Spotlight, Excerpt & Interviews: I Walk With Monsters + Giveaway

CHILLING HOLIDAYS

I WALK WITH MONSTERS

Title: I WALK WITH MONSTERS: The Complete Series
Authors: Paul Cornell & Sally Cantirino (Illustrator)
Pub. Date: April 20, 2021
Publisher: Vault Comics
Formats:  Paperback, eBook
Pages: 128

Find it: Goodreads, Book2Read

 

In her past, the Important Man took away Jacey’s brother. Now Jacey has David, who is sometimes a monster. Together, they hunt those who prey on the vulnerable. But the Important Man is still out there.

MONSTERS WALK BESIDE US ALL, AND SOMETIMES LURK WITHIN.

In Jacey’s past is the Important Man who took away her brother. Now Jacey has David, who sometimes transforms into a terrifying beast. Together, they’ve found a way to live–and to hunt, sniffing out men who prey on the vulnerable. But Jacey and David are about to run into the Important Man again.

From Paul Cornell (Wolverine, Doctor Who, Elementary) and Sally Cantirino (Human Remains; Door to Door, Night by Night; Last Song, We Have To Go Back) comes a haunting story about the monsters that walk beside us all, and sometimes lurk within.

Collects the complete six-issue series.


Praise:

“Really looking forward to it.”   – Neil Gaiman (The SandmanAmerican GodsAnansi BoysGood OmensCoralineThe Graveyard Book, and more)

Named one of “The Best Comic Books and Graphic Novels of 2021” – Thrillist

“Like many of the best horror stories, I Walk With Monsters forces us to ask what it really means to be a monster, and whether it’s ever possible to escape from the realm of the monstrous. Equal parts character study and gory thrillride, this comic left me both disturbed and desperately eager to see where the story goes next.” Charlie Jane Anders (All The Birds in the Sky; Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Lambda Literary Awards)

‘Tender and terrifying, deeply horrible and deeply human, ‘I Walk With Monsters’ is Cornell at his finest- and his finest is very dark indeed. Which is surprising, because he seems like such a nice man.’ Louise Penny  Award-winning author (Armand Gamache murder mystery series), State of Terror (with Hillary Rodham Clinton), columnist, journalist, and screenwriter


Sample Page:


Interview with Paul Cornell & Sally Cantirino:

PAUL CORNELL – I WALK WITH MONSTERS – writer

  1. What Winter holidays do you celebrate in December and January … and how do you celebrate them?

We celebrate Christmas, with hampers and dark beer and chocolate oranges, but mainly, since my wife is a vicar in the Church of England, she celebrates by getting completely exhausted with Christingle, Midnight Mass, etc.  This year she’s had to move Nine Lessons and Carols so as not to clash with the World Cup Final.  It’s all go here at the holidays, let me tell you.

  1. What traditions are old family traditions?

Our son leaves out a mince pie for Father Christmas and a carrot for Rudolph by the chimney, and gets a stocking full of presents.  We decorate as well.  The halls get decked.

  1. What traditions are ones that YOU’VE started?

We take our son to the local Arboretum, where every year they have a gorgeous festive trail of lighting effects and bouncy young actors playing elves.

  1. What sort of activities during the holidays are your favorites?

I love seeing our son get excited on Christmas Eve.

  1. What activities do you like the least?

Because of my own past, I’m not one for big Christmas meals with extended family, so I duck out of those as soon as I can.

  1. What are your favorite holiday memories from adulthood?

I love festive gatherings with friends, either in the real world or on Zoom.  So many great parties.  And there are various writers’ get-togethers I go to every year, some of which are dear to my heart.

  1. What are your favorite holiday foods?

I love mince pies, and those sandwiches made up of all the bits of Christmas lunch that are left over.

  1. What makes these Winter holidays so special for you?

It’s the winter feast, the light in the heart of darkness, and that’s a very numinous thing for me.

  1. Anything else you’d like to talk about that is holiday-related?

Every year I do the 12 Blogs of Christmas on my website, paulcornell.com, where, from the 13th December, I post a new piece every day.  Check it out!

