Hey Friends of the Am’r,

The results of the Villaintine’s poll were interesting: it was a three-way tie!

The other obvious result of this poll was that you lot didn’t like the polling option offered by Beehiiv. There’s currently 56 of you (welcome newcomers! ?) and since only nine of you made it through to vote, I’m thinking the fact that you had to login to do so made most of you bounce.

So if I want engagement with you all, I’m going to have to figure out other ways…

Let’s try this poll thing again, but with a difference. I’m going to make a second poll, but if you can’t be arsed to login to do the poll itself—which I totally get!—just hit “reply” and send me a one-letter answer to the following question.

I am doing a second short story in the Am’r universe. (Because my Marketing Gal Friday has demanded it…but I’m making it fun for myself) I’ve narrowed it down to two options for the next story:

If you don’t want to formally do the poll through the Beehiiv site, then just hit reply and let me know 1 or 2!

The other short story that I’ve done is with the sensitivity editor now! This story will be used to entice people to sign up for the newsletter. Which means that you lot will get this free story, because you, lovely reader, are already signed up. What excellent taste you have! This also means that I will have to figure out how to securely automate sending free stories to people who sign up, which will either be straightforward or a nightmare, we shall see! 

I did a fun reply to a reel on Instagram yesterday, for those of you who didn’t see it, here it is:

Instagram post by @raven.belasco

Here’s the review from the person who was dismayed by all the time Noosh talks about having to use the potty in the first book.

It really goes to show that as an author, I cannot make everyone happy. Dan and I were totally on the same wavelength: that that level of reality is vital, and not having it throws us out of the story. But this reviewer was clearly grossed out that Noosh even mentions it, never mind mentions it more than once. (I think it comes up like five or six times in the story? Noosh really has more on her mind than needing a wee!)

As I move forward with the short story, I’m also doing a thousand thousand other things to prepare to Blood Triad’s publication, getting IIP rolling as an effective business, and then other life stuff, like, you know, training Archie to be the best service animal / co-author he can be.

I’m actually remembering to do my recommendations! And I actually have a book recommendation, for once!

I only picked this book up because a friend noted it was set in the town in which I’m currently residing. I never saw the show “Spenser for Hire” nor read any of this series. I actually took it out it from our local library and all!

I was so pleasantly surprised! I love the writing: crisp prose with occasional lines of sheer poetry.

I really cannot go into why I loved it so much without too many spoilers, but suffice it to say that I ended up taking the day off and reading the book cover to cover. If you are looking for a book that gets you thinking in surprising ways, has a wonderful and strong Black character (even though it was written in 1981 by a white man) and just leaves the action about halfway through to go build a house in the woods (don’t worry, plenty of action follows!), this is what you’re looking for. It’s honestly a lovely, refreshing surprise. I wish I had more spare time right now, or I would plough through this entire series right away.

For my music rec, I love this moody, soft-goth instrumental piece perfect for late winter: Crushed Velvet by Molly Lewis and Thee Sacred Souls

Have a wonderful two weeks, and I’ll see ya in March!

Hey all,

In my enthusiasm to get out yesterday’s newsletter, I managed to miss two important items, and I think I put the poll too far down in the newsletter, and I really had been looking forward to interacting with you all ?

So, let’s do it again with spirit this time! ?

First off, I didn’t manage to get out the link to the Amazon ebook sale that’s celebrating the glorious Bad Guy-ness of Kurgan. Blood Ad Infinitum is just $1.99, so if you don’t already have it, go snag it now!

Also, I had meant to drop in this song I’ve really been enjoying: Happy man’s shoes by TORRES, which has a pleasing gothy feel ?

OK, now, here’s that poll again, this time above the card options

And here are your choices again. Which I hope have given you a smile, or possibly a smirk ?

OK, thanks for indulging me, everyone ? We’ll go back to your normally scheduled every two weeks newsletter schedule now. Have satisfying and rewarding February ?

