5 comments on "Shorts and Squares: Jagged Blade"

Shorts and Squares: Jagged Blade – Shorts and Squares: Jagged Blade was supposed to be out on the 14th, but I went back to fiddling with it and screwed it up. There’s a reason I don’t give hard self-pub release days. I’m terrible at being able to let it go.

The Jagged Blade mix so far:

  1. Heroes & Villains: Black Friday [square]
  2. I Saw An Execution Once [short]
  3. Forgot the Can Opener [short]
  4. Clyde [short]
  5. Inquisitor Jang: The Wilding [square]
  6. Bird of Paradise [square]
  7. Slipping Through the Cracks: Normal Again [square]
  8. Patient of Interest [short]
  9. A Cuckoo In the Nest [square]
  10. Altredes: One [serial novel]

I’ve taken out a couple of stories, added one, and yet I still feel as if there’s something missing. Some key element that will tie things together.

I’d rather hold off a few days or weeks and make something I love versus rushing. (I’ve already got a few that I’m reworking. I don’t want this to be another one.)

– I have been building up my universe. I’ve been writing notes on all the different events taking place to make the Worlds develop as they do. I’ve written brief outlines for a bunch of stories already.

Of Blood => The aliens attacking are the Hex. They are led by a rebel MaretHex (Lord) that fled exile to take over a primitive world. He has his thousands of followers and their ships. They conquer Earth.

The human resistance keeps fighting against the occupiers even while society moves on. Vampires and Others decide that to save their world they’ll have to reveal themselves to the humans. They join the war to reclaim Earth.

The battle commences and it is bloody and violent.

Heroes & Villains at Amazon
0 comments on "Cover Reveal: Jagged Blade, by Harper Kingsley"

Here’s the cover for Shorts and Squares: Jagged Blade.
Jagged Blade
I really like it ^_^

Here’s an excerpt from “Bird of Paradise,” one of the stories in Shorts and Squares: Jagged Blade.

Candles flickered while incense burned. Paradise kept her bandaged face turned to the wall no matter who came to visit. She felt like a hideous monster as the bruises healed back into flawless flesh, yet her marred face was destined to remain a gruesome sight with the thick gash slashed out of her cheek.

The trainees brought her trays of food that she largely ignored. She picked at the tastes she enjoyed while feeling incapable of gathering the energy to even bother with the less tasty foods. She was tired of ashes in her mouth.

Paradise hugged her legs against her chest and closed her eyes. She would give herself a couple of days in which to feel worthless, then she would pick herself back up again and get back to the living of her life. No longer an Elite Courtesan, but still a member of the Pleasure Guild. The Matron would find her a position, or if she chose to retire there would always be her monthly stipend.

Once again she cursed Lord Gentle Valor and his mad desire to see her bleed. If she concentrated, she thought she could still hear the sound of his mad laughter as he’d carved up her flesh. She’d screamed so loudly she’d damaged her throat, but at least the guards had rushed in to save her life.

Her career was destroyed, but she would live. She would let that be enough.

I will not be defeated by such a mindless beast, she vowed. She was stronger than anything he had done to her.

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good at Amazon
0 comments on "Thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes"

AphroditeThank you to everyone that has sent me a birthday message today.

Unfortunately, Facebook has locked me out of my account and is saying my computer is not my computer, which is why I can’t thank anyone on my timeline 🙁 So, thanks to Xakara, Imari Jade, Melanie Tushmore, Fernanda Parente, AJ Llewellyn, Cuqui Luna, Patrick Wendling-Markwell, Blaine D. Arden, and any other well-wishers on this, the day I was born so many (many) years ago. You all are fabulous ^_^

Hopefully the Internet situation will sort itself out here. Everyone in the neighborhood is having Internet trouble, so it’s not just us. At least it means the phone company will be out and about, working around the clock to get things working again.

Other things of note:
– I’m excited about the new movies coming out on Netflix this month. Namely, Kick-Ass 2, which I’ve been waiting for.

– I’ve got a good start going on All That Remains, the third book in “Heroes & Villains.” It’s set four years after Allies & Enemies. I can’t really say a whole lot at this point without spoiling A&E some, but the outline is pretty bad ass.

In case you didn’t know, “Heroes & Villains” follows a three-act structure. Heroes & Villains is Act One, introducing the characters and the setting. Allies & Enemies is Act Two, showing the confrontation and setting up the climax. And All That Remains is Act Three, the resolution to everything brought up in the first two acts.

Each novel can standalone, but together they make one story — the chronicles of the supervillain Darkstar.

– Paradigm Shift is starting to look beautiful (:P) and will be coming out on time (February 2014). Park is even more bad ass than I thought he was going to be. Plus there’s all that stuff with Zero I’ve been splicing in here and there, little tasties that make a lot of sense if you read the upcoming Shorts and Squares: Jagged Blade (January 2014).

Hogfather at Amazon
2 comments on "Mistletoe Hop Winners"

I’ve picked my winners and you’ll be the first ones to get Shorts and Squares: Jagged Blade.

Winners list:

  • Katherine S
  • Regina M
  • KT A
  • Karen O-G
  • Holly L
  • Booklady
  • Catherine L
  • Shelly H

You’ve all been great. Expect to receive a Smashwords coupon when Jagged Blade goes live.

Have another taste:
EXCERPT –

He could still remember being that nervous kid sweating at his first audition. His hands had been slippery against the hard plastic chair and he’d known he was going to be a dripping mess by the time he was called in. Except Simon had come and sat down beside him and given that trademark smile that had already brought America to its knees.

Colby had been shocked that Simon Peters would even speak to him, much less give him helpful advice. Yet every time they’d run into each other after that, Simon would always greet him by name and pass along recommended parts. It was because of Simon that Colby had gotten his career off the ground before his grandmother’s deadline was up.

Without Simon’s help, Colby would be running the family store. He owed the guy all that he had.