From the Backlist - Feathers, Fur, Fangs, and Snakes

Shapeshifter fro, Diablo 4 Icy Veins Build

 Hello Sup Readers and Writers!

It's time again to explore our awesome Backlist!

Today we are sharing a post by the author of the bestselling Mortal Path series, Dakota Banks. Her thoughts on shape-shifting from June 28, 2010 are just as relevant in 2024. 

Read along to discover how, and why, this magic works so well!

* * *

Huge Jackman is Wolverine

Hi, I'm Dakota Banks. If I were to die and come back as something, it would be as a Dove extra dark chocolate bar in the hands of the man to the left...

... Now that you've learned everything there is to know about my personality... eyes over here, please...

... Werewolves also have a long history of stories behind them. Ancient Greek gods turned a king with an appetite for human flesh into a werewolf. There is a famous story from the 1600s involving a she-wolf. A French king saw a hunter in his woods and asked him to report on the success of the hunt. The hunter encountered a vicious wolf who was too strong for him to kill, but he managed to cut off the wolf's forepaw. He wrapped it up and took it to the king. When the king heard the story, he unwrapped the bundle and found a woman's hand with a gold ring on her finger. Horrified, he recognized the ring as belonging to his wife. Searching her out, he found her injured, with her hand missing. She admitted being the she-wolf and was burned to death...

... People tend to develop their myths and folklore using animals that are local to where they live. That gives us werehorses from Europe, weredolphins from Brazil's Amazon River basin, wereseals from island communities, werehyenas from Africa, and weremers (okay, mermaids) from countries that sailed the oceans...

... For my writing, I wanted to see what I could do outside the vamp and werewolf norm. I found the myths of ancient Sumeria fascinating, so I built a story around the idea that some of their gods, goddesses, and demons are still around today. Only a few humans know about them, and are aligned for or against. I was lured in by shapeshifting, though, so there are demons who transform into various horrid forms. I have a lot of fun writing the Mortal Path series! The second book is Sacrifice - READ THE WHOLE POST HERE.

 Thanks for joining us in exploring the backlist!

See you next time! 

The Sup

 

The Mortal Path Swag Bag Returns!

** Giveaway **
Jeanette was the winner! Thanks for your comments, everyone.

It's baaack! The Mortal Path Swag Bag is making an appearance to let you know that the fourth book in the Mortal Path series is underway.

It's been a while coming, as I've taken time to develop a YA science fiction proposal and self-publish a children's book (as DB Ayers). Having gotten a taste of what indie publishing is like, I've decided to become a hybrid writer. That means I'll be doing some indie and some traditional publishing. My first major indie project will be Mortal Path #4, in print and e-book form. I'm tremendously excited, both to be getting back to Maliha Crayne & Company's adventures and to be doing it as an adventure of my own.

Snickers the cat photobombing

I've seen other indie authors be successful with a new format: issuing a novel in three or more parts to get each section to the reading audience faster, then having a compendium of all parts available at the end for those who prefer to wait. I'm thinking of Hugh Howey, who wrote Wool as a science fiction novella, then separately published four more parts to it, as he wrote them. Readers could buy the sections as they came out, or wait for the complete story. Hugh wasn't the inventor of this format; I think that was Stephen King with the six-part serial e-book The Green Mile.

Mortal Path #4, Bloodletting, divides naturally into three parts. I'm thinking of serializing the e-book. My question is this: What do you readers think of it? Like it? Hate the idea? Let me know in a comment below. A random commenter will win the Mortal Path Swag Bag (tote bag, 3 signed Mortal Path paperbacks, pens, bookmarks, magnets, and a calculator - excluding Snickers). International entries welcome, but will receive a $35 Amazon Gift Card instead of the mailed bag. The last day to enter is Wednesday, March 5th.

Hugs,
Dakota

A Hot Thriller for Cold Nights

Winners of the Deliverance Giveaway:
Erica and Barbara!

Ready for a 

Thriller?

For Fantasy

I'm giving away two copies of Deliverance, the most recent book in the Mortal Path series. Choose a signed paperback (USA only) or an authorgraphed e-book. Leave a comment below with your email in an altered form. Two winners will be randomly chosen. The last day to enter is Monday, February 3rd.

