Kalayna Price's Blog, page 3

Answering your Questions

Hey everyone. First off, let me apologize for being terribly behind on emails and for not responding to tweets/facebook messages/comments recently. I have been dealing with some unavoidable issues and have been unavailable. Hopefully I will be able to catch up in the next few weeks.

First off though, I thought I'd answer some of the most common questions I've been receiving.

The Alex Craft novels:
-Yes, there will be more Alex novels! The fourth novel has a tentative title of Grave Visions and will be released next year. A total of six books are currently under contract.
-An Alex Craft short story will be released in the Kicking It anthology next year. Currently I'm leaning toward a story focused on Briar Darque.

The Haven Novels:
-Third Blood release date: I will let you know as soon as I have a date. I wasn't happy with the writing so it got pushed back while I fix it.

Upcoming Appearances:
-Dragon*Con: I'll be in Atlanta next weekend for Dragon*con. In the next post I'll list my panel schedule.
-New York Comic Con: I'll be in New York October 11th-14th for Comic Con.
-Signing in Athens, GA. I'll be in Athens in late October (exact date to come) for a signing with several other awesome writers.

Okay, I think those are the main questions I've been receiving (based on a quick glance--I'm sorry I haven't had the time or opportunity to read most.) I'll post my Dragon schedule in the next blog.-Kalayna Price

Third Blood Cover

Things have been busy here lately, so I apologize for the lack of posts, but today I'm very happy to reveal the cover for THIRD BLOOD! I really love this cover--it fits the story wonderfully.


So what do you think?

Oh, and don't forget--Tonight I'll be in Rockhill with Faith Hunter and D B Jackson at the Booknack. I hope to see you there!-Kalayna Price

Online Live Release Party chat winners

Hey everyone. I just wrapped up the Live Release party on Google Air. Thank you everyone who attended and major thanks to everyone who asked questions and saved me from talking to myself for an hour. I apologize for the sound quality--I should have tested things out more but 8pm crept up on me. I announced winners to the FMT contests as well as prize winners during the release. If you are one of them, please write me at CONTESTS (AT) KALAYNA (DOT) COM.

In case you missed the announcement, those winners were:
Release party winners: Heather and Derek
Blood and Bullets winner: Molly
Hard Day's Knight winner: Sophie
Eli Monpress omnibus winner: Elizabeth.

Congrats all winners and thank you again everyone who attended the release!-Kalayna Price

Grave Memory Signings and Parties

[one more day left to enter to win books by James Tuck, John Hartness, and Rachel Aaron!]

Hello everyone. It is Monday, July 2nd and there are less then ten hours left until GRAVE MEMORY officially goes on sale. I almost can't believe it--only that I can because that churning giddiness filling me says it is true. I'm so excited that you guys are going to be able to read the book tomorrow!

Which leads me to my plans to celebrate the release. I have a number of signing stops for this release ( I'll discuss those in a moment) but I know not everyone will be able to make it to one of the live events.  So, I will be doing a live, interactive chat tomorrow from 8-9pm EST on Google air. I'll announce winners, give out prizes, do an on-air reading, and of course answer questions from you guys (so please plan to "attend" so I won't be talking to myself for an hour.) I'll put the link up on the blog/facebook/and twitter tomorrow, so look for it!

I'm also doing a number of in person events in the next few weeks including:
July 7th: Grave Memory release party and second annual Fantastical Mystery Tour. This year we once again will have lots of great authors for the event, including Rachel Aaron, James Tuck, John Hartness, AJ Hartley, Misty Massey, and possibly more! We'll be at the Barnes and Noble on Forest Drive in Columbia, SC from 4-7pm and will do two talks, a Q&A, a signing, and drawings for free stuff (including a nook!) Mark your calanders, this is an event not to be missed. July 8th: Signing at Barnes and Noble at 10000 Research Blvd in   Austin, Texas from 3-5pm.July 15th: Signing with Faith Hunter and D B Jackson at The Booknack in Rockhill, SC from 6-8pm.July 16th: Signing with Faith Hunter and D B Jackson at Barnes and Noble on Harbision in Columbia, SC from 6-8pmJuly 17th: Signing with Faith Hunter and D B Jackson at Books-a-million in Charlotte, NC from 6-8pm.I hope you'll join me for some of these events. I'd love to see you. Okay, now to go write so I don't start pacing and counting down the hours until the release. ^_^

Happy Monday everyone.-Kalayna Price

Fantastical Mystery Tour: Spotlight Rachel Aaron

[Check out the spotlight on John Hartness and James Tuck for a chance to win more books!]

