Jamie A. Waters's Blog, page 3

The Dragon Portal FAQ

I've been getting quite a few emails and private messages asking me about the next books in The Dragon Portal series. I decided to create a little FAQ to help shed some light on this series: Question: How many books are going to be in the series? Answer: Right now, I'm planning on six. There's a small chance it may extend to a seventh book, but I won't know for sure until Sabine tells me. * * * Question: I heard By Blood and Magic doesn't take place in the dwarven city. Is that true? Answer: Yes. They're heading in that direction, but "unforeseen circumstances" have delayed them. The second book takes place on Malek's ship and in the area surrounding the city of Karga. * * * Question: I love the demons! Does Dax reappear later in the series? Answer: Yep. You'll see a lot more of him and Bane later on. * * * Question: When can we expect the next book? Answer: By Blood and Magic (The Dragon Portal, Book 2) is being finalized right now. It's scheduled to be released on March 26th, 2020. The third book will be available in September, but I'm hoping I might be able to move up that release date even sooner. Ideally, I'd like to have the first four available to you by the end of the year. Each book takes place in a separate location with different cultures and characters, so it's taking me longer than usual to write each one. * * * Question: Will Blossom get her own story? Answer: Eek! Why'd you go putting that into her head? Now she wants her own story! I might try to give her a bonus chapter at a later date, but I don't have any specific plans. If I can swing it, I'll make it available as a free download for my newsletter subscribers. * * * Question: I want to read By Blood and Magic right now! Can you tell me anything about it? Answer: Argh. You're killing me. I'm trying really hard not to give any spoilers, but I will say it starts out with a bang! I'll have the first chapter available as a free download VERY soon (no later than the end of February). I'm finishing up with the edits right now. In the meantime, I'll say the Merfolk have decided to make their presence known and they're NOT happy about Sabine's choice of companions. ;)

Happy New Year!

I hope 2020 promises to be your best year ever! I'm really excited about what the new year will bring. In addition to releasing at least THREE new books (more if I can manage to swing it), I've also committed to FIVE book signings (holy crap). You can learn more about the events I'll be attending by clicking on the "Events" tab at the top of my website. Without further ado, my release schedule is as follows: The Dragon Portal Series: By Blood and Magic (The Dragon Portal, Book 2) - March 26, 2020 Facets of Power (The Dragon Portal, Book 3) - September 24, 2020 Shadows and Twilight (The Dragon Portal, Book 4) - Winter 2020* (tentative since the holidays always gets crazy) Standalone Novel: Born to Fly (Standalone Fantasy) - Exclusive Release at SCBL on June 26, 2020 You can learn more (and even get a sneak peek about what 2021 will bring) by visiting: https://www.jamieawaters.com/upcoming... I'd love to know which books you're looking forward to the most!

Rebels & Readers Book Signing

I'm thrilled to announce I'll be at the Rebels & Readers Author Event being hosted in Huntington, West Virginia on November 1st & 2nd. Tickets are on sale now! Reserve Tickets Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/we-are-r... I'll have copies of all my books with me, including To Kill a Fae (The Dragon Portal, Book 1). I can't wait to see you there

An Apocalypse Heralds a New Beginning...

