Pirated Works – Be Warned!

Pirated Works – Be Warned!

by | Jul 30, 2018 | News

Don’t be fooled! THESE ARE NOT NEW STORIES — they are early works that later grew up to be much more. As more and more pirated copies of these stories pop up on the web, I felt I should warn my readers by creating this page.

My early works of fiction provided me with a wealth of material for future novels!

HEART OF THE WINTER WOLF was my VERY FIRST published work of fiction. After its contract with New Concepts expired, the story of James and Jillian was purchased by Kensington Publishing Corp. They helped me tidy it up into CHANGELING DREAM, and set it in its rightful place among my shapeshifter series.

A LEAP OF KNOWING was my initial exploration of my favorite UK legend: the Black Dog, or Grim. It was published as an ebook novella by Cobblestone Press. As often happens in my writing life, the characters refused to go quietly into that “good night” after my contract ended. Instead, they insisted that I write a full-length version, STORM WARRIOR – and then the world continued to grow as the Grim Series!

THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT began its life as a short novella, and was published as an ebook by Cobblestone Press in their “12 Days of Christmas” event. The story’s ghostly characters protested immediately that they were far from finished, and literally haunted me for years. Finally I gave in and rewrote their story as a full-length novel of the same name — THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT . I thought I’d be done, but the characters have now talked me into making it Book One of the Haunted Holiday Series – and I couldn’t be happier!

  • If you see ebooks of A Leap of Knowing or Heart of the Winter Wolf being sold ANYWHERE, please know that they are PIRATED COPIES. Same goes with The Holiday Spirit with the above cover.
  • Note that a few paperbacks of Heart of the Winter Wolf are still floating around — and some have even been printed illegally — but please don’t buy this book thinking you’re getting a new story. It’s really just an earlier version of CHANGLING DREAM.
  • Also if you see The Holiday Spirit in its new full-length form (see cover pictures below) being offered for sale or for free on any site but Amazon, it is a PIRATED COPY.

This blog has EVERYTHING!

by | Jan 17, 2018 | Food, Giveaways and Contests, News, Storm Crossed Book Tour

TODAY’S TOUR STOP –

My new release, STORM CROSSED, is being spotlighted over at a new-to-me blogsite:

“A Mama’s Corner of the World“

WOW, this blog has EVERYTHING! The subtitle is “Living Life in One Busy Corner of the World“, and I think this family must keep VERY busy posting a wide variety of interesting things. I spent an hour on it this morning looking through recipes, giveaways, books, travel advice … you name it!

Stop by and ask me a question in the comments – I’m answering! And if you haven’t already done so, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter for my Book Tour Giveaway. You could win a Kindle Fire 8!

http://www.amamascorneroftheworld.com/2018/01/storm-crossed-book-spotlight-kindle.html

blog tour prizes

Real Life Setting for a Fantasy Story

by | Jan 12, 2018 | Articles, Giveaways and Contests, News, Storm Crossed Book Tour

Guest post by Dani Harper on Urban Fantasy Investigations. Have you ever thought of the setting as a character? The breathtaking Palouse Falls of Eastern Washington become a faery portal in Storm Crossed, the latest standalone in the Grim Series.

Also, a chance to enter the Book Tour giveaway: you could win a Kindle Fire 8!

http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/2018/01/guest-blog-giveaway-storm-crossed-by.html

Night Star Trail Time Lapsed Exposure in Palouse Washington

Palouse Falls at night seems like a perfect place for faery magic! (Image from Bigstock.com)

At long last…

by | Jan 9, 2018 | Author Events, News, Storm Crossed Book Tour, The Grim Series

Blue light burst with stars

It felt like this day would NEVER arrive! But just as Christmas always sneaks up on me with quick cat feet, here it is both suddenly and at last!

But it didn’t get here by itself.

Behind every published writer stands an entire team! I’m tremendously fortunate to have a great one in the form of family, friends, and professionals who help me make my stories the best they can be— and keep me sane with coffee, kind words, and unbelievable patience.

