Jocelynn Drake's Blog: Announcements, page 30

Meet Trixie & Enter a Giveaway

I AM BACK!

Yes, I am officially living in Madison, Wisconsin now, leaving my Cincinnati digs behind.  Sure, I still have to get a new driver's license and update tons of random stuff, but I am now considering myself a Sconnie. :)

The important thing is that the internet has been turned on and I can keep up with my peeps again. Just in time since my newest novella just hit e-readers yesterday! Whoo-hoo!  With The Asylum Interviews: Bronx, you were able to meet the troll Bronx and learn how he came to be hired by Gage.  Now in The Asylum Interviews: Trixie, you get to meet the elf Trixie and learn how she came to work for Gage at Asylum.

If you're not sold on the idea of investing $2 in a new novella, let me direct you toward a couple of recent reviews:

Red Hot Books

All Things Urban Fantasy

Oh... I'm sorry. I misunderstood. You want to win yourself a free copy! Then you should go to these blogs here:

Red Hot Books

Literal Addiction

Wait... you want to learn more about the Asylum Tales and my writing process.  Well, I can help with that as well. You should read my interviews at:

Elyse Salpeter

Red Hot Books

There.  You've got plenty to read now and plenty of contests to enter.  Don't worry.  There are more interviews, contests, and stories coming over the next couple of months.  Stay tuned.

Dark Days Drove Me to Asylum

The packing and planning and general chaos continue in the Drake household.  I'm actually looking forward to the release because I think it will mean things getting quieter around here.  But... probably not.

Just to keep you updated, I have a new guest blog post up over at A Book Obsession, where I talk about making the shift from the Dark Days series to the Asylum Tales.  It's filled with cool insider information.  And even if you don't care for my general rambling about Mira, Danaus, and Gage, you should at least scroll down so you can enter the giveaway that ends in a few days.  I am giving away a copy of my new novella: either The Asylum Interviews: Bronx or The Asylum Interviews: Trixie. 

Also, we have just one week left until the second novella, Trixie's story is released! Whoo-hoo! This will be your second taste of Low Town and Gage's strange life.  Don't miss out!

Blood by Midnight

Do you need more to read?  How about a Halloween read?

I've been thinking; you've not had enough new content from me recently.  I mean, I've only released three novellas so far this year and I've got another novella and a book coming out.  Let's throw in a new short story as well!

I was lucky enough to be invited to be part of a new Halloween-themed anthology that is coming out this October from Avon Impulse.  The anthology also includes short stories from Terri Garey and Caris Roane.

Want to know more?

Here's a description of Blood by Moonlight:

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.

For my short story, you will follow Gage as he tries to help the local alpha werewolf, Jack, protect his pack from the Winter Court when they come to town.  Poor guy.  All he wanted was some quality time with his girlfriend.

The anthology will be released as an e-book on October 23 at only $1.99.  That's right! You get THREE stories for only $1.99.  That's a pretty good deal.

You can now pre-order it from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

So, it has been a busy year for me.  Here's a quick list of all the short stories that I have available:

The Dead, the Damned, and the Forgotten (Dark Days prequel story - $0.99) -- Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBookstore

Bound to Me (Dark Days prequel story - $0.99) -- Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBookstore

The Asylum Interviews: Bronx (The Asylum Tales prequel story - $1.99) -- Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBookstore

The Asylum Interviews: Trixie (The Asylum Tales prequel story - $1.99) -- Kindle, Nook, iBookstore  (available on September 4)

Blood by Moonlight (The Asylum Tales short story -- $1.99) -- Kindle, Nook, iBookstore (available on October 23)

Happy reading!

Free Reads for 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.
Have a great day!

Touring Low Town

I forgot that I've got another contest running.  And this one comes with a bonus.  It took a little sweet talking, but I got Gage to write up a list of recommendations for things to do in Low Town should you decide to vacation there.  Unfortunately, I made the request too soon after torturing him with the events of the second book.  He wasn't exactly gracious about it.  Let's just say that Gage's view of places that you need to visit is a little ... different.  Gage and I don't always see eye to eye on things, but he has a great way of making things interesting.

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.

What's more, both All Things Urban Fantasy and Dark Faerie Tales will be running a huge number of contests to celebrate their Deadly Destinations  party.  That's 62 chances to win books!!  To get a full list, click here.

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday Book Deals

I don't usually have two posts in the same day, but it is the end of the month, which means that some book deals are ending today.  I don't want you to miss out on same great book deals while the prices are low!

First, HarperCollins has an e-book sale right now that includes some fantastic books on sale for only a couple dollars each.  To see the list of books on sale, click on this link here.  In addition, this link includes a link to a PDF that has samples for books that are coming out later this year.  Don't miss out on this goodness.

In my own camp, my first Dark Days book, Nightwalker, is on sale for only $0.99 for the Kindle e-book.  It is very likely this price will return to normal levels tomorrow, so I'd jump now if you or a friend hasn't started this series yet.

You want some more great book deals?  How about this list:

The Dead, the Damned, and the Forgotten ($0.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

Bound to Me ($0.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

The Asylum Interviews: Bronx ($1.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

Dark Matters ($0.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

The Hunter and the Hunted ($1.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

Hunting Kat ($0.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

Chaotic ($0.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

Reckoning ($1.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

Happily Never After ($1.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

Devil to Pay ($1.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

The Scent of Shadows ($0.99) Kindle

The Taken ($2.99) Kindle

No Rest for the Witches ($0.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

Before the Witches ($0.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

Magic Dreams ($2.99) Kindle, Nook, or Kobo

Magic Graves ($2.99) Kindle, Nook

There are a lot of great books out there for low prices.  These are mostly novellas but there are a few books tossed in.  Check out some of these authors that you may have never read before.  For only a few bucks, you can dip a toe into a new series.  Start a new addiction.

