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Why Your Opinion Matters So Much

08.05.14

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Why Your Opinion Matters So Much

Last year, over one million books were published in the U.S. That includes books from big publishers and small presses, self-published books and ebooks—and it makes for a lot of choices for readers to sift through.

That’s why reviews matter so much. It used to be you could while away a couple of hours at your local bookstore, wandering the aisles, browsing books on tables and shelves, maybe even sitting on the floor in the aisle, reading a few pages (my personal favorite).

But as physical bookstores become scarce, a lot of book buying happens online—and ebooks have increased that trend. All those little thumbnail covers are overwhelming. How do you know whether a book is right for you?

If you’re deciding whether or not to take a chance on an author you haven’t read before, reviews can make the difference between one book and another. It can be a personal recommendation from a friend, something you’ve seen on social media, a reader review on Amazon, Goodreads or another online bookstore, or a blog post from a book reviewer. You may not always agree with all of a reviewer’s comments, but when you find someone who seems to like the same things you do, a good review can point you toward new reading adventures.

Here are some comments I’m hearing from book reviewers around the world on Deadly Curiosities. Thank you to each and every person who has ever recommended my books!

 

 

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News and Reviews

07.29.14

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News and Reviews

I love readers, bloggers and book reviewers! You’re the reason writers get to keep on writing.

Whether you share your book recommendations in conversation with friends or informally on social media, post them to Amazon, Goodreads or other online book sites, or run a book review blog, you’re filling a valuable gap between publishers and readers—and a gap which old-style media like newspapers (do they still print those?) and magazines have pretty well abandoned.

So thank you for taking the time to post about Deadly Curiosities! I really appreciate it. And in case you’re curious, here’s what other reviewers have to say:

Thank you reviewers and readers!

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Musings on Vampires, Voodoo and Life

07.22.14

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Musings on Vampires, Voodoo and Life

Wicked DreamsAs part of the Deadly Curiosities launch, I was fortunate to be a guest blogger for some really awesome blogs all around the world. Some wanted me to talk about a specific topic, others had questions for me, and still more wanted me to say whatever was on my mind.

In case you missed it, here are links to the interviews and musings—there’s stuff in here you won’t see anywhere else!

Enjoy!

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Terrifying Collections, Sorren’s Secrets and Launch Party Goodies

07.16.14

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Terrifying Collections, Sorren’s Secrets and Launch Party Goodies

Deadly Curiosities the novel is off and running–and getting a strong start from the recent spate of reviews. THANK YOU if you read, blog, review–you help make it possible for writers to keep on writing. I appreciate the kind words on Amazon/Goodreads and all the other online book platforms as well as all the official reviews. It all helps to spread the word!

“Collector” is the newest Deadly Curiosities Adventure short story–here’s the blurb: A Collector’s passion brings death and despair to Battery Row. Cassidy, Teag and Sorren fight for their lives against an ancient spirit, a children’s bogeyman, who has brought her minions with her to help discipline all in her path.  It’s .99 on Kindle/Kobo/Nook–here’s the Kindle link

If you’ve read Deadly Curiosities and you’re interested in learning more about Sorren’s mysterious past, check out my blog post on Sorren’s Secrets. I’ve also written about Voodoo and Hoodoo–and how they came to be part of the Deadly Curiosities stories.

In case you missed it, there were some fun free goodies with the launch party–

 

Deadly Curiosities Adventure #11

Deadly Curiosities Adventure #11

 

And if you want to go deeper into the world of Deadly Curiosities, please take a look at some of the guest blogs I’ve done lately for wonderful bloggers around the world!

Next up–I’ll be in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in the next couple of weeks–look for me to do a signing at Forbidden Planet in London on 7/23, at Waterstones Cardiff on 7/31 along with Lou Morgan and Gareth Powell, and keep your eyes open for something in Edinburgh too!

Had a wonderful time at ConGregate!  Next up is Dragon*Con, then ContraFlow in October, followed by a hat-trick trifecta of November cons: World Fantasy/Atomacon/Philcon!  Hope to see you soon!

 

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Come Party with Me to Launch Deadly Curiosities on June 25!

06.23.14

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Come Party with Me to Launch Deadly Curiosities on June 25!

I’m holding an all-day Facebook Launch Party on June 25 and you’re invited! (Parties on Goodreads and Reddit, too!) Fun, freebies, contests and games—enter to win free books and short stories!

