Book Sale: Angel's Ink, An Urban Fantasy Adventure

I was completing my morning check-in with Twitter, because you know that's the best source for the latest news.  Well, it's the best source for the latest book news based on the people I follow.  I discovered something awesome this morning...

Angel's Ink is on sale today for $1.99 for all e-book formats. 

Whoo-hoo!  Did you need a new urban fantasy adventure featuring warlocks, elves, trolls, talking cats, dark elves, werewolves, vampires, satyrs, and the Grim Reaper?  I thought so.  How else are you going to survive the holiday season without a little help from your local tattoo artist?

Angel's Ink is the first novel in the Asylum Tales series featuring Gage, a tattoo artist who is really a warlock in hiding after he escaped from the Ivory Towers.  In a world filled with every mythical creature imaginable, you need a little bit of an edge at times to get ahead.  That's where you turn to your local tattoo artist, who can mix of a special potion to be added to your tattoo that can give you good luck, beauty, protection, or maybe even revenge.

In the first book, Gage is on the run from his old mentor while trying to clean up a mess he made with a tattoo that saved a woman's life. 

Give it a try.  I think you are going to love it.

Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook
Kobo (as of the writing, the price hasn't come down yet but I'm hoping it will be updated soon)
iBookstore

Before you go away: did you know that there are 2 prequel stories for the Asylum Tales?  Gage wouldn't be the great guy that he is without his two closest friends, Bronx and Trixe.

I didn't know you could fall in love with a troll, but Bronx proves that it's possible.  In The Asylum Interviews: Bronx, you learn how Gage and Bronx met.  It's a bigger adventure than you might expect, but then, most people know better than to tattoo an incubus with a potion after a night of drinking.

The story is available for only $1.99 on Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook. It is also available on Kobo and the iBookstore.

And you can also read about how Gage and Trixie first met in The Asylum Interviews: Trixie.  Trixie enlists Gage's help to pull Gage's ex-girlfriend out of trouble when she returns to Low Town.  You also get to meet Chang, the wily old black market merchant with some frightening things up his sleeve.

This story is available for only $1.99 on Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook. It is also available on Kobo and the iBookstore.

Hours of great reading for an itty-bitty price.

Don't forget that Dead Man's Deal: Book 2 in the Asylum Tales series is now available on Kindle, and Nook as well. Treat yourself or someone you love to the entire series. 

I'm currently hard at work on the third book and my fingers are crossed that I'll be able to get it released in 2014.

Contest & Signed Books

The fabulous release of the second book in the Asylum Tales has resulted in signed books, guest blogs, and many wonderful giveaways.  With so much going on, I'm sure that you might have missed one or two.  Let me provide you with a quick list so you can hit all the awesome blogs.

Contests

Tynga's Reviews: I wrote a guest blog that talks about what I do in my spare time when I'm not writing books about warlocks, tattoo artists, and dark elves with a death wish.  Giveaway: Angel's Ink

All Things Urban Fantasy: I wrote a guest blog that talks about the creating potions in Gage's world and why they are used by tattoo artist rather than anyone else.  Giveaway: Dead Man's Deal

Dark Faerie Tales: Gage might not have won his round in the Supernatural Smackdown but the Dead Man's Deal giveaway is still going!

Larissa's Bookish Life: I wrote a guest blog that talks about the music I listen to to get into Gage's frame of mind.  Giveaway: Angel's Ink

Signed Books

If you don't want to wait to win a copy of a signed book, you can purchase one Schuler's no matter where you live.  A week ago, I had a book signing at Schuler's and left behind many signed books (both Dark Days and Asylum Tales).  Give them a call and they will ship to you!  Here are some more details.

Almost Time for a New Book

Just a few more hours....

Yes, my friends, it's almost time for new Gage & gang from Asylum.

I am so excited for you to finally get your hands on the latest installment of the Asylum Tales.  There's more violence, explosions, danger, romance, and general strangeness oozing from every lovely page of this novel.

To help get you excited about tomorrow's release, let me pass along some awesome links!

Contest

Literary Escapism is giving away a digital copy of either Angel's Ink or Dead Man's Deal.  The contest ends on May 15.  This blog also has a short article I wrote about a time recently when I met with Gage at a bar in Low Town.  Let's just say that he wasn't in a good mood.  Click here to check out the short tale and to enter the contest.

I Smell Sheep is also running a contest where they are giving away a print copy of Dead Man's Deal.  The contest ends in  on Sunday, May 12.  This blog has a short article written by Gage about me.  He thought he was being funny, but I wasn't amused.  Click here to check out the short article and to enter the contest.

My Bookish Ways is giving away a copy of Angel's Ink and included an interview that I recently gave where I talk about Dead Man's Deal and my work on the series.  The contest ends on Sunday, May 12.  Click here to read the interview and enter the contest.

