We just wrapped up our annual Hawthorn Moon blog tour, check out the links below if you missed it.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Days of the Dead Blog Tour and New Releases
It’s a spooktacular time of the year, with All Hallow’s Even, Samhain, Halloween, and Days of the Dead, just perfect for stories packed with ghosts, magic, cursed objects, haunted houses, and things that go bump in the night!
New and Coming soon!
Creature Feature (Spells, Salt, & Steel Book 7) — Mark Wojcik finds himself protecting cryptids from a kidnapper who traffics them to exotic hunters or collectors. The Huntsman has his eye on a rare prize—a huge, winged NuWi that only rises every fifty years, with plans to enslave the NuWi and use it to fry his enemies to a crispy crunch. Mark is determined to make the Huntsman’s plans go up in flames.
Sons of Darkness is now on audiobook! First in the Night Vigil series—Ex-priest Travis Dominick teams up with former FBI agent Brent Lawson to deal with demonic threats in Pittsburgh.
Inheritance (Deadly Curiosities book 4) is now on audiobook! Caribbean ghosts terrorize Charleston and start racking up a body count. Then Beckford Pendlewood, the heir to a powerful family of dark warlocks, shows up raving about a bound demon locked in a lost box and begs sanctuary. Can Cassidy and her friends find the demon box, stop the killer ghosts, and break the Pendlewood curse before Beckford’s murderous cousins and the vengeful demon destroy them all?
Coming soon!
Fugitive’s Vow (Assassins of Landria Book 3)—King’s Shadows Joel “Ridge” Breckenridge and Garrett “Rett” Kennard don’t believe the claims that the Witch Lord is dead. Then tragedy strikes, and Ridge and Rett are framed for the murders. It’s going to take luck, cunning, witchy friends and more than a few explosions to evade the warrants for their arrest and stop the Witch Lord’s latest plot.
Chicagoland (Joe Mack Adventures Book 3)—Supernatural Secret Service agent Jack West gets a call for help from Eliot Ness in Chicago, who fears Al Capone’s fascination with the occult has turned monsters loose in the city. Joe, Jack and their irrepressible partner in hijinxs Sarah Grace McAllen Harringworth head for the Windy City to tackle Scarface’s dark magic before it’s too late.
New—Signed/Personalized Books and Hand-made Pottery!
https://sol-darkwind.square.site/
We printed a lot of books to have at conventions this year, and all the events were cancelled. Now you can still get a signed, personalized book from our new Square store, mailed to your door! All the Gail Z. Martin, Larry N. Martin, Gail & Larry, and Morgan Brice books, plus a smattering of recent anthologies are available while supplies last. We’ve also added the hand-thrown, hand-decorated mugs and shot glasses that Larry creates—perfect holiday gifts. Check it out!
Days of the Dead Tour
Our Days of the Dead blog tour rolled out with new guest posts on these blogs:
The Qwillery: Badass Women of Landria
Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: Paths to Publication in 2020
SciFi Chick: Raising the Stakes
RisingShadow: The Plot Thickens https://www.risingshadow.net/articles/guest-posts/1042-guest-post-fugitive-s-vow-the-plot-thickens-by-gail-z-martin
Beauty In Ruins: Ghosts Make the Best Spies
I Smell Sheep: Indie Publishing in a Weird World
Fantasy Book Critic: Keeping Epic Fantasy Fresh
Lots Going on in ConTinual!
Have you discovered ConTinual, the online, ongoing multi-genre convention that never ends? We have some awesome multi-author panels on real ghost hunters, horror, writing, paranormal romance, Supernatural, cryptids, vampires, fantasy, sci-fi, fandom, Doctor Who, Lovecraft, and more! We’ve got a fantastic Holiday schedule coming with panels and movie nights and all kinds of surprises, so make sure you check back often!
Gail will be a guest at Virtual Philcon, and you can find some of her other virtual con panels from 2020 on the YouTube pages for Dragon Con, ConCarolinas, Balticon, and the Dragon Con Urban Fantasy Track!
