Guardian’s Secret out now!

Guardian’s Secret is out today! This is a new novella in the Hearts and Thrones series. It’s a side story featuring Drusus, the imperial bodyguard. Please note that this is a gay (m/m) romance, unlike the other stories in this series which are m/f. Why did I write a gay romance in a straight series? Because the Hearts and Thrones world includes people of all kinds, and I don’t want to exclude a gay character from having his story told just because he’s gay.

This novella is about 200 pages long, so it’s longer than most novellas, but only half the length of a novel. This made pricing it a challenge, so what I’ve done is priced it at 99 cents for the first week, as a thank-you to my most loyal readers. Next Tuesday the price will go up to $2.99.

Drusus, recently retired from the imperial guard, has a secret he’s kept all his life. He’s a “morsey,” the Kjallan slang term for a man attracted to other men. But there is little tolerance for morseys in the imperial city, and Drusus must conceal his nature to preserve his friendships, his pension, and his social standing.

It’s not working. Drusus is lonely, and the woman he ineptly courts has sensed his ambivalence and fallen in love with someone else.

When a fire mage starts burning down morsey taverns and the corrupt city guard ignores the crimes, Drusus takes it upon himself to stand guard over the last remaining tavern. There he meets Caz, a gregarious dock worker, who boldly flirts with him. Drusus wants Caz, but is he willing to risk everything in the pursuit of his desire?

Available now!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBookstore | Kobo

Guardian’s Secret–coming September 8th!

Coming on September 8th, a new novella in the Hearts and Thrones series! Guardian’s Secret is a side story featuring Drusus, the imperial bodyguard from Healer’s Touch, who is now retired from the guard–and harboring a secret he’s kept for over twenty years.

This book is a bit of a departure for me in that it’s a gay (m/m) romance, while the rest of the Hearts and Thrones series features heterosexual (m/f) couples. I know that it’s typical in the romance world to write a series that is either all straight or all gay. The problem is that when you build a fantasy world full of all different kinds of people, some of them are going to be gay, and if one of those character’s stories is worth telling, I want to tell it. So, yes, this is a gay m/m story that is part of a series of mostly m/f stories, and the reason is simply that this world, like our own, has both straight people and gay people in it.

I struggled with how to price this novella. It’s longer than a typical novella, about half the length of a full-length novel. Since my novels are priced at $3.99, the logical price for this one would be $1.99, but what readers may not know is that many vendors (including Amazon) cut your royalties in half if you price a work of any length below $2.99. It’s a punitive thing; they don’t like it when authors price their books low because they make less money that way, and unfortunately they apply this policy to everything, even 10-page short stories which really ought to be priced at 99 cents.

So here’s what I decided. I’m going to price this long novella at $2.99. BUT, as a thank you to my loyal readers, I’m going to release it with an introductory price of 99 cents. This introductory sale price will apply for the month that it’s available for pre-order as well as the first week of release. After the first week, the price will go up to $2.99.

I’ll post again when the pre-orders are up on Amazon and iBooks. These are the only two sites that allow me to set up a pre-order, so on other sites such as B&N and Kobo, the book will go up on release day.

Here is the official blurb:

Drusus, recently retired from the imperial guard, has a secret he’s kept all his life. He’s a “morsey,” the Kjallan slang term for a man attracted to other men. But there is little tolerance for morseys in the imperial city, and Drusus must conceal his nature to preserve his friendships, his pension, and his social standing.

It’s not working. Drusus is lonely, and the woman he ineptly courts has sensed his ambivalence and fallen in love with someone else.

When a fire mage starts burning down morsey taverns and the corrupt city guard ignores the crimes, Drusus takes it upon himself to stand guard over the last remaining tavern. There he meets Caz, a gregarious dock worker, who boldly flirts with him. Drusus wants Caz, but is he willing to risk everything in the pursuit of his desire?

Note to readers: Guardian’s Secret is a gay (m/m) romance set in the Hearts and Thrones universe. It is a long novella, approximately half the length of a novel, and is a side story that occurs chronologically after Healer’s Touch.