Meet 20+ of my author friends who are celebrating with me. Find out about their new books and upcoming projects, get a sneak peek at some cool new anthologies, ask questions about writing, publishing—anything at all!

Best of all, meet authors, talk about books, nab some cool virtual party favors, play party games and have fun!

It all starts here at 10:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Wednesday, June 25 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/234205456779152/

Here’s the Facebook line-up:

10:30 – 11Me

11 – 11:30 Pip Ballantine

11:30 – Noon Chris Verstraete

Noon – 12:30 Trisha Wooldridge

12:30 – 1 John Hartness

1-1:30 Leona Wisoker

1:30 – 2 Keith DeCandido

2-2:30 Cynthia Ward

2:30 – 3 Jim Lavene

3 – 3:30 Me

3:30 – 4 Jennifer Brozek

4-4:30 Joshua Palmatier/Benjamin Tate

4:30 – 5 Tricia Barr

4-5:30 Clockwork Universe authors

5:30 – 6 Athena’s Daughters authors

5:50—6 Me

6-6:30 Rowena Cory Daniels

6:30 – 7 Kim Richardson

7-7:30 Tera Fulbright

7:30 – 8 Danielle Ackley-McPhail

8-8:30 Stuart Jaffe

8:30 – 9 James Maxey

9-9:30 Natasha Rhodes

9:30 – 10 Kelly Harmon

10 – 11 Me

 

On Goodreads, I’m doing an all day Ask the Author live chat! Enter to win a copy of Deadly Curiosities. Freebies! Games! Fun! I’m giving away an ebook each hour—must participate to win! www.Goodreads.com/GailZMartin

On Reddit/Fantasy, I’m reviving my Ask Me Anything for a Q&A http://redd.it/23va3v, and doing a giveaway for copies of Deadly Curiosities http://redd.it/27z9gq!

If you’re in the mood to party, come join me for more Deadly Curiosities parties and signings!

  • Jun 27-29 LibertyCon, Chattanooga, TN (launch party)
  • July 9 Reddit Featured author
  • July 11-13 ConGregate, Winston-Salem, NC (launch party)
  • July 19 Book signing Barnes & Noble, Pineville, NC
  • July 23 London, England—Signing at Forbidden Planet, stock signing at Waterstones
  • July 31 Cardiff, Wales—Signing at Waterstones
  • Aug. 1 Edinburgh, Scotland—Stock signing at Waterstones
  • Aug. 9 Book Signing at Books a Million Concord Mills
  • Labor Day Weekend DragonCon Atlanta, GA
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Welcome to the Hawthorn Moon Event 2014!

06.16.14

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Welcome to the Hawthorn Moon Event 2014!

It’s that time again—a week when we celebrate the summer solstice (or the Hawthorn Moon as it’s called in The Summoner) with a look at new books, new interviews and a whole lot of fun!

Here’s what’s happening this week:

News flash! Deadly Curiosities 2 is planned for 2015!

Where to find more adventures with Cassidy, Teag and Sorren before the second book comes out!

  • The Final Death novella takes Cassidy and crew on a whole new mission filled with vampires, voodoo and cursed objects—free and complete on Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/story/15334006-the-final-death
  • Three full Deadly Curiosities Adventures short stories are available on Kindle/Kobo/Nook in ebook for just .99 each:
    • Buttons—the story that launched the Deadly Curiosities novel. A hungry ghost haunts a dead man’s journals, and Cassidy and Sorren must destroy the spirit before it exacts its price in blood.
    • Coffin Box— When a prominent man and his wife die suddenly, a cursed gift appears to be the culprit. Cassidy, Teag and Sorren must hunt a supernatural killer before it strikes again.
    • Wicked Dreams-– Inexplicable murders among King Street merchants look like the work of a long-dead serial killer. Cassidy, Teag and Sorren go looking for an undead slasher before the body count rises.
    • Retribution: An all-new Deadly Curiosities story in the Athena’s Daughters anthology from Silence in the Library Publishing. An antique hip flask and a vintage poker set lead Cassidy and crew on a hunt to stop a ghostly killer nursing a decades-old fatal grudge.
    • The Restless Dead: Another all-new Deadly Curiosities story in the Realms of Imagination anthology from Dark Oak Books. An antique sewing machine may hold the key to preventing a deranged loner’s murder spree, but can Cassidy and her crew put the pieces together in time, even with some Voodoo help?

Stay tuned—I’ve got fun and surprises planned all week, and you’re invited!

