The good reviews keep coming for Vampire Guardian! This one in particular touched me deeply: "Your books have gotten me thru my darkest of times, when the darkness nearly won. Your books have pulled me back from that edge. They are so full of love, compassion and empathy." Writing has helped me through some dark times, so learning that my stories sometimes offer my readers a similar gift means a great deal to me.
I also stumbled on a delightful and comprehensive review of the first eight Vampire Queen series books by an author whose writing freaking AWES me - Pam Godwin. Here's what she said about the VQS: "Passionate, raw, often painful to read. Hill takes D/s to a supernatural level that knows no bounds. The world she creates is haunting and addicting, rife with floggers, whips, paddles and fangs. It hurts so good, stabbing way down in the deep dark squishy part of the soul."
Praise from wonderful readers and admired fellow authors - it doesn't get better than that!
AUGUST BOOK OF THE MONTH BDSM GOODREADS GROUP: Just a reminder, the BDSM GoodReads group, a community of nearly 6,700 BDSM romance lovers, is featuring Vampire Guardian as their August Book of the Month! If you're on GoodReads and join the group, you can participate in the discussion here. Crimson, the moderator, has already posted some early discussion questions. At the end of August, I will be awarding a GIVEAWAY to one commenter - $25 Amazon GC, 2 ebooks and 1 signed print book of the winner's choice! So if you like the sound of any of that, go check out the group and rub elbows with a host of other readers who love this genre.
You can find all the buy links for the book on my website or at the specific vendor list below. Some readers say it can stand alone, while others have said they think it was better having read at least a couple earlier books in the series. I'll let you decide!
BUY LINKS FOR VAMPIRE GUARDIAN
Amazon US (includes Print and Kindle)
As mentioned last month, I chose my narrator for Vampire Queen's Servant! Keira Grace (her narrator "pen name") is a very accomplished voice actress who I think will represent the characters well, capturing the VQS tone of dark sensuality.
Where are we at now? I'm waiting on Keira's extended sample (15 minutes of the book) to even more carefully review how the characters and tone are presented. We'll make any final tweaks on how she does the reading, then she'll be off and running for the whole manuscript. Since I do a lot of internal dialogue in my Vampire Queen books, not only with the characters talking to themselves, but with the vampire and servant talking to each other, mind-to-mind, I realized the original manuscript needed to be tweaked. I took the time to add some simple tags, like "she thought," or "he spoke aloud," so readers could manage the transition from internal dialogue to spoken words more easily in audio format. Otherwise, the narrator might read this:
Jacob, kill everyone at the table after dessert.
Of course, my lady.
And the reader (who would not have the benefit of seeing the italics, which indicate internal, mind-to-mind dialogue), would be saying "WTF? Even though I totally agree with having dessert first, didn't EVERYONE at the table hear her say that?!"
Lol... Anyhow, the finished audio reading is supposed to be delivered to me by October 30. Then I have a couple weeks to listen to it and request any significant corrections before distribution/release. Findaway has given me feedback on what a realistic release date would be, and I'm currently considering mid-December. I want to mull on it a little longer before I decide for sure. After that, I'll start the process over again, with Book 2, Mark of the Vampire Queen!
Thanks to a couple different tweet streams, as well as a thought-provoking book I'm reading on human relations, I was inspired to write a new blog post. It focuses on how we handle/react to stories with content we like or dislike. See what you think.
On her July guest author day, GOLDEN ANGEL offered us an excerpt from Pride and Punishment, the three-box set in her Bridal Discipline historical series. She also posted about her Stronghold Doms, a contemporary series featuring a group of friends who share membership in the same club. She offered giveaways, played games with us, and then had a great chat with the members during her evening FB Live. Despite some signal issues that night, she offered a lot of fun info about her and her books. Here's Part 1 and Part 2 (two segments because of the signal issues). We're so glad she spent time with all of us!
WHO IS NEXT? Our AUGUST Guest Author will be EDEN BRADLEY!! While many of you probably came to know Eden from her popular Training House series, her book catalog is extensive, including these contemporary and paranormal BDSM/erotic series: Dangerous, Edge, San Francisco Doms, Midnight Playground, and more. Click here to browse the full booklist, but beware - you'll get sucked in and likely be one-clicking, lol. On that note, the graphic below links to the Amazon page for the re-release of her San Francisco Doms series with Red Hot Publishing - pretty covers!
Eden is also a sex educator who offers a variety of resources on that topic, including an online course (co-taught with life coach Christine Rose Elle) called Empower Your Sexual Self. I know she'll have a lot of interesting things to offer on her Guest Author Day at the JWHMembersOnly group. Also, if you want to spend your time laughing at crazy kinky humor and learning about more good stuff to read, I recommend hanging out at the FB After Dark Social Club group she runs with wonderful fellow authors Sierra Cartwright, SL Carpenter and Khloe Wren.
