Jeaniene Frost's Blog, page 25
April 18, 2015
Pack, conclusion
Free reading period for this story is over. You can purchase Pack for $1.99 at your favorite ebook retailer.
April 15, 2015
Justified, a character recap
Note: This recap is spoiler-free for the ending of Justified.
Back in 2010, my husband and I heard about a new show that was described as a sort of modern-day Western, with a dash of cops-versus-robbers. We hadn’t heard of most of the cast before, but we liked the lead actor, Timothy Olyphant, so we decided to check out the first episode.
That was all it took to get hooked on Justified.
In the interest of space, I’m not going to do a season-by-season recap or even a broad highlight of the storyline. Instead, I’m going to take about what was the driving force behind my love of this series: the characters. Walton Groggins, who played Boyd, quickly became my second-favorite character after Timothy Olyphant’s Raylan. In fact, during some seasons, I might have been rooting for Boyd a wee bit more than Raylan even though Boyd was the show’s mostly-unapologetic villain.
In my humble opinion, Groggins’ multi-layered, finely-nuanced performance of Boyd should be a lesson in how to craft a villain who truly sees himself as the hero of his own story (as writers know, that’s the starting point for crafting a believable villain, but it’s rarely done so well as here.)
Raylan, on the other hand, is the epitome of an anti-hero. I remember reading a study a few years back that claimed to find similarities in the “function” of cops’ brains and criminals’ brains. Raylan’s character certainly seemed to support the theory that the thought patterns of law enforcers and law breakers can be surprisingly similar, even if their actions are distinctly (or usually) opposite. Olyphant’s portrayal of Raylan, a modern Federal Marshall who has more than a touch of Old West mentality, blurred the line on cop versus criminal more than a few times, but in a way that left me cheering him when he crossed into what was distinctly un-lawman-like territory. Why? Raylan’s motivation. He didn’t cross those lines without a reason that I, as the viewer, could sympathize with. Take, for example, a mob guy telling Raylan that he was going to kill Raylan’s pregnant girlfriend the first chance he got. What happens next was illegal, but for me, it was understandable.
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I also loved the side characters. There were many, so I’m only going to list my favorites, such as Art, Raylan’s gruff-but-fair boss who is also a father figure to him; Tim, a Federal Marshall coworker who’s a former decorated veteran sharpshooter; Ellen May, an endearing prostitute who humanizes a profession that’s very easy to look down upon; Bob, a seemingly inept deputy who turns out to have surprising grit; Limehouse, a criminal with his own finely-honed since of justice, and Wynn, a shifty criminal who is, above all, a survivor. Lest anyone think that Justified was light on strong female characters, it wasn’t. I just wanted to reserve them for their own paragraphs :).
When we first meet Ava, she comes off as a beautiful, flirty, ditsy blonde… if you don’t count her almost casually describing how she shot and killed her abusive husband over his favorite meal of fried chicken. Joelle Carter did a fantastic job of portraying Ava as person who let her physical abuse harden her into someone you did not f---k with, while at the same time, showing a woman who longed for a stable, loving relationship and a family. Ava was also honest with herself over her unfortunate tendency to fall for men who would ultimately disappoint her, and the way she grimly soldiered on in a world where she was often dismissed as arm candy had me rooting for her. Ava was frequently underestimated, and she used that to her advantage in ways that ended up shocking the people who thought they knew her best.
Rachel, played beautifully by Erika Tazel, is another Federal Marshall coworker. Being a petite, lovely African American woman in a male-oriented (and frequently racist) world, Rachel quickly shows that she is a force to be reckoned with, both for her guts and her intelligence. She goes toe-to-toe with the bad guys almost as much as she does with Raylan, and is one of the few people who seems able to get Raylan to do what he should do instead of what he wants to do…some of the time, anyway. Rachel has many, many great scenes in Justified, but if I had a complaint, it would be that I wished her character would have been more deeply explored. I thought that Rachel had the potential for a lot more storylines (spinoff, anyone?), and was I the only one rooting for her and Tim to get together?
Kaitlyn Dever plays Loretta, a teenage girl who’s first introduced to the storyline as a victim of an older man’s very-unwanted attentions. Despite being on the fence about her at first, Loretta grew into one of my favorite characters. To say she’s had an unconventional upbringing is putting it mildly; Loretta cut her teeth on the crime business at an appallingly young age, as a scene where she sells "herbal relief" in school highlights. But, growing up in the middle of the illegal weed industry meant that it was all Loretta knew. From her recollections, you can almost image her playing as a child among the drying marijuana plants in the hollers of Harlan, and how she manages to rise above the many, many, many adults who try to use her was simply badass. I might not agree with a lot of Loretta’s choices, but I applauded her for her fierce inner strength.
Honorable mention goes to Mags, played brilliantly by Margo Martindale. Mags only appeared for season 2, but her portrayal as the matriarch of the Bennett crime family was so memorable, hubby and I bought a jar of apple pie flavored moonshine in honor of Mags (if you’ve seen season 2, you’ll get the inner joke ;)). On the turn of a dime, Mags could go from motherly and folksy to ruthless and terrifying, all with the same sweet smile. I would never want to meet someone like Mags in real life (come to think, the same could be said for quite a few of my favorite characters on this show) but it was a true pleasure to watch her on TV.
Why am I talking about Justified, some of you might wonder? Because the series finale was last night. As mentioned earlier, you won’t find any spoilers here – and DON’T leave any in the comments, it’s awful to spoil people who aren’t looking to know what happens in advance! – but I will say that I was satisfied with the ending. Not everything went the way I would have preferred, but enough of it did that I was left with a good feeling. After being so upset over how Dexter, another favorite show, ended, I was nervous about the finale of Justified, but my concerns turned out to be unfounded. Let me tell you, that was a relief. I hate when I invest years of time and emotion in something that ends in a way that makes me regret going along for the ride in the first place. Justified didn’t do that, so if you’re in the market for a character-driven show that sometimes blurs the lines between the peacekeepers and the outlaws, I highly recommend it. And hey, lucky you who haven’t seen it yet – you can now watch all the episodes at your preferred pace, whereas I had to wait years to see how it would all turn out :).
