Rory and Daralyn's story is headed our way for its September 30 release date, and you can PRE-ORDER the ebook now! The print version will release a few days before the official release date. Here are the vendor pre-order links.
No audio version in the works right now; if that changes, you all will be the first to know!
So where am I on Rory and Daralyn's story? I've finished three full edit rounds, and me and my invaluable proof team are in the final run-through, doing our best to catch those elusive and diabolical typos that hide in plain sight after you've read the same story multiple times over a two month period, lol. I'm double checking my research points regarding Rory's paraplegia and Daralyn's psychological challenges, and making adjustments based on my content reader team's feedback. The end result I hope will be a book you all will love.
I get invested in all my characters, but this time I've noted an even more urgent desire than usual to "get it right." These two characters and their struggles particularly matter to me. The idea of writing an erotic romance with a paraplegic Dom hero has been in my head a long time, but I always knew it would be Rory. I'm glad I'm doing his story at a time when I have a lot of Internet resources (like how-to daily life videos, done by paraplegics) that weren't around when he and Daralyn were first introduced in the Nature of Desire series.
And when was that? 2007 - thirteen years ago, in Rough Canvas (Rory is Thomas's brother). Good thing time moves differently in books, so Rory and Daralyn can still be close to the same age they were when they first appeared in the series, lol. Even so, they've waited a really long time to get their story, perhaps too long. In the romance world, Daralyn's backstory is somewhat "dated." Heroines with a central conflict of childhood sexual abuse were done A LOT in the first decade of the millennium, I think due in part to this conflict being brought more prominently into the public eye during that time. It was picked up in so many romances because it was the ultimate "rescue" romance trope, the hero providing the trust, safety and love the heroine had never had the ability or opportunity to experience.
However, because it has been in the public eye so much, I thankfully found I didn't have to dwell so much on the disturbing details of what happened to her. We all know what child sexual abuse is. Instead, the story could focus on her present and future, her personal struggle to overcome the psychological roadblocks to the love Rory was offering. And it gave me room to find unexpected connections between her challenges and Rory's that made the story's breakthrough moments even more meaningful.
As the story evolved this way, I realized once again the muse had given me the right timing to tell the story as it was meant to be told. At least in my opinion. You'll have to tell me if I interpreted her correctly, lol.
Since I release the newsletter around the first of the month, and this book releases September 30, be sure and keep an eye on the Twitter and FB pages for all the release day fun. I'll have a full day of posts and giveaways at the JWH Members Only FB page, and that night, a handful of other wonderful authors will help me celebrate the book's release at the Social Butterfly Party Room. Throughout the month of September, I'll also be offering tidbits about the book on both the JWH Members Only group and my Author page.
Hope you're looking forward to reading Rory and Daralyn's book! Like all the Nature of Desire series stories (with the exception of Mirror of My Soul, which was part two of Ice Queen), it can standalone, though you will meet characters from the other books, like Marcus and Thomas, Tyler and Marguerite, and Des and Julie. Oh, and there's a brief cameo from Geoff, Chris and Samantha of Naughty Wishes!
Don't forget, Worth the Wait is FREE for download until release day, September 30! It's a very appropriate book to offer as a freebie, not only because it can standalone, but also because Des and Julie make a key appearance in In His Arms.
I've been delighted to see the reactions to the book from new readers, people for whom Des and Julie are their first introduction to my stories. Like this comment:
"I've just finished Worth the Wait - I hadn't read any of your books before. OMG, the emotional connection between Des and Julie was incredible, the writing amazing, to make me feel so emotional (yes, I confess I shed a tear or two!). My heart pounded, wondering if Des and Julie would find happiness. I've read a lot of books over lockdown and since; this has probably been my favourite. I am planning on reading more from the series..."
Even if you're not ready to read it right now, go ahead and download the book while it's free. This story of an erotic theater manager falling in love with a quiet, sexy roofer who also happens to be one of the BDSM community's top rope artists is one of my personal current favorites in the series. Links are below the graphic.
Desiree Holt and I had lots of fun at her Desiree's Darlings Facebook group earlier in the month. One of the posts we did was a Q&A about the writing of Nightfall, the vampire-cowboy story we co-authored. I thought others might enjoy seeing our answers to the questions we posed to one another about the story and writing in general, so I also made it into a GoodReads post. You can check it out here.
I also did another blog this month, as a direct result of reading a book I didn't expect to affect me the way it did. I loved pirate romances in the 80s, but I always wanted them to go further. And I don't know about you, but I left behind my patience with love triangles long ago. I want it to be a threesome, where no one has to choose or be left out, lol. Pam Godwin's Sea of Ruin took those dreams, spawned primarily by one of my favorite 80s pirate romances, Bold Breathless Love by the legendary Valerie Sherwood, and made them come true. I wrote a blog about it here.