From her personal bio on her website, she reveals she's been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. "When I was 3 ½, even though I wasn’t quite clear yet on my alphabet, I decided there were never enough adults around to read to me and demanded to be taught to read myself. My Auntie Mo took the time to teach me. At age eight, I volunteered for summer school so I could take a creative writing class. My friends thought I was crazy– all they wanted to do was climb trees, go roller skating, swim. But I knew what I was doing with my summer was even better." Oh, and important note. Her Boston Terrier, Voodoo? He accepts fan mail. Or Snausages.
So come join us at the JWHMembersOnly Facebook group on August 28, 8pm EDT for Eden's FB Live - plus tune in anytime that day for the drop-in posts she’ll leave for us! [Note: If you have trouble with the above website links, here's also her Facebook profile link.]
At Her Service, the next book in the Mistresses of the Board Room series, is ROARING along. I just told a reader that I feel like a hamster on a wheel, where the ideas are coming so fast I can't keep up, so the wheel ends up taking me on an upside down full loop-de-loop, lol. Since both Neil and Abby are Doms, and Abby is dealing with a pretty serious mental illness, initially I thought we might end up with a situation where Abby switches for Neil, letting him top her to help her with her stability and control. But the reality is actually a bit more complicated - and VERY fascinating. I'm LOVING watching how they're working it out between them. The joy of writing BDSM relationships is, when the writer gets out of the way, the characters decide the unique shape of their power exchange. I hope to have a cover reveal and preorder links for you all in September!
Find me online through my website email contact link (little envelope under Follow Me on the right side of home page) or email me directly at storywitch@storywitch.com. You can leave a question for me under my Author Profile on GoodReads. I'm on Twitter and Facebook (Author Page), and regularly stop in at the JWHMembersOnly fan group. I'm also on MeWe, if you prefer that platform to Facebook. If you'd like to see the pics that inspire my books, visit me on Pinterest, or check out my handful of videos on YouTube.
Finally, I'd love it if you followed me on Bookbub, Amazon or both, since that helps my books get increased visibility and recommendations on the site. And in return, you get heads up about releases and sales!
DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE? Responding to my readers, and doing so in a very timely manner (within 24-48 hours), is extremely important to me. So if you have sent a communication to me in any medium noted above and have not received a response, a technical glitch has occurred. Either your communication did not get through to me, or my response did not reach you. If you suspect that's the case, use one of the alternative methods to send me a "Hey, Joey, I sent you a note through email (or social media platform, etc). Did you get it?" message, and we'll make sure we sort it out. I will never intentionally ignore my readers!
HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING MY NEWSLETTER PAST YOUR SPAM FILTER? - Whenever I issue a newsletter, I will post about it on the social media platforms mentioned above, to ensure it reaches the widest number of people possible. So if you're following me on any of them, you'll get a heads up. Or you can put https://storywitch.com/newsletter/?latest as one of your Favorite links. You can click on it anytime to see if a new newsletter has been released. I try to get a new issue out during the first 7 days of every month.
Thank you so much for your support of my work!
12/15/2019 - Vampire Master - Book 16 of the Vampire Queen series
08/2019 - Naughty Bits - re-release as a self-published title in print and ebook.
07/2019 - Vampire Queen's Servant - re-release as a self-published title in print and ebook.
6/30/19 - The Problem with Witches - A Crossover novel of the Arcane Shot and Knights of the Board Room series
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
11/30/2021 - At Her Service, Book 2 in the Mistresses of the Board Room
06/15/2021 - Vampire Guardian, Book 17 of the Vampire Queen series
12/15/2020 - Re-release of Submissive Angel Christmas story with expanded content
09/30/2020 - In His Arms, Book XI of the Nature of Desire series (standalone)
GoodReads Blog - Whenever I have something half-way interesting to say (hopefully), I post it on my blog. Check out the latest, as well as the backlog of over 80 posts!
For my most up-to-date appearances info throughout the month, follow me on Twitter or "Like" my Author Page on Facebook - I'll keep you in the loop as things happen!
GoodReads Blog - Whenever I have something half-way interesting to say (hopefully), I post it on my blog. Check out the latest, as well as the backlog of over 80 posts.
For my most up-to-date appearances info throughout the month, follow me on MeWe, Twitter or "Like" my Author Page on Facebook - I'll keep you in the loop as things happen.
SEXY AND SASSY SIGNING 2020 - July 9-12 - next year's popular reader/author event will happen in Norfolk, VA. The theme is Sinful Fairy Tales! Click on the link above to find out more. You can also join the SASS Attendee group once you've registered.
2022 SASS CONFERENCE - JULY 28-31, 2022 - NORFOLK, VA - No conferences scheduled in 2021, but I hope this one will be happening in 2022. Be sure and go join the FB page so you can register, make hotel reservations, etc. I'll look forward to seeing you all there!
In the meantime, in lieu of conference appearances, look under "EXTRA STUFF" below to find out how you can get some of the perks that meeting authors at a conference would offer - signed books, swag, etc.
