A.L. Knorr's Blog, page 10

Win a Signed Paperback Copy of BORN OF WATER!

 Born of Water is finally available in print! Yay! And to celebrate, I’ll be giving away 5 signed copies!

I don’t care where you are in the world, the shipping is on me. How to enter to win? Just fill out THIS short FORM.

The form will ask you to input your name, email address, and a link to a review you wrote on Amazon for any of my books.

If you haven’t written a review you’ll still be eligible to win. All entries will be put into a random draw, but those who have written a review will be given 2 entries. Only submit your name once, please.

Good luck and thanks for entering!

Winners will be drawn on September 5, 2017!

 

 

State of the U on August 2, 2017

Where is the World is A.L. Knorr?

I’m in Canmore, Alberta! I’m enjoying plenty of time with my mountain bike and my mountain bikey friends, as well as friends who abstain from rolling down mountains on wheels. I did a whirlwind vacation with a bestie from college and we circled through Fernie, Nelson, and Revelstoke on our way back to the Canmore Calgary area. What a blastoid we had!

It’s super fun to be back. I’m packing up stuff and selling off furniture cuz come September it’ll be over to Saskatchewan to give the folks a squeeze and come October it’ll be back to Italy for me, and then on to the UK.

 

Pyro is LIVE!

So, Pyro released yesterday and I’ve barely had a chance to catch my breath before the emails and messages from you chirped my phone and set me to grinning. Thank you so much for your feedback and support! Seems so many of you love the character of Saxony (I love her too!) and enjoyed her mini-adventure before the big sleepover event. Thank you for coming along for the ride!

If you haven’t grabbed your copy yet you can snag it with the links below, and don’t forget that if you have Kindle Unlimited you can read for free!

US     UK    CAN     AUS

 

 

Born of Water is COMING IN PRINT

Yes, I have just ordered proofs of Born of Water as a paperback and I’m super excited to see this story as a real live pagey-turney book and everything! It’s like I’ve gone and grown up or something.

Do you like to read books in print? I’d love to hear your thoughts on print vs digital. I read mostly digital, but that’s only because I travel so much that it makes no sense to carry around 5000lbs in books. For me, nothing beats the smell of paper and the feel of a book in my hand. How about you?

I’ll be gleefully giving away some signed paperback copies when the final is approved, so stay tuned for that. If you’d like a chance at winning a signed copy, make sure you’re either signed up for my newsletter or have liked my page on Facebook.

 

AudioBook Update

Yes, the audiobook contract has been signed and I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be working with Michael Anderle’s publishing company LMBPN and the awesome team over there. We’re weeding through auditions for Born of Water right now, and let me tell you is it ever cool and slightly strange to hear your own words read back to you by someone other than yourself! I’ll keep you posted on launch dates for those.

What else… oh, yeah! Announcing a NEW Collaborative Urban Fantasy Universe! This is so cool it needs its own blog post…

The Elemental Origins Series: What’s Next?

Of course, I can’t give an update without bringing you up to speed on Born of Air, the next instalment of the Elemental Origins Series. The Born of Air character is named Petra Kara, she’s of Libyan and Jordanian descent and the book will be taking her to an adventure in Libya, into the Acacus Mountains of the Sahara no less! You don’t know her yet, and neither do Saxony, Targa, Georjie, or Akiko … but they will soon… oh yes they will. What else can I say except that the writing is going well and I’m working on it every day. Stay tuned for the big cover reveal!

Announcing a NEW Collaborative Urban Fantasy Universe!

I’m so stoked that I can finally spill the beans on this. Michael Anderle and Martha Carr have been working behind the curtain on bringing a new Urban Fantasy universe to life: The Revelations of Oriceran.

They’ve pulled together a whole bunch of talent to create stories in this universe, of which I am one. My series announcement will be coming along soon but Martha and Michael are kicking off the series with The Liera Chronicles! Click on the book covers to learn more, or scroll down to read a snippet written by Martha Carr.

Quest For Magic: The Revelations of Oriceran (The Leira Chronicles Book 0) [image error]

Waking Magic: The Revelations of Oriceran (The Leira Chronicles Book 1) [image error]

There are some on our planet who believe you can’t handle the truth, so the truth has been hidden for millennia. The only problem is the truth is coming back… Early.

Some of the crazy history shows on cable TV might not have the answers, but at least they ask the right questions.

Homicide detective, Leira Berens is in a race against a magical force with a mischievous troll by her side with a penchant for swearing.

The stakes are real. And so is the magical world she just visited.

An elven prince is dead, a timebomb as a necklace is loose in her world, and her mother may not be crazy.

It’s a lot. But with help from unexpected places, Leira is going to accomplish more than she ever thought possible.

Welcome to The Revelations of Oriceran.

Because some believe you can’t handle the truth.

 

Snippet from Waking Magic:

Going to Lavender Rock turned up nothing except a lot of suspicious stares and gave her a mild headache and a humming in her ears that lasted the rest of the day.

“Something weird there. Too many people just hanging out near a giant rock. Will have to save that for a return trip. Fuck Monday mornings,” Leira grumbled. She sat up on her old couch and stretched her back.

Suddenly, a small green streak of hair zipped past her.

“No, no, no! I’ve got to get to work!” Leira lunged for the small troll, chasing it around the room. Small, like five-inches small and almost nothing to grab onto, especially when it was moving in a hurry.

The tiny creature was always in a hurry. One long weekend of trying to keep that fidgety pain in the ass in a cardboard shoe box. It was less than a day until the box was in shreds—along with the washcloth blanket.

Leira lunged but came up empty, her fingertips just brushing the wild tuft of green hair.

The troll did a neat bounce, and a tuck and roll off her old couch, landing on its feet. It zipped into the kitchen, leaving her impressed for a split second.

“Well, damn,” she mused, her eyes narrowing. “Fuck!” she yelled, as the frustration returned.

“Fuck!” chirped the five-inch creature, followed by a trail of laughter as Leira scrambled to move her ass into the kitchen.

“Great, your first Earth word,” she mumbled, as drawers and doors slammed shut. She got to the kitchen just in time to see a green streak slide neatly into her silverware drawer and slam it shut.

“I have to get to work, you little green P.I.T.A.!” she said in her best detective voice, heart pounding from chasing the troll.

It had been a long weekend, and not in a good way. Longer than anyone would believe, if Leira tried to tell them, but she had no plans to do anything like that.

“Double fuck Monday mornings.” She jerked the silverware drawer open. The troll stopped biting one of her spoons, looked up at her, jumped to the counter and banged headfirst into her honey pot shaped cookie jar. It shook its head, dazed, teetering on one foot.

Leira glanced at the time flashing on the microwave. “This is why I don’t have a pet.” She ran to her bedroom for a suitable shoe box.

Maybe she could contain the troll long enough to get to work.

“Hagan’s coming back,” she pleaded with the troll. “We need to be on time. Wasn’t your behavior last night bad enough?”

She had spent the day checking on Hagan,  back home after only one night in the hospital. Leira told him to take a few days off until she realized she was only raising his blood pressure.

“It’s just a goddamn flesh wound,” he yelled.

“Passed right through some auxiliary flesh,” said his wife, patting his arm.

He grumbled but smiled. “She means fat,” he said. “I’ll be at my desk tomorrow, ready to go. Cleared by a doctor, no less. A pile of paperwork awaits.”

Leira was worn out by the time she got home. Her mind was buzzing with everything that had happened in the past few days. She only made it as far as the couch, drifting off to sleep with the troll snoring happily from inside of her pocket, dreaming about magical kingdoms that floated in mid-air or plants that moved to the sound of your voice.

