Kat Simons's Blog, page 8

Happy February of a New Year

And for this February, a month usually dedicated to all things Love and Romance, I have a new short story release.... Set during Halloween. LOL

Cary and the Cursed Jack-O'-Lantern is out now and sees our intrepid magical Protector facing off against, well, a cursed pumpkin.

Cary and the Cursed Jack-O'-Lantern
A Cary Redmond Short Story
Ebook 

Who knew pumpkins could do that?

Cary Redmond encounters a lot of unusual things in her life as a magical Protector. A cursed Jack-O’-Lantern, however, is new. But since the creepy pumpkin is in her best friend’s place of business, Cary is quick to help.

The only problem is she has no idea how to stop a curse. Or a pumpkin. Or, really anything. Getting between bad guys and good guys…she does that all day long. Stopping a deadly pumpkin come to life…not so much.

But Cary is up for the challenge. At least, she hopes so.

Because if she’s not, it could cost her her best friend’s life.

~~~

NEWS: Be sure to check back next month when I'll have a cover reveal for my upcoming May 2021 release! Romancing the Leopard is a paranormal romance novel that crosses over the Cary Redmond world and the Tiger Shifters world, and was a blast to write. I hope you'll enjoy it too.

Until then, I hope everyone is staying safe, healthy, getting vaccinated when you're able, and until then, enjoying some great reading in this last month of winter.

Happy Reading!

~Kat

New Year, New Novel!

Happy New Year!

Finally into 2021. And let's hope it's a better year than last--at least let's hope 2021 doesn't say "hold my beer" to 2020. I'm not sure I could take that. LOL

But just to start the year off right, a new novel! Book 5 in the Cary Redmond series, The Trouble with Magic and Faery Curses, is out now. This one was super fun to write. And I made myself cry at the end while editing. Which is usually a good sign. (Either that or 2020 had really gotten to me at that point, and I just needed to cry.) I hope readers of this series will enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The Trouble with Magic and Faery Curses, Cary Redmond Book 5
Ebooks 
Trade Print: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository (coming soon)
Large Print: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository (coming soon)

Trouble’s in the Curses… 

Halfway through her test year as a magical Protector, Cary Redmond is starting to think she just might survive. With her leopard shifter mate at her side, she’s even managed to enjoy parts of the journey.

Then her latest job reveals trouble brewing in Faery. Trouble that could affect all the realms and seriously complicate her test year. The path of danger points to the English Faery court—and her former mentor, Jaxer. She wants to help her friend, even though their current relationship can best be described as complicated. But stepping into a realm made entirely of magic, when she’s just discovered she can absorb magic, seems like a bad idea. Especially since she hasn’t learned how to release that magic yet.

With a world-ending threat looming, even Cary’s bosses want her to go. And she won’t be going alone. Both her mate and her mentor will be at her back. But to save the world this time, Cary has to confront her greatest fears. And the knowledge that if she fails…

Her own realm will fall.

~~~

Look out for more Cary Redmond adventures over the next months.

And coming in May 2021, a new Paranormal Romance! This is a cross-over story between the Tiger Shifters World and Cary Redmond's world. The hero is Dylan Jones (Deacon's youngest brother from the Cary Redmond series) and the heroine is Cat Donovan, whose older sister Amy Donovan was the heroine in Taming Her Tiger (Tiger Shifters 9).

Stay tuned for more on this new Paranormal Romance!

Until next month, I hope everyone is continuing to stay safe and healthy. 2020 was a tough year, and we're not through the hard stuff yet. But there's hope and light on the horizon. Stay safe everyone! Here's to better days ahead.

And until then, Happy Reading!

A Collection and an Equinox Wish

NEW RELEASE: WHEN CARY MET THE GOOD GUYS, a collection of the origin meet-up stories from the Cary Redmond series is out now! The collection is available in ebook and print for those who prefer print.

WHEN CARY MET THE GOOD GUYS, A Cary Redmond Short Story Anthology
Ebook
Print: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository 
Large Print: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository 

See how it all got started.

Cary Redmond is just an ordinary woman contemplating a new career when she gets “tricked” into the life of a magical Protector. A paying job, which is always good, but still, not exactly something she’d trained for.

Her first year’s introduction to magic and mystery proves eventful, and not always in a good way. But as Cary learns to survive her new job, she meets some of the most important people (and pets!) in her life.

