I have news!! My lovely agent and I have sold TWO BOOKS of a new series!

These books are not in the Allie Beckstrom Magic world. These are a whole new thing. What kind of new thing? This kind:

DEAD MAN'S MOON and STRANGE HUNT: In the steampunk America of the 1800's where strange creatures, machines, and magic aim to claim the same scrap of land and sky, sometimes all a man can count on is his honor, his word, and his claws.

What do you think? Sound like fun?

The Allie Beckstrom urban fantasies will still be coming out every six months, and though I haven't talked to my editor about it yet, I believe the new series will be on a yearly release schedule.

More when I know it! For now, let's celebrate!! *A cha-cha and a dance-dance!!*

 I might be quiet for much of this week as I try to wrestle book five into shape, but I wanted to make a quick post today.

My friend, Brenda Cooper's book, WINGS OF CREATION is out today!  Congratulations, Brenda!   Brenda is a talented writer, a class act, and a gracious, thoughtful member of the science fiction and writing community. 

If you haven't tried her YA science fiction, go!  Get thee to a bookstore and pick it up today!   You can win a copy if you click on this link to her site where she's doing giveaways too!   


And here's a quick description of the book:

I always have the best intentions.  To pre-plan, write lists, and take things in small, easy-to-accomplish bits.

And then release week comes around and I am running around like crazy, because I have done none of the above, LOL!  Let's talk about:

Book signing and launch--MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS --the last* launch (big party) for the Magic series.  I love doing book launches--really I do.  But I've done 3 of them (4 if you count the one at Orycon) in one year--which is so cool because that means I've had three books come out within 365 days--and I feel so very lucky for that. 

But the time (and um..money) it takes to put these together is more than I can do at this pace.  Since my deadlines for turning in the next book in the series also fall right when each previous book is hitting the stores, trying to be super productive writing-wise, and super sharp social-wise at the same time is a heck of a balancing act.  

So if you want to come to the last big launch party for the Magic series, it's:

Saturday, the 7th
4:00- 7:00
TeaParty Book Shop in Salem Oregon. http://www.teapartybookshop.com/?p=953
Signing, reading, Q & A, refreshments, raffle for great goodies, and an all-around good time.

This is not the last signing I'll be doing, though.  I love to do signings! 

Currently, I'll be signing at:

Orycon in Portland, Oregon http://www.orycon.org/orycon31/
Friday, the 27th 6:30 (reading)
Saturday, the 28th 2:30 (signing)

Powells Books in Portland Oregon http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780451462879-0
Sunday, the 29th
4:00 with these GREAT authors: 

• Lilith Saintcrow (Flesh Circus, Orbit)
• Jay Lake (Green, Tom Doherty Associates)
• Thomas Harlan (Land of the Dead, Tor)
• David Levine (Space Magic, Wheatland Press)
• Brent Weeks (Beyond the Shadows, Orbit)
• Camille Alexa (Push of the Sky, Hadley Rille Books)
• Barb and J. C. Hendee (In Shade and Shadow, Roc)
• Brenda Cooper (Wings of Creation, Tor)
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Diving into the Wreck, Pyr)
• Dean Wesley Smith (numerous Star Trek novels)
• Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Fall of Light, Ace)
• Mike Shepherd (Undaunted, Ace)
• A. M. Dellamonica (Indigo Springs, Tor)
• Timothy Zahn (Odd Girl Out, Tor)
• Alma Alexander (Cybermage, Harper Teen)
• Louise Marley (the Singers of Nevya series)
• Ru Emerson (the Bard's Tale series)
  ....and Pyr senior editor Lou Anders

So if you can't catch me in Salem, I'll be up Portland way soon!  Hope to see you there!

*Ok.  So maybe I will throw other parties for the Magic series.  As a matter of fact, I'll do a little sumthin' sumthin' at Orycon.  But no super-big bashes for awhile.  Unless one of the books hits the NYT Bestseller list.  'Cause then we're gonna throw a party like you've never seen! ;)

Ilona Andrews interviewed me over on her blog!!  It's up today here:

http://www.ilona-andrews.com/2009/10/31/is-it-magic-underwear/#postcomment

I talk about magic, writing, knitting, and underwear.  Check it out, won't ya?  Oh, and if you leave a comment there, you'll be in the drawing for the give away of my books--all three of them will go to one lucky winner!

