Happy Friday the Thirteenth!
excerpt
April Showers Bring May Flowers… Yeah… SNOW showers.
Bugger the weather.
Anyhoo... I just realized I haven't said a word here in almost a month so I figured I'd catch you up on what's the what here at Castle Deckard.
- I've passed off some of Kestrel's Talon to be edited. It's nearly done and I'll post a release date when I have one.
- I'm still not sure what I'm going to finish next, but I'd like to get #3 from The Actor's Circle out by summer. Called The Window in Between, it's a third pair to join the cast, and like the other two books, deals with themes of self-discovery and acceptance. Book #4, as yet unnamed, will reunite the six men in one location. I've already written so much dialogue for #4... I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into it.
- There's also Learning to Speak starring Saban from Baal's Heart... I just need to get it started. I know the story.
- Speaking of Baal's Heart.... April 11th is the one year anniversary of Fated: Blood and Redemption and will go on sale at 8am (EST) in the US and 8am (GMT) in the UK. It's a Kindle countdown sale, so the earlier you grab it, the better. I'll post again on Monday about it.
- Finally...
Luce whistled to himself as the elevator made its way down, wondering what it was that absolutely required his physical presence. The memo had been dramatically short and to the point:
Come to your old office. Tell no one.
Despite being happy with his work Above, Luce'd gotten a fun little thrill out of ducking out for the afternoon to attend this intriguingly clandestine meeting. Luce grinned and straightened his paisley tie, smoothing it down over his periwinkle blue shirt as the lift came to a stop with a soft ding. Walking with long, straight backed strides, Luce nodded in greeting to the workers in the hallway, a few of them staring in wide-eyed amazement as he passed them by. Hearing whispers, he grinned to himself.
After rounding another bend, down to the main floor of the common area, he took the stairs up to the office two at a time. Pausing at the doorway, his hand lifted to knock, he smirked. What was that... excitement he felt? It had been a while...
Luce rapped the door just once for decorum and entered, walking into the well-appointed office with a bright smile.
"Now what did you have me come all the way down here for? You know I'm a busy man..." he said to the figure in the chair. However, when the chair swivelled around and he saw that it was just the foreman, Luce frowned.
"Saul? Where's Byron?" Luce asked the big Abaddonian, a touch apprehensive.
The demon, hulking and tusked with eyes like bullet holes, ducked his head like a shamed dog.
"He's not here, sir," Saul mumbled.
Luce clenched his jaw, his whole body tense.
"Well... where is he?"
"That's the thing, sir," replied Saul in a meek voice. "We can't find him anywhere..."
That's right... There's a sequel to Devil brewing in my skull and that's how I think I'll start it. It probably won't be a long book, but I'm going to try to get it out in time for Halloween of next year. :)
And that's it! I have to get back to writing.
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Rave Review of Fated, and Praise for the Baal’s Heart Trilogy at The Smutsonian
Shurrn says:
"I hereby give this series ALL of the stars. I expected great things from the third book in the Baal’s Heart series, and I was not disappointed.
Bloggers don’t always have the luxury of reading exactly what they want when they want. We’ve got schedules and deadlines to stick to, and I take that shit seriously… So understand how enthralled I am by this series when I tell you I dropped everything to read this book.
I tried to stick to my schedule, but these characters were tempting me away from prior obligations. I gave in to temptation and I am so very glad that I did.
This book is flawlessly written.
The characters are extraordinary.
The plot line is gripping.
The details are gorgeous.
If you’re looking for hackneyed and campy stories of sex and piracy, you won’t find them in the world Bey Deckard has created…"
Sacrificed: Heart Beyond the Spires (Review & Excerpt) at The Smutsonian
Shurrn from The Smutsonian says:
"I loved the first book, Caged: Love and Treachery on the High Seas, and I was jumping at the chance to continue series… I was completely blown away by this follow-up. It’s quite possible that it was even better than the first, and that’s no small feat."
