Pippa DaCosta's Blog, page 3

The Soul Eater is back!

Last July the Soul Eater series launched, introducing the world to a New York where ancient Egyptian gods are either slumbering the years away or living it up in New York (naturally, Osiris, the God of Life & Rebirth is New York's mayor!). We welcomed Ace Dante and his demon-sorceress sidekick, Shukra, into our hearts (don't let Shukra hear you say the word 'sidekick' or she'll likely stab you in the heart) as they try to keep New York relatively free of Egyptian beasties, vengeful gods and power-hungry witches.

A lot has changed since then. Ace has picked up a few new names alongside liar and thief, names like Godkiller. Now, as the Goddess Isis blackmails him into returning to Egypt - a land he had hoped never to see again - he is about to learn a few things about the old world, about the past, and how history is wrong about everything.

The truth that awaits Ace in Egypt is far more dangerous than any god.

I always knew Scorpion Trap was going to be a game-changer. So far in the series we've seen Ace struggle with his place in this world and the underworld. He has never truly fit in anywhere, and then there's the fact we - as readers - know a lot more about his life then he does.

Where is Bastet?

Scorpion Trap is out TODAY and the first book Hidden Blade is 99¢ this week. So if you haven't met Ace or Shu yet, you're in for a treat.

Happy reading everyone!

**Chaos Series and Veil Fans** GOOD NEWS!

Okay, I've beaten around the bush long enough. The bush is well and truly dead. No more beating on that bush. Here's the definitive answer to the 'will there be another Chaos book?'

YES!

Chaos Rises #3 will likely be called Chaos Falls, and it'll be told from....

Wait for it....

Not Gem's point of view...

Who's suave and sophisticated enough to get their own book? Who's is the only Prince of Hell who could have sweet talked their way into that one, I wonder? (Stop it, it's not Akil. He doesn't do sweet talk).

Yes, Li'el, the inimitable Prince of Pride is back and he's saving LA from another certain demon (no spoilers please!) while trying to avoid the righteous wrath of a female cop we met in Chaos Rises.

I had always planned to have three book in the series, but Gem's character arc happened in two books instead of three, leaving me with a bit of problem. Switching point-of-views during a series is not ideal, and switching to a male POV would usually be a big no-no, but Li'el doesn't give two hoots about silly 'rules'.

This book will be a challenge on so many levels, not least because I have to get inside the head of an immortal air elemental who just happens to be the actual devil. He's sexy, he's clever, he is air and everywhere, and he's going to be a pain in the ass to write, but also a whole lot of fun.

Am I intimidated? Yes, very much so, but Li'el won't settle for anything less than his own book, so who am I to argue?

Any questions, pop them in the comments or use Goodreads "Ask the author" thingamajig.

The Heartstone Thief.... OUT TODAY

Y'all wanted me to write a traditional fantasy. Well, I kinda did, but you know me... I always have a few surprises up my sleeves. The Heartstone Thief is out TODAY (ebook exclusively in the Legends of the Damned: A Collection of Edgy Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels boxed set (also available as paperback/hardback). And while it is a 'traditional' fantasy, you may find a few unusual twists inside its pages to keep you on your toes.

Legends of the Damned has 21 amazing novels for 99¢ (this week only). Go click, read, and enjoy <3

*we've already hit #1 iBooks Fantasy. How high can we go on the other stores?

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Damned...

Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legen...

Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/lege...

iBooks
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lege...

It's no secret... Murder, mystery, intrigue.

It's no scret that I love ancient Egyptian history. Writng the Soul Eater series gave me the opportunity to play in that sandbox. My only problem is that I often fall down a research rabbit hole and end up in Wonderland. Check out this astonishing nugget from Egyptian history...

Many of you will know the name Hatshepsut (Ace mentions her briefly in Soul Eater #3). If you don't, she was a female pharoah, one of the few female pharoahs in Egyptian history. Her mortuary temple sits at the entrance to the Valley of the Kings. She rose to power in place of her young nephew, Tutmosis III, who should have been crowned pharoah when he came of age. Hatshepsut was queen regent for three years, at which point she figured, screw that, I'm the pharoah now, deal with it.

As with all ancient Egyptian history, what follows is open to speculation and educated guesses, but what is known, is that as Hatshepsut rose in power, so did her advisor, Senenmut. Senenmut was a born to an insignificant family. He fell into favor with Hatshepsut and became the chief architect of various temples and monuments, including Hatshepsut's astonishing mortuary temple. But, Senenmut's and Hatshepsut's rise wasn't easy.

As Tutmosis came of age, he eyed the throne his aunt had 'stolen' and sought to undermine Hatshepsut's rule. Rumors were abound of Hatshepsut's relationship with Senenmut being more than advisor and queen, worsened by Senenmut's close relationship with Hatshepsut's daughter. Tragically, Hatshepsut's daughter died at 16 years old, and not long after, Senenmut mysteriously disappears from all historical records.

Some speculate that Senenmut's disappearance wasn't an accident, and that Tutmosis had a hand in 'removing' him, knowing it would devastate Hatshepsut. It worked. Not long after Senenmut's disappearance, Hatshepsut dies, Tutmosis claims the throne and attempts to eradicate Hatshepsut name from every site, tomb and temple, along with Senenmut's name. Removing a name from a mortuary temple or tomb, also removes the spirit from the underworld, so Tutmosis wasn't screwing around.

