1920s, Books, publishing, writing

Pre-Order Magic Most Deadly Now

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!

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

Third Annual Epic Sale of Beloved SFF

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!

Books, fiction, Sci-fi, stories, writing

From the Shadows–Sale!

Whisked from her troubled, solitary life to a spaceship centuries in the future, widowed folk musician Riss Waldon must first figure out how she got there, and then if it’s possible to get home. Before long, she is visiting strange and deadly planets and meeting new alien races, and forming friendships with the crew. Even as they strive to discover a way for her to return, she wonders if it possible to step out of the shadows of her past life and stay here. But when the well-being of the entire crew rests on her shoulders, she isn’t sure she’s up to the task. What if she fails them? All she can do is try …

From one sale to another! I decided impromptu today to run a “Black Friday” sale for From the Shadows. From now (Nov 23) to Dec 1, the ebook of From the Shadows is only $0.99 at all digital retailers.

Click here to get your copy of the story readers have dubbed: “science fiction for people who don’t like science fiction.”

*****

What people are saying about From the Shadows …

“The inner and outer journey of Riss is a riveting tale of a young woman who comes out of the shadows of her past, and finds her way on new horizons.

“Although [this book] has a fun futuristic space backdrop, it’s really a quiet story about one woman’s journey from grief to embracing a new life and her own potential.”

“This story makes me feel the way I feel when reading Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery, or the Mitford books. It’s a lovely book to curl up with on a blustery autumn evening or a lazy Saturday morning. I didn’t want it to end!”

“Waiting for a sequel…”

Pick up your copy today and see for yourself what it’s all about!

1920s, Books, fantasy, fiction, mystery, reading list, stories, writing

Paperback Sale

To my surprise and delight, Amazon has noticed the lowered ebook prices for the Whitney & Davies series and has obligingly dropped prices on the paperbacks as well–which is something I’ve heard about happening to other authors, but have never experienced myself before now. This is entirely Amazon’s doing, and I have no control over how much or how little they lower the price, or for how long it will last, and they don’t actually bother to inform the authors about this to begin with, so when I say, hey, if you want a paperback you should get it now, that’s not just me being all salesperson-y, that’s because I genuinely don’t know how long they’ll keep the prices lowered.

So! Magic Most Deadly, on sale now for $11.51 paperback!

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Glamours and Gunshots, on sale now for $5.19 paperback

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Magic & Mayhem, on sale for $6.99 paperback

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I don’t know about you, but this sure seems to me to be a great time to get in some early Christmas shopping!

(Disclaimer: if you’ve been around this website for a while you know that I prefer to promote sites other than Amazon for buying my books. Alas, only Amazon is providing these prices right now, so I am reluctantly bowing to corporate rule and promoting it. Believe me, if I could offer you these prices through Bookshop.org or your local indie bookstore, I would!)

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

While Shepherds Watch

“Of all the ghastly holidays, Christmas is the worst!”

When apprentice magician Maia Whitney’s plans for a quiet Christmas with no obligations toward anyone are disrupted by a friend in need, she resigns herself to yet another holiday filled with indigestion and artificial cheer. Things look up when her friend and fellow magician Len Davies joins the adventure, but Maia is still far from feeling merry or bright.

Len would go with Maia to the ends of the earth, but this crumbling manor in the remote Yorkshire countryside tests even his goodwill toward man. He doesn’t object to the ghost supposedly roaming the halls, but he wishes he knew just what has his host’s young sister so scared. To top it all off, he can barely spend any time with Maia, as she is so busy helping her friend.

Will ghosts, curses, cads, and thieves ruin this Christmas for everyone? Not if the intrepid duo of Whitney & Davies has anything to say about it! It will take all their magical abilities and ingenuity, but they are determined to make this a happy Christmas for all.

*****

Today is the day! Christmas comes early for all you lucky readers, because While Shepherds Watch is published today! Click here for links to Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, and more.

I honestly had so much fun writing this novella. It reminded me of all the reasons I began writing the Whitney & Davies series in the first place–the sheer delightfulness of these characters, and the enjoyment of adding a magical twist to a traditional British mystery. I wrote it when I ought to have been working on any number of other writing projects–the third Pauline Gray novella (so close to being ready for publication, guys), the next Whitney & Davies novel (set in Cambridge, no less!), the next collection of Whitney & Davies short stories (all plotted out, just not written), the next adventure for Riss & co aboard the Caledonia (my heart’s children!) … but I threw all those out the windows and just wrote for fun, and as a result, I have this lovely Christmas gift for all of you.

And that’s not all! Click on the following titles to take advantage of a Whitney & Davies sale, because every ebook in the series is on sale for $0.99 this week to celebrate the new release.

Magic Most Deadly

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Glamours and Gunshots

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Magic & Mayhem

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How about that for an early Christmas gift?

Happy reading, friends, and be sure to spread the word (and Christmas cheer) about While Shepherds Watch and the Whitney & Davies sale! I can’t wait for you all to share in this new adventure with Maia and Len.

Books, fantasy, fiction, reading list

Epic Science Fiction/Fantasy Sale

I am taking a small break from my focus on Pauline Gray (I have now entered the editing phase of Book 3!) to let you all know of a fabulous science fiction/fantasy sale happening over these next seven days! This sale features SFF books that have been personally recommended by various readers, book bloggers, and authors as a story that they personally loved. There are over 50 books on the list, and all of them on sale for $0.99!

Not only are there a bunch of books here that I am eager to try, I am happy to say that Glamours & Gunshots is one of the recommended books. Yes! For this week only, you can purchase Glamours & Gunshots for $0.99!

