Jared Millet's Blog, page 4
May 19, 2021
The Bone Collar: Cover Reveal
And... BOOM. Behold the cover to Book 2 of "The Battle for Majadan," straight from Olivia Pro Design. Of all the books I've written so far, this one is my favorite and I can't wait to unleash it. Here's an abbreviated version of the blurb, trimming out any spoilers from The Blood Prayer:
Moth Blackwater is the last of her kind.
Now that the Wight Lords have murdered her family, Moth is on the run half a world away in an ancient archipelago of sea-faring elves.
The Empress Tatiana, once a prisoner of the Wights, has ruled her island empire for two thousand years, but never has she turned her strength against the Wight Lords' evil.
In the midst of a desperate gamble to survive, Moth stumbles on the secret at the heart of Tatiana's reign and joins a conspiracy to dethrone the Empress herself.
But when all sides turn against her, when every friend becomes a foe, when the threat of destruction hangs over all she holds dear, can one lonely beggar girl stand against an Immortal?
No matter the odds, Moth will have to try.
The Bone Collar goes on presale June 1, to be published July 15.
May 10, 2021
Fantasy Maps, Freebies, and News, News, News
Man, do I love maps in fantasy novels. I love them so much that it’s often a deciding factor on what I read. If I open a book that I might be interested in, and there’s a gorgeous map of some other world inside... Yeah, that goes on my to-read list. Feel free to blame Tolkien; he started it all.
Of course, that means that once I’d scheduled my own fantasy series for publication, I just had to have maps for the books. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself otherwise! However, there’s a reason that I’m a writer instead of a visual artist. Give me a sheet of graph paper and I can produce a map good enough for an evening’s gaming session, but nothing that’s ready for prime time.
Thankfully, my brother Joel Millet shares none of these deficiencies. He took my crude sketches and turned them into the art you see here, that will also be appearing in my soon-to-be-released novel, The Blood Prayer. The map above is that of the world in which my series takes place, while the map below is of the city where all of Book 1’s action occurs.
Speaking of which:
The Blood Prayer is now available for pre-order!
“In a single night, the greatest city in the world is crushed beneath the heel of an angry, vengeful god. Amid the chaos and destruction, a young man fleeing from his past becomes a guide for a desperate band of survivors. When confronted by an enemy that cannot be defeated, they will each be forced to choose between their honor and their lives. The battle for the city of Majadan has begun.”The Blood Prayer will be available in ebook and paperback on June 1, 2021, but you can go ahead and reserve your ebook copy for the low, low price of 99¢ from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords.
Or... OR... and hear me out... You can sign up for my newsletter and get the book ten days early for FREE.
Fill out the form below and you’ll be sent a link to download my science fiction double feature The Orbit of Mercury: Two Stories for free. Then, on May 20, (barring an unforeseen EMP in low-earth orbit melting all of my digital backups) you’ll get another email with a link to download The Blood Prayer. For free.
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Here endeth the sales pitch. See you soon!
April 18, 2021
The Blood Prayer: Cover Reveal
Dear Readers, I can't tell you how excited I am. My next book has a cover and it's awesome!
The artwork was created by Oliva Pro Design, who does book covers and logos on Fiverr. I highly recommend her work. She also created the cover art for The Unwinding House and The Whisper, as well as the art for my friend Theresa Howard's The Reluctant Empress.
The Blood Prayer isn't up for preorder quite yet (I'll let you know when), but for all you Goodreads users out there, please click on through and hit that "Want to Read" button!
The Blood Prayer drops on ebook and in print on or about June 1. Here's the blurb:
The end of the world starts with a celebration.
Led by the greatest heroes of the age, Majadan’s army has driven back the hordes of the Madlands – or so the city’s protectors believe. In welcoming their soldiers home, they allow a foe inside the city gates more powerful than any they could imagine, an evil dark enough to end history itself, greeted with cheers and open arms.
Aust is a young man fleeing from his past, hiding in plain sight as a minstrel for a mercenary guild. His knowledge of Majadan’s secret ways has saved his life before, but this time he isn’t on his own. When the powers of Hell are set loose in the streets, Aust becomes a guide for a desperate band of survivors:
Eris, a warrior fighting to prove her worth; Vandal, a soldier without a cause or country; Jago, a man-wolf caught in a fight not his own; Moth, a nomad girl who is not entirely human; and Jenin, an elemental priestess from the Wild, haunted by sorrow and searching for a reason to die.
