Guest Author: Suzanne Johnson

Suzanne Johnson

Suzanne JohnsonI am excited to welcome author Suzanne Johnson, who is celebrating the release of her third Sentinels of New Orleans novel, Elysian Fields.

The mer feud has been settled, but life in South Louisiana still has more twists and turns than the muddy Mississippi.

New Orleanians are under attack from a copycat killer mimicking the crimes of a 1918 serial murderer known as the Axeman of New Orleans. Thanks to a tip from the undead pirate Jean Lafitte, DJ Jaco knows the attacks aren’t random—an unknown necromancer has resurrected the original Axeman of New Orleans, and his ultimate target is a certain blonde wizard. Namely, DJ.

Combating an undead serial killer as troubles pile up around her isn’t easy. Jake Warin’s loup-garou nature is spiraling downward, enigmatic neighbor Quince Randolph is acting weirder than ever, the Elders are insisting on lessons in elven magic from the world’s most annoying wizard, and former partner Alex Warin just turned up on DJ’s to-do list. Not to mention big maneuvers are afoot in the halls of preternatural power.

Suddenly, moving to the Beyond as Jean Lafitte’s pirate wench could be DJ’s best option.

Make sure you stick around to the end. We’ll be giving away a $10 gift card to your online etailer of choice (international entries welcome.
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Psychoanalysis 101: The Characters of Elysian Fields

Ever wondered how authors come up with characters? First, relax. We rarely base them on people we know. After all, we don’t want to lose friends or provide ammunition to enemies.

Instead, every author I know develops characters based on a kernel: a personality trait or problem. We assign a trait to a hero or heroine, then begin expanding our embryonic character’s backstory. Most of that backstory, however, never appears in print. It’s hidden on hard drives and private dossiers that never see daylight.

Here’s a quick psychological evaluation of the key characters in Elysian Fields…

Drusilla Jaco, or DJ. She’s the heroine of the Sentinels of New Orleans series and a junior-level Green Congress wizard (i.e., a geek) when the series begins, but has been slowly learning her own strengths and weaknesses. She’s always going to follow her heart more than her head, but she’s becoming more comfortable relying on others to help her and realizing that asking for help doesn’t make her weak. Her biggest stumbling block continues to be her abandonment issues. Because she’s lost so much over the course of her life—especially since Hurricane Katrina hit her city, DJ finds it hard to really confide in anyone. This, of course, makes personal relationships—romantic and otherwise—more complicated. It’s on DJ’s to-do list this year.

Alexander Warin. The assassin/enforcer was DJ’s co-sentinel (think paranormal border guard) after Katrina but now heads up a new preternatural investigative unit for the FBI. Alex is remarkably simple in many ways. He tends to see the world in black and white. Part of that was his reaction to learning he was a shapeshifter when he was a teen. He wants to manage everything in his world to keep it nice and neat and in his control. This, of course, means that DJ—who is very comfortable with shades of gray and thrives in chaos—drives him insane. Despite his love of guns and exotic weaponry, not to mention his habit of going monosyllabic on occasion, Alex is a genuinely nice guy. Shhh. Don’t tell him. We like to let him keep his delusions of being the Big Bad Enforcer.

Jacob Warin: Alex’s cousin and sometimes rival—they’re more like brothers than cousins. As emotionally simple as Alex is, well, that’s how complex Jake can be. He is more sensitive and more emotionally open than Alex, and he isn’t nearly as good as shoving his feelings aside. He was a Marine, and so don’t get me wrong—Jake is tough as nails in many ways. But when he comes up against something he can’t figure out or knock down, he’s in trouble. Being attacked by a creature he never knew existed, learning about the magical world, trying to cope with his own new nature….these are things Jake can’t figure out. As he did when he returned from Afghanistan with combat injuries, he has turned to alcohol to try and keep his overactive mind from freaking out. Jake will have to figure out this new life of his before somebody gets hurt.

Rene Delachaise: A merman, and friend of DJ and Alex’s. Rene can be brusque and sexist, but he’s loyal to the extreme. Once he decides you’re friend rather than foe, Rene will fight to the death for you. He’s surprisingly open-minded for a merman, who aren’t known for their flexibility, and enjoys a good fight—so he’s the perfect backup for DJ to take on assignments she thinks strait-laced Alex won’t approve of. Rene’s weakness? He is a daredevil, and will do things (like enter a smuggling partnership with an undead pirate) without considering the consequences.