But Leira was a light sleeper and the sound of loud rustling in her closet, or her trash can tipping over ripped her out of a dream and she leaped up from the couch to go find the troll, again.

It wasn’t until about five a.m. when he finally fell asleep.

She found him in the recesses of her underwear drawer, turning in circles before settling down pile of cotton underwear.

She was tempted to reach out and pet the little guy as it shut its eyes and smacked its lips, satisfied to have finally found a nest.

Almost tempted.

She remembered the sharp, pointed teeth and how fast the troll grew into an oversized version of a dog when someone had casually knocked on her door.

Nope, better to keep my hand to myself, she thought and went back to the couch, her gun nearby.

She grabbed a couple of hours of sleep before her alarm went off, startling both herself and the troll who angrily banged against the walls of her dresser before taking off to explore the kitchen.

Apparently, this magical creature didn’t like to get up early.

Her heart was still racing as the troll leapt behind her coffee maker, pushing it toward the edge of the counter.

“Not the coffee!” she yelled. She lunged for the glass carafe, catching it just in time. “That’s messing with my lifeblood. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She ran a hand through her short, dark hair and wished she had time to throw some water on her face.

Trying to catch a five-inch troll was a sonofabitch. She put her hand on her gun.

The troll crawled into a bag of stale popcorn, happily munching its way to the bottom, scattering kernels everywhere.

“Okay, that’s probably a little dramatic,” Leira said, taking her hand back off her gun and putting the carafe back on the counter. “Not by much because its coffee, but probably not worth shooting you over it.” She took a deep breath, rethinking her strategy.

As she let out the breath, she saw the troll suddenly appear at the top of the popcorn bag. He let himself relax, dropping his shoulders, sighing contentedly. He smacked his lips and rubbed his belly, lazily looking up at her.

“Oh no,” she said, as a thought came over her. “You’re connected to me?” She bit her bottom lip trying to come up with a way to prove her theory.

“Now!” she roared, stomping her foot on the linoleum floor, glaring at the troll. She let herself think of Prince Rolim, the Light Elf, as the knife went deeper into his body and his eyes widened in shock and pain.

The anguish on Queen Saria’s face flashed in Leira’s mind as she balled her hands into fists at her side and her anger grew at the thought of such a senseless death. Worse, the killer had gotten away and was somewhere here on Earth.

“Dammit,” she hissed.

A surge of anger flowed through the troll and he stood up straighter and leaped nimbly from the drawer to the floor, getting larger at an alarming rate, till his head was brushing the ceiling.

He let out a growl, baring his teeth, and stomped the floor in a pretty good imitation of Leira.

“Then, it’s true! You feel what I feel! This is not good,” Leira said slowly. The troll’s head brushed against the  oversized brass lamp that hung in the center of the room, sending it swinging and raining dust down on the floor.

“Gross,” she exclaimed, covering her face with her hands. She shook her short dark hair, trying to keep the dust from landing on her.

“Who knew there was so much crap up there?” She reached for a dish towel to wipe her mouth, trying to ignore the gritty taste.

The troll growled again, a low rumble that rattled the dishes in the sink.

“That was intense.” Leira collected herself, keeping eye contact with the troll. She was never one to back away from danger and frankly, though he looked terrifying, he didn’t seem upset with her because he was looking around for something to be angry at.

What had that Light Elf told her? Trolls bond with beings that help them. Bonding had to be a good thing and she saved his life.

It was a good thing, right? Great, now she was busy questioning her motives for instinctive reactions.

She sighed and tried to think of her happy place.

“Oh crap,” she said. “What is it? Hanging out at the bar. No, not really. Going for a run. Maybe. Damn, why has this never come up before?”

The troll seemed to feel her growing anxiety and screwed up its face to roar again. He turned in a circle, stomping his feet, and bumped into Leira, making her stumble into the lavender quartz countertop.

“Okay, okay, I admit it. My happy place is running someone down. A nice tackle and the sound the handcuffs make. There, you happy?” she said, trying to calm down again.

The troll stopped stomping and trilled at her, cocking its head to the side as it towered over her.

“Looking over a murder scene with Hagan, knowing someone is lying in an interrogation. These are a few of my favorite things.”

The troll started to shrink, shaking all over like a dog. Leira reached down and put out her hand. The troll leaped on, fitting neatly in the palm of her hand and promptly curled up into a ball.

“That wore you out,” she murmured as she watched him get comfortable. “Interesting. Thank goodness you don’t say much besides fuck yet, and can’t tell the world I’m happiest in the middle of mayhem.”

She sighed and the troll opened one eye and looked up at her. He trilled again, softly and closed his eye.

She looked around the mostly clean kitchen. “This is going to be an interesting day at work. And, it’s only Monday.” She slid the sleeping troll into the roomy pocket of her favorite black jacket. The troll’s  head popped out of the pocket and he looked around at the room, stretching his arms.

.“Hang on!” she said and she went to grab a pair of her underwear. She stuffed them carefully into the pocket, tucking the edges around the troll. “Those can be yours now,” she told it, adding under her breath. “Absolutely no need to give them back.”

The troll closed his eyes and settled back down.

She shook her head. “Well, at least we know your happy place now. Curled up in my underwear in a small, dark place. Turns out, the first word you learned was appropriate after all,” she said quietly.

“Because I am truly fucked. Feelings are not exactly my strong point. That is, unless anger counts. I wonder what I could pull off with that one.”

She changed into another pair of black pants and a shirt suitable enough for work and slipped on her favorite blue and orange running shoes. She brushed her teeth twice trying to get rid of the gritty taste from the dust shower in the kitchen, and gargled for good measure. The entire time she was making herself take slow, deep breaths, occasionally checking on the troll..

She slid carefully into her jacket, and felt the troll squirm around for a moment, adjusting in his sleep. Nah, that won’t attract attention, she thought as she watched her pocket move.

She scooped up her keys out of the pinch bowl she made in the second grade, headed out the door of the guesthouse, and across the quiet patio of the bar. Estelle’s wouldn’t be hopping again until happy hour.

Leira went through the gate marked private. All the regulars knew that gate was reserved for Leira.

They were the closest thing to family that Leira had left. The mornings were the hardest time of day for Leira. Wide awake with a full day ahead and nothing to distract her. It was too easy to think about everyone missing from her life.

“Crazy mother, safely locked away, check. Missing grandmother, doublecheck.” The troll grew restless in her pocket.

“It’s my routine, okay? Some people drink coffee to get their blood going. I do this.”

The gate let out a loud creak and Leira made a mental note for the hundredth time to get something to fix that.

“Only problem is, mother may not be so crazy.” She shut the wooden gate behind her, till the latch caught.

She slid into the driver’s seat of the Mustang and started it up, grateful for her leather jacket in the chilly morning air of what passed for winter in Austin, Texas.

“Mom, you’ll have to wait just a little longer. First, we look for Bill Somers and that necklace. Clock is ticking.”

She adjusted the seat belt carefully around the small bulge in her pocket and pulled out onto the street, already teeming with people heading for a breakfast taco at the other end of the block. She never noticed the ball of light hovering just under her back fender, easily keeping up with her car as she headed to the precinct, keeping track of all her movements.

“Need to make one stop.” She turned onto sixth street, and got lucky. There was a parking spot right in front of Voodoo Doughnuts. It was nothing new for Leira. Lucky moments like that were always happening to her. Kind of made up for all the really bad things that seemed to fall her way, too.

She checked the glove compartment, rummaging around till she found the twenty-dollar bill she kept tucked in there for just these moments. “Have to make sure I replace that.”

Voodoo Doughnuts might be open every day, all day long, but they only took cash, no exceptions.

