Author Nancy Holzner Guest Blog and $25.00 Gift Card Contest LIVE NOW!
My Deadtown urban fantasy series features Victory Vaughn, a shapeshifter who kills other people’s personal demons for a living—while fighting bigger, nastier, more dangerous demons of her own. Vicky lives in Deadtown, Boston’s paranormal-only district. One of her favorite haunts (so to speak haha) is Creature Comforts, a bar where humans and paranormals meet and mingle. Creature Comforts is owned and managed by Axel, a bartender of few words but giant stature—and attitude. Here, Axel takes over to share his thoughts on running a monster bar in Boston’s New Combat Zone.
You can learn a lot about people in a bar.
Of course, if you happen to wander into my bar and spend some time there, you’ll learn a lot about a lot more than just people. That’s because humans make up maybe a quarter of my customers. The rest are vampires, werewolves—you know, so-called creatures of the night. Creature Comforts (that’s my bar) also gets quite a few zombies, when the cops let them past the Deadtown barriers.
My name is Axel, and I’m a jötunn. You’d probably say “troll.” Either one works. I’ll admit I look like something out one of those fairy tales meant to scare children into behaving—I’m seven feet tall (plus or minus a couple of centimeters), with a hookish nose, small dark eyes, and a long beard that tends toward shagginess. You might expect to find me living under a bridge, demanding money to let travelers cross—and threatening to eat anyone who won’t pay up. Not much call for that line of work anymore. The government’s taken over. Take the Tobin Bridge, for example. Seventy-five thousand cars drive across it from Chelsea into Boston every day, and the state collects three dollars from each of them. How am I supposed to compete with that?
So if you look under bridges, you won’t find me there. I live in an apartment in the basement under my bar. Behind a triple-locked door. It’s my realm, and no one gets in without my say-so.
Anyway, that whole pay-up-or-get-eaten thing is a lousy deal. For me, I mean. Look around at the characters in this place—that table of business-suited werewolves sharing a bottle of Scotch; the three vampires sitting at the bar, pretending they’re not eyeing the nervous-looking human college girls sitting in the booth by the door. And let’s not even mention the zombies. Anything in here look like dinner to you? Me, neither. Don’t get me wrong; I like money. But I prefer to get mine by selling good beer and spirits at a fair price.
I opened this place three years ago, just a couple of days after the plague hit. Like other paranormals, I was immune to the virus that was fatal (or so we thought at first) to every human it touched. And the way all kinds of creatures came out of the woodwork to help, it was downright touching. I saw feared monsters who’d done their share of dark-alley hunting weep with grief at the scale of the carnage. I saw vampires who’d never in their undeath spared a thought for anyone else roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help. Later, after the zombies rose, I saw too many powerful creatures crammed in too close together try to figure out how to get along without tearing each other to pieces. One way they did
that was coming to my place. Still do, too.
Now, monster bars like mine provide neutral ground for humans and paranormals to mingle—or just to eye each other warily. Creature Comforts is one of a handful of such bars in the New Combat Zone, the unregulated no-man’s land between the checkpoints into Deadtown at one end and human-controlled Boston at the other. For humans, coming here is sort of like sticking your big toe into a shark tank so you can run home and tell your friends how brave you were to go swimming with the sharks. For paranormals, it’s a place where you can relax—go on the prowl or out for a howl and not worry what anyone
else thinks of you.
That’s where I come in. I keep order—silver stakes behind the bar help keep both vampires and werewolves in line—but more than that I make Creature Comforts a place where anyone can come in, get comfortable, and knock back a few cold ones. Sure, I might have to break up a couple of werewolf brawls each month when the moon is waxing. And I have to toss the vampire junkies out onto the pavement when they’ve donated blood past the legal limit. And sometimes I have to step in and save some dumb norm who drinks enough to get brave and mouth off to the monsters. But mostly, this is a live-and-let-live kind of place.
So don’t be shy. Come on in and take a seat at the bar. Let me pour you a pint. Tell me your story. I might not say much, but that doesn’t mean I’m not listening. After all, you can learn a lot about people—and others—in a bar.
Books in the Deadtown series in the order they should be read:
Deadtown
Hellforged
Bloodstone
Darklands
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Hi Nancy! Welcome back to BBB! I will return a little later to answer your questions.
