The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

If asked, once upon a time I probably would have said I wasn't much of a Christmas person. Oh, I like decorating my house for the holidays, and I used to bake a ton of cookies before my hubby developed a wheat allergy (I don't think those two things are related, though). :-o And I liked making a list and shopping for friends and family, and throwing holiday-themed parties, but....

Okay, I guess I like Christmas. ;-) One thing I never really got into, though, was Christmas movies. I'm that weirdo who really can't stand It's a Wonderful Life. And all those Hallmark Channel holiday romances? Fuggedboutit.

Except guess what I've been binge-watching for the past few weeks?

Right. Okay, they're mostly either Netflix originals or Hallmark Channel offerings that Netflix has picked up, since we stream everything and don't have cable, but still. And while I might be justifying watching them by telling myself that it's something to do while I'm doing my half hour of stair-stepping every morning, or it's research for my The Devil You Know series (which tends to skew much more rom-com than most of my books), I understand deep down that I'm watching them because they're a lot of fun. As a writer, I always enjoy looking at what other writers are doing with familiar setups and tropes, and doing their best to make them fun, fresh, and unique. Also, since I write romances, I love to watch all those wonderful happily-ever-afters. They make me feel a bit better about the world -- which, face it, hasn't been a basket of puppies for a lot of people this year.

And when I started thinking about it, I realized that a lot of my books are set at the holidays, even if they're not the direct focus the way Christmas and New Year's are in my latest book, Charmed, I'm Sure. There are holiday scenes in Darkangel and Dragon Rose, in Chosen and Angel Fire and Star Crossed. I have three holiday novellas as well: A Cleopatra Hill Christmas, Illuminated, and A Canyon Road Christmas. So I guess this time of year occupies a lot more space in my mind than I thought.

What about you? Do you have any favorite holiday-themed books or movies? Let me know, because I'm always looking for something new to read...or something new to watch while I'm getting in my steps each morning!

The Delight and Agony of Dictation

Well, friends, it has happened. I have had to start with voice recognition software to write once again.

Recently, I decided to start dictating again for speed. I've heard of people dictating ten times more than me. I'm not looking for a novel a day or anything, but a few thousand extra words a day would be great.

Because I am a slow, slow writer.

In 2003, I had a carpal tunnel syndrome scare. Turns out it was just severe tendonitis. Back then, ergonomics weren't really a thing, so I had no idea how to sit properly, nor did I realize that yes, typing for hours on end might lead to hand and wrist issues. Say it with me: Duh.

Anyway, I bought Dragon Naturally Speaking, which is the best dictation software out there. It cost me $60.00. And I started dictating. I had a bit of trouble with the RAM — Dragon needs a ton of RAM and my computer needed to be upgraded to Windows XP. Damn, that was a long time! I found it to be very awkward because I am used to typing, and speaking everything, including punctuation, was just weird. I even went so far as to pretend to be typing to trick my brain. As time went on, I got better at it, and my wrists got better, too. However, I went back to typing at my first opportunity. But I've had to drastically cut down how much I type per day.

Over the years, I had several more tendonitis flares, requiring me to drag out the software once again and relearn how to speak my novel. Each time I went back to typing. See a pattern here? My last flare was in 2008, where I dictated my entire novel for National Novel Writing Month, a writing challenge that takes place every November. I "wrote" 57,000 words, 7,000 more than the goal of 50,000. But I had a serious problem. The headset that comes with the program gave me migraines.

Since then, I've done two things. I've been keeping the software up to date so I always have the most current version. It has gotten better over time. And now you don't even have to train it anymore! It's like 90-some odd percent accurate upon installation. And I can verify that this is true.

I have also been looking for an alternative to the headset. For awhile, I used the Dragon Dictation app on my iPhone, and it worked beautifully. And then they stopped updating it to be compatible with the iPhone, which totally sucked. Strangely enough, the version for Android still works.

I also looked into a Bluetooth headset, but that was a major problem because they're so expensive but so flimsy.

So I was basically screwed.

Hi there! I'm Shawntelle Madison!

Hey there! It's been a while since I've blogged so let me dust off this keyboard a bit.