I would also pop by Supernatural Underground on Tuesday because I've got a guest blog going live tomorrow morning that also includes a giveaway of Angel's Ink and Dead Man's Deal.


Interview

I popped by the Open Book Society this week for an interview where I talk about the series, writing, and other random goodness that is just me!  Check out the interview by clicking here.



Book Signing

Don't forget that I will be in signing books at Schuler's Books and Music on Thursday, May 9 at 7pm.  This will be your chance to ask questions, get the dirt on Gage, and get a signed book or six.  Here is the address is you're interested:

Schuler's Books and Music
1982 Grand River Ave
Okemos, MI 48864
Phone: 517.349.8840


Be sure to stay tuned to my blog this week, as there will be more giveaways, interviews, and general awesomeness as we celebrate the release of a new book.

Book Signing

The book sale is now over but the big promotion machine is just getting under way as we get closer to the release of DEAD MAN'S DEAL in Tuesday, May 7.  To celebrate the release of the second book in the Asylum Tales series, I will be signing books at Schuler's Books and Music on Thursday, May 9 from 7pm to 9pm.


This is your chance to stop by, get a signed book, and ask me any burning questions that you might have about Gage, Bronx, Trixie, Gideon, Chang, and the rest of the Low Town crew.  I would also be happy to answer any lingering questions you might have about the Dark Days Series.

The address is:

1982 Grand River Ave
Okemos, MI 48864
Phone: 517.349.8840

Some of my guest blogs and interviews are starting to appear on the internet as well.  Here are a couple links that you might find useful:

Digging in the Darkness for the Asylum Tales

An Interview with Jocelynn Drake

Also, here are some reviewers early thoughts on Dead Man's Deal:

Mad Hatter Reads

A Book Obsession

Literary Escapism

Just 6 more days until the new novel is out!

Checking In With Book Deals & More

The weekend is slipping away from me far too fast.  I've got so much writing to get done and no time to do it.  I just wanted to pop in with a few little things.

1. My e-books for the Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales short stories are still on sale for only $0.99 each.  This is going on for 9 more days.  On May 1, the sale is over.  Don't miss out.  This is a great opportunity to get caught up on the Asylum Tales before the release of DEAD MAN'S DEAL on May 9.  For more details on the sale, please click here.

2.  I am making one book signing appearance to support Dead Man's Deal.  I haven't seen the announcement go up on the store events calendar yet, but I will be officially announcing it this week.  Stay tuned on how you can get a signed copy of DEAD MAN'S DEAL.

3. The release of DEAD MAN'S DEAL is only 16 days away!  Are you needing another dose of Gage and his insanity?  It's coming soon.  In the second novel, you'll meet more strange creatures as you follow Gage through his attempts to save Trixie from the Summer Court while he also tries to free himself and Bronx from the manipulative grip of the local mafia boss.

4.  You've read all of the Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales, and you still need something new to read while you wait for May 7.  I've got something for you.  Kim Harrison's Ever After is currently on sale for $7.99 for Kindle and Nook.  If you haven't picked up this book yet, this is a great time.  For more details, please click here.

5. Richard Kadrey has a new short story out called Suspect Zero.  It's only $0.99 and is about a fledgling serial killer.  For more details, please click here.

Happy Reading!

Free Book Friday

Friday has always been the best day of the work week.
Well, I've got something that has just made it that much better.

It's Free Book Friday!

Yep, and I've got just the book for you.

Barnes & Noble has been running its "Free Book Friday" for a little while now and they have kindly offered to give you the e-book of Angel's Ink for free this Friday!

So, if you would like a free copy of Angel's Ink (the first Asylum Tales novel) for your kindle, today is the perfect day!

Don't believe me?  Here, click this link to Barnes & Noble.   It was free, right?  Pretty awesome!

Now, since Amazon doesn't like to be undercut in anything, I believe that the Kindle version of Angel's Ink is free today as well.

Click here to visit Amazon.

Typically, the deal runs through the weekend, but I wouldn't wait.  Go get the book now!

Don't forget that the rest of my books are on sale for the rest of the month.  Pick up the all the e-books for the Dark Days series for only $0.99 each.  Also, you can get all the e-book short stories for the Asylum Tales for just $0.99.  For all the details of this amazing deal, click here.

Let's see if you've got it all.  Here's your To-Do List for the weekend.


1. Go to B&N or Amazon to download the FREE copy of Angel's Ink to your e-reader, tablet, or computer.

2.  While at B&N or Amazon, you also pay a very tiny amount to get all the books for the Dark Days Series, and the short stories for the Asylum Tales.

3. Pre-order your copy of Dead Man's Deal (which comes out on May 7)

Yes! This is the perfect time to pre-order your copy of Dead Man's Deal.  With the second book in the Asylum Tales out in 25 days, you have just enough time to catch up on Gage's story in the two novellas and in Angel's Ink.

