Chat Debacles and Book Release Day!

Nothing like a book release day to get your spirits up...

Which I sorely needed after the debacle of last night. I was all set to do an author's chat at Absolute Write (every Thursday, the chat room there is devoted to SFF). I'd even made notes. My chat was going to be about world building, new mythology and fantasy archetypes. So I'm cruising about Absolute Write about half an hour beforehand, being my usual smarmy self, and the bleeping power went out!

We had some pretty high winds yesterday and the substation down the street blew. So here I am, frantically emailing people on my cell phone, trying to get word to the AW chatmasters that I was having a little problem. I felt like a colossal heel (and a warm one since I didn't get my power back until about six am this morning) because now that's two scheduled events I've missed in the last two weeks--and neither one of them was my fault.

*sigh*

Hopefully we can get it rescheduled. I'll let you know. However, as I'm not one to miss obligations and am one of those annoying people who always turns up early, it really bothered me to not be there. Hopefully, I can rectify that tomorrow: Rob and I are chatting from 12 noon EST to 9 pm at Coffee Time Romance and More e-readers loop. Join us and find out about the world of the Vampire Covenants, the release of Breaking the Covenants, excerpts, fun, jokes, recipes, contests and whatever else nonsensical we come up with to entertain for nine hours straight. Ever see me in a chat marathon before? *rolls eyes* It's nothing if not silly.

So! Breaking The Covenants is now available from Aspen Mountain Press. As always, it will soon be available at Amazon, Fictionwise, ARE E-Books, Kindle, Mobipocket and all sorts of online retailers--I'll keep you posted. So shoot over to AMP and pick up your copy today--it's definitely a departure from Elf-killing.

*grin*

Now I'm killing mortals and immortals alike. What bliss!

Promotional Appearances and a Guest!

Hurray! I'll be hosting my first guest blogger on December 10. I hope you'll all come out and check out my guest and very dear friend Raine Delight this week. She's a fun writer and a hell of a spunky lady, with some great ideas about writing and how it works. She is a another writer at Aspen Mountain Press and I love and have read all of her books. If you haven't checked out her Devon Falls series--get prepared! Raine is a little on the spicy side. *drools*

Check out her blog at http://authorrainedelight.com/blog/ for some clues into how she thinks. Very coincidentally, I'll be at her blog on the same date--answering some tough questions and doing my darnedest to be funny. Come see if it works.

Looking for me in other places Check these out:

I'll be joining Raine as a guest on Sierra Dafoe's loop on December 9th. Sierra is a very dear friend and writing mentor of mine, who came to my house this summer so we could bond over seaafood crepes and margaritas. (We REALLY bonded.) The first story I ever published, I wrote and submitted because she dared me to. She is a brilliant writer and puts the 'hot' in erhotica. (That was done on purpose; trust me) We'll be there from 7 to 9 pm EST.

Then, on December 11th, I'm hosting a pajama party at Sinful Seductions from 7 to 9 pm EST. Here again, lots of excerpts--a sneak peek at book FOUR and a HUGE contest. Might want to make it out.

Then on December 29th, it's an all day long "End of 2008" party at Love Romances Cafe. I'll have special guests, lots of giveaways of 2008 releases and some special sneak peeks of things coming in 2009--including some very dear friends of mine that you haven't met yet. ALL. DAY. LONG. What could possibly be better? Not a hell of a lot. One thing I know for certain that's being giving away--a special release CD version of the Asphodel series--with cover art and signed by moi, along with a special short story set in the Asphodel world that's never been released before!

Wanna find me on the web? Here's the schedule! Stay tuned, because there's more on the way!

Chatting today and a blog contest!

Hear ye! Hear ye!

I am pleased to announce my super duper special blog contest for the release of The Gift of Redemption!

Are you ready for this? You can win--

1-downloads of both The Reckoning of Asphodel and The Gift of Redemption!
2-a $25 gift card from Best Buy--which I recommend you use to buy the DVD of Neil Gaiman's Stardust. *grin* Only because Asphodel knocked it out of #1 at Fictionwise last summer...
3-an antique book--great classic piece of literature from my personal collection. I'll give you choices, and you pick the book!

and FINALLY

4-you can be the only person in the world to get the complete Asphodel historical backstory file--which is almost a book in itself!

Rules:

1. I am so stealing this one from Nathan Bransford: You may only enter once; Once you may enter. No multiple entries please.

2. Email me at kaantira@hotmail.com . In the subject line, write ASPHODEL BLOG CONTEST. Leave me your name and email addy. IF YOU DON'T LEAVE YOUR ADDY I CANNOT CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN. *just thought I'd let you know that*

3. Be present at my release party on June 6, 2008 where I will announce the winner with all sorts of hoopla and fanfare! I'll be hosting my release party at Love Romances & More Cafe -- which coincidentally is also where I'm chatting today.

Sound like fun? I sure hope so! Be sure you stop by the Cafe' and say hi!

Sixteen Days and My First Series Reader Completes All 4 Books

Zoinks. Sixteen days until Redemption. I'm getting a little verklempt now!

I'm even more verklempt because someone, finally, has read the entire Asphodel series. A friend of mine, Lisa, loved the first book a lot. I thought it was cute--she started doing the "I'm your number one fan!" bit which, considering Misery, could be creepy but from her was just endearing.

Then she got sick with the flu, so I sent her a copy of Redemption. She loved it too--I think a little more than Asphodel--and immediately started pestering me for Book 3--Temptation. I hemmed and hawed for a while, mostly because I'm in the middle of my final rewrite on it, but eventually I gave in because she's just so adorable. Then, last week, she went on vacation and hinted strongly that she'd really like to finish up the series.

By that point, I was immune to the extraneous dialogue tags and adverbs, so I sent Apostolate on to her. I also wanted to make certain that the series finished up with the *pow* it was designed to. Only the first two books had been betaed in my crit group, and Lisa is a smart girl with a good eye. I figured that if there was a flaw in the story resolution, she'd let me know.

She did. Apparently the *pow* works as well as I hoped it would. I took quite a few risks when resolving the overall plot conflict of the series, and the fact that she zeroed in on it AND loved it has given me a great deal of confidence. I feel MUCH better now.

You can find out more about Lisa at her website. I think you'll love her artwork--I know I do. And, if you want to read the opening prologue for Redemption, it is up and live on my website. AND, don't forget that you can chat with me ALL DAY at Love Romances & More Cafe on Friday, May 23rd.

All my plugs done? Hooray! Sixteen days left to go! Lisa Dovichi rocks! Go read my prologue! Chat with me on Friday! Anything else?

No?

Talk to you later.