Something I get asked a lot is why I decided to write a Post-Apocalyptic series. The short answer? I didn’t. The longer answer? Our experiences shape who we are… and one of those experiences had a pretty significant impact on me. Back in 1992, I was a teenager about to start high school. About a week before school was about to begin, we got hit with (at the time) one of the most destructive hurricanes in the history of the United States. Hurricane Andrew made landfall as a Category 5 storm just a few miles south of my home on August 24th. The word 'devastating' doesn’t even come close to the experience. We were living in a mandatory evacuation zone. Most of us had experienced hurricanes before, and we didn’t think much of this one. Everyone believed the storm wasn’t headed our way –at least, not until almost the last minute. The night of the storm, my family (and our pets) evacuated about 15 minutes north to higher ground. That decision probably saved our lives. I remember staring out the window of my parent’s office building during the storm and watching as a metal roof ripped off a neighboring house and proceeded to fly down the street. The walls shook and groaned, and I remember wondering if we were going to survive. I'll never forget the way the sky looked—the eerie green glow seemed almost otherworldly. The wind howled, and the smell of the sea surrounded me with every breath I took. It was power. Pure and undiluted power, and I was both awed and terrified by the raw fury of Mother Nature. My father had run out during the eye of the storm to try to cover some of the windows. The plywood he’d used to board it up had been ripped off during the first half of the storm. I was terrified that the winds would kick up again before my dad made it back inside. It was extremely dangerous, but he managed to make it back inside safely. (PSA: Don't run outside in the middle of the storm... it's just stupid. Sorry, Dad, but it is.) But it was the after effects that were the longest lasting… Driving home the following day was almost impossible. My father had scouted ahead, trying to find the best route to get back to our house. With so much destruction, downed trees and power lines, and entire homes being destroyed, all recognizable landmarks were simply gone. It looked like a bomb had gone off and decimated South Florida. Our roof had been mostly ripped off, and not a room in the house was untouched. Carpeting was soaked--along with everything else. The sliding glass doors had all shattered and the storm had blown through the house, leaving a mix of shattered glass, broken furniture, and water. The screen enclosure on the patio had disappeared—some was in the pool and other parts were just gone. It became a game among the kids in the neighborhood to collect roof tiles in their yard and then try to match the house where it came from. (We never found some of the matching roofs.) We were without power for 23 days, and it became very clear just how dependent we all are on electricity. No hot water (and when you're under a boil water order, this is challenging). No way to heat food (if you had any). No air conditioning (a South Florida summer without AC isn't for the faint of heart--you get the heat AND mosquitoes). Heat stroke is a very real danger. What became very clear, though, was how people change during a crisis. It’s in those moments that you get a good look at who someone is--and you'll never look at someone the same way again. Gas stations were shut down. Not only was it impossible for the trucks to get into the hardest hit areas, but without electricity, the pumps didn’t work. People had only the gas they’d managed to acquire before the storm, and no one knew when we’d have access to more. South Florida began operating strictly on a cash basis—and it wasn’t pretty. It wasn't safe to drink the tap water, and bottled water was hard to find. Traveling anywhere (to a store or even away from your home) became challenging because of the lack of gas or due to streets being inaccessible from downed trees or power lines. The first time we went to a grocery store after the storm, I was shocked. There was hardly any food or water. The grocery store had been hit hard too—missing most of their roof. Parts of the building were completely inaccessible and roped off for safety reasons. It was like a giant (very hot) warehouse with a few empty shelves. Nothing was refrigerated (remember, no one had power). Large pallets of water had been brought out, but it wasn't enough to cover the demand. People waited in huge lines in the stifling heat just to get a few items and no one knew when the next supply truck might appear. No checks. No credit cards. Cash only or you were out of luck. The air of desperation was heavy. With the banks and ATMs not having power or destroyed, you only had what you’d managed to take out before the storm. I saw people band together to combine resources. I saw other people who were looking to make a quick buck. Friendships became strained, and cash was the only currency. It didn’t matter who you were or what sort of relationship you had—everything was sold to the highest bidder. I heard countless horror stories from people I’d known all my life—my neighbor had been forced to hide in her bathtub with her small children. Her husband was a police officer, and he’d been on duty that night. Alone, she held a mattress over top of them in the bathtub while the storm passed overhead. She admitted that she wasn’t sure they were going to survive. Everyone had a story—and they were all equally heartbreaking. I was fortunate compared to many others. After the storm, my entire neighborhood pooled their resources. We had large cookouts (to get rid of our refrigerated food before it spoiled). For the kids, this was great... we could eat as much ice cream as we wanted because there was no saving it for later. Another neighbor ran a pool company and had access to pool chemicals. The entire neighborhood pitched in to clean one of the pools so it could be used throughout the community. We had the one working phone in the entire neighborhood, and we had random people coming in and out of our house at all hours to use our phone to let their loved ones know they were alive and safe. I'll never forget crawling out of a sleeping bag one morning and seeing some strange man walk in the front door without knocking and head to the phone. He lived several blocks away, and I probably never would have met him if it weren't for this hurricane. This had become our new 'normal'. The National Guard drove down our street to distribute MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat). I remember my little brother and his friends running down the street after them, cheering them on as they handed out food. These men and women were true heroes. They served as reminder that we weren't alone, even though we frequently felt like it. Through this experience and losing almost all of our material possessions, I learned that all this ‘stuff’ isn’t really important. It’s sad to lose photographs and other memorabilia, but it’s not the end of the world. It’s the people—our families, friends, and other loved ones that are truly important. Everything else is replaceable. This experience also launched a renewed interest in survival skills. My parents had always encouraged learning these things, but after Hurricane Andrew, I became a much more diligent student. You never think about what might happen, but you should. I’ve lived it. I survived. And now I’m better prepared if anything should ever happen again. So when I started writing The Omni Towers, I pulled some of my personal experiences (the camaraderie and banding together for survival) and incorporated those things into the ruin rat camps. To them, it was the people who were important. They didn’t care about material possessions, except how it helped them to survive. Kayla, Ariana, and Valentina may be fictional characters, but their story is representative of something more. Our experiences help shape who we are, and these strong women are inspiring to me in their efforts to overcome all odds and survive. Because at the end of the day, that’s what we’re all trying to do too. Survive.