And if you haven't tried Ilona's books--what?  Well, then, let me just shove away that rock you've been living under, and point you to these wonderful books.  I think you'll love them!

Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniel series:
MAGIC BITES
MAGIC BURNS
MAGIC STRIKES

Ilona Andrews' The Edge series:
ON THE EDGE

So my family and I went on the spooky tour of the local Mission Mill.

It was fabulous!  They warned us ahead of time that it was not a haunted house experience, but instead was a tour of the mill with the darker stories and history woven in. 

It was dark out, but not raining.  About twenty-some of us showed up and were taken through the historic mill, room by room, above ground and below ground, outside in the pulling field where dead sheep were gathered up and a church now stands, and inside to the dye room where a man was torn apart.

My favorite bits were the blacksmith working his forge and hammering away on a spike--the image of him standing in that low-ceiling room with just the tip of the metal spike glowing jack-o-lantern orange and spitting sparks with each blow of the hammer that arced out the open door to where we stood--will linger with me.  So will the gunpowder smell of the forge, and the iron and oil machine shop, where the ghost of Wayne still lingers.  Wayne worked in the shop for years and  trained the mice to come to his window when the noon lunch whistle blew, so he could feed them.

I'll remember the child who wandered silently past us, clutching her missing, bleeding stump of an arm (ok, so they did do *some* spooky stuff!) who may have been the ghost of the child who, in the 1800's, hung his arm over the edge of the freight elevator and was forever separated from it.

And I'll remember the huge gears, belts, trap doors, and wicked-teethed machines, in dust-heavy brick rooms, where children, and men, and women once sweat out their days and lives in the dim yellow light.

And the looms. I'll remember the looms.

Now I know what the "kiss of death" really is.

Tonight I'm going on the Spooky Mill Tour over at the old Mission Mill .  I'm really looking forward to this!




Here's what they say about the tour:  "...even spookier stories about the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill. If you missed it last year, here’s your chance to tour the historic Woolen Mill after dusk. On the tour you’ll learn about past working conditions, accidents that occurred and experience the Mill in the dark!"

Updates, including personal experiences if  things do indeed go bump in the night, to follow.

Yes!  My kid asked me to knit him this for Christmas:





Jayne's hat! 

1. MAGIC IN THE BLOOD has been set free in Georgia by tempestsans over on Bookcrossing.com!  How cool is that?  It's like a treasure hunt and the prize is a free book.  Here's a link to the entry so you can check it out.  Has anyone ever tried Book Crossing?  Do you like it?  I'm thinking about joining in and setting some books out for people to discover.

2. Speaking of free books, I'm giving away three copies of MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS over on The Deadline Dames.  Plus, I rant a little about people who dog your dreams.

3.  Several people have asked for my newsletter which has an exclusive snippet from MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS.  For anyone who signed up after the newsletter was sent out (on October 2nd) I'll be sending the newsletter out this Wednesday the 28th. 

4. Halloween.  I have no idea what to dress up as, have no time to make costumes for myself and family, and am attending a costume party on Saturday.  Maybe I can just wear my normal clothes and go as a deranged writer?

5. Book 5 (still untitled) is coming along.  I know where it needs to go, I know what needs to happen, and I know I'll get the book done.  When I get it done is another story.  I can hear the deadline ticking down in my sleep!

This is it!  The random number generator has chosen five winners for signed copies of MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS!  And the winners are:

Gerry Huntman

Natasha Gruneberg

Jess S.

unpissenlit

dgsiii

Please contact me at: Devon_monk AT yahoo DOT com with your mailing address and I will get your signed copy out to you right away.

Thank you, everyone for playing!  You all have great taste in favorites, by the way. ;)

My next giveaway will be on Monday, over at the DeadlineDames.  So there's still a chance you can win a signed copy! (yay!) 

The other day, copies of MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS arrived.  I'm so excited.  And luckily for me, I had a little friend who helped me open the box.

