Brittle Bonds is Live!

I'm incredibly happy to be able to announce that the next installment of Va'del and Jain's story, Brittle Bonds, is now live.

The Setup:
Va'del has saved his people for the second time in as many months.  This time he's determined to take what is rightfully his and marry Jain, but not everyone is happy with his accomplishments. Old enemies are preparing to see to it that Va'del and Jain never return home.

The coming treachery will do more than threaten Va'del and Jain's lives. It will test their devotion to each other and start them down a path that could lead to the overthrow of an entire civilization.

Brittle Bonds is available from:
Amazon US ($4.99)
Amazon UK (GBP 2.99)
iTunes ($4.99)
Barnes & Noble ($4.99)
Smashwords ($4.99)
Kobo ($4.99)

In Other News:
We managed to get four novels up between August, when I started writing full-time, and Christmas.  That means we've worked through my entire backlist and there aren't any more novels waiting in the wings to be published.

You'll be glad to know however that I'm 42,000 words into the sequel to Forsaken, which I'm calling TWB, and that once I finish TWB I'll be diving right into the fourth Guadel Chronicles novel.

As always, thank you all for waiting so patiently for Brittle Bonds.  It's been the better part of a decade since I first sat down to write Frozen Prospects and I'm incredibly excited to finally have the third installment out so that you all can read it.

Finally, thanks for all you do to help spread the word; may you all have an enjoyable holiday season.

--Dean

New Alec and Adri Book, Forsaken, is Live!

I'm incredibly happy to be able to announce that the next installment of Alec and Adri's story, Forsaken, is now live just one week after Trapped became available for purchase.

The Setup:
The power he needs to protect his friends and family is just outside of Alec Graves' reach. The dominant shape shifter pack in North America is circling like vultures and there are other, more savage opponents approaching in the distance.

Given the danger he's in, Alec doesn't have time for a broken heart, but Adri's departure has left him barely able to function. The pressures inside his pack are building to lethal levels and for the first time in his life, he's not sure he can walk the path that honor demands of him.

Walking out on Alec was the hardest thing Adri had ever done, but she didn't bargain for the long-term impacts that would be involved. She hasn't been able to get past her feelings for him yet and it's starting to impact nearly every aspect of her life.

Even more concerning, she now knows what the darkness really hides. Dangers that she thought she'd left behind in Sanctuary are stalking her again, but this time Alec's pack isn't in a position to protect her.

Forsaken is available from:
Amazon US ($4.99)
Amazon UK (GBP 2.99)
iTunes ($4.99)
Barnes & Noble ($4.99)
Smashwords ($4.99)
Kobo ($4.99)

In Other News:
I haven't forgotten about all of you Guadel Chronicles fans.  Brittle Bonds is in the final stages of editing and I should have it in shape to upload within the next few days.  Given current lead times on iTunes it's starting to look doubtful that Brittle Bond will be available for sale there or on Kobo before Christmas, but with any luck it should still go live at Amazon, B&N and Smashwords before the holidays arrive.  The vast bulk of the Guadel Chronicles fans are Amazon shoppers, which ultimately is part of the reason that I prioritized these last few books the way I have, but I'm still very sorry that the iTunes based fans won't see it go live for a little while until after Christmas.  If you're desperate for your fix you can always download the kindle app to your reader of choice or purchase from Smashwords and side load the .epub file onto your normal reading device.

For any of you planning on skipping Trapped and going straight to Forsaken, I'd like to put one last plug in for you to reconsider.  I'm very proud of how Trapped turned out, but more importantly it introduces two characters whose lives are going to be pivotal in helping Alec and Adri get where they need to go. I'd hate for you to pick up Forsaken and spend parts of the book scratching your head because you'd missed out on the back story in Forsaken.

As always, thank you all for waiting so patiently while I got Forsaken finally ready to go and for all you do to help spread the word, may you all have an enjoyable holiday season.

--Dean

Brittle Bonds Cover Reveal and Blurb Voting

I'm excited to be able to show you all the cover for the third Guadel Chronicles book, Brittle Bonds!

