On Writing

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    The continuing adventures of Gin Blanco …

    16 Comments

    Note: This post appeared last week at Magical Musings, but I wanted to share it here on my blog too.

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

    Spider's TrapThirteen books … I can’t believe that I’ve written 13 books in this series. My Elemental Assassin series started in 2010 with Spider’s Bite. If you had told me back then that I would still be writing about my heroine Gin Blanco today, I would have laughed and said that you were crazy. I was just hoping that I could write five books and finish out the story arc that I had in mind.

    But a funny thing happened — people really enjoyed getting to know Gin and her friends. And I started wondering what would happen after Gin defeated her nemesis. What sort of new problems and enemies would that create for her?

    The answer has turned out to be plenty. LOL.  Every time I come to the end of a story arc, I think of all the new challenges and problems that Gin has created for herself and wonder what if this happens, what if that happens … and I’m inspired to write another adventure for Gin.

    Thirteen books at about 95,000 words a book is more than 1.2 million words about the same character. And this doesn’t count the various e-novellas and short stories that I’ve written from Gin’s and other characters’ points of view.

    Many folks have asked me if I’m thinking about ending the series after Bitter Bite, book #14 that’s scheduled for Feb. 23, 2016. But you know what? I’m still having a blast writing about Gin and the dark, gritty world of Ashland. So as long as people still enjoy reading the books, I’ll probably keep writing them.

    So here’s to many more adventures with Gin and the gang. Cheers, everyone! 😎

    Spider’s Trap is available at all the usual retailers, including:

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

    The audiobook is available at Audible. You can also get the audiobook through Amazon. The awesome Lauren Fortgang is once again the narrator for the audiobook.

    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!

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    Spider’s Trap, Elemental Assassin #13, released …

    Book #13Spider’s Trap, the 13th book in my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, has been released. Woot! Woot! Woot!

    Spider’s Trap is available at all the usual retailers, including:

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

    The audiobook is available at Audible. You can also get the audiobook through Amazon. The awesome Lauren Fortgang is once again the narrator for the audiobook.

    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!

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

    Book #13Spider’s Trap, the 13th book in my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, will be released on July 28. Only about a week to go now. Woot!

    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 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 for the audiobook.

    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!

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    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!