Jeaniene Frost's Blog, page 16

Into The Fire is finally here!

Vlad and Leila fans, today is the day you've been waiting for! Into The Fire, the fourth and final Night Prince novel, is finally here.

 

In the wrong hands, love can be a deadly weapon.

 

For nearly six hundred years, Vlad Tepesh cared for nothing, so he had nothing to lose. His brutal reputation ensured that all but the most foolhardy stayed away. Now falling in love with Leila has put him at the mercy of his passions. And one adversary has found a devastating way to use Vlad’s new bride against him.

 

A powerful spell links Leila to the necromancer Mircea. If he suffers or dies, so does she. Magic is forbidden to vampires, so Vlad and Leila enlist an unlikely guide as they search for a way to break the spell. But an ancient enemy lies in wait, capable of turning Vlad and Leila’s closest friends against them…and finally tearing the lovers apart forever.

 

Order your copy in ebook, print, or audio here or at your favorite retailer: Into the Fire (Night Prince) 

 

Now, since my opinion is understandably biased, here is what Romantic Times had to say about it: "The always-amazing Frost serves up the final installment in her sizzling Night Prince series. Fans of this author and this series will not be disappointed, so hang on and enjoy this emotionally powerful ride!" 4.5 stars, rated a Top Pick!

 

Heroes and Hearbreakers said: "Into the Fire is sure to be a hit with longtime fans of both Night Prince and Night Huntress. And if you’ve been waiting for your Ian book, consider Into the Fire the appetizer."

 

I'm so exited to finally share this story with you, and while I'll miss Vlad and Leila, this isn't goodbye forever. It's more of a "so long for now." Just like with Cat and Bones after the Night Huntress series concluded, you will still see Vlad and Leila again as side characters in future spin-off novels. Speaking of future vampire books, Ian is the next character to get his own books, and you'll get a tease as to what in store for him - and who Ian's heroine will be - in Into The Fire, where Ian is a significant side character.

 

I absolutely loved bringing Vlad and Leila's story to life, and I want to thank all the readers who went on this journey with me. I've said before that this is for all the people who wanted Dracula to get a happily-ever-after. In fact, I can remember being scolded by my parents as a child for rooting for Dracula instead of Van Helsing. So, Dracula lovers, unlike all the movies that showed him losing in the end, with Into The Fire, we win this one :). Happy reading!

 

Oh, and I have to give a shout-out to my dear friend Melissa Marr, who also has a release today for One Blood Ruby. If you're not familiar with Melissa's books, they're fabulous, so check them out!

 

Now that Lily Abernathy is the heir to the Hidden Lands, everything is about to change...

The Queen of Blood and Rage wants Lily to help broker peace with the human world, but Lily knows that harmony won’t come easily. After decades of waging war on the humans, who cost the queen her firstborn daughter, the fae are struggling to accept Lily, a half-human monarch. 

Lily wants to be a fair ruler but fears having to abandon the life she’s known. Now that she and Creed are more than just fellow Black Diamonds—operatives for the queen—her priorities have shifted. But her worries about assuming the throne are derailed when it becomes clear that someone—or some fae—is masterminding violent attacks to discourage peace. Who can end the war between humans and fae? 

Order One Blood Ruby here or at your favorite retailer.

Contest winners, Goodreads interview, and more!

Happy Valentine's day, everyone! If you're like me, you use this day as an excuse to eat a little more chocolate than normal, heh. AND if you're like me, you like free books! That's why, although I said I was only giving away 5 Arcs of INTO THE FIRE in my prior contest, I found more Arcs while I was unpacking (side note: Yes, I moved again for the second time in a year. If all goes well, this should be the last move for a while. Cross your fingers for me ;)).

Anyway, as I was saying, I found more Arcs, so I'm upping the number of winners from 5 to 8. The winners were picked at random because I can't choose between any of you - I love all of you! Also, at prior winners' request, I am only listing first names and the initial of last names. If you see your first name and initial below, check your email! Your instructions on how to get your book are enclosed.

