My characters are either naked or dressed to kill. Given they’re all monsters stalking the city of New Gotham’s twisted, cracked, and cobbled streets, the criminal wardrobe is part of the job description. Rockabilly princesses, corpse brides, leather queens…my city is full of them. Where do they get their menacing threads?
There is
boutique hiding out between the fractured, narrow store-fronts lining the foggy
docks. The shingles are ribbed and black. Washed, peeling paint and displays
offering views into wicked leather and lace studded glam. The mannequins are
ghoulish beauties stitched together from whatever was left from the last fool
to cross one of the sinister witches.
Push open its
shabby, frosted front door. Tiny white flakes of paint will pepper the wind
like spectral dust. The minute you set heel onto waxy polished oak floors
and step into the candelabra fire-light you know…
This is where
the magic happens.
Welcome
to Sinister Stitches
“…apparel
for a wicked fairy tale.”
A spicy
trinity of black magic sisters breathe star-dusted dreams to life with their
gothic apparel boutique. They are schooled in the old ways of “fabric-bending”
by the Needlewitches of old. With this knowledge, they’ve created an entire
line of clothing that all share the same basic design element: one-size fits
all. Each garment will magically tailor itself to its wearer once worn. There
may might be some “twirling” required, but a vampire’s steady hand should turn
every wardrobe change into a stolen moment.
Care to take
a peek at what the Sinister Stitches has to offer?
Check out
some of the questionnaire Jennifer Blackstream’s Loupe from Before
Midnight was
asked to fill out after she wandered into Sinister Stitches.
THE
WITCHES WHO STITCH QUESTIONNAIRE
Please
provide the witches with your name: Loupe
Please
provide the witches with the following:
Hair
Color: Golden blonde
Hair
Length: [ ] Short and Sassy, [ ] Medium and
Modern, [x] Lush and Long
Eye
Color: Green
Skin
Tone: [ ] Ghoulish, [x] Snow White, [ ]
Cina-baby, [ ] Mochalicious, [ ] Dark Chocolate, [ ]
Other:__________
Please
provide the witches with your measurements and body-type.
a.) Height:
5’5”
b.) Body
Type: [ ] Skeletal, [X] Lean and Tender, [ ] Lean and Tough, [ ] Ripe and
Edible
Do
you have any extra extremities? Place an “X” to all that apply.
[ ] Horns or
[ ] Halo
[ ] 20 ft. of
Hair or More
[ ] Gills and
Fins or [ ] Hooves
[ ] Wings
(Span: )
[ ] Tail (How
many: 1*)
*Only in wolf form
How
many heads do you have?
One
Do
you have arms and legs? If so, how many?
In human form, two arms and two legs. In
wolf form, four legs.
How
dead are you? [x] Living, [ ] Undead, [ ]
Astral Form
What
are you? (Species/Breed)
Loup garou (werewolf)
What
is the occasion? (Ideas include: Wedding,
Funeral, Sabbath, etc. Oh, and seduction is a valid occasion. The more details,
the better.)
Family gathering. I’ll be meeting the
werewolf cousins, aunts, and uncles. It’s important to look regal enough to
command the respect of being a member of the royal family, but strong enough
that the beasts recognize their alpha.
What’s
the occasion setting? (Beach, haunted castle, grand ball, etc.)
The main dining hall. Possibly the forest
on the palace grounds if all goes well…or horribly, horribly wrong.
Will
you be running for your life at some point in the evening?
(Helps with shoe selection.)
No.
If there’s any running to do, it will be in the direction of my prey.
Will
you be set on fire? Better yet, will you be setting other people on fire?
No.
Will
you be grave-robbing? (Dirt is a dressmaker’s tedium.)
No. Grave-digging, perhaps.
Is
your neck a dinner plate?
No. Just an appetizer.
Do
you hope to be naked at some point in the evening?
(All right, dirty birds. Such questions
are actually intended toward the weres and shifters in regards to their
transformations.)
Yes. If all goes well, we will be running
in wolf form. I want my in-laws to meet my adopted pups.
Describe
your last brush with Death in two sentences. (Helps us plan for the unexpected.)
Attacked while in wolf form by stepfamily
with spears. I
ate her.
Do
you need a secret compartment for weapons, wands, tampons, etc.?
No.
My weapons are body parts and they’ll be front and center should they become
necessary.
What
are your three favorite colors?
Silver, blue, green.
What
two colors rattle your kettle?
Red and orange.
Please
pick a style that you feel embodies you the best. If none apply, feel free to surprise
us by providing your own brilliant description in the “other” slot.
[ ]
Rockabilly Starlet: This
is for the spoonfuls of sugar. The good-natured and naughty girl next door
types. Candy is the business and fairy tales are ultimate. More often than not,
her head is in the clouds and her nose in the book. Our dreamers.
[ ]
Leather Queen: This
is for the warrior princesses. The type of girls who give boys a run for their
money and wear tight jeans just watch the little vampires come undone. Hands
for fighting and these heels for ass-kickings. Our protectors.
