Women on the Run

 

I'm someone who loves talking about the latest books I've read (even the bad ones... Well, especially the bad ones). That's why I'm so excited to contribute to 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝, a really cool new resource for book recommendations that come from people, not algorithms.

For 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝, I compiled a list of five recent recommendations under the topic "women on the run." It's a nice tie-in to my new romance novel 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 and a great way for me to share my latest reads.

And while you're on the site, look for other personalized recommendation lists. I'm sure you'll stumble onto something great.

People. It's what's for dinner.

CANNIBALS! You know you love 'em. I sure do.

The glorious weirdos at Red Cape Publishing are releasing a series of horror anthologies. They're on letter C right now, which is where my cannibal story comes in. It's called "Bert," and it's about a chubby, little farmboy who has suspicions that his dad might be planning to eat him. Try to guess the twist ending, because I'm sure you won't.

This collection is very dark, very funny, and very... delicious? Can I say that? Sure. Why not? It's my blog.

The point is, check out C IS FOR CANNIBALS when it's finally served on June 24. And bring your appetite!

Happ(il)y New Year

Happy New Year, everyone! And don't we all deserve a happy ending to one of the craziest years of the century?

Personally, I've been through a lot. I was on a stamp (!) thanks to my awesome friends over at the Bhutan ministry. I moved, deciding to relocate from the beautiful Himalayas to the even snowier, even more beautiful mountains of Kazakhstan.

And I've been steadily writing. My two story collections (We Are Bhutan and Scary Stories from Bhutan) are selling like hotcakes. And it's so cool to help my students become Amazon best-selling writers. How crazy is that?

But today, I wanted to highlight the book that started me on this journey, the one I originally wrote for the 3-Day Novel Contest. After being a finalist in that crazy, grueling event, I rewrote Happily Destroyed about a dozen times. Each time, it got longer and crazier. If you haven't checked it out yet, do so. That would be a nice New Years gift: reading a book about robot dragons, parallel dimensions, and singing villagers.

We Are Bhutan

Hi, everybody! My name is Karma, and I'm a Himalayan black bear. I'm so excited that my very first book just came out! It's a short story collection written by high school students in Bhutan. If you're at all interested in our little kingdom in the mountains, you should check it out! You'll have a bear-y good time!

Happily Destroyed: My Sci Fi Fairy Tale YA Mash-up

Welcome to THE HAPPILY, a paradise dimension where everyone is royalty… where every meal is a feast… where your loyal subjects burst into song at pre-scheduled intervals… where you can never, ever return.

Rose and her sisters live a life straight out of a fairy tale. Well, the crappy first-half of a fairy tale, anyway. They work and sweat and go about their days, always hoping that something terrible will happen. Maybe a troll will steal them away. Maybe a sorcerer will turn them to stone. Heck, maybe a beast will whisk them off to his dark, nasty castle. Wouldn’t that be great?

You see, if something bad happens, that means that someone will rescue them. And if someone rescues them, that means they just bought a one-way ticket to THE HAPPILY. Bing bang boom. Paradise.

Slowly, the sisters get into trouble. Slowly, they get rescued. Slowly, they achieve their happily ever after. That just leaves one sister: Rose. She’s too spunky and independent. She’ll never get rescued, which means she’ll never transition into THE HAPPILY. She’s stuck in the real world, with all the witches and ogres and dragons.

But what if she sneaks into THE HAPPILY? And what if she gets caught? Or worse, what if THE HAPPILY isn’t as great as everyone says? Well, there’s only one way to find out…

You're Not Special!!!!!

  

It's finally here! My very first picture book is now available on Amazon! 

   

You're Not Special is a watercolor-illustrated picture book that talks directly to its readers, telling them that it's okay to be normal. Living in a post-millennial, everybody-gets-a-trophy world, I feel like this story is of vital importance to the next generation.

   

It's also pretty funny.

The NIGHT Is Here!

This is it, everybody! The big day!

After all the support I've gotten the last few days, the book is finally ready for download.

One Night in Zanzibar is available wherever you download ebooks in whichever country you currently reside. It's everywhere!

And if you like it, please check out the other books in the City Nights series. Some are more action-packed. Some are more explicit. But all of them have the sort of steamy, tension-filled romances with plenty of twists and turns on the way to the happily ever afters.

Monkeys Everywhere!

Do you want to hear the story of my trip to Jozani National Park in Zanzibar? Do you want to know about the time a monkey jumped on my shoulder and totally freaked me out? You do?

Well, check out Responsibly Irresponsible for the whole primate saga.

And if you still want to read more about Zanzibar, the new book comes out in five days!!!!

One Week to Zanzibar

The clock is ticking! One Night in Zanzibar comes out in one week! That means you have exactly seven days to preorder the ebook for only 99 cents. After that, it’ll be available at its regular price of $2.99.

   

How am I feeling right now? Excited. Nervous. A bit curious. This is my first erotic romance, and I’m waiting to see how my readers react.