The Winter Holidays and with Paul’s characters

  1. How do your book’s characters celebrate the holidays? Do they celebrate with family & friends?

There aren’t really any left for them to celebrate with, and if there were they wouldn’t want to see them all.  Of course, the found family father and daughter combo at the heart of this book have each other, and I’m sure they celebrate beside their tents, out there in the woods somewhere.  I have a feeling David sneaks into a midnight mass somewhere, shaped like a dog, but doesn’t stay to the end.

  1. What do they eat?

Whatever they can afford or steal or scavenge.  I think a ‘dog’ running off with a turkey would be hard to intercept.

  1. What do you think they’d like to do?

Probably something that didn’t remind them too much of the past.  David would try to give Jacey some sort of celebration, and she’d go along with it ‘just to make him happy’ but secretly appreciating it.  There would definitely be presents.

  1. If your book’s characters visited during the holidays, how would you celebrate with them?

I’d really want to take care of them, so lots of food and the opportunity to talk.  I’d make sure Jacey knew where all the exits were and that she could leave whenever she wanted to.  It would actually take a lot of effort to make those two comfortable, but I’m there for that therapy.

  1. Would your character like to say anything to readers for holiday cheer?

David: ‘I just want to say sorry.  Or not.  You know, I do what I do to… terrible men… to make sure what happened to her doesn’t happen to-‘

Jacey: ‘It’s meant to be a festive greeting, asshole!  Can we not mention that we can kill serial killers?!  That’s not really very… holly and candy canes and whatever else… people… do.’

David: ‘We do that stuff too.  You get all that stuff.’

Jacey: ‘I don’t want to talk about that.  You just tell them… happy holidays or whatever.’

David: ‘Happy holidays from all of us… out here.’

Jacey:  ‘We had to clean up for this?’

***

SALLY CANTIRINO – I WALK WITH MONSTERS – artist

The Winter Holidays and with Sally’s characters

  1.   How do your book’s characters celebrate the holidays?

I don’t imagine Jacey growing up celebrating Christmas. David might have celebrated Christmas or Hanukkah (or both, depending on his family’s background! We don’t really discover that much in the series).  I feel like they would be the type to say “we’re not celebrating, we’re not doing gifts” and then end up giving each other a gift anyway. Maybe they’d hunker down at a movie theatre for the day and sneak into as many movies in a row as they could, and order an extravagant amount of take-out that night. On New Years Eve they’d get some fireworks and shoot them off at midnight.

  1.   If your book’s characters visited during the holidays, how would you celebrate with them?

I would make a big, home-cooked meal of winter comfort foods, and send them back out into the world with hand-knit gifts to keep them warm.

  1.   Would your character like to say anything to readers for holiday cheer?

Sometimes the family you make is better than the family you’re born into- spend the holidays with whoever makes you feel the most loved and cherished.


About Paul Cornell:

Paul Cornell has written episodes of ElementaryDoctorWhoPrimevalRobin Hood and many other TV series, including his own children’s show, Wavelength. He’s worked for every major comics company, including his creator-owned series I Walk With Monsters for The Vault, The Modern Frankenstein for Magma, Saucer State for IDW and This Damned Band for Dark Horse, and runs for Marvel and DC on Batman and RobinWolverine and Young Avengers. He’s the writer of the Lychford rural fantasy novellas from Tor.com Publishing. He’s won the BSFA Award for his short fiction, an Eagle Award for his comics, a Hugo Award for his podcast and shares in a Writer’s Guild Award for his Doctor Who. He’s the co-host of Hammer House of Podcast.

Hometown: Gloucestershire, UK

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

About Sally Cantirino:

SallySally Cantirino is a comic artist and illustrator currently based in New Jersey. She has been self-publishing comics and zines since she was a teenager. Her recent comics work includes I Walk With Monsters and Human Remains for Vault Comics,  “The Final Girls”, “Last Song”, and “We Have To Go Back”. She has also done artwork for World Champ Game Co and bands like La Dispute and Murder By Death.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads


Giveaway:

1 winner will win finished copies of every book featured in the CHILLING HOLIDAYS from VAULT tour, US Only.
1 winner will win eBooks of every book featured in the CHILLING HOLIDAYS from VAULT tour from iBooks, International.h

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ends January 17th


Tour Schedule:

Week One:

12/5/2022

Mythical Books

Feature HUMAN REMAINS/IG Post

12/6/2022

Sadie’s Spotlight

Feature I WALK WITH MONSTERS /IG Post

12/7/2022

Lady Hawkeye

Feature SHADOW SERVICE /IG Post

12/8/2022

Author Z. Knight

Feature RESONANT EXCERPTS/IG Post

12/9/2022

Two Chicks on Books

Feature THE PLOT/IG Post

Week Two:

12/12/2022

Book Sniffers Anonymous

Feature THE AUTUMNAL /IG Post

12/13/2022

A Dream Within A Dream

Feature HEATHEN

12/14/2022

The Momma Spot

Feature THE RUSH

12/15/2022

Jazzy Book Reviews

Feature BLEED THEM DRY /IG Post

12/16/2022

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Feature ROCKSTARS

Week Three:

12/19/2022

Nerdophiles

Review

12/20/2022

Bookdreamr

Review/IG Post

12/21/2022

the book near me

Review/IG Post

12/22/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

Review/IG Post

12/23/2022

Brandi Danielle Davis

IG Review/TikTok Post

Week Four:

12/26/2022

Never
Hollowed By The Stare

Feature- Heathen

12/27/2022

Ohyouread

IG Review

12/28/2022

See Sadie Read

Review/IG Post

12/29/2022

@froggyreadteach

IG Review

12/30/2022

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic

Week Five:

1/2/2022

The Litt Librarian

Review/IG Post

1/3/2022

The Book Countess

Review

1/4/2022

Lifestyle of Me

Review

1/5/2022

@shangread_la

Review/IG Post

1/6/2022

OneMoreExclamation

Review/IG Post

Week Six:

1/9/2022

Books and Zebras

Review/IG Post

1/10/2022

The Real World According To Sam

Review/IG Post

1/11/2022

@enjoyingbooksagain

IG Review

1/12/2022

Vamplit

Review

1/13/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review

Spotlight & Author Interview: A Crown Forged By Victory’s Consequence + Giveaway

A CROWN FORGED BY VICTORY'S CONSEQUENCE

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the A CROWN FORGED BY VICTORY’S CONSEQUENCE by Marlayna James & Aaryanna Abbott Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

Title: A CROWN FORGED BY VICTORY’S CONSEQUENCE
The Blackened Tablet Series, #1

Author: Marlayna James & Aaryanna Abbott

Pub. Date: January 3, 2023

Publisher: Friends with Pens Author Group

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 438

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, B&NiBooks, KoboTBD, Bookshop.org

 

The Blackened Tablet Series is an epic fantasy quest story with corrupt politics, wondrous magic, and illicit encounters in a supernatural world where no one is safe.

Three hundred years ago, the sacred tablet granted by their god, Jezabet, turned black, and eight kingdoms broke free, plummeting into the bottomless sea. There was no warning, and no one knows why.

Now, a strange illness plagues Aldersward. Crowned Prince Aedyn’s sisters, Achelle and Annora, his father, and countrymen are desperate and grief-stricken. All hope is lost…

Until someone dreams, and Aedyn leaves behind his mistress and his betrothed to cure their nation. He enlists his friends; a brazen playboy, a gentle strongman, and an ancient mentor. Together, they set out on a perilous journey-few believe they will survive.

This isn’t a fairy tale-s3x becomes currency, murder is ordinary, and love doesn’t conquer all.

Everyone loves a hero-good triumphs evil. But few dare to question how victory ripples into consequences. Explore this exciting concept in the Blackened Tablet Series.


 Serious Truths

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym? Why?

Marlayna: I only write under pen names. I see how Erika’s life has changed with fame, and I don’t want it. I also suffer from a disfiguring skin condition and am embarrassed, so I don’t use any true images of myself.

 

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Marlayna: Keep writing. Don’t give up. I always wanted to be a writer but was told I couldn’t be, and so I gave up. I wish I hadn’t.

 

What’s your favourite under-appreciated novel?

Marlayna: The Pride of Hannah Wade by Janet Dailey. It’s an amazing read which was ahead of its time. 

