Ari McKay's Blog, page 11
October 2, 2016
First re-home!
Ari and I are pleased to let everyone know that we’ve successfully started the re-homing process! We’ve revised and significantly expanded Letters from Cupid, one of our Valentine’s Day stories, and the second edition will be released in February, 2017, by Dreamspinner Press.
This is one of our favorite holiday stories, so we enjoyed revisiting it. We found several places where we could develop Macon and Derek’s budding relationship outside the letters, and we developed Macon himself more. While rereading it, we realized we hadn’t even identified what he teaches! So we made him part of the creative writing faculty in the department and had the book he was working on be a collection of short stories. We also let Mark — Derek’s ex, who breaks up with him at the beginning of the story — be a little more prominent.
Even though the revising and re-homing process has put some extra work on our plate that we didn’t expect, I’m finding it quite satisfying to go back and look at older works with an eye toward improving them. I think Letters from Cupid had room for growth, and I’m pleased with the changes we’ve made. Hopefully our readers will like them as well!
September 11, 2016
Striking Sparks cover!
Coming this December from Dreamspinner Press!
September 10, 2016
Changes
If you’re a returning visitor to our website, you might notice it looks a little emptier than it did the last time you were here. Due to some changes with Torquere Press over the last few months, Ari and I have decided to ask for the rights to our works with Torquere be returned, and we don’t have any plans to publish with them in the future.
This wasn’t a decision we made lightly since it meant pulling the majority of our works from distribution. We’ve also felt a great deal of loyalty to Torquere since they’re the ones who accepted our first book back in 2012, and we’ve had a good working relationship with them since then. But we feel this decision is in our own professional best interests, and it’s purely a business/financial decision. We aren’t leaving with any ill will or animosity, and we’re especially grateful to the editors we’ve worked with, Michelle and Jaymi, for their help and hard work.
Although our catalogue looks really light right now, we’re actively seeking new homes for our books. At the very least, we want to revise and rerelease the Blood Bathory series and revise, rerelease, and continue the Herc’s Mercs series, especially since #6 was due to come out soon. We’re discussing the options for all of our previously released books, and we hope you’ll see them again — along with new works, of course! — in the future.
In the meantime, we do have a new book coming out from Dreamspinner Press in December: Striking Sparks. We recently got the amazing cover art for that book, and as soon as we get the promo packet, we’ll share it here.
Next summer, we’ve got a spin-off of Striking Sparks coming out: Breaking Bonds. We’ve also submitted a spin off of Finding Forgiveness, which focuses on Carlos Hernandez, and we’re waiting to hear back about that. So irons are in the fire! This change is an unexpected one, but we’re moving forward, and we’ll keep you all updated about when and where you can find our Torquere works once we’ve found them a new home, wherever it may be.
September 5, 2016
August 31, 2016
It’s here!
Blood Bathory: Be Not Proud is out! It’s 339 pages and 101,000 words. The e-book version is $6.99, and you can purchase a print copy on Amazon as well.
If you want to catch up on the whole series, Torquere Press is offering the first two books in the series for 20% off!
The exciting conclusion of the war between Elizabeth Bathory and Gaia’s Children has arrived!
It has been five centuries since Antonio de Barajas, one of the oldest surviving Theriomorphs, lost his mate Raphael at the hands of his worst enemy, and Thrace has mocked his pain; but at long last, he has a chance to find love again. As two ardent suitors vie to win his heart, Gaia’s Children face the united force of Elizabeth Bathory and her sire, Thrace.
Thrace will stop at nothing to get revenge against Gaia and her children for the loss of his wife, even allying himself with terrorists who possess a weapon of mass destruction. Now the Theriomorphs and the Dark Guardians must race against time to discover Thrace’s plan and stop him before he succeeds. Antonio risks losing far more than his heart this time, for if he and his team fail in their mission, it will mean the deaths of millions of people and perhaps the destruction of Gaia herself.
Have a sample behind the cut!
Beneath the full, blood-red moon cresting over the roof of the ramshackle farmhouse, a patch of mist drifted along the ground. Had anyone been paying attention, they might have noticed it moved with purpose towards the barn, but the two guards standing watch outside the house were more interested in what was going in inside, and mist was hardly an unusual phenomenon.
The mist seeped into the barn while the guards stood on the porch and listened, fangs gleaming in the moonlight as they grinned at the sound of screams. They had chosen their hiding place well. The little farm was tucked away in a remote part of Lippe and surrounded by woodlands. The chances of someone accidentally stumbling across the location were slim, but if they did, the chances of them being seen again alive were even slimmer.
The mist emerged from the barn, hanging low as it moved toward the house. Absorbed in his enjoyment of the sounds of suffering, the guard on the right never sensed the form materializing behind him, and he met the true death without ever feeling the knife that separated his head from his shoulders in utter silence.
