Quincey Morris and Libby Chastain are still recovering from what happened in Idaho. But life goes on, so they do, also. When Morris faces another harrowing experience, he considers hanging it up, but Libby brings him back into himself — just in time. Their FBI friends discover a trace of black magic at the home of a deceased presidential candidate. As other candidates start to fall, Morris and Chastain investigate and are led to the dark horse candidate, Senator Stark. When they discover that the good senator has been possessed, they will do what they have to in order to send the demon straight back to hell.

I was excited to see there was another book published in the Morris and Chastain Investigation series, and the subject matter of this book was particularly interesting to read. Imagine a presidential candidate being possessed by a demon. Okay, sometimes it seems as though they are evil enough already, but this candidate became really evil. In his desire to become president, he did whatever it took to take out the competition. But almost every candidate has his skeletons.

Libby and Quincey have their own special rapport and it is always appealing to read. Watching them work together in the third book shows that their relationship has continued to grow stronger. If you have been waiting for the next book in the series as I had, you will love this book. It provides hours of entertainment and you will not want to put the book down.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Solaris; 1 edition (July 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1907992030
• ISBN-13: 978-1907992032

Purchase a print copy of Sympathy for the Devil from Amazon
Purchase a Kindle copy of Sympathy for the Devil from Amazon

Books in the Morris and Chastain series in the order they should be read:
Black Magic Woman
Evil Ways
Sympathy for the Devil

PLEASE NOTE: The contest portion of this event is now closed. The winners have been chosen and contacted by EDGE publishing

BBB: Thanks for joining us today for the BBB launch of “Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives” edited by Justin Gustainis, published by EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing.

Many of our Bitten by Books readers may know your characters from other series.  Could you please tell us a bit about the characters in your stories in Those Who Fight Monsters?

T. A. Pratt: Despite lacking much in the way of tact and having a tendency to solve all her problems with violence, Marla Mason has been chief sorcerer and protector of the city of Felport for a few years now, and no one’s succeeded in assassinating her yet.

Laura Anne Gilman: Danny Hendrickson is a former NYPD officer, currently working as a private investigator in New York City. He likes to keep his half-faun genetics under his hat, so to speak.

Julie Kenner: Soccer mom Kate Connor spends her days driving carpool, organizing Gymboree playdates, and hunting demons. Just another day in suburbia…

Simon R. Green: John Taylor is a private eye who operates in the Twilight Zone, solving cases of the weird and uncanny. His beat is the Nightside, that sour secret heart of London, where the sun has never shone and it’s always three o’clock in the morning, the hour that tries men’s souls. Gods and monsters can be found there, often attending the same self-help groups. John Taylor is your last chance for justice, the truth, and other disturbing things.

Lilith Saintcrow: Jill Kismet is the resident hunter of Santa Luz, a city somewhere in the American Southwest. She likes bullwhips, .45s, and breakfast burritos. Oh, and holding back the tides of Hell. She’s a big fan of that.

Carrie Vaughn: Jessi Hardin is a homicide  detective with the Denver Police Department. She heads the department’s new Paranatural Unit and has (rather inadvertently) become an expert on  emerging issues  of law enforcement and the supernatural.

Justin Gustainis: Quincey Morris, who is descended from the man who gave his life in the fight to destroy Count Dracula, is an occult investigator living in Austin, Texas.

Tanya Huff: Tony Foster is the second assistant director on “Darkest Night”, the most popular syndicated vampire detective show on television.   He’s one of only three wizards currently practicing in the world and he intends to keep practicing until he gets it right. Given the amount of supernatural flotsam showing up in Vancouver lately, he’s being given a lot of opportunity.

Chris Marie Green: Former Hollywood stuntwoman Dawn Madison is currently in retirement from vampire hunting and resides near San Diego. Kiko Daniels, who lives nearby, runs a paranormal detective agency with his partner, Natalia Petri.

Caitlin Kittredge: Petunia Caldecott is a former Detective Inspector with the Metropolitan Police, London. She graduated from London City College and currently resides in Whitechapel. Jack Winter is a mage and a pain in her arse, but he sometimes makes himself useful. He hails from Manchester, England.

C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp: Tony Giodone’s skill as a hit man has resulted in a stack of cold case files in the homicide divisions of a number of major cities. Even before he was attacked and turned into a werewolf, if you met Tony in a dark alley, he’d be walking back into the light alone. Although still an assassin, he’s now working for Wolven, the police force of the Sazi council—in other words, the good guys.

Jackie Kessler: The succubus Jezebel has turned her back on her Hellish past (sort of) and now lives as the human Jesse Harris, working as an exotic dancer in New York City. Note: this story takes place before Hell’s Belles.