And now for a brief, off-topic reminder: The second part of Pack, a free werewolf short story, will be posted this Saturday the 18th. If you haven't read Part 1 of Pack, you can find it here.
Back in 2010, my husband and I heard about a new show that was described as a sort of modern-day Western, with a dash of cops-versus-robbers. We hadn’t heard of most of the cast before, but we liked the lead actor, Timothy Olyphant, so we decided to check out the first episode.
That was all it took to get hooked on Justified.
In the interest of space, I’m not going to do a season-by-season recap or even a broad highlight of the storyline. Instead, I’m going to take about what was the driving force behind my love of this series: the characters. Walton Groggins, who played Boyd, quickly became my second-favorite character after Timothy Olyphant’s Raylan. In fact, during some seasons, I might have been rooting for Boyd a wee bit more than Raylan even though Boyd was the show’s mostly-unapologetic villain.
In my humble opinion, Groggins’ multi-layered, finely-nuanced performance of Boyd should be a lesson in how to craft a villain who truly sees himself as the hero of his own story (as writers know, that’s the starting point for crafting a believable villain, but it’s rarely done so well as here.)Raylan, on the other hand, is the epitome of an anti-hero. I remember reading a study a few years back that claimed to find similarities in the “function” of cops’ brains and criminals’ brains. Raylan’s character certainly seemed to support the theory that the thought patterns of law enforcers and law breakers can be surprisingly similar, even if their actions are distinctly (or usually) opposite. Olyphant’s portrayal of Raylan, a modern Federal Marshall who has more than a touch of Old West mentality, blurred the line on cop versus criminal more than a few times, but in a way that left me cheering him when he crossed into what was distinctly un-lawman-like territory. Why? Raylan’s motivation. He didn’t cross those lines without a reason that I, as the viewer, could sympathize with. Take, for example, a mob guy telling Raylan that he was going to kill Raylan’s pregnant girlfriend the first chance he got. What happens next was illegal, but for me, it was understandable.
.
I also loved the side characters. There were many, so I’m only going to list my favorites, such as Art, Raylan’s gruff-but-fair boss who is also a father figure to him; Tim, a Federal Marshall coworker who’s a former decorated veteran sharpshooter; Ellen May, an endearing prostitute who humanizes a profession that’s very easy to look down upon; Bob, a seemingly inept deputy who turns out to have surprising grit; Limehouse, a criminal with his own finely-honed since of justice, and Wynn, a shifty criminal who is, above all, a survivor. Lest anyone think that Justified was light on strong female characters, it wasn’t. I just wanted to reserve them for their own paragraphs :).
When we first meet Ava, she comes off as a beautiful, flirty, ditsy blonde… if you don’t count her almost casually describing how she shot and killed her abusive husband over his favorite meal of fried chicken. Joelle Carter did a fantastic job of portraying Ava as person who let her physical abuse harden her into someone you did not f---k with, while at the same time, showing a woman who longed for a stable, loving relationship and a family. Ava was also honest with herself over her unfortunate tendency to fall for men who would ultimately disappoint her, and the way she grimly soldiered on in a world where she was often dismissed as arm candy had me rooting for her. Ava was frequently underestimated, and she used that to her advantage in ways that ended up shocking the people who thought they knew her best.
Rachel, played beautifully by Erika Tazel, is another Federal Marshall coworker. Being a petite, lovely African American woman in a male-oriented (and frequently racist) world, Rachel quickly shows that she is a force to be reckoned with, both for her guts and her intelligence. She goes toe-to-toe with the bad guys almost as much as she does with Raylan, and is one of the few people who seems able to get Raylan to do what he should do instead of what he wants to do…some of the time, anyway. Rachel has many, many great scenes in Justified, but if I had a complaint, it would be that I wished her character would have been more deeply explored. I thought that Rachel had the potential for a lot more storylines (spinoff, anyone?), and was I the only one rooting for her and Tim to get together?Kaitlyn Dever plays Loretta, a teenage girl who’s first introduced to the storyline as a victim of an older man’s very-unwanted attentions. Despite being on the fence about her at first, Loretta grew into one of my favorite characters. To say she’s had an unconventional upbringing is putting it mildly; Loretta cut her teeth on the crime business at an appallingly young age, as a scene where she sells "herbal relief" in school highlights. But, growing up in the middle of the illegal weed industry meant that it was all Loretta knew. From her recollections, you can almost image her playing as a child among the drying marijuana plants in the hollers of Harlan, and how she manages to rise above the many, many, many adults who try to use her was simply badass. I might not agree with a lot of Loretta’s choices, but I applauded her for her fierce inner strength.
Honorable mention goes to Mags, played brilliantly by Margo Martindale. Mags only appeared for season 2, but her portrayal as the matriarch of the Bennett crime family was so memorable, hubby and I bought a jar of apple pie flavored moonshine in honor of Mags (if you’ve seen season 2, you’ll get the inner joke ;)). On the turn of a dime, Mags could go from motherly and folksy to ruthless and terrifying, all with the same sweet smile. I would never want to meet someone like Mags in real life (come to think, the same could be said for quite a few of my favorite characters on this show) but it was a true pleasure to watch her on TV.
Why am I talking about Justified, some of you might wonder? Because the series finale was last night. As mentioned earlier, you won’t find any spoilers here – and DON’T leave any in the comments, it’s awful to spoil people who aren’t looking to know what happens in advance! – but I will say that I was satisfied with the ending. Not everything went the way I would have preferred, but enough of it did that I was left with a good feeling. After being so upset over how Dexter, another favorite show, ended, I was nervous about the finale of Justified, but my concerns turned out to be unfounded. Let me tell you, that was a relief. I hate when I invest years of time and emotion in something that ends in a way that makes me regret going along for the ride in the first place. Justified didn’t do that, so if you’re in the market for a character-driven show that sometimes blurs the lines between the peacekeepers and the outlaws, I highly recommend it. And hey, lucky you who haven’t seen it yet – you can now watch all the episodes at your preferred pace, whereas I had to wait years to see how it would all turn out :).And now for a brief, off-topic reminder: The second part of Pack, a free werewolf short story, will be posted this Saturday the 18th. If you haven't read Part 1 of Pack, you can find it here.
