Release Day! LAST IMPRESSIONS by AJ Aalto + special content

Here’s what’s been happening!

Want to know more about Last Impressions? Check out the spotlight.  Read the synopsis, get a teaser, and enter win! Just CLICK HERE!

Meet and Greet! Get to know the main character in the Marnie Baranuik Files; Marnie herself! Read my interview with her by CLICKING HERE!

Always wondered what author AJ Aalto’s life is really like? Find out on our A DAY IN THE LIFE OF… post by CLICKING HERE!

LAST IMPRESSIONS is going to be a movie! Ok, not really. But the book has been cast by author AJ Aalto herself! Want to know who she envisions as Harry? What about Marnie or Kill-Notch? Check out the fabulous cast of Last Impressions by CLICKING HERE! 

READ MY REVIEW OF LAST IMPRESSIONS HERE!

Have you read Touched yet? What about the rest of the books in the series? You can enter to win the ENTIRE series through the rafflecopter form below. We are giving away 7, THAT’S RIGHT 7, complete series packs to some lucky winners! And one lucky winner will get a signed glossy of AJ herself!

ENTER HERE

Don’t want to wait? Check out the Amazon links below to grab your copy today!

Touched (Book 1)

Death Rejoices (Book 2)

Cold Company (Between the Files Short Story)

Dirt Nap (Between the Files Short Story)

Last Impressions (Book 3) OUT NOW!

Ok, it's time for that SPECIAL CONTENT I mentioned earlier. Ready? Grab your ticket below!

Standing amidst a pile of cardboard boxes, most of them open and partly disembowelled, Harry was waggling a phone at me urgently; when I flipped off the music, he smiled.

“The Orc Quarter is on fire, love,” he informed me. “The fire chief like you to pop over and take a peek.”

I felt my brow knit. “I’m sorry, the what?”

“The Orc Quarter in Schenectady.”

“Schenectady,” I said, seeking clarification, “New York...”

“Just the place, yes.”

 “Has an Orc Quarter?”

“Well, I assume they must have, ducky, if the Schenectady Fire Department is ringing you up to attend to it,” he chided and then tried to hand me the phone. When I scowled at it, he clucked his tongue.

“There are two preternatural biology labs in Manhattan, and a branch of Gold-Drake & Cross,” I said. “Why do they want me?”

“One wonders,” he agreed. “Shall I inquire?” I rolled my eyes; Harry mistook this as a request, and spoke into the phone. “Might one inquire as to why you are requesting the presence of Ms. Baranuik of all people?”

I sighed and downed the rest of my espresso, wishing there was more; I had a feeling I was going to need it.

Harry relayed, “The fire chief says the Schenectady police have one resident in custody and he is refusing to talk to anyone but the Litenvecht Späckkenhuggar.”

I waited for the rest of it. When there wasn’t any more, I prompted, “And?”

“Apparently, ducky, that would be you.”

“I’m the Licken-Vicken Spackle-Hugger?” I pointed at my chest with a gloved finger. “I am?”

“Quite so.”

“What the hell is a Lite-Brite Spunk-Shucker?”

 “Since the Orc language is a largely borrowed tongue, and Orcs originated in the area now known as Sweden, I’m going to translate the phrase roughly as either ‘small killer whale’ or ‘little Orc killer.’”

My jaw dropped. “But I’m not the little Orc killer.”

“This I know.”

“I’ve never even seen an Orc outside of blurry videos and a preserved foetus in an UnBio lab library.”

“This does not surprise me in the least. Nevertheless, the fire chief would like you on site as soon as possible, and when you’re done with that, the Schenectady police have an Orc in custody with whom you should speak.” When I did not take the phone from his outstretched hand, he noted, “My heavens, but your entrepreneurial spirit certainly does leave much to be desired.”

I was tempted to answer the phone with “how did you get this number?” but I figured that might not be good customer service. Instead, I listened for sounds of drooling or panting or chewing on the other end, and when I heard no such monster noises, I cleared my throat.

"Hi, there! I'm the Licken-Spicken Spacken-Hacker, how may I help you this morning?”

Connect with AJ on Facebook or Twitter.

Last Impressions Character Casting & Review

Are you like me? Do you like to picture who would play the characters your're reading about in a book? Well, I do it all the time, and I am so excited that AJ Aalto, author of The Marnie Baranuik Files has graciously shared her dream cast for book 3: Last Impressions.  So, who does this amazing (yet freakishly strange at times) writer picture playing her characters? Read on to find out!

