Jocelynn Drake

Launching a New Website

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 17:16:00 +0000

I know what you’re thinking: Jocelynn! What in the world are you doing, you crazy woman? And I totally understand your confusion, but I think I’ve got all the bugs worked out now. I’ve got a new website and it is awesome.

Why the switch?

Time is short and I needed to learn to work smarter, not harder. I want to spend more time writing books and less time trying to get blogs, tweets, pins, and other social media posts updated. At the same time, I want to make sure that all my lovely patient readers are as updated as possible regarding what I’m working on and what’s coming out. This meant switching some stuff up and adding some new tech to the mix.

The New Website

My new website is at the URL address I’ve always had: JocelynnDrake.com. My blog posts are front and center now. The slideshow at the top displays the 5 most recent blog posts.

But what if you’re only interested in the Dark Days series or Asylum Tales? Or maybe you just want my writing insights and tips?

I’ve got everything neatly categorized.

Vampires – Dark Days Series

Warlocks – Asylum Tales Series

Romance – Hidden London series, my historical romance stories written under Joy Douglass

Writing Advice – Tips and tricks for writing

Fun Stuff – book giveaways, book deals, travel, and other random fun stuff.

The top navigation bar includes links to all my books, my bio, a list of blog entries in chronological order. (Yes, I know the Contact Me page is currently broken. That’s on my To Do List for this week.)

What’s missing?

The two things that haven’t carried over from the old site are the picture gallery and the extras section. The picture/video gallery might be added at a later date, I haven’t decided yet. As for the extras section that held the short short stories, interviews, and other good stuff that never made it into the books – I’m undecided about that at the moment. Some of it might return to the website … or I might do something else with it. I’m still pondering that one.

What’s Going Away?

Since I have everything on JocelynnDrake.com now, I will no longer be using my Blogger account - http://jocelynndrake.blogspot.com/. I’ll keep the page up for a few more months, but I won’t be adding to it any longer.

If you have also found JocelynnDrakeBlog.com, I will be killing that page as well. That was a type of testing ground for me as I tried out different designs and layouts. I’ll keep the page up for a few more months, but I won’t be adding to it any longer.

I hope you like the new site design. Please, dig through it. See all the cool stuff I’ve collected and created.

And Stay Tuned! I am going to be releasing the covers for the Final Asylum Tales book very soon!

Just Enough Knowledge to be Dangerous

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 19:58:00 +0000

June was an incredibly busy month. There was editing, planning, creating messes, and then cleaning up of those messes. A book was completed and a whole new series idea was born. All that and I didn't even get to the beach!

Let me get you updated.

The final book in the Asylum Tales was revised and handed in to my editor. She's pleased with the changes and we're plowing forward. We are currently on schedule to make the first release date of October 14 for DEMON'S FURY, with the other two parts to follow on October 21 and October 28, respectively. A short time later a short print run of the entire book will be released.

I have seen the covers for all three pieces of the serial and they are lovely. We're still debating some wording on the covers and finalizing some little bits. We are currently aiming for an official cover reveal for all three covers in late July. I can't wait for you to see them.

While working on the book revisions, I have also been working on a complete website revamp. I am planning to migrate the entire site to a Wordpress format because I've fallen in love with many of the plugins and other cool gadgets that just make everything easier to plan. (Would you like to see what I've created? Go to JocelynnDrakeblog.com) It still needs some work and I'm trying to decide if I want to move everything on the original site over to the new one. I'm hoping to have the new site officially launched before the end of summer. So far, it's not been running as smoothly as I would have hoped, but then I'm kind of teaching myself this web stuff as I go. At this point, I have just enough knowledge to be considered dangerous. Wish me luck.

As I've revamp the website, I've come to realize that I've written a lot of content for both the Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales that have never been gathered in one place. This weekend, I think I'll pull it all together and see how much I've got. If it's relatively impressive, I might consider compiling it as extra e-books for each series -- though I would write some new content for the collection since I would be charging a $1 or $2 for it. Maybe a couple new short stories for each series. It's something to consider.

When I'm not working on the website, I have been tinkering with a new book idea. I've been taking it slowly, getting to know the main character and her interesting quirks. The first chapter came to me last night as I was drifting off to sleep, so I think I'm going to get some serious words on the page this weekend. Along with that book, I'm going to try to finish Stefan's story this weekend. I'm down to the climax and denouement -- less than 15,000 words.

When I'm not writing, I'm going to try afternoon thunderstorms while having a little fun. I'm sad that I'm not back in Kentucky with my family where they are planning to create some awesome explosions, but I have a business trip in a couple weeks to look forward to. If I can sneak away, I will try to leave behind some signed books.

For all my American readers, Happy Independence Day! Be safe and have fun! To all my readers, have a great weekend. Read a good book.

Details for Asylum Tales: The Demon Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Sun, 15 Jun 2014 23:49:00 +0000

I am editing and editing and editing... and I'm nearly done. I've turned in the revised copies of DEMON'S FURY and DEMON'S VOW to my editor this weekend. I am now steadily chugging through my changes to INNER DEMON.

The change in format for the Gage books has created a lot of questions and I'm going to try to answer them as clearly as possible. Let's go:

1. Are there going to be more Gage books?

The stories released in October 2014 will be the last Asylum Tales books from Gage's point of view -- at least as I see it now. All the Gage stories are (in chronological order):
The Asylum Interviews: Bronx
The Asylum Interviews: Trixie
Angel's Ink
Dead Man's Deal
Of Monster and Men (in the Blood by Moonlight anthology)
Demon's Fury
Demon's Vow
Inner Demon

2. Are the Demon stories 3 different stories?

No. The Demons stories are part of a serial. In other words, it is one final book that has been broken up into three parts. If you'd like to read more about the rise of serial stories, click here for a great article from Literary Escapism. When combined, the Demon stories will be roughly the same length as Angel's Ink or Dead Man's Deal.

3. Are the Demon stories only available as an ebook?

No. I just received the news that after all three parts have been released, you will be able to buy the Demon stories in one combined print book. It will be similar to what my publisher did for Bound to Me. It is my understanding that the book will be available in brick-and-mortar stores as well as online.

4. Why are you releasing the last book as a serial?

My publisher has seen the growing success of serials among the different genres and they decided to try it with my book to see if it would attract more readers. A large number of authors have tried serials and I am excited to see if readers enjoy the different format. For more serial stories, click here.

5. When are the stories being released?

The ebooks for :
Demon's Fury is out October 14
Demon's Vow is out October 21
Inner Demon is out October 28.
I don't have the release date for the print version yet, but I believe it is typically released about a month after the ebook versions come out. I will update you on the release date as soon as I know.

6. When are you going to release a cover?

As soon as I see one! I am hoping to get a peek at the cover within the next month.

7. If you're done writing Asylum Tales, what are you working on next?

I've got a few projects that I'm close to finishing, but not sold yet. After I complete the edits on Inner Demon, I am turning my attention to finishing my website redesign and then finishing two projects that need about 25,000 words combined. After that, all my attention goes to working on a new urban fantasy series. I've got some ideas and I've started making some worldbuilding notes. I can't wait to get some words on the page!

Got any more questions for me? I'd be happy to answer them. Happy reading.

Contest Winner, Book Deal, and Weekend Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 20:24:00 +0000

Welcome to the weekend! It's time for book deals, contest winners, and fun times. Let's get down to business.

To celebrate the release of the final Asylum Tales story, I am giving away the entire series. And the winner is ...

Jenny Clemmons!

Jenny, please shoot me an email at JocelynnDOTdrakeATgmailDOTcom. If you want the print prize pack, I need your mailing address. If you'd like the digital prize pack, I need the email address you'd like me to use.

In the meantime, I've got a great book deal for you! Dead Man's Deal, the second novel in the Asylum Tales series, is on sale for only $1.99 for the digital ebook. If you haven't tried bit yet, now is a great time to get caught up before the release of the final book.

What's more, if you have a tablet, now is a great time to consider trying a different ebook vendor. Yep! Did you know you can get an app for Kindle, Kobo, or Nook books for free? Sure. That way, if one bookseller doesn't have what you're looking for, you're always prepared with a back-up. (If you'd to read more about all your reading and book buying options, click here.)

Dead Man's Deal links:
Nook
Kobo
Kindle
iBooks
Google ebooks

I understand when money is tight! Did you know I've got some other stories available for less than $2? How about:

The Asylum Interviews: Bronx
Kindle Nook Kobo iBooks Google ebooks

The Asylum Interviews: Trixie
Kindle Nook Kobo iBooks Google ebooks

The Dead the Damned and the Forgotten
Kindle Nook Kobo iBooks Google ebooks

Bound to Me
Kindle Nook Kobo iBooks Google ebooks

There you go! You're set for the weekend. While you're busy reading, I'm going to finish my edits on the final book of the Asylum Tales for my editor and then I think I will watch a little Doctor Who. I'm on the third season and adjusting to the Doctor's new companion. It's a slow adjustment period for me.

Empowering the Reader in the Book Battle: Where to Buy Books Now

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 01:27:00 +0000

Amazon vs. Hachette: The first battle in a larger war between Amazon and traditional New York publishing. Sides have been staked out and there's plenty you can read online from either point of view. I have listed a few examples below:

New York Times: Amazon vs. Hachette: When does Discouragement become Misrepresentation?
Hugh Howey: Amazon and Hachette Go To War
Publisher's Weekly: Much at Stake in Amazon-HBG Fight
Huffington Post: Amazon vs. Hachette: A Custody Battle of for the Future of Books
Fortune: In a standoff between Amazon and Hachette, the customer comes last
The Atlantic: How the Amazon-Hachette Fight Could Shape the Future of Ideas

And on and on and on. If you don't like those sources, a couple minutes with your favorite search engine can turn up a few dozen more articles. In this fight, authors have become bargaining chips and cannon fodder. Reader are collateral damage in the fight for what's "right and fair." As an author, I'm obviously biased and I'm not going to try to define what's "right and fair" for authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers. (Hell, if you locked the four groups in a room together for the next 20 years, we still couldn't agree on exactly what is "fair and right" for everyone.)