[ ]
Medieval Mistress: This is for the no-nonsense girls. The ones
who know better because they’re ten steps ahead. They’re schemers—they might be
shy, or they might not be. More importantly, they’re selective. Our wisdom.
[X]
Gothic Dame: This for the mysteries.
The ones no one can quite make heads or tails out off. She’s a mixture, a
melting pot of sugar and sinister. She might be Rockabilly Starlet one day, or
a Medieval Mistress other days. Our sisters.
[ ]
Other: _____________________
Who
is your favorite fairy tale villain?
I don’t like villains.
If
you could be any fairy tale princess, who would it be?
If?
Now,
tell us the twit you hate most.
Hunters
Anything
else you’d like to add…
After
many barrels of chocolate, a dash of magic
and furious sewing…
and furious sewing…
Sinister
Stitches’ Gothic Dame,
Madame
Mari presents Loupe’s Completed Dress
“New
Moon”
Evenin’ suga, I’m Madame Mari and I’m the damn fine pair of wings that owns this establishment. I also happen to be Sinister Stitches reigning Gothic Dame.
My girls couldn’t figure out what to do with your color request, so damn it all, I put them all into this gorgeous archaic evening gown. It’s lined with several soft aqua sheer petticoats and the over-dress is made out of the bottom layer of hydra scales. (You can thank my girl, Brenda, for that.) The scales refract the moonlight and are dirt resistant.
You can toss off your clothes and run it in nutty pants. And it’ll be waiting for you like a pristine beacon. Speaking of beacon, a will o’ wisp was capture, killed and grinded into shimmer---each granule was painstakingly sewn onto the garment by our pixies. Call your dress by name (“New Moon”) and it should find its way to you in a matter of seconds.
Lastly, my daughter, Gillian, (with Astrid’s guidance and firm “no gumdrops” hand”) helped an old fey with the creation of your head dress. The gold Roman corona is fit for a Pack Princess. It’s high over the ears and will shrink to match a canine skull upon transformation—and the make-up should settle over your eyes upon donning. It stays upon transformation too, so NO scratching. (I’m serious. I’ll whack that sweet apple bottom with a newspaper if need be—but there will be NO scratching!)
Now, put on your best plum stardusted cloak and don’t bother with shoes or knickers--they’ll just get in way of running naked through the moonlight.
My girls couldn’t figure out what to do with your color request, so damn it all, I put them all into this gorgeous archaic evening gown. It’s lined with several soft aqua sheer petticoats and the over-dress is made out of the bottom layer of hydra scales. (You can thank my girl, Brenda, for that.) The scales refract the moonlight and are dirt resistant.
You can toss off your clothes and run it in nutty pants. And it’ll be waiting for you like a pristine beacon. Speaking of beacon, a will o’ wisp was capture, killed and grinded into shimmer---each granule was painstakingly sewn onto the garment by our pixies. Call your dress by name (“New Moon”) and it should find its way to you in a matter of seconds.
Lastly, my daughter, Gillian, (with Astrid’s guidance and firm “no gumdrops” hand”) helped an old fey with the creation of your head dress. The gold Roman corona is fit for a Pack Princess. It’s high over the ears and will shrink to match a canine skull upon transformation—and the make-up should settle over your eyes upon donning. It stays upon transformation too, so NO scratching. (I’m serious. I’ll whack that sweet apple bottom with a newspaper if need be—but there will be NO scratching!)
Now, put on your best plum stardusted cloak and don’t bother with shoes or knickers--they’ll just get in way of running naked through the moonlight.
…
IMPORTANT
BULLETINS from THE PIXES:
Fancy
a tour of New Gotham? Check out New Gotham’s
Survival Guide! It might save your life! http://sophieavett.weebly.com/new-gotham-bonus-content.html
For
more information about Sophie Avett’s New Gotham novels and Sinister Stitches
series and
recent release, ‘Twas the Darkest Night, please check out her website: http://www.sophieavett.weebly.com.
For more information about Jennifer
Blackstream and Loupe's adventure in Before Midnight, please check out her
website: http://www.jenniferblackstream.com
Image edit credits: Elaina @ For the Muse Designs
Twas the Darkest Night
A New Gotham Novel
A Sinister Stiches Spin-off
Sophie Avett
Genre: Erotic Gothic Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Skeleton Key Publishing
Date of Publication: March 15, 2014
Number of pages: est. 355 pages
Word Count: est. 160, 000
Cover Artist: Elaina, For the Muse Designs
Book Description:
Remember the story about the troll who lived under the bridge—yes, well, that twit didn't have to pay rent.
Owner and operator of Bits and Pieces, and resident expert on charms and glamours, Elsa Karr is a witch with a sour frown and a list of things to do as long as Thor’s hammer. Top of the list is saving her father's shop from ruin. If she isn't trying to claw her way out of debt, she's arguing with her cat, Fenris, or shoveling carts of cake into her gob. She's not interested in romance or the vampire who rents the flat above her shop. All she wants is a little peace and chocolate--fine, all right! All right! The vampire is kind of screw all cute. (Curse him.)