*Dyson whirls to life*

There we go! Now where were we? :) I write in multiple genres, but I'm primarily known for my Coveted Series which features a lovably neurotic hoarder werewolf named Natalya Stravinsky. Nat happens to hoard Christmas ornaments--which I happen to find a worthwhile pasttime--and over the series, Nat faces many obstacles as she tries to rejoin her pack, help her family out of a bind, and more.

I also write paranormal romance, young adult science fiction, as well as a little bit of contemporary romance. I'm a sucker for a cute meet, falling in love, and a happily ever after. *sigh* Add in some family drama, werewolf pack dynamics, and a kick ass fight scene and I'm in heaven. I also happen to be a fan of Korean television shows called K-Dramas. If you're enjoying any shows, be sure to hit me up. I love recommendations.

So, how did I get into this writing thing? Well, my journey began with the Coveted Series back in 2012 with Ballantine/Del Rey. Since then, I had a blast writing for various publishers like Penguin Random House, Little Brown, and Hachette. Right now the majority of my work is indie, but I still plan to work with publishers in the future.

Speaking of the Coveted Series, today is the release day for a new novella in the series called POCKETED. Throughout the Coveted Series, Nat is trying her darndest to use therapy to work through her OCD. She attends group therapy with her friends Nick the white wizard (fellow hoarder), Heidi the mermaid (afraid of the ocean), Abby the Muse (afraid of the people she inspires), Tyler the dwarf, and Lilith the succubus (she's not in any shape to be sucking out souls). So many readers loved those scenes so I couldn't resist going back with the gang for one more adventure.

I had a blast going back to the New Jersey/New York area and following Nat and her zany group of supernatural group therapy members. In particular, many readers (yes, I heard you hee hee) missed Nick the white wizard and Heidi the mermaid.

Want to check it out? Read an excerpt or check out the links below:

Amazon |  Apple Books |  Google Play | Nook |  Kobo 

That's it for now. See you soon!

Belated Intro Post from Kasey Mackenzie

So, I've been sick for like two months and am finally finally getting to my introduction post...

Hey all you Urban Fantasy Fiends! I'm Kasey Mackenzie, and I've been fascinated by mythology, science fiction, and fantasy since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Urban fantasy and paranormal romance are two of my most favorite genres, and I've been reading and writing in those realms for decades.

A little of my publishing background: Penguin Random House published three books in my Shades of Fury urban fantasy series under their Ace Books imprint. That series features the main character, Marissa "Riss" Holloway, a Fury who is also the Chief Magical Investigator of Boston. I was so thrilled that she was nominated in 2010 for the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Best Urban Fantasy Protagonist. (RIP Romantic Times Magazine. :( )

I like to think that's one of my big strengths as a writer: creating flawed but likable characters who fight like hell for what they hold dear. Realistic dialogue is also something else I love creating, along with plot twists that are unexpected but do not seem to come out of nowhere. Since I'm more of an organic writer than those who extensively plot ahead, that means going back to layer in subtle foreshadowing. Just because I usually write by the seat of my pants doesn't mean it has to look like it! ;)

Good thing I'm an oddball who loves the revision process!

Unfortunately for me, I scored the Shades of Fury deal right as traditional publishing decided that readers just didn't want to read urban fantasy and paranormal romance any more. I think we all know better than that! At the time they cancelled my series, I was starting to go through the loss of five very close relatives in five years, including my mother, both her parents who helped raise me, my stepfather, and most heartbreaking of all, my baby nephew.

No wonder I disappeared from the publishing scene for a few years! Fast forward to last year, when I finally reached a much better mental space, and I began rebuilding my publishing career. This time as an indie author. My awesome literary agent Ginger is still trying to sell something else (SF & fantasy projects rather than UF/PR) to a big NY publisher, but in the meantime I'm excited to focus on indie publishing fun and thrilling UF and PR books.

When my amazing friend Yasmine (yes, that Yasmine!) invited me to join the talented Urban Fantasy Fiend author crew, I jumped at the chance. It's been creatively and emotionally satisfying to connect with a group of writers who know what you and I do: readers absolutely still want to read UF and PR.

