A Jot of Blood now live on Amazon

A Jot of Blood is now available for purchase on Amazon! Woot! That's two days earlier than I'd announced, but better to be early than late, right? (The print version is coming in the next few days.)

As I write this, the Kobo version is listed as a pre-order and should go live this Friday. We've also submitted to Barnes and Noble and hope to see the Nook version lighting up in the next day or so. Apple, as usual, has the most labor intensive process, requiring my husband to jump through all kinds of hoops to get the ebook formatted to their exact specifications. That one was just submitted a few minutes ago (after a fair number of profanity-laced rants on Hubby's part). Whew!

Bottom line: Keep your eyes peeled at your favored retailer!

This book was a labor of love and hands-down my favorite Lire story so far. I had so much fun imagining the characters at Coventry Academy, especially Lire's friends. Zach is … well, Zach. You'll see! If you guys enjoy their adventures even half as much as I enjoyed writing them, I'll be riding high.

Let me know what you think, okay? My greatest hope is that you like it enough to spread the word!

All the best!

-Kat-

Something to talk about!

When it comes to my website, I have the best of intentions, I swear. But I'm just not one for posting things unless I have something significant to talk about. And I do. Have something to talk about, that is.

My newest novel will release on August 11th. That's in nineteen days!

I'll confess that I'm both thrilled and massively nervous. I'm thrilled because this story is my favorite Lire adventure yet. I get excited just thinking about it. I'm nervous, though, because this isn't the book that many of you are expecting. This one is a prequel that follows Lire through the beginning of her junior year in high school.

Now, before you grab your pitchfork, let me explain! I had to write this book. After touching on Lire's past while writing Reluctant Adept, I was hooked. I couldn't stop thinking about her youth at Coventry Academy—living in the boarding school’s dorm, being taught by teachers with their own magical abilities, hanging out with spellcasters, shifters, and the magically cursed. What kind of experiences did she have attending an exclusive school for the magically gifted and afflicted?

There was no way I could pass that up. And living under the same roof with three teenagers of my own only added to my excitement. More than anything, I wanted to write a book that they’d be thrilled to read, one populated with interesting characters, intriguing places, and magical ideas, yet still grounded enough to depict real issues that concern teenagers every day.

With those desires in mind, I started writing. I began with the following tagline:

Adolescence is hard enough. Throw magic into the mix and things are bound to get complicated.

What initially started as an idea to write a short story, turned into a full-length novel. I hope you’ll forgive my diversion and consider following sixteen-year-old Lire on her newest adventure. My test readers all seem to think it’s worth the detour. (If you decide to read it, you’ll have to let me know whether you agree.)

Without further ado, let me show you the cover my husband designed. He did a kick-ass job, don't you think? And Daniel, my cover artist, totally nailed it. Wait until you see the interior drawings. There are four of them and they’re awesome! So, stay tuned. We’re almost there!

Lire's latest adventure is live!

I am thrilled to announce that Reluctant Adept, the third book in the A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life series, is now available. At the time of this post, Reluctant Adept's listing was active on Amazon, Apple iBooks, and Kobo. Barnes & Noble was lagging behind the other retailers, but I'm sure it will be available in the Nook store very soon. The print version of Reluctant Adept, along with my other soft cover books, are available exclusively through Amazon. I'm also excited for you guys to see the new cover treatments for Deadly Remains and Deceiver's Bond! It was a ton of work readying all three novels for a simultaneous print and e-book release, more than I think we anticipated, but I hope you'll agree it was worth it. I can't stop ogling the illustrations. They make me want to give Red a big squeeze! I'm sure you'll agree that Daniel, the artist responsible, is amazingly talented.

I can't wait to hear what you guys think. After you've finished reading Reluctant Adept, I'd love it if you'd take a moment to post a review on the site where you purchased it.

I sure hope you enjoy Lire's newest adventures.

As always, thanks so much for all of your support. Have a terrific holiday and a happy new year!

Book Three On Track

Just a quick note to let you all know that the third book in the A Clairvoyant’s Complicated Life series is on track for a late fall launch! I am super excited because with the upcoming release of Lire’s third installment we’re redesigning the first two covers so all three books will have a uniform look. What’s more, thanks to the success of the first two books, we’re having all three covers professionally illustrated.