I'm not here to debate any of that -- interesting though it may be. I'm here to put the power back into the hands of readers. Do you know you have options beyond Amazon for ebooks? Do you know you have options beyond Barnes & Noble for brick-and-mortar stores?

(Now don't get me wrong. There are plenty of great deals, options, and perks from each of them. But as they fight their wars with New York publishers, each has hurt the reader - Amazon has made it difficult to get Hachette books and Barnes & Noble has created difficulties getting Simon & Schuster books. And I sincerely believe that these are not going to be isolated incidents.)

I know that I got into a rut with one source for books. My favored source was quick, easy, and had good prices. But should that bookseller be my only source? With this battle continuing, it doesn't appear to be a good idea any longer. As a reader, are you aware of all the options you have available to you? (I'm going to assume you have enough respect for me and other authors not to download illegal copies.)

I invite you to go on an adventure with me. Let's dig for some killer sources of books - both print and digital.

Unlimited Reading -- free or for a monthly fee

Public Library

For access to free books, your best source is the public library. When was the last time you checked out your local library? Did you know that most now have ebooks, many loan out ereaders, and you can get on a book waiting list online? If they don't have what you want, a lot of libraries now make it possible to submit suggestions for books you'd like them to get online. Next time you're longing for something new to read, take a minute to pop onto your library online and see what options they have available.

Scribd and Oyster: the Netflix of Books

How about unlimited access to digital books for a flat monthly fee? Scribd and Oyster both boast libraries of more than 100,000 books each. For either, you pay a flat monthly fee and have access to all the books they have. Not bad. Sure, there are holes in their libraries, but both are relatively young services. (Remember Netflix in the early days -- particularly their streaming service -- there was a lot missing there too but it improved as new deals were made.) I have a feeling their offerings will continue to grow as time passes and demand grows.

If you would like to see some unbiased reviews, check out:

All Things D
CNN Money

And if you're still not sure, it looks like both allow you to do a free trial. If you love ebooks, it might be worth your time to give them a try.

The Wide World of Electronic Books

Amazon certainly became the center of the Electronic Book World fast, but they're not the only game in town. One of the benefits with Amazon was that no matter what tablet or ereader you had, you could always add the Kindle app for free, allowing you to buy books via Amazon and read them in the Kindle app. It took a while, but many other developers/booksellers caught on to this game. If one bookseller is going to make it hard to get the book you want, is it such a bad idea to have a back-up in place so you can get exactly what you want? Here are some options:

iBooks -- only available on Apple products
Barnes & Noble Nook app
Kobo app
Google Books app
Kindle app

Are these your only options? Heck no! But it's a good starting place. There are plenty of articles out there about ereader apps, such as: 10 Best Reader Apps.

Print Books: When You Long for the Feel of Paper

When I was living in Kentucky, I fell in love with my local Borders store. It was close, had a great selection, and had good prices. And then it closed, breaking my heart. It wasn't long after that Joseph-Beth Booksellers moved in and I was in heaven once again. And then I moved. Whether you prefer to have a physical copy in your hands or just like browsing through a bookstore for new books, you should know what your options are.

Indie Bookstores: A Hidden Treasure

Independent Bookstores can be a secret treasure. They are usually staffed by people who love reading as much as you, can suggest authors you might not have heard of, and have the added bonus of benefiting the community that you call home. One added cool thing is that many specialize, such as Indie book stores that specialize in crime or romance. Does your area have an Indie book store? Do a quick search online. Consider stopping in and checking one out when you're running errands this weekend. You might be pleasantly surprised.

What if you prefer to do you book shopping online but still want to support Indie bookstores? Well, my dear reader, I've got a site for you. IndieBound.

IndieBound can help connect you with hundreds of independent bookstores that can get that book you're looking for in your hands. Next time you're thinking you'd like to buy a book or two, check them out. What's more, a number of Indie booksellers also sell ebooks and ereaders.

Brick-and-Mortar Stores ... and More

With the closing of Borders and even Barnes & Noble shuttering some of its locations, it can seem a daunting task to find alternative places to buy books, but there still are plenty of options out there and so many are more than happy to ship to you. What's more, many place offer ebooks as well as print books. Have you tried:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bookish
Books - A - Million
Book Depository
Powell's

What Options Have You Tried?

As you may have guessed, this is only the tip of the iceberg of what's out there when it comes to finding avenues to obtaining the types of books you love. With the battles continuing between the booksellers and the book publishers, there are going to be times when it is hard to find the author that you love or the book you've been waiting months to get your hands on. Don't let yourself get screwed by being caught in the middle. Have a back-up plan. Try out some other avenues now. If you like ebooks, have a few apps at your fingertips so you're never without your favorite book. If you like print books, try out several vendors. Put the power back into the hands of readers!

A Special Request for Bloggers

Book bloggers provide special and valued services. You have the ability to reach out to hundred and thousands of avid readers. You help readers discover authors and books they may never have heard of. You convince readers to try books they may never have considered on their own. You entertain, inform, and guide readers through the publishing jungle.

Now I have humble request. With the ongoing war, I submit that now is a great time to try out new avenues of acquiring books and tell your readers about it. Is there a bookseller you love? Why? Have you completed the free trial of Scribd or Oyster? What did you think? I know many get advanced reader copies from sites like Edelweiss, but what do you do when you actually buy a book for yourself? I think your readers would really appreciate the information from a trusted, impartial source.

And for my blog readers, is there a source for books that I didn't mention that you love? Do you love to buy books from eBay? Or is there a bookseller you think I should have mentioned? Please leave a comment. Other readers would love to know.

Book Titles for Asylum Tales Serial

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Fri, 30 May 2014 13:20:00 +0000

It's time to find out all the book titles for the Asylum Tales serial that is released in October! I will also be announcing the winner of my last contest and kicking off a final contest to celebrate.

So, the winner of the signed Dead Man's Deal giveaway is: BN100, who said that he/she would like a butterfly tattoo if he/she was to get a tattoo. BN100, I will send you an email later today.

Now, on to the final title of the three-part serial that will be the final book of the Asylum Tales series.

The titles are:

Demon's Fury
Demon's Vow
and
Inner Demon

As I've said before, I think the demon theme works with the Angel and Dead Man from the first two books. You'd think I'd planned this or something. (he he he!)

I'm excited for readers to get their hands on the story in October but I'm sad to say goodbye to dear Gage and the rest of the gang. I've had a lot of fun writing the series and exploring his world. As for the last book, it will be filled with action, adventure, surprises, laughs and heartache. But then, you've come to expect that from my books, right?

Let's see what I can say about the final books without giving too much away:

Following the events of Dead Man's Deal, Gage is working with Gideon to track down a dangerous serial killer as he works his way closer and closer to Low Town. At the same time, Gage has been drawn into a TAPSS investigation after a tattoo artist is murdered in Low Town.

By the end of the book, Gage answers the question of how far will you go to protect the ones you love...

Interested?

In the meantime, let's have a contest to get you ready for the release! The contest is open to international and domestic readers. To enter, tell me your favorite romantic couple in literature. The contest closes on Thursday, June 5. The winner will have a choice of prizes.

Prize A: A signed copy of Angel's Ink, a signed copy of Dead Man's Deal, and a signed copy of the Blood by Moonlight anthology.

Prize B: Ebook copies of Angel's Ink, Dead Man's Deal, the Asylum Interviews: Bronx, the Asylum Interviews: Trixie, and Blood by Moonlight. (The ebook copies will come from either Amazon for Kindle or Barnes & Noble for Nook -- unless you can provide me with an alternative that allows me to gift. Also, if an international winner picks this and I am unable to provide electronic copies due to international complications, then the winner will automatically receive Prize A)

New Book = New Contest Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Fri, 23 May 2014 19:46:00 +0000

I am back today to announce not only the winner of the signed copy of Angel's Ink, but also the second title of the final book for the Asylum Tales and to kick off the next contest.

First, the winner! Of the 23 contest entries for the signed Angel's Ink, the name drawn is Dawn Wigand. Dawn, please email me your mailing address to JocelynnDOTdrakeATgmailDOTcom and I will drop your book in the mail as soon as possible.

And onto the next title. As I announced last week, the final book of the Asylum Tales is going to be released in three parts as ebooks. There are currently no plans to release it as a print book. If that changes, I will update you!

The first part is called DEMON'S FURY and will be released on October 14.

The second part is called....

DEMON'S VOW

And it will be released on October 21.

I have heard that the artist is hard at work on the covers. I can't wait to see them!

In the meantime, I am kicking off the next contest. I am giving away a signed copy of Dead Man's Deal. The contest is open to domestic and international readers. I just need you to leave me a comment with your name stating what design you would like for a tattoo (even if you are never ever going to get a tattoo). The contest ends on Thursday, May 29. I will announce the winner and the final title on May 30.

New Book = New Contest Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Fri, 16 May 2014 14:00:00 +0000

New Book Alert! New Book Alert!

I've swapped emails with my editor who has talked to the marketing department. I am happy to announce that the final book(s) for the Asylum Tales has titles. I know this sounds strange, so let me explain.

I have written one final Gage book for the Asylum Tales. When I sold it to my publisher, they decided that they would like to release it as a serial e-book. In other words, the entire book will be released in 3 parts. But you won't have to wait weeks or months for each part. Nope! The first part is going to be released on October 14. The second part will be released on October 21. And the final part will be released on October 28.

Get ready to go on an amazing, heart-breaking, exciting journey with Gage, Bronx, and Trixie!

So what's the titles? Mwhahahaha!