To celebrate the near launch date of MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS, I am giving away five signed copies.  I tried to come up with a cool contest, or an interesting question or something...you know...contesty, but my brain has been sucked dry from the deadline on my current writing project--book 5.

So all you have to do is leave a comment and you'll be in the drawing!  I'll choose winners via Ye Olde Randome Number Generator, by 10:00 Friday, PST. (that's about 22 hours from now.)  I'll ship anywhere.

If you have absolutely no idea what to leave as a comment, just tell me something that is your favorite.  Like, what is your favorite Halloween costume you once wore?*  What's your favorite kind of pie?**  What's your favorite canceled TV show?***


*An angel, when I was eight-ish. Wings, a halo, and drag queen lashes.  I felt so beautiful!  Until I went through my first-ever haunted house. I screamed bloody murder and scrambled through the horror-filled maze.  Lost one of my lovely fake black lashes.  By the time I got out of there my halo was bent, my wings crumpled, and my make up smeared.  Then we went trick-or-treating. I looked like an eight-year old angel who'd just lost a bar brawl.  I think I got twice as much candy.  Out of pity. 

**Dunno. I haven't tried every kind yet. (so far, pumpkin or pecan)

***Firefly, Pushing Daisies

I was away from home for a few days, and while I was gone a box arrived.  Here's what happened:

Little Domo wrestled the box off of the front step:

( How will Domo ever open such a big box? )

MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS won't be in stores until November 3rd, but
five books will be given away right here on my blog on Friday, October 23rd.

Stay tuned!



*Thank you, to the packager who placed a sheet of cardboard over the books before shipping them to me.  I--I mean, "Domo" turned that corkscrew one time too many, and would have screwed it right through the cover of the book if the cardboard hadn't been there.  Oops!

I just rolled the random number generator and the winner of Friday Goody #3, Nola's hand knit bag is:

zita_hCongratulations, Zita!  Email me at devon underscore monk at yahoo dot com with your mailing address and I will get the bag out to you right away!

Stay tuned for a new excerpt and goody on Friday.  Is it another hand-knit goody?  Nope.  Rumor has it books have arrived at my house.  Since I won't be home until Wednesday, it remains a mystery.  But if it is a box of MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS, that means I can do anything I want with them.  And I think a Friday goody--in which the winner will receive the book before it's even in the stores--is just the thing! 

Happy Friday, everyone!  There are only 18 days until MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS hits the shelves!  I'm so excited for it to come out.  I think this book has a lot of cool surprises in it, and takes Allie deeper into the darker side of magic.  But no matter what Allie goes through, she knows her best friend, Nola, will always be there for her.

This week's giveaway is inspired by Nola.  Down-to-earth, non-magic using Nola always reminds me of country fields and growing things.  She's the one who taught Allie to knit.  So I am giving away a bag I'm sure Nola would love to make, give as gifts, and keep for herself.






Hand knitted by me.
Yarn: Lion Cotton 100% cotton
Colors: Orchid, Morning Glory Blue, Evergreen, Avocado
Pattern: Windmill Bag by Danielle LaFramboise

Look at all the lovely things you can carry in it!  Since it is pure cotton, it will stretch out a bit with use, but if you want it to stay this size, it is easy to line with pretty material. 

To win it for your very own, just leave a comment here.  I'll use a random number generator and draw the winner on Monday, October 19th at midnight, PST.

Good luck!

And now, for the excerpt:

The warm smell of freshly brewed coffee floated into my bedroom. Nola must already be wake. I swear she was half rooster—always up before the sun. Of course, running a farm required early rising. The great thing about her visiting was since she was up earlier than me, I didn’t have to wait for the coffee to brew.

I heard her voice, and another voice. A man. Radio? TV?

I pulled on my robe and shuffled out into the living room. Nola was at the small table by the window, drinking coffee. That, I had expected. What I had not expected was the man sitting across from her.

Gray trench coat with a nice maroon scarf at the collar, slacks, and loafers, Detective Paul Stotts looked like he was at the end instead of the beginning of his day.

“Morning?” I asked.

They both looked over at me. Nola gave me a bright smile. “I wondered if I was going to have to come in there and get you. Let me pour you some coffee.” She stood and bustled past me toward the kitchen. I couldn’t quite place the twinkle in her eye. Something was making her very happy. And I was pretty sure it wasn’t the coffee.

