Dane Cobain's Blog, page 3

Cover Reveal: The Leipfold Files by Dane Cobain

Hi, folks! Dane here, and today I have some super exciting news to share with you. Encircle Publications has snapped up the third book in my Leipfold series of quirky cosy mysteries!

Titled The Leipfold Files, the book is a short story collection that focuses on Leipfold’s early cases and his time in the army, as well as how he ended up serving time in Reading Jail. You can check out the cover and the blurb for the book below.

Join a young James Leipfold as he discovers his knack for uncovering the truth and takes the early steps towards forming his detective agency, Leipfold Investigations.

His journey will take him from the deserts of Kuwait to the inside of Reading Jail and have him investigating everything from missing gnomes to drunk Santas and crooked optometrists. Along the way, he befriends a rookie cop called Jack Cholmondeley, helps a widowed army wife find closure and falls in love with a motorbike he calls Camilla.

James Leipfold is a complicated man, a complicated character with an interesting backstory that hasn’t been explored. Until now.

This collection brings together 24 unpublished James Leipfold stories, including three shorts that take place between Driven and The Tower Hill Terror. It’s a must for all fans of the Leipfold series and any serious reader of quirky cozy mysteries.

CONTENTS:

Three Hoodlums

Kuwait

A Wild Goose Chase

The Worst Hangover

The Ballad

Heroin

Assault

Solitude

In Business

Corruption

Insurance

The Smuggler

The Case of the Missing Gnome

The Family Reunion

Married to the Job

Bad Santa

Silky’s Cut

Call it Blackmail

Bad for Business

The Same Flight Home

The Case of the Optometrist

The Game

Leipfold Inc.

The Marshall Stack

The Leipfold Files follows hot on the heels of the first two books in the series – Driven and The Tower Hill Terror – and is due for release by Encircle Publications on June 1st 2022 in both electronic and physical formats.

In the meantime, be sure to check out my books on Amazon and Goodreads or to get in touch with me if you’d like to purchase a signed copy (with a free pen and bookmark). You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for further information. I’ll see you soon!

The post Cover Reveal: The Leipfold Files by Dane Cobain first appeared on DaneCobain.com.

Launch Day: The Last Keeper by J. V. Hilliard

Hi, folks! Dane here, back again with some more exciting news from my client, J. V. Hilliard. He’s a fantasy author who I’ve been working with over the last couple of years in the role of both editor and marketing advisor.

Today is the official launch day of the first novel of his Warminster series, The Last Keeper. I previously let you guys know about the cover reveal, and it’s great to finally have it out there after a couple of years of hard work.

The Last Keeper is available now in both paperback and electronic formats and is being published by Gwen Gades and Dragon Moon Press. Here’s a little more about J. V. Hilliard and The Last Keeper.

About The Last Keeper

The Last Keeper, Book One of the Warminster Series

A young boy’s prophetic visions. A terrifying force of evil. Will chaos reign supreme?   

Blind since birth, Daemus Alaric is blessed with the gift of Sight by a visiting stranger. When his prophetic visions come to pass, he leaves his noble home to join the fabled Keepers of the Forbidden, wielders of vast arcane knowledge who serve leaders throughout the realm of Warminster.

But Daemus’ ideal life is short-lived as a recurring nightmare takes hold, threatening to catapult him into a terrifying struggle that will leave the fate of the Keepers hanging in the balance. In his fight to save the realm, Daemus and his allies set out to face the menace that threatens their very existence. Can they defeat the forces of evil before it’s too late?

The Last Keeper is the first book in The Warminster Series. If you like fantasy told with gripping action and heart-pounding adventure, you’ll love this new adventure series.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by J.V. Hilliard (@jvhilliardbooks)

 

About J. V. Hilliard

Born of steel ,fire and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations.

His father, a peasant dwarf, toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him during his formative years. His genius brother, whose wizardly prowess allowed him to master the art of the abacus and his own quill, trained with him for battles on fields of green and sheets of ice.