The Story: A demon's assassin for centuries, Maliha Crayne has gone rogue, determined to save a life for every one she's destroyed in order to free herself from an eternity of enslavement, damnation, and excruciating torment. But as the powers that sustained her in the past fade, she is wary of trusting those closest to her-especially her lover, Jake. Should Maliha listen to her heart or the alarms going off in her head? Then her closest friends begin to disappear, one by one. Amid her anger, suspicion, and sorrow, she feels her life spiraling out of control.

"DELIVERANCE is wonderfully unpredictable, full of breathlessly exciting action scenes. Readers will be hooked till the very last page, and then will rush to pick up the others in the Mortal Path series." - RT Book Reviews

"DELIVERANCE is filled with action, suspense, raw honesty, and great drama. It is definitely the most high-stakes installment in the series yet and I could not put it down. Dakota has done a marvelous job of creating an untenable situation and forcing Maliha to deal with it." - Tynga's Reviews

Sex and Violence in my Office

I enjoyed Nicole's post about writing a lesbian love scene on board a plane filled with families, wondering if any of the parents were catching a glimpse of what was on her computer screen as they paraded toddlers to the restroom. I feel her pain, though I'm not writing on an airplane. I'm writing in my own office, and the potentially disapproving "parents" are in my own brain.

Okay, that needs a little explanation. I write the Mortal Path books featuring Maliha Crayne that are R-rated in terms of violence, sex, and language. I've just started working on book 4 of the series, Bloodletting, a meaningful title. We're talking heads flying, other S&S body parts (severed & significant), love scenes between inexhaustible immortals, the gates of Hell, and the list goes on.

But I've just spent the last few months working on Aftermath, a YA proposal, and publishing Honor's Journey, a middle grade historical novel, under the pen name of DB Ayers. Because I was new at writing for young people, I had to grow a censor in my brain - what, no f-words?? Now it's lodged in there quite firmly. When I started work on Bloodletting, I felt like I had an entire PTA hovering over my shoulder gasping at word choices, stages of undress, and the blood dripping down off my monitor. 

It was slowing me down, honestly, and messing with my head. Until I made a discovery one day.

Honor's Journey has a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of 4.0, meaning that according to a popular way of measuring such things, it's at a 4th grade reading level. Just where it should be. Bloodletting will test substantially higher than that, at least if I'm doing my job properly to appeal to my adult audience with vocabulary, etc.

A curious thing, though, that allows me to get around my internal censor: individual sentences from the adult book might still be at the 4th grade reading level or even lower, if you ignore the topic. For example, "He sucked her nipples while she stroked his hard, hot erection," (Uh, I can say that here, right?) tests out at grade 3.7. Seriously. Not that I would ever write such tacky stuff....

Kind of sets the mind free.

Speaking of free, how about a free review copy of Honor's Journey? This isn't a contest! Everyone who requests a free copy will get one, in Kindle, ePub (Nook & other e-readers), PDF, or print format. Print format is only USA, please. Just visit http://bit.ly/1dN3gIp and let me know the format you want.

If you have kids, know someone with kids, or were once a kid, you'll enjoy this exciting adventure. C'mon, you can't pass up this freebie. Promise, no f-words, although the word breasts appears once in the book and it doesn't refer to chicken. Don't you want to know the context? :-)

The Three of Me

$50 Amazon or B&N gift certificate Giveaway!

Lately I've been more than torn in half, I've been torn in three parts. I write under three names, each with her own type of work and her own reading audience, with some overlap. When I go to sign a book or even a personal check, I really have to think about who I am! I'm in various degrees of denial when asked, "But aren't you really so-and-so?" Time to reveal the three of me, and what "they" have all been doing.


1. Shirley Kennett (my real name) wrote the PJ Gray series of thrillers about a female psychologist who uses virtual reality to recreate homicide scenes. The whole series has been given new life as ebooks (Open Road Media) and audiobooks (Audible). One of the ebooks, Time of Death, is on sale for $1.99 on Amazon and elsewhere until July 31st. It's been exciting seeing this book climb in the top 100 ebooks of Crime Fiction. I'm hearing from PJ Gray fans, old and new, who are thrilled to have these new formats available to enjoy the books.

There's a $50 Amazon or B&N gift certificate up for grabs. Last day to enter is July 31st.

