SERIES: The Paranormal DownUnder - Tracey O'Hara

In Australia, 2012 is the National Year of Reading. What better way to celebrate this than by finding a new-to-you author or revisiting a favorite one?

This series of blog posts, entitled The Paranormal DownUnder, aims to do just that!

Any of my regular readers know I'm passionate about introducing 'local' talent (aka authors from Australia & New Zealand). This time around I'm keen to feature those who write in this genre.

So, be prepared for a swag of authors & some blatant promotion of their books as they share their thoughts on the paranormal genre and why they find it so compelling.

Please welcome my next guest...Tracey O'Hara. 

Tracey's Bio: I was born in Australia - Launceston, Tasmania (Australia) to be precise, but actually grew up in North and Far North Queensland. My family is very supportive of my writing. They encourage me to keep writing and pursuing my dream.

I discovered a passion for writing in March 2004. It started after doing some research into my family history. A story came into my head, screaming to get out, about an Irish girl who works for an English captain as a governess/nanny for his children while their mother is very ill. Set in Australia in the early 1820s.

But as I started to plot the story, another one emerged, which was much stronger. It involved the sister of the girl in the first story, who gets raped on the voyage out to Australia and falls pregnant. I wrote 120k in about 4 months – the story flowed out like molasses on a hot day.

This was before I learnt anything about writing, and I followed every bad writing practice known, making every writing mistake. But everyone loved the story – even if it was badly written. So I figured that I am more a story teller than a writer – so now I must learn to write. Now I am writing Dark stories, Dark Urban Fantasy to be precise. 

What compels you to write in the paranormal genre?
I love the richness of world building that writing paranormal allows me.  I can put so much more into my stories.

My books have mystery, thriller, romance, contemporary fantasy and a little horror. It is so call to fit all that into a story. I can write dark, which I love. I can also write sexy.

My first book NIGHT'S COLD KISS was nominated for best Horror in the Aurealis Awards and the RWA Romantic Book of the Year (Romantic Elements category), that was the coolest thing ever. My second book made the long list of the Sister's in Crime Davitt Award which was also amazing. 

Is there something you'd like to write but have yet to attempt?
Science Fiction. I love it. I watch it and I read some of it. But I have yet to write it. Sometimes I just don't think I am smart enough to write sci-fi but I will give it a go someday. 

Who are auto-buys for you in this genre? What makes their books so appealing to you?
At the moment I am reading outside my own genre. Or should I say listening. I have discovered audiobooks and adore them. But I guess if I had to say it would have to be Keri Arthur because my mum is a huge fan and Keri tells a darn good story.

I would have said J.R.Ward but have found the last couple of books hard to get through. And of course there is the ever lovely Nalini Singh. Also there is a new writer on the scene - you may know her - Kylie Griffin. I haven't read her yet but her stories are really taking off.

Tracey's latest release from Harper Voyager:

SIN'S DARK CARESS
(released August 1st, 2012) 

An ancient darkness has risen from the ashes . . . and terror has been loosed upon an unsuspecting world.

 

Forensic witch Bianca Sin has never seen anything like it: homeless teenage girls torn to pieces by dark magic in the cold shadows of the city. More terrifying still is the symbol written in blood on an alley wall—the unmistakable seal of the Dark Brethren.

 

Teaming up with NYPD homicide detective Lancelot McManus and an elite task force headed by the shapeshifter Oberon DuPrie, Bianca knows her worst fears have finally come to pass. A new war of annihilation is looming that will plunge the worlds of vampire, shapeshifter, and human into chaos—and two adversarial tribes locked in uneasy truce will need to take up arms together to save the children. Trust will be essential for Sin and McManus, as the hunt forces them to confront their deepest terrors.

 

For the ultimate evil is no longer approaching. 

 

It's here. 

 

You can find out more about Tracey on her website!

TOPIC: Do you judge a book by its cover? (part 2)

I'm off on a bit of a tangent to my original post "Do you judge a book by its cover? (part 1)", where I interviewed Gene Mollica, the cover artist for my Light Blade series, but the topic remains focused on book covers.

At the recent RWAustralia and RWNew Zealand romance writers' conferences I had the pleasure of talking about books (as you do) with people during the morning and afternoon tea sessions. Sharing information about new books purchased, recommending favourite authors, arguing about the best genre, anything and everything was fair game.