Here is the link to Barnes & Noble
Here is the link to Amazon
More links and details can be found on my website.

Tuesday Flashback: School Days

Gage from the Asylum Tales is back for this week's Tuesday Flashback where he's talking about his younger years before he was whisked away to the Ivory Towers.

Within the Asylum Tales world, when a human child shows a spark of ability to control and use magic, the child is immediately whisked away to study in the Ivory Towers.  It is what is best for the child and for those around the child.  If the child does not learn to control this ability, he/she could become a threat to those around them without even trying.  While the Towers have proven time and again to be a terrible place, they do teach the child control.

And, even a bit reluctantly, Gage has come to admit that a part of him misses the Towers.  He may have hated his mentor Simon Thorn and all the witches and warlocks that he met while there, but being able to use magic, to tap into something larger than himself and feel a part of it, gave him a sense of belonging that he struggles to find in the regular world where he's not supposed to be using magic.  For Gage, living in the world without using magic is like willingly keeping his right hand behind his back as he goes through his day.

Before being taken away by the Towers at the age of seven, Gage was able to spend several years with his family as a normal little boy in a normal, middle-class family.  If you'd like to read about elementary school Gage and get a better glimpse of his unique world, please click the link here to read his short story School Days. (PDF)

Tuesday Flashback: Training in the Ivory Towers

This week's Tuesday Flashback stays in The Asylum Tales with warlock-turned-tattoo artist Gage Powell as he discusses what training to be a warlock was like.  

 
Training in the Ivory Towers 
by Gage Powell

If you're under the belief that training in the Ivory Towers to be a witch or a warlock is a lot of wand waving and giggling with your fellow apprentices will learning fluffy spell that turn cats into tea cozies, then you are in for a rude awakening.  Training is hell.

Most kids are taken between the ages of seven and twelves, with the majority falling on the low end.  The kid is assigned ti a mentor by a committee and taken to a Tower on a continent different from the one where they lived with their families.  Since I was born in the U.S., I was trained in the Europe Tower.  The idea is that the drastic change will sever all ties to the kid's former life and help foster the idea that the child is being reborn into a new identity, a new race.

Once in the Tower with their mentor, the apprentice is given a small windowless room with a small pallet on the floor, a blanket, and a washbasin with a pitcher.  If the apprentice does poorly, he may lose one more of those items.  If he does well, he doesn't lose them (usually).

The apprentice's job is to serve his mentor.  That can include cooking, cleaning, sewing, fetching, and being a guinea pig for magical experiments.  The apprentice learns very slowly and it is frequently through mimicking the actions of his mentor.  Between his second and fourth years, the apprentice gets his wand, which is good because the lessons generally get more brutal (and deadly).

In addition to magic, the apprentice is taught math because many spells and potions depend on precise calculations.  The apprentice also learns history (from a Tower's point of view) and a civic service lesson on your duty to the Towers.  I guess it  was to sort of establish a sense of unity among the various witches and warlocks.

For the first five to seven years, the apprentice is not permitted to leave the Tower they have been assigned to.  In general, the apprentice rarely leaves the rooms that belong to his mentor.  Your life is magic and the happiness of your mentor.  If your mentor is pissed, then you need to be scared.  Of course, I always saw a small advantage in having a cold, heartless, sadistic mentor.  When he attacked you, you either learned to get really good at defensive spells and/or healing spells, or you died.  A lot of apprentices die.

When an apprentice starts to learn combative magic, the mentors will often pit their apprentices against each other in a magic fight.  In these instances, you are not just fighting for your survival, but also the prestige and honor of your mentor.  If you perform poorly in the match, your mentor will look bad, which in will leave you hoping that you die in the fight.

While I left before I finished my training, most apprentices don't achieve full membership of the Ivory Towers as a witch or a warlock until they reach their mid-twenties.  Some make it sooner while others reach it later.  With few exceptions, the only way you leave is through death.  Once you are considered a full-fledged with or warlock, you typically take a post of some sort.  Some witches and warlocks work in the massive greenhouses that are attached to the Towers and specialize in growing rare plants for special potions.  Others become guardians, whose job it is to watch over the world and inflict Towers-brand terror whenever they are out among the rabble. And others work in the libraries, on committees, and specialize studying certain branches of magic to expand the understanding of what can be done with the energy that surrounds us.

Only the most powerful of the warlocks and witches sit on the 13 member council that passes ultimate judgement on all things that affect the Ivory Towers.

Tuesday Flashback: The World of The Asylum Tales

This week’s flashback isn’t quite as big of a trip into the past since the first Asylum Tales story hit last summer.  However, from various reader comments and questions, I thought I’d take the time to go into a little more detail about Gage’s world and bring up an essay Gage provided some time ago. 

