Elizabeth Hunter's Blog, page 40
June 9, 2012
Thank you for reading.
Dear Readers,
Last October, I published a book. It was called A Hidden Fire. For a few readers, it was anticipated. I had been posting teasers and bits of it on my blog for a while. I had written about my journey in independent publishing and my reasons for taking this path. So, from the beginning, there have been some very dedicated readers who have followed me on this crazy ride.
Earlier this week, I published the fourth and final book in this small series, A Fall of Water. I could never have anticipated the response that it would bring. Readers e-mailing me to tell me how much they were looking forward to it. Tweets. Facebook posts. Blog posts and forum threads. Offers of home-baked pecan pies in return for early copies of the book. (You know who you are.) It was incredibly flattering.
When I sold a modest number of books in October, I was grateful. But this response—the response of so many—to the last Elemental Mysteries book and news of an expanded series set in this world. This response has been more than I could have hoped for nine months ago.
Thank you.
Your response, your encouragement, your reviews and your continued support of this series are amazing. Life-changing in ways you could not possibly realize. Thank you for making this release for A Fall of Water my best release yet.
Thanks to all the amazing bloggers who participated in the tour, and thanks to the Goodreads group, Gotta Have Paranormal Romance with a Kick, for the fun Q&A Forum. I had a blast, ladies!
As a thank you, I’m unlocking the prologue to Carwyn’s book, Building From Ashes, which will be released this winter. No, I don’t have a more specific date than that, but I promise I will let you know when I do.
Thank you for buying my books, thank you for reviewing, thank you for telling your friends. Happy readers are my best advertising. You rock.
Thank you for reading,
Elizabeth
June 5, 2012
Official Release: A Fall of Water: Elemental Mysteries Book Four
Today is the official release day for A Fall of Water, the final book of the Elemental Mysteries series, and the conclusion of Giovanni and Beatrice’s story.
Sincere thanks to all of you readers who have stuck with me through this journey and a special thanks to the bloggers (many of whom are participating in the blog tour this week) who took a chance on reading and giving your time to a brand-new writer last fall. Thanks to all of you who read, recommended the series to friends or relatives, and who took the time to review.
Here’s what reviewers have to say about A Fall of Water:
A truly epic conclusion of the amazing series! Fast-paced, breathtaking, romantic without sugary sweetness, sexy and in some ways unexpected. My mind is still reeling… and Beatrice kicked ass, by the way!
–Nocturnal Book Reviews
What I love the most about A Fall of Water is that Elizabeth Hunter has continued to grow the characters I know and love, while still introducing new ones into the story to keep it fresh. I was very happy that I got to read about all my favorite characters in this last book.
–Bending the Spine
It breaks my heart to say goodbye to the characters and this story but this was really one of the perfect ending for a series. If you are a fan of paranormal vampire novels,Elemental Mysteries is a MUST read.
–The Nerd in Heels
So, I really liked A Fall of Water which wraps up the four book story arc for Gio and B with lots of one on one time for B and Gio, lots of action, and the answers to the mysteries that have been unfolding over the course of the Hunter’s Elemental Mysteries Series.
–Melindeeloo, Amazon Top 500 reviewer
Buy your copy of A Fall of Water today at:
Createspace (paperback)
Please note, I have also enabled expanded distribution on ALL my paperback books now, so they are available for direct sale or order through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and most independent bookstores. You just have to ask!
And enter here for the Grand Prize Giveaway for the blog tour, a signed paperback of A Fall of Water, or the complete e-book set of the series!
June 4, 2012
A Fall of Water Blog Tour Begins Today!
Happy Monday, everyone!
I’m pleased to let you know that (though it’s a day early) A Fall of Water is now live on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and even Createspace (paperback)! I’m also thrilled to be featured today on I Read Indie Book Blog, Bending the Spine, The Nerd in Heels, and Sapphyria’s Book Reviews! The book is getting great reviews, and I’m thrilled that readers are so pleased with the final chapter of Gio and B’s story.
I also wanted to mention the great Q&A over at Gotta Have Paranormal Romance with a Kick that I’m participating in this week. There are some wonderful questions posted already about the series and future work. I’d love to see you over there in the forum.
And don’t forget about the Blog Tour Giveaway going on all this week over at ElizabethHunterWrites.com. Answer a question, leave a comment, and you’re entered to win a signed paperback of A Fall of Water OR a complete e-book set of the four Elemental Mysteries books!