Submissive Angel is my M/m Christmas story featuring Robert and Ange, originally released by Riptide Publishing. The rights to the story will be coming back to me September 8. I plan on expanding the story, visiting Robert and Ange in the few days after Christmas, where we tie up some loose ends about Ange's character and further celebrate the love they embraced for one another at Christmastime. If I can get my act together, I'll try to get that re-released around Christmas with the new content and a lovely new cover!
I gave everyone a heads up on Twitter and FB, but just in case this newsletter gets out on time, Riptide is having a 50% sale on the anthology, O Come All Ye Kinky, which included Submissive Angel and six wonderful LGBTQ stories by fabulous authors of the genre. This is happening only at Riptide, not third-party vendors, through the Labor Day weekend (Sep 4-7) so if you want the $1.49 price anthology in ebook, and you get this by the 7th, grab it here!
If you've read At Her Command, the first book in my Mistresses of the Board Room series (a spinoff from my Knights of the Board Room series), you know at the end of the book there's a reference to a barbecue at Dale and Athena's home (hero/heroine of Unrestrained). I intended to include it in At Her Command, but there ended up being so much story content for that barbecue, I decided to leave it out and do it later as a free vignette for my readers. We'll see if I can have that ready for you all by January, a way to stave off the post-holiday doldrums.
My hope after finishing these two pieces is to start on the next Vampire Queen series novel, featuring Catriona, the Fae Lord Keldwyn's ward. We first met her in Bound by the Vampire Queen, a dryad that Jacob and Lyssa freed from her tree form. We saw her again in Night's Templar. Her hero is going to be Adan, the son of Mal and Elisa of Vampire Instinct. Adan has never been mentioned in any of the books. For a long time, I wasn't sure what gender Mal and Elisa's baby was going to be, then a key suggestion by a reader sparked the idea that she would have twins. Adan's sister is Ruth, who will likely end up with Merc of Medusa's Heart. We'll see...the one thing you know for sure is that I'll keep you in the loop as concrete plans for these stories develop.
While the 2020 SASS conference was cancelled, it is on schedule for 2021, in the same great location and hotel. You can register and make your hotel reservations now! Mark your calendars for July 8-11, 2021. I can't wait to see you all! At this moment, I don't have plans for other 2021 conferences, but if that changes, I'll let you all know.
BOOKCLUBS - Did you know I will meet with book clubs, either locally or online? And send swag packs (up to 25 ppl), plus a giveaway book or two to award as a prize to the group. Just email me at storywitch@storywitch.com if you're interested.
FREE CONTENT - Did you know I write shorts and novellas "revisiting" my favorite characters, and these stories are all FREE and available for download under the Cantrips (Vignettes) section of my website? BookFunnel links for all of them make it very easy for you to download them to your preferred device.
HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING MY NEWSLETTER PAST YOUR SPAM FILTER? - You can also like my FB page or follow me on Twitter. Whenever I issue a newsletter, I will post the updated link to it on those platforms, to make sure it reaches the widest number of people possible. 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.
Remember, you can 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 also leave a question for me under my Author Profile on GoodReads. I'm on Facebook under Joey W. Hill, and you can visit the JWHMembersOnly FB fan forum group here. I'm @JoeyWHill on Twitter, and my Pinterest boards related to the books are here.
I'd also 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 - direct email, FB, GoodReads or Twitter - 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 communication methods to send me a "Hey, Joey, I sent you a note through email (or FB, or a tweet, etc). Did you get it?" message, and we'll make sure we sort it out. I will never intentionally ignore my readers!
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!
09/30/2020 - In His Arms, Book XI of the Nature of Desire series (standalone)
06/15/2020 - At Her Command, Book 1 of the Mistresses of the Board Room series
03/23/2020 - Naughty Wishes, re-release of original four serialized novellas under one cover
12/15/2019 - Vampire Master - Book 16 of the Vampire Queen series
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!
September 30 - In His Arms Release day celebration ALL DAY at the JWH Members Only FB page, as well as a multi-author celebration of the release at the Social Butterfly Party Room that night, 6-9pm ET. Come play with us!
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.
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.
SEXY AND SASSY SIGNING 2021 - July 8-11 - next year's popular reader/author event will happen in Norfolk, VA. The theme is Sinful Fairy Tales! Click on this link to find out more. You can also join the SASS Attendee group once you've registered. Register NOW and reserve your hotel room.
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 five beautiful bookmarks, each design representing one of my series: Knights of the Board Room, Nature of Desire, Vampire Queen, Arcane Shot, Daughters of Arianne. 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.
"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, about 90% of the general questions I receive on email can be quickly answered on my website. The cool thing is you get your answer in the time it takes you to do a couple clicks. 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).