Summer Reads: Meet the Gatekeeper on a Mission from Hel

THE BURNED SPY: Book 1
Gods. Always ready to screw you.

When Bix the Gatekeeper is summoned from exile by the goddess of the Norse Under World, the former Dark Ops agent knows there’s a catch. On the surface, the terms of the deal are simple. Someone attacked the pantheon’s ambassador to the Mid Worlds and left the ambassador in a coma. In exchange for early parole, Bix must identify the perpetrator and drag their soul to Hel.

It’d be a sweet contract, if not for the details. The ambassador is Bix’s ex-girlfriend, the lead suspect is the key witness from Bix’s trial, and the organization leading the official investigation is the same intelligence guild that disavowed Bix when a covert op went pear-shaped. Undeterred, Bix returns to her old stomping grounds where clues in the smoldering woods of Centralia, Pennsylvania, lead to the waterfront of Washington, DC, and Worlds beyond.

Once valued for her skills in creating passageways as small as a capillary or as large as a continent, Bix’s success now depends on the relationships she was forced to abandon. As she squares off against friends who betrayed her and enemies keen to destroy her, Bix follows a trail of secrets, torture, and treason that leads to the very superpowers who banished her. With her freedom on the line and revenge within reach, this highly-trained operative will take on Fates, dragons, angels, and gods to get exactly what she wants.

Hel hath no fury like a burned spy.

BUY IT NOW: Amazon | BN | Apple | Kobo | Google Play

Read the Completed Series: THE IMMORTAL SPY

Meet the Gatekeeper on a Mission from Hel

 This Week's Topic: Book Promo! (Ours or someone else's)

Ayo, lemme introduce you to my gothic pinup girl with the scary skill of opening gates as small as a capillary or as large as a continent. In the completed 7-book Immortal Spy Urban Fantasy series, Bix (no last name, she's waaaaay too old for that) teams up with a motley crew of spies and a battalion of Berserkers to defend the Mid World collective from enemies foreign and domestic.

• Urban Location: Greater Washington D.C. Metro Area
• Featuring: Fates, Gods, Dragons, Angels, Berserkers…and one very special goblin.

Get the Series in eBook or Paperback

Give the Gift of a Completed Urban Fantasy Series!

This holiday season, introduce your nearest and dearest to the cosmic gatekeeper on a mission to save the Mid Worlds in my Immortal Spy urban fantasy series. From the dangerous streets of Washington, D.C., to the soul-soaked passages of the Under Worlds, follow Bix and her team of otherworldly spies as they tangle with Fates, gods, dragons, and angels to capture traitors, expose corruption, and reconnect with lovers who might be out to kill them. 

Available in eBook and paperback at leading retailers:

Amazon | Other Retailers via Books2Read

Stay Warm This Winter, Take Home an Immortal Spy

 As the temperatures outside dip, curl up in a snuggly blanket with a steaming cuppa at hand and enjoy the completed Urban Fantasy series The Immortal Spy. From the Norse Under World to the alleys of Washington D.C., adventure alongside a cosmic gatekeeper as she recruits Fates, gods, dragons, and angels to defend the Mid World from foreign invaders. 

Buy The Series Now In eBook or Paperback from:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079VT94GZ

Other leading retailers: https://books2read.com/b/BurnedSpy

New Urban Fantasy Release: THE HERALDED SPY by K.A. Krantz

I'm tickled pink--no, not by the wintry blustery winds--to share the series finale of the Immortal Spy Urban Fantasy series with you! The seventh book marks the end of the adventures of Bix and the Berserkers in what has been a fun series to write. While I'm sad to say farewell to some of my favorite characters, I have to admit to feeling pretty gosh darn good about completing the series. So, without further ado, here it is, the last book:

THE HERALDED SPY
The Immortal Spy, Book 7, Series Finale

The heralds presage the arrival of unmitigated power.

War escalates in the Mid Worlds as the champion and caretakers fight to save their home from the onslaught of invading anti-gods. While the armies clash on battlefields, Bix targets the enemy’s leadership to negotiate their retreat for now and evermore.

