Jeaniene Frost's Blog, page 12
June 4, 2018
October appearance, updates, a funny, SHADES OF WICKED excerpt head's up and more
Hi again! This post is going to be a potpourri of topics, so apologies in advance for jumping all over the place. Let's get started with appearances! I will be at Avon KissCon in Atlanta, GA on October 20th, along with fabulous authors Brenda Jackson, Tessa Dare, Cat Sebastian, Beverly Jenkins, Eloisa James, Maisey Yates and Maya Rodale! This event is hosted by my publisher, so attending readers will be able to get a copy of SHADES OF WICKED, Night Rebel book one (Ian and Veritas) ten days before it's official release on October 30th. To get information on tickets when they're available, sign up for the Avon KissCon newsletter now, or I'll post the link on my website once it's live. Hope to see some of you there!
Speaking of newsletters, due to the GDPR compliance requirements, I have a new privacy policy. Read it here. Important notice for newsletter subscribers: if you didn't re-sign up for my newsletter by May 28th, you were dropped from it. If you didn't get the notice and/or it was buried by everyone else's new privacy updates, and you did want to stay on my newsletter more, you can sign up for it HERE, hosted and managed by CofffeeTime Romance.
That's most of the business updates. I meant to do these two weeks ago, but I've noticed a disturbing new trend of unfortunate events after I finish a book. Last time, within two weeks of turning my book in, I sprained my ankle, pipes burst in my house that flooded my living room, and my husband was bedridden with the flu. This time, within two weeks of turning the book in, our air conditioner broke, my dad had another small stroke, and my dog got vaginitis (didn't know dogs could get that? Neither did I!) Thankfully, Dad's okay, my dog's lady parts are better, and now I have a new air conditioner so I'm not fainting in the Florida heat. But, as you can imagine, dealing with all the above plus doing my revisions kept me off my blog, and don't even get me started on my inbox. It's getting so full, it might morph into a new life form and attack me. If I owe you an email, my apologies and I'm getting to it.
Next up is a small funny. As those of you who follow me on Twitter might already know, I had originally sent SHADES OF WICKED to Ilona after it was finished so she could read it. But, a day later, I got critique notes from my other BFF Melissa Marr, so I emailed this to Ilona:
She DID Twitter-tattle on me! Lol. Anyway, after I revised the book, I sent it to Ilona with this note:
Yes, birds of a feather DO flock together, lol. Thanks to Melissa Marr and my editor for the wonderful notes that gave Ilona a better book to read, if she isn't still grumpy at me over taking it back. Finally, speaking of SHADES OF WICKED, look for a new excerpt from it on my blog later this week. Hope you have a wonderful Monday!
Speaking of newsletters, due to the GDPR compliance requirements, I have a new privacy policy. Read it here. Important notice for newsletter subscribers: if you didn't re-sign up for my newsletter by May 28th, you were dropped from it. If you didn't get the notice and/or it was buried by everyone else's new privacy updates, and you did want to stay on my newsletter more, you can sign up for it HERE, hosted and managed by CofffeeTime Romance.
That's most of the business updates. I meant to do these two weeks ago, but I've noticed a disturbing new trend of unfortunate events after I finish a book. Last time, within two weeks of turning my book in, I sprained my ankle, pipes burst in my house that flooded my living room, and my husband was bedridden with the flu. This time, within two weeks of turning the book in, our air conditioner broke, my dad had another small stroke, and my dog got vaginitis (didn't know dogs could get that? Neither did I!) Thankfully, Dad's okay, my dog's lady parts are better, and now I have a new air conditioner so I'm not fainting in the Florida heat. But, as you can imagine, dealing with all the above plus doing my revisions kept me off my blog, and don't even get me started on my inbox. It's getting so full, it might morph into a new life form and attack me. If I owe you an email, my apologies and I'm getting to it.
Next up is a small funny. As those of you who follow me on Twitter might already know, I had originally sent SHADES OF WICKED to Ilona after it was finished so she could read it. But, a day later, I got critique notes from my other BFF Melissa Marr, so I emailed this to Ilona:
"Don't read the book! Melissa read it and it DOES have *censored for spoilers*. Good news is, a couple chapters with a new action scene should fix that, and I can add in a little more page time with Cat and Bones there, too. Also, I have the change the epilogue, plus make several smaller tweaks throughout.
I should be able to knock that out next week, so seriously, I'd rather you not read it until after I've made those changes. You'll have a better book that way. Ok?"
Here was Ilona's understanding response:
No! I started it already! I am reading it!
My totally rationale rejoinder:
Stop!!!! Seriously!!!! I want to fix this stuff because now it's making me CRAZY knowing it's there!!! Please stop and let me fix and send you the updated version next week. Pleeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzeeeeee
*puppy eyes*
Her compassionate reply:
This is going on twitter.
A note about Ilona: She doesn't bluff. See proof:
Feel my pain.@Jeaniene_Frost: Hugh book?
Me: Here. Can I have Ian book?
JF: Here's some.
JF: Don't read it. Rewriting.
Me: OK.
Yesterday.
JF: Finished.
Me: I can read now?
JF: Yes.
Today:
JF: Don't read the book! Rewriting!
Me: I already started.
JF: "Stop!!!! Seriously!!!!"
— Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) May 17, 2018
She DID Twitter-tattle on me! Lol. Anyway, after I revised the book, I sent it to Ilona with this note:
Here is the revised book, containing 25% less suckage.
Her gracious, absolutely-not-still-holding-a-grudge reply:
Is it okay to read? Are you going to take it back?
My also-not-holding-a-grudge-reply:
Snerk. As you told me, this is going on Twitter! ;)
Proof that I am just as petty here, heh:
I love @ilona_andrews, but take ONE book away to fix it & she gets spiteful. See email exchange for proof.
Me: Here is the revised book, now containing 25% less suckage.
Her: Is it okay to read? Are you going to take it back?
Saying it loud now: YES, Ilona, you can read it! :)
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) June 2, 2018
Yes, birds of a feather DO flock together, lol. Thanks to Melissa Marr and my editor for the wonderful notes that gave Ilona a better book to read, if she isn't still grumpy at me over taking it back. Finally, speaking of SHADES OF WICKED, look for a new excerpt from it on my blog later this week. Hope you have a wonderful Monday!
Published on June 04, 2018 08:50
May 16, 2018
Finished!
Yes, the blog has been silent lately. Sorry about that, but I had a good reason. Last night, I typed my two favorite words in the world: The End. Shades of Wicked is now officially in my editor's hands!
*throws confetti*
Now, yes, I know that "The End" really only means "Take One" because there will be editor revisions, critique partner revisions, possibly another round of editor revisions, copy editor notes, and galleys. But still, for the moment, I can bask in the glory of being DONE...until my first revision letter arrives, heh.
To celebrate, I'm going to do my usual: go outside for more than brief trips to the grocery story, and couch-surf while inside. I'm thinking a trip to the zoo, museum, and a few other places for the first, and for the second, I'm currently binge-watching the tv show Elementary. Yes, I know, I'm SO many seasons behind, but that's working out for me at the moment because I can watch several shows in a row. So far, at the end of season one, I'm loving it. It also amuses me that apparently, in a later season, the character playing Sherlock mentions being the inspiration behind a sex scene in "Chapter 32." Have one of the show's writers read my book? I have no idea, but I'm going to pretend that's the case even though countless other books probably have a sex scene in that same chapter number ;).
Oh, and yes, there will be more snippets from Shades of Wicked coming soon! Just want to get the nod from my editor on what scenes she thinks are good enough to share, pre-revisions. If you haven't read the other snippets yet, they're here and here.
That's it from me. Hope you're having a wonderful week!

Now, yes, I know that "The End" really only means "Take One" because there will be editor revisions, critique partner revisions, possibly another round of editor revisions, copy editor notes, and galleys. But still, for the moment, I can bask in the glory of being DONE...until my first revision letter arrives, heh.