“Sorry to catch you so early,” Stotts said, his gaze lingering just a little too long on Nola. “I thought you’d be up by now.”

I crossed my arms over my robe and tipped my head to one side. Something looked different about him too. He raised one eyebrow, and I realized what it was. He hadn’t shaved in a while and his five o’clock shadow gave him that just-rolled-out-of bed, sexy-cologne-ad look. But more than that, he looked comfortable. In my living room. What was wrong with this picture?

“Okay, I give up,” I said. “Why are you here?” Stotts and I weren’t exactly buddies. I’d Hounded for him. Once. The kidnapping case that had nearly gotten me killed more than once and had left me with new scars and my angry father lurking in my brain.

Stotts told me he ran the MERCs, Magical Enforcement Response Corps, an undercover branch of law enforcement that handles magical crimes. Other than that, we barely knew each other. Or at least didn’t know each other well enough to have breakfast. In my living room.

He leaned back a little, looking too damn at home. “I called. Ms. Robbins told me to come by.”

“This, whatever this is, couldn’t wait for me to shower?”

Nola breezed back into the living room, a cup of coffee and a plate of something that looked a lot like homemade coffee cake in her hands.
“Hope you don’t mind me getting comfortable in the kitchen.”

I took the cake and cup she offered and glanced at Stotts.

He was not watching me. He was all eyes on Nola. And, I noticed, Nola was pointedly not looking at him, all the while hiding a smile.

“I could wait for you to take a shower,” Stotts offered amiably. “Is there a chance I could get a piece of that coffee cake?”

“Sure,” Nola said. “I’ll get us both a slice.” Nola tucked her hair—unbraided, which was weird; she always wore it braided—behind her ears and gave me an innocent look. “Shower. Take your time. We’ll wait.” And then she was off to the kitchen again.

I scowled at Stotts. “Are you hitting on my friend?” Have I mentioned that I am not known for my tact? Especially in the morning?

“If that’s how you define a cup of coffee and friendly conversation, I suppose I am.”

“Listen, Wedding Ring,” I growled. “She’s my best friend. And I won’t let her be hurt by anyone.”

Stotts, who was in midswallow of his coffee, choked and coughed into his fist. He wiped at his eyes. “What did you just call me?”

“You heard me.” I raised my eyebrows and stared at his left hand and the gold band on his ring finger. “As far as I’m concerned, this will only ever be a friendly conversation between the two of you. You got that?”

“I don’t think I could miss it,” he said. “It was a threat, right?”

Since I could hear Nola heading back our way, I smiled sweetly. “Yes, it was.”

My trusty laptop bit the big one a few months ago.  I've wondered what I should get to replace it.  Finally decided on a tiny notebook type thing.


I am loving it!  Light, comfortable and cute in a no-nonsense business sort of way.  I'll be taking it with me to a self-imposed writer-hermiting trip at the end of the week.  I'll let you know if the love affair continues.

Do you think I should mod it to look like this beauty?



(for more pics of the steampunk mod, click on the pic)

My husband just told me the Australian cover for MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS is up on my Australian publisher's (Harper Voyager) site so I bopped on over there to take a look.

The Australian and US covers of my books have been very similar, and I love them equally.  Can you see the difference that surprised me this time?

US Version:


Australian Version:


It's not the different font.  It's not that in the Aussie version you can see the gargoyle better.  It's not that Allie is on the opposite side of the cover itself.

See the marks of magic on her arm.  Cool, huh.....no, wait!  That's it!  They're on her right arm on the US version, and they're on her left arm in the Aussie version!  Wandering magic marks! (actually, in the book, they are only on her right side.)

I do like the Aussie cover--but if you were going to ask me why her magic has swapped sides, now you know.  It's for art, darling! 

I consulted the random number generator and the winner of Zayvion Jones's hand-knit beanie is....

Tez Miller!  Tez, send me an email at devon_monk at yahoo dot com with your address and I'll mail Zay's hat to you.

Thank you, everyone for entering!  There will be a new goody give-away and snippet of the book posted on Friday the 16th.