2. Dakota Banks writes the Mortal Path series of urban fantasies about Maliha Crayne, a 300-year-old former demon's assassin now working to preserve life instead of taking it. She needs to balance the scales carved on her body by the Sumerian demon she served - save as many lives as she's taken at his direction - to redeem her soul. My publisher wanted to take this series ebook only, and though I loved Maliha, I wasn't thrilled about the idea or the terms. Since then, I've gotten so much feedback from readers and requests for more Mortal Path, I just can't leave this series without wrapping it up. So Dakota is becoming an indie author and will self-publish Mortal Path #4, Bloodletting. No projected release date yet. My third part is kinda busy (see below). The ebooks of the first three in the series are on sale for $4.74 each at Amazon, $14.22 for all three.

3. DB Ayers is my latest split personality, and hopefully my last! I've been keeping this connection a secret, but you won't tell, will you? As DB, I'm launching a YA science fiction trilogy, Aftermath, set in the future on a human colony planet. Silva was once green with plentiful water, but a brush with a wandering planet nudged it into an orbit closer to its sun. Now it's a desert-like environment where a lucky few live in cool, safe domes. Sixteen-year-old Anna Hart flees a deadly situation. Using her skills with an ancient weapon and her empathic ability, she struggles through danger and betrayal, searching for a place where love and hope can thrive. Aftermath is tremendously exciting to me. The proposal's being reviewed by 10 top NY editors and 2 Hollywood producers. I'm going crazy waiting to hear something!

Have you had times in your life when you've had to function as more than one "person"? Maybe not with different names, but with different roles? Tell me about it! Leave a comment below.


Hugs ♥,

Up Close and Personal

$50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Getting to know the author behind the book has always helped me appreciate the book more as a reader. That's one of the things we do on Supernatural Underground - invite you to get up close and personal with us. We'll let you in on how we feel about our characters and our stories, and why we love the genres we write in: urban fantasy, paranormal romance, fantasy, and sci-fi for adults and teens. I really feel strongly about this because that writer-reader bond is what keeps me going. When Deliverance won an award, I could hardly wait until my posting date, the 28th of the month, came around so I could share it with you.

When my cat Snickers photobombed a promo shoot, it was a fun example of what we do besides tuck our noses into the computer and write. I had a series of backlist books written as Shirley Kennett that were made available as audio and ebooks, and let all of you know how happy I was to see these books get a new life.

When my character Maliha sent me a signed postcard, I thought it would be perfect for SU, and here it is.

It's good to know my character "has my back!" If nothing else, I can count on her. :-)

I've come across an author writing a YA sci-fi trilogy who is taking this concept of creating bonds with readers a step further by starting way before the book hits the shelves. DB Ayers is currently polishing her book proposal, after which her agent will submit it to NY publishers. Her blog will be like a diary of birthing the books, including information about the characters and the stories as they're being written. Look for excerpts, the ups and downs of the process, and prizes! OMG, prizes! At every milestone or just for no reason at all, she'll be giving away the goodies. Launching the blog is a milestone; a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate is up for grabs. Click on the graphic to the right and then on the PRIZES tab to enter.

You may wonder why DB Ayers is getting a mention here, other than the fact that I like to promote other authors. I'll leave that to your imagination. *wink, wink* But if you figure it out, it's our little secret, okay? Hop over and help this "new" author get her social media engines revved and maybe win some $$.

So, are you a fan of YA sci-fi? What are you reading now, or what's you're favorite book?

Until next time,
Dakota Banks

Dakota Interviews her Series Character

Giveaway! See-Through Calculator - 5 chances to win!
Thanks to the five winners for their comments:
CrystalGB, Eva, Unknown, llamannerdymama,
and Melissa!

Dakota Banks here. I've finally gotten Maliha Crayne, heroine of The Mortal Path, sitting across from me in a corner booth at Kelly's Pub in Chicago. It's mid-afternoon and we're the only customers.

Over a beer, she relaxes completely and I'm the one who's nervous. I wonder how many weapons are hidden in her worn black jeans and under the baggy T-shirt that says Bite Me. Her thick hair is woven into a braid down the back of her neck, and her alert green eyes show warmth and attention, but she's not missing a thing that goes on in the rest of the pub.

I set out my voice recorder and she frowns at it momentarily, as if I'd tossed a grenade between us.

Dakota Banks: Welcome, Maliha. You're a tough woman to track down, and it's good to finally meet you. Would you like a burger or something?

Maliha Crayne: No thanks. This week I'm not eating.

DB: Uh...

