River Road
Sentinels of New Orleans, Book 2
Suzanne Johnson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Books
ISBN: 978-0765327802
ASIN: B00842H5VI
Number of pages: 336
Word Count: approx. 92,000
Cover Artist: Cliff Nielsen
Book Description:
Hurricane Katrina is long gone, but the preternatural storm rages on in New Orleans. New species from the Beyond moved into Louisiana after the hurricane destroyed the borders between worlds, and it falls to wizard sentinel Drusilla Jaco and her partner, Alex Warin, to keep the preternaturals peaceful and the humans unaware. But a war is brewing between two clans of Cajun merpeople in Plaquemines Parish, and down in the swamp, DJ learns, there’s more stirring than angry mermen and the threat of a were-gator.
Wizards are dying, and something—or someone—from the Beyond is poisoning the waters of the mighty Mississippi, threatening the humans who live and work along the river. DJ and Alex must figure out what unearthly source is contaminating the water and who—or what—is killing the wizards. Is it a malcontented merman, the naughty nymph, or some other critter altogether? After all, DJ’s undead suitor, the pirate Jean Lafitte, knows his way around a body or two.
It’s anything but smooth sailing on the bayou as the Sentinels of New Orleans series continues.
Links
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Website: www.suzanne-johnson.com
Blog: http://suzanne-johnson.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Suzanne_Johnson
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Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5046525.Suzanne_Johnson
Publisher Page: http://us.macmillan.com/author/suzannejohnson
Excerpt
The minute hand of the ornate grandfather clock crept like a gator stuck in swamp mud. I’d been watching it for half an hour, nursing a fizzy cocktail from my perch inside the Hotel Monteleone. The plaque on the enormous clock claimed it had been hand- carved of mahogany in 1909, about 130 years after the birth of the undead pirate waiting for me upstairs.
They were both quite handsome, but the clock was a lot safer.
The infamous Jean Lafitte had expected me at seven. He’d summoned me to his French Quarter hotel suite by courier like I was one of his early nineteenth-century wenches, and I hated to destroy his pirate-king delusions, but the historical undead don’t summon wizards. We summon them.
I’d have blown him off if my boss on the Congress of Elders hadn’t ordered me to comply and my co-sentinel, Alex, hadn’t claimed a prior engagement.
At seven thirty, I abandoned my drink, took a deep breath, and marched through the lobby toward the bank of elevators.
On the long dead-man-walking stroll down the carpeted hallway, I imagined all the horrible requests Jean might make. He’d saved my life a few years ago, after Hurricane Katrina sent the city into freefall, and I hadn’t seen him since. I’d been desperate at the time. I might have promised him unfettered access to modern New Orleans in exchange for his assistance. I might have promised him a place to live. I might have promised him things I don’t even remember. In other words, I might be totally screwed.
I reached the door of the Eudora Welty Suite and knocked, reflecting that Jean Lafitte probably had no idea who Eudora Welty was, and wouldn’t like her if he did. Ms. Welty had been a modern sort of woman who wouldn’t hop to attention when summoned by a scoundrel.
He didn’t answer immediately. I’d made him wait, after all, and Jean lived in a tit- for- tat world. I paused a few breaths and knocked harder. Finally, he flung open the door, waving me inside to a suite plush with tapestries of peach and royal blue, thick carpet that swallowed the narrow heels of my pumps, and a plasma TV he couldn’t possibly know how to operate. What a waste.
“You have many assets, Drusilla, but apparently a respect for time is not among them.” Deep, disapproving voice, French accent, broad shoulders encased in a red linen shirt, long dark hair pulled back into a tail, eyes such a cobalt blue they bordered on navy. And technically speaking, dead.
He was as sexy as ever.
“Sorry.” I slipped my hand in my skirt pocket, fingering the small pouch of magic-infused herbs I carried at all times. My mojo bag wouldn’t help with my own perverse attraction to the man, but it would keep my empathic abilities in check. If he still had a perverse attraction to me, I didn’t want to feel it.
He eased his six-foot-two frame into a sturdy blue chair and slung one long leg over the arm as he gave me a thorough eyeraking, a ghost of a smile on his face.
I perched on the edge of the adjacent sofa, easing back against a pair of plump throw pillows, and looked at him expectantly. I hoped what ever he wanted wouldn’t jeopardize my life, my job, or my meager bank account.
“You are as lovely as ever, Jolie,” Jean said, trotting out his pet name for me that sounded deceptively intimate and brought back a lot of memories, most of them bad. “I will forgive your tardiness— perhaps you were late because you were selecting clothing that I would like.” His gaze lingered on my legs. “You chose beautifully.”
I’d picked a conservative black skirt and simple white blouse with the aim of looking professional for a business meeting, part of my ongoing attempt to prove to the Elders I was a mature wizard worthy of a pay raise. But this was Jean Lafitte, so I should have worn coveralls. I’d forgotten
what a letch he could be.
“I have a date after our meeting,” I lied. He didn’t need to know said date involved a round carton with the words Blue Bell Ice Cream printed on front. “Why did you want to see me?”
There, that hadn’t been so difficult—just a simple request. No drama. No threats. No double- entendre. Straight to business.
“Does a man need a reason to see a beautiful woman? Especially one who is indebted to him, and who has made him many promises?” A slow smile spread across his face, drawing my eyes to his full lips and the ragged scar that trailed his jawline.
I might be the empath in the room, but he knew very well that, in some undead kind of way, I thought he was hot.