April 11, 2015
Pack, free werewolf short story
The free reading period for this story is over. You can purchase Pack for $1.99 at your favorite ebook retailer.
April 4, 2015
Whatcha watchin'?
I've been humming along writing The Sweetest Burn, book two in the Broken Destiny series, so I don't have much to blog about that wouldn't be a rephrasing of "I wrote words!" And really, how interesting is that to say in several different ways, let alone one? :) I will have some scene snippets from The Sweetest Burn for you soon, however. I enjoy posting little glimpses of my works-in-progress and I hope you enjoy reading them.
Because I don't have much going on aside from work, let's talk about TV. One of my favorite pastimes aside from reading is to unwind on the couch while watching TV. As an aside, I usually fall asleep to an episode of World's Dumbest. No matter what boneheaded thing I might have done in the day, watching that show allows me to feel intellectually superior, at least for 45 minutes ;). But what I'm really excited about is the return of Outlander to the Starz channel tonight. I first read the book, Outlander, over twenty years ago, and it was my gateway drug to first-person narrative. It also made me a lifelong fan of Jamie and Claire, so you can imagine my happiness when I heard that the series was picked up by Starz. The fact that the series is (thus far) staying close to the book, plus it's extremely well-acted, and Sam Heughan looks almost identical to how I pictured Jamie in my mind, is just the icing on the cake.
If you haven't checked out the Outlander series, I could not recommend the books enough. If you haven't checked out the TV series yet, same deal. Here's the link to the trailer, for a teaser:
https://youtu.be/KAS01FFj1fQ
Another show I recently started watching that I'm really enjoying is iZombie. It debuted on the CW network March 13th and there are currently three episodes out. This show manages to be quirky, darkly comedic and warmhearted, all at the same time. The heroine finds herself unexpectedly undead, and navigating all the crazy consequences of that while still trying to live a "normal" life reminded me of a blend between the former TV show Dead Like Me and the movie Warm Bodies. To see what I mean, here's the link to th trailer: https://youtu.be/KAS01FFj1fQ
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So, what TV show did you newly discover, or what show are you looking forward to starting up again?
Because I don't have much going on aside from work, let's talk about TV. One of my favorite pastimes aside from reading is to unwind on the couch while watching TV. As an aside, I usually fall asleep to an episode of World's Dumbest. No matter what boneheaded thing I might have done in the day, watching that show allows me to feel intellectually superior, at least for 45 minutes ;). But what I'm really excited about is the return of Outlander to the Starz channel tonight. I first read the book, Outlander, over twenty years ago, and it was my gateway drug to first-person narrative. It also made me a lifelong fan of Jamie and Claire, so you can imagine my happiness when I heard that the series was picked up by Starz. The fact that the series is (thus far) staying close to the book, plus it's extremely well-acted, and Sam Heughan looks almost identical to how I pictured Jamie in my mind, is just the icing on the cake.
If you haven't checked out the Outlander series, I could not recommend the books enough. If you haven't checked out the TV series yet, same deal. Here's the link to the trailer, for a teaser:
https://youtu.be/KAS01FFj1fQ
Another show I recently started watching that I'm really enjoying is iZombie. It debuted on the CW network March 13th and there are currently three episodes out. This show manages to be quirky, darkly comedic and warmhearted, all at the same time. The heroine finds herself unexpectedly undead, and navigating all the crazy consequences of that while still trying to live a "normal" life reminded me of a blend between the former TV show Dead Like Me and the movie Warm Bodies. To see what I mean, here's the link to th trailer: https://youtu.be/KAS01FFj1fQ
.
So, what TV show did you newly discover, or what show are you looking forward to starting up again?
March 28, 2015
Topic potpourri
As the subject line states, I have no central theme for today's post. Just different items. First up, I've added one more appearance to my 2015 schedule. I will now be attending the Romance Writers of America (RWA) convention in New York, NY from July 22nd through July 25th, at the New York Marriott Marquis. I don't have a specific schedule yet, but once I do, I'll post it. Right now, all I know is that I'll be at the mass signing (open to the public) on July 22nd. If you're attending RWA, hope to see you there.
Yesterday, I found out that my youngest dog, Loki, will need to get double-knee surgery on his hind legs to repair his knees. How does a dog who's just turning 3 end up with bad knees, you wonder? Apparently it's a birth defect where the "grooves" that are supposed to hold his knee caps in place are smooth instead of grooved, so his kneecaps have a tendency to slip out of their socket. I feel guilty because we had no idea that there was a problem until a few days ago, when we saw Loki periodically hold up his back right leg when he walked. On the plus side, Loki is so young that his runaway kneecaps haven't caused any arthritis or tendon shredding, so there's no permanent damage. I, as a worried dog mommy, will be a bundle of nerves as we await confirmation from a specialist and then go about scheduling the first of his two surgeries. Poor little guy, he has no idea that he has some rough roads ahead until this can get fixed. Here he is in January, guarding the stuffing from the toy he'd just de-fluffed.
In totally random news, I need to get a new, "official" author photo. The one I had been using was from 2011, when my hair was longer and I'd gone with blond highlights. Now, my hair is shorter and auburn, as evidenced from the photo to the left from last month, when my sister and I dressed up in our Greek-themed costumes for ApollyCon. I think I'll stick with shorter and auburn for a while, or until I grow bored, whichever comes first. I've bounced back and forth between light brown (my natural color), red, auburn and blondish for the past twenty years and I see no reason to stop now. I might be too chicken by the permanence of a tattoo to get one of those, but I can play with my hair color when I want to change things up a bit. The only color I haven't tried is black. I'm so pale, people would think I was going for a goth look to match my vampire novels, and I already get that from all the black clothes I wear when in reality, that's just laziness. Black goes with everything, so that's why it's a main staple in my wardrobe.
Finally, if you didn't see my post last week, I announced that the next character in my vampire series to get his own novel with be Ian. I also opened the floor to guessing who the heroine would be. If you more details, including hints as to the heroine's identity, then go here.
That's it for me :). Hope you're having a nice weekend, and hope you have good week next week!
