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 :)


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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.

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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


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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!

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

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Diana Dang said...

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

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Anonymous 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?

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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

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SandyG265 said...

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

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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

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Cyndi said...

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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Lady_Graeye said...

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

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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.

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throuthehaze said...

I would want to be able to teleport anywhere I want

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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
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Aik said...

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

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Anonymous said...

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

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Thanks for the chance to win!

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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...

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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! :)

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Dawn M. said...

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

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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).

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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.

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Roby said...

I would like to teleport.

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julstew said...

I would love to be invisible.

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Anonymous 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.

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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.

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Andrea I said...

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

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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

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booklover0226 said...

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

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J said...

I wish I could turn invisible :)

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Spav said...

I would chooce the ability to control the elements.

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Jo-Anne said...

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

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