I felt my face warming to the shade of a trailer- trash bridesmaid’s dress, one whose color had a name like raging rouge. I’d had a similar reaction when I first met Jean in 2005, two days before a mean hurricane with a sissy name turned her malevolent eye toward the Gulf Coast. I blamed my whole predicament on Katrina, the bitch.
Her winds had driven the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into the canals that crisscrossed the city, collapsing levees and filling the low, concave metro area like a gigantic soup bowl.
But NBC Nightly News and Anderson Cooper had missed the biggest story of all: how, after the storm, a mob of old gods, historical undead, and other preternatural victims of the scientific age flooded New Orleans. As a wizard, I’d had a ringside seat. Now, three years later, the wizards had finally reached accords with the major preternatural ruling bodies, and the borders were down, as of two days ago. Jean hadn’t wasted any time.
About the Author
Suzanne Johnson writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance from Auburn, Alabama, after a career in educational publishing that has spanned five states and six universities. She grew up halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis’ birthplace and lived in New Orleans for fifteen years, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football and fried gator on a stick.
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i absolutely love this book!! but i’m wondering…which weregator are we talking about, i’m exhausted and sick so perhaps it’s mebut the mermen yes they are present and genius^^ but i didn’t see a weregator a remember ( in chenoire yes but that’s only there i think)
I’m not entirely for sure. I haven’t read the book yet. That’s coming next week, I believe. But it was in the blurb, “… DJ learns, there’s more stirring than angry mermen and the threat of a were-gator.” Let me tell you! That got my attention for sure! LMAO!
yes i know they are cited, they are the reason a group of mermen migrated but there is no character being a weregator in river road that i can remember
you will LOVE the book^^
That makes a lot of sense now! I will be uploading the book to my phone this afternoon!!! Whooot!
Sorry for checking in late, guys–thanks for featuring RIVER ROAD here today, Frankie! (We last met up for my Susannah Sandlin ABSOLUTION tour.) There are weregator references in River Road, but the actual weregators appear in the short story Chenoire that’s a free read on my blog….for now. You never know when those pesky weregators are going to pop up!
LOL!! It’s good to see you again, Suzanne!!! Thanks for stopping by and I will definitely have to check out that short. Were-gators sure got MY attention! LOL!
Happy Thanksgiving. The Sentinels of New Orleans series just got better with River Road. If you haven’t read it yet, why not? You will enjoy it.
Why not? LOL!! My TBR is taller than I am!!! But now I’m getting REALLY excited to read this one!! WHOOT!!!!!!! This long weekend might very well turn out to be my weekend to catch up on reading. Well, writing, too, but I’m looking forward to the reading!!! *grin* Thanks for stopping by and showing your support!!!
Thanks, Roger!
I’m looking coward to readin River Road
Thanks for stopping by! It really does look GREAT!
Thanks for stopping by, Sandy!
I’m excited about the were-gator.
That had me excited too! But Miki said she read it and didn’t remember seeing it. It might just be a headline or something that the mc reads and is like, “OMW! What is this world coming to?” I don’t know. But when I read it, I’m going to be on the lookout for it!!!
^^ on Suzanne Blog ( or preternatura, you can read the free story Chenoire in it you have several were gator and only mermen ( no DJ etc) it focuse on them^^ short but wonderful novella you can read it it hapens before river road
Oh! Fabulous! Thanks, Miki!
Miki’s right. In RIVER ROAD, the weregators drive one of the mer clans into a different territory but we actually get to see them in the story “Chenoire.” If anyone’s interested (it’s free), you can find it at my blog: http://suzanne-johnson.blogspot.com.
I’m just excited to meet up with DJ and the rest of the gang again! Mermaid’s in the Bayou sound so intriguing – I always thought they were saltwater creatures!
i’m happy to help^^
I kinda did, too, but I guess even merpeople have to adapt. LOL!
Ah…sneaky! The wetlands of Louisiana are brackish water–half saltwater from the gulf, and half freshwater from the river and bayous. So the merpeople do just fine
(And they’re Cajuns, of course.)
LOL!! Sweet! Cajun merpeople! Okay, that whole brackish water thing sounds logical. *chuckle* Because there’s logic in merpeople. Indeed.
I LOVE this line “I might be the empath in the room, but he knew very well that, in some undead kind of way, I thought he was hot.”
DJ is funny, I love her attitude:)
Thank you for this post:)
ccfioriole at gmail dot com
Thank you for stopping by!!! *grin*
I’m a minion all right
I’m very excited for book 2 and I’m looking forward to more of this character crew also. I haven’t enjoyed characters this much since The Hollows series from Kim Harrison 
Thanks so much for the post.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your enthusiasm!!! I can’t wait to post my review! LOL!
Thanks, Tanya–I think you’ll like the new one even better than the first. The merpeople definitely liven things up!
This series sounds so good, I can’t wait to read all about the mermen and the weregator, as well as Jean Lafitte and DJ.
I have it on my phone. I fully intend to start on it tomorrow!! EEEEEKKKK!!! I’ll tell you what I think next week! LOL!
that were-gator has my attention and is completely freaking me out. I love shapeshifters. this has got to be a great book
I know! Right? LOL!!! Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for sharing the excerpt.Can’t wait to read it.
elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net
Thanks for stopping by, Elaing!
Thanks for sharing! Im looking forward to starting this series.
bacchus76 at myself dot com
Thanks for stopping by, Donna!! I hope you enjoy the read!!!
Awesome excerpt. I can’t wait to read this! It sounds great!
Thanks for stopping by, Spav!! Good luck in the giveaway!!