May 11, 2010

Sonya Bateman - Guest Blog and Contest

PVN welcomes Sonya Bateman author of the impressive debut novel Master of None (Pocket, March 30, 2010) featuring an incompetent thief and a cranky genie. Today Sonya gives us her take on Urban Fantasy AND is offering a signed copy of her novel to one lucky winner. Contest is open world wide.

[This contest had ended]


Urban Fantasy, Arby’s Style (Or, Different is Good)

Urban fantasy is dominated by women (most of them dressed, if you believe the covers, in skin-tight leather) with the ability to gut men and supernatural creatures alike with magic, awesome weapons, or possibly a teacup. Personally, I love a good kick-ass heroine. But when I started MASTER OF NONE, I had a problem—my main character was a man, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I didn’t think a kick-ass hero would work out too well. It’s pretty much expected that men will be tough, smart, and capable (at the least, according to the man in question). And so Gavyn Donatti, the world’s unluckiest thief, is anything but kick-ass. He’s sarcastic, he’s morally opposed to violence (yes, even though he’s a thief…no one said he was a good thief *G*), and everybody knows he’s incompetent—especially him.

In fact, when the story begins, Donatti is running for his life because of his incompetence. He’s managed to lose the item he’s been hired to steal, and the man who hired him (Trevor, who is definitely NOT morally opposed to violence) wants to kill him for it. Slowly.

Therefore, when a man claiming to be a genie shows up, takes a few bullets intended for Donatti and fails to die, and then says he needs Donatti’s help to save the world—well, our thief is less than convinced there’ll be much saving in the future. He pretty much believes the world is screwed. Ian, the genie (but don’t call him that—he’s djinn), seems unreasonably angry. In fact, he hates Donatti’s guts. And as a testament to bad luck, Ian doesn’t do that wish thing. At all.

Donatti figures only he could inherit a genie that doesn’t grant wishes.

So I ended up having a great time writing this story, even though there is no kick-ass heroine (except Jazz, Donatti’s ex-girlfriend), and no vampires (sorry Vampire Notes readers!), werewolves, demons, or angels. Urban man-tasy is working for me. I’m pleased to say that there will be a sequel next April, and hopefully a few further books in this series. Donatti isn’t finished getting his ass kicked repeatedly…er, I mean saving the world. :-)

Now, I have a question for you! Though they don’t grant wishes, my djinn (who are also shifters) do have magical abilities. So if you could have one magic power, what would it be? I’ll take immortality, please. *G*

(Please note: Although there are several parenthetical asides in this post, I promise there are none in the book.)




CONTEST

[This contest had ended]


ONE lucky readers will win a signed copy of Master of None

*To enter answer Sonya's question:
Though they don’t grant wishes, my djinn (who are also shifters) do have magical abilities. So if you could have one magic power, what would it be?

 

For additional chances you may also:

*Link to this contest on any of the social network sites, including Twitter, or your own web page. Let me know the url:  One chance for each link.
 

*If you are a Google follower (see sidebar on right): One chance
 

*If you are a member of the PVN Facebook page: One chance
 

*If you are an email subscriber: One chance

*If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response.


*The contest is international!

This contest closes May 26, 2010.

44 comments:

mariska said...

I would really like to have the power of HEaling ! So i can heal my self and others :)


* 1 http://twitter.com/becunique/status/13771185574

*1 a Google follower

*1 a member of the PVN Facebook page

*1 an email subscriber (cuniquas)

cuniquas at gmail dot com

KMichelleC87 said...

Ooh so many choices! Um...I think I would choose mind reading so I would know what the people around me were really thinking.

I'm a follower

kmichellec87(at)yahoo(dot)com

Thank you!

SiNn said...

I wish i could stop time freeze it so ic na get from point a to point be and not be late



awesome contest this book sounds awesome


*If you are a Google follower (see sidebar on right):SiNn
*If you are a member of the PVN Facebook page: Ghostssinner

*If you are an email subscriber: One chance : mortalsinn@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Hey Sonya, good to see you here! *waves* and it's great you are spreading the love about Master of None Patricia, I just read Master of None and was completely blown away by it!

Though I have my own copy, please enter me, I would love to have a signed copy (and then I would give away mine so others get to discover Sonya and Gavyn too!)

I would like to have the superpower that if I want to be somehwere, I just think of the location and be there! Would love to drink my latte in Paris, then have lunch ina cozy Italian trattoria, and spend the afternoon shopping in NY. Would be great to travel the world in the blink of an eye!