C. J. Henderson: Museum curator Piers Knight is a quiet fellow who likes good food, quiet evenings with a pot of tea and a good book, and being left alone by all the world. While usually well fed and well read, he rarely gets more that a week or two to himself before Fate, Destiny, or some other joker comes knocking at his door, bringing him all manner of bothers.

Rachel Caine: Cassiel was once a Djinn (genie), and is now, thanks to a disagreement with a higher ranking Djinn, trapped in human form as a punishment. Her only hope for long-term survival is partnership with a supernaturally-gifted Warden, Luis Rocha, who controls the elements of the earth. Cassiel and Luis both reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when not battling supernatural forces elsewhere.

☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠

Read Justin’s Reviews and Interviews on BBB

http://www.justingustainis.com/

Justin’s Myspace page

☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠

Read a 4.5 Tombstone review of  Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives here: http://www.bittenbybooks.com/38809/those-who-fight-monsterstales-of-occult-detectives-edited-by-justin-gustainis/

Contest: Open to readers worldwide, contest ends at midnight tonight 4/13.

Enter a draw for 3 copies of Those Who Fight Monsters, signed by Justin Gustainis.

1. To enter ask the authors a question – Mandatory

2. Leave your first name and your country – Mandatory

PLEASE NOTE: The contest portion of this event is now closed. The winners have been chosen and contacted by EDGE publishing

BBB: Thanks for joining us today for the BBB launch of “Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives” edited by Justin Gustainis, published by EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing.

Many of our Bitten by Books readers may know your characters from other series.  Could you please tell us a bit about the characters in your stories in Those Who Fight Monsters?

T. A. Pratt: Despite lacking much in the way of tact and having a tendency to solve all her problems with violence, Marla Mason has been chief sorcerer and protector of the city of Felport for a few years now, and no one’s succeeded in assassinating her yet.

Laura Anne Gilman: Danny Hendrickson is a former NYPD officer, currently working as a private investigator in New York City. He likes to keep his half-faun genetics under his hat, so to speak.

Julie Kenner: Soccer mom Kate Connor spends her days driving carpool, organizing Gymboree playdates, and hunting demons. Just another day in suburbia…

Simon R. Green: John Taylor is a private eye who operates in the Twilight Zone, solving cases of the weird and uncanny. His beat is the Nightside, that sour secret heart of London, where the sun has never shone and it’s always three o’clock in the morning, the hour that tries men’s souls. Gods and monsters can be found there, often attending the same self-help groups. John Taylor is your last chance for justice, the truth, and other disturbing things.

Lilith Saintcrow: Jill Kismet is the resident hunter of Santa Luz, a city somewhere in the American Southwest. She likes bullwhips, .45s, and breakfast burritos. Oh, and holding back the tides of Hell. She’s a big fan of that.

Carrie Vaughn: Jessi Hardin is a homicide  detective with the Denver Police Department. She heads the department’s new Paranatural Unit and has (rather inadvertently) become an expert on  emerging issues  of law enforcement and the supernatural.

Justin Gustainis: Quincey Morris, who is descended from the man who gave his life in the fight to destroy Count Dracula, is an occult investigator living in Austin, Texas.

Tanya Huff: Tony Foster is the second assistant director on “Darkest Night”, the most popular syndicated vampire detective show on television.   He’s one of only three wizards currently practicing in the world and he intends to keep practicing until he gets it right. Given the amount of supernatural flotsam showing up in Vancouver lately, he’s being given a lot of opportunity.

Chris Marie Green: Former Hollywood stuntwoman Dawn Madison is currently in retirement from vampire hunting and resides near San Diego. Kiko Daniels, who lives nearby, runs a paranormal detective agency with his partner, Natalia Petri.

Caitlin Kittredge: Petunia Caldecott is a former Detective Inspector with the Metropolitan Police, London. She graduated from London City College and currently resides in Whitechapel. Jack Winter is a mage and a pain in her arse, but he sometimes makes himself useful. He hails from Manchester, England.

C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp: Tony Giodone’s skill as a hit man has resulted in a stack of cold case files in the homicide divisions of a number of major cities. Even before he was attacked and turned into a werewolf, if you met Tony in a dark alley, he’d be walking back into the light alone. Although still an assassin, he’s now working for Wolven, the police force of the Sazi council—in other words, the good guys.

Jackie Kessler: The succubus Jezebel has turned her back on her Hellish past (sort of) and now lives as the human Jesse Harris, working as an exotic dancer in New York City. Note: this story takes place before Hell’s Belles.

C. J. Henderson: Museum curator Piers Knight is a quiet fellow who likes good food, quiet evenings with a pot of tea and a good book, and being left alone by all the world. While usually well fed and well read, he rarely gets more that a week or two to himself before Fate, Destiny, or some other joker comes knocking at his door, bringing him all manner of bothers.