If you haven’t already joined our Shadow Alliance reader group on Facebook, now is a good time to dive in! The Shadows are a lively group where we shared tidbits from works-in-progress, photos of book locations and inspirations, special giveaways, and first-look cover reveals, as well as where we go first for beta and ARC readers! Get in on the fun!
And if you’re a Supernatural fan, come join Gail’s very active Supernatural group on Facebook with plenty of photos, watch parties and fun!
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Putting the ‘Roar’ in Roaring Twenties
By Gail Z. Martin
The Roaring Twenties had it all—Prohibition speakeasies, Art Deco luxury, existential angst from the Great War and the Flu Pandemic, and a fin de siecle jadedness that dared the universe to show them something they hadn’t seen before.
Joe Magarac called on Krukis, the ancient Slavic god of blacksmiths, as he lay dying on a riverbank after the Homestead Riots. Krukis gave him immortality and special abilities, and in exchange Joe swore his soul to become the campions of justice for the oppressed.
Fast forward decades, and Joe has reinvented himself as Joe Mack, hunting monsters in the late 1920s and thwarting supernatural schemes. He doesn’t have to go up against these threats alone. Jack West, a secret agent who specializes in paranormal problems, and Sarah McAllen Harringworth, an heiress with a love of danger, help him take on everything from Leninist werewolves to Lovecraftian horrors from the deep.
The series is a spin-off from John Hartness’s Quincey Harker, Demon Hunter books, set in the same universe, so you can expect some snark along with all the explosions.
Cauldron and Black Sun are currently available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Watch for a third and fourth novella, coming later this year!
About the Authors
Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, SOL Publishing, Darkwind Press, and Falstaff Books. Recent books include Witch of the Woods, Sellsword’s Oath, Inheritance, Monster Mash and Black Sun. With Larry N. Martin, she is the co-author of the Spells Salt & Steel, Wasteland Marshals, Joe Mack and Jake Desmet series. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance including the Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Kings of the Mountain and the upcoming Fox Hollow series. Nearly all the books are either already available on audiobook via Audible or are coming soon.
Larry N. Martin is the author of the new sci-fi adventure novel Salvage Rat and the portal fantasy The Splintered Crown. He is the co-author (with Gail Z. Martin) of the Spells, Salt, and Steel/New Templars series; the Steampunk series Iron & Blood; and a collection of short stories and novellas: The Storm & Fury Adventures set in the Iron & Blood universe. He is also the co-author of the Wasteland Marshals series and the Joe Mack Adventures/Shadow Council Archives series.
Find them at Http://www.AscendantKingdoms.com, on Twitter @GailZMartin and @LarryNMartin, on Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms, at DisquietingVisions.com blog and on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin. Never miss out on the news and new releases—newsletter signup link http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj Follow Gail’s Amazon author page here: https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Z-Martin/e/B002BM8XSQ On Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-z-martin On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganbriceauthor/ Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/gzmartin
And get a free complete short story, Catspaw, here: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/UAjd6
Join our Facebook group, the Shadow Alliance https://www.facebook.com/groups/435812789942761/
Gail’s Supernatural Group is Supernatural TFW-NC: https://www.facebook.com/groups/169524930423807/
Check out ConTinual here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/ConTinual
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Where Have All the Muses Gone—a #HoldOnToTheLight post
By Danielle Ackley-McPhail
From the first days of my conscious thought I have always been creative. I have told tales and given free rein to my imagination. I’ve created worlds on paper, in my head, for my toys, friends, and anyone else who would listen. And—eventually—for my fans. I have lived with my muses for a very, very long time.
I live to be creative. To make something awe-inspiring out of nothing but a thought.
It kills me to not be creative.
I am dying inside.
Since 2014 the stress of life has become a barrier between myself and my muses. The death of loved ones, friends, pets… The struggle to provide for my family. My failure to do so. Losing my job. Losing my house. Moving in a long, slow, painful process that feels as if it will never end. Still not knowing how I’m going to meet my obligations. Needing to find a job.