“Don’t suppose you could stay in the car?” she whispered, looking in her pocket. She slid the troll out carefully, still curled in her underwear, and rested him on the driver’s seat. “I’ll only be a minute, and there’s a doughnut in it for you.”

Leira glanced up at the oversized plastic American flag that stretched from floor to ceiling across one wall as she passed the donut-tree sculpture and the colorfully painted columns and stood behind a guy whose spiky hair looked like it had lived through a rough night.

“S’up sweetie?” he said in a deep voice, his eyes only half open. He smiled, revealing tobacco-stained teeth.

Leira gave him her best dead fish look and he turned back around, muttering something under his breath. She wasn’t much of a talker even under the best of circumstances and morning was never in that category.

“Two Old Dirty Bastards, a No Name, a Grape Ape, three Maple Bars, three Raspberry Romeos, and two Mexican Hot Chocolate doughnuts.” It was her usual order. “Two large coffees,” she added, holding up her fingers. She fished in her pocket for the twenty.

“It’ll be a minute on the coffee. Just started another batch,” the short, stocky man behind the long counter replied. Leira liked him. He was always polite but never smiled at her in the morning and never asked how she was doing. It was the perfect exchange.

She sat down at one of the tables and started to read the newspaper clippings that were decoupaged on the tops. All of them were obituaries. Leira liked the ones that gave away something about the personality. He took off to study birds in the Amazon at eighteen. Another one said, had her own radio show that was heard across five states all through the forties and fifties.

That’s a good obituary, thought Leira. It’s about their life, not their death.

She glanced up at her car and was relieved. Nothing was moving.

“Leira Berens? Your order is ready.”

She went to the counter, lost in thought, carefully balancing the box and the coffee. It took a moment to register that a people were gasping behind her.

“What the hell is that?”

It was the dude who had been standing in front of her in line. He was eating a plain cake doughnut in front of the plate glass window, looking at Leira’s car. “What?” he asked, his mouth full of doughnut.

“No, no, no, no,” whispered Leira. She hurried toward the door, zigzagging around the tables and the other customers who were turning to look.

She rushed toward her car watching the troll get larger, his face pressed against the window. He was baring his teeth and looking straight at the man in the window.

“Deep breath, deep breath,” she chanted, resting the doughnuts and coffee on the roof and fumbling with the keys. “Happy places. How about think about arresting that guy.” She looked up to see a panicked expression on his face. His mouth hung open and half chewed bits of doughnut were dropping out.

Leira smiled at that and got her door open, just as the troll shrunk down enough to disappear from view. She wrapped him back in the underwear and tucked him back into her pocket before resting the box on the passenger seat.

“Plain cake doughnut. Says a lot.” She smiled as she pulled away, daydreaming about arresting sweetie-man. The troll trilled softly.

She pulled into the back lot behind the low-slung Region Two substation, a newly built, two-story building of red brick atop white Texas stone.

She briefly considered and rejected the idea of leaving the troll in the car. “Nope, not gonna try it. My luck, you’ll bust out of the car and have a SWAT team on your tail with reports of a yeti. This town and that green hair though, someone might mistake you for a musician. Maybe. Hey, what the hell?”

Leira caught a glimpse of the yellow ball of light as it bounced against the ground for a moment and zipped under her car.

She got down on her hands and knees and scanned under the car, seeing the light recede into her engine.

“I know it’s you Bert!” she yelled, wondering if the Light Elf who had been her guide in Oriceran could somehow see her. Her pocket started to wiggle. “Dammit! Deep breath! Deep breath!” She shook her head. “You put a damn tracker on my car. Way to trust, dude. Pull back or I’m off the case.” She looked under the car again and the light bobbed down where she could see it, then disappeared in a small cloud of sparks.

“Thank you!” She got up and leaned into her car to grab the box of doughnuts and coffee, still talking to elves that were nowhere to be seen. “Pull me all the way over to another world, another world! Ask me, no tell me, to work a damn case with a timer of less than a week on it, then don’t trust me enough to just let me do my job!”

“You okay?”

Leira startled and bounced her head against the roof of her car. “Ow!” She squeezed her eyes shut. Her pocket began to jiggle furiously and was stretching to its limits. The voice was coming from directly behind her.

“Detective Berens, right? Something I can help you with?”

Leira picked up the doughnuts and coffee and pulled her head out of the car, turning her right side away from whoever it was, holding the box there, hoping it would hide the jerking, pulling and wiggling that was going on inside of her jacket. At the last second, she noticed her underwear was hanging halfway out of her pocket, but it was too late to do anything about it.

“Officer Carlton, right?” She did her best to sound nonchalant. He had been a year behind her in the academy where he earned the nickname Booger. Hard to get rid of him once he was on something. Served him well on cases, but he couldn’t take a hint. “How’s things,” she said, hooking her heel around the car door behind her, pushing it shut.

“Things are good,” said the officer, smiling at the pink Voodoo doughnut box. “Trouble in your world? Hauled into doughnut court? What are you making amends for, Berens? You forget to search somebody? Voodoo Doughnuts, no less.”

“Just a goodwill gesture.” She slid along the car till she could turn toward the building.

“Yeah, sure, that’s why anyone gets up early to slog their way through the traffic on Sixth Street and find a place to park. What’d you do, run the siren to get a good spot?”

“Didn’t need to, Carlton, spot opened up right in front.”

“Like magic, huh? You have the best luck of anyone I know, Berens.” She turned away from him and picked up the pace, walking toward the building.

“Happy places, geez, I’m running dry. How about if I hum something,” she said, looking down at her pocket. She started humming something she remembered from Kev Bev and the Woodland Creatures, a local band that had played at Estelle’s more than once. Their music drifted back to the guesthouse and she’d dance in the kitchen, sometimes even getting drawn back out to the patio to sit with the regulars.

“That is what my spirit needs,” she sang, “I got something to celebrate, cuz God knows all my bills are paid…mmmmm,” she hummed, hearing the music in her head as a trill came out of her pocket. “Workin’ real hard just to get by. Where is my social life,” she sang, doing a little two-step. “That could be my theme song,” she said looking down at her pocket, the start of a smile on her face.

“Little bit of joy in the middle of trying to save the world, right?” Just as she got to the door, someone coming out held it open for her.

“Hey Berens, what’d you do? Paying penance with Voodoo! You must have cocked it up good.”

Leira ignored the ribbing and kept going, plowing down the hall with her eyes forward, to the detectives’ room and her desk.

Detectives were grouped by division and housed in different parts of the city. A few were at the Main, like Homicide and Robbery, along with all the top brass on what was referred to as the Fifth Floor.

The rooms were classic government fare with green cubicles, ugly metal desks, ugly grey carpet with small maroon diamonds, tech sprinkled here and there.

Most of the detectives worked elsewhere. Internal affairs, special investigations unit, organized crime and narcotics were in over on the northeast side, off Rutherford. The Motorola building over by interstate 183 housed more of detectives and support teams.

Initially, Leira had been offered,  a sector detective spot to work minor cases that didn’t end up with other teams, like assaults that weren’t family violence or robberies. A way to get to know the job before picking a speciality. She’d only seen a sector detective once in the five years she had been there. Most of them worked on call during the overnight hours.

It didn’t matter, anyway. She was already set on homicide from the day she showed up at the academy.

She kept moving down the hall, ignoring the gauntlet of hoots and inquiries, and carefully slid the box onto her partner, Detective Hagan’s desk. He was swearing under his breath and typing on a keyboard with two fingers, filling out an incident report.

“What are those for?” he asked, as she slid into her seat. “I know you never pull a boner so this has to be about a favor. No? Hmmm, then it’s to say something I won’t like. My least favorite kind of doughnut-offering.” He took out one of the Maple Bars. Leira knew he would reach for that one first. The Grape Ape would be saved for last.