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Reign of Ash Launches April 1! Book 2 in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga—Blaine McFadden Returns

04.01.14

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Reign of Ash Launches April 1! Book 2 in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga—Blaine McFadden Returns

I am so excited to announce the launch of Reign of Ash, the second book in the Blaine McFadden Ascendant Kingdoms series!

Reign of Ash by Gail Z. Martin Now available in book and ebook!

Survival is only the beginning.

Blaine McFadden endured six long years in the brutal Velant prison colony, exiled for murder. War devastated his homeland of Donderath, and destroyed the magic on which the Ascendant Kingdoms relied. Now, Blaine and a small group of fellow exiles have returned to a lawless wasteland, where unrestrained magic storms wreak havoc and monsters roam free.
Yet, amidst the chaos, rumors persist of a new magic that could restore the kingdoms. But the key lies within a dangerous, ancient ritual and a group of vanished survivors. Now, McFadden’s only hope is a small, desperate, quickly rallied army. Together they must make one last stand knowing that if they fail, the civilization of the Ascendant Kingdoms dies with them.
Reign of Ash is now available in bookstores and online everywhere!

NEW Urban Fantasy Novel—Deadly Curiosities—Debuts June 25

DEADLY CURIOSITIES

Curses. Restless ghosts. Malicious magic. Some family heirlooms are to die for….

Cassidy Kincaid’s job is to find haunted and dangerous objects of power; Sorren’s job is to destroy them. For centuries, a secret coalition of mortals and immortals have spirited malicious supernatural objects out of unsuspecting hands to avert disaster. Cassidy can touch an object and see its history, and when that includes curses, ghosts and dark magic, it’s time for her team to get to work, because the shadow world is closer than you think…
Deadly Curiosities is the all-new novel, coming June 25 from Solaris Books!

Anthologies!

Athena’s Daughters Anthology Features Stories About Women, by Women Authors

“Athena’s Daughters” features short stories by 25 women writers in science fiction, fantasy and steampunk. Authors include Mary Robinette Kowal, Gail Z. Martin, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jean Marie Ward, Janine Spendlove, Maggie Allen, Conley Lyons, Cleolinda Jones, Cynthia Ward, C.A. Verstraete, Tera Fulbright, Tanya Spackman, EJ Lawrence, Nisi Shawl and art by Kellie Neier, Ginger Breo.

A portion of every book sold will benefit RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network), the nation’s largest anti-abuse organization.

You can order the ebook or trade paperback from Silence in the Library Publishinghttp://www.silenceinthelibrarypublishing.com/store/

Cover for Athena's Daughters

Graphic Novel Project Includes My Short Story – Illustrated by a LucasArts’ Artist!

I have a short story in “Icarus: A Graphic Novel” illustrated by artist Joe Corroney, an awesome artist who has done posters and comic book art for LucasArts. Other authors/artists include Maxwell Drake, Mike Stackpole and Matt Slay. Order in ebook or trade paperback from Silence in the Library http://www.silenceinthelibrarypublishing.com/store/

Icarus cover w words

New Crowdfunded anthology “Dance Like a Monkey” Campaign Runs through May 1

This anthology of fantasy and sci-fi stories includes stories from over 30 authors including Kevin J. Anderson, Timothy Zahn, Ed Greenwood, Mike Stackpole, Aaron Rosenberg, Jean Rabe, Danielle Ackley-McPhail and me! The anthology benefits author CJ Henderson, who is battling cancer for the second time. $10 gets an anthology that should hit over 700 pages and 60+ authors if we meet all our stretch goals—fund it on Indiegogo here: http://bit.ly/1l0t4nk

20140317135848-Final6x9-Ron-JC-Dance

Two Different Superhero Anthologies!

“With Great Power” will launch this summer from Dark Quest Books, exploring a variety of superhero stories, including my tale, “Windows on the Soul.”

“Heroes” is a Kickstarter superhero anthology which will feature one of my stories as a stretch goal. Campaign kicks off in May.

Watch for these anthologies too:

“Clockwork Universe: Steampunk Vs. Aliens”—includes my story “Airship Down” from my Sound and Fury Adventures, coming this fall from Zombies Need Brains Publishing

“The Big Bad 2” will have a story from me told from the villain’s point of view, Fall 2014 from Dark Oak Books.

“Dreams of Steel V” will include another Sound and Fury Adventure, Fall, 2014, also from Dark Oak Books.

Short Stories–Available on Kindle, Kobo and Nook–New story each month!