Hi Carol!
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
I
Hi Jackie,
I agree with you about bookstores. Bookstore cafes are also one of my favorite places to write, although the people-watching can get distracting sometimes.
I hope you’ll give my series a try!
I own the first two! Now to find the time to read them, LOL. Isn’t that always the case?
Your TBR pile (mountain?) sounds like mine!
I’d love to sit down and have some coffee with a member of the fae. Do they drink coffee? They seem more tea or wine type beings to me. Hmmm.
LOL Mia I think you’re right. Some kind of mead or fermented nectar, maybe. And of course, we humans also have to be verrrry careful about sharing food or refreshment with the fae…
I became a fan first because of your Name…my NAME…Nancy (Holzner-maden name) Thompson…then it is all about your talents of writing…maybe my alter-ego!! keep writing!
Nancy
Nancy, you’re not going to believe this but just a couple of days ago I heard from Nanci Holzner on Facebook. There are more of us than I thought! My maiden name was Nancy Brown, so I used to run into myself coming and going all the time LOL. I think we Nancy Holzners need to start a very exclusive club…
Thanks so much for picking up my books. I’m really happy you enjoy them! After all, I have a name to live up to!
Hi Axel!
I love reading about you in Nancy’s books–especially the last one. Even though I wouldn’t want to piss you off…
I hope she writes more about you in the future.
Axel says, “Takk!” (That’s “thank you” in Trollsprak.)
What do you think is the best place for observing people (and others)?
Bookstores, news-stands, and parks. Bars too but when it gets too crowded it is hard to observe.
If you were to visit a monster bar like Creature Comforts, what drink would you order?
Since I am not really an alcoholic drinker I would go with my standard Dr. Pepper. Plus, I would figure being in a monster bar I would want all my senses on alert. You just don’t know what would happen if you are impaired.
What kind of paranormal being would you most like to have a drink (or coffee) with?
Drow! Sorry I am a big dark elf fanatic. LOL. Hrm, Valkyrie too. Can I say the Celtic Goddess The Morrigan? Fae would be fun. Dragon.
Hi Raonaid,
I like your suggestions for people-watching, especially bookstores. You can learn a lot about someone by noticing the sections where they browse.
Vicky’s not much of a drinker, either. When she goes to Creature Comforts she usually orders either a club soda or a lite beer that’s so lite it doesn’t actually taste like beer.
You’ve got enough ideas about paranormal creatures to have a drink with that you should throw a party–it’d be a really interesting one!
Neat – never cared for the taste of beer.
LOL! Yeah I would have to worry about the drow wanting to perform dark tortures! Though The Morrigan would have them all bowing down to her in no time.
Well, you do have to have some form of entertainment at a party!
outside events
cranberry juice
shifter
Hi Dina,
People do tend to let their hair down more when they’re outside, I think.
Cranberry juice is a great choice when you’re in Boston! (Not far from those cranberry bogs on Cape Cod.)
Any particular kind of shifter?
What do you think is the best place for observing people (and others)?
Um, everywhere! For whatever reason when I’m by myself or keeping to myself, people tend to talk and do things as if I’m not there. So I have been privy to prime people watching. This one is kind of hard to do, but is so interesting. But if you can watch people in their cars…eye opener!
Another good one is whenever somebody is to watch people when they’re on their phone. Another good place is restaurants. And this past weekend I went to the local farmer’s market. Also good stuff. I completely seem like a weirdo-stalker now! But I swear I’m not! I just notice things. And more than most since I can blend into the background.
If you were to visit a monster bar like Creature Comforts, what drink would you order?
Well, I’m not a drinker either, but it could be fun to get something the looks a deep red color, just to make everyone else wonder what could be in it. And colorful drinks are just fun!
What kind of paranormal being would you most like to have a drink (or coffee) with?
I’m going to go with a Were or Shifter of somekind. Besides the fact that I love shifters, depending on the kind of shifter and what moon it is, my table manners might pale in comparison! And I wouldn’t pass up that golden opportunity.
Hi Rae,
Do you write? Your obervational skills would be perfect for a writer! It’s funny you mentioned people in cars. One of the things I do at red lights is really look at the drivers coming through the green light. It’s interesting, getting just a glimpse at a time when they think no one is watching.