Without any further ado, the winners are...

Mary B., Ashwina P., Alisa D., Deanna M., Hope G., Carley N., Cricket B., Susan B.

Congrats, all! As for everyone else, I am so sorry you didn't get good news this round, but as a reminder, I am doing a live video chat this Friday, February 17th, from 1pm Eastern time until 1:45pm, and everyone who asks me a question during the live chat will be automatically entered to win 1 of 7 signed paperback copies of INTO THE FIRE. So, you'll have another change to get your hands on Vlad and Leila's final story before it releases to the public.  Here is the link for the live chat: avonromancelive.com

Finally, Goodreads has posted their interview with me, where I answered 10 readers questions that they chose. Want to know which character I'd most like to meet in real life, if it were possible? What authors I'd have over to dinner, if I could, and if I've based any of my characters on people I actually know? Go here to find out all that and more.

 

Upcoming live chat, new giveaway, and more!

Hi, everyone! Things are heating up now that it's only two weeks until INTO THE FIRE, the final Night Prince novel, releases. First up is a live video chat that I'm doing this Friday, February 17th, starting at 1pm Eastern Time.

Aside from the chance to get your burning questions answered by me live on video, why should you care? I'm glad you asked! :).  Everyone who asks me a question during the live chat will be automatically entered to win 1 of 7 signed paperback copy of INTO THE FIRE, mailed out before the book releases!

Since this is a rather narrow window to get your question in (only 45 minutes), your chances will be MUCH better for this contest. For example: I've had almost 700 entries into the contest I ran last week (winners announced tomorrow!) so most people won't be happy with those results. But for those of you who are able to carve out time this Friday from 1pm until 1:45pm Eastern time, you'll get to chat with me and be far more likely to win a free signed book, so come on out! Here is the link for the live chat: avonromancelive.com

Next up is for audio book lovers. The first book in the Night Prince series, ONCE BURNED, is Audible.com's "daily deal" today, so TODAY ONLY, you can get it for only $3.95. Once again, the fabulous Tavia Gilbert narrates. If you've never tried an audio book before, but you've been thinking about it, this a great way to test one for about the cost of a cup of coffee. Get yours here. 

Finally, as a reminder, the signed pre-orders for INTO THE FIRE, hosted by Schuler, ends tomorrow. So, if you haven't heard of this before, or you were meaning to get your pre-order in so you're guaranteed to get a signed copy - yet you're like me and you tend to procrastinate - this is your last chance. Order your copy here. Below are the details.

You must have your pre-order in by 2/14/17. After that, there is no guarantee that the copy you get will be signed.
You can get signed copies of both the mass market edition and the hardcover, so pick your preferred format.
The books will be signed, but not personalized.
International orders WILL be accepted, but please read carefully: If you live in Canada, you can order directly from the link above. All other countries must use this email address ONLY to order their books: orders@schulerbooks.com. 
 Schuler cannot fulfill orders for books purchased through another retailer. So, if you already pre-ordered your book via Amazon, B&N, or another book seller, you can’t send your receipt to Schuler in exchange for a signed book. The reason is that Schuler wouldn’t get reimbursed by those stores; they are their own entity. 

 

INTO THE FIRE book trailer and signed book giveaway!

I can never get videos to load in my Goodreads blog, so I'm not even going to try this time. Like the subject line says, I have the book trailer for INTO THE FIRE to unveil, plus a signed book giveaway for the same. If you want to see the trailer and/or enter the contest, go here:

http://jeanienefrost.com/2017/02/into...

Vlad discovers marshmallows and how to get your paperback copy signed for INTO THE FIRE

First up, readers Tweeted this picture to me and I think it's hilarious! Enjoy :).