When confronted by an enemy that cannot be defeated, they will each be forced to choose between their honor and their lives. The world they know has drowned in blood and fire. The battle for the city of Majadan has begun.
March 7, 2021
The Whisper is FREE during "Read an Ebook Week"
From March 7 - 13, 2021, you can download my sci-fi noir adventure The Whisper for the low, low price of absolutely free at Smashwords.com. While you're at it, help yourself to many other great books by indie authors, all on deep discount sale. Not to toot my horn too much, but my short story collection The Unwinding House is currently available at half price!
Links galore below:
The Whisper - A phantom vigilante stalks the streets of the nation's capital while reporter Allan "Smithee" Jones chases the scoop of his life: an assassination plot by a sinister cabal using weapons and technology from the future.
The Unwinding House and Other Stories - Science fiction, horror, fantasy, and steampunk: Step into my House and let these tales Unwind!
Read an Ebook Week! Discover over 50,000 deep-discounted ebooks from thousands of authors and publishers before these incredible deals disappear.
October 19, 2020
Coming in 2021: The Battle for Majadan
What happens when heroes fail?
What happens when victory turns to ash?
What happens to those left to pick up the pieces?
The city of Majadan was the crossroad of nations, a haven for travelers, and the birthplace of heroes. For two thousand years we stood as a bastion against the hordes of the Madlands and their masters, the dreaded Wight Lords. After centuries of strife between the defenders of civilization and the Madlands’ undead kings, General Aidan Arkwright – the hero of the age – vowed to bring an end their reign.
When Aidan returned victorious, we citizens of Majadan threw a party fit for the gods – a celebration that few would survive. I was there when Aidan’s triumph drowned in blood and fire, and the fight to reclaim our city began. This is the tale of the end of the world, and the struggle of those who survived.
*
Here’s the plan with which I’m tempting fate: I’ve been working on this story on-and-off for a very long time. Next summer, it will see the light of day. After much gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, and enough revisions to make your eyes bleed, I hereby announce:
THE BATTLE FOR MAJADAN
The Blood Prayer(June 1, 2021)
The Bone Collar(July 15, 2021)
The Ghost Cauldron(September 1, 2021)
I’ll drop more details as those release dates approach, such as covers, excerpts, and when the books go up for presale. There will certainly be print copies for sale, but my intent is to make the ebook edition of The Blood Prayer available for free.
Stay tuned! And be warned: These books will be bloodier than a GWAR concert. Bring popcorn.
Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash
August 19, 2020
And Now... A Review!
"If you're a fan of classic Hollywood film noir, Flash Gordon, The Shadow, and Back to the Future, I have a feeling you'll enjoy The Whisper. The Whisper by Jared Millet is an addicting new noir mystery thriller with the right dash of sci-fi elements to make things extra interesting."
Many thanks to Lauren Stoolfire for her four star review of The Whisper on her book blog! You can also read her review on Reedsy Discovery and upvote my book in their weekly poll (hint hint, grin grin, wink wink, nudge nudge).
July 22, 2020
Online This Weekend: SciFi/Fantasy Fest!
Who says we can't have conventions this summer? Not the Hoover Public Library!
The library's annual SciFi/Fantasy Fest running from July 20-25 at HPLSciFi.com. Now that it's virtual, you can attend from anywhere in the world. I highly encourage you to do so; the Hoover Library puts on a great production every year, and it's a damn sight better for all of our mental health than doomscrolling on Facebook.
This year's SciFi/Fantasy fest is going ahead full steam in CyberSpace, where we SF fans knew these things were heading after we read Neuromancer in the 80s. There are tracks on Gaming, Comics, Writing, TV/Media, and a few panels that defy categorization. I'll be appearing in quite a few live panels, and the one we pre-recorded on The Meaning of Monty Python is already available for your viewing pleasure:
The rest of my panel schedule is as follows:
I've Written Something, Now What? Exploring Your Path to Publication
Bobby Nash, Patricia Correll, Jared Millet, Ingrid Seymour
July 24, 2020 - 9:30 PM EDT (8:30 PM CDT)
Are you a writer looking to become a published author? Unsure of what path to take? Traditional? Indie? Self-publishing? Join our group of authors as they weigh the pros and cons of each and share their experiences.
Internet Resources for Writers
Teresa Howard, Jared Millet, Matt Wyers, Bobby Nash, Patricia Correll
July 25, 2020 - 11:00 AM EDT (10:00 AM CDT)
Writers use the internet for many things from collaboration to marketing to self-publishing. Our panelists will discuss their favorite internet resources and what they would not recommend.
