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Authoring Cons & Appearances Promotion Whimsy Writing Life

Michigan ComicCon report double-header: new book cover reveal too!

If you look really close at this post’s feature image of the Michigan Comic Con Bard’s Tower booth,  you can see postcards showing the cover for my new book. Since I’ve been passing them out like there’s no tomorrow here in Detroit, I guess it’s only fair to share the fun with the rest of the world.

I’m aiming to release The Sharp Edge Of Yesterday at WindyCon in November, but don’t go inking that date on your calendar just yet.  The manuscript is currently with the editor. I’ll hold off on a final countdown until I have revisions in hand. Meanwhile I can say with confidence, “RELEASING SOON,” and that means I can share the cover art!

Rest your eyeballs on this lovely, lovely painting by the talented Rhiannon Taylor. This will be the foundation for the paperback wraparound cover.

Here’s a detail of the front cover with text design:

What’s the book about?  Superpowers! Major disasters! Deep dark secrets!

Beyond that tagline? Errrm….I am having a hell of a time condensing the density of the story into a sales-worthy blurb. It keeps turning into a bad B-movie teaser in my head:

  • See!
    A single mother at the end of her rope, hiding from a terrible past and cursed with deadly powers! Marvel at her boundless courage as she fights for her life and holds her family together against all odds!
  • Watch! As a group of dedicated idealists band together to protect her from her enemies and herself! Cheer for their bravery, admire their ability to slash through bureaucracy and defend the weak from the powers of evil…

Yeah. I know, that’s awful.  The struggle is real.

Anyhow, so I don’t have a cover blurb yet. Bad author. No treat.

But! I do have glorious art, and an exciting fantastic story, and it will be a book this year. Celebration enough for one blog post, says I.

In other news, the convention was even more fun Saturday than Friday,  with many great conversations about books and writing and SFF in general (and fan-fiction, and art, and anime, and the fun of history research and…well. You get the idea) Plus quite a few readers went home happy with new books in hand. Hip-hip-huzzah!

Random pictures:

That’s a wrap on today. Onward to tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

Categories
1. Storysculpting Promotion

Londinium Cover Reveal!

I’m really excited today because I get to help Debbie spread the word about  the brand-new awesome cover for the next book in her P.A.W.S. Saga, LONDINIUM. The cover was created by the hugely talented Rachel Bostwick who also made the cover for the new box set of books 1 to 3 that are now available on Amazon.

So here goes – drum roll please – LONDINIUM (The P.A.W.S. Saga 4), on presale now.

“The pea soup has spoken,” said Caradog. “You are destined for Londinium.”
“Londinium?” asked Miri.
“It was the ancient city from which London sprang. The P.A.W.S. Institute of Londinium is the oldest in the world. It started before the city of today existed and straddles the old and the new. Unfortunately, today it is run by a fool.”

Join Miri as she continues her journey through Umbrae and Londinium with the help of werecats, wild warlocks, an old dog, a duck, and a whole lot of pea soup.

The P.A.W.S. Saga continues with Londinium.

Need to catch up?

You can do that all in one place with a brand new box set of books 1 to 3. Now available on Amazon.

DON’T MISS OUT! Get yours today.

Categories
1. Storysculpting Promotion

It’s here and it’s beautiful!

Welcome to amazing author Debbe Manber Kupfer, who has an announcement so big it’s taking over my blog today.


Feast your eyes on the cover of Umbrae (The P.A.W.S. Saga, Part 3) created by the ever awesome Rachel Bostwick.

So what’s it about?

Step into the Shadows of Umbrae …

Miri’s world at P.A.W.S. in St. Louis is falling apart. First, Danny is accused of stealing her opapa’s charm. But before he can defend himself, he mysteriously disappears. Miri seeks Josh for help and advice, but he too has gone missing.

Then Lilith has a vision – Miri dragged away by wolves. Miri needs answers, answers that she feels sure are hidden in the blank pages of the book of Argentum.

With the help of Lilith, she travels to the ancient city of Safed. There, with the aid of a mystical rabbi and an outspoken werecat, her omama’s story is slowly revealed. And Miri uncovers something else, a world hidden deep beneath our own – the labyrinth of shadows also known as Umbrae.

Help spread the word:  support my Headtalker campaign!