 

Remember, it's now less than a month until INTO THE FIRE releases, where Vlad will be impaling much more than marshmallows ;). If you intend to get your copy in paperback and you were pre-ordering, my publisher has partnered with Schuler Books in order for people to get signed copies. Important: this is only valid for preorders up until 2/14/17. Here is the link: http://www.schulerbooks.com/fire 

 
ETA: Several of you have asked me very good questions about the pre-orders. Here is what I've learned so far:

 
1. You must have your pre-order in by 2/14/17. After that, there is no guarantee that the copy you get will be signed.
 
2. You can get signed copies of both the mass market edition and the hardcover, so pick your preferred format.
 
3. The books will be signed, but not personalized.
 
4. International orders WILL be accepted, but please read carefully: If you live in Canada, you can order directly from the link above. All other countries must use this email address ONLY to order their books: orders@schulerbooks.com. 
 

5. Schuler cannot fulfill orders for books purchased through another retailer. So, if you already pre-ordered your book via Amazon, B&N, or another book seller, you can't send your receipt to Schuler in exchange for a signed book. The reason is that Schuler wouldn't get reimbursed by those stores; they are their own entity. 

 

If you have a question that you don't see above, please email Schuler at orders@schulerbooks.com and put "Into The Fire" in the subject line so they know which book you're asking about. Thanks!

Which readers matter to the NYT?

This morning, my editor and agent emailed me to inform me of the changes recently made to the New York Times bestseller list. As many of you know, the New York Times has long published a list featuring the top selling books of the week, broken down by different formats and markets. This list is more than a boon to the authors whose books appear on it, although it is considered a status symbol to call yourself a "New York Times" bestselling author. It's also a snapshot of what Americans at large are reading. Granted, there has been some fair criticism about certain books making the NYT list while others didn't, but that's another issue. Even with its imperfections, the New York Times bestseller list was primarily a list by readers - since their purchases determined which books were on it - and for readers since readers are the intended audience of every newspaper publication. 

Now, however, things have changed. Despite ebooks being the preferred format for over 50% of adult fiction (and some studies showing ebooks nearing the 50% mark for all books purchased*), the New York Times has eliminated "E-book bestsellers" from its categories. They didn't stop there. They also eliminated the "Mass Market" category entirely, and if you're not familiar with the term, "mass markets" are the smaller-sized, less expensive versions of paperback books. 

To me, it doesn't seem like a sound business practice to tell 50% of your customer base that you're not interested in their views. It also doesn't seem ethical to publish a list purportedly showing the top books Americans are reading while deliberately excluding around half of America's reader base. More importantly, however, I see this as the New York Times telling me, a reader of primarily mass markets and ebooks, that I don't matter to them. Neither do other readers of ebooks and/or mass market titles. The only readers they care about, per their newly-restricted bestseller categories, are the readers of hard cover and Trade paperback books. 

Why? Some think it's elitism. Mass markets and ebooks are the main format for a lot of genre fiction, and genre fiction has frequently been sneered at as the "lesser" members of the literary family. Some think it's a form of retaliation against the continued advancement of the digital market. Newspapers like the New York Times have lost a good deal of money ** due to people canceling their print subscriptions in favor of getting their news online, so some believe this might be a simple case of sour grapes. 

In all honesty, I don't know why the New York Times did this. I only know I can't think up a single good reason to tell millions of readers that they don't matter by eliminating those readers' preferred formats from a list that's supposed to represent what people are reading. I doubt the New York Times will care about my opinion, however. They've already shown that readers like me aren't important to them.

 

*Source.

**Source and source.  

Into The Fire giveaway, new scene snippet, and deal alert

Hi folks! My publisher is running a contest on Goodreads where they're giving away 10 Arcs (advance reading copies) of INTO THE FIRE, the final Night Prince novel. Contest is open now and ends on 1/24/17. Open to US residents only (sorry, not my decision!) I WILL be featuring an Arc giveaway on my blog soon that will be open to international readers, so hang in there. However, if you are a US resident and you're interested in getting an early look at INTO THE FIRE, go HERE to enter for your chance to win. 

 

Also, deal alert! This week, my publisher has the ebook price for TWICE TEMPTED, book two in the Night Prince series, at only $1.99. Once again, this is for US residents only, so if that applies to you, grab it while you can HERE or at your favorite retailer.