Hilliard’s earliest education took place in his warrior uncle’s tower, where he recovered from grievous wounds that were suffered in a forgotten war. He learned his first words there, and his uncle, who’d sacrificed so much both for him and for others, helped him to learn the basics of life – and, most importantly, creative writing.

After years of education at the hands of the highlanders and at the great cathedral, Hilliard ventured to a place of wonderment in the capitol of all capitols, where he trained to defend his homeland and help his people.

It was then that he met his lady, a Ranger of the Diamond, and over the chords of an orchestra, he fell in love with her. Once his time serving the kings and queens of his Camelot had come to an end, he returned home to gather his own band of merry men. Together, they served the underserved – those without a voice – and rode to Camelot, fighting for those who couldn’t defend themselves. 

The Last Keeper is available for pre-order now, and more books are coming soon. Click here to check out The Last Keeper and be sure to follow J. V. Hilliard on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more.

We’re also having an online launch party today that will be live streamed on my YouTube channel. It takes place from 5-6 PM UK time, so click here to check that out. We’ll be chatting about the book, giving away spot prizes and answering any questions that you have!

The post Launch Day: The Last Keeper by J. V. Hilliard first appeared on DaneCobain.com.

Cover Reveal: The Last Keeper by J. V. Hilliard

Hi, folks! Dane here, and today I wanted to share some exciting news from a client of mine. J. V. Hilliard is a fantasy author who I’ve been working with over the last couple of years in the role of both editor and marketing advisor.

He’s in the process of creating a fantasy series based upon his years of experience running Dungeons & Dragons campaigns in his fictional realm, and we’re finally at the stage at which the first book in the series is gearing up for release.

The Last Keeper is available for pre-order now and is being published by Gwen Gades and Dragon Moon Press. Gwen is a fellow Booktrope alumnus that I’ve known for several years, and she was kind enough to pick up my first book, No Rest for the Wicked, after Booktrope folded.

I introduced her to Joe and told her about the Warminster series, and she saw the same potential that I did and agreed to publish it. The rest is history! Here’s a little more about J. V. Hilliard and The Last Keeper.

About The Last Keeper

The Last Keeper, Book One of the Warminster Series

A young boy’s prophetic visions. A terrifying force of evil. Will chaos reign supreme?   

Blind since birth, Daemus Alaric is blessed with the gift of Sight by a visiting stranger. When his prophetic visions come to pass, he leaves his noble home to join the fabled Keepers of the Forbidden, wielders of vast arcane knowledge who serve leaders throughout the realm of Warminster.

But Daemus’ ideal life is short-lived as a recurring nightmare takes hold, threatening to catapult him into a terrifying struggle that will leave the fate of the Keepers hanging in the balance. In his fight to save the realm, Daemus and his allies set out to face the menace that threatens their very existence. Can they defeat the forces of evil before it’s too late?

The Last Keeper is the first book in The Warminster Series. If you like fantasy told with gripping action and heart-pounding adventure, you’ll love this new adventure series.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by J.V. Hilliard (@jvhilliardbooks)

 

About J. V. Hilliard

Born of steel ,fire and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations.

His father, a peasant dwarf, toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him during his formative years. His genius brother, whose wizardly prowess allowed him to master the art of the abacus and his own quill, trained with him for battles on fields of green and sheets of ice.

Hilliard’s earliest education took place in his warrior uncle’s tower, where he recovered from grievous wounds that were suffered in a forgotten war. He learned his first words there, and his uncle, who’d sacrificed so much both for him and for others, helped him to learn the basics of life – and, most importantly, creative writing.

After years of education at the hands of the highlanders and at the great cathedral, Hilliard ventured to a place of wonderment in the capitol of all capitols, where he trained to defend his homeland and help his people.

It was then that he met his lady, a Ranger of the Diamond, and over the chords of an orchestra, he fell in love with her. Once his time serving the kings and queens of his Camelot had come to an end, he returned home to gather his own band of merry men. Together, they served the underserved – those without a voice – and rode to Camelot, fighting for those who couldn’t defend themselves.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by J.V. Hilliard (@jvhilliardbooks)

 

The Last Keeper is available now, and more books are coming soon. Click here to check out The Last Keeper and be sure to follow J. V. Hilliard on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more.

