About Books

  • · ·

    Try A New Genre and Win …

    Just a reminder that I am participating in a fun book giveaway in July, along with several other authors. Check it out:

    New Genre ContestOn July 2nd, we launched the Take a Walk on the Wild Side – Try a New Genre & Win contest. There are only two weeks to go, so while there is still time to take part, you need to get reading!
    We started out with 200 books to giveaway, so first check the FB group to see if there are any copies left, but if not, you can still participate, by finding a new-to-you genre book at the library, borrow one from a friend, or support one of the great authors sponsoring this contest. Read below to see how it all works. If you already know, and are participating, this is just a reminder that there are only 14 days left. And don’t forget, the person who participates the most on the Facebook group wins a $50 gift card. Go on, be a chatterbox! 🙂

    HOW IT WORKS

    This challenge starts on July 2nd, and ends on July 30th, so you have a month to get reading.

    PERSUADE US . . .

    We’re all different and what we like to read is no exception. However, sometimes it’s fun to change things up a bit and try something new. We’re going to help with that, by giving the first 200 lucky readers to ask us an ebook for free. All we ask is that the book they request is in a genre they don’t read, or read a long time ago and drifted out of.

    Each participating author will offer ten books for free (we’ll give you a list of what’s available). But if you don’t manage to get in fast enough and there aren’t any books left, don’t worry, you’re still eligible for the Take a Walk on the Wild Side contest. Find a book in a new-to-you genre, whether at the library, from a friend, or if you want to support the wonderful authors involved in this contest by buying one of their books, so much the better!

    Read the book—the contest runs for four weeks, so you’ve got time—then write a paragraph on the contest’s Facebook group about what surprised and delighted you about the genre you just read. You can also include a short paragraph on the genre you usually read and why you love it. Help convince other readers to give a new genre a try!

    We’re going to encourage people to like the paragraphs that inspired them to read a new genre, and the five entries with the most likes will go to a well-known book blogger (with names redacted) to choose the winner of the $200 gift card.

    BE A CHATTERBOX . . .

    This is one place where being a chatterbox will get you sent to the top of the class, not to detention. We want people talking about the books they’re reading, swopping recommendations, and generally connecting over new genres, so we’ve got a $50 gift card prize to the person who interacts the most on the Facebook group.

    Good luck, everyone, this is going to be a lot of fun!

    And here are the amazing authors involved in sponsoring this contest:

    Marilyn Brant
    Robin Bielman
    Kelsey Browning
    Zoe Dawson
    Michelle Diener
    Cynthia Eden
    Jennifer Estep
    Misty Evans
    Maggie Mae Gallagher
    Lori Handeland
    Mary Hughes
    Shona Husk
    Rachel Johns
    Dale Mayer
    Nancy Naigle
    Christina Phillips
    Edie Ramer
    Elle J Rossi
    Barbara Samuel
    Therese Walsh

    We’ll be posting a profile on each author and the books they have made eligible for the giveaway on the Read a New Genre Facebook group. As stated above, the first 200 people to request the books on offer will get them for free, thereafter, participants will have to source their own books, either from the library, a friend, or if they’d like to support one of the authors sponsoring this contest, so much the better! Only one free book request per person, so as many readers as possible can benefit.

    And that’s it. Hope everyone enjoys the event.

  • · ·

    Spider’s Trap audiobook available for pre-order …

    2 Comments

    Book #13Spider’s Trap, the 13th book in my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, will be released on July 28. Woot!

    Many folks have been asking me about the audiobook, and I am happy to say that the audiobook will be released on July 28, the same day as the print and e-book versions.

    The audiobook is up for pre-order at Audible. You can also pre-order the audiobook through Amazon.

    The awesome Lauren Fortgang will once again the narrator.

    Here is the description for Spider’s Trap:

    Keep your friends close but your enemies within stabbing distance.

    One important lesson I’ve learned in the assassination business is that to be the best you have to roll with the punches. Now that I’m queen of Ashland’s underworld—by default, not by choice—a lot more punches are being thrown my way. But I suppose that’s the price of victory for taking down some of the underworld’s top dogs. Good thing I have my Ice and Stone magic to help me survive my volatile new position. Just when I think things are finally settling down, someone tries to murder me during a hush-hush underworld meeting. But the real surprise is how strangely familiar my shadowy assailant seems to be.

    My job is to maintain order among killers, crooks, and thieves, and soon I’m embroiled in a bloody game where the ability to keep secrets could be the greatest superpower of all. My enemies have all sharpened their knives and laid their traps, waiting for me to fall. But this Spider weaves her own webs of death …

    You can read the first chapter of Spider’s Trap here. Scroll down and click on the Read Excerpt tab, although beware of spoilers for previous books in the series, especially Black Widow.

    I hope that everyone enjoys the audiobook and Gin’s latest adventure. Happy reading, everyone!

  • Autographed books …

    4 Comments

    Note: This post will appear at Magical Musings tomorrow, July 7, but I wanted to share it here on my blog as well.

    I was walking through my local Books-A-Million a couple of months ago when I noticed a copy of Embassy Row Book 1: All Fall Down by Ally Carter sitting on a table. I had been thinking about getting the book, but that day, I picked up the book and actually bought it.

    Embassy Row autographed bookWhy? Because it was an autographed copy.