Continuing our series of Fantastical Mystery Tour authors is Rachel Aaron, an amazing author and good friend of mine. She told me to tell you that she is an absolute genius and to read her books. *Ahem* Moving on. ^_^ (She really is a genius and you should read her books, btw--I just like picking on her.)

Rachel writes an adventure fantasy series called the Legend of Eli Monpress about a charming wizard thief and all the trouble he gets into. This series is rather hysterical (the first scene includes the main character conversing with a door. Really you have to check it out) but it has a lot of depth and not a little bit of darkness too. If you like adventure fantasy, you should definitely check out Spirit Thief, which is now available as part of an omnibus with the first three books in the series.

I'm carrying on again, so I'll skip to the description of the book.


Eli Monpress is talented. He's charming. And he's a thief. But not just any thief. He's the greatest thief of the age - and he's also a wizard. And with the help of his partners - a swordsman with the most powerful magic sword in the world but no magical ability of his own, and a demonseed who can step through shadows and punch through walls - he's going to put his plan into effect. The first step is to increase the size of the bounty on his head, so he'll need to steal some big things. But he'll start small for now. He'll just steal something that no one will miss - at least for a while.

Like a king.






About Rachel:

Rachel Aaron is the author of The Legend of Eli Monpress series, an adventure fantasy about a dangerously charming gentleman thief who also happens to be a wizard, his swordsman, their monster, and the poor bastards who have to try and stop them from stealing whatever they like. The fourth book in the series, The Spirit War, has just been released. You can learn more about Rachel and read free chapters at www.rachelaaron.net





Now is the time I give something away! (I'm going to go broke at this rate. LOL But I love you guys and I want to give you chances to win lots of things.) Today I'm giving away a copy of THE ELI MONPRESS omnibus. To enter simply leave a comment on the blogger blog letting me know the first fantasy book you ever read. I'll announce the winner Tuesday July 3rd during the online release party for GRAVE MEMORY. (contest open internationally)

And remember, all authors in this series will be at the Fantastical Mystery Tour on Saturday, July 7th from 4-7pm at the Barnes and Noble on Forest Drive in Columbia, SC. I hope you'll come out and see us in person!

Okay, I'm headed off to FandomFest! The series will continue while I'm gone, so check back. And if you're going to FandomFest, I hope you'll stop by to chat. I'd love to see you!


-Kalayna Price

Fantastical Mystery Tour: Spotlight on John Hartness

[If you missed the first post in this series, click here to see more info on James Tuck and don't forget to enter to win a copy of Blood and Bullets!]

For the second post in the Fantastical Mystery Tour series, I'd like to move the spotlight to the amazing and completely unconventional John G. Hartness. I first met John at RoundCon and I've made a point of running into him at other events because this guy is awesome. He's an unabashed redneck who writes about snarky vampires (among other things)--what's not to love? He's had a rather unusual path to publication and considers himself a hybrid writer as he both self-publishes and traditionally publishes his work. I don't usually talk about many self-published books, but John has a voice that will entangle you from the first page. I laughed so much while reading HARD DAY'S KNIGHT, the first book in the Black Night Chronicles, that the head minion came to see what I was reading. John also recently started a youtube book review/interview series where he pairs books with drinks. If you want to laugh, check it out HERE.

And now more about Hard Day's Knight:

Children are missing.

The police are stumped.

Halloween is coming, with an ancient evil on the horizon.

The vampires are the good guys.

This is not your ordinary fall weekend in Charlotte, NC. Vampire private detectives Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood have been hired to keep a young client from being cursed for all eternity, but end up in a bigger mess than they ever imagined.

