Forged by Fate is FREE!

It's that time again!

FORGED BY FATE is now FREE in digital wide release--Nook, Kobo, Apple, Scribd, Kindle, go! I'm working on getting it price matched on the zon's international sites but for whatever reason, and despite the email telling me they've done it, the free pricing hasn't gone through yet, so--Fingers Crossed, I suppose?

And don't forget that:

1) FORGED BY FATE technically ends at Christmas so it COULD be a legit holiday read if you subscribe to the "anything that has a Christmas adjacent timeline is a Christmas story" school of holiday reading.

But!

2) I ALSO have an EXPLICITLY holiday themed historical fantasy romance installment in the Fate of the Gods series--the novella, TAMING FATE!

TAMING FATE primarily takes place during the ACTUAL twelve days of Christmas, as celebrated in 15thC France, and you can grab it either on its own, for kindle, or as part of the FACETS OF FATE collection also for kindle, AND in wide release everywhere else (plus paperback!) 

Honestly, I recommend just grabbing it as part of FACETS OF FATE because I still haven't spun out the bonus BEYOND FATE epilogue novella, FINDING FATE, that is exclusively available in that collection, so you're get 3 novellas, plus some short stories, all for the price of 2 if you bought them as independent titles, and it's nice to just have so many of the extra stories and novellas all collected that way, if you ask me--which I realize you didn't. 

With the new cover art, FACETS would also make a great paperback gift for the FATE OF THE GODS enthusiast in your life! (Though I'd order RIGHT NOW, if you want it to arrive in time for Christmas!)

And uh, as with any good Fate of the Gods post going forward, here's an obligatory link to the reading order for your reference.

If you've already caught up on all the Fate of the Gods content I've put out--you're fantastic and my hero--it might interest you to know that I am poking at a Roman Gaul Thor and Evaline House of Lions novella probably which would take place during the events of FATE FORGOTTEN, and yes, there still is a third of a book from Ra and Athena's PoV in a folder on my hard drive which I would like to continue writing when the time is right. 

I've shared tastes of both over on Patreon, I believe, which you can read for as little as a dollar a month, along with the entirety of SON OF ZEUS, Pirithous's modern day adventure, and the in-progress COST OF LIVING--my very first novel, brought back to life as a serial billionaire romance exclusively available to my Patreon patrons! (Long time readers of the blog will perhaps remember--this is Thairon and Setta's book which has aged very strangely as the genesis for a lot of other stories I went on to write, but was still delightful to me to revisit!)

Chapters 1 and 2 of COST OF LIVING are free to read, in case you need a little bit more encouragement to sign on as a patron! They were pretty long, so I broke each one up into two pieces--so it's four posts of free reading for you to get a sense of the characters and the story! I hope you'll come read along!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I have been dropping some extremely scandalous 🔥🔥🔥 teasers from my Amalia Theresa Playing to Win holiday special, WINTER GAMES over on instagram if that is your jam, so feel free to pop over and check those out! I had such a blast designing the stepback covers to save my family from the searing hot sexiness of it all. (The final one will drop tomorrrroooowwwww!)

And with that, I wish you a VERY GLAD YULE (which starts tomorrow for me!) and good health and happiness to you and yours in the new year!

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2017 Release Round-Up

Just in case you missed anything--

In February, DAUGHTER OF A THOUSAND YEARS hit shelves, which is a book that broke me to write and continues to break me in new and different ways in release. It's also about Eric the Red's daughter Freydis, and the rise of Christianity around the year 1000 AD and the marginalization of pagan beliefs, reflected both in the past and present, because it has a contemporary timeline too! Woooooooo Dual Timeline Historical Fiction. Anyway. Grab it if you haven't!! There's some connective tissue there that will particularly appeal to fans of my Fate of the Gods books! And it is a book about Heathens by a Heathen, if that sort of thing speaks to you, too.

In July, I finally and at last released FACETS OF FATE, a collection of my Fate of the Gods novellas and short stories, which included TEMPTING FATE (Mia's story), TAMING FATE (Eve and Ryam DeLeon's story--particularly appropriate to the holiday season!) and the all new FINDING FATE (Marcus's story, and also a sort of epilogue to the Fate of the Gods trilogy), as well as Bride Price (about Adam and the DeLeon boys), Mortal Flesh, and a bonus Athena "chapter" that takes place during the events of Forged by Fate.  This was kind of a passion project of mine. I'd wanted to do a paperback collection like this for a very long time, because Tempting Fate was e-only and so many friends and family members wanted everything in print. So now it is! Go forth and complete your novella collection!

In October, we published A SEA OF SORROW: A NOVEL OF ODYSSEUS, the latest H-Team collaborative novel. I'm one of six awesome authors retelling the Odyssey from the perspective of the monsters, witches, and women Odysseus leaves behind. If you enjoyed the H-Team's SONG OF WAR, A YEAR OF RAVENS, and A DAY OF FIRE, you'll definitely want to get your hands on A SEA OF SORROW as well!