I promised an extra newsletter with a SALE, and here I am delivering❣️

This year, February 14th is all about ?VILLAINS? and who best to celebrate the day with than our “Biggest Bad” so far in the series: KURGAN

shivers down spine

Kurgan steps onstage in Blood Ad Infinitum. You know it’s Book III in the series, but it can be read standalone and enjoyed even if you haven’t already dived into Blood Ex Libris and Blood Sine Qua Non…

To celebrate, I’ve dropped the price for the SIGNED PAPERBACK to only $14.99 for this week only: GRAB IT NOW!

I’ve made three versions of our Kurgan “Villaintine,” but can’t decide which is my favorite! Please help me figure out which is best by choosing A, B, or C. Poll under the images…

Please forward this newsletter to anyone who you think would enjoy this poll. It will make the outcome much more exciting, the more people who participate. I’ll announce the winner in the next newsletter ?

OK, happy Villaintine’s Day tomorrow. If you have someone you are celebrating with, have a wonderful time. If it’s a solo Feb 14th for you this year, Kurgan and the other am’r are ready and waiting to keep you warm… ?

Hey all!

I’m really delighted to have the newsletter to work on today, because I’ve been laying out the new cover in Adobe InDesign, and can I just say how much I hate working in InDesign? But we’re a small company, so anything we can keep in-house, we must, and that means I am stuck laying out the books, because I technically can, even if it makes me miserable for a few days, every time a book is ready for publication ?

We need to grow this company fast, so that I can find an employee to do all layout stuff, and never have to deal with InDesign again ?

Actually, that brings up a point. I talk about “we” and “our company,” but you haven’t met the other two people who are involved. That’s all about to change! We spent December and January having many meetings and writing up a business plan for the year, and generally doing the “fake it ‘til you make it” model, which, according to one business advisor we talked to, said that that is literally the only business model there is. Which made us feel better! ?

I can do a “soft announcement” here about the company name change, since I really didn’t talk about the old company name. I was so stressed out when we first formed the LLC that I had no space left for imagination for coming up with a good company name, and we just went with Raven Belasco, LLC because it was the easiest thing in the moment. But I’ve regretted it, since, and so a bunch of meetings went into choosing the new name: ??? Immoral Influence Publications.

Here is the relevant quote which inspired it:

Anyway, I spent last week creating a logo, below, and I’ll be spending this week making a website. Happily, social media will be in the hands of our Marketing Gal Friday, who you will get to know in an upcoming newsletter after the site goes up…

We also now have a third in the team, and she will be getting lots of attention in future newsletters, so I’ll just leave that as a tease for now…

You were all lovely and patient when I was teasing about the cover last newsletter, so in reward, here is one of the four “faces” on the cover. Here is a character you know from Blood Ex Libris, Blood Sine Qua Non, and from “Abyssinia,” the inimitable Astryiah!

In “Abyssinia” in Blood Triad you get her backstory!

Greetings, friends! I have so much news for you!

I am just preparing Blood Triad to roll into the early stages of publication. It won’t be available to buy until May, but I will let you know when pre-orders are ready.

As the “triad” part of the name indicates, it’s three novellas, set in the world of the Blood & Ancient Scrolls series. Teeth Are Bones and Abyssinia you may have already read in other anthologies, but it also includes a brand-spankin’-new story, with Dubhghall and Wulfhram (who you met in the Rave Cave in Blood Ex Libris, and have seen show up in time for battle in other books) sharing the story of how they met and how they became am’r. It was an amazing story to write (and a delight to research) and I am really excited to share it with you. The editors enjoyed it, and I hope you will…well, eventually.

Why am I getting the book ready now, but publishing in May, you ask? Well, the first reason is that a number of the bigger review places require you send in a book three months before publication. Call me old fashioned, but I like getting reviewed in Publisher’s Weekly. It makes me feel like a real author. So we’re making our publishing schedule more like a big publishing house’s schedule and less like an indie schedule could be, because I want our books to be taken seriously.

The other reason is that, in republishing the first three books in the Blood & Ancient Scrolls series, we found out just how many moving parts there are in publishing a book, and how many stages there are where things can get tied up along the way. For me to plan to publish a book about six months after typing “The End” is something that’s been learned the hard way, trust me.

