Anthologies

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    Dirty Deeds 2 anthology released . . .

    The Dirty Deeds 2 anthology has been released today, June. 7. Woot! I’m so excited to be participating in this anthology with Faith Hunter, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Devon Monk, and R.J. Blain. 😎 

    My contribution to the anthology is Heart Stings, a 38,000-word novella told from the point of view of Lorelei Parker. This is Elemental Assassin novella #19.5, although it can also be read as a stand-alone adventure.

    Heart Stings takes place after Last Strand, Elemental Assassin #19, and follows Lorelei as she deals with an old enemy. 

    NOTE: This is a limited-time anthology that will only be available for six months — until Dec. 7, 2022. After that date, Dirty Deeds 2 will no longer be available. So if you want to read the anthology, get it now. Thanks and happy reading!

    GET THE EBOOK:

    Amazon Barnes & Noble Apple Kobo

    GET THE PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon Barnes & Noble

    Booksellers and librarians can order copies through IngramSpark.

    Note: The anthology is NOT available as an audiobook.

    DIRTY DEEDS 2 DESCRIPTION:

    When the going gets tough, the tough get their hands dirty.

    Join NY Times bestselling authors Faith Hunter and Jennifer Estep along with USA Today bestselling authors R.J. Blain, Diana Pharaoh Francis, and Devon Monk on a brand-new romp through magical worlds where the damsels bring the distress, what can go wrong will go wrong, and nothing is as it seems.

    Adventure with Eli Younger, Liz Everhart, and Brute in the thrilling world of Jane Yellowrock. Face off against old gods and lost souls at a magical crossroads on Route 66. Become entangled in Ashland’s dark, deadly web with side characters from the Elemental Assassin series. Return to the irreverent world of Beck Wyatt, where disaster waits around every corner and cheesecake makes it all worthwhile. And finally, meet up with the Quinns and friends in the zany world of the Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series.

    In this collection of all-new urban fantasy and paranormal stories, the gloves are off and simply surviving might just be the dirtiest, most difficult deed of all.

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    Read it now — Winter’s Web, Elemental Assassin novella #17.5, now available …

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    Read it now — Winter’s Web, Elemental Assassin #17.5, has been released. Woot!

    Winter’s Web is $2.99 and is available at all the usual sites.

    WINTER’S WEB EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Apple Books Google Play Kobo Smashwords

    The cover art was once again done by the awesome Tony Mauro, the artist for the books in the series.

    Winter’s Web is a 27,000-word novella that takes place after the events of Venom in the Veins, book 17 in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Winter’s Web first appeared in the Seasons of Sorcery anthology in 2018.

    WINTER’S WEB NOVELLA DESCRIPTION:

    An assassin at a renaissance faire. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, if you’re the Spider . . .

    I might be Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, but even I need a break from the bad guys every now and then. So when Owen Grayson, my significant other, suggests a trip to the Winter’s Web Renaissance Faire, it sounds like a perfect distraction from all my problems.

    The faire starts off innocently enough, but something seems slightly off about the cheery atmosphere and costumed characters. Maybe I’m being paranoid, but I can’t help but feel like I’m trapped in someone else’s icy web—and that they don’t want me to leave the faire alive . . .

    Note: Winter’s Web is a 27,000-word novella that takes place after the events of Venom in the Veins, book 17 in the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Winter’s Web first appeared in the Seasons of Sorcery anthology in 2018.

    MORE ABOUT WINTER’S WEB

    Note #1: There will NOT be a print or audiobook version of the novella.

    Note #2: The Seasons of Sorcery fantasy anthology also features novellas by Amanda Bouchet, Grace Draven, and Jeffe Kennedy.

    I hope everyone enjoys Winter’s Web. Happy reading!

  • Books to add to my TBR pile …

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    It’s time to check in with the old TBR pile. Here are some upcoming books that I’m looking forward to reading. Note that the descriptions are from Amazon.
     
     
    Out on Aug. 28
     
    A standalone epic fantasy adventure featuring a band of legendary mercenaries set in the world of Kings of the Wyld from author Nicholas Eames, who has been hailed as “the voice of modern fantasy” by Michael R. Fletcher.
     
    Live fast, die young.
     

    Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown.

    When the biggest mercenary band of all rolls into town, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. It’s adventure she wants – and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.

    It’s time to take a walk on the wyld side.

    My thoughts: I’m going to buy this one for Wheezley, who loved Kings of the Wyld, the first book in the series.
     
    Toil & Trouble anthology by various authors
     
    Out on Aug. 28
     
    Scorn the witch. Fear the witch. Burn the witch.

    History is filled with stories of women accused of witchcraft, of fearsome girls with arcane knowledge. Toil & Trouble features fifteen stories of girls embracing their power, reclaiming their destinies and using their magic to create, to curse, to cure—and to kill.

    A young witch uses social media to connect with her astrology clients—and with a NASA-loving girl as cute as she is skeptical. A priestess of death investigates a ritualized murder. A bruja who cures lovesickness might need the remedy herself when she falls in love with an altar boy. A theater production is turned upside down by a visiting churel. In Reconstruction-era Texas, a water witch uses her magic to survive the soldiers who have invaded her desert oasis. And in the near future, a group of girls accused of witchcraft must find their collective power in order to destroy their captors.

    This collection reveals a universal truth: there’s nothing more powerful than a teenage girl who believes in herself.

     
    My thoughts: I like to read anthologies since they let me check out several different authors at once, and this one sounds really interesting.
     
     
    Out on Nov. 6
     
    A spy is dead. A legend is born. This is how it all began. The explosive prequel to Casino Royale, from bestselling author Anthony Horowitz. 