“They’re for the patient.” Leira tried a smile.

“No patient here,” he retorted. “But I’ll take them off your hands, anyway.”

“You do the weirdest thank yous, Hagan.” Leira steeled herself and blurted it out. “I’m gonna ask for a few weeks off. Take all of my PTO at once.”

Another detective lifted the lid on the Voodoo box. “Yum, Maple Bars,” he said, before Hagan slapped his hand and slid the box out of reach. “Never touch another man’s Maple Bars without permission,” he said. There was already a little icing in his greying moustache.

A ripple of laughter went around the squad room. Leira tried to rub the outside of her jacket in an effort to keep the troll happy without looking like she was a little too into leather.

“You mean the vacation time you’ve never touched?” asked Hagan. “You’re going to take it all at once?” He gave her a sidelong glance and he bit hard into the middle of the Maple Bar. “You’re not the tropical kind of vacationer. Too pale. Hell, your ability to spend time not working a case is limited to sleeping, eating, a little bowling and the occasional beer.” He stopped chewing and tapped the side of his head, rocking back in the metal desk chair. “That’s what it is, isn’t it? What are you up to Berens? Working a cold case without me? Seems kind of rude.” He fished for another doughnut and pulled out the No Name, pausing long enough to swill down some of his coffee.

“Have to admit, your tactics are solid,” he said. “Fill me in. What are you up to, Berens? Come on, we’re a team.”

“Mmmmmmm.” The sound came from her pocket.

“What the hell was that? Was that you?” he asked, eyeing her.

Leira hesitated, wondering if she could share this with her forty-eight-year-old partner. Another realm, portals between worlds, magical creatures. This might be over the line.

Hagan narrowed his eyes and stared at her. Leira stood stock still.

“This is serious, isn’t it? Let’s head out and you can tell me in the car. Come on, grab the doughnuts,” he said, licking his fingers.

Detective Hagan stood up, brushing off the crumbs, leaving a maple smudge on his tie. “Aw come on, this is how the wife finds out these things. Not good.” He licked a napkin and rubbed the spot as he headed for the door.

Leira took a quick look around to make sure no one was watching and lifted the lid of the doughnut box just high enough to tear off a piece and slip it into her pocket. Two small, hairy hands grabbed her fingers and held on tight, devouring the morsel. She could feel the edges of his claws but he was being careful enough not to press too hard.

“Yum,” said the troll.

Leira scooped up the box and her coffee. “So, you can learn English, but one-syllable words at a time. Good to know. You should have all of my favorite swear words down by end of shift,” she said, and realized the Captain was approaching her desk.

He was the one responsible for talking Leira into becoming a detective at what was her first opportunity, after just four years as a patrolman.

She proved to be good at standardized tests and knocked the civil service exam out of the park. It moved her up  the line for a promotion.

The Captain knew her grandmother’s cold case was what drove her and had cautioned her more than once to not let it consume her., With no leads to follow that had been easy.

Maybe all of that was changing. First, though, she had to find this archaeologist and turn him over to the Light Elves. Her simple, orderly life was getting more complicated.

“Sir,” she said. “Headed out with Hagan.” She turned, her hand gently pressing against her pocket, making herself act normally.

“Urp!” A loud belch erupted from the troll. Fortunately, Leira had her back to Captain Napora. She turned, red-faced, determined to look him in the eye. “Ate too fast, you know how it is.”

He seemed more amused than anything as Leira gave him one last nod, ready walk as fast as she could to the car.

“Uh, Captain,” she said, looking back. “Do you have some time open later this afternoon? There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

“Yeah, sure, check with me after three. I’m sure I can find some. Slow down on the doughnuts, Berens. Voodoo can always make more,” he said, arching an eyebrow.

Check out Martha Carr’s other books at http://www.marthacarr.com/

Why I’m Launching Pyro before Born of Air

A reader recently asked my why I’m launching a Saxony story before Born of Air has been releasePyro:%20A Fire Novella[image error]d yet, and the answer has two parts:

First, the events that occur in Pyro take place right when Saxony gets home from Venice. Chronologically speaking, the story of Pyro has to be told before the sleepover happens. At the end of Pyro, Saxony is merely days away from seeing her friends for the first time. And I know you all know that something BIG is going to happen at the sleepover (this will be Book 6 of the Elemental Origins Series)

Born of Air takes place over the same summer as the other ‘Born of’ stories, and it’s a full-length novel, whereas Pyro is a novella length. If you’re curious to know the difference between a novella and a novel, the breakdoword county wordcount and is as follows:

Short story – 7500 words

Novelette – 7500 – 17,500 words

Novella – 17, 500 – 40,000 words

Novel – 40,000 words and up.

Which leads me into the second reason: I’m able to write a novella-length work must faster than a novel length work. Pyro gives my readers something to enjoy while they’re waiting for Born of Air. I set oa goal for myself to publish one work a month. That is extremely challenging to do. So far, I’ve managed to do that, but between you and my and my wrists, I’m not sure I can keep up the pace permanently, in fact, I’m pretty sure I can’t, not without sacrificing my health. Also, I don’t want to sacrifice quality of story just so I can hit this mad schedule.

I also haven’t given out a release date for Born of Air yet because I’ve discovered it’s best practice not to announce a date until the first draft is finished, and I’m not there yet. I will say that I’m aiming for fall, but I can’t get more specific than that at this point. I will also say that I’ve shared the first 2 chapters of Born of Air with a couple of readers and both of them have reported being hooked from the very first page, so that’s a good sign! Thank you so much for your patience while I make this story the best it can be. I’ll also spill that the main character of Born of Air is named Petra, and she’s amazeballs. She’s so much more than aerokinetic, just wait til you see! Squee!

Anyhoo, I hope that helps a bit. Stay tuned for my newsletter (sign up on my home page) and Facebook page where I’ll be revealing the cover for Born of Air this summer! As always, if you have any questions or comments I’m happy to hear from you. Write to me at abby@alknorrbooks.com or message me on Facebook.

Later gators!

 

Born of Water: Bonus Chapter

Spoiler alert! This posting is only for those who have read Born of Water and are interested in the bonus content.

Antoni, Mom, and I stood on the tarmac near the small Novak twin-prop. Ivan was already on board, waiting for Antoni. But Antoni’s eyes were full of me, and mine were full of him.

“Um… I’m just going to say goodbye and then let you… you know,” Mom said. She stuck her hand out at Antoni.

He tore his eyes from mine long enough to smile at my mother and shake her hand. “Thanks for making my trip worthwhile. I’m really happy I’m not flying back with unsigned documents. I’m sure I’ll hear from you when you’re ready. Take care of yourself, Mira.”

Mom surprised me by pulling him into a hug, which was completely out of character for her. I wondered how many swims in the Atlantic it was going to take to cure her of the habit. It was the second time I’d seen her hug someone this summer. “I’m really sorry about Martinius, Antoni. He’ll be missed,” she said. When she released him, she turned to me. “I’ll wait at the truck.”

“Okay. Thanks, Mom.”

Mom saluted Antoni one last time and walked away.

Antoni touched my cheek with his fingertips. “I wish you were coming with me, and I don’t care how mushy that makes me sound.”

“Our time will come,” I said. I sounded brave, but my heart ached for him and my mind swirled. Was I ready for this? To be in a relationship? Dating was one thing, but Antoni… well, he was Antoni. Things would never be ‘casual’ between us. We were already way past that. He pulled me into his arms and we wrapped ourselves up in one another. My breath hitched. This was hard. “Maybe, I could come for Christmas break,” I said against his shoulder.