The cover is coming along SO EXCITINGLY and I want to sneak you a peak…but no, I must steel myself. But I can’t wait to do the cover reveal. We’re working with Kwasi again, who did the first three covers, and he’s really taking it to the next level…

I was just working on the Index Of Foreign Phrases for Blood Triad, and it made me realize that you can tell so much about the work as a whole from just that index along. So I thought I’d drop in a selection of words/phrases from all three stories, just to give you a taste:

And if that list doesn’t make you want to buy the book, honestly I don’t know what will ?‍♀️

New Co-Writer on the team!

So, as you loyal newsletter readers know, we lost Cairngorm McWomble the Terrible, my beloved co-writer, back in November. He stayed around long enough to help me type “The End” on Blood Brothers, and then he needed not to be in his poor sick body any longer. I think you all know how intensely I have been grieving him.

But, apparently, he is still around watching over things. He sent me my next co-writer for all my stories (and if I wrote all the weird coincidences that lead it to be very clear that Cairngorm sent him along, this newsletter would be waaaaay too long), so may I present to you ??? Archibald Aleister McWomble, scion of that noble line ? He will be taking me on walkies when the plotting gets tricky from now on, and I am very grateful for that ?

OK, let’s call this newsletter done, and there will be plenty of news and exciting stuff for two weeks from now. I hope all of your later winters are being not-too-exciting, weather-wise, and that you’ve made the transition to 2024 smoothly ?

Bet you weren’t expecting to hear from me anytime soon ? But I have indeed turned over that new leaf that I keep saying I’ll turn over, so now you’re getting an extra wee newsletter a week early ?

First off, welcome new readers! As you can see from the previous paragraph, you arrive in exciting new times, in which this newsletter will actually be gotten out regularly. The Old Heads around here can tell harrowing tales of when whole months went by and I neglected their fabulous selves. But you whippersnappers won’t have to suffer as they did… ?

Secondly, I have some advice I need to ask of you. As the advertising campaign finally kicks into high gear, I need seven other authors I can compare myself to, or compare the Blood & Ancient Scrolls series to their works. It is preferred that they be popular authors now, so even though I feel like my work best compares to the AMAZING Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, it seems no one is reading her wonderful Saint-Germain series anymore—their loss, seriously, and if you like the history, sensual aspects of vampirism, and horror of my series, go dive into hers!

But that really doesn’t help me with effective advertising. I have been compared to Anne Rice and Charlaine Harris in reviews. That’s two. But I need five more, and honestly, I don’t have time to read current vampire stuff. I barely have time to read any fiction, because most of my reading focus is on whatever part of history I am researching for the next story about the am’r. So lots of nonfiction in my life, these days, and very little fiction. I do it for you, my dear readers! ?‍♀️ (But I’m also not complaining. I’ve always wanted the excuse to do more deep dives in history.)

So would you please hit reply to this email, and suggest as many similar authors as you can think of? You’d help this author out immensely!

Thirdly, I have some fun news. My Marketing Gal Friday has basically demanded that I write two short stories in the world of the am’r, for various promotional uses. I, wanting to get stuck into the next novel, whinged and moaned about this, although her explanation of why those stories were needed was unarguable. My final whinge was, “Well, those stories can’t be set in any place/time I have to do research for! I don’t have time to research these damn stories!” And she calmly pointed out to me that I’ve done a metric fuckton of research for the upcoming novel, so why not write up some stories about some of the am’r pirate minor characters that we all know I will sprinkle into the novel.

“Oh.” I said, utterly defeated. I immediately had one character in mind who is going to be a minor character but who deserves so much more…

So look out for news of short stories (I promise I will keep them short! No novellas! Real short stories!) coming up, basically as hors d’oeuvres to the next novel ???

Also, it’s very good to work with people who know how to manage you ?

Anyway, that’s all the news that’s fit to print, for now. I’ll be back with an update next week. Really!

Oh, and before I sign off, don’t forget my 3-Book-Special going on right now on my website! Treat yourself, or get your holiday shopping further along with less stress! (And yes, I really will wrap your books and send them directly to your loved ones, if you request that service. This is probably the last year I will be able to offer the wrapping service for free, if at all, so get it while the gettin’s good!)

Buy Blood Ex Libris

Exciting news! Blood Ex Libris is now available in ***paperback***If you don’t do e-book formats, and have been wanting to hold this novel in your hot little hands, go over to Amazon right now and find out what all the fuss has been about!