The second guard heard the thud of his companion’s head landing on the splintered boards, but in the split second it took him to identify the sound, his own fate was sealed. The dark killer dissolved into mist once more, then slipped through a small crack where the weathered wood of the door left a gap in its frame.
The inside of the farmhouse was in no better condition than the outside, the only light coming from a fire burning low in a soot-blackened hearth. Yet the tang of wood-smoke was overpowered by two more powerful scents: blood and fear. A young man and a young woman were being bounced like playthings around a circle of eight nosferatu. One of the Blood Cursed held its victim in a vice-like grip, its head swooping down as it sank sharp fangs into its victim’s throat or shoulder, sometimes tearing away chunks of flesh. Then it thrust its victim at another tormenter, who fed as the onlookers laughed and jeered, drunk on the fear of their victims.
Lost in their sadistic blood sport, the nosferatu never noticed the arrival of something far more lethal than they. The firelight caught the coalescing mist as it grew denser, darkening and elongating into a human form. The figure moved before it was completely solid, wickedly curved knives of gleaming steel in its hands.
The head of the first nosferatu landed in the middle of the circle. Caught by surprise, the Blood Cursed gaped at the sight, seeing it without understanding what had happened. But the figure never hesitated as it continued the slaughter, intent on its lethal purpose.
Before the body of the first nosferatu crumpled to the ground, a second head flew. One of the vampires finally recovered from its shocked paralysis and turned in the direction of the attacker. But for all the vampire’s preternatural speed, the attacker was faster, a blur of dark motion no human eye could have hoped to capture, and the vampire’s shout became a gurgle as razor-sharp metal slid across its neck, opening a gaping wound from ear to ear.
The next vampire in the circle suffered the same fate, then another head bounced to the floor. In the space of a few seconds, the nosferatu were dead, and only the two whimpering, trembling humans remained.
The tall, black-clad figure pulled out a cloth and cleaned his knives with meticulous care before sheathing one of them, and then he used the other to cut strips of cloth from the nearest vampire’s clothes. He bound the humans’ wounds as best he could with a surprisingly gentle touch for one who dealt death so easily.
“Can you walk?” he asked in oddly accented German.
The young man slid his arm around his companion, supporting her, and nodded.
“Follow the road. Someone will be sent to find you.”
“Thank you.” The young woman’s voice was weak, but she rallied her strength admirably.
The man caught and held their gazes, and when he spoke again, his voice was low and mesmerizing. “It was an animal attack. You never saw a house or any people.”
Both young people nodded, their eyes glazed. “An animal attack,” the young man murmured.
“Good. Now go and keep to the path.” The man steered them toward the door, pausing to watch as they made their way out of the house. He kept a close eye on them until they were out of sight, and then he went back inside.
He sheathed his other knife and began rifling through the vampires’ clothes, checking their wallets and taking the cash. He stuffed the bills into his pockets, then searched for weapons and ammunition that might be useful. He ended up needing a bag to carry his pilfered treasures; fortunately, he found a backpack tossed in the corner. There was blood on it, but dried, not fresh. Likely it had belonged to a previous victim.
He hefted the heavy pack on his shoulder and left the house. Once outside, he considered torching the place. There might be others who knew of it, and burning it would give them one less place to hide. He went back to the barn to retrieve one of the cans of gasoline he’d seen stored in there, and it wasn’t long before he was watching the vampires’ nest burn.
Well done, my son. I will see to it that the blaze does not spread.
Gaia’s voice flowed through him, filling him with warmth, although his somber expression didn’t change. With their sire gone, Tepes’ children were dwindling in number already; he was happy to hurry their extinction along.
Tepes’ line has lingered this long. It will linger a while longer out of necessity, Gaia continued. We have a much greater problem facing us. Thrace has emerged from hiding, and your kin need your help to vanquish him once and for all. It is time for you to return home at last.
August 9, 2016
Blood Bathory pre-order and coupon!
Conveniently enough, you can use this coupon to pre-order Blood Bathory: Be Not Proud! It’s now available for pre-order for $6.99 (pre-coupon), and it’ll be available in print from Amazon as well.
The coupon is good through August 14. Blood Bathory: Be Not Proud comes out on August 31.
August 7, 2016
Upcoming publications
Yesterday, I wrote about Blood Bathory 3, which is coming out at the end of this month, but we’ve got some other books coming out in the near (and far) future.
On November 2, the next book in the Herc’s Mercs series will be released. Herc’s Mercs: Where Angels Fear to Tread is a more action-packed adventure with our leading men trying to escape the war-torn streets of a city under the siege of a military coup.
We’ve got two books coming out in December! On the 15th, Dreamspinner Press will release Striking Sparks as part of their new Dreamspun Desires line. Two former high school rivals reunite during a BBQ cook-off, and the old sparks of rivalry — and attraction — start flying once more.