In addition to all of that, I also recovered my Fate of the Gods trilogy--all new cover art, and as an incentive to all of you who already have FORGED BY FATE, FATE FORGOTTEN, and BEYOND FATE in print, some bonus scenes in the back of each of those books. You'll probably be MOST interested in the additional three chapters of Eve's life in the ward in the back of FATE FORGOTTEN, but don't miss Thor showing off his power in the back of FORGED BY FATE or the left on the cutting room floor scene between Thor and Eve at the end of BEYOND FATE. The scenes in Fate Forgotten and Beyond Fate are exclusive to the print editions and won't be available anywhere else, so hopefully you'll enjoy it! Really, there's never been a better time to introduce your friends to Fate of the Gods!

Finally, that Orc Saga short story I promised you all is in process--not QUITE finished yet, because it has been a YEAR, but look for it in January-ish. And then it'll be Orc 3 time for Author me! It's the only project currently on my docket for 2018, and now that I have relearned to love writing again, I'm hoping it will all go smoothly!

Fingers crossed and the happiest of holidays to all of you! May your last week of 2017 be bright, and 2018 bring you forward momentum and blessings!

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FACETS OF FATE Cover Art!

If you're a newsletter subscriber you got to see this already, but for those of you who haven't subscribed yet (*eyebrow waggle*) -- how about some cover art?!

Cover art designed by Eileen Wiedbrauk -- who has done ALL my Fate of the Gods covers from day one!

A few more details to share on FACETS OF FATE:

1) This book will release FIRST in paperback. Not because I want to trick anyone (the ebook release will follow shortly thereafter) but the timetable on MY end is tight with another project that I have to finish first, and I want my formatter to have the time she needs to get the ebook properly pretty, so no one gets something that looks like gobbledegook. Also my personal impetus for releasing this collection is so readers can finally have TEMPTING FATE in print -- something I've been asked about repeatedly since Mia's novella released, so that's what I've been most focused on achieving first thing!

2) If you skipped the Secondary Character series because spoilers -- the *all new* story, titled FINDING FATE will focus on Marcus! For some of you, I know, he is NOT your favorite but I think he deserves a shot at redemption! (Also he really grew on me in draft two and I kind of love the guy!) So if you haven't read BEYOND FATE yet -- you'll want to do it now, to prep before you read Marcus's epilogue!

3) FACETS OF FATE is coming to you in JULY!

4) The other stories included in the Facets of Fate collection:

• Tempting Fate (Mia and Adam's story)
• Bride Price (Previously available only online at Birdville Magazine, and newly revised -- for its BM publication, I removed some of the more specifically Fate of the Gods elements, and I've always wanted to put them back in for you.)
• Taming Fate (The story of Eve and the oft-referenced Marquis DeLeon)
• Mortal Flesh and Homecoming (Two very short flash pieces, previously available only online on the blog.)

5) Also if you're wondering, in my head, that figure on the horse trying to outrace the storm that may or may not be representative of Thor's presence is definitely Ryam DeLeon. Which is 50% of the reason I *love* this cover for the collection, so much of which relates to the House of Lions, and also just the way in which Eve's mortal friends and family get so unwittingly entangled in the affairs of the gods, whether they want to be or not. (I'd argue that this applies to Adam, too, if not quite so exactly.)

Also, those of you in the PORTLAND, OREGON part of the country -- I'll be coming your way for the Historical Novel Society Conference, and on June 24th from 3:45 pm – 5:15 pm  there will be a book signing, FREE and OPEN to the public. I'll be attending as Amalia Carosella, but I'll be happy to sign anything Amalia Dillin that you happen to bring along, should you choose to visit! And I hope you will!

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Appearances and Fate of the Gods News

Firstly: ALBACON!
I have a schedule -- and I look forward to seeing some of you there!

Friday:

• I'll be taking part in a panel on Ways to Publish on 1pm during the Writer's Workshop and available to offer critiques at 4pm. (I'm also planning to attend the lunch on Friday, so you can catch me then, too!)

Saturday:

• I'm signing at 4pm! Come see me! There will be Butts!
• I'll have a full selection of Amalia Carosella AND Amalia Dillin books for sale through Flights of Fantasy Books and Games at the con, so if you don't have paperbacks yet, you can grab them there!

Sunday: 

• 11am panel on Mythology in Science Fiction and Fantasy!

Second Best: Another Opportunity to Say Hello!
And if you won't be making it to ALBACON this year, I'll also be taking part in Local Author Day at Barnes and Noble in Colonie Center on Saturday, April 2, 2015 as Amalia Carosella. I'll be thrilled to sign anything you have by Amalia Dillin as well, but only Helen of Sparta will be available for sale at B&N.

If you already have a signed copy of HELEN, consider stopping in to pre-order BY HELEN'S HAND, coming May 10th! I'm hoping to have some bookmarks for BHH on hand, as well as bookmarks and magnets for HELEN and my Amalia Dillin books.


