The second book in the Warriors of Magic trilogy, set in the same world as Bonds of Magic & Renegades of Magic, and which will focus on Alise and Cillian.
Cover Reveal! STRANGE FAMILIAR
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RELUCTANT WIZARD Out Now!
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Only in an insane world would a young wizard find herself battling monsters and automatons one day and returning to Convocation Academy to cram for finals the next. But this is the world Alise Phel lives in.
Like it or not, Alise must face the consequences of ditching out a second time and dealing with the crushing workload assigned to her as a punishment. Worse yet, succeeding at the Academy means Alise must learn to master her powerful and unusual magic—the same magic that caused her to accidentally murder her own mother.
But graduating is her only way to protect the family she has left—and perhaps save the Convocation itself.
Cillian Harahel is a wizard of the mind. An archivist. A disciplined thinker. Thus, he absolutely cannot be in love with Alise Phel. Apart from the fact that he is faculty and she’s a student—one destined for far more greatness than a lowly librarian like him—the provost has told him in no uncertain terms that Alise is off limits, which would be much more of a problem if Alise actually remembered he was alive.
Cillian has resigned himself to being Alise’s friend and mentor, but when she cuts off even that much contact, in the coldest way possible, he suspects that darker forces than either of them imagined are haunting her. Alise has made it clear she wants nothing to do with him, but how can he abandon her to the demons clawing at her, from her House’s enemies to the doubts plaguing her own heart?
First Cup of Coffee – June 21, 2024
//Finally, the cover reveal for RELUCTANT WIZARD, along with the preorder links!! Also, some updates on Darynda Jones and her surgery, and thoughts on the six-figure book deal discourse and why traditional publishing isn’t the enemy.
New Covers for Sorcerous Moons!
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Beautiful new covers for my complete, six-book Sorcerous Moons series!!! The spine design with all six together is so gorgeous even Taylor is gasping in admiration! The print editions can be ordered via my website store or the usual retailers.
First Cup of Coffee – February 26, 2024
//Sharing the OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL super exciting news today on NEVER THE ROSES, the book I sold to Tor. I’m explaining the Publisher’s Marketplace lingo, how foreign sales work, and why creatives can’t be thick-skinned.
TWISTED MAGIC Audiobook Now Available!
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I know you all have been waiting, so here it is! TWISTED MAGIC in audio is available on iTunes and Audible!
TWISTED MAGIC Out Now!!
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Their love makes them stronger together… Unless the world rips them apart
Jadren El-Adrel knows he’s a mess. He’s a cobbled-together monster pretending to be a wizard, still unable to master the magic that makes him pretty much immortal and is useless for anything else. Though he’s tried to learn to work with his familiar, Seliah, he’s still terrified to discover what might happen if he gives himself full access to the depths of her powerful magic. Some questions should never be answered.
Seliah Phel got her happy ever after. Jadren loves her; they’re together in a safe and beautiful place; and they’re finally learning to work together as wizard and familiar. But even she must recognize that Jadren continues to stew in his black moods, brooding that only worsens when he receives a missive from home, his horrible family demanding the unthinkable: that they both return to House El-Adrel.
As the denizens of House Phel fight an increasingly pitched battle against the enemies determined to destroy them forever, Jadren and Selly fight their own war—against the past and to overcome their own failings. To become truly stronger together.
ROGUE FAMILIAR RELEASE DAY!
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He left to save her from herself… But who will save him from her?
When Lady Seliah Phel wakes from a drugged sleep to find herself abandoned by her newly bonded wizard, she vows revenge—and to hunt him down. Tracking him through the familiar wilds of the marshlands of her home is the easy part; learning to use her nascent magical skills is something else entirely. So is facing the vast, uncaring society of the Convocation in a time of brewing war.
Jadren El-Adrel is not known for doing the right thing, but getting as far away from Seliah as possible before he drains her dry will be his one noble gesture. So what if she weeps a few tears. Better than her dying in his service—or enabling him to become the ravenous beast that crawls beneath his skin. Unfortunately, in his self-imposed exile, and without the power of his familiar, Jadren quickly runs afoul of the enemy.
As her vengeful quest for recapture becomes a rescue mission, Selly faces all she still doesn’t know about the greater world of wizards and familiars. And Jadren, once determined to walk his own path and stay far, far away from the idealistic fools of House Phel, finds himself aligning with them against the house of his birth. War is coming to the Convocation, which means a clever wizard should pick the side most likely to win.
Sadly, Jadren has never been all that clever…
ROGUE FAMILIAR Delayed (Again) – But Not as Much as You Think!
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Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and what’s going on there with the creative professions. I have Opinions, which boil down to my conviction that nothing can replace human creativity. But a lot of very smart people have written on the topic and SFWA has been collating those. Go read those excellent articles.
For my part, I’m trying to get ROGUE FAMILIAR written. I’ve passed 60K words and I’m closing in on the Act II Climax. I’m getting there! But I’m not there yet. No way can I make a March release date. So I’ve pushed the release back. Amazon will tell you the new release date is April 24, but that’s a handy lie. That’s just the farthest date I could push to, just in case. I’m guessing it will be more like April 7 or 10. I can always release early! I know you all are patient and supportive, so I don’t need to apologize. (But I feel I do.) Anyway, I’m working away on this!
No AI involved.
ROGUE FAMILIAR Delayed Release
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If you preordered ROGUE FAMILIAR on the Zon, you will have gotten a notice that I’ve postponed the release to March 25. Alas! The good news is that I don’t think it will really be that long. I picked that date because it was the full 30 days out that Amazon allows me to postpone, just to give myself some breathing room. I expect I’ll be ready ahead of that date and will keep you all informed. Better to release ahead of that than push again! I know you all understand, which I greatly appreciate.