To Kill a Fae - Now Available for Pre-Order!

I'm thrilled to announce the upcoming release of the first book in my newest series, To Kill a Fae (The Dragon Portal, Book 1)! It's currently available for pre-order! This is an action-packed fantasy series with romantic elements and some surprising twists. You'll meet a host of characters you'll love (and some you'll love to hate). It's got a bit of everything: Fae, demons, witches, goblins, dragons, dwarves, and so many more!

Get Ruins of Fate FREE!

I have some great news! Sign up to my newsletter and I'll email you a FREE copy of The Omni Towers prequel, Ruins of Fate. Simply go to my website, enter in your email address and POOF! You'll get instructions for downloading your free book sent directly to your mailbox. Newsletters usually go out once a month. In addition to staying up-to-date on all the latest happenings from the writing cave, I'll send you pictures of my puppies or the murder of crows in my backyard. If that's not reason enough, you'll have access to Super Secret Awesome Stuff (SSAS, not to be confused with my normal "sass" -- although, you might get some of that too). This includes other giveaways, deleted scenes, and other fun stuff! PLUS -- If you subscribe to my newsletter, you'll be the first to have access to the signup list to become part of my ARC (Advance Review Copy) Team. I have limited spots available, so you won't want to miss this opportunity to get more FREE BOOKS!

An apocalypse just heralds a new beginning...

Something I get asked a lot is why I decided to write a Post-Apocalyptic series.

The short answer? I didn’t.

The longer answer?

Our experiences shape who we are… and one of those experiences had a pretty significant impact on me.

Back in 1992, I was a teenager about to start high school. About a week before school was about to begin, we got hit with (at the time) one of the most destructive hurricanes in the history of the United States.

Hurricane Andrew made landfall as a Category 5 storm just a few miles south of my home on August 24th. The word 'devastating' doesn’t even come close to the experience.

We were living in a mandatory evacuation zone. Most of us had experienced hurricanes before, and we didn’t think much of this one. Everyone believed the storm wasn’t headed our way –at least, not until almost the last minute. The night of the storm, my family (and our pets) evacuated about 15 minutes north to higher ground. That decision probably saved our lives.

I remember staring out the window of my parent’s office building during the storm and watching as a metal roof ripped off a neighboring house and proceeded to fly down the street. The walls shook and groaned, and I remember wondering if we were going to survive. I'll never forget the way the sky looked—the eerie green glow seemed almost otherworldly. The wind howled, and the smell of the sea surrounded me with every breath I took. It was power. Pure and undiluted power, and I was both awed and terrified by the raw fury of Mother Nature.

My father had run out during the eye of the storm to try to cover some of the windows. The plywood he’d used to board it up had been ripped off during the first half of the storm. I was terrified that the winds would kick up again before my dad made it back inside. It was extremely dangerous, but he managed to make it back inside safely. (PSA: Don't run outside in the middle of the storm... it's just stupid. Sorry, Dad, but it is.)

But it was the after effects that were the longest lasting…

Driving home the following day was almost impossible. My father had scouted ahead, trying to find the best route to get back to our house. With so much destruction, downed trees and power lines, and entire homes being destroyed, all recognizable landmarks were simply gone.

It looked like a bomb had gone off and decimated South Florida.

Our roof had been mostly ripped off, and not a room in the house was untouched. Carpeting was soaked--along with everything else. The sliding glass doors had all shattered and the storm had blown through the house, leaving a mix of shattered glass, broken furniture, and water. The screen enclosure on the patio had disappeared—some was in the pool and other parts were just gone. It became a game among the kids in the neighborhood to collect roof tiles in their yard and then try to match the house where it came from. (We never found some of the matching roofs.)

We were without power for 23 days, and it became very clear just how dependent we all are on electricity. No hot water (and when you're under a boil water order, this is challenging). No way to heat food (if you had any). No air conditioning (a South Florida summer without AC isn't for the faint of heart--you get the heat AND mosquitoes). Heat stroke is a very real danger.

What became very clear, though, was how people change during a crisis. It’s in those moments that you get a good look at who someone is--and you'll never look at someone the same way again.

Gas stations were shut down. Not only was it impossible for the trucks to get into the hardest hit areas, but without electricity, the pumps didn’t work. People had only the gas they’d managed to acquire before the storm, and no one knew when we’d have access to more.

South Florida began operating strictly on a cash basis—and it wasn’t pretty.

It wasn't safe to drink the tap water, and bottled water was hard to find. Traveling anywhere (to a store or even away from your home) became challenging because of the lack of gas or due to streets being inaccessible from downed trees or power lines.

