Monday, August 29, 2011

New releases && etc

There are quite a few amazing releases this Tuesday. A few I'm looking forward to:

Crossroads by Jeanne C. Stein (Anna Strong #7)
Oh, Anna! Anna!
Publisher blurb: As a bounty hunter, Anna Strong knew how to find trouble. But now that she's a vampire, trouble seems to have a knack for finding her...

The death of Anna's old vampire mentor is causing ripples in the mortal world. His forensic report has brought up some anomalies and people are asking questions-questions that no vampire wants to answer. Anna needs to lie low, but the sudden discovery of a slew of drained bodies near the Mexican border brings an old flame back into her life and with him, a new challenge. Then, some stunning news from an unexpected source sends Anna and her friend Daniel Frey on a journey that may change both their lives-forever.  Get Chapter one here


Aftermath by Anne Aguirre (Sirantha Jax #5)
Sirantha! Noooooo!

Publisher blurb: DEAD HEROES GET MONUMENTS. LIVE ONES GET TRIALS.

Sirantha Jax has the right genes—ones that enable her to “jump” faster-than-light ships through grimspace. But it’s also in her genetic makeup to go it alone. It’s a character trait that has gotten her into—and out of—hot water time and time again, but now she’s caused one of the most horrific events in military history…

During the war against murderous, flesh-eating aliens, Sirantha went AWOL and shifted grimspace beacons to keep the enemy from invading humanity’s homeworld. The cost of her actions: the destruction of modern interstellar travel—and the lives of six hundred Conglomerate soldiers.

Accused of dereliction of duty, desertion, mass murder, and high treason, Sirantha is on trial for her life. And only time will tell if she’s one of the Conglomerate’s greatest heroes—or most infamous criminals… 



Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead (Georgina Kincaid #6)
Georgina! Be careful!!!!! 


Publisher blurb: Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations. . .to Las Vegas.

The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it—no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for. . .
Want more release news? Here's a giant release list, courtesy of writer Suzanne Johnson.


Titles Update: 
Thanks so very much to everybody who commented and voted on titles. As you see, HEAD RUSH and PSYCH OUT were pretty much tied. Honestly, reading people's thoughtful comments and reactions, it made me feel good about both of those titles. (And thanks for all the kind comments about me naming it anything and you'll read it! xox) I'll let you know when a final decision is made. Which should be soon.

The winner of the gift certificate was one Ms. Jess Macallan. Jess, check your email box!  

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Please help me with my decision!

Decision Tree. Perhaps you will make one just like
this to help me with my decision, but I don't expect
or require it! 
Are you wondering what the title to the third and final book of the Disillusionists trilogy is? Well you're not alone, my friend. Hellllllllp!

It doesn't matter if you've read the first two books or not; either way, I would be so grateful to get your reactions to these titles. Sometimes all my titles get rejected, but I want to strongly recommend one.

And there's a prize!
One random person who both comments and does the quiz will win a $10 gift certificate to any online store they choose! And, the rest of you will earn my intense gratitude. Wow, this blog is just prize central this week.

Keep in mind the titles of books #1 & 2
Bk #1:   MIND GAMES
Bk #2:   DOUBLE CROSS
Bk #3:  ?

Okay, so for the third and final book, which do you prefer? 

Option #1: HEAD RUSH
Pros: Totally goes with the first two titles. Accurate to the book without giving important things away.

Cons: The first two titles are more interactive, they imply relationships and things between people, whereas Head Rush is a solitary affair. Also, may wrongly suggest an emphasis on a hypochondria storyline.

Option #2: PSYCH OUT
Pros: Again, makes a nifty set with the first two titles. Accurate to the book without giving important things away. Kind of fun.

Cons: Is it too fun? Will people think it sounds silly? The series is vaguely humorous, but not certainly not a comedy series.

Option #3: THE ART OF FEAR
Pros: I love it and think it's cool. Highly accurate for the entire series arc.

Cons: Doesn't go with the first two. Series books often have titles that sort of make them into a set. So, powers that be may not go for it. Still...