The post Cover Reveal: The Last Keeper by J. V. Hilliard first appeared on DaneCobain.com.

Coming in 2022: The Leipfold Files!

Hi, folks! Today, I’ve got super exciting news, which you’ve already spotted if you’ve read the title. Book number three in the Leipfold series is due for release in 2022!

Titled The Leipfold Files and published by Encircle Publications, it’s the third book in the Leipfold series and is a collection of short stories that take place before Leipfold established Leipfold Investigations and met his sidekick, Maile O’Hara.

The book is due for release on June 1st 2022, and will be available in paperback and ebook formats from all major outlets. I’ll be sharing some more info in the coming months as we go through edits and cover design, so keep your eyes peeled!

In the meantime, if you haven’t already, you can check out the first two books – Driven and The Tower Hill Terror – in paperback and electronic formats on Amazon and Goodreads.

Alternatively, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram for more. I’ll see you soon!

The post Coming in 2022: The Leipfold Files! first appeared on DaneCobain.com.

Launch Day for The Lexicologist’s Handbook

Hi, folks! Dane here, and I have some exciting news for you today. It’s publishing day for The Lexicologist’s Handbook, my brand new book!

The Lexicologist’s Handbook is essentially a dictionary of strange and unusual words, and it’s the latest in a series of books that I’ve worked on with my core publishing team of editor Pam Elise Harris and cover designer Larch Gallagher. It’s out now in paperback and electronic formats and you can learn more about it below.

That’s because The Lexicologist’s Handbook is a dictionary with a difference, a reference book that’s packed to the seams with strange and unusual words. Check out the cover and the blurb below.

Lexicologist

Pronunciation: Lec-sic-ol-oh-jist                               Type: Noun

Definition: A student of language, particularly the components of language such as the nature or meaning of words. Also, a compiler or writer of a dictionary.

Example: The lexicologist was overjoyed to discover that lugubrious† is a word.

Whether you’re an author, a poet, a songwriter or a student, The Lexicologist’s Handbook will introduce you to words that you’ve never heard before and change the way that you look at language.

Like a traditional dictionary but with the boring words left out, The Lexicologist’s Handbook will help you to broaden your vocabulary and impress your friends while entertaining you along the way. It’s the perfect book for all lexophiles.

The fun thing about The Lexicologist’s Handbook is that it’s a project that I’ve been working on for over ten years, with work beginning back when I was at university. It’s exciting to finally have it out in print and available to the public!

As always, thanks so much for all of your support and be sure to give me a follow on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram for more. You can also find out more about my books on Amazon and Goodreads. Happy reading!

The post Launch Day for The Lexicologist’s Handbook first appeared on DaneCobain.com.

Cover Reveal: The Lexicologist’s Handbook by Dane Cobain

Hi, folks! Dane here, and the fact that I’m once again writing a news article on my website can mean only one thing: book news!

Today, it’s the cover reveal for my next book, The Lexicologist’s Handbook. This one’s an interesting one because it’s a project that’s been in progress for over ten years. I first started it when I was at university, and as part of my research for it I read the Oxford English Dictionary in its entirety.

That’s because The Lexicologist’s Handbook is a dictionary with a difference, a reference book that’s packed to the seams with strange and unusual words. Check out the cover and the blurb below.

Lexicologist

Pronunciation: Lec-sic-ol-oh-jist                               Type: Noun

Definition: A student of language, particularly the components of language such as the nature or meaning of words. Also, a compiler or writer of a dictionary.

Example: The lexicologist was overjoyed to discover that lugubrious† is a word.

Whether you’re an author, a poet, a songwriter or a student, The Lexicologist’s Handbook will introduce you to words that you’ve never heard before and change the way that you look at language.

