Hey Fabulous Readers! I hope your summer has had some lovely bits in it, so far.

I’m going to start with a listing of my Spooky Season events 👻

It’s a strangely short list at present, but that’s because either I didn’t book things back in April/May (for places that have their shit together) so I am annoyingly waitlisted for a number of events, or I’m still waiting to hear back (from the places that don’t have their shit together.) It has been entirely frustrating. I started the process of planning my September/October right after I got back from Hellmouth in June, and I was too late for some events and too early for others. I need to make copious notes for next year’s planning, obviously.

Right now, the schedule is:

🎃 The Dark Forest Oddities Expo – September 6^th  

🎃 Pandemonium’s Spooky Geek Faire – October 20^th (link coming in a future newsletter)

🎃 Possibly doing a reading at my local public library on the week of Halloween (I just need the event coordinator to get back to me)

None of my local events that would have a good customer base for me are having vending at their October 31^st events, so on Great Pumpkin Day I will just do my annual tradition of taking the day off and carving a huge-ass pumpkin and then handing out candy. I’m conflicted because Halloween is on a Friday this year, and I would really have liked to work a fun event. But at the same time, taking the day off to observe my goth High Holy Day is probably much better for me.

Me starting my annual Day of Carving back in 2022

So now that you have marked those in your calendars…

My most recent article for Publisher’s Weekly Booklife!

https://www.digitalpwselect.com/pwselect/library/page/booklife_august_11__2025/61/

Honest, I swear, I didn’t actually intend to write about sex! When I asked Booklife what they wanted me to write for them next, they said, “Actually, an article on writing good sex scenes would be perfect,” and what else was I to do, except write an article that actually I am perfectly qualified to write 😁

It’s gotten some lovely compliments through, so I am very happy I wrote it, and I hope it helps some author write a better sex scene!

Ooey-gooey am’r

Here’s the most recent from my “Things I’ve Learned From My Characters” Series…

I know, I know. It’s so lovey-dovey. But if anyone deserves that, it’s Zoraida, who went through one of the more excruciating losses of love of any of the am’r.

(If you have no idea what I’m talking about, may I recommend to you Blood Triad, where Zoraida tells Noosh her heartbreaking story…and then finds something unexpected…)

My next item is a plea for those of you who have read That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story to drop a quick review of it on Amazon.*

Amazon treats books differently the more reviews they get. That is: the more reviews your book gets, the more exposure it is given. You can imagine how stressful this is for authors. When we need more exposure the most we don’t get it! Amazon is truly pure capitalism: the better you are doing, the easier it gets for you.

The myth of “hard work will reward you” doesn’t apply on Amazon (as it doesn’t really apply in larger capitalism, either). You can bust your ass writing a brilliant book, work hard to both get a great cover artist and afford to pay them what they deserve, learn all the tricks of optimally laying out a book and the cover to best attract readers, learn how to write the best and most appealing copy about your book, put in time and money learning how to find the best keywords and categories on Amazon, you can do everything, and your book will languish on Amazon, getting no sales, because you don’t have enough reviews to make it “count.”

This is why pretty much every newsletter now, I am begging you for reviews. I need lots of things to go right for me to succeed as an author, and many of those things are luck-based and not in my control (which is deeply frustrating for someone who is happy to do the hard work to get where she needs to go!), but one of the things that is proven to work, and which I have some control over is getting reviews for my books.

So part of my job is finding the ways to encourage you to take a moment from your day and post a review up on Amazon. I’m not asking for a huge time investment, even just writing a one sentence review saying you enjoyed reading the book is enough to boost the book’s value in Amazon’s cold, uncaring eyes.

This is what I hate most about being an indie author. Stephen King doesn’t have to beg for reviews. His publisher is doing everything they can to help him succeed. Which is in no way casting aspersions on Mr. King’s writing, it’s just that “Rank hath its privilege,” and he has gotten to a place where there is a whole machine set up to help him succeed. Indie authors have nothing to help us succeed, and writing good books doesn’t actually help us. Even the best, most incandescent writing can get lost because it just doesn’t have the money behind it to get it in front of enough eyes that it can start building its own momentum.

If you think my last sentence means that people who write mediocre books but have lots of disposable income to throw at marketing and promotion will see those books do better than great writers who don’t have money to throw at promoting their books, and who don’t hit a lucky moment where the right person in the right mood on the right day just happens across their book, you are thinking right.

And it makes me angry.  

But there is nothing I can do except try to learn all the tips and tricks I can to get the Blood & Ancient Scrolls series to that lucky moment.

And beg you for reviews.

* Noto Bene: Of course the ‘Zon is evil and it is regrettable that I must do business with them. For those of you who have sworn off them, please know that I envy your ability to do this, and for you the other three places where reviews can help me are:

📚 Bookbub

📚 Goodreads

📚 The Storygraph

Okay, that’s it for me for August. I’ll see you September 2^nd !

To everyone who made it this far, you’re fucking amazing and I adore you! Until next time, be good or be good at it! 😘

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: drop me a note 📨

💞 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

SHOP PAPERBACKS:

Blood Ex Libris

Blood Demands

Blood Eternal

Blood Triad

SHOP EBOOKS & AUDIOBOOKS:

Grab the whole series in Amazon’s KU

Listen to the series as you do other stuff

Mark your calendars: Sept 6^th 2025! 🗓️

Instagram post by @dark_forest_oddities_

Just minutes away from downtown Salem MA, the DFO expo is the perfect place to start spooky season, offering a selection of: Oddities, books, horror merch, Halloween collectibles, jewelry, crystals, comics, Funko, alt clothing, dark art, tarot readings, film premieres, and adult toys! There will be 60 amazing local vendors and live performances and also a cosplay competition with a first prize of $250.00!