How to win:
1. Comment and do the quiz. (<--quiz over there in sidebar)
2. Make sure I can get your email addy by clicking on your name, or just leave the addy in your comment.
3. I will pick a winner Monday morning CST when I sit down to my computer to start my day of writing, I will aim to pick this winner at some point after I have my coffee, but before the boy brings me my flask of whiskey, tranquilizers, dirty magazines and opium set-up, and definitely before the dancers arrive, because I am usually too distracted by then.

Images: Not my book cover, by me, and decision tree, by T-kita from Wiki Commons

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Renfield Syndrome releases! + quickie contest


Hey! Happy release day to J.A. Saare, for her fabulous The Renfield Syndrome. 
Book #2, out today!!!

The Renfield Syndrome (book #2 of Rhiannon's Law Series) is a total urban fantasy feast of unpredictable action and sassy fun, plus an inspired time travel aspect that I just loved. I savored every bite of its hot and twisty deliciousness. I also enjoyed its fun, high-energy, nearly stream-of-consciousness narration.

If you’re on twitter, you’re probably sick of hearing about how awesome the book is. (I wrote a blurb for it. It’s such a joy to blurb a book you feel strongly about! Plus, you get to read it before everyone else and rub your hands and feel smug and snickery.)


The Renfield publisher blurb: 
Vampires, and werewolves, and demons, oh my.
Rhiannon thought facing off against a deranged child vampire was the most dangerous task she would ever have to undertake, but she's about to discover making a deal with a demon is far, far worse. Sent forward into another reality, one in which vampires are now dominating nearly extinct humans, she realizes the sooner she returns to her vampire lover, Disco, the better.
Unfortunately, time changes a lot of things, including those most trusted around her. When she's faced with a loss and betrayal unlike any she has ever known, her focus shifts from severing the debt between the demon that wants to kill her, to exacting a revenge that will bring forth consequences she never could have fathomed. By reaching out to the darkness lingering within her, she'll find the strength to push forward despite the circumstances that would see her dead and buried. 
After all, when it's all said and done, all that she has left to lose is her soul.
This is book #1, and
you can win it here.
 My own blurb, totally honest, too!
"Yow! I loved the new places this book took me, and the inspired twists along the way . . . The Renfield Syndrome roars with fun, danger, and sexy intrigue."

Dead, Undead or Somewhere in Between is book #1. 

Wait, what? 
You haven’t started the series yet? There is still time to catch up. 

Which brings me to my CONTEST! If you’re wishing you’d started the series now that The Renfield Syndrome is out, there’s still time! It’s only book #2! And I’ll help you out.  

I’ll give one random commenter book #1, so you can be all caught up and get yourself some Renfield goodness.



An interesting side note: when I was poking around to find an image of the book cover, I went to Barnes & Noble.

The book isn't up yet there, but look at the thing I found - on the lower left hand side, is a little link to something about a real life Renfield Syndrome. I clicked it excitedly. I was like, really? Who would name a syndrome the Renfield Syndrome? 


I was like, is there really a Renfield Syndrome? 
Yeah, apparently not. As you can see, I rarely click on sponsored links. See below  



 Uh, I was kind of excited. Don't you hate that? But, cheer up, because there is still my awesome get-caught-up-with-the-series contest! 

Rules:

  • Comment if you want a chance to win Book #1: Dead, Undead or Somewhere in Between
  • Make sure I can find your email addy from clicking your name, or just leave it. 
  • International okay! 
  • Contest closes on Friday when I sit down with my morning tea and vittles. 

More about The Renfield Syndrome, and ordering links here!


Update: CONTEST CLOSED: Winner is Anna! #8! Congrats, Anna. I'm emailing you. 

Monday, August 15, 2011

Back!

 Phew! back from the con! It was so much fun. I'm sneaking out of my monday re-entry to post a few pics from the AAD con...