Have a wonderful week and thanks for reading,
Elizabeth
May 30, 2012
The final teaser for A Fall of Water: Elemental Mysteries Book Four
Here it is, folks! The final teaser for A Fall of Water. December 2011
I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into the year that Gio and B were hidden away. I hope it’s given you a little insight into who they are and who they are becoming. And in less than a week, you’ll be able to read the final chapter of their story.
I’ve had so many readers ask if this is the end. For these characters, Giovanni Vecchio and Beatrice De Novo, it is. But one of the unexpected pleasures of writing this series has been the many wonderful characters who have grown with it. Most of you know that I’ve been working on a book for Carwyn, and I’m happy to say that I’m now well over half-way done with the manuscript for that book. It will be a stand-alone novel within the universe and though it will give insight into Carwyn’s part of the Elemental Mysteries, it is mostly his own story.
As for other books? Well, let’s just say I have a lot of ideas. And by the time you get to the end of A Fall of Water, you’ll have a fairly good idea of what some of them might be. (HINT: Read ALL the way to the end of the book, folks. I like to sneak things in.)
In the meantime, please enjoy the last teaser, and if you’re curious, you can email me for the password to the prologue of Carwyn’s book. It’s posted on the site, but it’s password protected right now.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be posting links for the blog tour next week!
Elizabeth
May 29, 2012
And the winner is…
Thank you to ALL the readers who took part in the ARC contest for A Fall of Water! I have so much review love for all three books and I really, truly appreciate it. I recently had an amazing weekend in San Francisco for my birthday, sandwiched by two relaxing train rides where I got not one, but TWO chapters of Carwyn’s book written! So, the writing block seems to have come to an end, thank goodness. And now, to announce the winner of the ARC contest for A Fall of Water…
Katrina! (no last name, but there was only one Katrina who entered)
Congratulations, Katrina, and thank you so much for your reviews of A Hidden Fire and This Same Earth. If you will drop me a quick email with your preferred reading format (ePub, mobi, PDF) I will send your ARC out today!
I also have a secret prize for everyone that sent in an entry. So be looking in your email today or tomorrow for a special link. 
Countdown to release for A Fall of Water is seven days, folks! Not long now.
~~~
And for those of you on Goodreads, I wanted to let you know about a special opportunity. The lovely reading group, Gotta Have Paranormal Romance with a Kick, has invited me to do a special Author Q&A next week for the Elemental Mysteries series. It is an open group, so I believe anyone can join, but you do have to be a member to post questions for me. I’ll be dropping in throughout the week to answer your burning questions about the final book, the future of the series, and what else I have swirling in the brainspace for the future.
~~~
As always, thanks for reading,
Elizabeth
May 24, 2012
Elemental Mysteries Playlists are posted and updated!
So, I held off on posting the playlists for The Force of Wind because the songs toward the end were really spoiler-ish, but I have updated them here if you want to take a look. I’ve also built a playlist for A Fall of Water. You’ll notice a lot of songs repeat, especially from the very first book, which is appropriate.
In many ways, A Fall of Water goes back to the first book. Back to beginnings for characters and their secrets. It’s about history and origins, so the songs on the playlist reflect that. The one song that I can never find, which is, in many ways, the song for the whole series, is an older song by Sarah Brightman called Anytime, Anywhere. I’ve posted a YouTube video of her performing it live. It is theatrical in… well, only the way Sarah Brightman can be, but the song is incredible. If you can, look up the lyrics and their translation online.
And here is the playlist for A Fall of Water, if you want to take a look. I’ll just give you the link, since I can never get those playlists to embed correctly.
http://www.playlist.com/playlist/23316160011
Happy almost-Friday, everyone!
May 23, 2012
New teaser and there’s still time to enter the ARC contest!
Hey all! Just a quick post today to let you know that the newest prologue teaser posted here. Also, there’s still time to enter the ARC contest! I haven’t received that many entries and there’s still five days left. Remember, ANY review is fine. It doesn’t have to be a positive one. Just honest! And if you’ve already reviewed any of the books, just send me the link where you posted and I’ll put you in the drawing.
Also, the first advanced review for A Fall of Water posted over on Goodreads. You might want to check it out! I was very flattered.
Hope you all have a great week. I’m a busy bee and going to be traveling this weekend for my birthday. I’ll post back again next week, hopefully well-fed and another year older.
Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth
May 16, 2012
In which the writer asks her readers for a metaphorical kick in the pants (oh, and did I mention it’s about Carwyn?)
Ah, life.
Life is weird. I was going to say funny, but weird is just a better adjective here. It’s Wednesday, which means you get a teaser from the Water prologue, which is posted here for you all. I also have another little peek ahead. Not at A Fall of Water, but at another upcoming book in the Elemental World.
Did I mention life is weird?
