Black Blade series

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    Cold Burn of Magic, Black Blade #1, released …

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    Black Blade #1Cold Burn of Magic, the first book in my Black Blade young adult urban fantasy series, has been released. Woot! Woot! Woot!

    Cold Burn of Magic is available at all the usual book retailers, including the following:

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

    And here is the book description:

    THERE BE MONSTERS HERE…

    It’s not as great as you’d think, living in a tourist town that’s known as “the most magical place in America.” Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power.

    I try to keep out of it. I’ve got my mom’s bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick.

    But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend’s pawn shop, and I have to make a call—get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn’t. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I’m stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I’m going to end up just like her…

    You can read the first chapter of Cold Burn of Magic here. Scroll down and click on the Read Excerpt tab.

    So basically, Cold Burn of Magic features magic, monsters, and mobsters. The heroine is Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who does her best to avoid the Families (mobs) that run her town, a total tourist trap known for the monsters that haunt the area. But, of course, Lila finds herself in the middle of a feud between two of the Families. There’s a cute guy in the mix too. As of right now, there will be three books in the series.

    Dark Heart of Magic, the second book, is tentatively set to be released on Oct. 27. The third book will probably be out in May 2016, but that is subject to change.

    I hope that everyone enjoys Cold Burn of Magic. Happy reading!

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    Cold Burn of Magic, Black Blade #1, up for pre-order …

    2 Comments

    Black Blade #1So we are only a week away from from the release of Cold Burn of Magic, the first book in my Black Blade young adult urban fantasy series. Woot! I’m excited (and a bit nervous) for the book to come out. I hope that everyone enjoys reading about Lila’s adventures.

    Cold Burn of Magic is up for pre-order at all the usual book retailers, including the following:

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

    And here is the book description:

    THERE BE MONSTERS HERE…

    It’s not as great as you’d think, living in a tourist town that’s known as “the most magical place in America.” Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power.

    I try to keep out of it. I’ve got my mom’s bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick.

    But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend’s pawn shop, and I have to make a call—get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn’t. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I’m stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I’m going to end up just like her…

    You can read the first chapter of Cold Burn of Magic here. Scroll down and click on the Read Excerpt tab.

    So basically, Cold Burn of Magic features magic, monsters, and mobsters. The heroine is Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who does her best to avoid the Families (mobs) that run her town, a total tourist trap known for the monsters that haunt the area. But, of course, Lila finds herself in the middle of a feud between two of the Families. There’s a cute guy in the mix too. As of right now, there will be three books in the series.

    Dark Heart of Magic, the second book, is tentatively set to be released on Oct. 27. The third book will probably be out in May 2016, but that is subject to change.

    I hope that everyone enjoys Cold Burn of Magic when it is released next week. Happy reading!

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    Dark Heart of Magic, Black Blade #2, coming Oct. 27 …

    9 Comments

    Dark Heart of MagicCold Burn of Magic, Black Blade #1, will be out on April 28 (almost here!), but I wanted to go ahead and give everyone some information about the second book in the series.

    Dark Heart of Magic is the title of Black Blade #2, and it will be released on Oct. 27. Woot! I really like this title, and I’m happy to share the cover art.

    Dark Heart of Magic is up for pre-order at the following sites:

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

    And here is the book description. It doesn’t contain any real spoilers, but if you absolutely want to remain spoiler-free, you might want to skip reading the description.

    SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES…

    As a thief, I stick to the shadows as much as possible. But when the head of the Sinclair Family picks me to compete in the Tournament of Blades, there’s no escaping the spotlight—or the danger.

    Even though he’s my competition, Devon Sinclair thinks I have the best shot of winning what’s supposed to be a friendly contest. But when the competitors start having mysterious “accidents”, it looks like someone will do anything to win—no matter who they hurt.

    As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, mobster Victor Draconi is plotting against Devon and the rest of my friends, and someone’s going around Cloudburst Falls murdering monsters. One thing’s for sure. Sometimes, humans can be more monstrous than anything else …

    I hope that everyone enjoys the sneak peak at Dark Heart of Magic, and I hope that everyone enjoys Cold Burn of Magic when it is released at the end of the month.

    Happy reading!

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    Print ARC giveaway for Cold Burn of Magic …

    55 Comments

    My publisher was nice enough to send me some print ARCs (advanced reading copies) for Cold Burn of Magic, Black Blade #1, which will be out on April 28.

    I have two print ARCs left, and I’m going to give those away here on my blog. If you receive an ARC, please consider taking the time to read the book and post a review on Goodreads, Amazon, etc.

    Note: To enter the giveaway, use the form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway is open to those 13 and older, U.S. only.

    Black Blade #1Cold Burn of Magic features magic, monsters, and mobsters. The book focuses on Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who lives in Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia, a town dubbed “the most magical place in America.” Tourists come from around the world to tour all the magic-themed shops and attractions, as well as see monsters like tree trolls, copper crushers, and more in their natural habitats.

    Lila has a Talent for sight, along with transference magic — in other words, magic makes her stronger. To survive, she does odd jobs for her pawnbroker friend. Lila also does her best to stay off the grid and avoid the Families — or mobs — who control much of the town. But when she saves a member of the powerful Sinclair Family during an attack, Lila finds herself caught in the middle of a brewing war between the Sinclairs and the Draconis, the most powerful Family in town.

    Cold Burn of Magic is up for pre-order at the following sites:

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

    And here is the book description:

    THERE BE MONSTERS HERE…

    It’s not as great as you’d think, living in a tourist town that’s known as “the most magical place in America.” Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power.

    I try to keep out of it. I’ve got my mom’s bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick.

    But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend’s pawn shop, and I have to make a call—get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn’t. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I’m stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I’m going to end up just like her…

    You can read the first chapter of Cold Burn of Magic here. Scroll down and click on the Read Excerpt tab.

    Dark Heart of Magic, the second book, is tentatively set to be released on Oct. 27. The third book will probably be out in May 2016, but that is subject to change.

    I hope that everyone enjoys Cold Burn of Magic when it is released.
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    To pre-order or not to pre-order …

    10 Comments

    Note: I posted this over at Magical Musings last week and wanted to share it here on my blog as well.

    Do you pre-order?

    You know what I’m talking about — all those tempting little buttons next to books by your favorite authors. The ones that let you pre-order a new book months in advance.

    Cold Burn of MagicWhenever I’m talking about my books on my blog, Facebook, or Twitter pages, I usually include pre-order links to major retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, iTunes, Kobo, IndieBound, and Audible (audiobooks). For example, on I’ve got several pre-order links up on my website page for Cold Burn of Magic, Black Blade #1, my young adult urban fantasy book that will be out on April 28.

    I’ve heard from many folks that when you pre-order a book — especially an e-book — that it’s a nice little surprise when you fire up your e-reader and see the book waiting there for you to start reading any time you want to. The same thing goes for getting an e-mail that the audiobook is available, a package in the mail with a print book, or getting a call from your local bookstore saying that the book has arrived.

    But me? I don’t pre-order books too often. Usually, most of my pre-orders are movies or TV shows because it seems like you can get a better deal on those online.

    But if there is a book that I want, I will bookmark it on my computer. Then I’ll wait until it comes out, go to the store, and buy a print copy, mainly because I still like to read print books over e-books. Or, if I think that my local stores might not have the book, then I will pre-order a print copy a week or two ahead of the release date. I also make sure that I order enough items to get free shipping. I am all about free shipping. LOL.

    What about you guys? Do you pre-order books, movies, or music? Why or why not?