In addition to Shades of Fury, I'm now actively publishing the Untamed Elements series and the Eternal Academy series. I'll be releasing the fourth book in the first UE quartet (Phoenix on the Rise: Ignited by Ashes) sometime next month. Next year I plan to start the second quartet, publish more Eternal Academy books, and continue my Psychic Storm and Shades of Fury series with one or two more books. Depending on what my awesome readers indicate they want to read by buying them! ;)

I will also somehow find the time to finish my steampunk featuring a changeling Jane Austen's children and start publishing a paranormal cozy mystery series under a pen name.

Hey, I have years of a creative black hole to make up for!

And that's the lesson to learn from my story. If you love doing something, but your mental health demands you stop for awhile, that's okay! Your well-being comes first. And it's never too late to pick back up on your passion projects in life.

As the line in one of my fave science fiction movies says, "Never give up! Never surrender!"

(Brownie points if you know which movie that's from!)

Magic, Mayhem, and Murder

Bear with me, friends, it's been a long time since this witch has made a blog post, and the gremlin king of technology and I have a long and bloody history...

Greetings! I'm Jennifer Blackstream, USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. You can find me at http://www.jenniferblackstream.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JenniferBlackstream8675309/

For now, here's what you need to know:

I'm an avid coop board gamer. My group meets once a week (more in the summer when kids are out of school) and we play games like Mice and Mystics, Eldritch Horror, Thanos Rising, and Sentinels of the Multiverse. Some of my blog posts will be about the games I love, and I ALWAYS want recommendations of new coop board games. Note: Coop means cooperative, where you win or lose as a team. Not competitive.

I love conventions. Right now, I attend ConFusion (Novi, Michigan), ConCoction (Cleveland, Ohio), MarCon (Columbus, Ohio), and DragonCon (Atlanta, Georgia). I look for cons with a good writing/genre fiction track, so if you have any within four hours of Ohio that you'd recommend, please leave a comment!

I read for enjoyment, and that's how I write. If you read one of my books, I will try to run you through the gamut of emotions. Ideally, you'll gasp, you'll laugh, and you'll miss your bedtime, and maybe once in a while you'll tear up, but you should never be depressed or down by the time you finish the last page. For me, murder mysteries are delicious homicidal stress relief, and that's what I want to offer you. My favorite authors include Laurell K. Hamilton, Terry Pratchett, SM Reine, Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, and Patricia Briggs. These authors have largely influence my own work, so that gives you some idea what to expect.

Which brings me to said work:

THE BLOOD TRAILS SERIES is a fusion of fantasy and mystery that combines a classic private investigator/whodunit with the sarcasm and magic that's made the Urban Fantasy genre so famous.

* * *

THE BLOOD PRINCE SERIES is a sensual paranormal romance series that twists beloved fairy tales into original tales of love, adventure, and...well, blood. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and ultimately you'll need to sink your teeth into the next book as you follow a desperate desire to find out just what the werewolf, the vampire, the demon, the angel, and the god are really up to...

* * *

THE BLOOD REALM SERIES is a spin-off/continuation of the Blood Prince series.

* * *

All of my books are written in the same universe (yes, even the urban fantasy, which is contemporary, not historical like the Blood Prince/Blood Realm series--and you'll have to read Deadline to find out how I managed that...). Be ready for crossovers and cameos!

And that's all for now!

I think...

JB

Deadlines, Deadlines

So, I'm on deadline with the new book--The Eternal Return. In case you don't know what a writer on deadline is like, well, there's this:

And my moods are varying from this:

 

To this: 

And right now, if I let myself, I'd be scarfing down all the gluten free cookies I could eat. But I'm maintaining a modicum of control, thank gods, and mostly just relying on Netflix and reruns of Downton Abby to get me through on my breaks from writing.

I wouldn't BE on deadline if I hadn't tried to tuck writing an extra book in between two books. (Demon's Delight, which I wanted to bring out this month but which is now coming out in February). I managed to get about 2/3 of it written, then realized I wasn't going to have enough time to write The Eternal Return on schedule, so had to stop and move over to TER. 

The good news is I'm almost done with TER, and then I start the third Whisper Hollow book. It will be wonderful, returning to that world, which I haven't been able to visit since 2015, because the stories still haunt me, and the characters still call.