These are their stories… 

When Cary Met Jaxer
When Cary Met Pickles
When Cary Met Marianne
When Cary Met Angie
When Cary Met Lucy

~~~

COVER REVEAL: For those of you reading the full series, the next book, Book 5 THE TROUBLE WITH MAGIC AND FAERY CURSES, will be out next month! So long as there's no glitches in the system. And for a little teaser, here's the beautiful cover my cover artist made for the book!

Isn't it pretty!?! I love the covers Evernight Designs is doing for me on the main series (and the collections cover above!). Look out for the release information next month.

~~~

Cooler weather in the northern hemisphere, warmer in the south, a midpoint in the year from all sides. Here's to hoping this month brings you peace, health, and safety this season and in this chaotic and difficult time. And also that you find many good books to read.

~Kat

Dinner with a Family of Shapeshifters...

That's going to go smoothly and without any issues, right? Except Cary Redmond's life is never that simple.

Dinner with the Joneses is out now! IMPORTANT NOTE!: This takes place about a week after the events of The Trouble with Leopard Queens and Shifter Wars and it absolutely contains spoilers! If you don't like spoilers, do not read this one until after you've read Book 3 in the series. If you don't mind spoilers, or have already read Book 3, I hope you'll enjoy this little dip into the Jones family in their private world. And also, because it's Cary, well... You'll see.

DINNER WITH THE JONESES, A Cary Redmond Short Story
eBook 

A family dinner with leopard shifters…what could go wrong?

Cary Redmond’s first introduction to her leopard shifter boyfriend’s family proved a little more interesting and fraught than she might have liked. Okay, the trip was a disaster. So Deacon’s mother declares a do-over. And no one argues with the Jones family matriarch. They even agree to come up to Portland, into Cary’s territory, for the big meal.

What could possibly go wrong?

Unfortunately, in Cary’s world, anything that can, usually does. And when her bosses show up with a job, she can’t refuse. Magical Protectors don’t get time off for family events…

Not when there are innocent people to protect and monsters on the loose.

~~

Coming up on the schedule, look for the first short story collection next month. This will be in print and ebook so for those of you who prefer print, you'll be able to read some of Cary's origin stories now.

And in January, baring any major upheavals (more than we're already going through, that is), the next novel in the Cary Redmond series will be released. More on that soon!

Finally, for those of you who are Paranormal Romance fans and enjoy the Tiger Shifters series, I have a crossover novel coming in 2021, staring Dylan Jones (you can meet him in passing in Dinner with the Joneses) and Catalina Donovan (she's the younger sister of Amy Donovan from Taming Her Tiger (Tiger Shifters 9). At the moment, this is on the schedule for the Spring, but keep checking back for updates. (The world is so weird I'm trying not to take anything for granted!).

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

Happy Reading

~Kat

October is Here!! Yay!!

Okay, I know I'm supposed to head a post with information about the newest release, but October is my favorite month in my favorite season. And this year Halloween falls on a Saturday AND there's a full moon that night AND it's a blue moon. So while 2020 has been a craptastic year in a LOT of ways, I'm gonna celebrate October and the season as best as I can.
And speaking of how to celebrate the season of Halloween and full moons, how about a spooky Cary Redmond story? For those reading the main series and wondering just how that meeting with the goblin king went...well, this is the story for you.
Cary vs the Goblin King, a new Cary Redmond short story (actually a novella as a turned out) is OUT NOW!


Cary vs the Goblin King, A Cary Redmond Short Story
EBook 
Protectors don’t get nights off…

Girls’ night means different things to different groups of friends. For Cary Redmond and her three closest friends, it means staying in and watching a classic 80s film while eating Mexican food and drinking margaritas. The perfect evening, with the perfect company…

Until an unexpected guest crashes the party. Literally.

In the ensuing wreckage, Cary discovers her night off has just become a work night. Since she’s a magical Protector, she’s used to diving in to keep the good guys safe from the bad guys. But this time, it’s her dearest friends in danger.