Suddenly trapped in the middle of a serial kidnapping case, Jimmy and Greg uncover a plot to bring forth an ancient evil into the world, and enlist the help of a police detective, a priest, a witch, a fallen angel and strip club proprietor to save the world. This unlikely band of heroes battles zombies, witches, neuroses and sunburn while cracking jokes and looking for the perfect bag of O-negative.


Sound fun? They are.  John, being rather prolific, has a good half dozen other novels available in e-book and/or print, including an omnibus of BUBBA the MONSTER HUNTER stories. (Remember what I said about being an unabashed redneck? hehe.)

 And a little more about John:
John G. Hartness is a recovering theatre geek who likes loud music, fried pickles and cold beer. John is an award-winning poet, lighting designer and theatre producer, whose work has been translated into over 25 languages and read worldwide.
John has been called "the Kevin Smith of Charlotte," and fans of Joss Whedon and Jim Butcher should enjoy his snarky slant on the fantasy genre.
He can be found online at www.johnhartness.com and spends too much time on Twitter, especially after a few drinks.
For more information about appearances, signings, and other silliness, feel free to follow John on Twitter (@johnhartness), or on his website www.johnhartness.com.

Now it's time for the giveaway! As John writes about snarky vamps, today's question is this: Who is your favorite vampire in fiction and why? Just leave the answer in the comments on the Blogger blog for a chance to win a copy of Hard Day's Knight. I'll announce the winner Tuesday July 3rd during the online release party for GRAVE MEMORY.

And remember, all authors in this series will be at the Fantastical Mystery Tour on Saturday, July 7th from 4-7pm at the Barnes and Noble on Forest Drive in Columbia, SC. I hope you'll come out and see us in person! -Kalayna Price

Fantastical Mystery Tour: Spotlight on James Tuck

To prepare for the release of GRAVE MEMORY and the upcoming Second Annual Fantastical Mystery Tour, I thought I'd start a series to spotlight the Authors who will be participating in the tour. And of course, I'll give away books during each spotlight. Sound good?

Today I'd like to start the series with a spotlight on James R Tuck, the author of the Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty Hunter series. I first met James last year at DragonCon before his first book, BLOOD AND BULLETS was released. But Dragon is huge and we didn't have much time to talk. I ran into him again at ConCarolinas, and I have to say, this is one guy you want to hang out with. He is smart and witty and all around fun, so don't let the fact he looks like a scary bouncer intimidate you--he is totally approachable. He is also one of the people who talked me into my last minute decision to join Fandomfest, so if you'll be at the con, make sure you go chat him up.

Okay, enough of my blathering and let's move on to the blurb for James's debut novel, Blood and Bullets:

He lives to kill monsters. He keeps his city safe. And his silver hollow-points and back-from-the-dead abilities help him take out any kind of supernatural threat. But now an immortal evil has this bad-ass bounty hunter dead in its sights. . .


Ever since a monster murdered his family, Deacon Chalk hunts any creature that preys on the innocent. So when a pretty vampire girl "hires" him to eliminate a fellow slayer, Deacon goes to warn him--and barely escapes a vampire ambush. Now he's got a way-inexperienced newbie hunter to protect and everything from bloodsuckers to cursed immortals on his trail. There's also a malevolent force controlling the living and the undead, hellbent on turning Deacon's greatest loss into the one weapon that could destroy him. . .

Sound good? I think so! It's definitely on my kindle set to be my next read. (By the way, Blood and Bullets is only 2.99 on kindle right now.) James also has a 'prequel' to the series called THAT THING AT THE ZOO available in ebook, and the sequel, BLOOD AND SILVER that will be out August 7th.

And a little more about James:

James R. Tuck is the author of the Deacon Chalk series from Kensington. He is a former bouncer and a professional tattoo artist in the Atlanta area. He lives just north of there with his lovely wife, two lovely children, and four dogs of varying degrees of lovliness. He writes dark urban fantasy that makes the nerve under your eye twitch.
www.jamesrtuck.com



Now on to the giveaway I promised. I'm giving away one copy of Blood and Bullets to a randomly drawn commentor. Simply leave a comment on the Blogger blog (click the link if you are reading this somewhere else) telling me about the last book you read that you'd recommend. I'll draw a winner on Monday to be announced during the online release party of Grave Memory on Tuesday, July 3rd. (Contest open internationally) -Kalayna Price

T-Shirt Winners

I have cranked up the random number generator and drawn three winners for the T-Shirt contest. Congratulations:
Nicola
Melissa
and
Maria A.