This is me and Lea, from closerwriter, and now, Bookloversinc.com, a lovely and wonderful woman. I've known her forever out and about online, so it was exciting to meet in person! Lea, what a great surprise - I didn't even know you'd be there! How is our picture blurrrrry? But I think you got one.

The first day - a blast meeting people. Here's Jojo of Jojo's Book Corner, me (looking worse for wear! Larissa from Larissa's life, author Nicole Peeler, and Pam/Spaz, reviewer at Wicked Lil' Pixie. 

Here we are, Nicole (who was my roomie for the event) Pam from Wicked! and me. Pam was such a trooper with her casted, post-op foot. 

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

99¢ AAD sale, book signing, & sweet giveaways around blogtown!

Hey woodland buddies! So, I'm off to Authors After Dark (AAD), a reader/author convention in Philadelphia (a city name that is almost as hard to spell as Phoenix, I have discovered!)
You actually don't need this card to get
the 99-cent deal - it's the price everywhere
during AAD. But, the card makes it funner!

Special AAD Wild & Steamy deal
Both Meljean Brook and I will be at AAD, and we have cooked up a special AAD deal for our anthology, where it will cost only 99¢ during the conference! We have these nifty cards we'll be handing out with QR codes that take smartphones to our Wild & Steamy site. (But, everyone can get in on the 99¢ AAD sale by buying it the regular way! It's just funner with the cards.)

Signing
 It will be a weekend full of book-related fun: panels, parties, games, meeting readers and other authors. If you're in the Philly area this weekend, there is a big AAD multi-author signing downtown at the Doubletree Hotel. It's Saturday from 2-4, and completely free and open to the public! I will be there, handing out my trading cards and the Wild & Steamy card, and signing books. And here's a list of other authors who will be there.

Out and about: fun things & giveaways

  • Book Editor extraordinaire Beth over at CC2K went to Borders recently and grabbed some faves, and created a Fare Thee Well Borders book giveaway.  Up for grabs: Outlander by Gabaldon, Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane, Feed by Mira Grant, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, and Mind Games by you know who. Go forth and enter
  • Book Faery Tori's Battle of the Sexies: Sidekick edition fun rages on--also with some serious prize action! 
I hope everybody has a safe and excellent week. I will try to post pictures. I will, I will!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Wild & Steamy, our $2.99 ebook novella antho: Live!

Wild & Steamy has finally gone live…in most places. It’s $2.99 on Kindle, and on Smashwords, and All Romance Ebooks, (where you can get epub, pdf, mobi and other formats) the Nook and I think it will be on Sony and iApple, and elsewhere soon.

Wild & Steamy is a collection of three novellas that the three of us banded together to publish on our own. It contains an Iron Seas novella by Meljean Brook, and a werefox novella by Jill Myles, and a Disillusionists novella by me (it can be read all on its own without reading the series, but in series order,  the action happens after Double Cross).
Three all-new novellas of the supernatural and steampunk kind...
"The Blushing Bounder" by Meljean Brook - A Tale of the Iron Seas - While the search for a killer puts Constable Newberry’s life in danger, he faces a danger of another kind: to his heart, by the woman forced to marry him. What will it take for this prudish bounder to convince his wife to stay? (13K words)
"Vixen" by Jill Myles - Miko’s denied her were-fox nature for far too long and turned her back on her vixen heritage. But when she meets two very sexy cat-shifters, she has to decide if she truly wants to give up on her frisky side, or embrace it. Because the were-fox in her doesn’t want to choose between both men…it wants them both. (15K words)
"Kitten-tiger & the Monk" by Carolyn Crane - A Disillusionists Novella - Sophia Sidway, Midcity’s most dangerous memory revisionist, seeks out the mysterious Monk in the wasteland beneath the Tangle turnpike, hoping for redemption…but it turns out that the Monk is not all that pious, and the turnpike is no turnpike at all. (20K words)
My Favorite Sidekick...
In other news, I'm over at Book Faery talking about who my #1 favorite fiction sidekick is, as part of the Battle of the Sexies: Sidekick edition!

Come stop by!