In the Asylum Tales, nearly every creature is open about their existence and is recognized as having the same basic civil rights and liberties so long as they don’t infringe upon the rights of others.  There are a few still in hiding and for good reason.  This openness traces back to around the time of the Black Death – the plague sweeping through Europe and elsewhere.  The plague touched nearly all races and the peoples banded together to find a way of stopping it.  Most attempts failed, but it was the witches and the warlocks who were the most effective in curing and stopping the spread of the plague. 

The witches and the warlocks were celebrated.  They were healers and saviors.  During the next few hundred years, all the different peoples learned to live together, though it was not easy.  The warlocks and the witches were accepted, but generally forgotten after a time as people focused on the bigger problem of living.  That was the beginning of the downfall.  To learn more about the defeat of the peoples of the world and the Great War, please click this link to The Subjugation of the Races essay. 

Fast forward to present day and you have nearly all the races living together in some semblance of harmony.   The only peoples that are relatively evenly spread are humans, though incubi and succubi are a close second.  In the United States, you’ll find more fey in the Midwest and along the Rockies due to the forest land and mountains.  The coastal states see a higher concentration of water races like selkies, undines, merpeople, and water sprites. 

While warlocks and witches aren’t the only one who can use magic, they have the widest array of abilities when it comes to magic.  The other races tend to have very specific gifts or specializations.  The Summer Court of elves is good at making things grow and some limited abilities with glamour and weather.  The Winter Court excels at glamour, illusions, and entering and affecting dreams.  Shape-shifters tend to be fast healers, have heightened senses, and are frequently strong or faster.  Gargoyles turn to stone in sunlight and have a heightened awareness of the city they inhabit.  Pixie glow and hobgoblins can temporarily shapeshift into anything they want. 

And somehow in all of this diversity, these people found a way to live together.  Of course, having a common energy often has the amazing ability to bring people together. 

Be sure to stop by next week when I post a brand new article about Gage’s magic training in the Ivory Towers.

The Asylum Tales

It has been a wild this year, with multiple stories hitting e-readers and on the shelves.  I'm hearing from lots of readers that they heard about some releases, but not everything.  Let me take this time to get you caught up on everything that is out there for you to read about Gage, Bronx, Trixie, and the strange happenings at the Asylum Tattoo Parlor.

If you're interested in reading everything (and in order), the best place to start are the prequel novellas.  The are only available as e-books.  But the nice thing is that they are only $1.99 per story.  For less than 4 bucks, you get close to 200 pages of stories.  These two stories happen years before the events of ANGEL'S INK, providing you with basic background on Bronx, Trixie, Gage, and the city of Low Town. 

The first prequel novella is THE ASYLUM INTERVIEWS: BRONX.  The reason it is called an interview is due to the fact that it tells the story of how Gage "interviewed" and came to hire Bronx at the tattoo parlor.

The second prequel novella is THE ASYLUM INTERVIEWS: TRIXIE.  The story tells how Gage met Trixie and with her help, saved Gage's ex-girlfriend Jo.

Now, if you finish the prequel novellas and are left thinking: "Gee, those were great, but I would still really like some more information before I did into a full length novel of this series."  I've got some help for you.  Gage and I have worked on several interviews and essays that provide great background information to the world of Low Town.

If you would like to learn about how the warlocks and witches came to dominate the world that Gage live in, please read his essay called "The Subjugation of the Races". (PDF)

If you would like a tour of Low Town, please read Gage's article called "Low Town Tour Guide". (PDF)

If you would like to read a story about Gage's life before being taken to the Towers, please read his story called "School Days." (PDF)

If you'd like to read my interview of the main characters of the two prequel novellas, please read my article called "Seeking Asylum." (PDF)

If you'd like to read about the time Gage met the Headless Horseman, please click this link.

Now you should be thinking that you're ready to read ANGEL'S INK.  (Of course, you don't have to read all of the above to understand the adventures of Gage and his pals in Low Town, but some people just like as many stories as they can get.)  ANGEL'S INK is the first full-length novel in the series.  It is available as both a trade paperback as well as an e-book.  What's more, the audio book will be available on November 13.

Here's a quick book description:
Buyer beware . . .

Looking for a tattoo—and maybe a little something extra: a burst of good luck, a dollop of true love, or even a hex on an ex? Head to the quiet and mysterious Gage, the best skin artist in town. Using unique potions—a blend of extraordinary ingredients and special inks—to etch the right symbol, he can fulfill any heart's desire. But in a place like Low Town, where elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and vampires happily walk among humanity, everything has its price.

No one knows that better than Gage. Turning his back on his own kind, he left the magical Ivory Tower where cruel witches and warlocks rule, a decision that cost him the right to practice magic. And if he disobeys, his punishment—execution—will be swift.