My table will be right alongside Eclipse Costumes – which means Lauren and I will be getting up to shenanigans yet again, and also means that you can come, hang out with us, and walk away with books AND a new corset! And I have it on good authority that Lauren will be whippin’ up some PIRATE CORSETS to sell in conjunction with That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story, so there’s your Halloween costume sorted out! (Or, well, at least mine 😀 )

So save the date and get ready for some treats 🍬

Blood Depths Update 🌊

I’ve finished the first third of Blood Depths, and am digging in to a complex transitional chapter…

After a loss of about 20,000 words back when I was first writing my first novel (Blood Ex Libris) , I now save to

• the local computer drive

• a ruggedized external hard drive

• cloud storage

Because you never know what will fail you, and I’m damned if I will ever lose a word again! (Deciding that what you have written down is shit and needs rewriting, and deleting that so you can start fresh is a different matter. You have choice and control over that, which is all the difference in the world…)

When I am drafting, the frequency of saving the file is almost OCD, because I am terrified that the computer will shut down and I will lose the story I’ve just gotten to flow out of my brain into words that exist outside my brain 💭

So, just to prove that writing a book is really not a romantic process, here is what I click on myriad times per writing session 😂😭

The first third is now off to a new sensitivity editor. I’m trying a new thing, where I get sensitivity edits at three points along the way, so that none of my mistakes get baked in, and I can get any problems sorted before they require massive rewrites (or just not having to go through a 100,000 word document looking for those issues and rewriting around them and hoping I don’t miss anything!)

As we head into the next chapter (Chapter Eight, for those playing along at home) I find that I was overly ambitious in telling you that Noosh would shortly be in Lagos, Nigeria.

It turns out that not only is Africa a big-ass continent—I did already know this, but knowing Africa is huge is one thing and actually looking at the distances in numeric form is a whole other!—but also Noosh needs to get some more information and meet some people before she gets to Lagos (because of evolving plot reasons) and so I decided to scrap the idea of flying from Tangier to Lagos (which was going to be complicated in and of itself—even flying a private plane across Africa is a complex affair) or going around by ship. So we’re gonna drive!

There are two potential routes by car. So we are going down the Atlantic coast, which means we go through Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, and finally get to Nigeria. Plenty of time in which to meet the people we need to meet, and an excuse to bring back a feature from Blood Ex Libris that hasn’t been explored since then…

We shall have some fun! And I already have a resource for editing that section, phew! 😮‍💨

So I must amend the “Where in the World is Noosh?” graphic…

Desert on one side, ocean on the other! And how will the am’r cope with all that sunshine?!

Anyway, I’m sure you all have world maps up on your walls and are moving the pushpin every time I send out one of these, so move that pin back! But next newsletter, I promise there will be forward momentum! 🚗🛣️

So many, many vampire pirates! 🦜

I started Book IV, Blood Depths so damn long ago that actually not many of you newsletter readers will either remember or will have ever heard that the whole point of the novel is vampire pirates. (And thanks again to the wonderful supporter of the series who suggested it to me in a late night phone call, all those years ago! 🥰)

I was still signed with the Terrible Former Publisher back then, and so while I had started the document for Book IV and written the first sentences, I had to take time away from writing it to get the rights for my first three books reverted, and then figure out how to to indie publish them. It took, oh, you know, a few years. I was posting pictures of me doing the original research for the book back in 2021…

So this story has been bobbing around in my head all this time, and that’s why it’s crashing forth out of my brain with such intensity 🤯

It also explains so many of the recently-published stories: Boysie Singh and his minions from “Interview with the Vagabond King,” and Sadie the Goat and Gallus Mag from That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story are all characters who I found doing research and who I intended to put in Blood Depths as side characters…only their stories are too good to gloss over, so they ended up starring in their own stories as hors d’oeuvres—and once you get to the main course, you’ll recognize these colorful characters from having learned those stories already 💖

So starting down the vampire pirate journey has changed my life, and the stories I write, and I am so happy about that. We are in a time of needing escapist stories to get us through the day, so that we can recharge and keep up the fight. What could possibly be more escapist than vampire pirates? (Well, yes, dinosaurs on a spaceship, but that was already taken! 😉 )

And now for a word from this week’s sponsor… Please give ‘em a click!

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An interview with me about LVP is up at the charmingly named website I ❤️SapphFic

There’s some great questions in there, including what the perfume for the book would smell like, and “What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?“ Go read it!

All About: That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story by Raven Belasco – I Heart SapphFic

Why this book and why now? As I was doing the research for my next novel (which adds a pirate aspect to the ongoing vampire series, at reader request) I came across the story of Sadie “The Goat” and Gallus Mag, and I knew they had to be characters I brought into my Blood & Ancient Scrolls series universe. But also…

All About: That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story by Raven Belasco

OK, this newsletter is long enough. I’ll ramble on more in the next one. I hope you enjoyed this one, and that you are staying cool and managing to find some moments of enjoyment in your summer.

There will be some big news coming along pretty soon about the next audiobook, and in light of that, I wanted to check in with the newer subscribers on their feelings about listening to books… 🎧

To everyone who made it this far, you’re fucking amazing and I adore you! Until next time, be good or be good at it! 😘

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: drop me a note 📨

💞 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

SHOP PAPERBACKS:

Blood Ex Libris

Blood Demands

Blood Eternal

Blood Triad

SHOP EBOOKS & AUDIOBOOKS:

Grab the whole series in Amazon’s KU

Listen to the series as you do other stuff

Ahoy, Me Hearties! All Hands on Deck!

Today is the Day to “go on account” (become a pirate). Today is the day That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story is officially published, when this good ship weighs anchor and hoists the mizzen! ⚓⛵🦜🏴‍☠️

You may well already have this adorable little book in your library, as a special edition has been available at Hellmouth convention, Readercon 34 (and welcome new newsletter readers who signed up for this newsletter this past weekend—I think you’ll like it here!), and through this very newsletter, but those collector’s edition red covers are officially sold out! If you missed it, well, that’s what you get for being a lubber—but all is not lost, and you can buy the standard edition (which has all the goodness of the story inside the pretty black-and-blue cover) on Amazon and through my website, and of course, requesting it at your local bookstore or library…

As with at Hellmouth Con, this past weekend at Readercon That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story is a book that sells itself. People see the title (which, let’s not forget, you newsletter readers insisted I use—and thank you for that!) and come over to the table to demand a copy. People see it in their friend’s hands and ask where they got it—and come over to the table and demand a copy. By this point in time, I am pretty sure this little book will sell more copies than anything else I ever write.

