My Writing

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    Monday Morning Mailbag — What happens on book release day …

    MONDAY MORNING MAILBAG

    Question: What happens on release day/week when you have a new book out? What are some of the behind-the-scenes things that go on?

    Answer: Last Strand, Elemental Assassin #19, was released on March 16. Usually, on release day, I spend most of my time sharing buy links for the book, responding to social media comments, answering reader questions, liking/sharing reviews, thanking folks for taking the time to read/review/talk about the book, and much more.

    It’s fun, but exhausting. And yes, I will obsessively check my Amazon sales ranking too. LOL.

    As for behind-the-scenes stuff, well, I hate to say this, but something always — ALWAYS! — seems to go wrong whenever I have a new book out. For example, a couple of days before Last Strand was released, one of the online booksellers flagged something in the ebook as an error — when it was NOT an error.

    Basically, someone, or some program, thought that there needed to be a page break between the end of Last Strand and my author’s note that started right after that. Like I said, something that was not an error. But I had to email my book formatter and figure out the best way to deal with it, which was putting in the page break and re-uploading the ebook/file. Sigh.

    Around that same time, I also got an email from an advertiser pointing out a typo in one of my online ads, so I had to contact my graphic artist and ask them to fix the ad. Other things like this pop up all the time during release day/week. And of course, I always see a couple of negative — or even mean/rude/nasty — reviews of the new book, which is always a bummer.

    So yeah, release day/week is (mostly) fun, but it’s also not nearly as glamorous as it might seem. LOL.

    LAST STRAND EBOOK:

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

    LAST STRAND PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon print B&N print IndieBound

    Booksellers and librarians can order print copies through IngramSpark.

    LAST STRAND AUDIOBOOK COMING AUG. 10:

    Amazon audiobook Audible

    Last Strand will be released as an audiobook on Aug. 10. It will NOT be out today, March 16, with the ebook/print book. So if you want to read the book right away, then you will have to get the ebook/print book.

    Why the audiobook delay? Well, Lauren Fortgang is a very popular narrator, and her schedule is booked up months in advance. I chose to wait for her to become available rather than have someone else voice Gin. I think everyone will agree that Lauren’s narration is worth the wait.

    LAST STRAND DESCRIPTION:

    I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society.

    Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends.

    The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me . . .

    THE ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN SERIES WILL CONTINUE:

    The Elemental Assassin series WILL CONTINUE. However, Last Strand will be the last full-length Gin Blanco book for a while, due to my writing deadlines on other books/projects.

    In the meantime, I am planning to write novellas about some of the Elemental Assassin secondary characters, like Lorelei Parker. But rest assured that I am planning to write more books about Gin in the future, as my schedule allows. Thank you for reading. 😎 

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    Where to get print books for Last Strand, Elemental Assassin #19 …

    A couple of folks have asked why they can’t find print copies of Last Strand, Elemental Assassin #19, in their local bookstores. Well, the Last Strand print books are not stocked at your local bookstore because I am now self-publishing my Elemental Assassin series. I also self-published Venom in the Veins, book #17, and Sharpest Sting, book #18, so those books are not usually stocked in bookstores either. This is also why books #17-19 are the larger, trade paperback size rather than the smaller, mass market size of books #1-16.

    The vast — vast! — majority of print books available in stores are traditionally published books, and it is often very difficult for indie/self-published authors to get their print books stocked/shelved in bookstores. So this is why you can usually find my traditionally published books — like Kill the Queen — in bookstores, but not my self-published books — like Spartan Heart and the rest of my Mythos Academy spinoff series.

    Some bookstores will stock self-published books, but I have no way of knowing which stores, or how many copies of my books that they might have on hand. However, your local Barnes & Noble and indie bookstores can always order the print books. You can also order the print books online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble (see links below). Hope this helps.

    LAST STRAND PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon print B&N print IndieBound

    Booksellers and librarians can order print copies through IngramSpark.

    LAST STRAND EBOOK:

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

    LAST STRAND AUDIOBOOK COMING AUG. 10:

    Amazon audiobook Audible

    Last Strand will be released as an audiobook on Aug. 10. So if you want to read the book right now, then you will have to get the ebook/print book.

    Why the audiobook delay? Well, Lauren Fortgang is a very popular narrator, and her schedule is booked up months in advance. I chose to wait for her to become available rather than have someone else voice Gin. I think everyone will agree that Lauren’s narration is worth the wait.

    LAST STRAND DESCRIPTION:

    I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society.

    Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends.

    The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me . . .

    THE ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN SERIES WILL CONTINUE:

    The Elemental Assassin series WILL CONTINUE. However, Last Strand will be the last full-length Gin Blanco book for a while, due to my writing deadlines on other books/projects.

    In the meantime, I am planning to write novellas about some of the Elemental Assassin secondary characters, like Lorelei Parker. But rest assured that I am planning to write more books about Gin in the future, as my schedule allows. Thank you for reading. 😎 

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    Read it now — Last Strand, Elemental Assassin #19, released …

    Last Strand, Elemental Assassin #19, has been released today, March 16. Woot! I’m so excited to share this book with everyone, and I hope you all enjoy Gin’s latest adventure.