Dream Cast for Last Impressions

STARRING

Don't they all make a very beautiful cast?!

Trust me, if this book was going to be a movie, AJ has picked the perfect cast! She did mention that Jason Statham was selected as Agent Mark Batten (and I quote) "on account of his resting jerk face." Also, she think's Agent Gary Chapel has more hair than Mitch Pileggi, but he's got the overall look going for him. If you haven't read the book yet, I can't wait for you to meet Combat Butler and Constable Shenck. Keep reading for my review!

Did you miss my interview with Marnie or the "Day in the Life of AJ Aalto"? No problem. Follow the links below.

Interview with Marnie

Guest Post - A Day in the Life

REVIEW:

Oh yea! She’s done it again! AJ Aalto has written a sparkling yet freakish tale of ghosts, poltergeists, and a creepy priest with ghost-sniffing dogs. (Weird right?) But sticking to tradition, Marnie has gotten herself into some hot doodie! And this time, she’s in Canada. Yep, after a little trouble back home, Marnie decides to head “home” to help solve a case.

As usual, she’s full of wit and sarcasm and well… trouble. But we get a glimpse at a different side of Marnie as well. She has some serious moments, and I think she might actually be growing up. Ok, that might be going a little far, but she is seriously starting to consider some options. I mean, this time she’s in over her head, but that’s not about to stop her. She takes names (literally, although it takes some time to figure out who’s name’s she’s taking), kicks some butt, well really it’s invisible butt, but… That’s a lot of buts.

Ok, ok… seriously, there is something that is so spectacular about this book that makes it completely stand out from all of the other adventures Marnie has tackled. What it is you ask? IT’S ME! No really. I’m in this book. It’s pretty freakin’ cool if I do say so myself. Ok, so that might not be that interesting to you, but (there’s another one!) I promise as I read I told my husband, “There’s my name! Oh… there it is again. And…” You get the idea.

Anyway, in short, this is of course another CAN’T MISS read. I think readers will really begin to see a different side of Marnie and another character favorite of mine: Agent Mark Batten (aka Kill-Notch). Yep, we learn a little more about him too. And of course there’s Harry (and now I’m picturing Jude Law speaking non-sense and backing brownies). So get ready! Because you’ll want to grab Last Impressions as soon as it hits the shelves on June 13^th!

PRE-ORDER Last Impressions TODAY

Haven’t read the other books in The Marnie Baranuik Files? Get entered below for your chance to win the ENTIRE SERIES!

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A Day In The Life... GUEST POST by AJ Aalto + Giveaway

By A.J. Aalto: Author of The Marnie Baranuik Files

4 A.M. -Turn off phone alarm and squint at the alert, which reads, “Reminder: Don’t kill anyone today.” Picture Jude Law naked for a solid five minutes to stir the blood. Ask myself if I am determined to be a writer, or whether I should sleep like a normal person. Take a vote inside my head. Decide to be a writer. This vote happens every day.

4:10 A.M. -Things go on in this order: computer, kettle, Songza, headphones. Teapot is prepared for a long day of abuse. Stereo volume is adjusted to rattle brain cells.

4:15 A.M. -Inform editor that I *am* in fact awake and working as promised, as part of accountability. Open Dropbox and begin writing where I left off yesterday.

4:20- A.M. – Stop to wonder what having sex with a troll would be like. Are trolls hairy? Smooth? Is their skin bumpy like toad’s flesh? Marnie might need to know! Get lost in the weird part of Youtube until I am frightened enough to return to writing. Write “<research troll sex. Eww!>” and carry on.

5:30- A hankering for tea and murder breaks my concentration. While kettle boils, scan articles about poisons you can hide in hot beverages. Get placed on a watch list (probably).

5:45 A.M. - Remember I’m trying to be a writer. Drink all the tea. Stare at Marnie’s last bit of dialogue until it reads as so stupid that I want to smack her. Reread entire page. Reword and rediscover. Fall back in love. Return to writing.

6:00 A.M. -Super serious, now. Chortle at some dirty thing Marnie said, as if I didn’t make her say it. Almost backspace over it. Decide to trust editor to make that call.

6:50 A.M. - Sit back, confused by an unexpected plot turn. Stop writing to shuffle through plot note cards to make sure the shift works with the rest of the outline. It does not. Sigh. Crave cookies. Resist.

7:00 A.M. – PIRATE ATTACK! If by “pirate attack,” you mean me, stuffing my face with cookies in the pantry in the dark, fully prepared to lie about it later and blame the empty bag of cookies on the puppy. BAD DOG!