Parley is the key to salvation, but the opposition refuses to answer the invitation. With her teammates abducted, her consort imprisoned, and the defense system sabotaged, Bix will finally claim every iota of her primordial magics to bring the enemy to heel…or to break them on the thorns of her wrath.

The heralds warn of fools who force the hand of the High Executioner.

BUY IT NOW:

Amazon (affiliate link) | Apple Books | B&N | Kobo | Google Play

Meet the Gatekeeper on a Mission from Hel

I mailed my backlist Valentine to the first book in The Immortal Spy Urban Fantasy Series...but with DeJoy still running the post office, it probably won't get to Bix in Old Town Alexandria, VA, until St. Paddy's day.  

~cough~ 

Political snark aside, with the snowstorms locking down the nation more securely than the pandemic, now is a great time to meet Bix, a gatekeeper with amnesia and a vendetta; Tobek, the don't-call-me-a-Viking commander of the Berserkers; and Gurp, the walking forensics lab goblin. Oh, and did I mention Bix's best friend is a body thief and her mentor in the spy game is an electricity-wielding demigod? Go ahead, start a new adventure that will take you across this World and many others.

THE BURNED SPY
The Immortal Spy: Book 1

Gods. Always ready to screw you.

When Bix the Gatekeeper is summoned from exile a hundred and seventy years early by the goddess of the Norse Under World, the former Dark Ops agent knows there’s a catch. On the surface, the terms of the deal are simple. Someone attacked the pantheon’s ambassador to the Mid Worlds and left the ambassador in a coma. In exchange for early parole, Bix must identify the perpetrator and drag their soul to Hel.

It’d be a sweet contract, if not for the details. The ambassador is Bix’s ex-girlfriend, the lead suspect is the key witness from Bix’s trial, and the organization leading the official investigation is the same intelligence guild that disavowed Bix when a covert op went pear-shaped. Undeterred, Bix returns to her old stomping grounds where clues in the smoldering woods of Centralia, Pennsylvania, lead to the waterfront of Washington, DC, and Worlds beyond.

Once valued for her skills creating passageways as small as a capillary or as large as a continent, Bix’s success now depends on the relationships she was forced to abandon. As she squares off against friends who betrayed her and enemies keen to destroy her, Bix follows a trail of secrets, torture, and treason that leads to the very superpowers who banished her. With her freedom on the line and revenge within reach, this highly-trained operative will take on Fates, dragons, angels, and gods to get exactly what she wants.

Hel hath no fury like a burned spy.

BUY IT NOW: 

Amazon (affiliate link)

Apple Books | Kobo | B&N

Google Play

Overdrive (for Libraries)

Find Out More About The Seven Book Series Here

New #UrbanFantasy: THE SHACKLED SPY by K.A. Krantz

Snow is falling and so must the old cosmic moat surrounding the Mid Worlds in the latest installment of The Immortal Spy series. Yep, that's right, Bix and the Berserkers are back, trudging through the ick of winter on another mission to save the Mids. 

THE SHACKLED SPY

The Immortal Spy: Book 6 

Sometimes the strongest chains are the ones we craft for ourselves.

The Mid World defense system is finally ready to launch, but the millennia-old barrier of highly destructive ether must be removed first. Only one very special artifact can hold such a powerful force. To take down the old and make way for the new, Bix and her team race to locate and reassemble the pieces of the containment device scattered across the Mids.

Alas, they’re not the only ones searching for the shards. In the wrong hands, the fragments are weapons of mass destruction. Fearful magical races and fearsome deities alike scramble to claim the pieces, but lurking in the ether are entities who will not go quietly…and who will stop at nothing to keep Bix from interfering in the burgeoning war.

Darkness will fall and armies perish when manacles break from the shackled spy. 

Buy The Shackled Spy Now in eBook or Paperback
Amazon  |  Apple Books  |  B&N  |  Kobo | Google Play

New to The Immortal Spy series? Start here.

THE SHACKLED SPY: Cover Reveal and Teaser Quote

Dropping in late January, the sixth book in my Immortal Spy series leads Bix and the Berserkers on a scavenger hunt for the pieces of a potent containment device that will remove a millennia-old cosmic moat from outer space, and allow them to finally deploy the new and improved defense system. But, there are things living in the moat that will not go quietly, things that will force Bix to confront the greatest tragedy she's ever suffered and turn her into the Worlds' biggest threat. 

Cover by Gene Mollica Studios

THE SHACKLED SPY

The Immortal Spy: Book 6

From the Book:
Tobek closed the fingers of his prosthesis around the piece of the containment device still held by Bix. His high-tech amalgam of plastic, rubber, and machinery crumbled into dust. He changed hands, cautiously gripping the triangle. The ink of his heavily tattooed arm and torso illuminated through his T-shirt. The green of his pupils lit, and the vibrant blue of his irises followed.

“Let go, Tobek,” Bix quietly urged.

“I’m learning its resonance.” His voice sounded as though it was rising from a deep well. “Cian is correct. You cannot store this in the Mids. It’s more dangerous to all native life than the ether.”

“Well, that’s interesting, because original me scattered the remaining fragments across the Mids.” Bix tugged the panel, but Tobek held fast. 

Drew and Ashtad warily leaned on the table, getting closer to the piece remaining inert in Tobek’s hand even though the Berserker himself was in full-blown woo. Gurp stayed way the hell away from the table, which was odd for the goblin, who prided himself on being a walking forensics lab. He busied himself checking on Cian, which wasn’t odd, come to think of it. People first when it came to Gurp’s great big heart.

“Chief gave us the heads-up that you’re removing the ether so we can push Resen live.” Ashtad got his hand within six inches of the triangle before he snatched it back with a wince. “If Resen was active, we could track the fragments by resonance, but…”

“Anything that’s powerful enough to contain the magic of titans is going to be detrimental to any collective, not just the Mids.” Drew succeeded in touching the triangle but lost half his hand as a result.

↭ 

Be notified when the book is available by joining my New Release Newsletter!

New #UF Out Now: THE EXPOSED SPY by K.A. Krantz

 Well hellllllooooo, Dear Readers! The latest in my Immortal Spy Urban Fantasy series is out now at all leading online retailers! Bix and the Berserkers are back, and things have gone from fraught to fugly in THE EXPOSED SPY.

THE EXPOSED SPY
The Immortal Spy: Book 5

What does a traitor look like to you?

The desperately needed Mid World defense system is nearing launch, but a quality control test reveals a fatal flaw in the build. When the Consortium tries to silence the whistleblowers, it’s up to Bix and her team to identify the problem and devise a patch before more mortals die.

It’s not going to be easy. Nothing and no one is what they seem. Enemies are wearing the bodies of allies. Allies are under government attack. Angels have gone rogue. Gods are missing. Native magic is corrupted. With a World on the edge of collapse, Bix must defy powers that could destroy the entire collective…or herself.

No illusion can withstand the truths of the exposed spy.

BUY IT NOW: 

Amazon (affiliate link)

iBooks | B&N | Kobo

Overdrive (for libraries)

Haven't started the series yet? No worries! Book 1: THE BURNED SPY eBook is half-off for a limited time! Get to know the gatekeeper on a mission from Hel.

On My Mind: The Unpredictability of Creativity

On my mind this week is the unpredictability and inconsistency of creativity. To wit, in time for Halloween, I'll finally release the fifth book in my Immortal Spy series, THE EXPOSED SPY, a full 22 months after I dropped book 4. In the Indie world, a two-year gap is series suicide. 

Ack! 

Couldn't be helped. No really. Fact is, it took me eighteen months to write it. I spent six of those trying to force a story that didn't want to happen. It took months and months of me coming at the plot from different angles to figure out why it wasn't working. Came down to not having the right foundation laid. The characters weren't far enough along in their development to support the plot. It was like I'd tried to skip ahead in the evolution of the series arc. Bad. Bad. No good. I needed to write an entirely different story that would force the characters to grow on-page to cement the foundation of the story that came after it. The story I was failing miserably to write. 

Once I figured that out, I wrote the damn book. It was ready to launch this summer, but I hadn't finished book 6 yet, and I didn't dare risk another two-year gap between releases. Book 6 in stark contrast took me six months to write, which is pretty damn good for me. It's now off with the editors, so I'm feeling fairly comfortable with a January launch date. 

Book 7, the final book in the series, is in the outlining phase. I've known how the series ends since Book 2. Now I just have to make sure the characters I've grown to love have a proper send-off. How long will it take me to write? No clue. Even with an outline, some days (or weeks, ugh) the words don't come. Being unable to predict how long it will take to write a book drives me insane. The inconsistency of ease from book to book is... GAH! 

Still, there's nothing greater than finishing a story and sharing it with the world.  

Meanwhile, here is the cover reveal for THE EXPOSED SPY, courtesy of the team at Gene Mollica Studios, dropping late October.

Tics and Tells: Gettin' Gassy

Tics and Tells, what's the worst I inflicted on a character that the character wishes they could foist on their enemy?

This is a harder question than it seems. It's the "unconscious behavior or verbal habit" part that's tricksy. Uhm. Hmm.

That's not to say I have flawless characters because that'd be hecka boring. I've given my protags plenty of personal challenges to help with that whole "internal conflict" character-building requirement. Physical limitations abound with secondary characters, but those aren't tics or tells. Then there's the foisting on the enemy bit, which, some things in the hands of good people are inconvenient yet in the hands of bad people are disastrous for others.

See? Harder question than it seems. I think the winner of this one goes to:

Gurp the goblin from The Immortal Spy series has a flatulence problem, particularly when he's scared. It doesn't bother him, but those around him gift him with charcoal undies fairly frequently. While he's not the sort to wish ill upon most folk, he'd probably find it funny if an archangel developed a bad case of the flying farts.

The Immortal Spy: Series Summary

Our challenge this week is to write 100 words --no more, no less--describing our current WiP or series. Dear Reader, it ain't as easy as it sounds. But, I am up for the challenge, so here we go:

THE IMMORTAL SPY
An Urban Fantasy Series

An immortal gatekeeper with a crippling case of amnesia works in the shadows, leveraging intel and assets to save the collective of Mid Worlds from its own hostile government and a ravenous army of foreign invaders. Aided by a raucous mix of spies and soldiers, the gatekeeper will thwart Fates, gods, angels, and dragons to protect the Mids, reclaim her past, and access untold powers. In a series where enemies are allies and old lovers surface with suspicious agendas, the IMMORTAL SPY takes readers from the very real streets of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, to fictitious locales prowled by sinister deities.

She Did It All For Love...And Revenge: THE BURNED SPY

We're giving love to our backlists this week, so you, dear readers, can spend quality time with a new-to-you book-Valentine. After all, fantasies are our specialties. ~brow waggle~

Last year, THE BURNED SPY introduced Bix the Gatekeeper in the story that launched my Immortal Spy urban fantasy series. Book 5 drops early this summer, so you have plenty of time to get to know Bix and the Berserkers.

THE BURNED SPY
The Immortal Spy, Book 1

Gods. Always ready to screw you.

When Bix the Gatekeeper is summoned from exile a hundred and seventy years early by the goddess of the Norse Under World, the former Dark Ops agent knows there’s a catch. On the surface, the terms of the deal are simple. Someone attacked the pantheon’s ambassador to the Mid Worlds and left the ambassador in a coma. In exchange for early parole, Bix must identify the perpetrator and drag their soul to Hel.

It’d be a sweet contract, if not for the details. The ambassador is Bix’s ex-girlfriend, the lead suspect is the key witness from Bix’s trial, and the organization leading the official investigation is the same intelligence guild that disavowed Bix when a covert op went pear-shaped. Undeterred, Bix returns to her old stomping grounds where clues in the smoldering woods of Centralia, Pennsylvania, lead to the waterfront of Washington, DC, and Worlds beyond.

Once valued for her skills creating passageways as small as a capillary or as large as a continent, Bix’s success now depends on the relationships she was forced to abandon. As she squares off against friends who betrayed her and enemies keen to destroy her, Bix follows a trail of secrets, torture, and treason that leads to the very superpowers who banished her. With her freedom on the line and revenge within reach, this highly-trained operative will take on Fates, dragons, angels, and gods to get exactly what she wants.

Hel hath no fury like a burned spy.

The eBook is on sale this month for $2.99!

Buy It Now:

Amazon   |   Nook |   iBooks   |  Kobo

My Precious: Which Original Character is My Favorite?

Which character of mine is my favorite? You might think it's one of my protags since they're the stars of their respective series. I like 'em a lot, I do. Is either of them my favorite? Does either of them make me smile whenever they're on page? Does either of them warm a little spot in my black heart regardless of what I'm putting them through? Nah. That honor goes to one character. He's not always on page. He's rarely the star of a scene; yet whenever he's involved, he somehow manages to steal the spotlight.

Gurp the Goblin from the Immortal Spy series.

Loyal sidekick to the commander of the Berserker battalion. Majordomo of the compound. Architect, engineer, logistics coordinator, home designer, living forensics lab, and bottomless trashcan. His favorite snacks are explosives, preferably dragon-made grenades. English isn't his first language nor is it the one with which he is most comfortable, but he does his best to speak it in order to be inclusive. He's a caretaker who knows one's needs better than the person in need, and he doesn't exploit that knowledge. No. He simply delivers, sometimes with subtlety and sometimes with great aplomb. He's a friend to outcasts and orphans. He's pure heart and endless compassion despite a society that reviles him due to his race. He's not a looker by common standards with his mottled greenish-brown skin, potbelly, and large wart upon his bulbous nose. His flatulence can outstink a terrified skunk. Oh, but there is no one more beautiful in intention and deed. He's not ashamed to be afraid, which makes his acts of bravery even more commendable. He both fears and adores the protagonist of the series...

I could go on and on about my favorite character, but I have a chapter to write, one in which Gurp makes an appearance. Now you know how much I enjoy writing those scenes.

Cover Reveal: The Hanged Spy

Yes, yes, yes, our topic this week is "what's our favorite holiday book." Dear Readers, this year, my favorite holiday book is the fourth book in my Immortal Spy series. It drops on December 27! While Bix isn't participating in the holiday spirit in this story, she does have the impeccable timing of helping me hit my personal goal of releasing four books in one year. I may be delivering on that goal by the skin of my teeth, but deliver I shall!

(The Berserkers are all about the winter holidays in Book 3, The Captured Spy, FWIW).

With another amazing cover by Gene Mollica Studios, here is Bix gearing up for her next mission to save the Mid Worlds...

THE HANGED SPY
Immortal Spy: Book 4

Stealing the build specs for a prototype Mid Worlds defense system pits Bix and her team against the pantheons'  elite wet works unit. Bix’s only chance at success rests in the scarred hands of the Hanged Spy…

Pre-Order the eBook Now:

Amazon  |  iBooks  |  Nook   |  Kobo

Paperback available on Dec 27.

Cover Copy: The Hanged Spy

Yay for Blurb Week! I love seeing the books Coming Soon to a shelf near me. Continuing the promo trend, here's the latest in the adventures of Bix, the Immortal Spy. THE HANGED SPY is slated to release during the winter holiday season.

THE HANGED SPY
The Immortal Spy: Book 4

The Hanged Spy upright encourages a new perspective.

For Bix and her team, stealing the build specs for a prototype Mid Worlds defense system is a high-risk mission they can’t refuse. The pantheons have dispatched their elite wet works unit to smite every researcher and facility associated with the project. Unfortunately, the gods have a head start, and Bix’s only clue to salvaging the data is a personalized Tarot card of the Hanged Man.

Illustrated by arcane magic, the card depicts an old Sage who’d trained her in the spy game. A Sage who’d repeatedly tried to kill her. A Sage who’d died in the throes of an op. Purportedly.

As deceptions multiply, the superpowers sworn to protect the Mids hamstring each other in the name of politics while a merciless foreign army invades yet another World. The pressure mounts for Bix to deliver the specs with all haste, but higher powers and hidden truths sideline her team and send her spiraling out of control. When one bad decision shatters the life she most treasures, no god, angel, dragon, or Fate is safe from Bix’s wrath.

The Hanged Spy reversed demands a sacrifice.


It's not quite ready for pre-order, but if you sign up for my newsletter at kakrantz.com, you'll be notified when it's available to purchase.

Cover Artist Love: Gene Mollica Studios

Shout out to the awesome team at Gene Mollica Studios who have done the covers for my Immortal Spy series. I've drooled over Gene's work for years. When I had a series for which I wanted a custom photo shoot, he was #1 on my list. He and his team have been awesome from go, inviting me to be a part of the process, explaining to me how things worked. From costume design to choosing the model to the actual photo shoot, the whole experience was ridiculously fun.  When I mentioned my girl was going to have shadowy tentacles in the later books, I expected him to balk; instead, his enthusiasm went up a notch.

Gene has assembled an amazing team who are lovely, lovely people who are excellent at what they do and at making you feel like your project is their priority (even though, psht, you know they're busy AF, but they are super responsive). I give them a cover-input email and my mss in a Word doc. They send me a beautiful finished book. (Okay, yes, there are a few revision steps in between.) Behold the pretty:

I am so pleased with the first three covers, I can't wait to see what Gene & Team come up with for the next four! (Once I write the books, of course.)

Release Day! The Captured Spy by @KAKrantz

Dear Readers, I am thrilled to present the third book in my Immortal Spy Urban Fantasy series, with the fabulous cover by Gene Mollica Studios.


THE CAPTURED SPY
Immortal Spy: Book 3

Sometimes the Fates give you a do-over.

Ten years ago, Bix and her team of Dark Ops agents had a mission to rescue one of their own. The mission went pear-shaped; her team died, she was exiled, and the package was never retrieved. The guilt for that failure is a weight Bix can’t shake…until she receives news that the agent is still alive and in possession of technology that could destroy the Mid Worlds. All Bix has to do is break the captured spy out of a top-secret supermax facility and destroy the tech before enemy forces beat her to the punch.

Unfortunately, a prison built of potent magic to contain the Mids’ worst deviants isn’t on any map or radar. To get the necessary intel, Bix will resurrect a menacing identity and reach deep into the criminal underbelly where her legacy is far from forgotten. Old enemies lurk in the shadows, swift to strike. Even the darkness can betray her. As her allies fall, Bix will have to rely on the aid of adversaries to complete her mission. But supermax does strange things to the mind, and some things cannot be undone.

Gods will perish when madness descends upon a captured spy.

Available Now!

in eBook and Paperback

Amazon   |  iBooks   |  B&N   |  Kobo  |  Overdrive (for libraries)

Release Day: The Burned Spy by @KAKrantz

Tooting my own horn today as I release the first book in my new Immortal Spy Urban Fantasy Series.

THE BURNED SPY
Gods. Always ready to screw you.

When Bix the Gatekeeper is summoned from exile a hundred and seventy years early by the goddess of the Norse Under World, the former Dark Ops agent knows there’s a catch. On the surface, the terms of the deal are simple. Someone attacked the pantheon’s ambassador to the Mid Worlds and left the ambassador in a coma. In exchange for early parole, Bix must identify the perpetrator and drag their soul to Hel.

It’d be a sweet contract, if not for the details. The ambassador is Bix’s ex-girlfriend, the lead suspect is the key witness from Bix’s trial, and the organization leading the official investigation is the same intelligence guild that disavowed Bix when a covert op went pear-shaped. Undeterred, Bix returns to her old stomping grounds where clues in the smoldering woods of Centralia, Pennsylvania, lead to the waterfront of Washington, DC, and Worlds beyond.

Once valued for her skills creating passageways as small as a capillary or as large as a continent, Bix’s success now depends on the relationships she was forced to abandon. As she squares off against friends who betrayed her and enemies keen to destroy her, Bix follows a trail of secrets, torture, and treason that leads to the very superpowers who banished her. With her freedom on the line and revenge within reach, this highly-trained operative will take on Fates, dragons, angels, and gods to get exactly what she wants.

Hel hath no fury like a burned spy.

Buy It Now in eBook & Paperback: Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N