Add Umbrae to your Goodreads TBR list!

AND! AND!

Coming soon in paperback!

Categories
Authoring Promotion

Guest Post: Rainbow Dreams Cover Reveal

Give a big hello to Mistral Dawn, everyone. She’s visiting today to tell you all about her new title and give you a chance to get in on the pre-order action.
Without further ado <cue fanfare> I present Rainbow Dreams. Feast your eyes on the artwork, then peruse the words from the author.

Hey Everyone!!! 🙂

Guess what? It’s finally here!!  Rainbow Dreams is now available for preorder from the following merchants:

What’s it about?  I’m glad you asked!  Here’s the blurb:

Have you ever had a terrible secret you didn’t want anyone to know? Petri does and it may get her killed. Life is hard on Upworld, especially for the residents of Under City, and it’s even harder for those who don’t fit in. Petri has alway been different and now those differences may cost her life. Her one hope is to leave the only home she’s ever known while evading the mob that’s calling for her blood. But Petri has never been outside of her sector of Under City, never mind off the planet. And the laws of Upworld forbid people like her from leaving. Will Petri overcome the odds and make good her escape? Maybe…with a little help from her friends.

Sound interesting?  Good!  And get a load of that cover!!!  It’s courtesy of the FANTABULOUS Julie Nicholls!!  If you’d like to see more of her incredible work, check out her website here:

I also want to let you all know about an Amazon Giveaway I’m running for Captivated By The Winter King.  It’s free to enter!  Rainbow Dreams won’t be released until April 19th, so in the meantime you can get your sexy romance fix with some dreamy Fae! 😉

Okay, okay, I know, enough stalling.  If you’re as excited as I am about this story, I know you’re all ready for a peek:

Rainbow Dreams Chapter One Excerpt

Lightning bolts of fire and ice shot up and down Petri’s spine as she moved over the human man on the bed. Her short, slender body bowed with the sensations that washed over her. His lust was like a fountain of cold water on a hot day, and she was parched. It had been too long; she needed this. Desperately.

Looking down at him as she slid her body onto his straining cock, she smiled. This client had wanted to be blindfolded; he said he enjoyed the mystery. There was more mystery in Petri than most humans would know what to do with, so that was fine with her. With him blindfolded, she didn’t need to be careful to keep her own eyes shut. This was going to be a good feed, and there was no way she could have kept her eyes from glowing.

The man moaned in pleasure. Being fed upon felt as good for humans as feeding did for Petri. None of her clients knew she sipped from their energy, their life force, when she fucked them. All they knew was that she was one hell of a talented dolly. A win-win for all involved.

This client was a regular; Petri had shown him many times how good it could be with her. Some of her regulars came to crave her, almost like the dream dust that was sold in the club below. They were guaranteed repeat business, and she always made sure to show them a good time. After all, that was her job.

The energy of the man’s lust filled Petri as she glided up and down on top of him. She shivered. It was renewing, rejuvenating. She couldn’t get enough. A few grains of dust remained on his upper lip as evidence of his earlier indulgence in some of the chemical delights that were available at Abracadabra.

It was clear her client was high long before Petri started feeding. Before she blindfolded him, she had noted the man’s dilated pupils and the flush of pleasure on his face. She had no doubt the management of Abracadabra would go to great lengths to make sure he received the maximum enjoyment possible during his visit. There was a reason it was the hottest nightclub in this part of Under City.

The club specialized in hedonism in all its forms. Drugs of every description, games, gambling, and other, darker pleasures could be found within its walls. House dollies, little more than sex slaves, waited to fulfill the customers’ every desire. Freelance dollies, like Petri, rented space to ply their trade as well. The house allowed it because the dollies offered the club’s clientele more variety and were motivated to attract business. Once a patron had satisfied their lust, they often wandered downstairs in search of other entertainments.

Leaning down, Petri pressed her cat-like mouth to her client’s lips in a sizzling kiss. Their tongues tangled as he responded, and she undulated her hips against his, faster and faster. The drugs he had consumed tainted his energy, giving Petri a pleasant buzz. She never took dust herself since it interfered with her ability to control her power, but she enjoyed the effect when one of her johns indulged. As their sex intensified, Petri drank deeper, swallowing down the man’s whimpers and sighs of ecstasy as she swallowed his desire.

