Magic Most Deadly - StarDance Press

1920s, characters, newsletter, stories, writing

Julia’s Story

February 9, 2024February 6, 2024 elouisebates

I took the month of January off from social media (and fiction reading, which was much, much harder), in part because I was hoping it would give me the time and space I needed to start figuring out some better ways to connect with readers and potential readers, whether it be through this blog, my newsletter, social media, or something else. Maia and Len have never had a particularly large following, and I’ve always struggled with finding ways to get their stories into the hands of more readers.

One idea that I had was that of writing little “story snippets,” or “Whitney & Davies Extras”–that is, brief scenes from the point of view of characters other than our main duo, set either during or after the books–and offering those to newsletter subscribers. The first such character I thought of, naturally, having just recently finished re-writing Magic Most Deadly, was Maia’s friend and the hostess of the house party that is the setting for the story, Julia Foy.

In the original edition of Magic Most Deadly, Julia played a much larger role than I was able to give her in the new edition, and proved to have a sneaking suspicion of magic’s existence, despite her inability to use it. I always had an idea of where I wanted to go with that idea, but was never able to fit it into any of the other books, and then some of the world-building details that developed as I wrote those books seemed to contradict the idea that a non-magic user could be aware of magic’s existence.

But Julia still had a story of her own that she wanted told, and as I started writing the story snippet for her, set at the end of Magic Most Deadly, I started to get an inkling of what that story was supposed to be. It is too much to be told in one snippet, however–especially since it develops right alongside the series. I foresee at least three parts, possibly more: the first taking place at the end of MMD, the second at the end of Glamours & Gunshots, and the third most likely happening around the time of Death by Disguise.

I’m excited to share more about Julia’s character and her story with readers! If you are interested in reading more about her, subscribe to my newsletter before the end of the month, as the first of her story snippets will be released exclusively to newsletter subscribers in the newsletter that will go out on March 1st.

I had originally planned to released a Becket snippet next, sometime this spring, but I think I’ll have to get all of Julia’s story out first, and then start exploring Becket’s character after that, later in the year.

This is a fun way for me to explore more of the world of Whitney & Davies without having to focus so exclusively on Maia and Len and the magical mysteries they are called upon to solve, and I hope it will be a fun way for readers to immerse themselves further into that world, and make it a place new readers want to come and visit and hopefully stay a while, as well.

(If you have suggestions for things you’d like to see more of in the Whitney & Davies world, or something you think would be a good draw to help attract new readers to the series, feel free to leave a comment letting me know–I’m still exploring ideas and options, and I welcome input!)

1920s, Books, publishing, writing

Pre-Order Magic Most Deadly Now

October 24, 2023October 22, 2023 elouisebates

Magic Most Deadly–the new edition–will be released on November 1st, but you can pre-order your e-book edition right now!

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and many more! Click here to order your copy today so it can be delivered to your e-reader instantly on November 1st!

Oh, and that’s not all–from now through the end of November, it’s on sale for $0.99! So if you had the old edition and you’re curious to read the new, you can purchase it for less than a dollar. And if you’ve never read any of the Whitney & Davies books before, this is a great way to get introduced to the series!

When a rogue magician is murdered and secret government papers disappear, Maia and Len must race against time to find the murderer and the papers to decide the fate of all of England’s magicians.

Lennox Davies is no stranger to plots, lies, and even murder. As an agent for England’s Magical Intelligence Agency, that is all in a day’s work for him. But this time, the stakes are personal, the last loose ends from a job that ended in tragedy for him during the War—and keeping his mind on task is even trickier with the enigmatic and lovely Maia Whitney working by his side.

Maia has spent years sacrificing her own interests to those of her family. The revelation that she is a magician opens up a world of possibilities for her. Freedom—ambition—friendship. But first, she has to help Len find this murderer and recover the stolen papers. So long as her newly-discovered magic doesn’t overpower her before she even gets started.