Like a traditional dictionary but with the boring words left out, The Lexicologist’s Handbook will help you to broaden your vocabulary and impress your friends while entertaining you along the way. It’s the perfect book for all lexophiles.

The cover was designed by my super talented cover designer Larch Gallagher and the book was edited by my long-time partner-in-crime Pam Elise Harris.

The Lexicologist’s Handbook is scheduled for release on Friday 27th August and will be available in both paperback and electronic formats through all of the usual retailers.

In the meantime, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram for further updates, and you can also check out my Amazon and Goodreads pages for more books and stuff. Thanks as always for your support and I’ll see you soon!

The post Cover Reveal: The Lexicologist’s Handbook by Dane Cobain first appeared on DaneCobain.com.

Launch Day: Scarlet Sins by Dane Cobain

Hi, folks! Dane here, and it’s an exciting day for me today because it’s the launch day for my new book, Scarlet Sins. Read on to find out all about it!

Here’s the super exciting new cover, designed by Larch Gallagher:

“I hope when I die that it may be said: His sins were scarlet but his books were read.”
 – Hillaire Belloc

Scarlet Sins is a collection of short stories and songs spanning two decades and taking the reader from the English countryside during the outbreak of World War I to the flower markets of Amsterdam and the depths of the infinite cosmos.

Discover what likes the darkness, why the clouds were mad when the sun came out and why the ghost of little Suki haunts the George and Dragon. Meet magician Durian Pink and his corpse plant, celebrate a black solstice with the Reid twins and see Kate lose her mind from fatal familial insomnia.

Scarlet Sins: Selected Stories and Songs is Cobain’s first collection of songs and stories and his tenth published work.

Scarlet Sins: Stories and Songs by Dane Cobain is out now in both paperback and electronic formats. Click here to pick up a copy.

Alternatively, you can find out more by checking out my Amazon and Goodreads pages, and you can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for further information. I’ll see you soon!

The post Launch Day: Scarlet Sins by Dane Cobain first appeared on DaneCobain.com.

Cover Reveal and Launch Announcement: Scarlet Sins by Dane Cobain

Hello everyone! Dane here, and today I’m excited to be revealing the cover for my new book, Scarlet Sins. A collection of stories and songs, it brings together fifteen years of lyrics and short fiction, along with a couple of extra goodies that I’m excited to share with you.

Here’s the super exciting new cover, designed by Larch Gallagher:

“I hope when I die that it may be said: His sins were scarlet but his books were read.”
 – Hillaire Belloc

Scarlet Sins is a collection of short stories and songs spanning two decades and taking the reader from the English countryside during the outbreak of World War I to the flower markets of Amsterdam and the depths of the infinite cosmos.

Discover what likes the darkness, why the clouds were mad when the sun came out and why the ghost of little Suki haunts the George and Dragon. Meet magician Durian Pink and his corpse plant, celebrate a black solstice with the Reid twins and see Kate lose her mind from fatal familial insomnia.

Scarlet Sins: Selected Stories and Songs is Cobain’s first collection of songs and stories and his tenth published work.

Scarlet Sins is due out for release on Friday 9th April in paperback and electronic formats. It was edited by my long-term editor and partner in crime Pam Elise Harris and will be released independently.

You can find out more about my books on my Amazon and Goodreads pages, and be sure to follow me there while you’re at it. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for more. I’ll see you soon!

The post Cover Reveal and Launch Announcement: Scarlet Sins by Dane Cobain first appeared on DaneCobain.com.

Updates and Stuff!

Hello, everyone! Sorry to have been a bit silent of late, I’ve been spending most of lockdown working on various freelance and personal writing projects. Now that lockdown is slowly but surely coming to an end, I figure I need to start thinking about marketing, promotion and all of that other good stuff.

See, despite the fact that I used to work in marketing and spend half of my working life creating marketing materials, I’ve never been particularly good at promoting myself. It’s a surprisingly common situation.

Anyway, the upshot is that I’m trialling out a revitalised approach to my social media profiles, including starting to use Twitter again and using Instagram stories to keep people up-to-date with what I’ve been reading. I’m hoping to get a new website built at some point, too.