Though he's tried to fly under the radar, Gage can't hide from powerful warlocks who want him dead—or the secrets of his own past. But with the help of his friends, Trixie, a gorgeous elf who hides her true identity, and a hulking troll named Bronx, Gage might just make it through this enchanted world alive.

 After you read this book, you may be interested in my interview with Sofie, a character that makes an important appearance in the first novel.  To read the interview, please click here.

And finally, I have one last story for the Asylum Tales series that is currently available.  Gage's Halloween short story appears in the anthology BLOOD BY MOONLIGHT, which came out last week.  The anthology is currently available as an e-book, but it looks like Amazon will also be offering print copies on November 13. 

Here's a quick book description:

Just in time for the scariest season of all, three popular paranormal authors come together to tell original tales of romance where Anything can happen under a Halloween moon . . .

Tempers flare and passions rise in Jocelynn Drake's Of Monsters and Men as the local werewolf pack clashes with the Winter Court's Wild Hunt . . .

In Terri Garey's The Ghoul Next Door, a witch and a warlock battle it out for possession of a haunted house, but the ghost may have her own agenda . . .

And, in Trick or Treathen by Caris Roane, a master vampire struggles to stay away from the mortal woman who enflames his very soul.

If you've read all of that ... well, you'll just have to wait until 2013 for my next Asylum Tales novel when DEAD MAN'S DEAL hits shelves.

Happy reading!

Sick of Boxes

The packing, boxing, calling, emailing, and cleaning continues as we attempt to move.  Things are not going as smoothly as one might hope and my sanity is starting to get more frayed than normal.  As a result of a potentially short fuse, I am keeping away from the internet as much as possible.  I really don't need to have one of those train-wreck blow-ups that entertains the masses but ruins my career.

To help keep calm and carry on, I read books.  Detaching from reality for a few hours a day helps to maintain my hold on sanity.  In the past two days, I've read two books.  The first was "Dead and Gone" by Charlaine Harris, which I think is book 10 in her Sookie Stackhouse series.  Pretty good stuff, but I'm sad to see that I've only got two more before I have to wait for the last one to come out.  The second one was "Hunger Untamed" by Pamela Palmer from her Feral Warriors series (book 5, I think).  One word: YUM! Great book, but I've only got one more to read until I have to wait for the next one in her series to hit shelves.  That's fine, though.  I'm currently bouncing through several series, trying to get caught up while I'm in between books.  The next book I've got lined up is a historical romance by Lynsay Sands.


In the meantime, I'm seeing more reviews trickle in for The Asylum Interview: Bronx and I've even seen a couple for The Asylum Interviews: Trixie.  We are getting close to the release of the first novel, Angel's Ink, and I can't wait!  I can't wait for you to meet Gage and the gang.  I can't wait for you to walk through Low Town and experience the craziness of his life.

If you're haven't read it yet, here's a little love for BRONX over at My Parahangover.  And here's some early love for TRIXIE at Fall Into Books and at A Book Obsession.  Also, if you haven't entered the contest over at All Things Urban Fantasy, you have roughly a week left until it's over.  Don't miss out on a chance to win the BRONX e-book.

The countdown continues.  We have only 11 more days until the release of The Asylum Interviews: Trixie.  You don't want to miss out on meeting this fiery woman who knows how to keep up with our favorite tattoo artists.  Pre-order it now!

As a quick aside, one of my favorite quotes from The Asylum Interviews: Trixie has popped up on Goodreads and I have to pass it along.

“Fan-fucking-tastic. Not only were Jo and Trixie in danger from this master vampire, but Trixie's belief in my prickishness was fading fast.

Priorities. I need to focus on getting Jo free of Chester permanently while protecting Trixie from any backlash from the master vampire. I could always prove to her later that I was a dick.” 

Sorry about the language, but Gage has a mouth on him.  On the plus side, he's amusing when he rants to himself.  Pre-order Trixie now!

Free Reads for The Asylum Tales

I'm back up in Madison, Wisconsin doing a little apartment hunting today, but I'm taking a quick break to give you some great links that you need to check out.  As I am sure you know, I have a new series that is kicking off this year summer.  It's a new world and completely new characters from my previous series. 

I can understand if you have some reservations about dipping a toe into a new series, so let me help you with some free reads. 

This brief article will introduce you to my main storyteller Gage and his town.

Do you need something sweet? Need to grab a drink? Want to know a great place to get some fresh ink? Gage can help you. All the places listed in Gage's tour appear in either The Asylum Interviews: Bronx, The Asylum Interviews: Trixie, or Angel's Ink. The quick tour is a great way to get a glimpse at some of the strange places that the series will visit. To read the tour, go to All Things Urban Fantasy.

And then, not too long ago I conducted a series of interviews with the main chracters of the series:
Meet Gage at Literary Escapism
Meet Parker at All Things Urban Fantasy
Meet Bronx at Tynga's Reviews
Meet Trixie at A Great Read.
Meet  the warlock Gideon over at Larissa's Bookish Life.