To celebrate this new serial style, I'm releasing a title a week and pairing it with a book giveaway!

The title of the first part of the serial is:

DEMON'S FURY

I thought it was a nice fit with Angels and Dead Men.

And the first contest?

I am giving away a signed copy of Angel's Ink, the first book in the Asylum Tales series. The contest is open to all readers (international and domestic). Just leave a comment telling me what your favorite supernatural creature is. The contest closes on Thursday, May 22. On Friday, May 23, I will announce the winner and tell you the second title in the serial.

May the Fourth...

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Sun, 04 May 2014 21:49:00 +0000

It has been a wonderful weekend! And I didn't go anywhere. Nope. No where. I didn't get in my car and I didn't travel long distances to deal with crowds, heat, or noise. I stayed home, watched movies (finally got around to seeing The Shining and Man of Steel -- loved both!!), read books, wrote stories, and I loved every freaking second of it.

I love my new home in Florida but one of the problems I've encountered is that every weekend is filled with go-go-go! As someone who likes to spend a lot of time behind a computer screen writing stories, this is not a good thing, particularly since the majority of my writing is done over weekends. However, I was promised a weekend off from the constant go-go-go of life so I could relax and catch up a little.

What have I done? I'm so glad you asked. I have written about 3,000 words on a historical romance for my alter-ego and I'm very happy with how the story is turning out. There's some things I'm seeing that I'm going to have to tweak when I do revisions, but I like where the book is going.

I spent some of today working on world building. You see, I was trying to figure out what to work n yesterday and it hit me that I was craving something with a male point of view (apparently I've been spoiled after writing three books from Gage's POV and one from Danaus's POV). All the books I've been working on recently are from a female ... except for this fantasy story I've been saving. So, today was a little world building and some plotting. I have a feeling this book will be something I write over the summer into the fall.

Strangely, I've discovered that the bulk of my writing is done during the summer and fall while a lot of my editing is done in the winter into the spring -- though there have been a few exceptions due to deadlines.

If you are wondering, I am nearly done with the Stefan/Dark Days spin-off story (I think I have about 20,000 words or fewer left before I finish the rough draft). I will probably finish that in May or early June and then allow it to sit for a bit so I can come back into edits with fresh eyes.

As you can see, I'm juggling several books at once, which has become the norm for me. I am looking forward to getting the edit letter for Gage's final book and working on that soon. We're still on target for an October e-book release. I sent my editor some titles for the three parts and they weren't rejected. If they are officially accepted by the marketing department, I'll announce them and maybe include a snippet.

In the meantime, I am reading Kerrelyn Sparks' Wild About You and Anthony Bourdain's Medium Raw. I am looking forward to tonight's Once Upon a Time episode and dreading the season finale next week.

Also, to celebrate Star Wars Day, I am posting an old video I made of Darth Vader's trip to the Cincinnati Zoo.

Here is a link to the blog post I wrote about being the Sith Lord's handler for a day. It was a great experience and I hope I get to do it again some day.

May the Fourth be with you. Happy Star Wars Day!

A Little Story with Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 02:36:00 +0000

It's been a busy, busy month. Not that I didn't completely expect it to be, but it has taken me significantly longer to get back to my computer and at least thinking about writing.

What have I been up to if I'm not writing?

A couple weeks ago, I went on a quick trip north to visit family and attend my youngest brother's wedding. I am proud that I didn't cry, though I did tear up at the very beginning. It was a beautiful wedding and it was wonderful to see my family. I did learn a valuable lesson while I was north -- Kentucky is now too cold for me. I was very happy to return south to my new home where my puppy and kitty were waiting for me.

The next weekend, we traveled up to Orlando to meet my parents, who were on vacation. If you'd like to read a little story about my trip and see some pictures, click here. I am trying out this new app called Steller and it's a lot of fun. I just need to remember to actually take pictures with my phone on occasion. I've got a brief trip to Baltimore coming up so I'll try to take some pictures then and create a new story.

But I'm home again. Other than a work trip to Baltimore, I'm home and I'm not going anywhere for a little while. That means I am plopping my butt down behind the computer and finally getting some writing done. The 30,000 words I was aiming to get down in April is looking to be closer to 10,000 or maybe 15,000 words, if I'm lucky.

So for at least a month, I am in the clear to get some writing done. Everyone do the happy dance with me!

Do Vampires Go Commando?

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 02:41:00 +0000

After yesterday's Facebook grumpiness, I thought I would show my sweeter side. Recently, I shared the first chapters of two different books I'm working on for my alter ego. But I understand that not everyone likes historical romance. So ... I was thinking ... would you like to read the first chapter of the story I'm working on for Stefan?

If you haven't read the Dark Days series, Stefan is a nightwalker who likes to drive Mira insane. He is definitely a pain in the butt in the Dark Days series and I never really expected to write a story for him. But then Erin Prescott appeared in my head and she convinced me to take another look at Stefan. Stefan first appears in Dawnbreaker and then comes back for more in Wait for Dusk.

The snippet below is the first chapter of the story and is about 5,700 words long. It is told from Erin's point of view. Happy reading!

The thunder rumbled overhead and lightning flickered, dancing behind thick clouds that rolled across the heavens, blocking out the stars. I glared up at the incoming storm, cursing it and my worsening luck as I waited for the ferry to dock. I was still a couple blocks from the apartment I was renting while in Venice and I knew the sky was going to open up before I managed to reach sanctuary. That was just how my luck had been running recently. The flood waters had finally receded that afternoon at the Piazza San Marco, but I hadn't had any time to do any sketches because I was too busy trying to track down my landlord regarding the leaking ceiling and the lack of heat in my place. The spring air was cool and the nights were dipping down close to freezing. I wanted to get through a night without wearing four layers of clothes.

The ferry driver scowled at me, anxious to have me off his boat. I was his last passenger and he was ready to get back to his own home with the sun having sunk beneath the horizon more than twenty minutes earlier. But that was everyone now that the world knew that vampires were real. I wasn’t particularly thrilled to be out walking around at night like I was a pizza waiting to be picked up, but I figured that if they wanted to snack on me, they could come in through my window with the broken latch at any time.

Before the boat even reached the dock, the man was handing me up onto the sidewalk and starting to reverse away. My balance wobbled and I reached out for a railing of some kind to catch myself before I tumbled backward into the canal. What I caught was a hand. A very cold, strong hand. I looked up to see who the hand was attached to and my heart skipped a beat.

Men were not supposed to be this attractive. Straight, dark brown hair hung down to his hard jawline, while piercing gray eyes held mine for a split second. It was only because I wavered on the edge in surprise, once again threatening to fall backward into the frigid water that he broke his gaze, tugging me more firmly onto the sidewalk.

As I regained my footing, I gently pulled my hand free of the man's, but there was a reluctance in his grip, as if he didn't mean to immediately release me. I didn't know if he thought I was so clumsy that I was going to fall into the waters despite his repeated assistance.

"Grazie," I murmured, starting to backpedal away from him while keeping my eyes lowered to the ground. Something about his sharp gaze unnerved me. It was like ... I was afraid that if I met his eyes again, I wouldn't be able to look away.

The man said something in a rush of Italian that I didn't understand, but his voice was almost hypnotic. I shook my head as if to shake off the spell he was trying to weave.

"Sorry. Americana. I don't speak much Italian," I said, waving one hand at him with a little smile. From my experience, most of the locals were happy to ignore you once they discovered that you didn't speak the language — except for the vendors. If they thought you were going to buy something, they were a little more willing to try to communicate.

"Bien. I am not Italian. I said I am sorry that the ferry driver was so careless that he nearly caused you harm," the strange man translated. His accent surprised me, drawing my eyes back to his face when I had been trying to avoid it. He was French, but his accent was different from what I’d heard in Paris two months ago.

"No harm done. He's like everyone else; anxious to be inside when the sun sets."

The man smiled and that initial frisson of warning that had slipped through me at the first touch of his hand proved to be right at the sight of his sharp fangs. "And with very good reason,” he added.

"You're a vampire," I whispered in shock. A heartbeat later, my shoulders slumped. "And I'm dinner."

"Oui, mademoiselle. But I promise, you will not remember a thing."

It was on the tip of my tongue to say that being a meal for someone wasn't something that I was likely to forget when a large raindrop splatted right across the vampire's nose, causing him to jerk in surprise. A loud bark of laughter jumped from me and I clapped my hand over my mouth to stop any further noise when he glowered down at me, though I wasn't quite sure if he was more perturbed by my laughter or the rain that was coming down in fat drops. When a second one landed across his smooth cheek, I didn't bother to hide my laughter any longer, letting it pour from me.

"I don't see the humor, mademoiselle," he said stiffly.

"It's just been that kind of day," I laughed as the rain immediately sped up so that thick sheets of it were now pouring down on us. I stared at the man, my flash of fear subsiding. He didn't look quite as menacing now that his hair was flattened to his head and his designer shirt and pants were sticking to his frame. Hell, he looked pretty pathetic as he frowned up at the sky, maybe cursing God for making it rain when he obviously had other plans for the evening.

"Look, I would imagine that it's going to be pretty hard to find a meal since it's supposed to rain all night. You're not going to just let me go, are you?" I said, nearly shouting over the pounding rain and the rumble of thunder.

"No," he said sternly, narrowing his eyes on me. He still didn't look as intimidating as he should have with drops of rain hanging from the ends of his long eyelashes and dripping from the tip of his straight aquiline nose.

"Well, then would you mind terribly if we did this in a somewhat drier location? I don't know about you, but I don't personally care to eat while being rained on."

The vampire just stared at me with an utterly perplexed expression on his lean, handsome face. But then, I didn't imagine that his meal often bargained with him. When he didn't immediately respond and the cold had sunk through my sodden clothes to reach the very marrow of my bones, I threw up my hands in disgust and started to jog in the direction my apartment building. He'd either follow or he'd find someone else more appealing to dine on. I was exhausted, drenched, irritated, and nearly frozen. I wasn’t going to wait on my would-be attacker to make up his mind.