Rachel Caine: Cassiel was once a Djinn (genie), and is now, thanks to a disagreement with a higher ranking Djinn, trapped in human form as a punishment. Her only hope for long-term survival is partnership with a supernaturally-gifted Warden, Luis Rocha, who controls the elements of the earth. Cassiel and Luis both reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when not battling supernatural forces elsewhere.

☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠

Read Justin’s Reviews and Interviews on BBB

http://www.justingustainis.com/

Justin’s Myspace page

☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠☠-☠

Read a 4.5 Tombstone review of  Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives here: http://www.bittenbybooks.com/38809/those-who-fight-monsterstales-of-occult-detectives-edited-by-justin-gustainis/

Contest: Open to readers worldwide, contest ends at midnight tonight 4/13.

Enter a draw for 3 copies of Those Who Fight Monsters, signed by Justin Gustainis.

1. To enter ask the authors a question – Mandatory

2. Leave your first name and your country – Mandatory

This new collection of short fiction has been put together by Justin Gustainis and published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. I was anxious to read it because I love mysteries with paranormal elements. I was not disappointed by this collection in any way.

First of all, it has two great stories by two of my favorite authors. There is a wonderful John Taylor story by Simon R. Green. If you have not been introduced to John Taylor, a PI in the Nightside, you are missing something great. In this particular story, John Taylor has been hired to find out who is haunting the “Jolly Cripple.” It is a bar most people would not be caught dead in, so why would a ghost choose to haunt it? John Taylor finds out not only the why, but the how, and the ending will leave you with a delicious sense of justice done.

My favorite series by the wonderful writer Tanya Huff is Smoke and Shadows with Tony Foster. Tony works on a cable television show about a vampire detective. The thing is, Tony once had a vampire lover, and he is a wizard, so even he finds where he works ironic. The cast and crew of the show keep finding themselves in situations where Tony’s expertise is the thing that saves their butts. In this story, Lee, Tony’s boyfriend and the co-star of the tv show, appears to have a stalker — an otherworldly one, and that worries Tony. It is not simply jealousy that this beautiful young woman is attracting Lee’s attention, it is that he fears what she will do to Lee — especially when a string of bodies seem to follow where she has been before. In the end, it is Lee’s kindness that saves them.

There were many “new to me” writers in the book, and I enjoyed the stories. They are all well-written, and they each hit different notes in terms of the reader’s emotions.

One of the things I liked the best about the book was at the end of each story there is a brief description of the author and what he or she has written, and a short description of the main character of the story and what other works they have appeared in so that the reader can go find more if they should so desire.

Those Who Fight Monsters:Tales of Occult Detectives is a terrific anthology and one well worth the paranormal fan’s attention.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: EDGE Science Fiction & Fantasy; 1st edition (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894063481
• ISBN-13: 978-1894063487

Purchase a print copy of Those Who Fight Monsters:Tales of Occult Detectives from Amazon

Purchase a print copy of Those Who Fight Monsters:Tales of Occult Detectives from Barnes & Noble

This new collection of short fiction has been put together by Justin Gustainis and published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. I was anxious to read it because I love mysteries with paranormal elements. I was not disappointed by this collection in any way.

First of all, it has two great stories by two of my favorite authors. There is a wonderful John Taylor story by Simon R. Green. If you have not been introduced to John Taylor, a PI in the Nightside, you are missing something great. In this particular story, John Taylor has been hired to find out who is haunting the “Jolly Cripple.” It is a bar most people would not be caught dead in, so why would a ghost choose to haunt it? John Taylor finds out not only the why, but the how, and the ending will leave you with a delicious sense of justice done.

My favorite series by the wonderful writer Tanya Huff is Smoke and Shadows with Tony Foster. Tony works on a cable television show about a vampire detective. The thing is, Tony once had a vampire lover, and he is a wizard, so even he finds where he works ironic. The cast and crew of the show keep finding themselves in situations where Tony’s expertise is the thing that saves their butts. In this story, Lee, Tony’s boyfriend and the co-star of the tv show, appears to have a stalker — an otherworldly one, and that worries Tony. It is not simply jealousy that this beautiful young woman is attracting Lee’s attention, it is that he fears what she will do to Lee — especially when a string of bodies seem to follow where she has been before. In the end, it is Lee’s kindness that saves them.

There were many “new to me” writers in the book, and I enjoyed the stories. They are all well-written, and they each hit different notes in terms of the reader’s emotions.

One of the things I liked the best about the book was at the end of each story there is a brief description of the author and what he or she has written, and a short description of the main character of the story and what other works they have appeared in so that the reader can go find more if they should so desire.