Oh my gosh, you guys! So far, the third book’s cover is finished and looks SO SO awesome! I’m on pins and needles waiting to see what our illustrator comes up with for Deceiver’s Bond and then Deadly Remains. (I’ve seen the preliminary sketch for DB and I’m practically jumping up and down waiting to see the next iteration!) I think you’ll be as thrilled as I am when you see what our talented artist has done for Lire. And just wait until you see Red! (I’m totally ready to create a line of posters, mouse pads, coffee mugs, pajamas, etc. just so I can plaster Lire and Red all over my house! LOL)

I can’t wait to show you, so stay tuned!

Something to talk about (aka a long overdue update)

Before I give y’all the lowdown on book three, I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone out there who noticed my book(s) and decided to take the plunge, despite the fact that my writing was an unknown quantity. Unless you’re lucky enough to be living a life of leisure (if only!), you have precious little free time and a limited entertainment budget, so the fact that you invested some of each to read one of my stories means a lot to me. And if you moved on to reading Deceiver’s Bond after finishing Deadly Remains—thank you so much for sticking with me! I know DR isn’t perfect. In fact, there are things in it that now make me cringe a little. Live and learn, right?

And I can’t thank you guys enough for posting your thoughtful reviews on the sites where you purchased my books. Not only does your feedback help me improve as a writer, but it also helps other people figure out whether they might like my stories. Word of mouth is super important for a relatively new author like me, so I appreciate everything you’ve done to help spread the word.

Okay, status …

More than a few of you have asked about the third book in Lire’s story—am I working on it and when is it coming out?

The short answer is: “Yes (feverishly), and late this year (if all goes well).”

If I had to guess, right now I’m about two-thirds done with the first draft, possibly more. I’m a pantster (I write by the seat of my pants), so I don’t always know where things are going to end up. At any given time, I might have a rough direction in mind, but once I wind things up and let them go, the story can sometimes veer into places I didn’t initially expect. Which is why I can only offer a rough estimate of my progress. That said, I’m pretty sure my goal of a solid first draft by early summer is just about right.

Once I finish the first draft, my test readers get to pick it apart and then we’re off to the races with a round or two (or three) of edits and more test reading until we’re all happy with the results. I’ve come to learn that the editing process takes twice as long as I think it will.

Okay, I should get back to Lire. She and her friends have gotten themselves into a heap of trouble, and now I have to figure out how they’re going to dig themselves out.

-Kat-

Deceiver's Bond now available in softcover!

If you prefer the feel of paper, the second book in the A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life series is now available from Amazon in softcover. I just received my own copy today and am thrilled with the results. I am beyond lucky to have a husband who has the skills to do this stuff—and do it well. For those who took the plunge and decided to follow Lire on her journey, a heartfelt thank you! Because of you, my latest installment is running in the top 100 of Paranormal & Urban Fantasy new Kindle releases. If the story entertains you, then I'll count myself truly blessed.

So far on Amazon, I've received two reviews, both of them glowing (thank you!) and both from folks I don't know. At least, I don't think I know them. (If I do know you, just leave me in the dark, 'kay?) Seems silly that a review from a stranger would stand higher than a review from a friend. I guess it's because I think a person who doesn't know me is more likely to give their unvarnished feedback, while a friend might be tempted to pull their punches, especially in a public forum.

In all honesty, reviews scare the heck out of me, mostly because the thought of disappointing you guys makes me squirm. However, I'm smart enough to know that hearing feedback is key in helping me grow and improve as a writer and storyteller. So, to that end, I hope that once you've read Deceiver's Bond you'll take the time to let me know your thoughts in an Amazon (or other seller's) review. Let me know what worked and what didn't. It means a lot to me.

And, if you enjoyed the story, I hope you'll spread the word!

Deceiver's Bond: Book 2 of A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life is up on Amazon!

If I wasn't so busy biting my nails, I'd be dancing in the streets. Deceiver's Bond, the sequel to Deadly Remains, is available now on Amazon. The B&N and Apple versions are in the queue. (Those retailers always take longer to process their submissions for some reason.) The softcover will be available mid-July through Amazon. Scot and I are waiting for the print sample to arrive before approving it. Fingers crossed that there are no issues with the layout.

A big thank you to all of my supporters. I couldn't have done it without you. My story is better because of your honest feedback. Hugs galore!

I hope you all will let me know what you think of the latest installment. The story unfolded as I was writing it and Lire's adventures took me in a direction that I hadn't anticipated. At the very least, I hope you guys decide it was worth the wait.

To celebrate the new release, I've priced Deadly Remains at $0.99 for the summer. Please spread the word!

Cheers!