To celebrate, I'm going to do my usual: go outside for more than brief trips to the grocery story, and couch-surf while inside. I'm thinking a trip to the zoo, museum, and a few other places for the first, and for the second, I'm currently binge-watching the tv show Elementary. Yes, I know, I'm SO many seasons behind, but that's working out for me at the moment because I can watch several shows in a row. So far, at the end of season one, I'm loving it. It also amuses me that apparently, in a later season, the character playing Sherlock mentions being the inspiration behind a sex scene in "Chapter 32." Have one of the show's writers read my book? I have no idea, but I'm going to pretend that's the case even though countless other books probably have a sex scene in that same chapter number ;).
Oh, and yes, there will be more snippets from Shades of Wicked coming soon! Just want to get the nod from my editor on what scenes she thinks are good enough to share, pre-revisions. If you haven't read the other snippets yet, they're here and here.
That's it from me. Hope you're having a wonderful week!
Published on May 16, 2018 07:09
April 25, 2018
Appearance change, flattered and a funny
This post is going to skip around a bunch. I'll start off with the appearance change. Unfortunately, I will not be attending Shameless Con in Orlando this October after all. I'm sad to miss it, but I have a good reason that I hope will make you happy. As it turns out, on that same weekend in October (the 19th & 20th) my publisher is hosting another Avon Kiss Con and they had already penciled me in. Now, SHADES OF WICKED (more commonly referred to as Ian's book :)) doesn't officially release until October 30th. However, because my publisher is hosting Avon Kiss Con - and my publisher has all the books - they're allowing a special early release of SHADES OF WICKED (paperbacks only; no ebook or audio) during Avon Kiss Con. So, attending readers will get signed copies of the book ten days early. Yay! I don't have permission to share the Avon Kiss Con city yet, but I can tell you that it's in the Southeast. As soon as I get the green light, I'll post all the info.
Next up, I'm going to point you at something that made me so flattered when I saw it. I've long been a fan of author Charlaine Harris. Needless to say, I love love loved her Southern Vampire Mysteries series featuring Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Pam, Jason and the rest of the gang. Some of you might know them from the show True Blood. Anyway, I loved them so much that when I finally met Charlaine Harris years ago, I fangirled all over her. Seriously, I couldn't get out a complete sentence without fitting "I love your books!" in there somewhere. As it turns out, Charlaine is also one of the most gracious people I've ever met. She even headlined NOLA StoryCon twice, which is the reader conference me, Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong created it from scratch.
See? I still can't talk about Charlaine without gushing, lol. Now, to what flattered me. Earlier in the month, Charlaine wrote a blog where she talked about how she's often asked which novels featuring vampires are her favorites. Among the ones I expected to see (Bram Stoker's Dracula, Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles, Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake novels, and more) I saw a name and series I hadn't expected to see. My own Night Huntress novels. I couldn't have been more flattered. Thank you, thank you, Charlaine!
Finally, a funny. As many of you know, I'm friends with author Ilona Andrews. It's not usual for us to send the other person scenes from our current works-in-progress to get a second opinion. That's what Ilona recently did with a scene from her upcoming novel IRON AND MAGIC, first in the new Iron Covenant series featuring Hugh D'Ambray and new character Elara Harper. Readers of the Kate Daniels series will recognize Hugh as one of the most badass antagonists in the #1 NYT bestselling Kate Daniels series, but Hugh gets to tell his side of the story now, and wait until you meet Elara. Anyway, Ilona sent me a scene a couple weeks ago to critique, and I also got her to send me the rest of what she had written of Hugh's book up to that point. I had intended it as a treat for when I finished my book, which - side note - I'm very close to finishing. But last Sunday, I was taking off writing because my creative brain was fried, yet I was bored because hubby was watching the NBA playoffs. So, I opened my partial file for IRON AND MAGIC thinking, eh, I'll read a couple chapters. But just in case I read more, I sent Ilona the following polite, reserved request via text message:
Hey, favor. Will you send me the updated file of Hugh's book? Wanted to start reading and I know you'll be out of town next week.
Then, I started to read. Two hours later, here is the exact email I sent Ilona because she hadn't responded to my text yet. As you can see, the message is a little less reserved.
Next up, I'm going to point you at something that made me so flattered when I saw it. I've long been a fan of author Charlaine Harris. Needless to say, I love love loved her Southern Vampire Mysteries series featuring Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Pam, Jason and the rest of the gang. Some of you might know them from the show True Blood. Anyway, I loved them so much that when I finally met Charlaine Harris years ago, I fangirled all over her. Seriously, I couldn't get out a complete sentence without fitting "I love your books!" in there somewhere. As it turns out, Charlaine is also one of the most gracious people I've ever met. She even headlined NOLA StoryCon twice, which is the reader conference me, Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong created it from scratch.
See? I still can't talk about Charlaine without gushing, lol. Now, to what flattered me. Earlier in the month, Charlaine wrote a blog where she talked about how she's often asked which novels featuring vampires are her favorites. Among the ones I expected to see (Bram Stoker's Dracula, Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles, Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake novels, and more) I saw a name and series I hadn't expected to see. My own Night Huntress novels. I couldn't have been more flattered. Thank you, thank you, Charlaine!
Finally, a funny. As many of you know, I'm friends with author Ilona Andrews. It's not usual for us to send the other person scenes from our current works-in-progress to get a second opinion. That's what Ilona recently did with a scene from her upcoming novel IRON AND MAGIC, first in the new Iron Covenant series featuring Hugh D'Ambray and new character Elara Harper. Readers of the Kate Daniels series will recognize Hugh as one of the most badass antagonists in the #1 NYT bestselling Kate Daniels series, but Hugh gets to tell his side of the story now, and wait until you meet Elara. Anyway, Ilona sent me a scene a couple weeks ago to critique, and I also got her to send me the rest of what she had written of Hugh's book up to that point. I had intended it as a treat for when I finished my book, which - side note - I'm very close to finishing. But last Sunday, I was taking off writing because my creative brain was fried, yet I was bored because hubby was watching the NBA playoffs. So, I opened my partial file for IRON AND MAGIC thinking, eh, I'll read a couple chapters. But just in case I read more, I sent Ilona the following polite, reserved request via text message:
Hey, favor. Will you send me the updated file of Hugh's book? Wanted to start reading and I know you'll be out of town next week.
Then, I started to read. Two hours later, here is the exact email I sent Ilona because she hadn't responded to my text yet. As you can see, the message is a little less reserved.
Have read the first hundred pages of Hugh's book in only two hours. Only have 150 more pages until I run out. Can I PLEASE have more?????
I am loving this! Think I actually like it more than Hidden Legacy series so far, and you know how I loved that.
PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZE more bookie????"
*grins* She replied three hours later, shortly after she got off the plane because I was wrong and she had already left to go out of town. The subject line was THIS IS ALL I HAVE and the message was "Emailing from hotel room. First email failed to attach, so try 2. Hope you like it!"
People, I am a bad friend for badgering her while she was out of town on a business trip and I DON'T CARE THE BOOK IS SOOO GOOD! :)
But don't worry, Erika (my editor). I haven't stopped writing to read the rest of Hugh's book. I'm only reading it at night, after I make my word count, heh.
Published on April 25, 2018 06:37
April 2, 2018
Family update and new SHADES OF WICKED excerpt
Things haven’t been less hectic on the personal front, but at least they’re less worrisome at the moment. The weekend before last, instead of going to Apollycon, I went to see my dad. For those of you who read my previous post, I’m happy to say that Dad did not end up needing a new heart surgery. He’s currently in a rehab center, recovering after this most recent health setback. In the interim, my sister (not the one who’s my dad’s caretaker; my other sister) has been staying with me while dealing with her own health issues. She’s had two surgeries in two weeks, but she’s doing better and – fingers crossed – the issues that necessitated those surgeries should now be resolved. To say I’m currently breathing a big sigh of relief is to put it mildly.
I gave brief updates regarding the above on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. One of the responders offered her well wishes for my family along with this suggestion, paraphrased below:
“Since you’ve gotten good news about your family, how about you celebrate it by giving us another peek from Ian’s book?”