Finally, I revisited Trixie to celebrate her upcoming novella, The Asylum Interviews: Trixie.  She gives even more background information into the The Asylum Tales world.  To read this newest interview, click here.

If these free reads have you convinced to give my new series a try, The Asylum Interviews: Bronx is available as an e-book for $1.99 now.  The Asylum Interviews: Trixie will be available on September 4 as an e-book.   And the first novel, Angel's Ink, will be available on October 16.

The "I'm Not Moving This" Contest

My house is a disaster area. Ugh!  I hate the moving process.  It has been several years since my last move, but all those have been relatively small moves across town.  This is states away.  With animals.  And a husband.  To help with the process, we're planning a moving sale.  This means that I'm dismantling the house to search for things to get rid of before I start packing things up. 

To help with the reducing of items that I have to haul up north, I am running a contest giving away several signed books over at Supernatural Underground today!  Stop by the blog and leave me a comment.  You might win one of the 10 books that I am giving away. 

And stay tuned!  There are more contests to come as we get closer to the release date for the next novella, The Asylum Interviews: Trixie.  Trixie comes out on September 4.

Want a chance to win my newest novella, The Asylum Interviews: Bronx?  Stop by the Deadly Destinations party to read Gage's tour of Low Town.  He's got interesting comments on some of the hot spots in the city. The contest runs to the end of the month.  Also, Deadly Destinations will be running until the end of August, offering up a ton of different books that you can win.  Click here to see the entire schedule. 

And finally, something for fun.  If you've been watching the Olympics, I think you'll like this video.  If you like Simon's Cat, I think you'll like this as well.



Have a great day!

Great Deals on Great Reads

The summer sun is scorching the earth and driving the world indoors to air conditioning.  Trapped indoor, we are presented with a great chance to get some reading done.  If you're looking for something new to read, but don't have a lot of money to spend on e-books, let me point you in the direction of some great deals that can be found.

First, I've got to direct you toward a few of my own stories.  Right now, I've got FOUR stories you can download for $2 or less.

The Dark Days series:

Bound to Me -- prequel novella to the Dark Days series ($0.99) -- Kindle or Nook

The Dead, the Damned, and the Forgotten -- prequel novella to the Dark Days series ($0.99) Kindle or Nook

Nightwalker -- first full-length of the Dark Days series ($0.99) -- Limited time pricing for Kindle

The Asylum Tales series:

The Asylum Interviews: Bronx -- prequel novella to the Asylum Tales series ($1.99) -- Kindle or Nook


Here are a few other great authors that I think you should give a try at an inexpensive price:

Dani Worth

Do you like your romance with a little extra spice?  These out-of-the-ordinary stories are hot and tender, with excellent storytelling.  Check them out!

Kithra --Book 1 in her Kithra series -- Approx. $3 -- Kindle or Nook

Replicant -- Book 2 in her Kirtha series -- Approx. $3 -- Kindle or Nook

After the Crux -- NEW RELEASE -- $2.66 -- Kindle

Vicki Pettersson

Urban Fantasy meets superheroes, check out Vicki's Zodiac series!  Her first novel in the series, The Scent of Shadows, is currently available on the Kindle for only $0.99.  If you haven't started this series yet, this is a great way to jump in.

Jeaniene Frost

Need some sexy vampires in your life?  Then you should definitely be reading Jeaniene Frost!  She's got a handful of wonderful short stories available at an inexpensive price.  This is a great way to get a taste of her world.

Happily Never After -- $1.99 for Kindle or Nook

Reckoning -- $1.99 for Kindle or Nook

Devil to Pay -- $1.99 for Kindle or Nook

That's 11 stories for you to try this weekend for just a few bucks a piece!  Great deals on some awesome escapes from the burning summer heat.  Have a great weekend and happy reading!

Cover Reveal: Trixie

I received this new cover a couple weeks ago and I have been waiting for the release of my new website in order to reveal it.  Well, the website has been re-launched and it's now time to show off my new cover.  As you know, I have a new series (The Asylum Tales) launching this summer.  It kicks off with the release of the novella The Asylum Interviews: Bronx on July 3.  A sort of companion novella is being released on September 4 called The Asylum Interviews: Trixie on September 4.  for the curious, here is the cover:

Isn't she positively lovely?  I do so love my covers. Happiness really is a new book cover some days.  What I love even more is that the covers for Bronx and Trixie match!  See!


At this point, you're thinking: Damn it, Jocelynn, just tell us what it's about!

Here is HarperCollins description:
The second of two prequel stories to Jocelynn Drake's Angel's Ink—the first novel in her new Asylum Tales series about a magical tattoo artist, Gage, and his friends: Trixie, a gorgeous elf who hides her true identity, and a hulking troll named Bronx.

