The year of the sequel

To date, 2015 appears to be the year of the sequel for me. This is a good thing. I’ve never been able to write sequels, or series. And yet, every bit of marketing advice out there says you must. I’m not sure I agree with that — I think it’s more important to write things that you love.

However, last fall, I asked the brilliant Kristine Kathryn Rusch about this. The advice she gave me was priceless: If I want to engage my butterfly brain, each book must be unique. You can’t just write the same story over and over again, or even really continue the story from one book to the next.

Since I started following that advice, I’ve been able to write more series characters. Each book is unique. I actually enjoy the challenge of that, while keeping the characters and their voices true.

So what exactly does that mean? Let me explain.

Warning – lots of pictures under the cut.

GUARDIAN HOUND now available!

The Guardian Hound

Hooray! Huzzah! It’s book publication day! The Guardian Hound is now available over at Book View Cafe. (It’s also available at all all the other locations as well, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo.)

Here’s the blurb:

Lukas first dreams about the end of the world when he’s five. As a prince of the hound clan, he is steadfast and loyal, able to take the form of any hound.

Yet, no one believes him except his grandmother.

The shadows, a corrupting force determined to suck the life out of everything on Earth, have infected the hound court.

How can Lukas survive to adulthood? Then battle non-corporeal creatures and save the world?

This novel is the sequel to The Raven and the Dancing Tiger. And because it is, I’m currently offering a sale! The Raven and the Dancing Tiger. is available for the month of July for just $0.99.

And to tempt you, here are the first two chapters.

Free Fiction Monday — The Tiger’s Shadow

The Tiger's ShadowOn July 9th, my new novel, The Guardian Hound, is being published by Book View Cafe.

It’s coming soon!

In the five weeks leading up to the novel release, I am publishing a short story a week, and having each available for free for that week. All the stories are about the world or somehow involved with The Guardian Hound and the various clans.

Chronologically, I wrote this story, A Tiger’s Shadow, before I wrote the story for last week, A Prophesy in Shadows. But once I finished this story, I knew I had to write what came before it.

I know I said that A Prophesy in Shadows was the second story I wrote, when I was only writing short stories and not tackling the novel yet. But I was wrong. It was the third story. This story, A Tiger’s Shadow, was actually the second story I wrote for the novel. It’s included as part of The Guardian Hound.

This story takes place during what is now called The Week of Long Knives, in Calcutta, in 1947.

Enjoy!

Free Fiction Monday — Prophesy in Shadows

Prophesy in Shadows On July 9th, my new novel, The Guardian Hound, is being published by Book View Cafe.

I continue to be excited about this.

In the five weeks leading up to the novel release, I plan on publishing a short story a week, and having each available for free for that week. All the stories are about the world or somehow involved with The Guardian Hound and the various clans.

This story is actually the first interlude of The Guardian Hound. It was second short story I wrote about the novel, when I was merely writing short stories, and not writing the novel yet.

Enjoy!

Free Fiction Monday — Shadows’ Door

Shadows' Door On July 9th, my new novel, The Guardian Hound, is being published by Book View Cafe.

I am still incredibly excited about this.

In the five weeks leading up to the novel release, I plan on publishing a short story a week, and having each available for free for that week. All the stories are about the world or somehow involved with The Guardian Hound and the raven clan.

This story is actually the first chapter of The Guardian Hound. At the end of last year, I told myself that I was going to switch to writing a bunch of short stories, and not work on the next novel.

My muse thought she’d be sneaky and get around that by producing a series of short stories about the novel.

I gave in pretty quickly. This was actually the last of the stories I wrote.

Enjoy!

Free Fiction Monday — The Third Raven

The Third Raven On July 9th, my new novel, The Guardian Hound, is being published by Book View Cafe.

I AM SO EXCITED!

Ahem.

In the five weeks leading up to the novel release, I plan on publishing a short story a week, and having each available for free for that week. All the stories are about the world or somehow involved with The Guardian Hound and the raven clan.

I wrote this story, The Third Raven, in December 2011. When I was about halfway finished with it, I realized I had an entire world in my head and I could easily set a novel there.

In 2012, I attended a workshop where one of the assignments was to write a short story about a first date, set now–it couldn’t be historical or future. I couldn’t figure out what to write for the longest time, and finally chose to tell a story about a modern day raven warrior trying to get a date.

That short story turned into the novel The Raven and the Dancing Tiger, which I will be re-releasing through Book View Cafe, also on July 9th. It’s the prequel to The Guardian Hound, though they each stand as separate books. (I’m also dropping the price for The Raven and the Dancing Tiger, for the month of July to $0.99.)

So here is the short story that started it all. Next year, I’ll write the third and last book in this world, called, War Among the Crocodiles.

Enjoy!