And one of the topics that came up time and again was, what sort of book covers appeal to you (as a reader not writer)?

Both conferences had a bookstore present - Dymocks and Barbara's Books, and with a huge range of covers to peruse, we debated the merits of those that appealed and those that didn't, and why. It was interesting to see what caught someone's attention.

Some liked having just the hero on the cover. Others preferred the headless hero or heroine (leaving the actual facial appearance to the imagination of the reader). Clothing, body positions, backgrounds, detail, settings, author's name placement, title choice, colours, sizing of text ... a myriad of issues and the merits of each element were discussed.

It got me thinking about the book covers of authors I have on my bookshelf. One of the thing I love doing is sitting down in front of them and pulling out my favourite covers (not stories - that's another post).

So, I thought I'd share a half dozen or so of the covers that appeal to me by the element that most appealed or drew me to the book (excuse me if I invent a Kylie'ism/term to convey the concept).

Colour:





It's all about colour appeal here. These all have a dominate colour (or shades of the same) reflected on the cover.










Placed face out on the bookshelf, all these books would draw your eye to them - UNTOUCHED (Anna Campbell) and LOVER MINE (J.R.Ward), in particular.

SONG OF SCARABAEUS (Sara Creasy) and WARSWORN (Elizabeth Vaughan) have solid colours too, but they also have a certain amount of detail that makes you look again, this time for elements of the story.

Guy Appeal: 

(looks like I have a think for the warrior types not to mention a back view of their shoulders, eh?)




I remember seeing Helen Kirkman's FORBIDDEN on a large poster at one of my earliest RWAustralia conferences and I bought it based on that alone (I was NOT a reader of historical romance then).

Denise Rossetti's THE LONE WARRIOR has another hot warrior type but I also like it for the amount of intricate detail within the picture. It has pieces of the story and the hero's character woven into it.




TUCKER'S CLAIM (Sarah McCarthy) was one I bought from Barbara's Books at the RWNZ conference, only the cover didn't have the blue border around the edge.

It featured only the bare chested hero. What grabbed me was the chest with leather vest, but also the bracelet and necklace he was wearing.

I'm a sucker for a Native American Indian hero (and yes, it's confirmed that I definitely have a thing for the warrior-hero types - LOL). 

Visual Detail (characters & background):

While there's an enormous amount of detail in the characters and the backgrounds of these book covers, neither are overwhelmed by it.


NIGHT'S COLD KISS, Tracey O'Hara's incredible cover, kept me looking for long minutes as I checked out the heroine, her clothing, her body position, her weapon, then my eye was drawn to the background and the details there.

The monotone-like colours made it easy to distinguish detail but conveyed the mood/tone of the book as well.



Christina Phillip's FORBIDDEN is stunning. This is a veritable feast for the eyes and for those who love the ancient historical time period.

Just check out the amount of detail in the clothes, the armor, the jewellery worn by the characters. Then take a close look at the background - it's incredible too.


Genre/Style:

I love the artist's style in Rowena Corey Daniells' series. The detail, the colours, the connection of the titles - all scream 'fantasy' and world-building in a big way.

So what appeals to you as a reader when you chose a book? Do you chose a book solely based around the author's name?

What if you discover a new author? Is it the cover or blurb that attracts you first? What turns you off?

What draws you into picking up a book?

Magic Thursday - Death's Sweet Embrace

It's Magic Thursday over at the Dark Side DownUnder blog today.

Aussie urban fantasy author, Tracey O'Hara, is the visitor and she's giving away a "you-bewt" prize pack to celebrate her upcoming release, DEATH'S SWEET EMBRACE.

All you have to do is leave a comment and you'll go into the draw - how easy is that? So get thee over there and enter!

PROMO: Blame It On The Moonlight!

A hidden past, a handsome, shape-shifting stranger, and a soul-deep connection that ignites under moonlight...

Ready for the teaser? 

Jasmine stepped backwards until she bumped into something rough and solid—the tree trunk. He was on her in a second. His hands braced either side of her head as he leaned in close to her ear, his hot breath washing over her cool skin.

"Where are you going, little girl?" His gaze kept dropping to her lips as if mesmerized by them.

"I don‘t know who you are," she whispered.

"Yes, you do." He leaned forward, his breath a tender caress against her mouth. "I‘m the big bad wolf." 