I’m all for sharing a good mood with others, so I thought this was an excellent idea. This is currently chapter eleven, but I’m anticipating that it might be cut from the final version of the book. Why? Everyone that read my commentaries in Outtakes From The Grave already knows – pacing! This scene doesn’t really reveal anything new about the characters personally (as compared to previous chapters); it doesn’t reveal a new obstacle for the characters to overcome; it doesn’t reveal any new world-building secrets, and it isn’t necessary to move the characters forward to deal with any of the aforementioned. Why did I write it, then? *grins* Because I didn’t know this until AFTER I wrote it and could look at it in context. All the above makes it good for an excerpt, though, since it won’t spoiler things. And, truth be told, I might be professional enough to know there’s a good chance I’ll have to cut this scene, but I liked it enough to write it, so I still want to share it. And hey, if my editor likes it enough (hi, Erika!) it might stay after all :).
Note: if you haven’t read chapter one yet (posted
here
), you should do that before reading this. Otherwise, you could feel a little lost. Oh, and standard disclaimer about all pre-published excerpts: it hasn’t been revised or copyedited, so you might find spelling errors, grammar errors, and missing/incorrect words. It also might change from the final, published version, assuming it makes it into the final, published version. All that said – and whew, that was a lot! – happy reading :)
SHADES OF WICKED excerpt, copyright Jeaniene Frost. Releases October 30th.
The entrance to our hotel had been swept clean, but the rest of Times Square was still coated with streamers, confetti and other remnants from celebrations the night before. Seeing it, I wasn’t sorry we’d spent New Year’s Eve over the border in Canada. Not that I had anything against confetti or streamers; it was the crushing crowds I wasn’t fond of. Times Square on New Year’s Eve was the epitome of that.
When we exited the hotel, the bellman offered to hail a cab for us. Ian turned to me. “Up for a walk instead?”
“Sure.” My ice-blue dress might be formal, but it didn’t restrict my stride, and since I was a vampire, I couldn’t get blisters despite today’s foot-contorting high heels.
Ian offered me his arm, which I took after a brief arch of my brow. “Careful, someone might mistake you for a gentleman.”
He flashed a grin at me. “Anyone who’d make such a mistake deserves what they get.”
His smile made his looks even more distracting, and that was quite an accomplishment. Once again, we’d gotten a suite with two bedrooms, so we’d had privacy while readying ourselves for tonight. When Ian had come out of his room with his auburn hair slicked back so his impossibly beautiful features were highlighted for maximum effect, wearing a tuxedo that draped his tall, muscled form as if the tailor who’d fit him for it had been in love… I’d had to look away before I did something ridiculous. Like proposition him on the spot.
I don’t know why I was having such a strong reaction to him. A week ago, I’d seen him naked and felt less affected. But back then, I hadn’t really seen Ian as a man. I’d seen him as a necessary burden that might end up stabbing me in the back. Now, I knew Ian was dangerously smart, complicated, loyal, powerful, lethal, sexy…and arrogant. Proudly so.
He took every second and third glance from the normally jaded New Yorkers as his due. He even flashed pitying looks at the people who abruptly turned and began to follow him, glancing at me before raising a brow at them as if to say “Sorry, I’m hers tonight, and yes, that is your loss.”
After several instances of this, I was getting irritated. These people could clearly see my arm folded in his. Did I need to take more drastic measures to show that he was not available for their pleasure? Perhaps I’d feed from the next person who spun around and began to follow him like an animal catching an irresistible scent…
“Gods,” I muttered out loud. What was wrong with me?
Ian glanced at me. “Something amiss?”
“No,” I said while thinking yes!
Nearly all vampires were possessive over their personal food sources, their offspring and their lovers, yet Ian was none of those to me. I’d never turned a human into a vampire, so I couldn't speak for offspring, but I'd never experienced that trademark surge of territoriality with any my former lovers. Or the humans I’d put under my protection. For the past four thousand years, I’d been glad to find myself above such pettiness. So why was I now fantasizing about biting every male and female who did nothing more than make their interest in Ian known?
Lack of control, I decided in a grab for an excuse. I was in the very unfamiliar position of being *censored for spoilers.* I must be trying to distract myself from that by inventing a possessiveness I didn’t really feel.
Yes. That had to be it.
“Which act would you prefer for tonight?”
His questions broke through my musings. I was all too glad for the interruption. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “There’s the new lovers act, the friends-who-fuck act, the swingers act, the gold-digger and sugar-daddy act, the fighting couple act-”
“What about a platonic friendship act?” I interrupted.
He looked at me as if I’d finally spoken a language he couldn’t understand. “Is that a joke?”
I snorted. “Hardly. You might be attractive, but not everyone wants to have sex with you.” As soon as I said it, I cringed. Did that sound as overly defensive as I felt?
“No, some people also want to kill me,” he said at once. “Some want me to turn them into a vampire, some want my money, some want me for my rare artifacts, some for my fighting skills, and one wants to dangle me out as bait for a demon she's trying to kill. See? No one is with me simply to be with me.”
Guilt pricked me, followed by a rush of empathy. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had been with me just to be with me, either. Wait…yes, I could. Tenoch.
Loneliness and a far deeper wave of guilt swelled, followed as always by pain. How could I have not known what Tenoch was trying to tell me the last time we were together? How could I have been so blind as to miss that he’d been saying goodbye?
As much as I wanted to, I could do nothing for Tenoch. He’d killed himself centuries ago. But I could do something for the man next to me, if Ian allowed himself to accept it.
“I might be with you for ulterior reasons now, but it’s well established that it’s been a while since I’ve gone out for fun,” I said in a carefully nonchalant tone. “And whatever else you are, you are fun, Ian. So, assuming we’re both still alive when this is over, would you accompany me for an evening out?”
He looked at me in amazement. Then he began to laugh. “Offering me a pity date? Now I’ve heard everything.”
“It’s not pity and it’s not a date,” I said, a testier note creeping into my tone when he continued to laugh as if I’d told the funniest joke ever. “Since you’ve never gone out with someone just as a friend, and I’m in clear need of an update on places to have a good time, I thought…oh, never mind what I thought, if you can’t stop laughing at me!”
“My apologies,” he said, still chuckling. “It’s only that I can’t decide which is funnier – my being pitied for an assumed lack of companionship, or the look on people’s faces if they saw you, a venerated Law Guardian, out with an infamous, law-scorning rakehell like me.”
He was right that I’d hear no less than a decade’s worth of snide remarks from some of the more sexist council members, not to mention a few from my fellow Law Guardians, too. But that didn’t matter. “Long ago, I decided I wouldn’t let other people’s disapproval dictate my actions, so as the saying goes, I can handle it if you can.”
His laughter stopped and something flashed over his face, too quick for me pinpoint what it was before it was gone. “If you hadn’t played a part in the execution of my friend’s child, I think I would very much like you, Veritas.”
She’s still alive.
I couldn’t say that out loud, of course. Not without endangering her, and I wouldn’t do that despite the surprisingly strong urge I had to redeem myself in Ian’s eyes. “You’ll never forgive me for that, will you?”
As if there was any doubt. His calling me by my name instead of his usual moniker of “little Guardian” had been enough to tell me how serious he was.
“No, I won’t,” he said in a low, steady tone.
I met his eyes and held them. “Good. Some things should remain unforgiveable.”
Like everything Dagon had done to me, to Ian, and to innumerable others. Actually, I was grateful for Ian’s reminder of how he saw me – as another merciless player in the execution of a child whose only crime was frightening the bigoted because she’d been born different. Now, I could stop with these ridiculous thoughts and feelings about Ian. They were a waste of time and more importantly, of energy. Nothing mattered except bringing Dagon down. Tonight was one more step toward accomplishing that.
“Pick whatever act you want. I don’t care,” I said, and stared straight ahead for the rest of the walk.
***
Learn more here. Pre-order: Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, iBooks, BooksAMillion, Kobo
I gave brief updates regarding the above on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. One of the responders offered her well wishes for my family along with this suggestion, paraphrased below:
“Since you’ve gotten good news about your family, how about you celebrate it by giving us another peek from Ian’s book?”
