***FREE*** #epicfantasy THE PRINCE’S MAN by Deborah Jay

While Marcia enjoys a holiday break with her family, I’m taking the opportunity to hijack The Write Stuff for a little shameless self-promotion.

For the first (and possibly only) time, book 1 (ebook) in my highly rated Five Kingdoms epic fantasy series is available at all outlets for

***FREE***

Blurb:

Rustam Chalice, gigolo and spy, loves his lifestyle just the way it is, so when the kingdom he serves is threatened from within, he leaps into action. Only trouble is, his spy master teams him up with an untouchable, beautiful, aristocratic assassin who despises him.

Plunged into a desperate journey over the mountains, the mismatched pair struggle to survive deadly wildlife, the machinations of a spiteful god – and each other.

Think James Bond meets Lord of the Rings – a sweeping tale of spies and deadly politics, inter-species mistrust and magic phobia, spiced with a pinch of romance.

Click on the cover to be taken to your choice of retailer, which now also includes SMASHWORDS, where books 2, 3 &4 are also on sale with 25% off!

Bargain!

And even better, if you are a Kindle Unlimited (KU) subscriber, the ENTIRE SET is now available to read for ***FREE***

Please help yourself and see why others are saying such things as:

★★★★★ “Please note, that it is advisable to start this book when you have a block of time to dedicate to it. Starting an hour before needing to leave the house will make you late, I should know” 

★★★★★ “It starts off hitting the ground running with action, but carries the reader along easily.”

★★★★★ “Jay paints a vivid world, that we are treated to in this dangerous adventure that tests our heroes to every limit. Including having them question everything they had ever taken for granted.” 

★★★★★ “Adventure, heartache, murder, horses, mayhem, elves; the list gallops on, bursting with action in this well written novel set in a completely believable world. Attention grabbing story and underlying layers of detail make it a ‘can’t put downer’.” 

★★★★★ “I enjoyed this greatly. It is indicative of a good read if you immediately search for the next book in the series.” 

#Win this bundle of #FANTASY books


This is a quick hijack of The Write Stuff for the fantasy readers amongst us…

How would you like to win this fabulous bundle of fantasy books? Oh, and it includes one of mine (The Prince’s Man).

You can enter the competition HERE, and also find free stuff from the authors of these books and more.

Competition runs until April 14th, but why hang around, go, enter now!

Lovely people, please share this competition using the buttons below, or any other way you care to use – the more entries the better!

#FREE gift – SPRITE NIGHT – a Caledonian Sprite short story #UrbanFantasy #ScottishHighlands

As a late Christmas (or early New Year) present, please help yourself to a FREE copy of my Caledonian Sprite short story, SPRITE NIGHT.

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If you have yet to meet sassy Cassie, the Scottish water sprite with a passion for the environment (not to mention the odd hunky Highlander), now is your chance.

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This 8000 word story is a stand alone read, though it follows on from events in the full length novel DESPRITE MEASURES, described by one reviewer as ‘a unique eco-urban fantasy’.

So if you love the Scottish Highlands (yes, Marcia, men in kilts!), the environment, strong characters and a bit of magic, then bag a copy while it’s FREE this week.

Here’s a little taster…

The inn was typical of its type; old, creaky and in need of renovation, but warm with hospitality and a reputation for excellent food and choice of single malts. One of the more frustrating aspects of my human body is that consuming food or alcohol is a futile exercise; I can eat, but solid food needs disposing of—let’s not go there—and alcohol, whilst I can take pleasure in the taste, has no effect on my metabolism.

Companionship though—that I can, and do, enjoy.

I pushed open the swing doors to the lounge and glanced around. Most of the crowd were locals I’d come to know over the past few weeks, but a rather delectable-looking stranger sat in the snug beside the chimney. My body perked up with interest.

Right now, my DNA stores were high, and gathering more would be an indulgence, but this guy had the makings of a pleasing dalliance, with or without extra benefits. His shaggy brown hair melded into a luxuriant beard, above which shone a pair of the brightest blue eyes I’d seen in a long while. He was dressed in a heavy woollen sweater with a thick, quilted jacket and thermal beanie discarded beside him on the bench.

Never one to stand on ceremony, I sauntered across the room and put a hand on the chair facing him. A pleasant waft of pine aftershave tickled my nose, evoking images of wide open spaces and forest, meeting my approval. He nodded in response to my raised eyebrow, and I pulled the chair out, dragging it across the bare wooden floorboards with a squeal.

He winced. “Dear God, lass, d’ye like to torture your men even before ye’ve been introduced?”