+1 tweeted here: http://twitter.com/Stella_ExLibris/status/13778964468

+1 spread the word on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000899165880&v=wall&story_fbid=120834804607132&ref=mf

+1 posted the link to the contest on my blog, right contest sidebar: http://www.stella-exlibris.com

+1 I'm a Google follower

+1 I'm also a member of the PVN Facebook page

+1 I'm an email subscriber

stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com

Diana Dang said...

I think I would want to be able to be invisible. That would be so cool!

*If you are a Google follower (see sidebar on right): One chance

*If you are a member of the PVN Facebook page: One chance

*If you are an email subscriber: One chance

=4

faked_sugartone at hotmail

Unknown said...

I would really like the power of healing the sick and injured. Tore923@aol.com

Brenda Hyde said...

I'd have to go with super strength. Man, can you imagine? I could dig the garden in record time, pull out those big ass weeds like nothing, move furniture...LOL It would be great!

I'm a good follower and email subscriber under brenda at standbesideher.com .

Julie S said...

My magical power would be teleportation. Can you imagine never having to sit in traffic?

I'm a Google follower, fan of the FB page, and an email subscriber.

juliecookies(at)gmail.com

Sonya Bateman said...

These are great powers! I'd forgotten how much I would covet teleportation (no more stupid car troubles - cost of gas and insurance, repairs, all that fun stuff... grr!).

Hi Stella! I hope my e-mails are getting to you. :-)

Daelith said...

I think I would like to be able to predict the future. Get those winning lottery numbers the day before they're drawn. ;)Which stock is about to take a dive or double in value. Where the next major storm is about to hit so you could warn people.

cheleooc at yahoo dot com

*1 an email subscriber
*1 a Google follower.
*1 a member of the PVN Facebook page

SandyG265 said...

I would like to be able to regulate my body temperature. I hate being cold.

+1 email subscriber

sgiden AT verizon DOT net

writtenwyrdd said...

Hands down, the power I'd want would be teleportation, and without the need to have seen the spot I want to land first. I want to be able to snoop around and pick the landing spot after I 'jump.'

writtenwyrdd said...

Oh, I am also a follower of this blog.

Tala said...

Regeneration

Google Follower

Cyndi said...

I want to be able to teleport so I won't have to waste time driving everywhere.

+1 I'm a follower of your page
+1 I'm an email subscriber
+1 I follow your facebook page.

Cyndi
jonescyndi@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

My power would be instant acquisition of language. Essentially this would work by permitting me to build a sense of a language's grammar, merely by hearing people speak. Every word heard would enter into my vocabulary for that language. It would interesting to see how long it would take, given such a power, to become fluent in a foreign tongue!

Van Pham said...

i would like to have the power of healing or time travel.

+1 google follower
+1 PVN facebook page member
+1 email subscriber

van p.
Littopandaxpress(at)yahoo(dot)com

Cherry said...

If I can have a magical power I wanna be invincible so that my enemies cannot defeat me! Cool!!

Re-posted your contest at: http://contests-freebies.blogspot.com/2010/05/win-master-of-none-at-patricias-vampire.html

Twitted: http://twitter.com/cherrymischivus/status/13805160490

FB: http://www.facebook.com/cherry4#!/cherry4?v=wall&story_fbid=125409637470329&ref=mf

I'm an old follower. My GFC name is Cherry.

I am also an old friend of PVN at Facebook. My FB name is Cherry Mischivus.

I am an email subscriber.

Cherry Mischievous
mischivus101-warrior [at] yahoo [dot] com

Hannah S. said...

I would love the power to either shape shift or fly.
I bet it'd feel so great to be free like that!
Anyway, thanks for this contest!
I'm a follower.

Love, Hannah
xoxosweeet at yahoo dot com (three e's in sweet!)

Unknown said...

I would want the magical power to charm. Would need to work on all living things.

+1 Tweeted: http://twitter.com/IntenseWhisper/status/13821078083

+1 Google follower

+1 Member of Facebook page

robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com

Lady_Graeye said...

I would be a powershifter. Any power someone else has I could chift into it just by being near them!

I am a google follower
I am FVN Facebook Member
I am email subscriber

lisaglidewell[at]gmail[dot]com

donnas said...

I would want the power to teleport. No more waiting in traffic or to get somewhere. Much more time in the day to do other things.

