks, Kayla! Yes, I love Plaquemines and just watched in horror a few months ago when Isaac tore them up yet again.

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  28. I have loved the premise of these books for a while now but haven't been able to get to them yet. They sound great!

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    1. Thanks, Julie--hope you have a chance to read them!

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  29. This sounds like a great book. I enjoyed reading the interview and learning more about the book.

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  30. I'm so excited for this book. I only read the first one a few weeks ago. It was so cool tat you got an interview, great questions! :)

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    1. Thanks--so glad you liked Royal Street. I think River Road is a stronger book in a lot of ways, so I hope you like it!

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  31. I agree...the setting definitely stands out in this series. It's so well written and it goes to show that Suzanne was a resident there. I fell in love with the city from the first book and have been twice now to visit there :) I'm so excited about book 2. I'm following along the your.
    Tanyaw1224(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thanks, Tanya--I love New Orleans and am really so glad that shines through in the books. (And that you got to go!)

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  32. I have the first book in my TBR pile. I will add book 2 to my wishlist, hubby has been asking for a Christmas list. :)

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    1. Thanks, JoAnna--yes, I think hubby needs to buy you some books!

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  33. congrats for the book!! hope i can get to read them soon!

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    1. Thanks, Sienny--hope you're able to get your hands on them soon!

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  34. This sounds like such a great series, I'm looking forward to getting started on it.

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  35. This sounds like a great read - a mix of paranormal and mystery!

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    1. Thanks, DeeDee--these are fun reads. Hope you have a chance to try them out!

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  36. Thanks for sharing this book and thanks for the awesome giveaway! :)

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  37. Congrats on the new release! Im looking forward to starting this series soon.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

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  38. Congrats on your new release. I love the setting of your book. So much magic and mystery in that area.
    zenfoxflowerATyahooDOTcom

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  39. Wow, that really is a generous giveaway! I've never read a series that's set in New Orleans before, which is strange considering it's such a unique, culturally rich place. Looking forward to reading it :)

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  40. Thanks for the giveaway, I can't wait to read River Road.

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  41. Definitely gonna have to give this one a read, it looks awesome!!

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    1. Thanks for the giveaway and tour. I can't wait to read this one.

      pefrw at yahoo dot com

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  42. Oh, I like that it is set in New Orleans. That is one place that I've always been mystified by and wish I could visit. I guess I'll have to settle for second best and visit it in books like River Road. ;)

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  43. This looks great, thanks for the giveaway! :D

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  44. What an original idea for a book...sounds like a great read and one added to the top of my TBR list!

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