My muses and I are rarely on speaking terms anymore. Or maybe I’ve just become deaf to their voices, too soft to hear over the clamber of all my other worries. Pushed back by all the other responsibilities. Even just writing this article has been a struggle. I despair of every being creative again. Believe me. That doesn’t help. The panicked jibbering in my head at that thought drowns the muses out even more. Depression kills my passion and my joy, but I refuse to let it triumph and kill the heart of me.
I remind myself that today is not the day. But that does not mean tomorrow isn’t. Or the next. Or even years from now.
My creativity might not come when I expect it. When I need it. But that is not today’s concern. Today I must survive. I must manage what responsibilities I can. Deal with whatever crises rise up before me. Because no matter how dark today seems, there is always tomorrow. Each time I wake up to a new day, it is a win. I will not surrender my life, my creativity to despair. I will not hand it that victory.
Over the last three years I have had to focus on survival, but that does not mean my muses have been silent. I have written, there have been fleeting moments of inspiration, and once I find my feet again, my sisters will be there, ready once more to whisper in my ear, to share new worlds with me.
And I WILL share them with you. If I do not give up.
Never Give Up. Never Surrender.
#HoldOnToTheLight is a blog campaign encompassing blog posts by fantasy and science fiction authors around the world in an effort to raise awareness around treatment for depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention, PTSD initiatives, bullying prevention and other mental health-related issues. We believe fandom should be supportive, welcoming and inclusive, in the long tradition of fandom taking care of its own. We encourage readers and fans to seek the help they or their loved ones need without shame or embarrassment.
Please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Hope for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), BeyondBlue (Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
To find out more about #HoldOnToTheLight, find a list of participating authors and blog posts, or reach a media contact, go to https://www.HoldOnToTheLight.com and join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WeHoldOnToTheLight
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Fandom Takes Care of its Own—a #HoldOnToTheLight post by Gail Z. Martin
I grew up believing that I was not going to survive to adulthood. My parents were into doomsday politics and apocalyptic religion, so whether it was Soviet nukes or Armageddon, we were all going down in flames.
Everyone around me—extended family and religious social group—echoed the same fears and beliefs. I was pleasantly surprised to still be alive at age 12, but I didn’t figure it would last.
That’s the year I discovered Star Trek (original series) and read my first science fiction book (Destination: Universe by A.E. VanVogt). I still remember the moment when it hit me that other people saw the possibility of a completely different future than the fire and blood I’d been raised to expect. Cataclysmic destruction was not inevitable. I remember lying in the grass in my back yard, book open, tears running down my face when I realized I actually might live long enough to grow up.
Before I switched schools, I got bullied a lot. I decided when I was 14 that someday, I wanted to write the kind of sweeping adventures that I loved to read, the kind that took me away from bullies and terrifying predictions and showed me magic and space ships and heroes, a world that got better instead of ending up in a pile of ash.
I found two friends who liked the same shows and books. It was enough to get by. We went to my first sci-fi convention in Columbus when I was a junior in high school. I was surrounded by hundreds of people who had seen the same movies, read the same books, got the jokes. I felt like I’d gone to heaven.
Fandom saved my life. It gave me a place where I belonged, and it gave me a vision of another kind of future. It became a new kind of family, one that understood and supported me in a way my birth family never could.
My friends from conventions and fanzines encouraged me to write. They taught me that I could entertain people with my stories, and their nurturing and prompting gave me the courage to keep writing.
Fast forward a few decades. I’m now an author writing several series of fantasy books for major publishers. I still go to conventions—but now I’m up on the panels. Fandom anchors me and nurtures me. I’m more at home at a convention than at almost any other gathering. We have shared history and common ground. I belong.
But what continues to amaze and inspire me is how fandom takes care of its own.
