Guest Author Jess Haines & Hunted by the Others Giveaway

Please welcome today's guest author Jess Haines, she's here to chat about supernatureal BFFs and her new book Hunted by the Others!

Howdy, folks! My name is Jess Haines, and I’m the author of the new urban fantasy, HUNTED BY THE OTHERS. I’d like to thank Roxanne for having me here as a guest poster. Today we’re going to explore the pros and cons of having a supernatural BFF (Best Friend Forever – note that in some cases, forever might be literal).

Depending on the flavor of supernatural, there can be some amazing benefits to having one by your side. On the other hand, they might lust after your flesh, and not in the way you want. To help you choose what form of supernatural would make a good BFF, here’s a short and handy checklist to use to help you make your decision.

Werewolf / Shapeshifter
Pros
· Very handy in a fight.
· Superior senses make locating those missing keys a breeze.
· Can lift heavy furniture with ease, making it a cinch to clean up otherwise inaccessible dust-bunnies and collect long-thought-lost change.

Cons
· Legendary tempers.
· Might attempt to eat you.
· Furry-factor is often contagious. See above points for why this is a problem.

Vampire
Pros
· Protective of perceived property (up to and including of the human variety).
· Often attractive and intelligent.
· Your friends will be jealous if one allows you to hang on his/her arm.
· Immortal. Can share immortality, if so inclined.

Cons
· Protective of perceived property (up to and including of the human variety).
· Wants to drink your blood.
· Some (fatal) allergies; includes sunlight, holy/blessed objects, garlic. Forget Italian food and suntans. More rarely, can be allergic to silver, running water. Strongly susceptible to fire.
· Broody, moody, and occasionally harps upon (and/or brags about) the fact that they are immortal.
· Usually doesn’t take “no” for an answer.

Wizard, Mage or Sorcerer
Pros
· Phenomenal cosmic power.
· Requires neither lighters nor matches to start that perfect summer bonfire. Break out the s’mores!
· Very wise and learned in the arcane arts. An excellent go-to source when Wikipedia doesn’t have enough information on the mating habits of fairies.

Cons
· Knows more than you do, and isn’t afraid to tell you so.
· May resort to forms of hypnotism to make you clean their dirty socks and underwear.
· Occasionally deals with demons or planar beings, resulting in unfortunate and sometimes fatal accidents.

Zombie
Pros
· Tenacious.
· Requires little to no upkeep.

Cons
· Tenacious.
· Wants to eat your brains.
· Depending on age, fragrance may be hard to ignore.

Psychic
Pros
· Will never be caught by surprise.
· Good at predicting the actions of others.

Cons
· Knows exactly what you’re thinking about them. Yes, that.

Angel
Pros
· Has a direct line to The Big Guy Upstairs.
· Achingly beautiful and often gifted with many supernatural talents.
· Will always do the right thing.

Cons
· Has a direct line to The Big Guy Upstairs.
· Distressingly straight-laced.
· Can’t attend poker night.
· Will always do the right thing.

Demon (in human guise)
Pros
· Has a direct line to The Big Guy Downstairs.
· Deliciously wicked, delightfully charming, and charismatic.
· Great at parties; a social butterfly.
· Smokin’ hot in bed.

Cons
· Doesn’t really look like that.
· Has a direct line to The Big Guy Downstairs.
· Will not hesitate to kill or maim you if you get in his/her way.
· Is most likely using you and/or attempting to steal your soul.

Faerie
Pros
· Lovely, talented, great taste in clothes.
· Good at illusion; excellent to have along at social occasions for party tricks.

Cons
· Will happily trick you into giving up your most prized possession while inadvertently destroying everything you love in the process.

Elemental
Pros
· Can perform various feats of magic based upon nature (earth, fire, water, etc). Very handy for lighting cigarettes when you can’t find your lighter or providing that perfectly chilled glass of water on a hot summer day.
· Power grows exponentially when fed fuel for said element.

Cons
· Does not play well with other elementals.
· Often cannot survive outside of own element.
· Insatiable appetites.
· No regard for property damage or human life.

Unicorn
Pros
· One of the most lovely and coveted of all supernatural creatures.
· Renowned for healing gifts; occasionally has other supernatural powers.

Cons
· If you’re not a virgin, forget it.
· Can’t be tamed.
· Capturing one is about as likely as catching a fart in a windstorm.

There you have it, folks! A handy list to keep with you at all times to help you decide, should it come down to it, how to choose a supernatural BFF!

The Fine Print: This list is not all-inclusive. Some terms and conditions may not apply (see sub-heading under “sparkling vampires” for example).

If you had to choose, which supernatural BFF would you pick?

One commenter will win a copy of Hunted by the Others

Open to International Shipping

Contest Closes Tuesday May 18 Midnight EST

Winners Announced on Wednesday May 19

+5 entries for being a Fang-tastic Books Follower

+5 entries for blogging about this contest

+5 entries for including a link to this contest on your blog, twitter,or Facebook

+5 for being a @RoxanneRhoads twitter follower

Description for Hunted by the Others:

They are the Others—the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they’re stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again…

In a Town Like This, Being A P.I. Can Be Murder

Shiarra Waynest’s detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm—if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires.

As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend—a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing—and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil—whether she likes it or not…

Read a sneak peak here.