The ancient palazzo I was staying in had been converted into several apartments and was less than two blocks away. It didn't take me long to cut over to it from where the ferry had dropped me. I heard no other footsteps splashing along the wet pavement other than my own and I didn't bother to look over my shoulder for my predator. For a moment, I thought that maybe he had moved on and I was stunned that I was partially disappointed by the idea. It might have been nice to ask him a few questions, though he'd already said I wouldn't remember anything. I didn't know if that meant I wasn't going to survive or if would simply erase my memories. That's what the vampires were always doing in those movies and books that everyone loved.

As I crossed the last narrow bridge over a canal, I slipped on the wet stone pavement and a strong hand caught my elbow, helping me to keep my feet.

"You are not very steady," the vampire observed drily, instantly surprising me. I couldn't imagine anyone moving with such stealth, but he had moved behind me with the silence of a shadow.

I bit back an irritated retort about the rain and tried to pull my elbow free of his grasp, but he refused to release me until I was back on the sidewalk and away from the canal. All I could think was "Don't worry, buster. I won't fall in the canal. I've already been lucky enough to win a date with your fangs." But I kept my comments to myself as I struggled to dig into my jeans pocket and pull out my keys. The combination of the soaked fabric and my half-frozen fingers made it a fight, but I finally got them free and the door unlocked.

The vampire followed silently along, up the narrow stairs to the third floor. I paused long enough to wipe some of the water running down my face from my eyes before inserting the key into the lock. As I turned back after stepping across the threshold, a thought occurred to me. Could he enter without being invited? It was a favorite trope of all the vampire books. Yet as I looked at him, the tall vampire was already stepped into the apartment.

"Well, I guess that answers that question," I muttered under my breath as I shut the door behind him.

A sinister grin slid across his lips. "You were hoping I couldn't enter without your invitation? Was that your plan of escape?"

A little snort escaped me. "Actually, I didn't think of it until just a second ago."

"And if I couldn't, would you have invited me in?"

I paused in the act of locking the door, my eyes focused on the deadbolt in my hands. "Would you tell me the truth about something?"

"I will."

"Are you going to kill me?"

“No. There is no need."

"Will it hurt?"

The vampire took a step closer, crowding me without actually touching me. "Would you like it to?"

A sound of disgust rose from my throat and I glared at the vampire over my shoulder for a second before pushing away from the door. My shoulder bumped him lightly but it was enough to get him to step back so that I could easily walk past him. "I hope you don't mind but your dinner would very much like to get dry and warm before you dig in."

He said nothing, but I could feel his eyes trained on me as I moved about. The apartment had an open floor plan so that upon entering you could see the living room, the small dining room, and the even smaller kitchen. I peeled off my soggy shoes and socks as I crossed the room, my wet feet now slapping against the cold hardwood floor. I paused at each of the three buckets placed under the leaks to check that they weren't about to overflow.

"It is raining in your home," the vampire said with an air of confusion and wonder.

"No kidding," I grumbled as I flipped over a small trash can, emptying wadded up paper and a couple candy bar wrappers onto the floor, before placing it under a new leak that had appeared with the storm. I started to head into the bedroom off the kitchen and paused to look back at the vampire still standing near the door. "Do you ... I mean ... are you cold?"

"I don't feel cold or hot like you do, but I cannot say that these wet clothes are particularly comfortable,” he admitted. He held his arms out to side, raining drops of water onto the floor.

There was just something very stiff and proper about his tone that brought a smile to my lips. It was the first I'd had in a few days. My trip to Venice was not going well. With a shake of my head, I ducked into the bathroom and grabbed a pair of towels. Pressing one to my head, I threw the other one at the vampire. It was going to fall painfully short, but he moved with amazing speed, closing the distance so that he could easily catch the towel before it touched the floor. And still, he moved without a whisper of sound. I jerked back, slamming my back into the doorjamb behind me, my heart pounding in my chest like it was attempting to break free. It was the first time I'd seen him do anything to make me think that he was something other than a cold, wet man.

The vampire lifted the towel toward me and nodded, "Thank you." He didn't take another step toward me but proceeded to rub the towel over his hair.

"No problem," I whispered, taking a shaking breath to try to calm my beating heart. "I'll see if I have anything that might fit you."

My pulse only started to slow down again when I escaped to the bedroom. I started to shut the door, but considering that I was his meal, I was afraid that he'd think I was trying to escape. That didn't strike me as a wise idea, particularly after how fast I'd seen him move already. So far, we were both being civil about this whole exchange and I was really hoping to keep it that way. I didn’t want to do anything that might convince him that he needed to become violent.

Alone in my room, I was once again aware of how cold I'd become. I stripped off my clothes with trembling, numb fingers and left them on a pile on the floor, before digging a pair of panties and a bra out of the large travel bag shoved in one corner. I started to grab a pair of jeans, but paused. Jeans might look somewhat nice, but they’d be nowhere near as warm as a pair of cotton jogging pants. With another sound of disgust, I dropped the jeans and quickly pulled on the jogging pants. I was dinner, not a date. He could probably care less what I looked like so long as my blood was warm.

"Hey!" I shouted as I dug for a heavy sweatshirt. "Is it bad etiquette for me to ask what your name is?"

"My name is Stefan."

His voice sounded incredibly close. Turning to look that the door hadn't swung completely open from where I had partially closed it, I gasped to find him standing in the bedroom just past the open door. "Hey!" I shouted, grabbing the towel I'd dropped so I could cover my chest. It wasn't like he could see much, but he didn't need to see anything as far as I was concerned. "I didn't say you could come in here! Get out!"

"You asked me a question. I thought you wished to speak." A smirk rose to this lips and I was tempted to throw a shoe at his head, regardless of whether he was a vampire.

"Through the door,” I snapped. “You could have answered through the door. Now get out. I'll be out in a minute." I turned my back on him and pulled my sweatshirt on. I couldn't hear him moving, so it wasn't until I peeked under my arm behind me to find that he had left the room and returned the door to its previously partially open position. I sighed, my shoulders slumping for a second. Someone needed to put a bell around that man’s neck. But then, I guess that would make hunting humans a little difficult.

After running the towel over my hair one last time, I dropped it on the floor with my wet clothes and grabbed a brush. I ran it quickly through my short blond hair as I searched for the large men’s sweatshirt that had belonged to an ex. I gave up after a minute when I couldn’t find it. Apparently I hadn’t packed it like I initially thought.

“Sorry, but I don’t have anything that would— Whoa.”

I had started talking before leaving my bedroom, confident that my voice would easily carry to him but thought completely left my brain as I stepped into the living room and my eyes fell on the mostly naked vampire standing in the middle of my apartment. Stefan had stripped out of his wet clothes and wrapped a towel around his narrow hips so that I was staring at a wide muscular chest and lean strong arms.

The “Whoa” that had slipped unchecked from my lips should have sounded more like a “Holy shit! What the hell!” kind of angry. Instead, my voice had dipped to a low, husky tone I didn’t know I possessed and sounded more like a breathless “Wow” than “Whoa”, which could also be translated to “Yum.” It was only when he crossed his arms over his chest that I even realized that I had been staring with my mouth hanging open like an idiot. I jerked my eyes up to his face only to find a smug smile on his full lips.

I jerked my gaze away from him completely, preferring to stare at the scarred hardwood floor under my feet until some kind of organized thought returned to my brain. What was more disturbing to me was the fact that I obviously hadn’t accepted the fact that this person was planning to snack on me! If I really believed that this man was going to drink my blood and potentially kill me, I wouldn’t be attracted to him, right? Dear God, I hoped I wasn’t that kind of a masochistic sicko. I’d dated some less-than-stellar guys in my life, but being attracted to a potential killer was another ball of wax.

“Sorry. I—” I started again but stopped when I realized that I had no memory of what I had been talking about when I walked into the room. It was like my mind had been completely wiped clean. It was a blank slate. My cheeks burned and flamed bright red in my humiliation, my mind churning for anything to say.

“I put my clothes on your heater to dry but it doesn’t appear to be on,” Stefan said, amusement skipping through his words. He wasn’t laughing outright at me, but he didn’t sound far from it.

At least his comment succeeded in snapping my brain from its trudge through nothingness. Keeping my head down, I walked over the cold cast iron radiator and picked up the clothes he had neatly laid out there in hopes of speeding their drying. “You know who would be a good snack for you?” I demanded irritably as I swept past him and stomped into the small kitchen. “My landlord. And while you’re draining him, maybe you could work your vampire magic and convince him to have someone fix my heat. Or the roof. Or the hot water heater so that I can have a hot shower at least once while I’m in town.”

I dropped his clothes in an empty chair before I opened the oven and checked the pilot light. Satisfied that it was still lit, I turned the heat up, leaving the door open so that it would chase away the chill in the air. Very carefully, I laid Stefan’s clothes across the two chairs that were tucked into the tiny dining room table and positioned them before the oven so they would dry faster. I mentally shoved aside the realization that I had not seen his underwear. Did vampires go commando?

“Why has this landlord not taken care of these matters for you?” Stefan inquired. The word landlord sounded so foreign coming from him, as if he’d never said it before.

“You mean other than the fact that he’s a lazy asshole and he’s clinging to the hope that if he puts it off long enough I’ll be gone before he has to actually fix anything?”

“Yes, other than that,” Stefan said in a cool tone that forced my gaze back to his eyes. He was struggling to keep a straight face.

I picked up a dishtowel off the table and flung it in his direction with a laugh. There was something infectious about his amusement. It was like watching a shaft of sunlight break through a bank of clouds. His proper speech and just the stiff way he held his body made me think that he wasn’t the teasing, laughing, joking type at all.

