Lisa Shearin's Blog, page 5

Snippet from The Phoenix Illusion & only 1 WEEK until pub date!

Only one more week to wait! Next Tuesday, November 6, is Election Day here in the US (please vote!), and release day for The Phoenix Illusion.

We’ll be finalizing the formatting for the last ebook version in the next day or two, and then I’ll be uploading everything to the distributors I use for print and ebooks. Audible will be releasing the audio version on Nov. 6 as well.

AS SOON AS, I have preorder/sales links, I’ll post them here. OR if you want the links sent directly to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter (see link in the right nav bar).     

Here’s the final snippet before you can get your hands on the entire book:

The helicopter waiting for us was large, black, and unless my sleep-deprived eyes deceived me, came complete with machine guns mounted on either side.

Cool. That is, unless Mr. Moreau thought we’d be needing them.

Ian noticed my apprehension. “We’ll be flying into Nellis. This is one of their birds. SPI has contacts in all the military branches. We’ve scratched their backs, they scratch ours. Help when help is needed.”

He didn’t elaborate further, and to tell you the truth, the only thing I wanted to know about SPI and black helicopters was could I catch a few winks over the engine noise.

We got in and took off, and as far as I was concerned, we were flying way too low. It was pretty much all desert below us, but I still thought we were entirely too close to it.

“This feels like dragon flight, but without the wind in your face,” Tam told us. “My team and I flew from the coast of Aquas inland to Nidaar on battle dragons that were about this size.”

“How long did it take to get there?” I asked.

“We left at sunset and arrived shortly after sunrise.”

Ben gave a low, impressed whistle.

Flying all night. In the open air. I couldn’t even begin to imagine. Nor did I want to.

Tam admired the gun outside the window. “Our dragons could breathe fire.”

“A Black Hawk can breathe Hellfire missiles,” Ian told him.

“Sounds impressive. What are—”

“Basically, a tube packed with explosives with a range of almost five miles.”

“That would be better than dragon fire,” Tam admitted, then his fangs flashed in a quick grin, “but not nearly as much fun.”

“I’ve never flown a dragon, but I think I’d have to agree with you.”

“If you visit our world, I could make arrangements.”

Now it was Ian’s turn to grin. “I just might take you up on that.”

 

The Phoenix Illusion — Cover art & snippet

Two weeks until The Phoenix Illusion (November 6) is available in print, ebook, and Audible! 

I’ve gotten questions about why it’s not available for pre-order yet. My book designer was on vacation for three weeks, and she just got back. I proofed and approved the print version this weekend, and I’ll be doing the same to the ebook versions in the next day or so. The cover art is ready to go. See below for the awesome cover Julie Dillon created for me!

Long story short, I’ll be submitting the book files and cover to my various distributors hopefully by the end of this week. Then it’s in their hands as to how fast they get it up for pre-orders. Hopefully it won’t take long. Rest assured, as soon as they go live, I’ll send out another newsletter with all the links. Y’all will hear about it here first.

Here’s today’s snippet. . .and under that is Julie’s glorious cover!

I kept regular daylight office hours at SPI. Usually. Unless something big was going down, then I went until I couldn’t go any more. The forces of evil didn’t clock in and out, so neither could I.

My problem was that when I was borderline exhausted, more often than not, exhaustion brought along her good friend insomnia.

Insomnia was a jerk.

In addition, my subconscious had brought paranoia, fear, and inadequacy to the sleepover.

I did meditative breathing. No go. I tried counting sheep, but just as I was starting to doze off, the fluffy little sheep turned into zombie sheep and attacked me.

Here’s your weekly snippet from The Phoenix Illusion

Only about three weeks until The Phoenix Illusion releases on November 6 in print, ebook, and audio! Without further ado, here’s your weekly snippet: 

“Are pets allowed?” I whispered to Rake.

Werewolves had great hearing, too. Right now, Yasha and Kitty were relaxing in the hot tub out on the terrace to try to take the edge off Yasha’s werewolf urges. The tub was surrounded by what the hotel’s website called the Zen Garden. Since it was completely private, Yasha was letting his hair down, so to speak, for as long as he could before he had to bottle it up with a glamour for tonight. He was pretty much still in his human form, but jeez, was he furry.