I’m all for sharing a good mood with others, so I thought this was an excellent idea. This is currently chapter eleven, but I’m anticipating that it might be cut from the final version of the book. Why? Everyone that read my commentaries in Outtakes From The Grave already knows – pacing! This scene doesn’t really reveal anything new about the characters personally (as compared to previous chapters); it doesn’t reveal a new obstacle for the characters to overcome; it doesn’t reveal any new world-building secrets, and it isn’t necessary to move the characters forward to deal with any of the aforementioned. Why did I write it, then? *grins* Because I didn’t know this until AFTER I wrote it and could look at it in context. All the above makes it good for an excerpt, though, since it won’t spoiler things. And, truth be told, I might be professional enough to know there’s a good chance I’ll have to cut this scene, but I liked it enough to write it, so I still want to share it. And hey, if my editor likes it enough (hi, Erika!) it might stay after all :).

SHADES OF WICKED excerpt, copyright Jeaniene Frost. Releases October 30th.
The entrance to our hotel had been swept clean, but the rest of Times Square was still coated with streamers, confetti and other remnants from celebrations the night before. Seeing it, I wasn’t sorry we’d spent New Year’s Eve over the border in Canada. Not that I had anything against confetti or streamers; it was the crushing crowds I wasn’t fond of. Times Square on New Year’s Eve was the epitome of that.
When we exited the hotel, the bellman offered to hail a cab for us. Ian turned to me. “Up for a walk instead?”
“Sure.” My ice-blue dress might be formal, but it didn’t restrict my stride, and since I was a vampire, I couldn’t get blisters despite today’s foot-contorting high heels.
Ian offered me his arm, which I took after a brief arch of my brow. “Careful, someone might mistake you for a gentleman.”
He flashed a grin at me. “Anyone who’d make such a mistake deserves what they get.”
His smile made his looks even more distracting, and that was quite an accomplishment. Once again, we’d gotten a suite with two bedrooms, so we’d had privacy while readying ourselves for tonight. When Ian had come out of his room with his auburn hair slicked back so his impossibly beautiful features were highlighted for maximum effect, wearing a tuxedo that draped his tall, muscled form as if the tailor who’d fit him for it had been in love… I’d had to look away before I did something ridiculous. Like proposition him on the spot.
I don’t know why I was having such a strong reaction to him. A week ago, I’d seen him naked and felt less affected. But back then, I hadn’t really seen Ian as a man. I’d seen him as a necessary burden that might end up stabbing me in the back. Now, I knew Ian was dangerously smart, complicated, loyal, powerful, lethal, sexy…and arrogant. Proudly so.
He took every second and third glance from the normally jaded New Yorkers as his due. He even flashed pitying looks at the people who abruptly turned and began to follow him, glancing at me before raising a brow at them as if to say “Sorry, I’m hers tonight, and yes, that is your loss.”
After several instances of this, I was getting irritated. These people could clearly see my arm folded in his. Did I need to take more drastic measures to show that he was not available for their pleasure? Perhaps I’d feed from the next person who spun around and began to follow him like an animal catching an irresistible scent…
“Gods,” I muttered out loud. What was wrong with me?
Ian glanced at me. “Something amiss?”
“No,” I said while thinking yes!
Nearly all vampires were possessive over their personal food sources, their offspring and their lovers, yet Ian was none of those to me. I’d never turned a human into a vampire, so I couldn't speak for offspring, but I'd never experienced that trademark surge of territoriality with any my former lovers. Or the humans I’d put under my protection. For the past four thousand years, I’d been glad to find myself above such pettiness. So why was I now fantasizing about biting every male and female who did nothing more than make their interest in Ian known?
Lack of control, I decided in a grab for an excuse. I was in the very unfamiliar position of being *censored for spoilers.* I must be trying to distract myself from that by inventing a possessiveness I didn’t really feel.
Yes. That had to be it.
“Which act would you prefer for tonight?”
His questions broke through my musings. I was all too glad for the interruption. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “There’s the new lovers act, the friends-who-fuck act, the swingers act, the gold-digger and sugar-daddy act, the fighting couple act-”
“What about a platonic friendship act?” I interrupted.
He looked at me as if I’d finally spoken a language he couldn’t understand. “Is that a joke?”
I snorted. “Hardly. You might be attractive, but not everyone wants to have sex with you.” As soon as I said it, I cringed. Did that sound as overly defensive as I felt?
“No, some people also want to kill me,” he said at once. “Some want me to turn them into a vampire, some want my money, some want me for my rare artifacts, some for my fighting skills, and one wants to dangle me out as bait for a demon she's trying to kill. See? No one is with me simply to be with me.”
Guilt pricked me, followed by a rush of empathy. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had been with me just to be with me, either. Wait…yes, I could. Tenoch.
Loneliness and a far deeper wave of guilt swelled, followed as always by pain. How could I have not known what Tenoch was trying to tell me the last time we were together? How could I have been so blind as to miss that he’d been saying goodbye?
As much as I wanted to, I could do nothing for Tenoch. He’d killed himself centuries ago. But I could do something for the man next to me, if Ian allowed himself to accept it.
“I might be with you for ulterior reasons now, but it’s well established that it’s been a while since I’ve gone out for fun,” I said in a carefully nonchalant tone. “And whatever else you are, you are fun, Ian. So, assuming we’re both still alive when this is over, would you accompany me for an evening out?”
He looked at me in amazement. Then he began to laugh. “Offering me a pity date? Now I’ve heard everything.”
“It’s not pity and it’s not a date,” I said, a testier note creeping into my tone when he continued to laugh as if I’d told the funniest joke ever. “Since you’ve never gone out with someone just as a friend, and I’m in clear need of an update on places to have a good time, I thought…oh, never mind what I thought, if you can’t stop laughing at me!”
“My apologies,” he said, still chuckling. “It’s only that I can’t decide which is funnier – my being pitied for an assumed lack of companionship, or the look on people’s faces if they saw you, a venerated Law Guardian, out with an infamous, law-scorning rakehell like me.”
He was right that I’d hear no less than a decade’s worth of snide remarks from some of the more sexist council members, not to mention a few from my fellow Law Guardians, too. But that didn’t matter. “Long ago, I decided I wouldn’t let other people’s disapproval dictate my actions, so as the saying goes, I can handle it if you can.”
His laughter stopped and something flashed over his face, too quick for me pinpoint what it was before it was gone. “If you hadn’t played a part in the execution of my friend’s child, I think I would very much like you, Veritas.”
She’s still alive.
I couldn’t say that out loud, of course. Not without endangering her, and I wouldn’t do that despite the surprisingly strong urge I had to redeem myself in Ian’s eyes. “You’ll never forgive me for that, will you?”
As if there was any doubt. His calling me by my name instead of his usual moniker of “little Guardian” had been enough to tell me how serious he was.
“No, I won’t,” he said in a low, steady tone.
I met his eyes and held them. “Good. Some things should remain unforgiveable.”
Like everything Dagon had done to me, to Ian, and to innumerable others. Actually, I was grateful for Ian’s reminder of how he saw me – as another merciless player in the execution of a child whose only crime was frightening the bigoted because she’d been born different. Now, I could stop with these ridiculous thoughts and feelings about Ian. They were a waste of time and more importantly, of energy. Nothing mattered except bringing Dagon down. Tonight was one more step toward accomplishing that.
“Pick whatever act you want. I don’t care,” I said, and stared straight ahead for the rest of the walk.
***
Learn more here. Pre-order: Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, iBooks, BooksAMillion, Kobo
Published on April 02, 2018 15:52
March 21, 2018
Apollycon cancellation
Hi, all. I was supposed to be at Apollycon this weekend, but I have to cancel. Yes, this is very last minute and I want to apologize to the readers who'd been planning to see me, the great staff at Apollycon, its host Jennifer Armentrout, the book seller that ordered all my books, and anyone else I'm forgetting.
As some of you know, my father nearly died last week (I blogged about it here.) We thought it was a "fluke" because the doctors and hospital basically said that when discharging him over the weekend. However, I found out late last night that he had two similar episodes yesterday. Now, he's in the hospital again and doctors are planning some kind of heart surgery. Heart surgery is never a casual thing, but it's especially serious considering my father's health (as I blogged about last week, in 2014, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to have half his renal system removed. He was then diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2015, yet has been able to keep that at bay with periodic treatments. In 2016, he had a triple bypass after the doctors discovered massive arterial blockages. After that surgery, his lungs failed and he nearly died. He recovered from that to have a major internal bleeding incident a couple months later that almost killed him. He then recovered from that only to have a mild stroke, fall out of bed and break his neck a couple months after that. Then a tooth extraction turned septic a couple months ago and he nearly died from that. Then last week's near-death incident, and now this.)
