The Witnesses

Here is the cover for my upcoming novel, The Witnesses. The designer did an amazing job with the cover--I love it! 

The book will be released in October, so only about six more weeks to go. We just finished up final changes on the manuscript this week, so now it's off to press. It's been a crazy summer, finishing everything up, and my editor has been marvelous to work with and very patient with me, even when I was running behind schedule or I was getting all picky over tiny things in the manuscript.

The publication of this book is an absolute dream come true for me. It's the sequel to my first book, The Believer, and I'm super excited to get this book out both to readers who enjoyed The Believer and to new readers meeting the characters for the first time.

Here's more info in Q and A form, with questions posted by my subconscious. Just kidding. Heaven knows what my subconscious would ask (probably "Why don't we have more chocolate in the house?" and "Son, how can you call the kitchen clean when there's SO MUCH GARBAGE in the sink?" Oh, sorry, those are my conscious questions).

Q. How are these books different from your last few novels?

A. My last five novels were contemporary mystery/suspense. The Believer and The Witnesses are still suspense, but they are dystopian thrillers, set in a near/alternate future in a nation that has broken off from the United States.

Q. Can I read The Witnesses without having read The Believer or will I be completely lost?

A. One of our goals in revision/editing was to present Witnesses in such a way that a new reader can pick up the book and enjoy it without having read the first book. So yes, you can enjoy it as a standalone. But if you want the details of how the characters got to this point (and an exciting ride in the bargain :) read The Believer first (to avoid spoilers, if you haven't read Believer and would like to, don't read the blurb for Witnesses--it has all kinds of spoilers for Believer).

Q. Will there be more books in the series?

A. Nope. Two books only. So if you're a reader who likes to wait until a series is finished before you start on the first book, you're in luck!

Q. What forms will the books be available in?

A. The Witnesses will be available in paperback, Kindle ebook, and as an unabridged audio book. Believer will be available in paperback and Kindle ebook--there are probably some old audio books kicking around Amazon or eBay, but be aware that Believer's audio is abridged--it was recorded in the day when my publisher was still doing abridged audio. Thank heavens that day has passed.

Here are the links:

The Believer is currently available as an ebook from Amazon or Deseret Book. It is available for pre-order as a paperback from Deseret Book.

The Witnesses is available for pre-order from Amazon as both a paperback and on audio CD. It will be released in October.

I'm so excited!!!

Timeless Romance Anthology: Autumn Collection

My romantic suspense novella, "Eye for an Eye," is part of the Timeless Romance Anthology Autumn Collection. It will be released in August 2013, so it's getting close! I am thrilled to be part of this anthology. 

Here is the blurb about my novella:

Eye for an Eye, Stephanie Black’s thrilling novella, follows Mallory as she is just getting her life back together, living with her sister and brother-in-law and starting college. After a difficult few years following a family tragedy, she’s finally ready to move forward, which includes getting to know the charming Darien better. But when illegal drugs turn up in her sister’s drawer, the first person accused is Mallory, and suddenly she doesn’t know who to trust. She turns to Darien, but with all evidence pointing at her, she doesn’t know if Darien is the man to save her.

Announcing . . .

My friend Jordan McCollum has a book coming out in June. I've read it, and it's FUN--suspense and chills mingling with humor. Here's the info:

I, Spy by Jordan McCollum—Coming June 5, 2013!

About the Book

Canada is probably the last place you'd expect to find an American spy. But even idyllic Ottawa has its deadly secrets—and so does CIA operative Talia Reynolds. She can climb through ventilation shafts, blend in at the occasional diplomatic function, even scale buildings (small ones). But there’s one thing she can’t do: tell her aerospace engineer boyfriend Danny about her Top Secret occupation.

It worked for a year, keeping Danny in the dark, keeping him away from danger, keeping her secrets. And then Talia finally catches a hot case: Fyodor Timofeyev. Russian. Aerospace executive. Possible spy?

She can make this work, too—until Danny needs her at the same time her country does. And when Fyodor targets Danny? Suddenly her schedule isn't the only thing suffering. Now to save her secrets and her country, Talia must sacrifice the man she loves.

Add I, Spy to your Goodreads to-read list!

Advance praise

The edge-of-my-seat undercover operations kept me turning pages, and just when I thought the story would go one way, plot twists sent it down another path. Thrilling, adventurous, and romantic, this book has it all for an Alias fan.

— Jami Gold, award-winning author

Jordan McCollum’s debut novel is a delightful combination of mystery, action, and romance. Talia’s CIA training and almost OCD caution feed her quirky humor while exposing her very human fears and insecurities. Add in her boyfriend Danny, and it's enough to twist your heart.

— Donna K. Weaver, author of A Change of Plans

Clever, suspenseful, and charged with political intrigue and romance, I, Spy is the perfect combination for a fun and captivating read!

— Michelle Davidson Argyle, author of Monarch

About the author

An award-winning author, Jordan McCollum can’t resist a story where good defeats evil and true love conquers all. In her day job, she coerces people to do things they don’t want to, elicits information and generally manipulates the people she loves most—she’s a mom.

Jordan holds a degree in American Studies and Linguistics from Brigham Young University. When she catches a spare minute, her hobbies include reading, knitting and music. She lives with her husband and four children in Utah.

Follow Jordan on Twitter, like Jordan on Facebook and add I, Spy on Goodreads today!

Donuts and a Booksigning. Also, Seeking Reviewers

Donuts . . . see, here's the thing. We have the tradition of making homemade donuts sometime in October. I loved it when my mother would make them when I was a kid, and we've started doing it once a year. It's not the sort of thing I really want to do more than once a year, since, hey, do I really want dozens of greasy, sugary, delicious donuts waiting for me to devour them? (Maybe . . . ). Plus, it's a production and leaves the kitchen and dining room coated in flour, grease, and sugar, and the sink and counter stacked with dirty dishes. So, once a year is good.

But--I know this is shocking--I'm thinking of crossing the October donut-making off the list. With my two older daughters gone at college and my very slim and disciplined husband controlling his intake, there are just not enough people eating enough of them. He did eat a bunch last night, but I don't think he's had any today (!!) I don't think my older son is that keen on them. And in an unfortunate twist of fate, my younger two children felt icky with colds today, so they weren't consuming much. But never fear--I made up for EVERYONE. I will not tell you how many I ate today but it was a HUGE NUMBER (okay, I don't actually know the number, but I know it was huge). And there are some in the freezer, and some not in the freezer that are going stale even as we speak, and it's like, man, that's it--if I'm the only one pigging out like crazy, it's time for a new tradition. Next year we will line carrots up on the table and decorate them with flax seed and balsamic vinegar, after which we will do pushups. Or maybe I'll change my mind by next year . . .

And now, moving on to other news that doesn't involve the oddity of whining because my family didn't eat enough junk food. I was able to do a booksigning at the Beehive Bookstore in Campbell, CA as part of their Ladies' Night celebration, and it was super fun. The staff there was so nice and the customers were great, and I got to try a Tres Leches cupcake. One of the staff made them from Josi Kilpack's recipe, from her new book of the same name. Here's a picture (not of the cupcake--I ate the cupcake; I didn't pose with it).



And lastly: I'm looking for a few people who would like to review Shadowed. If you are interested, email me at emailstephanieblack (at) gmail (dot) com.

It's Here (in Actual Physical Form This Time)!

My books arrived! It's always exciting to see a new book for the first time--hold it, flip through the pages--a real book with my words in it! The book that grew from story ideas that emerged from the haphazard process of brainstorming and developed through that messy first draft . . . the story that passed through revision, revision, test reads, more revision . . . then the submission process, the editorial process, proofing, not to mention graphic design and all those other awesome things--it's all done and here's the culmination of all that work, the finished product. It's a book!! It has a cover! And pages! And an ISBN! It's going to be in bookstores, and online, and in libraries! Somebody might read it! People I don't know might read it! If you think about that long enough, it's kind of mind-blowing. 

 

Photographic evidence---it's here! My new book!

It's also an unabridged audio book. Oh unabridged audio, how I love thee!

And it's a Kindle book! Lots of choices.

Shadowed is my sixth novel. Whew. Six books! I wrote six books! Six whole books, full of words! I can't parallel park, I stink at reading maps, my socks are never all folded, and heaven knows what's living under my fridge, but I wrote six books. I'd celebrate with chocolate, but I already ate chocolate, plus three huge chocolate chip cookies. I should celebrate with wheat germ or garbanzo beans, just for a change of pace.

The book is now for sale at Deseret Book online and the Kindle version is for sale at Amazon. It should be listed at Seagull Book soon, and I hope soon to hear reports of a bookstore sighting.

Goodreads and Labor Day

I got my new book posted on Goodreads. Hooray! Also, as my two-year-old niece would say, holy yikes. Why oh why was I so eager to get the book listed there? That's just asking for trouble.

Yesterday on Labor Day, we wanted to do something fun, so we headed up to San Francisco, where it was going to be a lot (think 20-30 degrees) cooler than it was where we live. Travel motto for San Francisco: bring a jacket.

It was very sunny in this part of SF yesterday, but the Golden Gate bridge, which we should have been able to see from here, was shrouded in fog. It was weird how the sky could be so clear and the bridge so obscured by fog. 

Here is a view of the remains of the Sutro Baths--seven swimming pools built on the coast in the late 1800s.  In this area, it was foggy, as you can see. You get accustomed to foggy and chilly at the coast--it can be 100 degrees inland and 62 degrees and overcast at the beach. 

Here is the Lands End Labyrinth. Be careful not to get lost in the maze!  

Yay! It's Here!

I mean . . . it's sort of here. I don't yet have my physical copies of Shadowed, and it will probably take a few days for it to hit bookstore shelves, but as of today, it is available on Amazon as a Kindle ebook. Yes, right this minute someone could be reading it. Do they like it??? Maybe I should start nervously checking Goodreads every thirty seconds, except last time I looked, the book wasn't listed yet, so maybe it's a little early to get obsessive. 

Hang on, I need to go see if it's on Goodreads yet. 

Nope, not yet.

Ahem. Anyway, if you live near an LDS bookstore and happen to drop in sometime in the near future, let me know if you see it on the shelves. 

In other news, I won a $10 Amazon Gift Card on Debra Erfert's blog. Woohoo! Thank you, Debra. The gift card is to purchase a copy of Sariah Wilson's new book, The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back, which looks like a totally darling book. Sariah and I used to blog together; she was the founder of Six LDS Writers and a Frog. Congratulations on your new book, Sariah! And since her book is available for $3.99, that leaves me another six bucks to buy another ebook too. Books! Books! Yaaaaay books! What should I buy? Any recommendations?