Author Kelly Gay and Better Part of Darkness (& a Giveaway!)

Readers, please join me welcoming Kelly Gay, author of The Better Part of Darkness who's guest blogging here today! This book is an electrifying debut urban fantasy that introduces readers to Charlie Madigan, who Jenna Black (bestselling author of the Morgan Kingsley series) describes as "the epitome of the modern kick-butt heroine!"

Synopsis - Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash. Charlie is determined to uncover the source of ash before it targets another victim -- but can she protect those she loves from a force more powerful than heaven and hell combined?

And now, here's Kelly herself - Welcome, dear author!

When I was asked to write a holiday guest post for A Book Blogger’s Diary, I was thrilled. (Thank you!) :-) Being an urban fantasy author who pens dark themes and events, it’s a nice break to talk about the holidays. In THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, my heroine, Charlie Madigan, is a single mom to an eleven-year-old daughter, Emma, and while trouble brews and supernatural beings abound, one thing that grounds Charlie is her family, and one of the things that drives her is making her world a safer place.

My daughter is not quite Emma’s age, but she’s old enough to know that not everyone in this world is as fortunate as she is. She’s old enough to understand that wars are fought and people do bad things for reasons that don’t make a lot of sense. And she is old enough to care. So, this holiday season is all about supporting those who make our world a better place.

Recently, we read a story about the men and women soldiers in Afghanistan. How some units, depending on where they’re stationed, are in desperate need of the basic essentials: toothpaste, feminine products, Tylenol, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, underwear . . . all these basic things we use daily and probably don’t think much about. Our soldiers are out there fighting a war, putting their lives on the line every day, and they need socks because the weather is turning cold. They need gloves, and they’d be thrilled to have some gum, some books or magazines to read, and stationary to write letters to home.

I write about a woman who puts her life on the line for her city. I spent a lot of time researching women in law enforcement and the military. And, after reading this story, it really struck a nerve with me. So this holiday season we’re giving to a charity called Any Soldier. You can select from the many contacts, read their stories, the things they need, request the address, and viola. You shop. You send. And it’s an awesome feeling to know that once that box arrives, the contact gives it to those soldiers in his or her unit who get very little or no mail at all.

I know this is something Charlie and Emma would be gung-ho for, and so are we! So consider choosing a charity this Christmas or as a way to ring in the New Year. It’s amazing how wonderful it feels to give, and it’s even more wonderful to see how excited my daughter is to pursue this holiday project.

Happy holidays everyone!

Wow, that's a great idea, Kelly! As great as the story of Charlie Madigan which I'm really enjoying reading (I only have about a hundred more pages to go - ah, the suspense, it's just about killing me! Look for a review soon) and I'm already hoping this is the start of a great new series. The breathless pace, the vivid characterizations, the magic which is the very fabric of being, all set it a place where heaven and hell have become one - all combine to make this urban fantasy is a must-read.

GIVEAWAY

The Prize

A copy of this book will go to one lucky reader.

To Enter

• Recommend me another urban fantasy series that you think is a must-read. (something that's not mentioned in this post)
  
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Deadline   Midnight CST of January 18, 2010.

Eligibility  US only.

Please read the Disclaimer. Good luck!
Note - This book was received for review/feature consideration.
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