Autumn Update

I will not look back on the summer of 2014 with undiluted pleasure. As mentioned in my blog post Bad & Good (06/09/14), both of my elderly parents suffered multiple medical issues throughout the year. My father passed away on September 17th, which was a shock despite his ongoing health problems. I never expected him to die, thinking most of his issues could be fixed by consistent medical attention. It was not to be.

As their only child, I was left to deal with all formal details and financial matters. It is not a task I'd ever wish on anyone.

As stated before, circumstances have forced me to reevaluate the release schedules for both Bloodlust and Blood & Soul. As it stands at the moment, I've had to push back the estimated book releases to 2015 and 2016, respectively.

I'm currently fighting a relentless chest cold, spending most of my time drinking hot tea and reading rather than writing. I just can't muster the energy or creativity to write at the moment.

My latest reads? Elizabeth of York by Alison Weir and Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett, which is the final part of his Century Trilogy.

 

Reading keeps my mind occupied. It helps me cope with the recent heavy stress.

Quixotic Two

Quixotic Crossings has been rereleased to commemorate its third anniversary, along with a new cover. The novel is the second book in the Collective Obsessions Saga.

Fate continues to entangle the Larkin and Sullivan families amidst madness, murder and obsessive love. Colm and Molly's grandson Jean-Claude Sullivan finds his life driven by greed and perversely tainted pleasures. Beloved family chef Claude Mondoux watches helplessly as Colm slowly loses his mind in ghostly visions of Molly, while Colleen Larkin seeks love in the arms of another man with deadly consequences...

Quixotic Crossings is book two in the Collective Obsessions Saga, which chronicles the extraordinary loves and obsessions between two families sweeping a span of more than one hundred years, all set against the backdrop of a Gothic seaside mansion in Maine.

Quixotic Crossings was originally published by Club Lighthouse in 2011.

Bad & Good

The last few months have been extremely difficult on a personal level, hence the lack of blog posts. Without going into too much detail, both my parents are experiencing serious health issues which range from Alzheimer's disease to renal failure, among other sundry.

The relentless daily medical dramas have forced me to reevaluate the release schedules for both Bloodlust and Blood & Soul. As it stands at the moment, I've had to push back the estimated book releases to 2015 and 2016, respectively. If anything changes, I'll post information as it happens.

On a happier note, Quixotic Crossings will be re-released early next month with a new book cover. Extra excerpts will also accompany the release.

Keep your eyes peeled…

Smashwords Promo

To celebrate Read an E-Book Week, Smashwords is offering discounts on books in their catalog. The promotion runs from March 2-8, 2014.

Two of my books are part of the event:

• The Advent (FREE; use coupon code EF26S)
• Bloodfrost (25% off; use coupon code LK85U)

Coupon codes will remain valid until March 9, 2014, after which the books will return to their normal prices.

Excerpts from The Advent

New excerpts from The Advent are available online. From Chapter Nine:

MOLLY HAD NOT FARED well. Despite her desire to rejoin society after bearing the twins in 1881, she could not shake her extreme depression. She rarely left her rooms, and when she did, it was to go up to the vast attic. There she was alone in the dim albeit large stuffy room, reviewing her life, her failures, her shameful acts, and her conscience.

More >

By the way, The Advent became available at Kobo Books this morning.

Happy Reading!

Second Coming: The Advent

"Passion Forsaken" has been renamed and rereleased as The Advent. The novel is the first book in the Collective Obsessions Saga.

Forbidden love and dark secrets haunt two Irish families hacking out a new life in 19th-century America. When Molly Larkin's father discovers her affair with lighthouse keeper Colm Sullivan, his reaction pitches her into madness. Yet the legacy forges a bond of blood that will endure for generations.

The Advent is book one in the Collective Obsessions Saga, which chronicles the extraordinary loves and obsessions between two families sweeping a span of more than one hundred years, all set against the backdrop of a Gothic seaside mansion in Maine.

The Advent was previously published as "Passion Forsaken" by Club Lighthouse and Tyborne Hill.

Quite frankly, I've always disliked the title "Passion Forsaken." However, through various publishers over the years, the moniker was beyond my control. The book is not a steamy romance in typical Harlequin fashion, nor is it a fluffy piece about unrequited love. The story actually launches the Collective Obsessions Saga, an eight-part series which follows two Irish families from their arrival in America to the present day. The books weave through more than one hundred forty years of fictional family history filled with avarice, madness, murder, mystery, paranormal activity, romance, self-indulgence and macabre Gothicism. It's hardly light reading.

To that end, I elected not to renew my publishing contract for "Passion Forsaken" as the three-year term came about in February 2014. Call me crazy, but I decided to take control of the book and do my own thing. Renaming the novel was my first priority, as was designing a new book cover. The story is the same as "Passion Forsaken" from start to finish, so little text editing was necessary.

I also had issue with the ordinal pricing of the book decided by the publisher ($5.99).  The Advent is the shortest title in the Collective Obsessions Saga (roughly 130 pages), so I felt $0.99 was a bit more appropriate. Some publishers might feel pricing the book at $0.99 is a form of "devaluing" the author, but I strongly disagree. Some of the best books I've read in recent years have been by unknown authors trying to make a break in publishing. There are many good writers out in the world, and I think most consumers understand the difference between crap and quality from the first chapter. Being an avid reader myself, I would never pay $5.99 or even $4.99 for a general fiction e-book even if it was written by Ernest Hemingway or Stephen King. Many people are struggling financially these days, so $5.99 for one e-book is a lot to ask of them.

However, I want to make clear my appreciation to Club Lighthouse Publishing (especially Terri Balmer) for giving all right books in the Collective Obsessions Saga a chance. I will never forget her generosity.

Although The Advent is no longer available at Club Lighthouse, the remaining seven books in the series are.

Gothic Web

A new design was recently uploaded for my official web site. I'm highly pleased with the results (dark and "gothicky" just as I like it). It's been a few years since any major changes were made to the site, so I felt the time was ripe.

There are some new features with the redesign. Pages with images and descriptions have been added to highlight more information about the fictional harbor town of Larkin City and the vast Larkin Estate found in the Collective Obsessions Saga.

Enjoy!