Thank you everyone who entered! And again, congratulations to the winners. If you will write me at Contests (AT) Kalayna (DOT) Com with the t-shirt design you want as well as the desired size, I'll get those in the mail to you.

In other news, please check the blog tomorrow as I will start a series of contests for the books of my fellow Fantastical Mystery Tour authors. Stay tuned!

Happy Monday everyone.-Kalayna Price

The Second Annual Fantastical Mystery Tour

[If you haven't entered yet, scroll down for a chance to win an Alex Craft or Haven themed t-shirt!]

 You've heard about the Second Annual Fantastical Mystery Tour, right? This massive signing event will feature seven amazing fantasy authors who will give two talks (one geared toward readers and one toward writers),  have a Q&A session, a signing (of course), and will give away several gift baskets. This event also doubles as my official release party for Grave Memory and to celebrate I'll be giving away a NOOK. For one night only, we'll be at the Barnes and Noble on Forest Drive in Columbia, SC from 4-7pm on July 7th. (3400 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC 29204)

This event was tons of fun last year, and I anticipate it to be even better this year. So, I hope you'll mark your calendars and come out to the event. We'd love to see you there! 

Schedule:
4-5pm: Short panel and an open-forum question and answer with the attendees.
5-6:30pm: Book Signing followed by the drawing for door prizes.
6:30-7pm: short panel geared toward writers and those interested in the writing process.

Attending Authors:
Rachel Aaron
Delilah S Dawson
A. J. Hartley
John Hartness
Misty Massey
Kalayna Price
James R Tuck

RSVP: (not necessary, but gives us an idea how many people to expect)
Facebook
Goodreads

Have a great Wednesday everyone!



-Kalayna Price

Fandomfest Schedule

[If you haven't seen it yet, scroll down to check out the current contest for a chance to win an Alex Craft or Haven themed t-shirt!]

June 28-July 1st I'll be in Louisville, Kentucky for Fandomfest. This will be my first time at Fandomfest, so I'm very excited but a little nervous. If you see me looking lost and alone, please come talk to me. (Even if I don't look lost and alone, come talk to me! I love talking to new and old friends alike.)  The panels look great, and I'll be at a table with John Hartness and James Tuck, so I think this will be an awesome conference. I hope I'll see you there. Here is my schedule:

Friday:
5:30pm
Using Folklore in Fiction (Wilson Room)
Folklore is at the heart of much of today’s speculative fiction, whether the genre is paranormal romance, fantasy, urban fantasy, or many others.  This panel features a discussion on integrating folklore into your fiction, with a few people that know more than a thing or two about the topic!
Panel Features: Sarah Adams, Tally Johnson (M), A Christopher Drown, Marian Allen, Gail Z Martin, Kalayna Price

Saturday:
11:30am
World Building Part I: How to Approach It (Taylor Room)
World building elements are a part of all areas of speculative fiction, not just the genres like Epic Fantasy.  But there are always lots of things to think about when designing a new land or world for a story, and this panel will explore the right ways to approach this task.
Panel Features: Scott Sandridge, Janice Hardy, Thomas Paul Barczack, Tracy Chowdhury, Kirk Stevens (M), Kalayna Price

5:30pm
Exploring Genres: Urban Fantasy (Beckham Room)
Urban Fantasy has evolved and expanded over the years, and our panel will take a look at where it is now, and where it is going.  Strengthened by hit TV series, movies, and the exploding popularity of eBooks, urban fantasy is one of the strongest speculative fiction genres without a doubt!
Panel Features: James Tuck, Kimberly Richardson, Richard Kadrey, Angie Fox Carol Malcolm (M) Rachel Smith, Kalayna Price

Sunday:
1:00pm
The Big 6 and Traditional Press’ Place in Today’s Publishing World: (Beckham Room)
Panel Features James Tuck (M), Kalayna Price, Laura Resnick, Michael Williams, Richard Kadrey




-Kalayna Price