I hate to cancel an event last minute, but as hopefully all of you can understand, I don't want to be several states away during this time. Any prayers and good vibes that you can spare for my dad would be appreciated, as they would for my sister Jeanne, who lives with him as his primary caregiver. Here they are below. Thank you.
As some of you know, my father nearly died last week (I blogged about it here.) We thought it was a "fluke" because the doctors and hospital basically said that when discharging him over the weekend. However, I found out late last night that he had two similar episodes yesterday. Now, he's in the hospital again and doctors are planning some kind of heart surgery. Heart surgery is never a casual thing, but it's especially serious considering my father's health (as I blogged about last week, in 2014, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to have half his renal system removed. He was then diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2015, yet has been able to keep that at bay with periodic treatments. In 2016, he had a triple bypass after the doctors discovered massive arterial blockages. After that surgery, his lungs failed and he nearly died. He recovered from that to have a major internal bleeding incident a couple months later that almost killed him. He then recovered from that only to have a mild stroke, fall out of bed and break his neck a couple months after that. Then a tooth extraction turned septic a couple months ago and he nearly died from that. Then last week's near-death incident, and now this.)
I hate to cancel an event last minute, but as hopefully all of you can understand, I don't want to be several states away during this time. Any prayers and good vibes that you can spare for my dad would be appreciated, as they would for my sister Jeanne, who lives with him as his primary caregiver. Here they are below. Thank you.

Published on March 21, 2018 06:36
March 16, 2018
Roller coaster week
Note: None of this post is publishing related. Skip if you only want book news or professional updates.
I can't believe it's already Friday, and I'm not saying that in my usual "yay, Friday!" way. This has been a week of significant ups and downs. For starters, I got a migraine on Sunday that only showed signs of letting up by Wednesday morning. This isn't terribly unusual; I have a long history of migraines and sometimes they last for days. Yes, I've been to a doctor (a few.) Yes, I have tried lots of different remedies from prescriptions to naturopathic to holistic treatments to specific trigger-point massage to aromatherapy. Those things can help, but they don't cure my migraines. I must have inherited them from the maternal part of my lineage since my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother all suffered from migraines, too. On the bright side, they're supposed to get better after menopause, so that's one thing I have to look forward to after "the change" when it happens.
Bu that's why, when I woke up on Wednesday and didn't have a blasting headache, I was happy the migraine had finally left me. Between the pain involved and the meds for them, I hadn't been able to get any new writing done Monday or Tuesday. I was therefore hoping for a very productive remainder of the week on the writing front. And then the phone rang. It was one of my sisters, crying, to say that my other sister had found our Dad slumped over in his bathroom, unresponsive. When the paramedics got there, they said he was no longer breathing and it was "very bad." This is exactly how my mother died a little over two years ago. During the next fifteen minutes between that first call and the one that came after it, I was sure my father was dead. "Not breathing" and "very bad" are usually terms you hear from a paramedic right before "I'm sorry, he's gone." As you can imagine, I burst into tears from grief, which caused my migraine to instantly return. Then came the unbelievably happy news I hadn't been expecting - the paramedics had gotten Dad breathing again, so he was still alive and being taken to the hospital.
He's in stable condition now, thank God, and I swear, my father must be part cat because he apparently has nine lives. In 2014, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to have half his renal system removed. He was then diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2015, yet has been able to keep that at bay with periodic treatments. In 2016, he had a triple bypass after the doctors discovered massive arterial blockages. After that surgery, his lungs failed and he nearly died. He recovered from that to have a major internal bleeding incident a couple months later that almost killed him. He then recovered from that only to have a mild stroke, fall out of bed and break his neck a couple months after that. Then a tooth extraction turned septic a couple months ago and he nearly died from that. Now this. Seeing a pattern? *falls over from stress and worry*
Even with the very happy news that Dad wasn't dead, my migraine decided to stick around for another two days. It's finally gone today *knocks wood* but I had other family issues with another relative filling my time, plus trying to get my neglected inbox in order, plus other business stuff, so my word count this week is still zero (sorry, dear long-suffering editor!) Still, I'm not planning a funeral like I thought I'd be, and that is the most important thing. I can't tell you what it means to be able to talk to my father and tell him that I love him when I thought I wouldn't ever get the chance to again.
Finally, let me end this post with one of the cutest things I saw this week: the story of an unlikely friendship between a baby hippo and a baby rhino. If you need a smile, watch this.
I can't believe it's already Friday, and I'm not saying that in my usual "yay, Friday!" way. This has been a week of significant ups and downs. For starters, I got a migraine on Sunday that only showed signs of letting up by Wednesday morning. This isn't terribly unusual; I have a long history of migraines and sometimes they last for days. Yes, I've been to a doctor (a few.) Yes, I have tried lots of different remedies from prescriptions to naturopathic to holistic treatments to specific trigger-point massage to aromatherapy. Those things can help, but they don't cure my migraines. I must have inherited them from the maternal part of my lineage since my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother all suffered from migraines, too. On the bright side, they're supposed to get better after menopause, so that's one thing I have to look forward to after "the change" when it happens.
Bu that's why, when I woke up on Wednesday and didn't have a blasting headache, I was happy the migraine had finally left me. Between the pain involved and the meds for them, I hadn't been able to get any new writing done Monday or Tuesday. I was therefore hoping for a very productive remainder of the week on the writing front. And then the phone rang. It was one of my sisters, crying, to say that my other sister had found our Dad slumped over in his bathroom, unresponsive. When the paramedics got there, they said he was no longer breathing and it was "very bad." This is exactly how my mother died a little over two years ago. During the next fifteen minutes between that first call and the one that came after it, I was sure my father was dead. "Not breathing" and "very bad" are usually terms you hear from a paramedic right before "I'm sorry, he's gone." As you can imagine, I burst into tears from grief, which caused my migraine to instantly return. Then came the unbelievably happy news I hadn't been expecting - the paramedics had gotten Dad breathing again, so he was still alive and being taken to the hospital.
He's in stable condition now, thank God, and I swear, my father must be part cat because he apparently has nine lives. In 2014, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to have half his renal system removed. He was then diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2015, yet has been able to keep that at bay with periodic treatments. In 2016, he had a triple bypass after the doctors discovered massive arterial blockages. After that surgery, his lungs failed and he nearly died. He recovered from that to have a major internal bleeding incident a couple months later that almost killed him. He then recovered from that only to have a mild stroke, fall out of bed and break his neck a couple months after that. Then a tooth extraction turned septic a couple months ago and he nearly died from that. Now this. Seeing a pattern? *falls over from stress and worry*
Even with the very happy news that Dad wasn't dead, my migraine decided to stick around for another two days. It's finally gone today *knocks wood* but I had other family issues with another relative filling my time, plus trying to get my neglected inbox in order, plus other business stuff, so my word count this week is still zero (sorry, dear long-suffering editor!) Still, I'm not planning a funeral like I thought I'd be, and that is the most important thing. I can't tell you what it means to be able to talk to my father and tell him that I love him when I thought I wouldn't ever get the chance to again.
Finally, let me end this post with one of the cutest things I saw this week: the story of an unlikely friendship between a baby hippo and a baby rhino. If you need a smile, watch this.
This baby hippo’s best friend is a baby rhino, and he loves her more than anything in the world 💛 pic.twitter.com/p3KcZCJE1c
— The Dodo (@dodo) March 15, 2018
Published on March 16, 2018 12:40
March 7, 2018
SHADES OF WICKED cover, interview and first chapter!
I'm so happy to finally share the cover of SHADES OF WICKED with you! I'm even happier that Entertainment Weekly.com is hosting the reveal, and they were kind enough to do an interview with me, too. I talk about Ian, Veritas, vampires in general, inspirations, what I wanted on the cover that I got plus what I wanted that I didn't get (side note: I didn't fight fight with my editor, to be clear. It was more a case of me whining "But whyyyyyyy?" to her over and over, and her being the adult in the room ;)) and more. Thanks so much to Maureen and EW! Go
here
to check it out.