But too soon the silence grew between us and it stopped being comfortable. There was only the steady drip and plop of water as it leaked from the ceiling into the buckets around the apartment. It was on the tip of my tongue to offer him something to drink as I would anyone I was entertaining in my home, but that something to drink was me and I wasn’t too keen on the idea.

“Do you have to do this every night?”

“What is that?”

“Go out and … find …” I stumbled, struggling to find the right words.

“Hunt for prey?” he easily supplied.

This time it was my turn to smirk at him. “You cannot call what you’re doing tonight hunting. I nearly pulled you into the canal and then after discovering what you are, I invited you into my home to take shelter from the storm. I might as well have jumped on a platter and shoved an apple in my mouth. This is not hunting.”

Stefan chuckled softly, sending a shiver through me that had nothing to do with the cold. Hell, I was starting to feel uncomfortably warm, but I couldn’t decide if it was because I was standing so close to the oven or from staring at the sexy naked man before me. I’m gonna go with ‘Naked Vampire for $1,000,’ Alex.

“No, this is not hunting in the traditional sense,” Stefan admitted. He cocked his head slightly to the side, sending several strands of hair down to hang before his eyes. “You have done this before?”

“What? Been dinner for a vampire? Hell no!” I said sharply, my voice jumping before I could catch it. I walked over to sink and grabbed a glass I had washed earlier in the day and carried it to where a bucket was nearly full of water. Putting it under the dripping water, I carried the bucket into the kitchen and dumped its contents. It hadn’t really needed it, but I felt better doing something instead of just staring at the vampire.

“Then I am confused. Why are you so calm?”

I paused in my trek back with the bucket and smiled at him. “What would you have done if I had screamed and run?”

“Stopped you.” There was a coldness to his voice that I hadn’t heard before, instantly reminding me that I was alone with a predator.

I cleared my throat, holding desperately onto my smile. “And if I had tried to fight you?”

“You would not have had the chance.”

I gave a little shrug as I changed places with the glass and bucket. “So there you go. There wasn’t a shot in hell I could get away. You won before the fight even started. I just hoped that you wouldn’t kill me.” I paused there with the glass tightly clenched in my hand and met his gaze, waiting.

Some of the coldness that had filled his eyes seemed to ease and he nodded, reaffirming his earlier statement that he would not kill me.

“So why panic?” I said with a shrug. “I’ve given blood to the Red Cross before. I can donate a little to you.”

He frowned in thought as he looked at me. “If all humans thought like you, hunting would become…”

“Obsolete,” I suggested.

“Boring,” he finished.

“Boring!” I repeated. “Oh my god, the man thinks I’m boring. Can you believe that, Venice?” I said, talking to the furniture as I placed the glass on the coffee table before the small sofa. Moving as fast as I could, I snatched up a pillow from the sofa and launched it at him. He easily dodged it as I had expected, but I continued to throw pillows, towels, and anything else soft I could find at him while giggling like a lunatic. “There! How’s that for boring? Ever had dinner throw pillows at you?”

“No, I haven’t.” Stefan’s voice dance around me, sounding extremely close. I twisted around, trying to keep him in sight, but he was gone. My heart pounded in my chest as I searched the apartment. But as I started to turn back toward the kitchen, Stefan grabbed me by the waist from behind. I screamed in surprise and tried to dart away from him, but his hands fastened on my upper arms, holding me in place. His grip didn’t hurt, but there was a tension and strength that made me think that I hadn’t a chance at escaping.

“Don’t, ma petite,” he said in a harsh whisper, as if he were suddenly straining, fighting something that I could not see. “I do not wish to hurt you, but you may come to harm despite my wishes if you struggle.”

“Wait, Stefan. Not yet,” I said before I could stop myself. I hated the anxious pleading tone to my voice. I had been handling this all so calmly and rationally, but now that I was out of time, I could feel the panic rising.

“It is best if we do not put this off. I would rather have you smiling than gripped with fear when you need not feel any.”

“Okay, but not from behind like this. Let me face you. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life afraid of what I can’t see behind me,” I said, proud that my voice was strong and even.

Stefan seemed to hesitate for a moment before his hands loosened from my arms. Taking a deep breath, I turned around to face the vampire and immediately took one step backward to put just a little breathing space between us. Somehow in my momentary panic, I’d forgotten that he was naked except for a towel and I was now staring directly into his wide chest. Until that moment, I had been sure I couldn’t be attracted to a pale man, preferring men with a somewhat swarthy complexion, but Stefan made pale skin look good. Really, really good.

While his physique was lean, his chest was clearly defined with thick muscles. His shoulders were impossibly wide and muscular; reminding me of pictures I’d seen of Olympic swimmers. His chest was completely hairless except for the most interesting trail of dark hair that started at his belly button and disappeared under the towel. I was desperately trying to keep my eyes from that dark trail because it would lead me to think about where that trail ended and … Wow, I really didn’t need to be thinking about that when Stefan was about to snack on me!

Forcing a smile when I dragged my eyes to his, I extended my arm out to him with my wrist turned up, confident that he couldn’t tell I was shaking. I figured he could easily take my blood from my wrist or the inside of my elbow. Stefan smiled, his fangs poking out as he gently took my wrist in one hand. He pressed a light kiss to the inside of my wrist and then shook his head at me. “I do not think so, ma petite.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” I stammered, forcing my brain away from the goosebumps that were slipping along my arm at the sweet touch of his lips.

“That is not my preferred spot,” he murmured, his eyes dropping to my neck.

I instantly took a step backward, but he stepped with me as if we were dancing, not allowing me to put any more distance between us while at the same time not trapping me by halting my movement. “But doesn’t that seem a bit… intimate?” I frowned as soon as the words left my lips and I stared up at Stefan. “Well, I guess maybe not for you.”

A puzzled look crossed his face, wiping away the heated look he had been giving me. “Why do you say that?”

I shrugged, feeling the last of my fear drain out of me. “I guess because I never felt any kind of attraction for a steak. That’s how you see me, right? A nice big juicy steak?”

Stefan’s head snapped back on a loud laugh. The sound filled the room, bouncing off the walls so that it brushed against me and hugged me close. The vampire gave my wrist a little jerk and I fell forward against him. My free hand landed against his chest, but I couldn’t stop myself from completely crashing into him. His other arm wrapped around my waist, trapping me flush against his hard body. He was cool to the touch, but not uncomfortably so.

"You are not a steak, ma petite," Stefan said gently.

"Erin," I corrected while trying to remain stiff in his arms and not melt against him like a pat of butter. "My name is Erin Prescott." I figured if Stefan was going to use me as a meal, he could at least know my name, not that I didn't like him referring to me as "my little one" in French. I certainly felt small in his arms.

"Oui, Erin. You have proven to be very interesting so I cannot see you as merely a meal," he murmured.

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Oui."

I relaxed a little more against him, some of the tension finally easing from my arms. It sounded that he at least saw me as a human being, not that I was entirely sure that such a thing was good, but I guess it was better than being viewed as a cow. Stefan lowered his head and took a deep breath, drawing in my scent. I shivered and I didn't know if it was out of fear or something else. It certainly wasn't cold. I was feeling incredibly warm already and the cool touch of his skin was a relief.

"Wait!" I said sharply when he continued to lower his head to my neck.

A low chuckle shook Stefan's chest. He didn't lift his head but he stopped moving forward. "We cannot keep putting this off, Erin. It is inevitable. Your smell is intoxicating and I am famished."

"Am I going to pass out?"

"Very likely."

"You're not going to just drop me on the floor, right?"

Stefan lifted his head at this so that he could glare at me in the eye. There was no question that I'd insulted him. I guess the vampire had manners of some sort.

I blinked at him, giving him wide innocent eyes that didn't convince him in the least, but his lovely mouth did twitch as if he were desperately fighting a smile. "I was just checking. I'm a bit heavy."

"No, you're not."

"If I'm not conscious when you leave, could you turn off the oven so the apartment building doesn't burn down around me?"

Stefan solemnly nodded and resumed his pursuit of my neck. The hand on my wrist slid down to my back to hold me close, while the hand my waist rose to move my damp hair from my neck. His fingertips brushed across my skin in a gentle caress as if he were exploring that tender area. I flinched and drew in closer to him as if seeking solace and protection from the man who was about to harm me.

His lips brushed over my warm flesh next; just the faint touch of butterfly's wings. My muscles were taut with anticipation and my stomach jumped with every touch. I tilted my head up, giving him better access as his kisses grew firmer. The tip of this tongue slid slowly along the throbbing vein and my fingers clenched on his thick biceps.

I turned my face into his chest and when I spoke, my lips brush against his skin in a tender caress. "Do I have to forget, Stefan?"

The vampire paused, his hands tightening slightly as if he were suddenly afraid that I would disappear in a puff of smoke. "I don't know." His voice was rough velvet.

His fangs plunged into my neck and my whole body jerked. There was a whip-crack of lightning and I wasn't sure if I'd merely seen the flash outside my window or if I'd been struck. Pleasure and pain scorched through me, burning nerve endings and frying away brain cells until I was sure that I no longer knew my own name. The first draw from the holes in my throat was painful and I winced, but the pain was followed by all-consuming pleasure that immediately wiped away all memory of the pain.

I moaned, holding him as tightly as possible against me. There was some tiny part of my brain that was telling me that none of it was real, but it felt too damn good for me to care. Somehow I'd gotten one hand up to bury it into his soft brown hair. It was like plunging my fingers into cool, damp satin. For a moment, I was assailed by the haunting scent of dried leaves and burned wood, as if he embodied the spirit of Autumn. I turned my face into his neck and kissed along the straining muscles I could reach. Flicking my tongue exact spot he was drinking from me, I marveled at the sound of his deep moan. His hands tightened almost painfully while a new wave of pleasure washed over me.

