Black Friday: The Island of Manhattan, New York, 1881 by Leanna Renee Hieber

Leanna Renee Hieber

Black Friday 2013Black Friday is here and we’re discussing the season when Leanna Renee Hieber’s Magic Most Foul characters take Black Friday as a Gothic mandate. The third novel, The Double Life of Incorporate Things, is now available.

Just when we think our nightmares are over, the Society has invented a new horror. Around every corner a shadow; behind every whisper a demon. If we don’t end what the devils began, we will all die haunted…

The finale in the acclaimed Magic Most Foul trilogy, the trauma and the terror of the Master’s Society has only escalated for the dashing Lord Denbury and brave, feisty Miss Natalie Stewart. A new terror has been unleashed in Manhattan. Together they, with their stalwart friends and unlikely heroes, take the fight directly to the Denbury estate, where fresh evils have awakened. But are they prepared for all the sacrifices that shall be asked of them? With their very lives and the sanctity of their mortal souls at stake, Natalie and Jonathon are past the point of no return…

Make sure you stick around to the end. We’ll be giving away The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart.
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The Island of Manhattan, New York, 1881

LRHieber-Double Life of Incorporate ThingsAnd now, for a Black Friday encounter with Gothic actor Nathaniel Veil and his sweetheart Lavinia Kent – Join their further adventures in the freshly released finale in the Magic Most Foul saga, The Double Life of Incorporate Things, now available!

The Island of Manhattan, New York, 1881

“Shopping on a holiday known as Black Friday?!” the infamous actor Nathaniel Veil, known for his shows on Gothic themes, exclaimed with typical theatricality, clapping his black gloved hands together. He tossed the wing of his black cape aside in order to throw his arm around the shoulders of his black-clad paramour. “What is it then? Has someone designed a day just for us, for my people?!” He patted his black silk top hat and increased the pace of his walk.

Mister Veil’s London accent- diction of a higher berth than the station he was born into, an affect of his theatrical comportment- made his words crisp and distinct, a sharper sound than the ambient noises of the New York City street that surrounded them. He’d come to Manhattan to chase after the woman he nuzzled close. They strolled down Broadway’s sloping angle, Veil’s gloved hand caressing the elbow of the distinctly lovely lady whose parents did not approve of her fawning about over an actor.

“’Black Friday’”, explained Lavinia, “Is a term that future American consumers shall attribute to the rabid onslaught of a holiday season in which too many things are bought. I thought it was quite fitting, and would provide an opportunity for spectacle!” She spoke in a similar crisp accent, but one that was not affected. Her family’s stature and status was in truth far higher than that of her renowned beau.

She tossed a lock of red hair out of her bright eyes, only for the waving curl to land skewered upon the open beak of the pigeon skull affixed to her black velvet hat.

Looking up at the tall, imperious man at her side, she grinned as she continued; “I’ve assembled our Association for a bit of shopping and to parade about Lord and Taylor’s at Broadway and 20th, I hope you approve!”

“Spectacle?!” Veil said the word rapturously. “Oh, you know the key to my languishing, pining poet’s heart!”

They swept downtown arm in arm; jet velvet lockstep with trailing obsidian. Having recently lived through quite the harrowing nightmare, having helped their friends fight demons, restore lives and titles and set justice straight, they were due for some- as a modern audience might call it- ‘retail therapy’.

No New Yorker or visitor to New York could not know the famous Lord & Taylor. It’s impressive five storey iron façade with a huge, beckoning arch welcomed the actor and his paramour into the dry-goods store, where the well-lit first floor showcased impressive bounties of silk and dress-goods.

And it was here that Miss Kent had arranged quite a procession on this “Black Friday”… taking this modern term quite literally, staging a wake-like processional through the store, much to the bafflement of the staff.

Lord & Taylor, really, couldn’t complain; for the men and women were all decked head to toe in the most artful, beautiful array of jet-beaded clothes; sporting the finest of trappings bought from that very establishment that day… It was hardly the fashion showcase one could have expected; sporting feathers and veils, capes and lace trains, elaborate brocades, decked to the onyx nines in Memento Mori and the most glamorous faux mourning one might imagine.

Her Majesty’s Association of Melancholy Bastards was in top form, and it did all things their way, with a distinct style the greatest melancholic poets could only have admired with a knowing, forlorn smile.

Nathaniel Veil had, for the past six years, made quite a name for himself performing his one-man drama, ACROSS THE VEIL, a show on Gothic themes of life, death, the spirit, the haunted, the love-lorn and star-crossed; a piece that audiences either loved or hated. Through the years, fans and admirers had rallied about him in a sort of “club”, taking on the same black-clad appearance day in and day out, a lavishly over-dramatic entourage

And the H.M.A.M.B pulled out all the proverbial stops today, parading about the first floor of the grand store in a slow sombre march. One young woman sang a soft, haunting song; a poem of Edgar Allan Poe set to music, a staple of Veil’s show, her young face lighting up like the sun at the sight of her idol, Veil, watching.

Any clerk, seamstress or milliner who tried to get in the way and stop the display was shushed or batted aside by another co-worker, who found the whole procession to be too intriguing not to allow.

To the puzzled onlookers who had assembled about the floor pausing to wonder what in the devil was going on, Miss Kent and Mister Veil began to glide through the crowd in a rustle of thick fabrics, the swish of taffeta and the click of jet trim against the floor, each with cards on hand, happy to proffer them, proclaiming their involvement with Her Majesty’s Association for Melancholy Bastards and inviting them to an evening at the theatre.

For a day titled after the Association’s favourite colour- and woe to the person who tries to argue with any of them that black is not a colour- it was only fair that they made a show of it.
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Meet Leanna Renee Hieber!

Actress, playwright and author Leanna Renee Hieber is the award-winning, bestselling author of Gothic Victorian Fantasy novels for adults and teens. Her Strangely Beautiful saga won 3 Prism awards for excellence in the genre of Fantasy Romance, hit Barnes and Noble’s and Borders bestseller lists and garnered numerous regional genre awards. This currently out of print series will reissue in new and revised editions from Tor/Forge in early 2015. The Strangely Beautiful saga is also being adapted into a musical theatre production. Leanna’s Magic Most Foul saga began with Darker Still, an Indie Next List pick and a Scholastic Book Club “Highly Recommended” title. Her new Gaslamp Fantasy saga, The ETERNA FILES begins early 2015 from Tor/Forge. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies, including Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Tor), which has been named a Kirkus “Best Book of 2013”.

Leanna Renee HieberContact Info: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Want to purchase Leanna’s novels?
Magic Most Foul

  1. Darker Still
  2. The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart
  3. The Double Life of Incorporate Things

Strangely Beautiful

  1. The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker
  2. The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker
  3. The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess

Please help spread the word: Tweet: #BlackFriday is here. Celebrate the chaos with #holiday #stories and #contests by 26 authors (Nov29-Dec24) http://wp.me/p3SIUp-atz
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Contest Time!

Thank you Leanna for taking part in Literary Escapism’s Black Friday!

Here’s the a Rafflecopter widget for the $25 giftcard giveaway.

LRHieber-Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie StewartLeanna is giving away a copy of The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart. To enter, all you have to do is answer this one question: What would you think if you saw this “spectacle” while you were out and about shopping? Remember, you must answer the question in order to be entered. (US Only)

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.

All Black Friday contests will remain open until December 31st at which time I’ll determine the winner with help from the snazzy new plug-in I have. Have you checked out the other Black Friday contests yet? Check out the Master List to see all the Black Friday giveaways

I have not been contacting winners, so you will need to check back to see if you’ve won.

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.

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