7:10 A.M. – Back to the grind. Marnie needs to sound smart for this part …Major brain strain. More tea. Consider coffee. Instead, I type “<insert scientific things with super-impressive names and stuff>” and skip on to the action. My free time is quickly running out. Decide to skip morning porn break.

7:30 A.M. –SASQUATCH SIGHTING! Nope, that’s just the husband emerging from the cave on his way to the shower to start his day. Attempt to amuse him with colorful and completely fictional anecdote. He growls something that might be English and waves me away. Return to writing. Consider throwing a yeti into book so I can title the book “Spank the Yeti.”

8:00 A.M.-3:45 P.M. – Reserved for Mom/Writer Stuff, including but not limited to: getting youngest to school, home schooling the oldest, blogging, answering interview questions, writing guest posts, researching, meeting with cop buddy for brainstorming, science chat with science buddies, checking on my beloved Writers Without Borders, cemetery walks, harassing editor, preparing notes for future work, watching son play soccer, stealing candy from my kids and blaming it on goblins (I’d like to see you prove it wasn’t.) .

4:00 P.M. –Back to work. While kids clean their rooms and do homework, and before I have to cook supper, I sneak a bit of writing in, provided I can focus.

5:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M. – cooking, eating, clean-up while mentally reviewing the day’s work. Print out chapters to edit on the front porch with a glass of wine or a cocktail.

8:00 P.M. - Ritual bath with plenty of staring-at-tiles time to think about plot, characters, and how on Earth I’m going to find the strength to make it through tomorrow without indulging in my eight million hedonist vices.

8:15 P.M. -Sleepytime tea (or Fireball whiskey, depending on how bad the day was), melatonin, catch up on TBR pile. Review day with editor, bookending accountability. Report word count to journal. Resist temptation to embellish. Yes, even when I tell myself the truth, 85% of the time it’s fiction. What my shrink calls “pathological lying,” I call “unleashed creativity.”

8:30 P.M. -Drowsily make promises I can’t keep, mostly to myself. Jot down some ideas. Forget most. Close my eyes, lulled by the voices of my characters, slipping off into the lies I’ve spun. 

WOW! Um… that was frightening  enlightening. Not sure what I was expecting A.J. but… well… WOW! You are one busy woman living a concerning entertaining life! Thanks so much for giving us a glimpse into all that hard writer-ghoulie work.

I hope you all enjoyed sharing in A.J.'s typical day. Although, the troll sex is a bit concerning. 

Coming up next week: DREAM CAST FOR LAST IMPRESSIONS by Ms. A.J. Aalto herself! Trust me, you DO NOT want to miss next week's post. Here's a hint of what's to come next week... 

Check back next Friday for the full reveal of just who A.J.'s dream cast is for a Last Impressions movie! And don't forget to share this post with your friends and enter the giveaway! We're giving away 7 (that's right, 7!) e-copies of the entire Marnie Baranuik Files! So, if you have friends who haven't read the series, or heaven forbid, you haven't read it, make sure to get entered!

Missed something? Here's the links to the KICK OFF and AN INTERVIEW WITH MARNIE!

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Last Impressions: Interview Marnie!

We're still celebrating the upcoming release of Last Impressions! Today, we have a fabulous treat. Marnie herself is here! That's right, and she's answering all of Britney's questions. And there might be a little hint or two about Britney's relationship to Marnie and Last Impressions revealed as well. Below is the upcoming schedule of our weekly events. So please, share share share! And don't forget to stick around and enter our giveaways as well!

Welcome Marnie and thanks so much for coming over today. Please have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything? I prepared! (holds up a frog mug and smiles) I have an endless supply of espresso and brownies! They aren’t Harry’s brownies, but I’ve never had any complaints.

You don’t by any chance have any eyeballs in your pocket or zombies following you around do you? I’m not really prepared for any additional “guests” and I have dogs. I don’t think I need to bring up the zombies and dogs situation. Although, I now keep kitty litter on hand; you know, just in case.

No? Great! Let’s get started.

Britney: So Marnie, I have to know! What’s it really like being a day-sitter for Lord Dreppenstedt and how do you ever understand anything he says?!