The Fire Seer and Her Quradum out today!

It’s here, the first sequel to the Fire Seer! This one focuses on Mandir, as the Coalition sends him back to his hated father’s house, and he and Taya are forced to confront the horrors of Mandir’s past.

It’s up now at these three vendors:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

And will be up at the iBookstore shortly; I’m just waiting for them to process it. If you want an iBookstore link, check here a little bit later. I will update it with the link when I have one.

The official blurb:

Mandir would rather wrestle a lion with his bare hands than confront the dark secrets of his past. He’s a quradum, one of the Coalition’s magic-using warriors, and when the Coalition elders send him to his childhood home to recruit a boy with magical abilities, Mandir must face his sadistic father and the family he hoped never to see again.

Taya, his partner and lover, arranges to join him on the mission, knowing that Mandir will need the support of a companion he trusts. But when someone in the household is murdered and Mandir finds himself the prime suspect, Taya will need all her wits, not to mention her fire magic, in order to clear his name.

FIERCE is out today!

Don’t like pre-orders? The wait is over. FIERCE is now on sale at all retailers–and with fifteen five-star reviews already on its first day of release!

Sixteen epic fantasy authors for 99 cents, and it’s available for only one month. If you like fantasy, you just can’t go wrong with this set. I have already bought and downloaded my own copy. Links to retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

Join epic fantasy legend Mercedes Lackey and fifteen additional New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling authors on the adventure of a lifetime!

Over one million words and sixteen realms of fantasy brought together for your reading pleasure. Discover courageous characters fighting for justice and order. Journey between kingdoms of dragons and lands of anarchy as tales of magic and mayhem unfold.

Grab it today, before it’s gone!

Mercedes Lackey – Moving Targets

Stuck watching over four Herald trainees on circuit, Elyn is at her wits’ end—and that’s before a town asks for help with a ghostly infestation.

Michael G. Manning – The Blacksmith’s Son

A journey to discover the secrets of his past reveals a magical heritage and embroils Mordecai in a deadly battle for the future of mankind.

K.F. Breene – Chosen

Prophecy has foretold that when war threatens the world, the Chosen will appear to help the Shadow Warriors reclaim their stolen freedom and lead them out of the Land of Mist.

Morgan Rice – A Quest of Heroes

Thorgin, an outsider and a dreamer, fights to become a warrior in an epic quest that finds him at the center of a maelstrom of royal plots and counterplots that threaten him and everyone he loves.

Michael James Ploof – Whill of Agora

When Whill learns the truth of his lineage, he sets out to face his father’s murderer, but what he learns along the way will change his life—and the realm—forever.

Daniel Arenson – Requiem’s Song

Weredragons, men call them. Monsters. Cursed ones. People who can turn into beastly reptiles. Together they will forge a nation.

Kate Sparkes – Bound

When a young woman accidentally saves the life of an enemy Sorcerer, she finds herself drawn into a world of magic that’s more beautiful, more seductive, and more dangerous than she ever imagined.

David Adams – The Pariahs

Two sellswords—a half-elf and a half-orc—find their war over before it even begins. But trouble is stirring on the home front, conflict which threatens more than just their lives.

Amy Raby – The Fire Seer
Taya must use her fire visions to investigate a series of murders, but the Coalition of Mages has partnered her with her old nemesis, the man who used to bully her when they were young.

Greenwood – Magic of Thieves & Betrayal of Thieves

In a province where magic is forbidden, young Ilan, born with the powerful gift of her ancestors, has only one hope for survival—concealment.

David Dalglish – The Weight of Blood

When half-bloods Harruq and Qurrah Tun pledged their lives to a death prophet, they only sought escape from their squalid beginnings. Instead, they become his greatest disciples, charged with leading his army of undead.

K.J. Colt – Bear Heart

In the savage lands of Ruxdor, young Klawdia must fight the champions of four rival clans to defend her future as the first female chieftain.