 

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Marlayna: Yikes. A dozen half-finished. A single unpublished. Unwritten—too many. The Blackened Tablet Series By Aaryanna Abbott will be 9 or 10 books (2nd book is written). Annora has a short story playtime Restless Bean Series with over 200 titles already chosen. Achelle has 2 books which are half-written. I have the second book in the Sugarverse Series completed but not published.

 

What does literary success look like to you?

Marlayna: A readership of a few thousand who enjoy and discuss my work.

 

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

Marlayna: I think it is determining their reactions. Sometimes, I will bounce a scene off of a male friend or family member, and their reaction is much different from what I have written. I will go back and rewrite it.

 

What did you edit out of A Crown Forged By Victory’s Consequence?

Marlayna: When I finished the first draught, it was 187K words. Published, it is 157K words. I edited a ton of extra words which weren’t needed. As far as scenes, I removed a few scenes between Aedyn and Achelle. They didn’t add to the story. My orphanage—is what I call my deleted scene doc, is where I put my killed darlings. I’m fortunate enough that I hold no harboured feelings for my words—this can be a struggle for some writers—and so I easily delete the fluff.

 

How do you select the names of your characters?

Marlayna: First I find images which fit my imagination, then I open it next to a baby name website and read until something sticks.

 

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Marlayna: I do. I love them all. I want to thank every reader with a comment, but this is discouraged in the writers’ community, so I don’t. BUT I really want to!!


 

About Marlayna James:

Marlayna lives in Canada where she writes romance, erotica, women’s fiction, and fantasy. She loves video games, TV, reading, and writing.

About Aaryanna Abbott:

This is another of my pen names. For every pen name, I use a different part of who I am. I imagine this is how she looks.

What’s this part of me like?

I was a daddy’s girl. The very epitome of spoilt.

I love to be wild and crazy—experience everything the world has to offer. I’m adventurous and my carefree disposition is contagious.

I’m loyal to a fault and don’t care what expectations or labels society has bestowed upon me. I believe one’s truth is more valuable than anyone’s perception.

This part of me writes for escapism—to be free of my mundane day to day and live in a magical world almost as real to me as earth. Except in my imaginary world, I control all things and it pleases me to no end.

Do you know how happy you would be living there?

Find all of Marlayna James & Aaryanna Abbott’s Links HERE- https://friendswithpensauthorgroup.com/letshookup/


Giveaway Details:

5 winners will receive an eBook of A CROWN FORGED BY VICTORY’S CONSEQUENCE, International.

Ends January 10th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tour Schedule:

Week One:

12/1/2022

Mythical Books

Guest Post/IG Post

12/2/2022

The Momma Spot

Guest Post

12/3/2022

Sadie’s Spotlight

Guest Post/IG Post

Week Two:

12/4/2022

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Guest Post/IG Post

12/5/2022

A Dream Within A Dream

Guest Post

12/6/2022

Jazzy Book Reviews

Guest Post/IG Post

12/7/2022

Lady Hawkeye

Guest Post/IG Post

12/8/2022

Books and Kats

Guest Post

12/9/2022

Living in a Bookworld

Guest Post

12/10/2022

Two Chicks on Books

Guest Post

Week Three:

12/11/2022

@jaimerockstarbooktours

IG Post

12/12/2022

Nagma | TakeALookAtMyBookshelf

IG Review

12/13/2022

Books With A Chance
of Traveling

Review/IG Post

12/14/2022

Nerdophiles

Review

12/15/2022

The Book Countess

Review

12/16/2022

Books a Plenty Book Reviews

Review

12/17/2022

Fire and Ice

Review

Week Four:

12/18/2022

Rajiv’s Reviews

Review/IG Post

12/19/2022

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

12/20/2022

Forthenovellovers

Review

12/21/2022

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Review/TikTok Post

12/22/2022

OneMoreExclamation

Review/IG Post

12/23/2022

The Girl Who Reads

Review/IG Post

12/24/2022

NO POST

NA

Week Five:

12/25/2022

NO POST

NA

12/26/2022

Ashe_and_ink

IG Review

12/27/2022

the book near me

Review/IG Post

12/28/2022

@froggyreadteach

IG Review

12/29/2022

Emily Ashlyn

IG & Facebook Review

12/30/2022

@booksrn_rashi

IG Review

12/31/2022

Lifestyle of Me

Review

 

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