Lost in the haze of feeding for the first time in days, Petri didn’t realize it at first when the man suddenly went still underneath her. His penis remained stiff and eager inside her, and she continued to ride it, draining his energy. It was only when the cold, clamminess of his skin penetrated the pleasurable trance she often sank into when feeding that she realized that she had gone too far. Her heart skipped a beat.

Swinging her leg over him, she clambered off his body and knelt beside him on the bed. She grabbed his shoulder, shaking him, but there was no response. He was as still and cold as death.

Petri’s breath froze in her chest as she tried to suppress her rising panic. She slapped him, hard, across his face, trying to provoke a response. There was nothing. Leaning down, she put her ear against his chest, listening for something, anything. Any sign that a spark of life remained in the man. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she might have heard a faint fluttering within.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and put her hands on his chest, fingers splayed. She had never done this before, but her instincts said it might work. The process of drawing energy from others had come automatically when she reached physical maturity. It was as natural as breathing to her. But reversing the flow of energy… That was something else altogether. She forced herself to focus; all she could do was try.

Reaching down into the well of energy within her, Petri tried to snag a wisp of it. It was like trying to catch fog. Gritting her teeth, she concentrated and managed to grab a small piece of the mist and tease it up, out of herself and back into the man. It flowed at a slow trickle, but it did flow. The man took a deep breath and Petri slumped in relief.

Before she could stop him, or even turn away, the man reached up and snatched the blindfold from his face. When he saw her glowing eyes, he shrieked, “Mgeni!”

Petri swore. She knew she didn’t have much time. Sitting up, she sucker-punched her client hard in his stomach. The man folded over, clutching his gut, just like she knew he would. As her former client coughed and wheezed, Petri scrambled into her tight, red mini-dress and stiletto pumps and clambered out the window. She couldn’t risk trying to make it through the crowded club below; she needed to be gone before the man recovered enough to sound the alarm.

Whoo! I guess she’s in some trouble!  Want to find out what happens next?  Reserve your copy today so you’ll get it without delay on the 19th! 😉  Thank you all for stopping by today and for your interest in my first foray into the sci-fi genre!!  Have an awesome rest of the week!
Categories
Authoring

It’s a start, right?

Behold, the working cover for my next Rough Passages Tale.

Oh, I haven’t written the story. Posted a few paragraphs to utter silence on Facebook a while back and haven’t touched it since. I haven’t written anything  except blog posts and essays in quite a while. I haven’t sold a damned thing in weeks.

Yes, there’s a connection. The more days go by without a single blip of interest in my existing prose, the less urgency I feel to complete anything new.  Why rush? The delay could hardly affect my sales or my “professional visibility” (HAH!)  any less. Might as well take my time. Play with graphics. Learn print formatting. Take up other new hobbies. Dawdle, even.

No worries, I’ll keep sitting down and staring at one of my stories every day, but if nothing happens, I’ll go watch a movie or vacuum the cat. And the world will continue to spin.

A friend once thought it a hilarious joke to give me a button that read, “Why do some people spend years writing a book when they could just go out and buy one?”

We’re not friends any more.

I’m sick of lectures about writing from the soul, writing for myself and all the rest. Guess what?  I am a big bundle of don’t fucking care, and that’s that. I will put in time daily. I will make words. But publishing them? Well. That’ll happen when it happens, because  I’m going to write as slowly as I damned well please.

And it will be slow, in fits and starts, because my imagination traps and terrifies me. I can’t live in a dreamworld and remember to pay the bills, feed the cat, put gas in the car, put food in my belly, put keys in my pockets, etc. Some can balance their creative and practical sides. Me, I screw up one or the other.  Strangely, “I was caught up in writing” is not considered a legit excuse for any real-world failure.

Walking through the veil into my own realities takes its toll on my peace of mind, a cost measured in frustration, hurt feelings, and guilt. I don’t build up the courage to brave those consequences as easily as I once did. I seldom look forward to getting story-lost these days. I yearn for it, I itch and twitch from withdrawal , but worry paralyzes me in the present. The weight of authoring tasks only adds to the problem.

I’ll keep writing, but stories are patient. Life is not. If my pace is unsteady, well, then. I’ll still be moving. I’m counting that a victory.