But wait, there's more! To celebrate the cover reveal, I'm also posting the entire first chapter below. Note: it’s pre-revisions and pre-copyedits, so you might find spelling and/or grammar errors, plus I might add or delete a line or two between now and the published version. Disclaimers aside, hope you enjoy seeing what happens with Ian and Veritas! As you can imagine, things do NOT start out with a quiet conversation ;).
Copyright, Jeaniene Frost 2018
SHADES OF WICKED
Chapter One
This had better be the right whorehouse.
It didn’t look like the seedier brothels I’d recently been to. This three-story structure could pass as the meeting place for an elite social club. Yet despite its unexpected prettiness, if I had to wade through another flesh-fest only to turn up empty-handed again, I wasn’t responsible for what I did to my quarry when I finally found him.
To vent my aggravation over two weeks of fruitless searching, I kicked the door open. Politeness had been wasted at the last several establishments anyway. No reputable proprietor willingly gave up a well-paying client, and I’ll say one thing for the bordello-loving vampire I was after - he obviously paid well.
To my surprise, I didn’t see anyone in the elegant foyer. Brothels usually had several prostitutes lingering around the entryway to welcome new customers. I was further surprised when I didn’t hear sounds of carnal activity in the upper floors of the house. I pulled out my mobile and checked the GPS pin. Yes, I was at the right place. What’s more, this place certainly smelled like sex, once you got past the choking scents of various perfumes and male colognes.
But if this was the right whorehouse, where was everyone?
Faint vibrations in the floor made me stride toward the hallway. Ah, so the party must be downstairs. I followed the strongest scents of perfume until I found a staircase that went down two floors. It ended at a locked door that I also kicked in. No point in being dainty now.
Noise blasted out. The basement must have been soundproofed for me to miss it before. Now, I wished I couldn’t hear what was going on as a melody assaulted my ears, repeating over and over. Thunder and Blazes, the favorite opening song of the former Barnum and Baileys circuses.
And I had walked into a circus, although one without any real animals. About a dozen naked women and men frolicked on the ground, doing woefully inadequate impressions of the creatures their full body paint represented. No work ethic, I thought when three faux lions appeared to be more interested in petting each other than in more realistic fights for dominance, and don’t get me started on how they ignored the two faux gazelles that walked by them.
The dozen or so prostitutes dressed in clown suits showed more dedication for their roles. They ran out of a fake car in the far corner of the room, some falling forward in rolling somersaults once they exited, some tripping each other with comedic exaggeration, and some blowing up balloons into explicit body parts that they then graphically connected.
An eruption of fireworks yanked my attention to the other side of the room. They went off around what looked like a throne, haloing its occupant in a blaze of sparks, fire and smoke. The mini pyrokinetic display was so bright; I couldn’t make out the enthroned person’s face, but when he called out “Act Eight will now begin!” I heard a distinct English accent.
Then the smoke cleared enough to show a man wearing a blue circus ringleader jacket. The smoke still concealed him from the waist down, but I didn’t need to see more to know I’d finally found my target. The vampire who’d blazed a trail through a dozen whorehouses in only two weeks had a face as beautiful as an angel’s and his fire-and-umber hair was as distinctive as his looks. When he got off the throne, revealing he wore nothing beneath the ringleader jacket, I realized those weren’t Ian’s only notable attributes.
For a moment, I simply stared. What vampire in his right mind would pierce himself with silver there?
I was the only one shocked by the silver piercing through the tip of Ian’s cock. Everyone else stopped what they were doing and rushed toward him. Even the glitter-covered acrobats leapt from their swinging perches near the ceiling, gracefully landing near the pile of limbs that now formed around the red-headed vampire.
It wasn’t enough that I had to be burdened with a vampire so mentally deficient that he’d willingly given himself a case of perpetual cock burn. He also had to be depraved enough to indulge in carnival-themed orgies. I wasn’t about to find out what the rest of Act Eight entailed. I made my way to the growing human flesh pile and began flinging people aside, taking care not to throw them too hard. Their heartbeats meant they were human, so they couldn’t heal the way my kind could.
“What’s this?” Ian asked in an annoyed manner when I reached the bottom of the flesh pile. Then he let out an appreciative noise when I yanked him up with none of the care I’d shown the other people.
“Why, hallo, my strong blonde sweeting.” Now he didn’t sound annoyed at all. “Are you the surprise I was promised?”
Why not let him believe that? “Sure,” I said. “Surprise.” And I grabbed him by the cock. I had one more thing to verify before I went any further.
Ian chuckled. “That’s the spirit, poppet.”
I dropped to my knees, but I wasn’t about to do what he thought. Still, this act allowed me to zero in on my goal with the least amount of resistance from him. Once I got a good look at the smoke-colored brands near the base of Ian’s groin, I released him. Only one demon branded people with these particular markings, and it was the same demon I’d been after for thousands of years.
“Ian,” I said as I rose from my crouched position. “Say goodbye. We’re leaving.”
He laughed outright. “I don’t think so. You might be lovely, but two’s lonely while a few dozen is a party.”
I gave a disparaging look around. “No great loss. The clowns were fine, but none of your faux animals fought each other or even attempted to jump through the fire rings.”
At that, he gave the animal-painted prostitutes an accusing look. “You didn’t, did you?” Then, his eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked back at me. “Wait a moment. I know who you are.”
We’d only officially met once before, so I hadn’t thought he’d remember me. Someone with his tendencies had to have crossed paths with vast numbers blonde women.
“Veritas, Law Guardian for the vampire council,” I confirmed. Then my hands landed on his shoulders. “And as I said, you are coming with me.”
His eyes changed from their natural vivid turquoise into glowing, vampiric emerald. “Leave it to a Law Guardian to try and ruin a perfectly good orgy. Sorry, luv, I’m not going anywhere. Now, take your hands from me before I remove them.”
He couldn’t mean that. Even striking a Law Guardian was enough to garner an instant death sentence. Only the vampire council itself was above us in undead society. That’s why I ignored his threat and tightened my grip.
“There’s no need for empty threats -”
The next thing I knew, I was thrown several meters away. I blinked, more startled by his quickness than by his reckless disregard for the punishment his actions merited.
“No need?” he repeated, contempt edging his tone now. “I remember the last time I saw you. I’d say your complicity in the murder of my friend’s daughter more than qualifies as a need.”
She isn’t dead.
The words rang in my mind, a comfort I drew on whenever I thought back on that awful day. But if Ian didn’t know that the child’s supposed execution had been nothing more than clever ruse…
“That was the council’s decision, not mine,” I said, my voice roughening from the memory. I’d nearly lost my position as Law Guardian arguing against the girl’s death, yet fear and bigotry had made the council unmovable. At least they hadn’t succeeded in taking her life, as they’d intended to.
Ian snorted. “Sleep better telling yourself that, do you? You make my sins look forgivable, and that takes some doing.”
“Enough.” How dare he judge me? “Now, come.”
His brows rose, as if he couldn’t believe I’d spoken to him the same way some people called their dogs. Well, if he insisted on acting like a beast, I’d treat him like one.
“All of you, leave,” Ian said to the prostitutes, who’d been watching with more boredom than interest. They must have thought our exchange was more fantasy role-playing. “My compliments for the day’s entertainment, but now it’s over. Go,” he stressed when some of them hung back instead joining the ones that began to file out the door.
I bit back a laugh. “Are you getting them out of the way because you’re intending to fight me?”
Ian flashed a smile that increased the intensity of his unusual beauty. “You must not have done your research if you thought I’d come willingly.”
The silver from his piercing must have gotten into his bloodstream and damaged his brain. That was the only explanation. “I’m more than four thousand years older than you.”
“Really?” he said with mock surprise. “Here I was thinking you didn’t look a day over twenty, little Guardian.”
He’d guessed my age when I was turned with surprising accuracy, yet I still let out a snort. “Is ‘little guardian’ supposed to be insulting? If so, do better.”
“Not being insulting,” he replied in an easygoing tone. “But if you’re half my weight, I’d be surprised.”
Yes, I looked more delicate than formidable, but that wouldn’t help him. With age came strength, and he wasn’t even three hundred years old yet.