Anyway, that's enough for today. OH, I'm also decorating early. (If you are one of those peeps who gets irate when people do that, get over it. I'm not decorating YOUR house, early, and I need the sparkles.). ;) 

Now, back to the words, because I really need to get this book done by tomorrow. And I'll do it!

~Yasmine

Galenorn.com

Vampire Hunters, Zombies, Steampunk & More!

 

Hi! I'm Colleen Gleason and I'm a genre-whore.

It's true. While I write several different Urban Fantasy-type of books, I also write in pretty much every other genre of fiction except for Horror. So, as I tell people, no matter what mood you're in to read, I probably have a book for you.

My first book came out in 2007 and since then I've published over 40 novels and novellas.

Here are a few of my most well-known series:









The Gardella Vampire Hunters
Basically, Buffy meets Jane Austen. In other words, what would have happened if a Jane Austen heroine found out she was a vampire hunter?

Five book series, all complete, and currently translated into eight languages and counting. The first book, The Rest Falls Away, is free at all retailers. There's also a spinoff series set in Roaring Twenties Chicago.






The Regency Draculia
If you were a fan of the BBC's short-lived Dracula TV series, my trilogy of sexy vampires in 19th-century London are for you. Think JR Ward's BDB in 1810 London and you'll get an idea.

The heroines are strong and don't hold back, and the vampires are sexy, badass, and one of them is very, very grumpy.

The first book is Dark Rogue: The Vampire Voss.







Stoker & Holmes
Sherlock Holmes's niece and Bram Stoker's sister (who is also a vampire hunter) team up in this YA series set in a steampunk London.

Throw in some Egyptian mythology, a sly and mysterious pickpocket, some time travel, and Miss Irene Adler and you've got what many people think is a super fun romp.

The final book was just released, so the series is complete. The Clockwork Scarab is the first book.










The Heroes of New Vegas

Here's where the zombies come in. :-) This is more of paranormal romance series than strictly Urban Fantasy, but it's all about the strong women who kick butt in their own ways.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, there are elements of science fiction and fantasy in this six-book series (also complete!) that was originally published as The Envy Chronicles under my pen name Joss Ware.

The first book, Beyond the Night, is currently free at all retailers.



I also write a ghost romance mystery series (Wicks Hollow) set in a small fictional town in Michigan, a mystery series set in Washington DC during the Lincoln presidency, and some historical romance novels set in medieval England.

I live in Michigan with my three dogs (two German Shepherds and a Papillon) and my husband. I spend my free time tooling around our small lake on a pontoon, cooking gourmet meals in the kitchen (and eating gourmet meals whether I've cooked them or not) doing New York Times crossword puzzles, taking care of my menagerie of plants, and, of course, reading.

You can find out more about all of my books at colleengleason.com!

Hey there!

I'm Helen Harper, mother of cats and one crazy dog, and author of various Urban Fantasy series. I'm from Scotland originally but I've lived all over the world and I constantly have itchy feet so I'm often to be found hopping on a plane to far-flung destinations. When I'm not indulging my love of physical travel, I let my imagination do it for me - hence all the books!

Here's a selection:

The first series I ever wrote (so it will always be my baby!) is Blood Destiny. The first book of five, Bloodfire, is free to read and follows an exceptionally talented - and exceptionally fiery - woman called Mack. She's been brought amongst a group of shapeshifters in rural Cornwall in England. Mack believes she's merely human but when the Pack Alpha is murdered and she investigates his death, she realises that there's far more to her own blood than meets the eye.

Ivy Wilde is the laziest witch in the world. She's supremely capable but more concerned with lying around on her sofa with her talking cat, Brutus, than she is with saving the world. That is until a case of mistaken identity forces her to work with the career orientated Raphael Winter anyway. Think cozy mystery meets Sabrina!

Slouch Witch is available on Kindle Unlimited.

Highland Magic is set in a splintered Scotland. The Highlands are free, ruled by a set of magical Clans. The Lowlands were over-run by daemons many years ago, and only the foolhardy cross into them.

Integrity Taylor was born into a powerful Clan in the Highlands - and then left abandoned and orphaned when her father murdered all her family. Now she lives a life of crime, part of a group of thieves, and has nothing to do with with her heritage. Until the other Clans come calling anyway...