Senenmut's body has never been found and there's no mention of his death or burial in antiquity. Despite him having two tombs, one inside Hatshepsut's mortuary temple—neither was used.

(And this is why I get sucked into research instead of writing!)

Senenmut and Hatshepsut's story features in Scorpion Trap.

There once was a little girl who dreamed of being an author...

There once was a little girl who dreamed of being an author. She lived in a tiny little village, far away from publishing land (London). Her mother had died, so she'd had to move house (again), and her father would have done anything to make that little girl happy, but dreams cost money, and he didn't have any. And that little girl had many dreams. She turned those dreams into words, and words into stories, but publishing land was filled with perils and gatekeepers, and things the girl didn't understand. So, she put those dreams aside.
She grew older, got a job, and sometimes she would write her dreams down—when they called to her, as they often did—but those dreams had no place in the young woman's life. She had a career now. A husband. Her world was one far removed from dreams and stories. Then the woman gave up her career for her children, two wonderful little girls with many dreams and aspirations of their own.
And one day, a dream took hold of the woman, and this time it would not let go. This time, she turned that dream into words, and she turned those words into a novel. "Two years," she told herself. "I will give myself two years to make this dream real."
It didn't take two years to become a bestselling full-time author. It took thirty years of chasing the dream.
But I caught it.
Here's to living the dream.
~ Pippa DaCosta

NEW EPIC Boxset ~ Don't miss it!

When I was asked to join the stunning array of authors in Dominion Rising, I squealed with delight. Many of the authors I knew, some I was already friends with, but others were completely new to me. However, I DID know this set was going to be EPIC. That's the great thing about boxsets. They open up whole new worlds and introduce us to authors we may not have discovered otherwise.

Dominion Rising sure is going to be something special. On the official announcement day, the set hit #64 in the entire Amazon US store. Excitement for this set is off the charts.

And at just 99¢ (special pre-order price) it's a steal!

Included in Dominion Rising, is my title Within, a post-apocalyptic vampire story. You can check out my early review here. Plus, there are 21 additional full length and ALL NEW sci-fi/fantasy stories.

Honestly, it's going to be A-MAZING. Add it to your shelves and grab the pre-order while it's 99¢. Then, all you have to do, is wait for the 4000 page ebook to land on your e-device in August.

Happy reading!

Chaos Rises ON SALE

Woot! Chaos Rises is ON SALE this week. If you haven't read it yet, now's your chance to grab some post-apocalyptic demon mayhem at 99¢!

When the veil fell, any half-demons not strong enough to withstand Chaos were torn apart. Some, like me and my brother, survived the Fall. Most did not.

That's the good news. The bad news saw a whole other world try and devour ours. Demons came in countless waves. Destroying. Killing. Many people thought it was the end...

The Fall lasted a week.

Tens of thousands died.

Hell almost claimed our world as its own.

And then, from one day to the next, it was over. The veil came back, stronger than ever. I'm not sure if anyone knows how it was put right. But I do know it's been six months since the Fall, me and my brother are on the run, and the leftover demons aren't the most dangerous things in LA.

We are.

***

This heart-pounding new urban fantasy series promises to bring a heady blend of action, suspense, and a hint of romance to the demon-torn streets of Los Angeles.


Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lgoPXf

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/chao...

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chaos...

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/chao...

**COVER REVEAL** The Heartstone Thief

The Heartstone Thief has been a long time coming but it finally has a shiny cover AND a release date.

In the City of Brea, thieves and sorceresses do not mix.
When Curtis Vance—professional thief—stumbles into a sorceress’s trap, he’d prefer to kill her than help her. Now bound to the insane sorceress, his only escape (and chance to turn a profit) is to find the long forgotten Dragon Eye gem. Little does Vance know, the Dragon Eye holds more than the key to Vance’s freedom. The Eye could awaken a devastating power—a worldkiller bent on destruction, and Vance is all that stands in its way.

You all have been asking for a straight up fantasy from me for, well, forever, so here it is.

It's exclusively available in the Legends of the Damned: A Collection of Edgy Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels set, available at the special pre-order price of 99¢ So, yah know, go one-click that sucker (21 books for one crazy price). Out April 11th, 2017.

Chaos Unleashed ARCs Up For Grabs

Sooo.... who wants to be on the Chaos Unleashed ARC team?

At some point this month or very early Feb (I'm currently waiting for it to come back from its proofread! I'm also moving house at the end of Jan, so it's a bit hectic!) I will be sending out Advance Copies of Chaos Unleashed to a small group of readers to read and review ahead of the release date. That means you're in with a chance of being one of the very first readers to see if Li'el can charm the icy half blood, Gem, before it's too late to save her, himself, and LA.

To be considered for an ARC spot, you must have read and reviewed #1 Chaos Rises. But don't fret, I will be offering a few Chaos Rises copies too ;)

Please email me pippadacosta@btinternet.com with your previous review links (if you have them).

Thank you & good luck!

**FLASH COMPETITION** WIN Hidden Blade & Beyond The Veil in Paperback but be quick!

Every now and then I randomly decide to give stuff away. It's almost the holidays and it seems like ages since I last ran a competition, so let's do THIS!

Over on my Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pippadacosta... you can be in with a chance of winning a paperback of Beyond The Veil AND Hidden Blade (if you're in the US or UK you'll get it before Xmas).

All you have to do is dig up a favorite quote from ANY of my books and stick it in the comments section below that Facebook post.

The winner will be picked at random on Wednesday. Good luck!