Shae Ford – Poison

A bandit girl is taken from her home and thrust into a complex world of lords and ladies, where she learns that she must kill to survive.

Endi Webb – The Maskmaker’s Apprentice

Masks of legend. Masks of power. Those who dare to wear them trifle with the old powers and risk ruin and mayhem. But a young apprentice maskmaker cannot contain his curiosity, and accidentally unleashes a deadly terror upon an unsuspecting world.

Michael Wallace – The Dark Citadel

A slave boy and a young queen lead an alliance of spies, servants, and merchants to stave off the encroaching armies of a dark wizard.

Terah Edun – Blades of Magic

As an unstoppable war breaks out, a young girl enlists in the military to unravel the secrets surrounding her father’s execution.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

Cover reveal for The Fire Seer and Her Quradum

It’s here, the cover for the sequel to The Fire Seer! That’s Mandir featured on the cover.

Mandir would rather wrestle a lion with his bare hands than confront the dark secrets of his past. He’s a quradum, one of the Coalition’s magic-using warriors, and when the Coalition elders send him to his childhood home to recruit a boy with magical abilities, Mandir must face his sadistic father and the family he hoped never to see again.

Taya, his partner and lover, arranges to join him on the mission, knowing that Mandir will need the support of a companion he trusts. But when someone in the household is murdered and Mandir finds himself the prime suspect, Taya will need all her wits, not to mention her fire magic, in order to clear his name.

Cover design by the very talented Ravven. The Fire Seer and Her Quradum is coming to all retailers on March 24, 2015!

FIERCE now available for pre-order!

It’s here! The FIERCE bundle is now available for pre-order at all retailers! This is an ebook bundle of sixteen works by sixteen different fantasy authors, all for 99 cents. It’s available only for a limited time, so pick it up while you can!

This bundle includes my own book THE FIRE SEER as well as a brand-new story from fantasy icon Mercedes Lackey.

Links to retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

Join epic fantasy legend Mercedes Lackey and fifteen additional New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling authors on the adventure of a lifetime!

Over one million words and sixteen realms of fantasy brought together for your reading pleasure. Discover courageous characters fighting for justice and order. Journey between kingdoms of dragons and lands of anarchy as tales of magic and mayhem unfold.

Grab it today, before it’s gone!

Mercedes Lackey – Moving Targets

Stuck watching over four Herald trainees on circuit, Elyn is at her wits’ end—and that’s before a town asks for help with a ghostly infestation.

Michael G. Manning – The Blacksmith’s Son

A journey to discover the secrets of his past reveals a magical heritage and embroils Mordecai in a deadly battle for the future of mankind.

K.F. Breene – Chosen

Prophecy has foretold that when war threatens the world, the Chosen will appear to help the Shadow Warriors reclaim their stolen freedom and lead them out of the Land of Mist.

Morgan Rice – A Quest of Heroes

Thorgin, an outsider and a dreamer, fights to become a warrior in an epic quest that finds him at the center of a maelstrom of royal plots and counterplots that threaten him and everyone he loves.

Michael James Ploof – Whill of Agora

When Whill learns the truth of his lineage, he sets out to face his father’s murderer, but what he learns along the way will change his life—and the realm—forever.

Daniel Arenson – Requiem’s Song

Weredragons, men call them. Monsters. Cursed ones. People who can turn into beastly reptiles. Together they will forge a nation.

Kate Sparkes – Bound

When a young woman accidentally saves the life of an enemy Sorcerer, she finds herself drawn into a world of magic that’s more beautiful, more seductive, and more dangerous than she ever imagined.

David Adams – The Pariahs

Two sellswords—a half-elf and a half-orc—find their war over before it even begins. But trouble is stirring on the home front, conflict which threatens more than just their lives.

Amy Raby – The Fire Seer
Taya must use her fire visions to investigate a series of murders, but the Coalition of Mages has partnered her with her old nemesis, the man who used to bully her when they were young.

Greenwood – Magic of Thieves & Betrayal of Thieves

In a province where magic is forbidden, young Ilan, born with the powerful gift of her ancestors, has only one hope for survival—concealment.