And you know what, I’m not mad at it. First off, I’m still tickled by the “story behind the story” (that of Sadie “The Goat” and Gallus Mag’s beef, the whole ear situation, and the happy ending—if you call wearing your former left ear in a locket around your neck a happy ending, but these things were kinda relative in the 1860s…) so I am happy that people are learning that tidbit of pirate / New York history. Secondly, I think I lived up to the story in my retelling of it, so I am proud that for many people, this will be their first taste of my writing. And finally—if it is my fate to be best known for writing a story call That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story, well, honestly, is that such a bad fate? No, it will only make me beam with pride: authorial pride 🥹 and queer pride 🏳️‍🌈

The regular request for reviews (authors gotta do this!)

By now you all know that us indie authors are made or broken by how many reviews we can get over on the ‘Zon, because books with more reviews get treated differently. And I hope you will all take a moment to do short reviews of That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story, over there.

That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story

Please click here to review LVP on Amazon — thank you for supporting indie authors!

a.co/d/hmBtRxp

But for “Finding Bela Lugosi,” it’s another matter. We won’t be listing it on the ‘Zon, because it’s only going to be given away, in a variety of different ways. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t get and shouldn’t get reviews, because that’s still deeply valuable to me as an author. So if you have that other sweet little book, please take a moment to throw some stars at it and say a sentence or two 🙏🙏🙏

Readercon 34: It doesn’t get much better than this! 🎉

In my Con-garb and ready to make friends!

I’m still completely exhausted from Readercon as I try to coherently write this newsletter (thank goodness for spell check, is all I’m sayin’) but while I’m exhausted in body, in mind and spirit I’m energized and bouncing. And honestly, what better way to compliment a convention?

I didn’t even get to any of the amazing panels (and these were primo topics: “Bisexuals in Science Fiction: Still Hip After All These Years?” “Biting the Other: The Transforming Racialization of Vampires,” “The Purposes of Memorable Insults in Sci-Fi and Fantasy,” “The Molotov Cocktail Approach to Plotting Stories,” etc.) and I had a brilliant time. The people who stopped by the table brought excellent conversation. And these are the kinds of readers who ask the best questions. One reader was hesitating, and I said, “Hey, ask questions!” and they asked about how I created the am’r, and after we geeked out together on that level, they ended up buying all the books. Another customer queried, “Are you working out your relationship drama and unresolved issues through vampires? Or have you been to therapy outside of writing this series?” and after I recovered from laughing too hard to breathe (this is a deliberate dig at a certain Big Name vampire writer—and not wrong!😂) I assured them that I had done therapy before starting the series, and that these books were really not like that series—and they felt comfortable to go ahead and make some purchases.

THIS RIGHT HERE is what I love best. Readers who know vampires and who are demanding something fresh to the genre. Readers who realize how much there is still to explore in the global vampire mythoi—and want to read it, dammit! Readers who may have read some disappointing vampire stories in the past, but who cannot close their hearts to these eternally fascinating creatures of the night.

To be honest, there were some disappointing moments over the three days of vending: people who came over to the table, and then realized it was vampires on offer and said, “I don’t like vampires” or “vampires are so overdone.”

I totally get “different strokes for different folks,” and I personally have genres that I don’t dip into unless I get a strong recommendation from someone I trust, but whenever anyone said, “I don’t like vampires,” I really had to stop myself from replying, “Which vampire hurt you?” I mean, either you don’t know much about the genre and just assume you don’t like vampires, or yeah, there was one vampire story, be it book or TV or film, that turned you off. And if that is the case, refusing to try another vampire story again is basically cutting off your fangs to spite your face…

And as for “overdone,” yeah, sure, there have been a lot of vampire books published recently. There have also been a ton of superhero movies produced, and they are still filling theatres and quite a few of them have really relevant messages and novel ways of looking at the genre. And if “overdone” is really a thing, then why are we even at a genre convention? Because space ships are overdone, and fantasy quests are SO overdone, and sword and sorcery needed to be left behind in the ‘80s, and etc. through every facet of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. There is not one genre that can’t be thrillingly alive again through the application of fresh ideas/viewpoints and good writing. Like vampires, stories don’t die, and they just need some new blood to bring them back to their most compelling selves.

My amazing friend and minion-for-the-weekend, El-G. I cannot thank her enough for her energy and endless enthusiasm 💝 Shenanigans were sheeeenaniganed!

But, rant aside, I got a lot more enthusiasm for the undead than negativity at Readercon 34, and it was a truly satisfying and inspiring weekend (I even got to attend one of the infamous afterparties, and it was the cherry on top on a perfect fiction sundae!)—I will be back next year, and I hope to see YOU there!

Have badge, will convention! (Also, reppin’ the wonderful Podcast Writers Drinking Coffee! Give it a listen!)

And now a word from our sponsor…

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OK, well, prepping for Readercon took time away from writing Book IV, and of course so does everything else I do—like this newsletter! So I will do what I know you all want most from me, and I’ll go get back to writing‼️ But if you have any questions, thoughts, other stuff to share, just hit “reply” and that email will arrive in my inbox!

For our new readers, there’s an AMA going on, where you can request what I talk about next in videos for YouTube and of course in this newsletter…

To everyone who made it this far, you’re fucking amazing and I adore you! Until next time, be good or be good at it! 😘

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: drop me a note 📨

💞 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

SHOP PAPERBACKS:

Blood Ex Libris

Blood Demands

Blood Eternal

Blood Triad

SHOP EBOOKS & AUDIOBOOKS:

Grab the whole series in Amazon’s KU

Listen to the series as you do other stuff

So, as you all know, That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story had a special limited edition run that we sold at the Hellmouth Convention. The Hellmouth Edition had a special red cover and says it’s a special edition on the back and inside the front cover. Literally the only place they can be bought was from the 2025 Hellmouth convention and this newsletter, so this is a rare and special little book.

There are still about 15 left, so grab yours before they are gone for good. 

Yo ho yo ho…

A pirate’s life for me!

However, if you have been waiting for the standard edition to be published, the pub date is July 22^nd . It will have this beautiful blue and black cover, and you can now preorder the ebook on Amazon!