Want the First Three Chapters of Sacrificed?
Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!
To celebrate, here are the first three chapters of Sacrificed: Heart Beyond the Spires, the sequel to Caged.
A whole three chapters, you ask? Yes... these three chapters belong together, woven like a three-sided tapestry.
Choose yer format, me hearties:
More Fun?
Did ye catch the interview I did with Tom? Are ye lookin' for a pirate glossary? What about the soundtrack to Sacrificed?
Sacrificed: Heart Beyond the Spires
Seven months ago, I sat exactly where I'm sitting now, on my old brown couch, and pressed submit (or... publish? or... whatever it says in Smashwords and KDP) and sent Caged into the world.
Then I walked away.
There was no cover reveal. No excerpt. No ARC reviews. Just a book published on a winter afternoon. It's only that evening that it occurred to me that I might actually want to tell people that I published a book. Maybe get some reviews. Create a site... Total newbie.
This time around, I'm a little more versed in the how-to. I couldn't have done it without the help of my fans and friends.
A big thank you to the bloggers who have supported me and helped me out! You guys are fantastic.
Coming October 2014
Available now for preorder at Amazon
Blurb
Reunited once more, the crew of Baal’s Heart must make the long and treacherous journey south to the towering spires of the Devil’s Isles. The path through the mountain range is fraught with peril; mayhem and tragedy plague the pirate ship, but what the men find beyond the spires is the most shocking of all.
In this sequel to the acclaimed Caged, the pirates are dragged into a dangerous new world by Captain Baltsaros’s all-consuming obsession. In the midst of terror and chaos, Jon learns that the captain and first mate have been keeping secrets from him. But will the truth tear them apart?
Excerpt
“How are your ribs?” asked Baltsaros, watching Polas descend the stairs.
Jon put a hand to his side.
“Sore as hell. But I’ll live,” he said with a small smile. “Why are you still awake?”
The captain’s brows pinched together, and he looked down at his hands, his lips parted in a slow exhale.
“I could not sleep, Jon,” said Baltsaros softly. “I tried, briefly. But I find my mind unable to rest. Polas woke up, and we came up here not to disturb you.” He raised his head, and Jon was alarmed to see that Baltsaros wore an expression he had never seen on the man before. The captain looked lost. “What have I done by bringing us here, Jon?”
Jon felt a sliver of fear pierce his heart at the captain’s uncertainty; it was disturbing to see the man’s confidence shaken. However, before he could answer Baltsaros, the moment had passed, and the crack in the captain’s mask closed.
“Ah… listen to me. Tonight is a dark night, isn’t it?” chuckled Baltsaros, reaching for Jon. “Come here, I have to take off that silk. You need to breathe deep for a while or else you’ll wind up with congested lungs.”
Jon held up his shirt while the captain swiftly unwound the silk from his ribs. His side hurt when he breathed, but the painkillers in his system dulled the ache. The breeze was cooler up on the quarterdeck, and he could hear it rustling the leaves of the trees on shore. Turning to watch the dark jungle, he wondered what dangers lay beyond for them on the morrow.
When Baltsaros’s hands glided softly up his back, Jon let out a startled gasp. The captain moved close behind him, his chest pressed to Jon’s back, arms wrapped gently around him.
I’m honestly not sure how far it would have gone otherwise.
Baltsaros’s words had hurt, but not as much as he had feared. Jon’s own weakness was that he forgave the man, again and again. He ran his fingers along the captain’s strong forearm as Baltsaros pressed his lips to Jon’s neck. There was a question he wanted to ask.
…only ask me questions you want to know the answers to.
Jon closed his eyes. He would ask it one day, but he feared that he already knew the answer. The captain was fond of him… but love?
Baltsaros murmured something against his skin.
“Min haeken,” whispered the older man, sliding his hands down to the waistband of Jon’s pants and pulling apart the knot on his belt. “I don’t want to hurt you when I take you, but take you I shall.”