This is one hot, hot, hot story and it's called BLAME IT ON THE MOONLIGHT, the new Spice Brief from Aussie author, Tracie Sommers.

It's due for release from eHarlequin on August 1st, and you can find Tracie's book under the Spice tab.

Interview with ... Tracey O'Hara

This is an interview I conducted with Tracey O'Hara for a "newbie author" article in the Romance Writers of New Zealand's Heart to Heart magazine (late 2009 issue).

Have you ever had a conversation with friends about what life would be like once you receive THE CALL? Have you wondered what happens next? What lies beyond that magical moment?
I thought it was time to ask some of our newly published about their experiences and see if they can shed some light on what to expect and how they’ve begun to build their careers now that they’re published.

Tracey O’Hara
(Harper Collins - EOS Books)

Please share a little bit about yourself and your writing.

I'm a full-time Urban Fantasy author writing for the HarperCollins Sci-Fi/Fantasy imprint Eos Books in the US and have another full time job as an IT consultant. Seriously - I work 36-40 a week at my day job and just as many - if not more at my "other" job as I call it now. You can't be part time, not if you want to succeed. Besides my family, and even they have to take a back seat at times, writing is the most important thing.

How authors are “discovered” is as diverse as the brands of chocolate we consume. Please tell us your CALL story.

I’ve had many contest finals and placings over the last few years with NIGHT'S COLD KISS (or NCK as it has become known amongst my writing friends), including a third in the RWAustralia Emerald Single Title and the being a finalist in the RWAmerica’s Golden Heart Award for paranormal romance.
After finalling in the Golden Heart, I sold a short erotic Spice Brief to Harlequin in a 2 story deal, so I actually have had two “calls”.  After attending the San Francisco conference for the Golden Heart, I returned home with no gold locket, but still rather pumped as I had talked an editor interested in my story.
However 2 weeks later, while attending the Australian conference in Melbourne I woke up to several excited emails from my agent, Jennifer Schober saying “ring me”. The news - the executive editor at Eos wanted to buy NCK, and not only that, she wanted a three-book deal. Lots of squealing and celebrating ensured but I had to keep it under wraps until the deal was accepted. The hardest thing ever – wanting to tell everyone and having to keep it quite.  The following day I got the nod from my agent and Anne Gracie announced it to a room full of fellow romance writers. I got to accept my first sale ribbon. Best place ever to be when you receive the call story.
One of the best things though is my good friend Erica Hayes sold a month after me and we have been able to share this journey of ups and downs together.
At the moment I have my husband and a dear friend, Cathy, as my critique givers. They actually got me through the bulk of the first book, so I have gone back to the formula that works.

I just have to ask the-chicken-or-the-egg question. What happened first  – agent or an editor? How did you go about finding one/both?

I do have an agent, the BESTEST in the world - Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates. I am a slush pile success I guess you can say. I had a list of agents that I was querying - Spencerhill was number 17 on the list. I queried Spencerhill on a Tuesday and by Friday I had been accepted. Jenn and her associate Karen Solem offered representation on the strength of my first three chapters. I had had several requests for full with other agents, it was weird and quite satisfying to have to write to the others and say, “sorry I’d like to withdraw my manuscript from consideration.”

What’s the name of your book scheduled for release and can you tell us something about it?

My book is called, NIGHT'S COLD KISS (A Dark Brethren novel) and is due to be released August 25th in the US. Here is what my publisher has to say about it:-

For centuries war raged between the humans and Aeternus vampires—until courageous efforts on both sides forged a fragile peace.
But the rogue Necrodreniacs will never be controlled—addicted as they are to the death-high . . . and bloody chaos.
Since witnessing the murder of her mother, Antoinette Petrescu has burned with fiery hatred for the vampire race—even for Christian Laroque, the noble, dangerously handsome Aeternus who rescued her. Now an elite Venator, Antoinette must reluctantly accept Christian's help to achieve her vengeance—even as he plots to use the beautiful, unsuspecting warrior as bait to draw out the bloodthirsty dreniacs.

What’s the most exciting thing about writing for you? The most boring?

The most exciting is seeing a page of utter first draft crap (and I do write a real dirty first draft) start to really shine after some re-writing. Honestly – I LOVE doing edits. The most boring is reading through your ms for the hundredth time looking for grammatical and punctuation errors when you are as grammatically challenged as I am.