It was this very newsletter who helped come up with the title! Old school subscribers will remember that I was having a helluva time coming up with a title that, in a succinct and catchy way and which captured all the elements of the story. (I’m now describing it as “Gangs of New York meets Our Flag Means Death,” which is actually a pretty perfect shorthand. I didn’t mean for it to be that thing when I wrote it…but I’m not mad that it turned out that way 😂)

Anyway, I turned to this newsletter and begged for help with coming up for a title…and the wise readers of this esteemed publication said with one voice. “Why would you change the working title? Just keep calling it That Lesbian Vampire Pirate Story!”

And so I did. And let me tell you how many people have expressed delight with the title since then. On its first weekend out, many people stopped by the table and bought that book, who would have otherwise have just walked on by, simply because of that title.

Thank you all so much for guiding me in the right direction, there. I’ve never had trouble coming up with a book title before, but if I ever do again, you lot are who will be who I turn to! 🙌

Swag for you! Lux handcrafted leather bookmarks for the true fans!

I cannot express how in love with these I am. They are handcrafted, using traditional and ecological leatherworking techniques, just for us, by a small company that normally makes leather goods for, uh, shall we say, kinkier purposes…

Does it get better than this, I ask you?!

Your choice just getting titles or getting quotes from the story! They feel lovely in the hand, and look gorgeous poking out of your book!

So go grab one — or a few — and you’ll get bookmarks people are jealous of while you support two small businesses at once: win-win-win!

Where In The World Is Noosh?

But will she bring me home an “I ❤️Lagos” t-shirt, I ask you?!

This week Noosh has finally left Morocco (after some crazy revelations that even I wasn’t expecting—I am definitely not in control of this story 😂) and is in Lagos for short time before moving on to the next location, which is where most of the story’s action will take place.

I’m just getting started on Chapter Seven today! 💃

My brilliant cover artist, Kwasi, has said he has time now to get the cover for Blood Depths (nickname B4) rolling, and he has all the information to work from, so I will actually get to do a cover release well in advance of launch for this book. I’ll share that as soon as possible, and I’m so excited about it!

When all the books re-released after leaving The Terrible First Publisher, it was pure chaos and we were learning everything as we went, and everything was harder than anticipated, and took longer. So we are only now finally in a place where we can publish a new book and give it all the time it requires for the proper marketing stages (Advance Review Copies sent out in advance for blurbing, etc.) and basically finally do everything right (because we now have some idea what we are doing, which is nice!) I am really looking forward to my books finally getting the treatment they deserve—which they were never going to get with The Terrible First Publisher, and which the republished books couldn’t properly get, as they were being re-released. It was a good way to learn what all we needed to do, at least, but it did basically mean that the first three books in the series were brought into the world both times in pure chaos. I am so very much looking forward to less chaos this time around!

Anyway, in a chapter or two I’ll give another update, so stay tuned! 📻

Our sponsor this week. Give ‘em a click!

Burned out by the news? There’s a better way.

Outrage headlines. Never-ending feeds. Everyone shouting, no one listening.

Keeping up with political news today can feel more like emotional labor than staying informed. That’s why Tangle exists.

Tangle is an independent, nonpartisan newsletter that covers one major political story each day. It breaks down the facts, shows how the left, right, and center are talking about it, and adds clear, honest analysis — without the spin, hysteria, or bias.

No sides to pick. Just clear, honest analysis from an independent source — all in under 10 minutes a day.

More than 400,000 readers — no matter their politics — trust Tangle to get the full picture and stay informed without getting burnt out.

If you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed by the news — but still want to understand what’s really happening — give Tangle a try.

Start reading for free today.

“Interview with the Vagabond King” finally has some reviews! 🙌

Grab it on Amazon for only 99¢!

But it really needs more. I’ve realized that most of you somehow never got the story when it was offered for free. While it’s only 99¢ on Amazon, I really need some more reviews (Amazon treats your book differently the more reviews it gets), so if anyone is curious about the story, I would be delighted to send you a free copy in trade for a review. Just reply to this email 📨

This story is one I am very proud of. It was a special treat for me to write an epistolary story (and I know some of you really love those, too.) It all came about as I was doing research for Blood Depths, and came across this Trinidadian pirate named Boysie Singh. His life was so over-the-top, so much more like fiction than reality, and I knew he’d have to be an extra in the novel…but he deserved more than that!

So I gave him pride of place in this story—whereupon I discovered that I was writing something that was seriously intense, and really scary! Entering that world is really rough on the character narrating the story, and I think that’s right. The am’r are scary monsters, and not every kee who encounters them is going to have a Noosh-like experience. This is the story of when the am’r are not quite so sexy, not quite people you want to run off with and join their underground world. It’s important to see that side of them, too.

Thank you to those who have taken a moment to review the story, and if you are just reading it now, ENJOY! 🏴‍☠️

There will be some big news coming along pretty soon about the next audiobook, and in light of that, I wanted to check in with the newer subscribers on their feelings about listening to books… 🎧

To everyone who made it this far, you’re fucking amazing and I adore you! Until next time, be good or be good at it! 😘

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: drop me a note 📨

💞 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

SHOP PAPERBACKS:

Blood Ex Libris

Blood Demands

Blood Eternal

Blood Triad

SHOP EBOOKS & AUDIOBOOKS:

Grab the whole series in Amazon’s KU

Listen to the series as you do other stuff

OK, so I will get into my travelogue in a moment, but first I want to offer the readers of this newsletter access to paperback versions of the two most recent stories in the Blood & Ancient Scrolls series: one of which is only available this way, and the other isn’t actually officially published, yet!

IIP was giving out copies of “Finding Bela Lugosi” at Hellmouth, and if the ebook version just isn’t doing it for you, readers of this newsletter can also get the paperback version, which is only going to be available through this offer, or at in-person events.

It’s soooo gorgeous!

We loves it, my Precious!

If you want a FREE copy of the paperback, just for being a wonderful newsletter subscriber, I have about 50 copies that I brought home with me from Hellmouth, so email rb@ravenbelas.co with your preferred shipping address, and I will personally send it out to you. First come, first serve, so don’t put it off!