    I’ve been noticing more and more autographed copies by a variety of authors on the shelves of my local Books-A-Million and Barnes & Noble. For Christmas last year, I bought my dad a signed copy of Wait For Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories by Craig Johnson. A couple of months ago, I ordered some signed copies of Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman from Porter Square Books after I saw an online ad about the signed copies.

    I still prefer print books over e-books and audiobooks, so I usually buy a print copy of whatever book I’m interested in reading, especially if it’s by an author that I’ve read before. So I’m enjoying seeing all the signed copies on the shelves.

    Admittedly, buying a signed copy off the shelf is not as fun or cool as actually meeting that author in person and getting him or her to sign my book. But I’ll never get to meet all the authors that I want to in person, so this is the next best thing.

    Having that print copy signed by the author is definitely a little extra incentive for me to buy (and keep) that book. Plus, signed books by favorite authors can make really cool gifts. So I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more signed books at my local stores, especially during the holiday season.

    What about you guys? Are you more likely to buy an autographed book? Why or why not?

  • · ·

    Try a New Genre and Win …

    So I’m participating in a fun book giveaway in July, along with several other authors. Check it out:

    New Genre ContestHOW IT WORKS

    This challenge starts on July 2nd, and ends on July 30th, so you have a month to get reading.

    PERSUADE US . . .

    We’re all different and what we like to read is no exception. However, sometimes it’s fun to change things up a bit and try something new. We’re going to help with that, by giving the first 200 lucky readers to ask us an ebook for free. All we ask is that the book they request is in a genre they don’t read, or read a long time ago and drifted out of.

    Each participating author will offer ten books for free (we’ll give you a list of what’s available). But if you don’t manage to get in fast enough and there aren’t any books left, don’t worry, you’re still eligible for the Take a Walk on the Wild Side contest. Find a book in a new-to-you genre, whether at the library, from a friend, or if you want to support the wonderful authors involved in this contest by buying one of their books, so much the better!

    Read the book—the contest runs for four weeks, so you’ve got time—then write a paragraph on the contest’s Facebook group about what surprised and delighted you about the genre you just read. You can also include a short paragraph on the genre you usually read and why you love it. Help convince other readers to give a new genre a try!

    We’re going to encourage people to like the paragraphs that inspired them to read a new genre, and the five entries with the most likes will go to a well-known book blogger (with names redacted) to choose the winner of the $200 gift card.

    BE A CHATTERBOX . . .

    This is one place where being a chatterbox will get you sent to the top of the class, not to detention. We want people talking about the books they’re reading, swopping recommendations, and generally connecting over new genres, so we’ve got a $50 gift card prize to the person who interacts the most on the Facebook group.

    Good luck, everyone, this is going to be a lot of fun!

    And here are the amazing authors involved in sponsoring this contest:

    Marilyn Brant
    Robin Bielman
    Kelsey Browning
    Zoe Dawson
    Michelle Diener
    Cynthia Eden
    Jennifer Estep
    Misty Evans
    Maggie Mae Gallagher
    Lori Handeland
    Mary Hughes
    Shona Husk
    Rachel Johns
    Dale Mayer
    Nancy Naigle
    Christina Phillips
    Edie Ramer
    Elle J Rossi
    Barbara Samuel
    Therese Walsh

    We’ll be posting a profile on each author and the books they have made eligible for the giveaway on the Read a New Genre Facebook group on July 2nd. As stated above, the first ten people to request the books on offer will get them for free, thereafter, participants will have to source their own books, either from the library, a friend, or if they’d like to support one of the authors sponsoring this contest, so much the better! Only one free book request per person, so as many readers as possible can benefit.

    And that’s it. Hope everyone enjoys the event.

  • · · ·

    Spider’s Trap, Elemental Assassin #13, up for pre-order …

    Book #13Spider’s Trap, the 13th book in my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, will be released on July 28.

    Spider’s Trap is up for pre-order at all the usual retailers, including:

    Amazon Kindle / Amazon paperback / Barnes & Noble / Books-A-Million / iBooks/ Google Play / Kobo / IndieBound

    The audio book will be available through Audible, and the awesome Lauren Fortgang will once again the narrator.

    Here is the description for Spider’s Trap:

    Keep your friends close but your enemies within stabbing distance.

    One important lesson I’ve learned in the assassination business is that to be the best you have to roll with the punches. Now that I’m queen of Ashland’s underworld—by default, not by choice—a lot more punches are being thrown my way. But I suppose that’s the price of victory for taking down some of the underworld’s top dogs. Good thing I have my Ice and Stone magic to help me survive my volatile new position. Just when I think things are finally settling down, someone tries to murder me during a hush-hush underworld meeting. But the real surprise is how strangely familiar my shadowy assailant seems to be.

    My job is to maintain order among killers, crooks, and thieves, and soon I’m embroiled in a bloody game where the ability to keep secrets could be the greatest superpower of all. My enemies have all sharpened their knives and laid their traps, waiting for me to fall. But this Spider weaves her own webs of death …

    You can read the first chapter of Spider’s Trap here. Scroll down and click on the Read Excerpt tab, although beware of spoilers for previous books in the series, especially Black Widow.

    I hope that everyone enjoys the book and Gin’s latest adventure. Happy reading, everyone!