 

Finally, here is another snippet from INTO THE FIRE. Well, actually, it's a deleted scene, so it won't appear in the published version. Since the scene ended up getting cut, it's also pre-edits, so it will probably contain spelling and/or grammar errors that I'm blind to because I know what it's supposed to say. By popular demand, it features Ian, who will be the next character to get his own book(s) after the Night Prince series concludes. Hope you enjoy!

***

“Ian!” someone shouted. Then a tall, twenty-something man with long, snow-white hair strode over, almost kicking aside a tree bench on his way. “How dare you show your face here?”

Vlad gave the man a calculated glance. “Is this Ashael?”

Ian’s brows came together. “No. This is someone else, and I have no idea what he’s in a lather about-”

That’s all he got out before the tall man grabbed him and hauled him out of his chair. I backed away because I’d need more room to manifest my whip, if things took a more dangerous turn.

“Marco, why all the fuss?” Ian asked in a cajoling tone.

“You dare to play coy?” Marco said with a snarl. “I know it was you who despoiled my daughter!”

Ian’s brow furrowed even more. “Which one was she?”

“Marlene,” Marco spat.

Ian grunted. “Need to be more specific, mate.”

We were now attracting attention, and that was the last thing we wanted. Under other circumstances, I’d let Ian deal with this himself, but maybe a woman’s touch was needed to calm things down.

I pushed myself between the angry stranger and Ian. “Look, I get why you’re upset,” I said in a soothing tone. “Ian’s a pig, but no girl is ‘spoiled’ by having sex-”

“She was an eighth-generation sorceress whose abilities were tied to her purity!” Marco roared. “And he knew it!”

Ian began to chuckle. “Oh, that Marlene.”

Marco’s face turned purplish from rage. Ian only laughed harder. “It’s all coming back to me now. Dear Lord, she wanted that shag more than a new vampire wants blood-”

“Shut up, you’re making things worse,” I hissed.

Ian shot me an exasperated look. “What Marco’s leaving out is that he wanted Marlene to remain a virgin in order to control her power. I was the only one with enough stones to free her by taking away the source of her power. Where is your sense of feminism? You should be thanking me!”

“Enough,” Vlad said, and the single word held such command that Marco stopped shaking Ian and looked at him. “If you were really going kill him, you already would have,” Vlad went on. “So these theatrics, while understandable, are useless, which means you're wasting my time.”

Marco glanced back and forth between Vlad and Ian. He clearly wanted to dole out more punishment, yet it was also clear that Marco didn’t want to find out what Vlad was made of. Even without manifesting his fire, Vlad practically oozed lethalness, and Marco must not have much power of his own or he wouldn't have tried so hard to hold onto his daughter’s for his own purposes. 

“For pity’s sake, are you about to break your promise?” Ian asked Vlad in an exasperated tone. “How many times must I tell you not to kill someone tonight?” To Marco, he added, “Bloke can barely go a day without committing murder. It's like a sickness with him.”

Marco started to look a lot less mad and a lot more alarmed. He let Ian go with a muttered, “Another time.” Then he walked away, casting several dirty looks over his shoulder at Ian as he went.

“Good thing that didn’t go pear-shaped,” Ian remarked.

“Come again?” I said.

He gave me a tolerant look. “Americans. If you didn’t make up the slang, you don’t bother attempting to understand it.”

***

Happy New Year and "real" writers

First and foremost, Happy New Year, everyone! I don't know about you, but 2016 was a pretty rough year for me. Here's hoping that 2017 is filled with a lot more light, love and laughter for all of us.

That being said, I know a lot of people make New Year's resolutions. Diets are always a popular one, or going to the gym, or getting organized, or lots of other things we'll probably forget about by the end of this month, heh. But for some on you, that resolution might include finally starting, finishing, shopping, or publishing a book. In fact, it was January of 2003 when I decided that, no matter what I was doing wrong (I'll get to that later), I was going to start and finish an entire book.  