Blurb

When Scottish water sprite, Cassie, joins an anti-fracking protest, she doesn’t expect to find herself at odds with a druid. But with time running out for the local environment she can’t afford to be distracted by the handsome hunk of a Highlander.

Intent on sabotage, Cassie is unprepared to be caught in the cross-fire of a magical battle. Can she avert catastrophe? Or will she become the very agency of an ecological disaster?

Download from Amazon,  or leave me a message below if you’d like a different format and I’ll send it to you directly.

#FREE Today: #Harbinger – Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3

Harbinger
FREE TODAY AND TOMORROW ONLY!
Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3

Just a quick reminder, the 3rd book in the Wake-Robin Ridge series is FREE today and tomorrow only.

The story of one man slowly being driven mad by guilt, while another grows closer to his very gifted son every day, Harbinger is full of love, laughter, and oh, yeah–shivers galore. Through it all, MacKenzie Cole  and that little boy named Rabbit form an unbreakable bond, as they work together to right a terrible wrong.

And remember, in the mountains, you can run, but you can’t hide! Not forever, and certainly not from the Black Dog!

Wake-Robin Ridge Book 1
A Boy Named  Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2
Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3

What makes a book a bestseller?

teasersquare600After two years of pounding the keyboard and putting out indie fiction, I finally hit what I consider a bestseller. Half Wolf had 6,000 combined sales and borrows during its first three months of life, and the sequel seems to be enjoying even better reviews (and, hopefully, sales).

While my figures still don’t hold a candle to those of some authors, I thought it would be worth mentioning what I did differently in case you want to follow suit. Here’s a quick rundown in what went into my bestseller.

  1. Studied the genre harder. I read widely and often and write what I love to read. That said, I noticed repeated criticisms of my Wolf Rampant series surrounding lack of sex and action scenes. At first, I turned up my nose and said, “Hmmph! That’s what makes me an indie author — I can write what I want!” But then I decided to give it a whirl. And I have to admit I feel like the resulting book was more powerful for the inclusions (even though those component are still below average on a modern chart).
  2. Paid for an amazing cover. I have basic photoshop skills and thought I could make my own covers…and I did manage to make passable ones. Then I upgraded to hiring a cover artist…and was amazed at the difference in sales. Rebecca Frank is, unfortunately, now booked months in advance and no longer accepting new clients. However, I highly recommend shopping around and paying for a top-notch cover to match your top-notch book, hitting all of the same genre buttons to signal exactly what’s inside.
  3. Workshopped my blurb to death. Seriously, I think about ten people helped me make approximately 100 revisions on my blurb. Even before that, I studied the blurbs of the bestsellers in my genre, noting word count and other factors. Overall, I spent nearly a week on the project! But the result is tight and humming with life and it sells books.
  4. Launched with forethought. A lot more goes into a sticky launch than just telling your fans and waiting for the sales to roll in. If you haven’t read it, I recommend Chris Fox’s Launch to Market as a primer. I used a spreadsheet and every bit of social capital I’d built up in recent months on my launch and it was very much worth it.

I hope that gives you some ideas for pushing your next book into the stratosphere! And, if you’re curious, Half Wolf will be free Saturday and Lone Wolf Dawn is already marked down to 99 cents for launch week. Feel free to lurk and see whether my second launch does as well as the first.

Cover Reveal & More

The Shy Girl Series, Short Story #2 – Little Black Dress

Cover Reveal

Blurb

“He kissed me! Roland kissed me! Wow! Did that just happen? It was so quick, but felt oh, so good!”

Having been offered a scholarship far away from the prying eyes and gossips of her small hometown, Betsy is excited to be going to the Valentine’s Dance, with her first crush Roland.

However, her clumsiness is a barrier as overcome by nerves; she worries that she will embarrass either herself or Roland. Luckily, her best friend Susan is on hand to offer some friendly advice and a shoulder to lean on. The two girls enjoy a fun-filled day shopping for dresses for the dance.

Will Betsy be able to control her nerves? Will her budding romance with Roland develop into a long-term romance?

Little Black Dress – Short Story #2 of the Shy Girl Series introduces the reader to an adorable young couple at the very start of their love story.

Little Black Dress

I’m pleased to announce that ‘The Shy Girl Series, Short Story #2 – Little Black Dress’ will be published and available for purchase on Monday, June 27th. In addition, ‘The Shy Girl Series, Short Story #1 – Bashful Betsy’ will be available for FREE!

‘The Shy Girl Series’ are teen and young adult short stories. ‘Bashful Betsy’ follows eighteen-year-old Betsy Robinson as she enters college, finds friendship with her new roommate, and develops a crush on fellow student, Roland Barrett.