Rake kept his voice down, too. “In this suite, anything’s allowed if you’re willing to pay to repair the aftermath. Within reason.”

Kitty had just skimmed a handful of hair the length of Christmas tinsel off the top of the water.

“Is werewolf fur in the hot tub jets within reason?”

“Completely.”

“We’re gonna need more towels.”

“They’re on their way up.”

“He is like a sasquatch,” Ben said in awe.

Ian didn’t even look up from his phone’s screen. “Sasquatches have less hair.”

Snippet from The Phoenix Illusion featuring a special guest

A little less than a month until The Phoenix Illusion is out! I can’t wait for you guys to read this one. There are twists, turns, and surprises — but most of all, there’s tons of fun and laughs. We can all use fun- and laugh-filled time away from the real world right now, and I can promise that The Phoenix Illusion will deliver. And while I didn’t plan it this way, the release date is Tuesday, November 6 — Election Day here in the US.

For those of you who haven’t read my Raine Benares series, and aren’t familiar with Rake’s cousin Tamnais (Tam) Nathrach, here’s the cover from Treasure & Treason. In The Phoenix Illusion, people keep mistaking them for twins.

Here’s the snippet. Hope you enjoy it!

I sensed her before I saw her.

A mage of the darkest variety.

Griselda Ingeborg was at the baccarat table. Her white beaded gown was slit up to there and had a neckline that nearly plunged down far enough to meet it. Her blond hair was piled high and sparkled here and there with jeweled pins. She wore diamonds. Lots of diamonds. The men in the immediate vicinity were captivated by the ones that fell between her ample breasts.

That was what everyone saw. My seer vision saw a black haze that shifted with her every movement, like fog. It was the aura of a mage who regularly engaged in the blackest of magic, so much so that it left a permanent imprint on her.

Then I saw what Ben had seen. It may not have been the most intriguing in terms of bodily placement, but it was what we were looking for. Griselda was wearing a Sythsaurian teleportation cuff. Naturally, it was encrusted with diamonds, so many that the green crystal in the center was barely noticeable.

Rake’s lips twitched at the corners. “Tam’s going in for a little reconnaissance.”

“Poor guy,” I muttered. “Having to take one for the team.”

“A giving man, my cousin. Always thinking of others.”

Tam was slicing through the crowd with the ease of a wolf carving a path through a flock of sheep, his primal instinct focused on one blond sheep. People got out of his way. Tam had some seriously potent come-hither, and that he was wearing his hair loose like a sheet of midnight silk only intensified it. Heads turned, breaths quickened, and a couple of drinks were dropped. Griselda looked up and I swear I saw her pupils dilate from where we were.

Rake had done it to me before. I knew how my body had reacted. If Griselda was female and breathing, she was on the receiving end of much the same effect.

Snippet from The Phoenix Illusion & new series news

A little over a month to go until The Phoenix Illusion releases on November 6! Every Monday between now and then, I’ll be posting a snippet. And this Friday, I’ll post the first three chapters.

My book design/production person is on vacation until the middle of this month, so that’s why I don’t have the book up for pre-order yet. Depending on how quickly we can process it through, The Phoenix Illusion may not be available for pre-order (sorry!), but it WILL be available on November 6.

What I’m working on now: I’m writing the first three chapters for the first book in my new paranormal thriller series. The idea has been bouncing around in my writer brain for the past few years, and it’s finally ready to see the light of day. More details to follow.

**If you’d like news about upcoming books and new projects delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter. 

Here’s your Monday Snippet: 

Ian and I were going to see what Kenji had dug up about the previous building disappearances.

I’d made the mistake of checking Twitter. According to every news source, I was now dating a billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and superhero.

So much for running under the radar.

When Ian and I got off the elevator on the floor where the agent cube farm was located, I was greeted accordingly.

“Yo, Pepper Potts!” came a shout from somewhere in the middle of the walled warren of offices.