The other exceptionally cool thing that IIP did was to make up Hellmouth Exclusive Editions of That Lesbian Vampire Pirates Story—before it has been officially published! I got to take home the remaining 30 copies (they went like hot cakes – apparently the title had something to do with it, so thanks to all you newsletter readers who told me to just go ahead and use the working title! 😁)

If you want to buy one of the few remaining copies, here is the link:

That Lesbian Vampire Pirates Story HELLMOUTH LIMITED EDITION

This LIMTED PRINT RUN of That Lesbian Vampire Pirates Story was for the 2025 Hellmouth Convention. ONLY 33 copies are left! Once they are gone, they will never be printed again! Set in 1860s New York, Sadie “the Goat” Ferrell is one of the criminal superstars of the gangs of New York. Gallus Mag is her mortal enemy…and

immoralinfluence.myshopify.com/products/that-lesbian-vampire-pirates-story-hellmouth-limited-edition

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OK, with those vital topics taken care of, let’s get in to the tale itself…

With my chronic illness, travel really takes it out of me, so I am deeply lucky that I have a friend in the LA area who has a guest room and was supportive of me crashing out in it for a day before the convention.

So basically, I flew. I slept.

I flew.

I slept.

Ah, the deeply glamorous life of the chronically ill! You have to coordinate time for “rebuilding spoons” into travel. It’s annoying as fuck, but you cannot not do it because then you’ll just get somewhere and promptly be unable to do anything, which is not a fantastic plan either.

Moving on to the actually glamorous part: my panel with Amber Benson was on the first day of the Hellmouth (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) convention.

Is me! Squeee!

I did an hour of signing in the morning, then took a little time just to wander the Sunnydale High campus. The convention was just getting starting, so there was energy but not chaos, and there was a gorgeous cool breeze after the stifling vendor’s area in the gymnasium.

Seeing the familiar locations from the show was magical. It’s one of the things that sets this convention apart from others: being able to walk around a place that is such a vital part of the show.

This hour of just calm enjoyment was one of the wonderful parts of the weekend, but it was not the last, by far!

I then headed off to the green room to eat lunch and hang out with Maven of the Eventide who would be interviewing us, while waiting for Amber to arrive.

Amber got there and we were hustled off to the backstage area, to be announced and walk out to our places.

I’ve done panels at conventions before, but this was my first time walking out on-stage to applause for one. Which I realized as I was walking across the stage LOL. Happily, all those years of performing at ManRay and giving talks of all kinds came in handy, and I just rolled with it.

Maven and me and Amber. Yes, I laughed a lot, because it was such an amazing conversation

I can’t believe I hold my mic like a teacup, with my pinky extended! What even is that?!

Maven will be posting the video of the panel, and I will get that link out to you ASAP. I can’t wait to see it myself, but also am secretly hoping I was as well-spoken and witty as I think I was… 😉

Me doin’ my job!

The next day was more book signings at the table, and wonderful interactions with existing readers and new friends. Some of those new friends have signed up to this newsletter, and welcome to all of you! Buffy fans are the bestest!

Remember this window…?

When you are doing cheesy author photos and a new friend shows up with a stake…

I wanna be Slayer! No, it’s my turn now!

Must share Mr. Pointy!

There were some important conversations with Amber and my publisher during this trip, and I will have some very exciting announcements to roll out to you in the coming weeks. There’s a lot of really cool stuff that will be happening with the series in the coming year, and I am so thrilled and can’t wait to share!

To everyone who made it this far, you’re fucking amazing and I adore you! Until next time, be good or be good at it! 😘

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: drop me a note 📨

💞 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

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Listen to the series as you do other stuff

This is just a shorter newsletter this week after the big drop of Finding Bela Lugosi last week. (Click here to grab it if you missed it!) But the news keeps on rolling, so next up:

Pre-register now for this free live reading!

I’ll be doing a FREE reading over Zoom at NOON EST on Friday June 6th. It’s a really cool group called “Strong Women, Strange Worlds” and I’m really excited to be working with them.

This will be an amazing panel of women and non-binary authors of speculative fiction, and there will be giveaways and chat with the authors. The Event is FREE but you have to pre-register, so if even if you are not sure you’ll make it, just take moment and register so that if you find you have the time, you’re good to go.

If you enjoyed Finding Bela Lugosi…

Please take a moment to write up a quick review. It doesn’t have to be a novel in itself, just throw some stars at it and say a thing or two that you liked about it.

Getting reviews really, really helps indie authors like me! Thank you in advance for taking a few moments to do this! 🖤

The Sex Questionnaire Redux

Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby: Questionnaire for the Blood & Ancient Scrolls series

Your input will directly impact the next books in the series!

forms.gle/6LF5LJhHYMjkoM979

There are so many new subscribers (Hello, new friends! 👋) to this newsletter that I am bringing back the Question of Sex…

Based on the popularity of authors like Laurell K. Hamilton, when I started writing this series I thought that vampire story readers expected a certain amount of spice. And since I can write very good spicy scenes, I made them vital to the plot, and had fun writing all of it. And ever since, it’s been a point of pride to me that the loving sex scenes in my books were as explicit as the brutal violence, and balanced it out well ⚖️

But I’m at the point now where I could change things, if fans of the series have strong feelings on the matter. So if you have read even one book in the series, could you please take a moment to do this short poll (just 7 questions!) and let me know what YOU think, and I will factor that into how I write Book Depths and all the following books in the series…

So now you get to have your say. Take control! (In either a sexy or non-sexy way, you choose!) 😉

Yesterday I posted the start of a new series to IG. Long-time readers of this newsletter will remember I posted a video to YT of me going over the full “Am’r Dictionary” (i.e., all the words in the am’r language so far) but because it’s longer length, lots of people just don’t have time to watch the full thing, whereas they can do a “word a week” reel much easier.

For those new to the series, I created the am’r language as I wrote the first book in the series, and it’s been a very popular feature with readers. As with the languages in Game of Thrones, this makes the world of the series feel so much more real and immersive. Here’s a little secret: if you’re having trouble pronouncing the language, just imagine having extra-long K9 teeth in your mouth and it will help 🧛

(If you ever wondered just how much of a geeky nerd I am, this video of me talking about a fantasy language I created should really answer that question for all time 😂)

So that’s what we’ll be doing from now on, starting with “adharmhem.” Enjoy!

