Cover Reveal: Shadow of the Colossus, Holly Drake #4

I took a hiatus for half of July and August, but I’m back now, and stronger than ever. You know how it works . . . with breaks and such. How they rejuvenate . . . 

I went a few places. Saw a few things. Expanded my mind, not with Zen or drugs, but with brutal, unrelenting exposure to the freeway, the chilly clime of Northern California, and my kids.

With no breaks. 

To be fair, my amazing cousins were there to help out. And I wasn’t necessarily doing it for myself, although it was epic and I came away from the adventure with the knowledge that I’m a warrior who can do anything I set my mind to (like break a stack of bricks with my forehead . . . I totally did that! heh) and if I want it bad enough. 

So that’s why I’m here, again, and I’m not stopping until I rule the world . . . with my mind . . . and uh, my books. And the characters in my books! We’ll dominate together! 

I don’t know what that means, really. But I know that I’m pumped to do this cover reveal. The colors look fabulous. And I’m excited to say that this has a tentative release date for the end of September. 

 

Heart of the Colossus Launch Day Giveaway

Wow, look at that! A launch AND a giveaway!

Welcome to the 3rd book in the Holly Drake series. This is the “everyone liked the steampunk gun” giveaway (and not so much the other steampunk swag) wherein the intrepid author reverts back to what WAS working, rather than trying something new and interesting.

If it’s not broke, don’t fix it as they say. They also say “guns kill people, people don’t kill people” (or do I have that backwards? That depends, I think, on your politics, but let’s leave those at the door and do a giveaway together!). This gun will kill no one, because it’s just a cool NERF gun made to look wickedly awesome.

And it can be yours if you’re the lucky chap or chappette whose name gets drawn at the end of July. So you’ve got to ask yourself, do you feel lucky? . . . I mean, really, do you? I wasn’t trying to reference a popular film or anything. This gun isn’t a 44 magnum and your name isn’t Gladstone Gander is it? Because he’s the luckiest duck alive. And…*pulls herself out of weird pop culture reference vortex*

Damn…

Just enter. Just do it.

And remember, you can enter by tweeting EVERY day!

➔Amazon U.S. https://amzn.to/2tjPKHo
➔Amazon universal link: http://mybook.to/HeartoftheColossus

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Cover Reveal: Heart of the Colossus

So here it is, the cover for Book 3 in the Holly Drake series! It comes out on July 12 and it will not be in Kindle Unlimited. I’m putting that announcement here now, so you can plan your future reading. 

Here’s why: Amazon has been having issues with page reads. I’m not really sure what’s happening, but I don’t want these bots to result in my books getting banned from Amazon altogether. So, I’m taking all my books out of Kindle Unlimited. I’m sorry to do this to my readers, and I am myself a subscriber. But I have absolutely no idea how I can protect myself from these supposed click-farms/bots or whatever. If Amazon came out with a definitive: do not use these promotion sites, do not do A, B, or C, then I could have some security in knowing what it is I can do to protect my books from being targeted. 

Anyway, this is supposed to be a happy post about my awesome cover! Thanks to Milo at Deranged Doctor for doing such a fucking bang-up job on making Holly Drake and her world come to life! I haven’t named book 4 yet, but there will be a book 4! So stick around!

Preorder on Amazon ➝ ➝ https://amzn.to/2tjPKHo

Hands of the Colossus Steampunk Swag and $50 Giftcard Giveaway

Another wicked sweet launch, another wicked sweet giveaway. This one will flesh out your amazing steampunk cosplay gear. Those goggles, when worn correctly,  will increase your peacocking sensibilities to an 11 and you’ll be the life of every party, subway ride, and workplace water-cooler gossip session.

That watch? I heard (rumor? Maybe…) that it is actually capable of time-travel. Yep. It comes with a chain so you don’t lose it when you’re out and about, sporting your vest while peacocking to get the attention of birds everywhere (why are you always peacocking?).

I know that what you’re really here for is the eBook. But I’m also offering a signed paperback version of Hands of the Colossus, because as part of everyone’s peacocking HOME collection, you really ought to have great books in your bookcase. Signed, preferably. To impress geeks like me at all the parties you’re constantly throwing.

Tweet every day for more chances to win, and be sure to share and like on all your social media outlets.