Vicky’s vampire friend Juliet orders Bloody Marys for a similar reason. *grin*
I think I’d choose a shifter, too. I’ve been on a werewolf kick lately in my own reading.
Thanks for your thoughts!
I wish I did write. Because years of observations are starting to build up!
And I walk a lot, so I always get to see drivers more than most people.
I also sit on my porch and watch people who sometimes try to use my street as a shortcut. Only to realize it’s not so short and they end up backed up. It hasn’t happened in a while because I think people finally figured it out. But it was funny to watch!
Although we’re probably about due for a new batch of drivers to try!
Almost all of the houses in my neighborhood have front porches–I LOVE sitting there and watching people go by. My husband and I sit out there almost every evening in the summer, and neighbors ofte drop by to chat. The front porch is my favorite “room” in the summer!
Do you have backstory of your characters that you just know, but never ends up in the books?
That’s a great question, and the answer is yes, definitely. There’s the whole story of the zombie plague that created Deadtown three years before the first book in the series. (I hope to write that prequel as its own novella, some day.) How Kane’s family of French-Canadian werewolves ended up in Massachusetss. Vicky’s high school years and her training in fighting demons. Lots of stuff.
Most writers, I believe, know far more about their characters (and, in fantasy, their world) than appears in the books–and I think that gives the characters and the world depth.
I love those little facts and backstories! I’m such a a hound for more story! I would love to see any of those in a novella, especially about Kane (hint, hint. wink, wink!) Have I mentioned how much I love shifters?!
I’ll keep that in mind, Rae. I think Kane has a few stories he’d like to tell from his point of view. And I do hope to put out an ebook with a prequel and some Deadtown-related short stories within the next year. Watch my FB page and website for updates on that.
Question 1- I think the mall is the best place to observe people.
Question 2- I love lemon drop shots, not sure if they would serve them there. If they didn’t then whatever they are drinking besides blood
.
Question 3- a vampire, shifter or a witch.
Hi Donna,
1. I live in a college town surrounded by rural areas, so we do get quite an interesting mix of people at the mall, especially on the weekends.
2. I’ve never tried lemon drop shots, but they sound yummy!
3. Those could all be interesting. I think I’d pick whichever one seemed in the best mood.
Hi there! I just bought the book, so now I have all of them although I haven’t read them yet. I really want to, I’m just going to have to shove around some of my TBR pile. I still haven’t seen these available in audio, do you know if they will be? Do you listen to audiobooks?
Hi, Joani!
Thanks for supporting my series. I hope you’ll enjoy them once you get that TBR pile under control. I understand that negotiations are going on about audiobooks, although I don’t have anything to announce right now. Watch my Facebook page, though.
I used to listen to audiobooks all the time when I was “commuting” from one end of Massachusetts to the other. They made the drive much more pleasant!
As for observing people, I love to watch them at the mall, the park, the grocery store is especially fun, all those tired moms with kids that are just obnoxious!! I know this might sound terrible, but I love it when they actually discipline their kids, because so many parents dont nowadays, and sometimes kids just need a good spanking!!
I haven’t had a drink for about 8 years, but bloody mary’s were my all time favorite drink. God, I miss them, but my husband is a recovering alcoholic, so we don’t frequent bars or party’s much any more. Now I drink about 2 pots of coffee a day, so if I went to a bar, that would probably be my drink of choice, or an iced coffee.
I would like to hang with some witches and pick their brains!! Or maybe some elves, depending on which fictional universe they are from!!
LOL I do kinda know what you mean about watching other people’s kids misbehave. I usually just think, “Glad mine’s grown up!”
Vicky’s roommate Juliet (a vampire straight out of Shakespeare) drinks Bloody Marys. She likes the name, and also the looks she gets …
I have a couple of friends who are real-life witches (Wiccans). Interesting folks!
Thanks for dropping by.
Debbie L. USA
the book stores are definitely the best place to observe people, with the Mall being a great place to
Hi Lisa,
I agree those are both great places. I especially love hanging out in bookstores.
I’d drink anything with lots of liquor in it as I know I’d need something to bolster my confidence, possibly a Blue Motorcycle
LOL Lisa, I can see that. Just be sure to stay on the right side of that fine line between bolstering your confidence and losing your head (perhaps literally in a monster bar)!