MC: That was a joke. Your name's Dakota, right? I like that.

DB: Thanks. I love your name, too. I'm glad you agreed to this grilling.

MC: Could we avoid the word grilling? I have this thing about fire.

DB: Sure. Tell me a little about yourself.

MC: The first thing is that I'm over three hundred years old. I was burned as a witch during the Salem witch trials. Usually witches were hanged, but I rated special treatment. Another woman wanted my husband, and.... Let's not get into that. A demon left over from the Sumerian period grabbed me and gave me a choice: go back and finish roasting or become his immortal assassin. At the time, immortality sounded good. I was also granted superhuman speed and healing abilities, and I could read auras, although I don't think that was totally a gift from the demon. All I had to do to stay young and enjoy life was kill people whenever the demon gave me assignments. Sometimes the target was an individual, sometimes it was starting a teensy war.

DB: So you've killed a lot of people. I'm okay sitting here, right? And I don't suppose you can tell me any details about who got axed?

MC: Just don't ask the secret question that drives me crazy. Relax! You're okay. Lucky guess on the axe. That was when I was the Black Ghost. Then I just decided I couldn't kill anymore. It's complicated, but the demon gave me an assignment I couldn't carry out. Put me totally off being an assassin.

DB: You just turned your back on the demon and that was it?

MC: It doesn't work that way. I have to save as many lives as I took when I was the Black Ghost. I have this carving of scales I have to balance. Wanna see?

DB: Uh... Note: Maliha yanks up T-shirt. She's not wearing anything underneath.

MC: If I just stroke here for a minute ... There! Do you see it?

DB: Readers, for the record, this wasn't my idea.

MC: See it?

 DB: Just ... barely. It's like the scales of justice, with two pans that are out of balance.

MC: That was carved on me by the demon's claw. Bet you've never seen anything like that before.

DB: For the record, I haven't. Is this one of those situations where now that you've told me, you have to kill me?

MC: Are you always this murder-minded?

DB: No. Something about talking to you just brings it out of me. Now you're doing good things instead of bad?

MC: Kind of a simplistic way of putting it, but if I want my soul back, that about covers it.

DB: Do you have a significant other?

MC: You first.

DB: Me? I'm married and very much in love.

MC: Things aren't that straightforward for me. It's hard to find a soulmate when a demon owns your soul. But I'm working on it.

DB: Tell me something no one else knows about you.

MC: I like bowling.

DB: That sounds a little tame for you.

MC: Depends on what the winner gets, doesn't it?

DB: I can't stand it anymore. Show me one of your weapons.

MC: How about this one?

DB: Note: A short black knife appears from nowhere and Maliha stabs it into the table between the fingers of my hand. That'll do. Just checking, in case all that talk was hype. You can put that knife away now.

MC: No hype. It could just as easily have gone into your throat. Ask me about my last interview.  It didn't go very well.

DB: Uh, no thanks. Wrapping up, readers. Thank you, Maliha, for this glimpse into your life. I'll be leaving now. Right now.

End of Interview

Whew! That Maliha is intense. I wish she'd let me take her picture, but all she did was give me a handout photo. Usually people give the interviewer a head shot, but in this case ... "I've got your back!" indeed. I guess that's semi-comforting.

Now for the giveaway. Here is a picture of a transparent calculator I've used as a promo item. It really is completely clear, see-through. Leave a comment below and I'll randomly select FIVE WINNERS to receive a calculator! That's 5 chances to win. :-) Please make sure I have a way to contact you to let you know you're a winner.

The last day to enter is Tuesday, April 2nd.

I'll be back April 28th. See you then.

Eek! She speaks!

Here's a fun way to look at Deliverance, the third book in the Mortal Path series! A word cloud shows how often words appear in a sample of text; the bigger the word in the cloud, the more often the word appears in the text. I think it has a nifty 3D effect (or my eyes are just really tired!) These are the top 80 words in the manuscript. Even I was surprised by some of these words that made it into the cloud. Some of them are common English words like get, went, want, now, go, and put. But why is "one" so popular? Or "back"? Or "door"? Thank goodness blood, man, kill, and knife are in there. I think next time I will try to have the words sword and kiss on every page. Source: Wordle.net

I did mention something about speaking in the title of this post. I'm full-on busy right now, so I thought I'd let a podcast do the rest of my talking. Here's a picture of me, so we can be face-to-face while you're listening.