Show, Don't Tell: What Does That Even Mean?
Jared Millet
July 25, 2020 - 12:30 PM EDT (11:30 AM CDT)
“Show, Don’t Tell” is the most common advice given to new writers, but what does that statement mean in the context of creating fiction? Author Jared Millet will “show” how to create a more immersive reading experience through your prose.
Why So Serious? Pulp vs. Literature in Genre Fiction
Jared Millet, Sean Taylor, Denise Lhamon, Van Allen Plexico, Bobby Nash
July 25, 2020 - 3:30 PM EDT (2:30 PM CDT)
Science fiction as a genre was born in pulp magazines, but came of age when authors infused their work with literary prose. As SciFi becomes mainstream, can it retain its maturity and still crackle with the energy of its early days?
Writers Groups
Teresa Howard, Jared Millet, Matt Wyers, Bobby Nash, Patricia Correll
July 25, 2020 - 5:00 PM EDT (4:00 PM CDT)
Join this panel of authors as they discuss their experiences with writer’s groups both online and in person. They'll talk about writing events and groups such as National Novel Writing Month and the online Critters Writers Workshop, focusing on the benefits and drawbacks for new writers.
I hope to see you at the convention!
P.S. Enjoy some pulp fiction:
June 2, 2020
The Whisper - On Sale Now!
In 1958, a phantom vigilante stalks the District of Columbia on the heels of a shadowy cabal from the future. In the middle - Allan "Smithee" Jones, an intrepid reporter chasing the scoop of his life. A tip from a dead man puts Jones on the trail of an assassination plot, and into the cross-hairs of organized crime and the government itself. Even with the help of his ghostly protector, will Jones survive long enough to unravel a conspiracy, prevent a murder, and answer the question -
Who is The Whisper?
The pulp thrills of yesteryear meet the sci-fi adventure of today in this exciting, fast-paced novel from the author of The Unwinding House. Available in paperback and ebook from Amazon, and in ebook from Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and Scribd.
Dive into the world of The Whisper today!
May 19, 2020
The Whisper Is Coming - Preorder Now!
Here we go, readers! I'm unleashing The Whisper on Monday, June 1. If you've been starving for some fast-paced science fiction noir - and who hasn't? - then pre-order the ebook from any of these fine vendors:
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Smashwords - Kobo
"Wait, wait, wait! What's this book about?" It goes a little something like this:
CORRUPTION, TREASON, AND MURDERWashington, 1958: Intrepid newshound Allan Jones is chasing the scoop of his life – a political assassination plot by a sinister cabal known as JANUS. Unable to trust the authorities, Jones and his colleagues at The Washington Street have mere days to unravel JANUS’s secrets.
A GHOSTLY PROTECTOREnter The Whisper, a mysterious vigilante who saves Jones’s life before throwing him further into danger. Using futuristic devices to walk through walls and turn invisible, the Whisper can go anywhere and inform on anyone. Nevertheless, Jones never knows when he can count on the Whisper’s assistance, or whose side the Whisper is on.
A DEADLY RACE AGAINST TIMEAs the clock runs out, Jones finds himself homeless, penniless, and on the run from the police, the NSA, and the FBI. While JANUS and the Whisper do battle using impossible weapons of tomorrow, Jones must somehow uncover a conspiracy, prevent a murder, and survive long enough to let the truth be known.
The paperback will be available on June 1 as well.Sign up for your e-copy today!
April 8, 2020
"The Orbit of Mercury" is back - and Free!
Greetings from lockdown, somewhere in the middle of Atlanta!
With publication looming on my novel The Whisper (stay tuned for details), and with everyone out there stuck indoors, I've reissued my two-story ebook The Orbit of Mercury on Smashwords for the low, low price of no money whatsoever.
From the description:
“The Orbit of Mercury” – The common cat is almost extinct and their survival may hinge on one sickly member of the species living long enough to breed. But how do you get an ornery, uncooperative feline to take his medicine – in zero g?
“The Transit of Venus” – Growing up on the moon, a young girl named Venera has lived her whole life in the shadow of the loss of her family. She copes by starting a punk band, but on the eve of her proudest accomplishment, will she suffer a tragedy even she can't endure?
These two stories also appear in my collection The Unwinding House, but if you haven't dipped your toes in that one yet, then help yourself to this free sampler!
Just click right here to download and enjoy.
