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Cover Reveals

The third book in Jane Kindred's Looking Glass Gods series just got a fabulous cover:

Idol of Glass, Book 3 of the Looking Glass Gods

If madness doesn't destroy her, atoning for it might.

Ra has ruined everything. Returning to life through “renaissance” was her first mistake. Magical excess was her second. Now she must face the consequences of her reckless conjuring. Her beloved is dead by her hand, and the comfort she’d found in gender-rebel Jak seems lost to her forever.

Ra takes solace in punishment—and in communion with her punisher, the mysterious and merciless MeerShiva. But Shiva has spun a skein of secrecy over centuries—secrets about Ra’s origins and the origins of the Meer themselves. And as the secrets begin to unravel, someone else’s magic is at work from the hidden realm. Someone with the ability to redraw the fabric of the world itself.

As the picture becomes clearer, Ra must face some harsh realities: not everything is about her, and punishment isn’t enough. She must stand before Jak and try to atone for what she’s done. But seeing Jak will reveal one more secret Ra never saw coming—and one that may mean her own undoing.

Available from Samhain Publishing in October 2015.

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The Adventures of Cassius Flynn and Molly McGuire has a new cover. This story was previously released in serial format on the Carina Press site but will be available for free download at e-retailers next month.

Cassius Flynn is a smuggler. An outlaw. A scoundrel. Charming, devilishly handsome in a maverick sort of way and fiendishly clever to boot. He's also the only man Molly McGuire has ever loved.

Molly'd left him a year ago. Stolen his airship, broken his heart and made him look like a damn fool. Still, he's rushed to her rescue, storming into Reaper territory to snatch her out from under the repulsive bounty hunter who brought her in.

High above the plains, up among the clouds in the most rarefied Scraper city of them all, a ruthless statesman has stolen everything Cassius considers important. And without Molly, without her quick hands, sharp mind and pretty face, he doesn't stand a chance of getting it back…

You can pre-order it here: http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Cassius-Flynn-McGuire-Reapers-ebook/dp/B00WNP1MES

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Available now!

Romancing Austin, a multigenre anthology
Seven Romances. One wild party.

Former rock star Dex Reed throws a wild comeback party in his Austin penthouse, and seven romances heat up the night.

No Quitting Allowed, Rebecca Royce
One last assignment and then Lana is quitting her job, quitting Austin, and moving on with her life. Until Jake stumbles into her and changes the direction of her whole world.

Twisted, Cara Carnes
Caleb "Colt" Douglas agreed to close out Twisted Delirium's sold out world tour with a gig at SXSW for one reason--win back the woman he left behind.

Do Over, Chandra Ryan
When life offers Juliana a fresh start, will she follow her heart or play it safe?

Consortium, Riley Bancroft
Record exec Holt Michaelson married the enigmatic Chloe to keep his assets safe from a vindictive competitor, but after a fiery encounter with his new wife, he's determined to claim her as his own, body and soul.

Tall Order, Irene Preston
Dylan made the worst mistake of his life when he chose his career over Aston, but tonight he'll take a risk on Aston even if it's too late.

Enchanted, Evelyn Berry
Stripped of her magic, fairy princess Aurora is torn between her duty to her imperiled family and to a brilliant musician who holds the key to their freedom...and her heart.

One Night with the Vampire, Jax Garren
Tonight Alex will finally possess the woman he's craved, but Sofia's dangerous family secrets threaten to tear them apart.

‎Amazon‬ http://smarturl.it/atx
‎ARe‬ http://bit.ly/1HVOzAT
‎Nook‬ http://bit.ly/bn_ip
‎Kobo‬: http://bit.ly/1BB9Qrj
Other News

The RT Booklovers Convention starts this week in Dallas. Our attending authors are: PG Forte, Jeffe Kennedy, Jax Garren. Have a great time everyone!

Going to RT Con in Dallas next week?

Me at RT 2 years ago.
This time I'll have short hair!
(And probably the same dress.)