But that’s all boring marketing stuff, and you probably don’t want to hear about that. Instead, let’s take a look at some of the projects that I’ve been working on.

Scarlet Sins: Stories and Songs: This is set for release sometime over the next six weeks or so and will be my tenth published work, collecting together short stories and song lyrics as well as a few other goodies. It’s all complete and ready for release, so watch this space.

The Lexicologist’s Handbook: This one is a dictionary of strange and obscure words that’s designed to be a reference book for fellow language nerds. It’s been through editing with my editor, Pam Elise Harris, and is just going through its final proofing before we gear up for publication.

Boys in Blue: This is Leipfold book #3 or book #4, depending upon how you look at it. I have a collection of Leipfold short stories called Jailed and Other Stories that’s been edited and is ready to go, while Boys in Blue is set to be the third novel in the series. I’ve completed the first draft of that and need to give it a read through before it goes over to Pam.

Monsters of Rock: This is a comic fantasy novel about a band that’s made up of real monsters and which follows the highs and lows of the band’s career. I’ve finished my first draft and need to give it another read through before it’s ready for Pam.

My Life in Books: Another book that I’ve finished the first draft of. This one is a bibliomemoir, or a memoir about books, in which I talk about some of the books and authors who’ve shaped my life. I’m still adding to this here and there, but the first draft is pretty much complete. It needs another read-through before I send it to Pam.

Dutch Courage: This is the working title for the fifth Leipfold book and fourth novel. I’ve plotted out the book and at the moment, I’m just sitting on it and letting it ferment. The plan is to revisit it in a couple of months and to give the plan a second pass to enhance it all.

Minis: This isn’t one book but rather a mini series of them, in which I’ll be tackling subjects including writing, veganism and anxiety. The plan is to have them run to around 15-20,000 words each and to print them with a small font and page size so that you can carry them around in your pocket.

Greebos: This is essentially my primary current work in progress and the first draft that I’m putting most of my time into. It’s set in the Summer of 2005 in my hometown of Tamworth and is essentially an attempt to recapture my youth and to tell untold stories through an ensemble cast of fictional characters.

So there we have it: that’s about it for now. I’m hoping to average at least three books per year over the next couple of years, and I’m excited to see some of these projects coming to fruition.

As always, thanks a lot for checking in with me on my writing journey and be sure to check out my Amazon and Goodreads pages if you want to learn more about my books. You can give me a follow there while you’re at it!

And of course, you can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for further information. I’ll see you soon!

The post Updates and Stuff! first appeared on DaneCobain.com.

Launch Day: Meat by Dane Cobain!

Hi, folks! Dane here, and today I’m proud to announce that it’s launch day for my new novel, Meat.

Set on a factory farm and following the outbreak of a mysterious zoonotic disease, I started work on it back in 2015. Seeing as it’s being released in time for Hallowe’en during the middle of a global pandemic, I think I timed it quite nicely.

The book was edited by Pam Elise Harris with cover design by Larch Gallagher and illustrations by Steve Woodcock. You can view the blurb and the cover below.

Veterinarian Tom Copeland takes a job at a factory farm called Sunnyvale after a scandal at his suburban practice. His job is to keep the animals alive for long enough to get them to slaughter.

But there are rumours of a strange creature living beneath the complex, accidents waiting to happen on brutal production lines and the threat of zoonotic disease from the pigs, sheep, cows, chickens and fish that the complex houses.

Suddenly, disaster rocks Sunnyvale and cleaners, butchers, security guards and clerical staff alike must come together under the ruthless leadership of CEO John MacDonald. Together, they’ll learn what happens when there’s a sudden change to the food chain.

Bon appétit.

Meat is now available in both paperback and ebook formats from all major retailers. You can click here to check it out on Amazon or here to take a look at it on Goodreads.

Alternatively, you can visit my author profile on Amazon and Goodreads to check out more books or you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for further updates and info. I’ll see you soon!