Here is a little more from me:
Gage's ex-girlfriend is back in town and needs help escaping a master vampire.  While not the easiest of tasks, he certainly didn't count of getting help from a mysterious woman with a few secrets of her own.

When I sold the series to my publisher, they asked for two novels as well as two novellas that could be released before the first book in the series.  With that in mind, I thought it best to describe how Gage (my main character) met his two friends and co-workers Bronx and Trixie.  Let's just say it was an adventure.

Oh, and we have only 14 more days until The Asylum Interviews: Bronx is released!  Happy Dance.

Want to Help Promote Asylum?

When I handed in my draft of the second book to the Asylum Tales, I was ahead of the game.  My schedule was clear for the next several months with the exception of pulling together some promotion for the release of the novellas and the novel later this year. 

Now, less than a month later, I look around and find that somehow I'm managed to get behind.  I really don't know how it happened.  Well, maybe I do.  I started agreeing to things, expecting to take care of them quickly only to not have that happen.  Also, website redesign kind of exploded all over me, sucking up more than two full days I had been planning to use for writing. (But I think we're launching it this weekend! YAY!)

The result?  It's time to haul ass, put in some long hours, and get this stuff done.

First, the promo.  I have started pulling together some appearances to promote the new series that launches this summer, but I am looking to expand my reach at bit more.  Are you interested in having me appear on your blog to talk about the new Asylum Tales series?  I would be willing to provide either a guest blog or answer interview questions.  At the moment, I am booked July 2-7, August 3, and October 16. The rest of my schedule is open.

Here is what is coming out:

THE ASYLUM INTERVIEWS: BRONX
The first of two prequel novellas that introduce readers to the new world of Low Town in the Asylum Tales. It's not easy being a tattoo artist and a warlock, especially when you're in hiding. Or when a botched ink job has amplified an incubus's existing sex appeal into one that could wreck the whole town. And your only help is a troll.  The story will be released as an e-book on July 3.

THE ASYLUM INTERVIEWS: TRIXIE
The second of two prequel novellas that introduce readers to the new world of Low Town in the Asylum Tales.  Gage's ex-girlfriend is back in town and needs help escaping a master vampire.  While not the easiest of tasks, he certainly didn't count of getting help from a mysterious woman with a few secrets of her own.  The story will be released as an e-book on September 4.

ANGEL'S INK
The first book in the Asylum Tales

 

BUYER BEWARE...

Looking for a tattoo -- and maybe a little something extra: a burst of good luck, a dollop of love, or even a hex on an ex?  Head to the quiet and mysterious Gage, the best skin artist in town.  Using his unique potions -- a blend of extraordinary ingredients and special inks -- to etch the right symbol, he can fulfill any heart's desire.  But in a place like Low Town, where elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and vampires happily walk among humanity, everything has a price.

No one knows that better than Gage.  Turning his back on his own kind, he left the magical Ivory Towers where cruel witches and warlocks rule, a decision that cost him his right to practice magic.  If he disobeys, his punishment -- execution -- will be swift.
 
Though he's tried to fly under the radar, Gage can't hide from powerful warlocks who want him dead -- or the secrets of his own past.  But with the help of his friends, Trixie, a gorgeous elf who hides her true identity, and a hulking troll named Bronx, Gage just might make it through this enchanted world alive.

The story will be released as a trade paperback and e-book on October 16.

A new Halloween-themed Anthology
I recently agreed to be a part of a new Halloween anthology featuring two other authors.  We don't have title for the anthology yet or a final release date.  My story will be set within the Asylum Tales world.  I am still writing this one and hope to have it done by the end of the week.  The anthology will be released as an e-book in October.

Also, don't forget that both BOUND TO ME and  THE DEAD, THE DAMNED, AND THE FORGOTTEN were released earlier this year -- the last Dark Days series stories to be released.


Holy crap!  I've been busy.
So, do you have any burning questions for me or my new characters?  Want to chat one last time about Mira?  Learn what it was like to start a new series?  If you want to help me spread the word for the new series or even the Dark Days series, please email me at Jocelynn DOT drake AT gmail DOT com .

Once I get the last short story I'm working on finished, I will be contacting several more bloggers to line up promotion to support TRIXIE.  I can't wait for you to meet the gang at Asylum.  They are an interesting group that have some mad skills when it comes to finding trouble.

Boys Don’t Cry?

The new Asylum Tales series has brought me a great combination of new revelations and challenges.  It’s a new world, a new adventure, and a new storyteller.  What’s more, this storyteller is a guy.  Not being a guy myself, that brought its own interesting challenges as I attempted to create a voice that would be believable.  The mental processes of a man are distinctly different from that of a woman.  They think different, feel differently, and react to those thoughts and emotions differently.