Gifted Thief is the first book in the series.



I'm currently working on a fun series about faery godmothers - with a whole lot of office politics thrown in for good measure. Book three will be released in December and the final book should be out in February. You can find out more about them here.

I love nothing more than curling up with a good book and I read pretty much any and all genres so if you have any that you love, send their titles my way! My TBR list is ever-expanding but I always have time for a great read. And just because endings are awkward here's a photo of Lara Croft, one of my cats whose adventuring days are now abandoned in favour of a good snuggle.

xxx

Melissa Marr here with a few faeries, dead things, & rattlesnakes...

*waves* 

Hi, I’m Melissa. I can be found teaching/writing/mothering or off hiking with wild horses or practicing historical swordfighting. 

(Not stage-fights or sport fencing. Historical European Martial Arts includes longsword, single-handed swords, staffs, and poleaxes. The weapons are based on archaeological artifacts, and the manuals are the ones used by swordmasters in the medieval era.) 

Who I am:

I’m probably best known to those of you reading on here as the writer of the Wicked Lovely series. From 2007-2012, I wrote about faery courts, and then I wrote about a town where the dead don’t stay dead (Graveminder).  

I’ve also written various assorted other things, including a “weird west” (The Arrivals), a YA thriller (Made for You), a picturebook (Bunny Roo, I Love You), et al. In other words, I completely failed at doing-the-branding-thing and wandered off to try new things right regularly. I’ve never read only one genre, and writing in just one for every book isn’t a fit for me.

What I'm Writing: 

Right now, I’m tinkering with revisions on a prequel to Wicked Lovely (Cold Iron Heart) that should be out in 2020, as well as writing my first strictly urban fantasy novel (Undead Magic). 

Undead Magic came about as a result of getting bitten by a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake earlier this year. After the bite, I paddled my kayak 3 miles to my car, and I was . . . in pain, but alive. And I have nightmares. A lot of snake nightmares.  I have not stopped hiking, but I do have a level of fear that is exacerbated by a lifetime of snake encounters. In Virginia, I had a copperhead in my pool multiple times and another in my house. As a child in rural Pennsylvania, I stepped into a tangle of baby snakes. I have always feared them, although I had a pet boa constrictor in my teens. This time, though, I was caught in a bad situation where I had no idea a snake was present until after it was a done deal. A 5 to 6 foot rattler bit me after my kayak had flipped in the current. Yes, rattlesnakes do swim. 

Luckily, I didn’t realize what it was and shoved it away from my face while I was under the murky water, thinking it was a very malleable root. But, then . . . well, I had a clear bite on my arm, and symptoms, and . . . it’s been complicated.

So, I’m writing a book. After a lifetime of vampire love, I’m suddenly not so keen on things with big ol’ retractable teeth that jab into your flesh. So, I’m steadily writing what I expect to be a series, with a faery man and a vampire slayer, and it’s the most fun I’ve had writing in years. Undead Magic will come out next year. 

New Content out in 2019:

This last year, I released a few of my novellas and collections of short stories that included new Wicked Lovely short stories (in Dark Court Tales and in the longer collection, Tales of Folk & Fey).

AND I released a collection with new Graveminder stories.

As part of the learning about the hybrid life, I also released The Faery Queen's Daughter, my very first novel--written before I sold Wicked Lovely & revised annually for the last decade or so. It's a sweeter faery book, suitable for younger readers and teens. You can find it on audio, as well.  

Coming Soon:

In early 2020, I’ll also have a psychological thriller (Pretty Broken Things) coming from Audible Originals. It’s very much not Urban Fantasy. It’s a dark story about a woman who escaped a serial killer and a mortician who is targeted by the same killer.  In 2014, I wrote story ("The Maiden Thief") about a woman who accidentally marries a serial killer.  It was sold via Tor, but it is also now available in ebook.

The night terrors that sparked that story grew intensity, as my mind was trying to process some things I'd packed away.  So I started Pretty Broken Things in February 2015 while I was in New Orleans with my then-partner.  I woke him during a night terror about my ex who was a felon. The book is not autobiographical, but it is, drawn from a few truths. 