Also in December, we’ve got a lighter holiday story coming out from Torquere Press. From A to Z focuses on two men who meet under highly unusual circumstances and begin a holiday romance.
And looking ahead into June, 2017, we’ve got Breaking Bonds, which will be another release in the Dreamspun Desires line. A resort owner in the mountains of NC is desperate to keep his resort open, and he finds unexpected help from an executive chef on vacation.
We’ve also got a manuscript in the editing stage that we’ll be submitting this fall, and of course, we’re working on new stuff as well. We’re trying to keep a fairly steady pace so our output doesn’t drop like it did last year. It’s been tough with our schedules — especially mine — but I think we’ve done pretty well.
August 6, 2016
Blood Bathory 3
At last, the release date for the third book in the Blood Bathory trilogy is nigh! It will wrap up the story arc that’s run through the previous two books. There’s room for us to return to the Blood Bathory universe — and we have a couple of ideas along those lines — but we aren’t leaving any big loose ends dangling.
For the first two books, I found inspiration for the characters I wrote (Evan and Tyr) in Evanescence songs. I hadn’t heard of the group until I heard someone perform “Bring Me to Life” at karaoke. I was sitting in a position that let me read the lyrics on the screen, and they gave me an epiphany about Evan. I’d been struggling with his characterization, but when I heard that song, I thought, “That’s Evan”. From then on, I knew who he was, what he wanted, and why he returned to Will.
After that, I bought a couple of Evanescence albums because their music is grand and gorgeous, if a bit overdramatic for someone my age. My teenage self would have eaten this with a spoon if they’d been around back then. At any rate, it wasn’t difficult to find Tyr’s song once we started working on Blood Bathory 2. “My Immortal” summed up where he was in his grieving for Aaron (who had only a cameo in the novel, but I found a song for him anyway: “Swimming Home”).
I wanted to continue the tradition of connecting an Evanescence song to my character in Blood Bathory 3, but there isn’t really one that fits him. Instead, I found a song for Ari’s character, Antonio: “My Heart is Broken”.
It captures his loneliness after losing Raphael, the Dark Guardian he was bonded to five hundred years ago. Part of his heart and soul were lost when Raphael died, and he still feels the loss of his “dark angel” to this day.
Part of Antonio’s journey in Blood Bathory 3 will be deciding whether he can move beyond his grief and take a chance on loving a man who is different from the man he lost or whether giving his heart away during such dangerous times is too great a risk.
Blood Bathory: Be Not Proud will be released on August 31 by Torquere Press!
July 29, 2016
Being Dependable
I’ve had a bad experience with an editor lately – an independent one, not one of the wonderful folks at Torquere or Dreamspinner – at a place called “Wicked Pride” that I thought based on reputation would be reliable. Unfortunately, after three months and having prepaid $172, all I’ve gotten back of my ~28K is a half-editted word doc (when I submitted and asked for a google doc), and a lot of empty promises. I am highly disappointed, especially since the owner assured me that she prided herself on her professionalism. I have kept all the emails, and I can prove that she said she was finished but “googledocs wasn’t letting her share the doc”, then she said she would do it again, and it didn’t show up. THEN there was a litany (I haven’t counted, but no less than four or five times) where she promise she was “almost done” and I’d have it “in a few hours”. Always some excuse why she couldn’t – the flu, then multiple hospitalizations, then computer problems – some of which may have been true, but I have my doubts, ESPECIALLY after she promised to refund my money and didn’t. Now she is refusing to answer my emails or facebook messages at all, which I find highly unprofessional.
So you indy writers out there, please be wary of hiring editors, even if they look professional. I guess I should have gotten recommendations, so if anyone has a recommendation for a good, reliable editor, please let me know. And don’t be afraid to spread the word that Ari had a horrible experience with Wicked Pride and that Tash Hatzipetrou (the owner/editor) is unreliable and unprofessional.
April 12, 2016
Writing what you know…
So, one of the cardinal rules of writing fiction is to write what you know – draw on your own knowledge and experiences to help shape your characters and stories. For those of you who have read our stories, you may have noticed that we use a lot of different locations and have characters from a wide variety of occupations and with a varied set of skills. For those who are curious, McKay and I really do draw upon our life experiences for these things.
When it comes to locations, you may have noticed we tend to favor the South. Both of us are born and bred southern girls, so that made it easy. Asheville, Charlotte, Raleigh, Charleston, Richmond and rural Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas… all of these are places we have either lived in or visited, and I think that gives our writing a certain authenticity. My absolute favorite city on the West Coast is San Francisco, so we’ve used that, too. I’ve travelled a lot in the Caribbean, and the locale in Caribbean Blues is based on a place I’ve actually been in Port Lucaya. McKay and I have both been to London, and we’ll probably be including it in something in the future, and since I was raised in Miami, it’s probably only a matter of time until Florida shows up, too.