Sometimes the best laid plans go a little bit awry. And sometimes things you work really hard at fall apart, despite the best of intentions. Those of you who know me know that I’m a planner. (Well, at least in my writing; the rest of my life is up in the air.) I percolate a story. I timeline. I outline. I sketch. Blah, blah, blah. It’s really not all that interesting to readers, I know. But THEN I sit down and start writing. And usually, after all that planning, the writing part goes fairly fast.
But then, as I’ve said, life is weird.
My current work in progress is Carwyn’s book, which has the working title of Building from Ashes. It’s planned. It’s outlined. I know exactly what Carwyn’s story is, and how I want to tell it. In fact, up until the beginning of April, I was humming along with the writing. But then, life got really weird, which necessitated a move for my son and me back to Central California. Not a bad thing, necessarily. But unexpected and complicated.
And writing grinds to a halt.
Which is as it should be. Family is family and nothing trumps that. In the end, it’s all about family. But that also means that now that life is settling back into a new pattern, I’m having a hard time picking up the threads of this book and diving back in. I’m writing a little on a short story. I’m blogging a bit more. (For you fellow writers, I just put up a post over on my other site about the fine art of editing.) I’m outlining a new series I’m very excited about which explores shapeshifter mythology and is set in the American Southwest.
But I really want to finish Carwyn’s book! I love it. I love his story and his journey, which is so different from Gio and B’s. So, in order to give myself a kick in the pants, I’m posting a small teaser from the book in the hopes that your expectation and excitement can motivate me. It’s a tiny part that overlaps the prologue to Book Four, as a matter of fact, when Carwyn is in Cochamo. I’ll be posting more in the future, and hopefully that will prod me along with the writing part. But I know a lot of you Carwyn fans have been missing him. So take a look at a tiny part of Carwyn’s story, Building from Ashes. Leave me a comment if you like it. I hope you do.
~~~
A look ahead at Building from Ashes…
Valle de Cochamo, Chile
February 2011
“Squeal in terror, tiny human.”
“Forget it, old man. You’re going down.”
“You are wildly optimistic for a loser.”
“Keep trash talking, it’ll just make it sweeter when I—what was that?” Ben’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Carwyn’s coin count shoot up.
“Ha!”
“What was that? Where did those coins come from?”
“Catch up now, slow-poke.” Carwyn quickly punched in another cheat code, and his car shot forward.
“You’re cheating at Mario Kart! I thought you were supposed to be a priest!”
“Doesn’t mean I’m a good one.”
The young man was indignant. “Cheater!” Ben furiously pressed buttons to steer around the cars that had bunched up in front of him, but Carwyn only grinned as the checkered flag waved and electronic confetti sprinkled down across the screen. He stood, raising his arms in a victorious pose.
“And I am, again, the undefeated champion of—oof!” Ben tackled him from behind, but Carwyn only laughed and let him knock him to the floor.
“You’re such a cheater! Why do I even play with you?”
“Because I’m the only one here who doesn’t fry the equipment?”
Ben punched his arm and rolled off the giant vampire. Carwyn was still laughing and gasping for breath.
“Well, I’m not playing with you again unless it’s Resident Evil.”
“Oh,” Carwyn pouted. “You always win at that one.”
“Damn right, I do. I kick your ass at killing zombies.”
Isabel’s voice drifted in from the front porch. “Language, Ben.”
Ben rolled his eyes at her voice, but Carwyn tapped him on the back of the head, shaking his head and giving the boy a look. Isabel may have been the strictest of his children—and the most devout—but Carwyn wouldn’t put up with any disrespect from Giovanni’s nephew, who was staying with Isabel and Gus while Giovanni took care of Beatrice.
The quiet valley in South America had changed little in the previous hundred years. They still brought most things in by horse or boat. There were no roads and only a few tourists during the busy season, which they happened to be in the middle of. The balmy southern air of the valley brought travelers from the Northern Hemisphere to enjoy the rock-climbing, hiking, and horseback trails that still ran through the mountains. It was a pocket of wild in a rapidly changing world, and the perfect refuge for a close-knit clan of earth vampires. Giovanni Vecchio and his new wife, Beatrice De Novo, had become adopted members of the clan.
“Ben!” Isabel’s husband, Gustavo, called from outside. “Time to practice.”
The boy’s head fell back and he groaned. “Not wrestling again.”
Carwyn shoved him up. “Go. Practice. Or you’ll never hear the end of it from your aunt.”
The quick sadness flashed in the boy’s eyes. He hadn’t seen Beatrice in months, and Carwyn knew any reunion was still months away as Beatrice learned to control her blood-lust.