When my friend, author C.J. Henderson, was dying of cancer, a couple of us came up with the idea of doing a charity anthology to help with medical bills. Within a few hours, we had nearly 50 authors on board with the project, all donating previously-published short stories, and a publisher willing to pull the anthology together to benefit CJ and his family. Dance Like a Monkey was the result. CJ lost his battle to cancer. Another book, The Society for the Preservation of CJ Henderson (and a GoFundMe campaign of the same name), helped to cover burial expenses.
I can’t count the number of GoFundMe campaigns and fundraisers I’ve seen in support of fans with health challenges and other catastrophic life events. So many cons have memorial scholarships given in honor of beloved members of the fandom community who passed away, people like Peggy Rae Sapienza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Rae_Sapienza. Every con I attend has either a blood drive or a charity auction—or both.
One of the most powerful times I saw fandom taking care of its own came at a panel on the last day of a convention. One attendee who had recently experienced physical and family trauma (I’m being deliberately vague to protect privacy) responded to something one of us on the panel said by talking about committing suicide. The whole mood in the room shifted. The audience became quietly supportive. The panelists tried to let him know he was not alone. One of the panelists—an unlikely hero—was able to find common ground through a similar life experience. He stayed after the panel talking privately with the attendee for over an hour. That was five or six years ago. The man did not kill himself. Circumstances improved. He gets a big hug every year from me and we celebrate.
This past summer, ConCarolinas added a panel on coping with mental illness. The panelists were either authors who were medical professionals and/or authors who had personal experience with depression, etc. Not only was the panel standing room only, it ran over, and spawned a Facebook group. That’s one reason #HoldOnToTheLight is reaching out to convention organizers to encourage adding, promoting and expanding programming on mental wellness issues.
#HoldOnToTheLight was inspired by #AlwaysKeepFighting, a campaign from the Supernatural TV show fandom (https://www.supernaturalwiki.com/index.php?title=Always_Keep_Fighting) I’m especially thrilled to see the #SPNFamily Crisis Support Network creating a fandom-based peer counseling training opportunity. Details here: https://www.randomacts.org/programs/crisis-support-network/ . (Yeah, I’m a huge fan of the show.) As Bobby Singer said, “Family don’t end with blood.” In other words, your true family is the one you gather around yourself.
#AlwaysKeepFighting showed the reach media stars have when they talk about issues, and I wondered what would happen if genre authors opened a similar conversation. I recruited my usual partners in crime—John Hartness, Misty Massey, Jaym Gates, Jean Marie Ward, Emily Leverett and my husband, Larry N. Martin—as the steering committee, and we started asking our colleagues and author friends to join us.
The result? More than 100 science fiction, fantasy, horror, paranormal romance and speculative fiction authors are part of #HoldOnToTheLight. We’re here to begin a conversation, and we hope you’ll join us for the journey.
#HoldOnToTheLight is a blog campaign encompassing blog posts by fantasy and science fiction authors around the world in an effort to raise awareness around treatment for depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention, PTSD initiatives, bullying prevention and other mental health-related issues. We believe fandom should be supportive, welcoming and inclusive, in the long tradition of fandom taking care of its own. We encourage readers and fans to seek the help they or their loved ones need without shame or embarrassment.
Please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Home for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), BeyondBlue (Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
To find out more about #HoldOnToTheLight, find a list of participating authors and blog posts, or reach a media contact, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/276745236033627/.
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#HoldOnToTheLight—Sci-Fi and Fantasy Authors Blogging for Mental Wellness
What happens when more than 75 sci-fi and fantasy authors start a conversation about mental wellness, mental illness, depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention, PTSD treatment and related issues?
We don’t know, but we’re going to find out.
#HoldOnToTheLight is a blog campaign encompassing blog posts by fantasy and science fiction authors around the world in an effort to raise awareness about treatment for depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention, PTSD initiatives, bullying prevention and other mental health-related issues. We believe fandom should be supportive, welcoming and inclusive, in the long tradition of fandom taking care of its own. We encourage readers and fans to seek the help they or their loved ones need without shame or embarrassment.