“Don’t tease me,” he whispered, stroking my hair.

I looked up at him. “I wouldn’t do that. I mean it.”

He smiled and kissed me tenderly, cupping my face in his palms. My lips melted into his, soft and sweet. He pulled back. “Be safe, Targa. I love you. You’d better get off the tarmac. Call me if you need anything. Promise me?”

“I promise,” I rasped. I cleared my throat. “I love you, too.”

He smiled. “I know.”

I turned and walked away, grinning to myself, but my lower lip quivered. I felt full of unshed tears, both sad and happy. How could one heart contain this much emotion? At the small airfield terminal, I watched the plane’s props whir to life. I sighed. I could make it to Christmas, couldn’t I? I made my way to the parking lot. I opened the truck door.

Mom was texting and put her phone down as I slid into the passenger seat. “You okay, Sunshine?”

“Yes, I’m good. How about you?” I closed the door and buckled up as she turned the key.

She shrugged. “Sad about Martinius. In complete and utter shock about Novak Shipping and at a total loss for what to do next.” She gave me a close-mouthed smile and raised her eyebrows.

I laughed. “Seriously.”

“Antoni is smart. I say we just sleep on it.” She put the truck into gear and started towards home. A flock of seagulls flew over us, bound for the ocean.

“Sounds good to me.” A few minutes later I spotted a tiny white plane ascending into the clouds. “Bye for now,” I whispered, craning my neck to watch it go. I tilted my head back against the headrest and closed my eyes. I was still tired from the ordeal with Eric, and in a bit of shock over seeing Antoni again.

Mom and I were quiet as she steered the truck into our neighbourhood and parked in our trailer’s parking space.

A thought occurred to me as I undid my seatbelt and got out of the truck. It had been so easy to use my siren voice on Eric to get him to do my bidding. I changed the entire course of his life with a few simple words. With an ability like that, we could get people to do or think whatever we wanted. It was a power that could easily become a crutch for a siren. “You know we could have avoided all of this, right Mom?” I said as we entered our trailer and she flicked on the light.

“How do you mean?” Mom closed the door the way she always did – too hard. The trailer shook.

“One of these days this place is going to fall down around our ears,” I said, kicking off my flip flops and opening the fridge. I grabbed a container of ice cream from the freezer and two spoons from the drawer.

“Well, apparently it doesn’t matter because we’re probably moving to Poland.” She ran a hand down her face and collapsed backwards over the arm of the couch. She put a couch pillow over her face and wrapped her arms overtop. “And what do you mean we could have avoided it?” came her muffled voice.

“Back in Poland, when Martinius first shanghaied us with his theory.” I came into the living room and sat across from my mom. “Ice cream?” I held out a spoon.

“Yes,” she threw off the pillow, rolled over and sat up. “Go on.” She took the spoon and gouged the mint chocolate chip, leaving a canyon spotted with chips waiting to be excavated.

“After Antoni left the room, you could have just used your voice to erase Martinius’ suspicion and get him to believe that mermaids aren’t real. If you really wanted to, you could have stopped all of this in its tracks. Why didn’t you?” I took another bite of ice cream and crunched the chips, letting the sweetness melt over my tongue.

With a full mouth, Mom shook her head and waggled the spoon at me. She swallowed her ice cream. “Nope. Wouldn’t have worked.”

“Why not?”

“Martinius has siren blood.” She reached a hand out for the ice cream tub.

I blinked at her, eyes so wide they felt dry.

She looked up from the tub. “What?”

“Martinius has siren blood,” I repeated, enunciating each word.

“I’m sure of it. Sybellen’s blood runs through his veins, and that means he’s immune to a siren voice. Our voices don’t work on each other, and they also don’t work on humans who have a mermaid somewhere in their lineage, either.” She snatched the tub from me. “Rare though they are.”

My jaw dropped. “Really?”

“Really,” she winked. “I guess that’s a little tidbit I hadn’t told you yet. Oh, there’s so much!” She took a spoonful of ice cream.

“So, if I meet someone that’s descended from a mermaid, and I want to tinker with their brain a bit, not that I would,” I held out my hands. “Hypothetically speaking. I wouldn’t be able to make he or she think or do anything? They’d be completely immune to my powers?”

“As immune as I am.”

“And, if it was a guy, he’d be immune to my… other talents, too? That musky thing that happens, and whatever other magical things we have that seem to draw men in droves?”

She shrugged. “Probably. Doesn’t mean he won’t be attracted to you though.”

“Why, because I’m pretty without the siren wiles?” I batted my eyelashes.

“You’re ok. But I’m biased.”

“Ha ha.”

I shook my head when she handed me the ice cream, the spoon tail sticking out of her mouth. “No thanks, I think I’m sugared out.” I got up, filled two glasses with water and returned. “I was thinking… maybe I could go to Poland over Christmas break.”

“Mmhhhmmmm,” Mom said. “Something tells me that has nothing to do with inheriting Novak shipping and everything to do with a certain Polish lad.”

I grinned and set down a glass of water in front of her. I took a breath. Now was as good a time as any. I hadn’t broached the subject of other men with her… well ever, and she’d never brought it up with me. I wasn’t sure how she’d react. “Speaking of lads… who’s yours?”

Mom looked blank. “I have a lad?”

“Don’t play dumb. I saw you hugging that dark-haired sailor at the airfield in Poland.”

She dipped her fingertips into the glass of water and flicked me in the face. I jerked my head back and blinked reactively. She smiled serenely.

I hovered my fingers overtop of my glass of water, and shot her a meaningful look.

Her smile disappeared. “You wouldn’t.”

I lifted the water from the glass, sliding it out in a perfect cylinder. It hovered in the air between us. The visual was bizarre.

“Targa…” she warned.

With a flick of my fingers, the cylinder-shaped water flew into her face, soaking her head and torso completely. She scrunched up her eyes, water sluiced over her face and hair. Her t-shirt was drenched. She opened her eyes and looked down at herself. “Brat.”

I sat back and folded my hands, my face smug. “So?”

She wiped her face and pushed her hair back. “If you must know, his name is Jozef. We’re… friends. I think.”

“You think? You don’t have friends. Least of all friends who are men.”

“That’s true, but Jozef is different.” She got up and retrieved a tea towel from the kitchen.

“Different how?”

She sighed and sat down. “Do you really want to talk about this?”

“Are you kidding me? You haven’t been on a single date since dad died. You said that you’d have to spend some time in the ocean to trigger the cycle again, so when I see you getting cozy with some man you worked with, some guy that I’ve never met, it kind of piques my curiosity!”

“We weren’t getting cozy,” she muttered behind the tea towel as she wiped her face. “Jozef is just a nice man. He never leered at me once, he and I talked like…” she paused. “Like I wasn’t a siren. Like I was just a person. He was the only man I worked with that I could really relax around. So you see, it’s not what you’re thinking. I don’t even think that’s really possible for me right now. It was just a friendship.”

“Have you talked to him since we got back?”

She shook her head. “That’s probably not a good idea.”

“Why not? That’s what friends do. They keep in touch. Are you going to tell him about inheriting the salvage operation? Are you worried about leading him on? Do you want to see him again? Do you miss him?”

“I don’t know, Targa. Go away. I’m not pestering you about Antoni.”

She had me there. She’d been nothing but respectful. I chewed my lip. “Okay. But, you would tell me if there was ever someone. Right?”

She sighed and gave me a tired smile. “Yes, I’d tell you.”

“Because, you know I’d be happy for you, right Mum?”

“Yes, Sunshine. I know you would.”