And no one, not even the Goblin King, messes with Cary’s friends.

~~~

Now a little news. For those of you who are paranormal romance readers and loved the Tiger Shifters series, I will have a novel coming out in 2021 that is a crossover story between Cary Redmond's world and the Tiger Shifter world. I'm almost finished with the book as I type this--I thought it would be a novella and then...well, now it's a full novel. LOL.

I'll post the release date news as soon as I have it. It'll likely come out in May or September 2021 depending on other releases and of course the world. You'll get to meet the hero of that story--Deacon's youngest brother Dylan--next month in the next Cary Redmond short story (actually that's a novella length story too--everything seems to be turning out longer than I intend lately!). And the heroine of the crossover is Amy Donovan's sister Cat (from Taming Her Tiger).

The next Cary Redmond novel, THE TROUBLE WITH MAGIC AND FAERY CURSES, is due out in January 2021 so long as the world (and distance learning with two kids with two very different schedules!) doesn't scupper my plans. So look for that then. And for those who prefer reading in print, I'll have an ebook and print edition of some of Cary's short stories available in December (again barring catastrophes which seem to be cropping up a lot in 2020). More on that next month.

If you'd like to stay up to date on new releases, occasional extras, and ramblings about baking, balcony gardens, and what I'm reading, join my newsletter (I only send it out once a month so I won't crowd your inbox). If you'd rather not join yet another newsletter, you can always check back here for updates or follow my author page at your favorite vendor.

Until next month, I hope you are all safe, and well, or as well as you can be, and that the month of October and the two full moons bring you hopeful things as well as a lot of good reading.

Happy Autumn and Halloween!

And Happy Reading!

~Kat

The Trouble with Baby Gods and Vampires--OUT NOW!!

The latest installment in Cary Redmond's adventures in Protectoring is out now! And wow is she in trouble this time. All in a days work for Portland's resident Protector, though, right?

THE TROUBLE WITH BABY GODS AND VAMPIRES
(Cary Redmond, Book 4) EBook  Trade Paperback: Amazon | BN | Book Depository  Large Print: Paperback: Amazon | BN | Book Depository  

Trouble Throws a Curve… 

And not one Cary Redmond sees coming. In the early months of her seventh year as a magical Protector, discovering the Portland vampires behaving badly complicates Cary’s already complicated life. Learning the Master of Portland not only knows who she is but wants to meet her doesn’t help even a little bit.

With a wizard still skulking in the wings waiting to kill her and her latest Protector job tossing her into the middle of yet another crisis, the last thing Cary needs is vampire trouble. Even her developing relationship with her leopard shifter mate isn’t enough to distract from the shocks that just keep coming. And surviving her test year starts to look more and more impossible.

But she’s managed so far, she can get through this latest disaster. No problem for an ordinary woman with an extraordinary job…

If only life were that simple.

~~

For up to date release information, publishing news, news about my own adventures in balcony gardens and baking, and an occasional treaty story, you can join my newsletter. There's a free (exclusive) Tiger Shifters short story included when you sign up. And I will have a special story for newsletter subscribers later this year.
This new story will be released widely in 2021, so if you don't like getting too many newsletters, the book will still be available to purchase. But I'm giving my subscribers an early copy. So if you're interested in a crossover paranormal romance story between the Cary Redmond world and the Tiger Shifters world, you might consider joining the newsletter. I only send them out once a month at most (I promise!).
Thanks for reading! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

Happy almost Autumn!
~Kat

 

Cary and Deacon Have to Get it Right This Time...Right?

LOL! Of course not. But you've got to give them the attempts.

Third Date's the Charm is out now!

Third Date's the Charm (A Cary Redmond Short Story)
eBook 


Third time’s the charm. Right?
For Cary Redmond, Portland’s resident magical Protector, going on a simple date with her leopard shifter mate is proving almost impossible. Really, she just wants to get through dinner. After two failed attempts, Cary and Deacon are determined to make this date work.
They even make it all the way to the starter course.
But bad guys show no respect for a magical Protector’s romantic life. And Cary can’t ignore her job when there’s danger. Because if she does, people die.

~~
For chronological reading order purposes, this one happens just before the start of Book 3 in the series, The Trouble with Leopard Queens and Shifter Wars .

And for those enjoying this series, look out for Book 4, The Trouble with Baby Gods and Vampires coming soon!

Thanks for reading! I hope you're staying safe and healthy in this very very strange summer. Take care of yourselves. Be gentle and kind to yourselves too. And if you need an escape into fiction (I know I've been doing a lot of that!), I hope you find the perfect stories to take you away for a bit.

Happy Reading!
~Kat

Date Night Take Two...

Because if you fail once, you should really try again. Or so Cary and Deacon assumed. What could possibly go wrong this time, right?

Ha!

The next short story is now live. And Cary and Deacon are in for another Date Night adventure.


DATE NIGHT TAKE TWO (A Cary Redmond Short Story)
eBook 


If at first you don’t succeed…
Cary Redmond’s first attempt at a real date with her leopard shifter mate definitely did not go according to plan. In fact, the date went so disastrously wrong, they decide to try again. Clean slate. Another movie. Another dinner reservation.
Another interruption she can’t ignore.
Wizard and vampire fights wait for no woman. And as Portland’s resident magical Protector, Cary has to answer the call of someone in danger. No matter the cost.
~~
If you're new to the short stories, this one takes place between the events of The Trouble with Ghouls and Serial Killers (Cary Redmond Book 2) and The Trouble with Leopard Queens and Shifter Wars (Cary Redmond Book 3). The short story of their first attempt at a first date is here . And if you've been reading the main series and would love to see how Cary met up with her current crew of friends and pets, you can find those books here .
~~
Mid-summer in the midst of one of the weirdest times I've personally ever lived through. I kind of hoped I wouldn't live in interesting times. I prefer writing about pretend interesting times. But here we are. I hope everyone is doing well, or as well as can be hoped in these pandemic months. I hope you're able to stay safe and healthy. Take care of yourselves! And when you can give yourself some quiet time to read, Happy Reading.
~Kat

Cary and Deacon Really Did Try...

To go on a date. They just... Well, there were some issues. It seems there are always "some issues" for poor Cary when she's attempting to have a normal life.

This is the first short story of their attempts at a first date. They give this multiple tries. Those short stories will follow over the summer in the lead up to book 4 in the series, coming this fall.

CARY AND DEACON (TRY TO) GO ON A DATE A Cary Redmond Short Story
Ebook 
Going on an ordinary date should not be this tough…
Despite knowing each other for two months, and surviving more than one dangerous adventure together, Cary Redmond and her leopard shifter mate have never managed a regular date. A first date.An event which carries a significance that unnerves Cary. How can she be this worried about going to a movie with a man she’s fought demons with? And seen naked.But of course, for Portland’s resident Protector, even the simple things in life prove complicated. And when someone needs her help, Cary doesn’t dare avoid her job…even on a date.
Author’s Note: This story takes place between the end of The Trouble with Ghouls and Serial Killers (Book 2) and The Trouble with Leopard Queens and Shifter Wars (Book 3) in the Cary Redmond Series. There may be some spoilers for the main series, though this story is made to be a standalone.
~~~
Also, the print and large print editions of THE TROUBLE WITH LEOPARD QUEENS AND SHIFTER WARS are available! You can get the books online at most retailers, and you should be able to order them into your library system. Though the ebook versions might be easier to get through the libraries right now. (They are available there! You just have to request them.)