At the last minute-ish I got the opportunity to go to RT (that's Romantic Times Convention), and I'm super pumped. (Also...that would be why this post is so short. I'm frantically getting ready!) For those unfamiliar, RT is an enormous convention for romance readers and writers to meet and mingle. There are tons of activities, parties every night, writing workshops, and lots of opportunities for dressing up! My costumes this year suck, which is sorta embarrassing because they're all Texas themed events and I'm, er, a native Texan who doesn't own a cowboy hat. But I'll still enjoy dancing!

I attended RT for the first and only time two years ago in Kansas City. The number of people was overwhelming but doable for the few days RT lasts. I loved having a chance to dress up in heels and wear makeup for a few days--a far cry from my normal just-me-and-my-computer look! My favorite part, though is meeting new people. If you see me around, feel free to say "hello!" I'm happy to have a chat.

Anyone else out there going to RT this year? What's your favorite part of the con?

Is this really romance?

I’ve been reading a lot of paranormal romance and fantasy romance lately.  I decided to try out a Kindle Unlimited subscription and got sucked into a few shifter serials. For those not familiar, a serial is one big story split into bite-sized pieces that usually ends with some kind of cliffhanger between installments. You know with those going in that you have to read more than one installment to get the full story, though you don’t always know upfront how many installments the author has planned. But, no surprises!

What did take me by surprise was the last traditionally published paranormal romance I read that ended with a cliffhanger. The catch-the-bad-guy plot was wrapped up but the romantic arc was completely unresolved. It was a great book, but I found it frustrating because I wasn’t ready to get involved with a whole new series.  Paranormal romance has always meant resolved romance/possibly unresolved overarching action plot to me. In one book. Romantic Urban Fantasy was where I went to for a series-long romantic arc. I like both. I just like to know what I’m getting into.

The last three fantasy romances I read were the same way. All of them were the first books in the series, all ended with the resolution of some action/conflict, but the romance wasn’t fully wrapped up in any of them. Looking forward, the hero/heroine are the main characters throughout each of the series. I can kind of see it more with fantasy romance because following the same characters through multiple books is pretty standard in fantasy.

The paranormal romance blindsided me. 

So my questions for you are: Are you seeing this same trend with spec-fic/romance crosses?  How do you feel about it?

***

Eleri Stone is a RITA-nominated author of paranormal and fantasy romance. She was born in New Jersey, but now lives in Iowa with her husband and their three children. All of her stories have some element of speculative fiction in them and they all end with a happily-ever-after.

Website • Facebook • Twitter

Here Be News

New Releases

Out of Place (Face the Music book 2)

Every band is desperate for that first big break – but what happens after that?

Ed Vincent, front man of Selling the Sun, has a really bad case of second album jitters. Nothing he writes measures up to the expectations placed on him after the success of the first album. The tensions between band members are rising and everything seems to be falling apart just as they get started. Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be: not every band gets to write their name on the pages of history. But the band has always been Ed’s dream, and if Ed gives up, will he have any dreams left?

Chasing dreams is something that other people do. Olivia Doyle put her life on hold after a car accident killed her fiancé and nearly claimed her life. Now with a three-year-old son and a part-time job, she knows she is stuck in a rut, but has no idea how to climb out. Then she meets Ed. He can’t have the distraction of a relationship, and she has no time for anything casual. On the surface, they’re in completely different places, but love has a way of finding middle ground.

Buy Links: KOBO AMAZON iBOOKS NOOK

THROUGH FIRE & SEA Coming May 5th from Entangled Teen! 

Mirror mirror, hear my call...

In the Fire world, seventeen-year-old Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the realm's most powerful lords, able to communicate with the tempestuous volcano gods that either bless a civilization or destroy it. But then Leah discovers she's a Caller, gifted with the unique-and dangerous-ability to "call" her Otherselves in mirror worlds. And her father will do anything to use her powers for his own purposes.

In the Water world, Holly nearly drowns when she sees Leah, a mirror image of herself. She's rescued by a boy from school with a secret he'd die to protect. Little do they know, his Otherself is the son of a powerful volcano god at war in the Fire world...and he's about to fall.

As Leah and Holly's lives intersect, the Fire and Water worlds descend into darkness. The only way to protect the mirror worlds is to break every rule they've ever known. If they don't, the evil seeping through the mirrors will destroy everything-and everyone-they love...