Yesterday, I found out that my youngest dog, Loki, will need to get double-knee surgery on his hind legs to repair his knees. How does a dog who's just turning 3 end up with bad knees, you wonder? Apparently it's a birth defect where the "grooves" that are supposed to hold his knee caps in place are smooth instead of grooved, so his kneecaps have a tendency to slip out of their socket. I feel guilty because we had no idea that there was a problem until a few days ago, when we saw Loki periodically hold up his back right leg when he walked. On the plus side, Loki is so young that his runaway kneecaps haven't caused any arthritis or tendon shredding, so there's no permanent damage. I, as a worried dog mommy, will be a bundle of nerves as we await confirmation from a specialist and then go about scheduling the first of his two surgeries. Poor little guy, he has no idea that he has some rough roads ahead until this can get fixed. Here he is in January, guarding the stuffing from the toy he'd just de-fluffed.
In totally random news, I need to get a new, "official" author photo. The one I had been using was from 2011, when my hair was longer and I'd gone with blond highlights. Now, my hair is shorter and auburn, as evidenced from the photo to the left from last month, when my sister and I dressed up in our Greek-themed costumes for ApollyCon. I think I'll stick with shorter and auburn for a while, or until I grow bored, whichever comes first. I've bounced back and forth between light brown (my natural color), red, auburn and blondish for the past twenty years and I see no reason to stop now. I might be too chicken by the permanence of a tattoo to get one of those, but I can play with my hair color when I want to change things up a bit. The only color I haven't tried is black. I'm so pale, people would think I was going for a goth look to match my vampire novels, and I already get that from all the black clothes I wear when in reality, that's just laziness. Black goes with everything, so that's why it's a main staple in my wardrobe.Finally, if you didn't see my post last week, I announced that the next character in my vampire series to get his own novel with be Ian. I also opened the floor to guessing who the heroine would be. If you more details, including hints as to the heroine's identity, then go here.
That's it for me :). Hope you're having a nice weekend, and hope you have good week next week!
March 22, 2015
Thanks, and about that bribe...
Thanks to everyone who voted for Up From The Grave in the DABWAHA competition! Our bracket had a record turnout, however, Up From The Grave did not advance. Still, it was really cool to have it in the contest at all, let alone to have it make it past the first round. Plus, I loved the book that did advance (Magic Breaks) and it was written by my bestie, Ilona Andrews, so I am very happy for her. If you're following DABWAHA (and it's a great way to get reading recommendations) be sure to vote for Magic Breaks and Burn For Me in the coming brackets! If you haven't read them, I highly recommend both because Ilona's books are as fabulous as she is :).
Some of you might be wondering, what about that bribe you offered if you won? Since you didn't, are you not going to write an Ian book now? *grin* As I mentioned, Ilona's one of my BFF's, so when she Tweeted this during our fake Twitter fight, she was right:
After I finish the Night Prince series, the next front runner for a vampire book is Ian. As many of you know, I've said for years that Ian is moving closer to his own book, and if I didn't already have a story in mind for him, I wouldn't have offered his book as a bribe. However, as mentioned, I still have to finish the Night Prince series (one more book), plus the Broken Destiny series (two more books) so, an Ian book is still a little ways off. You will see him pop up in the final Night Prince book as a side character, though, and having Vlad and Ian interact together should be a lot of fun to write.
Before you ask, I'm not revealing who the heroine is for Ian's future book yet. To give you a hint, she has appeared in the Night Huntress series before. That's all you're getting out of me at the moment, so you are welcome to take your best guess, but I will neither confirm nor deny any of them yet ;).
That's it from me. Thanks again, happy speculating, and hope you're enjoying your Sunday!
Some of you might be wondering, what about that bribe you offered if you won? Since you didn't, are you not going to write an Ian book now? *grin* As I mentioned, Ilona's one of my BFF's, so when she Tweeted this during our fake Twitter fight, she was right:
I'm also pretty sure @Jeaniene_Frost will write Ian, win or lose. So you might as well vote for Kate and be rewarded with Curran POV!
— Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
After I finish the Night Prince series, the next front runner for a vampire book is Ian. As many of you know, I've said for years that Ian is moving closer to his own book, and if I didn't already have a story in mind for him, I wouldn't have offered his book as a bribe. However, as mentioned, I still have to finish the Night Prince series (one more book), plus the Broken Destiny series (two more books) so, an Ian book is still a little ways off. You will see him pop up in the final Night Prince book as a side character, though, and having Vlad and Ian interact together should be a lot of fun to write.
Before you ask, I'm not revealing who the heroine is for Ian's future book yet. To give you a hint, she has appeared in the Night Huntress series before. That's all you're getting out of me at the moment, so you are welcome to take your best guess, but I will neither confirm nor deny any of them yet ;).
That's it from me. Thanks again, happy speculating, and hope you're enjoying your Sunday!
March 20, 2015
My DABWAHA bribe
ETA: Today is the day! Vote for Up From The Grave here on March 21st between noon and midnight only, Eastern Daylight Time.
For your amusement, I have copied and pasted the Twitter "fight" that Ilona Andrews and I had last night, whereupon we used our rapier wits (heh!) to insult each other's books, all to vie for your votes. For the full reason (with Ian book bribe included!) on why I think I should win instead of Ilona, read below the Tweet fight :).
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In case you haven't heard of it, DABWAHA is a fun book competition run by Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books every March to coincide with March Madness. In similar style, books are paired off against each other, with the winner advancing to the next bracket, and so on, until there is only one. I have a special place in my heart for the Smart Bitches blog because many years ago, they gave me the very first book review I ever received on Halfway To The Grave. So, you can imagine how flattered I was to see my final Cat and Bones novel, Up From The Grave, make it into the DABWAHA competition this year. It's like the universe was closing a circle somewhere.
Up From The Grave made it through the first round on DABWAHA. On March 21st from Noon to Midnight (EDT) only, the polls will be open to see if it advances again. However, it's up against a very excellent novel by my longtime friend, author Ilona Andrews. I, of course, upon seeing this, decided that I couldn't possibly ask my readers to help me defeat a novel by one of my BFF's.....wait, what did Ilona post on her blog?
Oh no she didn't!
Ilona was offering a bribe to her readers to crush my book? All right, then! *takes off gloves* It's ON, bey-otch! :)
So, what bribe shall I offer you to entice you into voting for Up From The Grave at this link TODAY, March 21st, from noon to midnight? Hmmm, what about....if it beats my now-former BFF's book, then...