 

Thanks for reading the bonus chapter! Born of Water was written out of a love for the ocean and for nautical history and mermaid lore. I have always had a fascination for shipwrecks and marine history. What better way is there to experience the underwater world than as a mermaid, right? Both Targa and Mira both have more stories coming, but I hope you enjoy the other Elemental Origins stories as much as you liked this one! 

Enter your email address and get Returning Episode I delivered to your inbox. You’ll also be added to my VIP Reader Group so you won’t miss any exciting new releases, promotions, exclusive VIP-only content, or giveaways. (You can unsubscribe at any time). 

Returning is Mira’s story. VIP Readers will have the opportunity to download all of the Returning episodes for free as they are released. 

Author Brand Basics by Felicity Henson

If you’re a self-published author, you’ve probably heard that having an author brand is important. But you might be unsure how to build one or why you should focus on it. The answer is simple: an author brand creates continuous and consistent communication with readers, and you have the power to create one.

You already have an author brand, whether you realize it or not. People who read your work form ideas about you and your values right away. Anytime you interact with someone, whether through your books, online, or elsewhere, you’re sending a message about who you are.

That’s what a brand is: the tone, feel, and thoughts people form about you, a perception. A memorable brand is vital. If a reader recognizes your name in the ever-growing sea of books, they’ll be more likely to follow you and become a super fan. Author brands are a way to build lasting relationships with readers. Building an author brand requires a lot of effort, but in the end, it will connect you to more readers. An author brand creates continuous relationships with readers so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you launch a new book. Great content drives readers but authors with great brands connect even more.

Getting Started

To start you’ll need somewhere for your author brand to call home, perhaps a blog, a website, or your Instafreebie Author Page. But before launching your site, think about the themes and ideas represented in your work: what you want people to think when they see your name. Be consistent. Many authors use a calendar to plan out their content in order to ensure that their posting schedule is reliable and full. New content will grab the attention of readers, but continuous engagement can hold it even when you’re not hosting a big, new project.

Author Pages

Instafreebie offers Author Pages to all of our writers. These pages are a low-cost homebase that will increase your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) presence on Google and other search engines. You can even link it to your website if you have one! Viewers can see your bio, links to your social media, and your active giveaways.

Your bio is valuable to readers because it’s how they learn who you are. A bio appears everywhere that you do – from the back of your book to your website and blog to all your social media. It’s the basis of your author brand. Be professional and match the tone of your writing – you want your target readers to appreciate your style. Make sure to edit your bio every time you put it somewhere new. For example, your Twitter bio should be short and sweet, but the bio on your home site should feature more in-depth information. Don’t be afraid to brag a little about your accomplishments too!

Social Media

It’s tempting to only use media that you’re familiar with, such as facebook and twitter, but being active on a variety of social media platforms – like Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram – can attract a larger audience. Being active on Social Media can also increase your SEO. Good SEO allows you to own your name and brand, while creating an easy way for readers to find you. You can find some great blog posts about SEO here.

Between your author pages, social media, and blogs, there are a lot of ways for you to connect with readers and start building a brand. Want to start developing your brand? Then come join Instafreebie!

The Results of the ‘New Siren Story’ Survey

Last week, I posted a survey asking readers for feedback on a new story I’ll be writing for a special boxed set. The results are in, as you can see with the pretty pie chart to the right.

The as yet untitled Sea & Sky themed boxed set which will be published by Rebecca Hamilton, is scheduled to come out in January 2018 and will be loaded with mermaid and dragon fantasy stories written by 20 super talented authors, many of whom are USA Today and NYT Bestselling authors! I’m thrilled to find myself in this company and I’m super excited to be penning another siren story. I actually have many more siren stories bouncing around between the thick walls of my skull, so don’t think that Sybellen will be the last of them. Far from it. Muha ha ha ha aaaa.

Sybellen is an interesting choice because…

Spoiler Alert! Read no further if you’ve not read Born of Water yet!

…based on what you know about her from Born of Water and The Wreck of Sybellen, her life has had a lot of tragedy. However, there is always more than one side to a story. And The Wreck of Sybellen is one person’s experience having known the mermaid that inspired the masthead of the lost ship, but not having known what she was.

Given that my sirens can live to be many hundreds of years old, and The Wreck of  Sybellen takes place in the years leading up to 1860, odds are very good that she is still alive in our modern day. Which leads me to ruminate on whether her next story should be set before the wreck, after the wreck, or in our current day and age.

*sit back in chair*

*takes sip of wine*

*ponders… tasting fine vintage*

*chokes as wine goes down wrong tube*

State of the U on June 11, 2017

“Where in the world are you now?”

I hear that a lot. Also, “What is your phone number right now?” The funny thing is that more than half the time, I don’t even know, and have to check my phone!

The life of a transient writer embodies the rolling stone (not the band… the proverb, lol… I know what you were thinking.)

So, I’ve decided to do a sort of State of U update once a month or so, which I’ll share a link to from my newsletter and Facebook so interested parties can catch up on A.L. Knorr news, announcements, and general what-the-goings-on. Scroll down for the links to Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter if you’d like to follow along on any of those.

Born of Air and the Elemental Origins Conclusion Story (TBA)

I’m hard at work outlining books 5 and 6 of my Elemental Origins Series. The character from Born of Air is someone you haven’t met yet, but I think you’re going to love her. And when you see how she comes together with Targa, Saxony, Georjie, and Akiko, and the dramatic Book 6 “conclusion”, you’ll be riveted to your e-reader!

I say “conclusion” because book 6 may be the end of the Origins Series, but its certainly not the end of the girls’ adventures. I’m looking forward to penning more stories for each elemental as they graduate highschool and move out into the world with their elemental powers!

Stay tuned for the cover reveal of Born of Air! I LOVE it, and I think you’re going to love it too!

A New Story for Saxony called PYRO

I’m cooking up a novella called PYRO which chronicles what happens between Saxony and her family when she gets back from Venice. This story’s events take place before the big sleepover and will put Saxony to the test. Someone is lighting fires in Saltford, and Jack (Saxony’s little brother) is pretty convinced it’s her. Not only that… how do Saxony’s parents react when they find out what happened to her in Venice? When Saxony calls Basil Chaplin, the man on the mysterious business card that Enzo gives her, what does he have to say? 

This project is targeted to come out in July and I’ll be revealing the cover for it soon, so stay tuned for that too!

New Urban Fantasy Series Underway

I publish the Elemental Origins series under my own press (Intellectually Promiscuous Press), BUT I have recently signed a 4 book contract with a publisher and co-author that I am super excited to work with on a totally different project. I am thrilled to be working with LMBPN Publishing, conceived and headed by none other than Michael Anderle. If you don’t know who he is, then check out his Amazon page for more information, and maybe, all I need to say is ‘Vampires in Space’.

Michael has consistently been in the top 100 authors on Amazon. Clearly, he knows how to satisfy his readers and take care of business! I’ll be working with Martha Carr, another veteran author from the thriller genre on developing our series in the Oriceran Universe. Michael and Martha are putting together a kickass team that I’m so blessed to be a part of. This Universe will just grow and grow, as there are multiple talented authors building in it all at the same time. I believe collaborations like this are the future of publishing and I’m looking forward to helping to build it.

The series I’m working on chronicles a young female protagonist (surprise, surprise) as she crosses through a portal into an alternate universe. The world of Oriceran is squarely Urban Fantasy but it’s also closer to Epic Fantasy than my YA stories have been. It’s a new challenge for me and one I’m really enjoying! I’ll be sharing some tasty morsels when ready.

My goal is to write this series so that it can be launched close together. Ideally, I’d love to have you not have to wait longer than 3 weeks for the next book. We’ll see how it goes, but that’s the goal. I’ve never written a linear series before. Elemental Origins can be read out of order so this is a learning curve in outlining and plotting for me. I’m definitely in the right career because I’m loving it

That’s all I can say for now, but watch this space for more new as things progress! You can follow along on the Oriceran Facebook page, if you’re interested.