God speed!

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That Moment When You’ve Written a Perfect Scene

The scene that I just wrote tonight, is perhaps the most perfect scene I’ve ever written.

Maybe it’s the mania talking–that feeling that comes after I’ve done something I think it is wicked awesome. Could be. I mean, it’s late, and I might have had one drink. And I might have gotten swept away in the song that I feel helped facilitate the scene (which I listened to on repeat), and so, in short, who knows?

I don’t know. I think the scene is perfect. It wasn’t easy to write either. I began it a few days ago, but it’s a night scene. A serious scene. And I was writing it while the sun ripped through the sky happily shining on everything, illuminating every last thing.

And this scene, is a poignant one. The setting is night. The emotion is sorrow and regret, and some form of penitence, mashed together with self-defense.

I couldn’t write it in the day. It needed to be night. And I needed to be in a certain frame of mind to tap into the emotions.

I’m still not sure if I did it justice for Holly Drake. I tried my best, and the readers (you!) will decide in the end if it works or not.

And tomorrow there’s a really good chance I’ll read back over it and laugh and ask, “What the fuck was I thinking?”

But right now, I feel like I’ve never written anything more tender and gentle about a character and her life than this one in this moment.

Holly Drake’s stories are sci-fi, steam punk, space opera. But I write real scenes about real grief and real joy. It’s not a love story, but there is love in it, and hope, and desire. And that’s because I think those are the things that make the excitement and adventure worth more than a monkey’s ass. Without the human grief and emotion, who really gives a shit about a wicked awesome scene where Holly is basically surfing through the sky on a thin slab of metal?

I ask you. What’s the point?

 

Oh, and here’s the amazing song I listened to on repeat. You’re welcome, my friend. You’re welcome.

Eye of the Colossus $50 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway

Hey so as part of the festivities over the launch of the Eye of the Colossus, I’m doing this giveaway. The big prize is obviously the signed paperback copy of Eye of the Colossus. The smaller bit is just the lame $50 giftcard (I mean, who even wants one of those things? Yuck). I know, right? But I’ll make you have it if you’re the winner, because that’s just part of the deal, though I know what you’re really here for is the wicked sweet cosplay aether blaster and the pendant (it came all the way from FRANCE, guys, FRANCE!).

So enter in as many ways as you can and remember, you can do the Tweet this message thing everyday for additional entries. 😉

God speed!

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Eye of the Colossus Cover Reveal

Ready for this? OK, so normally I want to have a post full of interesting things in addition to the cover reveal, but as it happens, I’m swamped with EVERYTHING at the moment. So I’m just going to throw this puppy up there and say thanks for coming by to check it out. Here is the pre-order link if you’re interested. There’s going to be more fun throughout the month of April leading up to the launch day on the 19th (giveaways, takeovers, etc!). So check back and like my Facebook page so you don’t miss a thing! 

Blurb: 

The City of Jade Spires, the biggest in the 6-moons, is a breathtaking symbol of hope and unity for the four races. But it’s also a hub of corruption. Holly Drake is proof of that. Fresh out of prison for a mistake framed to look like cold murder, she’s broke, jobless, and branded with a prison record.

When she lands a gig stealing back the Eye of the Colossus jewels, the chance for a big payout means she won’t have to depend on anyone else. She’s never had that kind of freedom. She’ll do it. Even if the work is only a shade lighter than outright crime.

But soon she finds herself pursued by thugs from the Shadow Coalition, an underworld government that wants her dead. Pulling off the heist without getting killed means putting trust in recruits she hardly knows. The clock is ticking to get the jewels, but a mistake now could be fatal. Chasing across the 6-moons to complete the job will test her grit and determination to succeed when everything is stacked against her. More than that, finding out just what secrets the 6-moons hold will either turn her into the hero the moon system needs, or destroy her…

Preorder on Amazon ➝ ➝ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BSXR15C

Six Shadows Cover Reveal

Meet Detective Gabe Bach, of the City of Jade Spires. He enjoys long rides on the spireway, unfiltered IPAs, wearing a jacket during an eclipse (there are just a few in the 6-moons region) and digging into a good homicide case.

Coming soon….patrons will get it first (free, except not free, because it’s patronage and all that!), after that, get it on Amazon.