Together, nothing can stop Maia and Len—except perhaps their own stumbling blocks. Will they be able to overcome what holds them back in time to solve the puzzle that has all of England—and beyond—hanging in the balance?

Here again is the first story of Whitney & Davies, the tale of how Maia and Len meet and work their first case together, in a brand-new revised edition. Read it and fall in love with our favorite detective team all over again!

The print edition is coming soon–but if you prefer e-books, go ahead and pre-order now!

Books

Beloved SFF Sale is LIVE Now!

August 18, 2023August 18, 2023 elouisebates

Once again, Glamours & Gunshots is part of the Epic Sale of Beloved SFF–over 50 books personally recommended by someone who read and loved them. This is my favorite sale of the year, so I’m excited it has come around again!

G&G has plenty of company in the “historical fantasy” category this year, some of which are new to me, so I’ll be picking those up for my e-reader library!

As mentioned in my previous post, in honor of this sale you can also pick up Magic Most Deadly and Death by Disguise for $0.99 from now until August 23 as well (the Beloved SFF sale only goes until the 22, but I always keep my books on sale a day longer in case of stragglers). That’s all of the current novels in the series for less than $3.00!

So go ahead and check out the Epic Sale of Beloved SFF, and why not get the full set of Whitney & Davies novels while you’re at it?

Books

Don’t Miss the Upcoming Sale!

August 15, 2023August 14, 2023 elouisebates

Running from August 18-23, all three novels currently published in the Whitney & Davies series will be on sale for $0.99 each!

This sale is part of the “Beloved SFF Sale,” which is near and dear to my heart, as the only way an author is invited to place one’s book in the sale is if someone else has recommended it as a book they love. Glamours & Gunshots was first nominated for the sale three years ago, and I have loved participating in it ever since.

This year is particularly special, as it won’t be long before the original edition of Magic Most Deadly is archived for good. I am so excited about the new 10th anniversary edition that I’ve been working away on this summer, but there’s a part of me that can’t help but feel a little nostalgic for this debut novel of mine. I’m glad to give it one last chance to shine before it is replaced by its newer and better version.

Then there’s Death by Disguise, my award-winning novel! I’m happy to think readers will get a chance to check out the book the Maine Literary Award jurors dubbed, “simply good fun from start to finish.”

The supplementary books–the Christmas novella of While Shepherds Watch and the short story collection Magic and Mayhem–are not included in this sale, but at $1.99 and $2.99 respectively, you can still pick up the entire series for less than $8.00 total!

So starting August 18, make sure to check out the Whitney & Davies page here on the website to find links to purchase any or all of these books while they’re still on sale!

Books, fantasy, reading list

Read-Alike Books to Whitney and Davies

August 1, 2023August 1, 2023 elouisebates

Here is a fun challenge for fans of the Whitney & Davies series!

If you’ve read any of the books in this series, what other reasonably current books/series would you say have a similar feel? So that one could say, “If you enjoyed ___ book [or author, or series], you’ll enjoy Whitney & Davies!

One of my biggest marketing struggles has been trying to figure out current authors whose writing has a similar feel to mine (or at least, current authors with enough name recognition to make a difference) to whom I can point in that way. “Agatha Christie with magic” is a cool tagline, but unfortunately, the major audience for Agatha Christie books is going to be confused by suddenly having a fantasy book promoted to them–likewise fans of Diana Wynne Jones (who some have been kind enough to say my writing reminds them of) would have legitimate cause to be grumpy if they feel they’ve been tricked into buying a murder mystery set in a fantasy world rather than a delightfully twisty, tricky middle grade or YA fantasy.

So, for readers of my books–what current, at least mildly popular authors, books, and/or series would you say share a similar feel and flavor to Whitney & Davies? As I continue to work on rewriting MMD to make it the best possible start to this series, I would love to start getting these books out there to a wider audience. Finding books with a similar vibe to these is a good step in that direction. I would be so grateful for my readers’ insight into this!

