Snowbound is now called Pride & Pancakes, and will be sent off to The Powers That Be soon. So prayers, or fingers crossed, or pixie dust, or blood sacrifices please that they’ll accept the book and my entire series tentatively titled Happily Ever Austen.
In the meantime I’m going to start working on a short story for an anthology. Here’s a hint — mermen, menage, and pirates.
I’m pleased and also nervous as hell that Snowbound is off with the publisher. Which means it’s time to put Tristan & Beth on the back burner as I dive into my next story for another anthology.
Let’s just say it involves pirates, sword fights, and mermen.
I recently published an interview with Jaya from Power in the Fantasy, Sci-Fi Reader Lounge and wanted to share it with all of you.
Readers Lounge: Jaya Foster, thank you for sitting down with the Readers Lounge today. What a treat this is going to be for our readers. Before we jump right into the interview, can you tell us a little bit about who you are?
Jaya: I’m Jaya Foster and come from a world where everyone has powers. Yeah, my last name means I was raised in a state-run home. You probably noticed the yellow jewel in my head and are wondering what my skill is? Well, I’m a Gater. Not a Portaler as everyone likes to call us. Pretty talented too. Level 5, so state-raised and state-taught to become their own personal executioner should anyone get out of hand. That isn’t my main job though. I’m in charge of making certain the Blues stay on their side of the city and to keep track of the Level 1s allowed over. One day I hope to get out of the basement office and get a real job as a Detective.
Readers Lounge: On to the interview. What do they like to wear?
J: Everything I own, at once. Okay, not quite. But as a Gater I have to keep a constant eye on my body temperature. My Skill leeches heat from my body to rip apart space and form portals. Because of that, probably my favorite piece of clothing are my fleece-lined thermal pajamas. They’d keep a lizard warm in winter.
Readers Lounge: What scares them?
J: Nothing. Next question.
Fine, fine. You ever felt your body drain from your, have your toes and fingers burn and freeze at the same time? Hear your heartbeat slowing to a sluggish single thump before succumbing to a faint? That’s why I don’t like being around cold-casting people or can stand winter. And drink all my beer warm.
Readers Lounge: If they could have lived in another decade which would it have been?
J: Sometimes I want to see the before scar time. We know almost nothing about the life before the red scars ripped through the planet’s crust. Imagine going all the way back to see if it was true like the crackpot’s theorize and humans once never had any Skills.
Readers Lounge: What is your most treasured possession?
J: My weapons-grade steel and ceramic thermos with fingerprint recognition so no one else can walk off with it. Doesn’t matter how cold they city’s gotten in winter, that baby can keep coffee warm for 24 hours. Not that any coffee in my possession will last longer than two hours tops.
Readers Lounge: What are you most ashamed of in your life?
J: Eating the popsicle that put me in a coma. I was only six at the time, didn’t even know what my skill was yet or how bad cold could destroy me, but that…that one popsicle changed everything.
Learn more about Jaya in Power, already out across the internet.
The paperback for this epic coming-of-age tale is live!
At fourteen, Hayley finds herself with a choice — hang for thieving or become a squire. She knows nothing about the world of knights, chivalry, swords, and horses, but she knows a lot about death. Survival is all that’s gotten her through this world, survival is all she knows to count on. Her entire world is upended when she winds up under the wing of the most beloved knight in the whole country. Ser Gavin is smart, handsome, talented, and not about to put up with her crap.
In this coming-of-age tale, Hayley discovers there’s more to not only the Order of Knights, but the world around her and the strength that lurks inside her heart.
“I wanted you to be better.
“I’m not!” Hayley shrieked, saltwater smothering her eyes as she whipped her hand through the air. “I’m a pickpocket! A street rat! You scooped me out of the gutter and no…no crest on my clothing, or-or alphabet reciting, or sword training will fix that!”
“Why? Why steal? You had everything you could possibly need here.”
Hayley snorted at that. Everything came with strings attached. He was the one to tell her and now he acted as if she should have just smiled with a jolly pat on her head for the kindly Duchess not letting her starve on the doorstep. Gavin raised up higher, his shoulders squaring him into place for Hayley’s indignity. He looked about to say something, probably scream her stupid, but she beat him to it.
“They have everything! Every cursed thing they could ask for. That stuff,” her voice gurgled with the mass of anger and tears in her gut, “all that I stole, they didn’t even notice. Didn’t care. It was like a-a god damn fly to them for all they care. So what if I stole it? That would…would feed someone like me for a year. And they don’t even care!”
Her rambling words echoed through the small house, pinging off of pots she washed and hung up, through the small bookcase where Hayley would run her fingers over the covers to find the words. It wasn’t her home. It was never her home. People like her didn’t have homes, they had stones. Stones for beds, stones for food, stones for graves.
Sometimes I think I should make a “Find a Book Boyfriend” quiz for my catalog.
Want a cuddly, awkward often serious man with a hint of dad bod? — Undercover Siren
Want a bright and shiny goof with a ramshackle british accent and abs for days? — Fever
Want a dark, old school gentlemanly type from out of time that you could see turning into a wolf? — Son of Krampus
Want a cold, introverted musician that’s rail thin with bright blue eyes? — Snowbound
Want a sexy leprechaun who brings you dessert and fixes windows? — Gettin’ Lucky
From today until the 6th get a ton of free or kindle unlimited sci-fi books. These are all off of Amazon, so no need to sign up for anything!
szbasnik