Read more about ‘Bashful Betsy’ at: https://authordbmauldin.wordpress.com/my-books/

Be sure to check back on Monday, June 27th for links to the FREE ‘Bashful Betsy’ and the NEW ‘Little Black Dress’ available for only $0.99!

https://authordbmauldin.wordpress.com/

View and share my 1st Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/b6Thav

Sign up for my newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/bUs2wv

 

#Free Ebook MenoWhat? A Memoir — #Menopause #Humor – D. G. Kaye

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D. G. Kaye’s book, Meno-What? A Memoir is free today! Don’t miss a great opportunity to read this humorous account of what can be an exasperating time in a woman’s life.  Promotion lasts until Monday, November 9, but don’t wait until the last minute. Grab your copy TODAY! Read about it Here:

Meno-What? A Memoir is Free Today

 

#FREE short story – SPRITE NIGHT – #UrbanFantasy by Deborah Jay

FREE

Hey folks, my short story SPRITE NIGHT is free from today until the 25th, so please go ahead and grab yourself a copy from Amazon. It’s a companion story to my Caledonian Sprite novel, DESPRITE MEASURES, but is also a complete stand alone story.

Discover a unique eco-urban fantasy with a touch of romance.

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When Scottish water sprite, Cassie, volunteers for an anti-fracking protest, the last thing she expects is to find herself at odds with a druid. But with time running out for the local environment, she can’t afford to be distracted by the handsome hunk of a Highlander.

Intent on a minor act of sabotage, Cassie is totally unprepared to be caught in the cross-fire of a magical battle. Can she avert catastrophe? Or will she become the very agency of an ecological disaster?

What people are saying about SPRITE NIGHT

***4.8 stars***

“This story flowed smoothly and gave the reader an enjoyable glimpse into the world of Cassie Lake. The author intertwined real life elements into her magical world of druids, magicians and sprites. It was a clever twist to include internet links to various real life sites to bring a touch of realism to this fantasy. I would recommend this story to anyone looking for an easy, quick story that will make you smile.”

“There was a lot to love crammed into this short story. First, there’s the interesting world-building, centered around a water sprite who can dematerialize into her individual molecules at will. Next, the Scottish setting and culture was very vivid and intriguing, like an armchair vacation. Add in the hydrofracking issue that is currently so important on a world-wide level and you have an intellectually intriguing and enjoyable read.”

“Another wonderful Deborah Jay story, proving that she writes short fiction as fabulously as she writes novels! I love her dialogue best – believable, funny, and her heroine Cassie is always sassy. The balance between plot, action and information (who knew all that about water sprites?) is perfect – the writing is truly fast-paced at time, yet still includes such strong imagery to make you wince, or laugh, or both simultaneously.
Perfect follow-up to Ms Jay’s Sprite novel, but works as a strong stand-alone, too.”

” This story gives you an excellent chance to dip your toe into the Cassie waters. Sorry, couldn’t resist that.”

Download your copy from Amazon HERE

Happy Birth Month Event!

I am one of those people who starts talking about my birthday three months before it arrives because celebrating the fact that I am here on Earth is a huge deal to me. I love having birthdays. I don’t even care that it means I’m getting older, or that this year I’m turning forty on the 22nd. I’m not afraid of forty–I hear it’s the new twenty. I also love getting presents, and this year I’ve already gotten some pretty awesome gifts from the people who love me.

Heart of the Sun HoW 2I wanted to spend this entire month celebrating my new twenty with all the people who continue to make it possible for me to live my dream. To kick off the celebration, I set the pre-order price on my upcoming book, Heart of the Sun, as low as Amazon, Kobo and iBooks will allow me to go in price. Through May 25th, Heart of the Sun is available for just $.99, and then on release day it will shoot up to $2.99. Now is a great time to pick up a copy and help me spread the word about it.

But the celebrating doesn’t stop there. Throughout the entire month of May there will be one of my books free on Amazon at all times. Starting now… I will send out notice each week to let you know what’s free how long you have to grab it before the price goes back up. You can also stay on top of the freebies by following the link to my Amazon author page and clicking the “Follow” link under my picture. Save the page and return each week to find out which book is free.

goblin market updated coverRight now The Goblin Market is free through midnight on Saturday, May 9. If you don’t already have a copy of this book, now’s a great time to snatch on for your Kindle or Kindle reader app. Don’t forget to stay tuned to the site for announcement on the next free book, and please help me spread the word.

I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the big 4-0! Not a day goes by that I am not truly grateful to have the opportunity to do the one and only thing I’ve wanted to do with my life: tell stories.