At the chat sessions during conferences we hear favourite authors telling us that things really change once you publish. What differences, good or OMG (oh my goodness), have you experienced since getting THE CALL?

Life gets crazy. If you were busy with writing before – times that by 10. I had an email from one of my fellow Eos authors Vicki Pettersson who basically said enjoy life as you know it now because can’t you hear the train coming through the tunnel. I thought my life was insane enough as it was since selling, but I don’t have my first book yet.
No matter how much you think you are prepared for selling, you’re not. And selling is the easy part. I used to listen to published authors say this, and think “Yeah right, but your sold, you’ve made it.” But it really is like jumping on the back of a tiger. You have to work hard to stay on his back, because one slip and you could fall off and be devoured by the beast.

One of the worst things is the lack of time you have for others, well at the moment it is for me because I still work full time. My support group the go-gos, full of wonderful and inspirational women, goes on without me because I just have nothing left. I miss them terribly and get to see them once a month at the Canberra Romance Writer’s meeting. But I miss the fabulous times we used to have.

Is there any other advice, “lightbulb” moments or comments you’d like to share about getting/being published? 


Once I sold my story is was no longer mine alone. It now belongs to me, my editor, my publishing house and my (future) readers. I’ve had to learn to be flexible within limits and to trust my editor. It’s no good saying “I can’t possible change that – it’s integral to the story,” especially when your editor is the Executive Editor of the line and has multiple New York Bestsellers like Kim Harrison and Vicki Pettersson under her belt.

Tracey, thanks for your time. 


NOTE: Since this interview, Tracey has been working on DEATH'S SWEET EMBRACE, the second book in her Dark Brethren series (to be released in Jan.2011), and her alter-ego, Tracie Sommers will be releasing BLAME IT ON THE MOONLIGHT, a new Spice Briefs novella.

Tracey also blogs regularly at LoveCats DownUnder with other Aussie HM&B authors.

You can find out more about Tracey and her books at her website.

PROMO: An Interview With...series

As the end of July and August are THE busiest season for romance writers, I have An Interview With...series of posts featuring a swag of Aussie Authors & a ring-in from the USA.

I'll be absent from my blog the last week of July as I'll be winging my way to the Romance Writers of America National Conference, then in August I'm off to Sydney for the Romance Writers of Australia conference, and a week later I'll fly to Auckland for the Romance Writers of New Zealand conference. So these posts are articles I've written for the RWNZ Heart to Heart monthly magazine over the last year.

I hope you enjoy reading them. Here's who's coming up when...(mark them in your diary!)

23rd July - Mel Teshco
29th July - Tracey O'Hara
7th August - Sherrilyn Kenyon
14th August - Keri Arthur
21st August - Anna Jacobs

TO'H's lucky commenter!

Thanks, everyone, for dropping in to meet Tracey and find out what she's been up to and thank you, Tracey, for agreeing to be interviewed!

The lucky winner for Tracey's e-book (randomly drawn from an empty coffee cup!) is  Sandra! Congratulations!

If you already have NIGHT'S COLD KISS, Tracey has generously given you the choice of her alter ego's book TONIGHT MY LOVE if you'd like. 

Contact me with your decision and email address (so I can pass your details onto Tracey) at kyliegriffin@clearmail.com.au and happy reading!

GUEST AUTHOR: Tracey O'Hara

Dark urban fantasy author, Tracey O’Hara, and her DARK BRETHREN series have made their mark with readers of this genre.

“Urban fantasy just got a major jolt of talent with O’Hara’s arrival. She makes an extremely strong debut, introducing a world that features a host of supernatural creatures. The pace is brisk and the danger intense. Passion, betrayal, and plot twists galore make for entertainment on a grand scale.”
-- Jill M. Smith of Romantic Times

“Intense, sexy, bold, NIGHT’S COLD KISS is a superb debut. Tracey O’Hara writes in a voice full of passion and power - I’m already waiting impatiently for the next book from this talented author.”
-- New York Times Bestselling author Nalini Singh

With comments like these Tracey’s series is destined to do well.

Her debut novel, NIGHT’S COLD KISS, was released in September 2009 with EOS/Harper Collins, and her second book, DEATH’S SWEET EMBRACE, is next to hit the shelves (date TBA).

Tracey was born in Tasmania, Australia and grew up in far north Queensland and with a supportive family she pursued her dream of writing. She discovered this passion in 2004 and joined Romance Writers of Australia and Romance Writers of America shortly afterwards.