Instagram post by @raven.belasco

‼️Reminder: you can still ask me anything…! And you know I will make a video to answer it! 😁

To everyone who made it this far, you’re fucking amazing and I adore you! Until next time, be good or be good at it! 😘

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: drop me a note 📨

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Blood Demands

Blood Eternal

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🦇HAPPY WORLD DRACULA DAY!🦇This is what you’ve been waiting so patiently for: Finding Bela Lugosi!

Follow these instructions to get your free story

1. Go to: https://BookHip.com/TCAPFXV

2. It will prompt you to sign up for this newsletter, but just go ahead, it will recognize your email and you won’t get double the newsletters or anything silly like that

3. The link to the ebook will be sent to your email

4. You will have 14 days to claim the book from the moment you activate the offer

5. If you want to share with friends, send them the above link or forward them this newsletter

6. Enjoy—and let me know what you think!

 You wanted my goth history…?

It was World Goth Day on May 22^nd , and I dropped a fun little video for all of you who have be insisting in the “Ask Raven Anything” poll that that’s what you’re here for. There are more individual stories coming—at your request!—but here is a basic overview. Get ready to get dark…

Raven Belasco in conversation with Amber Benson at Hellmouth Con

I will be at Hellmouth Con, in Torrance CA, from June 13-15. I will be selling signed copies of the series—and there will be a secret surprise new swag item for everyone buying the books on the Hellmouth! (While supplies last, obvs.)

When I’m not vending, I will be doing a panel with Amber Benson (you know, Tara Maclay on Buffy the Vampire Slayer). We’ll be talking about writing dark fantasy and about vampires, and I think it’s going to be an amazing conversation.

For those of you who can’t make it, it will be recorded, but if you possibly can get to the Hellmouth that weekend, it is entirely worth your time. This convention happens at the high school where Buffy was shot, so it’s really immersive. Also, Buffy fans are, generally speaking, particularly sweet and welcoming people—even if Buffy isn’t your main fandom, you’ll be made welcome. Also, just check out all who will be attending: you all know what a huge Trekkie I am, and I’m beyond excited to meet Armin Shimerman 🤓

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Today is World Dracula Day!

Two of the books in the series have been published on this day, and so it holds extra meaning for me.

From a series I’m doing on IG/FB about what my characters have taught me

I was fascinated by Vlad Țepeș since about age 12. I remember going to the local library’s book sale, and in one of the cardboard boxes on the lawn in front of the library was In Search of Dracula by Raymond T McNally & Radu Florescu.

I had no idea at the time, but that moment would change my life. In that moment, however, I just excitedly added “A true history of Dracula and vampire legends—with 60 illustrations!” to my pile of used books to buy.

This is the very book I grabbed out of the box; a little battered now!

I had already read Stoker’s Dracula (I was a precocious lil nerdling and in my “paranormal phase” to boot: anything about vampires, ghosts, werewolves, cryptids, or psychic phenomena was a must-read for me; I had already devoured all the books on witchcraft a year or so before) so I knew that story perfectly well. But the real story was so much more fascinating—which is how I still feel today. And why the Blood & Ancient Scrolls series deals with Vlad Țepeș as a historical figure and not as merely Stoker’s Count.

It was with shock and delight that many years later, I found out that my friend Dr. Ligia Buzan (who had done the Romanian language and sensitivity edits for the series) was actually a student of the esteemed Radu Florescu, and getting to talk to her about working with him, and about Romanian vampire myth has been one of the highlights of being a vampire author 💝

I want to take a moment to thank all of you for being such an amazing support system. I’m so lucky not to have just distant unknown “fans” but readers who are truly invested in the series and in me as an author. You lot are what’s making this whole indie author thing actually work, and are giving me a chance to live my passion. I’m glad that on this special day, I am able to give back to you.

I raise a glass of your favorite red beverage to you! 🍷 May you (metaphorically) impale every enemy that tries to stand in your way!

 ‼️Reminder: you can still ask me anything…!

To everyone who made it this far, you’re fucking amazing and I adore you! Until next time, be good or be good at it! 😘

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: drop me a note 📨

💞 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

SHOP PAPERBACKS:

Blood Ex Libris

Blood Demands

Blood Eternal

Blood Triad

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Finding Bela Lugosi Cover Reveal!

It’s almost here! I just have to take a day and set up the “funnel” to optimize you all getting your free copies of the story! So, to tide you over until then, here is the cover of “Finding Bela Lugosi” which is of course another awesome bit of art from Kwasi

The new cover! 🎉

The original poster, on my bedroom wall

As you can see, we modeled it on the classic Bauhaus poster for this song, which made the cover so much more fun and personally impactful. I have had that poster since it was given to me by a then-girlfriend, who had it from an ex-boyfriend (hand-me-downs are best: they come with stories!). It was on the wall of all my dorm rooms, and then all my bedrooms since then. It’s a truly cherished item in my life.

This was right over my mattress on the floor

My ancient-ass computer was to the left

Here is my dorm room my first senior year (long story, but basically my advisor forgot to mention a class I needed to take for requirement for graduation, so I ended up tacking on an unexpected semester, which was amazing because all the rest of my classes could just be things I honestly just wanted to learn. I ended up doing so well in Art History that I was told I should change my major, which made me laugh hysterically, seeing as how I was already supposed to be graduated already…)

If you are wondering, no, that red paint never actually came off the wall, and I had to pay a fine. It reads: “There was a wild music in my veins singing of darkness and the pleasures of the night, which I knew marked me as thing apart.” (As you can see, I was preparing to be a vampire author my whole life.) It’s a quote from Lord of the Dead by Tom Holland, which is one of my most influential vampire books. If you look closely for it, in several of my books, am’r describe themselves as “a thing apart.” That’s my nod to Tom Holland, every time 🖤

Lord Of The Dead

Famed nineteenth-century poet and rake Lord Byron travels to Greece and becomes the world’s most formidable vampire—entering a dark, intoxicating world of ancient arts and scorching excesses of evil—in this offbeat book by the author of Slave of My Thirst.
 
