Jeffe's Most Difficult Character - Not Who You Think?

So, if you missed it on Friday, we finally had the cover reveal for THE ORCHID THRONE! 

This is the first book in a new trilogy I'm doing with St. Martin's Press. Totally new world, totally new series. My editor there, Jennie Conway, called it:

the magical feminist fantasy romance I've always wanted

Which is now my new favorite tag line ever. You can read more (and preorder!) here. It comes out September 24, 2019. 

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is: Your most difficult character to have written and why. 

This question stumped me. I even asked Assistant Carien what she thought, since she often listens to me whine about these things. She offered a few suggestions, that just didn't "sound" right to me. So, then I went and looked at my publication list.

Yes, I totally use my website to remind myself of my own books, what of it?

Looking over that list, a couple of books stood out. Ones that just didn't come out the way I envisioned when I started. Ones that I'd rewrite, if I could. 

And one heroine, in particular, that I just never felt I really got into her head. 

Ava, from SHOOTING STAR.

The book is a contemporary romance, so I haven't talked about it much here at the SFF Seven. But, people, I rewrote this book SO MANY TIMES. And though the heroine, Ava, was clear to me from the start - in fact, she was one of those characters who plagued me to write her story - I never felt I really got a handle on her. I don't know if I could say why. It could be because she was inspired by a real life person (or, rather, a blend of several) and therefore I couldn't find my way into her head in the same way.

It could be because Ava is simply a very complex person, with many layers and secrets, and she's become adept over time at keeping everyone out. Even me.

I could be I'd have to write more of her to really crack that nut. 

Hmm. 

Back List Moment in Ancient Egypt

I'm busily writing a new paranormal romance book set in ancient Egypt and it's a direct sequel to my award winning Lady of the Nile from 2017, so I decided to revisit her today for the week's topic of backlist love.

The blurb: Tuya, a high ranking lady-in-waiting at Pharaoh’s court, lives a life of luxury, pageantry and boredom. Khian, a brave and honorable officer from the provinces temporarily re-assigned to Thebes, catches her eye at a gold of valor ceremony. As the pair are thrown together by circumstances, she finds herself unaccountably attracted to this man so unlike the haughty nobles she’s used to. But a life with Khian would mean leaving the court and giving up all that she’s worked so hard to attain. As she goes about her duties, Tuya struggles with her heart’s desires.

When Tuya is lured into a dangerous part of Thebes by her disgraced half-brother and kidnapped by unknown enemies of Egypt, Khian becomes her only hope. Pharaoh assigns him to bring the lady home.

Aided by the gods, Khian races into the desert on the trail of the elusive kidnappers, hoping to find Tuya before it’s too late. Neither of them has any idea of the dark forces arrayed against them, nor the obstacles to be faced. An ancient evil from the long gone past wants to claim Tuya for its own purposes and won’t relinquish her easily.

Can Khian find her in time? Will he and his uncanny allies be able to prevent her death? And if the couple escapes and reaches safety, what of their fledgling romance?

Buy Links:

Amazon     iBooks     Kobo     B&N 

I shared this snippet from the book on Valentine's Day:

One of my favorite stock photos ever,
from DepositPhoto

Back List Delayed Love

Well this is going to be boring for anyone reading. Backlist? Yeeeeees. I have some books that qualify. And THINGS are happening, (at long last) but I am not at liberty to talk about any of those things yet. I can't even post my former covers because I no longer have the rights to those images. It's -- look. The only books still available are Isa's books. Nightmare Ink and Bound by Ink

The minute I get the all clear, news will show up here. Guarantee. Until then, happy reading!

Backlist love for The Maradaine Constabulary Series

With A PARLIAMENT OF BODIEScoming out in just a few weeks, I think it's appropriate to look a bit at the backlist and what's led up to this book. Primarily, the first two books of the Maradaine Constabularyseries. Blending high fantasy, murder mystery and gritty urban magic, this series features Inspectors Satrine Rainey and Minox Welling, two detectives in the city constabulary who protect Maradaine from crime, both magical and mundane.

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"A Murder of Mageswas another hit for me, a fantastic read from a new talent whose star continues to be on the rise."  - Bibliosanctum

Satrine Rainey: Former street rat. Ex-spy. Wife and mother who needs to make twenty crowns a week to support her daughters and infirm husband.  To earn that, she forges credentials and fakes her way into a posting as a constabulary Inspector.

Minox Welling: Brilliant Inspector. Uncircled Mage. Outcast of the stationhouse.  Partnered with Satrine because no one else will work with “the jinx".

Their first case together—the ritualized murder of a Circled mage—brings Satrine back to the streets she grew up on, and forces Minox to confront the politics of mage circles he’s avoided.  As more mages are found dead, Satrine must solve the crime before her secrets catch up with her, and before her partner ends up a target.

READ AN EXCERPTGoodreads Pagefor A MURDER OF MAGESAvailable at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBoundand more!

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"Maresca offers something beyond the usual high fantasy fare, with a wealth of unique and well-rounded characters, a vivid setting, and complicatedly intertwined social issues that feel especially timely."  - Publishers Weekly

The neighborhood of the Little East is a collision of cultures, languages, and traditions, hidden away in the city of Maradaine. A set of streets to be avoided or ignored. When a foreign dignitary is murdered, solving the crime falls to the most unpopular inspectors in the Maradaine Constabulary: exposed fraud Satrine Rainey, and uncircled mage Minox Welling.

With a murder scene deliberately constructed to point blame toward the Little East, Rainey is forced to confront her former life, while Welling’s ignorance of his own power threatens to consume him. And these few city blocks threaten to erupt into citywide war unless the constabulary solves the case.

READ AN EXCERPTGoodreads Page forAN IMPORT OF INTRIGUE
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBoundand more!

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But it would be remiss to leave out novels in the other series that lead up to this one as well! The Imposters of Aventil features Satrine and Minox as they investigate the murder of a constable and the Thorn's involvement, and the events of that book echo into Parliament. Also, as the inspectors team up with Dayne Heldrin of the Tarian Order, it wouldn't hurt to check out The Way Of The Shieldas well. And there may be threads to Streets of Maradaine.

It wouldn't hurt to read them all. I mean, just to be safe.

Your ears can't handle this backlist

This week at SFF Seven, we're highlighting books from our backlist. When I read that topic I was like, "um, what is this backlist you speak of?" Because I have a grand total of two books out. Two.

Wanted and Wired and Perfect Gravity are both sexy cyberpunk romances--I mean, if you like that sort of thing, right--and for the last two years about all I've done is promote them. Constantly. On multiple social media platforms. Until your ears bled. (Sorry, ears.)

So in the interests of vulnerable ears everywhere, I won't bemoan the subject. These are the books. If you haven't given them a look-see and think you might be interested*, I'd love your eyeballs. Either way, your ears can get a break for once.

*(May contain more than one of the following: sex-positive, all-about-consent relationships |  found family | sarcastic, genetically altered cats | nerdy, idealistic supergeniuses | villains with fabulous hair | submarines | space-stations | supercars | sassy AI sidekicks | nanorobotic faeries | futuristic postapocalyptic tacos)

 

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

With a Little Love....,

This week's subject: A little love for the backlist, If I'm going with one title it'll be SEVEN FORGES, series because, frankly, that's kind 9f where my career went in a different direction. I've written horror, sci-fi fantasy, and some crime but for the fantasy chops, SEVEN FORGES is where it started. I went in blind and hoped I wouldn't suck.

A few of the reviews said nice things.

Here are a few blurbs:

“Seven Forges is an excellent, enjoyable, and thoroughly entertaining fantasy debut into a new world of swords and sorcery, complete with romance, intrigue, and danger.”
– Attack of the Books

“Wow, that twist. In some ways I think I should have seen it coming, and I kind of did, but Seven Forges just lulled me into security and BAM! Craziness!”
– Anya, On Starships and Dragonwings

“Seven Forges is a well written fantasy adventure with a very interesting premise and a big world to explore. ”
– Celticfrogreviews

“I thoroughly enjoyed Seven Forges although I was left speechless by the ending and left wondering for days whether there was to be another book in the series. There were so many threads of stories left open that I need to know what happens next.”
– The Bookish Outsider

“Moore does a fantastic job of building worlds and characters in Seven Forges as we hop on board the train that is about to meet its doom.”
– Troubled Scribe

“James A. Moore dedicates Seven Forges in part ‘to the memory of Fritz Leiber and Robert E. Howard for the inspiration.’ That dedication sets the bar high, and caused me a bit of readerly apprehension, because so many writers have imitated badly those two greats of the sword and sorcery tradition. Moore is far more than an imitator, though. He does some fresh, counterintuitive things with the genre conventions. More than once, he startled me into saying out loud, ‘I didn’t see that coming.’”
– Black Gate

“Hell, I couldn’t get enough.”
– Amanda J Spedding

“The Blasted Lands is the example of how I want to see a sequel. Slowing the pace down somewhat, focusing on exposing the envisioned world more and more but without loosing momentum and the thread that carries the story. James A. Moore gave rise to many questions in Seven Forges and now starts answering them, he continues to develop his characters and mainly Merros and Andover’s stories were the most interesting for me, they showed so much of the world and the story, I have the same feeling of when I finished Seven Forges, it’s been a few days but the story is still racing through my mind and when I think about one scene, many follow-ups pop up. Few authors achieve to get me so addicted to their works. And well the ending. yes I am going to say it again WOW. There will be war and it wont be pretty.”
– The Book Plank

“Where Seven Forges teased a reader with the Sa’ba Taalor and their strange land, The Blasted Lands goes a long way toward fulfilling their promise, revealing much more about their culture and history as well as hinting at the origin of the waste lands themselves. And while the Sa’ba Taalor are still the stars of this show, Mr. Moore has also deftly turned the Fellein characters into more than cardboard scenery for his master race, as Drash Krohan, General Dulver and Andover Lashk shine in their own special ways. All in all, this novel was a great read, and this series is definitely one to watch for any true fantasy aficionado.”
– Bookwraiths

“From living mountains to the secret behind the veils of a nation, Moore pushes and pulls the story through questions and answers, keeping the reader on their toes. For me, The Blasted Lands is more immersive and thrilling than some of the fantasy masterpieces. Moore shapes a story which appeals to fans of all types, showing how fantasy can be a grand equalizer. The Blasted Lands does this and more, making it not just a sophomore book in a series but a genuinely good story.”
– Literary Escapism

“The end of the book had me on the edge of my seat, wanting more.  I will definitely be reading the next book in the Seven Forges series as soon as it comes out.”
– Avid Fantasy Reviews

“The race of the Sa’aba Taalor are the newest and freshest I’ve read in decades. Where many writers will have gods who are nebulous and unreachable, many of Moore’s gods respond immediately. I think I like his creatures the best – the Pra Moresh. Here Moore’s horror roots allow him to really shine. His descriptive prose and keen eye for the horrific proves that he’s a master architect of the gruesome and prognosticator of fear. I raced through the first two books and can not wait for the third. If you have yet to try these, then do so on my word. You’ll thank me for it”.
– Living Dangerously

“The Blasted Lands follows up with action, betrayal, amazing magic, gods and rituals, and a final understanding of why the Sa’ba Taalor hide their faces from those outside the Blasted Lands (and damn impressive this is). War is coming. Not if, but when, and the people of Fellein… well, it ain’t looking good. As a second book, they can sometime fall flat, but Moore just amps it up, and I flew through.”
– Amanda J Spedding

“The Blasted Lands builds on the high standards set by Seven Forges, with Moore continuing to develop his intriguing world and tell his story through some epic action set pieces.”
– Fantasy Book Review

“The novel works beautifully as a sequel. I found this an excellent book and I am anticipating the next instalment.”
– Sci-Fi Bookworm

“The Seven Forges series is epic fantasy the way it should be done, and City of Wonders is no exception. It’s character driven without sacrificing the action, intrigue, and wonder that’s at the heart of all good fantasy. That Moore throws in a dash of horror only makes his recipe better.”
– Adventures Fantastic

“City of Wonders is a deeply immersive book, one that will hook you from start to finish.”
– ZireV

“I just anointed City of Wonders as the novel that catapults Seven Forges into the upper echelon of sword and sorcery fantasy ever written.”
– BookWraiths

“City of Wonders is a book that kept me reading long into the night, and has stayed with me days after I’ve finished. I’ve gone back and re-read the ending a few times just to make sure I caught everything, because that ending was so big with so much going on that I’m sure I’ve missed key hints and clues about what’s going to happen next. I have so much anticipation for the The Silent Army, I need to read it right now!”
– Fantasy Book Review

“Moore has created a brilliantly realised world here; his characters continue to get better with each book. It’s still exciting, it’s still fresh, and brilliantly vivid. Fantasy does not get much better than this.”
– Morpheus Tales

“Moore’s writing completely transports, his characters are fantastically fantastic, and the tension he weaves through it all is expertly done. Oh, and the twists? You’ll love those too. There are few authors I read where I wish I could write as well as them, but James A Moore is one them.”
– Amanda J Spedding

“The third installment of Moore’s Seven Forges series is as good as the first two.”
– Scary Monkeys and other Childhood Phobias

“James A. Moore keeps getting better. The cast of characters expands.  Moore juggles them with ease, giving each one some background so that they don’t all run together. And the battle scenes, whether it’s individual combat or armies clashing, are riveting.  Plus the intrigue keeps on getting more complex. This is one is highly recommended.”
– Adventures Fantastic

“The prose is sharp, the pace wonderfully timed with great action tempered with some wonderful lulls to allow you to get your breath back. Back this up with some great characters alongside a world that is delightfully designed all round makes this a series that continues to go from strength to strength. Finally, and this is the clincher for me, Moore gives the characters a depth with their dialogue that not only shows their devotions but also gives them a roundedness that allows you to become fully immersed. Cracking.”
– Falcata Times

“The Silent Army is a book that improves on every facet that made its predecessors great. This feels like a satisfying conclusion to the first arc of a much bigger story, because this book ends a bunch of plot threads that began right back at the start of the first book, but it leaves some big threads wide open begging for more. I need more stories set in this world. Please indulge me, Mr Moore.”
– Fantasy Book Review

“A strong instalment with no shortage of action.”
– The Speculative Herald

“I love this series, I will not lie about it. It has ALL the things that make a great fantasy read. Mr. Moore steadily ups his game with each new installment. I call this ‘dark’ fantasy, it does have epic leanings, great characters, great action and an awesome world, that pretty much wins me everytime. I won’t gush much more, but if you like the fantasies and you like sword swinging and heads flying through the air like so much dust in the wind, give James A. Moore all your money!”
– Shelf Inflicted

“With The Silent Army, Mr. Moore has given us Epic: a world spanning conflict, a struggle to decide the fate of an entire civilization.  And I for one loved every “epic” event which the author threw my way.  Scene after scene of it.  Every titanic clash, every awe-inspiring magical event, every god-like creature, every dramatic revelation, every horrid deed, all of them building into a sword and sorcery feast not to be missed.  The Sa’ba Taalor rising to the forefront of most epic race in sword and sorcery literature.”
– Bookwraiths

“The final installment of a great epic story has drawn to a close and it ended with a huge bang. From the very first page down to the last, James A. Moore does not pull the punches in delivering an action-filled story that’s full of savagery and pumps adrenaline page after page after page. Thank you James A. Moore for such a wonderful and magical journey.”
– Zirev

“On a Goodreads scale I give it five stars (if I could give it ten, I would. Or eleventy-million – either or.)”
– Amanda J Spedding

That's the sort of stuff that makes me happy!

Free and First - A Little Backlist Love

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is A Little Love For Your Backlist: Promo/Blurb from one of your previously published books.

I thought I'd share LONEN'S WAR, which came out in 2016. It's the first book in my entirely self-published Fantasy Romance series, Sorcerous Moons. It's also a free read if you have Kindle Unlimited, or you can request a free copy while signing up for my newsletter.

 An Unquiet Heart

Alone in her tower, Princess Oria has spent too long studying her people’s barbarian enemies, the Destrye—and neglected the search for calm that will control her magic and release her to society. Her restlessness makes meditation hopeless and her fragility renders human companionship unbearable. Oria is near giving up. Then the Destrye attack, and her people’s lives depend on her handling of their prince… 

 A Fight Without Hope 

 When the cornered Destrye decided to strike back, Lonen never thought he’d live through the battle, let alone demand justice as a conqueror. And yet he must keep up his guard against the sorceress who speaks for the city. Oria’s people are devious, her claims of ignorance absurd. The frank honesty her eyes promise could be just one more layer of deception. 

A Savage Bargain 

 Fighting for time and trust, Oria and Lonen have one final sacrifice to choose… before an even greater threat consumes them all.

It's an apropos time to mention this book because I (finally) came out with the fifth book in the series, ORIA'S ENCHANTMENT, on January 23, 2019, and book 6, LONEN'S REIGN is available for preorder at Amazon and Smashwords, scheduled for release March 20, 2019! (I will get it up for preorder at more retailers as the date gets closer, possibly even on my own store on my new website!)

Also, speaking of backlists, you only have 4 days, 11 hours and 44 minutes (as I type this) to get the SFWA Fantasy Storybundle. 16 books by 12 authors, and you can get the bundle for as little as $5, and support charity, too.