Marnie: Being Harry’s caretaker is a blast; he’s great company when he’s not throwing a drama king fit, and he never points out my faults and blunders, except that yes he does, he always does, and if he wore underpants, I’d give him the wedgie of a lifetime.  I understand maybe half of what comes out of his mouth; the rest sounds like “blabbity blabbity blah blah England!” I like to imagine he’s saying, “darling, you are as clever as you are beautiful,” which is probably right, but not in a good way.

B: We’ll just keep thinking he’s praising you with every sentence. I mean, of course he is! Why wouldn’t he? You’ve had some pretty crazy adventures and met a lot of new people recently. Without sharing any spoilers, since some of our readers may not have met you and your gang yet (I know, crazy right?! But it’s possible.) who has been your favorite person to interact with? If you say Cosmo or Neil, I may have to take you to the crazy ward! *winks*

Marnie: I’m very, very fond of Byron Merritt, the butler at North House. Any man whose job is to bring me comfort and cookies is gonna be pretty high on my We Like This Guy list. Also, I’m pretty sure he’s a ninja. Everyone should have a Combat Butler. However, overall, I’d have to say that my life is most enriched by my boss, Gary Chapel. He’s a tolerant dude, and though I have no idea why, he believes in me. When everyone else is rolling their eyes or yelling at me, he’s got my back and he’s handing me a gun. Weird, right? Maybe he was dropped on his head as a child.

B: Lol! Gary is certainly one of kind. And I for one, certainly would love to have a Combat Butler! He would come in handy for all those adventures. Speaking of those crazy adventures, which one do you think you’ve learned the most from?

Marnie: Hmm, that’s a tough one. I’ve learned a LOT in the past few years while working with the Preternatural Crimes Unit. I learned not to take tea from strangers. I learned never to go to a party dressed like a squirrel unless you’re sure you can handle the nuts. (FYI: I can’t.)  Don’t offer to feed an ancient revenant with your mouth unless you want your tongue nearly torn out. Maybe don’t offer to feed an ancient revenant at all, even if you’re about to become a demon’s hand-puppet. Check your pockets for eyeballs before going to funerals. Very important! If you’re checking on your neighbor during a zombie plague outbreak, don’t sneak over in little more than a raincoat, or you may find yourself fighting zombie Labradoodles in your underpants. Also, diet soda may kill certain monsters if they’re already anointed with every herb in your arsenal, so if you’re not quite mundane yourself, you might want to switch back to regular. I’ve learned that I can shoot really well, and I have incredible natural aim, but this means nothing, because the zombie head-shot rule is apparently bullpuckey. I learned that I don’t know nearly enough about boggles, especially Stonecoats. I will be going back to school and taking a class or two on the larger weirdlings. I guess that’s what I’ve learned from all my cases: I don’t know nearly enough about monsters.

B: Wow! That’s a lot. Apparently you still haven’t learned not to talk to ghosts though. (smirks) Ok, moving on. I have to ask this question. What is really going on with you and Kill-Not--- I mean, Agent Batten? I’ve kinda got my eye on him and ya know, if you aren’t going to make a move, I was thinking I might give it a go. He sounds super sexy!

Marnie: Sexy? Mark Batten? Puh-lease! He’s a giant dillhole. I mean, sure, he could crush rocks flexing  those biceps, and he’s got a wolfish grin that lets a woman know she’s in for the romp of a lifetime, but, I say, “HA!” Nobody needs that. *uncomfortable wriggle* Nobody needs that. Also, he’s a big doody head, so by all means, have at him! The last thing I need is *ahem* any further contact with said gentleman in an unclothed or otherwise naked fashion. You go right ahead, missy, and enjoy… Wait just a second… *squints at Britney Wyatt* Aren’t you dead? Aren’t you the reason I’m not a blonde anymore? Oh good! I’m being interviewed by ghosts, now. *head/desk* My life is too weird.

B: (smirks again.) You caught on to that did you? Well, I personally like your new rockin’ look, and I’m getting some mixed vibes in relation to Batten, so maybe I’ll just haunt around him for a while. Get little glimpse. (giggles) So, I’ve read Last Impressions, and let’s face it, I’m a little more involved with this book than just reading. Let’s say I have a personal connection to this fine story. But you go girl! You kick ass! (Which I totally appreciate by the way because that polte… uh, nevermind.) This book has a bit of a different feel to it. Is your lifestyle starting to wear on you? You seem to be getting tired and I can’t blame you. You’ve been through some major crap lately!