“Stand down, Ian, and I won’t punish you for attacking me.”
“Why don’t you try begging me to stand down?” he suggested. “Make your plea interesting enough, and I might consider it.”
I was done negotiating. I plowed into Ian hard enough to shatter the bones in his upper body. To my surprise, he did nothing to block the blow. Instead, he flung me upward with strength he should never have had. I hit the ceiling with such force, I went all the way through it. For a stunned moment, I stared at him through the hole my body had made in the floor between us.
“Stop now and perhaps you’re the one who won’t get punished,” he said in a pleasant tone.
I suppressed the urge to immediately charge him again. Never underestimate an opponent twice, if you’re lucky enough to survive the first time. My vampire sire, Tenoch, had taught me that. Following Tenoch’s advice had saved my life many times, so I pushed back my urge to recklessly retaliate.
Ian was wrong – I had done my research on him. It hadn’t revealed anything unusual except for a voracious sexual appetite and an open disdain for rules. My previous assault should have left him on the ground, not whistling along to that awful circus tune while looking more bored than concerned.
Maybe his unusual strength came from the demon brands? They did more than act as a leash between Ian and the demon who’d seared them onto him. Over time, those brands would also endow Ian with some of that demon’s strength and power. But Ian had only been branded for a couple weeks. Not nearly long enough for him to manifest parts of the demon’s strength or abilities.
I’d find out his secret later. Right now, I needed to take him down, and thankfully, I had some surprises in store for him, too.
I gave Ian a level look. “My turn.”
His smile grew into a grin. “Come and get me, little Guardian.”
***
SHADES OF WICKED releases on October 30th. You can pre-order your copy here or at your favorite book store: Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, iBooks, BooksAMillion, Kobo
But wait, there's more! To celebrate the cover reveal, I'm also posting the entire first chapter below. Note: it’s pre-revisions and pre-copyedits, so you might find spelling and/or grammar errors, plus I might add or delete a line or two between now and the published version. Disclaimers aside, hope you enjoy seeing what happens with Ian and Veritas! As you can imagine, things do NOT start out with a quiet conversation ;).
Copyright, Jeaniene Frost 2018
SHADES OF WICKED
Chapter One
This had better be the right whorehouse.
It didn’t look like the seedier brothels I’d recently been to. This three-story structure could pass as the meeting place for an elite social club. Yet despite its unexpected prettiness, if I had to wade through another flesh-fest only to turn up empty-handed again, I wasn’t responsible for what I did to my quarry when I finally found him.
To vent my aggravation over two weeks of fruitless searching, I kicked the door open. Politeness had been wasted at the last several establishments anyway. No reputable proprietor willingly gave up a well-paying client, and I’ll say one thing for the bordello-loving vampire I was after - he obviously paid well.
To my surprise, I didn’t see anyone in the elegant foyer. Brothels usually had several prostitutes lingering around the entryway to welcome new customers. I was further surprised when I didn’t hear sounds of carnal activity in the upper floors of the house. I pulled out my mobile and checked the GPS pin. Yes, I was at the right place. What’s more, this place certainly smelled like sex, once you got past the choking scents of various perfumes and male colognes.
But if this was the right whorehouse, where was everyone?
Faint vibrations in the floor made me stride toward the hallway. Ah, so the party must be downstairs. I followed the strongest scents of perfume until I found a staircase that went down two floors. It ended at a locked door that I also kicked in. No point in being dainty now.
Noise blasted out. The basement must have been soundproofed for me to miss it before. Now, I wished I couldn’t hear what was going on as a melody assaulted my ears, repeating over and over. Thunder and Blazes, the favorite opening song of the former Barnum and Baileys circuses.
And I had walked into a circus, although one without any real animals. About a dozen naked women and men frolicked on the ground, doing woefully inadequate impressions of the creatures their full body paint represented. No work ethic, I thought when three faux lions appeared to be more interested in petting each other than in more realistic fights for dominance, and don’t get me started on how they ignored the two faux gazelles that walked by them.
The dozen or so prostitutes dressed in clown suits showed more dedication for their roles. They ran out of a fake car in the far corner of the room, some falling forward in rolling somersaults once they exited, some tripping each other with comedic exaggeration, and some blowing up balloons into explicit body parts that they then graphically connected.
An eruption of fireworks yanked my attention to the other side of the room. They went off around what looked like a throne, haloing its occupant in a blaze of sparks, fire and smoke. The mini pyrokinetic display was so bright; I couldn’t make out the enthroned person’s face, but when he called out “Act Eight will now begin!” I heard a distinct English accent.
Then the smoke cleared enough to show a man wearing a blue circus ringleader jacket. The smoke still concealed him from the waist down, but I didn’t need to see more to know I’d finally found my target. The vampire who’d blazed a trail through a dozen whorehouses in only two weeks had a face as beautiful as an angel’s and his fire-and-umber hair was as distinctive as his looks. When he got off the throne, revealing he wore nothing beneath the ringleader jacket, I realized those weren’t Ian’s only notable attributes.
For a moment, I simply stared. What vampire in his right mind would pierce himself with silver there?
I was the only one shocked by the silver piercing through the tip of Ian’s cock. Everyone else stopped what they were doing and rushed toward him. Even the glitter-covered acrobats leapt from their swinging perches near the ceiling, gracefully landing near the pile of limbs that now formed around the red-headed vampire.
It wasn’t enough that I had to be burdened with a vampire so mentally deficient that he’d willingly given himself a case of perpetual cock burn. He also had to be depraved enough to indulge in carnival-themed orgies. I wasn’t about to find out what the rest of Act Eight entailed. I made my way to the growing human flesh pile and began flinging people aside, taking care not to throw them too hard. Their heartbeats meant they were human, so they couldn’t heal the way my kind could.
“What’s this?” Ian asked in an annoyed manner when I reached the bottom of the flesh pile. Then he let out an appreciative noise when I yanked him up with none of the care I’d shown the other people.
“Why, hallo, my strong blonde sweeting.” Now he didn’t sound annoyed at all. “Are you the surprise I was promised?”
Why not let him believe that? “Sure,” I said. “Surprise.” And I grabbed him by the cock. I had one more thing to verify before I went any further.
Ian chuckled. “That’s the spirit, poppet.”
I dropped to my knees, but I wasn’t about to do what he thought. Still, this act allowed me to zero in on my goal with the least amount of resistance from him. Once I got a good look at the smoke-colored brands near the base of Ian’s groin, I released him. Only one demon branded people with these particular markings, and it was the same demon I’d been after for thousands of years.
“Ian,” I said as I rose from my crouched position. “Say goodbye. We’re leaving.”
He laughed outright. “I don’t think so. You might be lovely, but two’s lonely while a few dozen is a party.”
I gave a disparaging look around. “No great loss. The clowns were fine, but none of your faux animals fought each other or even attempted to jump through the fire rings.”
At that, he gave the animal-painted prostitutes an accusing look. “You didn’t, did you?” Then, his eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked back at me. “Wait a moment. I know who you are.”
We’d only officially met once before, so I hadn’t thought he’d remember me. Someone with his tendencies had to have crossed paths with vast numbers blonde women.
“Veritas, Law Guardian for the vampire council,” I confirmed. Then my hands landed on his shoulders. “And as I said, you are coming with me.”
His eyes changed from their natural vivid turquoise into glowing, vampiric emerald. “Leave it to a Law Guardian to try and ruin a perfectly good orgy. Sorry, luv, I’m not going anywhere. Now, take your hands from me before I remove them.”
He couldn’t mean that. Even striking a Law Guardian was enough to garner an instant death sentence. Only the vampire council itself was above us in undead society. That’s why I ignored his threat and tightened my grip.
“There’s no need for empty threats -”
The next thing I knew, I was thrown several meters away. I blinked, more startled by his quickness than by his reckless disregard for the punishment his actions merited.
“No need?” he repeated, contempt edging his tone now. “I remember the last time I saw you. I’d say your complicity in the murder of my friend’s daughter more than qualifies as a need.”
She isn’t dead.