Chosen to enjoy powers beyond those any vampire has ever known, Byron enters a dark, intoxicating world of long-lost secrets, ancient arts, and scorching excesses of evil. He drinks deeply of terror and sex. But his diversions, delicious and cruel, are also his torment: an all-consuming thirst damning all those he loves…

The News You Care About Most:

IT HAS BEGUN!

Blood Depths (or B4, when I am too lazy to type it out, which is most of the time) has not just gotten started, but as of my writing this newsletter, it has over 8000 words and we are just getting well in to Chapter 3. And here’s a cool idea I had:

Noosh & I aren’t having any fun, oh no, not at all!

I’ll be doing these updates randomly as the characters and I make our way through the story. Follow me on Bluesky or IG to see them as they happen.

I’ll be doing a video soon about how excited I am about being back into the flow of writing a full-length novel. (Hint: I’m very excited ) If you don’t do the social medias, I’ll post it on YouTube and of course in the next newsletter.

Strong Women, Strange Worlds: JUNE 6TH 📆

I’m so excited to announce that I’ve been accepted to do a reading with this amazing group! The format is “6 Authors, reading for 8 Minutes Each.”

Check out the line-up of fabulous women and non-binary science fiction, fantasy, and horror authors at this VIRTUAL live reading. Bring a beverage, relax, and let us entertain you. There will be prizes/giveaways as well. You won’t want to miss this!

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/strong-women-strange-worlds-33460611105

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My Second Article in Publisher’s Weekly Booklife! 🏆

After my first article was published, I asked if there was anything Booklife needed an article on, and they asked if I could do one about things that Indie Authors need to watch out for. Unfortunately, some of those things I have learned the Hard Way, so I was more than prepared to pen this article.

https://www.digitalpwselect.com/pwselect/library/page/booklife_april_28__2025/6/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TXPWSE250429002&utm_content=gtxcel

When I was growing up, my mom kept the most current issue of PW on the kitchen counter, so she could read it while she was cooking dinner. She was definitely of that old school of feminists who thought they could do it and have it all. (I am of the next generation of feminists, who think we shouldn’t have to work quite so hard to have all the things. Which generally means my home is messier than hers ever was. Sigh.)

‼️Reminder: you can ask me anything…!

To everyone who made it this far, you’re fucking amazing and I adore you! Until next time, be good or be good at it! 😘

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: drop me a note 📨

💞 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

SHOP PAPERBACKS:

Blood Ex Libris

Blood Demands

Blood Eternal

Blood Triad

SHOP EBOOKS & AUDIOBOOKS:

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Let’s Try This Again: Merch Demands Redux!

I know some of you are just here for the books, but I’ve recently discovered that a fair number of indie authors are paying the bills not from book sales, but from income from selling related merchandise. I won’t lie: that would really help me be able to keep writing books for you!

So, please, would you take a moment to answer the Merch Demands Questionnaire. Literally only one of you did, last time, and it’s not good sense for me to base my decisions off only one response.

Merch Demands

Blood & Ancient Scrolls Readers: You’re the Good Guys in this story and I can’t wait to give in to your demands! Please take a moment to let me know what merch you’d be interested in: to support the series while at the same time getting the kinds of stuff you actually will value and enjoy

forms.gle/Vtzcs5PigWmrcBHt5

There is a spot on the form where you can write anything, so if you want to be specific, you can write “I really only want books, just write me some more damn books!” That is a valid answer, too, and I honestly NEED to know stuff like that 😁

“Finding Bela Lugosi” Update

The internal material of the story is finishedand ready! 💃 I’m just waiting on Kwasi to deliver the cover, and then you all will be receiving the newest Blood & Ancient Scrolls story for free! I am honestly as excited to get it out to you as you (hopefully) are to receive it!

I had made a cover, back when I was worried that I was going to have to take the Bauhaus lyrics out.

I’m attaching the old cover to amuse you. It was something I whipped together in a couple hours in Photoshop, as I was starting to worry I’d have to cut out all the Bauhaus lyrics, and while it still would have been a fine story, it was written around the lyrics of Bela Lugosi’s Dead, and was strongest, richest with those lyrics included.

Obviously, Kwasi’s cover will be better! But still, I thought you’d enjoy seeing this

Happily, thanks to Harry The Bestest Lawyer, I can now stamp “Bauhuas Approved” on the story as is, and there are literally two steps to getting the story into your hands: 1.) getting the cover art from Kwasi and finishing the cover layout and 2.) taking some hours and setting up the “funnel” (which is a hellish multistep process through three different applications: Bookfunnel —> Zapier —> Beehiiv) and always involves a certain amount of frustrated hair-tearing before it’s finally working correctly. Anyway, after the final fun cover design step and the hair-tearing step, I will be so glad to send you an email with the link!

I Can’t Talk About This Yet…

There are some potential really BIG news items for the series, and I want to burble all about them right here, right now, but of course I can’t. And I don’t really have control over when I’ll be able to make those announcements. But, there are really good big things on the horizon, and I will share them just as soon as I am able!

One Good Thing I CAN Talk About

“That Lesbian Vampire Pirates Story” is done and with the editor for the final editing pass!

The cover reveal is imminent! This story will actually be rolling out with less delay and more immediateness, and some immediate gratification is something I think we could all use, right about now!

This will start out in ebook, but then there are plans to get this novelette printed as an adorable little chapbook, to go on the shelf beside the rest of the series. (And eventually end up in a collection…but you’d have to wait for me to write the other stories in the collection, so no one wants that!)

After this story drops, I will be able to full immerse myself in Book IV (which is more vampire pirates, in case you were worried that a novelette would not fulfill your capacious cravings for such. All the stories recently (“Interview with the Vagabond King,” etc.) have actually been “get to know these characters you’ll see more of in Book IV,” which is the only upside of life getting in the way of me continuing to write Book IV: since I know a fair bit of what is coming, and had already started compiling lists of characters, I could start dropping short stories about those characters in advance of the novel being published, instead of doing a collection of supplementary stories of side characters after the fact. So, once you finally get your hands on Book IV, you’ll have the treat of knowing some of the new faces when they show up “onscreen.”