-link - http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/2010/05/contests-found-511.html
-sidebar- http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com
-tweet - http://twitter.com/DonnaS1/statuses/13831148097
-google follower
-email subscriber
-member of the FB page

bacchus76 at myself dot com

throuthehaze said...

I would want to be able to teleport anywhere I want

follower

Facebook fan-Rae Pavey

email subscriber

throuthehaze at gmail dot com

Angela McCallister said...

My power of choice is power over matter. If you can change matter, then you can shift and you can shift people or objects around you. Yep, practically god-like!

Sonya, thanks for blogging. I can't wait to read the book.

PS-I'm a new Google follower.

angie said...

I think I would want my magical ability to be able to tell if people are telling the truth. Kind of like being a human lie detector.
I tweeted http://twitter.com/bangersis/status/13837898738
I am a google friend follower
I am a member of the facebook page
I subscribe by email
Thanks!
bangersis(at)msn(dot)com

Aik said...

I want the power of reading others' thoughts / see auras.

* Link to this contest on Twitter
http://twitter.com/aikchien/status/13840672679

* Google follower

* Member of the PVN Facebook page

* E-mail subscriber:

aikychien at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

The power to be able to teleport anywhere I want without delay.

+1 Googler follower
+1 email subscriber

Thanks for the chance to win!

myra0502@yahoo.com

Curling up by the Fire said...

I would love to have the power to fly. I have always thought that would be pretty cool.

icewoman96 at gmail dot com

Vickie said...

Oh, yes, please! I would love a chance to win a signed copy of this fab book! Yes, I have read it, but I would like a shot at a signed copy for my keeper shelf.

If I could have a magical power....hmmmm.....magically slender and bendy for yoga and Pilates and schtuff.....

VWinship at aol dot com


I subscribe and I am a follower.

k_sunshine1977 said...

+1 email subscriber
+1 member of facebook page (kisah jackson)

i think i would like the power of teleportation. i don't drive, so i think that would work out great, and think of how green that is! :)

k_sunshine1977 at yahoo dot com

Dawn M. said...

Teleportation. Then I could visit anywhere in the world whenever I wanted. :0)

I'm an email subscriber. (midnightblue)

Thanks!
librarygrinch at gmail dot com

Persephone said...

My power would be the ability to change my appearance, or at least tidy my current appearance (yes, I am just that lazy).

+1 GFC follower
+1 Facebook member
+1 email subsciber
+1 tweeted
http://twitter.com/suan_tian/status/13952530354

patronus89013 at yahoo dot com

EVA SB said...

For fun I would love the power of flight.
For practical I would like the power of healing of transportation. T
o be boring practical I would like the power of making housework instantly done.

I tweeted
https://twitter.com/EVA_n_essence/status/13959510899

I'm a GFC follower

I'm an email subscriber

eva.s.black[@]gmail[.]com

Roby said...

I would like to teleport.

gpmargial at alice dot it

julstew said...

I would love to be invisible.

+1 follower

julstew at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

yea i would love to life forevr and see what all is coming later , but also time travel,and go back in history

than again, flying would be cool.

and be a sex magnet to hunky guys :>

and well think the queton on said one

so LIVE FOREVER

Giada M. said...

Thank you for the interesting post and giveaway!^O^
If I could have one magic power, it would be mind control. :P
Thank you for this chance!
I'm a blog follower.

Giada M.

fabgiada @ gmail.com

Beth said...

I think I like to have telekinesis. It sure would help around the house and for work to be able to do more than one thing at a time.

*If you are a Google follower: One chance

Andrea I said...

I would love to have the power to charm others to do as they should be doing (especially my children).

Google Follower
Facebook Fan
E mail subscriber

Ina said...

Hi Sonya :)
thanks for a great post - your book is already on my wishlist and I can't wait to get my hands on it!!!
to answer your question: I would love to change into a wolf *dreaming*
wish you all the best,
Ina

+follower
+email subscriber

booklover0226 said...

If I had a power, it would be the power of healing. Human and animals.

I'm a Google follower

I'm a member of the PVN Facebook page

I am an email subscriber

Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com

J said...

I wish I could turn invisible :)

I am your blog follower.
Also a member of PVN FB page
and an email subscriber :)

Spav said...

I would chooce the ability to control the elements.

+1 Tweet: http://twitter.com/Sparima/status/14779641525
+1 Blog follower
+1 Email subscriber

spav05(at)gmail(dot)com

Jo-Anne said...

I think I'd like to have telekinesis as my power.

I'm google follower.

strangecandyreviews(at)gmail(dot)com