    Forever and a Day is the story of the birth of a legend, in the brutal underworld of the French Riviera, taking readers into the very beginning of James Bond’s illustrious career and the formation of his identity. 

    M laid down his pipe and stared at it tetchily. “We have no choice. We’re just going to bring forward this other chap you’ve been preparing. But you didn’t tell me his name.”

    “‘It’s Bond, sir,’” the Chief of Staff replied. “James Bond.”

    The sea keeps its secrets. But not this time. 

    One body. Three bullets. 007 floats in the waters of Marseille, killed by an unknown hand. 

    It’s time for a new agent to step up. Time for a new weapon in the war against organized crime. 

    It’s time for James Bond to earn his license to kill.

    My thoughts: I love the James Bond books and movies, so I’m looking forward to checking out this new Bond story.

    What about you guys? What books do you want to check out this summer/fall?

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    Last call to buy Entangled e-anthology …

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    I’m one of several authors who contributed a story to Entangled, an e-anthology that was released in 2011. After the end of October, the e-anthology will no longer be available, so if you want to check it out, now is the time to download it.

    Entangled is available for $2.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

    This was a really cool project to be involved in because the money raised has gone to breast cancer research. 

    My story is called Halloween Frost. It’s about 6,500 words and is part of my Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series. The story takes place after the events of Touch of Frost. You can read an excerpt here, and here’s the description:

    It’s Halloween at Mythos Academy, but Gwen Frost and her friends are in for more tricks than treats when they run into a mythological monster intent on killing them.

    And here’s some general info about the anthology, the other authors participating, and their stories:

    Ghosts, vampires, demons, and more! Entangled includes ten suspense-filled paranormal short stories from authors Cynthia Eden, Jennifer Estep, Edie Ramer, Lori Brighton, Michelle Diener, Misty Evans, Nancy Haddock, Liz Kreger, Dale Mayer, and Michelle Miles, plus a Seven Deadly Sins novella by Allison Brennan.

    Stacia Kane contributed the foreword. Formatting and cover art were also donated to the project by Lori Devoti and Laura Morrigan.

    All proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

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    Carniepunk e-book on sale for $1.99 through Oct. 21 …

    Short StoryI wanted to let everyone know that the e-book version of the Carniepunk urban fantasy anthology is currently on sale for $1.99.

    So if you’ve been wanting to check out the entire anthology, now is the time to do it. From what I’ve been told, the e-book sale will run through Oct. 21.

    The e-book is on sale at a variety of booksellers, including the following sites:

    Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes / Kobo

    As part of this promotion, Simon & Schuster is also offering several other e-books for sale, like Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett. You can see all the e-books on sale here.

    My story is called Parlor Tricks and is set in my Elemental Assassin world. In Parlor Tricks, Gin and Bria go to a country carnival in search of a missing girl and find some unexpected sights and danger along the way. My story is about 9,000 words long, and you can read an excerpt here.

    Here is the anthology description:

    A star-studded urban fantasy anthology starring bestselling authors Rachel Caine, Jennifer Estep, Kevin Hearne, Seanan McGuire, and Rob Thurman, and including Delilah S. Dawson, Kelly Gay, Mark Henry, Hillary Jacques, Jackie Kessler, Kelly Meding, Allison Pang, Nicole D. Peeler, and Jaye Wells, whose stories explore the creepy, mysterious, and, yes, sometimes magical world of traveling carnivals.

    The traveling carnival is a leftover of a bygone era, a curiosity lurking on the outskirts of town. It is a place of contradictions — the bright lights mask the peeling paint; a carnie in greasy overalls slinks away from the direction of the Barker’s seductive call. It is a place of illusion — is that woman’s beard real? How can she live locked in that watery box?

    And while many are tricked by sleight of hand, there are hints of something truly magical going on. One must remain alert and learn quickly the unwritten rules of this dark show. To beat the carnival, one had better have either a whole lot of luck or a whole lot of guns — or maybe some magic of one’s own.

    Featuring stories grotesque and comical, outrageous and action-packed, Carniepunk is the first anthology to channel the energy and attitude of urban fantasy into the bizarre world of creaking machinery, twisted myths, and vivid new magic.

    CARNIEPUNK: PARLOR TRICKS FREE DOWNLOAD

    Short StoryI also wanted to mention that Parlor Tricks, my Elemental Assassin short story, is still available as a free download.

    The cover for the e-download is shown at right, and it is very similar to the Carniepunk anthology cover above.

    The e-download also features some short previews of the other stories in the anthology.

    Note that this is available as an e-story only — not in any print or audio versions. Here are some of the sites where you can download the free Carniepunk: Parlor Tricks story:

    Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes / Kobo

    Here’s the Carniepunk: Parlor Tricks description from Amazon:

    Come one! Come all! Witness Gin Blanco — aka the Elemental Assassin, aka the Spider — go toe to toe against the Esmerelda the Amazing’s Wheel of Death and some dangerously creepy clowns! Only at The Carnival of Wondrous Wonders!

    A free story from the forthcoming Carniepunk urban fantasy anthology starring bestselling authors Rachel Caine, Jennifer Estep, Kevin Hearne, Seanan McGuire, and Rob Thurman, and also includes Delilah S. Dawson, Kelly Gay, Mark Henry, Hillary Jacques, Jackie Kessler, Kelly Meding, Allison Pang, Nicole D. Peeler, and Jaye Wells. Samples of all fourteen tales are included to tantalize and to tease. Come to the Carniepunk midway and explore the creepy, mysterious, magical world of traveling carnivals today!

    Hope everyone enjoys the Gin short story and the entire anthology. Happy reading!