You see, I'd started a bunch of novels up to that point, but I'd always gotten bored, distracted by a new idea, etc., and thus had never finished any of them. I'd also been told by a writer acquaintance that if I wanted to be an author, I had to have a chapter-by-chapter outline, a story board filled with details on all the characters, and extensive scene notes, all before I even started the book.

Anyone who knows me will understand how crushed I felt at hearing that. I may as well have been told that in order to write a book, I'd have to get a brain transplant. That kept me from attempting to write for another couple years, but the urge didn't go away. I'd wanted to write a book since I fell in the love with the romance genre at age twelve (yes, I know - way too young to be reading romance, but hey, now you can say that I got a really, really, reaaaaaalllly early start on researching my future profession! ;)). 

So, despite my utter lack of what some people would call qualifications and/or preparedness, in January of 2003, I started writing a book. In April of that same year, about fifty thousand words into my new book, I had a dream about a completely different hero and heroine. I could not get those people out of my mind, so, as I'd done many times before, I abandoned the novel I'd been working on and started something else. I'll admit: it felt like taking a step backward into the same futility that had kept me from finishing any of my other stories, but this new idea wouldn't let me go.

That new, dream-based idea eventually became HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE, book one in the Night Huntress series, which launched my career as a bestselling author of multiple books and series. 

What's the point of this post, aside from a trip down memory lane? It's simply this: don't listen to people who tell you that in order to be a "real" writer, you have to do A, B, or C, or you have to be A, B, or C. 

I was reminded of this last week, when an author penned a piece published by the Huffington Post. In it, she claimed that self-publishing was an "insult" to the written word and that, among other things, indie authors aren't "real" writers. There was a lot more crap in her article, but I won't go into all of it. I'm also not linking it because I don't want to give that author any more publicity. I'll admit, I read it and laughed at how ridiculously uninformed and elitist her positions were... and then I stopped laughing because I remembered how I used to believe a lot of those same things when I was starting out. That belief, plus my own doubts, kept me from chasing my dream of being an author for many years, and I regret that lost time now.

So, I went on a mini Twitter rant that I'm copying here because I think it bears repeating. I've edited it to further flesh out my thoughts since Twitter's character restrictions make that difficult. Besides, my original rant was written while I was on migraine meds, so I had skipped from point 4 to 6 while ignoring 5 (Twitter, give us an "edit" button, please!) Not everything below pertains to the article that ticked me off; I also added some other b.s. restrictions I've heard over the years. My hope in posting this is to provide encouragement to writers who've found themselves burdened by rules, limitations and requirements that don't actually exist. If it also annoys any elitist authors who think that people need their approval before they can call themselves "real" writers, well, that's just the icing on the cake ;). 

Edited Twitter rant below: 

I am so sick of hearing what it takes to be a "real" writer. I've heard you have to write EVERY day, write several books, write for a decade before you attempt to get published -

And of course, my favorite: NOT write romance because everyone knows those aren't "real" books. Guess what? Writers aren't Borg and one size doesn't fit all.

Bottom line is, if you write, you're a REAL writer. Period. All the rest is garbage. There isn't a minimum number of books you have to write. Plenty of famed authors only wrote one book.

You also don't have to write every day. It's fine if you do, but it's not required. Romances are REAL books, like it or not. Short stories and poetry count as "real" writing, too.

Yes, some self-published books are awful. So are some traditionally-published books. But trashing ALL self-published books is impressively pretentious, imo.

In summary, can we please stop acting as if there's no room at the table for the "unwashed masses," aka people who write/publish differently than we do?

*** End edited Twitter rant***

Note: I'm a person who never went to college, doesn't write every day, never took a creating writing course, didn't write for ten years before I got published, will self-publish whatever I want, will never do story boards, outline in detail, or stop writing romance, and who's still a REAL damn writer, thank you very much :).