Speaking of “Interview with the Vagabond King”

Now that we will have “Finding Bela Lugosi” as the free story, I’ve moved “Interview with the Vagabond King” over to Amazon to be a 99c story, to help new readers find the series.

However, the story has no reviews, because it’s never been listed anywhere to receive reviews before! So, if you read the story and enjoyed it, would you please pop up to:

And leave a rating, maybe a review as well? It doesn’t have to take much of your time, but if I could build up some reviews that would really help it be discovered by the next generation of readers of the Blood & Ancient Scrolls series.

(Thank you, as always, for all the ways you support this grateful author!)

More Vampire Reader Questions Answered!

Thanks to the fabulous Terrance for this question!

I hope this inspires you to ask a question about vampires, either in general or about the am’r in particular.

And, also, I may live to regret this, but I’m also making this a general AMA — is there something you’d like to know about my life before writing the series? Are there more stories you want from my years of working in a nightclub, and otherwise being a Child Of The Night? Ask me anything!

To everyone who made it this far, you’re fucking amazing and I adore you! Until next time, be good or be good at it! 😘

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: drop me a note 📨

💞 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

SHOP PAPERBACKS:

Blood Ex Libris

Blood Demands

Blood Eternal

Blood Triad

SHOP EBOOKS & AUDIOBOOKS:

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Do You Have Merch Demands?

https://forms.gle/Vtzcs5PigWmrcBHt5

This year I’m getting serious about merch to support my readers, so just tell me what you demand and I’ll make it for you! 🥰

You can choose more than one item, and please do! This form won’t save your email address, and is totally private. Taking a moment to tell me what merch you’re interested in will really help — thank you! 🙏

“Finding Bela Lugosi” is ALIVE ALIVE ALIVE!

My tongue piercing was new!

In college, in front of my

Bela Lugosi’s Dead poster

As you may recall from a previous newsletter, the story behind this story is longer than, well, the story 😂😭 But there is an update that ties it all up in a nice knot! 🎁

One of the readers of this newsletter works in a music rights company, and reached out to help me get a happy ending to this story.

This is the power of you readers. I can write the stories, yes, but so much of getting the stories out into the world is actually something you can control. Usually, it’s something like pre-orders or Kickstarters, but this reader of the series got a bit more hands-on, and helped me find the actual lawyer who works for Bauhaus in this capacity.

Harry, the lawyer, turned out to be not only a delight to correspond with, but someone who actually wanted to help things along. (This is the more-fiction-than-fiction part of the story…) Anyway, Harry sent the story to the lads in Bauhaus, sent them occasional reminders to read it and get back to him, and at the end of last week, wrote to me to say that all the members of the band had signed off on me using the lyrics in my story!

This is the first place I’m announcing it, because you newsletter readers are the best of the readers of the series—as made clear by this story! I cannot express strongly enough how exciting this is for me: first off, Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, David J, and Kevin Haskins have all read a story by me, now! And not just that, liked it enough to say, “We approve: go ahead and use these lyrics in your story!”

“Finding Bela Lugosi” is going to be a free story for everyone who signs up for the newsletter, which means that you will get your copy automagically, as you’re already signed up.

It would be ready to put in this very newsletter, except that I got so excited by the news that I asked the amazing Kwasi to make a cover for this story. I had made a rough-and-ready one of my own, when I was unsure if I could even use the Bauhaus lyrics. But after the lads gave their OK, I decided that a proper Kwasi cover had to happen, so he is in the process of drawing it as you read this, and so “Finding Bela Lugosi” will likely show up in the next newsletter. And maybe I should have saved the whole announcement until then…but I was just so thrilled and excited and need to tell you about it!

Answering Reader Questions: Send Yours In!

I’m starting a new series of videos answering reader questions. You lot always have the best questions, stuff I could only dream of readers asking, because you are a bunch of inquisitive, smart (and smart-alec!) free-thinkers whose brain-hamsters definitely run on some really cool wheels! So hit reply and email me (or send me voice messages in the IG or Facebook messaging apps) and I will will make a video just for you!

Those Lesbian Vampire Pirates are buckling some swashes! (Also Friggin’ In The Riggin’ 😉)

I’m well-stuck in to taking that short story up to a novella. Basically, my editor sent the story back to me and told me that it needed to be about double in length. We all know that writing short fiction is truly painful for me, so padding this bish up instead of cutting it down is an honest treat that I will probably never experience again.

One of the things being added is a second naval battle scene (at my editor’s unambiguous demand… and if you can call a raw amateur boat attack on the Hudson River a “naval battle” 😂) So I’m living in a world of jibs and gaff-rigged sloops and the deck moving under my feet as I try to choreograph the fighting. (Don’t worry! While this wee skirmish is a riverine affair, a real blue water pirate battle happens later in the story, promise!)

Some of this is being made more accessible by me relistening to the Patrick O’Brian “Aubreyad” (yes, all twenty-one books!) I know there are a few fans of that series who read this newsletter, and “A glass with you!” For those who have never dipped their toes, you’ll see the influence on my writing in the brisk action scenes and the unexpected humor and the untranslated use of foreign languages—although I do offer that nice glossary at the end of the books! Basically, Patrick O’Brian added at least 30% more nerdery to my series. I highly recommend them in audiobook read by Patrick Tull.

Master and Commander Audiobook on Libro.fm

It is the dawn of the nineteenth century; Britain is at war with Napoleon’s France. Jack Aubrey, a young lieutenant in Nelson’s navy, is promoted to command of H.M.S. Sophie?, an old, slow brig unlikely to make his fortune. But Captain Aubrey is a brave and gifted seaman, his thirst for adventure and victory immense. With the aid of his friend…

libro.fm/audiobooks/9781501992551-master-and-commander

I was going to write more about my writing process, but I find I just want to get back to that actual writing, and this newsletter is long enough, so I’ll save that for a future one. Just know that new stories are almost in your hot lil’ hands!

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To everyone who made it this far, you’re fucking amazing! Until next time, be good or be good at it! 😘

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: drop me a note 📨

💞 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

SHOP PAPERBACKS:

Blood Ex Libris

Blood Demands

Blood Eternal

Blood Triad

SHOP EBOOKS & AUDIOBOOKS:

Grab the whole series in Amazon’s KU