Stay tuned.

It's Friday and only three weeks until MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS releases!  

That means I have a new goody unique to the book to give away.  Zayvion Jones always wears a ratty ski jacket and beanie when he's trying to go unnoticed.  But when he takes Allie out on a date in MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS, trust me, the beanie stays home.  Here's a style I think Zay would love to wear: 









Hand knitted by me.
Yarn: Cascade 100% Merino wool
Color: Forest Heather
Pattern: Jacques Cousteau by Typy

One size fits all, stretchy, warm without being hot. 

To win it for your very own, just leave a comment here.  I'll use a random number generator and draw the winner on Monday, October 12th at midnight, PST.

Good luck!

....and, here is a little excerpt of Allie and Zayvion's date:

MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS

Zayvion finished a canapé and took a sip of his wine. “I am not working for Violet. Not anymore. But if I were body guarding, you’d be at the top of my list.”

I opened my mouth.

“You,” he said before I could get any words out, “are rich. So at least you’d pay me well. Besides that, your father made enemies in both his public and private lives, and you seem to have inherited his knack for that, though you’ve mostly made your enemies through Hounding. So I certainly wouldn’t be bored. What?” he said to my glare. “Didn’t think I’d be honest? You carry more magic in your body than half of Portland’s cisterns combined, and you are the leader of a pack of Hounds, half of whom don’t like you, and all of whom are unpredictable addicts.”

“Whom?”

“I went to school. You Hounded for Detective Stotts, who has logged more Hound deaths than any other law enforcer on record, and I know you’d do it again in a hot minute. Plus, for some reason, your father refused to bring you into the Authority back when you were young—”

“Watch it,” I growled.

He grinned. “—younger, to train you in the less standard and more useful ways of magic that you, of all people, should know. On top of all that, you tend to stroll into the middle of situations that can kill you, and you have no formal self-defense training.”

“Is that all you got?”

He put both elbows on the table and rested his mouth against his fingers, covering his smile. “Well, I’ve only known you a few months.”

“Might just stay that way.”

He watched me a moment while I sipped my water. “I don’t think so.”

I gave him a noncommittal nod. “Never know. You left out a few things, though.”

“Oh?”

“For one, I can read you like yesterday’s want ad.”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely.”

He leaned back. “Well, then. Get on with it.”

I've chosen a winner for the hand-knit  Allie Beckstrom gloves.  Random number generator says:
gothcat1969 is the winner!  Please contact me at devon_monk (AT) yahoo (DOT) com so I can get your mailing address.

Congratulations, Gothcat, and THANK YOU, everyone for entering!!!

Goody giveaway #2 will begin this Friday, the 9th (only 3 weeks from MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS official release).

This time it will be something of Zayvion's up for grabs.

And for anyone looking for that lovely glove pattern, it's called Bo Peep and the designers are Louisa Sisson and Emma Haigh.

Here's the link to the pattern:  http://loumms.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/bo-peep-lyos-april-2009/

People who subscribed to my quarterly-ish newsletter were entered into a  random drawing for a copy of the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2.

I just rolled the random number generator and the winner's email contains the words:  Orca  and Jackson.  (I don't want to post the full email address.)  If your email has those two words in it, please contact me here, or reply to the email I just sent you so I can send you your signed copy of the book.

Congratulations!

And remember, Monday, October 5th, I'll pull a name out of the comments on this post.  That lucky winner will receive Allie Beckstrom's hand knitted fingerless gloves.

To celebrate the countdown before MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS hits the shelves, I am giving away something unique to the books each week of October.

This week I am giving away Allie Beckstrom's fingerless gloves!  In MAGIC IN THE SHADOWS, Nola gives Allie a pair of black lace gloves.  These are much shorter (and fingerless) but much like the gloves Allie wears for that special night out.  




Hand knitted by me.
Yarn: Wildfoote 75% washable wool/25% Nylon
Color: Black Orchid
Pattern: Bo Peep by Louisa Sisson and Emma Haigh

One size fits all, soft, stretchy, warm without being hot. 

To have them for your very own, just leave a comment here.  I'll use a random number generator and draw the winner on Monday, October 5th at midnight, PST.

Good luck!