I wanted more. I wanted to be closer so that my skin was touching all of his wonderfully cool skin. I wanted to be closer so that we were both drowning in this feeling. But as soon as the thoughts formed, they began to fade. A languid darkness was crowding close and where there had been tension before, I now felt only a welcoming lassitude. I managed to brush one last kiss along Stefan's throat before a soft sigh escaped me and I sank into the gentle embrace of the darkness.

Shouting into the Void

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 23:50:00 +0000

Sometimes I think the hardest part of my job is reaching out to readers. It's not the book writing -- I've finished 9 books and I'm sure that I've got plenty more in my future. It's not the editing -- I've learned a lot and I'm still excited to learn more. It's not the anxiety over releases, interviews, signings, coming up with new ideas, or anything else, which I feel it should be. It's reaching out to the readers and trying to keep everyone informed as to what is happening.

The best way to reach out to people used to be on Facebook. Everyone was on Facebook and if you could get people to "like" your page, then they were very likely to see your updates and click on links to blogs that had full details of your latest news. But then, Facebook went public and they ramped up their efforts squeeze out as much money as possible from people because they now answered to Wall Street. Trust me, I understand about bottom lines -- I'm running a business too by writing books. But I'm torn. If you sign up to "like" or "follow" a page, don't you expect to get the updates? That was why you liked them in the first place, right? But now, if you want your followers to actually see what you're posting, you have to pay.

The organic (or in other words Free) views are shrinking more and more. According to this article, it's going to shrink down to 1-2% of my followers are going to actually get my updates. So out of 2,300+ Likes on my Facebook page, only 23 - 46 people are going to actually see my post. That really seems to be unfair to the people who would like to know when I have a giveaway or a new book coming out.

Sure, I could pay for posts to reach followers, but as it stands, my marketing budget is tiny. At the moment, I'm spending 90% of my budget on mailing out books to winners of contests and I'm hoping to include more international contests this year, which means spending more money on international shipping. I was under the impression that readers like free books more than advertising.

If you can't tell, I'm frustrated. But what's worse, I'm not sure what to do next. By those numbers above, it looks like Facebook is a waste of time I could spend more productively elsewhere.

Until I come up with a better plan, I'm going to back off Facebook. If you'd like to reach me, I'm still going to be there, but if you really want updates on books, signings, and other such fun stuff, you can always find me here on my blog. I will attempt to increase my blogging habits, providing more snippets, news, sneak previews, and random stuff to keep you entertained.

And if you've got any suggestions.... I'm all ears.

Time to Work

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 20:10:00 +0000

Another weekend ... another round of goofing off, cleaning, and writing. The laundry is nearly done, I've seen two movies -- one in the theaters and one at home -- and I've filled my white board. And as we all know, Jocelynn filling the white board is a very good thing.

I've had this character wandering around in my brain recently. She's not a very nice person, and she doesn't talk to me much at the moment. She just sneers and drinks a lot at the moment. She doesn't like people, but she does have one friend -- which is interesting in itself. She also has a very interesting gift, which is also very interesting. Those two things have kept me walking away from her completely.

Sooo ... I sat down with my whiteboard today and started to make some notes about this woman, her friend, and the world they live in. It's all very rough at the moment, but I already have a good chunk of the plot of a book planned out. That is rather unexpected since the plot usually takes several attempts and much growling on my part. I also have the first chapter written, which needs some work as well, but it's a good start.

Unfortunately, I'm up to my eyeballs in unfinished books and I really need to finish something in the next month before I put something new on my plate. What am I working on?

1. Stefan's book, which a kind of spin-off of the Dark Days series
2. Marcello's books, which is something completely different with no magical elements whatsoever
3. A new urban fantasy/paranormal romance book about magic users vs. something else (it's all very secret) - but it's designed to be a series with multiple storytellers.
4. my stand-alone Viking Funeral book, which is speculative fiction and somewhat strange
5. the new new story idea

I think that's all the big stuff for now....

Ugh.... You know what I need to do?
Put my butt in the seat and write. Yep, time to work.

Sucker for a Tragic Love Story

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 13:00:00 +0000

If you follow me on Facebook, then you are probably aware that I love Once Upon a Time.

But, Jocelynn, you write books filled with blood, gore, violence, and sex. How can you love such a super-sweet, love-dovey TV show?

It's true. Even I have a soft side. I have an absolute weakness for for fairy tales. I'm not just talking the original Hans Christen Andersen and Grimm Fairy Tales (though those are pretty awesome too). No, I'm talking the ultra-sweet Disney love fests. Yep, I eat them up. I love the songs, the strange humor, the love stories, the art, and the happily ever after.

I have loved them since I was a kid. And somehow I've managed not to grow up with the belief that I need a man to rescue me, or a fairy godmother, or a pack of singing rodents. They were beautiful stories filled with magic and adventure. And maybe that's why I like this show as well. There aren't any damsels in distress. The stories are all about people (men and women) stepping up to protect those they love and grab the things they want in life. They are not only dreamers but they are also doers. I didn't grow up with this need to be a princess. But then I also had a solid helping of other influences in my life, which probably helped to turn me into the strange human being that I am today.

But I digress...

On Sunday, Once Upon a Time came back from it's mid-season break and I was in fairy tale heaven. There is something about this show that is so incredibly fun. The writers succeed in turning all the wonderful fairy tales that you think you know on their heads. I think my favorite, though, is the character development. You love the villains as much if not more than the heroes because of their incredible depth. I have spent so much time rooting for and shouting at the TV over Regina/The Evil Queen. She has such a chance for redemption and you're constantly sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering which way she's going to fall. I love when Regina is being evil, because she's so wonderful when she's evil. But I also love when she's trying to do the right thing because it's so damn heartbreaking that I just want to hug the woman (even if it means risking her yanking my heart from my chest).

But I think, hands down, the character who is my absolute favorite is Rumplestiltskin. Oh my sweet, devious, evil, vulnerable Rumple. He is my ultimate tragic character. I love every second that he is on the screen. I love his little laugh. I love the strange wave of his hands. I love his enthusiasm. I love his twisted sense of humor. I love his love for his son. I love his regret for the mistakes he's made and the elaborate plan that he came up with to locate his son again. I love the vulnerability he struggles with. He's a coward, but he's learning and it makes him so wonderfully human.

So when Rumple turned up in the show's version of Beauty and the Beast, I was totally lost. Growing up, Sleeping Beauty was my favorite, but in my teens, it was surpassed by Beauty and the Beast. I've seen the cartoon countless times and I've never stopped loving it. A brave, unique girl who loves books and longs for adventure, trades her life to save her family and proves to a man that true beauty lies in the heart and not the face. What's not to love?!? I knew I wouldn't find great application of such an idea in the real world, but it was a lovely concept.

I love and fear the story of Belle and Rumple. He's a villain. She's a hero. Can they have a happy ending? I worry. I pray. I fear. I hope. But even if it doesn't work out, I have to admit that I've enjoyed the ride.

At the heart of any great story, I think is an equally great character. It's a character who grows, changes, surprises, fails, learns, fails, keeps trying, and maybe if he or she is lucky ... succeeds before the last page.

I've Been Reading...

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 13:00:00 +0000

I go through periods where I read a ton of books and then ... I switch off and I'm doing more writing. I think with the stress of the new job and the move, I've needed some mental downtime so I've been reading more than writing.

Lately, my reading habits have been all over the place. I haven't been reading my normal favorites and I've been frustrated with that. Usually, I'm reading a ton of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. In fact, I've got a stack of go-to books when I just want to relax with some old friends. But lately, those books haven't been working for me and I'm saddened. It also means that I spend a lot of time staring at my book shelves searching for something to read and nothing "sounds good" despite the awesome overflowing from those books.

In fact, I've been falling back on some random stories that I've picked up on a whim for my kindle. And I've encountered some good books. So what have I been reading?

I discovered Shelly Thacker's "Stolen Bride" series on Kindle. It looks like these books were released a while ago and were just recently re-released as e-books. I was sucked into her time travel historical romance "Forever His". I picked it up for only $0.99 on Kindle. After letting this book rule my evenings for three days, I immediately purchased "His Captive Bride," which was originally released as "Timeless" I think. "His Captive Bride" wasn't time travel, but it did have magical element to it, which was fun. Somehow I managed to skip the second book, "His Forbidden Touch" in the series, but I'm picking that one up for this weekend's reading. I think the writing is very strong and the concepts are fun.

The other book I am currently working on is Anthony Bourdain's memoir "Medium Raw." Let's get this straight first -- I don't read nonfiction. I just ... don't. I think it's enough that I have to life in reality. I don't want to read about it as well. It's the same reason that I don't watch reality TV. But I picked the book up last year while I was in Michigan for a book signing mainly because it was a signed copy and I like Anthony Bourdain. I loved Bourdain's No Reservation TV show and love his "voice". And by that, I don't mean his speaking voice (which is pretty awesome too) but his way of choosing and arranging words into sentences. I like the rhythm of his sentences. With that in mind, I thought I might like his storytelling style. So far... I'm right. I haven't finished the book yet. I've been slowly savoring it, treating myself to a chapter here and there.

What else have I been reading recently?

I've started yet again "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde as well as Richard Kadrey's "Sandman Slim." Both are amazing books that suck me down into dark places. I have read a little bit of "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. I read it in high school and I've been wanting to read it again recently. I'm also searching for my copy of "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway.

Like I said, all over the place. But I think my reading is going to slow down soon. I've got a new idea for a story. Actually... I've met a new character. There are times that she reminds me of Mira, but then she smiles at me and I realize, "No, this woman would eat Mira for breakfast." Time to get back to writing.

Checking in on Gage

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 20:44:00 +0000

A wonderful reader recently requested that I provide an update on Gage and the final book in the Asylum Tales series. Let's see...

