Guest Post & Giveaway with Michele Lang

You Must Remember This…

Why I chose the Eve of World War II for the Lady Lazarus series

I’m the author of the Lady Lazarus trilogy — a historical fantasy series that tells the story of Magda Lazarus, the reluctant witch of Budapest.

Lady Lazarus, the first book, takes place in Budapest on the eve of World War II. The second book, Dark Victory, takes Magda through the first few months of the war, during the German blitzkrieg on Poland. The final book, Rebel Angels, is releasing in March 2013 and takes Magda on a desperate journey eastward, into the wilds of the Caucasus.

Magda Lazarus is a witch with the power to call souls from the dead. In order to avert her sister’s visions, Magda must battle SS werewolves, wizards, and demons, including the one who has possessed a willing Adolf Hitler… With such formidable foes, Magda has no choice but to summon the family’s guardian angel, the dark keeper of secrets Archangel Raziel.

And when she stands in his celestial presence, her heart is utterly, completely lost…

At first blush, pre-war Budapest isn’t a very romantic time or place – it’s easy to get caught up in grim images of war that overshadow the setting and the people.

But the Lady Lazarus trilogy captures a place – Budapest between the wars – that contains a haunting, eternal beauty. Budapest was (and is again) such a gorgeous city, golden and decadent, a Paris of the East. It was a city of cafes, where lawyers and movie producers conducted their business over steaming cups of coffee, Viennese pastry, and champagne cocktails.

But even more than this, Budapest in 1939 was a time and a place that produced the best and worst of humanity. Elegant creatures, evil creatures that rivaled terrifying monsters of nightmare, innocence and experience, all in one pulsating, passionate city.

Finally, in times of strife and epic conflict, love looms large. Oftentimes, love only blooms in conditions of great strife and sacrifice. And heroes only get to show what they are made of when the stakes couldn’t be higher…

I chose this setting because these elegant melancholy characters balancing on the edge of disaster haunt me, entrance me, make me want to understand how they managed to survive with such elan. Magda, her guardian angel Raziel, her family and the spirits that help her along the way, all managed to triumph over the shadows descending on Europe.

As that old, romantic song will always go, “The fundamental things apply…as time goes by…”

The LADY LAZARUS trilogy by Michele Lang

Book 1: Lady Lazarus
“An absolutely unique protagonist in an engaging tale set against the backdrop of the greatest clash of good and evil in human history. What’s not to love about Lady Lazarus?”
-Jim Butcher, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of THE DRESDEN FILES

Book 2: Dark Victory
“The best entry yet in a groundbreaking, rich, enthralling series set in the darkest days of World War II with magic, very human characters, and stakes that couldn’t be higher. A tour de force!”
-Rachel Caine, NYT Bestselling Author of the MORGANVILLE VAMPIRE series

Book 3: Rebel Angels — releasing March 12, 2013!
“Rebel Angels is a satisfying, powerful conclusion to a series that is as moving as it is thrilling. Rooted in a compelling version of history, peopled with unique and intriguing characters, the tale of Magda Lazarus combines the action of a modern urban fantasy with the atmospherics of CASABLANCA. With this final volume, Michele Lang establishes herself as one of the leading voices in historical urban fantasy.”
-D.B. Jackson, author of Thieftaker

Michele Lang is kind enough to sponsor two different giveaways. For US and Canada only she has 3 sets of her trilogy. Open to anyone who wants it is a digital copy of The Magic of Fabulous a novella set in the Lady Lazarus world. To enter leave a comment talking about what city you would love to visit and the time period. Please include whether you have a US or Canadian address. The winners will be announced on Feb 26th. Good luck!