I've also pasted in three different blurbs below and would love to have you vote in the comments as to which is your favorite blurb.  If you think that none of them are any good you can tell me that as well and I'll go back to the drawing board. :)

Blurb 1

Va'del has saved his people for the second time in as many months.  This time he's determined to take what is rightfully his and marry Jain, but not everyone is happy with his accomplishments. Old enemies are preparing to see to it that Va'del and Jain never return home.

The coming treachery will do more than threaten Va'del and Jain's lives. It will test their devotion to each other and start them down a path that could lead to the overthrow of an entire civilization.

Blurb 2

Before Va'del and Jain left with the food caravan to the lowlands there were signs that something wasn't right at the Capital.  Being imprisoned and almost killed distracted everyone in the caravan from the problems back home for a while. Now that they are headed back up the mountain things are getting serious, and the closer they get to their destination, the bleaker things look. 

Va'del  wants nothing more than to make it home and marry Jain, but instead the two of them are thrust into a dangerous new environment that will test not just their skills and determination, but also their commitment to each other.

Blurb 3

Va'del has clawed his way up through the ranks of his people's military despite everything the establishment did to try and stop him. He and Jain have saved their civilization twice now, but there are still those that would stand in the way of the two of them marrying and becoming a nearly unbeatable force on the battlefield.

The return trip back up to the top of the mountain range that their people called home was something everyone knew would be dangerous, but hidden perils quickly force the two of them in unexpected directions. Cut off from the rest of their party and in the greatest danger of their lives, the two of them will be forced to endure a test of their commitment to each other that could tear them apart.

More than just their relationship rides on their ability to navigate the trials ahead of them. Part of the cabal that has been striking at them from the shadows is just about to make its presence known and this time there is a whole new set of innocents in danger.

Thanks again everyone for your help wading through these blurbs.  Blurb writing is my least-favorite part of all of this.

--Dean

Trapped is Live!

Thanks for hanging in there with me.  It's taken a bit longer than I expected, but Trapped is now live and available for purchase in all of the usual places.


The Setup:
Kristin has always been firmly grounded in reality. Trading in small-town Idaho for an Ivy-League school wasn't going to be an easy proposition and making it happen wasn't going to leave her time for unnecessary things like crushes on boys.

Kristin is about to find out that all of the creatures she thought were nothing more than myth are actually quite real. One of the worst of them is after her, an unstoppable killing machine that will chase her across a continent.

Kristin is completely out of her depth. Her one hope is a mysterious guy with dangerous skills and a dark past. He's the kind of guy that Kristin knows she shouldn't get involved with, but as their attraction grows it becomes apparent that being with him is going to require an even bigger sacrifice than she realized.

What fans are saying about Trapped:
...a kind of paranormal version of The Terminator, with an ordinary human being pursued across half a continent by a relentless killing machine. I’m [really liked] the high-octane action sequences.. —RJ Locksley

Dean Murray excels in showing a story rather than just telling one.  Trapped is a well-written and fast-paced story with intriguing and likable characters....one of Murray's best tales yet. —Kim Allred

Trapped is available:

From Amazon US ($3.99)
From Amazon UK (GBP 2.49)
From Barnes & Noble (currently $3.99)
From Smashwords ($3.99)
From iTunes ($3.99)
From Kobo ($3.99)

If for some reason you're on the fence about this one, please go out and at least download the sample.  In addition to the gripping story, I've also sprinkled in a bit more of the shape shifter history that some of you have been clamoring for more of.

In other news, I still need a review or two for the product page on the blog, so if you end up loving Trapped and want to e-mail me a review, there is a good chance that I'll end up quoting you here on my blog!

As always, thanks for all you do to help spread the word.  I've got a lot more action and romance on the way still for you all!  Forsaken is done with editing and I've started uploading it to the major retailing sites, so it should be available for purchase sometime in the next ten days or so.

--Dean

Forsaken Blurb Help + Cover Reveal

Hi, everyone.