Lastly: Fate of the Gods
You might have noticed that my Fate of the Gods books are currently unavailable from your favorite vendor of choice -- but don't worry, they'll be back VERY shortly. Paperbacks will continue to be available via all the usual channels, but ebooks will be kindle only for the time being (though I hope not forever). I apologize for any inconvenience this might cause. Please hang in there while I get things sorted on my end during this hopefully brief time of transition!

And now I am back to the writing cave -- fingers crossed this manuscript doesn't actually kill me before I'm done. See you at Albacon or Local Author's Day!

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TAMING FATE is FREE for kindle This Weekend Only!

If you've been waiting for a chance to get a taste of the Fate of the Gods series before you dive in -- this is your chance! TAMING FATE, my 15th century historical fantasy novella is FREE this weekend for Kindle!

Not sure if you're ready to commit to free until you know more about the novella? Here's the back cover copy:

For the first time in her many lives, Eve would rather be anywhere but home. 

In 15th Century France, Eve would have burned as a witch if it hadn’t been for the too-timely arrival of the Marquis DeLeon to save her skin. But Eve didn’t ask to be rescued, and their hasty marriage is off to anything but a smooth start. As tensions in the town grow and plague threatens, Ryam DeLeon knows if he and Eve cannot find common ground, their first Christmas may be their last.

STILL not sure?
How about a snippet?

“The crowd will thin after they’ve seen you,” Ryam murmured against her ear as he helped her from his carriage. She had not been quite prepared for such a crowd of men and women, and for a moment she remembered the mob which had come to her house in Avignon, demanding her father give her up…

She blinked and the angry mob became a host of excited faces, hoping to catch her eye. Some of the tension eased, her stomach unknotting.

“Not more than half of them will stay,” Ryam was saying, “and the children will be sent to their beds, to be sure.” He drew a pouch from inside his houppelande, and held it out to her. “Gold pieces for the children. For the Christmas goose.”

“My lady!” a mother called, holding her child tight to her chest. “My lady, please, your blessings for my son!”

Ryam smiled reassurance. “They had despaired of my ever finding a bride at all, I think, after my mother died. You would have liked her. It was her idea to start giving the people gold instead of silver.”

That was something Jesus would have appreciated, too. She took one of the coins from the pouch, frowning at it. What should have been the King’s coat of arms was instead a lion’s head, with not a fleur-de-lis to be found at all, only an odd shaped hammer on the back. If she hadn’t known any better, she would have thought it some pagan symbol. “But this is no écu.”

“The House of Lions has struck its own coins since the time of Charlemagne, though we pay our taxes in ingots,” Ryam explained, guiding her toward the women and children, lined up neatly and waiting for their coins. “We are so isolated in the mountains and so disinterested in the affairs of Europe, the king does not fear we will compete against his own currencies and very few of our Lions reach his coffers, besides.”

She gave a coin to the boy belonging to the woman who had called to her, and pressed a kiss to the child’s forehead. Beside her, Ryam did much the same, touching a little girl’s head, squeezing a boy’s shoulder, reassuring a grief-stricken widow and her twin daughters that they would not lose their farm if they could not make the rents. He might have believed they had come to see her, but a word from their Marquis, who knew them each by name, was the reason they left with their heads held higher and shoulders unbowed. Their concerns had been heard, their fears eased. She began to wonder if they had not wished to see her, only to reassure themselves that marriage had not changed their lord.

“My lady,” a young girl said softly. “If you could—me brother’s home sick in his bed, too ill even to do more than moan in his sleep. Me ma said that I might ask for an extra piece of gold, for a doctor to come see to him.”

She glanced at Ryam, but they’d been separated by so many people, all she could find of him was his blue and gold sleeve. If the boy was truly that sick, the family had probably waited too long for what passed for healing now to save him. She pressed her lips together, crouching down before the small, ash-haired girl, taking the hand held out to her.

“Tell me how it began. Was it a cough or a sore throat or aches in his body?”

“His neck hurt, my lady. That’s what he said. And then under his arms, too. Sometimes he lies in his blankets and shakes and shudders, his tongue lolling like he’s possessed. Me mam keeps him all covered, neck to toes and says we aren’t allowed near him. But his face was so dirty—I tried to wash it but the dirt is stuck to his nose.”

A chill slipped down her spine, and she swallowed against the tight ball of fear rising from her stomach. Plague. The boy had the plague. “Take me to him. At once.”

And while you're over yonder on Amazon, don't forget that HELEN OF SPARTA is a kindle first title this month! You can grab the ebook NOW before it's official release on April 1st!  And/Or! There's a fabulous Goodreads giveaway hosted by my publisher in which you could win one of TWENTY paperback copies of HELEN OF SPARTA!

As always, if you enjoy reading ANY of my books, please do consider writing a review on Amazon/Goodreads, so that other people can find and enjoy them too!

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