The Elemental Origins Series AUDIOBOOKS

That’s right! I’m in the process of working with a publisher on bringing the books of the Elemental Origins Series to life on tape. The time must be ripe for this because I had two publishers reach out about the audio rights at the same time. I feel so blessed to have options.

We’re just getting started so I’m dealing with the paperwork part of it right now, but we’ll soon be on to auditioning voice talent and the recording and producing process. This is all new to me too and I am so stoked to be learning more about the audiobook world.

I’ll keep you posted as the process goes along and of course when the launch days are set!

How About Print?

The answer is YES. I will be bringing out all of my books in print. I have been hesitating to do this until after book 6 of the Elemental Origins Series is written simply because I want an opportunity to ensure consistency throughout the series. New stuff comes up in the creative process sometimes that means tweaking prior books. Being the stickler for details that I am, the idea of having print books out there with inconsistencies in them is like nails on a chalkboard for me.

However, print-on-demand makes changing files pretty quick and easy these days, so that reason might be a little flimsy. Should I go ahead and make print books available now? Or wait until book 6 is done? What do you think? Write to me at abby@alknorrbooks.com with your opinion or message me on Facebook.

A Speaking Engagement in London, UK

I’m honoured to announce that I’ll be speaking at the 20Books Conference in London next February! 20Books is a group for indie authors and entrepreneurs to come together and share ideas and business strategies. Michael Anderle started the group over a year ago and it is growing by leaps and bounds. Their first conference takes place in Vegas this November, and I’ll go if I can manage it. But I’m promised (barring some Act of God or unforeseen events) to London for sure (any excuse to visit London) and am looking forward to building a presentation to share what I’ve learned during my first year as an indie publisher (it’s a lot!)

It’s Mountain Bike Season

I lived in beautiful Canmore for 8 years, and over the last 2 years in Italy (which I have loved, don’t get me wrong) I have really missed mountain biking. So, I’m headed there at the end of June to enjoy some of the most spectacular mountain bike trails in the world. I’ll be sure to share pix! I’m also catching up with my 2 brothers, my folks, and my 5 nieces and nephews. Family time, woop woop!

Phew! That’s a lot! Thanks for reading and keeping up with the goings on in this little indies life. I appreciate your support and interest!

Hugs,

Abby

Join the YA Summer Scavenger Hunt and Win!

Everyone likes scavenger hunts, and this June, the Alliance of Young Adult Authors is sponsoring a massive online one for lovers of young adult stories! This is a chance to meet some new authors, grab a bunch of free books, and sign up to win a whole bunch of epic prizes! In addition to the $500 grand prize, each of the authors will be offering free books and other prizes.

RULES

Each author will be given a special keyword, which will be bolded and all caps like this: BUTTERFLIES.

All you have to do is visit all the author’s sites in this order, write down the special keywords to discover the short story, then enter the giveaway with the completed secret legend HERE.

There will be one main giveaway for the main prize, but most of the participating authors will also have smaller giveaways for free books, amazon credit and author swag, so make sure you read their post carefully to see what else they’re offering while you’re on their site for the keyword.

OPEN JUNE 1ST ~ JUNE 7TH

Just go through the “treasure map” below to find the keywords and reconstruct the secret legend. Once you’ve got it, enter for the grand prize HERE. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for other giveaways or free books as you search for the keywords, most authors will be offering their own prizes as well.

THE MAP (PARTICIPATING AUTHORS)








Cindy Ray Hale
Katherine Bogle
Melle Amade
David Kudler
A.M. Yates
Alethea Kontis
Stevie Rae Causey
Katlyn Duncan
Debbie Manber Kupfer
Meredith Rose
N.M. Howell
Lara Ann  
K.M. Robinson
J.A. Culican
Heather Karn
Rob L. Slater
Dylan Keefer
Sarah K. Wilson  
L.J. Higgins
Gina Marie Long 
Em Kazmierski
Travis Hall
Heather Young-Nichols
Anna Santos
J.L. Weil  
Jo Schneider 
Rebecca Fernfield
Kristin D. Van Risseghem
Martine Lewis 
Tara Benham
Stacy Claflin
Beth Hammond
Erica Cope
Nicole Zoltack
Char Webster
Sabrina Ramoth
T.J. Muir
Raquel Lyon
Beth Rodgers
S.L. Beaumont
Eva Pohler
Melanie McFarlane
Cheryllynn Dyess
Audrey Rich
Amanda Zieba
Sandie Will
Elle Scott
Angie Grigaliunas
Ashley Maker 
Mandy Peterson
Audrey Grey
Elisa Dane  
Amy McNulty
Melinda Cordell
Monica Leonelle
Claire Luana
Frost Kay
Preeti C. Sharma
Bentz Deyo 
April Wood
Lena Mae Hill
Angel Leya
Wendi Wilson
Wendy Knight
Chogan Swan
Tamara Hart Heiner
Norma Hinkens
Patti Larsen
Megan Crewe  
Jamie Thornton
Jessie Renée
T.A. Maclagan  
Lydia Sherrer
Phyllis Moore
P.D. Workman
J.A. Armitage
K.N. Lee
Angela Fristoe
Rhonda Sermon
G.K. DeRosa 
Erin Richards
Ali Winters
Larissa C. Hardesty
Kristine Tate
Debra Kristi
Bella Rose 
Cortney Pearson
Jeff Kohanek
Kristal Shaff
Rachel Morgan  
Emma Right
C.L. Cannon
Joanne Macgregor
Lindsey Loucks
Farah Kuck
Erin Hayes
Jesikah Sundin
Dorothy Dreyer
Danielle Annett
C.J. Ethington
L.C. Hibbett 
Madeline Dyer
Katie John
Nicole Schubert  
Rachel Medhurst 
Tee G Ayer  
May Freighter 
Heather Dyer
Jen Minkman  
J.L. Gillham
Karen Tomlinson
Kate Haye
Megan Linski
Martina Billings
Jo Ho
EE Isherwood
Inna Hardison
Rachel Bateman
Sally Henson  
J.L. Hendricks 
A.L. Knorr  (that’s me, you’re here!)
T.M. Franklin  
Konstanz Silverbow
felisha Antonette
Jake Devlin
S.F. Benson
Laurie Treacy
Emily Martha Sorensen 
Leia Stone
T. Rae Mitchell
J. Keller Ford
Kat Stiles
Jessica Hawke
Elyse Reyes
Sophie Davis
Bianca Scardoni
Jenetta Penner
David R. Bernstein
Olivia Wildenstein
Derek Murphy









TIMELINE

Authors will post the rules and the full list of participating authors sometime in June, and have their post up and visible on their site/blog, with their keyword, by June 1st. Readers just need to go through the list, find the words, and use the story to enter for the grand prize. How fun is that?

For rules, updates or troubleshooting, make sure to check out this main post which will stay updated.

Read an Excerpt from Born of Æther

How do you play a game where you’re both predator and prey?

Mysterious Akiko Susumu is not what anyone thinks she is; a simple high-school kid with a simple teenage life in the east coast city of Saltford. Only she and the man who insists she calls him grandfather knows what she is and how much power is at her disposal. Akiko is forbidden to share the realities of her life with a single soul. Not even her best friends Targa, Georjie, and Saxony know the real truth…yet.

When Akiko is sent back to Japan for the summer on a mission she doesn’t understand, her past collides with her present. Just when she thinks she’s in the clear she gets caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the most dangerous crime syndicate in Japan.