1920s, Books, fantasy, fiction, goals, mystery, publishing, writing

Magic Most Deadly Redux

June 29, 2023June 29, 2023 elouisebates

Ten years ago this September, I published my first novel. It was a pretty good debut novel! But … it suffered from quite a lot of the issues that can plague first-time novelists. Such as trying to cram way too much story into one book. And not really being sure what genre it was and so veering wildly between a novel of manners, a cozy mystery, a thriller, a fantasy, and a coming-of-age novel. And trying to force the characters to conform to what the author thought should happen rather than letting them be themselves. And being about 30,000 words too long.

I’m still proud of that novel, my Magic Most Deadly. Even all of the above problems came from aiming too high rather than too low. I’m proud of the world I created, the characters and the way they came to life (despite the occasional attempt to force them into boxes they refused to fit inside), and the way that novel set the stage for the rest of the series.

But because I learned so much from that first novel and then applied it to the next one, and then learned from that and applied it to the next one, not to mention the short stories, novella, and the other books I wrote over the last ten years that also developed my abilities, I am faced with the reality that Book 1 of the Whitney and Davies series is not really a good match for Books 2 & 3 (and eventually 4), or even the supplemental stories.

So this summer I started tackling the job of rewriting Magic Most Deadly in order to tighten the story and bring it more in line with the rest of the series. The overall story will be the same, but the way in which it is written will be vastly different. It will also be getting a new cover, which will also fit better with the rest of the series (I’ll be honest, it was getting a new cover that pushed me from only thinking that one of these days I ought to rewrite MMD, to actually doing it). I’ll be sorry to say goodbye to the original cover, because I do love it, but I am also excited to see MMD look like it belongs with Glamours & Gunshots and Death by Disguise rather than being their awkward stepsister.

I am a couple thousand words into the rewrite and already pretty excited over the way subtle shadings in Maia and Len’s characters are starting to show through, and the way the story is being set up. There are a lot of challenges involved in being a self-published author, but having the ability to say, “that book I published ten years ago? Yeah, I can make that better,” and then DOING it without having to regain rights or persuade anyone that it’s worth doing is AMAZING.

I am so excited for when I can share the new-and-improved Magic Most Deadly with you all!

1920s, Books, fantasy, fiction, mystery, publishing, writing

Death by Disguise, MLA Winner

June 1, 2023June 1, 2023 elouisebates

I am honored and delighted to be able to share that Death by Disguise won the 2023 Maine Literary Award for Speculative Fiction. I was not expecting that at all! I was honored enough to be named as a finalist; actually winning the award was not on my radar at all.

The ceremony was held at Bates College (a very nice touch–I think I managed to work a joke about that into my acceptance speech, though I was so dazed I can’t really remember much that I said), and was absolutely lovely. I was pleased to be able to meet and cheer for so many wonderful Maine writers in every category. Our family settled in Maine just as the pandemic was starting to shut everything down in the state–not a good time to try to build or join a preexisting writing community! I joined the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance anyway, and spent a lot of time hoping that eventually they’d move back to doing in-person events rather than Zoom (which gives me a migraine if I use it for long). Now that they have, I am looking forward to participating in more events and workshops, and hope to get better acquainted with my fellow Maine writers. This award has certainly helped me feel more like I belong here!

This award has also helped push me into a project I’d been contemplating for some time but hadn’t gotten around to yet: rebranding Magic Most Deadly so that its cover matches the style and feel of the others in the series. When I wrote and published MMD (ten years ago this September!) I didn’t really know much about branding or how to choose a cover design. While I loved, and still love, the cover that my designer and I eventually came up with, it doesn’t really give off quite the right vibe for the “cozy fantasy-mystery” genre this series has, nor does it carry the Whitney & Davies logo that we developed by the time Glamours and Gunshots was published, and which has been on every subsequent book in the series.

My goal is to have the new edition available by the end of September, to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of MMD’s publication. We’ll see if I make it! I am also making some substantial edits to the story, as that was my first published book and honestly, it shows. I won’t be changing anything about the heart of the story or the characters, but I will be tightening it up, eliminating some unnecessary bits, bringing the characters into better focus, all that sort of thing. Using the skills I’ve learned through writing 3 more novels, many short stories, and four novellas in the ten years since publishing MMD to make it the story it was always meant to be!