Stay safe over the summer, everyone! These are crazy times, and we all need to look after each other to get through the chaos.
Happy Reading!~ Kat

The Latest Cary Redmond Novel is Out NOW!

The next Cary Redmond adventure is available now!

THE TROUBLE WITH LEOPARD QUEENS AND SHIFTER WARS
A Cary Redmond Novel

Ebooks
Print (COMING SOON) |
Large Print (COMING SOON) |


Trouble Takes a Holiday…
Though for Cary Redmond, meeting her shifter boyfriend’s mother for the first time doesn’t feel much like a vacation. Dealing with Deacon’s gorgeous ex-girlfriend, his complicated family, the truth about who he really is, her faery mentor’s emotional declarations, and the troublesome conflict escalating between the leopards and the cougars just adds spice to an already interesting month.
Cary’s used to surviving in the midst of chaos and impending preternatural wars. The real trick will be surviving Deacon’s protective mother who just happens to be the Queen of the Leopards.
Life in Cary’s seventh year as a Protector just keeps getting more interesting.
And more deadly.

***
I hope you enjoy this latest installment in the Cary Redmond series! Over the summer, I'll have some more short stories available of Cary and Deacon's attempted first date(s). Check back for more!

Stay safe and healthy, everyone!
And Happy Reading.

~Kat