For the most part, it has been a great joy writing from the point of view of a guy.  It has definitely felt more freeing, both in terms of the language that I use as well as how he processes situations.  He seems bogged down less with emotional weight than Mira (from the Dark Days series), but there is more to that situation than a difference in gender.

However, I’ve recently hit a small snag as something unexpected happened in the book that I’m working on.  I didn’t think much about it when it happened, but retrospect is a dangerous thing.  I now find myself looking back at that scene, wondering if I should tweak it.

Without giving too much away, it’s an emotionally charged scene between my main character, Gage, and a woman.  Not only does Gage lay out his feelings before this female, but a single tear slips through his control.  The feelings that he spills out don’t bother me.  I was only surprised that it happened at this point in the book.  It’s the tear that draws my concern.

We all know that men cry.  At some point, we’ve all seen it so let’s throw aside that old belief that men don’t cry.  Men cry when a child is born and they cry when a loved one dies.  And some even cry when their favorite team loses.  I think part of the problem for me is that in Hollywood, men don’t cry.  Big, strong, kick-ass men never cry in movies.  If Sylvester Stallone suddenly broke down in tears when the woman he loved got killed, we’d think less of him.  We’d rather see him pick up the biggest gun he could find and kill the guy who killed his love.  That’s what we’ve come to accept and expect.

Now Gage is no Sylvester Stallone.  I don’t want him to be.  But the precedent in our entertainment has already been set.  If we drill down even further, we find that we can accept tears when someone dies, but what if someone is just leaving?  The girlfriend is leaving, breaking up with the boyfriend?  Could you accept his tears of pain and loss?  In a drama, maybe.  In an action, no.

I am probably over-thinking this single tear, but it brings up an interesting dilemma.  There is much that we can accept in real life when faced with it that we don’t want to see in our entertainment.  I don’t know yet whether Gage will keep his tear, but it is something that I’m going to be turning over for a while as I finish this book. 

Praise for Angel's Ink

I’m sorry about the extended silence. The mix of internet issues, copyedits, articles, interviews, and a new book to write have largely kept me away from the blog and many other places.  I will still be about, trolling all my usual spots, but it just might take me a few extra days to respond to any questions or comments.

So, the work continues to flow.  I have finished the copyedits for Angel’s Ink and returned the manuscript to my editor.  I believe I have two more edits of the book before I can never touch it again.  I am happy to see that I still love the book.  For the previous six books, I started to hate the manuscript somewhere between the revisions and the copyedits.  It’s a sad thing.  Somewhere along the way, I stop seeing the bigger picture – the great story – and I can only see the words.  You read each sentence, weighting every word as to whether it does what you need to it do.  (And with a 115,000-word manuscript, that’s a lot of words.) The emotion gets sucked out of the book.

But my love holds true for Gage and his friends.

In the meantime, I am thrilled to say that a couple authors have read the book and quite enjoyed it.  This is the scary time for a writer.  The book is finished and now it’s being sent out to authors that I admire in hopes of getting some positive comments that can be placed on the cover.  For the Dark Days series, Kim Harrison was kind enough to say that Nightwalker is “A must-read addition to the urban fantasy genre.”

Well, my editor sent Angel’s Ink to Kim Harrison and she was kind enough to read it.  Her reaction was:

“Jocelynn Drake’s writing holds a wonderfully wry humor akin to dark chocolate: bitter but irresistible.  With a unique and fascinating magic system, Angel’s Ink is a new take on traditional and urban fantasy themes, spinning a tale of personal vendettas, mob bosses, and just a touch of romance.

“Gage is an engaging, sympathetic character with curiously twisted problems that he brings upon himself despite his best efforts.  Keeping secrets from his friends works … until the hapless Gage makes the largest, and perhaps best, mistake of his life.  Now he just has to survive it.

“Angel’s Ink is an other-earthly blend of magic and technology in the best tradition of urban fantasy that refused to let me go.  The continuing Asylum Tales promise to be intriguing and wildly inventive.”

That made my day.  Seriously.  Kim is a fantastic writer and when you can impress and delight someone you admire, it is a great accomplishment.

But I’m not done.  No, we reached out to another author I greatly admire and he read the book as well.  Simon R. Green is the amazing author of the Nightside series as well as several others.  I fell in love with the Nightside series about the time I started writing the Dark Days series.  There’s something twisted and insanely brilliant about that series, so I immediately started hyperventilating when I heard Mr. Green would read Angel’s Ink.  Here’s what he had to say:

“Bright and breezy, with fascinating characters, and a background with hidden depths.  Drake puts the ink in incredible.”

To answer your question: Yes, you can die of happiness.  I died a little when I read both quotes, my heart exploding with joy in my chest.  Thank you, Kim Harrison.  Thank you, Simon R. Green.  I know your time is precious and I am honored you agreed to read my book.

I’ve got three other authors who have agreed to read the book and my fingers are crossed that they like it as well.

Stay tuned as more new develops for the series.