I’m also going to be switching over print distribution for the Whitney & Davies novels from Amazon to IngramSpark over the course of the summer, so if you are a bookseller and have been wanting to carry these books but have been unable to due to the difficulties of buying wholesale through Amazon–good news! It will soon be much easier for you.

And hey, if you haven’t read the award-winning Death by Disguise yet, you can click here to buy. (You can buy the other books, too, but I might recommend waiting for Magic Most Deadly until the new edition comes out–unless you’d like to own both and compare them, in which case, have at it!)

1920s, Books, fantasy, fiction, writing

Looking Back … Magic Most Deadly

November 3, 2022November 3, 2022 elouisebates

With Death by Disguise releasing in less than a week (November 8! Pre-order your copy here!), I thought it would be fun to do a bit of a retrospect on the previous books in the series. I’m starting today with Magic Most Deadly, my debut novel and the story that kicked off the Whitney and Davies series.

This book came about after a period of intense research and drafting of a high-concept fantasy story that never ended up being written because I had burned myself out on all the prep. I wanted to write something fun after all that, but couldn’t decide what. I had recently read Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer’s “Sorcery and Cecilia,” and loved the idea of picking a genre and adding magic to it. Not Jane Austen/Georgette Heyer for me, though … I looked at my bookshelves, saw Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence books, and thought, “Hm, Agatha Christie with magic?” Then I thought, “Maybe if I swapped the personalities, so the guy was the one who was intuitive and impulsive, and the girl was steady and logical.”

And thus Magic Most Deadly, and the world of Whitney and Davies, was born.

I decided early on in the writing process that I wanted to self-publish it. Aside from “Sorcery & Cecilia,” there weren’t a lot of stories being published at that time that blended an existing genre with magic, and the popular trend in mysteries was toward dark and bleak, so I didn’t think there would be much of a market for this type of story in traditional publishing. Plus, I was intrigued by the possibilities with self-publishing and thought it would be fun to try. Whether or not that was a wise choice is a post for another day!

Next September will mark ten years since I published Magic Most Deadly. Since then, I’ve published two more novels (Death by Disguise will make three), four novellas, and a collection of four short stories. It’s safe to say I’ve learned a lot, both about writing and about publishing, since then! Despite how much my writing has developed from that time, though, I am still very proud of my first novel. It was a labor of love, born from a desire to find joy and fun in writing again, an homage to one of the greatest authors in the English language while still being very much my own story, and an act of bravery, to say, “here is the story of my heart: I hope you read it and love it.”

Nearly ten years later, I still say that with every story I write and publish.

Books, fantasy, favorites, fiction, newsletter, reading list, Sci-fi

Third Annual Epic Sale of Beloved SFF

September 10, 2022September 9, 2022 elouisebates

It’s here!

Once again, Glamours and Gunshots is featuring in the Epic Sale of Beloved SFF. (SFF, here, stands for Science Fiction and Fantasy). Running from September 10-14, all the sale books are being offered for $0.99 or free. You can’t beat that!

Click here to go to the sale page and check out all 42 of the books on there.

But wait! It gets better!

In addition to G&G, I’ve decided to put every single one of my E.L. Bates books on sale. That means Magic Most Deadly, Magic & Mayhem, While Shepherds Watch, and From the Shadows are all on sale for $0.99 from now until Friday Sept 16 (that’s right, I’m extending my personal sale for a couple days beyond the Beloved SFF sale).

So if you’ve been wanting to collect the entire Whitney & Davies collection, now’s your chance, plus you have the opportunity to snag a heartfelt, cozy sci-fi book at the same time.

While you’re still here, don’t forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter! It’s a great way to keep up with sales, publishing news, and other fun stuff that doesn’t always make it to the blog. Plus you get a free short story when you sign up!

Happy reading!