In addition to my two new novels and the anthology projects, I have a number of short stories available on Kindle, Kobo and Nook, with more coming each month!

Dark Passages, A Jonmarc Vahanian Adventure—A poisoner is loose in the caravan, and men are dying. Powerful old enemies have returned for vengeance, and Jonmarc finds honor and courage tested as he risks his life to save his friends.

Dark Passage

The Deadly Curiosities Adventures

This series of adventures spans over 500 years, from the 1500s to modern day as a small cabal of vampires and their human helpers battle supernatural enemies to find and destroy dangerous magical items and keep the world safe from dark forces. Vanities; Wild Hunt; Dark Legacy; Steer a Pale Course; Among The Shoals Forever; The Low Road; Buttons
The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures

Soldier. Fight slave. Smuggler. Warrior. Brigand lord. If you’ve met Jonmarc Vahanian in the Chronicles of the Necromancer and Fallen Kings Cycle books, you don’t really know him until you take his journey. Raiders’ Curse; Caves Of The Dead ; Storm Surge; Bounty Hunter; Blood’s Cost; Stormgard; Monstrosities; Bad Places; Dead Man’s Bet; Dark Passages

Signings and convention appearances

• Apr 1 Reign of Ash launches from Orbit Books!
• Apr. 9 Reddit Ask Me Anything AMA, 3 p.m. on r/IamA
• Apr 5 Book Signing, Barnes & Noble Birkdale (Huntersville, NC)
• Apr 12 Book Signing, Barnes & Noble Morrison (South Park)
• Apr 18 – 20 Awesomecon, Washington, DC (launch party for Reign of Ash)
• Apr 24 Reddit Ask Me Anything AMA on r/Fantasy
• Apr 25-27 Ravencon, Richmond, VA (launch party for Reign of Ash)
• May 3 Book Signing, Books A Million Concord Mills
• May 10 Book Signing, Books A Million, Carolina Mall, Concord NC
• May 17 Book Signing, Park Road Books 2 – 4 p.m., Charlotte, NC
• May 23-26 Balticon, Hunt Valley, MD (launch parties for Reign of Ash, Athena’s Daughters and promo party for Dance Like a Monkey)
• May 27-30 Book Expo America, New York City (Signing at Solaris Booth)
• May 30 – Jun 1 ConCarolinas, Charlotte, NC
• Jun 21 Hawthorn Moon Online Event
• Jul 25 Deadly Curiosities launches from Solaris Books!
• Jun 27-29 LibertyCon, Chattanooga, TN (Deadly Curiosities launch party!)
• Jul 9 9:00 AM (ET) I’m Fantasy Writer of the Day on Reddit – come and chat!
• Jul Watch for Reddit “Ask Me Anything (AMA)”
• Jul 11-13 Congregate, Winston-Salem, NC (Deadly Curiosities launch party!)
• July 19 Book Signing Barnes & Noble, Pineville, NC
• July 23-26 Book Signings, London, England—Forbidden Planet, Waterstones
• July 31 Book Signing at Waterstones, Cardiff, Wales
• Aug. 1 Book Signing at Waterstones, Edinburgh, Scotland
• Aug 29-Sep 1 Dragon*Con, Atlanta, GA
• Oct. 3-5 ContraFlow, New Orleans, LA
• Oct. 24 – 31 Days of the Dead Online Event
• Nov. 7 – 9 World Fantasy Convention, Washington, DC
• Nov. 14 – 16 Atomacon, Charleston, SC

You can always find me on Twitter @GailZMartin and on Facebook as Winter Kingdoms. I’m also on Goodreads, Wattpad and Pinterest. Please come say hello and chat awhile, or stop by a signing and say hello!

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The Days of The Dead Wrap-Up—Still Plenty of Tricks and Treats!

11.12.13

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The Days of The Dead Wrap-Up—Still Plenty of Tricks and Treats!

Thank you for helping put Ice Forged at #1 in the US and Canada in three categories for books and ebooks on Amazon and into the top 70 books on Kindle in both countries!

Some of the contests in the list below are still running for a limited time, so there’s still a chance to win free books!

The blog posts and videos will be up long-term, so here’s the full list. A couple will be posting later in November. And like any good Halloween party, there are extra treats—downloadable excerpts and audios of my work and several of my author friends. Enjoy!