As I'm sure you've realized from reading my updates and comments from other authors, the publishing industry is a bit of a slow process, prone to many stops and starts. Frequently, authors are working years in advance. Books we announce to readers are things that we've finished and sold months ago, but just can't talk about until things become "official". The final book in the Asylum Tales series is no different.

And in truth, there was a time when I didn't think there was going to be a third book in the series...

Publishers are willing to buy books and release them when they think they're going to make some money off them, because as you know, this is a business first. While I think the Asylum Tales is a fun series with some amazing characters, sales for the series weren't particularly strong. As a result, my publisher was unwilling to purchase a third book for print. I sat back and thought about it for a while, a part of me angry that Gage wouldn't see the printed page again. I let my emotions simmer in indignation and frustration for a while. It wasn't so much anger at the publisher, because I could understand their reluctance. I understand bottom-lines and paying bills. I was angry and frustrated that I had failed to make Gage and the rest of the gang the success I felt they should have been.

As my anger faded, I realized that I had a story that needed to be told for Gage. There was an arc that I was secretly building for the man and it was only as the third book coalesced in my head that I saw what the natural progression was. To make matters worse, it was driving me crazy not to write the book. So I wrote the book... not knowing whether the rest of the world would ever read this book.

After I was finished, I went back to my publisher and asked if they'd be interested in publishing the third book in the Asylum Tales series as an e-book only release.

They said, Yes!

So, here we are. Gage's third and final book of the Asylum Tales will be released as an e-book only on October. Actually, we're trying something a little different. As it is designed at the moment, the third book is being released as a serial book. What's that? The book is being broken into 3 parts and a part will be released each week over a 3-week period. Each part will be about the length of my novellas (which is approximately 100+ pages in a Word document)

I don't have an official title for the book yet.

I'm not willing to giveaway an overview of the story yet because I still have to do edits. Things change in the edits. I wouldn't want to tell you something only to change that description later. I think the one thing I can say is that this story is the darkest of the Gage books.

Stay tuned for more news. The closer we get to the release, the more details I will be able to provide. Thanks for your patience on this release!

Also, don't forget that I've blogged over at Supernatural Underground and I've giving away a copy of Angel's Ink. The giveaway ends Sunday morning.

Cleaning and Writing and Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 16:18:00 +0000

It's Sunday! Which means it's time to clean the kitchen and the bedroom and the bathroom and go to the grocery... Yeah, the exciting life of an author. Though, I think I will use my super author abilities to convince the Other Half that he would love to clean the kitty litter box.

On Saturday, I goofed off a bit. I dropped off my poor little car for her annual check-up and I won't be getting her back until Monday. Yesterday was wandering around the massive outlet in West Palm Beach and dinner down in Delray Beach. I'm hoping that this cold I've been fighting is in its final death throes and I'm wondering if exposure to the sun and surf at the beach for an hour would cause it to finally shrivel away. I'm willing to take that experiment.

But in the meantime, we're running to the grocery because the cupboard, my dear friends, is bare.

After that, I think I'm grabbing a notebook and a beach towel and heading out. My O.H. keeps arguing that I'm not allowed to take work to the beach but he doesn't understand that writing is technically work. Well... it is, but it is also very relaxing.

Gage is currently in the safe hands of my editor and I've turned my attention to Stefan from the Dark Days series. I finally recovered the last 10,000 words I'd lost when the file was corrupted and I'm back to making forward progress. If I could do approximately 1,000 words per day, I would be able to finish this book in a month. Of course, I don't know what I'd do with it after I got it finished. I just feel like this is something I need to write. But I fear that if I like Stefan's story then I will have to finally finish Nicolai's story and write Valerio's story. Yeah, that's how it works sometimes.

We shall see. I'm looking forward to getting into something totally new. I just have decided what that's going to be just yet. I'll keep you posted.

First Draft Is Done

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 02:04:00 +0000

I had this crazy idea when I moved to Florida. I thought it meant the end of cold and the flu for me. You see, 90% of the times I've been sick, it was during the winter. And winter for me always meant cold temperatures, snow, and ice. So I always associated colds with ... well ... the cold.

It's understandable then that when I woke up this morning feeling like death warmed over, I was utterly confused. How could I be sick? It was 70 outside and headed to 83.

Yeah, well... obviously cold incubate just as well in the heat as they do in the cold. I am blaming this illness on some visitors from Baltimore, but that's neither here nor there. With any luck, the worst of this will pass tonight and I'll be back to my somewhat "normal" self by the weekend.

On the plus side, I finished the first draft of the third and final book in the Asylum Tales. It has been turned in to my editor. I know that there's a pre-order page up on Amazon for a new untitled book. We don't have a title for the book yet. Yep., that's usually one of the last things I come up with. Also, I don't know if that's the official release date yet. These things occasionally change, but I will keep you updated.

While I'm not feeling quite well enough to string more than a handful of sentences together, I am going through my massive collection of half-finished books to figure out what I want to work on next. I've got several where if I just write 1000 words per day for the next 2 months, I'll have another book finished. Let's see if I can do it!

Keep warm. Drink your vitamin C. And happy reading.

Editing....Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 02:31:00 +0000

My weekend wasn't as productive as I might have hoped. I read an awesome book over the weekend and then played around in a couple manuscripts for a while. It was mostly me thinking about characters, their motivations, and their emotional baggage. I think I've got a few things worked out but nothing new has reached paper yet.

On Sunday, we ran to a flea market to just wander around since we were expecting to get rain ... which never showed up. We then stumbled over a cool spot where we raced go-karts and played some miniature golf and laser tag. My husband beat me at go-karts and mini golf (though it was really really close) and at laser tag (which I had never played before). All in all, it was very good weekend.

I'm currently searching for a movie theater that does the VIP seating -- you know, watch a movie in the super awesome chairs and have someone bring you food and alcohol during the movie.... It's pretty freaking awesome. I really want to go see The Lego Movie -- that would be the perfect Valentine's Day movie!

But this isn't what you care about....

You wanted to know that I got back into editing Gage. Yep, I worked on the third and final book of Asylum Tales this evening. I got about 35 pages gone and I have roughly 100 pages left to tweak. I had to stop because I left myself a note to completely rewrite the opening to a chapter and I'm not awake enough to write something new tonight. My goal is to finish all the first draft edits this week so I can turn the book in to my editor on Friday. Doesn't that make an awesome Valentine's Day gift? Yeah, I thought so too.

After I hand in that book, I come face to face with the really hard question: What in the world am I going to work on next?

We shall see...

Adjusting to Our New Home

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 15:00:00 +0000

It feels like my blog has become a non-stop promo fest and I have to admit that I've grown a little frustrated with that. I'm sure you have to. I don't want you to miss out on cool deals and all the free stuff and inexpensive stuff that I have churned out for the Asylum Tales series. But really ... you'd probably like to hear about something different, right?

Sure.

So... this past weekend, the Other Half and I looked around our new place and discovered that all the boxes are unpacked (well, all the ones that can be unpacked. I still need to get a new bookshelf and a new desk). We finally have all the basic essentials of life -- a new mop, broom, groceries, kitty litter box, etc. With a gleeful shout, we decided that we deserved a break. We went in search of our local beach.

We jumped in my car with a backpack filled with bottles of water, sunscreen, and beach towels. After a short distance, we were briefly stopped by a drawbridge as several large boats floated down the canal separating us from the beachfront. We chuckled to each other as we were more accustomed to being stopped at train tracks rather than a raised drawbridge, but we enjoyed the newness of the experience.

Less than five minutes later, we pulled into a small parking lot and began the short trek back to the quiet public beach where the waves were crashing into the shore. Lounging on the white sand, I slathered on a thick layer of sunscreen and just listened to the surf and the seagulls overhead. It was sunny and 82 degrees on Sunday, February 1, and I was in a bathing suit on the beach. It was like this strange dream. Some part of my brain kept arguing that I was on vacation and another part of my brain kept claiming that it was June. So with a sigh, I shut my brain down and let myself relax.

We didn't lounge long, but packed up after my O.H. got his base tan started and took a nice walk down the beach along the water's edge. The water was a little cool but we quickly got accustomed to it. I wasn't brave enough to go wading far into the water as there was a dangerous marine life warning. Apparently Portuguese Man O' Wars had drifted in the area and many were washed up on the beach. I really didn't want to bring my relaxing day to a painful end with the sting of that poor creature so I walked very carefully.

After less than two hours, we wandered down the beach and back to the car. I had a book that needed my attention. I've been neglecting Gage far too much in all the move, but with the unpacking done and the apartment starting to feel more like a home, I can ease back into the wonderful world of Asylum Tales again as well as some new stories. I wonder what kind of an influence living in South Florida will have on my new stories. I think it's going to be interesting.

Kindle Daily Deal - Dead Man's Deal

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 13:01:00 +0000

I am hard at work putting the finishing touches on Gage's final book within the Asylum Tales series and it's been a difficult book to write. I've been building toward some ugly choices for the poor man and he's got a tough fight ahead of him.

As I finish the book, it's interesting to see that the second book in the series is a Kindle Daily Deal today. Yep, you can pick up DEAD MAN'S DEAL on Kindle today for only $0.99. If you picked up ANGEL'S INK while it was on sale, this is a great chance to grab the second book at a low price.

In fact, I've written quite a bit in the Asylum Tales world that you can read for cheap or free. Let's see what I've got:

Character Interviews & stories:

School Days -- A short story told by Gage of a childhood memory of going to grade school in the Asylum Tales world

Character Confession -- where Gage and I have a public argument about what it's like working with me.

Seeking Asylum -- Short interview/short story told by me on a visit to Low Town.

Talk with Trixie -- Interview with Trixie about living in Low Town and dating Gage.

Information about Low Town -- the setting for the Asylum Tales

Low Town Tour Guide -- Would you like to know more about Low Town? Gage takes you on a tour.