Note 2: Because someone will probably say "Shame on you for telling aspiring authors that creative writing courses and/or college is a waste of time!" let me clarify: I'm not saying that at all. I regret not going to college because I could have learned a lot more, and a degree is always a good thing to have. Also, creative writing courses would've no doubt helped me shave some revising time off my earlier works. However, I'm arguing against the "you HAVE to..." list I've seen spouted in many, many circles. By all means, do whatever helps you the most toward achieving your goal of being an author, but don't let the "you HAVE to..." crowd tell you your dream is out of reach because you don't have their same credentials, writing style, or publishing platform.

The Brightest Embers cover

Hi, everyone! I know, my blog has been quiet this month. In addition to the normal holiday hustle and bustle, I'm also busy writing AND we're doing a home renovation plus moving. So, lots of stuff to keep me occupied! I probably won't post again until after the new year, but I couldn't let more time pass without putting up the cover for The Brightest Embers, the third and final book in the Broken Destiny series.

The Brightest Embers releases on July 25th, 2017. Pre-orders are now available here or at your favorite retailer. (psst! Currently, the ebook price is $5.99. I think that's in error because it's normally $6.99 for new releases, so if you're thinking of grabbing this, do it before the publisher fixes the price! Oh, but you didn't hear that from me *wink*)

What's this? some of you are asking. Third book? When'd the second one come out?

It hasn't. The release date for The Sweetest Burn, book two in the Broken Destiny series, was pushed back from this year to June 2017. That way, books two and three release back-to-back so readers won't have to wait to find out the conclusion of Ivy and Adrian's story. If you haven't heard of the Broken Destiny series before, it starts with The Beautiful Ashes and it features a new paranormal world, populated with my version of Archons (angels), demons, gargoyles, minions, and two star-crossed lovers from opposing supernatural backgrounds (note: "opposing supernatural backgrounds" does NOT mean an angel falling for a demon or vice versa. It's something else entirely.) Since my opinion can't be trusted on these books (I wrote them, so I'm understandably biased! :)) here's what other people have said about the Broken Destiny series:

"A fast-moving tale that refuses to let up until the end...Books don't get more fun or action-packed than this!" -Romantic Times on The Beautiful Ashes.

"If you prefer nail-biting, other-worldly suspense, and adventure with your love story, this one's for you." -BookPage on The Beautiful Ashes

“Frost scores another win with the mesmerizing second Broken Destiny super-natural contemporary… The novel thrums with energy, its pacing breakneck from the very start, and piles on the sexual tension.” Publishers Weekly on The Sweetest Burn.

That's it from me for now. See all of you in 2017 :).

Sale alert!

I don't know how long this sale will last, and it's probably for US residents only, but right now ONCE BURNED, book 1 in the Night Prince series, is only $.99. If you haven't discovered Vlad yet, grab this deal while you can!

If you've already tried and enjoyed the Night Prince series, most retailers allow you to "gift" an ebook to a friend, and holiday gifts don't get much cheaper than this ;). Either way, if you're interested, you can buy HERE:  

 She’s a mortal with dark powers…

After a tragic accident scarred  her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a  person’s darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of  solitude…until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out  with a telepathic distress call to the world’s most infamous vampire…

He’s the Prince of Night…

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest  vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don’t call him Dracula. Vlad’s ability to control fire makes him one of the most  feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against  him – a beautiful mortal with powers to  match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them,  threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop  an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

Reviews
“I always open a Frost book with happy anticipation, and I’ve never been disappointed…Very suspenseful, very fast-paced.” – #1 NYT bestselling author Charlaine Harris.

 “There are many Draculas but there is only one Vlad, and you owe it to yourself to meet him.” – #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews. 

“Passion and peril.” – Publishers Weekly. 

 

“Let the rejoicing commence, as Frost spins off dangerously sexy vamp Vlad Tepesh into his own edgy and sizzling series.” – Romantic Times, Top Pick!  

“I loved this book!…A must read for Jeaniene Frost’s fans.” – Fresh Fiction.