“I haven’t done this in years… stayed up all night reading a book, that is. While I do love a good read, I simply can’t keep my eyes open all night anymore. Except for this book. I could not put it down, could not stop reading, and also could not fall asleep.”

“I have to say, Blood Ex Libris is a real page turner! I usually pass out pretty early In the evening, but have been staying up late each night to read more about Noosh and her adventures, always reading a few chapters more than I set out to…It’s got all the elements: supernatural fantasy, horror, humor, action, and oh yes, it’s steamy!”

“This story is entirely original. I have read so many vampire stories and the way this one evolved was brand new. The characters are so lovable and the plot so twisty I am sure you’ll love it.”

“I didn’t know what to expect from this book, but it sounded fun and I liked the cover art. Three days later, I’m very happy I took the gamble, because I really enjoyed this book! The main characters have fantastic chemistry, and the smutty bits of their adventures are as sweet as they are kinky (yes, I flipped back to the naughty parts a few times)… The prose is lush and descriptive, and Noosh and Sandu’s world provided a welcome escape from reality, which you probably need as much as I do.”

Are you ready for the ride of your life?

Buy Blood Ex Libris

Buy Blood Ex Libris

I’m so excited! And what an auspicious day to launch a writing career!

Here’s the first person version of the blurb:

Blood, sex and swords. And don’t forget flamethrowers. And one librarian, in over her head.

How did I get here: covered in blood and holding a sword I can’t use?

It all started when the dark and mysterious stranger showed up at my children’s reading hour. Of course I noticed him. I’d been single (and bored) for longer than I care to admit. Me, I’m Anushka (Noosh) Rosetti, head librarian.

He turned out to be a vampire. And not just any vampire: Vlad Dracula. Although he goes by another name these days, and he says he’s changed his violent ways. He definitely seemed more of a lover than a fighter. At first.

In a whirlwind of sex and blood-drinking, I made a crucial but impulsive decision: share blood with him a third time, and give up normal human society forever, making my life among the “am’r”—that’s what the vampires call themselves.

The whirlwind just keeps spinning faster. Before I know it, I’m at an am’r summit meeting—and then, abducted by Vlad’s oldest enemy. He’s hoping to use me to undo all of my lover and my new family’s plans to save am’r society from tearing itself apart.

I thought I was just going to archive some ancient books, but somehow I have to keep myself from being used as a pawn by the craziest bad guy ever, escape back to the good guys (and I’m not sure how “good” they really are) across a desert (I don’t even know what country I’m in!) and not be killed in the process. I don’t know how I will survive the next five minutes, never mind save my beloved’s life, too….

Blood Ex Libris is the first book in a brand new, dark urban fantasy series mixing horror, history, and blood-soaked romance featuring a snarky librarian heroine, a sensual but complex hero in the story of a life that unfolds in unexpected ways from humdrum to death-defying thrills, from Middle America to the middle of an unknown desert, surrounded by sword-fighting, explosions, and the ultimate drama of immortals meeting death.

Buy Blood Ex Libris

Much excitement here! After me sticking my fingers probably too much in the pie and annoying everyone, the cover will soon be finished and I am so excited about the artist who is doing my cover — I can’t wait for the cover reveal!

The MS will all too soon be back from its final edit, and to say I’m nervous is to not tell a lie. I started this journey so long ago. This manuscript has been through so many versions and so many edits. But this is the one that counts — after this, words get printed onto paper, and it’s all REAL. So it’s a bit scary! What have I missed? What have I gotten wrong? Argggh!

I can only hope there will be enough fanatic readers of the series that they will catch my mistakes and keep me on my toes. I’ve been a fangirl, and will always be a fangirl. I’m counting on fangirl and fanboys, and if you all don’t show up, it will break my heart….

Exciting news everyone! Listen to me and bunch of smart and witty people talking about vampires and sex and blood (I kinda make that conversation happen wherever I go… )

If you need a bit of a distraction from the current news cycle, this is just what Doctor Frankenstein ordered! from Raven Belasco https://ift.tt/34dvWYYvia IFTTT