“Bite me!” I yelled back.

That earned me some cheers and whistles.

As we made our way to the far corner and the IT department, Alain Moreau’s cultured voice came over the PA: “A reminder that tomorrow at noon in the cafeteria will be a Lunch and Learn on troll interpersonal relations and cultural taboos. After last week’s incident, it’s apparent that some of you could use a refresher. It’s open to anyone who wants to attend, but for Agent Team Delta, it’s mandatory.”

“Ooooh,” went up from the bullpen.

Snippet from The Phoenix Illusion

As promised, here’s the first of the weekly snippets from the upcoming (November 6) The Phoenix Illusion (SPI Files 6). Beginning next week, I’ll be posting them every Monday until release day: 

*To get the snippets (and any other book news) delivered directly to your inbox, subscribe to my newsletter. 

“Reptilian invaders from outer space?” Kitty asked, when Tam had finished. “I guess the trope had to have to come from somewhere.”

“Bi-pedal alien lizard invaders sounds better than what we have on our hands right now,” I said.

“It sounds like a movie I saw once on Mystery Science Theater 3000,” Ian said.

“A bad movie,” Rake muttered.

“But in a good way,” I added. “I like MST.”

“They’re all bad movies on MST.” My partner glanced around. Yasha hadn’t come back yet. “Don’t tell Yasha I said that. He thinks those movies are the golden age of film.”

“I heard that,” Yasha called from the kitchen.

I thought for a moment. “Which brings up something I’ve wondered about, especially since coming to work at SPI. Why do we keep trying to contact extraterrestrials? Hasn’t it occurred to anyone that there are homicidal maniacs in space the same as there are here? What are the chances that if we do make contact, we’ll attract the attention of cute, little ET aliens instead of a race of lizards who think all we’re good for is food?”

Ian leaned back and stretched his legs out in front of him. “Hopefully we’re too far down on the evolutionary scale to be worth noticing.”

“Or taste bad,” Yasha added, padding back from the kitchen. Getting words around his increasingly werewolfy dental work was a challenge. “Space travel must be like road trip. You do not stop at places with bad food. Little green men have been here before. Have not been back.” The Russian werewolf shrugged. “Earth must be greasy truck stop of universe.”

“We can only hope, buddy,” Ian said. “We can only hope.”

Cover & jacket copy for The Phoenix Illusion

Just wanted to pop in and tell you that yes, things are happening, and The Phoenix Illusion will be available on Tuesday, November 6 in print, ebook and Audible. Pre-orders may not be available until a week or so before the release date ( sorry!), but the wait will be worth it. If you liked The Myth Manifestation, you’re gonna love The Phoenix Illusion. I think it’s the best SPI Files I’ve written so far.

I’ve attached the finished artwork from the marvelous Julie Dillon. Yep, Mac & Friends venture out of New York in this one–and they have special guest help from Rake’s cousin Tam Nathrach. ; )

Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting a snippet a week, and next Friday, October 5, I’ll post the first three chapters.

Here’s the jacket copy:

The agents of the Supernatural Protection & Investigation (SPI) are used to dealing with the weird and the wacky, but even they are stunned when a building from another world suddenly appears on an empty lot in New York. . .

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and it’s just my luck that my birthday party is literally crashed by a building from another planet. And it’s not just any building—it’s my goblin boyfriend’s house from his home world. SPI’s mission, to keep the public clueless about the supernatural, has us scrambling to find who did this and why, not to mention how.

The deeper we dig, the more we realize this incident is the opening gambit to a much larger event. Old enemies have combined forces with an even older nemesis to develop the means to kidnap an entire building and everyone in it. But who, or what, is their ultimate target? Finding out and getting to the mark before they do will require all hands on deck, including some extraterrestrial help from the goblin home world. We’re running out of time, and if we can’t get our act together, we’ll have front-row seats for the end of the world as we know it.

The Phoenix Illusion snippet — But wait, there’s more!

There was a knock on the door.