Dakota Banks-See her lips moving?

See you next time on the 28th of the month!

Halloween in January - Why not?

Giveaway - $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Gift Certificate
The winner was Sullivan. Thanks, everyone, for your comments.
 

C'mon, admit it - Halloween comes only once a year and you miss it already.

That's why you're here at Supernatural Underground - to get your fix of the spooky, the fantastical, and sometimes the icky. It's okay. I get it. I wrote a paranormal short story, "Deadline," with a Halloween theme. I'd like to share it with you. The fun part is that there are two endings to this story. You get to choose which one you like and let me know.

But first ...

Deliverance, the third book in the Mortal Path series, has won the 2012 USA Best Book Award for Fantasy, and I have to say I'm thrilled about it! I'd post a video of me doing my happy dance, but decided that might be too frightening even for a post about Halloween. :-)

Now about that story. Just click on the drippy Deadline below to read it. (Is that blood? Yes!) Then leave a comment mentioning your choice of Ending 1 or Ending 2 to enter the drawing for the giveaway of a $25 gift certificate to Amazon or Barnes and Noble, your choice. You need to do the Rafflecopter signup, because the winner will be selected only from those who do. Now that all those holiday bills are coming due, wouldn't you love to have a little mad money to spend on yourself? Get busy and enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chocolate-Covered Bliss

The winner of the Chocolate-Covered Bliss
Starter Kit is Bonnie! Thanks to all who entered. :-)

Before I get to the yummy title of this post, I'd like to remind everyone that the fabulous giveaway of 24 books from your favorite Supernatural Underground authors ends October 31st! If you haven't entered yet... Well, why not? Just click on the pumpkins below.

Now about the yummy--oh, something else to talk about first. At Paranormal Haven, they're having a month-long event called Halloween at the Haven. My turn for a guest post and giveaway came up yesterday, and I can't resist sharing my post with you. I wrote a paranormal short story, "Deadline," with a Halloween theme, with two different endings. You get to choose the one you like best! To read this original story making its debut now, just click on the story's title in drippy blood below. While you're there, you can enter the giveaway if you wish. 

Read my new short story!

Now, about that chocolate-covered yum. I saw a trailer for Skyfall, the new James Bond movie, the other day. After I was done squeeeeing over Daniel Craig, it popped into my head that This Was the Man I'd Most Like to Cover in Chocolate (after my husband, of course--this disclaimer, whether I remember to put it in or not, is always to be understood. Right? Right.).

So now I'm holding that thought and I figure I have not only the title for my post but an idea for too-cute giveaway, too. I'm offering a Chocolate-Covered Bliss starter kit. All you have to do is get Daniel to whisper yes ... to you. Enter the Rafflecopter drawing below.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

I Love Swag - Don't You?

Congratulations to Van Pham, winner of the Mortal Path Swag Bag!
And to Sharon Stogner, winner of the Mortal Path
"Name a Character in the Next Book" drawing!
Thanks to everyone for their comments.
~♥~

Whee! It's my turn on the blog, and I'm letting swag do the talking for me this time. Things are busy in Dakota's World and I hope you'll let me slide by with a wink and a nod to my great fans and all readers of urban fantasy. Mortal Path Book 4, working title Bloodletting, is going to be jam-packed with excitement and adventure and ... romance! (giggle)

Want to see yourself in a Mortal Path book? You can name a character in Bloodletting.

For Deliverance: Mortal Path Book 3, I offered the opportunity to name a character. The winner was Jill Bakkum, who appears as a medical doctor in the book. Congratulations, "Dr." Jill!

Details are available on my blog. Entry for naming a character will run through September 30th, 2012. Don't enter unless you're willing to die in the book!

One piece of news I can't resist sharing is that some non-uf books I wrote under my real name of Shirley Kennett are getting closer to release as e-books by Open Road Media. They are suspense books in the PJ Gray series based on recreating crimes in virtual reality. Here are a couple of sample covers, which I'm told are not yet final.




Now - on with the swag! Just enter using the form below. The giveaway consists of a tote bag, three signed Mortal Path books, a calculator, three pens, three bookmarks, and whatever magnets I have lying around. The form will ask you to leave a comment for this post. That's all. The last full day to enter is October 3rd. Good luck!

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Summer Blahs? Not a Chance

Win the Mortal Path Series as Ebooks! 