The Stories of the Asylum Tales (in reading order)

The Asylum Interviews: Bronx -- learn the story of how Gage met and came to hire Bronx while they tried to help save Parker's relationship with a tattoo. On sale for only $1.99 on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBookstore

The Asylum Interviews: Trixie -- learn the story of how Gage met and came to hire Trixie while they tried to help Gage's ex-girlfriend fight back against an abusive Vampire Master. On sale for only $1.99 on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBookstore

Angel's Ink -- the first full-length novel:

Buyer beware . . .

Looking for a tattoo—and maybe a little something extra: a burst of good luck, a dollop of true love, or even a hex on an ex? Head to the quiet and mysterious Gage, the best skin artist in town. Using unique potions—a blend of extraordinary ingredients and special inks—to etch the right symbol, he can fulfill any heart's desire. But in a place like Low Town, where elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and vampires happily walk among humanity, everything has its price.

No one knows that better than Gage. Turning his back on his own kind, he left the magical Ivory Tower where cruel witches and warlocks rule, a decision that cost him the right to practice magic. And if he disobeys, his punishment—execution—will be swift.

On sale in paperback and on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and iBookstore

Dead Man's Deal -- the second full-length novel:

In a gritty urban fantasy world where elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and vampires swim free in a sea of humanity, sometimes you need an edge. Looking for a little love? Need some luck? Desperate for revenge? Gage can give you what you need. The most talented tattoo artist in town, he knows the right symbol and the right mix of ingredients and ink to achieve your heart's desire. One tattoo is all it takes. But remember, everything has its price.

The wizards know Gage is using forbidden magic, and they intend to punish him for his transgressions. Too bad if innocent humans and monsters—entire cities—get in the way. They will quell a nascent magical uprising and Gage will be the sacrifice they need. First, though, they have to find him.

On sale in paperback and on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and iBookstore. And today only, it's a Kindle Daily Deal for only $1.99.

I actually have two Halloween short stories for Gage.

Halloween Party in Low Town -- Gage tells a short short story of costume shopping with Gage in Low Town

Of Monster and Men -- appears in the Blood by Moonlight anthology and tells of how Gage and Trixie helped the Low Tower shifter fight the Wild Hunt on All Hallows Eve. The anthology is available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBookstore, and in paperback.

As I finish up the last of the edits for Gage's book, I think I'll try to give you a sneak peek of what's still to come for Gage, Trixie, and Bronx.

Our New Home

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 16:45:00 +0000

We made it!

Ok… Technically we made it a week ago, but we’ve been unpacking and fighting with the movers and trying to find random things, etc. This is one of the first random, quiet moments I’ve had in just over a week, and I thought I would spend it with you.

Here’s the scoop:

My husband, dog, cat, and I packed up the house. Mover arrived and loaded it all into their big truck except for what I could cram into my little car. A day later, we began what became a very long drive south. The first day was 18 hours in the car and we got just south of Atlanta. On the second day, we were in the car about 10 hours. Our poor puppy was such a good trooper but I could tell that he was getting really tired of being trapped in the car.

At about 5pm on Friday, we pulled into the apartment complex and sighed with relief. The place is beautiful, the sun was shining, and the air was blissfully warm after too much cold and snow. Our new apartment is soooo big and our patio looks out onto a lake. Before work, I’ve been sitting on the patio, watching the fountain as I eat cereal. It’s a peaceful way to start the day. Even my cat Demona has been spending time out on the patio. She loves watching the squirrels and wading birds as they pass by.

After a week, we haven’t done a lot of exploring but we’ve found some of the basics such as pizza, grocery, Target, the mall, bookstore, GameStop – you know, the important things in life.

This weekend, I’ve got a few more boxes to unpack, but the stuff we brought down is pretty much settled. We’ve got a number of things to repurchase, but it can wait for now. This weekend is about exploring and writing … er… rather editing. We’re going to visit one of the local beaches this weekend and do a little shopping. Then I am settling down behind the computer to finish editing Book 3 of the Asylum Tales so I can hand it in to my editor next month. Whoo-Hoo! I've got about another 100 pages that need my attention and then I can start planning for the next book.

Yes, there is a third Gage book and we are looking to release it as an e-book only. We haven’t figured out a date for it yet, but I will pass along the news as soon as I know.

I've got to finish working on a historical romance novel that I've started and then I'm torn between working on a new series or finishing the Stefan novel that I've started. Sadly, I've got to dig up a new copy of the manuscript. Apparently a copy I saved has gone bad. Thank goodness I keep multiple copies in multiple places. Time to get back to work.

13 Stories To Read While I'm Gone

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 15:25:00 +0000

Today is my last day in Wisconsin. Late tonight, we're packing up the car with the animals and the last of our things to begin the long trek south -- deep south to South Florida. I'll be leaving behind mounds of snow, frigid temperatures, ice-covered sidewalks, and worries about a thing called Wind Chill. I am headed to the land of warm, where I will have easy access to beaches, those cute little lizards that are everywhere, and Disney World. I think this is a good trade.

While it will probably be a while before my house is in some semblance of order and I'm back online at a regular schedule, I wanted to leave you with somethings to keep you busy (you know, in case you missed my sparkling personality).

Here's a fun reading list:

Did you take advantage of the sale on ANGEL'S INK in December through early January? Then you probably need to pick up DEAD MAN'S DEAL now! Through mid-February, the e-book is on sale for only $1.99. Whoo-Hoo! It's on sale for:
Kindle
Nook
Kobo
iBookstore

But what if you've read both books and need more Gage? Don't forget that there are 3 short stories/novellas available as well.
The Asylum Interview: Bronx
The Asylum Interview: Trixie
Blood by Moonlight

But you've read all that? Hmmm....
Did you know I have an alter-ego who writer historical romance? Yep, I needed a little break from vampires and werewolves and warlocks, so I slip over to historical romance every once in a while to have a little fun. If you'd like to try something different of mine, check out Joy Douglass. I have released:
Stolen Kisses At Midnight (novella)
What A Lady Treasures (novel)

Read that or not into historical romance? Don't give up yet. I've got a few more books up my sleeve.

One of my favorite authors -- Dani Worth -- released a new book yesterday. It's part of her post-apocalypse series, Crux Survivors. Sole Survivors came out Tuesday and is the second book in the series. The first is After the Crux. I read the first one and loved it. I'm waiting for the dust to settle so I can start the second book.

Another amazing author I love -- Vicki Pettersson -- has the second book in her Celestial Blues series on sale. If you haven't started this series yet, it's a great time! The first book is THE TAKEN. The second book is THE LOST, which is currently on sale for only $0.99 as an e-book. If you love both of those, then you can pre-order the last book in the series, THE GIVEN, which comes out May 27.
To help you get started, here's some links for THE LOST
Kindle
Nook
Kobo
iBookstore

And it looks like a couple of Kim Harrison's e-books are still on sale if you haven't gotten caught up with that series yet.
Dead Witch Walking is $1.99
Black Magic Sanction is $1.99

That should keep you busy. 13 different stories featuring warlocks, witches, demons, elves, angels,
post-apocalyptic horrors, ballrooms, Egyptian curses, underground boxing matches, disguises, werewolves, trolls, and more. I'll be back soon with pictures of my new home.

Urban Fantasy Novel on Sale: Dead Man's Deal

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 16:24:00 +0000

Were you lucky enough to take advantage of the ANGEL'S INK sale in December through the beginning of January? The first novel in the Asylum Tales series helped to introduce you to Gage's world of warlocks, tattoo artists, elves, vampires, werewolves, and so many other strange and fantastic creatures.

I've got great news! Now is a great time to pick up the second book in the series -- DEAD MAN'S DEAL. The novel is currently on sale for the Kindle for only $1.99. Yep, for just $2 you can pick up the next book and learn about Gage's continued exploits.

What are some of the things you'll see in this book:

1. Gage takes on the Summer Court to help free Trixie of their pursuit

2. Meet the family that Gage was forced to leave behind when he was taken to the Towers

3. Get a look inside the Towers at last!

4. Meet a creature that actually scares Gage more than warlocks and witches

5. See Gage hold a bit of his future in his hands.

Pick up the next step in Gage's story now! The book is on sale for Kindle at the moment. I'll update you if the other booksellers fall in line and drop their price.

Secret Identity & Last Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jocelynn Drake) — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 20:20:00 +0000

It's Sunday and I'm watching my Bengals in a post-season game while eating fruit and cheese. Yes, my friends, it's a good day. I'll be headed back to Florida on Monday to work and then fly back to Wisconsin on Friday so I can finish the last of the packing for the big move south. It's going to be a busy couple of weeks.

The apartment is a disaster area as we figure out what we're keeping and what we're getting rid of. I want my home to be neat and tidy. I don't want to worry about stubbing my toes on everything stacked everywhere. Ugh.

Getting this move done also means that I can get back to writing and editing on a regular schedule again. I need to spend some time with Gage and Stefan and many other characters that are shouting in my head. If you need to spend some time with Gage while you're waiting for me to finish the final book, go pick up ANGEL'S INK today. It is the last day to pick up the e-book for only $1.99. That's right! A full-length novel of warlocks, elves, trolls, and crazy for only $1.99.

But hey... maybe you've read all my Dark Days series books and you've read all my Asylum Tales books. And you still want more. I understand. Do you like the occasional historical romance story? I know I do. Sometimes I need a break from the vampires. I need to get away from the shapeshifters and the warlocks. Sometimes I need a story of social rules and fancy dresses.

So in some free time I had this spring, I wrote a couple of stories that you might be interested in. One is a novella titled: STOLEN KISSES AT MIDNIGHT, while the first full-length novel is called WHAT A LADY TREASURES. Now is a good time to try it. The novel for Kindle is on sale for only $0.99 until Friday night. The novella is on sale for $2.99. Writing as Joy Douglass, I am working on a series that follows three friends in London as they find the loves of their lives.