The disgraced son and heir of the Wingates House vampire clan and a mad-man to boot, Marshall Ansley spends most of his time working and dodging his mother's phone calls. Marshall is beyond family. He's beyond everyone, actually. Don’t be daft, he especially doesn't do…Christmas. But behold, the plague brings an original flavor of annoyance this year when his boss tasks him with acquiring the account of a recluse fey and her upcoming Gothic clothing boutique, Sinister Stitches. That is the ONLY reason he's bothering with his shrewish landlord. No, that's it. No…really. Fine, if you insist, the witch might be a tad bit...all right, she's adorable. (Damn her.)
Scrooge meets Scrooge. Dominant meets Dominant. Tempers…spark. In each other, they may unfold a tale that only comes to pass on the darkest of nights.
About the Author:
Sophie Avett is kind of a nerd. Like not even one of the cute, hip ones everyone brags about nowadays. More like the socially awkward hippie who eats way too much bread and dreams about being a dragon from behind towers of mythology books. Um...yeah. Picture old, tattered paperbacks and comic books--mostly Batman and Wonder Woman--dwarfing a tiny desk, with just barely enough room for the troll who writes there and the 70 pound hell-hound that insists of laying it's wet nose on top of her bare foot.
Granted not the most exciting existence, but she tries to make up for it by writing romances populated with her own peculiar ilk of paranormal beasties. Trolls, wyverns, the obscure Nordic brownie--she likes to keep things interesting. And bloody. (And mostly naked--but, we'll keep that bit between us.)
Sophie Avett loves to hear from her readers. (Hi, mom.) So if there's something on your mind, feel free to leave a message after the scream.
(Mom, seriously…you can just call me.)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SophieAvett
Post-Its, the Blog: http://sophieavett.weebly.com/post-its-the-blog.html
Brimstone Pub, the Blog: http://thebrimstonepub.com/
Take
a trip to New Gotham!
A
paid vacation to New Gotham is an expensive affair. So, the ravens have decided
to cover the cost of travel and fashion this delightful "Carriage
Charm."
"Naked
wizards and scheming vampires? Where do I sign?!" all the witches scream
and random sparks of black magic crackle across the ceiling.
We're
getting to that, dearies...
An
Appointment for Tea with Mrs. Potts the Storymaven (aka Fairy Godmother) will
require the use of the earrings the pixies have fashioned out of raven skulls,
AKA, "Raven Ear-wings."
The
baubles should land the winners in New Gotham's clock-tower square. It could be that they do nothing at all. Or
you might end up in oblivion. Good luck with that. The crickets will read about
it in the papers, no doubt.
“What
do I have to do?” everyone screams and waves their good silver stakes in the
air. (Good girls.)
How
to Win the Vacation of a Lifetime...
You
have to fill out information in the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of the tour
stops
Win
a Dress from Sinister Stitches!
Sophie
Avett's ravens have partnered with the Witches-Who-Stitch to offer a special
prize. It’s a dress featured in Sophie’s upcoming release, ‘Twas the Darkest
Night. The sinister witches made it special for Elsa but after many carts of
cake offered to the trinity in sacrifice, they have agreed to stitch an exact replica
for one lucky witch.
“What
do I have to do?!” everyone screams and fails theirs arms like deranged
daisies. (Just go with it.)
How
to Win a Dress...
You
have to sign up via the Rafflecopter form that will be posted at the bottom of
each and every Sinister Stitches Tour Stop
At
the end of Sophie Avett’s Bewitching Book Tours campaign (March 17 to March 31
2014) the ravens will announce a winner and gather that witch's measurements
via email.
Well?
What
are you waiting for?
Every
girl needs a dress for a wicked fairy tale.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 17 Guest blog
Erotica by Cori Vidae
March 17 Spotlight
Book Liaison
March 17 spotlight
Sapphyria's Steamy Book Reviews
March 18 Character Interview
Bitten By Love Love Reviews
March 18 Spotlight
Behind Closed Doors
March 18 Guest blog
The Snarkology
March 19 Interview
Eclipse Reviews
March 19 guest post
Books & Tales:
March 19 Spotlight and review
Penny For Them...
March 20 Spotlight
Author Karen Swart
March 20 Interview
Words Without Limits
March 21 Guest blog
Magic and Mayhem
March 21 Interview
The Simple Things in Life
March 24 Guest blog (all week feature)
Kay Dee Royal
March 24 Interview
Darkest Cravings - Adult Blog
March 25 Guest blog
Erotica For All
March 25 Interview
All I Want and More
March 26 Guest blog
Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust
March 26 Interview
Butterfly-o-Meter Books
March 27 Spotlight
Shut Up & Read
March 27 Spotlight and review
The Book Review
March 28 Guest blog and review
Romantic Reads and Such
March 28 Guest blog
Aly's Miscellany
March 31 Spotlight
Share My Destiny
March 31 review
Nicky Peacock Author
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