Among the authors participating so far are: Robin Hobb, Jody Lynn Nye, Cat Rambo, Seanan McGuire, Laura Anne Gilman, Chuck Gannon, Kameron Hurley, Catherine Asaro, Gaie Siebold, Karen Miller, Rowena Cory Daniels, David B. Coe, Marc Tassin, Jonathan Oliver, Jeanne Adams, Nancy Northcott, Aaron Rosenberg, Jennifer St. Giles, Mark Van Name, Juliet McKenna, Jennifer Brozek, Darynda Jones, Christopher Golden, Clay and Susan Griffith, Gregory Wilson, Josh Vogt, Darin Kennedy, Jon Sprunk, James Maxey, Karen E. Taylor, Justin Gustainis, Misty Massey, John G. Hartness, Gail Z. Martin, Jean Marie Ward, Jaym Gates, Laura Taylor, Weston Ochse, Ron Garner, Kathy Lyons, Mari Mancusi, Leanna Renee Hieber, Davey Beauchamp, Cheryl Wilson, Rod Belcher, Travis Heermann, Cara Santa Maria, Mike Allen, Joshua Palmatier, Mindy Mimudes, Emily Leverett, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Tera Fulbright, Tamsin Silver, Stuart Jaffe, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Eric Asher, Rick Gualtieri, Chris Kennedy, Ken Schrader, Samantha Dunaway Bryant, Valerie Willis, Alexandra Christian, Jake Bible, Matthew Saunders, Jay Requard, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Kelly Harmon, Sascha Illyvich, Kelly Swails, Bishop O’Connell, Sherwood Smith, Peter Prellwitz, Tracy Chowdhury, Trisha Wooldridge and more.
These authors will be posting a #HoldOnToTheLight blog either on their own blogs or as a guest blogger during September or October. I’ll be adding every post to a master list, but I encourage you to go to the authors’ sites and comment, like and share their posts to show your interest.
From the massively positive response to recent convention panels dealing with real-life mental health issues, we know this is a topic that resonates with fans. We also know from experience that readers identify with the struggles our characters face related to PTSD, depression, survivor guilt, and other related challenges. And most of us know first-hand what it’s like to wrestle with our own shadows.
September/October are the months for Depression Awareness, Suicide Prevention, Bullying Prevention, Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness, World Mental Health Day and Domestic Violence Awareness.
What’s our end game? We want to bring the issues, struggle and treatment out of the shadows and make it clear that no one is alone in the journey. We want to demonstrate fandom taking care of its own. And we want fandom to be a safe space for everyone.
The steering group behind #HoldOnTotheLight is made up of John Hartness, Jaym Gates, Jean Marie Ward, Emily Leverett, Mindy Mymudes and me.
How can you help? Share, retweet and engage with the blog posts and social media outreach about the campaign and by the participating authors to spread the word. Encourage the conventions you participate in to add or expand panels on mental wellness. Learn more about the issues, so you can be an educated participant in the discussion.
If you want to get even more hands-on, please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Home for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), BeyondBlue (Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
Together, we can #HoldOnToTheLight because #FandomTakesCareOfItsOwn.
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New Cool Stuff!
It must be spring, because I’m heading to The Steampunk World’s Fair, followed by Balticon, and then ConCarolinas—you can see the summer schedule at the end. It’s nice to get back on the road and back with the tribe—and I’m hoping you’ll come say hi if you’re heading to one of summer cons.
Shadow and Flame, the fourth and final Ascendant Kingdoms (Blaine McFadden) novel, is out in paperback, ebook and audiobook. Bookwraiths says, ‘a wild ride … never a dull moment!’ Watch book video here and buy it now! Shadow and Flame on Audible for the audiobook lovers!
Now about that six year gap in Ice Forged, when Blaine gets sent to Velant Prison … You already know that I cover those years in three 
novellas: Arctic Prison, Cold Fury and Ice Bound. Now you can get all three novellas in one collection for a special price in King’s Convicts.