The next vampire spinoff novel I write will feature Ian as the hero.
That's right, Ian lovers, he can be all yours, if you help me show my vote-hungry friend that she might have started this with the bribes, but I will finish it! *insert "Spartans, prepare for glory!" war cry here*
So, readers, if you're Team Ian, vote for Up From The Grave on March 21st between noon and midnight EDT. Then, spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, whatever. We only have a 12 hour window to make this happen.
Besides, Ilona has another novel in this year's DABWAHA competition anyway ;).
Disclaimer: This bribe-off and all corresponding smack talk is purely in jest. Ilona is my BFF and always will be :).
For your amusement, I have copied and pasted the Twitter "fight" that Ilona Andrews and I had last night, whereupon we used our rapier wits (heh!) to insult each other's books, all to vie for your votes. For the full reason (with Ian book bribe included!) on why I think I should win instead of Ilona, read below the Tweet fight :).
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Pitted against BFF @ilona_andrews in #DABWAHA. Wish her all the best...wait, she offered a bribe to readers if she wins? DOWN w/her! ;)
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
My #DABWAHA bribe is now up. Ian lovers, you WILL want to see this: http://t.co/MC7fCmloDf (take THAT, @ilona_andrews ! ;) — Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
So @Jeaniene_Frost thinks she can sway the votes with an Ian book? Think of how long you'll have to wait. Vote for me and get a Curran POV! — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
So @ilona_andrews upped ante w/a Curran short story bribe. Pfft! Read the ones already out. My offer is for brand new Ian. Choose wisely ;).
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
I'm also pretty sure @Jeaniene_Frost will write Ian, win or lose. So you might as well vote for Kate and be rewarded with Curran POV! — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
All who are torn over me vs @ilona_andrews in #DABWAHA : vote for her OTHER book, Burn For Me. Then you still get Ian if I win our bracket;)
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
I am out of practice. I haven't twitted from pro account in forever. Ahem. Something something funny. Vote for Magic Breaks and BFM. — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
.@ilona_andrews Yeah? Lie down with shapeshifters, get up with fleas. Who wants to itch in uncomfortable places, I ask?! #Fact. — Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
.@ilona_andrews I have never written such a scene, but I can't remember: do your shifters mark their territory? Or are they potty trained?;)
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
.@Jeaniene_Frost hey your vampires think impaling people is good way to boost staff morale. — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
.@Jeaniene_Frost what is that smell? Oh it's just Bob. Vladimir impaled him last week for forgetting to recycle and we kinda forgot him.
— Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
.@ilona_andrews Hmmph. Your werewolves think that eating their rivals is an eco-friendly way of taking out the competition. — Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
.@Jeaniene_Frost umm, no because eating your rivals leads to loupism. You don't remember my books. #hurt #voteforme
— Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
. @ilona_andrews Better than a werewolf's tendency to greet people with a butt sniff instead of handshake! #YesISaidIt — Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
.@Jeaniene_Frost Jeaniene is being mean to me. ::sniffles::
— Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
Vote for me because @Jeaniene_Frost doesn't need your help. Ha! — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
Signing off tonight. @ilona_andrews, sleep tight. Don't let the loup-ridden werewolves bite (b/c they DO, people, so vote vamp. :) #DABWAHA
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
.@Jeaniene_Frost here are some electric blankets for your ice cold vamps. Sleeping with corpses, :shudder: — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
***
In case you haven't heard of it, DABWAHA is a fun book competition run by Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books every March to coincide with March Madness. In similar style, books are paired off against each other, with the winner advancing to the next bracket, and so on, until there is only one. I have a special place in my heart for the Smart Bitches blog because many years ago, they gave me the very first book review I ever received on Halfway To The Grave. So, you can imagine how flattered I was to see my final Cat and Bones novel, Up From The Grave, make it into the DABWAHA competition this year. It's like the universe was closing a circle somewhere.
Up From The Grave made it through the first round on DABWAHA. On March 21st from Noon to Midnight (EDT) only, the polls will be open to see if it advances again. However, it's up against a very excellent novel by my longtime friend, author Ilona Andrews. I, of course, upon seeing this, decided that I couldn't possibly ask my readers to help me defeat a novel by one of my BFF's.....wait, what did Ilona post on her blog?
Oh no she didn't!
Ilona was offering a bribe to her readers to crush my book? All right, then! *takes off gloves* It's ON, bey-otch! :)
So, what bribe shall I offer you to entice you into voting for Up From The Grave at this link TODAY, March 21st, from noon to midnight? Hmmm, what about....if it beats my now-former BFF's book, then...
The next vampire spinoff novel I write will feature Ian as the hero.
That's right, Ian lovers, he can be all yours, if you help me show my vote-hungry friend that she might have started this with the bribes, but I will finish it! *insert "Spartans, prepare for glory!" war cry here*
So, readers, if you're Team Ian, vote for Up From The Grave on March 21st between noon and midnight EDT. Then, spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, whatever. We only have a 12 hour window to make this happen.
Besides, Ilona has another novel in this year's DABWAHA competition anyway ;).
Disclaimer: This bribe-off and all corresponding smack talk is purely in jest. Ilona is my BFF and always will be :).
March 14, 2015
UK sale and what I am/have been reading
Guess what, UK readers? Remember all those times I've posted about US ebook sales and you've bemoaned the fact that the sale wasn't honored overseas? Well, this one is just for you! From now until the first week of April, Amazon UK has the ebook edition of The Beautiful Ashes, Broken Destiny book one, as a Kindle Monthly deal, so you can pick it up for only $.99. US readers, so far Amazon hasn't matched the deal, but they did lower the ebook price to $4.99, so if you haven't started Ivy and Adrian's story yet, it's available now at a reduced price.
Speaking of Ivy and Adrian's story, I'm cruising along writing the second book, The Sweetest Burn, which will release around the end of the year. If you missed my earlier post about it, I have the description available here.