It couldn’t be the butlers; and if it were, they wouldn’t knock. Besides, Rake had turned down their services, instead preferring the comfort of walking around the suite unglamoured.

“Expecting anyone?” I asked Rake.

At the moment of the knock, he and Tam had simultaneously uncoiled from their chairs in a single smooth move. Ian and Gethen had been on their feet an instant later. Ian had a gun in his hand; Gethen was packing a red glow. Rake and Tam had no visible weapons, apparently counting on their innate badassery to deal with whatever was on the other side of the door.

I tossed a questioning glance at Ben. He shrugged. We followed.

By the time we got there, the door was open, and Ian had been engulfed by a huge, hairy whatever, and the goblins weren’t doing a thing to help.

Ben took a step back. “Is that a sasquat—”

“Yasha!” I squealed happily. A petite silvery-haired woman stepped around him. “Kitty!”

At the sound of my voice, Yasha tossed Ian aside, and I was now the target of his enthusiasm. Fortunately, I remembered to suck in all the air I could before my feet left the ground.

Before my face was buried in his chest fur, I saw my friend was the embodiment of tourist chic: Hawaiian shirt, cargo shorts, straw fedora, and Oakleys. Instead of the dreaded socks ‘n sandals combo, in true Yasha fashion, my werewolf buddy was sporting his favorite combat boots.

Take that fashion risk, Yasha. Own it.

When he put me down, I saw the fanny pack. Though I knew what had to be in there. One of his guns. As a werewolf, it wasn’t like Yasha needed protection. He just liked things that went boom.

As far as I was concerned, Ian was only one of my partners. Yasha was the other. Ian had my back, but Yasha had both our backs and then some. And the last time we’d dealt with a situation that could only be explained with physics that hurt my head, Kitty had been there to shut it down.

We had the goblin spellslinger trio for Marek and his gang, Ben for the rocks, Kitty for the sciencey woo-woo, and Yasha to kick any and all butts that deserved it.

The team was together.

Snippet from The Phoenix Illusion

A little something fresh from my writer brain for The Phoenix Illusion (coming November 6.)

There was a knock on the door.

It couldn’t be the butlers; and if it were, they wouldn’t knock. Besides, Rake had turned down their services, instead preferring the comfort of walking around the suite unglamoured.

“Expecting anyone?” I asked Rake.

At the moment of the knock, he and Tam had simultaneously uncoiled from their chairs in a single smooth move. Ian and Gethen had been on their feet an instant later. Ian had a gun in his hand; Gethen was packing a red glow. Rake and Tam had no visible weapons, apparently counting on their innate badassery to deal with whatever was on the other side of the door.

I tossed a questioning glance at Ben. He shrugged. We followed.

By the time we got there, the door was open, and Ian had been engulfed by a huge, hairy whatever, and the goblins weren’t doing a thing to help.

Ben took a step back. “Is that a sasquat—”

“Yasha!” I squealed happily.

The release date for The Phoenix Illusion is November 6!

Sorry I haven’t sent any newsletters for a while, but I thought you’d rather hear from me when I had important news, rather than to say “I’m still working on the next book.” Well, I am still working on the next book, but now I have a release date for it. Finally!

All versions of The Phoenix Illusion (ebook, print, and audiobook) will be released on Tuesday, November 6! It’s not available for pre-order yet, but as soon as it is, I’ll send out another newsletter with all the info you need to get your copy.

After all the parties involved agreed on that date, I realized that it sounded familiar. November 6 is also Election Day here in the US. For my US fans, do not sit this one out regardless of your political affiliation. Now is not the time for apathy. It’s never been more important for Americans to think long and hard about what we truly believe, the future we want for our country, and then to stand up and vote with the courage of our convictions.

Then, once you’re sporting an “I Voted!” sticker on your shirt, treat yourself to the relaxing beverage of your choice (adult or otherwise) and a copy of The Phoenix Illusion.

The utterly fabulous Julie Dillon is working on the cover, and I’ll be sure to send you a newsletter with the finished art. I can’t wait to see what Julie comes up with!

I’ll get back to work.

Lisa