  • Orbit Books (www.OrbitBooks.net)—A guest blog post on Stalking the Shadow Side and a chapter excerpt from Ice Forged http://www.orbitbooks.net/2013/11/01/stalking-shadow-side/
  • AND a post on my vote for who is the Ultimate Urban Fantasy Fighter http://www.orbitbooks.net/2013/10/31/ultimate-urban-fantasy-fighter-vampires-vs-werewolves/
  • New Video for Ice Forged and Reign of Ash: http://youtu.be/TZmpDbDWuWI
  • I Smell Sheep http://www.ismellsheep.com/2013/10/guest-post-my-brain-is-dangerous-place.html on why my brain is a dangerous place for characters.
  • Solaris Books —A blog post about the new Deadly Curiosities novel plus a never-before seen excerpt http://solaris-editors-blog.blogspot.com/2013/10/solaris-author-gail-z-martin-talks.html
  • Magical Words—A guest blog from me on “Looking Over the Brink” plus a different excerpt from Ice Forged http://www.magicalwords.net/specialgueststars/looking-over-the-brink/
  • SFSignal.com—a drawing to win a copy of Ice Forged (through 11/4) plus a blog post on “Epic to Urban and Back Again” http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2013/10/guest-post-gail-z-martin-on-switching-gears-between-epic-and-urban-fantasy
  • SciFiChick.com—another chance to win a copy of Ice Forged and a blog post about Genre and Gender at scifichick.com/?p=21753
  • Out of the Box Media http://www.ootb-media.co.uk/guest-blog-series-characters-and-sanity-gail-z-martin/ A drawing for a copy of Ice Forged and a blog post on the Brave New World of Publishing
  • BullSpec.com – a blog post on The Hardest Part of writing urban fantasy http://bullspec.com/2013/10/30/the-hardest-part-gail-z-martin-on-deadly-curiosities/
  • AudioBookaneers is offering a drawing for an audio copy of The Sworn http://audiobookaneers.com/ Coming soon!
  • RisingShadow http://www.risingshadow.net/articles/279-an-interview-with-gail-z-martin Asks me all the questions no one else dared to ask!
  • Beauty In Ruins http://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/2013/10/gail-z-martin-talks-deadly-curiosities.html has a brand new interview where I spill all my secrets!
  • Fantastical Imaginations http://fantasticalimaginations.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/terview-with-gail-z-martin/ has an all-new interview
  • Civilian Reader http://civilian-reader.blogspot.com/2013/10/guest-post-its-end-of-world-bring.html has my take on It’s the End of the World—Bring Charmin
  • Fantasy Book Critic http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2013/10/guest-post-when-grid-goes-down-by-gail.html?m=0 on When the Grid Goes Down
  • Paranormal Authors on Digging up Bones: Through a Glass Darkly http://paranormalauthors.blogspot.com/2013/10/guest-blog-through-glass-darkly.html
  • Janine Spendlove’s blog http://www.ailionora.com/2013/10/26/guest-post-misbehaving-women-gail-z-martin/ on my upcoming story in the Athena’s Daughter’s anthology
  • Toni Sweeney’s blog http://www.tonivsweeney.com/tvsweeney tonivsweeney.com/Blog/Entries/2013/10/24_Living_in_Interesting_Times.html on Living in Interesting Times
  • Tera Fulbright’s blog http://terafulbright.blogspot.com/2013/10/guest-post-gail-z-martin.html?spref=fb and a post on The Con-Going Writer
  • A Marvelous New World http://writermaggie.blogspot.com/2013/10/guest-blog-series-characters-and-sanity_25.html on Series, Characters and Sanity
  • Joshua Palmatier’s blog http://jpsorrow.livejournal.com/414590.html on my upcoming story in Steampunk Vs. Aliens
  • Kelly Hashway’s blog http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com/2013/11/writer-wednesday-line-between-horror.html Where’s the Line Between Horror and Epic Fantasy on 11/13
  • Skiffy and Fanty http://skiffyandfanty.com/2013/10/29/my-superpower-gail-z-martin/ on My Superpower
  • Chaos & Insanity http://www.chaosandinsanity.com/7299/guest-post-by-gail-z-martin/ talked to me about Creating Fictional Holidays
  • Vonnie Winslow Crist’s blog http://vonniewinslowcrist.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/suspense-horror-and-romance-in-epic-fantasy-by-gail-z-martin/ on Suspense, Horror and Romance in Epic Fantasy
  • RachaelAcks.com http://katsudon.net/?p=2379 on Urban/Epic Whiplash
  • KristiPetersenSchoonover.comhttp://kristipetersenschoonover.com/2013/10/29/writers-what-terrifies-you/
  • on The Long and Short of It about the new short story series on
  • FanGirlBlog.com http://fangirlblog.com/?p=14979 on Epic Fantasy is No Place for Wimps http://fangirlblog.com/2013/10/epic-fantasy-is-no-place-for-wimps/
  • Indian SF http://indiansf.in/ on Myth, Magic, Folklore—and Fantasy Coming soon!
  • The BroadPod http://broaduniverse.org/podcast/october-2013-broadpod/ includes an audio reading of Vanities
  • GhostInTheMachinePodcast.com—Readings from all of my new short stories—including some that haven’t been released yet!
  • ChroniclesOfTheNecromancer.com—A special post from me about how the short stories fit into the world of the novels, and a different chapter excerpt from Ice Forged, and sample chapters from books by several of my author friends!
  • TheWinterKingdoms on Facebook (please “like” my page!) “like” my page before 11/30 and enter for a chance to win a signed copy of The Dread!
  • DisquietingVisions.com—a blog post on what new surprises lie in store—and where I’ll be in 2014, plus more excerpts!
  • On Goodreads Talking about Your Favorite Monsters—join in here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/117069-ghoulies-and-ghosties–favorite-monsters
  • New radio interview on Beware the Spaceman http://www.bewarethespaceman.com/test/6938-spacecast-40-aka-all-new-spacecast-episode-4
  • Twitter.com @GailZMartin—Links to some of my excerpts and audios, plus links to downloads from some more of my awesome author friends!
  • Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/gzmartin/boards/—See some of my photos from the conventions I attend, cities I visit and more—plus my favorite board, “Abandoned Places”
  • I’m now on Reddit and I’ll be the Fantasy Author of the Day on April 2 for Reign of Ash and on July 9 for Deadly Curiosities and an AMA-Ask Me Anything in April!
  • Watch for excerpts and new short fiction from me on Wattpad—Come hang out and connect! Excerpts from Buttons, Reign of Ash, The Low Road, Among the Shoals Forever and Raider’s Curse. http://wattpad.com/GailZMartin
  • Reign of Ash excerpt here: http://www.orbitbooks.net/excerpt/reign-of-ash/
  • Speculative Scotsman excerpt and Q&A here:

http://scotspec.blogspot.com/2013/10/guest-post-gail-z-martin-explains-days.html and here: http://scotspec.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/excerpt-emporium-reign-of-ash-by-gail-z.html

  • On Falcata Times, I talk about rebuilding after the apocalypse http://falcatatimes.blogspot.com/2013/10/days-of-dead-blog-tour-out-of-ashes.html
  • For Fantasy Faction, I riff about why anarchy is overrated. http://fantasy-faction.com/2013/why-government-is-better-for-society-than-anarchy
  • On Dave Brendon’s blog, http://davebrendon.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/gail-z-martins-days-of-the-dead-blog-tour-guest-post/ I muse about “found families” in fantasy
  • With SFBokhandelin, www.SFBok.se we discuss my own version of “chaos theory.” https://www.sfbok.se/extra/onchaos.asp
  • No Cloaks Allowed NoCloaksAllowed.com explores When Magic Is The Problem. http://nocloaksallowed.com/2013/11/01/article-when-magic-is-the-problem-by-gail-z-martin/
  • J For Jetpack JForJetpack.com Let’s Hear it For Reluctant Heroes http://jforjetpack.com/guest-post-lets-hear-reluctant-heroes-gail-z-martin/
  • Meetup.com http://www.meetup.com/Thrifty-Author-Publishing-Success-Network/events/147930392/ Discusses “Writing the Holiday Tie-in” on Nov. 13
  • The Squealing Nerd, Review of The Dread http://squealingnerd.blogspot.com/2013/10/kinda-makes-you-want-to-spawn-on-gail-z.html

Trick or Treat wouldn’t be complete without Treats! In this case, book excerpts—some mine, and many from my author friends. Enjoy!

From my friends at Dark Oak Press—a sampler platter of delights!