Today we learn more about Tracey - her past, present and future.

Author name: Tracey O’Hara

Published genre/s: Urban Fantasy/romance & Erotica (w/a Tracie Sommers)

(Tracie Sommers is published with harlequin Spice Briefs and her book, TONIGHT MY LOVE, was releases in May'09.)

Favourite childhood toy: I had this weird little doll – it was one of those tiny pink plastic babies with a small kind of Barbie doll head (I think it was her little sister or something). It had dark hair I could brush and I used to make it little beds out of matchboxes and I would put it in my pocket. I loved that weird little mutant doll.  Kind of says it all, doesn’t it.

Mutant dolls, eh, Tracey? Enough said. ;-) Also reminds me of the time I kidnapped my sister's Barbie and gave her a haircut and drew scars all over her...I turned her into G.I.Joette...

Greatest Vice: DVDs and movies, and TV shows.

First Erica Hayes, now Tracey, and I have to admit to a huge DVD collection and love of movies...could there be a pattern beginning to appear with UF/para writers?!? Hmm...

Book you’re reading now: I am just finishing off Mel Teshco’s HER DARK LORD* and reading debut author and fellow 2008 paranormal Golden Heart finalist, Kelly Gay’s BETTER PART OF DARKNESS

(*Mel Teshco is another Aussie paranormal author who writes for Silhouette Nocturne BITES)

Most intriguing place you’ve visited: I got to go to San Francisco for the Golden Heart – and that was my first and only trip overseas. But my most memorable is when I was a kid and we spent a year living a hut on a property in north Queensland no running water, no electricity and no plumbing. It was the best time of my life.

Ohh, what a great experience you had as a kid - just one big adventure! It's intriguing what memories of growing up remain in our heads over time. It's usually the ones with the most emotional impact - good and bad.

A place you’ve yet to visit: The rest of the world. Too many places to name. Ireland, France, Africa – OMG, the list is too long.

Makes you wish for a transporter or TARDIS, eh?

Author/s in your genre who you enjoy reading: It’s hard to nail this genre down – for UF (urban fantasy) Vicki Pettersson, Keri Arthur, Kim Harrison, Jocelynn Drake and so many more I have yet to try. Paranormal romance Nalini Singh (though she's crossing into UF big time) and JR Ward are too of my favs. I like to read dark. The darker the better.

"Come to the Dark Side, Luke!" Oops, sorry, got a bit carried away there. Yes, I have to agree with you, Tracey - the darker, the grittier, the better. A more satisfying read all round!

Who or what influenced you to write in the genre/s you’re now published in? Two words – Stephen King. I loved the absolute sheer bloody terror he made me feel. And while I don’t write like that, I never will, I strive to one day scare the pants off people. Then there are the fantasy authors such as Raymond E Feist, Anne McCaffrey and George RR Martin.
I actually never even read any Urban Fantasy until I had written a lot of NIGHT'S COLD KISS. I didn’t even know it existed. I guess the thing that may have been my biggest influence is Buffy, the TV series. I love that series along with Angel, but there are times when I wished it could have been darker and grittier. That is what inspired me.

When developing a story who tends to appear first in your mind, the hero or heroine, and why? With NIGHT'S COLD KISS it was both, I guess my heroine beat my hero by half a thought. With DEATH'S SWEET EMBRACE – it was my heroine.

Writing Milestone/s: I have actually finished two whole books now. Yipeee!!! That is an awesome feeling. I can actually write more than one book.

You're right, Tracey, that euphoria is something anyone who's finished a book can identify with.

Latest release/project: I have just finished revisions on the second Dark Brethren novel and have started to work on my third which I am currently calling SIN'S DARK CARESS.

You have such fascinating titles for your books. I'd love to know how you came up with them...but that's another question for another day (unfortunately).

In your recent release/latest work, what about your hero or heroine inspired you? Okay – I have to talk about the hero in my latest WIP SIN'S DARK CARESS. I love him. Not because he is hot and sexy – well he is, I just haven’t seen that side of him yet, but I know it’s there. He's a burnt out homicide cop who is a drunk and addicted to a new drug called Blue Ice (which actually we find out later in the series it’s elvish). He’s got a mouth, lack of respect for authority and wears a crumpled trench coat.
His name is Lancelot McManus – but he’ll rip your arms off and beat you with the bloody ends if you dared to call him by his first name. He is coming through loud and clear – in fact, I had another hero in mind for this book – but good old Lancelot has convinced me he is it.