To my publisher, Montlake Romance; my wonderful editors, copy editors, and proofreaders; and my intrepid Author Team. You guys seriously rock! I could not ask for more positive people to work with.

To artist Jason Blackburn for another amazing cover. You captured the hero on the first try! And to narrator Justine Eyre for bringing my Grim Series to vibrant life as audiobooks— my readers adore your voice work and I do, too. To my agent, Stephany Evans of Ayesha Pande Literary. Your encouragement helped more than you know during an especially challenging year.

To Melody Guy for once again helping me sharpen my focus and tighten my prose. And to Sharon Stogner of Devil in the Details Editing for her fearless red-pen work on the very first draft. Thanks to both of you, my story isn’t walking around with spinach in its teeth!

To all of Dani’s Darklings for cheering me on through thick and thin. What began as a street team has become one lucky writer’s online support group, filled with truly amazing friends. And to Melissa Toews, Tina Clare, Sharon Stogner, Katie Dalton, and Honorary Darkling Jake S. Black, for permitting some of my characters to borrow your names.

To cosplayer Heidi Taylor (aka Triniti’s Ghost) for once again loaning me her irrepressible cats. Bouncer, Jade, and Rory first appeared in Storm Bound and insisted on returning! And to Gay Bamburg McDonald and Mike McDonald for sharing their handsome Neapolitan mastiff and Honorary Grim, Vincent de BluHouse. Calm, steady, and dignified, Vincent has been the perfect inspiration for the unique grim in this story.

To my mountain-man husband, Ron Silvester. For reading and rereading every page of every version of this book, usually in frustratingly unconnected bits and chunks. For courage under fire (otherwise known as living with an introverted, obsessive, and frequently discouraged writer). For giving me the time and space to write in peace but occasionally staging an intervention to get me out of the house (and also for not taking the kicking and screaming personally). I love you.

The Grim Series and an “Honorary Grim”

by | Jan 7, 2018 | Articles, News, Storm Crossed Book Tour, The Grim Series

 

One of my favorite Welsh legends provided the inspiration for my GRIM SERIES. The Grim is a legendary canine with many names: The Black Dog, the Gwyllgi, the Dog of Darkness, the Barghest, Dog of the Twilight, and the Black Hound of Destiny. It’s said to resemble a giant mastiff, larger than any living dog, and its eyes are often glowing red or fiery yellow.

The tale is an old one, dating all the way back to Celtic times, long before the Romans arrived in Britain. And the Grim doesn’t belong to Wales alone. There are local variations on the story all over the UK. In general, the enormous dog is the herald of Death itself, and those who see the animal are usually destined to die very soon. The dog appears without warning, follows or even chases people – yet vanishes without a trace! Electrical storms are often associated with the dog’s appearance.

In its defense, however, the Grim hasn’t always been threatening – at least, not to the innocent. Sometimes the animal is an instrument of justice, hunting down escaped murderers. A few stories recount incidents where the great beast protected children or guarded lone travelers.

This made me wonder – what if the ghostly creature had a conscience, a sense of right and wrong? What if the black dog didn’t mindlessly follow its mission? In fact, why did he get stuck with a task like this in the first place – and what if he didn’t want it?

Thoughts like these led to the first book, Storm Warrior. After that, the characters and the stories just kept on growing! And they were helped along by an “Honorary Grim”, Grand Champion Vincent de BluHouse. He’s a handsome blue-gray Neapolitan Mastiff who lives with his family, Gay Bamburg McDonald and Mike McDonald, in sultry Louisiana.

Vincent has been invaluable in helping me visualize the massive faery dogs, how they might look and move and sound. And he was undeniably the inspiration for the Grim character, Braith, in my new release, Storm Crossed.

Thank you Vincent, and thank you Gay and Mike! I’m so lucky that we connected! Both my life and my stories are richer for it.