  • http://www.darkoakpress.com/afterlife.html
  • http://www.darkoakpress.com/miami.html
  • http://www.darkoakpress.com/goth.html
  • http://www.darkoakpress.com/allanstory.html
  • http://www.darkoakpress.com/galenrev.html
  • http://www.darkoakpress.com/darkchances.html
  • http://www.darkoakpress.com/decembrists.html

 

From my Broad Universe friends, the Wicked, Wild and Whimsical Words Tour: http://ow.ly/qbWhv

From E Rose Sabin

  • http://www.erosesabin.com/Page4-5a.html or http://www.erosesabin.com/Page4-4a.html or http://www.erosesabin.com/Page4-3a.html
  • https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/124619
  • https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/122483

From Linda Nightingale

  • Cardinal Desires: http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-77115-132-3
  • Sinners’ Opera: http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-77115-112-9
  • We Shadows: http://xenex.org/writing/weshadows.php
  • Danse Macabre: http://xenex.org/writing/dansemacabre.php
  • Artificial Gods: http://xenex.org/writing/artificialgods.php

From John Hartless

  • http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/eAuthor.php?Name=Jon%20Hartless
  • http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/eAuthor.php?Name=Barnabas%20Corbin

From Charlene Roberts

  • http://charlenelroberts.wordpress.com/books-3/books-2/
  • http://double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-77115-064-5

From Ben Manning

  • http://vrilcodex.blogspot.com/

And some of mine:

  • An excerpt from Buttons, the Deadly Curiosities Adventure that inspired the upcoming novel: http://www.wattpad.com/28207044-buttons
  • An excerpt from Among the Shoals Forever, from the Deadly Curiosities Adventures—one of my scariest yet! http://www.wattpad.com/28329866-among-the-shoals-forever
  • An excerpt from Reign of Ash (1 of 4) http://www.wattpad.com/28212257-reign-of-ash-excerpt-1
  • An excerpt from Raider’s Curse, in the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures– http://www.wattpad.com/28575506-raider%27s-curse
  • An excerpt from The Low Road, from the Deadly Curiosities Adventureshttp://www.wattpad.com/28657396-the-low-road?d=ud
  • An excerpt from Ice Forged, Book 1 in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga: http://www.orbitbooks.net/excerpt/reign-of-ash/
  • An audio excerpt from Stormgard from the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures– http://ghostinthemachinepodcast.com/?p=448
  • An audio excerpt from Wild Hunt in the Deadly Curiosities Adventures: http://ghostinthemachinepodcast.com/?p=444
  • An audio excerpt from Storm Surge from the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures: http://ghostinthemachinepodcast.com/?p=446
  • http://scifichick.com/2013/10/26/guest-post-gail-martin-on-gender-and-genre/
  • http://www.sfbok.se/
  • Fantasy Faction (Marc Aplin: Marc@Fantasy-faction.com)
  • Falcata Times (Gareth Wilson: drosdelnoch@hotmail.com)
  • J For Jetpack (Paul Wiseall: paul.wiseall@gmail.com)
  • No Cloaks Allowed / Gav Reads (Gavin Pugh: gavreads@me.com)
  • Speculative Scotsman (Niall Alexander: thespeculativescotsman@gmail.com)—all-new interview plus an excerpt from Reign of Ash
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Days of the Dead—Reign of Ash and Deadly Curiosities are Coming!

10.24.13

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Days of the Dead—Reign of Ash and Deadly Curiosities are Coming!

Welcome to my annual Days of the Dead Online Event. As always, I’ve got lots of treats—excerpts (from my own stuff plus some of my friends), audios, and even some giveaways for Ice Forged!

I’ve always thought this week is the best time of the year. Samhain, All Hallow’s Eve, Halloween, Dia De Los Muertos all in one week—what’s not to love? And I just came back from the ContraFlow convention in New Orleans, so I had a chance to soak up all that haunted history that makes the Big Easy so amazing. Be sure to check out my pictures of voodoo museums, haunted cemeteries and supernaturally-spectacular mansions on Facebook on my Gail Martin profile page.

While you’re on Facebook, “like” my Winter Kingdoms page and you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win a signed copy of The Sworn.

On 10/31, Ice Forged will be the Kindle Daily Deal, so you can get it on Kindle for just 1.99 that day only—please grab a copy for yourself and tell all your friends.

I’ve also got a new book video for Ice Forged and Reign of Ash!

What’s up this year? Reign of Ash comes out from Orbit Books in April, 2014. It’s Book Two in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and picks up where Ice Forged leaves off. Then in July, I’ll have a brand new urban fantasy novel out with Solaris Books, Deadly Curiosities. It’s set in modern-day Charleston, SC and tells the story of Cassidy Kincaide, who owns Trifles & Folly, an antiques and curio shop that exists to get dangerous magical objects off the market. Both are rollicking-good adventures, so please join me for the ride!