“Okay.” As always, Ben immediately complied when Beatrice was brought up. He dragged himself off the floor and stomped outside for his jiu jitsu lesson from Gustavo.
Like [giant spoiler removed, sorry people] Beatrice was a new vampire, and far too unpredictable and hungry to be safe around humans, even humans she loved. So Ben spoke to her on the radio phone a few times a week and saw his uncle at Isabel and Gus’s house for lessons. But Carwyn could tell that the boy was still lonely in the strange place. Luckily, he knew the time would fly.
For mortals, it always did.
~~~
And there’s a quick peek at Carwyn’s story. If I get some writing done on it this week, maybe I’ll give you another little teaser next week, too.
Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth
P.S. Don’t forget that you can still enter to win an ARC of Book Four! Check out the details here. I haven’t had all that many entries yet.
May 14, 2012
A note to my readers and a chance to win an ARC of Elemental Mysteries Book Four!
Dear Readers,
It’s been a crazy journey with you these past eight months. Since October, I’ve published the first three books of the Elemental Mysteries series and been able to meet and correspond with so many readers and bloggers. I am incredibly blessed.
Now, in only a few weeks, the fourth book of the series will be published and Gio and B’s story will come to an end. It’s bittersweet, but I’m looking forward to more books in the Elemental Mysteries world. I think one unexpected turn in writing this series has been the rich and layered world that has developed, along with a lot of supporting characters that readers are very interested in, and I’m looking forward to telling their stories in the future. I’m also working on a new paranormal fiction series, some short stories, and new books in different genres. If you are interested in future books and haven’t subscribed to my author site, ElizabethHunterWrites.com I’d really encourage you to do that!
I am incredibly grateful to all of you who write me, tweet me, mention or comment on the Facebook page, and tell your friends and family about the book. Unlike a big publishing house, I don’t have a publicity department. I have better. I have my readers! You all are the best advertising in the world, and I’m especially grateful to those of you who have taken the time to leave reviews where you bought the book.
Many readers don’t understand how vital reviews are in getting the word out about a book or a series, and I’ll be very honest, it’s something that I’ve struggled with. For my book rankings and sales, the Elemental Mysteries books have very low review numbers. Which means, I’ve had lots of people buying and reading the series, but not very many are reviewing on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords, which makes it harder for new readers to discover it or take it seriously. At the same time, it feels a lot like pandering or begging to ask readers to pleasepleaseplease leave reviews for a book. After all, you’ve already bought it, you’re under no obligation to help me out further!
I’ve been hoping to increase my review numbers, but have been wondering what to do. I’m not withholding teasers until I get X number of reviews. I’m not holding back publication of sequels or outtakes. Instead, I’m going to give you stuff early! After much thought, I’ve decided to run a contest. I’ve been wanting to give away a reading copy of the ARC for A Fall of Water and I think that this is the way to do it.
I’ve decided is that, for ANY review (good, bad, or indifferent) you send me the link to, I will enter you into the drawing for the Advanced Readers Copy. That means, if you’ve already reviewed, just send me the link! You’re entered, and you can enter up to three times, because there are three books. Please keep in mind, Goodreads reviews are great, but they will not count for this contest. This is for reviews where you bought your copy of the book. It absolutely does not have to be a five star review, or even a positive one, for that matter! I’m looking for honest reviews that will help other readers choose whether the Elemental Mysteries series is a good buy for them. You may like the book, but not think it’s a good for people who like XYZ, and that’s fine! Let readers know in a review and send me the link. You’re still entered.
I’m running this contest for two weeks, so starting today and going until May 28, you will be entered to win an ARC of A Fall of Water any time you review any of my books and email me the link(s) at ElizabethHunterWrites@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading (and reviewing!),
Elizabeth
May 10, 2012
Cover reveal: A Fall of Water
~~~
Coming June 5, 2012
The finale of the Elemental Mysteries series
A FALL OF WATER
~~~
“No secret stays hidden forever.”
Still grieving from their loss in the far East, Giovanni Vecchio and Beatrice De Novo discover that for them, all roads really do lead to Rome. But nothing is quite as it seems in the Eternal City. Joined by Carwyn and Tenzin, unexpected clashes greet them almost immediately, and rivalries churn beneath the glittering facade of the old Roman court. They quickly realize that allies might be enemies, and ancient rivals could hold the key to a deadly secret.
Giovanni and Beatrice will be forced to call on old alliances, ancient power, and fierce cunning to survive for the eternity they both desire. Sometimes, finding the end means going back to the beginning. Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water finally meet with devastating results in the conclusion of the Elemental Mysteries.