Humm, while a vamp is my fav paranormal not sure I’d want to “drink” with him as I might be his drink of choice. Well, why not!
Worth trying once. In Deadtown, vampires are legally restricted to one pint.
Planner or pantzer?
DO you follow a “formula” when you write? DO you outline your ideas, write in a specific order
I was just talking about this with a writer friend a couple of days ago. For both of us, each book is different, and just when we think we’ve got this writing thing figured out, the tried-and-true method doesn’t work the way we expect it to.
I’ve written books both ways. For my first published novel (a non-paranormal mystery) I actually started with a scene from the middle of the book, written in response to a writing prompt exercise. I had to write 500 words based on this prompt: A character calls a phone number written on a rest room wall. I made the number a clue in a murder mystery. At that point, I had no idea who’d been murdered or why, but I liked the character who was trying to solve the crime and started trying to figure out what his story was. So for my first finished novel, I started in the MIDDLE and tried to find my way from there. No outline, just feeling my way through the story.
I’ve used very loose outlines (just the main plot points) and more detailed ones (synopses of maybe 3-4 single-spaced pages). I do like beginning with some kind of outline, because it breaks the novel into manageable chunks. But less detail is usually better for me. Even with an outline, I stay open to surprises, even when those surprises send the story in a whole new direction. Such surprises are organic, because they arise from the story itself, not where I think the story might go before I start writing. And they’re the most fun and rewarding part of writing.
If you could be any Disney charactor, who would it be?
I kind of like the idea of Merlin from The Sword in the Stone. I’m getting to a point in my life where I really appreciate the idea of living backward, heading back toward youth.
Do you have any unusual or special talents excluding your storytelling abilities?
Nope. When I was younger I was a pretty good singer, but I fell out of practice. Writing is what I enjoy most, so that’s what I put my energies into.
You woke up this morning and realized you had been reincarnated as a pair of shoes.
Describe yourself.
Painful. Narrow and pinching and rubbing at the back, along with ridiculously unstable high heels. I figure that way, no one will want to stick their feet in me.
If you could choose only one time period and place to live, when and where would you live and why?
My husband has this fascination with the second half of the 1940s, after the end of World War II. He’d jump in a time machine and live then if he had the chance. I’m pretty happy with being alive right now. When I was an English professor, my field was medieval English lit, but even though I’ve always been interested in the European Middle Ages, I do like my modern conveniences.
What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?
I can’t wait to see Daniel Day Lewis portray Lincoln. Even without any vampires.
Another great place to observe people is when they are on vacation, especially at the beach.
That’s true. It can be fun to watch people having fun!
I’d try a Zombie !
As a drink? Good choice! I made up a Deadtown Zombie cocktail last fall. I remember I included cranberry juice for the Massachusetts connection.
I’d enjoy having a drink with a sexy shifter!
Me, too!
A great place for observing other people is a at a cafe or restaurant.
Hi Dovile,
I think so, too. Especially in the informal atmosphere of a cafe.
At a monster bar, I’d better stick to water.
You and Vicky both. She usually orders a club soda.
Well, I wouldn’t want to have a drink with vampires or werewolves for sure. Maybe a drink with a fairy?
Some of those fae can be pretty scary! I’d stick with the garden variety fairy; we could both sip nectar from little bluebell-shaped cups.
What is your favorite fairytale?
It varies. Lately I’ve been fascinated by The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, along with several retellings. A side effect of the hot summer, maybe?
What was your favorite childhood book?
I was a voracious reader as a child. I loved mysteries (including both Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, although I preferred Nancy because we share a name), fantasies (a favorite was “No Flying in the House” by Betty Brock), and basically anything I could get my hands on.
Have you ever written fan fiction? For what series?
No, I’ve never tried writing any fan fiction.
best place to observe people: THE MALL
Hi Lisa,
The mall is definitely a great place for people-watching. I’ve occasionally had the experience of seeing someone who exactly matches my mental picture of one of my characters. I’ll watch but try to stop short of stalking.
I’d like to have coffee or a drink with an Angel
Two of my favorite series deal with angels: Christina Henry’s Maddie Black series and Linda Poitevin’s Grigori Legacy. Good stuff!
I’d be kind of worried about ordering a drink. If I knew it was safe I’d love to have a mocha and chat it up with the patrons.