It seemed like those of you who voted on the blurb for Trapped quite enjoyed being able to provide feedback, so I'm continuing the tradition and adding in a vote for possible covers as well.

I've got another three blurbs pasted into the post below. As always, I'd love to hear from you. Just use the comments section to let me know which blurb and cover combination is your favorite. I feel better about these blurbs generally than the ones for Brittle Bonds (which I'll be posting soon), but you can still tell me that they all stink and that I need to go back to the drawing board. :)

Here are the covers:

They are very, very similar.  The second one has a slightly darker background to it and the third has a watermark across the background.

 

Here are the blurbs:

Blurb 1
The power he needs to protect his friends and family is just outside of Alec Graves' reach. The dominant shape shifter pack in North America is circling like vultures and there are other, more savage opponents approaching in the distance.

Given the danger he's in, Alec doesn't have time for a broken heart, but Adri's departure has left him barely able to function. The pressures inside his pack are building to lethal levels and for the first time in his life, he's not sure he can walk the path that honor demands of him.

Walking out on Alec was the hardest thing Adri had ever done, but she didn't bargain for the long-term impacts that would be involved. She hasn't been able to get past her feelings for him yet and it's starting to impact nearly every aspect of her life.

Even more concerning, she now knows what the darkness really hides. Dangers that she thought she'd left behind in Sanctuary are stalking her again, but this time Alec's pack isn't in a position to protect her.

Blurb 2
Shape shifter Alec Graves has kept his pack together against overwhelming odds but he can feel things starting to spin out of control. A steady stream of challengers are already lining up to try and take control of his pack and the contests will be to the death.

His most trusted lieutenants are at each other's throats and a strange sickness has started infecting some of his pack members, but he can't seem to find a path that will allow him to skirt ruin and fulfill his obligations. Even worse, he's not sure he cares to continue the fight anymore.

Adriana Paige is friendless and alone in New York City. It would be an intimidating prospect for anyone, but she knows that the shadows of the big city conceal supernatural dangers that she's ill-equipped to handle.

As both Alec and Adri's worlds teeter on the edge of ruin it's quickly becoming apparent that their actions will impact each other in ways they can't foresee.

Blurb 3
Not every girl would have the courage to walk away from a boyfriend worth billions of dollars, but that's exactly what Adri did. It wasn't because she didn't love Alec, but because she couldn't be part of his violent, unforgiving world.

Now Adri is alone in New York and quickly realizing that while she left Alec, his world isn't going to let her just walk out on it.

Alec should be on the top of the world. He defeated the alpha of a rival shape shifter pack and then proceeded to stand off the thugs sent by the dominant pack. The victory wasn't bloodless though and Adri's departure has sent Alec into a tailspin that even he can see won't end well.

Enemies, both old and new, are preparing to destroy the Sanctuary pack and it's starting to appear as though the only hope for Adri and Alec's friends and families rests in a reconciliation between the two of them.

Thanks again, everyone. I'm really excited for Forsaken to go live!

--Dean

A Big Book Promo!

A couple of developments have occurred that you all ought to know about. Firstly, I've joined another group of authors and we’re doing a joint promotion (The Winter Escapes Promotion), so starting tomorrow (the 7th through the 14th) we all have books that are either free or priced at $.99.

Additionally, we'll be giving away giftcards to Amazon, B&N, and iTunes. I haven't read any of their work yet myself (editing, etc. for Trapped, Brittle Bonds, and Forsaken has practically leveled me), but you all ought to stop by and see if anything catches your eye. The hope is that we'll each get some of our fans to swing by the site and that it will result in some cross pollination. So hopefully more Reflections fans will be coming onboard over the next few days as we head into the last little while before the next Alec and Adri book goes live.