The manic pace has worn off from attending ThrillerFest, the International Thriller Writers conference in New York City. Saw a lot of old friends, made some new ones, learned some crafty things, and gained new contacts! Topped it off with the Awards Banquet, at which I got to sit next to my husband Dennis (the ThrillerFest Registrar) for the first time in years. Usually I've been sitting at a sponsored table or at the ITW table, but this year I got to put my shrimp on his plate (Surf 'n Turf dinner) and steal some of his yummy sliced potatoes with mushroom sauce.

On the second day of the drive home to St. Louis (I don't fly anymore) I found out I'd brought home more than a pile of signed books and good memories - I had the flu. My germs were well traveled by the time I got home and went to bed, leaving poor Dennis with all the unpacking and laundry. What a man! Big round of applause!! I think I slept for days. Then I got bronchitis as a parting gift.

At ThrillerFest, I had a meet and greet with my editor from Open Road Media, which is picking up my PJ Gray series (written as @ShirleyKennett) to convert to ebooks. After a brief effort to do this myself, I discovered that while I like the idea of having my backlist come out as ebooks, (surprise!) I don't care for doing the process myself. I've pulled the two books I did convert (Gray Matter, PJ Gray Book 1, and Burning Rose, a standalone) off the market; I'm letting the pros do what they do best. All ebooks should be available this year. Yoo hoo. :-)

S

I've been wanting to add to the furry tribe for a long while now, and feline #3 has just joined the family. A little boy kitten from the Humane Society, he was a bargain at this time of year due to the June/July bumper crop of kittens. Wish I could bring them all home, but this completes our trio. He's extremely sweet with a loud purring engine in spite of the fact that he'd been named Booger by the shelter staff. I'm so happy to have my little Strider home with me - his shelter name didn't last! Strider is the name of a favorite character in The Lord of the Rings; one of his names, anyway. Our other two cats-in-residence are still adjusting with some hissing and whatever, but no real fireworks. It took me nine shots to get this photo. Most of them were of Strider's tail on its way out of the frame, or a brick-red nose sniffing the camera lens. Cropped out of this picture to the left is my hand holding the little ball of energy down for his first official photo.

Wouldn't you love to be in the next Mortal Path book? Name a character after yourself or a friend and you could have a multi-page, "speaking" role. Enter now!



All this talk must surely lead to something to win, right? Of course!

Win All Three Ebooks!

Leave a comment below on anything that sings to you to enter to win the Mortal Path series from Harper Voyager in ebook form (Kindle, Nook, or Epub) - three books that definitely won't give you the summer blahs! The last day to enter is Friday, August 3rd. Stay cool!

Name a Character

$25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway! 
** The Gift Card winner was Barbara E. **
Thanks for entering, everyone.


Want to see yourself in a Mortal Path book? You can name a character in Mortal Path book 4, the next release.

For Deliverance: Mortal Path Book 3, I offered the opportunity to name a character. The winner was Jill Bakkum, who appears as a medical doctor in the book. Congratulations, "Dr." Jill!

Details are available on my blog. Entry has just started and will run through September 30th, 2012. Don't enter unless you're willing to die in the book!

I'm running behind on things due to preparing for a conference, ThrillerFest in New York, put on by International Thriller Writers. My husband is the conference registrar and I'm a former board member of ITW, so we have a lot to do!

To simplify things, I'm going for a straight $$ giveaway, a $25 Amazon gift card. Just leave a comment below: Would you like to name a character in a book? Leave your email in disguised fashion so I can contact you if you're the winner. Giveaway ends at midnight EST on Monday, July 2nd. Put a little extra sparkle in your July 4th celebration by winning an Amazon gift card!

Poppies

*** Giveaway Winner Notified ***

Today is Memorial Day. For many people, this has become part of a weekend that marks the beginning of summer. Swimming pools open, brats are on the grill, sunblock is as essential as mustard, and the tiki torches are lit at sunset. Things have gotten nonchalant in past years, probably because the National Holiday Act of 1971 changed the celebration of Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day, for decorating graves) from May 30th to the last Monday in May. Instead of being a holiday with a specific day in its own right, Memorial Day became the tail end of a three-day weekend that made it easy for people to become distracted from the meaning of the day.