Want a Kindle signature? My books are listed at the Authorgraph site, so if you'd like a "Kindlegraph", send me a request! Just go to Authorgraph.com, put Joey W. Hill in the search line, and it will pull up my books, with a "Request Authorgraph" button beneath each.
Want a signed bookplate for your print book and a bookmark? No need to be bummed about not seeing me at a book signing. Just shoot me an email at storywitch@PROTECTED with your mailing address and the title(s) of the book(s) for which you want a signature, and I'll send you personalized bookplates anytime, free of charge. And I always send it with a signed bookmark!
HAVE YOU CHECKED THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE?
I am ALWAYS delighted to hear from my readers, and I never mind answering your questions. However, about 90% of the general questions I receive on email can be quickly answered on my website, www.storywitch.com. And the cool thing is you get your answer in the time it takes you to do a couple clicks, versus having to type up your question and send it to me, then wait for me to emerge from my writing cave and check my email.
A lot of authors experience this now. Because we have so much more of a presence at FB, Twitter, and the like, it's easy to forget that most authors still maintain a website where you can quickly get info. On my site, you can not only find BLURBS and FREE EXCERPTS for every book I've published, you can find SERIES ORDER, including recommendations on which ones can stand alone or need specific titles to be read first. Under the In the Works page, you'll find information about UPCOMING RELEASES and what's percolating (the popular "will you ever write a book about so-n-so" question would be answered there).
Just go to my website, storywitch.com, and enjoy your visit. It is specifically and deliberately designed not to be flashy or confusing. Just look at the drop down menus at the top for what you're seeking.
Want a SIGNED BOOKMARK? I have six beautiful bookmarks, each design representing one of my series: Knights of the Board Room, Nature of Desire, Vampire Queen, Arcane Shot, Daughters of Arianne and Naughty Bits. You can look at them here (click on the one you like for a larger view). Just shoot me an email at storywitch@storywitch.com with your mailing address and tell me which bookmark you want. I'll send you two of that design - one for you and one to share!
Want a SIGNED BOOK? Bummed because you can't make it to a signing? Just email me at storywitch@storywitch.com with 1) what book you want, 2) your mailing address, and 3) if you want me to personalize it to a particular name (Mary, Marie, Marissa, etc), or no personalization, just a signature and a cheery note. I'll shoot you an invoice and, once that's squared away, the book will be on its way to you!
Want a SIGNED BOOKPLATE? Want a bookplate for your favorite JWH book(s)? Just shoot me an email at storywitch@storywitch.com with your mailing address, the title(s) of the book(s), and I'll send you personalized bookplates anytime, free of charge. And I always send it with a signed bookmark!
Want a KINDLE SIGNATURE? My books are listed at the Authorgraph site, so if you'd like a "Kindlegraph", send me a request! Just go to Authorgraph.com, put Joey W. Hill in the search line, and it will pull up my books, with a "Request Authorgraph" button beneath each.
Want to read BONUS CONTENT STORIES revisiting Joey's characters? She has over a dozen FREE novellas/shorts with easy BookFunnel download links. You'll find them all under the Cantrips (Vignettes) menu item on her website.
Want Joey to visit your BOOKCLUB? She is available for online bookclub meetings and even sometimes in-person clubs, within a reasonable geographic range. Don't hesitate to ask! Just email her at storywitch@storywitch.com.
"I have a question."
Answer: "Have you checked my website?"
I am ALWAYS delighted to hear from my readers, and I never mind answering your questions. However, about 90% of the general questions I receive on email can be quickly answered on my website, www.storywitch.com. And the cool thing is you get your answer in the time it takes you to do a couple clicks, versus having to type up your question and send it to me, then wait for me to emerge from my writing cave and check my email.
A lot of authors experience this now. Because we have so much more of a presence at FB, Twitter, and the like, it's easy to forget that most authors still maintain a website where you can quickly get info. On my site, you can not only find BLURBS and FREE EXCERPTS for every book I've published, you can find SERIES ORDER, including recommendations on which ones can stand alone or need specific titles to be read first. Under the In the Works page, you'll find information about UPCOMING RELEASES and what's percolating (the popular "will you ever write a book about so-n-so" question would be answered there).
Just go to my website at storywitch.com, and enjoy your visit. It is specifically and deliberately designed not to be flashy or confusing. Just look at the drop down menus at the top for what you're seeking.
HAVE YOU CHECKED THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE?
"I have a question." Answer: "Have you checked the author's website?"
I am ALWAYS delighted to hear from my readers, and I never mind answering your questions. However, remember a lot of questions can be quickly answered on my website. Just look at the drop down menus at the top for what you're seeking. You'll find BUY LINKS, BLURBS and FREE EXCERPTS for every book I've published. You can also find SERIES ORDER, including recommendations on which books can stand alone or need specific titles to be read first. Under the In the Works page, you'll find information about UPCOMING RELEASES and what's percolating (the popular "will you ever write a book about so-n-so" question would be answered there).