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Of Summer Heat and Surprises

July is simultaneously one of my favorite and least favorite months. For one, in the south, the heat is at its all time high, humidity is nearly a solid, and there is simply not enough ice to go into one’s iced tea.

But it’s not all bad. July means we’re deep into summer. I can finally start to relax. I find myself spending my evenings outside listening to the crickets and frogs, watching the stars and fireflies flicker together. There’s also a number of birthdays to celebrate during the month, mine included. While I’m hardly a party person, there’s something wonderful about being with loved ones and getting to celebrate them. And of course, there are those strange summer surprises that always seem to sneak up on me.

But you get surprises too! The first is a month long sale. From July 1st (today) until July 31st, Of Secrets and Sound is half off exclusively on Smashwords. Instead of $1.99 it’s now priced $0.99. Smashwords allows you to download e-books in a number of formats, including the formats required for Kindles and Nooks, so you don’t need to worry about compatibility with your preferred device.

The year is 1873 and society has no room for deaf Edward Rollin. Despite being a social outcast, Edward is desperate to help his friends Ambrose Walsh and Abigail Hunt stop a growing plague. As Edward and his friends hit more dead ends in their investigation, he decides to try a new method of searching. This brings him closer to a cure, but far closer to danger.
Told through both Edward’s letters and third person, Of Secrets and Sound is the long awaited sequel to Of Secrets, Letters, and Lions.

A number of other authors are also putting their books on sale, so browse a while and see what’s up for grabs. This is a brilliant time to support authors and find new books.

Tomorrow will hold another surprise in the form of a second post. I’ll be sharing a bizarre summer surprise life recently tossed me and address the frequently asked question of inspiration. Things will go back to normal in August, with only one post on the first Monday of the month.

I hope you enjoy the sale and find new stories to fall in love with. Life is full of surprises, but may you find the good in each of them.

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A Quiet Start

If Scrooge and the Grinch are icons of Christmas displeasure then I would be an icon of New Years Eve displeasure. Then again, this year, health issues might have something to do with that. Obviously, I have to do things a little differently.

The upcoming year will be a quiet one for me.  I swore to myself after releasing Of Secrets and Sound that I would take a break from the Victorian era. Ah, but some things I can’t let go of. Not long after the novella release I got an idea for a short story set in the same time period. So I’ll be writing that story and submitting it to an anthology. While I’m working on anthology submissions (as always fingers crossed, there’s never any guarantee), I’ll be outlining numerous stories. Many of these are fantasy, but all of them hold a dark edge to them. Some of them have a Victorian slant. I’ll also be doing more in depth research for the final installment of the Secrets of the Lion series. Of course it is one of the things I’ll be outlining this coming year. As I said, it will be a quiet year for me writing wise, but it will set me up for some really lovely stories in the future. If you consider dark and deadly things lovely that is.

I suppose I should give some credit to the past year before I end this post. I learned a lot in many areas (and I think that writers are always trying to grow so they can keep writing) and I unleashed the second installment in the Secrets of the Lion series, Of Secrets and Sound. If you need to read the prequel, you can do so for free from your preferred e-book distributor (Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords). It is on Amazon but Amazon has yet to price match the story. Obviously as soon as that happens, I’ll be sure to let y’all know.

No matter if you’re a Scrooge of the New Year like me, or overjoyed with the possibilities before you, I hope that you have many adventures (if you’re into that kind of thing) and find numerous books you love this year.

P.S. If you need a pick-me-up, an excuse to procrastinate, are a dog lover, or just want to pass the time, you might want to explore my Instagram. It’s quickly becoming filled with my new partner in crime, Emma the Labradoodle.

 

 

 

 

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Of Secrets and Sound Release

Five years ago I started the Secrets of the Lion series. Now, “Of Secrets, Letters, and Lions” finally has its sequel. Of Secrets and Sound was both a challenge and a joy to write. It’s been a long time coming. I’m delighted to finally unleash it on the world. Especially on one of my favorite days, Friday the 13th. You can find the novella nearly everywhere: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords

Of Secrets - High Resolution

Of Secrets and Sound picks up where “Of Secrets, Letters, and Lions” left off, following the Hunt family as they search for answers to the mysterious plague slowly taking over London. While there are plenty of familiar faces, there are new ones too, namely Edward Rollin. Told through both Edward’s letters and through third person scenes with Abby and her family, Of Secrets and Sound raises the stakes and unearths more clues about the mastermind behind it all.

If you’re delightfully nosy like Abby, you can prowl through my Instagram feed throughout the day for updates on the book release party I’m hosting tonight. If that’s not your cup of tea, treat yourself to the dark historical fiction that is the Secrets of the Lion series.