David Dalglish – The Weight of Blood

When half-bloods Harruq and Qurrah Tun pledged their lives to a death prophet, they only sought escape from their squalid beginnings. Instead, they become his greatest disciples, charged with leading his army of undead.

K.J. Colt – Bear Heart

In the savage lands of Ruxdor, young Klawdia must fight the champions of four rival clans to defend her future as the first female chieftain.

Shae Ford – Poison

A bandit girl is taken from her home and thrust into a complex world of lords and ladies, where she learns that she must kill to survive.

Endi Webb – The Maskmaker’s Apprentice

Masks of legend. Masks of power. Those who dare to wear them trifle with the old powers and risk ruin and mayhem. But a young apprentice maskmaker cannot contain his curiosity, and accidentally unleashes a deadly terror upon an unsuspecting world.

Michael Wallace – The Dark Citadel

A slave boy and a young queen lead an alliance of spies, servants, and merchants to stave off the encroaching armies of a dark wizard.

Terah Edun – Blades of Magic

As an unstoppable war breaks out, a young girl enlists in the military to unravel the secrets surrounding her father’s execution.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

I have a new puppy!

Meet Nerf, my new puppy! I have always had Golden Retrievers. I like to do dog sports for fun–a little bit of everything. Here is a link to my champion show dog Akira, who passed away in 2007: Akira. I did hunt tests with him, and agility trials, and obedience trials. He loved all of it. I miss him a lot.

At my peak, I had three dogs: Akira, a lovely field bred girl named Spirit, and Akira’s daughter Serri. But then a series of tragedies happened. Akira and Spirit, who were getting on in years, both died of cancer, and through some fluke accident, Serri suffered a spinal cord injury. You know how the humane organizations say that spaying a dog is super safe and only the rarest of dogs will suffer a serious complication? Serri was that rare dog. She suffered a devastating hemorrhage after surgery and nearly died. Blood transfusions saved her life, but she has been permanently crippled ever since. She has partial control over her hind legs and can walk, but just barely.

The spay accident happened nine years ago. Serri is ten years old now, in perfect health except for her incurable spinal cord injury, and for all that nine years I have been unable to get another dog. Just couldn’t handle it. Rudyard Kipling said it best:

“There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.”

Well, I finally succumbed. I’ve given my heart to a dog to tear. Akira was sired by a dog named Topbrass Family Clout, and I found a female dog just a few hours drive from me who was also descended from Clout (albeit more distantly). I bought one of her puppies, and here he is! Zaniri Nerf Blaster, a.k.a. Nerf.

He is so cute I just want to play with him all day long!

Want to review the Fire Seer audiobook?

Want to review the Fire Seer audiobook? I have Audible codes for a free download of the Fire Seer audiobook that I will hand out to anyone willing to post an honest review on Audible.

Contact me through my Contact page and I’ll send you one via email, while supplies last!

THE FIRE SEER is now out in audiobook form!

It’s here! The audiobook is out for THE FIRE SEER!

Find it at one of these vendors:

Audible | Amazon | iTunes

The narration is by the very talented Scott Richard Ehredt. I’ll let him introduce himself by answering a few questions.

Amy: How did you become an actor? What training do you have, and what are some of your favorite roles?

Scott: I’m not entirely sure just how one becomes an actor.  I think it’s a genetic defect that happens at birth.  I’ve been entertaining since I was old enough to hold a hairbrush “microphone” and pretend I was Elvis for my family.  And the disease only got worse when I discovered the Drama Department in Jr. High School.  I went on to study at university and, while a degree in Theater is rather useless, the knowledge and skills acquired are priceless.

I left my university studies behind when I landed my first acting gig, and never looked back.  I love every aspect of performance.  From acting to singing, from MCing shows to, now, audiobooks.  Whether it’s live theater or in front of a camera, the process is pretty much the same.  And the process is the art.  It’s remarkably similar whether I’m working to create characters as diverse as Littlechap in Stop the World, Berger in Hair, the King of Siam in The King and I, and Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar for live performances, or doing a stint on TVs’ General Hospital!  Its an immersion process.  And one of the great side effects is that it expands the mind and allows one to see the world–real or imagined–from a whole different aspect.  I truly love it.