Maia Whitney has held men as they died before, but never in peacetime, and never in her aunt’s front hall. And this unexpected death is only the beginning. Someone is stealing magic and life from England’s magicians and using them for his or her own gain. No one is safe, not even Magical Intelligence Agent Lennox Davies, whose targeting by the parasite brings him his own set of challenges to work through. Though she is only an apprentice, Maia will not sit back and wait for others to bring about justice, and teams up with Len as she did once before. Using a blend of magical skills and detective work, together Maia and Len dig deep into a case that has its roots buried in the shadows of the past … and could leave one of them magic-less forever.

Glamours & Gunshots was one of my most challenging books to write–sequels are never easy, and this one seemed particularly recalcitrant, going through several different iterations before at last coming together in its final form. I was all the prouder of it for that very reason when I was finally able to publish it. It also has one of my favorite scenes I’ve ever written in any story–but I won’t tell you which scene that is. Feel free to guess in the comments if you’ve read it!

This is my first time participating in a sale with other SFF authors, and it’s pretty great seeing G&G up there on the list with all those other titles. I can’t wait to check out all my new reading material, and I hope you find many to enjoy as well!

So go ahead, visit the sale page, and stock up your e-reader! What are you waiting for?

Books, fiction, mystery, publishing, writing

Pauline Gray Sale

I had a book come out this past weekend!

Which is, naturally, tremendously exciting.

But! I have other exciting news.

I don’t know about you, but I hate having to start a series in the middle. So, to make it easier for people to introduce themselves to Pauline before jumping into Book 2, I have put Candles in the Dark (i.e. Book 1) on sale for the rest of this month. Now, for only $.99, you can find out all about Pauline’s first venture into the world of detecting before you read about her second.

So don’t delay, pick up your copy of Candles in the Dark first and then snag Diamonds to Dust to read as soon as you finish! As novellas, they are the perfect bite-size read to enjoy in these last few days of summer. Not many more beach days left to us, so make the most of them!

Books, fantasy, Sci-fi, writing

Sale Extended

Hello friends! Long time no chat. I wonder why? Oh, that’s right.

Moving Day!

We bought a house! Which I have no photos of yet because we’ve been too busy moving in, ha. I do have a few shots of fun features, though.

Hyacinth growing in our front garden, a pantry AND a china cupboard, a study/sewing room all my very own, and the girls turning the door off an unnecessary outbuilding into a seesaw of sorts as Carl demolished it.

Moving in a time of pandemic is … challenging, to say the least. One doesn’t exactly want to buy a sofa without first testing it. And how can one tell if flatware is going to suit one’s hand without hefting it? Not to mention choosing paint colors …

But we’re managing. We have plates, bowls, and glasses now, even if we’re still using plasticware. We all have beds, mattresses, sheets, and blankets. Three out of the four of us have dressers. We have no couch, but we have a dining room table and chairs. The books are still packed away (weep, weep), but the boxes are easily accessible, for a change.

And speaking of books …

As the title of this post indicated, I am extending the sale on Magic Most Deadly, From the Shadows, and Candles in the Dark until the end of April. Since the quarantine seems to be extending (at least in many places), so shall the sale! So until May 1, those three books are still FREE.

And hey, if you’ve already downloaded and enjoyed those stories, Glamours and Gunshots and Magic and Mayhem are not on sale, but are still less than the price of the wonderful coffee drinks none of us are able to indulge in right now (do I miss Carl’s and my weekly dates to our favorite coffee shop in Cambridge right now? Boy howdy, do I miss them). So you could definitely pick up one or both of them to round off your Whitney & Davies collection as it stands right now without it breaking the bank!

Hang in there, friends. In the words of the inimitable Red Green, “I’m pulling for you. We’re all in this together.”

1920s, publishing, Sci-fi, writing

Spring, and a New Look!

Hullo and welcome! Notice anything different around here?

It’s an updated website, with a different theme and an added page–but most importantly, more organization, especially of the main reason we’re all here: the books!

I’ve been wanting to create separate pages for my books, organized according to series, for quite some time now, and when better to do that than while self-isolating, right? If you go up to the main menu, you will find there is now a drop-down menu under the “Books” tab, and further drop-down menus under that for the Whitney & Davies and Pauline Gray series respectively.

And while I was at it, I cleaned up the Books page itself, changed the theme, added some photos to different pages, added in a page to link to StarDance Editing (yes, I’m still offering manuscript critiques and proofreading services at my sister site), and oh yeah–notice anything special on the Whitney & Davies page and the Pauline Gray page?

Anything?

Like maybe, oh I don’t know … some new titles? And a release date?

That’s right! The second Pauline Gray novella, Diamonds to Dust, is coming out in 2020–that’s this year! I am planning a cover reveal soon, so stay tuned for that.

As for Whitney & Davies, the third book does not have a release date yet, but it does have a title.

Death by Disguise

The first draft is done, and I’m looking forward to getting deep into edits (which at this point will probably involve an entire rewrite, but even so, I’m looking forward to it) as soon as D2D is out into the world.

I know life has been topsy-turvy for us all, but I hope and trust that with spring approaching, we can all find some new vigor and joy.

And don’t forget–Magic Most Deadly, From the Shadows, and Candles in the Dark are all still free (everywhere but Amazon, but only $0.99 there)! The sale lasts until at least the middle of April.

Happy end-of-March!

My mother’s chickens have been enjoying the warm sunshine lately, and clearly are not concerned with social distancing.