It was not precisely fun to write, but I’m proud of it in ways I have never been before. My heart is in that book, and I’ve been working on it for almost 5 years now (as well as editing, teaching, and writing a middle-grade fantasy and a few picturebooks).

However, I’m in need of something less real, not as bloody, and since a rattlesnake decided to inspire me, I’m returning to folklore, sexy faeries, and playing with swords and guns on the page again. More to come on that next month . . .

In the meantime, if you want to stay in touch, I have a few options for you. You can chat with me on Twitter or on Facebook.

If you want to read along/beta read/get exclusive intel, I'm on Patreon. 

If you want to sign up for my newsletter, go to my website. 

If you are a writer in search of a mentor,  I work one-on-one with about 4-6 people for a 6 month window via Dallas Writers wholly online (unless you are in AZ, at which point, I do meet my students in person as requested). 

I'll also be teaching for 5 days in Pennsylvania via Highlightsin July 2020, and I'm the Guest of Honour--doing a speech/lecture/etc--at Seton Hill's MFA in Popular Fiction in the summer, too. (That's in Pennsylvania, too).

Questions? Answers? I am reachable on social media most days.

Hi there!

I’m Devon Monk, the National Bestselling author of urban fantasy and steampunk novels, and fantasy, science fiction, and horror short stories. I’m genre-flexible when it comes to my writing tastes and styles. As long as I’m telling an entertaining story, I love it all.

My goal (and delight) is creating page-turning fiction that lifts readers out of this reality and slings them into the deep, lush magic of strange worlds and places. Lots of action, lots of dialogue, lots humor and three-dimensional characters who laugh, hurt, and feel. I aim to give readers what they’re hungry for: darn good stories.

I’ve been writing urban fantasy for twelve years and have five urban fantasy series, and one steampunk series (twenty-two uf novels, three steampunk novels) with assorted short stories and novellas among them. Here are a few of my series:

Ordinary Magic - Small town, big magic. Welcome to the sleepy little beach town of Ordinary, Oregon. Police Chief Delaney Reed can handle the Valkyries, werewolves and other creatures who call the small Oregon beach town home. It's the vacationing gods who keep her up at night.

West Hell Magic - Hockey Urban Fantasy. Wizards and werewolves and cat shifters on ice? Yep. When Random Hazard (he knows he has a stupid name) becomes the first wizard to join West Hell--the only hockey league that accepts players who are marked by magic--every team in the "freak league" wants to take him, and his misfit team down.

Allie Beckstrom - Kick Ass Urban Fantasy. Magic has a price and that price is pain. Allie Beckstrom is a hound–a person who can track down illegal magic use to the user. But will she be willing to pay the price to find out just how deep the corruption has spread through her city, even if that corruption falls too close to home?

House Immortal - Future Frankenstein Farm Girl Urban Fantasy. Matilda Case is the crowning achievement of her father’s experiments, a girl pieced together from bits. She believes she is the only one of her kind. Until Abraham Seventh shows up at her door, stitched with life thread just like her and insisting that enemies are coming to kill them all.

My short stories can mostly be found in my collection, A Cup of Normal and in various anthologies.
 
I live in beautiful, rainy Oregon where my husband and I are slowly renovating our old house. We're currently installing basement window wells, and have literally dug out tons of gravel and dirt by hand. Because we’re insane. ;)

We have one black chow-chow husky mix dog who thinks she’s a cat or possibly a vampire. She is nocturnal and aloof and hilarious. I'm totally putting her in a book.

When not writing or Diy-ing something, I love to travel. If there's a wil 'o-the-wisp to chase, I'm there! I also love hockey, drink too much coffee, and knit--a lot.

I knit silly things like Cthulhu lipbalm cozies, dragon hatchlings, gargoyles, and hats. If you’re on Ravelry, you can find me (and a couple of my patterns) there as Devon Monk. 

Here's the fun part! I have a free story for you! Click this link to download a copy of DUES AND DON'TS, the prequel to my Ordinary Magic (small town) urban fantasy series. 

Oh, and you can find me on my: web page, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube channel.

Until next time--happy reading, my friends!