Those Who Fight Monsters:Tales of Occult Detectives is a terrific anthology and one well worth the paranormal fan’s attention.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: EDGE Science Fiction & Fantasy; 1st edition (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894063481
• ISBN-13: 978-1894063487

Purchase a print copy of Those Who Fight Monsters:Tales of Occult Detectives from Amazon

Purchase a print copy of Those Who Fight Monsters:Tales of Occult Detectives from Barnes & Noble

Quincey Morris and Libby Chastain are back in the second installment of Justin Gustainis’ paranormal investigator series. White witches from Libby’s sisterhood are turning up missing or dead, and Quincey is investigating a series of child murders. When an attempt is made on Libby’s life, the pair discovers that the two situations are related. Couple that with the infamous Book of Shadows turning up missing in Bahgdad and it looks like someone is planning to practice some serious dark magic. Quincey and Libby’s investigation leads them to cross paths with FBI investigators Collen O’Donnell, who is also a white witch, and Fenton, her partner. They will need to work together to discover who is behind these attacks and why.

I really enjoyed Evil Ways. Quincey and Libby are magnetic characters. I have read very few urban fantasy/paranormal novels that have male and female main characters where there appears to be no chemistry between them. It was a refreshing change to get away from the romantic overtones found in today’s paranormal and urban/fantasy genre.

Evil Ways takes the reader all over the globe, from its explosive opening in Baghdad to its final conclusion in Couer d’Alene, Idaho. While Evil Ways contains a few twists and turns, it is a fairly straightforward book, making it a fairly manageable read. The action is gripping, and the plot is engrossing. I found myself anxious to see what happened next and finished the book within a day or two.

I really enjoyed Mr. Gustainis’ writing style and am glad that I picked up this series for review. I would recommend reading  Black Magic Woman before picking up this book. I made the mistake of trying to read this one first, and there are some events and characters referred to in  Evil Ways that were in the first book. If you’re looking for something different from the normal fairy-tale love story found in most of today’s urban fantasy, then check out Justin Gustainis’ Quincey Morris series. You will enjoy it.

Book Excerpt: “In a story that ranges from Baghdad to Los Angeles, EVIL WAYS sees eccentric billionaire Walter Grobius attempt to unleash a devastating magical apocalypse. Quincey Morris and his partner, white witch Libby Chastain, are drawn into their deadliest case yet, but from different directions. In Los Angeles, Quincey is blackmailed by the FBI into investigating a series of ritualistic child murders. In New York, Libby barely escapes an attempt on her life by assassins armed with magical weapons. Both of these threads eventually intertwine, leading the investigators to a conspiracy so vast and diabolical as to defy belief.

The final, bloody confrontation takes place at Grobius’s isolated Idaho estate, on Walpurgis Night — the night of the Witches’ Sabbath. Quincey and Libby, and their allies, must fight a desperate battle against immensely powerful dark forces that threaten the future of all mankind.”

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Solaris (November 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844167658
• ISBN-13: 978-1844167654

To purchase a print copy of Evil Ways from Amazon click here.

To purchase a print copy of Evil Ways from Barnes & Noble click here.

Books in the Quincey Morris series in the order they should be read:
Black Magic Woman
Evil Ways
Sympathy for the Devil

I ran across Black Magic Woman online quite by accident. This is the first book in the Quincey Morris supernatural investigator series. Honestly, I tend to gravitate towards female paranormal authors first (sorry guys), yet something about the title just grabbed my attention, (could have been a flashback to the 70′s again) but I am glad I purchased this book!

Readers beware, this book contains very graphic, dark content that surrounds Afro-American Voodoo and black magic ritual killings. I don’t recommend it for kids. It is categorized as Dark Urban Fantasy.

The plot and execution of this book was fantastic! Mr. Gustainis did an excellent job of keeping me riveted to the page. The main characters Quincey Morris, who is an investigator / vampire hunter, and his contracted partner, white witch Libby Chastain, were engaging, down to earth and left me wanting more. There is a lot of information on witchcraft and voodoo that was obviously well researched and presented in a thorough and concise manner, which really impressed me.

This action-packed story starts out as a fairly routine curse removal, and ends up winding its way over several states and as far as Africa, to an evil so deep it gave me a nightmare or two. While Libbey and Quincey try and find a way to lift a dark curse from their clients’ home, the FBI and a special agent from Africa are racing to catch whoever is ritually murdering children.

In a bizarre twist, find out if the crimes could be connected to a family feud that originated at the Salem witch trials and what happens when one of the characters visits death’s door. Who really is the evil mastermind behind it all? You will have to pick up your copy of Black Magic Woman and find out for yourself! I can’t give away all the good secrets.

Overall, it has an excellent plot, interesting characters with good back stories, and has me curious and excited to see what is coming in the next book of the series, titled Evil Ways, that Justin Gustainis built up in this first book.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Solaris (January 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844165418
• ISBN-13: 978-1844165414

To Purchase a print copy of Black Magic Woman from Amazon click here.

Books in the Quincey Morris series in the order they should be read:
Black Magic Woman
Evil Ways
Sympathy for the Devil