Stephanie's January Blog

It's January already and we’re launching into a bright and shining New Year. I wish you and all your loved ones a safe, happy, and prosperous 2015. In the region in which I live, this is a season of bounty. Two days ago, when walking in my garden, I turned a corner and found myself face-to-face with a wallaby. Kangaroos, large and small, abound and the birdlife is plentiful — kookaburra's and currawongs, magpies and honey-eaters, plus the occasional parrot and cockatoo. My garden is burgeoning. I have courgettes galore and six different varieties of tomatoes fruiting,and a pumpkin vine gone wild. Much bounty yet to come.

And book-wise, what a wonderful year we have in store! The release of The Tempting of Thomas Carrick is less than two months away. It will be released on February 24, 2015. As foreshadowed in By Winter's Light, this book tells the story of Lucilla Cynster’s romance with Thomas Carrick, spiced with mystery and a touch of the mystical.

I think the Kirkus review of this book says it all:
"A successful example of cross-genre experiments in which classic mystery and historical romance and even fantasy tropes are combined. The solution to the mystery is wonderfully unpredictable, and both Thomas and Lucilla are flawed and likeable characters. A fun and fast-moving read. Highly recommended."

I couldn't have described it better myself.

For those who like pre-ordering, links can be found on the book page — just click the cover above and look under Where to Buy. This book will be widely distributed in print formats as well as in a global e-book edition and audio editions.

For those who enjoy reading excerpts, the excerpt on the website book page has been extended to include the next scene, the beginning of Chapter 3, in which Thomas and Lucilla come face-to-face after a separation of some years. Click HERE to read it.

Then following just three months later, A Match for Marcus Cynster is the story of Lucilla’s twin, Marcus, and his search for his fated bride.

This book follows directly on from the end of THE TEMPTING OF THOMAS CARRICK and in many ways is a companion novel, as one might expect of the stories of twins. It will be released on May 26, 2015, in print, e-book and audio-book. A detailed description and pre-order links are on the website book page - click HERE for details.

Further exclusive details - an early look at the stepback art, plus the first of a series of rolling excerpts - will be revealed in the January 20 Looking Ahead Email Newsletter. To sign up, click HERE to join.

Now, for those waiting for the paperback release of BY WINTER’S LIGHT, we have good news! The release has been brought forward by a month, and the paperback will be released on September 29, 2015.

As mentioned previously, BY WINTER’S LIGHT is the book that pivots from the preceding Cynster generation to the next. It was released last month, and is now available everywhere, in e-book, audio-book, and in print (hardcover in US/Canada or trade-sized paperback in UK or ANZ). Links can be found on the book page. I know many of you have already enjoyed the experience of the snowbound Cynster Scottish holidays of 1837, packed with holiday traditions of yore, the delights of multiple generations under one roof, with a dash of adventure and a gentle romance, plus the seeds of romances to come.

Whether you have already read it or read it later this year, I hope you enjoy revisiting with the Cynsters and experiencing the atmosphere of their snow-bound Scottish holiday season.

So…What's Next?

THE TEMPTING OF THOMAS CARRICK will be released on February 24, 2015, in print, ebook, and audio editions. A longer description and pre-order links can be found on the book page, along with the stepback art, a long excerpt - all of Chapter 1 and 2, and the first scene in Chapter 3 (click on the cover to go to the book page).

The January 20 Looking Ahead Email Newsletter will carry a link to an interview on the writing of THE TEMPTING OF THOMAS CARRICK, an early excerpt plus the stepback art for A MATCH FOR MARCUS CYNSTER, plus the results of the exclusive sweepstakes from the previous newsletter for the early reading copies of THE TEMPTING OF THOMAS CARRICK. If you haven’t yet joined the email newsletter list, the ribbon link is to the upper left. Click HERE and join - it’s easy!

A MATCH FOR MARCUS CYNSTER will be released on May 26, 2015, in print, ebook, and audio editions. A longer description and pre-order links can be found on the website book page. The stepback art and the first in a series of dramatic rolling excerpts will appear first in the January 20 Looking Ahead Email Newsletter, and on February 1 on this site. Subsequent excerpts will follow.

BY WINTER’S LIGHT will be reissued in mass market paperback editions on September 29. The already available e-book and audio-book editions will remain unchanged - links to these can be found on the book page.

And then?

2016 will see the release of The Adventurers Quartet, a Regency-era quartet evolving from secondary characters encountered in The Lady Risks All, and also including some of your favorites from the Bastion Club and the Black Cobra novels. Think Regency buccaneers! The first volume is scheduled for release early in 2016, and the fourth and final volume will be with you a year later.

2017 will also bring 3 more Cynster novels, and after reading BY WINTER’S LIGHT, THE TEMPTING OF THOMAS CARRICK, and A MATCH FOR MARCUS CYNSTER, you’ll be able to guess which three Cynsters will get their romances next. Yes, those three - 2017 will be a very big year!

2018 will bring the next three Casebook of Barnaby Adair novels. I’m not completely certain which characters will feature, but you will have met those who have their romance in each book before.

And there’s many more stories on my TBW (to be written) List to follow after that. In short, there are lots more books coming your way.

If you want to keep abreast of details of what’s in the pipeline as well as being notified of my latest releases, joining my Email Newsletter List is the safest bet. It also carries links to exclusive sweepstakes and sneak peek excerpts - for instance, the December Festive Season newsletter carried an exclusive extra excerpt from THE TEMPTING OF THOMAS CARRICK, news of an exclusive giveaway of that book, plus pre-order links for A MATCH FOR MARCUS CYNSTER. If you haven't yet joined, the ribbon link is to the left. Click HERE to join - it's easy!

Best wishes for the New Year,

Stephanie.