Part of the idea behind the promotion is that we'll each post a little write up of one of our character's favorite winter memories as a way to help lure fans to the site. Hopefully you'll all be happy to hear that I'll be putting up two short pieces, one for each of our favorite Reflections characters. The second one should be a tug at your heartstrings moment as you realized just what a certain someone had in store for a certain someone else. The other is more of a teaser. If you read my first blog post on the promo site, The Greater Darkness, and Forsaken, you’ll find a common thread between the three of them.

The common thread is a big deal, but the full story there isn't going to become apparent for a while still. The plan is for me to peel back some of the secrecy around this particular part of the 'myth arc' little by little, but I'd like to start that process now. For the first fan to read The Greater Darkness, the first post on the Winter Escapes Promo Site, and the next Alec and Adri book (still due out around Christmas), and then come back here and correctly identify the important common thread between all three, will get a signed copy of Broken and Torn when I get them into print (still a couple of months away at least). To make sure that I know where to send the prize when it’s done, send me an e-mail with your comment pasted into the body of the e-mail right after you post your comment. Then I’ll have the contact information for the winner so that I can get a mailing address.

Thanks,

--Dean

How Much Is Too Much?

You'll want to swing by more often than normal for the next week or two. I'll be announcing a contest in the next day or two and after that there will be cover reveals for the next Alec and Adri book (Forsaken) and the third Guadel Chronicles book (Brittle Bonds).

In the meantime, I have another topic that has been rattling around in my head for a few weeks now. One of the challenges that comes along with social media is exactly how much familiarity a given individual should incorporate into their ‘professional’ persona. I've debated this a little and it seems like it’s probably past time for me to formalize what I've been doing so that you all have an idea of what I’m trying to accomplish.

One possible route would be to do like David A. Wells has done and have no interaction with his fan base (at least not that I can see). He has a webpage and occasionally adds an update post, but I couldn't find anywhere that he had an e-mail address and I haven’t seen him respond to fans on the Amazon forums yet.

Another route would be to just throw everything about me up where you could all see it. Some celebrities seem to get a lot of mileage out of that approach, but I think it requires a personality type that I don’t have. Plus I’d rather you just buy my books because that’s what you like to read, not because I've created some kind of personality cult (even assuming I could pull that off, which is very doubtful).

In between those two extremes is an almost infinite continuum. Obviously I’m not interested in the flamboyant cram-me-and-my-opinions-down-your-throat approach, but I’m also finding that I legitimately enjoy interacting with my readers to the extent that time permits. I like responding to the occasional e-mail and getting your take on a given book. As more and more of you arrive, there may come a time when I have to take a more David A. Wells approach, but for now this is my general plan:

My mailing list e-mails will just be straightforward communications to let you all know that something I've written is now available for purchase, either because it’s a new release or because I've managed to get it out in a new format. I won’t tell you when I found a new series I like, I won’t go on and on about my writing process or anything else that you might not want to hear about, but you’ll always be the first to know when I've got a new book up for you to go take a look at.

My blog will be a bit more familiar and you’ll get a bit more of ‘Dean’ in it. I’ll stay away from religion and politics, but you’ll probably get semi-regular updates about how things are going with my latest work in progress; and when I find a new epic fantasy, urban fantasy, or YA paranormal romance series that really blows me away, I’ll probably let you all know. You’ll always find out when something new goes lives, but generally a few days behind the mailing list, mostly because I tend to batch blog information so there isn’t a new post every couple of days.

Twitter will tend to be a bit more random. You’ll get the occasional ‘Holy cow I just added x,xxx words to xyz manuscript type posts and a bit more interaction with some of you readers that choose to drop me a tweet from time to time.

I hope that helps a little and gives you all a chance to ‘self-select’ what kind of information you get from me.

If there is something you would like to see added to the blog please let me know in the comments to this post. Some of you have e-mailed asking more about my writing process and I've answered those as one-offs, but if a lot of you are curious about something, I’m happy to try and work in a blog post about it, it just make take a while for me to get to it (Sorry Louise).

I've considered trying to add some forums in here (possibly on a new site entirely), but I’m not sure if anyone would be interested in them, and right now I don’t have time to take on another side project. Let me know what you think :)

--Dean