On one of my other recent posts, I blogged about a book I'd blurbed, and a few of you asked me to compile a list of all the books I'd given official quotes on. I really like this suggestion, but it's going to take a little time since I'm going back over a 7+ year period and I'm not the most organized person :). Plus, as mentioned, writing has been going well, so I've been giving that my full attention instead of digging through emails. In the meantime, please allow me to share some books I've recently enjoyed. Let's start with what I'm reading now:
ROCK HARD by Nalini Singh
In New York Times Bestselling author Nalini Singh’s newest contemporary romance, passion ignites between a gorgeous, sinfully sexy man who built himself up from nothing and a shy woman who has a terrible secret in her past…
Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred. And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.
Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom. If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.
My take: I'm reading this now and I love it! In fact, I was tired when I first picked it up, but I was soon so engaged in the story and characters that I kept reading until my vision became so blurry that the words were too fuzzy for me to go on. I have work and family today, but tomorrow, I have a date to finish this novel and I can't wait.
To Beguile A Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
CAN A WOUNDED BEAST . . .
Reclusive Sir Alistair Munroe has hidden in his castle ever since returning from the Colonies, scarred inside and out. But when a mysterious beauty arrives at his door, the passions he's kept suppressed for years begin to awaken.
TRUST A BEAUTY WITH A PAST . . .
Running from past mistakes has taken legendary beauty Helen Fitzwilliam from the luxury of the ton to a crumbling Scottish castle . . . and a job as a housekeeper. Yet Helen is determined to start a new life and she won't let dust-or a beast of a man-scare her away.
TO TAME HIS MOST SECRET DESIRES?
Beneath Helen's beautiful façade, Alistair finds a courageous and sensual woman. A woman who doesn't back away from his surliness-or his scars. But just as he begins to believe in true love, Helen's secret past threatens to tear them apart. Now both Beast and Beauty must fight for the one thing neither believed they could find-a happy ever after.
My Take: Such a great romance with a Beauty and the Best twist! While sexy and totally alpha, the hero definitely isn't your cookie-cutter type: his face is heavily scarred and he wears an eye patch over his missing eye. The heroine also bucks tradition by being a former-mistress-turned-single-mother on the run. Watching them fall in love while healing themselves inside and out was a heartfelt, delightful treat.
Frozen by Meljean Brook
A paranormal romance novella
For a year and a half, Olivia Martin has tried to forget Erik Gulbrandr, the glacial man who’d scorched her mouth with a single kiss. But when Olivia finds herself snowbound with Erik on the winter solstice, she discovers that the man who set her body aflame is cursed by abominable needs — and a desire that might destroy them both…
My Take: Just because my first two books were contemporary and historical, you didn't think I'd stopped reading paranormals, did you? :) Of course not! This paranormal element featured a twist on the Norse Frost Giant mythology that I found inventive and interesting. I'm also not usually a fan of novellas versus novels, but I really liked this one and didn't feel cheated at all by its shorter length. If you're a fan of Meljean Brooks, you won't want to miss this. If you're new to her, this novella is a great way to sample her excellent storytelling skills.
That's it on my end for now. Wishing all of you very happy reading!
Speaking of Ivy and Adrian's story, I'm cruising along writing the second book, The Sweetest Burn, which will release around the end of the year. If you missed my earlier post about it, I have the description available here.
On one of my other recent posts, I blogged about a book I'd blurbed, and a few of you asked me to compile a list of all the books I'd given official quotes on. I really like this suggestion, but it's going to take a little time since I'm going back over a 7+ year period and I'm not the most organized person :). Plus, as mentioned, writing has been going well, so I've been giving that my full attention instead of digging through emails. In the meantime, please allow me to share some books I've recently enjoyed. Let's start with what I'm reading now:
ROCK HARD by Nalini SinghIn New York Times Bestselling author Nalini Singh’s newest contemporary romance, passion ignites between a gorgeous, sinfully sexy man who built himself up from nothing and a shy woman who has a terrible secret in her past…
Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred. And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.
Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom. If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.
My take: I'm reading this now and I love it! In fact, I was tired when I first picked it up, but I was soon so engaged in the story and characters that I kept reading until my vision became so blurry that the words were too fuzzy for me to go on. I have work and family today, but tomorrow, I have a date to finish this novel and I can't wait.
To Beguile A Beast by Elizabeth HoytCAN A WOUNDED BEAST . . .
Reclusive Sir Alistair Munroe has hidden in his castle ever since returning from the Colonies, scarred inside and out. But when a mysterious beauty arrives at his door, the passions he's kept suppressed for years begin to awaken.
TRUST A BEAUTY WITH A PAST . . .
Running from past mistakes has taken legendary beauty Helen Fitzwilliam from the luxury of the ton to a crumbling Scottish castle . . . and a job as a housekeeper. Yet Helen is determined to start a new life and she won't let dust-or a beast of a man-scare her away.
TO TAME HIS MOST SECRET DESIRES?
Beneath Helen's beautiful façade, Alistair finds a courageous and sensual woman. A woman who doesn't back away from his surliness-or his scars. But just as he begins to believe in true love, Helen's secret past threatens to tear them apart. Now both Beast and Beauty must fight for the one thing neither believed they could find-a happy ever after.
My Take: Such a great romance with a Beauty and the Best twist! While sexy and totally alpha, the hero definitely isn't your cookie-cutter type: his face is heavily scarred and he wears an eye patch over his missing eye. The heroine also bucks tradition by being a former-mistress-turned-single-mother on the run. Watching them fall in love while healing themselves inside and out was a heartfelt, delightful treat.
Frozen by Meljean BrookA paranormal romance novella
For a year and a half, Olivia Martin has tried to forget Erik Gulbrandr, the glacial man who’d scorched her mouth with a single kiss. But when Olivia finds herself snowbound with Erik on the winter solstice, she discovers that the man who set her body aflame is cursed by abominable needs — and a desire that might destroy them both…
My Take: Just because my first two books were contemporary and historical, you didn't think I'd stopped reading paranormals, did you? :) Of course not! This paranormal element featured a twist on the Norse Frost Giant mythology that I found inventive and interesting. I'm also not usually a fan of novellas versus novels, but I really liked this one and didn't feel cheated at all by its shorter length. If you're a fan of Meljean Brooks, you won't want to miss this. If you're new to her, this novella is a great way to sample her excellent storytelling skills.
That's it on my end for now. Wishing all of you very happy reading!