Do you like a little Steampunk with your fairy tales? Gaslight and Grimm Journey with us through the pages of Gaslight and Grimm to discover timeless truths through lenses polished in the age of steam. With tales by James Chambers, Christine Norris, Bernie Mojzes, Danny Birt, Jean Marie Ward, Jeff Young, Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin, Elaine Corvidae, David Lee Summers, Kelly A. Harmon, Jonah Knight, Diana Bastine, and Jody Lynn Nye. Our story is a Billy Goats Gruff riff, “The Patented Troll.”
The May survey wants to know the ways you like best when it comes to interacting with authors at conventions! Take the survey and enter for a chance to win a sampler platter of 4 ebook short stories, one from each of our series!
Have you pre-ordered The Shadowed Path? Eyes and Books reviews calls it ‘crammed full of nonstop action, great characters and fast-paced writing! See the review here and pre-order here.
And I’ve been on a few blogs lately, talking about this and that….
When the End Comes—I share some thoughts with author Juliet McKenna on ending a series 
Anarchy sucks. Bibliosanctum gives me the mic to talk about the end of the world.
Ever wonder about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in fantasy novels? Catch my musings at SciFi Now.
And the Barnes & Noble blog had me on as a guest to talk about how we might never be Aragorn, but on our best days, we might be Sam.
How to find us:
• May 7 Book Festival in Rutherfordton, NC
• May 13 – 15 Steampunk World’s Fair, Piscataway, NJ (Iron & Blood party—Larry will be there with me!)
• May 27 – 30 Balticon, Baltimore, MD (launch party)
• June 3-5 ConCarolinas, Concord, NC (launch party—Double trouble—Larry’s coming, too!)
• June 15 – 19 Origins Gaming Convention, Columbus, OH
• June 21-28 Hawthorn Moon blog tour
• June 14 The Shadowed Path comes out!
Reviewers and media—The Shadowed Path is now on NetGalley. And if you missed getting a review copy for Shadow and Flame or Vendetta, just let me know and I can arrange it.
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As The World Burns. Shadow and Flame in Stores and Online Now!
Shadow and Flame, the fourth and final Ascendant Kingdoms novel, is now in stores and online! Not only that, but Orbit and I have some killer special deals with special low launch prices and great extras!
Here’s the scoop:
Blaine McFadden and his allies have brought magic back under mortal command and begun to restore order to the beleaguered kingdom of Donderath. Now, new perils and old enemies gather for a final reckoning. Foreign invaders, a legendary dark mage and vengeful immortals fight Blaine’s battered forces for control of the continent, and Blaine’s weary army is the only thing standing between a kingdom struggling to rise from the ashes and a descent into fury and darkness.
So here’s what’s REALLY cool! Right now, the paperback copy of Shadow and Flame is just $10.24 (save $5.75) on Amazon ! AND Orbit has done a price drop on ALL of the Ascendant Kingdoms books for a limited time—Ice Forged, Reign of Ash and War of Shadows are just $4.99 on Kindle (save $5 on each)! Great for catching up if you got behind, and perfect for binge-reading your way through the series. Grab them quick!
And to sweeten the deal a little more, if you buy Shadow and Flame (ebook or paper) before 3/31, you get Arctic Prison (a Blaine McFadden prequel novella) free! (That’s a $2.99 value!) Need to catch up on the series? Buy 2 or more Ascendant Kingdoms novels (any format) by 3/31, and get King’s Convicts (three Blaine McFadden prequel novellas) free! (That’s a $9.99 value!) Details here: https://conta.cc/2293EXk
Here’s what they’re saying about Shadow and Flame!
“The perfect conclusion to a truly epic tale.” — Michael J. Sullivan, author of the Riyria novels.
“Gail Z. Martin is the one of the finest storytellers writing today. Her fascinating characters and mastery of atmospherics gives readers stories that have to be savored. Her characters display the sort of quick wit and heart that make them a joy to follow through their adventures.”
—Michael A. Stackpole, New York Times Bestselling author of I, Jedi and Rogue Squadron
“A flawless finale that does not disappoint.” — RT Book Reviews
And Shadow and Flame made io9 and Gizmodo’s “Most Talked About Books for March” list!