In an effort to steer us back to the original observance, President Clinton declared a National Moment of Remembrance at 3pm local time for all Americans "to pause for one minute to remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to provide freedom for all." I'll be spending that time at my father's graveside in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

A good way to observe the day is to read the famous poem In Flanders Fields, below, written by a Canadian military surgeon during World War I. The location was the town of Ypres, Belgium, in the province of Flanders that bordered France. Ypres was bombarded throughout the war, 1914-1918, but never fell into German hands although chlorine and mustard gas were used on the defending troops there. In the time it takes you to read and think about McCrae's poem, you can satisfy the National Moment of Remembrance - with plenty of time left for the picnic!

In Flanders Fields
John McCrae, 1915

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.

Now to switch the mood completely. I'm giving away a signed copy of my latest release, Deliverance: Mortal Path Book 3, plus a bookmark, pen, and magnet.  All you have to do is use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. You'll be asked to leave a comment about Supernatural Underground. That's it! The giveaway ends Friday, June 1st. Rafflecopter picks the random winner and I'll do the notification.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Take a deep breath

Don't miss the giveaway below--it's a good one! International, ends May 4th.

Deliverance, the third book in my Mortal Path series, was released almost exactly a month ago. It's been a whirlwind month of blog appearances and reviews that netted me some great quotes!

While I'm catching my breath before plunging into the next project, I'd like to share some of them with you.





Smitten by Bad Boy Heroes

"Deliverance is another great adventure in Maliha’s quest for redemption. In my opinion, Ms. Banks has created a second to none but far from perfect heroine in Maliha and she really makes us care about her and her friends. This novel and the series in general are skillfully woven with mythology, intriguing plots and skillful characterization. This series is now one of my favorites, and I found Deliverance to be the best novel in the series so far. I’m anxiously waiting and desperate for the next one to come out! Absolutely loved it!"


 Bookaholics Book Club

"Dakota Banks has delivered an incredible read that I have thoroughly enjoyed. Deliverance is sizzling hot and full of the trademark action that accompanies this fantastic series. I absolutely loved this book! The plot is outstanding as usual, full of twists and turns and incredible revelations. FANTASTIC. There aren't many books that keep me guessing until the end but I have to admit the last few pages of Deliverance gave me quite the thrill. This series is definitely one of my favourites of all time and I cannot wait for the next book!!! All I can say is: Wow. Incredible. Love it! Buy it! And if you haven 't read this series...WHY?!?! ;)"

Tynga's Reviews

"Deliverance is filled with action, suspense, raw honesty, and great drama. It's definitely the most high-stakes installment in the series yet and I couldn't put it down. Dakota has done a marvelous job of creating an untenable situation and forcing Maliha to deal with it. I'm sure you all know how much I love characters who suffer at their creator's hands and Maliha does a lot of suffering, in addition to some serious butt-kicking. There's so much good stuff in Deliverance it's hard for me to say what I liked best about it. If forced, though, I think I'd say it's  that we get to see how much Maliha's relationships mean to her. Deliverance is a satisfying slice of urban fantasy, sure to please fans of the genre. I strongly encourage you to check out this book and series!"

Book Lovers Inc.

"Deliverance offers readers a pulse-pounding start. Mahila faces choices, decisions will have to be made, and it all depends on how much she’s willing to sacrifice and for whom. She has a code in her life, one she’s bound to if she going to buy back her soul, if she’s going to right the centuries of the past. But she also has another code, one she holds sacred, and that’s for the tight knit group of friends. Dakota Banks writes a series where action pours from the pages, from one heart-pounding event to another, full of action, suspense, and mystery. A strong story of lifetimes bound together, where friendship means more, where love is shared. The Mortal Path series is urban fantasy at its best and Deliverance lives up to it’s name, it delivers. Highly recommended for Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance lovers alike."

Now for the giveaway! I've been having fun with a tote bag I had made, which I stuff with the 3 signed books of the Mortal Path series, bookmarks, pens, magnets, and a calculator. Because I love Supernatural Underground readers so much ~♥~ I'm adding a $25 Amazon gift certificate to the rest of the loot. Here's a picture. And on the right is a picture of what was going on while the picture was being taken.

This giveaway is International. Ends Friday, May 4, at midnight EST. The winner will be notified on May 5th. You must use the form below to enter to get credit for your entries. 

p.s. I'd like to call your attention to another post by a Supe author if you haven't already seen it. Please check out Helen Lowe's news and giveaway.