GUEST LAUNCH PARTY + GIVEAWAY: Plain Fear: Forbidden by Leanna Ellis

Please welcome back Leanna Ellis, a fellow Sourcebooks author with a new thrilling book out this August: Plain Fear: Forbidden. It’s an Amish Vampire Romance—need I say more?

As summer is winding down and school is about to start up again, one of my favorite things to do is travel. One of the best aspects of writing is being ‘forced’ to travel for research. Oh the suffering I endure for my art!

Now I will say that some places are a bit more exotic and fun than others. Once I endured the heat of August in Texas and quite a sunburn while sitting at an outdoor rodeo. But oh those cowboys! It was worth the suffering. Another time, I drove eleven hours, just to reach the other side of Texas, to visit Marfa. I never did see those mysterious lights but it was a fun place to visit and gave me lots of wonderful ideas for my book. Still, another time, I entered the bizarre world of Elvis at Graceland. If you haven’t seen shag carpet on the ceiling then you just haven’t lived.

I have a confession to make: I did not visit any vampire communities during my writing of this series. I did however go where I’d never been before. My critique buddy, Julie, and I visited Lancaster, PA and entered the world of the Amish. What a time we had, visiting an Amish farm, traveling in a horse-draw buggy, and partaking of an Amish meal. You have to know what you’re writing about, right? We went to an Amish bakery and bought everything that looked delicious. And trust me it encompassed just about everything. Oh my! I think we each gained ten pounds, but oh what fun we had!

Last fall, I traveled to Ohio, where a huge part of book #2, FORBIDDEN, in my Plain Fear series, was set. I visited a writer friend of mine, Shelley Shepard Gray, who writes Amish fiction, and she took me to an enclave in the southeastern corner of her state, right near the Kentucky border, which had an Amish community set in the hills and dales along the edge of the Appalachians.

We checked into a fabulous bed and breakfast, where we shared a little cabin, nestled among dense woods. Early in the fall with the leaves changing and tumbling around us, the cool night air, and the dark, sinister clouds gave a wondrous atmosphere that fit my book perfectly. I was in hog heaven.

Maybe it was the time of year, not too long before Halloween, when pumpkin cannons were advertised and freshly pressed apple cider sold, but it all reminded me of The Legends of Sleepy Hollow. I even incorporated this old covered bridge into my story. It felt like it might collapse beneath the car as we drove over it. Thankfully, we survived to tell the tale.

So I hope you’ll travel with me into the world of the Amish…and my own unique world of vampires.

Thanks to Leanna for celebrating the release of her latest novel with us! To enter to win 1 of 2 copies of Plain Fear: Forbidden, please leave a comment, telling us your favorite vampire books, movies, etc. US and Canada addresses only, please leave an email address so we can reach you. Winners will be chosen on Monday, August 13!

PLAIN FEAR: FORBIDDEN BY LEANNA ELLIS – IN STORES AUGUST 2012

How Long Must We Pay for the Sins of Our Past?

She blames herself for her husband's death. But for Rachel Schmidt Nussbaum, redemption may only lie in the ultimate sacrifice.

When a stranger arrives claiming only she can save him, Rachel's impulsive instincts lead her on a perilous journey, one that leads her to a battle that will decide both the fate of her soul and the life of her unborn child.

A far–from–ordinary story of love and desperation, sin and sacrifice, Amish faith and vampire lore, Plain Fear: Forbidden is an imaginative thrill ride that's like nothing you've ever read before.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leanna Ellis is the winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award and Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award. She has written numerous books for Harlequin/Silhouette and has published four books with B&H Publishing. With her husband, two children, and wide assortment of pets, she lives in Texas. For more information, please visit www.leannaellis.com, follow her on Twitter, @LeannaEllis, and “like” her on Facebook.