Buy Links

Other News

Jeffe Kennedy: Under Contract has a cover!

Under Contract
(Book 3 in the Falling Under series)

The kinkier the sex, the higher the price tag...

Ryan Black has admired Celestina Sala from afar for years, her lush body and sensual nature calling to the dominant in him. For just as many years, Celestina was off-limits—married, proud and self-sufficient. But all that has changed, and now Celestina is in debt and in need…and available. Ryan proposes a contract: he'll pay off her debt if she gives herself to him in bed, yielding control in exchange for the pain and pleasure he'll bring them both.
 
There are words for women who take money for sex, and none of them are nice ones. Celestina never thought she'd have to sink this low, but giving up control sounds more enticing than ever before. And suddenly it's not about having to give in to Ryan. It's about wanting to.
 
But when Ryan's dark past comes to light, they may both be in over their heads. The terms of his contract say her body is his…but her heart may be another story.

One thing is for sure—now that Ryan has Celestina, he can never let her go.
 
Available from Carina Press on July 13, 2015
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Nicole Luiken at Bitten By Books:

Nicole Luiken is doing an online event at Bitten by Books to celebrate the release of Through Fire & Sea.
RSVP here to earn extra entries for a $40 giftcard draw!









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Veronica Scott Archive of USA Today Happily Ever After SciFi Encounters columns:
Veronica has added a page to her blog with the links to all the SciFi Encounters columns, in case readers missed one or want to reread. Many interesting author interviews, including Nalini Singh, John Scalzi, Jeffe Kennedy, Rachel Bach, Mary Robinette Kowal, Eleri Stone and more.  https://veronicascott.wordpress.com/veronicas-usa-today-hea-columns-archive/

Books Aren’t Really Like Children

Ever heard that comparison that an author’s books are like their children? It’s true to some extent, but unlike my real children, I don’t love all my books equally. (Well, come on. I only have three kids; I’ve written 30+ books.)  Some books are special and have a bigger place in my heart.

Books that I love are more likely to be published simply because if I don’t love the story at least a little then I won’t put in the time and requisite drafts to make them saleable. Of my thirteen published novels, about half of them are special to me.

My YA fantasy novel Through Fire & Sea is one of those books.

I love my two main characters, Leah and Holly, who are otherselves (mirror twins) of each other, similar and yet very different girls. I love the setting of Fire World with its Volcano Lords, mirror magic, dragons and fire wasps. I love the heroes: cursed Gideon and complicated loner/siren Ryan. I love the action scenes when Holly almost drowns in the ocean and Leah flies around on dragonback. I love the dual romances (especially the diving board scene), and the Epic Evil of the sorceress Qeturah and her desire to shatter the Mirror Worlds. Love, love, love it.

Through Fire & Sea releases Tuesday, May 5^th. I can’t wait to share this story with readers and hope that you will love it, too.

Oh, and I also LOVE the cover. What do you think?

Mirror mirror, hear my call...
In the Fire world, seventeen-year-old Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the realm's most powerful lords, able to communicate with the tempestuous volcano gods that either bless a civilization or destroy it. But then Leah discovers she's a Caller, gifted with the unique-and dangerous-ability to "call" her Otherselves in mirror worlds. And her father will do anything to use her powers for his own purposes.

In the Water world, Holly nearly drowns when she sees Leah, a mirror image of herself. She's rescued by a boy from school with a secret he'd die to protect. Little do they know, his Otherself is the son of a powerful volcano god at war in the Fire world...and he's about to fall.

As Leah and Holly's lives intersect, the Fire and Water worlds descend into darkness. The only way to protect the mirror worlds is to break every rule they've ever known. If they don't, the evil seeping through the mirrors will destroy everything-and everyone-they love...

   Add it on Goodreads   

Can We Talk?

(And yes, I am channeling the late, great Joan Rivers.)

I have to tell you right now that I’m not feeling the blogging thing lately. It’s always been a struggle for me to come up with something to say that doesn’t seem overly promotional, or know-it-all-writery (I don’t know it all, and I don’t think I have any business giving writing advice), or fakely personal in order to “build my brand” as this fascinating, witty person whose books you’ll all want to read.