March 6, 2015
My "Dear Me" letter
Note: This post has nothing to do with books, appearances or publishing news, so skip if you only want professional updates.
I saw on the news that a Twitter hastag has been going around called #DearMe, where women are encouraged to Tweet advice to – you guessed it – their former, teen selves. I started thinking about what I would say to Teen Jeaniene, if a wormhole in time opened up and I had the chance, and I quickly realized that the list would be too long for Twitter. Every so often, I talk about personal things on my blog. Many of you have said that you enjoyed getting a glimpse into the person behind the books, so I thought I’d write out the things that I wish I could tell my young, teenage self, especially during some of the most difficult times. So, here goes. For illustration, I dug up some pictures of me from age thirteen through seventeen. These were taken Before Digital Era (yes, such a time did exist :)) so I had to line them up and then scan them in order to post them. As you can see, these could also be called the Perm Years. Thankfully, I grew out of that phase, too.
Dear Me:
First off, it’s going to be okay. I know it doesn’t feel like that some days, but it will. Even better, the things that make you so upset and angry now are going to fade into memories where the hurt becomes shadows instead of sledgehammers. Some things, you’re even going to laugh over. That sounds impossible now, but believe me, it will happen. You won’t laugh over everything later, but the things that hurt the worst will be the tools that shape you into someone stronger. Even the ones that don’t make you stronger have a purpose because they’ll make you able to empathize with others, whether their struggles were similar or different. Pain is pain, after all, in whatever form it takes.
One of my first pieces of advice is to please, stop making yourself throw up. You’re only chasing an illusion and a lie. People who are thin, pretty and popular are not automatically happier. They’re dealing with their own problems, and their “everything is great” attitude is as much of a camouflage as you running the water in the bathroom so that no one hears you purge. You will never be happy until you realize that happiness has NOTHING TO DO with outward appearances. Stop punishing yourself for not being the size that you think you should be, or for not having as many friends as you're "supposed" to have, or any of the other things you feel like you've failed over. None of them are a magic ticket to a better life, and the awful things you tell yourself as you’re bent over that toilet bowl are shredding your soul. You are worth immeasurably more than other people’s opinions. You just don't know it yet.
Speaking of that, you don’t need to get drunk at parties, either. You don’t even like the taste of beer, wine or shots, and they make you sick, anyway. Plus, you’re doing it for the same reason that you’re bulimic: you’re trying to be someone you’re not in order to fit in. Guess what – so are most of the people around you. In fact, it will take all of your twenties to get over who you pretended to be in your teens, and when you finally realize who you actually are, you’re going to be okay with that. You’ll even wonder why you wasted so much time, energy and pain on trying to be anyone else, because you won’t even be able to remember the names of the people you were so concerned about fitting in with back then.
That brings us to the guy you’ve off-and-on dated. He isn’t The One. In fact, he’s going to cheat on you with one of your best friends, and you’re just lucky you didn’t get caught when you keyed his car for it. Even his cheating will turn out okay, though, because afterward, you’re going to go out with one of his best friends just to piss him off, and guess what? That guy is The One. You’re even going to marry him at nineteen, watch your friends and his make bets on how fast you two will divorce, and laugh about it over twenty-two years later as you celebrate your latest anniversary together.
Know what else you’re not going to believe? That faith will see you through every rough road as well as every smooth one. I know; you don’t believe in God, and even if you thought He did exist, you’d expect Him to be chasing you with a lightning bolt in one hand and a list of everything you’ve done wrong in the other. Well, you’re partially right. He is chasing you, only He’s doing it with open arms and more love than you can imagine because He’s already forgiven everything you’ve ever done as well as everything you will ever do. All He wants is for you to turn around and see Him so that you’ll know that. One day, you will, then faith will give you the strength to stop basing your self-worth on what other people think. It’ll give you courage, too, and with that courage, you’ll chase your dream of being an author even though you’ve never gone to college, never took a single writing class, and generally have no idea what you’re doing. If I told you how blessed your career turns out to be, you won’t even believe me. It’s okay. I didn’t believe it at first, either. In fact, I still insist that my editor sends me copies of bestseller lists whenever my books are on them, because until I see it with my own eyes, it still seems too incredible to be real.
So, Teen Jeaniene, don’t give up. You’ll make it through, and more importantly, you’ll be okay. Here’s a hug from across the years. After you're done with it, pass it on to the people around you. They need it, too.
Oh, one final piece of advice: Stop sunning yourself topless on your roof. Yes, it gets rid of tan lines, but the neighbors can totally see you.
I saw on the news that a Twitter hastag has been going around called #DearMe, where women are encouraged to Tweet advice to – you guessed it – their former, teen selves. I started thinking about what I would say to Teen Jeaniene, if a wormhole in time opened up and I had the chance, and I quickly realized that the list would be too long for Twitter. Every so often, I talk about personal things on my blog. Many of you have said that you enjoyed getting a glimpse into the person behind the books, so I thought I’d write out the things that I wish I could tell my young, teenage self, especially during some of the most difficult times. So, here goes. For illustration, I dug up some pictures of me from age thirteen through seventeen. These were taken Before Digital Era (yes, such a time did exist :)) so I had to line them up and then scan them in order to post them. As you can see, these could also be called the Perm Years. Thankfully, I grew out of that phase, too.
Dear Me:First off, it’s going to be okay. I know it doesn’t feel like that some days, but it will. Even better, the things that make you so upset and angry now are going to fade into memories where the hurt becomes shadows instead of sledgehammers. Some things, you’re even going to laugh over. That sounds impossible now, but believe me, it will happen. You won’t laugh over everything later, but the things that hurt the worst will be the tools that shape you into someone stronger. Even the ones that don’t make you stronger have a purpose because they’ll make you able to empathize with others, whether their struggles were similar or different. Pain is pain, after all, in whatever form it takes.
One of my first pieces of advice is to please, stop making yourself throw up. You’re only chasing an illusion and a lie. People who are thin, pretty and popular are not automatically happier. They’re dealing with their own problems, and their “everything is great” attitude is as much of a camouflage as you running the water in the bathroom so that no one hears you purge. You will never be happy until you realize that happiness has NOTHING TO DO with outward appearances. Stop punishing yourself for not being the size that you think you should be, or for not having as many friends as you're "supposed" to have, or any of the other things you feel like you've failed over. None of them are a magic ticket to a better life, and the awful things you tell yourself as you’re bent over that toilet bowl are shredding your soul. You are worth immeasurably more than other people’s opinions. You just don't know it yet.