Marnie: When I first retired from Gold-Drake & Cross, I promised myself that I was never going to work with cops, monsters, or the FBI ever again. I was so looking forward to holing up like a hermit with my cookies and my revenant and having a nice, peaceful life. And then the ghouls happened. And the demons. And the zombie plague that damn near got out of hand. And then I nearly got crunched by a Stonecoat boggle. And I helped track down a stalker who was also a serial killer. I am absolutely worn out. I’m losing my edge, if I ever had one to begin with. Time for what I call “sharpening the saw.” I need to hole up like a hermit again, take on fewer cases, maybe none at all. I can do that, right? I keep trying to quit, but no one listens. Harry was thinking of going on a Baltic cruise. I’m not exactly sure how that would work with his issues with daylight, but it sure sounds good to me.

B: Whew, that all would start to wear on a girl. If you retired right now, where would you go and what would you do? (Not who Marnie! Where!) And I’m not encouraging this by any means, the retirement that is, so don’t tell Harry! Or Chapel!

Marnie: I’ve been having a happy fantasy about opening my own psychic detective agency. Maybe I’d only take easy cases, like, “Dear Marnie: is my wife cheating on me?” “Yes! But hey, she’s really super happy, and why would you wanna mess with that? Happy wife, happy life. You should pork your busty secretary and also be happy. That’ll be eight hundred dollars and a pack of Oreos, please.” That’s terrible advice. But the job sounds right up my alley, right? And probably I wouldn’t get punched, bitten, or roofied as much as I do now.

B: Uh, maybe you should stick to what you know. I’m not sure the rest of the world is quite prepared for your patented mix of humor and, well, scary shit. Last one, I promise. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I mean, do you think you can continue doing what you’re doing or do you have other plans? Places to see, people to meet?

Marnie: Well, Harry’s not going anywhere. And thanks to the ms-lipotropin and V-telomerase in my veins from feeding him, I’m going to look and feel pretty much like this *swirls finger at face* for the next decade at least. (Britney rolls her eyes.) And as luck would have it, Chapel and Batten are an unshakeable force in my life. Soooo, I’ll probably be parking my ass right here, in Shaw’s Fist, Colorado, kicking monsters in the gonads, swilling espresso, and savin’ butts. Could be worse. Could be swillin’ butt and saving monster gonads; that sounds like the worst job ever.

Hahahaha! No monster gonads! Thanks so much Marnie! It has been so great getting to spend some time with you. You know, if you ever need a girl to talk to, just ring me up, or I guess that be summon me up? You’re surrounded by men. I mean, some of them are sexy, beautiful men, but if you want some girl time I’m around. Grab some coffee, hit the mall, avoid all zombies, ghouls, and ghosts… could be relaxing. I’m just sayin’.

Marnie: You hit me up on my new Wee-Gee Fun Board any time for a chat, Ghost Girl. J

(Britney disappears into thin air.) Yea, this ghost girl thing is pretty cool!

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LAST IMPRESSIONS: Spotlight and Festivities Schedule

WELCOME! Today we begin the countdown to the fabulous 3rd installment of THE MARNIE BARANUIK FILES by AJ Aalto! We have some amazing things to look forward to as we countdown to the release of LAST IMPRESSIONS on June 13th; including meeting Marnie herself, a glimpse into AJ's mind (frightening!) and a special guest host for the release day! We also have a great giveaway, and sharing will get you extra entires! So, check out the schedule, get a glimpse into what's to come, and meet AJ!

Here's the schedule of festivities to come. Please share!

Last Impressions 

(The Marnie Baranuik Files #3)

Blurb:

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When an FBI Internal Affairs investigation lands the Preternatural Crimes Unit in a bureaucratic spank-fest, it feels like the perfect time for Marnie Baranuik to skip town and lend her expertise to a bear-sized Canadian cop who doesn't want her help with his case, his love life, or his car stereo.

Back in her childhood stomping grounds, Marnie leaps into action, facing an exorcist in skinny jeans, a slap-happy specter, and an old friend up to new tricks. Are ghosts behind a string of unusual deaths? Why didn't her revenant companion, Lord Harry Dreppenstedt, tell her he had a Combat Butler? Can she survive dinner with her parents?

With a shifty man of the cloth offering her soul's redemption, and a revelation that could change the future of her love life, she has her gloved hands full. She may not make a great first impression, but no one makes a Last Impression quite like Marnie.

Haven't met Marnie yet? Check out the links below to find out more about The Marnie Baranuik Files.

Touched (Book 1)

Death Rejoices (Book 2)

Cold Company (Between the Files Short Story)

Dirt Nap (Between the Files Short Story)

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