And last, but far from least, we have:

Jean Lafitte, the early 19th-century French pirate/privateer who is now a member of the “historical undead”—famous humans granted immortality by the magic of human memory. Jean is wickedly smart and reliably devious. He usually has an angle to anything he does, an angle that will bring him money, power, or an owed favor. Still, he does have his own moral code by which he doesn’t deviate. Once you are his ally, he will defend you unwaveringly. Once you are his enemy, you should get your affairs in order. The “Gentleman Pirate,” as he was called in his human life, is extremely handsome and charming. And deadly. Don’t ever forget that last part.

There’s a new player on the scene in Elysian Fields, Quince Randolph. The jury’s still out on Rand—whether he’s a good guy, a bad guy, or “none of the above.” We’ll have to wait and see.
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Meet Suzanne Johnson!

Suzanne Johnson writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, after a career in journalism and educational publishing that has spanned five states and six universities. She grew up in a small Northwest Alabama town, halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis Presley’s birthplace. That, plus living in New Orleans for fifteen years, has given her a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of college football and fried gator on a stick. She is single, lives with two dogs named after professional wrestlers (it was a phase—really), and harbors a no-longer-secret penchant for reality TV shows.

SJohnson-Elysian FieldsContact Info
Website: website
Blog: Blog
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter

Want to purchase Suzanne’s novels?
Royal Street
River Road
Elysian Fields
Christmas in Dogtown
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Contest Time!

Thank you Suzanne for taking the time to stop by Literary Escapism!

Suzanne is giving away a $10 gift card to your online etailer of choice. To enter, all you have to do is answer this one question: Which of these characters would you most like to hang out with? Remember, you must answer the question in order to be entered.

Even though I’m not giving the additional entries any more, you can still help support the author by sharing their article, and this contest, on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere you can. After all, the more people who are aware of this fabulous author ensures we get more fabulous stories.

The winner must post a review of the novel someplace. Whether it is on their own blog, Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing or wherever, it doesn’t matter. Just help get the word out.

The contest will stay open until August 31st at which time I’ll determine the winner with help from this snazzy plug-in that I have.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

18 Comments

  1. JEan! definitively Jean^^ yes he can have ulterior motive but if we look closely we do all have some in a lessers measure and at least he is true about it.
    Rene is tempting too but perhaps too eneygic for me ( and i do remember that if we get together he would have to suffer and i’m agaist that so Jean! ( and then i will have REne as a friend in teh package so perfect)

    Alex is too back and white for me, too controling, oki it comes from his shifter nature but i would be too afraid he would leave at teh first complications

  2. Which of these characters would you most like to hang out with? I would like to take D.J. to lunch in New Orleans. Go get a Muffuletta and very cold Abita Turbodog. Now that would be a great lunch. The Sentinels of New Orleans is one of my favorite UF series. More to come, book four and five are contracted for.

  3. You had to ask such a hard question! I would love to meet them all, so give me a minute to figure out which one it will be. I would love to meet DJ, she’s just awesome. Jean Lafitte would just be so much fun, Jacob and Alexander would be cool to meet also, but I guess I am going to say Rene, He’s a mer and well, maybe I could entice him away from DJ. Love the Psychoanalysis 101. Thanks for sharing this fun post and the giveaway. evamillien at gmail dot com

  4. Hard question to answer since all of your characters are likeable, but I have to go with Jean Lafitte. When I was younger I had a bit of a history crush on him, so I’d love to have him sweep me off my feet. I don’t understand why DJ resists….

  5. Love to meet Jean! Of course, I’d like to meet the whole gang, but Jean keeps sneaking up front for my attention!

  6. I think I’d like to hang out with Jacob. We could get sauced and bitch about our problems together.

  7. Jean definitely. He has the most unique and intriguing history and he;s such a complex and fun character. He would have some interesting stories to tell and he would be yummy eye candy.

  8. I think I’d most like to hang out with DJ, she seems like someone I’d like to get to know and hang out with.

  9. Thanks for the comments, everyone! My apologies for not responding earlier–if you follow my blog, you’ll know I’ve been off battling the colony of BATS that had set up residence in my attic. Three or four of the little guys flew out of my fireplace, which is the first I knew about it. Ugh.

    Meanwhile, sounds like Jean and Rene are leading the buddy contest!

  10. Jean Lafitte, for sure. Smart, devious French and a hot pirate! What’s not to like? Te he he he…….

  11. The guys are all great, but I’d want to hang out with DJ! She’s funny, bright, brave and a loyal friend with great taste in food.

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