But as they say on QVC, wait—there’s more! Join my Chronicles newsletter in March and enter for a chance to win a free copy of Arctic Prison (2 lucky winners!).
Join me on March 23 for an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit/Fantasy! I’ll be posting around noon, and returning later in the day to answer your questions. Want to know something about one of my books or characters, what’s coming up next, or just have questions about writing and publishing? Ask Me Anything! (If you miss the date, stop by anyhow and check out the Q&A or ask a question—I’ll be dropping by for a while to pick up latecomers!)
Shadow and Flame isn’t the only thing that’s new—we’ve got a new Storm and Fury Adventure for Steampunk fans. Airship Down takes the Department of Supernatural Investigation on a wild ride in search of mysterious orbs that might be sabotaging New Pittsburgh’s factories. It’s jam-packed with adventure and explosions!
Want another chance to win a prize? Answer my March reader survey question!
If you like bookmarks and book swag, you can get a whole envelope of cool free stuff for my books! Free swag! Send SASE (w 2 stamps on return envelope) to PO Box 241721 Milwaukee WI 53224 Must say ‘Attn: Gail Martin’ on outside envelope
If you were part of my Shadow Alliance street team, you’d get sneak-preview snippets from Work In Progress, exclusive t-shirts, and other special stuff. It’s free to join. Help spread the word about my books and have access to cool contests, giveaways and more!
Want a signed copy of Shadow and Flame? I’ve got two signings coming up! Mar. 26 at Park Road Books, Charlotte NC from 2-4 and Apr. 2 at Barnes & Noble, South Park Charlotte, NC from 1-3! Come by and say hello!
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Contests, Quizzes and New Stuff
Happy New Year! While you’re bracing for (or digging out from) Snowmageddon, make sure you have plenty to read along with your milk, bread, beer/wine and TP!
Free Stuff
What kind of reader are you? Take my survey and enter for a chance to win a prize!
Contest just for newsletter readers! The Chronicles newsletter is going monthly and so are the giveaways with two new winners every month, one from existing subscribers and one from new subscribers! January’s prize is a $10 Amazon gift certificate plus an envelope of signed swag! Watch for a new prize and new drawing in February!
Goodreads giveaway for Vendetta!
Join the Shadow Alliance! My new street team gets exclusive snippets from the books and stories I’m working on, plus special contests, giveaways and get-togethers for helping spread the word about my books. It’s free—and fun!
Book News
New Steampunk! Grave Voices, our newest novella, is now live on Kindle, Kobo and Nook. It’s a Storm and Fury Adventure, set in our Iron & Blood world of 1898 alternative history Pittsburgh. Clockwork zombies, mad scientists, creepy dolls and awesome inventions make for a thrilling tale packed with explosions!
We’re also stretch goal authors for the Gaslight and Grimm steampunk fairy tale anthology funding now on Kickstarter! We’ve hit our basic funding level, but to add our story (a steampunk retelling of the Three Billy Goats Gruff), we need to add a few more bucks to the bucket. Hurry—the Kickstarter campaign ends soon!
Binge readers! If you’ve been waiting to read the Blaine McFadden Ascendant Kingdoms series until all the books were out—now’s the time to start! Shadow and Flame, the fourth and final book in the series comes out March 22 (now available for pre-order). And now there are three new ‘prequel’ novellas in my new King’s Convicts set plus a short story that fill in a six-year gap at the beginning of Ice Forged and spill the secrets about Blaine’s years as a convict, how he met Kestel, Piran, Verran and Dawe, and more! Here’s the sequence: Ice Forged (novel), then Arctic Prison, Ice Bound, No Reprieve, and Cold Fury (novellas and short story), and Reign of Ash, War of Shadows and Shadow and Flame (novels). Perfect reading for long winter nights! Click on the links for excerpts and ordering.