Good choice for keeping your wits about you, Viki! Axel does a good job of keeping order–there are occasional brawls, but most patrons behave because they don’t want to get banned!
I’d love to have a drink with a Valkyrie. They are some kick a** females and would have great stories to share.
Valkyries are awesome. But they’d probably offer you mead instead of mocha. (Maybe you could introduce them to a new drink!)
q1. anywhere is a good place to observe, as long as we’re subtle.
q2. anything alcohol free. i need all my wits with me
q3. umm.. male or female? maybe vamps or witches.
hi nancy! will vicky have another flaming weapon in the future? i love the flaming sword
Hi, sienny! Nice to see you here. One of my favorite lines of Vicky’s, which never made it into one of the books, is the way she describes her job: “It’s a lot like psychotherapy, except instead of a couch I use a flaming sword.”
Darklands has a flaming sword that’s different from the one Vicky uses in other books.
Hi Nancy!!! My favorite place to people watch is the bar. My honey is the lead singer in a 60s & 70s tribute band – so they play bars, festivals, etc. I just love to watch all the interesting characters. My favorite to date is a guy I call ‘the Captain’. He was in the bar wearing this white captains hat, probably in his mid-60s, and he had to change will every woman on the dance floor. Love people watching!!!
Well – in the bar – I love anything with Rum. Rum (captain Morgan) & coke or even better would be Dr. Pepper & Captain Morgan – but most places don’t have Dr. P.
If I’m going out drinking, I think it would have to be with a werewolf. Someone strong enough to carry me home if I’ve had a rough night – I don’t want to be an unwilling vamp snack.
So Nancy – how about you – who would you be drinking with and what’s your order?
Hi, heatwave16!
Sounds like you get a lot of great people-watching opportunities–that Captain could definitely feature in a story! I also like your reasoning about going out for a drink with a werewolf vs. a vampire.
As for me, I’m mostly a wine drinker. In a monster bar, I’d want a full-bodied red–a Bordeaux, maybe. And I’d want to be sitting in the booth next to Vicky and Kane so I could eavesdrop on their conversation. But I think Juliet, Vicky’s vampire roommate, would be the most fun to hang out with at Creature Comforts.
glad I showed up.these so look like books I will like and a New Author for me to get to know and love.
Stacey S
Thanks, Stacey–I’m glad you showed up, too! I hope you’ll give my Deadtown books a try.
Q1 = I would say the mall is a great place to watch people or the park
Stacey S
Q3= with a Vampire for I could ask about all the stuff he has seen in his long life.
Stacey S
The park is a good addition to our growing list of people-watching sites. Nice to be able to breathe fresh air while observing! And you’re right that a vampire would be interesting to talk to, with a very different perspective on human history. Thanks for your thoughts!
Love it! I never knew Axel had so much to say!!
Neither did he. He had to lie down for a while after he finished the post.
What do you do “to color outside of the lines”?
Hi Lisa,
Interesting question! I like to do various writing exercises, never to be seen by anyone but me, that stretch the ways I work with language.
If we looked under your bed, what would we find?
Books, shoes, and mutant dust bunnies.
What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
That’s a tough one. I think it’s the times when I’ve stepped into a new phase of my life before I felt ready: going to study in a foreign country where I knew no one, starting grad school when I wasn’t sure I could cut it, writing my first book. There are some things that are fun to dream about, but taking actual steps toward making the cherished dream a reality–with the possibility of failure looming–can be very scary indeed.
I like to watch people in the library. People will do the wildest things when they are deep in thought.
Lisa D. USA
My orderd drink would be a white zombie. Ummmm sounds like it’s loaded with fat!
Lisa D. USA
The creature would have to be a damphire. I could have a werewolf and vampire! The best of both paranormal species!!
Lisa D. USA
What do you think is the best place for observing people
Sporting events!
If you were a superhero what would your name be?
You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy?
What
Hi again, Nancy. I think one of the best places to observe people is a mall, or shopping area. My mother used to love to do that. I don’t do it often, but it’s true that you do see a variety of people that way.
I guess if I had to pick a supernatural being to have a drink with, it would be a vampire. Presumably, if they were drinking at the bar, they wouldn’t “need” anything else at the time and I’d be safe. I was going to say ghosts because of the safety issue, but then figured they probably wouldn’t be drinking…