The first time we went to a grocery store after the storm, I was shocked. There was hardly any food or water. The grocery store had been hit hard too—missing most of their roof. Parts of the building were completely inaccessible and roped off for safety reasons. It was like a giant (very hot) warehouse with a few empty shelves. Nothing was refrigerated (remember, no one had power). Large pallets of water had been brought out, but it wasn't enough to cover the demand. People waited in huge lines in the stifling heat just to get a few items and no one knew when the next supply truck might appear. No checks. No credit cards. Cash only or you were out of luck.

The air of desperation was heavy.

With the banks and ATMs not having power or destroyed, you only had what you’d managed to take out before the storm.

I saw people band together to combine resources. I saw other people who were looking to make a quick buck. Friendships became strained, and cash was the only currency. It didn’t matter who you were or what sort of relationship you had—everything was sold to the highest bidder.

I heard countless horror stories from people I’d known all my life—my neighbor had been forced to hide in her bathtub with her small children. Her husband was a police officer, and he’d been on duty that night. Alone, she held a mattress over top of them in the bathtub while the storm passed overhead. She admitted that she wasn’t sure they were going to survive.

Everyone had a story—and they were all equally heartbreaking.

I was fortunate compared to many others. After the storm, my entire neighborhood pooled their resources. We had large cookouts (to get rid of our refrigerated food before it spoiled). For the kids, this was great... we could eat as much ice cream as we wanted because there was no saving it for later. Another neighbor ran a pool company and had access to pool chemicals. The entire neighborhood pitched in to clean one of the pools so it could be used throughout the community. We had the one working phone in the entire neighborhood, and we had random people coming in and out of our house at all hours to use our phone to let their loved ones know they were alive and safe. I'll never forget crawling out of a sleeping bag one morning and seeing some strange man walk in the front door without knocking and head to the phone. He lived several blocks away, and I probably never would have met him if it weren't for this hurricane. This had become our new 'normal'. The National Guard drove down our street to distribute MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat). I remember my little brother and his friends running down the street after them, cheering them on as they handed out food. These men and women were true heroes. They served as reminder that we weren't alone, even though we frequently felt like it.

Through this experience and losing almost all of our material possessions, I learned that all this ‘stuff’ isn’t really important. It’s sad to lose photographs and other memorabilia, but it’s not the end of the world. It’s the people—our families, friends, and other loved ones that are truly important. Everything else is replaceable.

This experience also launched a renewed interest in survival skills. My parents had always encouraged learning these things, but after Hurricane Andrew, I became a much more diligent student. You never think about what might happen, but you should. I’ve lived it. I survived. And now I’m better prepared if anything should ever happen again.

So when I started writing The Omni Towers, I pulled some of my personal experiences (the camaraderie and banding together for survival) and incorporated those things into the ruin rat camps. To them, it was the people who were important. They didn’t care about material possessions, except how it helped them to survive.

Kayla, Ariana, and Valentina may be fictional characters, but their story is representative of something more. Our experiences help shape who we are, and these strong women are inspiring to me in their efforts to overcome all odds and survive.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what we’re all trying to do too.

Survive.

Spirit of the Towers is now available!

Holy crapola! Valentina is kicking some serious ass... I can't wait until you read this story. It's got a little bit of everything... and some really crazy twists. I'm a total pantser (writing by the seat of my pants), and I did NOT see this one coming. In the sixth book of The Omni Towers series, we're bringing back all the kick-butt heroines from the first five books. That's right. We've got Kayla, Ariana, and Valentina. They're the fearsome trio, and that a VERY good thing... because they're about to be put to the ultimate test. And yes... Valentina's love interest is back and just as delicious as ever!

Flames of Redemption is Now Available!

I'm really excited about this book. Flames of Redemption (The Omni Towers, Book 5) is Valentina Golubeva's story. She's an elite agent within the Coalition... and she can kick some serious ass! You're going to get an inside look into the Coalition, meet some fantastic new characters, and get a chance to reconnect with some old ones. And holy crap... is this book ever HOT! We've got lots of action, adventure, suspense, and some surprising twists. A few of my beta readers said this book was their favorite. My editor said it reminded her of Mr. and Mrs. Smith with a "passionate undercurrent that readers will love". I can't wait until you read it. You're going to love it. (And if not, go tell Valentina. I dare you.)

Drop of Hope is Now Available!

Yep! That's right. Ariana Alivette's story is available now! Ariana was born in the Omni Towers and has lived a much different lifestyle than those on the surface. But even there, she's not your typical Omni resident. You'll meet a host of new characters and get to see what trouble some of your other favorites have been getting into... and trust me, there's a LOT of trouble brewing in the towers... If you have a favorite character that you want to see more of, let me know! I love hearing about which characters you love... and those you love to hate! Drop of Hope (The Omni Towers Series, Book 4) is now available for purchase on Amazon or if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, you can read it for FREE!