Akiko’s story promises to keep you on the edge of your seat in a way no other story has before: intrigue, mystery, romance, history (yes, samurai!) and an elemental power you didn’t know existed will keep you turning pages until the wee hours of the morning.

Enjoy this excerpt, and may it whet your appetite for Born of Æther, coming soon to a reading device near you! To be notified by email as soon as its released either hit the follow button on my Amazon author page, or sign up for my VIP Reader List.

EXCERPT

When I was young, the neighbour’s son Toshi used to play tricks on me. He would snatch the sticks from my hair on a windy day, making the long black strands whip around and become hopelessly tangled. He’d drop a toad in my lap and run away laughing as I gagged with revulsion. He’d wait behind our outhouse until I needed to use it and then throw caterpillars in through the moon shaped window. The path I took into the woods to gather plants and mushrooms for my mother wound by his house and he waited in the bushes to jump out at me and set my heart to pounding.

I came to abhor my daily trek which passed by his house so I took great pains to make a new and secret path to avoid falling into his traps. A game of cat and mouse ensued, where Toshi would wait until he knew I was leaving the house and follow me, trying to discover my secret path. I would lead him through the woods, meandering through the swamp, up over the rock slabs, and through the brambles until his father would call for him and he’d have to abandon the chase.

I had begun to feel that I had won when he began to stalk me less and less. Soon weeks would pass without him hounding me and I began to relax. Then I began to miss his attentions, and eventually, thoughts of him faded away completely. Life went on and my duties changed from those of a little girl to those of a young woman. As I began to have just an inkling of the understanding that there was something different about myself and my sister Aimi, I became wrapped up in the secret world inside our own house.

I gathered my herb basket and decided impulsively to take the old path, the one that wandered by Toshi’s house.

The rhythmic sharp sound of chopping wood echoed off the trees and rock slabs. Expecting to find his father, I rounded the bend and their yard came into view. My body became still as my eyes fell on the man wielding the axe, but my mind was a tempest. Broad square hands gripped the wooden handle, thick black hair tied half-back to keep out of his eyes. The high forehead and widows peak reminded me of drawings I had seen of ancient samurai. I could not have stopped myself from staring even if I had been in a crowd. Sweat-slick skin pulled taut over the figure of a grown man. He moved with the grace of someone at home inside himself, not the gangly clumsiness of the boy I remembered. How could this creature be Toshi? Could he have changed this much? What had happened to the boy who used to torture me?

A twig snapped under my foot and he looked up. His eyes fell on me and we gazed at one another. There he was. Toshi. He squinted toward me, the sun in his eyes. It took a moment, but recognition melted the line between his brows and an enormous surprised grin split across his face. He lifted a sweat-drenched arm, seemingly unembarrassed to be caught naked to the waist. “Akiko!” he called, a little out of breath.

I gasped as he dropped his axe and crossed the back yard with an easy stride, his footsteps silent in his fabric boots. He made his way through the trees and into the shade, stopping not far from me.

“I can see you more easily now,” he said. “I almost didn’t recognize you. When did you become a woman?”

“When did you become a man?” I countered, unable to stop the spread of my own grin.

His teak-coloured eyes took me in, the only part of this man who reminded me of the boy I once knew. “But you’re beautiful!” he said.

I could only laugh with delight. Men did not speak to women like this. I was already surprised he’d approached me, as it was custom for young men and women to have a chaperone in order to be together. Apparently, Toshi didn’t care. “And you are bold,” was all I could think to say, as heat flushed my cheeks.

He laughed and it too reminded me of the boy. “We are old friends.”

“Friends? You tortured me to no end when we were young. That was friendship?” I raised my eyebrows and crossed my arms, my basket dangling over my forearm. “I hope we never become enemies.”

He dropped his gaze and chuckled, a black strand of hair falling over his face. “Don’t you know,” his eyes flicked back up to mine, “that’s what boys do when they have a crush?”

I gasped. His boldness took my breath away, flushed my whole body with an unexpected heat. Where had little Toshi gotten his confidence from? My heart swelled, and just like that, he had me. His good-natured lop-sided grin swept my feet out from under me and I knew what I wanted then, more than any Hanta life, I wanted Toshi. “And men?” I asked, breathless. “What do men do when they have a crush?”

His eyes widened in surprise. “I see I am not the only one who has found courage.” He took a step forward and I took a step back, both of us smiling.

My heart pounded like a hammer and everything in me had come alive in a way that it never had before. I never knew these feelings were possible.

“Men go after what they want,” he said, taking a lunge toward me.

I squealed and ran, lifting my skirts as I bolted away from him. My basket discarded and forgotten, I tore through the woods, fueling my legs with Hanta fire. Laughing, we pelted, Toshi hot on my heels. His fingertips would graze my shoulder, my waist, but always I would dodge away. His surprise at my speed delighted me even further. What amazed me even more, I realized, as the trees whizzed by and I scrambled up over the rock slabs and boulders – was that I trusted him completely. The only other man in whose company I felt safe up to that point was my father. Why that was, I could not explain, but it was something I could settle into. I was safe with him.

My heart in my throat and Toshi’s footfalls behind me, I ascended the boulders leading to the rock slab overlooking the coast and Tai Island. It was my favourite place in the world. It might have been more popular only it was so difficult to get to. By the time I crested the last boulder my legs were shaking, my body was as hot as a coal, and my chest was heaving. Toshi finally caught me and swung me around in the sunlight as it beamed down on the huge rock slab. Moss cushioned our footfalls and tiny stones scattered as we kicked them rolling with our slippered feet. The wind picked up tendrils of our hair and cooled my face and neck.

His face was so close to mine and his grin was all for me. I thought I would burst with the pleasure of the moment. Toshi’s chest and shoulders heaved under my hands as he caught his breath, his slick skin sliding under my palms. I had never touched any man this way before, and somehow, it felt so natural. His hot hands closed around my waist and he looked down at me.

“Why did you stay away for so long?” he asked.

“Well,” I brushed strands of hair back from my face, “you were a thorn in my side.” I swallowed and panted, my heart still pounding in the cage of my ribs.

“Akiko,” he said and put his forehead to mine. The sun reflected in one of his eyes and lit it from within, as golden as honey. His hands squeezed my waist. “Tell me you knew.”

“Knew?” I pulled back and gazed at him, palms on his arms.

“Tell me you knew that I loved you. From the moment I first stood near you and was intoxicated by your scent, by your being. I loved you. I love you still.”

My nerves made me laugh, in spite of the seriousness that had take over his face. “My scent?”

His leaned down and put his face next to mine with a soft inhale. Shivers coursed up my spine as he breathed me in. “Like the air after a thunderstorm. No one else smells this way.”

I closed my eyes, letting him hover there. If my mother had seen me she would have been horrified, maybe even ashamed of how wanton Toshi had made me. But I didn’t care. I felt alive, and no one would ever see us here. This was my clifftop, mine and Aimi’s. Now it was Toshi’s, too.

“I had no other way to get close to you, other than to harass you,” he said quietly, his breath grazing my neck. “It was the only way I could have your smell, your smile.”

I laughed and stepped back. “I don’t remember smiling at you, cursing you was more like it.”

“You did smile,” he said, taking my hand as we walked to the edge of the rock slab to overlook the ocean. “You always had a smile for me, even when I was horrible. Tell me I can have that smile for the rest of my life?”

I thought my heart would leap from my chest and into his hands. He was completely irresistible. I could not remember loving him when I was a little girl, but my heart was brimming over with it for him now. It would have been easier to hold back the tide than to say no. So I didn’t. And there, on the rock slab, under the hot summer sun and overlooking the ocean, Toshi held my face and kissed me.