The words rang in my mind, a comfort I drew on whenever I thought back on that awful day. But if Ian didn’t know that the child’s supposed execution had been nothing more than clever ruse…
“That was the council’s decision, not mine,” I said, my voice roughening from the memory. I’d nearly lost my position as Law Guardian arguing against the girl’s death, yet fear and bigotry had made the council unmovable. At least they hadn’t succeeded in taking her life, as they’d intended to.
Ian snorted. “Sleep better telling yourself that, do you? You make my sins look forgivable, and that takes some doing.”
“Enough.” How dare he judge me? “Now, come.”
His brows rose, as if he couldn’t believe I’d spoken to him the same way some people called their dogs. Well, if he insisted on acting like a beast, I’d treat him like one.
“All of you, leave,” Ian said to the prostitutes, who’d been watching with more boredom than interest. They must have thought our exchange was more fantasy role-playing. “My compliments for the day’s entertainment, but now it’s over. Go,” he stressed when some of them hung back instead joining the ones that began to file out the door.
I bit back a laugh. “Are you getting them out of the way because you’re intending to fight me?”
Ian flashed a smile that increased the intensity of his unusual beauty. “You must not have done your research if you thought I’d come willingly.”
The silver from his piercing must have gotten into his bloodstream and damaged his brain. That was the only explanation. “I’m more than four thousand years older than you.”
“Really?” he said with mock surprise. “Here I was thinking you didn’t look a day over twenty, little Guardian.”
He’d guessed my age when I was turned with surprising accuracy, yet I still let out a snort. “Is ‘little guardian’ supposed to be insulting? If so, do better.”
“Not being insulting,” he replied in an easygoing tone. “But if you’re half my weight, I’d be surprised.”
Yes, I looked more delicate than formidable, but that wouldn’t help him. With age came strength, and he wasn’t even three hundred years old yet.
“Stand down, Ian, and I won’t punish you for attacking me.”
“Why don’t you try begging me to stand down?” he suggested. “Make your plea interesting enough, and I might consider it.”
I was done negotiating. I plowed into Ian hard enough to shatter the bones in his upper body. To my surprise, he did nothing to block the blow. Instead, he flung me upward with strength he should never have had. I hit the ceiling with such force, I went all the way through it. For a stunned moment, I stared at him through the hole my body had made in the floor between us.
“Stop now and perhaps you’re the one who won’t get punished,” he said in a pleasant tone.
I suppressed the urge to immediately charge him again. Never underestimate an opponent twice, if you’re lucky enough to survive the first time. My vampire sire, Tenoch, had taught me that. Following Tenoch’s advice had saved my life many times, so I pushed back my urge to recklessly retaliate.
Ian was wrong – I had done my research on him. It hadn’t revealed anything unusual except for a voracious sexual appetite and an open disdain for rules. My previous assault should have left him on the ground, not whistling along to that awful circus tune while looking more bored than concerned.
Maybe his unusual strength came from the demon brands? They did more than act as a leash between Ian and the demon who’d seared them onto him. Over time, those brands would also endow Ian with some of that demon’s strength and power. But Ian had only been branded for a couple weeks. Not nearly long enough for him to manifest parts of the demon’s strength or abilities.
I’d find out his secret later. Right now, I needed to take him down, and thankfully, I had some surprises in store for him, too.
I gave Ian a level look. “My turn.”
His smile grew into a grin. “Come and get me, little Guardian.”
***
SHADES OF WICKED releases on October 30th. You can pre-order your copy here or at your favorite book store: Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, iBooks, BooksAMillion, Kobo
Published on March 07, 2018 08:25
March 1, 2018
Head's up on Ian's book cover and first chapter!
Many of you have been asking when I'll post an excerpt from SHADES OF WICKED, Night Rebel book one (Ian and Veritas.) You've also been asking when I'll post the cover. I now have an answer for both and it's the same, so head's up - cover and first chapter will be posted next week on March 7th. Entertainment Weekly is hosting the cover reveal on their website (yay!) and they were also kind enough to do a Q&A with me about the book, so you'll get both from them. I'll post the link once it's live.
I will also be posting the first chapter on my blog. To whet your appetite for that, here is what BFF Ilona Andrews Tweeted after reading it:
Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: "Wow, how many times does Jeaniene use the F-word in the first chapter?"
That's not the four-letter word she's talking about. *grins* I leave it to your imagination to guess which one it is.
Until then, hope you have a good one!
I will also be posting the first chapter on my blog. To whet your appetite for that, here is what BFF Ilona Andrews Tweeted after reading it:
I got to read the first chapter of Ian's book and you didn't. Nyah-nyah! Laughed for a full minute over the opening line and the skillful use of four letter words. @Jeaniene_Frost
— Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) February 28, 2018
Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: "Wow, how many times does Jeaniene use the F-word in the first chapter?"
That's not the four-letter word she's talking about. *grins* I leave it to your imagination to guess which one it is.
Until then, hope you have a good one!
Published on March 01, 2018 15:44
February 24, 2018
Happy Birthday, Gypsy!
We interrupt this blog for a Proud Fur-Mommy moment: my fur-baby, Gypsy, turned fourteen this past week. She has been a joy and a blessing to me and my husband every single day of those fourteen years. If I had my way, she'd be with us for another fourteen. Here she is, licking the frosting off her cake instead of posing. Hey, I can't criticize those priorities - she's mommy's little girl ;).

Published on February 24, 2018 06:50
February 13, 2018
SHADES OF WICKED back cover description and preorder links!
As the subject line says, I finally have the back cover description and pre-order links available for SHADES OF WICKED, book one in the Night Rebel series featuring Ian and Veritas. The cover's coming soon and of course, I'll post it as soon as I can. I'll also be sure to post some excerpts in the future, too, so stay tuned for that :).
In this thrilling new Night Rebel series set in New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress world, sexy and ruthless vampire Ian finally meets his match!
The Rule Breaker
Master vampire Ian is unrepentant, shameless...and every shade of wicked. He's made one too many enemies in his two centuries of existence, including Dagon, a demon who now lays claim to his soul. Ian's only chance to escape Dagon is to join forces with a Law Guardian, but he's never been able to abide by the rules for long.
The Law Maker
Veritas' normal role is police, judge and jury to reprobates like Ian. But she has her own ax to grind with Dagon, so if she can use Ian as bait...well, all's fair in law and war. As they scour supernatural hotspots to perfect their trap, Veritas soon realizes Ian's devil-may-care, roguish image hides something much more powerful. And Ian discovers that Veritas has shocking secrets of her own. As they're drawn to each other with a passion as intense as their peril, either love or justice will prevail. But each will have devastating consequences...
Available October 30th, 2018. Pre-order: Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, iBooks, BooksAMillion, Kobo
Note: the mass market edition is not yet available for pre-order on Amazon, but it will be coming soon. There is also a hardcover edition, for those interested, but that will only be available online and not in stores.
Finally, audio readers, the audio edition WILL be available for preorder, but the links aren't up yet. As soon as they are, I'll update my website. And yes, the audio edition will release the same day as the paperback/ebook.
Thanks, everyone!

The Rule Breaker
Master vampire Ian is unrepentant, shameless...and every shade of wicked. He's made one too many enemies in his two centuries of existence, including Dagon, a demon who now lays claim to his soul. Ian's only chance to escape Dagon is to join forces with a Law Guardian, but he's never been able to abide by the rules for long.
The Law Maker
Veritas' normal role is police, judge and jury to reprobates like Ian. But she has her own ax to grind with Dagon, so if she can use Ian as bait...well, all's fair in law and war. As they scour supernatural hotspots to perfect their trap, Veritas soon realizes Ian's devil-may-care, roguish image hides something much more powerful. And Ian discovers that Veritas has shocking secrets of her own. As they're drawn to each other with a passion as intense as their peril, either love or justice will prevail. But each will have devastating consequences...
Available October 30th, 2018. Pre-order: Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, iBooks, BooksAMillion, Kobo
Note: the mass market edition is not yet available for pre-order on Amazon, but it will be coming soon. There is also a hardcover edition, for those interested, but that will only be available online and not in stores.
Finally, audio readers, the audio edition WILL be available for preorder, but the links aren't up yet. As soon as they are, I'll update my website. And yes, the audio edition will release the same day as the paperback/ebook.
Thanks, everyone!
Published on February 13, 2018 06:52