I’m in four new anthologies in 2014: Unexpected Journeys from the British Fantasy Society, Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens from Zombies Need Brains Press, Athena’s Daughters from Silence in the Library Press, and With Great Power, a superhero anthology.

Did you know I publish a new short story every month on ebook? I write two ebook series, with original content every month. The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures are a prequel to The Summoner, and show you how Jonmarc became the greatest warrior in the Winter Kingdoms and what it cost him. In the Deadly Curiosities Adventures, I share the back story for the new novel, tracking the exploits of an intrepid group of mortals and undead whose mission is to find and destroy magically malicious objects. The short stories are lots of fun, and at .99 each, they’re a cheap thrill!

This year’s Days of the Dead Tour has more free giveaways of Ice Forged than ever before—details are below, but with all those chances, why not try your luck!

Here’s the deal—different blogs will post my guest articles on different days. Make the rounds, enter the contests, be entertained and grab some fun freebies!

What are you waiting for? You can get in on all the Days of the Dead fun on a treasure hunt/Trick-or-Treat just by visiting these sites. And please, “like” my TheWinterKingdoms page on Facebook when you visit to get the goodies!

Here’s where the action is:

Halloween wouldn’t be complete without Trick or Treat, and so not only will you find downloadable links to excerpts from my books, but you’ll also find sneak previews and excerpts from dozens of my author friends. Enjoy!

Remember—each partner site with an excerpt from Ice Forged has a different excerpt!

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The Long, Short and Just Right

10.23.13

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The Long, Short and Just Right

By Gail Z. Martin

Since January, I’ve been publishing a new short story on Kindle, Kobo and Nook every month.  Some are in the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures series, and some in the Deadly Curiosities Adventures series.

How do the short stories fit with the novels? Will there be an Ice Forged series of short stories?  What’s the connection between the short stories and the anthologies I’ve been in? If there’s a Steampunk short story, is there going to be a book?  Will they ever come out in anthologies or in print? Am I crazy?

Let’s start with the last one first.  Yes, I probably am crazy.  The short stories run about 30 pages a piece, so 12 of them add up to nearly a whole book on its own.  That’s a lot of writing, but fortunately it’s fun and almost counts as recreation.

How do the stories fit with the books?  The Jonmarc Adventures take place more than a decade before Jonmarc meets Tris in The Summoner.  The short stories let you experience events in his past that get mentioned in passing in the books, milestones that made Jonmarc the man he is.  You can think of the stories as a serialized novel, since each story builds on the ones that came before.  I’ve got the equivalent of three books worth of back story, so this series will be running for a while.

The Deadly Curiosities Adventures are part back story, part between-the-books stories for the new urban fantasy novel.  The short stories begin in 1565, where we first meet Sorren, the vampire who becomes the patron behind Trifles & Folly.  So far, we see Sorren and the Alliance at work in 1560s Belgium, in 1780s South Carolina and in modern Charleston.  Don’t rule out stories set in other historical periods as well as more stories, and maybe a novella (hint) in the modern setting.

Will there be an Ice Forged series of short stories?  Probably, but I’m not sure when.  I’d like to revisit the six years Blaine spends in Velant and Edgeland, which gets mentioned but not told in depth in Ice Forged.  Sooner or later, I’ll get around to it.

What’s the connection to the anthologies?  Most anthology contracts require a certain period of exclusivity, after which the story is mine again to do what I please.  That means once the anthology has had its contractual period, I can post those stories as ebooks, which is why some of the stories may look familiar if you’ve read any of the anthologies where I’ve been an author.

I’ll be doing a Steampunk short story and a superhero story.  Does that mean there might be books?  The superhero story may not lend itself to an ongoing series—I’ll have to think about that.  As for the Steampunk, could be!

A lot of people have asked whether I’ll be collecting the short stories into anthologies and or releasing them in print.  Perhaps, but it won’t be any time soon.  I need to write quite a few more stories in both short story series to have enough for a compilation to make sense.  At that point, I’ll see whether a print version makes sense and go from there.  But that’s probably at least a year away.  Why wait when you can get the stories for .99 now!

I also get asked what order to read the short stories in to get them chronologically.  Here you go.

Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures: Raiders’ Curse, Caves of the Dead, Storm Surge, Bounty Hunter, Blood’s Cost, Stormgard

Deadly Curiosities Adventures: Vanities, Wild Hunt, Steer a Pale Course, Among the Shoals Forever, The Low Road, Buttons

Thanks for reading!

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