Major Announcement: I AM MOVING

Brace yourselves.  I'm going to give you a glimpse into my private life for a moment.  Yeah, I generally hoard that stuff and protect it with big steel doors and muscly men, but this time ... I think it's for the best that you know.

For a very long time, I've been looking for a new day job.  While the full-time fiction writing has been nice, I need a little more to survive on as well as some health insurance.  A day job will also give me the social interaction that I've been sorely missing.  In short, it's time for me to get back out in public and out of my fictional little world for a few hours each day.

After a couple trips, many tests, and interviews, I GOT A JOB! Yes!  Oh happy day! I have a job.  I am leaving the financial industry behind after more than 10 years and I am going to be a proposal writer for a medical software firm.  Completely different field and completely different writing.  I can't wait to get started.

What does this mean for me and my little family?

We are moving.  After a few decades living in the Cincinnati area, I will be moving with my husband, puppy, and two kitties to Madison, Wisconsin.  Land of cheese and lakes.  I haven't seen a lot of the area, but what I have seen is very pretty and reminds me of my home in Northern Kentucky.  I'm a little nervous about tackling my first winter there, but I am pretty sure we'll survive.

I'll be checking in with family to make sure I have phone numbers and addresses.  I'm also planning to regularly post pictures and even the occasional video on Facebook so that close family and friends will be able to see my new home in Madison.

What does this mean for my lovely readers and book bloggers?

I am drastically cutting back on social media in August.  I have one month to pack, yard sale, put the house up for sale, find a new place, move, and finish book revisions.  In short, I'm going to be very busy.  I will still be out there on the Internet, but it may take me a little while longer to reply to questions.

If you have an interview or guest blog scheduled with me, you will get your promised material by the due date.  If you have not sent me the interview questions, PLEASE give me at least a week to answer them.  Otherwise, I might not be able to get you my responses in time.

If you would like to interview me or receive a guest blog to help support and celebrate my upcoming releases, I still have openings in September and October.  Please email me at JocelynnDOTdrakeATgmailDOTcom to schedule an appearance.

I will still post on my blog, Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter when I have interviews and appearances upcoming, but my other general ramblings will be nonexistent until September.

Before leaving Cincinnati, I will stop at several bookstores to sign stock so that you can get an autographed book there if you're interested.

Of course, the neat thing is that if you are living in the Madison, Wisconsin, you will now be able to get a signed book since I plan to sign stock there when my next book comes out. (That, of course, is assuming that I can locate a bookstore. It may take me a little while to find everything.)

Facing this extended radio silence, let me just thank all my wonderful readers!  I'll be back soon, sharing all my Wisconsin-related discoveries.  Cross your fingers for me and all well wishes are appreciated.  Also, if you've got moving tips, those are also appreciated.  I've never attempted a long-distance move like this and I'm sure this is going to be a learning experience.

But if you really want to help me, spread the word.  If you loved the Dark Days series, tell others.  Shout it out on your blog or Facebook account.  If you loved The Asylum Tales: Bronx, tell others to grab it up.  Shout it to friends!  If you can get others to read my stories, I can focus on moving safely.

Thanks for your help!

Good News Monday

I know that you're not particularly glad to find that it's Monday once again, but to help alleviate your pain, I've got some good news!

(Scary thing, when I was typing "good news" the old professor from Futurama just popped into my head to voice the "Good News, everybody!" part.  I think my brain is broken.  Send help.)

First, I've got a new interview over at Mortality Bites today.  The lovely Alicia was kind enough to pepper me with some questions regarding my new series and share a little love for Mira and Danaus as well.  To check out my ramblings, please go to Mortality Bites.

Second, I've got a new reason for you to look forward to August.  I have to admit that I've never looked forward to August.  It's really freaking hot and always marked the end of summer/start of school BOOO! (HA! Can you tell I don't have kids?)  But August also brings another installation of Deadly Destinations.  The fabulous blogs of All Things Urban Fantasy and Dark Faerie Tales invites authors to wrestle their characters into a chair and write about the places they inhabit.  Last year, I had Mira take readers on a tour of Savannah.  For this year's Deadly Destination, I managed to convince Gage to give a list of great places to visit in Low Town.  (We didn't agree on the list much, but I've never had much luck when it comes to arguing with Gage.)

For a look at who is going to be providing travelogues, please click here.  It's an amazing list of 62 authors and there's going to be giveaways.  I believe my posting will be up on August 3.  I'll be providing links when it becomes available.

And for some final goodness, I have located some AMAZING book deals.  To celebrate San Diego Comic Con, my publisher HarperCollins has put several amazing e-books on sale that you DON'T want to miss out on.  For example, you can buy Vicki Pettersson's brand new novel as an e-book for only $2.99.  This pricing is for a limited time and you don't want to pass this deal up.

What's more, they have available a sample book available for download!  It contains samples of new books from Kim Harrison, Richard Kadrey, Brom, and even little old ME!  Click on this link here to check out this PDF sampler book that is more than 300 pages long.

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!