Vendetta is hot off the press, and it’s the newest Deadly Curiosities novel in my urban fantasy series set in historic, haunted Charleston, SC. Someone very powerful is trying to destroy Sorren and everyone he cares about. That puts Cassidy, Teag and Trifles and Folly in the cross-hairs, against an unknown enemy with strong magic and significant resources. Sorren has spent centuries shutting down the plans of powerful immortals, dark warlocks and supernatural creatures, and now he’s got to figure out which of those many enemies is out to get him before they pick off his friends one by one and come after him to finish an immortal vendetta. 
Redcap is the latest Deadly Curiosities Adventure short story, with killer pixies running loose in Charleston. It’s a ‘bloody’ good Christmas story!
New feature—Meet My Author Friend
Each month, I’ll introduce you to a writer friend whose work you might enjoy. This month, my guest is Stuart Jaffe, who writes a number of series across several genres, including the Max Porter paranormal detective series. His gift to you–The Max Porter Starter Library: 2 FREE novels and a FREE short story. It was supposed to be a new beginning – good job, good pay, and a lovely home in North Carolina. But when Max Porter discovers his office is haunted by the ghost of a 1940s detective, he is thrust neck-deep into a world of old mysteries and dangerous enemies. One in which ghosts, witches, curses, and spells exist. One in which a simple research job can turn deadly. Real history meets the paranormal in this exciting mystery series!
Here’s the Link: https://www.stuartjaffe.com/max-porter-starter-library/
Upcoming events
Here’s where to find me in February and March. If you’re at a con with me, I love it when people take panel photos or take a pix with me and tag/post!
- Jan 30 Signing–Barnes and Noble, Morrison Charlotte, NC 1-3 pm
- Feb 11 – 14 Capricon, Chicago, IL
- Feb 20 Signing—Books a Million, Concord Mills, Concord, NC 1-3 pm
- Feb 26 – 28 Mysticon, Roanoke, VA (launch party)
- Mar 5-6 AZ Renaissance Festival, Apache Junction, AZ
Just a reminder—you can find me hanging out nearly every day on Twitter @GailZMartin, on Facebook at The Winter Kingdoms, and on Goodreads, Wattpad and Pinterest. Come say hi!
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Vendetta Launch! (And Other Cool Stuff)
Vendetta, the second book in my Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy series, is now in stores and on ebook! Read an excerpt here, then go get your very own copy!
Early reviews love Vendetta!
“Wow! One marvelous, twisty, touching, thrill of a book.”–Kat Richardson, bestselling author of the Greywalker novels
“Exceptional once again.” –Douglas Meeks
“Rachets up the tension”–Blackgate
“Ending 2015 with a bang”–Horror Underground
In case you still have some room on the book gift card you got for the holiday, here are a few suggestions!
The Weird Wild West features our Storm and Fury steampunk adventure Ruin Creek, set in the world of Iron & Blood (and a reviewer favorite). Plenty of your favorite authors and lots of weird West stories to while away a winter evening!
Cinched: Imagination Unbound anthology with a corset theme features another of our Storm and Fury steampunk stories, Lagniappe, set in New Orleans. We’re in fine company with a slew of other amazing authors!
The Side of Good/The Side of Evil superhero/supervillain anthology features still another Storm and Fury steampunk adventure, Ghost Wolf (another reviewer favorite) with all-star author company in a fine anthology for a long winter night.
No Reprieve revisits a moment in Blaine McFadden’s convict past–brand new from Orbit Short Fiction on Amazon. Arctic Prison and Ice Bound are two novella-length stories in the new King’s Convicts ebook series about Blaine’s time in Velant Prison (watch for the third and last King’s Convicts novella–Cold Fury–coming soon!).
Redcap is the new Deadly Curiosities Adventure short story for December, for anyone who has ever been suspicious of the elf on the shelf or thought it was no accident that grandma got run over by a reindeer. It’s a bloody good Christmas story!
What are you waiting for? Dive in now and read until spring!
And remember–if you like my books, please write a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. It really matters! Thank you.
Want to always have the latest news? Join The Shadow Alliance, my new street team!
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