I wonder if he answers to Lance? Or does he prefer McManus? Well, I'll just have to wait until the book comes out, eh? Sigh.

Thanks for joining me here, Tracey, it's been great having you! If you'd like to find out more about Tracey, check out her website.

Now, for one lucky visitor, Tracey is generously giving away an eBook version of NIGHT'S COLD KISS from Fictionwise. Just leave a comment and you'll go into the draw!

PROMO: Tracey O'Hara

There's something incredibly appealing about dark urban fantasy, don't you think? Is it the tormented alpha hero, or the kick-butt-more-than-a-match-for-him heroine? Perhaps it's the grey, not-so-clear-cut sides of life that feature prominently in the world building of this genre that draws us. Maybe it's a combination of all three.

Whatever appeals to you about this genre, Aussie urban fantasy author, Tracey O'Hara, certainly delivers for us DUF fans.

Come and join her on my blog on Monday, 15th March and find out more about her and her books.

TOPIC: Kick-Ass Heroines

When I started writing, I did so with the idea of making my heroines as strong as the male characters I'd read in books. There was nothing I loathed more than to have a weak heroine who relied on the hero to save the day or get her out of a tricky situation, or even worse, one who fluttered her hands and shrieked with fear while waiting for someone to save her. Second on the grit-my-teeth-and-grimace-list was no heroine in a good story.
So, when I come across a good book with a kick-ass heroine, where the hero doesn't overpower her as a character (yes, he could be an alpha but not in an overbearing/unbearable way), I usually end up loving the book and the author immediately goes onto my To-But-Without-Hesitation list.
Tracey O'Hara, fellow Aussie author, is now top on that list. I've just finished reading her debut urban fantasy book, Night's Cold Kiss, and really enjoyed it.
Antoinette, the heroine, hates vampires after witnessing the murder of her mother as a child. She's a scarred, vengeful character who transforms (figuratively and literally - no spoilers other than that :-) ) by the end of the story.
I was engrossed by this character and her story. Her strengths and weaknesses were attractive as well as grind-your-teeth frustrating; a balanced, convincing portrayal that made her a very believable character.
What makes Antoinette kick-ass, besides those qualities already mentioned? She's an elite Venator, a highly trained vampire slayer (and no comparison to Buffy should be made here). O'Hara's world is a whole lot darker and believable than Whedon's ever was. The action scenes I absolutely loved - fast paced, easy to read, gripping and realistic.
Not a screaming heroine in sight. Antoinette is a female who knows what she wants and takes it (no Conan or he-man dressed in a skirt in this story) and she knows how to use weapons. O'Hara's knowledge/research is integrated into these scenes and full kudos to her for making this seem effortless.
Tie this in with a strong plot that finishes with a satisfying conclusion, a hot romance, several arcing sub-plots left unresolved that foreshadow more books in this series, and you have a great story.
If you haven't yet read O'Hara's book, and like kick-ass heroines, then get a copy and read it.

Eleni-fest is On!

Want a great month of writer-ly blogs full of information, interviews and interesting things? How about some great prizes to go with all that?
Yeah? Then head on over to Eleni Konstantine's website and check out her link Eleni-fest. It's on the whole month of October and she's spending it promoting anything and everything to do with writing.
Some of the things she's already talked about include critique partners, the Romance Writers of Australia annual conference "Hot August Nights" and she's interviewed historical romance author Anna Campbell. Anna is giving away a free copy of her latest book Tempt the Devil so make sure you leave a comment by the due date (if you want to know when that is get on over to Eleni-fest!).
Future guest authors/writers include Trish Morey, Anne Gracie, Keri Arthur, Tracy O'Hara, Erica Hayes, Christina Phillips, Rachel Bailey, Elizabeth Rolls, Denise Rossetti, Nikki Logan, Anne Oliver, Mel Teshco, and Anna Hackett. The dates for these are listed on her Eleni-fest page.
Eleni also has a swag of prizes and goodies to give away. Up for grabs at the moment include a copy of Valerie Parv's (et.al) Heart & Craft book and Tracey O'Hara's debut release Night's Cold Kiss.
What a great way to while away the month of October!