Amy: What drew you to narrating audiobooks?

Scott: It’s an actor’s life to always be looking for new avenues of performance and, honestly, income!  I’ve been lucky to have always been able to support myself as an actor.  Here in LA, where most actors are waiters or bartenders, that is a proud accomplishment.  So, when I was told about this by a musician friend, I investigated.  Then I jumped in!  It combines two of my favorite things: books and performance art!  It’s a win/win!  The challenge of a full performance without sets, costumes, fellow actors, etc., is irresistible.

Amy: Tell us about the process of narration. What’s involved in recording a chapter, and how do you bring the story and characters to life?

Scott: As I mentioned earlier, the process is the art.  Preparation is key–and a lot of fun!  An actor usually has one character-study to do.  Here, there are a dozen or so characters!  Each one needs a history.  A background.  A reason and understanding.  The author provides this for main characters, and usually in depth,  But, even that has to be fleshed out.  A character study requires answers to a lot of questions.  How does this character think, walk, and most importantly for this work, talk?  What is their history?  What is their particular arc in this story?  Where do they start, where do they go, and where do they end up?  So I must read the book first–start to finish.  Then, with this basic understanding, I reread the chapter I’m about to record, making notes on the characters therein and where they are in their “arc.”

As for voicing, I found a trick that I’m hesitant to divulge….but what the heck.  Most characters end up sounding at least a bit like other actors.  It helps me keep them straight in my head!  I don’t “imitate” these other actors.  But I use their voices as a base and develop out from there.  It’s as if I’ve cast these other roles.  Then, when it’s time to be one of these characters, I glimpse them in my head and the voice comes.  Yes, actors are schizophrenic.  But if you listen closely to The Fire Seer, you may hear Peter O’Toole, Roger Moore, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Alec Guiness, and me.  There’s a lot of me.

What I found most challenging were the female voices.  I had to be careful not to slip into a caricature of a female voice and sound silly.  This is where an internally-driven method of acting comes in handy.  By adopting a more feminine mindset, the voice comes out, hopefully, with a hint of  feminine sound.  Of course, mentally casting Julie Andrews, Judy Densch and other fine female actors is a great help!  With the character in place, the book is simply read…and the story unfolds as though the listener is reading the words.  I’m mindful to never get in the way of that.  I never want to be so jarring or outrageous in characterization or narration that it takes the listener out of the experience they would be having if they were reading the words themselves.  It’s a fine line and a balancing act.  And I’ve discovered that it’s a lot of fun!  I should add that raising three children–and reading to them a lot–is great prep for becoming an audiobook narrator.  Now, as then, I always keep in mind that I am reading to someone.  It helps.

Amy: What sort of books do you like to read? What do you like to do in your free time?

Scott: I love to read and I read just about anything and everything.  Some of my favorites are Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, Winston Churchill’s WWII histories, and the Ian Fleming James Bond books.  I’ve also recently discovered and become obsessed with Bernard Cornwell.  He writes wonderful historic fiction and I’m particularly impressed with his Saxon Tales series.  When I’m not performing, I’m usually on horseback.  I have two outstanding mounts named Solitude and Solitaire which are my recreational passion.  There is nothing in this world to get me centered and relaxed like a few hours…or even a few days and nights….riding in the high desert or mountains outside of LA.  Winston Churchill famously said, “There is nothing so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse.”  He was right.

New epic fantasy bundle featuring THE FIRE SEER

I’m very excited to announce that THE FIRE SEER will be featured as one of sixteen epic fantasy works in the forthcoming multi-author bundle, FIERCE: Sixteen Authors Of Fantasy! Don’t have THE FIRE SEER yet? This is your opportunity to get it for only 99 cents along with stories from 15 other authors, including Mercedes Lackey. Also read below for an opportunity to get the bundle for free.

