The Touch of Twilight, Third
Sign of the Zodiac by Vicki Pettersson

Release Date: May 27, 2008
Mass Market Paperback:
English
ISBN010: 0060898933
ISBN-13: 978-006089893-9

The Third Sign of the Zodiac

The Touch of Twilight

Joanna Archer has reluctantly accepted the roles destiny assigned her: Avenger, Savior ... Destroyer.

On the surface she's a sexy, sophisticated socialite, at home among the beautiful people of the Las Vegas upper crust. But Joanna Archer inhabits another world: a place ordinary humans can't see and could never enter ... a dangerous dimension where an eternal battle rages between the agents of Light and Shadow. And Joanna is both.

She never asked for the mantle that's been thrust upon her, but she will not abandon it now that it's hers. Stalked by an enigmatic doppleganger from a preternatural realm, Joanna can feel the Light failing – which is propelling her toward a terrifying confrontation with the ultimate master of evil, the dark lord of Shadow: her father.

Vegas is all about winning big – or losing everything. To save her friends, her future, her worlds, Joanna Archer will now have to gamble it all by fully embracing the darkness inside her.

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Reviews

"Passion and intrigue, heartbreak and victory – The Touch of Twilight offers an intricate plot populated with complex characters. Nothing is predictable in Pettersson's newest novel ... except the need to read more."

– NYT Bestselling author Melissa Marr

"Pettersson's paranormal world is as original as it is compelling. The action comes fast and furious. Like Las Vegas itself, this is an adventure that'll keep you up all night."

– NYT Bestselling author Kelley Armstrong

"Summer really heats up this May 27th with the publication of THE TOUCH OF TWILIGHT ... So stay sharp and pay attention. A Las Vegas native, Pettersson brings the city and its inhabitants to life. A series that borrows from a lot of different mythologies, Pettersson has thrown them all into a pot, stirred it up and come up with a dish completely delicious and all her own."

– Fresh Fiction

"Comic book fans as well as urban fantasy fans would all fall in love with this series. Definitely one of my favorites, Pettersson combines comic book super heroes with zodiac legend, which blends flawlessly into an exhilarating story."

– SciFiChick.com

"Her characters are truly dark and dangerous – the most devastating injuries may be those inflicted on the mind and heart. This is a chilling and intense first-person novel!"

– Romantic Times

"A gritty and often dark fantasy, the Sign of the Zodiac series is as entertaining as it is edge-of-your-seat thrilling. Readers expecting a happily-ever-after may be a bit disappointed, but not with the wonderful writing and characters who grab you from the first page and literally hold you hostage until the last word.
"Along with this wonderful series, I highly recommend readers not schedule anything besides reading when they pick up THE TOUCH OF TWILIGHT."

– Kathy Samuels, Romance Reviews Today

Ms. Pettersson shares another well-imagined tale with engaging characters and action filled scenes. While Joanna's first love continues to fill her thoughts, the chemistry she shares with Hunter increases to scorching proportions. The Touch of Twilight is an entertaining read that fans of the series shouldn't miss.

– Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

I love the Signs of the Zodiac series for its great originality and elaborate mythology as well as the complex characters. It is a breath of fresh air in a market swamped with urban fantasy stories that all sound the same...

– Kelley Hartsell/CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

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About The Books

The Signs of the Zodiac Series

I hate to say the idea for this series came to me in a dream – it sounds too precious and capricious, like writing is something that comes to you rather than something you have to work for – but that's exactly how this idea germinated. I woke up laughing, having just imagined a caricature-ishly beautiful woman fending off a leather-clad homicidal maniac with an overpriced stiletto. If you've read SCENT you'll know the scene I mean. The juxtaposition between silly and scary was enough to get me interested and asking questions. What was the situation here? Why would this guy be attacking her? And how do I make someone this ridiculously beautiful sympathetic?

The series is set in Las Vegas because it's the best possible place in the world for strange characters, and because I know it well. I also wanted to blend fact with fiction, sharing real places with my readers – like the Neon Boneyard, and the old-school ultra lounge at the Peppermill. It's a way for the Vegas girl in me to pay homage to the town I grew up in.

The fantasy aspect, in the form of superhero mythology, was a complete surprise. I don't know what it is about entering your thirties that engenders feeling more settled and centered and powerful than ever before, but this is how I was feeling when I created my protagonist, Joanna Archer, and she absolutely mirrors these things (though, admittedly, in the extreme). However, Jo doesn't just become the woman she's meant to be, she becomes the superwoman she's meant to be. The core question that intrigued me here was this: What makes a person truly super human? The answer I came up with? Living up to your potential, even if – or, in Jo's case, especially if – it means saving the world in the process.

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