    You can get the ebook and print book at the following sites:

    EBOOK:

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

    PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon print B&N print IndieBound

    Booksellers and librarians can order print copies through IngramSpark.

    AUDIOBOOK COMING AUG. 10:

    Amazon audiobook Audible

    Last Strand will be released as an audiobook on Aug. 10. It will NOT be out today, March 16, with the ebook/print book. So if you want to read the book right away, then you will have to get the ebook/print book.

    Why the audiobook delay? Well, Lauren Fortgang is a very popular narrator, and her schedule is booked up months in advance. I chose to wait for her to become available rather than have someone else voice Gin. I think everyone will agree that Lauren’s narration is worth the wait.

    LAST STRAND DESCRIPTION:

    I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society.

    Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends.

    The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me . . .

    THE ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN SERIES WILL CONTINUE:

    The Elemental Assassin series WILL CONTINUE. However, Last Strand will be the last full-length Gin Blanco book for a while, due to my writing deadlines on other books/projects.

    In the meantime, I am planning to write novellas about some of the Elemental Assassin secondary characters, like Lorelei Parker. But rest assured that I am planning to write more books about Gin in the future, as my schedule allows. Thank you for reading. 😎 

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    Audiobook for A Sense of Danger on sale today only, March 4 …

    The audiobook for A Sense of Danger, Section 47 standalone, is on sale TODAY ONLY, Thursday, March 4. Woot! I’m so excited to share the audiobook with listeners, and I hope everyone enjoys getting to know Charlotte, Desmond, and the world of Section 47. 😎 

    The sale price is $3.95, but that might vary, depending on which country you are in. You can also use Audible credits to purchase the audiobook.

    Amazon audio Audible

    A Sense of Danger is an Audible Original book. That means that it is ONLY be available as an audiobook right now. I will be self-publishing the ebook/print book at a later date, probably in summer/fall 2021.

    A SENSE OF DANGER DESCRIPTION:

    A SPY…

    My name is Charlotte Locke, and I’m an analyst for Section 47, a secret government agency that tracks terrorists, criminals, and other paramortal bad guys who want to unleash their abilities on an unsuspecting mortal world. I have a magical form of synesthesia that senses danger and uncovers lies—making me a stealthy operative.

    I’m trudging through another day when one of Section’s cleaners—assassins—takes an interest in me. I don’t need my synesthesia to realize that he is extremely dangerous and that he will do anything to achieve his goals—even if it means putting me in the line of fire.

    …AND AN ASSASSIN

    I’m Desmond Percy, one of Section 47’s most lethal cleaners. I’m also a man on a mission, and I need Charlotte Locke’s skills to help me keep a promise, settle a score, and kill some extremely bad people.

    Charlotte might not like me, but we’re stuck together until my mission is over. Still, the more time we spend together, the more I’m drawn to her. But at Section 47, you never know who you can trust—or who might want you dead.

    A Sense of Danger is told in first person from the viewpoints of both Charlotte Locke and Desmond Percy. Helen Laser is the narrator for Charlotte, while Rupert Channing is the narrator for Desmond.

    As of right now, this book is a stand-alone adventure, although if it does well, then I might write some more Section 47 books.

    I hope everyone enjoys the audiobook. Happy listening! 😎 

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    Read it now — The Beauty of Being a Beast . . .

    2 Comments

    I have self-published The Beauty of Being a Beast, a fairy-tale-themed short story, today, Feb. 9. Woot!

    Here is a look at the gorgeous cover art, which was done by Jenny Zemanek. I’m a big believer that fantasy books should have cool, fun, whimsical fonts/typography, and I absolutely adore how Jenny hand-lettered the title and all the fun little touches, like the claw marks and blood dripping off BEAST.

    GET THE EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo Smashwords

    Some curses aren’t meant to be broken . . . 

    Lady Griselle Mottern is cursed. On her sixteenth birthday, an evil wizard transformed Griselle into a wolflike beast because of a past misdeed by one of her ancestors. Now, with her twenty-first birthday approaching, Griselle has only a few days left to make a boy fall in love with her, or the curse will become permanent, and she will forever be a beast.

    But breaking the curse isn’t Griselle’s only problem. An evil is lurking in the forest, one that is creeping closer and closer to her castle. Griselle will have to summon all her beastly strength to defeat this evil, even if it means dooming herself forever . . . 

    Note: This 7,000-word short story originally appeared in the Von Flusshexen und Meerjungfrauen German-language anthology in 2020.

    SOME MORE INFORMATION:

    The Beauty of Being a Beast was originally published in the German-language anthology Von Flusshexen und Meerjungfrauen (aka “River Witches and Mermaids”) in December 2020 (left).

    So if you prefer to read in German, then you can get the Von Flusshexen und Meerjungfrauen anthology. But for those of you who read in English, you can buy the standalone story The Beauty of Being a Beast.

    I hope everyone enjoys reading my take on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. Happy reading! 😎