Click on the iBooks EXCLUSIVE Pre-Order below to reserve your copy today. On sale on all retailers March 10, 2015. We hope everyone will be looking forward to this!

For a limited time only!

Join epic fantasy legend Mercedes Lackey and fifteen additional New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling authors on the adventure of a lifetime!

Over one million words and sixteen realms of fantasy brought together for your reading pleasure. Discover courageous characters fighting for justice and order, journey between kingdoms of dragons and lands of anarchy as tales of magic and mayhem unfold.

Grab it today, before it’s gone!

FIERCE: Sixteen Authors Of Fantasy pre-orders are available exclusively through iBooks.

Hurry and get a copy for $0.99!

Join the ThunderClapIt today and get the bundle FREE. All you have to do is click over to this page, sign up your support and email novelbundle@gmail.com to receive a free copy one week before release.

ThunderClapIt Link – https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/21991-fierce-16-authors-of-fantasy

About the Authors and Titles:

Mercedes Lackey – Moving Targets

Stuck watching over four Herald trainees on circuit, Elyn is at her wits’ end—and that’s before a town asks for help with a ghostly infestation.

Michael G. Manning – The Blacksmith’s Son

A journey to discover the secrets of his past reveals a magical heritage and embroils Mordecai in a deadly battle for the future of mankind.

K.F. Breene – Chosen

Prophecy has foretold that when war threatens the world, the Chosen will appear to help the Shadow Warriors reclaim their stolen freedom and lead them out of the Land of Mist.

Morgan Rice – A Quest of Heroes

Thorgin, an outsider and a dreamer, fights to become a warrior in an epic quest that finds him at the center of a maelstrom of royal plots and counterplots that threaten him and everyone he loves.

Michael James Ploof – Whill of Agora

When Whill learns the truth of his lineage, he sets out to face his father’s murderer, but what he learns along the way will change his life—and the realm—forever.

Daniel Arenson – Requiem’s Song

Weredragons, men call them. Monsters. Cursed ones. People who can turn into beastly reptiles. Together they will forge a nation.

Kate Sparkes – Bound

When a young woman accidentally saves the life of an enemy Sorcerer, she finds herself drawn into a world of magic that’s more beautiful, more seductive, and more dangerous than she ever imagined.

David Adams – The Pariahs

Two sellswords—a half-elf and a half-orc—find their war over before it even begins. But trouble is stirring on the home front, conflict which threatens more than just their lives.

Amy Raby – The Fire Seer
Taya must use her fire visions to investigate a series of murders, but the Coalition of Mages has partnered her with her old nemesis, the man who used to bully her when they were young.

C. Greenwood – Magic of Thieves & Betrayal of Thieves

In a province where magic is forbidden, young Ilan, born with the powerful gift of her ancestors, has only one hope for survival—concealment.

David Dalglish – The Weight of Blood

When half-bloods Harruq and Qurrah Tun pledged their lives to a death prophet, they only sought escape from their squalid beginnings. Instead, they become his greatest disciples, charged with leading his army of undead.

K.J. Colt – Bear Heart

In the savage lands of Ruxdor, young Klawdia must fight the champions of four rival clans to defend her future as the first female chieftain.

Shae Ford – Poison

A bandit girl is taken from her home and thrust into a complex world of lords and ladies, where she learns that she must kill to survive.

Endi Webb – The Maskmaker’s Apprentice

Masks of legend. Masks of power. Those who dare to wear them trifle with the old powers and risk ruin and mayhem. But a young apprentice maskmaker cannot contain his curiosity, and accidentally unleashes a deadly terror upon an unsuspecting world.

Michael Wallace – The Dark Citadel

A slave boy and a young queen lead an alliance of spies, servants, and merchants to stave off the encroaching armies of a dark wizard.

Terah Edun – Blades of Magic

As an unstoppable war breaks out, a young girl enlists in the military to unravel the secrets surrounding her father’s execution.