 

I’m also very grateful to everyone at Tirgearr. Out of all the publishers I’ve worked with, these ladies were the most hands-on (and the most unceasingly positive). Once the clock strikes midnight on November 29, though, the book is out of our hands and into yours.

  

City Nights

     

As many of you know, my new ebook is part of the long-running City Nights series from Tirgearr Publishing. Each book in the series centers on a single, fast-paced romance in a different international city. Everywhere from Budapest to Boston is represented. And, by the end of this month, you can add Zanzibar to the list.
 
It's been a real pleasure to be a part of this series, because it combines two of my favorite things (traveling and romance), but it does so with a lot more variety than you'd expect.
 
You want some stranded-in-a-storm sexual tension? Go to Cape Town.
 
You want some love with a side of murder mystery? Drive to Boise.
 
And if you want some bachelor/bachelorette party shenanigans that go totally out of hand? Fly over to Amsterdam.
 

 

   
There are 32 books in the series, soon to be 33, and I love how each one is a totally different take on some classic romance tropes.
 
So how does mine fit into the rest of the series? First of all, Zanzibar offers a unique blend of tropical and urban. The story extends from a secluded beach to a bustling maze of city streets. Most importantly, though, it captures a real sense of running-for-your-life danger at every turn.
 
You'll see what I mean when it comes out on November 29.
   

Introducing... One Night in Zanzibar!

On the run and fearing for her life, Lucy finds herself on Zanzibar, a small bit of paradise off the coast of Tanzania. She isn't worried about romance, only protection. But when she meets a mysterious local, she gives in to the siren's call of the island.
   

For one unforgettable night, Lucy experiences all the passion and excitement that she's been hiding from. This stranger, though, is more than he seems, and soon Lucy's troubled past will catch up with her.

 

    

That’s the big hook for One Night in Zanzibar, my brand new erotic romance from Tirgearr Press. In this book, I’ve mixed a bit of romance and a bit of adventure into a setting that is near and dear to my heart. For anyone who’s been to the East African island, there are plenty of places that you’ll find familiar.

   

Probably my favorite scene in the book takes place on the tiny sandbank just off the coast of Stone Town. It’s a great setting for when things really start to heat up, and it’s also the site for some of my all-time favorite memories from back when I lived in Zanzibar. 

   

So what exactly happens on the sandbank. I guess you’ll have to download the ebook and find out!

Playland! Come out and play!

You and your best friend go to an abandoned amusement park. Your relationship is strained, and this is a last-ditch effort to bond over a place that holds a lot of good memories for both of you. And then a clown statue comes alive and attacks.

That's the set-up for "Playland," my new horror short about growing up, growing apart, and getting murdered. It's funny. It's poignant. And it's really, really scary.
 

 
"Playland" is the first story in a brand new anthology from Ink Stains. I'm really proud of this one, but it's not the only reason to check out the antho. There are many more stories that are equally frightening and eerie and tense.

Ready. Set. Love.

 

Love not only captures your heart but tickles your funny bone in these five fabulous romantic comedies. My story Waking Up to Love leads off the set, but there are four more novels that are just as funny and just as romantic. Check 'em out.

Superheroes! Monsters! Help!

It’s a bird!

It’s a plane!

It’s a… horrible space mutant oozing with acid spit and comet juices!

I am proud to announce that my short story Cold Fingers has been included in a brand new anthology that’s all about superheroes fighting monsters.

Yes, you read that correctly. Superheroes. And monsters.

Chocolate and peanut butter.

Harold and Kumar.

Two great tastes and all that. You can check it out on Amazon right now. My story takes place in Hawaii, so consider it a dry run for my upcoming paranormal romance novel that also takes place in the 50th state.

But that’s still a secret. Pretend I didn’t say anything…

And check out the anthology. It’s wall-to-wall action from some very talented writers.

Flash Fiction Update

 

There’s something pure and squicky about horror flash fiction. You read one story in a couple minutes, and hopefully it creeps you out for the day. Tales from the Blue Gonk Café is a massive collection of these stories.

My addition is called Nana, and it’s about the loving bond between grandparents and grandchildren. It’s also terrifying. Enjoy!

Coming Back... for Some Brain-Dinner

They’re coming for you, Barbara! They’re coming for you…

Zombies are awesome. They’re walking, talking (er… grunting) little allegories for whatever political statement you want to make.

Oh my God! Look! The horrors of rampant consumerism! The Vietnam War! Modern politics! Zombies have been used to say a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff.

But this anthology is a little different. This is about coming back, whether you’re a zombie or a ghost or anything in between. It’s about the growing pains and adjustment period of rising from the dead. And I think that’s a really interesting way to go.

Check it out.

Welcome to Amazon

I have an Amazon author page. Probably should’ve mentioned that earlier. You can see all my latest information there. Well, not ALL my information. It doesn’t have my social security number or my shoe size, but it does have a lot of my publication information.

It also has a couple photos of me that I random selected from my desktop because they were either A) not embarrassing, or B) embarrassing, but in an endearing way.

Check it out.