Speaking of that, you don’t need to get drunk at parties, either. You don’t even like the taste of beer, wine or shots, and they make you sick, anyway. Plus, you’re doing it for the same reason that you’re bulimic: you’re trying to be someone you’re not in order to fit in. Guess what – so are most of the people around you. In fact, it will take all of your twenties to get over who you pretended to be in your teens, and when you finally realize who you actually are, you’re going to be okay with that. You’ll even wonder why you wasted so much time, energy and pain on trying to be anyone else, because you won’t even be able to remember the names of the people you were so concerned about fitting in with back then.
That brings us to the guy you’ve off-and-on dated. He isn’t The One. In fact, he’s going to cheat on you with one of your best friends, and you’re just lucky you didn’t get caught when you keyed his car for it. Even his cheating will turn out okay, though, because afterward, you’re going to go out with one of his best friends just to piss him off, and guess what? That guy is The One. You’re even going to marry him at nineteen, watch your friends and his make bets on how fast you two will divorce, and laugh about it over twenty-two years later as you celebrate your latest anniversary together.Know what else you’re not going to believe? That faith will see you through every rough road as well as every smooth one. I know; you don’t believe in God, and even if you thought He did exist, you’d expect Him to be chasing you with a lightning bolt in one hand and a list of everything you’ve done wrong in the other. Well, you’re partially right. He is chasing you, only He’s doing it with open arms and more love than you can imagine because He’s already forgiven everything you’ve ever done as well as everything you will ever do. All He wants is for you to turn around and see Him so that you’ll know that. One day, you will, then faith will give you the strength to stop basing your self-worth on what other people think. It’ll give you courage, too, and with that courage, you’ll chase your dream of being an author even though you’ve never gone to college, never took a single writing class, and generally have no idea what you’re doing. If I told you how blessed your career turns out to be, you won’t even believe me. It’s okay. I didn’t believe it at first, either. In fact, I still insist that my editor sends me copies of bestseller lists whenever my books are on them, because until I see it with my own eyes, it still seems too incredible to be real.
So, Teen Jeaniene, don’t give up. You’ll make it through, and more importantly, you’ll be okay. Here’s a hug from across the years. After you're done with it, pass it on to the people around you. They need it, too.
Oh, one final piece of advice: Stop sunning yourself topless on your roof. Yes, it gets rid of tan lines, but the neighbors can totally see you.
February 27, 2015
Broken Destiny book two news and ApollyCon!
Many of you have been asking me about the next novel in the Broken Destiny series featuring Ivy and Adrian. I've been mum on the subject because (1) Bound By Flames's recent release has taken center stage, and (2) my publisher and I were still working out some details, but now I have some news to share. First up, it has a title! The next novel in the Broken Destiny series will be called...
THE SWEETEST BURN
And there's more! I also have the back cover copy to share with you, so here it is below:
The breathtaking second novel in New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost's Broken Destiny series finds Ivy and Adrian rekindling their alliance – and passion - as the struggle for the fate of the world begins . . .
THE SWEETEST BURN
And there's more! I also have the back cover copy to share with you, so here it is below:
The breathtaking second novel in New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost's Broken Destiny series finds Ivy and Adrian rekindling their alliance – and passion - as the struggle for the fate of the world begins . . .
Conquering a supernatural realm turned out to be easier than getting over a broken heart. But her initial victory has made Ivy a target for revenge, forcing her to reunite with the dangerous – and dangerously sexy – Adrian. Ivy isn’t sure which will be harder: finding the hallowed weapon that will repair the crumbling walls between demon and human realms, or resisting Adrian, who’s decided that come hell or high water, he will make Ivy his.
At first, Adrian tried to resist his feelings for Ivy. Now, determined to break the curse that dooms their love, he’s vowed to save her and to have her. If only he can persuade her to forgive his past sins. But defying destiny—and surrendering to the smoldering desire between them —will bring consequences and sacrifices they never imagined…
The Sweetest Burn will release around the end of this year. No pre-order links yet, but once I have those and a firm date, I will let everyone know. Same deal with the cover. I already had the very difficult task of deciding between four equally hot men to determine which one of them would be on the cover. Yes, it's a dirty job, but someone had to do it *wink*.
If you haven't read The Beautiful Ashes, book one in the Broken Destiny series, it is available now in ebook, paperback, and audio. Speaking of the paperback version, it originally released in Trade (the bigger-sized version of a paperback), but the mass market paperback will release in September. To celebrate the mass market edition's release, The Beautiful Ashes is getting a hot new cover and a updated description that's more in line with the tone/content of the book. Some readers confused the NA (New Adult) designation with YA (Young Adult) and thus erroneously thought that this was a "children's" series. Um, NO. New Adult means that there is definite adult content and it is not intended for young readers, so the new cover / description will (hopefully) make that abundantly apparent. Once I'm allowed to post the updated cover and description, I will.
Next up is Apollycon! If you're in the Philadelphia, PA area on Saturday the 28th, come on out. Even if you missed your chance to get a ticket to the VIR or Party event, there are still a few tickets left for the signing, and the signing is free. ApollyCon is a multi-author event, and check out the lineup of authors that will be there! Jennifer L. Armentrout , Mary Ting , Tiffany King , Kristen Proby , Mary Lindsey , Susan Dennard , Sophie Jordan , Katie McGarry , Chelsea M. Cameron , Page Morgan , Cora Carmack , Jay Crownover , Kristi Cook , Amalie Howard , Rachel Harris , Wendy Higgins , Jeaniene Frost , Laura Kaye , Sarah J. Maas , Jamie McGuire , Megan Erickson , Rachel Hollis , Ann Marie Frohoff , Katee Robert ,Tessa Bailey , Jen McLaughlin , Alexandra Bracken , Tina Reber , Jamie Shaw , Riley Edgewood , Cristin Terrill and Elizabeth Briggs.
That's all for me. Hope to see some of you at ApollyCon tomorrow!
