Dog Days Are Over

Yesterday was a total write-off for me. I struggled through my usual bout of Sunday night insomnia, then had to get up stupidly early to open up at work, only to discover three other members of staff were already in and had opened up. I was unimpressed. The day was busy and stressful and I was wound up to breaking point by the time I got home.

So rather than do battle with SILVER KISS again, I ate pizza leftovers and watched old episodes of Catchphrase and The Cube (the gameshow, not the film. I HATE that film with a bitter, burning hatred. Actually I hate the gameshow too. Oooh, the contestant has to bounce a ball into a tube! It's a simple task, but now YOU'RE IN A PERSPEX BOX IT'S SUDDENLY MUCH HARDER! Idiots! And don't get me started on Catchphrase. None of the catchphrases were actually catchphrases, unless "ceaser salad" is a catchphrase rather than a meal. I don't know. At least that was from the 90s. The Cube has no excuse).

Anyway. I did that, had a relatively early night, and feel much better for it. Woke up this morning ready to get to work again, and buzzing with ideas for promo for AFTERLIFE. I'm anticipating that doing promo on my budget will be pretty tough, but I've got a couple of tricks up my sleeve to make a go of it. More on that as it develops, but if you like the sound of hot jazz, cold cocktails, and dead men, stay tuned...

PS - I (by which I mean Steve, my web designer) am making some changes over at my website. There's now a separate section for the Wolf City books, so you can stay up to date on covers, reviews, releases, etc. Should you so wish. Which you do. I hope.

Hot Jazz, Cold Cocktails, and Dead Girls

The Small World Guide to Shoregrave

 With its clean, sandy beaches and trendy nightclubs, it’s no wonder Shoregrave has become such a popular tourist destination. Once upon a time, travellers might have visited to explore the city’s deadly history, but today’s modern holiday-goer will appreciate the unique boutiques and relaxed street cafes. Just one word of warning – avoid visiting in the winter when the rain is heavier and the temperature plummets.

So on October 1st I'm beginning my countdown to AFTERLIFE's release. I know! Two months! It's going to fly by for me, but in the mean time, I want to do everything I can to make you go out and grab a copy on December 1st. And if that means shoving AFTERLIFE and the world of Yasmin Stoker down your throat every day for two months... Well, so be it.

And I'm starting here with a bit of a blurb to let you know what the book is actually freaking about:

Life in the afterlife is about to get dangerous.

Yasmin Stoker is a ghost tour guide who spends her days showing tourists around Shoregrave’s haunted hotspots. She also happens to be a wraith who spends her nights hunting Revenants, newly-risen flesh-eating vampires. On one of her regular hunts, she witnesses a mysterious ghostly girl pulling the body of a teenage boy underground. Who – and what – is this girl, and why is she attacking men around the city? Yasmin investigates, but it quickly becomes clear that somebody wants to keep her from finding the killer and they’ll do anything – including ambushing her with ghouls and cacodaemons – to stop her.

With only a persistent private eye and a taciturn vampire (one of the Immaculate, no less) to help her, Yasmin must deal with fanatical necromancers, crazed ghosts, and a sexy history teacher in her quest to solve the mystery. And along the way she uncovers some heartbreaking truths about her own existence.

And if that didn't whet your appetite, from October I'll be giving you a virtual guided tour of Yasmin's home city, Shoregrave. The jazz bars, the graveyards, the cocktails, the monsters, all still to come! And if you're lucky, there'll be a giveaway or two along the way. Spread the word!