I’ve written four blog posts so far tonight and this one is the closest to being even remotely fit for public consumption. So I’m just going to throw in the towel and turn the tables on you (and mix up a bunch of metaphors into an awkward stew), and ask you what you want me to talk about.

What are you looking for when you come to a book blog or a writer’s blog? What do you like to read about? Are you tired of hearing about an author’s latest release or her writing process, or is that what you really want to know?

Since it’s a Saturday, I have the rare luxury of being able to check back frequently and make this a little conversation throughout the day, if anyone’s so inclined (after a reasonable wake-up time on the US West Coast—reasonable to me being noonish). So this one’s on you, Obsessive Reader. Ask me anything. ;)

Veronica does A Magazine Quiz

These posts are pretty popular over on my own blog, so I thought I'd do one here this week. I was reading the April issue of Marie Claire  magazine and found a good Q&A they'd done with Fergie (the singer not the exDuchess - I bet they'd have very different answers LOL). The title is Opposites. Here are MY answers to some of their questions!

Would always: wear earrings, preferably long and blingy. Yes, even to the grocery store!
Would never: wear anything too revealing or attention-grabbing to work. Although I did wear a purple wig to the CFO's staff meeting once. Yup, that's as crazy as I got at the day job.

Picky about: unbruised fruit, berries with no bugs inside, fish not being past its  prime, pork chops cooked till they're really done, pink-in-the-middle hamburger...I think I was scared by a doctor TV show as a kid where someone died of food poisoning so now I'm paranoid about those expiration and sell by dates LOL.
Not so much about: chocolate. Give me all the chocolate!

Early for: everything. My mother said if you were on time you were already late, so I show up 15-20 minutes early. It's a curse.
Late for: Nothing - see above!

Getting better at: organizing things in my condo.. Since I quit the day job, I actually have time to stop and put items away, or so I tell myself.We have like eight pairs of scissors because in the old, messy days, I could never find any so I'd buy another pair.
Getting worse at: sorting my paperwork and filing. I've been letting it pile up. Which I KNOW is a bad idea that will bite me in the end.

Moment of triumph: (Fergie picked a concert where she sang on the beach for a million people. Wow!) Giving birth to my daughters with no pain meds. And I'm the kid who failed PE, hated exercise...but I was proud of me, getting through labor. Twice.
Epic Fail: (Fergie talks about making lasagna in a contest with Josh.) Hmmm, EPIC fail. Oh, I came around a freeway curve going way too fast, traffic was stopped in front of me, slammed on my brakes (which locked), pinwheeled across the freeway in front of a semi, flew off the overpass, rolled three times and landed upside down. I guess not only did I fail to navigate the freeway bridge, I was late to work. I survived though, so that counts.

Would try once: Fergie said hot air ballooning. OK, I guess, sign me for that up too.
No thanks: she picked shark cage diving. I'd go with parachute jumping, which I'll never do unless a Navy SEAL holds my hand all the way down to the ground.

Perennially cool: Kindness to others
Never cool: Trolls

Endlessly curious about: Fergie said new fashion shows. I love fashion too, although I don't know any designers personally (unless watching every  moment of every iteration of Project Runway counts???). I'm endlessly curious about ancient Egypt and other ancient mysteries, anything to do with archaeology. Oh and dinosaurs. I WILL click on those links.
Zero interest: Fergie has no curiosity about the McRib sandwich. I'm with her there! I have no interest in knowing more about Gwyneth Paltrow or anyone from a certain family whose name starts with K. But to be fair, I'm sure none of them has any interest in me either so it's all cool. We live and let live.

Adding one of my own: Can't wait for: Jurassic World (dinosaurs)
Will see on dvd later: Insurgent
No interest: Anything Marvel except for a sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy. I grew up as a strictly DC comics gal and just never got into the Marvel Universe. Nothing against them, just they weren't part of my fabric of life. Thor is darn good looking (also Hawkeye) and I could probably watch Tom Hiddleston read the phone book....

Here's the trailer for Jurassic World, just for coolness ("It's not about control. It's a relationship." Yeah, with velociraptors????!!!). And Chris Pratt: