The Night Songs Collection is on SALE!

Today is:

• Peace Officers Memorial Day
• National Chocolate Chip Day
• National Nylon Stocking Day
• National Endangered Species Day
• National Defense Transportation Day
• National Pizza Party Day
• National Bike to Work Day
• NASCAR Day 

by Kristen

Happy Chocolate Chip Pizza Party Day!  Here’s where vampire month gets fun.  If you haven’t checked out my vampire books, now is the time!  Every title in The Night Songs Collection is 99 cents each through May 20.  Some of these have never been on sale before.

Because the Night: http://amzn.to/1H6H5WO

Sex, Blood And Rock n’ Roll 

Immortal Dilemma is the hottest band in the Las Vegas vampire rock scene. They draw insatiable fans from around the globe, thanks to a supernatural attraction called Bloodlust. Tristan craved such an opportunity to fill his empty mortal life, and now he has eternity to earn his place along the legends of rock n roll debauchery.

Callie always feared that Tristan’s excesses would get him into trouble, but she never thought they’d lead him to immortality. To reconnect with him, she must weave her way through a world not only she had no idea existed, but does not welcome her.

Blade turned down a spot in Immortal Dilemma after learning what he must sacrifice for that lifestyle. He finds Callie a refreshing change from the girls in the vampire rock scene. When Callie drags Blade back into the world of Immortal Dilemma, his resistance drives her into the waiting arms of Tristan, who shows her the true meaning of Bloodlust.

But the very things that Callie fights so hard to save are the very things that fight to destroy her.

Night Moves: http://amzn.to/1EKmS7A

We bonded in darkness, over darkness.

Melanie Vaughn’s job ruined everything. Her social life, nonexistent. Her relationship with her boyfriend, a hostile roommate situation. She resolves to fix everything one snowy afternoon, but instead comes home to discover her boyfriend is already exploring other options. Blonder, bustier options. Rage drives Melanie to do the unthinkable.

When Soul Divider was on the top of the world, so was Ryder Maddox. When the band faded into obscurity, Ryder’s luck plummeted with it. In a last ditch effort to rekindle the band’s heyday, Soul Divider teams up with powerful vampire clan leader, Talis de Rancourt. In return for her services, the band pays the ultimate price for never ending fame.

Now on the run, Melanie meets Ryder in a middle of nowhere hotel. She never expected her teenage rock star crush to be as lost and as in need of a companion as she is. Their connection is all consuming, even before they find they share another kinship: murder.

The newly turned vampires in Soul Divider still have a lot to learn. The police and public begin to connect the girls that go missing or die in sync with the band’s tour schedule. Back at home, clues are also adding up against Melanie as well. Between constant media coverage and unrelenting attention from the authorities, Melanie and Ryder find themselves in uncharted territory.
We Own the Night: http://amzn.to/1ICbnX7

The Ultimate Manipulation.
Callie Chabot would stop at nothing to save her ex-boyfriend Blade Bennett from the clutches of vampire clan leader Talis de Rancourt, even if means becoming immortal herself. What she doesn’t know is that Blade has already defeated Talis, and he’s waiting for Callie in the afterlife.
Now Callie only has her creator, Tristan Trevosier, to turn to for guidance. But he’s too wrapped up in the debauchery of the Las Vegas rock scene to give a damn about the particulars of being undead. That’s enough to drive Callie crazy on its own, but female vampires are automatic clan leaders.
Not only does Callie have no idea how to wrangle a vampire clan, but her would-be followers have more to gain from her failure. They instead choose to follow Blade—and he’s hell-bent on making Callie pay for her bad decisions. Since he took out the existing clan leader, that automatically puts him at the helm of what should be Callie’s new clan.
A Master of Deception.
That’s when seasoned rogue vampire, Cash Logan, shows up, shrouded in magic and mystery. No one is sure which side Cash is on, but Callie needs to take a chance on the one vampire who is willing to give her the answers she needs, no matter how dark and frightening they may be. Callie must trust her instincts and form alliances that may backfire. Cash shows Callie that playing nice is no longer an option, and that fixing her wrongs won’t always make everything right.
To take control of her clan, Callie must look to her rival to discover exactly what makes her a leader.
Silent Night: http://amzn.to/1PKnxfk

This Christmas isn’t about celebration for eighteen-year-old Kyndra, it’s about survival. Grieving the loss of her grandmother and struggling with the indifference of her family, Kyndra now splits her time between her dead-end mall job, her junkie ex-boyfriend’s bed, and the streets. Longing to be close to her grandmother one more time, she wanders into Christmas Eve mass and prays she’ll find the place she belongs. Home.

Aidan isn’t ready to let go of the past either, even though he’s had nearly three hundred years to do it. He chronicles the search for the reincarnation of his beloved wife as the vampire romance author Allison Duprois. Aidan knows the wife he mourns is out there, but fears writing their story is as close as he will get to her.

At Christmas Eve mass, he finally finds her. Alone, with no place to go.

Aidan brings Kyndra into his home, and gives her the safety, comfort and love she longs for. Though he gives her second chances she never thought she’d have, Kyndra still can’t get over Aidan’s mysterious past. Not to mention that he claims that he’s a vampire. Life alone on the streets is dangerous enough without handing her trust and love to the wrong person. Can Aidan break through the walls around Kyndra’s hardened heart to convince her that she belongs with him, forever?

The Night Songs Collection 1-3 Box Set is Now Available!

Today’s Brew: Hook up an IV of coffee and spike that bitch. Today’s my last day on the movie I’ve been working on, and from the looks of the scene list, it may be the longest day in movie making history. That’s fine, we’re having a party.

by Kristen

You know what is the gift that keeps on giving? Get your mind out of the gutters. It’s vampires. Who else can give you the gift of eternal life?  If you’re going to live forever, you’re going to need something to read. A lot of something. So I would love to offer you the first three books in The Night Songs Collection. It’s like a one way ticket to Las Vegas without the hangover, or the goons chasing after after you to collect on your gambling debts.  It’s debauchery in the comfort of your own home.

Because the Night, Night Moves, and We Own the Night all available in one pretty package!

It’s only 3.99 until 12.31.14! And you can get your very own copy here. Oh, and another thing, while we’re talking about gifts…you can buy an ebook as a gift on Kindle and have it delivered whenever you want. There’s eight days of Hanukkah, twelve days of Christmas…and at least a handful of days of Festivus.

This is what you get. Don’t say I never gave you anything.

Because the Night:
Immortal Dilemma is the hottest band in the Las Vegas vampire rock scene. They draw insatiable fans from around the globe, thanks to a supernatural attraction called Bloodlust. Tristan craved such an opportunity to fill his empty mortal life, and now he has eternity to earn his place along the legends of rock n roll debauchery.

Callie always feared that Tristan’s excesses would get him into trouble, but she never thought they’d lead him to immortality. To reconnect with him, she must weave her way through a world not only she had no idea existed, but does not welcome her.

Blade turned down a spot in Immortal Dilemma after learning what he must sacrifice for that lifestyle. He finds Callie a refreshing change from the girls in the vampire rock scene. When Callie drags Blade back into the world of Immortal Dilemma, his resistance drives her into the waiting arms of Tristan, who shows her the true meaning of Bloodlust.

But the very things that Callie fights so hard to save are the very things that fight to destroy her.

Night Moves:
Melanie Vaughn’s job ruined everything. Her social life, nonexistent. Her relationship with her boyfriend, a hostile roommate situation. She resolves to fix everything one snowy afternoon, but instead comes home to discover her boyfriend is already exploring other options. Blonder, bustier options. Rage drives Melanie to do the unthinkable.

When Soul Divider was on the top of the world, so was Ryder Maddox. When the band faded into obscurity, Ryder’s luck plummeted with it. In a last ditch effort to rekindle the band’s heyday, Soul Divider teams up with powerful vampire clan leader, Talis de Rancourt. In return for her services, the band pays the ultimate price for never ending fame.

Now on the run, Melanie meets Ryder in a middle of nowhere hotel. She never expected her teenage rock star crush to be as lost and as in need of a companion as she is. Their connection is all consuming, even before they find they share another kinship: murder.

The newly turned vampires in Soul Divider still have a lot to learn. The police and public begin to connect the girls that go missing or die in sync with the band’s tour schedule. Back at home, clues are also adding up against Melanie as well. Between constant media coverage and unrelenting attention from the authorities, Melanie and Ryder find themselves in uncharted territory.

We Own The Night:
Callie Chabot would stop at nothing to save her ex-boyfriend Blade Bennett from the clutches of vampire clan leader Talis de Rancourt, even if means becoming immortal herself. What she doesn’t know is that Blade has already defeated Talis, and he’s waiting for Callie in the afterlife.

Now Callie only has her creator, Tristan Trevosier, to turn to for guidance. But he’s too wrapped up in the debauchery of the Las Vegas rock scene to give a damn about the particulars of being undead. That’s enough to drive Callie crazy on its own, but female vampires are automatic clan leaders.

Not only does Callie have no idea how to wrangle a vampire clan, but her would-be followers have more to gain from her failure. They instead choose to follow Blade–and he’s hell-bent on making Callie pay for her bad decisions. Since he took out the existing clan leader, that automatically puts him at the helm of what should be Callie’s new clan.

That’s when seasoned rogue vampire, Cash Logan, shows up, shrouded in magic and mystery. No one is sure which side Cash is on, but Callie needs to take a chance on the one vampire who is willing to give her the answers she needs, no matter how dark and frightening they may be. Callie must trust her instincts and form alliances that may backfire. Cash shows Callie that playing nice is no longer an option, and that fixing her wrongs won’t always make everything right.

To take control of herr clan, Callie must look to her rival to see exactly what makes her a leader.

Get Ready For We Own The Night

Today’s brew: Water. Still kind of dehydrated from working outside

by Kristen

WE OWN THE NIGHT comes Monday, September 1!  You can preorder it now and it will be waiting  for you in your Kindle or iPad at midnight. Or wait til Monday, if you’re into that sort of thing.  You guys were good. I made you wait five months for the conclusion of this story. I want to make sure everyone’s all caught up and ready to GO.

• Because the Night is 99 cents.
• Night Moves is also 99 cents this week only. After August 31, it goes back to 2.99. Take advantage of this. I don’t know the next time I’ll put it on sale.

What can you expect from We Own the Night?

• Callie is back!  The story picks up where Because the Night left off. After teasing everyone for two books about what happened to Blade, everything is revealed. And he’s pissed about having to wait to tell his story.
• We’re back in Vegas. Mostly at the Alta Vista, but North Strip represent!  We made stops at the Riviera, Circus Circus, and the Stratosphere.
• Everyone who made it to the end of Because the Night and Night Moves alive and/or undead makes an appearance in We Own the Night.
• Lennon and Tony from BTN as well as Rachel from Night Moves play key roles.
• New characters!!  You’re going to meet Cash Logan, a mysterious circus leader, and Holly Octane, a performer in his show who bursts into flames every night.  You also get to meet Tristan’s dad.
• Tristan is….Tristan.
• We Own the Night wraps up this particular storyline, but doesn’t close The Night Songs Collection. The mythology will continue with characters that are new and familiar with you.
• But no more cliffhangers.
• I was actually able to end the story with a Happily Ever….Afterlife?

WE OWN THE NIGHT Cover Reveal PLUS the Re-release of BECAUSE THE NIGHT and NIGHT MOVES!

Today’s Brew: Champagne!!

by Kristen

YOU GUYS. I’m so excited to finally be able to share these with you.  I feel like I’ve been talking about this for-evah, and now it’s finally real.  I hope you all love these covers as much as I do. Cover designs by Hang Le.

First, the reveal of WE OWN THE NIGHT (The Night Songs Collection #3)

The Ultimate Manipulation. 

Callie Chabot would stop at nothing to save her ex-boyfriend Blade Bennett from the clutches of vampire clan leader Talis de Rancourt, even if means becoming immortal herself. What she doesn’t know is that Blade has already defeated Talis, and he’s waiting for Callie in the afterlife.

Now Callie only has her creator, Tristan Trevosier, to turn to for guidance. But he’s too wrapped up in the debauchery of the Las Vegas rock scene to give a damn about the particulars of being undead. That’s enough to drive Callie crazy on its own, but female vampires are automatic clan leaders.

Not only does Callie have no idea how to wrangle a vampire clan, but her would-be followers have more to gain from her failure. They instead choose to follow Blade—and he’s hell-bent on making Callie pay for her bad decisions. Since he took out the existing clan leader, that automatically puts him at the helm of what should be Callie’s new clan.

A Master of Deception.

That’s when seasoned rogue vampire, Cash Logan, shows up, shrouded in magic and mystery. No one is sure which side Cash is on, but Callie needs to take a chance on the one vampire who is willing to give her the answers she needs, no matter how dark and frightening they may be. Callie must trust her instincts and form alliances that may backfire. Cash shows Callie that playing nice is no longer an option, and that fixing her wrongs won’t always make everything right.

To take control of her clan, Callie must look to her rival to discover exactly what makes her a leader.

Available September 1, 2014.

Add to Goodreads     Preorder on Smashwords     Preorder Audible

BECAUSE THE NIGHT and NIGHT MOVES are coming to the party, too!  They’re available again, and check out their new covers.

BECAUSE THE NIGHT has been revamped, with a new edit!  It’s also 99 cents in celebration of the relaunch!

Because the Night (The Night Songs Collection Book 1) on Amazon     Smashwords

NIGHT MOVES–I don’t have a release date for the Audible version, but it is coming soon. It’s being recorded at the same time as WE OWN THE NIGHT

Night Moves (The Night Songs Collection Book 2)on Amazon       Smashwords

To celebrate today you can hear me at 5 PM EST on Lydia’s Literary Lowdown on Blog Talk Radio, and at 7 PM EST, I’ll be “taking over” the Author Reader Con Facebook page. Stop by and say hello! I’ll have prizes and fun stuff!

The Night Songs Collection: This Is The Remix

Today’s Brew: I’m off coffee for the rest of the day. I’ll be setting my alarm for 3 AM, because my job is just that glamorous.

by Kristen

I have a confession to make.

I’ve been keeping things from you.  Not bad things, I just wasn’t ready to spill it yet.  But now I am.

I separated from my agent. My decision. Nothing bad happened, we’re still on good terms.  I will always appreciate the fact that Pam gave me my writing wings, and I know I wouldn’t be in this place if I never had her as an agent. I just wanted to take things in a different direction. The more I explored writing and publishing, the more I realized that right now, indie publishing is best for me.  I’ve known this for a while, but when I really wanted to self-publish a book more than even try to shop it around to publishers, I knew I had my answer.

Will I try the traditional route again? Maybe someday, if it’s right. Will I want another agent?  Not right now, but again, I’m leaving all my options open.  It’s exciting.  I have a lot of news to tell you about.

• BECAUSE THE NIGHT and NIGHT MOVES are temporarily unavailable right now. BECAUSE THE NIGHT was re-edited and both books are getting new covers. Guys, they’re fucking awesome. I can’t wait to show them to you.  (Want to participate in the reveal?  Click here.)  Hang Le designed the covers and she knocked it out of the park. The books will rerelease July 12, and I’ll be doing a ton of fun promo that day.  I’ll tell you more about it that week.
• WE OWN THE NIGHT is still releasing September 1, to correlate with the Audible release.  The cover reveal is also July 12, and you know, you should really sign up to participate.  🙂  It’s on Goodreads now.
• Remember that book I said I wanted to self-publish?  Yeah, that’s happening.  It’s a contemporary romance, a new genre for me.  It’s called SECONDHAND HEART, and I’m looking to release it in October.  It features a 21-year-old military widow and a failed reality show star who’ve both come home (to my hometown) to start over.
• That doesn’t mean the end of The Night Songs Collection.  In November, SILENT NIGHT, a book with new characters in the Night Songs world, will be released.  My elevator pitch for this book is Pretty Woman meets Dracula at Christmas Eve Mass.

So like I said, I had some news. It’s going to be a busy few months and I can’t wait to share it all with you.

 

Diners, Roadtrips, and Stagenames: An Excerpt From NIGHT MOVES

Today’s Brew: I’m out of creamer, and I need more coffee before I go to the store.  How did this happen to me?

by Kristen

I thought today might be a fun day to share a little bit of NIGHT MOVES with you all. I love this excerpt.

I’m kind of obsessed with diners.I love that they’re always open, always quirky, and that you can always get anything you want.  We don’t have many close to my town, so it’s like a thing when I see one. It’s always my top choice if we’re looking for a place to eat. I should probably move to New Jersey. I’ve put diners into a couple of my books now, and this one is based on a visit Julie and I made to one last year.

Melanie and Erin aren’t in the best area of Milwaukee, because the never put night clubs in the posh areas of town. One day on my way to work, I was on the look out for a Starbucks, until I realized I was deeper in the ghetto than I’d been in a while. Suffice to say, no Starbucks. File that one under white people problems.

I based Erin’s character on some of the most fascinating people I know: traveling fetish models. These ladies are hitting the road on the road less traveled. What a way to truly take the world by the balls. They get to see the world, they get to do what they love, and be the person they want to be. We talk a lot on here about living life on your terms, and I think these ladies are an amazing example of that.

Enough of me telling you about this, just read it!!!

Either Ralph had a better opinion of Milwaukee than he did of Detroit, or he seemed to think that Erin and I could hold our own. Or he just didn’t care what happened to us anymore after last night. Obviously we weren’t safe from attack on the buses. Whatever his reason was, Erin and I were free to go off on our own.

“Can you believe after all the time we spent chasing after the band together, we meet up with each other here?” Erin chattered nervously as we walked down the busy road away from the parking lot of The Raven night club. “Think they have Starbucks around here?”

“Um, probably not.” Many of the stores in this neighborhood hadn’t been open for business in a long time. We walked past a nail salon, a Columbian convenience store, and a pizza place. “There’s a diner up ahead.”

“They’ve got coffee. Sold.”

The diner was strangely quiet for being so close to lunch time. We sat ourselves and waited a while for anyone to acknowledge us. Neither of us was ready to really talk yet. We spent the time waiting for a waitress to acknowledge us as we looked around at the dusty Americana cluttering the walls.

“Would you ladies like coffee?” The waitress finally surfaced, placing sticky menus down in front of us. Maybe she meant for us to sample previous customers’ meals before making a decision. I pulled hand sanitizer out of my bag and silently offered some to Erin.

“You have no idea.” Erin said, rubbing the gel together in her palms. “Keep it coming.”

“It’s going to be a minute. I need to brew a pot.” The waitress walked away without asking us if we wanted anything else. Erin and I were both at a loss.

“Shouldn’t a diner always have coffee? I mean, isn’t that the point of a diner?” Erin spoke rapidly. “Oh well, at least it will be fresh.”

I noticed she’d already placed her menu aside. Granted, it was gross, covered in jelly and syrup. I had my old standbys at places like these. Chances were I’d order Eggs Benedict or a cheeseburger. I didn’t know if I could resist diner fries. Yesterday’s salad didn’t quite cut it. But Erin always used to take forever to make a decision.

The waitress returned with our coffees. “Have you ladies decided?”

“Yes, I’ll have a cheeseburger. Cooked medium.”

“I’m all set.”

“Really?” I questioned Erin. The waitress couldn’t care less.

“Yeah. I have some protein bars back at the car.”

“You can’t live off of protein bars!”

“Don’t give me a hard time, Melanie. I mean, I’m the one who should be grilling you. It’s just food. Who cares?”

I sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” I did have a lot of explaining to do. “So what do you want to know?”

“When I told you about Jamie, it wasn’t a surprise, was it?”

I shook my head.

Erin looked like she might get sick. She swirled her spoon around in her coffee cup vigorously. For such a protein bar aficionado, she certainly added a lot of sugar to her coffee.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” She whispered, eyes wide. I don’t know if she assumed I had anything to do with his death or not. And I wasn’t looking for clarification.

“I couldn’t. It was just too awful, too fresh.” I couldn’t look her in the eye. I just watched the whirlpool of caffeine following her spoon, concentrating on the motion so completely it made me dizzy.

“So what came first? That, or you being here?” Erin continued.

“That.”

“Are you here with the band, or just here?”

“With the band.” I bit my lip and looked up at her. Finally her face lit up.

“Nice.” The Erin stamp of approval. “Which one? Adam? Josiah? Not Thomas, he’s too creepy for you.”

“Ryder.”

“No way!” Erin slapped the table, making the remaining coffee in her mug jump. We stopped for a moment when the waitress brought me my burger.

“Can I have some ketchup, please?” Why didn’t they just keep it on the table? Something about this place was off. I said a quick prayer to ward off Mad Cow Disease while I waited for condiments.

“Mel, you lusted after him all through high school! And he’s like, not even back on the market yet after the divorce.”

“You make him sound like a used car.”

“You know what I mean.” Erin piled up spent plastic creamer tubs like a pyramid. “Tell me how it happened!” Her question tapered off in a squeal.

I swallowed the rest of my french fry before answering her. “It just happened. We ran into each other and we’ve been together ever since.”

“Are you traveling alone? I mean, we could drive together.”

“I’ve been riding on the bus.”

“Oh.” Erin’s face darkened.

This was the perfect time to turn this interview around. “So what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to see Drake.” She leaned forward, speaking in a hushed tone and looking triumphant.

“Does he…know you’re here?” Something about her wording made me think she hadn’t made much progress from our fan girl days seven years before.

“Of course he does.” She looked insulted. Rightfully so, I guess. I mean, who would go to Milwaukee in the winter on a whim? “He’s just, you know. Busy. He can’t always have company. He’s got a business to run.”

Erin had drank the Drake Kool-Aid. “So I hear. How well do you know Drake?” Did she know what I knew?

She smiled. “Extremely well.”

“So then you know?”

She sighed. “That he’s never going to leave his wife. Yeah, Mel, I get it. He can’t. It would totally ruin his public image. And there are other reasons, too. But I know the real him, and I don’t care. I’ll take what I can get.”

I hadn’t expected that. “Everyone knows that. Have you noticed anything, weird about him, if you know what I mean?” It was still too surreal to just ask someone if they knew their lover was a vampire in the middle of a restaurant.

“Oh, that he’s a vampire? Of course.” Erin dismissed it like it was no more trivial than her not wanting anything for lunch.

“That doesn’t freak you out, even just a little bit?” I know I still hadn’t gotten over it, no matter how much I liked it when Ryder sunk his fangs into me.

“Um, excuse me.” A shy, skinny, middle aged man overwhelmed by a plaid wool jacket and a trucker hat approached the table. I felt confusion spread over my face as Erin looked up at him brightly. It was her attention he was after. “I just have to ask, are you Trixie Temptation?”

“Trixie Temptation?!” I mouthed at her as she nodded and smiled at her admirer.

“Oh wow, I love your work. You’re so beautiful.” The man gushed. Erin assumed her alter ego and nodded at him with a frozen smile. What the hell was going on? “Could I take a picture with you? My buddies will never believe I saw you.”

“Of course.” Erin rose as the man took out his camera. “What’s your name, sir?”

“Dwight.”

“It’s so nice to meet you. Maybe my girlfriend will take our picture for us?” She winked at me. Skinny Dwight ogled me, trying to figure out if he knew my ‘work’ as well.

I sighed, trying not to grimace. “Sure.” Erin put her arm around the man and I captured the moment.

Dwight kissed Erin’s hand. “Thank you so much for your time, Ms. Temptation.”

Then he was gone.

“What in the hell was that about? Trixie Temptation?” I practically shrieked.

“Shh!” Now it was Erin’s turn to look annoyed. “That’s my stage name.”

“Keep talking.”

“I’m a traveling model,” Erin explained. “It’s how I support myself while I’m out on the road.”

“What kind of model?” Erin was just a little bit of a thing with a pink streak in her platinum blonde hair, a nose piercing and several tattoos. Pretty, definitely, but not in an America’s Next Top Model sort of way.

“I do fetish shoots. Artistic Nudes. That sort of stuff,” she said casually. She had a way of brushing things off that anyone else would consider a bombshell.

“Porn?” This was just too much.

“Not porn. Nobody puts anything in me. I call the shots, and I know my limits. I probably make more money than you do at the bank. I didn’t expect you to judge me, Mel.”

Now I felt bad. “I’m not, but I don’t like to think of you selling your body just so you can support your Drake habit. I mean, that guy’s got more money than God, you’d think he wouldn’t want you doing that.”

“It was his idea,” Erin said, quietly, as she finished off her third cup of coffee. “And face it, Melanie, we’re all selling ourselves in some way.”

WANT MORE?

Night Moves on Amazon    Barnes and Noble     iTunes

Switching Gears Between Projects

Today’s Brew: Blueberry, my beloved

by Kristen

Couple of fun announcements first: Please check out my new author website and follow me on Tumblr! I WILL Tumbl for you. Please get the 80s music reference. Please.

It’s well documented that I’m a blonde. It’s more than just a hair color, sometimes, it’s a state of mind. When Kathie Lee and Hoda retire, I would hope someone will have the good sense to hire Julie and I to replace them. Who better to take over day drinking and inappropriate behavior on network TV than The Undead Duo? I dare you to find a better pair. And then please let us all go out drinking together. I’ve already got my role on this new TV show all set up: the bimbo sidekick. Sometimes I can be the funny one, sometimes the serious one, sometimes the smart one, but god damn, I make a great bimbo.

Bimbos get distracted easily. Never have I found this to be more true than when I try to juggle multiple projects. I’m starting to feel like one of those tired old mammas who yells at you for whatever sin you’ve committed but then calls you by the dog’s name.

Of course, you know NIGHT MOVES is out, so I’m doing promo for that. People are asking questions about Melanie, Ryder, and the rest of the characters and I have to think of them in ways I might have not considered before. It’s awesome to see my creations through other people’s eyes.

I just finished up a book that is vampire free. It’s in the hands of beta readers now, and I anxiously await their opinions. Notice I’m not telling you anything about this book? I feel like there’s just too much right now, and I’m even getting confused. I’m a big believer in keeping it simple. You’ll know everything about it all in due time.

Now that the book that shall not be named is done for now, I’m diving into final edits on WE OWN THE NIGHT. I’m psyched about this, because I miss Callie and Tristan. This book has been done since December, and this is the longest I’ve been away from these characters since I created them. Getting back into Callie’s head space is refreshing, a little shocking (if you’ve met Callie, you know how she rolls) and a little like welcoming home a long lost friend. She’s just met Melanie and Ryder at the point I’m working on now, it’s a Night Songs reunion.

Editing is stressful! When I draft, there’s no pressure to make things perfect because there’s always going to be another draft, revision, a chance to improve. But this is the round of work with the spit and the shine. This is the one you’re all going to see. It’s got to be 100%. I also have to consider the best interests of the book when making changes. Julie is my editor, which is a blessing because 1. she knows these characters inside and out 2. if this book sucks, she will pay for it dearly in buying me alcohol to mask the pain and 3. we get to discuss the edits as she applies them. That’s a luxury not many people get. Sometimes, Julie will be like WTF about a scene, and I can talk her through it. It doesn’t mean we leave it like that. If Julie didn’t understand it, neither will you, but we can make the absolute right edit that is true to what I’m thinking and what she understands. It makes me much more confident about making changes to the manuscript.

I had a hard time walking away from WE OWN THE NIGHT when I finished it, because it closed the door on this story. With SEASONS IN THE SUN, it’s technically the fourth book with these characters and this story line. Callie and Tristan didn’t want to say goodbye, either. I wonder how it will be to pass it in and really come to THE END. I didn’t close the door completely on these characters, so they might make another appearance sometime in some form. I haven’t decided yet.

I do want to continue The Night Songs Collection. My original idea was to have it as a universe instead of straight line story, with characters that might connect in different points in their lives. Kind of what Sherrilyn Kenyon does, but my way, because I don’t like to follow rules ever.

So there will be more books. Book 4, which will have new characters but is in The Night Songs world, will be coming to you this fall. This will be my first totally self published project, and holy shit, am I nervous. Julie is editing in now. I’ve got an amazing cover artist working on the art for it. I’ve got the formatter lined up. Everything is pretty much ready to go. Once I’m done with WE OWN THE NIGHT, I move straight into edits on this one.

See why I’m not throwing around titles? It gets confusing, fast. I took the “keep writing” thing to heart. Now I’m finishing up these projects, letting a few of them come down the pipeline so I can breathe and not work on four books at once.

Then….who knows?

Books Are Love, Yo.

Today’s Brew:  Resisting the urge for more coffee until Julie and Sara arrive for writing shenanigans.

by Kristen

First, the good NEWS!!  The Night Songs Trilogy will be available on Audible!  Jessica Almasy, who has narrated several of Gena Showalter’s books, will be reading BECAUSE THE NIGHT, NIGHT MOVES, and WE OWN THE NIGHT. I can’t wait to hear my stories come to life!  Aaaah! Just writing that made it a little more real.

This was pretty happening, too:

I never thought my self-published books would make it into Publishers Marketplace, but someone left the door unlocked. 🙂

A week ago today, NIGHT MOVES made it’s debut in the world. As I mentioned in my pre-release day jitters post, sometimes I feel like I want to duck for cover after I make these things available. Once it’s out, it’s OUT. And that’s the scary part. I want people to read it, so that’s the first battle. Will they? And then once they do, what will they think? So far, the reviews on the book have been overwhelmingly positive. Overwhelmingly might be an understatement. More like I can’t believe how much people are enjoying it. I’m so humbled by the response and the reactions to the book. If you love it, I love you. It’s pretty simple. Thank you for reading, loving, and sharing. Consider this a big virtual bear hug that lasts just a hair too long and borders on awkward.

And that leads me to my thought for the day. If you’re a published author, why did you make the decision to put your books out in the world? What made you go from a hobby to a job, or even a career? Once you ask for money in return, you’re an author and it’s a job.

I like to dream big. Who doesn’t dream of waking up on release day to confetti cannons of fanfare and best seller lists?  I’m going extreme with my example, but come on, you’d love it and so wouldn’t I. If you say otherwise, I don’t believe you.

I’m a new, independent author. As Julie likes to put it, I have a cult following. There’s a small group of people right now who are in the know. So am I going to knock JR Ward off the top of the vampire heap? Highly unlikely. But she was new once, too.

But I want people to read my books.

I talked to another author yesterday who said she’s just thrilled any time anyone buys her book, that she didn’t expect to have one sale.  Some authors aren’t comfortable with promotion. And I totally understand why. Promotion can be like going into the locker room of a high school gym naked. People are looking. Some people aren’t going to say nice things. A lot of people are going to say no.

But I want people to read my books, so I put myself out there. Sometimes, I don’t get my desired results. Sometimes, putting myself out there makes me cry a lot and drink even more.

I like to make stuff: word babies, pretty pretty princesses and princes (I do tons of makeup for men), food, and stuff for the house. And some of the joy in it for me is sharing my creations with other people. Julie often gets dragged around my apartment so she can see the latest improvements, even if I’ve just hung a new frame or rearranged the pillows. I love seeing people’s faces light up when they see what I’ve done to their makeup, that they didn’t know they could look so good. Seeing them happy makes me happy.  I love cooking for other people. Food is love, yo.

“Food is love” lead me to my answer. I enjoy my house (as long as I’m in it…what’s up Whiskey Tango Boulevard), I enjoy my day job, I enjoy cooking. I want to share what makes me happy. My books make me happy, and I assume what makes me happy will make other people happy, too. Books are love, yo. You heard it here first. So it’s a natural next step for me to want to share them with the world.

And that’s why I do it.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTEN AND ALSO NIGHT MOVES!

TODAY’S BREW: Beer For Breakfast. (only in my mind)

By Julie

TODAY IS KRISTEN’S BIRTHDAY 

AAAAAAND

IT’S THE RELEASE OF NIGHT MOVES

SO PRETTY, RIGHT?

I say this about it on Ye Olde Goodreads:

From the driven-to-the-brink and pushed off the brink Melanie to sextastic Erin, from sure and steady Ryder to self-important jerk Drake, these characters push you to keep reading to see what the hell they’ll do next. A cast that somehow manages to fit together with an incredible realism, they drive each other to do things that keeps the pages turning. Part love story, part fish out of water, part vampire sexiness, part wild crime adventure, this is a book with a plot so interweaved and twisted together, you’ll be happy to be its next victim.

Kristen deserves you to buy her book for these reasons, among others that she won’t tell you because it would sound sucky coming from someone other than her best friend. BUT THESE REASONS:

• She is drained like a dirty pool at the end of summer from writing these books because she busted her ass, her brain and her heart to do it.
• She works hard at EVERYTHING. And people who work hard deserve your support.
• It’s a good fucking book.
• IT’S HER GODDAMN BIRTHDAY FOR CHRISSAKES.
• Every time she goes on a trip, whether it be a day trip or to Vegas for “research,” I tell her to buy me a present, and she does.
• One time when as teenagers, we waited outside for concert tickets for too long and still didn’t get them, Kristen told the cashier that this “sucked big hairy dog balls.” You want to read this book for that reason.

HERE IS HOW YOU DO IT:

ON THE AMAZON MACHINE: http://www.amazon.com/Night-Moves-Songs-Collection-ebook/dp/B00J7YSU5W/ref=la_B00GFY14O6_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395792704&sr=1-5

AT THE BARNES AND THE NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/night-moves-kristen-strassel/1118909138?ean=2940045761086

FROM THE SMASHING OF WORDS:http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/418092

In short, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND BOOK BIRTHDAY, KRISTEN! Nikki Sixx/Tristan wanted to wish you one, too.

And I made you this cake! Not really!

I love you, Kristen, and I hope both your birthdays are wonderful ones. Long live the cougar.

Pre-Release Day Jitters!

Today’s Brew: Trying to decide when to start the birthday celebration. Until then, Pumpkin Spice.

by Kristen

Tomorrow is kind of a big deal.

It’s my birthday.

It’s NIGHT MOVES’ book birthday, too.

Release day always seems to sneak up on me. Forever it seems like it’s months or weeks off, and then it’s holy shit, I have a book coming out tomorrow. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

I know, I know, enjoy it. But these are my babies. You guys don’t know Melanie and Ryder yet, so they’re taking their first wobbly steps out in the world. It changes things.

NIGHT MOVES started as a short story, and when I wrote it, I don’t know if I ever planned on making it an actual book.  But something about it spoke to me, and I kept asking “now what?” I do remember the moment when I realized this story belonged in The Night Songs Collection, it was one of those warm fuzzy feelings that I get when it all comes together. From there, I guided the story to The End. I say guided, because I always let my characters take the reins. I’m boring, and they’re not. I just record what they tell me.

Before you’re like WTF Kristen, I have QUESTIONS about what happened at the end of BECAUSE THE NIGHT. What do you mean new characters? Melanie, Ryder, and everyone else you’re going to meet cross paths with Callie, Tristan, Blade, and Talis.  They’re all going to join forces to move on in the new world you have so many questions about. I just have to ask you to trust me on this one, it all works. You will get all your answers, not wrapped up in a neat little bow, because homey don’t play like that, but you’ll get them.

The series doesn’t move in a straight line, I took some chances to tell the story the way it needed to be told. I mean, hell, it starts as YA contemporary and moves into vampire smut.  I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to do that, but I did it anyway.  All of the things that seemed like grand ideas as they flew out of my fingers on the the screen, the things that the betas liked, and my editors, will readers like them?  How will they like these new characters? I have one vision of my book in my head, but is that how it comes across to everyone else?

It’s revoltingly terrifying.

I could never do this alone. It truly takes an army to release a book. Everyone on Twitter has been so supportive, my agency as made sure everything has gone smoothly, and honestly if it wasn’t for all of you guys, I don’t know if I would do it. When I say thank you, it doesn’t seem like enough. Any time someone tells me they enjoy something I wrote, my heart swells. Sure, they’re just words on a page, but that’s my imagination. That came from me. It’s not a skill I can hone, it’s something that just is. It’s a very vulnerable thing to share.  Artists have to believe in themselves A LOT to put their work out there. Critique is scary. But the praise is worth it.

I’m humbled any time anyone thinks anything I have to say is worth reading. I hope you all love NIGHT MOVES, because without you, it wouldn’t exist.  And I’m grateful for every single one of you.

XX
Kristen